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Dungeon Bowl is back with another claustrophobic match pitting two magical colleges against each other in Death Match!

Dungeon Bowl has quickly become a classic in our gaming groups with the catacombs and traps to navigate, making an already crazy game crazier. Death Match adds two new colleges to the mix and visually is the most stunning release yet!

At $170 this boxset comes with everything needed for a match but also give options to expand. Teams are divided into Colleges and it comes with teams for the Colleges of Life and Death. Map tiles allow you an almost endless number of customizations so that you never have to play the same map twice. Two teams enter the particular Dungeon and in search of the game ball and if found must survive to score a touchdown. One touchdown is all that is needed to win but just finding it and delivering the ball is enough. Players must survive traps and other players who will stop at nothing to prevent them from scoring.

Regular Blood Bowl players will have options to further customize their teams using their players and creatures to fill out the roster for their chosen College. The models look fantastic and the map tiles can be used in other games like Cursed City to keep those maps fresh as well. Without purchasing other Blood Bowl teams however will mean your kit-bashing options will be quite limited as you only have a couple models for each faction as part of the game. As a stand-alone game though I don’t see this title as a replacement for Blood Bowl, merely as a new way to play. This game is chaotic, fast paced and immensely enjoyable.

Warcry returns to Ghur with Sundered Fate where two new warbands will fight for control of the Ravening Ruin. Who will be triumphant?

Warcry Sundered Fate is the second installment of releases centered around Ghur and the area where a Seraphon temple ship has crashed. This is also the second installment to feature one warband from the Grand Alliance of Order- Chameleon Skinks under the name of the Hunters of Huanchi. The Jade Obelisk is a Tzeentch cult that centers around worshipping the voice of the Speaker in the Stone and are the Chaos warband for this starter.

The Gnarlwood is proving to be a the great location away from the Eightpoints and hope that we see more realms and other great locations with future editions. Personally I’m hoping for Aqshy next or Chamon. It seems that Age of Sigmar as a whole is following the same realm and region and once we finish the current planned releases for Warcry in Ghur I predict we will be transitioning to another realm.

This box features two of the best looking and unique warbands we’ve had yet. I have always loved the look of the Seraphon, or Lizardmen for those that are old enough to remember when they first joined the world that was. I am also an avid Chaos player. My son loves Seraphon because who doesn’t love giant lizards? Even better for me is that my youngest is now at the age my son was when I first started playing games with him and absolutely loves anything dinosaur related. That means I now have TWO people in my house I can persuade to play games with me!

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.

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.

The ultimate bad guys in Age of Sigmar are getting a battletome and even better they are starting with the Slaves to Darkness Army Box!

There is one undisputed villain of stories from the Age of Sigmar and that is the Grand Alliance of Chaos. Each of the four main Chaos gods have their own armies but the Slaves to Darkness encompasses Chaos as a whole. To celebrate their new Battletome they have released an Army Box to accompany it. The tome however will release on it’s own, likely in December or January. Out of all of the armies in the Mortal Realms Chaos is my favorite and because I can never settle on a single patron god for long that means this is the best choice for me to get started.

Featuring the newest version of a Daemon Prince, new Chaos Chosen sculpts and the entirely new Ogroid Theridons, this box is not even done with the surprises. Typically these Army Boxes feature some new models, some old, a tome/codex and mission cards. This time they have added Warscrolls as well! There is so much win in this box for a Chaos player like myself. Did I mention that the Daemon Prince has five heads to choose from? Didn’t think so. This means even more opportunities for kitbashes later on as well. Like I said, so much win!

Check out our official unboxing and discussion (plus some Ogor Mawtribes love):

Kill Team returns to the Gallowdark to venture even deeper into it’s bowels with Kill Team: Shadowvaults!

The Gallowdark Space Hulk beckons once more and our intrepid adventurers have taken up the call. Intrepid? No, that’s not quite right, more like greedy AND intrepid. Kill Team: Shadowvaults takes us even deeper into the Gallowdark in the latest installment from Games Workshop. This is the second installment of Kill Team that is centered around the Space Hulk with at least one more on the way. I love the ideas of Space Hulks. These combinations of ships that have collided to form a monstrous arena to fight in. Classic Space Hulk features a squad of Space Marines as they search to rid the Hulks of the Genestealers that have made it home.

What makes the Gallowdark unique is that it is home to much more than just Tyranids. This round features the invading Astra Militarum Karskins against the Necron. The Karskins are new models to the range while the Necron for the most part are not. What helps in that regard is that they include an upgrade sprue that allows for different loadouts than you normally get with those robotic menaces. For the Astra Militarum these are perfect models to continue my slowly growing horde of Tanith kitbashes and they look fantastic as they are. The Necron feature the upgrade sprue allow to create the Apprentek, a Plasmacyte Reanimator, and a Plasmacyte Accelerator.

Overall this box is nearly perfect. Bold claim, I know but hear me out. I love the Ancient Egyptian aesthetic of the Necron but I feel like there have been a massive amount of new releases for them. With this centered around a Space Hulk we need more ‘Nids or some sort of unique Xenos to add more flavor to the galaxy. Who’s with me? In all seriousness though the box is top notch and I can’t wait until the next in the series. Did I mention the terrain? Can’t forget that! The terrain is another great feature that can build off of the first box. At $185 though this box is a bargain.