I've finally received my published edition of Battle of the Bands to replace my xeroxed play-testing set. The rules are essentially unchanged from my last session of play-testing, and the big difference is now I'm holding a deck of full color clay-coated playing cards.

Battle of the Bands uses an innovative approach to the game play, using a system which implements drama over powerplaying. You really get drawn into the trials of your band because, hey... when you literally start with a card labelled "Me" you care if that Kazoo wailing Gorilla gets sick of your new girlfriend and ditches the band. Every knife in the back action hits you where it counts, and so help me, if I can't impress my own hometown with my stellar air guitar, who the hell needs them anyway!

The situations and bands have an uncanny nack of mirroring real life bands which leads to plenty of hilarious banter and smack talk. Each character inspires his own story and attitude thanks to Dan Smith's creative and well thought out illustrations and satirical one liners.

Technically, I found a card or two that had confusing wording, but that's to be expected on a first run. And I wish it had come with at least 2 dice (some conflicts are resolved with a simple roll of the die.) But all in all, the biggest dissappointment is that the game eventually ends.

Here's to an encore.