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Shields Up: Review Information: Mechanics:  Hand Management, Head to Head, Micro Game Player Age:  12+ Player Count:  2  Players Time to Play:  30  Minutes Game Designers:  Patrick McNeil  Year Published: 2018 BGG Weight: 2.00 P ublisher :  Concrete Canoe Games Disclaimer:  A preview copy for the game was provided by the publisher.  Introduction: Shields Up is an 18-card micro-game that has players vying for control of space as they try to assemble their weapons to blast each other out of orbit. If a player has all their shields removed and receives one more hit they will lose the game. Card Anatomy: The cards in the game will either work as shields, be built up to be a weapon or will be used straight away and discarded. Each card has a special ability at the bottom. Some of the weapons will have several circles on the left-hand side that will display how many of these cards need to be played to activate their ability. Some cards ...

Groundhog Gambit: Rapid Review Information: Mechanics:  Escape Room Player Age:  13+  Player Count:  1 - 4  Players Time to Play:  120  Minutes  Game Designer:   Jonathan Chaffer Game Artist:  Jonathan Chaffer, Karl Juhlke Publisher : Grand Gamers Guild Year Published:  2022 Disclaimer:  A review copy for the game was provided by the publisher. Rundown: Groundhog Gambit is the latest  theme added to the escape room game franchise that focuses on holidays called Holiday Hijinks. These games are always contained within 18 cards but utilise all the space necessary on the front and back of the cards to deliver a fun and challenging experience. Cards will either contain information or have a riddle/puzzle to solve. These answerable cards are denoted by a red question mark and will have answers that need to be written into the app. These answers may be numbers, phrases, or a single word. Alteration: As this game isn't repla...

Holiday Hijinks Collection: Review Information: Mechanics:  Escape Room Player Age:  13+  Player Count:  1 - 4  Players Time to Play:  60  Minutes  Game Designer:   Jonathan Chaffer Game Artist:  Jonathan Chaffer Publisher : Grand Gamers Guild Year Published:  2020 - 2021 BGG Weight:  2.00 Disclaimer:  A review copy for the game was provided by the publisher. Introduction: Today will be a mini-review focusing on three of the Holiday Hijinks games. These are 18 card escape room games centred around your favourite holidays: Halloween, Christmas, and Independence Day.  Holidays: The Pumpkin Problem:  Someone is stealing all the candy within the neighbourhood. You are going door to door investigating kids to find out which dastardly fiend is doing this. Behind every door is a new puzzle that you have to solve in typical escape room fashion. Key Points: - Challenging puzzles that needed resources from information fou...

Ragnarök: Review Information: Mechanics:  Hand Management, Area Control Player Age:  12+  Player Count:  2  Players Time to Play:  10 - 20  Minutes  Game Designer and Artist:  Paul Calderwood Publisher : Invisible Kitty Games Expandable:  Not Expandable Year Published:  2018 Disclaimer:  A review copy for the game was provided by the publisher. Objective: There is an epic battle underway between the Norse Gods (AEsir) and the Frost Giants (Jötnar). This battle is won by gaining the highest power over the majority of worlds within two rounds. This is achieved by playing cards on your side of the world to try and have the strongest value on the majority of worlds. Card Anatomy: There are three types of cards: runes, divinity, and modifiers. Runes: Runes can either be played vertically on a world to be used for its power, or can be played horizontally to activate its effect. Each world can only have ...

Ludus Senatus: Review Information: Mechanics:  Hand Management, Area Control, Tableu Management Player Age:  12+ Player Count:  2  - 4 Players Time to Play:   10 - 20  Minutes Game Designers:   Brian Compter P ublisher :  Concrete Canoe Games Disclaimer:  A preview copy for the game was provided by the publisher. The components and rules can change in the final version. Objective: Every person of power wants to be seen as successful and understanding of the political weather. That is your objective in 'Ludus Senatus', you want to have your majority vote match the majority vote of the tableu in the middle of the table once there are a total seven votes in the centre (these votes are either yea or ney). You want to do this over multiple rounds to gain five points; two points if you are the only player matching the vote and one point if you are not the only player that understands the current voting climate. Set Up: -...

Morgarhum Market: Review Information: Mechanics:  Hand Management Player Age:  12+  Player Count:  2 Players  Time to Play:  30  Minutes  Publisher:  Invisible Kitty Games Disclaimer:  A review copy for the game was provided by the publisher. Objective: The aim of the game is simple, you and your opponent are rival shopkeepers where both of you want to be the best and have the most but only one can. To be this one, gain the most points from your stall items at the end of the round, not once but twice. After all, you can't only be the best once, you need to be consistently on top to gain the public’s devotion. Card Anatomy: There are two types of cards; Goods cards and Town Officials. Goods Cards: (now referred to as ‘good cards’) Each good card contains an image of an item to be sold in your market stall, and victory points found on the top left. Additionally, there are two abilities on the card which pertain ...

State of Wonder: Review Information: Mechanics:  Hand Management, Player Elimination, Competitive, CCG Time:  20 - 50 Minutes Player Count:  2-5 Players Designer:  Emelie Rodin Artist:  Brandon Crampton Publishers:  BetterBuilt Studio Age Range: 15+ BGG Weight (Game Complexity): 3/5 Components: Rule Book:  The full rule book needs to be accessed via the  State of Wonder website  which is filled with game examples, keywords from cards and clarifications. The rule book is located here as the game itself doesn't come with any rule book but has a quick reference guide and link to the website's rule book. Game Box: The game box won't last under duress however it is perfect size (both length and width) for portability and it fits in your pocket with ease. Dice/Tokens: State of Wonder has a token pack available for purchase to add creature (referenced in-game as 'unit') tokens to the game. I can say for certain that tokens are util...