Theology of Games is a multimedia site filled with original content about the happenings in the tabletop gaming industry. We talk games via written reviews, podcasts, and video!
Iello Games announced on their Facebook page that we'll see a new Richard Garfield game next month! It's called Ghooost! (yes...three o's). According to the BGG page, it's a card game where the goal is to get rid of all of your cards. It's got cartoonishly gruesome artwork. Iello and Richard Garfield is the same team that brought us the fun game King Of Tokyo, so our hopes are up!
So it's New Year's Eve, and you and your spouse are having another couple over for "games." It's easy to pull out the old standbys—the games that everyone knows how to play. But you have a plan to foist some games on these unsuspecting people, but you don't know where to start. We're here to help. These are some games that are good introductions to the vast world of board games...we call them Gateway Games.
Ticket To Ride—I (Firestone) think this is the best gateway game out there. It's colorful. It has great production values. The rules are easy to explain. And there's just enough luck that the newcomers have a chance to win, too. Oh yeah, and it's fun! And if they like this, there are a number of expansions and maps you can slowly add in.
Cost:~$40
Available From: Amazon
Ages: 8 and up
Carcassonne—This tile-laying game is an excellent choice for newbies and nongamers. Draw a tile, place a tile, and decide whether to place a person down; that's it! It's also the very first review we did here at Theology of Games!
Cost: ~$30
Available From: Amazon
Ages: 8 and up.
Bohnanza—This card game sounds weird: You're bean farmers and you're trying to be a better bean farmer than your opponents. But you have to work with them to get your beans planted. I told you it sounds weird. But it's a fun card game that's cheap and portable.
Cost:~$20
Available From: Amazon
Ages: 10 and up
Lost Cities: The Board Game—Based on the two-player game Lost Cities, this is a terrific board game that has plenty of interesting choices to make but is simple enough for nongamer friends.
Cost:~$30
Available From: Amazon
Ages: 8 and up
Snow Tails—We talked about this game in our Family Games edition of the Holiday Gift Guide. And it's just as true here: Race games are a fun and easy genre.
Cost: ~$35
Available From: Amazon
Ages: 8 and up
Kingdom Builder—This may be a step up for newcomers. Maybe you've played Ticket To Ride a bunch of times, and the other couple is ready for the next step. Kingdom Builder is that game. It's still simple enough, so don't be afraid. Here's our review right here!
Cost:~$45
Available From: Amazon, some department stores, and your friendly local game store.
Ages: 8 and up
Mystery of the Abbey—Do your friends like Clue? Well Mystery is kind of like Clue but with fantastic production values, and much more interesting things to do. It's better than Clue in every way...
Cost:~$50
Available From: Amazon
Ages: 10 and up
Star Trek Catan—For lots of people, Settlers of Catan was their "gateway game"—the game that got them into the hobby. They now have a Star Trek-themed version, and it looks much more thematically fun than the original version.
Cost: ~$40
Available From: This is exclusively available at Target.
Ages: 10 and up
One of my favorite things is when my wife throws me a bone and plays a board game with me. See...board games are stressful to her—especially if it's a new game. Learning new rules, and being unsure as to what to do, stresses her out.I, on the other hand, play games to relax. It's a great way to wind down. So the two of us don't play very often. But I'm always looking for good, simple games that she might like.
So this week we're dedicating the whole week to 2-player games! If you're looking for some ideas for Spouse Games, look no further. Check back often, and thanks for reading!
We're wrapping up another week here at Theology of Games. Here's a recap of what you might have missed. We reviewed Fluxx, a chaotic card game that's never the same twice.
We got ridiculously excited as Fantasy Flight released the rules for the upcoming LCG Netrunner.
We reviewed the latest Donald X. Vaccarino game: Infiltration.
We announced the winner of a copy of What's It To Ya?—and it was the guy's birthday!
We talked about the 7th expansion for the uber-successful Dominion.
We interviewed Jason Kotarski about the Kickstarter project for his debut game: The Great Heartland Hauling Co. And it fully funded today!
We reviewed Infinite City.
And finally, we got some more details about the new Resistance game coming out. Whoa...that's a lot! Have a great weekend, and thanks for reading!
It was a busy week for the TOGers—and we're a little late with the recap. But we had our first contest, and our first contest winner! There are more giveaways to come—including one that's running right now! Our first contest—and our first contest winner!
Another free-game giveaway! Win your very own copy of What's It To Ya?
Gloom: Does a neat-o, see-through-card gimmick make for a fun game? Check our review.
We preview Alcatraz—a new co-op-until-I-stab-you-in-the-back game.
Kickstarter is a great mechanism for getting new games published—but it's not without risk...
Thanks so much for reading. Check back next week when we'll have more news and reviews—including a review of one of our kids' favorite games: Castle Panic! Have a great rest of your weekend.
Welcome to Day 1 of our humble little blog. We're two guys who love Jesus and like board games. Please know that we don't have an agenda; we're not going to try and "convert" you at the end of every review. "Ticket To Ride is a great game, but you know what the best ticket is? The one that gets you into heaven!" Lame.
Our faith is a part of who we are, so if something pushes back against what we believe, it might come up in a review. But it's not why we're here. We're just two friends who like to play board games, and want to provide some honest reviews and inroads for people who might only think of Monopoly when they hear the words board game.
We'd love it if you would head on over and "like" us on Facebook. And we're on Twitter, too: @TheologyofGames.
Who's the "us"?
Jeremiah Isley - @JeremiahIsley
Scott Firestone IV - @Firestone
Thanks for joining us. Now let's talk about some games!
We here at Theology of Games are certain that the public is clamoring for a behind-the-scenes sneak preview of what they can expect from TheologyOfGames.com. So we thought we'd take few minutes to introduce ourselves and quell your insatiable curiosity.
Theology of Games is a blog, written by two friends who are followers of Christ, and happen to also be passionate about board gaming. You can expect to see frequent game reviews, along with gaming news, and our general thoughts on gaming and other features that we hope you will find humorous. Theology of Games is a blog for anyone, in any walk of life. Whether you're an avid gamer, a parent or friend of an avid gamer, or someone who works in ministry and wants to know what those gamer kids are playing, this blog is for you.
TOG is written by: Scott Firestone IV - A magazine editor and writer, so him make words more gooder. He's also a lay leader in his church's youth ministry. and Jeremiah Isley - A Youth Director from Northeast Ohio who has been in Youth Ministry nearly 9 years, and a gamer for... well a lot more than you can imagine.
Check back on July 1st when we officially launch this thing. It'll be epic!
Two Geeks, Hundreds of Games, One God. We bring you the best in board game talk, tabletop news and compelling interviews with those in the boardgame industry! Stay tuned for all things gaming, here on Theology of Games!
