Win Head Trip. The new party game from the makers of Cards Against Humanity.

Win Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig.

The king demands a castle! You are a world-renowned master builder who has been asked by the Mad King Ludwig to help design his castles. Projects of such significance require the expertise of more than one person, so for each assignment you are paired with another master builder to execute your grandiose plans. Will your planning and collaborative skills be enough to design the most impressive castles in the world?

Win Khora: Rise of an Empire. Develop your city-state faster than your opponents in this engaging euro game.

Win Labyrinth Adventures… a New RPG Dungeon Crawler with NO Game Master Needed!

Win Mindbug: Beyond Evolution! The stand-alone expansion to amazing 2-player card game, Mindbug!

Publisher: Pique Games
Player Count: 2-6 Players
Solo mode: No
Game Length: 20-40 Minutes
Complexity 2.25/5

The world’s most renowned and notorious rulers throughout history have gathered seeking to amass the greatest civilization. Choosing from a large cross section of citizens, these regents will attempt to attract residents by almost any means. Exemplifying the struggle for power, the empire to first gather a caste of 6 unique citizen groups will be crowned the supreme ruler. 

Regency is a competitive, engine-building card game that challenges players to manage each hand in an effort to build their empire from a selection of citizens available in the populace while limiting their opponents through defensive and aggressive card actions. With each new citizen added to your regency, players will earn access to the potential for new effects and even more powerful moves. While it can be brutal at times, the process is a right of passage to prove which player has the resolve and wit to become the world’s greatest empire.

On Your Turn

Each player begins the game by choosing one of 18 historical leaders, each with their own artwork and asymmetrical ability. You can choose from the likes of Julius Caesar, Genghis Khan, Attila the Hun, Charlemagne, Richard the Lionheart and everyone in between.

The scene is set with the Populace board sitting in the center of the table. The Populace board serves as a central market. This is where players will attempt to attract citizens to their regency. The Citizen deck is made up of an eclectic variety of individuals such as warriors, judges, peasants, pirates, and priests to name a few. Each individual has a label that defines their ability or worth within a thriving culture. These categories make up the 6 categories each player must attain to achieve victory. They represent areas of society such as nobility, religion or military.

Players begin by drawing 4 Event cards and have the opportunity to play as many or as little as they choose. Each Event card has one society/group label (General, Noble, Religious, Military, Marchant, Commoner or Brigand), an Influence amount and special ability.

The Populace board contains 6 spots for Citizens. 3 spots are available for purchase while the additional 3 show you what will be available soon. Players may spend influence from their Event Cards to select a Citizen. Each player’s personal board (or Regency) may contain multiple Citizens in the same label group, but only by attracting 1 in each of the 6 areas equates to victory.

Alternatively, if the player has an Event card label that matches a Citizen in their regency, the player may opt to take the card’s action instead. These actions can be spicy as they provide the player the opportunity to bend, break and annihilate the standard rules by stealing citizens from opponents, gaining additional Event cards or downright messing with opponents hands.

Each action is divided into 2 categories: Actions and Reactions. Actions are taken on your turn while Reactions can be played anytime to limit, deny or piggyback on another player’s turn.

Players also have the opportunity to activate their leader’s special ability by paying 4 influence. These special abilities can be beneficial under the right circumstances, but likely won’t win or lose a game.

Players continue taking turns, drawing up to their hand limit of 4 cards, playing actions and attracting Citizens until someone fills all 6 of their Citizen groups on their regency.

Artwork

Regency has a very rich presentation. The Event cards are very decadent and ornate and the game’s icons, while clear, are very intricate. The Citizen cards are very diverse. The artwork is good, but not amazing. Where the illustration really stands out is in the historical leaders. The artwork here is really well done and provides a nice visual investment for each player’s character. While the artwork doesn’t necessarily play a mechanically functional role it does a nice job of drawing the player into the character and theme of the game.

Pros & Cons

I LOVE how mean the game is! I wouldn’t call it a “take that” style game, but there are plenty of opportunities to target a player who may be running away with the lead… or just for the heck of it. This might not be for everyone, but I feel the mean-ness brings a lot of excitement and saltiness.

The game is super easy to understand—especially after a couple quick rounds. Despite the game’s relatively heavy theme, this could be a solid family game.

Recency plays fine at 2, but the interaction and fun really ratchets up at 3+.

The Event cards are easy to read and understand and the overall iconography is clear and easy to follow. Nothing felt overly cryptic.

The game is easy to setup and plays fast

Building your engine to activate the Event card actions isn’t wholly unique, but it is a fun system that feels great when it delivers.

The Event cards can initially feel overwhelming with their unique actions, but after a short while you see the same ones reappear. It feels like there are just enough different cards to keep it fun, but also not too many that you can’t be on the lookout for specific actions that will help you out.

You are a bit at the mercy of the draw. A lot of the game’s excitement comes from the player interaction, and if the cards don’t hit right it can end up being just a race to the finish. This didn’t happen very often, but was more the case at 2 players.

The length of the game can vary based on the experience of the players and how much interaction or “meanness” they want to include.

The theme feels heavy (artwork, concept) and might turn some players away despite its fairly light gameplay.

Why would you like this game?

Players looking for an engine-builder that’s a bit off the beaten path and those who aren’t afraid of a mean game with some nasty and unexpected player interaction are going to enjoy this the most.

Best thing about this game?

The best thing about this game is when you’re really getting some momentum and someone decides to steal one of your cards or deny you an action leaving you with a relatively empty turn. This might sound terrible, but it’s only a matter of time until you get to turn it around on them. It’s the nature of the game and it’s really a war of attrition.

Personal Thoughts

The artwork and theme really drew me into Regency initially. The historical leaders look fantastic and I loved the concept of competing for the greatest society. That, and I’ve always been a huge fan of engine builders.

Initially, I felt there was a weird balance in the game—not necessarily the gameplay, but the way it all came together. The gameplay seemed fairly simple: You play cards, influence citizens and build your regency. The rich, detailed illustration and the Event cards painted a slightly different, deeper, darker experience. I was pleased to find that not only were the Event cards easy to understand, the variety of actions were all pretty sweet. As I mentioned previously, there seems to be just the right amount of these action cards… not too many where it was impossible to wrap your mind around a potential strategy or to look for specific actions, but not too few where it lacked interest and options.

I know I’ve said it 2 or 3 times in my review, but I LOVE how mean this game is. The chance to jump out of the woodwork and stop an opponent in their tracks with the right card can really shift the tide of the game in mere seconds. It’s going to take the right players who appreciate this, but those who are willing are going to experience some really fun and memorable moments.

I also appreciate the multi use Event cards because of the choices and challenges they present. This isn’t entirely unique to gaming, but the limited number of cards you can have in your hand really increases the pressure and urgency on each decision. I often found myself holding a card for its action ready to unleash it at the right moment… but the fear of it being stolen and the ever tempting citizen market, proved to be too strong of a pull. It’s a neat balance and fun concept to explore.

The artwork is solid and I do worry the heavy production and theme are going to turn some players away thinking it’s something it’s not. At the end of the day, Regency feels like a really solid indie production that provides a unique enough experience to keep it coming back to the table. The 18 different historical characters to choose from are probably a little overkill, but it also embraces this cool concept of true battle through history to determine the greatest empire. And that being the case, more is definitely more.

The accessibility, cool decisions and quick gameplay are all major pluses for me. Regency is a big surprise with intangibles that elevate it over many other mainstream engine builders. This is a great engine building card game for those brave enough to try it out.

Published by Bible Games Central
2-6 Players  |  15 Minutes

The Good Shepherd is a bit of a take-that style card game where players are attempting to score the most points from their herd of sheep. Players will have to watch out for stampedes and wolves who will attempt to pick off their flock. Carefully utilizing your shepherds can help protect your sheep as you seek to guide them to greener pastures.

HOW DOES IT PLAY?

In this Biblically-based game, players will be dealt 3 cards from the deck and will always have a total of 3 cards at the end of each turn. The gameplay is relatively simple: On your turn, you draw a card then play a card. Cards consist of Shepherd, Sheep and Pasture cards of various values, Sparrows, Wolves, Stampede and Sundown cards.

The goal of the game is to score the most points from your sheep and pasture cards, but there are some stipulations. Players must have a sheep and pasture card at the end of the game or you end up with nothing.

Sparrows allow you to peek at another player’s hand. Wolves allow you to choose a card from another player’s hand while returning one in its place. Stampede cards cause an opponent to discard their entire hand. Wolf and Stampede cards can be held in check by discarding a Shepherd—protector of the flock.

The game ends when a specific number of Sundown cards have been played.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The concept for the game is that God is the good Shepherd, he lays down his life for his sheep—and if one gets lost, he will go searching for them. That theme is somewhat loosely translated since players serve as both the good Shepherd and the wolf, but you rarely reference the theme when playing the game. Ultimately, the victor will likely be aided by their ability to hold their opponents at bay while experiencing a fair amount of luck. The game’s strategy can be a little mean since you are constantly working to strip your opponents of their valuable points.

The box claims 2-6 players, but I’d highly recommend at least 3 join in. Part of the fun is choosing a player to attack with your wolf and stampede cards and a 2-player game eliminates that anticipation. The game plays fairly quick, but often still felt like it ran a little long (especially at 4-player). The tension just wasn’t there when a player was hit with a stampede card and had to completely refresh their entire hand. Often I felt like I was rehashing the same actions turn after turn. I think having a few more Sundown cards in the deck would help solve this and create more urgency to protect your hand and maximize your actions.

The Shepherd cards are nice, but with a hand of only 3 cards, it was tough to ever really get anything going. Anything in your hand not directly giving you points ended up being more of a distraction you were quick to discard. This really limited the gamesmanship since you could never build up a hand that would allow you big points or fire power to take out your opponents.

Overall, the game was easy enough to learn and provided some strategic decisions, but players ultimately end up relying too much on luck for success. It felt like you’re generally at the mercy of the deck and the negative actions never really impacted our games dramatically. While I understand that this game is directed at a younger audience, I still think there are more engaging card games for this demographic. Bible Games Central has better games available.

Find out more info at BibleGamesCentral.com

Enjoy these FREE games from Bible Games Central

Bible Trivia (https://biblegamescentral.com/bible-trivia/)

Thanksgiving Games (https://biblegamescentral.com/thanksgiving-games-and-activities/)

Christmas Games (https://biblegamescentral.com/christmas-games/)

Published by Bible Games Central
2-6 Players  |  15 Minutes

In this Bible-themed game of tiles and symbols, players will compete in 1 of 4 different game modes all revolving around octagon-shaped tiles, each with 8 unique images representing a Biblical theme.

Bible Match It Link It contains 4 mini games, each revolving around the concept of matching and linking individual illustrations. Geared toward a younger gaming audience (6+), each mini game varies slightly in skill and mechanics.

4 GAMES 2 MATCH & LINK

The first game, Lightning Links, players begin with a single, octagon tile in front of them. Players take turns flipping over tiles. The first player to identify one of the new tiles 8 images that successfully matches one on their current tile set, earns the tile and the point. It plays a bit like Dominos with a real-time element that forces players to race to identify that matching symbol that works for them. As players add more tiles to their personal tile area, the image link-ups change and more options become available, growing the challenge.

In Frenzy, players frantically work to connect 3 dealt tiles in some way to a single tile placed in the middle of the play area. In subsequent rounds, in addition to drawing 3 new titles, winning players will begin with an extra tile per previous victory.

The Big Picture introduces a cooperative element to the gameplay. Players will work to successfully link all 57 tiles together to form the perfect puzzle. This game option requires careful planning to meet the ultimate goal. Revealed tiles unable to link up are discarded, but can be retried later in the game.

The 4th game, Four in a Row, has players competing over a grid of randomly drawn tiles. As new tiles are revealed, players will quickly survey the grid looking for a matching symbol. The first player to call out a symbol places a colored meeple on the tile earning ownership. The first player to match 4 tiles in a row is the winner.

SEEK & FIND

The majority of the game play options revolve around a seek & find process where players are racing to quickly identify matching symbols. Each tile has 8 individual illustrations that may or may not match any of the icons you’re seeking. Playing a game within the “Domino” style setup, players will not only have to find a matching image, but be able to legally play it into their space. It’s all real-time and can get pretty wild.

While the images on the tiles have a Biblical connection, the game action doesn’t necessarily promote a Biblical message. There are Bible story cards that accompany the game that expand on each symbol, providing Biblical context and a brief summary relating to scripture.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The majority of Bible Match It Link Its game modes play at a wild pace. It’s all in real-time and forces you to constantly think on your toes.

Considering the younger audience the game focuses on, I can see kids and families enjoying this “Spot It” style game. The cooperative game is fine, but the game’s real identity comes through in the race to identify and match tiles.

The Bible story cards feel like a bit of an afterthought, but I do appreciate the short, Bible-focused devotional each card provides. It’s a nice addition for after the game since kids will remember certain symbols during the game and can use that visual to connect with Biblical messages.

Success in these types of games really depends on the players involved. Are you (or your kids) a quick thinker who loves the idea of racing for tiles? Then you’re probably going to enjoy the game. Kids who prefer analysis and strategy aren’t going to love it as much. All-in-all, it’s very accessible: Easy to set up, easy to learn and quick to play making it easy to play multiple games at one sitting.

Find out more info at BibleGamesCentral.com

Enjoy these FREE games from Bible Games Central

Bible Trivia (https://biblegamescentral.com/bible-trivia/)

Thanksgiving Games (https://biblegamescentral.com/thanksgiving-games-and-activities/)

Christmas Games (https://biblegamescentral.com/christmas-games/)

Win this Amazing set of dice inspired by the game Moonshell!

Win a copy of Trekking the World from Underdog Games… travel the world and see the sights in this family-friendly adventure game!