Home from Home – a con visit with a difference (Topic Discussion)

Post read time 5 min readLeave a Comment on Home from Home – a con visit with a difference (Topic Discussion)

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.

Lakshadweep (Saturday Review)

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

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.

Context Switching – when games are hard work (Topic Discussion)

Post read time 4 min readLeave a Comment on Context Switching – when games are hard work (Topic Discussion)

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.

Berlin Brettspiel Con 2023 (Saturday Review)

Post read time 6 min readLeave a Comment on Berlin Brettspiel Con 2023 (Saturday Review)

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.

Healthy Gaming Mentality – mental health and board games (Topic Discussion)

Post read time 4 min readLeave a Comment on Healthy Gaming Mentality – mental health and board games (Topic Discussion)

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.

Increased Cooperation – the popularity of cooperative games (Topic Discussion)

Post read time 4 min read4 Comments on Increased Cooperation – the popularity of cooperative games (Topic Discussion)

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.

Sea Salt & Paper (Saturday Review)

Post read time 6 min readLeave a Comment on Sea Salt & Paper (Saturday Review)

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.

Bad Fun – how bad game experiences can be fun (Topic Discussion)

Post read time 5 min readLeave a Comment on Bad Fun – how bad game experiences can be fun (Topic Discussion)

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.

Berlin Brettspiel Con 2023 (Preview)

Post read time 4 min read2 Comments on Berlin Brettspiel Con 2023 (Preview)

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.

Translation Challenges – good translations are important (Topic Discussion)

Post read time 4 min readLeave a Comment on Translation Challenges – good translations are important (Topic Discussion)

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.