Category: Ω Board Games

7 Wonders Duel 🟢

| T3d-1978

In many ways 7 Wonders Duel resembles its parent game 7 Wonders as over three ages players acquire cards that provide resources or advance their military or scientific development in order to develop a civilization and complete wonders.

What’s different about 7 Wonders Duel is that, as the title suggests, the game is solely for two players, with the players not drafting cards simultaneously from hands of cards, but from a display of face-down and face-up cards arranged at the start of a round. A player can take a card only if it’s not covered by any others, so timing comes into play as well as bonus moves that allow you to take a second card immediately. As in the original game, each card that you acquire can be built, discarded for coins, or used to construct a wonder.

Each player starts with four wonder cards, and the construction of a wonder provides its owner with a special ability. Only seven wonders can be built, though, so one player will end up short.

Players can purchase resources at any time from the bank, or they can gain cards during the game that provide them with resources for future building; as you acquire resources, the cost for those particular resources increases for your opponent, representing your dominance in this area.

A player can win 7 Wonders Duel in one of three ways: each time you acquire a military card, you advance the military marker toward your opponent’s capital, giving you a bonus at certain positions; if you reach the opponent’s capital, you win the game immediately; similarly, if you acquire any six of seven different scientific symbols, you achieve scientific dominance and win immediately; if none of these situations occurs, then the player with the most points at the end of the game wins.

Game Mechanics:

  • City Building
  • Civilization
  • Closed Drafting
  • Economic
  • Hand Management
  • Set Collection

Game Specifications:

  • 2 Players
  • ~30 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 2.22

7 Wonders 🟢

| T3d-1978

You are the leader of one of the 7 great cities of the Ancient World. Gather resources, develop commercial routes, and affirm your military supremacy. Build your city and erect an architectural wonder which will transcend future times.

7 Wonders lasts three ages. In each age, players receive seven cards from a particular deck, choose one of those cards, then pass the remainder to an adjacent player. Players reveal their cards simultaneously, paying resources if needed or collecting resources or interacting with other players in various ways. (Players have individual boards with special powers on which to organize their cards, and the boards are double-sided). Each player then chooses another card from the deck they were passed, and the process repeats until players have six cards in play from that age. After three ages, the game ends.

In essence, 7 Wonders is a card development game. Some cards have immediate effects, while others provide bonuses or upgrades later in the game. Some cards provide discounts on future purchases. Some provide military strength to overpower your neighbors and others give nothing but victory points. Each card is played immediately after being drafted, so you’ll know which cards your neighbor is receiving and how her choices might affect what you’ve already built up. Cards are passed left-right-left over the three ages, so you need to keep an eye on the neighbors in both directions.

Game Mechanics:

  • City Building
  • Civilization
  • Closed Drafting
  • Economic
  • Hand Management
  • Set Collection

Game Specifications:

  • 3 – 7 Players
  • 30 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 2.32

3000 Scoundrels 🟢

| T3d-1978

“The Traveler brought much change to our small frontier town in the last five years. He showed us marvels beyond imagination and taught us how to use his strange machines. Now that the Traveler has vanished, a storm is coming. Who will control the destiny of the American Frontier?”

In 3000 Scoundrels, players assume the roles of rival leaders attempting to steal precious technology left behind by the Traveler. By overlaying clear cards, you create unique scoundrels and use them to outsmart your foes. In short, hire scoundrels to build powerful combos, steal technology, and outsmart your foes.

Each turn, you play a poker card from your hand face down in front of your player board, then use all abilities matching your claimed number. You don’t need to tell the truth when claiming a number, but if an opponent catches you bluffing, it will damage your reputation and decrease your odds of winning the game.

Each leader has a unique perspective and motivation in the conflict of Graystone Gulch. Are you driven by money, fame, or the deep-seated desire to improve the world? Advanced rules add unique strategies to each leader that reflect their unique strengths and cunning tricks.

Game Mechanics:

  • Deduction
  • Open Drafting

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 4 Players
  • 60 – 90 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 2.18

Zombie Teenz Evolution

| T3d-1978
Zombie Teenz Evolution

Zombie Teenz Evolution

Zombies are attacking the entire town! Cooperate with your friends and launch an expedition to drive off the overwhelming hordes. Collect the four ingredients, and brew the antidote that will save the world!

Zombie Teenz Evolution is the sequel to Zombie Kidz Evolution (#1 Kids’ Game on BGG). It is a standalone game with a different set of rules, so you don’t need to have played the first game to jump into the second. The rules are slightly more advanced and will require a little more strategic thinking.

Zombie Teenz Evolution follows the same general guidelines as its predecessor: a fast and simple game whose rules evolve from game to game through the opening of 14 “mystery” envelopes. By accomplishing special missions, players unlock additional content that will provide a richer experience, while constantly renewing the enjoyment of the game. The icing on the cake: the two games are compatible! You will be able to play Zombie Kidz with your Zombie Teenz, and vice versa!

Game Mechanics:

  • Action Points
  • Cooperative
  • Dice Rolling
  • Pick-Up and Deliver

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 4 Players
  • 15 – 25 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 1.46

Zombie Kittens

| T3d-1978
Zombie Kittens

Zombie Kittens

Zombie Kittens is still the highly strategic, kitty-powered version of Russian Roulette that you love, but it introduces a brand new deck of cards so that your game doesn’t end just because you blow up. Only living players can win the game, but dead players now get to keep the cards in their hands when they explode. They also get to play certain cards to torment the living players. And they can even come back from the dead to win the game. Zombie Kittens can be played by itself or can be combined with Exploding Kittens.

Game Mechanics:

  • Hand Management
  • Push Your Luck

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 5 Players
  • ~15 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 1.33

Zombie Kidz Evolution

| T3d-1978
Zombie Kidz Evolution

Zombie Kidz Evolution

Zombie Kidz Evolution is the first “legacy”-style game for kids, with basic gameplay similar to the 2013 title Zombie Kidz — but things will quickly evolve!

In the game, the young players are at school when zombies start to attack, infiltrating the entryways, then barring the way to classrooms. Players move through rooms and entryways to eliminate zombies and keep the zombie reserve full. If a zombie must enter the school but none are available, then the school has been overrun and the players lose. To win the game, players need to lock each of the four entryways as apparently the custodian has abandoned the post and given up the school for lost.

As players get better, they can complete missions, track their development through a trophy-sticker system reminiscent of video games, and open envelopes that contain new material for the game, upping the challenge they face while also providing them with new powers and new heroes as well.

Game Mechanics:

  • Area Movement
  • Cooperative
  • Dice Rolling

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 4 Players
  • 5 – 15 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 1.40

Zensu

| T3d-1978
Zensu

Zensu

This is an abstract game played on a 6×9 board using flat pieces with their possible moves marked on them.

The aim is to cross your opponent’s border before they can cross into yours but, with pieces moving in four directions you have to keep your wits about you!

The way to win the game is to get one of your pieces to your opponent’s back line.

Game Mechanics:

  • Abstract Strategy
  • Pattern Movement

Game Specifications:

  • 2 Players
  • ~10 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 1.00

Yahtzee: Dungeons & Dragons

| T3d-1978
Yahtzee: Dungeons & Dragons

Yahtzee: Dungeons & Dragons

Yahtzee is a classic dice game played with 5 dice. Each player’s turn consists of rolling the dice up to 3 times in hope of making 1 of 13 categories. Examples of categories are 3 of a kind, 4 of a kind, straight, full house, etc. Each player tries to fill in a score for each category, but this is not always possible. When all players have entered a score or a zero for all 13 categories, the game ends and total scores are compared.

Game Mechanics:

  • Dice Rolling
  • Paper and Pencil
  • Push Your Luck
  • Set Collection

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 10 Players
  • ~30 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 1.18

Word Heist

| T3d-1978
Word Heist

Word Heist

Your goal in Word Heist is to create clever words that others don’t steal, while ideally snatching words from their grasp.

To set up the game, take a number of consonant, vowel, and special letter cards based on the number of players, shuffle them, then place one card each in the +1 and +2 slots by the game board, while laying all the other letters in a row. Reveal two “bonus vault” cards that show special ways to score.

Each player then simultaneously and secretly writes a “heist” word on their player board using only the letters revealed, with as many copies of those letters as they like. Once everyone has finished, each player drops clues to their word by placing their personal clue tokens on as many public letters as they wish; if you use a letter multiple times in your word, you must mark the letter that many times.

Next, after looking at those clues, each player writes a “halt” word on their player board that they think corresponds to an opponent’s word.

All players then reveal their words one by one. If two or more players have the same word, none of them score for that word; if an opponent has “halted” your word, then they score for that word instead of you! A word scores 1 point for each clue token you placed, +1 or +2 points for you using the letters placed in those slots, and bonus points if you met one or both “bonus vault” challenges.

After writing all the used “heist” and “halt” words on a public board, shuffle the letter cards, then play another round. You cannot repeat a previously used word. After a third round conducted in the same manner, the player with the highest score wins.

Game Mechanics:

  • Targeted Clues
  • Word Game

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 6 Players
  • 20 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 1.80

The Wizard Always Wins

| T3d-1978
The Wizard Always Wins

The Wizard Always Wins

The Wizard Always Wins…but the question is, WHO is the true Wizard? Round by exciting round, players jockey for new roles –from the Trader and the Oracle to the Apprentice and more. Each of the seven roles offer different abilities that are useful for leveling up your power. Yet only the player who is the true Wizard will pull their own gem from the Bag of Fate and claim victory!

Game Mechanics:

  • Bag Building
  • Push Your Luck
  • Set Collection

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 5 Players
  • ~30 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 1.71