Article by Matt S. You can learn a lot about a culture from the games that it plays. I’m not just talking about video games here (though, obviously, I’m a big advocate for Japanese video games as well), but rather the traditional board and card games that predate video games.…
Read MoreReview by Matt S. Nothing beats a good board game. When the mechanics are uncomplicated, and the setting and design excite the imagination, then a board game is endlessly replayable and the perfect way to spend a lazy Sunday. Video games can make it even more convenient, by removing the…
Read MoreReview by Matt S. Shogi – often referred to as “Japanese Chess” – is an irritatingly obtuse game to learn how to play. Especially for those who don’t speak Japanese. With Chess, abstract as it is, pieces are designed to be visually familiar – once you’re told that the king…
Read MoreReview by Matt S. Once upon a time, Monopoly and Risk were giants of the board game world. Every family had copies, everyone played them, and it was considered a great family activity to break out either of the two on a Sunday afternoon. Fast forward to today and more…
Read MoreReview by Matt S. It must be pretty hard to screw up a Scrabble clone. But we now know that it can be done. The developers of Happy Words have lived the impossible dream and done it. This is one terrible clone of Scrabble. I’m going to start with the…
Read MoreReview by Matt S. Going way, way back into the history of video game RPGs, the original goal of developers was to take the pen and paper experiences that so many people loved through the 70’s and 80’s (most notably through Dungeons & Dragons), and then give them the chance…
Read MoreNews by Matt S. Beamdog, the developer/publisher that brought us the remasters of classic Dungeons & Dragons titles, including Baldur’s Gate, Planescape Torment and Icewind Dale, has again partnered with Wizards of the Coast. This time, to bring us an all new Axis & Allies board game on Steam, Axis…
Read MoreArticle by Matt S. While we love video games at DigitallyDownloaded.net (you probably noticed that, right?), we’re also big fans of Japan as a country (which you probably have also noticed). Japanese video games are great an all, but something that perhaps fewer people are aware of is that Japan’s…
Read MoreReview by Matt S. I rarely continue to play a game for years after its release. I just don’t have the time. Even games I truly love I can never seem to find an excuse for a replay. At least, until they transition to become “retro” enough that I can…
Read MoreReview by Matt S. As a big fan of the old gamebooks that I obsessively consumed through my childhood, I was so impressed with what Tin Man Games did with The Warlock of Firetop Mountain. Taking the basic gamebook experience and turning it into a blend of board game and…
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