I take a look at Pagoda from AEG. This is such a fantastic game, and the best two player game that I was introduced to during 2014. I am always looking for great two player games or games that play well with just two players. This one is definitely one to add to your gaming library if you find yourself playing with just two players frequently. The quality of the components are top notch and colorful, not to mention that you are building three dimensional pagodas! This building element of the game is very fun and the game play provides just enough meat to it to be interesting as a strategic game, but it is simple and provides some luck elements that balance out the game nicely. I would say that Pagoda and Jaipur would be my must own two player games at this point in time and that is How Lou Sees It!
I received this review copy of Pagoda from AEG for free for the purpose of this review.
I take a look at Gamewright's Super Slamwich! A really solid card slapping game that is pretty fun. It is a very simplistic game, but the artwork and gameplay works well. It is basically war mixed with slap jack mixed with Egyptian ratkiller and it has sandwich themed cards.
The cards in this version are huge! That is part of the fun, but may not be for everyone as some kids may have difficulty holding the cards - so, in that case you can still get the normal version. I recommend this game for kids or to play with kids (it has been fun to play even with my 3 year old). For me, I consider this a 5/10, but for children I think it would be around an 8/10 - so, overall I give this 7/10.
I was given this copy of Super Slamwich by Gamewright for the purposes of this review.
Hoyuk is a fantastic tile laying and set collecting game that has great production quality. The artwork is very nice and the game mechanics are solid and provide interesting choices to be made each phase of the round. Players can't remain on their own in this game either, they must join other players' on different blocks to try and optimize their chance at getting more aspect cards - and in return more building options and sets for points. The game includes rules to play a basic game, medium game, and advanced game. You can also shorten games by choosing to play with a lower number of houses that each player starts with. All these options result in variability in game length and difficulty.
On the down side, the game only comes with one storage bag and there is no insert to keep all the tiles separated. You will need to purchase your own bags to keep everything separated out or else you will be faced with a longer setup time to sort everything out. The instruction book is actually really good, but there is a slight learning curve for the iconography of the catastrophe cards. It is also interesting because if you don't have things separated out, it will take you longer to setup the basic game than the advanced game (since the basic game causes you to remove certain things - where as the advanced game you wouldn't need to because you use everything).
All in all, I am giving Hoyuk a 7/10. I think it is a really solid game with great game mechanics, artwork, rulebook, and the quality of the components is top notch. The game really needs some better storage options, but Hoyuk is one that I will continue to enjoy a lot and that is How Lou Sees It!
Hoyuk: Anatolia is an expansion to Hoyuk and is on Kickstarter only for another 40 hours or so! Check it out now or if you were too late, check Mage Company's website for future buying possibilities. http://www.magecompany.com/
I was given this copy of Hoyuk as a review copy for free from MAGE Company.
