Seven Quick Reviews - with Tom Vasel

[@LegoAssassin098]

Dirtside looks interesting. I don't think I'd ever get it played, but I find it quite cool.

[@Dragon7398]

I played a demo of it with some of the creators, and it was a lot of fun! ...and then I think about trying to run it for my friends and I go 'nope nope nope' and run off. I think that's probably the game's biggest issue; the GM has a *lot* going on from what I can see; it's daunting even as a player to get a handle on what all you can do.

[@pikkdogs]

R.E.M. Racers is a disappointment. You can’t even play as Michael Stipe.

[@jbringas9582]

Happy Birthday Mr. Tom Vasel!

[@zachras9643]

Flutter is a beautiful, thinky, yet relaxing game like Cascadia. Great game!

[@LegoAssassin098]

100% agree on racing games. They should be fast. I don't necessarily need it to be quick in total time, but it needs to FEEL fast.

[@macabremonicker]

I really enjoyed Flame & Fang solo and look forward to playing it cooperatively soon! It feels more like a hand management game than a deck builder, and the turns are more puzzly and less explosive than a typical deck builder. I think it’s great!

[@jlaze8894]

Man! I've never heard of Happy Hoppers before, but I work in kindergarten and it looks like something my kids would love! Can't find it in Canada so I'll have to keep my eye out. Thanks for reviewing it :)

[@RuNacken]

I am enjoying my kickstarter Flame and Fang very much as a strategic dungeon crawler, but I can definitely see the other aspects (terrains, story, characters) are lacklustre. A 7 from me.

[@edwardlasso3092]

Templates have been used for a very long time in a racing game by Steve Jackson called "Car Wars". They are used in order to determine the difficulty of making turns around the track or the arena (the tighter the turn, the more chance of losing control).

[@kerim8666]

I am always wary about youtube reviewers designing board games. I am glad I did not back Flame and Fang

[@AvisKarlux]

They were designers first

[@Rhino1186]

I played a different racing game on BGA that used templates also. It was called VektoRace I think. I thought it was pretty cool. Only played once async though.

[@rikthorpe8558]

I really enjoy these quick reviews of latest games. Nice, snappy info, with a super friendly vibe. Thank you.

[@trevclarke1086]

Techno Witches is a racing game with templates

[@AvisKarlux]

Full disclosure, I was a play-tester of Fang & Flame. Tom, I get that you can have your opinion not to like the game, but I wholeheartedly disagree that it's boring and mechanically uninteresting. The event card limit made it feel like the pressure was on to maximize your turns and figure out clever card and resource play. Resources aren't a finite thing and anyone can gather the same resources from the same tiles. The generic tile names made for quick variations of setup and enemy placement. The enemies are generic and pretty mechanical, but provide another layer to the puzzle and are simple to manage, which lets me get back to my turn faster. The story isn't the strongest for me, but I enjoyed the journey it took me on and the different elements it brought about in each chapter, including the unlocking of new game elements. I enjoyed how each play made me find the best way to build up my dragon, navigating the available market to help me beat the chapter. I felt my plays required good coordination between players, sometimes not maximizing my turn because it helped with overall strategy. I enjoyed the many ways the game gives you options with resources and cards to get you to meet the current goal and defeat the scenario.

[@thedicetower]

I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@AvisKarlux]

@@thedicetower Thank you. I'm sorry it wasn't a good experience for you. And I may have come across still too harsh, thought I was trying not to be. I get not having a game hit. As much as I wanted Forgotten Waters and Freelancers to hit because I know they are good games, they both fell flat for me. And I know you enjoyed them (as do they for my brother and his family and friends). Just goes to show different tastes.

[@joshjenson8111]

None of these games look that interesting