Game-Dominant Species

Producer-GMT Games

Price- ~$70

Set-up/Play/Clean-up-1 hour per player (2-6 players)

TL;DR- Buckle up for a LONG game 75%

 

Basics- Oh boy, this is going to take a bit!  Dominant Species is a terrain control, worker placement game with two different ways to control terrain that function independently of each other and score separately.  If you got all that in one pass, then buckle up for an intense euro-game!  If not, don’t worry we can walk you through this slowly.  For the theme, all players play different phyla of animals: insects, arachnids, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals trying to control the most terrain and be the dominant species when the ice age hits.  Each turn, players place works on different spots on the right side of the board.  These spots give your animal new food sources (used to indicated who controls a tile), prevent your animal from losing food sources, put new food sources on the board on the board, put more tiles on the board, remove food sources from the board, kill other animals in your tiles, spread the glaciers, place more of your species on the board, migrate, change initiative, and contest spaces for points.  When you contest a space for points you find out who as the most animals on a space, award points according to number of species on the tile, and the dominant species get to pick a card available.  Each tile type has different point values for who has the most animals, then second most etc.  Some spaces have multiple values like open ocean with 9/5/3/2, while tundra only has one (1) point.  However, who has the most might not be the dominant species on the tile!  Dominant species is determined by the food sources on your player card and the food sources on the tile.  For every food sources on your player card, you count the number of times that’s on the tile, adding and repeating for every food sources on your tile.  Here is a quick example:  Let’s say your card has sun, sun, grubs, and water and the tile has sun, sun, sun, and water.  You count 3 sun, then 3 sun, 0 grub, and 1 water for a score of 7.  If you have the highest domination score you are the dominant species, but don’t get points till the ice age card is played where you get points based domination.  The cards that you pick range from good effects like gaining extra workers to bad effects like meteor strikes!  Each species has its own powers from insects getting to gain place one animal on the board for free to birds getting to move double spaces to every other animal’s one space.  The game goes on until the ice age card is played.  After that round is over, you score points for having the most animals in an area one last time, and the one with the most points in the dominant species.

 

Mechanics- As you can see the game is a bit complicated.  Now don’t become frightened by the run time OR the amount of rules, as the game is complicated, BUT easy to understand when you see all the parts in action.  The game does function like a clock, lots of moving parts the work fairly well together.  Honestly, after a turn, you will move pretty quickly when you get the gist of what is going on.  HOWEVER, this game is NOT forgiving!  If you mess up one turn, you might be dead in the water till the game is over.  There are NO mechanics that punish the victor only rewards for smart play.  It’s fun, but this is one you might have to play a few times to really get a chance to win at. 4/5

 

Theme- The game is fun, but I didn’t feel like I was a creature in a desperate struggle.  I felt like I was a guy playing a fun, abstract game, but not an animal vying for dominance.  I played mammals, and I didn’t feel like my power really mattered.  Other powers seem much more important like arachnids getting a free kill each turn (I lost 18 guys to that alone out of 45!).  I didn’t feel like I was the thing I was playing, and that face hurt the experience a bit.  I had fun, but that’s because I was a gamer playing a game NOT because I was a furry creature trying to survive.  Maybe a different play through with a new animal will improve my perception, but this feels like a lot of heavy euro-games out there: a thinking, cube placement game. 2/5

 

Instructions- The mechanics are involved, but the rule book does an awesome job of describing the mechanics and how to play.  Lots of examples are provided that are well delineated in separate boxes with excellent pictures.  For a game this complicated, you need this or you will be completely lost! 5/5

 

Execution- The box is nice and reasonably sturdy.  The components are ok.  This is a euro-game, so I know the game has to have wood cubes.  I guess I would have preferred different shapes for my animals with different colors.  It would have really helped the theme instead of wooden cubes.  Heck, I would have liked animal shapes for the dominant species markers instead of strange wooden cones.  The play mats are well done and have a nice summary of all the actions, and where each animal gets a power and what it does.  The tiles are nice and colorful and so are the food markers.  The main board is easy to read.  Honestly, this is a well executed game that I just wish had a bit more theme in its execution. 4/5

 

Summary- This was a fun game, but not the most fun I’ve had.  As a worker placement game, it’s fun.  As a thematic experience, it lacks. The stuff outside the game itself is well done.  However, be prepared for the length of the game.  I started at 7PM and didn’t get done till 11:30 with five other guys.  That amount of any game can be a bit mind numbing.  And you CAN’T let your guard down for a minute with this game!  There is no forgiveness, only pain and regret!  If you want a light game that will take half an hour, look elsewhere.  But if you want a knock down brawl of a mental exercise then this is your game! 75%

Product- Pathfinder Adventure Card Game: Fortress of the Stone Giants

Producer– Paizo

Price– $20

Set-up/Play/Take-Down– 1 Hour per scenario (5 scenarios)

TL;DR-Maybe one of the better expansions! 85%

 

Basics-Time to fight Giants!  Players quest to a Jorgenfist to take the fight away from Sandpoint to the giants themselves.  Along the way they will fight giants, necromancers, undead monks, and lamias.  This game requires the base Pathfinder Adventure Card Game to play.

 

Mechanics- This game follows most the mechanics of the previous adventure card game expansions.  Go through X locations, find the henchmen or villain and destroy them.  This expansion doesn’t stretch the game extremely far, but some of the encounters are a pretty tough.  Also, as each expiation introduces one scenario that has some odd ball, interesting rules, this one features a fight with two villains.  I liked that twist.  It doesn’t feel contrived. 4/5

 

Theme– I felt like I was an awesome warrior fighting giants.  There are the random encounters like the goblin raid that you might have to deal with, but as the expansions become latter in the series, the rule of removing basic cards really does help focus the encounters you see.  I wouldn’t say it’s perfect, but as you get further in, the random nature seems to become less random.  That really helps the theme.  Also, I really liked the villains and henchmen of this pack.  Their powers really hammer home the feel of epic battles and dangerous foes.  4/5

 

Instructions-The instruction are ~ok.  The cards do a good job of getting the point across.  However, I really want more to tell me who these people and monsters are!  The rules are good and the cards do have a bit of exposition, but if you want some rule so help hammer home theme, you won’t get that from the rules. 4.5/5

 

Execution-The art is well done.  It’s standard Pathfinder art.  Most of the art looks like it come from other sources, but that’s ok.  However, after several games, I’ve noticed my cards are beginning to get chipped and ripped.  I’d like heaver cards or card sleeves.  Again, nothing is bad, but watch out shuffling (and you will do that a lot!). 4.5/5

 

Summary-This was a fun one.  I felt like I was a mighty hero fighting monsters.  My wife and I had a blast playing this.  I felt like the challenge was right.  We didn’t have any character death, but we were down to the wire a few times.  That was great.  While the game does use the same locations several times, I felt like I was moving forward in the story, and I wasn’t bored doing so.  I want more story support to help know what the heck is going on, but I do feel like I’m moving in something. 85%

Product: Pathfinder Player Companion People of the Sands

Producer: Paizo

System: Pathfinder

Price: $12

TL;DR:  An EXCELLENT PATHFINDER SUPPLEMENT! 100%

 

Basics: Come on down, hope a carpet and fly!  People of the Sands serves as a guide book to Osirion, Rahadoum, Thuvia, and deserts in general as well as being the Mommy’s Mask Players Guide.  The book starts with the ancient and no so ancient history of Osirion.  Then, it moves to the different types of people who live there.  The centerfold of this book is a beautiful, weathered player map of Osirion.  Next, the book discusses the three major desert modern day nations of Golarion.  The last section of the book transitions to more player focused offerings covering two new player prestige classes, new magic and normal items, and then the players guide for Mummy’s Mask.

 

Crunch or Mechanics: This book is full of mechanics.  It full of new feats, spells, items, and two prestige classes (one of which is open to any class).  While the book is mostly geared to alchemists, cavaliers, inquisitors, and sorcerers, it honestly has something for everybody.  I LOVE it when supplements do that! 5/5

 

Fluff or story:  Again, this is an amazing book.  This book is full of detail regarding history, people, and the societies of the desert.  It’s not only “just” the standard book of facts, it’s FULL of small details like sayings that different group use.  That might just be filler to some people, but it helps me learn a little bit more about the people and their society.  Heck, I’ve read a lot of Pathfinder books, and I learned new things from this book. 5/5

 

Execution:  This book follows the standard Pathfinder Player Companion line layout: start with who the book is for/ask you GM section, then the real information.  I love that and the rest of the layout.  It makes the books read well.  The test is broken up enough with headings and other thins often keeping the page from being just two columns/wall of text.  I liked the art as it’s the standard Pathfinder quality.  If you ignored the text and just looked at the book, this is an example of how to layout and design a good RPG supplement. 5/5

 

Summary: I really liked this book.  I felt it was worth my money.  The book has lots of background, but it didn’t skimp on the mechanics.  Honestly, the book felt like a 50/50 split between the fluff and crunch.  My only complaint isn’t the books fault.  I liked when the adventure path player guides were separate books.  That part almost felt tacked on as the book covered so many different topics.  However, even that section added more options for the players.  When I’m working out and the bike rings to tell me I’ve gone far enough, but I can’t put this book down so I keep going, you know you have a winner. 100%

Game: Red Dragon Inn

Producer: Slugfest Games

Price: $40

Set-up/Play/Take Down: 1Hour

TL;DR:  An good, light card game. 92.5%

 

Basics: Let’s drink after the adventure!  This game takes place after the adventure.  The heroes have saved the day, and, more importantly, gotten paid!  Each player takes the role of either the wizard, the fighter, the druid, or thief.  Players take turns playing cards from a character specific deck.  Each turn a player can discard cards and draw up to five.  Then the player can play one card.  These cards are typically attacking other players, healing yourself, or gambling.  When gambling players play cards to have the last card that says they win the round and take all the money.  When you hurt other players you reduce their fortitude.  Other cards a player can play are cards that you can play off turn in response to other characters.  After your action, you take the top card of the drink deck and give it to another player.  After buying drinks, you drink any drinks you have in your drink pile.  These drinks typically increase your alcohol content.  When your alcohol content equals your fortitude, you pass out and lose.  If you gamble and lose all your money, you get kicked out of the bar.  Last man or women in the bar with money wins!

 

Mechanics:  The game is a card game and forces you the do the best you can with the cards you are dealt.  Each player has almost the same deck of cards with each individual character having a slightly different deck with some character specific powers.  The character specific powers are a nice mix to the game.  Also, the game is pretty simple to play and is quick.  However, like all card games, the game is a bit random as your deck can be a major factor in if you win.  If you can’t use the cards you have, you will definitely lose the game. 4.5/5

 

Theme: The game has a decent amount of theme.  The decks make you feel like your character.  It’s not a perfect fit, but the art is nice, consistent, and entertaining.  The names of each card give some nice flavor.  Also, the drink deck adds some theme as each drink has a life of its own.  However, the game doesn’t completely build a world.  Just a small group of people around a bar table. 4/5

 

Execution: I really like the parts that come with this game.  The card board coins are nicely done.  The cards are of decent quality.  The art is well done.  The player boards are also high quality.  Well done all around. 5/5

 

Instructions: Hands down great.  My version of the game came with the instructions AND a set of instructions to cover the frequently asked questions and errata.  I LOVE this.  The instructions teach the game well make this a well done instruction set.  Any game that I don’t have to rush off to board game geek midway through gets a five. 5/5

 

Summary:  When I’m out teaching games to non-gamers, this is the game I bring.  It’s not hard, it’s not complicated, and it’s quick.  All this makes this game an excellent introductory game.  However, if you wanted something with a bit more meat on its bones, then this isn’t the game for you.  But if you want to get just one may game in with your hard core gamer friends and its three AM, this is an excellent game to bust out, especially if you’ve all had a few beers during the night! 92.5%

Product: Pathfinder Player Companion Animal Archive

Producer: Paizo

Price: ~$12

System: Pathfinder

TL;DR-If you have pets, then get this book. 91.25%

 

Basics: This book adds options, abilities, and types for any character who has a familiar or a animal companion.  The book starts off right away with the inner cover discussing the magic items that each type of animal can use.  After the standard Player Companion line pages discussing the book’s intent, the next section describes what types of animals each race typically works with.  Next the book introduces new class archetypes for the rogue, cavalier, and barbarian that use animal companions.  Following archetypes, the book add new animal tricks for your companion to learn and new ways to teach tricks to animals.  The book then presents new familiars, equipment, and animals to buy in Golarion.  The centerfold of the book is six new animals that a PC could take as a companion and the parts of the world where these creatures are found.  Following the centerfold, new animal feats and archetypes are discussed for your companions and familiars.  The book then presents a section on what happens after you awaken your animal.  Like all player pathfinder books, the book adds several spells and magic items, before ending by adding new familiars and animal companion statistics.

 

Fluff or Story: This book isn’t very story heavy.  It primary focus is to give you new animal options.  What it does have is interesting, but don’t look for it to carry the book on that alone. 4/5

 

Crunch or Mechanics:  You want animal crunch?  You got animal crunch!  Some of the crunch is interesting like the rogue who uses an animal to do sneak attack, but some is left out like what bonuses you get for using tools to train an animal.  It’s not bad, but some minor things were missing.   4.75/5

 

Art:  This book has a surprising amount of art for primarily being a mechanics book.  It’s new, and looks like it belongs and is well done. 5/5

 

Execution:  The book has a nice flow, reads quick, and isn’t difficult to read.  I didn’t like that the book repeats some of its mechanics as the book is less than 30 pages.  Also, some of the choices of where things were laid out were a bit strange as there are two item sections. 4.5/5

 

Summary:  If you run animals in Pathfinder, you need this book.  That’s it.  It won’t really convince you to take up an animal if you’re the type of player who doesn’t want that complication in his life.  If you want to have some fun with an animal companion/familiar, then this book will give you lots of options and makes sure the ideas you have fit into the larger world.  It’s worth a read for any class that gets an animal pet. 91.25%

Product– Oh Gnome You Don’t!

Producer-Gut Bustin’ Games

Set-up/Play/Clean-up-90 Minutes

Price-$30

TL;DR– A simple, fun, roll-to-move game 87.5%

 

Basics– Time to beat the crap out of other gnomes for gems and profit!  Oh Gnome You Don’t is a simple roll to move based game with some additional decision making aspects.  Players take the roles of gnome as they move across the board trying to sell items at the most opportune times to earn gems.  Each turn a player rolls to move, can play one card, and finally draws one card.  Players can only move in one direction.  Cards are items, cards to attack other players, and cards that have beneficial effects like Oh Gnome You Don’t to prevent an attack.  Item cards have two prices.  The higher price is for a specific location on the board, while the lowers is a general sale location price.  When a player lands on another player, one person can fight the other.  Players have a deck of 10 cards each with an attack value.  Players select a card and play simultaneously.  The difference in the attack value is the number of gems the loser must pay the winner.  Play continues until all players cross the finish line with players who finish earlier gaining more gems.  Highest number of gems wins.

 

Mechanics-This is a roll to move game.  It’s not overly complex, but the cards and fight mechanics do add some fun.  Of the roll to move games I have played, this is one of the better ones.  This game does not rival some of the hard core Eurogames for complexity, but its goal is to be a simple, fun game.  And, it does that well. 4/5

 

Theme-The game has an interesting theme.  It’s not completely a gnome brawl, but it’s also not peaceful forest gnomes hugging either other either.  It’s fun, but I wouldn’t say I felt like I was a gnome while I played this. 4/5

 

Instructions-The instructions are well done.  They are much longer then you would suspect for a roll to move game, but that’s because of the additional mechanics in the game.  They are well but together though. 5/5

 

Execution/Art– The art is well done, but it does make some of the spaces difficult to spot.  It’s not game ending, but some spots are difficult to see if they are one spot or two.  The game is well done for the price with the gems being literal random shaped, plastic pieces.  This game could have easily just used cardboard tokens, but the plastic gems give this game a nice touch. 4.5/5

 

Summary-I liked this game.  It’s not a game that I would set aside just to play and make plans months in advance to play.  But, when the game day is winding down, and we want a simple game to play relatively quickly, this will hit the table.  It’s worth the price at $30 bucks. 87.5%

Product-Dreams of the Red Wizards: Scourge of the Sword Coast

Producer-Wizards of the Coast

Price-~$18 (PDF)

System-DnD Next

TL;DR– Not bad, but the worst of the three Sundering Modules. 80%

Basics-Time to go back to the Sword Coast.  Problems are brewing around Daggerford with goblin attacks, orc raids, and gnolls stalking the country side.  The heroes arrive outside of Daggerford as the Duke has barred all non-citizens from entering the town.  Can the heroes save the town and the people stuck outside from the horrors brewing in the Sword Coast?  A DnD Next adventure for character level two to level four.

Story: This module doesn’t seem to have as involved a story as the other two Sundering modules.  It kind of feels like a holding pattern as the players get to find some interesting information, but the players will have to wait till next module to use it.  You get to be a hero, but not completely the one you want to be. 4/5

Mechanics:  This module uses new DnD Next mechanics, so that is fun and give more insight into the progress of DnD Next as rule system.  I really missed the random encounter tables and other stuff that gave the last DnD encounters season it’s amazing flare though. 4.5/5

Execution:  This adventure come is in one source book, and I think that hurts the adventure.  The players will not see it, but as a GM I felt things were too cluttered with important information being mixed with bits of encounters.  I also miss the custom GM screen.  I know I would have to print one out, since this product is a PDF.  But, I missed those little extra bits.  The random encounters really made the world come alive in the last season.  I can do that as a GM, but now I need to do extra work!  Furthermore, I felt like the story needed a diagram to really help me to organize my thoughts regarding the plot.  I feel the story is a bit mixed up and won’t help all the GMs across the world coordinate their efforts well.  Also for $18, I felt like I didn’t get enough.  For $30 I got a printed option with the GM screen.  What I got was nice, legible, and a fun play experience, but this should have been much cheaper for a PDF product. 3.5/5

Summary:  I don’t hate this adventure.  I’ve been the roughest to this Sundering adventure path, but I don’t hate it.  This adventure has the unfortunate luck of coming out after the previous one, WHICH WAS AMAZING!  This one feel like it’s in a holding pattern for the next adventure.  These facts make all the flaws that much more visible.  I would have liked two books, a PDF of a printable GM screen, and some help keeping pace of the adventures, so all the encounters GMs can coordinate better.  However, this one isn’t bad, but I hope the next one lets the players get past level 4!  80%

Product: Firefly the Board Game

Producer: Gale Force Nine

Price: ~$60

Set-up/Play/Clean-up-3 Hours

TL;DR– Take me back to the black! 90%

 

Basics: Time to see the Verse!  This game is based on the popular, cancelled-too-soon television show.  Now, you need get to get a job, get a crew, and keep flying.  Each turn a player can take two actions.  These actions must be different.  The actions range from moving your ship, doing/starting a job, shopping, or getting new jobs.  You can either move your ship one space or burn fuel and move up to your engines’ speed.  Moving the full amount also makes you draw event cards from an event deck for the type of space you’re in, either the central space or the outlying regions.  These events can range from nothing, to “finding” salvage, to having the reavers attack your ship.  Jobs form the bulk of the game.  As an action you can start a job.  When you start a job, you must be in the location indicated on the job card.  Starting may entail picking up a passengers, fugitives, cargo, or contraband.  Later, at any point in the game as an action, you can finish the job when you get to the right planet.  When you want to finish a job, you must have and pay the amount of items needed.  You may also have to do “Aim to Misbehave” card(s).  The Aim to Misbehave cards give you several options to succeed.  Usually, you have to add up the number of skill icons your crew and objects and add a die roll or have a key word/item to succeed.  When you finish the job, you get paid.  Also, when you finish a job for an individual you completed the job for, you also become solid and get extra options with that person.  Shopping lets you look through a deck of cards at a planet or draw random cards and buy two of them.  You can buy fuel, cargo, crew, and ship upgrades to keep your ship flying.  Dealing lets you draw two jobs from a deck of a specific job deck when on a planet. Players compete to complete a mission.  Missions range from pulling off a heist to getting a lot of money.  Often these missions have multiple parts and require going to multiple planets and misbehaving.  First one to complete the mission wins the game.

 

Theme:  This game oozes theme.  You feel like you’re in the Firefly universe.  You get to go to iconic places and meet people from the show.  The game pieces, mechanics, and board all help with this also.  For me, this game sets the bar for theme for games going forward. 5/5

 

Mechanics:  The game has some simple mechanics that really help with the theme.  The random encounters, aiming to misbehave, and missions all feel like they belong on the set of Firefly.  The game also has some simple resolution mechanics with the simple dice roll plus numbers.  Those are all great, but parts of this game are completely broken.  The companion captain is amazingly broken by getting free crew.  Some items and crew are completely overpowered.  Some combinations are completely unbeatable.  And this game has a runaway victor problem.  That doesn’t kill the game, but it does hurt the game a bit. 3.5/5

 

Instructions:  The instructions are clear and well written.  I liked what I saw and was able to figure out how to play pretty quick.  I did have some questions, but these were not game ending questions like some games.  Heck the instructions have that mix of modern and cowboy slang that was famous from the show. 4.5/5

 

Art/Execution: This game has some of my favorite parts of any game.  This game has Firefly universe money and its real cash!  You don’t know how amazing that is till you hear it slide against each other and feel it in your hands.  The other pieces are great too.  I liked the art.  It’s all feels like it just “fits.” 5/5

 

Summary:  This is right up there with my favorite games of the year.  I get lost in this game, in a good way.  When I play, I get so wrapped up in the world and doing jobs that I forget about the game wining mission.  Heck, most of the other players do to.  That’s the mark of a great game.  When you want to keep playing so much that you don’t even want to win, you just want to keep playing. 90%

How about a multi-part review of the recent Numenera source book releases?  Ok, let’s go!

 

Product: In Strange Aeons: Lovecraftian Numenera

Producer: Monte Cook Games

Price: ~$3

System: Numenera

TL;DR–  If you love Numenera and Cthulhu, then it’s a no brainer! 90%

 

Basics:  Time to mix Cthulhu and Numenera like chocolate and peanut butter.  This book gives the GM’s ideas, mechanics, and monsters for Numenera.  The book starts with a discussion of what Lovecraftian horror is then moves to mixing that in with Numenera.  From there, the book dives right in to rules for the cosmic horror in the game system.  To round out the short 13 pages, the book gives some new descriptors for the PCs and monsters as well as some classic Lovecraftian horrors for your game.

 

Theme:  Knocked it right out of the park!  The book uses its short run to really hammer home the ideas of cosmic horror and explain the basics of to the uninitiated.  And this book comes with a short suggested reading list.  That is necessary!  What’s there is a great way to get someone into the mythos quickly and efficiently.  And the whole idea of Numenera really does work well with Lovecraft unlike some other games. 5/5

 

Mechanics: Again, this section is amazing.  The use of the cypher system works well here to illustrate how different types of damage hurt the player in different ways.  The added rules are not the bulky and really do bring home the Lovecraft with sanity damage.  The book doesn’t add a whole lot of extra in terms of player content, but what it does have is really focused Lovecraft content.  The monsters that area added are also well done.  One thing that really hurt the book though is the absence of a particular giant, tentacled horror that really should have been in this product! 4.5/5

 

Art:  The book has new art that is atmospheric.  I love what I see, but I think there should have been a bit more or varied the pictures more.  I don’t particularly like the blurry style that some of the smaller picture.  Nothing is bad here, but a lot of the art is repeated in a small book.  However, this book has one of the best pictures of a shoggoth you will ever see. 4/5

 

Execution:  The book is well put together.  The text reads well, and the flow leads your eye.  I like the side comments in the margins.  Those little tidbits really make the book come alive.  It feels like a Lovecraft and Numenera book.  The price isn’t horrible.  I don’t like the $3 price for 13 pages, but it’s comparable to other PDF only books by other publisher. 4.5/5

 

Summary:  This is a great book to introduce a Numenera group to Lovecraft.  The book is short, but does pack a punch.  Anytime you add a new aspect to a game, I love a reading list and this one has one.  This book isn’t perfect, but it is amazing.  If you want to add some Lovecraft flare to your game, this is your book and you need to buy it now.  If you don’t want to add that, then this isn’t the book for you. 90%

 

Number 2!

 

Product: Cypher Collection 1

Producer: Monte Cook Games

Price: ~$3

System: Numenera

TL;DR– Want some more cyphers?  Here you go! 95%

 

Basics: Need some more one time use, random items from all across the previous eight worlds?  This book is cholk full of them!

 

Theme:  For a book of items, I didn’t expect many.  However, I was wrong.  Monte Cook Games likes to put random little side things in the margins.  That is amazing as it adds depth to each of the items they talk about.  The items do get some nice descriptions even if they don’t get text in the margins. 5/5

 

Mechanics: This book should almost solely be dedicated to mechanics since it’s an item book.  However, that would merely make the book passable.  This book goes a step ahead and gives you a random item generator early in the book.  That right there is why the book gets a 5.  5/5

 

Art: This book kind of suffers from the same art problem as all the other Numenera books.  The art isn’t bad, but it’s reused a lot for a short book.  Also some of the art is this book looks a bit out of place as some looks almost like clip art.  Nothing bad and it does give some world building via pictures, but it’s not my favorite. 4/5

 

Execution:  In terms of text and layout, this is another well done book.  It reads quick.  It’s entertaining, and it doesn’t hurt my head to look over it.  The 1st page is the random item generator because that the page I’m going to use the most from this book.  And that right there shows that this was made by gamers for gamers.  Heck, for 50 items for $3, I won’t even complain about the price!  5/5

 

Summary:  If you like Numenera, then you need this book.  Now, everybody won’t need a copy, but if the GM has a copy, then the table will benefit.  This is a simple, well done book with lots of new random items, and you need a copy for your Numenera game. 95%

 

Number 3!

 

Product: Artifacts and Oddities Collection 1

Producer: Monte Cook Games

Price: ~$3

System: Numenera

TL;DR– Want some more random items for Numenera?  Here you go? 100%

 

Basics: Need a bunch more powerful, random items and random, strange items for your Numenera game?  Here you go?  This book give you 50 artifacts, powerful items that may not deplete after use, and 50 oddities, not powerful items that may give much smaller effects like on the scale of a flashlight.

 

Theme: Again, there is a suppressing amount of story in this item book.  Much like all other Numenera books, the authors add side notes in the margin that add to the Numenera world.  Also, the items have great descriptions to help you visualize the objects in question. 5/5

 

Mechanics:  This is basically a mechanics book since it’s dedicated to items.  What’s more, this book has TWICE as many items as the last one with both artifacts and oddities.  The items are all fresh and interesting, so its value for money in my opinion.  And RANDOM TABLES!   FOR BOTH ARIFACTS AND ODDITIES! That is amazing!  Why is that not in more item books?! 5/5

 

Art:  I’ve only started writing these reviews, but in this book the authors look like the listened to my comments.  This book has fewer reuses of pictures and less random pictures.  There is a semi-random welding mask, but I like the art here.  Much better! 5/5

 

Execution:  This book follows the Cypher collection 1 book and follows a similar layout and text arrangement.  I loved it there, and I love it here.  And for $3, you get 100 things.  That’s a good value. 5/5

 

Summary:  Again, a simple, well done item book that add to the world of Numenera.  You will only need one at the table, but it’s something that any Numenera table needs one of at their table. 100%

 

How about a Monster Manual?

 

Product: The Ninth World Bestiary

Producer: Monte Cook Games

Price: ~$14 (PDF)

System: Cypher System

TL;DR– How about a bunch more Monster for your Numenera game? 100%

 

Basics:  The Numenera book comes with a selection of monster to throw at the PCs.  However, it’s not a lot.  This book adds lots of different monsters to the world describing the motivations, environment, and even life cycle of the various denizens of the ninth world.  After the monsters, the book goes into specific people that the PCs could encounter in their travels.

 

Theme:  The ninth world is not a simple place.  Goblins don’t just eat people because that’s what goblins do in this game.  In this game, everything has a motivation.  Some things might be things from millennia ago who are robots executing instructions that should have stopped eons ago.  In this book, each enemy gets a write up like that.  The attacks have themes rather than just damage.  The horrors of the ninth world get vivid descriptions and little bits of text from survivors help build the world more.  When all’s said and done, I found myself sitting and reading this book not being able to put it down just based on stories along!  5/5

 

Mechanics:  The Cypher system is pretty simple, so the mechanics could have been just a level.  However, the creatures of this world get full page descriptions describing different aspects of the numbers behind the creatures.  That’s great.  What propels this book into amazing is the random tables.  The random tables give different encounters in different environments.  While I know random encounter are not everybody’s favorite, when I want to throw something at my PC, having a table that I could just roll on quick really helps me move the game along! 5/5

 

Art: Most books that add monsters to a system fail to add pictures to most of the monster.  I want something I can show my friends and get them to be scared right away.  In this book each monster gets about a page spread and almost all get a picture.  Right there is awesome.  Even better, most monsters have a small picture showing a size comparison to an adult man.  Those bits of art makes my job as a GM that much easier and build the world that much faster.  5/5

 

Execution:  I love the Numenera book style.  It’s sleek, reads quickly, and isn’t cluttered.  The background isn’t hard to see the text through, and I have enough white space to not feel like it’s the ravings of a madman in a notebook.  Heck, the price isn’t even that bad for the PDF.  5/5

 

Summary:  This book should come free with the purchase of the Thunderstone Advanced: Numenera game.  Almost all the monsters in that game come from this and NOW I know what horrors I was playing against in the card game.  For the RPG, make sure the GM picks this book up.  Players don’t really need a copy of this one, but it will really help any Numenera group if the GM gets this. 100%

 

And the most controversial item produced by Monte Cook Games thus far….

 

Product: Sex and Love in the Ninth World

Producer: Monte Cook Games

Price: ~$3

System: Numenera

TL;DR– An adult discussion of sex and love in the Numenera Game. 87.5%

 

Basics: This is the most controversial book released for Numenera.  This book covers the hows and why of adding sex and love as factors in your Numenera game.  While the book covers an adult subject, the book does not go into any graphic detail, making it relatively non-offensive.  However it does mention some things that may offend some readers.  Much like “In Strange Aeons: Lovecraftian Numenera” the book starts with how to introduce sex as a concept into Numenera games. This is accompanies by a large discussion of all the ways this may affect your game, both positively and negatively.  Next the book describes different mechanics aspects of sex and love in Numenera covering grounds from amounts different gifts cost to different STD effects.  The book finishes with different artifacts, cyphers, and oddities that may appear in your Numenera game if sex is an element of your campaign.

 

Theme:  This book is an interesting one.  Overall I think it was well done describing how sex and love can affect the world of Numenera.  I have to save I disagree with the author as she maintains that most sexism will not be present in one billion years, but that view may be my low faith in humanity speaking. 5/5

 

Mechanics:  Unlike ” In Strange Aeons: Lovecraftian Numenera” this book doesn’t has as much mechanics for the players.  This is well done with the addition of several artifacts, oddities, and cypthers, but I felt there was not as much here as a lot of the book was warnings to GMs to seriously consider if sex is appropriate for your campaign.  I felt that took away a little from the book. 4.5/5

 

Art:  This book suffers from some of the original Numenera book problems as much of the same art is repeated through the short book  The art is good, but in a 13 page book one pages is art and that picture is repeated on two other pages as a small pictures.  4/5

 

Execution:  This is a well laid out book.  Like all the other Numenera books I’ve reviewed, it’s laid out in the same, well thought out style and is an easy read.  However, the price is a bit high for a source book that mostly discusses problems in execution of the source material.  Also, I felt that section of the book was a bit long and that impacted some of the available material.  Nothing is horrible, but I felt that the book was a bit over-concerned with warning the GM. 4/5

 

Summary:  This is a good book.  It has its flaws, but mostly this book will help you add a new dimension to your Numenera game.  The book is very conservative giving the subject matter compared to other books on the topic (looking right at you Book of Erotic Fantasy 3e!, then sheepishly looking away quickly) in both pictures and discussion.  This is a one copy at the table book as only the GM will need this for both its advice and mechanics.  If you want to add this to your Numenera game, then I think this is worth a read. 87.5%

Product-The Agents

Producer: Saar Shai via Kickstarter

Set-up/Play/Clean-up-45 minutes

Price: ~$30 or free via print-n-play

TL;DR– Not perfect, but an awesome, smart card game 85%

 

Basics: Time to cross and double cross your friends in The Agents.  The Agents is a quick card game focusing on making hard choices.  Each turn you must take two actions: buy more cards to play, play agents, or activate agent abilities.  When you buy cards, you purchase either more agents to play or missions by spending victory points.  Missions are cards played at the end of your turn that stay in play and give you points each turn when the requirements are met.  Agents have colored arrows or points and abilities.  When you play an agent, you either pay it to your right or your left between you and another player.  Here is where the hard choices come into play.  When you play an agent, if the points or arrow face you, you will get points, BUT your opponent gets to use the agent’s ability.  However, the exact reverse is true.  Points and powers occur instantly, while arrows must be part of completed arrows for you to get points at the end of your turn.  Therefore, the game becomes a balancing act of abilities vs. payoff.  Your final action is to use a power on a card facing you.  The powers on cards may move agents, kill agents, flip agents, or other crazy events.  At the end of your turn, you may play missions on your agent groups to get point then score completed arrows that face you.  Game play continues until someone gets 40 points, then all other players get one more round.  Person with the most points wins.

 

Mechanics:  This game is MUCH harder than it looks!  Any action you take to help you will almost always help you opponents.  You WILL agonize over small choices because they might help you pull off amazing combos, but give your enemies a leg up in the process and cost you the game.  The game is simple, but the strategy is amazingly complex, so for a $20 kickstarter game, this is worth it!  5/5

 

Theme:  Since the game has the double edged sword card mechanics, I did feel like I was in a game a spies.  It might not have been perfect since you don’t get to recruit specific agents, but have a random draw.  Also fun, the game has lots of stretch goals that added specific spies from popular media.  I’m not sure how these guys didn’t get sued into oblivion, since they have Austin Powers and other named characters. 4/5

 

Instructions:  Here the game suffers.  The rules are short, but they don’t explain enough.  I hate when I have to run to Board Game Geek to understand a major rule even before I play my first card.  The games “playable” out of the box, but I promise you will be combing the BBG forums before your first game is out.  3.5/5

 

Art/Execution:  This game uses a strange plastic for its cards.  Its not bad, and they cards are pretty hardy compared to standard playing cards.  They feel strange, but that’s not bad.  I kind of wish more people used this stuff.  The art is similar to old Hellboy comics.  I like the Hellboy art style, so I liked what I saw.  It does make it hard to figure out who is a man or a woman for some card effects though. 4.5/5

 

Summary:  This is a fun game.  It will burn your brain in a short amount of time though, in a good way.  And for $20 bucks or FREE (with a printer), the game is well worth it.  These guys need to get some more print runs going as I can’t find this game anywhere right now.  85%