My Son Keeps the Heroes Out
I recently kickstarted (crowdfunding board games has been a hobby of mine for many years now) a very cute board game called Keep the Heroes Out. It is fairly straightforward, with no text—only symbols—so I hoped I could play it with my five-year-old son and possibly even my three-year-old daughter. And I was not disappointed.
While my daughter can’t really focus for an entire play session, my son has declared it his favorite game of all time (this illustrious title has been passed from game to game a few times already, but I still consider it quite an accolade). He has even made his own paper game pieces and designed both monsters and cards for the game. You could say I’m quite the proud father.
The game itself is a co-op tower defense deck builder. Quite a mouthful, but the gist of it is that you work together to defend against waves of enemies while acquiring stronger cards for your decks and eventually persevering until the onslaught ends.
In this case, the game puts you in the role of monsters guarding their dungeon (which sadly doesn’t translate well into Swedish, as the closest words either mean “prison dungeon” or just “cave”) from nasty heroes trying to steal all your valuable loot. Each player gets to choose a tribe of monsters—some with a lot of units, or “meeples,” like the slimes or ratkin with eight or more cute little fellas, or the mighty dragon that only has one piece to move around. This adds an asymmetrical aspect to the game, allowing players to tailor the gameplay to their preferences.
We’ve already played two games and won both, and my son is raring to go and tackle the harder difficulties. I can really recommend this game for both casual and more hardcore gamers (it has variable difficulty levels), and the aesthetics are amazing (the wooden meeples are gorgeous). The optional expansion packs that replace the non-wood meeple tokens with actual wooden pieces elevate the feel of the game to the next level.
Check it out on Board Game Geek!
My daughter loves the Unicorn monster and my son is a big fan of the Slimes. I took control of the covetous Gnolls!
Terraforming Mars
The backstory
When I was first introduced to Terraforming Mars, it was through an outdoor gym program for fathers and kids. There, I connected with a few dads who shared my love for board games – and especially one game: Terraforming Mars. After years of playing it sporadically and never winning, I recently got to play it again. For the first time, it stuck in my mind long after the session was over. When I found it on sale, it felt like a sign. I ordered it immediately and can’t wait for it to arrive.
The Game
Terraforming Mars is about massive megacorporations competing to make Mars habitable for humanity. It’s a game about corporate greed but also innovation, technological progress, and hope for the future.
Despite knowing about the game for a long time (it was first released in 2016), a few things held me back from buying it earlier. First, the artwork – often compared to clip art – is not the most visually appealing. Second, I’m not a particularly competitive gamer, and Terraforming Mars can be unforgiving, with early mistakes snowballing into long-term disadvantages. Lastly, while the theme is unique and well-executed, space and sci-fi have never been my favorite genres in board games.
So why did I finally decide to buy it? The game has some amazing mechanics. The drafting and engine-building elements are incredibly satisfying, offering multiple paths to victory. Plus, the scoring system keeps things uncertain until the very end, so you never feel defeated halfway through a long session. Expansions add even more variety, and the strong connection between theme and mechanics makes you feel like you truly are transforming Mars.
Looking Ahead
I’m excited to own a copy of Terraforming Mars and share it with my friends. Whether we play to win or simply to enjoy the journey of terraforming the red planet, I know this game will bring us hours of memorable fun.