Games for all tastes

Our testers and their guinea pigs put five games to the test, from small card games to strategy games and party games!

Wyrmspan

Lovers of the Wingspan game – there are many of them, since this title is one of the biggest successes of the last five years – were impatiently awaiting Wyrmspan. Here it has arrived in Quebec, in its French version. Here, players are “dragonologists” who try to lure dragons into their caves. However, each dragon has its particularities (size, personality, habitat, etc.) which, once combined, will have a great effect on the final result. We also salute the work of author Connie Vogelmann who imagined no less than 183 dragons, some timid and some aggressive!

If the game mechanics remain in line with Wingspan, this dragon version is more complex. And the games are longer. Please note: it is not necessary to know Wingspan to appreciate Wyrmspan’s great qualities. But assimilating the fairly robust rules will be easier. In our opinion, this title promises to become a classic among seasoned players. Especially since a very extensive solo version is also offered.

Stéphanie Morin, The Press

Cabo

Nice little game of cards that fits in a nice metal box, which you can easily carry with you when traveling, camping or hiking. The game, which takes place over several rounds, consists of scoring as few points as possible – the first player to cross the 100 point mark ends the game. Each round ends when a player declares “Cabo”, at the moment where he estimates that his own game has the fewest points. However, initially, we only know two of his four cards. Some allow you to look at others, spy on those of your competitors and even exchange them – all cards which minimize the contribution of chance and which complicate the game, especially when playing with several people. At the end of the day, “you can take your time to have as much information as possible or bet on speed,” remarked one of our testers. Calling Cabo when you don’t have the smallest hand is very expensive…

Pierre-Marc Durivage, The Press

Harmonies

In this dreamlike title, players must place wooden tokens wisely on their game board in order to create landscapes. If well placed, mountains, trees, fields and the like will attract animals of all kinds. However, when you say animals, you say points earned. Because the ultimate objective remains to collect as many points as possible with the placement of tokens and the animals collected. This game with high quality material is not very complicated to assimilate, but it requires players to think carefully before placing each token. It’s the perfect combination for those who want to stimulate their neurons without having to worry about endless rules. A game that was unanimously appreciated by our testers!

Stéphanie Morin, The Press

Get on Board – Paris & Roma

Very pleasant “flip and write” type game in which you are called upon to design the best metro line in Paris or Rome. Each player draws their own line here, collecting different types of passengers who earn points when the line then passes certain buildings. You also collect points by completing common and individual objectives. The pace is fast, with each player recording their progress on their own score sheet. Several strategies are possible, in particular you can choose to speed up your route by sacrificing certain advantages which could pay off at the end of the game. “There are a few things to learn at first, but once you get the hang of it, it’s very easy to play,” said one of our testers.

Pierre-Marc Durivage, The Press

Unstable

With the arrival of summer, games party regain their popularity. Here’s a simple one, but it works every time. Its name: Unstable. It is in fact the game Cards vs Gravity, offered in its Quebec version by Randolph. In short: the rules have been translated! There ends the Quebec side of this balancing game which can amuse everyone, regardless of the language spoken. The objective is to balance metal cards on a magnetic washer. The latter must be placed at the top of a glass bottle (not supplied). As the game progresses, the structure thus created becomes more and more perilous. The gestures must be precise, otherwise it is a collapse. A game that will appeal to children and adults alike looking for an idea to liven up a fun evening.

Stéphanie Morin, The Press