GamesReviews written by WadeMonnig
Fives is another shining example of how the curated card game collection of the Magenta line earns it's space on your shelf. It has the depth that means veteran game players will enjoy it with the accessibility of being able to teach it to those only experienced base line trick takers.
The Sharks and Reefs expansion excels at growing Finspan “Up” without bloating it “Out.” It's a maturing, if you will. Even if the 12 year old in me kept wanting to call it Sharts and Queefs. Probably the same 12 year old mind that used the Red Dwarf Quote in the title of the review.
Fruit Island is Klassic Knizia in all the right ways. It is rules light with a great push your luck mechanic.
My first few plays of Stamp Swap were pretty rough but, after returning to it over and over, we smoothed out the rough patches and I came to appreciate it. I just wonder if other players will give it that leeway. Even if you are fan of collecting stamps, the execution of the game doesn't emphasize that hobby. I'm not sure how many gamers are going to persevere though a game when the net result is that it's “Perfectly Fine.”
Tulikko is an almost perfect mixture of challenge, excitement, and replayability. Games are brisk and are usually completed in about 20 minutes. Just like something along the lines of Splendor, most games of Tulikko end with the other players going “Ah, if I only would have had one more round, I could have...” because the game just flows effortlessly.
Wingspan Americas adds a bit more gameplay, a healthy dose of new birds, and a great representation of Hummingbirds to base Wingspan. The only real “downside” is that games will take a bit longer.
Tatsumi hits as a pleasant distraction but misses as a tactical abstract.
I'm Out is one of those great card games that hits on a higher level than it initially appears while still being dead simple enough that you can teach it and play it with virtually anyone. Break this out at game night and you'll be shedding cards like a tree sheds leaves in Autumn...but without all the messy clean up.
CMYK once again adds a stellar release to the Magenta Line. If you are cool with the four or six player restriction, the Team Play of Duos is a blast. And it's a bit less of “This is the proper play” than you would find in something like Hearts, so it should keep Aunt Shirley in Mom's good graces.
If you are an experienced Exit fan, Dead Man on the Orient Express is good entry into the series. If the added bonus of “solving” a murder appeals to you, that bumps it up a notch. This one is for seasoned Exit veterans.