Bad Fun – how bad game experiences can be fun
If you're a very competitive player, then winning is all that counts.
Translation Challenges – good translations are important
We take language so much for granted, whether it's written down, spoken out loud or conveyed via signs.
Spiel des Jahres – hobby games for non-hobbyists
I recently had the honour to be tasked with donating most of the 2023 Spiel des Jahres, Kinderspiel des Jahres and Kennerspiel des Jahres nominations and longlist titles to good causes on behalf of Spiel des Jahres.
Demo vs Teach – different types of presenting games
Fresh off the back of demoing games for Asmodee at UK Games Expo 2023, I wanted to share my experiences with introducing people to a new game.
Trick Taking – a modern card mechanism
Most of the earliest card games were trick-taking games played in the 800s in China.
Round the Outside – tracking scores in board games
Pretty much every hobby game contains some sort of score which measures who is in the lead and decides who wins the game.
Deck Building – a modern card mechanism
Card games date back to the 1400s with Karniffel, or Thuringian Karnöffel, often listed as the oldest one, at least the oldest in Europe that we know of.
Review Pressures – fun versus review
When you publish a review every week, there is a certain amount of pressure to frequently play games that are new to you.
Board Game Beginnings – how we learn board games
If you are a veteran board game hobbyist, you will have learned a lot of terminology and mechanisms.
Right Time, Right Place – board games and socialising
Apart from being a great way to meet new people and make new friends, just like any other hobby, for many of us in the hobby, playing board games is a social activity.