Category: Reviews

Tiny Epic Dinosaurs packs substantial gameplay into a small box. Players manage dinosaur ranches through worker placement and resource management over six rounds. The game features quality components, including detailed dinosaur meeples and barriers. While the setup is involved, the gameplay flows smoothly with clear phases and meaningful decisions throughout.

A medium-heavy Euro that stands out with its unique theme and clever mechanics. Players manage insights, treat clients, and publish theories while moving around Vienna’s cultural locations. The game shines through its interconnected systems – from the Meeting Table action selection to the multi-layered client treatment process. Demanding but rewarding

Resafa puts you in charge of a merchant empire in ancient Syria. Through clever card play and resource management, you’ll build workshops, establish trade routes, and construct vital water networks. What sets it apart is its unique dual-action card system and the way garden placement integrates with workshop development.

Forges of Ravenshire combines familiar Euro-game mechanics with fresh innovations in dice placement. Players manage their forges through clever resource conversion and guild recruitment. While the mystic token system adds strategic depth, the core gameplay remains accessible. It’s a solid medium-weight game that rewards planning without overwhelming complexity.

In Monster Rock, players lead rock bands through a fantasy city, building their following while avoiding robot police. This 1-5 player game combines area movement with resource management as you write songs, perform gigs, and spark a revolution. The unique stamina system and thematic blend of fantasy/rock elements create engaging gameplay decisions. Works equally well solo or competitively.

The Red Cathedral brings 15th-century Moscow to life as players construct St. Basil’s Cathedral. This euro-style game shines with its innovative dice-driven market system and strategic resource management. While setup can be lengthy, the blend of competitive tower building and tactical planning creates an engaging 80-minute experience that scales well at all player counts.

Black Forest is a 2024 Euro board game for 1-4 players designed by Uwe Rosenberg and Tido Lorenz. Through worker placement and resource management, players build glassmaking empires in 13th-century Germany. The game features innovative production wheels and a modular board, emphasizing strategic depth and replayability while showcasing stunning artwork.

Brass: Birmingham is a strategic economic board game set during the Industrial Revolution, and it may be one of the players’ all-time favorites. It’s a sequel to the original Brass, designed by Martin Wallace and Gavan Brown. Players act as entrepreneurs in 19th-century Birmingham, developing industries like coal, iron, cotton, and beer. This fantastic board game is ideal for 2-4 players and typically lasts 2-3 hours.

Onitama is a two-player abstract strategy game inspired by martial arts. This board game features a 5×5 grid, five pawns per player, and 16 move cards. Players use cards to move pawns, aiming to capture the opponent’s master or reach their temple. The rotating card mechanic of this terrific board game ensures unique gameplay each time, offering both simplicity and depth.

Agricola Family Edition is a streamlined version of Uwe Rosenberg’s classic farming strategy game. It features worker placement mechanics, resource management, and farm development over 14 rounds. Players build rooms, plow fields, raise animals, and grow their families. The game balances accessibility for beginners and younger players and offers strategic depth for experienced gamers.

The Quacks of Quedlinburg is a push-your-luck board game in which players play as quack doctors brewing potions. They draw ingredient chips from their bags to fill cauldrons, aiming to score points while avoiding explosions. The game features various colored chips with unique abilities, a catch-up mechanism, and fortune-teller cards that add random events. It balances luck and strategy.