If you’re anything like me (not that anyone could be, the depths of my repressed nerd-dom have lengthy roots), right about now your inner nerd is being trounced by the sports fanatic in you by the beaconing of the upcoming college football season. (And we’re talking devastatingly wonderful, historical upset, lifetime ribbing rights, Appalachian State beating Michigan trouncing.) Every once in a while, you have to throw that poor scrawny guy a bone; he did get you through your entire freshman year at college without attending a single Friday lecture (amongst others). And, what better bone then an online entertainment reminiscent of the 90s nerd hit, classic role playing card game Magic: The Gathering (for me, the spawn of a, until recently, repressed nerd teenage experience starting with D&D and ending with Star Trek: The Next Generation Role Playing Card Game).

Such a nerd-equivalent-of-bacon-flavored-dog-treats (seriously, why do these things have to be just for dogs? I like bacon-flavored questionable meat products) is Castle Wars 2, the card playing mix between Magic: The Gathering and the final fight scene in the Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. The gameplay consists of playing decks of cards against each other containing various attacks, defenses, magical special actions or subversive mischief making, one at a time, in a turn-based animated screen. Each player gets a customizable deck, loadable with special unique cards acquired through the game, and plays (presumably strategically) cards which impact the other player’s castle’s strength, forces, resources or defenses. The goal is total inhalation (destroying the enemy castle) or complete domination (building a castle so formidable, your enemy cowers in fear).

Castle Wars 2 includes fullscreen mode and three levels of difficulty; which, for a card game, lend to immediate re-playability since each card game is effectively completely unique and only dictated by the initial round setup. As well as, seven unlockable cards and multi-player mode for true nerd-on-nerd, simulated, medieval smackdown callouts without the need for furry hats or Mother-sewn capes.

My favorite part about both of these games (the newest, in particular) is the ability to revisit the role playing card games of the past while refraining from disclosing such nerditude to friends and co-workers. (Well, with the exception of all… of… you. Crap, I’m toast.)