Dude! Take Your Turn!
A Gaming Life
Review – Mephisto
Are you somebody who would like to make a deal with a very scary demon in order to gain the ultimate power in the universe?
If you are, please forget that you know me.
However, if you would like to pretend that you are one of those people, have I got the game for you.
Quick 2-player card games are becoming quite interesting to me because I have co-workers who love to play games at lunch.
Mephisto, designed by Dylan Mangini with art by him as well, meets that need to a tee. Not only is it a quick 2-player card game, but it’s actually a good one as well.
That always helps.
In Mephisto, you and your opponent have made a deal with…well…Mephisto to gain ultimate power.
But you can’t both get that kind of power, can you?
Hence the struggle for supremacy and to please Mephisto by giving him monster souls.
Mephisto will be coming to Kickstarter on January 15, 2019.
Dylan graciously sent me a copy of the game. While the artwork is final, the card quality is still not finalized and may be upgraded based on stretch goals, so I won’t be commenting on that aspect of the game.
Let’s see how it plays.
Suburbia Collectors Edition Coming to Kickstarter on January 14
Suburbia was one of my first board game purchases when I came back to the hobby many years ago. It’s still one of my favourite games.
Designed by Ted Alspach, this is a tile-laying game where each player is trying to build the most populace city borough (i.e. get the most victory points). The game is best known for how the various tiles and their colours interact with each other, both positively and negatively.
It’s long been a popular game, but one of the knocks against it has been the rather plain graphic design (not to mention the 5-Star expansion, the less said about the better, though obviously Ted disagrees.).
Was that the main reason you didn’t pick it up?
If so, have I got news for you.
The Suburbia: Collector’s Edition is coming to Kickstarter on January 14, with a projected release date of October 2019.
New to Me – December 2018
I’m back!
It’s been a long month at Dude Central, and thank you everyone for the good wishes, the patience, and the condolences. December was a pretty bad month in general, with me generally not being in the mood to play games (or write blog posts either).
Shocker, I know!
That really plays havoc with the Cult of the New to Me and could have actually sparked a rebellion.
Thankfully, all of the cult members overdosed on sugar cookies and passed out for the entire month (Some people really know how to bake, like my sister-in-law).
So thankfully, my position is secure. While I played no new games in December, I did get to play three new expansions.
So without further adieu (all of my adieu was hijacked from a colony trade ship as it was headed to Pluto anyway), let’s take a look at those expansions!
On Hiatus for a Few Weeks
Hey, everybody
Just wanted to wish you all a very merry Christmas if you celebrate it, or a wonderful holiday season of whatever sort you celebrate.
I also have a bit of blog news that I want to alert you to as well.
I’m going to be taking a bit of a hiatus from the blog over the next 2-4 weeks.
I know what you’re thinking. “Dave, you’ve been missing for weeks at a time anyway. Why are you telling us now?”
First, the wonderful Clio has sent some readers my way and I don’t want them to think that this blog is actually dead.
Secondly, while previous long-term disappearances have been more from lack of motivation and a bit of mental health issue (“I’ll do a post tomorrow” for days and then weeks on end), this one I know is coming.
I just have way too much occupying my mind right now, and I know I won’t be in a place to write. And I probably won’t have time either.
How long will it be?
I’m hoping just 2 more weeks. It could be 3 or even 4, though.
However, there is some stuff coming that I’m really excited about and hopefully you’ll be patient with me.
First, the monthly “New to Me” post for December will be coming, though it will be late.
Secondly, it’s the end of the year. You know what that means. Top 10 Games Played in 2018! If you want to see what those posts are like, here are the three posts from last year.
Top 10 Games Played in 2017 (10-6)
Top 10 Games Played in 2017 (5-1)
Top 10 Games Played in 2017 (Honourable Mentions)
What else do I have coming?
I have recently hit 300 games where I’ve recorded at least one play.
So I thought it would be neat to do a Top 50 Games Played By Me list as well.
That’s going to be some work, so may come a little later in January/February, but it is coming.
In the meantime, have a great holiday, keep playing great games, and hug your family (whatever you classify as family).
Do it while you can.
All the best to you in the new year.
RIP, Dad (1936-2018)
Boardgame Apps – Asynchronous Play Revisited
I’m a big fan of boardgame apps, either on mobile or on Steam. I love being able to play Ascension with buddies from all over the country and the world.
For the most part, to do that requires asynchronous online multiplayer because it is almost impossible to coordinate schedules with friends when time zones are involved. This is especially true with longer, more complicated games. (For those of you who don’t know, “asynchronous multiplayer” basically means that you log into the game, take your turn, and then leave again. Your opponent(s) can take their turn at their convenience, though most of the time there are timers involved to make sure they don’t disappear).
While my stance hasn’t changed on that requirement in a good boardgame app, it has become a bit more nuanced.
I recently reviewed the great new card game app Morels by Mossbark Games and complimented them on including async multiplayer in the game.
After that, Dave over at the illustrious Stately Play site posted his review. (ha! First!)
In it, he said the following:
“I find that the game is far less rewarding when playing asynchronously than in real time. The short turns combined with long waits deadens a bit of the joy, but if you can manage to both log on together (with a friend at, I don’t know, your kid’s holiday concert) and play in real time, I guarantee you won’t only play once.”
A minor discussion ensued on the discussion board, and it made me think.
Should I adjust my thinking on asynchronous play?
Review – DC Comics Deck-building Game
When I was growing up, I was a DC Comics fanboy. Sure, I followed some of the Marvel stuff too, but DC Comics was where it was at. I got my start with the 1980 version of Teen Titans written by Marv Wolfman with art by George Perez.
That series was phenomenal and I quickly jumped to many of the other DC heroes (though surprisingly I was never a big fan of Superman).
While I don’t follow comics much anymore, and I became much more of a Marvel guy as time wore on, I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for DC.
Why am I telling you my comics history?
Because today we’re going to be looking at the DC Comics Deck-Building Game, published by Cryptozoic Games. The game is designed by Matt Hyra and Ben Stoll, and there is no artist listed on Boardgame Geek. It plays 2-5 players.
I’m only reviewing the base game, which came out in 2012, though there are a ton of expansions for it.
Should you try it out?
Let’s check and see.
New to Me – November 2018
It’s December! And too many days into December for my New to Me Games post for November, so my apologies.
I do have a good reason, though.
The Cult of the New to Me was having a fundraiser, but unfortunately it didn’t go well.
We did manage to raise $10 for the Board Games for Terminally Ill Alpacas fund.
I’m not sure why more people didn’t give. In fact, that $10 is mine. For some reason, people just gave me odd looks before averting their eyes and hurrying by.
But we shall persevere! These poor things shall not want while I’m around.
It did cause me to take time away from writing this post, though.
November didn’t look like it was going to be a busy month, but it steamrolled near the end to a massive seven new games. And most of them were good!
So, without further adieu (all of my adieu was taken by some scumbag architect who sold it at the Black Market for a piece of marble and a piece of wood), let’s get started!
App Review – Morels
I don’t like mushrooms.
Just imagining the texture and tasting them makes my skin crawl a little bit. I used to pick them off of my Supreme pizza, though now if I happen to get a piece of Supreme, I’ll grin and bear it because usually the other toppings cover up the taste.
Who would have thought that I might like a game about mushrooms, though?
Morels (2012 – Two Lanterns Games) was just released by Mossbark Games for iOS and Android devices, and it is a very polished app.
Morels is a 2-player card game about mushrooms. Collecting them, cooking them, turning them in for foraging sticks, and avoiding the Destroying Angels that might come up.
Yummy! (Editor – Now try saying that without the grimace)
Mystic Vale Grows onto Steam – Early Access
We heard back in June that Nomad Games would be doing a number of Alderac Entertainment Group (AEG) titles.
These titles included Cat Lady (recently released this month during my blog hiatus), Space Base (an awesome game), and the card-crafting game Mystic Vale.
Imagine my surprise when I heard from the illustrious Stately Play site (really, the luster just shines!) that Mystic Vale has hit Steam in Early Access.
That was welcome news to a lot of fans (including me, who had played it once and really wanted to try it again).
Of course, “early access” means that while it’s certainly playable and everything, there could definitely be bugs. You may essentially be beta testing it (though it’s probably past that stage, there will still be issues with it I’m sure).
Can Stefan Feld Turn US Politics into Point Salad?
It’s been a busy week at Dude Central, so I wasn’t planning on posting anything this week.
Then I happened to check my Inbox (Editor – Always a bad move).
What was this email that made me have to hop on my computer and post something quick?
Renegade Game Studios has announced a new Stefan Feld game coming in April 2019.
About US politics.
Thankfully not current US politics (I don’t like orange in my point salads), but the election of 1828.
Revolution of 1828 is going to be a 2-player game about the election between John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson with the candidates vying for people’s votes.
It’s a no-holds barred election, too (you thought today’s smear campaigns were bad).
I have to be quick, so let’s blurb this puppy from the web site.
“In this two-player game, you are trying to become the next President of the United States! To reach this lofty goal, each player will try to take Election tiles that suit you best and hinder your opponent’s campaign. Election tiles allow you to garner the allegiance of Electors and use the power of Smear Campaigns to skew the populace in your favor. If you also use the powerful Campaign Actions to your advantage and have the press look the other way, nothing should stand in your way!”
This sounds so intriguing, even more so because it’s a Feld game about a subject that doesn’t seem up Feld’s alley.
Maybe he can prove me wrong?
We’ll find out in April.
Dude! Take Your Turn! 