You can play RPGs on your computer, sitting alone in front of a screen, or you can play face to face RPGs assisted by your computer and enjoy all the fun of hanging with your friends for a casual evening of fun.  Ever since computers went mainstream, gamers have tried to find ways to use their computers to make life easier for playing pencil and paper role playing games.  We’ve come a long way my friend, and now there are options aplenty.  While it seems there is not yet a global panacea for the problem, there are a few applications that can add to your next gaming session.

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Tags: Unplugged

With tablets serving up books of all sorts, it was only a matter of time before choose-your-own adventures started popping up. The field has now become quite crowded and fans can purchase titles that span the gamut of “pure” classic written fiction up to titles that are half reading and half strategic combat. Narborion Saga falls squarely in the latter camp. A rich backstory with plenty of narrative to go around, paired with a bit of role-play stats and turn-based tactical grid combat encounters.

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Tags: Game Reviews

In Evolution, players shepherd their species through a progressively more competitive environment. Get your species to live long and prosper, measured by one’s food intake over the course of the game, and you win the game. Limited food, players creating carnivorous species, and subsequent adaptation to avoid them, creates a fun, fast playing game suitable for “serious” boardgamers as well as a family game night.

Evolution
Designers: Dominic Crapuchettes, Dmitry Knorre, Sergey Machin
Publisher: North Star Games
Ages: 10+
Players: 2-6
Time: 60 mins
(Review copy provided by North Star Games)

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Tags: Unplugged

Every sport has its annual videogame installment, typically by several different companies.  In baseball, Sony has MLB The Show 15 – the newest incarnation of the series that started back in 2006.  Once a franchise has been established for a few years, it is difficult for it to delve into new territory, at the risk of alienating their fan base.  MLB The Show 15 is just such a title, with some incremental improvements to an already solid line of games.  Gamers into baseball already know they need to get the newest season, but those who haven’t dipped into MLB The Show in the past few years may find it may be time to check it out again.

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Tags: Game Reviews

Dice Masters Battle for Faerûn
Designers: Mike Elliott, Eric M. Lang
Publisher: WizKids Games
Ages: 14+
Players: 2
Time: 60 mins (I found it to be closer to 30 min)
(Review copy provided by WizKids)

Dice Masters is a line of collectible games based on rolling dice to get monsters and then using those monsters to attack one’s opponent. Dice provide both “energy” (a form of currency) and monsters which (when paid for with energy) are sent out to battle one’s opponent. Perhaps more importantly, energy can be used to purchase additional dice (from a pool in the center of the board) to be used later in the game. The newest release (just arrived) is based around Dungeons and Dragons. Previous editions, based on Marvel superheros, sold out repeatedly so the game is quite popular. Dice rolling (and the randomness that implies) is often fun, but the game also provides options for strategic decisions preventing it from becoming too random. While random rolls of the dice can sway the game in favor of one player, there is some strategy in choosing which dice to bring to the table. The result is a nice mix of chance and challenge. It is only a two player game but is a great fit for parents with kids or even a game between “grownups.”

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Tags: Unplugged

Boardgames have turned into video games (see Civilization) and video games have made their way into a boardgames (Doom, Starcraft, Age of Empires III). To my knowledge, The Battle at Kemble’s Cascade is the first boardgame designed to capture the nostalgia of playing an old arcade scrolling shooter. Yes, in the game each player controls a fighter pilot desperately trying to defeat enemy ships and collect powerups while avoiding enemy fire. There is even a boss battle at the end, don’t expect to get through the game without using up several of your (albeit unlimited) lives. As a boardgame, Kemble’s Cascade may not quite appeal to the typical strategy boardgamer, but to gamers who remember the arcade shooter genre fondly it manages to recreate much of the experience in boardgame form.

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Tags: Game Reviews, Unplugged

Just Dance hopped onto the Wii scene near the end of the peak of music-centered videogames like Dance Dance Revolution and Guitar Hero. They’re still around, but the Just Dance series, with its lack of custom peripherals, seems to have more staying power than many of the previous music based games. The 2015 edition of Just Dance has everything users have come to expect from the series, with just a few new online-focused features. A no-brainer purchase for fans, and a decent starting point for interested newcomers.

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Tags: Game Reviews

Give the gift of face to face time with a boardgame.  It’s time once again for me to preach to the masses on the greatness of boardgaming.  Nothing beats the social aspect of in-person gaming with friends.  Last year’s run-down of recommended boardgames was a great success.  Here again are some great examples of boardgames to get you and your family gaming.  You might not find all these titles at your local mega-mart but many can be found online or in a friendly local game store.  Those new to the world of boardgaming may find a bit of a sticker shock as some games are pricier than new release video games, but good boardgames will provide many more hours of entertainment than most video games.  Boardgames are also relatively timeless so they can be pulled out years from now and provide the same level of enjoyment.  In that vein, feel free to delve into some past year’s guides for  2012, 2010, or 2009.  For each game I’ve provided the number of players, retail price, and expected time for one game.  Note that often these games can be found for 20-40% less than the MSRP.

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Tags: Unplugged

Also known as:  “LEGO Skittles in Space”

LEGO videogames are known for their freeform exploration gameplay, their tongue in cheek humor, and their vast assortment of playable characters. Batman 3: Beyond Gotham supplies all those things with a bit more to boot. Join Batman and the Justice League as they battle Brainiac’s evil plans to use the various colors of Lanterns (green, yellow, red, etc…) to obtain ultimate power (is there any other power worth getting?) Beyond Gotham manages to use the best bits of previous LEGO games rather than trying to “improve” upon what has gone before. Thus, fans of the series should be happy with its implementation, and new LEGO gamers are treated to some of the most entertaining videogame series around.

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Tags: Game Reviews

Last year, Disney got into the “real toy figures used in a videogame” market with it’s new Disney Infinity line. While the game had story modes, accessible via the correct figures, the main attraction was a Toy Box mode where gamers could construct, trade, and play in worlds of their own design. Disney Infinity returns this year with the creatively titled “2.0” version. The new story mode has advantages and disadvantages over last year’s game, but the new Toy Box mode has seen some major improvements, so that it easily eclipses the Story Mode part of the game.

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