Simultaneous Selection

  • Review: Nidavellir – Thingvellir

    ByiMisut Hours
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    Everywhere, the bellows of the forges and hammers striking anvils could be heard. Swords and axes were seen practicing in an unceasing dance all around. The entire realm was mobilizing, preparing to face Fafnir. The King took pride in placing his trust in his Elvalands. But secretly his heart was seething with dread… What if his clan grew weak? What if Fafnir defeated his most seasoned battalions? What if his reign were forever remembered as the one in which the Dragon subdued the elite dwarven troops? Queen Dagfid, who knew her stubborn husband well, was certain he would never beg for help. Especially not from the pretentious elves who would surely, as they had in the past, look down on them with their haughty manners and divine superiority. Nor would he ask other dwarven clans for aid, unwilling for such a gesture to be perceived as a sign of weakness. Coming from a nomadic clan, the Queen was blessed with boundless courage, especially when it came to standing by her King. He had loved her, welcomed her into his kingdom, and always treated her as his equal. Therefore, she set out one night in secret, accompanied by Idunn the Stealthy and Hourya the Elusive, to find her wandering tribe and secure their help. Several weeks later, the King, exhausted and distraught by his wife’s absence, saw a cloud of dust rising on the horizon, kicked up by long caravans and a horde of impressive mounted boars. The Queen was riding at their vanguard. The King could not believe his eyes! She had traveled beyond the realm’s arid wastelands to seek the aid of her Thingvellir tribe. The nomads pitched their camp at the foot of the castle, and all the inhabitants of the kingdom gathered to admire the might of the valiant mercenaries and the craftsmanship of their artifacts. Hope smiled upon Nidavellir once more. At last, they could give Fafnir a real fight!

    This is the premise of Thingvellir, an expansion for Nidavellir designed by Serge Laget (Ad Astra, Shadows over Camelot, Mystery of the Abbey). It was first published in 2021 by GRRRE Games in a bilingual English and French edition. The illustrations are once again handled by Jean-Marie Minguez (Mare Nostrum: Empires, Mr. Jack Pocket, Lady Alice).

  • Review: Nidavellir

    ByiMisut Hours
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    For millennia, the dwarf kingdom lived in peace. But nothing lasts forever in the wild and frozen lands of the kingdom of Nidavellir. The tranquility soon vanished, giving way to a sinister threat: infernal flames tore through the sky and a horrifying roar shook the very foundations of the dwarven cities. Far away, in the dark and forgotten reaches of the continent, an evil long thought dead was awakening once more. Imprisoned centuries ago by an alliance of wizards and dwarves, Fafnir the Merciless had managed to break free, thirsting for vengeance: to plunder and scorch everything in his path. And as any cunning thief would, he would begin where gold had been hoarded with the greatest greed: the dwarf kingdom! As a venerable Elvaland, a respected council member and war leader, you have been dispatched by the king with a crucial mission: to assemble an army capable of facing and vanquishing this bloodthirsty monster. Visit every tavern in the realm, hire the most skilled dwarves, recruit the most prestigious heroes, and forge the finest battalion you can to vanquish your deadly foe. Be swift, but above all, spare no expense—for the king will generously reward the greatest among all Elvalands, yet he will not hesitate to punish those who muster nothing more than an army of wretched scoundrels.

    This is the premise of Nidavellir, designed by Serge Laget (Ad Astra, Shadows over Camelot, Mystery of the Abbey). The game was published in 2020 by GRRRE Games in an English and French edition. The illustrations are the work of Jean-Marie Minguez (Mare Nostrum: Empires, Mr. Jack Pocket, Lady Alice).

  • 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: My City

    ByiMisut Hours
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    After a long journey, you have finally reached a new land. Right away, you begin to build and develop a new city. My City is a legacy game, which means that the game evolves over the course of multiple plays. You and your fellow players will have player boards that are modified after each episode. Across 24 fascinating episodes, you will experience the growth and history of your city from its early beginnings to the industrial era.

    This is the premise of My City, designed by Reiner Knizia (Tigris & Euphrates, Ra, Samurai, The Quest for El Dorado). The game was published in 2020 by KOSMOS in a German edition. The artwork is illustrated by Michael Menzel (Stone Age, Rokoko, Agra).

  • 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).

  • Review: 6 nimmt!

    ByiMisut Hours
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    It’s no game for bulls! You have 10 cards to play smartly into one of four rows. But watch out! Each row can only hold five cards. So, if you place the sixth card in a row, you’ll have to take the five cards already there, along with all their bullheads (negative points).

    This is how 6 nimmt! (also known as Take 5! or ¡Toma 6!) presents itself, one of the all-time classics in the world of filler games. Designed by the tireless Wolfgang Kramer in 1994 (20 years ago now) under the original name of Category 5. The game has already been published by countless publishers and in a large number of countries, celebrating its twentieth anniversary this year. This latest edition is illustrated by Franz Vohwinkel, responsible for classics such as Puerto Rico or Ra.