GameGrab

A board game rental service delivering games directly to the your doorstep in Provo, UT

01/08/2024

The color for January is white (hashtag from ). Reminds me of the snow we've been getting here.

Can you name the games these components are from?

01/04/2024

First solo playthrough of Parks

I won with 30 points. Now I'm wondering if I accidentally cheated by misunderstanding a rule or something.

Anyone else assume you messed up if you do well on your first solo playthrough? Or is that just me?

I'll have to try again tomorrow.

Initial thoughts:
Truly beautiful artwork. It really captures the beauty and diversity of the national parks it highlights.

Well thought-out components and mechanics. Once I understood the options for actions, it was pretty straightforward and worked well as a solo playthrough. Turns are pretty quick at that point, which is nice. There is a degree of strategizing and planning ahead, but not anywhere near enough to send me into decision paralysis.

I'm interested in playing through it a few more times to better understand the advantages and disadvantages of certain actions, but after that, I think I'd likely only play it with more players. I suspect the dynamic between players is part of the charm of this one.

12/17/2023

First Solo playthrough of Three Sister

Final score: 72

🫘🌽🎃 Review 🎃🌽🫘

Initial impression: It was more involved than I anticipated, but I recognize that is its appeal. It's a challenging and well-designed roll and write game, but maybe not the best fit for people who rarely play mid-weight games. I'll definitely play it again, but plan on a potentially much longer game with new players.

Ease of Learning:
This is not a game that you can learn with a quick overview. I had to refer to the rules repeatedly throughout my first game, and I still messed up a few important things and had to start over twice. However, the basic gameplay is such that, if you're willing to go slowly, you are more than able to learn as you play. I could see it taking people like me at least 3 games to really solidify the specifics of the different gardening areas.

*I realized just now I messed up another rule, so I likely should have scored lower. There are so many details!*

Gameplay:
Once you have the rules down, this game is very straightforward and fun. You set up each round by rolling the dice and placing them in ascending order on the rodel. You'll then alternate with the automated Farmer Edith in picking dice, you to determine the gardening area that you'll plant/water each round plus and the rondel action to take, she to block your options. The round finishes with an event that benefits you. This repeats for 8 rounds, then you sum your total points earned.

Like other games that don't have much player interaction, it works well as a solo game.

Aesthetic: The artwork is spot on for the theme. Clean, attractive, organized, green... you know, everything I aspire to be. The colors are vibrant but not overwhelming and the overhead view is neat and satisfying to look at.

The solo side of the rondel board is initially a bit much. It's feels cluttered to me, but at the same time, once you understand the symbols, it is a helpful reference guide. I do wonder if there was a better way to display it all, though.

Final thoughts:
Try it! See if it's your cup of tea.

12/15/2023

Finally, you can eat the berries!

I made Christmas candies inspired by Everdell's resources. It was my first time making candy on my own. I haven't decided if I'd do it again, but it was fun trying to replicate the pieces of one of my favorite games. It also has unlocked the advanced version of Everdell. Will you spend or eat your resources? The choice is yours!

Here's what I made:
Berries: Cream cheese candies
Pebbles/stones: white chocolate covered almonds
Resin: soft caramel
Logs: chocolate fantasy fudge

What are your favorite homemade Christmas treats?

12/10/2023

First solo playthrough of Calico

Yes, that's my carpet. Sometimes I'm more comfortable sitting on the floor, hunched over the game like a swamp witch and her cauldron. Whatever works, right?

Solo playthroughs are super helpful for me. I struggle with social anxiety and perfectionism, which means, when playing games, each turn I'm fighting the urge to spend an hour figuring out the absolute best possible move while simultaneously feeling super stupid and self conscious that I'm taking so long. These feelings are magnified when I'm playing a new game.
Solo playthroughs help relieve a lot of that stress. I can learn rules and strategies slowly, and absolutely no one cares how long I take on a turn. It also helps me know if I like or dislike a game based on the game itself rather than by how much I won or lost. Thank you to and for including solo play in Calico.

🐈 Calico Review 🐈‍⬛
Initial feeling:
In short, I liked it! It's easy to play, quick to get started, but not instantly mastered. There's a fun amount of chance while still allowing players to strategize and it's adaptable to a group's desired level of intensity. I consider it a nice laid-back weekend-type game.

Gameplay:
Calico is a puzzly sort of game. You place tiles to form different color and/or pattern groups in order to place buttons or cats and to complete challenges. Tiles are then redrawn from a center pool, and (for solo play) the tile furthest from the draw pile bag is discarded. The 2 tiles are replaced, and play continues.

Once your board is filled, points are calculated according to the number of buttons/cats placed and challenges completed.

It's a pretty relaxed gameplay that can still be challenging for veteran gamers. I'm excited to play with more people.

Visual:
It's cute, guys. Very cozy and happy. The cats look so soft and snuggly, the quilt tiles are brightly colored and beautifully patterned and the buttons look like something I would have desperately wanted to collect in elementary school. It radiates the feeling of cuddling up in a big quilt and spending a winter day relaxing at home near your favorite feline. Thematically, it's a definite win.

11/07/2023

Solo playthrough of Snack Time

Snack Time is a roll and write game about feeding pedestrians to your sewer monster pets. The premise is hilarious, the art is quirky and fun, gameplay is quick to learn and enjoyable. It also includes a Rat Snack module and Baby Monster mini expansion to enhance gameplay. Overall, it's a fun little game that does well for a lighter game session or a starter game for game night.

Backfire Game Studio provided this game at no cost for content creation purposes. All opinions are my own.

11/04/2023

Congrats to .jamison our October giveaway winner! Have fun with Clue: Conspiracy!

11/04/2023

We just played Salem 1692 for the first time today. We tried the 2 player rules since it was just my husband and me (plus ghosts Casper and Ghostella). Even though we jointly lost our first "real" game to that dastardly devil Cotton Mather, it was a lot of fun.

I enjoyed Salem's more traditional game mechanics (i.e. drawing and playing cards) combined with the inevitable overanalysis of "Is he on my side or playing me??" I was pleasantly surprised at how satisfying our 2-player game was, even with a loss. I'd definitely play this again and I'd love to try it with a larger group.

If you haven't already, I would definitely try this one out, especially if, like me, your only experience with social deduction games so far is Mafia/Werewolf derivatives. This is a refreshing alternative.

10/07/2023

Congrats to for winning Starry Night Sky!

09/30/2023

If you're free tonight, come check us out! Room 201 at the Library.

09/08/2023

We're visiting the planetarium for our date tonight, but just because you can't catch a show doesn't mean you can't explore the constellations at home. Grab Starry Night Sky by and some treats and you have the perfect star-filled evening at home.

What's your go-to game for date night?

09/05/2023

With a little bit of game and a whole lot of story, House of Danger is a laid-back good time. It's been a few years since we did a run-through, so it's fun "entering" the house again.

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