Getting Official

Update: 11/11/2016 - We just got approved on iTunes! Check us out by clicking this link. 

Huzzah!

That's right! The first podcast is up (found on the site here). I'm so excited for what's to come! Also, just checkout that dope intro music. (Yeah, that's right... I know how to mashup prerecorded samples in GarageBand. No biggie)

We also have a review posted for the Lord of the Rings LCG by Fantasy Flight Games. That is an epic review but it was a blast to write. We are currently getting our butts kicked on the quest "Conflict at the Carrock", but I suppose if trolls were easy to beat, that'd be no fun. 

As far as new games, we just played our first game of Lancaster. I took home a victory before really understanding that the game was over. I was pleasantly surprised at how quick and tight the game was. If I get a chance, I'll get more games in and post some thoughts. 

Upcoming Projects:

I'm mixing the second podcast episode, an interview with Print & Play game designer Mike Heiman. I also just got shipment notification for Mystic Vale: Vale of Magic, so we'll get our first expansion up soon. Our first feature article on expansions, LCGs, CCGs and games as platforms is also in the work. 

Could use your help:

I want to do a mailbag Q&A podcast episode here soon. If you have questions, send them in. I'll take a shot at answering as many as I can get. We may also have  a special guest cohost for that episode, one Mrs. The Cardboard Herald, Christina. 

Other Stuff:

Bruno Cathala Day is coming up! BGG user and blogger Rafał Kociniewski has declared Tuesday, 11/22/2016 to be Bruno Cathala day, in celebration of the notable designer's birthday. He's one of my favorite designers, so I'm definitely going to try to play some games and get some Cathala related content on the site, maybe a feature article and reviews of my favorite and least favorite of his games. 

Go check out the BGG post and check out Rafał's site Okiem PowerMilka

That's all for now. Stay strong, true believers!

Daft Punk - End of the Line

Games we're playing - week of October 31st, 2016

The coveted Golden Smaug award, with his box of Waterdeep treasures.

Happy Halloween! Here at The Cardboard Herald we wrapped up Halloween by playing some Lords of Waterdeep while taking turns greeting trick-or-treaters with full size candy bars. I know, I know, Waterdeep isn't exactly thematic for the day, but something about it feels appropriately gothic. Our friend Dan won the Golden Smaug award this evening, while I appropriately got my butt handed to me as the Xanathar. 

I got to try Dead Last and Arcane Academy this week. I may have some more thorough thoughts up soon, but of the two I preferred Arcane Academy. Neither blew me away, but Dead Last, while fun, felt a little too arbitrary. I love social deduction games, or games where you have to get in the head of your opponent, but I think the intended speed of the game undermines the mechanics. 

As with each month, our group met and played through the current month's Pandemic Legacy game. We managed to lose our first game of October, only to come back with a spectacular win. When we finish the season, I'll post a review. 

Then there are some other odds and ends going on. I'm still working on a review for Mystic Vale, we've been trying out more deck construction in the Lord of the Rings LCG, and I had a blast playing Splendor with an 11 year old. There's more games we played, but we'll leave it there for now. 

Upcoming Projects:

  • Mystic Vale Review
  • iTunes Certification of podcast
  • audio interview with PNP game designer Mike Heiman
  • feature "CCG, LCG, Expansions, oh my!"

Happy Gaming! 

-J

And we're off!

The site is now officially up and running! Everything before this post was me dinking around in squarespace's website creator tool. You'll want to check out the archives for the content we launched with. Here are the four games we have launch reviews for:


Our podcast is currently pending authorization from iTunes. The first episode will have an interview with a popular PNP game designer, so stay tuned! 

Games we're playing - week of Oct 24th, 2016

Welcome to the first edition of "Check this out!", let's get right to it. 

This week, I've been playing a lot of Mystic Vale. I should have a review for that up soon. I'm also hoping to sneak in a game of Fury of Dracula 3rd edition before Halloween. 

If you haven't seen it already, the new "No Time for Games" channel is incredible. Definitely go check them out and subscribe. I can't remember the last time I laughed so much on some board game content. 

Also, we've been trying to play as many spooky games in the Eddy house as possible this month. From Eldritch Horror and Betrayal at House on the Hill, to Guillotine and Mysterium, we've been trying to hit up anything that could be reasonably considered spooky, spoopy, or monster-y. Just as important as finding the right game is finding the right music. Check out the new Leonard Cohen album if you want something quirky and a bit extra dark for your next gaming session. 

Lastly, if you have any interest in video games, Dev Game Club is a fantastic podcast featuring two veteran video game designers who play classic games and discuss them. They cover a broad range of games, from Fallout to Super Metroid, and this week they started a new series on Resident Evil. 

That's it for now. If you have a recommendation of some spooky games to play or music to accompany it, let me know. 

Oh, and check out my review of Blood Rage which can be found here.