Topic Discussions
Topic Discussions 352 posts
Reviews
Reviews 309 posts
Women in Board Games
Women in Board Games 57 posts
Exhibitions, Events, Conventions
Exhibitions, Events, Conventions 14 posts

Choo Choo My Friend – from Shikoku 1889 to 1880: China (Topic Discussion)

Post read time 4 min readLeave a Comment on Choo Choo My Friend – from Shikoku 1889 to 1880: China (Topic Discussion)

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.

Dragon vs Kingdom (Saturday Review)

Post read time 6 min readLeave a Comment on Dragon vs Kingdom (Saturday Review)

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.

Pattern Matching Pleasure – from Carcassonne to Looot (Topic Discussion)

Post read time 5 min readLeave a Comment on Pattern Matching Pleasure – from Carcassonne to Looot (Topic Discussion)

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.

Ultramassive (Saturday Review)

Post read time 5 min readLeave a Comment on Ultramassive (Saturday Review)

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.

Vrahode: Age of Prophecy (Saturday Review)

Post read time 8 min read2 Comments on Vrahode: Age of Prophecy (Saturday Review)

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.

Mischief (Saturday Review)

Post read time 5 min read2 Comments on Mischief (Saturday Review)

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 fairies and form as many alliances as you will cause Mischief by Dan Cassar from Dream Cult Game Studio.

Sakana Stack (Saturday Review)

Post read time 6 min readLeave a Comment on Sakana Stack (Saturday Review)

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.

Objective Bias – why reviews are always subjective (Topic Discussion)

Post read time 6 min readLeave a Comment on Objective Bias – why reviews are always subjective (Topic Discussion)

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.

Loot Dispute (Saturday Review)

Post read time 5 min readLeave a Comment on Loot Dispute (Saturday Review)

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.

Star Trek: Away Missions – Captain Kirk: Federation Expansion (Saturday Review)

Post read time 4 min readLeave a Comment on Star Trek: Away Missions – Captain Kirk: Federation Expansion (Saturday Review)

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.