Jamaica

This is without a doubt one of the greatest board games I have ever played.

Jamaica is a pirate-themed strategic racing game where players compete to see who can collect the most booty while sailing around the island of Jamaica.

Why This Game Rocks?

This game is beautiful. The design is stunning and the mechanics are very impressive.

This isn't your average racing game, and by this, I mean that you don't simply roll the dice and move your piece. There is quite a bit of strategy involved in this game that makes it so much fun!

The person who is the "Captain" for the round, rolls both dice. Everyone then secretly decides what card they will play for the round. After the cards are decided, and placed face down on the table, the Captain decides what order to place the dice (see below).

How the dice effects the cards can be seen below. Players look at the symbols on the top-left, and top-right of their cards. In this case, the top card below (the image of the seagull and boat) was played. At the top of the card there are two symbols, in this case two green arrows. This player would move their boat forward the number of spaces on the dice to the left, and then they would move forward the number of spaces on the dice to the right. The next card shows a green arrow and a symbol representing food. The player would move forward the number of spaces as indicated by the dice on the left, and then collect as much food as indicated by the dice on the right. There are other symbols, including move backwards, collect gold, and collect gunpowder.

The board contains different markers. In the below picture, we can see three small squares and a number 5 in what looks like a yellow circle. Players that land on the square markers must pay food tokens (in this case, three food tokens). The green player would have to pay five gold coins for landing on the space with the yellow circle symbol.

If a player is unable to pay the full amount required, they must pay all that they can, and then move backwards one space. Sometimes a player will have to move back multiple spaces (i.e. they land on a pay three food tokens space. If they only have two food tokens, they must pay all two, and then move one space backwards. Let's pretend it's a space requiring four gold. If they only have three gold coins, they must pay all three coins and then move backwards one space).

Other aspects of this game include battling opponents that are on the same space as you. If you win by rolling a greater number on the battle dice (or by added gunpowder tokens you might have played before you rolled the dice), then you can steal something from the opposing ship!

After a player lands in Port Royal, having completed a loop around the island, points are calculated (gold coins and additional treasures picked up along the way). The player with the highest number of points wins the game.

JAMAICA is a whole lot of fun. I have never played a bad game of Jamaica (win or lose). This is an easy-to-teach, easy-to-learn game with lots of fun, strategy, and laughter. The box gives the added bonus appearance of a treasure chest when laid on its side, making this an attractive addition to the game shelf.

I can't wait to play again!

Color Clash

Color Clash is a rather enjoyable game for 1-8 players. The instructions come complete with rules for two 3+ player games, four 2+ player games, and two 1 Player games.

I played this game for the first time today (just the 1 player versions), and I was quite impressed with how much fun I had. In this game, there are six colors - orange, green, yellow, red, blue, and purple. Players can match tiles by color of chameleon (picture), color of written word, and written word. It may seem easy at first, but it can be quite challenging.

A very easy to learn, teach-yourself-game, fast-paced, and fun for kids and adults (although, I would recommend this more for the younger audiences).

Splendor

This is a fairly simple game to learn, with simple yet rewarding game mechanics. During the game players collect different gems. They then use those said gems to purchase cards of different value (points). The player to collect 15 points first wins the game.

I couldn't be happier with this game. The artwork is brilliant, and the gem tiles are top notch (heavy and colorful). While it is a fairly simple game to learn, it does take strategy to win. If you plan things right, it can take an instant for the game to turn in your favor, making this even more fun and competitive than it already is. I really haven't had a bad game yet. 

ESCAPE - The Curse of the Temple

Think you have what it takes to escape a cursed temple? You and other adventurers are trapped, and you have only ten minutes to banish the curse and escape before the temple collapses! What are you still waiting for? RUN!!!

If you are looking for a fast-paced, adrenaline-pumping, dice-rolling, ever-changing adventure, then this one is for you! Equipped with a CD, the adventure begins when the music starts.This Indiana Jonesesque adventure has two music tracks, and a sand timer (for those who are unable to use the CD). 

Rolling their five dice, players move from room to room, activating magic stones while trying to find the exit. But watch out! There are lots of obstacles in the way, and if you don't work together it may just mean more trouble. Just remember: If all of you don't escape the temple before the time runs out, then you all lose the game.

Being a huge fan of Indiana Jones, really enjoyed this game. It's great with a small group (up to 5 players) or even by yourself. It is an attractive, well-designed cooperative game. 

Alhambra

Being a favorite in our collection, Alhambra does not disappoint, and has become a game that I am always willing to play. This simple tile-laying game has a lot to offer.  Players simply collect cards of certain value, and use those cards to purchase different tiles (building, garden, etc...). They then place those tiles together to form a beautiful city with walls, fountains, and buildings.

The player with the most of each color tile receives the most points. There is also an additional way to get points during the game, and that is determined by the longest wall that you have in your city.

(3)

The game is split into three different scoring sessions, the first two being unexpected. Whenever a scoring card is drawn from the card pile (see 3), the game is paused and scores are calculated. Two score cards are placed at different spots in the deck. When the last tile is pulled from the bag, or box, the final scoring takes place (There are, of course, some additional things that can happen at the end of the game that are not listed here).

Alhambra is a fun game for 2-6 players. There are different versions of this game, including a card and dice version. There are also other games very similar by this company like New York (see below).

While New York is also very fun, being very similar in almost every way, I do prefer Alhambra. The design feels richer, with greater details and colors on the different tiles.

Alhambra is a great game, with top marks.

We Didn't Playtest This at All: A Completely Ridiculous Card Game for 2-10 Fun-Seeking People!

Let's see, I think I'm going to place a bomb in front of Jim.. Oh wait! A dinosaur is sitting in front of him - I can't!

Get ready for the random and exciting (prequel to We Didn't Playtest this Either) game for 2-10 players, where the fun can last anywhere from 1 to 5 minutes, or even seconds. The point of this game is simple: WIN! On your turn, draw a card from the deck, Then, choose a card from your hand to play. Follow the card's instructions, and have fun. But watch out! Everyone has cards too, and they just might have one they can play at anytime to change things up. Before you know it, there could be zombies attacking the playing field, dragons soaring, bombs a-blazing...or even a good old-fashioned Rock Paper Scissors battle.

This game is simple, fun, and hilarious. It is great for small and large groups of people that want a random good time.

I definitely recommend picking up a copy of this game. Just watch out... You never know when a Kitten Ambush might be waiting for you.

Game of the Month: Battle Sheep - Flock to Greener Pastures

Our Game of the Month Award goes to Battle Sheep - Flock to Greener Pastures! I was quite surprised when we opened up a copy of this game and discovered just how amazing, fun, challenging, and hilarious it truly is. Hats off to Blue Orange for impressing me once again, and for bringing us a game that truly leaves us wanting more.

The first time I opened the box of Battle Sheep, I played it over ten times. And even after that I wanted to play it again. I went home and began to create my own "home version" of the game because I did not have my own copy. We played with paper and pennies, calling it "BATTLE PENNIES" just for fun. Even with our poor makeshift version, we ended up playing it over and over.

This game is definitely a keeper, and owns a permanent place on our game shelf. It's fun, easy to learn, fast, and has a very high level of replay-ability with near limitless possibilities.

Mr. Jack

This is a really fun, yet challenging deduction game for two players. One player assumes the role of Jack the Ripper, disguised as one of the eight characters.  The other player assumes the role of the investigator. In Mr. Jack, the investigator is tasked with unmasking Mr. Jack (a.k.a. the Ripper) before he can escape the city of Whitechapel. If he succeeds in escaping, the investigator loses the game.

Mr. Jack is a very beautifully designed game. My wife and I absolutely love the game play, and the different roles of the characters.  It is easy to learn, a fairly quick game, and one of the best in our collection.

River Dragons

This is a really great game for 2 - 4 players. I have yet to play it with 6, and I can imagine the chaos, which would probably still be fun. This game is very beautiful, with great production value.

This has been a game that my wife and I have introduced to friends to get them into more board games. It's fun and can be quite challenging at times. The rules are so simple and placed on one sheet, making it very easy to learn. There are two sides of the board (one for beginners and the other for experienced players) and both work fine.

I have only a few complaints about this game. The pieces can get knocked over pretty easily. I do wish the stones were a little bit bigger to lay the wooden planks on. When you get three planks on one stone I've noticed they tend to fall off pretty easily.

Overall an amazing game. My wife and I love it so much. I bought it thinking it would be more for kids, but it ended up being fun for everyone. It is challenging at times to make you plan out a good strategy, while easy enough for kids to learn.