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  • Is there a way to determine how much of a "fighting chance" I had?


    As a child, I was playing Monopoly in a local tournament against “Chuck” (the hero of some of my other game questions). Early on, he got a Monopoly of his namesake maroons: St. Charles Place, State Street, and Virginia Ave. After he acquired “stops” on all the other Monopolies, the game should have ended there except for one thing.

    Toward the end of the game, a bystander, a girl named Martha, urged Chuck to give me a “fighting chance.” He agreed to give me his defense to the Purple monopoly (Baltic and Mediterranean), in exchange for my defense to the orange Monopoly (St. James, Tennessee, New York). The other matters of note were that Chuck had hotels on the maroons, I had three railroads and one utility, and we each had about $1000 of cash.

    Through what quantitative analysis (Monte Carlo simulation, perhaps), can I determine how much of a “fighting chance” I had at this point? I would guess that I would win less than one game in a hundred, perhaps less than one in a thousand, but in a million trials, I should have one or more wins.



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  • The Treehouse teaches… Cobra Paw — The Treehouse

    The Treehouse teaches… Cobra Paw — The Treehouse



    If you like what you see, Cobra Paw is available to play in the Treehouse library where it has been a long-standing favourite. Or, you can get you hands on your very own copy from our shop using our shiny new ‘click and collect’ service… find it here.

    This video was produced by Matt Turner, Jenny Garner and Patrick Lickman. Check out Patrick’s website here for more examples of his great editing work. Music courtesy of Sounds Like An Earful.



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  • Any Monopoly Simulators That Estimate Win Chances from a Game State?


    I wonder if there are simulators that estimate the win probability in Monopoly, based on a given game-state. A game-state include the entire situation: properties, monopolies, houses, hotels, cash and the location of each player.

    Example: I won a game after giving an opponent the green monopoly in exchange for the maroons. I won the game because I had $1200 cash (and quickly built three houses on each) while my opponent had only $200 cash. (Consider the remaining properties to be "evenly" distributed, including two railroads and one utility for each person.) I would guess that the outcome might very well have been different if my opponent had the $1200, and I the $200.

    Probabilities in Monopoly isn’t a simulator, but it is a calculator that calculates the theoretical value of properties given various states of building development. The main thing that is missing is the role of players’ cash positions in win chances, because more cash means that you can develop faster than your opponents.

    Is there a simulator that can estimate win chances given the game state?



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  • The Treehouse teaches… Karuba — The Treehouse

    The Treehouse teaches… Karuba — The Treehouse



    If this video leaves you with the urge to get your Indiana Jones on, Cobra Paw is available to play in the Treehouse library and to buy in our online shop, for UK-wide postal delivery or free click & collect.

    This video was produced by Matt Turner and Patrick Lickman. Check out Patrick’s website here for more examples of his great editing work. Music courtesy of Sounds Like An Earful.



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  • How to Find the Golden Whale and Enter Treasure Island in Fisch [🏆TREASURE]

    How to Find the Golden Whale and Enter Treasure Island in Fisch [🏆TREASURE]


    In the latest update of Fisch, the developers introduced a new landmark in the Second Sea called Treasure Island. This island is different from other points of interest because it doesn’t show up on your screen with markers. Instead, it’s a secret location that you can only reach by using the Golden Whale. If you’re interested in finding out how to get there and what to expect, this Treasure Island location guide will walk you through everything you need to know.

    Crazy Man NPC Location in Fisch

    First, you’ll need to find a character in Fisch known as the Crazy Man NPC. He’s located on the Isle of Beginning in the Second Sea. To reach him, get on your boat and sail directly to the GPS coordinates (X:-371, Y:80, Z:-347). When you arrive, look for an older man with a bald head standing near the shoreline. This is the Crazy Man. Talk to him, and he’ll tell you about a mysterious place called Treasure Island. He’ll also mention that you can get there with the help of the Golden Whale, which shows up near the island.

    Golden Whale Spawn Location in Fisch

    Normally, the Golden Whale won’t be visible because it only shows up during Tornado Weather. So, you’ll need to wait until the weather changes. Once you notice the tornado weather has started, go back to the island. You should see the Golden Whale near the edge of the island. After that, talk to the Crazy Man NPC again. This time, he’ll tell you to get on the Golden Whale with him.

    Right after you board the Golden Whale, you’ll be taken inside its interior. You’ll stay there for about five minutes while the whale travels to Treasure Island. During this time, you have a couple of things you can do. You can try catching rare fish from the pool found inside the whale, or you can visit the Merchant inside and buy some bait to help with your fishing.

    When the five-minute timer inside the whale ends, you’ll arrive at Treasure Island in Fisch. On this island, you can catch special types of fish that aren’t found anywhere else. You also have the option to buy the Treasure Rod, which can help with fishing. If you have any items you’re curious about, you can take them to the Treasure Appraiser to learn more about their value or purpose.

    How to leave Treasure Island in Fisch

    You can always exit Treasure Island in Fisch using the same Golden Whale that helped you reach the island in the first place. The Golden Whale will be present on the northern edge of the Treasure Island map near the Crazy Man NPC, as shown in the above image.

    And that is all for our Fisch Treasure Island location guide. Check out our Fisch Codes for some freebies that can help you afford the cool new Rods.


    The Escapist is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more about our Affiliate Policy



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  • Brutal city builder Frostpunk 2 has dropped to its lowest price yet

    Brutal city builder Frostpunk 2 has dropped to its lowest price yet



    If you enjoy a city builder with a challenge, this deal is for you. Fanatical has discounted Frostpunk 2, the sequel to the highly acclaimed strategy survival game, to its lowest price yet. Right now, you can pick up the Standard and Deluxe Editions of this brilliantly brutal city builder at a huge discount – less than a year after its release! But you’d better act fast if you want this discount, as it’s only available for a few days.

    Frostpunk 2 is easily one of the best city-building games on PC. The long-awaited sequel to 11 Bit Studios’ 2018 hit survival game Frostpunk, Frostpunk 2 tasks you with developing and expanding the city of New London following an apocalyptic blizzard that has killed most of Earth’s population and left survivors in a never-ending winter. It’s up to you, as the Steward, to evolve your settlement, and (most importantly) ensure your civilization survives and, hopefully, thrives in this hostile world.

    You don’t need to have played Frostpunk to get to grips with its sequel. While Frostpunk 2 sees the return (and streamlining) of many of the first game’s systems, like the need to keep your city’s massive heat generator sufficiently fueled and to generally keep your citizens warm, fed, and sheltered, some new ones make this already tough game even more challenging.

    You now have a council to appease (or ignore), which consists of faction delegates who each have their own view on how to run the city. So, rather than simply passing laws as you please, each law must be proposed and voted on by the council before it can be enacted. Keeping all the factions happy is nearly impossible, so it’s up to you to balance their varying wishes, your morals, and what you think is best for your people.

    The addition of the council gives this strategy game more political focus than its predecessor and makes the already difficult choices you’re regularly presented with even tougher. In PCGamesN’s Frostpunk 2 review, Reid McCarter said Frostpunk 2 is “a game that stands out in the strategy genre for the narrative consideration that gives every one of its choices so much texture.”

    If you’re up to the challenge, you’re in luck, as Frostpunk 2 is now at its lowest price yet. Fanatical has slashed 45% off the Standard Edition of Frostpunk 2, dropping the price from $44.99 / £37.99 to just $24.74 / £20.89.  

    If you want the definitive Frostpunk 2 experience, you can also pick up the Deluxe Edition for a 40% discount, dropping the price from $74.99 / £62.99 to $44.99 / £37.79. This deal offers the best value, as it drops the price of the Deluxe Edition to the usual price of the Standard Edition. For that price tag, you get a heap of extra content, including three DLCs, the Captain’s Hall exclusive in-game item, the Warm Flesh novella, and a digital artbook and soundtrack.

    You only have until Wednesday, May 14, 2025 to grab this cool discount, so take advantage of this deal while you can. After this, there’s no telling how long it will be until the price comes down again.

    For more great games like Frostpunk 2, check out our picks of the best strategy games and best survival games.

    You can also follow us on Google News for daily PC games news, reviews, and guides, or join our community Discord to stay in the know.



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  • What is considered a colorless deck?


    Can The Prismatic Piper be considered a colorless deck when you chose a color for it before hand?



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  • great party games for small groups — The Treehouse

    great party games for small groups — The Treehouse



    The game begins with players receiving their secret role card, determining whether they’re on team villager, trying to track down a possible werewolf in their midst before it’s too late, or team werewolf, trying to lie low and avoid detection. Certain village team roles come with special powers, giving players nuggets of information to help put them on the scent, while others act as instruments of chaos adding extra layers of intrigue.

    Cue the night time phase: all players place their character cards face down in front of them and close their eyes. The various roles then trigger one at a time, letting the relevant players peak at other cards around the table, swap roles around, or perhaps lock eyes with a fellow werewolf. The game comes with a handy app to talk you through the steps, complete with (optional) spooky disco soundtrack. Then daybreak arrives, giving players a matter of minutes to exchange information, hurl accusations, and finally… decide who to lynch! If the majority vote for a werewolf, it’s victory for the villagers, but if not, the werewolves win the day.

    This game needs 5+ players to shine, and the range of roles in the box leaves you with plenty of options for switching things up.

    Codenames

    If you haven’t yet played this absolute blockbuster of a modern classic, consider your party plans sorted! There are no hidden roles here, just plenty of tension and occasional opportunities for feeling like a genius… or the opposite.

    The game set-up is a five by five grid of word cards in the centre of the table, selected randomly from a sizeable stack. Players form two teams, red and blue, then each team selects a ‘spymaster’ who will be their clue-giver for the rest of the game. The two spymasters sit where they can both see a card which allocates each word in the central grid to either the red team, the blue team, a decoy beige category… or one final option which I’ll come back to.

    Spymasters take turns to provide a clue to their teams in a specific format: a single word that relates to one or more of the words of their colour in the grid, plus a number which indicates how many words the clue links to. Coming up with the clues is fiendishly tricky, but once that’s done, spymasters simply sit back and maintain a poker face as their team members decide how to interpret their new information, and make a guess at which word(s) in the grid the clue relates to. Each word guessed correctly is covered by a card of the team’s colour, bringing them one step closer to victory. Incorrect guesses either end the turn (beige words), give points to the other team (words of the opposing colour) or, possibly… LOSE THE ENTIRE GAME, in the case of the one black word on the grid: the DEADLY ASSASSIN.

    With so much at stake, there’s no shortage of tension here, and few moments in gaming are as satisfying as thinking up or cracking a particularly great clue… or as nerve-wracking as watching your team confidently take hold of the wrong end of the stick. This game works well with four players and brilliantly with six, and if you can’t get together in person there’s an awesome free online version here.

    If you’ve mastered Codenames and aren’t put off by the idea of getting your head around a few more rules, we’d strongly recommend Decerypto – check out the review here to find out why.



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  • What is generally the balance between Pokemon, Trainer, and Energy Cards in the Pokemon TCG for a beginner?


    I was really into pokemon cards when I was little, not so much playing the game (Mostly because I didn’t know how) but collecting them. But that was years ago. I’ve recently decided to whip them out again and am trying to create a 60 card playing deck. I have more than enough, but I can’t figure out how to properly make it. I actually have already created one, however, I got it completely wrong. As in, 15 Pokemon, 10 Trainer, and 35 Energy cards type wrong. I understand this isn’t how a deck should be made, however, there doesn’t seem to be anything on how to balance the card types out correctly.

    What should the ‘ratio’ be? (For lack of better words).



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  • How to Get the Hirakumi Style in Volleyball Legends [UPD] 

    How to Get the Hirakumi Style in Volleyball Legends [UPD] 


    The new Hirakumi Style in Volleyball Legends is a powerful, defense-focused style inspired by Hirugami Sachirō from Haikyuu. Known for its unmatched blocking ability, it’s perfect for players who enjoy saving points and controlling the game from the front line. If defense is your strength, this style is worth unlocking using the steps in this Hirakumi Style guide.

    How to Unlock Hirakumi Style in Volleyball Legends

    Just like all other Styles and Abilities in Volleyball Legends, the Hirakumi Style is unlocked through the gacha system. To get started, tap on the Style icon located at the bottom of the main screen. This will take you to the area where you can roll for Styles. You can choose between using Lucky Spins or Default Spins to try your luck at getting the Hirakumi Style.

    Hirakumi is a Godly-tier Style, which means it’s quite rare. If you use Default Spins, the chance of getting it is only 0.5%. That’s why it’s a good idea to use Lucky Spins instead, as they give you a better chance: around 5%. Before you start spinning with Lucky Spins, make sure you select Hirakumi under the Godly Tier. This helps the system focus your rolls toward that specific Style.

    Hirakumi Style Stats in Volleyball Legends

    Here’s a clear breakdown of the Hirakumi Style in Volleyball Legends, along with what makes it stand out:

    • Hirakumi stands out in Volleyball Legends as the only character with a maximum Block stat. This makes him incredibly effective at shutting down attacks from any other character in the game. His blocking ability allows him to stop even the strongest spikes completely when timed correctly.
    • While his movement speed is quite low compared to others, he makes up for it with his strong defensive presence. If you’re the kind of player who prefers to control the pace of the match through solid defense and precise timing, Hirakumi is a great choice.
    • Players who stay near the net and focus on reading the opponent’s moves will get the most out of his role, using it to deliver game-changing blocks.

    And here are the Stats:

    • Block – 100%
    • Bump – 20%
    • Dive – 30%
    • Jump -100%
    • Serve – 90%
    • Set – 50%
    • Speed – 10%
    • Spike – 40%

    That is all for my Hirakumi Style guide. Check out our Volleyball Legends Style Tier List to see more relevant Styles that can help you become the king of the court.


    The Escapist is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more about our Affiliate Policy



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