Bookopoly TBR 2021 – October

In October I am back to my usual Bookopoly TBR game with my own board to play with. September was educational in learning the difference between the prompts I use and those Becca decided to prepare for everyone joining in the Bookoplathon. You can check out my thoughts and experience on it HERE. I continued with the rolls where I left off back in August and even added one penalty roll for a book from September.

For October Bookopoly I am using a standee from the board game Forgotten Waters. Forgotten Waters is a game by Plaid Hat Games publisher and this piratey adventure has been one of my gaming groups favorites since we got it this summer!

Here are my reading goals for Bookopoly in October:

Prompt: Highest Rated

Book: Hellboy, Volume 1: Seed of Destruction and Wake the Devil by Mike Mignola

My first roll looked promising and landed on a Highest Rated prompt. I had few options for this prompt but ended adding the graphic novel because this is one of the books I wanted to read way back in 2020. and somehow missed it altogether. As an added bonus I am hoping to put some balm on my TBR for October since I started working on a new job recently and I have yet to manage my time better to fit in more reading time.

Prompt: Ex Yu Author

Book: Jebo sad hiljadu dinara by Boris Dežulović

My second roll got me an interesting prompt I decided to add to the board in the last revision because I wanted to read more authors from my own country. I decided to broaden the scope to all authors from the ex Yugoslavia region. I decided on a book I have been interested for a few years now. It is an older book from 2005. by a Croatian journalist and has Catch 22 vibes. It is fairly short and I like that too!

Prompt: Light cover

Book: Bite by Laurell K. Hamilton et al

My third roll was a double – 2+ 2! The prompt was Light Cover and I decided to use it to read one of the older urban fantasy short story collections I have on my shelf and have not read yet. Most of the authors are already known to me and I expect to like it!

Prompt: Other Culture

Book: Things Fall Apart ( The African Trilogy #1 ) by Chinua Achebe

Fourth roll was an interesting prompt – Other Culture. I scoured my own shelves in search for something and then I remembered a book I was meaning to read and trying to get my book club friends to read as well. It is a book I was looking at for years now and I hope to push it for a book club assignment some day, I will keep trying!

Prompt: Chance Card

Book: Bajki robotów by Stanisław Lem

My fifth roll made me use my new Chance Card list since I used up all cards I had prepared last year! Sure some of those I ended up reading for other reading challenges and was left with having to make a new list and cards to shuffle and play with! The first book I pulled from it was a short story collection with theme of robots written by Polish author back in 1964.

Prompt: Science Fiction

Book: Alien ( Alien Movie Novelizations #1 ) by Alan Dean Foster

And my sixth roll was another double which added another roll after this one. The prompt was rather easy and I decided to use this opportunity to add another book from my buddy reading list. I am not sure how I feel about this movie novelization and the horror theme. I hope it wont get too scary for me.

Prompt: Most Recent Purchase

Book: Empire of the Vampire ( Empire of the Vampire #1 ) by Jay Kristoff

For this prompt I want to use the book I was expecting to arrive at the start of September and I really want it to arrive in time for October at least. Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff is one of the books that caught my attention one year ago when it was first announced. I never read anything by this author and from what I understand this book just might be my kind of vampire story! I really hope I will like it!

Prompt: Small Book

Book: Stoner by John Williams

This last roll was added as a penalty from September. I used this last prompt to add a book that is my book club assignment for October. For some reason many of my friends who like to read, liked this book and I want to see what the hype is about! I have no expectations on it and it seems like a “slice of life” with extra lemon zest – I guess sometimes I am into moody dramas. We will see 🙂

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I might have overdone myself with eight books here because of the new life related conditions and this month Bookopoly will be the only reading challenge I will be doing in October. I had plans for more and I even made lists but If I find the time to actually write about them by the end of the first week of October I might even take them on. For now I will just follow my bookish friends in their many October reading challenges and cheer them on in their bookish endeavors!

How do you like my reading pile for Bookopoly October? Do you plan diversity in your TBR or it doesn’t even play role in your book choices?

Boardgame introductions

It all started out as a way to make something out of my free time. I have an account on Boardgamegeek.com and since last year I have been steadily uploading pictures of games I own. I have been into board gaming for a few years now and I even helped start a local board gaming club named Klub Titan Atlas.

You can check my BGG account –> HERE

In February I have tried out making short video introductions for boardgames. I found a free video building application named Bitable. At first I tried picking out some lighter and easier games I own. There is this quite annoying watermark on the videos since I have a free account. There is a paying option but I’m not sure how long will this making videos business last.

This is a link to my makeshift Youtube channel where I publish the videos:

Fantastical Emporium

Here is a video I made for the game Bring Your Own Book

So far I have made a few videos per week. I hope to continue with making these short videos since I enjoy making them!

Any ideas what game would you like to see as one of these short videos?

Storytelling boardgames

I love reading books with compelling stories. When I was little I used to read a lot of fairy tale collections from all over the world. This fascination never really stopped. As could be seen from some of my favorite boardgames it has followed me from one hobby to the other. Some of my favorite boardgames have a storytelling mechanic of sorts. While reading is a mostly solitary activity; playing boardgames is for the most part something that can be enjoyed with other people. To both sides there are exceptions and some boardgames are designed as an awesome solo experience as well. Here are some of the boardgames that can tell a great story and can be enjoyed with others!

Tales of the Arabian Nights

The version I will showcase here is the reimplementation of a same title game from 1985. The players take on a role of a character from the world of 1001 Nights and travel the map of Eurasia and Middle East in daring adventures. What I really love about this game is how immersive it can be for all the players involved and not just the players whose turn of play it is. While one player decides his choices other players are equipped with matrices and tables to read out his options and results. While every player is a master of his own destiny some choices can lead to magical hidden places others can get a player turned into a monkey AND imprisoned at the same time.

As the game progresses the storytelling aspect comes strongly to the fore. The results of the encounters are read from a hefty book with more than 2000 options to explore from which provides for the ample replay ability of the game. The game is decorated with beautiful illustrations and vibrant colors.

It was published in 2009. and designed to be played solo or with up to six people. The experience and length of the game will slightly vary depending on the number of players but it is roughly around two hours playing time. The game is welcoming to both new players and veterans for it is easy to teach.

Mysterium

Mysterium is one of those games that can be used in creating an unforgettable evening with friends. Story behind the game and the players ability to immerse themselves into the game are the best parts and the players all play cooperatively to win the game together. The game plays strongly on the mechanics of association and pattern recognition. In the lieu of Victorian mysteries and decadent parties the theme is strongly set. The premise of the game is that one player is a ghost and each other player is a renown psychic. There has been a mysterious murder and police need some supernatural help with the case. All players are invited to the spooky manor to help with deciphering what happened with the help of a ghost who will send them clues trough visions.

The player who takes the role of a ghost will set the game and try to help other players solve their cases without saying a word using only vision cards. The seance lasts for eight rounds represented by the mantel piece clock. Thematically it is aptly described as the time when the veil between world is the thinnest and the ghost can send players visions.

This is a deduction party game in which ghost player sets the pace of the story for each other player. Mysterium has been published 2015. and since then has had two expansions. The artwork is intriguing and vision cards especially set the spooky tone of the game. Many choose this game as a Halloween themed party game and with few simple touches to the decor it can turn to be a very fun time indeed. The game is meant for company from two to seven people and works excellent with maximum number of players. The difficulty can be balanced and set as per player needs.

 

Above and Below/Near and Far

Both of these games are made by an amazing author and designer who does mostly all the work needed to make a board game – from design and artwork to production and marketing. Ryan Laukat has made a set of incredible storytelling games that are almost a continuation of the experience from one to the other. The players get to explore and settle the fantastic world author has created. Both games have players reading from a story book of encounters with addition to more common boardgame mechanisms of set collection, card drafting and dice rolling.

Above and Below came out in 2015. and has a variety of promo pieces and even an expansion book of story encounters. Near and Far was published 2017. and with assortments of promotional pieces available has had a successful Kickstarter campaign for expansion named Amber mines late last year.

Both games are designed for 2 to 4 players and will take up to two hours of players time depending on the number of players. I have Above and Below and have kickstarted Near and Far expansion with all the addons including the game itself. I hope it will arrive by Easter and it is a favorite already.

This War of Mine

Thematically this is a darker implementation of storytelling into a board game. Main difference and innovation that this adventure survival game brought out a bit different players point of view. As many of other games offer roles of heroes and soldiers who do battle this game gives insight into the civilian life in war torn city. The theme and the game are meant for mature audiences. The most compelling sign to the craftsmanship of the game was acknowledgement by real life war and siege survivors on how authentic some parts actually are.

The players play together to make sure the characters they all control on their respective turns survive the active scenario goal. The board of the game has two sides, one for a house shelter and one for a community building. The book of scripts that players read out of is filled with myriad of unique story scripts and characters.

The artwork follows the theme in its dark and gritty design. Miniature pieces are well made. The game is designed to be played solo or up to six player together. It is fairly new game published 2017. Time of play can vary on how well the players handle difficulties set by the game from 45 minutes up to few hours. The people to play this game with should be chosen wisely since it is not light in play or theme and some parts might be too much for certain players to handle. There is also a video game counterpart of the same title.

Forest of Fate

This last game I decided to highlight did not yet come out officially. While it was Kickstarter exclusive from last year the game should be arriving to the addresses of its backers very soon (March 2018). It is a somewhat smaller game in comparison to the others I mentioned. Also it puts a spin to storytelling games since its goal is for character players to get the chance to tell the story of their own great exploits. To do so they must come home.

Game welcomes players who are new to role play games and veterans. It is made for two to six players and lasts up to one hour. What made my mouth water was the neat design of the storytelling book. And said book is slightly bigger than the game box for it is meant to fit the shelf nicely. I don’t have much on this game since I have not played it yet but from all I have seen so far I am very exited to try it out!

Any boardgame lovers out there with suggestions of games I might have missed out on? Let me know!

Bookish Board Games

My BF and I are avid board game players. Our board game shelf rivals some of your bookshelves. Over the years we made a quite the collection of board games we love and enjoy. Here are some of our board games with bookish themes!

Paperback

First one shown on the picture above is Paperback. It is a deck building game where each player has to make words out of cards he draws. With better words you get money points that buy more cards with letters and thematic wild cards. Wild cards are worth victory points and each is set to look like a cover of a book by author Paige Turner!

We love playing this game as it is fast paced and make us think on spelling words which is a great exercise for the brain. The fact that none of us speaks English as a first language makes it so much more challenging. Nerdy bookish game!

For more info check the Board Game Geek website HERE

Bring Your Own Book

The middle game on the picture is the latest bookish board game we found. We hadn’t had the chance to test it yet but have high expectations. It is also a card game with a little sand timer.

The concept of the game is simple. Every player brings his own book with him. Each turn a one player picks up a card with a task that each other player must find in their book. As the game progresses player earn cards by how fast and good they got the needed task. There are many variations depending on the number of players and I like the fact that everyone chooses their own book to bring. Must check out how language dependent it can be with different players before I bring this to my RL book club meeting!

For more info check the Board Game Geek website HERE

Biblios

Last game on the picture is also a card game where each player takes a role of a medieval monastery abbot. We compete which one of us can get the best library collection. We bid on rare and forbidden tomes, scribes, illuminations and supplies.

Design and illustrations are lovable for any book lover and this game can make for an amazing evening.

For more info check the Board Game Geek website HERE

I’m always looking for some quirky bookish games and the first one on this list will soon have an expansion variant named Hardback. I hope to get it as well 🙂

Boardgames!

As a declared veteran geek and nerd I love playing board games. I even like owning them.

Here are some of the board games and card games I have:

Munchkin Fu (and expansion Munchkin Fu 2)

This is a version of card game named Munchkin. While the original Munchkin card game is based on DnD fandom this version brings in many mainstream eastern themes. From B movie karate symbols to DnD Oriental setting. First player who gets to level 10 is a winner. Players gain levels by defeating monsters, buying levels with gold or using power up cards. This game is for 3- 6 players! 

 

I got it over a decade ago along with the expansion set for it. some of my friends had other version of Munchkin games and I ended up getting this one. I’m happy with it. It’s playable and fun!

Burn in Hell

Another card game I got long time ago. I liked the theme and the historical quirks of famous villains and bad guys from history. The game is about earning points by gathering and grouping historical figures who share diabolical natures and have a sin in common. This game is for 2-5 players.

 

I like the idea of this game but at all attempts of playing it we were a bit confused about ruling and point system. If any of you have positive feedback with this game please share!

Warrior Knights (and expansion Crown and Glory)

I am not a fan of long strategy games mostly since my player buddies are people who like to plot and think on every move they make – this can be annoying as it takes forever for these kind of people to make up their mind and make a move. Warrior Knights is an exemption to this rule. This is a game for 2 – 6 players. It has more ways a player can choose to take and win. I like the diversity of it all.

 

This game has it all: cool plastic figurines of knights on horses (four for each player sorted by color), cool looking map board to play on, versatile cards, plenty of small cardboard tokens and many strategic ways to achieve victory.

Pictionary

One of the more subtle games I own. Playable even by those who are not in touch with their inner geek. Excellent for groups who count more people than most other board games can support. We even played it with up to four groups with 3 people each!

I keep most of the pictures and drawings made by the people I play with. We mostly use blank notebooks which I can store away for blackmail purposes in the future #INSERT EVIL LAUGH HERE#

There’s only a minor setback to this game for me….I really suck at drawing

Fury of Dracula

This is basically hide and seek game WITH DRACULA! The game is for 2- 5 players where one player is Dracula and the rest are chasing him all across Europe.

 

Depending on the luck of Dracula it can be quite engaging and fun game. I got this game from a former work buddy. I’m still a bit upset that I got it used – she never really took good care of it and so the cards are a bit worn and some of the tokens are missing 😦

On the bright side each character has a nice plastic figurine and I’ve seen lots of really cool pictures where people took the time to paint them and make this cool game even more awesome experience.

 

Jealous? Damn right I am!

Mansions of Madness

This is a game for lovers of Cth’ulhu. It is meant for 2 – 5 players where one player takes on the role of the master of monsters and uses them to kill of other players. Game is run by scenarios and every expansion adds more monsters and new stories. It is a great game for people who enjoy horror movies and scary stories.

 

This game is also filled with 24 monster figures and 8 investigator plastic figures – each with great painting potential. I do believe painting the figures is an excellent way to add to the game.

 

These were some of my games. I hope you liked them. Aside from these there are also some that my boyfriend invented and we often play test them. I might make a post on those some other time.

If you have any recommendations let me know!