3 Azul Board Games Compared

5 years ago, Next Move Games published a unique tile-laying game that made huge waves in the board game industry – Azul.

The game includes colorful and chunky tiles made of bakelite and it quickly jumped to the top of Hot Games lists all over the world. Because of its immediate success, it was very hard to find a copy of the game for months.

Due to the game’s popularity, it was quickly followed by 2 additional Azul games in 2018 and 2019–each delivering familiar elements mixed with novelty. And today we’re reviewing and comparing each of these sequel games:

* Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra
* Azul: Summer Pavilion

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Galaxy Trucker 2022 board game review

We had a CB radio in our van when I was a kid and I remember talking to long-haul truckers via that radio during long trips with our family. Chatting over the radio while riding was a fun way to get a very small glimpse inside the cab of truckers.

I can only imagine the stories we’d get if we were to tap into truckers in space.

Because if they’re anything like what happens during a game of Galaxy Trucker, then we’d be in for quite the tale!

In the game, players frantically build their ships and then take them on a flight to gather goods, face space pirates, encounter meteor swarms, and more.

Strap in and check it out!

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Dragon Market board game review

The princess is having a wedding this weekend and everyone is rushing to gather gifts and treasures for the occasion.

But this gathering isn’t as simple as running to the store and buying things. Instead, you’ll be maneuvering boats and jumping from boat to boat to collect the items you’re after.

Plus, others will be out doing the same thing and they’ll make even harder for you to get around and get what you need.

So it is in Dragon Market – a fun family board game from Blue Orange Games.

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Jamaica Board Game Review

Setting: Jamaica, 1675.

After a long career in piracy, Captain Henry Morgan skillfully gets appointed to be Governor of Jamaica, with the explicit order to cleanse the Caribbean of pirates and buccaneers. Instead, he invites all of his former “colleagues” to join him in his retirement, to enjoy the fruits of their looting with impunity. Each year, in remembrance of the “good old days,” Morgan organizes the Great Challenge, a race around the island, and at its end, the Captain with the most gold is declared Grand Winner.

And with that, in the board game Jamaica you and your friends are set to race around the island of Jamaica, capturing treasure, battling your opponents, and trying to be the first one back to Port Royal!

Do you have what it takes to make it at sea?

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Way Back In Time – Kingdomino Origins

Before the dragons came… Before the great duel took place… Before the age of giants began… Before her imperial majesty took her reign… And before the kingdom itself came: The Origin.

In Kingdomino Origins, from Blue Orange Games, players are prehistoric tribal leaders advancing their civilizations and creating the most powerful kingdom in the land. They do this by adding terrain dominos to their kingdom to earn them the most points.

Since the namesake is Kingdomino, players familiar with the original Kingdomino game will find a lot of similarities. Yet in Kingdomino Origins, there are 3 different modes of play!

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Gravwell 2nd Edition Board Game Review

Gravity is our friend!

I’m sure most of us don’t think about gravity very often. Even though this force keeps us all well-planted on Earth, we just take it for granted and don’t give it a second thought.

But if you’re floating around in space without much fuel, you may start thinking more seriously about gravitational pulls. And that’s exactly how it is in the fun board game we’re reviewing today — Gravwell 2nd Edition.

In Gravwell, you’ll rely heavily on gravitational pulls to get you to your goal first. It’s a fun game with a bit of chaos and this year there’s a new edition to love!

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Zoom In Barcelona Board Game Review

Barcelona, the city of dragons, is known for its art, architecture and yes its dragons.

Scattered throughout the city are over 400 dragons in both the architecture and artwork. The city is dotted with amazing structures like the fantastical Sagrada Família church and other modernist landmarks designed by Antoni Gaudí.

In Zoom in Barcelona, from Blue Orange Games, players race around the city on foot, bikes, scooters, cabs and buses, taking pictures of the beautiful landmarks and the skyline in an effort to win the coveted photography contest. The player who does this the best wins.

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Bellum Magica Board Game Review

Running a castle, plundering neighboring villages and defending yourself from other competing overlords is hard work. You can’t possibly be expected to do it all yourself. You need good, reliable help.

That’s where Evil Creature Inc. comes in.

We take the hassle out of finding your worker needs. We have Evil Creatures and Most Evil Creatures that can do the heavy lifting for you. You just provide the meat and glyphs and they’ll do the rest!

In Bellum Magica, by Blue Orange Games, players take on the role of evil overlords trying to conquer and plunder the human countryside. To do this they need to hire Evil and Most Evil Creatures to provide resources and swords to the cause. The first player to loot their 10th treasure chest ends the game, and the overlord with the most treasure wins.

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Plague Inc.: The Board Game Review

Way back in 2009, our then 6-year old son, Caleb got us rolling in reviewing board games with his video review of Pandemic.

He shared how to play the game and what he enjoyed about working together to save the world from deadly viruses.

Fast-forward 12 years and the tides have turned.

Now we’re infecting the world with viruses and competing to be the most lethal in Plague Inc.: The Board Game!

That’s right, the popular mobile app game, Plague Inc., first released in 2012 by Ndemic Creations, is now available as a board game available from Asmodee.

I know it sounds odd while we’re struggling around the world facing a real global pandemic, but to be honest, we’ve had a very fun time playing Plague Inc.: the Board Game. And we’re happy to share why.

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Santorini in New York?

Santorini has been a favorite 2-player board game in our family ever since we first played the reimplemented game by Roxley Games 4 years ago.

It’s an abstract strategy game with variable player powers where each player tries to get one of their pawns (workers) to the 3rd level of a building. The game components are absolutely fantastic and look just like the recognizable, blue-topped buildings on the Greek isle of Santorini.

So we were quite surprised when Roxley Games published Santorini: New York in 2020.

I mean, what do Santorini and New York have to do with each other?

It was a real head-scratcher.

Of course, that also didn’t stop us in the slightest from wanting to play it right away!

If you’re just as curious about how the awesome Santorini could morph into a new game set in New York City as we were, then you’ve come to the right place—read on!

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