It's a Showdown... a gaming Showdown

{Image Credit: TheDiceTowerNetwork.com}

If you are one of the few people who visit my blog, you know that lately (for the last year or so) I have been obsessed with games of every type. I am still fairly new to gaming (since some have been doing it most of their lives) and one of the ways I have kept myself informed is by a site run by Tom Vasel called The Dice Tower. Not only has the site been informative, but they have a channel on YouTube as well. I got my hubby to sit down and watch a couple of reviews and the hubby has finally succumbed to the gaming obsession as well. Tom (like we are a first name basis) does such a great job and is so thorough with his reviews that we usually just add to our wish list from his recommendations.

Where is this going you ask, I mean yay you found a gaming site.. la dee da..

{Image Source: TheDiceTowerNetwork.com}

So anyway my buddy Tom started a Podcast called The Dice Tower Showdown. He moderates as gamers take on topics such as KickStarter, is it good for the gaming industry, which game is better and why, and other great gaming discussions. Whether you are new to gaming or have been doing it for quite some time, this podcast is highly entertaining and makes you stop to really think about the subjects being discussed.

So please go check out The Dice Tower Showdown either on iTunes or here: http://bit.ly/1f495kz


Until next time!

Update on my {Game} Crazy Life

Hi my name is Mercedes and I am addicted to gaming. What started with a little game called Ticket To Ride turned into a full blown addiction. I have no shame and there is no foreseeable end to my addiction in sight.

I thought I would talk a little bit about my current favorite games, what is on my wish list, games I want to try, and probably some other game related stuff. If your eyes have already glazed over I am going to assume you are not a gamer. I totally get it, but my hope is you may have a spark of interest and are going to stick around to read the rest of the post. So here we go!

Favorites: There aren't many games that I don't like, but within the group of games that I own and have played I have some favorites.

{Image Credit: Game Wright}

Forbidden Island: A cooperative game in which 2-4 players are attempting to collect the four (4) treasures and make it to the Fool's Landing to fly away before the island sinks. Each turn players get 3 actions which they can use to move spaces on the board, shore up tiles (flip tiles that are sinking), move other players (if you have that special power), or give cards.  Once a player has completed his or her action the player then receives 2 treasure cards and flips the appropriate number of Flood cards. I promise it is not as complicated as it sounds and is a lot of fun. One of the greatest things about this game is that you are working as a team to beat the island before the island beats you!

{Image Credit: Iello Games}

King of Tokyo: King of Tokyo is a fun and quick game in which the purpose of the game is to {you guessed it} become the King of Tokyo. Each player picks a monster and rolls dice that let you accumulate points, enter Tokyo, deal damage, and heal damage. The graphics are great and the game plays in about 20-30 minutes.

{Image Credit: Indie Boards and Cards}

Resistance The 2nd Edition: Resistance is a game for a slightly bigger group, it plays 5-10 players. In the game you are either part of The Resistance or a Spy. As part of the resistance you are fighting against a government who is corrupt. As a spy you are attempting to subvert the resistance from the inside. The game is fun and if you are a Battlestar Gallactica fan, then you will love this game!


Wish List:

{Image Credit: BoardGaming.com}

Lords of Waterdeep: A Dungeons & Dragons Board Game: Until a few months ago I had not even heard of this game, but thanks to Geek and Sundry it is on my MUST own list. I have not officially played it yet, but I suggest watching the game play on TableTop.

Dying to try:

{Image Credit: Asmodee}

Takenoko Board Game: I feel silly that I have just barely heard of this game, and I am still not 100% sure what the point of the game is, but it looks AMAZING! Hello Panda's and Bamboo, how cute is that?


Gaming Inspired Cooking Wishlist:

I enjoy cooking, but I am like a school girl when I get to do theme cooking (i.e. Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, Star Trek). Recently Chris Rachael-Oseland from Kitchen Overload put out a Settler's of Catan themed cook book. Chris does a spectacular job with all of her different Catan themed food bars. She has totally inspired me to try some out. If you are going to pick up the cook book make sure to pick up some cooking essentials to help with the theme.






Of course all of this game talk only scratches the surface of my gaming addiction. I will be back with more soon(ish)!

Ticket to Ride

I consider my self to be Geek Chic, but the truth is I am probably more Geek than Chic. I have always loved games. I love video games, I love board games, I love card games, well you get the picture. Growing up I was constantly trying to find a victim player who was willing to play Monopoly with me.

Now let's fast forward many, many years later. I got married to a wonderful man who loves video games, but doesn't like to play other types of games. It could be he just doesn't like playing with me since I have been known to be competitive. For the last few years I have only played board games or card games with anyone but my husband, until recently. I subscribe to a great YouTube channel called Geek & Sundry.

On one of Geek and Sundry's episodes of TableTop, hosted by Wil Wheaton, he introduced me to a fabulous game called Ticket to Ride. All I had to do was show my hubby the video and not only was he willing to give the game a shot, but he ended up loving it!

Ticket to Ride was easy to learn (due in part to Wil Wheaton's video), fun to play, exciting, and the hubby loved it as much as I did. Playing with just two can be fun, but definitely the more people you have the more exciting the game is. The one thing I can say is that Ticket to Ride can be pricey. The best price I have seen for Ticket To Ride has been on Amazon.com.

I thought I would share some info about Ticket to Ride.

Overview:
Ticket to Ride is a cross-country train adventure in which players collect and play matching train cards to claim railway routes connecting cities throughout North America.

The longer the routes, the more points they earn.

Additional points come to those who can fulfill their Destination Tickets by connecting two distant cities, and to the player who builds the longest continuous railway.

• 2-5 Players
• Age 8+
• 30-60 minutes

Object of the game:
The object of the game is to score the highest number of total points. Points can be scored by:


Claiming a Route between two cities on the map;
Successfully completing a Continuous Path of routes between two cities listed on your Destination Ticket(s);
Or by completing the Longest Continuous Path of routes.
Points are lost if you do not successfully complete the route given on your Destination Ticket(s).

Game Turn:
In Ticket to Ride, there are three possible actions a player can take during the game turn:

• Drawing Train Car Cards
• Claiming a Route between two cities on the board
• Drawing additional Destination Tickets that will earn extra points if completed by the end of the game.

Ticket to Ride Versions Available:

• USA
• Europe
• Märklin (German)
• Nordic Countries
• Card Game
• Map Collection: Asia and India
• Expansions: 1910 (USA), 1912 (Europa), Dice Expansion, Alex & Dexter
• Ticket to Ride (Online Game)

Items of Interest:

 

Links of Interest:
Geek & Sundry (YouTube Channel)
Geek & Sundry (Website)
Ticket to Ride (Days of Wonder Website)

TableTop
Ticket to Ride: Wil Wheaton, Colin Ferguson, and Anne Wheaton