Saturday, June 8, 2013

#gamechef2013 reviews 30-33 w/ 8 French Game

Progress! Progress! We're at the 30 digits!

Game Chef English 2013

30. Seers by Michael Godesky (layout by Jason Godesky)

Twitter Pitch: An evocative storytelling game of magical realism. You are a Seer who must make deals with spirits while maintaining balance between them. 

The Good: Wow. I was talking earlier that there wasn't a game that caught my attention this year yet doing these mass reviews. This might be it. Quick, simple, elegant, interpretive and easy to pick up when you read the rules out loud.

The Bad: The only thing I might say is that I wish that there was a way to use any tarot deck. Probably not something usable for the limited space on the cards but I have a Froud deck that would be wonderful to use for this.

The Other: Because of the way the games are reviewed, I don't know if this will make it. But it should make it to the finals, and it should be a strong contender for winning.

Would I play it? Brethren, we gather at this circle ...

31. Illuminati: Race to the Top! by Jonathan Janssen

Twitter Pitch: A light and humorous game where randomly generated agents fight their way to the top of the Illuminati pyramid.

The Good: This is like you too INWO, and turned it into a board/card/RPG game where you have to describe what's going on rather than rolling some dice.

The Bad: More funny? The game has such an opportunity for funny and it just doesn't go there. It needs to be ridiculous and silly, far more than you have it already. Embrace it, run with it.

The Other: Maybe make interpersonal conflict a little funnier too, but that's the same as above.

Would I play it? Yes, but with the silliness turned up to eleventy.

32. Infinite Elevator by Faith and Russell Portier

Twitter Pitch: A storytelling game pitting human roadies for alien rock bands against hotel employees in a futile quest to keep the rockstars happy.

The Good: Intergalactic prima donna rockstars, human roadies, and a lack of understanding of what's going on mixed with a wonky elevator that takes you places? This is a great game, and a great execution. The rules work well for what you're doing, and it does have the kind of confrontational aspect to the game.

The Bad: A personal preference would be to play more with the communication barriers that would happen in this kind of situation. There isn't a babble fish, so that would be something I would like to see, but by no means is it something that needs to be there.

The Other: Examples need to be more Rockstar-like. They want a bowl of green sluuuges, not blue sluuuuges because they're toxic. Just a thought.

Would I play it? Get me to the Crystal Methane Spa, I need to get that bowl of green sluuuuges!


33. Shuriken Survival by Peter Edwards ... with link to cards.

Twitter Pitch: 

The Good: This looks like a little fun bluffing game that you can play, and have it end pretty quickly depending on the cards you get. Short, fun little time sink.

The Bad: The rules need a lot of going over. You shouldn't have to write that you can play "psychological games" the rules should provide you with those opportunities themselves. I'd also dump the Lantern Deck. Have people attack who they want.

The Other: Also, maybe have 2 hits and have three locations to provide a few more options? You take 2 damage from one, 1 damage from another and miss? I'm just thinking about how much it would suck to get knocked out right away and then have to sit down and wait for everyone else to do cool stuff.

Would I play it? No, but only because again I feel it needs something changed to it in order to make it playable.


French Game Chef 2013

8. DEMONSTRIFICATION par 

Pitch: La S.T.F (Société de Transport Ferroviaire) existe depuis 1894, ses trains de containers traversent tout le continent glacé pour livrer des marchandises entre les villes de Barite et de Kofia. Malheureusement les régions traversées sont infestées de monstres et certains d’entre eux pensent pouvoir profiter du train pour voyager gratos, mais heureusement vous êtes là. Vous êtes un agent de la S.T.F chargé de garder le train en bon état, d’inspecter les containers et d’éjecter les monstres et marchandises illégales
que vous pouvez y trouver. Mais en même temps vous avez besoin de fric alors des fois vous négociez un peu avec les bestioles, ou bien vous les maravez pour les dépouiller ensuite. Tsss. [The STT, the Society of Train Transport, has existed since 1894 and has kept goods moving between the cities of Barite and Kofia. Unfortunately, this region is heavily infested with monsters who look to take what they can from the train. That's where you come in, with kicking out monsters, and finding contraband the STT makes sure the goods get where they need to go. Of course, sometimes it pays to look the other way ...]

Le Bon [The Good]: Je comprends pourquoi ce jeux est une finaliste pour 2013. Une idée amusante, un méchanism qui vite, et flexible. Les examples sont parfait, et ont toujours illustré and illuminé les problèmes que j'avais avec le texte. [I understand why this is a 2013 finalist. Amusing idea, quick simple mechanics. Your examples are perfect and always illustrate a problem I'm having with the text]

Le Mauvais [The Bad]: Le seule chose qui, peut-être, est supplémentaire au jeux c'est le rêve. C'est pas une méchanism bizarre ou incongru, mais si il-y-avait qu'elle que chose à couper, c'est le rêve. [The only thing I might think is kind of on the outside is the dream mechanic. I don't think it's too out there, but if there was something to cut that would be it.]

L'Autre [The Other]: J'ai une image des agents de la STF qui arrive et voix des monstres dans les paquets, prendre un moment, et après fermer la porte. [I have this image of STT agents opening the door, seeing a bunch of nasty monsters in the parcels, there's a pause when everyone looks at each other, and then they close the door behind them.]

Jouons [Would I play it]? Le train part à midi-trente. [The train is leaving at 12:30.]

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