Perpetual Geek Machine might be the place where big kids come to play, but even the biggest of kids can have little ones running around in their living room. If those little ones are your own kids (as opposed to an army of midgets/cats/robot badgers), you’ll no doubt be looking for a great way to bring them into your gaming world. Regardless of their age, Shake ‘n Take should easily get those kids unplugged from the TV and parked right at your kitchen table.

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So today we’re going to be taking a look at a quasi-educational game where you can learn about geography! Wait, WAIT… COME BACK! I promise it’s also alot of fun. It’s got that cool Carmen Sandiego vibe where it’s a fun game with some light education aspects incorporated instead on an educational game with a bit of fun sprinkled over top. While the game is about geography it’s also about chaining combos to bounce around countries trying to connect a 10 days journey. It’s obviously geared towards older kids and young adults but that in no way kept my wife and I from enjoying our time with it. It’s always a good sign when a game ends with one of us saying “Want to play it again?”

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Pirates Vs Ninjas seems to be the great debate of our time. We’ve all got our favorites of course, and it’s a fun argument to have with nerd friends. But very rarely have these discussions turned to what would happen if these archetypes turned on each other. Out of the Box Publishing, however, has been quietly playing out this scenario for quite some time.

A few years back they released Ninja Vs. Ninja which involved rolling these weird 4 sided die and attempting to invade your opponents dojo and making it back out alive. It’s a fun little 2 player game that included these really cool ninja miniatures. Pirate Vs. Pirate definitely uses that game for it’s source material, but builds on the game play and changes it enough to make it feel fresh.

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Out of the Box Publishing is quickly becoming one of my favorite game companies. They were the original publisher of Apples to Apples, and have a fantastic current lineup including Cloud 9 and Word on the Street that we’ve reviewed here. Well up next is a set of 3 card games that came out in late 2009 that share a similar play style but each are different enough that getting them all won’t feel redundant. They’re also dirt cheap and come in a little tin to carry them around. So it makes sense to kind of lump them in together in one edition of the Analog Games Corner. Away we go!

So today we’re looking at three little card games called 7 ate 9, Super Circles and Run Wild. They’re three independent games but share many similarities. May as well get the similarities out of the way first. All 3 games can be played in around 10 minutes, 15 max. They’re also all played without specific player turns, but with each person playing simultaneously… similar to Spit. 7 ate 9 and Super Circles have you playing into a communal pile while Run Wild has you also working quickly but it’s more on your own. They all retail for 10 bucks and come in these great little metal tins so you can toss them in a bag to take on the road or to the beach… whatever.

While the games share a lot in playstyle however they are all pretty different and could all easily be a part of your game collection without feeling like you’re buying the same thing over and over. So let’s take a look at each one. (more…)

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.

Our look into the world of board games just keeps on trucking! Last time we talked about the light bluffing game Cloud 9, and while this weeks game is made by the same company, they really couldn’t be any more different (except in the fun department. ZING!) Party games are pretty much defined by two elements, very easy to understand rules and can handle a ton of people at once. Word on the Street is just that kind of game. The rules take about 2 minutes to explain, and can handle two teams as large as you want playing against each other.

I’m a pretty non-competitive person. I mean I enjoy competition, it’s just at the end of the day I don’t mind if I win or lose (it’s probably why I was never good at sports). Sure I love to win, but I don’t need to win to have a good time. Which is a good thing, because while I really enjoyed Word on the Street I can honestly admit to totally sucking at it. (more…)

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.

OK I ain’t gonna lie, last column’s game ZERTZ was a bit of a mind-bender. Maybe abstract games aren’t really your thing, and that’s cool. Maybe you’re looking for something a bit lighter, fun and fancy free… well that’s fine too. Actually, it’s better than fine because today I’m going to hit you right in the face with what you’ve been looking for! It’s called Cloud 9 and point of the game is to earn points by braving the ride in a hot air balloon as it rises into the clouds. Potential points increase as the balloon rises, but so does the potential that it’ll crash and you’ll earn nothing! Jump out at the right time and you’ll run away with the victory!

Ready to take a ride? (more…)