Entry 79- Week 34: Lizard Wizard

        Forbidden Games is the company that brought you Raccoon Tycoon (a game that we just got this week and haven’t played yet) and now presents to you the follow-up Lizard Wizard. As it states below, Lizard Wizard is essentially Raccoon Tycoon but with additional game play elements. Not having played the first game, we were told that playing the second would not be an issue. So how did we like the game? Read on to find out. 

LIZARD WIZARD (2021) 

BGG Description 

Astoria is a land pulsing with magic and intrigue! A handful of Arch-Mages are vying for the loyalty of wizards across the land so that they can wield ultimate power. 

Lizard Wizard is a game from the team that brought you Raccoon Tycoon. Aspects of gameplay will be familiar to fans of RT, and will add a bit of extra depth and strategy. 

In Lizard Wizard, players compete to recruit wizards from seven unique schools of magic, build mystical towers, research powerful spells, summon helpful familiars, and search dark dungeons for gold and items of power. Only one Arch-Mage will rise above the rest and control the land. Will it be you? 

Actions 

Lizard Wizard is an action-selection game. On a player’s turn, they may perform one of the following six Actions: 

1) GATHER REAGENTS 

Just as there are seven schools of magic, there are seven magical reagents, or ingredients, that fuel the magic of Astoria. Knowing where these natural wonders can be found is the essential starting point for every young wizard. Sometimes they use familiars to perform this errand, but it is still very common to find even the most powerful arch-mages lurking in the Enchanted Wood, searching for the most pure reagents. 

• Play a Gather Reagents Card 

• Take Reagents shown on the ‘Gather Reagents’ half (plus any on your Wizard Cards) 

• Increase the value of the Reagents shown on the ‘Increase Value’ half 

• Cast one spell (if you have the necessary reagents) 

2) CONVERT REAGENTS TO MANA 

Long ago, the wizards of Astoria learned how to convert reagents into mana, the magical energy that powers all things. The process is no longer dangerous, but it still takes great focus and knowledge. 

• Turn in one type of reagents to the supply 

• Gain Mana = Value of that Reagent x Tokens turned in 

• Reduce the Value of that Reagent by the number of Tokens turned in 

3) RECRUIT WIZARD 

The Arch Mages of Astoria are vying for ultimate power, which can only be achieved by drawing several lesser wizards into their circle of influence. They do this through demonstrations of their magical ability. Occasionally, their attempts to recruit a wizard are challenged by one or more rivals, and a Wizard’s Duel occurs. These contests of magical power can drain even the most powerful mage. 

• Select one of the two Wizard Cards on offer and bid Mana in turn (or pass) 

• Winner of the Auction pays the bid and takes the Wizard Card 

• If the player who started the Auction didn’t win, they may take another Action 

4) RESEARCH SPELL 

Arch-Mages have the ability to learn spells from any of the seven schools of magic. Once they have researched a new spell, it still must be cast with reagents (and the help of a familiar) before it takes effect. 

 

• Select a Spell Card from the four on offer and pay 5 Mana 

• Place the Spell Card face down in front of you 

• Cast the Spell if you have the necessary Reagents 

5) CREATE A TOWER 

Magical Towers amplify the power of wizards of each school of magic. Towers may be created through powerful magic, or built by workers who must be paid. 

• Pay either the Reagents or the Gold shown on the Tower Card on offer 

• Take the Tower Card and place it in front of you 

• Towers add ‘1’ to your storage for Reagents 

6) SUMMON FAMILIAR: 

Familiars are magical spirits that are summoned and inhabit the bodies of mortal creatures. They are essential servants who perform many vital services for wizards: They can be used for simple errands, such as gathering reagents or gold. They are the only ones who can locate the ever-shifting entrance to the famous Dungeons of Astoria. They are also essential assistants in the complex rituals required to cast spells. 

Use the Card for one of four purposes: 

a) Score one School of Magic (2 Gold/ Card of the same School of Magic as the Familiar) 

b) Gather Reagents shown on the Familiar Card and Cast any number of Spells 

c) Clear the Spell Offer, Replace them with four new Spell Cards and select one for free 

d) Enter the Dungeon 

• Draw cards from the top of the Dungeon Deck, stopping when you want 

• Monster Cards ‘hit’; 2 hits = failure 

• If you stop before failure, keep the treasure cards and shuffle the monster cards back into the Dungeon Deck 

• If you fail, shuffle all drawn cards back into the Dungeon Deck 

End Game and Scoring 

The game will end when any one of the following decks is depleted: Familiar, Tower, Wizard, Spell. 

When the game ends, the players will score points for each Wizard and Tower Card combo (10 VP if they are of the same school of magic, and 5 VP if they are not), 3 VP for each Spell Card in schools of magic where they have a matching Wizard and Tower, 1 VP for each Gold gathered from the dungeon or from scoring with a Familiar Card, and any points derived from the special abilities from spells. 

-description from publisher 

Weight 2.11/5 

A Little More Info 

        The description above pretty much says it all. 

What we like about the game 

        Believe it or not, for the first time that we can remember there is only a few items to put in this section. The first being that we did like the artwork in the game. From the wizards to the towers and even the reagents, the artwork is nice and fitting for the game. 

        The game play is easy to understand and not that complex at all to play. What stood out to us is the market mechanic in the game was fun to utilized in gaining mana that you need for other actions. We do like that there are opportunities for you to get each of the seven wizards and towers (unless you play with people that are more cutthroat in game play). 

What we don’t like about the game 

        My wife and I agree that the game can go on for longer than it is needed. By playing a more aggressive/cutthroat game you can ended it faster. 

        What we also didn’t like about the game is that there wasn’t anything that stood out to us that made the game unique or exciting. For all the hype that the game got upon release, it is one that lacks the WOW factor we look for in a game. 

FINAL THOUGHTS 

        With most of our games we are looking for something that makes us say WOW!. Most of the time, we do find it with small and simple things in a game. This game is not one of them. We do plan on playing Raccoon Tycoon in the coming weeks to see if there is something there that “pops” where this game lacks.

        With that being said, for us, we would recommend this game if you find it on sale for a deep discount. It looks nice on the shelf but will only be brought out on occasion like at Halloween.

Entry 78: Week 33- Trekking Through History

        If you liked trekking through our National Parks and then trekked across the globe you will for sure love Trekking Through History. Underdog Games next board game in the series takes you to important historical events spanning from 37000 BCE where you leave your handprint at the caves of Maros-Pangkep all the way up to 1994 where you are able to cast your vote for Nelson Mandela. 

TREKKING THROUGH HISTORY (2022) 

BGG Description 

In Trekking through History, you go on a three-day tour of human history, traveling thousands of years in a time machine to experience great moments from our past. 

The game takes place over three rounds, each representing one day of your trip. Each day, you visit a series of historical events, spending a different number of hours at each. 

On each turn, you choose to visit one historical event, and spend a certain number of hours doing it. Doing so will yield benefits, like checking off items on your itinerary for points, and earning Time Crystals so you can bend the space-time continuum on future turns. 

Along the way, you’ll also score points for visiting historical events in chronological order. The player with the most points after three rounds wins. 

—description from the publisher 

Weight 2.0/5 

A Little More Info 

        The game doesn’t take long to play since each Day is only 12 hours long. At the start of the game you get four itinerary cards (which are all different) and you get to select one to play for each day. 

        The turn order goes by whoever is furthest behind on the clock. If multiple players are at the same hour, the player on top of the stack goes next. 

        The historical event cards you get, score points at the end of the game for your “trek.” The longer the trek, the more points you score. Do not be afraid to end one trek to begin another if you have too. 

        Also, ancestor cards are helpful because they add another card to your trek and allows you to hope that other players will take cards before your next turn that brings out new cards that may help your timeline more. 

What we like about the game 

        The first thing to mention is that the game set-up is super fast and simple to complete. Take down requires just a hair more time because you will need to sort out the historical event cards by which day stack they belong too. 

        We love that the main board is a neoprene play mat. The amount of table space needed for the game is "coffee table" sized.  

        The artwork on each card and the additional information on the back of the cards are wonderful. The sheer beauty of the game draws you in. 

        The gameplay and rules are simple to follow. Also, this is a game where analysis-paralysis is kept to a minimum. No need for overthinking your turn. 

What we don’t like about the game 

        Nothing fits in the category for us regarding the game. If you are looking for some new mechanic for a game, there isn’t. Everything is straight forward in this game. 

FINAL THOUGHTS 

        As my wife has stated “this is my favorite Trekking game in the series” and I can agree with her on that. The game is fun, easy, beautiful, and fast to play (30 minutes or less). 

        This is a game that younger kids could play because there isn’t a lot of reading in the game (a parent can read all the descriptive text). If a child knows their numbers (and with a little help understanding B.C.E. if they don’t understand it) this game is great for them. It is also a great teaching tool as well. 

        Another thing with Trekking Through History is that there is a lot of room for the game to have expansions. Our history is so rich with events that I am sure the creators were having a hard time just settling on 108 of them for this game. I would love to see possible themed expansion packs that could be integrated into the base game or expand the game into more days and/or hours per day. 

        My last final thought about this game is that if you are a solo game player you would need to get the Kickstarter version because it includes a great solo mode. 

Underdog Games has really hit the mark with this game. Can’t wait to see what will be next in the Trekking series.

Entry 77- Week 32: Slip Strike

        My wife and I went to the 11th Annual PNW Game Swap and had seen one of the guys from Junk Spirit Games for the first time since the Covid Pandemic started. We had inquired about any upcoming games and was told that they have a few in development but nothing coming to Kickstarter soon because the last game was during the pandemic and they still haven’t been able to recover from the astronomical increased prices from the pandemic. 

        We were able to pick up a play mat and a promo card from one of their games that we love and then admitted that even though we have had the last Kickstarter game for a while, it was not tabled it yet. So we decided to play it this week and was glad we did. So let us introduce to you Slip Strike by Junk Spirit Games. 

SLIP STRIKE (2020) 

BGG Description 

Slip Strike is a competitive two-player game in which agents have slipped into another dimension to fight it out using teleportation, time-travel, and a variety of weapons. 

Each round, both players select two cards from their hand of ten as their actions, placing them face down. They simultaneously reveal these actions one at a time, resolving them one after the other. Each player is trying to strike their opponent while avoiding a strike themselves. If a player takes a strike, they lose the game, but that player can permanently discard a teleport card to "Slip" out of the location, time-traveling to a time when they were not there. Eventually you or your opponent will run out of the ability to Slip, and then the victor will successfully knock that player out of the dimension and win the game. 

Slip Strike is normally a two-player game, but by combining the blue and orange editions — each of which has different art and asset cards — you can play with up to four in the same game. 

—description from the publisher 

Weight 1.33/5 

A Little More Info 

        A few things to add in this section. The box says 10-15 minutes to play which is pretty accurate. It does not take long to play at all. 

         For the basic game, each player has a hand of ten cards. Five are the teleport cards in which you can discard to “slip” when you are hit by a “strike.” Three are different weapons that you use for the attempted “strike.” The last two are directional movement cards (left and right). 

        Cards you play have a “cool down” period which are set aside for a round or two. Teleport cards that you play as an action have a 2-round cooldown period. Weapons you play are only out for 1-round. The two movement cards do not have a “cool down” and go right back into your hand. 

        All cards played or removed from the game are public knowledge so you and your opponent can attempt to use that knowledge to plan the next move to catch or avoid your foe. 

        Additionally there are asset cards that you can play with that add more to the game, though you don’t have to play with them to enjoy the game. 

What we like about the game 

        The biggest plus for us is that it is a fast game to play. You can get multiple games in on one session feeling accomplished with each game you play. 

        We do like that you can expand the game from a two player to a four player game using both editions of the game. By doing so you would only increase the game time by just a few minutes. 

        The last thing to highlight is that each round goes fast. We enjoyed the anticipation of the reveal of the cards because you opponent’s card could either help your plan or hinder it. We had a few great moments in our games where the cards we played fell right into each other hands. The game is full of cheers and jeers. 

What we don’t like about the game 

        We really couldn’t think of anything that we don’t like about the game so far. 

FINAL THOUGHTS 

        For those who struggle with plotting out moves, this game may not be your cup of tea. It is a strategy-based game that does use critical thinking skills. 

        As for the rest of us who enjoy strategy card games… we find this game to be quick, fast, easy to learn and play, and actually really fun. The game being priced at twenty dollars of less for each edition is completely worth the value. But the ultimate question regarding the game is how quick can you “strike” without your opponent giving you the “slip.” 

        Slip Strike is one game that will give you a sense of being an agent trying to accomplish a goal. I would recommend picking a copy soon.

Entry 76: Week 31- Tiny Epic Dinosaurs

                    
        Reviewing our 10 x 10 challenge for the year my wife and I noticed that we are behind where we want to be at. We also noticed that we needed two more game plays of any Tiny Epic game. To fulfill this purpose and to fulfill the new game a week challenge, I had picked Gamelyn Games’ Tiny Epic Dinosaurs. 

        My wife did play it once when we had our Tiny Epic game day event at our favorite local gaming pub and because I haven’t played it, it counts for this blog entry. 

TINY EPIC DINOSAURS (2020) 

 BGG Description 

 In Tiny Epic Dinosaurs, breakthroughs in modern science have dinosaurs and humans existing side by side. This has allowed for a lucrative industry. Dino Ranching! Independent ranchers have begun farming dinosaurs to sell to the highest bidders for use in their high thrill theme parks. You are one of those ranchers. Do you have what it takes to out ranch your opponents and operate the most successful dinosaur farm!? 

Tiny Epic Dinosaurs is a 45 minute, 1-4 player game of dinosaur ranching, worker-placement and resource management. It features classic euro game mechanics with unique twists that portray the dangers of farming these prehistoric beasts. 

In Tiny Epic Dinosaurs, players control a team of ranchers and will be acquiring, breeding and selling dinosaurs. The game is played over 6 rounds. With each round consisting of several short phases. 

In phase one, players will harvest the resources from their farm that are not being consumed by dinosaurs. 

In phase two, players will put their ranchers to work. This phase has ranchers wrangling and buying new dinosaurs to farm, improving their farm’s security and supplies, vying for high dollar contracts, and researching technologies and unique dinosaur breeds. These unique dinosaur breeds introduce a large variety of special benefits players can utilize to separate themselves from their competition. 

In phase three, ranchers return to finish their day’s work at the farm. 

In phase four, players arrange their ranch, making sure their ranch is suitable for the types of dinosaurs they have. 

Phase five is the feeding phase, and every dinosaur MUST be fed. Dinosaurs that don’t eat will escape, posing a grave threat to your enclosures’ security and your other dinosaurs. 

Phase six is for breeding. For each pair of matching dinosaurs you have properly enclosed, you’ll welcome a new dinosaur to your farm. 

-description from publisher 

 At the end of the game, players will receive victory points for each dinosaur they have, public and private contracts they acquired and for their research developments. The player with the most victory points, wins the game. 

Weight 2.59/5 

A Little More Info 

        The description did a really good job of providing a summary of each of the steps in a round. The only thing to really add to it is that during the fourth round you get an extra rancher and an additional private contract (you start with one). 

What we like about the game 

        We love that this game is a worker placement game that has a “small-ish” table presence, and the game doesn’t take long to play. 

        The pieces are fitting for the theme and goes along with the style of other Tiny Epic games. That being said, there is one gripe about the pieces that we have (see next section). 

        We were impressed with artwork in the game and the icons. Everything is easy to see and understand within the game play. 

        One last thing to add that we love is that there is a playmat available for the game (we have it) that helps keep everything organized for you. We are becoming fans of having playmats for games that have one.

What we don’t like about the game 

        The games pieces are “Ultra Tiny Epic” for us instead of Tiny Epic. For people with larger hands and fingers, sometimes it is difficult to grab the game pieces. This is our only gripe about the game. 

FINAL THOUGHTS 

        If you are a fan of the Tiny Epic game series, this game is a MUST HAVE. It looks great, plays great, and is fun. If you like dinosaurs as a theme then you are in luck with this one. 

        We do have to say that the more we play the Tiny Epic games, the more we like the small box series of games.