Category: First Impressions

A “First Impression” post will be written after only a few plays of a new game. A “Review” will be written after multiple plays over a longer period of time.

First Impression: Defenders of the Realm

Defenders of the Realm
Defenders of the Realm

Our Liege is in desperate hour! From what grievous cause have these accursed races arisen? Orcs, Dragons, Demons and the Dead make haste towards Monarch City. The King and Countryside of Monarch City is in need of valiant Heroes!

Will you answer the King’s call?

Defenders of the Realm is a 1-4 player game that definitely feels like it was inspired by Pandemic. Cooperative game? Check. Collecting card sets of the same color? Check. Special / unique player abilities? Check. Escalating threat levels as the game progresses? Check. Multiple ways to lose, with only one way to win? Check.

Dragons? No, dragons are not in Pandemic, and of course they are super-way cool. 😎

Side note: I wanted to write this entire post using the Comic Sans font, but WordPress would not let me. Something about the ’90s called and took their font back… Continue reading “First Impression: Defenders of the Realm”

First Impression: Dragon Island

Dragon Island Cover Art
Dragon Island
I am a dragon nerd. If there is something with a dragon on it, I’m definitely interested. If a board game has a dragon on the cover plus dragon meeples inside? It’s a no-brainer purchase. Add to the fact that I found my copy at a local resale shop (all components present and accounted for) and it’s a triple win. But how does the game actually play? Is it fun and not just fun to look at?

In this post I’ll provide my first impressions of Dragon Island based on only one play. I’ll have a more in-depth review coming after I’ve had a chance to play it more. Continue reading “First Impression: Dragon Island”

First Impression: Terraforming Mars

Terraforming Mars Box
Terraforming Mars
Some games have a theme with a very small scope. (I’m looking at you, “Patchwork.”) Some games have a grand tapestry of material to draw from. (Welcome to the table “X-Wing.”) And then there is Terraforming Mars — a game that spans multiple generations as players attempt to convert the planet Mars into an area suitable for human habitation. What a cool concept!

I first heard about this game because, well, everyone on Board Game Geek was talking about it. It’s still in the top 20 of “The Hotness” side banner as I write this. Being a science nerd as well as a game geek it felt like a good fit. I bought it, and then bought expansions, then watched some “How It’s Played” videos…then put the game back on the shelf.

Where was the fun in that? Continue reading “First Impression: Terraforming Mars”

First Impression: Patchwork

Patchwork
Patchwork
My wife loves to quilt. That’s not normally the way I would introduce a board game post, but in this case it’s relevant. There are styles of games my wife likes to play, and styles of games she is less comfortable / interested in. If I can find something that she likes, the odds of being able to play it go up! It also helps if it’s short. Patchwork fits all of those criteria. Continue reading “First Impression: Patchwork”

First Impression: Sagrada

Sagrada
Sagrada
Tonight we pulled out Sagrada — a game that we picked up after our pleasant experience with Azul. Sagrada is a similar game in that you are picking (drafting) things and placing them on a grid. Both games are also based on historical elements: Azul is based on Portuguese wall tiles, and Sagrada is inspired by famous stained glass windows in Spain from the church of the same name.

Sagrada is different (more complex) in that the items you’re drafting are dice with different colors and numbers. How does it look? How does it play? After two games I’m now ready to at least write up my first impressions. A first impression post is written after only a few plays. A full-fledged review will come after longer experience with the game. Continue reading “First Impression: Sagrada”