Area Control

  • Review: It’s a Wonderful World

    ByiMisut Hours
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    Dear citizens of the 5 Empires! Today is a great day to rejoice, as we celebrate the tenth anniversary of the end of the Great Wars. What a joy to live in a world where every decision made by our wise and charismatic leaders is aimed at the happiness of the entire population! We know it is so! And so we want it to be!

    This is how It’s a Wonderful World is presented to us, a design by Frédéric Guérard (Ilôs, GrandBois, Clash of Rage). The game was published in 2019 by La Boîte de Jeu in a French and English edition (the latter co-published with Lucky Duck Games). The illustrations are handled by Anthony Wolff (King of Tokyo, Zombie 15′, Top Fantasy).

  • Review: War Chest

    ByiMisut Hours
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    Can you master the game of kings, queens, and warriors, leading your armies to victory in this beautiful game of tactics and strategy? War Chest challenges you to develop different strategies by drafting units, recovering from losses, and outmaneuvering your opponent with the goal of defeating them.

    This is the premise behind War Chest, a design by Trevor Benjamin (Dice Heist, Café Fatal, High Risk) and David Thompson (Armageddon, Pavlov’s House, Europe Divided). The game was published in 2018 by AEG (Alderac Entertainment Group) in an English edition. Graphic design and illustration are handled by Brigette Indelicato (Dungeon Hustle, Favelas).

  • Review: Root

    ByiMisut Hours
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    Root is a fast-paced game of adventure and war. You will play as one of four factions fighting to prove you are the most legitimate ruler of the vast Woodland. Lurk as the Vagabond, seize the initiative with the proud Eyrie Dynasties, rule over your subjects as the Marquise de Cat, or organize the Alliance to establish a new order, and you will achieve dominance in this asymmetric game of adventure and war.

    This is how we are presented with Root, a design by Cole Wehrle (Pax Pamir, John Company). The game was published in 2018 by Leder Games thanks to a successful crowdfunding campaign via Kickstarter. The illustrations are handled by Kyle Ferrin, who had already shown his talent in games like Vast: The Crystal Caverns, Dungeon Mayhem, or Deep: Enemy Frontier.

  • Review: Clans of Caledonia

    ByiMisut Hours
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    19th-century Scotland. The country undergoes a transition from a predominantly agricultural economy to an industrialized one, heavily dependent on trade and export. As a result, food production increased to support the growing population, cheap cotton imports replaced flax, and livestock farming expanded. When European wine and brandy production was devastated by an insect blight in the late 19th century, Scotch whisky emerged as a substitute for cognac. The whisky industry came alive, establishing itself as the premium alcoholic beverage of choice across Europe. Players represent historic clans competing to produce, trade, and export their agricultural goods, as well as their famous whisky!

    This is the premise behind Clans of Caledonia, the debut design by Juma Al-JouJou. The game was published in 2017 under the Karma Games imprint, created specifically for the occasion following a successful crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter. The artwork is handled by the dependable Klemens Franz (Agricola, Le Havre, Orleans).

  • Review: Scythe

    ByiMisut Hours
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    The ashes of the Great War still darken the snow of 1920s Europa. The capitalistic city-state known simply as “The Factory,” which fueled the war with heavily armored mechs, has closed its doors, drawing the attention of several nearby countries. With characters from five different factions converging on a small but highly coveted piece of land, who will achieve fame and fortune and establish their empire as the leader of Eastern Europe?

    This is the premise of Scythe, the latest design from Jamey Stegmaier, the man behind Euphoria: Build a Better Dystopia and Viticulture. The game was published in 2016 under the usual Stonemaier Games label following a highly successful crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter. The illustrations are provided by Jakub Rozalski, who had already proven his skills in games like Hero Brigade or Legacy: The Card Game.

  • Review: Twilight Struggle

    ByiMisut Hours
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    In 1945, the Allies defeated the German war machine with great difficulty, while the most devastating weapons created by humanity forced Japan to surrender under a rain of fire. Where many powerful nations once stood, only two remained standing. The world barely had a second to breathe before a new conflict began. But unlike the great conflicts that preceded it, this one was not going to be fought with soldiers or tanks, but with spies and politicians, scientists and intellectuals, artists and traitors. Twilight Struggle is a two-player game that simulates the 45 years of intrigue, prestige struggles, and occasional military conflicts between the Soviet Union and the United States. The entire world is the stage on which the two colossi fight to keep their ideologies and ways of life safe. The game begins among the ruins of a devastated Europe, as the two “superpowers” compete over the debris of World War II, and ends in 1989, when only the United States remains standing.

    This is how Twilight Struggle is presented to us, a design by Ananda Gupta and Jason Matthews (1960: The Making of the President, Founding Fathers, or 1989: Dawn of Freedom). The game was first published in 2005 by GMT Games, receiving numerous reprints and localizations into other languages. The illustrations across the various editions have been handled by the following artists: Rodger B. MacGowan (Commands & Colors: Ancients, Paths of Glory, Here I Stand), Mark Simonitch (Hannibal: Rome vs. Carthage, Commands & Colors: Napoleonics), Chechu Nieto (Dominant Species, Cuba Libre), and Viktor Csete (The Manhattan Project, Dark Moon, The Thing).