Unplugging from electronic gaming has never been better
It’s overwhelming to hear the lamentations of my girlfriend and my bank account as I start making my videogame wish-list for the year. Considering we barely survived the Steam Winter Sale of 2016, most of my consolations go ignored.
To prepare for the inevitable nervous breakdown of financial indecision that will consume my life during this year’s videogame arms race, I’ve decided to cleanse the spirit and renew the mind by embracing the budget friendly alternative of tabletop games.
And thanks to Infinity Flux cards, comics, and games, I’ve gotten to taste three hot titles sure to balance the Chi as well as the pocketbook.
Bézier is known for the successful Suburbia and One Night Ultimate Werewolf games and their latest release appeals to veteran table-top gamers and newbies alike. In Colony, two or four players are tasked with leading an enclave of apocalypse survivors by making tactical choices and management decisions.
Players can attack, trade, or steal each other’s resources until one of them reaches the endgame point threshold. Game sessions run about an hour and usually start off casual then progress into an intense race to the finish as resources dwindle and action cards are burned off.
Although Colony lacks an aesthetically pleasing style compared to other games, there is so much going on that the artwork will stand sidelines to the fun game mechanics. Those who enjoy resource wrangling and frantic dice rolling will love this smart, challenging, yet casual game.
If the post-apocalyptic vibe isn’t your jam or maybe you have an acute phobia of dice which doesn’t have an official name believe-it-or-not. Then maybe the familiar feel of cards will “suit” you better.
Kickstarter campaigns have brought us amazing games in the past and Hero Realms is one of those sweet things that went from concept to shelves almost overnight. This Tolkienesque adventure game plays similarly to Magic: The Gathering without the steep learning curve. Hero Realms is amazingly approachable for beginners or inherently terrible deck builders like myself.
The vibrant and cartoony art-style of Hero Realms is nothing that will inspire you to quit your day job and become a full-time artist, but it’s just right to give the cards a unique soul of their own.
The feature I love about Hero Realms is unlike traditional deck building games you just need to purchase the core game pack for two to four players to start smashing each other.
Additional expansion packs add flavor by cultivating more roleplaying aspects and introducing various game modes such as solo and co-op challenges.
Yes, it’s a deckbuilding game with solo and co-op!
For just under $20, you’re definitely getting more bang for the buck in terms of replayability and casual fun.
Matago created a game that feels like a mixture of Monopoly, Risk and Texas Hold’em all colored up with gorgeous Celtic inspired imagery that quite honestly steals my heart every time I open the box.
It may look complicated at first but once Inis gets up and underway the player will find a mystical world of tribal exploration, mythological legends and political intrigue easy to get a handle on.
As an Irish chieftain, the goal is to rule by exploring an ever-changing landscape, spreading your influence and clashing or making peace with other players with the same goals. Inis shines as a game that encourages player interactions by debating, bluffing, and schmoozing their way to victory rather than overpowering with aggressive force.
Besides the breathtaking artwork, my favorite aspect of Inis is how the game map expands as the game progresses giving this an authentic feel of conquest and exploration similar to the fog-of-war of the Civilization franchise.
My verdict? Hero Realms simply has it all for the price. You get everything you need straight out of the box and it’s easy to learn so it’s great for beginners. With relatively cheap expansions and future co-op scenarios it definitely has the longevity you’d want in a deck building adventure game.
Of course, I am not saying one should swear off videogames because of a market saturation that may cause consumer anxiety, but for a gamer it’s nice to see the dollar go the distance in terms of replayability and fun.
Most tabletop games typically retail cheaper than new triple-A titles so they become a sensible choice to scratch that gaming itch while taking a vacation from the digital mayhem that’s become the videogame world.
Avid gamer and closet technophile, Brandon Watson has been on the gaming scene since first dropping coins in an arcade cabinet many moons ago. When not vaporizing zombies or leading space marines as a mousepad Mattis, he is making gourmet pancakes and promoting local artists.
Photo by Samantha Doss