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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!

First up: We try to outserve our fellow coffee shop owners one delicious cup and treat at a time in Fika
Next:  We partner up aiming for smooth take offs, and soft landings, in Sky Team!
And lastly: Friends become enemies as we face off for control of ancient magic in Wizards of the Grimoire

Fika

Designed by: Kwibus Gamedesign
Published by: Board Game Circus & 25th Century Games (2022)
Players: 2
Ages: 10 & up
Playing time: 20 minutes

Fika is a card game where players are street café owners trying to outearn your competitor, by skillfully arranging the cards in your own café and manipulating those of your opponent. “fika” is an integral part of Swedish life and is much more than just a coffee break. It’s about making space in your daily life to chat over a hot drink, as you nibble delicious pastries.

Each round is made up of two phases: You first determine the primary and secondary suit colors for the round, and then you start playing your cards. To play, choose one card from your hand simultaneously and put it face down in front of you. Reveal your chosen card simultaneously. Place cards into your café, respecting the order of initiative, and choose whether to resolve their effects.

At the end of the round, review your café from left to right to see which objectives have been fulfilled. Each card has one objective, which earns you coins if you have that card in your café and you fulfill its requirements. If a Group card has been placed in front of a card, that card’s coin reward is either doubled or tripled, depending on which half of the Group points towards you. Add up all the coins you have earned from your objectives. 

If you have earned the most coins, you win the round and receive one Tip card. First player to receive two Tip cards, the game ends and you win! Congratulations winner, your cafe is the Fika-est cafe in town! 

Sky Team

Designed by: Luc Rémond
Published by: Scorpion Masqué (2023)
Players: 2
Ages: 14 & up
Playing time: 15 minutes

Sky Team is a co-operative game, exclusively for two players, in which you play a pilot and co-pilot at the controls of an airliner. Your goal is to work together as a team to land your airplane in different airports around the world.

To land your plane, you secretly roll 4 dice and then place them one at a time. The players must assign the dice to the best possible spaces in your cockpit to balance the axis of your plane, control its speed, deploy the flaps, extend the landing gear, contact the control tower to clear your path, and even have a little coffee to improve your concentration enough to change the value of your dice.

If the aircraft tilts too much and stalls, overshoots the airport, or collides with another aircraft, you lose the game…and your pilot’s license…and probably your life.

From Montreal to Tokyo, each airport offers its own set of challenges. Watch out for the turbulence as this could end up being a bumpy ride!

Wizards of the Grimoire

Designed by: Cole Banning, Joe Banning
Published by: Grimoire Games (2022)
Players: 2
Ages: 10 & up
Playing time: 20 – 40 minutes

Wizards of Grimoire is a two player strategy card game, where each player is an apprentice with Years of tutelage under the late Archmage Andor. It has come to this: Andor’s two protégés must now become rivals and battle to determine who will become the next Keeper of the Grimoire. 

Fulfill your destiny and become the Keeper of the Grimoire. Defeat your opponent by drafting new spells from the magical Grimoire, casting them, managing your cooldowns, and dealing massive damage.

Each turn, draft one new spell to be added to your spell repertoire. But be warned! Your opponent has access to the same spells as you do, so choose the spells you want before your opponent does! Continue updating your spell repertoire throughout the game to optimize your deck and counter your opponent.

Cast spells to deal devastating damage or confuse and trip up your opponent. More expensive spells will have a larger impact on the game, but be careful, they’ll cost you more mana and will have a longer cool down. You can cast as many spells as you like on your turn so long as you have enough mana and the spells aren’t in cooldown. Find spell combinations that work together and time them correctly, to increase your damage or counter your opponent.

Be the first wizard apprentice to eliminate your opponent’s life points to become Keeper of the Grimoire.

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