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Duel for Meloch: Rapid Review

Duel for Meloch: Rapid Review Information: Mechanics:  Area Control, Engine Building, Variable Player Powers, Assymetrical  Player Age: 14+ Player Count: 1 - 2  Players Time to Play:  45  Minutes  Game Designer: Jamey Stegmaier Game Artist: Jakub Rozalski Publisher : Stonemaier Games  Expansions: Yes Year Published: 2026 BGG Weight: 3.58 Rundown: Duel for Meloch is a really hard game to explain and review. However, it is a production feat that needs to be noted. Jamey Stegmaier has taken his two existing titles Expeditions and Scythe and created a shorter duel game. There are some interpretations of game crossovers in the industry so far, and loving them, an example is Mindbug X King of Tokyo. Duel for Meloch is more than this where other crossovers carry across the feelings of one game or characters into another system. Duel for Meloch is a system designed to hold residence for two other systems at once. The players are separated in...
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Finspan: Rapid Review

Finspan: Rapid Review Information: Mechanics:  Engine Building, Set Collection Player Age: 10+ Player Count: 1 - 5 Players Time to Play:  45 - 60  Minutes  Game Designer: David Gordon (I), Michael O'Connell (II) Game Artist: Catalina Martinez, Ana Maria Martinez Jaramillo, Mesa Schumacher Publisher : Stonemaier Games  Expansions: Yes Year Published: 2025 BGG Weight:  2.31 Introduction : Wingspan has been a global hit for Stonemaier with four large expansions and countless small accessories and expansions. Wyrmspan went for a deeper more complex experience than wingspan. Finspan is the third of the trilogy and went for a more approachable game than Wingspan. I personally find Finspan at the same complexity weight, while still creating a simpler flow. In Finspan the player is no longer going across a track, but are now diving deep as they go down a track. Finspan in its own rights is a widely popular game, that I have already missed the boat when it com...

Origin Story - Heroes and Villains: Review

Origin Story - Heroes and Villains: 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:  1.50 Disclaimer: A review copy for the game was provided by the publisher. Introduction : Origin Story is a trick taking game with a very unique difference. This game also focuses around enhancing a player's engine. Before each round players will gain a new hero card. These cards enhance the player's engine or create new scoring possibilities. One new story card has been included in this expansion. For the full review of the base game click here.  New Cards:  Each player will also gain two super heroes and choose one in the final trick. This gives players a strategy to plan towards when building their engine but a chance to p...

Dic3 Hip Hop: Rapid Review

Dic3 Hip Hop: Rapid Review Rundown : Dic3 Hip Hop is aiming to capture the rush of the match three genre of games that is a quite common type of phone game. Players have 12 rounds to fill in as much of their board as possible. Each round five dice are rolled. These dice can be added and subtracted together to create any number between 0 and 12 to fill as many spots on the board as possible.  The dice can be used without altering to fill as many spots on the board per turn as possible. The core rule players need to remember is if you fill three in a row another symbol will be filled in anywhere on the board. Using these combos and other ways to gain wild fills, players will score at the end based on how much of the board they fill. There are three different maps with the first map being introductory (rhythm and flow) introducing the engine for the game through an abundance of possible matches. Where the highest difficulty is the block, which will require play...

Gold Country: Review

Gold Country: Review  Information : Mechanics: Market Manipulation, Tile Placement, Shared Board Player Age: 8+ Player Count:  2 - 2l4 Players Time to Play:  30 - 60  Minutes  Game Designer: Reiner Knizia Game Artist:   Beth Sobel Publisher: Bitewing Games Year Published: 2026 BGG Weight: 2.05 Disclaimer: A review copy for the game was provided by the publisher. Introduction : Gold Country is a reimagining of Reiner Knizia 2012 Spectaculum. This is a stock manipulation game masked by a fun theme of gold mining in the old west. Players have three claim tokens that they have to place each turn. These tokens will slowly close the available spots on the board while also manipulating the value of each mine.  Game Anatomy: Board: There are two boards included in the game the standard board.  As well a second side which contains rivers and tunnels.  As well as new tokens such as gems that score fiv...