Posted on Sep 2, 2021 in Boardgames, Front Page Features
“300 Earth & Water” Board Game Review. Publisher: Nuts Publishing and Bonsai Games Distributed by Ares Games Designer: Yasushi Nakaguro and Antonio Stappaerts Price $29.99 Passed Inspection: Very easy to learn; beautiful box and artwork; small footprint; perfect game to take on a trip; great fun Failed Basic: typo...
Posted on Aug 22, 2021 in Boardgames, Front Page Features
“This is a story of the Battle of the Atlantic, the story of the ocean, two ships, and a handful of men. The men are the heroes; the heroines the ships. The only villain is the sea, the cruel sea that man has made more cruel….” The opening lines...
Posted on Aug 20, 2021 in Boardgames, Front Page Features
“Zero Leader” Board Game Review. Publisher: DVG Games Designer: Chuck Seegert Price $99.99 Passed Inspection: perfectly captures the atmosphere and challenges of being a pilot for the Empire of Japan during WW2; fun to play; easy to learn; great AI; beautiful components and artwork; a nearly perfect game; years...
Posted on Aug 7, 2021 in Books and Movies, Front Page Features
The Second Anglo-Sikh War. Author: Amarpal Singh. Publisher: Amberley Publishing. Price $ 25.00 In the later half of the 1840’s the Sikh state founded by Ranjit Singh found itself in competition with the expanding British Empire’s East India Company. A short conflict in 1845-46 had led to concessions by...
Posted on Jul 27, 2021 in Boardgames, Front Page Features
Into The Lion’s Mouth: The Second Anglo-Sikh War 1848-1849. Publisher: White Dog Games. Designer: Steve Pole. $30-$55 (Varies outside the Unites...
Posted on Jul 24, 2021 in Books and Movies, Front Page Features
Opening the Great Ocean Depths: The Bathyscape Trieste. 2021. Authors: Norman Polmar and Lee J. Mathers. Naval Institute Press. 304 pages. Price: $44.95 ISBN: 978-1-6824-7591-1 The United States Navy submarine branch has long carried the nickname as the “Silent Service”. During the Cold War that phrase referred to both how...
Posted on Jul 12, 2021 in Books and Movies, Front Page Features
The Flutist of Arnhem: A Story of Operation Market Garden. Author: Antonio Gil. Publisher: Dead Reckoning. 152 pages. Price $ 24.95 ISBN: 9781682474631 I first encountered the defense of Arnhem bridge in Cornelius Ryan’s book “A Bridge Too Far”. Later came the movie with a cast of thousands and a...
Posted on Jul 9, 2021 in Electronic Games, Front Page Features
KARDS – Computer Game Preview. Publisher: 1939 Games Lead Game Designer: Gudmundur Kristjansson Price: The base game is free but expansion packs can be purchased starting at $2.99. Way back in 2018, Armchair General did a preview of the World War 2 themed virtual collectable card game KARDS. ...
Posted on Jul 1, 2021 in Boardgames, Front Page Features
Smokejumpers. Publisher: Microgame Design Group. Designer: Kerry Anderson. Price $ 30.00 Passed inspection: Solid components and well laid out rules. Failed basic: It’s a harsh, but realistic model for controlling wildfires. If the fire gets away from you because the weather shifted unexpectedly – you may lose the game...
Posted on Jun 29, 2021 in Boardgames, Front Page Features
Age of Dogfights World War II Board Game Preview. Publisher: Forsage Games Designers: Predrag Lazovic and Dragan Lazovic Age of Dogfights World War II is a sequel to Age of Dogfights World War I. Age of Dogfights World War II is currently active on Kickstarter and Armchair General has...
Posted on Jun 26, 2021 in Books and Movies, Front Page Features
The birth of AI is coming, and it’s going to be messy.
You’re thinking about Skynet, aren’t you? Or maybe the visage of giant, self-aware autonomous armored vehicles rolling across the battlefield dealing death and destruction as they execute their instructions. Well, relax, because it’s not going to be a self-aware AI like Skynet or lumbering super tanks…well, probably not like...
Posted on Jun 22, 2021 in Boardgames, Front Page Features
Terrible Swift Swordfish. Publisher: LPS, Inc. Designer: Roberto Chiavini. Price $19.95 Passed inspection: Generates an engaging narrative of the attack on Taranto. Simple rules that lead player through gameplay. Color map of the Taranto harbor area. Color counters represent each plane in the attack. Failed basic: The rules are...