Adepticon-Home of the Minifigs!

Alright, alright. That isn’t the name of the con. It’s just Adepticon – though I think the Home of the Minifigs part would be a great addition. I was surprised when my godmother (she comes up a lot on this site, doesn’t she…) asked me day of whether I wanted to come with her. Not knowing what it was, but having been told that it was mini-figures, I went Aw heck, why not? and came along with her. I was very impressed and excited with what I saw.Adepticon 2017

There were a lot of games going on, tournament games I couldn’t play since I didn’t have a badge. I didn’t mind, since that meant I just free-ranged the room and took photos of cool figurines.

There was a demo running at a table, which turned out to be Blood and Plunder. We went over because a) it had ships with cannons (ships are a less common sight in figurines; I have a thing for cannons) and b) the table was freaking awesome! You could see little islands kind of under the surface, and the table was filled in with resin. It wasn’t smooth resin either-it had current ripples pressed into the surface.

I played the demo (the simple version without wind factors) and enjoyed it immensely. I played the Spaniards, and when my opponent named the sailor his ship lost, I decided to name mine (Ferdinand, if you must know). My strategy was pretty much “Bold and Stupid wins the fight.” (Thanks a lot, Dirk and Guido!) There were Fortune Coins for each team, which when spent allowed a re-roll. I spent most of the game fingering a particularly shiny gold colored one, and when the game was over, when I reached to set it down they said I could keep it. I guess that Spanish ship had stopped at El Dorado on the way to the fight?

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It’s Time to Sow!

Alright, I figured since it was the beginning of spring I would celebrate with a game about flowers! Sow is a Mancala-like game where you are trying to collect a certain color of flowers. Failing that, you are trying to collect flowers.Sow

I love the flowers. They are actually kind of comical, since some are red and blue, or yellow and blue, both of which look really odd. There was one with a red center and white petals that I called the “Japan flower”, since it looked like the Japanese flag.

It takes a while to understand, as the rules are very wordy. That, however, can be overlooked – I just had Mom read them. It also complicates Mancala a little with color-coded point values and the Windmill, Watering Can and Groundhog. I would know, since we have played Mancala occasionally in Social Studies.

It is a great strategy game since you are trying to figure out the “favorite color” of the other player. The “favorite color” is the color that determines the point value for each flower to that given player. If the color is in the center, three points, if it is the petals, two points, and if it isn’t present, the flower is still worth one point.

Happy Spring!!!

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Come make a country!

NationStates is an online game where you make and govern your own country. You can join regions, role-play and form your country through Issues. Your answers will alter the statistics on your nation.NationStates

I think this game is  creative and fun, as it makes a way to role-play while creating a nation that can represent what you believe, what a friend believes, or just something that comes into your mind!

It is not a fast-paced game. Role-plays and other social interactions can only take place when people are online, so it spans over quite a while. Issues have a timer for how often a new one comes in, so if you aren’t in any role-plays and you’ve just finished all your issues there isn’t much left to do.

I do like the statistics, though. You can see percentages for government expenditure, how most people die and the ownership of the industry. You can click on other peoples’ home pages and hit “Challenge”, where it compares random statistics with theirs to see who has a higher number on it. This is where having low numbers isn’t always good. For instance, I have a rubbish low crime rate, which is actually quite good, but it means I almost always lose if the selected statistic is crime.

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Homemade Pinball!!!

I made a pinball machine! Out of cardboard, yes, but I made a pinball machine! Out of a pattern and pre-cut package, but I made a pinball machine! Alright, alright, you get the idea.PinBox 3000

I thought it was so cool when my mom handed me a box labeled “PinBox 3000” and told me to go set it up. It took a while to finish, but I have made the first board for it (I can swap this for another one to change up the obstacles), as well as the box. It comes with a couple marbles to play with. I had a lot of fun rolling the marble around, though the obstacles should probably be a little thicker so the marble doesn’t occasionally roll right over them.

Mom found it on Kickstarter (go figure!). It is quite amusing to play with and provides much fun while constructing. Make sure to read the instructions before constructing, I didn’t do this and ran into some complications.

Enjoy!

[Mom’s note: So I conned my kid into building my pinball machine.. and the cat thinks it’s a box.]

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Do you have what it takes for Wizard School?

Come find out! Wizard School is a cooperative school-style game where you fight monsters, take tests, skip classes and generally attempt to survive high school. It is quite the challenge and not the game for the faint of heart or easily deterred.Wizard School

I like the level of school and the level of geekiness. I think it connects to the magic, the fandom, and the actual challenges of school. For instance, one of the Tests was “Finding All Your Classes”. Another was “Flying License”. Some of the monsters were “PsyRen” and “Parakeet of Paralysis’, “Its piercing call can shatter your ear drums. It may also wake a beast you didn’t know was right under your feet.” (There is a thought bubble coming from the Parakeet: “Also, I can kill you with my brain.” Go Firefly!)

It does not include counters or markers, which would be useful for showing what you have achieved and what you have yet to complete. It also does not provide a coin, despite the many “Flip-a-coin” cards. It also says “Pass the Wand” for symbolizing the end of your turn and the beginning of another. It had no wand.  (Luckily, we have several wands.)

On the other hand, if you are willing to take the time to play, it is remarkably amusing and great for practicing communication and group strategy.

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Capricon 37- And The Children Shall Lead…

Wow, what an appropriate name for something I would post about! Capricon 37 (And The Children Shall Lead) was my first book signing (Yippee!!!), and my first ever panels.Capricon 2017

As of the pictures, I should explain those first. Upper left: King of Tokyo, a board game where monsters are fighting over the city of Tokyo. Upper Right: Me at my book signing. Lower Left: A dragon I bought at the Art Auction. I buy a lot of Cheryl Storm’s work, and this is one of her dragons. Lower Right: Tokaido, a board game (see previous post).

My panels were Writing For Kids and And The Children Shall Lead (named after the convention title for this year). I very much enjoyed both, shout out to my fellow panelists, especially in Writing For Kids where I was the only child on the panel. There is so much I could write about, from the food in ConSuite and Green Room to the artists in Dealer’s and Art Show to the activities I participated in. Instead I will simply suggest: Come join us at Cap next year!

I would write about Critter Crunch, but I unfortunately missed it this year due to conflicting panels. Sorry, Critter Crunch!

(By the way, I have been going to Cap every year since I was 6 months old.)

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Let’s Take A Ride On Old Serenity

Firefly is an old Joss Whedon show featuring Nathan Fillion, Alan Tudyk, Jewel Staite, Summer Glau, Gina Torres, Adam Baldwin, Morena Baccarin, Sean Maher, and the late Ron Glass.

I won’t try to summarize this plot fully, as I doubt I could properly explain it. For reference, this show is older than I am, as the follow-up movie 2 years after the show was canceled is slightly younger than I am. This however, meant I grew up watching it on DVD. Those of you who have seen Firefly might find this concerning, as it isn’t so much a show for small kids. No, but neither is The Lord of The Rings, Doctor Who, or Stargate. Yet as a small child I watched and enjoyed all of these. Not to say I didn’t watch other things meant for kids, like My Neighbor Totoro and The Cat Returns (oh, the old days when Studio Ghibli wasn’t owned by Disney…). And of course, there were some shows somewhere in the middle (yes, Harry Potter, I’m talking to you).

The crew travels about, avoiding the Alliance, getting strange jobs, and braving rough adventures aboard their trusty Firefly class ship: Serenity. The captivating plot and loveable characters leave you craving for more.

Some of the actors have moved on to other shows that I have watched: Alan Tudyk, who played Wash, the pilot, voiced The Duke of Weselton in Frozen, Duke Weaselton in Zootopia, and Heihei, the chicken (and one of the villagers) in Moana.

I hope you enjoy this show as much as I do, and make sure to check out the links!

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Batman- the Dice Game!

Batman Dice is similar to Zombie Dice. The biggest difference is that in Batman Dice, you have a special character. That character is a Batman villain. They each have a super power, like Catwoman, who gets two points instead of one with blue cash.Batman Dice Game

There are three die rolls: Cash, Bat Signal, and the Doorbell. The Cash is like the brains in Zombie Dice, you want it. The Bat Signal is the shotguns, if you get three then all the cash you collected goes away. The Doorbell is like the footsteps, you just re-roll them.

I like the portability of this game. It is small, confined, and very fun. It comes in a round container that you also use as a dice cup. Just like Zombie Dice and Dino Hunt Dice, it uses the three normal symbols, granting that Zombie Dice also has a Christmas edition with some tweaks.

It is easier to pack for close spaces than to play in them. The dice make it hard to play without a given surface and a very controlled roll. I would not take this on an airplane, as there would be too much risk of losing the dice.

I also enjoy that they put in characters. This creates some diversity, which is a good contrast to Zombie Dice, where there are no special tweaks per player.

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Pink Hijinks

Pink Hijinks is yet another Looney Labs game. Kristin Looney had a deal: beat her at a game of Pink Hijinks, and you could keep it. Well, it took me three tries, but I won, and I got to keep the game.Pink Hijinks

My biggest highlight of this game is the portability. All nine pieces, the fabric board, the instruction manual, and the die fit in a small, pink, pyramid shaped zip-up bag with a clip for attaching it to stuff. I now have it attached to my school bag, so I can bring it wherever. One of my first days carrying it, I made a point of showing up in the library and playing it with the librarian. Clipped to the other side of my bag is my lunchbox, a white bag with the words “Human Organ for Transplant” printed in red. Ah, the good memories*.

Sometimes, the bottom edge of the pyramid shaped pieces snag on the fabric board, so one must be careful when moving pieces. As you play, it should eventually wear away the snags on the bottom of the pieces, taking this problem away.

Being portable, you can take this one into restaurants as well. You could play it with your friends during lunch, with your teacher during quiet time if you are done with your work, or with your cousin after school (all of these are applicable to me).

I enjoy Pink Hijinks and think that the portability makes it a big advantage, as you could also play it on an airplane during a long, boring flight (I have been on a lot of these). The other option is to fall asleep, since I doubt you are carrying enough books to last 9 hours (coming from a fast reader).

 

* The first time I brought this lunchbox to school, I had leftover chicken liver for lunch. I told all my friends that I had liver. They actually believed it! That says something about me, eh? When I opened my lunch, they asked me why it looked like that. I told them it was fried and breaded. When I ate it, they asked me how it tasted. Barely managing to keep a straight face, I responded, “Tastes like chicken!”

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Stop this Monkey Business!

Or don’t. Monkey Business is a stacking game with gee, monkeys. There are multiple variations, but the main principle is stack monkeys, only a certain quantity are allowed to touch the table, and best out of three is the general implication for most of the games. You can do best out of one if you are in a rush or if it best suits the scenario in another means.Monkey Business

I like that this is a visual game. Instead of the theoretical stacking, you get to actually physically place the monkey there, which is good for people who have trouble visualizing without a diagram or some-such.

The downside to it being a visual game is that when you are placing the monkeys, you have to have a very steady hand so as to not knock anything down. The table or board must be very solidly placed, and not wobbly, and you should not play with a tablecloth (the wrinkles make it hard to place pieces flat).

Another reason I like Monkey Business is it builds creativity. There are multiple types of monkey (the position the monkey is standing in), so you can’t just stack them. Some things you can do include balancing them on their backs and hanging them by their tail off another monkey. It takes a lot of creativity, cleverness, and a still hand to make this work.

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