Charlie's Take - Hypergrid Abstracts are a weird thing for me. Setting and theme are such an integral part of what I seek out of this hobby that very few abstract games have garnered my attention. While Hypergrid does possess a small nod towards grander thematic trappings, it's still an abstract about stacking colored chips in columns and scoring points. And it's exceptional. This game is not currently in print and the copy I acquired is a prototype the designer arranged to be handed off to me at Gen Con 2016 in what 03/03/2017
Abstracts are a weird thing for me. Setting and theme are such an integral part of what I seek out of this hobby that very few abstract games have garnered my attention. While Hypergrid does possess a small nod towards grander thematic trappings, it's still an abstract about stacking colored chips in columns and scoring points. And it's exceptional. This game is not currently in print and the copy I acquired is a prototype the designer arranged to be handed off to me at Gen Con 2016 in what
Raf Reviews - COIN Part 2 A two part series on my favorite game system. Part 1 was about why I like these games so much. Part 2 goes into detail on each of the first 5 titles. Trying to suggest a COIN game is a lot like trying to suggest a beer. What do you like? What don’t you like? 5 different people will put these games in 5 different orders and I’d nod at all of them and say “yeah that feels right”. For this article I’ve decided to list them in the order I’m likely to pull them off the shelf. I’m not ranking them 02/26/2017
A two part series on my favorite game system. Part 1 was about why I like these games so much. Part 2 goes into detail on each of the first 5 titles. Trying to suggest a COIN game is a lot like trying to suggest a beer. What do you like? What don’t you like? 5 different people will put these games in 5 different orders and I’d nod at all of them and say “yeah that feels right”. For this article I’ve decided to list them in the order I’m likely to pull them off the shelf. I’m not ranking them
Calvin's Corner - Gordon Calleja Interview Gordon Calleja is the designer of the Kickstarter smash hit Posthuman, a game that I did not know I needed in my life until I played it - and the upcoming revenge-movie styled Vengeance, which is one of the most anticipated games of 2017. At Essen, I sat down with Gordon to discuss his work, his process, and his upcoming projects. Vengeance's absolutely stunning kickstarter trailer. “The axe forgets, but the tree remembers.” Hi Gordon, thanks for talking to me. Assuming I know about the 02/20/2017
Gordon Calleja is the designer of the Kickstarter smash hit Posthuman, a game that I did not know I needed in my life until I played it - and the upcoming revenge-movie styled Vengeance, which is one of the most anticipated games of 2017. At Essen, I sat down with Gordon to discuss his work, his process, and his upcoming projects. Vengeance's absolutely stunning kickstarter trailer. “The axe forgets, but the tree remembers.” Hi Gordon, thanks for talking to me. Assuming I know about the
Charlie's Take - '65: Squad-Level Combat in the Jungles of Vietnam Martin Luther King Jr. said "one of the greatest casualties of the war in Vietnam is the Great Society." This is a period of history that formed the inverse of America's triumph during the Second World War. It was like an enormous star-spangled balloon had been pierced, deflating in a long dejected tune of conclusion. This was one of the darkest moments of our society. For all that despair and hubris, this is an era that really appeals to me. It's a huge scar that I want to trace my fingers 02/12/2017
Martin Luther King Jr. said "one of the greatest casualties of the war in Vietnam is the Great Society." This is a period of history that formed the inverse of America's triumph during the Second World War. It was like an enormous star-spangled balloon had been pierced, deflating in a long dejected tune of conclusion. This was one of the darkest moments of our society. For all that despair and hubris, this is an era that really appeals to me. It's a huge scar that I want to trace my fingers
Spotlight - Fernanda Suarez Welcome to Spotlight! On this edition we are shining on Fernada Suarez, an illustrator and concept artist best known for her work on Dead of Winter and Ashes: Rise of the Phoenixborn. I spoke to Fernanda, mostly about her work, finding fame, the joys of chocolate, but also (and let’s be real honest here) as an excuse to showcase her ridiculous illustration skills. Content warning: Some images NSFW. Hi Fernanda! You are awesome! Please tell us who you are and why you are awesome. Thank you so 02/10/2017
Welcome to Spotlight! On this edition we are shining on Fernada Suarez, an illustrator and concept artist best known for her work on Dead of Winter and Ashes: Rise of the Phoenixborn. I spoke to Fernanda, mostly about her work, finding fame, the joys of chocolate, but also (and let’s be real honest here) as an excuse to showcase her ridiculous illustration skills. Content warning: Some images NSFW. Hi Fernanda! You are awesome! Please tell us who you are and why you are awesome. Thank you so
Raf Reviews - COIN Part 1 A two part series on my favorite game system. Part 1 is about why I like these games so much. Part 2 will be on which games to try to jump in and try to see what all the fuss is about. Board games are about people. With rare exception, I don’t enjoy playing games alone. The cardboard, the plastic, the wood...it’s all just stuff without friends sitting around the table with you. My favorite games are the ones that rely on your opponents to provide the challenge and the interaction. Even then, 02/02/2017
A two part series on my favorite game system. Part 1 is about why I like these games so much. Part 2 will be on which games to try to jump in and try to see what all the fuss is about. Board games are about people. With rare exception, I don’t enjoy playing games alone. The cardboard, the plastic, the wood...it’s all just stuff without friends sitting around the table with you. My favorite games are the ones that rely on your opponents to provide the challenge and the interaction. Even then,
Charlie's Take - Mafia City In the biz, as the gangster's say, games with a mafia setting are placed in the corner and given the cold shoulder. Everyone is shuffling about, making sure their 10 foot pole doesn't touch the red headed stepchild for fear of the stank rubbing off. Whether it's because the masses are unrefined blockheads or Sofia Coppola ruined the genre for everyone, it's a theme that simply doesn't sell. If that industry notion were flesh and blood I'd empty my Tommy gun’s drum into its rank carcass. Mafia 01/21/2017
In the biz, as the gangster's say, games with a mafia setting are placed in the corner and given the cold shoulder. Everyone is shuffling about, making sure their 10 foot pole doesn't touch the red headed stepchild for fear of the stank rubbing off. Whether it's because the masses are unrefined blockheads or Sofia Coppola ruined the genre for everyone, it's a theme that simply doesn't sell. If that industry notion were flesh and blood I'd empty my Tommy gun’s drum into its rank carcass. Mafia
Raf Reviews - TMNT: Shadow of the Past COWABUNGA! Look you don’t grow up with the name Rafael in the 90’s and not like the Ninja Turtles. Even if they hadn’t been awesome, the sheer number of toys I got for birthdays would have cemented them firmly in my developing brain. Luckily, they were awesome. Now, I was a 90’s kid and as such my association with them was from the campy TV show and not the comics. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shadows of the Past is technically based on the IDW comic series. But that’s ok. It’s still chock full 01/20/2017
COWABUNGA! Look you don’t grow up with the name Rafael in the 90’s and not like the Ninja Turtles. Even if they hadn’t been awesome, the sheer number of toys I got for birthdays would have cemented them firmly in my developing brain. Luckily, they were awesome. Now, I was a 90’s kid and as such my association with them was from the campy TV show and not the comics. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shadows of the Past is technically based on the IDW comic series. But that’s ok. It’s still chock full