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Scott Binnie
Ah, January. That time of year where the chill wind grabs you by the bones and refuses to let go. There’s nothing else for it than to get the heating on, wrap up, and get some games played while Lord of the Rings plays in the background for the 300th time.
And what’s more warming for the soul than a happy stroll into the gorgeously charming land of Everdell? The beautifully-themed tableau builder is such a relaxing, happy game. Sure you’ve got decisions to make but it’s nothing like the marvellously brain-burning Spirit Island. Sit down, recruit your badgers and your bards, and just relax.
There are three expansions for this brilliant game already and while I’m very excited to pick them up - even just to sate my need to collect everything when I get a game - the base game still holds plenty of mileage for us to enjoy. Learning all the cards and the combos you can pull off will take dozens of playthroughs. In my latest playthrough there was a moment when I realised I could chain four actions together, and setting that up and pulling it off was a joy. It didn’t stop me losing the game right enough…
I’ve also jumped back on to that Marvel Champions hype train after a deluge of new games saw me move on to different things. I’ve had a great time on those other games but that siren call of Champions just will not be silenced!
I picked up the two latest hero releases - Ant-Man and Wasp - and we’ve been playing around with those two heroes. It has helped soften the FOMO I’ve had since I didn’t pick up the Rise of Red Skull expansion (why can’t I find it anywhere?!) and the new mechanics are, as ever, a real joy to explore.
Neither hero is on the standing of the likes of Doctor Strange, but they’re both very playable, very enjoyable additions to this wonderful game. So far I prefer Ant-Man to Wasp, who maybe struggles with economy a wee bit, but they’re great fun. Especially the giant/tiny forms!
Matt Thomasson
It has been a real good mix of games for me in January. Fuelled by some new Christmas gifts and some regular appearances, I have three games that I want to talk about that I have been hitting my table.
First off is Marvel Champions. This is a game that is constantly hitting my table. Being a big superhero fan this game just feels like it is meant for me. Quick set up, quick(ish) games and some great card play moments, Marvel Champions hits my table at least 3 times a week. Recently Ant-Man and Wasp Hero packs have been released and I have been enjoying delving into these two new Heroes and their three-sided cards. Some great new cards and combos added into the game keeping it fresh and fun.
Warp’s Edge is a new game that I received at Christmas and it is quickly rising to the top of my solo games. Compact table space, tons of replayability and some fun tense moments. This is a solo only bag builder where players need to take down a swarm of enemies (in the form of cards), upgrade their bag and pool of tokens and eventually take down the Mothership all before you run out of time (or warps). Games are often close and very tense and come right down the wire. There are a ton of ships to pilot and Motherships to defeat. Each ship comes with its own collection of unique tokens with additional tokens being added to your bag as the game progresses.
I had never really delved into the mythos before so asked for Arkham Horror (3rd ed) for Christmas. This is a big scenario-driven, Cthulhu inspired game where you play as an investigator trying to solve the mysterious going ons in and around Arkham. There is a lot going on in this game but suffice to say that the story is amazing. I have had some great gameplay moments and although scenarios can often be long and there is a heavy amount of luck I always have great fun, win or lose.
Other honourable mentions include Under Falling Skies, Lost Ruins of Arnak and Raiders of Scythia. All equally great as the three mentioned above and all have been hitting my table a lot in Jan 2021.
Encouraged by recent victories, my daughter decided to start 2021 with a "50 game challenge". To protect my rule as king gamer, an ascendancy which extends only as far as the boundary of our house, (and because I love playing board games with my kids) I accepted. For fairness, we started with games new to us both.
Andrew Walker
Clank!: This contest of kleptomania is a fantastic deck-building game with real depth and a constantly changing supply of cards to choose from. Thieves compete for supremacy by exploring a dragon's cave for treasures. Delving deeper, dragon attacks become more likely while escape becomes more challenging. We loved the excitement of reaching nervously into a bag filled with cubes to see who'd get attacked - if you've been noisy you'll have more cubes in the bag, and possibly a sweaty palm. Not solely a deck-builder, like the archetype Dominion, Clank! offers excitement through a variety of mechanics, which work brilliantly to keep suspense and anticipation building. Unfortunately, my little princess used them to build a colossal lead and claimed the title of master thief.
We continued with Diamant. We were exploring for gems in booby-trapped caves. This is almost a smaller version of Clank! without deck building and dragons. We each embraced the mild backstabbing element of running off with the valuables while your fellow explorers risk everything - who could resist the materialistic joy of hoarding a trove of rubies and diamonds?! The simplicity and speed make this a great push-your-luck choice for younger gamers. Sadly, I pushed my luck too far!
Panicked by early defeats I abandoned fairness entirely. Enter Catan - a resource management game I've played literally hundreds of times, and my daughter had played only once! Catan is a modern classic and excellent gateway game about establishing dominance on an island with limited resources. With my ego to protect I wasn't going easy on anyone. To my horror, the upstart princess' little brother overwhelmed us both the very first time he played. I'm not sure if our little prince is trying to muscle in, but I'm certainly feeling less sure of my reign.
I now find myself choosing games more carefully, contemplating my children's strengths and weaknesses, and wondering if it's poor sportsmanship to ban victory dances!
Carl Yaxley
I kicked my 2021 gaming off with some of my all-time favourites. Bohnanza, Bruges, and Formula D all hit the table early in the month. As well as newer editions to my favourites list like Terraforming Mars, Great Western Trail, Everdell. Formula D sparked a desire for racing games in the group. A desire we sated with Flamme Rouge and Hot Rod Creeps in subsequent gaming sessions. I was particularly happy to get in a game of Formula D, which remains my favourite racing game. Before lockdown 1.0, I ran a league at my local gaming store, and eagerly await a time it can recommence!
That's not to suggest that I'm starved for gaming opportunities. Weekly game nights have continued within my bubble since the second lockdown. We also got Nusfjord, Stone Age, Carpe Diem and Glass Road to the table in January; interspersed with some lighter games like Villagers, Smash Up, Unexploded Cow, Port Royal, and Century Spice Road.
As suggested, gaming highlights of the month included getting in a game of Formula D. I persuaded the group to play with full advanced rules, and it was fun. It was also brutal. Some reckless cornering and unfortunate dice rolls resulted in many cars getting knocked out.
Other than Formula D, notable highlights include Terraforming Mars and Smash Up! Two wildly different games that I always enjoy, and had not seen play in awhile. Terraforming Mars is fantastic, nothing else needs saying, it's a game I never tire of. Smash Up! is one of those games I enjoy for its simplicity. I've never considered it a great game, but it is good. It plays quickly, and it's fun. It's the perfect game to defuse the tension from a hard-fought racing game!
Will Moffat
I logged 25 plays in January – the highest since October – and these plays included 16 unique games.
This month, I played a number of new-to-me games. The highlight being the fabulous solo “Independence Day” simulation, Under Falling Skies. My favourite solo game released in 2020. I also had a quick game of the crazy cut-down version of Colt Express, known as Colt SUPER Express – it’s so cut-down from its lean big brother that on the face of it there are only the bare bones of a game there – but it was a blast, and plays in only 5 minutes!!
I also had my first taste of gateway classic Takenoko in January – I had held-off from getting this game because of mixed reports, including my eldest daughter’s not too favourable report, but I bit the bullet and ended up loving it after only one play – it reminds me of a less limited version of Lanterns: The Harvest Festival, but with more options available and numerous paths to victory. And it has some of the best quality components I have seen in a board game… Yes, I’m thinking specifically of that Panda!!
I also played a few solo games of the Sherlock Files – one-off mysteries where you go through a deck of cards trying to solve various crimes. Similar to the Unlock and Exit series of games, the sad thing is, once you’ve played them there’s no going back.
Other games that got to the table with my family were the excellent bluffing game, Skull. The crazy push-your-luck-fest that is Quack of Quedlinburg. And an old favourite – the game that initially sparked my interest in modern board gaming, CMON’s mini-fest known as Kaosball.
I hope February brings as many wonderful gaming moments.
