Great board game that you enjoy right from the start
586143
This is the first board game that I have found compelling and addictive since Settlers, but it is so much easier to learn and to play with a group of people of mixed experience. The historical setting is familiar, the graphic design of the tiles is attractive, the rules are very easy to understand, and a round of the game can be played in just an hour. But it will be an unusual group that puts it away after just one round!

When you first learn the rules, you think that the game is simple and that winning will be dependent on the tiles you draw. But the reality is very different. The strategic elements are subtle and take time to master, which make it more fun the more you play.
1963699
One of my very favorite board games. I would highly recommend this, even to a beginning gamer. It's a great tile placement game that can get the whole family involved with!

It's even better with the expansion packs!

I would highly recommend this game.
1405595
this is a must have game for anyone that owns board games. go buy this game. equip cards to your monster to make it the strongest and kill your enemies, or get points for a points victory, or just outlast everyone else. really fun and not too long either.
3211275
This is the best game purchase I have ever made, and has become the favorite at parties and family gatherings. Although a bit tricky to explain to newcomers, it is easy enough to pickup after playing through once, and we have yet to find someone who does not want to immediately play a second time after the first game.

The game consists of 3 ages, where each player is dealt a hand at the beginning of each age. It incorporates simultaneous turns, which make the game progress quite fast most of the time. That also means that you can't check that everyone is paying for what they build, but if you're with honest players, that shouldn't be an issue. In another interesting twist, after selecting the card you want to use from your hand, you pass the remainder of the hand to the player next to you; your hand changes after every play.

There are many strategies to gain points, and therefore win. Each strategy is viable, and you can win in any of many ways. There are several aspects of the game that are randomized (game boards, guild cards, and hands dealt), so you have to adapt your strategy to whatever pieces you end up with.

Highly recommended to anyone who enjoys board games. It will not disappoint.
1937599
A must have for any boardgame-lover!  I liked all of the Catan boardgames so far, they are fun, not to violent strategy games which actually require you to think a bit (though there is an element of chance). Cities and Knights introduces knights to the game (always a good thing) and is the first expansion which requires players to work together a bit (Hordes of barbarians are coming...) and it allows you to develop your technologies to increase your income.  All in all, a welcome expansion set.
2184502
This game is fantastic. This is the first time I played a co-op board game against the board itself, and it took our group 4 games to beat it... on easy. It took us about an hour to do the initial setup/read through, and 90 minutes to play the first game. Once we played the first game, the second game flew by in an hour.

If a player dies, the respawn so no one is left watching. This game is also highly random (similar to setting up tiles and number in Settles of Catan). I can see this game being used very frequently. I highly recommend this.
3911593
I bought this game after hearing about how it was the most funded Kickstarter project ever. It also had overall positive reviews so I decided to try it out, as I love all types of party games. This game is simple and took five people to learn it in around 10 minutes. It is even faster to learn just by watching, which shows just how simple and intuitive this game is. In the first weekend we had this game we spent easily over 4 hours playing over 3 days. I would recommend this game to anyone who loves board games.
3821033
This game uses the best elements of Clue, Mastermind, and Battleship (and a couple of other games I can't think of at this time). It provides lasting hours of fun and doesn't get old. My husband and I have played it every day since we purchased it. The best part of this game is that it takes away the "luck" element of other board games. It is purely a strategy and logic game.
1314404
This is a fantastic squad-based, turn-by-tun board game that is a lot of fun and Japanime Games have done an excellent job with the models, the board, the components, even the rule book.  The rule book takes you through several playable tutorials, starting with a very basic 1-on-1 scenario, and as you progress through the book it builds on the previous scenario, adding more rules each time, until you're playing a full squad vs. squad game. Or you can just jump right in by turning to the back few pages and going for it.

I love that while the cardboard trees, bushes, & crates have to be assembled prior to the very first game play, they do NOT need to be disassembled for storage; when you're done everything fits neatly back into the box, ready for the next game. Although the scenery is constructed of thick, solid cardboard, so the trees & bushes fit snugly together, my first gripe is with the crates. They need a few drops (or drizzles) of glue along the inside (if you're a perfectionist) to hold them together. Or you can use tape, but from the images I've seen online I think tape looks tacky, given how amazing everything else looks, especially the character models. For factory painted figures they are very well done. I've painted my own WH40K models and they don't look as good as these do.

My second gripe is the variance between the models. Although the eight models that come with the base game are all uniquely individual, it's possible to purchase expansion packs and get 2-3 models of the same mold as those you already have. For the most part they will be new characters with their own skills & spells and their own unique paint job, but they've obviously come from the same mold. Also, some of the figures from the base game ARE found in some of the expansion packs.  That's not a big deal, it's just something to consider if you're buying an expansion pack and looking for variety among your new models.

The recommended age is 14 & up, but if your child has any experience with League of Legends or other DotA-type games there's a good chance they'll pick up the mechanics of Krosmaster faster than you may. If you're the parent of an 8-15 year old boy and you're looking for a good game to play with him and get in some quality time, this is definitely a game to consider buying. One, it's not a video game (although it is based on one...which is actually a plus for some boys), and two, it's not just a two-player game but includes rules for 4 players, being two 2-player teams. So if you have the traditional 2+2 Nuclear family, this can make a great addition to the family games night line-up.

The first few times you play, it will take approximately 1 hour to play, but after playing a few games and becoming more familiar with the rules, that time can be reduced, and depending on how lucky (or unlucky) your dice rolls are, you may finish some games within 30 minutes or so. Don't count on it, though. Expect and plan to be playing for an hour or so, per game, but know that it will be an hour well spent.
2443213
I have to preface this by saying that this is indeed a great game, in the end, I do recommend owning it. The art, the pieces, the instructions, and the teamwork make this a great one to own. I got this for Christmas and anytime I have guests over for game night and we play it and they love it. It can be taught pretty quickly and it doesn't take long to play. That is why despite my critiques on it, I still enjoy it and I still think it is a great buy, however I do think that there are some better options out there.

I think that, like ticket to ride, this game can be played with people who don't really play board games, and that is another good thing about it, they will enjoy it. The theme makes it fun and the fact that it is co-op takes makes it light, as long as you don't have someone running the game.

My wife and I play this game once in a while because it is two player and it is refreshing to be working together instead of competing. I would also venture to say (even though I don't have kids) that this must be a great family game, and can be played with mixed ages as it is simple to grasp (four players only).

However, it is a bit on the simple and often tedious side for me, for my personal tastes there is not enough "umph". I don't want that to deter anyone from buying it, I just feel that sometimes the game play turns out to be a bit tedious, especially when everyone plays their role too well; the dispatcher puts people together, the researcher passes off cards to the scientists and the scientist makes cures, etc. After that you have a cure and you have to march around cleaning up what the previous infector laid out so you can eradicate a disease while collecting more cards for the next cure, repeat 3 times. It seems that often times you have a plan laid out for how to pass cards and meet up, and you accomplish the next several turns doing just those actions, it drains the life of the game.

If you are borderline on this game, I would possibly recommend Ticket to Ride or Settlers of Catan instead, both must owns for more than two players. If you are looking at two player games, I HIGHLY recommend San Juan (or Race for the Galaxy as a step up from SJ, both 2-4 players), Memoir 44, or Lost Cities.

Again, great game, I have fun playing it, and it is a good one to own, but I don't crave playing it, and I don't find it as fun as some of the other ones out there.
1816277
We own a couple of board games starting from Taboo, Pictionary, Apples to Apples, etc. But this one is different in a really good way. This game is being designed very intellectually.

There are 6 mini games which are included in this box.
So you can virtually have your guests play different games and keep them busy in small groups. In that way everyone don't have to wait for their turn in other traditional board games. Also this game is a real ice breaker among your guests if some people meet each other for first time.

Its real fun to play the minigames. We particularly likes the "What not " and "Write up. The write up is really funny in the sense that, it brings out some feeling about your team mate. We love the "Clay Smoothie" also. Its a different version of Pictionary I would say. You have to make a figure to show it to your team mates to recognize it. This is particularly funny because people make really funny figures and sometimes the team mates get it totally wrong and then you realize that it was not that at all.

Overall great game. I would recommend it for everyone in this chirstmas.
2305627
I was hesitant about this game because we generally play more board games and I don't typically like strictly card based games, especially if you have to buy more and more expansion packs.  I was pleasantly surprised that this is not that kind of game. It is a great game all on it's own.

My husband and I have binge played this game for hours.
If you like the new types of board games like Catan or even Ticket to Ride, then give this a whirl.  It's a great addition to your game collection.

This purchase is a one time investment for hours and hours of entertainment.
4454933
This is a extremely fun game involving deception and hidden identities. Each game is relatively short ranging from 20min to 50min depending on what happens. I like playing it with 7-8 people, but it can also be played with fewer. It's fairly easy to pick up and I definitely recommend it for anyone from casual boardgamers to hardcore boardgamers.
1764588
As many have attested, this is an amazing game. If you've already mastered "Settlers of Catan" this is worth checking out. The rules are a bit complex, but only takes a few play-throughs to get the hang of. It has the worker placement of&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/The-Settlers-of-Catan/dp/B000W7JWUA/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">The Settlers of Catan</a>&nbsp;combined with the "shipping" mechanics of&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Puerto-Rico/dp/B00008URUT/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Puerto Rico</a>. On top of that you have a decent city building element and bonuses in the way of "Royal Favors". Read the other reviews and check it out on BoardGameGeek, and you'll see what we're all raving about. If that isn't enough to convince you, there's even an iPad version now that is pretty faithful to the table top version, which can serve as an inexpensive introduction to this title.

Bottom Line: If you are a fan of strategic/euro-style games, and you don't already have this in your collection, buy it NOW and thank us later.
1400163
my brother in law suggested this game and it intrigued me because I like Monopoly but the board game is one that is exciting at first and then drags on after awhile.  I don't know if I've ever finished a game.  but THIS game is a ton of fun.  it is much quicker but still long enough to be enjoyable and the replay value is high.  it invokes different strategies depending on how quickly you want the game over or how you want the game to go.  collecting 3 complete properties is easy and fast so if you hold sets in your hand and then drop them quickly, it's over and everyone gets mad because they had a strategy all laid out for the next half dozen turns.  but if you want to drag it out and torture other players, you can throw down a set or two, build them, play down a couple of wash properties and then slam enormous rent and send others to the soup line.  my sis in law is biting at the bit to play again because I keep winning.  I am even thinking of altering the game a bit and adding another set or 2 to make it 4 or 5 complete properties to win just to get a little more gameplay.  for <$10 on amazon or at your local store, it is well worth the value.
2626479
Don't let the name fool you. I realize many people will just see the title The Speicherstadt, which translated means The Warehouse, and turn away. This game is perfect if you are into slightly more advanced board games, but not quite into the heavy euro games. If you understand what I mean by that, then keep reading. If you don't, then this game is not for you.

It plays up to five people and the game takes about 40 - 45 minutes with a mix of new and experienced players. I've gotten it down to around 30 minutes with four experienced players.

The game is played by issuing each player money and then laying out cards that each person bids on in turn. The theme of the game is that the cards represent people, contracts to be filled and ships that come into The Warehouse. The ship cards will come into play with random wooden cubes of various colors. The cubes represent goods that you can use to fill the contracts, which is the main way to get points and win the game. You can also bid on people / traders who will stay at your warehouse and let you sell the goods you don't need to get more money for the future rounds of bidding. The game ends when the cards run out and there is nothing left to bid on. Then you tally up the points you got for completing contracts and from other cards you bought that give you points directly.

This is a light / medium game for advanced players that can be played between heavy games or as a warm-up / last game of the night. This game is the one I teach to people who know how to play games like: Settlers of Catan, Ticket to Ride or Fluxx and now they want to go a just little bit deeper.

It's loads of fun and you'll be playing within 15 minutes after you open the box and punch out all the pieces. I paid $17 for this and got free shipping. That is an amazing deal on such a good game!
4210409
I buy a game to play and have fun.  As a Plant vs Zombies fan and a Risk player, I had my doubts about the playability.  My doubts were unwarranted.  This game is great fun.  It does both Plants vs Zombies and Risk justice.  Furthermore, the quality of the boxed set is very high.  The box is sturdy, the game pieces are well cast and durable.  The cards and cardboard pieces, (although not laminated) are of higher quality.  The clincher that moved me to a five star review is the game board.  Easy to fold up, great graphics, very nice printing.  If you collect board games, you will want to buy a couple of these treasures.