Continuing our countdown to Xmas (sorry!) I’m looking at some other, more unusual goodies to treat the nerd in your life (or convert the unsuspecting).
MOONSTONE: THE SHADES KICKSTARTER
(Kickstarter Link HERE – runs until October 26th 2023)
I am a huge fan of Labyrinth, Dark Crystal and the whole twisted, whimsical aesthetic of Jim Henson and Brian Froud. And, being a man of limited time, skirmish games tend to scratch my hobby itch rather than mass battle. So, naturally, I was a sucker for Goblin King Games’ Moonstone, which recently won Miniatures and Miniature Game of the Year at UKGE. It’s a deceptively simple game which runs on card-based bluffing rather than dice, and only ever requires you to bring 6 models to the tabletop (but I mean… you’ll want more).
We’ve been lucky enough to interview the Moonstone gang before over HERE, and I’m thrilled that their new Kickstarter has launched to great success already – because, apart from anything else, the introduction of the Undead Shades faction brings the darker edge to the whimsy; if I had one criticism of Moonstone, it was the lack of something properly scary (at least to my early 1980s imagination), but as well as advancing the storyline the new Kickstarter just does that. The Kickstarter has smashed through its funding goals in no time and there’s some bargain bundles for entry-level and experienced players alike.
You can read more about the Kickstarter HERE.
Take a look at some of the models:
And check out their socials here!
Facebook: @moonstonethegame
Instagram: @goblinkinggames
Twitter: @moonstonegame
YouTube: @Moonstonegame
DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS ADVENTURER (HACHETTE)
Now it’s quite possible that if you’re reading this, you’re a crusty old grognard like me who’s been a nerd since the dawn of time – but actually, it’s just as likely that you’re relatively new to the hobby (after all, that’s kinda the point of this blog, innit?!) So I thought I’d give a shout-out to for this delightful treat that is Dungeons and Dragons Adventures. Lesser Spawn (13 y.o.) is officially over the moon as he’s just really getting into D&D and this is the perfect entry level product. The first issue – just £1.99! – comes not only with a lovely tin containing a good-quality set of black and red polyhedral dice, BUT it has a clear, straightforward combat primer – so useful, it’s another reason to buy multiple copies for your whole party!
As well as the excellent intro guides to the core races and classes – with a clear emphasis on playing low-level characters – the gubbins are glorious. The map with issue 2 is detailed without being restrictive, and issues 3&4 have excellent one-shot adventures – as Spawn gleefully declared, SIDEQUEST! Issue 3 is a classic tower miniquest, issue 4 more of a random road encounter with Bandits that goes sideways very quickly (and quite hallowe’en-y ;) ).
And the extras are themselves an absolute treat – after that great dice set from Issue 1 (swiped by Elder Spawn already, that’s what big brothers are for I suppose), we get lovely clear yellow set from issue 2; the acrylic standees from issue 3 are perfect entry level models for gamers who aren’t wanting to build/paint, and issue 4 has a very lovely chonky d20 in a plush bag.
I freely admit I wasn’t quite sure about the price point of £9 an issue but it’s genuinely a fantastic way into the hobby and a great resource for more experienced GMs and players alike! The review copies were provided by Hachette but all opinions are my own, with a little help from the Spawn of course.
Check out the Microsite: hachettepartworks.com/DandDadventurer
FLAMECRAFT
We’re all about games that the whole family can play, but doing so with enough complexity to keep everyone engaged without just being a party game is a difficult balance to achieve. But I heartily recommend the delightful, whimsical Flamecraft from Cardboard Alchemy in which you get to build a town full of TINY DRAGONS 🐲 !
Read on, and you can see not only if you fancy the game but see if you like the new review format (let us know in the comments for a bonus giveaway entry)!
⌚- 60 mins approx.
👥- 1-5 players
❓- 10+.
⚖ – Light-Mid weight
RRP – £38.99
Premise: As a Flamekeeper, you raise your artisan dragons to help out in shops, turning your town into a thriving, Dragon-loving community and attracting the rarest, fancy Sun and Moon dragons to score bonus points. Different breeds of dragon (bread, meat, iron, crystal, plant and potion) provide different rewards when you visit the shops, or you can yourself improve the shops by adding Enchantments – again, making the town a better place for everyone! I will say that I bought my own copy of this purely based on the premise and aesthetic, and am so glad that I did.
The Good: oh, this game is lovely. Beautiful art, staggering component quality – high GSM tokens and cards with lovely art , stitched Playmat, dragon 🐉 meeples, dividers and baggies. But it’s not just physically attractive – the gameplay is slick and managed to tread the line between versus and cooperative, as you are rewarded for helping the other players as you build the town and improve your dragons. Don’t be deceived though, this is a more complex game than it seems. It comes with the BEST out-of-the box playmat I’ve seen (an elegant double-stitched table runner), and I love the extension content (again, all there in the box) – the optional helper dragons named after the design team, or solo mode’s unlockable achievements in true video game style – it’s all so good.
The Bad: A very VERY minor gripe – I would like the goods tokens to be different shapes as well as different colours, simply from accessibility. And, arguably, it’s more complex than it seems which may actually put some folk off. It’s quite challenging for 8-10 year olds, I suppose, and though they’re not the recommended age, they WILL want to play it!
The Ugly: Apart from the fact that it does take up a bit of table space (though again – it has great presence), I’m really struggling to find a quibble… maybe a quickstart? This is a game that has non gamer and young gamer appeal, so I guess a bit more mass market accessibility? I’m clutching here 😁
Overall: Highly recommended, it’s a perfect next-step game to get folk playing something with a wee bit more of a challenge from the likes of staples such as Catan, Carcassone and Ticket to Ride.
So that’s us for now! Next month is about what to get the Serious Gamer (TM) in your life, with an in-depth look at Stonemaier Games’ Scythe: Expeditions for board gamers, Generation NeXt for Marvel Champions (for the card gamers) and even a bit RPG content! What a treat!
And remember, our fabulous Disney Dixit Giveaway is still running, so why not snag a bonus entry by telling us what you fancy from the mid-month round-up here, or just let us know what you think of the new review format!
The Writer of this piece was: Sam Graven
Article Archive: Geeking Out
You can follow Sam on Twitter and Instagram
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