The Resistance

Sean Dibble

                Ever wonder how you would fare as a member of The Resistance and help destroy the ruthless imperialist? Well gather up five friends or more and play this great party game. Beware those at least two of those people may be spies trying to dismantle your best laid plans. The game is simple and is best played with an odd number of players, but can be played with up to ten. For the sake of simplicity I will use five players as my examples.

Set Up:

·         Shuffle and pass out player role cards face down

·         Look at your role DONT TELL ANYONE

·         One person say "Everyone close their eyes"

·         "Spies open their eyes" obviously spies open your eyes and find out who your partner is

·         Then "Everyone close their eyes"

The mission tracker is a scorboard.  Red is spies, blue is the resistance.  The large number indicates the number of people that must go on the mission.  Larger numbers of players use different boards to up the ante.

Now you chose who will be a mission leader and from there you find out from the board how many players must be chosen for each mission for example a five player game will have missions that go 2,3,2,3,3 and with five players there will be 2 spies. So now you chose your mission member (leader does not need to go on the mission) the table votes to approve this team if approved the mission members then get handed succeed or fail cards and pass the cards they are using for the mission in the center and the discard cards to the mission leader. The leader then shuffles the discard cards back into the deck so that no one knows who used what card, then he also shuffles the cards being used together so again no one is ousted and then flips the cards for everyone to see. If one card says fail the mission fails if all cards say succeed the mission passes. First team to three wins, but there is one caviot if you're a rebel (blue player card) you must vote to succeed the mission if you are a spy (red player card) you can vote ether way. Seems like a lot, but it is very simple and quick to pick up and play.

Some of the character cards you play with.  It's a shame that such beautiful artwork can only be revealed at the end of the game.

So this game is unlike others you may have played there really is no board, no writing things down and guessing who said what, all it really is trying to find out who are the spies and not putting them on missions to win the game. Or if you're a spy get on a mission and sabotage it. This game is not for people who can't handle being accused of being, and I quote from past games "YOU DIRTY DIRTY SPY GET OFF MY TEAM." This game if not played with over sentimental cry babies can be so much fun and if your dramatic like me and win a mission as the resistance will be yelling "VIVA LA RESISTANCE" all the time. So gather your friends, or the people you can barely stand and start accusing them of being a spy and go out and destroy the Hollywood sign. (We here at scullynerdreviews.com do not condone or support the destruction of the hollywood sign, BUT will laugh histerically if you say you only did it because you played The Resisance and were told to do so).

Good:

-Easy game to play

-Fun acusation game

- Can be played quickly

-Quick set up

Bad:

- Can hurt peoples feelings

-Very short can be as quick at a 10 minute game

Scully Rating 7.5 out of 10

The Game of Things

Sean Dibble

So, I have had the honor of playing this game a few times, and each time I have had nothing but fun playing it. The rules are simple one player reads a card, everyone including the reader writes down what they think is the best answer, folds it twice and hands it back to the reader. The reader then reads the card once more and then all the answers he/she was given, and the player to the left starts the round of guessing. With the guessing round a player tries to guess who wrote what, if correct the guesser gets a point and the person who he guessed is out of the round, this continues until only one person is left un-guessed (reader does not get a turn at guessing) and the player to the left becomes the new reader.

This game can be as innocent or as devious as you make it.

So the game calls for at least four players at least fourteen years of age or older. Now this game is great for a party game or an ice breaker at a dinner party where you know no one. That is what is so great about this game it is a quick two minute instruction and then everyone jumps in and has a blast with who comes up with what. Now with how it is set up, it can be a game that anyone can play; whether you're good and nice people, or evil, EVIL horrible monsters with no filter, because the cards are so generic they allow this; just beware of who you are playing with. for example one of the cards reads "Things....you should be able to win a Nobel Prize for" you can have answers that range from giving to charity or *$#@ing, its completely up to you.

Be sick, be silly, it's all up to you.

Nothing else really to say about the game, a great party game made by a great party game company in Hasbro and the Parker Bros. Quick and simple to play and can create a lot of laughs along the way. Only downfall is if you have that one really lucky friend that can just run the table when he guesses who said what.

Good:

-Easy to pick up

-Great Party/ ice breaker

-Can be played with anyone

Bad:

-If you know your friends to well you can easily run the table at guessing who said what

Scully Rating 8.5 out of 10

Ninja: Legend of the Scorpion Clan

By Zach Goodier

This board game involves a relatively simple basis: 2-4 players can play on 2 teams, one is trying to infiltrate a Japanese castle as a Ninja and Traitor, while the other team plays the guards, and seeks to defend the castle from infiltration and kill the intruders.  The guards choose the locations for 6 objectives within the castle itself, as well as hidden sentries and traps.  Meanwhile, the intruders pick 2 of the objectives (1 per agent) to try to complete, then escape the castle to win.  Obviously, the guards win if the intruders are caught and killed, or fail to complete their missions.  However, there's a big twist: the intruders don't put their pieces on the board unless the guards find them.  The intruders must use paper copies of the map to track their movements, and calculate where objectives are within the castle as they search for the one they need to complete.

The game board. Note the numbers in the upper right, that is the turn count, and the bottom right has the alert level.

The game lasts for a total of 20 turns, with the guards organizing patrols and sentries around the castle, along with stationing guards in barracks to use later in the game if needed.  The ninja starts outside the castle, and must sneak into the castle through various tools such as a secret passage (which the intruders can place before the game starts), and ropes that can help them get over castle walls.  Intruders can move up to 3 spaces per turn (sneaking, walking, and running).  The faster you move, the more noise you make, and the easier it is for the guards to notice you.  So intruders must balance stealth with the race against time, making them feel the  pressure.

This is the full setup, in this case for only 2 players.

Some of the objectives that the intruders might have to complete within the castle.

On the other end, the guards don't have to complete any objective other than prevent the intruders from completing their goals.  So guards must try to sniff out where the ninja and traitor are using cards to have their patrols and sentries listen and search out where they believe the intruders are. 

 

(Left to right) Traitor, Sword Guard, Ninja, Spear Guard, Drunken Guard (only used if Traitor uses his Potent Sake ability to incapacitate a guard without arousing suspicion).  Each Guard player controls one type of guard, sword of spear.

Intruders have cards, as well.  Both sides can perform attacks to wound/kill opponents if in conflict, and guards can search, while intruders can deploy rope, use passages, or perform other acts to avoid detection and neutralize guards.  It is impossible for the intruders to eliminate all the guards, so don't think you can "run and gun" your way through this game as the intruders, you must think of kill cards as a last resort to avoid being killed or found.

Some of the cards, the two left cards are exclusive to the Traitor, while the Secret Passage if for both intruders.  All players have access to the Kenjutsu card to kill guards or wound intruders.

The brilliance of this game is that it is relatively quick to set up, simple to play, and has amazing stealth mechanics for a board game.  It provides a challenge to both sides, as it has the guards and intruders playing cat and mouse with the time playing against the intruders, and the open expanse within the castle grounds, as well as the mobility of the intruders, working against the guards.  The only real issue is that, like other games, you need to get the right people together.  It can be frustrating for players, as well, if the teams aren't properly balanced.  Fun is had when both sides know what's going on, and are equally skilled in the game.  Otherwise, some of the danger is taken away and the experience.  In all, a great game for anybody who enjoys a little strategy and stealth.

The Good:

-Exciting game that challenges both sides, while making them feel diverse yet fair.

-Stealth mechanics make the game extremely fun.

-Involves use of strategy, skill, and a lot of luck, but no silly dice rolling to determine your fate, you make all the calls.

The Bad:

-Teams must remain balanced, if possible.  Otherwise, the experience as a whole suffers when one team is dominating the entire game (this isn't against the game itself, this essentially applies to all games, anyways).

-Honor system is in play.  Since the guards can't see where the intruders are, they rely on the honesty of the other team to tell them when the guards find something, which is easy to abuse at the expense of the other players.

Scully Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Dungeons and Dragons

 Written by Zach Goodier

Dungeons and Dragons is probably one of the iconic examples of hobby/tabletop RPG games, and for good reason.  It's hard to find anyone who doesn't already at least know the name, but "D&D" isn't just a game, it's an experience.  It allows for virtually limitless adventures with your friends raiding, role-playing, and ultimately trying to develop your character into the ultimate expression of just how awesome your imagination can be.  To help along this path, you have the "Dungeon Master," or "DM" for short.  The DM is responsible for crafting the world and story for the players, and just like the characters, every DM is unique.  Some may like to provide puzzles for the players to try to solve, some may like a straight-forward fight against monsters or armies of foes to keep the party active and engaged.  Some may prefer simple adventure, crafting an elaborate world for players to immerse themselves in and enjoy.  This is what makes Dungeons and Dragons a truly wondrous experience that provides for some of the greatest fun I've had with my friends.

This is definitely one of the more elaborate setups I've seen, but most of the time it won't be this visual.

The big obstacle that people will find going into this game is one simple thing: imagination.  If you don't have it, you will find immersing yourself almost impossible.  There are few visual components of D&D; you spend probably an hour or so creating your character, laying the groundwork for your future development.  Then, you have your adventure presented by your DM, usually in the form of a narrative.  Generally, the DM is responsible for providing visual components you may need (ex. maps, layouts of cities/towns you may need, etc.) in order to help guide the party along their journey.  Tokens and miniatures are often used on a grid during events like combat, to help keep track of where everything is along the journey.  However, the generally rule of thumb is that a DM doesn't dictate what players have to do, the players are presented the world, and they chose what to do with it.  While the campaigns can be linear, some of the best are where the party is able to explore the world as they see fit, giving that freedom that many players find enjoyable. 

Some DM's may attempt to use artwork to support their campaign, providing some visual elements to support the narrative.

The mechanics are fairly simple to understand at a glance, but grow more complex as you get into the game.  D&D follows the D20 system, meaning that most of the time you'll be using a 20-sided die in order to attempt actions such as attacking, performing complex actions, or whatever else may be required of you at the DM's discretion.  Players must first create their character, though, and that alone may seem tedious to some, but it is meant to get you started and to give you the materials you need to interact with the world in whatever ways you may want to.  First, you decided what you want to be: Fighter, Mage, Bard, etc.  Characters have basic stats, strength, constitution, dexterity, intelligence, wisdom, and charisma, and these set the foundation for the character.  You roll for these, and assign the numbers as you see fit to help your character.  Fighters generally don't worry about things like intelligence, they leave that to the mages.  Does that mean all fighters are morrons? Of course not, but if you roll poorly for your stats, then you would probably want to sacrifice intelligence before strength as a fighter, since much of what you'll be doing depends on you being the big guy with a hardly constitution to act as the party's "tank."

Get used to seeing these, because you'll be using them quite a bit.

From there, you will be gaining skills and feats/spells.  Skills reflect what you can do, including skills like persuasion, intimidation, knowledge of various subjects, disguise, searching, spot, sense motive, and survival.  This by no means is all of the skills, with a whole page worth of material for you character sheets being devoted to skills.  As players increase in level, they get skill points that they can assign however they wish.  This is where players often converse and decide who should specialize in what.  That way, the team will be more versatile, with certain players being called on to negotiate, others for scouting, and any other number of roles that a party might want to fill.  This is where the experience of D&D can become interesting, with a party having to function as a group in order to excel in the game world.

Campaigns are constructed by the DM and serve as the basis for all the party’s activities in the game world.  Some campaigns are inspired by popular fiction such as Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones, and others may set forth original stories that may take inspiration from other stories or settings.  However, most campaigns won’t confine players to a linear storyline, instead allowing the party to converse and make decisions on how to proceed, whether it be which fork in the road to take, or which side to take in a conflict.

When it comes to people not appreciating a D&D campaign, 9 times out of 10, it can be attributed to the people you are playing with.  D&D is definitely a social experience, and if a party member is not contributing, or is constantly getting the party into trouble, then the whole table suffers.  If a DM is making the game too difficult, or too easy, then the game becomes frustrating or boring.  However, when you have the right people, who are creative and helpful to the party, and the DM is able to scale the difficulty of the campaign to keep things exciting and engaging, then you see campaigns become a thing of legend.  A good campaign will be talked about for months, even years after the game is done. 

I highly recommend any player download a free PDF or buy a copy of the book, be sure it matches the version of the game you are playing.

Dungeons and Dragons is probably one of the most versatile and enjoyable games ever devised.  While there are volumes of material relating to the rules, items, and spells, the entire experience is in your hands.  If you have an idea for something you would like to do, present it to your DM.  However, the job of any DM is to make sure the experience remains balanced and fair, so no god items are generally allowed.  The only limitation on the game is our own imagination, and our ability to work with others for mutual benefit.  In short, be a team player; keep the game balanced, but most of all…. HAVE FUN!!! This game has provided hours upon hours of laughs and excitement for me and my friends, and we plan on having hours more.  So go out, raid some dungeons, kill some dragons, and score some sweet loot with your friends.

Good:

-Virtually limitless stories and quests for the party to enjoy

-Can apply virtually ANYTHING to your campaigns. 

-Volumes of reference materials to help you out if you need it.

-Perfect way to bond with your friends and just have fun.

Bad:

**Note** My "bad" list does not apply to the game itself, but it does outline some of the issues that a prospective player is likely to find at some point.

-Depends on the people you play with.  So make sure you get along with your party and DM before committing to a campaign.

-One should be warned that like all pencil and paper RPG games, D&D generally lacks extensive visual components to support the narrative.

Scully Rating: 10 out of 10