Review: Flash Point by Kevin Lanzing

Flash Point - Indie Boards & Cards

I'm a huge fan of cooperative board games and I've been wanting to play Flash Point for ages. I finally picked it up at Awesome Adventure Academy. I am not disappointed. The theme is quite immersive, and the tension (the best part of a cooperative game) is great. For some reason I almost always end up crushed in the building with it falls, I'm glad that is not the win condition. This game instantly won my kids over, so it has hit the table a lot lately. My oldest will even beg me to play when it is just the two of us. She is not as much of a fan of the advanced rules though, which helps because this game is best with three or more players. Having fewer players makes it hard to be all the places you need to be when the fire starts spreading.

Likes: Immersive theme, simple mechanics, great tension, ability to gradually implement advanced rules.

Dislikes: Some of the advanced rules are seem to over-complicate the game.

Fun: Very fun with a great theme and good tension.
Quality: The components are great, cute firefighter miniatures, The board needed some coaxing to sit flat.
(re)Playability: Lots of replay value with incrementally adding advanced rules and ramping up the difficulty level. It is one of those games that you can't play just once in a sitting.

Review: Harbour by Scott Almes

Harbour - Tasty Minstrel Games.

This game is a great light introduction to worker placement games. You have one worker, a brilliant laser cut wooden pirate, and each turn you go to a building and use the buildings ability. This allows you to collect resources (Stone, Wood, Livestock, and Fish) which you can ship for money to buy buildings for your personal tableau. The economy mechanic and the heavy use of icons is a bit overwhelming for new gamers, but after a few rounds these mysteries are readily solved. Because it plays quickly and has a good deal of strategy involved this game will hit the table a lot, especially as we are waiting for the whole gang of gamers to arrive.

Likes: Quick setup and game play, quality parts, great theme, good amount of strategy. 

Dislikes: Icons make the game seem more complicated than it is which can discourage new players. 

Fun: very fun with a great theme.
Quality: Panda printing did an awesome job with the components and box.
(re)Playability: this game is already hitting the table a lot whenever a short game is needed, there is a lot of replay value in the box!