"Great gaming experience! Challenges players to carefully plan and manage money." -WIN Das Spiele Journal.
“On the surface, it appears to be a straightforward middleweight game. But it only takes a couple of turns to realize that there's more to be found once you dig a little deeper. How delightfully appropriate for a game about archaeology! Overall I think that Artifact is a very solid gamer's game, with plenty of scope for planning and decision-making. Even though there isn't anything dramatically innovative, there are some nice new design touches, which give the game a different feel from anything else out there. And the provided expansions add a lot to the gameplay, at the cost of only a little extra complexity. If you're the sort of gamer who doesn't mind digging a little deeper into a game, with the hope of finding the treasure buried within, I think you'll probably like Artifact.” –Larry Levy, OpinionatedGamers.com
“On the surface, it appears to be a straightforward middleweight game. But it only takes a couple of turns to realize that there's more to be found once you dig a little deeper. How delightfully appropriate for a game about archaeology! Overall I think that Artifact is a very solid gamer's game, with plenty of scope for planning and decision-making. Even though there isn't anything dramatically innovative, there are some nice new design touches, which give the game a different feel from anything else out there. And the provided expansions add a lot to the gameplay, at the cost of only a little extra complexity. If you're the sort of gamer who doesn't mind digging a little deeper into a game, with the hope of finding the treasure buried within, I think you'll probably like Artifact.” –Larry Levy, OpinionatedGamers.com
"I really enjoyed Artifact as I really liked the choices and decisions it presented me with. There’s lots to balance in terms of timing as well as logistics." - James Sheehan, Metagames
“There is a lot of strategy in this game...players that can plan 6 actions ahead will be rewarded. This game needs to be played multiple times for one to appreciate the depth and flow of the interwoven mechanics. The expansions added some nice thematic and historic feel.” –Paul Incao, BoardgameGeek.com
“It is a good, solid game. Thinky, without
being overly thinky. It looks cool and it’s that medium-weight game that we are
missing these days in the Eurogame category. I was very happy with it and would certainly play it again.”
– Tom Vasel, The Dice Tower
"It is easily accessible, but repeatedly challenges
players to plan ahead in order to place their tiles onot the most profitable
spaces. The included variants allow the player to adjust the flow so that
strategists and as families alike will have fun equally. Rating: 5 out of 6" – Pascal von Engelbrechten, Heimspiel.info
"Citrus isn’t a complex game but there’s actually far
more to weigh up and decide upon than it seems on first inspection. There’s a
lot of interaction as players buy tiles, place tiles, and try to generally do
the best for themselves and at the highest annoyance to their opponents. It’s
a fast-moving and colourful-looking Eurogame with plenty of tricky decisions,
and elements which are never easy to balance (which is a good thing)." – James Sheahan,
Metagames
“Lots of fun,
easy to teach and learn, and quick to play.” –Shanthi Gonzales, BoardgameGeek.com
“There's a lot to
think about here, but all wrapped up in a neat, 70 minute (or so, it felt fast)
package that played very nicely and was enjoyed by all.” –Lloyd, BoardgameGeek.com
“A very pleasant
tile laying game. Simple clean mechanics that are well executed to create a
light but interactive game.” –Daniel B_G, BoardgameGeek.com
"Very nice, with simple rules, relatively quick and very familiar, lending itself to easily integrate into the list of good games for an evening of family fun!" -Carlos Abrunhosa, JogoEu
"Like most dlp games titles it is a well developed family friendly strategy game. And this one has a very classic feel to it. Like those games they made about 10 years ago. I quite enjoyed it, just like enjoy those games from back then." -Surya Van Lierde, BoardgameGeek.com
"Very nice, with simple rules, relatively quick and very familiar, lending itself to easily integrate into the list of good games for an evening of family fun!" -Carlos Abrunhosa, JogoEu
"Like most dlp games titles it is a well developed family friendly strategy game. And this one has a very classic feel to it. Like those games they made about 10 years ago. I quite enjoyed it, just like enjoy those games from back then." -Surya Van Lierde, BoardgameGeek.com
“Deserves to be among the Top 10 Eurogames on BGG! Very clever Euro, that doesn't feel like any other game in my collection. “– Mik Svellov, Brett & Board
"I like the way in which the designer has a new and interesting story to tell and has put a lot of thought into how he wants to tell it. This is the first "big" game from Jeff Allers; I hope it won't be the last."-- Stuart Dagger, "2012: My Top 5," Counter Magazine
“We liked it very, very much. In the game, the history of the colonization of America has been broken down into very few mechanisms that work very well. Through the fur trade, land acquisition and influence in the city there are 3 sources of victory points that allow so many different strategies.” - Rene Puttin, Spielbox.de, Rating 6 out of 6 on hall9000.de
"Third best game of 2013 so far!" -- Joel Eddy, Drive-Thru Reviews
“The mechanics fit relatively well to the theme. A well
put-together game that doesn’t take too long to learn or to play. It’s
definitely in the running for my game of the year.” - Ryan Metzler, The Dice
Tower.
"The mechanisms
work amazingly well in New Amsterdam. There are clearly several roads which
could lead to the victory. The auction, majorities in the districts,
agriculture and trade offer a lot of choices for creative players. The rules
are clearly depicted on the board and very useful in this excellent game. This
game belongs in my top 3 favorite games of 2012!" – Henk Rolleman, BoardgameGeek.com
"Nieuw Amsterdam has 3 interlocking economies and to make progress (and score points)
from any of them, you need to acquire an action marker of the appropriate type
at auction. The auction each round is very tense and that's where the game is.
Decisions about what to put up for auction are interesting as well." - Dave Eisen,
BoardgameGeek.com
"The initial
action auction is very clever and forces people to review the benefit of
starting position as well as the actions themselves. The special actions need
preplanning to avoid delay but experienced players should whip through the phases.
There is considerable depth to this game that isn't apparent from the first
read through of the rules. The second play opens the door to even more opportunities.
Why isn't there a louder buzz about this game?" - Nick Case, Counter Magazine contributor
“Here we are dealing with the best game of the
Fair 2012. The decisions are not easy, but every decision is important. And the
auction mechanism is completely to my taste.”
– Manuel Uzelmaier, BoardgameGeek.com
“Sometime during the first game
you’ll realize how important the auction is, and by the end of the game you’ll
be totally captivated as the action tokens are laid out, and you’ll be scheming
to figure out how to get the set you need (it’s much less straightforward than
you’d think). For me, this auctioning system made the game a clear winner. Nieuw Amsterdam is a solid,
medium-heavy Euro that has enough twists and engagement for pretty much anyone.
There’s a good chunk of theme here too, which helps to make it even more
engaging. “–Ted Alspach,
“A very beautiful game with lots of very good
components. The mechanics are clever, but the gameplay is cut-throat - which I
like! “– Thomas Büttner, BoardgameGeek.com
“On the whole, I would compare the
complexity and cohesion of the design to something like Puerto Rico (though
they have little in common mechanically, I get a similar feel from both). Here,
the auction mechanism is clearly the heart of the game, and I found it to be
quite engaging. For those who
appreciate the more material aspects of a game’s design, I want to emphasize
that the production quality of Nieuw Amsterdam is largely extraordinary. Overall, White Goblin has done a
terrific job with this title, and I hope it gets the wide recognition it
deserves.”—Ben McJunkin, The Opinionated
Gamers
“This game has a whole lot that I love.
Innovative auctions, tightness resources/money, complicated painful decisions,
very much a Martin Wallace-ish feel. Lost miserably first play, but I
immediately wanted to play again.” –Bryan Thunkd, BoardgameGeek.com
“Just a great
game. Gorgeous components too. The thematic integration is excellent, there was
a great moment in our first game where it dawned on us why each time we bought
new land, the natives moved further down river... and their numbers dwindle.” –Steve
Duff, BoardgameGeek.com
“I quite enjoyed it and look
forward to playing it again. My favorite parts of the game are that you
have to bid for the right to do different actions and the close interconnectivity
of everything in the design. The theme is strong and the gameplay is
multifaceted. I think this is a title that both families and gamers can
enjoy.” – Larry Levy, The Opinionated
Gamers.
“I must say, the game is a classic. The mechanisms are easily
understandable and accessible. The resource cycles are nice and clear and on
the board, practically EVERYTHING is summarized. The auction system for the
actions, however, is furious. I like it! Apart from this, with its three main
actions, the game offers three different ways to generate victory points. But
you cannot win with only one path. One also has to have a second path to be
effective.” – Tom, Unknowns.de
“Complex,
but not a complicated game. Players are guided very well through the game board
graphics – Rating 5 out of 6 - Michael
Andersch, hall9000.de
"We want to commend the rulebook. In twelve pages, this
complex game is explained in the “cleanest” possible way, with nothing left to
question… [In the game itself,] everything is smooth, everything works
successfully, and everything is balanced. Nieuw Amsterdam is worth a visit.
However, one cannot hope to be a Flying Dutchman after the first game. 8 out of 10 average rating." - Westpark Gamers.
Placed in the top 10 of Fairplay Magazine’s À la carte Preis 2009 for best cards games of the year.
“My group likes it and so this is one Essen card game on which I’ll be getting a good return for my money” - Stuart Dagger, Counter Magazine
"A grandiose card game! ...a challenging auction game in which luck hardly plays a role.” - Gerd Röttcher, Brettspiel bei AEIOU.de
“The game has many strategic and interactive elements. I can only recommend this game for experienced gamers.” - Wilfried Just, Ratgeberspiel
"The mood is good, the playing time fits, the components are seductive, and the game gets the 'BUY' stamp from me. Circus Maximus shows that a Roman card game can provide some depth that is on an equal level to a board game. Rating: 8 out of 10" - Andreas Buhlmann, cliquenabend.de
"Challenging game with few components." - WIN Spielejournal
"Challenging game with few components." - WIN Spielejournal
“Easy as pie to learn…but an emphasis on strategy instead of
dumb luck makes for tough deliberation” - Mo Rocca, CBS Sunday Morning
"An excellent game. I highly recommend it!" - Tom Vasel, The Dice Tower.
“Scrumptious! Clever and more complex than it appears, but still makes for a very quick game.” - Jonathan Liu, Wired.com
“Short and definitely sweet, this can take the cake for hard core and easygoing players alike” - Rick Heli, Spotlight on Games
“So what’s so interesting about this game? Its mechanics, the degree of player interaction, its accessibility to non-gamers, its quick playing time, and its plain and simple fun. Quick and light games have their place in the world, and this is one of the best.” - Kenneth Hullet, Expressive Intelligence Studio
“Feels perfect.” - Corné van Moorsel, game designer and head of Cwali publishing
"Nice, quick, innovative 'I divide - the others choose' game. Rating: 5 out of 6” - Rolf Braun, H@ll9000
"So simple, the gameplay appears at first glance, so tactical it is then in its details.
... a fast paced game with high replay appeal for in-between, where there is more to it than one might initially think." - Ingo Hackenberg, Spielkult.de
"A quick game with simple rules, comical theme and nice implementation, good for beginners or inbetween times." - WIN Spielejournal.
"Taken as a light game with a short play time, Piece o’ Cake is fantastic. I very much enjoyed cutting up the pies and looking over the potential slices that I thought my fellow players would take. Though it doesn’t provide the strategic depth of some games (nor is it meant to), this light diversion is entertaining, worthwhile, and enjoyable each and every time we play. I would also have no qualms playing this with kids." - Giant Fire Breathing Robot.
“The fun comes in when you realize that the slices don’t have to
be equal AT ALL. Overall, the game can be quick and fun. It takes a
bit of thought and foresight to cut the cake as you can’t rearrange the wedges
to better suit your cutting desires. It definitely was a deeper game than I
anticipated and I enjoy playing it even though I have yet to win.” - Kim Vandenbroucke, The Game Aisle.
“If anything, I underestimated the enthusiasm with which my children
embraced this game. Apparently, cake is such an exciting theme for a child that
little else matters (should I have been surprised by that?). Given the
strongly favorable first impression, the durability of the game components, the
ease of rules explanation and the game weight and length, I predict that this
will be a popular choice for a filler game with our family and guests in the
foreseeable future.” - Meng Tan, Father Geek
“Nice blend of tactics and strategy. I also think it meets the most important criteria for a dice rolling game: it's exciting.” - Shannon Applecline, Shannon-a.livejournal.com
“Whilst it has dice-rolling at its heart, the decisions to make are tactical and very interesting.” - James Sheahan, Metagames (blog.metagames.co.uk)
“This game has proved popular with everyone in my group. Recommended.” - Stuart Dagger, Counter Magazine
“This dice fest is one that works, as there are plenty of options for each player to consider, some limited interaction and plenty of laughs as the extraordinary roll is made. Everyone I have played with has liked it and the range of decisions that accompany it.” - Alan Howe, Counter Magazine
"I really like this game because it is quick, fun and not really so "fortuna" driven as you might suppose with so many dice. Another plus is that it scales well from 2 to 5. In a year of some excellent dice games, Alea Iacta Est is one of the best." - Andrea "Liga" Ligabue, GamersAlliance.com
"I really, really like the dice mechanic at the heart of this game." - Mark Jackson, aka pastor guy
"There’s a
lot of different options to go after, a good amount of strategy, some good recovery mechanics if you’re not doing well, and
all-in-all, a I think it’s a very well-designed game." – Ryan Metzler, The Dice Tower
"I really like this game because it is quick, fun and not really so "fortuna" driven as you might suppose with so many dice. Another plus is that it scales well from 2 to 5. In a year of some excellent dice games, Alea Iacta Est is one of the best." - Andrea "Liga" Ligabue, GamersAlliance.com
"I really, really like the dice mechanic at the heart of this game." - Mark Jackson, aka pastor guy
“The fantastic quality of the components (not to mention the game play!) gives it a sufficient veneer of theme for me to enjoy playing it and I enjoy it a lot; I would thoroughly recommend this as a family game and for gamers who fancy a night away from the heavy stuff." - Paul Lister, BoardgameGeek.com
"Turns are relatively quick as all you do is play a tile and draw a tile. But deciding where to play the tile to score the most points, deciding how to score the tile that you’ve played (victory/farm/or a combination of the two), and making sure that you haven’t set up the player behind you while trying to set up your future plays introduces interesting and sometimes agonizing game moments." - Valerie Putman, BoardgameNews.com
“The game will certainly appeal to families with children and to them this game is highly recommended…a robust, well-developed game.” - Barbara van Vugt, Gamepack.nl
“What makes this game special is the dynamic tension between taking quick scoring in the fields, vs. getting sustained scores from farms vs. getting animal tokens that score big at game end. All paths are viable and I think a balanced strategy is also viable. Heartland is an excellent example of a very accessible game that can be taught in about ten minutes and plays quickly. I think this is a game that potentially has broad appeal but has not really been given the exposure it deserves.” - Jason Farris, BoardgameGeek.com
4th place on Fairplay Magazine’s À la carte Preis 2010 for best cards games of the year.
"Wampum sounds simple, but after the first game, some subtleties are discovered. Timing is the key skill as you try to work your plays based on the size of the other players' hands and when the game will end. Experience definitely helps and that isn't immediately obvious upon reading the rules. But despite this, the game retains the light feel required of a filler. Overall, though, I quite like this little game. It plays quickly, but good judgment is necessary to do well. Experience pays, as getting the timing right takes some familiarity with the mechanics, yet the game is picked up easily enough. It makes a fine opener or closer to a gaming session.” - Larry Levy, GamersAlliance.com
“At the start of
the game, you quickly realize that there is much more to Wampum than you initially
thought, even though it is a ‘only’ a card game. As a card game
with fairly simple rules, Wampum is surprisingly challenging and tricky, with
the traders often faced with difficult dilemmas and must adapt to the constantly
changing conditions.” - Markus Donaubauer, Ludoversum.de
“It resembles more a board game with
strategic objectives. Whoever wants to get together with his friends or family
to learn a fun game, Wampum is ideal. It’s also an exciting and challenging game,
and the little tin box holding the cards enables one to bring along this complex
gaming fun when traveling or at other times when one cannot take a 'big' game.” - Regina Károlyi, Media-mania.de
“It’s very clever, but the options opened up mean that you will need a few test hands in order to adjust your normal card-playing instincts. - Stuart Dagger, Counter Magazine
“Great trick taking game with a very unique and engaging thematic rule.” Rating: 9.5 of a possible 10 - Ted Alspach, game designer, head of Bezier Games publishing and creator of the Board2Pieces comic strip.
"I’m a big fan of card games, and in particular, trick-taking
games and Pala is exceptional…one I’d suggest to anyone who
likes trick-taking, and it offers two different variants to try out which, I
think, both have their merits." – Ryan Metzler, The Dice Tower
“Changing the color of a trick while it's in play is fun.” - Jeremiah Lee, designer of Zombie in My Pocket
“An innovative trick taking game that combines trick taking with the color palette. Very cool; very fun. Relatively easy to pick up the rules, and as with many trick taking games, somewhat difficult to master. The more I play this game, the more I love it. I have come to feel that it is in a league of its own for trick taking game. I cannot think of a game that packs more of a punch for what's in the box than this one.” - Eric Foldenauer, BoardgameGeek.com
“Excellent excellent game -- I feared it would be a bland trick-taking game, but it didn't feel that way at all. The way that the colors mix is fantastic, and I really like the mix of two game modes.” - Clint Herron,
“The two games are similar, but play
completely differently. As independent games, they are just as interesting and
exciting as other card game – certainly worth a purchase.” - Michael Janßen,
Roachware.blogspot.de
"When played, Pala demonstrates
a positive deviation from traditional trick-taking games.” - Bernhard
Tischler, Spieletest.at
“Pala is an innovative trick-taking
card game. It is thematically consistent, fun and offers a new side to
trick-taking games.” - Peer Sylvester, Spielbar.de
