Hive Pocket

Today's review is of the 2010 release, Hive Pocket. For two players, it takes 20 minutes.

Overview

Hive Pocket is similar to chess, but where there is no board to start (it is created over time as pieces are placed). You and your opponent each have 13 hex pieces. Each piece has a bug; each bug (queen bee, ant, beetle, mosquito, ladybug, grasshopper, or spider) has different movement abilities. Surround your opponent's queen (before they do so to yours) and you win!

The first player places a piece onto the table, starting the game. The other player places a piece (which much touch one of the sides of the first piece). Then, players take turns. On your turn, you either place or move one of your pieces.

- place: you must place a piece adjacent to one of your own pieces (it cannot touch an opponent's piece after the first turn); you must also place your queen within the first four turns of the game.

- move: you must move a piece in accordance with the movement rules associated with its printed bug. Those are outlined in the rules.

game in progress; image from here

Review

Like chess, there is all choice and no chance involved in Hive Pocket. You learn the piece's movement abilities and must carefully plot your moves (and counter your opponent's) to win. Some will love that; I appreciated the mechanics and strategic depth, but don't care for games with no chance elements. It makes it all about skill (which, for me, is a notable disadvantage). So this is a good game, but not one I would play often due to personal tastes (aside: I explore the game theory of chance and choice in this post). Recommended for the chess player in your life who would enjoy a twist on a classic.

Rating: B

Mindbug: First Contact

Today's review is of the 2022 release, Mindbug: First Contact. For two players, it takes 15-25 minutes.

Overview

In Mindbug, you will play and attack with bizarre and hilarious creatures. Your opponent will do the same . . . but beware! Each player has two mindbug cards that can be used during the game to take control of opponent's creatures . . . so what you play and when matters greatly. 

Mindbug is simple to set up and play. Each player starts with three life, two mindbug cards (on the table), and a deck of 10 creature cards (dealt from a common deck). Each player draws five of their cards and play begins. 

On your turn, you either play a single card or attack with a single creature.

- play a single card: you choose and play a creature from your hand. Each creature has a power, name, and may have unique abilities. Whenever you play a card, your opponent may choose to use one of their mindbug cards (turning it facedown to indicate use) to take control of it . . . so plan carefully.

- attack with a single creature: you choose a creature you control and attack with it. Your opponent may choose to block. If they do, the creature with higher power wins (and loser is discarded). If they do not, they lose one life.

It is just that simple! Play continues until one player's life is at zero or one player cannot do either of the above actions on their turn.

You can see pictures of the game and download the rules on the boardgamegeek site.

Review

This game is light, fast, fun, and features a pleasing mix of chance and choice (luck and strategy). The mindbug cards plus other abilities on the creature cards results in a lot of strategic depth—but there are times you simply won't be able to win based on the cards you've been dealt (or choices made earlier in the game). The cards themselves are amusing, delivering a light-hearted experience. Recommended.

Rating: B+

The Practice of the Presence of God (Brother Lawrence)

Brother Lawrence was a monk living near Paris in the seventeenth century. This book captures some of his conversations, letters, and maxims, largely focused on practicing God's presence. The basic point of the book is that we should be continually talking with God throughout our day, always aware of his presence and delighting in it through constant discourse.

"The most holy and necessary practice in our spiritual life is the presence of God. That means finding constant pleasure in His divine company, speakin humbly and lovingly with Him in all seasons, at every moment, without limiting the conversation in any way."

- "In order to know God, we must think about Him often. Once we get to know Him, we will think about Him even more often, because where our treasure is, there also is our heart!"

- "There is no sweeter manner of living in the world than continuous communion with God."

- "We are often content with too little. God has infinite treasures to give us, he ways. Why should we be satisfied with a brief moment of worship?"

- We need to keep Him in mind always. In chores great and small, "we should offer our work to Him before we begin and thank Him afterward for the privilege of having done it for His sake."

- "Even suffering will be easier when we are with Him, but without Him, even the greatest pleasures will be joyless."

This is a short and simple book with a powerful and humbling reminder. I first read this in college and have tried to practice it since; I agree with the brother that it is profoundly important and helpful.

Rating: A

Legacy at Sea

Today's review is of the 2025 release, Legacy at Sea. For 1-4 players, it takes 90-120 minutes.

Overview

You are a pirate of the Caribbean, racing to secure goods and glory before fate intervenes. Have the most victory points when the first fate card is drawn and you win!

Setting up the game involves shuffling the Story cards (for 1716, 1717, and 1718, respectively, then stacked on top of each other) as indicated in the rules, with two fate cards shuffled into the 1718 pile. Ocean and Encounter cards for those respective years are also shuffled, with the 1716 cards being put on (or next to) the board, and 3 Ocean cards revealed to start. Prospect cards are shuffled and placed next to the board (revealing 4 to start). Finally, players choose their captains, ships, color, place their ships on the corresponding home port, grab their initial cannon, crew, and goods (as indicated on the captain's card), and play begins.

game in progress

One round of Legacy at Sea proceeds as follows:

• reveal a Story card and perform its effects (generally placing tokens on locations to indicate higher-priced goods or nationality changes)
• the first player takes their turn, sailing their ship by moving it up to one space (two if they spend a food). Then they take actions based of if they are at sea or in port:
• At sea: 
• target one of the three merchant ships [ocean cards] shown
• draw and resolve an Encounter card
• attempt to plunder the chosen merchant ship by rolling dice based on an aspect of your ship (cannon, crew, or maneuverability) and comparing the total pirate flags rolled with the corresponding value on the defending ship. If you exceed that, you plunder the ship and get the stated gold and goods (and get the card, which you can use to buy skills). You also roll one fate die that could make you take damage.
• In port:
• pay bribes if needed (whenever you defeat a ship, the affiliated nation gets angry with you)
• optional: buy and sell goods, gamble for gold, repair your ship, drop off things (at your home port)
• complete prospect cards if applicable
• play proceeds to the next player in clockwise order
• when all players have gone, go back to the start (and reveal a new story card)

Once a new year occurs on the Story cards, remove all the current year cards from the Ocean and Encounter areas, replacing them with the new decks. Play continues until the first Fate card is drawn (sometime in 1718). Then the victory points are tallied and highest wins!

Review

This is a pirate game that bills itself as historically accurate, so you'll spend your time plundering others or profiting/supplying in port—no searches for buried treasure here! There is a fair amount going on, but the rules are easy enough after a turn or two (the rulebook is not the best . . . you'll do much better to check out the how to setup and how to play videos on the official site, then use the rulebook as a reference). There is no hidden information, but the board state keeps changing, and that (plus the shuffled and varied decks) makes for plenty of replayability. Space on-board is limited, so you'll have to balance accumulation with spending (or storing), and damage may force you to lose goods, gold, crew, or cannon. There is a decent luck component that you minimize (but do not eliminate) through wise choices. I enjoyed this with two players; I'm curious how three or four would go (potentially, with lots of downtime). Overall, recommended.

Rating: B+

Finding the Right Hills to Die On (Gavin Ortlund)

Doctrine matters. So does unity. What happens when the two collide? What if people don't agree? In Finding the Right Hills to Die On, Gavin Ortlund argues that we should conduct a 'theological triage' to determine whether or not an issue is big enough to divide over. 

Ortlund starts by looking at two dangers—doctrinal sectarianism (where we needlessly divide) and doctrinal minimalism (where we ignore or downplay important matters). He argues that we should make doctrinal distinctions, but as some doctrines are more important than others (compare 1 Corinthians 15:3 and Romans 14), not everything is a hill to die on. Indeed, 

The character of the gospel is complex. It contains both truth and grace, both conviction and comfort, both hard edges of logic and deep caverns of mystery. It is at one moment as bracing as a cold breeze and the next as nourshing as a warm meal. Faithfulness to the gospel, therefore, requires more than one virtue. We must at times boldly contend and at other times gently probe.

So how do we decide? He offers a four-tier structure:

• First-rank doctrines are essential to the gospel itself.
• Second-rank doctrines are urgent for the health and practice of the church such that they frequently cause Christians to separate at the level of local church, denomination, and/or ministry.
• Third-rank doctrines are important to Christian theology, but not enough to justify separation or division among Christians.
• Fourth-rank doctrines are unimportant [or indifferent] to our gospel witness and ministry collaboration.

How do we decide what to put in each tier? He suggests different elements should play a part, including Biblical clarity, frequency, and significance, relevance to the character of God (or essence of the Gospel), and effect on other doctrines to name a few.

Navigating these topics can be complex—doctrines fall on a spectrum and not in neat categories. But as we do think through where things should fall, he argues the appropriate mentality for each category is:

• first-rank: courage and conviction
• second-rank: wisdom and balance
• third-rank: circumspection and restraint

He then focuses on a few doctrines in each category and uses them as examples on why he puts them in the tiers he does. 

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This is an accessible and helpful book on a critical topic. In a world that seems increasingly divisive (and really bad at arguing/handling disagreement), it is good to think through what matters most and what doesn't. When is a given doctrinal dispute worth a fight? Highly recommended.

Rating: A

A Middle-Earth Traveller (John Howe)

A Middle-Earth Traveller is predominantly a sketchbook, presenting selections from John Howe's work during his time on the sets of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies—though Howe includes sketches of events and places covered in other Tolkien works, too (from the First and Second Age).

One of two principle artists on set*, I love Howe's art. He does a good job of immersing the viewer in an enchanted tale. This is a nice collection of his work, though it felt too short (I would have loved more). There are colored prints sprinkled throughout, but the vast majority are sketches (makes sense given the frantic pace at which artists work on set). The accompanying text didn't explain the art (or movie-making details) so much as provide select snippets of Middle-Earth lore. If you like Middle-Earth and John Howe, you'll like this.

Rating: A

*the other, Alan Lee, has also produced sketchbooks for LOTR and The Hobbit, respectively

The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-Earth

Today's review is of the 2012 release, The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-Earth. For 2-4 players, it takes 20 minutes.

Overview

You and your friends  are competing to create fellowships and send them to battle against the forces of Sauron. Accumulate the most victory points (gained through defeating enemies) and you win!

This simple game has two common decks: the enemy deck (with enemies of Middle-Earth) and the ring deck (which contains fellowship and Mordor cards). To set up, each player draws three cards from the ring deck [before the Mordor cards are shuffled in], displays the top three enemies, and play begins. 

On your turn, you either:

- draw a card from the ring deck (if a Mordor card, place in the Mordor row and draw again), or

- play a card from your hand to the table to an existing (or new) fellowship and (if desired) attack one or more creatures in the enemy row. 

Once all the enemies are defeated, players tally their respective victory points and highest wins.

game in progress

Four key concepts:

 - A fellowship is a grouping of one or more cards that will attack as one unit; you can have as many fellowships as you wish, but you cannot rearrange the groups once chosen.

- Each fellowship (and enemy) character has one or more colored symbols on it. For a given fellowship to attack an enemy, it must have all the matching colored symbols. You can attack multiple enemies simultaneously if you have enough symbols for them all. Once you make an attack, collect the enemy card(s) into your victory pile and put the fellowship cards involved in the ring discard pile. Replenish the enemy row.

- Once the Mordor row is full, it triggers a counterattack; do the effect listed on the right-most Mordor card (generally causing players to lose cards in hand, on the table, or enemies in the enemy row). Then place the right-most Mordor card in the enemy discard pile [important nuance], place the other two Mordor cards in the ring discard pile, place the right-most enemy in the enemy discard pile, replenish the enemy row, and play continues.

- Some fellowship characters have special abilities (explained in more detail in the rulebook). These can be critical to success, to pay attention!

Review

This is a simple, light, and fast game with some fun twists suitable for the family. The theme is pasted on (but the artwork is nice nonetheless). There aren't a lot of meaningful decisions, but the board state can alter unexpectedly and leave the outcome unpredictable. The fellowship character abilities can shake things up, too. Overall, I enjoyed this more than I expected.

Rating: B-

The Art of Disagreeing (Gavin Ortlund)

It is no secret that Americans today are terrible at disagreeing. In this short book, Pastor Gavin Ortlund provides principles on how to navigate this touchy topic. Select points follow.

We must remember "that disagreement itself is not the problem," for it "is where we discover opportunities for learning, freshness, new beginnings." It can be "both enjoyable and productive" when done well. But in today's world . . . that seldom happens.

Disagreement can be hard. We may view them "as a kind of threat to our broader identity." There are two basic ways people handle such tense situations—some are "rhinos" (prone to being aggressive) and others "hedgehogs" (prone to being defensive or silent). Both postures have their challenges and temptations to sin in one way or another. But how we treat each other matters greatly, so there is opportunity here to show the world how following Jesus can result in healthy and productive disagreement.

Ortlund's basic outline covers two virtues (kindness and courage), two tools (listening and persuasion), and a final exhortation.

Kindness is powerful; "it helps us not only to like each other more but to understand each other better." So pray for them and their blessedness, show them respect, don't speak ill of them, and strive to encourage and genuinely like them. Bible verses on kindness include Galatians 5:22, Titus 3:2, Colossians 4:6, and 1 Peter 3:15. We are to be kind even to those who revile us (James 2:23). But note: kindness doesn't mean rolling over; there can be times when difficult steps are needed to protect you and yours (see Titus 3:10-11 and Matthew 5:11-12). Helpful questions to determine when you may  need to withdraw:

• "Does this person's behavior suggest that engaging with them has a realistic chance of being productive?
• Is addressing a disagreement likely to create further harm?
• Do I have any formal obligations that require me to resolve this difference, or can it be left unresolved without negligence?
• Could a season of waiting or reflection be beneficial before working through a particular disagreement?"

Courage is also needed. "We need to balance kindness (commitment to the person) with courage (commitment to the truth)." We must be willing to stand firm and say difficult words when called for. Though "not every issue is a hill to die on" (we should seek to live "peacably amid our differences on smaller matters"), there are times that "God has battles for you to fight." 

• Courage is vulnerable, potentially leading "you to decisions and actions that don't merit any applause." You may be called to enter a fight knowing "you will probably lose." But, where it makes sense, we must stand for truth regardless of outcome or consequence. 
• Courage is also beautiful. "There is also a kind of freedom and joy in it . . . because it lifts us away from self-concern."

When considering if we should engage (vs. keeping silent), consider if the disagreement is 1) "important to the cause of the gospel" and 2) "likely to be productive?" It is about what is right, edifying, and useful.

Listening is the receptive part of dialogue and "is one of the indelible marks of wisdom." (Consider Proverbs 12:15, 13:1, and 15:32.) It "takes energy. It's an active, responsive discipline" and "requires a posture of openness: a willingness to be maneuvered by the information we are receiving." (See James 3:17) Feeling heard is critical in effective disagreement; one way to work on this "is to cultivate a sincer curiosity about other perspectives."

Some listening strategies: take your time and be patient (James 1:19), ask clarifying questions, pay attention to details (like nonverbal cues), give them the benefit of the doubt, and consider the possibility that the other is speaking out of trauma (deep pain or suffering).

If things broil over into conflict, pray for a heart of mercy (Ephesians 4:32), keep watch on yourself (Galatians 6:1), don't take it personally (be secure in Christ's love for you), hope for the other's renewal (and pray for their progress in the faith), and pray the Lord would show you your sin in the conflict.

Persuasion is the proactive part of dialogue. It seeks to move and influence others. This can be viewed as a negative trait in today's society, yet where "the truth is done rightly, persuasion is an act of love," remembering that "God has given you unique insights and experiences, and if you don't share them, you may be depriving others around you of what God wants to teach them through you." It is biblical (Proverbs 16:23).

Ortlund provides eight strategies to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15): build trust, use tactful speech, help them save face, balance criticism with praise, calmly identify disagreements, use arguments, reiterate your goals, and appeal to sympathies already held. But remember: "we must be willing to consider that at times we might need to be persuaded to change ourselves!"

In the final exhortation, remember Jesus' words in John 13:34-35: all people will know we are His disciples if we have love for one another. "The world's perception of Jesus is affected by how Christians treat one another." So in our disagreements, we must lay down desires ("to come out on top, to win, to look good") and agendas (for "our own reputation or ego or selfish desires"). Instead, we are to honor truth, please Christ, and build up each other.

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This book is concise and basic yet profound and helpful, well worth an afternoon read. 

Rating: A

Daredevil Visionaries: (Kevin Smith)

A teenager shows up with a child, claiming immaculate conception and the second coming of Christ. Matt Murdock (aka Daredevil) assumes she is crazy—until she is chased by a mysterious and sinister group claiming the child heralds the end of days. The ensuing chaos finds Matt questioning his faith and the way forward. Who is this child . . . and who is he? 

Written in the late '90s by Kevin Smith, I enjoyed this tale of the man without fear. The art was done well, the story was okay (if unsatisfying in places, it made up for it with shocking developments in others), and the messages were mixed but largely good. I think this helped the Daredevil character gain in popularity . . . for that, I am grateful.

Rating: B

How Should We Then Live? (Francis A. Schaeffer)

In the classic How Should We Then Live?, Francis Schaeffer studies the rise and fall of Western thought. Seeking to understand today’s world, he traces three lines in history: the philosophic, the scientific, and the religious. Highlights follow.
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“People have presuppositions, and they will live more consistently on the basis of these presuppositions than they themselves may realize.” “Presuppositions rest upon that which a person considers to be the truth of what exists. People’s presuppositions lay a grid for all they bring forth into the external world. Their presuppositions also provide the basis for their values and therefore the basis for their decisions.”

What are the presuppositions, broadly, throughout history?

“The Greeks and later the Romans also tried to build society upon their gods. But these gods were not big enough because they were finite, limited.” “The gods were amplified humanity, not divinity.” Later they looked to the emperors as divine. But this failed and Christianity (which became the state religion in 381 AD) rose.

A Christian’s “strength rested on God’s being an infinite-personal God and his speaking in . . ." the Bible. “Thus the Christians not only had knowledge about the universe and mankind that people cannot find out by themselves, but they had absolute, universal values by which to live and by which to judge the society and the political state in which they lived. And they had grounds for the basic dignity and value of the individual as unique in being made in the image of God.”

In the Middle Ages, the church drifted from Biblical foundations and introduced humanistic concepts, with “man taking to himself that which belonged to God.” “Soon European thought would be divided into two lines, both of which have come down and influence our own day: first, the humanistic elements of the Renaissance, and second, the Bible-based teaching of the Reformation.”

In the Renaissance, “Philosophy was gradually separated from revelation—from the Bible—and philosophers began to act in an increasingly independent, autonomous manner.” “Renaissance humanism steadily evolved toward modern humanism—a value system rooted in the belief that man is his own measure, that man is autonomous, totally independent.” And “with this came an increasing loss of anything which gave meaning, either to the individual things in the world or to man.”

Counter this to the Reformation, who believed that man was fallen and thus “people could not begin only from themselves . .” We need God. And the Reformation was “centered in the infinite-personal God who had spoken in the Bible.” “The Bible gives a unity to the universal and the particulars.”

In the Enlightenment, humanism came to the fore (though some Reformation-based worldviews undergirded society). In this age, the focus was on “reason, nature, happiness, progress, and liberty.” And everything started breaking down; the drive to find a way to meaning and values through pure reason ended in despair. A split started emerging between meaning/values and measurable things. Man alone cannot bring the two together, so modern man is a dichotomy:
- Reason: man is a machine and meaningless.
- Non-reason: optimism about meaning and values (totally separate from reason). This is existential methodology.

“Many types of things can be put in the area of non-reason. And it really does not matter what one chooses to put there, because reason gives no basis for a choice.” Thus, it's all about feelings, experiences, and everything is relative. Hence our postmodern society today.

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This was a good book, in a similar vein to Glenn Sunshine's Why You Think The Way You Do. Here the focus was not only on the strands of thought but also art and how worldview permeats through it (with lots of examples). The book's final chapters sounded a little alarmist (and dated; this was written before communism fell), but overall, this is a worthy read.

Rating: A-

The Atlas of Middle-Earth (Karen Wynn Fonstad)

The Atlas of Middle Earth is a semi-official reference for J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-Earth. In it, Karen Wynn Fonstad provides a plethora of meticulously-researched and carefully-drawn maps in broad categories:

- The First Age

- The Second Age

- The Third Age

- Regional Maps

- The Hobbit (maps focused on the routes/journeys mentioned in that book)

- The Lord of the Rings (ditto, though here we also get maps of five key battles)

- Thematic Maps (looking at landforms, climate, vegetation, population, and languages of Middle-Earth)

The maps are in varying levels of detail and accompanied by explanatory text. Two examples follow.

Though intended more as a reference, I really enjoyed this work and read most of it. As a visual learner, I appreciated the maps of the pre-LOTR Ages (covered in The Silmarillion or other works). The author did her homework and has considerable artistic talent. She is honest about all the uncertainties—Tolkien's voluminous writings in this world occasionally clashed or omitted details—and does a good job handling those. I view this as 'semi-official' because it holds as true as possible to the Tolkien canon shares a publisher with him, yet I don't think this is officially blessed by the Tolkien estate. Whatever the case, this is a good volume for those who love both maps and Middle-Earth.

Rating: A

What does the Bible Teach About Transgenderism? (Strachan & Peacock)

In this short book, Professor Owen Strachan and Pastor Gavin Peacock walk through a hot-button topic: transgenderism. They cover Biblical passages related to gender and identity, Biblical manhood and womanhood, and the new identity and life Christians have in Christ.

This book is straightforward and a helpful starting point on the topic for those interested in what the Bible says. The introduction itself is especially helpful, looking at modern philosophy/worldview with its emphasis on feelings and assumption that the human heart is good. As the Bible teaches otherwise, they start there before moving on to the title topic. There, the Biblical passages analyzed are primarily Genesis 1:26-28, Genesis 3, Deuteronomy 22:5, Matthew 19:3-6, and 1 Corinthians 11:3, 7-15. Stepping back from that, they then turn their attention to passages on Biblical manhoon and womanhood, concluding with a new identity we have.

While it make lots of good points, I felt the book strayed a bit from the original purpose in covering other (though related) areas. And the concluding FAQ was a bit hollow and didn't cover some of the more common questions Christians have.

Rating: B

Unmatched Adventures: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Today's review is of the 2025 release, Unmatched Adventures: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. For 1-4 players, it takes 20-40 minutes.

Overview

In this cooperative game, you and your friends are each a TMNT character with respective sidekicks, battling against the evil Shredder or Krang. Do you collectively have what it takes to prevail?

To setup the game, choose your hero. Choose a bad guy. Choose bad guy sidekicks equal to the number of players. Take all corresponding tokens, life counters, and decks (shuffling appropriately). Place all on the map of your choosing. Draw five cards and play begins.

This game is in the Unmatched line, and follows much of the same rules; I covered those in the previous post. Simplistically, on your turn, you will perform two actions as discussed last time: maneuver (draw a card and move), scheme, or attack. Turns continue until the good guys win . . . or bad guys prevail.

What is unique about this version:

1) Turn order. This is randomly chosen each round by shuffling the initiative cards (two for the main bad guy, one for each bad guy sidekick, and one for each player hero). Each player is given a marker denoting "player 1" or "player 2," etc. So a round could look something like this (in a three-player game against Shredder and three sidekicks: Bebop/Rocksteady, Leatherhead, and Rat King): Leatherhead, Shredder ability, player 2, Bebop/Rocksteady, player 1, player 3, Shredder, Rat King.

2) The enemies. Since this is cooperative, the game has a system to simulate the enemies. Each has a custom deck; each card in that has both an attack and defense value (and may have special abilities). The value you use depends on whether the character is attacking or defending. After use, each card is placed in its respective discard pile and (eventually) shuffled back into the main enemy deck (once the card stating that is played).

my two-player game in progress

Review
As with the competitive Unmatched line, this game is easy to learn and hard to master. You must manage your turn actions, character placement/movement, and hand of cards, with meaningful decisions in each sphere. The decks of cards are asymmetric, leading to a new experience with each hero you try (and each unique matchup). The turn order system is well done (if occasionally maddening when it doesn't go your way). The challenge level is high; we have yet to win. But the game moves swiftly either way.

Being fully compatible with other Unmatched releases, you could use other characters to play in this adventure. (I'm tempted to see how Dracula fares against Shredder). 

Overall, I enjoyed the game, think it is well done, and recommend it.

Rating: A

Unmatched: Cobble & Fog

Today's review is of the 2020 release, Unmatched: Cobble & Fog. For 2-4 players, it takes 20-40 minutes.

Overview

You are a character of legend taking on another.* Reduce their health to zero first and you win!

Unmatched is a series of games with the same mechanics. In each, you set up the game by choosing a map. Then choose a hero, taking their corresponding minifigure, tokens (if any), health dial(s), and unique deck of 30 cards, shuffling them and drawing five. Your opponent does the same. You place your minifigures and token(s) on the map in the stated areas and play begins, with the youngest player starting. In Cobble & Fog, your hero choices are Invisible Man, Jekyl & Hyde, Dracula, or Sherlock Holmes.

Game board showing Dracula vs. Sherlock Holmes at start

On your turn, you take two actions (you  may choose the same more than once) of the three available:

Three additions to the turn explanation in the above image:

- your "fighters" are your hero and their sidekick(s), if any.

- all cards have a hero, sidekick, or "ANY" printed on them; they must be used in accordance with the printed options

- maneuver action: most cards have a BOOST value encircled on the right-hand side of the card; it is that number you can add to your fighter(s) move.

- attack action: if you choose to attack, your opponent can play a defense card (a purple versatile card or blue defense card) face down in response. Cards are turned face up simultaneously, with the higher value winning (defense wins ties), and damage done to the defender if the attack value > defense value. 

Turns continue until one player's hero is reduced to zero health.

Review

This game is easy to learn and hard to master. You must manage your turn actions, character placement/movement, and hand of cards, with meaningful decisions in each sphere. The decks of cards are asymmetric, leading to a new experience with each hero you try (and each unique matchup). The Unmatched series has seen many releases, and all are fully compatible with the others, expanding the possibilities. Overall, recommended.

Rating: A

*the game has a multiplayer mode, but I will describe the two-player version.

Created to Play (Brianna Lambert)

"What if your hobbies weren't arbitrary passions at all but the purposeful design of the God who formed every part of you?" So posits Brianna Lambert in the introduction to Created to Play. If the Lord is God over every sphere of our lives, and we are created to glorify and enjoy Him forever, then our hobbies are one means through which we can grow, enjoy, and worship. 

This book explores "ten different titles we take on in our play," each of which "take their place within a larger picture of what it means to be an image-bearer of God." They are, separated into four overarching categories:

• Fill the earth:
• Makers (artists, crafters, writers, musicians, etc.)
• Heralds (musicians, photographers, storytellers, reviewers, etc.)
• Nourishers (cooks, bakers, brewers, etc.)
• Tend what's been given:
• Movers (athletes)
• Keepers (gardeners, farmers, pet lovers, etc.)
• Gather and renew:
• Curators (collectors)
• Restorers (renovators, mechanics, cleaners, organizers)
• Connectors (game players, sports fans, etc.)
• Receive:
• Historians (history buffs, reenactors, scrapbookers, etc.)
• Beholders (tourists, foodies, bookworms, film buffs, bird watchers, etc.)

For each of these ten, she presents examples, a deep joy, and a key temptation. She also discusses the benefit (need?) for each to be done in community.

I enjoyed this book; the author makes great points about the benefits hobbies can have without them needing to have some obvious utility (becoming a side hustle, yet another goal, etc.); it is okay to enjoy the good gifts God gives us (and in that enjoyment, we can worship and grow).

I'll mention two reservations:

- each chapter was replete with examples—too many of them, in my opinion. I think she did this so  people could see their own hobbies in the pages, but it made the book a third longer than it needed to be. 

- she presents each category in its noblest form, with too little discussion of the potential pitfalls in each. It was wonderful to see how a given hobby could be used for good, but more warnings may be warranted.

Overall, the book is valuable and recommended. It is okay to play and delight in a hobby.

Rating: B

DC Super Heroes United: Batman Hush

Today's review is of the 2025 release, DC Super Heroes United: Batman Hush. For 1-5 players, it takes 30 minutes.

Overview

In this cooperative game, you and your friends each take a role of a hero and work together to defeat a villain. You'll have to act fast, though . . . once the master plan deck runs out, you lose! Do you have what it takes?

This game is in the Marvel United line and follows identical rules. Setup is simple: 

- lay out six locations in a circle and put the thugs/civilian tokens on each as indicated

- choose a villain and put their corresponding cards at each location and shuffle/ready their master plan deck

- each player chooses a hero and takes their figure and corresponding deck of 12 cards, shuffling and drawing three.

- the villain and hero figures are place on locations opposite each other and play begins

game in progress; image from here

Gameplay is also straightforward.

- The villain always goes first: draw the top card of their master plan deck and place it face up in the story line (a circle that goes around the outside of the play area; it is omitted from the image above). Do what it states (generally moving the villain, potentially activating its special ability, and placing thugs or civilians on the spots indicated). Then each hero goes in clockwise order. 

- On each hero turn, the player draws a card, plays one in the story line, then uses the abilities on it and the immediately-preceding hero card (from the hero played the turn prior). Abilities are move, star, punch, and wild, and enable the players to complete missions (by rescuing civilians, beating thugs, or completing the stated goal of the villain card at their location). 

- After 2-3 hero turns (depending on if the villain is 'under pressure' or not), the villain goes again. Play continues in this fashion until the game end.

- Once enough missions have been completed, the villain can be damaged (through punches). Drop their health to zero before the master plan deck is empty and you win! Otherwise . . . game over.

Review

Five years ago, my family was introduced to Marvel United. We greatly enjoy that (and its many expansions), and were delighted to hear that they released a DC equivalent. Playing this new version was as good as expected—the same great mechanics, flavor, and tension (it seems games always come down to the very last card, or near enough, of the master plan deck). Another winner in this line.

Rating: A

AI Simplified

AI Simplified (previously published as Simply AI, shown above), is a primer on Artificial Intelligence. It covers:

- History of AI

- Classical AI

- Statistical AI

- Using AI

- Philosophy of AI

- Living with AI

As a primer, it skims the surface of many topics within this arena. It is short (155 pages with large text), and highly visual (there is a graphic on each page).

AI is obviously a hot topic, and I wanted to learn more. Two key takeaways for me:

• "Machine-learning networks are only as good as the data on which they are trained." That means that incorrect, incomplete, or biased data will create predictable problematic outputs. And "hidden behind many of today's most powerful AIs is a vast amount of human labor. Millions of workers are used to train AIs"—workers that are faulty (and may be poorly compensated). And generative AI "relies on data scraped from the internet," which creates a few problems (including consent from and compensation for the creators).
• As AI is increasingly incorporated into many functions and can be 'agentic' (acting on behalf of a human or institution), lots of questions arise, including responsibility (who is responsible if AI does something that harms?) and ethics ("the only way to ensure that AIs think ethically is to program them with ethical principles, although then the question becomes whose ethics?").

DK Publishing does a good job with overviews, and this is no exception. This book provides helpful definitions, history, basic concepts, and more related to AI. Recommended for those who want to understand the radical transformation going on in the world around us (with much more to come).

Rating: A

The Spiritually Healthy Leader (Dave Wiedis)

"Ministry leaders don't usually implode from outside pressure but rather . . . they are incapacitated from within." 

The premise of The Spiritually Healthy Leader is "that we are designed by God to be driven by a 'ruling passion' to live wholeheartedly coram Deo, before the face of God." And when our ruling passions are wrong, things go bad. So "this book offers powerful strategies to help identify and understand how, when left unexamined, our ruling passions can serve as functional idols, permeate every aspect of our being, and have the potential to sabotage our relationships, ministry, and life." And it shows how to bring those passions "under Christ's lordship to experience a radical, grace-filled transformation of our lives." Select thoughts follow.

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"Our spiritual health is measured by the object of our love which, in turn, is revealed by our ruling passions." "A ruling passion is an extraordinarily strong desire that rules or controls us such that our energy is given over to pursuing and achieving this goal." Such "passions are core motivations of the heart that have their genesis in experiences and take the form of vows" (which are "decisions to live a certain way") and are revealed by our behavior. 

Passions are not inherently bad. Many passions are good things (peace, happiness, pleasure, success, etc.), but when we make them the ultimate thing (placing them above loving and obeying God), they become a ruling passion and are wrong. 

Jesus tells us that nobody can serve two masters (Matthew 6:24). "Either God is the center of your life, with your ultimate commitment to experience the satisfying supremacy of Christ and walk under his lordship, or something or someone else will be at the center." And "unless we are fully submitted to and under the control of God, we will be under the control of something else."

We often don't know our ruling passions. To discover them, we must determine our motivations and longings. And don't be surprised that we may not know those either—"many of us functionally live according to our ultimate commitments without having verbalized them." But "unless we understand and change our vows, we will be ruled by them." We must identify, confess, and ask God to redeem our ruling passions.

We need our ruling passion to be "the supremacy of Christ and intimacy with Jesus." What about our other passions? We should recognize that our longings for other things are (or can be) legitimate, but they must "be subordinated to the ultimate goal of loving and obeying God—in whatever circumstances he allows and calls us to live." When our desires are not rightly ordered, our obedience to Christ is conditional upon having our main longing fulfilled, and that ends in disaster (for yourself and those around you).

How can we make Christ our ruling passion? We need transformation. "Transformation involves renewing our minds, and an essential element of this renewal is knowing and walking in the truth." When our ruling passion is something other than Christ, we need to "(1) identify our false beliefs and comprehend why they are false, and (2) replace false beliefs with the truth."

Transformation is hard; we need to be fully aware of our own weakness. Indeed, "we are often interested in transformation, but sometimes ironically find ourselves resisting the very change we long for or the ways God uses to change us." There is not one righteous (see Romans 3:9-18). So to prepare our heart for transformation, we need to pray, pursue the truth, reflect on the motives of our heart, observe and ask about our impact, resist our resistance, and be prepared for spiritual warfare. 

As we pursue transformation, we will be sanctified, where through obedience we slowly grow and become more like Christ. "The process of sanctification is a deep work of God in our hearts that takes time, honesty, a commitment to change, deep reflection, patience, and prayer. It does involve suffering, but it is suffering that leads to maturity (James 2:1-5)." It is hard—but worth it, for nothing is better than having Christ as your ruling passion.

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This fantastic book was humbling, convicting, and encouraging. In addition to the main concepts above, the author provides plenty of questions and some worksheets to help diagnose your own ruling passions. I learned a lot about myself and my core longings. Addressing my problems at the root—and learning to tell myself the truth and subordinate legitimate desires under the ultimate ruling passion of Christ—has been extremely helpful to me. (Note that I'm a work in progress . . . I'm not there yet. My ruling passions oscillate . . . the work is hard. As my pastor says, we can't model righteousness, but we can model repentance. May we not forsake the happy road that leads to His right hand.*) 

Don't be fooled by the title; this book would be more appropriately named The Spiritually Healthy Christian. This is a must-read for all.

Rating: A

*a lyric from Laden with Guilt by Caedmon's Call. Beautiful song. Check it out.

Words of Radiance (Brandon Sanderson)

Continuing from last time . . .

The war rages between the Alethi and Parshendi on the Shattered Plains. A seemingly endless war—yet something worse looms. Mysterious writings appear counting down days. A dreaded assassin has been spotted. The Parshendi are behaving oddly. Powerful individuals calling themselves the Ghostbloods plot their own schemes. Tensions are high; something is coming. Amidst it all . . .

- Kaladin Stormblessed now serves a guard for the unpopular king. Still learning to harness his abilities, he relies heavily on his spren, Syl, as a confidant and guide. But when old enemies arrive, he will soon be forced to choose between vengeance and honor . . . 

- Dalinar continues his fight against the Parshendi. His visions no longer secret, he realizes he must rally the kingdom for a final stand. He and his son, Adolin, attempt to do so. But Sadeas and others have their own machinations . . .

- Shallan grapples with her painful past as she learns at Jasnah's side. Can she help her mentor find Urithiru, the fabled lost city? The Shattered Plains may hold the key . . . 

- Szeth-son-son-Vallano continues carrying out his master's edicts, unable to disobey as he kills across the world. But a reckoning is coming . . . and all is about to change.

- Eshonai of the Parshendi sees a way for her people to prevail, drawing on a new yet dangerous power. But it may cost them everything . . .

Storms approach. The world shakes. Secrets are revealed. The Voidbringers are coming . . . will the Knights Radiant rise again?

The Stormlight Archive continues with a massive book two (over 1300 pages). As with the first, I enjoyed the story, though this one felt unevenly paced. The characters remained excellent and the world  intriguing. The story progressed decently and there were unexpected twists (and much remains veiled). There were bursts of excellent messages. Some side stories seemed random, introducing new characters in new locales; I assume they will tie in at some point? Overall, I enjoyed it, though a touch less than the first.

Rating: A-

Rightly Ordered Affections

In recent weeks, I've tried to keep a phrase in my mind: "rightly ordered affections." It has been to my benefit to do so; today I share what it means and why it has helped me.

In the early fifth century, St. Augustine of Hippo wrote The City of God. In it he discusses (among many other things) the order of love:

It seems to me that it is a brief but true definition of virtue to say, it is the order of love

This idea has been called ordo amoris, or rightly ordered affections. Love in its proper hierarchy or sequence. And he argues (rightly) that getting our loves disordered is sinful. Why?

The Bible lays it out in Matthew 22:35-40:.

35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Here Jesus presents the two great commandments. Summarizing, 1) Love the Lord with all you have, and  2) Love your neighbor as yourself. 

Loving God comes first, before all else. Jesus demonstrated this throughout His life; the man with power to heal the world focused first on loving the Father. He routinely withdrew alone to pray (Mark 1:35 and elsewhere), He was tempted by the devil but focused on and worshipped the Lord (Matthew 4:1-10), and He had his own desires—and made them plain to the Father!—but always bowed to the Father's will (Matthew 26:36-46). 

Loving your neighbor as yourself comes second. 

Both loving God and neighbor doesn't come easily or naturally to us. In the Fall, we put ourselves above God and worshipped the creation over the Creator (Romans 1:18-32). That can include loving people or other good things over God; to Augustine's point, it is loving out of order. Tim Keller makes the same point said another way: 

Idolatry happens when we take good things and make them ultimate things

Sometimes we think our desires are wrong (and to be clear, some desires are wrong). But some desires are good—if in their proper place. And it is helpful to remember both that 1) they are good but 2) ONLY if they are subordinate to God.

Our desires can be good, and God wants to hear about them because He cares for us. He wants us to pray for things (Philippians 4:6-7). When we cast our needs and cares on Him, we are showing him that we believe He cares and can do something about it. He might give us what we wish; he might not (there are plenty of examples of both in the Bible). Either way, we come to Him with our requests, confident in His goodness but subordinate to His will, knowing if He withholds something we request—even something good!—it is for a good reason (whether or not that is ever clear to us in this world).

Here's an example. One of my 'ruling passions'* is peace. Peace is good! The Bible says that blessed are the peacemakers (Matthew 5:9). But is also says that Jesus has come not to bring peace but a sword (Matthew 10:34-39). That's no contradiction; it is the reality of truth (the Son of God) coming into a world of darkness. There will be clashes. And in that same passage, Jesus says "Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. " Here we see this concept of ordering: "more than me" is, in this passage, putting love of family ahead of love of God. It is doing anything to keep the peace when a conflict is (regrettably) needed. So while we strive for peace, we strive more for God. We seek and pray for peace, but must be willing to enter into conflict when necessary. Whenever I avoid needed conflict, I am putting my love for peace (a good thing!) above God. And that is wrong.

So, "rightly ordered affections." It is a phrase I've tried to keep in my mind at work, home, church, or wherever I need it. When I see conflict coming and I want to run? "Rightly ordered affections." When I'm tired and need sleep (another good thing) but my wife needs help? "Rightly ordered affections." Or when I want to finish this post but my son comes in saying he lost his earbud in the lawn and needs help finding it?** Ugh . . . "rightly ordered affections." 

For me, repeating this phrase has been helpful; it has reminded me to seek God first while validating the other desires I have are okay—in their proper order. 

*a term I read recently from a great book on spiritual health—review coming soon

**yes, this literally just happened