The Time For Fun Is Now Or Never

Now or Never tells the story of a cliffside village called The Monument, which once protected an ancient shrine. Then a crystal meteorite descended upon the village, releasing its wicked monstrosities to wreak havoc across the land. The people of the village fled and the creatures spread throughout the land like a fungus. Now, twenty years later, rumors have begun to spread of their growing weakness, causing the people to consider returning and rebuilding. But do you have what it takes to seize your chance before someone else claims your home?

Rebuilding The Monument

Now or Never allows you and up to three friends to play as four asymmetrical characters, competing to see who can best rebuild your ancestral village and guide your fellow villagers home. The first thing you’ll need to do is rebuild your village so that the other villagers have a place to live. Your advantage comes from figuring out the best locations and buildings to construct, which will earn you rewards for long-term planning. You can even interact with other players by hiring their specialists to perform special actions when needed.

You’ll also have to fight the weakened creatures to protect your fellow travelers as they journey home to the village you’ve rebuilt. Although they’re weakened, they still pose a significant threat to you and your fellows, so make sure everyone makes it back safely!

All players will use a main board, which is overlaid by a 10×4 grid that contains iconography of the land and its various terrain. The game is played in six seasons, with each turn allowing you to use one of three hero actions to move on the game board and interact with the world. Each player gets their own hero board, which is fitted with different attack and defensive slots waiting to be filled or upgraded.

Specialist Action

Players get a grid of 4×5 buildings and two specialists, one who can build and the other who can refresh your heart track. If you choose to not be a hero on your round, you can activate one of your specialists to perform a distinct task. Other specialists can be recruited from the market to do things like buy gear or other specialized tasks. However, specialists need to be paid. If you choose to use another player’s specialist, then that player will get a few coins to act as taxes for reconciliation.

One optional move you can take is to use one of your specialists in order to let them rest. This earns you either two hearts or one coin. The trick of the game is in choosing the actions in the right order that earns you enough money where you need it while also allowing you to properly spend it.

Standard Vs. Story Mode

Now or Never has two modes of play: standard mode and story mode. Story mode allows you to read from a story book while you explore, while standard mode forgoes the use of the book. For players who want to learn more about the characters and the world, story mode can help add a magical feeling to the otherwise straightforward gameplay.

Every character has their own distinct story, with each decision guiding you further along in your own unique story. If you’ve played the previous two games in the Arzium storybook series (Above and Below and Near and Far), then you’ll definitely want to break out the storybook for your gameplay.

Now Or Never: A World-Building Fantasy

Now or Never is playable by 1-4 players, so it’s a great game for single players who love fantasy as well as small groups. If you play the game solo, then you will set up the board for a two-player game while only setting up the character board for your opponent. This allows you to play against an automated opponent.

Playing time is 90-180 minutes, so be prepared to settle down for a lengthy and satisfying game. It’s suitable for ages 13 and up, which makes it fitting for high schoolers and other young adults who appreciate the fantasy genre. Buy Now or Never and dive into this fantastical and mythical world!

 

Fluxx: Bow Down To the Cards

If you have a hard time following the rules, you’re not alone. Learning the rules of a card game can be a competition in and of itself, causing you to scratch your head and fight over whether or not you’re allowed to play a Draw 2 on top of another Draw 2. But in the card game Fluxx, learning the rules actually is the point of the game! 

This challenging and wacky card game allows you to change the rules every time you play, constantly switching up the game and morphing it into something entirely new. You’ll have a blast as you lay down card after card, leveling the playing field and knocking the frontrunner off his high horse.

Changing the Rules

Fluxx is a card game with constantly changing rules. The more cards you play, the more the rules change. This makes the game incredibly difficult to plan ahead and manage your hand, as you’re constantly having to shift your strategy along with the rules. New cards will change things like how the cards are drawn, how they’re played, and how many cards you’re allowed to hold onto at one time.

Fluxx begins with some basic rules, with one player shuffling the deck and giving each player three cards. Each player is allowed to draw and play one card per turn, while there is no limit to the cards you’re allowed to hold in your hand. However, as soon as someone plays a card, those simple rules become not so simple. 

For example, a player can play a New Rule card that forces everyone to draw five cards per turn instead of one. Players can also play cards that allow you to play three cards at once, or that limit the number of cards in your hand to only one at a time. If at any point a new rule contradicts an old one, the old rule is discarded in favor of the new.

Keeper, Goal, and Action Cards

The overall goal of Fluxx is to match Keeper cards with Goal cards. The Keeper cards will have certain requirements that the Goal cards have to match. For example, the War Keeper card matches the War = Death Goal card, meaning that if you play both cards on the table, then you win the game.

However, the twist of this card game is that the goals change just like the rules do. You might manage to assemble the right combination of Keeper cards only to find that you’re too late and the goal has changed to something else. You’ll have to stay on top of the ever-changing rules and goals if you want to win the game.

To make things even more complicated, Fluxx also throws in Action cards that allow you to perform random actions. The “Taxation!” card allows you to take cards from the other players, while the “Let’s Do That Again!” card allows you to search through the discard pile and play any Action or New Rule card you choose.

Fluxx Sequels

The joy of Fluxx is that they have released countless sequel card games, promo cards, and themed editions of the original card game. Adventure Time Fluxx has the same rules as the original card game but allows you to play with your favorite characters from the classic Cartoon Network TV show. Join Jake the dog and Finn the human on their adventures in the City of Thieves as you deal with the changing rules!

Doctors and anatomy-lovers will rejoice at Anatomy Fluxx, which allows you to play with cards that correspond with body parts. Play with cards like Blood Vessels and Bones as you fight against the deadly Virus and Mutation. You’ll also have to avoid UnGoals like Cancer that will cause you to instantly lose the game.

Can You Keep Up With All the Changes In Fluxx?

Fluxx is playable by 2-6 players, so it’s a good card game for small parties or families. It’s also suitable for ages 8 and up, making it accessible to both kids and adults alike. Playing time lasts around 5-30 minutes, as it entirely depends on the luck of the draw.

Buy Fluxx today and enjoy the chaos of this random card game!

 

0
    0
    Your Cart
    Your cart is emptyReturn to Shop