Category: Small Games

Arboretum

Arboretum is a strategy card game for 2-4 players, aged 10 and up, that combines set collection, tile-laying and hand management while playing in about 25 minutes. Players try to have the most points at the end of the game by creating beautiful garden paths for their visitors.

The deck has 80 cards in ten different colors, with each color featuring a different species of tree; each color has cards numbered 1 through 8, and the number of colors used depends on the number of players. Players start with a hand of seven cards. On each turn, a player draws two cards (from the deck or one or more of the discard piles), lays a card on the table as part of her arboretum, then discards a card to her personal discard pile.

When the deck is exhausted, players compare the cards that remain in their hands to determine who can score each color. For each color, the player(s) with the highest value of cards in hand of that color scores for a path of trees in her arboretum that begins and ends with that color; a path is a orthogonally adjacent chain of cards with increasing values. For each card in a path that scores, the player earns one point; if the path consists solely of trees of the color being scored, the player scores two points per card. If a player doesn’t have the most value for a color, she scores zero points for a path that begins and ends with that color. Whoever has the most points wins.

Game Mechanics:

  • Hand Management
  • Pattern Building
  • Set Collection
  • Tile Placement

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 4 Players
  • ~30 Minutes
  • Diffi0culty Weight 2.13

Aquabats!: Super Showdown, The

In The Aquabats! Super Showdown! card game, two to four players are villains competing to capture all five members of The Aquabats, the world’s greatest superhero rock band.

The game consists of three types of cards: Monster cards, Action cards, and Aquabats cards. Monster cards have colors and power levels. Each turn, a player plays a Monster card and draws a new Monster card. If the card played is of the same color and a higher power level than the card previously played, that player may draw both a Monster card and an Action card. At the start of a player’s turn, a Battle card or Epic Battle card may be played, challenging one player or all players respectively to a showdown. Each player in the battle must play a Monster card, and the winner may take an Aquabat card from the table or, if none remain, steal one from the defeated player.

Shrink Ray cards enable a challenged player to diminish the power of an aggressor; X-Ray cards allow one to peak at another player’s hand; Antibats cards foil the winner of a battle from taking a loser’s Aquabat card; and Steal cards can be used to acquire another player’s Aquabat card without a battle.

Play continues until one player acquires all five Aquabat cards or until War is mutually declared, in which case the winner of a single round Epic Battle is declared the game’s victor.

Game Mechanics:

  •  Take That

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 4 Players
  • 10 – 20 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 1.00

Antiquity Quest

Your goal in Antiquity Quest is to have the highest score a the end of the game. You can choose to play either a single round for a quick game (20-30 min) or a complete game in which you’ll tally scores over three rounds (60-90 min)

Each player is dealt two sets of 10 cards at the start of a round. You’ll pick up one set, this is called a hand. The second set, called a cache, remains face down on the table until you’ve played all of the cards from your hand.

You’ll take turns drawing, playing, and discarding cards as you work on creating your own collections and sabotaging the collections that belong to other players.

Collections consist of Antiquity and Treasure cards. The six suits of Antiquity cards represent six ancient civilizations. Treasures are their own suit and are more rare and valuable. The more challenging a collection is to create. the more it’s worth.

A round ends once a player has completed at least five collections and played through all of the cards in their hand and cache. That player earns a bonus for going out first. Every other player takes on last turn and then scores are tallied.

Your score at the end of each round is the combination of bonus points from going out first, points for completing collections ,and points for the cards you play. The player with the highest score at the end of the game wins.

Here’s what to expect in this bold and exciting set collection game:

You’ll strive to create collections of Antiquities and Treasures.

The more challenging a collection is to create, the more it’s worth.

Beware! Your competitors can, and will seek to sabotage your efforts.

Careful planning, brilliant strategy, and a stroke of luck will bring you success!

Game Mechanics:

  • Hand Management
  • Set Collection

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 8 Players
  • 30 – 90 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 1.20

Althingi: One Will Rise

Althingi is a quick set-up, fast-play game of strength and influence for 2-4 players based in Viking-Age Iceland. Each player takes on the role of a powerful Chieftain and tries to take control of the annual gathering known as the Althingi through good old-fashioned bribery, coercion, and intimidation.

The game takes place over a series of days each with three rounds: Morning, Afternoon, and Evening. In the morning Chieftains gather Loot which has value both in bribing Vikings and in equipping them for holmgang (a duel). In the afternoon phase Chieftains strategically bribe the new Vikings that arrive that round to join their camp using their Loot cards while retaining enough resources to defend themselves in the Evening phase. During the Evening, Chieftains can use Vikings in their camp to challenge holmgang (a duel) against Vikings from other camps. The aim of the game is to gain the most influence, which is acquired by having Vikings join your camp and by winning holmgangs (duels). The player with the most influence at the end of the game controls the Althingi and wins!

The aesthetic of this game is gritty and raw, with striking original illustrations by Lada Shustova. Special attention was paid to historical details such as clothing, weapons, and bartering goods, so rest assured that there are no horned helmets in this game! If you’ve visited Iceland, then you’ll recognize the landscape art as the fields of Thingvellir. And Viking history buffs might recognize the meaning of the two runes used in the game, symbols for Strength and for Influence.

Game Mechanics:

  • Auction: Sealed Bid
  • Betting and Bluffing
  • Bribery
  • Hand Management

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 4 Players
  • 25 – 45 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 1.75

Alice is Missing

The game is played live and without verbal communication. Players inhabit their character for the entirety of the 90-minute play session, and instead of speaking, send text messages back and forth to the other characters in a group chat, as well as individually, as though they aren’t in the same place together.

Haunting beautiful, deeply personal, and highly innovative Alice is Missing puts a strong focus on the emotional engagement between players, immersing them in a tense, dramatic mystery that unfolds organically through the text messages they send to one another. Right at home with games like Life Is Strange, Gone Home, Oxenfree, and Firewatch, it’s designed to feel as much like an event-style experience as it does a role-playing game.

Game Mechanics:

  • Cards
  • Crime
  • Description Based

Game Specifications:

  • 3 – 5 Players
  • 120 – 180 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 2.50

AFFLICTION: Salem 1692

The hysteria over witches among the people of Salem swept the region like a disease in 1692. As is the case in any tragic event, there are those whom will use the circumstances to their advantage. Under the veil of the witch-hunt lie other motivations; power, greed, revenge and righteousness.

AFFLICTION: Salem 1692 is a game set in the hysteria of a witch-hunt. Use your influence to whisper in the ear of the magistrate, judge, governor or minister to protect some and have others arrested. Salem was a chance to gain property, exact revenge and prove one’s righteousness.

The characters in the game were actual residents of the Salem region. This is the closest possible simulation of actual events in a game to date.

GAMEPLAY: Players will take turns placing a “messenger” (worker) to select actions. After all workers are placed, actions will be resolved in the order they appear on the main board.

EXONERATE – Take 2 Accusation Tokens off of any Colonist.
FIRST PLAYER TOKEN/PROTECTION – Use a letter from the Governor to prevent one Colonist from being arrested and take the First turn, next turn.
GAIN INFLUENCE/USE COLONIST ABILITY – Generate Influence and use the abilities of Colonists that you have in your Circle.
ARREST – Spend Influence equal to a Colonist’s adjusted Reputation to Arrest.
SPECTRAL EVIDENCE – Use this token to prevent a Colonist from Generating Influence and using their Colonist ability.
ACCUSE – Place accusation tokens to reduce Colonist’s Reputations to make them easier to arrest.
GAIN/REMOVE FEAR – Gain Fear Tokens or remove a fear token from another player (used to weaken Colonists)
BRING COLONIST INTO CIRCLE – Spend Influence equal to a Colonists Base Reputation and bring them into your Circle.

Play will cycle between accusing, arresting and protecting your interests. Fear provides an alternative way to function when necessary.

END GAME: Increase Mather and Mary Spencer Hill are shuffled in with the bottom 6 cards of the Colonist deck. When either of them appears in the play area, the game immediately ends.

VICTORY CONDITIONS: All players will receive victory points for the Reputation value of each Colonist that have arrested or brought into their circle, victory points for the property of those they have had arrested and for the number of influence tokens they have at the end of the game. Each player will also receive points for having specific families arrested or protected, depending on the player tile they are given.

Game Mechanics:

  • Open Drafting
  • Simulation
  • Take That
  • Variable Player Powers
  • Worker Placement

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 4 Players
  • 30 – 60 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 2.75

A Touch of Evil

‘Tis the dawn of the 19th century; an age of science, superstition, and witchcraft. Howling fills the night as a full moon rises over the small, secluded village of Shadowbrook. Gruesome murders have become a daily occurrence and terror haunts the streets at night. An evil creature has taken up residence here and the countryside is engulfed by a tide of darkness.

But all is not lost…not yet.

A small group of heroic individuals, with the courage and strength to fight, have arrived in town. Some just passing through while others have come with a purpose; but all will be put to the test as they race to save this cursed town from falling into darkness. It will take a cunning mind and strength of spirit to determine who is friend and who is foe… to solve the mysteries and hunt the beast to its lair. But the secrets of Shadowbrook run deep. Gossip and rumors run rampant and these few Heroes may soon discover that they are outsiders here and this town is already so rotten from within there is little left to save.

A Touch of Evil, The Supernatural Game” is a fast-paced game of fiendish creatures, dashing Heroes, and high-adventure. Each player takes on the role of a unique monster-hunting Hero, racing against time to stop the forces of darkness from claiming another foothold in the world of man. Only by investigating the town and building your Hero’s strength can you hope to hunt down the Supernatural Villain to his Lair and defeat him in an epic Showdown. Players can race Competitively to be the first to defeat the Villain and save the town, or they can work together Cooperatively to defeat a much stronger Villain.

Featuring a gameboard map of Shadowbrook and its surrounding countryside, eight Heroes to choose from, and four different Supernatural Villains to hunt; each with its own host of unique Minions and powers to drastically change the game. A Touch of Evil is designed to create an adventurous cinematic feel as the story and game unfolds.

So grab up your Wooden Stake, stuff some shot in that Musket, and hold onto your Tri-corn Hat; no one is safe from the creatures of the night and no one can be trusted…for inside everyone lies A Touch of Evil.

Game Mechanics: 

  • Area Movement
  • Cooperative Game
  • Dice Rolling
  • Roll / Spin and Move
  • Variable Player Powers

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 8 Players
  • 60-120 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 2.56

1961

In 1961, you can invest in your space program, establish diplomatic relationships, and, most importantly, launch missiles as you and your components strive to win the Cold War. You can play cards in three different ways – as an action, a building, or a supply. But in a Cold War world, nothing is safe for long, and you have to balance internal development with defensive (and offensive) strategies.

There are three ways to win the game: win the Space Race, achieve diplomatic world peace, or be the sole survivor in a nuclear Armageddon. Do you have what it takes to come out on top in 1961?

Game Mechanics:

  • Multi-use Cards
  • Player Elimination
  • Turn Order: Pass Order

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 6 Players
  • 5 – 20 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 1.67

18 Holes: Course Architect

Board Game Name

In 18 Holes: Course Architect, you are trying to make the best golf course anyone’s ever seen! However, each week, the Course Planning Commitee (CPC) arrives to tell you about all of the deals they made over the weekend – deals that you now have to incorporate into your course. Can you handle the whims of the CPC and achieve your dream?

Game Mechanics:

  • Roll-and-Write
  • Square Grid
  • Hidden Victory Points

Game Specifications:

  • 1 – 18 Players
  • 20 – 30 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 2.00

Ankh’or

Ankh’or is a quick-playing resource management game in which each player on their turn either collects three types of tokens (with an ankh being a supplemental resource) or buys a tile from a marketplace and adds this tile to their structure, trying to connect tiles of the same color or bearing the same scarab while doing so. By spending an ankh, you can shift tiles in the marketplace and change the cost and type of goods needed to purchase them.

Each player’s structure will have at most thirteen tiles, so don’t wait too long to start building!

Game Mechanics:

  • Layering
  • Open Drafting
  • Pattern Building
  • Set Collection
  • Tile Placement

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 4 Players
  • ~30 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 1.70