Exploding Kittens has released a new expansion for their hit card game- Zombie Kittens and this time the Zombies are coming!
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Exploding Kittens is one of my favorite games to play as a family. It has nothing to do with the fact I usually win. That helps, sure but not the main reason. Between fantastic art and cutthroat chaos we can’t get enough of this game. Zombie Kittens takes the classic format of killing each other and brings in the ability to bring players back from the dead. Normally if they can’t defuse the bomb that is the end of the game for them but now they have the chance to be resurrection as a zombie and can still terrorize the players.
The phrasing on the resurrection card could be better because as it is written sounds like it allows you to bring back all dead players. It can also be easily interpreted that it only brings back the player that is dying at that instant. Having carefully read the rules themselves though this is explained a bit better. You can use it to save yourself if you are dying BUT you automatically bring back one dead player with you. To really take advantage of this expansion you really need a group of at least four players. Playing with two players makes this effectively a defuse card but with some added features that are impacted by other new cards. This is similar to what the Imploding Kitten did for the game.
Adding new features and cards to an already great game helps keep it from getting stale. This version was a lot of fun but would absolutely be better with a larger group. Being able to save yourself continues to lengthen the game time but overall not significantly. If you are a fan of Exploding Kittens or looking for a new game to play with your group then this is a great choice for you!
Who here likes rainbows? Who likes revenge? Who likes both? With Mantis from Exploding Kittens you get BOTH!
One thing I love about games from Exploding Kittens is their originality. Some of the games may have borrowed some mechanics from others but as a whole they look and feel entirely original. Mantis is one such game that has seemed to borrowed a basic mechanic but made it their own overall. The mechanic I’m referring to is simply trading matching cards like in Go Fish. A very simple mechanic for sure but they still made it their own. Instead of collecting numbered cards you are collecting styles of mantis shrimp. What makes this game unique, aside from what is printed on the cards, is that instead of scoring points with your shrimp you can steal cards from the other players to try to make your tank earn you points.
Let’s talk about speed of play. Most titles make claims about how quick they are to play and Mantis is no different in that regard. However, it is very accurate at ten minutes. Our first game took closer to fifteen but that was more because we were learning the rules of the game. This game is really good at reminding you who may not want to play certain games with. Some members of the family are just too cutthroat. I’m looking right at both of my teenagers. I don’t understand why they always target me specifically. It’s like they coordinate these assaults together telepathically. Overall we had a great time but it simply does not hold a candle to the Exploding Kittens game itself.
Very Special Games brings Charty Party to the group card game genre- think Cards Against Humanity with charts instead.
The team at Very Special Games sent us both the All Ages and the 17+ editions of Charty Party to review. The game is quite simple to grasp, especially if you have played Cards Against Humanity. For those that haven’t played everyone gets shuffled a hand of orange cards. The judge for that round will draw a card from the chart pile. The remaining players then place the card they think the judge will choose. Depending on the judge you might go for the funniest answer or something else. For example one of my daughter’s friends will never choose the funniest card. She only picks the card that works the least and then tells everyone to “think about it”. The trick here is to play to your judges.
At first glance I thought the game would be a waste of time and an even bigger waste of shelf space. Clearly I was skeptical. That was before I read how to play. You see, I saw the charts themselves and thought this would be one of the stupidest games I ever played that wasn’t for young children. However, during my unboxing of the game I realized what the game really was and my immediate impression changed. You can check out that video here:
After filming the video and playing the game with the family I learned two things. The first is that the game is better with alcohol, like most games but still it is better when you’ve been drinking. The second is that despite the game being centered around charts it is actually quite clever and was a good amount of fun for our whole group. I think this one will be a regular addition to our gaming rotation.
Renegade Games brings the ultimate roleplaying game for 80s fanboys- GI Joe the Roleplaying Game!
Over the years GI Joe has had many iterations to the comics and cartoons. The Joes originated in comic and animation starting with Marvel Comics. They were later replaced by Devils Due and then at their current home at IDW Comics. Devils Due continued the story where Marvel left off but IDW rebooted it to take the story with the original write where it was left off at Marvel. I have always wanted to play in this world and now Renegade Games has given us the chance to do just that.
The quality of this book though is what really makes it stand out. The images and attention to detail are superb. Even better is that, with such a rich history of comics and cartoons, you are able to play any source material you want. That’s right! If you prefer the Devils Due run then you can play it. If you prefer the IDW reboot run then you can play that! You can literally play any source you want, as long as the GM/DM and players all agree.
Right off the bat (pun intended) I have a big complaint about this game- you can only play as a member of the Joes team. Other than Snake Eyes, Scarlet and Jinx, I am a fan of Cobra. I want a Cobra Roleplaying Game next or at least a supplement that does the same thing. Their D20 system is really easy to pick up and play without much experience with other roleplaying games.
IT IS RARE FOR ME TO SEE A MOVIE WHEN IT’S STILL IN THEATERS BUT THANKS TO WARNER BROS I WAS ABLE TO CATCH UP ON THOSE I MISSED!
Recently the fine folks at Warner Bros (their home page is here) had sent me copies of some of their movies I missed so that I could share my thoughts on them with you. For the first part of this series we talked about Scoob, Birds of Prey, The Way Back, Goonies 4K, Beetlejuice 4K, Full Metal Jacket, Sherlock Holmes 4K and Sherlock Holmes A Game of Shadows 4K. Part 2 ‘twas massive and discussed V for Vendetta 4K, 300 4K, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy 4K, The Hobbit Trilogy 4K, Blade 4K, Bill and Ted Face the Music, Tenet and The Wolf of Snow Hollow. Part 3 talked about Wonder Woman 1984, The Little Things and Judas and the Black Messiah. Part 4 discussed Tom and Jerry the Movie and Godzilla Vs Kong. Part 5 was all about Wrath of Man, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory and Space Jam. Part 6 had discussed Mortal Kombat and Those Who Wish Me Dead. Part 7 discussed In the Heights, The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It, Zack Snyder’s Justice League and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone 20 Years of Movie Magic edition. Part 8 discussed A Clockwork Orange, Space Jam: A New Legacy and Shawshank Redemption. Part 9 talked about The Suicide Squad and Reminiscence. Part 10 discussed The Outsiders, Cry Macho, Malignant, the Many Saints of Newark and the Mad Max film collection. Part 11 talked about Dune, Matrix: Resurrections, The Batman, Dog and Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore. Part 12 discussed Elvis, DC League of Super Pets, The Lost Boys and Poltergeist. Part 13 has returned to share some classics with 8-Bit Christmas, Casablanca, A Christmas Story, Three Thousand Years of Longing, The Polar Express, Elf and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.
Casablanca
I had never seen this film previously and had been told many times I had to. This was the perfect opportunity. Having finally watched it I didn’t find it as enjoyable as I hoped. It simply did not live up to the hype.
A Christmas Story
The classic Christmas tale that my family loves to hate. It’s one of those films that is required watching, at least once but despite the annoying kid it’s not a bad movie.
Elf
This is another classic I hadn’t seen before. Everyone I knew praised this movie as one of the best Christmas films made. My kids loved it despite a slow start. I thought it wasn’t bad, much better than A Christmas Story.
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
This is the classic Christmas film we love to watch. We watch this every year and it still holds up. As much as a more modernized version might be enjoyable I don’t think they could ever match the hilarity or magic of this film.
The Polar Express
Focusing on the magic of the holiday this is the story of a train ride on Christmas Eve where a group of children are given a chance to meet the man in red himself. This film never fails to captivate our kids from start to finish and the animation quality is still top notch.
8-Bit Christmas
This is the first unique Christmas film I’ve seen in a couple years at least. The movie is about the quest of a boy to get himself the original Nintendo Entertainment System and everything that happens along the way. This film was a ton of fun and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Three Thousand Years of Longing
Alithea is an academic that is on a lecture circuit and while visiting some local shops purchases a small glass bottle that catches her eye. After some vigorous cleaning a genie appears offering her three wishes in exchange for her freedom. The cast was fantastic and the film was just as good. We were glued to this one until the end.
Which of these Warner Bros films are you planning on seeing?
If Sweeney Todd and Ghost Town Games worked together to make a new Overcooked game it would be Godlike Burger.
Have you ever been cooking all day and you get that one customer who just pisses you off? Have you ever wanted to show them how sharp your knife is? I can’t be the only one. With Godlike Burger you can live out those fantasies without the fear of incarceration. Of course if you kill enough customers the customers will catch on and try to kill you as well.
Visually the game has the same isometric view as Overcooked and from a control perspective has the same commands. For graphics though this game just doesn’t quite match that cutesy look and feel of Overcooked. It would be even more shocking if it did though. As you feed your customers you have limitations on your ingredients. Once you run out you will either need to purchase them or in the case of the meat you will need to kill someone and harvest them to feed to future customers. Overall the game is shockingly fun and worth the play if you like the Overcooked style of games.
Space Lizard Studio and Thunderful Games bring us Paper Cut Mansion- a horror game with Paper Mario graphics with a sinister twist.
Not many games give you the chance to expand on the story by getting yourself killed. Paper Cut Mansion does that and so much more. Sure each time you die you have to start the puzzles and the maps over but you get a slightly deeper look into the overall mystery when you do. The game features a paper/cardboard art style the is reminiscent of Paper Mario but with some cardboard thrown in. The music is subtle but when overlaid with the shadows that surround you there is an eerie sense of something dark around each corner.
Visually the game is truly captivating. The controls are quite simple to learn and only give you issues if you have a problem with a drifting controller like I do. Gameplay is full of tension and can be quite overwhelming at times but the mystery of the Mansion makes you want to continue deeper and further.
Beautiful Desolation is a game where some of the aliens are lies and the world has ended because of them. Are you up to the challenge?
Tell me if you’ve heard this one before. Two brothers, one joins the military and has some issues adjusting to civilian life. The other brother has no patience for him. Aliens show up and essentially end the world. Beautiful Desolation markets itself as a Post-Apocalyptic adventure but if you look past the rendering and the aliens it really is a story about mending family relationships.
Controls though feel clunky when accessing the interface and doesn’t give much in ways of tutorial resulting in controls that simply don’t make any sense. The only exception is the A button performs as I would expect but the rest of your controls are simply not intuitive. The Brotherhood Games team has crafted a gorgeous world where not everything is as it seems. This game features some of the best graphics I’ve seen on the Switch to date, especially during the cinematics. Some of the alien aesthetic looks like it was taken from the Dead Space franchise and makes me want to dig in deeper to see if that is the only similarity or if there is more. Dead Space remains to be one of the greatest games I’ve ever played. If there are more similarities then this game will be worth digging into deeper.
The heroes of Ulfenkarn have defeated Radukar but what’s next? Cursed City: Nightwars answers that with three new vampires!
It wasn’t too long ago that we sat with famed adventurer and Black Library author CL Werner about the Cursed City novel. The novel was a precursor to the game itself, for those that don’t remember or haven’t read it yet. It was amazing, absolutely an amazing read. Nightwars continues the overall story of Cursed City as three vampires try to fill the power vacuum left by Radukar’s defeat. Of course Radukar has something to say about it too.
Should you somehow defeat the three vampires you will still need to fight Radukar one last time as The Beast. By far one of my favorite Soulblight models, thankfully we had already picked up our own models anticipating they might find use through a White Dwarf article or two. The fact that they tied them into the official expansion was a lucky win for us. Who else purchased these models in hopes of seeing rules for them? I can’t be the only one. At the time I was lucky enough to get everything required and already had all but the Fell Bats painted. The new expansion has already been announced and we are currently missing those models.
Many people complain about the lack of models but I think that is a bit premature. This is similar to White Dwarf releasing character or mission rules. I understand with this box you are paying $60 USD but you are getting components and an expanded rulebook. Both go beyond what you would have received in White Dwarf. For that and the in-depth continuation of the story I feel that this box is essential for Cursed City fans.
Skirmish Mode Games brings the latest in console warfare with Warpips- a game where 8-bit and 3d rendering coexist.
Skirmish Mode Games brings the latest in console warfare with Warpips- a game where you must prioritize the financial cost of war against beating your enemy. The units you use to fight are rendered in chunky 8-bits where your base and some of the terrain have 3d rendering. It makes for an odd pairing that simply works with the game. Even the blood on the ground is rendered in a pixilated 8-bit style on the ground.
Players gradually earn money automatically which they then use to purchase troops. The troops follow some basic AI to always move forward and kill the targets they find. Some will even search for traps and remove them. Are you smart enough to survive the coming onslaught? I played the game campaign AND the additional Endless mode and must say I am terrible at this game. Of course I set the difficulty to the maximum but most games I start there. Seriously though, DO NOT start on the hardest difficulty for your first try. Try the easiest and build up from there, it will make a huge difference.
Graphically, as mentioned before, is an odd hybrid that works well for the game. There isn’t much of a story to speak of other than go and kill. Why are we killing each other? I don’t require much reason mind you but something is better than nothing. Even if it is just a single cutscene and then done. Of course I have not completed the campaign so it could be there and my bitching is for not. The game is unforgiving at almost all times and still a bit of fun.
