A Year of Writing for Nerdarchy
Because I keep track of such things, this is my 52nd weekly article for Nerdarchy. That’s a year. 
Actually, my first Nerdarchy article appeared on the site on August 19, 2015, so it won’t quite be a complete year by the time this is published, but close enough.
It’s been an interesting year for me here at Nerdarchy. Some articles have proven more popular than others, and some have been more fun to write than others. Hey, they can’t all be winners, but you do the best you can each week. I just hope I’ve given Nerdarchy readers a few thinks to think about, maybe a little news, and the occasional chuckle.
I’ve had a handful of interviews, a few news articles, some opinion pieces about D&D, and then there’s the series I started called Blast from the Past, which looks back at Nerdy things, mostly from the ’80s because that was my teen years, sort of my heyday of being a young nerd. While the Nerdarchy site as a whole focuses upon tabletop role playing games with the occasional foray into other nerdy material, I’ve been trying to stretch those boundaries a little to include other games and movies, etc. Sometimes I’ve succeeded and maybe sometimes I haven’t, but ultimately that’s for the reader to decide. Regardless, I’ve had a good time and hope to continue on here at Nerdarchy as long as they’ll have me.
In the spirit of looking back on the year of my articles, I thought I’d post links to some of my favorites and provide perhaps a few words about each of them. If you missed these, then you’ve got something new to read, and if you’ve already seen them, feel free to take a look back. I’ll post them in order from oldest to most recent.
How Gaming (and Nerdarchy) Helped Save Me
This was my second article for Nerdarchy, and it is the most personal piece I’ve written to date. I talk about some personal issues I was dealing with a couple of years ago, how I discovered online gaming and
To Game or Not to Game?
Hello fellow Nerdarchests, I hope to find you all having a great time. I wanted to address an issue some [caption id="" align="alignright" width="350" class="zemanta-img"] The Werewolf of Fever Swamp (TV special) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)[/caption] of us might have and that is trying to run multiple games...
Blast from the Past: Spaceward Ho!
This screen shot of a game of Spaceward Ho! looks rather busy, but don’t let that fool you. This is a relatively simple game.
Imagine you are in charge of an alien race that must expand across the galaxy. You send out spaceships to find new planets, then you have to rework those planets so they can support your species. Along the way you strive to increase population levels and to raise funds to keep expansion rolling. Then the worst happens and you run smack into another alien race doing the same as you. It’s war! And intergalactic war at that. All with ships that look like flying sharks, planets that wear cowboy hats, and special events that happen on holidays.
I’m talking about Spaceward Ho!, a computer video game that was first released in 1990 by Delta Tao Software. Originally created for Macintosh computers, this strategy game has earned its fair share of praise and a number of awards, and it was inducted into the MacWorld Game Hall of Fame. The game proved so popular it was reviewed not once, but twice in Dragon magazine, in issues 196 and 202. Even Wil Wheaton back in 2013 tweeted about his excitement when Spaceward Ho! became available for Android through GooglePlay.
Spaceward Ho! alive and kicking
Board Games in Review – Pyramid Arcade, Looney Pyramids – Kickstarter
I know what you are thinking, It is not Monday what is up with that. Last week I went over the books you may want to buy for Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition. Today however I am going to revisit one of my favorite board game options. Looney Pyramids.
If you have been reading a lot on our website, particularly the board games in review, you will have seen some of my articles on Looney Pyramids, Martian Coasters. Well if you were slightly enticed by these reviews here is your chance to go and grab an all inclusive box with 22 games to play with those awesome pieces.
It is available on Kickstarter right now with under a week to go. It is already back with two stretch goals left.
Some of the games have had the rules out for a while, while others are unreleased games only play tested with devoted fans.
Blast from the Past: Revolt on Antares, a TSR minigame
Cover of the Revolt on Antares rules book, a minigame by TSR, original publishers of D&D.
TSR will always be remembered as the company that created Dungeons & Dragons and kicked off role playing games, but it’s sometimes forgotten as the publisher of other types of games besides D&D, such as Revolt on Antares.
For a period in the early 1980s, microgames (also known as minigames) were all the rage, no doubt started by the success of Steve Jackson Games’ Car Wars and Ogre. What were microgames? Smaller, relatively simple games that usually came packaged with all necessaries, such as dice and maps. Usually these games were not role playing games, but war games or some other tabletop board game.
Jumping on the bandwagon, TSR released a number of its own microgames, such as Vampyre, They’ve Invaded Pleasantville!, Saga and more. Revolt on Antares is one of these games.
Revolt on Antares, the game
Released in 1981, Revolt on Antares is a simple war game for two to four players that takes place on Imirrhos (also known as Antares 9), the ninth planet of the Antares solar system. Three scenarios are available for play, the main one allowing a player to act as leader of a rebel force against another player who is the leader of the Terran empire. The other two scenarios involve fighting back against an alien invasion, or a war between multiple royal houses of Imirrhos.
Blast from the Past: Board games of my youth, from Monopoly to JAWS
For some while I’ve been kicking around the idea of writing a Nerdarchy series about games and toys from my childhood and early teens years, which were the 1970s and early ’80s. Board games, action figures, early role playing games, and other of my youthful pastimes would be the subject matter, hopefully raising some nostalgia for older readers and maybe a few chuckles from younger ones who get to see our old-fashioned playthings.
This is the first of the series, which will be fore-titled “Blast from the Past.” Not every Nerdarchy article I write will be part of this series, but enough will that it makes some sense to note the difference. Also, these “Blast from the Past” articles might delve into different subjects, possibly movies and other nerdy things from my younger days, but the focus will be upon games and toys.
This week I take a look at the board games I played the most. I hope you enjoy.
Guinness Game of World Records
Board Games in Review – Legendary – Deck Building Game
Hello and Happy Monday. And if it is Monday you all know what time it is. That’s right time for another board game review. Last week I veered away from my typical board games to talk about dice. You can read that article here.
I am a fan of deck building games. I have been playing them for a while and for a long time Thunderstone was my favorite. The complex set up eventually became replaced by Ascension. For Christmas I received a copy of Legendary: The Marvel Deck Building Game.
Not only does this game combine the cool characters you love, both good and bad, but you actually have win conditions and bad guys to fight. The mechanic is really cool and takes some time to get in stride. Depending on which super villain you are up against and what hero selection you have it can go from hard to really challenging.
Are You Legendary – Can you take down the Mastermind?
Board Games in Review – Dragon Slayer – The Dice Game with a Twist
Its Monday, so you know what that means. It is time for another board game. Today I want to talk about a cool dice game that I recently acquired. Dragon Slayer, the dice game with a twist. Last week I did Quadrillion. You can check out that article here.
Taken from the rules sheet: ” You are the world’s most fearless dragon slayers, competing to be crowned the master slayer. Your brave warrior must search far and wide for these ferocious beasts, defend yourself against its attacks and be ever ready to strike them down. Even in victory your companions may challenge your courage, demanding that you prove your valor with foolhardy audacity or cower in their mocking taunts.”
Are You Brave enough to be called Dragon Slayer?
Board Games in Review – Quadrillion – Logic Game
Happy Monday, If it snowed in your area, I hope that you are not too buried to be enjoying your day. Well Since it is Monday it is time to bring you another board game review. If you missed last week I was talking about Smash Up Munckin.
Today i am going to talk about the game Quadrillion, by Smart Games. Now this is a double review because not only can this be a cool game to play, but if you are into Table top RPG’s this can be a resource for you as a Dungeon Master.
You want a puzzle to challenge you players with and are tired of all the same tropes and you have run out of resources. Why not Pick Up a copy of Quadrillion?
Test Your Brain Power with Quadrillion
Board Games in Review – Smash Up – Munchkin Part 2
Well it is that time again and Happy Monday. Today I am going to bring you part 2 of my review of Smash Up Munchkin. You can find part 1 right here. I already went over four of the factions and monsters in last weeks article. I also explained how monsters actually add to the break point of bases.
When a monster is defeated usually through the use of an action the player responsible can earn treasure for defeating that monster. Treasure cards go to your hand but once used go to their own discard pile making for just a little extra clean up. How ever you get your treasure once in your hand they still break down into the two standard card types, Action or Minion.
What factions will you team up in Smash Up Munchkin?
Board Games in Review – Smash Up – Munchkin Part 1
Hello Nerdarchists and board game enthusiasts. Today I bring you another great game for your consideration, or at least part of it. If you missed last weeks article I did Munchkin Zombies, located here. Smash Up is a fantastic game that only gets better as it adds more options and mechanics with wonderful expansions.
Smash Up Munchkin is a stand alone expansion to the base game and can be played separately or as a standalone game much the same way Munchkin games are treated. In this card game you get 8 new factions, a set of bases to add to your collection. new tokens of course, and 2 new types of cards.
Will You Play Smash Up Munchkin Alone or Add it to Your Others?
Since there is so much in this box I am going to break up the review to go into depth into each pile. The two new card types are monster, which I will talk about below and treasure which I will go into in next weeks article. Since there are 8 factions I will also go into depth about 4 of those options below. Again you will have to wait until next week for the others. They are Elves, Dwarves, Halflings, Orcs, Warriors, Clerics, Mages, Thieves and Warriors.
Board Games in Review – Munchkin Zombies – Card Game
Hello Game enthusiasts and welcome to another board game review. Today we are going to look at the Munchkin Franchise and specifically at Munchkin Zombies.
Munchkin is a cut throat game where your ally this turn could be your worst enemy the next. In any Munchkin game players race to be the first to level 10. You fight monsters either alone or with help from your fellow players while at the same time your fellow players might be doing their level best to make it harder to progress.
Get your Brains, in Munchkin Zombies.
Board Games in Review – King of Tokyo – Monster Game
Happy Monday Board Game enthusiasts. Today I bring you another board game and this one is all about monsters battling it out for control of Tokyo to prove who is the superior monster.
King of Tokyo is a monster game or a game of kaiju attacking the city. It is pretty strait forward be either the last monster standing or the first one to 20 victory points. The great part of the game is it is designed for 2-6 players though I highly recommend 4 or more or it is over too quickly. What is great about this is the more more players currently in the game the more city targets can be attacked.
How Will You Rank in King of Tokyo?
Board Games in Review – Martian Coasters – Looney Pyramids
Hello and Happy Monday fellow games lovers. A while back I did a basic review on Looney Pyramids, and I may not have conveyed the amount of fun that can be had with these little plastic pyramids. So to further that cause I am going to go into depth into some of my favorite games.
The first game I played a lot of is Treehouse and originally you bought Treehouse sets to get access to the Looney Pyramids. Now they are sold as Looney Pyramids for those wanting to pick up extra pyramids or in a Treehouse set. You can also buy other games that can come with pyramids or just rules.
What Looney Pyramids will You Use in Martian Coasters?
2015 gamer gift suggestions for the holidays
By the time you read this, Hanukkah will have passed, but Christmas and Kwanzaa and other holidays are still more than a week away, which means there is still time to purchase presents for your favorite tabletop role players and other gamers. But what to get your friends? Rulebooks and dice are the easy answer, but likely your pals will already have those. If you want to get them a different type of present, check out some possibilities below.
