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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Arizona Game Fair 2019: Meeting Vital Lacerda

Arizona Game Fair 2019: Meeting Vital Lacerda

Arizona Game Fair took place recently at the Mesa Convention Center, and I can’t even begin to tell you how awesome the convention was! Now in its third year, the con had over 1,200 attendees. That’s pretty fantastic! Convention founder Andrew Long said the first year had over 300 gamers and the second had 785. …

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1846: The Race for the Midwest: A good introduction into 18xx

1846: The Race for the Midwest: A good introduction into 18xx

This review of 1846: Race for the Midwest was featured on Episode 54 of The Five By.  Check out the rest of the episode, which also features Otys, Wingspan, Lanterns: The Harvest Festival and Gizmos. If the world of 18xx is something you’ve been interested in but never knew where to start, check out 1846: …

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