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Ena of Ilbrea Broke my Heart

Once I started reading about this young inker from Ilbrea with a penchant for healing and a heart of defiance, I couldn’t stop.

I found the first book in a random bundle of free novels, and thought “why not”. From that moment on, I was hooked. I bought every other book in the series the second I finished Ember and Stone.

In a story of oppression, we follow the path of a girl who isn’t all that special. She is from a small village, and has lived a small life. A life that has been full of fear, doubt, pain and guilt. And through all of that, Megan O’Russell transformed her into one of the most relatable characters you will ever read.

“I wish I could lie and tell you we raced away into a joyous peace earned by those who risk their lives so others may live freely.”

Ena of Ilbrea was born when O’Russell realised that the character she had created was too large for the pages she was confined to. So she put the Guilds of Ilbrea series on hold, and wrote a prequel series that has a prequel book to boot. You can tell that once an inkling of a story starts niggling at her mind, O’Russell is the type of writer who can’t stop till it’s all down on paper.

Ilbrea is a medieval world where an authoritarian oligarchy rules with an iron fist, controlling every resource from marriage to magic. Harane is a small off-the-beaten-path village, whose heart beats with tension in its bones. The villagers steal moments of happiness where they can, while the threat of death permeates the air. This is where we first meet Ena, an orphan who has suffered time and time again, before her life is shattered yet again.

The seeding of revolution is the core of Ena’s story over the course of the five books. It is not one that ends with a happily ever after, or a grand conclusion. Instead, it’s a journey. It is Ena’s tragic origin story (is there any other kind?), with amazing supporting characters, realistic romances, and no superhuman abilities. Ena is a nuanced and complicated character, who is just plain human. And that in itself is brilliant. However, we also have Lily, Mave, Nora, Evie, Cati and Finn, who make this tale one of feminism. Of how to be a woman in a world that oppresses you, and to use that to form a revolution.

“And let this be a lesson to you, Ena. Give yourself to a man with no sense, and you’ll end up getting married on a gods-forsaken muddy day to a a fool who no longer owns a horse.” – Lily

I teared up multiple times throughout the series, and full on ugly cried at book 3. By the time I finished, my heart was hollow from loss, echoing the emptiness of those last pages. If it hadn’t taken even more from our heroine, I would be mad at the story for taking so much from me.

With my heart still broken, I haven’t yet picked up the next series which starts with Inker and Crown. But the fact that it is there, that a bit of happiness might still find its way to our orphan from Harane, is the thread of hope that I need.

“I’d rather have my mad inker by my side than any of the others. Now come on, my little mad woman. Let’s go be heroes.” – Finn

322k

20 – 25

4.5

4 / 5

Total Words

Read Hours

Books in Series

Geek Rating

Find Ena of Ilbrea through one of these links:

Need more books to read? Check out my list of the 7 best Dystopian Novel series.

Inlet’s Journal – Mal’Bork Castle

12th May 1286

Mal’Bork Castle

We managed to convince most of the undead that had kept some form of sentience not to kill us, but we were still attacked by about 5 zombies, 2 wraiths, 2 spectres, a giant spider, and some lizard men. There may even have been more than that but my head is spinning too much to remember. We escaped by the skin of our teeth, amulet safely tucked into our Bag of Holding. Along with a couple of other things. I do believe this emerald green cloak brings out my eyes.

Once we entered Mal’Bork, the weight of the dark deeds carried out within its walls enveloped us. We managed to piece together bits and pieces of the events that befell them from various journals, old reports, and a jovial conversation with the zombie possessed ghost groundskeeper Nikolaj, worshipper of Hades. The tale thus far:

“The Knight of Polania returned. In his injured possession, he had an artifact. An amulet of unknown origin and make. The knights behaviour had become erratic, and had drawn the ire of the nurse who cared for him. As such, the amulet was given into the care of the castle priest, Father Voi’Chek. Father Voi’Chek described the Amulet as strange, and cold to the touch, with symbols unknown to him. His journal details his descent into madness, as the lettering gnaws at his mind, taking root, poisoning his thoughts. He begin to show an abandonment of his faith, a callout of the god Apollo. The writings lose articulation in rambles “Apollo is false one. I must find true God. This is not where I am supposed to be. Father calls to me. I must answer call.” This led to what appears to be conversion of the castle folk to the darkness “I have converted them to the faith. But I am worried some suspect me. I have to keep my eyes open. Watch them in the dark. See what they do.” and culminated in a dark deed “The cook may be on to me. I will have to accelerate. If he informs the lady I may have to act. I’d rather turn her than kill her. But I will if I must.” The first to notice the change in Father Voi’Chek was the cook, Milosh. We are what we eat, and Father Voi’Chek wasn’t. Except for rarer and rarer meat. Milosh also spied Father Voi’Chek skulking the grounds in the night, and could swear the father’s eyes reflected something strange. Nikolaj the groundskeeper confirmed the priest would walk the grounds at night, while multiple guard records indicated reports of suspicious activity from the priest. The commander of Mal’Bork castle recorded that the increasingly odd behaviour from Father Voi’Chek coincided with the behaviour of the Knight of Polania calming. Word reached the Lady of Mal’Bork, who determined that she would speak to the Lord the very next day regarding this behaviour, just as the Commander determined he would confront the priest. No journal entries in the castle go past that day. Instead, Mal’Bork castle today is rife with undead, its holy places desecrated and crying with black liquid, with the bodies of some of its inhabitants found posed in their beds. A Heptagram can be found in its upper levels, signifying that an unholy ritual took place. What truly happend that fateful day, we may never know, but that it came from madness and evil cannot be mistaken.”

They mystery of Mal’bork Castle has me completely on edge. I wonder if the shaman knows more than she is letting on. We have given her the amulet to destroy, but I wonder if that was the right call. Something with the power to corrupt a priest could devastate this land. I can only hope we have done what is right.

I think we should stick around here for a bit. Keep an eye on the shaman. Doesn’t look like we’ll run out of things to do anytime soon, as Gockerol has just informed us that Vasrock the Bloody (I wonder if he is any relation to Vasrock the Vast) is holding a birthday ball for his daughter, the Princess Evlarz. Gockerol has heard that the best birthday present wins? Apparently this is all over-compensation due to Vasrock the Bloody feeling rather overprotective of his daughter after something happened to his son Elmo. Who isn’t dead (I know, that’s the first thing I thought too), he’s just injured, and his injuries aren’t healing for some reason.

In other news, Aisley sold her cool snake staff! In exchange for this thing that doesn’t move. Ugh. I also managed to pick up a dozen bottles of potent 250-year-old wine from Mal’Bork Castle, which meant that Gockerol, Arthur and I had a merry old time drinking ourselves under the bar.

– Inlet

Mal’bork Castle

Loot!

Cloak of Elvenkind

Immovable Rod

Evil Amulet

This is a way to space between lines

Dnd 5e

Travis

Jill, Chris, Ian

System

Session

Game Master

Players

This is a way to space between lines

Inlet’s Journal – Orstican

11th May 1286

Orstican

We arrived in Orstican, of all the places, to help Orcs, of all the peoples. I have no idea how Arby comes by these requests. Whoever heard of Orcs asking for assistance? Life with Arby is nothing if not varied. In any case, my fur is still smarting after almost being carried off by that baby Dragon on the road to get here. That was definitely not an auspicious start to this trip.

We met a friendly enough innkeeper named Gockerol at The Bloody Sword in Orstican. My stomach is threatening to explode after that delicious slab of steak. I should never do that again… maybe. While I was stuffing my face, Aisley and Arthur got the location of the shaman we’re supposed to help out, and after a quick trip to the outhouse, I stumbled after them to find out what we needed to do.

The shaman advised that she wanted us to retrieve an evil amulet. An EVIL amulet. From a HAUNTED castle. Because she had a dream about it. I just… and we said yes to this? At least it’s a castle so there should be some good stuff, and who knows, I might be able to pick up a thing or two about my past.

According to the shaman, Mal’Bork castle is on the hills controlled by the hobgoblin Warlord Vasrock the Vast, but yet, he hasn’t claimed it. Legend has it that the amulet killed everyone in the castle, and is now hidden within its walls. Those who have been past claim the windows light up at night, while sounds of shuffling can be heard from within. Also, the grounds have somehow been immaculately maintained. Our job is to find the amulet, survive the undead that prowl the castle, bring it back to the shaman, and tell no one of what we’ve done.

Twilight has arrived, so all of that, will wait till the morn. Only those without an ounce of sense go to haunted castles at night.

– Inlet

Dnd 5e

Travis

Jill, Chris, Ian

System

Session

Game Master

Players

This is a way to space between lines

Inlet’s Journal – On the Road

10th May 1286

On the Road

I was just minding my own damn business. Keep watch, Arby said. Wake us if anything happens, Arby said. Well, I almost got carted off into the great unknown while everyone else slept on in their comfy beds!

Out of nowhere, a bronze dragon, a youngling, but still a dragon, asked me to be his friend. Now, you don’t say no to a gigantic beast asking for your hand in friendship. What’s a cat to do? So I said yes, and then he tried to knock me out. Some people have real problems with boundaries. If not for the lucky stone I picked up last week, I’m pretty sure I’d be dragon dinner somewhere by now.

Fortunately for me, luck was a real friend, and I managed to duck, dodge and weave around till I got to door and screamed the place down for help. Not before he managed to make Monkey go poof though, so that’s 10 gold down the drain.

Sigh.

– Inlet

Dnd 5e

Travis

Jill, Chris, Ian

System

Session

Game Master

Players

This is a way to space between lines

Good Society: Ariana Hammond

Played this twice as it was my favourite game of ArcanaCon. I can’t espouse enough how amazingly these stories went. The interaction between players was the most creative of any role playing game I’ve experienced thus far, a lot of which comes from the world and character building that involves everyone at the table. It was also the first time I’ve played an RPG where the game master felt like a player, like one of the team.

Meet Arianna Hammond. She’s a monk in the clergy, living in a tyrannical matriarchal society. All she ever wanted was to serve and follow in her mother Linda’s footsteps. But she also couldn’t stand by and watch her brother Chet struggle, as he started coming into blasphemous magical powers. Magic was reserved for the women of the world, and so when they were outed by Chet’s prophecy of a new age of magic, life fell apart.

The Guardian cursed Chet for his sins, and had Arianna sent away for 4 years as penance. And yet Chet’s words still haunt our society. For if the prophecy is to be believed, Guardian Morgana Gray must marry. Always yearning for her mother’s approval, Guardian Gray decided that marrying Anton was her best option to usher in peace and prosperity for the next 1000 years.

But for Arianna, there is something so familiar about the Guardian’s betrothed. Something in the way they move, the way they speak. Then when night falls and sleep claims her, she realises that her closest confidant, her one comfort in this life, the person she spoke with every night in her dreams, was real. And that the Anton of her dreams was about to marry the woman who had cursed her family, the woman she was sworn to obey.

Next time on Good Society: Does Arianna forsake her duty and run off to France with Anton? Did Chet escape and join the rebellion? Has Guardian Gray been murdered? Alas we will never know as this was a one-shot damnit.

Petra – A Book about a Child, but not for Children

Petra is unique in the apocalyptic genre, in that it details the apocalyptic events of a future society set on a distant planet. It follows the journeys of people who get introduced slowly over the course of the book, starting with the Bot. As we listen in on its private calculations about the human race (or Allendian race), we learn that the Bot has no name, but a mission. A mission that involves extermination of those infected with the flu (a deadly fatal flu) in order to ultimately protect humanity. It is a riveting beginning to a tale that starts and ends at the same place.

A couple chapters in, and we are introduced to Sidney. Sidney is the pivot on which the story revolves. The ten-year-old orphan who plucks on the heartstrings and wires of all those around her. With a plucky attitude, the naivete from having been alone since she was 8, and her gizzard-eating survival instincts; Sidney is a joy to experience. Her little world is laid bare for us to fall into, and absorb it we do. Every aspect of her person – her heartbreak from losing her Nayne, her simple childish joy at watching eyes change colour, and her strong decision making – make her a deeply compelling character.

“Anything but bird,” is the first thing that pops out of her mouth. “Or rodent or lizard or…”
The woman laughs out loud as Sidney continues listing the things she doesn’t want to eat, all the things she’s eaten all her life that she’s had more than her share of, thank you very much.
“or gizzards,” is the final part.

When the bot meets Sidney, it gets a name. One guess what it is. This is when we start to see that 200 years of different types of programming, can overlap and reconfigure itself when children are at stake. It is beautiful watching the love that Petra begins to feel, and how she adapts her programming in response to it.

But until this point, the Allendian apocalypse sounds like a dream. Scavenging for bird nests for eggs, cuddling robot cats, escaping bots and dreaming of vaults full of food. That is, until we meet Henry. With Henry comes the perspective of a 40 something adult who has lived through the end of the world. He has witnessed first hand, the devastation the flu has truly had on Allendian society. While Sidney has managed to keep mainly to herself, Henry never had that privilege and was recruited at a young age as a raider, after losing his entire family. We see in him the shame of his past, his guilt, his regret, and ultimately, his hope for redemption through his new found saviours.

“I was still little when it all happened,” he says. “Everyone around me started getting sick. Then they were dying. I was taken away before it got really bad.”

All in all, Petra was a very thought provoking read, with a balance to the feel of the book that is rare. Stone has a knack for creating characters that have hearts, and for writing a road that you wish wouldn’t end. An easy to read book, with difficult moments and an ending worthy of a good cry with some hot chocolate.

67k

2 – 4

1 / 3?

4½ / 5

Total Words

Read Hours

Books in Series

Geek Rating

You can find the eBook for Petra on Kindle and iTunes, and a physical copy can be picked up from Amazon. Check out the 30-day free trial of Kindle Unlimited while you’re at it.

Petra Links:

Finished this book and keen to check out more Dystopian novels? Click here: 7 best Dystopian Novel series.

“How To Be A Werewolf” Webcomic Review – Passing All The Tests

The last decade has seen the Werewolf come second in mythic-creature-pop-culture after the Vampire (thanks Twilight), but “How To Be A Werewolf” definitely gives them a run for their money. This telling of the werewolf is deep, full of monochromatic beauty that captures moments of emotional upheaval, while also telegraphing serious issues surrounding anxiety and abuse.

Malaya Walters is 25 (already a treat that we aren’t starting with a stereotypical 16 year old). She has been a Werewolf for 20 years, a Werewolf without a wolfpack. She has her family, her work as a barista, but that has pretty much been it. There hasn’t been anyone to show her the ropes, until a weird customer comes sniffing around. Literally sniffing. Thus begins her sort-of-lessons on “How To Be A Werewolf”.

What follows from then is far from the usual broody teenage werewolf trope. Instead, we are introduced to an established were-world of politics, dayjobs for supernatural characters, awkward attempts at seeming intimidating (from both the heroes and the ‘villains’), multiple flashback sequences to when everyone looked young and idealistic, and a lot of adorable humour. There are even some pretty cool fight sequences from time to time. Although most of the fights are 90% lunging at each other. They are wolves after all.

This webcomic ticks so many boxes – technically, emotionally, artistically, responsibly. Each page is cohesively organised for a smooth unjarring flow, and has moved the story along further in 2 years than some others have in 4. Shawn Lenore’s writing passes both the Bechdel and DuVernay tests for racial and feminine inclusivity, while also having various LGBT characters amongst the cast. She also plans to steer away from a main character romance trap in which only coupled people are happy people – instead focussing on Malaya’s personal growth and fulfilment as an individual. There are complex backstories behind every decision made – good and bad – showcasing a reality of grey. There are no simple ‘good guys’ and ‘bad guys’ in this comic, just people trying to live by whatever means possible. ‘Evil’ isn’t really a thing in HTBAW… yet…

What’s more, Ms Lenore’s attention to detail is a treat for obsessive senses. At one point, Elias changes out of his ripped clothing. Most creators would simply leave non-plot-related details undrawn (time and effort saving is understandable); but not this creator. We get to see the process realistically, rather than witness a magical clothes disappearance. These are the details that speak to Shawn’s respect for staging, worldbuilding and her audience. Particularly her audience, as she is frequently seen breaking the 4th wall interacting in the comments section of the site. If the story could finally steer into an actual full werewolf lesson, that would make everything perfect.

The comic updates every Tuesday and Wednesday. Head on over to HowToBeAWerewolf.com to check it out. Once you’re done binge reading HTBAW, you can vote for the comic on TopWebComics to get sneak peeks such as this one:

For the record, we can’t wait for the flashback within a flashback storyline to start.

256

1½ – 3

7-?

4.7/5

Comic Pages

Read Hours

Comic Chapters

Geek Rating

The Best 7 iPhone Wallet Cases

Everyday Carry (EDC) tools are the essentials that you bring with you out on the job, to social events, in case of an emergency – pretty much anywhere and everywhere. As such, making sure that your EDC is ultralight is par for the course. Phone wallet cases combine 2 of your bulkiest items into 1, and force you to take a good hard look at all the membership cards you’ve been lugging around (pro tip: download stocard , an app for your many store cards).

To help you on your way to an ultralight EDC, we’ve compiled a list of the 7 best iPhone Wallet cases on the market today. Our base selection criteria was for the case to be able to hold at least 4 cards, not have cards face the phone screen (which can scratch your screen over time), and not distort camera flash. Everything else each of these cases can do, well those are just bonuses.

Bellroy Wallet Case
iPhone 6/6+ iPhone 6s/6s+ iPhone 7/7+

3 / 5

60-140

Card Storage

Protection Rating

Price Range

Year Warranty

The Bellroy Wallet Case is hands down our favourite case, for being able to store 5 cards in such a gorgeous slim design.

What we love: Magnetic closure for the flap, 5 card storage, Sim & Pin storage, vertical stand, ability to speak on the phone with the flap closed, longest warranty of 3 years, microfiber lining and gorgeous leatherwork.

What could be better: It would have been quite simple for Bellroy to add some wrist strap holes to the design for those seeking extra security, particularly as this particular model doesn’t include any shock absorption features if dropped. In fact, we suggested it to them a year ago. So, we’ll see.

Bullettrain Safe Wallet
iPhone 5/5s iPhone 6/6+ iPhone 6s/6s+

4-5

3 / 5

60-80

Card Storage

Protection Rating

Price Range

Year Warranty

Bullettrain got their start on Kickstarter, where they premiered their first iteration of the Safe Wallet. It advertises as being slimmer than a sharpie, and full of perks.

What we love: Discreet card storage, extra key storage on + models, Sim & Pin storage, hidden stashes under the case, easy card removal, bottom located wrist strap holes and raised edge protection. The Safe Wallet was our go to for the iPhone 5/5s and 6+/6s+ models. These two are both great cases and fit five cards as promised.

What could be better: Unfortunately, their third iteration, the 6/6s model, was plagued with issues. While their polycarbonate casing is meant to be strong enough to withstand drops, the thinner ares around the buttons and door locks tend to break over time, and would have been much better served by a rubber/silicone material. This model was also the only one out of the three that does not fit five cards if even one of them is a raised-letters credit card. The pen also let us down – running dry after 3 months. Lastly, the decision to go with polycarbonate on all the 6 models resulted in a slick case, that falls out of hands and off tables quite easily. Grip Tape/Inslips recommended to deal with this.

MEGAVERSE Anti-Gravity Wallet iPhone Case
iPhone 6/6+ iPhone 6s/6s+ iPhone 7/7+

2 / 5

30-40

Card Storage

Protection Rating

Price Range

Year Warranty

This is one of those things that seem like magic. Mega Tiny corp has produced a MEGAVERSE Anti-Gravity Wallet iPhone Case that uses nano suction to stick onto non-porous surfaces. Stick on their 4 card leather wallet and you’re good to go.

What we love: Nano-suction technology, swappable backplates (mirror, wallet, bottle opener), 4 card storage, reinforced bumpers, matte edges, dockable, wrist strap hackable, lightweight and super slim.

What could be better: The nano-suction can get weaker over time, but a little bit of water can clean it right off. It isn’t a very reinforced case, and so you shouldn’t get this case if you are prone to dropping your phone. You will need a screen protector, as the lip around the case isn’t very tall.

Distil Union Wally Case
iPhone 6/6+ iPhone 6s/6s+ iPhone 7/7+

3-4

2.5 / 5

20-25

Card Storage

Protection Rating

Price Range

Year Warranty

Distil Union’s Wally Case is a simple idea well executed. There are many cases out there that make reaching your cards a pain. The Wally Pull-Tab™ changes that by combining a discreet wallet with ease of access.

What we love: 3 card storage (4 if leather is stretched), Wally Pull-Tab™ secret wallet, TPU shock-absorbing bumper case, push through volume buttons for extra protection, the pull-tab is washable, and the leather – who doesn’t like leather?

What could be better: If you decide stretch Wally out to 4 cards , you can’t go back down to 3. And really, you can still kinda see the cards. Screen protector is recommended as the edges aren’t particularly tall.

ZVE Wallet Case with Kickstand
iPhone 6/6+ iPhone 6s/6s+ iPhone 7/7+

3.5 / 5

16-17

Card Storage

Protection Rating

Price Range

Year Warranty

ZVE has produced a quality leather case, that doesn’t even have a fancy name. The ZVE wallet case with kickstand is extremely tempting for being a slim case that can hold six cards for only US$17.

What we love: SIX card storage, kickstand with a slip resistant band, magnetic closure for kickstand, resilient ribbon for card accessibility, full frame molded rubber bumper for shock absorption, wrist strap hackable, and supposedly it won’t stay stretched out if you go from 6 cards back down to 1.

What could be better: Honestly it’s hard to fault the ZVE case. It isn’t quite as attractive as some of the other cases on this list, but it is the most practical.

Vaultskin Eton Armour Wallet Case
iPhone 5s/SE iPhone 6 iPhone 6s iPhone 7

3.5 / 5

16-25

Card Storage

Protection Rating

Price Range

Month Warranty

Of all these companies, Vaultskin is the one that acheived the impossible. A slim iPhone case with storage for EIGHT cards, in the Vaultskin Eton Armour Wallet Case.

What we love: EIGHT card storage, awesome looking logo (I mean, it’s a shield!), molded rubber bumper for shock absorption, magnetic closure for the 6 card hidden slot, 2 card pocket for accessibility/pay&go capabilites, nice grip to the soft leather and possibly RFID-blocking capabilities (we’ve reached out to Vaultskin to seek confirmation).

What could be better: You don’t receive the easiest access to the 6 cards that are hidden in the middle of the case. There also aren’t any + model cases, so + model carriers lose out on this eight card heaven. The base is also less protected than the ZVE case, but it claims that the leather back provides extra cushioning in case of drops. The 2 card pocket can be a bit tight, requiring a bit more of a push to ensure it doesn’t obscure the camera. Also, no wrist strap holes.

UAG Trooper Series iPhone Case
iPhone 6/6+ iPhone 6s/6s+ iPhone 7/7+

4.75 / 5

30-35

Card Storage

Protection Rating

Price Range

Year Warranty

The UAG Trooper Series iPhone Case claims to be for the rugged adventurer. But we know it’s really for us butterfingers.

What we love: Best protection with a feather-light impact resistant core that meets military drop-test standards (MIL STD 810G 516.6), oversized tactile buttons, rubber honeycomb interior, flexible sides to make it easier to get the phone on and off, third-party compatible cable openings, all with storage for 4 cards.

What could be better: If it could hold just 1 more card, this would be the perfect case. It is so protected, you could bash a zombie with it and come away happy as Larry. Unless the zombie was Larry. But before that scenario comes along, we’ll have to stick to 5 card minimum cases. Other than that, it is large. Which means it won’t be as easy to slip into pockets as some of the slim cases above.

Kickstarter Tabletop Roundup – Specially for the Solo Gamers

As a Tabletop Geek, the best place to source unique and often high-quality games is Kickstarter. The crowdfunding platform has become the web market of choice for many, as it provides creators with the chance to improve the quality of their game production through exceeding their targets, and also gives might-have-never-otherwise-been-produced games a chance to shine. This week, we’re highlighting 7 we think are worthy of attention, that also happen to all have solo gameplay.

Escape the Dark Castle
Rule Book

[kickstarter url=https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1998318065/escape-the-dark-castle]

1-4

£25

481%

Players

Play Minutes

Base Pledge

Funded

Escape The Dark Castle has an easy to read Kickstarter page, a nice £25 base pledge and 8 stretch goals already unlocked. It is a cooperative adventure where you and your fellow prisoners attempt to escape a castle filled with nasty surprises, created by fledling company Themeborne. The fact that one death means the whole group loses really encourages prisoners to support one another. Each game is played over 15 chapters ending with a boss encounter. With 53 chapter cards (45 + 8 from stretch goals) and 5 boss cards (3 + 2), Escape The Dark Castle promises to be replayable, accessible and quick. Bonus, the art style is filled with nostalgia, though a tad monochrome. Great playthrough video available to view here put together by the folks over at Beasts Of War.

Triplock

[kickstarter url=https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/chiptheorygames/triplock]

1-2

10-15

US$22

863%

Players

Play Minutes

Base Pledge

Funded

Often choose to go rogue? If so, you have to check out Triplock – it’s gorgeous. If you like solo games, have been looking for something to play with your partner, or simply lust after high quality components, get this before it ends in 18 days. Triplock is a memory game of rotating, flipping and swapping stacks of locks around, all to be the one that breaks through that final master lock. There are currently 11 stretch goals unlocked and 1 expansion pack to add on. My only very weak complaint is the free print-and-play downloads of all future expansion packs that Chip Theory Games is offering. Why? Free is nice, but who would ever print these cards on a home printer, after being spoilt by PVC card quality? Creators Josh and Adam filmed a 20-minute playthrough for anyone interested here.

21 Days
Rule Book

[kickstarter url=https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2023588050/21-days-a-cooperative-survival-boardgame-for-1-4-p]

1-4

30-45

€32

47%

Players

Play Minutes

Base Pledge

Funded

Just… the raft. If for nothing else, back it for the raft. And the dog. Solo play includes adding Scruffs the dog! But you shouldn’t have to make your decision to spend €32 just on a dog and a raft, because there is a lot more about 21 Days to like. The dice placement mechanic seems to be well balanced against the tension of surviving on an ever-shrinking raft, and designer Erik Winkelman has also given us all the tropes you look for in these situations, such as sharks and floating bottles. While the kickstarter page looks a bit rough around the edges, the actual gameplay looks solid – as you can see from this video here.

Lucidity: Six-sided Nightmares
Rule Book

[kickstarter url=https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/foxtale/lucidity-six-sided-nightmares width=500]

1-4

20-30

AU$39

287%

Players

Play Minutes

Base Pledge

Funded

Lucidity: Six-sided Nightmares is the second project to come out of Fox Tale Games. Based on the theory of lucid dreaming, this game asks players to choose to either embrace or escape their nightmares. Play it safe, or become the nightmare. Consume someone else’s points, or push someone closer to becoming a nightmare themselves. The fact that you can gain skills and choose dice in this press your luck game, gives it a nice edge of strategy. The 11 stretch goals unlocked thus far, have been mainly component-quality focused. However an expansion pack is possible if they reach $45,000. Unfortunately there isn’t a playthrough video, but there are at least 6 reviews on youtube.

Helionox: Deluxe Edition
Rule Book

[kickstarter url=https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1680723118/helionox-deluxe-edition width=600]

1-4

20-80

US$59

396%

Players

Play Minutes

Base Pledge

Funded

Helionox: Deluxe Edition is a sharp deck builder that can be played in either competitive, cooperative or solo modes. Zeroic Games is an example of a company that learns from its backers; what works, what doesn’t work. They got rid of confusing marketing strategies for this campaign, repackaging Helionox: The Last Sunsetwhich funded on July 4th, 2015 as a Deluxe Edition that includes the new expansion Mercury Protocol. No expensive add-ons, just 11 generously amazing stretch goals (so much wood!). And just to put it out there, the art in Helionox by Luke Green is everything you wished was in Terraforming Mars – cohesive, futuristic, beautiful. Full gameplay video here.

Critters Below
Rule Book

[kickstarter url=https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/antler-games/critters-below-survival-has-never-been-so-much-fun width=500]

1-6

30-60

€19

64%

Players

Play Hours

Base Pledge

Funded

This is the second go round for Critters Below, an interesting take on animal survivors of the apocalypse. A party game where you can either join up or backstab your friends to survive the apocalypse is pretty cool, but one where you can also play on your own? That’s almost its own category. Antler Games has managed to produce a game where you get to hoard items that keep you from death, is language independent, allows more than 1 winner, includes hidden information, has events every round and can result in player death. All this with compelling art in a tin, with really tempting stretch goals to come – I mean the printing on that card case… Full gameplay video here.

Oaxaca
Rule Book

[kickstarter url=https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/undine/oaxaca-a-dice-rolling-engine-building-card-game width=300]

1-4

20-40

$30

205%

Players

Play Minutes

Base Pledge

Funded

Exquisite handicrafts from the Oaxacan culture are what draws the eye to this game. On the other hand, the siege and tableu building are what truly peaked our interest. There are a lot of combo possibilities in this game that reward the long-game gamer. Additionally, having customers in the solo variant is a great way to spice up solo play. Only 5 stretch goals unlocked so far, but one of those is a whole mini expansion. 2-player run through by Rahdo can be viewed here.

Very few games that aren’t story-focused provide immersive and engaging solitaire modes for players. These 7 may just change that narrative.

“Citadels Deluxe” 2016 Edition Board Game Review and How-To-Play

2-8

½ – 2

10+

3.5 / 5

Players

Play Hours

Recommended Age

Geek Rating

Citadels Deluxe Review:

Bruno Faidutti’s Citadels relaunched as Citadels Deluxe edition late in 2016. Winrider Games decided to include the Dark City expansion and a whole lot of extras into one Deluxe box with the base game, all for less than you would have to spend on them separately (A$45 vs. A$55). And the results, are amazing.

Before and After
As compared to the 2000 ‘creepier’, more dour Classic version, Winrider Games have produced a lighter, more vibrant and noble theme for Citadels Deluxe. They redesigned the art on the box and cards, upped their graphics, integrated borderless artwork on all the cards, fine tuned the mechanics, rewrote the rulebook, threw out some broken (not designed by Bruno) cards, and brought it all back together into one beautiful package.

This new edition comes with 27 characters, rather than just the original 8, hugely improving replayability. There is now a lot more room for players to tweak the game to their personal preferences. When we sit down to play, everyone starts by insisting on particular characters they want included in the game. This replayability is further enhanced by the 30 unique districts found in Deluxe version, a huge bonus over the original 14 (our gaming group has sometimes included all the unique districts, instead of just 14 – to spice things up a little).

The key brilliance to Citadels is the interaction between players. When characters such as the thief can take your gold, or a magician can target a player hoarding districts, there can be no doubt as to the “take that” element rife within the game mechanics – particularly when the social deduction aspect comes into play. However, this can cause the game to take a turn for the petty, when revenge seekers come a calling. Gamers who prefer to play without this element should probably avoid Citadels as a whole.

I really enjoyed this version of Citadels. It is far more streamlined than the original. However, the one flaw that the Deluxe version has yet to overcome, is the long drafting phase. Contracting analysis paralysis during these moments is fairly common, as the character you choose could be the difference between a good or bad turn. Many a player who has finished their draft can be found staring at their smartphone screens in zombie-like trances while they wait. On the other hand, overall game time has sped up. This is most likely as a result of the changeover from some of the more gimmicky cards (ballroom district), to districts that help you build faster or more efficiently (framework district).

Citadels Deluxe Components:

27 Character Tokens

Tax Collector + 3 Warrant Markers, Blackmailer + 2 Threat Markers

**First Card Chooser Crown and 30 Gold Pieces**

Citadels How-To-Play:

Citadels is a city-building game, in which you are able to use different characters to help you achieve your goal – having the best city. The game ends when someone has built 7/8 districts, and the person with the fanciest (highest scoring) city wins.

Simply put, score the most points to win. There are 2 phases to Citadels. The first is the drafting phase, in which each player chooses a character to use, starting with the Crowned player. Once everyone has chosen a character (or 2 characters each in 2-3 player games), we move on to the turn phase. Everyone starts the game with 2 gold and 4 districts in hand. On your turn, you first choose to either grab 2 more gold, or draw 2 districts and keep 1. After gathering your resources, you get to build 1 district. You also get to use your character ability as specified on your card.

There are a few different ways to score in Citadels. The first is your districts. Building a low cost district can seem tempting at the start of the game when you are low on gold, but a district that costs 2 gold to build, is only worth 2 points at the end of the game. Similarly, build a 6 gold district, and you have 6 end game points waiting for you. Pretty simple math. Then, there is set collection. Build one of every type of district (noble, religious, trade, military and unique) for 3 points, or be the first to finish your city for 4 points (2 points for coming in second). Lastly, every unique card in the game has a special ability, ranging from giving you extra points for building odd numbered districts, to helping you build at a reduced cost. Use the unique buildings to score big.

If you have your eye on the long game, and someone looks close to finishing their city and bringing about the end game turn, choose Rank 8 characters to possibly destroy one of their districts. Another option is to steal all their district cards with the magician, or their gold with the thief. The possibilities abound with the different characters.

For a more in-depth understanding of how to play, check out our handy links section for the pdf of the rulebook.

Petra Links:

Citadels Deluxe Review:

Citadels Deluxe Components:

Citadels How-To-Play:

Handy Links: