Tag: Hand Management

Hand Management is a game mechanic in which players are rewarded for playing cards in a specific order. This mechanic often encourages players to hold cards for later turns.

Mansions of Madness

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Mansions of Madness

Mansions of Madness

In the skies above the Atlantic, a dirigible’s peaceful journey is interrupted by a bloody act of revenge and an oncoming storm. On the sea far below, a treacherous saboteur plants the explosives that will sink a ship. In the New England countryside, a train billows black smoke, desperately fleeing an unimaginable threat.

Horrific Journeys is a deluxe expansion for Mansions of Madness which unlocks three thrilling scenarios that take four new investigators far from Arkham, solving mysteries aboard a bustling transatlantic airship, a luxury ocean liner, and a scenic countryside train. With new map tiles, puzzles, monsters, and mythos events, these brave men and women must contend with hideous amphibian monstrocities and interdimensional creatures tearing holes in the fabric of reality all with the knowledge that one wrong move can destroy the very vessels they are trying to protect! In order to arrive at their destinations, the investigator of Arkham must first survive their journey!

Game Mechanics:

  • Area Movement
  • Cooperative
  • Dice Rolling
  • Hand Management
  • Puzzle
  • Role Playing
  • Team Based

Game Specifications:

  • 1 – 5 Players
  • 120 – 180 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 2.66

Last Aurora

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Last Aurora

Last Aurora

The radioactive dust of the Last War has frozen the northern countries. In the ice desert, the few survivors live in an icy hell as the resources of the “old world” are now exhausted, and travel to the south is too long and dangerous. But a radio message is rekindling hope: The last icebreaker ship, the Aurora, is cruising along the coast, looking for survivors. The winter is coming, and in a few days, those who cannot get on board will be doomed by the ice. It will be a race against time to arrive at the ship or surrender to despair: there’s still the light of hope on the horizon, a light to grab before it’s too late…

‘Last Aurora’ is a post-apocalyptic game for 1-4 players set in a frozen, desolate land. Each player has to manage their crew to gather resources, recruit survivors, improve their vehicle, and fight their enemies as they race to reach the ship before it’s too late!

Game Mechanics:

  • Hand Management
  • Racing
  • Worker Placement

Game Specifications:

  • 1 – 4 Players
  • 60 – 90 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 2.67

Keyforge

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Keyforge

Keyforge

In more detail, KeyForge is played over a series of turns in which you, as the Archon leading your company, use the creatures, technology, artifacts, and skills of a chosen House to reap precious Æmber, hold off your enemy’s forces, and forge enough keys to unlock the Crucible’s Vaults. You begin your turn by declaring one of the three Houses within your deck, and for the remainder of the turn you may play and use cards only from that House. For example, if you take on the role of the Archon Radiant Argus the Supreme, you will find cards from Logos, Sanctum, and Untamed in your deck, but if you declare “Sanctum” at the start of your turn, you may use actions, artifacts, creatures, and upgrades only from Sanctum. Your allies from Logos and Untamed must wait.

Next, you must strive to gain the advantage with a series of tactical decisions, leveraging both the cards in your hand and those in play to race ahead of your opponent. If you wish to weaken your rival’s forces, you may send out your allies to fight enemies on the opposing side, matching strength against strength. Otherwise, you may choose to use your followers to reap, adding more Æmber to your pool.

Notably, no card in KeyForge has a cost — choosing a House at the start of a turn allows you to play and use any number of cards from that House for free, leading turns to fly by with a wave of activity! Yet balance is key. If you simply reap more Æmber at every opportunity, your rival may quickly grow their team of minions and destroy yours, outpacing your collection and leaving your field barren. But if you focus on the thrill of the fight alone and neglect the collection of Æmber, you won’t move any closer to your goal! If you succeed in finding a harmony within your team and have six Æmber at the start of your turn, you’ll forge a key and move one step closer to victory. The first to forge three keys wins!

Game Mechanics:

  • Hand Management
  • Take That

Game Specifications:

  • 2 Players
  • 15 – 45 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 3.00

Kemet

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Kemet

Kemet

In Kemet, players each deploy the troops of an Egyptian tribe and use the mystical powers of the gods of ancient Egypt – along with their powerful armies – to score points in glorious battles or through invasion of rich territories. A game is typically played to 8 or 10 victory points, which may be accrued through winning attacks, controlling temples, controlling fully-developed pyramids, sacrificing to the gods, and wielding particular magical powers.

The conquest for the land of Kemet takes place over two phases: Day and Night. During the day, choose an action amongst the nine possible choices provided by your player mat and perform it immediately. Once every player has taken five actions, night falls, with players gathering Prayer Points from their temples, drawing Divine Intervention cards, and determining the turn order before the start of the new day.

As the game progresses, they can use Prayer Points to acquire power tiles. Some of these enroll magical creatures and have them join their troops. In addition to intimidating enemies, these creatures provide special powers!

Detailed miniature components represent the combat units and the supernatural creatures that are summoned to enhance them. Combat is resolved through cards chosen from a diminishing six-card hand and enhanced by bonuses.

Game Mechanics:

  • Action Points
  • Area Control
  • Area Movement
  • Hand Management
  • Open Drafting
  • Wargame

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 5 Players
  • 90 – 120 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 3.00

Ivion: The Sun and the Stars

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Ivion: The Sun and the Stars

Ivion: The Sun and the Stars

Ivion combines the intensity of a fighting game with the strategy of deck-building card games to create an experience unlike any other. In Ivion, your deck IS your character, and you build it from a variety of classes and specializations. Each character type has numerous cards from which to choose, along with wildly different playstyles. Mix and match them to create your own, unique character!

Upon the field of battle, crush your opponent with various strikes, stabs, slashes, spells, and other mayhem at your disposal. Be careful, though, as they have numerous ways to block, dodge, parry, fizzle, and disrupt your assault. Only one can be the victor, and the battle will be bloody!

In Ivion: The Sun and The Stars, you can battle as the fiery and chaotic Invoker or the powerful and stoic Archmage. They can battle one another or any other character in the Ivion line of games.

Game Mechanics:

  • Action Points
  • Deck Building
  • Grid Movement
  • Hand Management
  • Take That

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 4 Players
  • 15 – 30 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 3.00

Ivion: The Knight and the Lady

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Ivion: The Knight and the Lady

Ivion: The Knight and the Lady

Ivion combines the intensity of a fighting game with the strategy of deck-building card games to create an experience unlike any other. In Ivion, your deck IS your character, and you build it from a variety of classes and specializations. Each character type has numerous cards from which to choose, along with wildly different playstyles. Mix and match them to create your own, unique character!

Upon the field of battle, crush your opponent with various strikes, stabs, slashes, spells, and other mayhem at your disposal. Be careful, though, as they have numerous ways to block, dodge, parry, fizzle, and disrupt your assault. Only one can be the victor, and the battle will be bloody!

In Ivion: The Knight and The Lady, you can battle as the young and zealous Errant or the mysterious and sinister Enchantress. They can battle one another or any other character in the Ivion line of games.

Game Mechanics:

  • Action Points
  • Deck Building
  • Grid Movement
  • Hand Management
  • Take That

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 4 Players
  • 15 – 30 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 2.67

Ivion: The Hound and the Hare

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Ivion: The Hound and the Hare

Ivion: The Hound and the Hare

Ivion combines the intensity of a fighting game with the strategy of deck-building card games to create an experience unlike any other. In Ivion, your deck IS your character, and you build it from a variety of classes and specializations. Each character type has numerous cards from which to choose, along with wildly different playstyles. Mix and match them to create your own, unique character!

Upon the field of battle, crush your opponent with various strikes, stabs, slashes, spells, and other mayhem at your disposal. Be careful, though, as they have numerous ways to block, dodge, parry, fizzle, and disrupt your assault. Only one can be the victor, and the battle will be bloody!

In Ivion: The Hound and The Hare, you can battle as the wise and faithful Saint or the deceptive and cunning Illusionist. They can battle one another or any other character in the Ivion line of games.

Game Mechanics:

  • Action Points
  • Deck Building
  • Grid Movement
  • Hand Management
  • Take That

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 4 Players
  • 15 – 30 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 2.67

Inis

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Inis

Inis

Inis is a game deeply rooted in Celtic history and lore in which players win by being elected King of the Island (Inis). Players can try to achieve one of three different victory conditions:

  • Leadership: Be the leader — i.e., have more clan figures than any other player — of territories containing at least six opponents’ clans.
  • Land: Have your clans present in at least six different territories.
  • Religion: Have your clans present in territories that collectively contain at least six sanctuaries.

Over the course of the game, players also earn deeds, typically chanted by bards or engraved by master crafters, that reduce by one the magic total of six for any condition. While one victory condition is enough to claim the title of King, a game of experienced players usually has a tight balance of power, emphasizing the leadership of the capital of the island.

At the start of each round, players draft a hand of four action cards (with 13 action cards for three players and 17 for four players) during the Assembly. Action cards not played at the end of one season are not held for the next. Players also have access to leader cards for the territories that allow it and where they were elected leader during the assembly. Each Assembly reallocates those cards. Finally, they collect “epic tales” cards that depict the deeds of the ancient Irish gods and heroes, like Cuchulainn, the Dagda, Lugh and many others. These will be kept and used to inspire the clans and achieve extraordinary feats…under the right circumstances. The cards provide a variety of actions: adding clans, moving clans, building/exploring, and special actions.

Careful drafting, hand management, bluffing (especially once players understand the importance of passing their turn), good timing, and a precise understanding of the balance of power are the keys to victory. After a discovery game you’ll be ready for a full and epic game, where an undisputed player will be king by the Assembly for his merit and wisdom.

While Inis has “dudes” that are “on a map”, it’s a beginner’s mistake to play this as a battle game because eliminating other clans reduces your chances of scoring a Leadership victory condition. Peace among different clans, with or without a clear territory leader, is the usual outcome of a clan’s movement. Battles will occur, of course, as the Celtic clans can be unruly and a good player will listen to his clan’s people (i.e., his hand of cards). That battle aspect is reflected in the clan’s miniatures representing warriors. Woodsmen, shepherds and traders complete the set of twelve minis for each player; these occupations have no impact on the game, but give it flavor.

Game Mechanics:

  • Area Control
  • Area Movement
  • Campaign
  • Closed Drafting
  • Hand Management
  • Wargame

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 4 Players
  • 60 – 90 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 2.88

Imperium The Contention Deluxe Edition

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Imperium The Contention Deluxe Edition

Imperium The Contention Deluxe Edition

Only one may wield the Void Scepter.

Seize the Void Scepter in Imperium: The Contention, the 4X card game. Choose one of six factions, each with a preconstructed deck, or build your own from a complete collection of over 300 cards! Expand your empire, deploy your fleet, move your ships into position, and battle your enemies. Seizing the Imperial Capital may lead you to victory… or ruin.

There are many paths to ruling the Imperium. Your favor represents your Imperial influence. Gain 8 favor, or claim 8 worlds, and the Void Scepter will be yours! Gain the Imperium’s favor by destroying enemy worlds or through political intrigue. Employ politicians, spies, megacorps, and mercs. Take the Imperial Capital by force, and use the seat of power to convince the Imperium only you are worthy.

Now is the time! Lead your civilization to new heights and claim the Void Scepter!

Game Mechanics:

  • Area Control
  • Civilization
  • Deck Building
  • Hand Management
  • Take That

Game Specifications:

  • 1 – 6 Players
  • 30 – 120 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 2.82

Imperial Settlers: Empires of the North

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Imperial Settlers: Empires of the North

Imperial Settlers: Empires of the North

 

Game Mechanics:

  • City Building
  • Civilization
  • Hand Management
  • Tableau Building
  • Take That
  • Worker Placement

Game Specifications:

  • 1 – 4 Players
  • 45 – 90 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 2.84