Tuesday Reviewsday: Small World

Players: 2+  
Playtime: 45minutes+
Replay Value: 10/10

Small World (released in 2009) is a brilliant example of a game that has been play-tested, balanced, re-tested, re-balanced, critiqued, and trialed, then put on a shelf for six months before being play-tested again with fresh eyes. There may be overpowered combinations, and 'weaker' combinations, but after just one play through you'll learn to lynch whoever is winning at the time as you fight to control most of the Small World.

Save Your Vagina! Down Under

A couple of weeks ago I gave all the homosexual men a pass on reading my blog when I wrote "Save your vagina" - a post about menstrual cups. If you're a man and only interested in other men, then you don't need to know about this, nobody else has an excuse. Stop being grossed out and get familiar with your bodies!

When I wrote a couple of weeks ago, I was talking specifically about Mooncups -  the brand I know and love. However I know a lot of people like to support local, and the Mooncup is from the UK. Introducing Juju cup! The down-under, locally sourced, Australian solution to all your monthly woes.

Tuesday Reviewsday: Zombie Dice

Players: 2+  
Playtime: 5-10 minutes

Replay Value: 5/10 

Zombie Dice (another Steve Jackson game) is a quick and simple dice rolling game that is great for getting you in the gaming mood. You play as zombies. Hungry zombies. Each dice rolls dictates whether you collect brains for your winter stash, the humans run away, or you get shot.

At the start of your turn, you pull 3 dice out of the container and roll them. Each brain is worth one point. Footprints mean the person has run away. The shotgun blast is, well, as shot in the head. Don't worry you are a super zombie and can handle getting shot twice times, but the third time puts you on the ground.

Tuesday Reviewsday: Munchkin

Players: 3+  
Playtime: 45minutes+

Replay Value: 10/10

Munchkin is a role-playing card game based on old-fashion dungeon crawlers which makes it sound complicated and boring. However Munchkin strips away the tedious character creation, grumpy dungeon master and in-depth creation of a big complicated fantasy world, and just leaves you with good ol' fashion monster squishing, back stabbing and hilariously illustrated shenanigans.

Save your vagina!

While it's not Tuesday, I want to review something. As a female, I statistically spend 25% of my time walking around with my knees clenched together because it's That Time of the Month. At my age I also need to think about contraception, and I chose the Implanon implant, because I'm forgetful. It's a small implant embedded under the skin of your inner arm. After the first week my arm had recovered from the implant, and now you can feel the rod under the skin but otherwise it doesn't effect my arm movement, or hurt if you press on it. However, reading the side of the box is pretty off-putting because the possible side effects of Implanon are listed as:

• Mood swings
• Weight gain
• Headache
• Depressed mood
• Headache
• Vaginitis (inflammation of the vagina)
• Weight gain
• Acne
• Breast pain
• Viral infections such as sore throats or flu-like symptoms
• Stomach pain
• Painful periods
• Mood swings, nervousness, or depressed mood
• Back pain
• Nausea
• Dizziness
• Pain
• Pain at the site of insertion

Let's be honest, I have had most of these although I haven't gained any weight or suffered any (more) Acne. I'm on to my third Implanon implant (each on lasts three years) and because I'm so forgetful I would never switch to the pill, or a monthly injection (which has been shown to weaken your bones).

Tuesday Reviewsday: Star Fluxx

Players: 2+ 
Playtime: 5-45minute

Replay Value: 10/10

Star Fluxx was released in 2011. There are currently 16 different versions of Fluxx, including the original, Cthulhu Fluxx and Stoner Fluxx, however, we opted to purchase Star Fluxx. This game is stupid fun. I mean those together and separately, it's stupid, it's fun, it's stupid fun. The rules are quite simple, you deal each player three cards. First player is decided by whoever says "I'm going first" and draws a card. Then they play a card. Then the next player draws one, and plays one. Super duper simple. In fact those are the only rules that exist when you start the game.

Tuesday Reviewsday: Betrayal at House on the Hill

Players: 3-6, semi co-operative - more players is always better

Playtime on the box: 60minutes

Actual playtime: Up to 2 hours
Replay Value: 7/10

Is there someone in your group who likes to read the manual cover to cover? Good, invite them over and give them the rule book. Make them read it twice while you are cooking dinner. Then keep the rule book close at hand to answer your ten thousand questions.

Betrayal at House on the Hill was released by Avalon Hill and Wizards of the Coast in 2004. You are cast as a motley assortment of characters who have stumbled into a haunted house. So, of course, you decide to go exploring.

Tuesday Reviewsday: Pandemic

Players: 2-4 Co-operative

Playtime on the box: 45minutes

Actual playtime: Depends how quickly the game stomps you
Replay Value: 10/10 - I will never turn down a game of Pandemic

Now that the Ebola scare has quieted down (in my corner of the world at least) it seems safe to talk about Pandemic. Released in 2007 by Z-Man games, Pandemic is a devilish horror of a game where you are a Centre for Disease Control team trying to save the world. Designed by Matt Leacock, it is a beautifully balanced game where you are constantly hovering between life and death by plague.

A two-player game after set up

Tuesday ReviewsDay: Lords of Waterdeep

Players: 2-5 (I found it best with 3)

Playtime on the box: 60minutes

Actual playtime: 90minutes +



Lords of Waterdeep was released by Wizards of the Coast in 2012. It is based in the Dungeons and Dragons universe but you won't need any background knowledge to enjoy the game.

Reading the rulebook makes Lords of Waterdeep seem like an overcomplicated nightmare but after the first round of game play it feels ridiculously simple. After playing four games I find myself daydreaming and plotting how I can win the game next time. It's an "hours to learn, lifetime to master" kind of game and the number of people you're playing against alters game play dramatically.