Here's plugging two games that I've been enjoying lately:

Dice Wars is a good little miniature online game for one person, playable in about 20 minutes and very satisfying for its size. The text below the game explains the rules, but suffice to say, it's basically Risk but built to be played rapidly thanks to some rule simplification and a very swift AI. (Thanks for suggesting it, Joandy!)

I've started playing Risk: Legacy with friends every few weeks. It has invented a new genre, the "legacy" board game: You permanently alter it by playing, such as placing stickers on the board that can't be removed, or tearing up certain cards, et cetera. This forces you to think on whole new strategic levels, because you're not just concerned with the current game, but the next one and the next one and beyond. It's highly clever and innovative, and it keeps refreshing itself with new rules so that you get to keep trying out new strategies. If you're into board games and you have a group of five people that you can gather regularly (it's best to play with the same people every time), I can't recommend this title enough.


One Reply to Risky Games

Scott Hardie | November 24, 2014
The more I play Risk: Legacy, the more impressed I am. It really runs with its twist. I don't want to spoil specific details, but one example is that using too many high-grade weapons at once can permanently transform that territory and change how that faction is treated by others forever. it reinforces the idea that your actions have bigger consequences than just the battle at hand. The game is fiendishly clever with its twists and surprises, constantly challenging you to think ever more carefully about your actions. This is turning out to be one of the best board games I've ever played, and I play a lot of games. I highly recommend gathering four friends and playing it yourself. (Each game lasts about an hour, and it's designed to be played at least 15 times, so you do the math on how many Saturday afternoons it will take your group.)


Logical Operator

The creator of Funeratic, Scott Hardie, blogs about running this site, losing weight, and other passions including his wife Kelly, his friends, movies, gaming, and Florida. Read more »

Katie

We weren't planning to get another cat until maybe late spring, but a friend had to move in a hurry and find homes for her cats, so we agreed to adopt one. Her name is Katie, and she needs lots of reassurance about her new home. So far, she's mostly doing well, playing with toys and demanding lots of cuddling. Go »

I Can Deflect Staples

Should you call your day a complete wash if your greatest creative achievement was paper fastener nunchucks? Go »

Open Letter to a Lab Technician at Manatee Memorial Hospital

Just a few things that I would have liked to have said if I could have gotten a word in edgewise: - Yes, there is a strong correlation between ultra-processed food and obesity, but so far, no causal connection has been proven. - No, organic produce is not *all* covered in pesticides anyway, although some is farmed using non-synthetic pesticide and some winds up exposed to synthetic pesticide anyway for a variety of reasons. - Bill Gates promotes and invests in soy-based meat replacements because he believes that soy products are better for the environment and for human health. Go »

The Devil and David Hasselhoff

Thanks, JP. Go »

Gingerbread Office

I don't often join in Kelly's craft projects, and it's even rarer for her to join in one of mine. But that's what happened last week when my company held a gingerbread house contest, and Kelly pitched in to help the team that I signed up for. We decided to make a "north pole branch" of our Sarasota office. Go »

Back in Black

Is it already the end of December? It feels like it's been three days since Thanksgiving. Between late nights at work, holiday parties, and shopping for the big day, this month has been a blur. Go »