Ever since I saw the 1985 sci-fi movie D.A.R.Y.L., I’ve wondered what it would be like to be a super computer. Being able to automatically beat any video game would be so cool. Although, it might get boring after a while.

RESISTOR_ is a two-player card game that lets you play as a super computer. As powerful pieces of technology, players are tasked with trying to be the first to hack the other’s system in order to render it frozen and launch a nuclear attack without facing a counterattack.

It isn’t as scary as it sounds. Players create links from one base to another by placing cards on the table that connect. If you create a base-to-base link, you score a point and your opponent goes to DEFCON 2. When a player reaches DEFCON 4, his or her base shuts down and the opponent gets to set off the nukes. Resistors throw a whole new dynamic into the game.

Because of the mechanics, players must pay close attention to every action on the board. In addition to strategizing your best with randomly drawn cards, players must memorize cards in play because they will be flipped over at some point. Having a good memory will serve you well in this game.

Purple Pawn’s own Robert C Kalajian Jr. was able to check out a preview of the game at this year’s PAX East and has good things to say about it. “I really like the back and forth of the gameplay,” he said. “And the removal of cards with a resistor is played is an interesting twist.”

The game includes the following contents:

• 43 high quality double-sided tarot sized Circuit cards including 12 Resistors.
• 4 Mainframe cards to track your Defcon threat level (2 for DEEPRED and 2 for BLU9000).
• 3 Action cards to keep track of which action you’ve taken.
• Illustrated Dot Matrix-style instruction sheet.
• 3 Piece “Console” Style Box/Deck stand.

RESISTOR_ is in the early stages of its Kickstarter campaign. The base price for the game is $20. But, you can pledge $250 for a special customized deck that will be unique to you specifically. The campaign ends April 3 with shipping expected in July of 2015.

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Cartoona is currently one of the sponsors listed on The Purple Pawn. I received a review copy the other day in the mail and had a chance over the past two nights to sit down with my wife, and two daughters age 18 and 6.

The game is very straight forward. Take the whimsical art covered tiles and build a creature. Each creature piece is worth a certain number of points and when a creature is complete you add up the points. First person to 50 points wins.

My six year old was thrilled by the look and feel of the game. For the past two days we have left the game out on the table and she has spent time playing by herself building interesting creatures. During game play, she had us all laughing as she decided a new aspect was to discover and mimic the sounds her created creatures would make.

The game comes with cards to expand the play to allow an additional level of interaction and complexity. With our wide range of ages and interests, we discovered the basic game was enough for us.

My 18 year old daughter felt that her friends would enjoy the art and slightly abstract nature of the game. She, being the daughter of The Game Whisperer, is often asked to bring new games to parties. Cartoona will be one that will be trialed at one of her parties.

My wife was the one most unsure about the game in the beginning. Whimsical games aren’t her thing, and at first glance, Cartoona appears to be a whimsical game without much strategy. That is at first glance. After playing a couple of times and having a day to think about it, she began to see the strategy that goes into the playing and laying of tiles. She figured it out so well and I have such little chance of beating her, playing the game for me has simply become a way of sharing quality time since I try not to become disheartened by her thorough thrashing she delivers without much effort.

If you are thinking of backing Cartoona on Kickstarter understand that the game can easily be played by all age groups. That as an adult game it has layers of complexity that allow you to strategize and plan. Not a lot, but enough to make it an interesting 30 minute game.

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