Category Card Game

Exploding Kittens brings us yet another original title where chaos reigns supreme with Hand-to-Hand Wombat!

What happens when you combine building with Exploding Kittens and blind folds or closed eyes? Well, you chaos, simple as that but more importantly you get one of the latest games from EK, Hand-to-Hand Wombat! By name it sounds like a fighting game. Based on the rules alone it’s not but any game with the wrong people can become one. Before playing this game I advise to look at how volatile your group can be. If it’s like my family there will at least be some yelling.

Players will either be blindfolded (if they can’t be trusted) or have their eyes closed. One player is designated the bad wombat. The good wombats will try to build three towers biggest to smallest and the bad wombat will try to screw the order up. At the end of each round players will vote on the identity of the bad wombat. Majority vote wins and just like in Among Us that player is removed from the game. This game is basically Among Us without the murder. Of course you may want to murder the bad wombat at times, comes with the territory.

Our entire family loves playing Among Us and we also love Hand-to-Hand Wombat. My only regret was not being able to participate in the Kickstarter when it was going on. The golden wombat pouch and timer would have been awesome.

Exploding Kittens claims that Happy Salmon is a 90 second game that you will play for hours. Can the claim be true?

The 90 second game is a bold claim by Exploding Kittens. Claims like this are usually reserved for crazy speed runners in video games or liars. Are the folks at EK liars? Knowing my history with their games I was inclined to believe them but was still skeptical. How can a game of Happy Salmon really only take 90 seconds to play? How simple can this game be?

Let’s answer both of those questions. First, is it really does only take about 90 seconds to play. Second, the game is by far one of their easiest to learn. It’s so simple in fact that if you can read and yell then you can play this game. The only complaint I had about this game is that my kids used the Happy Salmon card as an excuse to slap my forearms harder than necessary. That card means you and whomever has your match slap each other’s arms a few times before discarding the cards. Switch It Up means you change seats with another player. High Five means you give another player a High Five and Fish Bump means you give each other fist bumps. In you hand of cards you are calling out specific cards until you find a match and perform the action. First player to run out of cards wins.

It doesn’t get much easier than that. Seriously. The game was easy to learn and a great time by the whole family.

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.

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.

Games Workshop just put the latest army set up for preorder with Astra Militarum and it includes all new models AND the new codex!

It used to be that when a codex released Games Workshop would release a new model or two along with it that were related. Rarely we would see several boxes release at the same time but with the current edition of the game it has all changed. GW has changed their marketing and release process and it is huge. This started with the Black Templar army box and the Astra Militarum are the latest to take advantage of this style of release.

Featuring the new Codex and a box almost full of new models the Astra Militarum Army Launch Set focuses on Cadia. As far as the miniatures are concerned, the box contains twenty Cadian Shock Troops, a Command Squad, a Field Ordnance Battery, and a Sentinel. Of those only the Sentinel is a previously released. With all these new models they will make perfect additions to my slowly growing Tanith First army but will take some time with kitbashing.

We had the opportunity to open this box and look over the codex and models. We must admit that it is a fantastic starter. I used to think that outside the Gaunt’s Ghosts novels that the AM was nearly as lame as Orks. I hated on the army for years. Seriously. The novels gave me an appreciation for the Tanith only and no other faction. This renewed focus on the faction and the quality of the models we have seen over the last year have me rethinking my stance. My favorite part of the new codex is that you don’t need to build your army as a single regiment, you can have mixed regiments! This is much like with Age of Sigmar blending Grand Alliances. Add that to the model range and I can’t think of a more perfect time to join the Imperial Guard, I mean the Astra Militarum.

Warbands in the world of Warhammer venture deeper into the Heart of Ghur with the latest Warhammer Underworlds: Gnarlwood!

Warhammer Underworlds is one of those titles that never fails to impress me. Players control a warband consisting of only a handful of models and battle for supremacy in a unique setting. Each location comes with a bit of lore about it to explain your reason for fighting there. Each released warband at that time focuses on that specific objective but any Underworlds warband can be used in the latest edition. This box features two new warbands, the Sons of Velmorn and the Gnarlspirit Pack.

The Sons of Velmorn are an undead/Legions of Nagash warband that focuses on the lineage of Velmorn. A skeletal father and his undead children is an amazing concept. Even in death they can’t escape their duties to the family name and I think it’s brilliant. The Gnarlspirit are another Darkoath themed warband driving deeper into the Gnarlwood. What makes them stand apart from other Darkoath characters is that they are almost beasts themselves and some members even change to beasts. This is a level a savagery that some players may not be used to.

The new box focuses on making it even easier for new players to get started, adding even more ways to play. The primary focus being the Rivals format. Nemesis and Relic formats have been added as well. This is in addition to the classic format we know and love. Rival forces you to have a preset deck to make games more balanced and avoid any issues with poorly made decks. Nemesis allows for mixing your warband deck with a universal deck. Lastly Relic allows you draw from your entire collection of cards. Out of the three I prefer Nemesis because I am crap when it comes to deck building. Relic however offers the most promise because the more cards you have at your disposal means the more chances at domination you will have.

Overall this is one of the best editions of the game (if not the best). It features gorgeous new boards, the best looking undead models and new modes to make the game fresh. What are you waiting for? Order now!

Squats have returned to Warhammer 40k for the first time since 1998 and have been rebranded as the Leagues of the Votann!

Those that have been into Warhammer 40k for a couple decades are familiar with the term Squats but how many are familiar with the Leagues of the Votann? Comparatively I would venture that more people are aware of the Votann now that knew about Squats previously. That has more to do with the size the community has grown. Sure, we’ve lost some along the way to boyfriends, girlfriends and careers but we’ve gained so many more than were lost. According to some of the various themed wiki sites, Games Workshop felt the lore behind the Squats needed to be reworked and ended production on them as a whole.

So what exactly IS a Squat? To the lay they are essentially Space Dwarves. Per the lore they are an impolite nickname for a race that splintered off humanity during the Age of Technology and began cloning themselves to effectively become immortal and like any good dwarf focuses on turning a profit. Their home worlds have such an extreme gravity that their height is effectively stunted and through genetic manipulation have been made to thrive in worlds that would destroy most humans or human like creatures.

A couple years ago a couple Squats found their way into Necromunda and were only available through Forgeworld. These hired guns left the community wanting more and a few months ago the first introductions to the League arrived in Necromunda as their own gang. Soon to follow more and more teases were shared on the Warhammer Community page and they looked fantastic. Warhammer+ at the time of writing now has two episodes of Loremasters and two battle reports dedicated to this new force with more to come! Even if Games Workshop didn’t share an Army Box with us we would be all aboard this hype train. Between the lore and models we are more than excited.

Some person that was majorly talented with Photoshop took some of the recent release announcements and re-imagined what the Leagues would look like if they were done to resemble TMNT and I think I’ve found my next project!

Want to see what we thought of the Army Box in our live unboxing video?

Shadeborn take on an assassin themed Skaven Clawpack in the latest Warhammer Underworlds title- Nethermaze!

Bellow Harrowdeep is the Nethermaze, a location that is essentially an eldritch labyrinth and the home to forbidden treasures. Both warbands are centered around sneaking, killing and are probably the closest alike warbands that aren’t part of the same faction. Games Workshop claims that this box contains the tightest ruleset they’ve released thus far, honed across multiple seasons of the game.

Games can be quite dynamic and almost cinematic. Nearly every turn is full of action and can turn the tide of the fight by just using the right abilities at the right time. The additional cards included for each of the Grand Alliances are a welcome addition as well and each new warband expands on that further. I would love to see some sort of hybrid game that combines the ability card deck building with the classic army battles of Age of Sigmar. As it stands this is a welcome addition to the Underworlds family, not to mention the new models. These are by far the best Skaven models we’ve received in decades.

The Other Warbands:

Mixing necromancy and mad science is the Exiled Dead. Oddly though this warband was advertised as part of Nethermaze but on the box is listed as part of Harrowdeep. Regardless of which edition of Underworlds they are tied to they are a welcome addition to the growing range.

Hexbane’s Hunters add new Witch Hunters to the world of Age of Sigmar and the first Witch Hunter themed warband in Underworlds. They also mark the first warband to be branded with the Nethermaze logo on their boxart that weren’t part of the starter itself. Check out our unboxing of them, they are some great models.

Little is known about Skullgrinder Herax but he is a member of the Gorechosen of Dromm, a Khorne themed warband entering the depths of the maze itself. He looks like a perfect fit for the Scions of the Flame, I think I see some “counts as” playing in my future.