A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 2
Alert Force
Reviewer Bob Hranek
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 2
Alert Force
Number of Players: 2
Game Length: 1/2 Hour
Relative Complexity (1-10): 3
Type of Game: Board, with cardboard pieces
Subject Matter: Tactical; Terrorist attack on Nuclear Bomber
Air Force Base
Historical Period: Cold War
Victory Conditions: Depends on effort expended versus level of
mayhem generated.
Pros: Interesting subject matter.
Cons: Seems like a lot of effort for such a little game.
Overall Rating (1-10): 4
Asteroid
Reviewer Bob Hranek
Number of Players: 2 (or
more, if roleplayed)
Game Length: 2-3
Hours
Relative Complexity
(1-10): 2
Type of Game: Board with
cardboard pieces, or Roleplaying
Subject Matter:
Tactical; Save Earth from the mad computer.
Historical Period: Near
Future
Victory Conditions: Set
the collision-course asteroid to self destruct and then
escape.
Pros: Easy way to test
your appetite for roleplaying games.
Cons: Pretty one
dimensional, needs embellishment.
Overall Rating (1-10):
4
Attack Sub
Reviewer Bob Hranek
Number of Players:
2
Game Length: 1
Hour
Relative Complexity
(1-10): 3
Type of Game: Card
(non-collectible)
Subject Matter:
Tactical; Sink Ships
Historical Period:
Modern
Victory Conditions: Sink
the enemy fleet
Pros: Fast
Action
Cons: One lucky hit can
end your game
Overall Rating (1-10):
6
Axis & Allies
Reviewer Bob Hranek
Number of Players:
2-5
Game Length: 2-4
Hours
Relative Complexity
(1-10): 4
Type of Game: Board with
plastic pieces
Subject Matter:
Strategy; World Domination
Historical Period: World
War II
Victory Conditions:
Conquest of 2 enemy Capitols or Axis can win Economically
Pros: Easy to learn (1/2
an hour), simple economics, and many possible strategies make this
one of the best Beer-and-Pretzels games ever! To borrow a term
from economics, this game has one of the best marginal utilities
going, based on fun per unit of time.
Cons: Requires
modification to give Axis a fair chance of winning. Technology
is too random and can spoil the game. A few bad die rolls can
really ruin your fleets and change game balance.
Overall Rating (1-10):
8
Axis & Allies: Europe
Reviewer Bob Hranek
Number of Players:
2-4
Game Length: 3-4
Hours
Relative Complexity
(1-10): 4
Type of Game: Board with
plastic pieces
Subject Matter:
Strategy; Domination of Europe
Historical Period: World
War II
Victory Conditions:
Control 1 enemy Capitol while keeping your own.
Pros: Still easy to
learn, better economic warfare, and no technology may make this an
even better game than the original!
Cons: Requires
modification to give Axis a fair chance of winning. Destroyers
are too powerful. Game components suffer from 12 all black dice
(swap some for multiple colors) and a counter tray of dubious
utility.
Overall Rating (1-10):
9
Battlemist
Reviewer Bob Hranek
Number of Players:
2-6
Game Length: 3-5
Hours
Relative Complexity
(1-10): 3
Type of Game: Hexplay
map generation with cardboard pieces.
Subject Matter:
Strategy; accumulate resources for military and magical
power.
Historical Period:
Fantasy
Victory Conditions: Be
first to obtain magical dominance via purchases, heroes, or, most
likely, military conquest.
Pros: Map creation is
half the fun.
Cons: Bad map placements
may ruin your chances of victory even before play starts.
Overall Rating (1-10):
6
Breakout: Normandy
Reviewer Bob Hranek
Number of Players:
2
Game Length: 4
Hours
Relative Complexity
(1-10): 5
Type of Game: Board with
cardboard pieces
Subject Matter:
Operational; D-Day aftermath
Historical Period: World
War II
Victory Conditions: To
perform better than happened historically.
Pros: Excellent area
movement, combat resolution, and play balance leads to believable
outcomes.
Cons: Subtle strategies
hard to master.
Overall Rating (1-10):
7
Buck Rodgers in the 25th
Century
Reviewer Bob Hranek
Number of Players:
2-6
Game Length: 2-4
Hours
Relative Complexity
(1-10): 3
Type of Game: Board with
plastic pieces
Subject Matter:
Strategy; Interplanetary Domination
Historical Period: 25th
Century
Victory Conditions:
Pros: Innovative yet
easy representation of how planetary movement affects
strategy.
Cons: Game often won by
player with lucky turn order on two consecutive turns.
Overall Rating (1-10):
5
Circus Maximus
Reviewer Bob Hranek
Number of Players:
1-8
Game Length: 2-3
Hours
Relative Complexity
(1-10): 2
Type of Game: Board with
cardboard pieces
Subject Matter: Racing;
just like "Ben-Hur"
Historical Period: Roman
Empire
Victory Conditions:
First to cross finish line alive.
Pros: Exciting,
fast-paced, and fun.
Cons: You need at least
one person who's memorized the rules.
Overall Rating (1-10):
6
Civilization
Reviewer Bob Hranek
Number of Players:
2-7
Game Length: 5-12
Hours
Relative Complexity
(1-10): 3
Type of Game: Board,
with cardboard pieces
Subject Matter:
Strategy; Development of your Civilization
Historical Period: Dawn
of History, 8000 BC to 250 BC
Victory Conditions: Be
first to advance past whatever civilization level was chosen at start
of the game.
Pros: Effective trading
is the key skill here, a bonus for those that don't like too much
emphasis on combat.
Cons: It can take an
exceedingly long time to finish a full-length game.
Overall Rating (1-10):
5
Conquistador
Reviewer Bob Hranek
Number of Players:
1-4
Game Length: 8
Hours
Relative Complexity
(1-10): 7
Type of Game: Board with
cardboard pieces
Subject Matter:
Strategy; players compete to conquer most of the new
world.
Historical Period: Age
of Exploration, 1495-1600
Victory Conditions:
Accumulate the most gold and control in the new world.
Pros: Rich in detail and
seems to accurately reflect each nation's capabilities and
goals.
Cons: A very long and
complex game, requiring a fair amount of bookkeeping.
Overall Rating (1-10):
5
Fortress America
Reviewer Bob Hranek
Number of Players:
2-4
Game Length: 3-5
Hours
Relative Complexity
(1-10): 3
Type of Game: Board with
plastic pieces
Subject Matter:
Strategy; Conquest of USA
Historical Period:
Current
Victory Conditions:
Invaders need to control 18 out of 30 US cities at end of a US
turn.
Pros: There will never
be a game that lasts indefinitely.
Cons: No short games are
possible since can't tell who is winning until almost all invader
reinforcements are used up.
Overall Rating (1-10):
6
Hammer's Slammers
Reviewer Bob Hranek
Number of Players:
1-4
Game Length: 2-4
Hours
Relative Complexity
(1-10): 4
Type of Game: Board,
with cardboard pieces
Subject Matter:
Tactical; Platoon sized futuristic units.
Historical Period: Far
Future
Victory Conditions:
Depends upon scenario.
Pros: Innovative game
mechanics for deployment from orbit. Excerpts from David
Drake's excellent source books serve to introduce the flavor of this
style of combat to a potential gamer.
Cons: Not playtested
enough for detailed evaluation.
Overall Rating (1-10):
7
Illuminati
Reviewer Bob Hranek
Number of Players:
2-8
Game Length: 2-3
Hours
Relative Complexity
(1-10): 2
Type of Game: Card
(non-collectible)
Subject Matter:
Strategy; World Control
Historical Period:
Current
Victory Conditions:
Depends on who you are.
Pros: Very weird, funny,
and a complete change of pace.
Cons: I was warned not
to say anything bad about it (shhh, that's supposed to be a
secret).
Overall Rating (1-10):
7
Number of Players:
2-6
Game Length: 1Ž2
Hour
Relative Complexity
(1-10): 1
Type of Game: Card
(non-collectible)
Subject Matter:
Tactical; Blast Space Ships
Historical Period: Far
Future
Victory Conditions: Be
the last survivor
Pros: Fast, Fun, and
Easy
Cons: None
Appreciable
Overall Rating (1-10):
8
Money
Reviewer Bob Hranek
Number of Players:
3-5
Game Length: 1Ž2
Hour
Relative Complexity
(1-10): 1
Type of Game: Card
(non-collectible)
Subject Matter:
Economic; Greed
Historical Period:
Current
Victory Conditions: Have
the biggest score after 3 decks.
Pros: Fast, Fun, and
Easy
Cons: None
Appreciable
Overall Rating (1-10):
8
Monsters Ravage America
Reviewer Bob Hranek
Number of Players:
1-4
Game Length: 2
Hours
Relative Complexity
(1-10): 2
Type of Game: Board with
plastic and cardboard pieces
Subject Matter: Monster;
Destroy American cities and other monsters.
Historical Period:
Current
Victory Conditions: Be
the last monster standing when all is said and done.
Pros: Each player
controls a monster and one branch of US military.
Cons: Once your monster
gets weak, it usually stays that way.
Overall Rating (1-10):
6
Number of Players:
3-6
Game Length: 1Ž2
Hour
Relative Complexity
(1-10): 1
Type of Game: Card
(non-collectible)
Subject Matter:
Tactical; Sink Ships
Historical Period: World
War II
Victory Conditions: Sink
the most points in ships
Pros: Fast, fun, and
easy to learn
Cons: If you can't get
the right sized shells, game play can get boring.
Overall Rating (1-10):
6
Ogre/Gev/Shockwave
Reviewer Bob Hranek
Number of Players:
2
Game Length: 1Ž2 - 2
Hours
Relative Complexity
(1-10): 3
Type of Game: Board with
cardboard pieces
Subject Matter:
Tactical; what combat could be like if huge cybernetic Bolo-like
tanks become a reality.
Historical Period: Near
future
Victory Conditions:
Depends upon scenario, usually destroy more of the enemy than
yourself.
Pros: Fast paced, good
game mechanics, and interesting scenarios.
Cons: Almost all these
microgames have cheap game components.
Overall Rating (1-10):
7
Panzer Blitz
Reviewer Bob Hranek
Number of Players:
2
Game Length: 2-4
Hours
Relative Complexity
(1-10): 3
Type of Game: Board with
cardboard pieces
Subject Matter:
Tactical; Eastern Front Platoon-sized units
Historical Period: World
War II
Victory Conditions:
Varies by scenario.
Pros: Highest level of
gaming realism possible if played double blind.
Cons: Observation rules
unrealistic.
Overall Rating (1-10):
5
Panzer Leader
Reviewer Bob Hranek
Number of Players:
2
Game Length: 2-4
Hours
Relative Complexity
(1-10): 4
Type of Game: Board with
cardboard pieces
Subject Matter:
Tactical; Western Front Platoon-sized units
Historical Period: World
War II
Victory Conditions:
Varies by scenario.
Pros: Highest level of
gaming realism possible if played double blind.
Cons: Time
consuming.
Overall Rating (1-10):
6
Richochet Robot
Reviewer Bob Hranek
Number of Players: 2-Any
(Everyone that can see the board simultaneously can play.)
Game Length: 1
Hour
Relative Complexity
(1-10): 1
Type of Game: Board with
plastic robots and cardboard tokens.
Subject Matter: Puzzle;
each round you have 1 minute to find smallest number of moves
required to move selected robot to selected square.
Historical Period:
N/A
Victory Conditions:
Successfully complete more robot moves than your opponents at game's
end.
Pros: Teaching this fun
little game literally takes less than 5 minutes! Players can
join in or leave without ruining a game in progress. The four
double-sided boards can be set up 96 unique ways to prevent
"memorization" of the wall pattern by experienced players.
Cons: None
appreciable.
Overall Rating (1-10):
10
Rise and Fall
Reviewer Bob Hranek
Number of Players:
1-6
Game Length: 3-6
Hours
Relative Complexity
(1-10): 2
Type of Game: Board with
cardboard pieces
Subject Matter:
Strategy; Control of Empires
Historical Period: Roman
Empire
Victory Conditions:
Accumulate the most victory points ASAP
Pros: Players are never
out of this finely crafted game, they just restart as a new Barbarian
group once their existing group gets too weak.
Cons: Playing a full
500-point game takes too long. The only thing that slowed sales
of this game was its bad cover art.
Overall Rating (1-10):
7
Robo Rally
Reviewer Bob Hranek
Number of Players:
2-8+
Game Length: 1-4
Hours
Relative Complexity
(1-10): 1
Type of Game: Board with
pewter robots and cardboard pieces
Subject Matter: Racing;
Robotic racecourse on a factory floor.
Historical Period: Near
Future
Victory Conditions: Be
the first robot to complete the racecourse without getting destroyed
>3 times.
Pros: Fast, fun, and
easy.
Cons: If too many
boards/flags are used, then the game gets very long.
Overall Rating (1-10):
7
Science Fiction and Horror
Trivia Game
Reviewer Bob Hranek
Number of Players:
2-6
Game Length: 1-2
Hours
Relative Complexity
(1-10): 1
Type of Game: Board with
plastic pieces and cards (non-collectible)
Subject Matter: Trivia;
in 8 categories: The Classics, Actors & Roles, Sci-Fi Films, Into
The Unknown, Horror, Monsters & Superheroes, Television, and
Frontiers & Galaxies (i.e., Star Trek & Star
Wars).
Historical Period:
Anything concerned with science fiction and horror (any, mostly
modern).
Victory Conditions:
Complete enough trivia questions to reach escape velocity.
Pros: 3200 fun questions
for Fen who know their genre and not regular "trivial pursuit"
categories.
Cons: If you're not a
fan, then don't bother.
Overall Rating (1-10):
6
Starfire I and II
Reviewer Bob Hranek
Number of Players:
2-4
Game Length: 1Ž2 - 2
Hours
Relative Complexity
(1-10): 3
Type of Game: Board with
cardboard pieces
Subject Matter:
Tactical; starships fight with a variety of weaponry.
Historical Period: Far
Future
Victory Conditions:
Depends upon scenario
Pros: Easy game
mechanics for a starship combat game.
Cons: Scenarios are not
balanced, sluggish battles, little realism.
Overall Rating (1-10):
5
Starfire III
Reviewer Bob Hranek
Number of Players:
2-6
Game Length: Days to
weeks
Relative Complexity
(1-10): 6
Type of Game: Strategic
Expansion, Requires Starfire I and/or II.
Subject Matter: Grand
Strategy; Star Empires fight with a variety of weaponry.
Historical Period: Far
Future
Victory Conditions:
Interstellar domination
Pros: Relatively easy
chance to do it all: economics, exploration, ship design, as well as
combat.
Cons: Incomplete rules
and first empire that develops and deploys strike fighters will
win.
Overall Rating (1-10):
6
Star Fleet Missions
Reviewer Bob Hranek
Number of Players:
2-6
Game Length: 1-2
Hours
Relative Complexity
(1-10): 1
Type of Game: Card
(non-collectible)
Subject Matter: Card
game; outbid your opponents to win mission cards.
Historical Period: Far
Future
Victory Conditions: Win
the most mission cards when all is said and done.
Pros: Quick and easy
with a popular genre, very suitable to break-in non-gamers to the
gaming realm.
Cons: Merely a "war"
card-game where you get to pick the cards to play.
Overall Rating (1-10):
5
Starship Troopers
Reviewer Bob Hranek
Number of Players:
1-3
Game Length: 1-3
Hours
Relative Complexity
(1-10): 4
Type of Game: Board with
cardboard pieces
Subject Matter:
Tactical; Powersuit-equipped Mobile Infantry fighting an interstellar
war mostly against the Arachnids.
Historical Period: 22nd
Century
Victory Conditions:
Based upon scenario
Pros: It's accurately
based on Heinlein's novel and not the movie.
Cons: Time consuming
pre-play preparation (designing the underground Bug
hives).
Overall Rating (1-10):
6
Stellar Conquest
Reviewer Bob Hranek
Number of Players:
1-4
Game Length: 4-6
Hours
Relative Complexity
(1-10): 5
Type of Game: Board with
cardboard pieces
Subject Matter:
Strategy; Control of Star Systems
Historical Period: Far
Future
Victory Conditions: Have
the most people on the best planets at game's end.
Pros: Variable
Technology Development
Cons: Lots of
Time-Consuming Secret bookkeeping, if a fatal mistake is made on
paper, it won't be discovered until the end of this excruciatingly
long game.
Overall Rating (1-10):
3
Super Giant Monster
Showdown
Reviewer Bob Hranek
Number of Players:
2-11
Game Length: 1
Hour
Relative Complexity
(1-10): 1
Type of Game: Card
(non-collectible)
Subject Matter: Monster;
Maximum Destruction
Historical Period:
Current
Victory Conditions: 3
Kill Categories to maximize: People, Property, and other
Monsters.
Pros: Just like being in
a monster movie, and you get to design your own monster!
Cons: Your monster can
be killed easily if more than one player gangs up on
yours.
Overall Rating (1-10):
7
Talisman, and all 4
expansions
Reviewer Bob Hranek
Number of Players:
2-6
Game Length: 1-3
Hours
Relative Complexity
(1-10): 1
Type of Game: Board,
with cardboard and lots of cards (non-collectible).
Subject Matter:
Adventure; Traverse various levels having adventures, accumulate
strength and wisdom, and when you think you're ready, go to the
highest level to try to win.
Historical Period:
Fantasy
Victory Conditions:
Attain the "Crown of Command"
Pros: Good kids
game.
Cons: Don't use the
"City" expansion or it ruins the game.
Overall Rating (1-10):
6
Third Reich
Reviewer Bob Hranek
Number of Players:
2-6
Game Length: 6-12
Hours
Relative Complexity
(1-10): 9
Type of Game: Board with
cardboard pieces
Subject Matter: Grand
Strategy; European Corps level combat and Economics
Historical Period: World
War II
Victory Conditions:
Dependent upon scenario played.
Pros: High level of
gaming realism in a very complete and well balanced game.
Cons: Very high
complexity and the time required to finish.
Overall Rating (1-10):
6
Thunder's Edge
Reviewer Bob Hranek
Number of Players:
3-5
Game Length: 3-5
Hours
Relative Complexity
(1-10): 4
Type of Game: Hexplay
map generation with cardboard pieces.
Subject Matter:
Strategy; World Domination
Historical Period:
Future
Victory Conditions: To
yield the most political influence (military control and actions
completed) when tensions increase enough to end the game.
Pros: Great mix of
military and other victory considerations.
Cons: Combat losses are
expensive, offensives aren't sustainable. Game can be very
long. Not seeing all the planetary terrain is a necessary game
mechanism, but seems very silly when you're in orbit around the
planet!
Overall Rating (1-10):
7
Twilight Imperium
Reviewer Bob Hranek
Number of Players:
2-6
Game Length: 3-6
Hours
Relative Complexity
(1-10): 4
Type of Game: Hexplay
map generation with cardboard pieces.
Subject Matter:
Strategy; Interstellar Domination
Historical Period: Far
Future
Victory Conditions: Be
first to achieve military/political dominance over all other
players.
Pros: Variable
Technology Development
Cons: Bad map placements
may ruin your chances of victory even before play starts. Once
you get behind, you usually stay behind. Game is usually
exceedingly long.
Overall Rating (1-10):
5
Number of Players:
2
Game Length: 1-2
Hours
Relative Complexity
(1-10): 5
Type of Game: Card
(non-collectible)
Subject Matter:
Tactical; Man-to-Man Infantry Combat
Historical Period: World
War II
Victory Conditions:
Break enemy squad or achieve specified goal before set number of
decks (usually 3).
Pros: Fast action, good
mechanics, and high conceptual realism.
Cons: Frustration when
you just can't get the cards you need.
Overall Rating (1-10):
8
Victory In The Pacific
Reviewer Bob Hranek
Number of Players:
2
Game Length: 3-4
Hours
Relative Complexity
(1-10): 2
Type of Game: Board with
cardboard pieces
Subject Matter:
Strategy; Control of the Pacific
Historical Period: World
War II
Victory Conditions:
Accumulate more Points of Control (POC) at end of game.
Pros: Well developed
game, excellent game mechanics, highly suitable for
tournaments.
Cons: None
appreciable.
Overall Rating (1-10):
7
Vinci
Reviewer Bob Hranek
Number of Players:
3-6
Game Length: 2
Hours
Relative Complexity
(1-10): 3
Type of Game: Board with
cardboard and wooden pieces
Subject Matter:
Strategy; Expansion of Empires
Historical Period:
Pre-history through Middle Ages
Victory Conditions: Have
the most victory points on the turn anyone reaches 100
points.
Pros: Excellent game
mechanics, play balance, and variety.
Cons: None.
Overall Rating (1-10):
10
War At Sea
Reviewer Bob Hranek
Number of Players:
2
Game Length: 1
Hour
Relative Complexity
(1-10): 1
Type of Game: Board with
cardboard pieces
Subject Matter:
Strategy; Control of Atlantic and Mediterranean
Historical Period: World
War II
Victory Conditions:
Accumulate more Points of Control (POC) at end of turn 8.
Pros: Lots of fun if you
like to roll lots of dice.
Cons: Light fair, not
much thinking required.
Overall Rating (1-10):
5
Wiz War
Reviewer Bob Hranek
Number of Players:
2-8
Game Length: 1Ž2 - 1
Hour
Relative Complexity
(1-10): 1
Type of Game: Board with
cardboard pieces
Subject Matter:
Adventure; Wizards duke it out for supremacy.
Historical Period:
Fantasy
Victory Conditions: Get
2 other treasures without losing both of yours or eliminate all other
Wizards.
Pros: Fast, Fun, and
Strange.
Cons: None
Appreciable
Overall Rating (1-10):
7
Wizard's Quest
Reviewer Bob Hranek
Number of Players:
2-6
Game Length: 1 1Ž2 - 3
Hours
Relative Complexity
(1-10): 1
Type of Game: Board with
cardboard pieces
Subject Matter:
Strategy; Kingdoms fight each other, orcs, and are wary of the
ever-hungry dragon.
Historical Period:
Fantasy
Victory Conditions:
Retrieve all 3 of your treasurers.
Pros: Good for
kids.
Cons: It's a kid's
game.
Overall Rating (1-10):
5
2038 Tycoons of the
Asteroid Belt
Reviewer Bob Hranek
Number of Players:
3-6
Game Length: 4-9
Hours
Relative Complexity
(1-10): 9
Type of Game: Board with
cardboard pieces
Subject Matter:
Economic; explore, develop, and manipulate stock of asteroid mining
operations.
Historical Period:
2038
Victory Conditions:
Player with most stocks and cash when bank runs out of money
wins.
Pros: Interesting
subject matter and a lot of detail.
Cons: Game is so complex
and long that it might be easier and more fun to mine the asteroids
in real life!
Overall Rating (1-10):
2
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