Reviews written by WadeMonnig

Maybe I should buy a shadowbox and display it as “My Dilemma” in the dusty recesses of my board game closet.

This does exactly what I want from a light-weight, family-style game. You have the “Oh, I would have won next turn!” moments when you end the game and it has ultra quick turns so that even playing with four players never seems to drag it out too long.

I'm convinced that Pan Am is satire on the same level as Starship Troopers. Did you make a highly profitable, well-oiled airline with great reach around the globe? Congratulations! But the winning condition is to have the most Pan Am stock. And if you have to cut corners at your airline, forgo upgrading an aging fleet of planes, and buy routes you know should get snatched up by Pan Am the next round in order to spend the cash for a couple more Pan Am stocks...I did mention capitalistic and skeevy, didn't I?

In order to defeat the bosses, one player will be Batman and everyone else will be Robin(s). I don't think being reduced to a sidekick role, mopping up minions and tossing Batman the Batnuke is what players signed up for.

Did you enjoy Wingspan? No? Well, this game probably isn't going to do it for you. The core is still the Wingspan formula, just with more bells and wyverns. But if you are looking for a more impactful systems, deeper strategy, and cold blooded creatures, this could easily Wyrm it's way into your collection.

This is one of the most disappointing Ticket To Ride releases that I have ever played, which is a pity because if you house rule it that everyone must read their completed routes out loud when they claim them. Well, That is quality entertainment.

Finspan takes the Wingspan formula and makes it sleeker. It's smoother, feels a tad lighter, but somehow offers more end game scoring opportunities. Is it better than Wingspan? I just know that Finspan is the my favorite 'Span game to play. At the risk of sounding like a vendor on the wharf: This fish is fresh.

Ultimately, we found Forbidden Castle more frustrating than fun. It turns out that abstract, discouraging puzzles combined with busy work and questionable crafts does not equal a pleasant or entertaining experience.

You'll still find Scythe in the Top 20 on Board Game Geek almost ten years after it's release. It gives you feel good actions, a level of depth that stands up to “casual” scrutiny, and a potent mixture of proven mechanisms.