In this video, Dave and Chris discuss this lower player count version of Ticket to Ride. They share insights and discuss strategies for the game
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hobby games
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Well we are now in the week of Gen Con 2018, which is North America’s largest game convention. I have been browsing the Gen Con Preview list on boardgamegeek.com since Origins Game Fair , keeping up to date with games that will be releasing. I have compiled a list of anticipated games that are releasing that I am looking to explore while at Gen Con. I also have some games pre-ordered that I wanted to make sure I was able to get right away. So without further ado…. lets take a look.
First, games that I have pre-ordered:
- Arboretum (Renegade Games) – Designer Dan Cassar. I already own the Z-Man version but I am wanting the new artwork from Beth Sobel. Plus a second copy can facilitate multiple games running on game days.
- Gunkimono (Renegade Games) Designer Jeffrey Allers. I own Heartland and I like the Feudal Japan theme. Plus there are some rule revisions in addition to the retheme.
- Wendake (Renegade Games) Designer Danilo Sabia. This game was on my interest list from Essen 2017. I like the theme and the mechanics interest me so I jumped on it when it came up for order.
Anticipated Games List
Here are the games I am most interested in that are releasing or supposed to be releasing at Gen Con.
7 Wonders Armada – Repos Production
I saw a sort of vague post from Repos Productions in regards to this being at Gen Con. It was being demoed at Origins Game Fair and this expansion is ready to be released. 7 Wonders is one of my favorite games and the Armada expansion now allows players to interact with more than just their neighbors. This is a must have for me.
Coimbra – Eggertspiele
I like euro games and the dice drafting mechanic has my interest for this one. The designers also worked on Lorenzo il Magnifico and Egizia. This is my #1 most anticipated game that is releasing at Gen Con.
Catalyst – dV Giochi
I am a fan of engine building games and this one also promises strong card combinations. There is a goal that is revealed at the beginning of the game that can alter strategies from game to game. The one thing that has my interest for this is that you build up a bunch of stuff and then set off a chain of actions.
Piepmatz – Lookout Games
This game was described as being in the same vain as Arboretum mixed with Parade….both games I enjoy quite a bit. I am willing to take a chance on this game despite the fact I am not wild about the designers. But hey maybe they can finally make a game I like. And the artwork is amazing.
Newton – CMON
Newton…Deck Building and Hand Management…YES!!!
I like the setting of the game being during the Age of Discovery. Solid designers with some games like Lorenzo il Magnifico, Tzolk’in, Grand Austria Hotel. Plus Cranio Creations which is the publisher has put out some great games.
Spirits of the Wild – Mattel Games
This one was one of the later announced releases and this 2-player game seems pretty cool with the stone-taking mechanism. Players collect sets of stones and also use animal spirits to help them. The coyote adds some interaction between the players. Plus this has a low cost which is even better.
Carson City: The Card Game – Quined Games
I like trick taking games and this is added to make a shorter version of a western theme game that I am interested in. Plus I like the designer and this one should be a hit.
Other Releases of Note
There are some other games and expansions that are releasing that have my interest in checking out maybe picking up:
- Clank! In Space: Apocalypse (Renegade Games) – seems to be a neat expansion for the base game that adds another level of difficulty.
- Downforce: Danger Circuit (Restoration Games) – New track + new abilitiesKingdomino: Age of Giants (Blue Orange Games)- Adds 5th Player and makes drafting a bit more interesting with the GiantsPioneers (Queen Games) – going off of a recommendation from a friend that I would like this one
- Micropolis (Surfin Meeple) – I like Bruno Cathala and Charles Chevallier as a duo. They did Abyss. This one seems pretty neat as well.
Alderac Entertainment Group (AEG) has been releasing expansion after expansion for the game Smash Up. Quickly, Smash Up is what is called a shuffle building game where players take 2 different factions shuffle them together to form their deck and they play competing for points by winning bases.
A couple of years ago, AEG released a storage solution called the Big Geeky Box that was large enough to hold the content that was released up until that point. It also included a bonus faction called The Geeks. But with the continual release of expansions, the Big Geeky Box has now become a bit too small, especially if using sleeved cards. Enter The Bigger Geekier Box.
OVERVIEW
The Bigger Geekier Box is the new storage solution that holds everything that has been released for Smash Up up to this point, including any promo factions.
Geeky Boxes side by side
By comparison the shape and dimensions of the boxes are completely different. The Big Geeky Box is a lot smaller and is a rectangular shape, whereas the Bigger Geekier Box is a large square-shaped box. The dimensions of the Bigger Geekier Box are 13″x13″x7″, having the same dimensions as Thunderstone Quest.
It is Bigger
Inside the box there is a removable tray that has a separate tray to store all of the tokens.
Here is a mess of tokens from the different Smash Up sets
Room to store all of the different token sets; there are wooden promo ones from organized play
Inside of the box there are 4 different rows to store the cards, opposed to 3 from the Big Geeky Box, complete with foam blocks to keep cards secure.
Plenty more storage in the Bigger Geekier Box
Also, there are dividers that come to separate each of the factions. The new dividers have the set name printed on them to make it easier for sorting the factions according to expansions as well.
Dividers have the set printed on them
There are also 2 factions that come with the Bigger Geekier Box: The Geeks for those who missed them from the Big Geeky Box and the Smash Up All Stars that is basically a best of set that was a foil pack that was given out at organized play events.
2 factions and dividers that come with
Finally, there is a comprehensive rulebook that comes with the box that has clarified rules, errata and card clarifications. There is also a section that describes how each faction operates and there is a cross-reference on the back page that makes it easier to get the appropriate bases to play with the factions in play.
WHERE DOES THIS HIT?
- More space for cards
- Dividers have sets printed on them
- Token organizer tray
- Comprehensive rulebook
- Includes Geeks and the Smash Up All Stars factions
WHERE DOES THIS MISS?
- No dividers for the Munchkin Smash Up set
- Takes up a lot of shelf space
- Costly investment for owners of the Big Geeky Box
THOUGHTS AND IMPRESSIONS
The Bigger Geekier Box is a useful accessory for Smash Up owners who are heavily invested in the game. The box certainly is bigger and it is geekier with the addition of a lot more faction artwork that graces the box. The quality of construction is good, but I found some of the foam blocks did not fit firmly in the card lanes, so they may not hold the cards securely. This may vary slightly from block to block. I also like the divider tray for the tokens, to separate the tokens from each set. I don’t find it necessary and the tray adds to the overall size of this box, which may be an issue for some people.
I like the new dividers. I like that the set name is printed on the lower part of the divider so users can identify what set each faction came from. The Sheep promo faction divider has improved coloring on it opposed to the original divider that was shipped with the faction cards. I found it a major oversight with the dividers in the fact that there were no new dividers included for the Munchkin Smash Up set. So I had to use the original dividers that came with the set, but they do not have the set name printed on them.
I like the fact that the Smash Up All Stars faction is included for people who may not have been able to get it from an organized play event. The inclusion of the Geeks faction is good for fans who did not get in on the Big Geeky Box, but it becomes a duplicate faction for owners of the Big Geeky Box.
The comprehensive rulebook is great. I like the errata and card clarifications that help straighten out any issues with card abilities. There is also a section that explains how each faction acts so players can know what to expect when playing them. The best part is that it eliminates having to hold on to multiple rule books.
One book to rule them all…
REVIEW
I am not 100% sure where I stand with The Bigger Geekier Box. I think there are some cool things that the Bigger Geekier Box offers, but I already have the Big Geeky Box and have all of the expansions except for 2 of them. I am not sleeving the cards so I still have room, so to me this is not really necessary. So I am not saying this is a must buy accessory if you already own the Big Geeky Box; maybe if you sleeve your cards because this will give you that extra room.
My copy of the Big Geeky Box
There are things I like about the Bigger Geekier Box. From an aesthetics point of view, I love the new box with the artwork having LOTS more factions represented. I like the new dividers that have the set names printed on them. I also like the comprehensive rulebook that has the errata and card clarifications. I also like the cross-reference guide that makes sorting factions and grabbing bases for play easier. I appreciate the token tray, but I don’t find it necessary. Before, I just threw mine all in a ziplock baggie and that worked for me. The removable tray that has the token tray in it adds 2 1/2″ of depth to this box. To me this is 2 1/2″ of space that could have been saved.
I have one major issue with this box and it is its overall size. The original Big Geeky Box is 9″x14″x4 1/2″. The Bigger Geekier Box is 13″x13″x 7″. At this point, if you are not sleeving the cards, there is going to be a lot of wasted space, unless there are a LOT more expansions planned for Smash Up. With a 7″ depth on the box, this is a Kallax Killer. What I mean is that if you are using cube storage for your games, this one box takes up about the same space as 2 board games. If you own both the Bigger Geekier Box and Thunderstone Quest, the two games will not fit in the same cube.
A minor issue with this box is the fact that there were no dividers included for the Munchkin Smash Up set. I know that there were dividers included with Munchkin Smash Up, but they do not have the set name printed on them. All of the other sets for Smash Up had the upgraded dividers provided in the Bigger Geekier Box, so to me this is a bit of a miss for quality control.
I think that many owners of the Big Geeky Box are going to pass over this since they already invested in the original storage solution. With an MSRP of $40 that is a lot of money that would be invested in storage solutions, since the previous storage box would be pretty much obsolete.
If you are heavily invested in Smash Up and have not gotten a storage solution yet for Smash Up and you have a lot of extra shelf space, then I would say, yeah pick it up. It does a nice job of organizing the game with its growing expansion collection. If you are not sleeving your cards and already own the Big Geeky Box and have everything released up to this point, I think there is still enough room to hold several more expansions, so I can’t recommend it, Use the $40 to buy 2 more expansions for Smash Up as they are released.
I appreciate the effort from AEG to support Smash Up players with a storage solution that holds everything together. This Box is specifically aimed for those who are heavily invested in the game. Players who own the core set and maybe an expansion or 2 are better off with a 3rd party insert from either Go7 Gaming or The Broken Token.
Disclaimer: This copy of the Bigger Geekier Box was provided by Alderac Entertainment Group (AEG) for the purpose of review.
In this video, Dave discusses the overall construction and functionality of the Storage Solution for the 2016 revised edition of Agricola.
In this video, Dave and Chris discuss the English release Ticket to Ride: Germany, previously released as Zug um Zug: Deutschland with the 1902 expansion. Ticket to Ride: Germany is a reimplementation of Ticket to Ride: Märklin but uses passengers is a different way. Hear their impressions and thoughts on this version of the game in the Ticket to Ride series.
