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January 28, 2011
Since entering the scene in 2004, Ticket to Ride, designed by Alan R. Moon and published by Days of Wonder, is a favorite of many board gaming fans. Ticket to Ride is a cross-country train adventure where players collect cards of various types of train cars and then use those cards to purchase routes between two locations on the board. The player continues to purchase routes in an effort to connect two specific locations determined by destination cards drawn at the beginning of the game.
Ticket to Ride is meant for 2-5 players, ages 8 and up, and takes about 30-60 minutes to play. It has won many awards including the 2004 Game of the Year in Germany. With the five official expansions (Mystery Train, USA 1910, Europa 1912, Switzerland, and Dice Expansion) and four spin-offs (Europe, Märklin, Nordic Countries, and Ticket to Ride: Card Game) there is plenty of variety to keep any board game fan entertained!
At Ticket to Ride
Critical Gamers Staff at Permalink
January 27, 2011
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Here's something not seen everyday: A release announcement for a game that combines sports and strategy in a card game package. Well, Victory Point Games decided it was time for one. Today they announced the release of TC Tennis, their first ever sport strategy game. While known for their historical military games, VPG has branched out this time. While it appears to be similar to
En Garde in terms of strategic card playing, TC Tennis aims to score an ace in a seldom used genre for the card and board game industry.
Here are the official details:
 Continue reading: "Victory Point Games Releases TC Tennis"
Critical Gamers Staff at Permalink
January 26, 2011
Triplica, published by Fun Q Games in 2010, is a simple, quick, and easy to learn card game, meant for ages 7+. It employs a straight forward matching system to complete goals. The player must place 'Play Cards', which have a unique set of 3 symbols, onto the existing piles to create 3 of a kind either horizontally or diagonally, in hopes of matching one of their 'Goal Cards'. As simple as it sounds, there are actually 3 different versions of the game you can play (they sure do enjoy that number, don't they?): All Play, Single Play, and Solitaire. The All Play and Single Play versions support 2-6 players, and the Solitaire version is just that, solitaire.
Continue reading: "Triplica: A Simple, Quick, and Fun Addition to Any Game Night"
Critical Gamers Staff at Permalink
January 18, 2011
AEG announces Thunderstone: Dragonspire, stand-alone expansion to Thunderstone, to be released in February 2011!
Here are the official details:
"The Doomgate is open, and Doom has been released into the world! The forces of destruction stalk the lands, destroying all they touch. There is but one dim flicker of hope: the Thunderstones, scattered at the dawn of time. Two lie hidden deep within the Dragonspire.
Will your heroes be the first to reach them?
Dragonspire is a stand-alone expansion to Thunderstone. The cards within can be played with any or all of the past Thunderstone sets, or can be used by themselves as a fully playable set. Dragonspire adds a fresh crew of new heroes, along with new spells, villagers, and weapons all ready to help your stand against the darkness. They will be needed, for within new terrors have awakened: bloodthirsty undead, blistering elementals, wrathful dragons, and mighty giants! Dragonspire also includes brand-new dungeon settings, campaign rules, and an entirely new way to face Doom alone!
* New Dungeon Board
* Over 500 cards with all-new art
* New plastic XP tokens
* Eleven new heroes and seven new monsters, plus new village cards "
For more information, visit the Alderac Website.
Critical Gamers Staff at Permalink
December 23, 2010
The deck building hit Thunderstone has just received its second treatment. Thunderstone: Doomgate Legions [Amazon, Funagain] adds more monsters, more items and heroes types to the deck building dungeon romp formula. Additionally new treasure card types reward plays for defeating monsters in the dungeon.
Now, while we would like to have a new game mechanics that would spice up the the players' decisions about whether to delve into the dungeon or head into town (it's currently just a math formula of 'can I kill a monster?') , we wouldn't shrug away new variable and intriguing content, either. The theme of this game is still stellar.
Here are the official details:
"Hiding away in secret for centuries, the order of the Doomgate Legion have guarded the Stone of Avarice from friend and foe alike. Their cult-like existence known only to a few, the Legionnaires dedicate themselves to the secrecy, protection, and worship of the stone. They are its champions. Its sentinels. Its vanguards.
It is up to you to defeat them.
The second expansion to Thunderstone adds more to the game of "deck-building with a purpose." Doomgate Legions introduces the Cult of the Doomgate, who have guarded the Stone of Avarice for centuries. This cult, along with a sect of evil druids and other all-new monsters await your heroes as they race to secure the third Thunderstone!
Doomgate Legions features two all-new card types: Mercenaries and Treasures! Mercenaries are henchmen for hire in the village who bring all new abilities to the dungeon. Treasures are found after defeating monsters, providing powerful new benefits for your party! Mystic amulets and legendary armor will take your deck to new heights. But beware: the cultists have been at work on strange and horrifying new Diseases that will pose major hurdles for your heroes! "
Critical Gamers Staff at Permalink
December 14, 2010
 We were just doing a little last minute Holiday Shopping and we came across a new sale going on at Amazon . Now usually their Toy and Game sales are chalk full of sad, plasticy titles from ages past. We're talking about games like Sorry!, Monopoly Flavor-Of-The-Year, etc. Well this time there are some pretty good title at some serious discounts!
Here are our picks of the litter:
Critical Gamers Staff at Permalink
November 29, 2010
The publisher of some of the best board games of the decade has opened it's inventory for a full blown holiday sale. Some of these titles are at insanely low prices to clean inventory. And these aren't trashy titles, but high quality and well reviewed board games like Tribune, World of Warcraft Adventure Game Expansions, the Starcraft Board Game expansion Brood War, and BattleLore expansions.
All titles are discounted considerably, some of these titles are 1/5 of their original price. Happy Hunting!
Critical Gamers Staff at Permalink
November 26, 2010
Welcome to you one-stop index page for all of our Holiday Board Game Gift Ideas for 2010! The year has been boon year for gaming as boards games have truly hit a new golden age. We'll keep you in the know about all of this year's best releases.
We've organized our 2010 list as spectrum starting with the easily approachable family games all the way down the the strategic and tactical war games. There's bound to be the perfect gift idea for your specific gamer in mind somewhere here on this page.
And if you're looking for even more recommendations then check out our last four Holiday Gift Guides from 2009, 2008, 2007, and 2006.
Let's get started!
Continue reading: "Critical Gamers' 2010 Holiday Gift Guide - Board and Card Game Gift Ideas "
Critical Gamers Staff at Permalink
November 22, 2010
 Dominion Prosperity [Amazon, Funagain] is the highest rated expansion to Dominion to date. It's also the latest and greatest in the award lining line of deck building games in a box. If you know a Dominion fan and you're looking for a great, cheap Christmas pickup, then you've just found it. Act fast!
This is quite a deal. Tanga has claimed that Dominion Prosperity [Amazon, Funagain] is on short order at most major retailers. We made a check and it's somewhat true. Amazon has a stash ready to ship. What Tanga has over Amazon, though, is price. Today Dominion Prosperity is cheaper on Tanga than anywhere we can find.
And they even throw in some deck sleeves to boot. Cover those cards before a spilled beer consumes them.
Here are the official details:
"Ah, money. There's nothing like the sound of coins clinking in your hands. You vastly prefer it to the sound of coins clinking in someone else's hands, or the sound of coins just sitting there in a pile that no-one can quite reach without getting up. Getting up, that's all behind you now. Life has been good to you. Just ten years ago, you were tilling your own fields in a simple straw hat. Today, your kingdom stretches from sea to sea, and your straw hat is the largest the world has ever known. You also have the world's smallest dog, and a life-size statue of yourself made out of baklava. Sure, money can't buy happiness, but it can buy envy, anger, and also this kind of blank feeling. You still have problems - troublesome neighbors that must be conquered. But this time, you'll conquer them in style.
This is the 4th addition to the game of Dominion. It adds 25 new Kingdom cards to Dominion, plus 2 new Basic cards that let players keep building up past Gold and Province. The central theme is wealth; there are treasures with abilities, cards that interact with treasures, and powerful expensive cards.
Note: You need to have Dominion the base game to play this game. "
Critical Gamers Staff at Permalink
November 12, 2010
 Now here's a movement that we could get behind. Tomorrow in libraries across the United States kids will be able to join together for gaming goodness in what we hope will be a reoccurring national day of gaming. We're not just talking one or two cities, but 1,800 different libraries across the country. How brilliant is this?
Here are some of the details:
"Libraries will offer a variety of activities throughout the day, including modern board games, traditional games (such as chess and checkers) and two national video game tournaments that will pit players at dozens of libraries against each other for bragging rights to the ultimate Rock Band and Super Smash Bros. Brawl crowns.
Through a generous donation from North Star Games, 1,500 of the participating libraries are receiving a free copy of the game Wits & Wagers Family, specifically for play during National Gaming Day."
You can easily check here for libraries near you. For more information check out the official announcement here.
This of course begs the question: why isn't there a library for games? Is your game night coming up ? Check out a game and bring it back the day after! We smell a franchise brewing.
Critical Gamers Staff at Permalink
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Ticket to Ride: A Must-Have for Any Board Game Enthusiast
Review: Politics - Unpretenious Package But Packs Plenty of Punch