In general, I am a fan of the way Stefan Feld designs games. His creations (like Trajan, Rialto, The Castles of Burgundy and Notre Dame) typically feature several point-generating paths, a simple yet intricate way to navigate them and, frequently, some sort of negative element that must be mitigated. You often have to plan moves several steps ahead, and it often feels as if you never have enough time or actions to do everything you need to get done. There are definitely a few titles of his that fail to grip me or even actively turn me away (Macao comes to mind here), but for the most part, I am willing to give any new release of his a fair shot. READ MORE
Sentinels of the Multiverse remains one of my favorite games of all-time, but I readily admit that the mechanics can be a bit much at times. Fortunately, my friends and I have decades of playing and judging Magic: the Gathering under our collective belts to help us manage dozens of card effects. If you’ve tried Sentinels and enjoyed the concept but found it too “mathy,” perhaps a more tangible system is for you: enter Sentinel Tactics. READ MORE
The ever-expanding multiverse of Greater Than Games’s “Sentinels Comics” takes an interstellar road trip with the latest supplement, Wrath of the Cosmos. As with previous expansions, Wrath contains two new heroes, two new environments, and four new villains for your cooperative comic-book enjoyment. Also like previous expansions, this one focuses on one particular aspect and related tropes of traditional comic superhero storytelling; in this case, that means extra-terrestrial threats to Earth and its surroundings! READ MORE
As is apparently tradition, it seems that my analog gaming year was much better than my digital one. Writing my official Staff Picks list (running tomorrow) often feels more like a question of “do I even have ten games to list this year?” than it is which ones were my legitimate favorites. That is never the case for this list, as I usually keep a year-long draft on my BoardGameGeek profile that changes constantly as new games arrive and older ones fall out of favor. This list is also not always entirely about the current year, due to vagaries concerning actual US release dates versus European releases, Kickstarter bonuses or even when I simply first become aware of the game in question. At least this year, I have already talked about every game that made the list, which has rarely been the case in the past! READ MORE
Emergents: Genesis is a new deckbuilding game currently finishing up a successful Kickstarter campaign. Designer Anthony Conta took some time out of his schedule to talk to us about the game.
Snackbar Games: To begin, tell us a little about the Emergents Universe.
Anthony Conta: The Emergents Universe is a world where individuals have begun to realize powers that lay dormant within them. As the storyline unfolds, peoples’ powers emerge and they start to become extraordinary. The first emergent, Zeroth, uses his powers to recognize and fend off an alien invasion, with the help of several others he gathers to fight. The others that fight also have powers, and after the battle, the four go on to form a school to teach others These four others — Helios, Moxie, Billy Stopless and The Abyss — were each members of the Genesis Squadron, the first team of Emergents. Thus, we’ve named this game after them: Emergents: Genesis. READ MORE
