| Card
Game Reviews |
Citadels
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Game
Information
U.S. Company: Fantasy Flight Games
Game Type: Card Game
Game Designer: Bruno Faidutti
Players: 2 - 7
Ages: 10 and up
Time: 20 - 60 minutes
Retail Price: $19.99
Overview:
Citadels is a game of bluffing, diplomacy, and city building. You
are a medieval ruler trying to complete your city before your opponents
can build theirs. Expand your city by adding new districts, but
be sure to invest wisely: Some districts are more valuable than
others, but cost more gold to build. There is more to ruling a city
than god, however. Lords, ladies, and other nobility arll have arole
to play. The game changes each turn as each player secretly chooses
a new role - the Assasin, Thief, Magician, King, Bishop, Merchant,
Architect, or Warlord - and the power that comes with it.
Playability:
This game is an absolute blast! Changing characters each turn
during the game gives you an opportunity to use their ablities to
help your cause. But be careful, when it becomes obvious what character
you want to be players may steal your money or you may end up dead
(losing a turn)! For example: tired of always picking your character
last? Pick the king character and get to go first! Is one of your
friends pulling ahead? Pick the Warlord character and destroy parts
of his city. What to build a lot this turn? Pick the architect who
will certainly help you out! But watch out. Someone picked the assassin
character and may call out your character and your turn is over.
The thief character is also on the lose and is looking to empty
someones pockets full of gold. We played this game again and again.
The expansion characters that come with the set may be added in
later to continually give new deep to this fun game.
Objectionable
Material: The Assassin character assassinates. (Translation:
the player assassinated loses a turn.) The thief steals (Translation:
you can take all of the gold from one player.) In the expansion
characters you may pick an Alchemist card, a Witch card (lets you
bewitch another player) and a Wizard card. However, since they are
expansion characters they do not have to be used. Some of the images
are scarying and the queen image is a little "revealing".
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Tin
Soldiers
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Game
Information
U.S. Company:
R & R Games
Game Type: Card Game
Game Designer: Alan M. Newman
Players: 3 - 5
Ages: 10 and Up
Time: 30 min.
Retail Price: 9.95
Overview:
It's chaos in the kitchen and the cans of food are 'revolting'.
Spoiled little peas thinking nothing of creaming the corn and stewed
tomatoes relish in dent-n-run tactics. Pull out the big guns with
the Catsup Cannon! Chop, peel and squash your way to victory in
this hilarious game of King of the Kabinet.
Playability:
This is a fun game for any card playing group! If you like trick
taking games you will enjoy the variations found in this game. The
ability to play random cards to win a trick and gain points make
this a neat variation. It is, as most card games, made up mostly
of chance but if that is what you enjoy, pick up a copy today.
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Pig
Pile
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Game
Information
U.S. Company: R & R Games
Game Type: Card Game
Game Designer: Richard Borg
Players: 3 - 6
Ages: 7 and up
Time: 30 mins.
Retail Price:
Overview:
No mud slinging allowed in this fast-paced family game where players
compete to corral the most pigs. Get rid of your cards first and
be awarded the prime pile of pigs. Sounds easy, but pigs can be
slippery! The more cards you have, the better your chances of calling
out Hogwash! and clearing away the deck! But don't hog the cards
too long or you'll get stuck. The player with the largest stockpile
of swine after the final round wins. Quick thinking and clever card
play determine how high you'll heap your hogs.
Playability:
This is a cute (yes, I do mean cute) game that is the most fun for
card playing groups. This is not a game for serious gamers! The
game play is quick and the pig counters are cute. What I did not
enjoy about the game was that you have to draw and discard lots
of cards.
Objectionable
Material: Are you kidding? They are pigs! Absolutely none.
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Fluxx
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Game
Information
U.S. Company: Looney Labs
Game Type: Card Game
Game Designer: Kristin & Andrew Looney
Players: 2 - 10
Ages: 10 and up
Time: 15 - 45 min.
Retail Price: $9.99
Overview:
Playability:
This has been a popular game with us for a long time! It plays from
2 players to 10 players very well. The only frustrating part might
be that the rules constantly change. This takes a little while to
get used to. Once you get through about 8 rounds it goes much easier
for everyone and becomes a game that you will probably play all
night!
Objectionable
Material: None.
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Bohnanza
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Game
Information
U.S. Company: Rio Grande Games
Game Type: Card Game
Game Designer: Uwe Rosenberg
Players: 2 - 7
Ages: 12 and up.
Time: 45 min.
Retail Price: 19.95
Overview: Bean farming has never been so much fun! In Bohnanza,
you have two or three bean fields and a handful of bean cards to
plant in those fields. When you sell beans, you earn more for growing
more of one variety than a few of several. Thus, you want to plant
as many of your favorites as you can. But you must plant the beans
in your hand in the order you got them. To get rid of the beans
you don't want to plant, you trade them to other players for those
you want. With clever trading, you get the cards you want without
helping the other players too much. In the end, the players who
earns the most gold is the winner!
Playability:
This is a wonderful, balanced game that can be enjoyed by the whole
family (or can give the serious gaming group a "light"
night of bean planting fun!) As in many games, the ability not to
trade beans to the suspected leader helps keep the game close and
balanced. The cards are beautifully illustrated and on real card
stock (which is good because you will play this game over and over
and over...
Objectionable
Material: None.
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Dutch
Blitz
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Game
Information
U.S. Company: Dutch Blitz Games Company
Game Type: Card Game
Game Designer:
Players: 2 - 4
Ages: 8 and up
Time: 30 - 45 min.
Retail Price: $9.99
Overview:
Dutch Blitz is such vonderful goot fun for young folks-and old vones
too. Vhy you should see the vones who plays; They gets in such a
stew. Easy to learn-exciting to play, for two or three or four.
And this for sure is vone such game, that ain't gonna be no bore.
So now, sit down with your friend or kin, and try this game to play.
Chust bet that vhen you get started vonc't, you'll play for most
of the day!
Playability:
This game is great! You don't need to think too much, just be really
quick! Each player has a stack of cards and they try to get as many
cards as they can out into the middle of the table. This is done
by finishing stacks of the same color. Get rid of your blitz pile
first and yell dutch blitz! The round is over. How many points did
you get? The first player to 75 wins!
Objectionable
Material: None.
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Settlers
of Catan
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Family Rating: N/A
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Game
Information
U.S. Company: Mayfair Games
Game Type: Card Game
Game Designer: Klaus Teuber
Players: 2
Ages: 10 and up
Time: 45 min. - 1 hr. 15 min.
Retail Price:
Overview:
In The Settlers of Catan Card Game you control a group of settlers
taming the lands of medieval Catan. A unique card mix creates a
map for your principality. Then explore and settle new lands, acquiring
resources through card play and the luck of the dice. Use gold and
combinations of resources to develop your domain, and guide your
settlers to victory by clever trading and cunning development. Expand
your settlements and cities, and recruit knights to defend your
territory and compete on the tournament field. But beware! When
your opponent plays the Black Knight even your strongest knight
can fall!
Playability:
I was very skeptical about this card game being based on the
best selling board game. I was afraid it would rely on the Settlers
of Catan name only. I was very surprised! The card game captured
the essence of the board game while establishing itself as a unique
card game. The limited number of resources you can have can be annoying
but it is bearable.
Objectionable
Material: None.
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Knights
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Family Rating: N/A
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Game
Information
U.S. Company: Rio Grande Games
Game Type: Card Game
Game Designer:
Players: 2 - 6
Ages: 8 and up
Time: 20 - 40 min.
Retail Price: $9.99
Overview:
Knights in olden times fought each other at jousts with swords
and lances. Nowadays, they fight with dice and cards. It is much
less dangerous and a lot more fun. May the Knight with the best
skill and dice, win!
Playability:
This is an interesting game that is easy to slip into your
backpack or briefcase! It is based on the dice roll, much like Yatzee.
that amount of chance might be frustrating to some players.
Objectionable
Material: None.
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Wyatt
Earp
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Game
Information
U.S. Company: Rio Grande Games
Game Type: Card Game
Game Designer: Richard Borg & M. Fitzgerald
Players: 2 - 4
Ages: 12 and up
Time: 45 - 60 min.
Retail Price: $ 19.95
Overview:
The wild west! Tough times and tough characters! Bandits, desperados,
rustlers and thieves, are everywhere. Take the rolls of the brave
sheriffs, riding on the heels of these legendary outlaws. Capture
Jesse James! Hunt Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid! Rich rewards
await those brave and daring enough. Just don't let them slip away...
Playability:
This unique card game is a mixture of looking after your own
interests but keeping the common good in mind. Disregard one or
the other and you will not win. This game does not require a lot
of strategy and will sometimes come down to the luck of the draw
but that is very appropriate for the setting of this game.
Objectionable
Material: None.
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Bang!
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Game
Information
U.S. Company: Mayfair Games
Game Type: Card Game
Game Designer: Emiliano Sciarra
Players: 4 - 7
Ages: 10 and up
Time: 20 - 40 min.
Retail Price: $9.99 Overview: The Outlaws hunt the Sheriff. The
Sheriff hunts the Outlaws. The Renegade plots secretly, ready to
take one side or the other. Bullets fly. Who among the gunmen is
a Deputy, ready to sacrifice himself for the Sheriff? And who is
a merciless Outlaw, willing to kill him? If you want to find out
just draw (your cards!)
Playability:
Each player receives their own, hidden identity (Renegade, Outlaw,
Deputy, or Sheriff). Only the sheriff is revealed. The Outlaws need
to kill the Sheriff, Deputy and Renegade to win. The Renegade needs
to kill everyone to win. The Sheriff and the Deputy need to kill
the Outlaws and Renegade to win. Kill an outlaw and you get to draw
three cards as a bonus. If the Sheriff kills the Deputy he loses
his entire hand. How do you show the sheriff you are his deputy?
How do you convince the other outlaws that you are just a normal
outlaw like them but still manage to kill them off? This a great
game of bluffing that will find players shouting, jearing and begging
for mercy! The only thing I did not like is that when you are killed
you are out which means you could be sitting around for some time
waiting on the game to end so you can play it again!
Objectionable
Material: The object of the game is to kill off certain players.
This already is enough to downgrade the game's acceptibility to
a B. Then, when you are losing life points you may use "Beer"
cards to give you more life. While I am still not sure how beer
can give you life, it is understandable why it was used in a western
themed game. However, with players killing each other and drinking
beer, this is a game conservative Christians may not want to play. |
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