Have you ever wondered what the R-CADE staff like to do during a quiet game session? Today we find out Soph's favourite games to play at R-CADE.
Bratz: Rock Angelz (PS2): Favourite games are about so many different factors. Gameplay, design, what console you grew up with and the memories attached to playing it.
For Soph, Bratz: Rock Angelz is intrisinctly tied to positive memories with their older sister Beth. “Cause we were both big fans of Bratz and she used to play it a lot. I didn’t really know how to play to when I was younger.
“We’d take it in turns, but it would end up being that I would watch her play it and pretend that I was the other Bratz talking to characters in the game and making up my own stories based on what was happening.”
A lot of our early memories as gamers are the times spent with older siblings, parents, neighbourhood kids - observing but not necessarily taking part. How many times have you heard someone talk about giving a little kid an unplugged controller?
“We were doing it together. She understood that I didn’t know how to play it, cause I was small and my brain didn’t comprehend the controls. I understood what was happening, I just didn’t know how to do it. We managed to find a way that worked for both of us, in that she could play the game and I could play along in my own way.
“I would talk to the characters or talk to my sister while she was pretending to be the character that she was playing as. So to us it kind of became an in person game.”
The gameplay itself is pretty simple. Based on the movie of the same name, players speak with characters from the Bratz universe, while also trying on different outfits and recreating scenes from the film.
“[The Bratz] have a magazine, and they’re trying to get their magazine to be big, but there’s this rival magazine company, with this woman called Burdine and her assistants the Tweevils (cause they’re twins and their evils, hence Tweevils).”
Eventually a magazine isn’t enough, and the titular tweens form their own band, The Rock Angels, and manage to play a concert in London! Damn nepo babies…
Burger Balance: We talk about food a lot in R-CADE. Whether it be what’s on offer in our cafe, Sams love of Za (pizza but funky) or discussing the best looking food from anime - it’s always on the brain. Even apparently when it comes to our selection of board games.
In Burger Balance, players compete to stack elements of a burger balanced atop an upturned ketchup bottle. Each player rolls a dice, telling them which ingredient they have to try and slot into place. Will you try to play it safe? Or take a chance in hopes of making the next turn harder for your opponents?
“It’s kind of like Jenga but reverse because you’re not taking away, you’re adding.” says Soph.
As board games should, Burger Balance appeals to a wide variety of players. “You can show it to anyone, anyone can enjoy it.” Soph says about their favourite board game we have. “Kids like it because it’s like a cute burger balanced on tomato sauce. But adults will get into it because there’s a lot of strategy involved and they’ll be really focused in on it.”
If you want to find out more about what Soph likes, or the entire R-CADE staff - make sure to check out out meet the team videos.