Tag Archives: board game

Board Games and TCGs

Altered TCG: The Card Game Attempting to Redefine the Hobby

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The Altered TCG Kickstarter just launched, and it was fully funded in the first couple of hours. The initial $54,000 goal has since been blown out of the water, and the project sits at a comfortable $1,425,675 at the time of writing this. I am sure this number is going to keep rising because there seems to be a healthy amount of buzz and interest for this game, and I can see why. 

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

What is Altered?

Altered is a unique TCG where players win by completing their adventure first. Unlike most TCGs, there is no combat. Players must instead use their deck to traverse the unique world of Asgartha with the help of their faction, tools, and allies. Do you have what it takes to conquer this new land?

This game looks like a nice combination of board games and TCG, which I am sure will bring in a new audience to the hobby. The artwork is amazing, the concept is interesting, and the creator has experience in the field. I love that they have print and play option so that you can try the game out before you back. Having the companion app is an interesting concept, but I have to see it in action before I can make my judgment. It isn’t the first game that has tried something like this, but I hope it is the first one to succeed. 

How to Play

I’ll leave a download for the the rulebook, but Maindeck has put out a fantastic video where you can see it in action that you should check out.

Altered_RulebookDownload

Thoughts

I was first drawn to Altered because of the art. I am a huge fan of the style, the factions, and the world it creates. I haven’t had a chance to dive too deeply into the gameplay, but it seems like a solid fusion between board games and TCG, and I am willing to try. I am always fascinated by games that try to redefine the hobby, and this seems to have its strong start.

What I love most about the game is that they have a print-and-play option so that you can try before backing. Nothing is worse than dropping money on something you end up not liking. There is also a growing Discord you should join if you have any questions or reservations. If you are looking for a new TCG that is unique, you might want to go back the Altered Kickstarter.

Kickstarter

The Kickstarter launches with six starter decks, a booster box, sleeves, special foils, and other themed accessories. The stretch goals have almost all been unlocked, and there are a lot of goodies. There is always risk when backing a Kickstarter, but this is from the designer who has brought us Dice Forge and Seasons, which inspires a bit more confidence.

Backing Level

  • Discovery Pack ($26)
    • Your Choice of 2 Starter Decks
  • Expert Pack ($162)
    • Your Choice of 2 Starter Decks
    • 1 Booster Box
    • Stretch Goals
  • Master Pack ($540)
    • Your Choice of 2 Starter Decks
    • 4 Booster Boxes
    • Stretch Goals
  • Devine Pack ($5,394)
    • All 6 decks
    • 42 Booster Boxes
    • Stretch Goals

Alt Cards

Board Games and TCGs, video game reviews

Onitama: A Cute and Simple Strategy Boardgame for your Table

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I was sent Onitama for free to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I will not let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review. If you enjoy my reviews, please leave a like, comment, follow, or share this with your friends. You can also always buy me coffee.

Onitama is a two-player strategy board game where players face off against each other as masters of a dojo. There are two ways to win in Onitama: 

  1. Capture your opponent’s master
  2. Moving your master into your opponent’s shrine. 

The game offers a simple setup, easy-to-learn gameplay, and an interesting loop if you enjoy chess.

Quality

The map, while beautifully printed, feels like a cheap playmat. My copy looked like the printing was already pealing, which has me doubt its longevity. You’ll get your money’s worth out of this mat, but don’t expect it to be part of the inheritance.

The game pieces are made from nice sturdy plastic. The pawn designs are cute and simple, but they do have visible injection points. You can probably sand them down, but it’s not a huge issue. The cards are big and easy to read and made on nice card stock. Mine came bent, but it made them easier to pick up.

Overall, the game comes in a decent quality. Sturdy enough to get your money’s worth, and unique enough to stand out against your collection.

How to Play

This game is the quickest game you can set up at your table, and one of the easiest to learn. Each player picks a color, sets up their meeples, and gets two cards. The game plays like chess, except game pieces move based on the cards each player has available. The cards rotate each turn, turning Onitama into a unique strategy experience. Watch It Played has a great tutorial on YouTube:

Gameplay

Matches of Onitama take about 10 minutes, which makes it ideal for people who want to play a strategy game but not spend hours on setup and gameplay. I enjoyed the spontaneity of each turn, and the limitations of the small board space make for a unique strategy experience. Onitama is a cute and light strategy game, but it isn’t for everyone. You don’t want to pull this for anyone who doesn’t like strategy or chess. Even though my wife understood how to play the game, she had a terrible time. 

Conclusion

If you like strategy games but don’t want to commit to something bigger, Onitama is an excellent choice. It is a nice quality board game with a creative design and gameplay loop. Most importantly, it is a game you can pull out without investing too much time on teaching, setup, or game time.

I enjoyed it for the novelty and casual experience it offered, but it isn’t something I could pull regularly because people I know don’t like strategy games. The strategy involved isn’t intense, but the game feels enough like a strategy game to turn off the more casual players.

Pick up Onitama at your LGS, or order it off Amazon for $29.99.

Board Games and TCGs, video game reviews

Age of Wonders: Planetfall the Board Game is so much fun

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

Age of Wonders: Planetfall is the best way to get into the resource management genre. The game has cool art, fantastic flavor, and it is easy to pick up. Explore the remains of the Star Unions as you seek dominance over the other factions. Challenge your friends in what will be a memorable game of exploration and conquest.

Players choose from one of the six factions and begin their journey through the different planets. Each planet has new adventures and challenges, but what you gain from them will determine your place in the universe. The game is pretty easy to learn. I recommend you check out the tutorial by Rahdo on YouTube to get started.

How to Play

The Sample Size

I am the only person in my family who plays board games, but I have been slowly convincing people to play with me. My wife doesn’t like anything more complicated than Uno and refused to play Planetfall when she saw all the pieces laid out. My sister is a bit more tolerant. She agreed to play but wasn’t as enthusiastic as me and her boyfriend, even though she ended up winning. Her boyfriend is always ready to play board games. 

The Game

This box is going to look great on any shelf. Fans of the video game will appreciate the art a lot more. I don’t usually keep my boxes because I don’t have space for them, but I’m willing to make an exception. The board and design are cool and easy to read. The cards and their flavor are fantastic. Even if you haven’t played the video game, you’ll appreciate how cool the art is. The pips are wood, which I prefer to plastic.

Impressions

Age of Wonders: Planetfall is a fantastic introduction to the resource management genre. It has enough moving parts to keep things interesting without becoming overwhelming. The setup was fast and easy, and we started almost instantly. I like to explain the rules as we play, but it didn’t take long for everyone to get settled and work towards strategies. 

One of the biggest mistakes I made during my session was ignoring the flavor. It wasn’t until I explained to the table that we were landing on planets and taking over different objectives that they started to get into it. I was amazed at how quickly the conversation turned from being focused on the points to being focused on fighting a certain unit or discovering this landmark because that’s what their commander would do. 

My sister ended up winning, and we were left wanting a rematch. She says she wasn’t trying, but I think deep down she knew what she was doing. We loved the game for its change of pace, ease of play, and flavor. It is going to be a hard sell for people who don’t like board games, but everyone, it makes for a nice change of pace from Monopoly. For my table, Age of Wonders: Planetfall is as complicated as we’ll get, and I don’t mind it. The gameplay offers enough room for strategy, but with options to keep it casual to fit our current level of experience. I’ll continue working on bringing more complicated games to our sessions. 

If you looking for a new sci-fi game, resource management game, or simply love the video game, I recommend you go pick up Age of Wonders: Planetfall. You can pick up your copy from the official Arcane Wonders store for $44.99, or cheaper at Miniature Market ($31.99)

Board Games and TCGs, video game reviews

GAP: A Simple and Quick Card Game Staple for Game Night

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

GAP is a quick 2-6 player card game that is easy to learn and teach from our friends over at Arcane Wonders. The goal is to be the first person to get 15/30/70 points by matching the colors on the card. The point goal depends on how of a game you want to play.

The best way to learn the game is through the tutorial video on the official Arcane Wonders’ Youtube.

How To Play

In summary, you have a deck of four colored cards. The goal is to collect the most of a single color. You collect cards based on the numbers on the card you put down. For example if I put down a yellow 9:

You would only pick up the numbers written on the corner, with the biggest taking priority. In this case, you would pick up all the 9s from the middle. If none of these numbers are in the middle, the 9 is added to the pile, and nothing gets added to yours. You repeat this until everyone runs out of cards and tally the scores.

The Game

The game comes in a palm-sized compact box with one multi-color deck. The colors are easily distinguishable, and the shine looks beautiful. The cards do feel a little flimsy and are a little hard to shuffle. While they look nice on the table, I am not confident in their longevity, especially if you play with kids. I recommend using card sleeves.

Sample Size

I am the only one in my family that likes board games. My family agreed to help me with my review but were reluctant. My wife doesn’t like board games, and she’ll check out if it starts to get more complicated than Uno. My sister is a little more accepting, but she also has her limits. Her boyfriend is always down to play anything. 

Impressions

What I loved most about this game is how easy it is to get started. The rules are easy to teach, and the game is easy to understand once you get started. Halfway through our first game, everyone at the table was working on a strategy. By the second game, everyone knew what they were working towards. As simple as this game is, the randomness makes it engaging. My sister had a round where she was consistently working on a stack of blues when one turn forced her to pick up other colors.

Games of GAP only go for about ten minutes, depending on the type of game to play. Ten minutes is perfect, especially if you have people at your table who don’t like board games. Longer games at my table aren’t really an option, so I found this a blessing.

I loved it, and I am happy my family loved it too. If you’re looking for a game to play with your non-gamer buddies, GAP is a fantastic choice. It takes seconds to learn, and it’s fun enough to keep people engaged. GAP goes for $14.99. You can pick GAP up at the official Arcane Wonders’ store or online retailers like Knoble Knight Games.

Board Games and TCGs, gaming news

Take advantage of Modiphius Entertainment’s Black Friday deals

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Let’s keep getting ready for Black Friday by going over some more amazing deals from our friends at Modiphius Entertainment. This will be the perfect time to expand your board game collection, pick up some items you’ve been eyeing, or simply jump into a new system. The sale will go live on Friday the 24th and end on Sunday the 26th. They will also be observing Cyber Monday if you don’t mind digital media. There is too much to cover, so make sure you check the official store for anything I miss.

If you enjoy these updates, make sure you like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends.

Tabletop Role Playing Games

Achtung! Cthulhu Skirmish 70% off corebook and accessories

Dune: Adventures in the Imperium 50% off

Star Trek Adventures 50% off

John Carter of Mars 70% off

Homeworld RPG 70% off

Dishonored RPG 70% off

Infinity RPG 70% off

Fallout RPG 50% off corebook and accessories

Board Games

SPECTRE 70% off

Airfix Battles 70% off

Wargames

Five Leagues From the Borderlands 50% off

Five Parsecs from Home 50% off

Fallout: Wasteland Warfare 50% off

The Elder Scrolls: Call to Arms 40% off

Cyber Monday

For those looking for a new RPG and don’t mind having a library of digital media, Modiphius.net, Modiphius.us, and DriveThruRPG will have RPG bundles for 80%.

Bundles will be available for:

Board Games and TCGs, Pokemon TCG

How the Lille regionals changed the Pokémon TCG meta: The top 5 archetypes

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The Pokémon TCG regionals in Lillie France brought some new faces to the top of the format. It is always cool to see how the meta shifts between each region. Obviously, we see a few familiar contenders, but that’s the nature of the game. I’ll leave affiliate links for those of you who want to buy singles. TCG Player is also a terrific place for sealed products, like the new 151 expansion. If you enjoy these updates, make sure you like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends!

1. Mew Vmax

Mew VMAX was the first deck I ever built, so it will always have a special place in my heart. It is a lot of fun to play, and it’s nice to see it still doing well with all the Charizards out there. Congratulations to Konsta Kallama for taking first place!

Pokémon (13)
4 Mew V CRZ 60
3 Mew VMAX FST 114
4 Genesect V FST 185
1 Meloetta FST 124
1 Eiscue BRS 44

Trainer (40)
1 Judge SVI 176
2 Boss’s Orders PAL 172
4 Power Tablet FST 236
4 Battle VIP Pass FST 225
4 Ultra Ball SVI 196
4 Cram-o-matic FST 229
3 Lost Vacuum CRZ 135
2 Feather Ball ASR 141
2 Escape Rope BST 125
1 Pal Pad SVI 182
3 Forest Seal Stone SIT 156
2 Choice Belt PAL 176
1 Path to the Peak CRE 148
2 Elesa’s Sparkle FST 233
1 Roxanne ASR 150
1 Avery CRE 130
1 Switch Cart ASR 154
1 Trekking Shoes CRZ 145
1 Lost City LOR 161

Energy (7)
4 Fusion Strike Energy FST 244
3 Double Turbo Energy BRS 151

2. Lost Box

Love it or hate it, Lost Box continues to be a strong deck in the meta in its many incarnations. Congratulations to Arthur Trutzschler for taking it to 2nd place!

Pokémon (13)
4 Comfey LOR 79
2 Sableye LOR 70
1 Cramorant LOR 50
1 Radiant Greninja ASR 46
1 Dragonite V PR-SW 154
1 Manaphy BRS 41
1 Raikou V BRS 48
1 Spiritomb PAL 89
1 Ditto MEW 132

Trainer (38)
4 Colress’s Experiment LOR 155
2 Roxanne ASR 150
4 Mirage Gate LOR 163
4 Battle VIP Pass FST 225
4 Cross Switcher FST 230
4 Super Rod PAL 188
3 Switch Cart ASR 154
3 Escape Rope BST 125
2 Nest Ball SVI 181
2 Lost Vacuum CRZ 135
1 Hisuian Heavy Ball ASR 146
1 Canceling Cologne ASR 136
2 Forest Seal Stone SIT 156
1 Beach Court SVI 167
1 Artazon PAL 171

Energy (9)
4 Water Energy 3
3 Psychic Energy 5
2 Lightning Energy 4

3. Chien-Pao Baxcalibur 

Chien-Pao is a solid deck, but one sort of existed in the honorable mention category until Owyn Kamerman took it to top 3!

Pokémon (14)
3 Chien-Pao ex PAL 61
2 Frigibax PAL 57
1 Frigibax PAL 58
2 Baxcalibur PAL 60
2 Bidoof CRZ 111
2 Bibarel BRS 121
1 Radiant Greninja ASR 46
1 Manaphy BRS 41

Trainer (37)
4 Irida ASR 147
1 Iono PAL 185
4 Superior Energy Retrieval PAL 189
4 Cross Switcher FST 230
4 Battle VIP Pass FST 225
Ultra Ball SVI 196
4 Nest Ball SVI 181
3 Rare Candy SVI 191
2 Canceling Cologne ASR 136
2 Super Rod PAL 188
1 Hisuian Heavy Ball ASR 146
4 PokéStop PGO 68

Energy (9)
9 Water Energy 3

4. Lugia VSTAR

Pokémon (19)
3 Lugia V SIT 138
3 Lugia VSTAR SIT 139
4 Archeops SIT 147
3 Snorlax LOR 143
2 Lumineon V BRS 40
1 Mew ex MEW 151
1 Wyrdeer V ASR 134
1 Drapion V LOR 118
1 Luxray PAL 71

Trainer (26)
4 Boss’s Orders PAL 172
3 Professor’s Research SVI 189
3 Iono PAL 185
1 Professor Burnet PR-SW 167
4 Ultra Ball SVI 196
4 Capturing Aroma SIT 153
3 Nest Ball SVI 181
2 Mesagoza SVI 178
2 Collapsed Stadium BRS 137

Energy (15)
4 Double Turbo Energy BRS 151
4 Gift Energy LOR 171
3 Jet Energy PAL 190
2 Therapeutic Energy PAL 193
1 V Guard Energy SIT 169
1 Reversal Energy PAL 192

5. LostTina

Last but not least we have LostTina, which always seems to perform consistently in the format. Congratulations to Alberto Conti for making it to the top 5!

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

Trainer (32)
4 Colress’s Experiment LOR 155
2 Boss’s Orders PAL 172
2 Roxanne ASR 150
2 Iono PAL 185
4 Mirage Gate LOR 163
4 Battle VIP Pass FST 225
4 Nest Ball SVI 181
4 Switch Cart ASR 154
2 Super Rod PAL 188
4 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

Board Games and TCGs, video game reviews

What Lies Beneath is the most fun I’ve ever had with a Choose-your-own adventure book! Go back it on Kickstarter

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I was sent an early copy of What Lies Beneath, and while I am very grateful for the opportunity, this will be my honest review. If you enjoy these reviews, make sure you like, comment, follow, and share them with your friends. 

What Lies Beneath is a choose-your-own-adventure game with unique skill checks and a fun story. The game will be available in an interactive PDF and Printed Book format when the Kickstarter is fully funded. I got to try the interactive PDF, but there shouldn’t be a difference between versions other than the satisfying tactile experience the book provides. 

The PDF is great! Choices are hyperlinked, and navigating through the adventure is easy. Having to look for items in the appendix was a bit of a hassle, but it’s not a deal breaker. It only made me want the book more for the ease of flipping to the back when I picked up a new item. Keep in mind that you do get both versions if you are back at the book level. 

Players start each run by rolling to choose from the available classes: Bard, Berserker, Druid, Rogue, Warrior, and Wizard. You roll two dice and choose between the results. This gives the game a bit of randomness without taking away a player’s choice. Each class has unique stats that affect the many skill checks made throughout the adventure. 

Skill checks are easy to learn and make the game unique and engaging. While a wrong decision will kill you, your fate rests on the result of these skill checks. Some skill checks are simple rolls with modifiers, but others, like the Dex Checks, are a fun little mini-game that makes the adventure very interactive. You can use the alternate rules to make your checks rolls, but I recommend you play the game as written first. 

What I love most about this adventure is how quickly it is to get set up. All you need to get started is to grab your materials, open your book to the first page, and get rolling. The game teaches players new mechanics as they are needed, with clear and easy-to-follow instructions. I can’t stress how easy this game is to pick up, even if you’ve never played a board game. 

I loved every minute of this adventure. It took a couple of tries to make it to a good ending, but it was a very satisfying journey. The skill checks definitely kept the game from growing stale and repetitive. It is inevitable to run into the same encounters on multiple runs, but I never felt it was an issue. If you are a fan of the choose-your-own-adventure genre or simply want to pick up your first, go back What Lies Beneath on Kickstarter. It has a fun adventure, impressive mechanics, and some solid replayability. At the very least grab the free demo!

The Kickstarter is live until November 16th, so make sure you go back to it. You can pick up the print-and-play version for backing at the $6 tier, which is a fantastic deal. For those needing something more tactile, the book is available at the $12 tier. While you’re there, might as well back the whole project. For $50 you get a very nice update to the deck-builder dungeon-crawler, Dungeon Maker Deluxe, and the PNP version of What Lies Beneath. I haven’t played Dungeon Maker Deluxe, but it looks like a ton of fun, especially with a group of people. There are rules for solo play available. Go back the Kickstarter!

Board Games and TCGs, video game reviews

The Pokémon My First Battle Kits are a delightful way to teach kids how to play the TCG

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I got the Pokémon My First Battle kit because I have a young nephew who collects Pokémon, and I thought it would be fun to teach him how to play. I haven’t had the chance to play with him yet, but since I bought both kits, I decided to try it with my wife. She doesn’t know anything about Pokémon and has never played a TCG.

The first thing you should know before getting this kit is that it is meant to teach young kids. It’s not going to have any value other than getting someone started with the Pokémon TCG. It is a very stripped-down version of the game that focuses on teaching the absolute fundamentals of the game. There are no abilities or supporters, and the rules and phases have been simplified to reduce randomness. I only say this because I already see scalpers selling it for twice what it’s worth. 

The set comes with two 17-card-themed mini decks. The cards aren’t standard legal and have the My First Battle logo printed on the back. It comes with two laminated playmats specifically designed for its simplified format. You also get 1 large metallic coin to flip, a sheet of damage counters, six prize cards, and a rulebook to get you started.

The rulebook is clear and easy to follow. I like that it has clear examples with detailed pictures. The playmats feel sturdy and have the actions a player can take per turn printed on them. The setup is incredibly easy. The kit focuses on teaching players the basic phases of the games such as drawing, attacking, evolving, and using item cards. Both players start with a basic Pokémon in the active spot and an energy attached. The rest of the deck is shuffled, and you play the game like normal till one player wins three prize tokens.

Other significant changes include:

  1. Players start with a three-card hand
  2. You can only bench three Pokémon at a time
  3. You don’t lose energy when your active Pokémon is knocked out
  4. You can’t deck out 

My only suggestion for people getting this kit is to grab dice to use as damage counters and coin flips. I have never liked counters, and coin flips make things messy. If you are only getting this for your kids to play with, then the counters should suffice. Just note that it will be messy. 

If you have kids you want to get into the hobby, this is a great product. If you are trying to teach someone older, there are better options. The kits are at a great price point, and have everything you need to get started. I like that the cards aren’t standard legal, and the mats are sturdy because these cards will most definitely get beat up. My cards came a bit warped, but they weren’t meant to be graded anyway. 

I loved this as a tool to teach my wife how to play the game. She has never played a TCG, and only reluctantly agreed to play if the game was easy. With how complicated and luck-based Pokémon can get, I was relieved to have a simplified and streamlined version to get her started. I only needed to explain the rules to her once before she started going through the phases on her own. She had fun and beat me all the times we played. It’ll probably take more convincing to get her to something harder, but I’ll take what I can get.

The kits are $9.99 and come in two flavors: Pikachu v. Bulbasaur or Squirtle v. Charmander. I got them at GameNerdz as a set, but you can pick them up at Best Buy or GameStop while supplies last. I wouldn’t pay more than MSRP for these since you aren’t even getting real cards. With how much Pokémon overprints, I would wait for the restock.  

If you enjoy these reviews, make sure you like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends!

Board Games and TCGs, gaming news

Two unique dungeon-crawlers from Fervent Workshop are hitting Kickstarter on October 16

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Fervent Workshop is launching two unique games in their upcoming Kickstarter that you should look at if you like choose-your-own-adventure books, deck builders, dungeon crawlers, or Dungeons & Dragons. The campaign starts on October 16 and will feature the games What Lies Below and Dungeon Maker Deluxe. This will be a short campaign, so go back early. 

I play a lot of One Deck Dungeon, so when I saw the campaign for What Lies Below, I knew I needed to try it. This is a solo game where players dive through an immersive story-driven experience where danger is real, death is permanent, and your decisions matter. All you need to play this game is a pencil, a character sheet, and some luck. The game features unique skill checks, 14-win conditions, and many ways to die. Do you have what it takes to make it through once?

The game comes in two editions: Print-and-Play and bound printed book. The PNP version of What Lies Below includes an interactive PDF and a printable character sheet to get you started. Those who prefer physical media and have shelf space should opt for the book because you get both versions. Early backers will get an exclusive reusable dry-erase character sheet to use on their adventures. Most importantly, the Kickstarter will have a free sample of the game available for download. Make sure you grab your copy and try it out. If you like D&D and dungeon crawlers, you need to look into What Lies Below. I’ve got an early copy of the game and will post my impressions as soon as I get a few runs in. Stay tuned for that.

The second game making its debut is the dry-erase edition of Dungeon Maker Deluxe, which is an update to the existing Print-and-Play edition. Dungeon Maker Deluxe is a dungeon-crawler deck-builder that supports up to six players, with an option for solo play. Players draft from a deck of monsters and use them to fill the rooms and fortify their dungeons to keep out pesky adventurers. With all the possible combinations of dungeons, characters, abilities, and monsters, you are always guaranteed a unique delving experience. Do you have what it takes to stump your friends?

This game looks like a lot of fun, especially in a large group. I don’t have friends to play with, so I appreciate the solo play option. Dungeon Maker Deluxe combines all my favorite formats in one. If you like games like 7 Wonders or Tapestry, then you need to look into this Kickstarter. This update will include 36 unique cards (versus the 18 in the original), streamlined gameplay, new character art, and the dry-erase sheets.

If you want to see how these games are played, Board Games for One made a great video showcasing both. He gives a clear and easy-to-follow explanation of how to play the games and runs through a few scenarios to provide a solid preview of what to expect. Go check it out, and make sure you follow the Kickstarter. The campaign starts on October 16. 

If you’ve been enjoying these updates, please make sure you like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends!

Board Games and TCGs

Premium Pokémon TCG Classic preorders sell out on the first day

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Pokémon just announced their premium Classic TCG set, and it’s already sold out. This set takes players back to where it all started, to the classic era of Pokémon TCG, and it is beautiful. I mean it better look nice for $400. The set comes with everything a trainer needs including:

3 Preconstructed Decks

Sets will include iconic recreations from the base set including Venasaur, Charizard, and Blastoise, along with 3 specially constructed 60-card decks of corresponding elements. Also included will be brand new cards like Ho-oh ex, Lugia ex, and Suicune ex to shake things up. Unfortunately, aside from the energies, none of the cards will be standard legal which is kind of a bummer, but at least it’s not Magic 30.

High Quality Board and Pieces

The set comes with everything two trainers need to play, but I doubt it will get much play based on the set’s availability and pricing. The game board folds out like a nice chess board and holds all the game pieces. The board acts as a game mat with printed zones and a cloth top for games, but I doubt it will get much use. I wish they would print out cheap paper versions for those of us who would love to share some of this nostalgia with a newer generation of trainers.

Stylish Counters and Metal Orbs

The set includes sets of premium-looking burn, poison, and damage counters. The damage counters are color-coded for ease of use, and the poison counters look nice. What is interesting about this kit is that it doesn’t include dice or a coin, but this interesting roulet system for determining turn order. While the system might be fun the first few times, I prefer using dice. I would have preferred the inclusion of a nice collectible coin.

Deck Boxes and Sleves

With an expensive set of cards, you are going to need a way to protect them. The kit comes with three specially designed deck boxes and sleeves which I have some issues with. I get that they fit the aesthetic and they won’t get much play, but they are kind of boring. The deck boxes are fine, I enjoy the minimalism, but I don’t know how I feel about the sleeves. I guess it’s fine for a product that probably will never get shuffled.

Conclusion

The set sells for $399.99, but good luck finding it at this price after today. The set looks like a premium product and something with this much nostalgia is going to attract scalpers. I wish they released a generic cheap version with a paper mat and cardboard counters for players, but I guess it would make this set a little less special.

You can keep checking the Pokémon Center site for availability or hope it comes to a big retailer or LGS. I’ll keep an eye out, but with something this big, it’s going to be tricky to find it outside of a reseller. And make sure you like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends if you’ve been enjoying these updates.

The Cards Included!