Attack on Titan — The Last Stand by Antoine Bauza & Ludovic Maublanc Publisher: Cryptozoic Entertainment (2017) Cooperative Style: Overlord Play Style: Combat, Dice Overview One player takes on the role of a titanic titan, who wants to eat people. The other players take on the roles of heroes, who want to kill him. They…
Case Study: Walking Dead — Best Defense
Today’s post not only celebrates the horror of Halloween but also one of the most successful horror TV shows ever: The Walking Dead, now in its final season. Horror has been quite a popular theme in co-op games, and it’s worked quite well in the field because it tends to make the games all about…
Team Study: Abandon Planet
This month’s case study, on Abandon Planet, covers a team game with some interesting twists. Abandon Planet by Don Eskridge Publisher: Orange Machine Games (2017) Cooperative Style: Survival-Focused Partial Partnership Play Style: Resource Management, Simultaneous Selection Overview It’s the meteor apocalypse! Players must try to escape the Earth before it’s destroyed by collecting the resources…
Case Study: Shadows of Malice
Shadows of Malice by Jim Felli Publisher: Devious Weasel Games (2014) Cooperative Style: True Co-Op Play Style: Adventure Game Overview In Shadows of Malice, players take on the roles of avatars of Light, who must move about the Realms of Aethos, killing monsters, sucking out their souls, and stealing their loot. The ultimate goal is…
Case Study: TIME Stories
The Pandemic continues to throw co-op play into a tizzy, except for games available online (like Pandemic on BGA) or those that have been painfully setup and played on Tabletop Simulator (which has allowed continued play of both Pathfinder Adventure Card Game and the D&D Adventure Games for us). But here’s a look at one…
The 2021 Top Co-op List
It’s been two years now since our last report on the top co-op games. How have things change in these two pandemic years? Here’s a look at some of the top games in this year’s rankings.
Team Study: Codenames
It’s been a while since we looked a team game, so here’s a short overview of Codenames, definitely one of the most successful team games of recent years. Codenames by Vlaada Chvátil Publisher: Czech Games Edition (2015) Cooperative Style: Teamwork Play Style: Word Guessing Game Overview Codenames is a simple word guessing team game with…
Case Study: Eldritch Horror
We’re back! And to mark our return we’re taking a look at Eldritch Horror, the notable reinvention of Arkham Horror second edition that appeared in the ’10s (and one of the ever-popular series of Lovecraftian co-ops). Eldritch Horror by Corey Konieczka & Nikki Valens Publisher: Fantasy Flight Games (2013) Cooperative Style: True Co-Op Play Style:…
Case Study: Pandemic — Rising Tide
Pandemic: Rising Tide is the close companion to Pandemic: Iberia, discussed here two weeks ago. However, it moves further away from Pandemic’s core, to show how the same simulation can also work for floods! It’s quite clever. Pandemic: Rising Tide by Jeroen Doumen & Matt Leacock Publisher: Z-Man Games (2017) Cooperative Style: True Co-Op Play Style:…
Case Study: Pandemic — Iberia
Unfortunately, pandemics remain topical. This is a look at the first of three “Survival” Pandemic games, which dramatically revamped the setting and gameplay of the classic. Pandemic: Iberia by Jesús Torres Castro & Matt Leacock Publisher: Z-Man Games (2016) Cooperative Style: True Co-Op Play Style: Action Point, Card Management, Set Collection Overview The players are still…