Honest Reviews. Smarter Play

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Adam has been writing about video games since 2014, and board game since 2018. Adam appreciates spending time with family and friends, and unwinding with cozy games like Stardew Valley (Video) and Mythwind (Board)!

Posts By Adam

Disney’s Aladdin Aboard the Disney Wish

Earlier this year, my wife and I made a quick trip to Florida to take a quick weekend cruise on the Disney Wish, and a day at Epcot. We’ve posted at length about our Epcot adventures – Disney Lorcana, Ratatouille, and the general innovation at Epcot – but have only briefly touched on our enjoyable 3 night cruise on the Disney Wish. One thing I wanted to review was the Aladdin stage show, the one show onboard Disney Cruise Line…

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Octocube Components Review and Impressions

Back at Canada Plays in 2025, I had the chance to talk with the great folks at Ilo and check out a really interesting game I thought my kids would enjoy called Octocube. Octocube had a really neat hook that felt like it actually worked, and that was using a cube to roll and pickup tiles on a grid. Although we have been having fun with the game since it arrived, we aren’t ready to review it quite yet –…

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Toniebox 2 – What Is It and Why Should You Care? A Review

Over the past few weeks we have been using the Toniebox 2 in our house; getting off the ground with this device was a bit more work than I would have liked, but most of that was my own fault for moving too quick through tutorials and not actually reading things. Even before the Toniebox arrived, though, I had to ask: what is a Toniebox, what are Tonies, and why should I care?  The Toniebox is a screenless entertainment device…

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What Makes Living Card Games from Fantasy Flight Games So Fun?

My father-in-law and I just recently finished another campaign of the Lord of the Rings: Living Card Game, and despite some random struggles throughout, we came out the other side with a victory. As we packed up, we looked back on our 3 completed campaigns of this game, and both said we were excited to do this again. We played Marvel Crisis Protocol as well – wasn’t really a big hit with us, but it is the fan favourite of…

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Upcoming Fable Not Delayed Says Playground Games

Over the past 24 to 48 hours there have been rumours that the much anticipated new Fable titled had been pushed out of its Autumn 2026 release window, but a report out of Playground Games says this is not true. A popular media figure was the first to report that Fabled had been delayed, causing hysteria and (surprisingly) anger from fans of the franchise. In the early morning of April 13th (Eastern Time), the official Fable Account commented on an…

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X: Seekers of Fortune Components Overview and Impressions

When X: Seekers arrived at the office for review last week, I was a bit confused: how was it possible that a fairly standard card game can take up so much space? This is going to be the highlight and struggle of this package, but the highlights are definitely what makes this unboxing so memorable. Let’s dive into X: Seekers of Fortune and see what’s inside! To be clear, I am fairly positive this is the same box that went…

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Disney Cruise Line – A Quick Look at the Companies History

I have watched the cruise industry evolve from a niche vacation option into a highly competitive, experience-driven arena where brands fight not just on price or itinerary, but on storytelling. Few have leaned into that idea as successfully—or as unapologetically—as Disney Cruise Line, although Royal Caribbean is coming close! Its fleet isn’t just a collection of ships, but rather a collection of experiences. The Originals: Disney Magic and Disney Wonder When ...

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Kronologic: Cuzco 1450 Board Game Review

Kronologic: Cuzco is the second release in the Kronologic lineup of games, and while this one came out of left field for me, it is a well loved system that people really enjoy. I am generally not the biggest fan of deduction games – mostly because I absolutely suck at them – but something about this one hits a bit different, and makes it enjoyable to play! Let’s dive in! In Kronologic: Cuzco 1450 you will pick a scenario to…

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Fantasy Flight Games Shuttering Descent: Legends of the Dark Series

Descent: Legends of the Dark and Betrayer’s War were very ambitious products that obviously didn’t connect with audiences like Fantasy Flight Games wanted. As much as I love the games and the stories they told, it was obvious from lackluster sales of the game that most people were not investing in this experience like the developers had hoped. These are big box games with lots of overhead, and if Fantasy Flight Games and asmodee were not seeing a ...

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Whispers of the Wind Update Available in Disney Dreamlight Valley

The Whispers in the Wind update for Disney Dreamlight Valley has landed, and players will be able to add Pocahontas to their collection of Disney characters right now! With new items to enjoy, start paths, quests, and more, there is a ton of great free content ready for players now! Gameloft has recapped everything in the new update here, but let’s hit the highlights! Step into Olaf’s Grand Exhibition, a special hub where you can showcase your ...

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The Unfortunate Reality of Intellectual Property Board Games

I love a good intellectual property board game as much as the next person, and have a ton of them in my collection. Whether it’s The Lord of the Rings: Fate of the Fellowship, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, or the like, board games based on franchises can be a lot of fun for those who love said franchises. But what happens when your gaming group doesn’t care, or a similar game does the concept just as well? Let’s take…

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Cloudspire Components Review and Impressions

We have been working our way through some games from Chip Theory Games, including The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era and 20 Strong! With the fulfillment of their latest Cloudspire Expansion crowd funding efforts, they have given us the opportunity to check out this fabulous, competitive tower-defense-esque experience! This is a Chip Theory Games production, so you know it’s going to be good! But how good is it? Let’s take a look! Cards ...

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Botswana Board Game Review

I’ve never played Botswana or any of the previous versions of the game (with various different titles), but was able to pick up a copy of the 25th Century Games version from my online retailer. Over the Easter weekend, we got a bunch of games played, and I love the simplicity and strategy this game offers. Components wise, this is a really impressive box for about 24.99 CAD. There are cards numbered from 0-5 for each animal – elephants, meerkats,…

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The Druids of Edora Board Game Review

I fully recognize that every game isn’t for me, and generally if I play something I don’t enjoy, I’ll have others play and review it instead. The Druids of Edora has everything I should love in a board game – lots of fantastic pieces, lots of abilities, etc. – with too much of what I don’t like in games, area control. I’ve been enjoying area control games more and more over the years, and so I thought The Druids of…

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Star Wars Unlimited: A Lawless Time – Leia Organa & Aspects

Two new starter decks came to the office from Fantasy Flight Games and asmodee Canada and we have really enjoyed them so far. New credit tokens are introduced in this set, as well as new dual-aspect cards. We previously looked at the Jabba the Hutt starter deck and accessories, so today we will be looking at the Leia Organa deck! A Lawless Time – Leia Organa Leia Organa is a strong leader when deployed, but is quite costly. She can…

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