First off, I’m an admitted Microsoft fanboy, so my first requirement was that it run windows phone.  I’m nominally in bed with ATT, so I looked at their phones first.  That left me with a choice between an HTC 8X and Nokia Lumia 920.  But ATT fcked the dog on both, neither are very available, and they can’t even figure out where the wirelss charger is stocked (‘cause it sure ain’t in any warehouse).

But even if I could get around that, there are still dealbreakers.  Neither phone has a built in keyboard.  That’s been a requirement since day one.  I don’t care if the phone is thicker (in fact, I would strongly prefer that if it had a better battery life – this barely 22 hours of run time thing doesn’t cut it).  Friends told me to get with the decade and just use the on screen keyboard.  I figured I would consider it, then use a tiny bluetooth keyboard for serious typing… then research showed that Windows Phone 8, the shiny new version that they just rebuilt from the ground up DOESN’T SUPPORT BLUETOOTH HID PROFILES.  Seriously.  Basic functionality, removed in the previous version, STILL isn’t there.

It also doesn’t support opening WAV profiles.  Apparently the built in audio app is crippled and only supports an archaic (and almost completely unused) style of PCM codec in WAV files, and you can’t change what app opens them.  So you won’t be listening to anything you’re sent through MMS, or your voicemail, or anything else except music you sync.

There are all sorts of other less important failures too.  But yeah, there are just too many dealbreakers here.  What kills me is that they have been major issues for three or four years now, and they either haven’t been addressed, or they are critical features that have been dropped since the last version.

Onward to Android?

Rubbermaid 20-Ounce Filtration Personal Bottle, Black – 7.99
Clean water is critical. To extend filter life, fill through a sock or other fabric if it’s dirty. I picked this over others because it can be turned upside down to drip-filter.

Banana Boat Sport Performance Sunscreen Lotion SPF 30: 1 OZ – 5.00 (get it at your local store)
Sunburn bites. You don’t need much of this, but it’s pretty critical.

4 Panel Large Bill Flap Hat W15S48B (One Size Fits Most/Khaki) – 19.50
Head cover is probably the most important thing after water.
Priority: highest

MOLLE 3 Day Military Assault Pack Backpack – Black – 85.99
Priority: highest

AAA 53 Piece Tune Up First Aid Kit – 10.10
Keep a FAK in the bag. Your injuries will be amplified and you might not be able to keep them clean otherwise.
Priority: highest

Gerber 22-41576 Gator Machete with Sheath – 22.84
A machete is an incredible tool. You can use it for a lever, to clear a path, cutting large pieces of meat, and for protection. Make sure you keep it sharp!
Priority: highest

Rothco Type III Commercial Paracord (Black, 550-Pound/50-Fe​et) – 5.91
Paracord is absurdly useful. It’s hard to have too much.
Priority: highest

5 in 1 Survival Whistle, Emergency Zone® Brand – 4.99
It’s in the crappy add-on program, but it’s a useful device. Keep matches, a strike strip, and tinder in it.
Priority: highest

Cree 7W 300LM Mini LED Flashlight – 8.88
Little flashlights are great. Note that you only get the full light output if you use one of the 3.7 V special batteries. You might consider starting with one in it and moving to rechargeable AA if you need.
Priority: high

Energizer Headlight, Yellow/Blue, 1AA – 25.48
Light is pretty important. This model is light, uses a single AA battery, and has white and red LEDs with separate buttons.
Priority: high

Mainstay Emergency Food Rations – Case of 10 Packs – 66.81
Basic food to keep you going. Won’t win any awards, but it will keep you up and running. One case is enough for two or three people for BOBs.
Priority: high

Cold Steel Recon Tanto Kraton Handle with Black Blade (Secure-Ex Sheath) – 78.71
A quality blade is very important. I’d get a machete and multitool before a dedicated medium blade though.
Priority: high

55GAL 2M DRUM LINER – 13.57
Heavy large bags are really versatile. You can section your pack with them, use them for simple waterproofing, make them into a rain jacket or shelter, nice!
Priority: high

Rayovac Rechargeable NiMH Batteries, AA-size, 4-count Carded Pack – 11.95
The base of the power system used in this kit. All electronics use AA batteries.
Priority: high

Leatherman 830850 Skeletool CX Multitool – 60.00
You need a high quality multitool. Check a lot out and find what meets your needs. This is just an example.
Priority: high

Off! Deep Woods for Sportsmen Insect Repellent I, Pump Spray – 95% DEET – 1 fl oz – 5.60
Keeps the bugs off.
Priority: high

Quake Kare Emergency Thermal Blankets (4 Pack) – 6.00
These are light and can be used for shelter, warmth, cooking, and signaling. There’s little reason to not carry two in a BOB.
Priority: high

Emergency Zone Folding Shovel with Pick and Compass, Multifunction Survival Tool – 12.99
I would have liked to add one of the tool kits that has a shovel, pick, saw, and axe. But I couldn’t find any that were of good quality.
Priority: medium

SanDisk Cruzer Switch CZ52 16 GB USB Flash Drive (SDCZ52-016G-B3​5) – 15.82
Several things to do with these. Keep medical and financial data on it, encrypt it (use bitlocker to go, most computers can read it), or install windows to go on it and bitlocker it.
Priority: medium

Goal Zero 19010 Guide 10 Plus Small Adventure Kit – 119.95
Just upgraded to the Guide 10 Plus, which has a full amp of output.
Priority: medium

Midland GXT1000VP4 36-Mile 50-Channel FRS/GMRS Two-Way Radio (Pair) (Black/Silver) – 58.56
A good solid GRMS radio that uses internal NiMH charge packs but can take AA batteries instead. They also function as chargers if you have a 12 v power source.
Priority: medium

Suisse Sport Adult Adventurer Mummy Ultra-Compactab​le Sleeping Bag (Right Zipper) Blue – 40.52
Depending on the area, you may not want this in your bag in the summer. But you’re really going to miss it if you need it and don’t have it.
Priority: medium

 407 BLACK TACTICAL MARCHING COMPASS – 5.89
Priority: medium

Tinder-Quik 10 pack (1 packet) – 3.95
Tinder is good, but it’s easier to get dryer lint and mix some lard or petroleum jelly in. Keep it in an altoids tin.
Priority: medium

Spiderwire Stealth Braid 300-Yard Spool (Moss Green, Pound/Diameter 6/1) – 24.24
Goes with the fishing line.
Priority: medium

Energizer-Evere​ady 01793 – AA 1.5 Volt Ultimate Lithium Battery (4 pack) (L91BP-4) – 1.97
I prefer to stick with rechargeable batteries generally, but these are very light and hold much more power per size and weight. I would seriously consider them for a kit that I expect to not have after 72 hours.
Priority: medium

Gerber 01471 Suspension Butterfly Opening Multi-Plier with Sheath – 29.89
This is an alternate multitool.
Priority: medium

12 Hour Green Lightsticks (4 Pack) – 7.70
Chemlights have plenty of great uses. If you’re not hiding, you can stick them on a shoulder to mark members if your group.
Priority: medium

Tool Logic T1BCC Series Business Card, Ultra-Slim Tool Card with Twelve Features, Translucent Black – 21.42
Never know what little things you’ll need to fix. This packs well, even if it is a little expensive.
Priority: low

Light My Fire MealKit Harness – Grey – 7.37
Goes with the meal kit, very optional.
Priority: low

Light My Fire Outdoor MealKit – Black – 19.61
Won’t really be needed if you stick with the meal bars and MREs. I’d really like to carry stainless instead.
Priority: low

South Bend Catfish Hook Assortment (Assorted) – 4.49
Fish hooks and line can be great. Keep some around if you can. There are catfish in almost all water in America.
Priority: low

Gerber 22-41420 Gator Combo Axe II – 36.99
An axe and saw can be fairly useful, but your machete will probably serve you better, especially in the south. These might not be worth the weight.
Priority: low

3M Peltor MT15H69FB-09 Com-Tac II Headset – 324.49
This is an example of an amp headset that uses AA batteries. I wouldn’t spend anywhere near its list price of $300 though.
Priority: lowest

Includes everything you need to dispense a commercial keg including- regulator, D system keg coupler, tubing, CO2 tank and tap.  You could also modify this to use pin or ball lock kegs.

Nostalgia Electrics KRS2100 Kegorator Beer Keg Fridge, Black – $329.

(All-Time Favorite)

Get Blokus on Amazon.com $21.91

Blokus might have the simplest rules of any game on the market. Put your pieces on the board, touching your other pieces, but only on the corners. Try to get all your pieces on that board. That’s it! But you will forever be experimenting with new tricks and strategies to expand your territory while hemming in your opponents’. They’ve also come out with versions for specifically two-players, Blokus Duo, for youngsters, Blokus Junior, and for the square-adverse, Blokus Trigon with triangular pieces.

• Players: 2 to 4 (especially good with: exactly 4)
• Time: 20 minutes
• Ages: 8 and up (in our experience, 6 and up)
• Availability: Target, Chapters/Indigo, local game stores, online
• Price: $23-$30
• Review by Mike Romigh and Video Review by Colin Sherman

Carcassonne (played, would recommend as good intro/light game)

(All-Time Favorite)

Get Carcassonne on Amazon.com $19.28

Ever heard of a board game with no board? In Carcassonne, you and your fellow players actually build the board yourselves as you play the game, one high-quality cardboard tile at a time. By the time it’s over, you’ll have built such a pretty and unique arrangement of cities, roads, monasteries and fields that you may feel sad to put it away. Carcassonne is quite easy to learn with very quick and simple decisions to make with each turn. And with it’s many expansions the base game can be made exponentially replayable. Consider these two expansions if you’ve already given the base game… Carcassonne: Traders & Builders & Carcassonne: Inns & Cathedrals.

• Players: 2 to 5 (especially good with: 2 to 4)
• Time: 60 minutes
• Ages: 8 and up
• Availability: Toys R Us, Barnes & Noble, Chapters/Indigo, local game stores, online
• Price: $16-$25
• Review by Tom Vasel and Video Review by Board to Death TV

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Ticket to Ride (haven’t played but I’ve heard a ton of people that love this game, especially here on OT, so probably a great one!)

(All-Time Favorite)

Get Ticket to Ride on Amazon.com $37.04

Ticket to Ride is a very popular game that has sold over 1 million copies worldwide. The game board is a map of the United States and Canada where the players compete to build train routes between major cities to score points. It’s easy to learn, fast to play, works great for any number of players 2 to 5, and is almost always a big hit with people who are new to board games. For a European flare try Ticket to Ride: Europe.

• Players: 2 to 5
• Time: 45 minutes
• Ages: 8 and up
• Availability: local game stores, online
• Price: $27-$50
• Review by Elijah Lau and Video Review by Scott Nicholson

Also, there’s a new expansion that is due out before the end of the year that any TTR fans might want to check out! Ticket to Ride: Africa:

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—

Settlers of Catan (game that gets most people into the hobby, would definitely recommend)

(All-Time Favorite)

Get The Settlers of Catan on Amazon.com $33.60

Settlers of Catan is one of the most popular board games in the world. Each player takes the role of a hardy settler on the uninhabited island of Catan. The island you settle yields five types of raw materials used to build roads, settlements, cities, and armies. However, the resources you’ve got aren’t the resources you need. Trading with the other players is a big part of getting the right resources to build on the island. The player whose settlers are the most successful in colonizing the island wins the game.

• Players: 3 to 4
• Time: 90 minutes
• Ages: 10 and up
• Availability: Chapters/Indigo, Toys R Us, local game stores, online
• Price: $25-$40
• Review by Elijah Lau and Video Review by Tim Kerby

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Pandemic (great co-op game where everyone tries to save the world from a terrible pandemic, very cool)

(All-Time Favorite)

2009 Golden Geek Award for Best Family Game

Get Pandemic on Amazon.com $30.09

Four diseases have broken out in the world and it’s up to a team of specialists in various fields to find cures before mankind is wiped out. In this popular cooperative game you must work together with other players using your individual strengths and abilities to treat existing diseases and find cures before time runs out. Pandemic is your prescription for a great gaming experience like you’ve never had before! You can also add even more roles and more challenging diseases to the base game with Pandemic: On the Brink.

• Players: 2 to 4
• Time: 45 minutes
• Ages: 10 and up
• Availability: local game stores, online
• Price: $22-$30
• Review by Eric Herman and Video Review by Colin Sherman

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Battlestar Galactica (if someone’s a fan of the show, they will LOVE this game. Even if you’ve never seen the show it’s still a fantastic game)

(All-Time Favorite)

After the Cylon attack on the Colonies, the battered remnants of the human race are on the run, constantly searching for the next signpost on the road to Earth. They face the threat of Cylon attack from without, and treachery and crisis from within. Humanity must work together if they are to have any hope of survival…but how can they, when any of them may, in fact, be a Cylon agent?

Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game is an exciting game of mistrust, intrigue, and the struggle for survival. Based on the epic and widely-acclaimed Sci Fi Channel series, Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game puts players in the role of one of ten of their favorite characters from the show. Each playable character has their own abilities and weaknesses, and must all work together in order for humanity to have any hope of survival. However, one or more players in every game secretly side with the Cylons. Players must attempt to expose the traitor while fuel shortages, food contaminations, and political unrest threatens to tear the fleet apart.

Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game is a semi-cooperative game for 3-6 players ages 10 and up that can be played in 2-3 hours.

• Players: 3 to 6
• Time: 180 minutes
• Ages: 14 and up
• Availability: local game stores, online
• Price: $36-45

Dominion (good card game with tons of expansions available, great for 2 or 3 people)

(All-Time Favorite)

2009 Golden Geek Awards for Game of the Year and Best Card Game

Get Dominion on Amazon.com $30.72

One of the most innovative and award winning games to emerge from the last couple of years! In Dominion, each player starts with an identical, very small deck of cards. In the center of the table is a selection of 10 other cards the players can "buy" as they can afford them. Through their selection of cards to buy, and how they play their hands as they draw them, the players construct their deck on the fly, striving for the most efficient path to the precious victory points by game end. The base game includes 25 sets of center cards and allows for hundreds of variations. There has also been additional expansions released adding to the fun… Dominion Family

• Players: 2-4
• Time: 30 minutes
• Ages: 8 and up (BGG suggests 10 and up)
• Availability: local game stores, online
• Price: $28-$45
• Pictorial review by EndersGame and Video Review by Tom Vasel

New Dark Ages expansion is now out, check it out here

Escape: The Curse of the Temple (*NEW FOR 2012*)

(For older children/adults)

Escape is a new co-operative game played in real-time directed by a sound track. With all players rolling dice and taking actions simultaneously you have to keep your eye on your teammates and work together to explore a cursed temple. As you roll, you explore new rooms of the temple and sometimes find treasure and other times get cursed and held up. The simultaneous action and tension building time element create a fun challenge that will have you hanging on every die roll. If you’re up for the challenge of a real adventure consider picking this one up.

• Players: 1 to 5
• Time: 10 minutes
• Ages: 8 and up
• Availability: online game stores, online
• Price: $32-$50
• Review by Scott Huntington and Video Review by Richard Ham

Alien Frontiers

(For teens & adults)

Get Alien Frontiers on Amazon.com $50.00

Do you have what it takes to be a deep space colonist? An alien frontier awaits the brave and daring! This new planet will be harsh, but if you have the skills to manage your resources, build a fleet, research alien life, and settle colonies, the world can be yours.

Roll and place your dice to gain advantages over your opponent and block them out of useful areas of the board. Use Alien Tech cards to manipulate your dice rolls and territory bonuses to break the rules. Steal resources, overtake territories, and do whatever it takes to get your colonies on the map first! Don’t dream it’ll be easy, though, because the other players will be trying to do the same thing.

• Players: 2-4
• Time: 60 minutes
• Ages: 10 and up
• Availability: local game stores, online
• Price: $50
• Review by EndersGame and Video Review by Tom Vasel

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Risk Legacy

(For teens & adults)

2012 Golden Geek Award for Most Innovative Game

Get Risk Legacy on Amazon.com $46.92

Remember Risk, the simple game of world domination where you build armies, roll dice and crush your enemies? This is Risk as you’ve never seen it before. Literally, because you make permanent changes to the board and the rules at the end of every game depending on how it unfolds. This unique idea means that the game grows along with you, and that your actions have much bigger impact beyond a single play session — they mark your game for life! What kind of legacy will you leave?

• Players: 3 to 5
• Time: 60 minutes
• Ages: 10 and up
• Availability: local game stores, online
• Price: $45-$60
• Review by James Sitz and Video Review by Miami Dice

King of Tokyo (*NEW FOR 2012*)

(For all ages/party game)

2012 Golden Geek Awards for Best Children’s Game, Best Party Game, and Best Family Game

Get King of Tokyo on Amazon.com $31.03

In King of Tokyo, you play mutant monsters, gigantic robots, and aliens vying for the ultimate title in monsterdom, "King of Tokyo". Each turn you get a Yahtzee style three rolls of a set of 6 dice.

You decide with each roll which dice to keep and which to throw for more points, energy, health, or hits to your opponents. In order to win you must either destroy Tokyo by accumulating 20 destruction points or out last your fellow monsters in a bout to death.

This light-hearted, quick to learn, and quick to play game has you laughing with each roll and accomodates a whole family of players.

• Players: 2-6
• Time: 30 minutes
• Ages: 6 and up
• Availability: local game stores, online
• Price: $25-$40
• Review by superflypete and Video Review by Tom Vasel

Pitchcar

(For all ages)

Get PitchCar on Amazon.com $58.32

PitchCar is a dexterity game where large, wooden, puzzle-like pieces are used to construct a race track that looks very similar to a slot car track when finished. But instead of using electrons, players use finger-flicks to send little round pucks around the track. This is a crowd-pleasing game to play and watch that few can resist.

• Players: 2-8
• Time: 30 minutes
• Ages: 6 and up
• Availability: online
• Price: $60-$80
• Pictorial review by EndersGame and Video Review by Tom Vasel

The Resistance

(Party game)

Get The Resistance on Amazon.com $13.94

The Empire must fall. Our mission must succeed. By destroying their key bases, we will shatter Imperial strength and liberate our people. Yet spies have infiltrated our ranks, ready for sabotage. We must unmask them. In five nights we reshape destiny or die trying. We are the Resistance!

The Resistance is a party game of social deduction. It is designed for five to ten players, lasts about 30 minutes, and has no player elimination. The Resistance is inspired by Mafia/Werewolf, yet it is unique in its core mechanics which allow for more informed decisions, wilder player interaction, and no player elimination.

Players are either Resistance Operatives or Imperial Spies. For three to five rounds, they must depend on each other to carry out missions against the Empire. At the same time, they must try to deduce the other players’ identities and gain their trust. Each round begins with discussion. When ready, the Leader entrusts sets of Plans to a certain number of players (possibly including himself/herself). Everyone votes on whether or not to approve the assignment. Once an assignment passes, the chosen players secretly decide to Support or Sabotage the mission. Based on the results, the mission succeeds (Resistance win) or fails (Empire win). When a team wins three missions, they have won the game. If you’re a Resistance Operative, expose the Spies as soon as you can; if you’re an Imperial Spy, lie and think quickly to sow distrust and confusion — either way, loud accusations and laughter are guaranteed as deceit and betrayals slowly come to light!

• Players: 5 to 10
• Time: 30 minutes
• Ages: 10 and up
• Availability: local game stores, online
• Price: $14-$16
• Review by EndersGame and Video Review by Tom Vasel

Hive

(For two players)

Get Hive on Amazon.com $24.99

Looking for a quick strategic game? You’ve come to the right place with Hive! In this highly addictive game, the board takes shape as you and your opponent lay down your pieces. Each player controls an identical army of bugs, each with its own unique movement. Can you place and move your pieces so that you surround your opponent’s queen bee before he surrounds yours?

Hive comes in three versions: 1. Hive (original) 2. Hive: Carbon (monochromatic) and 3. Hive: Pocket (35% smaller). Both Hive: Carbon and Hive: Pocket include the Mosquito and Lady Bug expansion bugs.

• Players: 2
• Time: 15 minutes
• Ages: 8 and up
• Availability: local game stores, online
• Price: $23-$30
• Review by Derek Gallacher and Video Review by Tim Kerby

Hive: Pocket’s size makes this version a great 2-player stocking stuffer!

Star Wars: X-Wing Miniatures Game

(For two players)

Get Star Wars: X-Wing Miniatures Game on Amazon.com $29.12

Star Wars: X-Wing Miniatures Game is a tactical ship-to-ship combat game in which players take control of powerful Rebel X-Wings and nimble Imperial TIE fighters, facing them against each other in fast-paced space combat. Featuring stunningly detailed and painted miniatures, the X-Wing Miniatures Game recreates exciting Star Wars space combat throughout its several included scenarios. Select your crew, plan your maneuvers, and complete your mission!

Even though this is listed as a 2-player game. With additional sets of the starter pack or even with some expansions you can quickly add players to the fight. Look for these additonal expansions… Star Wars: X-Wing Miniatures Game Family

• Players: 2
• Time: 30 minutes
• Ages: 10 and up
• Availability: local game stores, online
• Price: $26-35
• Review by Gene Lim and Video Tutorial by Producer

JAB: Realtime Boxing

(For two players)

JAB is a strategic boxing card game unlike anything you’ve played before. In JAB, you get direct control over your boxer’s fists, providing an experience as close as possible to real boxing without getting punched in the face. JAB is real-time. There are no turns. You can play as fast as you want, but remember: playing smart is more important than playing fast.

Has a real learning curve, the first few games you’re telling yourself, "WHAT THE FUCK, WHAT DO I DO?!" but once you get the hang of it, it is freakin awesome, and INTENSE

Winning the game

To win the game, get a knockout by throwing staggering haymakers at your opponent until he eats canvas, or strategically win more rounds than your opponent by impressing the judges with your beautiful technique.

How is JAB different?

JAB re-invents the Real-time genre by slowing down gameplay and challenging you with strategic decisions. The innovative engine tests a player’s "strategic agility" by forcing constant quick decisions. It also measures your ability to calmly manage your focus, in a chaotic situation. The JAB engine is designed to be a develop-able skill, much like learning to play a fighting videogame, or even a real sport. Which also gives the game huge replayability.

Finally, you can beat up your friends and family, without the annoying assault charges and anger management classes!

JAB is a complete game, only one copy is required to play.

So how does the JAB engine work? (from a game design perspective)

The JAB engine can be broken down into a series of strategic real-time mini-games (mechanics), all running simultaneously. While focusing on all mini-games at once is almost impossible, all mini-games are equally important to win the game. A good player must not only be good at playing each of the mini-games, but also recognize which one he should be focusing on at any given time. A new player, much like a new boxer who steps into the ring for the first time, can easily feel overwhelmed and freeze up, priming his opponent for a knockout… so STAY CALM.

A Strategic Real-time Game? Pff.

No! It’s true! Every macro strategy or "style" in JAB, has a counter, like real boxing. See Boxing Styles and Techniques on Wikipedia for more info.

To counter a haymaker spammer, or slugger, a boxer must play like an outside-fighter, who focuses on counter-punching, and blocking, and points. An outside-fighter, like in real boxing, will be overcome by an in-fighter, who goes purely for combo points. An in-fighter boxer who is going for combos, will be knocked out by a slugger.

Every Boxer has a style, every style has a counter. What style are you?

• Players: 2
• Time: 15 minutes
• Ages: 10 and up
• Availability: local game stores, online
• Price: $20
• Video Review by Tom Vasel

Good Party Games

Dixit Odyssey

(Party game)

2011 Golden Geek Award for Best Party Game

Get Dixit Odyssey on Amazon.com $32.69

Dixit Odyssey is both a standalone game and an expansion for Jean-Louis Roubira’s Dixit, which won Germany’s Spiel des Jahres award in 2010.

Game play in Dixit Odyssey matches that of Dixit: Each turn one player is the storyteller. This player secretly chooses one card in his hand, then gives a word or sentence to describe this card – but not too obviously. Each other player chooses a card in hand that matches this word/sentence and gives it to the storyteller. The storyteller then lays out the cards, and all other players vote on which card belongs to the storyteller. If no one or everyone guesses the storyteller’s card, the storyteller receives no points and all players receive two; otherwise the storyteller and the correct guesser(s) each receive three points. Players score one point for each vote their image receives. Players refill their hands, and the next player becomes the storyteller. When the deck runs out, the player with the most points wins.

Dixit Odyssey contains 84 new cards, each with a unique image drawn by Pierô and colored by Marie Cardouat, artist of Dixit and Dixit 2. It also includes a folding game board, new rabbit scoring tokens, and a box large enough to hold all the Dixit cards released to date.

Dixit Odyssey includes enough components for up to twelve players and also has variant rules for team play and for new ways to play with the cards.

• Players: 3-12
• Time: 30 minutes
• Ages: 8 and up
• Availability: online
• Price: $24-$28
• Review by Hockey Mask and Video Review by Tom Vasel

Also has a few expansions out: Dixit, Dixit 2, and Dixit Journey. All worth getting if you enjoy the game.

—

Telestrations

(Party game)

2010 Golden Geek Award for Best Party Game

Get Telestrations on Amazon.com $18.00

In this award winning party game, players sketch a word that’s dictated by the roll of a die, then pass their sketch on to the next player to guess what’s been drawn. That player then writes down what they think the word is, for the next player to draw a sketch of. Remember the classic game of Chinese Whispers? This is like that, but with pictures, and it’s proven to be very popular and lots of fun!

• Players: 4-8
• Time: 30 minutes
• Ages: 8 and up
• Availability: online
• Price: $30
• Review by Andrea Doria and Video Review by Tom Vasel

King of Tokyo (see above)

Elitech STC-1000 110V All-Purpose Temperature

I live in a college town and most student leases end on august 1st. Many of these people recently graduated and are flying to a new state, some are transferring colleges. Either way they need to get rid of stuff fast and have a deadline. This means a lot of people are selling a lot of stuff in the same window of time, which will bring down the asking price. Leave low-ball numbers with the sellers and tell them to call you if they change their mind. Sure enough desperate sellers will call you the day of their move.

Also its a good idea to check pawn shops about a week after the standard campus housing move out date

People also tend to just through away things out of laziness. You don’t even need to dumpster dive. Many times things such as mini-fridges are left right next to the dumpster. You can even just store them for a month and sell them to incoming freshmen

There was also some machete set in a folding case that I can’t find now.

Any way, my point is to wonder if these blades are worth crap.  They’re putting so much effort into making them pretty and branded that I can’t imagine much is left for quality.

Okay, you’ll need these:

96 oz lemon juice

8 lbs sugar (more or less depending on how sweet or hard you want it)

Safale S-04 yeast (almost anything, even bread yeast will do in a pinch)

Yeast nutrient

Yeast energizer

So draw a gallon of water, dump 4 lbs of sugar and a cup of lemon juice into it, stir it to make sure it’s all wet, and put it on high heat.  Stir it occasionally to make sure it’s not sticking and burning.  Let it come to a boil, remove the heat, and dump it into a clean fermentation bucket.  Put the top on and let it sit for fifteen minutes to steam-sanitize the container.  Then add another 56 or so ounces of lemon juice (reserving 32 oz), four gallons of water, and a teaspoon each of yeast nutrient and energizer.  Verify that the temperature is below 90 F, then add the packet of yeast – hydrate it if you like, or just sprinkle it on.

Put on the top and airlock and stick it in a warm place for two weeks.  The yeast will usually work better at warmer temperatures because of the high acidity of the mix.  Stirring it occasionally in the first several days to a week will help too.

After a couple of weeks, taste it and see if you like it.  It will be pretty dry and tart.  Add sugar to taste (one pound keeps it very tart, two pounds makes it reasonably sweet), and force-carbonate it.

You may want to add a crushed campden tablet to stop fermentation and keep the keg from exploding, but you’ll have to force carbonate.  You could also add artificial sweetener to taste, then 3/4 c of sugar dissolved into some boiled water and mixed in, then bottle it.

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Ten gallons, $40.61, prime eligible.  Top is extra though.