Tag: Strategy

Review: Risk (2016)

Risk is a classic board game that has been selling itself since 1957. When one of my friends asked if I wanted to play the game, I was excited and scared. While I love strategy games, I’m not strong with them and Risk is 100% strategy.

The gameplay was simple enough. The more territories you own, the more reinforcements you can pull each turn. All the while you gather Risk cards to turn in for additional reinforcements. More forces mean more forces for your enemy to defend against.

Combat is decided by matching pairs of dice highest to lowest. If the defender matches or has a higher roll than the attackers, than the attacker loses an infantry. If the attacker gets a higher roll than the defenders, the defender loses an infantry. When no defenders remain, the attacker takes over the territory.

The game can take a little bit longer with two players, but has plenty to do as the terrain changes.

For more information, please ask your local gaming venue!

 

Game Review: Takenoko

Recommended Ages: 8+
Number of Players: 2 to 4
Game Length: 45 min

I’m a sucker for a cute face. Eyes are the gateways to the soul, and large eyes have a certain innocence to them. When I first saw Takenoko’s panda, I was drawn in by it’s large eyes filled with innocence. Little did I know his insatiable appetite for bamboo was driving the gardener mad. How could I say no to such soulful eyes?

A cartoon panda stylized on the box of Takenoko
Looks at those big eyes! How could you say no?

Takenoko, literally bamboo sprouts in Japanese , is a tile-placement game that has players in a race for points to earn the Emperor of Japan’s approval. This is done by completing objectives found on objective cards. There are three kinds of objective cards – plot objectives for placing irrigated land in specific arrangements, panda objects for eating bamboo, and gardener objectives for growing specific arrangements of bamboo.

Each turn you choose two of: expanding your plots of land, creating irrigation canals, moving the gardener, moving the panda, or gathering an objective card. Through these turns and the use of a special weather dice which adds special bonuses to your turn, your goal is to eat, plant, and plot your way to victory.

Takenoko gamplay
This was the moment just before I lost to a flurry of well-played objectives

 

Takenoko took us a little bit longer than the box initially described but it was certainly easy to play. Would recommend for it’s colourful tiles, it’s cartoonish art, and thoughtful strategy.

For more information or to purchase Takenoko, please see your friendly local gaming venue.

Game Review: Tsuro of the Seas

Players: 2-8

Time: 40 min

Ages: 8+

Full disclosure: I love dragons. They are powerful, animalistic, masters of their element. They come in so many flavours and lores! It’s one of the reasons I was excited to be a Dungeon Master. I could be a dragon! Tsuro gives you a chance to be a dragon AND a sailor trying to brave the blustery seas avoiding said dragons.

While this game revolves around strategy, there is also a luck component that you need to incorporate that was not present in its predecessor: Tsuro. The dragons (daikaiju) activate whenever a roll of 6, 7, 8 on two six-sided dice and perform. These are very common rolls, so there’s plenty of dragon dodging. After the dragons activate, you play a wake tile to move your wake riding sailor (I call mine Link) along to the edge.

Easy to learn, and easy to love. I highly recommend this game. I could easily have played this all day!