Where the Action's At (A Guide to Action Point Allowance)

Gamers are a funny lot.  On the one hand, we want a game with flexibility and freedom in decision-making.  Restrictions and limitations often mean a less sophisticated experience and leave us feeling like the game is playing us, rather than vice-versa.  However, on the other hand, most of us appreciate designs that are structured to rein things in a bit, and we like to have a firm grasp on what the game allows.  Too much of an open-ended framework often leads to confusion, significant play length, and agonizing downtime.  To address this intriguing paradox, game designers often turn to a very simple and basic mechanism.

Once Again, with Feeling (a review of The Resistance: Second Edition)

She looks you in the eye, trying to catch the slightest hint of betrayal.

"I am not a spy," you reaffirm, sterner, more confident than the last time.

"I believe him," she tells the others, and just like that, you're on the resistance's mission to overthrow the corrupt government.

Yet despite her belief, once the cards are revealed, the mark of sabotage is all over the mission. Someone in the group was a dreaded spy. And it turns out it was you.

Enter the world of The Resistance--a social paranoia game of deduction, deception, and good, good fun.

Dystopian Digging in Deck Building (a review of Arctic Scavengers)

Since Dominion's release, many have been eager to capitalize on the deck-building phenomenon, but in every case, I've found myself cold toward the new and that much more impressed with the original. Ascension, for example, I thought was okay, but its twist (same cards each game/different order and two currencies) left me craving the more balanced approach of Dominion. Eminent Domain was kind of neat, but it lacked the variety (and thus replayability) of Dominion. Thunderstone was thematic, but its mechanics were bogged down by its theme, and games outlasted my interest. On and on.

Arctic Scavengers is the newest in the line of Dominion followers, set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland of scarce resources and frightening possibilities. How does it stack up to the others? Find out below!

Press Release: Casual Game Insider Magazine Reaches 2,000 Retailers

I received the following press release from Casual Game Insider Magazine:

Distribution of Casual Game Insider Magazine Reaches 2,000 Retailers
The recent addition of a third distribution deal puts Casual Game Insider magazineinto the hands of over 2,000 board game retailers each quarter.

TUCSON, AZ (May 21, 2013) – Casual Game Insider has struck a deal with PHD, the third U.S. board game distributor to carry the magazine since its inaugural issue was released in October, 2012. PHD has warehouses in Florida, New Jersey, and Texas, all of which will be distributing the magazine to the active retailers in their area of distribution. These warehouses, in addition to five others from ACD and GTS Distribution, will allow the magazine to reach a new milestone of 2,000 retail stores. 

“We are ecstatic to welcome a third distributor to our cause,” said Chris James, editor-in-chief of Casual Game Insider. “To get our magazine into the hands of so many retailers each quarter is truly a remarkable achievement, and one for which we owe a great debt of gratitude to our distribution partners. As we move forward, we hope to continue to grow the Casual Game Revolution program, which, based on its reception so far, has proven to be a much needed effort.” 

Casual Game Insider will reach the new retailers beginning with the Summer 2013 issue, which is scheduled for release in July. The magazine will be shipped nationwide from distribution warehouses in eight states, including Wisconsin, California, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Washington, Florida, New Jersey, and Texas. It will also be served to approximately 130 direct retailer subscribers from the Casual Game Revolution headquarters in Tucson, Arizona. 

Publication of Casual Game Insider is supported by advertising and paid consumer subscriptions for print and digital editions. To continue production of the magazine for a second year and reach even more retail channels, the publisher hopes to raise additional funds via Kickstarter, the popular crowdfunding website, in July. 

About the Publisher:Casual Game Revolution is at the forefront of the casual board game movement, which aims to make board gaming more accessible to people of all ages by removing obstacles, breaking away from previous traditions, and connecting casual gamers directly to the games they are most likely to enjoy. It is a program that was conceived in 2011 and is headed up by the founders of Stratus Games LLC. 

Links:Magazine website: http://CasualGameRevolution.com/magazinePublisher website: http://CasualGameRevolution.comPress kit: http://CasualGameRevolution.com/press

This Game is Watching You (An Interview with Jamey Stegmaier)

Jamey Stegmaier has a strong passion for creating games that bring people together in the spirit of fun, competition, and strategic thinking. With a lifelong enthusiasm for playing and designing board games, he runs the business side of StonemaierGames along with Alan Stone. Together through their start-up company, the two produced Jamey’s first published title, Viticulture. Stonemaier Games is seeking to publish Jamey’s latest design, Euphoria: Build a Better Dystopia. Their Kickstarter campaign funded in, like, one hour (it was beast!), but it will still run through June 12. If you'd like to participate, there are still plenty of stretch goals to aim for and lots of neat-looking stuff that you can get in on! We asked Jamey a few questions about this title, and he was gracious enough to talk with us.