Last Friday, I spent four hours and drank four hard seltzers to beat Kingdom Hearts III. Kingdom Hearts is known for having brutal boss battles, and Kingdom Hearts III is no different. I almost quit, but I persisted and finally defeated Master Xehanort. Since completing Kingdom Hearts III, I wanted to reflect on my favorite levels and general thoughts about the game.

Kingdom Hearts III shows our memorable key wielder, Sora, as his strength is at an all-time low. He travels with his companions, Donald and Goofy, to regain his strength and learn the “power of waking,” the ability to restore lost hearts. It’s revealed how Sora has Roxas’s heart along with two other hearts bound to his. This power will be useful to prevent Xehanort from opening Kingdom Hearts, casting the world in darkness.

Kingdom Hearts III has levels in many of the newest worlds from recent movies. Olympus and Port Royal make a reappearance, along with new levels from Toy Story, Monsters Inc., Tangled, and Big Hero 6. The best level was the Toy Story level. Starting at Andy’s house, the toys make their way to a major toy store. Sora can enter these gigantic toy robots to fight Heartless while wandering the toy store. As a ’90s baby who grew up with older Pixar movies, Kingdom Hearts III appeals to my nostalgia for these movies.

The last level is where all the boss battles begin. Sora has to fight his way through all the major characters in Organization XIII. When I reached the final battle, I had leveled up Sora to level #43. In the future, I would have stayed on the Big Hero 6 level for longer to level up Sora to be more prepared for taking on Organization XIII. Before taking on Xehanort, I would recommend having at least 4+ hours of free time. There’s one final save point before entering the town and Xehanort’s territory. Kingdom Hearts III has designated save points, and you don’t want to lose progress in the fight and have to redo it.

Kingdom Hearts III is filled with nostalgia. The story isn’t the main reason why I play this series. I play for the characters, including Sora, with Aqua being my favorite key wielder. Besides the Toy Story level, I liked the Monsters Inc. level. I’m impressed with the voice acting in this game. Without having the original voice actors, the characters sound like the original characters from the movies. Kingdom Hearts III was worth the wait.

Last week, I was browsing games on Steam. I usually don’t like playing my console games during the week because I have terrible time management. I will start playing Kingdom Hearts III, and three hours will go by. Therefore, I play my PS4 on weekends. Steam has a wide variety of shorter games to play. I stumbled upon Spy Fox in: Dry Cereal, and all of my childhood memories flooded back to me. It was a major deja vu moment. The game was only $7, so why not buy it? This game was so much fun playing as an adult, even though it was aimed at kids.

Spyfox stars our favorite international spy, who happens to be a walking and talking fox. He is sent on a mission to stop William the Kid from destroying the world and stealing all the milk. Who wants to eat dry cereal??? Each game includes gadgets that Spyfox has to utilize in his missions. As you progress through the story, you utilize the gadgets and solve puzzles. I will be transparent, some of the puzzles took me a bit of time to solve. There was one puzzle with lasers, and it took me at least twenty minutes to figure out. For a computer game that’s aimed at kids, I still found this to be engaging.

Spyfox has many spy puns from pop culture. Spyfox’s boss is Monkey Penny, aka Moneypenny from the James Bond franchise. Professor Quack is the “gadget” duck, which references Q from the James Bond franchise. Some of the quips from the game include making fun of people who don’t drink dairy milk. For a game that was released in the late ’90s, the quips were actually pretty good.

Spy Fox in: Dry Cereal took me two hours to complete. I purchased the game on Steam, and there’s an incentive to keep playing the game by unlocking trading cards of the characters. I still have one more to unlock. Spyfox is suave, funny, and the ultimate fox.

Once a month, I get together with my brother, uncle, and our family friend to play games. It’s either a whole day spent playing Magic: The Gathering or it’s a day entirely devoted to board games. Towards the beginning of January, my uncle brought out Star Wars: Outer Rim for us all to try. This will be repetitive, but my favorite way to enjoy Star Wars is through gaming. I mentioned this in my Star Wars Destiny article I wrote recently. Star Wars: Outer Rim is no exception, as it’s a strategic game meant to be played with a decent-sized gaming group.

Star Wars: Outer Rim focuses on the planets within Star Wars that are filled with villainy and chaos. Each player picks a pilot, a ship, and a scorecard to track progress. Picking a pilot was easy when I saw Jyn Erso was included in this game. Jyn is easily one of my favorite female Star Wars protagonists to date. Seeing Rogue One representation in Star Wars: Outer Rim gives me a great first impression of the game.

The board is designed in a half circle with planets and travel routes for movement. The goal of the game is to be the most famous flyer in the whole galaxy. This can be done by completing jobs, defeating various patrols, or adventuring with more complex quests. Sometimes skill checks are required to complete a job. For example, Jyn starts with skills, but none of those skills include piloting. I had a mission where I had to utilize the piloting skill specifically to complete the mission. I spent multiple turns rolling and failing my roles because I was at a disadvantage of not having the piloting skill already. This is a huge reason why I lost the game we played.

Star Wars: Outer Rim isn’t an easy game, but not too difficult either. As I mentioned with my failed skill check, it can be difficult to complete missions without having the proper skill. Although you can pick up crew members who have varying skills to help you succeed in missions. One of my fellow players stole K-2SO from me, and I’m still salty about it.

One benefit of this game is having the freedom to do what you want with your character. With Jyn Erso, I ended up taking down a couple of tie fighters, which lowered my reputation with the Imperial fleet. It doesn’t matter who you partner with, but having alliances or enemies will impact how you fly throughout the Rim.

The only minor complaint I had was how turn order can take a bit. We had four people in our group, and I found myself feeling bored when it wasn’t my turn. I don’t think this is something that can be fixed with Star Wars: Outer Rim. The game is strategic, so game turns will take a little longer.

Star Wars: Outer Rim works best with more players. I would say three players would be ideal, recognizing that with four players, turns take longer. Star Wars: Outer Rim is made by Fantasy Flight Games and can be purchased through FFG’s website or your local game store.

One of my favorite ways to enjoy Star Wars is through gaming. The Star Wars fandom can be toxic at times, whereas the gaming community is more about bonding over the fandom and playing board games. A card game I used to play, Star Wars: Destiny, is officially being discontinued by Fantasy Flight Games. It’s a shame because this game was fun, but I’m not surprised to hear it’s being discontinued.

I was introduced to Star Wars Destiny in 2016. My friend worked at a game shop while we were in college. She called me and told me to come try out Star Wars: Destiny as the pre-release was happening that day. I was broke thanks to getting my degree, but I borrowed cards from other players to create a deck. I was enthralled with the game mechanics.

However, Fantasy Flight Games (FFG) didn’t do the best at judging how popular this game would be. Our game store ran out of stock immediately. This puts a damper on playing a deck-building game if you can’t buy the cards. It took FFG a long time before stock became available.

In the summer of 2017, I started working at a game shop as a side gig. My store had trouble selling Destiny because of a lack of interest from not finding the cards. By the time FFG got around to getting stock in stores, interest had declined to the point where my store stopped selling Destiny because it wasn’t profitable.

The fact that Destiny has lasted this long in production completely shocks me. If only FFG could have predicted how popular this game would be, I don’t think they would be stopping production of the game.

Recently, I gave away all my Destiny cards to my brother as he still actively plays with friends. I have great memories playing Destiny and being introduced to the Star Wars gaming fandom. The Covert Missions boosters haven’t been released yet, but they will be the last boosters for the game. The Star Wars: Destiny championships will happen on May 1st through May 3rd at Fantasy Flight Game Center in Roseville, MN.

Lastly, if you would like to learn how to play, I have posted a video from FFG’s YouTube channel describing the gameplay. With the discontinuation of the game, I would purchase the product before it becomes unavailable.

I promise this is my last board game haul. Games By Bicycle is mostly known for its 52-card decks used in bridge or solitaire. This company was founded in 1867 and prides itself on being around for 130 years. Besides standard playing cards, they have been creating interesting board games. I was able to demo two of these at Gen Con, although Games by Bicycle sent me a third game I haven’t played yet. Let’s look at the games Games By Bicycle graciously sent to me.

Tattoo Stories

Tattoo Stories is a party game where one player is the customer and the other players are the tattoo artists. The customer describes a tattoo they want, and the artists have to draw the tattoo. The artists have to sell the art to the customer. Whomever gets their art picked the most by the customer wins. This is the game I haven’t had a chance to play, but it reminds me of Pictionary and tattoo art were combined into a board game, it would be Tattoo Stories. This game is recommended for 12+. This is available for purchase on the Games by Bicycle website for $19.99.

It’s Blunderful

This was the first game I tested at Gen Con. It’s Blunderful is a game where players guess how the other players would react in awkward situations. Each card has an awkward situation with three responses listed as A, B, or C. For example, let’s say all the players have to judge how I would respond to an awkward situation. I secretly pick which response (whether it be the response associated with A, B, or C) I feel I’m associated with. The players have to guess which response this would be. Everyone (including myself) reveals the card they believe is the one I picked. If I chose B, this would be the correct answer. If the players also picked “B,” they would win points. The first player to reach 100 points wins the game. This is a great icebreaker game to get to know your coworkers or to play with friends. This game says it’s for 4-8 players, but that’s because there are these score cards to track your points with. If you played with 8+ players, you could use a sheet of paper to track your points. This game is recommended for 17+. It’s Blunderful is available for purchase on the Games by Bicycle website for $24.99

Shuffle Grand Prix

When I played this at Gen Con, I did win against three other players, so I felt extra special. The best way I can describe my experience playing Shuffle Grand Prix is that it’s the card game version of Mario Kart or Crash Bandicoot. There are a variety of teams to play, as each team has its own special abilities. Cards can be played to speed up your own racing team, along with slowing down other players. Imagine these cards as bananas from Mario Kart. The player who travels the furthest by the time the distance card pile is drawn will win the game. This is a great family-friendly game with cute cartoon characters drawn on each of the cards. This game is recommended for 13+. Shuffle Grand Prix is available for purchase on the Games by Bicycle website for $24.99.

This is my last board game haul for a while. I have a HUGE board game backlog now. In fact, towards the end of December, my family and I are having a board game night, and I’m going to bring all of these games to play. I hope to write board game reviews starting in January. Thank you to everyone who read my haul posts, and happy gaming!

This is my second board game unboxing, but this time it’s from Goliath Games. When I secured my Gen Con press badge, I scheduled a time with Goliath Games to test out some of their newest party games. I was impressed with the selection Goliath Games had to offer, and they were kind enough to send me two of the games I played at Gen Con, with an additional game in the box. My plan for these games is to take them to a brewery and play them with my friends. Here are the games Goliath Games sent me.

Virus: The Contagiously Fun Card Game

This is the game I have never played before. An experimental virus has escaped from the lab, and players need to stop this contagious virus. However, a fun twist to the game is being able to infect the organs of other players with this virus. The first player with four healthy organs wins the game. This game can be played with 2-6 players ages 8+. Virus can be purchased through the Goliath Games website, or contact your local game store to see if they can order the game for you.

Side Effects: The Guessing Game With an Extra Dose of Absurdity

I first played this game at Gen Con, and it was hilarious. Imagine combining Charades with drug side effects, and that’s what this game is. All players are participating in a clinical drug study for a new drug. Of course, there will be side effects. This game is played in two-player teams. The first player is the test subject, while the second player is the lab assistant. The first player has to get the second player to guess a word while performing two drug side effects simultaneously. When I played this game, I had to get my partner to guess “Tuesday” while making kissy faces and making goat sounds. For the record, my goat impression was second to none. I did pretty well, as my partner was able to guess four words in a minute and thirty seconds. This is the perfect game to bring to a housewarming party because it’s going to get everyone laughing hysterically. This game requires 4+ players ages 13+. Side Effects can be purchased on Amazon for 24.95.

The Misery Index: Life Events on a Scale from Zero to Miserable.

This game is based on the wildly successful The Misery Index show on TBS. Hosted by Jameela Jamil from The Good Place, this game show forces players to rank events based on how awful the situations are. This is the card game version of this TV show. Each card has a scenario on it with a number from 1-100. One is tame to one hundred being absolutely horrendous. Players have to rank the cards based on how awful the scenario would be. When I was at Gen Con, I had to rank these three events: getting caught masturbating by your mom, drinking a vomit milkshake, or eating worm spaghetti. Players earn points by correctly sorting the events in the correct order of being the most miserable. A couple of the other misery cards include: flat tire, pepper spray in the eyes and smelling like a fart for the rest of your life. Misery Index is for 2+ players ages 14+. The Misery Index can be purchased at Target for $17.99.

I’m thrilled to introduce these games to my friends. Goliath Games is a great game company, and many of these games would be great for friends who aren’t hugely into board games in general. Once I rip open the wrapping on these games, I will be posting my in-depth review of each game. Goliath Games can be found on their website and social media, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 

Since attending Gen Con in August, I have been receiving emails from various game publishers. One email I received was from Kosmos about their new board games. After emailing with Kosmos, they agreed to send me a couple of the games, piquing my interest. The games I was most looking forward to playing include: Adventure Games: Monochrome Inc., Roll for Adventure, and Exit: The Catacombs of Horror.

For those unfamiliar with Kosmos, this company was originally founded in 2001, specializing in improving science education for all ages. In college, I taught science to elementary school kids, and seeing kids excited about science made me happy. Thames & Kosmos has moved into board games to teach kids social skills and stimulate logical and strategic thinking. These games can be for adults, but can also be introduced to kids with parental approval.

The first game I asked for was Adventure Games: Monochrome Inc. This game puts players in the headquarters of Monochrome Inc., a biotech company with hidden secrets to be uncovered. Players have to escape Monochrome by working together and searching for clues. The appeal of the game is that the rules are simple. This would be the perfect game to bring to a brewery with friends. There are also three endings to discover, which increases the likelihood I will replay this game. Market value of Adventure Games: Monochrome Inc. is $20 and can be purchased from the Kosmos website.

The second game is Roll for Adventure. This game is a dice-rolling, cooperative game. Players have to stop the Dark Lord from spreading darkness across the land. Players can either save the empire or allow the empire to succumb to the Dark Lord. This game reminds me of a DnD inspired adventure. This would be perfect for a tired DM who needs a break from writing a session for players. The market value of Roll for Adventure is $35 and can be purchased from the Kosmos website. 

The final game I picked was Exit: The Catacombs of Horror. Kosmos has a new line of board games titled Exit Games, which are inspired by escape rooms. Each “Exit” game has a different story that allows players to experience various outcomes. This game takes place in Paris in the catacombs underneath the city. After the disappearance of a friend, players make their way down into the underground labyrinth. This game is rated as a difficulty of 3.5 / 5. I haven’t had a chance to play this game yet, but I’m intrigued as to how challenging I will find it to be. Market value of Exit: The Catacombs of Horror is $25 and can be purchased from the Kosmos website. 

That’s the end of my Kosmos game haul! I want to thank Kosmos for sending me these games in the first place. Every game they had sounded fascinating, but these three stuck out to me. I would highly recommend pursuing the Kosmos website. Kosmos can be found through their website and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

I started playing the Call of Cthulhu role-playing game approximately two years ago. I became enamored with the setting, the dice rolling, and the challenge of the game. One of my friends messaged me asking if I would be the DM or, in Call of Cthulhu’s terminology, the Keeper, in a session. I was elated to accept the challenge, and I successfully led our group through a campaign. Spoiler alert: all of their characters survived.

Call of Cthulhu is created by Chaosium Inc. They’re pretty well known, as I have seen them tabling at C2E2 and Gen Con this year. To become the keeper, I bought the Call of Cthulhu starter set. It includes three books. The first book is a solo adventure, the second book is the rules, and the third book includes pre-made stories played by a group of players. This set also includes the Call of Cthulhu dice, empty character sheets, and five pre-generated characters.

Before the game started, I was nervous. What if my players got stuck? What if they don’t understand the rules? What if they get bored??? Thankfully, none of these occurrences happened. I did use one of the pre-made stories, but I tweaked it in my own way. This allowed me to be creative, but have a reference in case I got stuck being the keeper.

I underestimated how smart my friends are. My friends discovered there was an entity trapped in a farmhouse and that its main power is to reanimate dead corpses. As my friends stumbled on the farmhouse, they found various animal corpses along with the dead body of a young woman. My fiancé decided he wanted to cut up the body parts and throw them down a well. My other friends agreed, and they spent time cutting up these body parts. They took sanity damage for it, but in the end, this was a smart decision. When it came time for my final boss battle, I couldn’t reanimate the dead creatures or the woman. This made the battle easier for the characters, but life more difficult for me. In the end, my friends were able to conquer the entity.

Ultimately, I plan on playing through the other two pre-created scenarios, so I feel 100% comfortable leading a campaign. If you have ever played the Call of Cthulhu RPG, feel free to leave a comment about how the story went. I would love to hear it.