Category: The Five By

Board Games, Podcast, The Five By

Cribbage

John Gonzalez

This review of Cribbage appeared in Episode 106 of The Five By. The following is the script I used when recording the podcast, and, as such, there might be some discrepancies between the text and audio due to editing for time and flow.

Back in the beginning of 2020, my partner Lorena and I decided to take up a gaming challenge. A few months earlier we had started playing Cribbage and so we decided that we would play Cribbage every day for all of 2020. It seemed like an ambitious goal right off the bat. After all, Three hundred and sixty five games of anything might be a bit much. We started off pretty strong, keeping up with our daily games, making up for days missed by playing two or three games on some nights. Then in March of 2020, well… we all know what happened then. Here in Los Angeles, a stay at home order came down and Lorena and I hunkered in to stay indoors whenever possible and played Cribbage.

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Board Games, Solo, The Five By

Review: Sonora

John Gonzalez

This review of Sonora appeared in Episode 92 of The Five By. The following is the script I used when recording the podcast, and, as such, there might be some discrepancies between the text and audio due to editing for time and flow.

It’s dusk in the desert and the sun hangs just above the horizon, seeming to linger just a moment too long. The last traces of the golden red desert landscape finally give way to a deep and inky purple. In this newly dark world, insects buzz and chirp the same dirge they’ve practiced since time immemorial. An owl hoots overhead as a giant wooden disc flies across this idyllic landscape and ricochets against a nearby cliff. It careens at a sharp angle, throwing   sand dozens of feet into the air as it comes to stop. You walk up to the disc and notice there’s a giant number five on top of it.

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Board Games, Podcast, Reviews, The Five By

You’re a Traitor, Harry – Review: Obscurio

John Gonzalez

This review of Obscurio appeared in Episode 82 of The Five By. The following is the script I used when recording the podcast, and, as such, there might be some discrepancies between the text and audio due to editing for time and flow.

So you thought it would be a good idea to sneak into what you and your wizard friends thought was an abandoned library and help yourself to a tome of ancient spells. Unfortunately, there’s an evil sorcerer that’s that kinda sore about the whole stealing-his-rare-and-powerful-fancy-book-of-spells and he’s set up various traps to stop you and your friends from escaping. To make matters worse, one of your wizard pals has been corrupted by the sorcerer and is actively trying to sabotage the team. Fortunately, the book you’re stealing is determined to guide you out of this labyrinthine library.

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Party Games, Podcast, Reviews, The Five By

Token Mind Meld – Review: Medium

John Gonzalez

This review of Medium appeared in Episode 80 of The Five By. The following is the script I used when recording the podcast, and, as such, there might be some discrepancies between the text and audio due to editing for time and flow.

Sarah Kelly’s art for Medium is an eye catching mix of neon, pop art, and Patrick Nagel. Outstanding!

I’m always on the lookout for games that can accommodate larger groups of people. Games that can spare us from an evening spent pairing up funny/offensive cards for hours on end. I was glad to find Medium, a game that touts itself as a mind reading party game. Medium is the first game from designers Danielle, Nathan Thornton, and Lindsey Sherwood. It features art and design by Sarah Kelly. It’s published by Greater Than Games and plays two to eight players. 

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Deck Building Games, Podcast, Reviews, The Five By

Legendary Encounters: An Alien Deck Building Game

John Gonzalez

This review of Legendary Encounters: An Alien Deck Building game appeared in Episode 78 of The Five By. The following is the script I used when recording the podcast, and, as such, there might be some discrepancies between the text and audio.

Back in 2012, Upper Deck Entertainment released the prolific and long-titled deck builder, Legendary: A Marvel Deck Building Game. The game, designed by Devin Low, resonated with fans of card games and Marvel comics so much that at the time of this recording, there are about a dozen small box expansions and six, big box stand-alone games that can be mixed in with the original game. In 2014, Upper Deck Entertainment released an Alien movie franchised themed version of its legendary deck building game, the equally long-titled Legendary Encounters: An Alien Deck Building Game.

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