Minotaur Games and Gifts

The Labyrinth: Ye Olde quiet January

2012-01-23T09:56:00.000-08:00

So, is January the month that all of YOU get to clearing out old things?

Seeing what is buried beneath the everyday piles of debris =O

I know that I have personally been on an epic quest...

Doing battle with the dustbunny monsters in my room and finding ancient relics from the past!

But the quest is long and tedious so I figure a break from cleaning to blog about it is only natural.

But new things are on the rise!

That is what January is allllll about!

Besides it's the last year on earth, after all, being the year 2012.

Things are meant to come to a crashing end very soon...*nods sagely*

Though I wont be terribly surprised if 2013 sneaks up on us silently and swiftly minus any global tidal waves, fiery chasms, or alien invasions.

Wait personal ramblings?
Right, the store!
What's new at the store?!

Well, the cribbage tournament in January did very well indeed with over 18 attendees. Below I figured we could showcase the two winners Derek and Tony along with Pete who is organizing the events at the store! Is it just me or does the red eye in this picture make the trio of them look all sinister? o.O
*cowers in the face of their cribbagey might*

If you missed out on this last tourney or just want to play again the sign up sheet for the next one February is here at the store if you want to get registered early. Spots went fast last go and it would be a shame to miss out! Other than that, congrats to both winners and a hearty cheer for all those that came out and gave it their all!

Future Myyystery Tournament!:

What with the board game blitz coming up, regular group art shows, cribbage tourneys, and D&D encounters every Thursday there is a lot going on. But why not have more? :O
I figured a poll might be in order to see what tournaments YOU the customers and readers want to have at Minotaur in the near future.

It would be a tournament that I'd run myself ASAP but now all that's holding me back is what something would be to pique everyone's interests. Now this hasn't worked in the past... but mayyyybe just maybe folks might weigh in for a change and hollah back about what they think I should run as an event. If not on the blog then at least on the Minotaur Games and Gifts facebook group so that we can decide what cool stuff to organize.

Munchkin? Settlers? A Card Game? a COLLECTABLE card game? Maybe something GMT/Military strat related or a good old fashion hasbro round robin monopoly editions tourney? *snickers*

You call the shots Kingston!

Lets get some feedback about what gaming arena you want to clash in next and I will make it so!

Also we need a new window display... *muses*

Something valentinish I'm guessin will appear sooner or later...but I'm rather clueless when it comes to windows that don't involve dragons and spells XD

Creative Corner:

Alright back to me!
Story writing?

I did nanowrimo back in November but never ended up pulling it together and proofreading it in December for obvious reasons like...oh how crazy busy we are with Christmas.

I kind of feel like i should be editing my piles of loose pages and pulling together a story from it to make a quasi finished work.
But I keep finding myself addicted to starting something new...it's those first few thousand words XD

Knowing that it's a new path that has yet to fully flush itself out that could develop into anything is a very exciting feeling when writing!
Well either I'll finally put the nail in the coffin and polish up that story or instead I'll finish the work I had already started back in the summer that still beckons to me...

We shall see...maybe another chapter or so will pop its way up onto the blog as personal encouragement.

But that's all for now folks.

This has been the Labyrinth and I'm Henry McCulloch. Game on!

The Labyrinth: 2012! So it has begun...

2012-01-09T10:06:00.000-08:00

So the new year has come and gone.
Drifting by like a fluffy drifty thing... that swiftly and silently slips past us...
= /
Look it's the time of year where we ALL reflect on a year gone by, things we accomplished, things we never got a chance to do, and most important of all new years resolutions!
Whether its a promise to ourselves to shave a few pounds, read a few new books, or do something nice for someone else every day it's important to do!
Reflection is an important part of life and it's all too easy to lose ourselves in the day to day without focusing on the year as a whole.
Annual scrapbooks anyone? :D

Cribbage Tournaments!

But with the start of the year already a week old it's time to start telling everybody about what is coming up in the near future at the store!

Cribbage tourneys are being run in store by Peter DuChemin and have been happening on an almost monthly basis. The one for January is already completely full but if you are a cribbage fan it's worth keeping an eye out for the next one on Saturday February the 18th!
Sign up sheets will be available at the front cash.
For tournaments with 12-24 participants prizes are being awarded to the winner and runner up in the form of gift certificates! Under 12 players and the winner takes all.
It's 10$ per player to enter and game play is solo pairings in a round robin format with winners advancing to face other winners and losers well... you get the idea.
Each player will play 7 matches in total, so win or lose everybody gets a lotta crib in!
The tournaments are typically in the evenings around 7pm.

2012 Kingston Board Game BlitZZZzzzz!!

That's right folks.
The silly crown of hardcore gaming is once again up for grabs and with it ultimate bragging rights and the title of the best Euro-gamer in Kingston for 2012!
It's a title that has been fought over by dozens of gaming pros in the Kingston circle of gaming from year to year but no matter the level of intensity, dedication, and pure LEET gaming skillz there can be only one...
Highlander style.
Players will face rounds of play in which different predetermined Euro games are handed out to different groups based off a list of potential picks.
This will ensure a wide variety of styles amongst the games to test competitor's skill levels with a wide host of popular titles.
Many shall come but only one shall stand at the end!

The King or Queen of the blitz shall win a free trip to Fan Expo to play in the Championship Tournament of the Great Canadian Board Game Blitz.

The WHAT: Mixed Eurogame Tournament
The WHERE: At the Minotaur's Den! (aka the store)
The COST: 10$ Per person.
The WHEN: Saturday March 24th 2012 10am-7pm
The WHY: Because it's going to be bad ass?

Marc Lanctot should be in attendance at the Blitz and is the man responsible for making this style of Euro-gaming tournament into a Canada wide series of events.

But of equal importance, to those entering the tourney, is another man's potential attendance...
Hailing from the wild western land of Toronto...
An absolute gaming TITAN, who's name is whispered in shady underground gaming groups worldwide...
Game master Patrick McInally may also be coming for a shot at the title!
But...
In the mystical east of Quebec another gaming BEHEMOTH stirs!!
Surely the infamous Dr. J. Dupont craves the title for himself.
There shall surely be a clash unlike any other should these two terrors arrive.
You have been...OFFICIALLY warned.

There is no games list as of yet but one will be announced as soon as the final games are determined.

(The games will definitely be some of the ones in this picture XD)

Settlers of Catan Tournament!

Though we probably wont be hosting the Eastern Canadian Championships this year we will still most likely be hosting a feeder tourney of some sort sometime in April.
Michael White will have more details on when and how much the event will cost as we finalize what this is all actually about XD
Catan shrouded in mystery!
Just know that it is out there and 'looming'
*inserts spooky music*

Paizo Minis!

That's right the new Pathfinder Battles minis from the Heroes and Monsters set are pretty much out.
Jan 10th is the official release date and so you can expect to see these gorgeous new sculpts hit the floor first thing that Wednesday!
I have a few case boxes set aside for myself and the set looks promising indeed.
There are 40 minis in total to collect in both small and large sculpts that are aimed at giving new Dungeon Masters an awesome selection of iconic and everyday baddies.

Here are a few examples of the new sculpts!

Play! Art Show

The flight art show has lingered a little bit longer than originally planned just because many of our local Kingston artists were too busy during December to work on any new projects and let us know that they might miss the deadline.
But the date is now fixed in stone and with an extra month for preparing we are eager to see what the new theme shall bring.

The submission deadline for the new show will be Monday Feb. 20th and the opening night soiree will be two days later on Wed. February 22nd. from 6pm-9pm.
The theme, like the last one, is open to interpretation and anything that is deemed suitable with the word 'play' is welcome in the exhibition!
Artists may chose to sell or to simply display their work.

Book Launch!

While we are on the topic of art I think it's worth mentioning that Nick Csernak is having a book launch for his new work: Essential Dream Jobs For Girls Who Can!
Let's hope to see everyone from the art show and more out at his event a few days later!
The show will be hosted here at Minotaur Games and Gifts on February 25th from 2-4pm.
It shall not only be a great chance to showcase the new coloring book but there will also be plenty of crayons standing by for kids to come out and have a coloring session!

As always...

This has been the Labyrinth, and I'm Henry McCulloch. Game on!

The Labyrinth: BLACK FRIDAY / apologies

2011-11-23T13:21:00.000-08:00

Hello game fans!
I've fallen far behind in my previous standard of 3ish blogs per month.
During October I managed to produce but a single meager blog update and to be honest it's just because I've been nice and busy with the build up towards Christmas.
The first real sprinkling of snow and freezing rain came today to remind us...hey you %@&*@! we're in Canada so prepare to freeze your butts off!
The cold is settling in and THE Friday is fast approaching.
What's so fancy about it? What's different about it being Friday? And why is it black?!?

Black Friday in the traditional sense is the day after American Thanksgiving and the 'official' start to the Christmas shopping season. Across most towns in Canada and the States there will bemass numbers of shoppers heading towards downtown areas to make good of the sales and deals that are going to be offered in some form or another at most retail outlets.

Wikipedia describes Black Friday as the following:
'The day's name originated in Philadelphia, where it originally was used to describe the heavy and disruptive pedestrian and vehicle traffic which would occur on the day after Thanksgiving. Use of the term started before 1966 and began to see broader use outside Philadelphia around 1975. Later an alternative explanation began to be offered: that "Black Friday" indicates the point at which retailers begin to turn a profit, or are "in the black"

Here you can see a graph above demonstrating the increasing number of tall silver bars that SUDDENLY become a much bigger golden bar! Hence illustrating why this Friday is by far the blackest...
*nods sagely*
It makes perfect sense. You just need to read between the lines and it alllll becomes clear.

At any rate here at Minotaur were going to be open for our normal hours from 10am to 9pm but everything in the store is going to be 15% off!
This deal excludes consignment items and the few red tagged items that are already marked down but if you've been debating starting your Christmas shopping but just haven't gotten around to it yet, then Black Friday is going to be the day for you! Not only can you find great deals at Minotaur but dozens of your other favorite downtown stores will be offering similar promotions.

In addition every person who spends a minimum of 50 dollars before taxes is going to have their name entered into a draw for a 500$ gift certificate. So grab your friends, bundle up if it's chilly out, and then head on down to Minotaur to find something for your friends and loved ones!

For those who enjoyed my writers corner and more constant updates to the blog my main excuse was Nanowrimo. A fun November event that has channeled most of my writing energies into writing a book! Soon as this month is up I'll start churning out some more fun things to peruse.

This has been the Labyrinth, and I'm Henry McCulloch. Game on!

The Labyrinth: The Coming Of Drizzt!

2011-10-13T17:46:00.000-07:00

Oh ... my... gods!
*begins praying to goodly, unaligned, and the evil gods of the forgotten realms*
Salvatore Fans Unite!!

For those of you who know or care about Salvatore and who he is and the work that he does then you'll understand alllll of the glorious 'geeking out' I'm about to do.

If you don't then follow along as best you can ^_^

While his new books have all been coming out in rapid succession to keep us eager readers happy there is now...a board game dedicated to some of the most iconic fights of Drizzt and his bad of friends.
*Faints*
When I first heard about the line of D&D board games my overall response was somewhere above Meh! and not quite as bad as Arrrggh!
But with the newest upcoming game box being a set all about Salvatore's most famous character Drizzit Do'urden AND his arch nemesis Artemis Entreri my heart rate definitely quickened.

If you go online to any of the many sources that tells you the general run down of the game it will say-

A cooperative game for 1–5 players based on the New York Times best-selling adventures of Drizzt Do’Urden.

The adventures of Drizzt Do’Urden, as told in the New York Times best-selling Forgotten Realms novels by R.A. Salvatore, come to life in this thrilling board game. Take on the role of the legendary drow ranger or one of his famous adventuring companions, battle fearsome foes, and win treasure and glory.

Designed for 1–5 players, this board game features multiple scenarios, challenging quests, and cooperative game play. The contents of this game can also be combined with other D&D Adventure System Cooperative Play board games, including Castle Ravenloft and Wrath of Ashardalon, to create an even more exciting experience.

Check out the Video!

This game includes the following components:

42 plastic heroes and monsters
13 sheets of interlocking cardstock dungeon tiles
200 encounter cards and treasure cards
Rulebook
Scenario book
20-sided die

So while all that SOUNDS good on paper a bunch of you might be saying.. "what does that actually mean though about how the game played?"
For those of you that play 4th ed D&D (Dungeons and Dragons) this game should be VERY straight forward to pick up and learn.
You will be playing with your allies each playing one of the famous characters from the novels.
Just like in 4e you'll get a move a standard and a minor action.
You will use minis and tiles to set the scenario that you are playing out and there is an interesting fog of war effect that means that tiles only get flipped when players end on an adjacent unexplored edge. Enemies and terrain features are revealed like this tile by tile adding a great deal of suspense about what lays ahead.
Players have hp (hitpoints) for their characters and whenever they are struck in combat they lose appropriate hp equal to the damage done by monsters. Players hava certain amount of healing surge tokens that they start with based off which character they are playing and to restore hp they must

In short I've toyed around with the game as a single player and i think any gamer will enjoy the fantasy themes running through this d&d based game BUT if you're a Salvatore fan you'll be tickled pink. It's also worth mentioning that if you are a model hobbiest and enjoy painting minis you can spend many hours/day painting up the full sec of plastic figurines that come inside the box. Overall I'm giving the Drizzt D&D ADventure board game asolid 8/10 but I'll also openly admit I'm horribly bias. This drow has forever caught and earned a place in my imagination and heart. Here's hoping the new books continue to be as awesome as the last!

This has been the Labyrinth, and I'm Henry McCulloch. Game on!

The Labyrinth: A Mansion filled with flights of Madness!

2011-09-30T17:41:00.000-07:00

Flight.
Creepy bats swooping through the darkness.
Leaves drifting to the dirt around a creepy cemetery.
Ghosts drifting between the clouds on a starry night.
Flight is the theme ladies and gentlefolk!
But creepy is the coming month...why not combine them I say?

It's a dual post today as there is an upcoming event in the store as well as a gameeeee revieeeewww!
It's a good game and an interesting event so read both!
I double dog dare you.

The event coming up is our 3rd group art show!
I already mentioned it briefly in a previous blog but we've had a few new people not involved with the last show come into the store and mention that they hadn't seen anything on the blog yet about the upcoming art show.
This, to be frank,...SHOCKED me!
Not because they hadn't noticed the post but that people read this blog ?!? :P
What's up with that?!

But no in all seriousness
- ART SHOW ANNOUNCEMENT-
The theme is Flight!
The first two I'm pleased to say were smashing successes each with larger #'s of submitted pieces than the last and a range of mediums and themes that all fell within the last themes of robots and under the sea.
This coming month in Oct. it will be Flight.

This can be literally the act of flying around amongst the sky or stars but ALSO it could be something creative concerning the word like flights of haunted stairs or flights of fancy.
The sky is actually the limit here so go wild!
We of course reserve the right to pick which submissions actually fall within the criteria of the show but so far we haven't turned anyone aside that has a creative idea or twist.
The under the sea stuff is coming down as we speak so get your submissions in fast!

All submissions should be in as of the 15th of October.
The art show opening night shall be on the 19th!
Dress to impress or just come looking cheekily casual it makes little difference as it shall be a fun evening to be sure with snacks and beverages to meet and greet the artists and sign the guest canvas with a doodle or your signature.

Now on to the game!!
As mentioned in the previous post today's pick is-

Mansions of Madness

It's a game I've played once or twice so while I've had some exposure to some of the scenarios I'm by no means an expert on the game yet and am still hungry to play it a few more times outside the store or on a games night.

But some of you who have been staring at it on the shelf or asking a buddy of yours to bring it in might want a bit of a rundown on what to expect. So here we go.

House on Haunted Hill fan? Good start!
Similar to Arkhem Horror you say? It isn't without its similarities!
In fact the characters (to my knowledge) are the same in both games.
The tile style board game leans more towards the HoHH setup as shown below.

Co-operative too you hear? Sort of... players must all cooperate to solve the challenge and fight off dreaded monsters, minus the dreaded overlord who will attempt to foil you at every turn!

Mansions of madness draws upon new and old game elements to keep the creepy cthulu and moldy mansion theme fresh and new.
Similar to both Arkhem and Haunted Hill this game sports several characters with unique stats for players to choose from before the game starts.

Each of these characters will have benefits and weaknesses.
The game has plastic detailed (yet unpainted) figures both to represent you and the monsters on the game board. Some players will be ideally suited to fighting off the beasties while other characters like the old professor or the gorgeous starlet might be better suited to collecting items or solving complex puzzles.

The fighting mechanic is nothing to marvel at as it's been used many a time before but at least it's well balanced!
You have X amount of hit points to begin with, typically ranging from about 3-8 and each time you are struck by a monster in combat you take wounds appropriately. If you reach zero you die. Items can be found that heal you or give your stats bonuses and weapons can be found to increase your combat lethality.

Scattered through the house are clues that will lead to other sections of the mansion or unlock new wings. All the while monsters of varying difficulties will spawn to impede the characters. That or senses of dread, shifting walls, or sudden power outages also can occur at the game masters discretion or through the drawing of cards that will act as interesting plot points.
Ultimately each scenario will have the party fleeing from the mansion or needing to reach a boss monster in time. I recall in our group we needed only to flee and bring every party member with us before the house sank forever into the earth. We managed to all get out save one party member which left us ending in a stalemate.

The most interesting thing for me was that many of the key clues and the in game mechanic to get past locked doors, to unseal a crypt, or to get water circulating / the power back on. Based off your characters intelligence statistic you will be presented with a physical puzzle. Perhaps a series of tiles to arrange and twist about or coloured rings to be assembled. If your intelligence stat is lets say... 4. Then on your turn you can move the tiles about 4 times. This limits how fast you solve the puzzle but since they are still brain teasers there is your OWN intelligence that comes into play because you might not immediately see the solution and no one can help you solve it.

I found it a refreshing adventure game since so many others of late have left me feeling unsatisfied. I'd rank it a 7.5 out of 10 with my vote increasing to an 8/10 if all the other scenarios are as engaging as the 1s one I played.

This has been the labyrinth, and I'm Henry McCulloch. Game on!

The Labyrinth: The Hallow is nearly upon us!

2011-09-24T17:13:00.000-07:00

Halloween!
That wonderful time of the year every Oct. 31st when children, youths, and sometimes deranged and sugar-deprived adults dress up and roam the streets in search of candy!!
Or brains...brains that taste like candy are the best IMO.
MmmmMMhhh brainnnnns!

For the most part the costumes are meant to be scary...but from time to time we do see the odd fairy, princess, or purple lovable huggable dinosaur costume.
It remains our solemn duty, to this day as a timeheld tradition, to beat those pink and fluffy critters black and blue with our true monstrous appendages and dastardly weaponry.

Know your enemy...
Study it's movements and behaviour patterns carefully.
Sometimes they travel in packs, aim your strikes on straglers or sickly specimens.
Pick the perfect time to strike when it's most vulnerable.
Always approach from the shadows and make sure to aim for their green underbellies or flowery wings...only when you are certain of the kill can we all breath a little easier.

If we manage to cull enough of these 'adorable' critters then we can reinforce our scary superiority and remind them that the POINT of the holiday is to scare off the real demons and monsters that lurk in the dark.

Well...or to get ridiculously drunk and forget everything associated with the holiday.

On that note, avoid downtown princess street on the weekend beforehand. The 29th and 30th are most likely going to the herald the arrival of armies of wannabe-strippers, playboy bunny girls, and drunken cheer things. Covorting about until theyre just sort of lounging about and hurling on everything in sight...

I personally feel we should all be on high alert this time of year!
Not drinking ourselves into oblivion.
Halloween is the one time of year that we are most likely to get caught off guard by an authentic zombie apocalypse and for what?
Nowadays when you run around and get candy it's almost always crap candy anyways...erm. Least that's what i hear...not like I still go door to door at my age.
Or rough up purple dinosaurs and take their candy...

In my neighbourhood they strove each year to put the junk in junkfood.

(Such a handy graph! :P and oh so true.)

But enough...those that are crafty will make it to November and those that aren't well...they shall bolster the undead's numbers for the following year. We'll just have to go Shaun of the Dead on them and chose our very worst vinyls to hurl at them! Best scene...EVER.

Shaun: NO! That's the second album i ever bought!! Some of these are limited... AHH what was that??
Ed: Blue Monday...
Shaun: That was an original pressing!!
Ed: For FUCK SAKE!
Ed: Purple Rain?
Shaun: No.
Ed: Sign O' The Times?
Shaun: Definitely Not...
Ed: The Batman Suondtrack?
Shaun: Throw it!

Because any crisis should be handled as such...with a very british sort of air of calm and collected no-nonsense logic!
:)

Now the question of the day!

HOW DOES ANY OF THIS RELATE TO MINOTAUR?

A valid question indeed...
One that I'd be overjoyed to answer if it wasn't for the fact that zombies are assaulting the front AS WE SPEAK!
I shit you not...luckily we have an extensive costume section in the back these days!

I'll just run back throw on one of our creepy capes snatch myself one of our sharp swords and
equip an eypatch and viola I have a perfectly piratey outfit!
...
Which, as we all know, is one of zombie's true weaknesses. Acts of piracy!

OR i could use the mountain of makeup in the back and blood packets to dress up like an undead zombie or vampire and mingle right in and save myself!
Our halloween section ALSO has catalogues so...if i can baracade myself in and spend a few weeks waiting for a delivery i could order in anything my heart desires costume wise!

This all also ties in with next weeks game review of Mansion of Madnessssss!
Since tis the season we decided it would be appropriate to talk up the creepy crawly game.
Till then stay safe and keep a wary eye peeled!

This has been the Labyrinth and I'm HenryMcCulloch. Game on!

The Labyrinth: Blogs? Yersh! Brogz!

2011-08-31T13:58:00.000-07:00

So another week, another few days in the life...
It's Sept. Now...crazyness how the time flies.
Gaming is a lifestyle that some of us eat drink breath and sleep with clutched near to our hearts.
It doesn't matter where our lives take us or what's going on in them as we will always find a way to game wherever we are!
That statement rings true with me over the last month more so than ever!

These past few weeks I've been gaming a fair bit both on the computer and with a handful of boardgames / card games.
I've been really eager to try a newish title that came out a month or 2 ago called dominant species. I'll admit and after seeing it get played once or twice at the last few games nights it has only served to increase my desire to try it out but it's tough to sneak in a night at the store that I'm not working when the temptation of the inter web beckons from the comfort of home.

(It's come to my attention from a concerned reader that in my blogs of late there has been a SEVERE lack of cats, kitten, or fluffy critters of any kind. Therefore to remedy the situation several extra kittens will be making appearances this week!)

So instead of trying out Dominant Species I did manage to try a game that I had never played called Carson City last week with several of the games night regulars.
It was a fun light strategy game that pitted players against one another in a wild wild west styled shoot out for the burgeoning Carson City.
So my first thought was... "solid name choice..."
The next thing I noted was the familiar colored meeples very akin to many Rio titles.
It made me smile and nod and think about it more as a old favorite rather than a daunting new game to learn.
Finally we played it through.

It was short enough with only 5? ...
I want to say 5rounds of total play and while there are plenty of guns to sling around or hire it was a fun little tricky thing to sit and analyze when it was all done. Three of the 4 players were all within 4 points of one another with any number of ever so slight differences making or breaking the game for them. One of those..."I would have won if he hadn't of beaten me there but because he didn't here so and so is just one point behind here which ties them for points before the points we get from cash" Definitely one that I will explore again in the near future and while it's not one of our games that we keep in the store as model inventory I STRONGLY suggest folks reading this that love westerns to special order it. That or you could always settle for Blackgold which is a similar game but more about the oil rush. OR alternatively yet again you can get your name on a waiting list for Deadwood which outa be another solid shoot em up western.

So that's really it for board gaming for me of late...sad I know but I did watch most of an El Grande game in the store and sit in on a game of Ikusa. Neither thirst is fully sated but dulled while I sit now scratching my head with what to finish the blog about...

But not really...
There's plenty to talk about in store even if it isn't directly gaming related.
The under the sea art show was a smash.
I'm including some photos that were sent to me of some of the folks in attendance for the opening night reveal of all the art pieces.
(Pictures are still on their way but I'm posting this as is. Ill upload pics as they become available)
And while I'm at it I'll mention that the next art show has already been decided!
It is going to be flight.

That's all just the word flight.
So it can be anything in the realm of aviation as most will take the word for that meaning but we can see literal flights of stairs or flights of fancy!
Comon it's artsy fartsy after all we can make things as creative as we like with the topic.
The opening night for that exhibition is going to be October 19th from 6pm to 9pm at the store.
All submissions should be in by the 15th though to ensure yourself a spot!
Same as last time, one entry per artist with any form of medium that tickles your interest.

Hmmm what next...
The promenade I mentioned in a blog right before it happened but someone brought up that we never showed any pictures of the day to show what a success it was again this year.
(Pics will follow soon yet again :P)
Despite torrential rain that put the rain forest deluges to shame and with dozens of stores being flooded or without power just the day before the promenade weekend we downtown businesses still managed to connect and enjoy the sight of thousands of Kingtonians travelling up and down princess / the downtown core to see the street festival.
Included are some pixs for your enjoyment.

Next up D&D!!!
What I haven't talked about it for at least 5minutes...it's only fair to get back 'on topic'
Paizo is putting out a new line of plastic gaming minis soon.
And by soon i mean December...but still for us plastic model addicts Christmas time can't come fast enough with this tantalizing tidbit being announced.
Sadly they ARE going to be randomized instead of in conveniant battlegroup format as many of us hoped they would be.
Still with the mini market running on empty beggars cant be choosers I say.
They are going to retail for $4 for a standard mini or two smalls and $6 for the large minis.
Here are a few samples of what they will look like!

Plasticky for sure...
Monster minis we have already? True enough.
Color jobs on some that look like a colorblind amputee goblin could do better?
Hmmm well I still am reserving judgment for when they arrive because I heard in the rumor mill that these pictures arw computer tailored and NOT the actual paint jobs.
Here's hoping!

(We all feel like that some days...damn will saves)

While we are on the D&D topic / creative writing I figured I'd mention my writer's corner.
I already have the next installment more or less done...just trying to decide whether or not to post it up?
Not sure if those particular posts are getting any reading time but I'll wait to hear back from anyone if they would like to hear more about the adventures of Cale, Feris, Ariel, and Framfrit.
Their ongoing saga can continue as interest reveals itself!! :P

I suspect that's all for now but here's hoping you hear a lot about some new games in the upcoming weeks, I'll promise to do my best to try a few I've been meaning to sink my teeth into.

This has been the Labyrinth and I'm Henry McCulloch. Game On!

The Labyrinth: Feudal Japan VS Medieval Spain!!

2011-08-01T10:27:00.000-07:00

The Time: The 15th - 16th century
The Place: Feudal Japan!

During this time period the island nation of Japan underwent a bloody era known now as the Sengoku period or 'warring states' period. For over 100 years political and military powers vied for control over the island nation. Large Samurai armies led by Daimyos shed their neighbours blood in a deadly conflict to decide who would be the next ruling Shogunate to maintain control over all of Japan. Contact with Europeans had only recently been made and while the sword and the bow were still the mainstay of any Samurai army, gun power in the form of basic arquebuses had begun to take their place amongst the rank and file soldiers.

The Time: The 15th Century! ? ! ?
(Meh...it's probably sometime towards the fall of the Kings of Spain...lets call it around
the death of Henry IV in 1474 since there was a lot of political upheaval.)
The Place: Spain!

During the early 1400's the Muslim forces that held the south of Spain known as the Almohads had almost been entirely forced from the peninsula. The only foothold they retained was the territory of Granada. Each unique territory and region that loosely made up what would over the next century become a more unified Spain held their own political and judicial structures
During the following 100 years known as the Reconquista period one of the most influential Kings Henry IV the ruler of Castile passed away. This highly sought after throne became the aim of several influential rulers of neighbouring regions.

<(O.o)> - huh? wha'bout games?

So, now that the history lesson is done for the day...what do these two time periods have in common?

Yes. You are correct oh savvy reader, they certainly ARE both about countries at the peak of military and political infighting. If you had already guessed that both time periods have been made into games well then you are crafty beyond compare!!

With great pleasure here is an in depth look at both,

IKUSA
(Formerly known as Avalon Hill's 'Samurai Swords) [Formerly Formerly known as Shogun!]

--------------------------- -VS ---------------------------------

El Grande
(Currently known by this guy as omgbbqsauce i wonzzzz!)

Dahhh Winning!

Both are games from my childhood and both are titles worth adding to any gaming collection.
While neither are cheap to come by both easily deliver in terms of game play, artwork/style, re playability and gorgeous manufacturing bitz.

~~~~[]~~~~[]~~~~[]~~~~[]~~~~[]~~~~[]~~~~[]~~~~[]~~~~

Starting with Ikusa lets give it a thorough once over shall we?

Style of Play: As mentioned above it's an old Avalon Hill title but it plays very much like the classics Risk or Axis and Allies.
FULL STOP!

Alright that right off the bat might turn some folks off but I should reiterate.
It is what Risk and Axis and Allies SHOULD have been if only they had been combined by a loving game designer who thought everything was better once you throw in Samurai and deadly ninjas and giant Japanese castles from which you can bombard your opponents with wave after wave of angry hired Ronin!!!

So...it isn't exactly like either but has some similarities.

The combat uses D12's (cool I know) and the combat is streamlined with easy to follow melee and ranged rounds of fighting that make WAY more sense than the frequent dice fests that are Risk.
Plus they have &#%*ing swords!

Ikusa has dealt with the conundrum of how to display large forces of armies while still retaining the coolness factor of having lots of meeples to fling to their untimely demises. In Risk you need to 'upgrade' single soldiers to horses and those pony riders in turn into field artillery. These pieces have no real importance as they are all just numerical representations that you need to push around in a big clump. In Ikusa each unit is unique with its own strengths and abilities. In Risk you can attack ad nauseam in a mass clutter of units from southern Australia to Eastern America when you go on an attacking binge which makes little to no sense logistically but in Ikusa you can normally only attack a single time against a neighbouring region.

Axis and Allies steps things up a great deal from Risk because the units each are unique with separate battle statistics. Its combat system is much more akin to Ikusa but the en masse feeling of battle can often be lost visually under an ugly stack of white and black combat chips. In Ikusa the battles can still be awesomely epic while keeping the board relatively clutter free without losing the mass battle feel. Each player gets an army card with slots on it for x3 Daimyo's each with it's own unique flag. A single playing piece with the matching flag symbol represents this large force on the game board while still letting you still count out and arrange a massive force just off the edge of the board. You can draft troops turn by turn and swell your armies up or drop off units alternatively as you pass through areas but unlike Risk or Axis and Allies each army caps out at 15 units. This encourages players sitting with full armies of samurai to engage in combat that keeps each turn active! As the game progresses each victory your Daimyo's obtains will in turn increase thier skills in combat as they learn from past experiences. In subsequant turns they begin to be able to attack or move multiple squares on both offense and defense, covering great distances in the span of a single turn.

Truly this is a military classic without compare.
It has few drawbacks but those that it does suffer from may deter certain types of gamers from trying it out.
It's running time is very long easily approaching 4hours or more and like many conflict-based games it does have the drawback of potential player elimination. All in all it's worth it to see one of these Japanese death matches through to the end.
Just have any friends who get eliminated perform an elaborate Sebuku for your amusement as the game carries on without them :D

~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~

El Grande

What a drastic change from Ikusa.
This game is everything that a military game isn't and is one of the best Euro-games currently out there. Here at Minotaur it had a very brief stint where it saw some play but the regulars either overlooked its elegant game mechanics or didn't get a chance to have this unique strategy grow on them.
So that's why I'm bringing it back!!!

El Grande is just too good of a game not to have on the shelf...no two ways about it.
The game is like a precursor to Agricola, Peurto Rico, Tikal and Alhambra all bundled into one. It has very familiar scoring rounds like many Rio Grande games that take place at the end of the 3rd 6th and 9th(final) turn.
The game has very verrrry limited luck in it and most of the events that will shape the outcome of the game are based off the choices players make and the strategies they chose to employ. Certain methods of play that might work well in one game or in a particular situation wont against other strategies or styles of players.

In many ways it is like Puerto Rico.
Often I've heard gamers exclaim that the players are what make or break the game but that seating position is crucial. If you are seated next to a very strong player on your left often you'll find yourself struggling when an inexperienced gamer in the same seat will spell out a drastically different outcome. El Grande also has a selection mechanic where 5 choices will be available each turn to players to chose from but unlike Puerto Rico the order of play changes round by round to keep the competition fierce.

The basics of El Grande is that each player will have small tokens representing caballeros that they will draft each turn into their court that are worth a single point of influence. They shall also have a large cube which represents themselves as a Lord or Lady of future Spain which is worth additional influence (Similar to the worker and head worker from Tikal) Through intruige subterfuge and diplomacy players must use these tokens to vy for control over different territories to eventually become the next King. The tricky part however is the King's Pawn piece which travels about the board. Players may only effect areas adjacent to where the King is and by that same rule can never add or remove units in the location the King is standing in for that particular turn.

To make things a bit trickier again the way with which you acquire more caballeros and pick your turn order is one of the best parts of the game. Each player starts with a deck of numerical cards ranging from 1 to 13 and players will pick one at the start of each round. Similar to the card game 'stupide vulture' when you spend a card it's gone for good so players need to balance saving powerful cards for turns where they'll want to go early in a round, with playing low cards that, while meaning you probably will go last and have an unfavorable action card during that turn, will allow the player a larger # of caballeros to influence regions.

Four of the action cards that crop up each turn will be unique but one that remains from round to round is the option to move the king. Often players will want to play high cards to be the 1st pick because doing so will mean you can strategically place the King's Pawn piece in a way that will limit your opponents from being able to place caballeros in the region that the King's sitting in in addition to any sections of the board that aren't adjacent as well. There are many layers to the strategy beyond this but these few basic elements are what keeps El Grande in the top 15 games on boardgamegeek. It's currently ranked 12th and whenever i reminisce about the imes I played with my Dad and Uncles back when we were all around Ottawa it always makes me grin a lot. Each one of us was pretty particular about what kind of games we enjoyed but El Grande was always our go-to game when we couldn't all agree on what to play because each one of us loved it through and through.

I personally have a copy of Ikusa now and will be searching high and low QUESTING if you will for people who want to sit down on a Sunday games night perhaps or on a different night at my place to slog through it. I also just ordered a El Grande for the store and here's hoping that one of our games night regulars decides to pick it up and bring it in a few times so that the gaming folks can see just how strong a title it is. If no one picks it up within the first week or two I'm thinking I'll buy it and bring it in and make everyone play it!

Don't make me come in and force you all to play under swordpoint!
I'll be dual wielding a rapier and a katana! ;D

This has been the labyrinth and I'm Henry McCulloch. Game On!

The Labyrinth: Craftz!?

2011-07-24T10:17:00.000-07:00

It's Kingston.
It's been scorching hot out these last few days.
But it's finally started to cool off today.
So let's throw some fuel on the fire!

It's a Sunday post, which for me is crrrrrazy, but I'm throwing out an all day challenge for anyone who reads the post today!
I'm going to be here watching the store all afternoon but I shall also be here for games night.
*GASPETH*
That certainly hasn't happened for a while...

So here's the game plan-
#1 Bring in a new game or at least one that hasn't been talked up on the blog yet and sit down with yours truly.
#2 We play the game!!
If it's a solid game I'll do a write up @ our normal blog time on Wednesday/Thursday!
#3 Your name and awesome idea will be mentioned and naturally become the talk of the town! Or at least mildly gossiped about by our tight community of gamers!

So bring it in and lay the challenge down VS El Henri Ze Jeuxmastah!
But you best bring your A game if you're throwing down the gauntlet with me.

I still think war paint or an intimidating 'I rule' flag is the best thing to bring with for challenges like this to really let your opponent know you mean seereus biznis!

The calm of Crafternoons shall soon be shattered by the blood curdling screams of gamers!
But that reminds me that I have been remiss in mentioning Crafternoons to date...
At least i don't recall giving it some interweb time.

So do you knit? Or sew? Crochet? Bead? Fold Origami? Sketch? Make odd constructions out of Popsicle sticks? Burp the alphabet backwards?

Well all of these are crafts!! And we here at Minotaur have been keenly pushing our Crafternoons every Sunday Afternoon from 1pm until when games night starts up at 5pm.
It's free! - AWESOME
It's fun! - SUPER AWESOME
And best of all it's a fantastic way to share ideas and just relax with close / new friends.

Justine, Gale, and often Ada have all been building this wonderful community of crafters from around Kingston. So far the response in turn out and atmosphere has been fantastic!
We continue to get new faces around the table but if any of you out there have just been wondering where to find a 'club' or 'activity group' that does this kind of stuff you absolutely need to come down and take advantage of this group.
Right now during the summer it's a smaller crowd of about 6-8 crafters but during the school year when it's a little more busy we typically had a dozen folks showing up.
This will be the 2nd year of Crafternoons come fall.
We'd love it if everyone reading this-

A: Brought in their craft and joined us for some great times.

B: Told family, friends, and complete strangers on the street to come out and participate.

Seriously the more the merrier :)
That's all for now folks!
Here's hoping I see a bunch of you out at games night tonight!

This has been the Labyrinth and I'm Henry McCulloch. Game on!

The Labyrinth: M-m-m-m-multi Posssst!

2011-07-19T11:03:00.001-07:00

Greetings all!
It was thrilling to hear back from a handful of different people over this week that you all have been enjoying the blog!
It made me grin and blush and want to do a song and dance just like a happy little schoolgirl that...errr. Well...it just made me happy to hear some feedback. Let's just leave it at that...

I had been suffering away from Floccinaucinihilipilification, as I began to worry that perhaps my best efforts weren't being enjoyed.
(God I love using big words that I only partially understand :D)

But now I know better! *tears up and sniffles*
I will strive away and labor for at least an extra four or five minutes today out of a subconscious desire to try and make this post just a zillion times better!

Well, folks are still reading The Labyrinth!
So I had best keep all you readers entertained and informed on the world of gaming!
And before we get started on gaming / events in the store here's a blurb about some of our outstanding gamers of note lately that have put a few new accomplishments on their Championship gaming belts.

Quentin Janes -------Katrina Sauvé

^^^ The big weinerssSSssSSss! ^^^

Recently Minotaur has been host to a handful of competitions / tournaments and so we thought it would be nice to showcase those that claimed 1st place.
Though all players involved at both tourney's fought well there could be only one top settler and dominionist.

Through the round robin play of our 12-person Settlers North American Championship Lord Quentin managed to fight and claw his way to the final table of four. Those 4 seats were hotly contested indeed, as all 4 finalists (Niel, Kristi, Robert, and Quentin) had won 2 of the three matches they had played in round robin play in order to even get a shot at the title. That final game Quentin showed some true Settlers skills as he jumped from 6 to 10 points in a single turn surprising the opposition by laying down 2 points while simultaneous claiming the longest road by being the 1st to reach 5roads long.
Congrats to Quentin and Kudos on his 'gritty' championship pic.
- "Playing settlers LIKE A BOSS!!"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=NisCkxU544c

In a slightly smaller scale but equally harrowing tournament of Dominion (featuring the new release Cornucopia) her Ladyship Katrina Sauvé demonstrated her impressively honed Dominion strategies. For all but one game that entire day she went undefeated in game after game during the qualifying rounds and in the final claimed 4/5 prize cards to seal her overall victory! Posing above with her well earned prize she took home her very own copy of the game for ending up on top.
Congrats to Katrina as well for her exemplary performance!

Everyone who missed out on the tourneys will have to settle for making it out to the next event we host so keep your eyes peeled on The Labyrinth and in store for any new details as they become available!

But with that aside It's worth noting that the Princess Street Promenade is fast approaching!! The 30th of July is only a few weeks away and if this years turnout is anything like last years then thousands upon thousands of people will be crammed along Princess St. and spread out all over the downtown core!
With the main 'drag' closed to all traffic the weekend heralds a few days of pedestrian shopping and activities like few others during the year.

I knew it would be a big event last year when downtown Kingston store-owners rallied together to get the ball rolling but I didn't expected the day to be a success on such a humongous scale.
I mean you hear that Kingston has X-thousand people as a population but other than when the queens students are marching about in force you would never guess that our city has the #'s that it does. On last years promenade you could look left from princess and division and look straight down at the water and see a constant blanket elbow to elbow of Kingstonians.
Simply amazing...don't miss it this year guys!

But what's new at the store!?!?
It's true I have been neglectful thus far in the blog of new product.
How about Hexbugs! *cheers*
Well...sure we've had some before...but we haven't had the battle-bridge yet or the remote controlled spiders ^_^
Both of which are cool but the environmental sets are what I like the best.
I was grinning ear to ear when I checked in the battle-bridges.
There's already something insanely amusing about watching a hexbug nano buzz and bump around, am I right?
Now.... picture that but with it doing it atop a bridge of doom in a pitched battle against a 2nd nanobug!
*covers eyes and peeks between his fingers*

It's one of those things like a lava lamp that I could literally watch for several hours and forget about all else in the multi-verse.
Definitely interesting gifts for anyone with a b-day coming up.

Ah! I haven't mentioned any games yet?
Right, well it's outside our normal board game niche but MTG!!!

A new core set for the year, if that's not worth at least a mention then what is?
It's the highly anticipated and much awaited M12 or 2012 core set release.
Mreow? Core set? What's the diff magic is magic isn't it?
Well for those that don't play magic or just play it casually with friends then here's the educational segment of the post! Here's the rundown...
MTG has several formats of play such as standard,legacy,extended,vintage, etc.
Each one has different blocks of cards that are legal for play and the rules vary slightly between tournaments. Some allow players who have cards from different sets spanning years and years to play with their entire collections while standard tournaments only allow cards from the current core set and two most recent blocks.

So once per year they put out a new base core set that's going to stick around for at least a year and that time is now!! So I encourage any players who haven't been collecting much Magic the Gathering of late to come on down to the store and get back into the swing of things.
We have individual boosters, pre-made decks, and at least 1 fat pack left for the time being.
I myself just dropped a hefty amount on stocking up on some boosters so join me in hunting for those planeswalkers and I'll see any of you that play up at4c8b.
I'm going to make a point of going to more Friday night magic events there or drafts on Tuesdays if I'm not at D&D.

Mmmmh did someone say D&D?
I've pretty much exhausted my poor little brain of all it's current topics to blogify on so I figure for an encore to make this a true MULTIPOST I'll add my 2nd installment of the creative writing corner following the adventures set in Duponde based loosely on this seasons D&D Encounters that are happening right here at the store every Thursday from 5 to 7 and 7 to 9!
If this piques your interest while reading my efforts at cheezy fantasy literature then by all means come down to the store and join in the roleplaying fun.
At any rate here's hoping you all enjoy.

Also feedback!
Now that I know some folks are reading this semi regularly.
If any of you want to hear about particular games, wish there were upcoming events in-store, have any questions that desperately need answering by a semi-game expert like our invisible game consultant Gonzo, or if you just want to bash or compliment some aspect of the blog then feel free!
Start up a debate about which games rules more!
What are your predictions, is 'Kittens In a Blender' going to be as much fun as the cheap ass games 'Kill Doctor Lucky'?!?
What's the best way to win a game of Puerto Rico vs Settlers since one relies heavily on board layout and luck while the other relies almost entirely on player based decisions.
Don't be shy, no one here bites... not hard at any rate.
But now on to the story! Grab some hot chocolate or coffee it's a longish one.

This has been the Labyrinth and I'm Henry McCulloch. Game On!

The Labyrinth: Writing Corner! One Dark Night on the Fell Part 2

2011-07-19T10:52:00.001-07:00

One Dark Night on the Fell Part: 2

Ariel: The Wizard
Feris: The Rogue
Cale: The Paladin
Framrit: The Blackguard

The heavy sound of their feet splashing through the muddy streets echoed eerily.
As they rushed down the back alleys the buildings and lamp posts twisted at odd angles that defied the laws of the prime material.
But this was the shadowfell...
It heeded no such rules.

They had been fighting all night against all manner of foul creatures.
Saving Tilda's establishment, 'The Old Owl Inn', had been the least of the trio's concerns.
The entire town of Duponde was now under siege and to make matters worse the suspected culprits of the dark rituals had been spotted fleeing out the south gates.
With them went any answers as to how to reverse the dreaded shadowfall.

Dusk beasts, leeching shadows, lurking spirits, and dark spider swarms had plagued the streets and the nearby armory. Dead on their feet they had been fighting since midnight and their limbs had begun to grow heavy. Only their new shadowy companion Framrit seemed unaffected by the icy cold of the shadowfell's ever present gloom.
Yet on they ran towards their new destination.
The cemetery.

"Blackguard...you said that the graveyard holds a clue to what disturbed the town. How can you know for certain that there will be a lead there to follow? The shadow fiends and lost souls seem to be appearing randomly throughout the town with nothing linking them to the graves!"

"Commmmmon cale there's eeky creepies all over town and you think the graveyard ISN'T linked somehow?"

"I just think we risk much...putting all the villager's lives in jeopardy like this to chase down what could be another dead end. We arrived just in time at both the armory and the city square and he can offer us no proof to his claim other than he senses a 'disturbance' ."

"I tell you paladin...something is there. Whether it will rectify the situation or not remains to be seen but it's presence is not in question. A dark emanation calls from deep within those burial grounds."

"He speaks truth Cale. There is the graveyard! And now that we are closer i can sense magic...strong perverse magic leaking from the center. "

"I do not doubt his ability to sense this energy Ariel, but his claim that he simply wishes to fix it as we do is what doesn't sit right with me."

Framrit's eyes narrowed as he suddenly turned on the paladin.
There was a bright flash and the clash of blades echoed down the side street.
Ferris had jumped aside and Ariel gasped in shock as the bright white and frosty blue swords crossed between them shuddering from the power behind each adventurer's grip.
Cale glared back as the dwarf grated out each word.

"I've helped to save your pathetic townsfolk countless times tonight...and your own miserable lives as well. If it served me to have you dead paladin of Pelor trust that I would have slain you in your sleep before you even knew of my presence."

"Truly the way that any cur would hmm? In the dead of night you'd slit a man's throat like a coward rather than face him in combat."

Ferris broke the tension in the air with a loud yawn as he over dramatically leaned against a nearby barrel, fishing inside to relieve the container of some of its contents.

"Well that would be the sensible thing to do Cale...don't want to go toe to toe with a big bruiser like yourself if you don't needta right?" Ferris said picking his round nose a bit. "Basic survival tip one, only fight when you need to."

Ariel watched in disgust as the halfling flicked the slime and boogers free from his stubby finger and without wiping his hand pulled out a semi rotten apple from the barrel and took a bite.

"Enough you two...put your blades down and use that anger for the night's work...whatever magic is there at the cemetery is not diminishing on its own. And by everything that is HOLY Ferris put that down and wipe your hand you disgusting beast. You'll make yourself sick eating that filth!"

"Mmm *munch* fank you mudder! *munch munch*" Ferris mumbled between bites as he let the half finished fruit tumble to the muddy alleyway.

Cale glanced at his companions and then back to the dwarf as he slid his weapon away, carefully disengaging. Framfrit did the same in turn, but as he sheathed his blade he made the point of flashing his sinister grin at the paladin once more.

Something about him was just... off.
He could feel it though Cale couldn't place it, but something lurked within the pale-skinned dwarf that gave him the shivers.

"Don't think our quarrel is over. I have my eyes on you Framrit, and I'll be making sure you aren't up to anything."

"You can try lad...there's nothing to stop you from trying." He grated back, his words as cold as the dead of a winter night.

<>~~~~~~~~~<>~~~~~~~~~<>~~~~~~~~~<>~~~~~~~~~<>

The dim light flooded down the stairs, glowing an eerie greenish hue, pulsing from the tip of the stranger's staff. He moved as though he was injured or simply favoring his left side but also moved with a certain calm and assuredness. As the robed figure reached the bottom of the stairs he hissed in disdain at the state of the floors.
Pacing through the underground old hallways he casually flicked a hand towards a puzzled guard that had begun to ask him what he was doing there.
In a heartbeat the pour soul's skin melted, peeled back, and flayed to a pulp. Within seconds the robed figure disintegrated the guard down to loose flesh and bare bones as necrotic energy laced through his corpse.
Normally he would have tortured the fool more extensively but he didn't have time for delays nor the patience to understand why ruffians were living at his former abode.

When at last his hazel eyes scanned over the remains of his laboratory that lay strewn about the ruined basement floor his eyes narrowed with rage. The blasted Pelorites had come...they had taken or destroyed everything of worth. They would pay dearly for their attempts to limit his research. Behind and within the hazel orbs that were Nathaire's eyes another sentient presence controlled the half elf's movements and thoughts.

His name had been Vontarin.

A deep violet gleam could be seen behind his iris's as a pale mist leaked from the corners of his eyes. This frail body was weak compared to when Vontarin had been alive but at least this 'Nathaire' possessed enough common sense to recognize the true power he would bring to his body by siding with him.

First he would gather his belongings from the monastery and then he would deal with returning properly to the land of the living. Evard would not have the last say in this...and once Vontarin stood once more returned to the mortal coil he would reap such vengeance on the town of Duponde. Its backwater villagers and quaint cemetery had served as his prison for all these years and he owed them a swift and bloody culling.
Soon...very soon.
He could almost taste it.

<>~~~~~~~~~<>~~~~~~~~~<>~~~~~~~~~<>~~~~~~~~~<>

"FERIS! Fall back to the crypt! There's too many, their numbers seem endless...if we stay out here much longer we'll be surrounded and overwhelmed!"

"Oh no way... you're not weaseling you way out of this one Cale!" Feris shouted back as he leapt atop a tombstone to get a better view of the hordes of oncoming zombies.

"I told you, two gold says i can take down two with one sling-stone!"

Feris cackled madly as he launched off stone after stone from his tiny sling, most shots smashing through the decrepit skull of one of the advancing undead.

"I didn't even ACCEPT your bet Feris!! Now get over here you delusional little halfing before they reach you."

Cale swung his sword about fending off the raking clawed hands of the zombies.
They were slow and unintelligent undead it was true but brutishly strong.
If one could manage to grab a hold of you the others would mob you in a pack and tear you into pieces. Cale had dealt with the like before...he also guessed these zombies were not alone...
Backing up towards the cracked crypt doors he shouted over his shoulder to their wizardly companion.

"Hows it coming in there Ariel?!? We can't keep this up all day out here!"

"By the makers and everything that is good do you REALLY think the subtle art of the arcane can simply be rushed along by shouting hurry hurry?!? This level of craft takes time!! I am utilizing years of carefully honed skills..."

Feris popped his head inside the door and raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"Really? Because it kinda looks like youre just waving your hands about and humming to yourself...I'm no expert...but I bet I could do that..."

"If you don't want us all dead then by the light get him out of here!!!" Ariel shrieked.

Cale's gauntlet slammed down upon Feris' back and hoisted him up to eye level. Feris sheepishly grinned and Cale scowled furiously.

"So help Pelor...Feris!! If you don't..."

Cale paused as he glanced over at the wall of advancing undead, their numbers swelling by the second as fresh corpses ripped themselves out of the damp earth.
This wasn't working.
They needed them down en-masse.
Ever the quick thinker Cale was not without a plan.

"Feris...if you can kill those zombies...and i mean ALL those zombies...for one night I swear upon my oath as a paladin that I will buy you as MUCH food as you can possibly eat."

Feris' eyes widened like dinner plates and his small mouth hung open. For once in his life the halfling was speechless. The chanting inside from Ariel started back up again as she tried to concentrate her efforts to halt the leaking of necrotic energy that was spilling out from the opened coffin.

"Do we have a deal Feris...because we don't really have time for haggling..." Cale asked desperately as he glanced to the wall of zombies no more that 40feet away now.

"Human...."

Feris started talking his voice hoarse and unusually distant.

"...you may just be the single greatest paladin in the history...of ever."

"Um...thanks?"

"Put me down....I have several hundred meals to earn." Feris said sternly.

The moment his small little feet touched down on the soil he was off rocketing at the crowd. His daggers flashed as he spun his sling about, firing off rocks at his enemies.
Feris was renowned for his trick shots and tonight he set about proving his reputation, ricocheting sling stones off multiple zombies heads at once.
Entire sections of the undead host toppled back to the earth whence they had come.
Darting between zombies legs Feris' bloodcurdling dinner screams could be heard even if the diminutive juggernaut could rarely be seen. He was so fast and quick that all that could be seen of him was the occasional fluttering of his cloak or the glint of his steel in the moonlight.

Cale grinned to himself as he too waded into the combat. Blessing his sword with radiant power and causing his shield to shed the brightest of sunlight he illuminated the surrounding graveyard.

"Fight on brave Feris...fight on. We must buy her as much time as we can..." He whispered to himself as he held the path in front of the crypt.

Ariel's eyes traced back and forth quickly as though in a trance. Her eyes had become milky white orbs as she tried desperately to find the source. The magic here was intense, enough to make any novice enchantress collapse under the sheer magical pressure that the coffin was putting out. Ariel's fingers desperately traced runes into the air as glowing magical lines sprung from her fingertips as she wove containment seals about the room. This was the most potent of dark energies and normally she would not attempt this type of spell without a host of other spellcasters aiding her. But tonight she was doing what she hated most when it came to magic but she had become quite used to this when it came to traveling with her band of friends.
Ariel was improvising.

Cale's head swung about his eyes scanning the tombstones but he couldn't see the dwarf anywhere.
That blasted Blackguard had run off the second that the zombies has started appearing.
No doubt this had been his plan all along...unable to best them three on one he lured them here to the graveyard where his undead minions would tear them apart.
He swore to himself if they somehow lived through the night he would find and take his vengeance upon the sinister dwarf.

The paladin was wretched from his thoughts as he heard a pained howl come from behind one of the tombstones.

"Feris?!? I'm coming little one! HOLD ON!"

Cale fought like a mad man trading blows with the zombies in order to push through them. He grunted in pain as even his full plate couldn't fully protect him from the zombie's gnashing teeth and tearing claws. But his friend was in peril and his own safety meant little.
Hacking through them with little more than sheer will power Cale was just in time to see a gravely wounded Feris darting between the tombstones and monuments with a large ghoul in hot pursuit. The halfling's arm hung limply at his side as he fled helter skelter through the graveyard and to Cale's dismay the ghoul appeared much faster, gaining ground on his companion by the second.

"FERIS!! Over here!" Cale shouted out loudly.

He had to hope that his companion would hear him as Cale took a course that would intercept the pair. But would he be in time?

He rounded a large fountain and was greeted by the dark form of something large slamming into him hard. Cale's lungs exploded with pain as he slammed into the dirt.
He swung above at the heavy form that was atop of him but couldn't connect from the odd angle.
Another ghoul had caught Cale by surprise in his desperation to reach Feris and now had him pinned against the fountain, its teeth diving forward into the side of his neck.
All he could smell was rotting flesh and the putrid stink of the festering sores that covered the vile creature's body.
He stabbed upwards with his sword blindly as the ghoul feasted upon him.
Cale was rewarded with a hiss as he scored a gash along the ghoul's side but the beast quickly shifted positions. Both its hands reached down and wrapped around his neck throttling the paladin as its feet pinned his sword arm to the ground.

Everything became hazy.
His vision swam as he looked about for Feris.
He tried to heave his arm free but he watched in slow motion as his fingers lost their grip on the hilt of the sword.
Somewhere faint and far off he imagined he could hear its metallic clatter as the sword connected with the masonry of the fountain.
The ghoul grinned down at him as the paladin realized that the ghoul's horrid face was the last thing he would ever see.

To be continued...

The Labyrinth: The 7th Underground Wonder in Smallworld Village.

2011-07-08T10:19:00.000-07:00

My my my. Titles galore came in today!

After several weeks, or hell, even months of saying "nope same old" or "nothing yet"
I can now say when someone walks in and asks: What's new? "LOTS!" back in response.
And that for me is refreshing...

It's been several years now since I started working at Minotaur.
Honestly I've always loved playing games but when I 1st started working here I played all types and always gave everything at least a try or two without reservation.
But I'm not sure I ever fully appreciated how important it was to have new games being released to revitalize our interest in gaming culture, the activity that we gamers have come to hold so dear.
When a new stand alone or expansion is released it washes in like a breath of fresh air and suddenly it heralds the start of dozens of new entertaining gaming evenings.

Nowadays I think I'm a bit more choosy in what I play...
I wont just try something because it's new or flashy.
And yet I find myself reading up about upcoming games before they ever hit the shelf, waiting with baited breath for titles I've been dying to try.
And on the other side of that coin I find myself dismissing certain games just because of the style of game play or the lack or excess of certain components.

"B-but the halo focus group really thought this would
be a good idea for the game, misters..."

I'm not sure if that's a good or a bad thing...
But I can say with confidence that this all star line-up of games that just came out are amazzzzzzing!

So where to start...
Smallword?
The original is such a solid game and already had expansions.
So did it really need something new to add to the Smallworld universe you might ask?
Maybe not but I'm so glad that they decided to develop the game further because Smallworld Underworld looks like one of the most enjoyable titles for 2011.
It's a stand alone game but can also be played and incorporated into the base game so it packs a double punch when considering its re-playability.
Complete with a new scaling board based again on the # of players, new races / characteristics, and new game mechanics like heavily fortified neutral races defending relics.
Words to describe it?
Simply Epic...
I haven't had a chance to play it yet but I'd easily vote it an 8 out of 10 with the possibility of rating it higher once we get a store copy or once someone brings their freshly bought copy wih them.
*breathes in deeply*
Gotta love that new bitz smell =P

But I was also so very recently exposed to a full game of 7 wonders.
My rating of this game has actually increased to an 8.5 out of 10 despite myself and I'll make that edit to my previous post shortly.
I found myself enjoying it a fair deal more than I though I would in terms of a drafting game. And the best part was that I could immediately see the scope of it as a 2player vs 3 vs 4 vs 5 etc! And it will literally be a different game with each play through due to the combination of cards in hand and the wonders being played make it one I'm looking forward to trying again soon, hopefully with the 7 wonders Leaders Expansion in tow.
It adds Leader cards into the mix to increase the methods in which to score, each one boosting certain colored cards or acting as point multipliers from what I can see. So again...if you own it BRING IT.
Can't wait to play this on a games night.

Cooperative gaming also just got Miskatonic as the new big expansion to Arkham Horror. Dominion Cornucopia and The Village both burst onto the scene as well so the shelves haven't had such exciting new titles for ages.
Next I have to hope that both Game of Thrones comes back into print and they make something new and cool in lieu of the tv series and all >.< It's a long shot but one can have dreams of a cool game in which stark troops battle lannister on a frozen battlefield in the north... Man oh man a risk style Game of Thrones would be an awesome addition to any gamers' collection compared to the more diplomacy based game that is already out.

But honestly I think that so many military games flopped recently that the corporate game designers must be banging their underlings heads together to straighten out the slew of less than successful games that have been coming out in this field.

Glad to see at least that the Eurostyle games are still doing things right and producing quality over shiny unit pieces.
And many of them have both!
Gorgeous bitz and the game play still rocks.
Definitely July has been the best month for board gaming this year so far.
But as good as it's been there are more titles on the horizon for the start of August.
So keep tuned in to this station for further updates!! Same game time same game channel!!

This has been the Labyrinth and I'm Henry McCulloch. Game on!

The Labyrinth: Unda Tha Seaaaa!

2011-06-15T10:59:00.000-07:00

Greetings one and all!
Holy Long John Silver, Batman!
Calling all artists, calling alllll artists!
Role call!

So for all of you who saw/came to our robot show in April but were a tad late and were all like...
"ROBOTS ?!?!!"
"OMGTHATSsoooooooCOOL!"
"WHAT?!?! Im too late to submit something??"
Then here's an update!

So the new collaborative group art show will be starting up and the theme is, you guessed it, everything and anything underwater and sea related!

Sea Turtles, Whales, Sharks, Starfish and Seahorses!
Pirates, Sailing Ships, Buried Tresure, and Lost Islands!
Krakens, Mermaids, Maelstroms, Water Elementals, and Submarines!
We want to see as many people participating this time, but still just one submission per artist.
But that's not to say you can't have multiple images all framed in one peice or a cartoon storyboard style submission with multiple frames and the art can all be done with any medium of your choosing.

During our first foray into group art at the robot show we saw submissions ranging from pencil crayons, pastels, water colors, markers, conceptual art, photo art, knitting, collage, and storyboard art.
So I'm sure anything imaginative that fits the theme will work but I know that if someone wants to come dressed as a porpoise and be a live art peice in the store standing in a kiddie pool I'll be personally tickled pink.
*sighs*
God i can almost picture it now...

"Mommy that dolphin looks stuuuuupid!"
"Gee thanks kid...but I'm a porpoise actually."
"Now comonnnn Billy don't antagonize the poor whale."
"Hehe mommy thinks you're FAT she called you a FAT whale!!"
"I'm a porpoise...and I'm NOT fat...I'm a live art peice."
"Well gosh darn...you surrrre look more like a whale... If mean if youre a Narwal why dont you have a horn?"
"Heheh big fat narrrrrwal Mommy called you a stuuuuupid fat Narrrrrrwal"
"IM A PORPOISE YOU #&%$&*@*"

Ahhh good times...
Well the underwater window is up at the store so I can constantly look to my left and feel like Jacques Couseau but once all the wonderful aquatic themed art is up I'll feel even more crustaceany.

So get out your quills your pads and your french artiste chapeaus. (hats)
"Fetchez la vache..."
"What?"
"Fetchez la vache!"
"Moo..."

Now we will be accepting submissions right up until July 15th but there wont be much leeway for any late submissions because the opening night soiree will be right on the 20th. It will be just like the 1st show's opening but if you didn't attend it's going to be a meet and greet with the chance to have a little bubbly, snack on some cheese, and mingle with all the artists.
Were hoping to see everyone from the 1st show that we know to submit something and more new artists would be fantastic.

It would be great to hit 30 submissions!

Also for those who are diehard Dominion fans it might be worth noting that with the release of the new Cornucopia Expansion the idea to have a tournament has not been abandoned nor forgotten. Merely being postponed until free RPG day had come and gone and once the Settlers Tournament concluded. In the next few weeks there will be details on how the rounds will be played out but the date will be July 9th!
For this coming week keep an eye out for my next column post in which I will hopefully give a quick game review for anyone who hasn't had a chance to see under the box cover yet! Cornucopia is shaping up to look like a very solid expansion.

The settlers tournament also looms on the horizon folks so if you were planning on attending best get signed up fast!
We already have a large number of people coming from Toronto and Ottawa so we are expecting some of our highest #'s to date for a North American Qualifier.
It's going down on the 25th, this Saturday, for those who have missed the date and it's going to be an all day affair with the doors opening at 10am.
Get here nice and promptly as the round 1 games will be quick to commence once the store is open and the rules of the tournament explained.

So with that I leave you with this submission for the Underwater Art show that i found from my buddy Paul the Porpoise!
Hopefully we are all as keen as him and have one wet and wild show!
(I think it looks a bit like a birthday cake...but Paul's art is kinda an abstract. Justine thinks it's definitely a sailing ship.)

I want to hear back from everyone!
Lets start the poll!!
What is paul trying to draw?!? Is he sketching a ship?
Is it a big ball of sand?
Schematics to the next Porpoisian death star???

Put up a reply on what our aquatic buddy is drawing!

This has been the Labyrinth and I'm Henry McCulloch. Game on!

The Labyrinth: Free RPG Day - We Be Goblins, You Be Food

2011-06-15T07:57:00.001-07:00

Me mighty girthness Chief Rendwattle Gutwad!

You be slimey stupid longshanks! LISTENING UP NOW!
You must be covering your ears, me words so powerful and mighty fierce that they frighten all words from your headz.
But....Slorb be busy...him getting the rusty earbiter all ready for big party!
Ohhhhh me also need make reminder to him for Squealy Nord to come out...then can has the fun time of catchesing him and dancing.

But me Gutwad ramble too long... me digest...
Me working at Minotaur but no fun for having.
They no let stab customers!!
And so not often get to burn things.
But me mighty goblin and cleaver ideas in head for the having.
Famous we get here at Minotaur for big purchasers...
Me has dream that all sales over 50 dollars gets free dog for stabbing!!
And games nights can be now about fireworks to boom boom in naughty places!
heheheh.... huh?

You smelly longshanks no tell Chief what to talk about on compooter face blog book!!!
Me is mighty high lord that sits on tall teetery chair...
Hmmm...right you is smart longshanks...me does need tells them about free day of the R P G.
Alright...june of 18th all over Canada and Brinesump Marsh there be whole day for giving of shiney. Maybe free fireworks too Gutwad hopes.
But for sure they give evil books filled with writings to people who comes to the store.
Me has special dogslicer for sticking any of you longshanks who come to try to read and write...

You all sound like bad goblin Scribbleface.
Him write lots and you know that be bad mojo...
Writing steals words out of your head and snatches your soul away!!
Me Gutwad get tired of giving dictation to slimey longshank boy called Henry.
Me eats him later...

What you mean, what is a longshank? What you mean, why i eats them?
Me chief Licktoad course me always be for fighting and eating...
*Sighs*
Gutwad always need explain everything.

We be Licktoads! We make Raid!
Put the Longshanks to the Blade!
Burn them up from Feet to Head,
Make them hurt, then make them Dead!

Cut the Parents into Ham!
Smush the Babies into Jam!
All the rest in Pot get Stewed!
We be Licktoads - You be Food!

So just to jump back in here for a second, I'd like to just go over what our new summer intern here was covering in his roundabout fashion.

Free RPG day is coming up on the 18th of this month (June). There will be dozens of different modules being gven away for free, but get here early as they will go fast. Several of the modules will be run on the day including the Pathfinder module 'We be Goblins'. Anyone wishing to run one of the new modules on the day or a different RPG of their own choosing is welcome to do so, but folks should contact us here post haste to get it all organized.

The days events will start shortly after we open at 10am and will most likely conclude by mid to late afternoon. So grab your dice and swag bags and hurry down to Minotaur to load up on cool stuff and join in a game.
If you come to play in the 'We be Goblins' module feel free to come in costume! (some props may be handed out to those who don't bring any...)

Also if you are in the mood for some 40k roleplaying there will be a module being run called the 'Broken Chains' in the Black Crusade setting. This event will be going on in the afternoon with Chris Murray as the gamemaster and he will start things off around 2pm.

So if you've been craving the thrills of space combats and blasting your way about as a Chaos marine from corridor to corridor in pitched combat, look no further.
Starting off on a prison barge tasked with collecting some of the galaxy's most dangerous heretics and scum will lead for some interesting plot twists!
Make sure to get your dice for this one it's going to be a good one.

But other than that here's Gutwad again...
He's been busy trying to burn down the yarn section but apparently he wanted to yell ... I mean tell you a little bit more about his quest before today's column update is over.

Me Chief Gutwad here again for talking!

Done taking dump on Justine longshanks chair and when they come open board games they find many surprises for tasting. Baby longlegs and many burbygump nests for stinging.

Hmmm you other goblins are still around?

Maybe you be strong enough for quest since you like Slorb and no cower in fear of my big voice.

Well... me find picture drawing from Scribbleface's house that shows old ship in swamp.

There be much fireworks for Licktoads to be having but most bravest of goblins need for getting it. That's where you terribad stinkypants people come in.

Chief Gutwad thinks that you have good time for getting back all fireworks

If you come do this for tribe...you be bigtime hero, maybe even one of you bravest of all get to marry my daughter!

Make others for other important positions too...like head organizer for stabbings.

Ooooh or yummy taster of new things to put in our food places.
YES! It be decided then.
All for going out to scary ship to get fireworks!

Me Gutbad leave you with last thing.

Poem me wrote bout self since all goblins have poems.

Mine bestest of scary poems!

Me Rendwattle Gutwad Big Boss Chief,
Yous yells to me if yous got beef!
But if yous does then best run quick!
Or Gutwad stab with big sharp stick!

Me words be law this not debate,
Horse and Longshanks me bigtime hate!
But worse than both is smelly dogs!
Dem's for killing so says our gods!

This be the truth cuz Gutwad not liar,
Unless me promise to not start fire!
When time for fight will grab Chief's mace!
Will kick in crotch and smush your face!

This has been the Labyrinth and I'm Henry McCulloch. Game on!

The Labyrinth: Games Aplenty

2011-05-25T12:04:00.001-07:00

Hey readerz!

I'm pleased to announce that up at the store we have a brand new, fully updated, list of games that will be coming out in the near future. Snatch up as many of these new titles up as you like as we'll be offering 20% off all items pre-ordered at the store.

Some of these new titles coming out include new expansions to Thunderstone, Arkham Horror, LOTR Card game and Resident Evil the card game. If lighter games are your thing then try Cthulhu Gloom. Just like the original Gloom it features your character's lives becoming horrible/miserable and then being killed off at their lowest moment. Food Fight is another fun little title that just like the name implies revolves around flinging food across the table at one another. If something more serious is what interests you then Ventura and Deadwood might appeal to you. The 1st title features a conquest and nobility theme where players are each noble families in 14th century Italy, vying for power over the country's ever expanding wealth, while the later title is a wild wild west shoot em up in which you compete for territory along the route where the railroad has arrived. Player get to be bands of renegades and desperados that are trying to collect as much wealth as they can while battling rival gangs in good old fashion gun battles.

All sound pretty smexy so far? But wait...there's morrrrre...
Some other expansions coming out will be the 7 Wonders: Leaders deck, Munchkin Zombies: 2 Armed and Dangerous and Survive the 5-6 player mini expansion.

Sweet titles one and all in my books! But light strategy...heavier Eurogaming... where's the SILLY! Where can I get the zany I'm looking for in gaming!
Well look no further I can garantuee some of these games will make you smile just asking your friends if they are up for a game.

Bears!
It's a dice game. You and your friends are camping...and then there were bears.
Need i say more? fine...twist my arm.
You run around shooting bears for points, fleeing from tent to tent.
But if you dare to sleep through one of the bear attacks you can score big points!

Then there's Ant Assault the card game.
Literally you get to play as an ant colony and defend your hill from invading ant hordes.
Send out scouts, lead foraging parties, and launch your war teams to pit yourselves in insect on insect combats to the death!
Alright maybe that's not silly enough...

This next title will be impossible not to hear said out loud and laugh.
I promise...*clears throat*
Kittens in a Blender!

It's a fast paced card game where players LITERALLY are trying to prevent adorable fluffy kittens from being mashed up to gorey pulps in household appliances. Play your hands quickly and save the foolish felines before it's too late!
I love it mwhahaha

Wizard of the Coast has a new title Conquest of Nerath coming out. Everything fantasy dungeons and dragoney magic goblins elves etc. While Ystari has a very interesting title being released called Olympus. Colonize ancient Greece before your opponents do and advance your civiliztion through the years but do so in a manner that avoids angering the gods!
Fantasy Flight has been very busy indeed. In addition to several aforementioned titles they are coming out with a new standalone Smallworld Underground as well as Black Gold, an auction and bidding game set at the height of theTexas oil boom of 1922. With plenty of action cards and some bluffing elements that keep the flow of the game rolling along it looks to be another fast and easy to learn title prepped to grace our store's shelves.

Where does the list end?? o.O
It just doesn't really... there's too many to talk about in just one post but a few others include new Carcassonne Phantom and the Carcassonne Dice Game; Outpost a reprinted version of the 1991 game and Lancaster which is a Henry V territorial control game; Test of Fire First Bull Run being a civil war game and Mammut, a prehistoric bidding boardgame; a pattern/ design game called Seven Dragons and Croa, another abstract strategy game; Devil's Dice (similar to liar's dice) and Are You The Cultist? a title that mirrors Werewolves of Miller's Hollow but with a Cthulu/H.P. Lovecraft flavor; Balance of Power in which you are helping Europe in 1815 to recover from the ravages of war and Napoleon's reign along with Dark Eon Assassin Tyrant of Acheron which is a sci fi solitaire game; Zoch Verlog Games has Mille Grazie (A bluffing game) Mord im Arosa (A clue based listening game) Safranito (A manual dexterity game based on indian food) and Geistesblitz (another dexterity game for children with a ghostly theme); not to be outdone ZMAN has four new titles springing onto the scene as well, Dark Minions a dice game of being evil and pillaging towns, Equilibrian a co-operative card game that can also be played solo in which you need to find the balance between nightmares and good dreams, Walking Dead the Board Game which has been designed with scenarios based directly off the comic book, and Guards! Guards! a Diskworld themed game where players embark on an epic quest through Ank-Morpork.

Phew... pass me a drink, that was a lot to go over.
That pretty much concludes it for this week that's all the games that are coming...
There's more?!? Why...dear god why...space them out...1 per week...*sighs*
Never fear I've savd some of the best titles for last.

Iello is a company I had not heard of until this week...but they have quickly earned my resect with a solid title of one of their new upcoming games. King of Tokyo!
Nah it's not feudal Japan with samurai and a ruling shogun it's even better.
The game is a dice/card game where monsters, giant killer robots, and aliens battle it out for supreme control over Tokyo.

And last but not least there is a game called Ikusa that has been announced.
It, unlike King of Tokyo! IS all about samurai and the ruling shoguns vying for power over feudal Japan!! Everyone remember the old Avalon Hill game Shogun? The one that got renamed to Samurai Swords? Well it's been renamed Ikusa and been given a brand new paint job with mostly the same old rules as far as I can tell. Anyone else as ecstatic as I?
It's one that I've loved to death...my old copy has a pizza-stained frayed edge and armies with broken daimyo flags. A new and shiny copy of this is one that I strongly advise adding to everyone's personal wargaming collection and one that I will most likely be writing up more extensively in the near future!
It's one that I'd offer a 9/10 rating for!

That's it for now gamers!
There were a few titles i couldn't manage to sneak in here but I should mention that the full comprehensive list of write-up of all upcoming releases is at the front counter at the store.
So swing on by, check out the list, and lets start the waiting game together.
It's going to be an interesting few months!
And as always...

This has been the labyrinth and I'm Henry McCulloch. Game on!

The Labyrinth: One Dark Night on the Fell

2011-05-18T11:46:00.000-07:00

Hey all!
This is a creative posting this week to throw in a plug for D&D encounters that gets run every Thursday night from 5 till 7ish.
I mentioned before in my first insta-post that we could use a few new faces around the gaming table. It's a great chance to try out 4th edition Dungeons and Dragons if you've never played or as a seasoned adventurer that wants to go on a spooky romp in Evard's footsteps.

It's a 4th level dungeon delve which should conclude aound 6th level and you can dream up your own character if you have access to the builder or the books. If you aren't capable of making your own or don't have the time, there are several shadowy themed characters available as premades to try out.
Just bring a pen and paper some imagination and any dice that you have kicking around.
It's going to be one of the best seasons to date for the encounters event.
Dont miss out!

And now... I mentioned a creative side to things. A short story!
This week is the 1st installment of the writing corner!
It's a peice i threw together quickly for those that aren't sure what D&D is all about but have always been interested. Read on and we look forward to seeing you on thursdays.
Cheers!

Smoke curled from the gnarled pipe.
Taking a deep drag from the tip he regarded the quiet structures below, that stood so out of place from the gloom of the sinister river valley.
His exhale was slow and drawn out as the traveller reflected on the curious change to his surroundings. It was certainly worth investigating.
The red embers of the pipe stub flared briefly and then disappeared as the smoke that hung in the air enveloped him. Shrouded from sight by the shadows... he was gone.

<>~~~~~~~~~~~~<>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<>~~~~~~~~---~~~<>

"Get some light going witch..."

"It IS on you pint-sized pinhead!"

"Both of you move, we need to find out what's going on..."

"If you're already casting your light then why is it still dark you hag!"

"Ware your words infant or I'll strike you blind and you'll be forever seeing the dark."

"Do you always speak in riddles? or is this another one of your senior moments?"

"Do YOU always speak without thinking WORM?! You insult a wizard...I could turn you to ash with a thought!"

The door to the inn's upper suite swung open, a faint light glowing weakly from the tip of an elderly elf's staff. Behind her a squat little halfling shuffled along in her wake, treading on the hem of her robes. Glistening from head to toe in full plate, a human with dark chocolate hair and a sweeping mustache brought up the rear as he collected his helm and shield.

Adventurers all, they had awoken from their sleep in the dead of night.
All subconciously privy to the same unexplainable notion that something had changed.
Something was horribly amiss.

<>~~~~~~~~~~~~<>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<>

Hard and motionless
Thoughtless and without breath
In an instant that had all changed.

What it meant...they cared little.

The result was all that mattered.
Existing as something more than their stiff, emotionless, previous selves was what made their shadowy faces light up in a mutually shared grin.

What it meant...tonight they would feast.

<>~~~~~~~~~~~~<>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<>

"Remind me to give you a bath if we live through the night halfling...you reek!"

"Blah Blah insert arrogant elven comment here blah blah some more then... 'oh gee this girdle of giant strength sure does make my ass look fat...' seriously give me a break Ariel."

"For a race that is reknowned for their quick wit and charm you certainly know how to flatter a girl in unusual ways Feris."

"HA! girl...hah! She's SO old I bet that you could turn undead her Cale..."

"That's it...I've changed my mind...I think I'll forgo saving my most powerful spells and instead use them to rid us of our rodent infestation."

"Would you two cut it out", Cale whispered hoarsely "something is seriously up and we need to get to the bottom of it...I can't see very well out here in the hall but I think I can hear movement below."

"By Avandra...you can't see because it's still dark...can you PLEASE use your light spell already?"

"I already AM using it you annoying little runt!"

"Calm yourselves...something must be dampening Ariel's light...and the lamps on the street as well by the looks of it. If it's strong enough to effect her magic then whoever is behind this must be powerful."

"Oh it's powerful alright..."came an eire voice from the windowsill behind the trio.

They whirled around just in time to see a shadowy form manifest in the dark hallway behind them, stowing a pipe inside his pack carefully.

"But it isn't a who...so much as a where..."

"Oh great, he's like prisy boots, he also likes to talk in riddles..." groaned Feris.

"Wait... are you implying we might have left the town of Duponde stranger?"

The cowl silhoetting his face pulled back slightly, revealing rows of blackened teeth, a grey-skinned dwarf grinning ear to ear.

"Ahhh a quick one I see...you almost guessed it but no....this town is Duponde sure as can be. What I implied was simply that the where had changed...Duponde itself is what has left, so to speak."

Ariel's eyes widened in sudden realization and horror, clapping a hand over her mouth as she stiffled a loud gasp.

"Oh good she's having a heart attack a last...I mean you hold out hope, and you pray to the gods every day...but you're never really sure if your dreams will come true in the end."

"What is it?" Cale asked her nervously as he rested a plated hand on her shoulder.

"Ah she's figured it out..." The dwarf crowed, his black eyes sparkling mirthfully to match his black grin.

"Somehow...during the night the town of Duponde experienced a shadowfall..."

"A shadowuzzit?" Feris chirped in.

Glaring at the halfing Ariel elaborated.

"The shadowfell is a parallel world of existence...think of it like a sphere, super-imposed over our world but invisible when on the prime material. It is a shadowy mirror image of the world we know. Through powerful latent magic or with the help of rituals it's possible to open a small rift between these worlds. It is extremely rare...but every so often this happens. Entire acres of land have been known to tumble free from existence and wind up a part of the shadowfell. This is what we spellusers refer to as a shadowfall...a worse nightmare would be hard to conceive. All the residents of Duponde are in GRAVE danger!"

"Not to mention yourselves...you are all ALSO in grave danger." The dwarf said menacingly as he drew forth a pale blue sword that pulsed with magical energy.

Fell runes decorated the pommel and hilt as wisps of black mist plumed outward from the blade's edge, filling the hallway.

Cale leveled his holy symbol of Pelor, the God of the Sun, squarely at the dwarf's chest.

"I don't know who you are...but be warned. We are prepared to defend ourselves to the last. Should you think of us as easy prey then I would suggest that you think again!"

The supernatural grating chuckle that issued forth from the dwarf's throat gave the trio chills.

"Hmmmm well worded and boldly stated cleric...there is bloody work to be done tonight but it is not you that I must attend to. A butcher's job is never done I fear...now stand aside if you wish to save the townsfolk."

Cale rose one eyebrow, still suspicious of the odd newcomer.

"Stand aside? Save the townsfolk? What do you mean...speak up dwarf!"

As though in answer a bloodcurdling sceam echoed through the inn from the pitch black commons room below.

"You see fellows...here in the shadowfell the statues aren't JUST for decoration...your gargoyles that normally sit perched upon the inn's roof...have already animated. And they hunger."

To be continued...

The Labyrinth: Frodo of the nine fingers and the ring of doooom!

2011-05-11T07:36:00.000-07:00

One game of cards to rule them all!
One box in which to find it,
One co-operative hug to bring us all,
and during Minotaur's games night try it!

What do you want from me?
I'm no Shakespeare...I'm not even a monkey with a typewriter.
Not like Tolkien's rhyming was much better -_-
But it gives me great joy to talk about a Lord of the Rings title!
*queue sappy flashback music*
When I was a wee boy my father read me tales of the hobbits, orcs, elves and Nazgûl; and by the age of about 3 or 4 i was struggling along to read through Tolkien's works myself. Then, years later, along came the movies.

Peter Jackson, while delivering a more hollywoodish version of the tale than some would have liked, delivered a a visual cinematic without compare. The sight of rolling New Zealand's...i mean Middle-earth's, scenery was so gorgeous that it took my breath away. Much of the trilogy was exactly how I had always pictured it. The dark oppressive halls of Moria, the vast expanse of Khazad-dûm, the glistening boughs of Rivendale, the magic of Lothlórien, and the pearly white ships that would collect the heroes from the Grey Havens. Simply spellbinding!

But now without further ado the new card game!

LOTR the card game is a solo or 2 player game that runs about 30mins to an hour I'd say, though the box does say that some could last as long as 90 minutes o.O
This new release in some ways is just an ordinary game...but much of the magic that the Lord of the Rings imparts through its written text and through the movies can be found hidden beneath the card stacks. Right off the start the art work is stunning. If you're already a fan of the 2-5 player fantasy flight board game this card game is going to be one of your all time favorites. Which also means...you guessed it!
Co-operation time!

So if you have a slightly dingy boot room in your house, a gnarled staff and pipe, and a white beared friend with an affinity for wearing pointy hats...
Then grab a chair and lets play!

ALRIGHT!
Game review inc.. Pro vs Cons!
Lets see the breakdown...

The game plays in many respects like magic the gathering, with familiar terms like exhausting a hero or ally card after it performs an action. (IE: tapping the card by putting it on it's side) Things that might exhaust your character cards are actions such as aiding in the current quest or engaging a monster as well as in order to fulfill the cost of certain event cards. Some of these event cards can be played at any time, regardless of what phase of play you are in, while others can be played when a certain requirement is met, such as when you defeat a monster or when you draw resources. As such these event cards are very much like your 'instant' or 'sorcery' spells from magic. Item's can be attached to you heroes to buff them up which are very similar to equipment in MTG and to top things off there are 4 schools of player cards to choose from when constructing your decks. These schools are called spheres of influence and each has its own distinct flavor and identity as well as its own unique icon and color.
Hmmmm....I'm getting a strong deja vu feeling, something's changed in the matrix!
*Pats the brick wall behind him in fear*

VS

Be wery wery quiet we're mimicking popular game elements!

While there are many similarities it's good to keep in mind that there are several distinct differences as well that make it a semi-unique experience. The main appeal to add the game to a home collection, in my mind, lies in LOTR's cooperative game mechanics. It feels a little more satisfying to team up with a partner in a bid at tackling the forces of Mordor together. Success isn't guaranteed, similar to a run through of pandemic on hard difficulty or a good game of Shadows Over Camelot. Only through good teamwork, strategy and a little bit of luck can you both triumph over Sauron. When you compare this new system to the alternative, (listening to bragging and bickering sweaty teenage magic players discuss who has the more expensive tournament deck) it should be considered a refreshing change of pace.

The game has many layers of complexity to it, in the sense that it can be as simple or as diverse as you need it to be when picking what deck to construct and how it will synergize with your ally's selections. The basic game suggests that you remove the shadow mechanic from the combat phases and start with three heroes all in the same sphere of influence. These two quick alterations to typical game play makes it easy to try out the 1st scenario with less fear of unknown attacks killing a hero and it completely eliminates the chance to have dead cards in hand.

The first scenario is the passage through Mirkwood and should be an easy first challenge for new comers to the game! All the scenarios have plenty of cool imagery on the event cards that really makes you feel like you are treading upon JRR Tolkien's world. I was also impressed to see that the first quest card featured a quote directly from the pages of the novel The Hobbit. Kudos fantasy flight...kudos. The artwork on all the cards is gorgeous as mentioned earlier and so to me that was another saving grace for LOTR the card game. Had they been drab and unappealing I think it would have been impossible to motivate myself to connect with the new card game mechanics which are, at times, a bit clunky.

Things to look forward to in the near future are a vast array of expansion decks already coming out to support the fledgling game. The nice thing is that it can easily be expanded already if you desire to play with 3 or 4 players by buying a 2nd copy of the base game. But the new expansions will provide new quest areas since there are only 3 inside the core set as well as new heroes, monsters, items and events. The last thing that i thought of when sizing this bad boy up was how much i would need to spend to make this enjoyable versus TCG's. These core boxes and expansions are going to be very much like Dominion, in that once you buy them you have the cards...no spending sprees required to try to collect a handful of rare cards like in MTG... no dealing in cards in the city's back alleys...at 80 bucks a pop!
"pssst hey buddy...need some jace's?"

But it's rating time!
All in all...good. It's flashy but it's not novel or groundbreaking but it is a good game.
I really think it's one that the more you play the more enjoyable it becomes.
a solid 7 out of 10 and one that I'm eager to try now with a non-basic deck.
I want to hand-pick the cream of the crop when it comes to heroes and try tromping down the Anduin river.

This has been the Labyrinth and I'm Henry McCulloch. Game on!

The Labyrinth: Insta - Post!

2011-05-09T07:37:00.000-07:00

A happy Monday to all ye gamers!
Mother's Day has come and gone.
Here's hoping you all remembered a bundle of flowers, a sweet and thoughtful card, or at least a hug / friendly phone call for your mummies out there.

Today on the Labyrinth I'm featuring my columns 1st INSTA POST!!
That's right it's fast news, its blurringly fast updates, it's coming at you at the speeeeed of liiiiight!
It's like powerthirst on a web page...
It's like trying to read but your eyes are melting off from trying to read all the informtaion and you're like...
sllLLLoOoOwwWW doOOowwWwNN
but a Kenyan is kicking you in the crotch with his ENERGY LEGS...

God i havent watched that in forever...
But no seriously there's plenty of things i wanted to throw out there since a tuesday post didn't make it up last week.

1st off!! You want some MTG?
Did you never get enough of the Besieged set?
Well we have plenty of pre-made decks and boosters left all marked down dirt cheap.
Why bother telling you all? A valid question!
No... it' not a shameless plug for merchandise... I myself am constantly being tempted to blow a bunch of money on them myself each time i come to work and i want them gone >.<
Buy them to save meeeee.

2nd!
We have another Settlers of Catan pre-qualifier coming up for the June Settlers Qualifier.
Its on may 28th!
It's also 8 bucks to enter!
There will be no John Dupont present i promise! :P
No garantuees though...since Patrick might come down and sweep the next one...he would though wouldn't he? That's just his style.
Although I know Ada wants to enter too but she shall be in Venice so we're safe.
Mwhahah! Victory can still be ours.

3rdly?
There will be a new post going up in the next few days about a gaaaaaaaame *GASP*
What game you ask?
Hmmm well it's new...it's a card game...there's been a bunch of hype about it on the geek and in store! I dunno...does Michael and I playing it count as hype? I like to think it is.
But here's the inside scoop to see if you should be opening those purses and wallets.
LOTR the card game reviewed right here on The Labyrinth!
MTG meets middle earth? Kinda...heh, you shall have to be patient as all shall soon be revealed!

and 4th!! - ly !!
Or lastly i suppose...
D&D encounters!

WHAT IS IT? WHEN IS IT? WHO IS IT? CAN I EAT IT?
Those are the questions you are dying to have answered i can tell.
Well are you a fan of original D&D? Did you play 3rd ed and 3.5 till your eyes bled ?
Well here's a great chance to come out and try 4th ed; the most streamlined comprehensive system since THACO!
Eww...comon, UP guys...AC guys UP to get better, not into the negatives... le sigh.

It's every thursday at Minotaur Games + Gifts on games nights. 5pm -7pm
I run the encounters and its very 'new player' friendly!
So if youve always wondered what Dungeons and Dragons is all about don't be shy...we can always use fresh BLOOD!
*cackles maniacally*
It's gonna be a sweet story line if anyone is a fan of the wizard Evard and the Shadowfell features heavily as well so get ready for some truly terrifying twists to this tale.
You can roll up your own 3rd level character if you have access to the books or character builder or alternatively just show up and play a premade one that I'll provide you with.

And that's right i said THIRD level.
Im messing with the module! Im being a rebel...come and get me Wizards...I know you have me under surveillance... stealing all my ideas.

Phew there we go instant news instant updates all the time!
The insta-post is now in effect...
We are at a yellow threat level! The decoys have been deployed and the monkeys are in the kitchen with the spatulas... engage all hostiles at your own discretion..
That's all for now stay safe out there gamers!
And as always...

This has been the Labyrinth and I'm Henry McCulloch. Game on!

The Labyrinth: Can can, can you do the Catan can you do the Catan =D

2011-04-27T13:07:00.000-07:00

April draws to a close and the smell of spring is in the air!
Birds are chirping, flowers blossoming, and fanatical gamers are busy donning their best battle attire.
That's right guys it's tournament season!
Time to flex our beefy gamer muscles and find out once and for all who among us has the strongest geek-chi.
And what better game than a few Settlers of Catan matches to kick off the year?

First on the docket this spring is the 2011 Settlers of Catan North American Prequalifier. It's taking place HERE at Minotaur this Saturday April 30th with a kick-off time of 10am and an end time of approximately 5pm.
Sign up in advance if possible or if you're running short on time and can't make it in before the 30th then you can still just drop by on the day. Just make sure that if you haven't signed up in advance to arrive fully covered in war paint and bearing some form of banner or flag to demonstrate your overwhelming desire to compete =)
The cost to enter the SOCNAP is a measly 8 bucks and the prize for winning the tournament is a seat at the actual qualifier also hereby referred to as SOCNAQ which wont be taking place until June 25th
(heheh these abbreviations make me giggle)

"But..b-but this was too short notice!" you might be saying to yourself OR you might have been thinking something like "Grrr if only I didn't have to work that Saturday." Well have no fear you have two very viable options if the 30th of this month is a write off for you.
You can either start by making several additional sacrifices to the gaming gods and hope that they smite down your previous engagements with lightning bolts OR there will be a 2nd prequalifier towards the end of May on the 28th that you can attend should you miss the 1st. The format for the two prequalifiers shall be the same, as will the entry fee.
So book some time off work, gather about you a band of your best Catan buddies and come on down to the store!
But...
BE WARNED
Undoubtedly some of those who entered the 1st prequalifer may be back for round two and I'm sure like any avid Cataner, Catanian, or Catanist who has lost but lived to play another day they'll be out for vengeance.

An aside... people who live in London are Londoners. We here who live in the true north strong and free are Canadians.
Lets see some comments on your thoughts...those that play Catan are called _ blanks _

But anyhoo back to the main dish before we get too carried away and move on to desert.
I know a bunch of you just saw the word FORMAT above and started hopping up and down in your seats like you need to go potty.
So here's the rundown.

It, like previous Catan tournaments hosted in the past here, will be base Catan only.
There will be no expansions extensions or hybrid versions of any kind!
All current up to date Mayfair rules apply and players participating must, to the best of their ability, be playing solely for themselves to win the tournament.
IE: no teamwork or shenanigans.

Captain O'Hagan: I swear to God I'm going to pistol whip the next guy who says, " Shenanigans."
Mac: Hey Farva what's the name of that restaurant you like with all the goofy shit on the walls and the mozzarella sticks?
Farva: You mean Shenanigans?
Heh classic line.

This means in turn that all matches will ideally be tables of 4 for the entire tourney. Depending on attendance it will most likely consist of 3 scoring rounds of standard play and at the end of those matches players cumulative scores will be tallied and used to determine overall rankings. Then from this point onwards the tables will be arranged according to ranking placement for the semifinal matches.
i.e.: the #1 rank will be seated at a table with the lowest ranked player and two people from the middle of the pack.
Games at this point will become sudden-death eliminations.
Those that go on to win these semi-final matches will make up the final table of four who shall be pitted against one another in a mighty all-or-nothing duel to the death!

So slap on your best Rocky-themed training music!
I expect pictures of everyone jogging up and down stairwells with your seafarers strapped to one leg and cities and knights to the other.

Break out the cliché never say die t-shirt and headbands!
Got a rabbit foot? Lucky pendants or coins? A 4-leafed clover?
Best bring everything you've got if you want to have the edge on the competition.
The fighting shall be fast and furious...just like that movie about cars... and dudes...who own the cars... that usually explode.
But ANY and ALL explosions that are set off here at the store will be ignored by the Minotaur staff because as we all know cool guys and gals dont look at explosions.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sqz5dbs5zmo

But in all seriousness I'll bring my suped up car in honor of the fast and the furious movies if you all promise to do the same...I've been doing a lot of shop work on it but this bad boy is finally able to ROLL OUT!

And together we shall make it a 5th of November that shall never ever be forgot!
Or it will be the tourney right at the end of April that we'll have all forgotten almost immediately due to our excitement over the May prequalifier...either or.

This has been the Labyrinth and I'm Henry McCulloch. Game On!

The Labyrinth: 7 Wonders - What does it mean?

2011-04-18T08:18:00.000-07:00

Hello sports fans!
Boston lost again last night on the mound to the Rays.
It’s being called a massacre by some with a score of 16 to 5 but Boston proved their mettle on the ice managing a solid win over the Ottawa Senators last Saturday…
What do you mean this isn’t about games?
My column is about gaming…hockey and baseball are games…
Well fair enough they aren’t board games but there ARE several good one’s based of both sports.

Pond Hockey-opoly springs to mind!!

A refreshing strategy game where players buy their favorite ponds and rinks, then collect ‘warm-up’ shacks which can later be traded in and upgraded to ‘arenas’. With balanced game play Pond Hockey-opoly offers…
What do you mean it isn’t a strategy game?
It’s chalked full of tough choices and nail-biting scenarios, like if you’re passing the Face Off! Square and you land on a property that’s owned you need to decide how to pay the player and if the pond is unowned you decide whether or not to buy it.
Although you typically buy everything you land on no matter what…
Alright I’ll concede the point…

Well then gamers lets at long last end this preamble and focus our attention on a brand new 2010/2011 game.
7 Wonders.

Wow there’s been some serious hype surrounding this game, so it’s a WONDER that I managed a post on it at all! Researching this lightning fast 20-30 minute game has just made my eyes roll due to the sheer # of gamers clamoring to be the first to praise the new(ish) release. Already the title has over 5000 player ratings on BGG and as of today is sitting comfortably at 14th on the game rankings list, sandwiched between such classic titles as Tigres and Euphrates and Steam.

7 Wonders is widely being toted as an amazingly addictive new card drafting game that allows both experienced and new gamers alike a chance of an uber light uber fast civ-like card game that in no way other than flavor resembles civ. Uber -Urban Dictionary (The ultimate, above all, the best, top, something that nothing is better than. “Dude I'm Über confused...” )

-Game play synopsis-

Players are each given a wonders board at the start of the game along with 7 cards. The game begins with Age I and ends after the third is fully resolved. Each age is played out over 6 turns, in which the players will put into play a single card, simultaneously. These cards will be used to make structures that give players resources/points, towards building up player’s world wonders, or to acquire more coin. After each round, the remaining cards in each player’s hand are passed along to an adjacent neighbour. Most structure cards have a coin cost to build and players can also use the resources of their neighbour’s wonders for the price of two coins. After each of the three ages military points are tallied and on the final turn these points in combination with the points from wonders and structures determine the winner!

But as we all know, when praise is given and success achieved then so too must come the trollz! Angry gamer trolls seeking to destroy any claims of 7 Wonders being a decent title! For every positive review that I stumbled upon from the average gamer there seemed to be an equally venomous reaction or post from the camp of ‘hardcore’ strategy gamers. The main ‘beef’ that these gamers seem to have is 7 Wonders’ unfortunate similarities to Fairy Tale and the sever lack of foresight in selecting cards during the draft. While the game is certainly reminiscent of the color coded card game Fairy tale, several distinct game elements such as the turn-by-turn exchanging of hands and the more varied abilities of different cards makes the game a bit meatier. It’s nothing novel it’s true and its straight forward game mechanics will leave many power thinkers feeling empty after a quick ‘throw away’ playthrough. But to be fair the things that 7 Wonders offers and does, it does exceptionally well.

What it boils down to is this…
Do you enjoy the deck building aspects and booster drafts experienced in Magic the gathering?
Are San Juan and Race for the Galaxy up there on your list of all time favorite games?
Do you HATE long 2 to 3 hour games that just leave you snoozing at the table?
If you answered yes to any of the above then most likely 7 Wonders will be a game that you’ll easily fall in love with. Due to its short playtime and easy to teach style of draft gaming it should be a game that you’ll play time and time again.

Is Peurto Rico a game that would always be your choice over a lighter game like San Juan?
Are the different symbols on the cards in Race for the Galaxy just an instant turn off for you?
Is Dominion a card game that just never sparked your interest, a non collectable version of MTG that you found dull?
Then as stated before, beware!
This simply wont be a game for you.

I’d probably give 7 Wonders a 7 out of 10 but after a few play throughs to get a better feel for its replay ability that # may jump up or down a bit. Overall I think the hype is well founded for the types of gamers that like these style of light card games.

This has been the Labyrinth and I’m Henry McCulloch. Game On!

The Labyrinth Conception

2011-04-18T08:03:00.000-07:00

Hey and Hello!

Bonjour, Ciao, Ni hao!
Greetings, Salutations, howdy and wasssup?!?

I just wanted to start off my very first weekly gaming column here @ Minotaur Games and Gifts with a biiig hearty 'e-hug' for everyone reading this.

While this column may at first be read solely by those that I pester to do so my hope is that eventually gamers, geeks, nerds and fans will flock to our site by the baker's dozen.

But what will the posts be about you may ask? The subjects will vary, the style will not.

Once a week I will cover...
What's hot and what's lukewarm.
What is shaking the core of the gaming industry?
Or simply what funny new pictures I've discovered of meeple-snorting furry critters.

“Monopoly…really? That feline is saving those poor lost souls.
Come back to the liiiight!”

But in all seriousness,
Look for a new column post every Tuesday.
It will contain game reviews and critiques, upcoming in-store events including tournaments, polls for subjects of interest to get customer feedback, and anything else that rattles free from this olde brain box of mine.

This is the Labyrinth and I'm Henry McCulloch. Game on!

Robot Art Show Opening Party

2011-03-28T14:40:00.000-07:00

Minotaur's first group art show. A wide variety of great robot art will be on display.

Come to our robot art party on Friday, April 8th, from 7-10pm.

Compliment the artists, buy art (or just oggle the art). Make sure you sign the guest "book".

If you can't make the opening night party, the show itself runs for three months - April 8th to July 8th, 2011.

Call to Artists: Group Show #1 - Robots

2011-02-10T09:51:00.000-08:00

Minotaur Games & Gifts is excited to announce our first group art show!
We are looking for art with a robot theme.

The show will run for at least 3 months opening near the end of March.

Artists are not expected to sell their works of art on consignment,
but may if they wish.

When applying online, please email digital images of your submissions to
info@minotaurgifts.com.
Please mention the words "Robot Art Show" in the subject line of your email.

Accepted art must be dropped off ready to hang before opening date.

This will be a juried show with qualifying artists to be informed by e-mail
after March 15th.

Deadline for submissions is March 15th, 2011

Chainmail Workshop

2011-02-03T14:33:00.000-08:00

Learn to make Chainmail at Minotaur
Saturday, February 19th 2-5pm
$40.00 per person. Includes supplies.

Greymalkin a.k.a. David Burling will be running a workshop in which participants get to make a chainmail bracelet. Participants will also get to go home with some rings with which they can practice their new chainmail making skills.

Sign-up in advance at Minotaur. Space is limited.

New Stuff

2011-02-03T14:08:00.000-08:00

JUST IN: Lego Minifigures #3! Other new Lego: Star Wars Bounty Hunter Assault Gunship and the new Pharaoh's Quest Line. Much more to come. Restocks on Harry Potter & Lego Games.

Also, new wool, including Cascade 220, Super Alpaca Lace, Undyed Eco Wool from Peru, and Paton's Classic Wool. Restocks on Patons Shetland Chunky and Decor.

DARN! Swarm & Santa Parade

2010-11-18T17:04:00.000-08:00

This Saturday (November 20th), we are being Swarmed! If you come shop at Minotaur between 1-3pm and mention DARN! (the Downtown Action Revitalization Network), we will donate 20% of the cost of the items you buy to Loving Spoonful, a local food charity. We'll be serving hot chocolate all day and Carrie Whalen will be painting faces from 4:30-6:30pm. Drop in before, during or af the Santa Claus parade for more hot chocolate and a chance to warm up! Be sure to check out our amazing holiday window display by Kevin Merritt!

Princess Street Promenade

2010-07-25T13:06:00.000-07:00

This Saturday (July 31st) Minotaur is participating in the Princess Street Promenade. Businesses on Princess Street between Division and Ontario will be spilling outo the street and hosting events. Check out www.princessstreetpromenade.ca and click on the Participants button for a full listing of those events. The street will be open to pedestrians and closed to cars between 10am and 6pm.

Minotaur will have game tables on the street with unique Scrabble and Monopoly boards by Kevin Merritt, face painting by Carrie Whalen and free coloring pages by artist Nick Csernak.

See you there!

KingCon Settlers of Catan Eastern Canadian Qualifier Tournament

2010-05-14T12:48:00.000-07:00

Judge: Michael White

Location: Minotaur

Date: Saturday, June 12, 2010, 10am - 9pm

Cost: $20.00

The winner of the KingCon Settlers of Catan Eastern Canadian Qualifier Tournament will get a seat at the Eastern Canadian Championships, which will consist of a table of four players. The Winner of the ECC will get a free trip to Germany to play Settlers in a castle at the World Catan Championships.

To sign up, please sign up in person at Minotaur or by phoning: 613-545-2308.

KingCon Postponed

2010-05-14T12:46:00.000-07:00

Rather than scramble and offer an inferior experience, it has been decided to postpone KingCon until the Fall giving us time to find a new venue. This will give us time to make KingCon an even better event than it would have been this May. It is unfortunate that the hotel garage collapsed, but we will make the best of it and make it an event to remember! As soon as we have that new date, we will post it on the KingCon website: www.kingcon.ca.

Meanwhile, certain events will happen anyway. The Warhammer 40K and Fantasy events will take place at Kingston's Gaming Nexus on the 15th and 16th of May. The Board Game Blitz will run at Minotaur on Sunday, May 16th. 4-Colour 8-Bit will run it's Legacy Tounament on Sunday, May 16th as planned.

KingCon Tickets

2010-04-10T12:37:00.001-07:00

King Con Tickets are now on sale at 4-Colour/8-Bit, Minotaur and Nexus.
Friday night - free
Saturday - $8.00
Sunday - $8.00
OR buy all three for $12.00!

Settlers of Catan King Con Feeder Tounament

2010-04-10T12:11:00.000-07:00

We will be holding a Settlers of Catan King Con Feeder Tounament at Minotaur on May 2nd starting at noon. Cost $10.00. The winner will get tickets to KingCon and a seat at the KingCon Settlers of Catan Eastern Canadian Qualifier Tournament.

Come sign up at Minotaur!

The winner of the KingCon Settlers of Catan Eastern Canadian Qualifier Tournament will get a seat at the Eastern Canadian Championship Tournament, which will consist of a table of four players. The Winner of the ECC will get a free trip to Germany to play Settlers in a castle at the World Catan Championship Tournament.

Publish Post

Soviet Era Board Games

2010-04-08T08:07:00.000-07:00

I don't read Russian, so I have no idea what the names of these board games are, let alone how they were played, but I love the artwork. Some of the box art is awfully dire.

Check out the following link:

http://babs71.livejournal.com/355037.html

Worldwide Dungeons and Dragons Game Day

2010-03-05T11:48:00.000-08:00

Saturday, March 20 from 12 - 4pm.

Come to Minotaur and help us test out the new Player's Handbook 3! Pre-gen characters showcasing the new classes will be provided.

Scrabble for Literacy

2010-02-20T09:03:00.001-08:00

The Queen's Students for Literacy are running a Scrabble Night at Minotaur to raise money for literacy programs on Thursday, March 4, starting at 7pm. Admission is $5 per game and $10 for the tournament. There will be prizes. Come support a most worthy cause and show off your mad scrabble skills!

KingCon Website & request for submissions

2010-02-20T08:24:00.000-08:00

Another way to get information about KingCon is to go directly to www.kingcon.ca. I encourage any and all suggestions, comments & ideas.

We are also looking for people to run games. The three stores involved will be running tournaments and gaming sessions, but having individuals come and run games, will make the con that much more interesting! There are few if any limits on what you can run as a game. Board gaming, role playing, CCG's, card games, table top minis, etc. are obvious choices, but we are very open to other ideas. For example a local club will be running a couple of table hockey tournaments.
We even are happy to consider things that aren't games as long as they fit: mini's painting workshops, comic jamming, chainmail design, what ever brilliant ideas you can come up with!

So, let us know if you are interested in running something, by posting on this blog, the KingCon website or by emailing or dropping into 4-Colour/8-Bit, Minotaur or Nexus and letting us know!

King Con is Coming

2010-01-30T08:18:00.000-08:00

Mark your calendars! King Con will be held on May 14th, 15th and 16th this year! Once again it will be at the Confederation Place Hotel. There will be frequent updates on this blog as information becomes available.

Happy New Year! Game sale!

2010-01-21T09:31:00.001-08:00

January and the cold heart of winter are here! We've gone through our store copies and sorted out a bunch to sell off cheap - stuff that we can't get any more and a few that just don't get played as often as they deserve. There are also few shrink-wrapped games in our sale section.

Just in at Minotaur - a variety of new greeting cards, Heroscape Master Set 3: D&D Batle for the Underdark, 2 D&D 4th edition RPG books: Underdark and Players Handbook Suppliment: Races - Dragonborn.

And coming Friday: Z-man's new board game: Dungeon Lords.

Santa Claus Parade at Minotaur

2009-11-18T10:38:00.001-08:00

Planning to watch the Kingston Santa Claus Parade? Drop into Minotaur first (or during the parade) for some free hot chocolate and treats! Stand outside and if you get cold you can pop in for a refill. We'll also be having a sale of 15% off all Holiday ornaments and cards.

Origami Holiday Card Workshop

2009-11-12T18:06:00.000-08:00

Minotaur will be hosting another of Bonnie Beals popular origami workshops. This one will feature the making of Holiday Cards using origami techniques.

When: Sunday, November 29, 2009 from 2-4pm
Cost: $5 a card

This workshop was extremely popular last year. Sign up soon to insure a space. You can sign up at Minotaur or respond here if you can't make in prior to the event.

Samples of the kinds of cards you will make are also on display at Minotaur and sell for $10 each (so the origami workshop is a good deal).

Dominion Tournament II

2009-11-12T17:52:00.000-08:00

Wow, this crept up on me quickly!

We are having a tournament to celebrate the release of Dominion Seaside. Be ready to play with cards from any and all flavours of Dominion. If you make it to the final table, you'll be able to pick a card for the final game!

When: Saturday, November 14, 2009. Start Time: 12 Noon

Bring your best game and the grand prize of a copy of the new Dominion Seaside could be yours!

P.S. Would anyone attending the tournament who owns any versions of the game be willing to bring them to the tournament? The tournament will proceed regardless, but extra copies may come in handy. Let us know if you can help out!

Costume Show

2009-11-01T15:28:00.001-08:00

Here, at last are the photos from the Costume show! For more, check out the slideshow on the left.

Halloween At Minotaur

2009-10-28T08:59:00.000-07:00

Saturday, October 31st, 2-5pm

Face Paniting - Come get made-up for trick-or-treating or a party! $5.00-$10.00

Spooky Origami Workshop with Bonnie Beals $5.00

Free: Craft Table, Treats, Spooky Games and More!

Halloween Merchandise 50% off all day.

Zombie Walk Photos

2009-10-25T17:30:00.001-07:00

Look to the side for a slideshow of the zombie walk photos! More to come I hope.

The zombie walk was a staggeringly good time! Some of the costumes were killer! There were over a hundred undead lurching their way down Princess Street. Next year let's double that number!

-Justine

Zombie Walk 2009

2009-10-06T12:41:00.000-07:00

Check out: http://kingston-zombie-walk.webs.com/# and http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=5850787038 for information on the 2009 Kingston Zombie Walk. Minotaur's not running a zombie walk this year, but you better believe that I'll be shambling off to Skeleton Park on October 17th at 6pm to become a part of the Undead Hoarde.

What Minotaur is doing is running a pre-walk makeup session. For five bucks, you can drop by Minotaur from 4-5:30 pm and transform your face into a grusome horror. We provide the make-up, the mirror and whatever advice we can offer.

Board Game Blitz

2009-09-26T07:52:00.000-07:00

Marc Lanctot, who played in the King Con 2009 Mixed Euro Game Arena tournament, enjoyed himself so much that he took the idea to FanExpo 2009 and ran a tournament of his own. That in turn was such a success that the MEGA tournament idea (now called a Board Game Blitz) is going national with feeder tournaments at game conventions all across Canada. We'll host one at King Con 2010. Feeder tournament winners will go on to compete in the finals at FanExpo 2010.

The first feeder tournament will be held at Draconis 2009 in Montreal on the 17th of October from 2-10pm. For a list of games go to: http://www.gcbgb.ca/gcbgb_qc.pdf.

For more information about the Draconis Game Convention go to: http://www.draconismontreal.ca/index.php.

Costume Show

2009-09-23T08:54:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, Minotaur will be participating in Fashion Active, a charitable event to raise money for Fashion Action (www.fashiontakesactive.com supporting sweatshop free, enviornmentally friendly clothing) and changefortheenviornment.org). We'll be contributing with a costume show featurning Clelia Scala's masks, matching costumes modelled by several Minotaur employees and a few other poor saps who have agreed to participate. I'll post pictures after the fact.

There is also a retail area Minotaur's booth will feature board games (board gaming is an eco-friendly pastime) and some of our locally made and eco-friendly gifts.

Add to the above, free snacks, a cash bar and live music.

The event will take place at Renaissance, 285 Queen Street on Thursday, September 24th at 7pm. Tickets are available at the door, at ticketpro.ca and at Fancy That Boutique on Princess St.

August Winner

2009-09-19T14:55:00.000-07:00

Adam Baig has won our August blog contest. Congrats Adam! Sorry Adam for taking so long to do the draw and post this. Come in and pick up your $20.00 gift certificate!

Pandemic - On the Brink

2009-09-19T14:35:00.001-07:00

Yep, the new Pandemic expansion is now in stock. It contains the following:

7 new and 1 revised Role cards

8 new Special Event cards

12 pawns

8 Virulent Strain Epidemic cards

12 purple desease cubes

1 purplle disease cure marker

1 purple "cured disease" tile

2 Mutation cards

3 Mutation Event cards

1 Bio-terrorist location pad

1 added Epidemic card

1 added reference card

4 blank cards for customizing

6 petri dishes and labels

1 rulebook

In addition you can now play the game with 5 players and at a "Legendary" difficulty level!

For more information go to: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/40849

- Justine

Saturday, September 19th is Worldwide D&D Day

2009-09-17T16:04:00.000-07:00

This Dungeons and Dragons event gives attendees an opportunity to partcipate in group adventure design and then to play another group's adventure. No experience necessary. No paraphanalia required either, but if you have your own dice and Player's Handbook, bring them in and you won't have to share!

Gen Con Indy - Catan North American Championsips

2009-09-08T11:42:00.000-07:00

Hi All - sorry for the long gap in blog postings - I've been busy elsewhere, among other things, away from the store with a nasty cold. I'll try to delegate if this happens again!

Ian Watson, our entrant in the Catan North American Championships, had a great time at Gen Con an placed 9th over all in the Catan Tournament. Top prize went to another Canadian, Edgar Zurawell, who gets to go to Germany next year. Congrats Edgar! For a sample of what went on in the Mayfair booth, check out the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sswuIaG-hPo . Ian Watson can be picked out of the crowd by his CBC t-shirt.

I'll post again very soon - before the end of the week with a list of upcoming events at Minotaur!

- Justine

Catan at GenCon Indy

2009-08-15T08:47:00.000-07:00

Ian, the winner of the King Con Settlers of Catan tournament, is off enjoying his prize at GenCon Indy. He's in the first day of the North American Championships - let's all keep our fingers crossed for him. Wouldn't it be great if he made it to Germany next year!! I'll post his results when I get them!

For everyone who commented (or still wants to comment) on the Dominion Tournament and for anyone who has anything to say about Catan Tournaments, past present or future over the next week, we are offering a 15% discount off of our Eurogame section during the week of August 24th - 30th!

-Justine

Robert Dominates

2009-08-09T15:03:00.000-07:00

Robert Holiday won Minotaur's first ever Dominion tournament and got to take home a copy of Dominion Intrigue!

Comments

2009-08-03T11:51:00.000-07:00

Post a comment THIS week about any of todays posts (Winner, Dominion Tournament, Origami Workshop, Books at Minotaur) and get 15% off books in the store NEXT week. And you’ll be entered in the monthly draw for a $20.00 Minotaur Gift Certificate!

Books at Minotaur

2009-08-03T11:32:00.000-07:00

We've received many new books over the past week - colouring books, crossword puzzle collections, maze books, challenging puzzle books and anything weird that appeals to me. We have Gadget Nation, Fill-In Paint-doku, The Villian's Guide to Better Living, The Mathematical Recreations of Lewis Carol, Cut & Assemble a Crusader Castle and so much more. Pop in and browse!

Origami Workshop

2009-08-03T11:26:00.001-07:00

Bonnie Beals will be holding another Origami Workshop on August 23rd. Cost is $5.00 per person. All supplies will be provided. All ages welcome. No experience necessary.

Dominion Tournament

2009-08-03T11:21:00.000-07:00

Sunday, August 9th at Minotaur! Start time 12 noon. Cost $5.oo per person. First prize is a copy of Dominion Intrigue (if you already own Intrigue, there will be an alternate prize.) Sign up at Minotaur anytime between now and the event!

Winner!

2009-08-03T10:59:00.000-07:00

The winner of our first blog draw is Jon a.k.a Boat Builder. Jon, come in and claim your $20.00 gift certificate! We'll draw a 2nd name in early September from all of the August comments.

Dominion Intrigue HERE AT LAST!

2009-07-09T11:30:00.000-07:00

We've all waited a very long time...almost too long. But finally Dominion Intrigue has rolled through our door. Those of you with preorders, can come pick them up! We do also have a few copies that aren't spoken for yet, but we expect them to go fast!

Personally, I can't wait to try it out tonight!

In honor of Dominion Intrigue, we are extending last week's discount to this week.

So:

Post a comment about your favourite card game or let us know about any great ones we’ve missed. Post a comment THIS week and get 15% off card games in the store NEXT week. And you’ll be entered in the monthly draw for a $20.00 Minotaur Gift Certificate!

Card Games

2009-06-29T10:53:00.000-07:00

Last night, at games night, I played, for the first time, a German card game called Sticheln. It’s viciously addictive and I can’t wait to play it again. To quote George Pletz who commented on it on Board Game Geek Sticheln is “A wicked little trick-taking game which bewitched me within a single game".

Summer is a great time for card games as they are portable and many of them can be played anywhere – on a beach blanket, picnic table or pub patio.

Post a comment about your favourite card game or let us know about any great ones we’ve missed. Post a comment THIS week and get 15% off card games in the store NEXT week. And you’ll be entered in the monthly draw for a $20.00 Minotaur Gift Certificate!

Discount for Comments & Monthly Contest

2009-06-22T11:00:00.000-07:00

Have a fun Minotaur story you wish to share?

Comment on this week's post (Free RPG Weekend) and receive a 15% discount off all D&D 4th Edition Products (excluding items already on sale) next week - June 29 - July 5.

All you have to do is: 1) Become a member 2) Contribute to our blog by commenting on the weekly post(s) and get a 15% discount on the discount item of the week (the week following the post). Come into Minotaur and state your name and get the discount. We'll keep a list of posts.

Contest:

Once a month we'll draw a name from all the posts and give out a $20.00 Minotaur gift certificate. Only one entry per person per week will be counted towards the draw, but please feel free to post as much as you like!

Free RPG Weekend

2009-06-22T10:22:00.000-07:00

On Free RPG day publishers distribute free gaming goo to existing and wannabe role-playing gamers via local, independant, game stores. At Minotaur we also ran the new Dungeons & Dragons Eberon adventure all day Sunday.

We would appreciate any and all comments on the stuff on offer this year. We were disappointed by the lack of minis on offer this year, but were intrigued by the new Giest RPG from White Wolf.

As for the adventuring - what did everyone think of the new Eberon Campaign World?

- Justine

P.S. Still a few free odds and ends left - if you didn't make it down this weekend, you can still pick up some stuff.

2009-05-29T08:43:00.000-07:00

GAMES NIGHT CHANGE!

Wednesday's games night is moving to Thursday and will run from 5-9pm.
Sunday's games night will remain the same (also 5-9pm). June 4th will be the first Thursday games night.

Feedback on this change would be much appreciated!

2009-05-21T12:43:00.000-07:00

Minotaur Discounts at Blogspot? SWEET ! !

2009-05-21T12:38:00.000-07:00

We will be posting discount opportunities on our blog.

1) Check the blog

2) Run to Minotaur to enjoy your discount!

Stay tuned.
-Ada

Origami Workshop

2009-05-17T14:52:00.000-07:00

Bonnie Beals held her fourth origami workshop at Minotaur on May 10th. Bonnie is an expert paper folder and can provide instruction for making both simple and complex origami sculptures. participants at the May workshop were all fairly new to origami, so they worked their way through a few basic designs - a flower, a crane, a box and a shirt, pants and tie combo. We'll have Bonnie back for another workshop this summer.

-Justine

King Con 2009 Wrap Up!

2009-04-20T12:11:00.000-07:00

Well, King Con 2009 is in the bag, so to speak, and it was a great three days in gaming indeed! We’d like to thank everyone involved, from organizers to GMs, players and volunteers and everyone in between. Kingston’s second annual game convention was a blast and we couldn’t have done it without you!

As this is our blog, I'll focus on Minotaur’s events. Here are the quick and dirty results:

First, our Akanul adventure proved to be a killer. Both parties failed to save the dragonborn or to bring justice to the conspirator behind his wrongful murder conviction. This was one heck of a tough adventure, and kudos go to the players for a strong showing despite ultimately coming up short. Besides, a battlegrid covered in wraiths is just such an evocative image. If it’s going to be a total party kill, at least it’s a memorable one!

John Dupont was the winner of the “Mega” Eurogame tournament, squeeking out with a victory over Robert Holiday in the five game, sixteen player event. John maintained control over which games he played for the entire tournament and it showed. And while Calvin Chan gave him a run for his money in Caylus, John wasn’t about to lose in his signature game. So until next year, John's our King of Con (at least insofar as Eurogames go - nyah!)

And finally, for the biggie: Ian Watson took home the crown for the Settlers of Catan tournament in a hard-fought victory over Huss (Brown Sugar!), Robin (all the way from Waterloo!), and Jason (He of "The Shirt"). For those who don't know, Ian had to be convinced to enter – he’s sure glad he did! Even though this year isn't officially a "Canadian Championship" due to Mayfair's loopiness, Ian's got serious chops... consider him your national champ, ya? So congratulations, and good luck at GenCon: win one for the team!

This year's King Con was brought to you by 4 Colour/8-Bit, Minotaur, Nexus, and The Rocking Horse. Our new venue for 2009 -- Confederation Place Hotel -- worked out quite well, being spacious and accomodating... and even though the Friday night social was a bit of a scheduling muckup alongside the nursing grad party, all turned out well in the end!

Patrick

Kingston vs. Montreal Table Hockey Match 2009

2009-03-29T10:28:00.000-07:00

Kingston Minotaurs

Montreal Frogs (Champions)

Christeas Cup Table Hockey Tournament 2009

2009-03-29T10:00:00.000-07:00

Doubles winners - The Prairie Punks

Singles winner - Elden McClenaghan

Inaugrual Akanul Adventure Is a Hit!

2009-03-10T08:40:00.001-07:00

So it took a bit longer to get our ducks in a row and post them, but check out some pictures of our first Akanul Adventure!

We had two solid groups run roughshod over baddies on February 28th -- our intrepid adventurers made mincemeat* out of their spellscarred and genasi adversaries en route to almost apprehending the fugitive dragonborn wanted for the horrific lumberyard murders. On the way, the question of guilt or innocense arose -- now the dragonborn may not be the quarry after all!

With the enigmatic Hurley Burley Man burbling out his half-cooked prophecies, it seems that this little adventure is only just the beginning... a far more sinister plot lies beneath, one in which our providential adventurers will no doubt find themselves sooner rather than later!

Stay tuned for the next installment this April -- King Con 2009 baby!

* Using a massive, automated lumbermill rotary saw to hamburger a genasi assassin proved to be both gruesome and hilariously popular at the same time!

- Patrick

March 2009 Newsletter!

2009-03-02T12:45:00.000-08:00

To check out our spiffy March '09 newsletter, clicky clicky on:

www.minotaurgifts.com/news/09mar.pdf

Cheers!
Patrick

Settlers Of Catan Tournament Photos

2009-02-28T09:46:00.001-08:00

This year's in-store Settler's of Catan tournament was our qualifier for the North American Settler's tournament qualifier at King Con (Kingston's game convention - more about this later).

John Dupont came away with the top prize - tickets to the con and entrance into the Settler's tourney there. If he wins that tournament, we'll be sending him to Gen Con Indy to play in the NA Catan Championship. Sign up and see if you can beat him!

-Justine

Round one - Huss' crushing victory.

A quick game of Lost Cities between rounds.

Round three - Hard at play.

Round three - Stealing Cards

The Final Game - Huss: Oh, the Agony...

The final four: Bernhard, Huss (still trying to win), John and Geoff

John Dupont - Lord of All Catan

Staff Party

2009-02-21T18:20:00.000-08:00

Just to show you how much we love each other, here's the staff playing Cash & Guns. Kevin is having so much fun he's gleefully commiting suicide!

- Justine

Hello and then some

2009-02-19T11:30:00.000-08:00

Hello all,

This is the launch of a new Minotaur blog. We had one started by Ada Mullett, our publicity guru, that we didn't use nearly enough and although I had the ability to update it - I never remembered to do so. I will make this one a part of my weekly routine and hope that others at Minotaur will use this also. Please feel free to send us content to post - photos, text, links to great sites, game reviews, etc.

If you don't already know Minotaur well, we are a games and gifts store in downtown Kingston. We sell all sorts of games - board games, card games, RPG's, CCG's, party games and if we don't have it we'll try to get in for you (as long as it is in print). We don't carry electronic, computer or console games, so don't ask for those. On the gift front, we sell jigsaws, brainteasers, origami paper, toys, tin robots, stuffed microbes and all sorts of other things that need to be seen to be believed. Greeting cards have become another big part of our business. None of the fluffy bunny/sentimental variety, we promise.

The other thing we do is have events. Being involved with Kingston's gaming community and with the community at large is important. No doubt it helps business, but it also makes life at the store fun! We host free games nights twice a week and run more specifec events thorought the year. Some of these have included/will include board game tournaments, table hockey tournaments, D&D delves, charity scrabble tournaments, origami workshops, a zombie walk and I could go on and on... We are also involved in the organization of Kingston's annual game convention "King Con" and will be running many events there. But we'll keep you up to date on events with regular postings.

I should also mention that we have a games area in the store with tables and a water cooler and shelves full of games to play. Come in anytime we are open, bring some friends and crack open a game!

Well, most of you probably already know most of the above, but I wanted to start off this blog by getting it all out there. The rest of the posts will assume you know who we are!

-Justine