Queendomino Review

Dr. Microbe is Crawling with Fun

Dr. Eureka Excites Fun in Logic Dexterity Game

New York 1901 - Building Skyscrapers - Ticket to Blokus

New York 1901

Designed by Chenier La Salle

Published by Blue Orange Games

2 - 4 Players

30 - 60 Minutes

Tile Placement, End-Game Goals

(8/10 Stars)

I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy of New York 1901 by Blue Orange Games in exchange for an honest review of the game. The short version; this game is fantastic! If you are looking for a family friendly light-medium strategy game, look no further. New York 1901 provides some similar mechanics as Ticket to Ride mashed up with Blokus to create something that feels fresh and well built. The production quality of the game is really great, from cards, to the board, the rulebook, the building tiles, score markers, to the amazing artwork. The gameplay is simple and yet provides the players with strategic choices. The game can be cutthroat or can range to pretty calm - in either case, I think you will have a great time and that is How Lou Sees It! (Check out some pictures and detailed video review below! And if you like what you see, be sure to like the video and follow my blog or follow me on YouTube or Twitter (@LandonSquire))

Branding Longhorn a Top Two Player Game

Longhorn

Designed by Bruno Cathala

Published by Blue Orange Games

2 Players

10 - 15 Minutes

Variable Movement, Set Collecting

(8/10 Stars)

I am a huge fan of great two player board games.  With a full-time job and kids at home, there just isn't as much time for getting a group together for games.  Often it is just my wife and I who will pull out a game.  Some other 2 player games we enjoy are Jaipur and Pagoda.  Longhorn published by Blue Orange Games and designed by Bruno Cathala (also designer of Five Tribes) is now another favorite 2 player game of ours.

Longhorn is a quick (10 to 15 minutes) strategy game for 2 players in which each player takes on the role of a cattle thief.  The game mechanics and components are really great.  The theme works well in the game and the action tiles fit that theme well.  That being said, the game still feels pretty abstract to me.

The game's mechanics are what really make this game a winner.  Simple to teach and play, and yet providing some strategic depth.  The game plays off of a somewhat similar idea from Bruno's other game, Five Tribes, although still very different.  Both games have an aspect that to me seems like a bit of a tip-o-the-hat to Mancala, which works out nicely because the game mechanic while fresh has a similar well developed feel to it.

Pick up all the cattle of one color and move the player token a number of spaces equal to how many cows you took.  The game ends if someone is caught by the Sheriff, a player is able to get all the cattle of 1 color (9), or what happens usually - the player token doesn't have any legal moves.

The other interesting thing about this game is that as you take cattle of one color, you are getting more points, but you are also degrading the value of that cattle too!  Cattle are only worth $100 times the number of that cattle color left on the board - so if all the cattle are taken, you may have 6 cattle in that color, but they would all be worth $0.00!  Players also need to be careful with placement of the player token to think ahead of possible future moves for your opponent.

The game is just the right length for this type of game and the box is perfect size for the components and for travel.  The cattle meeple are fun and if you like 2 player strategy games, I highly recommend Longhorn and that is How Lou Sees It!

(I was provided a free review copy of this game from Blue Orange Games.  There is a more detailed video review below.  If you liked this video review, please like and follow me!)

Cherry! Foot! Ghost! NADA! Great Fun!

NADA!

Designed by Thierry Denoual

Published by Blue Orange Games

2 to 4 Players

10 Minutes

Dice Rolling, Quick Matching

(7/10 Stars)

This, believe it or not, is my very first Blue Orange game review (and I have only played one other Blue Orange game prior to this - Pengoloo, which I purchased for my daughter on a whim - great little memory game by the way) and I am very excited to be discovering this new-to-me game publisher.  Doodle Quest is one game from Blue Orange Games that is getting a lot of attention and I haven't had the chance to play yet.  Any way, back to NADA!

NADA is a fantastic little dice game.  The object of the game is to roll dice and then at a quick glance be able to identify a match (a picture on an orange die matching the same picture on the white die).  The first player to shout out a correct match gets to claim all of the dice with that symbol.  If there are no matches, be the first player to shout NADA! and you get ALL of the currently rolled dice.  The game is so simple, but if you like games such as SET, Tenzi, or if you are just looking for a nice little family dice game, I think you will really enjoy NADA!  The game comes with a few different ways to play that are fun, or you can make up your own as well.  The quality of dice is great, and the game is very portable as it comes with a nice mesh travel bag.  The game consists of 36 dice with 12 different symbols.  This is such a great little game and that is How Lou Sees It!

(I was provided a free review copy of this game from Blue Orange Games. I will be reviewing Longhorn from Blue Orange Games very soon as well. There is a more detailed video review below.  If you liked this video review, please like and follow!)