Railroad Rivals by Forbidden Games (Review)

We are constantly looking for board games to add to our ever growing game shelf. I especially like maintaining a wide range of game styles to appeal to any crowd. I love a rowdy evening of Cards against Humanity or Taboo, but when playing with my husband, our preferred style leans more to complex strategic play such as Cosmic Encounter or Pandemic.

Railroad Rivals, by Forbidden Games leans toward what we like, with the added bonus of not being too complicated or for those who aren't avid gamers. The game held a campaign on Kickstarter, earning over 40k more than their goal in 2018, and I was very please to receive a copy of the game for review.

Set up
I will say, and maybe it was just user error, we found the rules a bit confusing before actually playing for the first time.

For example, I read through 2.5 pages of set up rules, placing the pieces as I read, only to come to a “see 2 player rules” on a separate page. Which had us starting over and redoing the necessary sorting and separating for a two player game. 

I can hear my 7th grade English teacher telling me to read all the instructions first - but I still would have liked clear indication up front that a two player game was going to have a different set up.

Game Play and Scoring
The game is inspired by the railroad tycoon era of the late 1800s and revolves around laying tiles to create railroad links, connecting them like Carcassonne or Dominos, as well as acquiring stocks for the various railroad systems you or other players may travel through.

Each turn every player will get a new city tile to lay down, as well as a new stock tile. Rounds begin with bidding existing points to be first player, getting first pick of the tiles (the game even begins with each player having a few points to start)

You can own multiple stocks for each railroad system, and will gain points in the end of the game depending on how often that railroad was used during play, by you or otherwise.

You will also gain points by being the first to move a certain 'good', such as grain, wood, coal or steel, determined by different color cubes. Furthermore, you will gain 2 points each time another player travels a link that you established.

How we liked it
After starting, game-play went smoothly and was simple to follow. The two player version was a bit dull, as you earn points for being the first to move certain goods, however you only work with ONE good with two players so it was no mystery who was scoring higher each round.

Later we played the game with four as well as with three players and it was much more enjoyable. There was a lot more strategy and planning involved with more players, which is an aspect we really enjoy.

Age Range
The box suggests that it can be played with players age 8+. We decided to give it a go with my 9 year old, as we're always looking for games to involve her to hopefully one day have her playing on our level.

While she played fine, she had a bit of trouble understanding and eventually got bored and we had to deal her out of the game. I wouldn’t say that is a knock against the game, just her attention span at that moment. I think the game is perfectly suited for children her age with maybe a bit of educating on how stocks work so they understand why that element is important to the game.

In fact, this game could be a great addition to a history lesson about the era and some basic economics instruction.

Expansion Packs and Alternative Rules
The copy I received has an insert that excitedly declared a previous expansion is now included in the base game, filled with hotels and tower additions.

We have not yet played with that add on, mainly because the insert with the incorporating rules, cuts off before telling you what they do!

I was able to find them online and look forward to giving that version a try.

The game also has an extensive set of rules for playing a solitary game. While I'm not big of solo play games, I feel happy knowing I have them if I am in the mood and no one else is.

Forbidden Games has announced that on February 26th, there will be a new Kickstarter for the next expansion pack entitled Robber Baron expansion, that promises to add even more strategy opportunities!

Artwork

The artwork is subdued compared to many other games we play, and reminiscent of steampunk and old sepia photos.  The figures look like cartoon drawings. Knowing that the city images are/were real landmarks in the cities mentioned as they were in the early 20th century makes it super cool. The logos for the railway stocks are also authentic to that time period.

Price
The version of the game I own is the standard one retailing for $49.99, which is about average for most quality games. There is a also a premium version that costs $79.99. While that seems like a lot, it includes wooden tiles instead of cardboard tiles, which will have the game lasting possibly decades longer and give it an even more authentic old-time feel! I'd say that's worth it for sure.

Overall Impression
Once you're familiar with the gameplay this game is fun to play and provides strategy without being so complex that new players are lost.  I can see us turning to this many times in the future with both our family and with friends. 

https://forbidden.games/collections/games/products/railroad-rivals

https://www.facebook.com/forbiddengames/

https://twitter.com/Forbiddengms

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Review/Giveaway- KinderPerfect Card Game

If your parenting friends enjoys a bit of adult fun now and then, I may have the perfect idea for your next gathering.

KinderPerfect is a card gamed inspired by the popular explicit game, Cards Against Humanity. We bought Cards Against Humanity very shortly after its release, and now own the majority of its expansions. While my husband and I generally prefer more logic based board style games, we love to pull CAH out in a crowd for some easy laughs.

When I heard of KinderPerfect, I knew we needed to add it to our game shelf. We have two very spirited daughters, and have definitely learned to have a few laughs about parenthood! It's nearly identical in concept and gameplay, but entirely parent-centered.

This makes it the perfect game for when you know there will be low concentration, lots of laughter and interruptions for frequent stories about that one time your kid really did manage to paint their entire crib with the contents of their diaper at nap time.

You need at least 3 players to make the game work, though as with any good party style game, the more the merrier.

Each player keeps a hand of ten white cards; These are the “answers.”

The person whose turn it is is called the "Parent" and draws a red card from the deck and reads it aloud.

Each player selects a white card from their hand to answer the red card's question, or fill in a blank on the red card. There is no right or wrong answer! The "Parent" selects the answer they like best, whatever their criteria is, and awards the red card to that person.

When you are done playing, the player with the most red cards, wins.

I brought the game to a recent girls night in at my friend (and fellow RCH writer) Tricia's house. There were four of us playing and we all enjoyed it.

KinderPerfect is cute and a great conversation starter. Many pauses were made to relate to the cards in our daily lives! This makes a ton of sense as all the cards questions were crowd sourced from actual parents.

KinderPerfect is fairly tame compared to Cards Against Humanity. There are still some blush worthy cards, but any profanity was “***” out so you can use your judgement on what to say out loud, just in case little ears are lurking (and really, when aren't they?!)

I'm am excited to see there are going to be expansions in the future! KinderPerfect is currently in the works to create school aged/tween centered versions of the game.

The game as it currently exists goes rather quickly, especially the larger your group, because of the disproportionately small red deck of cards. There are only 210 cards total.

One suggestion the website makes is to mix these cards in with your Cards Against Humanity game.

I could definitely see that adding a fun twist. However, I don't think nonparents would get much our of these questions, except to remind them why they don't have kids. However, there are several specialty card sets out there intended to be mixed with CAD decks, so this would not be unusual.

Another thing I'd like to point out about KinderPerfect: I didn't feel like it was made with PARENTS in mind, as much as just for MOMS. The website is visually oriented to mother and child themes.

Dads can understand the situations, sure, but the wording felt as if it was meant as to come from a mom. Not in every case, and I could be wrong about that. I haven't actually tested the theory with a room of dads, but I do think the deck would benefit from having more dad-centric cards.

You can purchase a copy KinderPerfect on Amazon Prime for $23.95. I don't love the price, if I'm honest. That's about the same as Cards Against Humanity's base game which has more than double the amount of cards. However, I think the higher costs has to do with it being manufactured in smaller quantities.

Overall, I think it was a really cute game, and it will come along to many more mom oriented girls nights or playdates!

If you'd like a chance to win a deck of your own, read on! Two of our readers in the US or Canada will receive a copy of KinderPerfect.

www.kinderperfect.com

https://www.facebook.com/kinderperfect/

https://www.pinterest.com/kinderperfect/

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https://www.instagram.com/kinderperfect/

KinderPerfect on Amazon

Two winners in Canada or the US (including APO/DPO addresses) will each receive one KinderPerfect Card Game, valued at $23.95 USD ($29.95 CAD) each.

To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment in this entry as instructed by the Giveaway Tools Entry Form below. This will open up additional optional entries to increase your odds of winning. (If you don't leave a comment, any additional entries will be void.)

This giveaway is open to US & CANADIAN RESIDENTS ONLY and will end just before midnight ET on 5/18. 

The winners will be notified by email within 24 hours after the end of the giveaway. In order to claim the giveaway prize, the winner will need to respond within 24 hours of notification, or an alternate winner will be selected.

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Review: Board Game Bento (Game Plan Theme)

Anyone who knows us, knows we are huge tabletop game fans! I'm not talking Monopoly or Clue, but real adult board games – Deck builders, strategy, cooperative, Etc etc. Whether hosting a crowd, or enjoying a 2 player in the evening after the kids go to bed, my husband and I play quite often.

I could not be more excited for the opportunity to review Board Game Bento – a monthly subscription service that delivers no less than three surprises. Occasionally one might be an expansion set for an existing game.

Unlike some other similar services I've seen, you do not get the option of creating a profile to prevent games you already own. In fact, each month all their subscribers receive the same exact box which will be uniquely themed.

To someone just starting to build a stash this is amazing! However, I have my doubts about usability in my family in the long run.

They do not except returns or exchanges unless an item is damaged, so if you get a repeat, it's not their problem, and there are only so many games I want to stockpile for later gifting.

I'm also not sure of the specifics about getting an expansion set.  I couldn't tell from their site, but looking at Instagram, it appears that when an expansion set is one of the offerings, its base game is also in that month's box.

All that said, I was blown away by the box I received! The theme was “Game Plan” which was to signify strategy and planning.

When the box arrived, my husband and I tore into it right away! There were three stand alone games, a pair of sunglasses (you know, to hide your poker face) and an info sheet to describe each game and why they chose it.

AMBYRIA- Shroud of the Shadow Demon

Ambyria is a tabletop card game for 2-4 players. Each player gets their own hero deck, containing only slight differences that I've seen.

The goal of the game is to be the hero that collects the most Ember stones (as indicated in the corner of the cards) which makes you the only one capable of defeating Ingduhl, the Shadow Demon.

Game play takes you through a series of turn phases - - collecting your emberscape if you've put down enough the turn prior, Mode phase (which places a card as your MODE which changes small aspects of your strategy), draw phase, play phase, and end phase (making sure you have less than 9 cards).

We felt a bit confused by the rules, but after just a round or two, the game flow is quite simple and enjoyable. I won 94 -25.

My only complaint about the game physically is the box. While I love how slim and compact it is, it's too small. Once the cards came out of their sealed plastic, the deck obviously expanded and no longer fit in the box the same, and makes an awful mess the next time it's opened.

We've played this one twice this month, and it's easily my least favorite.

While it has repeat playability, and we aren't giving up on it yet, it just isn't all that memorable in the long run.

Ambyria is for 2-4 players, recommended ages 12+, 25-45 minute gameplay, has an average rating of 7.5 on Board Game Geek, and retails for $24.99 on it's developer's page, Paw-Warrior Games.

Zeppelin Attack!

Zeppelin Attack! is a strategic, hand management (that is, the player is rewarded for playing cards in a particular sequence or group), deck building game by Evil Hat Productions.

Armed with an initial deck of 15 (various Zeppelins, attack cards, defense cards, operatives, and 2 Fate cards) you work to add more Fate (the game's currency) which allows you to add more bad ass cards of the other types I mentioned.

Your zeppelins are your attack ships, or operative ships, which will allow you to send specific attacks at your opponents, thus weakening their hand and/or strengthening your hand.

The game ends when three of the five purchasable decks empties and points are added up.

The first time we played, we (and our third player days later) were very turned off by the wordiness of the rules.

It seemed unnecessary for how simple the game turned out to be. It also didn't help that the confusing text is pages away from the pictures.

I think a better job could have been done to ensure understanding. What I DID love about the rules is that no matter the contexts, it always used feminine pronouns!

While still not knowing exactly what I was doing, I inadvertently creamed my opponent by buying all the defense cards, or stowing them away as victory points (which takes them out of the game) leaving him very weak. Oops!

However, we have played this three times now, and really enjoy it! We've played 2 player, twice, and finally got to try it as a 3 player recently.

The second game we actually tied, but he won after it defaulted to most battle points.

My only physical complaint is that the cards are coated differently on each side. The backs are glossy like most cards, but the front is a strange rough matte, which makes them feel cheap and creates a difficulty in fanning them out in your hand.

Zeppelin Attack! Is for 2-4 players, recommended for ages 12+, takes about 45 m to play, has a BGG  rating of 7, and retails for $20 on Evil Hat Productions website, but only $12.99 on Amazon. There are a few expansions and promo card packs that we absolutely plan on purchasing!

Infamy

Infamy seemed to be the big ticket item in this month's Board Game Bento. It is a full table game that pits all opponents against each other – no friends here!

The rules and setup were easily the most complex of the three games, but once again, when the game started moving we all loved it!

The the game is set within futuristic cyberpunk wars on MARS.

The parts of the game I find most fun are the bidding wars where each player gets to bid on “contacts”, basically various criminals, to obtain favors or resources that will help you in the round. It's pretty fun to bid big, knowing someone else really wants something, making them go for broke, leaving them unable to bid on future cards that round.

After bidding, there is placements around on different sectors, each providing an ability to complete a mission, resources, reputation points, infamy points or maybe even some of your bids back.

However, some places may be off limits for a period of time! Everyone chooses a card representing where they want to go, and places it face down. Once revealed, placement happens in order that contacts were won, so your hopeful space may be taken and you can't change your plan.

You may end up losing a turn altogether this way—ask me how I know....

Missions completed for cyberpunk gangs are essential to gaining REP, and use a combination of your gathered resources.

Rewards vary from ways to screw over opponents, to upping your various points.

Gameplay ends when one player reaches 5 reputation points in one of the three factions (Harada Cartel, The Trust Megacorp, or the PKD Militia) or 15 Infamy points.

So far we've only played once but I'm happy to report that although I felt I was losing from early on, I managed to swoop in with the Infamy points and take the game!

A few things I want to mention about Infamy - -  the artwork is beautiful! It was very well done and makes it really feel immersive.

The 'starting player' token is a large obnoxious gun that I felt took up way too much room on an already full table. Don't get me wrong, its actually really cool looking, but my husband is already planning a 3d print replacement.

My last note, thought maybe call it user error, we found a lot of ambiguities in the rules. We ended up having to claim a few house rules just to keep the game going. It wasn't enough to make it hard to play, just small discrepancies that could stand to be a bit clearer.

Infamy plays 3-4 players and takes about an hour. Recommended ages 13+. Infamy has a BGG rating of 7. On the developer's page, it retails for $49.95, though I saw it on Amazon for $30.

According to BGG, there is two mini expansions, but I sadly cannot locate them for purchase. This is definitely one that gets pulled out often!



So overall, we could not be more pleased about the selections in this Month's Board Game Bento, and have decided to grab a few months, after the New Year.

A single month's box costs $50 plus s/h. A 6 month subscription brings it down to $45 a month, which makes it $270 plus s/h. They promise to provide at least $80 worth of goods in each box!

Did this month fulfill that promise? If looking at the developer's websites – Yes!

The box's retail value comes to $94.94! Man, what a steal for just $50. However, if using other means to purchase new, like Amazon, I'm able to buy all three for about $70. Which, by the way, still makes Board Game Bento a great value!

Www.boardgamebento.com
https://www.facebook.com/BoardGameBentoHQ

Review: Glomtom Ergonomic Support for Gamers

This is for all my gamers out there, you know who you are: you who had to beat the same game eight times because you NEEDED to see every ending, you who just had to have that platinum achievement for getting  "100%" progress in game.

Hey you in the back! Yes, you, oh self proclaimed "non-gamer".  Didn't you drain your phone's battery no less than three times making sweet three-in-a-rows of candy or flinging disgruntled birds into curiously colored pigs?  I thought so.  Its time for us all to admit that we all have some dalliance into digital distractions, and that's just fine.

Now that we gamers have decided to join the conversation, I have something to bring to your attention.  Your posture is probably atrocious.

Think about it, your default gaming posture most likely consists of some of the following: back arched forward, shoulders slumped and rolled in towards chest, upper body supported by elbows on thighs or knees, hands dangling from weak wrists, all punctuated by jerking your body as your character gets trounced by the boss- for the 267th time.

If this sounds uncomfortably accurate of you, don't feel bad; I did the same thing.  That is, until I got my Glomtom.

The Glomtom is a simple ergonomic support that makes gaming, or any activity involving a handheld digital device, so much more comfortable that once you start using it regularly, you will never want to go without again.  All of this awesome even comes in a delightfully simple package: a cushion-like object that sits in your lap.

By simply elevating your arms fifteen degrees, posture is corrected and tension that you didn't event realize you were building up is diminished.

This all sounded to good to be true, so to check for myself I stopped using the Glomtom halfway through a session, and the difference was so shocking I had to steal it back from the wife right away.

As you can guess, the Glomtom is really comfortable.  The cushion is a very sturdy foam that has just the right amount of give, much more support than from your standard pillow from the bed, and the cover is a durable microfiber cloth that doubles as a great mousepad and is really soft (I may have caught the wife petting it once).

It even has a zippered pocket on the front for storing gaming controllers, or whatever else you would like to stash in you newest gaming accessory, like snacks.

The only thing I can find close to a con on this product is that it's a bit bulky try and toss in a backpack and bring with you to a buddy's house.  But to be honest, its bulk helps make it comfy and I don't really expect it to ever leave arm's reach of my couch anyway, so it's a moot point.

Also, thus far, it is available in a Henry Ford-esque array of color schemes ranging all the way from grey with black trim to grey with black trim (which actually looks quite sharp to me, but I'm sure some color choices would be welcome).

The Glomtom is available on their website for $59.99 and they will be sure to get you the tracking information within a day.  They advise you to plan for a week for FedEx to deliver, though rush shipping is available.

 So, if you have a gamer on your shopping list (that might even be you) please consider instead of a game, the Glomtom; every game will eventually be set aside for something new, but the Glomtom will enhance one's gaming experiences for many years to come.

Glomtom on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glomtom
Glomtom Website: http://glomtom.com/

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