Blog Archives

Can't see the forest for the trees

2/20/2018

Who would have thought it! A board game about growing trees and watching them die!!!
No farming involved...
No use as a resource...
Just grow, die and score points.

But that is exactly what happens in a new game from Blue Orange Games called Photosynthesis. And photosynthesis is exactly what this game is about and even how it feels.

A rare thing in my arc of gaming is playing what is essentially an abstract game that has a sap dripping theme. Normally, abstracts are moving pieces or placing pieces to give a strategic win. Not here. You will start by placing a few small trees on the boarder of a forest. And that is where the abstractness ends. As the trees will then gain you energy, which you use as action points, if they are in direct line of sunlight.

Actions range from making your trees grow from one size to the next, laying a seed on another part of the forest and when trees have reached their full height, letting them shuffle of their mortal coil. Or they just fall over, leaving the space empty for another life to shoot. This is how you gain points. Ending the life of a tree in the center of the board will give you big scoring tiles while on the boarders of the forest, the scoring tiles are not so generous. And there lies the part of the strategy of the game. Having your trees grow in the middle to give you big point, but with the possibility of collecting the suns energy. Or vice versa.

Each round will start with a lager sun tile, moving around the outside of the board. Trees in the sun gain you a point of energy for their size. Small trees 1 point, 2 for a medium and 3 for a large. Although, each tree will cast a shadow, like sitting behind a big headed person at the cinema, you can't see the screen. If your tree is in the shadow of another tree, whether it be another players or your own, it gains no energy for you. The more energy you gain, the more actions you can preform on your turn.

And that's not the only thing you need to think of. Each player has a bank that holds their components (trees and seeds) and a reserve of trees and seed that are used to place and replace the pieces on the board. Energy is also used to pay for these items to be removed from the bank to be placed into your reserve. The bigger the tree, the more it costs. And the more of a particular size of tree you place on the board or into your reserve, the more they cost also. The cycle of life theme doesn't just end with the photosynthesis recuperated from the trees. Every time you remove a piece from the board, whether it was replaced by a larger one of felled, it goes back into the bank...as long as there is a space.

So, this game has a simple premise. A theme and mechanism that fit branch in branch. A beautiful aesthetic as the game grows. And green fingered players challenged by other gardeners.

I will tip my hat to Hjalmar Hach for coming up with such an elegant playing and uniquely themed game that feels challenging but leaves you feeling calm, as if you have just had a picnic in that there forest. Find out more about the game by watching the video...

THIS GAME IS MY CUP OF TEA

MY TECHNICAL SCORE
9.5 OUT OF 10

MY BGG SCORE
8.5 OUT OF 10

COMBINED SCORE
9 OUT OF 10

0 Comments

C*den@^^es

2/10/2018

0 Comments

stop....!
You can read this coded message below or watch this video, that will self destruct in 18 minutes...

Codenames is one of those games that fit the party style genera. Or for me personally, the "game show" genera. Because, when I am playing it, I feel the weight of a TV crew on my shoulders as well as the weight of me fellow team mates.

It's a game that puts the pressure on you, whether your giving clues or trying to deduce them.

It's a game that, no matter if you win or loose, you will have a laugh for being a good contestant.

It's a game were intelligence and cool thinking will prevail.

In this game, two teams of players will be trying to find their Spies out in the field, where there are the other teams spies. Civilians. And also an Assassin.

One player from each team will become a Master (operator) and have information to the location of their Spies, Civies and Assassin. Then try to communicate the location of their own Spies to the team, by using one clue word and a number. This one word clue will represent a connection to the "Codenames" of their Spies. The Number is the number of their Spies, who's Codename relates to the clue.

The game uses a rather dull looking set of cards. Each of them contains a word, much like other games of this ilk. But all the words are simple and clear to understand. Out of the hundreds of double sided cards, only 25 of them are used in a round. Laid out in a 5 by 5 grid, creating a field that corresponds to a card that the Masters will have.

The game sounds easier than it look or than you think. But that is the great challenge about it. Being open minded and quick thinking in making chains words between the words on display.

Not particularly fun for the unimaginative as they will slowly work through the game while the quick witted will whiz through. So balancing the teams is important in the fun factor. But also, those unimaginative player will bring lots of laughter and light hearted-ness to the game.

The game works in all sorts of environments. Playing couples against each other or large teams going head to head. The saying, the more the merrier differently fits this game. Bring laughter and wackiness to the table.

Codenames now comes in many disguises.
From kid friendly Disney to adult not-so-friendly Deep Undercover

My ratings on the game are:
Technical score 7.5/10
Dull to look at / Great mechanics
My BGG score 9/10
Great fun to play / A little difficult to master
Combined score of 8.25/10

This game is definitely
"my cuppa tea"

0 Comments

App't apps

2/8/2018

0 Comments

January. What a month it has been. Stuffed after Christmas. Marinaded on New Year. Then tickled pink on the Birthday.

I did get to play quite a few games as well. Some family favorites as well as some new ones that flew under my nose. From the wonderful Clans of Caledonia (Karma Games) to the Wall in Catan (Fantasy Flight Games), with the Brotherhood of the Watch. I hiked around the beautiful Okanagan: Valleyof the Lakes (Matagot) and visited an old favoratite place with a Splendor (Space Cowboys) new view of the city.

There were a few Kickstarters that came my way as well. One, I have been playing for a long time and have seen it evolve over the year. That is Batman: Gotham City Chronicles (Monolith Editions) which is coming very soon. The other, which is currently running is Blockchain: The Cryptocurrency Game (Say Cheves). You can find these in my Kickstarter page.

And I delve into board game app's. As there were a few time in the month where I played Mansions of Madness (Fantasy Flight) alone. Or I was joined with my daughter in the fight to save the galaxy in Rising 5 (Holy Grail Games). playing with these app's got me thinking, are they good or bad for the hobby? And most importantly, do they work?

But you can see and hear about all these things, in my double-back monthly blog

What is "the Monthly Video?" 0:20
A Review of Reviews 1:41
First and the Last 3:15
Question Time 12:50
The Monthly Giveaway 21:52

Let me know in the comments, what you think about board game app's.
And if you have a question that you'd like me to open up in Question Time.

0 Comments

The blog

find all my videos reviews on

just played games

Can't see the forest for the trees

THIS GAME IS MY CUP OF TEA

MY TECHNICAL SCORE
9.5 OUT OF 10

MY BGG SCORE
8.5 OUT OF 10

COMBINED SCORE
9 OUT OF 10

C*den@^^es

stop....!
You can read this coded message below or watch this video, that will self destruct in 18 minutes...

This game is definitely
"my cuppa tea"

App't apps

But you can see and hear about all these things, in my double-back monthly blog

Author

Archives

shortcuts

Contact me

The blog

find all my videos reviews on

just played games

Can't see the forest for the trees

​THIS GAME IS MY CUP OF TEA

MY TECHNICAL SCORE9.5 OUT OF 10MY BGG SCORE8.5 OUT OF 10COMBINED SCORE9 OUT OF 10

C*den@^^es

stop....!You can read this coded message below or watch this video, that will self destruct in 18 minutes...

This game is definitely ​"my cuppa tea"

App't apps

But you can see and hear about all these things, in my double-back monthly blog

Author

Archives

shortcuts

Contact me

THIS GAME IS MY CUP OF TEA

MY TECHNICAL SCORE
9.5 OUT OF 10

MY BGG SCORE
8.5 OUT OF 10

COMBINED SCORE
9 OUT OF 10

stop....!
You can read this coded message below or watch this video, that will self destruct in 18 minutes...

This game is definitely
"my cuppa tea"