Dungeon Mayhem!

Brian's Recommendation: HIGH

Style: Competitive
Players: 2-4
Ages: 8+
Appx time: 5-10 minutes
Contents: 112 cards (4 28-card decks), 4 hit point trackers, 4 hit point markers, 16 damage tokens, 4 reference cards, and 1 instruction set.

Publisher: Wizards of the Coast

Do you have the guts to bring home the glory?

Introduction
Dungeon Mayhem is a fast and fun little head-to-head combat between characters of different classic Dungeons & Dragons classes.  Each one brings their own unique talents to the fight!
   * Sutha, a half-orc barbarian
   * Azzan, a human sorcerer
   * Lia, a elven paladin
   * Oriax, a tiefling rogue.

Description
Set up for this game is pretty simple. Each player chooses one of the 4 characters to play and takes the matching character deck, hit point tracker, hit point token, and reference card. Each player shuffles their deck, places it face down, and draws three cards.  Each player places their hit point marker on their hit point tracker at the 10 value.

Play order is in three steps: Draw a card, Play cards, Discard cards.

During the Draw step, the player draws one card.

During the Play step, the player plays a single card. If that card allows addition cards to be played (indicated by the lightning bolt icon), they must play that number of additional cards as well. If the player plays all the cards in their hand on their turn, they immediately draw two more cards and continue playing.


When you play a card, the actions of that card are represented on the card by identifying icons. There are several basic actions that are shared by all characters: block one point of damage (shield), draw one card (card), deal one point of damage (swords), play an extra card (lightning bolt), or heal one point (heart).  Each character also has several icons for unique abilities based on the class type of that character. These unique abilities are listed only on that character's matching reference card.

During the Discard step, the player moves all the cards they played this turn into their discard pile except cards that have a defense ability (indicated by the shield icon). Defense cards stay in play until they are destroyed (or stolen!) and then they are discarded.

For each point of damage done to a player, they move their hit point marker down that number of spaces. When a player's hit points are reduced to 0 or less, they are eliminated from the game. The last remaining player wins!


Bonus!
At the time of this writing, there is an expansion for Dungeon Mayhem!

Battle for Baldur's Gate

This expansion adds 56 cards (2 28-card decks), 2 hit point trackers, 2 hit point markers, 6 additional damage tokens, 1 rules sheet, and two new characters from the iconic Baldur's Gate:
   * Minsc, a human ranger - and his animal companion, Boo
   * Jaheira, a half-elf druid

These two new characters bring a new set of unique abilities to the fray!

Second Bonus!
Wizards of the Coast has released another stand alone game in this line. This game can be mixed and played with the standard Dungeon Mayhem and Baldur's Gate expansion characters, and in fact it is designed to be.  But there's a twist!  The characters introduced here are classic Dungeons & Dragons monsters!

Dungeon Mayhem - Monster Madness

This game comes with 168 cards (6 28-card decks), 6 hit point trackers, 12 hit point tokens, 6 reference cards, 12 damage tokens, 1 rules sheet, 1 token box, and 12 divider cards (allowing for all Dungeon Mayhem decks). Introduced are 6 monster characters with their own unique abilities:
   * Delilah, the beholder
   * Hoots McGoots, the owlbear
   * Mimi LeChaise, the mimic
   * Lord Cinderpuff, the red dragon
   * Blorp, the gelatinous cube
   * Dr. Tentaculous, the mind flayer

In addition to the extra characters and the storage space for all the decks (if the cards are left unsleeved) and tokens, it also comes with rules to expand the game to accommodate up to 6 players.


Wrap-Up
Dungeon Mayhem is an extremely simple to play game. The rules are simple enough for kids, and the icons representing the actions of the cards are easy to learn and remember. It is a quick and fun game to get down and dirty in a brawl with your friends.


Originally posted 4-22-2020

Tsuro - Game of the Path

Brian's Recommendation: HIGH

Style: Competitive
Players: 2-8 
Ages: 8+
Appx time: 15-20 minutes
Contents: 1 game board, 8 dragon marker stones, 35 path tiles, 1 dragon tile, 1 rule book

Publisher: Calliope Games
https://www.calliopegames.com/buy/clp020/tsuro-the-game-of-the-path

Since time began, the Dragon and the Phoenix have guarded over and guided the intertwining paths of life, maintaining the careful balance between the twin forces of choice and destiny. These two powerful beings share the noble task of overseeing the many roads that lead to divine wisdom.

“Build your path through discovery and chance. Quiet your mind. Your journey begins here.”

Introduction
Tsuro is simply one of the most beautiful games I have come across. It is elegant from the Asian dragon design on the game board, to the dragon etchings on the colored player markers, to the simple earth-tone paths of the tiles, and the artistic rice paper insert added for flare.

Description
The rules of Tsuro are extremely simple, but that doesn't necessarily mean the game is simple of you have some stiff competition.

In the set-up, the 35 path tiles are shuffled, each player is then dealt three tiles which they keep hidden from the other players. The remaining tiles are stacked within reach of the players to draw from at the end of their turn. The board is designed displaying a 6x6 grid for tile placement. Along the outer edges of the board, each tile placement square has two white hash marks. Each player selects one of the colored markers and places it anywhere along the outside edge on a hash mark.

Players take 3 actions each turn: Play a path tile, move their dragon marker, and draw a replacement path tile.

Each path tile has four paths with two starting/ending points on each edge. The paths twist, turn, or pass straight connecting one point to another. The player decides which of their three tiles to play, turns it in any direction they choose, and places the tile in front of their marker. They then move their marker following the path they placed in front of it.  However, a player may not intentionally place their tile so that their marker will leave the board as long as another move is possible.

If the tile was placed so that the path connects to a path on another tile, the player follows the path to its end even across multiple tiles.  If the tile was placed so that a path was created in front of another player's marker, that player's marker is likewise moved to the end of its path.

Any time a player's marker follows its path off the board, that player is eliminated.  If it happens that two players markers collide on the same path, both players are eliminated.

When players are eliminated, their remaining tiles are shuffled back into the draw pile. However, there is an Advanced Rules Elimination Bonus too!  If using this bonus rule, when a player lays a tile that sends an opponent off the board, they may immediately exchange any or all of the tiles in their hand with those of the eliminated player before shuffling the remainder into the draw pile.

After a player has laid their tile and moved their marker and any other affected markers, they draw another tile and play passes to the next player.

In games of three or more players, if the event arises that there are no more tiles to draw, the Dragon Tile marker is given to that player so that when tiles become available (generally from an eliminated player), they receive the first tile.  The Dragon Tile is then passed to the next player awaiting a tile, or set aside until needed again.

When there is only one marker remaining on the board, that player wins.  If all of the tiles have been played and multiple markers remain, or if the final markers are eliminated on the same turn, those players tie for the win.

Wrap-Up
One of the fascinating aspects of this game is that it can be played as passively or aggressively as the player desires. You may play tiles passively in an attempt to outlast your opponents (easier with fewer players), or you may aggressively chase your opponents in hopes of sending their markers off the board.

While Tsuro is a beautiful and fun game, it isn't an intense one especially if being played passively. It is still very fun and easy enough that children can grasp the rules though they may not strategize well. It's a great game for family time, for filling in between meatier games, something light to play over coffee, or if you need a game that can accommodate a larger number of people than normal.

Originally posted: 4-12-2020

Forbidden Island

Brian's Recommendation: HIGH

Style: Cooperative
Players: 2-4 [Solo capable]
Ages: 10+
Appx time: 30 minutes
Contents: 6 Adventurer Cards, 6 Adventurer Pawns, 24 Flood Cards, 24 Island Tiles, 28 Treasure Cards, 4 Treasure Figurines, 1 Water Meter, 1 Water Level Marker

Publisher: Gamewright  
https://gamewright.com/product/Forbidden-Island

Legend speaks of an ancient civilization known as the Archean Empire said to possess the ability to control the elements through four sacred treasures: the earth stone, the ocean's chalice, the wind statue, and the fire crystal. Recognizing that such power held within any one of these treasures falling into the wrong hands would be catastrophic, they kept these treasures hidden on Forbidden Island. In the centuries since the collapse of the Archean Empire, the location of Forbidden Island and its secrets had been lost and remained undiscovered...until now.

Can you and your team be the first to breach its borders, discover the treasures, and make it out alive?

Introduction
In addition to just being a really fun game, Forbidden Island is a great introduction into cooperative style games. As a cooperative game, the players must plan together, and work together, and everyone wins or loses together. Also, by playing multiple adventurers, the game can be played solo since there is no competitive aspect.

This game has a slight Indiana Jones feel to it as you seek ancient, legendary, relics said to have great, magical, properties while you race against time to survive and escape. 

Description
The premise of the adventure is that your team has discovered the location of Forbidden Island. You all helicopter to the island together to search for the legendary treasures, however once the helicopter lands, a final measure left in place by the Archeans to protect the treasures is sprung - the island begins sinking into the abyss!

The players have a choice (or random assignment) between 6 different adventurers: the Pilot, the Engineer, the Navigator, the Messenger, the Explorer, and the Diver. Each adventurer has their own special and unique ability to utilize.

The island itself is made up of 24 double-sided island tiles, each representing a different location on the island such as Lost Lagoon, Cave of Embers, Bronze Gate, and Whispering Garden. On the face-up side of each island tile is a vibrantly colored representation of the location. On the face-down side is a blue-hued version of the same image indicating that it is flooded under water.  During set-up, these tiles are shuffled and laid out face-up to create the island so each game will have a different location arrangement.  Some creative individuals have also designed unique layouts for the island that are readily found at BoardGameGeek.com or with a simple Google search.

The Flood Deck consists of cards that match each of the island locations. These are used to determine which island tiles are flooded.  To start the game, a number of cards are drawn and the corresponding island tile is flipped to the flooded side.

On each turn, the adventurer may choose to move about the island, to interact with other adventurers if able, to shore up a flooded portion of the island, or to discover a treasure if they have acquired enough clues. There are two island tiles for each of the treasures with a representative image of that treasure.  These are the discovery points at which an adventurer is able to collect the treasure if they have sufficient clues (4 cards of that treasure).

After taking their actions, the adventurer then collects resources or clues regarding the treasures in the form of special action cards and treasure cards from the Treasure Deck. But watch out! Collecting clues and resources may trigger an increase in the rate of flooding (through Waters Rise cards).

After each adventurer's turn, the island's trap activity is also manifested.  The results are either the flooding of more locations, or the complete submerging and destruction of locations already flooded. If an island tile is already flooded and is activated to be flooded again, it is submerged and destroyed so that both it and its corresponding location card are removed from the game.

There are a number of different ways in which to lose the game. The adventure is a loss if at any time the helicopter's landing zone tile (Fool's Landing) is completely sunk, if both of the discovery location tiles for the same treasure are completely sunk and that treasure has not been collected, if any adventurer is eliminated, or if the rate of island sinking reaches critical (indicated by a traditional Skull & Crossbones). 

To win the game, all of the winning conditions must be met. The adventurers win if all 4 treasures are collected, all of the adventurers are assembled back at Fool's Landing, and one player initiates airlifting the team off the island by playing a Helicopter Lift card.

Wrap-Up
Forbidden Island is a great game all around. It's theme of an Indiana Jones style adventure is not immersible and not intended to be, but it is enjoyable and exciting none-the-less as you face portions of the island sinking around you (and sometimes under you!) at an increasing rate of speed forcing you to not only try to keep up, but to keep pathways for travel open and treasure discovery locations in play.  It isn't overly complex, but it can be difficult and tricky, and it can swarm you into a loss pretty quickly.

The components of the relics are of no real consequence to the game that tokens could not have sufficed, but they are a nice touch of flare. The tiles are a good thickness for handling for all the repetitive flipping, and the cards are a standard size for protective sleeves. The artwork on the tiles and cards are aesthetically pleasing in general. That each adventurer has a unique ability makes playing with various combinations fun and interesting to figure out ways in which they can work well together.

The rules are pretty simple and straight forward. A helpful addition is that the back of each adventurer card shows the order of play sequence and the player's available actions per turn. While the game is not necessarily a children's game, my 11 year old nieces had no trouble understanding or remembering the rules. Since it is a cooperative game, teaching them strategy by asking what they thought we should do, proposing tactics, and letting them decide the course of action was fun for them too.

Another wonderful point of this game is that it is relatively inexpensive. It averages around $20 and is often closer to $15 from online vendors.

Original posting: April 10, 2020