Category Archives: Uncategorized

Matchmaker Agency: A Cute Management Game About Romance

February 20, 2024 josechurape Leave a comment

I was sent Matchmaker Agency for free to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review of the game. If you enjoy my reviews, please leave a like comment, follow, and share this with your friends. You can also always buy me coffee!

What is Matchmaker Agency?

Matchmaker Agency is a management game out now on Steam. In a town defined by its romance, it is your job to facilitate it. Your grandparents used to run the town’s renowned matchmaker agency until their deaths. As the only other person in the family passionate about the business, your grandparents have left the keys to the business to you.

This task won’t be easy. It has been years since the shop was in business, and people have forgotten it is renowned. Build your clientele, run successful ad campaigns, make successful matches, and build your reputation. Can you build your agency to its former glory?

Gameplay

The goal of Matchmaker Agency is to build a successful business. There are logistical challenges that need to overcome like staying on top of your bills, maintaining your client’s satisfaction, building your reputation, and upgrading your place of business. These are decisions players need to make each week. While the main loop of the game is finding successful matches for your clients, staying on top of the business’ logistics keeps the lights on.

To make matches, you’ll need to attract clients. You’ll do this by spending money on advertising, good word of mouth, and buying upgrades for your shop. When you attract a client, you’ll need to interview the client to find out what they want from their match. Once you have enough data and clients, you can set them up on dates. On dates, you’ll be presented with quick time challenges to help create a spark between your clients. If your matches are successful, you can keep building your business until you’re the best in the city.

Thoughts

I enjoyed Matchmaker Agency. It had a cute premise, a relaxing gameplay loop, and a fun art style. I’m not a huge fan of the genre, so I appreciate how casual this entry is. One unavoidable issue players will face is the awkward translation. There is some odd syntax that makes interviews tricky. It isn’t unintelligible, but it is noticeable. After a while, I kind of knew what the game was asking for, but I did fail some interviews because of the translation.

Another issue I had was with the dates. On dates, players are presented with issues and scenarios they have to react to. These choices affect the success of the date, but the timer goes by too quickly. Bundle this with the awkward translations, these challenges are unnecessarily difficult at times. I failed some challenges because I didn’t have enough time to make sense of my choices. It isn’t impossible, and eventually, you’ll know what the game wants, but it is something to consider.

Despite the flaws, the game is fun. Matchmaker Agency is a casual management game with a quirky and fun story. It has a great art style, a fantastic soundtrack, and a relaxing gameplay loop. The translation issues are noticeable, but they aren’t a deal breaker. If you’re looking for a casual wholesome game and don’t mind the translation issues, grab Matchmaker Agency.

You can pick up Matchmaker Agency on Steam for $19.99 (currently on sale for $16.99 for the next 15 hours).

Board Games and TCGs, Uncategorized

Make Time For the Tales of the Loop Alchemy RPG Workshop!

February 16, 2024 josechurape Leave a comment

Free League Publishing, Start Playing Games, and Alchemy RPG have teamed up to host a free workshop for the Tales From the Loop RPG Alchemy module. Join Dan and Vinny this week as they teach players and GMs the ins and outs of the innovative Alchemy VTT and the taste of the award-winning TTRPG, Tales From the Loop.

This workshop is in preparation for Start Playing Games‘ Tales From the Loop play weekend coming shortly after. Players from around the world can join in on a game run by a professional DM. If you end up wanting to play a game of Tales From the Loop and don’t mind paying for a pro to run your sessions, this Lets Play Games is a great resource for your TTRPG needs.

What is Tales From the Loop

Tales From the Loop is a mystery RPG set in the 80s in an alternate timeline. The Soviets have discovered anti-gravity, and this discovery has fast-tracked innovation. There are giant robots, floating cars, and other wonders. But this technological race needs its discretion.

Governments form structures known as Loops to keep innovation a secret. But secrecy comes with a price. The sleepy mundane towns that border these Loops begin to experience inexplicable phenomena. While these strange occurrences go unnoticed by the adults, kids in these sleepy towns take it upon themselves to investigate.

Play as kids as you investigate the strange events happening around town. What truths will you and your friends uncover as you go on an adventure you’re sure to never forget?

What is Alchemy

Alchemy is a VTT that aims to enhance the theater of the mind. While you can use it to upload your own content, Alchemy VTT offers an extensive library of modules packed with animated scenes, overlays, music, and sound effects to elevate your experience. Alchemy VTT is easy to learn, use, and teach. It has accessibility features to accommodate a variety of technology, and some trigger warning features to ensure everyone is comfortable in a campaign.

I love that voice chat is integrated into the client. It’s nice to have everything in one spot. With the video chat coming soon to the platform, it’s going to be hard not to pass up on using Alchemy. There are also incoming streamer features that I am sure some of you will be excited about.

I’ve seen two modules so far, and I am impressed. Modules comes with everything a GM needs to run a game, including some catered extras to elevate the game. The art, the music, the overlays all look so good without being a distraction. If you play narrative-heavy games, this is a fantastic choice. You can have everything you need to roll and hand out, but you also have the option to include grid combat if the mood strikes. The more I play with Alchemy, the more impressed I am become with what it can do. If you have time this week to check it out, I recommend you sit in on the workshop. Be prepared to be impressed.

Impressions

This was another fantastic workshop hosted by Vinny and Dan. Vinny and Dan are great presenters who are both friendly and super helpful. The presentation is incredibly detailed and informative, but they will go out of their way to answer all your questions. It’s clear they are passionate about Alchemy, and their passion is infectious. If you’re shopping for a new VTT, you’re going to get a detailed walkthrough of the platform that should help you with your decision. If you’re looking for a new RPG, you’re getting a solid overview that will at least leave you curious. If you’re looking for a narrative-heavy game that you create with your table, this is the game for you.

Make sure you carve out some time and sign up for a work shop, it’s worth it!

Date	Time (Pacific Time – Los Angeles)
2/16/2024	10 AM
2/20/2024	3 PM
2/21/2024	10 AM
2/26/2024	3 PM
2/28/2024	10 AM

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Uncategorized

Vaesen: A Nordic Horror Weekend is here – Sign up today!

January 10, 2024 josechurape Leave a comment

Vaesen is a horror mystery TTRPG where players investigate supernatural phenomena in early 19th-century Scandinavia. I’ve written about the game in a previous post, so make sure you read that if you want to know more.

If you are looking to play Vaesen on a virtual tabletop, I have good news. The official Alchemy RPG module for Vaesen was released today! To celebrate, Alchemy RPG has partnered with StartPlaying Games to host the Vaesen: A Nordic Horror Weekend from January 10-14. Players around the world can come together and experience the chilling world of Vaesen in an epic adventure run by experienced Gamemasters. The sessions range from $10-$25. All Gamemasters on the platform have reviews you can look through before you commit to anything. Spaces are limited, so act fast if you are interested.

This weekend is a great time to pick up Vaesen. Players will have a space to play with others who want to enjoy the same new RPG, experienced DMs to guide them through the ordeal, and access to a unique vtt that you should at least try once. The price might be a deciding factor for some folks, but it might be worth the cost if there are no other options. Who knows? You might end up making lifelong friends.

I got to try Alchemy when the developers ran demos leading up to the event, and I liked it. The platform is easy to learn, the UI is clean, and the game-specific modules add a unique artistic touch to your games. If you don’t want to fuss with looking up images, maps, sounds, and music, these modules have everything you need so you can focus on creating the best story possible. I’ve written about my experience in a previous post, make sure you read that to know more.

If you have some time, want to play a spooky mystery, head on over to StartPlaying games today!

If you enjoy these updates, please leave alike, comment, follow, and share this with your friends.

Pokemon TCG, Uncategorized

The Top 5 Archetypes in the Pokemon TCG Meta Since Portland

January 10, 2024 josechurape Leave a comment

Portland Regionals brought the meta back to its roots. A lot of familiar decks made it to top 8, with the finals being a decisive mirror match between Lost Giratina. There were a couple of odd archetypes to make top 30, but I’ll just be showing top 5. I’ll leave links to the singles for those who need them.

If you enjoy these updates, make sure you leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends. If you need any Pokémon product like the new Paradox Rift set, or if you still need to preorder Paldaen Fates, save a little money and get it over at TCG Player!

1. Lost Giratina

I mean, there is no surprise here. The Lost Box Engine always does great at tournaments, and Lost Giratina is no exception. The deck is a little tricky to play because you need to be efficient when sending cards into the Lost Zone, but the deck has a great draw engine, strong early-game pressure, and Giratina gives the deck its late-game pressure as well. I’ve played a version of this and love it. It’s a little tricky for beginners, but that’s why you practice. Congratulations to Jon Eng for getting first!

Pokémon (14)
4 Comfey LOR 79
3 Giratina V LOR 130
3 Giratina VSTAR LOR 131
1 Sableye LOR 70
1 Cramorant LOR 50
1 Radiant Greninja ASR 46
1 Manaphy BRS 41

Trainer (32)
4 Colress’s Experiment LOR 155
2 Boss’s Orders PAL 172
2 Roxanne ASR 150
4 Mirage Gate LOR 163
4 Battle VIP Pass FST 225
3 Nest Ball SVI 181
2 Pokégear 3.0 SVI 186
2 Super Rod PAL 188
2 Switch Cart ASR 154
2 Switch SVI 194
1 Escape Rope BST 125
1 Counter Catcher PAR
3 Path to the Peak CRE 148

Energy (14)
4 Jet Energy PAL 190
4 Psychic Energy 5
3 Grass Energy 1
3 Water Energy 3

2. Fusion Mew

Fusion Mew was the first meta deck I’ve ever made. I loved it so much that I even made irl, even though I don’t have people to play with. This deck is so much fun to play, and pretty simple to pick up. Genesect is a solid draw engine, mew is a fun attacker, and with things like Power Tablet and Path to the Peak, you have a nice kit to shut down a lot of big threats. Mew is easy to learn, but beginners might have trouble with all the prominent dark Pokémon in the format. Mew VMax makes the deck a high-risk high-reward type deal. Either way, it’s a solid deck. Congratulations to Maddox Corcoran for getting top 3!

3. Gardevoir

Gardevoir is my favorite deck to play. You have a solid draw engine, you have great attackers, and some neat mechanics. With Shinning Arcana Gardevoir leaving the format, she might see a little less play after rotations so I’d hold off investing too much on this, unless you aren’t playing standard. Congratulations to Bodhi Robinson for making top 4.

Pokémon (19)
4 Ralts ASR 60
3 Kirlia SIT 68
1 Kirlia CRE 60
2 Gardevoir ex SVI 86
2 Gardevoir CRE 61
1 Zacian V CEL 16
1 Scream Tail PAR 86
1 Cresselia LOR 74
1 Mew CEL 11
1 Radiant Greninja ASR 46
1 Manaphy BRS 41
1 Jirachi PAR 126

Trainer (29)
4 Iono PAL 185
1 Professor’s Research SVI 189
1 Boss’s Orders PAL 172
1 Worker SIT 167
4 Battle VIP Pass FST 225
4 Level Ball BST 129
3 Ultra Ball SVI 196
2 Rare Candy SVI 191
2 Fog Crystal CRE 140
2 Super Rod PAL 188
2 Counter Catcher PAR
1 Lost Vacuum CRZ 135
1 Artazon PAL 171
1 Collapsed Stadium BRS 137

Energy (12)
10 Psychic Energy 5
2 Reversal Energy PAL 192

4. Miraidon ex

I’ve been playing a lot of Miraidon on the ladder, and it is a lot of fun. This is definitely the most beginner-friendly deck in the format at the moment, but with Flaffy leaving the format, I would wait till the new meta settles. This deck is easy to learn and super quick to set up. Congratulations to Nicholas Moffitt for top 5.

Pokémon (15)
2 Miraidon ex SVI 81
2 Raichu V BRS 45
2 Mareep EVS 54
2 Flaaffy EVS 55
1 Raikou V BRS 48
1 Iron Hands ex PAR 70
1 Tapu Koko ex PAR 68
1 Zapdos PGO 29
1 Spiritomb PAL 89
1 Mew ex MEW 151
1 Squawkabilly ex PAL 169

Trainer (31)
4 Professor’s Research SVI 189
3 Boss’s Orders PAL 172
2 Iono PAL 185
2 Judge SVI 176
4 Electric Generator SVI 170
4 Ultra Ball SVI 196
2 Switch SVI 194
1 Escape Rope BST 125
1 Nest Ball SVI 181
2 Exp. Share SVI 174
2 Forest Seal Stone SIT 156
2 Path to the Peak CRE 148
2 Beach Court SVI 167

Energy (14)
13 Lightning Energy 4
1 Double Turbo Energy BRS 151

5. Arceus

Last but not least we have Arceus. I haven’t played the deck, but it looks like fun. You have a nice draw engine, a few ways to accelerate energies, and some fun attacks. I’m going to have to build this one at some point. Congratulations to Makani Tran for top 6!

Pokémon (19)
4 Arceus V BRS 122
3 Arceus VSTAR BRS 123
2 Bidoof CRZ 111
2 Bibarel BRS 121
1 Regigigas V CRZ 113
1 Regigigas VSTAR CRZ 114
1 Mew ex MEW 151
1 Zacian V CEL 16
1 Radiant Alakazam SIT 59
1 Spiritomb PAL 89
1 Skwovet SVI 151
1 Jirachi PAR 126

Trainer (28)
4 Iono PAL 185
3 Boss’s Orders PAL 172
2 Cheren’s Care BRS 134
1 Judge SVI 176
1 Raihan CRZ 140
4 Nest Ball SVI 181
4 Ultra Ball SVI 196
2 Lost Vacuum CRZ 135
1 Escape Rope BST 125
1 Counter Catcher PAR
1 Choice Belt PAL 176
1 Box of Disaster LOR 154
3 Path to the Peak CRE 148

Energy (13)
7 Psychic Energy 5
4 Double Turbo Energy BRS 151
2 Jet Energy PAL 190

Uncategorized

Returning to Destiny 2 After a Long Break

December 27, 2023 josechurape 2 Comments

It’s been a couple of years since I’ve played Destiny 2. I’ve bought a few of the DLCs over the years when it went on sale as a hopeful gesture to return, but it never panned out. At the moment, I have everything except Nightfall. I’m a little bummed that some of the older DLCs are no longer in the game because I feel like I wasted my money. There are videos on YouTube that summarize them, so I’ll be watching those at some point.

I was sent a copy of The Final Shape DLC to cover when it launches on June 4th. I’ve since booted up Destiny 2 and have begun the grind in preparation.

Booting up Destiny 2 was overwhelming. I was bombarded with welcome messages and ads, and none of it made sense. Most of the times I’ve tried to get back into Destiny, the overwhelming welcome was too much for me, and I would move on. I didn’t know where to go, what to do, or how to catch up.

This time, the Dawning event gave me something tangible to work towards while I figured things out. I want the holiday weapons, and getting them is straightforward. Once I got past the initial shock, earned a few rewards, and lived with the game a bit, I realized it wasn’t so bad. Once you get used to the UI, the game makes it pretty easy to find the content that you want to play.

I tried PVP and Gambit, but I’ve decided to go through the available story. I’ve only played through Destiny 1 and the base game for Destiny 2, so I have a lot of catching up to do. I know people have strong opinions about the story, but I have time to form my own. I’ll probably move on to the rest of the content once I catch up. I’m going to need to if I want to get to the hard cap.

I’ve been enjoying my return to Destiny 2, but I’m trying to take it slow and enjoy myself. When I first quit Destiny, it was because the game started to feel like work. I would log in every day to complete the checklist of tasks I needed to perform to stay relevant in the game. I wasn’t having fun, so I moved on to other games.

Now that I am older, I don’t have the same obsessive drive to get the strongest weapons so that I can do the hardest content. I’ll get there eventually, but for now, I just want to enjoy my time with the game, go through the story, and savor the experience. Whether it is good or bad, you’ll have to wait till I get deeper into the game. For now, it’s good.

If you’re back from a long break, or looking to hop back in, just do it. There is enough free content to give you a good sense of what the game is like, and you can pick up the expansions later if you end up liking it. The trick is to find content that you enjoy playing, and go from there. Eventually you can watch videos to optimize your game play, but for now do some self exploration. As someone who hasn’t played in a while, the game feels like it’s in a good place so far.

If you enjoy these updates, please leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends.

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All the Green cards from Animal Colosseum – Digimon Card Game

December 19, 2023 josechurape Leave a comment

Animal Colosseum releases on January 19, so lets keep moving through the list and appreciate the flavor of this theme set. Green has some cool styles, especially when it comes to the Leomon stuff. My personal favorite is the Elecmon, but it’s hard to overlook all the cute kittys!

If you enjoy these updates, please leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends. If you want to can preorder Animal Colosseum or buy any of the existing sets like Blast ACE, get it over at TCG Player through my affiliate links!. I’ll also be leaving links to the singles where available, but I would hold off till after the set releases and the prices stabilize.

Uncategorized

All the Blue cards from Animal Colosseum – Digimon Card Game

December 19, 2023 josechurape Leave a comment

Animal Colosseum releases on January 19th, so let’s get hyped by looking at the blue cards from the set. Blue has cool Digimon, especially if you like the X Antibody Garurumon line. I am a huge fan of the Gabumon art. I love the color, pose, and flavor.

Uncategorized

Earn Some Holiday Cheer for your Guardian During Destiny 2’s Dawning Event

December 16, 2023 josechurape Leave a comment

The Dawning event has arrived in Destiny 2 and with the new season of the Wish kicking off, now might be the best time to hop on. If you haven’t played in a while, or never played Destiny before, Epic Games is giving away this year’s Legacy Collection until December 20th. The Legacy Collection includes the Shadowkeep, Beyond Light, and The Witch Queen DLCs. Even if you don’t plan on playing it now, you’re saving $60 on content you can try later. If you own any DLC on Steam, they don’t carry over between clients. You’ll have the Legacy Collection in Epic, but not on Steam.

The Dawning Event is completely free. You don’t need any of the DLC to participate, but you might as well pick it up since it is free. You can buy the Dawning Event Card upgrade to unlock additional rewards for 1,000 Silver ($10), but it’s not really worth it unless you really want the cosmetics.

To get started, you talk to Eva at the tower who will give you an oven and the quest to bake a cookie of Zavala. You’ll need to go to your quest menu to find the oven, click on details, and you should have enough ingredients to make a cookie. You’ll have access to more quests after you deliver the cookie to Zavala. You can now start your grind for this year’s holiday rewards. There are a lot of videos out there with ways to farm for the event efficiently, I recommend you find one from your favorite content creator. I like Aztecross’ guide because it’s comprehensive and easy to follow. If you need help with the recipes, Polygon has a fantastic guide that you should keep bookmarked.

Holiday Gear

This is the perfect time to earn some of that sweet exclusive dawning gear.

Like the armor

The Weapon

Sparrows

Ships

Emblem

There is also the cosmetics from the Event card, but I don’t think it’s worth the $10. I’ll be hoping to earn some sweet rewards, I hope to see you there. If you enjoy these updates, please leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends.

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Disney’s Lorcana: Rise of the Floodborn – A Look at the New Amber Cards

November 13, 2023 josechurape Leave a comment

Disney’s Lorcana’s second expansion, Rise of the Floodborn, releases this Friday. Unfortunately, the scalpers are in full force, and the game is looking as expensive as ever. Check with your LGS to see if they have something more reasonable, and never pay scalper prices. You can check TCG Player, but it’s a little expensive at the moment. Unfortunately, the investors are making it difficult for people who want to play the game, but cards will be reprinted, and the market will cool.

I am nowhere near financially stable enough to pick up another card game, let alone Lorcana, but I still enjoy looking at the cards and reading what they do. I absolutely adore looking at the artwork for this game. Join me as we do some hopeful window shopping and look through this set’s new releases starting with the Amber cards. Amber certainly has some cute editions, especially if you are a fan of Snow White.

If you enjoy these updates, leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends!

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Digimon Card Game Gift Box 2023 coming November 17 – Blast Ace

October 31, 2023 josechurape Leave a comment

Holidays are just around the corner which means Digimon TCG is getting a new Gift Box. This year’s Gift Box features the newest set, Blast Ace. The box includes:

4 x Blast Ace Boosters
1/4 Unique Acrylic Sheet with memory gauge and damage counters
1/4 promo cards

MSRP for the Gift box is $19.99, which isn’t a bad deal if you want to add the promos to your collection. My problem with these kits is that you only get one copy of the promos. I’d love it if it came with at least two, but I guess I can’t blame them for trying to move product.

Both the Gift Box and the Blast Ace expansion release on November 17. Make sure you pick yours up at your LGS. If that isn’t an option, I’d hold off getting it off TCG Player because the scalpers are ripping you off. I’d wait till it comes to a big box store like Target, or preorder it off GameNerds ($19.97 + shipping).

Churape's Dungeon and Stuff

Category Archives: Uncategorized

Matchmaker Agency: A Cute Management Game About Romance

What is Matchmaker Agency?

Gameplay

Thoughts

Make Time For the Tales of the Loop Alchemy RPG Workshop!

What is Tales From the Loop

What is Alchemy

Impressions

Vaesen: A Nordic Horror Weekend is here – Sign up today!

The Top 5 Archetypes in the Pokemon TCG Meta Since Portland

1. Lost Giratina

2. Fusion Mew

3. Gardevoir

4. Miraidon ex

5. Arceus

Returning to Destiny 2 After a Long Break

All the Green cards from Animal Colosseum – Digimon Card Game

All the Blue cards from Animal Colosseum – Digimon Card Game

Earn Some Holiday Cheer for your Guardian During Destiny 2’s Dawning Event

Holiday Gear

Like the armor

The Weapon

Sparrows

Ships

Emblem

Disney’s Lorcana: Rise of the Floodborn – A Look at the New Amber Cards

Digimon Card Game Gift Box 2023 coming November 17 – Blast Ace

Gaming News and Review