I’m a gamer, always have been. Problem is for a large number of years that’s really just consisted of the video variety. That’s a huge mistake on my part, to not enjoy the video game’s analog brethren… the board game. There’s actually a vibrant and intense board game world out there that’s been pushed to the sidelines by game players such as ourselves for too long. In this column I’ll be diving into this world, looking at games that hopefully you’d like to try out for yourself.

We’ve taken a bit of a break the last few weeks from the old Analog Games but we’re back with a game that scratches not only the analog game itch but the dexterity one as well! When one thinks about board games, the idea that you’d need some sort of hand-eye coordination to win is something of a strange idea. I mean, take a look at the games we’ve looked at so far here at Analog Games Corner; you need a grasp of the rules, general strategy and an idea on how the game’s engine operates in order to claim victory. Well there’s a small (though still substantial) group of board games known as “dexterity” games that rely much less on rules and game systems and more on physical ability.

Now obviously physical ability doesn’t mean running a 100yard dash or some nonsense… I’m talking about flicking! In the case of Bisikle, that means flicking a most interesting ball around a track simulating a bike race. (more…)