Tabletop Meeple

  Splendor a review by Tabletop Meeple Info: For 2-4 players For ages 8 and up 30 minutes to play BGG Weight: 1.79     Splendor  is an engine-building card game that was designed by Marc Andre , and published by Space Cowboys . You play as Renaissance-era merchants, trying to please nobility by making developments and collecting gemstones. Does it all fall into place? Let's find out. Gems and developments. Both blindingly boring and pretty at the same time.     I have decided to make a few changes to the format of future TM reviews. I will not score it with a numerical system, instead, I will detail the game and then, based on comparisons made with other games and deep dives into the mechanisms, recommend or not recommend a game and explain why or why not.     Let's start with Splendor  itself. In Splendor , you build up an engine by collecting gems, purchasing development cards, and pleasing the elite classes of Renaissance-era Europe. Sound...

  Canvas a review by Tabletop Meeple Info: For 1-5 players Ages 8 and up 30 minutes to play BGG Weight: 1.65 Game Overview     Ah yes, paintings. That is just one of the phrases that can be used to describe Canvas , a light little drafting puzzle game designed by Jeff Chin and Andrew Nerger  and published by Road to Infamy Games . In Canvas , you play artists putting together your next work to win an award at an upcoming art competition. You do this by attempting to fulfill as many of the goals as you can, while abiding by the very tight 3-card limit for paintings. Does this little puzzle game live up to the hype? Let's find out. Beautiful artwork in this game, and the box can double as a decoration. Theme     The theme in Canvas  is light, but woven in. Which is a little bit hard to explain, but here goes. The game makes no true effort to wow you with its theme, but it is there. This isn't a thematic game, but it has a theme. Let me try to put it into...

  PARKS a review by Tabletop Meeple Info: For 1-5 players For ages 10 and up 30-60 minutes to play BGG Weight: 2.14 Game Overview     The National Parks. One of America's greatest investments. A fair few games have been made about them, including the original Trekking  titles. But, today, I am going to review by far the most popular of the National Parks- themed games, PARKS. Designed by Henry Audubon  and published by Keymaster Games , PARKS  is a relatively simple set collection games with a few other interesting mechanisms. Is it any good? Let's find out. Brilliant art through and through. This game's production is top-notch. Theme     In PARKS , the theme is relatively simple. We play as backpackers exploring a variety of different U.S. National Parks. To get there, we have to gain the correct amounts of resources by hiking through various different areas in order to visit the parks. It has an amazing theme and it feels woven right in. The ent...

  Hive a review by Tabletop Meeple Info: For 2 players For ages 9 and up 20 minutes to play BGG Weight: 2.32 Game Overview     In board gaming, there are often talks about the so-perceived "cult of the new" and how Kickstarters make massive returns on investment solely because so many people make FOMO-induced all-in purchases that many end up regretting later on. However, even with all of this obsession with the up-to-date, old games still get played very often. Especially the classic gateway games, such as CATAN, Carcassonne, and Ticket to Ride.       Today, I wanted to take a look at what is soon to become a classic abstract strategy game, a game designed by John Yianni and published by Gen42 Games. That game is Hive. Hive is an abstract strategy game where you play bugs to your hive, and then move them around cunningly in order to surround your opponent's Queen Bee. Does this all work in the actual game? Let's find out. The box with its many awards. The ...

  Three Sisters a review by Tabletop Meeple Info: For 1-4 players For ages 14 and up 30-60 minutes to play BGG Weight: 2.75 Game Overview     Three Sisters  is the second game in a trilogy of heavier roll-and-writes, designed by Ben Pinchback and Matt Riddle , and published by Motor City Gameworks and 25th Century Games . In Three Sisters , you play backyard farmers managing gardens of beans, corn, and pumpkins. On top of that, you are also tasked with managing the growth of fruit trees and perennials, as well as managing an apiary and pursuing upgrades to your equipment in your shed. This sounds like a lot, and it is. This game is actually the first roll-and-write I've played that has two sheets (yes, I haven't played Fleet yet). Enough with my incoherent ramblings about how much  this game is, let's get into the review. I didn't understand the title, so I looked into it; it refers to the "Three Sisters" planting method used by Native Americans, planting corn...

  Bananagrams a review by Tabletop Meeple Info: For 1-8 players For ages 7 and up 5-10 minutes to play BGG Weight: 1.31 Game Overview     This may surprise some of the people reading this. Bananagrams? Really?  Well, I'm here to tell you that this simple family word-building game (from 2006) is actually pretty good. Designed by Rena and Abe Nathanson , and published by Bananagrams, Inc. , this game is a surprisingly solid speed word game. I tend to dislike speed games, but this is one that I actually enjoy. Enough with my praise, let's get into the actual review. The game bag. This whole setup makes the game much easier to take around portably.  Theme     Don't be ridiculous. This game's theme isn't really there. The game has a few elements of 'banana'-ness, but otherwise there's nothing really there. It isn't a bad theme however, which is worse than no theme at all. TM Score: 8/20 Components     This game actually has really nice compon...

  7 Wonders: Architects a review by Tabletop Meeple Info: For 2-7 players For ages 8 and up 25 minutes to play BGG Weight: 1.34 Game Overview      7 Wonders: Architects  is the new light spin on the 7 Wonders franchise, which came out in 2021. Designed by Antoine Bauza and published by Repos Production. It's a very light take on the 7 Wonders concept. In the game, you are rushing to complete a monument to earn victory points. It's all very simple, and I am excited to review this game. ' Solid art through and through, with very solid graphic direction for the game. Theme      7 Wonders: Architects  isn't a thematic game, per se. It has a theme there, we're all trying to racing to build ancient monuments, but the theme isn't too immersive. For example, in Verdant , there is a clear theming there that is weaved into the game. This game, is a simple card drafter with an ancient civilization feel, that, while entertaining enough, it isn't enough ...

  Dungeon Mayhem a review by Tabletop Meeple Info: For 2-4 players For ages 8 and up 10 minutes to play BGG Weight: 1.12 Game Overview      In today's review, I figured I would review a very simple little card game. In this review I will be reviewing Dungeon Mayhem , designed by Jordan Comar and Roscoe Wetlaufer, and published by Wizards of the Coast. In Dungeon Mayhem , you play as a variety of different characters based on different character archetypes and monsters from the hit RPG game Dungeons & Dragons . However, there are no dice involved in this game, instead, it is a player-vs.-player card-based combat game. Let's get into this game. This is the Monster Madness version, which plays up to 6. Theme      There is a theme here, obviously. The playable characters are all based on archetypes from Dungeons & Dragons . However, it isn't a very enthralling theme. I think it would be a much better fitting description if I were to say this: Dunge...