Mark Julian

Florida

Lead Tabletop Editor at Gaming Trend

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Articles

Wreckfest 2 - Early Access impressions

1 month ago | gamingtrend.com | Mark Julian

We checked out the Early Access build of the demolition derby racing game, Wreckfest 2. At the time of writing, it’s in month 3 of a planned 12-month EA period with 1 major content update so far. The current game build features a small handful of tracks and a few cars that look different but otherwise behave the same. Wreckfest is a demolition derby game, so the cars are appropriately beat up. The physics feels nice and realistic, with the cars having a sense of real weight.
Rebel Princess review - These hearts look like frogs

1 month ago | gamingtrend.com | Mark Julian

I’ve been in the tabletop hobby for a while now, and with thousands of games coming out each year, there is always something to be excited about. However, when my family gets together, we always return to the classic card games. Hearts has been a family favorite for decades, and we still play every holiday get-together. Imagine my delight when I saw Rebel Princess from Bezier Games. It’s Hearts, but with a few twists to bridge the gap between the classic game and newer hobby tabletop games.
Shatterpoint: Twice the Pride Squad Pack review - the duelists

1 month ago | gamingtrend.com | Mark Julian

Shatterpoint is a game that requires players to focus on the objective rather than just going for kills, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make wounding and eliminating enemies a key part of your strategy. If that sounds like your jam, Count Dooku and friends are here for you. Not sure what Shatterpoint is all about? Jump over to our review of the core game here!Count Dooku himself is a Primary Unit with 7 squad points.
Shatterpoint: Plans and Preparations Squad Pack review - always be prepared

1 month ago | gamingtrend.com | Mark Julian

The Plans and Preparations Squad Pack introduces Jedi Master Luminara Unduli as a new Primary Character. Luminara is joined by her Padawan, Barris Offee, as well as a unit of Republic Clone Commandos for support.
Star Wars: Shatterpoint review - What dreams are made of.

1 month ago | gamingtrend.com | Mark Julian

Star Wars: Shatterpoint is a tabletop skirmish game from Atomic Mass Games that gives players the opportunity to create the Star Wars battles they’ve always dreamed of. How would Anakin fare against Maul? What if Captain Rex commanded a unit of B1s? Can Darth Vader defeat his younger self? Shatterpoint is a skirmish game, but every game tells the story you create. It’s also a hobby game that will require some work to get into. Let’s find out if it’s worth it.
The Mandalorian: Adventures review - Risk mitigation for gunslingers

1 month ago | gamingtrend.com | Mark Julian

The Mandalorian: Adventures from Unexpected Games and designed by Corey Konieczka is a lightweight cooperative adventure game set during the events of the first season of the hit Disney show, The Mandalorian. It’s easy to learn, has a great theme, and plays relatively fast. But is it fun? You’ll have to keep reading… or ya know, skip to the end.
Age of Mythology Retold: Immortal Pillars DLC review - Age of dragons

2 months ago | gamingtrend.com | Mark Julian

Immortal Pillars is the first DLC for Age of Mythology: Retold and reintroduces the Chinese pantheon to the game. The three Chinese gods blend new defensive options with powerful myth units and blessings. I gave all three of the returning gods a try and they all feel quite powerful. If you played the original game, you’ll notice that the Chinese gods have been completely reworked.
Diplomacy is Not an Option review - of physics and food

2 months ago | gamingtrend.com | Mark Julian

Diplomacy is Not an Option, by Door 407, is an old-school RTS that will challenge seasoned players and frustrate anyone new to the genre. I mostly loved it and sometimes hated it. It kept me on the hook for over 50 hours so the good outweighs the bad. Let’s get into it. The game features multiple modes. There is a lengthy and branching campaign, challenge missions, and custom games. I spent most of my time in the campaign and still didn’t manage to discover everything.
Lorcana: Archazia’s Island review - Something new

2 months ago | gamingtrend.com | Mark Julian

Starter DecksArchazia’s Island is out and brings some new ideas to shake things up. As always, the Starter Decks are a great way to get a first impression of the chapter or jump into the game for the first time. This set introduces dual-ink cards for the first time as well as some brand new keywords and characters. Dual-ink cards are exactly what they sound like. They have two ink colors and can only be used in decks that feature those two colors.
Star Realms: Rise of Empire review - The sticker effect

Feb 23, 2025 | gamingtrend.com | Mark Julian

Star Realms is one of the all time classic deck builders. I admire Wise Wizards commitment to the brand and ability to continue to create new content and innovate on the design for long time fans and newcomers alike. They’ve been at it since 2014 and we’ve seen commanders, huge ships, events, gambits, cooperative play, and more added to the game. Now with Rise of Empire we get 2019’s favorite board game buzzwords… Legacy Game.