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A Little More Lovecraft: Platypus Nostalgia

My wife and I have been enjoying our $10 copy of "Elder Sign: Omens" over the past few weeks. I have to say, I wasn't sure at first how well a table top game would port to the PC. I mean, who really wants to play risk on their computer? I'm glad we gave it a whirl though. "Elder Sign: Omens" is another triumph for Fantasy Flight games. It's much cheaper than the boxed game and is disproportionately creepy for what you'd think could be supported by the game mechanic. We've also found it to have great re-play value and a number of extra investigators and Ancient Ones that can be unlocked by completing investigations. Each game lasts between thirty minutes and an hour, so it's also much easier than breaking out a table top behemoth like Eldritch Horror. If you're into Lovecraft and computer games, this is a great one to pick up.

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