Are miniatures making board games better? Certainly, a look at our shelves may make us wonder how they could not. Some of the largest and most celebrated titles of the last few years feature them and they are always the centerpoint of the biggest and most luxurious remakes. But this wealth of highly-detailed components isn’t all positive. Artistically, there are four main problems with the way miniatures are used in board games.
When it comes to Level 99, it’s impossible not to think about anime and Japanese video games. From BattleCON to Argent the Consortium, their catalog draws an immense amount of inspiration from them, both in looks and gameplay. I interview Brad Talton, designer of Millennium Blades and head of Level 99 Games itself about his influences and the way his nerdy adolescence shapes his work today.
The might of science and the steam engine might have changed the world but, lurking below the sea’s surface, countless horrors remain unknown. As the S.S. Atlantica sets its course to Boston, a horde of creatures known as Deep Ones prepare to attack. The horror world of H.P. Lovecraft and the humanoid, fish-like hybrids that inhabit it set the stage for Unfathomable, a game of cooperation, crisis management and treachery.
Venus Next was the second expansion for Terraforming Mars and the first one to add new cards. Yet, it’s one of the least loved. Often accused of making the game last longer for little benefit, many see little value on it. But its simplicity hides a surprising amount of depth and several tools to make strategies better and more varied than before.
Games tend to be won by those who make the best moves. Yet, looking for them may not be a good strategy. In fact, I don’t recommend it at all! While carefully analysing all possibilities may seem good at first, it quickly becomes inefficient. If we want to win, overcome analysis paralysis or simply finish our games in time there is a better way forward.
