Star Realms next expansion is to be a Scenario Pack of special cards that modify a game for all players. For example, the “Rushed Defenses” card makes bases cheaper and allows players to put newly acquired ships immediately on top of their decks. A single scenario card can be added at the beginning of a game either by choice or at random.

White Wizard Games will ship the Star Realms Scenario Pack this summer with 20 cards at a suggested retail price of $7.99.

• Comments Off on Scenario Pack is Next Expansion for Star Realms

Rescue Run by Jon Del Arroz is a new novel based on the science fiction deck-building card game, Star Realms.

Since being court-martialed by the Star Empire, smuggler and thief Joan Shengtu has done what she needed to do in order to survive—gaining a reputation along the way. When a new client’s mission goes sideways, Joan finds herself caught in the middle of dueling gambits between the Star Empire and the Trade Federation. Recruited to perform the heist of a lifetime, the fate of the Star Empire rests in her hands.

On the opposite side of the galaxy, Regency BioTech manager Dario Anazao sees an unsustainable situation brewing that promises a full-scale revolution. The megacorporations of the Trade Federation have kept the population in horrible working conditions, violating their human rights. With no one else to help, Dario must take it upon himself to rescue the workers of Mars.

Can two heroes from warring factions come together to make a difference in the galaxy?

It’s available now via Amazon: $12.95 paperback, $2.99 Kindle.

• Comments Off on Rescue Run, A Star Realms Novel

For those who missed the incredibly successful Kickstarter campaign, Hero Realms is a fantasy version of White Wizard Games’ Star Realms. More than just a reskin, Hero Realms also has Character Packs that can be purchased to customize each player’s starting decks and play styles. These come in the form of Cleric, Fighter, Ranger, Thief, and Wizard. Boss Decks can also be purchased that let’s one player control a powerful monster that other players have to overcome. Last is the Campaign Deck, one of the coolest sounding additions to the game. It contains rules for solo and cooperative play, comes with 3 missions, and has gear for upgrading your hero over time

White Wizard Games was kind enough to send a copy of the base game and Character Packs over for me to take a look at and I have to say I’m thoroughly impressed. I’ve played with my oldest so far, since he’s the most familiar with Star Realms, and we were both able to pick up the base game and play right away. We then each tried a different character and took a bit of time to learn how they play. This was a great step up from Star Realms and I can see Hero Realms pushing Star Realms out of our play rotation once we get some more of the add-ons.

You can check out the full rules and print-and-play version from White Wizard’s site. While I can’t recommend the game enough, you still may want to try the print-and-play if you’re not familiar with Star Realms or don’t know if you want a fantasy version of the deckbuilder to replace your sci-fi one. Personally, I think it’s great to have both, but Hero Realms is definitely the more enjoyable version.

A copy of Hero Realms and 5 Character Decks were provided free for review by White Wizard Games.

• Comments Off on Second Look—Hero Realms

Heroes of Normandie, the World War II, squad-based board game, is now available for PCs via Steam.

Martin Wallace’s Steam: Rails to Riches has hit the Google Play store for Android. It has pass-and-play mode and AI opponents with three levels of difficulty but online multiplayer is “coming soon”.

Indie Boards & Cards’ Coup can be had for iOS. It’s only multiplayer, which makes sense given that it’s a bluffing game. Also, it comes with some beautiful alternate card art.

Camel Up, Spiel des Jahres winner about camel racing, is available for both iOS and Android. Neither version yet includes a tutorial, so for now it’s best for those already familiar with the game.

Bases and battleships from the Star Realms Crisis expansion are now available as an upgrade to the electronic game on all platforms.

• Comments Off on Boards to Bytes

Many of you are home today celebrating Father’s Day, and hopefully that includes playing some games!

In our house we’ll be playing some Five Tribes, Star Realms, a LOT of the Pokemon CCG, Boss Monster 2, and maybe even some Heavy Steam. After all, what better way to celebrate being a dad than making your family play games with you! (half-kidding)

What has hit/will be hitting your table today?

• Comments Off on Happy Father’s Day! Play Some Games!

Legion Supplies just recently sent over some card sleeves, a deck box, and a flip box for Star Realms. I sleeved some cards, stored a deck, and finally got rid of the already-splitting Star Realms box I was currently using. My thoughts below:

Card Sleeves:  These card sleeves are tough! They feel a bit thicker than ones from Ultra Pro or BCW, and the printing on them is beautifully done. The sleeves I used had the “Bad Beats” artwork on them, which my kids thought was hilarious. My only gripe is that my cards don’t fit as snugly in these as they do in the previously two mentioned brands. Sometimes during play the cards would shift a bit and start to come out of the top of the sleeve. It’s not a deal breaker, though. They do cost quite a bit more than other sleeves. $4.50 to $5 for 50. At first I thought it was just for the printed sleeves, but plain color ones were just as much.

Deck Box: The deck box also had the “Bad Beats” printing. Unfortunately I lost this case to my son, who claimed that since I already had a BCW Deck Locker, that he wanted it. It’s a shame, too, because it’s one of the nicest deck boxes I’ve used. Durable, with a Velcro flap and a divider inside. For $3.50, these are a no brainer. If you’re looking for a standard deck box, these are the ones to go with.

Star Realms Box: A specialized product meant for keeping your Star Realms stuff safe, this box has two compartments and the flap seals with Velcro. It’ll hold every Star Realms card released to date, even if sleeved. It even comes with a promo card for the game! If you play Star Realms, you know how hard it is to get your cards in and out of the box they came in. It’s a VERY tight fit, even when the cards are brand new. This case is $10, but worth every penny to keep the game in safe, and in one place. Legion has a bigger box for $20 that comes with 224 sleeves, 4 promo cards, and dividers, too. I may be snagging that one soon.

Card sleeves, deck box, and Star Realms box were all provided free for review by Legion Supplies.

• Comments Off on Second Look—Legion Supplies

Another deckbuilding game, this time by White Wizard Games. Star Realms follows the same formula of many deckbuilders out there. Use resources to buy more cards and beef up your deck. Where it differs is that you’re directly trying to take out your opponent using Spaceships and Bases, while also protecting yourself with Bases and Outposts. It feels like a step up from a game like Ascension, yet comes in a smaller package and packs a bit more punch.

My 9-year-old son and I sat down with the base game and its 4 expansions. This gave us some extra Spaceships and Bases, along with Heroes and Events, two new types of Trade cards added in from the Crisis sets. The game ramps up extremely quickly, and it’s not long before each player is dealing out huge amounts of damage while also trying to minimize similar amounts of damage from the other player. It’s very important to get Bases and Outposts out there to protect yourself. Take 50 damage to yourself and it’s game over, man. Game over.

Everything from the look and feel of the cards to the quick playtime just rubbed me the right way. The fact that the base set comes in a single deckbox that can be tossed into a bag is an added bonus. We opened the game, read the rules, and were already a few turns in before 5 minutes was up.

Now I’m not going to go so far and say it’s my favorite deckbuilder.  Demonslayer still holds that title…for now. That may change seeing as Star Realms will probably get a lot more play due to its portability and ease of setup. The Android app of the game has certainly already overshadowed Ascension on my phone.

My son has already asked to play again, and I have a feeling that we’ll be getting at least a few more games in before the weekend is up. I’m already eagerly awaiting more expansions to come out so I can get my Spaceship fix.

I can’t recommend this game strongly enough. It’s a sure winner, and one of the best games I’ve played so far this year.

A copy of Star Realms and its expansions where provided free for review by White Wizard Games.

• Comments Off on Second Look—Star Realms