board games Archives · Just the Three of Us

April 7, 2020April 6, 2020

Clank! – Board Game Review

In Clank! A Deck-Building Adventure, players build a personal deck of cards to help them make their way through the passages below Dragon Keep. Once below, each player must retrieve an artifact and make it out alive. Along the way, you make “clank” as you stumble through the deep and encounter various monsters.

Gameplay Overview

Clank! is a deck-building and board game hybrid. Each player begins the game with an identical starting hand of cards. Players take turns individually, in a clockwise rotation. During their turn, each player plays a hand of five cards from their personal deck and performs the actions associated with their cards:

Boots allow a player to move their meeple around the board.
Swords allow a player to fight monsters or avoid damage from monsters in tunnels as they move.
Skill points allow a player to acquire new cards from the dungeon row.
Card effects on each card must be followed each time the card is in hand.

Fill any empty card spots from the dungeon row at the end of each player’s turn. If any of the new cards reveal a dragon, the dragon will attack. When the dragon attacks, add all the cubes from the clank area to the bag and pull a specified number of cubes. Add any cubes that match a player’s color to their health meter. After a player’s health meter is full, they no longer get to take any turns.

The goal of the game is to go into the depths (below the green line on the board), retrieve an artifact, and get out of the dungeon before being knocked out by the dragon. Once a player retrieves an artifact and makes their way back above the green line, they can be rescued by the local villagers and still gain victory points. Players who are knocked out below the green line… sadly, no victory points for them!

Clank: the depths — Here you can see “the Depths” on the Clank board. Players need to get above that green, grassy line to count their victory points!

At the end of the game, calculate the victory points, and the player with the most emerges victorious!

The Dad Review

Man, Clank changed the deck building world in a good way, and became my daughter’s number one game ever. Which made it my favorite game for a while.

Our Clank Backstory

When Maci was born Ang and I were really beginning to get into games, which actually means I was becoming obsessed and Ang was along for the ride. After playing a lot of games we got from Marbles Brain Store which at the time was the only place I knew to check for games, I saw a game pop up called Dominion. Then, I found the holy grail called Board Game Geek and read a review on it and saw videos. I was hooked.

We purchased the Dominion base game and played while Maci slept. It was a quiet game and it was quick. I thought it was the greatest game ever and purchased far too many expansions.

Now, fast forward to the present. While Dominion is still a fun great game in my opinion, it’s all about Clank! And of course Clank’s many expansions.

Playing Clank

In Clank, you build a deck to explore the dungeon, get some treasure and get out before you’re eaten by a dragon or rescued by some very nice villagers. This is definitely a push your luck game but not crazy intense. The creators were very wise to put in a bonus for escaping all the way, but if you don’t make it you still get your points.

When we first started playing, Maci would press her luck and it led to a lot of bummed out, frustrating moments. These were often followed by the good old, “Well, maybe you should think about escaping,” comments that Maci didn’t appreciate at the time.

Now as we play, Maci has this game down and is always thinking ahead. It’s great to see, except when she takes the treasure I’ve been trying to get this whole time. Then she screws up my whole game and then I have to go deeper into the dungeon. And then Maci sees that and starts heading up to escape, all this time leaving her poor dad in the depths with no movement points. Sorry, I guess this game has affected me more than I thought.

This game is an awesome family game. It evokes emotion, makes you think about your next move, has just the right amount of luck. I have to say there will be moments where a player will be stuck down in the depths and someone else “ahem… me” may begin just buying cards from the dungeon row to get the dragon to come more quickly. That may feel frustrating to anyone not in the position to get out, creating a small ‘take that’ situation. However, it’s not a table flipping feeling. It’s more like, “Come on man, knock it off! We know that you’re buying cards just to buy them and knock me out of the game.”

In closing, this is a no-brainer 10/10 game for us, it hits the table a lot and if your family likes deck building games or exploring dungeons, this game is for you. It’s also not a bad price these days, we always find it cheap at our local Gaming Goat, but Amazon often carries it as well.

Clank collection area, dungeon row, and board — This is the top of the Clank board. You can see the dungeon row, market items, clank area and secrets tokens.

The Mom Review

I really enjoy playing Clank! It has just the right mix of deck building and board game to keep me entertained. The games last about an hour, but don’t feel overwhelmingly long. It is rare for someone to have to think long and hard about their turn which is great for those with short attention spans.

The rule book for Clank is not only easy to understand, it is entertaining. Clearly, the designers of Clank have a great sense of humor. This is evident both in the rules and the fun, flavor text on the cards.

Setup for Clank does take some time. The base cards need to be distributed. The dungeon row needs to be established . There are a variety of tokens that need to be placed around the board. The setup process goes much more quickly with help, so if you are the person who usually sets up games in your family, have everyone take a task to get it ready more quickly.

Scoring for Clank is made even easier if you download the free app by Renegade Games.

Score Entry Screen from Renegade Games Companion App — Score Entry Screen from scoring companion app by Renegade Games.

The final score after playing a round of Clank! Maci: 111, Mom: 140, Dad: 142 — Final Score for our most recent game of Clank!

Overall, I truly enjoy playing Clank and will readily play it anytime. I give Clank a 10/10

The Kid Review

Clank is my favorite game in the whole wide world! I love it for a lot of reasons. My first reason is I love deck building games and I love the cards. I also like the sayings on the bottom of the cards. When I am waiting for my mom and dad to take their turns I like reading the sayings. Next, I like going and getting an artifact, monkey idols, and secrets. Then, I like trying to escape in time and to get the most victory points.

In conclusion, I will give this game 12/10. I also think this is a little bit harder for other kids. I will give this creator so many props.

Overall Impressions

As a family, we LOVE playing Clank.

Overall Family Rating – 10/10
Ease of Understanding the Rules – Medium
Ease of Setup – Medium

March 28, 2020March 28, 2020

7 Wonders – Board Game Review

7 Wonders is a card drafting game. It is intended for 2-7 players and takes about 30 minutes to play. The box claims it is for people age 10+ to play, but Maci has been playing since she was 6.

Basics of 7 Wonders Game Play

7 Wonders is played over a series of 3 rounds. In each round, players are dealt a hand of cards. Each player simultaneously chooses and reveals a card from their hand and then passes the remaining cards to the next player. The cards for each round have a little symbol to show in which direction the cards should be passed.

Chosen cards are kept in an active play area in front of each player. There are multiple types of cards that can be acquired.

7 Wonders hand of cards for round 1 — Play hand at the beginning of a 7 Wonders Round

Resources (brown and grey) give players certain resources to be able to purchase future cards.
Civilian Structures (blue) provide victory points.
Scientific Structures (green) score victory points based on the sets you accumulate.
Commercial Structures (yellow) earn coins, produce resources, provide discounts, and sometimes score victory points
Military Structures (red) help during conflict
Guilds (purple) score extra victory points.

As the game progresses, each player’s collection of cards grows, gathering more resources, military strength, scientific collections and victory points to be scored at the end of the game. In addition to building up a collection of cards, players also work to build levels of their “Wonder”, a board they have in front of them. Each level of a wonder provides different benefits.

Board Game Geek Rankings for 7 Wonders

These are the rankings for 7 Wonders on Board Game Geek at the time we wrote this Review.

Family- 4
Strategy-51
Overall-49

The Dad Review

7 Wonders is a very popular card drafting game and it deserves a high family ranking in my opinion. This game is easy to teach and takes a couple of times playing to figure out strategies. Maci is very good at this game. In our last two sessions playing, she beat us. I hate losing, but not as much as when Maci beats me. She understands this game and loves to play.

The base game took less than half an hour to play, which is great for short attention spans. The war phase is pretty easy. It’s basically playing the card game war, whoever has the strongest army wins. So if I have three war symbols and you have two, I win. The only thing I will say that may be difficult to understand is the science scoring at the end, but once you have that figured out you’re good to go.

When it comes to replay-ability, this game is solid because the cards you receive will be a different combination each time. ‘Take that’ effects are not too bad, because if you do take a card someone needs, half the time they don’t realize it or you can use that card face down to build your wonder, which means no one sees it. This game is only 9 years old right now, which doesn’t seem like a classic but for modern board games I would say that it does fill the niche.

Overall, for a family ranking, I give it a 10/10. It is good to get new gamers into card drafting games. For my own ranking I rank the base game a 8/10.

The Kid Review – Age 9

7 Wonders is one of my favorite games. One reason is, I like the fighting and the blue victory points. I also like getting the things [resources] I need to build the buildings. Here are some of the resources: brick, cloth, stone, and glass. There are other resources too.

7 Wonders Player Area — End of game layout of 7 Wonders for a single player

I also like the yellow cards because they give you victory points, money, and you can borrow resources from your opponents (like my mom and my dad) for less money.

In conclusion, I will give 7 Wonders a 10 out of 10. I just love 7 Wonders.

The Mom Review

I really enjoy playing 7 Wonders. I like that it is a quick and easy playthrough, and after mastering the rules once, I have never struggled to remember them again. When I can’t remember what an icon means, I just refer to the quick reference on the back of the rulebook, and that is super helpful.

Setting up 7 Wonders is not difficult at all. You simply sort the cards for each age by the number of players in your game, set out coins and scoring tokens, and pass out the wonder boards to each player. I like to “deal” out the cards for each age before we start and set the stacks aside. When I do that, we can move from one age to the next with minimal wait time.

Another great aspect of 7 wonders is that if you have a very young player in your group, or someone who struggles in understanding strategy in games, they can totally still play just fine. The game is based on pick a card, place it in front of you, pass the cards. You might need to keep an eye on these players to make sure they don’t break the few card choice rules, but they still get to participate and eventually will pick up on the strategies that can be used to do well.

Overall, I give 7 Wonders a 10/10.

Overall Impressions of 7 Wonders

Family Game: 10/10
Overall: 9/10
Ease of Understanding the Rules: 9/10
Ease of Setup: 9/10

Other Games to Try

Other family card drafting type games to try – Ticket To Ride, Sushi Go, and Everdell.

Wanting to increase the difficulty level in card drafting? We recommendTerraforming Mars, Architects of the West Kingdom and Raiders of The North Sea.

March 20, 2020March 29, 2020

Quacks of Quedlinburg – Board Game Review

Quacks of Quedlinburg, or ‘Quacks’ for short, is a bag building game for 2-4 players. The estimated play time is about 45 minutes. The box recommends players 10 and up, but Maci has been playing this game since she was 7. She understood the game, but did face some difficulties at that age which Jake explains in his review.

In Quacks, players mix up a pot of ingredients each round to make a potion. The goal is to gain the most victory points while trying to not let your pot explode. At the end of each round, players can purchase new ingredients to add to their bags. These new ingredients are available in all future rounds. After 9 rounds, the game ends and the player with the most victory points wins!

The Mom Review

I really enjoy playing Quacks, even though I usually don’t win. It’s fun purchasing different ingredients and seeing what comes out of the bag. Sometimes it can be frustrating when your pot explodes early in the round, simply due to the luck of the draw.

Quacks is easier to teach to people who have played games before. It is not the best game to teach to people who are new to gaming. The concepts in the game are not difficult, but since there are different abilities that come with each potion and all players play simultaneously, it can feel overwhelming to someone who is new. If you would like to play this with a younger player, it might be helpful to let them have an adult buddy the first play through until they are comfortable.

I really appreciate the replay ability of Quacks. With all the different books that come for each potion, no two games are identical.

A few of the books in Quacks. This is the first set, recommended for a beginner game.

Overall, I give Quacks a 9/10. I am glad it’s a game we own, and I will never turn a game down.

The Dad Review

This game evokes a lot of emotions. We bought this game when it first came out and we love it. It’s easy to teach and easy to learn. Here’s what’s not easy: dealing with kids that can’t handle the ‘push your luck’ elements in games.

Maci is usually calm and collected, but when we first bought this game she was like a 21 year old with $1000 in their pocket landing in Vegas, dreams of making millions, banking an unlimited amount of free buffet coupons, and eating pizza with gold-flaked pepperoni in the penthouse suite of Caesars Palace. She would let it ride on almost every turn. She went from the high of winning to the low of losing the house. It was a roller coaster of emotions.

So with that said, this is a good game for learning when to hold them and when to fold them. This is not easy for younger kids and will possibly bring the fun factor of this game to a screeching halt. Now with that said, she has learned how to deal with her emotions in this game and now approaches with a more balanced attitude. No longer are we betting the house on every turn, and she is learning some of the tricks. Don’t get me wrong there are times when it’s all or nothing, but we no longer need to bolt the table to the ground to prevent table flips.

If you or your kids have a gambling problem and can’t hold in their rage, I do not recommend this game. On the other hand, if you’re looking for a fun, go with the flow, hopefully I’ll pick out the right chip, push your luck game, then this is for you.

Herb Witches Expansion

This expansion is awesome and adds a lot to the game without a lot of rules. You now can invest in witches that will give you a one-time bonus. These bonuses will enhance your chances of doing well and navigate some of the luck factor. The expansion also comes with new powers for the ingredients from the base game. Additionally, it adds a runoff bowl so if you do reach the end of your pot, you can continue to get those sweet sweet victory points. I would definitely get this expansion.

On it’s own, I rank this game a 9/10, with the expansion I rank it a 10/10.

The Kid Review

I really like Quacks. First, I love the expansion because of the witches. They give you super helpful things when you need them. Next, I like that you get chips to play so you can get to do special things and you get to reach higher spaces in your pot. Then I really like the yellow and blue tokens because they have my favorite powers. Also, I like pulling chips out of a bag and not busting and winning.

In conclusion I will give it a rating of 9 out of 10.

March 19, 2020March 19, 2020

Flamme Rouge – Family Board Game Review

This is a review of the board game Flamme Rouge. We think it is a great game for families!

Flamme Rouge is a racing game for 2-4 players (up to 6 with the Peloton expansion). It takes about 30 minutes to play. In Flamme Rouge, players choose cards to make bicycle riders move around the game board. The object is to have your racers make it around the board and cross the finish line first. Players need to balance speed with strategy so their riders do not become exhausted too quickly.

The Mom Review

I really enjoy playing Flamme Rouge. It is very easy to teach. Players get two separate decks of cards. One for their Rouleur and one for the Sprinteur. The cards in each deck vary slightly, and the game comes with a reminder card. The contents of each deck is on one side, and the game play steps is on the other. Players draw four cards from one deck and choose one of the four to play. Next, they repeat this with the other deck. This simple play is easy for even the youngest kids to handle.

Once everyone has chosen their cards, all cards are flipped simultaneously. Next, it is time for the pieces to move along the board. Maci really likes being the one to move the pieces, and it keeps her engaged in the game. After all pieces move, slipstreaming happens and then it is time for the next round. The quick pace in the rounds also helps younger kids to stay interested.

Overall, I am impressed with the quality of the components in this game. I appreciate that they included a little case to protect the cyclists. (See photo – Jake has started painting some of the minis to have skin tone, and I love how they turned out!)

I give Flamme Rouge a 9 out of 10. I am very glad we have it in our collection now.

The Dad Review

Ok, this game has been on my radar for a couple of years now. Every time I would go into the gaming store, I’d always check it out, but would pass on it. I finally broke down and got it after we went on a family bike ride and my daughter loved going out and riding. Now, I have a work out buddy that won’t let me slack. Anyways back to the review. I got the game because she now likes bikes, so it’s relatable. At first, we screwed up the rules. We didn’t give out as many exhaustion cards as we should have. We also had a miscommunication problem about the rules when entering a hill. At that time, I really didn’t like the game and was bummed because it stinks when you buy a game and dislike it.

Fast forward to the next play. After we fixed that simple rule and clarifying the hill rules, I really liked the game. It was a lot more balanced and strategic. We figured out how to slip stream, which is so awesome in this game. I felt like I was way behind, but then I popped down a card that got me one square away from the cyclist in front of me. With slipstreaming, riders that are just one square behind the player ahead of them slide forward to fill the gap. I like how after slipstreaming, you catch up to the leader and you didn’t have to get exhausted doing it. The person up front basically did all of the work.

Also, I feel that thematically this game works. I’ve seen bike racing and this feels pretty darn close to actually racing. In closing, this quickly climbed the ranks in our family collection to a game everyone is down to play if mentioned. It is currently our family’s number one racing game.

My final ranking is a 10/10 – definitely staying in the collection.

The Kid Review

I like Flamme Rouge. First,I like it because I love riding my own bike and I love the slip stream in the game. Next, I like that the exhaust cards are given to not just the person in the front, but to any piece with an empty square in front of it. The cards help you move and I like that. The only thing I don’t like is that sometimes I can get bored of playing it over and over again.

Here are some tips:

Go slow when you start, but not too slow.
When you get half way through, go as fast as you can but be aware of the red.
When you’re in the blue if you have an exhaustion card in hand, you should play it.

In conclusion, I will give it 9 out of 10. I like to play, but not over and over again.

March 18, 2020March 29, 2020

Azul – Family Board Game Review

In this family board game review, we will be covering the game Azul.

Azul is an abstract game for 2-4 players. It usually takes about 30 minutes to play. The box recommends it for players ages 8+, but Maci started playing this when she was 6 with no problem.

In Azul, you place tiles on a mat to make either a pre-determined design or create your own, depending on the side of the player board you choose. In our family, we always use the pre-set design. You add to your score at the end of each round. The game ends when someone completes an entire row on their own board.

Azul layout after we had finished playing.

The Dad Review

Azul is a great family game and I believe it earns its number two spot on BGG’s family ranking at the time of this review. Players definitely have to plan ahead while also being diligent of what others are doing, to come out on top. As far as player interaction, you do have to pay attention every turn to see what others are doing, because you are shaping your game on what tiles are available. Players go down at some points, player interaction can stop and players can go into solitaire mode, forgetting to pay attention to their opponents moves. This something you should be aware of if you like constant interaction between players.

Maci had a great time because she beat her personal score and I can see that as she is aging up she is grasping some of the more advanced strategies. As your family grows with games, this is fun to watch from a parent perspective. I will say there will be times that you are presented with a chance to just ruin someone’s turn and I guess it comes down to how your family plays. I’m a jerk, so yes I did take a tile Angela needed and yes I’m okay with that, but only because she’s laid back most of the time. On the other hand, if your family is super competitive this could present some negative play. Then again, this game does offer a chance to plan ahead. So in closing, yes I’m super competitive, and yes Azul is a great family game, even when someone takes a tile you need.

I rank this 10/10 – definitely worth owning and having in a family collection.

The Kid Review

I think Azul is a great game. I mean I love it. It is fun because I like placing the tiles on my board. The two main things I try to do are get all of the same type of color and complete as many columns as I can. This way I can win at Azul. But one thing all kids should work on is paying attention to the other person’s board or boards. Sometimes my dad takes tiles I need or I could take his, but I forget about that. In conclusion, I really rank it 10 out of 10.

The Mom Review

Azul is one of my favorite games to play. I love abstract games, so it is right up my alley. I’m all about logical games with spatial reasoning, and this hits those points too.

One thing I do struggle with Azul is that there is a little bit of a “take that” component that some players take advantage of. (Hint: see Jake’s review). I just don’t play like that, although I know it’s good competition.

Azul is easy set up, to teach, and to grasp. Players choose one color off of the little mats, and push the other tiles into the center. After choosing a color, they then fill one row on the right of the player board as much as they can. If they overfill the row, extras go into the negatives row at the bottom. At the end of the round, each full row will move a single tile onto the design board. Then points are scored. It is nice that players have a sense of their scores throughout the game.

Overall, I give Azul a 10/10. It’s definitely worth adding to your gaming collection, and great for new gamers too!

Overall Thoughts

We all agree that we like Azul a great deal! We have also reviewed the Azul Crystal Mosaic Expansion, so be sure to check that post out too!

Overall Rating – 10/10
Ease of Setup – 10/10
Ease of Understanding the Rules – 10/10

March 17, 2020March 28, 2020

Santorini – Family Board Game Review

About the Game

Santorini is an abstract game for 2-4 players. It takes about 20 minutes to play. The box suggests it is for children ages 8+, but Maci has been able to play since she was 6 (using just the basic god powers). The mechanics of the game are simple, but it does take strategy and thought to be successful.

The Mom Review

I like Santorini. I’m always willing to play, but in my opinion, the selected god powers can make it or break it. It can be frustrating at times to keep track of everyone else’s powers and make sure you are not accidentally setting someone else to win on top of trying to win for yourself. I really like that it is short and very simple to teach to others. Also, when playing with younger children or people who are new to gaming, the game works well even without the god powers. Simply move, build. Setup is also quick and simple, which I appreciate since I usually set up most of our games. Overall, I give Santorini an 8 out of 10. I’m always willing to play, but it’s not usually one of the first games I will suggest.

The Kid Review

I think Santorini is a great game! I love the special powers to help you win. The two powers that I really like are Atlas and Pan. Atlas lets you build a dome wherever you want on the board. Atlas also helps you block other players from winning and makes it so they can’t move. Pan lets you win easier because when you get to the second level and go down, you win. But I don’t like Bia because she removes people. The funnest part of all is building, winning, and having fun with my family! I love this game and I would rank it 10 out of 10. The difficulty rating for kids age 8 and up would be easy.

The Dad Review

Santorini is definitely an abstract game, and a good one at that. I warn families that it can suffer from a ‘take that’ quality if you are using the god powers, especially the advanced powers. What I mean by that is, each person gets to select a god power that can block or sometimes even remove a player’s piece from the board. I had such a power and it did not make my daughter happy at all. Now, she could have offset this power by playing differently, but it’s not easy when the kiddos are younger. At the time of this review my daughter is 9. My wife also doesn’t love ‘take that’ types of abilities and I could tell, when the game was over. Even though she won, it wasn’t a great time had by all. In closing, I would definitely recommend this game for families, but knowing that when adding god powers it may be wise to sort out the cards that could create negative moments. As far as a family game ranking my score would be a 7 out of 10.

Overall Thoughts

8/10 as a family game
9/10 for easy setup
Easy to learn and teach to others