We used to (and still do) have long discussions in my gaming group as to how much theme affects a game. Obviously theme is more evident in some games (Betrayal...
The next interview in my series, with publishing house R & R Games president Frank DiLorenzo has been posted at my site. Keep on gaming! Tom Vasel "Real men...
Our latest episode of the Dice Tower, episode 8 is up! http://www.gamefest.com/news/news_detail/2818_0_4_0_C/ In this episode, we discuss our top ten "gateway"...
Snorta (Out of the Box Games, 2004 – Chris Childs and Tony Richardson) is one of those games that instantly looks childish and fairly silly. And the toy...
The theme of High Society (Uberplay, 2003 – Reiner Knizia) is one of flaunting your wealth in everyone's faces. Apparently players managed to jump off the...
I'm very pleased with the "Bright Idea Games" line from Playroom Entertainment. They're bringing a group of games that are simple, fun, and do a good bit to...
I first was introduced to Harry's Grand Slam Baseball Game (Out of the Box Publishing, 2004 – Harry Obst) at Origins 2004. Mike Fitzgerald sat me down and...
Easy Come, Easy Go (Out of the Box Games, 2005 – Reiner Knizia) is basically Knizia's version of Yahtzee. If you don't like Yahtzee too much, even as a...
When the rules were explained to me of Saboteur (Z-man Games, 2005 – Frederic Moyersoen), I immediately thought that the game seemed like a combination of...
I'm horrible at remembering my right from my left. Even to this day, when somebody mentions one of the directions, I have to quick make an "L" with both hands...
My latest Interviews by an Optimist, #55, is up at my website.. http://www.thedicetower.com/interviews/int055.htm It's with Peter Hansson, designer of Spank...
When the concept of Run For Your Life, Candyman! (Smirk & Dagger Games, 2005 – Curt Covert) was explained to me, I just started to laugh. During my first...
#56 in my series, Interviews by an Optimist has been posted at my website http://www.thedicetower.com/interviews/int056.htm Mark Jackson was on the spot this...
China (Uberplay, 2005 - Michael Schacht) is based on the same system as Web of Power, a previous game by Schacht. In fact, while I wouldn't consider them...
I am an enemy of Tic-Tac-Toe. The basic idea is fine, but the gameplay is flawed (or solved). During college, I invented dozens of variants instead of...
Episode 9 of the The Dice Tower is up, found here... http://www.gamefest.com/news/news_detail/2899_0_4_0_C/ In this episode, Joe and I argue for a bit about...
Whenever I type a review, I always have the rules in front of me to prevent me from making stupid errors. Yet even thus, I still managed to goof up a major...
# 57 in my series, Interviews by an Optimist, is up at my website... http://www.thedicetower.com/interviews/int057.htm This time I interview Chuck Kallenbach,...
Six months later, # 10 in our series is up at my web site... http://www.thedicetower.com/musings/musings10.htm In this episode, Mike Siggins, Jeremy Avery, and...
The latest in the Musings on... series has been posted. Terra, # 11 in the series, was discussed by myself, Jeremy Avery, and Frank Branham. You can read the...
I run a board game afternoon each Sunday at my church, with quite a few people staying and playing games. The "designer" games see a lot of play, and people...
As I've stated in other reviews, I really enjoy the "Bright Idea Games" line from Playroom Entertainment. The games, most of them designed by Reinhard Staupe,...
In the past couple years, I was introduced by some friends to the Cthulhu mythos, which for the uninitiated, is a literary universe begun by HP Lovecraft. The...
The latest interview in my series, Interviews by an Optimist, is up! http://www.thedicetower.com/interviews/int058.htm This time, I interview Dominic...
Interview # 59 has been posted, of Elena Fyrogeni, an Italian publisher and designer. http://www.thedicetower.com/interviews/int059.htm Tom Vasel "Real men...
More than anything else in a game, I value fun. If a game is just pure fun to play, then I don't care if it has great mechanics, a solid theme, etc. Fun is...
In episode 10 of The Dice Tower, which you can find here.. http://www.gamefest.com/news/news_detail/2971_0_4_0_C/ Joe and I talk about Origins, our top ten...
A criticism that is often levied against "designer" games is that the theme is merely pasted on and simply serves as a method to promote the game's mechanics....
Interviews by an Optimist # 60 has been posted, with Larry Harris, designer of many games, such as Conquest of the Empire, but known most famously for Axis and...
