MUTANT CHRONICLES
Sometimes the strengths of a game are also its weaknesses, which seems the case with Mutant Chronicles Collectible Miniatures Game.
There are elements within this game which will appeal to many gamers, and yet those same elements are likely to turn other gamers away in search of alternative gaming fare.
Those elements start with the miniature pieces themselves.
For those unfamiliar with Mutant Chronicles, it's a rather well-known, and long standing sci-fi universe with faction waging war. So the miniatures here represent the different individuals in battle, both human, and those which of course are far more mutant in nature. The game publishers, Fantasy Flight Games, a company respected for high quality games, made the decision to produce the miniatures in 54 mm scale, and to ship them pre-painted. Most miniature games opt for smaller scale, 28 or 30 mm, so the pieces here are big, and that allows for a fair amount of detail.
The downside though is that most mini gamers play a number of different systems and often borrow miniatures from one to enhance play in another. Since these are out of scale with the vast majority of systems, they won't transfer well.
Having the miniatures painted is a plus for those who aren't skilled with a paint brush, or those entering the hobby and not looking to invest in a case full of paint, brushes and accessories. The paint jobs here are solid, although somewhat muted in colour patterns given the 'dark future- theme of the game.
Of course for many a big part of the hobby is the painting, and if you paint your own miniatures it does allow a greater range of 'looks' on the gaming table.
Again it depends just how you view painting as to whether pre-paints are good, or bad.
The miniatures are collectible, allowing players to buy additional forces to customize their play rosters. Unlike many games out there, these are not sold in randomized packages where you take your chances on what might be inside. These come in packs where you know what you are getting. That's a good thing since the larger scale here makes the minis somewhat pricey, but you are getting what you want, and don't have to paint them so the cost is not too out-of-line.
One downside is that there are variations within the models in terms of game play statistics based on the colour of the bases, while the miniature remains the same. It would have been better had the miniatures received a little different paint scheme too.
Mutant Chronicles is played on a board with a hexagonal grid, the hexes matching the bases of the pieces. The board system works, and it is sold as just that a board game.
However, for many miniature game fans, the attraction is the free form approach, where you put out some terrain pieces, and then have freedom of movement, mimicking real life more closely.
For starters in the genre the board is good, but veterans might soon want great freedom. Fantasy Flight would do well to at least offer additional rules to free the game from the confines of the board.
In general terms this game offers some nice features, the mini size being the most obvious. The pieces stand out on a table. The problem though is that they seem a touch over-produced for a board game that while interesting, doesn't exactly jump out as one of the better games of the miniatures genre. Then again this one is not so much a pure minis game as it is a board game.
Therein may lie Mutant Chronicles greatest dilemma. It ends up being a game that seems stuck somewhere between worlds; a board game that seems as though it should be a full form miniatures game.
If the theme catches one's attention, that of a dark future where corps battle it out with guns and magic and mutants, it's a game worth looking into, if you are OK with the larger pieces, the pre-paint aspects and the limitations set by a board. Otherwise there are better miniature systems out there.
-- CALVIN DANIELS
-- Review first appeared in Yorkton This Week newspaper Jan.7, 2009 - Yorkton, SK. Canada
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Monday, January 5, 2009
Review -- ARIMAA
ARIMAA
It's the last issue of 2008, so it seems a good time to look at what is probably the best game to be designed in the last decade.
Interestingly, for a game worth such high praise, it is a game which has yet to be commercially produced, although there are indications Z-Man Games may well be changing that with a commercial set in the new year.
The game in question is Arimaa, a brilliantly designed board game by Aamir Syed and Omar Syed, who brought the game to the public in 2002.
When you see Arimaa set up on its 8X8 board your mind is immediately drawn to chess. While the game was obviously influenced by chess through its development, anything you know about chess in terms of moves, mechanics, rules, or strategy will do you little, if any good, with this game.
Arimaa is beautifully a completely unique gaming experience.
Arimaa was designed to be difficult for computers to play. Something that is not the case with chess where computers are now at least equal to all but the very best players. With that goal in mind the number of possible moves at each turn in Arimaa is about 500 times that of chess.
To show that Arimaa is beyond a computer there is a reward of $10,000 for the first person or company who can build a computer program (with off-the-shelf programming tools) that can defeat a selected human Arimaa player prior to 2020.
As stated, Arimaa is played on a chessboard, except that four squares are distinguished as trap squares. A piece isolated on a trap square (unsupported by an orthogonally adjacent piece of the same colour), is removed from the game. That is the only way to capture a piece in the game, so the four squares are key locations to both attack and defend during the game.
Each player begins with an array of 16 pieces. These are, in order from strongest to weakest, one elephant, one camel, two horses, two dogs, two cats, and eight rabbits. The pieces may be arranged in any order a player wants, along the two closest ranks to his side of the board.
The objective of the game is to move a rabbit of one's own colour onto the home rank of the opponent. One also wins should they eliminate their opponent's eight rabbits.
Unlike chess, each piece in Arimaa has the same basic move ability. A turn consists of making one to four steps. A step has a piece move into an unoccupied square one space left, right, forward, or backward, except that rabbits may not step backward. The steps of a turn may be made by a single piece or distributed between several pieces in any order.
Stronger pieces may also move weaker pieces around the board, allowing them to drag opponent pieces to the aforementioned trap squares. A player may use two steps of a turn to dislodge an opposing piece with a stronger friendly piece which is adjacent orthogonally (think rook move). For example, a friendly dog may move an opposing rabbit or cat, but not a dog, horse, camel, or elephant. The stronger piece may pull or push the weaker piece. For example, when pulling, the stronger piece steps into an empty square, and the square it came from is occupied by the weaker piece.
The relative strengths of the pieces is a key factor in Arimaa, seen again in the ability to 'freeze' pieces. A piece which is adjacent, (directly beside) a stronger opposing piece is frozen, unless it is also adjacent to a friendly piece. Frozen pieces may not be moved by the owner.
The interaction of pieces relative to their strength adds incredible strategic depth to Arimaa.
Yet, the mechanics are strikingly simple, since pieces all move the same, and you only have four steps per turn to work with.
While limited in the amount of movement per turn, determining what an opponent might do in response to anything you do is difficult, because a player can move one, or up to four pieces on a turn. As a result you are often working on your own strategy, while keeping yourself in a position to react to a number of threats from an opponent on any given turn.
You can find the rule set for Arimaa online, and it can be played using chess pieces, but really you will want to create a custom set because this game deserves its own play pieces. Fantastic game, with simplicity, elegance and depth. Make sure you give it a try.
-- CALVIN DANIELS
-- Review first appeared in Yorkton This Week newspaper Dec. 31, 2008 - Yorkton, SK. Canada
It's the last issue of 2008, so it seems a good time to look at what is probably the best game to be designed in the last decade.
Interestingly, for a game worth such high praise, it is a game which has yet to be commercially produced, although there are indications Z-Man Games may well be changing that with a commercial set in the new year.
The game in question is Arimaa, a brilliantly designed board game by Aamir Syed and Omar Syed, who brought the game to the public in 2002.
When you see Arimaa set up on its 8X8 board your mind is immediately drawn to chess. While the game was obviously influenced by chess through its development, anything you know about chess in terms of moves, mechanics, rules, or strategy will do you little, if any good, with this game.
Arimaa is beautifully a completely unique gaming experience.
Arimaa was designed to be difficult for computers to play. Something that is not the case with chess where computers are now at least equal to all but the very best players. With that goal in mind the number of possible moves at each turn in Arimaa is about 500 times that of chess.
To show that Arimaa is beyond a computer there is a reward of $10,000 for the first person or company who can build a computer program (with off-the-shelf programming tools) that can defeat a selected human Arimaa player prior to 2020.
As stated, Arimaa is played on a chessboard, except that four squares are distinguished as trap squares. A piece isolated on a trap square (unsupported by an orthogonally adjacent piece of the same colour), is removed from the game. That is the only way to capture a piece in the game, so the four squares are key locations to both attack and defend during the game.
Each player begins with an array of 16 pieces. These are, in order from strongest to weakest, one elephant, one camel, two horses, two dogs, two cats, and eight rabbits. The pieces may be arranged in any order a player wants, along the two closest ranks to his side of the board.
The objective of the game is to move a rabbit of one's own colour onto the home rank of the opponent. One also wins should they eliminate their opponent's eight rabbits.
Unlike chess, each piece in Arimaa has the same basic move ability. A turn consists of making one to four steps. A step has a piece move into an unoccupied square one space left, right, forward, or backward, except that rabbits may not step backward. The steps of a turn may be made by a single piece or distributed between several pieces in any order.
Stronger pieces may also move weaker pieces around the board, allowing them to drag opponent pieces to the aforementioned trap squares. A player may use two steps of a turn to dislodge an opposing piece with a stronger friendly piece which is adjacent orthogonally (think rook move). For example, a friendly dog may move an opposing rabbit or cat, but not a dog, horse, camel, or elephant. The stronger piece may pull or push the weaker piece. For example, when pulling, the stronger piece steps into an empty square, and the square it came from is occupied by the weaker piece.
The relative strengths of the pieces is a key factor in Arimaa, seen again in the ability to 'freeze' pieces. A piece which is adjacent, (directly beside) a stronger opposing piece is frozen, unless it is also adjacent to a friendly piece. Frozen pieces may not be moved by the owner.
The interaction of pieces relative to their strength adds incredible strategic depth to Arimaa.
Yet, the mechanics are strikingly simple, since pieces all move the same, and you only have four steps per turn to work with.
While limited in the amount of movement per turn, determining what an opponent might do in response to anything you do is difficult, because a player can move one, or up to four pieces on a turn. As a result you are often working on your own strategy, while keeping yourself in a position to react to a number of threats from an opponent on any given turn.
You can find the rule set for Arimaa online, and it can be played using chess pieces, but really you will want to create a custom set because this game deserves its own play pieces. Fantastic game, with simplicity, elegance and depth. Make sure you give it a try.
-- CALVIN DANIELS
-- Review first appeared in Yorkton This Week newspaper Dec. 31, 2008 - Yorkton, SK. Canada
Review -- HIVE
HIVE
It's only a couple of sleeps until Christmas, so it's a rather special time of year.
With that in mind I thought it appropriate that I write about one of the most interesting, and special games to come out this millennium.
Yes, that is only a period of eight years, but it has been a great eight years for board gamers as the hobby has experienced something of a resurgence with numerous games arriving on the scene to rave reviews.
Hive certainly makes the list of the best of the era, probably sitting number two on my list, only a smidgen behind Arimaa, a game that will soon be reviewed here as well.
In the case of Hive, designer John Yianni came up with a true classic.
The game, which was released in 2001, uses a rather unique mechanic in that it does not have a pre-set board on which the game takes places.
Instead, the hexagonal pieces themselves ultimately form the board as they are played, and maneuver throughout the game.
In the original Hive, each player starts with a single queen bee, two beetles, two spiders, and three each of an ant and grasshopper. Each of the insect themed pieces has a unique movement pattern.
Players start with their pieces in front of them, and take turns placing a piece on the table, each piece having to connect to the 'hive' as it is added to the 'board'.
Within the first four turns, a player must place his queen, which is the key piece in the game, since a player wins by completely surrounding the opponent's queen. Six pieces are needed to surround the queen, and they can be either player's.
Other than the rule regarding the queen's placement within the opening four rounds, a player can either add a piece to the hive, it has to touch only other pieces of his colour, or they can opt to move a piece already in play.
The only other overriding rule to remember is that the 'hive', the combined pieces in play, can never be broken into separate units – all pieces must remain connected.
With each piece having a unique move, the queen moves one field around a neighbouring piece, while the grasshopper has the ability to hop over the hive to rest on the other side, the game is reminiscent of chess.
However, the game almost always has a different look as the pieces are played out, and moved, to create an ever changing 'hive' pattern.
Early sets of Hive had the pieces made of wood, with stickers which depicted the various insects. the components have since gone through a major upgrade, with current sets having Bakelite pieces, with engraved images of the bugs.
The Bakelite pieces make this a true heirloom game which should last forever.
Yianni, has also created a game that has evolved. In 2007, he created the mosquito piece as an addition to the game. Each player has one mosquito, a piece which once placed mimics the movement of any piece it is adjacent too.
In correspondence with the creator, Yianni hints that he has other ideas percolating which could add even more bugs to the Hive family in the future.
The arrival of the mosquito, and hints of more to come, add to an already great game because it will add new strategic options to game play.
A game with few flaws, it has great pieces, interesting mechanics and it plays quickly too. Simply a winner all around.
-- CALVIN DANIELS
-- Review first appeared in Yorkton This Week newspaper Dec. 24, 2008 - Yorkton, SK. Canada
It's only a couple of sleeps until Christmas, so it's a rather special time of year.
With that in mind I thought it appropriate that I write about one of the most interesting, and special games to come out this millennium.
Yes, that is only a period of eight years, but it has been a great eight years for board gamers as the hobby has experienced something of a resurgence with numerous games arriving on the scene to rave reviews.
Hive certainly makes the list of the best of the era, probably sitting number two on my list, only a smidgen behind Arimaa, a game that will soon be reviewed here as well.
In the case of Hive, designer John Yianni came up with a true classic.
The game, which was released in 2001, uses a rather unique mechanic in that it does not have a pre-set board on which the game takes places.
Instead, the hexagonal pieces themselves ultimately form the board as they are played, and maneuver throughout the game.
In the original Hive, each player starts with a single queen bee, two beetles, two spiders, and three each of an ant and grasshopper. Each of the insect themed pieces has a unique movement pattern.
Players start with their pieces in front of them, and take turns placing a piece on the table, each piece having to connect to the 'hive' as it is added to the 'board'.
Within the first four turns, a player must place his queen, which is the key piece in the game, since a player wins by completely surrounding the opponent's queen. Six pieces are needed to surround the queen, and they can be either player's.
Other than the rule regarding the queen's placement within the opening four rounds, a player can either add a piece to the hive, it has to touch only other pieces of his colour, or they can opt to move a piece already in play.
The only other overriding rule to remember is that the 'hive', the combined pieces in play, can never be broken into separate units – all pieces must remain connected.
With each piece having a unique move, the queen moves one field around a neighbouring piece, while the grasshopper has the ability to hop over the hive to rest on the other side, the game is reminiscent of chess.
However, the game almost always has a different look as the pieces are played out, and moved, to create an ever changing 'hive' pattern.
Early sets of Hive had the pieces made of wood, with stickers which depicted the various insects. the components have since gone through a major upgrade, with current sets having Bakelite pieces, with engraved images of the bugs.
The Bakelite pieces make this a true heirloom game which should last forever.
Yianni, has also created a game that has evolved. In 2007, he created the mosquito piece as an addition to the game. Each player has one mosquito, a piece which once placed mimics the movement of any piece it is adjacent too.
In correspondence with the creator, Yianni hints that he has other ideas percolating which could add even more bugs to the Hive family in the future.
The arrival of the mosquito, and hints of more to come, add to an already great game because it will add new strategic options to game play.
A game with few flaws, it has great pieces, interesting mechanics and it plays quickly too. Simply a winner all around.
-- CALVIN DANIELS
-- Review first appeared in Yorkton This Week newspaper Dec. 24, 2008 - Yorkton, SK. Canada
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Review -- RETSAMI
RETSAMI
The classic board games which were created decades, and in some cases centuries ago, and have remained intriguing enough to game players to have survived, are among favoured games for many of us.There is often a simplicity to these games in terms of mechanics, which is a perfect compliment to a much deeper game in terms of strategy and how we must attack the game to be successful. Checkers, backgammon and others are an example of such games.With that in mind it is with particular interest that one turns to a new game which upon first look illicits thoughts of the older classics.That's exactly the reaction to Retsami, a board game created by John Wildsmith and released in 2006.A first glimpse of the board has one immediately thinking checkers. The well made game pieces have a decidedly backgammon-feel. The combination is fitting because the game seems to draw on both.Retsami is most closely related to backgammon in the sense it is a sort of race game where players maneuver their pieces around the board looking to be the first to get one home. The game even touts that it is 'the greatest game since backgammon'. That is a rather bold statement given the popularity of backgammon, but there is no doubt Retsami would likely find favour with backgammon players because it shares some common themes.Unlike backgammon there are no dice here where a roll can often influence the outcome as much as good game play.The game is played on a 9X9 checkerboard, with a sort of spiral game track that has pieces moving around the board in a race to the center square. The board, while pressed cardboard, is thick, well-made and should stand the test of time if looked after.A single stone slides around the board as far as it wishes, with the caveat it can pass only one corner per turn.Pieces are captured either orthogonally, like a chess rook, or diagonally, as a chess bishop. Therein lies the strategy of Retsami, a name which is Master in reverse. As a player moves a piece around the board he must do so in a way in which it is supported by other pieces, so if captured, he can simple repay the favour.Each player starts with their four pieces interspersed on the tile farthest from the centre, so captures can start pretty quickly.However, a captured piece is not lost. It may be returned, in lieu of a move, to any empty space on the starting row. As result of the regeneration mechanic players always have the same number of pieces, although they may not always be on-board.The game does tend to evolve into a battle of position along the home row. Each player is likely to send a piece out along the track, one leading, the other chasing, in hopes that the lead stone can be sniped at some point.To capture a piece you have to watch the home row, setting up covering attack vectors, much like catching an enemy in a crossfire.As a result the game does seem at times a little too much a give and take on the home row until someone is simply out maneuvered, but that might change if one played it as much as backgammon to learn more of the strategy.Even with limited plays Retsami has a look, and game play approach of a much older game, and that is a good thing. It's a game always worth a game or two to explore a new game with an old feel.
-- CALVIN DANIELS
-- Review first appeared in Yorkton This Week newspaper Dec. 17, 2008 - Yorkton, SK. Canada
The classic board games which were created decades, and in some cases centuries ago, and have remained intriguing enough to game players to have survived, are among favoured games for many of us.There is often a simplicity to these games in terms of mechanics, which is a perfect compliment to a much deeper game in terms of strategy and how we must attack the game to be successful. Checkers, backgammon and others are an example of such games.With that in mind it is with particular interest that one turns to a new game which upon first look illicits thoughts of the older classics.That's exactly the reaction to Retsami, a board game created by John Wildsmith and released in 2006.A first glimpse of the board has one immediately thinking checkers. The well made game pieces have a decidedly backgammon-feel. The combination is fitting because the game seems to draw on both.Retsami is most closely related to backgammon in the sense it is a sort of race game where players maneuver their pieces around the board looking to be the first to get one home. The game even touts that it is 'the greatest game since backgammon'. That is a rather bold statement given the popularity of backgammon, but there is no doubt Retsami would likely find favour with backgammon players because it shares some common themes.Unlike backgammon there are no dice here where a roll can often influence the outcome as much as good game play.The game is played on a 9X9 checkerboard, with a sort of spiral game track that has pieces moving around the board in a race to the center square. The board, while pressed cardboard, is thick, well-made and should stand the test of time if looked after.A single stone slides around the board as far as it wishes, with the caveat it can pass only one corner per turn.Pieces are captured either orthogonally, like a chess rook, or diagonally, as a chess bishop. Therein lies the strategy of Retsami, a name which is Master in reverse. As a player moves a piece around the board he must do so in a way in which it is supported by other pieces, so if captured, he can simple repay the favour.Each player starts with their four pieces interspersed on the tile farthest from the centre, so captures can start pretty quickly.However, a captured piece is not lost. It may be returned, in lieu of a move, to any empty space on the starting row. As result of the regeneration mechanic players always have the same number of pieces, although they may not always be on-board.The game does tend to evolve into a battle of position along the home row. Each player is likely to send a piece out along the track, one leading, the other chasing, in hopes that the lead stone can be sniped at some point.To capture a piece you have to watch the home row, setting up covering attack vectors, much like catching an enemy in a crossfire.As a result the game does seem at times a little too much a give and take on the home row until someone is simply out maneuvered, but that might change if one played it as much as backgammon to learn more of the strategy.Even with limited plays Retsami has a look, and game play approach of a much older game, and that is a good thing. It's a game always worth a game or two to explore a new game with an old feel.
-- CALVIN DANIELS
-- Review first appeared in Yorkton This Week newspaper Dec. 17, 2008 - Yorkton, SK. Canada
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Review -- MUNCHKIN
MUNCHKIN
Every once and a while it's good to sit down with a game that requires limited thought, and is instead completely focused on fun, and more importantly camaraderie with those sitting around the gaming table.
Now if you are one of those people that has an interest in fantasy, and especially if you have ever played a role playing game such as Dungeons & Dragons, the answer for a light, but hilarious evening is the card game Munchkin.
Designed by Steve Jackson, an iconic name in the gaming industry, Munchkin first hit the streets back in 2001, and it has become something of a game phenomenon ever since.
The premise of the game is rather simple, with one explanation I've seen stating, “kill the monsters - steal the treasure - stab your buddy. That pretty much sums it up.
It's a game where you have character cards with certain powers, powers that can be enhanced through the collection of other 'magic' cards.
The characters then face various monsters, humourously re-created creatures from the world of RPGs. Defeat the monster, and you collect more treasure.
You must collect enough points along the way to meet the win condition, before anyone else at the table does, the game is for three to six players.
If the cards aren't rolling well in terms of you beating up the monsters, you can always work at thwarting the efforts of everyone else at the table. You can play cards to strengthen monsters, steal treasures and simply infuriate other players, all in good natured back stabbing of course.
The game play is smooth, fast, and the rule set easy enough to pick up in just a game or two, even for those unfamiliar with the RPG background to the game. The thing about being a role player though is that you will get more of the wacky humour that Munchkin has in terms of card text and creatures, since they are often twisted interpretations of classic RPG storylines.
As mentioned, Munchkin has been a huge success in terms of the game industry. While the original is a solid stand alone game in its own right, Munchkin has had at least six expansion decks released. The expansions play as stand alone games, or you can mix them all together to create a huge and varied deck from which to play.
The game has also inspired a number of novelty items for the really avid player, from life counter dice, to an actual pewter miniature of the Munchkin mascot which is also used as a life counter.
While the original Munchkin, and its expansions focus on a basic medieval era, fantasy theme, there have also been a number of sequel editions produced.
Among the varied sequels are; Star Munchkin takes you to the world of outer space, Munchkin Bites!, has vampires and such, while Munchkin Fu takes on the world of kung fu movies.
Remember these are all very much tongue-in-cheek efforts, with bad puns and crazy ideas, yet that's what makes the game so endearing.
It's not a game for play every night, but when the mood strikes, when a night arrives you just want some silliness and laughs, Munchkin fits the bill.
-- CALVIN DANIELS
-- Review first appeared in Yorkton This Week newspaper Dec. 10, 2008 - Yorkton, SK. Canada
Every once and a while it's good to sit down with a game that requires limited thought, and is instead completely focused on fun, and more importantly camaraderie with those sitting around the gaming table.
Now if you are one of those people that has an interest in fantasy, and especially if you have ever played a role playing game such as Dungeons & Dragons, the answer for a light, but hilarious evening is the card game Munchkin.
Designed by Steve Jackson, an iconic name in the gaming industry, Munchkin first hit the streets back in 2001, and it has become something of a game phenomenon ever since.
The premise of the game is rather simple, with one explanation I've seen stating, “kill the monsters - steal the treasure - stab your buddy. That pretty much sums it up.
It's a game where you have character cards with certain powers, powers that can be enhanced through the collection of other 'magic' cards.
The characters then face various monsters, humourously re-created creatures from the world of RPGs. Defeat the monster, and you collect more treasure.
You must collect enough points along the way to meet the win condition, before anyone else at the table does, the game is for three to six players.
If the cards aren't rolling well in terms of you beating up the monsters, you can always work at thwarting the efforts of everyone else at the table. You can play cards to strengthen monsters, steal treasures and simply infuriate other players, all in good natured back stabbing of course.
The game play is smooth, fast, and the rule set easy enough to pick up in just a game or two, even for those unfamiliar with the RPG background to the game. The thing about being a role player though is that you will get more of the wacky humour that Munchkin has in terms of card text and creatures, since they are often twisted interpretations of classic RPG storylines.
As mentioned, Munchkin has been a huge success in terms of the game industry. While the original is a solid stand alone game in its own right, Munchkin has had at least six expansion decks released. The expansions play as stand alone games, or you can mix them all together to create a huge and varied deck from which to play.
The game has also inspired a number of novelty items for the really avid player, from life counter dice, to an actual pewter miniature of the Munchkin mascot which is also used as a life counter.
While the original Munchkin, and its expansions focus on a basic medieval era, fantasy theme, there have also been a number of sequel editions produced.
Among the varied sequels are; Star Munchkin takes you to the world of outer space, Munchkin Bites!, has vampires and such, while Munchkin Fu takes on the world of kung fu movies.
Remember these are all very much tongue-in-cheek efforts, with bad puns and crazy ideas, yet that's what makes the game so endearing.
It's not a game for play every night, but when the mood strikes, when a night arrives you just want some silliness and laughs, Munchkin fits the bill.
-- CALVIN DANIELS
-- Review first appeared in Yorkton This Week newspaper Dec. 10, 2008 - Yorkton, SK. Canada
Review -- CANNON
CANNON
There have been some amazing games developed in recent years, especially in terms of abstract strategy games, a genre that has enjoyed something of a Renaissance in recent years.
One of the games that has fueled that Renaissance is Cannon, a game designed by David Whitcher, and released in 2003 by PyroMyth Games.
The game succeeds based on two main precepts in terms of game design. To start with the game has an elegant simplicity, one which really reminds of games from an early generation.
There are basically only two moves in the game that of a soldier, and of a cannon.
A soldier can move forward one space, either straight ahead, or diagonally. It may capture the same way, as well as one space either right or left.
The cannon is a formation of three soldiers in a straight line. The cannon moves ahead, or back one space as a unit. As might be expected with a cannon, it captures at a distance. It does not move, but can capture a single soldier either two, or three spaces in front of it, as long as no other piece is immediately in front of the cannon.
That's it is terms of movement. The game has a simplicity of move that has me likening it to checkers.
The game is played on a 9X9 board, with the pieces placed on the lines, akin to XiangQi (Chinese Chess) a game which has something of a common theme with cannon in as much as the cannon pieces are marked with Chinese symbols.
At the start of the game each player in turn places a village piece along the back line on his side. The goal of the game is to eliminate the opponent's village. Since the village can start on any of seven starting points, a single strategy will not work in this game, since the goal must be attacked from different angles, depending on where the village is.
Each player also starts with 15 soldiers, aligned as five cannons on alternating lines with their opponents pieces.
From there it's a straight forward battle. Since cannons attack at range, it takes only a couple of moves before combat begins. The game sees casualties on both sides in rapid succession, as might be expected if cannons were blasting away at one another.
While the cannon formations are the power of the game, it often comes down to a lone soldier sneaking through the carnage to capture the opponent's village.
With it's Oriental theme, and somewhat checkers like movement, the game has the 'feel' of a game far more ancient than Cannon is. You might well think it's a game created in Japan, at the time of chess, or checkers, by the way the game plays, and that's a good thing.
If there is one drawback, the wooden board and pieces were a disappointment. The board is basically plywood, and while functional, could have been made of nice wood.
Still the board is far superior to the pieces that are made of a wood that has the feel of balsa. There is no weight at all, and the cut job on many was extremely rough. In trying to trim, the cheap wood splintered chunks off easily.
It didn't help that on a couple of pieces the Oriental symbol was badly off centre either.
Recognizing Cannon was produced by a small, designer-led company, the pieces were still a letdown.
There is a plastic version, but from pictures it lacks the vintage look of the wood one.
I do believe the game will soon be produced by another company, and hopefully they will boost production values.
While the pieces are far from perfect, game play is so compelling, the game still comes highly recommended. If a better version is produced, then it will be a total classic.
-- CALVIN DANIELS
-- Review first appeared in Yorkton This Week newspaper Dec. 3, 2008 - Yorkton, SK. Canada
There have been some amazing games developed in recent years, especially in terms of abstract strategy games, a genre that has enjoyed something of a Renaissance in recent years.
One of the games that has fueled that Renaissance is Cannon, a game designed by David Whitcher, and released in 2003 by PyroMyth Games.
The game succeeds based on two main precepts in terms of game design. To start with the game has an elegant simplicity, one which really reminds of games from an early generation.
There are basically only two moves in the game that of a soldier, and of a cannon.
A soldier can move forward one space, either straight ahead, or diagonally. It may capture the same way, as well as one space either right or left.
The cannon is a formation of three soldiers in a straight line. The cannon moves ahead, or back one space as a unit. As might be expected with a cannon, it captures at a distance. It does not move, but can capture a single soldier either two, or three spaces in front of it, as long as no other piece is immediately in front of the cannon.
That's it is terms of movement. The game has a simplicity of move that has me likening it to checkers.
The game is played on a 9X9 board, with the pieces placed on the lines, akin to XiangQi (Chinese Chess) a game which has something of a common theme with cannon in as much as the cannon pieces are marked with Chinese symbols.
At the start of the game each player in turn places a village piece along the back line on his side. The goal of the game is to eliminate the opponent's village. Since the village can start on any of seven starting points, a single strategy will not work in this game, since the goal must be attacked from different angles, depending on where the village is.
Each player also starts with 15 soldiers, aligned as five cannons on alternating lines with their opponents pieces.
From there it's a straight forward battle. Since cannons attack at range, it takes only a couple of moves before combat begins. The game sees casualties on both sides in rapid succession, as might be expected if cannons were blasting away at one another.
While the cannon formations are the power of the game, it often comes down to a lone soldier sneaking through the carnage to capture the opponent's village.
With it's Oriental theme, and somewhat checkers like movement, the game has the 'feel' of a game far more ancient than Cannon is. You might well think it's a game created in Japan, at the time of chess, or checkers, by the way the game plays, and that's a good thing.
If there is one drawback, the wooden board and pieces were a disappointment. The board is basically plywood, and while functional, could have been made of nice wood.
Still the board is far superior to the pieces that are made of a wood that has the feel of balsa. There is no weight at all, and the cut job on many was extremely rough. In trying to trim, the cheap wood splintered chunks off easily.
It didn't help that on a couple of pieces the Oriental symbol was badly off centre either.
Recognizing Cannon was produced by a small, designer-led company, the pieces were still a letdown.
There is a plastic version, but from pictures it lacks the vintage look of the wood one.
I do believe the game will soon be produced by another company, and hopefully they will boost production values.
While the pieces are far from perfect, game play is so compelling, the game still comes highly recommended. If a better version is produced, then it will be a total classic.
-- CALVIN DANIELS
-- Review first appeared in Yorkton This Week newspaper Dec. 3, 2008 - Yorkton, SK. Canada
Review -- NAVIA DRATP
NAVIA DRATP
This week let's take a look at a game which may have the best mechanics, game play of any abstract strategy game created in the last couple of decades, coupled with one of the worst marketing plans in the history of board games; Navia Dratp.
Navia Dratp is a recent creation by Koichi Yamazaki, and released in 2004 by BanDai, so yes it is from Japan.
Let's start with the good stuff, the game play.
Navia Dratp is very much a game in the style of chess, well to be more accurate it's a game in the same vein as Shogi, the Japanese version of chess reviewed here last week. That said Yamazaki has added a bunch of new elements to the mix to make Navia a definitely unique game.
Players start the game, played on a 7X7 board, with nine pieces on the board, called gulled stones, which really equate to pawns. The actual pieces are rather cheap looking, which is odd since the rest of the components for the game are great.
Like pawns the gulled stones have limited movement, but in Navia Dratp they have an essential purpose. Each time you move a gulled stone you earn gyullas, which would be far better off being called something simple like gold pieces. You can start to see a major flaw developing on the marketing side with all the near impossible to pronounce terms.
Anyway, gyullas are an important aspect of the game, so you want to earn as many as you can.
Players also start with a Navia figure on the board, essentially a chess king in female form. If your Navia is captured you lose the game.
Each player also starts the game with seven Maseitai, the major pieces of the game. The Maseitai start off the board, and can be summoned onto the board on specific squares in lieu of any other action on your turn.
This is where it gets interesting, each Maseitai has a specific movement pattern, as well as a dratp cost. Pay the dratp cost with gyullas and you can flip the movement key, exposing a new movement pattern, or other enhanced or special ability. This again leads back to Shogi where most pieces can be flipped for enhanced moves.
The Maseitai pieces are fairly large, nicely detailed pieces, with a definite fantasy/anime-look. They are actually quite stunning, and next to the mechanics, are easily the best aspect of this game.
Also each time you capture an opponent's Maseitai you gain it's drapt cost in gyullas.
If you have 60 gyullas you can dratp your Navia and that is an automatic win, one of three win conditions, the others being capturing the opposing Navia, or getting your Navia across the board to your opponent's end line. Having three win conditions is a major plus of the game.
The game is also collectible, meaning there were boosters packs of Maseitai available. With two starter packs and two booster sets, there are 44 Maseitai out there to choose from, and since you only have seven in play, the options are rather diverse, even though the game lasted only a short time in terms of new product.
As a game it plays great.
However, marketing wise it was a huge failure.
On one hand chess fans were no doubt turned off by the weird language, and believe me when you start looking at the names of the Maseitai it gets even worse with Sungyullas, Agunilyos and Coydrocomp just three examples.
For younger people more into the world of Japanese anime, a definite influence here, the fact the game is a chess variant wasn't likely a big draw.
The game also came with two distinct starters, but you needed both to play. Can you imagine buying a chess set and getting only half the pieces in the box and then having to buy another set to play.
Navia Dratp is an amazing game, but you do have to cut through a language barrier of sorts to get into the heart of the mechanics to appreciate it. It is worth the effort though. You can still find starters on ebay quite easily, and if you like chess at all, or just a great strategy game, this is a must to find.
-- CALVIN DANIELS
-- Review first appeared in Yorkton This Week newspaper Nov. 26, 2008 - Yorkton, SK. Canada
This week let's take a look at a game which may have the best mechanics, game play of any abstract strategy game created in the last couple of decades, coupled with one of the worst marketing plans in the history of board games; Navia Dratp.
Navia Dratp is a recent creation by Koichi Yamazaki, and released in 2004 by BanDai, so yes it is from Japan.
Let's start with the good stuff, the game play.
Navia Dratp is very much a game in the style of chess, well to be more accurate it's a game in the same vein as Shogi, the Japanese version of chess reviewed here last week. That said Yamazaki has added a bunch of new elements to the mix to make Navia a definitely unique game.
Players start the game, played on a 7X7 board, with nine pieces on the board, called gulled stones, which really equate to pawns. The actual pieces are rather cheap looking, which is odd since the rest of the components for the game are great.
Like pawns the gulled stones have limited movement, but in Navia Dratp they have an essential purpose. Each time you move a gulled stone you earn gyullas, which would be far better off being called something simple like gold pieces. You can start to see a major flaw developing on the marketing side with all the near impossible to pronounce terms.
Anyway, gyullas are an important aspect of the game, so you want to earn as many as you can.
Players also start with a Navia figure on the board, essentially a chess king in female form. If your Navia is captured you lose the game.
Each player also starts the game with seven Maseitai, the major pieces of the game. The Maseitai start off the board, and can be summoned onto the board on specific squares in lieu of any other action on your turn.
This is where it gets interesting, each Maseitai has a specific movement pattern, as well as a dratp cost. Pay the dratp cost with gyullas and you can flip the movement key, exposing a new movement pattern, or other enhanced or special ability. This again leads back to Shogi where most pieces can be flipped for enhanced moves.
The Maseitai pieces are fairly large, nicely detailed pieces, with a definite fantasy/anime-look. They are actually quite stunning, and next to the mechanics, are easily the best aspect of this game.
Also each time you capture an opponent's Maseitai you gain it's drapt cost in gyullas.
If you have 60 gyullas you can dratp your Navia and that is an automatic win, one of three win conditions, the others being capturing the opposing Navia, or getting your Navia across the board to your opponent's end line. Having three win conditions is a major plus of the game.
The game is also collectible, meaning there were boosters packs of Maseitai available. With two starter packs and two booster sets, there are 44 Maseitai out there to choose from, and since you only have seven in play, the options are rather diverse, even though the game lasted only a short time in terms of new product.
As a game it plays great.
However, marketing wise it was a huge failure.
On one hand chess fans were no doubt turned off by the weird language, and believe me when you start looking at the names of the Maseitai it gets even worse with Sungyullas, Agunilyos and Coydrocomp just three examples.
For younger people more into the world of Japanese anime, a definite influence here, the fact the game is a chess variant wasn't likely a big draw.
The game also came with two distinct starters, but you needed both to play. Can you imagine buying a chess set and getting only half the pieces in the box and then having to buy another set to play.
Navia Dratp is an amazing game, but you do have to cut through a language barrier of sorts to get into the heart of the mechanics to appreciate it. It is worth the effort though. You can still find starters on ebay quite easily, and if you like chess at all, or just a great strategy game, this is a must to find.
-- CALVIN DANIELS
-- Review first appeared in Yorkton This Week newspaper Nov. 26, 2008 - Yorkton, SK. Canada
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