Category: Games

The Great Snowball Battle
Sninkthinkink/Game Salute 2014

Snowball Fight
S&S Innovations 2002

Ready for winter? If the snow isn’t flying yet, and you’re itching to get out in the snow, here are a couple fun and easy games that will scratch that snowball itch, and you don’t have to get wet and cold in the process.

Both games are card games. Snowball fight has round cards which is fun and thematic, but can be harder to hold and you have to adjust your card orientation quite a lot because a round card doesn’t have an easy “up” side. On the plus side, both the snowballs and cover are on the same cards (sometimes both on a single card), which gives an element of strategy to using your cards as you may have to choose between using them for cover or attack. The Great Snowball Battle has more types of cards, cards for cover, the snowballs, events, a kid card which gives you an ongoing or one time power and gear.

In Snowball Fight, the person with the least hits wins, you can take 30 points of damage before you are out of the game. In The Great Snowball Battle, you have 3 pieces of gear which get taken out any time you take a hit. Once you lose your last piece of gear, you have to “go inside” and are out of the game.  You can choose to either attack, or “clear out” on your turn. When you clear out, you get rid of all your “damage” as well as your cover and any items you have, and start over with new cover and a new item.

Snowball Fight is a quicker, simpler game, and has a little more fun with the cards, naming each snowball (Avalanche, Dipsy Doodle, Boulder, Lucky Shot, etc.) while The Great Snowball Battle has more options, and the snowballs are simply numbered.

Both games are card games, with approximately the same number of cards. The Great Snowball Battle however comes in a HUGE 10”x10” box. Very oversized for what is in the box. Snowball Fight comes in a much smaller box, so is a little more portable if you are wanting to throw in a game to take along on that long car ride or to Grandma’s house for the weekend. Both games can be played by kids and adults, bothbare recommended for ages 8+.

Overall, Both are good games. If you are looking for a fast-paced lightweight snow themed game, you won’t go wrong with either one. Because The Great Snowball Battle has more options, there is a little more re-playability, but also is a little clunkier in its mechanics and isn’t as good for 2 players. Snowball Fight has quicker, simpler and more elegant play, but can get a little stale after a while, and some people have difficulty with the round cards. Both recommended.

Cosmic Cows
Playroom, 2001

Cosmic Cows is a fun, silly, 2-player game. You and your opponent are aliens attempting to abduct cows. How much better can it get? You move the cows along the track using Yahtzee like dice rolls, attempting to pull the cows into your mothership. This results in a kind of tug of war with tractor beams and cows. The first person to get 3 cows into their ship wins.

I once went to a casino and played a penny slot with a theme of aliens abducting cows. It was hysterical and I won money. So I *may* be partial to cow abducting alien games. Just sayin’. I think the theme is hysterical, it comes with 10 cute little plastic cows, and 10 dice, and a nice easy to understand board.

If you like Yahtzee, then you will like the mechanics of Cosmic Cows. As I have said before, dice kinda hate me, but I still like this game a lot. It’s simple, plays quick and will bring smiles to the table.  So if you’re looking for a quirky, fun, quick 2-player, or just need something to spice up your Yahtzee fetish, pick up Cosmic Cows.

Great Dalmuti
Wizards of the Coast, 1995

I’ve got to admit, this is one of my family’s “Go To” games. This classic card game is awesome for several reasons. Rounds run quickly, but you can continue playing for hours having great fun. The game is for 4-8 players. You could have a few more, but it really plays best in the 4-8 range.

The deck consists of 80 cards, 12- 12’s, 11-11’s, 10-10’s… down to 1-1 and 2 wild “jester” cards. All the cards get dealt out. Each player has a position. The lead player is the “Great Dalmuti”, followed by the “Lesser Dalmuti”. On the tail end, you have the “Greater Peon” and the “Lesser Peon”. If you have more than 4 players, the rest of the players will fall into the middle, and be “merchants”.  Once all the players have their cards, there is a “taxation” phase, where the Greater Peon and Greater Dalmuti exchange 2 cards. The Greater Peon gives up their two lowest numbered cards in exchange for 2 cards of the Greater Dalmuti’s choice from their hand. The “Lessers” do the same exchange with only 1 card. Merchants may trade 1 card with permission from the Greater Dalmuti. Then play begins. The Greater Dalmuti leads in trick taking rounds. The lead player will play out any number of matching numbered cards. (for example, 4-12’s). Each player must follow with the same number of matched cards, of a lesser value (for example, player 2 could follow with 4-11’s) and so on until all players pass. The last person to play on the trick leads the next trick. The goal is to be the first to get rid of all your cards. The first person to divest themselves of cards becomes the Great Dalmuti for the next round. Play continues until all players are out of cards. The second player out becoming the Lesser Dalmuti then through Merchants if any, then the Lesser Peon and finally the last person out becomes the Greater Peon. It is suggested that the Greater Peon be the dealer, raker-in of card tricks, getter of sodas, and general butt of all Jokes. But beware, the mighty may fall easily in this game.

This game has a lot of fun trash talking, joking, and fun. We use fun hats for the various ranks to help identification. A classic that everyone should have in their game library, and keep on hand for any get-together. Easy to learn and tons of fun to play.

Love Letter
Alderac Entertainment Group, 2012

Love Letter is a simple, quick, fun game. You are an eligible suitor, trying to get your love letter to the princess. In order to do this, you must end the game round with the courtier card with the closest number to the Princess, your card represents the courtier to whom you have given your letter. There are 8 courtier positions: Guard (1), Priest (2), Baron (3), Handmaid (4), Prince (5), King (6), Countess (7) and the Princess herself (8).  You begin with one card. On your turn you draw a card and play a card. Each courtier has a special power that you can use to guess other people’s cards and put them out of the round, discard their card, making them draw a new one, or looking at their cards. Through these means, you try to keep in your hand a high numbered card, survive to the end of the round, or knock other suitors out of the running.

The game is simple because all you have to do is draw and play, but deceptively difficult because of the cutthroat nature of the scramble to be nearest to the Princess. With only 16 cards, and a few wooden blocks, you wouldn’t think that there would be this much to this game. There Is a lot of luck involved, but an alert, focused player can really do well. A good poker face and a bit of deception can go far as well. All in all, a nice little fun game. Great for when you have a few minutes and 2-3 friends.