Posted at 4:00 p.m.
Archipirata
The Black Baron has been captured, but he refuses to reveal where his treasure is hidden. One thing is certain, the chests are buried in the floating archipelago of Kran… And several buccaneers have started looking for them.
Despite its theme that may seem childish, this game imagined and made in Quebec is devilishly intelligent. Not that the rules are complicated, no, but to hope to win, you need a solid strategy where each move is planned a few turns in advance. Otherwise, disaster is guaranteed! We must also always keep an eye on our adversary; take advantage of good luck a little too… The basic game is already pleasant and complete, but it can become a bit more complex with the addition of cards that give the player a unique power.
Archipirata can be played with two or four people, but we strongly advise you to experience it as a duo. Interest wanes at four players. That said, this game remains one of our great discoveries of the moment! Only problem: it is difficult to find on the shelves of major retailers, but can be ordered online on the Éditions Momentum website.
Number of players: 2 or 4
Age: 14+
Duration: 30 minutes
Level of difficulty: intermediate
Author: Julien Avy
Publisher: Picto editions
Price: $35
The Gathering of Villains
Here is a clever variant of the Werewolf game of Thiercelieux, built this time around the villains of Disney. Villagers and werewolves are replaced here by those big baddies we love, struggling to take control of the dark, devastated realm from which they’ve all been banished. Some are loyal to the power in place, others are traitors who want to usurp the throne. Every night, the traitors try to eliminate the loyal ones who, themselves, try to unmask the tricksters by going to the vote in the morning. But unlike the traditional game, all players are assigned a character visible to all, either big bad guys with unique powers and their acolytes. However, these acolytes do not necessarily have the same alignment as their bosses, they must be careful when it comes time to denounce, because if they vote to have their leader eliminated and the latter is loyal, they are eliminated too!
The Assembly of Villains therefore offers more dimensions than the original game; however, you need to make sure that all players are familiar with the powers of all the big bads – it’s the role of the game master to ensure that the game runs smoothly. Judging by the happy discussions that accompanied the spontaneous reports at the end of the two games played with the grandparents, parents, cousins and cousins, this new version of the Werewolves will be very popular. To the point of dislodging the classic? To have !
Number of players: from 6 to 12
Age: 10+
Duration: 30 minutes
Difficulty level: easy
Authors: Phillipe de Pallières and Hervé Marly, adapted by Atelier Libellud
Publisher: Zygomatic/Asmodée
Price: $20
Fools to tie
Is reinventing the mime game an impossible mission? Not for the gang of Synapses Games, a Quebec publisher increasingly active in the world of board games. With Fous à lier, the players do not have to mime a word to guess, but several pictograms which, once linked together on the game board, will form the silhouette of the mystery word.
For example, to guess the word carrot, the designer will draw a carrot by connecting several small icons on his secret board: a dog, a sword, a key, a whale… He will then have to mime each of his concepts so that his teammates in turn draw a drawing of a carrot in their notebook. Result: the mimes follow one another at high speed, which does not fail to cause its share of laughter. A simple and effective party game; WE love.
Number of players: from 4 to 8
Age: 10+
Duration: 20 minutes
Difficulty level: easy
Authors: Jay Cormier and Chase Disher
Publisher: Synapses Games
Price: $35