Pax Illuminaten – Andrew Lynch
It deserves a full review, but I can’t write one for Pax Illuminaten. It’s a good game! The production is great, with wonderful wooden tokens and cards of unusual color schemes. The rules are on the light side for a Pax game, easy to get into and with a steady flow once it starts. The players around the table for that first play had a good time. “It’s great. I think it’ll really come together in a second play.”
There hasn’t been a second play.
I have suggested it, to the same players, probably half a dozen times now. They were so positive about it at the end of that first game. Nothing. Just a dead light in the back of the eye, suggesting a lack of willingness to jump back in. These are people who are always happy to play review games. We’re talking about a group of people who largely disliked or even hated Arcs, but played it five or six times betwixt them in the name of the review. They’re discerning without being picky. I cannot, no matter what I do, get a second game of Pax Illuminaten going. At this point, I’ve decided, that says something about the game. I don’t know what. But it says something.
Ease of entry?
★★★☆☆ – There were a few questions
Would I play it again?
★★★☆☆ – Wouldn’t suggest it, but would happily play it
Read more articles from Andrew Lynch.
Innovation – Andy Matthews
For years I’ve heard nothing but good things about Innovation, the civ-building card game from Carl Chudyk. Light on graphic design, deep on gameplay and synergy, I know many people who consider this their favorite game. I’ve owned a copy for years, but didn’t play it until just recently. In part I kept away because I’ve heard rumors that it can be tough for newcomers. But I had a two player game night and we both decided to jump right in.
Gameplay is surprisingly easy, with only 4 possible actions. The challenge is in the interplay between cards. In Innovation, the game begins with 10 stacks of cards, each representing an “age”—Prehistory (at level 1) all the way through the Information Age (level 10). Each card contains a wealth of information; icons which power your engine, actions you can trigger, etc. And each card in the entire game is unique. So while Innovation is mechanically easy to play, each card you place in front of you can affect you and every other player in the game.
It’s beyond the scope of these few paragraphs to explain the gameplay. But suffice it to say that if you like deeply interactive games, with more than a little bit of stabbiness, then Innovation should absolutely be on your list. I’m already looking forward to playing again!
Ease of entry?
★★★★☆ – The odd bump or two
Would I play it again?
★★★★★ – Will definitely play it again
Read more articles from Andy Matthews.
Life Express – Justin Bell
With Life Express (2025, Soso Studio), the initial concept is interesting: players must build a life by selecting experiences, and at the end of the game, players score points based on their fulfilled wishes. But then our games of Life Express began, and things went downhill from there. (While we appreciated that the game’s designer sent us updated versions, both of the game’s rulebooks still left me with a lot of questions regarding what the game was trying to accomplish.)
The setup is simple enough. With a hand of seven cards, players will play one of those to the table before passing their entire hand to the next player. Each card represents life’s early triumphs: sleeping well, the birth of triplets, chasing dreams as a rebellious teenager. But the cards in Life Express are the pure definition of vanilla ice cream (some of the supposed “life moments” include thrillers such as “Energetic”, “Playful”, “Job Search”, and “Smooth Childbirth”), and the choices are often binary thanks to the rules: playing a card with a lower value makes more sense than playing cards with a higher value, because points are only scored based on the sheer number of cards a player has on the table at the end of the game. Why would I ever play a value 6 or 7 card if I can play 1s, 2s, and 3s, especially in a game where scoring conditions are usually tied to having played certain cards into one’s life tableau?
The real kicker with Life Express was the scoring system. In one of our games, a player scored zero points, because it ended before one player could collect the cards required to trigger scoring conditions on any cards in their tableau. In my second game—with the entire family, in a game where my son kept trying to play cards that would lead to the most comical death sequences—not one, but two players failed to score. “In a game that celebrates life by scoring points, what does it mean if someone didn’t score any points at all?” my wife asked at the end of that game. We all loved what Life Express was going for, but in its current state, it simply can’t be recommended.
Ease of entry?
★★★☆☆ – There were a few questions
Would I play it again?
☆☆☆☆☆ – No chance
Read more articles from Justin Bell.
SUMO – Kevin Brantley
I’m always happy to see games make their way from Japan to the States. For one, they often bring interesting or unique ideas not usually found in American or Euro-style gaming. For another, they tend to feature attractive, minimalist art. SUMO, a quick card game from Bright Eyes, checks both of those boxes.
The game plays in under five minutes. Seriously. SUMO casts you as a famous sumo wrestler in a two-card, trick-taking duel to claim the title of king of the ring. Though “trick-taking” might be a stretch, there are only four suits numbered one through five.
Simulating a sumo match, each time a player wins a trick, they push their opponent one step closer to the edge of the ring. The wrestler who gets shoved out is eliminated. With only three spaces in this tug-of-war, losing two tricks in a row usually spells defeat. However, there are also special sumo moves—like the abise-taoshi or wucchari—that can trigger instant victories when certain numbers are played against each other. For example, the hikitoshi move wins outright if a player plays one of the same color against a five.
I was surprised at how quickly a match ended. You’ll often play only four or five tricks before it’s over. Much like real sumo, the idea is that matches are short, so the game encourages back-to-back “tournaments” with players tracking their win/loss records on the included score pads.
SUMO is solid because it’s fast, but its small card pool limits agency. Ones, twos, and fives can swing games instantly, while threes and fours mostly serve to control the pace. It’s a neat little small-box game, though it feels like it could use just a bit more depth.
Ease of entry?:
★★★☆ – The odd bump or two
Would I play it again?:
★☆☆☆ – Would play again but would rather play something else
Read more articles from Kevin Brantley.
Venture Angels – Andrew Lynch
Venture Angels is a good example of a good li’l auction game, one of my favorite genres. There’s a murkiness and uncertainty, an amount of reading the other players, that goes into any auction game worth its salt, and I’m always happy to play them. Here, the goal is to invest in start-ups. Players take turns adding one of their bidding tokens face down beneath any company of their choosing. If companies meet their funding goals, they’re eligible for scoring, and go to the largest underwriter.
Thing is, the more companies you win, the more of your bidding tiles have to be placed face-up. It’s a simple, effective twist, one whose effect on gameplay is reinforced by the game’s tie-breaking rules. Is Venture Angels great? No. It’s just fine. But I’d play it any time.
Ease of entry?
★★★★★ – No sweat
Would I play it again?
★★★☆☆ – Wouldn’t suggest it, but would happily play it
Read more articles from Andrew Lynch.
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