Category: Monolith - BOARD GAMES EVERYBODY SHOULD...

Kickstarter no-no-nooooo!

12/16/2019

Going back to the darker days of board gaming. When a slightly younger version of me was making segments for The Dice Tower "Barry Thinks..." There, I was a disgruntled little man with opinions on what is right and wrong with our hobby.

And here I am, doing it again. But why?

Well, I received a package the other day from a Kickstarter. And it lead to this...

What do you think?

Please feel free to write comments in the section below. I would be happy to respond and hear your side of things.

And if you missed out on those Dice Tower videos, here are a few of them for you to muse over.

Batcake and tea, for me

5/3/2019

Batman: Gotham City Chronicles
(2019) review

Designer : Frédéric Henry
Artist : Georges Clarenko, David Demaret, David Finch, Jim Lee
Publisher : Monolith

2-4 players
60-90 minutes
ages 14 and up

Written by Barry
& Guilou

What can I tell you about Batman: Gotham City Chronicles that you don't already know. I've already told you that it's a Kickstarter from Monolith, who have produced such epic games like Mythic Battles: Pantheon and Conan. As well as the recent Claustrophobia 1643. I've already given you my first impressions after playing a game with the designer Fred Henry. And I've giving you my 10th impressions after playing the game 10 times and demoed it more than 20. So why am I here to talk about it today?
Because I have a final production copy on my table with more than one scenario and many more figurines. Some alternative modes. A Rulebook and final art.

So let me run over very quickly what this entails. Batman: Gotham City Chronicles gives you the chance to play out some of the highlighted scenes from the graphic novels. Whether you are battling in the Ace Chemicals Warehouse against the red hood gang. Which was inevitably the demise of their leader, who possibly falls into a vat of acid, transforming into the possible Joker. Or defending Wayne Manor against the armies of The Owls. Preventing them from entering the Batcave and putting an end to Bruce Wayne's carree. With 23 scenarios in the base game alone, there is a lot to play through.

Talking about the base game, unlike many others, it comes in two very large boxes. Each one holds either the villains or the heroes, plus all the boards, bits and books. Which is far better like this than in previous Kickstarters, where all the stretch goals were in one box and the base game with another. Everything was all mixed up and you didn't know how to put two and two together. Here, each box contains a figurines for one of the sides, all nicely decorated on the exterior to show you which character goes where. This benefits the setup process of the game, making it quick to lay everything out and find. Plus it always helps when the characters cards look like the Miniatures. Big bonus points here. Although the tokens and tiles do not have a designated base that hold them, you will quickly improvise with a baggy and place them in the nearest convenient hole.

Setup of a game still does take a little bit of time after, but not as much if the organisation was not this good, once you’ve chosen a scenario. But some of this slowdown comes from the choice that the hero players can now make. Scenarios will give players the options of several Heroes to choose from, all related to the storyline of course. And as well as their choice of heroes there is also the choice of which items they will pack in their utility belts. Well, those from the bat family anyway. Other characters will have pre designated tools and weapons. The hero player board is practical and visually stunning to look at, with its recessed areas for energy cubes and space for the character cards to slide in and out of. And they contained a bio of the character, so if you are unfamiliar with batcow, you can read up on her. While the villain player has a cool plastic command console to install their troops and cubes. Yes, this is a One vs many strategic combat game. But it also has a one on one mode which I will talk about later.

With setup complete, you'll need to then learn how to play the game. Unfortunately this is not as easy as it should be. I did enjoy watching Batman in the 60s and 70s but one thing that I did not enjoy reading this rule book, that seems to have come from the same era as well. The format of the instructions is a very cold and old numeric paragraph system. Lots of flow charts and lots of repetition. Yes, I know it’s trying to be like a Bat-computer readout, but it doesn’t work. I have a Babylon 5 board game on my shelf which I cannot play due to this system of writing. And it is possible that this game will sit on players shelves collecting dust as well, due to the unfriendliness of the layout. But the good news is that all the rules are inside. And once you get to grips with the game, any problems you run into can be resolved quite quickly by referring to this tablature of information.

Now there is a steep learning curve for this game. That's due in part to its ingenious resource management system which you don't really find in a game of this ilk. Once you understand that, there is then the chore of remembering what all the icons do. And there are a lot of them. The only way to find out what they mean is to dig up the rulebook, something you’ll be doing continuously at first. Then searching for the icon, as they are all alphabeticalized instead of associated with an action. Which would have made it quicker defined a power associated to punching for example, if they're all on the same page (this has now been updated by Monolith in a PDF). So expect a rough ride for your first few games as you adapt to the new system and the iconography. But once you get going you're in for a roller coaster ride like no other.

Scenarios will see the hero players teeming together to thout the villain player's plans. While the heroes have the possibility of creating their team with characters and Bat-gadgets, our villain player will be stuck with their lineup and objective. As I've said many times before this game brings a lot of communication between the hero players. They will have to work hard together to defeat the enemy. While the villain player will have to use their brain power and economize there energy spending to slow the heroes down. And although there is quite a lot of dice rolling, which players may find to random for the strategic planning they have prepared, it's this randomness that leads to the excitement. Obviously being a good calculator of chance, will help you defy the odds. As there will be times when every dice roll seems to be against you, but that doesn't mean that you'll be down and out. Either side has a bucket load of opportunity and options to still achieve what they need to do. Changing your strategy slightly to adapt to these minor pitfalls is always suggested for either faction. Although, speaking from experience, not selecting the right tools for the job can impede your success.

Let's talk about the versus mode which is totally new to me. This mode let's 2-players go head-to-head in a scenario based skirmish. Each player will have a control panel, the second one is provided in this Vs expansion. Once again you are given the opportunity to create your teams, with a slight restriction, as you can only have two main characters. One will become the Leader and have a new special power applied to them. While the other is their General. The other spaces of your command post will be taking up by level 1 and level 2 troops. Setup the skirmishes is very rapid once you know the base game rules. Plus there are a few tweaks due to the fact that the hero characters are now on tiles and their special abilities are limited to 3 things. Going back to not selecting the right tools for the right job, this did apply in my playthrough other scenario, which cost me dearly. Giving my daughter an easy Victory. But it was still refreshing to playthrough. Added to the normal command post rules is a new set of energy gems. Everytime you activate a tile from your river, you'll spend the same amount of these new energy gems as the amount of tiles you've already activated on your turn. Plus the amount of normal energy for the position in the river, as in a normal game. Giving you two resources to manage. It balances the control panel perfectly, meaning players won't constantly be activating their cheapest units turn after turn. This mode definitely beats playing a two-player game where one player will be controlling multiple Heroes. It's the same game but in a slightly different light. Maybe a dark light!

So far my experiences of Batman has been pleasant, exciting and totally fun. There is a real sense of being in the Gotham universe, not only when Robin has been pounded to smithereens by a group of Thugs and it's Batman that swings into the rescue. But from the get-go of reading out the scenario, that comes from the mouth of Jim Gordon or Oracle or someone else. I was transported into the pages of some of these crime fighting, multi-millionaire, dynamic duo shoes. My daughter enjoyed Conan, but loves this. With its strong female character list, she enjoys assembling a strange team to beat the snot out of me. Not really a Suicide Squad. More about daddy beating squad.

Technical score 9/10
Although there is some slightly bent based minis this game is visually stunning and perfectly put together. Everything fits nicely back in the box, with the little help from baggies. Unfortunately letdown buy a slightly unfriendly Rulebook.

My BGG score 10/10
(outstanding - will always enjoy playing)
I love playing this game. The mechanisms are so different and so much more realistic in my eyes, for how a character can and should act in a game. If only dungeon crawling to take a page out of this game. Plus, this is Batman. My family needs are well met. If only there was some real puzzles inside for the detective in me to solve, this would be an 11/10.

Combined Score 9.5/10
Now it's over to you...

Batman Gotham City Chronicle is the new nugget of Frédéric Henry. Promised, I'll do a short review, Barry having already done a good one. This is often considered a Conan 2.0. When I saw the game and read the rules, actually the two games are very close. But Batman is an improved and refined version.

All the little defects of rule or understanding that could be found in Conan were erased. All points of contention have been improved. The material has been greatly monitored at the level of its production and it shows on the realization. The figures are very effective. The apprehension of the choice of the plastic or the variety of colors has disappeared. The details are present. The different colors according to the camps allow a quick for visibility on the board. The command board is much more optimized and pleasant to use. The art is superb, these boards stuffed with small details.

At the gameplay level, the game is fluid, fun, very well thought out. The interaction is ubiquitous. As the “good guys”, you’ll pay attention to what the character is thinking and try to keep the focus on the goal. As a villain, you’ll try to distract the other players while trying to knock them out. The middle ground is hard to get and it's very fast. Every shot is important. The number of scenarios is quite important and seems to be open enough to have good monitoring (in terms of quality and quantity). The balance of scenarios has been revised and for the majority of scenarios, it becomes very tense and imposing. The pleasure is tenfold. Playing the role of the “bad guys” or the “good guys” are two extremely pleasant things. Once the game is over, you’ll just want to go back for more. Another positive point, each scenario offers the possibility for the “good guys” to choose their heroes from a selection. It changes the given powers freely (or almost) allowing you to use the figures that you desired. It also offers a very welcome replayability and variety in the stories.

It must be admitted that the Batman license plays a lot into the immersion. Batman: Gotham City Chronicle is a game with hybrid mechanisms. You will find the epic moments and the dice rolls to be Ameritrash and the optimization and meticulousness side closer to the German games. This crazy mix works perfectly here. Where, sometimes, Conan was more mechanical than thematic, in Batman immersion takes precedence. You will live the adventure. The license certainly plays an important role but the effect is there.

Another very positive point is the addition of the new game mode: Versus mode. As much to tell you that this way of playing justifies itself in the purchase of the game, if you play often as two. It's a real treat to select your team, prepare it and play with your characters. The system works perfectly. Bravo Fred! By taking the same mechanisms, this mode almost makes it possible to play another game. Another way to do, to see, to feel pleasure, to vibrate to the sound of Kapow!!! and Bam!!!, to laugh or growl following successes and failures. These parts are very tense. It is often difficult to predict a winner before the end, except big mistake during the game. The Versus is really the icing on the cake.

But is Batman: GCC a perfect game? Unfortunately no. It has a lot of positive points, it is certainly part of the inevitable, but …

The rule of the game are very indigestible for the those who does not know. There is not really a lack of or fuzzy moments in the book, it’s just badly presented and quite heavy (especially for the video generation). Two booklets presented in the manner of the majority of FFG games could have been a good idea. The YouTube video-rules are good, but it's not worth a good written explanation, neither easily or quickly navigate in case of doubt (and everyone does not like having to go on a screen to learn a game ).

The whole game is based on iconographies. This notion is interesting ... from the moment players have something to navigate. This is not the case. The tiles of the villains are sometimes a little confusing especially during the first games. The back and forth in the rule eventually damage the pages. Even if after several plays, we got our bearings, the fact that there was not originally a game aid or memo on separate sheets, this is a big oversight (although Monolith has reacted very quickly by offering to download a game aid on their site).

The scenarios are very generic. If one can understand the will behind this choice, it can still take the player out of the immersion. The absence of a campaign mode is also a bit unfortunate. There was so much to do (possibly a rights issue, they maybe could not).

It's a shame that Monolith did not think of a specific storage for all the figurines, you’ll have to walk with all the boxes each time (even if the illustrations are beautiful).
Another unforgivable point, you can not play as the BatCow in Versus mode! What? Nobody cares? Pfff!!! ok I'm the only one ...

Batman Gotham City is a very pleasant surprise. Since I received it, it rarely leaves my table. The versus mode is an excellent innovation and a big plus to a game that already had serious advantages. Even if it is not free of defects, it would be a pity to miss this game. The Dark Knight's world is very well presented and at the same time, it offers enough freedom for a players who are having more trouble with other licenses, to enjoy playing. The game manages to mix the mechanisms while offering an immersive experience. Having played a lot, it is clearly the best Batman board game that exists. If you like the license, go with your eyes closed. If you like fun, you can go here too. If you do not like Batman, you have no taste it's a fact, but you can still enjoy this game. In the genre, Batman: Gotham City Chronicle has serious arguments to prevail as a playful reference.

Technical Score 9.5 / 10
Everything is almost perfect. I feel that there has been a time and work invested behind the illustrations, figurines, trays, command boards, character cards ...
Too bad a few details spoil a near perfection.

My BGG Score 10/10
(Outstanding - will always enjoy playing)
It is possible that the license plays a very important role but the game is really very good. The versus mode brings a touch of extra pleasure. Batman Gotham City Chronicle is a perfect mix of genres. Simple, fluid, captivating, tense. I have only one desire, to replay a game.

Combined Score 9.75 / 10
Now, it's your turn to play ...

Syrinscape Sounds of Claustrophobia

4/2/2019

I was waiting until everything was 100% complete before sharing this information with you. Yes, the Claustrophobia 1643 has now officially wrapped for me. The soundtrack complete, not only as a downloadable MP3 but also as an app version, thanks to Syrinscape.

What does that mean? Well let me explain in this video…

So now I am done with music, I will go back to doing board game reviews and board game videos. Just until the next soundscape comes along…

here are some links to places to get the soundscape

Sneak Peak at Claustrophobia 1643

9/11/2018

For those of you who are waiting for the next big Monolith project, there is not long to go until it hits Kickstarter. And it is called Claustrophobia 1643.

I was asked by the team at Monolith to demo the prototype at a special event at the Philibert game store in Strasbourg, to which I said "no problem." As Philibert is one of the biggest stores in Europe that deals with delivery, not only games from it's website but also Kickstarters to your door. And it's been 40 years that this company has been in operations. So HAPPY BIRTHDAY PHILIBERT.

Into my possession came a prototype of the game, which I held onto for a short time. The same proto that I demoed at Gen Con this year. So I thought I would create a little video for you, so those that did not see it at these two events can marvel over the look of the game.

Remember, that in this video, it is a proto and does not have all of the components. Have a look to see if it could be your cup of tea, then watch out for the Kickstarter, as it drops in October

Here I Gen Con

7/25/2018

Hello chaps and chapette,

How lucky I am to be invited to the wonders that are known as Gen Con, in Indiana?
Very...very lucky.

The big side of the gaming world is having it's annual event and I will be there, all four days with Monolith. Once again, I will be helping out in the booth (2830), showing people how to play Batman: Gotham City Chronicles and Mythic Battles: Pantheon. On top of that, I will be demoing the next big game in the pipe-works, Claustrophobia 1643.

This is the perfect opportunity to catch my podcasting buddy, Burky. And we will record a show together, face to face for the first time ever...excited!!! Plus get some manly hugs from Lance Myxter, Paul Grogan, the BGG gang and many more of my friends.

So while I am away, you may not see a lot of new videos pop up. I do have some uploaded and ready to go but am waiting for the "OK" from those publishers. So look out for new videos soon and some inside info on Monoliths new game.

Ciao for now, and I hope to see you there.

Battle of the gods - mythic battles review

6/12/2018

next time someone asks if your a god, you say "yes!"

The Geek Gods are various and powerful and love playing games. As do we. But the only difference is that "we" are their game. They manipulate and transform us into mighty heroes or villainous monsters, making us walk the path that "They" want us to go down.

But now we have the upper hand as we can control those "all powerful" Gods to our hearts and whims delight. Mythic Battles: Pantheon is the evolution of an early Iello edition of Mythic Battles by Benoit Vogt. Although, this edition is pumped full of miniatures and additional characters and creature. Unlike it's predecessor, which was cards played on a grid. But the game is mostly the same. You will be choosing a God from the many livable (depending on the number of add-ons that you purchase) then draft an army around that God, consisting of Heroes, Monsters, Troops and maybe a Titan. Then combat starts...

Fortune is ally to the brave

The game is a combat game that takes element from games that we already know and meshes them into a simple to understand and play instantly game (minus the time to set up). Much like chess and it's learning curve, but also like a collectible card game that uses a deck to active characters. Plus some traditional and slightly tweaked dice combat with degrading player characters that wither away, the more injured they become. A game that the Gods would say, "this is walk in the park."

You will start with picking a God to be your avatar. Then create an army that benefits and complements that God. Whether it be Zeus, Ares or Hades, having the right combination is an essential key to your success when playing. Although, you could just experiment and mix and match to your hearts content, as there are enough units in the base game to keep you amused for months. Each unit has a wide variety of statistics, from life points, special powers to unique ability. So choosing the right ally that compensate another can take a little time to get your head around, as well as take a little real world time. And not only that, there is the battlefield to take into consideration. For example, having a team of flying creatures that are not hindered by the different levels of the terrain, will have a hard time dealing damage to your opponent's forces, if they are hiding in one of the many forests.

There are many type of terrain that will help or hinder movement, ranged attacks as well as hand to hand combat. Some of this terrain comes with physical trees and rocks, that not only make a picturesque playing field but make a difference to the game as it can be destroyed to remove, along with their penalty's and benefits. Because we all know the frustration of losing a game on the count of one small obstruction that prevented you taking a shot at a very weak God, who you'd like to kill before they have a chance to absorbs an Omphalos, winning the game.

Find, and fulfill your destiny!

Skirmish mode is the common way to play this game, two, three or four players. But there are also some campaign's and scenarios that will hold your attention. Where you'll race to find healing plants or rescue a princess. Even the possibility of cooperatively playing to prevent the Hydra from entering the local, defenseless village is available to play. You may play an all Vs all or team up in pairs. With a system that allocates points accordingly to the number of player and the side that they are on. A one verses three player game is also a viable. But no solo mode...Boo-Hoo!

But you'll probably play more skirmish's than anything. They are simple to set up from the scenario book and allow you the freedom to create your army's from the mutilated of units and characters. With a simple end game of either destroying the opponents God or getting your God to absorb more Omphalos than the others. As well as an easy way to get into the game, they also serve as useful way to see the potential in your warriors for future battles. This game is one massive and mythical learning experience.

Getting your head around all the powers and ability as well as accustoming yourself to the terrain can be a bit tricky if you are not into heavy, epic, strategic warfare. As there is hand management, card counting, spatial perception of the board and taking note of all your characters statistic that change with the damage they take. Even so, the game play mechanisms will sink in quite quickly, making it an enjoyable, flowing experience. Especially with the big reference cards available.

Call no man happy who is not dead!

Most games have your hero preforming dice combat to show their impressive sword skills or other ability for mowing down the opposing minis. Even when your character is on their last legs and final drop of blood, they are still swinging their weapon high, rolling the same amount of dice as they did at the beginning of the game. Not here...

Going back to my HeroClix's days, I remember the sensation of having a hero weaken in combat, struggling to survive. And they needed help from the my other character, just to stay in the game. And the win that I accomplished, even with this Achilles Heel was a gratifying one. The same is here. Each character has a life point bar that, when damaged, depletes. On it's way down to death, their strength of their attracts get weaker as you roll less dice. Also, their defense may go down, or their movement will be reduced. All leading to the demise of that character. Some may have powers that only unlock when reduced to one point of life, like the Phoenix. Making it a more realistic, down to earth system that is reflected in it's combat. If a Phoenix really excised, that is.

the bigger they are...

Talking of combat, what would an epic game like this be, without epic dice rolling. There is plenty of that in this game. Fortuna may not be your chosen Goddess, but that is no bad thing. You can manipulate your dice in an exploding fashion or sacrifice them.

Technically, five sided dice, even though they have six faces, only five of which have the possibility of doing damage. The blank face is an immediately remove dice when rolled. Any other number can be sacrificed and remove to make the value of another rise by one. Transforming a die from a three to a five by removing two other dice is a good way to hit those powerful Gods with a defense that is higher than the values marked on the dice themselves. I hear you saying, "how can I damage a God that has eight in defense but the highest value on a die is five?" The importance of have a five on your dice is they can be rolled again, adding it's new value to it's previous. Giving you those higher results with this exploding dice mechanic.

It leaves players feeling that they have some way to negate their dice rolls and manipulate the result to what they want, which many games don't give you. Unless you have a power. Added to that, the fact that when you remembered to add the bonus from the terrain and that characters special ability, will have your fist punching in the area when you achieve massive (maybe mythic level) damage.

titan against titan. it's all in the cards

If Magic: The Gathering or Yu-Gi-Oh! is your thing, you may take solace in the fact that you will have the same power in your hands as in those games. Your deck of cards are made up of the characters you drafted and some special Act Of War cards. Every turn, you'll add one card from your deck to you existing hand and then play one or many cards that will summon minis to the board, or move that minis if already placed. With no text, these cards are easy to read, activating the depicted character leaving you with the hard choise. Which simple or complex actions to take. Using them wisely can bring a level of complexity to your plans as each character has a different amount of cards assigned to them. Leaving you card counting your opponents deck and second guessing who they will activate the next turn.

Burning the Act Of War cards or later in the game, Omphalos cards, are a way to preform other actions. Like playing and activating a second character or drawing more cards into your hand. You can even search the deck for that valuable card that you need right now. Hand management is key element in the fight to victory. Use your cards sparingly and your army is reduced to nothing. And running through your deck too quickly may not be advisable either, as your opponent will get to place their whole remaining deck in their hand. Giving them the upper hand (excuse the pun) in the vast number of cards to pick from.

this is how epic it is...

Release the Krakken!

This is a massive game. Not only massive in scope and game play but also as massive as some of it's mini's. In particular, the Titans that are very impressive figure with a great amount of detail. In fact, every single mini, carved die, character board and other component has been magnificently produced for this game. I can not state the amount of fantastically beautiful attention to detail has gone into producing this game. Of course the art work stands out, by far. This is a game that, if I could have on the wall, I would. But I would probably have to construct a few more walls to have sufficient space to place everything. As would you, if you were to back this project at it's highest level.

If your looking for a very deep warfare experience with high production values, I could not recommend a better one. This game has teeth, like a Krakken. Battles a satisfyingly profound after the placement of you army start to amass. And many expansions that need a Krakken size hole on your gaming shelf. With deep and thoughtful decisions to made every turn, players may play as quick a someone who has looked into the eyes of Medusa. Every battle is a real fight, even struggle between the players to become the victory. If this game is missing something, it's the word "EPIC" from the title. This is the EPIC miniature combat game to end then all.

recent review

my original KS videos

Technical Score 10/10
My BGG Score 7/10
Combined Score 8.5/10

goto mythic battles kickstarter

Mythic Battles: Pantheon 1.5 -- Kicktraq Mini

Batman: GCC after-party

4/26/2018

After the recent Kickstarter success of Batman: Gotham City Chronicles, Monolith held a "Thank You" party for those of us that helped spread the word, before and during the campaign.

And I was one of those 80 bloggers, painters and demonstrators to go along.

It was held in a quiet farm house, out on the outskirts of Paris. A weekend event of eating, drink, babbling and playing with the team of Monolith. Headed by Frédéric Henry the designer and co-founded of the company. Hand shakes and kisses were the first order of the day, as tradition in France. Yes, I kissed men on the cheek! (No Con-Crud ensued)

Although I was only there a short time on the Saturday, I got a taste of the world behind Kickstarter. Also, this article will probably shorter then what it could have been if I stayed the whole weekend. I will try my best to fill in the spaces with photos and videos. =)

We were well catered for, in the form of delicacy of Brittany (the home of Monolith). These were in the form of organic pancakes, sweet and savory.

I am quite partial to a cheese and ham pancake at home. But with an added egg, it was almost like an english breakfast in my hand. And their homemade lemon curd was a delight...until the third one.

Inside the farm house was a small display of the prototype components. Large prints of the maps, on paper. Box art and comic books. Plus the miniatures...and a BIG Batmobile

A look at the artwork used in the game

The miniature seemed like the final product. Although they weren't. They were stunning in detail and easily recognizable from the graphic novels, even if you hadn't read them. And that was the thing that struck me. In most games, when you get a ton of figures. You hone in on a few that you find appealing to the eye and get to know their names quickly. These become your favorites. The characters you use in every game.

But here, I knew almost all of their names. Loved their posses and look. And will probably have a hard time choosing a favorite, go to character.

Just look at them...

A table full of astonishing minis and a cool looking Batmobile

But it was not all pancakes and pats on the back.

A majority of my time there was spent talking to the other bloggers and playing games. I did forget a lot of names, even though everyone had a badge, so apologies if I don't mention you. You were all a pleasure to listen to. Anecdote and story's of things that had happened in life. All in French too. And "NO!", there was no conversations about boobs and bellybuttons!!! In fact, most of the topics were about normal things. Weather, holidays, where you come from and accents. And a little bit of board games mixed in.

I spent most of the day with my good friend Mr Petitjean and also caught up with Barbi, my fellow demonstrator at the UK Gaming Expo. He came down, all the way from somewhere around Huddersfield for the event. And there was even a couple that came from Scotland. And I had a little chance to speak in my native tongue before enjoying the company of other in my now second tongue.

A table full of astonishing minis and a cool looking Batmobile

In among the eating and talking that was going on around me, there was also some gaming. I sat down and played all three of Monoliths titles. Conan, Mythic Battles: Pantheon as well as Batman. Some of the group had brought their own copies of their games. Blinged out and painted with astonishing detail.

There were of course many other games there being played. Great Western Trail, Lisboa, Secret Hitler and other published titles that hit the tables as well as some prototypes. One in paticular was the next, up and coming game from Monolith...Claustrophobia 1643.

This will be a remake of the same game with the same name...
Claustrophobia by Croc.

But with a few changes to the mechanisms and, as you can guest, a lot more miniatures.

This new version, which is still headed by Croc, will be to the same scale as the original, but will be like a new base game. Monolith haven't official announce that they will be supporting the 2009 version of the game, but knowing that they like fan created content, I'm sure there will be mission for this on their Overlord site in the future.

New feature, that you can see in the video below, include; Creature player has new actions board. Less actions than before, but more profound.Human player can collect cards that can be played as special actions or to change the result of a dice roll.

Prototype version of the new Claustrophobia 1643

This proto was in heavy use all the day, so I never got chance to play and compare how it plays against the original version (which I played once and admired it damage system). So I will have to probably wait until September, like you, to see how it works. Again, this will be another Kickstarter, so if your a fan...start saving your penny's.

All in all, it was a delightful day, not only with a very sunny and hot, April sun. But also because of the company that was there. The charming Monolith team, the friendly fellow bloggers, amazing painters and Batman comic book fans. Thank you all.

Talking of Batman, if you missed out on the Kickstarter, you can still get a chance to grab a copy. As of the 3rd of May, you can go to the late pledge manager...
AND GET EVERYTHING!!!!

Batman Late Pledge

Mad March

4/4/2018

Hello Chaps and Chapette,

So many things have passed in the past month. More positive and upbeat. Let's start with the finish of a game that I have been helping promote by demoing, reviewing, blogging, chatting and even providing voices for. That is Batman: Gotham City Chronicles. It's not long finished on Kickstarter with a whopping $4.4 million dollars, making it the sixth highest funded board game. And the 24th overall KS.

On top of that, if you missed out, you'll be able to jump on board with a late pledge later in May.

There was also a few other Kickstarters that I was involved with:

Immortal 8 by Sorry We Are French
Chartered: The Golden Age by Jolly Dutch Productions
Chronicles of Crime by Lucky Duck Games

You can find out more these games by clicking the links above, their publishers name in the Shortcut menu to the left of watch the Blog video below.

What is "the Monthly Video?" 0:20

A Review of Reviews 1:32
Photosynthesis
Immortal 8
Chartered: The Golden Age
Chronicles Of Crime

First and the Last 11:52
Mythic Battles: Pantheon
Clonk
Clank: Sunken Treasure
Kingdomino
Fuse
Iota
Niwa
Montana
Imaginarium
Catch The Moon
Small Detectives

The Monthly Giveaway 30:45

Have you played any of those games? What did you think of them?

And what do you think of the new look BGES? (better that looking at my ugly mug)

Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

Short update for February

3/9/2018

Hello Chaps and Chapettes

Things have gone crazy here, in BGES studios (well, at my home). The web site has bee a little quiet of late but that is because lots of work going on behind the scenes though.

I have been helping out with the recent Kickstarter Batman: Gotham City Chronicals and the amount of support and love for the project has been overwhelming. A ton of Batfans have been waiting for a game like this (like me), and now it is here. I have already played and produce videos on my thoughts and feeling about the game. Scroll over to my Kickstarter page to see them.

Another project that has just this minute started is Immortal 8.

A rapid playing, card drafting game with hidden roles and "asymmetric scoring" (I may have to copyright that, if such a thing exists.) Set in a fantasy universe, were you are a God building up a civilization, with only a small handful of cards. A game from the team behind Imagine and Crossing and is now live on Kickstarter.

Again, I am helping out, not only in producing a video on how to play and what my thoughts are of the game. But behind the scene, I am answering question and responding to comment about the game. As I am with Batman.

Although I have been tied, I have not gone away and will posting more and more tit-bits here. But in the meantime, catch up on everything here on the Double-Back Monthly.

video blog for february 2018

App't apps

2/8/2018

January. What a month it has been. Stuffed after Christmas. Marinaded on New Year. Then tickled pink on the Birthday.

I did get to play quite a few games as well. Some family favorites as well as some new ones that flew under my nose. From the wonderful Clans of Caledonia (Karma Games) to the Wall in Catan (Fantasy Flight Games), with the Brotherhood of the Watch. I hiked around the beautiful Okanagan: Valleyof the Lakes (Matagot) and visited an old favoratite place with a Splendor (Space Cowboys) new view of the city.

There were a few Kickstarters that came my way as well. One, I have been playing for a long time and have seen it evolve over the year. That is Batman: Gotham City Chronicles (Monolith Editions) which is coming very soon. The other, which is currently running is Blockchain: The Cryptocurrency Game (Say Cheves). You can find these in my Kickstarter page.

And I delve into board game app's. As there were a few time in the month where I played Mansions of Madness (Fantasy Flight) alone. Or I was joined with my daughter in the fight to save the galaxy in Rising 5 (Holy Grail Games). playing with these app's got me thinking, are they good or bad for the hobby? And most importantly, do they work?

But you can see and hear about all these things, in my double-back monthly blog

What is "the Monthly Video?" 0:20
A Review of Reviews 1:41
First and the Last 3:15
Question Time 12:50
The Monthly Giveaway 21:52

Let me know in the comments, what you think about board game app's.
And if you have a question that you'd like me to open up in Question Time.