Trickerion: Dahlgaard’s Academy – David McMillan
The problem with board game expansions is that if you only ever play with new players, it can sometimes take literal ages to get the expansions played. It’s taken me three years to finally get Dahlgaard’s Academy to the table, but I’m glad I finally did.
Dahlgaard’s Academy doesn’t change up the basic formula of the Trickerion base game. You’re still a turn-of-the-century magician trying to put on the most thrilling spectacle in order to gain more fame and prestige than your opponents. But now, ready to raise up the next generation of illusionists, you’ve opened an academy to teach them everything you know.
This expansion is a little rules heavy and there are quite a few new mechanics that it brings to the table, so that had us going back to the rule book several times during our first few interactions with it. However, after a couple of rounds, we were able to internalize it and things moved along pretty smoothly thereafter. I definitely didn’t utilize the Academy as much as I probably should have and that cost me the victory in the end.
I’m not going to lie and say that this expansion is super easy to incorporate because it isn’t. And that mainly comes down to table space. Trickerion already takes up a lot of room on its own and Dahlgaard’s Academy only exacerbates that. But if you’ve got the table space, then I highly recommend playing with it. Unless I’m sitting at a table where space is at a premium, I know I will.
Ease of entry?:
★★★☆☆ – There were a few questions
Would I play it again?:
★★★★★ – Will definitely play it again
Read more articles from David McMillan.
Endless Winter: Paleoamericans – Bob Pazehoski, Jr.
It would be an understatement to say Endless Winter: Paleoamericans was a hit in 2022. I sat down with my daughter for a two-player introduction after only a cursory read through the rulebook. I mention my green entry because I was impressed just how quickly we caught on to the game’s progression. One turn each and we understood the process. Two or three turns and we had most of the iconography. But it took two or three of the game’s four rounds before we realized the potential hidden in this fascinating little mishmash of mechanisms. There are points everywhere! By the final round we were old pros and popping off countless combos with each worker.
With an action progression, an area-majority battle, some sacred stones, multiple tracks to monitor, a megalith field, and a market of multiple card types to bolster the semi-deck-building that’s bolstering the worker placement, I’d be stating the obvious to say there’s more than a little going on. But I must say the whole convoluted machine settles down and purrs as the game rolls forward. I wonder if it isn’t a little too footloose and fancy free, but I’m curious enough to keep exploring.
Read our review of Endless Winter: Paleoamericans.
Ease of entry?:
★★★★☆ – The odd bump or two
Would I play it again?:
★★★★★ – Will definitely play it again
Read more articles from Bob Pazehoski, Jr.
The Mirroring of Mary King – Andrew Lynch
Boy it’s good. A two-player game from the designer of Cosmic Frog, themed around the ghostly possession of a young woman, The Mirroring of Mary King grows on you over the course of a play or two. There’s a little bit of area control. There’s a little bit of card milling. There’s a little bit of planning, and a lot of opportunism. This feels like a game I could play 100 times, and the tension would only increase with familiarity. I played it in the same sitting as a card driven wargame, and it was a fascinating point of comparison that I will write more about in my full review. The Mirroring of Mary King: It’s good.
Ease of entry?:
★★★★☆ – The odd bump or two
Would I play it again?:
★★★★★ – Will definitely play it again
Read more articles from Andrew Lynch.
Takenoko – Tom Franklin
I bought Takenoko based entirely on my friend and colleague Bob Pazehoski’s review of the game here on Meeple Mountain. I’m happy to report that the game lived up to Bob’s hype.
Takenoko is a light-weight game about a gardener who is trying to grow bamboo for a hungry panda who is intent on eating as much of the tasty plant as he can. The rules are simple enough that a kid can pick up on the game quickly, but there’s enough game there to keep the adults engaged. Scoring is done by fulfilling the requirements on three types of scoring cards, and due to the randomness of these cards and what’s happening on the board, everyone has a chance at winning.
Ease of entry?:
★★★★★ – No sweat
Would I play it again?:
★★★★★ – Will definitely play it again
Read more articles from Tom Franklin.
Akropolis – Andy Matthews
Akropolis came highly recommended: a relatively lightweight tile-laying game with interesting scoring and great components? You have my attention. But I didn’t have a copy, and no one I knew had a copy…until last week. A friend pulled Akropolis out of his game bag and I immediately said “set it up”!
And let me tell you that I’m glad I did. Akropolis is absolutely delightful. With a mix of interesting mechanics and scoring, it’s the perfect family game. I particularly enjoyed the variations in scoring for each type of plaza. Even though I KNEW what they were I still found myself messing up the set up for purple at the end of my game…you simply can’t do everything. And I love games like that because while it’s frustrating when it’s happening, there’s satisfaction in knowing you did the best you could with what you have.
If you have a chance to play Akropolis, or to pick it up for yourself, don’t skip out. Grab it and have fun with your group!
Ease of entry?:
★★★★★ – No sweat
Would I play it again?:
★★★★★ – Will definitely play it again
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