Buy, Buy, Buy – my love affair with economic simulation board games (Topic Discussion)

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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.

In All Seriousness – board games with sensitive topics (Topic Discussion)

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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.

Single-Use Games – the board game hobby’s throw-away attitude (Topic Discussion)

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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.

Stop Toying With Me – when gimmicks in board games have a purpose (Topic Discussion)

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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.

No Win Situation – a look at victory conditions in board games (Topic Discussion)

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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.

Fear Leads to Anger – X-Wing Miniatures fans claim company is ruining tabletop skirmish game (Topic Discussion)

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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.

Trick-Taking it to the Next Level – my fascination with trick-taking games (Topic Discussion)

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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.

Repeated Replayability – another look at games’ longterm interest (Topic Discussion)

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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.

Fun to Lose – how opponents’ skill levels affect gameplay experience (Topic Discussion)

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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.