Belated Game Day Recap

Four games played, including a new one!

It’s been a while since I’ve posted here, but I’m sticking to my word. I only want to write when it feels organic. The last thing I want is for this to become a chore, and I’ve genuinely had a lot of fun doing it.

A couple of weeks ago, a friend I’ve known since elementary school came over for a game night. There’s something special about having a longtime friend who also enjoys board games. He started out more on the Catan side of the hobby, while I’ve somehow never enjoyed a single game of Catan I’ve played. That said, it’s been a blast introducing him to new games, especially ones I love, and watching everything click for him.

With that in mind, I’m going to briefly go through the four games we played and share some general thoughts on each.

Game 1 - Unmatched Adventures: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

This is a game I agonized over, a game I said I wanted to buy immediately (and eventually did), and a game series that never clicked with me earlier in our gaming journey. In a nutshell, I’ve been a Turtles guy since I was a Turtles kid. So when this game was released, I wondered if this IP would be something that pulls me back in and actually gets me to like Unmatched. When we had previously owned sets, none of the characters really resonated with me.

Anyway, my buddy and I went up against Shredder as a team of Donatello and Raphael. The game system really hasn’t changed much, but as a co-op, I feel like I enjoyed it more because it’s such a basic tactical duel game that the head-to-head mode just falls flat for me. It was just fun strategizing together and trying to figure out how to best take down our foes. We ended up losing, but it was an enjoyable re-entry into the Unmatched system.

First play rating: 7/10

Game 2 - Zenith

If you have read some of my other posts on here, you know how much I adore Zenith. There’s nothing I truly dislike about it. This was the first time playing the physical version and it didn’t disappoint. What I did not expect, though, was how different it felt. Or maybe that’s just how the game is supposed to be. What do I mean by that?

Well, I feel like the last handful of games on BGA were really back-and-forth. This one was for a little while, but my friend ended up pulling off the win without paying any attention to the tech track. I guess card synergy was a big advantage, but we both really focused mainly on the influence track. I tried to do a little bit of everything, which didn’t work out to well. We have played this game a total of four times together, and this was my first loss. It’s just so good, win or lose.

Rating after 11 plays: 9/10

Game 3 - Mindbug: First Contact

This two-player dueling game really does not get enough love. Some say it’s a parallel to MTG and/or other collectible card games, but it just feels so different and unique compared to any other small box card game we have. It is a simple head to head battle where you summon hybrid creatures and try to drop your opponent to zero health. Each card has a unique ability, but the real hook is the two Mind Bugs each player gets.

Mind Bugs let you steal a creature the moment it is played, trigger its effect, and swing momentum instantly. The challenge is knowing when to use them. There is also a free mobile app on the App Store and Google Play if you want to try it out. I think this one might be one of my friend’s favorite two-player games if I had to speak on his behalf.

Rating after 9 plays: 8/10

Game 4 - Skulls of Sedlec

It’s hard not to be impressed by how much gameplay Button Shy squeezes into an 18-card package. The game centers on constructing a pyramid of cards, with each skull type introducing its own scoring challenge.

I really need to pick up the expansion collection for this one or just grab the box they have now at Barnes & Noble.

Rating after 4 plays: 7/10

Thanks for reading & I’ll see you next time…whenever that may be :)