Switch, Game Review

More pictures on their page

Every so often you are sitting with a few people around and just wanting a quick game to fill in the time. Something everyone gets involved in. In my group we call these filler games. At a couple of recent conventions, Salt Lake Gaming Convention and SaltCon, I came across a game that really fits the definition of a filler game.

Switch is a fast-paced, everyone play at once, game. It reminded me of a game we called Speed crossed over with some Crazy Eights. In Switch you are working to get rid of your hand as fast as possible into a central discard pile.

A hand starts with each player having a dealt hand that you turn over at the same time. Then you get rid of them as fast as possible. You start out with a condition to play cards, pairs, color (suit), or runs. You keep playing on the top of the discard pile until you can't play or a switch card is used to change the condition.

When I played we just played individual hands, but you can keep score to have your game last longer than just a hand. Many hands are completed in less than a minute. I also watched other playing and how many younger players really enjoyed the fast pace of the game and how short of time a hand took.

I can see there is a lot of potential to create your own house rules for discarding. You can also change hand size. You could also create different hand sizes to provide a balance between younger and older players. All of these, and other ideas, create a basic card game that can be played differently to keep the game fresh.

You might be waiting for only a few minutes and be looking for something to fill the gap of time. Or, you might need to fill a little more time. You could even play this between ordering your food and waiting for it to be served.

Switch is designed and distributed by Bored Brothers Gaming (Facebook link). It designed for 2–6 players, with no age listed, to last about 15 minutes (based on the games scoring system).

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

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Tiny Frontiers, RPG review

Tiny Frontiers Game Book

The expanse of space lies before you and your fellow explorers. You are cruising through the darkness of the vast to your next adventure. The captain has chosen the location and the navigator plotted the course to Messick. Though the ship is pretty much capable of directing itself through the darkness, the pilot is nearby and ready in case something unexpected happens. The only people appearing to be on edge are the captain and the quartermaster. There wasn't any word as to why you were going to the system. Maybe, it would be best to check to see what's in the computer.

Tiny Frontiers by Alan Bahr with Thomas Keene from Gallant Knight Games is a wonderfully compact gaming system for space adventures. It provides a game that can be used to introduce new players, new settings, and new games quickly and easily. The approach to creating Tiny Frontiers appears to be different the so many of the existing science fiction role-playing games (RPGs).

Many science fiction RPGs are based in an existing universe that provides boundaries so adventures fit the parameters of the overarching story the RPG is drawn from. On the other side of that coin, are the games systems that provide so much information trying to cover every aspect of what a game master (GM) may want to create for their universe. I have seen these taken to the extreme in both directions. If you are a fan of the existing universe, the guidelines given are not a problem because you have already allowed yourself to be in that universe. The, again, the other side usually means there is a lot of work for the GM when building a new universe to game in.

The size of the book is smaller than most game books. It can be tucked into the pocket of a pair of cargo pants. It is something to know that you have the universe in your pocket. Even though the book is 136 pages in total length, the first third of the book is all that is needed to create your characters and start playing. The additional 90 pages are micro-settings. The concept is to be able to build on the narrative, cinematic aspects of role-playing and not to get bogged down in the details of creating the tactical aspects of the strategy.

The 40 pages of game mechanics are straight forward, easy to understand, and readily adaptable.

Creating a character is a simple matter of deciding on your race, traits, and what you're carrying. Your personality can grow from their as you decide. There are races presented, which some would say provides those boundaries I was talking about earlier. And, they do. At the same time, the style of the game allows for development of additional races without having to do a lot of behind the scenes work.

Character traits and equipment are presented in the same manner to provide a quick start to play. In fact from start to finish it took fifteen to twenty minutes to have a character ready for adventuring.

Tiny Frontiers GM screen

When I received the book from Alan he told me he wanted to create a system where you can keep your character on an index card. And, a three by five or a four by six index card really is enough. The only thing that might take you more is how much backstory you want to give them.

There are 16 unique micro-settings from 12 other authors. Because the authors come from different backgrounds (including science fiction, fantasy and horror) each micro-setting has a flavor all its own. There is enough information that a GM can base an entire campaign in any of the settings. Or, like any good recipe, they can be combined to create a diverse universe.

The longest write up of a setting is only nine pages long (and these are small tiny pages). Most of them are structured to be about two standard notebook pages in length. The smaller format gives enough information so you can easily introduce the setting to your players and peak the creativity of the game master. Although it seems like these are short descriptions that would be lacking, they are not. Reading through the settings reminded me of the great paperbacks I read in my youth, places among the stars I wanted to visit.

Tiny Frontiers is a great RPG to have on hand for experienced and new players. The size of the book and the characters, along with using only six-sided dice, makes this game easily transportable. It is one of the few RPGs I feel I can say would make a good cabin game—something to play when you are away from home, but unable to get out of the cabin.

Everyone is nervous now you are coming into a dilapidated port. The captain finally spoke up that he took a commission to find some lost prospector in the desert on Messick. (This is drawn from one of the micro-settings presented.)

As a side note, Gallant Knight Games has acquired the rights for producing more on the Tiny Dungeonruleset.

I would like to thank Alan Bahr and Gallant Knight Games for the opportunity of playing and reviewing Tiny Frontiers.

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

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Nerdy Inventions, Game Review

Tinkering in the laboratory by adding a watzit here and a widget there can be a fulfilling career. Working to get the right combination of components to make a whole working invention is give a wonderful feeling of accomplishment. Then, after the first one is made, being able to put that invention to use to create more amazing creations can take you to a whole new level of self-confidence.

Nerdy Inventions distributed by Mayday Games is a quick playing game well suited for a small family, kids, or even when another couple comes over for game night. It is designed for two to four players and we played it with two and four players. The game moves quickly and easily along, but, you also have the capability of being able to step away from it or break out in conversation without disrupting the game. This makes it a nice addition to the game shelf.

First, I sat down with three other players of mixed ages and we were able to quickly learn Nerdy Inventions and play through without any problems. This first session was with less experienced gamers and everyone enjoyed it. I am sure we were all missing options that were available to us, but no one minded the fact. They were having fun, helping each other and enjoying the interaction through the game.

The next time I played was with a friend who is a gamer. The two of us started the game as we were waiting for the rest of the players on a game night. After we started, we found out the others weren't going to be able to make it and we played one game after the other for several hours.

Nerdy inventionshas easy to understand rules that provide a lot of combinations of what can be done on your turn. Although we didn't hit the lowest age of the recommendation our youngest player was able to understand and apply the rules on their own quickly. More questions came from the more experienced gamers as they were figuring out the nuances of what they could do. After a quick pass through the rules we were able to start our first game.

Each player starts with an invention. Inventions allow the player to make adjustments to their resources, or the inventions available to be created when you get the right combination of resources. The resources are determined by a roll of three six-sided dice.

The game

A turn starts by rolling the dice to determine what resources you have available. The right combination of dice allows you to build new inventions that becomes part of your laboratory. You can also spend dice to move inventions so the resource requirement changes or power one of your inventions you have used earlier in the game.

Using an invention allows an action depending on what the invention is. There are ten different inventions available. The combination of events in a single turn grows as you determine how to spend your resources and use your inventions. The game is designed that everyone will get the same number of turns, usually. There is an invention that allows a player to end the game immediately, if they think it will give them enough victory points.

Every invention is worth victory points. During play you have to decide how you want to fill your laboratory with what's available—what's on the invention row and what you have resources for. At the end of the game victory points are totaled to determine who has the best filled laboratory.

Along with being a good family game Nerdy Inventions is a good addition to have as a cabin game or a filler game. It is in a small package, is easy to set up, and easy to clean up. With the randomness of rolling dice and the order of the deck as inventions are made available the replay-ability of Nerdy Inventions is high.

Nerdy Inventionsby Chih Fan Chen from Homosapiens Lab and licensed to Mayday Gamesis designed for 2–4 players of ages 8+. A game is designed to last 25–30 minutes.

I would like to thank Mayday Games for the opportunity of playing and reviewing their games.

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

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Coins, in Development, Game Review

Some of the coins from the game

The field of battle lies between you. Across the field you can see your enemy prepared to enter as your forces wait for the orders to advance. Each of them personally selected for this confrontation, a confrontation of winner take all.

I was able to play the Coins at Life, the Universe and Everything (LTUE). This was a demonstration game with the developer to gain feedback as he is still working on it. The basis of the game combines a strategy of selecting your troops for battle, moving them into play, and combatting your opponent. We played one-on-one.

Carl Duzett, the designer, currently has the game setup to be a two player game with a fantasy theme. In our discussion he mentioned he is looking at other variations of number of players, themes, and available coins. I will focus on what I experienced with two players.

The mechanic used for combat is flipping the coin that is the troop piece. One side of the coin focuses on defense while the other is focuses on attack. When the coins first move out into play the defensive side is up, but at some point someone has to attack. The coin is flipped and the result of the flip is where the coin stays. There are also some special effects for different coins.

Some coins have an effect when they move into the battlefield. These one-shot events have the possibility of changing the course of the battle. You need to plan ahead and decide not only which piece should be moved out when. Other coins have special actions when that side comes up. But, the strategy starts before you even move a coin into the battlefield.

You choose which coins are part of the army you field. The set we played had twenty five coins to choose from and we each had identical coins to fill out our six member force. There are also other ways to build an army: each person could choose from their own set of coins, the players could draft from a common pool, you could take turns drafting from individual pools, or you could take turns choosing which coin every player has. I am sure there are other variations you could come up with to build your force. There are more coins being considered, but even with the current number of coins and variations of creating a force, there is great replayability.

With a force of six the game took about fifteen minutes to learn and play. Variability of time can be made with different drafting techniques and the number of coins included in the armies. These variations allow the game to be used as a filler game while you are waiting for other, and the size makes for a good cabin game that can travel with you.

I look forward to seeing how Coins develops. I believe Mr. Duzett has a good solid start and this is one that can be brought to market.

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

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Splat That!, Game Review

Chef Splat is in the kitchen working with eggs and chicken. He can't get everything done on his own, so he has his helpers watching out for him. With quick reflexes and fast action you can help the chef clear the kitchen.

Splat That! A deviled eggz game is a card game for 3–8 ages 5 and up. It is produced, designed, and illustrated by Jazwings. And, Jazwings is getting ready to put up on a Kickstarter campaign in February 2017.

I was sent a development copy of Splat That! and played with a couple of groups of players getting down close to the lower age limit. The younger players enjoyed playing the game and were able to learn it very quickly. Almost every one of them was already familiar with the mechanic used, which made it even better for them. Those who didn't know where quick to learn from the other players.

Chef Splat, Practical Yolker, and Dare Devil

Splat That! uses the mechanic of Slap Jack  or Snap played with standard playing cards. This game has some variations to take it a little further.

This has a 108 deck of cards; the size of two standard decks of playing cards with the jokers left in. The cards are distributed as evenly as possible between the players, then they take turns turning over a card onto a discard pile. The first player to get rid of all of their cards win. When Chef Splat is turned up on the discard pile the players need to slap the pile. The last person who slaps the pile places the all the cards in the discard pile into their personal deck. There are also other cards and events to watch for.

Some common Cards (one's upside down)

Along with Chef Splat there are other cards and the chance of a doubles play that create action. When doubles appear you slap those for the same results of having to pick up the pile. When a Cracked Egg is rolled over onto the discard pile the players need to crack an egg on their head, again the last to act gets the pile. There is also the Practical Yolker, he looks similar to Chef Splat, but you usually don't want to slap him (double rule). If you do, you get the pile. There are also cards that require hand changes and, making a player sit out for a period of time, another card allows you to not take an action required of you. There is also a card that can be used to dare other players (you don't have to use dares, which was good for one of our playtesting sessions).

Some specialty Cards

I grew up playing Slap Jack and War with regular playing cards and Splat That! is reminiscent of those days. The younger players enjoyed it, with the highest level of enjoyment with the 6–7 year olds. For the older player the game went quick enough, 15–30 minutes. Once the younger players understood how to play they were happy to have a game they could play on their own.

Splat That! would make a good cabin game since it is only the size of two standard decks of cards. We also noted that the more creative players were starting to come up with some rule ideas of their own.

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

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Dead Man's Draw and Captain Carcass, Game Review

Pirates like to collect treasure. The more treasure they get, the happier they are. But, how do you go about collecting your booty? Do you collect a piece or two at a time, or push on to see if you can get a bigger haul at one time? If you try to get too much, you might lose everything you had lined up to put in your hull.

I first time I heard about Dead Man's Draw a friend mentioning how his kids loved to play it—an electronic game. I recently received a copy of the tabletop version of Dead Man's Draw along with Captain Carcass. So I sat down with three friends and we played a few games.

The strategy of these games is easy to learn. On your turn, turn over a card from the deck and place it in the play area. After the first card you have to decide to either collect the treasure, or draw another card. If the card is the same suit as a previous draw, you bust, and all the cards are moved to the discard pile. If there is no matching suit, you have to decide to continue or stop and collect.

The deck has ten suits. Each suit has a play-affecting aspect that must be followed before deciding if you are going to stop or continue. This allows for strategy as you might have to place a card you collected previously, relieve an opponent of one of their cards, or add cards to the play area, which could bust you. Along with the playing deck there are additional trait and situational cards.

The additional cards allow for variations from one game to the next. The Trait cards allow the player a specified ability during play. The variant cards (only in Dead Man's Draw) change an aspect of the game: how the cards bust, are banked, scoring, or another end game aspect.

The only other difference between the two games is Dead Man's Draw is listed for ages 13+, while Captain Carcass is listed for ages 8+. The reasoning is the artwork and the strategy changes introduced when using the variants. Both games are close to the popular electronic version of the game.

Playing Dead Man's draw reminded me of Pina Pirata (Guild Master Gaming review) These two games gave me the same feel, making them great games to have around for younger players.

Dead Man's Drawand Captain Carcass, from Mayday Games, were designed by Derek Paxton, Leo Li, and Chris Bray for 2–4 players. A game last for about 15 minutes.

I would like to thank Mayday Games for the review copies.

If you have any comments, questions, or critiques please leave a comment here, or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

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Martial Art, Game Review

The clans of Japan are assembling to determine which has rightful leadership. As your clan's leader you must take charge and organize everyone for the upcoming battles. It is your decision of who should fight now and who should be held back for later battles. But, there is more than just sending your warriors forth into battle, you can work on building greater reserves or use treacherous twists to deceive.

Martial Art is the second game to come from Spider Goat Games (their first game was Gangster Dice—review from 2014). And Spider Goat Games is working to maintain the quality of an easy to learn, quick-play game.

Martial Art pits players against each other, battling for control of significant locations. The mechanic is one most people are very familiar with, the same mechanic as in the card game War. However, Martial Art includes hand management, bluffing, and conditional effects that occur depending on the land being fought over, and the cards being played.

Each turn the players battle for a place (as identified on the land card). Some of the lands have effects that come into play alter events, like for Sagami, "After the battle, the player with the lowest strength may take a card from the discard pile, including those this round." And, some of the battle cards also effect play.

Two of us sat down at the table to learn Martial Art. The rules are easy to learn and we were able to start playing quickly. Because the mechanics of the game are something we understood, the only thing causing us to slow down at all was reading the conditional effects to decide if we wanted to use the particular card that round.

Once the land card was revealed, we saw if it had any effect on the battle. Then we selected our battle cards, deciding if there were any we could, and wanted to play, prior to the battle, and which card we wanted to bring into the battle directly. There is also an option of "forgoing" the battle to create a larger hand to choose from later. The cards are placed face down, that is the bluffing part; each player decides their action without knowing what the other players are attempting.

Once the cards are revealed the battle is concluded and any after battle effects are completed. Once one player has achieved a victory condition based on the land cards, the game ends. In our games we never ran completely through the deck.

Since this is a straightforward card game, it plays quickly. We were able to get several games played while we were filling in the time waiting for others of our gaming group. Set up and clean up are also quick. Since you are working with a pack of cards (or 2 for playing the 3-4 player variation), they are easy to have packed away in the game bag, backpack, or suitcase to have ready for a quick game anywhere.

The artwork on the cards is wonderful (classical Japanese). While finishing up, the art work was enough to get other players interested in wanting to learn the game.

Spider Goat Games is bringing another good game to have handy for the spare moments you want to fill. They are starting a Kickstarter campaign in the month of June 2016.

Thanks to Spider Goat Games for a copy of the prototype for review.

If you have any comments, questions, or critiques please leave a comment here, or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

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