Welcome to the future. And that future is now. Your table top has never felt so alive as it does now. With litalry things popping out from a 2D landscape to the third, tactile dimension. But getting there is not an easy road, as with anything adventurous and experimental as this. ArmPal sees you arm wrestling against an opponent, without your arm. And technically without “the wrestling.” Hydraulical controllers will manipulate a “wooden” robot Arms that will pick up objects with a claw, a pale or a magnet, in a race to do more or better than your opponent. But is a 10-15 hour investment in the construction of these animatronical trees worth it? ​

This is an Ikea type game. So straight off the bat, this may deter some of you as there is a lot of construction involved before play can commence. But not me, as I like buying this Sweedish furniture and proving to my wife that I am better than her at at least one thing. In it’s modestly “Kemet” sized box, you’ll find lots of laser cut wood to punch. Screws. Springs. Pumps. Pipes. Instructions and an assortment of other tiny things. Oh! And some wooden cubes. Blisters and shouting are not included but may arrive at some stage. Neither are there tools, which you will have to provide yourself. Things like a screwdriver, scissors, wax to mention a few. One of the things that surprised me is that there were no rules! This is a game, right? What will I be playing after my time and effort was used in the construction of this high tech marvel? Well apparently, there are three game modes which were shown to me in a promotional video. ​

​The three game modes include:

• Stack Tower - in which players use their clawed Arms to create a tower with the wooden cubes, one after the other. The player who knocks over the tower or fails to place a cube onto it loses.
• Excavator SeeSaw - using a digger pale attracted to the Arms, this is a race to scoop up as many items (that look like chickpeas (not included in the game) and dump them successfully in a scale. When the timer runs out (sand timer also not included), whoevers side of the scale is lower due to the weight, is the winner.
• Magnetic Crane Transfering Race - of course has magnets attached to the Arms, that will pick up paperclips (another item that is not in the box) and again place into the scales to determine the winner. 

The publishers also leave it up to you to create your own game and rules, which is a nice touch. Maybe there will be a site created so people can share their ideas, LittleBigPlanet style?​

​Then there are the pipes. Black rubber pipes that you have to cut to size and number...with a black pen! Not really effective. We tried stickering them, but they just fell off, although we did manage to muddle through and attach them in the right places. These were a nightmare as they had to be squeezed into small holes in small confined spaces (with chubby fingers). This tried my patience for a while. Forcing them into position was hard work. Also attaching them to the syringe like pumps. Have I put them on properly? As some could slide on easier and further than others. Leaving me with the sensation of nervousness, and wonder, will the water pressure blow them off? ​

​This is a game that won't squeeze back in the box. In fact, when constructed it's twice as large as the box, maybe more. This is one of the downsides of this product, the storage. Where do you put it? Most gamers like to get a game out, play it, then put it back in the box and on the shelf. This is not that. Ideally, this is something that you would leave out on your coffee table, workbench or if you're lucky enough to have a hobby room, somewhere on an open table. I know that there are gamers that own a Crokinole table or pool table that is constantly on display. This is a game that fits that category. Mine is sat in the garage and may only come out if we have a barbecue…. and some friends want to have some fun (you thought I was going to say “chuck it on the barbecue”). ​

Now, let me talk about some of the little details of the game before I blurt about how fun it is to destroy your enemies heart encapsulated constructions. If you are playing the master mode, this gives you access to the city cards. There are 16 in the proto that I have, each with a unique power for you, usable once per round. La-Rys gives you 6 wall pieces for free whereas Belyhn lets you use an action token from your opponent. All very powerful and disruptive to the other player. Each is linked to a guild, giving you the additional power of that guild. The strategy cards are the little “take that'' element to the game. Collected at random from round to round, or discarded as a currency to gain you a coin or a two for one swap on another card. These can allow an extra attack or some kind of movement in your kingdom. And there is a card that blocks the action of a previously played card, this is the reason that I say they are “take that”. But the fact that there is more variety, makes it not so annoying when someone plays a nasty card on you. They make you go “that’s cool”. These cards are well laid out, with some sweet artwork and icons that are easy to understand from their descriptions in the rule book. But I feel that the icons could be enlarged a little to make them not so eye squintingly hard to see.​

And therein lies the pleasure of the game. Firing stuff to destroy stuff. I even activated one of my destroyed towers, through a strategy card, as ammo against my enemy. BOOM! It was pleasurable. You shouldn’t worry too much about getting hurt as if you are the player being attacked, you’ll hold the box lid (with a nice backdrop inside) behind your construction to prevent these flying pieces coming off the table and hurting people or destroying something that is not in the game. Again, the components are damn sturdy and solid. This prototype has had a lot of play before it got to me and everything still looks in top condition. Although there was one piece that needed a bit of glue before I got to play. ​

Wargaming 4X Refined! by Syther Gaming
Area control, tabletop space warfare... with a twist!! It's wargaming 4X Refined! 

Includes a unique utilization of cross-genre gaming mechanics generally un-used in wargaming such as drafting, engine building, worker placement and semi co-op components... all wrapped inside of a classic area-control wargame wrapper.
Visually stunning, 2 to 4 player gaming, with a 5th and 6th player via an expansion add-on.
All-new game mechanics such as zero-setup time, and brand new characters unlike anything in gaming that brings the story into the game and the game into the story in a brand new gaming way.

While you come to play "OverBattle: The All War" you leave with an experience that stays with you and drives an exciting level of replayability. Each game is unique and no two setups or experiences will ever be the same.

Over 1000+ pieces, Full color game mats and elements, 40xD12 & 4x D6 color specific dice, 4-Piece Modular Game mats at 30" x 72" total size via 4 sections (76cm X 183cm) for the full deployment, 30" x 36" for 1v1 play (76cm X 92cm). Modular system fits a standard US folding pop-up 6 foot table exactly.

Also utilizes the all-new, multi-tier / multi-dimensional 3D playing combat surface known as the "CASy: Combat Assault System".

But don't just take these words, listen to the explanation I got from the designer himself, in this interview...

​The game will see 2-5 players constructing a board, made of tiles that have two quarters of a gem. Whether they be Amethyst, Citrine, Emerald, Ruby, Sapphire, or even the white joker style Diamond. Each tile will have a combination of any of the two colours that represent these precious stones. Beware though, there are not as many diamonds as you think there will be. All of these tiles are stacked into two piles of 40. Each player will then draw a hand size of two tiles and the starting play then places a random tile from the stack to create the playing area, before laying one of their two tiles. Also, players will have a number of coloured chips, depending on the number of players playing. These are to mark gems that you have completed. They also indicate the end of the game when one player has placed all their chips out or when there are no more tiles to draw from the two piles. Once the endgame has been activated, the game will stop before the starting player gets to take their next turn. Meaning all players have the equal amount of turns. ​

​So far so simple. One of the nice restricting features is that the playing area is confined to an 8 by 8 grid size, which adds a little tactical play to the game. There is a rule that will allow you to go beyond this size but only if a player is blocked and cannot place one of their two tiles out successfully. Each tile placed must touch another and all sides must have matching colours, which is simple to do as two sides will be one colour and the other another. Or even simpler, all sides will have the same. Making this an easy game for anyone to get a grasp of. Young or old. Again there is an exception to the rules if that is not possible to play a tile, and in the few games that I've had, this had happened. A blocked player that has nowhere to place any of their two tiles will place one of their tiles face up in front of them and draw another, thus ending their turn. If on another turn they can place this face up tile into a space, they will have to do so and then play a tile from their hand. Always before play passes to the next player, you draw up to your hand size of two. Which can be a little restricking for some players. More about that later. ​

I can say that the experience of playing this family style game is very therapeutic and relaxing. There never seems to be any real stress to find a space to place one of your tiles unlike in other games of this ilk. But then again, you are kind of restricted to placing a tile either in one, two, possibly three or 0 positions on the board. This leads to giving your opponents the chance to score points. Only in a two player game does this “forcing” feel strategic. Playing a tile to make it possible to complete a gem, but only if your opponent has exactly the correct two coloured tile. And with that, if you have the opportunity to finish a gem, you will probably dive straight in, regardless of the total value of this precious stone. Then hope for the best that a contract matches the value of one of your completed circles on the board. ​

(Remember, this is a first impression and not a final review. The game was played on a well rendered prototype, of an upcoming Kickstarter game. These words and thoughts are of a one-time play play with a 3 player count.)

If you're looking for a game with a unique theme and gameplay, here is a game that should pique your interest. Theme wise, Red Outpost is about the Russians winning the Space Race. And instead of going to the moon, they crash on another planet and start inhabiting it. Mechanics wise, this is a worker displacement, resource gathering and and Influence scoring game. Where are all the workers and resources are shared between all players. But this is no “co-op game” by any shape or means. Players are going to be scrambling to manipulate these workers for their own benefits and mainly trying to hold the others back from doing the same. Each, trying to keep their head about the water, at the same, submerging the heads of others.

​The ruleset for the game is very simple. You’ll move an unused worker to a unique empty location, place one of your influence tokens on that workers image, possibly change the mood of that worker, before taking the action as indicated on the location. As simple as that. Although so your first game, you may occasionally forget to place out your influence token. This can sometimes screw up the game. Or at least your score, if you forget to do so. But that's an easy player error to make in your first game. Quickly forgotten in this very rapid, slick, elegant game. To help the game run smoother, it has its own simple to read, iconography at each location. This, players will pick up very quickly and make your gaming experience run very smoothly. But with all that being said, this game is easy to pick up and play (with a possible error...lol) but is no easy game to master. 

​The game is played over 2 rounds, which represents 2 days. Each day is broken down into 5 phases. Morning, first half of the day, lunch, second half of the day and evening. All of the six unique workers will start their day in the barracks, sleeping. Waking up from they're wonderful dreams and preparing for that hard but yet satisfying day of work. In the morning, lunch and evening phase, each player will be able to move a worker to a new unoccupied location. Whereas as in the first and second half of the day, players will activate all available workers until they have all been utilised. This may mean at certain player accounts, some players will activate two workers while others only one in this phase. Here there are some little thematic ideas that play into each of these times of the day. For example, any workers that are not moved in the morning phase will sleep in and instantly be satisfied, augmenting their mood level. That's true in the real world, yes? The kitchen space is only open at lunchtime, but you're not obliged to send a worker out there to elevate their mood. Again in the evening, the barracks is the only place that you can send a worker. And not all workers will go there, but any that do will have their mood increased. 

​To add a bit of variety to this, the game comes with 3 morning and evening tokens. These can be placed out randomly or in set locations, rendering them closed for that part of the day. Reducing the amount of locations during two phases of a round. This is not as restrictive as it sounds, although it will make a few players feel claustrophobic, as they become first play and have free reign of the board. But that one action they want to do is not available! But it will add a little more to your thought process from game to game. Plus with the restriction of only one worker being able to move to an unoccupied location, will consume a little bit of your grey matter.

​Let's talk a little bit about these locations and what they do. Most of the locations will gather resources, like wheat from the fields or coal from the coal mine. A few of them will allow you to draw cards to see whether you collect resources, like whether you catch a fish from the lake. All resources are pooled together the storehouse. For each resource your worker collects, you will move your token on the production wheel. Once it passes a certain space, you're received two points and a crystal, which is its own unique resource. More about these crystals later. If at the end of your turn, you have added a third resource of the same type already stored there, you’ll score some additional points. This is an action that can be stolen from you by other players, so don’t try to think too far ahead. Two of these resources are removed while the other is placed on a resource score track. At first, this track will only give you one point. Over time, as more players contribute to this resource gathering, that score we'll go up to a level before caping itself to a solitary point. Making resource gathering important but at the same time only at certain stages in the game. As the game goes on, players may be forced to collect resources and add them to the pool, which in turn may lead to another player scoring off of that action. 

​Other locations may require the aforementioned crystals. Going to the beer house will allow you to spend a crystal that will allow you to manipulate the mood tracks of 2 of the workers. While going into the palace will allow you to drop off a crystal to contribute towards the construction. Leading to another way to score. If at the end of the game you have contributed the most, there are some bonus points up for grabs. Going to the storehouse will allow you to use the resources to manipulate mood or collect crystals. Going to the administration will allow you to move other players influence around. This all sounds great and well, but most of these locations also have benefit or malediction depending on the worker that is sent there. Again this ties in with the theme of the game and can lead to some interesting decision making. 

​Let’s say you send the minor to go mine at the mine (that's a lot of mines). This will benefit you with 2 coal resources and no penalty. As the minor is used to working in the mine and will not be upset with the working conditions. Send any other worker to the mine, and as they are not at proficient as the minor, they only collect one coal. And as they are not accustomed to working in the mind, and their mood will decrease by 2 to. Making them a very sad bunny. And that's how most of the locations work. They will give you something but they also may change the mood of the worker that you have used to do that task. Each space thematically ties in with the worker. Another example is the commissar, who will lose morale if they visit the beer house (dull chap) but will gain morale every time another worker goes to the palace to contribute to the construction. 

​So I have done a lot of talking about morale, moods and influence. These are all important at the end of each day, as they will also add points to your game. Or lose them! Once the workers have gone to bed, your tally each of your your influence markers that you have used on each of the workers. If you have the most or are joined for the most influence on one of these meeple, you will gain or lose points depending on their mood. This adds an entire heavier level of planning in regards to just sending “so and so” over there to do this or that. It also prevents a player from using the same I'm working over and over again, due to too many of the locations making them sad rather than happy. Added to that is the restriction of only six different workers, which will force players to play dirty. Maybe leaving behind the last worker for you to influence, knowing they are on negative points. Just like real life, if we are all contributing to make this world better, but stabbing each other behind their backs. 

This influence and mood scoring track is probably the hardest ball to juggle in the game. Sometimes it feels just like luck that you have been left with a certain meeple to manipulate or a certain location due to others being occupied. But that's part of the give-and-take of the game. Using a character and figuring out how to get a special bonus in a special location but also penalizing yourself we'll have you head scratching for awhile as you search to see if it is beneficial in the long run. But this can be overthrown by another who is quicker or wiser enough to manipulate the workers moods.

​Is this all sounds too simple for you, then don't fret. There are also some special cards that you can add to your game that will make your decisions a bucket load more interesting. At the beginning of the game you can be dealt two cards. One location and one worker. Each has its own extra benefit when you either visit that location or use that worker. This variant of the game that we played with, did make the decision making process of your action a hell of a lot more interesting. Adding an additional level of though as you want to use that power, but it may hamper other benefactory ideas further along. Also these cards are open knowledge to all the other players, they may deliberately occupy that worker or location, just say you can't benefit from your special powers. I would definitely recommend playing with this variant if you have a group of experienced gamers.

So this game has a lot of interesting and thematic ideas in tangled inside it's small framework. And left me with the sensation of playing a kind of Mediaeval Academy meets Outlive hybrid. Even though the artwork and theme were reminiscent of Scythe. And a game does seem to be a cold logical puzzle, where you are having to adapt to what is available and whatever the other players are doing. Saying that, one detractor from the game is the luck factor. 

​There are two small decks of cards located next to the lake and the spaceship. Going to these locations is a bit of pot luck, as some of the cards don't contain resources, but a whopping big red “X”. Meaning there is nothing there and you have practically wasted an action. This can definitely sting you. And players adapted to this by not going to the spaceship or they use the fisherman and only the fishermen to go fishing at the lake. This guaranteed a resource. And then there's the nasty action which a player can take. Sending the bureaucrat to the administration office. Or spending crystals to create mood swings,not only to the workers, but also the players. This then just blatantly let's them move one of your disks of influence from a worker that will probably get you lots of points to another that's going to give you negative points. This can sometimes feel like a real kick in the nuts action to take. Even if it costs a crystal. Points win the games, while crystals can also contribute. 

​Apart from that, this is a real solid and interesting euro game. It seems well balanced in how you get points. Either from scoring from resource collecting and crystal depositing. To the influence and mood scoring. Though some players may have trouble trying to manage this second part of scoring or losing points, as it is player dependent. Plus it's a mechanism that is not frequently used, worker displacement and influence. Have to play with the leftovers of other players feels refreshing and also a little confusing. Possibly not everyone's cup of tea. 
​
Even for a prototype, the components are very well realised for a euro style game. The rule book was very easy to digest, with a few added corrections and clarifications, it is near perfect. And the footprint of the box itself will not eat up a lot of shelf space. But saying all that, some of that is subject to change depending on the Kickstarter. There may be other components that add to the size of the book. Other rules that will add to the replayability or upgrades. These we will see in time. But if you're looking for a different type of solid and fluid euro, that has you thinking in a different fashion, as well as being fantastic themed, this is one you should be clicking on.

Starting on the 10th of September, is a Kickstarter based on a war that took place not far away from where we live. The Ardenne. 

​During one of the toughest battles fought in World War 2: the Battle of the Bulge, you face the difficult task to conquer three important roads in the Belgian city of Bastogne.

Clash of the Ardennes is played by 2 players, facing each other. The game board (+/- 20 x 40cm or 7.90 x 15.75 inch) exists out of 7 roads, which are empty at the start. Each player has 21 units and 4 special units at his or her disposal.

Each player takes turns. Each turn consists out of 4 action points. You can place a unit (1 action point), retreat a unit (2 action points), retreat a blocked unit (3 action points) or move a unit forward (2 action points). Eventually you will make contact with your opponent (clash) and need to decide what to do. Attack, block or retreat.

After different clashes on different roads, someone will eventually conquer a road by hitting the end of that road. He or she has 1 point. 2 to go...
​
Beware of a few things. Try not to use all of your units in the beginning, because at the end you will need them even more! Use the strength of your special units, they make a big difference. AND watch out for the spy!

(la version française est ci-dessous)

​Everybody’s gaming experience will always be different. Due to the type of game played, who you're playing with, the facility of the games rules and whether you win or lose. This list could go on and on with other little points. But all these things contribute to whether you have a good or bad time sat around a table with others. But have you ever wondered if the table your sat at makes any difference!

The mode at the moment is to get a top quality game table. There are lots of companies out there now making custom-made tables for your classical board games, role-playing or even Warhammer. Having the space in your home and the money to afford one of these life-changing pieces of furniture, is a problem that a lot of us gamers have. Luckily, I am here to talk to you about a product that might be suitable for you. As it won't cost as much and does not take up as much space as one of these other luxury items. I'm talking about a Gamer Topper.

The Game Toppers were successful Kickstarter back in 2017. Unfortunately they were only available in the States. But guess what? They're coming back to Kickstarter. And this time they're is European distribution. The Game Topper was an idea thought up by my podcasting buddy Kevin Burkhardsmeier (Burky & Badger Board Game Babble). It's a cost-effective approach to having a gaming table in your home by simply sitting it on your existing table. Kevin has been generous enough to give me one of these Toppers to test out, and that's what I've been doing for the past 8 months. So let me delve into what this experience has been like. ​

So let's start with the game topic itself. It's two pieces of wood and aluminium, that are crafted in a way that they will lock together simply and create a sturdy table top. The aluminium created the frame for which the wood base forms the play area. On the underside of each piece are strips of this special rubber that grip to your existing table. And when I say grip, I mean it. Even with the table topper assembled, when I shake the Game Topper or try to slide it, the only thing that moves is the actual table that it is sat on. And that is impressive. It also does not leave a mark on my very expensive dining table or my very cheap plastic folding table. ​

On the aluminium frame there is a small groove that runs all along the topside.This is used as a card holder or token holder. And is set just far enough back that you can still place your elbows on and look at your cards. There is also another groove,  slightly larger army outside of this rail. This is used to clip in accessories for the Game Topper. Such as Cup holders, component holders, writing trays and many other little things soon to be announced. These are very practical, especially as drinks holders will keep drinks off the table and security locked in. Although the version I have does not accommodate for cups of tea, (this is something that will change in the next version) it does hold every other type of glass and bottle. Another thing that the real will hold is a dice tower, made by Daedalus Productions. These are a nice addition to your game night, although you have to position these so the dice do not disrupt your game. ​

Finally there are the game mats. There are selection available, all with different designs. And they are neoprene. The 3mm thickness makes them slightly bouncy for your dice and make picking up cards with no fingernails, a doddle. Having a different colour map or a different themed mat adds a little fresh air two games that you've played many times. Choosing the right that also makes your game top of the table a little bit more. And they are also ever so easy to clean with a damp cloth. And talking about cleaning... ​

My Game Topper was delivered to me at the Essen spiel, where it was used as a demo table. I brought it back home to France and have used it many times with my friends. It has also been used as a demo table at the UK games Expo. That's a lot of travelling and a lot of grubby hands touching my stuff. But looking at it, you could not see that history. It still looks new and pristine as if it would just been purchased from the shop. A lot of that might be welcome to the wonderfully padded carry case that was given with the Topper. The two parts sliding quite easily although carrying it by yourself is quite a chore. But luckily it comes with two side handles so two people can transport this with ease.

I think that's about all I can say about it. So in summary, is this an accessory everybody should have? ​

(a new wood engraved trim)

Well let me tell you about my experience. For me, the top-up is a comfort as well as a luxury item. Adding an air of Elegance to every game that I have played on it. It definitely transforms my plastic table into a god. And I can't imagine playing without it. It looks graceful and it feels cozy and relaxing.Because of its extra height that it gives to your table, you'll be sat a little bit more upright. And the rounded corners, although cold to the touch due to the aluminium, do not annoy me like the hard edges of another table. I could rest my arms there all day. On the downside, whilst sat on my folded table, the top of itself actually concaves with the table. This leads me to worry that there may be some damage to it later on in his life. Although there is not the moment, which is good. Another bummer is the cup holders not holding mugs or tea cups, but as I said this is something that has been addressed with a new and improved cup holder. And last of my third world problems is where do I put my mats when I am not using them! Again, a storage solution is being looked into for the next Kickstarter.

I would say that this was something that you should invest in if you are looking for a gaming table. Also if you're a game publisher. As these make great little demo tables for your conventions and festivals. But don't just take my word for it, let's see what Arnauld and Guilou say:

Look out for the Kickstarter out which is starting on the 25th of June. ​

L’expérience de jeu d’une partie sera toujours différente selon les individus. Par exemple, elle peut dépendre du type de jeu joué, des personnes avec qui vous jouez, de la facilité des règles, du matériel et aussi du fait que vous gagniez ou perdiez. Cette liste de raisons pourrait continuer encore et encore. Toutes ces choses contribuent au final à savoir si vous allez passer un bon ou un mauvais moment assis autour d'une table avec d'autres joueurs. Mais vous êtes-vous déjà demandé si la table en elle-même avait un impact sur votre plaisir de jeu?

La mode actuelle consiste à acquérir une table de jeu de qualité supérieure. Il existe de nombreuses entreprises qui fabriquent actuellement des tables sur mesure pour vos jeux de société classiques, vos jeux de rôle voire même des jeux de figurines comme Warhammer. Il faut l’avouer avoir la chance d’avoir une de ces tables changent la vie. Mais ce n’est pas facile pour beaucoup de joueurs: manque de place, coûts trop importants... Heureusement, je suis ici pour vous parler d'un produit qui pourrait vous convenir. Une solution qui coûtera moins cher et qui ne prendra pas autant de place qu’une table de luxe. Je parle ici d'un Gamer Topper.

Les Game Toppers ont remporté un succès sur Kickstarter en 2017. Malheureusement, ils n'étaient jusque là disponibles qu'aux États-Unis. Mais devinez quoi? Ils reviennent sur Kickstarter. Et cette fois, c’est pour la distribution européenne. Le Game Topper est une idée imaginée par mon ami podcasteur Kevin Burkhardsmeier (Burky & Badger Board Game Babble). C'est une approche intéressante pour avoir une table de jeu dans votre maison, en effet vous l’installez simplement sur votre table existante. Kevin a été très généreux pour me donner l’un de ces Toppers dans l’optique de le tester, et c’est ce que je fais depuis huit mois. Alors laissez-moi vous plonger dans ce que cette expérience m’a procurée.

Commençons donc avec le Game Topper lui-même. Il s’agit de deux pièces de bois et d’aluminium conçues de telle manière qu’elles se verrouillent simplement entre elles et créent un plateau solide. L'aluminium a créé le cadre dont la base en bois constitue l'aire de jeu. Sur le dessous de chaque pièce se trouvent des bandes de ce caoutchouc spécial qui s’adapte à votre table existante. Et quand je dis grip, je le pense vraiment. Même lorsque le plateau de la table est assemblé, lorsque je secoue le Game Topper ou que je tente de le faire glisser, la seule chose qui bouge est la table sur laquelle il est assis. Et c'est impressionnant. Cela ne laisse pas non plus de traces sur ma très chère table à manger ou ma très bonne table pliante en plastique.

Sur le cadre en aluminium, vous verrez une petite rainure tout du long sur le dessus. Elle sert de porte-cartes ou de porte-jetons. Ce petit espace est plutôt bien situé, à tel point que vous pouvez toujours placer vos coudes et regarder vos cartes. Il y a aussi un autre creux, légèrement plus grande et en retrait. Ceci est utilisé pour clipser des accessoires pour le Game Topper. Tels que des porte-gobelets, des porte-composants, des bacs d'écriture et bien d'autres petites choses qui seront annoncés prochainement. Ces accessoires peuvent se révéler très pratiques, ainsi par exemple les buveurs garderont leurs boissons hors de la table. C’est une sorte de sécurité en plus non négligeable pour le bien de vos jeux. Bien que la version que j’ai ne permet pas de poser des tasses de thé, (c’est quelque chose qui changera dans la prochaine version), le porte-gobelet est valable pour tous les autres types de verre et de bouteille. Vous pouvez aussi y insérer une tour à dés, surtout celle réalisée par Daedalus Productions. C’est un ajout intéressant lors de votre soirée, bien que vous deviez bien les positionner afin que les dés ne perturbent pas votre partie.

Enfin, il y a les tapis de jeu que vous poserez sur le Game Topper. Il existe une sélection disponible, tous avec des conceptions différentes. Ils sont en néoprène. L'épaisseur de 3mm est parfait pour faire rouler vos dés sans trop de bruit et permet de ramasser ses cartes facilement sans utiliser ses ongles, un bonheur. Disposer d’un tapis en forme de cartes ou de couleur différente ou un tapis thématique suivant le type de jeu ajoute un peu de variété supplémentaire à deux jeux auxquels vous avez joué plusieurs fois. Choisir le bon à chaque partie peut augmenter le plaisir de jeu et le plaisir visuel de votre Game Topper. Sans compter qu’ils sont aussi très faciles à nettoyer notamment avec un chiffon humide. Peu importe les traces, tout se retire facilement et reste propre…

Mon Game Topper m'a été livré lors du Spiel d’Essen, où il a servi de table de démonstration. Je l'ai rapporté chez moi en France et je l'ai utilisé plusieurs fois avec mes amis. Il a également été utilisé comme table de démonstration à la UK Games Expo. Je vous laisse imaginer le nombre de voyages et de mains sales qui l’ont essayé ou touché. Mais en le regardant, vous ne pourriez pas vous en douter. Il semble toujours aussi neuf et vierge, comme s'il venait juste d'être acheté dans le magasin. Une mallette de transport merveilleusement rembourrée est fournie avec le Topper. Les deux parties qui le composent glissent assez facilement à l’intérieur, même si le transport par soi-même peut être difficile. Mais heureusement, il est livré avec deux poignées latérales pour que deux personnes puissent le transporter facilement et sans que cela soit trop lourd.

Je pense que c'est à peu près tout ce que je peux en dire. En résumé, est-ce un accessoire que tout le monde devrait avoir?​

(une nouvelle garniture gravée sur bois)

Eh bien, laissez-moi vous raconter mon expérience. Pour moi, le Topper est à la fois un produit de luxe et un produit de confort. Cela donne de l'élégance en plus à chaque jeu joué dessus. Cela transforme définitivement ma simple table en plastique en un dieu ludique. Et je ne peux plus imaginer jouer sans. Le Topper donne un air gracieux, classieux. De plus, il est confortable et relaxant. En raison de la hauteur supplémentaire qu'il donne à votre table, vous serez assis un peu plus droit. Et les coins arrondis, bien que froids au toucher à cause de l'aluminium, ne me gênent pas autant que les bords durs et souvent pointus d'une autre table normale. Je pourrais reposer mes bras dessus toute la journée. En revanche, assis sur ma table pliée, le dessus du Topper suit le mouvement de celle-ci. Cela m'amène à craindre qu'il ne soit endommagé plus tard dans sa vie. Pour le moment, ce n’est pas le cas, ce qui est plus que bien. Un autre inconvénient provient des porte-gobelets. Les anciens ne pouvaient pas accueillir de mug ou de tasses à thé, mais, comme je l'ai dit, c'est un problème qui a été résolu avec un nouveau porte-gobelets amélioré. Enfin, le dernier de mes problèmes du “Tiers-Monde”, c'est: “où dois-je mettre mes tapis quand je ne les utilise pas!?!” Là encore, une solution de stockage est à l’étude pour le prochain Kickstarter.

Je dirais que le Game Topper est un produit dans lequel vous devriez investir si vous recherchez une table de jeu. Si vous êtes éditeur de jeux, cette table peut aussi vous faciliter la vie. Les Game Topper font de très bonnes petites tables de démonstration pour vos conventions et festivals. Mais ne vous fiez pas uniquement à ma parole, voyons ce qu’en disent Arnauld et Guilou:

Ne ratez pas le Kickstarter qui commence le 25 juin.​

I am that player, always referencing line from films while thinking that I'm going to win. And what better way to do that than in a game that encourages it.

What is your favourite film to quote? 
Mine is Ghostbusters (you'll be surprise what games it works with)

"In an alternative near future, Badass Force is the name of the most popular live show of the ultra-net. Like The Ninja Warriors before it and Big Brother before that, contestants go into a battle arena, not as themselves, but as someone else. Before the show became a household name, historical leaders were pitted against one another. All due to the holographic projects suits the contestants ware. Yes, holographic technology is here and over the course of many years, many players have gone head to head, taken on the looks and skill of Napoleon, Julius Caesar, Vlad The Impaler and even Cleopatra.

But after a large fire, all historical documents were lost and data destroyed. And the show runners had to find something else to reference. Now, our culture is now limited to the action movies of the end of 20th century / early 21st century and many of those recordings have deteriorated. And it is these distorted figured that are now used in the arena. As well as "Guns, Attitude and Bluffing." This week you have finally been selected and it is your turn to fulfill your destiny and prove you are the most Badass in Badass Force!"

Here is a short, abbreviated version of the rules I did for the Funky Sheep team. 

And here is a play-through that brings a tear to my eye. Yes, this video is side splitting demonstration of how the game plays. With jokes a plenty. And, you'll notice that I'm not at my usual office, but at the Holy Grail office.

You'll get to see that cool hammer with the unpronounceable name, plus Jamie Johnson and Owen Hermsen. Big thank you guys for a great game. 

​Join in on this movie fun and on the Kickstarter by clicking the link below.

Racing games are one of the core mechanics that you are introduce to when discovering board games as a child. From Snakes and Ladders to Pachisi. And the many other knock off, cheap crappy games that are aimed at the kids market. Dice are attached to these games as a way to gain speed. Luckily, we have moved on in the regards of this basic Roll n' Move system, that haunts many a memory in gamers. One racing game that stands out and that I love in particular is Jamaica. In fact, it's the only racing game I own.

Less than 10 years ago, I saw this other racing game that looked right up my ally. Being a bit of a Rally fan, (not the real thing but of the Playstation titles) I was tempted to pick up this game, called Rallyman. A game where one player would create a course. Then traverse that course in the quickest possible time, without damaging the car or coming off the track. Then do it again, to try and beat the previous time. And again. And again... I never did get it. Then it sold out! It was a great success and still to this day, has a devoted fan base.

Well, the wheel has turned and the game is coming back. To Kickstarter. And I finally got a chance to test the game, even though it was in prototype form. And I am content with what I saw and how it played. I will not be giving a full review here, as so far, I have only played it once. That will come a little later, so watch this space.

This new, sparkling edition is being brought to us by Holy Grail Games, who gave us "Rising 5" earlier this year. It will feature a new way to play the game. Competitively. Yes, you will be racing on the track against other players, as well as the solo, time attack mode. It also has a new modular board system, so circuits can be made, as well as “point A” to “point B” routes. Lots of new art and probably a lot of new cars to race with. But at it's core, it's the same system.

To play, racers will be given a turn order to play, based on their current speed and position. Then, one by one, they will plot a trajectory with speed dice and then with those dice used, roll them. Either “flat out,” rolling all at the same time. Or steadily, one by one. You'll be trying to avoid the hazard signs, marked on the dice. Rolling too many of these will cause you to damage your car or come off the track. That's it. Simple. But there are also some little detail that will lead to compelling and competitive races. Details like, your tyre choice and the weather conditions. And of course, the course itself. Obstacles and bends will have you changing lanes and slamming on the breaks. All for the glory of crossing the line in first place.​

Zombie board games can be found everywhere. It is one of those subjects that are a recurring theme in our hobby and they don't show any signs of stopping. There are one's that feel like your taking part in a Night of the Living Dead. Other that make you feel you are in 28 Days Later. Some that sink you into the deaths of the worst B-movies of this genera. But this little card game has the feel a little TV show called the Walking Dead.

In that respect, Rick Grimes is always putting a team together and holding up in some place until the hopeful end of this plague of zombies dies out. But every time, his house is given a 'once over' by an outside group of survivors, that will brake up his team or kill a few of them, but most definitely bring an attack of those walkers into the mix as well. And that is what you'll be doing too. Creating a team of like minded characters, use their ability's to your advantage, maybe score some points. Then another player will steal one of your team. Or leave your door open, so the horde walks straight into your camp, slaughtering your friends, leaving you alive to witness this massacre. Just like the Walking Dead, the zombies are the backdrop. The real enemy's are sat to the left of you and the right.

​This is all done in a very light humoured, quick playing card game fashion. Everyone will be given a hand of cards that, at the beginning of the game will be drafted with the others players at the table. Each person taking one card from that hand, to form their own deck, before passing on the remains of those cards to the next player. This gives everyone at the table a chance to analyse what cards are available at the beginning of the game, as there are several types and you may wish to collect a certain set. There are a scattering of zombie cards. Some event cards. And a large chunk of survivors from four different factions and some that belong to none.

On your turn, you'll recruit characters from your hand into your camp. These need to be of the same faction, so no mixing of Hippies and Punks is allowed. Although the neutral characters can slide into any camp without causing a fuss. Each faction has strengths and weakness, plus all of the three ability's that the game has to offer. But all of these are in different moderations. Hippies have more chance of manipulating. Survivalists are more violent with attacks, where as Economists, Punks and the Neutrals have their own holes and forces. This makes choosing the faction you want to use and important stepping block. Although you may have in your hand, three Survivalists that can search but have no other ability.

Having characters in your camp means that you can use these ability's as actions, but within boundaries. Having placed those three search worthy Survivalists, you can only search with one of them. If you had characters with the attack and manipulation action, you could also preform those. One of each of course. Having diverse characters that can do a bit of everything is a bonus, as they can do their secondary action instead. Having this limit puts pressure on the player as they puzzle out, who does what. Added to that is that once a character has activated, it is exhausted and laid on it's side and will only stand back up at the beginning of your next turn. Where as those that are not used are left standing. Technically, they are standing guard of your camp. If any intruders come along, they are your first line of defence and will die in the line of duty, if attacked by the zombies. Or even worse, another player. You will feel the pinch of pressure as you decide, who is expendable and who is useful, every turn.

There is a bonus to having a great number of people in your camp, as you can transform four characters into one victory point. That sounds easy, yes? And it is easy. Plus, using their ability's before hand is big bonus as once this is done, they are removed from the game, leaving your camp empty and your hand a little thin. You'll feel a little naked and unprepared for an attack. Mind you, it probably wont be the zombies that come after you, as they have their own objective. It will be the other players. If you have no one defending your camp, they may attack to make you discard a card from your hand. If that card is the last one in your hand, you are neutralised and have to also hand over one of your victory points to them. Nasty humans!

That bonus of having a great number of cards to do almost anything and everything you want, has a down side. If at the end of your turn, the player with the most cards, in their camp and hand, will become an automatic target for the zombies attack. This doesn't happen once or twice...no, no! This happens every players turn. Now, you may be lucky as there may not be any zombies in the Downtown area of the game, which is the centre of the table. But that will be more than unlikely as zombie will amass when a character defending a camp, is killed. Or when players decide to discard cards zombies from their hand to deplete the likelihood of being the automatic appetiser for the horde. You can also discard and survivors from your hand to Downtown. These stay as survivors that anyone can recruit on their turn, with a bit of manipulation. You'll do all of this, just to avoid being attacked by the horde. But is it worth it. Sometimes it's better to be picked on by the zombies than the other players. What do “THEY” want? To see you defenceless! Or see you have your potentially good cards given away!

This back and forth of eyeing up your opponents and judging whether certain risks are worth taking, are what this game is about. It is a real “Dog eat Dog” world. Of course, players could work together to keep the horde at bay...But that wont happen.

Event cards are also in the mix and can be played at anytime. You may be worried that they can mainly be used to knock over other players sandcastles as “Take That” cards. Fret ye not! They are more defensive. Diverting a zombie attack or give you a few more cards. They even helping cull the numbers in the horde. So, not so Munchkin like as it looks. In fact, the amount of brain strain you will get from this game is quite high. Every card has a variety of uses, not just to keep your score or count the number of zombies. Balancing out your actions by the amount of cards you play, trying not to be the target of the zombie, while at the same time painting a target on your chest, is difficult. There is a lot of ducking an diving, playing lots of action then playing none. It may be a bit back and forth for some players, never feeling like your advancing in the score department. But it is a intense, player dependant and interactive game. The fact that there are different ways to play, are a bonus. You can tweak the game to your suit your level, making it harder or easier. I have only play tested the normal version and therefore can not comment on how these extra ways to play feel. I will say that I do like the idea of the size of the horde as the zombie victory point on the casual mode, in comparison to the zombies having an independent score pile. Coz the zombies can win as well...

Talking of that, a draw back is the fact that the game uses nothing but the cards. They are your VP's, the zombies VP's, the horde and of course, the characters and events. This can sometime get a little confusing on the table and in the aftermath of an action. As you can mistake the horde for their score or even when discarding a card from your hand, does it become a VP, zombie or go straight to the graveyard. Some other components would have been nice. Tokens, markers or a score board to register all this information. Even just a play mat to represents Downtown would benefit the game, indicating where everything goes...Maybe a stretch goal!

The art has a layer of dark comedy behind its grim and bleak cartoon designed. The zombie, well, they all kind of look the same. But the character art is very distinct for each person. You can even tell which character is which from across the table, thanks to the colour pallets used and the shapes and forms of each. On close inspection, you with see lots of in-joke, mainly movie references on the mashed up survivors. For example, Claude-San is a mix of The Bride from Kill Bill and Walter Sobchak from The Big Labowski. As in Munchkin, this humour only traverses the first viewing of each card. After that, it's just a face.

All in all, a game that has teeth and looks that are deceiving. Not so Munchkin as you think. Although the actions are simple, you can accidental mix up rule sets, causing a little confusion at the table. And as simple as those actions are, you will be scratching your head for a while, when your turn comes around. A very, in you face, small and quick playing game that does a lot with minimal components. Playing with fewer player can be very aggressive, as I found in a three player game. More players, I believe would be more fun, as there would be time for you to breath in-between turns, a chance to regroup your camp and your thoughts. You will feel hot and clammy after playing this, just like Rick does after thing turn to crap. And maybe you'll end the game with a splash of blood across your face.