Learn to Play: Block and Key and The Cursed Artifact

Join us at Pandemonium for our 3-hour, regular session to learn and play games! You’re especially welcome if you’ve never before played hobby board games (and are curious about where to start). 

Today, we have two games to feature, each with the same theme but very different implementations: The Cursed Artifact and Block and Key. Thematically, both follow the exploits of pulp adventurers (inspired heavily by the likes of Indiana Jones, Lara Croft, and Nathan Drake), but how they differ is how those individuals go about seeking fortune and glory.

The Cursed Artifact (2-6 players) ties in the globe trotting to the Allied war effort: you have been hired to claim artifacts of great power for your nation and keep them at whatever cost. To do this, you have to carefully manage your teams of workers, their pay, and what sites you control on the map. The more artifacts you collect, however, the more their curses pile up (and the more money you’ll need to bring in each turn), so it’s a game of pseudo area-control and hot-potato MacGuffin collecting. This game was mysteriously air dropped into our demo library, so we’re going to try it out!

Block and Key (1-4 players) is a spatial abstract game of polyomino pattern formation – but with a twist (and planar rotation). Most games like this have you arrange a shared pile of shapes into specific orientations, and that part in this game is no different from its contemporaries. What makes Block and Key special, however, is that you have 3D polyominoes you’re arranging to project (from your viewpoint) a 2D arrangement that will score you a certain number of points. If that doesn’t make sense, just take a look at some of the pictures on Board Game Geek, and hopefully that will make it clearer.

So if you ever wanted to play this game or ones like it, or just want to spend time with others fighting over things that don’t belong to you (we reckon this whole genre needs a Spirit Island treatment), join us at the table. And if you prefer slightly more explosive, team-based games, stay tuned to the Events Calendar for future announcements! We’ll be running more demos this month and next.

RULES FOR ATTENDING: 

• Proof of vaccination is no longer required. If COVID levels rise, masking will be required. We will make an announcement about this on our website and social media if re-instated. 
• Photos may be taken at events to be used in our social media or promotional materials. Please inform the staff member running the event if you do not want your photo taken.
• Advance online registration is required.
• Anyone not registered in an ongoing event will not be allowed in the event space to maintain capacity limits.
• Food is not allowed in our event space. Drinks are allowed.