BorderlandsTabletop Tuesday: Diplomatic Development & Conquest | Submitted by costik on Tue, 11/10/2009 - 21:28. |
Kittredge, Eberle, and Olotka are better known for the superb Cosmic Encounter, but Borderlands is almost as good a game -- and though published in the early 80s, is an uncanny precursor of many features of today's popular Eurogames.
From the deranged mind that brought you STD warfare, a seal that skins Eskimos, an alien abortion, and so much more, comes a charming game about a boy's journey through space to find a home. So archetypal.
You move around in the conventional ways, but also with a tongue that somehow is adhesive to clouds. Playing with gravitation and centrifugal forces, you sling yourself around the galaxy to a variety of planets, solving puzzles there. Underneath this explore-and-experiment formula is a subtle brew of violin, fairytale-plush visuals, and sparse writing that evokes a gentle loneliness. It turns out that even the most punk of us have a sensitive side.
