Latest news with #boardgame
Geek Tyrant
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS Unveils STRANGER THINGS Collab Board Game – Welcome to the Hellfire Club — GeekTyrant
If you've ever wanted to roll dice with the Hellfire Club, now's your chance. Dungeons & Dragons and Stranger Things are teaming up for an official crossover board game that blends the world's most famous TTRPG with the Netflix phenomenon that helped bring it back into the spotlight. Say hello to Stranger Things: Welcome to the Hellfire Club , an all-new adventure built on the D&D 5e ruleset, launching October 7th. This new collab is perfect for both veteran adventurers and newcomers to the tabletop scene. The game takes inspiration straight from Stranger Things , giving players the chance to dive into four of Eddie's lost adventures. Designed for 3–5 players, with characters at levels 1–3, it's an awesome way to kick off a short campaign or introduce your friends to the magic of D&D — all with a nostalgic Hawkins flavor. Think of it like the upcoming Dungeons & Dragons starter set, but with a pop-culture twist. It captures the spirit of D&D while adding that signature Stranger Things vibe we know and love. The physical edition of Welcome to the Hellfire Club comes packed with everything you need for an immersive tabletop experience. For $49.99, here's what you'll find inside: Dungeon Master's Screen Double-Sided Hellfire Club Poster 91 Cards for Spells, Magic Items, and Monsters 72 Player Character and Monster Tokens 2 Double-Sided Poster Maps 15 Character Sheets 4 In-World Handouts Combat Tracker Notepad 11 Dice Quick Start Guide 4 Adventure Booklets 1 Play Guide Booklet All of it is wrapped in retro 80s aesthetics to capture that classic Stranger Things look. If you prefer to play online, the Digital Adventure Pack has you covered. It includes quickplay maps, a Quick-Start Video, pre-made characters for D&D Beyond, and digital versions of the adventures for the DM to run. The digital-only version costs $19.99, but you'll need a Master Tier subscription on D&D Beyond to host games. For those who want the best of both worlds, the Ultimate Bundle combines physical and digital editions, plus an Upside Down Digital Dice Set and Upside Down Digital Map and Sticker Pack. Normally priced at $69.98, it's currently available for $59.99 if you pre-order. Stranger Things: Welcome to the Hellfire Club launches on October 7th, just in time for some spooky season adventures in the Upside Down. It uses the updated 2025 revision of D&D 5th edition, so it's also a great way to get a feel for the newest tweaks to the game. Whether you're a seasoned DM or new to rolling dice, this set looks like an epic way to join the Hellfire Club.
The Verge
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Verge
Welcome to the club.
Posted Jul 22, 2025 at 7:31 PM UTC Dungeons & Dragons and Netflix have teamed up on a new Stranger Things -themed board game bundle called Welcome to the Hellfire Club . It will be released on October 7th and you can preorder it now. Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates. Jay Peters Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All by Jay Peters Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Entertainment Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Netflix Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All News Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Streaming
New York Times
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
My Family Loves Rummikub and Miraculously So Do I
The game consists of a bunch of numbered tiles. Could it really be that fun? Maria Adelmann/NYT Wirecutter But Rummikub? It's almost aggressively anti-narrative. The rules are shockingly simple. If you know your numbers, you can play. I didn't see this as a selling point. Hate to brag, but I've known my numbers since preschool. I thought of Uno, of the interminable games I played with young children, of the boredom of luck as a primary game mechanic, of your brain turning to mush as you awaited your fate. But mid-Rummikub, I was surprised to find that the brain power required to get rid of a single tile made me feel like the woman in the Confused Math Lady meme. I was impressed. Easy to learn and play at different strategic levels, Rummikub is a surprisingly engaging game best for three to four players. This version is lightweight and comes with a travel case. At its core, Rummikub is basically a card game, with numbered tiles in four different colors in lieu of suits. (Apparently, it was invented in 1940s communist Romania, when playing cards was outlawed.) The rules are, indeed, Rummy-esque. The goal is to get rid of all the tiles on your tray by collecting sets of at least three tiles, which you lay in front of you on the table. A set can either be a group, at least three tiles of the same number in different colors; or a run, at least three tiles with consecutive numbers in the same color. Two joker tiles, emblazoned with an iconic, mischievous face, also spice things up. At its simplest level, Rummikub involves putting together groups (tiles with the same number but in different colors) and runs (tiles with consecutive numbers of the same color). There are also two iconic jokers. Maria Adelmann/NYT Wirecutter Once sets have begun to accumulate on the table, you can get rid of as many tiles on your tray as you possibly can during your turn by creating new sets and/or adding to existing sets on the table. If you can't lay down any tiles, you have to pick up a new one. The real fun is that you can also break apart and reform sets on the table, as long as you still create groups or runs of at least three tiles. Whoever lays all of their tiles on the table first, wins. I love the thrill, the chugging brain power required, to orchestrate a cascade of changes just to get rid of a single tile, altering the entire tablescape in the process. This also means that even when it's not your turn, you have reason to pay attention. It's also one of the joys of the game for editorial director Lauren Sullivan. 'I get horribly obnoxious playing,' she says. She often moves dozens of tiles on her turn before realizing the play won't actually work, then she has to 'unwind the entire play.' The game really gets going when you start breaking apart and reforming sets to get rid of tiles. Maria Adelmann/NYT Wirecutter The game is easy to play with other people not just because it's quick to learn, but because it can be played at different strategic levels at the same time, and no one feels too left behind. You can play the simplest version and never break apart a set on the table, and you will still get rid of tiles, even if another player seems to be playing three-dimensional chess and is getting rid of tiles slightly faster. Adults, teenagers, seniors, and kids as young as 8 can all play together. You can go hard, but you don't have to. Lauren says the game emerged for her family during the pandemic as an intergenerational delight. She's played it with her 9-year-old, her neighbors, and her mother-in-law, who is in her 80s. Making a cascade of changes on a single turn takes a surprising amount of brain power. Maria Adelmann/NYT Wirecutter Rounds are also relatively short — about 20 or 30 minutes. Play one round, and you've got a coffee break. Play three, and you've got a game night. The game is generally best played with three or four players, but it is possible to play with two. (There's also a version for six players, though I haven't tried it.) Rummikub is also a somewhat social game. While my go-to board games involve gathering wheat and playing animal husbandry with meeples, such complex games don't leave much time for conversation. (My partner sometimes notes I might as well be playing such a game by myself.) Like a game of cards or Scrabble, you can have snacks, talk some light smack, complain endlessly about your bad luck, and generally hang out while still focusing on the game. Another boon for my family: We get a constant influx of international relatives and are always on the hunt for games that don't rely on language. Rummikub is on track to replace Qwirkle, our previous go-to. The only problem we've found with the game is that some colorblind players have had a hard time telling the difference between similarly colored tiles, an issue that could be solved by adding dots in Sharpie to differentiate the colors. The tactile pleasure of the tiles is another unexpected delight of Rummikub, because having something solid you can hold in your hand is a bit of a novelty in the digital age. Plus, moving tiles around on a tray is easier than wrangling an increasingly large hand of cards — a boon, also, for those with limited dexterity. The version my mom gave me for Christmas comes with a travel bag. It's a little large if you're packing just a carry-on, but you can easily take it in a checked bag or on a road trip. I also like that the tiles are lightweight and have a little indent where you can put your fingers, and I like that the tray is properly designed so the tiles don't fall off. My set comes with four trays, lightweight tiles, a two-page rule book, and a carrying case for travel. Maria Adelmann/NYT Wirecutter Rummikub's general appeal also makes it a great hostess gift. When my mom was staying with a friend for several weeks, she shipped the game ahead of time, then taught her friend how to play when she arrived. It's useful to introduce people to the game in person because it looks, well, kind of dated and boring from the box. One relative I stayed with was surprised to find she already had the game in her closet and had never played it. Much to my surprise, I've discovered this three-quarter-century-old game is also having a moment beyond my family circle. Cool kids in LA and Gen Z and millennials on the quest for analog fun play it, not to mention my co-worker Lauren and her family and neighbors. Perhaps the reason I like Rummikub best is that it brings people together (incidentally, this has become the game's tagline). Will it replace Fields of Arle and Wingspan in my game closet? Not a chance. But with those games, it can be hard to find a willing victim. Rummikub is an easier sell. People young, old, and in-between can play, no matter their first language. But the game's universality doesn't make it boring. It still scratches several gaming itches: It requires strategy, it challenges my brain, and perhaps most importantly, it takes me away from my phone and into the world where I can talk to real people and touch real things. This article was edited by Hannah Rimm and Maxine Builder.
South China Morning Post
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Drink in Focus: Ritual Fizz at the St Regis Bar Hong Kong
In May, the St Regis Bar Hong Kong launched Tickets to Ride on Trains & Trams, an ambitious new menu centred around a board game that involves taking the train or tram (on the board) to 16 different numbered stations, each corresponding to a drink. Theming is front and centre – guests are encouraged to play the game as a means to decide which drink to have. Both the game and the cocktail menu follow what is now a recurring throughline for St Regis' menus: drawing inspiration from historical locations in Hong Kong and New York, where the St Regis Hotel was first opened. What sets this current menu apart is the sheer selection of excellent drinks – 16 different signature concoctions, all balanced and executed wonderfully. St Regis Bar Hong Kong's new Tickets to Ride on Trains & Trams menu involves 16 drinks, each corresponding to a 'station' on a board game. Photo: Nicolas Wong Sixteen Photography No drink on this menu represents the high level of execution more than the Ritual Fizz, which is inspired by Little Italy, a historic neighbourhood in Manhattan known for its concentration of Italian immigrant residents. Paul Chan, bar manager for the St Regis Bar Hong Kong, breaks the drink down for us. It combines London Dry gin (or vodka, on occasion), Italian citron and bergamot liqueurs, fresh lemon, cream, egg white, sugar and a splash of soda water. 'It's bright, fresh and creamy all at once,' Chan describes. 'You get this refreshing citrus kick from the Italian citron and bergamot, balanced by the botanicals of gin and a silky, almost dessert-like finish from the cream and egg white. There's a playful effervescence from the soda, and I think the drink really dances between being uplifting and indulgent.' Those in the know recognise this ingredient and flavour profile as similar to the immensely difficult and visually stunning Ramos Gin Fizz, introduced by Charles 'Carl' Ramos in New Orleans in 1888. Apocryphally, Ramos and his team shook the drink for a total of 12 to 15 minutes along something of a cocktail assembly line. (Cocktails are normally shaken for around 20 to 30 seconds.) Ritual Fizz from St Regis Bar Hong Kong's new menu Tickets to Ride on Trains & Trams. Photo: Handout Modern methods are much less dramatic, but the drink still requires intricate preparation – dry shaking ingredients, then slowly pouring 2/3 of the mixture with soda before allowing it to settle in a fridge. If your physics and chemistry were correct, pouring the remaining ingredients should help the iconic foam head rise 'like a souffle', according to Difford's Guide.
NHK
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- NHK
Board game created by Japanese designer wins prestigious German award
A board game created by a Japanese designer has, for the first time, won a German award considered to be the world's top honor for analogue tabletop games. The "Spiel des Jahres," or Game of the Year, award went to "Bomb Busters" designed by Hayashi Hisashi. The prestigious award is given annually to a board or card game released in German-speaking countries. Bomb Busters players aim to defuse imaginary bombs by working together to cut wires. Players can sever wires if they successfully guess what numbers are written on wire tiles held by their teammates. Hayashi said during the awards ceremony on Sunday that he wants to thank those who support him from Japan, colleagues who test his ideas at his home every week, and his wife.
