02 January 2010

Brief notes on new game purchases.

I bought myself a few new games recently, and here's my impressions of them after a first read through.

The Roach Returns. Two new settings for The Shab-al-Hiri Roach. They're Oxford, 1863 and a commando training school in England, 1944. Both have a few new cards to swap into the deck to add to the flavour, and new enthusiasms and so on to create the appropriate feel. All good stuff, and hopefully I'll get to try one or both of them at Kapcon.

Thou Art But A Warrior. I picked this up as a more-accessible version of Polaris, and it looks like it fits that well. Basically the same game, but the setting is the last days of the Arabian empire in Spain. Very nice to read, and lovely art. This will sit with Polaris waiting for a good chance to play one or the other.

Ganakagok. I picked this one up due to hearing so many good things about it online, and the fact that it has a custom card deck (I am a sucker for custom card decks). Basically, you play Inuit-ish myths, with details heavily inspired by card draws. There's some dice mechanics in the resolution too. Looks very cool - hopefully I can play soon. The mechanics look like they'll really push towards mythic types of characters and events. Plus, the tribe's world is bound to change and the mechanics slowly build up whether various aspects will end up ending well or badly. 

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Gino was making Polaris-y noises last weekend and I said I'd try to arrange something with him. If you'd be interested too, and we can find a time, then we'd only need one more player. Drop me a line (you can get me address from the Post Box Con mailings).

--Ivan

Unknown said...

I appreciate the offer, Ivan, but time is the one thing I can never count on finding. I'm very willing to run either at Kapcon if we some people who are keen.

Steve said...

I have been super keen to play Ganakagok for ages. Let me know if it's a go.

Steve said...

Ivan, I'd also be interested in playing Polaris - especially with Gino and yourself.

Jason Morningstar said...

Thou Art But A Warrior does a good job of putting an approachable sheen on Polaris if you aren't into the core setting but want to try out the very well designed core game. And I am a *fool* for Ganakagok!