The space business is finally booming. The stars contain countless different races, all of which have one thing in common: everyone needs something. And it doesn't matter if it's bananas, snow, a pile of slime or electronics. This is the time to buy a spaceship with a large enough cargo space and set off. And you can count on it - you will have your own ship, as well as the desire for profit. All this awaits us in the board game Merchant of Venus , created in 1988 by Richard Hamblen and full of stars and adventures. But in 2012, a completely new version was created, adapted for modern players by Robert A. Kouba. As if the contents of the box weren't enough, the publishing company Fantasy Flight Games decided to combine both games (old and new) into one box and let players choose which one to play! All this with illustrations by Henning Ludwigsen. On the cover of this large and heavy box, we see a strange alien entity simply selecting something from some cosmic catalog. We actually find ourselves a little bit in his skin (well, is it skin after all?) because once you open the box, there are too many different impressions. The main and most important is clearly the field. This time it is double-sided precisely so that you can play both the original and the new version. The map in any case shows us a part of the galaxy with various planetary systems. They are all connected in different ways by lines of space routes and have many symbols used to quantify space travel.  The game also includes a set of boxes for each player (made of hard paper). It has two indicators (laser and shields), as well as a place to lay out dice and various improvements. You'll probably be looking for miniature boats (and you'll find them with plastic stands) and then cards. They'll introduce us to the pilots as well as the actual races (first contact cards), but missions, encounters, and rewards are also part of this two-size pack. You should also not miss the flow of tokens, which are not only classic credits (currency), but also fame, passengers, spaceports, pirates or production (many of them related to racing). There is really a lot to look at and there is no point in listing. But it is clear that five dice are also part of it - four white speed dice and one purple effect. Each player can choose a ship. They get a board and matching colored tokens for missions and space bases. Each will also receive an initial destiny, a secret mission, and especially choose a pilot to control their ship through various systems. In each such unexplored planetary system, players randomly place one first encounter card, and all race tokens are placed along the left side of the game board in rows according to individual race numbers. All other cards and tokens create a reserve on the table and the game can begin. Each player's turn consists of up to four possible phases. First and foremost for every trader in the universe is movement. First, he must determine in which direction the ship will move in a vacuum, but without knowing in advance the speed of his ship. Only then can he roll three dice, and their sum determines the distance the player can travel in the current turn with his ship. The numbers in the cubes can also be used for navigation, which is similar to a crossroad on Earth. To make multiple moves, players need the corresponding value.  Whenever a ship arrives in a system's orbit, the player can research its race by revealing (if not already discovered) the first contact card. Based on this, it takes the appropriate tokens from the reserve and places them in this system. He can then do business with the locals based on the active market. Everything is determined by a tile that constantly switches in sequence and thus determines which goods are in excess and which are in short supply. At this point, the player can also purchase improvements that will allow him, for example, to speed up the movement of sectors (for this, colored icons on the routes are used), make his ship invisible or equip it with lasers. All this can be done only after landing. Well, only until someone builds a space station of their own color. Once docked there, players can trade in the same way, but the owner of the orbital city gets a certain percentage. Later in the game this is unavoidable as the station is positioned for docking maneuvers and is a good investment, so they will mushroom in space after a summer rain. The player must place the purchased goods in their cargo bay, which can also be expanded for a fee. Individual materials have different space requirements. It also allows players to pick up a hitchhiker as the hitchhiker will receive a generous reward at the end of their journey.  During their pilgrimages, space travelers may occasionally come across some sort of space gate or intersection mentioned, as well as hazards that force them to test their shields or pilot capabilities. There are even pirates who can rob it. For winning battles (a skill check with playing dice) comes an additional reward. When a player completes their task or builds a new spaceport, their turn ends and another space explorer can take up their task. This is a simplified perspective of everything that basically awaits players on the entire space map. After the end of the thirtieth round, the game ends. Players can now accumulate victory points for glory, which are awarded for upgrading ships, completing missions, as well as for combat and fast delivery of passengers. A small bonus even comes from cash balances. The winner is the one with the most points in their star journeys. And now it gets interesting. Merchants of Venus is a game that builds on the first experience very well. But you should not mind if you meet failure on your way. It is an integral part of this experience. As well as the fact that you can't really plan during your first turns because the races are hidden and can only be discovered by visiting this system.  But it is this feeling of new, unexplored worlds in each game that makes you want to enjoy this game again and again. And despite the fact that the game itself is quite long, the waits between moves are not the shortest either. The standard game is still easily playable for several hours (and we're not talking two), but it can occasionally be completed in two hours with fewer players. The original game (hereafter the classic game) is significantly simpler, although again it has some additional features (such as ship levels). The rules are understandably improved and slightly changed so as not to confuse modern players with the style of the 80s. But in general, the classic game is faster in all directions, which is a little surprising. But that might be because it lacks a lot of things that are new in the 2012 version (glory mission, drilling). This makes the standard game overloaded with a lot of small rules. Each version plays quite differently, and they both remain compelling in their own ways. The original is surprisingly less random (for example, instead of dice you pay credits for overcoming hazards) and therefore more tactical. But it lacks many interesting details that make the new version an epic experience. These new details also result in monitoring secondary rules and token processing. The ambivalence of the entire box is quite palpable, and each player may enjoy a different version of the game. You just need to find the right group that will be happy on the same side of the board with you.  Merchant of Venus offers several ways to earn victory points. You can do a bit of each or focus on a few options. In both cases, you have a full chance to grab the victory at the end. But in general, your success requires luck. Just one event where you're unprepared or poorly approached and all your efforts can be derailed. A big surprise for us was that even such a big game can be played with two players without any problems. Although you should anticipate that the plan is more empty, but the actual discovery and the free map is instead a reward for all those who like to explore. We really enjoyed the game even as it was, and the whole experience is even more dynamic when you don't have to wait for other opponents' turns. But more players, in turn, push life in the galaxy in a different direction and have their own charm. The gameplay is extraordinary. The game looks absolutely stunning and will probably impress most fans of the universe with the map itself. But even a bunch of alien cards (we remember you, Cosmic Encounter) makes for great things to look at, and it all looks really epic from start to finish, while still keeping the entire game functional.  Merchant of Venus is a game that is making a huge comeback. The best solution was to keep both versions while re-releasing the updated box. So, players can decide for themselves which version suits them better according to their rules and style - a well-thought-out one with a greater level of control or a more difficult one with a greater share of luck? Try it yourself and decide, because this space adventure - to become a Venus Merchant - is definitely worth it!..

 The roll-and-write genre has seen a real revival in recent years, though it has largely failed to capture my attention. Something about the bland rows of empty squares and the lack of setting, let alone an integrated theme, gives the genre more mystery than personality. When I first heard about an upcoming pinball game called Super-Skill Pinball: 4-Cade from designer Jeff Engelstein, I was convinced. How can pinball be transferred to pen and paper? I had no idea, but I knew I needed to find out.  WizKids kindly released a free to print and play game from Super-Skill just as the COVID-19 pandemic was in full swing, leading to my first foray into the wide world of pnp. I printed the Carniball field on my black and white printer, decorated it with colored pencils and took the dice. At the start of my first game, I was impressed with how the system managed to create a sense of fluidity and movement reminiscent of real pinball. I was curious to see what the rest of the game had to offer and was looking forward to the full release.  The basic system of Super-Skill is that players roll a pair of dice and move their pinball to new areas on the table depending on the outcome they choose. Each time the ball moves, new objectives and features become available as others close, providing an ever-changing landscape of micro-decisions. Not knowing what might happen next, there is a sense of excitement as the ball soars off the flipper and up through the spins. The game balances this uncertainty with enough control over the ball's path to keep your brain thinking tactically and strategically. Once the rules are mastered, the game even manages to capture a sense of reflexivity as players intuitively react to the frantic movements of the ball around the pin.  Rulesets for each of the four included tablets provide a unique and themed experience. Here's a quick overview of what each pin has to offer: 1. At the unusual Carniball table, players juggle between multiple multiball opportunities, trying to keep both balls in the air to double their points. It is as light and hearty as a lilac cake with a healthy icing sugar filling.  2. The Cyberhack Risk Field sees players as hackers trying to gain access to a corporation's data before being tracked. This is combined through the Push Your Luck mini-game on the back glass of the table, where Super-Skill provides the most adrenaline-charged moments.  3. Accurate Field Dragonslayer sees players as wizards trying to cast spells, level up, and take possession of a dragon's riches. The RPG elements are beautifully executed and give players more freedom and variety between games than any other table, making it one of my favorites.  4. Synchronized Dance Fever features a pinball mini-game, which essentially means two interconnected pinball games are playing at the same time. While I appreciate the themed way of requiring players to be in sync between two tables, I wasn't able to achieve my goal with this. I felt very little freedom playing this table, and scoring came in bits and pieces without the dramatic swings offered by the other three tables. Unfortunately, the only prescription for this fever is less disco.  Like its mechanical progenitors, the Super-Skill's kinetic energy is best experienced in short bursts. This leads to my main criticism of the game, namely its length. Average games lasted a little over an hour for me. While I don't claim to be a particularly fast gamer, some excitement turns to weariness as you approach the 60-minute mark, especially as you go past it. Toward the end of some games, I felt more relieved than disappointed when I realized the ball was going to be lost. Instead of running it backwards, I'm always happy to put the game together after each playthrough. While two-round pinball would be less themed, I think this would likely be my sweet spot in terms of game length.  Despite a few flaws, the overall package is a well-calibrated machine that I plan to continue feeding my precious quarters with, especially if more tables are introduced in the future. Just as Roger Sharpe proved to the New York City Council that pinball is a game of skill and not a slot machine, so Jeff Engelstein opened my eyes to the breadth and depth of this classic arcade game. From the subtleties of pushing the table to the sequence and timing of players hitting various objects, there is more to pinball than meets the eye. Super-Skill Pinball: 4-Cade is a neon glow on the dark city streets of the roll-and-write genre. It brings a thematic grounding rarely achieved in space, capturing many of the frustrations and delights that make pinball special. If you need to let off some steam, take a stroll down to the local arcade. Throw in a quarter and forget about the world for a while. After all, pinball is the only socially acceptable way to turn a table...

 In Ali Baba, you try to collect sets of treasures that give you points. There are 10 different types of treasures, 6 of each, and they stack up in a pyramid like mahjong tiles. Only those that are not covered by other tiles will be opened. The pyramid consists of only 54 tiles, 6 are returned (closed) back to the box. On your turn, you take a tile, use its special abilities, and unlock tiles as you unlock them.  If you have 1 ring at the end of the game, it will give you one point, but if you have 6, it will give you 21 points. There are 6 colors for each treasure, each color has a special ability. For example, if you take a pink tile, you get 5 points, take a green tile and get another adjacent tile on your turn, take a yellow tile and get a tile from your opponent, a white tile allows you to protect a certain object or color on the field until you again your turn, while blue tiles give you points for each tile you've opened by taking a tile, and brown tiles give you points for each type of treasure you already own. So when you take a brown lamp and now have 3 lamps, you get 6 points (that's 2 for each treasure of the type you own).  It's a family game and at first I thought it wouldn't interest me, I thought I was just lucky. And while it's of course also very important to take tiles of the right color at the right time, sometimes you have to take a tile that won't give you many points, but will make your opponent lose a lot. There are 2 options for advanced players that I haven't played yet, but I suggest playing one of them instead of the regular game. In a normal game, 6 tiles are returned to the box, so if you're unlucky, you're trying to complete a set, some of which have been returned to the box. To avoid this, you can completely remove 1 treasure type and everyone will know that the game will have 6 of each of the 9 treasures, making the game more tactical. Another option is to place the 6 tiles that will go into the box next to the pyramid, make sure there are no lamps there by sorting them first. Now every time you pick up a lamp, you can either use a color ability or use a lamps ability. The ability of the lamp allows you to take a tile from the 6 that were placed in a row at the beginning of the game. Both options add some welcome depth to the game, it's still an entry-level family game, but the luck is minimized, making it much more enjoyable for experienced gamers. Did the game work? If you ask Katrien's parents, that's for sure, they immediately asked for a replay. For me it's a game I can enjoy every now and then, it's more than you might think, our second game was already more brutal than the first and I can see it getting more tactical with each session...

 In Keep The Heroes Out, like many other co-op games, you have to put out the fires all over the field until they spread and your brave heroes come to an end. However, in this case, you are the arsonist (if you are playing a certain monster), and the heroes are your enemies who are trying to clear your treasury. Keep The Heroes Out is a deckbuilder in which you play mainly with a starting deck of 10 cards; adding more than 1-2 new cards to the deck is a rarity. And only representatives of the lower races need it; with real monsters (like a dragon) the deck works great from the start. GAME PROCESS Your monsters roam the dungeon, attack heroes, set traps, create items in certain rooms, and move those items to other rooms to exchange them for new cards and improve your deck.  After each turn of the monster clan (the faction controlled by the player), 2, 4 or 6 heroes are dropped into the dungeon rooms, depending on the difficulty level. They activate their abilities, move to rooms with chests and rummage through them. If the heroes surround your main treasury, then you lose. Basically, heroes are wandering snacks that you need to eat (eliminate) between rounds. If they are allowed to accumulate, the situation will get out of control. The more heroes, the more dangerous they are, as freshly fired heroes activate already exhausted (like) heroes, and a snowball occurs. Each room of the dungeon has a small treasure chest that the heroes can get lost in (unless you breathe fire on them) if there are enough of them. When they are dissected, negative events are activated, the effects of which vary from "it doesn't matter" to "if you don't have a dragon, you've lost." Players must optimally manage their actions. Which is better: move and attack the hero? Summon new monsters? Spend 4-5 action cards and add a new card to the deck, but lose the game (because you're not playing a dragon)? You will have to make difficult decisions (including when choosing monster clans). Each turn you can risk and take 3 additional cards into your hand (a standard hand consists of 5 cards). If you are lucky, there are no consequences. If you're unlucky, you'll either get hurt a little (if things go well) or lose the game (if things don't go well). PROS OF THE GAME — Every turn you have to solve a new puzzle, and it's great. You usually draw 8 cards per turn + some effects allow you to draw additional cards. The moves are interesting, there is room for combinations and the feeling that you are a cool death machine (if you play as a dragon).  - The components are great. Meeples are not at all inferior to miniatures with their overproduction, only they are made of wood. They are big, strong and terribly cute. I like to touch them and look at them. Simply luxurious quality. — There are 10 types (clans) of monsters in the game, each with its own style of play, which is significantly different. There is a great variety of strategies, and it is interesting to find synergies between clans. - The game has 20 scenarios (plus alternate game modes), each with its own unique puzzle. This provides a lot of variety despite the non-random layout. CONS OF THE GAME - The game has good monsters (dragon) and bad monsters (most other clans). Weak and strong monsters can be taken in different combinations, and basically all of them can be played in all scenarios, but there are monsters that are always good and monsters that are always weak. Dragon is always the strongest monster with no options. Witches and slugs are always good too. Other monsters require more thoughtful planning and the arrival of certain cards. However, since the game is cooperative, perhaps the imbalance will not seem such a terrible disadvantage to you. - He rages at random times. The effects of opening treasure chests range from "nothing happens" to "you lose due to a chain reaction". Also, when you put heroes in prison, the result varies from "you got rid of one hero and got cards, yay" to "you're probably going to lose now." — The snowball effect works both against you and for you. If you're successful, you can afford to spend actions on deck upgrades and trap spam. Traps eliminate newly arrived heroes and free up your actions to spend on improving your deck... and so on. If things are not going well, then the heroes accumulate, activate each other and loot chests. When you rush ahead, sometimes you don't even have anything to do - there are extra cards in your hand. - Moves are long. You have 5 cards, you almost always draw another 3. A total of 8 cards with 8 to 24 actions. For example, a dragon with a single potion will regularly draw 10+ cards, just like a monster queen. You will also spend a lot of time discussing plans. Downtime is great; This is the cost of moves with many combinations. Ambiguous — You will have to constantly count how many and which cards are left in the guild deck. The deck contains 4 cards for each of the hero classes—one room for each species—plus special cards unique to the scenario. At first there is complete randomness, but what follows is easier to guess what awaits you next. This information plays a key role; for example, "now you can safely throw heroes in prison, there are no mages left in the deck" or "these rooms no longer need to be defended: there are enough traps to kill the remaining heroes in the deck who sleep in these rooms." — The gameplay is somewhat monotonous. After a few rounds, you'll find yourself doing the same thing all the time, only slightly changing your strategy depending on the current scenario. Apparently, the potential of the game was not fully realized, but in general the gameplay is quite good. — The rules are not quite clearly laid out, which is clearly evident when you try to find an answer in the rule book, how to act in an ambiguous situation. Fortunately, the game is quite simple and such situations rarely arise. CONCLUSIONS  Keep The Heroes Out is a fan game, period. Is it worth trying it out? In my opinion, yes. After all, you will be able to play as a dragon and... why play as someone else but a dragon? The game is clearly not polished. Situations when you have nothing else to do and situations where you don't have enough actions to buy even one additional card are equally unpleasant. The only function of dungeon tiles is to generate you resources and exchange those resources for cards, which isn't very thematic. Some monster clans are very difficult to play effectively. In general, the game was a little underdeveloped, which is a pity; the result could be an even cooler cooperative. Either way, Keep The Heroes Out has enough content, combos, difficulty levels, etc. to make the game worth the money. She is a fan - and it is worth trying. I'll give her an 8.5/10...

TRAILS OF TUCANA BOARD GAME REVIEW  In Trails of Tucana, each player is given a map sheet that shows villages, landmarks, and different types of terrain. The goal is to connect as many villages and sights as possible. To begin, you take a cooking card. This map shows where the villages are located on the map. The first player draws a red letter in village 1 and then draws clockwise. So that each player has a different map configuration, each subsequent player draws the first letter one village further. Each turn you always take 2 cards from the pile. These cards show the types of terrain. Now all players can simultaneously draw a route from one type of terrain to another. Routes can be drawn anywhere and they do not have to be adjacent. If you associate a landmark with a village, you can circle it on the right side of the sheet. If you cross the 2nd landmark, you can immediately draw a route of your choice. The first round ends when only 1 card remains in the deck. At the end of each round, the landmark symbols are added up. You get points for the corresponding round. Thus, for each point of interest circled in 1 round, you get more points. At the end of the 2nd round, you add up again all points of landmarks and points of connected villages. If you are the first to connect two villages with the same letters, you will also receive bonus points. The one with the most points at the end wins! There are 2 options: Isla Petit and Isla Grande. The only difference is that Isla Grande is bigger and is played in 3 rounds. There are also 3 landmarks of each type instead of 2. Isla Grande takes a bit longer to play. IMPRESSION Trails of Tucana is a short but very interesting game. You can start playing very quickly because the rules are clear and simple. The theme is very fun and so is the feel of the game. If you like to build networks, this is definitely an interesting addition to the collection. Don't expect this to be a huge game with tons of options, but it's fun and compact to take on vacation. A perfect addition to your roll/flip&write collection that adds a bit more depth than the likes of Qwixx. We think it's a very fun and entertaining game, but you definitely shouldn't expect miracles. Trails of Tucana is a good game, but it won't blow your mind. Various maps and variants have been added to increase the replayability of the game, but it always remains the same in its fundamentals. You always connect 2 villages and sights. The game doesn't really offer any other strategies that you can follow. If you like variety in games, this might be disappointing. Trails of Tucana is partly based on luck. The cards you draw are random, but you can keep track of how many cards of a certain terrain type have been drawn. This allows you to tactically connect certain terrain and take into account what types of terrain are still ahead. We usually don't, as we often just play a simple game. But if you want to win, this is definitely the way to beat your opponent! There is a fine balance between luck and insight. You have to think carefully about where you place routes, but it's not a very competitive game, so it's fun for all types of parties. When we first played Trails of Tucana, we had to get used to the game. Having played it several times, we can say that we find it a very good roll&write. It's not our favorite game right away, but it still makes it to the table regularly. We personally contacted Ticket to Ride. Both games keep you busy with networks and routes. Farfetched of course, but who knows, you might enjoy Trails of Tucana if you're a big fan of Ticket to Ride! If you're looking for a simpler flip and draw feature and love to build networks, this game is definitely for you. GAME FOR TWO  Trails of Tucana, like many other roll&writes, is fun with 2 players. There is almost no interaction in this game, but because it is so simple, you can communicate with each other a lot. We haven't played it with multiple players yet, but you can imagine it's pretty fun too. In this respect, Trails of Tucana is a bit like Welcome To. Even if you play with more players, the game won't last long...

ONE NIGHT ULTIMATE WEREWOLF BOARD GAME REVIEW IS THIS A GAME AT ALL? This is the question we asked ourselves when One Night Ultimate Werewolf was first laid out on the table. Each of us was given a card that told us what roles we would play in a small village where werewolves are being hunted. We closed our eyes and listened to the very clear instructions that the free app gave us. Some of us, unbeknownst to others, fiddled with the cards according to the instructions. At this the night phase passed and day began, but we still remained in the dark.  What were we to do now? The goal was clear to all of us: we had five minutes to find and hang one of the two werewolves in our midst. Success will win all non-werewolf players, while failure will win werewolves. But how can we find players with werewolf cards? How could we possibly know our own cards after possibly messing with them? We were all familiar with games like The Resistance: Avalon, but there you knew exactly what your role was and could watch other players' actions to draw conclusions. We had nothing to work with in this game. Did they have Carefully and gradually we began to piece together the puzzle last night. Player A revealed that she was a seer and actually saw the werewolf card with player C. Player B revealed that she was a troublemaker and that she replaced player C's card with player D's card. The case seemed clear, player D was now a werewolf and we needed all you had to do was vote for him to win. But then Player D stated that he had robbed Player C and left his card there, so if the cards were swapped, Player C should still have the werewolf card. Player C strongly denied this, admitting that he did start as a werewolf, but claiming , that player B also started as a werewolf, not a troublemaker. So she couldn't switch cards, and so player B and player D must now be werewolves. What seemed like a simple game of deduction turned into a blame game as people began to accuse each other of lying and only at the end did we learn the truth.  Our first game of One Night Ultimate Werewolf was immediately followed by another game, and another, and another. Let's take a look at what made this experience so exciting for us. LIMITED INFORMATION The goal of all good social games is to give players only bits of the truth and let them use their social and deductive skills to figure out the rest. In One Night Ultimate Werewolf, the only information you can be sure of is the map you started the game with, which could very well change during the first night phase of the game. If you accumulate information about all the players, you will have perfect information about the past events and the current state. Werewolves see each other. The henchman is a member of the werewolf team and find out who they are. Freemasons join the team of villagers and find out who they are. The Seer gains the ability to see one player's card (or two cards that do not belong to either player). The robber can exchange cards with another player and look at a new one. The troublemaker can switch cards between other players. The drunk changes the card without looking at it. The dreamer looks at his card after all the cards have been shuffled. To win, the goldsmith must die. A hunter, if killed, kills indicated on him at the end of the game. Lychyna assumes the role of another player. But will this information be ready to spread among the players? No. UNDEFINED COMMANDS A good mechanic of the social deduction game is that you have to cooperate with your team members, but not reveal yourself or your teammates to the other team. In One Night Ultimate Werewolf, there is a "good" team (villagers) and a "bad" team (werewolves), but since you don't know which team you belong to, you can't give all the information either. Instead, you should be careful about which teams are available and which you belong to. Give too much information and it can help your opposing team, but too little and it can alienate you from both teams. I've seen games where players openly share all the information they have just to prove that the werewolf card ended up in front of them. I've also seen games where players have waited until the very end to share that last piece of information that finally reveals the truth, only to be distrusted for staying silent for so long. INTERACTION One Night Ultimate Werewolf is a very interactive game. Whether your current situation allows you to speak up or remain silent, you will have to listen to what others are saying and connect to guide the arguments to the conclusion that you feel is right for yourself. VARIABILITY OF COOKING One Night Ultimate Werewolf has many roles that you can combine. This not only adds variety to the game, but also allows you to adjust the balance if one side wins more often than the other. TIME LIMITS A game of One Night Ultimate Werewolf only lasts ten minutes - five minutes for preparation and the night phase, and five minutes for the day phase. This means it's easy to play multiple times in a row, and while each session is distinct, there's a sense of progression throughout the session as players see patterns of interaction and carry over experiences from previous sessions to the next. While most social games shine with more players, One Night Ultimate Werewolf plays well with just three players. In my opinion, it's best with five to six players (less can feel repetitive when players are learning the group interaction pattern, more can feel too chaotic when arguing), but it definitely works with all players. APPLICATION While the app is optional in One Night Ultimate Werewolf, it makes the gameplay smoother by instructing players on what to do during the night phase and keeping track of the time limit during the day phase. This is a good example of applications that are used directly during games.  In a time when many games believe that bigger is better, One Night Ultimate Werewolf comes in an extremely small box that is easy to bring to a game night and get to the table, whether it's the main game or just an add-on. That said, One Night Ultimate Werewolf is certainly not a game for everyone. There are many reports of sessions where players simply never get past the first question about what they are supposed to do. Others don't like the fact that you have to lie to succeed, or that you just have to name the least trustworthy player at the end. One Night Ultimate Werewolf is also not a game for the controlling player. You can't control what role you get at the beginning and what happens to it afterwards. Victory comes not through skillful use of one's own resources, but through reading and persuading other players. Finally, One Night Ultimate Werewolf may even be too fast for some players. Unlike a game like The Resistance: Avalon, where the story unfolds gradually over several rounds where you can employ various strategic maneuvers to achieve your goal, One Night Ultimate Werewolf only gives you one short round to do what give you many other games. an hour or more. CONCLUSIONS One Night Ultimate Werewolf isn't the deepest social game you can play. Hidden information can only be revealed through social interaction, not player actions, and the game needs the right group to shine. However, if you have a gaming group, preferably made up of long-time friends you know well, who know how to lie during the game and then laugh about it, One Night Ultimate Werewolf should be brought along for every game night...

ORIFLAМME BOARD GAME REVIEW 3-5 players 15-30 minutes Designers: Adrian and Axel Esling Artist: Tomasz Jedrushek Publisher: Studio H Publisher in Ukraine Geekach Games The game is played during 6 rounds, each of which consists of 2 phases: During the programming phase, players choose a card from their hand and place it face down on the table. Cards can be played to the left or right of the row, but not between them. You can also place a card on top of one of the previously played cards. Once each player has placed a card, the resolution phase begins. For each card, starting with the first in a row, the owner decides whether he wants to reveal it or not. If he leaves a card face down, he puts one effect on it. When he reveals a card, he gains all influence on it and applies the effect. If the card is already open from the previous round, applying the effect is also mandatory.  Oriflame caught my attention by winning the prestigious French As d'Or last year. The extensive use of text on the cards put me off as this is a typical entry-level game that I would mostly play with my kids, so I'm very glad that Geekach Games decided to publish a Ukrainian version of this game. The game certainly relies on card effects, and they seem very well balanced: some cards will have more benefits if played early in the game, others should be kept hidden for as long as possible. For more experienced players, this game may seem too chaotic, as some cards may be removed before you can even activate them. Being able to play on top of previously played cards certainly adds an extra dimension, with hidden cards protected but also not activated. There's definitely plenty of opportunity for replayability, as you'll get a different 7-card combination from a 10-card deck each time.  Oriflame is definitely a good game for me and I really enjoyed playing it. It is also very portable and I can see it accompanying us on our future travels...

COBRA PAW BOARD GAME REVIEW  Cobra Paw is a tile grabbing skill game from Bananagrams that pits 2 to 6 opponents against each other in a tile grabbing frenzy. Each turn, two dice are rolled, and these dice determine which tile the players try to capture. The player who captured that tile becomes the next player to roll the dice, and so on until one player has collected a certain number of chips. COMPONENTS AND PREPARATION FOR THE GAME  Cobra Paw is packaged in an attractive orange box decorated with a ninja cat on the cover. Open the box and you'll find 21 double-sided tiles along with two large black cubes. This is it. Dice and tiles are covered with 6 unique symbols. All of these components are large, polished, and have a nice weight to them.  Preparation for the game is simple. Just turn the box upside down and dump everything on the table (make sure the tiles are face up and no tiles are on top of another), choose the first player and you're ready to play! TILES AND GAMEPLAY Cobra Paw is a very simple game. Each tile has two symbols that correspond to the symbols printed on the two dice. When rolling the dice, two symbols will be shown and players will try to be the first to place their fingertip on the tile that matches those symbols. The one who succeeds first takes the tile and places it on the table in front of him. Note that it is possible to steal chips from other people, so each player must protect what they have already collected!  The game continues until one player has collected the agreed number of tiles. The game offers 6 tiles for 3 to 6 player play and 8 tiles for two player play. Obviously, this can be changed if you want the game to last a little longer or last a little less. IMPRESSION As my friends and I walked around Gen Con, we must have passed the Bananagrams booth a hundred times. My eyes were on heavy Euros – deep, brain-burning games that took hours to play. It didn't even occur to me to stop and demonstrate some stupid party game. I thought silly single party games were beneath me. I wanted a game with real meat…something I could sink my teeth into. But, Cobra Paw caught my attention. We really liked the game. It plays lightning fast, and it's just a lot of fun. It's great when you're the first to touch the right tile, and it's exciting to watch your collection grow and shrink as everyone competes for victory. The game is designed so that when there are a lot of chips at the beginning of the game, they are fairly evenly distributed and everyone has the same number of chips. However, as this large pool gets smaller and smaller, things start to get really crazy and silly as people try to steal tiles from each other.  Cobra Paw is an extremely simple, fun game. So it doesn't have a lot of depth, and that's okay. Not every game should burn your brain. It annoys me when a game pretends to be something difficult, but turns out to be pure fluff. Cobra Paw is exactly what it says it is. There is no pretense here. I really enjoy playing this game and I can't think of a single negative thing about it. I also seem to have supernatural acting skills. Out of the 9 games I played, I won every game...

BOARD GAME REVIEW NO THANKS! In the game "No Thanks!" players try not to draw cards from the center of the table, paying for the privilege by placing one of their 11 starting chips next to the card. During a table game, chips accumulate until one player decides to take a card (and all chips) or is forced to take a card because they are out of chips.  "No Thanks!" contains a deck of 33 cards numbered from 3 to 35 and 55 game chips. PREPARATION FOR THE GAME To prepare "No Thanks!" , deal 11 chips to each player and return the remaining chips to the box. Shuffle the cards and draw 9 cards at random by placing them in the box without looking at them. GAME PROCESS In "No Thanks!" the first player reveals the top card of the deck. After that, the player must choose whether to place the card in front of him or place the chip next to the card and pass it; "No, thank you." Play then proceeds clockwise to the next player, who must make the same choice: pass or take. Continue like this until one player takes the card in the middle (along with all the chips), either by choice or because they are out of chips. The player who takes the card will also be the player who turns over the next card in the next round with the same set of decisions. Play continues in this manner until the last card is turned over and taken. RECEIVING THE CARD IN NO THANKS! Taking a card in "No Thanks!", the player places this card face down in front of him, a little further away from the other cards. At the end of the game, each individual card is worth as many points as the face value of that card. Cards grouped together in a continuous numerical sequence are worth the value of the youngest card in the sequence. In the following example, only 19 will be worth points at the end of the game.  Gaps between individual cards (and even grouped cards) count as a space and will cause the lowest card in each group to score a point. In the following example, both 19 and 23 will count against the player.  A great strategy is to do your best to take cards that are already only 1 or 2 different from your other card. Then try to combine them together with another card. A player with this configuration of cards risks but can also be rewarded if he secures 21, 22 and/or 24.  Any chips left in front of you at the end of the game are deducted from your score, so do your best to have plenty of chips as the game draws to a close. The player with the fewest points at the end of the game is the winner. WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THE GAME  "No Thanks!" , simply put, a fun game. I like No Thanks! because it's fast-paced, has a moderate amount of strategy mixed with a bit of luck and uncertainty, and is extremely easy to learn. Bonus points for so few components and portability. WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE The only thing I don't like about No Thanks! is the box. It comes in a standard two piece box that doesn't close very well for my copy. This forces me to put a rubber band on the box to keep it closed. This does not affect the game process and is a purely cosmetic nitpick. CONCLUSION In my opinion, the trifecta of criteria for small box card games is: Easy to teach Plays fast A lot of fun When you get a card game that has these 3 aspects, you are sure to have a winning game in your collection. And that's what "No Thanks!" is a winner!..

LINKO BOARD GAME REVIEW!  Linko! is another interesting card game that I think all fans of the genre should try if they get the chance. I'm not surprised to see Kiesling and Kramer's names associated with this game, but I am amazed at how diverse their design portfolios are. I've tried 4 of their creations in the last 18 months, which is pure coincidence, but I've enjoyed getting to know these designers' games. Linko! has been around since 2014 and I would consider it an almost unknown gem. It was originally released as Abluxxen I learned that the word is made up, but it is roughly derived from the German word Abluchsen, which means to take away, rob or steal. Add a picture of a lynx and realize that luchs is German for lynx and you have Abluxxen (I prefer the name Linko!... much more). Anyway... language lesson over. Ignoring all that Linko! it's a fairly easy-to-explain card game that has plenty of options and room for tricky moves. COMPONENTS Like many other great card games, all you need is Linko! it's a set of cards and some rules. Cards – there are only 110 cards in the game. Almost all (109) are used in the game, and one special card is used to keep track of whose turn it is...but we never use it because it's unnecessary. The deck itself consists of value cards and 5 jokers (X). Cards with denominations vary from 1 to 13, and there are 8 such sets in the game. Each value has its own color, mostly pastel. The meanings are clearly printed in each corner, and in the center is a nice image of a cartoon bobcat, smiling slyly at you the whole time. The colors do not affect the game, it all depends on the numbers. The 5 Jokers are very simple looking, consisting of an "X" and are grey/black to stand out against the rainbow that is the rest of the deck. All value cards feature a paw print on the reverse to emphasize the loose theme. Linko! The card (used to keep track of whose turn it is) has bright paw prints on the background. I'll say it again... we leave it in the box. Standard format cards, the only downside is the lack of a matte/linen coating. In my opinion, in a game like this (generally just cards) this should be standard. I wonder if there is such decoration in the German editions? Considering the game is otherwise language independent, I'd pay for the German edition to get that level of quality.  Rules - The rules are very clear and offer good illustrated examples to clarify key points, which I found very helpful. Although this is one of those games where the rules still require a bit of reading to fully understand (since there are a few twists and turns in the game), once you play it they immediately make sense. The rules also include a simple and very useful flowchart on the back cover that describes what happens when you perform a Heist.  Overall the quality of the components is good but not great due to the lack of high quality card finishing. Considering Ravensburger published the game, I'm a little disappointed as they are usually better than most at production. PREPARATION The game will be ready to play in about 30 seconds. Shuffle the deck, deal 13 cards to each player and reveal another 6 cards face up to form a market. Select the first player in any convenient way and the game is ready to begin. GAME PROCESS Play Linko! actually very simple. How best to play the game and what card(s) to play each turn is where the real fun and intrigue is to be found. The goal is Linko's goal! is to be the first player to get rid of all your cards...easy! The only solution is that a player can play one or more cards from his hand during a turn, but he can only play cards of the same value. Thus, a player could play one 6 or five 6s if there were any. A player may also play multiple cards of the same value that are less than the total they have. For example, a player may have five 6s, but decided to play only 3 of them. Card colors have nothing to do with the game. It is only intended to make the game more attractive and to help players recognize the cards on the table. Placement of cards - when a player plays cards from his hand, he places them in front of him in the shape of a fan so that it is clear how many cards of that denomination there are. If a player already has cards in play, the new card(s) should be placed on top of the last cards played, but not completely covering the previous cards. It is important for all players to know which cards are on top of a player's pile and also to know what is below them. The image below is a good example.  Steal Draw – So far the game has seemed pretty random depending on what you're dealt, but now we've moved on to Steal. If a player is able to play the same number of cards as the cards drawn in the stack of one or more players, and the value of the cards drawn is greater than that of others, it means that the player must make a "Steal"! Example. If a player plays three 7s, he must "Steal" from any other player who has exactly three cards on top of his draw pile of 1-6. The active player must make a decision (indicated below), but after that their turn ends and play moves to the next player in clockwise order. The active player will reduce the number of cards in his hand and thus move towards his ultimate goal of getting rid of all the cards. Take it or leave it? Executing a Steal – When the active player initiates a Steal, they must first decide if they want those cards. If a player wants these cards, they can take them from the corresponding player and add them to their hand. In fact, a player can "Draw" cards from multiple players in one turn if they meet the conditions, but players make each decision on whether or not to take cards in a clockwise order. Now an obvious question arises: - "What? Hey, dumbass... you're trying to get rid of all your cards, remember?!' - It's true, it's true... everything will soon become clear. Consequences of "Theft" - of course, if the active player takes cards, they are added to his hand. In addition, the stolen player must then return to his hand the number of cards that were "stolen". These cards can be taken from the open row or draw deck in any combination. The only restriction is that any cards taken face up are not replaced until the end of the active player's turn. Now, if the active player doesn't want to take player cards that he could have taken, they are still considered "stolen" and the player owning those cards has two choices. He can a) poison them to reset and then draw that many cards again, or b) he can take them back into his hand, meaning they can be played again later. However, in any of the 3 outcomes, the reality of performing a Steal is that the Stealed player will end up with the same number of cards in hand as they had before their last turn. In other words, they did not advance further. Using Jokers – There are only 5 Jokers in the deck and they are quite handy. First they play like most games, add them to a deck of cards and they take on the same value. But if a player plays wilds by themselves, they are considered the highest value card on the table, meaning they have the potential to "Crush" even a 13-value set that otherwise cannot be "Crushed"!  End of round\game and scoring - that's it Linko! is played when each player places one or more cards on the table each turn, potentially triggering a "Stealing", and then the players follow the consequences. Round of Linko! can end with someone starting a turn that leaves a player with no cards in their hand, or it can end when there are no more cards left in the draw pile or in the market (in case of confusion, both must be used). However, the duration of the game Linko! can be determined by the players. One game - win - the game can be played at a very simple level. As soon as someone exits, they simply win the game and no points need to be scored. You can play the next game or fold the game. I imagine there will be some tension if several players reduce their hand to 5-6 cards or less. One game per player (scored) - Alternatively, the game can be played over a number of rounds equal to the number of players, with each player being the first player once. At the end of each round, players tally up their points, which is very easy to do. All players earn 1 point for each card they had on the table in front of them. All players must then deduct 1 point for each card remaining in their hands. Of course, the player who exited will not have negative points. The values of the cards do not play a role in the actual scoring. At the end of the last round, the player with the most points wins. I prefer the second playthrough more because it makes Stealing even more important (reduces points in front of opposing players) and the game can ebb and flow in scoring throughout the game. CONCLUSIONS For all the reasons already given, I think that Linko! this is another great card game that people should know about and I'm very happy to have it in my collection. It's relatively quick to play, with an accurate time-to-fun ratio, and can be played in a one-and-done or scoring format. For me, the only way to play is with points and if I want something faster, I'll reach for Fuji Flush or LAMA instead (although I think this game is better than both). But really the appeal of this game is the moves you can make, there are more than meets the eye, and this means you can keep exploring strategies within it. I also think the game is very accessible, able to appeal to gamers, but is also good for families and will probably be a favorite for years to come. I think it's best to play 3-4 (especially when scoring, as 5 rounds can be one round too many). The game for two does not look dynamic enough...