Tabletop Games Blog: Recent Episodes
Tabletop Games Blog
Imagine playing your very first indoor bowls game, but there is no jack. Everyone simply rolls a bowl towards an imaginary target. Somehow, your experienced opponent seems remarkably confident, while you try to copy what they do and hope for the best. At the end of the first end, someone reveals where the jack had been all along and awards the points accordingly. Then the second end goes in the same fashion, with a target that no one can see. Every end, you know how well you've done, but you never have any hope of getting better. Learning to bowl that way would feel practically impossible because every bowl would be complete guesswork. Surprisingly, some board games seem to want us to learn them in very much the same way.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/08/11/score-in-game-vs-end-game-scoring-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- 99% Invisible podcast, episode 673: https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/673-the-score/
- C. Thi Nguyen's book The Score: How to Stop Playing Somebody Else's Game: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/735252/the-score-by-c-thi-nguyen/
- Ahoy review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/03/18/ahoy-saturday-review/
- Flamme Rouge review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/07/13/flamme-rouge-saturday-review/
- Azul review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/09/19/azul-saturday-review/
- Duck & Cover review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/06/21/duck-cover-saturday-review/
- King of New York review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/04/25/king-of-new-york-saturday-review/
- Borealis: Arctic Expeditions review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/08/08/borealis-arctic-expeditions-saturday-review/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Flowers by FSCM Productions | https://fscmproductions.bandcamp.com
Royalty Free Music by https://www.free-stock-music.com
Wonders by Alex-Productions | https://onsound.eu/
Royalty Free Music by https://www.free-stock-music.com
Creative Commons / Attribution 3.0 Unported License (CC BY 3.0)
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US
I Feel Alive by Alex-Productions | https://onsound.eu/
Royalty Free Music by https://www.free-stock-music.com
Creative Commons / Attribution 3.0 Unported License (CC BY 3.0)
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US
Flourish by Purrple Cat | https://purrplecat.com
Royalty Free Music by https://www.free-stock-music.com
Creative Commons / Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0)
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en_US
A Weekday In A Small Town by | e s c p | https://www.escp.space
https://escp-music.bandcamp.com
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
(Photo by Seth kane on Unsplash)
Snow muffled every footstep until the only sounds were distant birds and the steady crunch beneath our boots. The silence stretched in every direction: left to right, ahead and behind, as well as all the way up into the thermosphere. We were far away from anywhere. Yet, we knew we were safe. As the darkness settled all around us, we could finally see it: the Borealis: Arctic Expeditions by Dariusz Mindur from Lucky Duck Games with art by Rodrigo Camilo Alves De Almeida, Kevin Sidharta, Inês Toczyska and Ariadna Żytniewska.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/08/08/borealis-arctic-expeditions-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Borealis: Arctic Expeditions: https://luckyduckgames.com/global/game/1015-borealis-arctic-expeditions-5905965252578
- Rulebook: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/303777/borealis-arctic-expeditions-rulebook
- Rules video: https://youtu.be/_g0XbOriCW8?si=PIS7_6h34B4lqnCX
- Lucky Duck Games: https://luckyduckgames.com/global/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/448116/borealis-arctic-expeditions
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: ZapSplat (https://www.zapsplat.com/)
Music: Time moves slower than it should
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/13750-time-moves-slower-than-it-should
Music: The Backrooms Music Vol. 25
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/13624-the-backrooms-music-vol-25
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
(Photo courtesy of Lucky Duck Games)
I never enjoyed history at school. I understood why it mattered as a subject, but learning names, dates and events off by rote simply didn't work for me, no matter how hard I tried. Events were never taught in their chronological or geopolitical context. Things just didn't make sense to me. So it seems ironic that historical board games are now one of my favourite genres. Of course, they've not made me any better at remembering names and dates, but they replaced my fear of history with a new curiosity that I hadn't felt before.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/08/04/back-in-time-the-draw-of-history-in-board-games-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Molly House review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/05/24/molly-house-saturday-review/
- Undaunted: Normandy review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/07/23/undaunted-normandy-saturday-review/
- Stasi Raus, Es Ist Aus! review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/01/16/stasi-raus-es-ist-aus-saturday-review/
- Pax Pamir 2e review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/08/27/pax-pamir-second-edition-saturday-review/
- The Cost review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/12/12/the-cost-digital-eyes/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Podcast Music Vol. 20 [Chillstep Review Background]
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/13184-podcast-music-vol-20-chillstep-review-background
Music: Podcast Music Vol. 18 [Minimal Tech Background]
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/13182-podcast-music-vol-18-minimal-tech-background
Music: Podcast Music Vol. 19 [Chillstep Review Background]
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/13183-podcast-music-vol-19-chillstep-review-background
Music: Podcast Music Vol. 5 [Nature Ambience]
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/13162-podcast-music-vol-5-nature-ambience
Music: Imagefilm 045
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/12219-imagefilm-045
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
A small hand reaches into the tin, fingers excitedly hovering over the treats inside. The choice should be simple: take a biscuit, any biscuit. But no: two biscuits are better than one, and three better than two. Yet, if the little hand takes too long to make up its mind, the little burglar will be discovered. Well, it's time to Risk It For A Biscuit by Jessica Metheringham from Dissent Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/08/01/risk-it-for-a-biscuit-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Risk It For A Biscuit: https://dissentgames.com/2026/04/04/risk-it-for-a-biscuit/
- Dissent Games: https://dissentgames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/466154/risk-it-for-a-biscuit
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: ZapSplat (https://www.zapsplat.com/)
Music: Ultimate Comedy Music Vol. 7
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/13270-ultimate-comedy-music-vol-7
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
(Photo courtesy of Dissent Games)
At a time when many people feel democratic culture is under strain, it is worth looking at our own everyday behaviours that allow democracy to function. Elections, laws and political institutions are all important, but democracy also depends on how people treat one another every day. Listening to different opinions, accepting compromise, respecting agreed-upon rules and recognising opponents as people rather than enemies are all part of a healthy democracy. Maybe unsurprisingly, board games are a place to look for those values. I mean, the simple act of sitting down together to play a game, following the same rules and taking on a role, is an opportunity to act out democratic values.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/07/28/tabletop-democracy-what-board-games-can-teach-us-about-democracy-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Episode 408 of Der Boardcast, a German board game podcast: https://boardcast.podigee.io/408-neue-episode
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Cruising (Romeos Erbe)
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/3140-cruising-romeos-erbe
Music: Sunday Morning Coffee
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/13693-sunday-morning-coffee
Music: Chill VLOG Beats 7
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/12914-chill-vlog-beats-7
Music: Podcast Music Vol. 26
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/13782-podcast-music-vol-26
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
(Photo by Isai Ramos on Unsplash)
You put down a bowl of soft food, and moments later, you hear the jingle of her collar. Here she comes! First, she pauses at the conservatory door and watches you for a while. You eagerly point at the wonderfully fresh food, enticing her to come in and eat. She turns away to look out into her domain, our back garden. Eventually, she strolls over - in her own time. Of course, whether she's ready for her lunch, when she eats, or indeed, where she eats, is all her own choice. As her pet dad, you just Take Cat by Gareth Edwards from Gibsons with art by Juliana Eigner.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/07/25/take-cat-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Take Cat: https://gibsonsgames.co.uk/collections/all/products/take-cat
- Gibsons: https://gibsonsgames.co.uk/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: ZapSplat (https://www.zapsplat.com/)
Music: Happy Beats & Business Moves Vol. 19
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/13827-happy-beats-business-moves-vol-19
Music: Madeira: Another TukTuk Through Funchal
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/13707-madeira-another-tuktuk-through-funchal
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
(Photo courtesy of Gibsons)
Colour is one of the first things I notice when opening a new board game. Bright player pieces, colourful resources and beautiful illustrations immediately grab my attention. Colours tell me where to look and how the game is organised. Yet, like around 1% of men, I have protanomaly, a mild form of red-green colour vision deficiency. I often see pink or purple flowers as blue, and when driving in fog, I see a car's rear red lights much later than other people. So I appreciate it when I can rely on something other than colour to tell me what I am looking at. In this article, I want to explore a century's worth of board game history and look at how colour-vision considerations have changed over time.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/07/21/kaleidoscopic-games-the-history-of-the-use-of-colours-in-board-games-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Splendor review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/07/25/splendor-saturday-review/
- Meeple Like Us: https://www.meeplelikeus.co.uk/
- Stonemaier Games' accessibility guide: https://stonemaiergames.com/about/accessibility/
- ColorADD: https://www.coloradd.net/en/
- Bombyx: https://studiobombyx.com/en/
- Sea Salt & Paper review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/07/08/sea-salt-paper-saturday-review/
- Knarr review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/07/20/knarr-saturday-review/
- Pixies review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/08/10/pixies-saturday-review/
- ColorSym: https://colorsym.com/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Bensound.com/royalty-free-music
License code: KGRW9GAFH4PVQSYA
Artist: : Yunior Arronte
Music by: Bensound
License code: PPH7TISVS7BNYB3Z
Artist: : Yunior Arronte
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
(Photo by Fir0002 on Wikipedia)
The escape pod rattles violently as it tears through the atmosphere, before the noise suddenly fades away. A rough landing throws you against the restraints, leaving only silence until the hatch finally creaks open and fresh air rushes in with a long hiss. After you take off your helmet, you can smell unfamiliar scents. As you climb out of the pod, you can see a landscape unlike anything you have ever seen before. There are giant mountains that disappear into the clouds, strange plants that sway gently in the breeze, and countless mysteries that are waiting to be uncovered. You notice that you crashed high on a lonely hill, giving you a really good Vantage by Jamey Stegmaier from Stonemaier Games with art by Valentina Filic, Sören Meding and Emilien Rotival.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/07/18/vantage-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Vantage: https://stonemaiergames.com/games/vantage/
- Rulebook: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/ulyfze69rb24tsgip7mn7/AGooUTmI8qBNqc5nh36BJkY/Vantage/Vantage_Rulebook_r26_web.pdf?rlkey=0ejidzd7lktoa5hyrbkmy9xse&st=jtwsdpd8&dl=0
- Rules video: https://youtu.be/xa476iCNIDk?si=Ejg48iUpS3G9-q4k
- Stonemaier Games: https://stonemaiergames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/420033/vantage
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: ZapSplat (https://www.zapsplat.com/)
Music: Synthie Intro
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/3154-synthie-intro
Music: Supernatural - Backrooms
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/13776-supernatural-backrooms
Music: Low Energy Tension Vol. 6
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/13766-low-energy-tension-vol-6
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
Designing a board game that works well for exactly two players is a very different challenge from designing one that supports a range of player counts. Many games include a two-player mode, but board games such as Patchwork and Jaipur show that a dedicated head-to-head experience can be unique and not simply an adapted and reduced version of a game that is really aimed at larger player counts. In this article, I want to look at the design challenge these dedicated two-player-only games present.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/07/14/the-two-body-problem-design-challenges-of-two-player-only-games-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Patchwork review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/11/21/patchwork-digital-eyes/
- Jaipur review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/02/29/jaipur-saturday-review/
- Building Blocks of Tabletop Game Design: https://www.routledge.com/Building-Blocks-of-Tabletop-Game-Design-An-Encyclopedia-of-Mechanisms/Engelstein-Shalev/p/book/9781032015811
- Rules of Play: https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262240451/rules-of-play/
- Fundamentals of Game Design: https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/Fundamentals-of-Game-Design-by-Ernest-Adams/9780321929679
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music by: Bensound
License code: 9FDOOSFAVUSZQWDP
Artist: : Lunar Years
Music: "in between violence" provided by mobygratis.
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
(Photo by Planet Volumes on Unsplash)
The early morning mist hangs beneath a canopy of dark green waxy leaves, while distant calls echo through the jungle from animals who have lost their way. You're following their footprints until you eventually glimpse a tail disappearing into the undergrowth. Working together, you manage to rescue one animal after another, but the falling grains of sand remind you that time is against you. So off you go deeper into the Grab Bag: Jungle by Rob M Harper and Mike Harrison-Wood from Gibsons with art by Lauren Heywood-Law.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/07/11/grab-bag-jungle-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Grab Bag: Jungle: https://gibsonsgames.co.uk/products/grab-bag-jungle
- Gibsons: https://gibsonsgames.co.uk/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/443051/grab-bag-jungle
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2026 BBC
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
Over the previous four articles in this series, I have explored the history of Spiel des Jahres, the purpose behind its awards, the way its jury works, and the wider activities funded through its income. Together, those articles painted a picture of an organisation that sees its annual awards as a means rather than an end. Promoting games as a cultural asset, encouraging people to play board games together and providing guidance to newcomers to the hobby have all remained at the core of its mission for almost fifty years. In this article, I want to look at the 2026 nominations and see whether the association's values can also be found in the games the jury has selected.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/07/07/spiel-des-jahres-the-2026-nominations-and-the-mission-behind-them-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Spiel des Jahres (German): https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/
- All articles in this series: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/category/spiel-des-jahres/
- 2026 nominations page (German): https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/preistraeger2026/
- Cozy Sticker Ville nomination page (German): https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/spiele/cozy-sticker-ville/
- Dito! nomination page (German): https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/spiele/dito/
- Morty Sorty Magic Shop nomination page (German): https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/spiele/morty-sorty-magic-shop/
- Buh Party nomination page (German): https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/spiele/buh-party/
- Die Insel der Mookies nomination page (German): https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/spiele/die-insel-der-mookies/
- Verflixt verzaubert nomination page (German): https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/spiele/verflixt-verzaubert/
- Boss Fighters QR nomination page (German): https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/spiele/boss-fighters-qr/
- Moon Colony Bloodbath nomination page (German): https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/spiele/moon-colony-bloodbath/
- Rebirth nomination page (German): https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/spiele/rebirth/
- Koschwitz zum Wochenende, interview with Harald Schrapers, 31 July 2023 (German): https://koschwitz-zum-wochenende.podigee.io/562-neue-episode
- Five Games for Doomsday, interview with Martina Fuchs, 9 June 2025: https://5g4d.com/podcasts/spiel-des-jahres-special-jury-member-martina-fuchs
- The Deep Blue – depth in board games article: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/08/23/the-deep-blue-depth-in-board-games-topic-discussion/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: "Sunshower", "Shade", "Freedom", "Flying" and "Reverie" by AShamaluevMusic.
Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
(Photo courtesy of Spiel des Jahres)
Mist drifts between towering trees where forgotten shrines stand undisturbed, their silent guardians waiting with quiet patience. Strange creatures emerge one by one, each offering hope while demanding sacrifice before another cautious step may be taken. Ancient legends promise a way to restore what has been lost, although every answer seems hidden behind another trial. The journey will be endless, as we discover the Eternal Decks by Hiroken from Tricktakers Games with art by Mujunsha.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/07/04/eternal-decks-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Eternal Decks: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tricktakers/eternal-decks/description
- Rulebook: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/289015/eternaldecks-english-rulebooks
- Rules video: https://youtu.be/t7iCIpB_Rh8?si=U4hwstst9-6au9Kw
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/424981/eternal-decks
- Tranquility: The Descent review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/10/18/tranquility-the-descent-saturday-review/
- Top Table Award 2025: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/01/03/top-table-award-2025-saturday-review/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Vessel Five by Blue Dot Sessions
Music: "Daring", "Reality" by AShamaluevMusic.
Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
Awards often attract attention because of the games they recognise. Far less attention is usually paid to how the organisations behind those awards operate. In the case of Spiel des Jahres, the financial side of the story is particularly interesting because it helps explain how the association funds its activities while maintaining the independence that it considers central to its mission. The famous Red Pawn appears on millions of game boxes, yet many players know little about the licensing system behind it or the way that income supports projects far beyond the annual awards ceremony. In this fourth article in the series, I look at the finances that reveal how the organisation has transformed the commercial success of its award into support for a much broader cultural mission.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/06/30/spiel-des-jahres-following-the-money-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Spiel des Jahres (German): https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/
- Spiel des Jahres FAQ (German): https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/faq/
- Spiel des Jahres FAQ for publishers (German): https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/faq-verlage/
- Kulturspiel article about Spiel des Jahres' finances: https://kulturgutspiel.de/wirtschaft/millionengeschaeft-spiel-des-jahres-einnahmen-und-ausgaben-der-jury/
- Tag der Brettspiel-Kritik: https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/tagderbrettspielkritik/
- Spiel des Jahres - beyond the Red Pawn article: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/06/23/spiel-des-jahres-beyond-the-red-pawn-topic-discussion/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music by: bensound.com
License code: FU5OWEBPRXDS7QHF
Artist: : Lunar Years
Music: https://www.bensound.com
License code: VFAKZVO8GA96SKKJ
Artist: : Benjamin Tissot
Music: https://www.bensound.com/free-music-for-videos
License code: DDSTVLGOJW8UFMID
Artist: : Benjamin Tissot
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
(Photo by omid armin on Unsplash)
A little rabbit peeked cautiously over the edge of a vegetable patch, before it hopped inside and helped itself to a crunchy carrot. Soon, another rabbit joined in, nibbling happily on a radish, while a third disappeared behind broad broccoli leaves, and a fourth emerged triumphantly with an aubergine. Soon enough, mushrooms vanished as well, leaving only tiny paw prints behind. In less than a minute, the whole patch was filled with Rascally Rabbits by Ta-Te Wu from Sunrise Tornado Game Studio with art by TuziNeko.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/06/27/rascally-rabbits-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Rascally Rabbits: https://www.sunrisetornado.com/rascally-rabbits
- Rules video: https://youtu.be/PlLZ8-VD9ok?si=ihbIHhOvg3bjd57W
- Sunrise Tornado Game Studio: https://www.sunrisetornado.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/447276/rascally-rabbits
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Channel Intro 28
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/12540-channel-intro-28
Music: Nature 14 [nature documentary series]
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/13343-nature-14-nature-documentary-series
Music: Madeira: The Little Houses of Santana
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/13712-madeira-the-little-houses-of-santana
Music: Nature 13 [nature documentary series]
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/13342-nature-13-nature-documentary-series
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
For many people, Spiel des Jahres is something they encounter only once a year. A list of nominees appears, winners are announced, and the familiar Red Pawn finds its way onto board game boxes that in turn appear on shop shelves. Yet, the award itself is only the most visible part of the organisation's work. Behind the annual announcements sits an association that funds projects, supports research, encourages new designers, and promotes the social value of play. In this third article in the series, I want to look at those activities that reveal a side of Spiel des Jahres that is often overlooked, particularly outside German-speaking countries, where the organisation is frequently seen only as a prestigious board game award.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/06/23/spiel-des-jahres-beyond-the-red-pawn-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Spiel des Jahres (German): https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/
- Spiel des Jahres funding programme (German): https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/foerderung/
- University of Konstanz: https://www.uni-konstanz.de/en/
- Museen der Stadt Nürnberg (German): https://museen.nuernberg.de/startseite
- Spielend für Toleranz (German): https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/spielend-fuer-toleranz/
- My Spielend für Toleranz statement: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/spielend-fur-toleranz/
- Deutsches Nachwuchs-Spieleautorinnen-Stipendium* (German): https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/stipendium/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Relaxing Lofi – Tricosa
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/13607-relaxing-lofi-tricosa
Music: Relaxing Lofi – Icosa
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/13604-relaxing-lofi-icosa
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
(Photo courtesy of Spiel des Jahres)
The saloon doors suddenly burst open behind you as your boots skid across the dusty wooden boards of the sidewalk. A split-second later, gunfire cracks through the afternoon air, the bullet ricocheting off a pail of water, sending startled townsfolk diving for cover. Diving behind an old barrel offers you a moment of shelter, although the sound of heavy footsteps suggests your pursuer is closing in on you. Then, glass shatters somewhere near the jail, followed by the sharp whistle of a bullet passing far too close for comfort. A grin spreads across your face as you raise your revolver and prepare to return fire. Well, that's what you get when you arrive in Rattlesnake by Michael Hardacre from Osprey Games with art by Roland MacDonald.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/06/20/rattlesnake-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Rattlesnake: https://www.ospreypublishing.com/uk/rattlesnake-9781472871763/
- Rulebook: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/321691/rattlesnake-rulebook
- Osprey Games: https://www.ospreypublishing.com/uk/osprey-games/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/453281/rattlesnake
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: ZapSplat (https://www.zapsplat.com/)
Sound effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2026 BBC
Music: Saloon dance [Western Series]
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/12904-saloon-dance-western-series
Music: Western Intro 2
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/13631-western-intro-2
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
Every year, the announcement of the Spiel des Jahres nominations leads to a lot of discussion across our hobby. Some people agree with the choices, others question why certain games were not included, and many try to predict the eventual winners. What most people don't realise when they discuss the nominations is that the jury does not gather for a single weekend to decide the best game of the year. No, jurors spend many months playing hundreds of new releases several times with different groups of people. It is a lot of work that often goes unnoticed, but that explains why the award continues to carry such influence nearly fifty years after it began. In the second article of the series, I look at this in more detail.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/06/16/spiel-des-jahres-how-the-jury-chooses-games-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Spiel des Jahres (German): https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/
- Spiel des Jahres – the award that was never really about awards: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/06/09/spiel-des-jahres-the-award-that-was-never-really-about-awards-topic-discussion/
- Spiel des Jahres FAQ (German): https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/faq/
- Spiel des Jahres FAQ for publishers (German): https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/faq-verlage/
- Spiel des Jahres jury members (German): https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/alle-jurymitglieder/
- Koschwitz zum Wochenende interview with Harald Schrapers. 31 July 2023: https://koschwitz-zum-wochenende.podigee.io/562-neue-episode
- Five Games for Doomsday interview with Martina Fuchs. 9 June 2025: https://5g4d.com/podcasts/spiel-des-jahres-special-jury-member-martina-fuchs
- Der Boardcast episode 408 interview with Harald Schrapers and Sebastian Wenzel. 18 May 2026.: https://boardcast.podigee.io/408-neue-episode
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Madeira Dolphin Tour
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/13711-madeira-dolphin-tour
Music: Deep House Underscore 005
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/13702-deep-house-underscore-005
Music: Sunday Morning Coffee
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/13693-sunday-morning-coffee
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
(Photo courtesy of Spiel des Jahres)
Electric-blue leg warmers stretched over striped socks, sequins sparkling beneath a giant mirror ball, while clouds of hairspray drifted through the air. Synth-pop booms from oversized speakers as skaters practise one last spin, one last shuffle, one last gravity-defying move before the judges arrive. It's November 1983, and the biggest competition of the year is about to begin. Jam skaters from around the world have gathered beneath the glittering lights, hoping their best moves will earn them the championship crown. They want to become the next champion of the Roller Disco by Mike Petchey from Huff No More with art by Joss Petchey.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/06/13/roller-disco-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Crowdfunding campaign: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/huffnomore/roller-disco
- Huff No More: https://www.huffnomore.co.uk/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/448425/roller-disco
- Scout review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/07/02/scout-saturday-review/
- Crisps! review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/05/23/crisps-saturday-review/
- Sakana Stack review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/09/14/sakana-stack-saturday-review/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Midnight Pulse
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/12021-midnight-pulse
Music: Neon City
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/12244-neon-city
Music: Neon Jungle Rhythms
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/11995-neon-jungle-rhythms
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
For many board gamers, Spiel des Jahres is simply the little red pawn on a game box. Spotting it on a shelf often suggests that a game is worth paying attention to. That's not only true in the German-speaking board game world, but also in many other countries, including the UK. Over the years, winners such as The Settlers of Catan, Carcassonne, and Ticket to Ride have helped establish the award as one of the most influential honours in tabletop gaming. Yet, there is a lot more to this story. According to its own history and mission statements, the annual prize was never intended to be the end goal. Instead, it was created as a tool to encourage people to play games, to promote games as a cultural asset, and to help the wider public discover the value of gathering around a table. In the first in a series of articles, I want to look at this further.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/06/09/spiel-des-jahres-the-award-that-was-never-really-about-awards-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Spiel des Jahres (German): https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/
- Spiel des Jahres purpose (German): https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/sinn-und-zweck/
- Spiel des Jahres history (German): https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/geschichte/
- Spiel des Jahres FAQ (German): https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/faq/
- Jürgen Herz: https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/die-jury-alt-2/juergen-herz/
- Spielwarenmesse: https://www.spielwarenmesse.de/en/
- Harald Schrapers: https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/en/harald-schrapers/
- Martina Fuchs: https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/en/the-jury/martina-fuchs/
- Koschwitz zum Wochenende interview with Harald Schrapers. 31 July 2023: https://koschwitz-zum-wochenende.podigee.io/562-neue-episode
- Five Games for Doomsday interview with Martina Fuchs. 9 June 2025: https://5g4d.com/podcasts/spiel-des-jahres-special-jury-member-martina-fuchs
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: "Stylish Hip Hop", "Chill Hip Hop", "Ambient Lounge", "Weekdays" and "Way" by AShamaluevMusic.
Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
A little after 9am on Thursday, I boarded my first train of a journey that has become increasingly familiar over the years. It was my sixth visit to the convention, having first attended in 2019 before COVID forced a break, but I returned in 2022. It was also my fourth time making the journey by train. The first leg carried me from the South Coast to London Victoria, followed by a tube trip to London Euston and a welcome lunch break before the faster train north. By around 4pm, I was walking through the NEC halls once again, ready for another weekend at UK Games Expo 2026.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/06/06/uk-games-expo-2026-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- UK Games Expo: https://www.ukgamesexpo.co.uk/
- Asmodee: https://www.asmodee.co.uk/
- Genie Games: https://geniegames.co/
- Peranakan: Tiles and Tactics review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/04/18/peranakan-tiles-and-tactics-saturday-review/
- Singapore Showdown review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/05/02/singapore-showdown-saturday-review/
- Play With Us Design: https://pwud.ga/en/
- Playte: https://www.playte.com/
- Saashi & Saashi: https://saashiandsaashi.com/en
- Punchboard: https://punchboard.co.uk/
- We're Not Wizards: https://www.werenotwizards.co.uk/
- Hachette Boardgames UK: https://www.hachetteboardgames.co.uk/
- Meeple Minded: https://www.youtube.com/@meepleminded
- Bastion Indie Market: https://market.bastiongames.co.uk/
- Treesap Games: https://www.playtheratrace.com/
- Dissent Games: https://dissentgames.com/
- Atikin Games: https://atikingames.com/
- Malus Hortus review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/04/05/malus-hortus-saturday-review/
- Bags for Dice: https://www.boardgamesolutions.co.uk/
- Korpi: https://korpiboardgame.com/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music I use: https://www.bensound.com
License code: CENAO1UIHSRD5UHU
Artist: : Yunior Arronte
Royalty Free Music: Bensound.com
License code: PZYTHO8UFSGHQIXD
Artist: : Yunior Arronte
Royalty Free Music: https://www.bensound.com
License code: UYST0IDQ8HEBCCWI
Artist: : Benjamin Tissot
Royalty Free Music: Bensound.com/royalty-free-music
License code: 0HBDJ9AWSGELF4W3
Artist: : Benjamin Tissot
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
Hi, it’s Joe Slack here. Oliver was kind enough to allow me to write another guest blog. In this article, I thought it would be interesting to discuss board games for two and the gaming experience for two people (especially couples).
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/06/02/tabletop-games-for-2-players-especially-couples-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Sky Team: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/373106/sky-team
- Pandemic Legacy: Season 1: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/161936/pandemic-legacy-season-1
- Alynthia: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/287657/alynthia
- Flash Point: Fire Rescue: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/100901/flash-point-fire-rescue
- Forbidden Island review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/05/02/forbidden-island-saturday-review/
- Jaipur review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/02/29/jaipur-saturday-review/
- Boop review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/12/06/boop-saturday-review/
- Patchwork review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/11/21/patchwork-digital-eyes/
- Quarto: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/681/quarto
- Nowhere to Run: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/324918/nowhere-to-run
- Blokus Duo: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/16395/blokus-duo
- Santorini: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/194655/santorini
- Fjords: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/322564/fjords
- Karuba review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/04/08/karuba-saturday-review/
- Azul review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/09/19/azul-saturday-review/
- Century Spice Road: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/209685/century-spice-road
- Lords of Waterdeep: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/110327/lords-of-waterdeep
- Diamond Heist: https://jslack.lpages.co/diamond-heist_signup/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Bensound.com/royalty-free-music
License code: QCCF6KI4F8RTPHKA
Artist: : Benjamin Tissot
Music by: Bensound.com/free-music-for-videos
License code: 9DZYXIEAUXTVYRFL
Artist: : Benjamin Tissot
Music by: https://www.bensound.com
License code: MJB73U2RBKPZ3YOT
Artist: : Benjamin Tissot
Music by Bensound.com/royalty-free-music
License code: 73BNQWPSJ9CGTJ11
Artist: : Roman Senyk
Music by Bensound.com/royalty-free-music
License code: GVY1WAT765P4TNHE
Artist: : Lunar Years
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
(Photo by Big Potato on Unsplash)
Snow drifted from the pine branches as the last chairlift carried us slowly, but steadily, towards the summit. As we looked back, the mountain below was being draped in silver moonlight and covered in fresh powder snow. We couldn't see it, but we knew that, back in the village, steam curled from bowls of ramen waiting for our return. Yet, nobody was ready to leave the silence of the peaks just yet. We all wanted to hit the slopes one more time before calling it a night. At the same time, we already knew what we would do tomorrow. Tomorrow, we would return to the peak and lay the First Tracks by Blake Erickson and Megan Ryan from Sayonara Ski Co.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/05/30/first-tracks-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- First Tracks: https://www.firsttracksthegame.com/
- Rulebook: https://www.firsttracksthegame.com/how-to-play
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/468257/first-tracks
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2026 BBC
Music: "Intention", "Time" and "Winning" by AShamaluevMusic.
Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
Designers don't like it when players criticise their board game, and the response often is that the game was intentionally designed that way. Players complain that a strategy feels unfair, a mechanism is frustrating, or a game simply isn't very clear. Designers reply that that just misses the point. Similar disagreements exist in films, novels, and art, yet board games seem to have them more often, and they are often more personal. Part of the reason may be that board games are not passive experiences. Players are not simply watching events unfold, but instead are interpreting rules and shaping the experience themselves every time the game hits the table.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/05/26/intentional-experience-designer-intent-and-player-experience-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Dune review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/02/08/dune-saturday-review/
- BGG article The Design Process by Gerry Paquette: https://boardgamegeek.com/blog/550/blogpost/2529/the-design-process
- What is Player Experience?: https://bg-px.com/what-is-player-experience/
- UX in board game design by Jason Kogan: https://uxdesign.cc/ux-in-board-game-design-97bfcdb1d581
- Perception vs Reality in Game Design by Joseph Z Chen: https://fantastic-factories.medium.com/perception-vs-reality-in-game-design-67181c0e6b0e
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: "Inspirational Flight", "Documentary Soundtrack" and "Success" by AShamaluevMusic.
Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
(Photo by Daman IAm on Unsplash)
The pub was quiet after the lunchtime rush. It was a chilly autumn afternoon, so the hearty lunch just hit the spot. Now we were sitting there, playing a card game, with a pint each by our sides. While the meal had filled us up, we still fancied something savoury. We just needed a small snack that the two of us could share. Nothing fancy. Something simple would do. Of course, it had to be Crisps! by Shreesh Bhat from Little Dog Games with art by Sai Beppu.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/05/23/crisps-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Rulebook: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/303680/crisps-rules-v10
- Rules video: https://youtu.be/fgexeKvRp90?si=fbTT_aHPqiyqe973
- Little Dog Games: https://www.newmillindustries.com/store/little-dog-games
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/415108/crisps
- Scout review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/07/02/scout-saturday-review/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music I Use: https://www.bensound.com/free-music-for-videos
License code: CTDDW1RUCR7QX07M
Artist: : Aventure
Music: Eternal Summer
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/12398-eternal-summer
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
Many of us play board games because they offer us some certainty. There are rules, objectives, specific actions, and so on that define how a game is played. These things provide a clear, well-defined framework. We know what is possible, what is not allowed and what we are trying to achieve. At the same time, board games also contain uncertainty. It is uncertainty that creates tension, excitement and a range of other emotions. In many cases, this uncertainty is exactly why we look forward to playing them. Inspired by Bez from Stuff by Bez, in this article, I want to explore why uncertainty in board games matters.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/05/19/clearly-uncertain-the-role-of-uncertainty-in-board-games-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Stuff by Bez: https://stuffbybez.myshopify.com/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: "Winning" and "Cinematic Light" by AShamaluevMusic.
Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
(Photo by Nik on Unsplash)
Yes, it's that time of year again when everyone starts to panic, because the biggest UK board game event is just around the corner. There is a scramble for train tickets, hotel rooms (mind you, you're probably too late, if you haven't booked one yet), on-site parking, visitor passes, water bottles, comfortable shoes and lots of other bits and pieces that you need to attend UK Games Expo 2026.
Read the full preview here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/05/16/uk-games-expo-2026-preview/
Useful Links
- UK Games Expo: https://www.ukgamesexpo.co.uk/
- Bastion Indie Market: https://market.bastiongames.co.uk/
- Atikin Games reviews: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/publisher/atikin-games/
- Unfringed reviews: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/publisher/unfringed/
- Minerva Tabletop reviews: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/publisher/minerva-tabletop-games/
- Huff No More reviews: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/publisher/huff-no-more/
- Genie Games reviews: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/publisher/genie-games/
- Playte reviews: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/publisher/playte/
- Play with Us Design reviews: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/publisher/play-with-us-design/
- Lucky Duck Games reviews: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/publisher/lucky-duck-games/
- Osprey Games reviews: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/publisher/osprey-games/
- Mighty Boards reviews: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/publisher/mighty-boards/
- Wayfarer Games reviews: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/publisher/wayfarer-games/
- Tranquility: The Descent review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/10/18/tranquility-the-descent-saturday-review/
- Pixies review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/08/10/pixies-saturday-review/
- Sea Salt and Paper review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/07/08/sea-salt-paper-saturday-review/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: "Great Day" and "Willpower" by AShamaluevMusic.
Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
Throughout human history, stories have been a way for people to share the concerns and ideas of their time. I think we can all agree that books and films are often shaped by the social, political, and cultural contexts in which they were created, whether deliberately or not. Readers and viewers will usually be able to see reflections of real-world anxieties, hopes, and tensions within them. Board games, while also being a form of entertainment, alongside books and films, work differently. In this article, I want to look at whether they still reflect the times in which they were designed.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/05/12/expressive-entertainment-board-games-and-social-commentary-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Pandemic review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/01/18/pandemic-saturday-review/
- Brass: Birmingham review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/04/01/brass-birmingham-deluxe-saturday-review/
- Stasi Raus, Es Ist Aus! review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/01/16/stasi-raus-es-ist-aus-saturday-review/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: "Become a Legend" and "Autumn" by AShamaluevMusic.
Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com
Music: "Web of Conspiracy Loop" from Purple Planet Music
Website: https://www.purple-planet.com/
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
(Photo by Belinda Fewings on Unsplash)
The low sun drapes itself across uneven fields, gilding half‑finished fences and soil still warm from the plough as hands move with quiet urgency, gathering wood, shaping clay, urging reluctant earth to yield before the season slips away. Your family waits with hunger and hope intertwined, their future resting on each small choice made in the dirt. Buried in this hard labour, there is a deep, steady satisfaction, a sense of watching something humble grow into something living, something that belongs to you alone, something shaped by care and intention, something you created as the Agricola by Uwe Rosenberg from Lookout Spiele with art by Klemens Franz.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/05/09/agricola-digital-eyes/
Useful Links
- Agricola: https://www.lookout-spiele.de/en/games/agricolare.html
- Rulebook: https://www.lookout-spiele.de/upload/en_agricolare.html_Rules_Agricola-RE_EN.pdf
- Rules video: https://youtu.be/LWuUuxbMDB0?si=OndyfkHfRDZFbhDK
- Lookout Spiele: https://www.lookout-spiele.de/en/news.php
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/200680/agricola-revised-edition
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: ZapSplat (https://www.zapsplat.com/)
Music: "River", "Tranquil", "Soulful" and "Uplifting Piano" by AShamaluevMusic.
Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
(Photo courtesy of Lookout Spiele)
A recent episode of the Game Design Deep Dive, featuring the podcast host, Dan Bullock, in conversation with prolific board game designer of many historical and storytelling games, Cole Wehrle, got me thinking about something I had never really questioned before: who we actually are when we play board games. Player roles are often afterthoughts, taken for granted as part of the theme or setting. However, the more I thought about it, the more it became clear that they shape how we understand a game, how we make decisions, and even how they influence our emotions as we engage with what is happening on the table.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/05/05/player-roles-who-we-are-in-board-games-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Game Design Deep Dive's episode with Cole Wehrle: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4R1dWl5x2EGeyT0ULGeUtA?si=gqRanKobQVuGDBLM0XkJYQ
- Oath: Chronicles of Empire and Exile review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/11/27/oath-chronicles-of-empire-and-exile-saturday-review/
- Here I Stand: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/17392/here-i-stand
- Pax Pamir 2e review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/08/27/pax-pamir-second-edition-saturday-review/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Leisure [The 2025 Remixes] (feat. Saschas original handmade music)
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/13195-leisure-the-2025-remixes-feat-saschas-original-handmade-music
Music: Japan Lo-Fi Vol. 2
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/12959-japan-lo-fi-vol-2
Music: Chill VLOG Beats 5
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/12901-chill-vlog-beats-5
Music: Dream Of A Dream 6
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/12794-dream-of-a-dream-6
Music: Endless Horizon
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/12399-endless-horizon
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
(Photo by Simon Haslett on Unsplash)
The humidity clings to your skin as neon reflections shimmer across rain-slick streets. The city is strangely alive with quiet ambition and louder dreams. Towering skylines loom above bustling districts, each corner a promise of profit, each landmark a prize waiting to be claimed. Deals are struck with uneasy confidence, plans unfold behind knowing smiles, and every move carries the weight of opportunity. In this restless urban theatre, only the sharpest minds will rise above the crowd. Welcome to Singapore Showdown by Eugene Lim from Genie Games with art by Marcus Quek.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/05/02/singapore-showdown-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Singapore Showdown: https://geniegames.co/games/singapore-showdown
- Rulebook: https://geniegames.co/games/singapore-showdown/how-to-play
- Rules video: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQvzkMVkfVj/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
- Genie Games: https://geniegames.co/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/453640/singapore-showdown
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: ZapSplat (https://www.zapsplat.com/)
Music: "Daring" and "Echoes of Triumph" by AShamaluevMusic.
Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
Legacy games have probably had their golden days. They were something new that hadn't been done before in our hobby. They promised a unique experience of a game that would change as you played it. Not only that, the change would be permanent, requiring you not to only remove components, but actually destroy them, or put stickers into the rulebook, onto the main game board or otherwise apply them to make an irreversible change to the game. However, as exciting as the idea was, it never sat comfortably with me. In this article, I want to talk about this in more detail.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/04/28/throwaway-legacy-legacy-games-as-a-symbol-of-our-throwaway-society-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Risk Legacy: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/105134/risk-legacy
- Pandemic Legacy: Season 1: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/161936/pandemic-legacy-season-1
- Dicebreaker article about the inspiration behind Risk Legacy: https://www.dicebreaker.com/series/risk-legacy/news/risk-legacy-inspired-by-clue
- The Waste Makers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Waste_Makers
- Oath: Chronicles of Empire and Exile review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/11/27/oath-chronicles-of-empire-and-exile-saturday-review/
- Sleeping Gods review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/03/27/sleeping-gods-saturday-review/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: "Quiet", "Reverie" and "Success" by AShamaluevMusic.
Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
(Photo by Frames For Your Heart on Unsplash)
You've been woken from hypersleep. You're still a bit groggy, but it is clear something has happened. Something important. As the captain, you can't waste too much time. You have to get up to speed quickly. As your crewmate gives you a sitrep, it becomes clear that you have to act quickly. It's time to Escape Comics: The Alien Ship by Douglas Beech and Evan Duxbury from Jumping High Five Games with art by Maria Becvar.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/04/25/escape-comics-the-alien-ship-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Escape Comics: The Alien Ship: https://www.escapecomics.org/
- Crowdfunding campaign: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jumpinghighfive/escape-comics-the-alien-ship
- Jumping High Five Games: https://jumpinghighfive.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/360129/escape-comics-the-alien-ship
- Legion of the Necromancer review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/03/21/legion-of-the-necromancer-saturday-review/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: ZapSplat (https://www.zapsplat.com/)
Music: www.purple-planet.com
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
Gatekeeping has long been a concern within the board game hobby. For decades, our hobby was shaped by small communities, often dominated by white men of a certain age. They decided who was allowed to call themselves a board gamer and who couldn't. However, as the hobby grew, it also became more diverse. Nowadays, welcoming newcomers and making the hobby accessible to a wider audience has become a highly important goal, a goal which I strongly support and feel very passionate about. Unfortunately, some people have started to use the term gatekeeping in such a way as to become gatekeepers themselves. In this article, I want to look at this paradox more closely.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/04/21/gatekeeping-the-gatekeepers-discussing-standards-in-our-hobby-topic-discussion/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: www.purple-planet.com
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
(Photo by Florian Wehde on Unsplash)
A pair of mirrored birds lean towards one another, their colours bright, but soft. If you look closely, you can see that their bodies are forming a heart. Nearby, Kueh, delicate sweets, sit arranged with care. Judging by their colours and shapes, they promise wonderful flavours. Each one tells a story of ancient traditions and of the practised hands that shaped them. It is a quiet celebration of heritage and harmony, of the culture of Peranakan: Tiles and Tactics by Eugene Lim from Genie Games with art by Eugene Lim.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/04/18/peranakan-tiles-and-tactics-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Peranakan: Tiles and Tactics: https://geniegames.co/games/peranakan-tiles-and-tactics|
- Rulebook: https://geniegames.co/games/peranakan-tiles-and-tactics/how-to-play
- Rules video: https://www.instagram.com/reels/DQoDFLzEWtY/
- Genie Games: https://geniegames.co/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/453641/peranakan-tiles-and-tactics
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: ZapSplat (https://www.zapsplat.com/)
Music: Floating in Time
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/12406-floating-in-time
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
Hello everyone! I'm Eugene, founder of Genie Games and creator of Rats to Riches, Peranakan: Tiles and Tactics, and Singapore Showdown.
This is my first time ever writing a guest blog, and I'm incredibly honoured to be given this opportunity by Oliver to share my story with you.
As the title states, I'm 29 years old as of writing this. Nine months ago, I quit my job as a Singaporean Navy Officer, to start my own company to design and publish board games full-time.
How did I end up here?
Well, the answer to that goes back 20 years ago.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/04/14/29-year-old-navy-captain-turned-board-game-designer-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Genie Games: https://geniegames.co/
- Rats to Riches: https://geniegames.co/games/rats-2-riches
- Peranakan: Tiles and Tactics: https://geniegames.co/games/peranakan-tiles-and-tactics
- Singapore Showdown: https://geniegames.co/games/singapore-showdown
- UK Games Expo: https://www.ukgamesexpo.co.uk/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: METROID - Background Game Music 4
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/12786-metroid-background-game-music-4
Music: The Backrooms Music Vol. 15
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/13388-the-backrooms-music-vol-15
Music: METROID - Background Game Music 3
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/12784-metroid-background-game-music-3
Royalty Free Music: https://www.bensound.com
License code: ZRL7LPTUR2MSNAV9
Artist: : Benjamin Tissot
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
(Photo courtesy of Genie Games)
Bargello designs are built from vertical stitches, laid in sequence so that colours rise and fall, creating flowing waves, shifting flames, or soft gradients that almost seem to move across the fabric. Used in ornate upholstery in 17th-century Italy and applied to chairs and other furniture, these patterns require precision and concentration. Even a single misplaced stitch will completely break the rhythm. As a highly-skilled embroiderer, it is up to you to make sure your needle is correctly Threaded: A Game of Needles and Points by Ellie Dix from Osprey Games with art by Maria Surducan.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/04/11/threaded-a-game-of-needles-and-points-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Threaded: A Game of Needles and Points: https://www.ospreypublishing.com/uk/threaded-9781472870803/
- Rulebook: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/319431/threaded-rulebook
- Osprey Games: https://www.ospreypublishing.com/uk/osprey-games/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/453282/threaded-a-game-of-needles-and-points
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2026 BBC
Music: Binaural Sleep Vol. 3
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/13198-binaural-sleep-vol-3
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
The inner courtyard goes completely quiet as dusk falls. Lantern light flickers softly against white walls and dark timbers. Servants move soundlessly like a gentle breeze, tending to gravel paths and manicured trees. Deeper inside the fortress, careful whispers of politics and ambition drift through the great halls. Everything feels deliberate, and every offering is carefully chosen to seek favour in a world where position is everything. Beneath that calm surface lies quiet competition, subtle manoeuvring, and the constant need to prove one's own worth within The White Castle by Isra C.and Shei S. from Devir with art by Joan Guardiet.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/04/04/the-white-castle-digital-eyes/
Useful Links
- The White Castle: https://devirgames.com/the-white-castle
- Rulebook: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/265611/the-white-castle-official-rulebook
- Rules video: https://youtu.be/9Qc5fhqbfGc?si=PiNjO7RDwIYBylTi
- Devir: https://devirgames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/371942/the-white-castle
- Eternal Palace review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/09/03/eternal-palace-saturday-review/
- The Druids of Edora review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/11/15/the-druids-of-edora-saturday-review/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: ZapSplat (https://www.zapsplat.com/)
Music: Japan Lo-Fi Vol. 3
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/12960-japan-lo-fi-vol-3
Music: 5. Fairytale (Delicate Wonder) [Cinematic Underscore Loops - The Core Collection]
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/13555-5-fairytale-delicate-wonder-cinematic-underscore-loops-the-core-collection
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
(Photo courtesy of Devir)
The salty air filled our lungs as gulls circled above the quayside. The harbour was alive with excited voices and the clinking of coins. Ships came and went, their hulls heavy with stories of distant islands and dangerous encounters. Somewhere beyond the horizon lay our opportunity to make our fortune through trade, charm, or even force. As we stood at the edge of the dock, we mapped our routes as we were Islebound: Emerald Edition by Ryan Laukat from Red Raven Games with art by Ryan Laukat.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/03/28/islebound-emerald-edition-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Islebound: Emerald Edition: https://www.redravengames.com/islebound/
- Rulebook: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/2pvgj0958ryqxe70sznnv/ALRXPoIELLJWFrzn0hy2Ks4?rlkey=py9s0f6mwf5dpilr5el6f3rdd&st=e1e2pe8d&dl=0
- Rules video: https://youtu.be/oOv0IFjkMl4?si=rVj6GmEd7F0Rp2dm
- Red Raven Games: https://www.redravengames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/401175/islebound-emerald-edition
- Creature Caravan review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/01/18/creature-caravan-saturday-review/
- Roam review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/11/02/roam-saturday-review/
- Sleeping Gods review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/03/27/sleeping-gods-saturday-review/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects:
bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2026 BBC
ZapSplat (https://www.zapsplat.com/)
Music: "River" by AShamaluevMusic.
Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com
Music: "Voyage" by AShamaluevMusic.
Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
(Photo courtesy of Red Raven Games)
A cold wind carried the smell of ash across the fields as the last light of day faded behind the hills. Villages that once echoed with laughter now stood silent, their streets empty. Travellers spoke of strange sights on gloomy roads, shapes moving in the mist, and friends who no longer recognised each other. Somewhere in the land of Aelrathia, a dark mind gathered strength, raising the fallen and bending the living to its purpose. If the rumours were true, an army of the dead would soon march across the land. There was only one thing left to do. We had to venture out and face the Legion of the Necromancer by James Gill from Hammerforge Chronicles with art by James Isaacs.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/03/21/legion-of-the-necromancer-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Legion of the Necromancer: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/hammerforge/legion-of-the-necromancer/description
- BGG listing: https://rpggeek.com/rpgitem/461948/legion-of-the-necromancer
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Resistance by 2WEI
Music: "Climbing" by AShamaluevMusic.
Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
In the kingdom of Pilipalod, a wild, evil magic had erased the royal castle, leaving only the foundations visible. Queen Blodwen, King Llew, and Princess Dillie surveyed the empty hill where their home once was with some despair, but mostly patient resolve. Word of the disaster spread, and soon magical creatures gathered to offer their help, and the finest designers of the Magical Architect Alliance arrived, promising that a new home would rise again. Their first task was to rebuild the Flip Pick Towers by Rob Fisher and Adam Porter from Osprey Games with art by Beatrix Papp.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/03/14/flip-pick-towers-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Flip Pick Towers: https://www.ospreypublishing.com/uk/flip-pick-towers-9781472869883/
- Rulebook: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/317970/flip-pick-towers-rulebook
- Osprey Games: https://www.ospreypublishing.com/uk/osprey-games/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/453283/flip-pick-towers
- Something-and-Write game reviews: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/tag/roll-and-write-games/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Alone at home
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/152-alone-at-home
Music: 5. Fairytale (Delicate Wonder) [Cinematic Underscore Loops - The Core Collection]
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/13555-5-fairytale-delicate-wonder-cinematic-underscore-loops-the-core-collection
Music: 10. Waltz (Light Sway) [Cinematic Underscore Loops - The Core Collection]
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/13594-10-waltz-light-sway-cinematic-underscore-loops-the-core-collection
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
(Photo courtesy of Osprey Games)
The last time I played 1860: Railways on the Isle of Wight, I found myself in the lead from fairly early on. As the game progressed, that lead only kept growing. Each round, the gap widened until it was clear that nobody had a realistic way to catch up with me. The game carried on, turns were taken, but the excitement and tension had gone. The game had become a fight for second place. I call this soft elimination, and it is especially common in longer games, when you are technically still playing, but no longer really competing. In this article, I want to talk about this a bit more.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/03/10/killing-me-softly-a-look-at-player-elimination-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- 1860: Railways on the Isle of Wight review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/06/28/1860-railways-on-the-isle-of-wight-digital-eyes/
- Love Letter review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/01/23/love-letter-saturday-review/
- King of New York review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/04/25/king-of-new-york-saturday-review/
- Nemesis review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/06/18/nemesis-saturday-review/
- Splotter Spellen: https://www.splottershop.com/
- Wingspan review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/03/16/wingspan/
- The Quacks of Quedlinburg review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/06/06/the-quacks-of-quedlinburg-saturday-review/
- Survive: Escape from Atlantis review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/04/17/survive-escape-from-atlantis-digital-eyes/
- Betrayal at the House on the Hill review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/01/14/betrayal-at-house-on-the-hill-3rd-edition-saturday-review/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Main music: Vital Whales by Unicorn Heads (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
(Photo by Aleksandra Sapozhnikova on Unsplash)
Surf was up. We had already checked out Mavericks, Praia do Norte and Mullaghmore Head. All that was left was to ride the big breakers at Pipeline. We couldn't wait to show off our best tricks and compete with each other to score the most admiration. It was time to swim out and get on the next Big Wave by Daniel Kenel from Little Dog Games with art by Justin Santora.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/03/07/big-wave-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Big Wave: https://www.newmillindustries.com/store/p/big-wave
- Little Dog Games: https://www.newmillindustries.com/store/little-dog-games
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/438623/big-wave
- Tricky Landing review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/02/28/tricky-landing-saturday-review/
- Trick-taking reviews: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/category/reviews/?tag=trick-taking-games
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: ZapSplat (https://www.zapsplat.com/)
Music: Bensound.com/royalty-free-music
License code: 2TLUFRA22W8GNJPA
Artist: : Benjamin Tissot
Music by Bensound.com/royalty-free-music
License code: UQYL5OD3WLL6JR5J
Artist: : Marcus P.
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
The following is an English translation of board game designer Peer Sylvester's German article "Chat GPT als Brettspielautor?", which was originally published 22 February 2026 on the Spielbar website, here: https://www.spielbar.com/wordpress/2026/02/22/26916/
Ryan Dancey was, until last Wednesday, the Chief Operating Officer at Alderac Entertainment Group (AEG). On LinkedIn, the self-help site for managers who want to tell each other how great they are and how little their subordinates/customers appreciate them, Dancey published a post (link to a photo of the post, because I do not link to LinkedIn) in which he explained that he is firmly convinced that AI (or rather the LLMs that are usually labelled as AIs) will, in just a few years, be as useful as any employee.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/03/03/chatgpt-as-a-board-game-designer-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Peer Sylvester's German article "Chat GPT als Brettspielautor?" on the Spielbar website: https://www.spielbar.com/wordpress/2026/02/22/26916/
- Ryan Dancey's post: https://bsky.app/profile/boardgamefeast.bsky.social/post/3mf3p2kv4a22l
- Make My Game Travel: https://makemygametravel.com/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: bensound.com
License code: SABGE2PPI2ABAS06
Artist: : Nick Petrov
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
Cards were wildly flying through the air. People were taking turns aiming their cards at the target in the middle of the table. It all looked frightfully confusing, but everyone was happy. Choosing the best card was hard enough as it was, but flicking it correctly seemed impossible. For the cards, it was certainly a Tricky Landing by Mike Petchey from Huff No More with illustrations by Edie Petchey.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/02/28/tricky-landing-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Tricky Landing: https://travel-games.co.uk/shop/p/trickylanding
- Huff No More: https://www.huffnomore.co.uk/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/456152/tricky-landing
- New Mill Industries: https://www.newmillindustries.com/
- Trick-taking reviews: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/category/reviews/?tag=trick-taking-games
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: ZapSplat (https://www.zapsplat.com/)
Music I Use: https://www.bensound.com/free-music-for-videos
License code: EX0VDDYHJTWLXV3T
Artist: : Benjamin Tissot
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
Historical board games occupy an awkward space in our hobby. They are usually not designed to teach history in any formal sense, and they are also not entertaining in the sense of being fun. These games stop short of education, offering no syllabus, no claims of being a detailed treatise of their setting, and no obligation to explain themselves. The subject matter historical board games draw on, war, exploitation, inequality, famine, and systemic violence, doesn't suit the lightness or escapism people often expect when playing board games as a leisure activity. The result is a form of play that somehow feels serious but incomplete. In this article, I want to explore this in more detail.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/02/24/no-mans-land-historical-board-games-position-between-entertainment-and-education-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Amabel Holland's blog Hollandazed: Thoughts, Ideas, and Miscellany: https://hollandspiele.com/blogs/hollandazed-thoughts-ideas-and-miscellany
- Jeremiah McCall's Gaming the Past: https://gamingthepast.net/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music:
Color In The Dark by Øraeth | https://soundcloud.com/itsoraeth
Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com
Creative Commons / Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0)
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/
hidden thoughts by Øraeth | https://soundcloud.com/itsoraeth
Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com
Creative Commons / Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0)
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/
a voice low by Øraeth | https://soundcloud.com/itsoraeth
Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com
Creative Commons / Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0)
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/
Perilune by AERØHEAD | https://soundcloud.com/aerohead
Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com
Creative Commons / Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0)
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en_US
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
(Photo by Amos K on Unsplash)
The sea relentlessly froze around our convoy, tightly squeezing the ships' hulls, as if it was testing our resolve. The other ships were holding formation, their tall masts and limp sails dark against the brooding grey sky. We had been entrusted with mapping new shores and documenting new species, financed by men who expected their names to be remembered forever, with ours only featuring as footnotes. Yet, our minds only thought about fuel and food, and storms that could spoil both. We each commanded our own ship, yet we were bound together by the same horizon, as we made our way Through Ice and Snow by Fernando Eduardo Sánchez from 2Tomatoes Games with art by Pedro A. Alberto and Araceli Martín.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/02/21/through-ice-and-snow-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Through Ice and Snow: https://2tomatoesgames.com/gb/through-ice-and-snow-esenfrde-8437022321530.html
- Rulebook: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/267433/english-rules-low-res
- Rules video: https://www.youtube.com/live/Xl8CEWPMviI?si=49OW_61_zYFmH1h0&t=72
- 2Tomatoes Games: https://2tomatoesgames.com/gb/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/352263/through-ice-and-snow
- K2 review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/09/25/k2-digital-eyes/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: ZapSplat (https://www.zapsplat.com/)
Music: Stalker Heart of Chornobyl Atmosphere 13
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/12758-stalker-heart-of-chornobyl-atmosphere-13
Music: Cinematic Suspense Series Episode 007
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/7128-cinematic-suspense-series-episode-007
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
(Photo courtesy of 2Tomatoes Games)
Finding the time to play board games can be difficult. Working out which games to play in the time you've got together is often even harder. Mostly, that's down to what games players are in the mood for. Sometimes they want a very deep, thinky game that requires a lot of attention. At other times, a lighter game might be preferred. Setting can also play a role. Yet, what is often the ultimate decider is game length. Knowing when a game will end is helpful in that respect. So in this article, I want to talk about games with fixed rounds and compare them to games with endgame triggers, but no other hard limit.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/02/17/finding-the-finish-line-fixed-rounds-vs-end-game-triggers-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Sagrada review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/08/06/sagrada-saturday-review/
- Euphoria review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/07/18/euphoria-build-a-better-dystopia-digital-eyes/
- Uncertain Death article: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/08/09/uncertain-death-end-game-triggers-topic-discussion/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music I use: Bensound
License code: EQSCFNFSWIGE3ZCF
Artist: : Nick Petrov
Music by: https://www.bensound.com
License code: SQSSCFJL3S1Q9EBS
Artist: : Nick Petrov
Royalty Free Music: Bensound.com/royalty-free-music
License code: YIFXCX3UOU4IR8EC
Artist: : Theatre Of Delays
Support
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Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
(Photo by Sebastian Herrmann on Unsplash)
The air thins with each step, and talking becomes almost impossible without a rest. The mountain is relentless, and so are those intent on beating it. Reaching the peak requires patience and knowing which route to take and what to leave behind. No one climbs alone, and no one fails alone either. The summit awaits and promises unmatched Tranquility: The Ascent by James Emmerson from Lucky Duck Games with art by Tristam Rossin.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/02/14/tranquility-the-ascent-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Tranquility: The Ascent: https://luckyduckgames.com/global/game/795-tranquility-the-ascent
- Rulebook: https://website.cdn77.luckyduckgames.com/downloads/August2024/d4e4f20a1fa3776f1b151ad781c843b4.pdf
- Lucky Duck Games: https://luckyduckgames.com/global/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/334717/tranquility-the-ascent
- Tranquility: The Descent review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/10/18/tranquility-the-descent-saturday-review/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: ZapSplat (https://www.zapsplat.com/)
Music: Nature 4 [nature documentary series]
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/13308-nature-4-nature-documentary-series
Music: Epic Drone Shots 004
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/12291-epic-drone-shots-004
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
Let me be clear from the start: there is no such thing as a "good game". I know, it sounds controversial. After all, at the end of every year and often many times during the year, lots of people publish lists of the best games and regale you with how "good" these games are. If you're seen as the board game expert in your family circle or friendship group, you will be asked what "good game" they should buy or play next. Yet, "good" by itself is pretty meaningless - but let me explain.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/02/10/anti-good-there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-good-game-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Pax Pamir Second Edition review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/08/27/pax-pamir-second-edition-saturday-review/
- Love Letter review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/01/23/love-letter-saturday-review/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: 4. Thriller (Subliminal Tension) [Cinematic Underscore Loops - The Core Collection]
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/13551-4-thriller-subliminal-tension-cinematic-underscore-loops-the-core-collection
Music: Imagefilm 045
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/12219-imagefilm-045
Music: Epic Drone Shots 003
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/12228-epic-drone-shots-003
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
(Photo by Call Me Fred on Unsplash)
Staring at the art in front of them, next to a number of words, the group was trying to figure out which noun fit the paintings best. Someone read out a single word and explained their theory. Suddenly, everyone wanted to share their own opinion, some confident, some cautious. I listened to what everyone had to say. Only I knew which word was the right answer. After all, I had chosen it, based on The Vibe by Jacob Jaskov from Uloomi.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/02/07/the-vibe-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- The Vibe: https://thevibegame.com/
- Uloomi: https://uloomi.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/426692/the-vibe
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
The Provisions by Blue Dot Sessions
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
I have long been fascinated by historical board games. I was never very good at history in school, but whenever I play a board game with a historical setting, I feel I learn something. Often, I feel compelled to find out more about the events that took place back then. No class in school ever evoked that curiosity in me. These days, I look at historical board games from an additional angle: the human element. While war games rarely identify individuals and often work on a larger scale, there is a new breed of historical games that bring players closer to the human experience. In this article, I want to explore these games further.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/02/03/historical-humanity-the-human-element-in-modern-historical-board-games-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Molly House review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/05/24/molly-house-saturday-review/
- The Cost review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/12/12/the-cost-digital-eyes/
References
- [1] Wehrlegig Games website, "About Us" page: https://wehrlegig.com/pages/about
- [2] Slate, "Best Board Games That Make You Think About History": https://slate.com/human-interest/2024/01/best-board-games-root-cole-wehrle-john-company-molly-house.html
- [3] Cardboard Empire, "John Company 2nd Edition: The human factor behind empire and colonialism"
https://www.cardboardempire.blog/blog/john-company-2nd-edition-the-human-factor-behind-empire-and-colonialism/ - [4] SDHist, "Designer roundtable: Gaming the unpleasant": https://sdhist.com/designer-roundtable-gaming-the-unpleasant/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Bensound.com/royalty-free-music
License code: FHIPLT6WUMTVKWNJ
Artist: : Aventure
Royalty Free Music: https://www.bensound.com
License code: SU8T8I7YSLC4LBK9
Artist: : Aventure
Music I use: https://www.bensound.com
License code: 6SZZNOMDLB9BABLB
Artist: : Aventure
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
Credit: Wellcome Library, London. Wellcome Images
images@wellcome.ac.uk
http://wellcomeimages.org
Georgian gentlemen smoking, drinking and reading newspapers at their club. Coloured aquatint, c. 1784, after G. M. Woodward (?).
1784 By: G. M. Woodward
Published: -
Copyrighted work available under Creative Commons Attribution only licence CC BY 4.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
We were looking for a very special gem, a gem that, according to rumours, promised eternity. Nobody knew exactly where it could be found - or rather, when, because this gem was lost in time. We opened portals like doors in a chronological corridor, using our technology to help us speed up our search, but to no avail - we are always a heartbeat too late. We were in a battle, chasing each other through ancient eras, sabotaging each other's signals, and stealing minutes. Yet, at last, I knew I had done it. The clock had finally aligned. I reached out, my hands shaking, and finally won the gem of Eternitium by Thomas Carlier from Haumea Games with art by Baptiste Perez.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/01/31/eternitium-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Eternitium: https://www.haumeagames.com/en/products/eternitium
- Rulebook: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/279055/en-rulebook
- Rules Video: https://youtu.be/iNMWoc5YSuE?si=OxlOe1XARbCVhjC9
- Haumea Games: https://www.haumeagames.com/en
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/402324/eternitium
- Doom Machine review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/11/28/doom-machine-digital-eyes/
- Mystic Vale review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2018/12/08/mystic-vale/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: ZapSplat (https://www.zapsplat.com/)
Music: Low Energy Tension Vol. 1
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/13569-low-energy-tension-vol-1
Music: Drones over New Jersey
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/12825-drones-over-new-jersey
Music: Star Citizen - IAE 2954
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/12736-star-citizen-iae-2954
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
(Photo courtesy of Ornament Games)
On a lovely sunny summer's day, we decided to go out together as a family. We wanted to see mice, shrimp, hedgehogs, fish, foxes, seals, lions, polar bears, crocodiles, elephants and orcas, but we wanted to avoid mosquitoes. So we all went to Frank's Zoo by Frank Nestel from Heidelbär Games with art by Doris Matthäus.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/01/24/franks-zoo-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Frank's Zoo: https://www.heidelbaer.de/zoff-im-zoo
- Rulebook: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/15221/franks-zoo-english-rulespdf
- Rules Video: https://youtu.be/VP1PStKZiDI?si=vVMnhh0ERUq3TcUo
- Heidelbär Games: https://www.heidelbaer.de/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/340/franks-zoo
- Haggis review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/12/14/haggis-saturday-review/
- Scout review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/07/02/scout-saturday-review/
- Odin review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/03/30/odin-saturday-review/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: ZapSplat (https://www.zapsplat.com/)
Royalty Free Music: https://www.bensound.com
License code: DZK8CI9PRQVCKGXK
Artist: : Marcus P.
Music by https://www.bensound.com/free-music-for-videos
License code: MVSSUCXG4I0B4DX6
Artist: : Marcus P.
Music by: bensound.com
License code: X7EQCGVUCD65DYIK
Artist: : Aventure
Royalty Free Music: Bensound.com
License code: YR7OUMG9UGNIA8JZ
Artist: : Benjamin Tissot
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
(photo courtesy of Heidelbär Games)
The sun rises over the misty fields near Nagashino, glinting off armour and steel. The Takeda banners flap in the wind, a warning to the Tokugawa warriors holding the hilltops. Every decision counts, every step could tip the balance of power. As the leader of your clan, Takeda, you are seeking to reclaim glory and lead your samurai through the chaos. Now is the time to win this sandwich chess, this Hasami Shogi from Lemery Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/01/17/hasami-shogi-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Hasami Shogi: https://lemerygames.com/products/hasami-shogi-deluxe-ludos-asia-collection
- Rulebook: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yE2AF-jA-YLBe8G2LDwYoYJ01j62IXxr/view?usp=drive_link
- Lemery Games: https://lemerygames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/13716/hasami-shogi
- Bagh Chal review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/05/13/bagh-chal-saturday-review/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Battlefield 6 Streaming Music Vol. 16 [Sneaky Sniper]
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/13090-battlefield-6-streaming-music-vol-16-sneaky-sniper
Music: World Of War (instrumental)
Produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/147-world-of-war-instrumental
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
After realising that they had not only inadvertently brought an alien lifeform onto their freighter, but that the alien was a vicious and terrifying predator, the crew had only one choice. Armed with whatever they could find on their commercial vessel, they started sweeping the ship one section at a time. Yet, their fear and terror led to rash decisions, which meant a crew member got sucked out into the vacuum, and another was blown up by a hastily made explosive device. To the crew, it was life and death, but to the alien, it was all a game, and This Game is Killer: Alien on Board by Ivan Turner from Smirk & Dagger Games with art by Grafit Studio.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/01/10/this-game-is-killer-alien-on-board-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- This Game is Killer: Alien on Board: https://www.smirkanddagger.com/product-page/this-game-is-killer
- Rulebook: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/280997/this-game-is-killer-rulebook-10
- Rules Video: https://youtu.be/0RNXR72XPIw?si=7ZlwOV3CeCYm-9Ot
- Smirk & Dagger Games: https://www.smirkanddagger.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/413461/this-game-is-killer-alien-on-board
- Nemesis review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/06/18/nemesis-saturday-review/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: ZapSplat (https://www.zapsplat.com/)
Music: METROID - Background Game Music 7, produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/12788-metroid-background-game-music-7
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
Another year has passed, and it's once more time to announce the winner of Tabletop Games Blog's highly sought-after and extremely prestigious Top Table Award of 2025. The top slot for this year will join the hall of fame alongside previous years' board games that made it to the number 1 spot on the podium. The winner of the 2025 award will be in the company of Charms, Enemy Anemone, Pax Pamir: Second Edition and others.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/01/03/top-table-award-2025-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Charms review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/08/24/charms-saturday-review/
- Enemy Anemone review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/10/14/enemy-anemone-saturday-review/
- Pax Pamir: Second Edition review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/08/27/pax-pamir-second-edition-saturday-review/
- Crimson Keep review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/05/31/crimson-keep-saturday-review/
- The Night Cage review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/10/04/the-night-cage-saturday-review/
- Yokai Septet review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/12/13/yokai-septet-saturday-review/
- Molly House review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/05/24/molly-house-saturday-review/
- Tranquility: The Descent review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/10/18/tranquility-the-descent-saturday-review/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: bensound.com
License code: IVUOJB7FQXQVW7NR
Artist: : Benjamin Tissot
Music by: Bensound.com/royalty-free-music
License code: OQRMUBQBGLUH02FG
Artist: : Benjamin Tissot
Music I use: Bensound
License code: COAEP3MRZCBCQH7G
Artist: : FoePound
Music by: https://www.bensound.com/free-music-for-videos
License code: YJ3E9ALFWXZS0GPU
Artist: : Benjamin Tissot
Music by: bensound.com
License code: SNACOIUHRIOWSSMI
Artist: : Aventure
Sound Effects: ZapSplat (https://www.zapsplat.com/)
Music by: Bensound.com/free-music-for-videos
License code: 9CASNSL5M1OXMXRY
Artist: : Sound EGO
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
As I was listening to an episode of the Ludology podcast recently, one focused on games and health, I started to think about how much the people we play with influence our gameplay experience. Selecting board games based on the audience is much more important than we may like to believe. Get it wrong, and you have one player rebelling and playing opposite to expectations, another disengaging completely, and the overall mood shifting from playful enjoyment to uncomfortable tension. In this article, I want to discuss how a mismatch can impact the enjoyment of the whole group, alter the tone of reviews, and even affect playtest outcomes.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/12/30/socially-afflicted-how-people-affect-gameplay-experience-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Ludology podcast episode 351, Better Health Through Gaming: https://ludology.libsyn.com/ludology-351-better-health-through-gaming
- Pandemic review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/01/18/pandemic-saturday-review/
- Amit Bar's and Tobias Otterbring's study “The role of culture and personality traits in board game habits and attitudes” in the Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969698921000722
- Qian Zhang's, JiaLe Ruan's and DingYong Xiong's study “Differential effects of exposure to cooperative versus competitive games on sharing behavior in young children" in Frontiers in Psychiatry: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12268353/
- Bez Shahriari's reflections on playtesting behaviour: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bez_Shahriari
- Board Game Design Lab: https://boardgamedesignlab.com/
- Mahiro Egashira's, Daisuke Son's and Arisa Ema's study “Serious Game for Change in Behavioral Intention Toward Lifestyle Related Diseases” in JMIR Serious Games: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35188465/
- Ramy Hammady's and Sylvester Arnab's review “Serious Gaming for Behaviour Change, A Systematic Review” in Information: https://www.mdpi.com/2078-2489/13/3/142
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: "Epic Inspiration" by AShamaluevMusic.
Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com
Music: "Galaxy" by AShamaluevMusic.
Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com
Music: "Legend" by AShamaluevMusic.
Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
As another year draws to a close, it's time to pause, look back, and take stock. As has become something of a tradition, this article shares with you my 2025 gameplay experience, some stats about the blog, my event attendance, a summary of the blog's finances and a brief look ahead to 2026. It's as much for my own record as it is for anyone who wants to know more about what 2025 has been like for me and the blog. Just don't expect any grand conclusions or dramatic discussions.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/12/27/2025-a-year-in-review-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Tranquility: The Descent review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/10/18/tranquility-the-descent-saturday-review/
- Tapestry review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/11/09/tapestry-saturday-review/
- Villagers review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/10/01/villagers-saturday-review/
- Mystic Vale review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2018/12/08/mystic-vale/
- A Gentle Rain review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/07/05/a-gentle-rain-saturday-review/
- Knarr review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/07/20/knarr-saturday-review/
- Oath: Chronicles of Empire and Exile review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/11/27/oath-chronicles-of-empire-and-exile-saturday-review/
- Ayar: Children of the Sun review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/11/22/ayar-children-of-the-sun-saturday-review/
- Wyrmspan review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/12/20/wyrmspan-saturday-review/
- General Orders: Sengoku Jidai review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/11/01/general-orders-sengoku-jidai-saturday-review/
- UK Games Expo 2025 review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/06/07/uk-games-expo-2025-saturday-review/
- The Human Side of Miniatures Games guest post: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/12/16/mini-magic-the-human-side-of-miniatures-games-topic-discussion/
- How Board Games Build Communication Skills guest post: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/11/18/the-hidden-language-of-co-op-gaming-how-board-games-build-communication-skills-topic-discussion/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Belong by Moavii | https://www.youtube.com/@MoaviiMusic
Free To Use | https://freetouse.com/music
Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com
Travel by Lukrembo | https://soundcloud.com/lukrembo
Free To Use | https://freetouse.com/music
Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com
We Are by Moavii | https://www.youtube.com/@MoaviiMusic
Free To Use | https://freetouse.com/music
Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com
Breakfast in Paris by Alex-Productions | https://onsound.eu/
Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com
Creative Commons / Attribution 3.0 Unported License (CC BY 3.0)
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US
Aesthetic by Alex-Productions | https://onsound.eu/
Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com
Creative Commons / Attribution 3.0 Unported License (CC BY 3.0)
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Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
As my board game collection grows, the chances of the same game being played regularly decrease. As a reviewer, that's fine, because I'm here to play new games and critically evaluate them. However, it's also sad that more and more of my games just sit there on the shelves unplayed, while the latest, shiny game barely lands before it makes it to the table. For many of us, playing board games isn't just about the games themselves, but the experiences we create with them and the people we share them with. So in this article, I want to look at the benefits of playing a small handful of games regularly, instead of briefly sampling many games once or twice, considering the psychological, social, and financial aspects that shape our hobby.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/12/23/regular-games-benefits-of-playing-the-same-game-with-the-same-people-topic-discussion/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music by: Bensound.com/royalty-free-music
License code: S4IAJRAYP14J2B70
Artist: : Benjamin Tissot
Music I use: Bensound
License code: AEXKNYAUNTLNLJVI
Artist: : Theatre Of Delays
Music: https://www.bensound.com
License code: DFL4ZIMB2EMEIW8U
Artist: : Benjamin Tissot
Support
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Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
Lantern lifted, I stepped into the Crimson Cavern where a Tawny Steppe Wyvern crouched over a cache of meat and a single gleaming amethyst. It watched me calmly, dust motes swirling around its tawny wings. In the Golden Grotto, a Bellicose Firevern crackled with heat, sparks skittering across piles of scorched stone as it let out a low rumble. Finally, in the Amethyst Abyss, a Subterranean Basilisk hatchling blinked up at me, tiny and glittering, nestled among crystal shards. Once they got accustomed to me, the three dragons allowed me to go about my dracologist business and measure their Wyrmspan by Connie Vogelmann from Stonemaier Games with art by Clémentine Campardou.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/12/20/wyrmspan-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Wyrmspan: https://stonemaiergames.com/games/wyrmspan/
- Rulebook: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/ulyfze69rb24tsgip7mn7/h/Wyrmspan/Wyr_Rulebook_r19.pdf?rlkey=ha4lz6kvkwmjaglah0lwtzjto&dl=0
- Rules Video: https://youtu.be/zbqpVm1lCk8?si=d_w34lwrWPj7NQEK
- Stonemaier Games: https://stonemaiergames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/410201/wyrmspan
- Wingspan review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/03/16/wingspan/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects:
bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2025 BBC
ZapSplat (https://www.zapsplat.com/)
Music by: Bensound.com/royalty-free-music
License code: PKXFZ8Q9Z7SMQQCY
Artist: : TURNIQUE
Music by: Bensound
License code: PMTMT9TCA62QQGBA
Artist: : Lunar Years
Support
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Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
This is a guest post by Glenn Ford from Man O' Kent Games.
As an independent games designer and producer, a lot of my time involves visiting conventions to meet gamers and, ideally, sell my games to them. When I do so, it’s always a surprise how little crossover there is between people who play board games, roleplaying games and miniatures games, which is a pity since I think all of them have something special to offer. So I’d like to take this chance to explain exactly what I think is so special about miniatures games for anyone who doesn’t necessarily play, or even consider them.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/12/16/mini-magic-the-human-side-of-miniatures-games-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Man O' Kent Games: https://www.manokentgames.com/
- Brass: Birmingham review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/04/01/brass-birmingham-deluxe-saturday-review/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: bensound.com
License code: WD13LCGM6FNILKVK
Artist: : Yunior Arronte
Music: Bensound.com/free-music-for-videos
License code: LMRF2RZLAGT3LGJ2
Artist: : Yunior Arronte
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
(Photo by Samuel Fortin on Unsplash)
Long ago, spirits and demons stirred in the land of the rising sun, wreaking havoc upon crops, rivers, and villages, unseen and unstoppable. As an Onmyoji, a practitioner of ancient cosmology, you learned to capture these restless entities, restoring balance where others faltered. Yet word came that your own village suffered, and another Onmyoji had been called to intervene, an affront to your duty and skill. With careful calculation and swift action, you must outwit your rival, claiming mastery over chaos. You must ensnare the seven spirits, the Yokai Septet by Muneyuki Yokouchi from Ninja Star Games with art by U.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/12/13/yokai-septet-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Yokai Septet: https://www.ninjastargames.com/games/yokai-septet/
- Rulebook: http://ninjastargames.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/YokaiSeptet-PocketEdition-Rules-EN_v1.pdf
- Rules Video: https://youtu.be/dcV33XTWnRU?si=550MY-xJ6vJY0u3S
- Ninja Star Games: https://www.ninjastargames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/251433/yokai-septet
- The Crew review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/12/05/the-crew-the-quest-for-planet-nine-saturday-review/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Clair De Lune - Cinematic Trailer 1 (feat. Claude Debussy), produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/13208-clair-de-lune-cinematic-trailer-1-feat-claude-debussy
Music: The Desert Planet, produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/12290-the-desert-planet
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
It was like herding cats. As soon as you put one kitten down, the two nearest to it moved further away. The same when you tried to add a cat to the bundle of feline fluff. Some of the cats and kittens even decided to jump off the quilt completely. It was impossible to get everyone on there at the same time. What was cute though, was how each cat and kitten tapped their noses together and went Boop by Scott Brady from Smirk & Dagger Games with art by Curt Covert.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/12/06/boop-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Boop: https://www.smirkanddagger.com/product-page/boop
- Rulebook: https://drive.google.com/file/d/15W8ugnaJ7ojxS_lW2I9JHgw7FG0eRpKh/view?usp=sharing
- Rules Video: https://youtu.be/HyXGt-XyaTE?si=4WwlrPKMcBJZD1Zv
- Smirk & Dagger Games: https://www.smirkanddagger.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/355433/boop
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music by: Bensound.com/royalty-free-music
License code: 9YL5MGRMLYPJ2YC8
Artist: : Benjamin Tissot
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
Balance in board games is one of those much-talked-about topics that keeps cropping up. Some people want games to be perfectly balanced, so that players' only advantage comes from their skill and hours of practice and graft. Others relish highly unbalanced games, where it's nigh-impossible to win, but when you do win, it feels amazing. Yet, balance in board games is much more complex and subtle than that. In this article, I want to look at the role that balance plays in board game design.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/12/02/losing-balance-the-role-of-balance-in-board-games-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Cosmic Encounter Board Game Geek page: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/39463/cosmic-encounter
- Votes for Women review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/02/10/votes-for-women-digital-eyes/
- Godzilla: Tokyo Clash review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/08/09/godzilla-tokyo-clash-saturday-review/
- Pandemic review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/01/18/pandemic-saturday-review/
- Root review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/02/12/root-a-game-of-woodland-might-and-right-saturday-review/
- [1] Cole Wehrle interview on balancing powerful positions with strategic liabilities, Elevation Games, https://www.elevation.games/blog/interview-with-cole-wehrle-designer-of-root-john-company-and-pax-pamir
- Oath review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/11/27/oath-chronicles-of-empire-and-exile-saturday-review/
- [2] Cole Wehrle interview on emergent asymmetry in Oath, Tabletop Gaming, https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/features/oath-an-interview-with-cole-wehrle/
- Doubt is our Product Board Game Geek page: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/401361/doubt-is-our-product
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Relaxing Lofi - Ena, produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/12224-relaxing-lofi-ena
Music: Relaxing Lofi - Dyo, produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/12225-relaxing-lofi-dyo
Support
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Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
(Photo by Austin Neill on Unsplash)
Under the glow of the moon, the forest stalls sizzled and steamed. Ramen bowls, takoyaki, and miso soup filled the air with rich, savoury aromas. Woodland chefs scurried between stoves, each eager to cook the most delicious dishes, only to be outdone by competitors who stole their patrons right from under their noses. The question is whether you have what it takes to serve up the best culinary creations that burst with Umami by Don Eskridge from Heidelbär Games with art by Ikuko Nakai.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/11/29/umami-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Umami: https://shop.heidelbaer.de/products/umami-english/342974000008765072
- Rulebook: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/303599/umami-rules-english
- Heidelbär Games: https://shop.heidelbaer.de/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/449542/umami
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2025 BBC
Music: Chinese Restaurant Background 1, produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/12390-chinese-restaurant-background-1
Music: Japan Lo-Fi Vol. 2, produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/12959-japan-lo-fi-vol-2
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
Board games are often seen as a way to bring people together. They're a social activity, even for solo gamers. When we sit down to play, we fall into familiar rhythms of turns, actions and mechanisms. We don't even need to share the same language. Playing board games is a time when gestures, shared goals, and the actions within the magic circle of the game itself act as a way for us to communicate. Board games themselves are like a shared language, where friendly rivalry, cooperative play and everything else sometimes conveys more than words ever can.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/11/25/games-as-lingua-franca-how-board-games-can-overcome-language-barriers-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Pandemic review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/01/18/pandemic-saturday-review/
- Tapestry review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/11/09/tapestry-saturday-review/
- Ofrenda review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/05/10/ofrenda-saturday-review/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Over Oceans by Alex-Productions | https://onsound.eu/
Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com
Creative Commons / Attribution 3.0 Unported License (CC BY 3.0)
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US
Endless by Moavii | https://www.youtube.com/@MoaviiMusic
Free To Use | https://freetouse.com/music
Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com
Survival Mode by Unheard | https://freetouse.com/music/unheard
Free To Use | https://freetouse.com/music
Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com
Teapot by Lukrembo | https://soundcloud.com/lukrembo
Free To Use | https://freetouse.com/music
Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
(Photo by Stefan on Unsplash)
From the mist of Lake Titicaca, eight children of Inti and Mama Quilla stepped onto the high plains, their feet brushing the grass and waking the land itself. As their journey continued, the mountains claimed some of them, caves swallowed others, until only one final pair held the golden rods. By then, they had taught the first clans who had accompanied them to weave, shape clay, carve terraces into the mountainside and coax life from reed and soil. These clans were the Ayar: Children of the Sun by Fabio Lopiano and Mandela Fernandez-Grandon from Osprey Games with art by Ian O'Toole.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/11/22/ayar-children-of-the-sun-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Ayar: Children of the Sun: https://www.ospreypublishing.com/uk/ayar-children-of-the-sun-9781472860071/
- Rulebook: https://www.ospreypublishing.com/media/fcyh2h5j/ayar-rulebook.pdf
- Osprey Games: https://www.ospreypublishing.com/uk/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/429438/ayar-children-of-the-sun
- UK Games Expo 2025 review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/06/07/uk-games-expo-2025-saturday-review/
- The Druids of Edora review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/11/15/the-druids-of-edora-saturday-review/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Beauty Of The Earth 3 - Grasslands, produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/12842-beauty-of-the-earth-3-grasslands
Music: Binaural Sleep Vol. 5, produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/13200-binaural-sleep-vol-5
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
This is a guest post by Abdel Mounim Bouazzaoui from The Cardboard Crew.
Most people see board games as entertainment. Roll some dice, move some pieces, maybe argue about house rules. But I've noticed something else happening at my weekly game nights over the past few years - we're all getting better at talking to each other.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/11/25/the-hidden-language-of-co-op-gaming-how-board-games-build-communication-skills-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- The Cardboard Crew: https://thecardboardcrew.com
- Pandemic review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/01/18/pandemic-saturday-review/
- The Mind review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/01/05/the-mind/
- Forbidden Island review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/05/02/forbidden-island-saturday-review/
- The Crew review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/12/05/the-crew-the-quest-for-planet-nine-saturday-review/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Bensound.com/royalty-free-music
License code: UQ1ZAMBQMFC54UAA
Artist: : Yunior Arronte
Music by: Bensound
License code: 4HTSU7QE9DABIACQ
Artist: : Benjamin Lazzarus
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
(Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash)
Mist coiled between the ancient stones, whispering secrets of powers wielded by only a few. The forest waited, still and patient, as cloaked figures approached with burning torches. As they began to chant, the flickering flames stretched and twisted until fires flared in silent circles. Moving from shrine to shrine, they connected dolmens, built runestones and standing stones, and weaved their magic through leaf and root. In that sacred balance of offering and renewal, the old ways awoke once more. Those cloaked figures that called forth the wisdom of ancient times were The Druids of Edora by Stefan Feld from Alea with art by Fred Gissubel.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/11/15/the-druids-of-edora-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- The Druids of Edora: https://www.ravensburger.co.uk/en-GB/products/games/strategy-games/druids-of-edora-game-24686
- Rulebook: https://product-files.ravensburger.cloud/manuals/681573.pdf
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/440007/the-druids-of-edora
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: ZapSplat
Link: https://www.zapsplat.com/
Music: Lost Place Atmospheres 004, produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/12218-lost-place-atmospheres-004
Music: Fantasy Soundscape, produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/12807-fantasy-soundscape
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
Over the years, I have demoed quite a lot of games at a few different locations. It all started back in 2019 at Essen Spiel, where I demoed Fog of Love to the German audience. More recently, I have been demoing for Asmodee at UK Games Expo, as well as at my local board game cafe. With every demo, I have honed my skills, learned new tricks and generally fine-tuned my approach. So in this article, I want to share my demoing method, which can also be applied to teaching games in many ways.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/11/11/demonstrative-board-gaming-my-approach-to-demoing-games-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Post-show blues article: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/11/05/post-show-blues/
- Wingspan review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/03/16/wingspan/
- Jaipur review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/02/29/jaipur-saturday-review/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music I use: Bensound.com
License code: O9I3JPK9A8LBOPOE
Artist: : Nick Petrov
Royalty Free Music: Bensound.com
License code: AJRN7V3CQYPGMCHX
Artist: : Nick Petrov
Support
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Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
The ground trembled as the horizon flickered with violet light. Tribes gathered in small clusters, clutching relics that glowed faintly or fizzed with a strange energy. Some hoarded scraps of parchment filled with incomprehensible runes, others carried fragments of forgotten technology bolted hastily to their frames. Yet despite the looming end, laughter filled the twilight air. Every choice felt urgent, every move a gamble, but there was delight in the chaos. What mattered was not survival but the stories created along the way. That spirit lives in Doomlings: Legends of Enderas by Justus Meyer and Andrew Meyer from Doomlings with art by Justus Meyer.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/11/08/doomlings-legends-of-enderas-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Doomlings: Imaginary Ends: https://www.doomlings.com/pages/legends-of-enderas
- Deep dive video: https://youtu.be/caSiHpLVkhY
- Doomlings: https://doomlings.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/444298/doomlings-legends-of-enderas
- Doomlings review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/06/01/doomlings-saturday-review/
- Doomlings: Upgrade Pack review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/11/23/doomlings-upgrade-pack-saturday-review/
- Doomlings: Imaginary Ends review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/08/30/doomlings-imaginary-ends-saturday-review/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Opening Music: Kill the Tides by FragPunk
Song: NO QVLT - Insides (feat. JESSY KVGE) [Arcade Release] Music provided by NoCopyrightSounds Free Download/Stream: http://ncs.io/Insides Watch: http://youtu.be/
Support
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Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
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Some people enjoy running their fingers along a row of books, looking for one that catches their eye. Others love wandering past shelves filled with board games, drawn to the artwork or the imaginative setting. Book lovers love the smell of paper and ink, while board gamers relish the scent of a new box. Flicking through pages or rifling through components is part of the thrill. Collections are more than mere possessions. They offer manifold possibilities, shaped by curiosity, memory, and imagination. In this article, I want to look at what unites book and board game collectors.
Read the full topic discussion article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/11/04/shelves-of-stories-how-games-and-books-reflect-who-we-are-topic-discussion/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music by https://www.bensound.com
License code: 46C0EXLIL5Y9PRGI
Artist: : Sound EGO
Music: https://www.bensound.com
License code: PP8VYE7CZEI0GQZR
Artist: : Benjamin Tissot
Music by Bensound
License code: T9CNYEWJLPXP03RO
Artist: : Aventure
Support
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Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
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(Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash)
The land was divided, its provinces fractured by ambition and betrayal. Armies marched through rice fields, emissaries whispered in candlelit halls, and the people looked to their daimyo for guidance and protection. Every order carried the weight of loyalty and the promise of power. It was a time when each decision could tilt the balance of history, and so the samurai sent out their General Orders: Sengoku Jidai by David Thompson and Trevor Benjamin from Osprey Games with art by Tanner Staheli.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/11/01/general-orders-sengoku-jidai-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- General Orders: Sengoku Jidai: https://www.ospreypublishing.com/uk/general-orders-sengoku-jidai-9781472869791/
- Rulebook: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/306284/general-orders-sengoku-jidai-rulebook
- Rules video: https://www.youtube.com/live/c3VNMR7NTsE?si=yEAXWfVlr4Kirl_D&t=265
- Osprey Games: https://www.ospreypublishing.com/uk/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/434425/general-orders-sengoku-jidai
- General Orders: World War II review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/02/17/general-orders-world-war-ii-saturday-review/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music by https://www.bensound.com
License code: HVGMBA9NX5PHIG8A
Artist: : Benjamin Tissot
Music: "Victory" by AShamaluevMusic.
Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com
Support
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Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
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Night had fallen over the village of Bodega Bay. Most people were at home, because they knew there were terrible creatures roaming the streets. Only a few brave heroes had ventured out into the cold, dimly lit streets to protect the inhabitants from the horrors that were lurking in the shadows. It didn't take them long to come across the first fiendish creature. As they looked upon the muddy Creature from the Black Lagoon, they were Horrified by Prospero Hall from Ravensburger.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/10/25/horrified-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Horrified: https://www.ravensburger.co.uk/en-GB/products/games/strategy-games/horrified-universal-monsters-26827
- Rulebook: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/184667/official-horrified-universal-monsters-board-game-r
- Rules video: https://youtu.be/p4fB42w15Tw?si=_bSdrjDGDEp_rBCM
- Ravensburger: https://www.ravensburger.co.uk/en-GB
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/282524/horrified
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Halloween 2025 Vol. 9, produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/13325-halloween-2025-vol-9
Music: Stalker Heart of Chornobyl Atmosphere 18, produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/12763-stalker-heart-of-chornobyl-atmosphere-18
Support
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Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
It all began with a voyage across calm seas, as we boarded the ship and searched for a paradise of our own. From there, the path rose skyward, climbing a mountain one careful step at a time until the summit finally revealed itself above the clouds. Now the journey turns in a different direction, leaving sunlight behind and slipping beneath the surface, into the shadows of the deep. The silence is thicker here, the choices more pressing, and every step takes us further into uncharted territory. It is time for Tranquility: The Descent by James Emmerson from Wayfarer Games with artwork by Tristam Rossin.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/10/25/tranquility-the-descent-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Tranquility: The Descent: https://www.wayfarergames.co/tranquility
- Rules video: https://www.youtube.com/live/MA-nfFr934I?si=IBPYR8mtpl4-uZPC
- Wayfarer Games: https://www.wayfarergames.co/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/440447/tranquility-the-descent
- The Mind review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/01/05/the-mind/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2025 BBC
Music: "Climbing" by AShamaluevMusic.
Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com
Music: "Success Story" by AShamaluevMusic.
Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com
Support
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Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
The candlelight flickers across the damp stone walls, casting long shadows that stretch and twist. You huddle closer to the table, scanning the cards laid out like pages from a forbidden story, the musky scent of ink and paper mixing with the chill in the air. Every dice roll echoes forebodingly in the quiet room, a tiny heartbeat of suspense. Each time you put pencil to paper, you mark the fate of you and your companions. Then, all of a sudden, you realise that you're so close. You're about to Escape the Dark Castle by Alex Crispin, Thomas Pike and James Shelton from Themeborne with art by Alex Crispin.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/10/11/escape-the-dark-castle-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Escape the Dark Castle: https://themeborne.com/products/escape-the-dark-castle-second-edition
- Rulebook: https://themeborne.com/pages/escape-the-dark-castle-rule-books
- Rules video: https://youtu.be/9aRQ6tU4P1k?si=sWnXqeRxNBHLXDtU
- Themeborne: https://themeborne.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/227456/escape-the-dark-castle
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Cinematic Suspense Series Episode 001 by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/5786-cinematic-suspense-series-episode-001
Music: Dark Secrets (DECISION) by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/246-dark-secrets-decision
Music: Timelapse (instrumental) by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/2983-timelapse-instrumental
Support
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Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
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Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
I was reading Dan Thurot’s most recent article, titled "Anti-Fun", when, as so often with his writing, I found myself challenged in the best possible way. Few people in board game criticism can cut to the heart of a topic like Dan can. That is why his work is so valuable and important. So, as I say, I felt challenged. His argument that the word "fun" has no real use in criticism struck me as too dismissive. To my mind, the word "fun" still holds value, even if it cannot stand alone. So, this article is my reply to the argument he makes in his article.
Read the full topic discussion article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/10/07/keeping-the-fun-a-reply-to-dan-thurots-anti-fun-article-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Space-Biff “Anti-Fun” article: https://spacebiff.com/2025/09/30/anti-fun/
- Doomlings review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/06/01/doomlings-saturday-review/
- Pax Pamir review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/08/27/pax-pamir-second-edition-saturday-review/
- Fetching Feathers review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/09/27/fetching-feathers-saturday-review/
- Wingspan review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/03/16/wingspan/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music by: https://www.bensound.com/free-music-for-videos
License code: I3ZNA6I4QC5EPH6U
Artist: : Yunior Arronte
Royalty Free Music: https://www.bensound.com
License code: LCSEP3IJP8ULUQ8K
Artist: : Dreamt
Music by Bensound.com
License code: CGYD1KYW0CT6JCB1
Artist: : Vital
Support
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Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
(Photo by Erik Mclean on Unsplash)
Your skin is cold as you awaken in the dark. You have nothing but a flickering candle. A terrifying foreboding is constricting your throat, just like the narrow passageway is squashing your body. You know you are trapped in the tightest, most claustrophobic tunnel labyrinth imaginable. Yet, you must find keys and gates that may vanish at any moment, your only path to freedom. You must press on and escape The Night Cage by Christopher Ryan Chan, Chris McMahon and Rosswell Saunders from Smirk & Dagger Games with art by Christopher Ryan Chan.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/10/04/the-night-cage-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- The Night Cage: https://www.smirkanddagger.com/product-page/the-night-cage
- Rulebook: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OfX0jC9aCqJSRzBWWKid2jwVHgzuh2hU/view?usp=sharing
- Rules video: https://www.youtube.com/live/offbPlhznCw?si=6FCEoTq-KfoB0_Z8
- Smirk & Dagger Games: https://www.smirkanddagger.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/306709/the-night-cage
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Lost Place Atmospheres 003 by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/7675-lost-place-atmospheres-003
Music: Cinematic Suspense Series Episode 002 by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/5789-cinematic-suspense-series-episode-002
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
As board gamers, we are obsessed with size. We love sharing shelfies to show off the size of our giant board game collection. Board games that come in a giant box that could double up as a garage for a small car are appealing to us. We love giant miniatures that we could use for weight training. War games that come with thousands of chits and other little tokens are standard. So, this article obsesses over how much table space some board games require and if we should start to record this as a new statistic alongside player count, age range, game length and complexity.
Read the full topic discussion article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/09/30/size-matters-board-games-table-space-requirements-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Wingspan review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/03/16/wingspan/
- Scythe review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/01/19/scythe/
- Love Letter review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/01/23/love-letter-saturday-review/
- Mint Tin Mini Skulduggery review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/03/09/mint-tin-mini-skulduggery/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Royalty Free Music: https://www.bensound.com
License code: Z75OXZPTAKFN0XOA
Artist: : Yunior Arronte
Music: https://www.bensound.com
License code: MLKYBCTAF9OAUSTX
Artist: : Nick Petrov
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
(Photo by Anne Nygård on Unsplash)
The wind rustled gently through the trees. Dappled sunshine bathed the garden in a warm yellow tint, catching on the edges of the leaves and shimmering on the glass of a small bird bath. A hummingbird flitted from branch to branch, pausing briefly to inspect a cluster of flowers. Further away, a woodpecker drilled purposefully into the thick trunk of an old oak. The seasons were starting to change though. The time for migration was upon us. Soon, the colourful plumage of the birds would no longer be seen. There would be no more Fetching Feathers by Chris Priscott from Unfringed with art by Faizul Mudhakir.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/09/27/fetching-feathers-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Fetching Feathers: https://unfringed.co/fetchingfeathers/
- Kickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/unfringed/fetching-feathers
- Rules video: https://youtu.be/DidV0dq0P7U?si=YTl3pY_Dl0pL7co6
- Unfringed: https://unfringed.co/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/445590/fetching-feathers
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2025 BBC
Findin’ A Way Out by Øraeth | https://soundcloud.com/itsoraeth
Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com
Creative Commons / Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0)
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/
Path Of The Fireflies by AERØHEAD | https://soundcloud.com/aerohead
Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com
Creative Commons / Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0)
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en_US
Closer by LiQWYD | https://www.liqwydmusic.com
Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com
Creative Commons / Attribution 3.0 Unported License (CC BY 3.0)
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US
Support
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Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
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Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
We are all so very conditioned to play board games to the end. Most games have some sort of end game trigger and a form of end game scoring. They want us to play them all the way through. Yet, when a player’s win is all but guaranteed, continuing to the end seems pointless. The enjoyment of a game often matters more than strictly following the rules. Adapting play to the situation and the group’s mood can keep board gaming fun and engaging. I want to look at this in some more detail and explore why so many of us insist on playing to the very end.
Read the full topic discussion article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/09/23/to-the-bitter-end-board-games-dont-have-to-finish-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Brass: Birmingham review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/07/06/brass-birmingham-saturday-review/
- Tapestry review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/10/26/tapestry-saturday-review/
- Ovsiankina Effect: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ovsiankina_effect
- The Crew review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/12/05/the-crew-the-quest-for-planet-nine-saturday-review/
- Prey Another Day review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/05/11/prey-another-day-saturday-review/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Royalty Free Music: Bensound.com/royalty-free-music
License code: SZZLWUJHVBUPJ80V
Artist: : Vital
Music by Bensound
License code: ZBROHOHA7CPSHBMA
Artist: : The Fable
Music: Bensound.com/free-music-for-videos
License code: AFAL3NFGWYHRDT21
Artist: : Lunar Years
Support
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Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
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Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
(Photo by Marek Piwnicki on Unsplash)
It was like there were pixels: red ones, blue ones and black ones. There was one, two, three or four for each, sometimes none, in all sorts of combinations. You could combine them to give you five, six, seven or eight in the different colours. It was a real puzzle. You wanted to create the lowest or highest difference between the numbers in the centre and those in your hand. That difference changed over time. It was D.O.T by Chris Priscott from Unfringed.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/09/20/d-o-t-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- D.O.T: https://unfringed.co/dot/
- Kickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/unfringed/fetching-feathers
- Unfringed: https://unfringed.co/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/451061/dot
- Dune review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/02/08/dune-saturday-review/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: "analogs" provided by mobygratis.
Music: "i believed inst" provided by mobygratis.
Music: "disto1" provided by mobygratis.
Support
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Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
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Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
Sometimes I want to become the character on my player board, living out their adventure and experiencing a dramatic story filled with excitement and suspense. Other times, I just want to move some wooden pieces across a plain board, while I am deep in thought, and a giant decision tree that’s unfolding further with every turn fills my mind. Sometimes I yearn for a thematic experience, other times I crave something purely abstract. So in this article, I want to look at how these two board game categorisations shape the gameplay experience.
Read the full topic discussion article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/09/16/abstract-imagination-thematic-and-abstract-games-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Betrayal at House on the Hill review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/01/14/betrayal-at-house-on-the-hill-3rd-edition-saturday-review/
- Root review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/02/12/root-a-game-of-woodland-might-and-right-saturday-review/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: https://www.bensound.com
License code: HAGPZN8QVBH9PRLB
Artist: : Lunar Years
Music by Bensound
License code: C6OWWPO2VLQBAOCS
Artist: : Theatre Of Delays
Music I Use: https://www.bensound.com/free-music-for-videos
License code: LRJMMDLS915XVZ4C
Artist: : Vital
Music by https://www.bensound.com
License code: RSJQEDEJQHLOGU0U
Artist: : The Fable
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
(Photo by Bruno Ramos Lara on Unsplash)
The sun had just begun its slow climb over the horizon, casting molten gold across the waves. In the harbour of Puri, the scent of salt and spices mingled as the Sadhabas prepared for the season’s voyage. Families murmured blessings, drums echoed from the shore, and the rhythm of the sea promised both peril and fortune. Odisha’s maritime heritage would continue when the sailors left in their Pattachitra-patterned Boitas by Sidhant Chand from Kheo Games with art by Janki Bavle.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/09/13/boitas-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Boitas: https://kheogames.com/product/boitas/
- Rulebook: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/290065/rulebook
- Rules video: https://youtu.be/cdvL2j9q7Bo?si=bfo-Y9BrQS_FIc4c
- Kheo Games: https://kheogames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/424277/boitas
- Skull King review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/01/04/skull-king-saturday-review/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: ZapSplat
Link: https://www.zapsplat.com/
Music: Crash & Burn by Aakash Gandhi (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Fusion of Dhol by Aakash Gandhi (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
Working by candlelight, we carefully stepped between endless shelves of books, books whose vivid imagination and terrible thoughts had become real and had entered our world. There were giant kraken, the frightful Fenrir and other monsters, as well as infamous characters, such as Count Dracula or Grendel’s Mother, prowling in the shadows. However, luckily, wonderful women, such as Marie Curie, Anne of Green Gables and even Red Riding Hood, had also come to life. With the help of these powerful heroines, we could finally catch those creatures that were Loose in the Library by Mill Goble and Jessica Metheringham from Dissent Games with art by Samantha Grieve and Jessica Metheringham.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/09/06/loose-in-the-library-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Loose in the Library: https://dissentgames.com/litl/
- Kickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dissentgames/loose-in-the-library
- Dissent Games: https://dissentgames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/431171/loose-in-the-library
- Library Labyrinth review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/02/26/library-labyrinth-saturday-review/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Halloween Atmosphere 2018 (endless loop) by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/3236-halloween-atmosphere-2018-endless-loop
Music: Dreamsphere 4 by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/199-dreamsphere-4
Support
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Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
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There is something fascinating about making things up that could never exist. The mind wanders. Ideas that go against all logic are conjured up. Taken to the edge of existence, to a time when everything ceases to exist, it creates a sense of weird foreboding. Ultimately, we all know that there is no escaping the grand finale. All we can do is watch the Doomlings: Imaginary Ends by Justus Meyer and Andrew Meyer from Doomlings.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/08/30/doomlings-imaginary-ends-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Doomlings: Imaginary Ends: https://www.doomlings.com/products/imaginary-ends
- Video: https://youtu.be/pUb6-KryCNY?si=9Aq-6wiMS834pJG0
- Doomlings: https://doomlings.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/424143/doomlings-imaginary-ends
- Doomlings review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/06/01/doomlings-saturday-review/
- Doomlings: Upgrade Pack review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/11/23/doomlings-upgrade-pack-saturday-review/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Blockbuster Atmosphere 1 (Calm) by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/128-blockbuster-atmosphere-1-calm
Music: Float Away (instrumental) by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/300-float-away-instrumental
Music: Flying Angels by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/2934-flying-angels
Support
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Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
Most of us have heard of situations in our hobby where someone has behaved in a toxic way. Some of us have even experienced this directly. We can often name at least one bad actor who is still around in our community. We may have also seen publishers releasing games with an IP that is linked to a person whose behaviour has been widely condemned. As a reviewer, my instinct has always been not to review games linked to toxic people. Yet over time, I have realised that things are rarely that simple.
Read the full topic discussion article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/08/26/ethics-and-reviews-revisited-my-personal-stance-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Reviews, Bad Actors and Consequentialism – reviewing games from controversial publishers article: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/09/12/reviews-bad-actors-and-consequentialism-reviewing-games-from-controversial-publishers-topic-discussion/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Luminance by Ghostrifter Official | https://soundcloud.com/ghostrifter-official
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Music: "am23" provided by mobygratis.
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License code: 2L4XYLITEDBKSPH2
Artist: : Benjamin Tissot
Support
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(Photo by Dan Meyers on Unsplash)
It started as a thought experiment, sealed away from the certainty of observation. We sat at the table, hands of cards like particles suspended in probability. No suit existed until declared, collapsing the wave of potential into a single, immutable state. Every choice rewrote the shape of the universe we shared, while paradoxes loomed like black holes at the edge of play. The research board became our map of reality, and each token placed was another observation that could never be undone. In the end, all possibilities resolved into one truth, and what we finally observed was a Cat in the Box by Muneyuki Yokouchi from Bézier Games with art by Osamu Inoue.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/08/23/cat-in-the-box-digital-eyes/
Useful Links
- Cat in the Box: https://beziergames.com/products/cat-in-the-box-deluxe-edition
- Rulebook: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0740/4855/files/CATX_English_Online_Rules.pdf?v=1646343073
- Rules video: https://youtu.be/oZFK8iQZKTg?si=NaRTCzRvQem_ho5Y
- Bézier Games: https://beziergames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/345972/cat-in-the-box-deluxe-edition
- Tricky tricks – trick-taking and other games article: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/10/18/tricky-tricks-trick-taking-and-other-games-topic-discussion/
- Trick-Taking it to the Next Level – my fascination with trick-taking games article: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/12/12/trick-taking-it-to-the-next-level-my-fascination-with-trick-taking-games-topic-discussion/
- Twist Taking – trick-taking games with a twist article: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/04/23/twist-taking-trick-taking-games-with-a-twist-topic-discussion/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Fission by Ludwig Göransson
Music by https://www.bensound.com
License code: PQETYDVIU379UKVE
Artist: : Benjamin Tissot
Support
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Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
(Photo courtesy of Bézier Games)
I think board games aren't just entertainment. They're not just a way to spend time with friends or family, or even alone. I think board games can be thought-provoking. They can tease our interest in a topic that we want to investigate further. Some board games can even carry an important message that is shared as we play them. These are games that I have always felt drawn to. This article is an ode to them.
Read the full topic discussion article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/08/19/historical-hubris-the-draw-of-history-politics-and-purpose-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Pax Pamir: Second Edition review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/08/27/pax-pamir-second-edition-saturday-review/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: "Dashed Ambitions" provided by mobygratis.
Music: "Cartilage" provided by mobygratis.
Music: "Bird Meets Dog" provided by mobygratis.
Support
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Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
(Photo by Joanna Kosinska on Unsplash)
A great, furry creature once stumbled upon a golden treasure hidden within an old, hollowed-out tree trunk. Tempted by its sweetness, its giant paws struck without thought, only to be driven back by the stinging guardians, who fought to their deaths to protect their home. So goes the story of The Bears and the Bees by Jeffery Beck from Grandpa Beck’s Games with art by David Bock and Apryl Stott.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/08/16/the-bears-and-the-bees-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- The Bears and the Bees: https://www.grandpabecksgames.com/products/the-bears-and-the-bees
- Rulebook: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0565/3230/4053/files/bb_rulebook_optimized.pdf?v=1652992513
- Grandpa Beck’s Games: https://www.grandpabecksgames.com
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/257372/the-bears-and-the-bees
- Skull King review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/01/04/skull-king-saturday-review/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2025 BBC
Music I use: Bensound
License code: TGVXMB83NMTKHFFN
Artist: : Aventure
Music: https://www.bensound.com
License code: STXBG0K2SL8ZYS9I
Artist: : Aventure
Support
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Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
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Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
I love Hegemony: Lead Your Class to Victory. It's an amazing economic simulation with huge ambitions. And yet, it rarely comes to the table. The reason is simple. It takes about half an hour to set up. You have to separate card decks, shuffle them, put a number of different components into different locations and do various other things before you can start playing. While Hegemony is a heavy game, it's not its complexity that is the problem. It's the effort of setting it up. That made me think about whether a critical board game review should consider this or if this is more the remit of a product review.
Read the full topic discussion article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/08/12/critical-products-product-reviews-vs-critical-reviews-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Stonemaier Games: https://stonemaiergames.com/
- Fled review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/07/26/fled-saturday-review/
- Mystic Vale review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2018/12/08/mystic-vale/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Success by Mixaund | https://mixaund.bandcamp.com
Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com
Music by: Bensound
License code: XYJHH24GPPT8BJ8G
Artist: : Benjamin Tissot
Music by: bensound.com
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Artist: : Lunar Years
Music I Use: https://www.bensound.com/free-music-for-videos
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Artist: : Aventure
Music by: https://www.bensound.com
License code: DMMTAKZV5MTBQDPI
Artist: : Yunior Arronte
Support
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(Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash)
The skyline cracked open in a bright flash. Buildings around us collapsed into dust. There was no way out. Sirens wailed, the air stank of ozone, and there was a huge, deep roar that shook the ground around us. Then came another roar and another. Suddenly, we saw Mothra through the smoke. There was also King Ghidorah looming over the skyline. Then Megalon burst from the rubble. Finally, we saw the king of monsters. It was Godzilla: Tokyo Clash by Aaron Donog and Prospero Hall from Funko Games with art by Jason Kang.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/08/09/godzilla-tokyo-clash-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Godzilla: Tokyo Clash: https://magicmadhouse.co.uk/funko-godzilla-tokyo-clash
- Rulebook: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/203628/godzilla-tokyo-clash-instructions
- Funko Games: https://www.vividtoysandgames.co.uk/product-category/funko-games
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/303051/godzilla-tokyo-clash
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: ZapSplat
Link: https://www.zapsplat.com/
Music: Cinema Blockbuster Trailer 12 by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/559-cinema-blockbuster-trailer-12
Music by: Bensound.com/free-music-for-videos
License code: JZAUGQN0358ACXRV
Artist: : Benjamin Lazzarus
Support
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Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
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Seeing a paper belly band, instead of plastic shrink wrap, around the decks of cards in Isle of Night from Red Raven Games made me realise that now might be the time to write again about sustainability and eco-friendliness in the board game hobby. Thinking back over the last few months, it feels as if publishers and players alike have started thinking more about making games greener. So in this article, I am looking at where the industry stands today.
Read the full topic discussion article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/08/05/shelf-to-soil-how-board-games-are-getting-greener-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Isle of Night review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/07/19/isle-of-night-saturday-review/
- Red Raven Games: https://www.redravengames.com/
- Stonemaier Games: https://stonemaiergames.com/
- Are Our Games Eco-Friendly? Part 1: https://stonemaiergames.com/are-our-games-eco-friendly-part-1/
- Eco-Friendly Components and a Great User Experience Are Both Possible: https://stonemaiergames.com/eco-friendly-components-and-a-great-user-experience-are-both-possible/
- Wingspan review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/03/16/wingspan/
- Above and Below: Haunted crowdfunding campaign: https://gamefound.com/en/projects/red-raven-games/above-and-below-haunted
- Creature Caravan crowdfunding campaign: https://gamefound.com/en/projects/red-raven-games/creature-caravan
- Lookout Spiele: https://www.lookout-spiele.de/en/news.php
- Greenline Announcement: https://www.lookout-spiele.de/en/news/greenline_announcement.html
- El Paso Board Game Road, Lookout Spiele, https://www.lookout-spiele.de/en/news/elpaso_boardgameroad.html
- Trash Rush crowdfunding campaign: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rosemarymosco/trash-rush/posts/4084292
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Startup by Alex-Productions | https://onsound.eu/
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10 Chill-Hop Tracks (vol. 1) by | e s c p | https://www.escp.space
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(Photo by Noah Buscher on Unsplash)
As the green candlelight flickered lower and lower, a group of tireless paranormal researchers who had gathered around a reconstructed ritual circle were casting ancient manuscripts into the flames. Whispers rose with the smoke, and strange omens shimmered where the veil between reality and the land of the Ancient Ones had thinned. They knew the risks. They knew they were slowly losing their minds. Yet, they pressed on, drawn to the truths that lurked beyond comprehension. They were prepared to pay the ultimate price to join the exclusive Club of Cthulhu by Shi Chen from Play With Us Design with art by Keching Chang.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/08/02/club-of-cthulhu-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Club of Cthulhu: https://pwud.ga/product/club-of-cthulhu/
- Rulebook: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/299980/club-of-cthulhu-english-rules
- Play With Us Design: https://pwud.ga/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/445785/club-of-cthulhu
- Soulaween review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/10/29/soulaween-saturday-review/
- Sea Salt & Paper review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/07/08/sea-salt-paper-saturday-review/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: ZapSplat
Link: https://www.zapsplat.com/
Music: Lost Place Atmospheres 001 by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/7664-lost-place-atmospheres-001
Music: Cinematic Suspense Series Episode 004 by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/5798-cinematic-suspense-series-episode-004
Support
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Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
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Atmosphere in board games is one of those things that is felt. It is not just about how a game looks or sounds, nor simply the story it tells. Instead, atmosphere is the subtle, almost elusive quality that emerges from the right mixture of art and illustrations, sound, gameplay and a player's imagination. It is what remains with us when all the noise fades and we are left with a sense of immersion and feeling unique to that game world. In this article, I want to explore what atmosphere means in board games and how it can be crafted.
Read the full topic discussion article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/07/29/atmospheric-anxiety-how-board-games-create-tense-emotions-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Nemesis review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/06/18/nemesis-saturday-review/
- Adam Kwapiński's design diary for Heroes: https://boardgamegeek.com/blog/1/blogpost/46089/designer-diary-all-about-the-atmosphere-or-the-des
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Surrounded by Hayden Folker | https://soundcloud.com/hayden-folker
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Back Home by | e s c p | https://www.escp.space
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(Photo by Stefano Pollio on Unsplash)
There was no way out. The cell door was locked, the corridor quiet, and the warders had already done their rounds. A smuggled spoon pressed cold against the palm of my hand, a comb tucked into a loose floorboard, a stamp in my sock and a muffin hidden in the mess. None of it made sense yet, but I would figure it out. I had to. I was going to escape Spike Island, and when I did, my captors would shout: "He Fled!" by Mark K. Swanson from Odd Bird Games with art by Klemens Franz.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/07/26/fled-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Fled: https://oddbirdgames.com/escape-from-a-vile-victorian-prison/
- Rulebook: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/275195/official-fled-english-rulebook-compressed-v3
- Odd Bird Games: https://oddbirdgames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/382444/fled
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2025 BBC
Music: Cicle Vascule by Blue Dot Sessions
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When the locals told you the ancient tales of a mysterious island that was said to be strewn with gold, gems and many other treasures, you knew you had to go and discover the island's secrets for yourself. Even when they warned you that it was home to countless ferocious dragons and that the waters around it were infested with dangerous serpents, you weren't swayed. So you set off at night, the only time when the island would appear, because it was the Isle of Night by Dustin Dowdle from Red Raven Games with art by Ryan Laukat.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/07/19/isle-of-night-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Isle of Night: https://www.redravengames.com/isle-of-night/
- Rulebook: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/w7f9isvhg6ou96pt7hz55/AAADklDEQzem8AAvT4Lx9KY?dl=0&e=1&preview=Isle+of+Night_rulebook_ver+04.pdf&rlkey=fcm9tckdbzhqct9d340ntgt7u&st=ge7qkdve
- Red Raven Games: https://www.redravengames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/412997/isle-of-night
- Eight-Minute Empire: Legends review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/12/07/eight-minute-empire-legends-saturday-review/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2025 BBC
Music by https://www.bensound.com/free-music-for-videos
License code: HGUUXN5BDOHW43LX
Artist: Theatre Of Delays
Support
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It was the first day of our project. It was also the first day on Mars. There were another forty-two days ahead of us, and every day, including today, we were faced with a different mission. These missions were going to get more challenging as we progressed. Our team consisted of a cryptographer, a navigator, a geologist, a mineralogist, a geochemist, a physicist, and even a futurist. So we were hopeful that we would successfully make it through this Mars Expedition: Sol 43 by Sergii Cherkasov and Lina Chykaliuk from Queensell.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/07/12/mars-expedition-sol-43-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Mars Expedition: Sol 43: https://queensell.com/pages/sol43
- Queensell: https://queensell.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/413868/mars-expedition-sol43
- Escape Room Puzzles review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/02/01/escape-room-puzzles-saturday-review/
- EXIT game series: https://store.thamesandkosmos.com/collections/exit-the-game
- Adventure Games: The Dungeon review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/06/25/adventure-games-the-dungeon-saturday-review/
- Suspects review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/04/09/suspects-saturday-review/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
EGLAIR by Alex-Productions | https://onsound.eu/
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Incredulity by Scott Buckley | https://soundcloud.com/scottbuckley
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I am sure many of us have been there. I know I certainly have. There are some games you simply overlook and don't give a fair chance. Maybe it’s the box art that doesn’t speak to you, or the components that look dull or too childish. Whatever it is, you just don't give it another thought. You have already formed an opinion of what the game is in your mind. Of course, that mental image is sometimes completely wrong. In this article, I want to talk about what first impressions are and how they can betray you.
Read the full topic discussion article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/07/08/hate-at-first-sight-the-trap-of-first-impressions-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Zuuli: https://unfringed.co/zuuli/
- Unfringed: https://unfringed.co/
- Oink Games: https://oinkgames.com/en/
- Moving Wild: https://oinkgames.com/en/games/analog/moving-wild/
- Sycthe review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/01/19/scythe/
- Stonemaier Games: https://stonemaiergames.com/
- Arcs review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/11/02/arcs-saturday-review/
- Leder Games: https://ledergames.com/
- Brian Boru review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/04/16/brian-boru-high-king-of-ireland-saturday-review/
- Osprey Games: https://www.ospreypublishing.com/uk/osprey-games/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: The Show Begins Vol. 10 by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/12954-the-show-begins-vol-10
Music by: Bensound.com/royalty-free-music
Artist: Yunior Arronte
License code: AWLWCSZXYGNMSF85
Support
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Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
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Chapters
00:00 Intro and Welcome
00:16 Introduction
00:50 Mental Shortcuts
02:40 First Impression Fallacy
04:20 Other First Impression Fallacies
06:01 Happy Ending
07:38 Outro
08:07 Supporter Thank Yous
The lake was very peaceful and still. Its surface was covered by countless lily pads from eight different varieties. These lilies were extremely rare. Seeing all of them bloom at once was a very special moment. It only ever happened when there was A Gentle Rain by Kevin Wilson from Incredible Dream Studios with art by Chris Bilheimer and Wiktor Kozyra.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/07/05/a-gentle-rain-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- A Gentle Rain: https://kinfirechronicles.com/pages/a-gentle-rain
- Rulebook: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/267886/a-gentle-rain-2023-rulebook
- Rules video: https://youtu.be/K_G7XQkx-ik?si=jw1xPmnYXi2N8aTJ
- Incredible Dream Studios: https://www.incredibledream.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/334011/a-gentle-rain
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2025 BBC
Music: "Bird Meets Dog" provided by mobygratis.
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
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Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
In response to Queen Victoria's love of Osborne House, railways were built that ran from Cowes to Newport and from Ryde to Ventnor. As if to underline the significance of the project, two rival companies, the LSWR and LBSC, collaborated to create a train network that was soon hailed as a triumph of public service over profitability and that ran from Ryde to Ventnor, Freshwater to Newport, Cowes to Ryde via Newport, Newport to Sandown and Merstone to Ventnor. All of this happened in 1860: Railways on the Isle of Wight by Mike Hutton from All-Aboard Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/06/28/1860-railways-on-the-isle-of-wight-digital-eyes/
Useful Links
- 1860: Railways on the Isle of Wight: https://all-aboardgames.com/products/international-1860-railways-on-the-isle-of-wight
- Rulebook: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/238952/third-edition-rules
- Rules video: https://youtu.be/tb8DpmU0JrE?si=0gUdS68QBy_AOmJQ
- All-Aboard Games: https://all-aboardgames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/12750/1860-railways-on-the-isle-of-wight
- 18xx.games: https://18xx.games/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2025 BBC
Music I Use: Bensound.com/free-music-for-videos
License code: CILZ3MAE6USRDRHR
Support
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You just wanted to take a quiet and relaxing bath, but your plastic companions had other ideas. Instead of peacefully bobbing on the water, they turned into mad mallards. Water started to splash everywhere. Argh! You had only one choice. You had to Duck & Cover by Oussama Khelifati from Captain Games with art by Adrien Journel.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/06/21/duck-cover-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Duck & Cover: https://captain.games/en/games/duck-and-cover
- Rulebook: https://captain.games/games/duck-and-cover/rules-en.pdf
- Rules video: https://youtu.be/5T3CPDxxf2g?si=B9d-T1E3PpRttHQA
- Captain Games: https://captain.games/en
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/422019/duck-and-cover
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music by: Bensound
License code: YYRIV0J1GXWOS7IT
Music: bensound.com
License code: BCDCDZKK824VJ1UD
Support
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The goal is super simple. Get all of your four pawns from one end of the nine-by-nine grid to the other. It seems like a long way and as your opponent has the same goal, you need to be clever and outmanoeuvre them. Choose the right card to move your pawns in a pattern that allows you to get around your opponent's pawns and get closer to your goal. However, if you're not careful, one of your pawns will get knocked out. If this happens too many times, you will be Booted! by Karissa Tang and Skyden Tang.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/06/07/booted-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Booted!: https://www.bootedthegame.com/
- Rulebook: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Mt6R6a7kZYOBaXzNCdAup07sOS71ryyq/view?usp=sharing
- Rules video: https://youtu.be/Sg-XlWMvoEM
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/378065/booted
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: "light my way" provided by mobygratis.
Support
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The first time I covered this massive board game event was back in 2018. It was well-established at the Birmingham NEC by then, sprawling across halls 1, 2, 3 and 3A. During the COVID pandemic in 2021 and 2022, I skipped the show, but since 2023, I have attended again every year. So, technically speaking, this is my 6th UK Games Expo.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/06/07/uk-games-expo-2025-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- UK Games Expo: https://www.ukgamesexpo.co.uk/
- Asmodee: https://www.asmodee.co.uk/
- Atikin Games: https://atikingames.com/
- Malus Hortus review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/04/05/malus-hortus-saturday-review/
- Dissent Games: https://dissentgames.com/
- Naylor Games: https://naylorgames.com/
- Bright Eye Games: https://www.brighteyegames.com/
- Crimson Keep: https://www.crimsonkeep.co.uk/
- Crimson Keep review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/05/31/crimson-keep-saturday-review/
- Unfringed: https://unfringed.co/
- Minerva Tabletop: https://www.minervatabletop.co.uk/
- Swatch review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/08/01/swatch-saturday-review/
- Crumbs! review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/08/05/crumbs-the-sandwich-filler-game-saturday-review/
- APE Games: https://www.apegames.com/
- Stuff by Bez: https://www.stuffbybez.com/
- Play With Us Design: https://pwud.ga/
- Suolaween review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/10/29/soulaween-saturday-review/
- Red Raven Games: https://www.redravengames.com/
- Eight-Minutes Empires: Legends review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/12/07/eight-minute-empire-legends-saturday-review/
- Smirk & Dagger Games: https://www.smirkanddagger.com/
- Mighty Boards: https://www.mighty-boards.com/
- Czech Games Edition: https://www.czechgames.com/
- Osprey Games: https://www.ospreypublishing.com/uk/osprey-games/
- General Orders review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/02/17/general-orders-world-war-ii-saturday-review/
- Captain Games: https://captain.games/en
- Ocean City Games: https://oceancitygames.co.uk/
- Paper Fort Games: https://www.paperfortgames.com/
- Cosmoctopus review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/03/02/cosmoctopus-saturday-review/
- Roc Nest Games: https://rocnest.uk/
- Meeple Minded: https://www.facebook.com/MeepleMindedMedia/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: "diminished", "breaking" and "all day" provided by mobygratis.
Support
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Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
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On a remote island in the middle of the Boiling Sea, two factions build their fortresses, facing each other at opposite ends of the battlefield. They suppress their enemy while searching for two ancient crystals which promise great power. Whoever can find the crystals first will be able to summon an almighty dragon and launch their final attack and obliterate their mortal enemy's Crimson Keep a self-published game by Nick Warren with art from Filippo Gallo.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/05/31/crimson-keep-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Crimson Keep: https://www.crimsonkeep.co.uk/
- Rulebook: https://www.crimsonkeep.co.uk/_files/ugd/dca619_dda17b77b07a43058fa961211b035173.pdf
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/428015/crimson-keep
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: "Endurance" by AShamaluevMusic.
Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com
Music by https://www.bensound.com/free-music-for-videos
License code: FDY6UJCUWL7OZ1RK
Support
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Georgian England saw London quickly growing into one of the largest cities in Europe. As the city grew, coffee houses equally gained importance in society. For a mere penny, customers could purchase a cup of coffee and gain admission to these new spaces where they could learn the news of the day and perhaps meet other local residents and discuss mutual concerns. At the same time, some of these establishments were the birthplace of a new community. They became a place where people could explore gender and sexuality among like-minded people and this place became known as a Molly House by Jo Kelly and Cole Wehrle from Wehrlegig Games with art by Rachel Ford.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/05/24/molly-house-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Molly House: https://wehrlegig.com/products/molly-house
- Rulebook: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/1gq7h9i9i5aeiwo2f3rpk/Molly-House-Rules-BGG.pdf?rlkey=nutkkrax4h7rf42rcfqjbyojg&e=1&dl=0
- Wehrlegig Games: https://wehrlegig.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/349750/molly-house
- Pandemic review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/01/18/pandemic-saturday-review/
- Arcs review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/11/02/arcs-saturday-review/
- Oath review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/11/27/oath-chronicles-of-empire-and-exile-saturday-review/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Sarabande, Suite No. 4 in D minor, arranged for strings by George Frideric Händel from Classicals.de
Music: Cinematic Trailer Music 02, Cinematic Orchestral Action Trailer by Gregor Quendel from Classicals.de
Muisc: Cinematic Trailer Music 05, Cinematic Cello Arpeggio Trailer by Gregor Quendel from Classicals.de
Support
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I don't know how many times I have now attended, but during my first visit, I was walking the halls hoping to speak to publishers about my blog and praying that I might get a review copy or two. I attended for a single day, driving up all the way and back again by myself, trying to cram it all on. That's all changed over the years. So let me tell you my plans for UK Games Expo 2025.
Read the full topic discussion article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/05/20/uk-games-expo-2025-looking-ahead-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- UK Games Expo: https://www.ukgamesexpo.co.uk/
- Amosdee UK: https://www.asmodee.co.uk/
- £1,000 Giveaway: https://www.ukgamesexpo.co.uk/whats-on/show/1000-giveaway/
- Asmodee UK Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/AsmodeeUK
- Atikin Games: https://atikingames.com/
- Malus Hortus review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/04/05/malus-hortus-saturday-review/
- Stuff by Bez: https://www.stuffbybez.com/
- Dissent Game: https://dissentgames.com/
- Naylor Games: https://naylorgames.com/
- Unfringed: https://unfringed.co/
- Oink Games: https://oinkgames.com/en/
- Dranda Games: https://www.drandagames.co.uk/
- Osprey Games: https://www.ospreypublishing.com/uk/osprey-games/
- Ofrenda review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/05/10/ofrenda-saturday-review/
- Red Raven Games: https://www.redravengames.com/
- Hachette Boardgames UK: https://www.hachetteboardgames.co.uk/
- Paper Forg Games: https://www.paperfortgames.com/
- Play With Us Design (PWUD): https://pwud.ga/
- Playte: https://www.playte.com/
- Pueblo review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/03/22/pueblo-saturday-review/
- Ravensburger: https://www.ravensburger.co.uk/en-GB
- Kosmos: https://www.thamesandkosmos.co.uk/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: "oct 8 2021" provided by mobygratis.
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
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It is time for the Day of the Dead, the Día de los Muertos. It is also time to prepare our altar of family portraits with beautiful marigolds and candles to remember those who have passed away. Soon, we will make offerings of the things they loved, to guide their spirits back to us. At the same time, we have to be very careful how we arrange the photos. Like in any family, not everyone is happy to be right next to just anyone in our Ofrenda by Orlando Sá and André Santos from Osprey Games with art from Álex Herrerías.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/05/10/ofrenda-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Ofrenda: https://www.ospreypublishing.com/uk/ofrenda-9781472868787/
- Osprey Games: https://www.ospreypublishing.com/uk/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/432705/ofrenda
- My Shelfie review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/09/02/my-shelfie-saturday-review/
- Patchwork review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/11/21/patchwork-digital-eyes/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: "harder" provided by mobygratis.
Music: "death in the afternoon" provided by mobygratis.
Support
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Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
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Deep within the ruins of an ancient Sith temple, Kylo Ren stood with his unstable blade crackling, caught between admiration and resentment, as Darth Vader emerged, his presence suffocating, the air itself recoiling. Then Moff Gideon entered, while Asajj Ventress prowled the edges, twin sabres igniting, her gaze calculating. A metallic rasp followed as General Grievous stepped forward, stolen lightsabres humming in his grasp. Past, present and future - each a force of ambition, none willing to yield. This was no mere gathering. This was Star Wars Villainous: Power of the Dark Side by Michael Mulvihill and Prospero Hall from Ravensburger with art from Piotr Rossa and Lucas Torquato.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/05/03/star-wars-villainous-power-of-the-dark-side-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Star Wars Villainous: Power of the Dark Side: https://www.ravensburger.co.uk/en-GB/products/games/strategy-games/star-wars-villainous-27361
- Rulebook: https://www.ravensburger.co.uk/gameinstructions/ecm/Spielanleitungen/27361_anl_2361098%5B1%5D.pdf
- Rules Video: https://youtu.be/dmppgKarncY?si=5S6e_uxH4--djKhC
- Ravensburger: https://www.ravensburger.co.uk/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/358800/star-wars-villainous-power-of-the-dark-side
- Disney Villainous: The Worst Takes it All review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/04/12/disney-villainous-the-worst-takes-it-all-saturday-review/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music from the Rogue One: A Star Wars Story trailer - cover version.
Music: "ascending" provided by mobygratis.
Support
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Welcome to the Royal Scavenger Hunt of Tockton Clock. You are cordially invited. It is time to gather your team. Hop onto the big hand and journey around the clock face, pushing other mice off in the process. Don't waste any time though, because when the clock strikes midnight, the hunt is over. So be quick and line up your crew alongside Hickory Dickory by Sawyer West from Plaid Hat Games with illustrations by Sonja Müller.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/04/26/hickory-dickory-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Hickory Dickory: https://www.hickorydickorygame.com/
- Rulebook: https://www.hickorydickorygame.com/rules.pdf
- Rules Video: https://youtu.be/DVaTDyT4kXA?si=74AgVGN1BNvrdyQM
- Plaid Hat Games: https://www.plaidhatgames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/367490/hickory-dickory
- Azul review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/09/19/azul-saturday-review/
- Sagrada review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/08/06/sagrada-saturday-review/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2025 BBC
Music: https://www.bensound.com/free-music-for-videos
License code: GSSYFGQOMUKIANIE
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
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Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
Six scoundrels had gathered: Captain Hook was plotting his revenge, Jafar envisioned ruling unopposed, Maleficent smiled at the thought of thorns engulfing the kingdom, Prince John was devising new taxes to fill his coffers, the Queen of Hearts brooded over her next decree of decapitation, while Ursula lounged with a sly grin, imagining helpless souls entangled in her tentacles. Each was driven to prove their wickedness and become the evilest Disney Villainous: The Worst Takes it All by Aaron Donogh, Brian Kirk and Prospero Hall from Ravensburger.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/04/12/disney-villainous-the-worst-takes-it-all-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Disney Villainous: The Worst Takes it All: https://www.ravensburger.co.uk/en-GB/products/games/strategy-games/disney-villainous-26295
- Rulebook: https://www.ravensburger.co.uk/gameinstructions/ecm/Spielanleitungen/26295%20anl%202050897.pdf
- Rules Video: https://youtu.be/8wdvXKRfoPI?si=8wlIOKbdAh7zr0-K
- Ravensburger: https://www.ravensburger.co.uk/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/256382/disney-villainous-the-worst-takes-it-all
- Root review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/02/12/root-a-game-of-woodland-might-and-right-saturday-review/
- Oath review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/11/27/oath-chronicles-of-empire-and-exile-saturday-review/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: "Fortress" by AShamaluevMusic.
Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com
Music: Cinematic Suspense Series Episode 008 by Sascha Ende
Link: https://filmmusic.io/en/song/7669-cinematic-suspense-series-episode-008
Support
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Suddenly, you come to. You've woken from a deep dream - or maybe it was a nightmare. You're lying on the cold ground. Your immediate thought is to check for injuries, but you only have some light bruises and scratches. Your memory seems worse though. Everything is a bit muddled. You can’t remember where you are or why you are here. You dimly recall the scent of flowers. Yes, that's it. The flowers were what made you come here. They were so beautiful and inviting. But then something changed as the sun set. The exquisite flowers changed. They turned into nightmares, with evil eyes, gnashing teeth and lashing vines. It all started to come back. The evil flowers had been feeding on your energy. Your magic is drained. Yet, you instinctively know that you have to get out of here. You have to flee this Malus Hortus by Nikita Sullivan from Atikin Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/04/05/malus-hortus-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Malus Hortus: https://atikingames.com/malushortus/
- Kickstarter campaign: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/atikingames/malushortus/
- Atikin Games: https://atikingames.com/
- Nikita Sullivan interview: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/01/20/nikita-sullivan-let-me-illustrate/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/319707/malum-hortus
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Contamination by Purple Planet Music (https://www.purple-planet.com/)
Song: Lochlainn - The Garden [NCS Release]
Music provided by NoCopyrightSounds
Free Download/Stream: http://NCS.io/TheGarden
Watch: http://youtu.be/tZYlqiGgKQ4
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
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As the long, dark winter looms, bears gather along the river, drawn by the promise of a feast. They fight for the best fishing spots, where leaping salmon offer a chance at survival. The strongest dominate the prime locations, while others perfect their own hunting techniques. Each catch is a battle, each meal a lifeline. Only those who have feasted well will endure in the wild heart of Katmai: The Bears of Brooks River by Peter Ridgeway from Osprey Games with illustrations from Tom Lopez.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/03/29/katmai-the-bears-of-brooks-river-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Katmai: The Bears of Brooks River: https://www.ospreypublishing.com/uk/katmai-9781472867353/
- Rulebook: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/290154/katmai-rulebook
- Osprey Games: https://www.ospreypublishing.com/uk/osprey-games/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/419908/katmai-the-bears-of-brooks-river
- Katmai Conservancy: https://katmaiconservancy.org/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2025 BBC
Nature Spirit ( LoFi , Chill ) by HoliznaPATREON is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Support
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Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
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The sun beats down as you and the other craftsmen raise the walls, just like your ancestors once built their great stone villages. Be careful though, because if the Chieftain spots your signature stones, you will be penalised. As space runs out, only the most cunning will earn the Chieftain’s favour and successfully build their Pueblo by Michael Kiesling and Wolfgang Kramer from Mojito Studios with art from SillyJellie.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/03/22/pueblo-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Pueblo: https://www.mojitostudios.com/?section=games&code=pueblo
- Rulebook: https://www.mojitostudios.com/assets/files/pueblo/Pueblo_Rulebook_EN.pdf
- Mojito Studios: https://www.mojitostudios.com/index.php
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/3228/pueblo
- Wikipedia definition of Pueblo: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pueblo
- Ecofriendly credentials of Pueblo: https://gamefound.com/en/projects/mojito-studios/pueblo#/section/eco-friendly-production-14392
- Looot review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/10/19/looot-saturday-review/
- Diatoms review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/02/03/diatoms-saturday-review/
- Applejack review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/09/30/applejack-saturday-review/
- Akropolis review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/09/09/akropolis-saturday-review/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2025 BBC
Music: https://www.bensound.com/free-music-for-videos
License code: YHQXUSLI0LOYJY2O
Support
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Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/
The sun blazes over the wasteland as your tribe fights for survival, its fate tied to three fragile camps and its lifeblood measured in precious drops of water. A single rival warband looms on the horizon, ready to strike. You need to be ready to fight and unleash chaos. Every drop of water spent is a gamble, a step toward victory or ruin. When the dust settles, only one tribe will remain in the desolate Radlands by Daniel Piechnick from Roxley Games with illustrations from Delia Arnone, Lina Cossette, Damien Mammoliti and Manny Trembley.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/03/15/radlands-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Radlands: https://roxley.com/products/radlands
- Rulebook: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0246/2190/8043/files/Radlands_Rulebook_Booklet_2.0.pdf?v=1731534467
- Roxley Games: https://roxley.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/329082/radlands
- KeyForge: Call of the Archons review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/01/12/keyforge-call-of-the-archons/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: "Uprising" by AShamaluevMusic.
Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com
Music I Use: https://www.bensound.com/free-music-for-videos
License code: U7SXOPAR3VS0IWKP
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
- Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
- Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/
In the grand arena, two teams stepped onto the sacred battlefield, chosen by fate to clash in a relentless battle. The indomitable Dragon Hunters, descendants of war heroes who once battled the Dark Flame dragons, faced the elusive ninjas of the Hidden Temple, protectors of the grand Gang Port, who in turn would fight either the unyielding Guards of Witgat, heirs of a mountain tribe that endured the Celestial Fall, or The Institute, the largest team, yet the weakest individually, led by the enigmatic Professor. Each battle intertwined the opposing teams' fates and further shaped the future of the realm itself. Each clash was another chapter in the endless struggle of the Heroes of Timeline by Oleh Shyianovskyi from Heroes of Timeline Ltd with art from Victoria Novak.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/03/01/heroes-of-timeline-saturday-review/
Useful Links
Heroes of Timeline: https://heroesoftimeline.com/
Rulebook: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0798/8756/5147/files/Heroes_of_Timeline_-_Rulebook.pdf?v=1717258045
Heroes of Timeline Ltd: https://heroesoftimeline.com/
BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/414994/heroes-of-timeline
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2025 BBC
Music by: Bensound.com/royalty-free-music
License code: IIWZGPBOW5ZSCHJC
Ride The Wind by Scott Buckley | https://soundcloud.com/scottbuckley
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The skiers were lined up at the starting line, rifles strapped across their backs, ski sticks in hand. They proudly represented their nations and each represented a different mix of skills. Some were faster going cross-country, others had better endurance and there were some with precision shooting skills. It would be a tense race. It would be a Biathlon Blast by Lars Max Jensen and Carl Tenland from carlMax with art from Damien Mammoliti and Alex Tantraz.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/02/22/biathlon-blast-saturday-review/
Useful Links
Biathlon Blast: https://get.biathlonblast.com/
Rulebook: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/291450/rulebook-english
Kickstarter campaign: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/carlmax/biathlon-blast
carlMax: https://carlmax.dk/
BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/404422/biathlon-blast
Flamme Rouge review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/07/13/flamme-rouge-saturday-review/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2025 BBC
"Sleepers" by Sascha Ende
Link: https://filmmusic.io/en/song/3232-sleepers
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
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Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/
It seemed like a normal day until you listened to the voice message from your friend. It sounded urgent and like their life was in danger. They wanted to meet you at this club. You tried to call them back to find out more, but nobody answered. You started to worry and fear the worst, but you plucked up your courage. You just wished there still was Neon Hope by Francesco Grothe and Dominik Schönleben from Hopeful Games with illustrations from Robert Herzig and Consuelo Pecchenino.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/02/15/neon-hope-saturday-review/
Useful Links
Neon Hope: https://neonhopegame.com/
Rulebook: https://neonhopegame.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/NEON-HOPE-Quickstart-Rules-A5-digital-V1.1.1.pdf
Kickstarter campaign: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/hopefulgames/neon-hope-cyberpunk-meets-solarpunk
Hopeful Games: https://hopeful-games.com/
BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/421246/neon-hope
Adventure Games: The Dungeon review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/06/25/adventure-games-the-dungeon-saturday-review/
Pandemic review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/01/18/pandemic-saturday-review/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: "Cityscape" by AShamaluevMusic.
Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com
Music: "District" by AShamaluevMusic.
Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com
Music: "Megacity" by AShamaluevMusic.
Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/
It is the golden age of American railways. Rail stocks are all the rage, with new companies flooding the stock market all the time. The stakes are high, but you want to have a slice of the pie. The returns look great and investors get a say on a company's track-laying. To make it big, you have to be clever and know the Trick of the Rails by Hisashi Hayashi from Grok Games with illustrations from Ann-Sophie De Steu and Diego Sá.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/02/08/trick-of-the-rails-digital-eyes/
Useful Links
Trick of the Rails: https://travel-games.co.uk/shop/p/trick-of-the-rails
Rulebook: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/132844/trick-of-the-rails-official-second-edition-rules
Grok Games: https://grokgames.com.br/
BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/118497/trick-of-the-rails
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2025 BBC
Our Quiet Company by Blue Dot Sessions
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
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Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/
We were on a road trip. As our car was eating the miles, our journals and scrapbooks were filling up with photos, postcards and other souvenirs that would later remind us of the wonderful time we had. We were exploring towering peaks and massive canyons as we were making our way through this amazing desert, always being mindful of hazards. We loved every moment as we traversed Death Valley: Highs & Lows by Kevin Ellenburg from Button Shy with illustrations from Fachri Maulana.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/02/01/death-valley-highs-lows-saturday-review/
Useful Links
Death Valley: Highs & Lows: https://buttonshygames.com/products/death-valley-highs-and-lows-uk-only
Rulebook: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/288007/official-rules-button-shy
Button Shy: https://buttonshygames.com/
BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/402453/death-valley-highs-and-lows
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: "Walking" by AShamaluevMusic.
Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
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Feudal Japan is in turmoil. The collapse of the ancient authority of the Ashikaga Shogunate has plunged the country into a brutal civil war, known to history as the Sengoku Jidai. Clans clash in a relentless struggle for power and prestige. Now it is your turn to enter this bloody conflict as a great warrior. This is Senjutsu: Battle for Japan by Paul D. Allen and James Faulkner from Lucky Duck Games with illustrations from Imad Awan and Raben White.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/01/25/senjutsu-battle-for-japan-saturday-review/
Useful Links
Senjutsu: Battle for Japan: https://luckyduckgames.com/en/games/457-senjutsu-battle-for-japan
Rulebook: https://cdn.1j1ju.com/medias/42/0d/4a-senjutsu-battle-for-japan-rulebook.pdf
FAQs: https://www.stoneswordgames.com/_files/ugd/3cf294_abce73a0327e4b03b59dd84f1c0897b0.pdf
Lucky Duck Games: https://luckyduckgames.com/en
BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/343900/senjutsu-battle-for-japan
Games Workshop: https://www.warhammer.com/en-GB/home
Warhammer Underworlds: https://www.warhammer.com/en-GB/WarhammerUnderworlds-AoS-OtherGames-FLP
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music by Bensound
License code: XEIX6AY2E5AOGZOR
Music: "Legend" by AShamaluevMusic.
Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com
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The land of Arzium is facing a new threat. Ember Zombies have left their volcanic lands to the north and are walking through the previously peaceful lands that we call our home. You can easily recognise them with their charcoal bodies. Yet, there is hope. The city of Eastrey offers a safe haven for the creatures that are threatened by the malicious fire fairies. Everyone must make their way across deserts and plains, over mountains and through deep canyons and seek refuge, picking up other wandering creatures along the way, to join their Creature Caravan by Ryan Laukat from Red Raven Games with illustrations from Ryan Laukat.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/01/18/creature-caravan-saturday-review/
Useful Links
Creature Caravan: https://www.redravengames.com/creature-caravan/
Rulebook: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/291561/creature-caravan-rulebook
Red Raven Games: https://www.redravengames.com/
BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/385331/creature-caravan
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
"Desert Night" by Sascha Ende
Link: https://filmmusic.io/en/song/480-desert-night
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
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In a distant future, giant clay figures are pitted against each other in a race through a desolate terrain. They are controlled by racers who have secretly bet on a specific creature to cross the finish line first. However, all racers have control over all of the creatures and can change their bets during the race. The locals call this chaotic contest Golem Run by Tony Cotterill and Ren Multamäki from Dragon Dawn Productions.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/01/11/golem-run-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Golem Run: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ddpgames/golem-run-race-bet-fix-and-win?ref=ehk9ci
- Rulebook: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/5voy05gu0r34sqqcyl2az/Golem-Run-Rulebook-EN-WEB.pdf?rlkey=2m0rqvftmn44utukiy2remf0s&dl=0
- Dragon Dawn Productions: https://www.ddpgames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/411938/golem-run
- Arcs review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/11/02/arcs-saturday-review/
- Brian Boru review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/04/16/brian-boru-high-king-of-ireland-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
"Liberty Quest" by Sascha Ende
Link: https://filmmusic.io/en/song/293-liberty-quest
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
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- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
- Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/
With 2024 now being officially over, it's time for me to crown the top game of the year. However, in a slight change to the usual proceedings, this time around I am going to announce a total of four awards. After all, one game is never enough. So, here goes...
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/01/04/top-table-award-2024-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Knarr review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/07/20/knarr-saturday-review/
- Tapestry review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/11/09/tapestry-saturday-review/
- Prey Another Day review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/08/17/prey-another-day-saturday-review/
- Charms review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/08/24/charms-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music by Bensound
License code: LYKCDS6P6W5HKTVV
Music by https://www.bensound.com/free-music-for-videos
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Music: Bensound.com/free-music-for-videos
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Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/
As another year draws to a close, it's time to look back, take stock and also glimpse ahead. So let me share how 2024 was for me and give you an idea of what 2025 has in store.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/12/28/2024-a-year-in-review-and-a-look-ahead-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- 10x10 Challenge: https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/166160/2014-challenge-play-10-games-10-times-each
- Knarr review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/07/20/knarr-saturday-review/
- Tapestry review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/11/09/tapestry-saturday-review/
- Prey Another Day review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/08/17/prey-another-day-saturday-review/
- Medici review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/04/13/medici-saturday-review/
- Sea Salt & Paper review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/07/08/sea-salt-paper-saturday-review/
- Terraforming Mars review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/07/31/terraforming-mars-digital-eyes/
- Odin review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/03/30/odin-saturday-review/
- Mid Sussex Meeples: https://www.facebook.com/groups/midsussexmeeples/events
- Make My Game Travel: https://makemygametravel.com/
- Spielworxx: https://www.spielworxx.de/
- Bright Eye Games: https://www.brighteyegames.com/
- Berlin Con 2024 review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/07/27/berlin-brettspiel-con-2024-saturday-review/
- UK Games Expo 2024 review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/06/15/uk-games-expo-2024-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Background by 2TECH-AUDIO | https://2tech-audio.bandcamp.com
Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com
Creative Commons / Attribution 3.0 Unported License (CC BY 3.0)
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(Photo by Moritz Knöringer on Unsplash)
In the dark and damp tunnels, creatures lurked. Brave heroes dared to venture deep into the labyrinth, hoping to defeat fiends and undead creatures, while avoiding spells. It was a battle to the death and whoever came out victorious would enter the annals of the Dungeon Champs by Matt Garbutt from Outland Entertainment.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/12/21/dungeon-champs-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Outland Entertainment: https://outlandentertainment.com/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2024 BBC
Mystery Of Dandela by Sascha Ende
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/en/song/2979-mystery-of-dandela
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
- Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/
Take some sheep's heart, liver and lungs, mince them together with some chopped onion, oatmeal, suet, spices and salt, mix in some stock and cook it all together in the animal's stomach for about an hour. Add some neeps and tatties and enjoy your Haggis by Sean Ross from Portland Game Collective.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/12/14/haggis-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Haggis: https://portlandgamecollective.bigcartel.com/product/haggis
- Rulebook: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/278213/haggis-rulebook-pgc-english-edition
- Portland Game Collective: https://portlandgamecollective.bigcartel.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/37628/haggis
- Scout review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/07/02/scout-saturday-review/
- Odin review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/03/30/odin-saturday-review/
- Sakana Stack review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/09/14/sakana-stack-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music by https://www.free-stock-music.com
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Passions flamed and power waned. Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived. First Catherine of Aragon, who had the most time to establish loyal supporters and powerful allies, then Anne Boleyn, queen for less than a year. They were followed by Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard and Katherine Parr. These were The Six of VIII by Carol LaGrow from New Mill Industries.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/12/07/the-six-of-viii-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- The Six of VIII: https://www.newmillindustries.com/store/p/the-six-of-viii
- Rulebook: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/279695/the-six-of-viii-rulebook
- New Mill Industries: https://www.newmillindustries.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/394691/the-six-of-viii
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: https://www.bensound.com/free-music-for-videos
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Music: bensound.com
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I love a good game with an atmospheric setting. I want to feel the cold as my meeples climb up the mountain, hear the bees as I place my apple tree hexes in my cider orchard, smell the smoke and the grease when my trains operate or see the next station that my underground train enters. A game that whisks you away and fully immerses you in another world for an hour or two or three is truly awesome. In this article, I want to look at a few that do it for me.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/12/03/immersive-thematics-board-games-that-draw-you-in-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- K2 review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/09/25/k2-digital-eyes/
- Next Station: London review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/06/17/next-station-london-saturday-review/
- Flamme Rouge review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/07/13/flamme-rouge-saturday-review/
- Castle Panic review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/05/06/castle-panic-saturday-review/
- Undaunted: Normandy review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/07/23/undaunted-normandy-saturday-review/
- Votes for Women review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/02/10/votes-for-women-digital-eyes/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Dreamsphere 2 by Sascha Ende
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/en/song/197-dreamsphere-2
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
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The elements are alive in our realm. The water element can douse the deadly flames of the fire element that would otherwise leave behind deeply scorched earth, while the earth element itself has the power to consume the waters of a dozen seas. The three elements are in constant battle, balancing each other out at times in infinite variations of their eternal cycles. Yet none of the three elements can ever reign supreme in the realm of Mysticana: A Foundation Deck by Dustin Dobson and Jamie Thul from Button Shy.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/11/30/mysticana-a-foundation-deck-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Mysticana: A Foundation Deck: https://buttonshygames.com/products/mysticana-uk-only
- Rulebook: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/284772/official-rules-button-shy
- Button Shy: https://buttonshygames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/408842/mysticana-a-foundation-deck
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects:
Effervescent tablet dropped in water by Toko_malourcour -- https://freesound.org/s/763274/ -- License: Attribution NonCommercial 4.0
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Immersion by Sascha Ende
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/en/song/187-immersion
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
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I am a hater of air and a lover of compact design. What I mean by that is that I don't like games where most of the box is empty, with components just floating around. I prefer it when the product design is clever and either has a good insert or otherwise makes everything compact. If a game goes the extra step and makes the box itself an integral component, then I'm super impressed. So in this article, I want to look at some examples that I think do it really well.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/11/26/box-clever-board-games-where-the-box-is-integral-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Mint Tin Mini Apocalypse review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/03/23/mint-tin-mini-apocalypse/
- Str!ke review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/12/17/strike-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Tropical Night by Roa Music | https://soundcloud.com/roa_music1031
Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com
Creative Commons / Attribution 3.0 Unported License (CC BY 3.0)
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Space: an endless void with countless stars, some of which capable of harbouring a planet that can support life. Yadda, yadda, yadda. You already know the spiel. So, without further ado let me introduce the Doomlings: Upgrade Pack by Justus and Andrew Meyer from Doomlings.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/11/23/doomlings-upgrade-pack-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Doomlings: Upgrade Pack: https://doomlings.com/products/doomlings-deluxe-upgrade-pack
- Doomlings: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/376385/doomlings-upgrade-pack
- BGG listing: https://doomlings.com/
- Doomlings review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/06/01/doomlings-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2024 BBC
Jazzberry by Blue Dot Sessions
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I have always felt that the theme or setting of a game can really help with learning it. In a game about the Spice Routes, for example, it will be instinctively clear why there are mechanisms to exchange resources of different types with each other or for money. After all, that's what the spice trade was mainly about. However, a game's theme or setting isn't necessarily useful. Sometimes it can be a hindrance. In this article, I want to look at this a bit more closely.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/11/19/thematic-mismatch-how-board-game-themes-can-help-or-hinder-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Clans of Caledonia review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/03/02/clans-of-caledonia/
- Terra Mystica review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/06/01/terra-mystica/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Bensound.com/royalty-free-music
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(Photo by Marten Newhall on Unsplash)
Rejoice, my friends! It’s time for our annual convention, where collectors from around the world gather to trade their tiny postal treasures. We must prepare our most beautiful and best-arranged collection and show it to the expert crowd. If we do well, we may walk away with the top prize at this year’s Stamp Swap by Paul Salomon from Stonemaier Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/11/16/stamp-swap-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Stamp Swap: https://stonemaiergames.com/games/stamp-swap/
- Rulebook: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/ulyfze69rb24tsgip7mn7/h/Stamp%20Swap/SS_Rulebook_r13.pdf?rlkey=ha4lz6kvkwmjaglah0lwtzjto&dl=0
- Stonemaier Games: https://stonemaiergames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/426796/stamp-swap
- Wingspan review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/03/16/wingspan/
- Pattern Matching Pleasure article: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/10/08/pattern-matching-pleasure-from-carcassonne-to-looot-topic-discussion/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
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Aye, let me tell ye, it's nae just another day in the engine room! There we were, mindin' our own business, when a ripple in time itself plucks me and three of me trusted crewmates right out of our own century! Next thing ye know, we're smack dab in the aftermath of the Battle of Wolf 359. We've got to deal w' snarlin' Klingon warriors, Romulan spies and these strange machine-creatures. If that wasn't enough, we’ve got some right-determined Federation teams makin' things difficult. We were right in the middle of one of those Star Trek: Away Missions - Commander Scotty: Federation Expansion by Andrew Haught, Mike Haught and Phil Yates from Gale Force Nine.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/11/09/star-trek-away-missions-commander-scotty-federation-expansion-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Star Trek: Away Missions - Commander Scotty: Federation Expansion: https://www.gf9games.com/awaymissions/817/commander-scotty-expansion/
- Rulebook: https://www.gf9games.com/awaymissions/wp-content/uploads/StarTrekAwayMissions_Rulebook_WEB.pdf
- Gale Force Nine: https://www.gf9.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/412923/star-trek-away-missions-commander-scotty-federatio
- Star Trek: Away Missions review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/05/11/star-trek-away-missions-saturday-review/
- Star Trek: Away Missions – Captain Kirk: Federation Expansion review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/08/31/star-trek-away-missions-captain-kirk-federation-expansion-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music and sound effects are the copyright and/or trademark of Paramount Global.
Music: Bensound
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I know that some people hate player interaction. They prefer a multi-player solitaire experience, where they are in full control of their destiny. If they win, it's down to how well they played. However, I quite like player interaction, both negative and positive. Being able to form temporary alliances that are eventually broken or having a way of stopping another player from getting too far ahead can be fun for me. So in this article, I want to look at player interaction in a bit more detail.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/11/05/give-and-take-games-with-interesting-player-interaction-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Brass: Birmingham review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/04/01/brass-birmingham-deluxe-saturday-review/
- Loot review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/10/19/looot-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Leave by Sascha Ende
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/en/song/52-leave
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
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The spacefaring cultures were moving their forces through the gates and across the systems, changing the control in the clusters in the Reach. The balance of the court was also no longer guaranteed. Agents were making their influence known and securing their positions. It didn't take long for the first battles to start, damaging cities and spaceports and leading to captives and trophies. Maneuvering was getting almost impossible and the only way to move fleets was in Arcs by Cole Wehrle from Leder Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/11/02/arcs-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Arcs: https://ledergames.com/products/arcs
- Rulebook: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0106/0162/7706/files/Arcs_Base_Rulebook.pdf?v=1713374179
- Leder Games: https://ledergames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/359871/arcs
- Root review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/02/12/root-a-game-of-woodland-might-and-right-saturday-review/
- Oath review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/11/27/oath-chronicles-of-empire-and-exile-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music I Use: Bensound.com/royalty-free-music
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Sports News 2 by Sascha Ende
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/en/song/352-sports-news-2
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
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I am a big fan of card games. Having grown up in Germany, a deck of cards was usually not far away. Playing trick-taking games was part of my youth, whether with the family or friends. I love card games in general and my love was rekindled when I was introduced to the modern hobby with games such as Citadels or Love Letter. I also found many new trick-taking games, but a genre that was new to me was so-called ladder-climbing games. In this article, I want to look at these fascinating games in more detail.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/10/29/climbing-high-from-scout-to-odin-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Citadels: https://www.asmodee.co.uk/products/zmgzc01-citadels-revised-edition
- Love Letter review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/01/23/love-letter-saturday-review/
- Scout review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/07/02/scout-saturday-review/
- Odin review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/03/30/odin-saturday-review/
- Sakana Stack review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/09/14/sakana-stack-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Leisure by Sascha Ende
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/en/song/207-leisure
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
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The seemingly endless lands lay in front of us. Ahead of us, we could see a small village where cute little dragons were tending stores. To our left, people were playing cards, closely watched by a row of playing cards and a rather angry-looking queen. Above us floated different spaceships, some delivering their wares to the small village, while others were expanding the land with new sections. What we saw were the amazing Rolling Realms Redux by Jamey Stegmaier and Karel Titeca from Stonemaier Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/10/26/rolling-realms-redux-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Rolling Realms Redux: https://stonemaiergames.com/games/rolling-realms/redux/
- Rulebook: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/ulyfze69rb24tsgip7mn7/ANZFm5AL5gRHM9ux2htczr4/Rolling%20Realms/Rolling%20Realms%20Redux/RRRedux_Rulebook_r5.pdf?rlkey=0ejidzd7lktoa5hyrbkmy9xse&dl=0
- Stonemaier Games: https://stonemaiergames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/393892/rolling-realms-redux
- Aquamarine review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/07/16/aquamarine-saturday-review/
- Next Station: London review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/06/17/next-station-london-saturday-review/
- Flamecraft review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/02/24/flamecraft-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
The Big Adventure by Sascha Ende
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/en/song/431-the-big-adventure
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
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One of the things that most competitive and many cooperative games have in common is some sort of turn order. You go first, then comes Bob and then it's my turn. Turn order might change throughout the game, but there is always someone whose turn it is. The more players there are, the more of an issue it can be, because the longer you have to wait for the round to come back to you. Yet, there is an interesting set of games where everyone plays at the same time, which I want to look at in this article.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/10/22/massively-multiplayer-from-quacks-of-quedlinburg-to-dragon-vs-kingdom-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Quacks of Quedlinburg review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/06/06/the-quacks-of-quedlinburg-saturday-review/
- Dragon vs Kingdom review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/10/12/dragon-vs-kingdom-saturday-review/
- 7 Wonders: https://www.rprod.com/index.php/en/games/7-wonders
- 7 Wonders Duel: https://www.rprod.com/index.php/en/games/7-wonders-duel
- Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/02/15/between-two-castles-of-mad-king-ludwig-saturday-review/
- Flamme Rouge review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/07/13/flamme-rouge-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Polar Christmas by Sascha Ende
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/en/song/5497-polar-christmas
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
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Our longships were ready to sail. The crew had just completed stowing all provisions and supplies for the long voyage ahead. We needed resources and building materials to develop our fjord and complete our port, altar and Jarl palace. But we were not alone. Vikings from other fjords had the same ambition to store up the most riches and be crowned Jarl of the Vikings! It was a race, but we were ready! We were ready to Looot by Charles Chevallier and Laurent Escoffier from Gigamic.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/10/19/looot-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Looot: https://en.gigamic.com/accueil-fr/1136-looot.html
- Rulebook: https://en.gigamic.com/index.php?controller=attachment&id_attachment=488
- Gigamic: https://en.gigamic.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/410991/looot
- Knarr review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/07/20/knarr-saturday-review/
- Odin review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/03/30/odin-saturday-review/
- Applejack review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/09/30/applejack-saturday-review/
- Akropolis review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/09/09/akropolis-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Royalty Free Music: https://www.bensound.com
License code: SAJRFKWQSP8U6FLP
Liberty Quest by Sascha Ende
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/en/song/293-liberty-quest
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
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If you know me, you'll know that I love economic simulation games. I love trading stocks and shares. It feels great when I buy into someone else's company and ride their success to profit. It feels even better when my own company does well and I can take all the gains for myself, because nobody else believed it would do so well. Add to that my love for playing with toy trains and you can see why I'm in love with 18xx games. So allow me, if you will, to take you on a journey of trains, tracks, stations and shares.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/10/15/choo-choo-my-friend-from-shikoku-1889-to-1880-china-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Buy, Buy, Buy – my love affair with economic simulation board games: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/02/06/buy-buy-buy-my-love-affair-with-economic-simulation-board-games-topic-discussion/
- Dune review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/02/08/dune-saturday-review/
- Oath: Chronicles of Empire and Exile review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/11/27/oath-chronicles-of-empire-and-exile-saturday-review/
- Pax Pamir Second Edition review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/08/27/pax-pamir-second-edition-saturday-review/
- 18xx games: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/tag/18xx-games/
- Shikoku 1889 review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/07/06/shikoku-1889-saturday-review/
- 18xx.games: https://18xx.games/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Tivinize by Sascha Ende
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/en/song/62-tivinize
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
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The new town was going to be glorious. Here in this wasteland that had seen many battles, it was important to create defenses, while also ensuring there were enough shops and houses for the people. It was going to take some time and our initial focus was on building towers that would allow us to see invaders far into the distance. The towers would also allow us to protect ourselves, because in these lands it was a matter of Dragon vs Kingdom by Chris Backe from No Box Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/10/12/dragon-vs-kingdom-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Dragon vs Kingdom: https://noboxgames.com/dragon-vs-kingdom/
- Rulebook: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IeIskCsCEV8d1zhYLzObssgYPSLbcu45v9Ju3jNDvE8/edit?usp=sharing
- Kickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/noboxgames/dragon-vs-kingdom?ref=tabletopgamesblog
- No Box Games: https://noboxgames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/428147/dragon-vs-kingdom
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music by Bensound
License code: QIEWSJU7I6HZL1FL
Epic Intro 2017 by Sascha Ende
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/en/song/558-epic-intro-2017
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
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- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
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(Photo courtesy of No Box Games)
There are certain categories of games that I absolutely love. You will have heard about my recent escapades in the world of 18xx games and the excitement these types of games create for me. They offer me a good dose of brain training, while also being thematically enjoyable. Yet, there is another genre of games that I love: tile-laying games. So, in this article, I want to talk about these games a bit more and explain what I like about them so much.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/10/08/pattern-matching-pleasure-from-carcassonne-to-looot-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- 18xx games: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/tag/18xx-games/
- Carcassonne: https://www.asmodee.co.uk/collections/carcassonne
- Applejack review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/09/30/applejack-saturday-review/
- Akropolis review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/09/09/akropolis-saturday-review/
- Looot: https://en.gigamic.com/accueil-fr/1136-looot.html
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
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- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
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Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/
A black hole is a region of spacetime where gravity is so strong that nothing, not even light, can escape. Black holes are enormous and entirely ungovernable. They form when massive stars collapse on themselves at the end of their life. They grow by absorbing mass from their surroundings and if they absorb other stars or merge with other black holes, they become supermassive, millions of solar masses in size. Yet, some black holes are even more gigantic and powerful. They are Ultramassive by Alex Greenberg and Jacob Phillips from Studio Unknown.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/10/05/ultramassive-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Ultramassive: https://www.studiounknowngames.com/ultramassiveboardgame
- Rulebook: https://www.studiounknowngames.com/_files/ugd/3543fc_e4111f93dcbd4034a12b939d314a9e9c.pdf
- Kickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/studio-unknown/ultramassive
- Studio Unknown: https://www.studiounknowngames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/407965/ultramassive
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: bensound.com
License code: 0J0DK5719NKUBIV9
Music by Bensound.com/royalty-free-music
License code: YNZBKH8IPGZTSQV4
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
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The Age of Inception is all but over. People are starting to forget the stories that were passed down. Tabuhl's Tail, a sign of things to come, will soon return. While our memories fade, that most ancient of omens is ready to lighten the night sky once again. It is time for a few of us, whose memories are more vivid, to get ready for a new age, when Tabuhl's Tail returns and reigns supreme in Vrahode: Age of Prophecy by Jeffrey Irving from Weathervane Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/09/28/vrahode-age-of-prophecy-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Vrahode: Age of Prophecy: https://www.vrahode.com/
- Rulebook: https://www.vrahode.com/_files/ugd/d7f5fc_bff3f9371008454da014e604872f569c.pdf
- Kickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/weathervanegames/vrahode-age-of-prophecy
- Weathervane Games: https://www.weathervanegames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/412436/vrahode-age-of-prophecy
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: "Cinematic Trailer" by AShamaluevMusic.
Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com
Music: "Area 18" by Sascha Ende
Website: https://filmmusic.io/en/song/10436-area-18
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In Tir na-Nog, ethereal Queen Titania and Lord Oberon have finally decided to not only end their age-old rivalry, but also to get married. For the big day, they have invited delegations from all the vassal faeries to come together and celebrate the grand occasion. As a faerie noble yourself, you also received one of these invitations, but which role your folk will play in this new combined kingdom is unclear. It is up to you and your delegation to be true faeries and form as many alliances as you will cause Mischief by Dan Cassar from Dream Cult Game Studio.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/09/21/mischief-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Mischief: https://www.dancassar.com/
- Rulebook: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QoraSbsDTMGiL_EMi3rCOGjG0PtJE9dSFav13RThnZU/edit?usp=sharing
- Kickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dancassar/184207081?ref=bc1enj
- Dream Cult Game Studio: https://www.dancassar.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/396648/mischief
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2024 BBC
Woods Of Imagination by Alexander Nakarada (CreatorChords) | https://creatorchords.com
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You have risen early to prepare your stall at Tsukiji Market. It won't be long until the doors open and the aisles become a sea of people wanting to sample the wares. It's going to be tough. The quality and variety of fish and shellfish on your stand are outstanding and should speak for themselves, but you can't be sure until you have sold your whole Sakana Stack by Mike Petchey from Huff No More.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/09/14/sakana-stack-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Sakana Stack: https://www.huffnomore.co.uk/sakanastack
- Huff No More: https://www.huffnomore.co.uk/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/413838/sakana-stack
- Scout review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/07/02/scout-saturday-review/
- Odin review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/03/30/odin-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2024 BBC
Music: Undercover Mission
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If you have spent a number of years reviewing board games, you will have seen how people keep bringing up the topic of how reviewers should not be biased and remain as objective as possible. Of course, reviewers, like all people, are always going to have biases and a review will never be objective. As this topic was recently discussed yet again, I wanted to share my thoughts on bias and subjectivity in my writing.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/09/10/objective-bias-why-reviews-are-always-subjective-topic-discussion/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Easy by | e s c p | https://www.escp.space
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(Photo by Ayo Ogunseinde on Unsplash)
The band of brave adventurers had finally arrived back in our town. They had returned jubilantly after clearing the local dungeons of the many monsters that had lurked in the deep caverns and tunnels. We celebrated with them because we no longer faced the threat of attacks. Not only that, now that the dungeons were clear of all dangers, we were able to scour them for treasure. The only problem was how to divide the riches we would find. It was clear, there was going to be a lot of Loot Dispute by Jeffrey D. Allers from Gold Seal Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/09/07/loot-dispute-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Loot Dispute: https://www.goldsealgames.com/product/loot-dispute
- Gold Seal Games: https://www.goldsealgames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/362889/loot-dispute
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Cinematic Experience by Alex-Productions | https://onsound.eu/
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Captain's Log - Stardate... well, nobody is really sure. After having been drawn into some sort of temporal disturbance, the Enterprise is now floating helplessly in space without thrust and only minimal power. Our viewscreens show the presence of another vessel. It isn't completely clear, but it looks like we have been transported into the aftermath of a massive battle. To find out what we are dealing with, Spock, McCoy, Chekov and myself, the captain, have decided to beam across and investigate. I know this is going to be our first of many Star Trek: Away Missions - Captain Kirk: Federation Expansion by Andrew Haught, Mike Haught and Phil Yates from Gale Force Nine.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/08/31/star-trek-away-missions-captain-kirk-federation-expansion-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Star Trek: Away Missions - Captain Kirk: Federation Expansion: https://www.gf9games.com/awaymissions/785/captain-kirk-expansion/
- Rulebook: https://www.gf9games.com/awaymissions/wp-content/uploads/StarTrekAwayMissions_Rulebook_WEB.pdf
- Gale Force Nine: https://www.gf9.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/412920/star-trek-away-missions-captain-kirk-federation-ex
- Star Trek: Away Missions review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/05/11/star-trek-away-missions-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music and sound effects are the copyright and/or trademark of Paramount Global.
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I love my game group. We've been playing board games for many. many years now. Over the years we learned many new ones and slowly established favourites, which would eventually get replaced by new favourites. It's very special to have a consistent group of people to play games with. One of the really special things I found is how we discover games together and I want to write about it in this article.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/08/27/joint-excitement-discovering-games-together-topic-discussion/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: JoDon by Blue Dot Sessions
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(Photo by Hannah Busing on Unsplash)
Whether it is coins, keys, clover or rabbit feet, there are many items that, according to ancient superstitions, bring you luck and maybe even protect you from evil. You merely need to wear them around your neck or on a bracelet and their magic becomes active. Collectively, these items are known as Charms by Taiki Shinzawa from New Mill Industries.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/08/24/charms-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Charms: https://www.newmillindustries.com/store/p/charms
- Rulebook: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/281400/charms-english-rules
- New Mill Industries: https://www.newmillindustries.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/172844/charms
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2024 BBC
Music: Nu Fornacis by Blue Dot Sessions
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I think many of us like games that take an hour or two to play, maybe even longer. I guess that's at least true when you've got a game group you play regularly with. I love longer games, but I also love those quick games that take less than half an hour to learn and play. They're ideal to play before, after or even in between other games. They're also perfect for game groups, because you can play them while you wait for others to arrive, after some people have left or in between other games, while some of you freshen themselves up. So in this article, I want to look at these "in-between" games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/08/20/in-between-games-quick-games-while-you-wait-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Bombyx: https://studiobombyx.com/en/
- Sea Salt & Paper review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/07/08/sea-salt-paper-saturday-review/
- Knarr review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/07/20/knarr-saturday-review/
- Pixies review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/08/10/pixies-saturday-review/
- Prey Another Day review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/08/17/prey-another-day-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: La Naranja Borriana by Blue Dot Sessions
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The forest is dark and eerie. A cold wind whistles through the branches and makes them creak and groan. The rustling of the leaves goes some way to hiding the noise of your prowling through the undergrowth. You have your prey in sight, but suddenly, at the same time as you break cover, other hunters reveal themselves. There is a moment of confusion which our shared victim uses to their advantage to escape to safety. It looks like we are all going hungry today and we all have to accept that we will have to Prey Another Day by Matthew Dunstan and Brett J. Gilbert from Pegasus Spiele.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/08/17/prey-another-day-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Prey Another Day: https://pegasus.de/en/16425/prey-another-day-english-edition-edition-spielwiese
- Rulebook: https://pegasus.de/media/pdf/10/07/ed/4250231737596_en_web.pdf
- Pegasus Spiele: https://pegasus.de/en/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/234260/prey-another-day
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2024 BBC
Music: Cherry Heath by Blue Dot Sessions
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As we were walking through the forest on a mild, damp spring morning, with the mist still rising and the trees and other plants slowly waking up as the sun was peeking over the horizon, we saw, to our great surprise, little creatures emerging from flowers and the hollows of the trees. Some wore cupule hats, while others had slung oak leaf ponchos over their bodies. We even spotted some with little string instruments made from walnut halves. They were magical to behold as they walked along the forest floor and formed little groupings, three side-by-side and three deep. These were clearly Pixies by Johannes Goupy from Bombyx.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/08/10/pixies-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Pixies: https://studiobombyx.com/en/jeu/pixies/
- Rulebook: https://studiobombyx.com/assets/PIXIES_rulebook_EN.pdf
- Bombyx: https://studiobombyx.com/en/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/411875/pixies
- Sea, Salt & Paper review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/07/08/sea-salt-paper-saturday-review/
- ColorADD: https://www.coloradd.net/en/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2024 BBC
Music: Saving the Floe by Blue Dot Sessions
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If you're a competitive person, you want to win. If you're a really competitive person, winning is your absolute goal. Competitive games will probably be your favourite, but even when you play cooperative games, you probably still try to do everything in your power to beat the game and take the win for the team. However, I don't think playing games is necessarily about winning. There are many other benefits of enjoying a board game together that I want to talk about in this article.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/08/06/not-for-the-win-games-arent-necessarily-about-winning-topic-discussion/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Voyager by Blue Dot Sessions
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We all had our different plans. Getting the right bills through the Senate was never easy. There would always be compromises and endless debates. We all wanted to further our own goals. The odd promise of a bribe, digging up dirt on the other parties' representatives and some last-minute voting changes all helped to get what your party wanted. At the end of the day, we all had our own Hidden Agendas by Josh Rossman from Big Boom Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/08/03/hidden-agendas-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Hidden Agendas: https://bigboomgamesllc.com/collections/all
- Big Boom Games: https://bigboomgamesllc.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/419554/hidden-agendas
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2024 BBC
First Results by Blue Dot Sessions
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The term Kulturgut is very hard to translate into English. In fact, I don't think there is a similar concept in the UK. "Cultural asset" doesn't really do it justice, because the term describes things that have a cultural value and need to be preserved. Literature is a type of Kulturgut for example. As a British person, you can easily see how the works of Shakespeare have a cultural value and require to be preserved. Yet, when it comes to our hobby, people don't necessarily think of modern board games as Kulturgut. In this article, I want to look at this a little closer.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/07/30/cultural-games-board-games-as-cultural-assets-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Spiel des Jahres: https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/en/
- Brass: Birmingham review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/04/01/brass-birmingham-deluxe-saturday-review/
- e-Mission: https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/en/games/e-mission-daybreak/
- Sagaland: https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/spiel-des-jahres-1982-sagaland/
- Um Reifenbreite: https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/spiel-des-jahres-1992-um-reifenbreite-von-rob-bontenbal/
- Dungeons & Dragons: https://dnd.wizards.com/start-playing-dnd
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: The Coil Winds by Blue Dot Sessions
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(Photo by Daniele D'Andreti on Unsplash)
Over the weekend during a hot July in Germany at a different, but much cooler location compared to last year, around 16,000 people attended the "big summer board game festival for gamers, geeks and the whole family", as the event describes itself. Located in my home city, the convention I am talking about is, of course, Berlin Brettspiel Con 2024.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/07/27/berlin-brettspiel-con-2024-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Berlin Brettspiel Con: https://berlin-con.de/en/homepage_en/
- Estrel Convention Center: https://www.estrel.com/en/congress
- Spielworxx: https://www.spielworxx.de/
- Make My Game Travel: https://makemygametravel.com/
- EPOS: A Gentes Game: https://gamefound.com/en/projects/spielworxx/epos-a-gentes-game
- Ostia Spiele: https://www.ostia-spiele.de/
- Tee oder Kaffee: https://www.ostia-spiele.de/games_teeoderkaffee.htm
- Schnitzeljagd: https://pegasusshop.de/en/product-line/games/family-games/16426/schnitzeljagd-edition-spielwiese
- Edition Spielwiese: https://spielwiese-berlin.de/edition/
- Pixies: https://studiobombyx.com/en/jeu/pixies/
- Bombyx: https://studiobombyx.com/en/
- Snap Ship Tactics: https://www.snapshipstactics.com/
- Pandoria: https://www.irongames.de/wordpress/index.php/the-games/pandoria-2024-2/
- Iron Games: https://www.irongames.de/wordpress/
- Karma Games: https://karma-games.com/
- Industria: https://karma-games.com/clans-of-caledonia/industria-expansion/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Tripoli by Blue Dot Sessions
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Vikings were known for plundering, but what many people forget is that they also did a lot of trade. In fact, the Viking Era saw an increase in trade in the English Channel, the North Sea and the Baltic. There was one vessel that was specifically made for the exchange of large quantities of goods. It was a cargo ship with a shorter hull than the commonly known longships, which were mainly warships, and that had only a partial deck or sometimes none at all. It was specially adapted to the high seas to transport goods safely from shore to shore. To the Vikings, it was known as the Knarr by Thomas Dupont from Bombyx.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/07/20/knarr-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Knarr: https://studiobombyx.com/en/jeu/knarr/
- Rulebook: https://studiobombyx.com/assets/KNARR_rulebook_EN-1.pdf
- Bombyx: https://studiobombyx.com/en/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/379629/knarr
- Odin review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/03/30/odin-saturday-review/
- Viking See-Saw review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/09/16/viking-see-saw-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2024 BBC
I Walk With Ghosts by Scott Buckley | https://soundcloud.com/scottbuckley
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Creative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
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(Photo courtesy of Bombyx)
We had started in Florence when everyone was still fresh and raring to go. An endless sea of bicycles with teams sticking closely together had lined up at the starting line. The support teams had only done their last checks minutes before and everything was shiny and gleaming. Now, several thousand kilometres later, everyone started to show signs of slowing down. Yet, at the horizon a welcome sign became visible. We knew it wasn't going to be much further. There it was, the red flag, the Flamme Rouge by Asger Harding Granerud from Lautapelit.fi.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/07/13/flamme-rouge-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Flamme Rouge: https://en.lautapelit.fi/product/22825/flamme-rouge-eng
- Rulebook: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/132037/rulebook
- Lautapelit.fi: https://en.lautapelit.fi/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/199478/flamme-rouge
- K2 review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/09/25/k2-digital-eyes/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2024 BBC
Overdrive (By PraxI) by Diamond Ace | https://soundcloud.com/diamond-ace-music
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There is an unwritten social contract that, when you choose to play a board game, you agree to play it to its conclusion. Everyone around the table expects to finish the game. Everyone wants to have an equal chance of winning. People want to be able to come back from behind and snatch their victory right on their last turn. I think that expectation is perpetuated by how games are designed. So in this article, I want to explore this a bit further.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/07/09/early-finish-why-we-dont-always-have-to-finish-games-topic-discussion/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Etude 3 Chessanta by Blue Dot Sessions
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(Photo by Lisa Bresler on Unsplash)
The period of sakoku has only recently ended, and now with the Meiji Restoration in full swing, the country is investing heavily in new technologies. Locomotives have become the leading symbol of the nation's modernization. Across all four islands, new railway operations are created and entrepreneurs attempt to profit from the money being injected into the economy. Our small island is no different. It's the same here on Shikoku 1889 by Yasutaka Ikeda from Grand Trunk Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/07/06/shikoku-1889-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Shikoku 1889: https://www.grandtrunkgames.com/
- Rulebook: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/267620/shikoku-1889-rulebook-compressed
- Grand Trunk Games: https://www.grandtrunkgames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/23540/shikoku-1889
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: JoDon by Blue Dot Sessions
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Games come in all shapes and sizes. Designers create them in different ways and with different intentions. Some games are an interesting mix of mechanisms, others are a passion project that tries to evoke certain emotions when people play them. Games can have simple rules with deep emergent gameplay or they can be rules-heavy. While some games take minutes to play, others can take hours to complete. However games are designed, there are some that feel round and refined, while others seem awkward or overly difficult. So in this article, I want to investigate what it is that makes a game perfectly designed.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/07/02/round-and-refined-when-games-are-perfectly-designed-topic-discussion/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Plum Blossom by Blue Dot Sessions
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- Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/
(Photo by Tahlia Doyle on Unsplash)
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We made it! We finally decoded a very important ancient Mayan manuscript and found the temple described in the old document deep in the jungles of El Salvador. As we were standing at the entrance, we saw in front of us a very long paved road, leading to a circular pyramid. Each paving slab had a different symbol on it and we knew from the manuscript that we had to align them to make our way safely across. As keen as we were to get to the end, we also knew we had to get back out alive. After all, the secret underground pathway we had discovered was protected by an ancient Mayan Curse by Sylvain Plante and Joe Slack from Crazy Like a Box.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/06/29/mayan-curse-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Mayan Curse: https://www.crazylikeabox.com/mayan-curse/
- Rulebook: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ytdnwryr15t9bm5fou9rt/MayanCurse_RULES_OCT-25_PROOF-3.pdf?rlkey=mwr9vcn6wuv0nr451scnfblnm&dl=0
- Crazy Like a Box: https://www.crazylikeabox.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/396704/mayan-curse
- Fireball Island: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/233020/fireball-island-the-curse-of-vul-kar
- Deep Sea Adventure review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/04/11/deep-sea-adventure-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
"Adventures in Adventureland"
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
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Good games will have had a lot of time put into them to ensure they create the experience that the designer wanted. The rules will have been created with intent and purpose. Rules are the skeleton around which the muscles, sinews, skin and the whole living body of the game grows. Games are meant to be played by their rules, or at least that's what we're being told. In this article, I want to look at why rule-breaking can be a better option.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/06/25/rule-breakers-when-breaking-the-game-rules-is-more-fun-topic-discussion/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Bensound
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Howdy partner. Welcome to the Wild West, where there is gold to be found in them there hills. Only the most daring souls will find the riches. Mining is dangerous work. So helping your fellow human is the right thing to do, but getting repaid for your kindness is not guaranteed. I'll start you off with a pick-axe, some safety gear and a few sticks of dynamite. It's on the house, because I'm sure you'll soon be back to stock up. Now, off you go. Make your fortune in this wonderful place we call Undermined! Pairadice City by Chris Fisher and Nick Barker from Devilfly Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/06/22/undermined-pairadice-city-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Undermined! Pairadice City: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/878983701/undermined-pairadice-city
- Devilfly Games: https://www.facebook.com/devilflygames/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/379802/undermined-pairadice-city
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2024 BBC
Music by: bensound.com
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It is always a pleasure to arrive by train at Birmingham International train station, which not only gives you access to West Midland's main airport, but also to the amazing NEC. It is in this huge exhibition complex that the UK's largest hobby games convention takes place every year. The event welcomes tens of thousands of visitors over three days who explore the three main halls of the NEC as well as a number of rooms in the nearby Hilton Metropole Hotel. You will have guessed it. It is, of course, UK Games Expo 2024.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/06/15/uk-games-expo-2024-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- UK Games Expo: https://www.ukgamesexpo.co.uk/
- UK Games Expo 2018 review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2018/06/08/uk-games-expo-2018/
- Essen 2019 review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/10/12/essen-spiel-2019-most-wanted-saturday-review/
- SUDC UK: https://sudc.org.uk/
- Williams Montessori School Foundation: https://www.facebook.com/p/John-William-Montessori-school-100064321020329/
- Bear's Army: https://www.kidney.org.uk/blog/bears-story
- Play Test UK: http://www.playtest.co.uk/
- Express CIC: https://www.expresscic.org.uk/
- The Giant Brain: https://giantbrain.co.uk/
- Gavin Jones: https://keep-up-with-the-jones-family.com/meet-family/
- Punchboard: https://punchboard.co.uk/
- Library Labyrinth: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/02/26/library-labyrinth-saturday-review/
- Atikin Games: https://atikingames.com/
- Bright Eye Games: https://www.brighteyegames.com/
- Make My Game Travel translation services: https://makemygametravel.com/
- Hachette UK: https://www.hachetteboardgames.co.uk/
- Dina Said So: https://www.dinasaidsostudio.com/
- Push D6: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/400372/push-d6
- Lirius Games: https://liriusgames.com/en-uk
- Berlin Brettspiel Con 2023 review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/07/22/berlin-brettspiel-con-2023-saturday-review/
- Huff No More: https://www.instagram.com/huffnomore
- Scout review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/07/02/scout-saturday-review/
- Roland MacDonald: https://rolandsrevenge.com/
- BoardGameWire: https://boardgamewire.com/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: "Corporate Motivation" by AShamaluevMusic.
Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
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Artichokes come in two main forms: globe and Jerusalem. Both are lovely vegetables with many health benefits. As culinary ingredients, some love their wonderful flavour, while others hate them for the same reason. However, we want to talk about globe artichokes specifically here. So while you might love these wonderful green plants, as relatives of thistles it is no surprise why one might be desperate to Abandon All Artichokes by Emma Larkins from Gamewright.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/06/08/abandon-all-artichokes-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Abandon All Artichokes: https://gamewright.com/product/Abandon-All-Artichokes
- Rulebook: https://gamewright.com/pdfs/Rules/AAArules_v2.pdf
- Gamewright: https://gamewright.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/302260/abandon-all-artichokes
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music by https://www.bensound.com/free-music-for-videos
License code: HIGPLVNSPBZKZOVK
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Space: an endless void with countless stars, some of which capable of harbouring a planet that can support life. On one of these Goldilocks planets far away from our own, life has indeed emerged. Yet, nothing is ever allowed to last. One day, the inevitable end will come. So in the meantime, life on this planet is competing for supremacy. They do not know it yet, but they are the Doomlings by Justus Meyer and Andrew Meyer from Doomlings LLC.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/06/01/doomlings-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Doomlings: https://doomlings.com/
- Rulebook: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0554/6190/4593/files/Doomlings_Rulebook.pdf?v=1709671623
- Doomlings LLC: https://doomlings.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/324413/doomlings
- Fluxx: https://www.looneylabs.com/games/fluxx
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Arrakis by Sascha Ende
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/568-arrakis
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
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Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/
(Photo courtesy of Doomlings LLC)
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Another year has gone by in a flash and it's time again for me to start another convention season. Well, I say "season", but that's exaggerating it. I'm actually only attending two board game shows this year. I just can't afford to fly everywhere and spend time away from home. So I chose two events that I really enjoyed last year and that won't cost me the world. The first of these is, of course, UK Games Expo 2024.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/05/28/uk-games-expo-2024-looking-ahead-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- UK Games Expo: https://www.ukgamesexpo.co.uk/
- Asmodee: https://www.asmodee.co.uk/
- Splendor review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/07/25/splendor-saturday-review/
- Jaipur review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/02/29/jaipur-saturday-review/
- Hachette: https://www.hachette.co.uk/
- Akropolis review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/09/09/akropolis-saturday-review/
- Kosmos: https://www.thamesandkosmos.co.uk/
- Devir: https://devirgames.com/
- Czech Games Edition: https://czechgames.com/
- Hegemonic Project Games: https://hegemonicproject.com/
- Lirius Games: https://liriusgames.com/en-uk
- Berlin Brettspiel Con review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/07/22/berlin-brettspiel-con-2023-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Royalty Free Music: https://www.bensound.com
License code: ACUS489FQQZVP6UD
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Build your reputation, they said. Complete voyages, defeat foes and gather treasures, they said. Visit the outpost to sell cargo and make repairs, they said. Having two sloops under my command was supposed to make this easy, but the truth was far from it. A pirate's life for me, my barnacle. It was a huge challenge from the start. It was almost impossible to safely navigate this Sea of Thieves: Voyage of Legends by Mat Hart, James M. Hewitt, Steve Margetson, Sherwin Matthews and Sophie Williams from Steamforged Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/05/25/sea-of-thieves-voyage-of-legends-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Sea of Thieves: Voyage of Legends: https://steamforged.com/en-gb/products/sea-of-thieves-the-board-game
- Rulebook: https://steamforged.com/cdn/shop/files/SOT-Rulebook-compressed-pp.pdf?v=1950745597445457082
- Steamforged Games: https://steamforged.com/en-gb
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/382016/sea-of-thieves-voyage-of-legends
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2024 BBC
The Big Adventure by Sascha Ende
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/431-the-big-adventure
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
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Welcome, adventurer. You are about to embark on a very unique dungeon crawl. Sharpen your pencil and be brave. You are about to face an almost endless cave system stuffed to the brim with coins, treasure chests, spiders' webs, enemies and even the odd portal. So off you go, brave fellow, and descend the stairs into the amazing Paper App Dungeon by Tom Brinton from Lucky Duck Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/05/18/paper-app-dungeon-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Paper App Dungeon: https://luckyduckgames.com/en/games/749-paper-app-dungeon
- Rulebook: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XvvW4e0-MeePAfPu0Y-FeUHe9V_ufwMNX3GaI0uVBPE/edit
- Lucky Duck Games: https://luckyduckgames.com/en
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/329613/paper-app-dungeon
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: "Darkness" by AShamaluevMusic.
Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com
Music: "Destination" by AShamaluevMusic.
Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
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Hi, it’s Joe Slack here. I’ve written a few guest posts for Oliver in the past and I was delighted when he requested another guest blog, so here we go!
Something I think about a lot as a game designer is how to create tension in a game as well as ensure that players feel a sense of progression as they play.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/05/14/boiling-point-why-tension-and-escalation-matters-in-games-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Tokaido: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/123540/tokaido
- A Gentle Rain: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/334011/a-gentle-rain
- Magic Maze: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/209778/magic-maze
- Incan Gold: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/15512/incan-gold
- Diamant review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/04/22/diamant-saturday-review/
- Splendor review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/07/25/splendor-saturday-review/
- Istanbul: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/148949/istanbul
- Steampunk Rally: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/162007/steampunk-rally
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Borough by Blue Dot Sessions
The Desert | The Grand Score by Alexander Nakarada (CreatorChords) | https://creatorchords.com
Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com
Creative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Sandstorm by Alexander Nakarada (CreatorChords) | https://creatorchords.com
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Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/
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After the battle of Wolf 359, the team consisting of Commander Riker, Lieutenant Commanders Data and Shelby and Lieutenant Worf on board the U.S.S. Enterprise were doing all they could to protect the ship against the invading Borg, led by Locutus of Borg, formerly Captain Picard of the Federation. It was a strange situation. The alien drones seemed oblivious to the starship's crew as both sides went about completing their objectives and overall missions. Our training kicked in and it was as if we were on Star Trek: Away Missions by Andrew Haught, Mike Haught and Phil Yates from Gale Force Nine.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/05/11/star-trek-away-missions-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Star Trek: Away Missions: https://www.gf9games.com/awaymissions/37/star-trek-away-missions/
- Rulebook: https://www.gf9games.com/awaymissions/wp-content/uploads/StarTrekAwayMissions_Rulebook_WEB.pdf
- Gale Force Nine: https://www.gf9.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/384136/star-trek-away-missions
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Mars Is Burning by Benvibrant (from Pond5)
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
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Feeling stressed about your upcoming wedding? Why not sit down and relax, and maybe even get some inspiration from these wedding-themed board games!
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/05/07/get-inspired-for-your-wedding-with-board-games-topic-discussion/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Borough by Blue Dot Sessions
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Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/
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As the first two sons of Adam and Eve, a lot of responsibility had been laid upon our shoulders. We were a farmer and a shepherd who had to offer our harvested grains and livestock to God. We were never sure if either of us was in His favour. So we carried on and made wilder and wilder boasts about our gifts to Our Lord until it was too much and one of us struck down the other. We were Like Cain and Abel by J.L. Reid from Bent Pin.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/05/04/like-cain-and-abel-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Like Cain and Abel Kickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bentpin/like-cain-and-abel-an-18-card-trick-taking-and-bluffing-game
- Rulebook: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CyG0hIkO4IuqdSmXuq6uSDGysNYDYoT2/view
- Bent Pin: https://www.thebentpin.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/414512/like-cain-and-abel
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2024 BBC
The Desert Planet (feat. Udio) by Sascha Ende
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/12290-the-desert-planet-feat-udio
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
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I grew up at a time when "cowboys and Indians" were a popular topic in literature. Westerns, spaghetti or otherwise, were on television pretty much all the time. Similarly, Kung Fu films were regularly shown on the small screen. The jungles of India also often featured heavily. Board games often followed the same trend and portrayed these seemingly exotic and alluring themes and settings that appealed to children of my age. Yet, much of what was created was clearly guilty of cultural appropriation. So in this article, I want to look at the trend in our hobby specifically.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/04/30/exotic-games-cultural-appropriation-in-board-games-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Winnetou game: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/29236/winnetou
- Karl May Wikipedia entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_May
- Ticket to Ride: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/9209/ticket-to-ride
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: "Calmness" by AShamaluevMusic.
Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
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I had my camera ready. The tripod was weighed down to ensure I got a clear picture and the telescopic lens was attached to get me as close to the action as possible. It wasn't going to be easy because this creature was hard to find and very camera-shy. I was sure I was in the right spot though. There had been footprints in the ground, so there was no doubt. I stood to make good money from my photos. Then, almost out of nowhere, there it was. I almost couldn't believe it, but it was true - I Found Bigfoot by John David Wood from Thing 12 Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/04/27/i-found-bigfoot-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Thing 12 Games: https://thing-12-games.square.site/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/382929/i-found-bigfoot
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2024 BBC
Invasion by Sascha Ende
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/206-invasion
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
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I've written about my love of trick-taking games and the genre in general many times. Just check the archives... Now that my game group has also gotten into the genre, I've discovered more and more games that take this ancient card game mechanism to new heights. They apply new twists and add different mechanisms to create really exciting new titles. In this article, I want to share with you which ones I am particularly excited about.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/04/23/twist-taking-trick-taking-games-with-a-twist-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- other trick-taking articles and reviews: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/tag/trick-taking-games/
- Inflation!: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/282255/inflation
- Charms: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/172844/charms
- Nokosu Dice: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/294693/nokosu-dice
- Tiger and Dragon: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/349992/tiger-and-dragon
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Eternal Springtime by | e s c p | https://www.escp.space
https://escp-music.bandcamp.com
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
- Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
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They were very shy and very few people had seen one, but you and your friends had been lucky. One lived at the bottom of the garden of the McGregories at the end of the village. The old couple was completely unaware of the sneaking by both, the mythical creature and your group of pals. You really wanted to make friends with this little winged being, but it was a very Picky Pixie by Elizabeth Hargrave from Button Shy.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/04/20/picky-pixie-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Picky Pixie: https://buttonshygames.com/products/picky-pixie-uk-only
- Rulebook: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/271059/official-rules-button-shy
- Button Shy: https://buttonshygames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/389043/picky-pixie
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2024 BBC
Azure, Purple & Gold by WombatNoisesAudio | https://soundcloud.com/user-734462061
Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com
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The following article is a guest post written by Alexandra Yaverbaum (aka Sasha) and Dina Ramse from Dina Said So Studio and originally published on LinkedIn.
In light of the recent announcement that CMON have acquired some of Mythic Games’ projects, it brought into clear contrast just how well, (or indeed how poorly) these can be handled. I have been involved in previous mergers and acquisitions and most recently worked with Naylor Games to help consider their communication during their acquisition of ITB's assets, which parallels the situation very closely.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/04/16/naylor-games-vs-cmon-acquisition-pr-how-announcing-acquisitions-and-pr-affects-your-company-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Dina Said So Studio: https://www.dinasaidsostudio.com/
- original LinkedIn post: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/naylor-games-vs-cmon-acquisition-pr-dinasaidsostudio-jabne/?trackingId=%2BPzH2uQg%2FX419uzbUU%2BQPQ%3D%3D
- CMON: https://www.cmon.com/
- Mythic Games: https://mythicgames.net/
- Naylor Games: https://naylorgames.com/
- Kickstater campaign for HEL: The Last Saga: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1162110258/hel-the-last-saga/posts/4014026
- Mythic Games' update: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1162110258/hel-the-last-saga/posts/4005539
- CMON press release: https://www.cmon.com/news/cmon-acquires-hel-the-last-saga-and-anastyr-ips-from-mythic-games
- Naylor Games press release: https://naylorgames.com/blogs/blog/naylor-games-buys-all-assets-of-itb-games-and-a-plan-for-saving-its-projects
- ITB Kickstarter update: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/itbboardgames/crypt-x-a-narrative-puzzle-game/posts/3776703
- Alba project update: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/itbboardgames/alba-an-open-world-adventure-book/posts/3776855
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Trading in the Mediterranean was profitable, but came with risks. Merchant ships were travelling far to seek out rare spices, precious cloths and many other valuable and lucrative goods. Once a heavily laden ship returned, the goods would be brought to market and auctioned off to the highest bidder. It was never easy to compete with the other buyers and ensure you got the best deal. It was even harder to compete with the infamous and hugely influential trading family, the Medici by Reiner Knizia from Steamforged Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/04/13/medici-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Medici: https://steamforged.com/en-gb/products/medici-board-game
- Rulebook: https://steamforged.com/cdn/shop/files/Medici-Rulebook-Digital.pdf?v=6530382457095034148
- Steamforged Games: https://steamforged.com/en-gb
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/46/medici
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
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I was pleased to see the re-released game Medici from 1995 become so popular in our household. It made me think why a game that's now nearly 30 years old was not only picked up by another publisher, but still has a lot of appeal such a long time later. So in this article, I want to look at classic games and see which ones have stood the test of time.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/04/09/for-the-love-of-old-classic-games-that-stand-the-test-of-time-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Medici: https://steamforged.com/en-gb/collections/medici-board-game
- Steamforged Games: https://steamforged.com/en-gb
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There were signs. As the king's fortune-teller, you were acutely aware of what the future would hold. As you scatter the sacrifices on the altar, you immediately see your fate. The king would ask for your head. It was all there in front of you in the Portents by Christopher Ryan Chan from New Mill Industries.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/04/06/portents-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Portents: https://www.newmillindustries.com/games/portents
- Rulebook: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/246811/portents-rulebook
- New Mill Industries: https://www.newmillindustries.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/370879/portents
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2024 BBC
Path Through The Mountains by Scott Buckley | https://soundcloud.com/scottbuckleyMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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The following article is a guest post by Ellen Klein, an editor who brings a unique perspective to her work. She believes in the power of planning for life's unknowns, bringing her extensive experience to bear on business, family and relationship advice. The following is a bit different to the usual fare on Tabletop Games Blog. So let us know what you think.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/04/02/movie-fandom-tips-for-everyone-how-to-embrace-your-individuality-while-finding-your-crowd-with-movie-fandoms-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Ellen Klein: https://eklein.me/
- Jaws review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/10/10/jaws-saturday-review/
- Online Solitaire: https://online-solitaire.com/embed
- Fight Club: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0137523/
- Fandom Forward: https://fandomforward.org/
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Above The Clouds by | e s c p | https://www.escp.space
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Viking warriors cherish war. They bravely man their longships with healers, skalds, spies, seidmadrs, völva, hirdmen, berserker, a styrimader and maybe even the jarl. They go on long voyages to conquer far-away lands and fight the locals in glorious battles. Those Vikings who fall go to Valhalla, a majestic hall located in Asgard and presided over by the god of gods, Odin by Yohan Goh, Hope S. Hwang and Gary Kim from Helvetiq.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/03/30/odin-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Odin: https://helvetiq.com/intl/odin
- Rulebook: https://helvetiq.com/media/hexaattachment/products/attachments/Odin_Rules_EN_DE_FR_ES_IT_NL_compressed.pdf
- Helvetiq: https://helvetiq.com/intl/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/406854/odin
- Scout review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/07/02/scout-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
The Vikings by Alexander Nakarada (CreatorChords) | https://creatorchords.com
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Having been a part of our hobby now for a number of years, I have had the pleasure and honour to see a number of games go from early prototypes through to final products. I have also had the honour of being a judge and mentor in the Board Game Workshop Design Contest back in 2019 and 2020. So in this article, I thought I would share my experiences with the stages board games go through until they eventually reach hobbyists like you and me.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/03/26/designers-developers-publishers-from-game-idea-to-final-product-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Board Game Workshop Design Contest: https://theboardgameworkshop.com/design-contest/
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The sun had set, but we still had a few hours before the main event. Our telescopes were set up and we had a flask of hot chocolate and a few biscuits ready to see us through the night. Our thick coats and thick socks were going to keep us warm and cosy. We were hopeful that tonight we would be able to discover new constellations. It was really exciting. Luckily, there were no clouds, so we stood a good chance to see the wonderful Starry Night Sky by Emma Larkins from Buffalo Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/03/23/starry-night-sky-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Starry Night Sky: https://buffalogames.com/starry-night-sky/
- Rulebook: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/261696/starry-night-sky-game-instructions
- Buffalo Games: https://buffalogames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/368519/starry-night-sky
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
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Fero City: a bustling metropolis that has become a battleground. There was little time to evacuate the millions of inhabitants before a horde of supervillains descended and started pulverizing iconic landmarks. Most people fled, but many had no chance. Now you have to get them out of there before it's too late and before the arrival of the worst supervillain of them all: Bad Trevor by Mark Hurdle from Fist Bump Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/03/16/bad-trevor-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Bad Trevor: https://badtrevor.com/
- Kickstarter campaign: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/markhurdle/bad-trevor
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/415081/bad-trevor
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: "Valor" by AShamaluevMusic.
Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com
Epic Intro 2018 by Sascha Ende
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It is sometimes nice to discuss semantics. It can get a bit abstract and more often than not rather nuanced, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. So while we all might be talking about the same thing in broad strokes, we are likely to have slightly different definitions in our heads. Therefore I want to look at how to define the term "board game" in this article and see where it takes me.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/03/12/game-definitions-a-game-is-a-game-is-a-game-topic-discussion/
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Space - the final frontier. These are the adventures of space pirate Oliver, who is on a mission to catch bounty hunter Boba on the star Alpha Centauri. Bob knows where their towel is - at all times. Meanwhile, in an underwater base, crime lord Jabba has built their shrink ray using the data chip that Boba had stolen. And so, The Plot Thickens: Sci-Fi Edition by Mike Callahan, Brigette Indelicato and Thomas Rochelle from Bright Eye Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/03/09/the-plot-thickens-sci-fi-edition-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- The Plot Thickens: Sci-Fi Edition: https://www.brighteyegames.com/games/#tpt
- Bright Eye Games: https://www.brighteyegames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/210817/plot-thickens-sci-fi-edition
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
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Since the pandemic, many of us have started to explore the world of online board gaming. Even before we went into lockdown, there have been digital platforms allowing us to play games remotely. For me, these were really important, because it allowed my game group to carry on when we were all told to stay at home. Now that my friends have moved away, they continue to help us play together. Yet, in this article, I don't want to look at these platforms themselves, but focus on how the digital gameplay experience differs from meeting in person.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/03/05/digital-advantage-online-gameplay-experience-versus-in-person-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/
- Yucata: https://www.yucata.de/en
- Board Game Arena: https://boardgamearena.com/
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Dreamsphere 1 by Sascha Ende
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Welcome, everyone. It is wonderful to see so many of you here today. The hour is near and the gaze of the Great Inky One is upon us. We have to be strong and stay true to the cause. It is time to show our dedication, fellow followers. It is time to hail the mighty Cosmoctopus by Henry Audubon from Lucky Duck Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/03/02/cosmoctopus-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Cosmoctopus: https://luckyduckgames.com/en/games/453-cosmoctopus
- Rulebook: https://website.cdn77.luckyduckgames.com/downloads/May2023/7ae3fe3f58d0a49a394d4bf69b46c92b.pdf
- Lucky Duck Games: https://luckyduckgames.com/en
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/362020/cosmoctopus
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Lost Place Atmospheres 001 by Sascha Ende
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/7664-lost-place-atmospheres-001
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
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Historical simulation games, conflict simulation games or war games - call them what you will. There is certainly a huge following of this genre and there is an endless list of these games already on the market, with many more coming out each year. Many people are put off by the idea of replaying a real conflict from history, but of course, these types of games don't necessarily have to be about war, nor do they have to be set in history. In this article, I want to look at this genre of game and try and work out what it is that seems to attract me to it.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/02/27/fatal-attractions-my-fascination-with-historical-games-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Risk: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/181/risk
- Squad Leader: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/1035/squad-leader
- Twilight Struggle: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/12333/twilight-struggle
- Die Macher: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/1/die-macher
- Votes for Women review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/02/10/votes-for-women-digital-eyes/
- Root review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/02/12/root-a-game-of-woodland-might-and-right-saturday-review/
- Hegemony: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/321608/hegemony-lead-your-class-victory
- General Orders: World War II review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/02/17/general-orders-world-war-ii-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music (CC BY 4.0): World Of War (instrumental) by Sascha Ende
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Once upon a time in a magical village where artisan dragons worked at the butcher's to sell meat, the ironmonger to make metalware or in enchanting shops to bake bread, it was your role, as a Flamekeeper, to find the perfect shop for each dragon. You would visit these shops to gain items or enchant the shops to grow your reputation. Only the best Flamekeeper could become master of the Flamecraft by Manny Vega from Lucky Duck Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/02/24/flamecraft-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Flamecraft: https://luckyduckgames.com/en/games/317-flamecraft-standard-edition-en
- Rulebook: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/239549/flamecraft-en-rulebook
- Lucky Duck Games: https://luckyduckgames.com/en
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/336986/flamecraft
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2024 BBC
Music (CC BY 4.0): Evacuation by Sascha Ende
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I keep hearing people talk about replayability in board games. I've talked about the topic a few times in the past. I've also clarified the difference between variability and replayability. However, as the topic keeps popping up from time to time, I thought I'd share some more of my thoughts. After all, I think replayability is an important criterion when it comes to buying board games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/02/20/repeatable-replay-the-importance-of-replayability-of-board-games-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Repeated Replayability – another look at games’ longterm interest article: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/12/05/repeated-replayability-another-look-at-games-longterm-interest-topic-discussion/
- Variable replayability article: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/02/15/variable-replayability-topic-discussion/
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Music: "Around" by AShamaluevMusic.
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The mountains provided great vantage points for both sides. We could easily see what the enemy was doing, but so could they. Providing air support was going to be impossible because of the terrain, but we were still considering paradrops to get troops far into the enemy's territory. It would all come down to tactics, because we had only been given General Orders: World War II by Trevor Benjamin and David Thompson from Osprey Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/02/17/general-orders-world-war-ii-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- General Orders: https://www.ospreypublishing.com/uk/general-orders-world-war-ii-9781472859860/
- Rulebook: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/262684/general-orders-world-war-ii-rulebook
- Osprey Games: https://www.ospreypublishing.com/uk/osprey-games/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/381435/general-orders-world-war-ii
- Undaunted: Normandy review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/07/23/undaunted-normandy-saturday-review/
- Village Rails review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/03/11/village-rails-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2024 BBC
Music: "Heroes" by AShamaluevMusic.
Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com
Music: "Hope" by AShamaluevMusic.
Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com
Music: "Valiant" by AShamaluevMusic.
Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com
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Anne Isaksson is a 2D/3D artist living in Stockholm, Sweden. She has a bachelor's degree in 3D graphics from the Luleå University of Technology and a degree in 2D game art from Future Games. She has worked in the 3D industry and as a freelance 2D artist. She is currently a full-time concept and board game artist at ION Game Design.
Read the audio transcript here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/02/14/anne-isaksson-let-me-illustrate/
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I know it's not true for everyone and playing games by yourself is certainly something a lot of people really enjoy, but for me, playing board games with friends or family is very important. I always look forward to the next time I meet friends, be it online or in person, for game night. I get really excited when my wife or daughter says that they want to play board games with me. I always think carefully about what games to take when we go and meet family and it's wonderful that they enjoy the hobby almost as much as I do. In this article, I want to look at this a little closer.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/02/13/friends-with-games-how-important-game-nights-are-topic-discussion/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: "Source" by AShamaluevMusic.
Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com
Music: "Legacy" by AShamaluevMusic.
Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
- Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/
(Photo courtesy of Scott Lowe-James)
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The Women's Suffrage Movement in the US started small, very small in fact, in a tiny hamlet in New York State. Over time, it spread from state to state across the whole country as its following grew. Their fight for equal rights culminated in the ratification of the 19th Amendment after a seventy-year battle. However, while this monumental achievement was a vital step, it did not guarantee every woman access to the ballot. The story continues to this day across the globe and the fight is still fought to achieve Votes for Women by Tory Brown from Fort Circle Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/02/10/votes-for-women-digital-eyes/
Useful Links
- Votes for Women: https://www.fortcircle.com/games/
- Rulebook: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/247880/rules-game
- Fort Circle Games: https://www.fortcircle.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/311900/votes-women
- Votes for Women on Rally the Troops: https://www.rally-the-troops.com/votes-for-women
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: "Wounded Heart" by AShamaluevMusic.
Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com
Music: "Memorials" by AShamaluevMusic.
Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com
Music: "Wonder" by AShamaluevMusic.
Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
- Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/
(Photo courtesy of Fort Circle Games)
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There is a type of board game that I absolutely love. In fact, I've always loved it. Economic simulations somehow activate a certain part of my brain that is really stimulating. These games not only activate my brain's reward centre, but their competitive nature and the element of bluffing all scratch the right itches for me. In this article, I want to look in a bit more detail at which games fall into this category of economic simulation and what it is about them that I enjoy so much.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/02/06/buy-buy-buy-my-love-affair-with-economic-simulation-board-games-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Hab & Gut: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/38863/rich-and-good
- Pingyao: First Chinese Banks review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/01/21/pingyao-first-banks-of-china-saturday-review/
- Brass: Birmingham review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/04/01/brass-birmingham-deluxe-saturday-review/
- Luzon Rails review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/06/05/luzon-rails-saturday-review/
- Shikoku 1889: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/23540/shikoku-1889
- Das Börsenspiel: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2947/broker
- Dune review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/02/08/dune-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: In The Moment by Sascha Ende
Website: https://filmmusic.io/song/287-in-the-moment
Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
- Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/
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There. It was done. The mosaic was complete. It was tiny, about the size of a full stop. However, under the microscope, it glistened and glinted, it sparkled and shined. It was a wonderfully symmetric arrangement, forming the overall shape of a circle, intersected into various quadrants. Yet, it was more than just geometry and scientific fascination. It was art. There they were, the wonderful Diatoms by Sabrina Culyba from Ludoliminal.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/02/03/diatoms-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Diatoms: https://ludoliminal.com/diatoms/
- Ludoliminal: https://ludoliminal.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/370210/diatoms
- 2023 Cardboard Edison Award: https://cardboardedison.com/2023-award-results
- Diatoms Kickstarter campaign: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ludoliminal/diatoms
- Applejack review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/09/30/applejack-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: End Titles Extended Version (Romeos Erbe) by Sascha Ende
Website: https://filmmusic.io/song/3158-end-titles-extended-version-romeos-erbe
Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
- Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/
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I know that many of us play board games to have fun. Whether we enjoy lighter or heavier games, it's all about spending time, either alone or with friends or family, getting away from the day-to-day worries and immersing yourself in another world for an hour or two or three. Yet, there are games that are set against the background of a very serious topic. These games want us, the players, to engage with the topic in a safe environment. They will never be perfect representations of the reality they portray, but hopefully, they will make us want to engage with the topic further.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/01/23/in-all-seriousness-board-games-with-sensitive-topics-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- The Cost review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/12/12/the-cost-digital-eyes/
- Doubt is our Product: https://hollandspiele.com/products/doubt-is-our-product
- Holding On: The Troubled Life of Billy Kerr: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/245444/holding-troubled-life-billy-kerr
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Sonnengruß by Sascha Ende
Website: https://filmmusic.io/song/83-sonnengruss
Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
- Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/
(Photo courtesy of Hollandspiele)
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We were on our way to the city's main station to board the bullet train to Kyoto. Travelling on the Asakusa underground line towards Ikebukuro, we had just passed through Kasumigaseki and arrived at Ginza station. We were nearly there. It was Next Station: Tokyo by Matthew Dunstan from Blue Orange.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/01/20/next-station-tokyo-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Next Station: Tokyo: https://blueorangegames.eu/en/games/next-station-tokyo/
- Rulebook: https://blueorangegames.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/NextStationTokyo-Rules-EN.pdf
- Blue Orange: https://blueorangegames.eu/en/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/380165/next-station-tokyo
- Next Station: London review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/06/17/next-station-london-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2024 BBC
Music: I Feel It (instrumental) by Sascha Ende
Website: https://filmmusic.io/song/422-i-feel-it-instrumental
Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
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Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/
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The snowshelf reached from horizon to horizon in all directions. We were in the Valley of the Ancient Ones, which was a frozen region, pounded by deadly storms, but which had made space for a single, lone city. It was summer and time for the guilds to go on their annual pilgrimage and explore this tundra. As one of the leaders, you were about to take your guild to look for vestiges of a civilization whose existence had been passed down through myths and stories. If you were successful, you would bring riches and prestige to your lodge. You knew the risks, but you were prepared to go out onto the I C E by Bragou and Samson F. Perret from This Way.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/01/13/i-c-e-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- I C E: https://thiswayeditions.com/ice/
- Rulebook: https://thiswayeditions.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/ICE_Rules_EN.pdf
- This Way: https://thiswayeditions.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/306482/i-c-e
- Scythe review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/01/19/scythe/
- K2 review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/09/25/k2-digital-eyes/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2024 BBC
Music: Die Unendliche Geschichte by Sascha Ende
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/512-die-unendliche-geschichte
Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
- Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/
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Let's be honest. Most of us in the hobby buy games that we play once or twice or in rare cases, three or four times. In fact, the term "shelf of shame" is a thing, describing games that people have bought but not yet played. The thing is, these games sit there unplayed for months on end and may never see the welcome sight of a table, let alone a board game table. So in this article, I want to look at this a bit further and investigate why we don't play the same games more than a handful of times.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/01/09/single-use-games-the-board-game-hobbys-throw-away-attitude-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- BG Stats app: https://www.bgstatsapp.com/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: "Pleasure" by AShamaluevMusic.
Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com
Music: "Walking" by AShamaluevMusic.
Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
- Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/
(Photo by Brendan Church on Unsplash)
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Announcing the annual Top Table Award is always a pleasure and an honour at the same time. Choosing and deciding the order of the top 5 games I reviewed in 2023 is never easy. There usually isn't much between the games and they are all great for their own reasons. So, irrespective of which one won the coveted award, all of the games are worth a closer look. Here goes...
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/01/06/top-5-games-of-and-i-reviewed-in-2023-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Mycelia review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/08/26/mycelia-saturday-review/
- Opening Gambit article: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/08/15/opening-gambit-where-to-begin-in-the-modern-hobby-topic-discussion/
- Beyond Solitaire: https://www.beyondsolitaire.net/
- Cardboard Edison: https://cardboardedison.com/
- Spiel des Jahres award winners and nominees 2023: https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/en/award-winners-2023/
- Next Station: London review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/06/17/next-station-london-saturday-review/
- Taiwan Night Market review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/12/02/taiwan-night-market-saturday-review/
- Akropolis review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/09/09/akropolis-saturday-review/
- Sea Salt & Paper review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/07/08/sea-salt-paper-saturday-review/
- Enemy Anemone review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/10/14/enemy-anemone-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2024 BBC
Music: "Corporate Documentary" by AShamaluevMusic.
Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com
Music: "Corporate Motivation" by AShamaluevMusic.
Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com
Music: "Corporate Ambient" by AShamaluevMusic.
Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com
Music: "Corporation" by AShamaluevMusic.
Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
- Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/
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Some might argue that board games are basically just toys. Some games add to that argument when they play on the toy factor by including one or more components that are basically just a gimmick. These components could easily be replaced by something else without affecting gameplay. Yet, some games are accused of capitalising on the attraction of gimmicks when these playful components are actually an integral part without which the game wouldn't function. In this article, I want to look at this a bit more closely.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/01/02/stop-toying-with-me-when-gimmicks-in-board-games-have-a-purpose-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- I C E: https://thiswayeditions.com/ice/
- Gold n' Grog review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/12/23/gold-n-grog-saturday-review/
- Mystic Vale review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2018/12/08/mystic-vale/
- Viking See-Saw review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/09/16/viking-see-saw-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: "Shade" by AShamaluevMusic.
Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
- Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/
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Another year is almost over - and what an eventful year it has been. It is time to talk about everything that has happened, the events I attended and the games I played, give you all an update on the financial state of the blog and maybe share some sneak peeks for the year ahead. So, here goes...
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/12/30/2023-a-year-in-review-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- UK Games Expo 2023 review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/06/10/uk-games-expo-2023-saturday-review/
- Berlin Con 2023 review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/07/22/berlin-brettspiel-con-2023-saturday-review/
- Game-a-lot: https://www.game-a-lot.fun/
- Roland MacDonald: https://rolandsrevenge.com/
- Daniel Newman: https://www.newmillindustries.com/
- Enemy Anemone review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/10/14/enemy-anemone-saturday-review/
- Spiel des Jahres: https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/en/
- Brainwaves podcast Spiel des Jahres episode: https://giantbrain.co.uk/2023/07/24/brainwaves-episode-126-spiel-special/
- Spielworxx: https://www.spielworxx.de/
- Five Games for Doomsday: https://fivegamesfordoomsday.com/
- Brainwaves podcast: https://giantbrain.co.uk/tag/brainwaves/
- Support Brainwaves: https://giantbrain.co.uk/support-us-new/
- Make My Game Travel: https://makemygametravel.com/
- EPOS - A Gentes Game: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/409322/epos-gentes-game
- Ecosfera: https://www.julibert.com/copia-de-ecosfera
- Julibert Games: https://www.julibert.com/
- Gavin Jones' reviews: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/author/gavinjones
- Hope Thompson's reviews: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/author/hthompson/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: "Stars" by AShamaluevMusic.
Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com
Music: "Pleasure" by AShamaluevMusic.
Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
- Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/
(Photo courtesy Rochak Shukla on Freepik)
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Whether we play competitive or cooperative games, we all expect someone to be the winner. Even if it's "the game" who wins in a cooperative game. In fact, there is usually a single winner or a team in team games. Most games will list one or multiple tie-breakers to decide who is the ultimate winner. So the idea of victory conditions has become second nature to most of us in the board game hobby. Yet, there are games that don't elect a winner and in this article, I want to talk about what this might feel like.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/12/26/no-win-situation-a-look-at-victory-conditions-in-board-games-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Beyond Solitaire - Episode 134 - Amabel Holland on Doubt Is Our Product: https://beyondsolitaire.buzzsprout.com/1091807/13865556-episode-134-amabel-holland-on-doubt-is-our-product
- Endurance: https://hollandspiele.com/products/endurance
- The Rich and the Good: https://www.aresgames.eu/games/euro-games/the-rich-and-the-good
- A game about drawing creatures, complimenting the drawings, then complimenting the compliments https://stuffbybez.bigcartel.com/product/agadcctdtctc
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: "Lonesome" by AShamaluevMusic.
Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com
Music: "Solitude" by AShamaluevMusic.
Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
- Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/
(Photo by Joshua Golde on Unsplash)
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Ho, ho, ho and a bottle of rum! That was the song that accompanied the small boat being rowed by a motley crew of scallywags. We were heading to our secret pirate treasure island to retrieve the loot we had stashed over many, many years. The problem was, none of us knew exactly where we had buried our spoils. We had packed plenty of shovels though to make short work of this small patch of land. After we pulled up on shore and spread out on the island, it was time to dig for Gold n' Grog by Jake A Smith from Next Adventure Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/12/23/gold-n-grog-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Gold n' Grog: https://nextadventuregames.com/product/gold-n-grog-pirate-card-game/
- Next Adventure Games: https://nextadventuregames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/379921/gold-n-grog
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: In Pursuit Of A Pirate by Tim Kulig
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/8520-in-pursuit-of-a-pirate
Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Music: The Song Of Sirens by Alexander Nakarada
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/9663-the-song-of-sirens
Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
- Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/
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In this latest guest post, Samuel Webb, an experienced news reporter and copywriter based in Coventry, discusses why some X-Wing Miniatures fans are unhappy with the company that they claim is ruining this beloved Star Wars tabletop skirmish game.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/12/19/fear-leads-to-anger-x-wing-miniatures-fans-claim-company-is-ruining-tabletop-skirmish-game-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Samuel Webb: https://samwebbreporter.com/
- Star Wars X-Wing Miniatures: https://www.atomicmassgames.com/xwing/
- Fantasy Flight Games: https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/index/
- Disney: https://www.disney.co.uk/
- Atomic Mass Games: https://www.atomicmassgames.com/
- Asmodee: https://www.asmodee.co.uk/
- Pandemic review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/01/18/pandemic-saturday-review/
- Oliver Pocknell: https://medium.com/@oliverpocknell
- Sith Takes Snap Shots podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4pbIE9FZderY7SYKeKuspU
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: The Boy Who Never Existed by Michal Mojzykiewicz
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/10072-the-boy-who-never-existed
Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
- Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/
(Photo courtesy of Samuel Webb)
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This week, Hope Thompson joins us on the blog with her review of a game about the fashion show held in 1973 in Versailles, France that pitted newcomer American designers such as Anne Klein, Halston, Oscar de la Renta, Stephen Burrows and Bill Blass against the stalwart French designers such as Yves Saint Laurent, Hubert de Givenchy, Emanuel Ungaro, Pierre Cardin and Christian Dior. In this article, Hope's father, David Thompson, talks to her about her experience of playing The Battle of Versailles by Eloi Pujadas and Ferran Renalias from Salt & Pepper Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/12/16/the-battle-of-versailles-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- The Battle of Versailles: https://gamefound.com/en/projects/saltandpepper/the-battle-of-versailles
- Rulebook: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rCV0xtHX4kjo6v97m-9a_ATOTlCGxj8v/view?usp=sharing
- Salt & Pepper Games: https://www.facebook.com/SaltandPepperBoardGames/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/379959/battle-versailles
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
- Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/
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As you probably know by now, I absolutely love trick-taking games. I have long wanted to share this love with other people, but found it can be hard to teach trick-taking to people who have never come across it. Luckily, in recent months, I have found one or two games that are great for introducing people to trick-taking. They have allowed me to share my passion for this genre of card games. They are great stepping stones. I can start to draw on this giant collection of games that are often great for all the family and key to many of my social interactions as a teenager - but let me explain.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/12/12/trick-taking-it-to-the-next-level-my-fascination-with-trick-taking-games-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Enemy Anemone review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/10/14/enemy-anemone-saturday-review/
- Skull King review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/01/04/skull-king-saturday-review/
- Vivaldi review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/11/23/vivaldi-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music I use: Bensound.com
License code: WX9PGVYHKT8J1XE0
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
- Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/
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The 60s in England were a time of new music trends and dramatic changes in fashion and art. Celebrities from around the world would flock to the country's capital London to immerse themselves in this wave of cultural changes. From there, these superstars would travel the width and breadth of the country using a train line catering to the well-off. While the luxurious railway carriages were reserved only for the VIPs, the less fortunate had to jostle for space in cattle class and hope they would get a glimpse of their idols. These were the days of The Royal Limited by Scott Almes from Button Shy.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/12/09/the-royal-limited-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- The Royal Limited: https://buttonshygames.com/products/the-royal-limited-uk-only
- Rulebook: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/266665/official-rules-button-shy
- Button Shy: https://buttonshygames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/352591/royal-limited
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I have previously looked at replayability in board games and I must admit, I still can't put my finger on why a game like Chess, which has no variability and no randomness, is so hugely replayable and remains interesting even after dozens of plays, while other games with variable setup, different factions and a large amount of chance are sometimes boring after only a handful of plays. So let me grapple with this topic in yet another article.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/12/05/repeated-replayability-another-look-at-games-longterm-interest-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- General Orders: https://www.ospreypublishing.com/us/general-orders-world-war-ii-9781472859860/
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There was all sorts of Xiaochi and other street food on offer, as well as a variety of speciality drinks. It was still rather quiet, but already the stall owners were busy. The streets were heavy with the scent of various herbs, spices and all sorts of wonderful flavours. As it was getting darker, more and more people found their way into the wonderful maze of this amazing Taiwan Night Market by Zong-Ger from Good Game Studio.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/12/02/taiwan-night-market-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Taiwan Night Market: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tbdgames/taiwan-night-market/description
- Rulebook: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/255230/taiwan-night-market-en-rules-v09
- Good Game Studio: https://www.facebook.com/GoodGameStudio
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/367201/taiwan-night-market
- Restaurant City: https://www.facebook.com/restaurantcity/?locale=en_GB
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
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I don't mind losing. In fact, when I play with my weekly game group, I usually lose. There are very few board games that I am confident that I will win or at least have a good chance of winning. However, there is something interesting I noticed recently. Irrespective of whether you're a sore loser or gracious winner, I think it is true that gameplay experience changes depending on the skill level of the other players. Playing the same game with people who are as good at a game as you just feels different to playing it with people who are better than you or worse than you. In this article, I want to investigate this a bit further.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/11/28/fun-to-lose-how-opponents-skill-levels-affect-gameplay-experience-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Carcassonne Hunters and Gatherers: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/4390/carcassonne-hunters-and-gatherers
- Yucata: https://www.yucata.de/en
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There was a lot of yapping and barking, jumping and tail-wagging. Everyone was excited, but eventually, everyone settled down and lined up in a neat row. There were a few last-minute alterations, with dogs having to change spaces. However, when everyone was ready, it was time to choose the best dog, the winner of this Puppy Pile by Mike A Pratt from Thing 12 Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/11/25/puppy-pile-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Puppy Pile: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thing12games/puppy-pile
- Kickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thing12games/puppy-pile
- Thing 12 Games: https://thing12games.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/391216/puppy-pile
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
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It's clearly Bez month, because here is another article inspired by her. This time she wanted to know my thoughts on giving fair credit in games. So let me see if I can rise to the challenge.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/11/21/due-credit-how-to-credit-people-on-board-games-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Stuff by Bez: http://www.stuffbybez.com/
- Kwanchai Moriya: https://www.kwanchaimoriya.com/
- Roland MacDonald: https://rolandsrevenge.com/
- Harald Lieske: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/12/23/harald-lieske-let-me-illustrate/
- Let me illustrate podcast series: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/let-me-illustrate/
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Music: bensound.com
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It was either us or them. We were the only two teams on a planet far, far away, a planet that was crawling with bug-eyed monsters or BEMs as we had started to call them. My navigator moved around the directional grid to guide the vehicle across the planet's surface and allow the gunner to take aim at one of the weird inhabitants of this rock in space. We had to be careful though. We had to target the right BEMs to come out victorious in this fight to the end. It was all about who was going to be the Last Bug Standing in the Circle of Doom! by Bez Shahriari from Surprised Stare Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/11/18/last-bug-standing-in-the-circle-of-doom-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Last Bug Standing in the Circle of Doom!: https://www.surprisedstaregames.co.uk/last-bug-standing
- Rulebook: https://2376baaa-0065-4f42-a040-e4ab02ff2d82.usrfiles.com/ugd/2376ba_6efe4d261f974623aa46ae7417945b4c.pdf
- Surprised Stare Games: https://www.surprisedstaregames.co.uk/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/377482/last-bug-standing-circle-doom
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
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Here is another article inspired by the wonderful Bez from Stuff by Bez. She suggested I talk about the representation of bees. There wasn't any particular angle she wanted me to take, but the title alone gave me some inspiration. So in this article, I want to look at board games that feature bees in some way.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/11/14/the-representation-of-bees-the-latest-buzz-in-the-board-game-hobby-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Hive: https://www.gen42.com/games/hive
- The Bears and the Bees: https://www.grandpabecksgames.com/products/the-bears-and-the-bees#erid6951153
- Apiary: https://stonemaiergames.com/games/apiary/
- Applejack review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/09/30/applejack-saturday-review/
- Ecogon: https://gaiagames.de/produkt/ecogon-english/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Sunny Morning by MusicLFiles
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/7813-sunny-morning
Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Music: Falling Tears by MusicLFiles
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/11696-falling-tears
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The house smelled of cinnamon, golden syrup and ginger. It was no surprise, because our oven was full of gingerbread rectangles on two trays. It wasn't long until they were done and needed to come out of the oven to cool down. We had small bowls full of sweets and a piping bag ready to decorate them. Suddenly, I had an idea. Rather than building a traditional house, we could instead make Gingerbread Towers by Jessica Metheringham from Dissent Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/11/11/gingerbread-towers-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Gingerbread Towers: https://dissentgames.com/xmas23/
- Kickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dissentgames/a-game-on-a-card-christmas-2023
- Dissent Games: https://dissentgames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/401980/gingerbread-towers
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2023 BBC
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The genre of worker placement games is quite large and has evolved a lot over the years. Traditionally, worker placement was all about certain actions being unavailable to other players as soon as someone placed their worker there. At some point, games introduced shared worker place spots. Some games allowed players to kick workers out, returning them to another player who would effectively get another go. In this article, I want to look at the genre and pick out different implementations and variations on the theme.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/11/07/working-hard-a-look-at-worker-placement-mechanisms-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Lords of Waterdeep: https://dnd.wizards.com/products/lords-waterdeep-board-game
- Agricola: https://www.asmodee.co.uk/collections/agricola
- Raiders of the North Sea review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/05/27/raiders-of-the-north-sea-digital-eyes/
- Viticulture review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/08/15/viticulture-essential-edition-saturday-review/
- Genotype review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/06/26/genotype-a-mendelian-genetics-game-saturday-review/
- I C E: https://thiswayeditions.com/ice/
- Hegemony: https://hegemonygame.com/
- Pingyao: First Chinese Banks review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/01/21/pingyao-first-banks-of-china-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
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Using chopsticks isn't easy. A lot of people are uncomfortable with or have no experience using them. However, like so many things in life, it's all a matter of practice. So rather than embarrassing yourself in front of a restaurant full of people who seemingly have no problem picking up their food with two wooden sticks and transporting it to their mouths, you could just learn how to use them in the comfort of your own home with family or friends who might also want to master them. To answer the challenge and make it a fun experience, here is Chop Stacks by Dax Gazaway from Red Flag Game Studio.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/11/04/chop-stacks-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Chop Stacks: https://www.redflaggames.com/games/chop-stacks
- Kickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/daxgaz/1497726927/
- Rulebook: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ERWCExTY8sYqSlGnCoRay2sjL8ohtYdy/view
- Red Flag Game Studio: https://www.redflaggames.com/home
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/403799/chop-stacks
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
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Time as a concept, is something we are very familiar with in our daily lives. Sometimes time goes quickly, at other times it seems to almost stand still. Time is also a concept that appears in board games. There is the play time, of course, but some games also use time directly as a mechanism. I want to look at how board games represent time and how they use the concept in different ways.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/10/31/about-time-time-as-a-mechanism-in-board-games-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Nine Tiles Panic: https://oinkgames.com/en/games/analog/nine-tiles-panic/
- Keeping time – how time limits can speed up games article: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/11/22/keeping-time-how-time-limits-can-speed-up-games-topic-discussion/
- Bremerhaven review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/01/26/bremerhaven/
- Brass: Birmingham review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/04/01/brass-birmingham-deluxe-saturday-review/
- Tapestry review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/11/09/tapestry-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Breaking News 6 by Sascha Ende
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Siberia: a vast area of over 13 million square kilometres, which consists of taiga, tundra and even temperate forests. From the north of this region, where temperatures regularly drop below -25°C, come reports of a massive meteor having crashed. Not only that, the team who went to investigate the impact crater lost contact and never returned. Rumours are spreading of a strange parasite that possesses all living things in the region. After a team sent to rescue the first group also fails to return, heroes from the now long-forgotten war in Europa decide to explore for themselves. They borrow mechs and head to base camp. From there, they start their Expeditions by Jamey Stegmaier from Stonemaier Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/10/28/expeditions-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Expeditions: https://stonemaiergames.com/games/expeditions/
- Rulebook: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/f2tekc23yvb27w3/AACnyTCcjoiT6s-N1hgFx4DNa/Expeditions?dl=0&subfolder_nav_tracking=1
- Stonemaier Games: https://stonemaiergames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/379078/expeditions
- Scythe review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/01/19/scythe/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Title Music: Aeterna (No Choir) by Two Steps From Hell (https://soundcloud.com/user8585647/aeterna-no-choir)
Music: The Rythym Of Creation by Tim Kulig
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Hi, it’s Joe Slack here. Oliver was kind enough to let me write another guest blog and was excited to hear my thoughts as a game designer and indie publisher on why table presence matters for board games. So, let’s get into it.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/10/24/why-table-presence-matters-for-board-games-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/
- Essen Spiel: https://www.spiel-essen.de/en/
- Gen Con: https://www.gencon.com/
- Origins Game Fair: https://www.originsgamefair.com/
- Fireball Island: The Curse of Vul-Kar: https://restorationgames.com/fireball-island/
- Everdell: https://www.tabletoptycoon.com/products/everdell-collectors-edition-3rd-edition
- Board Game Geek: https://boardgamegeek.com/
- Mousetrap: https://products.hasbro.com/en-gb/product/mouse-trap-game/7EA54149-5056-9047-F5A2-33F4578345CC
- The Climbers: https://capstone-games.com/the-climbers
- Dark Tower: https://restorationgames.com/return-to-dark-tower/
- Relics of Rajavihara: https://www.crazylikeabox.com/relics-of-rajavihara/
- Mayan Curse crowdfunding page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/crazylikeabox/mayan-curse
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Music: "Chill Hip Hop" by AShamaluevMusic.
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It was inevitable. After decades of exploiting our home, Earth has finally run out of resources. It is time for Plan B. We have to leave and settle on a new planet. Potential targets have been selected and planeteers will be sent to develop them. Each of these adventurous heroes will be tasked with preserving the future of humanity and preparing one Planet Unknown by Ryan Lambert and Adam Rehberg from Adam's Apple Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/10/21/planet-unknown-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Planet Unknown: https://adamsapplegames.com/planetunknown/
- Rulebook: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/236957/planet-unknown-official-rulebook
- Adam's Apple Games: https://adamsapplegames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/258779/planet-unknown
- Wikipedia entry for Tetris: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetris
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: "Mission", "Destination" and "Inspiration" by AShamaluevMusic.
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Jamey Stegmaier's blog post "Is There a Future for Written Reviews?" inspired Adam Richards of Punchboard to write a little post on his Substack to discuss the visibility of the written word compared to video or audio content. That, in turn, inspired me to share my thoughts on the topic and as always, I invite your thoughts in the comments at the bottom of this article.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/10/17/swords-vs-words-the-popularity-of-blogs-versus-other-media-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Jamey Stegmaier's post: https://stonemaiergames.com/is-there-a-future-for-written-reviews/
- Punchboard: https://punchboard.co.uk/
- Adam Richard's Substack post: https://punchboard.substack.com/p/the-invisible-word
- BGG thread that inspired Jamey Stegmaier: https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/3163949/great-see-so-many-reviews-so-soon-post-embargo
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music by AShamaluevMusic.
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Off the coast of Queensland, Australia, in warm tropical waters, you can find the amazingly colourful Great Barrier Reef. It is home to over 40 different types of sea anemones, which are home to a lot of different kinds of sea life. Clownfish use sea anemones as shelter, taking advantage of their toxin-filled stingers as protection. Yet, while these two are friends, if you touch one as a human, the resulting painful stings can make them feel more like Enemy Anemone by Daniel Newman from New Mill Industries.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/10/14/enemy-anemone-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Enemy Anemone: https://www.newmillindustries.com/games/enemy-anemone
- New Mill Industries: https://www.newmillindustries.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/391985/enemy-anemone
- Rob Turpin: https://linktr.ee/thisnorthernboy
- The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/12/05/the-crew-the-quest-for-planet-nine-saturday-review/
- Brian Boru: High King of Ireland review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/04/16/brian-boru-high-king-of-ireland-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music by AShamaluevMusic.
Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
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Based on another suggestion from the wonderful Bez from Stuff by Bez, in this article, I want to look at the rise of so-called AI art. I want to describe what I mean when I talk about AI art, explain what I think it is not, despite people claiming otherwise and the creative potential of this new technology.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/10/10/ai-art-what-it-is-what-it-is-not-and-what-it-could-be-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Stuff by Bez: http://www.stuffbybez.com/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music I use: Bensound.com
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"I got candy!" comes the shout. Taken aback, you look across the counter and see the eager and very happy face of the youngster staring up at you. Another sugar-loving customer has come to your amazing sweet shop to pick and mix their favourite delights. Below the face, on outstretched arms, cradled in cupped hands are 16 Candies by Dickie Chapin from Envy Born Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/10/07/16-candies-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- 16 Candies: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/854354559/sirens-defrag-and-16-candies-a-tiny-game-series
- Envy Born Games: https://envyborngames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/376932/16-candies
- Defrag review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/09/23/defrag-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
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Based on a suggestion from the wonderful Bez from Stuff by Bez, I want to look at how designers can sometimes be known for specific styles of board games. That can be useful for people looking for certain types of games, but it also means that the designers can end up being pigeonholed, which can have a negative impact on their professional future in our hobby.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/10/03/designed-styles-pigeonholing-board-game-designers-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Stuff by Bez: http://www.stuffbybez.com/
- Red Raven Games: https://www.redravengames.com/
- Matthew Dunstan: https://www.postmarkgames.com/about-3
- Rory Muldoon: https://www.postmarkgames.com/about-3
- Daniel Newman: https://www.newmillindustries.com/about
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To create the best apple brandy, you have to freeze fermented cider and remove the ice. It's quite simple and very effective in increasing the alcohol content of an already delicious drink. It's really easy to apply this to cider made after the autumn harvest. Just leave the casks in the winter cold and when enough ice has formed, pour the remaining liquid into another cask. Repeat the process as often as you please to concentrate the remaining liquid to levels of anywhere between 25% and 40% alcohol. It's what we call "jacking" and it will come as no surprise that the resulting drink is called Applejack by Uwe Rosenberg from The Game Builders.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/09/30/applejack-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Applejack: https://gamebuilders.de/spiele/applejack/
- Rulebook: https://gamebuilders.de/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Applejack_rules_english.pdf
- The Game Builders: https://gamebuilders.de/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/367662/applejack
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
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I have attended quite a few different board game events in my time. I've been visiting conventions in Germany and the United Kingdom as a paying visitor, a member of the press as well as part of a demo team. From the more sedate and gaming-focussed AireCon to the crazily busy more business-focussed Essen Spiel and various exhibitions, shows, conventions or whatever you want to call them somewhere in between. So if you're planning to attend a board game event yourself and want to make the most of your experience, here are some tips that come from my own experience and that I hope you will find useful.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/09/26/conventional-tips-advice-for-attending-board-game-events-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Tabletop Together Tool: https://tabletoptogether.com/tool/
- Board Game Geek: https://boardgamegeek.com/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Mario Bava Sleeps In a Little Later Than He Expected To by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Source: http://chriszabriskie.com/vendaface/
Artist: http://chriszabriskie.com/
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The system was slowing down. It was becoming noticeable. Booting up, opening applications and opening files was taking a lot longer. Even the memory swap was clearly not as fast as it used to be. The reason was simple: the file blocks were all over the place. The solution was just as simple: it was time to Defrag by Brandon McCool from Envy Born Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/09/23/defrag-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Defrag: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/854354559/sirens-defrag-and-16-candies-a-tiny-game-series
- Envy Born Games: https://envyborngames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/376284/defrag
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
This review uses these sounds from freesound:
"hard disk drive IBM (1999)" by user "viertelnachvier" (https://freesound.org/people/viertelnachvier/sounds/321502/) licensed under CCBYNC 4.0
8-Bit March by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Artist: http://www.twinmusicom.org/
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Inspired by an essay that Bez from Stuff by Bez published a few days ago on Board Game Geek, I thought I might also write about what board games mean to me. Unlike her, I'm not a designer. I'm a consumer of board games, often with a critical eye because I'm also a reviewer. So I'm coming at this from a different angle and of course, my experiences with and expectations of board games will be different to Bez's. Anyway, I hope you find it interesting and as always, it would be great to hear your thoughts on the topic.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/09/19/board-game-feelings-what-board-games-mean-to-me-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Bez's essay: https://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/152156/essay-about-what-boardgames-mean-me
- Stuff by Bez: http://www.stuffbybez.com/
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We were going to leave our Scandinavian homelands to search for fortunes in new shores far beyond the horizon. However, before we could set off, we had to load our boat with provisions, equipment and a daring crew. The problem was, that it was a rough, windy day and our longships were dangerously swaying on the swell. Getting everything safely stowed on board was going to be tricky. It was almost like we were on a Viking See-Saw by Reiner Knizia from Itten Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/09/16/viking-see-saw-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Viking See-Saw: https://www.itten-games.com/games/fb-vs/
- Itten Games: https://www.itten-games.com/en/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/351810/viking-see-saw
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2023 BBC
Music: Mjolnir by Alexander Nakarada
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/6213-mjolnir
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Music: The Vikings by Alexander Nakarada
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I reckon most of us have heard about toxic behaviour in our hobby. Some of us will have experienced it directly. Many of us can probably name at least one bad actor who is still present in our community. There are also publishers who still work with these people, despite there having been public outrage about the person's behaviour or actions and the person not showing any remorse or accepting any responsibility. As a reviewer, my initial reaction is not to review games from those publishers, let alone if a toxic person has worked on them in any capacity. However, as I want to discuss in this article, things aren't always that black and white.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/09/12/reviews-bad-actors-and-consequentialism-reviewing-games-from-controversial-publishers-topic-discussion/
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Music by AShamaluevMusic.
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It was the 5th century BCE and we, the Athenians, had been victorious over the Persians. The Delian League was now under our military control and the income generated by federation fees had made us prosperous. It was time for an ambitious building programme and the most talented architects in ancient Greece were ready. We were going to build housing, temples, markets, gardens and barracks. Our planning rules were going to create a harmonious community, enhanced by plazas. We would create new quarries to provide the stone to stretch our city towards the sky. We were going to build our high city, our Akropolis by Jules Messaud from Gigamic.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/09/09/akropolis-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Akropolis: https://export.gigamic.com/akropolis-game/
- Rulebook: https://export.gigamic.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/GIGAMIC_AKROPOLIS_RULES_EN_23-12.pdf
- Gigamic: https://export.gigamic.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/357563/akropolis
- Carcassonne: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/822/carcassonne
- Smallworld review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/04/10/smallworld-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music by AShamaluevMusic.
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Now don't get me wrong. I don't mind long games. I happily play the same game for two to three hours, as long as it keeps me captivated. Even when a game requires a lot of focus and concentration, I usually have no problem sticking with it for a few hours. One of the ways in which a game can keep players invested is by reducing the amount of downtime, that is the time it takes for a turn to come back round to you. Something that helps in this respect is overlapping turns, which I want to look at more closely in this article.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/09/05/speed-boost-overlapping-turns-in-board-games-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Tapestry review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/11/09/tapestry-saturday-review/
- Scythe review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/01/19/scythe/
- Karuba review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/04/08/karuba-saturday-review/
- Quacks of Quedlinburg review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/06/06/the-quacks-of-quedlinburg-saturday-review/
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The living room floor was a mess, sort of anyway. Everything was neatly arranged in a grid pattern, but there was no order to it whatsoever. Books were next to plants, which were next to games, which were next to frames all while some of our cats were tiptoeing around everything. All of it was only temporary though. I just wanted to get everything lined up, before returning it all to My Shelfie by Matthew Dunstan and Phil Walker-Harding from Lucky Duck Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/09/02/my-shelfie-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- My Shelfie: https://luckyduckgames.com/games/340-my-shelfie
- Rulebook: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/243983/my-shelfie-rules-eng
- Lucky Duck Games: https://luckyduckgames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/366456/my-shelfie
- Village Rails review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/03/11/village-rails-saturday-review/
- Connect Four: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2719/connect-four
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The discussion about whether board game reviews should be paid for comes up regularly. Arguments can centre on the moral angle, come from a legal viewpoint or be purely personal opinions. More often than not, what is being debated is not well defined and the discourse starts to drift into different, seemingly opposing, directions. In this article, I want to try and untangle the topic and focus on maybe one or two specific areas.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/08/29/reviews-kant-be-paid-a-look-at-paid-reviews-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Kantian Ethics Wikipedia entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kantian_ethics
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Fungi have long been misclassified as plants. In reality, they are a whole kingdom of their own. What we call a mushroom is just a fungus's fruit that appears above ground, but a mushroom is just a tiny part of a fungus. It's their underground root system composed of dense masses of fine, thread-like filaments, called hyphae, that makes up the majority of a fungus. Yet, mushrooms are crucial in a fungus's propagation. Mushrooms send out spores, which are carried through the air to new locations. When they eventually germinate they create new Mycelia by J. J. Neville from Split Stone Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/08/26/mycelia-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Mycelia: https://splitstonegames.com/
- Split Stone Games: https://splitstonegames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/378476/mycelia
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Respect Ambient Relaxed by EdiKey20
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After talking to Gaiagames at Berlin Brettspiel Con this year, I was impressed by how much they focus on sustainability for their games, not just when it comes to the product itself, but also the gameplay experience. It spurned me on to write about the topic of our hobby's impact on the environment and how that manifests itself in so many different, faceted ways.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/08/22/green-greener-greenest-sustainability-and-board-games-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Gaiagames: https://gaiagames.de/
- Berlin Brettspiel Con: https://berlin-con.de/
- "Plastic fantastic" article: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/09/03/plastic-fantastic/
- "Less is more" article: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/07/07/less-is-more-topic-discussion/
- "Carbon-neutral games" article: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/11/02/carbon-neutral-games-topic-discussion/
- Forest Stewardship Council (FSC): https://fsc.org/en
- Forests of Pangaia review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/05/20/forests-of-pangaia-saturday-review/
- Pangaia Games: https://www.pangaia.games/
- Postmark Games: https://www.postmarkgames.com/
- Atikin Games: https://atikingames.com/
- Daybreak: https://www.daybreakgame.org/
- re-wood: https://czechgames.com/en/home/news-23-07-27-introducing-re-wood/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
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The first snow of winter had fallen. Underneath the cosy blanket of snow, new life was stirring. The land was coming alive with creatures trying to carve out a life. It wasn't long until the warm sun melted the snow atop the giant mountain overlooking this realm. A slow trickle soon turned into a stream, which grew and grew and threatened to flood the animals with a giant River Wild by Steven Aramini from Button Shy.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/08/19/river-wild-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- River Wild: https://buttonshygames.com/products/river-wild
- Rulebook: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/259138/official-rules-button-shy
- Button Shy: https://buttonshygames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/352593/river-wild
- Crumbs! review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/08/05/crumbs-the-sandwich-filler-game-saturday-review/
- Patience: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/10400/patience
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Main Music: Purple Planet Music (https://www.purple-planet.com)
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Starting out in any hobby can be daunting. There is so much to learn and understand. The modern board game hobby is no different. There is terminology that will be unfamiliar to people who have not played much other than Monopoly or The Game of Life. Even the idea that you do anything other than roll and move can be alien and lead to analysis paralysis. So in this article, I want to look at how you can introduce people to our hobby.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/08/15/opening-gambit-where-to-begin-in-the-modern-hobby-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Monopoly: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/1406/monopoly
- The Game of Life: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2921/game-of-life
- "How to get into board games in 2023" article from Adam at Punchboard: https://punchboard.co.uk/how-to-get-into-board-games-in-2023/
- "Introduction to Modern Board Games" article from Ian at The Giant Brain: https://giantbrain.co.uk/2023/08/03/introduction-to-modern-board-games/
- Board Game Geek (BGG): https://boardgamegeek.com/
- Star Trek Fluxx: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/246531/star-trek-fluxx
- Ticket to Ride: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/9209/ticket-ride
- Clans of Caledonia review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/03/02/clans-of-caledonia/
- Brian Boru review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/04/16/brian-boru-high-king-of-ireland-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
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It was time for our annual harvest and for the Day of the Dead. We are all looking forward to seeing the souls of our dead loved ones again. There would be dancing, singing, drinking, eating and general merriment. It was going to be our chance to speak with our long-deceased family members again. This year it was going to be different though. We would make a bet with the dead. It would be a race. Whoever made it back to their world again first would control what happened in the other realm for a whole year. We were ready to say ¡Adiós Calavera! by Martin Schlegel from Mücke Spiele.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/08/12/adios-calavera-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- ¡Adiós Calavera!: https://verlag.muecke-spiele.de/en/muecke-spiele-adios-calavera-2/
- Rulebook: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/150188/multilingual-rule-book
- Mücke Spiele: https://verlag.muecke-spiele.de/en/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/230898/adios-calavera
- Chinese Checkers: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2386/chinese-checkers
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2023 BBC
Main Music: Hine Ma Tov by E's Jammy Jams from YouTube's audio library
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The following article was written by Dennis Wesley.
Chess is one of our oldest games and as with most long-lasting entities, the game has undergone many changes over the years, influenced even by such factors as societal progress and politics. Chess has passed through different societies and cultures and the game has been played and perceived differently in different settings. Today, chess is one of very few board games accorded the status of sport in addition to also being promoted as a hobby that improves players' acuity.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/08/08/chess-appeal-the-history-of-an-ancient-game-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Science and Arts Education blog: https://stemeduconnect.wordpress.com/
- Chaturanga: https://www.chessvariants.com/historic.dir/chaturanga.html
- World Chess Federation: https://www.chesshistory.com/winter/extra/fidehistory.html
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Relaxing Chill instrumental meditative | Arnor by Alex-Productions is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
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It's lunchtime and the queue outside your cafe is rather long. Everyone wants you to hurry up and make them their favourite sandwich from your hugely popular menu. The pressure is on to line up slices of bread and pile them high with lettuce, tomatoes, eggs, tuna or ham. Some want theirs even toasted. Well... Crumbs!: The Sandwich Filler Game by J. Antscherl from Minerva Tabletop Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/08/05/crumbs-the-sandwich-filler-game-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Crumbs!: The Sandwich Filler Game: https://www.minervatabletop.co.uk/crumbs
- Minerva Tabletop Games: https://www.minervatabletop.co.uk/
- Rory Muldoon interview: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/10/14/rory-muldoon-let-me-illustrate/
- Skora review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/05/14/skora-saturday-review/
- Tinderblox review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/12/19/tinderblox-saturday-review/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/376583/crumbs-sandwich-filler-game
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
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Main Music: Lo-Fi Chill Hip Hop | Chilling by Alex-Productions is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
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I always love going to board game conventions, shows, conferences or whatever you want to call them. Just walking into the halls and seeing lots of excited people who share the same hobby is invigorating. The prospect of catching up with friends whom I might not otherwise see is wonderful. Finally meeting the people I only know from social media face-to-face is fabulous. Board game events are always very much like a home from home. Yet, my visit to Berlin Brettspiel Con 2023 and the Spiel des Jahres awards a few weeks ago took this to another level.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/08/01/home-from-home-a-con-visit-with-a-difference-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Berlin Brettspiel Con 2023 review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/07/22/berlin-brettspiel-con-2023-saturday-review/
- Spiel des Jahres: https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/
- Five Games For Doomsday: https://fivegamesfordoomsday.com/
- Spielworxx: https://www.spielworxx.de/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
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Of the over 30 atolls and coral reefs in the Laccadive Sea, off the coast of Kerala, India, only 10 are inhabited. Of those, only a few are open to tourists. To visit the islands you need permission from the nearest customs office in Kochi, which is over 300 miles away. It helps strike the right balance between creating a good income stream for the islands, while also supporting sustainable tourism and preserving the fragile ecosystem of Lakshadweep by Sidhant Chand from Luma World.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/07/29/lakshadweep-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Lakshadweep: https://lumaworld.in/collections/educational-toys-for-kids/products/lakshadweep
- Rulebook: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/256506/lakshadweep-rulebook
- Luma World: https://lumaworld.in/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/373877/lakshadweep
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
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Recently at work, we discussed how constantly going from one task to the next or changing from one tool to another is rather draining. This so-called context switching has been shown to reduce productivity. That's when it struck me that some board games suffer from exactly this problem. So in this article, I want to look at how research into the problems of context switching could potentially be applied to board game design.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/07/25/context-switching-when-games-are-hard-work-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Brass: Birmingham review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/04/01/brass-birmingham-deluxe-saturday-review/
- Tapestry review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/11/09/tapestry-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
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It is rare that you can combine going to your hometown with attending a board game convention. So when it does happen, you jump at the opportunity. If you're also expecting to see a lot of people you normally only see maybe once a year at another show, as well as people you have so far only "met" on social media, then you know you're onto a winner. Being able to get demos of new and upcoming games is the cherry on top. Berlin Brettspiel Con 2023 was promising to fulfil all of these hopes, which set the bar very high. The question is whether it delivered.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/07/22/berlin-brettspiel-con-2023-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Berlin Brettspiel Con 2023: https://berlin-con.de/
- BVG - Berlin's public transport provider: https://www.bvg.de/en
- Spielworxx: https://www.spielworxx.de/
- Naylor Games: https://naylorgames.com/
- Leder Games: https://ledergames.com/
- The Game Builders: https://gamebuilders.de/
- Gaia Games: https://gaiagames.de/
- Ecogon: https://gaiagames.de/produkt/ecogon-english/
- Lirius Games: https://www.liriusgames.com/
- Journey Through Italy: https://www.liriusgames.com/journey-through-italy/
- Irongames: https://www.irongames.de/wordpress/
- Discordia: https://www.irongames.de/wordpress/index.php/meine-spiele/discordia-2022/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
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In today's fast-paced and digitally saturated world, finding ways to recharge and repair our mental health is often quite hard. There are so many distractions that draw us into a bubble that seems comforting at first. Modern life is all about speed and work, while our own health and life are often seen as secondary. However, among the hustle and bustle, there is one activity that can really help with mental health: board games. In this article, I want to look at how board games can foster connection, promote cognitive skills and provide a much-needed respite from the stresses of everyday life.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/07/18/healthy-gaming-mentality-mental-health-and-board-games-topic-discussion/
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Hello! My name is Gavin Jones and this week I'm going to be standing in for the wonderful Oliver with a guest review. Buckle up and adjust your rearview mirror - things are about to get wild.
First gear. Screams of tortured rubber and plumes of acrid smoke fill the air as we barrel over the brow of the hill, rapidly advancing on our target. The tank is an incongruous sight, squat and menacing in the middle of the highway, two shiny black beetles flanking each side: SUVs filled with seemingly infinite numbers of violent goons, like clown cars of criminality.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/07/15/fast-furious-highway-heist-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Fast & Furious: Highway Heist: https://funkogames.com/games/fast-and-furious-highway-heist/
- Rulebook: https://funkogames1.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/FFHH_Instructions_printathome-1.pdf
- Funko Games: https://funkogames.com
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/332015/fast-furious-highway-heist
- Prospero Hall: https://www.prosperohall.com/
- Jaws review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/10/10/jaws-saturday-review/
- Gavin Jones: https://linktr.ee/jonesfamilygamesnight
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
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Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com
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- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
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I always used to be very much a competitive player. Pitting my wit against other people was my thing. I would usually lose games and still do, but it was always a lot of fun. Cooperative games really only came into my life when our daughter was young enough to play games with us that weren't just roll-and-move. I remember our first game of Forbidden Island, which we all really enjoyed and played many times since. So in this article, I want to explore why cooperative games have become so popular in recent years.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/07/11/increased-cooperation-the-popularity-of-cooperative-games-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Forbidden Island review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/05/02/forbidden-island-saturday-review/
- Pandemic review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/01/18/pandemic-saturday-review/
- Castle Panic review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/05/06/castle-panic-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
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Out of the Skies, Under the Earth by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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The sea was calm and the sun was shining. The sandy beach stretched for miles, strewn with shells, some occupied by hermit crabs. In the distance, I could see a few small boats. Underneath the long abandoned lighthouse, there was a small colony of penguins. As I closed my eyes and dozed off, I dreamt of fish and merpeople. My mind was thinking about Sea Salt & Paper by Bruno Cathala and Théo Rivière from Bombyx.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/07/08/sea-salt-paper-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Sea Salt & Paper: https://studiobombyx.com/en/jeu/sea-salt-paper/
- Rulebook: https://studiobombyx.com/assets/SSAP_rulebook_EN-3.pdf
- Bombyx: https://studiobombyx.com/en/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/367220/sea-salt-paper
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
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The following music was used for this media project:
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If you're a very competitive player, then winning is all that counts. Depending on how ruthless you are, you will push for victory at all cost, as long as it is within the rules. Even if you're less cruel, you will do what you can to win. Either way, ending a game in first place feels good. It not only proves that you played well, but that you're a better player than the other people around the table. Yet, I often find that not winning or even doing badly in a game can be fun and here is why.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/07/04/bad-fun-how-bad-game-experiences-can-be-fun-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Tapestry review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/11/09/tapestry-saturday-review/
- Mint Tin Mini Skulduggery review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/03/09/mint-tin-mini-skulduggery/
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Tucked away near Gleisdreieck in Berlin's Kreuzberg district is STATION-Berlin, home to the German capital's main board game convention Berlin Brettspiel Con. For three days in July, hordes of tabletop hobby enthusiasts converge to play games, speak to the dozens of exhibitors and generally have a great time. For the first time, I'll be among them and I can't wait. I'll be attending as a member of the press and have made a short list of whom I want to talk to.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/07/01/berlin-brettspiel-con-2023-preview/
Useful Links
- Berlin Brettspiel Con 2023: https://berlin-con.de/
- Spielworxx: https://www.spielworxx.de/
- Die Macher: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/1/die-macher
- The Cost: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/12/12/the-cost-digital-eyes/
- Oink Games: https://oinkgames.com/en/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
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Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com
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We take language so much for granted, whether it's written down, spoken out loud or conveyed via signs. Yet, when we communicate with others, we sometimes notice how words can be misinterpreted. We can see how a message can come across differently from how it was intended. That is when we realize how important words actually are. Choosing one word over another can make a huge difference. It's already hard enough to get your point across in your native language, but it reaches a completely new level of difficulty when you use a foreign tongue.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/06/27/translation-challenges-good-translations-are-important-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Make My Game Travel: https://makemygametravel.com/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
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The bitumen road had given way to a well-maintained dirt track. My monster road train was stubbornly ploughing on, throwing up red dust behind it in giant plumes. From time to time I could see kangaroos, wombats, spiny anteaters, platypuses and dingos. I even caught a rare glimpse of a Tasmanian devil. It was very busy in this arid landscape. In fact, it was so busy that it felt like there was an Outback Crossing by Bruce Whitehill from Mücke Spiele.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/06/24/outback-crossing-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Outback Crossing: https://verlag.muecke-spiele.de/en/novelty-muecke-spiele-outback-crossing/
- Rulebook: https://verlag.muecke-spiele.de/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Rules.pdf
- Mücke Spiele: https://verlag.muecke-spiele.de/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/276219/outback-crossing
- Spielmaterial: https://www.spielematerial.de/
- ¡Adiós Calavera!: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/230898/adios-calavera
- Namibia: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/55842/namibia
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
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The following music was used for this media project:
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I recently had the honour to be tasked with donating most of the 2023 Spiel des Jahres, Kinderspiel des Jahres and Kennerspiel des Jahres nominations and longlist titles to good causes on behalf of Spiel des Jahres. Being curious about the association and their selections, I decided to play some of the games myself. As a result, I wanted to share with you more about the Spiel des Jahres association and how I think its goals are reflected in the games they select.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/06/20/spiel-des-jahres-hobby-games-for-non-hobbyists-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Spiel des Jahres: https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/en/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
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London's ageing underground network is creaking and groaning. It can no longer keep up with the exponentially increasing demand of daily commuters and rising tourist numbers to the UK's capital. It's time to scrap it all and start anew and Transport for London has hired you to redesign everything. It won't be easy to optimize the interchanges for a better flow, provide stops to as many tourist sites as possible and take advantage of the tunnels passing underneath the Thames. The first station has been built and now it's up to you to create the Next Station: London by Matthew Dunstan from Blue Orange Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/06/17/next-station-london-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Next Station: London: https://blueorangegames.eu/en/games/next-station-london/
- Rulebook: https://blueorangegames.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/NextStationLondon-Rules-EN.pdf
- Blue Orange Games: https://blueorangegames.eu/en/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/353545/next-station-london
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
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Fresh off the back of demoing games for Asmodee at UK Games Expo 2023, I wanted to share my experiences with introducing people to a new game. I think demoing and teaching games are two similar, but also different approaches. In this article, I want to look at them more closely.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/06/13/demo-vs-teach-different-types-of-presenting-games-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Asmodee: https://www.asmodee.co.uk/
- UK Games Expo 2023 review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/06/10/uk-games-expo-2023-saturday-review/
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I visited the show last year as a member of the press. I spoke to a lot of exhibitors and spent time in the evenings catching up with friends and playing a few games. However, this year was different. For the first time, I came up to demo games on behalf of Asmodee. That meant my travel, food and accommodation were all paid for and I even got a bit of an hourly wage. At the same time, it also meant I only had an hour's lunch break to wander around the halls. It really changed my experience of the UK Games Expo 2023.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/06/10/uk-games-expo-2023-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- UK Games Expo: https://www.ukgamesexpo.co.uk/
- UK Games Expo 2022 review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/06/11/uk-games-expo-2022-saturday-review/
- Asmodee: https://www.asmodee.co.uk/
- Naylor Games: https://naylorgames.com/
- 21x: https://naylorgames.com/pages/21x
- Gavin Jones: https://linktr.ee/jonesfamilygamesnight
- Ravensburger: https://www.ravensburger.co.uk/en-GB
- Atikin Games: https://atikingames.com/
- Malum Hortus: https://atikingames.com/malumhortus/
- Playtest UK: http://www.playtest.co.uk/
- First Take Some Dice: https://firsttakesomedice.blogspot.com/
- Actualol: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO-hn9MJOu7pOUdGSabKGvA
- More Games Please: https://www.moregamesplease.com/
- North Star Games: https://www.northstargames.com/
- For Chits & Giggles: https://www.youtube.com/@ForChitsGiggles
- 7 Wonders Duel: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/173346/7-wonders-duel
- Punchboard: https://punchboard.co.uk/
- Ablagestapel: http://ablagestapel.blogspot.com/
- Stuff by Bez: http://www.stuffbybez.com/
- Spiel des Jahres: https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/
- Martina Fuchs: https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/en/the-jury/martina-fuchs/
- Minerva Tabletop: https://www.minervatabletop.co.uk/
- Crumbs!: https://www.minervatabletop.co.uk/post/announcing-crumbs-the-sandwich-filler-game
- Dissent Games: https://dissentgames.com/
- Library Labyrinth review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/02/26/library-labyrinth-saturday-review/
- Gamealot: https://www.game-a-lot.fun/en/
- The Board Game Workshop: https://theboardgameworkshop.com/
- Daniel Newman:
- New Mill Industries: https://www.newmillindustries.com/
- Roland MacDonald: https://rolandsrevenge.com/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
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Most of the earliest card games were trick-taking games played in the 800s in China. These will have felt quite different to our modern eyes. They didn't have the concept of trump cards or trump suits. There was also no bidding. Trumps were added to European card games in the 1400s, followed by bidding in the 1600s. It took another 100-200 years for familiar trick-taking games like Whist and Skat to appear. A few hundred years after that, the mechanism has now found a new lease of life in modern hobby games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/06/06/trick-taking-a-modern-card-mechanism-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Trick-taking: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trick-taking_game
- Skull King review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/01/04/skull-king-saturday-review/
- The Fox in the Forest: Duet review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/04/30/the-fox-in-the-forest-duet-saturday-review/
- The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/12/05/the-crew-the-quest-for-planet-nine-saturday-review/
- Cat in the Box: https://beziergames.com/products/cat-in-the-box-deluxe-edition
- Brian Boru: High King of Ireland review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/04/16/brian-boru-high-king-of-ireland-saturday-review/
- Mori: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/boardgametables/pies-mori-lunar-bacon
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Gosh! The tiles were almost like dominoes, but square instead of rectangular. They came in a combination of six shapes and six colours. Every time you laid out tiles with the same colour, but different shapes or the same shape, but different colours, you had to connect them to what was already there, but without doubling up on colours or shapes. It quickly became confusing. It was a right Qwirkle by Susan McKinley Ross from MindWare.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/06/03/qwirkle-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Qwirkle: https://www.mindware.orientaltrading.com/qwirkle-a2-32016.fltr
- MindWare: https://www.mindware.orientaltrading.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/25669/qwirkle
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
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Pretty much every hobby game contains some sort of score which measures who is in the lead and decides who wins the game. That's undoubtedly true for competitive games, but sometimes also for cooperative ones. The score can be in the form of victory points, glory points, reputation, money or something else or even a mix of different things. Some games keep track of players' scores throughout the game, others count everything up at the end and there are also games that have a mix of in-game scoring and end-of-game points. In this article, I want to look at these different ways of score keeping and how it affects gameplay experience.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/05/30/round-the-outside-tracking-scores-in-board-games-topic-discussion/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
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Music: Relaxing Piano Improvisation by Alexander Nakarada
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We were a band of feared Viking warriors of Borg on the Lofoten islands. Our chieftain had tasked us with assembling a cunning and mighty crew, collecting provisions and journeying north to plunder gold, iron and livestock from foreign lands. We would find glory in battle and the Valkyrie would lead the fallen to Odin's Valhalla. We were the Raiders of the North Sea by Shem Phillips from Renegade Games Studios.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/05/27/raiders-of-the-north-sea-digital-eyes/
Useful Links
- Raiders of the North Sea: https://renegadegamestudios.com/raiders-of-the-north-sea/
- Rulebook: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LwZ0ve3I6el9dRCIfPeKvFzmtfArqD4S/view?usp=sharing
- Renegade Games Studios: https://renegadegamestudios.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/170042/raiders-north-sea
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
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Music: Stöðvar by Alexander Nakarada
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(Photo courtesy of Garphill Games)
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Card games date back to the 1400s with Karniffel, or Thuringian Karnöffel, often listed as the oldest one, at least the oldest in Europe that we know of. As a popular trick-taking game in Germany for centuries, it clearly started a trend. Many trick-taking games are still popular in Germany today and I certainly grew up with a fair few. However, card games have come a long way since then. In this article, I want to look at deck-building games specifically and how this mechanism has been applied in many different ways since Dominion made it popular.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/05/23/deck-building-a-modern-card-mechanism-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Karniffel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karniffel
- Dominion: https://riograndegames.wpengine.com/games/dominion/
- Shards of Infinity: https://stoneblade.com/
- Mystic Vale review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2018/12/08/mystic-vale/
- Undaunted: Normandy review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/07/23/undaunted-normandy-saturday-review/
- Fort review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/04/03/fort-saturday-review/
- Imperium: Classics: https://ospreypublishing.com/uk/imperium-classics-9781472844743/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
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Music: Bugbears Be Approaching by Tim Kulig
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Before the dawn of time, Gaia, our Mother Earth, gave birth to the first trees. With their strong trunks and majestic crowns, they quickly converted the fallow land into fertile soil. They cherished the everlasting rituals of Gaia that sent a ferocious force through their veins, bringing life to the highest branches and deepest roots. It did not take long for them to cover the whole continent and create the vast Forests of Pangaia by Thomas Franken from Pangaia Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/05/20/forests-of-pangaia-saturday-review/
Correction
The publisher pointed out that the backside of the box shows two FSC certificates, one for the paper and cardboard and the other for the wooden components. All wooden components are sourced from 100% FSC-certified beech and all paper and cardboard components are FSC-certified as well, with the exception of the German black core cards, which were not available in FSC quality. That's great to hear and I am sorry that I missed that in my review.
Useful Links
- Forests of Pangaia: https://www.pangaia.games/
- Rulebook: http://files.pangaia.games/rulebook
- Pangaia Games: https://www.pangaia.games/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/317859/forests-pangaia
- Tree-Nation: https://tree-nation.com/profile/pangaia
- Treecelet: https://treecelet.com/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Initial Music by Purple Planet (https://www.purple-planet.com)
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Relaxing Piano Improvisation by Alexander Nakarada
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If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
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When you publish a review every week, there is a certain amount of pressure to frequently play games that are new to you. Even if you bear in mind that I sometimes re-review a game and that once a year I list my top 5 games as well as look back at the past 12 months, that still leaves around 50 games that I need to get to the table and play a few times. That's a fair amount and risks taking the fun out of it.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/05/16/review-pressures-fun-versus-review-topic-discussion/
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The tigers were stealthily making their way onto the meadow, where the goats were grazing. Watching their calm and coordinated approach made you believe there was going to be only one outcome - and it wasn't going to be in favour of the goats. However, the sheer number of grazing animals didn't make it easy for the hunters. It didn't take long for one animal to sense the danger. Suddenly, the whole flock was alert and bunched together, making it virtually impossible for the large cats to attack. It was now their turn to make the next move in this Bagh Chal from Lemery Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/05/13/bagh-chal-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Bagh Chal: https://lemerygames.com/pages/bagh-chal
- Rulebook: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1sdUY-efjt3K3XtSyiHGjN-XGh2nrzFU4?usp=sharing
- Lemery Games: https://lemerygames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/315/bagh-chal
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2023 BBC
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If you are a veteran board game hobbyist, you will have learned a lot of terminology and mechanisms. You will instinctively know what a draw deck is and that you usually shuffle a discard pile into a new draw deck, if it runs out. The concepts of action points and turn order are going to be obvious to you. It will be second-nature to you that resources can be converted not only into each other, but also into victory points, which is another concept that you will understand. However, many of these terms will mean very little to someone who is new to our hobby.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/05/09/board-game-beginnings-how-we-learn-board-games-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Nemesis review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/06/18/nemesis-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
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"Troll!" came the shout from the battlements. "Where?!" we shouted back. "Southeast!" was the reply. Darn it. We didn't have any archers defending our fortress in that direction. It was fortunate that we still had time before we had to deal with the next wave of attackers. We were already in over our heads fending off orcs and goblins at the northern end of the bastion. Things were slowly becoming too chaotic. It was a real Castle Panic by Justin De Witt from Fireside Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/05/06/castle-panic-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Castle Panic: https://firesidegames.com/product/castle-panic-big-box-second-edition/
- Rulebook: https://www.firesidegames.com/downloads/CP-Big-Box-2E-Rules-WEB.pdf
- Lemery Games: https://firesidegames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/278693/castle-panic-big-box
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2023 BBC
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Fantasy Ambience by Alexander Nakarada
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Apart from being a great way to meet new people and make new friends, just like any other hobby, for many of us in the hobby, playing board games is a social activity. We enjoy spending time with friends or family and catching up over a game or two. We have snacks and drinks and chat away in between turns. However, not everyone shares that view and there are good reasons for this. So in this article, I want to investigate why games can be a great conduit for socialising while also potentially being a hindrance.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/05/02/right-time-right-place-board-games-and-socialising-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Gloria Liu's article from The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2023/04/board-games-bonding-game-night/673670/
- Rachel Kowert: https://rkowert.com/
- Love Letter review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/01/23/love-letter-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Village Ambiance by Alexander Nakarada
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The two of us were strolling along the beach. We could feel the damp sand underneath our feet. We stopped for a moment to dig our toes in and take a look around. There were plenty of beautiful objects just waiting to be found: driftwood for sculptures, sea glass for earrings and many other things. So we followed the Tides by Mike Berg from Button Shy.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/04/29/tides-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Tides: https://buttonshygames.com/products/tides
- Rulebook: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/230471/official-rules-button-shy
- Button Shy: https://buttonshygames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/341963/tides
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2023 BBC
The following music was used for this media project:
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Yes, my dear friends, Tabletop Games Blog is 5 years today. When I posted my first article, I didn't know where I was going with this and had no idea about the journey the site would take me on. Since then, I published 550 articles, releasing them also in audio format since December 2018, which means there are over 430 podcast episodes available as well. I played hundreds of games, attended many exhibitions, was a guest on a number of podcasts, met lots of people and made many good friends. So let me tell you about the journey so far to celebrate this anniversary with you.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/04/25/5th-anniversary-looking-back-to-the-beginning-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- The very first article "Games nights": https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2018/04/25/games-nights/
- About page: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/about/
- Das Schwarze Auge: https://ulisses-spiele.de/game-system/das-schwarze-auge/
- Dungeons & Dragons: https://dnd.wizards.com/
- Digidiced: https://digidiced.com/
- My very first review "Le Havre: The Inland Port": https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2018/10/20/le-havre-the-inland-port/
- PSC Games: https://www.pscgames.co.uk/
- Wren Games: https://wrengames.co.uk/main/
- Steeped Games: https://steepedgames.com/
- Good Owl Games: https://goodowlgames.com/
- First episode of Tabletop Inquisition: https://tabletopinquisition.com/2019/03/11/episode-1-who-are-we/
- Tabletop Inquisition: https://tabletopinquisition.com/
- Die Spielträumer podcast, episode 54: https://www.spieltraeumer.de/podcast/the-spieltraeumers-54-deckbuilding-deathmatch/
- Die Brettagoge podcast, episode 144: https://brettagoge.de/144-von-voegeln-und-hudern-teamteaching/
- We're Not Wizards podcast: https://www.werenotwizards.com/e/episode-320-oliver-kinne-tabletop-games-blog/
- Brainwaves podcast: https://giantbrain.co.uk/tag/brainwaves/
- Essen Spiel: https://www.spiel-messe.com/de/
- Slickerdrips: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmtyR1piEzGwYR5cfHo_VTQ
- Gaming Rules: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvIWBOfYGXYQQQORhjAJKCQ
- Fog of Love: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/175324/fog-love
- Jess Cassidy: https://twitter.com/Boardgame_girl1
- Heavy Cardboard: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnuxFrI7_2mBmeay2R5FhXg
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It was dark in damp. Of course, that was not unusual for the Tacora Cave, a giant underground system which was strewn with precious jewels and priceless artefacts. Those were the reason why we were here in the first place. Armed with our torches, we explored one tunnel after another, always mindful of traps. Sooner or later, one of us would get scared and make their way back to the entrance with their share of the treasures we had found so far. The rest of us continued, praying we would not fall foul of another trap and lose everything. After all, we wanted to get rich and find the most Diamant by Bruno Faidutti and Alan R. Moon from Iello.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/04/22/diamant-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Diamant: https://iello.fr/jeux/diamant/
- Rulebook: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/136662/english-rules-2016-iello-version
- Iello: https://iello.fr/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/15512/incan-gold
- Karuba review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/04/08/karuba-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2023 BBC
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: The Big Adventure by Sascha Ende
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The other day I noticed how similar books and board games are. The thought was triggered when I held a board game box in my hand and then plonked it on the table. The sound it made was very much like that of a tome being placed down. It also felt as heavy as a thick hardback book. I soon realized that there were many more commonalities. So let me investigate the spiritual twins that are books and board games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/04/18/board-game-library-books-and-board-games-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- My article about war games: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/01/10/serious-war-games-controversial-or-not-topic-discussion/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: A Very Brady Special by Kevin MacLeod
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Cornwall, the early 19th century. Tin and copper mines are popping up everywhere. These metals are so important for the Empire. Tin is used in many alloys and copper to clad the ships of the Royal Navy. Both industries attract more and more people and lead to new developments and inventions. The growing demand for efficient water pumps leads to the development of the steam engine, which in turn allows the building of the first steam trains. However, it is the people who are at the heart of all of this activity and their daily walk from their homes to the mines becomes known as the Tinners' Trail by Martin Wallace from Alley Cat Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/04/15/tinners-trail-deluxe-edition-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Tinners' Trail: https://www.alleycatgames.com/tinners-trail
- Rulebook: https://www.alleycatgames.com/_files/ugd/aa325b_557d5158ab1d4848bd8b863073230f76.pdf
- Alley Cat Games: https://www.alleycatgames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/321277/tinners-trail
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Bugbears Be Approaching by Tim Kulig
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Artist website: https://timkulig.com/albums
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
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Board and other hobby games are a form of entertainment for the people who play them. It doesn't matter whether these are solo games, family games, heavy games or party games for larger groups of people. There should be a game for anyone and everyone. However, as we know, our large hobby still struggles with who is represented in the games themselves, let alone with what groups of people our community make feel truly comfortable and welcome. In this article, I want to explore why representation and diversity in our hobby matter and what we all can do to promote greater inclusivity in the board game community.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/04/11/representation-and-diversity-why-it-matters-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Black Voices in Board Games: https://www.elizhargrave.com/black-voices-in-board-games
- Women & Nonbinary Board Game Designers: https://www.elizhargrave.com/women-nonbinary-designers
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Music: Lo-Fi Hip-Hop 03 by WinnieTheMoog
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Each of us was part of a team of four brave explorers who had spent months on the high seas to reach an island of myths and legends. All of us were on an expedition to navigate through dense jungle, trying to uncover paths that had been long lost and many of which were dead ends. If we were lucky we might find treasures along the way: gold nuggets or precious jewels. However, the riches along the way were mere trifles compared to our ultimate goal. Each of us wanted to be the first to reach one of the four temples whose tips we could see sticking out above the giant trees. These temples would reward us with unimaginable treasure and glory. We were determined to make history on the island of Karuba by Rüdiger Dorn from HABA.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/04/08/karuba-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Karuba: https://www.haba-play.com/de-de/p/karuba--1300932
- Rulebook: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/126720/official-english-rule-book
- Digital Eyes review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/08/14/karuba-digital-eyes/
- HABA: https://www.haba-play.com/de-de/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/183251/karuba
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Twin Explorers by Alexander Nakarada
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Music: Buzzkiller by Alexander Nakarada
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/5820-buzzkiller
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist website: https://www.serpentsoundstudios.com/
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
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Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/
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If you have ever managed to get a game to the table more than once, you may have experienced how it can feel different each time. The very first game can evoke emotions that starkly contrast with playing it for the fifth time. Games can become more exciting or interesting with every play, or they can become more and more boring. It's not necessarily a linear experience either. The same game can go from being a confusing morass and too overwhelming to comprehend to a highly engrossing battle of wits until eventually turning into a repetitive wilderness of tediousness. Of course, some games provide an almost level gameplay experience with every play. They simply keep on delighting everyone around the table, even after many plays.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/04/04/first-looks-how-the-gameplay-experience-changes-from-first-to-later-games-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Quacks of Quedlinburg review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/06/06/the-quacks-of-quedlinburg-saturday-review/
- Tapestry review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/11/09/tapestry-saturday-review/
- Oath review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/11/27/oath-chronicles-of-empire-and-exile-saturday-review/
- Pax Pamir: Second Edition review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/08/27/pax-pamir-second-edition-saturday-review/
- Mint Tin Mini Skulduggery review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/03/09/mint-tin-mini-skulduggery/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Lofi Chill Hip-Hop by WinnieTheMoog
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Music: Lofi by DreamHeaven
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The canal era was over. It was the time of the steam railways. The industrial revolution was in full swing and coal was at the heart of new, booming industries. A lot of iron was needed to build the infrastructure that would allow resources and goods to be shipped around the country. The workforce needed to be kept happy and beer was the perfect lubricant for this task. The rise of cotton mills, potteries and manufacturing gave us the opportunities to earn our Brass: Birmingham by Gavan Brown, Matt Tolman and Martin Wallace from Roxley Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/04/01/brass-birmingham-deluxe-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Brass: Birmingham: https://roxley.com/products/brass-birmingham-deluxe-edition
- Rulebook: http://files.roxley.com/Brass-Birmingham-Rulebook-2018.11.20-highlights.pdf
- Digital Eyes review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/10/03/brass-birmingham-saturday-review/
- Roxley Games: https://roxley.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/224517/brass-birmingham
- Economic simulations article: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/12/06/economic-simulations-why-i-love-them-so-much-topic-discussion/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Vital Whales by Unicorn Heads (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
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A discussion that keeps popping up on social media ever so often is whether reviews should be paid for or not. After all, people deserve to be paid for their time. Also, if someone is sent a free copy of a game for review, then that's surely some form of payment. I mean, some publishers even send goodies to reviewers, which shows that these people deserve some recompense. Or maybe payment creates some level of bias and threatens the integrity and honesty of the review. There are also legal implications, of course. So in this article, I want to give you my opinion on the situation.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/03/28/ethically-paid-reviews-payments-and-their-impact-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- An Influencer's Guide to making clear that ads are ads: https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/ftcs-endorsement-guides-what-people-are-asking
- The FTC's Endorsement Guides: What People Are Asking: https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/ftcs-endorsement-guides-what-people-are-asking
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Relaxing Piano Improvisation by Alexander Nakarada
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/5978-relaxing-piano-improvisation
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Music: Safe From The Rain by Claus Appel
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The gallery was packed. People were chatting, holding glasses of champagne or plates with little aperitifs. Some of the attendees agitatedly pointed at artworks, clearly moved by what they were seeing. The gallerist had picked the artists and their artwork according to a common theme. Everything worked harmoniously together, except maybe one or two pieces, which were slightly at odds with everything else on display. They seemed a bit vague. It was as if, among the list of creators in the exhibition, there was A Fake Artist Goes to New York by Jun Sasaki from Oink Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/03/25/a-fake-artist-goes-to-new-york-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- A Fake Artist Goes to New York: https://oinkgames.com/en/games/analog/a-fake-artist-goes-to-new-york/
- Rulebook: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/91071/english-rules-oink-games
- Oink Games: https://oinkgames.com/en/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/135779/fake-artist-goes-new-york
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2023 BBC
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Afternoon by DreamHeaven
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/6242-afternoon
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Artist website: https://www.patreon.com/dreamheaven
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
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(Photo courtesy of Oink Games)
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Playing games is often a very social activity, even though I don't want to neglect the many solo gamers that play an important part in our hobby. However, in this article, I want to focus on multiplayer games. I want to talk about what roles friends fulfil in our hobby. I basically want to write an ode to all the friends I have made through board games. See the following as my love letter to friends everywhere.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/03/21/an-ode-to-friends-topic-discussion/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
The following music was used for this media project:
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"Captain!" came the shout from the deck. I turned around to see who from my Bluefin Squadron had called over to me. "What is it?" I shouted back in the general direction of my crew. "The crow's nest has spotted something. It looks like a smuggler ship." Ah, yes, the Smugglers. We were neither allies nor enemies. They would help us up to a point, while also always looking out for themselves. I only trusted them as far as my cannons could fire at them. "Fine, fine. Come about and let's see what they're up to." Minutes later the smuggler ship was upon us and I shouted "Ahoy!" by Greg Loring-Albright from Leder Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/03/18/ahoy-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Ahoy: https://ledergames.com/products/ahoy
- Leder Games: https://ledergames.com/
- Rulebook: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/245047/ahoy-rulebook
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/359402/ahoy
- Root review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/02/12/root-a-game-of-woodland-might-and-right-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2023 BBC
Music by AShamaluevMusic.
Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
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As a reviewer, my collection has quite a large turnover. After all, I need to play at least 52 new-to-me games every year, one for each week, to have enough material to write about. I regularly buy new games and I also get a fair amount of review copies. Review copies usually go back to the publisher or are sent to the next reviewer. The games I buy don't always stay in my collection though. I do regularly prune it and get rid of games that I no longer want to keep. However, some games are evergreens for me. They stay in my collection, because I know I'll play them at least ever so often.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/03/14/evergreens-games-ill-always-play-and-never-sell-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- 2022 - A Year in Review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/12/31/2022-a-year-in-review-saturday-review/
- Board Game Geek Marketplace: https://boardgamegeek.com/market/user/oliverkinne?pageid=1
- Wingspan review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/03/16/wingspan/
- Quacks of Quedlinburg review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/06/06/the-quacks-of-quedlinburg-saturday-review/
- Tapestry review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/11/09/tapestry-saturday-review/
- Andrew Bosley interview: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/07/22/andrew-bosley-let-me-illustrate/
- Brass: Birmingham review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/10/03/brass-birmingham-saturday-review/
- Clans of Caledonia review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/03/02/clans-of-caledonia/
- Terra Mystica review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/06/01/terra-mystica/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Village Ambiance by Alexander Nakarada
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Nestled between hills and blanketed with beautiful fields of grass, where cows grazed happily, our village was in the perfect place. Country life was slow and relaxed, because nobody had anywhere urgent to get to. However, that was all going to change soon. Metal tracks were soon going to crisscross between hills and along rivers. They would connect our sleepy corner of the world. They were the Village Rails by Matthew Dunstan and Brett J. Gilbert from Osprey Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/03/11/village-rails-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Village Rails: https://ospreypublishing.com/uk/village-rails-9781472853967/
- Osprey Games: https://ospreypublishing.com/uk/osprey-games/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/358085/village-rails
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2023 BBC
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Sounds by Alexander Nakarada
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I normally don't win, at least not when I play with my games group. That's not a problem and I still have a lot of fun, whatever the outcome. In fact, I sometimes create some extra excitement by not playing it too safe. I actually really like games where you can gamble and create huge point swings. However, I know many people who play to win and who will always play it safe. So in this article, I thought I'd compare the different approaches.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/03/07/risky-games-playing-to-win-vs-taking-risks-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Mystic Vale review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2018/12/08/mystic-vale/
- Deep Sea Adventure review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/04/11/deep-sea-adventure-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Buzzkiller by Alexander Nakarada
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/5820-buzzkiller
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We had been called out in the middle of the night. A major disaster had been declared. It was all hands on deck. After a swift site rep, we were dispatched to various locations around the oil platform. As we approached by helicopter, which was going to lower us onto the deck of our assigned rescue boats, we could see the extent of The Spill by Andy Kim from Smirk & Dagger Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/03/04/the-spill-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- The Spill: https://www.smirkandlaughter.com/the-spill
- Rulebook: https://www.smirkandlaughter.com/_files/ugd/693f33_96269c0a08db4f2aa86c354b7107a122.pdf
- Smirk & Dagger Games: https://www.smirkandlaughter.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/338479/spill
- Pandemic review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/01/18/pandemic-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2023 BBC
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Mermaids by Rafael Krux
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The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Glory Hunters by Rafael Krux
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An interesting question Phil Gross recently asked is why low-interaction games are so popular these days. Even though I'm not really sure whether these types of games are actually popular nowadays, I do wonder why people like games with very little player interaction. So in this article, I want to look at the attraction of games that are either completely multiplayer solitaire or provide very little opportunity for players to interfere with each other's game.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/02/28/solitary-happiness-multiplayer-solitaire-games-popularity-topic-discussion/
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The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Epic Intro 2017 by Sascha Ende
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It was time to take over Earth. We had cunning plans, but then, we were also all trying to sabotage each other at the same time. We knew we had to convince a couple of different regions to be loyal to us and the rest would happen automatically. We also had a super secret weapon. We were going to bribe the Earthlings with Cake of Doom by Amar Chandarana and Pearl Ho from Rainy Day Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/02/25/cake-of-doom-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Cake of Doom: https://www.cakeofdoom.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/343312/cake-doom
- Kickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cakeofdoom/cake-of-doom
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2023 BBC
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Orbitalmelody by Lilo Sound
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A "hobby", as defined by Merriam-Webster's online dictionary, is "a pursuit outside one's regular occupation engaged in especially for relaxation." So hobby games are all about doing something different to what we usually do and doing it to relax. The definition of "serious", on the other hand, is a bit more complex. One option I found in Merriam-Webster's online dictionary defines it as "requiring much thought or work" or "not joking or trifling." So a serious gamer invests a lot of thought and work into their hobby and doesn't want people to make fun of it. It's all a bit confusing and that's why I want to look at the idea of a "serious hobby gamer" in more detail in this article. I also want to look at how hobby games have entered the mainstream and how that relates to the "seriousness" of the hobby.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/02/21/serious-hobbies-serious-gamers-and-the-mainstream-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Merriam-Webster definition of "hobby": https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hobby
- Merriam-Webster definition of "serious": https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/serious
- Pandemic review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/01/18/pandemic-saturday-review/
- Wingspan review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/03/16/wingspan/
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It was time to prove myself as a favoured crusader once again. My goal was to kill the devious Spider, while being very careful to avoid the Skeletons. Both of these enemies were out to kill me. I had my Fury and my Light, representing my devotion to my divine goals and I knew I could use these to powerful effect. Ultimately though, it was Grit that would increase my capabilities as a hero. I took a deep breath and then entered Vast: The Mysterious Manor by Patrick Leder from Leder Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/02/18/vast-the-mysterious-manor-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Vast: The Mysterious Manor: https://ledergames.com/collections/full-catalog/products/vast-the-mysterious-manor
- Leder Games: https://ledergames.com/
- Rulebook: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0106/0162/7706/files/TMM_Rulebook__Nov_6_2019.pdf?v=1594699333
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/252399/vast-mysterious-manor
- Root review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/02/12/root-a-game-of-woodland-might-and-right-saturday-review/
- Oath review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/11/27/oath-chronicles-of-empire-and-exile-saturday-review/
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I recently asked for some suggestions for board game topics I could write about. Phil Gross answered my plea and suggested I write about the best game to play with your in-laws. I loved the idea, but I wanted to open it up a bit wider and talk about games that are great for all the family, young and old, blood relatives and in-laws alike.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/02/14/family-game-time-games-that-are-great-for-all-the-family-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- DreamWorks: https://www.dreamworks.com/
- Monopoly: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/1406/monopoly
- Mouse Trap: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2679/mouse-trap
- Carcassonne: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/822/carcassonne
- Ticket to Ride: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/9209/ticket-ride
- Yahtzee: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2243/yahtzee
- Aquamarine review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/07/16/aquamarine-saturday-review/
- Deep Sea Adventure review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/04/11/deep-sea-adventure-saturday-review/
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Look at the market. There are potions, vessels, artefacts and rings. Some are too expensive and others just don't let me mix up powerful concoctions. The Finger Ring of the Additional Pinkie looks useful and the Ghost Beaker is also a promising start. So let me buy both, add them to my deck and then see if, on my next turn, they would allow me to join the league of PotionSlingers by Anthony Fasano.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/02/11/potionslingers-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- PotionSlingers: https://www.potionslingers.com/
- Rulebook: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5c00880ff93fd43015c11d68/t/616b9630f50fef5de02d0dd6/1634440763355/Potionslingers+Full+Rules.pdf
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/349488/potionslingers
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Mixing digital tools with analogue games isn't for everyone. Many of us in the modern hobby games community prefer to switch off our smartphones, get away from our computer monitors or otherwise "disconnect" and instead spend some quality time with people face-to-face, playing together. Some of us are happy to compromise and allow apps or other digital tools to take part in game nights, at least to some extent. In this article, I want to look at some of this new technology and what it can add to the playing experience.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/02/07/digital-supplements-a-look-at-digital-accessories-for-board-games-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- BG Stats: https://www.bgstatsapp.com/
- Board Game Geek: https://boardgamegeek.com/
- Melodice: https://melodice.org/
- Dized: https://dized.com/
- Teburu: https://teburu.net/
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You have been tasked with building the sustainable energy network of the future. Your goal is to connect wind farms, hydro-energy plants and other green power sources to each other, as well as different cities. You have to decide which part of the network needs attention first and what can wait until later. Take care though and make sure you don't spread your workforce too thinly, but also avoid putting all of your light bulbs into one circuit. You want to end up making the best use of each and every Powerline by Dirk Henn from Queen Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/02/04/powerline-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Powerline: https://new.queen-games.com/en/powerline/
- Rulebook: https://rules.queen-games.com/powerline_en.pdf
- Queen Games: https://new.queen-games.com/en/start/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/367295/powerline
- Future Energy Kickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1082720051/green-planet-powerline-and-future-energy
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The concepts of replayability and variety are often considered to be one and the same. I have previously looked at whether replayability and variety are linked. My article "Variable replayability" came to the conclusion that those two concepts are not necessarily related. A game can offer a lot of variety, but little replayability and vice versa, a game can be very replayable without much variety. However, in this article, I want to look at whether variety should be important to players or whether we should focus more on replayability.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/01/31/repetitive-variety-a-game-doesnt-have-to-be-different-every-time-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Variable replayability article: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/02/15/variable-replayability-topic-discussion/
- Tapestry review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/11/09/tapestry-saturday-review/
- Clans of Caledonia review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/03/02/clans-of-caledonia/
- Scythe review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/01/19/scythe/
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As a member of the lowest caste in our colour-coded society, I worked extremely hard every day. I believed that my blood and sweat would create a better world for my children. I prayed that one day, Mars' surface would become habitable. However, my caste and I had been betrayed. I and others like me were nothing more than slaves to a decadent ruling class. So now was the time for my caste to revolt. It was time for the Red Rising by Jamey Stegmaier and Alexander Schmidt from Stonemaier Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/01/28/red-rising-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Red Rising: https://stonemaiergames.com/games/red-rising/
- Rulebook: https://stonemaiergames.com/games/red-rising/rules/
- Stonemaier Games: https://stonemaiergames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/329465/red-rising
- Pierce Brown: https://www.piercebrown.com/
- Euphoria review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/07/18/euphoria-build-a-better-dystopia-digital-eyes/
- Mystic Vale review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2018/12/08/mystic-vale/
- Scythe review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/01/19/scythe/
- Wingspan review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/03/16/wingspan/
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There seems to be quite an overlap between people who love playing board games and those who love playing video games. Many actually enjoy playing both. There also seems to be a growing overlap between the hobby and video game industries themselves. So in this article, I want to look at what synergies there might be between the two and how both can benefit from each other.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/01/24/digital-analogues-synergies-between-board-and-video-games-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Embracer Group: https://embracer.com/
- Asmodee: https://www.asmodee.co.uk/
- Video games tax relief: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claiming-video-games-tax-relief-for-corporation-tax
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In the Qing dynasty, camels were one of the main means of transport. People would travel for days to cross deserts, wilderness and plains to reach the city of Pingyao, where they would trade their wares to increase their wealth. So an agency of bankers was established to help grow the economy and slowly build up a financial network. Soon, wealth began to accumulate in the city of Pingyao: First Banks of China by Wu Shuang from Jing Studio.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/01/21/pingyao-first-banks-of-china-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Pingyao: First Banks of China: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jingstudio/pingyao-first-chinese-banks/description
- Rulebook: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/211862/pre-kickstarter-english-rules
- Jing Studio: https://www.facebook.com/jingstudio/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/303263/pingyao-first-chinese-banks
- Brass: Birmingham review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/10/03/brass-birmingham-saturday-review/
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The following article was written by Filip Redelius, designer of Fog of Adventures.
As a tabletop game enthusiast, I've always been fascinated by the endless possibilities of creating new and exciting gameplay experiences. So when I set out to design my own game, Fog of Adventures, I knew I wanted to push the boundaries and explore the role of AI in the development process.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/01/17/creating-a-tabletop-game-with-ai-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Fog of Adventures: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/fogofadventure/fog-of-adventure-a-unique-card-game-for-strategy-lovers
- Magic: The Gathering: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/463/magic-gathering
- Talisman: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/714/talisman
- Rimworld: https://store.steampowered.com/app/294100/RimWorld/
- Dall-E 2: https://openai.com/dall-e-2/
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You had received a mysterious invitation to the old mansion on top of the hill, which had lain empty for decades - if not centuries. You were about to throw the letter in the bin, along with the junk mail, when you hesitated. It could be interesting to see who else would turn up. After all, there was this old story linking your ancestors to a Betrayal at House on the Hill: 3rd Edition by Dave Chalker, Banana Chan, Noah Cohen, Bruce Glassco, Brian Neff, Will Sobel and Jabari Weathers from Avalon Hill.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/01/14/betrayal-at-house-on-the-hill-3rd-edition-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Betrayal at House on the Hill: https://www.avalonhill.com/en-us/product/avalon-hill-betrayal-at-house-on-the-hill-3-rd-edition-cooperative-board-game-for-ages-12-and-up-for-3-6-players:ED896E92-3AFB-45C9-A7B6-95CF37579449
- Avalon Hill: https://www.avalonhill.com/en-us
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/358504/betrayal-house-hill-3rd-edition
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War games are often seen as controversial. Replaying the atrocities that occurred during a large-scale conflict seems completely inappropriate. Condensing the huge amount of suffering, death and destruction into a game of pushing tiles around a board and rolling dice or playing cards seems perverse. So in this article, I try to put everything into a bit more context and tease out the pros and cons of war games and how controversial they really are when compared to some of the other games in our vast hobby.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/01/10/serious-war-games-controversial-or-not-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Undaunted: Normandy review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/07/23/undaunted-normandy-saturday-review/
- March on the Drina review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/08/21/march-on-the-drina-saturday-review/
- Twilight Struggle BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/12333/twilight-struggle
- Pax Pamir: Second Edition review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/08/27/pax-pamir-second-edition-saturday-review/
- This War of Mine BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/188920/war-mine-board-game
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Yes, it's time for my annual list of the best games of the year. As has become tradition, I also announce which game won the accolade of the Top Table Award, which is now in its fourth year. However, you have to be patient for a little while longer, while I list the best five board games of 2022 in reverse order.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/01/07/top-table-award-2022-the-best-board-games-of-the-year-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Town 66: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/08/13/town-66-saturday-review/
- Gaslands: Refuelled: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/11/26/gaslands-refuelled-saturday-review/
- Crescent Moon: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/05/21/crescent-moon-saturday-review/
- Nemesis: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/06/18/nemesis-saturday-review/
- Pingyao: First Chinese Banks: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/303263/pingyao-first-chinese-banks
- Brass: Birmingham: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/10/03/brass-birmingham-saturday-review/
- Pax Pamir: Second Edition: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/08/27/pax-pamir-second-edition-saturday-review/
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In a slight change to our usual schedule, I thought I'd write a quick update and release it outside the normal Tuesday and Saturday slots. I already spoke about some of the highlights from last year in my article "2022 - A Year in Review", including costs and expenses. So in this article, I want to talk about how the Tabletop Games Blog itself performed in 2022, including the time I spent on it as well as how many visitors and views the blog got.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/01/05/tabletop-games-blog-statistics-for-2022-announcement/
Useful Links
- 2022 - A Year in Review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/12/31/2022-a-year-in-review-saturday-review/
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Even if you're not a particularly competitive player, trying to win the game is what you should aim for. You may not care if you do eventually win and prefer to focus on doing better than previously. That's fine and at the end of the day, playing games is about having fun. However, if you do have even a small competitive streak in you, then this article may help you become a better player and win more often.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/01/03/winning-strategies-ideas-to-help-you-win-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Article about learning from computer players: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/11/29/digital-cheats-practising-against-ais-topic-discussion/
- Scythe review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/01/19/scythe/
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Another year has gone by and a lot has happened, both, in the world at large as well as in the board game hobby. Exhibitions were attended, games were played, articles were written, podcasts were recorded and plenty of other exciting things happened. So let me share with you some of the highlights for me from 2022 and also give you an update on the financial situation of the blog.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/12/31/2022-a-year-in-review-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Naylor Games: https://naylorgames.com/
- Gaming Rules: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvIWBOfYGXYQQQORhjAJKCQ
- Ruined Sky: https://www.ruinedsky.com/
- Jones Family Games Night: https://linktr.ee/jonesfamilygamesnight
- Brainwaves podcast: https://giantbrain.co.uk/tag/brainwaves/
- Make My Game Travel: https://makemygametravel.com/
- Games I have for sale: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/mygames/#games-for-sale
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
- Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/tabletopgamesblog
- Sir Meeple: https://sirmeeple.com/collections/tabletop-games-blog
- Support me: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Background Music:
The Long View and The Coffee Lounge by Purple Planet Music (https://www.purple-planet.com)
Moda and Corporation by AShamaluevMusic (https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com/)
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
- Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/
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Inspired by a Twitter post from Matt at Lost My Meeples, I wanted to talk about what I think a publisher's responsibilities are when it comes to replacing board game components. I think there are some things we will all agree on that a publisher should replace and others where we probably all agree that a publisher doesn't have to send replacements. There will also be plenty of things somewhere in between, that sit in a grey area somewhere and aren't so clear-cut.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/12/27/dented-replacements-the-issue-with-replacement-parts-for-board-games-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Twitter post from Matt of Lost My Meeples that inspired this article: https://twitter.com/lostmymeeples/status/1601299663784931328
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Sincerely by Kevin MacLeod
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/5033-sincerely
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist website: https://incompetech.com
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
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Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/
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It was 2100 and the construction of our gigantic project had begun. We were trying to tackle overpopulation and rising sea levels. Recent advances in technology had enabled us to build higher and stronger buildings that could house more people. We were also able to build on the water, using immense floating platforms as foundations for these wonderful structures. It would take time, but eventually, we would be able to complete our first MegaCity: Oceania by Jordan Draper and Michael Fox from Hub Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/12/24/megacity-oceania-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Hub Games: https://www.instagram.com/wearehubgames/
- Rulebook: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/177632/megacity-oceania-rulebook
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/266304/megacity-oceania
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Cyberpolis by Michal Mojzykiewicz
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/10057-cyberpolis
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist website: https://soundcloud.com/michaldrums
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
- Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/
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I always say that not everyone will like every board game, but there is a board game for everyone. I suppose, I should concede that some people don't like board games at all. Our hobby isn't for everyone and that's fine, of course. However, in this article, I want to look at the sort of games that should suit most people.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/12/20/everyone-can-play-games-that-should-suit-most-people-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Libertalia: Winds of Galecrest review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/11/12/libertalia-winds-of-galecrest-saturday-review/
- Colt Express review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/01/01/colt-express-saturday-review/
- Pandemic review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/01/18/pandemic-saturday-review/
- Forbidden Island review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/05/02/forbidden-island-saturday-review/
- Jaws review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/10/10/jaws-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Sincerely by Kevin MacLeod
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/5033-sincerely
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist website: https://incompetech.com
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
- Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/
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It was going to be a real spectacle. The crowds had gathered to watch the masters at work and battle to the bitter end. Only one of them would survive. Then, as the match was about to begin, everyone hushed and an eerie silence filled the arena. It was time for the combatants to throw their dice and Str!ke by Dieter Nüßle from Ravensburger.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/12/17/strike-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Str!ke: https://www.ravensburger.us/products/games/family-games/strike-26840/index.html
- Ravensburger: https://www.ravensburger.co.uk/en-GB
- Rulebook: https://www.ravensburger.us/spielanleitungen/ecm/Spielanleitungen/26840%20anl%202050897.pdf?ossl=pds_text_Spielanleitung
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/123570/strike
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Here Be Dragons by Tim Kulig
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/8523-here-be-dragons
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist website: https://timkulig.com/albums
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
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Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/
(Photo courtesy of Ravensburger)
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Noah (“Nomich”) Johnson started his family games company, Nomich Games, back in 2020 and he wears many other hats, such as: game design, graphic and web design, customer service, marketing, networking and sales. Nomich Games' mission is to promote community through simple, quick-to-learn, addictively-fun games that get people interacting and laughing together.
Read the audio transcript here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/12/14/noah-johnson-let-me-illustrate/
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
- Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
- PayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKD
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/
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In digital games, the idea of a high score table dates back to the 1970s and 80s. Yes, you would eventually run out of lives or credits and therefore lose a console game, but beating your own or someone else's highest point score was much more important. Finishing a game and beating the last boss monster was not really a thing. Many digital games didn't even have an ending as such. They just got more and more difficult. So the question is, if something similar is also possible for analogue games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/12/13/victorious-losses-games-without-loss-or-victory-condition-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Elizabeth LaPensée: http://www.elizabethlapensee.com/
- Thunderbird Strike: https://www.thunderbirdstrike.com/
- 7th Continent: https://the7thcontinent.seriouspoulp.com/
- Hamlet review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/12/03/hamlet-the-village-building-game-saturday-review/
- Autismo: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/349394/autismo-autism-challenge
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Relaxing Piano Improvisation by Alexander Nakarada
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/5978-relaxing-piano-improvisation
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist website: https://www.serpentsoundstudios.com/
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
- Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/
(Photo by Vince Fleming on Unsplash)
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Yes, it is that time of year again when I release a list of games that I think are ideal for you to play over the holidays. My list of Christmas games is not ordered in any particular way. Instead, I am trying to offer five different types of games that will hopefully provide you with one or two choices that suit your taste in games and are a great fit for the festive period.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/12/10/5-great-christmas-games-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Town 66 review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/08/13/town-66-saturday-review/
- Libertalia: Winds of Galecrest review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/11/12/libertalia-winds-of-galecrest-saturday-review/
- Aquamarine review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/07/16/aquamarine-saturday-review/
- Suspects review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/04/09/suspects-saturday-review/
- Brian Boru: High King of Ireland review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/04/16/brian-boru-high-king-of-ireland-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Wundervolle Weihnacht [instrumental] (feat. Klangkommune) by Sascha Ende
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/7169-wundervolle-weihnacht-instrumental-feat-klangkommune
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist website: https://www.sascha-ende.de
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Snowflakes by Agnese Valmaggia
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/8701-snowflakes
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist website: https://soundcloud.com/user-801147991
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Cinematic Angelical Upeat Ambient by MusicLFiles
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/7213-cinematic-angelical-upeat-ambient
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist website: https://cemmusicproject.wixsite.com/musiclibraryfiles
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
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Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/
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There is one genre of games that really stands out for me: economic simulations. These types of games scratch a very specific itch, right in the middle of my back, that other games just can't reach. I get an immense feeling of bliss when the tingling finally subsides as I invest money to make more money. In this article, I want to explain in a bit more in detail why this genre makes me feel so good.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/12/06/economic-simulations-why-i-love-them-so-much-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Brass: Birmingham review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/10/03/brass-birmingham-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Epic Intro 2017 by Sascha Ende
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/558-epic-intro-2017
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist website: https://www.sascha-ende.de
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
- Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/
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It was a sleepy village in the middle of the countryside. The residents were hard-working, cutting down trees for wood and digging up rocks to construct new buildings and planting and harvesting grains to feed the population. Over time, more people were attracted to the village as it grew and grew. Eventually, it was time to build a church in this little Hamlet: The Village Building Game by David Chircop from Mighty Boards.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/12/03/hamlet-the-village-building-game-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Hamlet: The Village Building Game: https://www.mighty-boards.com/11/47/products/Hamlet
- Mighty Boards: https://www.mighty-boards.com/
- Rulebook: https://www.mighty-boards.com/images/user_files/32/Hamlet-Rulebook-Founders-062022.pdf
- First game scenario: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/247131/hamlet-first-game-scenario
- Tutorial and Play-Through video: https://youtu.be/tqFxQpbum90
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/276086/hamlet-village-building-game
- Brass: Birmingham review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/10/03/brass-birmingham-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2002 BBC
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Afternoon by DreamHeaven
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/6242-afternoon
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist website: https://www.patreon.com/dreamheaven
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
- Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/
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Since the lockdown, many board games have now also been released in digital format. Some of these implementations are just a representation of the physical game on your screen. You still have to move everything by hand and do all the housekeeping. Other solutions enforce rules and carry out all the actions for you. You just need to point and click. Some games also come with AI opponents, allowing you to create a competitive game even when you're by yourself or add additional, digital players to a multiplayer game. In this article, I want to look at using these computer players to help you improve your game.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/11/29/digital-cheats-practising-against-ais-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Learning digital article: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/02/23/learning-digital-topic-discussion/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Buzzkiller by Alexander Nakarada
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/5820-buzzkiller
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist website: https://www.serpentsoundstudios.com/
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
- Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/
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The apocalypse has finally come. After the breakdown of society, survivors have formed gangs of motorheads, that scour the wasteland for rare and very precious petrol reserves. Their vehicles are highly tricked-out, finely tuned, heavily reinforced and equipped with a wide range of weapons. They will stop at nothing, which is exactly why a small number of the surviving rich elite have organised deadly races, where the gangs are pitted against each other to be the first to reach the finishing line and claim their prize - or be the last survivor in the arena of these Gaslands: Refuelled by Mike Hutchinson from Osprey Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/11/26/gaslands-refuelled-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Gaslands: Refuelled: https://ospreypublishing.com/uk/gaslands-refuelled-9781472838834/
- Osprey Games: https://ospreypublishing.com/uk/osprey-games/
- Quick reference sheet: https://ospreypublishing.com/media/ynedioak/gaslands-refuelled-quick-reference-sheet-v3.pdf
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/274428/gaslands-refuelled
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Lyrical Fantasy Trailer by Rafael Krux
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/5684-lyrical-fantasy-trailer
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist website: https://www.orchestralis.net/
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
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Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/
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I enjoy games with quite a wide range of playing times. I like long games that take a couple of hours or more to play, up to a certain point at least. Anything above three hours is probably going to be too long for me. I also love quick games that take 15 minutes to half an hour, but I'm definitely not a fan of real-time games. In this article, I want to look at how timekeeping affects the gameplay experience.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/11/22/keeping-time-how-time-limits-can-speed-up-games-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- The final round article: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/03/15/the-final-round-topic-discussion/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Lofi Chill Hip-Hop by WinnieTheMoog
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/6347-lofi-chill-hip-hop
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist website: https://linktr.ee/taigasoundprod
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
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Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/
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A great fire engulfed the Whelming Matches factory. All the water in the world couldn't put it out, so hot it burned. When the flames eventually died down many hours later, one artefact was found among the glowing embers. It was cold to the touch and nobody knew what it was. Maybe it was one of the Matches by Daniel McKinley from Thing 12 Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/11/19/matches-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Matches: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thing12games/matches-1
- Thing 12 Games: https://thing12games.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/361311/matches
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2002 BBC
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Moving Clouds by Rafael Krux
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/5690-moving-clouds
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist website: https://www.orchestralis.net/
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
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Yota Suzuki is a board game artist and UI designer. He created Tactical Games in 2017 and loves working with other artists to create the best results possible.
Read the audio transcript here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/11/16/yota-suzuki-let-me-illustrate/
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
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Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/
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I have often heard that board game reviews should talk about the price of games. If a review tries to help people make a buying decision, then that makes perfect sense. After all, the best game in the world may still just be too expensive and a game that's free may still not be worth it. Of course, there are many steps in between. So how much a game costs is clearly something people consider. Yet, I never mention the price of a game in any of my reviews and I don't plan on doing so in the future. Let me explain...
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/11/15/pricey-games-how-we-value-games-topic-discussion/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Afternoon by DreamHeaven
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/6242-afternoon
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist website: https://www.patreon.com/dreamheaven
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
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Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/
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Sailing the winds in your sky pirate ship, you and your crew land on a different island each day, looking for treasure, adventure and glory. You need to be fast though, because you're not alone. Other ships in the fleet have followed the same course and they want their share of the varied loot. If the crew member you send to the island is too slow, they will not come back with valuable treasure, but with a terrible curse or worse, they will not return at all. Only the best pirate will make it in Libertalia: Winds of Galecrest by Paolo Mori from Stonemaier Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/11/12/libertalia-winds-of-galecrest-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Libertalia: Winds of Galecrest: https://stonemaiergames.com/games/libertalia/
- Stonemaier Games: https://stonemaiergames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/356033/libertalia-winds-galecrest
- Rulebook: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/4ij2wutuvyvfmmw/AADFVDF35NtqsQbsfPFtVyZ8a?dl=0
- The original Libertalia: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/125618/libertalia
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: In Pursuit Of A Pirate by Tim Kulig
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/8520-in-pursuit-of-a-pirate
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist website: https://timkulig.com/albums
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Bugbears Be Approaching by Tim Kulig
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/8518-bugbears-be-approaching
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist website: https://timkulig.com/albums
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
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As many of you probably know, I am a very visual person. I love it when rulebooks are well laid out and have helpful photos that show how something works. The graphic design of game and player boards is also something I think is very important. A good choice of clear icons can really help with understanding how a game works and speed up the flow of a turn. Top it all off with beautiful board game art and you have the complete package, if you ask me.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/11/08/the-art-of-board-games-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Let me illustrate podcast series: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/let-me-illustrate/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Epic Intro 2017 by Sascha Ende
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/558-epic-intro-2017
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist website: https://www.sascha-ende.de
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
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As many of you probably know, I am a very visual person. I love it when rulebooks are well laid out and have helpful photos that show how something works. The graphic design of game and player boards is also something I think is very important. A good choice of clear icons can really help with understanding how a game works and speed up the flow of a turn. Top it all off with beautiful board game art and you have the complete package, if you ask me.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/11/08/the-art-of-board-games-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Let me illustrate podcast series: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/let-me-illustrate/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Epic Intro 2017 by Sascha Ende
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/558-epic-intro-2017
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist website: https://www.sascha-ende.de
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History was an interesting place for all of us. We recognized a number of famous figures, while some were new to us. As we travelled through the ages, we encountered new people and learned about different events. Some eras were more familiar than others. Our aim was to be the first to reach the present day. We all took part in A Race in Time from History Heroes.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/11/05/a-race-in-time-saturday-review
Useful Links
- A Race in Time: https://www.historyheroes.co.uk/product/board-game-a-race-in-time/
- History Heroes: https://www.historyheroes.co.uk/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
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Everyone in our hobby loves playing board games. That's by definition, of course. Additionally, there are a lot of board game adjacent hobbies that many of us enjoy, such as miniature painting, card collecting or trading, finding wonderful and usual dice and so much more. However, I think there is something else that many of us really enjoy doing and that is to do with the game before the game - but let me explain.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/11/01/the-game-before-the-game-topic-discussion/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Afternoon by DreamHeaven
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It was soon time for the most anticipated festival at Death School, whose motto was "Soul to win". According to legend, there was an accident at the school many years ago. Somehow numerous souls had been able to escape, and the teachers and students raced to recapture them all. Every year hence, Papa Death, Osiris, Hei and Bai Wuchang lead the students into a race of reaping souls, the Soulaween by Shi Chen from Play With Us Design.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/10/29/soulaween-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Soulaween: https://pwud.ga/en/product/soulaween_en/
- Play with Us Design: https://pwud.ga/en/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/269766/soulaween
- Deathigner's animation: https://youtu.be/Mptpw8fQ-lw
- Deathinger's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/Deathigners
- Soulaween short comic: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1d8moxx8uq2k_WBEMzvb39bFoTEkhrldf
- Nine Men's Morris: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/3886/nine-mens-morris
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Ghost Story by Kevin MacLeod
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/3805-ghost-story
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Artist website: https://incompetech.com
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The following article was written by Joe Slack from the Board Game Design Course.
Hey there. It's Joe Slack from the Board Game Design Course. Oliver was kind enough to let me return and write another guest post on his blog, this time about realtime games and the experience that they deliver. I hope you enjoy the article!
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/10/25/how-realtime-games-deliver-excitement-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Board Game Design Course: https://boardgamedesigncourse.com/
- Escape: Curse of the Temple: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/113294/escape-curse-temple
- Magic Maze: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/209778/magic-maze
- Fuse: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/171273/fuse
- Boggle: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/1293/boggle
- 14 Frantic Minutes: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/362865/14-frantic-minutes
- 14 Frantic Minutes crowdfunding campaign: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/crazylikeabox/14-frantic-minutes
- Pendulum: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/312804/pendulum
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Perls by MusicParadise
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/5066-perls
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Artist website: http://www.music-paradise.de
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The Nostromo was returning to Earth with a seven-member crew in stasis. Detecting a transmission from a nearby moon, the ship's computer awakens the crew and they land on the moon. While one part of the crew tracks down the source of the signal, the rest decipher part of the transmission and discover it's a warning - but it's too late! Despite protestations, the returning crew brings with them an Alien: Fate of the Nostromo by Scott Rogers from Ravensburger.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/10/22/alien-fate-of-the-nostromo-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Alien: Fate of the Nostromo: https://www.ravensburger.co.uk/en-GB/products/games/strategy-games/alien-the-game-27029
- Ravensburger: https://www.ravensburger.co.uk/en-GB
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/332321/alien-fate-nostromo
- Back to the Future: Dice Through Time review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/07/04/back-to-the-future-dice-through-time-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Background Music: Main Title and The Alien Planet from the Alien soundtrack by Jerry Goldsmith, copyright 2007 The Island Def Jam Music Group
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Growing up in Germany, I started playing traditional trick-taking games like Skat or Doppelkopf from a relatively young age. I'm used to the idea of suits, trump, following suit, taking tricks, gleaning information from what cards others play and much more. Traditional trick-taking games sort of have their own language. So I love to see modern games developing this mechanism further and incorporating it into other mechanisms, creating completely new game experiences.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/10/18/tricky-tricks-trick-taking-and-other-games-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Skat: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/6819/skat
- Doppelkopf: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/9364/doppelkopf
- The Crew review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/12/05/the-crew-the-quest-for-planet-nine-saturday-review/
- Fox in the Forest: Duet review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/04/30/the-fox-in-the-forest-duet-saturday-review/
- Vivaldi review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/11/23/vivaldi-saturday-review/
- Skull King review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/01/04/skull-king-saturday-review/
- Brian Boru review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/04/16/brian-boru-high-king-of-ireland-saturday-review/
- Scout review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/07/02/scout-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Lofi by DreamHeaven
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/6148-lofi
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Natural resources had long been depleted on Earth, but the asteroid belt was rich in ion and ore. The battle for control of these invaluable commodities had begun. We were part of this fight and were operating from our own Outpost 18 by Adam Wilk.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/10/15/outpost-18-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Outpost 18 on PNPArcade: https://www.pnparcade.com/products/outpost-18
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/278142/outpost-18
- Star Realms: https://www.starrealms.com/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Time To 808 by MusicParadise
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/5069-time-to-808
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Artist website: http://www.music-paradise.de
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I often play games with my wife. We have a fair few two-player-only games, but mostly we play games that were designed for two people or more. Some games do it really well and the experience is no different to higher player counts. Other games introduce two-player-specific setup or other rules and that can work too. In this article, I want to look at how games, that weren't specifically designed for two people, change, or don't change, when played with two people.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/10/11/two-players-how-games-change-in-2-player-modes-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Condottiere review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/03/12/condottiere-saturday-review/
- Condottiere rulebook: https://images.zmangames.com/filer_public/4f/7a/4f7a025d-9de0-4984-ba1a-f57e81464886/condottiere_rules.pdf
- Stonemaier Games: https://stonemaiergames.com/
- Scythe review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/01/19/scythe/
- The Crew review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/12/05/the-crew-the-quest-for-planet-nine-saturday-review/
- Brass: Birmingham review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/10/03/brass-birmingham-saturday-review/
- Face-off – interactions in two-player games: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/06/28/face-off-interactions-in-two-player-games-topic-discussion/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Lofi Chill Hip-Hop by WinnieTheMoog
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/6347-lofi-chill-hip-hop
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Artist website: https://linktr.ee/taigasoundprod
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I often play games with my wife. We have a fair few two-player-only games, but mostly we play games that were designed for two people or more. Some games do it really well and the experience is no different to higher player counts. Other games introduce two-player-specific setup or other rules and that can work too. In this article, I want to look at how games, that weren't specifically designed for two people, change, or don't change, when played with two people.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/10/11/two-players-how-games-change-in-2-player-modes-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Condottiere review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/03/12/condottiere-saturday-review/
- Condottiere rulebook: https://images.zmangames.com/filer_public/4f/7a/4f7a025d-9de0-4984-ba1a-f57e81464886/condottiere_rules.pdf
- Stonemaier Games: https://stonemaiergames.com/
- Scythe review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/01/19/scythe/
- The Crew review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/12/05/the-crew-the-quest-for-planet-nine-saturday-review/
- Brass: Birmingham review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/10/03/brass-birmingham-saturday-review/
- Face-off – interactions in two-player games: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/06/28/face-off-interactions-in-two-player-games-topic-discussion/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Lofi Chill Hip-Hop by WinnieTheMoog
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/6347-lofi-chill-hip-hop
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist website: https://linktr.ee/taigasoundprod
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
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Changing your plumage from pure white to a rainbow of colours wasn't easy. It took time and patience. It was the fruit from the rainbow tree that contained the necessary pigment. Unfortunately, the fruit wasn't always in season and when it was, other birds were quick to eat it before I had a chance to get to it. It was a race, be it a slow and thoughtful one, to become Aves by Shi Chen from Play With Us Design.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/10/08/aves-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Aves: https://pwud.ga/en/product/aves_en/
- Play With Us Design: https://pwud.ga/en/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/224122/aves
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
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Changing your plumage from pure white to a rainbow of colours wasn't easy. It took time and patience. It was the fruit from the rainbow tree that contained the necessary pigment. Unfortunately, the fruit wasn't always in season and when it was, other birds were quick to eat it before I had a chance to get to it. It was a race, be it a slow and thoughtful one, to become Aves by Shi Chen from Play With Us Design.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/10/08/aves-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Aves: https://pwud.ga/en/product/aves_en/
- Play With Us Design: https://pwud.ga/en/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/224122/aves
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
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So sometimes you play a game and you just don't get on with it. That's understandable, because not every game is for everyone. At the same time, I do think there is a game for everyone. I also think that games deserve a second chance. In this article, I want to look at why we might bounce off games and why the game experience is a lot better when we play the game again at some point later.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/10/04/second-chance-giving-games-another-try-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Terra Mystica review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/06/01/terra-mystica/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Summer Ambient Piano by Rafael Krux
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/5504-summer-ambient-piano
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist website: https://www.orchestralis.net/
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The Great Plague was slowly becoming a thing of the past and you had decided to move into the country and start a new village. You had found the perfect location that was big enough to build new houses, workshops and other structures, while also being close enough to farmable land, a large wooded area and there were indications that coal could be mined nearby. It had everything to support a growing community of craftspeople and labourers. Now all you had to do was find Villagers by Haakon Gaarder from Sinister Fish Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/10/01/villagers-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Villagers: https://sinisterfish.com/product/villagers/
- Sinister Fish Games: https://sinisterfish.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/241724/villagers
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Cold Journey by Alexander Nakarada
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Nobody likes losing. Most of us don't mind it, but I don't think anyone actually relishes it when they come last. When we play board games with others, we want to have an enjoyable time. That's something we should keep in mind. So in this article, I want to talk about how to try and be a good loser.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/09/27/salty-tears-losing-gracefully-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Player elimination article: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/09/13/slow-death-player-elimination-in-board-games-topic-discussion/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: HighTech by Sascha Ende
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Nobody likes losing. Most of us don't mind it, but I don't think anyone actually relishes it when they come last. When we play board games with others, we want to have an enjoyable time. That's something we should keep in mind. So in this article, I want to talk about how to try and be a good loser.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/09/27/salty-tears-losing-gracefully-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Player elimination article: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/09/13/slow-death-player-elimination-in-board-games-topic-discussion/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: HighTech by Sascha Ende
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/184-hightech
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist website: https://www.sascha-ende.de
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
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After Earth had been mostly laid to waste, major corporations took charge and colonized much of the solar system. Interplanetary trade was the only source of money and therefore power. Earth's few remaining societies still held a fair amount of political influence, but controlling as many of the independent planetary parliaments as possible was probably even more important. If you timed it right and invested your money wisely, you could gain power in the solar system's ultimate authority, the Plutocratic Council. After all, Earth's political systems had been replaced by a Plutocracy by Claudio Bierig from Doppeldenkspiele.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/09/24/plutocracy-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Plutocracy: https://www.doppeldenkspiele.de/plutocracy.html
- Doppeldenkspiele: https://www.doppeldenkspiele.de/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/363531/plutocracy
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Prelude Music: Holy War by Hans Zimmer from the album Dune (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: One With Ocean Currents by Tim Kulig
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/8510-one-with-ocean-currents
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Artist website: https://timkulig.com/albums
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After Earth had been mostly laid to waste, major corporations took charge and colonized much of the solar system. Interplanetary trade was the only source of money and therefore power. Earth's few remaining societies still held a fair amount of political influence, but controlling as many of the independent planetary parliaments as possible was probably even more important. If you timed it right and invested your money wisely, you could gain power in the solar system's ultimate authority, the Plutocratic Council. After all, Earth's political systems had been replaced by a Plutocracy by Claudio Bierig from Doppeldenkspiele.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/09/24/plutocracy-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Plutocracy: https://www.doppeldenkspiele.de/plutocracy.html
- Doppeldenkspiele: https://www.doppeldenkspiele.de/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/363531/plutocracy
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Prelude Music: Holy War by Hans Zimmer from the album Dune (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: One With Ocean Currents by Tim Kulig
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/8510-one-with-ocean-currents
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist website: https://timkulig.com/albums
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
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For some of us, not being able to see friends or family, or anyone else for that matter, in person is becoming a distant memory. I appreciate that for some of you, it's still very much the present, depending on where you are in the world or the health of the people you would otherwise meet, you live with or your own. In this article, I want to write about how it feels to be playing board games face-to-face with other people, as this has now been possible for me for quite some time.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/09/13/slow-death-player-elimination-in-board-games-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Yucata: https://www.yucata.de/en/CurrentGames
- My profile on Yucata: https://www.yucata.de/en/User/oliverkinne
- Learning digital article: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/02/23/learning-digital-topic-discussion/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Tivinize by Sascha Ende
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/62-tivinize
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist website: https://www.sascha-ende.de
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"Afloat, upon the surface of a smooth and silent river, slowly breathing, you observe the shifting currents [...]. There is little much to do, but let the river take you. Surrendering to its flow, slowly you realise that perhaps there is no separation between surface and sky, between your mind and the river itself and if your mind is the river and the river your mind, perhaps if you can balance the thoughts and feelings and sensations that arise, you may have some say in where you are taken" as you Float Downstream by Jeremy Dawson from Blood Moon Games Ltd.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/09/17/float-downstream-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Float Downstream: https://www.bloodmoongamesltd.com/team-3
- Blood Moon Games Ltd: https://www.bloodmoongamesltd.com/
- Kickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/663814497/float-downstream
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/369650/float-downstream
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Dreams Become Real by Kevin MacLeod
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Artist website: https://incompetech.com
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In many modern board games, all players participate until the very end. Everyone continues to take their turns until the game has finished and it's time to decide the winner or winners. That's true for co-operative as well as competitive games. Player elimination games are very different in that respect. In these games, some people around the table could be out of the game early on and end up sitting it out until it's all over. If done well, player elimination can be a very interesting mechanism in modern board games. In this article, I want to look at different ways this mechanism is implemented and discuss how well these work.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/09/13/slow-death-player-elimination-in-board-games-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Board Game Geek: https://boardgamegeek.com/
- Love Letter review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/01/23/love-letter-saturday-review/
- King of New York review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/04/25/king-of-new-york-saturday-review/
- Nemesis review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/06/18/nemesis-saturday-review/
- Splotter: https://www.splottershop.com/
- Food Chain Magnate: https://www.splottershop.com/products/food-chain-magnate
- Jaws review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/10/10/jaws-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Dreams Become Real by Kevin MacLeod
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/3678-dreams-become-real
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Artist website: https://incompetech.com
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A game about dancing sheep, rockets, lasers, cabbages and sometimes fun. I would like to add "death" to this list, but other than that, it's pretty much a good description of 3 Minutes to Freedom (or Death) by Samuel Edmondson and Daniel Somerville Roberts from Icarus Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/09/10/3-minutes-to-freedom-or-death-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- 3 Minutes to Freedom (or Death): https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/3minutestofreedom/3-minutes-to-freedom
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/335863/3-minutes-freedom-or-death
- Exploding Kittens: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/172225/exploding-kittens
- Fluxx: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/258/fluxx
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Sirius by Sascha Ende
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Here is another article in my series about teaching games. Last time I spoke about the responsibilities the person has who teaches the game. This time I want to cover what is expected of the people learning the game. After all, the teacher will not get anywhere if no one is willing to actually learn the game. So, as a learner there are certain things you have to try and do to make the rules teach easier for everyone.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/09/06/teaching-games-responsibilities-as-a-learner-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Teaching games article series: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/category/teaching/
- Teaching games - responsibilities as a teacher: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/08/30/teaching-games-responsibilities-as-a-teacher-topic-discussion/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Tivinize by Sascha Ende
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It was hard to get the favour of the Emperor. Many noble houses were vying for their attention by offering their resources and manual labour to help restore the Emperor's wonderful monuments. As a way to remember the work everyone did and to honour the grace and power of the Emperor, artists were commissioned to create beautiful paintings. It was your hope to catch the Emperor's eye and receive the ultimate recognition: being invited as a guest at the Eternal Palace by Steven Aramini from Alley Cat Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/09/03/eternal-palace-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Eternal Palace: https://www.alleycatgames.com/eternal-palace
- Alley Cat Games: https://www.alleycatgames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/306311/eternal-palace
- Teach and playthrough video: https://youtu.be/exso9gRqkeo
- Jacqui Davis interview: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/02/03/jacqui-davis-let-me-illustrate/
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Continuing my series of articles about teaching games, in this article I want to talk about what responsibilities the teacher has. It's not always obvious, but when you teach a game, you're not done after explaining the rules to the group. You have to continue to keep an eye on things, to make sure everyone plays correctly. You also have to be ready to answer questions during the game. That's a lot of responsibility to shoulder.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/08/30/teaching-games-responsibilities-as-a-teacher-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Teaching games article series: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/category/teaching/
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- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
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The Durrani Empire had just collapsed and large swathes of Central Asia had fallen into disarray. It was an ideal opportunity for the ferengi to impose their power over the region and fight out their rivalries somewhere far away from their daily politics. The foreigners were completely unaware of how the local Afghan leaders were manipulating them to their own benefit. They played their own "Great Game" with these superpowers and knew that the imperial might would not survive for long. There was never going to be a Pax Pamir: Second Edition by Cole Wehrle from Wehrlegig Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/08/27/pax-pamir-second-edition-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Pax Pamir: Second Edition: https://wehrlegig.com/collections/frontpage/products/pax-pamir-second-edition-1
- Wehrlegig Games: https://wehrlegig.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/256960/pax-pamir-second-edition
- Oath review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/11/27/oath-chronicles-of-empire-and-exile-saturday-review/
- Leder Games: https://ledergames.com/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Bugbears Be Approaching by Tim Kulig
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Depth in board games is often confused with complexity. They are related, but they're also very different. I wrote a whole article about complexity about two years ago. So now it's time for me to look at depth in more detail.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/08/23/the-deep-blue-depth-in-board-games-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Article about complexity in board games: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/08/11/complex-complexity-topic-discussion/
- Splotter: https://www.splottershop.com/
- Scythe review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/01/19/scythe/
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I wasn't sure what it was. It was certainly yellow. Maybe it was a banana. Or it was a pencil. Actually, it could have even been a lemon. I just couldn't remember. There were just too many cards on the table. I wish I could Recollect from Pikkii.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/08/20/recollect-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Recollect: https://pikkii.com/products/recollect-memory-challenge-game
- Pikkii: https://pikkii.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/368121/recollect-memory-challenge-game
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It's been a long-standing tradition in the board game hobby to show others your lovely collection. People love posting photos of their board game shelves. It's no surprise really. People are proud of the games they've got. Some of the games in your collection will be rarities, they might be out of print, maybe you have games signed by the designer or you just love the latest and greatest. In a similar vein are so-called "haul photos" showing off the games you managed to get your hands on at a convention. In this article, I want to look at the latter in more detail.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/08/16/trawl-the-haul-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- UK Games Expo 2022 review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/06/11/uk-games-expo-2022-saturday-review/
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A brand new greenfield site was ready for development. The architects had submitted their drawings and the planners were satisfied that everything was in order. Everyone was in agreement that this new place should grow organically, but had to follow strict rules. New houses could only be placed in certain ways to create this brand new Town 66 by Christoph Cantzler and Anja Wrede from Oink Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/08/13/town-66-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Town 66: https://oinkgames.com/en/games/analog/town-66/
- Oink Games: https://oinkgames.com/en/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/361212/town-66
- Oink Games reviews: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/category/oink-games/
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It's always interesting to see how different games decide when they end. There are so many different ways of ending a game. Some games are played over a fixed number of rounds and others end when a certain goal or goals are achieved. There are also games that have a slightly more random timer. What happens when a game ends is also not always the same. In some games, all players get one more turn or the current round is played out. Other games end immediately and nobody gets another chance. In this article, I want to look at how all of these different endings create different player experiences.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/08/09/uncertain-death-end-game-triggers-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Sagrada review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/08/06/sagrada-saturday-review/
- Aquamarine review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/07/16/aquamarine-saturday-review/
- Undaunted: Normandy review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/07/23/undaunted-normandy-saturday-review/
- Adventure Games: The Dungeon review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/06/25/adventure-games-the-dungeon-saturday-review/
- Dominant Species: Marine review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/01/29/dominant-species-marine-saturday-review/
- Scythe review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/01/19/scythe/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Silent Alpha by MusicParadise
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As an artist, I knew this was going to be a challenging project. Making stained glass window masterpieces required clever and careful planning and meticulous execution. The prospect of having one of your pieces be seen by people around the world was a daunting prospect, but working for such a prestigious family made up for it. I was honoured to be employed by the famous family of Sagrada by Adrian Adamescu and Daryl Andrews from Floodgate Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/08/06/sagrada-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Sagrada: https://floodgate.games/products/sagrada
- Floodgate Games: https://floodgate.games/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/199561/sagrada
- Rules teach video: https://youtu.be/0JLpaGHL8MQ
- Azul review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/09/19/azul-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Wanderer by Alexander Nakarada
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Reviewing board games is something I take quite seriously. It's important to me that people reading my reviews know that what they read are my own, independent thoughts. I also want to ensure that my views properly reflect my experience of a game. I want my reviews to be relatively thorough and a fair assessment of the game. In this article, I want to look at how often I feel I need to have played a game before I'm ready to review it.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/08/02/enough-is-enough-minimum-board-game-review-requirements-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Reviewing games – the importance of gameplay experience article: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/07/26/reviewing-games-the-importance-of-gameplay-experience-topic-discussion/
- Brass: Birmingham review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/10/03/brass-birmingham-saturday-review/
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Main Music: Namaste by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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It was a glorious time of progress, industry and opportunity. The turn of the 20th century promised so much and if you were flush with cash, there were plenty of opportunities to invest and reap huge rewards. That was especially true for the railroad industry in the United States. In one place alone, there were five companies working together to build the greatest station in the world. They all bought stock in one of the potentially most lucrative companies in Chicago. Their hopes and dreams all began at Union Station by Travis D. Hill from New Mill Industries.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/07/30/union-station-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Union Station: https://www.newmillindustries.com/games/unionstation
- New Mill Industries: https://www.newmillindustries.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/318638/union-station
- Small Railroad Empires: https://www.archonagames.com/small-railroad-empires/
- Luzon Rails review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/06/05/luzon-rails-saturday-review/
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The goal of board game reviews is to give the reader the information they need to make a decision about whether a game is for them or not. Reviews are always going to be subjective and people may agree with them or they may not - or most likely they'll agree with some things and not others. Either way, reviews have to convey what a game is like, from a product perspective as well as a gameplay experience angle. In this article, I want to focus on the latter and explain why I think gameplay experience is so important.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/07/26/reviewing-games-the-importance-of-gameplay-experience-topic-discussion/
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Main Music: Without You by Valcos & Chris Linton [NCS Release]
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We had just landed in Normandy. It was the summer of 1944, but it was relatively cold. We were thousands of miles from home and the landscape was unknown to us. Yet, we had to push deeper into a country we didn't know in our goal to push the German forces out of France. There was regular machine gun fire and mortar bombardment. It was really scary, but we remained Undaunted: Normandy by Trevor Benjamin and David Thompson from Osprey Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/07/23/undaunted-normandy-saturday-review/
Sources
- Estimated Battle Casualties during the Normandy Invasion on June 6, 1944: https://www.britannica.com/story/estimated-battle-casualties-during-the-normandy-invasion-on-june-6-1944
- The 10 Things you Need to Know about D-Day: https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/the-10-things-you-need-to-know-about-d-day
- D-Day: Facts on the Epic 1944 Invasion That Changed the Course of WWII: https://www.history.com/news/d-day-normandy-wwii-facts
- World War II (Wikipedia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II
Useful Links
- Undaunted: Normandy: https://ospreypublishing.com/undaunted-normandy
- Osprey Games: https://ospreypublishing.com/store/osprey-games/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/268864/undaunted-normandy
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I think a lot of people in the board game hobby play together for fun and for the social aspect. Sure, many of us want to win the game. We don't play to lose. However, I think only very few people are hugely competitive. Playing board games is more of a hobby. In this article, I look at different ways of improving your game and what it might take to become better at winning.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/07/19/winning-at-all-cost-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Scythe review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/01/19/scythe/
- Terra Mystica review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/06/01/terra-mystica/
- Crescent Moon review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/05/21/crescent-moon-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Main Music: Afternoon by DreamHeaven
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It was a beautiful day. The sea was calm and the sun was shining. The water was crystal clear and even while you were sitting on the side of the boat, in your full diving gear, you could see the corals and wonderful sea creatures in the water. You knew it was going to be a long day and you would probably split it into two or three dives. You did one last check of your gear and then you leant back and dropped into the Aquamarine by Matthew Dunstan and Rory Muldoon from Postmark Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/07/16/aquamarine-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Aquamarine: https://www.postmarkgames.com/aquamarine
- Postmark Games: https://www.postmarkgames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/360471/aquamarine
- Aquamarine trailer: https://youtu.be/KAbpv39e5fY
- Rory Muldoon interview: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/10/14/rory-muldoon-let-me-illustrate/
- UK Games Expo 2022 review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/06/11/uk-games-expo-2022-saturday-review/
- Skora review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/05/14/skora-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: BBC Sound Effects Library (bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2021 BBC)
Music: Broken by DreamHeaven
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/6475-broken
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist website: https://www.patreon.com/dreamheaven
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
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As we know, and as I always say, there are so many games, chances are there is something for everyone. Not only that, there will be games for all sorts of different types and sizes of groups. That has always been true for family games that can be enjoyed by a wide range of ages and interests. In this article, I want to look at what it is I enjoy so much about playing games with my family.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/07/12/family-fun-enjoying-games-as-a-family-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Face-off article: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/06/28/face-off-interactions-in-two-player-games-topic-discussion/
- He ain't heavy article: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/01/08/he-aint-heavy/
- Home is where the board games are article: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/05/17/home-is-where-the-board-games-are-topic-discussion/
- Chai review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2018/11/24/chai/
- Colt Express review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/01/01/colt-express-saturday-review/
- Azul review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/09/19/azul-saturday-review/
- Town 66 BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/361212/town-66
- Scout review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/07/02/scout-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
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I thought long and hard about how to start this review. Usually, the introductory paragraph of my reviews is like a short story, setting the scene of the game and the experience you're likely to get. I finish by linking back to the title of the game, making it part of the short story. Yet, for this game, its name is a little short story in itself. So I might as well just go straight to the title. Here goes... In this review, I look at A game about stuffing balloons as a team, without talking. But it's a card game - there are no actual balloons by Bez Shahriari from Stuff by Bez.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/07/09/a-game-about-stuffing-balloons-as-a-team-without-talking-but-its-a-card-game-there-are-no-actual-balloons-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Stuff by Bez: http://www.stuffbybez.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/362779/game-about-stuffing-balloons-team-without-talking
- The Mind review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/01/05/the-mind/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
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I like heavy games a lot. Games that take around 2 hours to play are probably also the favourites in my games group. Sure, you need to spend an hour learning them, then probably half an hour teaching them to the group and then two or more hours playing them - but as a reward, your brain gets a full workout. At the same time, there are also many reasons why quick-to-play and easy-to-learn games can be the better option. In this article, I want to compare the two.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/07/05/quick-and-dirty-easy-to-learn-quick-to-play-games-topic-discussion/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Background Music:
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Finally, the baton of ringmaster has been passed to you. Your predecessor has been in the job for many decades, but now it's your turn. You need to get the most out of the motley crew of performers and put together a show that will beat your rivals'. Yet, immediately it becomes clear that you need to bring in new talent to make your circus really stand out from the rest. It's time for you to Scout by Kei Kajino (梶野 桂) from Oink Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/07/02/scout-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Scout: https://oinkgames.com/en/games/analog/scout/
- Oink Games: https://oinkgames.com/en/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/291453/scout
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: BBC Sound Effects Library (bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2021 BBC)
Background Music: Circus Theme Song (String Version) by Alexander Nakarada
Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/5699-circus-theme-song-string-version-
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
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I love playing board or card games with my wife. Spending a little, or a lot of time together focused on the same activity is a wonderful way to connect. It started as a date night, but now we might play a quick 5-10 minute game or two over lunch or we play a longer game. Co-operative games tend to be our favourite. Working together to solve the puzzle that the game presents is a lot of fun. That's why we also love solving the Sunday crossword puzzle together. There are very few two-player competitive games that we enjoy and in this article, I want to explain why.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/06/28/face-off-interactions-in-two-player-games-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- We Can Play review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/05/28/we-can-play-saturday-review/
- Wingspan review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/03/16/wingspan/
- Biblios review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/02/05/biblios-digital-eyes/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Background Music: Coffee by Alex-Productions
Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/9330-coffee
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
- Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
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Waking up from an uneasy sleep, you look around. You aren't quite sure where you are or how you got here. There is moonlight streaming through the small, barred window. It looks like you're in some sort of cell, but you're not chained up or otherwise restrained unlike the skeleton opposite you. There is only one thing for it. You have to find a way to escape Adventure Games: The Dungeon by Phil Walker-Harding and Matthew Dunstan from Kosmos.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/06/25/adventure-games-the-dungeon-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Adventure Games: The Dungeon: https://www.thamesandkosmos.co.uk/product/adventure-games-the-dungeon/
- Kosmos: https://www.thamesandkosmos.co.uk/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/267813/adventure-games-dungeon
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Sound Effects: BBC Sound Effects Library (bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2021 BBC)
Background Music: Dark Hollows by Alexander Nakarada
Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/7120-dark-hollows
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
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As you probably know by now, I'm a very visual person. I love great illustrations in board games, hence my series "Let me illustrate" highlighting board game artists in the industry. At the same time, a board game with an amazing look alone is not enough. The gameplay needs to be great too and the rules must not be more complicated than necessary for the weight of the game. So in this article, I want to look at how important realistic resources are to me in games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/06/21/immersive-resources-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Let me illustrate podcast series: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/let-me-illustrate/
- Terra Mystica review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/06/01/terra-mystica/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Background Music: Sinuswelle by Sascha Ende®
Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/537-sinuswelle
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
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Waking up from years of hibernation, all of us were a bit dazed and confused. Temporary amnesia was very common and while we all knew our names, we only had some basic memories of what had happened before or what we were meant to do. We weren't even sure which ship we were on, let alone its layout. When we saw that one of our colleagues was dead and had a gaping hole in their chest, we knew something was seriously wrong. Nobody was sure what caused our colleague's death. We knew we had to work together to get out of this nightmare, but the trust in each other had evaporated. So we set about exploring the ship and finding our Nemesis by Adam Kwapiński from Awaken Realms.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/06/18/nemesis-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Nemesis: https://awakenrealms.com/games/nemesis/
- Awaken Realms: https://awakenrealms.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/167355/nemesis
- Pandemic review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/01/18/pandemic-saturday-review/
- Sleeping Gods review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/03/27/sleeping-gods-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Background Music: Alien motion picture soundtrack by Jerry Goldsmith
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
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The genre of roll-and-something or something-and-write or whatever else there is these days has really grown in the last few years. To start with, there was a deluge of Yahtzee-style games, but soon the genre added themes and settings to try and draw people in and make them feel like they were exploring a map or fighting monsters. In this article, I want to talk about my experiences with roll-and-write games, as I will call them from here on in for the purpose of simplicity.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/06/14/roll-and-wrong-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Aquamarine: https://www.postmarkgames.com/aquamarine
- Postmark Games: https://www.postmarkgames.com/
- Rory Muldoon interview: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/10/14/rory-muldoon-let-me-illustrate/
- UK Games Expo 2022 review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/06/11/uk-games-expo-2022-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
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The UK Games Expo is the largest hobby games convention in the United Kingdom. It covers all types of hobby games, including board games, card games, RPGs, war games and many, many more. After a break of a couple of years, I was finally ready to make my way up to the NEC, Birmingham again in 2022. However, this time, a friend from my games group joined me. I was really looking forward to finally meeting many of the people I only knew via social media. I also wanted to introduce myself to some of the publishers exhibiting there. My schedule was really full. It was going to be exhausting, but also a huge amount of fun.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/06/11/uk-games-expo-2022-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
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I know this is a First World problem, but I currently have a number of games sitting on my shelves that I haven't played yet. I also know that I'm not the only one with a "shelf of opportunity" that seems to be growing, rather than shrinking. I basically have too many board games. It seems to be something that's quite common in the board game hobby. In this article, I want to look at a number of reasons why my game pile has increased, rather than gotten smaller.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/06/07/boardgame-backlog-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Games I own, but haven't played yet: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/mygames/#not-played
- Brainwaves board game news podcast: https://giantbrain.co.uk/podcast/
- Oath review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/11/27/oath-chronicles-of-empire-and-exile-saturday-review/
- Root review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/02/12/root-a-game-of-woodland-might-and-right-saturday-review/
- Dwellings of Eldervale review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/02/19/dwellings-of-eldervale-saturday-review/
- Brass: Birmingham review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/10/03/brass-birmingham-saturday-review/
- We Can Play review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/05/28/we-can-play-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Background Music: Just Say by Beatcore & Ashley Apollodor (https://ncs.io/JustStay)
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
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The game, it's a test of sorts, for determining whether something is a machine or a human being. There's a judge and a subject. The judge asks questions and based on the subject's answers they determine who they are speaking with - what they are speaking with. All you have to do is ask a question. So, now it's your turn to ask Turing by Glenn Ford from Man O' Kent Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/06/04/turing-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Turing: https://www.manokentgames.com/turing
- Man O' Kent Games: https://www.manokentgames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/341901/turing
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Background Music: The Imitation Game by Alexandre Desplat and London Symphony Orchestra
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I have now spoken quite a bit about how to teach board games to people. Those articles were about teaching games that you have already played yourself and therefore know relatively well. However, when you buy a game, you will be faced with the difficult task of teaching the rules for the first time, before having played it yourself even once.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/05/31/first-time-teach-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- How to teach board games: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/category/teaching/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Background Music: Way by AShamaluevMusic (https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com/)
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
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From ancient times to the present day, women have never been recognised for their contributions to the world. Yet, throughout history, there have always been women who were strong leaders, who fought for better conditions and equal rights, and not just for themselves, who made significant scientific breakthroughs, were trendsetting artists and did everything their male contemporaries did. So it is time for all women around the world to say: We Can Play by Julia Johansson and Albert Pinilla by Julibert.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/05/28/we-can-play-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- We Can Play: https://www.julibert.com/product-page/WeCanPlay
- Julibert: https://www.julibert.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/338690/we-can-play-women-who-changed-world
- 101 women who changed the world: https://www.julibert.com/the-101-women
- Albert Pinilla interview: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/02/02/albert-pinilla-let-me-illustrate/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
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The last UK Games Expo I attended was 2019. It was an amazing event and I came back from it buzzing, full of ideas and the energy you get after you've been able to catch up with good friends again. We all know what happened soon after the 2019 event. So when UKGE came back as an in-person event in 2021, I decided to give it a miss. However, now it's 2022 I'm ready to dive into the crowds again and meet lovely board game people at UK Games Expo 2022.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/05/24/looking-ahead-at-uk-games-expo-2022-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- UK Games Expo: https://www.ukgamesexpo.co.uk/
- Naylor Games: https://naylorgames.com/
- Ruined Sky Games: https://www.ruinedsky.com/
- Minerva Tabletop Games: https://www.minervatabletop.co.uk/
- Dissent Games: https://dissentgames.com/
- SDR Games Studio: https://sdrgames.studio/
- Stuff by Bez: http://www.stuffbybez.com/
- Atikin Games: https://atikingames.com/
- Wayfinder Games: https://www.wayfinder-games.com/
- James Family Games Night: https://linktr.ee/jonesfamilygamesnight
- Cards or Die: https://www.cardsordie.com/
- Gaming Rules: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvIWBOfYGXYQQQORhjAJKCQ
- Postmark Games: https://www.postmarkgames.com/
- Osprey Games: https://ospreypublishing.com/store/osprey-games/
- Steeped Games: https://steepedgames.com/
- Ravensburger: https://www.ravensburger.org/uk/products/games/index.html
- Hachette: https://www.hachetteboardgames.co.uk/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
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The Caliphate is in turmoil. The Murshid spreads its influence and whispers into the Sultan's ear, trying to affect where they build their magnificent towns and cities. The Warlord ravages the lands, plundering and destroying everything in their way. Nothing is safe and everyone has their own goals. So as the sun sets on the deserts, mountains and fertile lands and as day turns to night, the warring factions prepare for another day and get ready to put their plans into action. For now, though, it's the time of the Crescent Moon by Steven Mathers from Osprey Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/05/21/crescent-moon-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Skora: https://www.insidethebox.games/product/skora
- Inside the Box Board Games: https://www.insidethebox.games/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/271645/skora
- Other games in the Lunchbox Collection series: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/category/lunchbox-collection/
- Rory Muldoon interview: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/10/14/rory-muldoon-let-me-illustrate/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Incidental Music: Fortress by AShamaluevMusic (https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com/)
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
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I feel that the board game hobby is great and that our community is wonderful. Board games bring like-minded people together. I know, nothing is ever perfect and we can't ignore the bad actors, but on the whole, board game people, if I may address you all this way, are great folk. Playing board games is my happy place and I feel very much at home whenever I see board games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/05/17/home-is-where-the-board-games-are-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Thirsty Meeples: https://thirstymeeples.co.uk/
- Airecon 2022 review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/03/26/airecon-2022-saturday-review/
- Ravensburger: https://www.ravensburger.org/uk/start/index.html
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
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Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/
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The boats were making their way out to sea, heading for the three main fishing grounds off the coast of the Isle of Norsica. You were hoping that your fleet would bring back the best catch. It would require brain and brawn to beat the rival clans and land the biggest fish. If your clan could grab the most lucrative haul, you would be crowned Skora by Rory Muldoon from Inside the Box Board Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/05/14/skora-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Skora: https://www.insidethebox.games/product/skora
- Inside the Box Board Games: https://www.insidethebox.games/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/271645/skora
- Other games in the Lunchbox Collection series: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/category/lunchbox-collection/
- Rory Muldoon interview: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/10/14/rory-muldoon-let-me-illustrate/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Incidental Music: Horizon by AShamaluevMusic (https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com/)
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
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Teaching a game isn't easy and the same is true for learning. The teacher will do their best to explain everything and get everything right, but the first play of a game should always be chalked down to experience. Players should do what they can to help and expect mistakes to creep in. However, there are also things the game itself can do to make learning a new game easier, some of which will also help with playing the game again later.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/05/10/player-aids-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Root review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/02/12/root-a-game-of-woodland-might-and-right-saturday-review/
- Fluxx: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/258/fluxx
- The Fox in the Forest Duet review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/04/30/the-fox-in-the-forest-duet-saturday-review/
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The squad had been practising many hours a week for months to get to this point. They were up against a tough team, but they had the belief, conviction and the appetite to win. The determination was written on every single swimmer's face. As the routine started, it was clear that these women were headed for glory. The tension grew as the music played and eventually reached its climax. When the last figure was executed, there was no holding back. The crowd got up from their seats and started cheering. It was clear that the routine was absolutely perfect. Throughout the routine, all of the swimmers had been perfectly Synchronized by AnnaMaria Jackson-Phelps and Amelie Le-Roche from Zerua Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/05/07/synchronized-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Synchronized: https://www.zeruagames.com/synchronized
- Zerua Games: https://www.zeruagames.com/
- Amelie Le-Roche interview: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/03/02/amelie-le-roche-let-me-illustrate/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/295756/synchronized
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Hobbies are known to be a way to reduce stress and can improve feelings of anxiety and depression. Board games are, of course, no different. In this article, I want to look at how playing board games can help your mental health.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/05/03/board-game-relief-topic-discussion/
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The woodcutter and I were travelling the lands when we reached a kingdom far to the south. Its people were most distraught, because the fairies of the woods had kidnapped the most famous musician whose music made everything better. Of course, we agreed to help the people without hesitation. We ventured into the forest and peeked under every leaf and fern and beneath the shelf of every mushroom until we finally found the musician, surrounded by angry fairies. Overjoyed, they played an enchanting lullaby that made the fairies go to sleep and allowed us to escape. After reuniting the musician with the people, we were celebrated as heroes and from that moment on were both known as The Fox in the Forest Duet by Foxtrot Games from Renegade Game Studios.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/04/30/the-fox-in-the-forest-duet-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- The Fox in the Forest Duet: https://uk.renegadegamestudios.com/fox-in-the-forest-duet/
- Renegade Game Studios: https://uk.renegadegamestudios.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/288169/fox-forest-duet
- The Crew review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/12/05/the-crew-the-quest-for-planet-nine-saturday-review/
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It's so very easy to dismiss the old adage that we learn through play. Many of us take our shared hobby very seriously. We're highly competitive and want to win. We need to play by the rules. It's an unwritten law - but it's a law nevertheless. It's "the law". Yet, when we see how young children interact with games, it's often very different to what we do as adults. In this article, I want to explore what we can learn from children and how it might help us rediscover the joy of board games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/04/26/childs-play-topic-discussion/
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Get your friends together, grab some bits from the local junkyard and assemble everything into the best stronghold you can, to be crowned champion of the Junk Forts by Matthew Dunstan and Brett J. Gilbert from Inside the Box Board Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/04/23/junk-forts-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Junk Forts: https://www.insidethebox.games/product/junk-forts
- Inside the Box Board Games: https://www.insidethebox.games/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/265805/junk-forts
- Fort review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/04/03/fort-saturday-review/
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The following article was written by Laurie Trueblood of Adventures of Authenticity.
As a kid, family game night was a staple and we had that one closet that always seemed to overflow with board games. As I got older, I added tabletop RPGs like Dungeons & Dragons and video games. And while gaming has always been a part of my lifestyle, I never really saw it as beneficial beyond just something to do for fun. But according to scientific research, tabletop gaming is actually quite good for you.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/04/19/the-scientific-benefits-of-tabletop-gaming-topic-discussion/
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It is the 11th century AD and the Vikings regularly invade our lands, while my domestic rivals try to forcefully take territory from me, without much luck. My military prowess is well known and I prove myself again and again, while also forging political alliances by strategically arranging marriages between my family members and other important houses. I even have time to rebuild the many monasteries in my realm, bringing the Church and its wealth onto my side. My name is Brian Boru: High King of Ireland by Peer Sylvester from Osprey Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/04/16/brian-boru-high-king-of-ireland-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Brian Boru: High King of Ireland: https://ospreypublishing.com/brian-boru
- Osprey Games: https://ospreypublishing.com/store/osprey-games/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/337765/brian-boru-high-king-ireland
- The King is Dead (2nd Edition) review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/03/13/the-king-is-dead-2nd-edition-digital-eyes/
- The Crew review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/12/05/the-crew-the-quest-for-planet-nine-saturday-review/
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When you have a long-standing, regular games group, you will probably have already established certain "house rules" that define what's considered good behaviour at the table. Chances are many of them are actually unwritten rules that have just come out over time and are based on the types of people you play with. In this article, I want to try and talk about a few of these rules that are probably generally useful to have at games night, whether this is with a long-established group or people you've just met.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/04/12/etiquette-topic-discussion/
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After graduating from Oxford, specializing in criminal law, it was time for me to travel and see the world. Little did I know that every journey I took would present me with a mystery I had to solve using my formidable spirit of deduction and unfailing determination. Tiny clues would lead me along a trail of discovering more and more proof which would lead me to the perpetrator. However, until then, all the people I met were Suspects by Sebastien Duverger Nedellec, Paul Halter and Guillaume Montiage from Studio H.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/04/09/suspects-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Suspects: https://www.hachetteboardgames.co.uk/shop/stu027su-suspects-115
- Studio H: https://twitter.com/Studio_H_Games
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/322785/suspects
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Other Music:
Epic Cinematic Orchestra Instrumental by EdiKey20
Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/7594-epic-cinematic-orchestra-instrumental
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
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Staunch competitive players may feel that co-operative games are a bit pointless. After all, it makes more sense if there is only one winner, rather than several, or so their reasoning might go. However, even if you love co-operative games and even if you prefer them to competitive games, there are some games where you don't feel like you're achieving anything - and that might feel pointless to you. In this article, I want to look at this in a little more detail.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/04/05/pointless-co-operation-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- The Crew review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/12/05/the-crew-the-quest-for-planet-nine-saturday-review/
- Skat: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/6819/skat
- Doppelkopf: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/9364/doppelkopf
- Pandemic: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/01/18/pandemic-saturday-review/
- Sleeping Gods: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/03/27/sleeping-gods-saturday-review/
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There is something hiding in the city. I'm sure of it. I keep finding clues and my detectors are picking up very strange signals - but I need proof! Hard facts that I can present to the science community to make them believe that I have found a Cryptid: Urban Legends by Hal Duncan and Ruth Veevers from Osprey Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/04/02/cryptid-urban-legends-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Cryptid: Urban Legends: https://ospreypublishing.com/cryptid-urban-legends
- Osprey Games: https://ospreypublishing.com/store/osprey-games/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/343274/cryptid-urban-legends
- Onitama BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/image/2999035/onitama
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Rob Ingle works for Stop, Drop and Roll Games Studio and has been an artist for a long time. As he says himself, he is straightforward, honest and punctual. He is skilled in illustration, design and all manner of creative work.
Read the audio transcript here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/03/30/rob-ingle-let-me-illustrate/
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We all know how some games can take a while to set up. Sometimes it's because there are just a lot of components and different pieces to take out of the box and place on the table. Other times, it's because you have to sort components a certain way, after they were all mixed together in a previous play of the game. The opposite can also be true, where you have to shuffle tiles or cards, after they ended up all in order when you finished playing the game last time. In this article, I want to look at both: games that sort or shuffle themselves during play and are virtually immediately ready to play again, as well as games that expect you to shuffle or sort components before you can play them again.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/03/29/self-sorting-games-topic-discussion/
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My last board game convention was Airecon 2020 and it was the last event of its kind in the UK - and as it turned out, there wasn't going to be another in-person UK board game convention until 2021. It was a wonderful event, even though everything felt weird. Nobody was sure whether to shake hands or not. The special guests who had flown in from the USA weren't even sure if they would be able to get back home. Luckily, they did make it back safely and it wasn't long until the UK went into full lockdown. So, I was keenly looking forward to Airecon 2022, the first board game convention I was happy to attend after a two-year break.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/03/26/airecon-2022-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Airecon: https://www.airecon.co.uk/
- Airecon 2020 review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/04/04/airecon-2020-saturday-review/
- Imagination Gaming: https://imaginationgaming.co.uk/
- Watch It Played: https://watchitplayed.tv/
- Paula Deming: https://www.paulademing.com/
- Tabletop Games Blog Radio: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/radio/
- The Wren Bakery: https://www.thewrenbakery.com/
- UNHCR - The Refugee Charity: https://www.unhcr.org/uk/united-kingdom-for-unhcr.html
- DEC - Humanitarian Appeal for Ukraine: https://www.dec.org.uk/?gclid=CjwKCAjw_tWRBhAwEiwALxFPocXnlBZJxfRGuhELYY4CWtQYT3tEzJ7rUpqXRtPSDPbT95ompHTBABoCeLUQAvD_BwE
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Co-operative games come in all shapes in sizes, just like any game. So there should be something there for anyone, irrespective of what you're looking for, as long as you want an experience where everyone works together to win the game as a team. In this article, I look at a handful of different types of co-operative games, giving examples of games that fit into the category, so that, hopefully, you can find something that suits you.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/03/22/how-to-play-together-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Sub Terra II review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/11/16/sub-terra-ii-infernos-edge-saturday-review/
- Pandemic review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/01/18/pandemic-saturday-review/
- Library Labyrinth review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/02/26/library-labyrinth-saturday-review/
- CoraQuest review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/01/15/coraquest-saturday-review/
- Assembly review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2018/11/17/assembly/
- The Crew review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/12/05/the-crew-the-quest-for-planet-nine-saturday-review/
- The Mind review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/01/05/the-mind/
- Jaws review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/10/10/jaws-saturday-review/
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Shuffle your deck of creature and vegetable cards, put the pile facedown on the table and spread the cards out, so everyone can reach them and after explaining a handful of rules, you're ready to play A game about quickly grabbing creatures that are totally different & counting your beetroots by Andrew Beardsley and Behrooz Shahriari from Stuff By Bez.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/03/19/a-game-about-quickly-grabbing-creatures-that-are-totally-different-counting-your-beetroots-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- A game about quickly grabbing creatures that are totally different & counting your beetroots: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bybez/bezzy-bargain-bag-2-creatures-frantic-gameplay-root-veg
- Stuff By Bez: http://www.stuffbybez.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/349947/game-about-quickly-grabbing-creatures-are-totally
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I don't know if you've ever come across it, but the final round, or sometimes the final few rounds, of a game often feel different to the rest of the game. There is the common term "end game" and the concept of an "end game trigger" in modern board games, so there is a relatively clear distinction between how a game finishes and the rest of the game. In this article, I want to discuss how games feel different as they come to their conclusion and what different types of "end game" formats there are.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/03/15/the-final-round-topic-discussion/
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The city-states of Venice, Florence and Genoa and their economy were doing extremely well. However, their military strength was extremely lacking not only in size, but also in experience and conviction. It was clear that strong soldiers with real battle experience were needed. So when the English soldiers returned from the Crusades, they were welcomed with open arms. Finally, the city-states would be able to extend their reach and influence, thanks to the wonderful Condottiere by Dominique Ehrhard, Duccio Vitale and Justin Kemppainen from Z-Man Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/03/12/condottiere-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Condottiere: https://www.zmangames.com/en/products/condottiere/
- Z-Man Games: https://www.zmangames.com/en/index/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/112/condottiere
- The King is Dead (2nd Edition): https://ospreypublishing.com/the-king-is-dead-45352
- Osprey Games: https://ospreypublishing.com/
- The King is Dead (2nd Edition) review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/03/13/the-king-is-dead-2nd-edition-digital-eyes/
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Hey there. It's Joe Slack from the Board Game Design Course. Oliver was kind enough to let me write a guest post on his blog about victory conditions other than victory points to spark some new ideas and get you thinking about other new games to play. I hope you enjoy this article!
Victory points (VP) are so common in modern board games, along with the condition that the player at the end of the game with the most VP is declared the winner. Sometimes it is called influence, sometimes just points or it may be money or some other resource or currency. But it is all essentially the same thing. So, we’re going to dive into some other fun and interesting ways that players can win a game, along with examples of each.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/03/08/victory-conditions-other-than-victory-points-topic-discussion/
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Sending someone a letter seems to have become a thing of the past and sending people postcards is mostly restricted to when you've gone away on holiday - but it's been ages since many of us have done that. However, many of us love sharing games with others, so it would be amazing if you could send someone a card that's also a game and even add a little message. Well, that's exactly what Six Greetings Card Games by Ellie Dix from The Dark Imp does.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/03/05/six-greetings-card-games-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Six Greetings Card Games: https://www.thedarkimp.com/kickstarter/
- Kickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thedarkimp/six-greetings-card-games
- The Dark Imp: https://www.thedarkimp.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/357824/six-greetings-card-games
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Amelie Le-Roche is a veteran video game animator, creating games in her free time. She loves to explore different art styles and unique themes while creating family-friendly board games. She started Zerua Games in 2018 (which means "sky" in Basque) as a creative outlet.
Read the audio transcript here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/03/02/amelie-le-roche-let-me-illustrate/
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A large number of board games are about winning and losing. Sure, for many of us, it doesn't really matter whether we win or lose, as long as we have a good time, either with friends, family or alone. In co-operative games, you play against the game itself and either you win or the game does. The same goes for solo games, of course, which are basically co-operative games, but with a single player. In this article, I want to look at the different win and loss conditions you can find in co-operative or solo games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/03/01/co-operative-loss-topic-discussion/
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It is the evening and everyone has gone home, but you. The library is dark and everything is quiet, when suddenly, out of the corner of your eyes, you think you can see a book opening all by itself in the horror aisle. As you turn to get a better look, you see Dracula standing there, with Bram Stoker's book by his feet. You know exactly what to do, because this isn't the first time this has happened. You rush to the fiction section and pull out three particular books, whose heroines will surely be able to catch the vampire and put him back in his book. The problem is, the library's aisles are starting to shift and change and your way is being blocked but shelves. You have to be quick and find a way through this Library Labyrinth by Jessica Metheringham and Mill Goble from Dissent Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/02/26/library-labyrinth-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Library Labyrinth: https://librarylabyrinth.com/
- Kickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dissentgames/library-labyrinth
- Dissent Games: https://dissentgames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/356885/library-labyrinth
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Hi! My name is Lewis Shaw and I run Braincrack Games, a UK-based tabletop games publisher that's been bouncing around the scene since 2016.
After my recent interview with Heavy Cardboard and a post on our own blog where I listed some of the reasons I don't think people should rush to start their own board game publishers, Oliver was kind enough to invite me to guest post on Tabletop Games Blog and talk more about the challenges the industry has thrown us in recent years - a brave choice, considering I could easily clear a room this way!
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/02/22/what-could-go-wrong-an-abridged-almanac-of-production-pitfalls-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Braincrack Games: https://www.braincrackgames.com/
- Heavy Cardboard: https://www.heavycardboard.com/
- Florence: https://www.braincrackgames.com/florence
- Florence BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/317411/florence
- 4 reasons to NOT start a publishing company article by Lewis Shaw: https://www.braincrackgames.com/braincrack-blog/2022/1/28/4-reasons-to-not-start-a-publishing-company-
- Last Resort: https://www.braincrackgames.com/last-resort
- Last Resort Kickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/braincrack-games/last-resort
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We were still trying to understand the special powers of the 8 elemental realms and how our dragon, wizard and warriors could take advantage of each and how we could impose our dominance over the other factions in this growing world. Each realm also had a giant monster that would wreak death and cause havoc amongst us, if we couldn't work out how to defeat it first or control it and steer it in our favour. We didn't have much time to build our Dwellings of Eldervale by Luke Laurie from Breaking Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/02/19/dwellings-of-eldervale-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Dwellings of Eldervale: https://dwellingsofeldervale.com/
- Breaking Games: https://breakinggames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/271055/dwellings-eldervale
- Rise of Tribes review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2018/12/15/rise-of-tribes/
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The idea that variability and replayability in board games have the same meaning is understandable, but of course, even though the two terms are related, they are independent of each other. Just because there is a lot of variability in a game doesn't mean that you'll want to play it over and over again and that it will feel different every time. Similarly, a game that is highly replayable, offering a different and interesting experience every time you play it, doesn't require it to be highly variable as well - but let me explain...
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/02/15/variable-replayability-topic-discussion/
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It was quiet in the deep, dark wood. Everything was still and nothing stirred - but everyone was ready. The cats had taken up their position in every clearing, six birds were waiting patiently by their roost in one corner of the forest, the racoon had taken cover deep in the woods and the crows were biding their time in a handful of clearings of their choice. The moment was near. It was time to decide who was the best animal in the woodland, who was the Root by Cole Wehrle from Leder Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/02/12/root-a-game-of-woodland-might-and-right-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Root: https://ledergames.com/products/root-a-game-of-woodland-might-and-right
- Root review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/02/20/root-a-game-of-woodland-might-and-right-digital-eyes/
- Leder Games: https://ledergames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/237182/root
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The longer you have been part of the board game hobby, the more you are used to various terminology and conventions. You will also have become more accustomed to the way rulebooks describe games and how to read them to get the most out of them. However, if you're still new to the hobby then some things may not be obvious. In this article, I want to look at some of these terms and conventions that won't be familiar to people new to our hobby and also touch on whether rulebooks should be expected to describe them in more detail.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/02/08/implicit-conventions-topic-discussion/
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You were proud of your large library and your hard-working group of scribes was continually adding new tomes, with wonderfully decorative lettering and illustrations. However, you only had so much gold and the best scribes weren't cheap, but you had to somehow continue growing your collection of books to keep the bishop happy and outdo other abbots who were vying for influence. So you persevered and did what you could to have the most Biblios by Steve Finn from iello.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/02/05/biblios-digital-eyes/
Useful Links
- Biblios: https://www.gameslore.com/acatalog/PR-Biblios-Card-Game.html
- iello: https://www.iello.fr/co.uk
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/34219/biblios
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Albert Pinilla is an illustrator born in Barcelona. He is the co-creator and illustrator of the card game We Can Play: Women Who Changed The World and co-creator of the game publisher Julibert. He has also illustrated books such as The Interactive Constitution and Climate Change, the Choice Is Ours and has illustrated children's board games for companies such as Jumbo Disset, Goula, Nathan and Headu.
Read the audio transcript here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/02/09/albert-pinilla-let-me-illustrate/
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After setting up a board game and explaining the rules, if necessary, the next step usually is to decide who starts. Different games decide this differently, so in this article, I want to discuss the various ways in which board games choose the first player and I will also touch on games where the first player changes from round to round.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/02/01/i-go-first-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Turn order article: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/01/07/turn-order/
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Around sixty million years ago on Earth, dinosaurs reigned supreme on land, but at sea, a giant struggle was still unfolding. Creatures were slowly adapting to the changes in their watery habitat and hoping to be victors in this fight for survival. The threat of a giant meteor striking the Earth was increasing all the time, so it was a race to become the Dominant Species: Marine by Chad Jensen from GMT Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/01/29/dominant-species-marine-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Dominant Species: Marine: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-943-dominant-species-marine-2nd-printing.aspx
- Dominant Species: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-909-dominant-species-6th-printing.aspx
- GMT Games: https://www.gmtgames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/262941/dominant-species-marine
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Additional Music: Predator by Purple Planet Music (https://www.purple-planet.com/)
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Sometimes I get asked to recommend games for someone to play. As you can imagine, that's never easy and my first question tends to be what other games they have already played. If they're completely new to the hobby, I usually ask how many people they intend to play with, whether they're a competitive group, how long they're happy to play for. It's also sometimes good to find out what sort of films, TV shows or activities they like, because many board games have a setting that might fit. So, in this article, I want to give you a list of different types of games that I tend to suggest to people.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/01/25/board-games-for-everyone-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Fluxx: https://www.looneylabs.com/games/fluxx
- Mint Tin Mini Skulduggery review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/03/09/mint-tin-mini-skulduggery/
- The Mind review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/01/05/the-mind/
- Quacks of Quedlinburg review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/06/06/the-quacks-of-quedlinburg-saturday-review/
- Colt Express review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/01/01/colt-express-saturday-review/
- Forbidden Island review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/05/02/forbidden-island-saturday-review/
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Spice, the final frontier. These are the adventures of the Houses Atreides and Harkonnen and the Imperium their five-round mission to explore Arrakis, to seek out new territories and new Spice Blows, to boldly go where no Fremen has gone before. This is Dune: A Game of Conquest and Diplomacy by Bill Eberle, Jack Kittredge, Peter Olotka, Greg Olotka and Jack Reda from Gale Force Nine.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/01/22/dune-a-game-of-conquest-and-diplomacy-digital-eyes/
Useful Links
- Dune: A Game of Conquest and Diplomacy: https://www.gf9games.com/dune/743/dune-a-game-of-conquest-diplomacy/
- Gale Force Nine: https://www.gf9games.com/
- Dune (2019) review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/02/08/dune-saturday-review/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/341165/dune-game-conquest-and-diplomacy
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Second Intro Music: Theme from Star Trek by Alexander Courage
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I have mentioned it on this blog before, but my favourite way of being taught a new game is by diving right in. Teach me only the absolute minimum, just so I roughly know what sort of game we're playing and get an outline of what I'm trying to achieve and then let me start taking my turn. It's the sort of style of teaching that Paul Grogan of Gaming Rules advocates and it's probably the best option for demoing a game at a convention as well.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/01/18/teaching-games-teach-as-you-go-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Gaming Rules: https://www.youtube.com/GamingRulesVideos
- Teaching games - learn yourself: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/01/11/teaching-games-learn-yourself-topic-discussion/
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Oh no! Wizard Pebbledash’s assistants, Kevin and Annabelle, are missing! Of course, it is our task to find them and return them home safely. We are a motley crew of four daring adventurers of all shapes and sizes. Some of us have brave hearts, others have strong minds and there are some here who have a keen eye, but all of us are in high spirits and ready to face the dangers ahead of us. So off we go into the shadows of Hoodez Dungeon on our first CoraQuest by Cora and Dan Hughes.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/01/15/coraquest-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- CoraQuest: https://www.coraquest.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/318546/coraquest
- CoraQuest on the BBC news website: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-56013280
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I want to continue my series on how to teach board games to others by talking about how you can learn the game yourself or ask others to learn it for themselves. After all, you can't teach others until you know how to play it yourself and you're a better teacher if you've actually played the game yourself. Also, sometimes it's actually fun to learn a game and not always a big onus to expect others to learn a new game for themselves before you all meet up to play it.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/01/11/teaching-games-learn-yourself-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Magnate: The First City: https://magnategame.com/
- Magnate review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/11/30/takebacks-magnate-the-first-city/
- Naylor Games: https://naylorgames.com/
- Magnate BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/258242/magnate-first-city
- Root: https://ledergames.com/products/root-a-game-of-woodland-might-and-right
- Root review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/02/20/root-a-game-of-woodland-might-and-right-digital-eyes/
- Leder Games: https://ledergames.com/
- Root BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/237182/root
- Watch It Played: https://www.youtube.com/c/WatchItPlayed
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We had pulled off the heist of the century and everyone was still buzzing, pumped with adrenaline. We had made it safely back to our hideout and now it was time to divvy up the loot. We were about to count out cash, gold, gems, paintings and microfilms when the boss came up with a crazy idea. "Let's play Blackjack," they said, "and sort out who gets what that way." They even gave it a name. They called it The Split by Michael Fox from Wayfinder Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/01/08/the-split-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- The Split: https://www.wayfinder-games.com/store/p/the-split
- Wayfinder Games: https://www.wayfinder-games.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/344682/split
- "Cheat" card "Turn the Tables" dedicated to Oliver Kinne (Tabletop Games Blog): https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/idlemichael/the-split-from-wayfinder-games/posts/3296840
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Let me start by wishing you a Happy New Year. We all somehow made it into 2022, probably a little worse for wear, but we made it nonetheless. The world has changed a lot, but there are still many moments of positivity and hope. I don't want to make predictions about what might happen to us all in the future, but instead, I want to focus on the Tabletop Games Blog and maybe talk about a couple of things that I hope for in our hobby.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/01/04/looking-ahead-at-2022-topic-discussion/
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It's the 11th of July in the year of our Lord 1899. At 10am Mountain Daylight Time, the Union Pacific Express departed Folsom in Union County, New Mexico as scheduled, but only a few minutes after leaving the village's last buildings behind, heavily armed bandits started robbing the 47 passengers, taking purses and jewellery. A short while later, gunshots could be heard and some of the bandits had climbed onto the roof of the train. It was feared that Marshal Samuel Ford, who was protecting the Nice Valley Coal Company's weekly pay, was being attacked. The whole incident went down in history as the "Attack of the Colt Express" by Christophe Raimbault from Ludonaute.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/01/01/colt-express-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Colt Express: http://www.ludonaute.fr/portfolio/colt-express/?lang=en
- Colt Express unboxing: https://youtu.be/cy6gV7LKR0I
- Colt Express Digital Eyes review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/10/30/colt-express-digital-eyes/
- Ludonaute: https://www.ludonaute.fr/?lang=en
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/158899/colt-express
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Sound Effects: BBC Sound Effects Library (bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2021 BBC)
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Like probably everyone else does at the end of another calendar year, it's time for me to look back on 2021 and share with you what I've been up to. In fact, this year I want to share with you some more detail, so that you can see what is involved in doing what I do in the name of the Tabletop Games Blog.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/12/28/2021-in-review-topic-discussion/
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Yes, it's the time of year again where I list the 5 board games that I think were the best in 2021. The games don't necessarily have to have been published this year, but as long as I have played them in 2021, they qualify to appear on this list. Of course, as is now custom on the Tabletop Games Blog, the #1 game will receive the exclusive and prestigious Top Table Award. I know you're already at the edge of your seat to find out who got the coveted trophy, but let me list the top 5 board games of 2021 in reverse order, to raise the excitement even further and make you wait a little bit longer.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/12/25/top-5-board-games-of-2021-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Genotype review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/06/26/genotype-a-mendelian-genetics-game-saturday-review/
- Genotype unboxing video: https://youtu.be/96fOb9A8H4Y
- Luzon Rails review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/06/05/luzon-rails-saturday-review/
- Jessi Cabasan: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/10/28/jessi-cabasan-let-me-illustrate/
- The King is Dead review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/03/13/the-king-is-dead-2nd-edition-digital-eyes/
- Sleeping Gods review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/03/27/sleeping-gods-saturday-review/
- Oath review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/11/27/oath-chronicles-of-empire-and-exile-saturday-review/
- Oath Takebacks review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/06/19/oath-chronicles-of-empire-and-exile-takebacks/
- Oath Digital Eyes review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/01/02/oath-chronicles-of-empire-and-exile-digital-eyes/
- 5 Heavy Christmas Board Games review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/12/18/5-heavy-christmas-board-games-saturday-review/
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In my third article about teaching games, I want to talk about light games. The advantage of these games is, that they are easy to teach and quick to learn - and often also quick to play. So, this article should be rather short, but as we know, the easier something is, the better you have to execute it and given that lighter games are usually the sort of games new people to the hobby will come in contact with first, we need to do a good job teaching these types of games or we may miss a chance to grow our hobby. So, no pressure.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/12/21/teaching-games-light-games-topic-discussion/
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Most of us will have a lot of spare time over the holidays and if we have board game enthusiasts among the family, this is the perfect time to set up and play some heavy games. We might also have more time to meet up with our games group and again, now is the time to get those heavy games to the table that we might not feel like playing of an evening after a busy day at work. So, here are 5 heavy board games I think you should play over the holidays.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/12/18/5-heavy-christmas-board-games-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Oath: https://ledergames.com/products/oath-chronicles-of-empire-exile
- Oath Digital Eyes review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/01/02/oath-chronicles-of-empire-and-exile-digital-eyes/
- Oath Takebacks review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/06/19/oath-chronicles-of-empire-and-exile-takebacks/
- Leder Games: https://ledergames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/291572/oath-chronicles-empire-and-exile
- Tharos: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tribune/tharos
- Tharos review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/10/16/tharos-saturday-review/
- Spielworxx: https://www.spielworxx.de/
- Tharos on Tabletopia: https://tabletopia.com/games/tharos
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/292901/tharos
- Harald Lieske: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/12/23/harald-lieske-let-me-illustrate/
- Dominant Species: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-943-dominant-species-marine-2nd-printing.aspx
- GMT Games: https://www.gmtgames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/262941/dominant-species-marine
- Brass: Birmingham: https://roxley.com/products/brass-birmingham-deluxe-edition
- Brass: Birmingham review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/10/03/brass-birmingham-saturday-review/
- Roxley Games: https://roxley.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/224517/brass-birmingham
- Magnate: The First City: https://magnategame.com/
- Magnate: The First City review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/06/29/magnate-the-first-city/
- Naylor Games: https://naylorgames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/258242/magnate-first-city
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Continuing in my series of articles about how to teach games to others, I want to talk about maybe the best approach - and that is getting your games group to learn a game together. After all, for many of us, playing board games is a social activity and at the very least, it's a hobby we share. So it makes sense to also share the burden of teaching, or rather learning, how to play a new game.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/12/14/teaching-games-learning-together-topic-discussion/
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Continuing with my list of 5 board games for Christmas, this week I talk about medium weight games. These games are for those days over the holidays, when the weather is horrible outside and you want to be inside, all cozy and warm, maybe with a mug of hot chocolate and spend around an hour playing a board game with either your immediate family and/or with friends. The games on this list will take a little longer to teach and learn and playing time will be around the 1 hour mark, maybe a little longer. However, they're not too difficult or complex to make your brain hurt. They're at just the right level to keep you occupied before you all settle down in front of the TV to watch a film together.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/12/11/5-medium-weight-christmas-board-games-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Splendor: https://www.spacecowboys.fr/splendor-english
- Splendor review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/07/25/splendor-saturday-review/
- Splendor unboxing video: https://youtu.be/eqatqPK62-E
- Space Cowboys: https://www.spacecowboys.fr/our-board-games
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/148228/splendor
- Wingspan: https://stonemaiergames.com/games/wingspan/
- Wingspan review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/03/16/wingspan/
- Wingspan unboxing video: https://youtu.be/OBG3s-BsYDI
- Wingspan brief impressions video: https://youtu.be/Fn-MBwoVhYM
- Watch It Played rules video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgDgcLI2B0U
- Jon Gets Games rules and play through video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDJ5WwpV3Sg
- Stonemaier Games: https://stonemaiergames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/266192/wingspan
- ttps://www.geniusgames.org/products/genotype-a-mendelian-genetics-game
- Genotype: https://www.geniusgames.org/products/genotype-a-mendelian-genetics-game
- Genotype review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/06/26/genotype-a-mendelian-genetics-game-saturday-review/
- Genotype unboxing video: https://youtu.be/96fOb9A8H4Y
- Heavy Cardboard 3-player playthrough: https://youtu.be/XBk6vAemFyQ
- Genius Games: https://genius-games.eu/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/252752/genotype-mendelian-genetics-game
- Small Railroad Empires: https://www.archonagames.com/small-railroad-empires/
- Small Railroad Empires playthrough with the designer: https://youtu.be/DqZvaQZMk9g
- Archona Games: https://www.archonagames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/299178/small-railroad-empires
- Sleeping Gods: https://redravengames.squarespace.com/sleeping-gods
- Sleeping Gods review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/03/27/sleeping-gods-saturday-review/
- Sleeping Gods Watch It Played rules video: https://youtu.be/qCjfbyscG8s
- Red Raven Games: https://redravengames.squarespace.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/255984/sleeping-gods
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Teaching someone the rules to a board game is never easy. I wouldn't say I'm an expert when it comes to teaching, but over time I've learned a few things that have helped me to become a better teacher. I found that different types of games require different types of teaching. So I thought I'd share with you what I've learned so far and maybe you pick up some ideas that help you with teaching new games to people.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/12/07/teaching-games-vp-games-topic-discussion/
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Yes, Christmas is just around the corner, so it's time for me to put together lists of games you might want to get out over the holidays and play. I thought I'd start with a list of five games that you can play with all the family. These games are easy to teach and learn and quite quick to play. Most of them can be played up to four players, so if you have a large family gathering, you might need to split into smaller groups. I hope you find this list useful.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/12/04/5-family-christmas-board-games-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- The Split: https://www.wayfinder-games.com/store/p/the-split
- Wayfinder Games: https://www.wayfinder-games.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/344682/split
- Mint Tin Mini Skulduggery: https://subquark.com/rules-mtmskulduggery.html
- Mint Tin Mini Skulduggery review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/03/09/mint-tin-mini-skulduggery/
- subQuark: https://subquark.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/265226/mint-tin-mini-skulduggery
- Karuba: https://www.habausa.com/karuba-tile-laying-puzzle-game/
- Karuba review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/08/14/karuba-digital-eyes/
- HABA: https://www.habausa.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/183251/karuba
- Colt Express: http://www.ludonaute.fr/portfolio/colt-express/?lang=en
- Colt Express review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/10/30/colt-express-digital-eyes/
- Ludonaute: https://www.ludonaute.fr/?lang=en
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/158899/colt-express
- Kombo Klash: https://www.wearehubgames.com/our-games/komboklash
- Kombo Klash review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/03/06/kombo-klash-saturday-review/
- Hub Games: https://www.wearehubgames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/317312/kombo-klash
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There are so-called "race" games, where the first player to fulfil certain winning conditions takes the victory and the game ends immediately. These games differ from other games where you play so many rounds and whoever has the most points at the end wins. Most race games are highly competitive and it's every player for themselves, but in some of these types of games, the situation is a bit more complicated. In this article, I want to look at race games where positive player interaction is a thing.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/11/30/for-the-win-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Oath review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/11/27/oath-chronicles-of-empire-and-exile-saturday-review/
- Rising Sun review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/10/26/rising-sun-saturday-review/
- Splendor review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/07/25/splendor-saturday-review/
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As the Chancellor, I had the people on my side. The Empire was going to thrive and grow and be beautiful. Yet, there were rumours of Exiles stirring in the Provinces and Hinterland, trying their best to claw back control. They were two visionaries, one stomping through the regions, using brute force to exert their influence and letting the wolves lose on anyone who would get in their way, while the other was biding their time in the Salt Flats, enlisting the help of witches and unnatural powers, trying to glean secrets and waiting for the right moment to strike. Both were intent on taking over the Empire, because they both had sworn an Oath by Cole Wehrle from Leder Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/11/27/oath-chronicles-of-empire-and-exile-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Oath: https://ledergames.com/products/oath-chronicles-of-empire-exile
- Oath review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/01/02/oath-chronicles-of-empire-and-exile-digital-eyes/
- Oath Takebacks review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/06/19/oath-chronicles-of-empire-and-exile-takebacks/
- Leder Games: https://ledergames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/291572/oath-chronicles-empire-and-exile
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I think something that many of us in the hobby feel very bad about, are the many board games that are set against historic events, but that make no attempt to respectfully represent what happened and often sweep under the carpet the atrocities that were committed during the time that the games are set. So it's very refreshing to see people come together to create an award that tries to redress the situation and encourages the creation of historical games designed by people from marginalized groups. The hope is that these games will be much more representative, respectful and diverse. That's the Zenobia Award.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/11/23/zenobia-award-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Zenobia Award: https://zenobiaaward.org/
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Takahama was dying. We were tending to him and tried to make him as comfortable as possible. The windows were wide open and a warm breeze filled the room. Takahama was muttering about how he was too ill to visit his love Akiko's grave and how she would miss the white rose he brought her every day. We told him that he would visit again as soon as he was better, when suddenly, a pure white butterfly flew in through one of the windows and landed on his pillow. We tried to shoo it away, but to no avail. The butterfly would keep coming back, so we relented and allowed it to stay. Takahama looked at the butterfly, smiled and then his final breath left his lungs, as he died in peace. The butterfly saw this, lifted off the pillow and flew out of one of the windows. We didn't know this at the time, but it flew all the way to Akiko's grave and when it landed, it disappeared. The butterfly was one of the Fluttering Souls by Joel Lewis from Good Games Publishing.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/11/20/fluttering-souls-saturday-review/
Useful Links
- Fluttering Souls: http://www.goodgamespublishing.com/games/fluttering-souls.html
- Good Games Publishing: http://www.goodgamespublishing.com/
- BBG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/258154/fluttering-souls
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Someone once said that board games are basically just a framework to arbitrate a victor. Even though that sounds quite cold, at its heart, it describes how many of us, especially competitive players, feel about board games. There needs to be someone at the end of the game who has won. The emphasis here is on the singular victor rather than winning as a team. In this article, I want to look at what it means not to have a single victor.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/11/16/all-tied-up-topic-discussion/
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There was darkness everywhere. The surface of the Earth was empty and cold. There was no noise, nothing stirred or moved. It was an arid place, void of everything - a blank canvas - but you would change all that. You would command the energies of the Earth and mould lifeless piles of mud into creatures that would populate the world. It was the time of the Golems by ThunderGryph Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/11/13/golems-saturday-review/
Links
- Golems: https://thundergryph.com/golems/
- ThunderGryph Games: https://thundergryph.com/
- Matchbox Collection reviews: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/category/matchbox-collection/
- BBG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/303734/golems
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Learning a new game, playing it for the first time, probably with a few rules mistakes, then playing it again, now with a better understanding of how the game works, then playing it once more, after having formulated a rough strategy and feeling you know what the game wants from you is a lot of fun. We've all experienced this, I'm sure, but there is another level to playing games that only becomes apparent after several plays. It is what is often called the "meta" of a game.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/11/09/the-metaverse-topic-discussion/
Links
- Scythe review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/01/19/scythe/
- Stonemaier Games: https://stonemaiergames.com/
- Dune review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/02/08/dune-saturday-review/
- Gale Force Nine: https://www.gf9.com/
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"Bubble, bubble, my lovely potions," you cackle gleefully as you carefully stir more solvents into the vial that's slowly being heated over the Bunsen burner. The library you're working in is full of old, musty smelling books full of alchemic knowledge, carefully annotated and added to by the many generations of scientists who have come before you. You can't stop now. You're so close. The light is fading but your candles still provide enough light. Then you hear the familiar voice of your housekeeper: "It's time to stop now, Rebis" by Gaetano Cavallaro from Thundergryph Games.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/11/06/rebis-saturday-review/
Links
- Rebis: https://thundergryph.com/rebis/
- Thundergryph Games: https://thundergryph.com/
- Matchbox Collection reviews: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/category/matchbox-collection/
- BBG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/301085/rebis
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With a climate catastrophe looming on the horizon, more and more people do what they can to try and turn things around or at least do their bit to slowly steer things in the right direction. The board game hobby is no different. More and more games now not only try and raise awareness of environmental issues, but the games themselves strive to be more environmentally friendly or even carbon-neutral. In this article, I want to highlight a handful of projects that do what they can to help the planet.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/11/02/carbon-neutral-games-topic-discussion/
Links
- Earth Rising: 20 Years to Transform Our World: https://sdrgames.studio/earth-rising/
- Stop, Drop & Roll: https://sdrgames.studio/
- Hero Time Manufacturing: https://herotime1.com/
- Tree Sisters: https://treesisters.org/
- YouTube video about carbon offsetting: https://youtu.be/wQPlwd_kkIg
- UK Government carbon calculator: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/carbon-calculator
- Carbon Care emissions calculator: https://www.carboncare.org/en/co2-emissions-calculator.html
- Forests of Pangaia: https://www.pangaia.games/
- Tree-Nation: https://tree-nation.com/
- Treecelet: https://treecelet.com/
- Pilfering Pandas: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/05/08/pilfering-pandas-saturday-review/
- Wren Games: https://wrengames.co.uk/main/
- Kickstarter update about adopting a panda: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/wrengames/pilfering-pandas/posts/3338932
- The Spill: https://www.smirkandlaughter.com/the-spill
- Smirk & Laughter: https://www.smirkandlaughter.com/
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"Hands up! Give me all your money!" you shout at the passengers on this express steam train to Colt City as you wave your revolver from side to side. You're in for a big haul and already imagine how you're going to spend all this money and how you're going to pawn the jewellery and become rich - but you hadn't expected the marshall being on board, as well as other bandits going from coach to coach trying their luck at getting rich quick at the same time as you. Your carefully planned heist seemed to quickly go off its rails and you begin to consider jumping off this fast-moving Colt Express by Christophe Raimbault from Ludonaute.
Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/10/30/colt-express-digital-eyes/
Links
- Colt Express: http://www.ludonaute.fr/portfolio/colt-express/?lang=en
- Ludonaute: https://www.ludonaute.fr/?lang=en
- BBG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/158899/colt-express
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We're used to seeing epic movie-style trailers for video games. They feel like million-pound productions that were directed by a famous Hollywood director with a cast of blockbuster actors. Of course, these are all animated sequences, often showing in-game footage, which makes sense, because modern 3D video games look very realistic and are often set in an epic conflict of some sort. Board games are a bit different though, but because CGI and 3D animation have become so highly accessible these days, many crowdfunding campaigns and some board game marketing campaigns feature these amazing looking videos.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/10/26/board-game-trailers-topic-discussion/
Links
- Magic: The Gathering trailer: https://youtu.be/b5W9t62t10I
- Shasn: Azadi trailer: https://youtu.be/P6a-g-Bav5w
- Shasn trailer: https://youtu.be/P6a-g-Bav5w
- Thunder Road: Vendetta trailer: https://twitter.com/RestorationGame/status/1447619661709860868
- Unsettled Kickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/orangenebula/unsettled-board-game/description
- Circadians: Chaos Order Kickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/shem/circadians-chaos-order-first-light-2nd-edition
- Solar Sphere Kickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/drandagames/solar-sphere-harness-the-power-of-the-stars/description
- Lunar Base Kickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/hugphones/lunar-base-a-moon-colonization-base-building-card-game/description
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The Moon was big enough for all of us, but of course, we were still competing like any other business would. We had to invest a fair amount, 3 credits, to build new modules and expand our base. We needed to make sure everything was connected up correctly and functioning as expected. If we succeeded and outdid our competitors, we would be the first to either get 10 colonists safely homed, make 5 different scientific discoveries or gain a profit of at least 20 credits from our Lunar Base by Joosep Simm, Kaido Koort, Martin Paroll and Silver Türk from Plepic Games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/10/23/lunar-base-saturday-review/
Links
- Lunar Base: https://lunarbasegame.com/
- Splendor review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/07/25/splendor-saturday-review/
- BBG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/313841/lunar-base
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Maybe you're reading this now, because you saw the title of the article and wondered what it meant. Maybe you clicked on the link, because you disagree with my statement about the effectiveness of clickbait and have come here to put me right. Maybe you've come here because you do agree with me and want to back me up. Whatever the reasons, in this article, I want to talk about the effectiveness of using clickbait titles to get views.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/10/19/clickbait-doesnt-work-topic-discussion/
Links
- BBC: https://www.bbc.co.uk/
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We had been on this planet for decades now, exploring its riches, mining for crystals and ore, building factories, markets and other public buildings, growing our pool of experts and increasing our commerce. Now it was time for the steam guilds to move to another section of the amazing planet Tharos by Spielworxx.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/10/16/tharos-saturday-review/
Links
- Tharos: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tribune/tharos
- Spielworxx: https://www.spielworxx.de/
- Tharos on Tabletopia: https://tabletopia.com/games/tharos
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/292901/tharos
- Harald Lieske: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/12/23/harald-lieske-let-me-illustrate/
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Once you've been delving into the board game hobby for a while, you discover there is more to it than just the games themselves. There is a whole swathe of board game accessories that lures you deeper into the rabbit warren of our wonderful and amazing hobby. In this article, I want to look at some options and give you an idea of what you can add to your collection to make your gameplay experience even more exhilarating.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/10/12/bits-and-pieces-topic-discussion/
Links
- Board Game Extras: https://www.bgextras.co.uk/
- MeepleSource: https://www.meeplesource.com/index.php
- Brass: Birmingham review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/10/03/brass-birmingham-saturday-review/
- Iron Clays: https://roxley.com/collections/accessories/products/iron-clays-100
- Clans of Caledonia review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/03/02/clans-of-caledonia/
- Genotype: A Mendelian Genetics Games review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/06/26/genotype-a-mendelian-genetics-game-saturday-review/
- Luzon Rails review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/06/05/luzon-rails-saturday-review/
- Oath: Chronicles of Empire and Exile review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/06/19/oath-chronicles-of-empire-and-exile-takebacks/
- Wingspan review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/03/16/wingspan/
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Humans were close to becoming extinct. No, this wasn't some sort of natural disaster. It was what many films had predicted. An artificial intelligence had seized power and started to manufacture parts that it added to itself. The longer we waited, the bigger this monstrosity grew and the more powerful it became. If we did nothing, it would eventually become our Doom Machine by Nathan Meunier.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/10/09/doom-machine-takebacks/
Links
- Doom Machine: https://nathanmeunier.com/my-tabletop-games/doom/
- Review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/11/28/doom-machine-digital-eyes/
- Playthrough: https://youtu.be/mLj99rmV3Ng
- Kickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/nmeunier/doom-machine-a-pocket-sized-card-dice-solo-game
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/323898/doom-machine
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I think it's always worth reminding yourself of what you have in your life. It gives you an opportunity to appreciate the people, connections, things and everything else around you. It's so easy to go through the day and take everything for granted. So, maybe this article is a bit of a fluff piece, but I still want to share with you what it is that I appreciate in my life and maybe it reminds you of what you have in yours - and if you're happy to, please share those things in the comments below.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/10/05/appreciate-it-topic-discussion/
Links
- Spielworxx: https://www.spielworxx.de/
- Good Owl Games: https://boardgameinquisition.com/
- Tabletop Inquisition: https://tabletopinquisition.com/
- YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/TabletopGamesBlog
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Our spaceship had safely landed on Mars and it didn't take too long to convert it into our base station. A few other corporations had done the same and we could just about see them in the distance. There was even an embassy station that was there to try and keep the peace. However, we were quite some way off thinking about politics. All of our energy was spent mining resources so we could build tunnels and other buildings to grow our settlement and increase our population. It would take a long time, but eventually, we would finish project Migration: Mars by Enhance Games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/10/02/migration-mars-saturday-review/
Links
- Migration: Mars: https://migrationmars.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/299191/migration-mars
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For many of us, me included, playing board games is about escaping from the day-to-day worries, thoughts and general dross and give us an hour or two, maybe more, to think about something else, to occupy ourselves and to have fun with friends, old and new, family or alone. We don't want to think about the horrors going on in the world. We don't want to worry about politics. That's fine and that's what board games can help us achieve. However, the hobby itself isn't apolitical and we do need to consider what games we play and why we play them.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/09/28/boardgame-politics-topic-discussion/
Links
- Brainwaves podcast: https://giantbrain.co.uk/podcast/
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Being halfway up the mountain, in bad weather, the time when we were still acclimatizing at base camp felt like an eternity ago. I knew that "Squiggle" was ahead of me and had erected their tent, but I had to save mine for nearer the top, where we needed the shelter more urgently. I could only imagine the relative comfort my fellow climber was in, while I was hunkered down behind a small collection of rocks to take the brunt of the storm. I kept thinking how dangerous it was, but I also kept reminding myself of the ultimate goal: reaching the summit of K2.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/09/25/k2-digital-eyes/
Links
- K2: https://www.rebelstudio.eu/games/k2-382.html
- Rebel Studio: https://www.rebelstudio.eu/games
- K2 live playthrough: https://youtu.be/juPIe3vGoWk
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/73761/k2
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Over the years, I've played many games where you produce and have to manage resources of one kind or another. These can range from traditional things such as coal and ore or wheat and sheep to money, gems, energy or similar. Different games represent resources differently, so in this article, I want to look at what you might come across when you play a resource management game.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/09/21/resourceful-components-topic-discussion/
Links
- Settlers of Catan: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/13/catan
- Migration: Mars: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/299191/migration-mars
- Tapestry review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/11/09/tapestry-saturday-review/
- Splendor review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/07/25/splendor-saturday-review/
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The bazaar was busy. Traders were displaying their colourful wares on their rickety stalls, shouting into the crowd how they offered the best prices and the best quality. It was mesmerizing to watch, but I had to focus and make sure I found the goods I needed to exchange for rubies. If I could get five rubies before everyone else, then I would be the best trader in Istanbul: The Dice Game by Alderac Entertainment Group.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/09/18/istanbul-the-dice-game-saturday-review/
Links
- Istanbul: The Dice Game: https://www.alderac.com/istanbul-old/dice/
- Alderac Entertainment Group: https://www.alderac.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/235488/istanbul-dice-game
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Card drafting, and other forms of drafting, can be found in a large number of games and takes many different forms. In this article, I want to describe drafting in more detail and look at the benefits and disadvantages this board game mechanism offers.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/09/14/breezy-drafts-topic-discussion/
Links
- Near and Far: Amber Mines review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/09/21/near-and-far-amber-mines-saturday-review/
- Terraforming Mars review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/07/31/terraforming-mars-digital-eyes/
- Splendor review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/07/25/splendor-saturday-review/
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Being a city planner isn't easy. You need to balance out the needs of your citizens for green spaces, living accommodation as well as offices and industry. You also have to ensure the infrastructure allows everyone to get around easily, without taking over. With that in mind, we went ahead to collaborate on the design of Sprawlopolis by Button Shy.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/09/11/sprawlopolis-saturday-review/
Links
- Sprawlopolis: https://buttonshygames.com/products/sprawlopolis
- Button Shy: https://buttonshygames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/251658/sprawlopolis
- Hanging Gardens review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/05/25/the-hanging-gardens/
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Player interaction isn't for everyone. Some enjoy the confrontation in competitive games, the moments when they move their troops into another player's territory and battle commences, the epic card combos that deplete the other player's health or similar actions that directly attack another player. Yet, there are more forms of player interaction, and in this article, I want to look at what these are and how they work.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/09/07/attack-topic-discussion/
Links
- Scythe review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/01/19/scythe/
- March on the Drina review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/08/21/march-on-the-drina-saturday-review/
- Fort review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/04/03/fort-saturday-review/
- Tapestry review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/11/09/tapestry-saturday-review/
- Pandemic review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/01/18/pandemic-saturday-review/
- Brass: Birmingham review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/10/03/brass-birmingham-saturday-review/
- Luzon Rails review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/06/05/luzon-rails-saturday-review/
- Rising Sun review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/10/26/rising-sun-saturday-review/
- The King is Dead review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/03/13/the-king-is-dead-2nd-edition-digital-eyes/
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Waves upon waves of attackers were lining up in front of me and behind me, two rows of three fighters each. I wasn't daunted by having to face 12 highly trained warriors at a time, because as a samurai I was more than able to defend myself. I wasn't even worried that every line of attackers would be replaced by another, creating a constant stream of enemies. The only thing that was on my mind was facing the bosses that would eventually appear at the end of each line - four in total. There was nothing for it. I had to give my all and fight for my honour, my Eiyo by ThunderGryph Games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/09/04/eiyo-saturday-review/
Links
- Eiyo: https://thundergryph.com/eiyo/
- Matchbox Collection game reviews: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/category/matchbox-collection/
- ThunderGryph Games: https://thundergryph.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/299946/eiyo
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If you've been following me for a while, you'll know how much I like small box games. From wallet games to mini mint games to mint tin games to Oink-sized games to a deck of cards to any game that you can repackage into a smaller box and take with you anywhere. The other thing I like are games that are very quick to teach and learn and very quick to play, but still provide a lot of fun and excitement and many small box games provide exactly that. So in this article, I want to discuss why small and quick games are sometimes the better choice than big, heavy and long games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/08/31/small-and-beautiful-topic-discussion/
Links
- Mint Tin Mini Skullduggery review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/03/09/mint-tin-mini-skulduggery/
- subQuark: https://subquark.com/
- Button Shy: https://buttonshygames.com/
- Oink Games: https://oinkgames.com/en/
- Nathan Meunier: https://nathanmeunier.com/
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We were going to fight it out head to head or rather golem to golem. Using our magic control grids, we would steer them around the arena and inflict damage on each other until one was mortally wounded. It was going to be a quick fight, but the battle would take longer. We would fight over many rounds to decide the victor in this Earthenwar by Lazy Poet Games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/08/28/earthenwar-saturday-review/
Links
- Earthenwar: http://www.earthenwar.com/
- Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lazypoets/earthenwar/
- How to play video: https://youtu.be/_bKIblMAiZA
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/343396/earthenwar
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Many of us have taken to playing online when the pandemic started to take hold and moved regular games nights into the digital world. I have written about different online board game platforms and their pros and cons in previous articles and you can find out which games I personally play online, but this time I want to focus on so-called play-and-pass games, where you don't play a game with others at the same time, but everyone takes their turn when they have time and log off again. It's a bit like old-school postal games, but with a digital twist.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/08/24/play-and-pass-topic-discussion/
Links
- Play with me online: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/online-games/
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March on the Drina by Princep Games is a war game set during World War I, or more specifically the Serbian campaign, where one player controls the Serbian forces, which are technically supported by Montenegro, but that country has no forces or financial power of its own, while 1 to 3 other players control the opposing side of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/08/21/march-on-the-drina-saturday-review/
Links
- March on the Drina: https://princepsgames.com/march-on-the-drina/
- Princeps Games: https://princepsgames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/298728/march-drina
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As someone who has a slightly addictive character, collecting pretty much anything comes quite easy to me. "You never know when you might need it again," is what I tend to say. The same is true for board games, of course. "We might play this again at some point," is how I justify not letting a board game go that I haven't played in months. So, in this article, I want to talk about how I overcome my own excuses to keep my board game collection to a manageable size.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/08/17/paring-down-topic-discussion/
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In the jungle, the mighty jungle, there is no lion, but a bunch of four, intrepid explorers trying to make their way through. The paths they cut into the vegetation will cross each other and wind their way almost aimlessly from the edge of the forest to finally emerge at four different temples and each explorer is trying to get to their specific temple. It's not clear why each explorer has their heart set on only one, specific destination, but that's how it goes in Karuba by HABA.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/08/14/karuba-digital-eyes/
Links
- Karuba: https://www.habausa.com/karuba-tile-laying-puzzle-game/
- HABA: https://www.habausa.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/183251/karuba
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Good customer service is always welcome and nobody likes bad service. In fact, we're more likely to complain about bad service than we are to praise good service. In this article, I'm trying to redress the balance a little and talk about the good customer service I have come across in the board game hobby and give some extra praise to those companies who have gone above and beyond.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/08/10/above-and-beyond-topic-discussion/
Links
- Red Raven Games: https://www.redravengames.com/
- Spielworxx: https://www.spielworxx.de/
- subQuark: https://subquark.com/
- Atikin Games: https://atikingames.com/
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The seasons had been disrupted, a clear indication that climate change was taking its toll. Animal migrations were affected and everything was out of sync. We had to do everything we could to restore order in the world and make everything right again. However, we only had 15 Days by ThunderGryph Games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/08/07/15-days-matchbox-collection-saturday-review/
Links
- 15 Days: https://thundergryph.com/matchbox/#15days
- ThunderGryph Games: https://thundergryph.com/
- Other games from the Matchbox Collection: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/category/matchbox-collection/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/298619/15-days
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White, straight, cis men are everywhere - not just in board games. I'm one of them. My voice doesn't add anything new. My experiences may be unique to me, but they're probably not much different to those of every other white cis man. I may not be rich or live in luxury and I feel that I have put in the work to get to where I am in my life, but I have grown up with privilege - and that privilege has given me a headstart and opened up opportunities to me that others won't have had. However, this article isn't about me. It's about why we need more representation, more diversity and more voices from a wide range of backgrounds and it focuses on the board game community specifically.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/08/03/representation-matters-topic-discussion/
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We were on Mars. Our colonization team had arrived. The mission of our corporation was to make this planet inhabitable and do so in the most economical and efficient way possible. There were many challenges ahead, but we had a great mix of engineers, researchers, technicians, managers and construction workers and everyone was fully committed to our goal. We were fully aware that this project would take us a number of generations and we were ready to begin Terraforming Mars by Stronghold Games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/07/31/terraforming-mars-digital-eyes/
Links
- Terraforming Mars: https://strongholdgames.com/our-games/terraforming-mars/
- Stronghold Games: https://strongholdgames.com/
- Scythe review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/01/19/scythe/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/167791/terraforming-mars
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If you have followed me for a while, you probably know that I like to have metal coins in games, instead of cardboard chits or paper money. Recently, I purchased the wonderful Iron Clays poker chips when I bought the deluxe edition of Brass: Birmingham and I must admit, I really like those as well. In this article, I want to talk about how board game components can change the enjoyment of a game - for better, or worse.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/07/27/feeling-it-topic-discussion/
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We had reached the planet Earth. There were many of us who had been watching the people of Earth for a long time, sometimes interacting with humans, sometimes influencing events on the planet. We had come from different worlds, many light-years away, because we felt mankind was an interesting species and we wanted to help them become a great people. We just had to be careful, as we had been spotted, and it was time for another UFO Wave by Paradigm Games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/07/24/ufo-wave-saturday-review/
Links
- UFO Wave: https://www.ufowavegame.com/
- Unboxing video: https://youtu.be/72mB3jHMQXk
- Kickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/davehodrien/ufo-wave-the-tactical-card-game-of-alien-supremacy
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Playing a game for the first time is often quite an undertaking, unless the game is quite light. There is a lot to learn and take in and the first few turns can feel a bit awkward, because you don't really know what you're doing. You have a vague idea of what you're trying to achieve, but how you get there is usually unclear. In this article, I want to look at the expectations people often have of a first play.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/07/20/go-with-it-topic-discussion/
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It was unheard of, but here they were: cats and dogs working as a team. They were busily scouring the village green for toys to take home or return to the Lost & Found. It was really hard to believe and when you looked closer, things weren't quite as peaceful as they seemed - and they were even stranger than you could imagine. The cats and dogs weren't all working together as one big pack or clowder. No. One cat and one dog were working together as a pair against all the other cat and dog teams. They had formed an Animal Alliance by Atikin Games
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/07/17/animal-alliance-saturday-review/
Links
- Kickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/atikingames/playful-pets-3-games-in-1
- Canine Capers review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/07/03/canine-capers-saturday-review/
- Feline Felonies review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/07/10/feline-felonies-saturday-review/
- Atikin Games: https://atikingames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/341756/animal-alliance
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When you really enjoy something, when you have something that you get a lot out of, that makes you happy or otherwise has a positive impact on you, you probably want to share that joy with others. For me, board games are one of those things that I really love and want to share with others. It's something that has been shared with me, that one of my friends introduced me to and it's wonderful when I can spread this love even wider. In this article, I want to talk about how I have been able to introduce others to the wonderful hobby of board games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/07/13/spreading-the-love-topic-discussion/
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Look! There's another shiny toy! I'm going to grab it and take it home. It's mine! Oh, I could show it off to the other cats in the neighbourhood. Then they can see my amazing new toy. It's extra special after all. Look over there though! Another toy. I need to get that one too. All right, it's not strictly mine, but it will be. Well, at this rate, there will be plenty of Feline Felonies by Atikin Games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/07/10/feline-felonies-saturday-review/
Links
- Kickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/atikingames/playful-pets-3-games-in-1
- Canine Capers review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/07/03/canine-capers-saturday-review/
- Animal Alliance review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/07/17/animal-alliance-saturday-review/
- Atikin Games: https://atikingames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/341757/feline-felonies
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Melissa Douglas, also known as Kittykatmaniac, or Kitty for short, is a 2D artist known for neon art and their love of villains. They have been an artist for almost 30 years and will continue to be for many more years to come. Currently, Melissa is a full-time toy designer and not working or doing freelance. Melissa has got a dorky cat named Venom, after one of their favourite comic book characters.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/07/07/melissa-douglas-let-me-illustrate/
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Our weekly games night has been running for many, many years now and even though the day of the week has changed over the years and we've had one person leave while another one joined, in its core, it's become something of an institution. It's something I always look forward to, because it's time I can spend with friends, talking about what they have been up to and immersing myself in the game, or games, we play that evening. It's a way for me to get away from the day-to-day and allow my mind to focus on something else for a while.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/07/06/games-nights-topic-discussion/
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There was something iffy going on in our little country village. My nose was twitchy and I was soon on the trail of some interesting clues. It was clear it was going to take some time and some clever snooping, but I was on a roll and knew I would be able to solve the Canine Capers by Atikin Games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/07/03/canine-capers-saturday-review/
Links
- Kickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/atikingames/playful-pets-3-games-in-1
- Feline Felonies review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/07/10/feline-felonies-saturday-review/
- Animal Alliance review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/07/17/animal-alliance-saturday-review/
- Atikin Games: https://atikingames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/341755/canine-capers
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We probably all have a favourite children's story that we loved as a child or maybe a favourite book that we've read many times or a favourite film or TV show that we love watching and that takes us away from our day-to-day. In this article, I want to look at how games tell stories and how they draw us into their world.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/06/29/storytelling-topic-discussion/
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Progress was slow, but it was very satisfying seeing the little pea seedlings grow and then, eventually, flower before finally producing pods that slowly swelled up to bursting with new peas inside. We carefully crossed different plants in the hope that they would create new varieties and over time we were able to predict the height of the plant, its flower colour, the pod colour as well as whether the peas were smooth or wrinkly based on their parentage. We were finally ready to work out each plant's Genotype by Genius Games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/06/26/genotype-a-mendelian-genetics-game-saturday-review/
Links
- Genotype: https://www.geniusgames.org/products/genotype-a-mendelian-genetics-game
- Unboxing video: https://youtu.be/96fOb9A8H4Y
- Heavy Cardboard 3-player playthrough: https://youtu.be/XBk6vAemFyQ
- Genius Games: https://genius-games.eu/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/252752/genotype-mendelian-genetics-game
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When you're starting out as a freelancer, things can be tough. You haven't got any clients yet, you probably also have no prior work to show to prospective customers, at least no professional prior work and you're probably still working out a few things to make sure you can work effectively and efficiently. After all: time is money. At least that's how it should be. In reality though, as a new freelancer, you will probably charge less than other, more established people in your field. You might even consider doing some work for free, so you can prove yourself to a new customer and also build a portfolio of work that is your track record for future jobs. That's all fine, if that's what you want to do. The problem comes when an industry expects you to work for free or for only very little financial reward or maybe for compensation in kind.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/06/22/dying-of-exposure-topic-discussion/
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Having played Oath by Leder Games a few more times since my review, I felt it was time to share with you what I have learned since and to see if my view of the game has changed in any way, which is why this article is under the Takebacks heading. There is a lot of ground to cover and for me to put the cards on the table so let's begin.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/06/19/oath-chronicles-of-empire-and-exile-takebacks/
Links
- Oath: https://ledergames.com/products/oath-chronicles-of-empire-exile
- Oath review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/01/02/oath-chronicles-of-empire-and-exile-digital-eyes/
- Leder Games: https://ledergames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/291572/oath-chronicles-empire-and-exile
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When you play board games, you usually don't think about the wide variety of emotions that they can create. Playing, board games or otherwise, is mostly associated with fun. Yet, board games aren't always fun, as we all know. They're sometimes frustrating or disappointing. They can be calming. They can create anticipation and excitement. There can be tension, love, hate, surprise and much more. In this article, I want to look at some of the emotions that board games evoke for me.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/06/15/emotional-high-topic-discussion/
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A massive magnetic storm had hit our moon base. All of our supplies had been hit and were now scattered in a 20-mile radius around the base. The base itself was intact and secure, but we only had a handful of supplies left, including oxygen. We had to work together to recover as much as we could to have any chance of leaving the Moon and returning to Earth. It was going to be tough, but we were all ready for our Moon Adventure by Oink Games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/06/12/moon-adventure-saturday-review/
Links
- Moon Adventure: https://oinkgames.com/en/games/analog/moon-adventure/
- Oink Games: https://oinkgames.com/en
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/330403/moon-adventure
- Deep Sea Adventure review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/04/11/deep-sea-adventure-saturday-review/
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According to the online Cambridge Dictionary, a preview is "an opportunity to see something such as a film or a collection of works of art before it is shown to the public, or a description of something such as a television programme before it is shown to the public." It's generally something you can attend, either virtually, in the case of watching a preview of a film online, or in person, by going to an early screening of a film in the cinema. Some previews are free, some you have to pay for and sometimes previews are only offered to a limited number of people. I want to look at the term "preview" in the context of board games and also investigate what a "paid preview" means in our hobby.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/06/08/paid-preview-topic-discussion/
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It was going to be a tough project. The local geography wasn't on our side: mountains, pine forests, rainforests and a number of rivers. However, there were also many plains that would make it easier for us to lay tracks. Whichever way you looked at it, it was going to be a huge undertaking, but the economical benefits were even bigger and many investors were ready to put their money into the stocks of Luzon Rails by Robin David.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/06/05/luzon-rails-saturday-review/
Links
- Luzon Rails: http://www.robin-david.com/2021/05/luzon-rails.html
- Robin David: http://www.robin-david.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/313090/luzon-rails
- Jessi Cabasan: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/10/28/jessi-cabasan-let-me-illustrate/
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The board game community continues to work towards inclusivity, representation and diversity, which is great to see, but of course, the road is rocky and we're still a long way away from where we should be. It is important we continue to call out bad behaviour and it is great to see more people and companies are prepared to own up to their mistakes and genuinely try to do better. In this article, I want to look at a related question: whether it is better to look for commonalities or differences, not just in respect to calling out bad behaviour, but also more in general.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/06/01/divisions-topic-discussion/
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Someone had hidden the Emperor's dogs. It was an outrage. The Emperor suspected their cabinet ministers who strenuously, but politely, denied the accusations and pointed their fingers at their counterparts. They eagerly offered to help the Emperor find their dogs, but they clearly had something to hide. When the Emperor was convinced that they could hear a dog behind one of the closed doors leading to one of the ministers' private chamber, that minister would quickly lead the Emperor away to another minister's door. The Emperor got dizzy, but eventually, one of the dogs was found in the room of minister Dokojong by Oink Games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/05/29/dokojong-saturday-review/
Links
- Dokojong: https://oinkgames.com/en/games/analog/dokojong/
- Oink Games: https://oinkgames.com/en
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/330401/dokojong
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I really enjoy writing reviews for board games, but maybe not quite as much as I enjoy writing my "Topic Discussion" articles, like this one. For some reason, reviews require a bit more effort from me and often don't quite flow as easily as my thought pieces. In this article, I want to show you what goes into writing a board game review for the blog.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/05/25/superficial-depth-topic-discussion/
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Nectar, when you think about it, is just a sugar-rich liquid, produced by plants, to attract pollinators. Depending on where in the world you are, pollinators could be humble insects, such as the highly adored, busy bees, or they could be magnificent hummingbirds or other birds, or they could even be bats. A free source of sugar is highly prized, as it will give a quick boost of energy, and possibly a little sugar rush too, which make for a valuable reward for all pollinators. So it's no surprise that this source of food as one of the new resources in the Wingspan: Oceania Expansion by Stonemaier Games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/05/22/wingspan-oceania-expansion-saturday-review/
Links
- Wingspan: Oceania Expansion: https://stonemaiergames.com/games/wingspan/wingspan-oceania-expansion/
- Wingspan: https://stonemaiergames.com/games/wingspan/
- Wingspan review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/03/16/wingspan/
- Wingspan Digital playthrough: https://youtu.be/YRY6uztJ1eA
- Wingspan: European Expansion: https://stonemaiergames.com/games/wingspan/wingspan-european-expansion/
- Wingspan: European Expansion review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/01/25/wingspan-european-expansion-saturday-review/
- Wingspan: European Expansion unboxing: https://youtu.be/nUjttWsgiPg
- Stonemaier Games: https://stonemaiergames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/300580/wingspan-oceania-expansion
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Remembering things is not my strong point. Not because I'm getting a bit older now - I'm only in my 40s - but because I'm relying more heavily on technology to remember things for me. Online spreadsheets tell me what game to review next or what article to write. Oh, speaking of which, articles are made in advance and then scheduled in, along with all the related social media messages. So, no, I don't need to remember much. Maybe that's why I don't like memory elements in games, but let me use this article to go into this in a little more depth.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/05/18/out-of-memory-topic-discussion/
Links
- Oath review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/01/02/oath-chronicles-of-empire-and-exile-digital-eyes/
- Dune review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/02/08/dune-saturday-review/
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A murder had been committed and three suspects were found at the crime scene, but only one of them was the murderer. One of the detectives was already at the scene and had spoken to two of the suspects when you arrived. The detective told you who they thought was the killer, but you wanted to be sure. You pulled the other two suspects to one side and interviewed each of them in turn. You quickly knew who had committed the murder and logged down your suspicion. The only thing that wasn't clear, was why the crime scene was In a Grove by Oink Games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/05/15/in-a-grove-saturday-review/
Links
- In a Grove: https://oinkgames.com/en/games/analog/in-a-grove/
- Oink Games: https://oinkgames.com/en
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/102181/grove
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Nobody likes a game with more rules than necessary. The more rules there are, the longer it takes to learn a game, especially if there are also a lot of edge cases or exceptions. Too many rules can lead to confusion and slow down the flow of a game and consequently increase playing time. In this article, I want to look at streamlining games and how it can affect the playing experience.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/05/11/wind-tunnel-topic-discussion/
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Things had gone missing - food, to be precise. Someone was taking bits of food here and there and stashing it away somewhere, hiding it from the eyes of everyone, especially the keepers. It quickly became clear that it wasn't any of the visitors to the zoo, but one of the animals - or a group of animals. The meerkats were acting suspiciously as well and were clearly involved. However, as security camera footage was closely monitored over the coming days, it came as a shock that the zoo had a group of Pilfering Pandas by Wren Games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/05/08/pilfering-pandas-saturday-review/
Links
- Pilfering Pandas: https://wrengames.co.uk/main/games/pilfering-pandas/
- Kickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/wrengames/pilfering-pandas
- Wren Games: https://wrengames.co.uk/main/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/330954/pilfering-pandas
- Assembly review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2018/11/17/assembly/
- Sensor Ghosts review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/05/11/sensor-ghosts/
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I have previously talked about how some games try and tackle a serious topic and treat it with the respect it deserves. Some games also go one step further and try and educate us about the topic as we play the game. My article "Sensitive Settings" tried to look at games that tackle plagues, wars, colonialism, genocide, executions, experimentation, extinctions, terrorism, abuse and death in a sensitive and meaningful way. In this article, I want to look at games that use a specific setting as a backdrop for a fun experience and that make no attempt at treating the serious issues in a serious way - and that setting is Nazi Germany. So, please bear this in mind when you decide if you want to continue reading this article or not.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/05/04/seriously-topic-discussion/
Links
- Sensitive Settings: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/09/15/sensitive-settings-topic-discussion/
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The room was buzzing. Paintings of different sizes and in different styles were filling the walls, all beautifully lit to bring out every detail and make them really shine. People were mingling and chatting, waving their champagne glasses around as they were discussing the style, composition and imagination displayed in the variety of art. Suddenly, it went silent and everyone turned their attention to the gallery owner in the middle of the room. It was time to choose the best piece of art on Canvas by Road to Infamy Games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/05/01/canvas-saturday-review/
Links
- Canvas: https://roadtoinfamy.com/canvas.html
- Road to Infamy Games: https://roadtoinfamy.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/290236/canvas
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For many of us, losing a game isn't much fun - winning is usually much more enjoyable. However, sometimes board games create amazing moments that are more memorable than whether we won or lost and in this article, I want to look at why losing a game can actually feel amazing, or at least be fun.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/04/27/epic-losses-topic-discussion/
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We had been growing tea for generations on our large plantation. We knew everything there was to know about the cultivation of the plants, the best time and method of harvesting the leaves and how to treat them to turn them into wonderfully aromatic tea, ready to be steeped and drunk. We even had ships waiting for our teas to take them out into the world. But for the moment, it was time to relax and enjoy a nice cup of Chai: Tea for 2 by Steeped Games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/04/24/chai-tea-for-2-saturday-review/
Links
- Chai: Tea for 2: https://steepedgames.com/pages/steeped-games-kickstarter-preview
- Unboxing video: https://youtu.be/S7TrtHbmtmw
- Heavy Cardboard 2-player playthrough: https://youtu.be/_MEmogA5iNg
- Kickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/strider88/chai-tea-for-2a-tea-board-game-duel/
- Chai review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2018/11/24/chai/
- Chai Takebacks review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/06/27/chai-takebacks/
- Steeped Games: https://steepedgames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/294880/chai-tea-2
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: A Very Brady Special by Kevin MacLeod (https://filmmusic.io/song/5760-a-very-brady-special – License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license)
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Games that take less than 30 minutes to play are usually seen as lighter, because they are often less complex than games with a longer playing time. Sometimes these quick, short games are seen as "lesser" in some way or not as "important" as longer and more complex games. Often they are dismissed as party games that no "serious gamer" wants to associate themselves with. In this article, I want to look at short games a bit more closely and compare them in more detail with longer games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/04/20/quality-over-quantity-topic-discussion/
Links
- The Crew review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/12/05/the-crew-the-quest-for-planet-nine-saturday-review/
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It was panic stations - everyone for themselves. Even though we had arrived on the island in groups, all of that went out of the window. If you saw a boat, you did all you could to get on it and sail away from the island. There was no time. Bit by bit, the island was sinking. Some poor souls jumped into the water in a desperate attempt to swim to the mainland, but they had to contend with sharks and sea monsters. Nowhere was really safe. All we could do was Survive: Escape from Atlantis by Stronghold Games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/04/17/survive-escape-from-atlantis-digital-eyes/
Links
- Survive: Escape from Atlantis: https://strongholdgames.com/our-games/survive-escape-from-atlantis/
- Stronghold Games: https://strongholdgames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2653/survive-escape-atlantis
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When we play board games together, each of us will have certain expectations, and it's when our expectations are met, that we feel we've had a good time. In this article, I want to talk about what these expectations can be and what we can do, as a group playing together, to enable everyone to enjoy themselves. (This topic was inspired by the always wonderful Bez.)
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/04/13/expected-expectations-topic-discussion/
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The forest ratmen were on the loose, overrunning the land and pushing out stout elves, heroic dwarves and berserk trolls wherever they found them. As the ratmen invaded region after region, other factions left this world, but not for long. They only retreated for a little while as they regrouped and then returned with fresh vigour but reduced strength. The battle was on and there wasn't much room for everyone on the map. After all, it was a Smallworld by Days of Wonder.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/04/10/smallworld-saturday-review/
Links
- Small World: https://www.daysofwonder.com/smallworld/en/
- Days of Wonder: https://www.daysofwonder.com/en/index/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/40692/small-world
- Rules video: https://youtu.be/BMxt7OVj_lI
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After graduating as an illustrator from Emile Cohl school in France, Atha Kanaani moved to Montréal to work for F2Z Entertainment on the game Traders of Osaka. A couple of year later he moved back to France and became a full-time illustrator for Z-Man Games. Atha has worked on games like Pandemic, Smile Mesozooic and Through the Desert.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/04/07/atha-kanaani-let-me-illustrate/
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I know, the term "great", or even the term "good", is very subjective and vague. Games can be great for different reasons and to different people, some games that are seen as great by everyone else are not even mediocre. However, I want to look at a number of reasons why I think some games are great. It's purely my view of the game and I'm sure many of you will disagree with at least some of my suggestions, or you will have games that are even better than the game I think is great. Anyway, here goes...
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/04/06/great-games-topic-discussion/
Links
- Scythe: https://stonemaiergames.com/games/scythe/
- Stonemaier Games: https://stonemaiergames.com/
- Scythe review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/01/19/scythe/
- Clans of Caledonia: https://karma-games.com/
- Karma Games: https://karma-games.com/
- Clans of Caledonia review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/03/02/clans-of-caledonia/
- Mystic Vale: https://www.alderac.com/mystic-vale/
- Alderac Entertainment Group: https://www.alderac.com/
- Mystic Vale review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2018/12/08/mystic-vale/
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My two best friends were here and we decided to go out into the yard and see who else was about. Chef and Prince were hanging around the street at the back of the house, while Smoke and Doc were playing tag. Blitz and Sweet Pea were up the ash tree in the neighbour's garden. It was a motley crew, but we usually got up to some fun. Suddenly I had an idea. It would be cool if we had a little competition with all the other kids in the neighbourhood and see who could build the biggest and strongest Fort by Leder Games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/04/03/fort-saturday-review/
Links
- Fort: https://ledergames.com/products/for
- Fort unboxing video: https://youtu.be/y7mm0yby5tQ
- Leder Games: https://ledergames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/296912/fort
- Rules video: https://youtu.be/_OdrIpLEFLQ
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Memories by Bensound (https://www.bensound.com)
Sound Effects: BBC Sound Effects (http://bbcsfx.acropolis.org.uk/)
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I love writing reviews, even though that was never the intention with the blog, when I first started. I've now written over 135 reviews, which is amazing, given it was something I only started doing once the blog had already been going for a while. There are a lot of things I learned over the years when it comes to writing about board games, but what I knew from the start was that reviews are always just an opinion. Opinions vary from person to person, so chances are that someone reading one of my reviews will disagree with me. Their opinion of a game will be different and in this article, I want to talk about how my opinion might be perceived by others. (This article was inspired by We're Not Wizards.)
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/03/30/right-to-reply-topic-discussion/
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We had been transported to another world, another time maybe. The stars were all wrong, not matching any of the charts we had on board our ship, the Manticore. Captain Sofi Odessa decided we should make landfall and spotted a natural harbour nearby. As we got closer, we saw an old woman waving to us from the shore. It seemed like she had been expecting us. Once we had dropped anchor, we went to the starboard side to speak to the woman and find out what she wanted. She was clearly excited to see us and immediately told us that we were here to wake the Sleeping Gods by Red Raven Games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/03/27/sleeping-gods-saturday-review/
Links
- Sleeping Gods: https://redravengames.squarespace.com/sleeping-gods
- Red Raven Games: https://redravengames.squarespace.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/255984/sleeping-gods
- Rules video: https://youtu.be/qCjfbyscG8s
- Near and Far: Amber Mines review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/09/21/near-and-far-amber-mines-saturday-review/
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Music: Acoustic Breeze by Bensound (https://www.bensound.com)
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It's been a question that I've tried to tackle a few times before and that has been ongoing in board game circles for decades (probably): whether food and drinks should be allowed at the board game table. There are many different opinions and they range from wanting to keep everything pristine to only caring about having fun with friends. Everyone will have to decide for themselves, but in this article, I want to look at a number of possible approaches. (This article was inspired by a discussion on my Discord.)
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/03/23/food-for-friends-topic-discussion/
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Building the Colossus was going to require a lot of resources. Some iron for the base, many carefully hewn and ornately dressed stones to create a strong structure that would represent our most revered sun-god Helios. Chares, the sculptor, oversaw the project from start to finish to ensure the Gods would smile on us and our country's fortunes well into the future. We all knew it was going to be hard work, but it seemed that the Gods helped us along and building the whole structure was over more quickly than anyone expected. In fact, it was so quick that we couldn't wait to build yet another One Card Wonder by Ape Games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/03/20/one-card-wonder-saturday-review/
Links
- One Card Wonder: https://www.apegames.com/portfolio/one-card-wonder/
- Ape Games: https://www.apegames.com/
- Kickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/apegames/one-card-wonder
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/205249/one-card-wonder
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Music: Epic Cinematic by AShamaluevMusic (https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com)
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When reviewing games, you look at rulebooks, components, complexity, playing time, illustrations, setting and many other things, but ultimately you focus on the experience you got when playing the game. The thing is, what you enjoy playing changes over time. In this article, I want to look at whether we should compare games against our expectations or whether it would make more sense to check them against some other benchmark. (This topic was inspired by the always wonderful Bez.)
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/03/16/ideal-ideals-topic-discussion/
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The country was divided again. The Scottish were biding their time in the North, the Welsh were ready to pounce from the West, while the English tried to show some sort of semblance of the controlling power in the rest of the British Isles. At the same time, foreign countries were keeping a keen eye on the developing situation, ready to take advantage of the chaos that was about to ensue. It was up to us to marshal our troops and exert our influence, trying to ensure that the resulting dominant power that would eventually claim the throne was in our favour - and all of this only happened, because The King is Dead by Osprey Games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/03/13/the-king-is-dead-2nd-edition-digital-eyes/
Links
- The King is Dead (2nd Edition): https://ospreypublishing.com/the-king-is-dead-45352
- Osprey Games: https://ospreypublishing.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/319966/king-dead-second-edition
- Rules video: https://youtu.be/V2fJQsYCl7Q
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Gone are the days where every game gave every player the same starting setup and the same actions or abilities. More and more games these days come with factions who all have different powers, or if they all have the same, then they at least have a different starting setup. In this article, I want to look at those types of games where every player around the table basically plays a different game.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/03/09/agreed-differences-topic-discussion/
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There was one creature waiting in each corner of the square battle arena and a tower of tiles was in its centre. It was the quiet before the storm as the players looked at their five tiles and silently contemplated the best way of playing them. It was vital that tiles were placed in the right place at the right time to score the most points, while denying other players their chance of racing into the lead. After all, only one of the players would be victorious in this Kombo Klash by Hub Games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/03/06/kombo-klash-saturday-review/
Links
- Kombo Klash: https://www.wearehubgames.com/our-games/komboklash
- Hub Games: https://www.wearehubgames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/317312/kombo-klash
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
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Board games can be a great way of escaping from the day-to-day worries, thoughts and general logistics, even if it's just for a short time. Board games are just one form of escapism, of course. Books, films, arts and crafts, hiking, solving crossword puzzles and many other activities can achieve something very similar for yourself or other people. You have to find what works for you, but in this article, I want to talk about board games and how they are a form of escapism for me.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/03/02/lets-escape-topic-discussion/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Vision by AShamaluevMusic (https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com/)
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You will never, in your life, see cats co-operate to create gravity-defying sculptures. It just doesn't happen. Cats tolerating each other is about as far as it gets. However, that's exactly what happens in this latest mint tin dexterity game. I can already hear you asking me: "Are you Kittin?" by Alley Cat Games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/02/27/kittin-saturday-review/
Links
- Kittin: https://www.alleycatgames.com/kittin
- Alley Cat Games: https://www.alleycatgames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/302477/kittin
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We all learn rules for games differently. I would even say, we learn rules differently for different games. I do like games that are easy to teach and learn, where the rules allow you to start playing pretty much straight away and you learn new rules as you go along. However, that's not always possible and for more complex games, learning rules tends to be more involved. Yet, now that more and more games are also available digitally, there seems to be another way of learning a new game.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/02/23/learning-digital-topic-discussion/
Links
- Root review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/02/20/root-a-game-of-woodland-might-and-right-digital-eyes/
- Dized: https://dized.com/
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It was an outrage! The Eerie had invaded our peaceful clearing. They blatantly ignored our sympathy. Those feathered warriors would regret it. The next birdsong would be full of revolts and they would rue their decision. Using guerrilla tactics, we would show everyone not to mess with us. We weren't as defenceless as we looked. We would solve the problem and get to its Root by Leder Games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/02/20/root-a-game-of-woodland-might-and-right-digital-eyes/
Links
- Root: https://ledergames.com/products/root-a-game-of-woodland-might-and-right
- Leder Games: https://ledergames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/237182/root
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İrem Erbilirgil is an accomplished 2D and 3D artist from Istanbul, Turkey. She is currently working on the upcoming game Keystone: North America by the recently founded Rose Gauntlet Entertainment, where her realistic art style really comes to the fore.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/02/17/irem-erbilirgil-let-me-illustrate/
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The last time I checked my board game player profile on Quantic Foundry was back in April 2020, so nearly a year ago. So I thought, it's time to run through the questions again and see if much has changed. You can check yours as well. Just follow the links at the bottom of this article.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/02/16/board-game-player-profile-update-topic-discussion/
Links
- Quantic Foundry‘s tabletop player profile: https://apps.quanticfoundry.com/surveys/start/tabletop/
- April 2020 profile update: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/04/28/board-game-player-profile-updated-topic-discussion/
- October 2019 profile update: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/10/29/tabletop-player-profile-updated-3
- December 2018 profile update: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2018/12/25/tabletop-player-profile-updated-2
- December 2018 profile update: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2018/12/25/tabletop-player-profile-updated-2
- October 2018 profile update: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2018/10/06/tabletop-player-profile-updated/
- June 2018 profile update: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2018/06/11/co-op-or-competitive/
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Our peace had been shattered. We had been living underground for centuries, happily going about our daily chores. We had spread across many moons around the planet and were very content and happy until one day a meteor impacted and threatened everyone's lives. It was time for us to come above ground and start mining our moons for resources, so we could build new technologies that would save us. We were able to communicate with the other moons and co-ordinate our efforts, so we were hopeful. Yet, time was running out and we had to be quick and efficient if we wanted to escape our doom and flee to Uranus by The Dark Imp.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/02/13/uranus-saturday-review/
Links
- Uranus!: https://www.thedarkimp.com/games/uranus/
- Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thedarkimp/uranus-a-life-and-death-alien-space-race
- The Dark Imp: https://www.thedarkimp.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/328793/uranus
- 2020 Board Game Workshop Design Contest final results: https://theboardgameworkshop.com/design-contest/2020-design-contest-final-results/
- Uranus! unboxing video: https://youtu.be/D9Mmw54dmO0
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Regain by Sascha Schulz (https://filmmusic.io/song/3153-regain)
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
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I have talked about house rules before, but what I want to talk about in this article is slightly different. When you play a game for the first time, or when you play a game you know with someone who plays it for the first time, the rules aren't always clear and it's possible someone misunderstands them. That's to be expected, but when you base your whole game, your whole strategy on your misunderstanding, then the game experience can really suffer. (This topic was inspired by the always wonderful Bez.)
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/02/09/relentless-topic-discussion/
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We were at the dawn of a new civilization. We didn't know it yet, but we were going to embark on an exciting adventure that would offer us a lot of new opportunities, some challenging times and many new discoveries. It would take a very long time indeed, but we would not only master fire, but eventually reach the stars. We would explore the world and stamp our mark on it. We were ready to make a reality of our Plans & Ploys by Stonemaier Games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/02/06/tapestry-plans-ploys-digital-eyes/
Links
- Tapestry: Plans & Ploys: https://stonemaiergames.com/games/tapestry/tapestry-plans-ploys-expansion/
- Tapestry: https://stonemaiergames.com/games/tapestry/
- Stonemaier Games: https://stonemaiergames.com/
- BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/315708/tapestry-plans-and-ploys
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
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Jacqui Davis was born in Johannesburg, South Africa and moved to the UK as a kid. After graduating with a 1st in Animation from Staffordshire University in 2012, she began freelancing. She is also known as the Logic Fairy and currently lives and works in Lytham-St-Annes, where she enjoys walks through the woods or ambles along the estuary. She paints everything from adorable animals to villainous wizards, bringing life to characters she is passionate about. She listens to a good audiobook or has a movie on in the background while painting, and when she is not painting she keeps the creative mojo going by doing a spot of writing.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/02/03/jacqui-davis-let-me-illustrate/
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We all have a soft spot for the latest and greatest board game that's coming out next. After all, it'll be better and more wonderful than the game that came before it, or so we're told. We are entranced by the playthroughs, we gawp at the beautiful components and we imagine how much fun we'll have playing this amazing new game. Yet, sometimes these new games aren't actually that new and we're too blind to see it. So in this article, I want to explore what this means for us, as the board game buying public. (This topic was inspired by the always wonderful Bez.)
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/02/02/the-emperors-new-games-topic-discussion/
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The sky suddenly darkened above me. As I looked up, I saw the giant spaceship that was filling up more and more of my view. It towered above the skyscrapers like a huge saucer, dotted in lights and what seemed like openings. It was hard to make out, but it seemed to be bigger than downtown. Suddenly, small aircraft emerged from the spaceship's openings and started to descend. It felt like we were suddenly living Under Falling Skies by Czech Games Edition.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/01/30/under-falling-skies-saturday-review/
Links
- Under Falling Skies: https://czechgames.com/en/under-falling-skies/
- Czech Games Edition: https://czechgames.com/en/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Epic Blockbuster and Epic Dramatic Trailer by AShamaluevMusic (https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com)
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Let's face it. The pandemic has made a huge impact on the world overall, including, of course, board games, which is what I want to focus on in this article. Without being able to meet in person, many of us have changed how we play games, while others have stopped playing board games altogether and turned to other forms of entertainment. All of that has directly impacted the design and development of new games and I want to try and evaluate what that impact is. (This topic was inspired by the always wonderful Bez.)
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/01/26/change-of-interest-topic-discussion/
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I had to get my message to the Princess. It was vitally important that she would hear this, but I had to be extremely careful. Many people were plotting against her, and against me, so nobody could be trusted. I had to try and get past the guards, the handmaiden and others to reach her. My heart was beating in my throat and my emotions were welling up. I tried to keep it together, because I was so close to delivering to her my Love Letter by Z-Man Games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/01/23/love-letter-saturday-review/
Links
- Love Letter: https://www.zmangames.com/en/games/love-letter/
- Z-Man Games: https://www.zmangames.com/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Now We Ride by Alexander Nakarada (https://filmmusic.io/song/6074-now-we-ride)
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
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Nikita Sullivan has always been a techie and surrounded by nerds. She has a BSc in Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence and after working as a software engineer, she became a freelance graphic designer. She always loved being creative, so decided to become a board game designer. It allowed her to learn a lot of new […]
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/01/20/nikita-sullivan-let-me-illustrate/
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It is nice when you have a regular games group, be it friends or family or a mix of both. You get to play games regularly, you can share each others' collections, you can maybe even decide to buy games together and split the cost and there are many other positives when you have a group of people to play games with. What I want to talk about in this article, is why I think it's so wonderful to learn a new game together with a group of people you regularly play with.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/01/19/learning-together-topic-discussion/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
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The crowds were gathering outside, asking difficult questions, asking to be let in, not sure if we still had any control over them - but we fobbed them off with excuses, sent them to a different office and generally put up a smokescreen. We hadn't finished our final project yet. There was so much left to do, so much evidence to destroy or get out of the back door. We didn't know how much time we might have left, when we finally heard the chanting outside: "Stasi raus, es ist aus!" by DDR Museum.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/01/16/stasi-raus-es-ist-aus-saturday-review/
Links
- Stasi Raus, Es Ist Aus!: https://onlineshop.ddr-museum.de/buecher-spiele/422/stasi-raus-es-ist-aus?c=148
- DDR Museum: https://onlineshop.ddr-museum.de/
- Unboxing video: https://youtu.be/oSbAsWqcgE0
- Playthrough video: https://youtu.be/CBZlnCK9G_A
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
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Some games just click. There are very few rules and you can basically start playing after reading a couple of paragraphs. Other games take longer to learn, with pages upon pages of rules, turns that consist of multiple phases or maybe some sort of conflict resolution steps that take a while to grasp. In fact, even seemingly simple games can take a long time to master. So in this article, I want to look at how patient we are with games and why some games deserve our perseverance.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/01/12/perseverance-topic-discussion/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Acoustic Breeze by Bensound (https://www.bensound.com)
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I could hear screeching tyres and gunshots coming from video game machines, the melodic sounds of fruit machines and some general hubbub of laughter, talking and other noise. I was standing at one end of the air hockey table, with my opponent on the other side. Yet, even though it felt like we were at some sort of amusement arcade, we were both at home and hadn't left the house. We were just about to play a game of Klask.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/01/09/klask-saturday-review/
Links
- Klask: https://klaskyourway.com/
- Big Potato Games: https://bigpotato.com/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Motion by AShamaluevMusic (https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com/)
Sound Effects: BBC Sound Effects (http://bbcsfx.acropolis.org.uk/)
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Madeleine Fjäll is a 2D-artist who loves to make artwork inspired by history and fantasy. She has a bachelor's degree in Game Design and Graphics and has a Higher Vocational Education Degree in 2D-graphics, which helps her a lot as an artist in the board game industry. Right now she's working at Ion Game Design and is an artist for the games Pax Viking, Bios:Mesofauna and Dawn on Titan.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/01/06/madeleine-fjall-let-me-illustrate/
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I think like pretty much every hobby, playing board games is about having fun. You might prefer to play solo, you might like to play with your partner or you have a group of friends you play with. You probably play different types of games with different people. Maybe you play lighter games with your loved one in the evenings, because you're both tired after work and want to have some relaxing time together, but when you play with your games group you want something complex and thinky to really stretch your brain. Ultimately though, I think it's all about having fun.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/01/05/finding-the-fun-topic-discussion/
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Music: Tranquilize by Purple Planet Music (https://www.purple-planet.com/)
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The Chancellor's new reign had begun, as the Exiles had fled to the far reaches of the land. They had failed in their attempts to usurp the ruler, but here was another chance for them. They would muster their warbands, campaign against the Bandits, explore the world until eventually, they were strong enough to try again and finally succeed in overthrowing the leading power. Yet, they could never be sure if their fellow Exiles would deceive them and maybe even swear allegiance to the Chancellor, instead of staying strong and following the Exiles' code of honour, sticking by the sacred Oath by Leder Games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/01/02/oath-chronicles-of-empire-and-exile-digital-eyes/
Links
- Oath: https://ledergames.com/products/oath-chronicles-of-empire-exile
- Leder Games: https://ledergames.com/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Village Ambiance by Alexander Nakarada (https://filmmusic.io/song/6586-village-ambiance)
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
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I think we can all agree that 2020 has been an "odd" year. It all started to well, with lots of promise, but then deteriorated into a right mess. In this article, I want to look back at the year that's nearly gone and talk about the ups, the downs and everything in between.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/12/29/2020-in-review-topic-discussion/
Links
- AireCon: https://www.airecon.co.uk/
- Discord server #topic-ideas channel: https://discord.gg/wuPjy5TwGB
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
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As is customary at the end of a calendar year, it's time for my top 5 board games of this, rather odd, year and for me to announce the winner of the Top Table Award 2020. Let me say that this year, I happily allowed games into the top 5 list that were published before 2020, as long as these games were new to me this year. There is a clear winner for me, not just based on the number of plays, the amount of enjoyment the game brought and the nostalgia factor that the game has for me, but because this game took a well-established genre and took it to the next step, making it more accessible to a wider range of people. However, let me not spoil it for you, but start at number 5 and work my way to the top slot.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/12/26/top-5-board-games-of-2020-saturday-review/
Links
- Tapestry: https://stonemaiergames.com/games/tapestry/
- Stonemaier Games: https://stonemaiergames.com/
- Amended setup for Tapestry: https://app.box.com/s/uqp6m71co7gdyfahz5qamp3bd7o1v06i
- Tapestry review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/11/09/tapestry-saturday-review/
- Tapestry unboxing video: https://youtu.be/vT8kOHae9j4
- Andrew Bosley interview: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/07/22/andrew-bosley-let-me-illustrate/
- Jaws: https://www.ravensburger.org/uk/discover/jaws-game/index.html
- Ravensburger: https://www.ravensburger.org/uk/start/index.html
- Dune: https://www.gf9games.com/dune/
- Gale Force Nine: https://www.gf9games.com/home
- Dune (1979): https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/121/dune
- Back to the Future: Dice Through Time unboxing video: https://youtu.be/FUdEq4QZbtY
- Back to the Future: Dice Through Time rules teach video by Watch it Played!: https://youtu.be/loYoxo6-kow
- Back to the Future: Dice Through Time: https://www.ravensburger.org/uk/products/games/strategy-games/back-to-the-future-26842/index.html
- Ravensburger: https://www.ravensburger.org/uk/start/index.html
- The Crew: https://www.kosmosgames.co.uk/games/the-crew-quest-for-planet-nine/
- Kosmos: https://www.kosmosgames.co.uk/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Superhero Fanfare by Freesound (https://freesound.org/people/humanoide9000/sounds/505426/)
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
- Patreon:
Harald Lieske was born in 1975 in Siegen, Germany and is an illustrator, game designer and musician. After beginning to study art in Siegen, he switched to studying design in Münster with a focus on game illustration and comics. Even during his studies, he already created relationships with publishers and was created illustrations for a few games. During this time he also worked on a handful of game prototypes. At the end of his studies, he had two prototypes, one of which (Das Gold der Inka) has already been published.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/12/23/harald-lieske-let-me-illustrate/
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Many of us in the board game hobby love our collection. Some of us have many, many Kallax shelves with dozens upon dozens of games, others, like myself, have maybe 80 or so small games stashed under the sofa and in a small cupboard, and others still only have a handful. Normally I would say, it doesn't matter how many games you have, but for the purpose of this article I want to look at if maybe some of us have too many games. (This topic was inspired by the always wonderful Bez.)
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/12/22/game-hoard-topic-discussion/
Links
- Discord server #topic-ideas channel: https://discord.gg/wuPjy5TwGB
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Upbeat Acoustic by AShamaluevMusic (https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com/)
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It was getting dark, which meant it was time to light the campfire. We had already collected plenty of wood and tinder and someone had started to build the first layer of the fire. Now we were going to take turns and add more wood to it. After all, we were on a teambuilding camping trip, so we had to show we could work together. Of course, most of us were very competitive and soon people were starting to show off. The head of marketing decided that adding branches vertically, balancing them on the base, was the thing to do. IT, of course, went one further and decided to light the fire in a couple of places to add extra peril. It was quickly turning into a mad competition of Tinderblox by Alley Cat Games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/12/19/tinderblox-saturday-review/
Links
- Tinderblox: https://www.alleycatgames.com/tinderblox
- Alley Cat Games: https://www.alleycatgames.com/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: My Dream by AShamaluevMusic (https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com/)
Sound Effects: BBC Sound Effects (http://bbcsfx.acropolis.org.uk/)
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It is the time of cheer and joy - and giving: Christmas. Of course, for many of us it's about receiving gifts, but there is also a lot of joy to be gotten from giving. If you think Christmas has become over-commercialized, then it's especially important that you give a gift - and I don't mean buying someone something, but giving away what you've already got. I'm talking about giving away some of your board games to spread the joy of our hobby to others.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/12/15/christmas-spirit-topic-discussion/
Links
- Discord server #topic-ideas channel: https://discord.gg/wuPjy5TwGB
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Christmas Party by AShamaluevMusic (https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com/)
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"Asbestos and its use have a long history. A naturally occurring mineral, asbestos was once celebrated for its seemingly wondrous resistant and strengthening properties until it was declared a human carcinogen by the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer in 1987. [...] This odd dichotomy between the recognition of the harmful effects of the mineral and lure of the potential to make a profit on it is by no means new to industry or unique to asbestos. As game designers and game players, however, this is thought provoking." From the rulebook of The Cost by Spielworxx.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/12/12/the-cost-digital-eyes/
Links
- The Cost: https://www.spielworxx.de/produkte-shop/
- The Cost unboxing video: https://youtu.be/mn4fAwY3j8E
- The Cost Vassal module: http://www.vassalengine.org/wiki/Module:The_Cost
- Spielworxx: https://www.spielworxx.de/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
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- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
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Mihai Georgescu is a freelance artist living in Scotland. He enjoys drawing goblins, painting miniatures and having too many hobbies. Throughout his career, he has created band logos, album covers, video game assets, and really silly sketches on sticky notes. He is most proficient in Adobe Photoshop and, more recently, Clip Studio Paint. His most ambitious project so far has been the continued work on the board game Arcane Blaster Casters as the art half of Battle Boar Games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/12/09/mihai-georgescu-let-me-illustrate/
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As you can probably tell from my review of The Crew, I love trick-taking games. I grew up with them. I learned to shuffle cards when I was about six and started to play Skat with my family when I was about eight. In secondary school, I learned Doppelkopf. I didn't play them for many years after I left school and it was only when I played Vivaldi at Gaming Rules' evening during last year's Essen Spiel Messe that I rediscovered the genre. So I wanted to talk more about my fascination with these games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/12/08/its-tricky-topic-discussion/
Links
- The Crew review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/12/05/the-crew-the-quest-for-planet-nine-saturday-review/
- Skat: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/6819/skat
- Doppelkopf: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/9364/doppelkopf
- Vivaldi review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/11/23/vivaldi-saturday-review/
- Gaming Rules: https://www.youtube.com/c/GamingRulesVideos/
- Spiel Messe: https://www.spiel-messe.com/en/
- Bridge: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2181/bridge
- Scopa: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/15889/scopa
- Briscola: https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/11733/briscola
- Briscola Chiamata: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/99696/briscola-chiamata
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
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Space, the final frontier. We're on a 50 mission journey to find a new planet in our solar system. We have to work together to seek out new theories, new experiments and new proof. It's no trick and we have to boldly go, where no scientist has gone before. These are the adventures of The Crew by Kosmos.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/12/05/the-crew-the-quest-for-planet-nine-saturday-review/
Links
- The Crew: https://www.kosmosgames.co.uk/games/the-crew-quest-for-planet-nine/
- Kosmos: https://www.kosmosgames.co.uk/
- Skull King review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/01/04/skull-king-saturday-review/
- The Mind review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/01/05/the-mind/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music:
Star Trek original series opening theme
A New World by Purple Planet Music (https://www.purple-planet.com/)
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The old topic of "house rules" keeps cropping up. Some of us are purists and feel that you have to play games with the rules they came with, because otherwise you won't get the experience that the designer intended. Others feel that tweaking a few rules here and there can make a game more fun for you and the people you play with and that designers want us to enjoy their games. In this article, I want to speak for the latter group and show that house rules aren't a sacrilege.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/12/01/overruled-topic-discussion/
Links
- Discord server #topic-ideas channel: https://discord.gg/wuPjy5TwGB
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
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I was ready. It seemed like an impossible task, but I was mankind's only hope. I had to do what I could and fight my way through the ever-increasing number of machine parts, which were making the machine stronger and bring it closer to sentience. It was a matter of taking it one machine part at a time until I reached the core and was finally able to put an end to the Doom Machine by Nathan Meunier.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/11/28/doom-machine-digital-eyes/
Links
- Doom Machine: https://nathanmeunier.com/my-tabletop-games/doom/
- Doom Machine on Gamecrafter: https://www.thegamecrafter.com/games/doom-machine1
- Doom Machine on Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/nmeunier/doom-machine-a-pocket-sized-card-dice-solo-game
- Doom Machine playthrough video: https://youtu.be/B5rkRn8ZosM
- Nathan Meunier: https://nathanmeunier.com/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music:
Dramatic Trailer Logo 01 by TaigaSoundProd (https://filmmusic.io/song/6634-dramatic-trailer-logo-01)
Dark Viking by Frank Schröter (https://filmmusic.io/song/6969-dark-viking)
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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Sabrina Miramon is a French illustrator based in the UK who works mostly on boardgame and video game art, but also does the occasional book illustration. She originally studied 3D, but after a few years decided that she preferred drawing and painting. Her artwork has appeared in games such as Ecos : First Continent, Coral Islands, Welcome to DinoWorld, Planet and many others, having worked with publishers such as Iello, AEG, Blue Orange, Alley Cat Games among others.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/11/25/sabrina-miramon-let-me-illustrate/
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As a board game reviewer, you need to have access to board games. That's obvious. Some reviewers rely solely on games they bought themselves, maybe got as presents or borrowed from friends, while others will only review games sent to them by the publisher or even the designer. Many reviewers will rely on a mix of both. What I want to look at in this article is how review copies, which are (usually) free, may influence a review and what the relationship between publishers, or designers, and reviewers may look like and how it can also play a part in how a review is written.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/11/24/it-depends-topic-discussion/
Links
- Discord server #topic-ideas channel: https://discord.gg/wuPjy5TwGB
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Like a Wave by Lilo Sound (https://filmmusic.io/song/5812-likeawave)
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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We were sitting quietly at each end of the sofa in the living room, fully engrossed in our needlework. It was so relaxing to use our hands and make something. Arts and crafts. That was the way. We looked at each other for a moment, seeing the contentment in each other's eyes. I reached into the bag to pick out another piece of material to add to my quilt. It would look all higgledy-piggledy, but that was fine, because I was aiming to create a Patchwork by Lookout Games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/11/21/patchwork-digital-eyes/
Links
- Patchwork: https://lookout-spiele.de/en/games/patchwork.html
- Lookout Games: https://lookout-spiele.de/en/news.php
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
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The longer we enjoy our hobby and the more games we play, the more our taste in games is likely to change. As a reviewer, I can only write about a game as I feel about it at the time, but even if my taste in games changes, the review will remain on the blog. So the question is whether a review should stay frozen in time or if it should be revisited with a fresh perspective. Let me try and answer those questions in this article.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/11/17/reviews-reviewed-topic-discussion/
Links
- Takebacks articles: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/category/takebacks/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Quantum Computer Love by MusicLFiles (https://filmmusic.io/song/6943-quantum-computer-love)
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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We had all the plans ready, planning permissions had been sought and approved, contractors had been signed up, the project manager was ready and a rough schedule had been put together. We also knew what building materials we needed and where to get them, so it was time to build our Micro City by Thistroy Games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/11/14/micro-city-saturday-review/
Links
- Micro City: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thistroygames/micro-city-pocket-sized-citybuilding-game
- Thistroy Games: https://www.facebook.com/thistroygames/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Corporate Culture by WinnieTheMoog (https://filmmusic.io/song/6156-corporate-culture-)
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Sound Effects: BBC Sound Effects (http://bbcsfx.acropolis.org.uk/)
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Natalia Rojas is a self-taught artist and illustrator from Colombia living in Tampa, Florida. She specializes in highly detailed and realistic graphite and coloured pencil drawings and loves to create portraits of people, pets and wildlife, as well as meaningful pieces that could be anything from a portrait of a loved one to a special item or a still life. She has worked on the board game Wingspan by Stonemaier Games, as well as all its expansions.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/11/11/natalia-rojas-let-me-illustrate/
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As we all know, different people play games for different reasons and with different goals. Even the heaviest of games can be played in all sorts of different ways, and I don't mean with different strategies in mind. Sure, in an 18xx game, you probably want to do everything to win and it's unlikely that people will play it who just want to build scenic routes going through cities that they like - but it is a possibility. In this article, I want to look at the different motivations players have and how different games accommodate them to a larger or smaller extent.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/11/10/flexible-gaming-topic-discussion/
Links
- Wingspan review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/03/16/wingspan/
- Scythe review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/01/19/scythe/
- Clans of Caledonia review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/03/02/clans-of-caledonia/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Inspiring Acoustic by AShamaluevMusic (https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com/)
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The seasons began again. We had to build our rice paddies, fill them with water, plough them with our buffalos, plant our rice and wait for it to grow. We had to be clever about how we divided the land to make the best use of the most fertile soil. We also had to have enough help to get the harvest in, but overall, we had to be patient and wait for the end of the Seasons of Rice by Button Shy.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/11/07/seasons-of-rice-saturday-review/
Links
- Seasons of Rice: https://buttonshygames.com/products/seasons-of-rice
- Button Shy: https://buttonshygames.com/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Follow That Dream by Luca Fraula (https://filmmusic.io/song/5156-follow-that-dream)
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Sound Effects: BBC Sound Effects (http://bbcsfx.acropolis.org.uk/)
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So, the convention season for 2020 has drawn to a close, and it’s obviously been a very different set of experiences compared to The Before Times. The last show I actually physically attended was AireCon back in spring, and even that was under the shadow of the then-upcoming nationwide lockdown in the UK, a last hurrah before we all spent the summer indoors. Since then, many and various show organisers have done their damnedest to pivot and transform their events into an online format, all with varying degrees of success. And frankly, despite their best efforts, no single event has managed to get close to the real deal. Lessons have been learned, of course, and if things continue as they seem to be on track to do, Year Two of the Online Convention will invariably be better - but what would I like to see from them?
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/11/03/virtually-there-topic-discussion/
Links
- Michael Fox: https://twitter.com/idlemichael
- AireCon: https://www.airecon.co.uk/
- UK Games Expo: https://www.ukgamesexpo.co.uk/
- Gen Con: https://www.gencon.com/
- Spiel.Digital: https://spiel.digital/en
- Tabletopia: https://tabletopia.com/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
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"...crisis on Wall Street as Lehman totters towards..." - "...worries could wreak havoc on markets..." - "...banking giants rush to raise capital..." - "...markets in disarray as lending locks up..." - "...sweeping plan to fight crisis..." - "...vast bailout..." - I switched off the television. The news wasn't good and it was clear what we had to do to stop the world markets from collapse. It was time for some Q.E. by BoardGameTables.com.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/10/31/q-e-saturday-review/
Links
- Q.E.: https://www.boardgametables.com/products/qe-quantitative-easing-board-game
- BoardGameTables.com: https://www.boardgametables.com/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Will to Achieve by Purple Planet Music (https://www.purple-planet.com/)
Sound Effects: Freesound (https://freesound.org/)
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Jessi Cabasan is a freelance artist based in Co. Meath, Ireland. She works in a variety of industries including games, logo making and traditional pencil portraits. She designed the artwork for the game board and cards for Luzon Rails published on Kickstarter in 2020. She is skilled in graphic design and illustration with Affinity Designer on the PC, Artstudio Pro and Procreate on the iPad and photo editing with Adobe Lightroom.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/10/28/jessi-cabasan-let-me-illustrate/
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If you have played a number of games, you will have noticed how the pace in some games changes over time. A game might start slow and then speed up towards the end, or it keeps an even pace throughout. Some games even slow right down in the last round. In this article, I want to look at this more closely and see what affects the pace of a game.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/10/27/keeping-pace-topic-discussion/
Links
- Wingspan review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/03/16/wingspan/
- Mystic Vale review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2018/12/08/mystic-vale/
- Brass: Birmingham review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/10/03/brass-birmingham-saturday-review/
- Terra Mystica review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/06/01/terra-mystica/
- Scythe review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/01/19/scythe/
- Chai review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/06/27/chai-takebacks/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Special Place by Ketsa (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Ketsa/Above_and_Below/Special_Place_1026)
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It was going to be great. We were going to visit most of the USA and play to millions of people over a few months. It was going to be fun, but also a lot of hard work and the planning was the most difficult. In the end, we decided to roll the dice to decide what states we were going to visit in what order, but rather than making it completely random, we turned it into a little game. It would let us build an almost circular route, so we could finally go On Tour by BoardGameTables.com.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/10/24/on-tour-saturday-review/
Links
- On Tour: https://www.boardgametables.com/products/on-tour-usa-and-europe
- BoardGameTables.com: https://www.boardgametables.com/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: A Trip Around the Moon by Unicorn Heads (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbdU8d-QYGeEseYLlrSy8KQ/)
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A 60 miles an hour dust storm is whistling around the small Mars base, pulling at the airlock, shaking the whole station side to side and blowing over the tiny buildings with a deep rumbling sound, while the computer equipment fans quietly hum away in the background and a random bleep from one of the monitoring systems indicates that our communications channels to Earth are still down. No, this isn't a review of one of the many Mars themed games available these days, but an idea of how you might set the scene for everyone when playing one of those games, because in this article I want to talk about how you could create a thematic atmosphere when playing board games with your friends.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/10/20/atmospheric-ambience-topic-discussion/
Links
- Scythe review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/01/19/scythe/
- Clans of Caledonia review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/03/02/clans-of-caledonia/
- Terra Mystica review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/06/01/terra-mystica/
- Wingspan Digital playthrough: https://youtu.be/YRY6uztJ1eA
- Dune review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/02/08/dune-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Gold Rush by Arnav Srivastav (https://soundcloud.com/909-music/arnav-srivastav-gold-rush-get)
Sound Effects: BBC Sound Effects (http://bbcsfx.acropolis.org.uk/)
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Living in the country is nice, but getting to work requires a car. In fact, getting anywhere needs a car: shopping, going out (unless it's to the local at the edge of the village), seeing friends (because even though you pretend to, you don't actually get on with your neighbours) and doing the school run. On the other hand, because it's so hard to get around, we don't actually spend as much on things, which is good. However, there is a lot we need to do if we want to make sure our household leaves only a Tiny Footprint by Gaard Games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/10/17/tiny-footprint-saturday-review/
Links
- Tiny Footprint: https://www.gaardgames.com/pages/tiny-footprint
- Gaard Games: https://www.gaardgames.com/
- Tiny Footprint unboxing: https://youtu.be/G3bFVTO_sMs
- Carbon City Zero review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/06/20/carbon-city-zero-saturday-review/
- Carbon City Zero unboxing: https://youtu.be/MvIH_w-tijs
- Tipping Point: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1677242759/tipping-point-the-climate-change-card-game
- Pandemic review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/01/18/pandemic-saturday-review/
- Pandemic unboxing: https://youtu.be/rkKrFMeaFJI
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Acoustic Breeze by Bensound (https://www.bensound.com)
Sound Effects: BBC Sound Effects (http://bbcsfx.acropolis.org.uk/)
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Rory Muldoon is a graphic designer and games designer from the south-east of the UK. After going freelance in 2016 he began working on is own game, Skora, which has recently been published by Inside the Box Board Games. Alongside his own projects, he has created artwork and graphic design for tabletop games such as […]
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/10/14/rory-muldoon-let-me-illustrate/
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Now, that many of us no longer meet in person, many face-to-face games groups have stopped meeting and have gone online. Of course, online isn't the same as "in real life", so I want to use this article to look at how my virtual board gaming experience compares to playing with people sitting around a real table.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/10/13/separate-together-topic-discussion/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Memories by Bensound (https://www.bensound.com)
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It was time to find the next victim. The beaches were full of swimmers, so it was going to be easy pickings. Yet, the sea around the island was patrolled by the Orca, a 42-foot former lobster boat, that was launching barrels into the sea to flush me out. A little speedboat was also making its rounds and using its fish finder to see if it could spot me. So far, I hadn't been found and already five people had lost their lives to my merciless attacks. I just needed four more victims to end up in my Jaws by Ravensburger.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/10/10/jaws-saturday-review/
Links
- Jaws: https://www.ravensburger.org/uk/discover/jaws-game/index.html
- Ravensburger: https://www.ravensburger.org/uk/start/index.html
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Pursuit by AShamaluev Music (https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com/)
Sound Effects: BBC Sound Effects (http://bbcsfx.acropolis.org.uk/)
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I've recently got into heavier games, such as Brass: Birmingham with my games group, because they help me completely focus on a game, allowing my brain to fully put aside my day-to-day worries and thoughts. I've also started to enjoy games with more player interaction, which encourage everyone to stay focussed on what everyone around the table is doing, rather than just doing their own thing and not being part of the group. However, for me, the best type of player interaction is where you don't just put one over on another person, but where everyone gets something out of it, and in this article, I want to look at those types and what it is I enjoy about them.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/10/06/give-and-take-topic-discussion/
Links
- Brass: Birmingham review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/10/03/brass-birmingham-saturday-review/
- Rising Sun review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/10/26/rising-sun-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Cinematic Dubstep by AShamaluevMusic (https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com)
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Looking back, building that last pottery had been foolhardy. Investing in the rail network would have been much more lucrative and sensible, but you had wanted to compete with your contemporaries. Maybe if you had been more careful and had planned further ahead when you first started out as an entrepreneur, things would have worked out differently. But then, nobody could have predicted the Industrial Revolution to be so transformative as it had been. Yet, overall you had done well and were certainly top Brass: Birmingham by Roxley Games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/10/03/brass-birmingham-saturday-review/
Links
- Brass: Birmingham: https://roxley.com/products/brass-birmingham-deluxe-edition
- Roxley Games: https://roxley.com/
- Brass: Lancashire: https://roxley.com/products/brass-lancashire-deluxe-edition
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Industrial Revolution by Kevin MacLeod (https://filmmusic.io/song/3911-industrial-revolution)
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Sound Effects: BBC Sound Effects (http://bbcsfx.acropolis.org.uk/)
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Julie Okahara was born in Osaka, Japan and after graduating from Osaka Industrial Arts High School, began work as a graphic designer. Wanting to further their studies in studio art, Julie came to California in 2005. Since then Julie has expanded into acrylic painting, ink drawing, sewing and clay sculpting. This year, she started teaching herself animation and now live-streams with interactive animations on her Twitch channel.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/09/30/julie-okahara-let-me-illustrate/
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The holy grail of the perfect rulebook is something that most publishers try to find and is something that we all want. It's no surprise that unboxing videos usually show you what the rulebook of a game looks like and one reason why many publishers allow you to download rulebooks for their games, so you can see for yourself if you'll be able to learn the game from it. I have read quite a few rulebooks over the years and wanted to share my thoughts about what makes for a good rulebook.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/09/29/easy-rules-topic-discussion/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Snow Day by Pictures of the Floating World (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Pictures_of_the_Floating_World/Snow_Day/Snow_Day)
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Your 8-bit computer may seem to be collecting dust in your loft, but actually, there is still a lot of life in the old box yet. Two of the microprocessors, Mikro and Chip, are keeping themselves amused by playing little, fun games. After all, their buffers and memory stacks are still in working order. With a handful of assembly instructions, they keep each other entertained: push, pop, peek as well as some Mini Memory Mischief by Atikin Games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/09/26/mini-memory-mischief-saturday-review/
Links
- Mini Memory Mischief: https://atikingames.com/memorymischief/
- Mini Memory Mischief Kickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/atikingames/mini-memory-mischief
- Atikin Games: https://atikingames.com/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Electro Motion by Purple Planet Music (https://www.purple-planet.com)
Sound Effects: BBC Sound Effects (http://bbcsfx.acropolis.org.uk/)
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The more we play games, the more we learn. We learn better strategies, new mechanisms, how to be a better loser, as well as a better winner, we learn that we don't always have to have the latest games, or that we definitely do, and we learn a few other things besides. In this article, I want to focus on something else though. I want to look at what playing board games has taught me about myself, about the people around me, and how it has changed me over time, if at all.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/09/22/play-and-learn-topic-discussion/
Links
- Mahjong: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahjong
- Skat: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skat_(card_game)
- Doppelkopf: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doppelkopf
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Elevate by Bensound (https://www.bensound.com)
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It was the fifth factory you had visited today, as you were trying to find three turquoise ceramic tiles to complete your pattern in the King's palace. You needed three - exactly - no more, no less. The first factory you had visited had no turquoise tiles, the second had four, the third had only one and the fourth had two. The factory you were in now, was the last one that made these tiles, and if it didn't have the exact number of turquoise tiles you needed, you had to go back to the previous one and make do with two, which would put you behind schedule and make the King angry. Yet, you were in luck. The factory overseer told you that they had your tiles and exactly three of them. You were so pleased that you found three tiles that were all Azul by Next Move Games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/09/19/azul-saturday-review/
Links
- Azul: https://www.nextmovegames.com/en/26-azul
- Next Move Games: https://www.nextmovegames.com/en/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Majestic Earth by Claus Appel (https://filmmusic.io/song/4694-majestic-earth)
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Sound Effects: BBC Sound Effects (http://bbcsfx.acropolis.org.uk/)
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Naomi Robinson is a freelance artist and illustrator based in the North-West of the UK. She has worked on a variety of different board games and RPG books, with a wide range of styles and themes.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/09/16/naomi-robinson-let-me-illustrate/
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Throughout time, terrible things have happened: plagues, wars, colonialism, genocide, executions, experimentation, extinctions, terrorism, abuse and many other atrocities. Some are still going on, most are condemned and they all evoke strong emotions in us. So when board games, which most of us see as a fun way to spend time, use these terrible events as their background, their setting, it seems to be a contradiction and it becomes very important how the game treats its subject matter. In this article, I want to find out if board games can treat atrocities in a sensitive and respectful manner that allows us to learn about these topics better and grow our understanding.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/09/15/sensitive-settings-topic-discussion/
Links
- The Cost: https://www.spielworxx.de/produkte-shop/
- Spielworxx: https://www.spielworxx.de/
- World Health Organization: https://www.who.int/
- International Agency for Research on Cancer: https://www.iarc.fr/
- Holding On: The Troubled Life of Billy Kerr: https://www.wearehubgames.com/shop/holding-on-the-troubled-life-of-billy-kerr
- Hub Games: https://www.wearehubgames.com/
- This War of Mine: http://awakenrealms.com/games/this-war-of-mine-the-board-game/
- Awaken Realms: http://awakenrealms.com/
- GMT Games: https://www.gmtgames.com/
- GMT‘s announcement about Scramble for Africa: https://mailchi.mp/a9c2643ed89c/p500-update-removing-scramble-for-africa
- “A Cancelled Board Game Revealed” by Vice: https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/vb9gd9/a-cancelled-board-game-revealed-how-colonialism-inspires-and-haunts-games
- “Should Board Gamers Play the Roles of Racists, Slavers and Nazis?” by The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/01/style/board-games-cancel-culture.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Peace of Mind by Kevin MacLeod (https://filmmusic.io/song/4199-peace-of-mind)
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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I slammed down Cowgirl and immediately opened the bidding with a "Klik", which was countered with a "Thwak" and to which I responded with a "Splat". A "Twang" played by the other side brought us level again, which meant I could still win this. After a moment's hesitation, the other side played "And" and immediately put down Wheel-Demon, closely followed by "Zooom", giving them the leading bid. However, their unexpected move actually gave me the advantage. I put down "Kerunch", which they countered with "Eeeek!!", which I trumped with "Crrash", which they... no... they couldn't keep up. The bids were level, which meant I was victorious and was inching closer to victory with another two Heroic Echoic by Happyclash Games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/09/12/heroic-echoic-saturday-review/
Links
- Heroic Echoic: https://twitter.com/HEchoic
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Mission by AShamaluevMusic (https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com/)
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When I play board games with my games group, I'm usually more competitive than I would otherwise be. I want to win and try to find the most efficient way to get the most points. However, I know that I'm not usually very good at spotting where the points in a game come from, unless maybe when the theme of the game is really good and guides me to victory. At the same time, others in my games group are usually very good and seem to approach games in a very analytical and victory points focused way. In this article, I want to look at how this type of approach might work and see if it'll help me learn anything from it.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/09/08/min-maxing-topic-discussion/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Motivated by AShamaluev Music (https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com/)
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With a loud "Bang!" the head flew off, followed by a "leg-splosion" that severed both legs, leaving only the body and the left arm. It wasn't pretty. Yet, you knew you could turn it all around. There were still plenty of options. You just had to duck and dive and try and swap body parts with another robot to boost your own. You were sure that in the end you would be a Bots Up.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/09/05/bots-up-saturday-review/
Links
- Bots Up on Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/botsupgame/bots-up
- Bots Up: https://botsupgame.com/
- Bots Up unboxing video: https://youtu.be/pum6UpJ5xFw
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Alston & Ozone by LSDesigns (https://soundcloud.com/freebmusic/alston-ozone-lsdesigns-freebackgroundmusic)
Sound Effects: BBC Sound Effects (http://bbcsfx.acropolis.org.uk/)
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Keturah Ariel Nailah Bobo was born in Toledo, Ohio with strong family roots in Detroit, MI. Keturah grew up with parents that instilled in her the importance of individuality and creativity. Keturah graduated from Columbus College of Art and Design with a bachelors degree in fine arts. Columbus, Ohio is a melting pot of culture and artistic freedom that has nurtured Keturah’s growing body of work.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/09/02/keturah-ariel-nailah-bobo-let-me-illustrate/
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Let's have a little fun and see if we can somehow classify the people we play board games with. Don't worry, the article is tongue-in-cheek. I'm not trying to label people in a certain way. We're all unique and different and we change over time. Yet, I do reckon you will probably see yourself or one of your board game friends in one of the groupings in this article. Oh, and by the way, we're all gamers - whatever games we like to play. We're all here to have fun.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/09/01/gamer-types-topic-discussion/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Dreams by Bensound (https://www.bensound.com)
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I know, it's not yet Christmas, but bear with me on this one. Cracker Games by The Dark Imp is going to be on Kickstarter on 1 September 2020 and is scheduled to reach backers in December, before Christmas. So, yes, lead times are a bit longer. However, even if you're not in the mood for the festive season, the Cracker Games are worth checking out, as you'll see in my review below.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/08/29/cracker-games-saturday-review/
Links
- Cracker Games Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thedarkimp/cracker-games
- The Dark Imp: https://www.thedarkimp.com/
- Cracker Games unboxing video: https://youtu.be/XZpPVMOKl0I
- Small World: https://www.daysofwonder.com/smallworld/en/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Happy Christmas by AShamaluevMusic (https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com/)
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Luck, chance, randomness - there are many names for introducing a bit of chaos into a board game. Dice rolling, a deck of cards or maybe a dexterity element can all introduce an unpredictable outcome that makes a game less predictable. In this article, I don't want to investigate at what point randomness becomes too much, or whether chance in games is fun, but instead I want to look at the different forms of randomness you can find in modern board games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/08/25/iacta-alea-est-topic-discussion/
Links
- Catan: https://www.catan.com/game/catan
- Jenga: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jenga
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Cinematic Digital by AShamaluevMusic (https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com/cinematic-music)
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"Guess what?" I asked - but there was no reply. The other player just looked at me - suspiciously. "Guess what?" I asked, this time with more feeling. Yet, there was still no reply. The other player tilted their head and squinted at me. "Guess what?" I tried for the third time. The other player started to open their mouth, but then thought better of it. It was going to be harder than I thought. The other player clearly knew what to do so they Don't Get Got by Big Potato Games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/08/22/dont-get-got-saturday-review/
Links
- Don’t Get Got: https://bigpotato.com/gb/games/dont-get-got/
- Big Potato Games: https://bigpotato.com/
- Board Game Geek: https://boardgamegeek.com/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Cute by Bensound (https://www.bensound.com)
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Tumo Mere is a concept artist and illustrator specializing in video games and comics. He is also the lead artist for the Swordsfall RPG. Hailing from Botswana, Tumo incorporates a modern African style through their intricate art and cultural knowledge.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/08/19/tumo-mere-let-me-illustrate/
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I always wondered what the difference is between a reviewer and a critic, or even a review and a critique. These terms are sometimes used interchangeably, sometimes they're describing two different things, but very often they seem to be used for things that have a lot of overlap and are very similar in many ways. In this article, I'm trying to grapple with those terms and decide for myself what I think they mean.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/08/18/critical-reviews-topic-discussion/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Emotions by AShamaluevMusic (https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com/)
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The irrigation system was ready, but there was still work to be done on the trellises. The windmill, cottage and tasting room were still just ruins and only the first third of the wine cellar was accessible. The crush pads were all clean and ready to receive the first harvest of grapes, yet the fields were still bare. Orders for some red and white wine had already come in and two types of grapes were ready to be planted. It was the beginning of a vineyard that was going to be splendid. Mama and Papa were looking forward to putting the work in and creating a heritage that would make the family name proud. At the same time, it was daunting, because they knew nothing about Viticulture by Stonemaier Games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/08/15/viticulture-essential-edition-saturday-review/
Links
- Viticulture: Essential Edition: https://stonemaiergames.com/games/viticulture/essential-edition/
- Stonemaier Games: https://stonemaiergames.com/
- Scythe: https://stonemaiergames.com/games/scythe/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: AsWeFly by Lilo Sound (https://filmmusic.io/song/6187-aswefly)
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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Complexity is a fairly vague term. The Cambridge Dictionary defines it as "the state of having many parts and being difficult to understand or find an answer to." Yet, it's not clear when parts are considered "many" or at what point something is difficult to understand. Here are my thoughts on complexity in board games and what I think it all means.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/08/11/complex-complexity-topic-discussion/
Links
- Cambridge Dictionary‘s definition of “complexity”: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/complexity
- Board Game Geek: https://boardgamegeek.com/
- “Wisdom of the crowd”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisdom_of_the_crowd
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: The Code by Arnav Srivastav (https://soundcloud.com/909-music/arnav-srivastav-the-code-get)
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The task in hand wasn't going to be simple, but the rewards were huge. You could become ruler of Naqala if you were able to influence the people of the land to help you reach your goal. You were hoping to get the help of the djinns, but they would only listen to you if the people were on your side. It seemed impossible, but you knew that you could talk to each group individually and over time you would eventually have the help of all of the Five Tribes by Days of Wonder.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/08/08/five-tribes-saturday-review/
Links
- Five Tribes: https://www.daysofwonder.com/five-tribes/en/
- Days of Wonder: https://www.daysofwonder.com/en/index/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Jalandhar by Kevin MacLeod (https://filmmusic.io/song/3934-jalandhar)
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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Marco Bucci is a freelance artist and his experience includes books, film, animation, and advertising. He has worked for Walt Disney Publishing Worldwide, LEGO, LucasArts, Mattel Toys, Fisher-Price, Hasbro, among many others. He is also a passionate teacher and currently teaches "The Art Of Color & Light" at CGMA.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/08/05/marco-bucci-let-me-illustrate/
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I have previously written about small box games in my article "Compressed collections" which can create a lot of gameplay with only a few components. However, even larger box, or big box, games are sometimes very inventive when it comes to using components in a clever way to create more gameplay and possibilities than would otherwise be possible. After all, board games have it much harder when you compare them to computer games. They have a limited number of components that come in a box, even in a large box. So I want to look at how the same components can be used in many different ways.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/08/04/limited-components-topic-discussion/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Alston & Ozone by LSDesigns (https://soundcloud.com/freebmusic/alston-ozone-lsdesigns-freebackgroundmusic)
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"Hm. Deep Purple looks good. Life's A Peach is also very warm and rich. Oh, and of course, we want the Cactus Jack. That would be the perfect triad of colours." You step back and look at the colour samples you just painted onto the wall in the kitchen. "Yes, that's it." You're so pleased to have come up with this perfect colour scheme. It had been harder than you had expected. Mixing the 13 cyan, 14 magenta and 15 yellow in the right combination had been a bit of job, let alone getting all the red, green and blue to mix up the cyan, magenta and yellow, but the result was more than worth it. "Yes," you say out loud, "that's the perfect Swatch by Minerva Tabletop."
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/08/01/swatch-saturday-review/
Links
- Swatch: https://www.minervatabletop.co.uk/swatch
- Minerva Tabletop: https://linktr.ee/minervatabletop
- Swatch playthrough: https://youtu.be/u7Eo7lT5VoY
- Swatch on Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/minervatabletop/swatch-the-abstract-game-of-art
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Funky Element by Bensound (https://www.bensound.com/)
Sound Effects: BBC Sound Effects (http://bbcsfx.acropolis.org.uk/)
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As many of you probably already know, I'm a very visual person. So it's no surprise that I am drawn in by great board game art, sculpts, luxurious components and overall visual appeal. Don't get me wrong, visual appeal alone doesn't make me want to buy a game, but when good gameplay and great art come together, a game really zings for me.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/07/28/visual-appeal-topic-discussion/
Links
- “Let me illustrate” podcast series: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/let-me-illustrate/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Summer by Bensound (https://www.bensound.com)
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Sparkling jewels, shiny gems and precious stones lay in front of you - but only a handful and not necessarily the best example. Your hope was to sell some them for enough profit to be able to buy shares in a diamond mine and attract highly skilled craftspeople who would transform the slightly lacklustre gems into magnificent jewels and allow you to bask in Splendor by Space Cowboys.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/07/25/splendor-saturday-review/
Links
- Splendor: https://www.spacecowboys.fr/splendor-english
- Space Cowboys: https://www.spacecowboys.fr/our-board-games
- Splendor unboxing video: https://youtu.be/eqatqPK62-E
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Nomadic Dawn by Alexander Nakarada (https://filmmusic.io/song/4766-nomadic-dawn)
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Sound Effects: FreeSound (https://freesound.org/)
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Andrew Bosley has been a professional concept artist in the video game industry since 2006 and in 2013 became a freelance concept artist and illustrator. He has worked on games including Everdell, Tapestry, Mission: Red Planet, and Citadels. He is also a game designer and writer.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/07/22/andrew-bosley-let-me-illustrate/
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As many of you probably know, I only have limited space for games. That's why I very much like small box games that have a lot of gameplay crammed into a small volume. It's also the reason why I have been reboxing games that come in bigger boxes, compressing them down and getting rid of all the extra air that came with the original packaging. I have written about this in my article "Box clever?" a couple of years ago, and this time I want to give you some concrete examples of small box games crammed to the brim and larger box games that I have shrunk down.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/07/21/compressed-collections-topic-discussion/
Links
- Mint Tin Mini Skulduggery: https://subquark.com/rules-mtmskulduggery.html
- Mint Tin Mini Skulduggery review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/03/09/mint-tin-mini-skulduggery/
- Mint Tin Mini Skulduggery unboxing video: https://youtu.be/vRA7ZquQ7bc
- subQuark: https://subquark.com/
- The Blessed Dark: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/nmeunier/the-blessed-dark-a-cult-themed-mint-tin-card-dice-game
- The Blessed Dark review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/07/20/the-blessed-dark-saturday-review/
- Nathan Meunier: https://twitter.com/nmeunier
- Microbrew: https://www.onefreeelephant.co.uk/Microbrew/
- Microbrew review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/06/22/microbrew-saturday-review/
- Microbrew unboxing video: https://youtu.be/PuahVpDF0qA
- One Free Elephant: https://www.onefreeelephant.co.uk/
- Mint Works: https://five24labs.com/mint-works
- Mint Works review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/08/17/mint-works-saturday-review/
- Five24 Labs: https://five24labs.com/
- Deep Sea Adventure: https://oinkgms.com/en/deep-sea-adventure
- Deep Sea Adventure review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/04/11/deep-sea-adventure-saturday-review/
- Deep Sea Adventure unboxing video: https://youtu.be/c-Pupu1FtAA
- Oink Games: https://oinkgms.com/en/
- Assembly: http://wrengames.co.uk/main/about/assembly/
- Assembly review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2018/11/17/assembly/
- Wren Games: http://wrengames.co.uk/main/
- Bots Up!: https://botsupgame.com/
- Swatch: https://www.minervatableto
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You were constantly tired from working endless hours day in and day out. You had very little time to think about the world and when you did, you didn't have the words to describe what you saw and felt. However, you had used every spare moment to puzzle together scraps of clues into a bigger picture and had created new words with meanings that your heart dictated, but that were otherwise unknown. You felt that you were now so close to wrestling away the power from your oppressors and turn this world into a better place - but you knew you had to make sacrifices to build your Euphoria: Build a Better Dystopia by Stonemaier Games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/07/18/euphoria-build-a-better-dystopia-digital-eyes/
Links
- Euphoria: Build a Better Dystopia: https://stonemaiergames.com/games/euphoria/
- Stonemaier Games: https://stonemaiergames.com/
- Euphoria unboxing video: https://www.youtube.com/embed/mSy29iJJmG4
- Scythe: https://stonemaiergames.com/games/scythe/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Vanishing by Kevin MacLeod (https://filmmusic.io/song/4578-vanishing)
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Sound Effects: BBC Sound Effects (http://bbcsfx.acropolis.org.uk/)
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The cost of tabletop games is a topic that keeps popping up. There is the question of whether games have now become "overproduced", in the sense that the game components have become more expensive, due to an increase in quantity, an increase in quality or both. There is also the question of whether games have always been sold too cheaply, leaving everyone with tiny margins. There are many reasons that decide the cost of games, but I want to look at the other end of the chain. I want to see how consumers decide when a game is good value for money.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/07/14/value-for-money-topic-discussion/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Summer Fashion by AShamaluevMusic (https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com/music-for-fashion)
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"Bubble, bubble," the herb witch cackles. "Stir the pot - nice and slow," the miracle doctor says. "Slowly, add another ingredient... what will it be?" the quack surgeon asks, looking at you intently. You reach into the bag, with anticipation, not quite sure what ingredient your hand will retrieve. "Come now, come now," the witch emplores. "Put it in the pot, don't hesitate," the miracle doctor tells you, rushing you along. You can't look. You quickly withdraw your hand and throw the ingredient in the pot and as you do so, you open your eyes a tiny bit and see a flash of white. A cherry bomb lands in the pot with a splash and a fraction of a second later it explodes. However, it's not too late to seek help from The Herb Witches by Schmidt Spiele.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/07/11/the-quacks-of-quedlinburg-the-herb-witches-expansion-saturday-review/
Links
- The Herb Witches: https://coiledspring.co.uk/product/the-quacks-of-quedlinburg-herb-witch/
- Schmidt Spiele: https://www.schmidtspiele.de/home.html
- The Quacks of Quedlinburg: https://coiledspring.co.uk/product/the-quacks-of-quedlinburg/
- The Quacks of Quedlinburg review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/06/06/the-quacks-of-quedlinburg-saturday-review/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Vopna by Alexander Nakarada (https://filmmusic.io/song/4748-vopna)
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Sound Effects: BBC Sound Effects library at http://bbcsfx.acropolis.org.uk/
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- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
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As we all know, plastics are the scourge of our planet and can now be found virtually everywhere - from the obvious places like landfill sites to the most unexpected such as in the Arctic. They have invaded the food chain and it is estimated that less than 10% of plastics is recycled each year globally. Some countries have introduced legislation banning certain types of plastics and we each can do our bit to help reduce the use of plastic and thereby reduce plastic waste - and we can try to influence the use of plastics in our hobby.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/07/07/less-is-more-topic-discussion/
Links
- Haba: https://www.haba.de/en_GB
- Haba sustainability and responsibility statement: https://www.haba.de/en_GB/e/sustainability-and-responsibility-at-haba–om6rp1
- Haba USA‘s Twitter post: https://twitter.com/TheOneTAR/status/1275160323826180096
- Hasbro: https://corporate.hasbro.com/en-us
- Hasbro press release: https://newsroom.hasbro.com/news-releases/news-release-details/hasbro-phase-out-plastic-new-toy-and-game-packaging
- subQuark: https://subquark.com/
- subQuark‘s Earth-friendly statement: https://subquark.com/earthfriendly.html
- Big Potato Games: https://bigpotato.com/
- Big Potato Games‘ Twitter post: https://twitter.com/bigpotatogames/status/1167383051623653382
- P For Pizza: https://bigpotato.com/gb/games/p-for-pizza/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Dreams by Bensound (https://www.bensound.com)
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"So, let me illustrate. Imagine a line that represents time and at one point is 1985, to the left of it the past and to the right of it the future. If we travel back in time and make some small changes, the timeline skews off at an angle, creating an alternate 1985 - or rather, it's an alternate to you, Einstein and me, but a complete reality for everyone else. It turns out that Biff took the Sports Almanac into the past and thereby created this new timeline. It's now up to us to find a new way to get Back to the Future: Dice Through Time by Ravensburger."
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/07/04/back-to-the-future-dice-through-time-saturday-review/
Links
- Unboxing video: https://youtu.be/FUdEq4QZbtY
- Rules teach video by Watch it Played!: https://youtu.be/loYoxo6-kow
- Back to the Future: Dice Through Time: https://www.ravensburger.org/uk/products/games/strategy-games/back-to-the-future-26842/index.html
- Ravensburger: https://www.ravensburger.org/uk/start/index.html
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Rising Sun by Sascha Ende (https://filmmusic.io/song/86-rising-sun)
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Sound Effects: FreeSound (https://freesound.org/)
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
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Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/
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Different people buy games for different reasons, and many of us will have amassed a little, or not so little, collection that we have at home that we are proud of. Yet, sometimes we're not sure how we got there or how we should continue going forward. So it's often good to re-evaluate the games we've got and think about why we have bought them. Then we can decide how we want to continue in the future, and in this article, I want to look at some of the reasons why people buy games and how they curate their collections.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/06/30/collected-collections-topic-discussion/
Links
- EmperorS4: https://en.emperors4.com/
- Marvel: https://www.marvel.com/
- Oink Games: https://oinkgames.com/en/
- Gloom: https://www.atlas-games.com/gloom/
- Mystic Vale: https://www.alderac.com/mystic-vale/
- Mystic Vale review:
- Canvas: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/roadtoinfamy/canvas-2
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Buzzkiller by Alexander Nakarada (https://filmmusic.io/song/5820-buzzkiller)
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
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A small queue of customers was waiting outside. It was our opening day. We had our tea ready and some bits in our pantry, but still had to buy the flavours, which we wanted to get fresh from the market during the day, so that every tea would taste fresh and our customers would be happy. Everyone was nervous, but there was nothing for it - we had top open up and start serving Chai by Steeped Games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/06/27/chai-takebacks/
Links
- Unboxing video: https://youtu.be/_rjrQYyR_oI
- Rules teach video by Watch It Played!: https://youtu.be/P51mmr1m8kc
- Steeped Games: https://steepedgames.com/
- Chai review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2018/11/24/chai/
- GameTrayz: https://gametrayz.com/
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I often feel that we accept the written word as something that's a given and don't pay much attention to it. We feel that writing isn't hugely important and that it's fine to just jot anything down, without much care or attention. That's often fine and it's great that people give writing a go. In fact, I encourage people to try and express themselves in written form. Keep tweeting, posting, texting and emailing. However, I think that there are times when it's vitally important that the writing is done well and with care - and writing is actually hard if you want to do it well. Yet, in the board game hobby, writing is too often done by the wrong people, which can spoil the game experience.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/06/23/oh-my-word-topic-discussion/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Arrival by Arnav Srivastav (https://soundcloud.com/909-music/arnav-srivastav-arrival-get-it)
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It was time to build a better future and turn this city around. We knew we had to reduce our carbon output quickly. Our aim was to be carbon neutral. Yet, the road there would be difficult and tough decisions had to be made. Modernizing our housing stock, building wind farms, offering grants for solar panels and everything else would cost a lot of money. If we wanted to move quickly, we might have to accept a temporary increase in carbon output to build factories, that would help us finance the final goal - or we could go slowly and use our existing funds to improve things gradually. We were not alone though. There were a number of others who wanted to become the first Carbon City Zero by Possible.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/06/20/carbon-city-zero-saturday-review/
Links
- Carbon City Zero: https://www.wearepossible.org/carbon-city-zero
- Possible: https://www.wearepossible.org/
- Print-and-play version: https://www.pnparcade.com/products/carbon-city-zero
- Carbon City Zero on Tabletopia: https://tabletopia.com/games/carbon-city-zero
- Carbon City Zero unboxing video: https://youtu.be/MvIH_w-tijs
- Quadropolis review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/06/13/quadropolis-saturday-review/
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If you like competitive games, then you're probably familiar with trying to gauge where in the ranking you currently are during the game. Some games offer score tracks, so it's immediately clear how far ahead or behind you are - or if you're somewhere in the middle. Many games, however, keep the score hidden and it only becomes clear at the end who won. Yet, it can be very important to know if you're in the lead or not, so you can plan accordingly.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/06/16/calculated-victory-topic-discussion/
Links
- Smallworld: https://www.daysofwonder.com/smallworld/en/
- Days of Wonder: https://www.daysofwonder.com/en/index/
- Scythe: https://stonemaiergames.com/games/scythe/
- Scythe review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/01/19/scythe/
- Stonemaier Games: https://stonemaiergames.com/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: View by Ametryo (https://soundcloud.com/ametryo/view)
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"I think everyone agrees. We want to build the best metropolis in the world and we have a great opportunity to do so from scratch. We have a large plot of land that is ready to be built on. We can really create something special here that will make everyone happy. It will be magnificent." The mayor looks around the room at all the happy and excited faces, until he spots the urbanist. "What's wrong?" the mayor asks. "Well," the urbanist replies, "we do have a few challenges. Depending on which architect builds what we can place new buildings only in certain columns or rows of the empty plot's grid system, and we can only choose buildings from a specific row or column from the available ones. It's going to be really tricky to build our Quadropolis by Days of Wonder."
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/06/13/quadropolis-saturday-review/
Links
- Quadropolis: https://www.daysofwonder.com/quadropolis/en/
- Days of Wonder: https://www.daysofwonder.com/en/index/
- Quadropolis unboxing video: https://youtu.be/FKTR2awo334
- Carcassonne: https://www.zmangames.com/en/products/carcassonne/
- Z-Man Games: https://www.zmangames.com/en/index/
- Ticket to Ride: https://www.daysofwonder.com/tickettoride/en/
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
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There are many reasons why some games are played a couple of times and then put to one side. Often the game just doesn't suit you or your games group or it doesn't meet the expectations you had. However, there are also games that are put to one side, but then get brought back to the table again after some time - and I want to look at what these games are for me and why I put them away for a while before getting them out again.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/06/09/coming-around-again-topic-discussion/
Links
- Scythe: https://stonemaiergames.com/games/scythe/
- Scythe review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/01/19/scythe/
- Stonemaier Games: https://stonemaiergames.com/
- Smallworld: https://www.daysofwonder.com/smallworld/en/
- Days of Wonder: https://www.daysofwonder.com/en/index/
- The Quacks of Quedlinburg: https://www.schmidtspiele-shop.de/die-quacksalber-von-quedlinburg
- The Quacks of Quedlinburg review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/06/06/the-quacks-of-quedlinburg-saturday-review/
- Schmidt Spiele: https://www.schmidtspiele.de/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Aviated by Nana Kwabena (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR8WNU7NJOQYJMfQgBAUSqg)
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"Carefully now," you mumble as your hand reaches into the bag of ingredients. "That's it," you mutter as you pull out another pumpkin piece and add it to your bubbling pot. "One more, just one more," you say to yourself as you pray that the next ingredient won't be another cherry bomb. It would be disastrous. You have plenty of toadstools, pumpkins, crow skulls and emerald spiders in your bag, so you should be all right. "Come on, come on," you pray as you slowly withdraw your hand and reveal the ingredient you hold. "Oh no!" It's a cherry bomb of course and with a loud bang, your pot explodes. Now you have no chance of competing with the other Quacks of Quedlinburg by Schmidt Spiele.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/06/06/the-quacks-of-quedlinburg-saturday-review/
Links
- The Quacks of Quedlinburg: https://www.schmidtspiele-shop.de/die-quacksalber-von-quedlinburg
- Schmidt Spiele: https://www.schmidtspiele.de/
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In the next article in my series about how board games go from an idea to a product, I want to talk about the creative people who are responsible for the graphics and other visual bits that we see when we play games. Very often their work is what we see first and remember vividly afterwards, but very rarely do we remember their names. If done well, the visual elements of a game blend seamlessly and add to the experience but don't detract from the gameplay.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/06/02/graphic-games-topic-discussion/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Uplift by AShamaluevMusic (https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com/)
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"Silence!" you shout at the two imps sitting opposite you in the surveillance van. "It's time you two pilferers sneak into the factory and steal some tasty doughnuts. It'll be absolutely pitch black in there, so I'll be watching you from here and tell you which direction to go. Remember: north, east, south or west. Just make sure you keep going until you grab a doughnut or hit a wall. Oh, and if you come across anyone from a rival gang, just grab one of their doughnuts as you bump into them. All right?" The two imps reply with a loud and clear "Yes, sir!" and shuffle out of the van. Moments later, you spot them on the security cameras. Good. You're ready to start the Doughnut Dash by The Dark Imp.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/05/30/doughnut-dash-saturday-review/
Links
- Doughnut Dash: https://www.thedarkimp.com/product/doughnut-dash/
- The Dark Imp: https://www.thedarkimp.com/
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
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I previously shared my experiences of games nights with friends who are all in different places, briefly touching on the different platforms available, but focussing more on the experience and what to do to make it feel as close to being together as possible. Now I want to look at the different ways I have played games remotely with others in more detail. I hope it will help you find a solution to your situation.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/05/26/distant-friends-topic-discussion/
Links
- Isolated games night topic discussion: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/04/21/isolated-games-night-topic-discussion/
- Tabletopia: https://tabletopia.com/
- Tabletop Simulator: https://store.steampowered.com/app/286160/Tabletop_Simulator/
- Clans of Caledonia review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/03/02/clans-of-caledonia/
- Scythe review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/01/19/scythe/
- Yucata review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/05/04/yucata/
- Happy Meeple review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/04/27/happy-meeple/
- Board Game Arena: https://boardgamearena.com/
- Steam: http://steampowered.com/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Del Sol by MusicParadise (https://filmmusic.io/song/5063-del-sol)
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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Four mighty rulers compete to create the most wonderful dominion of them all. They stand proud at the top of their keep and survey the blank canvas of their lands below them. They want to create beautiful lakes full of fish to cater for many fishermen, large forests with mighty trees that will keep their many woodcutters supplied all year round, expansive meadows full of content sheep and happy farmers, giant fields bursting with healthy grain that hard-working millers will turn into flour in their many mills, expansive mines which overflow with precious ore and make the people rich and some wonderful swamp that... well... does something amazing too. Whoever creates the most productive realm will become the Kingdomino by Coiledspring Games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/05/23/kingdomino-saturday-review/
Links
- Kingdomino: http://www.blueorangegames.com/index.php/games/king-domino
- Coiledspring Games: https://coiledspring.co.uk/
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In last week's article, I talked about what is involved in designing a game. Now I want to continue the story of how a board game is made with the development stage, where a working game is polished to make it sparkle and shine. This step in the process can be informal and something a game designer does themselves as part of making their passion project a reality, or it can be handed over to a dedicated person, which is usually the case if a game is handed over to a publisher.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/05/19/interesting-developments-topic-discussion/
https://tabletopgamesblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/interesting-developments-topic-discussion.mp3
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Twinkling Garden Of Asia by Arnav Srivastav (https://soundcloud.com/909-music/arnav-srivastav-twinkling)
(Photo by César Abner Martínez Aguilar on Unsplash) If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
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Everything felt new and awkward. You had practiced for this as much as you could. Yet, you didn't feel confident. "You can do it," Dawna whispered into your ear piece, as if she knew what you were thinking. "Let's get 'em," came the roar from Farg over the comms, bringing you right back down to earth and giving you the extra nudge you needed to do this. With these two Mo'kons by your side, you stood a good chance. You might not win this time, but you would learn and grow in experience. You would become stronger. It was time for you to step into the Prisma Arena by Hub Games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/05/16/prisma-arena-saturday-review/
Links
- Prisma Arena: https://www.wearehubgames.com/our-games/prisma-arena
- Kickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/roryoconnor/prisma-arena-by-hub-games
- Hub Games: https://www.wearehubgames.com/
- Prisma Arena live teach and playthrough: https://youtu.be/KZxQ_DQA5Ic
- Karmaka review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/07/13/karmaka-saturday-review
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Making a new game is a very long process that can take anything from a few months to many years. It usually starts with a spark of an idea, that slowly glows in the mind of a designer, getting bigger over time until eventually becoming a flame that burns for many months before finally lighting the fire. However, a new game can also come in a flash of inspiration that rapidly spreads and lights up every synapse and brain cell, forcing itself into life. I want to look at these initial, sometimes laborious, steps of game design to find out how designers feed our appetite for new games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/05/12/glowing-designs-topic-discussion/
Links
- The Game Designers review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/03/21/the-game-designers-saturday-review/
- The Game Designers: http://thegamedesignersmovie.com/
- Eric Rayl: https://twitter.com/zoomoutmedia
https://tabletopgamesblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/glowing-designs-topic-discussion.mp3
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Midnight Stroll by Avalon (https://soundcloud.com/freebmusic/avalon-midnight-stroll)
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Lightning strikes around you every few seconds, a hurricane is howling around you and visibility is almost zero. Add to that the fact that you're on a rickety platform 7,000 feet in the air, barely tethered to the barrier rail by rope in an almost vain attempt to stop you from being blown off and plummeting to your death, and it's obvious why the situation is so precarious. You are desperately trying to get to the launch pad, get into the rocket and get away and to safety - but you are still exploring your route there and you also have to wire up the launch system - and you're running out of time. You have to be quick and work together to reach the Forbidden Sky by Gamewright.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/05/09/forbidden-sky-saturday-review/
Links
- Forbidden Sky: https://coiledspring.co.uk/product/forbidden-sky/
- Gamewright: https://gamewright.com/
- Coiledspring Games: https://coiledspring.co.uk/
- Matt Leacock: http://www.leacock.com/
- Forbidden Island review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/05/02/forbidden-island-saturday-review
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There are many reasons why people play board games. I have written about this before, but in this article I want to dive into it a bit deeper. Like with any activity, and apologies if I upset anyone when I call playing board games an activity, people do them for varying reasons. Just think of physical exercise. For many, it will be for health reasons, but it's more faceted than that. Some people might need to lose weight to improve their blood pressure or they exercise just generally to improve their cardiovascular systems. For others it could be a matter of physio therapy after recovering from an injury or people do it to improve their stamina. The reasons why people play board games are just as diverse.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/05/05/such-fun-topic-discussion/
https://tabletopgamesblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/such-fun-topic-discussion.mp3
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Dead Times by BrvtVs (https://soundcloud.com/freebmusic/brvtvs-dead-times-freebackgorundmusic)
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You and your fellow experts had been dropped off by helicopter on the island. It was going to be a rush job, but you were used to it by now. You had to work together to explore the area, find the artifacts and get them and yourself back to the helicopter. The problem was, the water level was rising all the time and this small island was disappearing fast. You did have a diver amongst the group, which would come in useful, but all of you had to shore things up as much as possible to buy yourself some extra time. To add to your troubles, you were on a Forbidden Island by Gamewright.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/05/02/forbidden-island-saturday-review/
Links
- Forbidden Island: https://gamewright.com/product/Forbidden-Island
- Gamewright: https://gamewright.com/
- Matt Leacock: http://www.leacock.com/
- Pandemic: https://www.zmangames.com/en/games/pandemic/
- Z-Man Games: https://www.zmangames.com/en/index/
- Pandemic review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/01/18/pandemic-saturday-review/
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
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The last time I checked my board game player profile on Quantic Foundry was back in October 2019, so just over six months ago. I must say, I knew there would be some changes, because I was playing more types of games and with different groups of people, but I didn't quite expect the types of changes there were. So let's delve into the results from my most recent survey.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/04/28/board-game-player-profile-updated-topic-discussion/
Links
- Quantic Foundry‘s tabletop player profile: https://apps.quanticfoundry.com/surveys/start/tabletop/
- October 2019 profile update: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/10/29/tabletop-player-profile-updated-3
- December 2018 profile update: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2018/12/25/tabletop-player-profile-updated-2
- December 2018 profile update: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2018/12/25/tabletop-player-profile-updated-2
- October 2018 profile update: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2018/10/06/tabletop-player-profile-updated/
- June 2018 profile update: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2018/06/11/co-op-or-competitive/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Positive Determination by Purple Planet Music (https://www.purple-planet.com)
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The monsters are on the rampage. Military jets fill the skies while tanks rumble through the gridlocked streets. There is the endless noise of sirens and people screaming. It's absolute chaos on the ground, but to you, it's more of a minor irritation than anything much to worry about. The jets are like wasps with a painful sting and the tanks like cockroaches trying to bite you. Your real worry are the other monsters, whose attacks could kill you. You're desperately trying to get to Manhatten and become the King of New York in this exciting game by Iello.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/04/25/king-of-new-york-saturday-review/
Links
- King of New York: https://iellousa.com/collections/all-our-games/products/king-of-new-york
- Iello: https://iellousa.com/
- King of Tokyo: https://iellousa.com/collections/all-our-games/products/king-of-tokyo
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
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Games nights are about social interactions, catching up with friends, maybe some ribbing, eating snacks, enjoying a drink, holding cards or moving pieces, maybe rolling dice and enjoying how a game unfolds, its twists and turns. It's about a shared experience and coming together. Yet, at the moment we have to stay apart, which changes how we interact and how we behave at games nights. It also changes how games nights feel. There are things we can do to try and make things feel as normal as possible. So here are some suggestions I have, things that I have learned from my own weekly games nights.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/04/21/isolated-games-night-topic-discussion/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Aspire by AShamaluevMusic (https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com/)
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If you don't have much room for games in your house, like me, then small box games are ideal. Of course, what one person considers a small box might be a medium-sized box for someone else, but I will go with what I consider small boxes, which is really small, and list five great small box games that will cover a wide range of tastes and experiences. They're listed in alphabetical order, so there is no favouritism here.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/04/18/5-small-box-games-saturday-review/
Links
- Deep Sea Adventure: https://oinkgms.com/en/deep-sea-adventure
- Oink Games: https://oinkgms.com/en/
- Deep Sea Adventure review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/04/11/deep-sea-adventure-saturday-review
- The Blessed Dark: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/nmeunier/the-blessed-dark-a-cult-themed-mint-tin-card-dice-game
- Nathan Meunier: https://twitter.com/nmeunier
- The Blessed Dark review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/07/20/the-blessed-dark-saturday-review
- Microbrew: https://www.onefreeelephant.co.uk/Microbrew/
- One Free Elephant: https://www.onefreeelephant.co.uk/
- Microbrew review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/06/22/microbrew-saturday-review
- Mint Tin Mini Skulduggery: https://subquark.com/rules-mtmskulduggery.html
- subQuark: https://subquark.com/
- Mint Tin Mini Skulduggery review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/03/09/mint-tin-mini-skulduggery/
- Mint Works: https://five24labs.com/mint-works
- Five24 Labs: https://five24labs.com/
- Mint Works review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/08/17/mint-works-saturday-review
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In open, or perfect, information games, everything is there for everyone to see. Nothing is hidden. The whole state of the game is right there in front of you. Chess is probably the most famous perfect information game - and the most classic one. However, just because all the information about the game state is available to you, doesn't mean you actually know everything. In this article, I want to look at what information you need to work out for yourself in these games and what game experience that creates.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/04/14/open-information-topic-discussion/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Triumphal by AShamaluevMusic (https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com/)
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The dive team was getting ready to leave the submarine. The oxygen tank was full, but it was limited. Everyone's lines were connected to it, so everyone had to be frugal and be aware that the air was shared among the team. It was going to be risky, but nobody was under any illusions. After a few last checks, it was time to leave the vessel and hunt for treasure - and make it back alive. It was going to be a Deep Sea Adventure by Oink Games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/04/11/deep-sea-adventure-saturday-review/
Links
- Deep Sea Adventure: https://oinkgms.com/en/deep-sea-adventure
- Oink Games: https://oinkgms.com/en/
- Unboxing video: https://youtu.be/c-Pupu1FtAA
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
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There are many things that affect our mental health in some way. It could be a life-changing or otherwise significant event. It could be certain habits we have or things we do - or don't do. Our physical health can also affect it, as well as the health of someone close to us. Our relationships also have an influence on our mental health. These are all very broad stroke headlines and there are many things that fit into each of those categories. Of course, different events affect each of us differently - in different ways and at different times. Ultimately, it's about how we deal with these events that decided how they affect our mental health.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/04/07/high-spirits-topic-discussion/
Links
- Useful Links: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/links/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Uluru by Purple Planet Music (https://www.purple-planet.com/dreamy)
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It feels like a long time ago now, but thinking back to AireCon, which took place last month, still puts a smile on my face. It meant a long car journey for me, travelling over five hours from the South Coast all the way up to Harrogate in deepest Yorkshire. I started early, around 6am, on the Friday, because I was aiming to get there by lunchtime. I wanted to see a few people who were going to be there - one of my wonderful Patreon supporters, a game designer who I got chatting to on Twitter and who was demoing his new game at the event, a more established game designer who I was hoping to arrange an interview with, as well as the board game "celebrities" who had made their way from across the pond. It was going to be busy.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/04/04/airecon-2020-saturday-review/
Links
- AireCon: https://www.airecon.co.uk/
- The Crafting Jones: https://thecraftingjones.com/
- Redwell Games: http://redwellgames.com/
- Ruined Sky Games: https://www.ruinedsky.com/
- Minerva Tabletop: https://twitter.com/minervatabletop
- Oink Games: https://oinkgms.com/en/
- Stuff by Bez: http://www.stuffbybez.com/
- Tiz Creel: https://www.tizcreel.com/
- Paula Deming: https://www.youtube.com/c/paulademing
- Matthew Jude: https://twitter.com/matthew_jude_
- Death by Monsters: https://deathbymonsters.libsyn.com/
- Pointless Parrot Podcast: http://pointlessparrotpodcast.libsyn.com/
- More Games Please: https://www.moregamesplease.com/
- Dave Luza: https://twitter.com/TheHappyLuza
- This Game is Broken: https://thisgameisbroken.libsyn.com/
- Dávid Turczi: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/76227/david-turczi
- Excavation Earth: https://www.mighty-boards.com/14/80/Excavation-Earth
- Board Game Inquisition: https://boardgameinquisition.com/
- Tabletop Inquisition: https://tabletopinquisition.com/
- Mark Cooke: https://www.facebook.com/markfcooke
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
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I have always hoped that our community would work together to help each other through tough times, and it seems that my hopes have been answered. I don't think I need to describe the recent, global events, but when many of us had to stay at home and our social bonds were put under pressure, a lot of people did what they could to bring people together again and create a fresh sense of community.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/03/31/pulling-together-topic-discussion/
Links
- Gaming Rules: https://www.youtube.com/user/GamingRulesVideos/
- The Giant Brain: https://giantbrain.co.uk/
- The Giant Brain’s Twitch channel: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/572886727
- More Games Please: https://www.moregamesplease.com/
- More Games Please’s Twitch channel: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/573852356
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Aspire by AShamaluevMusic (https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com/)
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Ensuring you can continue to stock the display cases with new exhibits, while also being able to pay your loyal and hard-working staff, is very hard. It is all about getting as many people through the door to raise income, as well as have a better chance of attracting funding to see you through another month. However, at the moment your museum isn't in great shape and you need to expand to make room for more exhibits, which in turn should attract more visitors. Well, nobody said it would be easy in Curators: Collection Conundrum by Worldshapers.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/03/28/curators-collection-conundrum-saturday-review/
Links
- Curators: Collection Conundrum: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/worldshapers/curators?ref=revo15
- Worldshapers: https://twitter.com/WorldshapersBG
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Text and board games are inextricably linked. You find text in various places in every board game to a greater or lesser extent. I can't think of any game that doesn't have some text somewhere, but feel free to prove me wrong in the comments below. At the very least, there will be text on the box, stating where the game was made or what its player count is. At the other end of the spectrum, you'll find games that are text-heavy. I want to look at the varying levels of use of text in modern board games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/03/24/heavy-times-topic-discussion/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Awakening by Beaster (https://soundcloud.com/freebmusic/beaster-awakening-free-background-music)
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We all love to play board games. We each have our favourite genres, themes and mechanisms, and ultimately our favourite games. Over time our favourites change of course, as new games come out and we get a chance to play them. Yet, when we play a board game, we don't usually think about how this game came into being in the first place. Chances are we know the designer of the game. In fact, we might have chosen the game because we like other games by the same designer. Yet, very few will have any inkling of the hard work the designer has put into taking a spark of an idea and turning it into a working game. In the film The Games Designers written and directed by Eric Rayl, Mike Selinker phrases it really well: "Board game design is hard, like, I mean, real hard."
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/03/21/the-game-designers-saturday-review/
Links
- The Game Designers: http://thegamedesignersmovie.com/
- Eric Rayl: https://twitter.com/zoomoutmedia
- Mike Selinker: https://twitter.com/mikeselinker
- Design challenges Topic Discussion article: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/03/17/design-challenges-topic-discussion
- Chris Faulkenberry: https://twitter.com/ccfaulkenberry
- Doug Schepers: https://twitter.com/shepazu
- Kelly North Adams: https://twitter.com/boardofplaying
- Matt Leacock: https://twitter.com/mattleacock
- Antoine Bauza: https://twitter.com/Toinito
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The list of tasks a game designer has open at any one point in time can be very long and it is constantly evolving. Designing a game is a long journey, even for the simplest of games. It can be a battle between what's good for the game and what the game designer wants the game to be. It comes with a lot of changes, some of them very painful, some of them creating the long-needed breakthrough that breaks an impasse. Elements get added, others get taken out until eventually, the final product bears little resemblance to the notes that were scribbled on a piece of paper when the designer had an initial idea.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/03/17/design-challenges-topic-discussion/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Hip-hop Beat by PlutoTracks (https://soundcloud.com/plutotracks/better-hip-hop-beat-piano-and-guitar-instrumental-chill-ambient-relaxing-background-music)
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The air is still and the sky is mostly clear. There are only a couple of fluffy clouds and sparkly stars fill the firmament. The forest is flourishing, stocked with many great, big trees with long branches colonized by many fragrant flowers, marvellous mushrooms, wriggly worms and fantastic fireflies. You are proud of what you have achieved in the three preceding growing seasons. It wasn't easy to decide how to grow each tree so that it would be in harmony with nature and be inviting to a varied flora and fauna. Yet, you did it. You pleased the spirits of the forest, the so-called Kodama: The Tree Spirits by Action Phase Games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/03/14/kodama-the-tree-spirits-takebacks/
Links
- Kodama: The Tree Spirits: https://www.actionphasegames.com/pages/kodama-the-tree-spirits
- Action Phase Games: https://www.actionphasegames.com/
- Kodama: The Tree Spirits review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/09/14/kodama-the-tree-spirits-saturday-review/
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
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We all love high quality, gorgeous game components. Chunky dice, metal coins, thick cardboard, linen finished cards, detailed miniatures or custom meeples. However, what we often forget is how components are used in games. We all know about rolling dice, playing cards and placing workers, but there are other, much more inventive ways of using components in games that can make playing them more memorable and exciting for us and it is one of the things that I am always keeping an eye out for.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/03/10/leading-role-topic-discussion/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Calm Wind by Elaxdy (https://soundcloud.com/elaxdy/calm-wind)
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Your stable is ready. You’ve chosen three creatures from your selection of 30. There are the Chill Wraith, the Stasis Golem and the Skinling. You know that some of them will lose and some will win, which is fine. In fact, it’s what you’re betting on happening, because if you win your bet, irrespective of whether the creature wins or loses, it will give you a strategic advantage in the next round of combat. You also have a few trumps up your sleeves. The Iron Tusks, which you have kept back for now, will make one of the creatures even stronger, and you have pulled some strings behind the scenes, so you know that you can fix one of the matches in your favour. You are confident that you will come out on top in Underleague by Cogwright Games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/03/07/underleague-saturday-review/
Links
- Underleague: https://cogwright-games.myshopify.com/products/underleague-core-game-copy-ul-core-001
- Cogwright Games: http://www.cogwrightgames.com/
- Unboxing video: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/02/20/underleague-unboxing/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
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Of course it is important to make sure everyone knows about the game you’re planning to release very soon or the campaign that’s going to launch on Kickstarter shortly. You want people to be excited, so they share it with their friends. You want people to think your game is the best fit for them, so it can compete with the myriad of other games vying for people’s attention all the time. In fact, you want your game to be amazing – the best it can be. You want others to love it as much as you do. However, there comes a point at which you might be promising more than the game can deliver. You can run the risk of overhyping your game, which can have a hugely negative effect.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/03/03/great-expectations-topic-discussion/
Links
- Wingspan: https://stonemaiergames.com/games/wingspan/
- KeyForge: https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/products/keyforge/
- Everdell: https://www.starling.games/everdell
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
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"Diamonds, gold, silver, cloth, spices, leather," you shout from your stall into the hustle and bustle of the market. You are not the only trader vying for the many people wandering around the square, most of whom are tourists looking for a bargain. In fact, there is one other trader selling the same wares as you, and both of you pride yourselves on selling the finest goods. Neither of you wants to sell cheap, but if you're not quick enough, prices will drop and you will end up with a stall full of unsold items. However, what you both want most, over everything else, is to attract the Maharajah's eye and be granted one of his rare Seals of Excellence in the hope that you will become his personal trader in Jaipur by GameWorks.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/02/29/jaipur-saturday-review/
Links
- Jaipur: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/54043/jaipur
- GameWorks: http://www.gameworks.ch/IND_GB.html
- Unboxing video: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/02/27/jaipur-unboxing
- Jaipur on Yucata.de: https://www.yucata.de/en/Rules/Jaipur
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
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We all have heard of knock-off copies of designer bags or clothing, illegal copying of DVDs and CDs, as well as cheap versions of toys that are basically replicas of products sold by big brands. After all, there is good money to be had by the makers of these fakes, as well as a good chunk of money to be saved by people who buy the copies instead of the much more expensive originals. However, what is probably less well known is that modern board games have also become a target of unscrupulous people who want to make a quick buck. So, let me give you a couple of examples of games which were counterfeit in the last couple of years and the lessons we should take away.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/02/25/faking-it-topic-discussion/
Links
- CGE: https://czechgames.com/en/
- Codenames: https://czechgames.com/en/codenames/
- CGE press release about Codenames fakes: https://czechgames.com/en/home/news-18-01-26-fake-codenames/
- Gameosity article about Codenames fakes: https://gameosity.com/2018/02/13/fake-codenames-infiltrate-the-market/
- Gameosity: https://gameosity.com/
- Stephen Buonocore: https://twitter.com/StrongholdGames
- Stronghold Games: http://strongholdgames.com/
- Board Games Insider: http://boardgamesinsider.com/
- Terraforming Mars: http://strongholdgames.com/our-games/terraforming-mars/
- Terraforming Mars fakes: https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/2138805/how-know-if-your-terraforming-mars-genuine-picture
- Tabletop Gaming magazine: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/ttg
- Tabletop Gaming magazine January 2018 article about counterfeit board games: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/features/the-counterfeit-board-games-crisis-is-there-a-fake-in-your-collection/
- Z-Man Games: https://www.zmangames.com/en/index/
- Pandemic: https://www.zmangames.com/en/products/pandemic/
- Pandemic fakes: https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/2235118/my-copy-pandemic-fake
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Hopeful by AShamaluevMusic (https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com/sad-music)
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Website:
Your tribe is sitting around the fire - a new invention that will prove to be the spark of great things to come, things that nobody can yet predict or even dream of. It feels like you have been here before though. The scene seems very familiar. The faces may be different and so is the location, but the warmth of the flames and the crackling of the embers trigger memories in you - memories of a bright future, memories of generations to come, of a civilization rising out of the plains and large structures reaching into the sky. Yet, something is different this time. It seems as if your tribe of Traders has an extra coin and an extra food in this more balanced version of Tapestry by Stonemaier Games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/02/22/tapestry-takebacks/
Links
- Tapestry: https://stonemaiergames.com/games/tapestry/
- Stonemaier Games: https://stonemaiergames.com/
- Amended setup for Tapestry: https://app.box.com/s/uqp6m71co7gdyfahz5qamp3bd7o1v06i
- Tapestry review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/11/09/tapestry-saturday-review/
- Tapestry unboxing video: https://youtu.be/vT8kOHae9j4
- Andrew Bosley interview: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/07/22/andrew-bosley-let-me-illustrate/
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
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In recent years, there seems to have been a surge in board game events in the UK, where people come together for a day or two to play games with old friends and new. I'm thinking of events like AireCon, Manorcon or Tabletop Scotland, but there are many more. These events are different to expos, like the UK Games Expo, which do have open play or tournaments, but whose main focus is on exhibitors showing off their products. What I want to talk about here are more like festivals, where the focus is on playing, and exhibitors, seminars and other activities are secondary - and I want to look at AireCon in particular.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/02/18/playing-together-topic-discussion/
Links
- AireCon: https://www.airecon.co.uk/
- Manorcon: http://manorcon.org.uk/
- Tabletop Scotland: https://tabletopscotland.co.uk/
- UK Games Expo: https://www.ukgamesexpo.co.uk/
- The Dice Tower: https://www.dicetower.com/
- Death by Monsters: https://deathbymonsters.libsyn.com/
- Things Get Dicey: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfMI4taWfL9pQPREM_ZwQd7Y6BLsPq6yT
- The Brothers Murph: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSX3ACjhZkM8rixZ1Ni_VPA
- This Game is Broken: https://thisgameisbroken.libsyn.com/
- No Pun Included: https://www.nopunincluded.com/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Orbitalmelody by Lilo Sound (https://electronicmoods.com/)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
- Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
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"I know," said the King's master builder, "if we use modular rooms, all of them square, we could manufacture several of them, all at the same time, in our many workshops, transport them to the site as they are finished, and connect them on-site to build a magnificent castle, befitting our Highness' standing and reputation. In fact, we could build several castles all at the same time, all as glorious as each other." "That's madness," his apprentice exclaimed in horror. "Exactly," the King's master builder replied, "but imagine the wonderful feeling of amazement our Royal Highness will get when he surveys the construction from a vantage point Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig."
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/02/15/between-two-castles-of-mad-king-ludwig-saturday-review/
Links
- Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig: https://stonemaiergames.com/games/between-two-castles/
- Stonemaier Games: https://stonemaiergames.com/
- Bézier Games: https://beziergames.com/
- Unboxing video: https://youtu.be/etIaimmbg2s
- Between Two Cities: https://stonemaiergames.com/games/between-two-cities/
- Castles of Mad King Ludwig: https://beziergames.com/products/castles
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
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Sure. It's always great to play with the latest shinies and be at the cutting edge of what board games have to offer. It makes you feel trendy, in-the-know or it's just great to have bought something new. I love it myself. It's amazing when someone offers you a game for review that hasn't been released yet. You feel honoured. It's a special thing. It just makes you happy, and enjoying games has a lot to do with happiness for a lot of people. However, there is also the flipside. It can be stressful, and often very expensive, to always hunt for the latest game, the newest release. Your fear of missing out can turn into panic. That's when it's time to remind ourselves where our interest in the hobby started.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/02/11/fear-of-the-new-topic-discussion/
Links
- Restoration Games: https://restorationgames.com/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Alston & Ozone by LSDesigns (https://soundcloud.com/freebmusic/alston-ozone-lsdesigns-freebackgroundmusic)
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- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
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Our heighliner was positioned safely in Arrakis' orbit. With a steady stream of Spice filling our coffers gradually, we had to be patient and observe from afar the goings-on down on the planet itself. It was clear that House Atreides was pivotal in the unfolding events and our scheme had to remain hidden until the right moment was reached. The cogs were set in motion and doubts had been planted in the Emperor's mind that would lead to their unavoidable conclusion. The Spice needs to flow on Dune by Gale Force Nine.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/02/08/dune-saturday-review/
Links
- Dune: https://www.gf9games.com/dune/
- Gale Force Nine: https://www.gf9games.com/home
- Dune (1979): https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/121/dune
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
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Growing up, I played a lot of tabletop games with my parents and brother. Yes, there was Monopoly of course, as well as other roll-and-move games such as Winnetou, but also tableau builders like Ogallala and a stock market game called Das Börsenspiel which required a little more strategic thinking. It was mostly my brother who would teach us these sort of games, and my parents would teach us trick-taking games like Skat and Doppelkopf. So in this article I want to look at how I learned those games and how the rules were taught.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/02/04/home-teaching-topic-discussion/
Links
- Monopoly: https://monopoly.hasbro.com/en-gb/toys-games
- Winnetou: https://www.spiele-check.de/12620-Winnetou.html
- Ogallala: https://www.capricorns-spielegilde.ch/spiele/anleitung-ogallala-de-1-_1337780018.pdf
- Das Börsenspiel: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Das_B%C3%B6rsenspiel
- Skat: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skat_(card_game)
- Doppelkopf: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doppelkopf
- Smallworld: https://www.daysofwonder.com/smallworld/en/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
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Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/
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After finishing my shift in the press room at the local newspaper, I had returned home. As I entered the apartment block’s communal hallway and went over to collect my post, I saw that someone had changed the padlock on my letterbox. I knew that my own padlock had never been very secure, and I always expected someone to cut it with a bolt cutter to steal my post. However, I never thought anybody would go through the trouble of replacing my own lock with theirs, but clearly someone had done just that. Then I saw a sticky note written by my friend Henry. It seemed that I had to solve a little puzzle to work out the code of the new padlock, which, unbeknownst to me at the time, was going to lead me down a rabbit hole of puzzles of ever-increasing difficulty which would eventually help me uncover a major conspiracy in Escape Room Puzzles by Carlton Books.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/02/01/escape-room-puzzles-saturday-review/
Links
- Escape Room Puzzles: https://amzn.to/2tM7Fef (if you buy the book via this link, I will get a little percentage of the sale from Amazon)
- Carlton Books: https://www.carltonbooks.co.uk/trade/uk-trade
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
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We all play games for different reasons, and we all approach them differently. In fact, we may play the same game differently on two different days, just because we're in a different mood. However, I'm not talking about playing a different strategy or choosing a different character or even just playing with a different player colour. I'm talking about something different altogether.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/01/28/play-styles-topic-discussion/
Links
- Carcassonne: https://www.zmangames.com/en/games/carcassone/
- On the Underground London/Berlin: http://ludicreations.com/product-category/on-the-underground/
https://tabletopgamesblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/play-styles-topic-discussion.mp3
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Uplifting Pop by AShamaluevMusic (https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com)
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
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You sit quietly in your hide, binoculars in hand, peering out over the lake, with the grassland on the other side and the woodlands in the background. You have already spotted a fair number of birds that frequent this nature reserve regularly, but suddenly you spot something new. You think you glimpsed a read head and black and white back. Slowly scanning the woodlands, you see it again, hanging onto the trunk of a dead tree. It's a white-backed woodpecker, which is a new visitor and comes with 80 other birds in Wingspan: European Expansion by Stonemaier Games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/01/25/wingspan-european-expansion-saturday-review/
Links
- Wingspan: European Expansion: https://stonemaiergames.com/games/wingspan/wingspan-european-expansion/
- Stonemaier Games: https://stonemaiergames.com/
- Unboxing video: https://youtu.be/nUjttWsgiPg
- Wingspan review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/03/16/wingspan/
- Top 5 Tabletop Games of 2019: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/12/28/top-5-tabletop-games-of-2019-saturday-review/
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
- Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog
- PayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKD
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Tabletop game designers want to create an enjoyable experience for people - whatever enjoyable means in this context. From that starting point, they create a game that is balanced, flows well and meets the desired complexity requirements, as well as meets other criteria. They may use the skillset of developers to refine everything, and if a publisher is involved, there will be additional criteria that have to be met. However, in this article, I want to focus on enjoyment, what it means and whose responsibility it is to make a game enjoyable.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/01/21/enjoyable-design-topic-discussion/
Links
- Yogi: http://www.brainbox.co.uk/game/yogi
- Fog of Love: https://www.fogoflove.com/
- Article about my journey as an alpha player: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/12/03/alpha-one/
- Unboxing videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUjttWsgiPg&list=PLU5Vut7xXvcIGkbx6vTtHJ9yfdPHlpXke
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Midnight Stroll by Avalon (https://soundcloud.com/freebmusic/avalon-midnight-stroll)
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"...as more people are put into isolation in specifically built camps that are guarded by military personnel and run by medical experts and support staff brought in from around the country. The World Health Organization has so far identified five different viruses in this global epidemic. A number of scientific laboratories across the world are working around the clock in an attempt to discover a cure for them all, while teams on the ground travel to infection sites to gather samples and monitor outbreaks." You switch off the TV, because you have to return to your fieldwork and help your team find cures in Pandemic by Z-Man Games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/01/18/pandemic-saturday-review/
Links
- Unboxing video: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/01/23/pandemic-unboxing/
- Pandemic: https://www.zmangames.com/en/games/pandemic/
- Z-Man Games: https://www.zmangames.com/en/index/
- Pandemic: Rising Tide: https://zmangames.com/en/products/pandemic-rising-tide/
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
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Chits, tokens, player boards, tiles, pieces, cards and all the other components we have come to know and love can sometimes be a bit of a problem: when you need to place dozens upon dozens of them into specific places on the game board or player mat and spend hours shuffling dozens of decks of cards before you can even think about starting the game. Setup is something most of us will want to be quick, so we can get to the fun bit as soon as possible.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/01/14/setup-pains/
Links
- Shuffling methods on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuffling
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music: Happiness by BenSound (https://www.bensound.com)
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
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After a short journey by train, you arrive in Berlin at Friedrichstraße central station. Wasting no time, you immediately take the stairs down to the U-Bahn platforms. You want to see as much of this metropole as possible, not just the usual tourist sites, but also the more regular stations that locals would travel to. Your first destination is Zitadelle in Spandau, after which you want to see the famous Potsdamer Platz. However, as you arrive on the platform, you notice there are no trains running. It turns out that you have to take a taxi to Jungfernheide, after which you can take the yellow line to Zitadelle, then back to Jungfernheide and another taxi to Zoologischer Garten, where you can catch the white line. It seems weird, but this is On the Underground London/Berlin by LudiCreations.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/01/11/on-the-underground-london-berlin-saturday-review/
Links
- On the Underground London/Berlin: http://ludicreations.com/product/on-the-underground-london-berlin/
- LudiCreations: http://ludicreations.com/
- Unboxing video: https://youtu.be/klx_ta_uWw4
- Gaming Rules! how to play video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iv5n4KxXWQg
- Gaming Rules! playthrough video: https://youtu.be/d1BtU4xNZZg
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
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Let's start 2020 with a serious topic and wade straight in. I might as well start the year as I mean to go on. So, turn order. It's something that matters very little in some games, and a lot in others. In some games, players take their turns in clockwise order, in others it's based on the faction they've chosen or some other similar measure, or you might bid for turn order. In some games, turn order remains the same throughout the game, in others it changes from round to round. I want to look at the different ways turn order is implemented in games and the effect this can have.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/01/07/turn-order/
https://tabletopgamesblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/turn-order-topic-discussion.wav
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Music from https://filmmusic.io
“Chill” by MusicParadise (http://www.music-paradise.de)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
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Here is a game that has been around the blocks for a few years, but still seems very popular amongst people who like trick-taking games. Skull King by Schmidt Spiele*** does a few things differently to other trick-taking games, which is why it’s so much fun and a game that you can teach to people who are new to trick-taking games. Yet, there is as much depth in this game as there is in other trick-taking games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/01/04/skull-king-saturday-review/
Links
- Skull King: https://www.schmidtspiele-shop.de/skull-king
- Schmidt Spiele: https://www.schmidtspiele-shop.de/
- Grandpa Beck’s Games: https://www.grandpabecksgames.com/
- Thing 12 Games: http://thing12games.com/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
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I wanted to use this opportunity to thank everyone who supports me via Patreon, follows me on Twitter, has subscribed to my YouTube channel, follows me on Instagram, likes my LinkedIn page or who supports me otherwise. A particular thank you goes, of course, to Antoinette from Board Game Inquisition with whom I'm running the Tabletop Inquisition podcast.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/12/31/thank-you-for-a-wonderful-2019/
https://tabletopgamesblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/thank-you-for-a-wonderful-2019-topic-discussion.mp3
Music: Positive Motivation by AShamaluevMusic
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For the first time, the Tabletop Games Blog is giving away an award: the Top Table Award for the best game released in 2019. As you know, a lot of new tabletop games were released this year, probably around 3,000 to 4,000, excluding expansions. That's more games anyone will ever be able to play in a year, and I have probably only seen 20-30 of those. However, I still thought it'd be good to share with you my top 5 games that were published in 2019 and crown the winner.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/12/28/top-5-tabletop-games-of-2019-saturday-review/
Links
- Silver: https://beziergames.com/products/silver
- Bezier Games: https://beziergames.com/
- Silver review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/08/31/silver-saturday-review/
- Tapestry: https://stonemaiergames.com/games/tapestry/
- Stonemaier Games: https://stonemaiergames.com/
- Tapestry review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/11/09/tapestry-saturday-review/
- Roam: https://redravengames.squarespace.com/roam
- Red Raven Games: https://redravengames.squarespace.com/
- Roam review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/11/02/roam-saturday-review/
- Vivaldi: http://www.xvgames.it/en/vivaldi/
- XV Games: http://www.xvgames.it/en/
- Vivaldi review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/11/23/vivaldi-saturday-review/
- Wingspan: https://stonemaiergames.com/games/wingspan/
- Elizabeth Hargrave: https://www.elizhargrave.com/
- Beth Sobel: http://bethsobel.com/about
- Ana Maria Martinez Jaramillo: https://www.anammartinez.com/
- Natalia Rojas: https://www.nataliarojasart.com/shop/original-artwork/
- Spiel des Jahres: https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/
- Wingspan Kennerspiel des Jahres 2019: https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/spiele/fluegelschlag/
- Wingspan review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/03/16/wingspan/
Music from https://filmmusic.io
“Epic Intro 2017” by Sascha Ende (https://www.sascha-ende.de)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
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I know, it's Christmas Eve, so talking about New Year's resolutions might feel a little early, but I thought I'd get them out of the way now, so I can enjoy the holidays. As this blog is about tabletop games, my list of resolutions featured here focuses solely on what I promise to do, or stop doing, with regards to the hobby. Of course, there are many other things, that are personal and private to me and that I aim to become better at next year, but that I won't mention below.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/12/24/resolutions/
Links
- Blog article “Alpha One”: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/12/03/alpha-one/
https://tabletopgamesblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/resolutions-topic-discussion.mp3
Music: Corporate Motivation by AShamluevMusic
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Another year has come and gone. A lot has happened in the world, some good, some bad. The tabletop game community has not got away unscathed of course. Yet, there have also been a lot of positive trends and changes. So as we're nearing the end of 2019, I want to look back at what happened in the tabletop games hobby.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/12/21/2019-saturday-review/
Links
- Francis Tresham: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Tresham_(game_designer)
- Chad Jensen: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/6331/chad-jensen
- Dominant Species: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-621-dominant-species-5th-printing.aspx
- Combat Commander: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-703-combat-commander-europe-4th-printing.aspx
- Dominant Species: Marine: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-738-dominant-species-marine.aspx
- Starting Roll: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjAMzVSxHSw&list=PLUII-TIgX3qFUvnssiJ7puvASOKF1rJHG
- GammaRay: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSf8PUVb3DRY85sFL2BTyPA
- Nyctophobia: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/249505/nyctophobia
- Meeple Like Us: https://meeplelikeus.co.uk/
- Sightless Fun: https://sightless.fun/
- Dibs on Blue: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9FMiJybd6Wlf5f_HPKX9ag
- Watch It Played: https://www.youtube.com/user/WatchItPlayed
- UK Gaming Media Network: https://www.ukgmn.co.uk/
- Tabletop Inquisition: https://tabletopinquisition.com/
- Board Game Inquisition: https://boardgameinquisition.com/
- UK Games Expo: https://www.ukgamesexpo.co.uk/
- Essen Spiel: https://www.spiel-messe.com/en/
- AireCon: https://www.airecon.co.uk/
https://tabletopgamesblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/2019-saturday-review.mp3
Music: Documentary Piano by AShamaluevMusic
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I thought it would be helpful to talk about something that I, and many other people, struggle with around this time of year. It's not quite a tabletop games related topic, but there is a link, as you will see. What I am talking about is the feelings of gloom, self-doubt and general negativity when the days get shorter and the weather is less pleasant. I hope my experiences are helpful to others, even if it's just so people know they are not alone. After all, mental health does matter.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/12/17/dark-times/
Links
- TED Talk “The surprisingly charming science of your gut” by Giulia Enders: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNMQ_w7hXTA
https://tabletopgamesblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/dark-times-topic-discussion.mp3
Music: Filaments by Scott Buckley on SoundCloud
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There is absolute silence and the flickering candles cast eerie shadows of the four people sitting around the table. Everyone has one hand on the table and moves their gaze from face to face, trying to lock onto the thoughts that waft through the other person's mind. The tension is palpable and the air is thick. There is a faint sound of ticking, as if from a grandfather clock, but it's not real. It's in everyone's head. Yet, it's not a single clock, but a jumbled rhythm as each player counts down at their own frequency. Then, slowly, everyone withdraws their hand and the game begins. It's time to get into synch as the game of The Mind Extreme by Nürnberger-Spielkarten-Verlag begins.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/12/14/the-mind-extreme-saturday-review/
Links
- The Mind Extreme: http://www.spiele-offensive.de/nsv/index.php?cmd=nsv_artikel_anzeigen&aid=1024431&kat=109
- Nürnberger-Spielkarten-Verlag: https://nsv.de/
- The Mind Extreme unboxing video: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/12/12/the-mind-extreme-unboxing
- The Mind: https://coiledspring.co.uk/product/the-mind/
- The Mind review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/01/05/the-mind/
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- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
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I thought it might be time to give everyone an update of where I'm at with the blog, the podcast, videos and everything else I do in the industry. After all, we're nearing the end of the year and everyone is starting to reflect on what they have achieved. However, there will be a separate article on my blog talking about what happened in 2019 in the industry in general and with regards to my work specifically, so here I focus on what is involved in producing the content for my various outlets and give you a behind-the-scenes look of what I do.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/12/10/working-9-to-5/
Links
- Board Game Inquisition: https://boardgameinquisition.com/
- Tabletop Inquisition: https://tabletopinquisition.com/
- Make My Game Travel: https://makemygametravel.com/
https://tabletopgamesblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/working-9-to-5-topic-discussion.mp3
Music: Cinematic Light by AShamaluevMusic
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The four armies have landed on the beach of the abandoned island and deposited their troops with intent. They are here to claim their stake and become the new rulers. Yet, battles are rare. The invaders mostly compete for majority, tolerating their opponents’ presence, while brave cohorts cross the seas to reach neighbouring islands in this tiny archipelago. Cities are built to establish a permanent presence, but it doesn’t take long until it is all over. In Eight-Minute Empire: Legends by Red Raven Games, you and up to three other players try to manoeuvre your armies over eight to eleven rounds to come out victorious.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/12/07/eight-minute-empire-legends-saturday-review/
Links
- Eight-Minute Empire: Legends: https://redravengames.squarespace.com/eightminute-empire-legends
- Red Raven Games: https://redravengames.squarespace.com/
- Unboxing video: https://youtu.be/ih-yggBm1gI
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
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As some of you will know, I’m an alpha player at the core, which means I can take over co-operative games and tell people what to do. Even in competitive games I’m the one who makes sure rules are followed and actions are done in the right order. I even adjust tokens or tiles to line them up properly and ensure everything is in the right place. However, I’ve changed a lot over the last year or so and I want to share my journey with you. Maybe it will give you some tips for yourself, if you’re an alpha player too.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/12/03/alpha-one/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
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The price bubble has burst and the property market has crashed. People have lost a lot of money when they were forced to sell everything at a much lower price. They bought too high and got out too late. Yet, there are also a number of happy faces around the table. They bought land when prices were still extremely low, built properties, rented them out, earned a decent income and then sold everything at the peak of the market - or at least sold most of it, breaking even with everything else. These are the property tycoons that managed to make it big in Magnate: The First City by Naylor Games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/11/30/takebacks-magnate-the-first-city/
Links
- Magnate: The First City: https://magnategame.com/
- Naylor Games: https://naylorgames.com/
- Saturday Review of Magnate: The First City: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/06/29/magnate-the-first-city/
- UK Games Expo: https://www.ukgamesexpo.co.uk/
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- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
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I guess it has become tradition now for boardgame blogs to suggest a number of games that people should play with their friends and family over the festive period. As I love tradition, I will do what everyone else is doing and give you a selection of games some of which may suit your taste and may also be a good match for whoever you choose to play with when you enjoy some time off over Christmas.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/11/26/games-of-christmas/
https://tabletopgamesblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/games-of-christmas-topic-discussion.mp3
Music: Yuletide Greetings by Purple Planet Music
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It's been a very long time since I have played one of the classic, German trick-taking games, like Skat or Doppelkopf. My family and I used to play Skat at home a lot when I was in my late teens, early twenties, and I used to play Doppelkopf pretty much every break with my friends in school when I was in my late teens, keeping the session going virtually all day, as one person would leave to get to their lesson and someone else would take their place. I had very much forgotten how much I loved these sort of games, especially the uncertainty in Doppelkopf where you don't know who your partner is until later in the game. However, when someone bought Vivaldi by XV Games at Spiel Essen this year and brought it to the Gaming Rules meet-up, we had so much fun and all my fond memories flooded back.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/11/23/vivaldi-saturday-review/
Links
- Vivaldi: http://www.xvgames.it/en/vivaldi/
- XV Games: http://www.xvgames.it/en/
- Skat: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/6819/skat
- Doppelkopf: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/9364/doppelkopf
- Briscola Chiamata: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/99696/briscola-chiamata
- Spiel Essen: https://www.spiel-messe.com/en/
- Gaming Rules: https://www.youtube.com/user/GamingRulesVideos/
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- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
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Apparently, modern tabletop games have had a huge surge worldwide recently. Mind you, "recently" really means a few years, and it doesn't seem to let up. It's great to see so many people pick up cardboard and have a great time, whether it's alone or with friends, family or complete strangers. So I want to look at what has been happening and see where and how tabletop games have appeared in people's lives.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/11/19/hitting-the-mainstream/
Links
- Monopoly: https://monopoly.hasbro.com/en-gb
- Game of Life: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2921/game-of-life
- Wil Wheaton: http://wilwheaton.net/
- TableTop: https://geekandsundry.com/shows/tabletop/
- James Hudson: https://twitter.com/druidcitygames
- Starting Roll: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUII-TIgX3qFUvnssiJ7puvASOKF1rJHG
- Gamma Ray TV: http://gammaray.tv/
- South Park: https://www.southparkstudios.co.uk/
- Target: https://www.target.com/
- Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/
- Waterstones: https://www.waterstones.com/
- Baloise: https://www.baloise.com/en/home.html
- Sarah’s Vision: https://www.baloise.com/en/home/news-stories/news/media-releases/2019/baloise-develops-a-board-game-for-strategy-communication.html
https://tabletopgamesblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/hitting-the-mainstream.mp3
Music: Sweet by Bensound
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You and a handful of brave explorers have finally found the entrance to Mount Arima, the fearsome volcano that has laid sleeping for decades, and which hides an important secret in its maze of tunnels. Tales of a magical sanctum have drawn you and your fellow adventurers together. You all promise to work together and face whatever dangers you may encounter in the depths of this mountain. Yet, none of you have realized that your allegiance will be tested to your death, if you are not able to escape before the volcano erupts and burns you alive. Sub Terra II: Inferno's Edge by ITB Board Games will require you to work together effectively and swiftly if you want to succeed.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/11/16/sub-terra-ii-infernos-edge-saturday-review/
Links
- Sub Terra II: Inferno’s Edge: http://itbboardgames.com/games/sub-terra-2/
- ITB Board Games: http://itbboardgames.com/
- Sub Terra: http://itbboardgames.com/games/sub-terra
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
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As we commemorate the fall of the Berlin Wall 30 years ago, I wanted to talk about walls in tabletop gaming and look at what walls there still are that might stop people from enjoying the hobby or becoming a part of our growing community. I don't proclaim to be able to tear down all the walls that still exist, but hopefully my thoughts will start a constructive discussion and help move us forward in some way. Maybe we can look back in 30 years and see the positive things that have happened and evaluate what else needs to be done.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/11/12/breaking-down-walls/
Links
- Starting Roll: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUII-TIgX3qFUvnssiJ7puvASOKF1rJHG
- Gaming Rules: https://www.youtube.com/user/GamingRulesVideos/
- Essen Spiel: https://www.spiel-messe.com/en/
- Cards or Die: https://www.cardsordie.com/
- Tabletop Inquisition podcast: https://tabletopinquisition.com/2019/10/28/episode-11-ann-jones-of-cards-or-die-interview/
- Catherine Stippell: https://twitter.com/playnyctophobia
- Stephanie Jessup: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9FMiJybd6Wlf5f_HPKX9ag
https://tabletopgamesblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/breaking-down-walls-topic-discussion.mp3
Music: Cinematic Ambient by AShamaluevMusic
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Through five millennia you guide your civilization from the discovery of fire through vastly different eras to its ultimate end. You discover and develop different technologies, flex your military muscle, explore new lands and execute unexpected and sometimes devastating science experiments as your people advance from generation to generation. In Tapestry by Stonemaier Games, you write an alternative history that has echoes of mankind's but turns out completely different, but hopefully for the better.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/11/09/tapestry-saturday-review/
Links
- Tapestry: https://stonemaiergames.com/games/tapestry/
- Stonemaier Games: https://stonemaiergames.com/
- Tapestry updated review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/02/22/tapestry-takebacks
- Andrews Bosley interview: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/07/22/andrew-bosley-let-me-illustrate/
- Wingspan (Saturday Review): https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/03/16/wingspan/
- Scythe (Saturday Review): https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/01/19/scythe/
- Tapestry unboxing video: https://youtu.be/vT8kOHae9j4
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I'm sure, many of you are tired of hearing all about Essen Spiel 2019. Everyone who went is talking about all the games they saw, played and bought, and anyone who didn't go is reading about all the games everyone saw, played and bought. So I want to talk about the people side of the exhibition and share my experiences of attending this major event for the first time.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/11/05/post-show-blues/
Links
- Essen Spiel 2019: https://www.spiel-messe.com/en/
- Essen Spiel 2019 Most Wanted (Saturday Review): https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/10/12/essen-spiel-2019-most-wanted-saturday-review/
- Mark Cooke: https://twitter.com/aireconuk
- Hush Hush Projects: https://hushhushprojects.com/
- We’re Not Wizards: http://werenotwizards.podbean.com/
- Fog of Love: https://www.fogoflove.com/
- Slickerdrips: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmtyR1piEzGwYR5cfHo_VTQ
- Skull King: https://www.schmidtspiele-shop.de/skull-king
- Schmidt Spiele: https://www.schmidtspiele-shop.de/
- Jacob Jaskov: https://twitter.com/jacobjaskov
- Emma: https://twitter.com/emmzaja
- Semi Co-op: https://www.semicoop.com/
- Board Game Inquisition: https://boardgameinquisition.com/
- Tabletop Inquisition: https://tabletopinquisition.com/
- Gaming Rules: https://www.youtube.com/user/GamingRulesVideos/
- Steeped Games: http://www.steepedgames.com/
- Heavy Cardboard: https://www.heavycardboard.com/
- Jess: https://twitter.com/Boardgame_girl1
- Meet and Play: https://meetandplay-essen.de/
- Der Ablagestapel: http://ablagestapel.blogspot.com/
- UK Games Expo: https://www.ukgamesexpo.co.uk/
https://tabletopgamesblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/post-show-blues-topic-discussion.mp3
Music: Smooth Jazz by AShamaluevMusic
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Here is another beautifully illustrated game by Ryan Laukat. You will immediately recognize it from his other games, such as Near and Far. You will also recognize a lot of the characters he created in his other games and which appear in Roam as well. Yet, this game from Red Raven Games is quite different from the others. There is no resource management, no movement and no storytelling. Instead, you get a lovely, light game that is very easy to explain and learn and relatively quick to play.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/11/02/roam-saturday-review/
Links
- Roam: https://redravengames.squarespace.com/roam
- Red Raven Games: https://redravengames.squarespace.com/
- Unboxing video: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/10/24/roam-unboxing
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
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It has been nearly a year since I last updated my tabletop player profile using the Quantic Foundry‘s online form. Let’s see what has changed since December 2018. I have played a lot of games since then, so there must be some change.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/10/29/tabletop-player-profile-updated-3/
https://tabletopgamesblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/tabletop-player-profile-updated-topic-discussion.mp3
Music: Corporate Ambient by AShamaluevMusic
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Feudal Japan is in turmoil. Warring clans are roaming the land to claim territories and gain influence and power, while vying for the favour of the spirits, the Kami, whose support will help cement the superiority over the enemies. As clans form alliances and recruit legendary monsters to bolster their armies' ranks, everyone prepares for multiple battles which will change the face of Japan. Yet, territories are often held only fleetingly as alliances are betrayed and powers shift. It is up to you to use your cunning and strategic planning to come out the victor in Rising Sun by CMON.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/10/26/rising-sun-saturday-review/
Links
- Rising Sun: https://cmon.com/product/rising-sun/rising-sun
- CMON: https://www.cmon.com/
- Blood Rage: https://cmon.com/product/blood-rage/blood-rage
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I have previously spoken about unique games, which were something new at the time - see my article "There can be only one". It was KeyForge by Fantasy Flight Games and designed by Richard Garfield of Magic: The Gathering fame, which started this new way of making games. There is probably a better and longer description of the term, but in short, the term unique in this context describes games where every published copy is different in a number of ways. In KeyForge this is, for example, the name and logo, as well as the composition of the different cards, but different decks will still have some cards the same. I want to look at some aspects of unique game design in more detail to explore the concept.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/10/22/one-of-a-kind/
Links
- KeyForge: https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/products/keyforge/
- Fantasy Flight Games: https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/
- Richard Garfield: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/14/richard-garfield
- Magic: The Gathering: https://magic.wizards.com/en
- Continental Drift: https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1734082/wip-continental-drift-2017-two-player-pnp-contest
- Tabula Rasa: https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/2260967/wip-tabula-rasa-2019-wargame-print-and-play-contes
- Max Seidman: http://twitter.com/resonym
- Fluxx: https://www.looneylabs.com/games/fluxx
- Star Realms: https://www.starrealms.com/
https://tabletopgamesblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/one-of-a-kind-topic-discussion.mp3
Music from https://filmmusic.io
“Dayly” by MusicParadise (http://www.music-paradise.de)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
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When struggling gramophone salesman Barry discovers a not-so-secret secret lab (I recommend you watch the trailer on Halfbrick's website) which has developed a number of different and increasingly crazy jetpacks, his life changes. He starts with a basic jetpack and flies through the various rooms of the lab to avoid obstacles and find the next and better jetpack to try out for himself. A lot of frantic horizontally scrolling fun ensues, which the boardgame conversion of Jetpack Joyride by Lucky Duck Games tries to reproduce on your dining room table.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/10/19/jetpack-joyride-saturday-review/
Links
- Jetpack Joyride: https://luckyduckgames.com/jetpackjoyride/
- Lucky Duck Games: https://luckyduckgames.com/
- Jetpack Joyride app trailer: https://youtu.be/Jzxi8nid9BQ
- Halfbrick: https://halfbrick.com/
- Unboxing video: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/10/17/jetpack-joyride-unboxing
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Trying to organize a group of people to regularly play games with isn't always straightforward. I am lucky to have a weekly games night group of four, including myself, with people who live quite close, making it easy for us to meet up. I have previously described how you can play games with different groups of people (see "Night, night"). So this time I want to focus on what to consider when trying to organize regular games nights with friends.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/10/15/games-with-friends/
https://tabletopgamesblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/games-with-friends-topic-discussion.mp3
Music from https://filmmusic.io
“Journey Of Hope” by Alexander Nakarada (https://www.serpentsoundstudios.com/)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
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It's that time of the year again. The huge Essen Spiel game fair is upon us, so as is custom, here is my list of games that will be at the exhibition and that I'm looking forward to.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/10/12/essen-spiel-2019-most-wanted-saturday-review/
Links
- Board Game Geek: https://boardgamegeek.com/
- Tabletop Together Tool: https://tabletoptogether.com/tool/
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- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
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Classifying things we encounter is important. It gives us a way to describe them to others, allows us to decide whether things are similar or different and provides a method to create connections between them. Classifications help us with decision making and prediction. However, classifications alone don't fully describe things and especially when we talk about classifying tabletop games, there are a lot more nuances and details that cannot be described by classifications alone. So I want to explore how far classifications can go until their usefulness deteriorates.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/10/08/breaking-down/
Links
- Board Game Geek website: https://boardgamegeek.com/
- Fluxx: https://www.looneylabs.com/games/fluxx
- Star Realms: https://www.starrealms.com/
- Clans of Caledonia: https://karma-games.com/
- Terra Mystica: https://www.zmangames.com/en/products/terra-mystica/
- Android: Netrunner: https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/products/android-netrunner-the-card-game/
- Dominion: http://riograndegames.com/Game/278-Dominion
- Love Letter: https://www.zmangames.com/en/games/love-letter/
- The 7th Continent: https://the7thcontinent.seriouspoulp.com/
- Wingspan: https://stonemaiergames.com/games/wingspan/
- Jaipur: https://www.asmodee.co.uk/featured-product/jaipur/
https://tabletopgamesblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/breaking-down-topic-discussion.mp3
Music: Soft Ambient Medical Corporate Background by RainyAudio
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A handful of small trees stand at the edge of a clearing. The wind blows gently as the sun starts to rise in the east. You can almost see the trees reaching for the light, as they slowly convert the sunshine into sugars, which is used to grow and produce seeds. Each species will have different survival strategies, but all trees have a natural urge to disperse their seeds towards the middle of the clearing, where there is less competition and more fertile ground. However, it won’t be long until the many saplings have filled the available space and the fight for sunshine will become more and more intense. In the meantime, some trees will have grown old and will die, freeing up precious ground for seeds to settle and hopefully germinate. It is for you and up to three of your friends to look after your rootstock in Photosynthesis by Blue Orange Games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/10/05/photosynthesis-saturday-review/
Links
- Photosynthesis: https://www.blueorangegames.com/index.php/games/photosynthesis
- Blue Orange Games: https://www.blueorangegames.com/
- Unboxing video: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/10/03/photosynthesis-unboxing
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
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A hook, as per the dictionary definition, is something that draws you in. In games, a hook can be a number of different things. Often it is something visually exciting, such as beautiful illustrations, amazingly detailed miniatures, realistic resources or some sort of physical component that is integral to gameplay. Hooks can also be an interesting theme, an exciting gameplay mechanism or even the background story behind how a game was made. Certain awards or even the price of a game can be a hook too. Ultimately it’s about finding something that grabs your attention and gets you to take a closer look.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/10/01/im-hooked/
Links
- Tzolk’in: https://czechgames.com/en/tzolkin-the-mayan-calendar/
- Czech Games Edition: https://czechgames.com/en/
- Gizmos: https://cmon.com/product/gizmos/gizmos
- CMON: https://cmon.com/
- Everdell: https://www.starling.games/everdell
- Starling Games: https://www.starling.games/
- Rising Sun: https://cmon.com/product/rising-sun/rising-sun
- Dwellings of Eldervale: https://dwellingsofeldervale.com/
- Breaking Games: https://breakinggames.com/
- Scythe: https://stonemaiergames.com/games/scythe/
- Stonemaier Games: https://stonemaiergames.com/
- Jakub Rozalski: https://jakubrozalski.artstation.com/
- Chronicles of Crime: https://luckyduckgames.com/games/chroniclesofcrime.html
- Lucky Duck Games: https://luckyduckgames.com/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
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Travelling to games night, weighed down with a giant bag full of games isn't easy. I appreciate that many people have a car and use that to get to games night, and that makes sense, especially if you travel a bit further. However, if your friends live only a short while away, then going by bike would be another, and possibly better, option. Yet, a lot of bikes aren't really designed to carry much. Yes, you could get panniers, but they're not ideal. However, these days there are a lot of utility orientated bicycles available from your local bike shop, or you can go one better and get a custom-built bike that is not only up to the task of ferrying around bulky loads, like board games, but is also made exactly how you want it.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/09/28/bespoke-cargo-bike-saturday-review/
Links
- Tom of Old Grey Electric Co on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oldgreyelectricco/
- Bike Radar Choice Award: http://www.bespoked.cc/awards.html
- Bespoked: http://www.bespoked.cc/
- Tern: https://www.ternbicycles.com/uk/
- Omnium: https://omniumcargo.dk
- Harry vs Larry: https://www.larryvsharry.com/
- Scythe: https://stonemaiergames.com/games/scythe/
- Invaders from Afar: https://stonemaiergames.com/games/scythe/scythe-invaders-from-afar/
- The Wind Gambit: https://stonemaiergames.com/games/scythe/scythe-the-wind-gambit/
- Smallworld: https://www.daysofwonder.com/smallworld/en/
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It is always nice to get some positive feedback for the work you do, so winning awards is even more satisfying, especially if you receive one of the many prestigious awards from the industry you work in. So far, the Tabletop Games Blog hasn't won any awards, but in this article I am not fishing for praise, but I want to look at the many board game awards that are run every year and show how winning an award affects the popularity of a game, what costs may be attached with some awards and what the different awards try to achieve within the industry.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/09/24/awarding-times/
Links
- Spiel des Jahres: https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/
- Spielend für Toleranz: https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/spielend-fuer-toleranz/
- Deutscher Spiele Preis: https://www.spiel-messe.com/de/deutscher-spielepreis/
- Essen Spiel: https://www.spiel-messe.com/en/
- Golden Geek Awards: https://boardgamegeek.com/award/8314/golden-geek-awards
- Board Game Geek: https://boardgamegeek.com/
- The Dice Tower Awards: https://www.dicetower.com/content/dice-tower-awards
- The Dice Tower: https://www.dicetower.com/
- Mind Games: https://mensamindgames.com/
- Mensa: https://www.mensa.org.uk/
- Diana Jones Award for Excellence in Gaming: https://www.dianajonesaward.org/
- Golden Elephant Award: https://www.heavycardboard.com/golden-elephant
- Heavy Cardboard: https://www.heavycardboard.com/
- More Games Please: https://www.moregamesplease.com/
- Top 10 Best Board Game Art: https://www.moregamesplease.com/best-board-game-art/2019/1/28/top-10-best-board-game-art-2018
https://tabletopgamesblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/awarding-times-topic-discussion.mp3
Music: Meant to be by Sachko
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In the world of Arzium, groups of brave adventurers travel from town to town, where they load up on supplies and pack animals and recruit new members, who are willing to join them on the long journey, as they look for a lost city, called Last Ruin, where legend says lies a powerful artefact that will fulfil the finder's innermost wishes. It is time for you to add your name to the list of famous explorers, venture into the wild to collect valuable and useful items, meet new people, return to town to work for money and food, travel through abandoned mines and do what is needed to successfully complete the journey. Near and Far: Amber Mines by Red Raven Games allows you to become a hero, if you can compete with your fellow bands of explorers and come out ahead.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/09/21/near-and-far-amber-mines-saturday-review/
Links
- Near and Far: Amber Mines: https://redravengames.squarespace.com/nearandfar
- Above and Below: https://redravengames.squarespace.com/above-and-below
- Red Raven Games: https://redravengames.squarespace.com/
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Games change when played with different numbers of players. I think many of us will have found that games that are said to work for two or more players often are quite a different experience when played with two versus more players. Some games are said to work with a larger number of players, but really work best with a specific number. Games, where you form teams, are often like that, working best with an even number of people, even though they're said to also work with odd numbers. I discussed many of these points in my article Group mentality, so this time I want to focus on some specific issues.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/09/17/count-me-out/
Links
- Automa Factory: http://www.automafactory.com/
- Scythe Saturday Review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/01/19/scythe/
- Tapestry: https://stonemaiergames.com/games/tapestry/
- Stonemaier Games: https://stonemaiergames.com/
- Wingspan Saturday Review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/03/16/wingspan/
- Rising Sun: https://cmon.com/product/rising-sun/rising-sun
- CMON: https://cmon.com/
- The Mind Saturday Review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/01/05/the-mind/
- Coiledspring Games: https://coiledspring.co.uk/
- Star Realms: https://www.starrealms.com/
- White Wizard Games: https://www.whitewizardgames.com/
https://tabletopgamesblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/count-me-out-topic-discussion.wav“][/audio]
Music: Chill by Nina Mazeo
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In a world where every tree is inhabited by its own gentle and benign spirit, it is your important task to ensure that every sapling grows strong and big, and offers a home for as many small creatures and plants as possible, thereby creating harmony and balance in the forest. If you can work in harmony with the seasons and nurture the worms, fireflies, flowers and mushrooms that grow on the tree that you have been tasked to look after, you will come out as the best caretaker and will be generously rewarded with health and happiness by the tree spirit, the kodama, that inhabits your tree. It is this work that you carry out in Kodama: The Tree Spirits by Action Phase Games.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/09/14/kodama-the-tree-spirits-saturday-review/
Links
- Kodama: The Tree Spirits: https://www.actionphasegames.com/pages/kodama-the-tree-spirits
- Action Phase Games: https://www.actionphasegames.com/
- The Hanging Gardens Saturday Review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/05/25/the-hanging-gardens/
- Hans im Glück: https://www.hans-im-glueck.de/en
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I am not sure if you've come across this before, but you may have heard some people on a podcast or in a tabletop games review video talk about a game being overproduced. Often the term is used in a negative way, implying that a game includes unnecessary components and therefore is more expensive than it needs to be. However, different people seem to apply this term to different games in different ways, so I wanted to look at it a bit more closely and see whether we can investigate what overproduced actually means and whether it is indeed a bad thing.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/09/10/overproduced/
https://tabletopgamesblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/overproduced-topic-discussion.mp3
Music: Chilled Vibes by ZigZag Beats
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The stock market is in turmoil. There is a financial crisis. Companies' solvency is in doubt. Panic selling has started for some securities. The year is 1792, and 24 stockbrokers meet in Wall Street in New York under a buttonwood tree to sign an agreement that creates a new way of securities trading, which creates a closed market where everyone can trust each other to honour payments and where investments are legitimate. In Exchange: A Stock Trading Game of Strategy & Wit by Eric Sillies, you are one of the group of 24 and you have to use your wit and cunning to take the beginnings of a new stock exchange to what will eventually become the New York Stock Exchange.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/09/07/exchange-a-stock-trading-game-of-strategy-wit-saturday-review/
Links
- Exchange: A Stock Trading Game of Strategy & Wit: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ericsillies/exchange-a-stock-trading-game-of-strategy-and-wit/description
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We all know that the use of plastics has become a huge issue. So-called microplastics, tiny particles of plastic, have been found in fish and other marine life, and more recently even in arctic snow. Only last week did the World Health Organization ask for "further assessment of microplastics in the environment and their potential impacts on human health." A lot of us have started replacing single-use plastics with recyclable alternatives, such as plastic straws with paper ones, or even plastic toothbrushes with ones made from bamboo. Yet, there is still a lot of plastic in a lot of tabletop games, and I want us to consider its impact.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/09/03/plastic-fantastic/
Links
- What are microplastics? article by the National Ocean Service: https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/microplastics.html
- Fish eat plastic like teens eat fast food, researchers say article by BBC: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-36435288
- Plastic particles falling out of sky with snow in Arctic article by BBC: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-49295051
- World Health Organization (WHO): https://www.who.int/
- WHO calls for more research into microplastics and a crackdown on plastic pollution: https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/22-08-2019-who-calls-for-more-research-into-microplastics-and-a-crackdown-on-plastic-pollution
- The Wood Games: https://www.thewoodgames.com/
- Junk Art: http://www.pretzelgames.com/en/18-junk-art
- Pretzel Games: http://www.pretzelgames.com/en/
Music: Chill by Nina Mazeo
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Here is another game that I shouldn't like, because I don't like memory games, what you have to remember where certain cards are. However, there is something very addictive about Silver, the new card game by Bézier Games. I can't put my finger on it, but somehow I look past my dislike of games where I have to remember things when I play Silver. In fact, I can't stop playing it, especially against the AI that comes with the app.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/08/31/silver-saturday-review/
Links
- Silver: https://beziergames.com/collections/silver-1
- Bézier Games: https://beziergames.com/
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I think supporting independent game publishers, and I include self-publishers too here, by buying their games gives you a warm feeling. In many cases, your money goes directly to one or two people who you know by name, whose photos you've seen many times, whose newsletters you've read, who you followed on Twitter and who you've started to trust. If their game was published with the help of a crowdfunding platform, you will have lived through the journey of the game from its first public outing to the final, finished product. Yet, independent doesn't always mean small, and some publishers who seem to be large are actually only a handful of people. So if you like helping small publishers, because you want to know that your money goes to a couple of great people who deserve your support, you might have to think carefully.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/08/27/independent-perceptions/
Music: Documentary Soundtrack by AShamaluev Music
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I don't like word games. Even though I love writing, which is one of the reasons for this blog, I was never any good at crosswords or Scrabble, and it's not because English is my second language. Even when I do a German crossword or play German Scrabble, I'm still not very good, at least not compared to my parents or a couple of my friends who seem to excel at these. Yet, when I play Hardback by Fowers Games, I have a lot of fun and have a good chance of winning.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/08/24/hardback-saturday-review/
Links
- Hardback: https://www.fowers.games/collections/homepage-products/products/hardback
- Paperback: https://www.fowers.games/collections/homepage-products/products/paperback
- Fowers Games: https://www.fowers.games/
- Star Realms: https://www.starrealms.com/
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I recently talked about how some of us need to let people know what we're up to, by regularly sharing updates with our followers - see my article Image matters. Now I want to drill into this a little deeper and discuss the various platforms you might want to use. My focus is on tabletop game reviews, as this is one of the things I do, but you can apply the same ideas to similar content.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/08/20/viewing-platforms/
https://tabletopgamesblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/tabletop-games-blog-topic-discussion-viewing-platforms.mp3
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As many of you will know, I absolutely love small box games, and mint tin games in particular (see episode 6 of the Tabletop Inquisition podcast). They're so easy to stash away and take with you anywhere, and Mint Works by Five24 Labs is a great example. The small mint tin is robust and can easily deal with knocks, it's quick to set up, as it consists basically of a deck of cards, and the tin itself functions as the pool for the mint worker tokens. The gameplay is also relatively quick, so overall it's ideal for when you're out and about - on a train, plane or a bus, or while you're waiting for food in a pub or restaurant.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/08/17/mint-works-saturday-review/
Links
- Mint Works: https://five24labs.com/mint-works
- Five24 Labs: https://five24labs.com/
- Episode 6 of the Tabletop Inquisition podcast: https://tabletopinquisition.com/2019/07/22/episode-6-small-box-games/
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Unless you're a very outgoing person or working in marketing, you will probably not want to boast about your achievements, or maybe not even see what you do as worth mentioning at all. In fact, you might hate the idea that everyone expects that you constantly post photos and write updates about every little thing that happens in your life. I can see where you're coming from, and there is nothing wrong with that, but if you're a game designer, publisher or a press person, you will need to try and be somehow present, even if that feels alien.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/08/13/image-matters/
https://tabletopgamesblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/tabletop-games-blog-topic-discussion-image-matters.mp3
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I am making a slight diversion from my usual reviews and am looking at a book instead. However, it's The Board Game Book, so don't worry, we're still on topic. It's not the first book all about board games of course, but it certainly stands out, because it counts a number of professional writers among its contributors. So the quality of the writing is high, and the editing and production are also excellent - but let me start at the beginning.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/08/10/the-board-game-book-saturday-review/
Links
- The Board Game Book website: https://www.boardgame-book.com/
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When you look at buying a modern tabletop game, you will have a rough idea as to how much you think it is worth - or you will have some sort of budget in your head that you want to stick to, and which guides you to the sort of games that you think you can afford. Your price expectations will be based on things such as the quantity and quality of the components, replayability and probably also rarity or hotness of a game. Yet, the amount of money you're willing to put on the counter doesn't always match the real cost or value of a game and is either too much or too little in comparison.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/08/06/market-prices/
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Release Date: 2019 Players: 1-4 Designer: Scott Almes Length: 30-60 minutes Artist: Roland MacDonald, Benjamin Shulman Age: 10+ Publisher: Gamelyn Games Complexity: 2.5 / 5 In the year 3030, mankind has developed the technology to hold epic real-life battle events where daring fighters skilled in direct combat and with hundreds of hours of experience piloting the latest advancement in […]
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/08/03/tiny-epic-mechs-saturday-review/
Links
- Tiny Epic Mechs: https://www.gamelyngames.com/tiny-epic/tiny-epic-mechs-deluxe
- Tiny Epic series: https://www.gamelyngames.com/tiny-epic
- Gamelyn Games: https://www.gamelyngames.com/
- Unboxing video: https://youtu.be/HJDaLR8zb84
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In a future where mankind has resolved to abandon war and replace it with virtual battles, teams of nine elite fighters selected by their nations face each other in pairs to win a precious new energy source that promises to bring the world back from the ashes. You have the opportunity to lead one of these teams out onto the 3 by 3 grid, where you take turns with your opponent and carefully occupy key positions in the hope that you win battle after battle to become a hero of the Vector Wars.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/07/27/vector-wars-saturday-review/
Links
- Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/VectorWarsTheBoardGame/
- Board Game Geek entry: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/274717/vector-wars
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Clans of Caledonia by Karma Games comes with a lot of wooden pieces, cardboard tokens, player boards and the modular game board. Fitting everything in the box, while keeping things organized, isn't easy. It's a very tight fit, if you separate all the different pieces into baggies or small plastic containers. However, the insert from Folded Space sorts everything neatly into separate boxes.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/07/06/clans-of-caledonia-insert-by-folded-space-saturday-review/
Links
- Folded Space: https://www.foldedspace.net/
- Clans of Caledonia Insert: https://www.foldedspace.net/store/clans-of-caledonia/#cc-m-product-14383635130
- Karma Games: https://karma-games.com/
- Clans of Caledonia review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/03/02/clans-of-caledonia/
- Podcast review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/folded-spcae-clans-of-caledonia-insert-saturday-review-podcast.mp3
- Review video: https://youtu.be/3VmpHfmjHA8
- Unboxing video: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/05/13/folded-space-clans-of-caledonia-insert-unboxing/
- Keeping it in article: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2018/08/09/keeping-it-in/
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Inside the brewery, the mash and lauter tuns hum away happily on one side, as the brew kettle bubbles silently on the other. Outside, the fermentation vessels slowly turn the malt's wonderful sugars into delicious alcohol. On the other side of the yard is the bottling line, where the beer is filled into bottles, and then it's finally ready to be sold. It is your job to create the right balance of malts to create the best beer for your micro brewery's customers, eagerly waiting in your bar. The whole process takes time and patience, but is worth it, when the number of loyal customers grows in appreciation of your effort.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/06/22/microbrew-saturday-review/
Links
- Microbrew: https://www.onefreeelephant.co.uk/Microbrew/
- One Free Elephant: https://www.onefreeelephant.co.uk/
- Podcast review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/microbrew-podcast-review.mp3
- Review video: https://youtu.be/3OcrgHv50cU
- Unboxing video: https://youtu.be/PuahVpDF0qA
- Slickerdrips playthrough video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTWcnzyhjA8
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The sun is high in the sky, shining directly down onto Main Street in this ramshackle town of wooden buildings. The heat is almost unbearable, if it wasn't for a light breeze that is creating small swirls of sand and dust. You have to squint in the bright light, as you stand outside the saloon waiting for the clock to strike twelve. A speck of dust makes you blink, which doesn't bode well. You need to be able to see your opponent clearly, so this won't do. You step away from the saloon and try and position yourself in a more sheltered spot, where dust will be less of an issue and there is more shade, making it easier to see. Yet, this duel is different. You actually have to face off several people in this Six Gun Showdown, and you also have to play your cards right to make sure you come out victorious.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/06/15/six-gun-showdown/
Links
- Kickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/redwellgames/six-gun-showdown
- Redwell Games: http://redwellgames.com/
- Podcast review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/six-gun-showdown-podcast-review.wav
- Review video: https://youtu.be/XvfUDDfDGOI
- Unboxing video: https://youtu.be/IVZg2UfT8MA
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- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
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Strolling along the parterres, taking in the view of the stepped garden to one side and the water garden on the other, you relax and try to fully appreciate the immensity of this Wonder of the world. The whole arrangement is cleverly emphasized by carefully placed temples. The huge amount of work and dedication that has gone into this expansive and exquisitely manicured design, the countless shrubs, hedges and flowering plants, all add to the feeling that you are but a small creature in this giant world. Suddenly the zen-like peace is rudely interrupted by deafening noises, as you watch in disbelief as the water garden is bulldozed to the ground to make room for more parterres. Welcome to The Hanging Gardens by Hans im Glück, which are in constant change to score the gardener as many points as possible.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/05/25/the-hanging-gardens/
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
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The rain is relentless, pouring down in heavy sheets, making the city outside your office window appear like it is behind net curtains. The James River appears to be bubbling, but you haven't noticed any of it. You have spent the last few hours staring at your computer, checking various databases and cross-referencing intel. You drank at least six coffees, yet you're no further. Welcome to Detective by Portal Games where you're an officer in the recently created special unit of Antares. Your task is to solve curious cold cases, following up leads and doing other detective work, all against a mercilessly ticking clock.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/05/18/detective-a-modern-crime-board-game/
Links
- Portal Games: https://portalgames.pl/en/
- Detective: A Modern Crime Board Game: https://detectiveboardgame.com/
- Detective: L.A. Crimes: https://detectiveboardgame.com/la-crimes/
- Review video: https://youtu.be/D8RspWJYXTo
- Unboxing video: https://youtu.be/6Xsr9zzqUFo
- Podcast review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/detective-a-modern-crime-board-game-saturday-review-podcast.wav
- Watch It Played video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Q9lWB5qffs
- Portal Games rules video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdQCPCmjtvk
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- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
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Imagine the asteroid field scene from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, where our heroes risk their lives to try to get away by entering an asteroid field, then add the AI HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey, which has gone mad and taken over the spaceship, forcing the crew to try and outwit it - and you basically end up with the gameplay of Sensor Ghosts, the new game by Wren Games, due to launch on Kickstarter on 28 May.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/05/11/sensor-ghosts/
Links
- Wren Games: http://wrengames.co.uk/main
- Kickstarter for Sensor Ghosts: https://ks.wrengames.co.uk/
- Review video: https://youtu.be/zWk-FENnLFw
- Unboxing video: https://youtu.be/ktL0z5AE7kY
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
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As you can tell from my previous reviews of subQuark's games (Mint Tin Mini Skulduggery, Mint Tin Mini Apocalypse and Mint Tin Aliens), I love mint tin games. The love and effort Kate Beckett and David René Miller put into every game makes them very special indeed, and Mint Tin Pirates is no exception of course. It offers lots of pirate fun in a small tin that you can easily take with you, that is easy to learn, quick to play and has a small footprint, so can be played virtually anywhere. I believe Mint Tin Pirates was subQuark's first game, and it already showed that it is possible to squeeze a lot of fun into a small package, something that the whole line of subQuark games shares.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/04/13/mint-tin-pirates/
Links
- Review video: https://youtu.be/xBUJtwIotvQ
- Unboxing video: https://youtu.be/q1J8NjKymN0
- subQuark run through video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O01PcmkecNA
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It might be time to call me the Mint Tin Man, à la The Wizard of Oz, given how many of subQuark's mint tin games I have now reviewed and made videos about. However, there is just so much fun in these small packages that I just have to write about them. Of course, games that last only 5 to 15 minutes won't satisfy everyone's needs - but then, few games do. Also, being only two player limits who these games are for. Yet, it is exactly the length, player count and box size that make these games perfect for taking with you and playing with anyone, including people who may not otherwise be much into modern games. Of course, Mint Tin Aliens is no exception
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/03/30/mint-tin-aliens/
Links
- Review video: https://youtu.be/1CcLW3Pacc8
- Unboxing video: https://youtu.be/S4Ccqm3zNz8
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
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I've been saying it for a while now: Wingspan by Elizabeth Hargrave and Stonemaier Games is an amazingly beautiful game. The great physical table presence created by the dice tower and eggs, the gorgeous illustrations on the player mats and cards, the sheer number of different birds on the cards, all with their latin name and a brief description of what they are, and the high quality of all the components and parts make it very special. The artists, Ana Maria Martinez Jaramillo, Natalia Rojas and Beth Sobel, have done an amazing job, and Stonemaier Games has ensured that the product meets, if not exceeds, everyone's expectations. However, the beauty and quality are only one part of what makes this game so outstanding. For me, it is the gameplay that lifts Wignspan to the next level.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/03/16/wingspan/
Links
- Review video: https://youtu.be/jk9zv17bhQg
- Unboxing video: https://youtu.be/OBG3s-BsYDI
- Brief impressions video: https://youtu.be/Fn-MBwoVhYM
- Watch It Played rules video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgDgcLI2B0U
- Jon Gets Games rules and play through video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDJ5WwpV3Sg
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
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I absolutely love mint tin games, and Mint Tin Mini Skulduggery by subQuark fits this bill perfectly, as it comes in a properly small, rectangular mint tin, rather than the larger format that many other mint tin games come in. That means it fits perfectly into your coat pocket, so you can have it with you at all time. After all, you never know when the opportunity arises to play a game when you're out and about.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/03/09/mint-tin-mini-skulduggery/
Links
- Kickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/subquark/mint-tin-mini-skulduggery
- Review video: https://youtu.be/JVwS2PE3h-g
- Unboxing video: https://youtu.be/vRA7ZquQ7bc
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- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
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In Project Dreamscape by Undine Studios your aim is to chain together as many of the same dream types as possible to get the most points. However, building those chains is a lot harder than it looks. Very quickly you realize that you have to plan a few cards in advance to make sure you get the longest chains, and if you're not careful, you can easily undo all that great planning. Project Dreamscape first draws you into a false sense of being a light game, and then pounces and makes your head hurt as you try and find the best order in which to build your dream sequence. The illustrations by Julie Okahara are beautifully dreamlike, adding to the sense that there is a lot more to the game than you might think.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/02/16/project-dreamscape/
Links
- Review video: https://youtu.be/uJPHuzoUKmA
- Unboxing video: https://youtu.be/JmzWM0eYGfs
- Rahdo Runthrough video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDFHKiC-lIY
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
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If you like dice action selection games where you slowly build up action combos, then Oaxaca: Crafts of a Culture by Undine Studios is for you. Now don't be put off by dice rolling, beause in this game you can easily mitigate bad luck and even bad rolls still give you plenty of opportunities. Oaxaca ("wa-ha-ka") is also beautifully illustrated, quick to learn and really quick to play, while still maintaining enough interest even for very "serious" gamers. So there is something for everyone and one of the few games that I can confidently recommend for family gaming as well as regular games night groups.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/02/09/oaxaca-crafts-of-a-culture/
Links
- Review video: https://youtu.be/m4rY25BFH7M
- Unboxing video: https://youtu.be/qBcweJNmyrs
- Rahdo Runthrough video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McTFzyr8B7g
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- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
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GoodCritters by Arcane Wonders is an i-cut-you-choose sort of game with a twist. Players are members of a very successful gang of burglars and take turns to be the boss who divvies up the loot amongst everyone in whichever way they see fit. There is plenty of opportunity to be selfish or favour some players over others. Yet, it is up to the whole gang to vote on whether to accept the split or not. It's a bit like being a pirate really - but that's a different story.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/02/02/goodcritters/
Links
- Video review: https://youtu.be/GGGYCRw4o9k
- Unboxing video: https://youtu.be/7bhF5yQe7EE
- Brief impressions video: https://youtu.be/zPU7cJ7aR9E
- Podcast review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/goodcritters-saturday-review.wav
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I know, Scythe by Stonemaier Games has been out since 2016 and has had a couple of expansions released as well, including promo packs with additional encounter cards. So chances are you have already heard plenty of reviews about this game and maybe own it yourself, but I still felt it’s worth reviewing, because I am sometimes surprised by how many people still don’t know Scythe.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/01/19/scythe/
Links
- Video review: https://youtu.be/tKmqmUU_aTo
- Brief impressions video: https://youtu.be/PSWJrIprSfQ
- Brief impressions video: https://youtu.be/_gT4ojUdhVA
- Podcast review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/scythe-saturday-review.wav
- Watch It Played rules teach video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffMLIL5qGQg
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
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KeyForge: Call of the Archons by Fantasy Flight Games is the first Unique game – and the word “unique” has a very special meaning, but I will talk about this later. KeyForge, for short, is a competitive two-player-only card game where players aim to forge three keys, each costing six Æmber. As players draw and play cards, they can attack their opponent and collect Æmber. The player to first forge their third key is the winner. So far it’s very much like any other card game of their kind, but it is the uniqueness of the decks that is new and is what interests me about this game.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/01/12/keyforge-call-of-the-archons/
Links
- Video review: https://youtu.be/L82U1j5lDZA
- Brief impressions video: https://youtu.be/h1ExoCniLec
- Unboxing video: https://youtu.be/9HsyYwVcev8
- Unboxing video: https://youtu.be/Hd9m1aZ7fMk
- Unboxing video: https://youtu.be/Q_M3I5PuAYI
- Podcast review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/keyforge-saturday-review.wav
- Gaming Rules teach and play through video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dt46ityLdk
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
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If you are looking for an easy-to-teach, easy-to-carry, quick, fun, co-operative card game, then The Mind by Coiledspring Games is the right game for you. However, let’s start at the beginning. The game is really simply: there is a deck of cards numbered 1 to 100, every players is dealt a certain number randomly from the deck, there is no turn order and everyone plays when they feel the time is right, without co-ordinating with each other, and as long as all cards are played in ascending order everyone wins. That’s pretty much all there is to it. Sounds easy enough – but it’s actually really hard – and that’s what makes this game so interesting in my view, as it creates a new gameplay mechanism that I have not come across before.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/01/05/the-mind/
Links
- Review video: https://youtu.be/6NmGIyUNjoA
- Unboxing video: https://youtu.be/UyLfbYqeMEY
- Podcast review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/the-mind-saturday-review.wav
- Watch It Played rules teach video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXl8MC0GMYE
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
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Haspelknecht: The Story of Early Coal Mining, to give it its full title, is a kind of action selection game by Quined Games set in the Ruhr region of Germany. The game is set at a time when the area was still covered by forests and coal was first discovered close to the surface. During the game your task is to dig up that coal until its depleted and you have to start digging deep pits to get to this precious resource. The great mechanism in this game is the action selection element, where you draw all tokens of one colour from one of a number of common pools at the start of each round. These tokens are then used to activate your workforce and develop new technologies. It sounds simple, but it creates a really complex, interesting game with lots of options and very few player interaction.
Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2018/12/01/haspelknecht/
Links
- Video review: https://youtu.be/DVzfQ_v-Gz8
- Brief impressions video: https://youtu.be/5p29yZ8PNUY
- Podcast review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/haspelknecht-review-final.wav
- Rahdo Runthrough video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBoQ0PN2CGs
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
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