📝 Our Week in Games: Bluffing, Building, and a Bit of Brutality

This week’s game nights were a wild ride — from serene landscapes to shadowy lies. Here's a peek at what hit our table:

🌲 Cascadia – Calm, Clever, and Competitive

We kicked things off with a classic: Cascadia. As always, it's the perfect palate cleanser. The quiet tension of building habitats and arranging wildlife is deceptively relaxing… until someone snatches the salmon tile you’ve been eyeing for three turns.

We played two back-to-back games — one with the standard objective cards and another using the more advanced scoring variants. Turns out, no matter how many times we play, someone always forgets about the hawks.

🧭 Faraway – Puzzle-y and Unexpected

Next up: Faraway. This one’s new to our group, and we’re still wrapping our heads around its reverse scoring twist. The spatial and planning aspects are so satisfying, but it’s a mental workout.

You think you’ve nailed your scoring — then the final scoring order flips everything on its head. A few groans and a lot of laughs later, and we were hooked. This one’s definitely staying in rotation.

⚔️ Hero Realms – Fast-Paced, Brutal, and Addictive

We went for a 1v1 tournament-style setup this week in Hero Realms. Just straight-up deck destruction. The Thief deck was annoyingly slippery (you know who you are), while the Wizard brought the fireworks — literally.

There’s something immensely satisfying about watching your opponent’s champion stack crumble under a brutal combo. Quick setup, quick games, and that “just one more match” energy kept us going way too late.

🕯️ Grid of Shadows – Deception, Doubt, and the Beauty of Bluffing

To wrap it all up, we dove back into our own game: Grid of Shadows. It’s always a blast introducing new players to the mechanics — especially when they realize halfway through that everyone is lying.

The bluffing, the card abilities, and the creeping paranoia build so naturally. This time, the 3x3 grid filled up fast, and the word “Lights!” got shouted more than we could count.

Some cards hit the table truthfully, some not so much — and the consequences were deliciously painful. There's a reason we keep returning to this one: it's tense, unpredictable, and gives just enough control to feel smart... or foolish.

Final Thoughts

It was a solid week of variety — tranquil tile-laying, spatial strategy, fast-paced battles, and full-on psychological warfare. And honestly? That’s the best kind of board gaming week.

What have you been playing lately? Let us know in the comments!