Sigh. It’s been a long week on the internet.
The Starfield review embargo is up and discourse around it has been running wild–just look at the comments on our review. But in the midst of all this chatter, we can’t help but think about how much it distracts us from us having meaningful conversations about games and truly enjoying them. Though someone else’s opinion on a game can’t take away any of the joy you experience while playing it, going into a game with anger, defensiveness, or cynicism can absolutely sour the time you spend with it.
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You take to the skies in your custom-made plane. It doesn’t turn on a dime, but it’s got the extra armor and firepower you like. The smaller enemy aircraft up here are little more than cannon fodder, and you weave through their bullets with ease. The battleships on the sea below give you a bit more trouble, but you don’t panic–at least, not until the airship arrives from above and makes quick work of the very vessel you used to take down nearly a hundred others.
So goes Luftrausers, a game that would fit right in next to arcade classics like Time Pilot and Sinistar. It’s got a similar (and similarly compelling) quick-play format to an earlier game from developer Vlambeer, Super Crate Box, but it gives you more control and purpose, resulting in a game that keeps you chasing high scores for even longer.
Being a pilot in Luftrausers is easy. Holding up on the analog stick or keyboard gives thrust to your plane in whatever direction you’re pointing, which yo…
Board games have become one of the best tools for organizing a social event around your table. Growing in popularity over the last couple of years, there’s a game for every taste, ranging from classic Monopoly to more exotic fare set against the vast backdrop of the cosmos. Legacy games like Gloomhaven and Pandemic can last multiple sessions, asymmetrical war games like Root will test your tactical skills, and there’s always a Kickstarter campaign ready to make you fall in love with the hobby all over again when a title like Fog of Love gets crowdfunded.
If you’re shopping for a board game fan this holiday season, you might not know where to start when it comes to modern tabletop gaming, but fortunately, we’ve got you covered. Here are some of the best board games, card games, and accessories to gift to someone who can’t get enough of tabletop gaming. Most of these games feature in our guide to the best board games we’ve played, so give that a look for more info on specific ga…