Turkey legs, mock combat, and anachronistic clothing. These are the things renaissance fairs are made of. You and your friends, new to the scene, try to blend in by adorning yourself with hats and tunics. A good costume is expensive though, and earning coin in a place like this requires some skill… Or daring.
In Ren Faire by Atlas Games, players put on performances, ranging from accents and puppet shows to arm wrestling and balancing acts for the audience to fund their costume building. The first to complete their outfit wins.
In our play through, the competition was tough. Each player chose to focus more on ruining each other’s outfits by buying t-shirts and other modern clothing, and stealing gold than on procuring their own costume. When challenges were made, such as the arm wrestling contest in the photo above, each pushed themselves to the limit to win. By the time our winning Ren Faire attendee, now a Scottish fairy jester, had purchased their last clothing card, our four player game stayed within the listed hour of gameplay, and tons of fun and hilarity had ensued.
This compact card game uses party game mechanics to bring new life to the simple act of piecing outfits together. In addition, the costume stacking element with transparent cards really works well, and capitalizes on a game element rarely seen.
In all, Ren Faire was a blast to play!
We would like to thank Atlas Games for this great donation, as well as their donation of Once Upon a Time, Murder of Crows, Gloom, and Lunch Money.
If you would like to give Ren Faire a try, or another selection from Atlas Games, they are available for check out here, at the UNT Media Library.
It looks super cute and yeah alright it kinda is, but Infinitely Polar Bear draws that line between a heartbreaking sentimental drama and a picture of a goofy dad. It feels almost surface level, though Mark Ruffalo’s acting does manage to ruffle your feathers a bit. I’ll admit I used to have a crush on Mark Ruffalo (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, anyone?). That has nothing to do with this movie but I just thought I’d mention it.
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Though the performance and emotion is worth the watch, you can’t help but wonder what happened to certain characters that suddenly disappear, why the dialog feels so meh, and why it seems to be lacking in the one thing it’s called.
Munchkin is one of those games you pretty much get the most out of the first time around. But there’s lots to choose from so who knows maybe you gotta just play each type once, and that’s quite a few games.
Risk (1980) Boardgame 15
Risk is one of those games Dad plays whilst drinking beer and you’re just sitting there in your Halloween costume wondering how they could play something so confusing. Or maybe that’s just me. It’s time consuming, which can be great but it’s also time consuming so… taking over the world would feel really great if it wasn’t for the fact that millions of people would probably wind up dying.
You could honestly try this on your phone and get the same satisfaction. If you love these franchises put two and two together and check it out, though. If you’re more like “Nothing can touch my Star Wars, never!” then maybe you ought to take a step back and have some ice cream to cool off.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle 479 3DS
Personally, the whole TMNT franchise has turned meh. The game structure is not really for teens or adults, so it’s likely you’ll get bored. But if simplicity is your thing, maybe not. Plus turtles are meant to be crawling around with balloons attached to them. Right? (That’s a joke. Balloons on turtles is cruel, guys.)
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With Executive Producer Steven Spielburg, Falling Skies has become a major Sci-Fi television series. The world is left in tatters after a unexpected invasion by aliens, leaving the planet’s remaining human population to fight for survival against the occupiers. The aliens have cultures and identities all of their own, and are often portrayed as powerful, mysterious, and merciless. The story starts off by circling around Tom, a guy who is after the aliens that have captured his son and other youth, attaching them to controlling bio-mechanical harnesses. It’s got the survivor, familial, and guy heavy action like The Walking Dead.
The Killing is a murder mystery series based in Seattle, focusing on murder cases a little differently than your typical homicide TV series. The first season circles around the death of Rosie Larson. Episodes delve into not just the murder case but the girl’s family and their suffering, along with the detectives and other main character’s personal lives. With the dreary Seattle weather combined with foreboding mysteries, The Killing will always keep you wanting more.
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The Killing is based on the original Danish series, Forbrydelsen, which holds the same basic plot. The Danish series is was a very well received series, known to be a cult classic in Europe, and recognized for acting and the original concept of focusing on one murder case throughout a whole series.
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Boardwalk Empire takes place during the Prohibition of the 1920s and 1930s. Enoch “Nucky” Thompson, played by Steve Buscemi, is a political figure facing his personal and political life dealing with mobsters, politicians, and others. If the idea of mobsters, politicans, guns, and sly talking well dressed people appeals to you, then you’ll enjoy Boardwalk Empire.
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