Videogame and board game reviews by game critic Erik Twice. What does he think about the game of the year? And what about that forgotten classic? Read about it here!
How do you win a game without taking a turn? This question lies at the heart of German Railways, the second entry in Winsome’s Historic Railroads Series. Like Chicago Express, it’s a simple, fast-playing game of investment and route-building but also one of the most counter-intuitive games I’ve ever played.
I did not expect to like Pipeline. Games that mix elements from economic and baroque eurogames have always felt like a compromise to me. But building an oil refinery was an appealing topic and the challenge ended up grabbing me.
Wealth of Nations is the only game where my degree in Commerce has felt like an advantage. No other title I’ve ever played does a better job capturing classical economic theory, from supply and demand to lesser-known concepts such as the bussiness cycle.
As representation of economics through play, Wealth of Nations has few rivals. As a game, though, I’m not as certain
Across the river, ten minutes from Amsterdam Centraal there’s a nice little arcade called Blast Galaxy. Featuring almost 90 games ranging from Pac-Man to Dance Dance Revolution, visiting it with my friends was one the highlights of my most recent trip to Netherlands.
Bloodthirsty vikings battle at the end of the world in Blood Rage. Players rally their monsters and troops to fight, not in pursuit of a goal, but for its own glory. It’s a streamlined, hyper aggressive game of area control and card play.
Every time I see it, I want to play it again. But every time I do, I walk away disappointed. It’s a game on the cusp of being great, in the same way a car without brakes is almost complete.
