Warhammer Killteam Arena Unboxing

 Will checks out Killteam Area, in his latest unboxing video.

Will Reviews Grid mat and Verdant Forest by Monster Fight Club

 

 Need some tabletop Scenery? This might be what you are looking for!

 

 

 

Etherfields Unboxing

 Join Will as he unboxes the Kickstarter Wave 1 of Etherfields from Awaken Realms!

 

D&D Starter Set & D&D Essentials Kit - Unboxing and overview

 Will unboxes and gives his thoughts on the D&D Starter Set & D&D Essentials Kit. 

 

 

CORSAIR 4000D AIRFLOW MidTower Case Review

 Eric reviews the CORSAIR 4000D AIRFLOW MidTower Case, purchased at Best Buy for $80. See what it has and the value it gives. It includes two 120mm fans + some superb cable management options.

 

Dysmantle - Early Access First look

 Dysmantle is another post-apocalyptic tale of emerging from a bunker to see what the world is like after being sheltered for a long period of time, though this one is only 2-3 years after the devastation.  You come up into a pretty familiar, but overrun world. Immediately you start breaking things down into useable crafting materials. Fighting and salvaging your way from area to area.  I like that the combat is fast-paced and requires some dodging. It's not just smash smash smash. The crafting is complex, and there are plenty of save your progress campfires spread around the areas. 

The only thing that bothers me is that it is a bit grindy, and there are lots of enemies to kill, over and over, they respawn when you camp to rest / craft. Overall for being an Alpha / EA title it's got a great base to build from with plenty of time to work things out and keep expanding. The dev teams seems very active already pumped out 3 patches in its first 2 weeks of life. I think once they get it fleshed out and content filled this might be a very fun and chill  zombie survival smasher. 

Tasha’s Cauldron is A Great Time to Start or Return to D&D

With the recent release of Dungeons and Dragons, Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, the world's greatest role-playing games just got a little more personable. As with Volo, Xanather, and Mordenkainen before her, Tasha’s Cauldron boils up more flavor and charm into the multiverse of 5th edition. This new supplementary rule book adds updated rules for subclasses, sidekicks, dungeon puzzles (much needed), and more. 

Tasha’s opens the game to consider your players' soft limits and to challenge them to embrace this world and our fantasy in a more inclusive way. Wizards of the Coast also uses this opportunity as a  teachable moment for its fandom to share hard limits and create a safe space, so all are comfortable at the table. 

If you have been away or have always been on the sidelines looking to join or lead an adventuring party of your own, we at the Mature Minded Gamers have compiled what we believe are four steps it takes to succeed when sitting at the table and rolling the dice. 

4 steps to success when starting a new campaign

Pick a time - The first challenge that all of us must face is the commitment to play. We all understand that life is busy and things tend to get in the way, but tabletop role-playing games take time. The responsibility often falls on the Dungeon Master, as they tend to have extra time factored into the game, but not always. Regardless of who picks the time, do your best to make sure it works for your group. There will be casualties, but If you wait for the perfect time, the game will never happen. 

Commit -  If you find yourself in the Dungeon Masters seat or you are casting a die as an Adventurer, you owe it to your party to know your game. People who play role-playing games understand that you need others to play. I have never met a table of players who dislike helping a player who wants to learn, but I have seen a table turn on those who refuse to engage or pay attention. This sort of inattentiveness will really damage the experience for all involved. 

The dice give and the dice take away - The moments that you will remember will be forged on the edge of your dice roll. The dice will build the high and lows that create that depth your stories will need. It could be the “Nat 20” that the Count Von WhateverHisName rolls that cuts out your mighty adventures last breath or that last-ditch skill check that breaks the lock. These are the moments that your table will retell over and over again.

Have fun - This is a story that your table is building together. When the dice are going against you, adversarial roles could start to emerge. Role-playing was a cooperative experience, long before the board game Pandemic was a thing. The table should always be working together to tell a story. Unlike a video game that can be won, the “win condition” comes from the shared experience that the table creates together.

Star Trek Discovery S3 Episode 5 "Die Trying" Analyzed and Reviewed

 Brad, Will, and Eric go over Star Trek Discovery S3 Episode 5 "Die Trying". We Analyze and Review what is going on and what we expect to happen next. 

Bardsung Kickstarter Preview

 Will dives deep into the Kickstarter for Bardsung. 

Game Description: You begin with a single tile and a destination. What unfolds is a branching, labyrinthine dungeon of dangerous enemies, wandering monsters, challenging puzzles, and valuable treasure. Bardsung is a game of choosing your path as you seek to inspire the bard’s songs and live your legend. From your physical passage through the dungeon to your journey of building your character into a fabled hero, your choices define your experience.

 

Dracula Digital Edition On Steam

I never played the board game, but it has always been spoken highly of by everyone, so I went in with high expectations. I love hidden movement games that keeps everyone having fun, while not allowing a single strategy to win out.  Right at the start I was impressed by the animations and sound effects. Nomad Games did a great job of bring the story alive. It really shows you what a digital adaptation can excel at for board games.

 Our first game was more of a learning game, which is how almost all board games go. It was a bit confusing at parts, but nothing that we didn't figure out in the first 10 minutes or so. We all learned a lot and were chatting afterwards about how we figured this out, or that we had a new strategy planned for the next game. This typically happens in my group only if the game is good. We all are excited to play again soon.
For those that are worried about it only being 1 vs 1 online, use Steam Remote Play. It works great in this game.
 Here is a video of us playing our first game, 3 players using Steam Remote Play.