The Game of the Month series highlights one of the many games in our libraries at Ravenwood Castle and the Malted Meeple. We will briefly describe the game, how to play it, and why we like it. The Game of the Month is written by the Meeple’s Head Game Master – and former Ravenwood Innkeeper – Karington Hess.

When a wildfire rages across the land, the first responders sent into the blaze are called the Hotshots. These specially trained firefighters battle blazes in the roughest, most unforgiving, and most remote areas imaginable. You and your friends are one such team of Hotshots. The alarm has just sounded. It’s time to go to work. Lives are on the line.

Our August Game of the Month is Hotshots, an upcoming push-your-luck firefighting game from our friends at Fireside Games. Hotshots is fully cooperative, players will all win or lose together. Players take on the roles of specialists, each with their own special ability, who move to burning tiles and attempt to put them out before they are destroyed completely. Putting out fires in each area provides its own unique challenge – and offers unique rewards to be used to your advantage later in the game. Through the use of teamwork, you can press your luck, cut firebreaks to slow the spread of flame, and call upon support vehicles for assistance. But be warned—the spreading flame is a fickle creature. It moves unpredictably and spreads like. . .well, like wildfire! If you and your friends are not careful, too many areas may become scorched and the forest will be lost to the flame!

Hotshots play is simple and fast-paced. During a player’s turn, they will complete the following steps before play passes to the next player. First, a player can move up to two tiles away, though they can not move through a space with fire in it. Second, a player may fight the fire using dice to represent the various tools at their disposal. Each tile has a unique combination of die faces on it. The player must attempt to roll dice to match the symbols on the tile. The more they roll, the better their reward. However, if you fail to match at least three symbols, the fire intensifies. You can continue to push your luck and roll more dice hoping for a better reward, but should you fail, the fire will intensify! Finally, the player must draw a fire card which spreads the fire.  The fire card instructs the players where to add additional flame tokens. If at any time a tile has too many flame tokens on it, it becomes scorched and is destroyed forever. If eight tiles are scorched or the Fire Camp is scorched the players lose the game. However, if the players extinguish all the fires, they win!

Hotshots releases in September, but you can enjoy an advance play all through August at Ravenwood Castle and the Malted Meeple. We’re sure you will enjoy this hot new release from Fireside Games! Be sure to cool off with a beer or milkshake though, fighting fires is hot work!

For a special treat, join us at The Malted Meeple August 31^st from 6:00 to 10:00 PM as we welcome the Fireside Games’ Smash and Burn Tour! Hotshots designer Justin DeWitt will be demoing Hotshots and Fireside Games’ other upcoming release Kaiju Crush. He’ll also be giving out promos, signing games, and in general having a great time!

Jim Reed

Jim Reed is a lifelong gamer who started with the original red box Dungeons & Dragons. After spending 20 years in the corporate world, he decided it was high time that work be fun and struck out on his own. Jim now owns and operates Ravenwood Castle, and spends his days ensuring his guests have as much fun as he does.