Game Nite
Free
the magazine of tabletop gaming
march 2018
Mike richey game designer
v
Issue # 22
Board game photography pt. 3
Grant wilson Artist
In this issue: Interviews 32 52
Mike Richie Game Designer
Grant Wilson Artist
Book Review 06
Characteristics of Games MIT Press
mobile Review 08
The Dresden Files: Co-op Card Game For Android and iOS
game Reviews 22
ShutterBug
26
Divinity Derby
40
Wakening Lair
46
Planet of the Apes
GIPF
14
Index of Past Interviews
Review index 66
Back Issue Index
Accessible Dungeon Crawl. Richard Launius Co-op Adventure.
Part Three: Composition
top 10 04
Interview Gallery 62
Gamble with the gods.
Game Photography
abstract games 60
Mike Elliot Set Collecting.
My Top 10 Abstract Games
Calendar 63
April 2018
Contributors 55
Game Nite Contributors
Š Game Nite 2018. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be used or reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. All information contained in this magazine is for educational purposes only and is, as far as we are aware, correct at the time of release. Readers are advised to contact manufacturers and retailers with regard to the price of their products. All material remains the property of its respective creators. Opinions expressed by the writers are their opinions alone and may not reflect the opinions of Game Nite. Disclaimer: Game Nite receives review copies of games, but does not accept payment for reviews.
02
Game Nite Issue #22
From across the table
Game Nite ISSUE # 22
N
ow that winter is starting to draw to a close and spring is right around the corner, we can expect to start hearing about all of the major releases being planned for the convention season. Although there have already been some reports, now that the companies are coming out of “hibernation”, we can expect to see a steady escalation of news from now until Origins/Gen Con/Spiel. The 2018 season is about to begin with the GAMA trade show and it will only pick up from there. No matter how you look at it, 2018 looks to be another big year for the board game market. Exciting times, indeed! This month I continue my series on Board Game Photography, this time discussing Composition.
Cover Photograph by Serge Pierro. Divine Derby © Ares Games
Editor in Chief/Publisher: Serge Pierro
My top 10 list for the month is for games dedicated to some of my favorite Abstract Games. The March calendar features “Draconis Invasion” and provides the release date for issue #23. In this issue: Tom M Franklin’s Abstract Games column takes a look at GIPF Special thanks to Mike Richie and Grant Wilson for taking time from their busy schedule at Rather Dashing Games to share their thoughts with our readers. If you are interested in contributing to Game Nite, feel free to contact us, as we’d love to hear from you!
Serge Pierro
Editor in Chief/Publisher editor@gamenitemagazine.com
Editor:
Eric Devlin Writers:
Photographers:
Tom Franklin Serge Pierro Tom Franklin Jeff Rhind Jeff Rhind
Follow us on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/GameNiteMagazine Visit us at:
www.gamenitemagazine.com Follow us on Instagram:
@gamenitemagazine Follow us on Twitter:
@GameNiteMag
Game Nite Issue #22
03
Top 10 -
Abstract Games
1
Chess Traditional
2
Backgammon Traditional
3
Go Traditional
4
Tzaar Rio Grande Games Designer: Kris Burm
5
Hive Gen42 Games Designer: John Yianni
04
Game Nite Issue #22
By Serge Pierro
6
Shogi Traditional
7
Xiangqi Traditional
8
Onitama Arcane Wonders Designer: Shimpei Sato
9
Santorini Roxley Games Designer: Gordon Hamilton
10
Trench Wise Games Designer: Rui Alipio Monteiro Game Nite Issue #22
05
Book Review
By Serge Pierro
Characteristics of Games by Skaff Elias, Richard Garfield and K.Robert Gutschera
I
’ve read many books and articles on Game Design and Game Theory and have found most of them to be fascinating. However, there is a somewhat familiar thread that weaves through all of them, as they are all approaching the subject from somewhat of the same angle. Therefore, a book like “Characteristics of Games” really stands out from the others, as it approaches the aforementioned subjects in a somewhat different way - it is not about Game Design or Game Theory specifically, but about the actual characteristics that are inherent to games in general. And while the premise itself is quite interesting, the fact that it is written by George Skaff Elias, Richard Garfield and K. Robert Guschera only makes the text that much more interesting and authoritative. The 300+ page hardcover book includes no dust jacket and resembles a textbook. There are some diagrams/illustrations and photos scattered throughout. There are seven chapters, eight if you include the appendixes. The subject headings are: Basics, Multiplayer Games, Infrastructure, Games as Systems, Indeterminacy, Player Effort, Superstructure and Appendixes. Each subject is further divided into other topics. Example: The chapter on Basics is further broken down into specific characteristics, in this case, “Length of Playtime”, “Number of Players” and “Heuristics”. The book starts off with defining certain aspects of games. The first series of definitions relate to the length of the game. Terms such as “Atom” are used to describe a small part of the game that functions in a specific manner. What makes the book brilliant is that it breaks this down into numerous examples, far more than the average book on game design. One fascinating insight is the possibility of Basketball becoming more popular over the years due to the fact that a quick pick up game can be played in a far shorter amount of time than that of a baseball or football game. These insights provide food for thought for game designers as to how their design can be perceived by players, as well as what type of experience it can create.
06
Game Nite Issue #22
There was also an interesting perspective on co-op games and coaching, using sport coaches that instruct a player what to do, but then the player has to execute the instruction, compared to a chess coach, in this case Garry Kasparov, and making the move that he tells you to make. It’s a subtle but highly instructive nuance that provides insight into the role of an Alpha Gamer in a co-op game. There’s lots of interesting insights scattered throughout the book, I only wish that some of them were assigned to the particular author who produced them. Which brings up my only “problem” with the book. Since this is the work of multiple authors, I would have liked to have know who had said what. Clearly I would have given statements by Richard Garfield some additional weight when contemplating the discussion, but I was instead left wondering who actually contributed the thought. That’s not to say that the other writers input was not important, it’s just that I would have liked some clarification on who was saying what. It should be noted that the appendixes in the back of the book are excellent, as they address topics such as Von Neumann Game Theory, Combinational Game Theory and a List of Games. This book is highly recommended to Game Designers of all levels. Although the book doesn’t teach specific design techniques, it does break down many games so that you can take the results and ask yourself how it relates to your designs. Another excellent aspect is the use of Exercises in each chapter that propose specific questions for the reader to answer about the topic just discussed, thus making this an excellent addition to a school’s game design program. Another benefit is that it will also allow you to analyze games more precisely, as you will be investigating topics that you might not have considered before. I know there were many times I stopped reading so that I could contemplate an insightful passage. Until someone else decides to expand upon this tome, this is the authoritative book on the characteristics of games and easily earns an Editor’s Choice Award.
Authors: Publisher:
Skaff Elias, Richard Garfield and K.Robert Gutschera
MIT Press
Highly Recommended https://mitpress.mit.edu
Game Nite Issue #22
07
Mobile Review
By Serge Pierro
The Dresden Files: Cooperative Card Game
O
ne of the more interesting trends currently within the hobby is that several top notch authors are having their works adapted to board games. Recently names such as Brandon Sanderson, Patrick Rothfuss and Jim Butcher are joining Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett and George Martin in having their characters and concepts brought to life in both card and board games. In issue #15 of Game Nite we reviewed the card game, The Dresden Files: Cooperative Card Game, as well as the game’s designer, Eric Vogel. Recently the app version has been released for Android and iOS. Let’s take a look and see if it captures the essence of Jim Butcher’s The Dresden Files books. The first thing that you notice when launching the app is the atmospheric music which immediately adds to the ambiance of the game. You are greeted with a main screen that has a dark background with animated graphics, as well as the game’s main options: “Start Game”, “Join Game”, “Tutorial”, “Options”, “Expansions” and “Guide”. The Start Game option presents you with a variety of choices as to how you want to play the game. These include: Solitaire, Pass and Play, LAN Multiplayer, Direct
08
Game Nite Issue #22
Connection and Online Multiplayer. You are also given options for the “Book Deck”, “Difficulty” setting and a scrolling list of characters that join Harry Dresden. It should be noted that the scrolling of additional characters took multiple attempts as the function was not as functional as it could be and kept closing the window and accessing either Michael or Karrin, as they were at the top of the list. Hopefully this will be made easier in an update. The tutorial does a good job of walking you through all of the game’s phases. Whether it’s a card description or a type of action, the tutorial gives a clear example of how it is done. If by chance you are still a little hazy, there is also a section under “Guide” on the mains screen that has various topics listed under the Manual setting. Overall, the tutorial should be fine for a new player. The Options menu contains settings for Graphics, Sound, Network, Other and Google Play Games. The Sound is especially impressive, as it contains settings for Master Volume, Music, Ambient Audio and Sound Effects. Since this is a very puzzle-like game, the Audio options provide for an environment that feels immersive to the theme.
The game play is pretty straightforward as cards are assigned to other cards for an effect to take place and there are options for cards to be discarded for Fate points. Conveniently whenever there is a need for a roll of the custom dice, a dice rolling area is displayed next to the card.
As stated earlier, the use of authors such as Jim Butcher, are bringing in fans of the books to the apps and actual games. As such, The Dresden Files: Cooperative Card Game app is a fine introduction for those who are more interested in the books than the actual card game. The game itself does a fine job of capturing the essence of the series and the presentation within the app is a solid challenge for all would be “Wizards of Chicago”.
The only downside of the game play is when you are playing solitaire is that if you want to see the cards of the characters that are assisting you, you have to click on Due to the current popularity of board games, it is not their icon and go to their screen and scroll through the surprising to see the proliferation of ports over to the cards. It’s not a hassle, but it would have been nice if all mobile market. However, it is somewhat strange that of the cards were able to be displayed on one screen so that you can plan your overall strategy easier. Continued on next page>
Game Nite Issue #22
09
Mobile Review
(Cont.)
players who moved away from video games to have a more social experience with friends over a board game, are now starting to shift some of their play back to the mobile platforms. This only makes sense since there are plenty of times when you are looking to play a game and no one is available, so the apps have found a place in the gamer’s library. Other than some minor UI nitpicking, the overall production of the app is excellent. The graphics are
10
Game Nite Issue #22
straight from the game and there are also instances of the art from the original books. As I stated in my review of the actual card game, this is a good game that nonfans would enjoy playing, however, if you are a fan of the books, then this is a must have app, because like the actual card game it captures the essence of The Dresden Files. If you are interested in finding out whether you have what it takes to live in the shoes of Harry Dresden, this is a safe way of finding out - without having to deal with actual vampires and werewolves.
Version # Price: Devices:
1.0.3 $6.99 Android and iOS Developer: Hidden Achievement, LLC
Recommended dfco.hiddenachievement.com
Game Nite Issue #22
11
Photography
By Serge Pierro
Board Game Photography: Pt. 3 Composition
I
n part one of this series we took a quick look at an Let’s start off by taking a look at some boring overview of my thoughts and approach to Board compositions. Game Photography and in part two we took a look at the topic of the Subject. This time we will be taking This first one has all of the cards facing in a perfectly a quick look into Composition. straight grid. Since there is no “tension”, this leads to a somewhat boring image. Is this always the case? No, Simply stated, Composition is what makes a piece of of course there are exceptions to the “rules”, but for the art, or a photograph, look like a piece of art. It is the most part this is not a very interesting photograph. way that the Subject is arranged within the confines of its surface, whether it be a canvas, a piece of paper or the borders of a photograph. In general we are dealing with a rectangular shape, though with the advent of Instagram, the use of squares is also becoming popular and artists are starting to have to deal with the challenges presented with it. One of the unique aspects of Board Game Photography is our Subject Matter is chosen for us and it is usually in some form of a geometric shape, and that shape is usually a rectangle (cards, board, box, etc.), square (dice, cubes, etc.), circle (coins, tokens, etc.) or an irregular shape (Meeples, miniatures, etc.) and because these shapes are reoccurring, it is a challenge to find interesting and varied compositions.
12
Game Nite Issue #22
Now let’s take a look at when we compose the same layout, but this time we adapt a composition that stresses diagonal lines, instead of straight ones. Diagonals are a great source for adding “tension” and interest to a Composition. Note that even though the layout is the same as the previous shot, this one appears to be more interesting, as our eyes move all around the photograph, being led the whole time by the diagonals, both from the edges of the components, to those that are implied by the angles.
We can simplify the Composition process by either setting up the Subject in an interesting arrangement and taking a photograph of it, set it up in a “less interesting” arrangement and position the camera until we find a pleasing angle, or perhaps the best way: set up the Subject in an interesting arrangement and then position the camera to find the most interesting composition. When it comes to Compositional techniques, perhaps the most famous one is “The Rule of Thirds.” Anyone who has more than a passing interest in art or photography has probably heard of this compositional tool. And just because it is a common technique, that doesn’t invalidate its usefulness or the results generated from using it.
Continued on next page>
Game Nite Issue #22
13
Photography (Cont.)
The Rule of Thirds is exactly what it sounds like. An area is divided into thirds along both the horizontal and vertical edges and the focus points lie at the intersections of the lines formed. The main thing to realize is that having your Subject along any of the lines is “good”. However, it is the intersection of the lines that provide the strongest point of focus. Let’s take a look at a basic example. In the first photo we have a Dragon in the middle of a rectangle. This is a pretty boring Composition as there is no tension or points of interest. We have a Subject that is surrounded by a fairly large amount of white space on each side.
14
Game Nite Issue #22
The next photo has the same Dragon positioned off to the left and the Composition looks more interesting as there is some tension - the Dragon is off to the left and there is a very large space of white to its right. This tension provides interest. For instance, we can think of the Dragon about to move to the right side of the frame. This is an instinctual process that many animal photographers use for their photos - leaving room for the animal to continue in the same direction. It adds a sense of “movement” to the Subject, even if the Subject is stationary. There is an impulse to move in that direction.
When we overlay the Rule of Thirds grid over the photo we can see that the base of the Dragon, the right hand claw and the joint of the wings, all line up with the left line of the grid, while the two claws line up with the bottom line. Furthermore, we can see that the joint of the wings and the right hand claw are both at the intersection of the grid. Even with only a white background, this Composition clearly looks better than the one with the Dragon in the center of the photo.
Continued on next page>
Game Nite Issue #22
15
Photography (Cont.)
Let’s take a look at a photo of Joraku which is in a horizontal format. We can see that there are no straight lines to reference off of, so how does this fit in with the Rule of Thirds. Once we overlay the Rule of Thirds grid we can notice a couple of key points.
16
Game Nite Issue #22
At the upper left intersection the two red lines meet in the area of the Daimyo token. This is an important point, as any of the four intersections can be used as a primary point of interest and choosing one or more is a common technique. Even without the grid our eyes are naturally drawn to this area. The other point of interest is the lower right intersection, as this draws our eye to the head of the Daimyo on the card. Notice that the intersections don’t have to be exactly on the targeted Subject, but must at least be in the remote vicinity. However, the strongest impression is generally made when the intersection lines up directly with a key point on a subject. Example: A portrait of a girl with the intersection over the pupil of one of her eyes. Another thing to note is that the green cubes in the upper right are also on the same line as the Daimyo card. This leads to a cohesive Composition in which the eye is not darting about. While the intersections are the primary points of interest, the lines themselves form secondary points of interest and anything that lies along those lines help to keep the composition “orderly�. Continued on next page>
Game Nite Issue #22
17
Photography (Cont.)
And while “The Rule of Thirds” helps make this Joraku photograph a decent Composition, we should take a moment and note the use of diagonal tensions within the photo. In the photo with the overlay we can see some of the diagonals marked in pink. In the other illustration we have the same diagonals on a white background to show the “tension” without the distraction of the actual photograph. One thing to notice is that there are no lines that are parallel to the top or sides of the photograph!
18
Game Nite Issue #22
Joraku with both The Rule of Thirds and Diagonal overlays.
Continued on next page>
Game Nite Issue #22
19
Photography (Cont.)
The principal holds true even when working in a vertical/portrait orientation. Let’s analyze this photo of Trajan. I had initially determined that the main object in the photo was going to be the Arch. We can see that the bottom of the opening of the Arch is right at the upper right intersection and our eye is drawn to the Arch even without the use of a grid overlay. Also note that the right line passes through the entire arch, further enforcing the predominance of the Arch as the main prop when compared to the surrounding bits. Note that three of the Action Markers are lined up with both vertical lines of the grid. This helps with the overall structure of the composition, even though there seems to be a lot going on, the use of this technique helps to keep things under control. It should be noted that the other area of focus in the photo is the lower left intersection with the yellow Action Marker, as well as that the right line goes through the Arch, Action Marker, Three Mancala Bowls and the Trajan tile at the bottom - all tying the right side of the composition together. The left line goes through several landmarks also, thus tying that side together.
20
Game Nite Issue #22
Like the Joraku photo, there are several diagonal lines running throughout the photograph. I’ve marked a few of them, but feel free to look at the photo and see if you can find more. Also note that unlike the Joraku photo, there are actually some lines that are parallel to the vertical edge of the photo, in this case the edges of the Action Markers and the sides of the Arch. But the main diagonal of interest is that formed by the edge of the board against the black background. Hopefully this introduction to Composition and the Rule of Thirds will help to inspire you to take a new look at how you compose your photographs. With the many geometrical shapes inherent to board game components, you will find that this allows for many different approaches to the use of diagonals to add tension and interest to your photographs. Next Month: Depth of Field
Game Nite Issue #22
21
ShutterBug
By Serge Pierro
Fast Paced Set Collection
O
Like Ancestree, “ShutterBug” comes with the cardboard ne quick glance at Game Nite and you’ll know that I enjoy games and photography. So when components already pre-punched and shipped in plastic I was given the opportunity to review a Mike bags. They are printed on a thick cardboard stock, though Elliott game with a theme about photography, it was not as thick as the game’s board. an offer I could not refuse. Let’s take a look at a game The 1 1/4” tall wooden meeples are custom shaped and that combines two of my favorite things! feature the silhouette of a photographer with a Fedora and ShutterBug comes in a 9 1/2” x 9 1/2” x 2” box Trench coat. They come in red, blue, green, grey, purple and that contains a custom cardboard insert that features yellow. There’s an extra red and blue meeple for use with the newspapers printed on it that are thematic to the two player rules. game. The insert features two wells, one slightly wider The game also includes a large, “velvet” bag from which the than the other, as well as shelves to support for the tiles are drawn from. It features drawstrings and a white, game’s board. silkscreened logo of the game printed on it. The directions for the game come on a single sheet of To start the game each player receives a random Secret heavy paper stock that is folded to resemble six pages. Assignment card and is dealt a hand of three Tip cards. The Each page is the size of the box. Only four of the Secret Assignment cards are kept secret and contain the pages contain the rules, as the others are the front and various endgame scoring attributes. They will also receive a back of the booklet. The rules are concise and easy Meeple and the related color Side Job markers. to understand and there are plenty of illustrations to Each player starts the game by placing their Meeple on any make things clear. City on the board. The four panel game board is double sided, but the other side has an old map of the United States, as well On a player’s turn they will do the following: “Populate the as other thematic touches. The board itself is made of Board”, “Move and Perform Actions” and “Discard down to 7 Tips and pass the Photo bag” a sturdy cardboard stock and has a matte surface. Included are two sets of cards: “Tips” and “Secret Assignments”. The 48 “Tips” cards are the standard 2 1/2” x 3 1/2”, but the 72 “Secret Assignment” cards are oversized and measure 2 3/4” x 4 3/4”.
22
Game Nite Issue #22
At the start of a player’s turn they will check to see if there are seven spaces on the board have Creature Photo tiles. On the initial turn of the game the board will have no tiles and will need to be populated. Tiles are drawn from the bag and placed on the associated space on the board. It is important
to note that you are counting the number of occupied spaces and not the number of tiles. Some spaces may have more than one token on them and only count as one space. After the initial turn of the game, each player is required to refill the board back up to seven spaces, if needed. After the board has been Populated, you then move your Meeple one, two or three spaces on the board. Each space that you land in allows you to take one of the following actions: “Trade Tips”, “Draw Tips” and “Take a Photograph”. If you land on a space that is occupied by another player’s Meeple, you may “Trade Tips”. To do so, you choose one card from your hand and exchange it with one card at random from the other player’s hand. When you pass over a city space you get to “Draw Tips”, in this case one card. However, should you end your turn on a city space you get to use the “Draw Tips” action to draw two cards. Setting yourself up for multiple card draws with the “Draw Tips” action is one of the main strategies to implement during the game.
The main means of obtaining the necessary Photographs needed for scoring is with the “Take a Photograph” action. In order to do this you have to discard one card that is of the type of animal that you are “photographing” and then either discard another animal card of the same type or a terrain card that matches the terrain on the Photograph that you are trying to take. Example: You want to photograph a Pegasus in the woods that has a “3” on it. You will need to discard one Pegasus card and then either two other cards that have the woods terrain on them (animal isn’t important), a mixture of a woods terrain and another Pegasus, or two other Pegasus. It’s just important to remember that the initial cost is always the Animal and any other cost is paid in either terrain of the same Animal (which essentially works as a wildcard in this manner). After everyone has taken a turn in the round, the round marker is advanced one space. After the 8th round is completed, the game ends and scoring begins. Continued on next page>
Game Nite Issue #22
23
ShutterBug (Cont.) The main scoring is done via the use of the Secret Assignments. These cards are divided into two halves that represent the two publications that you are looking to sell your photos to. The catch is that you can only pick one of them. Each one has a list of three Animals and the points needed for them in order to score them, example: Animal #1 “5”, Animal #2 “3”, and Animal #3 “2”. This means that in order to score Animal #1 you need 5 points or more of that Animal. If you only have 4 points, you score zero points. Both halves of the card are different and you can choose which one to use.
don’t know if your preferred strategy is going to be able to be implemented. We found that the two player game was more interesting, as you have two Meeples and this allows you to be able to cover more ground. In higher player counts it was hard to move from one side of the board to another in order to grab a needed Animal tile and thus the Secret Assignments were a bit harder to fulfill.
Like most games of this type, eight rounds just doesn’t seem to be enough time to do what you want to do. And the pace of the game is fast, so there is a sense of The second means of scoring is via the completion of anxiety that pulsates throughout the game as you are Side Jobs. Printed on the board are various tasks that rushing to complete whatever you can. can be completed. If you meet the criteria you place one of your Side Job tokens on the relevant space. These The scoring can be quite tight and the winner is usually include such things as: Collecting all four creatures or determined by the Side Jobs. We found that in higher one of each Terrain type. player counts it was tough to get the “All Six Terrains” Side Job, as players just didn’t seem to have the time The points from the Secret Assignment and the to be able to cover all of the board in just eight turns, completed Side Jobs are added together and the player unless that was their primary focus. with the highest score wins. ShutterBug is another quick game from Calliope Games This is the second game in the “Titans of Gaming” that deserves to looked into. From the fast gameplay series that has gone over well with various players (last and tight scoring all of the players felt like they had a month we reviewed Eric Lang’s, Ancestree). It is a fast chance to win and the randomness of the bag draw and paced set collection game that has just enough depth to the Secret Assignments made every game feel different. I make for an interesting game. The eight turns tend to have added this game to my collection of games that are fly by pretty quickly, especially for experienced players. fast, as well as easy to teach and learn - while providing There’s one thing for sure, it is highly unlikely that enough depth to keep gamers engaged. With its high two games will ever be exactly the same. While most production values and quality game play, ShutterBug is companies include a handful of cards that are used for a game that I think many readers will enjoy. the secret endgame scoring, Calliope Games has raised the threshold by including an incredible 72 different Designer: Mike Elliott cards. That means that a couple can play this 36 times Publisher: Calliope Games and put the previous used cards aside and never have the same cards used! That’s a crazy amount of replayability Players: 2-6 that doesn’t even include shuffling the cards! Kudos to Mechanic: Set Collecting Calliope Games. Though the only difference between Ages: 8+ the cards is the amount of points needed to score specific Animals, but still… Length: 20-50 Mins. Players who are quick to adapt to situations will enjoy this game, as you have to be able to switch gears as the Animal tiles are drawn randomly out of a bag and you
24
Game Nite Issue #22
Recommended www.calliopegames.com
Divinity Derby
By Serge Pierro
Racing for the gods
T
he concept of betting on horse races goes back centuries. Evidently the gods also enjoyed in partaking in this practice, though they seemed to be more interested in the racing of magical steeds. With Divinity Derby, Ares Games presents a beautiful production that features top notch components, innovative play and a race with mystical creatures. Can your god wield the cards necessary to impact the race in a way that is beneficial to them? Let’s find out… Divinity Derby comes in a linen finished 11 3/4” x 11 3/4” x 3” box that has a custom, black plastic insert. The insert has a somewhat unusual shape, as it leaves spaces alongside three of the box edges for the storage of the cardholders. The 12 page rulebook is the size of the box and is cleanly laid out and has several examples of the game’s key points. The game’s four panel board is made of a thick cardboard stock and has a linen finish. Everyone who saw the board was impressed with its graphic design and commented on how beautiful it was. The cardboard components seem to feature the same sturdy cardboard stock as the game’s board and are also linen finished.
26
Game Nite Issue #22
Although there are two sets of cards, they all measure 1 12/16” x 2 11/16”. Their size made them a bit awkward to shuffle, but there are other techniques that can be used to randomize the deck. Also included are 6 plastic cardholders. The highlight of the game is the inclusion of six plastic miniatures. These are stored in a custom, clear plastic insert that mounts inside the other
custom insert. They range in size from 2 1/8” tall for the Sylph to 3 1/8” tall for the Dragon. They have a decent amount of detail and would look great with a nice paint job. There are also a set of bases that snap onto the bottom of each of the miniatures. Each miniature has a specific color base associated with it. The setup for the game is determined by the amount of players and is clearly laid out in the rulebook. Continued on next page>
Game Nite Issue #22
27
Divinity Derby (Cont.) The most unique aspect of both the setup, and the game, is that there are plastic cardholders included that are shared by neighboring players. A cardholder is placed between each player and a player will have access to the cards on both their left and right sides. The gameplay is easy to follow. At the start of each race the cards that will be used are dealt out and placed on the cardholders. Then starting with the start player, each player will observe what cards are available on both of the cardholders they have access to. They will then choose one card from their “god deck”, example: “1st Place”, and place it face down in front of them. Then they will take a Creature token from the board that they will use to bet with this card. Example: you take the Phoenix token and place it on top of the facedown bet card that says “1st Place”. You are betting that the Phoenix will finish in first place, and if it does, you score the points listed on the card. This is called the First Bet. After all player have placed their First Bet, there is a second round of betting called Second Bet. This time players will have some knowledge of what Creatures have been already bet on and will choose another Bet card and another Creature. After everyone has placed their Second Bet, the race Besides the regular movement cards stated above, begins. there is a special subset of cards called Dirty Tricks which allow you to give a special “boost” to the On a player’s turn they will choose one card Creature affected by the card. However, this does from the cardholder on their left and one from the come with some risk. Unlike the regular cards which cardholder on their right. They will then choose are place in a discard pile, the Dirty Trick cards are to play one card for the top number and move that shuffled into the Zeus deck and can be possibly Creature the appropriate amount of spaces, and drawn at the end of the race when two cards are then play the other card for the bottom number drawn from the Zeus deck (it starts with four Zeus and move that Creature the appropriate amount of cards) and any Creatures drawn are disqualified spaces. You can choose to use two cards of the same from the race and the Creatures behind them in the Creature to move it twice. rankings all move up accordingly.
28
Game Nite Issue #22
Depending on the player count there is an associated Mid-Race line. When the first Creature crosses this line there is a Third and final Bet. Players will proceed in the same manner as before, though now they have even more information on which to base their bets. If a Creature crosses the finish line it is placed in the center of the board where there are markings for the rankings of the finish. Regardless of whether they cross the finish line or not, when all of the cards have been played from the cardholders, the rankings of the race are determined by the current position of the Creatures on the board. It should be noted that if a Creature moves into a space that is already occupied, it is placed to the inner position on the space to indicate that they are “ahead”. This is an important nuance that comes into play when determining the overall ranking at the end of a race. Once all of the cards have been used and all of the rankings determined, each player will reveal their bets along with the Creature token that was placed upon it. They will then compare their Bet/Creature with how the race finished and if the Bet matches the result, the player keeps the card beneath their god token and will score the points indicated on it at the end of the game. If they were unsuccessful, the card is removed from the game. The game is made up of three races and after the last race the players will total all of the points they earned from their Bets and the player with the most points wins.
I was quite surprised at how well Divine Derby played. Normally I’m not a fan of games that include psychological bluffing, underhandedness and betting, but this one does it all so well. While it would be easy to just play it as a pure racing game, the depth and interest in the game is amplified when you take in account on how you use your cards for the betting rounds, as once they are used you can’t use them again. New players wound up using all of their “best” cards on the first two Continued on next page>
Game Nite Issue #22
29
Divinity Derby (Cont.) rounds of the game and were left with nothing but As mentioned earlier the judicious use of the “disqualification” cards for the final round, leading Betting cards is paramount to winning the game. to some “interesting” moments. Ideally you would like to spread out each round of betting with a winner, a disqualified and a last place/ In each game, everyone was toying with each next to last place type of spread. But, this really all other trying to hide what they were doing so they depends on what cards you see in the cardholders could try and sneak their chosen Creature into the and what Creature tokens your opponent decides position they wanted. The use of the Dirty Tricks to take. Like Poker, there are opportunities to play cards are what really turns the race on its head, as for a bluff and launch a strong attack with another the possibility of having a Creature disqualified at player’s creature and try and confuse them in a later the end of the race puts all players on edge as you round. Players who enjoy mentally torturing their are trying to avoid having this done to one of the opponents will enjoy the hijinks the game has to Creature tokens you have in front of you and yet offer. at the same time you want to try and hinder other players. This is a fine production by Ares Games and several people were impressed with both the board and the There were times during the race where a Creature miniatures. The game does seem to scale well, but could make a big move, though of course the we played a lot of three player games and having a player(s) whom you share the cardholders with will larger selection of cards made for a more interesting get a better idea of what you are trying to attempt race, though having less cards at the higher counts since they see the same cards, but there were times led to a more strategic game, as players had to where there was an “unwritten rule” that you would squeeze out the best plays with the cards at hand. keep your hands off of their Creature if they did the same for you. So the allying factor was one Overall this is a very enjoyable racing game that that isn’t mentioned in the rules, but there are times has some unique elements to it, as well as a couple when it is beneficial to both parties. of variants, should you choose to explore the game more in-depth. With its stylish board and robust It is important to note who takes the other Creature miniatures, Divinity Derby is certainly a game tokens of your choice, as they can be either trying worth looking into. to win with them or disqualify them and you need to be able to respond accordingly. There are times where you will want to take all of the Dirty Trick Designer: Carlo A. Rossi cards of one of your Creatures and play them for Publisher: Ares Games very low movement points just to take them out of Players: 3-6 the hands of someone else who may use them for a Mechanic: Racing, Betting more nefarious reason.
Ages: Length:
13+ 45+ Mins.
Recommended www.aresgames.eu
30
Game Nite Issue #22
Interview
By Serge Pierro
• Element • Wakening Lair
• Hafid’s Grand Bazaar
• This Belongs in a Museum Mike Richie - Designer
Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with our readers, can you tell us a little something about yourself? Sure. I’ve been designing professionally for about twelve years and have at least dipped my toe into nearly every aspect of the tabletop industry. In the fall of 2010 I started Rather Dashing Games with my long time friend, Grant Wilson and our two lovely wives. I love this industry, and I think there is still so much more that can be done, particularly here in America. I love the outdoors, travel, reading, cooking, martial arts and a whole lot of other things.
Did you start designing games at an early age? If so, do you remember what your first game design was like? I designed my first game when I was about eight. It was a simple roll dice and move along the board based on the antics of Wile E. Coyote chasing the Road Runner.
I made it using parts from other games, cardboard, markers, and a lot of masking tape. My line of thought was that no games featuring Looney Toons were out there (or at least I did not know about them) so I made my own, a design philosophy which continues to this day.
What games over the years have you enjoyed most, from both the point of personal enjoyment, as well as those that influenced your growth as a designer? Gosh, there’s so many. I have fond memories of playing Fireball Island and Chess with my grandparents. I was introduced to Dungeons & Dragons in my early teen years. That springboarded me into the hobby game world. From there I became an avid Magic player. I did scores of RPG’s. I can’t think of specific titles as much as long term saturation of so many different themes and genres that helped me develop my personal tastes and goals.
Continued on next page> Photo supplied by Mike Richey
Game Nite Issue #22
33
Interview
(Cont.)
When the opportunity presents itself, what games have you currently been playing? Currently my wife and I are in the midst of some of the D&D boardgames and Dragonfire. I currently like to play Tokaido, Ticket to Ride in its many incarnations, Mansions of Madness, Ex Libris, The Duke, Onitama, etc. The list goes on.
Who are your favorite game designers? Well I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Gary Gygax. I also have great respect for Adam McIver, Bruno Faidutti, Alan Moon, Justin De Witt. This list could go on and on as well. So many good designers out there not to mention the a huge amount of games these days are collaborative efforts with very creative teams. The crew at Paizo comes to mind here.
Is there a particular designer that you would be What is your daily design/playtest schedule like? interested in collaborating with? If so, what type of Do you work on games everyday? game would you be interested in making? I’d be honored to work with any of the above. I think it’d be fun to work with Adam McIver. Some of his design aesthetics mirror my own and I think we’d make something cool together, like a gateway steampunk project or something.
When starting a new design, do you start with a theme or a mechanic? It depends. I’ve done and do both. Often they really tend to spawn almost concurrently.
34
Game Nite Issue #22
I think it’s safe to say my brain works on some aspect of game design every day. Sometimes its a real challenge to turn it off sometimes. As for more structured design and playtest, I try to keep to a semi normal work schedule so that it does not dominate my time with family and other personal and professional pursuits. I typically meet with my partner/artist/awesome friend, Grant about once a week to go over designs and we will bounce ideas off of each other. He is involved very early as the artist and adds invaluable feedback. In return, I offer him thoughts on art direction. This gives our projects a 1+1=3 aspect. When ready we slowly expand our circles of playtest till the game is ready.
What do you think defines your “style” as a game designer, is there a specific mechanic or rule set or… ? At first glance my designer seem to be all over the place. I design deeply themed abstracts, cooperative dungeon delves, tile layers, light euro, and so on. I would say I’m driven more by a few core design philosophies. I like to make products that bridge the gap between hobby and casual. Games where both parties can have and engaging experience. I like to streamline my designs and focus on toolkit style rules giving players creative choices without an overabundance of minutia.
Which one of your games do you consider your best design, and why? That’s a difficult question for me to answer because One of the things that impressed me with “Element“ my designs are so different from each other. Personally, I have to go with Element or Wakening Lair. Element, was that it played great at all player counts. Was because I feel it captures what is great about abstract the game initially designed to be either a two or games, with a fun theme and just enough of a four player game and the other player counts randomizing aspect which allows for a shorter learning curve but a long term strategic development curve. I put added later, or was it designed from the beginning Wakening Lair here as well because I’ve wanted to play to be playable at 2,3 and 4 players? this game since I was a teenager but it didn’t exist. I feel like I can say with confidence that this is a great way to It used to be a two player game. I was never quite scratch the dungeon crawl itch in an inexpensive and satisfied with that though. I know the more people you very approachable package. can bring to the table the better. The challenge was making an abstract four player that didn’t eliminate players or allow players to gang up on someone.
Continued on next page>
Game Nite Issue #22
35
Interview
(Cont.)
“This Belongs in a Museum” is the third game in your Drawn and Quarterly series of games and it appears to have the most depth. Are there any plans to continue this series, as well as developing the complexity levels of the games as they progress forward? You never know. The Drawn & Quartered series has been warmly received by our fan base. The trilogy stands on its own pretty well right now but I wouldn’t consider it out of the realm of possibility for the future. In the meantime, we are working on some pretty cool stuff.
36
Game Nite Issue #22
“Hafid’s Grand Bazaar� is a somewhat different offering than your other releases and it features an interesting bidding system. How did you develop the choices for the bidding system - in particular, the areas where you need to bid to score points? Yeah, it really is different, but again has had a great reception. For the bidding choices, it was simply trial and error. There were more choices in the beginning and we narrowed them down to the ones that allowed the most player interaction and kept the game at a lively pace.
Continued on next page>
Game Nite Issue #22
37
Interview
(Cont.)
“Wakening Lair” captures the essence of an RPG/ Gloomhaven dungeon crawl in a much shorter time frame. How early in the design process was the RPG element factored in? Very early, about twenty years early. Like I mentioned earlier, I’ve wanted to do a compact dungeon experience since I was a teenager. The last ten years have seen a streamlining of classic RPG’s and dungeon games. I’ve fiddled with the design for the past few years and got really serious with it a little over a year ago.
Although I really enjoyed “Wakening Lair”, I was a little surprised that all of the Monsters were essentially the same, other than dice stats and weakness. Are there any plans to have “text abilities/effects” for some of the Monsters in a future expansion? The monsters used to be more complex, but we found that it actually detracted from the simplicity of the game. We hope to introduce some monsters in the future that bring a little of the complexity back, but in measured doses. Now as for the Monstrous Terrors, THOSE guys fight VERY differently and really mix up the end game.
“Element” and “Wakening Lair” both seem to be well suited for the mobile platform. Are there any plans to bring any of them to iOS or Android What advice would you have for aspiring game devices? designers? I am completely open to it, but we don’t have any plans right now.
Keep designing. Let’s face it, like writers, its just something we do. That said, continue to follow other Are there any other upcoming projects that you opportunities in your life. It’s a great industry, but its a difficult one. Find a balance between your dreams and are at liberty to discuss or announce? your bills. I think that’s true of every industry, job, or We have some amazing things in store for both the career. Element and Wakening Lair universes, but it’s a little soon to go into too much detail. Honestly, at any given time, we’re working on several projects.
38
Game Nite Issue #22
Wakening Lair
By Serge Pierro
Accessible Dungeon Crawler
A
s the board game market continues to expand, there is always room available for a game that can be used to draw new players into the hobby. Roleplaying games have long been commonplace within the hobby, and yet they no longer dominate the way the used to. However, many RPG’ers are intrigued by what the board game industry currently has to offer, but doesn’t know what a good entry point would be. Wakening Lair is a game that seizes upon the tropes of the roleplaying genre and produces a fun experience for all of the participants. Notice that I used the word “fun”. I normally don’t play games for “fun”, I play them for the intellectual challenge, so when a game is able to impress me with being “fun” - my interest is piqued! Let’s take a look at a dungeon crawl that offers an RPG-like experience that will leave you and your friends smiling and cavorting! Wakening Lair comes in a 10 1/2” x 7 3/4” x 2 1/2” box that features a magnetic flap. The box has the look of a book with a lock on it, this caught the eye of several students who saw it and I would imagine would draw the same interest when properly displayed at a store. Upon opening the box, the top folds back to reveal details about the game’s nine character classes and the various characters that inhabit them. The box itself contains a custom, black plastic, insert. This is well designed and has a clean look, as well as featuring a hidden well that holds the cards for the game.
40
Game Nite Issue #22
The 12 page rulebook is the size of the box and contains many examples that are clearly illustrated. My initial impression was that there was a lot to learn, however, after reading the clear instructions I realized that much of the text was for examples and clarifications. A page and a half are devoted to the reference section for the various Monstrous Terrors. The cards are all oversized at 2 3/4” x 4 3/4” and are of a decent card stock and are not shuffled, thus they are more than adequate for their use.
The Monstrous Terror cards/boards are the highlights among the components, as they measure 3 3/4” x 6 1/4” and feature a thick cardboard upper surface that is glued to a thinner stock below and have recessed areas for the assignment of the Damage cubes. I’m a huge fan of these types of boards, as they provide a recessed surface so that the cubes aren’t accidentally knocked about. The Effect and Damage markers are white and red wooden cubes, respectively. The Hero markers Continued on next page>
Game Nite Issue #22
41
Wakening Lair (Cont.) are disks that are made of wood and measure 1” x Attacking could be considered the main phase 3/16” with the Hero’s symbol silkscreened in white. of the game. Each Hero has two attack types The disks are red, blue and green. printed on their card that they can choose from to use in combat, these attack types allow the Hero The three custom dice use numerals instead of to “Press the Attack” against a Monster with the pips. matching weakness each time they are successful during the current attack. Normally a Hero The setup for the game is straightforward, place will roll one die for each Attack action, however, the 12 Room cards in a straight path and place Weapons can provide up to three dice. The highest a random Monstrous Terror on Room #12 and number rolled is compared the left number on the turn over Room #1 so it can be used as the Lair Monster card closest to the Room. If it is equal Entrance. There needs to be room left on the left to or higher than that number a Damage token is and right sides of the Room cards for the placement placed over that number. If the Hero uses an attack of the Monsters and the eventual movement of the that matches the Monsters weakness (a large icon Monstrous Terror. listed on the Monster card) they are able to “Press the Attack” and continue to attack again - without Each player takes a Hero card and the associated costing another action. If you have a Weapon that Hero token and places the token on Room #1. The grants you additional dies per combat action, each Treasure cards are shuffled and placed aside and the of the dies are compared to the Monsters health Damage and Effect tokens are placed within reach. in descending order. Another factor to be taken The Monster cards are also shuffled, however, first into account is that the room that the fight takes eight random Monster cards are drawn separately place in has an icon that gives a +1 to all die rolls and the “Monstrous Terror Awakens” card is shuffled in that room against Monsters that have that icon into the stack of eight cards and then the remaining on their card as a weakness. There is an explanation deck of Monster cards are placed above it. within the rulebook as to how the various weapons work with the two icons listed on the Hero card. On a player’s turn they have three actions. These Another mitigation element available to players is include: Moving, Attacking and, if necessary, a the use of Effect tokens. Each token can be used Hero or Magic Item ability with a cost. to adjust a die roll by “+/-1”. These are essential for having any chance at winning the game. One The vast majority of the game will be spent moving of my favorite magic items is the “Dragon’s Breath and fighting. It costs one action to move one space. Elixir” which allows you to sacrifice 1 action this If you move into an area that has Monsters, your turn to get 5 Effect Markers on the next turn, but, movement ends and you have to face the Monsters. they are discarded at the end of the next turn. If there are no Monsters when you first enter, you can continue to move.
42
Game Nite Issue #22
Immediately after killing a Monster you receive a Treasure card. Each card has a left and right side. The left side is a Weapon and the right side is slid under the left side of the Hero card. The right side is a Magic item and its left side is slid under the right side of the Hero card. A Hero can carry any number of items, however, they may not have two of the same item or of the same attack type and they may only choose to use one weapon per action. You can also choose not to equip the item and keep it “Held in Reserve”. This allows you to give it to another player when you are both in the same room. This doesn’t cost an action. After you use all of your actions, if there any Monsters left in the room, they attack you. Roll one die for each box that is not filled with a Damage token on each Monster card. Then apply the results from highest to lowest on the Hero card and place a Damage token on any box on the Hero’s card that is equal to or higher than the appropriate result. The game’s big moment is when the Monstrous Terror Awakens. This occurs when the “Monstrous Terror Awakens” card is drawn from the Monster deck. At the end of each player’s turn the Monstrous Terror moves one room closer to the Lair’s entrance, as well as bringing along any Monsters in the rooms that it travels through. Players have to first defeat this Monster minions before they are able to attack the Monstrous Terror, however, the Monstrous Terror is unable to attack players as long as there are Monsters in the room.
The end of the game is based on the following conditions: The players win if they defeat the Monstrous Terror. However, they lose if one of the characters dies and can’t be resurrected or if the Monstrous Terror escapes beyond the entrance to the Lair. With the current interest in games such as “Gloomhaven”, “Wakening Lair” fits nicely within the genre and provides a much easier access point, while retaining many of the roleplaying aspects that players find enjoyable. This is more like a gateway dungeon crawler. From the accessible artwork and solid game play this is a game that is going to appeal to fans of roleplaying games and families looking to expose their children to the genre. Much of the game’s fun is derived from the players roleplaying their Characters, though the game is certainly enjoyable without roleplaying. While the assortment of Treasures was decent, I would have liked to have seen more variety amongst the items. There was an even distribution of weapons per class, but they were all keyed on specific Monster weaknesses. I would have like to see some Weapons that had text that granted special abilities. And speaking of special abilities, I would have loved to see some of the Monsters have some abilities instead of just a weakness. Perhaps we can hope to see an expansion in the future with new Treasures, and Rooms, as well as Monsters, with abilities.
Continued on next page>
Game Nite Issue #22
43
Wakening Lair (Cont.)
In order to win the game, it is essential that each character receive the Weapon that they are associated with. Perhaps even more important is the divvying up of certain Magical Items. We found that in a two player game that it was essential that each Character receives “Beads of the Four Winds”, which grants an extra action each turn, as well as the aforementioned “Dragon’s Breath Elixir”.
While the box lists the player count at 2-6 players, there is nothing to prevent you from playing the game solo. As a matter of fact I played a couple of games solo controlling two characters and thought it played just as well as the other player counts. With the growing number of games offering a solo option, it is surprising that this version wasn’t included in the official player count.
For fans of the dungeon crawl experience or fantasy roleplaying games, this is a game that will have great appeal as it plays quickly, provides good challenges and allows for creative in-game character merriment. For those looking for a fast, fun, fantasy game, this will also fill that void. There’s a lot to like about Wakening Lair and perhaps it’s time for you to The game is listed at 30-40 minutes and that is explore it yourself and see if you survive. about right, however, there is great deal of fun included within that time frame and players who Designer: Mike Richie like to role-play their roles in games such as this will probably extend the gameplay a bit, but Publisher: Rather Dashing Games 2-6 actually enhance the experience. As previously Players: mentioned, this is an excellent game for parents to Mechanic: Co-op introduce their children to a dungeon crawl. Make Ages: 14+ no mistake, this is not a children’s game, but it is 30-40 Mins. accessible to those who are younger and would Length: enjoy such a game. Gamers will be entertained by Highly Recommended the variety of roles provided by the Characters and how differently the various Terrors play. www.ratherdashinggames.com Due to the variety of Characters and Monstrous Terrors, the game has a good amount of replayability. The asymmetry shines through on multiple plays, as each game has a different flavor due to the Characters and Monstrous Terrors, though the Rooms and Monsters stay the same.
44
Game Nite Issue #22
Planet of the Apes
By Serge Pierro
Richard Launius Co-Op Adventure
T
he ‘60’s were a time of radical musings and experimentation. One of the results from those tumultuous times was the first Planet of the Apes movie. For those wanting to reminisce or just play an interesting coop adventure game, IDW has released a Richard Launius designed game based on the movie. Fifty years later, Planet of the Apes continues to be popular and the game could expose a new generation to what made the original so fascinating. The first thing that grabs your attention is the amazing artwork for the box cover. Artist Jason Edmiston provides a gorgeous painting of some of the original Apes and will inspire fans/collectors to buy the game to just display the artwork. The box measures 11 3/4” x 11 3/4” x 3” and has a linen finish. The black cardboard insert has two wells and three shelves to support the board and rule book. The 12 page rulebook is magazine sized and is nicely laid out. There are plenty of illustrations and examples throughout. The rules are clear, though we were initially confused when the Action card section said to discard the cards after use, but there was no mention in the following section on what to do with the Special cards after they are played. The last page has Solitaire rules, as well as how to adjust the game to make it either easier or harder to play. The three-panel board is linen finished and folds out into a long rectangle. It is made of a fairly thick cardboard stock and features some nicely rendered illustrations of specific scenes from the movie by artist Leandro Lourenco. Each board panel is the size of the box.
46
Game Nite Issue #22
There are two card sizes; 2 3/4” x 4 3/4” for the Encounter, Discover and Intro cards and 1 3/4” x 2 1/2” for the Action, Special and Planet of the Apes cards. All of these are linen finished and feature more Leandro Lourenco’s artwork. The smaller cards are a little hard to shuffle, but this is only done once or twice a game.
While the standees are nice and eye-catching, many players are going to opt for using the plastic miniatures instead. These are cast in a hard, gray plastic and have circular bases. The all stand approximately 1 1/2” tall. The Ship and the Statue of Liberty are probably the best casts, as Taylor and Ape minis are somewhat uninspiring in their poses, the standees of these figures The linens finished cardboard tokens and standees are actually look better. However, a nice paint job could all made of a sturdy cardboard stock, though slightly possibly change that. thinner than that used for the board and the standees include clear, plastic bases. Continued on next page>
Game Nite Issue #22
47
Planet of the Apes (Cont.) The Yahtzee element of the game is provided by the “Contemplate” allows you to give another player one of use of the 16 dice that are broken down into 6 white, 6 your Action cards. gray and 4 red. These are standard d6’s with rounded corners. “Minor Healing” and “Major Healing” allow you to discard two or four matching Action cards, in order to The setup for the game is fairly straightforward and is Heal one or three damage, respectively. clearly shown within the rulebook. “Allies” allows you to play any combination of four The game is based on a series of movie scenes which Zira/Cornelius cards and move the Ape mini back one must be completed in order. At the start of a Scene space on the track. Phase, the introduction card for that scene is read and the instructions followed. Then each player will take The majority of your turns will be drawing Action turns as they try to complete the scene before the Ape cards and attempting to resolve the Encounters. At the mini reaches the “0” space on the board. end of your turn you move the token on the Day Track one space. On a player’s turn they will take three actions from a list of available actions. These actions are: “Draw The Day Track is an interesting mechanism, as every an Action Card”, “Reset Action Cards”, “Adventure”, third turn it triggers a “Sunrise” and two things happen: “Contemplate”, “Minor Healing”, “Major Healing” Any Encounter cards with a “Sunrise” icon on it has and “Allies”. each of its effects resolved and then one of the “Planet of the Apes” cards is revealed and both effects are resolved. “Draw and Action Card” is self explanatory and the These are event-like cards that influence play until maximum hand size is 7 cards. another “Sunrise” takes place and a new one is put into play. “Reset Action Cards” allows you to discard the two face up cards and replace them with new ones. This The Encounters encompass most of your time within can prove to be quite important at times as you cycle the game, as they are the means to winning the race through the deck looking for specific cards. against the Ape each Scene. As previously stated they are resolved by the use of a Yahtzee mechanic in which “Adventure” is the action in which you will attempt a certain requirement is needed within the specific to resolve one of the three face up Encounter cards. number of rolls allowed. Let’s take a deeper look at These are most often solved by means of a “Yahtzee” Encounters. mechanism. However, there are also ones that are solved by discarding sets of specific cards. Examples: Three of a kind (2’s or higher) or Discard 5 Dr. Zaius Action cards.
48
Game Nite Issue #22
An Encounter Card is made up of several different areas. Across the top of the card is an indication of how many dice you will receive when you attempt to resolve it, what suits of cards can be played and how many re-rolls you are allowed. All of this is self explanatory, however, the criteria for the usage of suits is an interesting mechanism, as not all cards are useful for each Encounter, even though their effects can be desirable. Hand management is an important aspect of the game and is not necessarily gleaned upon your initial play. The area below it shows the results necessary in order to resolve it. Most of the time this will involve specific dice combinations, however, there are cards that instead require a discard of several cards of a suit. This is another aspect of the hand management that was lost upon initial play, as there are specific cards that are needed for these types of Encounters and they were instead wasted/ used earlier for their effects. The next section shows the results for both the successful resolving of the Encounters, as well as the negative aspects of failing it.
if all of the cards had no Sunrise icon on them and not risk resolving one and having a Sunrise icon appear on a newly placed card, just in time for the Sunrise phase. For each Scene there are three Encounters placed in play. Players get to choose whichever one they wish to attempt. If they fail, the card stays in play, as another player or yourself can attempt it again on another turn. If you are successful, then the card is placed in the discard pile and a new Encounter is drawn from the relevant Scene to replace it. This manner of play will continue until the end of the Scene. While there is always the luck of the roll, there are ways to mitigate it. There are certain Action cards that can be used during the attempt at resolving the Encounter. These cards can either add dice to the roll, re-roll several dice or re-roll a single die. There are also effects that allow you to change a roll + or - 1. However, there is nothing more frustrating than having an initial roll of 1,2,4,5,5 and continue to re-roll one of the 5’s hoping for a 3 for a straight, and it doesn’t happen.
In order to win the game, you have to make it to the Scene 8 and complete the requirements. Not Some Encounters have a Bonus section that provides surprisingly, due to the multiple threads running additional perks if the Encounter is resolved. throughout the design, there are several ways to lose the game. If all players have five wounds at the same time, As mentioned above, there are some Encounters that you lose. If the Statue of Liberty mini reaches the “0” have a Sunrise icon on them. Cards with these icons space on the track, you lose. If the Ape mini reaches the will be triggered when the token lands on Sunrise. “0” space before Taylor in Scenes 6 or 7, you lose. And Needless to say, players should try to solve these first so of course if you fail the final Encounter in Scene 8, you that they don’t get hit with the negative effects of the lose. Sunrise. We found that it was often worth a turn to stall Continued on next page>
Game Nite Issue #22
49
Planet of the Apes (Cont.) Since Chess is my favorite game, it should come as no surprise that I’m not a fan of games that rely on dice… unless there are some options to mitigate the luck element. And fortunately there are ways to do so in this game. The rolls can be frustrating at times, however, as long as you are willing to accept that fact, this is actually one of the better co-op games that I’ve played, as there are several interesting mechanisms scattered about and it has a more “complex” feel to it, though it is by no means complicated. The breakdown of the game into Scenes is both thematic and is a clever way to break the game down into “digestible” mini co-op games. Fans of the original series will probably be thrilled to have the opportunity to play through the movie as the various aspects of Taylor and enjoy the flavor text and thematic elements throughout the game. However, as I’m not a huge fan of the series, I’m not sure how many times I’d be wanting to play it, as we’ve already beaten once (with some lucky die rolls) and the theme is not one that appeals to me. Having said that, this is an excellent co-op design, so I would probably be happy to play it again with someone who was interested in trying it, as the game design is solid. The replay factor is high as far as the gameplay goes, but I have to wonder how much the theme is going to affect player’s interest in playing it multiple times. While fans will enjoy the game for both its theme and design, non-fans will be treated to a well designed coop game that has several interested mechanism scattered throughout. However, if you are not a fan of games with dice, you might be put off by the Yahtzee element of solving the majority of the Encounters, even with factoring the mitigation.
50
Game Nite Issue #22
From a game design standpoint, Launius has done an excellent job with crafting a complex, though easy to play, co-op adventure. There’s a lot going on that isn’t immediately apparent. The use of the three turn Sunrise system brings a subtle timing element to the game that works along with the timing of the race against the Ape, thus pushing the players to try and complete any Encounter that has a Sunrise symbol on it, so as to not incur their penalties. And the use of the Planet of the Apes cards adds variety and interest to each session played and goes a long way towards being a positive for the game’s replayability. Plus, the ability to adjust the difficulty level of the game by the suggestions in the rulebook further adds to the replayability. If you are a fan of the original Planet of the Apes series, this is going to be a no-brainer. It is a solid design and the theme is nicely integrated, the artwork is well done and the flavor text and images will transport you back to the movie. If you are not a fan of the series, well I’m happy to say that the game itself is quite good and that you will enjoy playing it just for the fact that it’s an enjoyable game.
Designers: Publisher: Players: Mechanic: Ages: Length:
Richard Launius IDW Games 1-4 Co-op 14+ 90-120 Mins.
Recommended www.idwgames.com
52
Game Nite Issue #22
Interview
By Serge Pierro
• Element • Wakening Lair
• Hafid’s Grand Bazaar
• This Belongs in a Museum Grant Wilson - Artist
Do you come from an artistic family?
Are you self taught or did you study art in school?
Well, yes and no. My parents, whom I love very much, can’t draw much more than a stick figure. Somehow, though, my siblings and I are very musically and artistically inclined. We used to play Win, Lose, or Draw as a family, and destroy the competition.
Well, I have been drawing ever since I could hold a pencil. I am definitely self-taught. My father would bring home reams of memos from work and I’d draw all over the back of them. I mean, I took the required art classes in high school. I took one art class in college. Literally, one art class. We were drawing a model with charcoal and the teacher came up to my drawing and just started drawing on it. I said, you can’t just come up and draw on someone else art work. To which the teacher replied, that’s how things are done in my class. So, I packed up my stuff, walked out, and switched out of the class. This same thing happened earlier in my life with both guitar and piano lessons. I don’t want people to tell me what I can’t do, I wan’t them to give me the tools and let me use them my own way.
What are your earliest recollections of doing art? I remember drawing myself as a circle with arms and legs coming out of my head, just like all my friends did. I remember thinking, that’s not what I look like. So, I started improving my drawings from there. I used to play a game with my friends where we would draw a “victim” on a piece of paper. Then one person would try to destroy the “victim” Road Runner style using art. The other person would then try to draw some way to save the victim. We would take turns doing this until the victim couldn’t be saved or until we laughed too hard to continue.
Continued on next page>
Photo : Ali Cotton
Game Nite Issue #22
53
Interview
(Cont.)
Who are your main artistic influences? Hayao Miyazaki the legendary Japanese filmaker. Jeff Bunker, the brilliant mind behind the Disney Infinity toy designs and more. Brian Froud, the illuminated mind behind The Dark Crystal and more, Tony DiTerlizzi, of Spiderwick fame, and more Alan Lee, of Lord of the Rings fame Leonardo Da Vinci, you may know of him
Who are your favorite board game/card game artists? There are many, but these are at the top of the list. Xavier Durin, the inspired creator of the artwork for Tokaido and more. Also, Echo Chernik.
What is your favorite medium to work in? My whole life, it was pencil and paper. I was always fascinated at how I could turn a worthless piece of paper and an ounce of graphite into something people would cherish. But, then I dove head-first into the digital world, using Photoshop and Illustrator via my Cintiq. My productivity increased ten times. That is now my favorite medium.
How did you get involved in creating artwork for the game industry?
Well, Michael Richie, who has been my best friend since I was five, broke into the industry many years ago and I did some free artwork for his first game to help get it going. After a while working for another company, Mike wanted to break out on his own and create the games he wanted to play. But, he needed some artistic talent and some capital, both of which I Can you tell us about your studio and work had. So we joined forces and started Rather Dashing environment? Games. That is where a majority of my game art lives. I love challenging myself to make each game have its Sure. I have an Apple Mac Pro desktop computer right own artistic feel, but still have that hint of my own style. next to my 27� Cintiq. I surround myself with various Most people are amazed that the same person has done points of inspiration; previous works, inspiring works, the artwork for all the games, save X-Marks the Spot, Music, incense, etc. Usually my little dog, Jack will join which was done by Nigel Sade. me in there as well.
54
Game Nite Issue #22
Do you enjoy playing games? If so, what are some of your favorite games? I LOVE playing games. I have been creating new games and augmenting existing games almost as long as I have been drawing. I just hadn’t thought of doing it professionally until Mike and I had our revelation to start Rather Dashing Games. Some of my favorite games to play are honestly some of our own; Element, Wakening Lair, and some that aren’t public knowledge yet. As for other people’s games, I love Mansions of Madness, Arkham Horror, Descent, Betrayal at House on the Hill, but I also like lighter games, Tokaido, Indigo, Seventh Hero, oh man, too many to name.
If you had an opportunity to do the artwork for a game by a specific game designer, who would it be, and what would you like the theme to be? I would love to work with Fantasy Flight. I love just about anything they do. But as for a specific designer, I would be thrilled to illustrate a game about dreams or the Faerie realm with Antoine Bauza.
What component do you enjoy rendering the most and why? The box cover, cards, the board, tiles, etc.?
be eye-catchingly different, but not too alien. It has to honestly and accurately represent the experience that’s in the box without promising more. It’s very stressful, but I love a challenge.
After that, it’s the board, if the game has one. That’s The cover, hands down. I love adding character as another complicated piece. It is the world your players much as possible, and the cover is the epitome of that. will be living in, and it must convey the proper This is the very first thing people usually see. It has to information without getting old to look at. The rule book is my least favorite, its always tight on space and technical. Continued on next page>
Game Nite Issue #22
55
Interview
(Cont.)
What is the piece of artwork that you are most Do you illustrate projects outside of the game industry? proud of? Probably this one piece I did for our steampunk novel, “Brotherhood of the Strange”. It’s just this simple glass of whiskey, but its weight in the story is deep and complex. Drawing the mixture of glass, ice, and slightly oily whiskey was a challenge I loved and dreaded. I got a reference and started drawing and it turned out to be a piece I look back on with pride.
56
Game Nite Issue #22
I do. I have illustrated our book. I’ve made t-shirt designs. I do a lot of logo/graphic design for just about everybody. I did some concept art for Lucasfilm before it was bought by Disney. I try to draw a deep personal image for my wife for Christmas every year. And I draw for myself.
As a former TV personality, what skills did you learn in your previous line of work that transferred over to your role with Rather Dashing Games? I learned a lot about production. No matter how different a product may be, producing anything well follows a certain mentality and certain guidelines. I learned to drop all ego and let the best ideas rise to the surface. I have wholeheartedly embraced the words of the great Shigeru Miyamoto of Nintendo, “A delayed game is eventually good, but a rushed game is forever bad.�.
Continued on next page>
Game Nite Issue #22
57
Interview
(Cont.)
The most important question: Stratocaster? ;)
Les Paul or
What advice would you give to aspiring board game artists?
HA! That’s a tough one. I’m actually a Gretsch guy for electric, and a Martin man for acoustic.
Always remember you are drawing for someone else. Make a clear separation in your mind between the artwork you draw for other people and the artwork you draw for yourself.
Do you have any news on upcoming projects? Well, game-wise I have to keep that very hush hush. We are always working on around 6-10 games at once with 30 waiting in the wings. Our latest game, Wakening Lair is set to release March 21st, though, and Mike and I can not wait for it. It’s the game we’ve wanted to play for years. I can’t overstate how much fun it was to illustrate this game.
Do you accept private commissions? I absolutely do.
How can readers keep up to date on what projects you are working on? I have my hands in so many things at once. It’s because I simply love to create and share. You can keep up on everything I am doing; piano, art, games, my youtube channel, paranormal events, etc by following me on Twitter (@GrantSWilson), Facebook (RealGrantWilson), YouTube (TheGrantWilson), or my website GrantSWilson.com
58
Game Nite Issue #22
Create a portfolio that shows stunning diversity without explanation. Companies want to know that you can create the style they want, but that you aren’t a one-trick pony. If they can get more than one style out of the same contact, they will value that immensely. Work digitally, and with many layers. You have to make many adjustments in the game world, so ensure you have the freedom to make those changes. If you put just as much effort in the the construction of a document as you do in the artwork itself, it’ll make your job much easier. Take off the blinders, challenge yourself. Keep an eye on the industry and do something different. If possible, make sure you’re drawing for a project you believe in. Make sure people stop to look at the game because of your artwork, but stay because the game is good.
Game Nite Issue #22
59
Abstract Games
By Tom M Franklin
GIPF
G
The strategic balance in GIPF comes from wanting to have as many of your pieces on the board to create four-in-arows with which to capture your opponent’s pieces and your need to have pieces available to play. It is perfectly legal to create a four-in-a-row of your own pieces simply to regain pieces to play with. However, removing your The playing board is a hexagon with five points of entry, own pieces in this way will typically weaken your position or dots, on each side. Lines connect these dots to the on the board. dots on the opposite side of the board and at hexagonal angles. Players choose a color to play (black or white) and The Rule Book offers three ways of playing GIPF. The then take turns placing one of their pieces on these dots Basic Rules, best for introducing yourself or new players and pushing their piece into an adjacent intersection on to the game, has the board set up with three pieces of the the board. Once a piece enters the board the only way it 18 pieces from each player on the board before the game can be moved by being pushed by other pieces entering starts. Pieces of each color take positions on three points of a large intersecting triangle. This allows for an initial the board. even distribution of pieces on the board from which to If you create a string of four-in-a-row with your build upon. pieces you remove them from the board and may use them again. If any of your opponent’s pieces are also The Standard Rules have players starting with this same connected in that straight line of four, you capture those initial board setup. However, these three pieces on the board make use of the GIPF Potentials. pieces and they are removed from the game. IPF is the first in a series of Abstract Strategy games referred to as Project GIPF. Designed by Kris Burm and released in 1997, GIPF displays Burm’s ability to mix a simple, clean design with easily understood rules to create a deeply challenging game.
The first player who runs out of pieces to play loses the Each game in Project GIPF has its own set of Potentials. These are extra pieces that change the way the game is game. played in subtle, but important ways.
60
Game Nite Issue #22
Photo: Tom M Franklin
In GIPF, the Potentials are GIPF pieces with a slightly different pattern on the top. These pieces are stacked atop a standard piece. The Standard Game Rules allow for a second win/lose option -- if all three of your GIPF Potentials are removed from the board you immediately lose regardless of how many other pieces you have remaining on the board. The Tournament Rules has the game starting with an empty board. Players must make use of GIPF Potentials, but there are no set number of Potentials required. A player can choose to use only one of their Potentials (thereby giving their opponent a single target to capture) or can use three or more Potentials by stacking two standard pieces together to create additional stacks. This makes it harder for your opponent to capture all of your GIPF Potentials, but it also decreases the number of pieces you have to play with. It’s easy to see why GIPF generated such interest when it was released. It is an accessible game that only takes a few moves to show the first hints of the complexity that awaits you in future moves. GIPF is a game that requires strategic planning yet never feels overly complex -- and rarely fails to surprise.
Game Nite Issue #22
61
Interview Gallery
Steve Jackson #1
Dan Verssen #1
Paul Herbert #1
Reiner Knizia #2
Franz Vohwinkel #2
James Ernest #2
Mark Copplestone #2
Reiner Knizia #3
Peter Adkison #3
Brom #3
Chenier La Salle #4
Ryan Dancey #4
Brian Snoddy #4
Beth Sobel #5
Bruno Faidutti #5
Tom Jolly #6
62
Game Nite Issue #22
Antoine Bauza #7
Dennis Lohausen #7
Ryan Laukat #8
Chad Hoverter #9
Matt Leacock #9
Greg Isabelli #9
Ignacy Trzewiczek #10
Jacqui Davis #10
Johan Koitka #10
Jamey Stegmaier #11
Michael Menzel #11
Kay Wilke #11
Vincent Dutrait #12
Mike Fitzgerald #12
Sandy Petersen #13
Mihajlo Dimitrievski #13
Game Nite Issue #22
63
Interview Gallery
Bruno Cathala #14
John Ariosa #14
Friedemann Friese #15
Joshua Cappel #15
Eric Vogel #15
Mac Gerdts #16
Keldon Jones #16
Steve Finn #17
J. Alex Kevern #18
Richard Ham #18
Ludovic Roudy #19
Bruno Sautter #19
Phil Walker-Harding #20
Luke Peterschmidt #21
64
Game Nite Issue #22
Contributors Serge Pierro Serge has playtested numerous games for several companies, including
Wizards of the Coast and AEG. He has also written for Duelist, Inquest and Gamer print magazines. His award winning photography has appeared in both newspapers and magazines. He has self published a game, and has several other designs ready... but, currently finds his free time devoted to doing Game Nite.
Eric Devlin Eric has been the North East Regional Representative for Wizards
of the Coast, the brand manager of Legends of the Five Rings, as well as working with Sabretooth and Third World Games. He has an extensive background in playtesting for top companies. He has also written for Games Quarterly, Duelist, Inquest and others.
Jeff Rhind Jeff is a single father raising a 19 year-old son and a 8 year-old daughter, and slowly coaxing them into the world of tabletop gaming. He has been gaming for many years and shares his love and appreciation for the hobby by reviewing and talking about games on his web site: completelyboard. com as well as his You Tube channel at youtube.com/completelyboard. You can also follow him on twitter @jeffrhind
Tom M Franklin Tom lives in North Carolina where he and his wife are staff to their five cats.
His writing has appeared in his agent’s Inbox and the occasional hand-written letter to friends. He grew up playing Abstract Strategy Games (back when they were simply called games) and still regards dice of all kinds with suspicion. His Board Gaming Claim to Fame is having taught over 300 kids how to play Chess. Considering he’s been playing board games for over 50 years he really should be much better at them than he is.
Game Nite Issue #22
65
Game Review Index
66
Game Nite Issue #22
• • • • • •
This Town Ain’t Big Enough for the 2-4 of Us Small World Stella Nova Shoot-Out Postcard Cthulhu Postcard Empire
• • • • • • •
Tile Chess Cards of Cthulhu Samurai Spirit Golem Arcana Pairs Sutakku Timeline
• • • • • • • • •
Baseball Highlights 2045 Samurai Sword Paperback For the Crown Trench Firefly Cutthroat Caverns Rise of the Zombies Shadow Throne
• • • • • • • • •
Rhino Hero Attila Spurs and Sprockets Chaosmos March of the Ants AquaSphere Fidelitas Rise of Cthulhu Maha Yodah
• • • • • • • • • •
Animal Upon Animal Sushi Draft Stones of Fate WWII: Stalingrad Stockpile The Magnates Sentinel Tactics Flip City Space Movers 2201 Dark Tales
• • • • • • • • •
Nevermore Gold West Arcadia Quest Dragon Flame New York 1901 Lift Off! Tesla vs. Edison Yashima Targi
• • • • • • • •
Outer Earth 1944: Race to the Rhine Runecast Cycling Tour Witkacy Firefly: Fistful of Credits Dozen Doubloons King Down
Game Nite Issue #22
67
Game Review Index
68
Game Nite Issue #22
• • • • • • • • • • • •
Steam Works Web of Spies Cartography Xia: Legends of a Drift System Orleans Raiders of the North Sea Hoyuk Wizards of the Wild Myths at War Ring It! Hogg Wild for Wealth The Martian Investigations
• • • • • • • • • • •
Cosmic Run Imperial Harvest Under the Pyramids (Eldritch Horror Expansion) Bomb Squad Through the Ages: A New Story of Civilization Luna Biblios Dice Trekking the National Parks Fuse Skulldug! Horrible Hex
• • • • • • • • • • • •
Cuisine a la Cart Foragers The Shadow Over Westminster Scoville Valeria: Card Kingdom Onitama Knit Wit Worlds Fair: 1893 Flip City: Reuse Gruff The Walled City Empires at Sea
• • • • • • • • • • • •
JurassAttack! Oh My Gods! Looting Atlantis 13 Days Apotheca Tiny Epic Galaxies Automobiles Daxu Slaughterville Kheops Scoville: Labs Ancient Conflict Treasure Chest
• • • • • • • • • • • •
Dr. Eureka Stockpile: Continuing Corruption Sugar Gliders Dawn of the Zeds: Third Edition Vast: The Crystal Caverns The Networks Grifters Trajan Conspiracy! Secrets of the Last Tomb Best Treehouse Ever Matryoshka
• • • • • • • • • • • • •
Imhotep In the Name of Odin Centauri Saga Draconis Invasion Dastardly Dirigibles Flamme Rouge Haspelknecht Hansa Teutonica Star Trek Panic Theomachy Commissioned San Ni Ichi Small City Game Nite Issue #22
69
Game Review Index
70
Game Nite Issue #22
• • • • • • • • • • • • •
Kanagawa Lunarchitects Hero Realms Santorini Vinhos: Deluxe Colony Sun Tzu Bermuda Crisis Tavarua Explorers of the North Sea America San Allies Crisis
• • • • • • • • • •
Hanamikoji Element Villages of Valeria Mansions of Madness 2nd Edition 7 Wonders Duel Oceanos Herbaceous A Feast For Odin Schotten Totten This Belongs in a Museum
• • • • • • • • • • • •
Ninja Taisen Space Invaders Dice! The Dresden Files Card Game Pyramids Quests of Valeria Amun-Re Cultists of Cthulhu Magic Maze Knot Dice The Cohort Crazier Eights Pandemic: Reign of Cthulhu
• • • • • • • • • • • •
7&7 March of the Ants: Minions of the Meadow Honshu Web of Spies Saga of the Northmen Tournament at Camelot Haspelknecht: The Ruhr Valley Plague Inc. Zephyr Terrible Monster 5ive Duress
• • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Fantasy Realms Space Race Isle of Skye Unearth ION Escape from 100 Million BC Battle for Souls COG Near and Far Terraforming Mars Caverna: Cave vs. Cave Pocket Mars Terra Mystica Hafid’s Grand Bazaar
• • • • • • • •
The Climbers Whistle Stop The 7th Continent Witches of the Revolution Viral Sentient Road Hog PeltaPeeps
Game Nite Issue #22
71
Game Review Index
72
Game Nite Issue #22
• • • • • • •
Mini Rails Nightmare Forest: Alien Invasion The Ruhr Summit Seikatsu Tulip Bubble Covalence
• • • • • •
Joraku Michael Strogoff Minute Realms Castle Dukes Rajas of the Ganges Cytosis
• • • • •
Ancestree Exodus Fleet Tak Mistborn: House War Expedition: RPG Card Game
April • 2018 Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
1
2
8
9
Game Nite
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
3
4
5
6
7
10
11
12
13
14
Issue #23 Release Date
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30