Risk: Black Ops Board Game Giveaway on GWJ

Yesterday the guys over at Gamers with Jobs kicked a Risk Black Ops giveaway contest . It's a piece of cake to enter - all you need is a camera, a board game, and a dream (see details below). The game isn't even out yet so this is a pretty sweet opportunity - get off your lazzy duff and enter!

As you may recall GamersWithJobs is the group who gotten their lucky hands on a Risk Black Ops preview release, and then posted a preview of the game back in January. They liked it, a lot, and from what we've heard Risk Black Ops is going to be a fantastic update to the classic but aging wargame system.

Some of the contest details are part of the latest GamersWithJobs episode (#79) notes:

"We called and you answered! We got so many emails this week we're dedicating the whole show to them. Not only do we have new GWJ contributer Michael Zenke joining us, he was kind enough to offer a limited edition of Risk: Black Ops (the upcoming Hasbro board game) for a glorious new contest! All you have to do is send in a funny picture that involves a board game of some kind to contest@gamerswithjobs.com! What could be easier!?"

The official rules can be heard in the podcast itself at 1H 46M. Some notes: The photographs should be related to board games in some way, and the use of photoshop is legal. Have fun folks and go get 'em!

Eye of Judgement Sale at Amazon

Most of you should be familiar with the The Eye of Judgement [Amazon] when we wrote about the game a few weeks ago, but here's a quick referesher incase you forgot. The Eye of Judgement is a PS3 Trading Card Game that uses "Augmentented Reality" technology, which is wizz-bang marketing rhetoric for a visual code on your cards that unlocks in-game cards with the use of the game's camera. The end result: a physical collection of cards mixed with visual battle royale of animated creatures and spells duking it out on your giant TV.

Well good news this daylight savings morning: the game has come down in price, by a lot: Amazon discounted the Eye of Judgement to just $47.00 American. That includes a base set of cards, the camera that is 'The Eye' and a booster pack, marked down 33%! Quite the sweet little deal for those who've been drooling over this somewhat price game since October.

Here's the official details:

"Developed by Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios, JAPAN Studio, The Eye of Judgement presents a new style of gameplay where collectable trading cards, embedded with a CyberCode, are brought to life in the 3D game through use of an innovative "9 Fields" battle mat and Playstation Eye. Players compete by selecting a card and placing the coded card in front of the Playstation Eye for their respective creatures to come to life and battle on screen. Players take turns placing cards as they jostle for control; the winner is the first player to conquer five of the nine squares of the "9 Field. Players have four ways to play The Eye of Judgement: single player against their PS3, against an opponent in two-player mode, against an opponent online, or letting the PS3 play out a round with the cards the player owns. The Eye of Judgement comes with a starter deck of 30 character and spell cards manufactured by Hasbro. Pre-constructed decks and booster packs, sold separately in stores, can be purchased to strategically build the perfect deck using the 110 cards unique cards available. The Eye of Judgement is a socially engaging title that will appeal to gamers of all ages and abilities More than 100 different characters and spells will be offered via additional booster packs and pre-constructed decks, available at major retail chains. ESRB Rated T for Teen"

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Settlers of Catan 4th Edition - Save $15

We know that you know about Settlers, but you can get the 4th edition for less than $33 bucks right now at Amazon. That will save you over $15 bucks in board game money for the month.

One of the most successful games of all time, Settlers of Catan is a trading and building game set in the mythical world of Catan. Players roll dice to determine which resources are generated each round and then must strategically trade those resources with other players to get what they need to build their settlements, cities, and roads. With multiple ways to gain victory points and a board that changes in every play, Settlers of Catan is a game that can be played hundreds of different ways. The base of a hugely successful franchise, with multiple engaging expansions, Settlers is the core game of many collections, and is a wonderful way to spend time with family and friends.

At The Settlers of Catan - New 4th Edition

WoW TCG 25% Off Sale at Upper Deck on Heroes Through the Dark Portal

Upper Deck is cleaning stock just in time for the Holidays. For today only all at the Upper Deck Entertainment store Heroes of Azeroth Starer Decks, and Booster Boxes are 25% off. Both the inaugural raid deck Onyxia's Lair, and the second in line the Molten Core Raid Deck are also discounted, as well as all sorts of Through the Dark Portal expansion sets including Starter Decks, Booster Boxes, and even the slick Through the Dark Portal Playmat. All products can be found on sale here.

This is all due to the 12 Days of Christmas Sale across the Upper Decks store, which has snaked through and discounted all of Upper Deck products for the last 11 days. Today is day 12, and with the final day of Christmas Upper Deck focuses on the Wolrd of Warcraft Trading Card Game sale which ends today!

Board Game Sale - 50% Off Hot Games at Amazon

For some people "hot" seems to be a bit different than what we thing is cutting edge in the world of board games, but there are still some nice finds in the 50% Off Games Sale at Amazon .

The list of titles in the sale rotate so on any given day you'll never know what you're going to get. Today you'll find some new classics in the family game and party genre such as: Settlers of Catan, Apples to Apples, and Scene It? Considering these are some of the hotter titles in mainstream gaming these days then we think they'll stick around

And for those who like to lean on the classics then you'll find some good Holiday discounts on the tried and true Monopoly, Pictionary, and Twister!

If you're thinking of picking up Monopoly then we highly recommend snagging The Settlers of Catan instead. It has the same themes but plays faster, is more balanced, keeps everyone involved \and rarely drags an epic game of Monopoly does. A nice step forward for the market and construction line of games.

Cyber Monday and Holiday Board Game Sale: BoardGameUSA.com Free Shipping

The online game site BoardGameUSA is offering free shipping on all orders over $99.00. They're also offering extended discounts off nearly 50% off a rotating Game of The Day.

We have to be honest, BoardGameUSA has quite the selection going on. They have your American classics like Monopoly, Sorry!, Life!, etc, which you could find just about anywhere. But they also have an extensive collection of Eurogames. There are 4 pages of games from Mayfair, including titles like Settlers of Catan, Domaine, Bang!, and Tigris & Euphrates. If you're more a Rio Grande Gamer then their Rio Grande collection includes 10% off on: Carcassonne, San Juan, Shadow of the Emperor, and Puerto Rico.

You just can't go wrong.

Cyber Monday and Holiday Board Game Discounts: Buy.com

The online mega store Buy.com is running a sale on select board games and toys, with some titles up to 60% off.

The sale includes nearly 150 items, including new games and old American classics like Monopoly, Scene It?, Sorry, Life, and titles from the Cranium Series. No Eurogames for dinner parties and the elder generations (except for Scene It?), but some great discounts for those classic family games we all grew up with.

No coupon codes required. Have at it!

Cyber Monday and Holiday Puzzle Game Discounts: Bits and Pieces

The puzzle and game store Bits and Pieces has a 25% coupon deal running through Cyber Monday (November 26th, 2007), and other holiday deals on shipping and games through the rest of the year. They have quite the extensive selection of jigsaw puzzles, including wooden, 3D and glow in the dark puzzles (you heard us!), but also other sorts of gamin accessories. Their Outlet section has up to 75% off gaming items straight out of Spencer Gifts.

Here are the online coupon codes for the 2007 Holidays:

1. 25% off any order - W201250 Expires 11/26/07
2. 15% Off Any Order - W702060 Expires 11/30/07
3. Free Jigsaw Puzzle with any Order - 14-W9914
4. Free shipping on any $50.00+ order - W702070 Expires 12/31/07

The online store also also hosts their very own Bits and Pieces 2007 Holiday Gift Guide which has gift suggestions for Him, Her, Kids and favorites. It even breaks down each of those gift categories by price, too Sure makes life simple!

Critical Gamers 2007 Holiday Gift Guide - Strategy Board Games

It's true - the Holidays are coming - and in our ongoing series of 2007 Holiday Shoppers Guides we hope to arm you with the knowledge you'll need to buy that killer game for your friends or loved ones.

In part two of our Holiday Shopper Guides we look into gifts for the Strategy Gamer. These are the folks who grew up playing Chess, Stratego, and the classic Diplomacy, and are now ready for evolved games with better themes and potentially deeper gameplay.

Most of these games are for the more serious gamer who in their mid-teens and up. If you're looking for a title to fit the younger generation or pickup a mainstream game then you should checkout our 2007 Family Games Holiday Gift Guide, which lists some greats games that are more relaxed and interest a wide range of player types. For those of you looking for strategy war games:we ask you to wait until next week when we run down our list of the best war gaming gifts for this year.

But those who want some great standup strategy games then look no further. We've got quite a list here, including many award winners which should satisfy any strategy gamer when they tear off the wrapping paper come late December.

Continue reading: "Critical Gamers 2007 Holiday Gift Guide - Strategy Board Games"

Hasbro's Holiday 2007 Board Game Sale at Amazon

Amazon.com is running an exclusive Holiday 2008 Sale on all of the Hasbro line of bookcase styled board game titles. Their list includes all the old school classics from Monopoly, to Scrabble, to Yahtzee, and everything in between.

Those of you looking to replace your family heirloom of busted cardboard boxed games will find these sturdy replacements in these wooden box varieties. And though we don’t have a bookcase full of classic literature to slide these games into, the leather-bound styling still seems somewhat classier than the blinding glitz of the overproduce box covers shipping with the standard titles today.

It’s crazy that we’re in the holidays already, but we suppose it’s true – Christmas is just inside of two months away. And considering how compact these titles store away on a bookshelf, how cheap they are, and they should keep for quite a while, these titles should make great gifts for budding families whose parents wouldn’t mind revisiting the gaming lessons gleaned from the tried and true board game classics of their youth.

The exclusive sale includes the following Hasbro titles:

• Monopoly Library Game Set
• Clue Library Game Set
• Risk Library Game Set
• Scrabble Library Game Set
• Sorry! Library Game Set
• Stratego Library Game Set
• Yahtzee Library Game Set

Icon USA Price Meltdown

IconUSA.com has a pretty hefty discount going on today. Some items that were already on sale are now discounted by 10% more. We’re too lazy to do the math to figure out if that 10% of the sale price, or the original price. Either way, there are some overstocked items for dirt cheap here, including LoTR TCG cards, Star Wars Attactix figures, as well as other collectibles as Icon USA clears through Inventory.

But the prize of this list is the Settlers of Catan 3-D 10th Anniversary Treasure Chest, which kicks the Settlers Experience up to 11 with a 3rd board and nice wooden carrying case. The chest is usually 400 bucks, which is crazy, but with this discount it’s a bit more manageable. As of today it’s about 250. Christmas shopping could never begin too early.

WizKids Star Wars Pocketmodel TCG Game

IGN has written-up a nice little preview of the upcoming Star Wars PocketModel TCG which is coming our way this Summer. As huge fans of the *cough* original Star Wars franchise the idea of pushing little model ships around the table and shouting blaster noises seems like a pretty good time in a box. Time to rewrite Porkin's fate.

Actually, these things don’t come in a box. Each TCG package includes “four to eight styrene constructible vehicle models, six game cards, two micro dice, assembly instructions and complete rules.” That seems like a lot to fit into our back pocket, so we’re not quite sure how the quality of these materials will feel during play. But I think we’re at least willing to give it a shot to see how the game plays out.

Aside from the IGN preview - which includes some pretty good pics - you can check out the game’s official press release from Wizkids Games. The Star Wars PocketModel TCG is slated to ship in June.

Edit: It looks as though Game Trade Magazine is hosting a Star Wars Pocketmodel TCG Giveaway which you can enter here. The contest is a bit exclusive; those of you who live outside the two northern Americas will have have to spend hard-earned cash to get your mits on the game. Bummer. But given the odds of contests, most of us are in that same boat with ya.

Now at Amazon: "Rumis"

Rumis [Funagain, Amazon] isn't a new arrival to the party but the block laying game inspired by Incan building techniques - and similar to a multiplayer version of Tetris - is now available and shipping from Amazon.com.

What did the Incans always say, "Late is better than never?" Or was that Uncle Walter..?

Rumis is a very family friendly title (ages 8 and up) but the game remains a good puzzler for a group of players of any age. Players chose from one of four boards: pyramid, stairs, wall or tower, and take turns placing blocks of various shapes to build-out that structure. Once the construction is complete, or once a point is reached where players can't add any more shapes to the structure, then the game is scored. The winner is the one who has the most visible blocks of their color when looking straight down on the structure.

Cool stuff. But don't take our word for it - here's the official mumbo jumbo from the marketers:

"There'll be no stone left unturned in this challenging strategy game. Inspired by Incan architecture, Rumis (meaning "stones") sharpens spatial awareness and critical thinking skills as players strategize to outwit their opponents while reconstructing historical Incan structures (pyramid, tower, stairs, and wall).

Each player receives eleven Rumis stones of one color. Players begin, one stone at a time, strategically placing their stones to prevent opponents from having the most visible colored stones. The player with the most stones visible from above wins!

Rumis comes with four beautifully designed game boards, a unique custom turntable, 44 wooden Rumis "stones", and instructions for variations on the game, including a habit-forming version of solitaire."

There aren't any reviews of Rumis at Amazon at this time but the game has received 3rd-party critical acclaim that lends it some credibility: Rumis took Mensa's Best Mind Game 2004, and the title was nominated by Games Magazine for Abstract Strategy Game of the Year 2005. Also Ted Alspache has written a great review in the Board Game Geek forums, and the game page at Funagain Games has three reviews in which users have given their highest praise to Rumis: each reviewer gave the game five stars out of five.

If those aren't good research links then we'll eat our hat.

Rumis is now available to order from Amazon.com, and is also available for purchase at Funagain Games.

Last Minute Gaming Gift Ideas at Amazon - It's Zero Hour Ladies and Gentlemen

These next two days mark the last full-weekend of Holiday Shopping for the 2006 Christmas Season. Of course you could count next weekend - which shares a day with Christmas Eve - but only high-anxiety holiday power shoppers hit the mall with all the crazies on that day.

For you sane folks: here are some last minute sales and gift ideas and that should help you tie up any loose ends. And be sure to check out the comprehensive Critical Gamers Holiday Gift Guide for a more in depth look at our gaming recommendations.

• Amazon has posted a great Board Game sale just in time for the holidays. If you purchase any Milton Bradley game at Amazon then you're immediately eligible for a rebate, which can be stacked with multiple Milton Bradley games for up to 65 bucks savings! Checkout the Milton Bradley Rebates Page at Amazon to browse their MB game catalog, which includes such classics as Monopoly [Amazon], Life [Amazon], Candy Land [Amazon] and Scrabble [Amazon].

• Also you should checkout these huge new releases for the strategy gamer: BattleLore [Amazon], Blue Moon City [Amazon], or Axis and Allies: Battle of the Bulge [Amazon].

• And for the Trading Card Gamer it's easy: World of Warcraft TCG Starter Decks [Amazon] for the new WoW player, or The World of Warcraft Onyxia's Lair Raid Deck [Amazon] for those gamers already elbow-deep in the game.

Happy Holidays Everybody!