GAME & TOY AWARDSCloudspire $130The options for playing Cloudspire can seem overwhelming at first;
the game incorporates boards, chips, dice, and cards and it supports
PvP, solo, and team modes. But for 130 bucks, we would hope for
some broad functionality that lends itself to multiple replays with a
number of different participants. Cloudspire’s mix of world building
and combat delivers.Star Wars:
Outer Rim $65The lawless edge of the Star
Wars galaxy lends itself to some
interesting gaming. Play as a
smuggler, have run-ins (and
potentially work) with famous
characters from the series, and
tangle with different gangs.
Here’s good news for people
looking to play solo, or social
distancing alone: In single-player
mode, you can still compete
against a character generated by
the game itself, whose turns are
dictated by a deck of cards with
preset action options.The Crew $15The Crew is a cooperative trick-taking game, meaning players
perform some action each round, and whoever does the best wins
that hand—similar to Hearts, Spades, or Euchre. Groups of two to
five players complete up to 50 missions together, targeting certain
objectives (like taking certain cards, or winning certain hands).
Should they fail, the players immediately lose. Thankfully, they
can keep playing the same mission until successful, and the short
rounds are easy to restart, making it ideal for players who want to
settle in for a long session.Cartographers $25Cartographers tasks players
with charting out a new fantasy
realm for their kingdom, reveal-
ing cards that represent areas
of land that appear on the map.
Though there are symbols to
represent those areas, we pre-
ferred picking up markers and
pencils to draw our own vibrant
landscapes. Whoever earns the
most reputation stars by the end
wins. Other players can throw
monsters at you to thwart your
plans, so be flexible.Exit: The Catacombs of Horror $25This super-sized, two-part, escape-room game challenges players to
find a missing friend under the streets of Paris. Featuring tough puz-
zles—like one that can only be solved by candlelight—and inventive
gameplay, this Exit title proves that you don’t have to leave your house
for a compelling escape-room experience. Pleasantly, for a game titled
“The Catacombs of Horror,” it wasn’t too scary, either.November/December 2020 65CO
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