2010 Holiday Guide Posted

For anyone who still checks this, I posted up my annual holiday Unplugged guide this past weekend (so timely!)

Here's a link: http://www.gamesanityblog.com/2010/12/19/unplugged-holiday-guide-2010/

stuff...

OK, so not many people actually follow this posting.

I started a twitter thingy recently (mostly to report the games I play via the nifty BGG twitter feature) but I figure I could "twit" or whatever when I post new columns...

So, theoretically, it would be easier to use Twitter to do the kind of thing this RSS feed does.

If anyone still reads this and doesn't want to follow me on Twitter instead (I don't plan on posting often, just when I play games and when I post new game stuff, although Science Theater stuff might mix in there...) Let me know and I'll figure out something.

Otherwise, this "blog" might die off and I'll be using Twitter instead.

My twitter feed is under "ScienceTheater"

-Matt

New Stuff - Obama, St. Peters, and more

Wow, an actual update! Here's a few new posts...

Why Obama should play boardgames Some thoughts on how boardgaming would teach a president a few lessons...

My Annual Holiday Boardgame Guide at www.GamingWithChildren.com

This space intentionally left blank- (mostly just a link to a St. Petersburg session report)

Games of Christmas Past - a classic game I bought my father

I shall taunt you a second time

A quick and easy guide to annoying your opponents.... (not that I recommend trying it... :)

GenCon Reports

Sorry for leaving off so much stuff on this blog link. I'll see if I can keep this more current for those few faithful who subscribe to this RSS feed...

Here are my GenCon reports from August:

At BGN: (Boardgame News)
Aug 21 - Matt Carlson: Gen Con 2008 Photo Report

Since that time (Aug 21st) I’ve written several more articles over at GamingWith Children. If you’re interested at all, check out Gen Con – The Boardgame, Gen Con – The Video Games, and/or Gen Con – The RPG.

Updated oldies

Here are some oldies but goodies just reposted onto Gaming With Children:

Unplugged: A Different Kind of Game
An introduction to modern boardgames and a bit of intro of myself.

Unplugged: The Awards Shows
My take on some of the boardgame awards and the games that have won them.

many updates

Wow, apologies for not posting recently. I was caught up in some Winter business, and also was dealing with a possible move of the GamerDad site to a new setup.

Well, I'm back againf finally and GamerDad.com has moved. It is now combined with GamingWithChildren.com. I'll still be writing a biweekly post on boardgames of some sort, its just now at a new URL (GamerDad.com will continue to exist and will forward you on to the GamingWithChildren site.)

As part of the move, I'm revamping some of my old "classic" articles for inclusion on the Gaming With Children archive. In the meantime, I will be transferring some of my old reviews onto the BoardGameGeek web site while trying to simultaneously create a bit of new content for posting as well...

In the meantime, here are some of my latest ramblings over at Boardgame News where I'm also a biweekly contributer:

April 5, 2008 - Concentrated Gaming
March 22, 2008 - Matt J. Carlson: The Return of the Club
March 8, 2008 - Matt Carlson: Secondary Boardgaming
February 23, 2008 - Matt Carlson: A Risky Retrospective
February 9, 2008 - Matt Carlson: Is Your Game Tight or Baggy?
January 26, 2008 - Matt Carlson: Unnecessary Pieces
January 12, 2008 - Matt Carlson: A Hello, a Lack of Dimes, and an Election

Z-Man's 1960 election game

Here's a short overview of my thoughts on Z-Man's excellent new card-driven election game:


Unplugged #79: 1960: The Making of the President

Take a liberal amount of quality mechanics, add one part history, and mix to result in an excellent game that can also teach.

GamerDad Unplugged Nickel & Dime

Unplugged #78: It's Time for Nickel and Dime

A look at my most-played boardgames of 2007.

Holiday Shopping Guide

A tad tardy, but here's this year's holiday shopping guide of games I liked over the past year...

Unplugged: 2007 Holiday Shopping Guide
Fun doesn't have to be plugged in. Check out a few of these suggestions and enjoy some face to face gaming this year.

#77 - Buying Creativity

The conclusion to my D&D and RPG gaming kick... a few books and modules to help an overworked DM get his/her players more involved in the game...

Unplugged #77: Buying Creativity

For a modest fee, a role-playing DM can get a creative prod or a fleshed-out new challenge saving time and effort.

#76 - Accessorize your D&D

Unplugged #76: Accessorize your D&D

While Gucci and Loren steer clear of role playing games, you can still spruce up your game.



A short little review of several accessories to make roleplaying better, faster, stronger... well at least faster and better.

Unplugged #75 - Of Dice and Men

Unplugged #75: Of Dice and Men
Play the stock market or suck up to a monarch in two dice based games.



Links directly to the two games reviewed:


To Court the King and Owner's Choice

Ca$h n Gun$ and Mr. Jack

A look at a couple titles Asmodee has made available in English:
Ca$h n Gun$, and Mr. Jack...

Unplugged #74: Cash, Guns, and Jack the Ripper
Bring the fun of gangsters and murderers into your family game night

The HeroCard system... Orc Wars

A look at the cardgame-boardgame hybrid that is the (non-collectible) HeroCard system. Details of Orc Wars are given along with a few mentions of their other (interchangable) boardgame titles.

Unplugged #73: A non-collectible, board-based card game
How well can you mix a collectible styled card-game with a boardgame theme?

GenCon 2007

Here are all the articles covering various topics from this year's GenCon convention in Indianapolis, IN...

Unplugged: GenCon 2007 Indianapolis, invaded!
Unplugged: GenCon 2007 - The Video Games All your board are belong to us!
Unplugged: GenCon 2007 - The Role Playing Fear the brain in a jar!
Unplugged: GenCon 2007 - There's always a first time Boardgamer and family man, Larry Baxter, describes his first visit to a game convention.
Unplugged: GenCon 2007 - Boardgames, Boardgames, Boardgames An alphabetical tour of publishers from Asmodee to Z-Man Games
Unplugged: GenCon 2007 - And more Boardgames The second half of our alphabetical tour

Colosseum, the boardgame

Days of Wonder's newest boardgame, Colosseum.

Unplugged #72: The Expanding Colosseum
Currently, I sweep out the lion cages, but what I really want to do is direct!

A pretty good game. Not great, but definately above-average. It is targeted at lighterweight gaming but the complex forward planning necessary for good end-game play limits its beginner accessbility. The "intense auctions" variant makes the game a more intense game, at a slight reduction in player interaction. (less trading.)

Stonehenge

A review of Titantic Game's Stonehenge "Anthology" of games....

Unplugged #71: Stonehenge - The Swiss Army Knife of Boardgames
Play one of the five games in this pentalogy, or design your own.

Age of Empires III: Age of Discovery

As you can see, I liked the game quite a bit. My favorite sort of "snowball" or "garden-tending" style of game, but just a tad shorter than some of the same ilk.

Unplugged #70: Age of Empires III: The Age of Discovery

The bittersweet tang of limited actions and too many good choices are mixed to create an excellent family strategy game.

Unplugged #69: Mission: Red Planet

A medium-length review of Asmodee's Mission Red Planet.

Unplugged #69: Martian Steampunk, who could ask for more?

Take a Martian theme, add in some Jules Verne, and mix liberally to create a fun, family boardgame.

Twilight Struggle and Here I Stand

Unplugged #68: Cold War, Hot Game
“Now the trumpet summons us again… to bear the burden of a long twilight struggle…” - JFK.

A review of Twilight Struggle and a brief review of Here I Stand... both by GMT Games

Chopsticks, Robots, and Witches - Oh my!

Unplugged #67: Three Flavors of Family Fun
If you like dexterity games, puzzle games, or pattern matching; I have a game for you.

A review of:
Wicked Witches Way - Asmodee
Ricochet Robots - Rio Grande
Chopstick Dexterity MegaChallenge 3000 - Pair-of-Dice Games

Unplugged #66: Role Playing Accessories

Unplugged #66: Role Playing Accessories

Some inexpensive accessories to spice up your role playing game, for when you have more money than time

(Mostly some maps and other props that can add a little spice to an RPG...)

Unplugged #65 - The Command and Colors wargames

A whole bunch of stuff all based around the Command & Colors wargame system by Richard Borg...

Unplugged #65: Command and Colors
The best light wargame system on the market, you are commanded to check it out.

(This is a review of C&C: Ancients and BattleLore, as well as an overview of the whole C&C system.)

I also broke out the three available versions of the game (Memoir '44, BattleLore, and C&C Ancients) into their own review link. A fair bit of background is the same for them all (explaining the game system) and then I go into details for each game...


BattleLore (Boardgame)
Fun, fast, and easy to teach, it is the best darn fantasy miniatures game around...

Command and Colors: Ancients (Boardgame)
A great, accessible wargame that recreates battles of the Roman empire.

Memoir '44 (Boardgame)

#65 - A diatribe on D&D and new developments

Unplugged #64: D&D Update
The Dungeons and Dragons role playing game, now 33% more user-friendly!

(Wherein I look at the D&D Basic Game, D&D Player's Kit, some new developments in modules, the Fantastic Location line of supplements, and the Complete ----- line of books.)

Boardgame Review of D&D on Gone Gaming

I thought some of you might get a kick out of this. In my entry (today's) to the group blog, Gone Gaming, I give a review of Dungeons and Dragons as if it were a traditional Euro or American style boardgame...

The attempt was to do something humorous, while still pointing out reasons there is plenty of cross-over between boardgame and RPG players. (If you're unfamiliar with the site, it is a group blog primarily focused on boardgames, with different folks contributing, mostly on a biweekly format. I write biweekly on Wednesdays. It is one of the more well read boardgame-focused blogs around...)

Here's the URL of the article if you're interested: http://boredgamegeeks.blogspot.com/2007/04/eurogame-review.html

Unplugged #63 - Die Macher

Newest update, a review of:

Unplugged #63: Die Macher
April 15, 2007
Why you need to play a five hour boardgame about German elections...

Uplugged #62 - Mayfair games...

Unplugged #62: Shear Fun

Mayfair Games’ cute little sheep shearing game, Shear Panic, along with two bonus card game reviews. (Figaro and Weinhandler)

Igloo Pop Review

I've got a review of Die Macher on the back burner, and an upcoming D&D/RPG tool overview in process, but for now, enjoy the lighthearted:

Unplugged #61: Igloo Pop

Shake, rattle, and roll you way to victory in this fun party game that’s not just for kids.

I like the game enough to pull it out at the start of some of our biweekly gaming gatherings. It is great for loosening things up if some people are new...

Viktory II - a nice, quick wargame

Unplugged #60: Viktory II

February 12, 2007

A short, sweet wargame fix for two to six players.

Gone Gaming blog

Not sure, but assume most of you know I am also posting biweekly on the boardgame blog: Gone Gaming... http://boredgamegeeks.blogspot.com/

Recent posts include:

Gaming by the Numbers - trying to set up a multiaxis measurement of games to provide gamers with a way to describe their preferred "n-dimensional game space"

Spread the Joy - thoughts on spreading the fun of playing games, and some insights about the local game club

Beyond Nickels and Dimes - my 5 & dime list of the year, also looked at in light of time spent on games rather than # of plays

Guilty Pleasures – Why I hate Tigris and Euphrates

Second Place for the Win - should one always go for the win, always try to place as high as possible, or just optimize for the best showing each time?

Strategy and Tactics, a couple of definitions - short term vs long term planning.

GenCon SoCal revisited, and a few Game Expansions

Unplugged #59: Spice up your old favorites
by Dr. Matt Carlson
January 30, 2007
The most popular PC games often spawn expansion packs. The same is true for popular board games; here are a few to spruce up some of your favorite games.

Unplugged: GenCon SoCal from a Height of Four Feet
by Aiden
January 06, 2007
Another year older and a few inches taller, GamerDad's youngest reporter returns to GenCon in Southern California.

Unplugged: 2006 Holiday Shopping Guide

Unplugged: 2006 Holiday Shopping Guide
A short list of nifty games for all types that DON’T require any wires or batteries.

Some old, some new. A couple I'd love to borrow, and I'm sure one or two have blue...

Unplugged #58: Caylus, Almost the Penultimate

Unplugged #58: Caylus, Almost the Penultimate

Build a castle for the king, and try to earn his favor in this deep and satisfying game of planning and building.

Unplugged 55-57

OK, so this way of updating people is not so effective. Only a few people get my Unplugged Updates via this RSS feed. If you're still interested in keeping this blog going so you can reference my biweekly GamerDad Unplugged articles via RSS through this blog rather than through the GamerDad site, drop me a note here or via email and I'll keep it up. Otherwise, posting links to my GamerDad articles on this blog may continue to be very sporatic.

And now, the recent Articles:

Unplugged #57: Mattel gets an upgrade
by Dr. Matt Carlson
November 13, 2006
Known primarily for its basic toy and game line, Mattel has jumping into the modern boardgame arena with two new games from the same author, Brian Yu.

Unplugged #56: Two New Wondrous Games
by Dr. Matt Carlson
October 30, 2006
The latest from Days of Wonder, the Blizzard Entertainment of boardgames.

Unplugged #55: Darkness Falls on Sevinpold
by Dr. Matt Carlson
October 02, 2006
Thankfully, the game is much easier to play than to spell…

Updates from GenCon

All week long I'm posting my blog compiled from GenCon... here are the first three:


Unplugged: GenCon Indianapolis 2006 - Day 2, Friday (part I)
GenCon at its finest: sheep, dice, and applying for a job?

Unplugged: GenCon Indianapolis 2006 - Day 1, Thursday (part II)
You’ve got videogames in my boardgame convention! – D&D Online, Ryzom Ring and more

Unplugged: GenCon Indianapolis 2006 - Day 1, Thursday (part I)
A homicidal maniac, and WotC – the big fish in the pond

Unplugged 53 & 54

Unplugged #54: Continental Drift and Immortal Eyes
A game for any bird-brain, and one for the (geologic) ages.

Unplugged #53: Dragons or Darters, both are a smart choice
It’s Rube Goldberg meets Dragon-herding in this 2-player game.

World of Warcraft, Arkham Horror, and No Thanks!

A little behind in the posting, I'll try to update more regularly in the future, but here are the past three Columns...


Unplugged #52: Play a card game? - No Thanks!
June 25, 2006 Politeness has never been so vicious!
A review of the excellent filler card game: "No Thanks!", where players auction off NOT to take a card.

Unplugged #51: Insanity is best shared with a friend
June 11, 2006 Things that go “bump” in the night? Monsters terrorizing townsfolk? The awakening of ancient evils? At least you have your friends!
This rather elaborate game, Arkham Horror, by Fantasy Flight Games has lots of little bits and is pretty fun, but can get long if you play with too many players.


Unplugged #50: WoW, a boardgame!
May 28, 2006 No voice chat programs are needed to play World of Warcraft on your kitchen table.
The board game version of World of Warcraft is pretty fun, but also has the "Many, many little bits" problem. It can last awhile, but is a good game for fans of the computer version.

bonus article

For those interested, Avalon Hill is publishing a series of strategy articles I've written on Nexus Ops.

Here's the link:
Nexus Ops Unit Purchasing 101
Humans ... Fungoids ... Crystallines ... Rock Striders ... Lava Leapers ... Rubium Dragons. Which to buy? There's more to the units in Nexus Ops than meets the eye. (more...)

Enjoy!

Collectible Miniatures?

Yes, some fans of my column aren't into miniatures, but don't they just look so darn cute?

Well, here's a run-down on the bigger names in the line (mostly Wizards and Wizkids). (Oh, and the bigger names are also making bigger miniatures... :)

Unplugged #48: It’s a game of miniatures, not a miniature game!
The world of miniature games just got a whole lot larger....

All things Heroscape - the mega-expansion-review

In a series of two posts, all the Heroscape expansions released so far are reviewed....

First, an overview and the "big" expansions:

Unplugged #46: Heroscape Expands
March 27, 2006
They’re not dolls, they’re action figures! Expansions for the Heroscape boardgame.

Finally, a look at all the smaller expansion packs (4 waves of 4 packs):

Unplugged #47: Heroscape, catch the wave!
April 02, 2006
Your guide to the waves of Heroscape expansions.

Unplugged #45: It’s in the cards

This past week's article continued the focus on card games...

Unplugged #45: It’s in the cards
When a simple deck of 52 isn’t enough, a few card games for a deeper challenge.
(The second of two columns on card games...)

Reviews of:

Gloom (Atlus Games)
Ark (Rio Grande)
Fairy Tale (Z-Man Games)


Are all provided...

Unplugged #44: It’s in the cards

Part 1 of 2 columns about card games...

Unplugged #44: It’s in the cards
February 27, 2006
From shooting ducks, to eating leftovers these card games are playable by anyone.

These are on the lighter side and great for younger families or fillers for fans of more complex games...

Poison, Sitting Ducks Gallery, and Leftovers

Unplugged #43: 'Tis a silly game...

A short review of Quelf, Eiertanz, and Are you Phrazy?

Unplugged #43: 'Tis a silly game...
January 30, 2006
There are games that call for somber reflection and thoughtful decisions, these do not.

Unplugged #42: Five and Dime

Whoops, I forgot to update the blog a few times, so here's a few posts all in a row!

Unplugged #42: Five and Dime
January 15, 2006
Time for the Doctor to put his money where his mouth is, what has he played lately?

I go over my paultry five and dime list for the year of 2005 with a few comments.

Unplugged #41 - On the Road

This week, just a blog about games I brought and games I got while on vacation at my in-laws and my parents.

Unplugged #41: On the Road
And I, I played the game more easily traveled by.

I comment on "Dancing Eggs", Tsuro, and a few others...

Unplugged #40 - The return of the Computer Games

Two board games this week that are themed off of computer games...

Unplugged #40: Videogame Aliens and Railroads Invade!
Both Doom and Railroad Tycoon make their appearance as surprisingly good board games.


Have a great holiday season!

Unplugged #39 - Through the Eyes of an 8-year Old

We take a look at the next generation in gaming - the younger generation, that is.

Our newest reporter, 8 year old Aiden, is sent to tour GenCon SoCal and report back on his first gaming convention in:

Unplugged #39: Through the Eyes of An Eight-Year Old
by Aiden & Richard Parker
December 04, 2005
Our 8-year old correspondant takes in the 2005 GenCon So Cal gaming convention.

2005 Holiday Shopping Guide

This week is the annual Holiday Shopping Guide for 2005.

Categories include kids games, family strategy, 2 player, party, light wargame and advanced strategy. Each game is given a score as well as a brief blurb of our "KidFactor" to explain the appropriateness of the game for different age groups.

Many of the games are not new to 2005, although some of those were new to me this year. As always, the intent is to serve as a guide to those somewhat new to the boardgaming hobby. Reccomends this year include Shadows Over Camelot, Attika, For Sale!, and Heroscape.

Unplugged #37: Take your family to the Rio Grande

This week's column is up...

Unplugged #37: Take your family to the Rio Grande
Several family-friendly titles from Rio Grande Games

I have a capsule review of Rio Grand Games as well as three of their titles:
Around the World in 80 Days,
Attika,
and Cartagena

In addition, I have a more complete review of Cartagena:

Cartagena (Board Game)
It’s just like Candyland, only with Pirates, and not mind-numbingly boring.

Unplugged #36: Tile Games, what’s next, linoleum?

This week, two tile-based games: Tigris & Eurphrates and Wildlife

Unplugged #36: Tile Games, what’s next, linoleum?
Tiles, they’re not just for bathrooms anymore… an overview of two games based around tile-placement with elements of area control.

I've never been as big a fan of Tigris & Euphrates as some, and I explain the game and end with some thoughts why it's not my favorite.

Then I give a review of a game I'm currently quite fond of: Wildlife.

Unplugged #35: Playing to Win

Unplugged #35: Playing to Win
Do you play a game to achieve the best final outcome possible, or are you always playing to win?

This week I discuss decisions gamers make in the mid to end game. Some play to place in the best final position possible, while others make riskier moves in order to attempt to win a game outright. Knowing which style of play you prefer is almost as important as knowing which styles your opponents tend to use.

Better than Ebay --> For Sale and Fist of Dragonstones

In honor of Ebay's 10th anniversary, this week I take a look at two short games with auction mechanics. Both receive high marks...


Unplugged #34: Better than Ebay
It’s like surfing Ebay without ending up with a garage full of junk, two light games based around auction mechanics.

For Sale
Buying a home was never this easy – an excellent auction-based card game playable in 15 minutes.

Fist of Dragonstones
Bid for gemstones to try to gain victory points to get ahead, or win the auctions for special powers to hold your opponents back – where will you spend your fairy gold?

Unplugged - GenCon 2005, The Epic

OK, after three days at GenCon in Indy, I've posted up my entire trip. It is quite a read, particularly day 3 (Saturday) since I spent the entire day visiting booths in the main exhibition hall.

Unplugged #0: GenCon 2005 - Day 1
A quick tour of the floor, D&D Online, Hasbro’s HeroScape, and a finale of Parthenon - scalped tickets anyone? - Dr. Carlson writes of his first day at the gaming convention.

Unplugged #0: GenCon 2005 - Day 2
Bored of World of Warcraft? Try a haunted house or a True Dungeon? Just let the chips fall where they may, Dr. Carlson spends Friday at GenCon.

Unplugged #0: GenCon 2005 - Day 3
With Saturday to be his last day at the Con, the good Doctor goes on a whirlwind tour, including NC Soft, the Nokia, and the big guns in board games.

I'm heading into a biweekly schedule again, but will continue to post here whenever new columns appear. Drop me a line if you have any comments, questions, or suggestions!

Unplugged #33 - Looking Forward to GenCon

Unplugged #33: Looking Forward to GenCon
As the summer winds down, the Doctor's thoughts turn to GenCon which starts this week in Indianapolis.

As I prepare for GenCon in Indy, I give a little background on the convention as well as a quick rundown on some of the many game companies I hope to visit.

Watch for a full day-by-day overview of my visit early next week (or even over the weekend if I have the stamina).

One final note, the end of summer brings with it the start of school. As I'm a teacher in my "day job", the Unplugged column will be headed towards a biweekly schedule, with a few possible special exceptions.

Unplugged #32: Tending the Garden (Development in Board Games)

This week I wax nostalgic about my favorite types of games. They tend to include board games with varying routes to victory, somewhat like a "Technology Tree" one might find in a computer game. Examples include Settlers, Puerto Rico, or Goa.

Read about it at:

Unplugged #32: Tending the Garden
My favorite games involve growing my own little empire

Unplugged #31: Z-Man Games

This week we interview Zev Shlasinger about his company, Z-Man Games.

Unplugged #31: Z-Man Games
An interview with the man behind Z-Man Games, Zev Shlasinger.

A pair of brief reviews of Z-Man games are included at the end of the interview.

Our full reviews of the games have been posted as well:

Grave Robbers from Outer Space (Card Game)
The card game that is a B-movie horror flick in disguise… and that’s a good thing.

Primordial Soup (Boardgame)
A board game about eating, excreting, and evolving – it’s more life-like than Life!

Unplugged #30: Summer Fun - Lazer Tag and Super Soakers

A little diversion away from board games this week. Two excuses to get outside and do some running around with the kids. (Big or little ones.... :)

Unplugged #30: Summer Fun
Lazer Tag and Super Soakers – why play a first person shooter inside when you can recreate one outside?

Lazer Tag (Toy)
With wireless communication and on-board computers, the current generation of home Lazer Tag equipment has come a long way from its 1990’s roots.

Super Soakers (Toy)
Super Soakers are some of the best squirt guns available, but there are enough models to choke a horse. Which should you get?

Unplugged #29: Your Move Games

Sorry for the delay, the July 4th weekend took its toll on reviewing, etc...

This week I look at two games from Your Move Games.... Succession and Space Station Assault

Unplugged #29: Your Move Games
An up and coming company presents two titles for your inspection.

The more thorough reviews can be found at:

Space Station Assault (Boardgame)
Defend your station from the assault of your opponent’s spaceships in this two player card game.

Succession: Intrigue in the Royal Court (Boardgame)
Being the King is all right and good, but do you want all that pressure? Ply your skills to be the voice behind the throne.

Enjoy!

Unplugged #28: The Three Musketeers (Cooperative Gaming)

This week's Unplugged article has been posted:

Unplugged #28: The Three Musketeers
Its all for one and one for all in three different board games based around cooperative game play.

A short discussion of cooperative board games, with some pitfalls common to the genre described. Three titles are described as examples of games in the genre: Shadows Over Camelot, Lord of the Rings, and Vanished Planet.

Also posted are full reviews of the titles.
Shadows Over Camelot
Honor and glory, or stealth and betrayal, which is your role in this cooperative board game?
Vanished Planet
The universe is being consumed by a growing, black menace. Can you and the other aliens cooperate well enough to save your home planets?
Lord of the Rings (*Note, this is primarily a repost and reformat of a review posted back in the spring of '04).
One game to rule them all! - A cooperative game based on the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Unplugged #27 - 3 from Avalon (Hill)

This week's Unplugged article has been posted over at GamerDad. (http://www.gamerdad.com)
Unplugged #27: Three from Avalon (http://www.gamerdad.com/detail...)
Not Arthur and friends, but three lightweight family board games recently published by Avalon Hill.

There's a short history of Avalon Hill and an homage to some board games that inspired several classic computer games (Reach for the Stars, Master of Orion, Sid Meier's Civilization, etc...) concluding with a short review of three recent Avalon Hill releases: Sword and Skull, Monsters Menace America, and Nexus Ops.

Also posted are full reviews of two of the titles:
Sword & Skull (http://www.gamerdad.com/detail...) Ahoy, Matey! The pirate games are a’coming fast and furious – prepare for boarding!
Monsters Menace America (http://www.gamerdad.com/detail...) Who can resist the chance to stomp on the talking Paul Bunyan statue in Minnesota or mutate by walking over Three Mile Island?

Welcome!

Welcome to the Blog for GamerDad Unplugged. I've created this Blog to assist interested people keep track of updates to my GamerDad Unplugged columns.

www.GamerDad.com is a web site dedicated to video and computer games written from the perspective of involved parents. Games are evaluated both on their quality as well as appropriateness for kids. Some games may be highly rated in quality, but be inappropriate for younger gamers.

The GamerDad Unplugged column was started as a way to expose more people to one of my favorite hobbies, board gaming. You can see a backlist of all past columns here: http://www.gamerdad.com/list.cfm?itemID=12&listID=columns There is also a searchable list of all board game reviews on the site.

My intention is to use this Blog, combined with setting up an RSS feed, to help let folks know when new posts have been made.