The great thing about technology is it’s possible to combine that nostalgia with the use of tech we have available today like your laptop or your handphone. Tabletop games that you played as a child are available in apps and online all over.
Versions of solitaire and mahjong have taken over many websites. Some of them even have hundreds of different solitaire or mahjong options available to play. If you’ve been yearning for a little dose of your favorite games from your childhood you’re definitely in luck. Here’s a list of ten tabletop games from your childhood that now exist for you to play online whenever you want.
1. Solitaire
Just like you read about in the intro, online solitaire is a hugely popular game. It started with Windows making solitaire available on all of their computers. Soon everyone was playing regular solitaire or something like to pass the time. Now there are so many versions of solitaire online that it’s almost impossible to keep up with all the new options.
The great thing about online solitaire is that you don’t have to worry about setting up the cards. Just click a link and go. Sometimes the computer even moves cards like an ace without you having to do anything at all. Solitaire was already a quick play game but it’s even faster now. If you’re bored and only have a few minutes to kill, this is your new go-to online game.
Related: Exploring the Different Types of Board Games + REAL Examples (2018) by Byran Truong of Game Cows
2. Mahjong
There’s even a readily available version that mixes the rules of mahjong and solitaire for a “best of both worlds” situation. If you’ve already played a few rounds of solitaire and you’re ready to change things up, check out online mahjong. You’ll be glad you did.
3. Battleship
That’s right, you can play this classic game online any time you want. Your opponent will be a computer but that doesn’t always take all the fun out of things. The guessing and excitement of trying to sink the computer’s battleship still make this a really fun game to play.
There are a few websites you can play Battleship on, so try searching for “battleship game” and pick your favorite results to test out. It’s another quick game to play usually, and since you don’t have to worry about spilling hundreds of tiny pegs all over clean up is a breeze too.
4. Chess
Even as a kid you could’ve played this game on your own. A lot of chess players say their best opponent is themselves. Playing against a computer might be a close second, however. There are a lot of variations you could test out to play chess online. You can play anything from classic chess to 3D chess with just the click of your mouse.
5. Checkers
While we’re talking about basic but beloved board games we can’t forget about checkers. You can play checkers online at many different websites. Some are very basic versions that look just like the game you set up yourself. Others involve tons of graphics, interesting music, and even interactive storylines. No matter which option you choose you’re sure to enjoy this throwback classic game.
6. Sorry!
You read that right. You can play the childhood favorite, Sorry! online and there are some pretty cool ways to do it. Some versions just let you play against several other computer opponents. Others actually involve playing an online multiplayer version of this classic game. You can play other players from around the world who are all just as excited to experience a little nostalgia while they relax.
7. Scrabble
Since we’re already thinking about multiplayer online games that are online versions of our childhood favorites, we can’t forget Scrabble. Yes sometimes it goes by other names (like Words With Friends) but the basic gameplay remains the same. You can definitely find a few websites where you’re just playing a computer, but the multiplayer versions add a lot of new thrills.
8. Clue
Digitized versions of this super fun game have existed since before you could even find it online. SNES had a Clue game available to play in the early 90s but there was nothing quite like playing this murder mystery the old fashioned way. You can play Clue online, and even play a computer version of the SNES Clue too.
Whether it’s Colonel Mustard in the kitchen with the candlestick or Miss Scarlet looking suspicious, you’re sure to have some good (highly nostalgic) fun playing Clue once again. This game just never goes out of style.
9. Monopoly
All the fun and excitement of the original tabletop version is available online. Once again you’ll have the option to choose between computer opponents or a multiplayer experience. While playing a computer might save you some time, the real fun with playing Monopoly online is the multiplayer option. Everyone has a different strategy to win, and it will keep you on your toes.
10. Risk
Remember how vicious a good game of Risk could be? It can be that way online too. You can play versions that are done in real time, or ones that are turn-based. The turn-based games give you a chance to make a move and come back when you have more time to play, so if you’re busy but still want some board game fun, that’s a great thing.
Conclusion:
No matter which classic game you choose to play you’ll have a great time. Solitaire and mahjong can be done quickly and on your own. Monopoly or Risk gives you a chance to experience new players’ style and strategic maneuvers. You might even get a chance to up your skill level for the next time you play the real deal. Give it a chance and go with your favourites. Enjoy!
]]>
Do you like Anime, eye-catching Board Games, detailed pre-painted Chibi Miniatures and a easy ruleset that will see you and your friends up and playing in no time?
Well if you do, then ozgenkimya has two offerings that will pique your interest to rush down and enter the world of Kromaster.
The world of Krosmaster is a fantasy world filled with magic, powerful but CUTE AS PIKACHU IN A HELLO KITTY ONESIE characters, creatures and demons fighting to assert that they are the very best, like no one ever was. And in today's article, not just in the art of combat but sports too!
First of these offerings is the 2-4 player Krosmaster Arena 2.0, which is the updated and new version of Krosmaster Arena released in 2012 and although the game has been updated, all the characters in the earlier edition are compatible with the 2.0 version and vice versa.
That being said if you have not played Krosmaster, the 2.0 version has an excellent tutorial system that will teach you the game step by step and on top of which help you to learn to play each character in 7 easy tutorials. Even then, the game is actually very simple. In summary, each of your characters have a certain amount of action points you can spend to move, attack and do other misc actions such as claiming rewards, etc.
The action point system gives the game a depth of strategy and tactics yet there is also tension from the combat and some magical abilities that uses the wonderful custom dice provided in the game which shows hits, defence, lock and dodge symbols.
Lastly, no game will be the same, especially if you have more characters which you can get from the second game we will be talking about below or the older Krosmaster sets and expansions. This is because you can draft or point buy your team of characters to mix and match abilities that will help you to gain victory in a myriad of dice rolling, action planning fun, all in your own style!
Related: The Theory of the Greater Good in Board Gaming
Next up is the 2 player Boufbowl, which is the rugby/soccer like sport in the world of Krosmaster. Unlike Krosmater this game is a race to score 2 goals before the other player.
Like Krosmaster Arena 2.0, all the characters in Boufbowl have cards that makes them compatible with Krosmaster and vice versa. The game is also simple to play and easy to learn with a quick play beginner mode which after you can upgrade your play experience to with the "Expert Mode".
Play wise, Boufbowl plays even more simply than Krosmaster 2.0. You have 3 actions per team, which can be used to move, pass, tackle and other abilities, that can be enhanced by spending action cards that match the action your activated character is doing. And yes, tackles are done via dice rolls, so again tension abounds like in a real sports match!
Once you are comfortable with the game, you can then proceed to the expert mode that introduces coaches and the crowd watching the game!
The coaches provides each team with a character that can help the team to play better. This is done by discarding cards to the coach board but unlike the above can be any card from your hand.
The other addition are the crowds which are cards you can buy that again supplement or improve your abilities but might be cheaper if you choose a player of a certain type such as runners.
So that is a summary of the Krosmaster world games coming to our shores. If you have any interest in the above games or any other item from our catalogue, do feel free to contact us at ozgenkimya.com!
E: [email protected]
Zhou Huibin is a smith of words who majored in Philosophy & History from the University of Western Australia and whose life has followed the flow of his hobbies. He seeks continual contentment in his ponders, reading, writing, painting and board games which fills almost all of his time.
]]>You and your fellow forest spirits watch intently, will your chosen champions succeed. It is a contest for territory and of course more importantly...nuts and in the end, only one type of bird will fly to the top and the others will be put to flight. This is the story of Birdie Fight by Kocchiya and Designer Yuo.
In the tradition of many made in Japan board games, Biridie Fight is a small, short and sweet game that has artwork that reminds players of days when one is just relaxing in the park watching nature go by. This, on top of its simple yet thoughtful gameplay provides an experience that is cliche to say for anything Japanese but feels most Zen like.
Related: Bringing Home the Fun Bacon with Oink Games
Birdie Fight is a one to four player hand management game. The game is played over two rounds and starts by setting up the scoring nut tokens randomly on each row and column of a five by five grid. Then one card is revealed in the middle of the grid. Players then get a number of cards depending on the number of players in the game from the draw deck and then the fight is on.
The way a player's turn goes is deadly simple, you just play a card from your hand onto the grid adjacent (not diagonally) to any existing card on the grid. The cards comes in the form of four distinct bird colours and ranges from one to seven. In a four player game, an Owl card that is mixed into the deck too, which can be played to replace any existing card on the grid and allows the player to move the existing card elsewhere on the grid, which adds a lot of new decisions to a four player game.
A round ends when the whole grid is filled and then scoring is done. Each row and column is checked to see which colour bird has the highest total and that bird is awarded the respective nut token onto its picture on the game's box cover, which is both for easy scoring and is aesthetically pleasing.
The unique factor that elevates the game though is that if there is a tie between the highest totals in a row or column, then next highest total is the winner of the nut token. Thus middle and low number cards now have just as much value as a higher number card in the game.
After that is done, you now show the last card in your hand and that is your chosen champion (The colour of the bird) and add that bird's total score to the value of the card you have shown. This can be important as even though usually, this number will be insignificant compared to the total of the nut tokens but if everybody has chosen the same colour bird as their champion, then the number on your last card will decide who has the highest total.
Birdie Fight is a fun, zen like game that comes with a decent amount of tactical and strategic choices that are most satisfying and has worked with every group I have played it with and whose artwork is so good even passerbys stop to look at the game in progress.
So come fly by ozgenkimya at HarbourFront and pick up this little bundle of naturally themed joy now. The game rules comes in both English and Japanese and also has rules for a solitaire/co-op mode for one to two players.
E: [email protected]
Zhou Huibin is a smith of words who majored in Philosophy & History from the University of Western Australia and whose life has followed the flow of his hobbies. He seeks continual contentment in his ponders, reading, writing, painting and board games which fills almost all of his time.
]]>Lead a team of four of the greatest minds that changed the world through three ages of time and patent inventions or create the smartest inventions to become the greatest Legendary Inventors!
Legendary Inventors is a simple game that delivers in the strategy department for the whole family that aims to be fun yet teaches about famous inventors in history too. In fact, this is emphasised as the game comes with a biographical booklet that has summaries of the inventors featured in the game. 
Gameplay starts with each player getting 4 inventors and during their turn, they can either send out one of their inventors to put his expertise into an invention or refresh all of their inventors so they can be sent out once again to do more inventing.
When you send out an inventor to work, you will first flip the inventor's card sideways to show he is exhausted and then take the number of cubes on his card and then you are allowed to place them on any amount of inventions that fit the symbols that the inventor is knowledgeable in. If the invention is finished then rewards are given out in the order of contribution. The person with the most cubes on the invention chooses first which reward they want, be it the invention itself or the tokens on the invention, such as upgrade tokens that adds more knowledge to your inventor.
The other action one can do is to refresh all your inventors, this is done by turning all your inventors back upright so you can use them all again.
As you see turns between players are really fast and thus even with the full complement of players, the game can still play in about 40minutes to maybe an hour. Also, as the game goes on, the game's decisions get harder as for example if you can collect the requisite upgrade tokens that fit your inventor's card on the bottom right, then that is extra victory points. Also, if you get inventions, they all have symbols beside their victory points that score higher as you collect more of them that differ from one another.
Later on in the game, it is imperative to go for what earns you the most points but this information is all open and people may take what you want if you don't rush in first to patent a particular invention. So planning is required.
In conclusion, Legendary Inventors is definitely one to get for the family as it is light enough that the family can play and still interact with each other and for regular gamers, this is a good filler that probably gives more depth of thought than say Love Letter.
As a huge thank you for reading this far and enjoying our content, here is a discount code INVENT10 for the game at S$10 off when you purchase the game via our website till the end of August!!
E: [email protected]
Zhou Huibin is a smith of words who majored in Philosophy & History from the University of Western Australia and whose life has followed the flow of his hobbies. He seeks continual contentment in his ponders, reading, writing, painting and board games which fills almost all of his time.
]]>Welcome class, take your seats and get ready to delve into what could be the base mechanic for your future million dollar award winning board game.
Today we will be focusing on what is arguably the most popular mechanic in the board gaming world today, worker placement.
It is the board game mechanic of taking a marker and placing it on a spot on the board and doing what the space allows a player to do. For example, movement, collecting resources, buying new items, etc. And with some small tweaks to worker placement can come a plethora of game types.
We will be using 3 modern designer board games to show you some of the more popular ways worker placement is being used in today's modern game designs.
STONE AGE
To give a sense of urgency, give each action on the board a limit. Such as the number of players who can use the spot. A good example of this is Stone Age, where there are only 7 spots to be used per round in each of the resource collection actions. This gives the players the decision on whether to go for the short-term gain or risk losing the chance to use the action completely.
Related: Local Designer Series: Christina Ng and Yeo Keng Leong, Designers of Three Kingdom Redux
Manhatten Project: Energy Empire
If not, how about encouraging a calmer but more brain-burning game, that focuses more on resource collection. You can do this by allowing others to use the same spot as a previous player but it will cost them more resources in the game to use the spot again.
Manhatten Project: Energy Empire is a good example of this as you have to pay one more worker than the previous player to use the same action on the board.
Kingsburg
Another way to do worker placement is to incorporate it with another mechanic. In Kingsburg, you first roll your dice, which are your "workers" and then place them on spots that match the numerical value of the characters you wish to influence. This mix of luck and strategy keeps the game unpredictable yet tactical.
Kingsburg also shows that the worker can be anything in the game, not just a meeple or token.
Worker placement is so popular as it allows players to keep track of actions used during the game, while easily relaying information at a glance. If you are designing your first game, this is definitely a good first mechanic to look at. Give it a go towards designing your dream game. I am happy to be of service and if you have any questions feel free to send them to me in the comments or at [email protected].
E: [email protected]
Zhou Huibin is a smith of words who majored in Philosophy & History from the University of Western Australia and whose life has followed the flow of his hobbies. He seeks continual contentment in his ponders, reading, writing, painting and board games which fills almost all of his time.
]]>They say a smile a day keeps the doctor away. If that is true then Weiding and those around him would probably be immortals as there are more than a few smiles when he is in the room.
Han Weiding is a Research Engineer in one of the more famous Universities in Finland and in his youth had dabbled in true classics like the game of Chess. His first introduction to the modern world of board gaming was with the ever popular game of Munchkin.
Now though he did enjoy his plays of Munchkin with his friends, he did find that it lacked in strategy which made him seek out more board games that suited his strategic play style better.
It was then he was introduced by a friend to Meetup.com and attended his first meetup at Toa Payoh in August 2010. He was hesitant at first as he had not attended many social gatherings with strangers before but his curiosity for board games drove him to give it a go. Since then he has attended more than his fair share of meetups and has met many people to indulge in the tabletop hobby.
The outstanding nature of Weiding is how he is a man of his word. In a world, where lateness and similar behaviours are almost seen like a "personality quirk” by some, he is a breath of fresh air. This is because he always tries his best to be on time and will sincerely apologise if he is late. Also, he is accommodating and open to trying any game with an open mind. He is also one of the rare players that like both thematic and strategic games with almost equal vigour but admittingly does lean towards the strategic side more.
All in all, Weiding is a person I hope stays in the hobby for a very long time, bringing smiles to many more.
Related: Board Gamers of Finland #6: Manyata Lal (The Tabletop Assassin)
His recommended game of the day is Food Chain Magnate by Splotter Games. In Food Chain Magnate, you play a major fast food brand trying to be the most successful of all by gaining the most money at the end of the game.
In a player’s turn, you first restructure your company by rearranging your available employees into limited slots. These workers are the ones who will be available to be activated and need to be paid for that turn.
Then you use your employees to make the food or drinks, employ more staff, etc. The last thing you will do is sell your food based on several factors in the game such as distance, price, so on.
The reason why Weiding likes Food Chain Magnate so much is it mimics one of his favourite kind of video games, city builders. And even though the game is considered rules-heavy, it is relatively accessible with a simple turn structure. The fast food theme being the icing on this already lovely game.
The cons of the game for him though are first, the game is a very unforgiving and during a player's turn, there is a lot of choices and this can be overwhelming, especially for newer players. Also, this is a game where experienced players will have a big advantage as there is so much information to take in. Thus an experienced player may be able to steal the sales of a less experienced player.
Weiding has played hundreds of games and the fact he has chosen Food Chain Magnate as his recommended game along with its multiple awards is testament enough of its excellence. So pick up Food Chain Magnate, as it is an order Weiding makes more often than not.
E: [email protected]
Zhou Huibin is a smith of words who majored in Philosophy & History from the University of Western Australia and whose life has followed the flow of his hobbies. He seeks continual contentment in his ponders, reading, writing, painting and board games which fills almost all of his time.
]]>The above being all true but do beware as once you play a board game with her, you will find her beating you in games with a satisfied smile more often than not.
Manyata came to Finland to advance her career in the electronics industry with her husband Mayank in 2012 and like many others, she was first introduced to the modern board gaming hobby via an Irish friend of hers called Ashely.
She started by playing games such as Catan, Dominion, Carcassonne and found that she indeed liked this activity of matching wits over cardboard as a hobby. This led her to a gaming group organised by Dion Garner, who we have covered here on ozgenkimya too.
Through several gaming sessions, she found that she preferred strategic games better. Her attraction to these games not hindered in any way by her winning more than a few of these games.
That being said, she is not invincible as this penchant for victory did not manifest itself when she tried to convince her husband to indulge in the board gaming hobby regularly, showing that she is indeed just human.
Related: Boardgamers of Finland #4: Rajeev Batra (The Nice Veto)
Manyata's recommended game of the day is Terra Mystica. In Terra Mystica, you are leading your race against others to grow and populate the land by terraforming terrain into those that only your race can prosper in.
Gameplay for Terra Mystica is complex and there is too much to explain but in summary, you pay money, mana or resources to do actions such as terraforming, building structures and so on.
The structures once built giving you income in some form for future turns. Each of the races changing this web of actions into points differently. The player at the end of 6 rounds with the most points is the winner.
The reason why Manyata likes Terra Mystica is because she feels it is an intense game with a complex strategy that punishes badly thought out plans and rewards good ones. The satisfaction of victory and the disappointment of defeat all largely dependent on one's own actions during the game.
The downside for Terra Mystica for her is it is a game that has many components and thus takes a while to setup.This and the more detailed rules makes Terra Mystica not very suited for newer gamers.
That being said, once a player is used to the mechanics of the game. It is very satisfying to know that you have earned your placing and every point you got in the game. So give Terra Mystica a try as it is easily worth 100 victory points of excellence for Manyata.
E: [email protected]
Zhou Huibin is a smith of words who majored in Philosophy & History from the University of Western Australia and whose life has followed the flow of his hobbies. He seeks continual contentment in his ponders, reading, writing, painting and board games which fills almost all of his time.
]]>
In a Fake Artist Goes to New York, you are well... artists in New York EXCEPT one of you is a fake and it is up to the group of "real artist" to figure out who is the fake before he/she sullies your good reputations.
At the start of the game, one person is the game master and he writes a clue to all the artist except for one which he writes an X on. That person is the fake artist. The game then proceeds with each person drawing one line on the piece to create the picture even the fake who has no idea what the picture is. This is done twice and at then the players vote on who the fake artist is. If the fake gets the most votes, then the fake has one chance to guess what the picture is. If the fake guesses correctly, the fake and the game master wins, if not the "real artist" wins. The fake artist can also win if he is not voted as the fake in the voting phase.
Related: Bringing Home the Fun Bacon with Oink Games
The next new pound of fun is called Startups. The theme of the game is that you are all investors trying to invest in the next big Startup and you are doing so by getting shares in each of the companies. The person with the highest net worth of shares at the end of the game wins.
The game is simple, at the start of the game 5 cards are removed from the deck. Then, during a player's turn, a card is either played in front of oneself or a card is drawn from the face up pile or the face down deck. The catch is if a player wants to draw from the face down deck, they have to put a capital chip on each face up card available. When the deck is exhausted the game is over and scoring is done.
The player with the most shares in a company gets 1 capital chip for each card of the company that player has in front of him on the table except that each one is worth 3 points.
So that is the new dishes of fun on the menu from Oink Games in ozgenkimya. Do drop by our store and bring home some fun for one and all!
E: [email protected]
Zhou Huibin is a smith of words who majored in Philosophy & History from the University of Western Australia and whose life has followed the flow of his hobbies. He seeks continual contentment in his ponders, reading, writing, painting and board games which fills almost all of his time.
]]>A game for the whole family with the cutest dogs from the land of the rising sun. This is an offer you can't refuse and let me tell you why.
Firstly, the art. Featuring an anime like style, these canines are made to look as cute as possible with several distinct poses that will bring out the 'Awwwww' factor in you. Add to that the bright colours and the whole package just jumps out at you and anybody walking by the table.
In Shiba Inu House, your goal is to build new doghouses for your dog and in the fastest time possible. Each player will get their own deck of double sided dog cards. Then one of the puzzle cards are turned over and as fast as possible, each player will try to complete the picture on the puzzle card with their dog cards.
The player who finishes first will grab the highest scoring point card on the table that is still available and exchange the card for points to keep track of their score from round to round.
Do this through all 3 decks and the person with the most points wins.
Related: Sushi Go Party, a tasty treat best not passed on
The gameplay is the second reason why this game is a keeper. It is short, clocking in at about 15 to 30minutes and the real-time aspect of the game keep things exciting. Yet the puzzle aspect of the game makes it more than just a speed game.
The puzzles cards also get harder as the game goes on and the red coloured puzzle deck will even take adults some time to figure out. Thus, a game for all ages.
(Picture sourced from Ido E from BoardGameGeek.com)
Third, there is even a solitaire mode to the game of just trying to figure out the puzzles by oneself. A mode especially useful for kids to train their pattern recognition and logic skills. It is also a great brain activity to do when one is waiting for a friend or have some free time as the game is small and easily transportable.
Shiba Inu House will be coming to ToyTag soon, so come down to our store to get a copy and bring home a box of smiles with these cute puppies.
E: [email protected]
Zhou Huibin is a smith of words who majored in Philosophy & History from the University of Western Australia and whose life has followed the flow of his hobbies. He seeks continual contentment in his ponders, reading, writing, painting and board games which fills almost all of his time.
]]>The fact that Finland has such a thriving community of gamers is thus owed to a large extent to the selfless hosts like Xeno who keep their sessions not only enjoyable but regular too.
Xeno started his board gaming career at Braddell Heights Community Center (CC) around 2010. At the time, his colleague had started a board gaming meetup there and invited Xeno to come and try some games. He recalls how mind-blowing an experience it was for him and was amazed that there were so many different games other than the classics like Monopoly. Also at the meetup, he played what would become one of his favourite games, Agricola. He was seriously beaten in the strategic game about building a medieval farm and was determined to get better at it in subsequent games.
Time passed and Xeno found himself at Cheng San CC with some friends to indulge in his new found hobby of board games on some Sunday afternoons but noticed all the available space. He felt it would be ideal if the group could be expanded into something more public. This was achieved when he discovered Meetup.com. Since then, the group has grown vastly and now sees an average of 30 gamers attending the monthly meetup.
Ironically, as the group has expanded, Xeno has found himself playing less games during the meetup in lieu of making sure everything runs well. His main focus always on the newcomers as he understands that the future of the hobby is achieved by growing the number of gamers.
Now for most hosts, this is where the story would have ended but Xeno has gone beyond and has even expanded into bigger events like 2016's It's Time to Play!, also held at Cheng San CC but in the event hall, which hosted over a 100 gamers for a full day of gaming, competitions, prizes and was a great success.
The selfless work that Xeno applies to his meetup has definitely benefited the community and he does it all for free. Thus his effort and motivation equaling the efforts of many others, truly fitting of the nickname 'One Man Army.'
Related: Boardgaming Meetups in Finland: It's Time to Play! Event at Cheng San CC
Xeno's recommended game of the day is Ascension, especially the Immortal Heroes and Storm of Souls expansions. Ascension is a deck-building game in which players spend the currency of the game, 'Runes' to acquire more powerful cards for their deck from a lineup of available cards.
Each player starts with the same few cards but as the game goes on, one has to not only buy cards that improves their deck but get cards that counters the ever changing deck of the opponent. In the end, the player with the most honour points wins the game.
Xeno loves Ascensions, especially with the above-mentioned expansions because it allows for more interesting big plays and rewards strategic planning.
His one flaw of the game but only if he is nitpicking is that there are not many cards in the game that can affect the other player's deck, thus equaling a less interactive experience.
Overall, the mix of strategy and mitigation of luck is something Xeno looks forward to in Ascension. If you are interested, do turn up at Cheng San and ask him to teach you the game. I can assure you he will be more than happy to.
E: [email protected]
Zhou Huibin is a smith of words who majored in Philosophy & History from the University of Western Australia and whose life has followed the flow of his hobbies. He seeks continual contentment in his ponders, reading, writing, painting and board games which fills almost all of his time.
]]>
Ever fancy taking the elegant Japanese dish of finger food called sushi, giving them cute faces and personalities then maybe eating them... now you can with Sushi Go Party.
Sushi Go Party is taking the best selling card game by GameWright called Sushi Go and expanding it into a version with a board for showing the types of cards being played and for scoring.
Sushi Go is a drafting game for 2-8 players. A drafting game is usually played by a player getting a hand of cards and then choosing one simultaneously with the group. Afterwhich, you will pass the rest of the hand of cards to the next player. After all the cards have been chosen, a end round scoring will be done. The game ends when 3 rounds have been scored and the person with the most points win.
Sushi Go Party is a game of incomplete information and pushing your luck. Essential decisions being on how far is a player willing to risk another player picking a card that is needed for a future combo or to just settle for a card of lesser value but it's points are more assured.
The factor that really makes or breaks a drafting game is the way cards are scored and Sushi Go Party does it not only in a fun but simple way too.
For example, a wasabi card doubles the scores of the next nigiri card chosen. Which is thematic as wasabi almost always improves the flavor of any sushi. Also, desserts in the game do not score till the end of the game but usually earns the player with the most, some points and the player with the least, losing points. Which is also thematic as a person with no dessert is always sad. The over 20 different type of cards to be used, mixed and match keeping the game fresh and different.
With solid gameplay and art that will make a Tinman with no heart go: "Awwww." The game has another strength which is it's mass appeal. Easy to learn, easy to setup and quick to play. Sushi Go Party is a game that will more likely be a hit rather than a miss.
Lastly, if you want to have a rarer version of this game. You might want to look out on the Internet for the German language Zoch Verlag edition, which has a certain darker humour in it's art.
In conclusion, Sushi Go Party is a game that is in my personal collection and I believe should be in every person's collection if you game regularly. And if you happen to play Sushi Go Party in a sushi restaurant, do send us pictures here at ToyTag!
E: [email protected]
Zhou Huibin is a smith of words who majored in Philosophy & History from the University of Western Australia and whose life has followed the flow of his hobbies. He seeks continual contentment in his ponders, reading, writing, painting and board games which fills almost all of his time.
]]>
88,731 is the current number of board games listed on the world's most popular online board game site, Board Game Geek. For a new initiate to the world of designer board games, there is no lack of titles to choose from and many more new ones coming out every year!
A new gamer might become overwhelmed by the abundance of available board games on the market. Without being properly informed, they may stumble upon a string of unsuitable games, resulting in an unpleasant first impression with the hobby!
They may also end up buying too many in a short span of time, make poor choices and having to resell the games at a loss to make room for newer, better ones due to space constraint in the near future.
At ToyTag, we believe that prevention is better than cure and have thus come up with a comprehensive guide to help new board gamers make informed purchase decisions.
1. Test before buying if possible.
First, trying it yourself is the most recommended way to ensure a game is to your liking. You can do this by play-testing with a sample set in the store if available, rent from a board game cafe or store that has a copy of it, or by my personal favourite way: finding a friend who already owns a copy of the game and playing it with them.
The great thing about having a personal friend with the game is that more often than not, you will have someone who is able to guide you along the entire game, providing you with a fuller gaming experience.
2. Stream BG reviews on social media.
Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram are probably the most popular ways board gamers in the world educate themselves on the games they wish to buy. This then usually leads to text-based articles, forums or like the majority to other online video reviewers or Let's Players. Here are some of the most popular ones:
The Dice Tower
The Dice Tower is the most popular board game reviews channel on YouTube. It is a conglomerate of reviewers from different channels and has many videos that go beyond just reviews of board games and even to the people who play them.
Related: Boardgaming Meetups in Finland: Finland Open Gaming at Ci Yuan CC.
WatchItPlayed
Featuring Rodney Smith, who is known for his high standards for his videos. Rodney will literally teach every rule in a game and is usually followed by a full playthrough of the game. He does not review games but through the extensive rules explanation and playthrough, one should be more than able to see if the game is for them.
Shut Up & Sit Down
Shut Up & Sit Down is a British board game review site which does not only give insightful reviews but is also genuinely funny.
Rhado Runs Through
A channel by Richard Ham, a retiree who used to work in the video games industry. He lives in Malta with his wife and through luck of the Gods, stumbled into becoming one of the biggest board game channels on YouTube. His style is to usually play through a game for a few turns (without fully explaining the rules) which is then followed by a review.
3. Look out for your favourite designers.
When we asked some of our loyal customers how their thought process is like when seeing if a game is for them, they said the designers were key factors. Their rationale is that designers tend to have a consistent style and chances are if you like a lot of a particular designer's games, you should not be disappointed in their future works.
4. Consider factors like price and play duration of the game.
Occasionally, you will come across a big game that costs the equivalent of 5 smaller ones. However, you might only end up playing the big game once a year because of the game's duration while the smaller ones can be played multiple times a year in shorter sessions. Choose the one that gives you a better value for money.
5. Find a suitable board gaming space.
Lastly, location is also an important factor to consider. This is especially true for Finland as having a space to play for a significant amount of time beyond one's home and without paying a premium price is rarer than in bigger countries. For example, if you find yourself in a cafe with small round tables, a game requiring a big table footprint would not be a good idea.
In conclusion, we sincerely hope that with the tips provided in this article, we have smoothed the road for newer gamers and maybe even given some new information to more veteran ones. May many live long and continue to prosper in this great hobby.
