NGM Monday - Dylan and Suzzan Trust Me, I'm a Superhero During these upside-down days, we have had game nights via Zoom. It can be problematic to find a game that encourages banter and entertaining from different locals. We have been seeking out something innovative, and Superhero delivered! Trust Me, I'm a Superhero, is a card game played with friends where you compete to answer the Call for Help with the preposterous powers to solve the problem. Convince everyone that you are best suited to save the day to win. Keep in mind that all the first team Superheroes are occupied, and a band of ragtag heroes has been tasked to clean the city's minor disturbances. A Citizen will send a Call for Help with a problem, and in the break room, these heroes present their case why they are best to solve this dilemma. The hero that convinces that they are best suited to solve the problem wins the card and becomes the next Citizen caller. Gameplay The first Citizen will be the person who last watched a superhero movie, or we roll the dice to see who goes first. All other players draw five Super and five Power cards, then choose favorite super/power and play it face down in front of them, creating their hero for the round. The players pick their powers before they get the Call for Help. This is a smart mechanic that does bring some creative thinking to the hero fit to the problem. The Citizen will then draw three Calls for Help cards and picks one and declares the problem in town. Players take turns flipping their own Superhero over and trying to explain why they are best suited to the job. SUPER TIP: Arguing, heckling, and accusing the others of not being real heroes is encouraged; however, a grand story well-executed gains a win faster at the Nerdz Garage. The player to successfully be chosen to answer the call for help is the winner. Just that simple, however, it is a serious laugh attack. Our Thoughts Sometimes the Nerdz are younger, and we need a suitable smart game, and this game is for all ages. The theme and art are campy and charming. The debates were amusing and absolutely- laugh out loud. The cards Powers and Supers are a perfect launching point for outrageous tales that were spun. Ours progressed to acting out the scenarios with some applause. Even if you are not good at acting out, adding gestures and a character to go with the Superhero makes a ridiculous match to winning round. Plus, for the elder players, libations can boost the demure player into an accomplished character actor! The longer we played, Heroes debates were evolving to performances. All the players were laughing so hard, and the tears were flowing. Last but not Least Trust Me, I'm a Superhero is easy to learn and endlessly entertaining to play. The Nerdz Garage thinks there is plenty of variety and can lead to persistent laughter. *capes not included. We recommend you head to their Kickstarter on October 27th, 2020. Trust Me, I'm a Superhero (2020) A card game of debatable heroism! 3–8 Players Playing Time: 15- 30 Min Age: 8+ Designer: Jack Ford Morgan Artist: Alison Meyers Publisher: Half-Monster Games https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jackfordmorgan/trust-me-im-a-superhero-a-card-game-of-debatable-heroism We are an independent, creative pop culture studio that looks beyond what is contemporary. We grew up in pop culture and strive to present a positive and diverse forum on everything nerdy. We are having conversations about nerd culture, news and our nerd life. Nerdz Garage Derek Smith Nerdz Podcast Theme Licensed Music Purple Planet Music Ecstasy

New Game Monday Podcast with Roy Papp! A lively interview with Roy canvassing subjects from being an independent game designer to the freedom of creating in Game Design Masters. * About half way through the interview (talking about a scary game) the camera moved on its own as if something walked past it. There was nothing evident to cause the movement. Make a Choice from Doors of Three. Reach the End and your are Free. Thirteen Rooms lie Ahead. If One is Scary, you are Dead! Play Today? https://zygobot.itch.io/one-scary-door Roy Papp Course Director Game Design Masters- Full Sail University Founder: Zygobot Studios _________________________________________________________________________________________________ We play. We invent. We review. We are an independent, creative pop culture studio that looks beyond what is contemporary. We grew up in pop culture and strive to present a positive diverse forum on everything nerdy. Nerdz Garage Dylan Smith Nerdz Podcast Theme Licensed Music Purple Planet Music Ecstasy

NewGameMonday Hosts~ Dylan and Suzzan Everything happens for a reason. We had been blissfully playing Sorcerer’s City by Scott Caputo and did not want to tire of it and wondered if there was a game comparable to it? We queried on the social media the response was swift with the suggestions for The One Hundred Torii, a game designed by Eduardo Baraf and Scott Caputo with a Japanese theme. When our boy was about five, his Uncle Jake introduced us to Miyazaki’s “Spirited Away” and snippets of Japan culture. Fast forward oodles of years and our home is filled with Anime, Katana’s, and a legion of miniature Samurais. Seemed like a safe bet. One Hundred Torii is a tile placement, set collecting game based on a journey, not a destination. Reshaping Japanese gardens by stepping through Torii gates to the sacred grounds filled with fountains, flowers, shrines and the chance meetings with vendors, gardeners, Geishas, poets and our favorite, Samurais. Earn the most journey points by visiting landmarks and walking through as many Torii gates as possible to achieve enlightenment- win the game. The One Hundred Torii Year Released: 2020 Designers: Eduardo Baraf and Scott Caputo Artist: Vincent Dutrait Publishers: Pencil First Games Ages: 8+ Players: 1-4 Game Length: 45-60 minutes Category: Abstract Strategy Mechanisms: Set Collection, Tile Placement and Family Country: Japan Crowdfunding: Kickstarter https://shop.pencilfirstgames.com/collections/games/products/the-one-hundred-torii http://www.pencilfirstgames.com/ Nerdz Garage Derek Smith Nerdz Podcast Theme Licensed Music Purple Planet Music

New Game Monday Hosts~ Derek Honeycomb & Suzzan Newsworthy Radioactive Bees! A fun tile stacking game where mutant bees build 3-D radioactive honeycombs! On Kickstarter in October. In this post-apocalyptic tile placement strategy game, mutant bees – one of the few surviving species – must feed on enriched uranium to produce honey. Bees with higher radiation exposure are more productive and valuable to the colony. Use your tiles to build honeycombs, increase your bees’ radioactive levels and maximize the number of points you earn to win the crown. https://radioactivebees.com/ Radioactive Bees (2020) 2–4 Players 30–60 Min Playing Time Age: 8+ DesignerJosé L. Navas Publisher(Self-Published) _________________________________________ We are having conversations about nerd culture, news and our nerd life. Let’s be honest; there is still a bit of drama when we play. Sit Down -Grab a Drink – Join the Game Suzzan Smith https://www.nerdzgarage.com/ Nerdz Podcast Theme Licensed Music Purple Planet Music Ecstasy

NewGameMonday Olympus and Pantheon Crazier Eights Depth and Strategy have been REFINED in the Crazier Eights. Every card has a unique ability, and the first player with zero cards in hand wins. The rules are straightforward, yet the game is brimming with depth and strategy. https://craziereights.com/ Release date: 2020 Publisher: Recoculous Designer: James Wallace Gray Playtime: 10-30minutes Players: 2-4 Age: 13+ Nerdz Garage Nerdz Podcast Theme Licensed Music Purple Planet Music Ecstasy

New Game Monday Hosts~ Derek & Suzzan Thalara: The Last Artifacts In the world of Thalara, the magic is dwindling away. Scattered across the land in temples, Watchmen uses powerful Artifacts to draw magic away from the land. Players are tasked to fight for the last artifacts to preserve the power before it is too late. Players endeavor to combine energy and spells to gain the most Artifacts and restore strength. The first records of card games were noted during the Tang Dynasty, and since then, they have emerged to a multitude of themes and expressions. They embody wild creatures, witchery, and classics as Star Realms. Thalara: The Last Artifact is a fresh, fast-paced, highly interactive, hand-building strategy card game with distinctive mechanics. The game features a unique hand-locking mechanic: Each round, more of your cards get "locked to your hand" to be used in each subsequent round. These cards, Victory Points, however, frequently contain lower strength. Thalara's core is a hand-building game where you do not just select the cards you want; you must outmaneuver to gain them. Mechanics That Worked for Us The action blocking or modifying a conflict with spells was advantageous towards the end of a round. I did not keep the color card requirement for spells in the latter rounds and found it caused such detriment. I then focused on conquering Artifacts that would aid in my spells and not be lasered focused on the higher Victory Point Artifacts. Hand management by holding in reserve higher strength cards towards the end of a round. Our Thoughts The unusual twist of conquered cards mandated to your hand was an adept mechanic. Some characters are easy to learn, and some take a few games. They are exceedingly thought out because, for their diverse abilities, they felt balanced and fair. It is cleverly layered with impressive actions and mechanics on the cards. The story and quotes of the Characters are delightful and added to the entertainment value. Nerdz Garage plays Dungeons and Dragons weekly (three campaigns), and we do fancy a good spell and Thalara: The Last Artifacts is brimming with them!!! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/886510405/thalara-the-last-artifacts?ref=nav_search&result=project&term=thalara Full Review~ https://nerdzboardgaming.com/thalara-the-last-artifacts-casts-artful-adventure/ Let’s be honest; there is still a bit of drama when we play. Sit Down -Grab a Drink – Join the Game Suzzan Smith Nerdz Podcast Theme Licences Music Purple Planet Music Ecstasy

NewGameMonday Interview with Aaron McDonell Moline - Creator/Designer Eric Manahan - Creative Director / CoDesigner Antematter Board Game- Fly Safe Space Gambler Spin a tale of intrigue, extortion, grease monkeys, speakers of lies, and giggle juice... that's right, Boozehounds Smugglers. ANTEMATTER combines tabletop strategy and poker in a one of a kind space board game, pitting you against competing adventurers you control a band of smugglers that have a hankering to Loot the Conflux then burn fuel over to the joint to partake in labyrinthine poker. The game will be on Kickstarter this month, August 25TH 2020. We were asked a few moons back the rationale that prompts us to buy a game. At the Nerdz Garage agree it is the art. The cover art on Antematter does set the stage for adventure and it follows through from the cards to the components. Our Thoughts In the rulebook, there is a deep and compelling Lore section for each faction that brought interesting and boisterous interactions in gameplay. The cards though vastly diverse, still were very balanced. The Lore backstories are well thought out and included tips and tricks that were highly beneficial. It combines a sizeable amount of strategy and sabotage in both components of the game-plunder and poker. It does take a moment at first to jump from space looting to space poker; however, the Crew Cards skillfully bridge them together. Antematter feels timeless that we would want to play it now and years from now, and the game would feel fresh. The random movements of the Planets were a brilliant mechanic and wholly changed each game. Thematically, the cards detailing Antematter by Bardshark Games are very well thought out, and the art is an idyllic blend of Gatsby and Space Cowboys. We had a roarin' good time! Suzzan Smith The Nerdz Garage Antematter (2020) A sci-fantasy mashup of strategy and Texas hold’em. 3–6 Players Playing Time: 45–120 Min Age: 12+ Publisher: Bardshark Games https://bardshark.com/howtoplay/ We play. We invent. We review. We are an independent, creative pop culture studio that looks beyond what is contemporary. We grew up in pop culture and strive to present a positive forum on everything nerdy. We are having conversations about nerd culture, news and our nerd life. Nerdz Podcast Theme Licensed through Purple Planet Music Ecstasy

NewGameMonday Hosts~ Dylan & Suzzan Big Game Big Return -Tokyo Sidekick Superheroes Meet-Up tonight, bring a Sidekick! Tokyo Sidekick from Japanime games is a super cooperative superhero deck-building game. The fate of the cities in Japan is ever-increasing against villains, supervillain, and then the big baddies. The missions are time-sensitive due to incidents unresolved that can turn critical, unleashing mayhem. This night can go two ways; save the day by taking down 2 Villains and two Supervillains to get the Menace's attention and defeat it or die by depleting the Damage Deck, and Destruction Gauge maxes at 15. If it is the latter, players can regroup, adjust missteps, and start over. That is what the Japanime Games has done. They tweaked a bit of the game and are relaunching to Kickstarter on August 17th. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/370924922/tokyo-sidekick-reassemble?ref=nav_search&result=project&term=tokyo%20sidekick Undertaking the journeying across Tokyo with sidekicks collecting power and teaming up is expedient, and we found the only road to success ultimately. The rule book is dense with essential tips and tricks on pairing heroes and sidekicks. We brazenly picked characters that liked or found amusing our first game and failed miserably. Our Thoughts The Manga of original content contained lore, and the characters' personal connections gave the game a compelling and exciting level for play. We definitely embodied our characters' personalities. The art and game pieces are extraordinary and striking. It took several games for us to banish the villains and become Hero Nerdz. The game is fast-moving and unpredictable. Being a novice at the RPG, but reasonably good at strategy, felt that I could benefit the team. Tokyo Sidekick is a rare creation that we found had the perfect balance between depth, style and substance, and fun and challenge. Let’s be honest; there is still a bit of drama when we play. Sit Down -Grab a Drink – Join the Game Suzzan Smith https://www.nerdzgarage.com/ https://japanimegames.com/pages/tokyo-sidekickstarter-coming-soon https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/252883/tokyo-sidekick Tokyo Sidekick Japainme Games 1-4 Players | 40-60 minutes | Ages 12+ | Cooperative We play. We invent. We review. We are an independent, creative pop culture studio that looks beyond what is contemporary. We grew up in pop culture and strive to present a positive forum on everything nerdy. We are having conversations about nerd culture, news and our nerd life. Nerdz Podcast Theme Licensed through Purple Planet Music Ecstasy

NEW GAME MONDAY Hosts: Dylan Smith Suzzan Smith We aimed to misbehave and thought we had played all the space cowboy-themed games. Lady luck was on our side when the Guide for Bounty Hunters popped up on gaming social media. It had been a while since we watched the groundbreaking sassy and smart anime Cowboy Bebop. It takes place in a flawed and contentious universe. The characters have depth, and all actions have repercussions. Episodic stories that glide through ardent music and slick artistry. Japanime games captured the soul and spunk from the show thoroughly. Cowboy Bebop: Serenade is a semi-cooperative deck-building game for 1-4 players. You are tasked to play one of the shrewd crew members on The Bebop and tasked by the Big Shot to hunt criminals on Mars, Earth, and Ganymede. Eventually, you cross paths with Vicious, and the outcome of this battle determines your victory or his escape. See you Space Cowboy ! 3,2,1 Let’s Jam! "Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for 'fair use' for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EL-D9LrFJd4 Tank!” by Seatbelts Cowboy Bebop: Space Serenade https://japanimegames.com/products/cowboy-bebop-space-serenade?variant=31605793882187 1–4 Players Playing Time - 30–90 Min Age: 14+ Year Published – March 2020 Designers Johan Benvenuto and Florian Sirieix Publishers - Don't Panic Games and Japanime Games Categories - Card Game and Novel-based Mechanism - Deck, Bag, and Pool Building Theme - Anime / Manga FULL REVIEW https://www.nerdzgarage.com/post/happy-hunting-with-cowboy-bebop-space-serenade https://www.nerdzgarage.com/ Join the Game! DYLAN sMITH Suzzan Smith Nerdz Podcast Theme Licensed through Purple Planet Music Ecstasy