Mars: Code Aurora | Fortified Niche playtest!

I heard of this game during the interview with Mr. Forbidden Psalm himself – Will Rahman-Daultrey. Since we’re suckers for both Forbidden Psalm and games recommended to us, we had get a copy. A contact with the devs and package from Northstar Miniatures later, Mars: Code Aurora physically reached my hands – and it’s a skirmish miniature game set early in the dystopian colonization of Mars!

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SAGA: Age of Magic | Fortified Niche playtest!

The beauty of running your own podcast is that you can choose to break the rules at any time. For example, we said that we’d only review games at their most basic – no expansions. But this time, we’re reviewing SAGA: Age of Magic, the fantasy supplement for the French medieval skirmish standout SAGA (second edition).

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Magnagothica: Maleghast | Fortified Niche playtest!

There comes a time in every boy’s life when he has to admit that he’ll never be as cool as Tom Bloom. Creator of the good webcomic Kill Six Billion Demons and the writer of the best mech RPG Lancer, he now descends on miniature wargames. His contribution? A blazing fast and verily flash skirmish war-game Magnagothica: Maleghast.

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The Lamplighters League review | We stan two-fisted Nordic blondes

For pulp adventures, this is a decent enough time. I won’t claim it’s a renaissance, but miniature gamers can enjoy titles like Pulp Alley and half the Osprey roster. In video games, we’ve jus seen Strange Brigade released – and I just finished playing The Lamplighters League. So how did Harebrained Schemes do with this tactical RPG of two-fisted action and daring-do?

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The Drowned Earth | Fortified Niche playtest!

One of the most persistent images of humanity past its fall involves flooded cities that have been reclaimed by the jungle. So if the only thing that that formula was missing was dinosaurs, then The Drowned Earth has you covered. It’s a dynamic skirmish miniature wargame where your hero might just be riding a dino.

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Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin demo review | Fancy sword and magical board

I was there when Kirby slew Warhammer Fantasy. I may not have been in the room when it was all decided, but I was mad when Brettonia died off screen and I was online when points were eliminated. It was heartbreaking to see an old and flavorful setting be replaced with Sigmarines fighting Khorne Blood-blooders forever. Age of Sigmar (the game) and Mortal Realms (the setting) have changed much since then – and my opinion hasn’t remained inflexible. With that said, what did I take away from playing Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin demo? 

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Unity of Command 2: Kursk DLC | Review in 7 Screenshots

The years, they don’t stop coming – and neither do Unity of Command 2 DLCs. At about 176 hours in, I was graced with the Kursk DLC. This baby is huge, featuring campaigns for both Nazis and Soviets in 1943 (and maybe even 1944), And you know what? Unity of Command 2: Kursk DLC is the best one yet.

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Terminator: Dark Fate – Defiance demo | Argh, my brainworms

On a normal day, I’m very dismissive of movie-franchise games. However, Terminator: Dark Fate – Defiance comes from Slitherine, so it can’t be that bad. I even got the demo sent my way in advance. And soon, I broke my brain in half.

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A War Transformed | Fortified Niche playtest!

World War I is, inarguably, one of the most pointless and disastrous wars in human history. But what if it got worse, with the Moon breaking apart, bringing back old gods and their blood-soaked magic into the field? What if the Great Powers still clung to their trenches even in the face of – and themselves enthusiastically deploying – supernatural monsters? Then the result would be something akin to A War Transformed, a World War I miniature wargame by Frederick Silburn-Slater, published by Osprey!

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Starfield guide: frictionless game design

You probably don’t need another Starfield review. But the myriad things that drag the game down still need discussing. I need to vent all that frustration, mostly with all the game design choices that make the game frictionless. And what do I mean by that? For the purpose of this post, friction is “obstacles that require skill and adaptation from the player.” As Starfield stands right now, the only player trait you need is tolerance of checklists.

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