Tag: Take That

Games with a “Take That” mechanic allows players to take actions that actively hinder an opponent’s progress in-game.

Family Plot

| OTSG Staff

In Family Plot, each player strives to build their perfect family while keeping other players by killing them off one by one.
Gameplay begins by a player laying out any “Family Members” in their hand that match their Family Tree. Afterwards a player can launch an assault using REAPERS and ACTION CARDS that could unleash anything from a Zombie Apocalypse to a Psycho Killer, sending their opponents family members to the graveyard! The chosen victim can block the attack on their “Family” by using ANGELS, WEAPONIZED FOOD, or even TEARS OF A UNICORN that they have in their hand. That way when it gets to your turn simply complete your unique Family Tree and YOU WIN!

Game Mechanics:

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 6 Players
  • 20 – 30 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 1.13

Exploding Kittens

| OTSG Staff

Exploding Kittens is a kitty-powered version of Russian Roulette. Players take turns drawing cards until someone draws an exploding kitten and loses the game. The deck is made up of cards that let you avoid exploding by peeking at cards before you draw, forcing your opponent to draw multiple cards, or shuffling the deck.

The game gets more and more intense with each card you draw because fewer cards left in the deck means a greater chance of drawing the kitten and exploding in a fiery ball of feline hyperbole.

Game Mechanics:

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 5 Players
  • ~15 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 1.08

Estates, the

| OTSG Staff

The City Council recently approved the zoning map for a new urban development — The Estates — featuring high-end infrastructure and a modern atmosphere for its citizens. Soon after, the banks awarded millions of dollars in loans to six real estate investment firms to help develop this new area. The zoning map for The Estates calls for two rows of four buildings each, located between the River and Main Street. The meadows on the other side of the River are to remain a recreational area for the City.

But, with hopes of larger profits, investors and building tycoons entirely ignore the City Council’s demands and begin developing three rows of buildings instead. The Mayor catches wind of the potential for profit and begins planning a new mansion in The Estates, which would double the value of one of the building rows! With some sketchy building permits, investors begin developing buildings on the other side of the River, beyond the designated building zone. However, the City Council takes rigorous steps to put an end to the racketeering with an ultimatum: As soon as the first two rows are completed, the buildings in the uncompleted row will be torn down, resulting in a huge loss for all who invested there. At the end of the day, the investor with the highest-valued buildings will come out on top.

The players take on the role of investors seeking to make the most money by developing buildings in The Estates. Players will bid for the various building pieces and place them in The Estates to their benefit. All buildings in completed rows score positive points, while all buildings in incomplete rows score negative points. It is possible to have zero completed rows of buildings.

A game of The Estates lasts around 40 minutes and can be played in several rounds to experience a shifting economy.

Game Mechanics:

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 5 Players
  • 40 – 60 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 2.31

Escape from New York

| OTSG Staff

“You go in, find the President, bring him out in less than 24 hours, and you’re a free man.”

In Escape from New York, an adaptation of the John Carpenter movie of the same name, you play as Snake, Brain, Maggie, or Cabbie and attempt to rescue the president and his precious tape and bring them to safety, while dealing with the gangs of the most dangerous prison in the world – all of Manhattan.

You will play the roles of the heroes, exploring the dangerous streets of New York, searching for the president, his case containing the government tape, and a diagram of the bridges so you can escape from the city without stepping on a landmine.

You can work together, searching for these three things, or you may decide to secretly satisfy your own personal objective at any moment during the game, escaping from New York alone and betraying your companions. Whatever your decision will be, you must face the Bands of Manhattan, headed by the Duke of New York, who will hinder you by moving Prisoners and Bosses to eat up as much of the short time-frame you have to complete your mission.

Game Mechanics:

Game Specifications:

  • 1 – 4 Players
  • 40 – 90 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 2.57

Epic Spell Wars of the Battle Wizards: Duel at Mt. Skullzfyre

| OTSG Staff

Did you know that magical wizards are battling to the death … and beyond … right now!? “Why battle?” you might ask. “What have I got to prove, magic man?” Only who’s the most awesomely powerful battle wizard in the entire realm, that’s what! As a Battle Wizard, you’ll put together up to three spell components to craft millions (okay, not really) of spell combos. Your spells might kick ass, or they could totally blow – it’s up to you to master the magic. You will unleash massive damage on the faces of your wizard rivals in a no-holds-barred, all-out burn-down to be the last Battle Wizard standing. And it doesn’t stop there! Powerful magic items bring on a whole new level of bloody carnage as you and your mighty wizard opponents tear each other limb from limb in an orgy of killing! Do you have what it takes to use epic spells in a war at Mt. Skullzfyre? Will YOU be the Ultimate Battle Wizard!?!

Epic Spell Wars of the Battle Wizards: Duel at Mt. Skullzfyre is a humorous card game depicting a vicious, over-the-top battle between a variety of comically illustrated wizards. The game focuses primarily on creating three-part spell combos to blast your foes into the afterlife. The unique Dead Wizard cards allow players to stay in the game even after their wizards have been defeated.

Game Mechanics:

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 6 Players
  • ~30 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 1.57

Epic Monster Tea Party

| OTSG Staff

In this 2-4 player game, you are the monster, and you relax at the end of a busy day by grabbing heroes from the labyrinth to flavor your tea.

Players take turns blindly choosing a hero from the labyrinth bag. Heroes may be “squished” to use for their special ability and discarded, or they may be placed into the monster’s teacup to drink later for victory points. Once all of the heroes have been plucked from the labyrinth, each monster finishes drinking their tea, counts the victory points in their stomach, and the one with the highest score may belch and rejoice, for they are the winner!

This simple, family-friendly tabletop game can be played in under 20 minutes with 2-4 players. While adults may be playing for points, kids seem to have more fun squishing the heroes and using their abilities to spill, steal, or trade teacups with the other players.

Epic Monster Tea Party can be enjoyed by everyone, young and old! It’s simple to learn, quick to play, and the artwork will charm your socks off!

Game Mechanics:

  • Push Your Luck
  • Take That

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 4 Players
  • 30 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 1.00

Dungeon Mayhem

| OTSG Staff

In the action-packed Dungeons & Dragons card game Dungeon Mayhem, you win by being the last adventurer standing.

Play as one of four brave, quirky characters — barbarian, paladin, rogue, or wizard — battling it out in a dungeon full of treasure! With magic missiles flinging, dual daggers slinging, and spiked shields dinging, it’s up to you to prove your adventurer has the guts to bring home the glory!

Illustrations created by Kyle Ferrin in the four decks of cards represent Sutha the Skullcrusher (barbarian), Azzan the Mystic (wizard), Lia the Radiant (paladin), and Oriax the Clever (rogue). Pick one of these characters and play their mighty power cards such as Azzan’s Vampiric Touch to swap hit points with an opponent or Sutha’s Whirling Axes to heal yourself while dealing crushing damage to the rest of the party.

Game Mechanics:

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 4 Players
  • ~10 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 1.16

Dragon Farkle

| OTSG Staff

Gather your courage! The long-enjoyed peace of Yon has been disrupted by a ferocious and mean-spirited dragon — he’s terrorizing the locals and eating their livestock without their permission! Fortunately, a few wannabe heroes (that’s you!) have risen to the challenge of slaying the beast. Get yourself a brave companion, gather a powerful army, and enter the Dragon’s Keep for cheese and country in Dragon Farkle!

To play, you gather an army of loyal soldiers or steal them from your opponents, hire suspicious-looking companions and gain allegedly useful items (most of which aren’t even cursed), then fight that dragon you’ve heard so much about — or don’t, if you hate winning…

Game Mechanics:

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 5 Players
  • ~30 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 1.45

Doomlings

| OTSG Staff

Somewhere on a doomed and distant planet, life has emerged, competing for supremacy until the world’s inevitable destruction. The object of the game is to score the most points by the time the world ends. Score points by playing Traits for your Doomlings’ species, making them more adaptable, resilient, and mischievous. As your Doomlings assert their dominance, Catastrophes will befall the planet, causing setbacks for each competing species. When the third Catastrophe inevitably strikes, the world ends, and the Doomlings with the strongest set of traits gets to look the Apocalypse in the eye and declare…“I scored the most points!”

Throughout the game, players draw Trait cards from a community pile, and then play them for points. Traits can also have special abilities and bonuses, allowing players to build a wide range of winning combinations. The game is played in rounds, using Age cards, which have different rules that players must follow. But be warned, hidden in the Ages are Catastrophes: special rounds with adverse effects that force players to adapt their strategy.

Doomlings adds a fun twist to hand management, by introducing the “Gene Pool” mechanic. Your Gene Pool is your hand size: it is unique to you, and it can increase or decrease through special Traits, or even Catastrophes. Doomlings includes 6 colorful Gene Pool counter cards, elegantly tracking how many cards you should hold at the end of your turn. There are opportunities to increase your Gene Pool (hand size), which can give your species a leg up by providing a larger pool of Traits to select from each turn.

A lightweight card game for 2-6 players, Doomlings can be played casually amongst friends, or competitively by the gaming enthusiast family. Because there are no duplicate cards, and Age cards are chosen randomly, no two games are ever the same. While the game itself can be learned in 5 minutes or less, don’t be fooled: with 100+ unique Traits—in Red, Blue, Green, Purple and Colorless—and rare, powerful Dominant Traits, there are countless combinations of play to be discovered.

A typical game takes between 20-45 minutes, depending on the number of players and sequence of events. Advanced-play expansion packs are also available, including a Hidden Objective expansion for a fun twist to the game. Doomlings requires no dice or additional pieces, just a jolly embrace of the inevitable end of the world!

—description from the designer

Game Mechanics:

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 6 Players
  • 20 – 45 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 1.65

Don’t Talk to Strangers

| OTSG Staff

School’s out but otherworldly STRANGERS are here! Mom & Dad haven’t caught on yet so you’re on your own, kiddo. Play your cards as efficiently as you can, helping to navigate your Kids one at a time from SCHOOL to a SCORING space–in order to score as many points as you can before the neighborhood is completely overrun with STRANGERS!

  1. At the start of the game, each player will draw a hand of 3 cards and place one of their kids in the SCHOOL space. Your goal is to get that kid into a valuable scoring space, at which point you’ll place a new kid in the SCHOOL space and repeat the process. Some spaces are worth more points at the end of the game, and some confer a unique bonus (for example, your hand size increases by 1 for each Kid you have in the Library).
  2. Remember, you want to score a good space, but you’ll have to Walk, Run, Skateboard, School Bus, and even City Bus to get there! Each turn you’ll play one card and draw a new card to replace it!
  3. But watch out! When any player draws a STRANGER card, they can abduct any kid on a “STRANGER SPACE!” Furthermore, now that a STRANGER is lurking in that space, it is impassable for all future movement…so you may just have to re-route your plans on the fly! SAUCER cards can abduct *any* kid–even one that has already scored–but your opponent will have to get lucky when they flip the SAUCER COIN or you’ll escape abduction!

Game Mechanics:

Game Specifications:

  • 1 – 4 Players
  • 15 – 20 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 2.00