There’s a thrill in presenting an opponent with a choice. No game embodies this better than Hanamikoji, which is built entirely on this principle. By carefully selecting the cards we present to our rival, discarding the ones we don’t want to share, and keeping one as a secret gift we attempt to gain the favour of seven geishas.
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.
