Tag: Variable Player Powers

Altiplano 🟡

| T3d-1978

Altiplano is a bag-building game along the lines of Orléans, set in the South American highlands of the Andes (the “Altiplano”). The competition for limited resources is considerable, as it was in Orléans, but the greater focus in Altiplano is on building up your own production to be the best that it can be – or at least better than that of the other players!

The object of the game is for players to use their goods to produce more goods that will be worth points in the end. Each player starts with a unique role tile, giving them access to different goods and methods of production. Players have limited access to production at the start, but they can acquire additional production sites during the game that open up new options. The various types of goods — such as fish, alpaca, cacao, silver and corn — all have their own characteristics and places where they can be used. For example, silver can be sold for a high price at the market, fish can be exchanged for other goods at the harbor and alpaca can produce wool at the farm that can then be made into cloth.

Aside from building up an effective production, players must fulfill their orders at the right time, develop the road in good time and store their goods cleverly enough to fill their warehouses in the most valuable way. Often, a good warehouse keeper is more relevant in the end than the best producer.

Game Mechanics:

  • Action Points
  • Contracts
  • Modular Board
  • Open Drafting
  • Tile Placement
  • Variable Player Powers
  • Worker Placement

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 5 Players
  • 60 – 120 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 3.29

Aleph Null 🟢

| T3d-1978

As a successful Magician, you have been able to fund a lifetime of research by delivering to the petty demands of liars, philanderers, gluttons and the least of Humanity.

How refreshing, then, when a client should emerge with a commission of horrifying simplicity that has the potential for acquiring a vast amount of knowledge – perhaps the ultimate knowledge – albeit at the expense of many millions.

“Release the denizens of Hell into the Earth, with Baphomet – The Sabbath Goat – at their Head, for one night only and let them run amok. Let us see the consequences – for aesthetic reasons only, of course.”

However, do not expect this matter to proceed without interference from the Church and/or from Hell itself: the best-laid plans do not always go the way expected.

Inspired by the Black Easter novellas by James Blish, the aim of Aleph Null is to successfully summon the demonic Prince Baphomet who, when he appears, expects there to be no cards in your hand, the main deck and the discard pile; if there are any cards remaining in these ‘zones’, you lose. However, ‘not losing’ in this way doesn’t mean that you have won: any cards still in play also count against you – too many and you shall lose also. The sooner you ‘win’, the better your chance of surviving any due punishment.

Game Mechanics:

  • Hand Management
  • Once-Per-Game Abilities
  • Physical Removal
  • Solo / Solitaire Game
  • Sudden Death Ending
  • Variable Player Powers

Game Specifications:

  • 1 Player
  • 15 – 30 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 2.70

Age of Innovation 🔴

| T3d-1978

Age of Innovation is a standalone game set in the world of Terra Mystica.

Twelve factions, each with unique characteristics, populate this world of varying terrains. Here you will compete to erect buildings and merge them into cities. Each game allows you to create new combinations of factions, homelands, and abilities so that each game isn’t the same as another.

You control one of these factions and will terraform the game map’s terrain into your homelands where you can erect your buildings. Proximity to other factions may limit your expansion, but it also gains you significant advantages in the game. This tension adds to the appeal of the Terra Mystica series.

Upgrade your buildings to gain valuable resources such as tools, scholars, money, and power. Build schools to advance in different sciences and collect books, which you can use to make innovations. Build your palace to gain a powerful new ability or build workshops, guilds, and universities to complete your culture.

Game Mechanics:

  • Contracts,
  • End Game Bonuses
  • Hexagon Grid
  • Income
  • Modular Board
  • Network and Route Building
  • Variable Player Powers
  • Victory Points as a Resource

Game Specifications:

  • 1 – 4 Players
  • 40 -200 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 4.26

AFFLICTION: Salem 1692 🟡

| T3d-1978

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 🟢

| T3d-1978

‘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

BANG! The Card Game w/ Dynamite Box

| T3d-1978

“The Outlaws hunt the Sheriff. The Sheriff hunts the Outlaws. The Renegade plots secretly, ready to take one side or the other. Bullets fly. Who among the gunmen is a Deputy, ready to sacrifice himself for the Sheriff? And who is a merciless Outlaw, willing to kill him? If you want to find out, just draw (your cards)!” (From back of box)

The card game BANG! recreates an old-fashioned spaghetti western shoot-out, with each player randomly receiving a Character card to determine special abilities, and a secret Role card to determine their goal.

Four different Roles are available, each with a unique victory condition:

  • Sheriff – Kill all Outlaws and the Renegade
  • Deputy – Protect the Sheriff and kill any Outlaws
  • Outlaw – Kill the Sheriff
  • Renegade – Be the last person standing

A player’s Role is kept secret, except for the Sheriff. Character cards are placed face up on table, and also track strength (hand limit) in addition to special ability.

There are 22 different types of cards in the draw deck. Most common are the BANG! cards, which let you shoot at another player, assuming the target is within “range” of your current gun. The target player can play a “MISSED!” card to dodge the shot. Other cards can provide temporary boosts while in play (for example, different guns to improve your firing range) and special one-time effects to help you or hinder your opponents (such as Beer to restore health, or Barrels to hide behind during a shootout). A horse is useful for keeping your distance from unruly neighbors, while the Winchester can hit a target at range 5. The Gatling is a deadly exception where range doesn’t matter: it can only be used once, but targets all other players at the table!

Information on the cards is displayed using language-independent symbols, and 7 summary/reference cards are included.

Whether you’re a sheriff, a bandit or a brawler of the worst kind, in the Wild West you can only believe in two things: gunpowder and dynamite!

This explosive BANG! box includes 8 legendary expansions, for a disrupting gaming experience!


DYNAMITE BOX

What does this official BANG! collectors box contain?

BANG! (base game)

BANG! The Great Train Robbery – Expansion

BANG! Dodge City – Expansion

BANG! Gold Rush – Expansion

BANG! Armed & Dangerous – Expansion (including Bloody Mary)

BANG! Expansion Pack:

BANG! Wild West Show – Expansion

BANG! The Valley of Shadows – Expansion

BANG! High Noon + A fistful of cards – Expansion

The Stick of Dynamite – To be used in a game variant

34 Wooden Bullets

8 premium Dual Layer Boards

Extra Content Slot

Extra Cards: Annie Versary (from BANG! 10th Anniversary), Emiliano (from BANG! 20th Anniversary), and special characters and cards from BANG! The Bullet!: Uncle Will, Johnny Kisch, Claus “The Saint”, “New Identity”, and “Handcuffs”

A single book for the rules (40 pages, 12.5×18 cm two-sided full-colour glossy stapled)

Game Mechanics:

  • Bluffing
  • Deduction
  • Hand Management
  • Hidden Roles
  • Player Elimination
  • Take That
  • Team Based
  • Variable Player Powers

Game Specifications:

  • 4 – 7 Players
  • 20 – 40 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 1.63

Clash of Cultures: Monumental Edition

| T3d-1978

Clash of Cultures: Monumental Edition brings back the classic game of exploration, expansion, and development with the Clash of Cultures base game and the Civilizations and Aztecs expansions in one box! Grow your civilization, advance your culture and tech, and leave your mark by building wonders, with this edition of the game including fully-sculpted miniatures of the Seven Wonders.

In Clash of Cultures, each player leads a civilization from a single settlement to a mighty empire. Players must explore their surroundings, build large cities, research advances and conquer those who stand in the way. The game features a modular board for players to explore, 48 distinct advances, seven mighty wonders, and loads of miniatures and cards. The winner will create a culture that will be remembered and admired for millennia.

Game Mechanics:

  • City Building
  • Hand Management
  • Modular Board
  • Tech Trees / Tech Tracks
  • Trading
  • Variable Player Powers

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 4 Players
  • 180 – 240 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 3.72

Circadians: Chaos Order

| T3d-1978

The initial quakes were only minor tremors, but as the land began to unravel, so did our sense of security. We watched the cliffs of Hytazch fall into the sea. Mighty trees of old, swallowed up by the caverns below. As the waters rose, a great roar was heard across the plains. This was no cry of disbelief or heartache, but of jubilance. Songs began to fill the air as our once peaceful hosts, now readied themselves for war. Suddenly on the horizon, what appeared as huge bolts of energy shoot out into the depths of space, before disappearing again. Despite the inevitable shock wave heading our way, the clans continued to cheer as they made haste towards the origin of the blaze. What could cause such elation? Why abandon caution in favour of chaos? Had we missed something – some crucial misunderstanding of this planet and its inhabitants? Upon reaching the site, we were immediately plunged into combat. Across the landscape lay six massive structures, towering over the forces fighting below. They seemed to pulse and flicker with a golden haze. Could these be the ancient relics the Oxataya spoke of? There is so much we still do not understand, but we cannot concede to indecision. Will we stay and fight, or retreat back to Moontide?

In Circadians: Chaos Order, players take on the role of 1 of 6 asymmetric factions. Each faction has their own means of winning the game, unique leaders, attribute cards and other abilities.

Game Mechanics:

  • Action Drafting
  • Area Majority / Influence
  • Hand Management
  • Variable Player Powers
  • Wargame

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 5 Players
  • 120 – 240 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 3.84

Black Rose Wars

| T3d-1978

Black Rose Wars is a competitive fantasy game of deck-building, strategy, and combat set in the hectic universe of Nova Aetas in Italy. Each player is one of powerful mages of the Black Rose Order who aspires to become the new Supreme Magister in order to acquire the mighty power of the Black Rose Artifact and the Forgotten Magic. Mages must fight, fulfill Black Rose desires, and gain strength with their spells until their power reaches the containment threshold of the prison where they are exiled, finally freeing themselves. Each mage has at their disposal six schools of magic, each one with its own strategy to annihilate their opponents and increase their power.

At the start of the battle, mages start with a grimoire of six cards; as mages study more spells during play, their grimoire will increase. Every spell in Black Rose Wars has two different effects, increasing a player’s adaptability during a fight.

Mages fight each other in a modular arena of hexagons called “rooms”. They summon powerful creatures, cast destructive spells, or devise dark deceptions with their enchantments. The game system is divided into different phases. Each turn, after choosing new spells from the six schools of magic, players plan their strategy in advance, placing cards face down. Later, they reveal the played cards to kill each other, solve missions, summon creatures, or destroy the prison rooms, one against each other and against the Black Rose (the playing system).
After being killed, mages are reborn immediately, allowing them to re-enter the fight without delay — although their death still fed energy to those mages who caused it.
The mage with the most power at the end of the battle will be crowned Supreme Magister of the Order by the Black Rose itself.

Game Mechanics:

  • Area Majority / Influence
  • Bluffing
  • Campaign
  • Deck Building
  • Hand Management
  • Modular Board
  • Variable Player Powers

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 4 Players
  • ~90 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 3.47

Best of the West

| T3d-1978

Best of the West is an open-world game set in the Wild West! It features asymmetrical gameplay where you can go it alone as a Pioneer or join up with the co-op Bandit Gang. Since the game is heavily player vs player, it requires both Pioneers and Bandits in similar numbers. A single Round consists of the Pioneer turns (rotating player order) and then Bandit Gang’s turn (any order). Either the Bandit Gang team or the Pioneer with the highest Reputation at the end of 25 Rounds wins the game.

For Pioneers, Reputation is mostly earned by doing a job (Panning or Mining for Gold, Herding Livestock, Trapping for Furs). For Bandits, Reputation is primarily gained by robbing the Pioneers. Additional cash and Reputation can be earned by robbing the Train, Saloon, and Bank or by performing a Jailbreak. Cash allows you to load up with Weapons, Items, and Pets. Power Cards that grant extra abilities, upgrades, and utility bonuses can be collected around the map at the Indian Village, Saloon, and Ghost Town.

Pioneers move using Movement Cards and can also ride the Train that travels around the map every Round. Bandits move either by using Movement Cards or Ambush Cards. Ambush Cards allow a Bandit to secretly hide on a space on the board. Battling is primarily dice-based, but also includes Power Cards and character abilities.

Game Mechanics:

  • Bribery
  • Dice Rolling
  • Hidden Movement
  • Team Based
  • Variable Player Powers

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 6 Players
  • 120 – 180 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 4.00