Previous reviews are archived in our Guest Blog

Quarriors!

Wizkids Games
Ages  14+
2 – 4 Players
Minutes per game:  30
Dice Building Game

From the Box: The game of uber strategic hexahedron monster combat mayhem!!

Quarriors: A fast-paced game of hexahedron monster combat! You must strategically balance your options each turn: Do you use your quiddity to summon creatures in the hopes of scoring glory or spend it all to capture more powerful quarry from the wilds? Outmaneuver your opponents through strategic spell use, the acquisition of powerful quarry, and ultimately, by striking down opponents' creatures to gain the most glory!

Review:  Quarriors uses much of the same mechanics as the very popular deck building games, Dominion, Ascension, Thunderstone, etc. However, instead of building a deck of cards, your building a deck, or bag, of dice. Since it's dice, there is an added randomness to the game that makes it just a little more chaotic. The game is solid in design and balanced. It's fun and a quick play, about 30 minutes per game once you understand the rules.

The $49.99 price is a good point. With 53 cards and 130 custom dice, this game is a very good value. It also contains 4 dice bags, markers, glory tracker, storage tray, and comes in a "collectable tin!" Although, I've only seen one design of tin, and judging by some of the comments on the packaging, that might be all there is. Which would make collecting the whole set easy.

Star Trek: Expeditions

Wizkids Games
Ages  14+
1 – 4 Players
Minutes per game:  60
Cooperative Board Game

From the Box: Designed by award winning game designer Reiner Knizia, Star Trek Expeditions is a cooperative mission game for 1-4 players.

You take on the roles of Kirk, Spock, McCoy and Uhura responding to an invitation from the Nibian government to open discussions about the planet joining the United Federation of Planets. However, now that the Enterprise has arrived, you find the President of Nibia less happy to see you than the invitation suggested, and Mr. Spock has detected evidence that another starship may have recently been in orbit.

Lead your away teams made up of crew and resources from the Enterprise to solve the major story arcs plus key side missions before the Klingon Fleet arrives or the lone cloaked Klingon Battle cruiser in orbit destroys the Enterprise and her crew. Three difficulty levels, random side missions, player strategies and a unique branching mission tree ensure every game will be a unique memorable experience.

Review:  In this game, you really feel like you are playing as an officer of the Enterprise. You only have 30 stardates to accomplish your mission. The tension of the game mounts as the stardates slip by, and maybe a mission or two don’t go well. When I played the game, we didn’t use the starships. I think that would only add to the drama. The game play is solid and fun, and is an excellent use of the click game mechanic from Wizkids. The exact nature of the main sets of missions will be determined by how well you do on each mission as you resolve them. Each officer has their own strengths and weaknesses, and you’ll have to work together to do well.

This game is a must for science fiction or Star Trek fans. It makes a great addition for any gaming library, especially fans of Reiner Knizia or cooperative games.