Since I cover and review both video games and board games, I tend to take a special interest in board game adaptions of video games. However, I have had pretty poor luck with them, they end up being poor adaptions, have broken mechanics, or end up just being pretty bad games.
Worms, however, seems like it should be a homerun hit, the turn-based nature of the video game is the perfect canvas to transform into a board game.
Marvel Rivals has a pretty big problem that it tried to keep relatively secret. It has bots posing as real players in quick play, and not for a reasonable purpose, like filling lobbies. It uses them as a player retention tactic, feeding players who are on a losing streak free wins to not hurt their feelings. It’s scummy, underhanded, and frankly insulting, and it actually causes severe damage to the overall game.
Monkey sees numbers go up, monkey happy. That’s Balatro in a nutshell. It has an incredibly addictive gameplay loop that manages to activate the same neurons that predatory gambling games and mobile trash love to prey on. The thing is, there’s nothing remotely predatory about Balatro. It’s just a rogue-lite card game with absolutely no stakes. Well, except for the sleep you might lose by playing it well past bedtime.
Uncle Chops Rocket Shop is a game that will make you sweat. It applies a type of pressure I’ve rarely encountered in a video game. Other games will challenge your reflexes, your ability to adapt, and even your ability to think strategically. Uncle Chops Rocket Shop, however, challenges your ability to learn, and apply that learning in various scenarios under the threat of death.