Area Control

  • Review: Pagan – Fate of Roanoke

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    To Mayor Biggs. Regarding your letter about the appearance of a witch in the village of Roanoke, I hereby accept the task entrusted to me. If your conviction holds, that is, that the suspects number fewer than a dozen, my recommendation is to subject them all to the trial tests. In a situation like this, a certain amount of collateral damage is to be expected. However, I will honor your wish that the innocent be spared, whenever possible. What a powerful witch, such as the one you portray, is doing in a place like Roanoke is beyond me. However, I assure you that her days are numbered. I trust that all your resources will be at my disposal. Sincerely, Samuel Crowe, Witch Hunter. Anno Domini 1587, August 20th.

    This is the premise of Pagan: Fate of Roanoke, designed by Kasper Kjær Christiansen and Kåre Storgaard. First published in 2022 by Wyrmgold GmbH following a successful crowdfunding campaign in an English version. The artwork is illustrated by Maren Gutt (Drachensachen, Robin of Locksley).

  • Review: War of the Ring (Second Edition)

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    But wherever he looked he saw signs of war. The Misty Mountains were crawling like anthills: orcs were issuing from a thousand holes. Under the boughs of Mirkwood there was deadly strife of Elves and Men and fierce beasts. The land of the Beornings was aflame; a cloud hung over Moria; smoke rose on the borders of Lórien. Riders were galloping on the grass of Rohan; wolves poured from Isengard. From the harbours of Harad ships of war put out to sea; and out of the East Men were moving endlessly: swordsmen, spearmen, bowmen upon horses, chariots of chieftains and laden wagons. All the power of the Dark Lord was in motion.

    This is how War of the Ring (in its second edition) is presented to us, a design by Roberto Di Meglio, Marco Maggi, and Francesco Nepitello (The Battle of the Five Armies, Age of Conan). The game was first published in 2004 by Ares Games, receiving a second edition in 2012. The illustrations are handled by John Howe (Ethnos).

  • Review: Praga Caput Regni

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    Charles IV has been crowned King of Bohemia and ruler of the Holy Roman Empire. From his castle in Prague, he oversees the construction of new fortifications, a bridge across the Vltava River, a university, and a cathedral rising behind the castle walls themselves. Prague is already one of the largest cities in Europe. King Charles will turn it into the capital of an empire. Players take on the role of wealthy citizens organizing various construction projects in medieval Prague. By increasing their wealth and contributing to the construction, they will gain royal favor. Participants choose between six actions that are always available, but constantly shifting in their costs and benefits. The most skillful players will discover synergies between carefully planned actions and the rewards of building civic projects. At the end of the game, the winner will be the player who has managed to impress King Charles the most.

    This is the premise behind Praga Caput Regni, designed by Vladimír Suchý (Last Will, Underwater Cities, League of Six). The game was published in 2020 by Delicious Games in an English and German edition. Art is handled by Milan Vavroň (Tzolk’in: The Mayan Calendar, Mage Knight, Lost Ruins of Arnak).

  • Review: Beyond the Sun

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    The First Thermonuclear War was unkind to Earth. Over the last two centuries, civil unrest and climate change continued to devastate all regions of the world. Crop yields were plummeting, resources were depleting, and poverty and crime were rampant. Humanity was facing extinction. The solution seemed clear: leave Earth and find a new home among the stars. Faced with the prospect of annihilation, the remaining factions on Earth united. On New Year’s Eve 2240, the Scientific Exchange Treaty was signed at the former site of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. The world’s resources were poured into space research, and all discoveries were shared on a global network. For the first time in history, humanity acted as one. In just six short years, engineers at the Nishida-Ostergaard Corporation, under the leadership of Dr. Edmund Saito, developed a technology that was shared with the rest of the world. Humanity had finally entered the space age. Shortly after this key discovery, other factions also researched primitive terraforming techniques, radiation-resistant crops, asteroid mining, and other essential components for human survival outside the solar system. Countless expeditions were launched toward exoplanets each month. Now that a solution has been found, the ambition for power and control stirs within each faction once again…

    This is the premise of Beyond the Sun, a debut design by Dennis K. Chan. The game was published in 2020 by Rio Grande Games in an English edition. The illustrations are handled by Franz Vohwinkel (Puerto Rico, Targi, Tichu, 6 nimmt!).

  • Review: Wild Space

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    A new galaxy has been discovered on the edge of the Empire! The time has come to explore this new horizon full of mysteries and opportunities. Expand your crew with animals of different species. Enlist the help of robots, recruit the best specialists in each profession, and catch the eye of imperial emissaries who will entrust you with vital missions. Will you seize this chance to amass a fortune worthy of praise and envied across the entire universe?

    This is the premise behind Wild Space, designed by Joachim Thôme, the mind behind Dicium. The game was first published in 2020 by Catch Up Games in a French edition. The artwork is by Amélie Guinet, who previously worked on Unlock!: Exotic Adventures.

  • Review: It’s a Wonderful World

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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).