While traveling last week, a friend brought up that they judge donut shops based on a glazed donut . They get that variety of donut wherever they go, and use that as their baseline looking at places. It is not my methodology, but it does bring up a great point to think about; could a glaze donut be the universal measure?
I think there’s a lot of value in having something universal to go by. Doing research you know that by removing variables you are able to measure more accurately. Looking at the sticky sugary covered yeast donuts in every location does give a parallel viewpoint. Glazed is also what many people think of in terms of a donut. Other than the pink sprinkle frosted, that donut is very much the icon of donut symbology.
You can conduct these reviews on a few different measures. The content, texture and taste of the glaze is the first thing to touch your tongue. From there you can feel the fluff or weight of the donut itself. You can tell how well it was risen for the size and determine what it does for your mouth feel. So many factors are clearly useful with all this in mind.
On the other hand, what do we miss with this method? First of all, it excludes any cake donuts. I would wager also it eliminates rice flour based donuts. Certain shops have those as their specialty so they are out of the running almost immediately if that is the only thing we’re keying in. We also miss creativity from other areas that donuts are expanding. From fillings, to frosting, to candy covered treats on top, there is much to be said about harmonizing these new and different flavors and building methods for a doughnut. Case in point; I stop when I see something in a donut case that I don’t see you every day.
Where does this leave us? As Miley Cyrus said, I think we have to think of the best of both worlds. Getting a glazed someplace can help you get insight in the universal sense of their donuts. You also need to be able to see where else a bakery could shine outside of that mold. For me, I am the ultimate winner because it seems like I’m going to order two donuts every stop now.
Thank you Ref Dave for that insight. You will have to teach me how zebras eat donuts.
My experience with Rebel Princess goes right along with my experience with princesses. I find myself dazzled a bit every time I get a chance to see them, but you can’t marry someone you just met. This game is quite different because I’m happy to get it out to play anytime.
Let’s start with the gameplay itself. Trick is all the rage but this game layers strategy around whether or not you want to take the trick or influence somebody else on it. By adding a different influential, mechanic or scoring change with each of the rounds you play, at random this game feels different every time you get it down based on the gameplay let alone the different people you play it with. The games I played with kids and adults both felt different and engaging. With four different designers at the helm I feel like the group effort definitely provided some unique success with different mechanics in the individual cards.
Next is the art and themes of this game. Turning the damsel in distress, princess on its head is something that really speaks to many people. My daughter, as an example sees this approach as something that fits her more as a person, and I enjoy games emulating where we are going in our culture. The princesses are recognizable and trademark distinct, but each of them represents something in everybody’s mind as well as a related mechanic, giving that princess some power. The art feels soft and inviting, and the color palette works well with one another. Alfredo Cáceres has done an excellent job drawing you into the storybook of a game with their art.
Getting the game on the table has been exciting. The instructions are informative for skilled and new gamers. I found it easy to teach the rules both at an adolescent and adult level. Bringing this out at our local game store, the regulars had a nice time teaching each other the hard way why or why not they would want to trick in their hands. Special shout out goes to whoever had the idea of the Frog becoming the ultimate villain of this game. It will easily go down as one of the most reviled cards ever ever to grace my house.
I wanna bring it right back to where we started with the great publisher of this work. Zombie Paella has made something really exciting here. I want to thank their partner Bezier for providing me copies to review, as well as keep up with how it’s expanding. The new individual cards as well as the storybook expansion really adds to the game. I have no doubt the next expansions will be similar and make me smile.
Overall rating is a 10 out of 10. Inspired work on how to not get married.
I spent the past week at Gen Con in Indianapolis, my fourth time at the convention. This is my first trip to mix a bit of business with family as I brought my two children along for the ride. This was their first convention ever, and I thought if we were gonna go anywhere with it, why not go to the largest one possible. Sorry kids, it’s all downhill from here.
This year there was a sellout of tickets rather early. You could feel it the most on the Thursday with how busy it was. A colleague mentioned that it seems like hard-core board game and role-playing game people are the Thursday and Friday crowd. A large number of games sold out relatively quickly on Thursday so I can see where they are coming from. I missed some chances for a few things that were on my list, but to me that’s just part of what happens at the convention. Sometimes you get the Lorcana and sometimes you don’t.
I found the atmosphere this year very friendly, especially with bringing my kids to the convention. Everyone was super friendly, and I found them getting to see and feel this side of who they are in a safer space. While my son professes is very broadly to be a game head, it is not the same for my daughter. She has a lot more social hierarchy concerns in her life. In this space though , there is a level playing field with everyone looking at games and geeky fandom all together and feeling excited. The look in her eyes when her friends wanna play Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza was the same as the one on her face through our walk in the expo hall.
I tend to over schedule when it comes to convention, and this time was no different. We had to cancel and return some tickets based on what we saw happening in real time, as well as biting off a bit more than we could chew. Highlights include performing at the Disney Cosplay Cabaret, my first Gen Con opening ceremonies, and watching other creators play Change My Mind. As much as a convention is about games it’s also very much about the experience and people. I ran my own panel for the first time on scouting game design and though attendance was small it connected many different folks from scouting across the country. I learned that there is a Scout-Con in the Midwest for scouts working in games that I wholeheartedly want to mimic for scouts in New York.
I have many publishers to thank for sending me home with review copies of a lot of different games. Hillary’s Toy Box was amazing all week, including me in what they were looking to do at the convention for giving away games and certificates. I had a great meeting with Floodgate Games and had a chance to check out a few different titles including Kites and Squirreled Away. Rabble showed me some of their upcoming titles, and we had a great time catching up with the team from Charming Games on the adorable small box games they have designed. We met up with many other folks along the way and I’m very excited to cover some of their work.
The only feedback I give the convention runners is that we are losing some of the variety that makes Gen Con special. Anime events seemed to be removed this year to the ire of some. Popular food trucks were not picked up this year though there is space for more of them out in the area. I know my events when it comes to weddings have still been put on hold. It’s important to not lose some of the unique charm that these things can bring while streamlining. Gen Con is about inclusion and these things just miss the mark a bit.
I was able to take a moment and meet the new chairperson for the convention Brian Lewis while walking the convention. I thanked him for stepping in to be a leader and let him know I appreciated what they were doing. Though I may not agree with everything Gen Con is doing, I think they are filled with good people trying to do good things for all gaming. That is the vibe I took away from the convention and why I will be back next year to keep building it up.
As much as I wanna write about Gen Con and the amazing parts of this convention that are exhausting me to no end in the best ways, tonight I’m reflecting on how much games have meant to me building friendships.
I for years was the kid who struggled making deep friendships. I was always a kid who was on the fringe, wanting to be friends with everyone, but not best friends with anyone. ADHD and being socially awkward made my connections to others difficult. In turn, being an empath meant I could feel everyone’s emotions, but I could not contextualize them socially.
During this time, I spent my youth in single player games. Many hours of RPG’s and solo modes that allowed me to escape in the places. Although those places didn’t socialize, they were comforting as I love gaming. College would begin to take me out of that into multiplayer and social games. It was like a breath of fresh air with a new place and a feeling. It was a long road from there, but I continued to grow.
Becoming an adult I honed my communication as I spent more time with people. I found who I myself was and allowed myself to be that person with those I cared about. I found my friendships growing as well, deeper and richer. Eventually, I found great friends who I consider best friends.
At the core we connected because of gaming. I always found it easy to work through and talk through games with people. These other gamers related to who I was, and found joy alongside another round of video games. To this day they are my best friends.
Coming back to Gen Con I find myself building those quality relationships again with new people in the analog gaming space. I have made friends with people gaming from across the country who love the same things I love about games. They are also parents. They also educators. They are also creators. They come from every spectrum and I value their voices and smiles as we get to take in games and life together.
This is the power of gaming in terms of bringing people together. This year, the President of Gen Con David Hoppe referred to it, and talked about the power we have together through games. He said the world needs more Gen Con’s. If it’s about the friendships we’ve made at the table or on a headset then I think we can use more than that.
We have a big week next week. A lot of my year culminates in going to Gen Con, and participating like a madman there. I get to see friends, meet with companies and designers and this year I get to take my kids for the first time. I’ve known about this for a year and I’ve had all that time to plan ahead. Here we are, a few days from leaving, and I have pre-exhaustion.
Pre-exhaustion is what I am calling the feeling of being exhausted ahead of this type of big event. So much planning and mental weight goes into making the schedule and making things make sense for any type of large scale activity. For me, I am combining this planning for Gen Con along with the large scale of things I’m doing for work. The amount of things to do in advance is staggering. For me and my mental state, they get overwhelming and hard to deal with.
Part of the reason is that I can visualize all the different things needed to do in advance of next week. Preparing what I need to do at the event, preparing what needs to happen when I am away at work, preparing how my house will run while I am gone, and just preparing for afterward. My brain allows me to see all of these moving parts, which is an advantage. Seeing them though and knowing how much there is can make an overwhelming desire to go inward and mentally tire myself.
Having a mental spicy brain, I think I struggle more with this issue. I’ve been able to define it more as an adult, but just because I can sense it doesn’t mean I can instantly cure it. I am a Completionist so when there is things to do, I beat myself up not doing them. That’s not fair and I know it because I know there’s no way I can do everything. Unfortunately, it does not lessen the blows as they come in.
That’s where I found myself last night. Feeling down by the number of things on the checklist. Those feelings manifested as a struggle to get started. I can have a to do list but being able to get to it feels like a mountain to climb. I’ve written previously that I always schedule a lot of things and take on a lot. This is where it becomes a downside, and I’ve actively worked on how that manifest in the space. I know my schedule is crazy, and in turn the to-do list is crazy.
What did I do? I talked to my partner. I went to sleep. I got myself rested and try to work it out the next day. Sometimes that’s all you can do. Things will still be there when you wake up, but you’re taking time to get your body and brain in the best place. It can be to be prepared. Pre- exhaustion like any exhaustion means you must rest in order to make it decrease. You have to do the things that will help you energize, including sleep, eating right, and some time on other things. The following day as I eased back into it, I got a few things done, but then played D&D to recharge my brain. Knowing that helps me means I made it the priority.
Being a planner means there can be a lot of exhaustion on any side. I recommend you take time for yourself to rest. Prioritizing and scheduling means prioritizing your rest and scheduling yourself time to do so. Plan that rest so you can check another box that makes you feel good. Now, if you excuse me, I have a lot to do.
Being in the space of reviewing and rating means that you have to have a system. There’s no basis of comparison without actually saying that you’re comparing things on a scale that makes sense. In the video format that is not easy. There is no simple system to show what you are thinking about games comparatively based on the software or the display models within the videos. I have struggled with this over the last couple years because of two personal views that conflict. First, my videos are positive focused, though offer constructive criticism based on gameplay and experience. Second, being honest and rating genuinely is important to me which can portray a negative. Where does that leave us?
I’ve gotten to the point I’ve needed to decide exactly what goes into my ratings to provide an actual analysis alongside what I’m reviewing. There is a person for every game, and my videos keep that positive focus even when I share the rating. In this industry there are already rating systems established with the scale of 10, including BoardGameGeek and other sites. Going forward I’m going to start using that scale, but I’m going to quantify the complete understanding of how we got there. My brain and my need need this, and after deliberation I’ve come to a system that matches me. With that in mind, here is how games will rank with me when you hear me use something out of 10.
1 Point Game Art- I know this is subjective to my own tastes, but I love many games based on the art.
1 Point Components – Are a game’s components made well with quality and understandable?
1 Point Container – Is a game organized well in its container and is the container something interesting? This includes putting it back after its first time being played.
1 Point Instructions – Are the instructions laid out well for you to understand the game with plenty of examples or visuals? If you don’t need them, then this is not a factor, but if you find yourself needing them during the game, those instructions are truly important.
1 Point Gameplay: Pickup Ability – There’s a lot to be said about a game you can pick up and play quickly. It means you and your group have a fun time faster. This does not mean mastering the game, but means getting the general sense quickly.
1 Point Gameplay: Satisfaction – Does taking a move or making a step in the gameplay mechanics, feel satisfying? Making gameplay feel good translates across the experience. When playing with others I rely heavily on their experience in this as well since I know not every mechanic is made for me.
1 Point Gameplay: Replay Value – Does the game make you want to come back and play it again? Can you come back and play it again without it feeling repetitive or stale?
1 Point Solo or Group Feel – For solo games do you feel like you were able to experience the game well by yourself? For groups, did it make a good group dynamic at the table? Did people enjoy the game?
1 Point Story and Lore – I’m a sucker for a game with a good story. Stories don’t have to be War and Peace, but something that makes me feel like there is a setting, a character, and a world fills my cup.
1 Point Wow and Wonder – My last point goes to things that make me marvel at a game and what it’s doing. This can be an interesting topic, new gameplay mechanic, or tie in of some type. That “it” factor.
This is how I’m going to lay out the numbers around my game reviews, and I feel content. Providing this explanation gives you a window to my process, and I hope you see it as straightforward and consistent. Consistency to me is key. I may use a half a point from time to time depending on what the game is but that will indicate maybe they tried but failed in that area, but at least I have a basis of where I’m coming from.
In the wrestling world, there is an example of where consistency stopped in a rating system. Dave Meltzer is known as one of the foremost wrestling reviewers and reporters. For many years, he gave matches up to five stars based on their quality. In the last 10 years, though he has broken his own system, giving certain things six and seven stars. This made the consistency of that system coming to question across so many different platforms and to me is a huge mistake. I came here to make a system and not break a system, and that’s what we are doing. Whether or not my rating matters to anyone else, I feel good about making it something for me.
Today a friend told me “ how do you do it? It seems like a different city every time I talk to you.” In some ways this sounds like praise but in my mind it is a moment to take a break and really evaluate what the hell I’m doing. When that happens, you need to take a moment and think.
Let’s dial it back a bit in time. Since working in admissions began, I found myself traveling often. I excelled at going places and seeing new people everywhere. Admissions work naturally comes with chaos, but I took to it like a duck to water. As an extreme extrovert, I find myself getting energy everywhereI go with new people and experiences. That has always translated in the videos I make as well as getting to know people over the Internet.
At the same time, I realize I had to become a creature of schedule. Without keeping a tight handle on where I was supposed to be at what times I would always find myself drifting or being late. Earlier in my professional and family life, I found myself regularly being the one referred to as the guy who is late. It always bothered me, but I really took control of it when entering enrollment work years ago. These days I have a finely tuned schedule, that also builds in extra time where I know things can go wrong. I know myself better and what it takes to keep me on time.
I’m also the type of person that likes to go everywhere and do everything. One of my college professors when I graduated quoted saying that if he let me volunteer for everything then I would. I like to see things get done and I like to be a part of things, so I also have a scheduled it’s rather full. Growing as a professional has meant that I had to learn what to say no to, what to delegate, and what it took for me to get tasks done in measured time. It’s never an easy feat, and outside of the office factors with family and kids mean you have to be fluid. Though I do not aim to be perfect,I do feel better about the systems I have created, and the level I communicate in order to make a schedule work.
With all this in mind this past weekend is a great example. I found myself for two days doing a wedding three hours from my house. I drove in the opposite direction to Massachusetts to pick up Scouts from Scout camp. I visited with my sister, niece and father four hours from home for a day. Are all of these easy? Not in the slightest. Do I feel good about all the things I did this weekend? 100%. I may be walking in on Monday morning tired but feeling fulfilled in many ways.
My partner says I run on a different speed than others and that’s what allows it. I’m not good at taking a break and relaxing either, so it comes with downsides. Part of my journey is to continue growing, and to take time and bask in accomplishment. To have a slow down when it’s needed. I’ve been able to find more of that and it feels nice. This is a reminder of what my schedule is and looks like to those who don’t live it. I don’t think I’d have it any other way.
This game came across our feed with Capybara Crush. We were immediately intrigued by the cuteness of the art and how it just seemed like something cozy. They were nice enough to send us a review copy and upon getting both games I could see the appeal.
First, these are small and easy to travel boxes. For anybody looking to play these as a family, you could take them on trips and to different areas to play with a group. The art itself displays a cute family aesthetic that can draw different age players.
I showed the games to my wife and she chose to play Otter along with a dinner date night together. There is just something nice about sitting down to play a game while snacking on charcuterie.
Opening up the game it’s easy to set up the organization on the table. By using the tops and bottoms of the otters they naturally set themselves up in the line the game wants you to make. The diagrams inside the instructions also allow you to understand the set up.
One area of improvement needed is the organization of the instruction manual. We did not find the manual easy to follow or in an order that was easy to explain. Since we were doing a dinner, we did not have a moment to upload the instructional video which I do believe would have done a better job setting us up to play. I feel like it’s something you wanna sit down with more to make sure you know the order of operations in the manual so you’ll understand the game.
When it comes to playing, we had a lot of fun. The ability to string cards together at one time to empty your hand and try to get the lucky stone was a very good experience. The game offers a mandatory low tide and optional high tide game mechanic that you use to play. Doing it with two player we firmly believe you need to play with both modes for optimum gameplay. The low tide only mechanic works best with many different people around the table who can do things. Also, low tide only is good with more people since there would be less shuffling due the deck emptying with more draw.
The mechanics of high tide also were interesting because it allowed you to change the otter conditions for placing cards with a risk versus reward by having to draw cards. It felt like both a nice strategic challenge as well as a way to have fun with the other players.
We found ourselves playing a couple different times and I am sad to say I didn’t win a single one of them. It’s a running gag that my wife does not play games often but every time she does, she is automatically amazing. This was no different and she took to it very well. I enjoyed both the complexity as well as the fun that happened along with the play.
I can see this being a great transition game but beyond that also just a fun repeatable experience. There is a definite draw as a family title and is something we will get back to the table. Thank you to Charming Games Collective for providing a review copy. We cannot wait to see some Capybaras in action next.
You would think as a person who eats a lot of donuts that I spend a lot of time with Dunkin’ Donuts.
There’s not really a joke there because you’d be absolutely correct. I spend way too much time on the yummy snacks and carbohydrates that I can get from there. In a professional sense though, I don’t record while being at Dunkin or other national chains very often. It’s because, as a national chain, they don’t need additional press when they’re just living their best donut life.
However, I do stop and review seasonal and new donuts when they come along. I think it’s important to recognize when national chains go in a new different direction in the name of progression. Sometimes they’re a win and sometimes they’re not, but I do acknowledge the effort to make a new and different donut experience.
Today that brought me to a trip in the Adirondacks after conducting a wedding. I found myself at the Dunkin’ Donuts in Boonville, New York. While there I noted that we now have an orange, vanilla seasonal doughnut, new to the rotation. We could not help ourselves, but take a moment with it and see how it tasted.
I primarily wanna talk about flavor, but of course you should know that a cake donut that has been sitting through the afternoon can get a bit dry. I try to give an allowances to that, but when I have help in my reviews from my children, they do not hold back the truth in their taste buds. This is not something done in error because also Dunkin sells drinks. Like a lot of them. A donut with a coffee is exactly the right decision in any of these situations.
This cake doughnut had both glaze as well as a bit of drizzle on top to work with the orange colored and flavored donut inside. Orange vanilla gives a cream sickle flavor in any form, and that was the same in this donut. I found the flavor to be on point for what you’re looking for and how it’s named. These days I prefer something more complex with an orange flavor, but I do respect that for something that is set up to be made in massive amounts that it is something that probably remains consistent.
All in all, I recommend this pastry over a few other flavors we have seen from Dunkin’ Donuts. Someday I will recount the vivid horror that was the watermelon doughnut, but that is a doughnut for another day.
Last thought; Dunkin if you are reading this, please get help to those folks working in Boonville. Tremendously pleasant and great to talk to you, though the three of them were totally out, paced by the high demand in that area. They were great, but you need more like them for that shift.
There is a tidal wave out there. From the depths of classical cartoon nostalgia comes a tsunami of live action remakes. From The Lion King to Little Mermaid you see cartoons of your past come to life. I say that tongue in cheeks since most of it is digital art everywhere, but I digress. As each of these has come along, I have found myself in a place and wonder if others are as well. I just don’t need to see it.
I’m not necessarily offended by the idea of doing these. I may take a slight jab here and there, but overall, if the art can be done differently, then who is to say that is wrong to do. In the worst view these are totally a cash grab by studios where the art has been created mostly and they are only investing slightly in a way that is less risky for them. People will come to the box office based on nostalgia, as well as new fans who never got to see the older versions. That is where I found myself today sitting next to my daughter watching. “How To Train Your Dragon”.
I know how to train my Dragon. I’ve watched four films and several specials on the topic that had excellent storytelling and voice actors I felt connected with. I am not ashamed as a storyteller to say, I like cartoons and kids stories. There is a space for that feeling and how well done dialogue is woven for both adult and kids alike. Did I need to see this? No and I’m okay with that. Did my daughter want to relive her nostalgia and watch it with me? Yes and that really is the story.
I’m not going to take away any amazing new story beats from this movie. I’m going to take away a memory of the laughter from my daughter, a few jabs with a couple comments, and handing over some Twizzlers with a smile. With my children being teenagers, it is time that I know that is fleeting and I have to savor while I have it. I may be busy and I may have a lot going on, but taking these moments to spend time is really matters. If live action cartoon movies take us there so be it.
I will say all the way back in the day that Gerard Butler was inspired casting and still is today. He is exactly the right fit in his role just as he was with his voice being used previously. Here is someone I look forward to seeing in any role to this day.
Final note for live action: do not change a major story beat lightly. I did not make it to Lilo and Stitch but my children have described it to me. Knowing they changed some of it in the end it really did get to me. I’m not a fan. I cannot tell you how much I’m going to avoid that movie, but Ohana means Family and it means no one gets left behind.
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