RDTN 144: Take on Me

On top of the games, we also were visited by Bezier Games to demo their newest offerings. We sat down with Matt at our local game store Carolina Tabletop Games and he was patient with us while we did all we could to explore the new treasures he was putting on the table. We got the chance to play the expansion to Whistle Stop, which is still a favorite game of mine, the new social deduction/collection game Werebeast, One Week Ultimate Werewolf, which is on KS right now, and Werewords Deluxe, one of Marty’s favorites. Werebeast caught me off guard because I enjoy the hidden set collection type games and was pleasantly surprised how this game pulled it off. I am never keen on player elimination in a game, but for this game, it worked and after the first player was eliminated, the game soon came to an end, so there wasn’t much downtime and this was with a five player game.

Four games and a tutorial we played over the past month are also part of this episode. There really wasn’t a stinker on the table either. The tutorial was our prep for Hannibal & Hamilcar, which is going to be a beast and a blast to play. Really looking forward to the tactical nature of it, as long as somebody doesn’t have AP during the game. Crystal Clans by Plaid Hat had us with the solo crystal to track how much you spent to summon your army. Then it kept us engaged with the diversity of each clan and the quick play. This will give Shadespire a run for the table time over the year, especially as more clans and potential for deck building comes about. This game has a bunch of potential, hope Plaid Hat doesn’t fumble the ball on this one.

But don’t want to neglect the simplicity of Prowler’s Passage either even though it is light game it still provides thought provoking strategy. It isn’t going to blow you away, but I can see where this two player game will get some plays this year. It reminds me of 7 Wonders Duel and I really enjoy that game, but it is more simpler which is a good thing. Finally, Raiders of the North Sea, I have heard so much about this game that I really looked forward to playing it. The mechanics were there and the choices were tough, but the game got long, which after much reading, can happen. But, with all of us being new to the game, I can see how we might not have recognized this setup and had we, we could have probably made the game progress at a quicker pace. Either way, another game that can get back to the table anytime.

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