Watergate: A Tug-of-war Presidential Scandal

Watergate: A Tug-of-war Presidential Scandal

This review of Watergate is featured on Episode 69 of The Five By. Check out the rest of the episode, which also features Shards of Infinity: Relics of the Future, Hundreds of Horses, Lines of Action and Point Salad. When I first heard that Capstone Games was releasing a game on former President Richard Nixon …

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Gila Monster 2019: Meeting up with gamer friends — and a shark

Gila Monster 2019: Meeting up with gamer friends — and a shark

Two weekends ago, I attended a small gathering of Arizona gamer friends for Gila Monster. This is the second year in a row we’ve done this, which originally sprung up as a way to play new Gen Con releases in an intimate setting. This year, we shelled out extra money to rent space at the …

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Abomination: The Heir of Frankenstein: Get ready to build a creature

Abomination: The Heir of Frankenstein: Get ready to build a creature

I don’t play too many monster-themed board games. Unless it’s in the Cthulhu world, and even then I’m referring strictly to Arkham Horror or Cthulhu Wars, monster games don’t usually draw me in. That is … until Abomination: The Heir of Frankenstein by Plaid Hat Games. This worker placement game is strategic and fun, and, …

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Consimworld 2019: Wargames in Arizona

Consimworld 2019: Wargames in Arizona

Do you like wargames, whether COINs or the hex-and-counter variety? Well, you need to come down to Consimworld! This 8-day wargaming convention happens every year in Tempe, Arizona, literally in my very own backyard. I love attending this convention every year it allows me to play some games that normally wouldn’t come out at other …

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Sekigahara: Marching warriors across Japan

Sekigahara: Marching warriors across Japan

Sekigahara has been on my wishlist for a while, and I couldn’t have been more ecstatic when I saw this at game for $30 at a recent Arizona Game Fair flea market — unstickered! Sekigahara: The Unification of Japan is a 2-player game published by GMT Games in 2011. According to the description, “the battle …

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Bubble Tea: Shaken boba, not stirred

Bubble Tea: Shaken boba, not stirred

I love boba. Growing up in Los Angeles with predominantly Asian friends, we didn’t say, let’s get coffee. Nope, instead we’d say, let’s get boba, also known as bubble tea in other parts of the world. For the unfamiliar, boba are marble-sized tapioca balls that you can order in a drink, drinks such as milk …

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Tiny Towns: At the mercy of a cute, little hammer

Tiny Towns: At the mercy of a cute, little hammer

A few months ago, I started seeing a lot of buzz online about Tiny Towns, a new game from AEG. It wasn’t until recently that I got a chance to play it, and, what can I say, this game is delightful. If I’m being honest, I initially dismissed it because it seemed too light for …

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Teotihuacan: Building a pyramid and ascending

Teotihuacan: Building a pyramid and ascending

This review of Teotihuacan was featured on Episode 60 of The Five By. Check out the rest of the episode, which also features Dragon Castle, Blue Lagoon, Iron Dragon and Circle the Wagons. What was the most complicated game that came out in 2018? I actually don’t know the answer to that question. But I …

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Escape Plan: Grabbing the loot and running

Escape Plan: Grabbing the loot and running

This review of Escape Plan was featured on Episode 59 of The Five By. Check out the rest of the episode, which also features Monopoly Deal, Village, Ticket to Ride: New York and Piepmatz. We’ve all watched countless heist films. A group of skilled individuals lay out a plan, execute said plan and grab the …

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Meepleville Cafe in Las Vegas

Meepleville Cafe in Las Vegas

This profile on Meepleville Cafe is part of an ongoing series about Friendly Local Game Stores I’ve visited. Read other profiles here. When I went to Las Vegas for Dice Tower West last month, I knew I had to visit to Meepleville Cafe, which amazingly has a giant meeple cutout inside the cafe! Situated a …

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