We all had our different plans. Getting the right bills through the Senate was never easy. There would always be compromises and endless debates. We all wanted to further our own goals. The odd promise of a bribe, digging up dirt on the other parties' representatives and some last-minute voting changes all helped to get what your party wanted. At the end of the day, we all had our own Hidden Agendas by Josh Rossman from Big Boom Games . Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/20...
Aug 03, 2024•7 min
The term Kulturgut is very hard to translate into English. In fact, I don't think there is a similar concept in the UK. "Cultural asset" doesn't really do it justice, because the term describes things that have a cultural value and need to be preserved. Literature is a type of Kulturgut for example. As a British person, you can easily see how the works of Shakespeare have a cultural value and require to be preserved. Yet, when it comes to our hobby, people don't necessarily think of modern board...
Jul 30, 2024•8 min
Over the weekend during a hot July in Germany at a different, but much cooler location compared to last year, around 16,000 people attended the "big summer board game festival for gamers, geeks and the whole family", as the event describes itself. Located in my home city, the convention I am talking about is, of course, Berlin Brettspiel Con 2024 . Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/07/27/berlin-brettspiel-con-2024-saturday-review/ Useful Links Berlin Brettspiel Con : ...
Jul 27, 2024•9 min
Vikings were known for plundering, but what many people forget is that they also did a lot of trade. In fact, the Viking Era saw an increase in trade in the English Channel, the North Sea and the Baltic. There was one vessel that was specifically made for the exchange of large quantities of goods. It was a cargo ship with a shorter hull than the commonly known longships, which were mainly warships, and that had only a partial deck or sometimes none at all. It was specially adapted to the high se...
Jul 20, 2024•9 min
We had started in Florence when everyone was still fresh and raring to go. An endless sea of bicycles with teams sticking closely together had lined up at the starting line. The support teams had only done their last checks minutes before and everything was shiny and gleaming. Now, several thousand kilometres later, everyone started to show signs of slowing down. Yet, at the horizon a welcome sign became visible. We knew it wasn't going to be much further. There it was, the red flag, the Flamme ...
Jul 13, 2024•9 min
There is an unwritten social contract that, when you choose to play a board game, you agree to play it to its conclusion. Everyone around the table expects to finish the game. Everyone wants to have an equal chance of winning. People want to be able to come back from behind and snatch their victory right on their last turn. I think that expectation is perpetuated by how games are designed. So in this article, I want to explore this a bit further. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgames...
Jul 09, 2024•9 min
The period of sakoku has only recently ended, and now with the Meiji Restoration in full swing, the country is investing heavily in new technologies. Locomotives have become the leading symbol of the nation's modernization. Across all four islands, new railway operations are created and entrepreneurs attempt to profit from the money being injected into the economy. Our small island is no different. It's the same here on Shikoku 1889 by Yasutaka Ikeda from Grand Trunk Games . Read the full review...
Jul 06, 2024•9 min
Games come in all shapes and sizes. Designers create them in different ways and with different intentions. Some games are an interesting mix of mechanisms, others are a passion project that tries to evoke certain emotions when people play them. Games can have simple rules with deep emergent gameplay or they can be rules-heavy. While some games take minutes to play, others can take hours to complete. However games are designed, there are some that feel round and refined, while others seem awkward...
Jul 02, 2024•9 min
We made it! We finally decoded a very important ancient Mayan manuscript and found the temple described in the old document deep in the jungles of El Salvador. As we were standing at the entrance, we saw in front of us a very long paved road, leading to a circular pyramid. Each paving slab had a different symbol on it and we knew from the manuscript that we had to align them to make our way safely across. As keen as we were to get to the end, we also knew we had to get back out alive. After all,...
Jun 29, 2024•7 min
Good games will have had a lot of time put into them to ensure they create the experience that the designer wanted. The rules will have been created with intent and purpose. Rules are the skeleton around which the muscles, sinews, skin and the whole living body of the game grows. Games are meant to be played by their rules, or at least that's what we're being told. In this article, I want to look at why rule-breaking can be a better option. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.c...
Jun 25, 2024•8 min
Howdy partner. Welcome to the Wild West, where there is gold to be found in them there hills. Only the most daring souls will find the riches. Mining is dangerous work. So helping your fellow human is the right thing to do, but getting repaid for your kindness is not guaranteed. I'll start you off with a pick-axe, some safety gear and a few sticks of dynamite. It's on the house, because I'm sure you'll soon be back to stock up. Now, off you go. Make your fortune in this wonderful place we call U...
Jun 22, 2024•8 min
It is always a pleasure to arrive by train at Birmingham International train station, which not only gives you access to West Midland's main airport, but also to the amazing NEC . It is in this huge exhibition complex that the UK's largest hobby games convention takes place every year. The event welcomes tens of thousands of visitors over three days who explore the three main halls of the NEC as well as a number of rooms in the nearby Hilton Metropole Hotel . You will have guessed it. It is, of ...
Jun 15, 2024•9 min
Artichokes come in two main forms: globe and Jerusalem. Both are lovely vegetables with many health benefits. As culinary ingredients, some love their wonderful flavour, while others hate them for the same reason. However, we want to talk about globe artichokes specifically here. So while you might love these wonderful green plants, as relatives of thistles it is no surprise why one might be desperate to Abandon All Artichokes by Emma Larkins from Gamewright . Read the full review here: https://...
Jun 08, 2024•6 min
Space: an endless void with countless stars, some of which capable of harbouring a planet that can support life. On one of these Goldilocks planets far away from our own, life has indeed emerged. Yet, nothing is ever allowed to last. One day, the inevitable end will come. So in the meantime, life on this planet is competing for supremacy. They do not know it yet, but they are the Doomlings by Justus Meyer and Andrew Meyer from Doomlings LLC . Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog....
Jun 01, 2024•7 min
Another year has gone by in a flash and it's time again for me to start another convention season. Well, I say "season", but that's exaggerating it. I'm actually only attending two board game shows this year. I just can't afford to fly everywhere and spend time away from home. So I chose two events that I really enjoyed last year and that won't cost me the world. The first of these is, of course, UK Games Expo 2024 . Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/05/28/uk-games-e...
May 28, 2024•7 min
Build your reputation, they said. Complete voyages, defeat foes and gather treasures, they said. Visit the outpost to sell cargo and make repairs, they said. Having two sloops under my command was supposed to make this easy, but the truth was far from it. A pirate's life for me, my barnacle. It was a huge challenge from the start. It was almost impossible to safely navigate this Sea of Thieves: Voyage of Legends by Mat Hart , James M. Hewitt , Steve Margetson , Sherwin Matthews and Sophie Willia...
May 25, 2024•9 min
Welcome, adventurer. You are about to embark on a very unique dungeon crawl. Sharpen your pencil and be brave. You are about to face an almost endless cave system stuffed to the brim with coins, treasure chests, spiders' webs, enemies and even the odd portal. So off you go, brave fellow, and descend the stairs into the amazing Paper App Dungeon by Tom Brinton from Lucky Duck Games . Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/05/18/paper-app-dungeon-saturday-review/ Useful Link...
May 18, 2024•7 min
Hi, it’s Joe Slack here. I’ve written a few guest posts for Oliver in the past and I was delighted when he requested another guest blog, so here we go! Something I think about a lot as a game designer is how to create tension in a game as well as ensure that players feel a sense of progression as they play. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/05/14/boiling-point-why-tension-and-escalation-matters-in-games-topic-discussion/ Useful Links Tokaido : https://boardgamegeek.c...
May 14, 2024•9 min
After the battle of Wolf 359 , the team consisting of Commander Riker , Lieutenant Commanders Data and Shelby and Lieutenant Worf on board the U.S.S. Enterprise were doing all they could to protect the ship against the invading Borg , led by Locutus of Borg , formerly Captain Picard of the Federation . It was a strange situation. The alien drones seemed oblivious to the starship's crew as both sides went about completing their objectives and overall missions. Our training kicked in and it was as...
May 11, 2024•8 min
Feeling stressed about your upcoming wedding? Why not sit down and relax, and maybe even get some inspiration from these wedding-themed board games! Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/05/07/get-inspired-for-your-wedding-with-board-games-topic-discussion/ Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot ( https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/ ) Music: Borough by Blue Do...
May 07, 2024•7 min
As the first two sons of Adam and Eve, a lot of responsibility had been laid upon our shoulders. We were a farmer and a shepherd who had to offer our harvested grains and livestock to God. We were never sure if either of us was in His favour. So we carried on and made wilder and wilder boasts about our gifts to Our Lord until it was too much and one of us struck down the other. We were Like Cain and Abel by J.L. Reid from Bent Pin . Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/0...
May 04, 2024•10 min
I grew up at a time when "cowboys and Indians" were a popular topic in literature. Westerns, spaghetti or otherwise, were on television pretty much all the time. Similarly, Kung Fu films were regularly shown on the small screen. The jungles of India also often featured heavily. Board games often followed the same trend and portrayed these seemingly exotic and alluring themes and settings that appealed to children of my age. Yet, much of what was created was clearly guilty of cultural appropriati...
Apr 30, 2024•9 min
I had my camera ready. The tripod was weighed down to ensure I got a clear picture and the telescopic lens was attached to get me as close to the action as possible. It wasn't going to be easy because this creature was hard to find and very camera-shy. I was sure I was in the right spot though. There had been footprints in the ground, so there was no doubt. I stood to make good money from my photos. Then, almost out of nowhere, there it was. I almost couldn't believe it, but it was true - I Foun...
Apr 27, 2024•7 min
I've written about my love of trick-taking games and the genre in general many times. Just check the archives ... Now that my game group has also gotten into the genre, I've discovered more and more games that take this ancient card game mechanism to new heights. They apply new twists and add different mechanisms to create really exciting new titles. In this article, I want to share with you which ones I am particularly excited about. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/202...
Apr 23, 2024•8 min
They were very shy and very few people had seen one, but you and your friends had been lucky. One lived at the bottom of the garden of the McGregories at the end of the village. The old couple was completely unaware of the sneaking by both, the mythical creature and your group of pals. You really wanted to make friends with this little winged being, but it was a very Picky Pixie by Elizabeth Hargrave from Button Shy . Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/04/20/picky-pixi...
Apr 20, 2024•8 min
The following article is a guest post written by Alexandra Yaverbaum (aka Sasha ) and Dina Ramse from Dina Said So Studio and originally published on LinkedIn . In light of the recent announcement that CMON have acquired some of Mythic Games ’ projects, it brought into clear contrast just how well, (or indeed how poorly) these can be handled. I have been involved in previous mergers and acquisitions and most recently worked with Naylor Games to help consider their communication during their acqu...
Apr 16, 2024•9 min
Trading in the Mediterranean was profitable, but came with risks. Merchant ships were travelling far to seek out rare spices, precious cloths and many other valuable and lucrative goods. Once a heavily laden ship returned, the goods would be brought to market and auctioned off to the highest bidder. It was never easy to compete with the other buyers and ensure you got the best deal. It was even harder to compete with the infamous and hugely influential trading family, the Medici by Reiner Knizia...
Apr 13, 2024•10 min
I was pleased to see the re-released game Medici from 1995 become so popular in our household. It made me think why a game that's now nearly 30 years old was not only picked up by another publisher, but still has a lot of appeal such a long time later. So in this article, I want to look at classic games and see which ones have stood the test of time. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/04/09/for-the-love-of-old-classic-games-that-stand-the-test-of-time-topic-discussion...
Apr 09, 2024•10 min
There were signs. As the king's fortune-teller, you were acutely aware of what the future would hold. As you scatter the sacrifices on the altar, you immediately see your fate. The king would ask for your head. It was all there in front of you in the Portents by Christopher Ryan Chan from New Mill Industries . Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/04/06/portents-saturday-review/ Useful Links Portents : https://www.newmillindustries.com/games/portents Rulebook: ht...
Apr 06, 2024•8 min
The following article is a guest post by Ellen Klein , an editor who brings a unique perspective to her work. She believes in the power of planning for life's unknowns, bringing her extensive experience to bear on business, family and relationship advice. The following is a bit different to the usual fare on Tabletop Games Blog . So let us know what you think. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/04/02/movie-fandom-tips-for-everyone-how-to-embrace-your-individuality-whi...
Apr 02, 2024•9 min
