Author: Oliver Kinne

Twist Taking – trick-taking games with a twist (Topic Discussion)

Post read time 5 min readLeave a Comment on Twist Taking – trick-taking games with a twist (Topic Discussion)

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.

Picky Pixie (Saturday Review)

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

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.

Medici (Saturday Review)

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

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.

For the Love of Old – classic games that stand the test of time (Topic Discussion)

Post read time 5 min read2 Comments on For the Love of Old – classic games that stand the test of time (Topic Discussion)

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.

Portents (Saturday Review)

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

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.

Odin (Saturday Review)

Post read time 4 min readLeave a Comment on Odin (Saturday Review)

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.

Designers, Developers, Publishers – from game idea to final product (Topic Discussion)

Post read time 5 min read2 Comments on Designers, Developers, Publishers – from game idea to final product (Topic Discussion)

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.

Starry Night Sky (Saturday Review)

Post read time 5 min read2 Comments on Starry Night Sky (Saturday Review)

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.

Bad Trevor (Saturday Review)

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

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.

Game Definitions – a game is a game is a game (Topic Discussion)

Post read time 4 min readLeave a Comment on Game Definitions – a game is a game is a game (Topic Discussion)

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.