Dokojong (Saturday Review)

Someone had hidden the Emperor's dogs. It was an outrage. The Emperor suspected their cabinet ministers who strenuously, but politely, denied the accusations and pointed their fingers at their counterparts. They eagerly offered to help the Emperor find their dogs, but they clearly had something to hide. When the Emperor was convinced that they could hear a dog behind one of the closed doors leading to one of the ministers' private chamber, that minister would quickly lead the Emperor away to another minister's door. The Emperor got dizzy, but eventually, one of the dogs was found in the room of minister Dokojong by Oink Games.

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.

Wingspan: Oceania Expansion (Saturday Review)

Nectar, when you think about it, is just a sugar-rich liquid, produced by plants, to attract pollinators. Depending on where in the world you are, pollinators could be humble insects, such as the highly adored, busy bees, or they could be magnificent hummingbirds or other birds, or they could even be bats. A free source of sugar is highly prized, as it will give a quick boost of energy, and possibly a little sugar rush too, which make for a valuable reward for all pollinators. So it's no surprise that this source of food as one of the new resources in the Wingspan: Oceania Expansion by Stonemaier Games.

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.

In a Grove (Saturday Review)

A murder had been committed and three suspects were found at the crime scene, but only one of them was the murderer. One of the detectives was already at the scene and had spoken to two of the suspects when you arrived. The detective told you who they thought was the killer, but you wanted to be sure. You pulled the other two suspects to one side and interviewed each of them in turn. You quickly knew who had committed the murder and logged down your suspicion. The only thing that wasn't clear, was why the crime scene was In a Grove by Oink Games.

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.

Pilfering Pandas (Saturday Review)

Things had gone missing - food, to be precise. Someone was taking bits of food here and there and stashing it away somewhere, hiding it from the eyes of everyone, especially the keepers. It quickly became clear that it wasn't any of the visitors to the zoo, but one of the animals - or a group of animals. The meerkats were acting suspiciously as well and were clearly involved. However, as security camera footage was closely monitored over the coming days, it came as a shock that the zoo had a group of Pilfering Pandas by Wren Games.

Seriously? (Topic Discussion)

I have previously talked about how some games try and tackle a serious topic and treat it with the respect it deserves. Some games also go one step further and try and educate us about the topic as we play the game. My article "Sensitive Settings" tried to look at games that tackle plagues, wars, colonialism, genocide, executions, experimentation, extinctions, terrorism, abuse and death in a sensitive and meaningful way. In this article, I want to look at games that use a specific setting as a backdrop for a fun experience and that make no attempt at treating the serious issues in a serious way - and that setting is Nazi Germany. So, please bear this in mind when you decide if you want to continue reading this article or not.

Canvas (Saturday Review)

The room was buzzing. Paintings of different sizes and in different styles were filling the walls, all beautifully lit to bring out every detail and make them really shine. People were mingling and chatting, waving their champagne glasses around as they were discussing the style, composition and imagination displayed in the variety of art. Suddenly, it went silent and everyone turned their attention to the gallery owner in the middle of the room. It was time to choose the best piece of art on Canvas by Road to Infamy Games.