The Lord of the Rings: Adventure to Mount Doom

Today's review is of the 2023 release, The Lord of the Rings: Adventure to Mount Doom. For 1-4 players, it takes 50 minutes.

Overview

In this cooperative game, you and your teammates help the fellowship of the ring make its way to Minas Morgul (from there, Sam & Frodo go on to Mount Doom). Along the way, you must avoid Nazgul, battle Orcs, encounter monsters like the Balrog, and dodge other hazards. But hope is not lost; you also have allies who may appear and aid your quest. Can Frodo destroy the ring in time?

Gameplay is straightforward. Each fellowship member has their own colored die, and there are two black encounter dice. On a players turn, they choose two colored dice and roll them with the encounter dice. They choose one encounter die result and one colored die result and place them on page one of a placeholder called the 'book.' Then they choose two colored dice and the remaining encounter die, roll them, and place one of each on page two of the book. The die are then resolved (page 1, top to bottom, page 2, top to bottom). The turn passes to the next player, and gameplay continues until victory (or defeat).

The overall journey is divided into stages, each ending at a 'haven' of sorts. For each stage, there are six encounter cards placed at the bottom of the map (two are initially hidden). When resolving the encounter die, you look at the encounter that corresponds to the number rolled and do as it says. That could be a battle, loss of courage, or (if you're fortunate) an ally that you can remove from the board to help you at a later time. After that, resolve the fellowship die that follows it in the book, moving that character the stated number of spaces. Resolve page 2 of the book in like manner, and keep going. When Frodo & Sam complete a stage, the encounter cards for the next stage are placed (and the prior stage discarded).

Game components at the start; image from here

When you battle, you roll the white battle die. That has symbols corresponding to each fellowship member. Who participates in a battle depends on placement: every character in the same stage as Frodo & Sam AND on or ahead of their square participates. If the symbol of a participating character comes up, you win. If not, you lose. (Thus, it makes sense to keep the fellowship relatively close together, with the ringbearer bringing up the rear.) 

When moving the fellowship, landing exactly on a haven matters. If a character other than Frodo & Sam do it, you gain one courage. If Frodo & Sam do it, you draw a Gandalf card, which can give you a powerful effect later on.

Some spaces or abilities have a Nazgul or a black heart. 

- For the former, place one Nazgul in the stated space on the board. One placed, these are never removed. Once all nine are on the board, you lose. 

- For the latter, move the ring token on the courage track down one space. If you run out of courage, you lose.

Your Gandalf and other ally cards can be used by any player but only once during the game. They are often used to advance a character, change a die roll, or change the outcome of a battle.

Once the fellowship reaches Minas Morgul, Frodo & Sam must continue alone. The rules are slightly different for this final stage. But if they can reach Mount Doom before courage is lost or the Nazguls swarm, they win!

Review

This game is simple and yet sneakily good. I have long sought a LOTR game that captures the spirit of the books in a concise form. This comes very close. The encounter cards and stages reflect the stories pretty well. The dice rolling means there is a heavy luck component, but with multiple rolls each turn (and some ally cards that can help), there are still a lot of meaningful decisions. The mechanics are solid and reflect deep experience in the industry (well done, Kosmos). It plays quickly and captures the suspense well. It is very hard to win, and the map is not accurate (they say for overall gameplay purposes). That aside, I like it for a light LOTR experience.

Rating: A-

Update: after many plays, the game has fewer meaningful decisions than I first stated. This remains a light and fun experience, yet agonizingly hard, occasionally frustrating, and not as satisfying as I first thought. 

New Rating: B

The Girl in the Locked Room (Mary Downing Hahn)

In 1889, a family in rural Virginia was attacked by disgruntled workers. Obeying her parents, the daughter locked herself in an upstairs room during the conflict. Her parents died, but she survived—she thinks. As time has gone on, she forgets more and more about who she is and why she is there. Every night, she sees the scene play out again, as the workers come for her and she hides. She desperately wants to be with her parents and end this cycle, but has no idea how to do either.

In the present (~2018), a girl named Jules moves with her mom and dad to rural Virginia. They stay in an addition next to an abandoned farmhouse; her dad will restore it. They can access everything in the home but a locked upstairs room. In the ensuing days, Jules will experience strange visions; echoes of the past. Something is very wrong in that upstairs room. Can Jules and her friend Maisie find out what? And can they help?

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Classified as 'juvenile fiction,' (for 7–18 year-olds), I would place this spooky story in the 10–12-year-old range. Part of it is formulaic: child sees things parents don't, nobody believes child, child sees a problem and is determined to fix it. And typical for children's literature, some plot/character development is rushed. The second half, though, is more original, genuinely spooky in places, and intriguing. Even if it was written for kids, and thus devoid of some of the horror/suspense that might have been featured in a telling for adults, I was interested. I wanted to see what happened next. The ending was a bit expected but nevertheless satisfying.

Ghost stories in general pose huge theological problems. This one is no different; there are several head-scratching elements. That said, there is value here. One point to ponder: "It's so easy to hide . . . and so hard to be found." Indeed.

Rating: A-

The Silence of the Lambs (Thomas Harris)

A madman is killing women and skinning them, dumping their bodies in rivers.

Clarice Starling, student at the FBI academy, is asked to interview notorious killer Dr. Hannibal Lecter, currently in prison. The FBI wants to better profile serial killers and make progress on the current case.

The killer remains at large and has struck again. Time is running out for his latest victim—the daughter of a U.S. Senator. Will Clarice be able to get Lecter's cooperation, or will his sick games allow the chaos to continue?

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It's October. I like to read creepy things in October; this fit the bill. I had watched the movie (remembering little save being scared) years ago; I saw this on a "best spooky reads" list somewhere and decided to grab it from the local library. I picked it up two days ago; I barely put it down.

This book oscillates between suspense/crime drama and horror. The subject matter is gruesome to be sure, but what I found more troubling was the (faint) echoes of good in Hannibal Lecter. He is a monster in many ways—but not all. And some of his 'handlers,' though innocent of terrible crimes, are monsters in their own right. And Clarice isn't devoid of her own torments. This is a chilling portrait of darkness with 'echoes of Eden' heightening the effect. It is suspense done masterfully. It is not for everyone, and I wouldn't recommend reading material like this frequently (if you can stomach it at all). But sometimes a poignant portrait of evil makes the beauty in the world shine forth all the more.

Rating: A

Redwall (Brian Jacques)

Redwall Abbey and the animals therein (mice, badgers, otters, and more) have enjoyed peace for a while, but those days are soon ended. For the evil rat, Cluny the Scourge, and his army are on the march, and will stop at nothing to capture the fruitful grounds. The peaceful defenders may be overmatched, but the strength of Martin the Warrior—long-dead protector—may help them yet.

The first book of a long-running (1986-2011, when the author passed away) children's fantasy series, I enjoyed this well enough (especially some amusing characters and suspenseful situations). It is a classic tale of good vs. evil, with all the expected elements. The character development (especially of the protagonist) felt rushed, but given the target audience, that's not surprising. It got better towards the end, and though I've enjoyed other fantasy series more, I'm glad my son loves this.

Rating: B+

Batman & Robin

Shortly after Robin joined Batman in Batman Forever . . .

Mr. Freeze, victim of an accident that requires he wear a suit keeping him at sub-zero temperature, keeps his wife cryogenically frozen until he can find a cure for her MacGregor's Syndrome. As he does, though, he (for whatever reason) goes on a rampage through Gotham.

Pamela Isley, devoted scientific researcher and plant lover, is transformed into Poison Ivy after a fight in her lab. She makes her way to Gotham, also to wreak destruction and plan for the plant kingdom to take over. Helping her is Bane, a super-soldier created by a fellow scientist, whose strength (when supplemented by a special serum) is beyond equal.

Batman and Robin team up to fight these new menaces even as they face a fight at home: Alfred is dying of the same disease affecting Freeze's wife. Two heroes may not be enough this time . . . but Batgirl is on the way.

Like Batman Forever, I found this 1997 movie terrible. The focus is on action (and cheesy at that); there is no character development, poor dialogue, and bad characterizations (Ivy walks around blowing her pheromones on people; Bane is a Frankenstein's monster-type who spends the whole film grunting). There are glimmers of possibility here, exploring Freeze's love for his wife and Batman's for Alfred as both struggle with sick family. But neither are done well, and so this was an opportunity lost. 

The Batman series was put on hiatus after this, and didn't come back until 2005's Batman Begins reboot. That film is worth watching. This one isn't, though I hasten to add that my kids liked it better than I did (giving it a B average). 

Rating: D

Batman Returns

Today's review is of the 1992 film, Batman Returns. A few years after Batman . . . 

Gotham's leading citizen and business owner Max Shreck is not the upstanding citizen he appears to be. Intent on control and wealth, he plots his next move to secure a large contract for his pet project . . .

Shreck's secretary, Selina Kyle, can't catch a break. But things might be falling into place for her . . . 

Oswald Cobblepot was born with hideous mutations. Thrown into the sewers as a baby, he survived and was raised by penguins. As an adult, he seeks revenge . . .

Bruce Wayne defends the good as Batman defends Gotham, but can either persona prove a match for these foes?

The second (and final) Tim Burton contribution to the Batman mythos was controversial. Like the first, I enjoyed the tone, sets, and music. There was a mix of dark and silly. There was some outstanding dialogue and characters, too, though the film also featured some cheesy lines. Penguin and Catwoman were tormented characters well worth exploring. These things said, the movie fell flat on a few fronts:

- parts were too dark or innuendo-laced

- the film tried to do too much. It didn't explore Catwoman or Penguin enough, rushing development and skipping over plot elements. The climax felt especially clipped and bizarre.

- the Penguin seemed a little too much like the Joker from the first film. 

There was some good here (especially in view of the two movies that would follow), but not quite as good as the first.

Rating: B-

Batman

Today's review is of the 1989 movie, Batman.

Mob boss Carl Grissom runs Gotham, and the city is in disarray. Attorney General Harvey Dent frantically tries to pin Grissom down, but crime runs rampant. But hope is growing: a mysterious 'Batman' prowls the streets, striking fears into the hearts of criminals. But when Grissom's second-in-command is transformed into the Joker by a tragic accident and starts poisoning the city, people are smiling for a different reason—and not a good one. Will this new menace prove too much for the Bat?

This Tim Burton movie was a hit. It was certainly a product of its time—some corny dialogue and action/effects haven't aged well—but great acting (Michael Keeton, Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger) and a solid story make up for it. There are a handful of memorable lines, the music is great, and I enjoyed the 'atmosphere' of the film (which includes the set design). Nicholson's Joker is dark yet funny, a sort of hybrid between the campy TV show and the darker interpretations that would hit the screen in the 2000s. Overall, I enjoyed the re-watch more than I thought I would, and the kids liked it, too.

Rating: B+

The Bride Wore Black (Cornell Woolrich)

A man is murdered at a party. The only suspect? A beautiful woman, unknown and gone without a trace.

Another man dies. Again, a woman may be involved.

A third goes. A fourth. Same story.

Detective Wanger feels there is a connection but cannot prove it. The men have no known relationship, but in each case, a woman was involved who nobody can identify. Are these independent incidents? And can he stop the killer before she strikes again?

This is a solid and suspensful mystery; a fast read with some twists. Published in 1940, it was the author's entry into the noir style, for which he would become famous. He's not as good as Agatha Christie, but worth a look.

Rating: B+

Star Wars: The Deckbuilding Game

Today's review is of the 2023 release, Star Wars: The Deckbuilding Game. For 2 players, it takes 30 minutes.

Overview

Whether you play as the Rebel Alliance or the Galactic Empire, your goal is the same: destroy 3 of your opponent's bases. Can you do so first?

This is a deckbuilding game in the spirit of Dominion. Each player starts with a basic deck of 10 cards that grants resources or attack abilities. You'll add to your deck as the game progresses, giving you more powerful options. 

During setup, prepare the galaxy row (the central 'market' where cards can be purchased) and Force tracker (set it to neutral). Then each player chooses one of their bases as their starting base, draws 5 cards, and the game begins.

There are a few types of cards in the game:

- Bases are what you must protect (if they are yours) and attack (if your opponent's). A base has a defense value; once it takes hits equal to or exceeding that, it is destroyed.

- Capital ships can participate in attacks (on bases) and protect bases. They also have a defense value and stay in play until destroyed.

- Units (troopers, vehicles, starfighters, characters, etc.) can participate in attacks (on bases or the galaxy row). Or they may add resources or have some other effect on the game. They are discarded at the end of the turn.

On their turn, a player can do the following actions any number of times in any order:

- play a card (from their hand to the table, resolving effects like gaining resources)

- purchase a card (from the galaxy row, putting it in their discard pile. Then replenish the galaxy row)

- use a card ability (turning it sideways indicating its use)

- commit to an attack (choose units to attack galaxy row cards OR choose units and capital ships to attack opposing bases)

- resolve an attack (add up the damage and put that many counters on bases/capital ships, or see if it equals or exceeds the defense value of a card in the galaxy row, discarding that card if so)

Once a player is out of options or chooses to pass, they discard their hand and all unit cards, return unused resources to the pool, draw 5 cards, and the other player takes their turn. Once your draw deck is depleted, shuffle the discard pile to make a new draw deck, enabling cards you purchase to circulate into your deck. Play progresses until a person destroys 3 bases.

game in progress; image from here

One final comment: the Force track can swing the momentum in the game. Certain cards grant the ability to 'gain Force,' meaning you move the Force token that many spaces towards your side. Other cards benefit from the Force being with you (meaning the token is on your side in general), and you gain an extra resource if the Force token is 3 spaces away from the neutral area.

The official video is a nice overview.

Review

I really enjoyed this game. It is fast-paced and well-designed. I was wondering how having faction-specific cards would affect the experience; the ability to attack (and benefit from) opposing cards in the galaxy row is a neat twist and keeps things moving. The Force track is also a nice addition, giving people various things to manage (and providing meaningful choices). I want to play it more. I wish it were for more than 2 people, and I think the game would be enhanced by expansions (I hope they're coming!), but even as it is, this is a winner.

Rating: A

Ahsoka: Season 1

In the post-Empire world, the fledgling New Republic rebuilds the galaxy and tries to maintain the peace. But rumors of a new—or old—threat emerge: Grand Admiral Thrawn, exiled to another galaxy, may have survived and is trying to return to unite and lead the Imperial remnants. Ahsoka Tano is sent to investigate; can she stop this new menace? She won't be alone; Sabine Wren, Hera Syndulla, and others will help her. And she'll need their assistance, for the Night Sisters of Dathomir are intent on stopping her. Who will prevail?

Ahsoka Tano, Anakin Skywalker's padawan introduced in the animated Clone Wars television series, was largely a prequel-era character until she came back in Rebels. As such, Ahsoka follows the events of Rebels: Season 4 and is effectively a live-action continuation of that animated series. It was decent. I liked the story; the execution felt lacking. The acting seemed a bit wooden, the music a bit underwhelming, and the action a touch unimpressive. It was fun seeing previously-animated characters "come to life," but it could have been better.

Rating: B-