My tabletop group has plans to play our first D&D game of the year next weekend, but some of us were able to get together Saturday and play some other games, just for something different. We intentionally avoided playing an RPG, trying out some of the new games my family got for Christmas as well as some old favorites. If you haven’t already, I urge you try out some of the following games.
Magic the Gathering
We couldn’t get through the weekend without playing a game of Magic (we actually played two games), specifically Archenemy. Archenemy is a format we like, because it’s specifically designed for multiple players. Everyone has their favorite deck, and someone gets to be the bad guy (just like D&D). If you haven’t guessed by now, I tend to look at everything through a D&D lens, so bear with me.
I won’t go into detail about the games, but suffice to say I’d not played the “Trample All Civilization” Archenemy deck before, so they killed me the first game, but I wiped the floor with them on the second. I’ve always loved saprolings (small plant-like creatures), and to build up a massive army of plants and wipe out a horde of humanoids and undead was very satisfying. I equate saprolings from Magic the Gathering with the adu-ja in my D&D games – somewhat innocuous looking and easily underestimated, but in it for the long haul. And boy do they multiply…
Star Fluxx
I saw this game on Wil Wheaton’s Tabletop (search for it on Youtube) and fell in love. My wonderful wife and kids got it for me for Christmas. It’s fast-paced, engaging, and the card themes are hilarious and bring back tons of great sci fi memories. It references everything from 2001: A Space Odyssey to Star Trek to Star Wars to Firefly. Although my kids don’t get all the references, they love the art as well as how the game plays. Because we’re a family of Whovians, it’s a personal victory whenever someone gets the Doctor and the Time Traveler out at the same time, even if the goal isn’t “What Doctor? Where?”.
Wits & Wagers Family Edition
Another game I saw on Tabletop, this trivia game with a betting twist is another of which my kids cannot get enough. All the answers are a number and, once you’ve seen what everyone else thinks, you can bet on other answers if you feel you missed the mark. The questions are spread out over the generations, so everyone’s got questions where they know they answer or they’re just guessing. And even though it only comes with meeples, dry erase pens, and boards for five people, play isn’t hurt or slowed down in the least by adding additional people (just use paper, pencils, and different-sized objects).
Headbandz
Never underestimate the power of a kids’ game. So simple in its design, yet so darn fun! This is another game that makes it easy to add additional players – just lick the card and stick to your forehead. Try and guess your card, racing against a timer. Fast-paced, entertaining, and great for a large number of people, this game is a great filler in between more involved or longer games.
Settlers of Catan
Our group has been spoiled, using the limited edition 3D resin set from several years ago (we all chipped in and bought it for Daniel’s birthday). Curiously, our family has never bothered to get our own game until now. The board pieces are cardboard, the settlements and roads are wooden, but the game is just as enjoyable as ever. (And it’s a lot faster to set up and put away!) We need to save up to get the expansion so more of us can play, but Settlers is definitely a go-to game when we can’t play D&D for one reason or another.
Dungeon Command
Santa brought me the present I wanted – I got Curse of Undeath for Dungeon Command. First, I have to say the miniatures are gorgeous! With the exception of the hypnotic spirit, whose sculpt I dislike, all the miniatures are beautiful, full of detail, and have great paint jobs. I do like that the hypnotic spirit is translucent, as is the lower half of the lich necromancer. The zombies are the best sculpt I’ve seen for those undead in my memory. I will definitely be using them in my D&D games besides playing Dungeon Command, and I hope some become available on the secondary market (because two zombies and two warrior skeletons is not enough).
The most impressive miniature, though, is the dracolich. Climbing a rock with wings outstretched, it makes an imposing skeletal figure. The game stats give it 110 hit points and lightning breath that targets three different creatures, and the Fear order card helps push creatures back so the dracolich can target them. As a level 6 creature, it’s also the only one who can use the Terrifying Revelation order card on its own to make an opponent lose 3 morale points – probably the most powerful card in the game to date.
Two other order cards give you morale points, under the right conditions – Call to Battle, which can be used by the spellcasting undead, and Hulking Attack, which can be used by the skeletal undead. I’m impressed with the card development as sets are released, but I wonder how things would play out if one constructed a custom order deck from all the sets. Unfortunately, I don’t have the money to explore that; while a good value, the sets are too expensive to buy more than one at a time (unless you’re rich!).
I also love the dungeon tiles that come with the game, although I’d be harder pressed to find a way to use them, given the puzzle piece edges (so they can’t be used in conjunction with traditional dungeon tiles). As with the other tiles in the other sets, one side is indoors, and the other outdoors, with interesting blocking terrain, open graves, sarcophagi, etc. Sometime I may sit down and combine all the tiles from all the sets and see if it might make an interesting dungeon.
What games did you all get for Christmas? Are there any you’re still wanting? What games do you think I should look into?
Magic the Gathering
We couldn’t get through the weekend without playing a game of Magic (we actually played two games), specifically Archenemy. Archenemy is a format we like, because it’s specifically designed for multiple players. Everyone has their favorite deck, and someone gets to be the bad guy (just like D&D). If you haven’t guessed by now, I tend to look at everything through a D&D lens, so bear with me.
I won’t go into detail about the games, but suffice to say I’d not played the “Trample All Civilization” Archenemy deck before, so they killed me the first game, but I wiped the floor with them on the second. I’ve always loved saprolings (small plant-like creatures), and to build up a massive army of plants and wipe out a horde of humanoids and undead was very satisfying. I equate saprolings from Magic the Gathering with the adu-ja in my D&D games – somewhat innocuous looking and easily underestimated, but in it for the long haul. And boy do they multiply…
Star Fluxx
I saw this game on Wil Wheaton’s Tabletop (search for it on Youtube) and fell in love. My wonderful wife and kids got it for me for Christmas. It’s fast-paced, engaging, and the card themes are hilarious and bring back tons of great sci fi memories. It references everything from 2001: A Space Odyssey to Star Trek to Star Wars to Firefly. Although my kids don’t get all the references, they love the art as well as how the game plays. Because we’re a family of Whovians, it’s a personal victory whenever someone gets the Doctor and the Time Traveler out at the same time, even if the goal isn’t “What Doctor? Where?”.
Wits & Wagers Family Edition
Another game I saw on Tabletop, this trivia game with a betting twist is another of which my kids cannot get enough. All the answers are a number and, once you’ve seen what everyone else thinks, you can bet on other answers if you feel you missed the mark. The questions are spread out over the generations, so everyone’s got questions where they know they answer or they’re just guessing. And even though it only comes with meeples, dry erase pens, and boards for five people, play isn’t hurt or slowed down in the least by adding additional people (just use paper, pencils, and different-sized objects).
Headbandz
Never underestimate the power of a kids’ game. So simple in its design, yet so darn fun! This is another game that makes it easy to add additional players – just lick the card and stick to your forehead. Try and guess your card, racing against a timer. Fast-paced, entertaining, and great for a large number of people, this game is a great filler in between more involved or longer games.
Settlers of Catan
Our group has been spoiled, using the limited edition 3D resin set from several years ago (we all chipped in and bought it for Daniel’s birthday). Curiously, our family has never bothered to get our own game until now. The board pieces are cardboard, the settlements and roads are wooden, but the game is just as enjoyable as ever. (And it’s a lot faster to set up and put away!) We need to save up to get the expansion so more of us can play, but Settlers is definitely a go-to game when we can’t play D&D for one reason or another.
Dungeon Command
Santa brought me the present I wanted – I got Curse of Undeath for Dungeon Command. First, I have to say the miniatures are gorgeous! With the exception of the hypnotic spirit, whose sculpt I dislike, all the miniatures are beautiful, full of detail, and have great paint jobs. I do like that the hypnotic spirit is translucent, as is the lower half of the lich necromancer. The zombies are the best sculpt I’ve seen for those undead in my memory. I will definitely be using them in my D&D games besides playing Dungeon Command, and I hope some become available on the secondary market (because two zombies and two warrior skeletons is not enough).
The most impressive miniature, though, is the dracolich. Climbing a rock with wings outstretched, it makes an imposing skeletal figure. The game stats give it 110 hit points and lightning breath that targets three different creatures, and the Fear order card helps push creatures back so the dracolich can target them. As a level 6 creature, it’s also the only one who can use the Terrifying Revelation order card on its own to make an opponent lose 3 morale points – probably the most powerful card in the game to date.
Two other order cards give you morale points, under the right conditions – Call to Battle, which can be used by the spellcasting undead, and Hulking Attack, which can be used by the skeletal undead. I’m impressed with the card development as sets are released, but I wonder how things would play out if one constructed a custom order deck from all the sets. Unfortunately, I don’t have the money to explore that; while a good value, the sets are too expensive to buy more than one at a time (unless you’re rich!).
I also love the dungeon tiles that come with the game, although I’d be harder pressed to find a way to use them, given the puzzle piece edges (so they can’t be used in conjunction with traditional dungeon tiles). As with the other tiles in the other sets, one side is indoors, and the other outdoors, with interesting blocking terrain, open graves, sarcophagi, etc. Sometime I may sit down and combine all the tiles from all the sets and see if it might make an interesting dungeon.
What games did you all get for Christmas? Are there any you’re still wanting? What games do you think I should look into?
