Sirlin Games Week - Day 3 - Flash Duel

Flash Duel (Second Edition)

Designed by David Sirlin

Published by Sirlin Games

1 to 5 Players

5 to 10 minutes

Hand Management, Player Abilities, Bluffing

(8/10 Stars)

Flash Duel is a great little game that offers many variants. As the name suggests, Flash Duel is a quick game that allows you to play multiple games in one sitting. It provides some great bluffing opportunities and the gameplay is simple. It really makes for a great light filler type game.

Players move along a little board back and forth trying to gain the upper hand by playing just the right combination of cards to perform an attack that can't be blocked or retreated from. These one hit rounds provide for quick play - it is suggested to play best 3 out of 5 - and trust me, I think you definitely will want to for sure! I really enjoy the fact that there are different modes, from the full game (which includes character abilities) to a simpler version (played without abilities) and even a 2, 3, or 4 against 1 mode (and in that mode the 1 player is a crazy powerful dragon...yeah, pretty awesome). There is even a solo version provided (I wish they would have provided a reference card for the solo version to include in the travel deck box). And for the raid on Deathstrike Dragon mode, there is even a traitor variant you can play too where one of the team members is secretly trying to help the dragon player.

Everything you really need for the full version...Travel Size! Awesome!

Not only does this little game offer many different possibilities with game modes, but the game has 3 special action cards for the 20 different Fantasy Strike universe characters. And on top of that, the game has a very compact travel version that allows you to play the full game with any different player combinations pretty much anywhere. I think the "punch" that Flash Duel gives for its size is very impressive. I honestly haven't played the raid on Deathstrike Dragon version very often, so I will have to say that a normal full game 2 player game is my favorite way to play this game. I think mixing up the character abilities is fun and provides so much replayability. The solo version is ok, but I think there are just too many other solo games (such as Friday) that I would choose to play over this one solo.

One of the powerful Deathstrike Dragon ability cards.

I LOVE this ability!

The game is a solid, quick game, that provides a lot of bang for its buck. The quality of components are great and I really love the travel version a lot. 20 different characters to choose from and mixing and matching their abilities will provide you with great enjoyment. While I love the versatility of the game, it just doesn't get up to the level of Yomi or Puzzle Strike in my opinion and that is How Lou Sees It! (Check out the more detailed video review below!)

I was given a copy of Flash Duel (Second Edition) by Sirlin Games for the purpose of this review.

Sirlin Games Week - Day 2 - Yomi

Yomi (Complete First Edition)

Designed by David Sirlin

Published by Sirlin Games

2 Players

30 Minutes

Hand Management, Player Abilities, Bluffing, Rock-Paper-Scissors

(9/10 Stars)

The first Sirlin Game I look at is Yomi. A game that captures the feel of a Street Fighter type video game - with a simple and yet deeply strategic card game (yes, I would say strategic even with the heavy bluffing/luck element of card draws). Based on a simple Rock, Paper, Scissors mechanic (that works really well in my opinion), the game goes beyond that to include combos, specials, and lots of bluffing.

The game is fantastic. The quality of the cards are nice, although missing that really deluxe feel, they are basic poker card quality and I think they hold up really well. The artwork is top notch, especially for the face card special moves. I really like the different decks available and that they are all built such that they feel like the characters they are trying to portray. Each character, 20 available in all, provides different types of strategy, and that strategy may change depending on what opponent character you are playing.

While there are some aspects of the game that may take a little bit to get the hang of (combos, charging up, knockdowns, etc.) - I love that the main mechanic of the game is so simple, and yet it makes sense for the fighting game. Blocks beat Attacks, Throws beat Blocks, and Attacks beat Throws. There are Dodges in the mix too along with special action type cards that can be played.

Yomi offers a richly thematic and well developed gameplay experience that I think most everyone could enjoy. If you are not a big fan of fighting games, it may not be your cup of tea. The game is one big bluffing game though, so if you like a good bluffing game, this may be the game your looking for.

I am not a huge fan of the female artwork on the cards. They match normal fighting game artwork styles, but I just wish I could buy more modest versions of the female decks. I enjoy playing the defensive type characters along with the more well-rounded types. Playing the Panda is always a fun time (wait for the Pandante review later this week).

The decks are so well balanced for the different play styles and having most cards have two choices of play provides the fighters with lots of options so that players rarely feel limited by "no good choices" in their hands. Even the Power Up phase where you can trade in duplicate cards for powerful Aces...everything just makes sense - the game plays like a well oiled machine! It can get frustrating at times when you always seem to pick the wrong type of card however, the odds are that you will have your winning streak as well. A great game and that is How Lou Sees It! (Check out the more detailed video review below!)

I was given a copy of Yomi (Complete First Edition) by Sirlin Games for the purpose of this review.

Mages Profit from Bluffing and Cheating

Cheaty Mages

Designed by Seiji Kanai

Published by AEG

3 to 6 Players

30 to 40 Minutes

Hand Management, Bluffing, Wagering, Take That

(8/10 Stars)

Cheaty Mages published by AEG with original Japanese artwork.  This is a really fun and interesting strategic bluffing game with good player interaction.  The game is easy to learn and quickly enjoyed by a nice range of individuals.  While players make strategic choices and try and bluff their way to victory, the game also provides some luck element from card draws and sudden changes from certain spell cards.  The game is very fun and I would recommend to those who enjoy games such as The Coup, The Resistance, Killer Bunnies, and/or Munchkin.  Designed by the same designer who brought us the huge hit Love Letter - this is definitely another top notch game.  AEG also does a great job with the production quality providing a great gaming experience that you will not be quick to forget - unless a mage casts a forgetful spell on you that is...and that is How Lou Sees It!