Publisher: Write Stuff Games
Player Count: 1-4 Players
Game Length: 30-40 Minutes
Complexity 2.25/5

Saddle up your band of ruffians and explore the Wild West in one of my favorite flip and write games ever!

In Fliptown, players resolve their problems (and life choices) with a simple deck of cards. It’s the value and suit of the card drawn that’s going to open a gateway into a sandbox-style world where you’ll choose to seek your fortune mining gold, rustling up trouble in the badlands, seeking adventure on the trail or exploring all that the frontier towns have to offer. The sheriff’s hot on your trail, so be quick to earn your fortune while avoiding the law.

Breathing new life into the flip and write genre, Fliptown pushes boundaries with interesting turns and rich rewards. Designer, Steven Aramini had previously found success with micro games such as Sprawlopolis and Circle the Wagons – games full of tough choices and tight turns. It’s exciting to see him branch out with a Fliptown, a grand celebration of the art and spirit of Western America… all tied beautifully together in a box that will fit on any size shelf.

ON YOUR TURN

Everything Fliptown has to offer literally stems from a simple deck of cards (albeit, a thematic and beautifully illustrated one). On your turn, you’ll draw 3 cards, using the results to make your choices. The suit will determine the area of your player board you tackle while the numerical value determines the strength or area you pursue. The third card is placed toward your ongoing poker hand that resolves after a single round of 5 turns.

Each player has a reusable dry erase board presenting all the actions you have available. At first glance, it can be a bit overwhelming since it appears there is a lot going on. But I promise you, it all comes together logically and quickly without hardly any struggle.

Representing each of the 4 card suits, players can visit 1 of 4 areas per turn. Each of these areas are thematically highlighted by different mini-games to conquer. The value of the 2nd card chosen will determine what you can accomplish in the area. For example, mining gold presents a tech-tree puzzle where you’ll use your card value to mine further down earning bonuses along the way.

Yes, Fliptown is all about the combos and bonuses along the way. There are definitely ways to extend your turn, and give you that big gun feeling while earning you additional actions and resources.

One of the highlights of Fliptown is in its ability to tell a story throughout the game without diving into an unnecessary narrative. Seeking to rob a stagecoach in the badlands can lead to big rewards or huge legal trouble with the law. The actions come to life, and while the decision is resolved in a matter of moments, your choices begin to shape your adventure in unique and exciting ways.

Traveling to the town provides the opportunity to invest in a ridiculous number of Wild West activities. Visit the undertaker, the church, saloon, general store, land office, gunsmith, bail bonds and plenty more. Each sub location provides fun ways to modify your abilities, benefits and pursuits.

In the end, the player with the most points (or Wild West fame) is the winner. You can play it safe, seeking to avoid the law and go on your merry way… or you can push your luck with hopes of greater victory. Higher reward always comes with a cost and in Fliptown, it’s the sheriff you’ll want to avoid. Each round, players face increasing heat from the law. As you take actions, you’ll accumulate wanted icons that put you in conflict with the local sheriff. Of course there are ways to mitigate these dangers and in the Wild West, even sherifs aren’t above a bribe or two.

Players choose 1 of the game’s 14 personas giving you unique, asymmetrical actions to help you along your trail. Community goals give players additional pursuits to garner game changing points.

Riding Solo

Fliptown also features a simple yet engaging solo mode that creates new challenges as you face off against 4 different bots. Fliptown is a bit of a multi-player solitaire experience, so it isn’t much of a reach to transition to a solo game. I’d even recommend Fliptown just for the solo gamer.

ARTWORK & COMPONENTS

Fliptown is beautifully illustrated with decorative, turn-of-the-century stylings, a rusty, orange hue and mesas adorned with cactus set amongst endless vistas. I love the vibe of the artwork and it immediately draws me in each time I pull this one off the shelf.

This is a big game in a small box with somewhat minimal components. The deck of cards, goals, player personas and dry erase markers round out the package.

If I’m going to be critical, the type on the player board can be a challenge. The design team did a great job working within the boundaries of the board size and box, but it would have been nicer if some of the type wasn’t so small. It obviously hasn’t ruined my enjoyment of the game, but it is worth noting.

The rulebook does an amazing job navigating you comfortably through the game’s actions, areas and rule variants.

PROS & CONS

Exciting choices

Simple, yet deep actions

Activate areas full of personality

Beautifully thematic production

Easy setup and teardown

Tons of replay ability

Great solo and multiplayer

Quick play time

Some of the text is challenging to read on the boards

That’s really it – this is one of my favorites of the year!

WHY WOULD YOU LIKE THIS GAME?

Fans of games like Hadrian’s Wall and Fleet: The Dice Game are going to find the most to enjoy here. This is a think-y, sandbox-style flip and write that rewards players looking to venture down multiple paths. While it certainly isn’t heavy, it will take a moment to familiarize yourself with the game’s choices, icons and functions. That’s all a necessary and worthwhile pursuit to grant passage into the richness, depth and enjoyment the game offers.

WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT THIS GAME?

I’ve talked about the execution of the theme, the cool turn choices and the ingenious use of a playing deck… so I’ll give props to the combos. So many games fail to provide the right amount of combos. Too many and the game feels cheap… too few and there isn’t enough excitement. Fliptown brings a great level of bonus actions where you feel satisfied, but not overwhelmed. There’s really a nice balance to it.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Are you looking for a meaty, flip and write style game? Check out Fliptown. Maybe you’re looking for an engaging western-themed game? Fliptown works for that. Or perhaps you’re looking for a fun experience with satisfying choices? Yep… Fliptown.

Despite the complex player interface, this is a highly accessible game that’s quick to learn, easy to set up, plays smooth and fast and works for any of the 1-4 player counts.

The beautiful production immediately draws you in and from there it’s guns blazing. I love the huge variety of choices that provide a near infinite number of paths to pursue. Turns feel powerful without cheapening the game and Fliptown gives you the sensation of accomplishment despite the player’s skill level (or lack of).

Of course your enjoyment of the theme can certainly affect your overall experience. I love the romanticized vision we have of a nearly civilized western society coming to terms with an untamed world around them. Fliptown does a fine job of embracing this vision, but being “in to” western themed games isn’t necessary to enjoy this one.

Fliptown doesn’t quite dethrone Hadrian’s Wall as the flip and write boss for me, but it’s in the neighborhood. ‘X’ and write games have always leaned on the lighter side and quality, heavier games in this space are few and far between. Fans of games like Hadrian’s Wall are going to want to get in on this.

After nearly a dozen plays, Flip is easily on the shortlist for game of the year (2024) for me. After wading through dozens of lackluster games, it’s experiences like Fliptown that remind me why I love board games. I can’t recommend this one highly enough.

Publisher: iello
Player Count: 2-5 Players
Solo mode: No
Game Length: 20 Minutes
Complexity 1.75/5

As bus drivers, your job is to transport everyone to their destination safe and sound. Navigating two of the largest cities in the world can be both fascinating and challenging. In Get on Board, a fast-paced, family-style, flip-and-write game, players will need to efficiently plan their routes to pick up the right passengers, avoid traffic congestion and deliver everyone to the proper destination in order to score the most points.

ON YOUR TURN

Players will determine whether they’re traveling around New York or London depending on the player count. A 2 or 3 player game uses the New York side of the game board while a 4 or 5 player game visits London.

Each map is made up of a grid of city blocks with opportunities at each corner. You’ll encounter a number of different passengers heading to work, school or just out to sight see. As you pass by these passengers you’ll add them to your bus. Some have very specific destinations while others prefer you to guide them on their way.

The game takes place over 12 rounds. Each round is represented by a ticket number that activates a distance and direction your bus can travel that turn. On occasion you might get to choose between 2 options, but each player sheet has unique choices providing each player with different options that turn.

Throughout your duties you’ll run into senior citizens, students, tourists and businessmen. Each group serves as its own mini-game within the game. Adding seniors earns points for each individual, but that value increases as you add additional riders. Students need to get to class and delivering multiple students to multiple schools earns multiplied points. Tourists are happy visiting tourist locations or famous buildings. With each stop you earn points based on the number of tourists delivered at that stop. Businessmen pay off similarly but provide you with bonus new passengers based on the number of businessmen dropped off.

Of course it will be up to you to avoid traffic, designated by high traffic areas on the board as well as traveling through areas your opponents have already been. Traveling through too many high traffic areas will force you to lose points, but ending your turn on a green stop light allows your bus to move 1 additional space.

Each player can choose to alter their prescribed path by choosing to take a scoring penalty. These “turn zone” actions are limited and the penalty increases more each time.

At the beginning of the game, each player receives a secret route objective and 2 random community objectives are available on the board.

After 12 rounds, players add up their scores and the highest score is the winner.

ARTWORK & COMPONENTS

Get on Board features colorful, vintage, mid-century style artwork. It’s light and fun and gives the game a cheerful vibe. The game board feels energetic and clean enhancing the overall gameplay. Bus Ticket cards representing the turn rounds are punched like they would have been back in the 1950s and 60s.

The player sheet pad is double sided and each sheet features a uniquely oriented set of actions – which is a pretty cool feature. Players track their bus route with small, wooden sticks that are a little hard to manage, but they could be worse. The player board feels good and the rulebook is well done.

All-in-all Get on Board is a quality board game production.

PROS & CONS

Inviting, light theme

Easy to pick up

Turns move quickly

Choices aren’t heavy and building your passenger roster is fun

While iconography is generally good, there are a few that are a little hard to make out

Map is limited to player count – meaning I can’t play London with 2 players.

Combos are limited compared to similar flip and write games

WHY WOULD YOU LIKE THIS GAME?

Players in the market for a light, puzzle-y, flip and write are going to appreciate this friendly, fast-paced game. It’s great for 2 players or a family of 4 or 5.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Get on Board checks a lot of boxes that make these light, quick, inviting games popular.

It starts with the friendly, inviting theme and artwork. The 60’s era illustrations take me back to a time of Saturday morning cartoons and sugary cereals. It’s comfort food and it works to set the tone of a game that just wants to have fun.

The game’s accessibility is another key contributing factor. In a matter of seconds you can have the game setup and ready to play. The gameplay moves by quickly and it’s something you can easily play 2 or 3 games in a row.

The mechanics allowing you to move your bus around the city are very straightforward. Picking up passengers and scoring your player board is going to take a little familiarization with the icons and outcomes, but again, nothing too heavy. Typically flip-and-writes are thick with combos and that is something Get on Board is lacking. There are a few combos you can build, but they don’t seem incredibly satisfying. Primarily it’s about building sets and cashing them in at the right moments. The choices still have a nice flow, but feels a little more restrained. This definitely plays more on the gateway side.

I did enjoy the game’s planning. If your bus goes back down a city block it’s already traveled, that bus is deemed “inefficient” and is removed from the game. It’s not too difficult to avoid this, but there are a number of positive and negative things to consider such as picking up a particular type of passenger or avoiding heavy traffic areas. Adjusting your route can be fixed by taking a turn zone action, allowing you to change course, but losing a point in the process. As for traffic, you may want to just brave it and push on through… of course with the risk of losing additional points. While there isn’t a lot of interaction, players can “block” opponents forcing them to take these traffic penalties. This isn’t too painful and it’s a fun addition that gives you something else to think about.

One unfortunate point is you can only play on the side of the board that matches your player count. If you want to visit London but only have 2 players you’re out of luck. It’s not a big deal, but it would have been nice to choose between the 2 maps.

Overall, Get on Board is a nice, airy flip-and-write that gets a lot of things right. The fun presentation and quick game time are going to guarantee this gets plenty of table time. While it doesn’t quite reach the heights of other “…and writes” it’s still a good game with a fun puzzle. This feels perfect for gateway gamers who might want to “challenge” family members or friends with something a little different. As for the more serious gaming crowd, this is a fun filler that doesn’t take itself too seriously, but still manages to be engaging. Get on Board is an innocent game that’s perfect for those nights when you want something quick with interesting choices, but don’t want to think too deeply.

Publisher: Thunderworks Games
Player Count: 1-100 Players
Solo mode: Yes
Game Length: 30-45 Minutes
Complexity 2/5

Travel to distant lands, traverse the mighty tundra and haggle with merchants in this new set of expansion maps for Cartographers or Cartographers Heroes. Each map introduces new challenges, new scoring opportunities and new ambushes for fans looking to extend their cartographer adventures.

Cartographers is generally recognized as one of the top flip and writes on the market and likely the best fantasy-themed flip and write available. I had heard solid rumblings online and purchased Cartographers on a whim at my local gaming shop. I was super pleased to see it live up to the hype. I instantly fell in love with the decision making and accessibility. This is something the entire family can get into. It looks great, provides just enough variety and drawing the terrain on your map is just plain fun.

These new map expansions aren’t re-inventing the wheel and I’m already a big fan of the game… so it’s no secret that I approve. But, let’s dive in deeper and see what each new map offers, if it’s enough to get you excited and help you determine if you need these as part of your Cartographers ensemble.

MAP PACK 4—FROZEN EXPANSE: REALM OF FROST GIANTS

In these double-sided maps, players are traveling to the frozen expansion—home to the Frost Giants—to pick up the pieces where a past cartographer left off.

These new maps feature faded terrain spaces that must be filled in with that specific terrain type. There are also frozen lakes that when surrounded, claim coins.

The biggest addition are 2 new ambush cards: The Dire Wolf Prowl and Frost Giant Advance. The Dire Wolf actually destroys an empty scouted space removing it from scoring and you know how limited space is as it is. A carefully placed wolf and dead space can truly multiple the damage caused to an opponent. The Frost Giant, on the other hand, must be surrounded or destroyed to avoid seasonal losses.

This map is all about forcing you to work within your limitations. The faded terrain spaces can be both a problem or a benefit… but they’ll take careful planning. The frozen lakes can provide a nice bump in coin, but it’s the ambush cards that produce the most unexpected twists. That’s not to say this isn’t always the case in Cartographers, but destroying empty space from the Dire Wolf can be a real pain.

Final Thoughts: This expansion is fun, but doesn’t provide much new content. The puzzle changes with the faded terrain and the new ambush cards create different problems to solve, but probably my least favorite favorite of the 3 new map expansions. This is going to be best for die-hard Cartographer fans.

MAP PACK 5—KETHRA’S STEPPE: REDTOOTH & GOLDBELLY

Another double-sided map pack, this adventure has you lighting beacons on the Redtooth and Goldbelly mountain ranges.

The beacon areas play out like their own mini-game within the game. Beacon scoring cards are added to the standard set of scoring cards and change up how the lighted area around a beacon is scored. In addition to surrounding and lighting a beacon, players will score points in different ways based on the card’s conditions.

While a fairly simple addition, I really enjoyed the beacon challenge and additional scoring options. All 3 beacon cards essentially have you do the same thing, but they score differently putting different emphasis on how you approach the beacon scoring versus the standard scoring. For me this added a fun new dimension.

Final Thoughts: While still probably not critical for every Cartographer player, seasoned players are going to enjoy this new take on the game and the strategic challenges it presents.

MAP PACK 6—HORNHELM: WASTELAND MARKET

Thunderworks was definitely saving the best new map for last.

In Hornhelm, players have access to a market where they can purchase items. These items allow players to earn journal bonuses based on taking certain actions on your map. Journal points are added to a Journal Track where big points can be earned from reaching certain tiers. A new merchant card is active each season limiting the items available forcing you to often take different scoring paths.

Final Thoughts: This map provides a dramatically different strategic approach. I really enjoyed the new choices and think it provides the longest legs of the 3 new maps.

OVERALL THOUGHTS

I really enjoyed these new expansions. Expansions are typically never a necessity, but dedicated Cartographer players are going to enjoy the new wrinkles.. I still really like the unique game play options and the variety they bring, but I think at the end of the day, they don’t quite change up the base game enough for me to label these a “must buy”.

That being said, as a fan of Cartographers, I’m thrilled to have these and really enjoy how they do mix up the game. I think hardcore fans are probably going to buy these new maps no matter what and they’re probably going to really enjoy everything they have to offer.

For me, I don’t see anything supplanting Cartographers in this space, and will definitely be cycling these maps through my regular games of Cartographers going forward!