Expand Your Game

Origin Story: Review Information: Mechanics:  Trick Taking, Engine Building Player Age: 14+ Player Count: 1 - 5  Players Time to Play: 45   Minutes  Game Designer: Jamey Stegmaier, Pete Wissinger Game Artist: Clémentine Campardou Publisher : Stonemaier Games  Year Published: 2026 BGG Weight:  2.10 Disclaimer: A review copy for the game was provided by the publisher. Introduction : Trick taking games is a genre I'm open to, but still exploring. Stonemaier intrigued me as soon as it was announced with Origin Story a trick taking game that had a large focus on Engine Building. Four out of five rounds every player will add one of three story cards to their engine. They will then charge the abilities from these story cards based on their strategy for the round determined by cards in hand and the alignment decided (different ways to score per round). The game is an interesting mix of engine building and planning the round ahead. Game Anatomy...

Viticulture Bordeaux: Review Information: Mechanics:  Worker Placement, Engine Building, Contracts, Hand Management Player Age:  14+ Player Count:  1 - 6  Players Time to Play:  90 - 120  Minutes  Game Designer:   Jamey Stegmaier Game Artist:  Sylvain Leroy Publisher : Stonemaier Games  Year Published:  2026 BGG Weight:  3.23 Disclaimer:  A review copy for the game was provided by the publisher. Introduction : Viticulture is over ten years old, it is the first game from Stonemaier. Over the years there has been an essential edition and Tuscany that revamp the rules balancing and creating new gameplay challenges for Viticulture fans. Bordeaux is an incredibly small expansion physically for the game featuring some solo components, a new board and several cubes. This board however drastically changes the gameplay loop of Viticulture, this expansion will sit with Tuscany and essential edition in revamping Viticultu...

Jump Drive: Review Information: Mechanics:  Engine-Building, Simultaneous Play Player Age:  13+ Player Count:  2 - 4  Players Time to Play: 10 -  30   Minutes  Game Designer:   Thomas Lehmann Game Artist:  Martin Hoffmann, Claus Stephan, Mirko Suzuki, Jens Wiese Publisher : Rio Grande Games Year Published:  2017 BGG Weight:  2.03 Disclaimer:  A review copy for the game was provided by the publisher. Introduction : The space franchise of Rio Grande is back, this time players aren't rolling or racing through the galaxy. No this game is much faster as players are perfecting their engine to enter Jumpdrive. The game holds a similar essence to race to the galaxy but compacted into a fast paced engine builder which will only last a few rounds/turns. On a turn players will build either planets, developments or one of both. There will then be an income phase granting points and cards on every built card. First time a p...