The Cardboard Republic’s Risk Variants and Solo Game Play

Judging from where this bookmark is located in my list of bookmarks I found this site some time ago. What I was originally searching for is any ones guess, however having found what looked like an interesting resource, and I saved the bookmark.

Although I just started to explore this site in earnest, I came upon two topics that are near-and-dear to me. They are the board game “Risk” and Solo board games.

Variant Risk

This page list three different variants of Risk; Vendetta or otherwise known as Assassin, or Paranoia. Vendetta takes two of revised versions missions and applies them to everyone. This variant is said to shorten a five player game down to two hours.

The second variant allows one to accumulate territory cards past the usual five card maximum. That is to say you can cash them in at a more appropriate time when the number of armies issued is at an all-time high.

The third and last Risk variant mentioned is One World Dominion, which includes a PDF for a print and play version of Risk. One World Dominion includes its own set of Territory cards, and its own set of rules and situations. This variant looks like a very interesting and might prove to be quite challenging to play.

One World Dominion, Territory Card

Solo Edition: The Appeal of Single Player Board Games

This page lists three board games that include either rules for or components for playing solo. The three listed board games that include solo versions are: Race for the Galaxy: The Gathering Storm, Arkham Horror, and Ascension: Storm of Souls. Race for the Galaxy: The Gathering Storm includes a miniature game board for solo play.

Malta Convoy, a Free Solo Dice Game

Roll the dice for the make-up of your convoy, length of trip, and many other attributes. All you need to supply are one or two 6D dice and pencil and paper (Or use the included map). Roll for your beginning attributes and as you progress you will be rolling for possible enemy contacts. See the second page for complete rules.

An alternative game that is a bit more sophisticated that uses ship miniatures can be downloaded from GHQ.

Histrofigs 18mm Hero’s

Here are six 18mm unique zombie hunters. These like the remainder of the zombies will be used to replace a set of cardboard zombies that accompanied print and play board game. They should make the game more interesting.

Last Stand at Surbiton

Last Stand at Surbiton is a sequel to 1871: The Battle of Dorking, formally from Draken Games. The situation is desperate for the demoralized British forces; however Surbiton, a nominally defend-able position, is their last attempt to check the Imperil German forces from sacking London.

To get you in the mood you might want to read The Invasion by William Le Queux which envisions Britain being invaded by Germany.

The Battle of Dorking

The Battle of Dorking is the first “print and play” game I purchased. The Battle of Dorking is a fictional battle between German imperial forces and a mostly vagabond lot of English citizens and soldiers in Victorian England in the year of 1871. The game features 38 pages of rules, counters, statistic tables, and a large map (two pages). There are 20 pages of rules and the remainder of the booklet includes back-end details.

Les Petits Pirates

One of the six maps

Les Petits Pirates was created by GGJ Games and was an entry in the 2016 PnP Game Design contest. This print and play board game is for one to four players. Players are pirates and command three ships. Their mission is gather resources and gold while trying to prevent their opponents from doing the same.

There are three distinct phases of the game, an Action Selection, Action Assignment, and Resolution phase. Players will continue to play until one player has collected and buried 20 Gold.

There six five by eight inch maps to choose from, including one that is space themed (perhaps you can come-up with something more suitable than gold for this game.)

You will need to supply four dice per player, three of which are used to represent three ships and tokens for gold pieces. I had actually considered using 1/2000 scale ships, which might be a little too large for the five by eight inch playing map. We will see!

Western in My Pocket a Free Print and Play Game

Download the "Western in my Pocket" zip folder which contains the games components. Once you unzip this file you will find a set of tiles, Event and Score cards, and game rules. Pick a character and scenario. This is a one-person or solo game. There are good guys and bad guy scenarios. The rules are very basic and open for interpretation. Not that you need them to play I suppose “old” west miniatures of any size could be used, but with the size of the tiles as they are I would propose using either 15 or 25mm miniatures instead of some miscellaneous token. This might make playing the game more meaningful.

Two Games fit for the Season

I am a little late getting this to post and had wanted to make this post well before Christmas, but with only two days past Christmas day I feel that this post is still within the reason.

Santa and Goblin War

This map and counter game was first featured in Draken Games Catalog #6 and now is available in Draken’s Mini-Game Compendium. The Santa and Goblin War game is two-page print and play game, which includes 48 counters, about a page of instructions, and a full page map (playing board). The Santa and Goblin War game is a game where Elf and Goblin slog it out with snowballs. That’s right, no death here, just time for a “hot bath and hot coco”.

There are three different types of units for each faction. For the Elf’s there are Elves, Elves on reindeer, and Polar bears as elite units. The Goblin faction includes Goblins, Goblins on wolves, and Evil snowmen. These units are represented on the counters. The counters include movement and break values for each unit and the map includes terrain elements for woods, hills, river, bridge, and Santa House. These elements effect the movement values.

Santa and Goblin War game is a turn based game works on a point system, which is calculated after ten rounds. Points are award to the faction who controls the different sectors on the map after the tenth round.

Sleigh Wars: Xmas Mayhem

Sleigh Wars was first published back in 1985. I had been looking for the download link for my Sink the Bismarck post. I entered the link into my browsers address-bar and instead of getting the Sink the Bismarck game I was led the Sleigh Wars game. Someone realized their mistake and pointed the link back to the correct file. I have tried to find a link for this game, but to no avail. Under the odd circumstances in which this game was acquired I thought that I must make a post and review the game.

Sleigh Wars is a print and play board game that can be played by two to four players. A four player game is recommended. The PDF includes a large game board that is printed from two separate pages, five player aids, and a set of counters representing movement, some of the weapons, presents to be delivered, and four sleighs. In addition, there are two pages of game rules. There are three tables featuring crash rules, weapons and combat, and range modifier attributes. Sleigh Wars and offers multiple weapons systems such as a Turkey Cannon, Xmascette, Lasers, Brandy Flamer, Snowstormer and a "Christmas pudding Bomb". The game can also be played with 3-D movement rules. The object is to deliver six presents to six homes before your opponents do.

Flatline Games Holloween Expansion

Flatline Games has made a special Print and Play Halloween Special expansion for their very popular Dragon Rage board game available. A quote from back story reads: “a devious necromancer has enchanted a chariot of pumpkins from an unsuspecting vegetables merchant.”

A three page PDF includes statistics and properties for this expansion in English and what I assume is Spanish and a page of counters.

Halloween Special Expansion Counters (the actual counters are somewhat larger than those depicted here.)

Coin Age a Print and Play Board Game

Coin Age is a micro-sized, (about a size of a credit card) board game for two players. Players must supply four US dimes, three pennies, two nickels, and one quarter each. The game uses these coins to determine one of the four prescribed actions (place, pay, move, or capture).

The one-page Coin Age PDF contains game rules and a two-sided map. Coins are used instead of counters and can be stacked on the map.  Depending on a player’s coin slap (the number of heads or tails) he might come up with decides on how he might proceed. There is an out-comes table included within the rules that identifies what actions are available to the player. The game ends when a player plays his last coin or when the last empty space on the map has been filled.   

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• Taluva Coin Age Maps (Six Alternate Maps)
• Fan Created Coin Age Maps
• PNP Coin Stickers Official PNP Coin Stickers:
  “The Royal Kingdom of Heads" or "The People's Republic of Tails"
  

Sink the Bismarck-Free Print and Play Game

Sink the Bismarck is a free print and play solo game, but I have played the game with two contestants before. Instead of rolling for both sides, just pick the side of the attacker or the defender.

The basic premise of the game is to sink the battleship Bismarck. The Sink the Bismarck PDF includes an 8.5 by 11-inch game board, twelve British Swordfish torpedo bombers, and instructions on how to play.

“The game ends once 5 torpedoes hit the ship. You'll will also score points for each aircraft and torpedo you destroy.”

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Alternative Sink the Bismarck Game

The Preamble to the Raid on Spurhaven RPG and Board Game

Last month I made a post on the Draken Games Catalogue # 8 and the two free mini-games that were included in this issue. I have read through the Raid on Spurhaven rules and have found what you might call the back story of the game. Here are some excerpts:

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"Many years ago, during the Second Orc War, a renowned local magic user called Abramor poured much of his powers into a magical artefact to help halt the Malthian invasion: a spyglass that allowed him to direct battle magic. Using it from atop his tower on the heights, he helped the Free Peoples defeat the invaders. Abramor was left drained: his School of Magic broke up and his last act was to create six runes that would allow a magic user to recreate his battle magic, so long as they have his spyglass.

Abramor told people of his legacy, but by then his mind was failing and few took him seriously. He died alone in his tower in poverty. Though the heights do at least bear his name, the tower is now in ruin. His spyglass and runes were remembered only as folklore, repeated as a rhyme by local children:

‘If orcish evil comes to pass
Then find again the eye of glass,
That’s hidden in Abramor’s Tower
Along with words of magic power,
Magic user heed this verse
To stop orcs with a deadly curse’

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‘Aldus,

The orcs have found proof that the old rhyme about Abramor is true. You must stop them finding what they seek! We shall march south at double speed to try and assist in the defense of Spurhaven against the main war party.’ “

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Raid on Spurhaven

Draken Games Catalogue 8 + Free Mini-Games

The Draken Games Catalogue # 8 is available as a free download from Drive Thru RPG. There are two standalone games included in this issue that can be played separately or can be combined into one game. There is a RPG and a mini war game named Raid on Spurhaven. All of the components, including, counters and game board are include and be printed on any color printer.

The Raid on Spurhaven's game board measure approximately 8.5 by 11 inches

Draken Games is the creator of 1871: The Battle of Dorking, and the Last Stand at Surbiton which I still haven’t gotten around to reviewing.

Make sure that you grab your copy soon, because these Catalogues’ will not be available for ever.

The Dead Mans Island Kraken Rule

"6.4.1 When rowing around the island, pirates are far from safe. These waters are the home of a giant squid. At the end of player’s turn they must roll 1d6 for any longboat they occupy on that is not in a cove. On the result of a 1 the occupants must give up an item or a pirate to the beasts tentacles."

Image from Wikipedia-Commons

Dead Man’s Island Board Game

Dead Man’s Island is an economically priced, print and play game. Up to 4 players can play, however it is best played with 1 to 3 players. The downloadable contents include a large game board that measures approximately 16 by 11 inches, 77 assorted game tokens, 4 long boats, 12 pirate tokens in 4 different colors, 24 zombie tokens, 6 treasure tokens, and a 9 page rule booklet.

From Dead Man’s Island Rule Booklet

The object is to land on the island safely, find and dig-up the cursed treasure. While hunting for treasure you may have to fight other pirates that may be looking for the same treasure, and defiantly defend yourself from the zombies who are there to protect the treasure. The pirate and zombie tokens have attack, movement, and defense properties printed in there respected corners.

The game board measures approximately 16 by 11 inches

If you are successful in finding the treasure and staying alive long enough to haul the treasure back to your long boat there are the Kraken to contend with; they live in the deep waters around the island. You may on a roll of die to decide to sacrifice a treasure or one of your crew. (ARR- less crew means more booty for the rest of you)

The objective is to get the required number of treasure:

3 to 4 players: 3 treasures
2 players: 4 treasures
1 player: 6 treasures

Escape of the Dead- Yet another game of zombies

Escape of the Dead is another fine game from the folks of the Experimental Playground. The game includes three cards, with backs, eight miniature zombies, and a one page pocket mod with the game instructions. The art work on the game components is great.

The three cards represent the Lawn, Barricades, and the Garage. These cards represent three unique phases of the game. The object of this solo game is to fix your vehicle while defending yourself against hordes of zombies who are continuously trying to break into the garage.

Dead Things Board Game

Screenshot of title page of game PDF

Dead Things is print and play mini-game preview by David Fitzgerald. All of the game components are included in a PDF and include a game board, twenty zombie and four survivor counters. There are two and half pages of set-up instructions, character properties, weapon hit-chart, Luck counters (these are used with special rules that are mentioned within the text), and rules to play the game.

The game scenario is as follows. You are leaving a mall and realize that the parking lot is crawling with Zombies. Your objective is to use the weapon you have at hand. A golf club, shovel, shotgun, and a pistol are employed to shoot or club your way to your car.

If your “Luck” runs out before you reach the car you are dead. If no humans reach the car alive, the zombies win the game and the world is lost.

The game board is a colorful and measures approximately 6 by 10 inches. To make the game a bit more life like zombie miniatures in 1/72 could be used as a substitute for the card counters.

A Current List of In my Pocket Series of Games

Recently I was looking through my collection of Print and Play games and I came across two “In my Pocket Games” and I thought I would revisit the Boardgame Geek site to see if there were any new “In my Pocket games” available. Besides the Western in my Pocket and Zombie in my Pocket games, which I already have downloaded, I found a few new titles.

I have included a list of those games that are currently listed. All of these games are Print and Play games, and many of these games can be played solo.

1. 10,000 in my Pocket
2. Airborne In Your Pocket: Free Trial Version
3. Fairy Tale in my Pocket
4. Raiders in my Pocket
5. Western in my Pocket
6. Zombie in my Pocket

My Latest Digital Media Downloads

I will be making more detailed reviews of these titles as time permits. These titles include game rules, a short story and print and play games.

A Magical Society Guide to Mapping

This was a freebie that I downloaded from Steve Jackson’s Games Warehouse 23. A Magical Society Guide to Mapping gives you a thorough understanding of what goes into mapping of your own worlds. What I have read so far has been very interesting and informative.

Astounding Tales 2nd Ed.

I haven’t read this text yet, but Astounding Tales gives you some background into the Pulp genre and provides characteristics and properties for your Pulp miniatures.

Dead Things (The Zombie Board game) 1st Edition

Dead Things is a free board game that is offered as a preview game.

Shootin Iron: Davestown's Most Wanted

Davestown's Most Wanted is a supplement to Shootin Iron: Davestown Cock N Bull.

To Rescue General Gordon

To Rescue General Gordon is a free steampunk short story.

Dead Man's Island

Another print and play game. This one features pirates and zombies.

Solo Dungeon Bash

Solo Dungeon Bash uses a 9 (width) by 10 rows deep square grid. Each row represents a new level. Each level gets more difficult as the odds of having to fight a monster of some sort grow with each level. On level one you a 1 out of 6 chance of having to fight and kill a monster. After level 3 you have a 4 out 6 chance of fighting a monster.

You start the game with 17 health, 1 attack die and 1 defense die. If your health reaches 0 you are dead and lose the game.

The turn sequence is as follows:

• Pick the next square and move into it. You can move into any square except for a square you have already moved into and don’t pick a square that will eventually block you in.
• Roll to determine the room contents
• If the room contains treasure add it to your treasure score. Treasure can be used to purchase weapons and amour or potions.
• If the room contains Potion add it to your treasure score. Treasure can be used to purchase weapons and amour or portions. Potions can be used to add health points.
• If the room contains a monster, you must fight to the death
• Take any or all the potions you have collected
• Exchange any treasure items

Monsters only have one health.

The fighting of a monster goes as such:

• Monster rolls an attack die, each roll of a 6 is a hit
• Player rolls defense die. Each 6 reduces the counts of hits. Remaining hits are subtracted from the player health
• Player rolls their attack die. Each 6 is a hit
• Monster rolls their defense die. Each 6 reduce the number of hits by 1. If there are nay remaining hits after deducting, the monster is dead

What will I need to play?

A 9 by 10 grid laid-out on a pad. There are four provided with the instructions; a pencil to keep track of health, potions, treasure, ETC statistics, and up to ten dice.