Cover Up Review

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(More customer reviews)Cover Up, designed by Ruddell Designs and published by Out of the Box Publishing, is a simple abstract strategy game for 2 players. The goal is to get 4 visible pieces in a row, on a 5x5 board. Each of the 25 spaces has three depths for pieces to be placed in - getting larger as they go up. The smallest pieces go at the bottom, and the largest at the top. The game is somewhat like Gobblet, also an abstract for two.
You have 5 small, 4 medium, and 3 large pieces in your colour, either an uninteresting red or a dull grey - colours are not this game's strong point. On your turn, you place one of these pieces or move a large piece - the only pieces which can be moved. To somewhat negate the first player advantage, the first player is not allowed to place a piece in the centre.
You can freely place and move pieces over other pieces - your own or someone else's - negating them for at least a short while, as you need to have a visible four in a row. It's also worth mentioning the good production quality - the board looks and feels nice, and the pieces conveniently store in the bottom of the board in a compartment with a slide-out top - ensuring they don't splash around if the game is moved.
The game is short - half an hour at most, if players have analysis paralysis - and is open to being played multiple times in one sitting. It's no masterpiece, but it's in no way bad.

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COVERUP is a four-in-a-row game with depth—three depths to be exact. Players choose where they will place their disks, and at what depth. Place a disk below the surface and risk having that disk covered up. Move a disk and risk uncovering an opponent\'s disk.

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Carcassonne Review

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(More customer reviews)Most people come to this game after they have already been introduced to the European Designer Games by Settlers of Catan. This is a different kind of game than Settlers but in some senses it shares a lot of commonalities.
The game is easy to learn for a wide audience, it is reasonably quick to play (30 - 40 minutes) and is a very "immersive" game i.e. there aren't long periods of boredom. There are elements of strategy and luck, which makes for a "fun" game experience.
This game is fun for children and adults. For children the "farmers" are a little too complex, but the game works very well without that element.
The game consists of laying tiles to build cities, roads and monasteries in the South of France. Points are gained by creating long roads, building large cities or farming multiple farms. It draws elements of building jigsaw puzzles together with a strategy game of competing for territory.
I have played this game with family members who aren't really into board games and they enjoyed it just as much as gamers.
There are many expansions to this game which add a few more dimensions as you get more advanced. There is a very high replay-ability.
I would high recommend this game to people who are bored with standard Monopoly or Cranium type board games that are popular in the US.
If you loved Settler's of Catan this a "must"!
Summary:
General
o 2 - 5 Players
o 30 - 40 minutes Playing time
Audience -
o Children & Adults
o Serious and Casual Gamers
Format
o Tile Laying
o Combines Strategy & Luck
Longevity
o High Replay-ability
o Quality Components

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Bohnanza Game Review

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(More customer reviews)Bohnanza is a brilliant little game. It's social. It works well with anywhere from 3 to 7 players. (There are rules for a 2 player variant, but it's so-so.) It works for all ages, and is fun for dedicated gamers and normal folk alike. Simply put, this is one of the best all-around games out there.
The premise is simple: You are a bean farmer, trying to make as much money off of bean growing as possible. You have only two bean fields, and each field can only be planted with a single kind of bean at a time. You have to accumulate a certain number of beans in a field before it is worth anything as a sale. How many beans this is depends on the kind of bean planted - the more of a bean there are in the deck, the less each is worth. Thus, while it's easy to collect coffee beans (with 24 in the deck) you need 4 of them before they're worth even a single gold coin. At the opposite extreme, cocoa beans are worth a gold coin each. (You still have to accumulate two before they can be sold.)
The twist that makes this all fun is that your hand of cards (beans to be planted) always remains in the order that you drew it, and you MUST plant the bean-card at the front of your hand every turn, even if this means wrecking one of the fields you had been trying to build up to a good value. The only way to change your hand is by trading cards with other players. Thus, you have to plan ahead, take some risks, and keep a good name.
I rank this game a 5 for educational value because of what it rewards. No where is it written in the rules of bohnanza that you must play honorably, or treat the other players well. However: after many games, I've seen time and again that the players who most often win are the ones who treat other players fairly and honor their bargains. Keeping a good name is vital. You have to play hard-nosed to win, and bargain hard. However, you also need to be known for being a good person to trade with. It's worth it to trade in abstract 'favors' with the other players and to take the occassional loss to keep your name good and your rivals happy with you. You also need to know when to advertise what you have, and when to keep your mouth shut and surprise your rivals. These are lessons that children and adults alike could use more training in!
I have one friend who declared that if she were to be exiled to a desert island Survivor style, and allowed only one luxury item, a copy of Bohnanza would be it. What better review can a game get?

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Ever imagined you were a bean farmer? Sure, who hasn't? You got your red beans, your green beans, your black-eyed beans, your coffee beans... But where to plant them? In this card game, smart sowing lets you reap big rewards. Plant the beans you do want, and trade the beans you don't want to the other players. Adding to the realism of the game, the one who ends up with the most money wins! Comes with 154 Bean Cards, 7 Third Bean Field Cards and a rule booklet. Imported from Germany. For 2 to 7 players. FUN!

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