Wednesday, 1 October 2014
“Of the Month” October 2014
Tabletop Game of the Month:
Boss Monster: The Dungeon Building Card Game
This is an absurdly fun and satisfying 16-bit (NOT 8-BIT) video game simulator from the point of view of the dungeon bosses. Every turn heroes appear in a tavern in town and it’s up to you to lure them to your dungeon with treasure and kill them with all sorts of traps and monsters with which you populate said dungeon. If you kill the hero(es) before they can reach you, you get points. But if they survive the trip through the dungeon and get to you, you take damage! There are some very clever mechanics, including interrupting and interfering spells that can be played on your own dungeon or your opponents’ dungeons. And the 16-bit (NOT 8-BIT) aesthetic is absolutely delightful. Plus the games don’t drag on for too long, so it’s entirely possible to play several sessions in one sitting!
Movie of the Month:
Godzilla (2014)
I know a lot of people had some problems with this latest American Godzilla movie, but I thought it was fan-frikkin-tastic. And now it’s out on home release! You can read my full review here.
Artist of the Month:
Junji Ito
Junji Ito is the Japanese manga horror master responsible for the infamous Uzumaki series (which was adapted into a very trippy movie). He has been incredibly prolific, and his stories often have a rather gruesome body-horror bent, and characters being taken over by or acting on strange impulses and compulsions. Though they can be very simple (and sometimes have rather silly endings), his stories have some amazing psychological scares that make them just stick in my head. One of my favorites is “The Enigma of Amigara Fault.” Happy Halloween!
Categories: Of the Month.
