Spreading the love (Topic Discussion)

Post read time 4 min readLeave a Comment on Spreading the love (Topic Discussion)

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.

Games nights (Topic Discussion)

Post read time 4 min read2 Comments on Games nights (Topic Discussion)

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.

Storytelling (Topic Discussion)

Post read time 4 min readLeave a Comment on Storytelling (Topic Discussion)

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.

Dying of exposure (Topic Discussion)

Post read time 4 min read2 Comments on Dying of exposure (Topic Discussion)

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.

Emotional high (Topic Discussion)

Post read time 4 min readLeave a Comment on Emotional high (Topic Discussion)

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.

Paid preview (Topic Discussion)

Post read time 5 min readLeave a Comment on Paid preview (Topic Discussion)

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.

Divisions (Topic Discussion)

Post read time 4 min readLeave a Comment on Divisions (Topic Discussion)

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.

Superficial depth (Topic Discussion)

Post read time 5 min readLeave a Comment on Superficial depth (Topic Discussion)

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.

Out of memory (Topic Discussion)

Post read time 5 min readLeave a Comment on Out of memory (Topic Discussion)

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.

Wind tunnel (Topic Discussion)

Post read time 3 min readLeave a Comment on Wind tunnel (Topic Discussion)

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.