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Welcome to Which Game First where we boldly explore the hilariously huge world of board games. Did we unearth any hidden treasures you’ve been missing out on? Let’s find out!
We try to keep our sheep afloat in a sea of random numbers in Turn the Tide
We create civilization from random cultures in Hadara
We duel over aces and kings in Up 4 Grabs
This week we talk with Rob Dougherty and Debbie Moynihan from White Wizard Games about Kapow!, which is on Kickstarter right now!
Turn the Tide
Designed by: Stefan Dorra
Published by: AMIGO and Gamewright (1997)
Players: 3 – 5
Ages: 10 & up
Playing time: 30 – 40 min
Turn The Tide is a card game in which players are trying to keep their sheep afloat as the tides come in. A deck of weather cards numbered 1-60 are dealt out, 12 cards to each player. Each player receives a number of life preserver tokens based on the strength of their hand.
Each turn 2 cards are turned face up from the tide deck of 24 cards with values of 1-12.
Players choose one card from their hand in secret and reveal them simultaneously. The highest value played takes the lowest tide card, which goes face-up to a pile in front of you. The second highest takes the other tide card.
Then the player with the highest tide card turns one of their life preserver tokens over. At the end of a round, players score points equal to the number of life preservers they managed to save.
Players then pick up all their playing hand, and pass it clockwise. So as each round commences, you are using the cards previously used by your neighbor!
Can you stay afloat and …. PRESERVE the win? Get it?
Hadara
Designed by: Benjamin Schwer
Published by: Hans im Glück & Z-Man Games (2019)
Players: 2 – 5
Ages: 10 & up
Playing time: 45 – 60 min
In Hadara, players make history by growing their civilization’s strength over 3 epochs in 4 key traits: military, economic, agriculture and culture.
Each Epoch is divided into two phases where players decide whether to purchase a card and add it to their civ, or sell that card for cold hard cash
In Phase A, you choose from 2 cards from the top of each pile in order. The other card is discarded for Phase B where you choose from one card from the top of the 5 discard piles.
At the end of each Epoch, your civ will use its traits to collect income, subjugate colonies, build statues, and claim achievements!
After three Epochs, the civilization with the most points will reign supreme and have bragging rights until the invention of the internet!
Up 4 Grabs
Published by: Game Development Group, Inc. (2013)
Players: 2 – 6
Ages: 14 & up
Up 4 Grabs is a board game, masquerading as a card game.
Collect the “aces” and “faces” by landing on squares around the board, challenging an opponent to a “Duel”, and many other ways. It’s fast-paced and constantly changing: you’ll find yourself rapidly gaining the cards you need, and then losing them just as quickly.
Collect the four cards you need to win: either a 4 of a kind, or a 4-card straight flush, ace through jack.