Tabletop Games Blog - board game reviews and discussions with a personal touch

You were constantly tired from working endless hours day in and day out. You had very little time to think about the world and when you did, you didn't have the words to describe what you saw and felt. However, you had used every spare moment to puzzle together scraps of clues into a bigger picture and had created new words with meanings that your heart dictated, but that were otherwise unknown. You felt that you were now so close to wrestling away the power from your oppressors and turn this world into a better place - but you knew you had to make sacrifices to build your Euphoria: Build a Better Dystopia by Stonemaier Games.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/07/18/euphoria-build-a-better-dystopia-digital-eyes/LinksEuphoria: Build a Better Dystopia: https://stonemaiergames.com/games/euphoria/Stonemaier Games: https://stonemaiergames.com/Euphoria unboxing video: https://www.youtube.com/embed/mSy29iJJmG4Scythe: https://stonemaiergames.com/games/scythe/Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)Music: Vanishing by Kevin MacLeod (https://filmmusic.io/song/4578-vanishing)License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Sound Effects: BBC Sound Effects (http://bbcsfx.acropolis.org.uk/)If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

The cost of tabletop games is a topic that keeps popping up. There is the question of whether games have now become "overproduced", in the sense that the game components have become more expensive, due to an increase in quantity, an increase in quality or both. There is also the question of whether games have always been sold too cheaply, leaving everyone with tiny margins. There are many reasons that decide the cost of games, but I want to look at the other end of the chain. I want to see how consumers decide when a game is good value for money.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/07/14/value-for-money-topic-discussion/Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)Music: Summer Fashion by AShamaluevMusic (https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com/music-for-fashion)If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

"Bubble, bubble," the herb witch cackles. "Stir the pot - nice and slow," the miracle doctor says. "Slowly, add another ingredient... what will it be?" the quack surgeon asks, looking at you intently. You reach into the bag, with anticipation, not quite sure what ingredient your hand will retrieve. "Come now, come now," the witch emplores. "Put it in the pot, don't hesitate," the miracle doctor tells you, rushing you along. You can't look. You quickly withdraw your hand and throw the ingredient in the pot and as you do so, you open your eyes a tiny bit and see a flash of white. A cherry bomb lands in the pot with a splash and a fraction of a second later it explodes. However, it's not too late to seek help from The Herb Witches by Schmidt Spiele.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/07/11/the-quacks-of-quedlinburg-the-herb-witches-expansion-saturday-review/LinksThe Herb Witches: https://coiledspring.co.uk/product/the-quacks-of-quedlinburg-herb-witch/Schmidt Spiele: https://www.schmidtspiele.de/home.htmlThe Quacks of Quedlinburg: https://coiledspring.co.uk/product/the-quacks-of-quedlinburg/The Quacks of Quedlinburg review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/06/06/the-quacks-of-quedlinburg-saturday-review/Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)Music: Vopna by Alexander Nakarada (https://filmmusic.io/song/4748-vopna)License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Sound Effects: BBC Sound Effects library at http://bbcsfx.acropolis.org.uk/If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

As we all know, plastics are the scourge of our planet and can now be found virtually everywhere - from the obvious places like landfill sites to the most unexpected such as in the Arctic. They have invaded the food chain and it is estimated that less than 10% of plastics is recycled each year globally. Some countries have introduced legislation banning certain types of plastics and we each can do our bit to help reduce the use of plastic and thereby reduce plastic waste - and we can try to influence the use of plastics in our hobby.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/07/07/less-is-more-topic-discussion/LinksHaba: https://www.haba.de/en_GBHaba sustainability and responsibility statement: https://www.haba.de/en_GB/e/sustainability-and-responsibility-at-haba–om6rp1Haba USA‘s Twitter post: https://twitter.com/TheOneTAR/status/1275160323826180096Hasbro: https://corporate.hasbro.com/en-usHasbro press release: https://newsroom.hasbro.com/news-releases/news-release-details/hasbro-phase-out-plastic-new-toy-and-game-packagingsubQuark: https://subquark.com/subQuark‘s Earth-friendly statement: https://subquark.com/earthfriendly.htmlBig Potato Games: https://bigpotato.com/Big Potato Games‘ Twitter post: https://twitter.com/bigpotatogames/status/1167383051623653382P For Pizza: https://bigpotato.com/gb/games/p-for-pizza/Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)Music: Dreams by Bensound (https://www.bensound.com)If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

"So, let me illustrate. Imagine a line that represents time and at one point is 1985, to the left of it the past and to the right of it the future. If we travel back in time and make some small changes, the timeline skews off at an angle, creating an alternate 1985 - or rather, it's an alternate to you, Einstein and me, but a complete reality for everyone else. It turns out that Biff took the Sports Almanac into the past and thereby created this new timeline. It's now up to us to find a new way to get Back to the Future: Dice Through Time by Ravensburger."Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/07/04/back-to-the-future-dice-through-time-saturday-review/LinksUnboxing video: https://youtu.be/FUdEq4QZbtYRules teach video by Watch it Played!: https://youtu.be/loYoxo6-kowBack to the Future: Dice Through Time: https://www.ravensburger.org/uk/products/games/strategy-games/back-to-the-future-26842/index.htmlRavensburger: https://www.ravensburger.org/uk/start/index.htmlIntro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)Music: Rising Sun by Sascha Ende (https://filmmusic.io/song/86-rising-sun)License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Sound Effects: FreeSound (https://freesound.org/)If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

Different people buy games for different reasons, and many of us will have amassed a little, or not so little, collection that we have at home that we are proud of. Yet, sometimes we're not sure how we got there or how we should continue going forward. So it's often good to re-evaluate the games we've got and think about why we have bought them. Then we can decide how we want to continue in the future, and in this article, I want to look at some of the reasons why people buy games and how they curate their collections.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/06/30/collected-collections-topic-discussion/LinksEmperorS4: https://en.emperors4.com/Marvel: https://www.marvel.com/Oink Games: https://oinkgames.com/en/Gloom: https://www.atlas-games.com/gloom/Mystic Vale: https://www.alderac.com/mystic-vale/Mystic Vale review:Canvas: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/roadtoinfamy/canvas-2Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)Music: Buzzkiller by Alexander Nakarada (https://filmmusic.io/song/5820-buzzkiller)License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

A small queue of customers was waiting outside. It was our opening day. We had our tea ready and some bits in our pantry, but still had to buy the flavours, which we wanted to get fresh from the market during the day, so that every tea would taste fresh and our customers would be happy. Everyone was nervous, but there was nothing for it - we had top open up and start serving Chai by Steeped Games.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/06/27/chai-takebacks/LinksUnboxing video: https://youtu.be/_rjrQYyR_oIRules teach video by Watch It Played!: https://youtu.be/P51mmr1m8kcSteeped Games: https://steepedgames.com/Chai review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2018/11/24/chai/GameTrayz: https://gametrayz.com/If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

I often feel that we accept the written word as something that's a given and don't pay much attention to it. We feel that writing isn't hugely important and that it's fine to just jot anything down, without much care or attention. That's often fine and it's great that people give writing a go. In fact, I encourage people to try and express themselves in written form. Keep tweeting, posting, texting and emailing. However, I think that there are times when it's vitally important that the writing is done well and with care - and writing is actually hard if you want to do it well. Yet, in the board game hobby, writing is too often done by the wrong people, which can spoil the game experience.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/06/23/oh-my-word-topic-discussion/Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)Music: Arrival by Arnav Srivastav (https://soundcloud.com/909-music/arnav-srivastav-arrival-get-it)If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

It was time to build a better future and turn this city around. We knew we had to reduce our carbon output quickly. Our aim was to be carbon neutral. Yet, the road there would be difficult and tough decisions had to be made. Modernizing our housing stock, building wind farms, offering grants for solar panels and everything else would cost a lot of money. If we wanted to move quickly, we might have to accept a temporary increase in carbon output to build factories, that would help us finance the final goal - or we could go slowly and use our existing funds to improve things gradually. We were not alone though. There were a number of others who wanted to become the first Carbon City Zero by Possible.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/06/20/carbon-city-zero-saturday-review/LinksCarbon City Zero: https://www.wearepossible.org/carbon-city-zeroPossible: https://www.wearepossible.org/Print-and-play version: https://www.pnparcade.com/products/carbon-city-zeroCarbon City Zero on Tabletopia: https://tabletopia.com/games/carbon-city-zeroCarbon City Zero unboxing video: https://youtu.be/MvIH_w-tijsQuadropolis review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/06/13/quadropolis-saturday-review/If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

If you like competitive games, then you're probably familiar with trying to gauge where in the ranking you currently are during the game. Some games offer score tracks, so it's immediately clear how far ahead or behind you are - or if you're somewhere in the middle. Many games, however, keep the score hidden and it only becomes clear at the end who won. Yet, it can be very important to know if you're in the lead or not, so you can plan accordingly.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/06/16/calculated-victory-topic-discussion/LinksSmallworld: https://www.daysofwonder.com/smallworld/en/Days of Wonder: https://www.daysofwonder.com/en/index/Scythe: https://stonemaiergames.com/games/scythe/Scythe review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/01/19/scythe/Stonemaier Games: https://stonemaiergames.com/Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)Music: View by Ametryo (https://soundcloud.com/ametryo/view)If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

"I think everyone agrees. We want to build the best metropolis in the world and we have a great opportunity to do so from scratch. We have a large plot of land that is ready to be built on. We can really create something special here that will make everyone happy. It will be magnificent." The mayor looks around the room at all the happy and excited faces, until he spots the urbanist. "What's wrong?" the mayor asks. "Well," the urbanist replies, "we do have a few challenges. Depending on which architect builds what we can place new buildings only in certain columns or rows of the empty plot's grid system, and we can only choose buildings from a specific row or column from the available ones. It's going to be really tricky to build our Quadropolis by Days of Wonder."Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/06/13/quadropolis-saturday-review/LinksQuadropolis: https://www.daysofwonder.com/quadropolis/en/Days of Wonder: https://www.daysofwonder.com/en/index/Quadropolis unboxing video: https://youtu.be/FKTR2awo334Carcassonne: https://www.zmangames.com/en/products/carcassonne/Z-Man Games: https://www.zmangames.com/en/index/Ticket to Ride: https://www.daysofwonder.com/tickettoride/en/If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

There are many reasons why some games are played a couple of times and then put to one side. Often the game just doesn't suit you or your games group or it doesn't meet the expectations you had. However, there are also games that are put to one side, but then get brought back to the table again after some time - and I want to look at what these games are for me and why I put them away for a while before getting them out again.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/06/09/coming-around-again-topic-discussion/LinksScythe: https://stonemaiergames.com/games/scythe/Scythe review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/01/19/scythe/Stonemaier Games: https://stonemaiergames.com/Smallworld: https://www.daysofwonder.com/smallworld/en/Days of Wonder: https://www.daysofwonder.com/en/index/The Quacks of Quedlinburg: https://www.schmidtspiele-shop.de/die-quacksalber-von-quedlinburgThe Quacks of Quedlinburg review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/06/06/the-quacks-of-quedlinburg-saturday-review/Schmidt Spiele: https://www.schmidtspiele.de/Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)Music: Aviated by Nana Kwabena (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR8WNU7NJOQYJMfQgBAUSqg)If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

"Carefully now," you mumble as your hand reaches into the bag of ingredients. "That's it," you mutter as you pull out another pumpkin piece and add it to your bubbling pot. "One more, just one more," you say to yourself as you pray that the next ingredient won't be another cherry bomb. It would be disastrous. You have plenty of toadstools, pumpkins, crow skulls and emerald spiders in your bag, so you should be all right. "Come on, come on," you pray as you slowly withdraw your hand and reveal the ingredient you hold. "Oh no!" It's a cherry bomb of course and with a loud bang, your pot explodes. Now you have no chance of competing with the other Quacks of Quedlinburg by Schmidt Spiele.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/06/06/the-quacks-of-quedlinburg-saturday-review/LinksThe Quacks of Quedlinburg: https://www.schmidtspiele-shop.de/die-quacksalber-von-quedlinburgSchmidt Spiele: https://www.schmidtspiele.de/If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

In the next article in my series about how board games go from an idea to a product, I want to talk about the creative people who are responsible for the graphics and other visual bits that we see when we play games. Very often their work is what we see first and remember vividly afterwards, but very rarely do we remember their names. If done well, the visual elements of a game blend seamlessly and add to the experience but don't detract from the gameplay.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/06/02/graphic-games-topic-discussion/Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)Music: Uplift by AShamaluevMusic (https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com/)If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

"Silence!" you shout at the two imps sitting opposite you in the surveillance van. "It's time you two pilferers sneak into the factory and steal some tasty doughnuts. It'll be absolutely pitch black in there, so I'll be watching you from here and tell you which direction to go. Remember: north, east, south or west. Just make sure you keep going until you grab a doughnut or hit a wall. Oh, and if you come across anyone from a rival gang, just grab one of their doughnuts as you bump into them. All right?" The two imps reply with a loud and clear "Yes, sir!" and shuffle out of the van. Moments later, you spot them on the security cameras. Good. You're ready to start the Doughnut Dash by The Dark Imp.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/05/30/doughnut-dash-saturday-review/LinksDoughnut Dash: https://www.thedarkimp.com/product/doughnut-dash/The Dark Imp: https://www.thedarkimp.com/If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

I previously shared my experiences of games nights with friends who are all in different places, briefly touching on the different platforms available, but focussing more on the experience and what to do to make it feel as close to being together as possible. Now I want to look at the different ways I have played games remotely with others in more detail. I hope it will help you find a solution to your situation.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/05/26/distant-friends-topic-discussion/LinksIsolated games night topic discussion: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/04/21/isolated-games-night-topic-discussion/Tabletopia: https://tabletopia.com/Tabletop Simulator: https://store.steampowered.com/app/286160/Tabletop_Simulator/Clans of Caledonia review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/03/02/clans-of-caledonia/Scythe review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/01/19/scythe/Yucata review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/05/04/yucata/Happy Meeple review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/04/27/happy-meeple/Board Game Arena: https://boardgamearena.com/Steam: http://steampowered.com/Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)Music: Del Sol by MusicParadise (https://filmmusic.io/song/5063-del-sol)License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

Four mighty rulers compete to create the most wonderful dominion of them all. They stand proud at the top of their keep and survey the blank canvas of their lands below them. They want to create beautiful lakes full of fish to cater for many fishermen, large forests with mighty trees that will keep their many woodcutters supplied all year round, expansive meadows full of content sheep and happy farmers, giant fields bursting with healthy grain that hard-working millers will turn into flour in their many mills, expansive mines which overflow with precious ore and make the people rich and some wonderful swamp that... well... does something amazing too. Whoever creates the most productive realm will become the Kingdomino by Coiledspring Games.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/05/23/kingdomino-saturday-review/LinksKingdomino: http://www.blueorangegames.com/index.php/games/king-dominoCoiledspring Games: https://coiledspring.co.uk/If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

In last week's article, I talked about what is involved in designing a game. Now I want to continue the story of how a board game is made with the development stage, where a working game is polished to make it sparkle and shine. This step in the process can be informal and something a game designer does themselves as part of making their passion project a reality, or it can be handed over to a dedicated person, which is usually the case if a game is handed over to a publisher. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/05/19/interesting-developments-topic-discussion/ https://tabletopgamesblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/interesting-developments-topic-discussion.mp3 Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Music: Twinkling Garden Of Asia by Arnav Srivastav (https://soundcloud.com/909-music/arnav-srivastav-twinkling) (Photo by César Abner Martínez Aguilar on Unsplash) If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog PayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKD Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

Everything felt new and awkward. You had practiced for this as much as you could. Yet, you didn't feel confident. "You can do it," Dawna whispered into your ear piece, as if she knew what you were thinking. "Let's get 'em," came the roar from Farg over the comms, bringing you right back down to earth and giving you the extra nudge you needed to do this. With these two Mo'kons by your side, you stood a good chance. You might not win this time, but you would learn and grow in experience. You would become stronger. It was time for you to step into the Prisma Arena by Hub Games.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/05/16/prisma-arena-saturday-review/LinksPrisma Arena: https://www.wearehubgames.com/our-games/prisma-arenaKickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/roryoconnor/prisma-arena-by-hub-gamesHub Games: https://www.wearehubgames.com/Prisma Arena live teach and playthrough: https://youtu.be/KZxQ_DQA5IcKarmaka review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/07/13/karmaka-saturday-reviewIf you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

Making a new game is a very long process that can take anything from a few months to many years. It usually starts with a spark of an idea, that slowly glows in the mind of a designer, getting bigger over time until eventually becoming a flame that burns for many months before finally lighting the fire. However, a new game can also come in a flash of inspiration that rapidly spreads and lights up every synapse and brain cell, forcing itself into life. I want to look at these initial, sometimes laborious, steps of game design to find out how designers feed our appetite for new games.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/05/12/glowing-designs-topic-discussion/Links The Game Designers review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/03/21/the-game-designers-saturday-review/ The Game Designers: http://thegamedesignersmovie.com/ Eric Rayl: https://twitter.com/zoomoutmedia https://tabletopgamesblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/glowing-designs-topic-discussion.mp3 Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Music: Midnight Stroll by Avalon (https://soundcloud.com/freebmusic/avalon-midnight-stroll)If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

Lightning strikes around you every few seconds, a hurricane is howling around you and visibility is almost zero. Add to that the fact that you're on a rickety platform 7,000 feet in the air, barely tethered to the barrier rail by rope in an almost vain attempt to stop you from being blown off and plummeting to your death, and it's obvious why the situation is so precarious. You are desperately trying to get to the launch pad, get into the rocket and get away and to safety - but you are still exploring your route there and you also have to wire up the launch system - and you're running out of time. You have to be quick and work together to reach the Forbidden Sky by Gamewright.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/05/09/forbidden-sky-saturday-review/LinksForbidden Sky: https://coiledspring.co.uk/product/forbidden-sky/Gamewright: https://gamewright.com/Coiledspring Games: https://coiledspring.co.uk/Matt Leacock: http://www.leacock.com/Forbidden Island review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/05/02/forbidden-island-saturday-reviewIf you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

There are many reasons why people play board games. I have written about this before, but in this article I want to dive into it a bit deeper. Like with any activity, and apologies if I upset anyone when I call playing board games an activity, people do them for varying reasons. Just think of physical exercise. For many, it will be for health reasons, but it's more faceted than that. Some people might need to lose weight to improve their blood pressure or they exercise just generally to improve their cardiovascular systems. For others it could be a matter of physio therapy after recovering from an injury or people do it to improve their stamina. The reasons why people play board games are just as diverse. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/05/05/such-fun-topic-discussion/ https://tabletopgamesblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/such-fun-topic-discussion.mp3 Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Music: Dead Times by BrvtVs (https://soundcloud.com/freebmusic/brvtvs-dead-times-freebackgorundmusic)  If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog PayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKD Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

You and your fellow experts had been dropped off by helicopter on the island. It was going to be a rush job, but you were used to it by now. You had to work together to explore the area, find the artifacts and get them and yourself back to the helicopter. The problem was, the water level was rising all the time and this small island was disappearing fast. You did have a diver amongst the group, which would come in useful, but all of you had to shore things up as much as possible to buy yourself some extra time. To add to your troubles, you were on a Forbidden Island by Gamewright.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/05/02/forbidden-island-saturday-review/LinksForbidden Island: https://gamewright.com/product/Forbidden-IslandGamewright: https://gamewright.com/Matt Leacock: http://www.leacock.com/Pandemic: https://www.zmangames.com/en/games/pandemic/Z-Man Games: https://www.zmangames.com/en/index/Pandemic review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/01/18/pandemic-saturday-review/If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

The last time I checked my board game player profile on Quantic Foundry was back in October 2019, so just over six months ago. I must say, I knew there would be some changes, because I was playing more types of games and with different groups of people, but I didn't quite expect the types of changes there were. So let's delve into the results from my most recent survey.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/04/28/board-game-player-profile-updated-topic-discussion/LinksQuantic Foundry‘s tabletop player profile: https://apps.quanticfoundry.com/surveys/start/tabletop/October 2019 profile update: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/10/29/tabletop-player-profile-updated-3December 2018 profile update: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2018/12/25/tabletop-player-profile-updated-2December 2018 profile update: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2018/12/25/tabletop-player-profile-updated-2October 2018 profile update: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2018/10/06/tabletop-player-profile-updated/June 2018 profile update: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2018/06/11/co-op-or-competitive/Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)Music: Positive Determination by Purple Planet Music (https://www.purple-planet.com)If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

The monsters are on the rampage. Military jets fill the skies while tanks rumble through the gridlocked streets. There is the endless noise of sirens and people screaming. It's absolute chaos on the ground, but to you, it's more of a minor irritation than anything much to worry about. The jets are like wasps with a painful sting and the tanks like cockroaches trying to bite you. Your real worry are the other monsters, whose attacks could kill you. You're desperately trying to get to Manhatten and become the King of New York in this exciting game by Iello.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/04/25/king-of-new-york-saturday-review/LinksKing of New York: https://iellousa.com/collections/all-our-games/products/king-of-new-yorkIello: https://iellousa.com/King of Tokyo: https://iellousa.com/collections/all-our-games/products/king-of-tokyoIf you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

Games nights are about social interactions, catching up with friends, maybe some ribbing, eating snacks, enjoying a drink, holding cards or moving pieces, maybe rolling dice and enjoying how a game unfolds, its twists and turns. It's about a shared experience and coming together. Yet, at the moment we have to stay apart, which changes how we interact and how we behave at games nights. It also changes how games nights feel. There are things we can do to try and make things feel as normal as possible. So here are some suggestions I have, things that I have learned from my own weekly games nights.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/04/21/isolated-games-night-topic-discussion/Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)Music: Aspire by AShamaluevMusic (https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com/)If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

If you don't have much room for games in your house, like me, then small box games are ideal. Of course, what one person considers a small box might be a medium-sized box for someone else, but I will go with what I consider small boxes, which is really small, and list five great small box games that will cover a wide range of tastes and experiences. They're listed in alphabetical order, so there is no favouritism here. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/04/18/5-small-box-games-saturday-review/LinksDeep Sea Adventure: https://oinkgms.com/en/deep-sea-adventureOink Games: https://oinkgms.com/en/Deep Sea Adventure review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/04/11/deep-sea-adventure-saturday-reviewThe Blessed Dark: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/nmeunier/the-blessed-dark-a-cult-themed-mint-tin-card-dice-gameNathan Meunier: https://twitter.com/nmeunierThe Blessed Dark review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/07/20/the-blessed-dark-saturday-reviewMicrobrew: https://www.onefreeelephant.co.uk/Microbrew/One Free Elephant: https://www.onefreeelephant.co.uk/Microbrew review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/06/22/microbrew-saturday-reviewMint Tin Mini Skulduggery: https://subquark.com/rules-mtmskulduggery.htmlsubQuark: https://subquark.com/Mint Tin Mini Skulduggery review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/03/09/mint-tin-mini-skulduggery/Mint Works: https://five24labs.com/mint-worksFive24 Labs: https://five24labs.com/Mint Works review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/08/17/mint-works-saturday-reviewIf you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

In open, or perfect, information games, everything is there for everyone to see. Nothing is hidden. The whole state of the game is right there in front of you. Chess is probably the most famous perfect information game - and the most classic one. However, just because all the information about the game state is available to you, doesn't mean you actually know everything. In this article, I want to look at what information you need to work out for yourself in these games and what game experience that creates.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/04/14/open-information-topic-discussion/Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)Music: Triumphal by AShamaluevMusic (https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com/)If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

The dive team was getting ready to leave the submarine. The oxygen tank was full, but it was limited. Everyone's lines were connected to it, so everyone had to be frugal and be aware that the air was shared among the team. It was going to be risky, but nobody was under any illusions. After a few last checks, it was time to leave the vessel and hunt for treasure - and make it back alive. It was going to be a Deep Sea Adventure by Oink Games.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/04/11/deep-sea-adventure-saturday-review/LinksDeep Sea Adventure: https://oinkgms.com/en/deep-sea-adventureOink Games: https://oinkgms.com/en/Unboxing video: https://youtu.be/c-Pupu1FtAAIf you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

There are many things that affect our mental health in some way. It could be a life-changing or otherwise significant event. It could be certain habits we have or things we do - or don't do. Our physical health can also affect it, as well as the health of someone close to us. Our relationships also have an influence on our mental health. These are all very broad stroke headlines and there are many things that fit into each of those categories. Of course, different events affect each of us differently - in different ways and at different times. Ultimately, it's about how we deal with these events that decided how they affect our mental health.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/04/07/high-spirits-topic-discussion/LinksUseful Links: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/links/Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)Music: Uluru by Purple Planet Music (https://www.purple-planet.com/dreamy)If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

It feels like a long time ago now, but thinking back to AireCon, which took place last month, still puts a smile on my face. It meant a long car journey for me, travelling over five hours from the South Coast all the way up to Harrogate in deepest Yorkshire. I started early, around 6am, on the Friday, because I was aiming to get there by lunchtime. I wanted to see a few people who were going to be there - one of my wonderful Patreon supporters, a game designer who I got chatting to on Twitter and who was demoing his new game at the event, a more established game designer who I was hoping to arrange an interview with, as well as the board game "celebrities" who had made their way from across the pond. It was going to be busy.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/04/04/airecon-2020-saturday-review/LinksAireCon: https://www.airecon.co.uk/The Crafting Jones: https://thecraftingjones.com/Redwell Games: http://redwellgames.com/Ruined Sky Games: https://www.ruinedsky.com/Minerva Tabletop: https://twitter.com/minervatabletopOink Games: https://oinkgms.com/en/Stuff by Bez: http://www.stuffbybez.com/Tiz Creel: https://www.tizcreel.com/Paula Deming: https://www.youtube.com/c/paulademingMatthew Jude: https://twitter.com/matthew_jude_Death by Monsters: https://deathbymonsters.libsyn.com/Pointless Parrot Podcast: http://pointlessparrotpodcast.libsyn.com/More Games Please: https://www.moregamesplease.com/Dave Luza: https://twitter.com/TheHappyLuzaThis Game is Broken: https://thisgameisbroken.libsyn.com/Dávid Turczi: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/76227/david-turcziExcavation Earth: https://www.mighty-boards.com/14/80/Excavation-EarthBoard Game Inquisition: https://boardgameinquisition.com/Tabletop Inquisition: https://tabletopinquisition.com/Mark Cooke: https://www.facebook.com/markfcookeIf you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

I have always hoped that our community would work together to help each other through tough times, and it seems that my hopes have been answered. I don't think I need to describe the recent, global events, but when many of us had to stay at home and our social bonds were put under pressure, a lot of people did what they could to bring people together again and create a fresh sense of community.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/03/31/pulling-together-topic-discussion/LinksGaming Rules: https://www.youtube.com/user/GamingRulesVideos/The Giant Brain: https://giantbrain.co.uk/The Giant Brain’s Twitch channel: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/572886727More Games Please: https://www.moregamesplease.com/More Games Please’s Twitch channel: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/573852356Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)Music: Aspire by AShamaluevMusic (https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com/)If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

Ensuring you can continue to stock the display cases with new exhibits, while also being able to pay your loyal and hard-working staff, is very hard. It is all about getting as many people through the door to raise income, as well as have a better chance of attracting funding to see you through another month. However, at the moment your museum isn't in great shape and you need to expand to make room for more exhibits, which in turn should attract more visitors. Well, nobody said it would be easy in Curators: Collection Conundrum by Worldshapers. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/03/28/curators-collection-conundrum-saturday-review/LinksCurators: Collection Conundrum: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/worldshapers/curators?ref=revo15Worldshapers: https://twitter.com/WorldshapersBGIf you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

Text and board games are inextricably linked. You find text in various places in every board game to a greater or lesser extent. I can't think of any game that doesn't have some text somewhere, but feel free to prove me wrong in the comments below. At the very least, there will be text on the box, stating where the game was made or what its player count is. At the other end of the spectrum, you'll find games that are text-heavy. I want to look at the varying levels of use of text in modern board games.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/03/24/heavy-times-topic-discussion/Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)Music: Awakening by Beaster (https://soundcloud.com/freebmusic/beaster-awakening-free-background-music)If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

We all love to play board games. We each have our favourite genres, themes and mechanisms, and ultimately our favourite games. Over time our favourites change of course, as new games come out and we get a chance to play them. Yet, when we play a board game, we don't usually think about how this game came into being in the first place. Chances are we know the designer of the game. In fact, we might have chosen the game because we like other games by the same designer. Yet, very few will have any inkling of the hard work the designer has put into taking a spark of an idea and turning it into a working game. In the film The Games Designers written and directed by Eric Rayl, Mike Selinker phrases it really well: "Board game design is hard, like, I mean, real hard." Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/03/21/the-game-designers-saturday-review/LinksThe Game Designers: http://thegamedesignersmovie.com/Eric Rayl: https://twitter.com/zoomoutmediaMike Selinker: https://twitter.com/mikeselinkerDesign challenges Topic Discussion article: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/03/17/design-challenges-topic-discussionChris Faulkenberry: https://twitter.com/ccfaulkenberryDoug Schepers: https://twitter.com/shepazuKelly North Adams: https://twitter.com/boardofplayingMatt Leacock: https://twitter.com/mattleacockAntoine Bauza: https://twitter.com/ToinitoIf you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

The list of tasks a game designer has open at any one point in time can be very long and it is constantly evolving. Designing a game is a long journey, even for the simplest of games. It can be a battle between what's good for the game and what the game designer wants the game to be. It comes with a lot of changes, some of them very painful, some of them creating the long-needed breakthrough that breaks an impasse. Elements get added, others get taken out until eventually, the final product bears little resemblance to the notes that were scribbled on a piece of paper when the designer had an initial idea.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/03/17/design-challenges-topic-discussion/Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)Music: Hip-hop Beat by PlutoTracks (https://soundcloud.com/plutotracks/better-hip-hop-beat-piano-and-guitar-instrumental-chill-ambient-relaxing-background-music)If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

The air is still and the sky is mostly clear. There are only a couple of fluffy clouds and sparkly stars fill the firmament. The forest is flourishing, stocked with many great, big trees with long branches colonized by many fragrant flowers, marvellous mushrooms, wriggly worms and fantastic fireflies. You are proud of what you have achieved in the three preceding growing seasons. It wasn't easy to decide how to grow each tree so that it would be in harmony with nature and be inviting to a varied flora and fauna. Yet, you did it. You pleased the spirits of the forest, the so-called Kodama: The Tree Spirits by Action Phase Games.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/03/14/kodama-the-tree-spirits-takebacks/LinksKodama: The Tree Spirits: https://www.actionphasegames.com/pages/kodama-the-tree-spiritsAction Phase Games: https://www.actionphasegames.com/Kodama: The Tree Spirits review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/09/14/kodama-the-tree-spirits-saturday-review/If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

We all love high quality, gorgeous game components. Chunky dice, metal coins, thick cardboard, linen finished cards, detailed miniatures or custom meeples. However, what we often forget is how components are used in games. We all know about rolling dice, playing cards and placing workers, but there are other, much more inventive ways of using components in games that can make playing them more memorable and exciting for us and it is one of the things that I am always keeping an eye out for.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/03/10/leading-role-topic-discussion/Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)Music: Calm Wind by Elaxdy (https://soundcloud.com/elaxdy/calm-wind)If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

Your stable is ready. You’ve chosen three creatures from your selection of 30. There are the Chill Wraith, the Stasis Golem and the Skinling. You know that some of them will lose and some will win, which is fine. In fact, it’s what you’re betting on happening, because if you win your bet, irrespective of whether the creature wins or loses, it will give you a strategic advantage in the next round of combat. You also have a few trumps up your sleeves. The Iron Tusks, which you have kept back for now, will make one of the creatures even stronger, and you have pulled some strings behind the scenes, so you know that you can fix one of the matches in your favour. You are confident that you will come out on top in Underleague by Cogwright Games. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/03/07/underleague-saturday-review/ Links Underleague: https://cogwright-games.myshopify.com/products/underleague-core-game-copy-ul-core-001 Cogwright Games: http://www.cogwrightgames.com/ Unboxing video: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/02/20/underleague-unboxing/ Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

Of course it is important to make sure everyone knows about the game you’re planning to release very soon or the campaign that’s going to launch on Kickstarter shortly. You want people to be excited, so they share it with their friends. You want people to think your game is the best fit for them, so it can compete with the myriad of other games vying for people’s attention all the time. In fact, you want your game to be amazing – the best it can be. You want others to love it as much as you do. However, there comes a point at which you might be promising more than the game can deliver. You can run the risk of overhyping your game, which can have a hugely negative effect. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/03/03/great-expectations-topic-discussion/ Links Wingspan: https://stonemaiergames.com/games/wingspan/ KeyForge: https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/products/keyforge/ Everdell: https://www.starling.games/everdell Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

"Diamonds, gold, silver, cloth, spices, leather," you shout from your stall into the hustle and bustle of the market. You are not the only trader vying for the many people wandering around the square, most of whom are tourists looking for a bargain. In fact, there is one other trader selling the same wares as you, and both of you pride yourselves on selling the finest goods. Neither of you wants to sell cheap, but if you're not quick enough, prices will drop and you will end up with a stall full of unsold items. However, what you both want most, over everything else, is to attract the Maharajah's eye and be granted one of his rare Seals of Excellence in the hope that you will become his personal trader in Jaipur by GameWorks.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/02/29/jaipur-saturday-review/LinksJaipur: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/54043/jaipurGameWorks: http://www.gameworks.ch/IND_GB.htmlUnboxing video: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/02/27/jaipur-unboxingJaipur on Yucata.de: https://www.yucata.de/en/Rules/JaipurIf you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

We all have heard of knock-off copies of designer bags or clothing, illegal copying of DVDs and CDs, as well as cheap versions of toys that are basically replicas of products sold by big brands. After all, there is good money to be had by the makers of these fakes, as well as a good chunk of money to be saved by people who buy the copies instead of the much more expensive originals. However, what is probably less well known is that modern board games have also become a target of unscrupulous people who want to make a quick buck. So, let me give you a couple of examples of games which were counterfeit in the last couple of years and the lessons we should take away.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/02/25/faking-it-topic-discussion/LinksCGE: https://czechgames.com/en/Codenames: https://czechgames.com/en/codenames/CGE press release about&nbsp;Codenames fakes: https://czechgames.com/en/home/news-18-01-26-fake-codenames/Gameosity article about&nbsp;Codenames fakes: https://gameosity.com/2018/02/13/fake-codenames-infiltrate-the-market/Gameosity: https://gameosity.com/Stephen Buonocore: https://twitter.com/StrongholdGamesStronghold Games: http://strongholdgames.com/Board Games Insider: http://boardgamesinsider.com/Terraforming Mars:&nbsp;http://strongholdgames.com/our-games/terraforming-mars/Terraforming Mars fakes: https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/2138805/how-know-if-your-terraforming-mars-genuine-pictureTabletop Gaming magazine: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/ttgTabletop Gaming magazine January 2018 article about counterfeit board games: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/features/the-counterfeit-board-games-crisis-is-there-a-fake-in-your-collection/Z-Man Games: https://www.zmangames.com/en/index/Pandemic: https://www.zmangames.com/en/products/pandemic/Pandemic fakes: https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/2235118/my-copy-pandemic-fakeIntro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)Music: Hopeful by AShamaluevMusic (https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com/sad-music)If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: <a href="h

Your tribe is sitting around the fire - a new invention that will prove to be the spark of great things to come, things that nobody can yet predict or even dream of. It feels like you have been here before though. The scene seems very familiar. The faces may be different and so is the location, but the warmth of the flames and the crackling of the embers trigger memories in you - memories of a bright future, memories of generations to come, of a civilization rising out of the plains and large structures reaching into the sky. Yet, something is different this time. It seems as if your tribe of Traders has an extra coin and an extra food in this more balanced version of Tapestry by Stonemaier Games.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/02/22/tapestry-takebacks/LinksTapestry: https://stonemaiergames.com/games/tapestry/Stonemaier Games: https://stonemaiergames.com/Amended setup for&nbsp;Tapestry: https://app.box.com/s/uqp6m71co7gdyfahz5qamp3bd7o1v06iTapestry&nbsp;review:&nbsp;https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/11/09/tapestry-saturday-review/Tapestry&nbsp;unboxing video: https://youtu.be/vT8kOHae9j4Andrew Bosley interview: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/07/22/andrew-bosley-let-me-illustrate/If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

In recent years, there seems to have been a surge in board game events in the UK, where people come together for a day or two to play games with old friends and new. I'm thinking of events like AireCon, Manorcon or Tabletop Scotland, but there are many more. These events are different to expos, like the UK Games Expo, which do have open play or tournaments, but whose main focus is on exhibitors showing off their products. What I want to talk about here are more like festivals, where the focus is on playing, and exhibitors, seminars and other activities are secondary - and I want to look at AireCon in particular.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/02/18/playing-together-topic-discussion/LinksAireCon: https://www.airecon.co.uk/Manorcon: http://manorcon.org.uk/Tabletop Scotland: https://tabletopscotland.co.uk/UK Games Expo: https://www.ukgamesexpo.co.uk/The Dice Tower: https://www.dicetower.com/Death by Monsters: https://deathbymonsters.libsyn.com/Things Get Dicey: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfMI4taWfL9pQPREM_ZwQd7Y6BLsPq6yTThe Brothers Murph: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSX3ACjhZkM8rixZ1Ni_VPAThis Game is Broken: https://thisgameisbroken.libsyn.com/No Pun Included: https://www.nopunincluded.com/Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)Music: Orbitalmelody by Lilo Sound (https://electronicmoods.com/)License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

"I know," said the King's master builder, "if we use modular rooms, all of them square, we could manufacture several of them, all at the same time, in our many workshops, transport them to the site as they are finished, and connect them on-site to build a magnificent castle, befitting our Highness' standing and reputation. In fact, we could build several castles all at the same time, all as glorious as each other." "That's madness," his apprentice exclaimed in horror. "Exactly," the King's master builder replied, "but imagine the wonderful feeling of amazement our Royal Highness will get when he surveys the construction from a vantage point Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig."Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/02/15/between-two-castles-of-mad-king-ludwig-saturday-review/Links Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig: https://stonemaiergames.com/games/between-two-castles/ Stonemaier Games: https://stonemaiergames.com/ Bézier Games: https://beziergames.com/ Unboxing video: https://youtu.be/etIaimmbg2s Between Two Cities: https://stonemaiergames.com/games/between-two-cities/ Castles of Mad King Ludwig: https://beziergames.com/products/castles If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

Sure. It's always great to play with the latest shinies and be at the cutting edge of what board games have to offer. It makes you feel trendy, in-the-know or it's just great to have bought something new. I love it myself. It's amazing when someone offers you a game for review that hasn't been released yet. You feel honoured. It's a special thing. It just makes you happy, and enjoying games has a lot to do with happiness for a lot of people. However, there is also the flipside. It can be stressful, and often very expensive, to always hunt for the latest game, the newest release. Your fear of missing out can turn into panic. That's when it's time to remind ourselves where our interest in the hobby started.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/02/11/fear-of-the-new-topic-discussion/LinksRestoration Games: https://restorationgames.com/Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)Music: Alston &amp; Ozone by LSDesigns (https://soundcloud.com/freebmusic/alston-ozone-lsdesigns-freebackgroundmusic)If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

Our heighliner was positioned safely in Arrakis' orbit. With a steady stream of Spice filling our coffers gradually, we had to be patient and observe from afar the goings-on down on the planet itself. It was clear that House Atreides was pivotal in the unfolding events and our scheme had to remain hidden until the right moment was reached. The cogs were set in motion and doubts had been planted in the Emperor's mind that would lead to their unavoidable conclusion. The Spice needs to flow on Dune by Gale Force Nine.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/02/08/dune-saturday-review/LinksDune: https://www.gf9games.com/dune/Gale Force Nine: https://www.gf9games.com/homeDune (1979): https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/121/duneIf you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

Growing up, I played a lot of tabletop games with my parents and brother. Yes, there was Monopoly of course, as well as other roll-and-move games such as Winnetou, but also tableau builders like&nbsp;Ogallala and a stock market game called Das Börsenspiel which required a little more strategic thinking. It was mostly my brother who would teach us these sort of games, and my parents would teach us trick-taking games like&nbsp;Skat and&nbsp;Doppelkopf. So in this article I want to look at how I learned those games and how the rules were taught. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/02/04/home-teaching-topic-discussion/ Links Monopoly: https://monopoly.hasbro.com/en-gb/toys-games Winnetou: https://www.spiele-check.de/12620-Winnetou.html Ogallala: https://www.capricorns-spielegilde.ch/spiele/anleitung-ogallala-de-1-_1337780018.pdf Das Börsenspiel: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Das_B%C3%B6rsenspiel Skat: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skat_(card_game) Doppelkopf: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doppelkopf Smallworld: https://www.daysofwonder.com/smallworld/en/ Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

After finishing my shift in the press room at the local newspaper, I had returned home. As I entered the apartment block’s communal hallway and went over to collect my post, I saw that someone had changed the padlock on my letterbox. I knew that my own padlock had never been very secure, and I always expected someone to cut it with a bolt cutter to steal my post. However, I never thought anybody would go through the trouble of replacing my own lock with theirs, but clearly someone had done just that. Then I saw a sticky note written by my friend Henry. It seemed that I had to solve a little puzzle to work out the code of the new padlock, which, unbeknownst to me at the time, was going to lead me down a rabbit hole of puzzles of ever-increasing difficulty which would eventually help me uncover a major conspiracy in Escape Room Puzzles by&nbsp;Carlton Books. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/02/01/escape-room-puzzles-saturday-review/ Links Escape Room Puzzles: https://amzn.to/2tM7Fef (if you buy the book via this link, I will get a little percentage of the sale from Amazon) Carlton Books: https://www.carltonbooks.co.uk/trade/uk-trade Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

We all play games for different reasons, and we all approach them differently. In fact, we may play the same game differently on two different days, just because we're in a different mood. However, I'm not talking about playing a different strategy or choosing a different character or even just playing with a different player colour. I'm talking about something different altogether.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/01/28/play-styles-topic-discussion/Links Carcassonne: https://www.zmangames.com/en/games/carcassone/ On the Underground London/Berlin: http://ludicreations.com/product-category/on-the-underground/ https://tabletopgamesblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/play-styles-topic-discussion.mp3 Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Music: Uplifting Pop by AShamaluevMusic (https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com)If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/