Nights of Fire is a block wargame, a genre that seems by and large to have fallen out of style. Was it ever in style? I actually don’t know the level of relative ubiquity block wargames achieved.

It seems like a great format. Units are printed on one side of chunky wooden blocks, and typically angled so that a player knows their own units without knowing anyone else’s. Block wargames incorporate bluffing, memory, and dramatic reveals, which are all good things. I feel like blocks should be a fixture of game design. Maybe the problem is that, outside of Stratego, they’ve seldom been attached to approachable games.

[caption id="attachment_295914" align="alignnone" width="1024"] On the other hand, maybe block wargames haven't caught on with the greater public because they're so hard to photograph without professional lighting...[/caption]

Nights of Fire: Battle for Budapest, the second game in a Hungarian Revolution diptych from designer Dávid Turczi and publisher Mighty Boards, aims to address that. While Days of Ire: Budapest 1956 focused on the initial uprising…

The post Nights of Fire: Battle for Budapest Game Review appeared first on Meeple Mountain.

Days of Ire: Budapest 1956 is a cooperative game in which one-to-four players work together during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, when students attempted an overthrow of the ruling Communist Party. The game also includes a one-v-all mode, with one player taking on the role of the oppressor. Both play similarly, with only mild differences between them. Since most of my plays were cooperative, I’m going to default to describing that mode.

The fundamentals of the Days of Ire system aren’t too far from Pandemic, the cooperative Allfather. The board is a network of locations throughout Budapest, each filled with potential allies and enemy forces. Players take turns to execute actions with the goal of clearing events and removing Soviet forces.

Player count determines the number of actions each turn. You can move, activate fighters, resolve events, attack militia, destroy tanks, and give/take cards. Some cards have free actions, while others include resources that can be used to resolve the aforementioned events. Say, for example, that an event pops up in the Radio location which requires one Intelligence. You’d need to have either an active fighter at the location with Intelligence…

The post Days of Ire: Budapest 1956 Game Review appeared first on Meeple Mountain.

The British Empire was having a bit of a time in the aftermath of World War II. To put it succinctly, the empire was crumbling. Colonial subjects had fought alongside the British in WWII, and now they returned home with military training and a sense of self-worth. Those pesky natives, you know. Don’t they appreciate that we brought them crumpets, cricket, and the eternal gift of an inbred’s face on their money?

The British Empire was an exquisite PR machine, telling its citizens and the world that this empire was different, sharing care and civilization with the savagery of the world. Never mind the fact that every empire has told that lie. For some reason, this time, it took. When she died, people were shocked—shocked!—to hear of the things that happened under Queen Elizabeth’s reign. Most people didn’t hear about them at all.

Flip a COIN

The British Way: Counterinsurgency at the End of Empire is one of the more recent entries in GMT’s popular COunterINsurgency (COIN) series, an ever-expanding collection of titles about guerrilla warfare and resistance movements. I don’t know enough about the politics of the series to delve into that, but I know enough to know that they are a hot-button topic. There is at least…

The post The British Way: Counterinsurgency at the End of Empire Game Review appeared first on Meeple Mountain.

Inferno: Guelphs and Ghibellines Vie for Tuscany, 1259–1261 is a staggering design. Let’s get that out of the way now. GMT’s Levy & Campaign series has developed a sterling reputation in only three titles for good reason. Each presents two players with a medieval military campaign, waged over a prolonged period of time. What separates the series from a number of its kin? Levy & Campaign keeps an eye keenly focused on the bookkeeping of war, on the costs in money and resources.

While the first volume, Nevsky, took place in Scandinavia, and Almoravid—which, for whatever it’s worth, has probably my favorite GMT cover—covers Muslim-Christian conflict in Spain, Inferno takes place in Tuscany, where Firenze and Siena duke it out for control of the Italian countryside.

Rules

I won’t be going into much detail here. With a game like Inferno, the rules aren’t likely to make or break your interest. If you’re reading this review, you’re probably already interested in the game, and just want to know that your interest isn’t misplaced. It isn’t. If this isn’t your first war game rodeo, you’ll be in good shape. If it is, know that the rules are simultaneously a lot and, frankly, not as bad as they first seem. More on…

The post Inferno: Guelphs and Ghibellines Vie for Tuscany, 1259-1261 Game Review appeared first on Meeple Mountain.

One of the many advantages of getting intellectual property for your board game is leveraging the audience to look at your project. For example, developing games based on well-known franchises like Marvel or Game of Thrones allows you to tap into those brands' existing fanbases. Fans of the IP are likely to take an interest in a related game, even if just to check it out briefly via marketing materials or initial coverage.

Which leads to my confusion about today’s game, The Last Kingdom. Based on an obscure Netflix show, it only made a blip on my radar due to some YouTube hype around it, calling it a “hidden gem” or “game of the year.” After checking them out and realizing that this is an area control drafting game where you can switch allegiances, I had to see this one to the end.

The Last Kingdom throws you a position of power of the political kind. You are a figure of importance during a time when the Saxons and Danes are having a series of cultural exchanges on the battlefield. Like any other board game, your power in this world is measured through victory points.

Based on that description, one can easily assume that this is a Risk-style or “dudes on a map” board game, and they would be…

The post The Last Kingdom Board Game Review appeared first on Meeple Mountain.

War of the Woods

Let’s set the stage. The longstanding oligarchal Eyrie Dynasty (a flock of birds) has fallen apart due to infighting and internal strife, leaving a power vacuum in the Woodland. The nefarious Marquise de Cat has seized power and begun chopping it down for fun and profit. But enough is enough…the denizens of the forest lived under the oppressive Eyrie but are now seeing a different kind of oppression from the Marquisate. They’ve joined forces to form the Woodland Alliance, hellbent on taking back the Woodland. Of course, war means a boost to the economy, and the Vagabonds skulk around the forest, wheeling and dealing with all sides to turn a quick profit.

In Root, players will take control of one of the four adorable factions vying for control of the Woodland in a race to score 30 victory points. These factions are brought to life by the impressive artwork by Kyle Ferrin but take inspiration from real-world historical entities. Cole Wehrle made those influences obvious during his wonderful designer diaries. Throwing a cutesy woodland critter coat of paint over everything makes the theme easier to digest, for sure, and adds a whimsical charm to the game. But at its core, the game is an examination of power structures and systems of control that exist…

The post Root Game Review appeared first on Meeple Mountain.

I spent a weekend afternoon playing For What Remains: Blood on the Rails at the board game café where I work. My friend Nathan and I convened to do so. My review copy, kindly furnished by Dan Verssen Games, had been sitting on my shelf for a few months. Finding the time and the volunteer for a two-player skirmish game isn’t always the easiest thing.

I was excited. I’d never played a skirmish game before, despite having designed the rules for one in middle school. If the word “skirmish” in this context is new to you, skirmish games are smaller-scale wargames centered around the management of individual units. There are plenty of wargames in which massive battles are reduced to a few cardboard chits. I push one cardboard square labeled “Army of the Potomac” onto Maryland, you push another cardboard square labeled “Army of Northern Virginia” onto Maryland, and we agree that that was the Battle of Antietam.

Skirmish games take the opposite approach. You control every soldier individually, deciding where they move and whom they engage. If you’ve ever seen anyone play Warhammer, that’s the right idea. Though the scale involved in full games of Warhammer 40K moves it away from the more contained types of fights we see in skirmish games, Warhammer has several skirmish variants.

Skirmish…

The post For What Remains: Blood on the Rails Game Review appeared first on Meeple Mountain.

Blitzkrieg touts itself as a game that lets you simulate World War 2 in 20 minutes. In my family’s experiences the latter game is certainly true. In fact, most of our games are often concluded in under 15 minutes.

But let’s not kid ourselves here by thinking that a conflict as epic as World War 2 can be compressed into such a tiny box. If you are looking for something that lets you push a ton of plastics or counters across a world map, then you are better off playing something like Axis & Allies or any one of the hundreds of grittier war simulations out there.

[caption id="attachment_291774" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Almost comic-book in appearance, Blitzkrieg involves drawing counters from a bag and placing them on different spot around the world. In the Pacific Ocean, Allies and Axis powers are locked in a battle for naval supremacy with the latter in the lead.[/caption]

Blitzkrieg doesn’t pretend to be any of those bigger games. Rather, if you are looking for a game that plays like a tabletop trailer of World War 2 in under half an hour, then this game is certainly one to consider.

What’s in the Box

The board is compact and functional. The symbology is easy enough to grasp…

The post Blitzkrieg!: World War Two in 20 Minutes Game Review appeared first on Meeple Mountain.

I heard about Land and Freedom: The Spanish Revolution and Civil War through an interview with designer Alex Knight on the wargaming podcast Beyond Solitaire. It’s the first time an interview with a designer compelled me to seek out one of their games. He was exceptionally well-spoken in regards to what he was trying to accomplish with the design, and what about the setting drew him in. You can see his passion in the results. Land and Freedom is great.

They Burned the Churches up in Harlem

World War II has been, and will continue to be, done to death. That’s quite alright. The convenience of the setting is such that it’s understandable. The Spanish Civil War, though geographically and chronologically adjacent to WWII, has largely escaped the board game treatment. Resist!, a very good (and exceedingly difficult) solo game from last year, depicts the actions of the Spanish Maquis as they fought against the fascists following Franco’s victory, but that doesn’t cover the Spanish Civil War itself.

Land and Freedom, from publisher Blue…

The post Land and Freedom Game Review appeared first on Meeple Mountain.

The Tetrarchy was the governing authority that ruled over the Roman Empire from approximately 300-350 CE. A short and rough summation: Rome had been experiencing all variety of issues. The Empire was crumbling, and fast. There were dozens of claimants to the title of Emperor, the borders were under siege, the currency was rapidly devaluing. I don’t think it would be unfair to describe things as going poorly.

The Emperor Diocletian, having established himself as the only legitimate candidate, decided in 286 to promote Maximian, his Caesar (the title, not the person), to co-emperor. They, in turn, appointed two Caesars. It was hoped that dividing the responsibilities of the empire between these four united individuals would solve many of Rome’s problems. It worked, for a little while, until those four men were no longer in power and their successors engaged in civil wars with one another.

There are no lessons to draw from any of this.

“Autokratoria” Is Greek for “Empire”

Tetrarchia is a cooperative game in the tradition of Pandemic. Instead of fighting diseases, players work to secure the borders of the Roman empire while fending off Barbarians. The round structure alternates between…

The post Tetrarchia Game Review appeared first on Meeple Mountain.

Plastic Paradise

You’ve probably seen them around your local gaming store. If you’ve been around long enough, you’ve probably heard of Warhammer 40,000. But if you’re like me, the entire hobby just seemed daunting. Learning to assemble models from tiny bits, plus having to paint them with such fine detail, not to mention learning a ruleset that, from an outside perspective, seems so detailed and complicated… all of it can seem overwhelming. Still, as someone heavily into most niches of the tabletop hobby, such as RPGs and board games, miniatures games felt like a pretty glaring blind spot for me. 

Luckily, my friendly local gaming store (shout out to Atomic Empire in Durham, North Carolina) regularly hosts Learn to Play Day. Here, I was introduced to Marvel: Crisis Protocol by Atomic Mass Games. The branding alone is what caught my eye. I’m very familiar with Marvel's properties from their prolific status in mainstream media and their omnipresence in the tabletop games space. This meant there was a shortcut for my brain to connect with the game instead of learning a new world of lore and mythology. The models for the game were bright and uniquely posed, letting each stand out in its own iconic way. While the idea of building and assembling these models seemed overwhelming, the gameplay…

The post Marvel: Crisis Protocol Game Review appeared first on Meeple Mountain.

What is Kingmaker?

Kingmaker is a game covering the War of the Roses, the dynastic clash for the throne of England between the houses of York and Lancaster from 1455 to 1487. A remake of the 1974 Avalon Hill classic of the same name, this latest version by publisher Gibsons has a double-sided board and two rulebooks, one for playing Classic Kingmaker, and the other for playing Kingmaker II —a streamlined version of the game. Depending on the version, the game can support up to 5 or 6 players. There is even a solo mode. This review is limited to Kingmaker II.

[caption id="attachment_284878" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Setup for a 3-player game[/caption]

Each player controls a varying number of nobles at the start of the game, along with the troops loyal to those nobles. Nobles can be awarded titles, offices within the English royal court, bishoprics, control of towns and cities, mercenaries, and ships. These are used to fight battles, conduct sieges, and gain control of royal family members from the House of York or Lancaster. An immediate Royalty victory is won when one player controls the only royal family member who has been crowned king. Barring that, a faction controlling a king can win a Prestige Victory under certain conditions.

Game…

The post Kingmaker Game Review appeared first on Meeple Mountain.

What is Storm Over Jerusalem?

Storm Over Jerusalem (SoJ) is a wargame that simulates the Roman siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Emperor Vespasian’s son and future emperor, Titus, commanded four legions, while the city was defended by multiple Judean factions, including the Zealots. The siege began in April, just three days before Passover. This meant the city’s population was teeming with pilgrims. After almost five months, the Romans eventually overwhelmed Jewish resistance, sacked the city, and more importantly for the Jewish people, destroyed the Temple, the center of Judean worship.

According to the Jewish historian Josephus — considered a turncoat by his fellow Jews — over one million Judeans were killed and 97,000 were made slaves. The fall of Jerusalem effectively ended what became known as the First Jewish War, although it did not officially end until the capture of the mountaintop fortress of Masada in 73 AD. The successful termination of the Jewish War solidified the position of Vespasian, who had only come to power a year earlier, and ensured the continuation of the Flavian Dynasty.

Setup and Victory Conditions

The Judean forces begin the game occupying all city areas and fall under the overall command of one of two leaders, Simon bar Giora and John of…

The post Storm Over Jerusalem: The Roman Siege Game Review appeared first on Meeple Mountain.