The Polyhedron Collider Cast Episode 42 - The UK Games Expo 2018 Preview

It’s that time of the year again; it’s time for our favourite tabletop gaming convention, the UK Games Expo.  From the 1st to the 3rd June we will be seeing all kinds of board games, card games, miniature games and roleplaying games as we descend on the NEC for all kinds of gaming awesomeness.

In this episode we look forward to all the games we are excited to see at the Expo.

UK Games Expo 2018, Birmingham NEC, Banner

Once a year, the nerds that form the UK Board Gaming Community start to get a little anxious. The reason for this anxiety is not because it’s time for their bath, but due to the annual gathering just outside Birmingham International Airport where they congregate in large numbers to ogle, drool over and mingle around new and upcoming tabletop games for the year ahead.

Yes, it’s time for UK Games Expo 2018 so fire up the hype machine, set it to maximum chat and put on your convention pants to see what’s got us at Polyhedron Collider more excited than a Jack Russell who's been fed coffee powder and just been told it's time for walkies.

Guards of Atlantis - Minions, MOBA, Miniatures

There are times where you make a fabulous choice and can't help but wonder how lucky you got. Sadly, sometimes there are decisions in life that come back to haunt you. Given that I'm writing a board game review and I've (somehow) got a reputation for being "a bit miserable", I'll let you figure out which way this particular decision went for me.
Darwin's Choice Kickstarter Review

My wildebeest-frog has adapted well to its environment, it doesn't require much food, is happy on both land and sea and, being the only herbivore around, it currently has no competition for food. It may not be the flashiest of creatures but it's a survivor and if I can just get the species to thrive for the rest of the game it should rack up some points.

But planet Earth is a fickle mother and environmental changes mean that the lush coastline that was its habitat is now a desert of ice. There's no plants to eat and the other neighbouring environments are just as inhospitable, and because none of the cards in my hand offer any kind of frost resistance, the humble wildebeest-frog is now a footnote in a palaeontologist’s textbook.

“If we build it, they will come.”

“But we need them to come so we can build it.”

“Good point.  If we make some delicious food, they will come, and then we’ll build it.”

“Do you know anyone who can make ‘delicious’ food?”

“I do a pretty decent Spaghetti bolognese?”

“...”

Get the air horn ready, because it’s another episode of the Polyhedron Collider Cast. We start by comparing board game collection sizes with the Secret Cabal before we get excited by the new X-Wing games (well Steve does anyway). We then review Kickstarter Games Hard City and Darwin’s choice before talking about Stuffed Fables, Guards of Atlantis and Kickstarter stretch goals.

Hard City Kickstarter Review

Update: A new and improved Hard City has launched on Kickstarter.

Original article: There’s trouble brewing on the neon soaked streets of Hard City. Doctor Zero has unleashed a horde of ravenous mutants on the good people of the city and the only thing that stands between them and total chaos is the diligent officers of the Hard City Police Department. Armed with their wits and weapons and fuelled by a supply of frosted donuts, the thin blue line of the HCPD must head out and combat Doctor Zero’s nefarious schemes.
Blight Chronicles: Agent Decker Kickstarter Review

I have just said "wow" out loud. I've turned over a card in Blight Chronicles: Agent Decker during my third game and revealed a card that has just surprised me, surprised me because the effect it could have on my deck is both really clever and potentially very useful, but it's another card to add to my deck which is already getting bloated and the myriad of decisions available to me have been laid open. I have just said "wow", out loud, while playing a solo game.