Als sich vom 22. bis 25. Oktober die Tore der SPIEL Essen 2026 öffneten, blickte die gesamte internationale Welt des Brettspiels einmal mehr ins Ruhrgebiet. Die SPIEL ist die weltweit größte Publikumsmesse für Brett- und Gesellschaftsspiele aller Art und bringt zig tausende Spiele-Fans mit nationalen und internationalen Ausstellern zusammen. Seit über 40 Jahren präsentiert die […]
Das Indie-Spiel der Argentinier Andrés Borghi und Tobias Rusjan erzählt die Geschichte von Julia, die auf der Suche nach ihrem verschwundenen Ex-Freund Ivan ist. Angekommen in der ehemaligen Wohnung der beiden, lassen Blutflecken und okkulte Symbole nichts Gutes erahnen.
Tenebris Somnia mixt dabei 8-16Bit Pixelgrafik mit eingestreuten Filmszenen, die den Charakteren ein echtes Gesicht und durchaus die Atmosphäre geben.
Mit dem Öffnen der Wohnungstür im dritten Stock arbeite ich mich gut gemachte Point&Click Rätsel, öffne Türen und schalte den Zugang zu weiteren Stockwerken frei. Neben den gern genommenen filmischen Unterbrechungen, tauchen Gegner auf, die ich anfangs mit dem Schraubenschlüssel und im Verlauf mit Kugeln bearbeite. Das erhöht durchaus die Spannung beim Durchlaufen der Räume, kann aber auch Dank der hakeligen Steuerung durchaus nerven. Gerade als sich der erste Bossgegner in einem schönen Zwischenfilm ankündigt, zweifle ich, ob mir dessen Zerlegen in Pixelbrei wirklich Laune macht. Ohne den einstellbaren Gottmodus, wird das Ganze zur Geduldsprobe, gerade weil die Steuerung doch hakelig ist.
Doch was muss ich nach einem ersten Patch feststellen? Eben dieser Modus wurde entfernt und macht es gerade weniger attraktiv für mich. Nach einem kurzen Mailwechsel mit einem Entwickler ist ein Easymode angekündigt – mit dem und gerade weil die Atmosphäre passt, die Schauspieler wirklich gut sind und die Rätsel durchaus kreativ, würde ich es dann auch zu Ende spielen.
Stubenscore: 7,8 (mit Gott- oder Easymode) / 10
Irgendwas scheint nicht in Ordnung zu sein.Was sind das für Puppen in unserem Bett? Ein Typ blutend in der Ecke, der kurz danach verschwindet.Und das Spiel switched immer wieder in reale Filmszenen, die durchaus gut gemacht sind.Nervig: zwischenzeitige Kämpfe mit Hakelsteuerung.Und schnell kündigen sich auch Bossgegner optisch schön an, doch will ich in einem Adventure kämpfen?Doch die Rätsel und Atmosphäre passen, so dass ich doch auf einen Easy-Modus warte.
Beyond the bustling streets of Baghdad lie ancient landscapes, winding waterways, and a night sky filled with shining stars. A cartographer prepares for the journey, gathering supplies and equipment before setting out to explore the world beyond the city walls. Each discovery adds to a growing body of knowledge, but the journey requires careful planning. Resources must be managed, observations recorded, and findings brought back to the House of Wisdom. The challenge lies not simply in discovering new things, but in deciding which discoveries deserve attention and how best to put them to use. These cartographers were known as the Wayfarers of the South Tigris by S J Macdonald and Shem Phillips from Garphill Games with art by Mihajlo Dimitrievski.
Der Zweite Weltkrieg hat sich festgefahren und die Atombombe soll die Wende für die United States bringen. Risse in der Realität waren dabei nicht eingeplant. Welche Macht aus diesen Rissen entweicht, ist zunächst nicht klar. Doch was sich dann ereignet, kann nur göttliche Fügung sein.
Micro Art Studio aus Polen wird nicht müde und liefert in seiner für das Spiel Bolt Action lizensierten Reihe vorbedruckte Gebäude aus MDF für einen weiteren Schauplatz des Zweiten Weltkrieges. Nach der frostigen Ostfront geht es dieses Mal in sonnigere Gefilde. Das Thema ist Italien.
The rails started in Moscow, carrying workers and materials towards St Petersburg on one line and to Kiev on the other. A third railway was the most ambitious project, pushing across the vastness of Siberia, with its countless obstacles before the track would eventually reach Vladivostok. Building these tracks was a monumental undertaking, demanding workers, materials, money and, above all, patience. Progress was slow at first, but then it gathered momentum. We were building the Russian Railroads by Helmut Ohley and Leonhard "Lonny" Orgler from Hans im Glück with art by Martin Hoffmann and Claus Stephan.
Ein Ende kann auch ein Neuanfang sein. Nach dem Abwurf einer Atombombe auf Dresden im Jahr 1944 nehmen die Ereignisse bei Konflikt 47 einen anderen Verlauf für die Achsenmächte. Ein Geheimbund erhebt sich aus dem Hintergrund und die Nazis sind Geschichte. Es beginnt die Zeit des Grünen Gewölbes.
Three 7s have just landed on the table, worth a potential 21 points - if they survive, that is. Their owner already looks like the victory is in the bag. Yet, they're a bit too sure of themselves. Of course, somebody plays three 6s and wipes their 7s off the table and their smile off their face. Yet, the 6s are also short-lived and replaced by a triple 5. So it continues until someone lands a safe triple 1. Suddenly, everyone's supposedly enormous scores have vanished. Yet, three 1s are only 3 points. That wasn't enough. It was time to Go Big by Antony Proietti from Sinister Fish Games with art by Archie Edwards.
The morning rush is already gathering. Passengers wait patiently at the stop, each with somewhere to be, while your little bus rolls into position. You have room for ten, perhaps eleven if you are feeling optimistic, although optimism has consequences when every seat matters. A group of passengers heads for the tennis courts, another bunch has somewhere else to go, and the temptation to wait for one more traveller is almost irresistible. Sometimes patience pays handsomely. Sometimes the bus simply gets fuller. Yet, for you as the driver, it's always the same: Bus & Stop by Saashi from Saashi & Saashi with art by Takako Takarai.
Ich mag Würfelspiele. Nicht alle sind strategisch, zu einigen benötigt man Glück und Bier. Und hier 50 Punkte in Form von 50 Nüssen.
Kleine Dose, 5 Würfel für die aktiven Spieler und je ein Würfel für die Auf die Nüsse-Runde.
Fünf Würfel mit Nüssen, Eichhörnchen und Tannenhäher haben wir. Und nun wird es simpel: Würfeln, Tännenhäher rauslegen, Nüsse als Punkte zählen und – sofern wir push your luck mögen – Nüsse und Eichhörnchen für die nächste Würfelrunde nutzen. Das kann man so lange weitertreiben und weitere Nüsse addieren, bis man ausschließlich Tannenhäher oder Eichhörnchen würfelt.
Ganz spannend lustig ist es schon, wenn man in der Endphase alles Tannenhäher würfelt, denn dann ist die Runde punktlos beendet. Und würfelt man in der Phase lauter Eichhörnchen, wird es interaktiv.
Der Spieler nimmt sich alle Würfel, mit denen er zuletzt alles Eichhörnchen gewürfelt hat, und würfelt diese immer wieder und wieder und summiert die Nüsse. In der Zwischenzeit würfeln alle anderen Spieler ihren Hundewürfel und rufen Wuff-Wuff, wenn ein Hund kommt. Wenn alle einen Hund gewürfelt haben, endet die Runde und der aktive Spieler bekommt Punkte in Höhe seiner bis dahin erwürfelten Nüsse.
Schnell, schnell, schnell Nüsse würfeln. Denn die anderen würfeln sich einen Hund.Mit dem Nusswürfel kann ich weiterwürfeln. 3 Eichhörnchen, 2 Nüsse und 1 Tannenhäher ist die Wahrscheinlichkeit.
Fazit:
Tja, es gibt eine Reihe kleine-Dosen-Spiele von Game Factory. Die Relation von Spieldauer (15 Minuten) zu Spaßfaktor (auch Abhängig von der Umgebung) ist ok, es soll ja auch nur ein Reisespiel für bis zu vier Personen sein.
The morning begins with the sound of servants moving furniture. The dining room needs preparing, invitations need sending, and someone has decided that the garden requires attention before our guests arrive. Money is finally coming into the estate again, although there never seems to be quite enough of it. Reputation is returning too, slowly, helped along by carefully chosen gatherings and the right people at the right tables. Somewhere between arranging another lavish afternoon and wondering whether we can afford the room needed to host it, I realise that running a country estate is an Obsession by Dan Hallagan from Kayenta Games with art by Dan Hallagan.
Bus headquarters was busy. We were still trying to figure out the best route to pick up passengers and deliver them to their destinations. The job was made harder because our competitors were vying for the same customers. We were the only two bus operators to serve this town, and we both wanted to be the best. We were also both making up the route as we went along. All I could do was tell my team: Let's Make a Bus Route: The Dice Game by Saashi from Saashi & Saashi with art by Takako Takarai.
Mit Festung Europa verlagerte Konflikt ’47 den Krieg ins Herz des Kontinents. Doch während die Alliierten dort um Dresden kämpfen, bereitet Japan den nächsten Schlag vor. Invasion Amerika führt den Rift War über den Pazifik und bringt den Krieg dorthin, wo ihn die USA kaum erwartet haben: ins eigene Land.
With this My Favorite Wargame Cards Series, I hope to take a look at a specific card from the various wargames that I have played and share how it is used in the game. I am not a strategist and frankly I am not that good at games but I do understand how things should work and be used in games. With that being said, here is the next entry in this series.
#90: Mob from Time of Crisis: The Roman Empire in Turmoil, 235-284 AD from GMT Games
I really love Time of Crisis from GMT Games. This is a very light, introductory wargame that is just plain fun to play. I have been playing it a ton on the Rally the Troops! online platform and really enjoy it no matter what the outcome of those games are. One card that I enjoy using is called Mob, which is a 3 value Populace Card that really can be a devious way to usurp your enemies. Populace cards are intended to be used to increase the support level for your reign in various local senates, recruit militias to assist in the defense of the local populace, to remove Mob counters through the process of holding games and to build various improvements that provide various benefits such as a Basilica, Amphitheater or Limes. You will be unable to control your local provinces without the support of the people and the Populace cards will help you to build that support. But with the Mob card, this is an offensive focused Populace card that can be used to begin undermining your opponents hold on provinces.
When played, the card allows you to place a Mob counter in a province on the board that doesn’t currently have a Mob counter. Mob counters represent rioting and instability in the provincial capital of a province. The Mob in the province will reduce its income generation by the number of Mob counters in the province but also will grow if not dealt with. During the Support Check Phase, if the number of Mob counters in a province equals or exceeds the province’s support level the Governor is replaced with a Neutral Governor with a support level of 1. During the End of Turn Phase, one Mob counter is added to each governed provinces that already has a Mob counter and no Amphitheater. The presence of an Amphitheater doesn’t stop Mob counters from being added from the play of the Mob card but will stop them from growing. Remember, one of the maxims of Ancient Rome was bread and circuses, which is panem et circenses in Latin. It was coined around 100 AD by the Roman poet Juvenal in his Satires. The phrase criticizes how the Roman public traded their political freedom and civic duties for free grain and massive public spectacles.
The Mob card can be quite effective as it reduces the income of your opponents which is used to to purchase additional and more powerful cards but also forces them to spend their card values on suppressing the mobs, through military force with the Suppress Mob action or through placation with the Hold Games action. Both will be a thorn in the side of your opponents and will cause them to have to change their plans temporarily to deal with the issues you have caused them. A fun and delightful “take that” type of card.
Mobs in ancient Rome were powerful, volatile groups of urban plebeians, freedmen and workers who heavily influenced politics, food supplies and public safety. Driven by economic hardship, political gangs, and grain shortages, these crowds routinely rioted, burned government buildings and forced emperors or senators to heed their demands. Ancient Roman writers, politicians, and historians viewed the urban mob (plebs) with a mixture of fear, contempt and fascination, often describing crowds as volatile, lawless and easily swayed by demagogues. One of the more well known quotes from history comes to us by way of Titus Livy when he said, “Indeed, that is the nature of crowds: the mob is either a humble slave or a cruel master.” Livy also wrote: “As for the middle way of liberty, the mob can neither take it nor keep it with any respect for moderation or law.”
1799/1810 copperplate engraving titled The Death of Clodius (or Clodius killed by Milo’s mob) was drawn by the Polish-born French artist Silvestre David Mirys (1750–1810) as part of his series Figures de l’histoire de la république romaine.
With this My Favorite Wargame Cards Series, I hope to take a look at a specific card from the various wargames that I have played and share how it is used in the game. I am not a strategist and frankly I am not that good at games but I do understand how things should work and be used in games. With that being said, here is the next entry in this series.
Card #88: National American Woman Suffrage Association from Votes for Women from Fort Circle Games
Votes for Women is a very interesting card-driven game that covers the American Women’s Suffrage Movement from 1848-1920, culminating in the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment which granted women the right to vote. The game is a 2-player game, that has a fully developed solitaire mode with an “Oppobot” and offers a cooperative mode for those who don’t wish to play as they Opposition. The Suffragist player will have to push Congress to propose the Nineteenth Amendment, and then focus on campaigning to have a minimum of 36 states to ratify the Amendment. The Opposition side will try to prevent Congress from proposing the amendment and failing that to have 13 states reject the amendment.
The game uses cards in a fairly traditional CDG way as there are events that can be be taken or the cards can be played to do things like Campaign, Organize or Lobby Congress. Each card has a specific Card Era that is used to create of the each players’ Draw Decks. Late cards will be on the bottom of the deck, Middle cards will be in the middle of the deck and Early cards will be on the top of the deck. The Suffragist and Opposition decks each have one Start card that will be placed in the player’s hand at the start of the game. Some Event Cards have a prerequisite and some of the cards require a player to roll a 6-sided die and only take the the action on a roll of 3-6. Otherwise, the Event Card is discarded with no effect. The cards in this game are also steeped in historical details, from the name of the events that tie back to specific individuals or happenings, to major moments in the struggle. This game is about the history of the struggle for the right to vote and it is very good!
One of the more interesting aspects about the mechanics of the game is the use of Campaigners to go about trying to influence the attitude of the people and legislators regarding the Nineteenth Amendment through the Campaign Action. When a card is played for a Campaign Action, the player rolls a die, either a 6-sided or 8-sided die depending on what cards have been activated, for each Campaigner they have in play. The player then gets to take the dice and their results, which range from 1-8, and assign a specific die to each of their Campaigners. Each Campaigner may then place the corresponding number of cubes, matching the Campaigner’s color, in the States within the region that the Campaigner is located in. The player may spend a Button to move the Campaigner to a different region, but all of the corresponding cubes must be put into the same region. This is a great way to get a lot of influence out on the board to begin taking control of various States for the final vote in the game. This also is a very efficient way of doing this as you will be rolling 2-3 dice for your Campaigners and then spamming the States. With that in mind, today’s card is the National American Woman Suffrage Association and it provides the Suffragist player with a new Campaigner (purple) to place out specifically into the Atlantic & Appalachia Region that includes the States of Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland and Delaware. The card also grants the Suffragist player with 3 Buttons that can be used as described above to relocate a Campaigner from one state to another. This card is very helpful and should be played for the Event 9 times out of 10 and will make a huge difference in the outcome of the game. Once a 2nd or 3rd Campaigner is deployed, I tend to take Campaign Actions rather than some of the less intensive placement options or Events.
The National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) was an organization formed on February 18, 1890, to advocate in favor of women’s suffrage in the United States. It was created by the merger of two existing organizations, the National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA) and the American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA). Its membership, which was about 7,000 at the time it was formed, eventually increased to 2 million, making it the largest voluntary organization in the nation. It played a pivotal role in the passing of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which in 1920 guaranteed women’s right to vote.
Helen Hamilton Gardener, Maud Wood Park and Carrie Chapman Catt at Suffrage House in Washington, D.C.
Susan B. Anthony, a long-time leader in the suffrage movement, was the dominant figure in the newly formed NAWSA. Carrie Chapman Catt, who became president after Anthony retired in 1900, implemented a strategy of recruiting wealthy members of the rapidly growing women’s club movement, whose time, money and experience could help build the suffrage movement. Anna Howard Shaw’s term in office, which began in 1904, saw strong growth in the organization’s membership and public approval.
After the Senate decisively rejected the proposed women’s suffrage amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1887, the suffrage movement had concentrated most of its efforts on state suffrage campaigns. In 1910 Alice Paul joined the NAWSA and played a major role in reviving interest in the national amendment. After continuing conflicts with the NAWSA leadership over tactics, Paul created a rival organization, the National Woman’s Party.
Here is a link to our full video review of the game:
With this My Favorite Wargame Cards Series, I hope to take a look at a specific card from the various wargames that I have played and share how it is used in the game. I am not a strategist and frankly I am not that good at games but I do understand how things should work and be used in games. With that being said, here is the next entry in this series.
#86: LRRP from Fire in the Lake: Insurgency in Vietnam from GMT Games
The COIN Series uses cards in a very different way from other CDG’s. These cards are not necessarily the driver of the action but more assistive to the actions of the players by setting eligibility and also providing powerful events. The Event Cards are more often than not, very powerful. They either give you a continuing bonus on future Operations and Special Activities (as in the case of the volumes that include the various Capabilities) or allow you to take Operations and Special Activities more times that round than you would normally have been able to had you not chosen the Event and more often than not, at no cost! Also, because of the power of the cards and their ties to one or more factions, you can take the Event which allows you a huge advantage, only to see that very powerful Event reversed with the next Event or with a regular Operation. This is very frustrating but is one of the major reasons that I love the card-assisted element of the COIN Series. Today we are going to take a look at the LRRP Event Card.
The LRRP Event Card, with LRRP standing for Long-Range Reconnaissance Patrol, allows the US player to place 3 Irregulars outside the South then conduct a free Air Strike, that also allows for the removal of Bases first. Keep in mind that Irregulars are US Special Forces pieces, which are the hexagonal shaped cylinders not ARVN Rangers. “Outside the South” means any Laos or Cambodia Provinces. Seems pretty pedestrian but it is important to note that this card changes the rules when played as normally all other units in a space must be removed before Bases can be removed. A very powerful card that typically will be played by the US player when it comes up. But keep in mind that Air Strikes are a dual edged sword as you get rid of pesky enemy pieces but it will result in shifts of Support/Opposition but can also Degrade the Trail. On the bottom of the card, the text allows the VC or NVA to ambush these LRRP”s and remove 3 Irregulars from the map to Casualties. Then it gives an added benefit of shifting each space these removed Irregulars were in 1 level toward Active Opposition.
Image courtesy of Boxxer’s Blog.
A Long-Range Reconnaissance Patrol, or LRRP, is a small, well-armed and nimble recon team that is tasked with patrolling deep into enemy territory to identify or destroy key targets and gain recon on the enemy. The concept of scouting forces such as LRRP’s dates back to ancient warfare but also has been used in more modern and contemporary wars such as the French & Indian War where specialized Rangers, such as Rogers’ Rangers, were tasked with raiding Indian settlements, disrupting supply lines and reporting back to command on troop disposition and movement.
In Vietnam, veteran or specially trained forces often augmented with Vietnamese irregulars usually carried out Long Range Reconnaissance Patrols into enemy territory. The Studies and Observation Group (SOG) was the ground element of the US air war against the Ho Chi Minh Trail as illustrated by Project Tiger that spotted for and marked enemy trail activity for elimination by US air assets.
Here is a link to a very interesting summary of an LRRP and its mission on a Vietnam veteran run blog called Boxxer’s Blog: From the seat of a motorcycle: LRRPs: “—doing the impossible for the ungrateful.”
Man muss Agent 47 eigentlich nicht vorstellen. Bereits im Jahr 2000 kam der erste Teil des Schleich-Killerspiels von I/O Interactive und ich mochte die Serie schon in ihren Anfängen.
Damals konnte ich jedoch nicht wirklich viel Geduld aufbringen. Statt die Umgebungen zu beobachten, Gespräche zu Belauschen und geheime Wege zu finden, um meine Opfer möglichst elegant umzubringen, zog ich schnell die Waffe. Ich ermordete meine Ziele ohne Rücksicht auf weitere Verluste, um dann schnell zu einem Ausgang im Level zu laufen. So geht’s schließlich auch, aber ich wollte es diesmal doch anders angehen.
Im schwarzen Anzug mit roter Krawatte bekomme ich meine Einführung in erste Missionen, wähle Ausrüstung, Waffen und den Startpunkt. Es gibt dabei massig Orte auf der ganzen Welt, die ich bereisen und von den Bösewichten befreien darf.
Und so kehre ich zurück nach Dubai und lasse mich erstmals auf die Mission ein, anstatt wild die Ziele zu snipern. Ich lege Verkleidungen an, nehme Identitäten an, täusche und schleiche. Gerade nachdem ich mir bei 007 First Light oftmals mehr Cleverness gewünscht habe, macht gerade diese Spielweise mehr Spaß. Mein Geduldsfaden hält, zumal regelmäßiges Speichern das kreative Ausprobieren absichert.
Und so ist auch durch „intelligentes Spielen“ jedes Setting relativ schnell und kurzweilig gespielt. So wäre alleingenommen ein Hitman 3 schnell durchgespielt, doch die Serie ist darauf ausgelegt, dass man die einzelnen Levels mehrfach spielt und neue Wege entdeckt, wie man die Tötungsziele beseitigen könnte.
Die World of Assassination ist die Komplettbox von Hitman 1-3 der letzten 10 Jahre und bietet damit sehr viel Mordmaterial. Dazu kommen diverse Zusatzmissionen und zusätzlichen Spielarten, die ich jedoch ebenso wenig brauche, wie die undurchsichtigen Kampagnen-Stories. Hitman bietet coole Signature Kills, abwechslungsreiche Aufträge und bitterbösen Humor und vielleicht ist sogar das Brettspiel interessant.
Stubenscore: 8,7 / 10
Morden wo andere Urlaub machen – zurück in Sapienza und es sieht gut aus.Die Settings sind sehr unterschiedlich.Und auch die Einsätze. Auf dem englischen Gut darf ich nebenbei einen Kriminalfall lösen.Oh, der Kollege erkennt mich nicht. Ich suche mal schnell das Weite in der Menge.Da drück ich doch mal den Knopf.
A little rabbit peeked cautiously over the edge of a vegetable patch, before it hopped inside and helped itself to a crunchy carrot. Soon, another rabbit joined in, nibbling happily on a radish, while a third disappeared behind broad broccoli leaves, and a fourth emerged triumphantly with an aubergine. Soon enough, mushrooms vanished as well, leaving only tiny paw prints behind. In less than a minute, the whole patch was filled with Rascally Rabbits by Ta-Te Wu from Sunrise Tornado Game Studio with art by TuziNeko.
The saloon doors suddenly burst open behind you as your boots skid across the dusty wooden boards of the sidewalk. A split-second later, gunfire cracks through the afternoon air, the bullet ricocheting off a pail of water, sending startled townsfolk diving for cover. Diving behind an old barrel offers you a moment of shelter, although the sound of heavy footsteps suggests your pursuer is closing in on you. Then, glass shatters somewhere near the jail, followed by the sharp whistle of a bullet passing far too close for comfort. A grin spreads across your face as you raise your revolver and prepare to return fire. Well, that's what you get when you arrive in Rattlesnake by Michael Hardacre from Osprey Games with art by Roland MacDonald.
Electric-blue leg warmers stretched over striped socks, sequins sparkling beneath a giant mirror ball, while clouds of hairspray drifted through the air. Synth-pop booms from oversized speakers as skaters practise one last spin, one last shuffle, one last gravity-defying move before the judges arrive. It's November 1983, and the biggest competition of the year is about to begin. Jam skaters from around the world have gathered beneath the glittering lights, hoping their best moves will earn them the championship crown. They want to become the next champion of the Roller Disco by Mike Petchey from Huff No More with art by Joss Petchey.
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Der Zweite Weltkrieg hat sich festgefahren und die Atombombe soll die Wende für die United States bringen. Risse in der Realität waren dabei nicht eingeplant. Welche Macht aus diesen Rissen entweicht, ist zunächst nicht klar. Doch was sich dann ereignet, kann nur göttliche Fügung sein.
