Not Just Another Gaming Podcast

REVIEW BY: JIM REED

The team had been assembled. All six of us. Well, six humans, along with our P.A.L.S. Psychic Android Linked Simulate (unofficial name) The debriefing had just finished. Of coarse, it was nothing but a reminder of what our six weeks of training had hopefully prepared us for. That, and a lot of bullshit of how we're a team, a family, and how we were going to have to rely and depend on one another if we were going to succeed in taking down the parasite hive located somewhere within the base. Truth is, no one trusted anyone but ourselves, no matter how much they drilled into us the importance of "teamwork".

Before I could really let the importance of what I was about to do set in, I was standing next to
my android in the starting room, contemplating in which direction should I begin to Explore.  One of the first things we must do is search. We were only allowed to carry in two items, and even those were randomly determined for us do to a limited supply. Apparently, the higher-ups thought this mission was important enough to risk  our lives but not important enough to spend the money on seeing us well supplied. I wound up being equipped with some gasoline and 4 rounds of Ammo. Of course, the weapon technology we we were given is usable only by our P.A.L.S., which brings up another quandary; stick close to them for protection or split up and try to cover as much ground as possible?

I decided to split up. I headed east and with great luck my search revealed a key card with an access code. Using my physic link abilities, I was able to share this information with my android, we now both had access through any potentially locked doors.

I heard the next team member enter the station in the room right next to me and just like that, the dangers of the mission became a crashing reality. You see, this station, this hell, was not only crawling with deadly alien parasites, but something much worse, something nightmarish. A disease if that’s what you want to call it. An invisible enemy that we knew would infect one of the team members at the beginning of this mission, making them into what we had termed "the host". This "host" would become more dangerous than anything we would face in the the station. Not only would this "host" be unknown to us, and looking to stop us from completing our mission at all cost, it would be looking to infect us all!

Paranoia set in immediately, as I knew that every single time I entered a room, other than the room in which we entered,  in which one of my teammates was in, there was a chance they were the infected and that they would try and infect me. Luckily, through  advanced research of some kind, it was found that gasoline contained some sort of immunity or repellant to the infection. But at the same time, gasoline is what is needed to destroy the hive, so giving it up is just as detrimental as keeping it.

Thankfully my teammate decided to go in a different direction and search, but I knew I couldn't avoid them all, not forever. All I know for sure is that I am not infected. But then again, who would believe me. My only plan right now is to keep exploring, keep searching, and hoping not to draw the attention of the parasites.

In my searches I knew I could find a multitude of items such as med kits, flak jackets, knives, weaponry, and of course, more gasoline.  Searching a room for the first time presented no alert to the parasites but each additional time is sure to bring one of these disgusting creatures down upon us or around us.  We all also know each room can offer some sort of advantage such as containing multiple items, a med station, a computer terminal, and more, but also some rooms would trigger a parasite alert simply by entering them.

One of my hopes is that myself or an unaffected teammate is able to locate and use the station computer terminals. Using them allows us to explore unentered rooms, unlock doors, and most importantly, do a heat scan. The scan will let all of us know just how many of us have become infected.

I explore further and find some sort of physical energy booster. This is good, it will allow me to take extra action if needed. It's early and neither myself or my android has taken damage so we're still at 100 percent. But if either of us ever does, we'll be weakened and unable to do as much.

My relief at finding the booster is cut short, Ramirez's android enters the room. 
“Hello Raven" he says.
I just nod as my heart begins to race. I see the pistol in his hands, cocked, obviously loaded.
"Don't worry, I'm not infected." it tells me.
"Good, me either." I respond.

Part of our training was to never show signs of doubt. I saw none right now in Ramirez's android, but "the host" is probably better at keeping a poker face than any of us. As a sign of good faith, anytime a team member enters a room with another team member, we must trade an item.

"Here" the android says, passing me something that I can yet  see what it is.  "I Don't have any gasoline. If you're going to infect me this is your chance. But I'm being honest with you. This is a med kit. If you have any gas I'd love to have it, but if you'd rather keep it, keep it, I'm not trying to infect you."

He seems honest, and a med kit would sure come in handy. I can keep my gasoline and perhaps trade the access code away or maybe the energy booster. I pull out the booster and start to hand it over.

But wait, why would the android admit to not having any gasoline? Especially out loud, that would make him a sure fire target for "the host"! Unless he does have gasoline and he's trying to draw out who "the host" is. But he also told me to keep my gasoline. Is it because he's hoping to infect me? Perhaps I should just hand over my gasoline just in case. But then I'd be out and vulnerable. It's better than being infected isn't it? I go with my first initial instinct and hand over the booster. The android takes it, looks at it, then looks at me with a smile.  I can't read the smile! Damn it! Have I made a mistake? What did  he just give me? I want to look but my hands are shaking and I can't remove my eyes from his. In that moment, I start to panic!

REVIEW BY:

JIM REED

What is a sign of a good game?

The reviews were out there. There were videos to watch. Months had gone by and this huge game had skepticism written all over it. Such a high price tag! Rules questions appearing on page after page in the forums on BGG. Then, it finally happened. That one thing that can make an as of yet undecided mind up. A sale. Then, the icing on the cake, I didn't buy it! A friend did. I just played it. And this, is what I thought!

Let's get the biggest fear factor out of the way. These rules are not so bad! Sure, there's no index. And questions where the answers were not memorized from a single rule book read through will crop up. There are over 200 cards. Each can add a twist and turn to the game and indubitably a few "so how does this work again?" moments. Yes, there may even be a few choice predicaments that are unexplained in the rules. Like what happens to a sidekick card when drawn and you already have one (the game limits you to one) do you discard and draw again? Discard and do not draw again, leaving you out of that much earned 5 fortune , or either of the two and re-shuffle that drawn sidekick back into the deck?

But mostly, rules answers will be overlooked and just needed to be looked back up. I guarantee during your first play you will mess up something and it will not be at the fault of Flying Frogs rule but at your own reluctance to engrave each and every sentence into your memory.

So what is a sign of a good game? How about this one. You sit there for an hour after the game has ended reminiscing about all those crazy times in the game where that. Beloved artifact slipped through your clutches. Talking about how you blew through the Nazi horde on a traveling Zeppelin and snuck off with coveted glory! Speaking of those times when just as you were about to claim the ring of Medusa, another player in the game caused the temple to come crashing down around you.

What's another sign of a good game? How about after the night is over, you fanatically try to schedule another date to become a traveling adventurer an test your combat against cultist, your agility in a bi-plane race, you lore at solving an ancient hieroglyphic puzzle, or you cunning as you infiltrate a secret base. That's right. You can't wait to play this one again. To Become a different character in this pulp world where fantasy and fantasies await.

Any game that has me breaking into my collection of special and lucky dice to use on that critical roll on a cliffhanger where only a 6 will suffice or else I will set off the alarm and be forced into combat with two Nazi soldiers, is a sign of a good game.

Sure, I can drool over awesome components anytime, but what really starts my saliva pooling is a frantic race back to my home city with two other players doing the same. We all have enough Glory to become the most famed exploring ever to live if only I had one more turn! One perfect event card that could stop my opponents in their tracks. I'm on the edge of my seat. Spoiled! One of my competitors has stopped my travels at sea, and now there's nothing for me to do, except recommend this game to those who fancy theme, excitement, fun, and a damn good game.

REVIEW BY:

MATTHEW McHALE

Bloodsuckers is a game by Justin and Anne-Marie De Witt of Fireside Games, the creators of Castle Panic. It is for two to four players. As the box states you are fighting for the soul of Blackwood the fictional town the game is set in.

In the game you take the role of blood sucking vampires or brave vampire hunters. The objective for each side is to take control of the most locations in the town. The town has five locations, the church, graveyard, nightclub, police station and the hospital. Each town location has a number of innocent citizens known as “Bystanders”. To win a location each side fights for control of the Bystanders. At the end of a battle the player who controls the most Bystanders wins the location for the town.

The game comes with a very nice stand up board that is used to keep track of turns, time of day and who won each location. The board also tells you how many Bystanders are in each location to fight over.
It also comes with a guide mat to keep track of what is going on during battles.
51 Hunter cards (used to battle vamps)
51 Vampire cards (used to battle hunters)
32 Character cards (these are your hunters or vampires or the bystanders you are fighting over),
20 Action tokens (used to keep track of actions spent)
10 Hunter and 10 vampire attack counters (use to keep track of attack values during battles)
6 Blood tokens (played to increase attack powers of the vamps)
6 Adrenaline tokens (played by hunters to gain additional actions)
4 Turn cards (reminders of what to do on your turn)
Rule book (like I need to say that)

After players decide to play Vampires or Hunters play begins with a die roll to determine who goes first and gets to choose what town location will be the first battle. The player that chose a location gets to go first and last playing cards in that battle. Bystanders are now placed in columns to be fought over. Each side now places his or her character cards in the columns to fight for the bystanders.

The starting player takes the first turn as shown on the clock dial on the board. The player gets to perform 3 actions most of which will be used playing cards. There are four kinds of cards. Attack Cards (yellow) are most common and have an attack value on them, players place attack counters on matching spaces on the bystanders they are fighting over. (Example: a card with an attack value of 3, a counter will be placed on the 3 space of the bystander card) Also many of these cards had other effects that may or may not take place. Impact Cards (purple) are used to modify attack values, draw cards and more. Strike Cards (red) are used to destroy characters from play along with their attack values. Dodge Cards (blue) are only used to defend Strike cards. After the clock dial goes all the way around, one full day, the battle is over and the player with the most controlled bystanders wins that location and turns the dial to indicate the winner. If it is tied the dial goes to locked indicating the tie at that location. Now the player with the least locations controlled gets to choose. The game continues like this until all locations of town have been fought over. The player who won the most locations wins the game. Of course there is a little more to it than that but that is the basics of game play.

Now for my thoughts on the game, most of the components of the game are excellent especially the standup board. All the dials are metal riveted on and it is made of thick cardboard, nice art; I love this piece of the game. The card and counters are well made also. The guide mat for the battles leaves something to be desired because it is made of thin card stock and you will have some trouble keeping it flat. This does not really hurt game play though. Though a number of plays now I am enjoying this game greatly. Each battle has plenty of “take that” and just when you thought you had your opponent beat they play a card that is equally devastating. I will say that is a medium light game that is not for everyone. If you don’t like luck and only love super strategy games this is not for you. This game like Castle Panic is a great family friendly game. The only problem I have found with this game is it is such a HUGE advantage to get to choose a location because you get to go last and that player has a great chance of winning at location. Hard core gamers will probably have an issue with that.

Over all I am very happy with this game and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. Take it for what it is, a light fun game of staking vamps and biting hunters you will have fun with this game too.