Opinionated Gamers

  • Gen Con 2025 – Slugfest, Steve Jackson, MindWare, Dice Throne, and Goliath

    Lots of variety in today’s rundown. Slugfest Games was showing off Positano, a pastel-filled bonanza of simultaneously bidding for draft order in three different areas, all in an effort to build buildings on the cliffside tall enough to look out … Continue reading →

  • I Bought A Zoo (Alternate Title: The New Zoo Review) – A Solo Review of Zoo Tycoon: The Board Game & the New Shores expansion

    We have a lot of family stories about our trips to zoos, aquariums, and animal parks. It was at San Diego’s Wild Animal Park that we discovered that the way to keep a 5 year old motivated for a day … Continue reading →

  • Gen Con 2025 – Last Night Games, Moose Games, HABA

    I always enjoy a stroll through the “family fun pavilion” in the exhibit hall. There, the games are brightly colored, game explanations are quick, and it’s great to see younger kids saddling up to a booth and having a good … Continue reading →

  • Dale Yu: Review of Prey

    Prey Designer: Toru II Publisher: Allplay Players: 3-4 Age: 11+ Time: 20 minutes Played with review copy provided by publisher Prey is a 12-trick trick-taking game where 3-4 players play the first six tricks with one side of numbers (predators), … Continue reading →

  • Gen Con 2025 – Dexterity Games from Twin City, Jelly Jelly, and Asmadi

    I love the variety of games you get at Gen Con. There are the big name, high strategy games that appear on lots of lists but I have a soft spot for the slightly goofier titles and perhaps nowhere is … Continue reading →

  • Dale Yu: Review of Caesar & Cleopatra

    Caesar & Cleopatra Designer: Wolfgang Ludtke Publisher: Kosmos Players: 2 Age: 8+ Time: 30 min Played with review copy provided by publisher Theirs is one of history’s most famous stories: a bittersweet struggle between love and power. Caesar wants to … Continue reading →

  • Gen Con 2025 – Bézier Games, Wise Wizard Games

    At both ends of the alphabet and almost at both ends of the exhibit hall, I’m smooshing Bézier Games and Wise Wizard Games together in the same post anyway. Bézier had the kitchen-sink of mechanisms of The Game Makers on … Continue reading →

  • Dale Yu: Review of Vegas Strip

    Vegas Strip Designer: Peter C. Hayward Publisher: Allplay Players: 2-6 Age: 11+ Time: 40 minutes  Played with review copy provided by publisher In this 2-6 player bluffing game, players have hidden information about which casinos are corrupt. Take turns playing … Continue reading →

  • Gen Con 2025 – KOSMOS

    Another reliable color is the blue Kosmos booth. In addition to their popular line of Exit puzzle experiences (now with CATAN!) there were several other games on display. Astralis is a very fishy dice-drafting engine building game. The Crew: Family … Continue reading →

  • Dale Yu: Review of Jungo

    Jungo Designer: 荒尾 俊樹 (Toshiki Arao) Publisher: Happy Camper Games Players: 2-5 Age: 6+ Time: 15 minutes Played with review copy provided by publisher Amazon affiliate link: Jungo is a hand-building game in which you try to be the … Continue reading →