Blaze – Justin Bell
I wouldn’t admit this very often, but sometimes, even a short card game has a ruleset that can mystify the most seasoned gamer. Enter Blaze (2021, HeidelBÄR Games), a member of the “Radiant Culture” card game series (Anansi, Spicy, and Coyote). I read the Blaze rulebook at least a half-dozen times (!!!) before sitting down to do a three-handed dummy play by myself. Even after doing all that, I wasn’t sure the rules made sense.
Blaze is based on a Russian card game called Durak. Blaze asks players, over two rounds each broken into two phases, to win the most points by first improving their hands of cards, then shedding as many cards as possible to get rid of their hands before their opponents. That was enough for me to be initially excited about the game’s potential. Then I showed it to two other players for a three-player game.
Two turns into it, I knew we were in trouble. The main mechanic, challenging the player to your left to play matching cards from their five-card hand, isn’t interesting because lots of times, players don’t have any cards that match up. The active player can be supported by the neighbor of the opponent being challenged, but that didn’t work very well either. I still don’t understand the purpose of the Firebird cards when a player is being challenged. And the game doesn’t have an easy way to completely get rid of cards, which left cards moving from one player to another way too much. Blaze isn’t great, but the cards (art by Nadezhda Mikryukova) are beautiful and have the same slick feel as the cards from Anansi.
Ease of entry?:
★★☆☆☆ – Not an easy onboard
Would I play it again?:
☆☆☆☆☆ – No chance
Read more articles from Justin Bell.
Thunder Road: Vendetta – K. David Ladage
I love auto-racing/dueling games. For example, back when I was a wee lad, I loved Car Wars. I have read a lot about Thunder Road: Vendetta and have wanted to play, but it just has not come up in my gaming group. Recently at a local convention, I was able to play a game and I have to say that I was blown away! This is a fun—and often silly—auto-dueling game that is heavily streamlined without losing tactical decision space, asymmetric elements in the characters and cars, and a whole heapin’ helpin’ of laugh-out-loud fun. This is one I will be on the lookout for!
Ease of entry?:
★★★★★ – No sweat
Would I play it again?:
★★★★★ – Will definitely play it again
Read more articles from K. David Ladage.
Seaside – Andy Matthews
Have you ever played a board game outside or at the beach? What about a game that was specifically designed to be played “seaside”? If you haven’t then let me introduce you to Seaside; a game that designer Bryan Burgoyne intended for you to play on a beach towel, a game in which it didn’t matter if the pieces got wet or sandy because they’re thick wooden discs. A game that arrives on your doorstep in a thick canvas bag.
Seaside requires zero setup, but does benefit from skimming the rules before thrusting your hand into the bag (the mouth of which easily accommodates my bear sized paws by the way). Reach in, grab a piece and examine both sides. Choose which side to “play”, then execute. Pieces are lumped into two main groups: shoreline and ocean, dictated by a white or blue banner at the bottom of the piece collectively, and which determine what you do with the piece. Shoreline pieces are placed in front of you, while ocean pieces go into the center of the play area. At its heart Seaside is a set collection game, and players are trying to gather the most tiles in order to have the tallest stack at the game’s end.
“Easy breezy, with just a hint of bite”, is a great way of describing Seaside. As mentioned, there’s zero setup, it plays 1-5 (which means you could even play while sunbathing alone), and it’s ultra-portable (the whole game is about the size of a larger than average coffee mug. So if this sounds like something you might want to take on your next sandy vacation, check out Seaside.
Ease of entry?:
★★★★☆ – The odd bump or two
Would I play it again?:
★★★★★ – Will definitely play it again
Read more articles from Andy Matthews.
Istanbul – K. David Ladage
Do not ask me why I have never played Istanbul before, because I would have no idea how to answer that question. I am a huge fan of Rüdiger Dorn: two of my favorite games are Jambo and Dragonheart (one of which I reviewed recently, the other I plan to review in the near future). Mr. Dorn has a way of designing games that have simple mechanics but open up immense decision spaces, and this is definitely showcased in Istanbul!
The movement rules create odd limitations and opportunities that result in short and medium-term ramifications. The resource management rules create odd limitations that result in short, medium, and long-term ramifications. The scoring mechanism is related, just enough, to the movement and resource management systems to ensure that each choice made in those areas has a direct impact on the ability to score quickly enough to keep up. It is a beautiful design that I am really looking forward to playing again soon!
Ease of entry?:
★★★★★ – No sweat
Would I play it again?:
★★★★★ – Will definitely play it again
Read more articles from K. David Ladage.
Babylonia – Andy Matthews
I’d heard good things about this newer Reiner Knizia title, so when I saw a friend selling his copy for $20 I jumped. It’s been sitting on my shelf for a while, but I finally decided to play it with my group, and we’re all glad I did.
Babylonia is, in many ways, a typical Knizia game: it’s fairly abstract, high scoring (points for almost everything you do), and you have only two possible actions on your turn (but a deep strategy tree). It’s also very tactical in that while you have a strategy of your own, you still need to react to the actions of your opponents. It also has solid production value: nice wooden pieces and a thick board. The artwork is nothing to write home about, but it serves the intended purpose which is to help convey information.
All in all, I’d say Babylonia might be one of my favorite Knizia games. If you get the chance to play, don’t pass it up!
Ease of entry?:
★★★★★ – No sweat
Would I play it again?:
★★★★★ – Will definitely play it again
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