Three new Rick and Morty games coming later this year!

Rick and Morty are getting three new board games to appease fans while they eagerly await news from Adult Swim regarding the release of season four of the smash hit series! As originally reported by Comicbook.com, Cryptozoic announced three new games at the New York Toy Fair that are due to arrive in stores latter this year. 

Rick and Morty: The Pickle Rick Game

Players: 1 -2

Manufactures Description:

This intense 1-2 player game is based on the hugely popular "Pickle Rick" episode of Adult Swim's Rick and Morty. One player plays as Pickle Rick as he tries to escape a heavily armed compound. While the other player takes on the roles of both the Russians and Jaguar as they try to stop him. The Pickle Rick player uses weapons cards to dole out damage and Air Vents to get out of jams as he or she tries to get to the Rooftop. The Game includes both Pickle Rick and Jaguar miniatures that are moved across a dynamic board made up of tiles that are constantly being added, rotated, and flipped. Adding to the off-the-wall fun is the game's packaging: it looks like a pickle!

Rick and Morty: The Ricks Must Be Crazy Multiverse Game

Players: 2 - 4

Manufactures Description:

In this engine-building game, 2-4 players take on the roles of Rick, Morty, Zeep, and Kyle as they introduce Power-making technology to different worlds; and then try to get that Power before their opponents. Based on the Rick and Morty episode "The Ricks Must Be Crazy." game-play takes place in four "Verses" with unique attributes: the Rickverse, Microverse, Miniverse, and Teenyverse. Players spend Actions to build Power Supplies and Contraptions and move to different 'Verses. At the end of each round, Power generates from the bottom 'Verse up, and players utilize it to play One-Shot abilities, use Character Abilities and power-up their Contraptions.

Rick and Morty: The Rickshank Redemption Deck Building Game

Players: 2 - 4

Manufactures Description:

This 2-4 player sequel to Rick and Morty: Close Rick-Counters of the Rick Kind Deck-Building Game features a set of Council cards that cause players to vote to enact new rules, dramatic one-time effects, and other mysterious situations. Access Tokens give players votes and chances to devalue the Galactic Federation currency from 1 to 0. The game exudes off-the-wall Rick and Morty art and game-play, even including a Szechuan Sauce card.

With no confirmed release date for season four, it is possible that these three new additions to the Rick and Morty library of games might be the only satisfaction fans of the series receive in 2018.

Thanks for reading, remember to connect with us on social media via our website at CanGeek.com.

Ernest Gary Gygax: his legacy of adventures and storytelling

An elf, a warrior, A mage and a thief enter a dungeon....

It sounds like an introduction to what might be a really bad joke, but it's a scenario that has played out countless times over the course of the past 43 years, at its core it's what Dungeons & Dragons is all about.

As Role-playing games go Dungeons & Dragons is basically the grandfather of them all, with most RPG's being able to trace their roots back, at least in part to D&D.

You begin by creating a player-character (PC), you define this character by picking your name, race, gender, class, attributes and abilities - then the fun REALLY begins as your Dungeon Master (DM) leads you and your fellow players on a grand adventure!

Because at its core Dungeons & Dragons is all about the adventure and the storytelling!

However had it not been for E. Gary Gygax, who is widely considered the father of D&D, then Role-players the world over would not have the benefit of traveling to multiple mystical lands, raiding and looting various dungeons, doing battle with fearsome creatures, and welding artifacts with powers beyond their wildest imaginations!

As a gamer at heart Gygax had been an avid war-gamer and creator of multiple war-gaming organizations throughout the 1960's - as well as the founder of the Gen Con Gaming Convention.  As a game designer Gygax helped create Chainmail, a medieval miniatures war-game in 1971.  Two years later Gygax would co-found Tactical Studies Rules (TSR)  with childhood friend Don Kaye, and would co-create Dungeons & Dragons: First Edition with game designer Dave Arneson the following year.

That same year Gygax would found The Dragon, a magazine designed to further promote the newly created D&D gaming system.  Four years later Gygax would begin working on Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, an update to the D&D gaming system which would include pre-packaged adventure modules giving Dungeon Masters a rough script to lead their adventures with.

Gygax would leave TSR in 1985 over issues with the companies new majority owner, but he would continue to develop games such as Dangerous Journeys and Lejendary Adventure independently up until his death in March of 2008.

Had it not been for the passion and dedication that Gary Gygax had for his craft, many a friendship may not have been forged - So on what would have been his 79th birthday, the small team that is CanGeek Games and Collectables would like to say thank you sir, and may you dine with the Gods this eve.

How my father used a love of gaming to teach me the most important rule in life.

As we celebrate Father's Day 2017 I'm reminded of something.

The first home based console we had growing up was the Atari 2600, and my Father became The Master of fixing broken joysticks!  It wasn't that the controllers were poorly built, as a matter of fact for the time that this system was released these controllers were fairly durable.  No my Dad became the master of fixing the Atari joysticks because of the constant and consistent abuse these controllers had to endure at the hands of myself and my two older siblings.

We took our games of Frogger, PAC-MAN, and Pitfall seriously!

We would receive stiff warnings about treating our belongings better, would be reminded of how expensive these devices were to replace, and would even be threatened with "If you keep breaking these then I'm gong to stop fixing them!" but we kept breaking them, and Dad kept fixing them.

Eventually each of us graduated from the Atari to our own personal computers, the Commodore Vic 20 was the first of many to cross our front door, and once again our father was there to support us with our never-ending computer needs.

It began with buying a few cartridge based games that we could play, but games were just as expensive in the 80's as they are today.  So after much debate with my mother, off Dad went to the store and when he came back he held in his hand the secret to our gaming salvation, at the time anyways - The Datasette!

Armed with this new device, and a copy of Compute Magazine, Dad took on the task of teaching himself basic programming skills.  Every issue of Compute would come with pages upon pages of instructions for programming a basic game for your Vic 20, it was tedious data entry but Dad would do it just the same.

His time-consuming efforts equaled new games for us, so we didn't complain and once again Dad became a master - this time at programming.

As the years continued to turn we each eventually graduated to new hardware, first the Commodore 64, than the Commodore Amiga, and finally the PC as we know it today - and our father was always there to support us, to lend a hand were needed.

It wasn't until years later when I had children of my own that I began to realize why Dad had become so involved in something that he seemed to have no real interest in, it was about teaching us the lessons of love, the lessons that a father strives to pas onto his children.

For myself and my siblings it was about gaming, for our father it was about showing us that you can do anything you set your mind to, learn to fix a joystick, learn to program, keep up with ever-changing technologies, change careers mid-way through your working life, start your own business.

There is a fair age difference between myself and my sister, nine years, between myself and my eldest brother there is a eleven year age difference, my father was celebrating his 43rd year when I was born - this is a time when most parents are preparing to send their children off to post-secondary education as opposed to thinking about the first day of kindergarten again.

My Dad lived life by his rules, not the rules society placed upon him, and in his own way he tried to teach his three children to do the very same thing. This is our first fathers day without Dad, he passed away just after fathers day last year having had a hard-fought battle with terminal bladder cancer. 

I expect this to be a difficult day but it will conclude a year of firsts for our family.

To those of you reading this, cherish the time you have with your fathers, learn both their rules for life and whatever else they are willing to teach you, say whats in your heart because at times life can be a cruel game and you may not get this opportunity again next year.  

I wish you and your family a very happy and healthy fathers day weekend, please remember to follow us at cangeek.com.

Thanks for reading.

CanGeeks top 12 reveals from E3 2017!

The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) has come and gone for another year, and gamer's the world over have been left salivating as they eagerly wait for the next game they just have to play!  

From Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo, to Electronic Arts, Bethisda and Ubisoft, developers came ready to fight - Because E3 is all about winning the hearts and minds of consumers, that's were the product life-cycle really begins! 

Everyone will have their own opinions on what the biggest announcements from E3-2017 were, below is my top twelve picks in no particular order, hope you enjoy!

1. Assassin's Creed Origins: Ubisoft is gong back to the beginning with the Assassin's Creed series. This new game will be set in Egypt with players assuming the role of Bayek - the last of the Medjay and presumably the first of the Assassins.  

If you've watched our recent E3 YouTube video then you know I'm looking forward to this game but would have been much happier if this had been Assassin's Creed Japan!

2. Anthem: Bioware USUALLY doesn't disappoint, or at least they didn't use too....  Either way their back with this Sci-Fi action adventure which will have players taking on the role of a "freelancer", a individual responsible for exploring new environments and protecting mankind with powerful exo-suits.

I can't imagine why this game kind of reminds me of Destiny, either way I'll give it a shot!

3. Beyond Good & Evil 2: They say that sometimes you have to look at where you've been to know where your going, I guess that's how we ended up with a prequel for a sequel to Ubisoft's 2003 smash hit - Beyond Good & Evil 2 will take place before the birth of Jade.

4. Dishonored - Death Of The Outsider: Bethesda is billing this title as a stand-alone expansion to Dishonored 2, players will take on the role of Megan Foster who is an ally to both Corvo & Emily.

The real question here is with a new character, and a new story doesn't that equal a new game? 

5. Kirby: Nintendo may have FINALLY given me a reason to buy a Switch because I'm a sucker for Kirby! But with the game neither possessing an official title or release date I guess I still have time to save my money and wait for a price-drop.

6. Skull & Bones: This game really sounds like World Of Tanks with the tanks being replaced by pirate ships!  Either way, with 5V5 navel battles it sounds like Ubisoft has another hit on their hands - Yo Ho Yo Ho it's a Pirates life for me!

7. A Way Out: When I saw the reveal for this game the VERY FIRST thing that came to mind was Prison Break!  From the studio that brought you Brothers: A Tale Of Two Sons this multiplayer title will follow two escaped convicts as they work together to stay one step ahead of the law while trying to come to terms with the choices that have lead them to were they are now.

8. Wolfenstein II - The New Colossus: BJ Blazkowicz is back in this direct sequel to 2014's Wolfenstein: The New Order, this time around BJ will be operating in Nazi-occupied America - this looks like another Homefront style game but it can't be nearly as bad!

9. Crackdown 3: Finally Microsoft has given me another reason to use my Xbox One, guess I need something else to hold that door open now! Crackdown 3 is due to release November 7th and will once again find players working as genetically enhanced super-cops in an open world environment - Its time to blow some shit up!

10. Spider-Man (PS4): Sony scored a major victory at E3-2016 when they announced that Insomniac Games was working on an open world Spider-Man game that would be exclusive to their platform.  This Year they showed off the first game-play.  The title is reminiscent of Rocksteady's Batman games with the focus being on the web-slingers grace and agility.

All we need now is a release date.

11. South Park - The Fractured Butt Whole: After being pushed back a couple of times already Ubisoft confirmed the release date for this title, October 17th 2017 - I want to believe, I really do.

12.  Star Wars Battlefront II: We saw game play, lots of game play, most of this we have seen prior to E3 though.  You would almost think that Lucasfilm and Disney are using this game to build hype for The Last Jedi.  With the introduction of a single player story and space battles I'm guaranteed to purchase this game BUT after the disappointment that Star Wars Battlefront was I think I'll wait for some reviews first - Unless of course EA wants to give me an advanced copy (wink wink, nudge nudge!)

These are my twelve picks for the biggest announcements and reveals at this years Electronic Entertainment Expo, what did you walk away from this years E3 feeling happy about?  Let us now in the comments and remember to follow us at cangeek.com.

Thanks for reading!

Nintendo to re-release Gameboy Advanced

Coming off the success of this past holiday season which saw the release of the NES classic and global sales in excess of $1.5 million, Nintendo confirmed on Friday the release of the Game Boy advanced special edition.

This new console is expected to provide a library of classics including both Pokemon Ruby & Pokemon Fire Red, Metroid Fusion, Kirby & The Amazing Mirror, The Legend Of Zelda: The Minish Cap and Mario Kart: Super Circuit.

Although Nintendo was reluctant to discuss a price point at the time of their announcement, it is expected that this retro re-release will enter the market with an MSRP of roughly $199.99 U.S.D 

This announcement was greeted with resounding cries of joy from both game collectors and those in attendance who were looking to reclaim a small amount of their lost childhoods!

The Game Boy Advanced Special Edition is scheduled to hit store shelves April 1st, 2018!

Happy April Fools Day everyone from your friends and fellow gamers at CanGeek

The Geek I Am.... My Homage To My Dad

As I write this weeks blog it is May 21st, 2016 and here in Canada we're celebrating the Victoria Day long weekend, well most of us are anyways.

I am sitting here on my parents back deck falling asleep, its been a long week.

CanGeek is a dream slowly becoming reality,  but at this point it doesn't pay the bills,  so I also work 40 hours a week as a Store Manager for a 'As Seen On TV" retailer, the things we do to chase our dreams......

My father is sitting next to me and he's falling asleep too, his fatigue is of a much different nature, brought about by unimaginable pain and discomfort.

My father is dying, he has terminal cancer and this weeks blog is my homage to him.

I have been asking myself for weeks whither this blog was appropriate given the nature of its content and I've decided it is, I wouldn't be who I am today if not for the influence my father has had on my life.

Without dating myself, I went through adolescence at a time when society was slightly less accepting of what we now refer to as fandom and pop culture.  That`s not to say that we didn't celebrate our shared enjoyment of genre films and television shows, and we absolutely bought our comics and games on a weekly basis, but it felt like to avoid unfair judgement and peer pressure we weren't so open about our likes and dislikes.

We didn't wear our geek on our sleeves, not like we do today, and wearing Marvel or DC attire to anything other then elementary school was a good way to get an ass kicking.

It was the dark times indeed.

Through all this however I always seemed to have the love and support of my father.  Born in 1931 he grew up in a much different time, and his experiences could have just as easily drove a wedge into our relationship, but he was always supportive of my choices and decisions.

So well other kids were off joining sports teams and going to Friday night parties, I was playing video games with a close group of friends, being introduced to RPG`s such as D&D and Shadowrun, and playing tabletop games like Battletech and Magic: The Gathering (We Did a lot of that!)

And my Dad was always there to take interest in what we were doing, asking questions and in a lot of cases adding to my gaming collection wherever possible.

Eventually I fell in love with a truly beautiful woman, she is both kind and considerate to everyone around her, and I was considering popping the question. 

The advice I received from my friends was "Do more with your life and then maybe get married"
The advice I received from my father was  "Do what feels right in your heart"

We married, bought a house, and since then have begun to raise two wonderful children and spent many amazing years together.

Last June I was laid off after giving 6 1/2 years of my life to EB Games Canada, this happened three months after the news of my fathers cancer, and I was forced to come to terms with so much at once.

It took me months to decide my next move, CanGeek, a business I'd been considering for years and years. One afternoon I explained my plans to my father, this was in an attempt to focus him on something other then his pain, and once again he surprised me by offering money to invest in the business.

With so much going on for both him and my mother he was still thinking of his children first, that is the type of man he is and the type of father he has been to his three children.

Fathers day is just under a month away now, and CanGeek will be introducing a limited edition product celebrating all the Gamer Dads out there, it will be available for purchase through our new Facebook store.  Our hope is that it will be a gift both you and your fathers will treasure for years to come.

As both a father and a son my hope is that I will have the opportunity to celebrate one more fathers day weekend with my dad because if not for him I would not be the geek I am today.....

Thanks for reading.

Conquering The Stars And Riding The Rails

Fifteen hours per week.....

Like most people working a full time job I spend a lot of time on public transit moving back and forth to and from my current place of employment, So out of curiosity I recently sat down and calculated roughly how many hours I spend commuting and came up with fifteen hours per week.

This represents a ninety minute commute each way to and from work five days per week, and a fair chunk of that time is spent riding the trains.

Needless to say things can get more then a little boring.

I usually spend this time reading, sleeping, or playing with my phone because in truth who wants to stare at strangers (its kind of creepy)

Now I'm the type of person who gets really involved in whatever game their playing, so much so that I have been know to, on occasion, miss my stop because I'm so engrossed in what I'm doing (Dragons Crown for the PS Vita had me doing a lot of backtracking).

Conquering The Stars:

About a month ago a close friend introduced me Star Realms, a new deck building game designed by Magic: The Gathering pro tour champions Rob Dougherty and Darwin Kastle.  Star Realms is a two player space combat game that takes less then 25 minutes to play yet provides hours of enjoyment at an unquestionably reasonable price (it's $14.99 in physical format and once you've played it you'll keep coming back for more!)

Each player begins the game with fifty life points, three points of currency and two points of attack, then the objective is simple, destroy your opponent to secure victory!  This is achieved by shopping the marketplace and making strategic decisions in an effort to build the strongest fleet possible.

It's fast moving and every mistake truly matters!   

Now what does this have to do with my long commute to work?  Star Realms was also recently release in digital format for the PC, Android and IOS as a free download (without the expansions!) 

So if like me you have time to spare as part of your daily trip to and from your place of employment then give Star Realms a chance, I don't think you'll be sorry.

As always, thanks for reading!

Once A Geek.....

Twelve months, a lot can happen in the course of one year........

For example, twelve months ago I was employed as a middle level manager for EB Games Canada, a division of Gamestop international, and I liked my job.  Now that isn't to say that I liked the people I worked for or their policies, although at one time I'm sure I did.   I think my attitude towards the job changed around the time I found myself having to repeatedly defend my staff against a district manager who viewed my customers as nothing more then walking wallets.   

And I liked the majority of my customers.

So after 6 1/2 years of assuming the position it should have come as no shock when my former manager arrived with their immediate supervisor and walked me to the door, but it did and I was devastated.

So I did what many have done in my situation, I took to social media and lamented about how poorly the company had acted towards me, all this in the hopes that the right person would see it and by some fluke of nature I would once again be wanted and needed for my expertise, but that didn't happen.

What did happen was the people who I worked with, the ones who called me friend, no longer wanted any association with me and I felt even more alone and hurt then ever.

Then somewhere along the way I realized what needed to happen, I needed to capitalize on one of my greatest strengths and assets, being a geek!

Long before I was employed by McGameshop I was a gamer, in fact I have been gaming most of my life, regularly playing tabletop games such as Magic: the Gathering and Battletech and video games including anything with the Dragon Age or Elder Scrolls label attached to it. 

Long before I worked in the gaming industry I spent a fair amount of time working for another home entertainment leader, Blockbuster video.  My time at Blockbuster was spent fulfilling my constant craving to see the next great movie and sharing that joy with those around me, in short helping to bring a smile to the faces of those around me, hoping to entertain them......

I'm a geek!  I don't view this as shameful, I actually wear it like a badge of honor.

Being a geek has allowed me to develop long lasting friendships with like-minded people.

Being a geek has allowed me to find love and happiness with an extremely beautiful woman, a geek in her own right,   

Being a pair of geeks has allowed my wife and I to continue the circle of life by raising the next generation of geeks.

Being a pair of geeks has motivated us to begin a new venture together - CanGeek!

Our mission with CanGeek is a simple one, through our active involvement on multiple social media platforms we want to engage and entertain like minded people from around the world.

In the coming months we will be lunching CanGeek.com, which will include a small online store offering a very select lineup of products geared to our various online communities.  Our website will also include a calendar of up coming events that you can connect with us at and a weekly blog and vlog update.

From movies and television to comics and gaming we want to have some fun and hope you'll join us on this adventure.

"CanGeek is an online community dedicated to the open and free discussion of all things science fiction, fantasy, and gaming related"

So please come check us out: Facebook.com/cangeek