Villages of Valeria: Landmarks (Daily Magic Games)

One of my top ten, possibly top five games of all time is Valeria Card Kingdoms (VCK). It is a fun game of dice-chucking and monster-slaying with great artwork to boot! Following up on the success of this popular game, a prequel was released called Villages of Valeria (VOV). Within this tableau-building game, you will construct buildings, cultivate resources, and attract adventurers to make your village the next capital city of Valeria. On Kickstarter currently is the first expansion to VOV entitled Landmarks. Let's talk about the basic game and what the expansion brings to it.

Setup
1. Give each player a Player Aid Card and Castle Card. The Castle Card is the beginning of your Village.
2. Pick the Starting Player, giving them the Action Selection Card and Active Player Token.
3. Form the Bank from a predetermined number of Gold Coins based on player count. Then, give each player three Gold Coins.
4. Shuffle the two decks of Adventurers and Buildings, forming a separate pile for each. Then, deal each player six Building cards.
5. Deal five Building cards face-up in the center of the table and put the deck face-down next to them.
6. Deal five Adventurer cards face-up above the Building cards and put the deck face-down next to them.
7. Each player, in turn order, then plays one Building card from their hand as a Resource at no cost. This card is slid upside down under your Castle Card.

Game Play - On your turn you will Replenish (taking all the Gold Coins on your Resource Cards and keeping them as yours) and take one of the following five actions:
1. Harvest - Draw three Building Cards into your hand, one at a time.
2. Develop - Discard one card from your hand to add one other card from your hand to your Village as a Resource.
3. Build - Pay the cost of one Building Card from your hand to add it your Village as a Building. Then, draw one card into your hand.
4. Recruit - Pay one Gold Coin to the Bank to add an Adventurer to your Village.
5. Tax - Take one Gold Coin from the Bank and draw one Building Card.

After performing your one Action, all other players (in clockwise order) may follow this action to gain a weaker version of your Action. For example, instead of drawing three cards in the Harvest, the follower draws one card. The game ends when one player's Village has a predetermined number of Adventurers and Buildings. All follow actions are completed and victory points are totaled. The person with the most points wins!

What Landmarks Adds - The expansions adds the following:
1. More Building and Adventurer cards - This part of the expansion is called "more of the same," and I mean this in a good way.
2. Architects - These cards are dealt before the game starts and provide a secret end-game goal, i.e., one point for each Holy symbol on your Buildings.
3. Landmarks - On the follow action, you may now Acquire a Landmark instead of following the main action. There are five types of Landmarks, with each requiring you discard a specific card(s). Landmarks aren't buildings that trigger the end of the game and provide a scoring bonus if you have a set of all five or if you have the most of each type of Landmark.

Review
Villages of Valeria is a tableau-building game that has elements of games like Puerto Rico or Eminent Domain with the follow mechanism. What I like best about this game is that you have to spend gold to build your Buildings. When spending this gold, you can spend them on your Resource cards or other players Resource cards that makes for an interesting decision you will build. Do I wait to build until I have the necessary Resources or do I give my opponent some gold and possibly speed up their engine? Another element I like from this game is the discard feature. When you discard cards from your hand, they don't just go into a pile to be shuffled if the deck runs out. Instead, you place them on top of the row of building cards where you choose, potentially blocking your opponent from getting cards they want. Every time I play this game, it is over before I want it to be, which makes me want to immediately play it again. This is the hallmark of a great game!

So why would I want an expansion to come along and possibly bloat a great game? Because, it actually doesn't over-complicate an already great game. The extra Building and Adventurer cards merely add more variety without introducing something new. That's a winner in my wife's book, who hates basically all expansions on principal. The Architects give you something to focus your strategy on before the game begins, which is a welcome addition when there are so many choices early on. Lastly, the Landmarks give you a follow action to perform when you can't or don't want to follow the main action. They also give you another way to score points in a game that is already tight on scoring.

This is a fairly seamless expansion to incorporate and one that I would include from the very beginning when teaching new players. If you already have the base game, this expansion is a no-brainer purchase. The only decision you'll have to make is if I want to spend $10 extra dollars on a bigger box with vibrant art on it. If you have never played the game before, there's a pledge level for you as well, whether you want a Standard or a Deluxe edition of the game...Seriously, get the Deluxe! Highly recommend this game and expansion!

Valeria Card Kingdoms: Shadowvale (Daily Magic Games)

A lot of gamers like to do Top 10 lists...frequently. They make an overall Top 10, a yearly Top 10, a cooperative Top 10, a competitive Top 10, etc. I have never considered doing this, as I have a lot of games and the game I want to play depends on my mood, time I have to play, and who I am playing with. However, there is one game I love and will play with anyone at anytime, and that game is Valeria Card Kingdoms (aka VCK). It is a simple game to learn, keeps every player engaged every turn, and has amazing artwork to boot! At the end of 2016, they launched their first big expansion on Kickstarter called Flames and Frost. This year they are releasing the second big expansion on Kickstarter called Shadowvale. For those unfamiliar with the base game, it is a game for 1 to 5 players, ages 14+. It takes approximately 30 minutes to play and is currently on Amazon for $31 (steal of a price). The latest expansion can be acquired for a pledge of $24 plus shipping.

Overview and Game Play
The King of Valeria has grown weak in his old age, and his kingdom is under siege by monsters of every shape and size. You and your fellow Dukes sense an opportunity to rally the Citizens, purchase Domains, and repel these vile Monsters from the Kingdom. Whoever manages to do this most successfully will be in prime position to seize the throne of the failing king!

After setting up a game with five stacks of Monsters, ten unique numbered Citizens, and five stacks of Domains. Each player draws a Duke card that they keep secret for end game scoring. Game play is as simple as rolling a pair of dice, activating your Citizens that match the numbers rolled (For example, a 1 and 6 activate citizens with a value of 1, 6, and 7) and taking two actions. Your two actions in the base game were hire a citizen, kill a monster, or buy a domain. The game ends when card stacks equal to twice the number of players have been exhausted. Most victory points is the winner!

What's New In The Expansion:
1. New Citizens - From an Exorcist to an Inventor, there's a lot of interesting Citizens introduced.
2. New Monsters - Spawning from the Sewers, Necropolis, Woods, Den, and Crypt, these horrific beings include rats, vampires, werewolves, and even zombies!
3. New Domains - Some interesting additions here have mutually beneficial player interactions, where you can give a resource to a neighbor to gain a victory point.
4. New Dukes - Nothing earth-shattering here, but they are allowing you the opportunity to get your face in the game, like they did with the base game.
5. Relics - This mini-expansion gives you an additional card at the beginning of the game that gives you a special action that only you can perform.

Positives:
1. More of Everything - More Citizens, More Monsters, More Dukes. This adds a ton of replay value and setup variability to the base game.
2. Same Great Art - Mico once again delivers quality art. I mean look at the Blood Moon Palace. Gorgeous!
3. Relics - This little game changer is truly awesome and gives you a little power that only you can use. It's not enough to win you the game, but it can certainly turn a bad/mediocre turn into a good turn.

Neutral:
1. Monsters - The horror theme isn't one I am particularly drawn to in media (books, movies, or games). My wife isn't a fan either. I can see myself adding one of these monsters to the mix one playing, but would never play with only Shadowvale monsters.

Final Thoughts
When it comes to expansions, there are generally three approaches to take:
1. Add more of what you're used to with the base game to increase replay value and variability.
2. Add something new to keep the game fresh and introduce new strategies.
3. Add something that completely changes how the game is played.

VCK has predominantly stuck with the first two options, which I applaud. In following this strategy, we have been introduced to new Citizens of Valeria (both venerable and questionable), seen the borders of the Kingdom expand with new Domains to purchase, and unearthed Monsters we hoped we'd never encounter. (That's not to say we didn't rise to the occasion and deal them a sound defeat!) The amount of unique combinations you can now make when setting up this game has increased exponentially, and it has made a world that is visually rich and appealing.

In terms of adding new things, VCK has been careful to add to the game and enhance it rather than change it. With the Flames and Frost Kickstarter, we were introduced a mini-expansion called Agents which gave us a different action to take (Hire an Agent) that stayed true to the spirit of the game, while expanding our options. Shadowvale Kickstarter is taking a similar approach by introducing Relics. This mini-expansion also gives you another action you can take, but it is an action only you can take. Think of it as a variable starting power that not only adds variety, but gives you a specialty you can focus your strategy on for the game.

Valeria Card Kingdoms is a game I will continue to visit and play over and over again. It's beautifully simple in its game play and simply beautiful in its artwork. They could make 100 expansions for this game, and I would gladly own all of them, though I'd probably need a bigger box! If you own VCK, this is the easiest decision for a Kickstarter you'll have all year. If you don't own VCK...why not?! Go buy a copy, experience its greatness, and then pledge for this Kickstarter!

Horizons (Daily Magic Games)

From the beginning of time, the world was all that you and your people ever knew. It was very familiar, which at times made it boring, but it was home. As time continued to pass, the world felt smaller and smaller and your people began to wonder if this was all there was? Finally, you and a group of fellow explorers decided to take the plunge and see what or who else was out there? You and your fellow explorers will compete to not only discover new planets, but colonize them as well. You'll meet alien species, ally with them, and strategically use their powers to help you advance past your fellow explorers. This is Horizons. Horizons is a game for 2-5 players, age 14+. It takes approximately 15 minutes per person to play and can be yours for a Kickstarter pledge of $.

Setup
1. Give each player a player board, a set of matching colored Colonies and Collectors, six Habitat Activation markers, an Exploration League ally card, a Scoring/Icongraphy card, one Knowledge token, two Energy tokens, and two Metal tokens.
2. Place the remaining resources (Knowledge, Energy, and Metal) within easy reach for all.
3. Shuffle the Mission cards and deal two to each player. The remainder for a face down pile.
4. Sort the Ally cards by the Action Type symbol found in the upper left corner. Shuffle each of these five stacks.
5. Place a number equal to the player count of starting Stars in the middle of the table.
6. Place the World tiles in the bag and shuffle thoroughly. Randomly determine a start player and give them the bag.
7. The first player draws a World tile from the bag and places either side face up next to any star. The first player then activates the matching Habitat Indicator of that world on their player board.
8. Repeat this step, allowing the subsequent players to activate any Habitat Indicator present in the playing area, not just of the World tile they chose. The game is now ready to begin.

Game Play - On your turn you take two actions from the list below, including taking the same action twice:
1. Explore - Draw a World tile from the bag and play it around a Star. Then, take one Knowledge token. (Note: No star may ever have more than six World tiles attached to it.)
2. Adapt - Activate a Habitat and/or take the top Ally card from any of the five stacks.
3. Build - Build a Collector or a Colony on a World tile. (Note: You may only build on World tiles that match Habitats you have activated. Also, the cost will vary depending on the World tile you are building on.)
4. Harvest - Gain one resource for each Energy and Metal collector you have built.
5. Conspire - Draw two Mission cards or one Ally and one Mission card.

The game ends immediately when one player builds their last Colony. Scores are based on completed Mission cards, Knowledge tokens, and area control surrounding each Star. Most victory points is the winner!

Review
4x games (eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, and eXterminate) are a widely popular genre in both the video game world and the board game world. However, I have never played one and probably never will for two main reasons. 1. They generally take a long time to play and 2. You can eliminate a player from the game. Those two features are not something that overly appeal to me, my wife, or my general gaming group. Thankfully for me (and I'm sure others out there), Horizons has a quick playing time (15 minutes per player) and is being described as a"euro-friendly 4x game" (meaning no eXtermination)! However, the game would have to be more than that to make it stand out, so let's dive a little deeper.

For starters, the game play is reminiscent of another Daily Magic Games creation (Valeria Card Kingdoms) with it's take two actions mechanism. This ensures that turns are quick, but meaningful as you have limited choices and each is one you want to do (sometimes more than once). Do you want to discover a new world this turn or do you want to activate a habitat so you can build on previously discovered worlds? Do I need more mission cards for end-game scoring opportunities or will that ally card on the top of the stack align with the engine I am currently building?

Speaking of ally cards, they are cleverly designed two use cards with the same ability front and back, meaning the first time you use them, they flip, and the second time they are discarded. HOWEVER, what is really ingenious about them is that you can only activate them depending on which action you take. This might help steer you to performing a certain action on your turn at least once so that you can use their ability. There are five specific races (Olo, G'Yetd, Feshar, Algorin, and Dalgryn) each with five unique cards. These races in addition to having amazingly distinct art (what else would you expect from The Mico?) have a different focus. For example, the G'yeto let you use Knowledge (victory points) to bend the rules and do stuff you might not otherwise could do, like building a colony or collector. The Dalgryn, however, let you acquire and spend mission cards (potential victory points) to gain benefits and resources. The Olo are my favorite race though, because they let you acquire Knowledge and give you a direct way to turn resources into points!

I've only played through the game a handful of times, but it seems very balanced to me. There are six different types of planets and 30 tiles. With the tiles being double-sided, this results in there being 10 of each one available so you have pretty good odds of exploring one you need. There are also three which produce energy and three which produce metal, all with similar costs, so you should be able to build what you need without someone monopolizing a certain resource or planet. I especially love the act of placing the tiles around the star. It makes the universe grow and come alive and paints a beautiful picture. This is also a fun way to add area control in a game, as you want to build around a certain star, but other people might see you trying to monopolize a star and move in to your little galaxy.

Horizons clicks for me on so many different levels. I have always loved outer space so having a space-themed game in my collection is something I have tried to accomplish for a while. I could just never find the right one, until now. Secondly, the game is just bright and beautiful. Mix the Mico's art with colorful planets and neon bright tokens and the game pops. It'd probably be pretty cool to play under a black light. Lastly, the game play is smooth and easy to learn. It mixes a couple different mechanisms together, plays quickly, and provides you plenty of interesting choices to make with a near surprise winner each play when you score mission cards in the end. Highly enjoyable and one I will play whenever I'm asked!

Sailing Toward Osiris (Daily Magic Games)

The Pharaoh has passed on, and is making the long journey down the Nile to his permanent resting place. Once he reaches here, he will stand before Osiris and be judged. Unfortunately for him, he produced no heir, so the local governors must build monuments to memorialize his glory. This task isn't altruistic though. The governors know that whoever pays the greatest tribute to their fallen deity will become to the new pharaoh. This is Sailing Toward Osiris. Sailing Toward Osiris is a game for 2-5 players, age 14+. It takes between 60 and 90 minutes to play and can be yours for a Kickstarter pledge of $56 Standard or $66 Deluxe.

Setup - For this setup, a "governor" is a player and a "regent" is the player in charge this season.
1. Lay out the board and put the resources of grain, brick and stone nearby. (To determine the number of each resource, use the formula 5x + 5, where x is the number of players.)
2. Have each governor pick a player color and give them the following in their color: one screen, one camel, four sphinxes, three obelisks, two pylons, and five boon cards. Also give them two of each resource from step one.
3. Shuffle the city cards and deal one to each governor. Then, place the remaining deck nearby.
4. Place every governor's score marker on zero. Then, place the Pharaoh's Barge on the right side of the board, where the river rapids mark separates the first two river segments.
5. Take three Master Laborer tokens (one of each color) and twelve Regular Laborer tokens (four of each color) in the bag.
6. Pick a random governor to be Regent for the first season.

Game Play - The game takes place over four seasons. In each season, the following occurs:
1. Obtain Laborers - The Regent randomly draw Laborers from the bag, (Two in 4-5 player game and three in a 2-3 player game) and place them behind their screen. The bag is passed to the next person, and this action is repeated until all governors have done so. Then, the Regent draws out all but two of the remaining Laborers and puts them in the Labor Pool Cartouche. The Regent may then look in the bag to see what is left, and therefore have knowledge this turn that other players do not have.
2. Perform Many Actions - The Regent may perform one of ten actions below. Then, play passes left. This continues until all the governors have performed as many actions as possible/desired.
a. Harvest Resources - Place a Laborer on a space and gain the resources
b. Visit a City - Place a Laborer on a city and draw two City cards. Keep one and give one to an opponent.
c. Start/Join a Caravan - Place a Laborer on a Caravan space and gain the resources. (Note: If you are first to do this at a space, you put your camel there too to signify you are the leader.) If you place a Laborer where someone is leading a Caravan, you gain the resources, but must pay one to the leader.
d. Hire an Extra Laborer - Hire a Laborer from the Labor Pool Cartouche paying any two resources.
e. Plan a Monument - Select one of the Planning Cartouches; pay the resources; and place the appropriate monument token on the Cartouche.
f. Build a Monument - Move your monument token to a valid position on the map, remembering that you can't build in a space where a Laborer is, where another monument already is, and each type of monument can only be built on terrain sections with a certain number of resource icons. (Note: If you plan to build a monument, but can't before the end of the season, no points are scored and the monument is removed from the game.)
g. Trade at the Market - Make a trade by paying one of the resource sets noted on the Market Cartouche to receive the corresponding resource set.
h. Play a City Card - Play a city card to either receive the resources or perform its special action.
i. Play a Boon Card - A governor may play one of their boon cards once per season, as long as it doesn't match another governor's boon card. At the end of the season, the cards played are removed from the game.
j. Withdraw from the Season - When you are unable or unwilling to take anymore actions, you withdraw. The first governor to withdraw is the next regent and receives a bonus from the Regent Cartouche.
3. Haggle with other Governors - A governor may haggle with another governor at any time in the game for any items in their control. It is not an action, and a promise of a future action is not enforceable.
4. The Season Ends - The current regent steps down and a new regent takes his place. Pharaoh's Barge advances to the next river segment. Camels are returned to their governors. All resources in the market and labor pool are returned to the supply. All laborers are returned to the bag. Played boon cards and planned monuments not built are removed from the game.
5. Pharaoh's Barge Reaches the Temple of Osiris - The game ends and and bonus points are awarded based on their monument configurations. Highest score wins!

Review
Daily Magic Games has a strong history of light to medium weight Kickstarter projects with great art and quality art/components. Therefore, that's exactly what I expected from this game. Well, I was wrong...in a good way. The art and component quality are still top notch (I was blown away by just the prototype!), but the game has a bit more depth and meat to it. Looking at the game play section, you have ten different actions you can take on a given turn...TEN! This creates a difficult decision every turn you take. There's a Master Laborer in the Labor Pool, do I hire him before my opponent does? What about my Boon Cards? There is one I can play this turn, but I want to do other things first, but if I do those things first someone else might play that Boon Card so I can't. ARG! And then there's the City Cards. I need a new city card, but then I have to give one to my opponent. I want both cards. Which one do I pick? I don't want to give this other card to my opponent! So many good difficult decisions can lead to analysis paralysis, but they also make for an excellent game.

Another aspect I love about this game is the way it scales. There are plenty of games out there that play two to five players. Very few of them play every player count well. This game plays just as well at two players, as it does at five players. From the starting number of resources to the amount of spaces available at different player counts, the game designer (W. David MacKenzie) has done an outstanding job to ensure that every player count not only works, but works well. The only thing I would say that doesn't work as well at a two player count would be haggling, because it feels a bit like a zero-sum game, but my game group didn't haggle much at higher player counts the first couple of games anyhow.

The last thing I would like to praise about this game is the theme. I love Egypt, and I hope to visit there one day, so with this theme, I was going to eventually want to try this game. It was just lucky for me that I got to try it early on. From the meeple shapes, to the cartouches on the board, to the actual journey that the barge made, everything immersed you into the game and also provided you a sense of history. This is a great game with a simple depth to it that will bring you back time and time again. Highly recommended!

Food Truck Champion (Daily Magic Games)

They say that love is the universal language, and while that is all well and good, if we're being honest with ourselves, it's actually food. Food is more than just sustenance to people. It's passion, creativity, history, memories, and culture all rolled up in one. It's why people go out for dinner on first dates. It's why holidays revolve around the kitchen and the table. It's why so many people start restaurants, even if it's one of the least successful ventures out there. Recognizing people's love of food, Daily Magic Games took a popular game (Glory to Rome), re-themed it, and improved it to gives us Food Truck Champion! Food Truck Champion is game for 2-5 players, ages 8+. It takes approximately 60 minutes to play and you can own the game for a pledge of $24 on Kickstarter.

Setup
1. Give each player a Food Truck Board, their matching Owner Card, and a Starting Order Card. Place your Owner Card face-down on your player board and your Starting Order Card face-up below your Food Truck Board.
2. Shuffle the Game Cards and deal six to each player. This forms the player's starting hand and is kept secret.
3. Deal eight cards face-up in the center of the table to form the Marketplace, and place the remaining cards next to the Marketplace to form the draw deck.
4. Take two Popularity Tokens per player (valued 1 through 3) and sort them into stacks based on their value. Insert Critique Tokens into those stacks based on number of players. (Example: In a two-player game, a stack would look like this: two Popularity Tokens, one Critique Token, two Popularity Tokens, and one Critique Token.
5. Choose the starting player and give them the Active Player Card.

Game Play - On your turn, you may take one of the three actions:
1. Market Research - Draw cards from the deck equal to your draw limit. If you end up with more than six cards, discard down to six.
2. Take Charge - Pick up your Owner Card from your Food Truck Board and add it to your hand.
3. Lead a Staff Action - Choose a card from your hand to lead a staff action. Announce which one you are leading (see below) and place the card in the center of your Food Truck Board.
a. Driver: Move a card from the Marketplace to your Fridge as an Ingredient.
b. Cashier: Move a card from the Marketplace to your Plating Area as an Order Ticket.
c. Manager: Move a card from the Marketplace to your Hired Staff as a bonus staff action for future turns.
d. Prep Cook: Move a card that is an Ingredient from your Fridge to an Order Ticket in your Plating Area.
e. Executive Chef: Play a card as an Ingredient to your hand onto an Order Ticket in your Plating Area.

Note: Players may follow you, in turn order, if they play a game card with a matching Staff Action or Owner Card from their hand. They can also follow if they have a matching card in their Hired Staff.

When you complete an order by placing the last Ingredient on it, you remove the Order Ticket from your Plating Area and set it aside, turning it horizontal. You then take a Popularity Token equal to the number of ingredients required to complete the order. If a Critique Token is revealed, player review their Order Tickets and choose one for critique. Bonus points are awarded at the end of the game for each set of flavor profile ingredients you collect. The game ends when two stacks of Popularity Tokens are exhausted.

Review
We are all familiar with games that have multi-purpose cards, the most famous being Glory to Rome. Food Truck Champion takes this mechanic, and gives it a different flavor that more people can relate to...food! Couple the theme with the art of Claire Donaldson (of the Go Nuts for Donuts fame) and you have a meaty game that is sure to have everyone coming back for seconds! I really like how each player's truck has its own personality and cooking style. The names are clever too...Sol Sisters and Herban Garden are both very punny and reflective of their signature dishes. Some examples of the food include classic fries, grandma's apple pie, sticky rice cakes, and pickled beet salad. The game requires a great deal concentration to play due to the timing involved in playing this game. You may think you have the perfect action, but since people have the ability to follow your action, they might end up having a better turn than you did. Sometimes your concentration is broken though, because these cards make you so hungry! If this sounds like a fun game to you, I highly encourage you to back it on Kickstarter. You won't be disappointed!

Valeria Card Kingdoms: Flames and Frost (Daily Magic Games)

Welcome to the Kingdom of Valeria! It used to be a quiet area with a noble king and many loyal dukes. However, the king has grown weak in his old age and monsters started showing up and taking over! It is now up to you and your fellow Dukes to save the Kingdom of Valeria. The Duke who is most successful at recruiting citizens to defeat these monsters and building domains to fortify Valeria will claim the throne. This is Valeria Card Kingdoms! Valeria Card Kingdoms was one of the IT games on Kickstarter in 2015. Since their success with this game, they have had two sequels (Villages of Valeria and Quests of Valeria). and have recently launched an expansion on Kickstarter called Flames and Frost. Today, I am going to tell you about both the base game and the expansion, and tell you how the expansion improves the base game. Let's start with the stats though. The game plays 1-5 players, ages 13+, though I'd say 10+. It takes 30-45 minutes to play, depending on how many players you have. You can get the base game, Flames and Frost, mini-booster/expansion packs for a pledge of $79 ($88 after shipping) or if you already have the base game, the expansion will cost you $24 ($28 after shipping).

(Note: This setup and game play will be for the base game and expansion and cover 2-4 players. The one for 5 players is slightly different, so you need to remove any cards with the 5-player icon.)

Setup
1. Pick five groups of Monsters and arrange them face-up in five columns. Each stack of monsters must be sorted from lowest to highest Strength.
2. Pick one of each type of Citizen for based on their activation number and deal out their group face-up in two rows of five columns. (For example, in the base game, your 3 activation card could be an Alchemist or a Mercenary, and the expansion adds the option of a Sorceress.)
3. Shuffle all the Domain cards together. Deal two face-down and one-face-up in each of the five columns.
4. Shuffle all the Agent cards together. Put the stack face-down over the top-left Monster stack. Then, deal out one card face-up over each other Monster stack.
5. Take two Exhausted cards per player and place them next to the Agent stack.
6. Give each player one Starter Peasant, one Starter Knight, and one Reference Card.
7. Also give each player two Gold tokens and one Magic token. (Note: This along with the Strength tokens are the currency for all actions in the game.)
8. Lastly, shuffle all the Duke cards, and give each player one randomly. This is their own personal secret goal.

Game Play - The game is played in a series of turns, divided into the following four phases:
1. Roll Phase - The Active Player rolls the dice.
2. Harvest Phase - All players receive Resources (Gold, Strength, or Magic) based on what was rolled and the cards they have. For example, if you roll a 3 and 4, if you have a Citizen card with a 3, 4, or 7, you collect Resources. Active players gets the Resources on the left of the card. All other players get Resources on the right of the card.
3. Action Phase - The Active Player may perform any two of the four actions, including the same action twice:
a. Slay a Monster.
b. Recruit a Citizen.
c. Gain a Resource of their choice.
d. Build a Domain.
4. End Phase - The Active Player passes the dice to their left.

Game End
The game ends if all the Monsters are slain, all the Domains are built, or all the Exhausted cards are placed. (Note: Whenever you empty any stack (Monsters, Citizens, or Domains), you place an Exhausted card in place of that stack.) Add up your Victory Points achieved from tokens, killing Monsters, building Domains, and your secret Duke card.

Review
Valeria Card Kingdoms (VCK) is already a great game. For starters, the art is fantastic. The Mico has a very distinct and recognizable illustration style, and I am glad that two of my favorite game series use his art. Secondly, the game play is engaging with little down time for any player. Lastly, the game is just plain fun! If there were no other content ever added to this game, it would be a solid 9 out of 10, and be a game that I would play as often as I could. However, the expansion, Flames and Frost (VCK:FF), and other added booster packs crank this game to an 11! How you ask? Two things - Replay Value and Choice.

The Replay Value was already pretty high for VCK with the amount of Dukes, Citizens, Monsters, and Domains. VCK:FF adds five new Dukes, eight new Citizen stacks, five new Monster areas, and fifteen new domains for an exponentially larger amount of replay. There is also a new booster pack, which add Agents to the game. Two big knocks against the base game is that you accumulated more Resources than you could ever use and there wasn't enough player interaction. Agents give you the ability to convert Resources to Victory Points or to hit your opponent with a "take that" action. Problems fixed!

As for the concept of Choice, the new cards introduce Wild resources (where you choose what you need and aren't handcuffed into a resource you have more than enough of) and the option of taking Victory Points as a reward, in lieu of Resources. This presents the interesting decision of do I take the Points now or get more Resources to build a stronger tableau and eventually get the points then? You'll have to figure out that balance for yourself. I really am loving this new expansion, and I can't imagine ever playing the game without it.

10 Minute Heist (Daily Magic Games)

Off in the distance is an eight floor tower that casts an imposing figure in the sky. Within it dwells a Wizard with untold riches and relics...or so the legend goes. You (and other thieves) have been eyeing this castle for years, wondering if you dare enter it and try and get a share of the loot. There were rumors of one bold man breaking into the castle, but no one ever heard from him again. In fact, after he disappeared, no one ever tried to enter the tower again...until tonight. You and your fellow thieves decided to all loot the tower tonight. You aren't working with them. You just hope they'll provide enough of a distraction so that you can get out with a lion's share of the loot before the Wizard catches you. Little do you know, they have the same plans as you. Who will gain the most treasure and who will end up cursed? Find out in 10 Minute Heist: The Wizard's Tower. 10 Minute Heist: The Wizard's Tower is a game for 2 to 5 players, ages 14+. It takes 10 minutes to play and will be launching on Kickstarter October 4th.

Setup
1. Shuffle the Dark Deck (cards with unlit windows on the back), and then remove two cards. Return these cards to the box without looking at them.
2. Shuffle the Light Deck (cards with lit windows on the back), and then remove one card in a 4-5 player game, two cards in a 3 player game, and three cards in a 2 player game.
3. Place the Balcony Tile in the upper left corner of the playing area. Then, take the Light Deck and deal five cards face-up to form Floor 8. Do the same underneath Floor 8 to form Floor 7.
4. Take the Dark Deck and continue forming floors in the manner described in the previous step. The last card dealt on the bottom floor will be dealt face-down.
5. Place the Bridge Tile next to the face down card on the bottom floor. On it place the "1st to Exit" and "2nd to Exit" tiles. Then, display the remaining score tiles near the tower where everyone can see them.
6. Each player picks a Thief token and the starting player is the person who last won any game.
7. Take the leftover Light Deck cards and give them to the player who will go last. They select a card and place it face down in front of them to score points at the end of the game. The remaining cards are passed counter-clockwise until everyone has chosen a card. The rest of the cards are placed in the box without revealing what they are.

Game Play - The game takes place over several rounds until all players have exited the tower. On your turn, you may claim a card in the tower by moving your token along the outside wall of the floor you wish to take a card from. If the card you claim has instructions on it, you must do what they say immediately. You can skip floors if nothing appeals to you, but the most important rule is that you can only travel downward, NEVER upward. The first player to exit claims the "1st to Exit" tile and the second player to exit claims the "2nd to Exit" tile. Then, final scoring occurs.

Scoring - Have the starting player act as the moderator.
1. Treasure Suits - Players add up the value of cards they have in that category and the one with the most is awarded the tile. Example: A Player has a Book of Spells and Flamel's Formulas for a total of nine tomes.
2. Number Sets - Players count the quantity of cards with that number on it.
3. Curses - Players count the quantity of curse icons on all their cards.

If there is ever a tie for a tile among players, no one gets the tile. The person with the most points from all their scoring tiles wins. If there is a tie, the person with the fewest curses wins.

Review
10 Minute Heist: The Wizard's Tower is a quick game of set collection and grid movement. The amount of turns vary person to person and game to game, meaning you can have as many turns as you want. Maybe, you'll take your time and collect every treasure on the floor before moving down, thinking you are outsmarting your opponent(s). Meanwhile, your opponent(s) are rapidly progressing down the tower and taking all the shiny cards you are missing out on. By the time you get done traipsing through the top floor, you might discover, they have already cleaned out Floors 7 and 6, leaving you nothing but curses. Why? Because this game is set-collection with a bit of a racing element. You want to be one of the first to exit for extra points, but you also want to grab the best loot possible. This creates a decision each turn of going for speed or going for greed. You'll have to gauge the tower and your opponents to find the right balance. Then, there's the curses... These can get you a lot of points, as they are valuable treasures, but because of their great value the Wizard has appropriately cursed these to try and tempt you toward a lesser treasure. You'll take some along the way, but don't take too many or you'll end up losing some points at the end!

Where people will have the biggest problem with the game is the theme. The game touches heavily on the supernatural with haunted items, various magical tomes, precious gems, and items from mystical beasts like unicorns, phoenixes, dragons, and basilisks. The artwork is very well done, but is has a bit of a dark feel to it as well, indicating that this was not a good wizard whose tower you broke into. This theme could be a turn off to some, but that is why the game comes with an age recommendation of 14+. You'll have to decide if the theme is good for you, your family, and/or your group or not. I for one did not like one of the treasures being Tarot cards, but it fits with the theme. Plus, it's not like you are using any of the items to perform spells or other types of magic. You merely are taking the treasures, presumably to sell on the black market.

As for the game play value, it's definitely more interesting with 3+ players. With two players, there are more cards missing and more secret information, but a lot less conflict/competition for cards, unless you're cutthroat, which my wife and I are not. I'm curious if there will be future expansions/iterations of this game. It certainly seems possible. If you're looking for a game that's quick to set up, easy to learn, and fast to play consider backing this one on Kickstarter October 4th.

Go Nuts for Donuts (Daily Magic Games)

Sushi Go! is a super popular game, due to its low price-point, ease of learning, quick playtime, and cute illustration style. In a similar vein, Daily Magic Games has created a game called Go Nuts for Donuts! In this game, you are competing with your friends to eat as many donuts as you can. The game is designed for 2-6 players ages 8+. It takes about 20 minutes to play, you will be able to back it on Kickstarter on September 20th.

Setup
1. Give each player a set of Selection Cards according to the number of players. (In a two-player game, players will each receive cards 1, 2, and 3. In a three-player game, players will each receive cards 1, 2, 3, and 4. And so on)
2. Shuffle all of the Donut Cards together and place them face down in a stack to form the Donut Deck. The area to the left is the discard pile.
3. Deal out Donut Cards face up to the right of the Donut Deck equal to the number of players plus one, so in a two-player game, you would deal out three. (Note: The dealt Donut Cards order number matters, so the it would look like this Discard Pile, Donut Deck, Donut 1, Donut 2, Donut 3, etc.)

Game Play - The game takes place over several rounds, until the Donut Deck is exhausted, so that you cannot deal out enough Donut Cards for the number of players.
1. Decide which Donut Card you want and take the appropriate Selection Card from your hand and place it face down. If you want Donut 2, you would play your #2 Selection Card.
2. Once everyone has secretly played their Selection Card, everyone simultaneously flips them face up.
3. Starting with the lowest Selection Card number, players go in order and see if they get to claim their Donut Card (eat a donut). If you played a unique Selection Card, you claim the Donut Card and carry out the action on the card (if applicable). If you and any other player played the same Selection Card, the Donut Card is discarded. (Think of it as two kids fighting over a donut and their mother getting frustrated and telling them that no one gets it.)
4. Refill the Donut Cards and start a new round.

Review
For better or for worse, Go Nuts for Donuts! is going to draw lots of comparisons to Sushi Go! At their core, they are both set collecting games, centered around food, with cute, kid-friendly graphics. However, that is where the comparisons should stop. For starters, the game mechanics are completely different. In Sushi Go, you are drafting cards from separates hands of cards and then passing the hands and going again. In Go Nuts for Donuts, everyone has access to the same cards at the same time, but you are fighting over them. You aren't just able to affect the people to your left/right, but you are able to affect the whole table. This leads to deeper strategy. Not only are you trying to figure out what you need and what your opponents need, but you are also trying to figure out if your opponent is going to pick a card they need or pick a card that you need and they don't want you to have. This leads to my next point. In Sushi Go, everyone gets a card every turn. It might not be a card they want or need, but they get one. If Go Nuts for Donuts, you don't always get a card and that might be okay due to scoring.

Speaking of scoring, there are your typical ways to score. A pair of some donuts will get you five points. Some cards scale in value depending on how many you have (1 = 1, 2 = 3, 3 = 6, 4 = 10, and 5 = 15). However, there are cards that give you negative points for the donut, but provide you with special abilities, like discarding an opponent's donut or taking a donut from the discard pile. There are even cards that give you end game goals, which makes you focus your strategy on perhaps getting more than six types of donuts or fewer than ten donuts total. If I counted correctly, there are currently twenty unique donuts, so there is ample room for many different strategies and a lot of replay value. I enjoy playing Sushi Go and using it as a gateway for other card-drafting games, but after a while it grows stale, and I also just don't like sushi. Go Nuts for Donuts on the other hand is a good gateway game, but it also provides a lot more strategy and decisions, which will appeal to the heavier gamer. Plus, who doesn't love donuts? I highly recommend this game, so be on the lookout for the Kickstarter launch September 20th and let's make this game a reality!

This prototype was provided to me by Daily Magic Games in exchange for an honest review.

Quests of Valeria (Daily Magic Games)

In order to keep my audience informed of the latest and greatest games, I am embarking on a new route for reviewing games. Today, I am reviewing a game that won't be available until 2017, but is currently on Kickstarter. It is entitled Quests of Valeria, and it is produced by Daily Magic Games. Quests of Valeria is the third game in the Valeria series, with the first two being Valeria Card Kingdoms and Villages of Valeria. It is created by Isaias Vallejo and the illustrations are by Mihajlo Dimitrievski (also known as The Mico). It is designed for 2-4 people, ages 14 and up. (The age recommendation is more due to the content of a small minority of the cards than actual gameplay. For example, some quests deal with death and assassination.) The cost of the game is $20 on Kickstarter ($17 + $3 shipping), but it will retail for $25.

Setup
1. Shuffle the Guild Master cards together and deal one face down to each player. This is your secret role/goal that will guide you on what types of quests give you the most points.
2. Shuffle the Citizen cards together and deal three to each player face down. Deal another six face up in a row below the Tavern. Place the remaining cards face down to the right of the Tavern to form the Citizen Deck.
3. Shuffle the Quest cards together and deal the appropriate number face up below the row of Citizens at the Tavern (four for two players, six otherwise). Place the remaining cards face down to the left of the Tavern to form the Quest Deck.

Gameplay - On your turn, you can perform two Actions from any of the four below, including the same one twice:
1. Draw: Draw one car from the Citizen Deck.
2. Hire: Hire 1 Citizen from the Tavern or your hand.
3. Reserve or Reset: Reserve one quest from the Tavern and place it in front of you or discard all Quests from the Tavern, refill the Tavern with new Quests and then reserve one Quest.
4. Complete a Quest: Complete one Quest from the Tavern or one that is in front of you.

Each Quest has its own requirements to complete. For example, to "Bless the Town Well," you need a Citizen who is Holy. (Other Citizen roles include Worker, Soldier, and Shadow.) You also need three Gold and two Strength, which can be found on the Citizens you hire. (The other resource is Magic.) The game ends when one player completes their fifth quest. You add up the total number of points that your quests gave you and the person with the most points wins!

Review
The beauty of this game is its complex simplicity. For starters, the game is more or less a deck of cards. There is no board to play on, dice to roll, or tokens/pawns. Even the rule book was able to fit on a card. So why do I call it complex simplicity? To put it simply, each action can have a huge chain reaction. For example, let's say the Summoner card was in spot 0 at the Tavern. You hire him for a cost of 0 and then his card lets you perform two more actions - draw one card and hire one Citizen. Since cards in your hand are either potential hires or currency, this increases your flexibility. Continuing the example. if the Monk was in spot 1 at the Tavern, you could choose to hire him for one card and his special ability lets you draw two cards. So for just on of your two Actions, you were able to hire two Citizens and increase your hand size by one.

The artwork is also stunning to behold. I own other games which The Mico illustrated, and like those games, this one did not disappoint in visual appeal. The game is also portable, super fast to set up, and quick to play. All that for only $20 makes this a steal on Kickstarter. Most games that end up on Kickstarter feature a lot of exclusive content that is impossible to get once the game hits retail. With this campaign, there is only one exclusive card, so I always appreciate that. Kickstarter is supposed to be about making games available and making them better for everyone, not making games better for a select minority. So if you are looking for a game that is gorgeous to the eye, heavy on theme, and won't break the bank, then consider backing Quests of Valeria.