Hey, peeps! Mike here, and I'm extremely excited to be writing about the rather late-arriving February Loot Crate. Why? Because this box was advertised as being partially about board gaming! I love playing board games and card games, so I felt like this would be "the" Crate for me. Now, I could write on and on about that, but instead, I'm going to spare you the agony and jump right into my review. :)
For those of you who haven't heard of Loot Crate, it is a monthly subscription box that caters towards "nerds" and "geeks". Each month, subscribers get a themed box of 6 to 8 items. What's interesting is that Loot Crate has different subscription programs. Here's a breakdown:
1 Month Plan - $19.37 USD / $29.95 CAD per month
3 Month Plan - $55.11 USD / $84.00 CAD per 3 months
6 Month Plan - $105.99 USD / $162.00 CAD per 6 months
FEBRUARY - PLAY
There are so many ways to "Play". Were the Loot Crate gurus able to represent a good variety of play or did they just stick with the one thing they advertised? Let's find out! Here's what I found in my box this month:
- Loot Crate Board Game and Dice ($3.00 CAD)
- Loot Crate Mini Magazine ($2.50 CAD)
- Loot Crate Theme Pin ($0.75 CAD)
- Superfight Card Deck ($8.00 CAD)
- Pac-Man Mini Poster ($5.00 CAD)
- Firefly Online Rifle Coupon ($1.50 CAD)
- Hexbug ($15.00 CAD)
- Exclusive Mini Munny ($10.00 CAD)
- Ready Player One ($12.50 CAD)
Loot Crate Board Game and Dice
I can't even properly describe how incredible the custom box this month is. It folds out into a simple-but-fun board game called "Crate Packing Simulator 2015" where you try to get 5 items into your Crate before your friends do. Dice were included to add to the fun, and even the Loot Crate magazine has pieces for this game!
Loot Crate Mini Magazine
As I mentioned above, the mini magazine this month includes game pieces for the board game. Of course, there's so much more, like photos, item descriptions, and a great article about co-op gaming!
Loot Crate Theme Pin
This is my favourite Loot Crate pin so far purely because of the board gaming theme. The design is also really well done and matches the standard orange border, which is a rarity when it comes to Loot Crate pins.
Superfight Card Deck
I've never played Superfight before and have never seen it in stores, but I still appreciate getting a deck with exclusive cards in it. You can learn more about Superfight over at BoardGameGeek. If you can find a copy in Toronto or the GTA, please let me know where, 'cause I can't seem to do so.
Pac-Man Mini Poster
I love retro video games and I love Pac-Man. However, I am surprisingly disappointed with this item. The design is okay, but definitely not one I'd hang on my wall. The worst part, though, is that the poster arrived in pretty rough shape, despite the protective cardboard cover. If you zoom in on the photo, you can see that one edge of the poster did not survive the trip from the US to Canada. :(
Firefly Online Rifle Coupon
I'm a fan of Firefly, and 3 or 4 years ago, I would have been drooling over a MMO based on that short-lived much-loved television series by Joss Whedon. However, now that I don't have the time to play MMO's anymore, I'm sad to say that this awesome coupon that gives me an exclusive in-game rifle is useless to me. Still, I think it's a pretty sweet item for anyone who plays or is looking to play Firefly Online.
Hexbug
Whoa, check out this cool-looking Hexbug for me to play with! I may be at work while I'm writing this review, but I may just take this toy out of its box and scare the receptionist with it. :p
Exclusive Mini Munny
Wait, Munnys are still a thing? Seriously? I think I bought a blank pink Munny for Jess, like, 8 years ago. This exclusive blank white Munny is a little late, but still super awesome.
Ready Player One
My buddy Dan has recommended this gaming-themed novel on many occasions and I was going to buy it after I finished my latest Urban Fantasy book. (Yes, I read Urban Fantasy books.) Now, I just saved a little money and have it ready so I don't have to go to the bookstore! Sweet! (Sorry, Chapters.)
OVERVIEW
If we're going to talk about theming, this month's Loot Crate has it in spades. It covers a very good amount of "play", like board gaming, video gaming, and toys. It even has a gaming-themed novel! I honestly didn't see that one coming. The only problem I have with this Crate is that some of the items aren't up to par. Superfight sounds awesome, but none of the stores in Toronto I've called have the base game. A Hexbug is cool, but probably going to be handed down to my niece after work. The poster had a so-so design and arrived damaged. The custom box board game is mind-blowing, but the reality is that it's going to be played once or twice and then recycled, leaving me with some fancy dice that I can't use with anything else. So, at the end of the day, my feelings are quite mixed. I love this Crate, but am also a little disappointed.
Next month, the theme is going to be "Covert". I love spy stuff, so bring it on! Hopefully, the items will be better than the ones from this month's Crate. If you're interested in learning more about or subscribing to Loot Crate, please check out their Web Site. To get $3 off a new subscription, use this code: SAVE3
And, that's February! As always, thanks for checking out my blog. See you again soon!
