Bella Sara is partnering with toy horse manufacturer Paradise Horses to produce a line of horses corresponding to its popular trading card line.

I’ve heard of games being used to push toy lines, but this is a rather unusual reversal of the licensing direction. How come we haven’t seen plush toys for Magic: the Gathering?

(source)

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When last we left Scrabulous, it had been removed from Facebook in all countries in the world except for India. Around the world, the brothers behind Scrabulous relaunched a slightly modified version of the Scrabble game called Wordscraper, apparently cool with the IP police.

Now word about Scrabulous in India has been returned from the Indian courts: the game behind Scrabulous is ok, but the name has to change, as it’s too similar to Scrabble. The board can not be protected in India, because it’s not copyrightable, and no design rights were applied for. I’m guessing that this is only so long as any specific trademarks associated with Mattel do not appear on the board.

(source)

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A game by any other name still plays the same. So is the case with Blokus 3D, the new name, but unchanged game, of Rumis.

As in Blokus Classic, you have an assortment of differently shaped pieces you must place within the constrained area close to your previously placed pieces. The difference is a) it’s 3d cubes, instead of squares, b) you can choose from a variety of different shapes, c) pieces must touch face to face, not corner to corner, and d) you add points for faces exposed at the end of the game.

So obvious a connection is there between the two games that two years ago one Rumis reviewer on BGG called the game 3D Blokus, years before the companies made the same connection.

The new version is from Educational Insights.

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This latest release from Avalanche Press is an expansion for either Third Reich or Great Pacific War. It extends the Third Reich Deluxe Map to the Ural Mountains and includes Iran, Iraq, and the Persian Gulf. Rumors of War also includes 80 more die-cut playing pieces, as well as variants for Iran and for Romania as a major power. There are strategy articles too in this expansion, such as the ones that address economics and island hopping by the French.

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Have you ever tried but failed to explain to a family member what is a roleplaying game? Do you have a friend or collegue you think might enjoy roleplaying if only they understood what it was about? Well then, you might consider the latest series of podcasts from Fear the Boot. In seven episodes, each under 15 minutes, hosts Dan and Chad introduce the beginner to basic roleplaying concepts.

1. An Introduction
2. What is an RPG?
3. Why Play an RPG?
4. Common Objections
5. Getting Started
6. The Language of RPGs
7. It Takes All Kinds

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Have you heard about Wraith Recon yet? This new gem from Mongoose Publishing has the potential to be my new favorite 4E D&D setting:

The Kingdom of Dardarrick is beset on all fronts. To the east, open warfare with the Republic of Lorn has claimed tens of thousands of lives over the past decade and trenches now run parallel to the border, uprooting towns and villages in their wake. To the south, Lorn’s ally, the Kingdom of Torres constantly threatens overt military action, and has been implicated in many raids on nearby towns as the nation reaches a fever pitch of religious hatred. The wildlands to the west and north are home to goblinoids, ogres and giants, who must be constantly beaten back as they encroach on Dardarrick territory. And even within Dardarrick itself, evil lurks as the followers of the deposed theocrat Tomarsson plot their fanatical return to power.

Players take the role of the legendary Wraith Recon units, dedicated special forces trained and equipped to operate far from the rest of the army. Entrusted with the most dire missions, the Wraiths are capable of overcoming almost any obstacle. Armed with the latest in Dardarrick magicks, and kept informed by the mysterious Spellcom system, Wraith Recon units are tasked with assassinations, raids, reconnaissance, and hostage rescue missions, in the name of truth, liberty and justice.

If that doesn’t just have you giddy with excitement, then you clearly don’t have a pulse.  Seriously, everytime I think about this setting, I get a strong Shadowrun vibe – and that can’t be bad (that’s Shadowrun minus all the alpha and beta equipment crap…).  Wraith Recon is out in October and retails for £20.00 at 144 pages.  Even better, there are two supplements in the works releasing in November and December.

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Two new games from Gamewright:

Captain Clueless: You get to draw a line tracing the path your ship takes, only you have to do it blindfolded. Your teammates can direct you with progressively fewer words as the game goes on. If you hit an island or run off the map, your turn ends.

Hang Four: A card game. The following from GW doesn’t provide much info: “Get the most dogs on surfboards by cashing in sand dollars to retrieve cards. Roll over to the Dog Shack for a chance at collaring another player’s cards. Greedy gulls may snatch your cash or a monster wave might cause a major wipe out. The player with the most complete surfboards is the top dog.”

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Reels and Deals is a light card game for 2-5 players from Agman Games, a sggc*. They sent me a copy of the game, which I will review on my blog in the near future.

You make movies using rules that start off sounding remarkably like Traumfabrik, but in the end there’s not too much overlap other than theme and some basic goals. You play scripts, and then try to populate them with directors, star actors, regular actors, and effects. But you manage money by playing or tossing cards and producing movies, and you have lots of special ability cards to play either on yourself or your opponents. The auctions, which are not central to the game play, are blind bidding.

It seems to be more of a money and hand management game than an auction game.

*single game game company

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