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

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/

You sit quietly in your hide, binoculars in hand, peering out over the lake, with the grassland on the other side and the woodlands in the background. You have already spotted a fair number of birds that frequent this nature reserve regularly, but suddenly you spot something new. You think you glimpsed a read head and black and white back. Slowly scanning the woodlands, you see it again, hanging onto the trunk of a dead tree. It's a white-backed woodpecker, which is a new visitor and comes with 80 other birds in Wingspan: European Expansion by Stonemaier Games.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/01/25/wingspan-european-expansion-saturday-review/LinksWingspan: European Expansion: https://stonemaiergames.com/games/wingspan/wingspan-european-expansion/Stonemaier Games: https://stonemaiergames.com/Unboxing video: https://youtu.be/nUjttWsgiPgWingspan review:&nbsp;https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/03/16/wingspan/Top 5 Tabletop Games of 2019:&nbsp;https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/12/28/top-5-tabletop-games-of-2019-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/

Tabletop game designers want to create an enjoyable experience for people - whatever enjoyable means in this context. From that starting point, they create a game that is balanced, flows well and meets the desired complexity requirements, as well as meets other criteria. They may use the skillset of developers to refine everything, and if a publisher is involved, there will be additional criteria that have to be met. However, in this article, I want to focus on enjoyment, what it means and whose responsibility it is to make a game enjoyable.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/01/21/enjoyable-design-topic-discussion/LinksYogi: http://www.brainbox.co.uk/game/yogiFog of Love: https://www.fogoflove.com/Article about my journey as an alpha player: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/12/03/alpha-one/Unboxing videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUjttWsgiPg&amp;list=PLU5Vut7xXvcIGkbx6vTtHJ9yfdPHlpXkeIntro 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/

"...as more people are put into isolation in specifically built camps that are guarded by military personnel and run by medical experts and support staff brought in from around the country. The World Health Organization has so far identified five different viruses in this global epidemic. A number of scientific laboratories across the world are working around the clock in an attempt to discover a cure for them all, while teams on the ground travel to infection sites to gather samples and monitor outbreaks." You switch off the TV, because you have to return to your fieldwork and help your team find cures in Pandemic by Z-Man Games.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/01/18/pandemic-saturday-review/LinksUnboxing video:&nbsp;https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/01/23/pandemic-unboxing/Pandemic: https://www.zmangames.com/en/games/pandemic/Z-Man Games: https://www.zmangames.com/en/index/Pandemic: Rising Tide: https://zmangames.com/en/products/pandemic-rising-tide/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/

Chits, tokens, player boards, tiles, pieces, cards and all the other components we have come to know and love can sometimes be a bit of a problem: when you need to place dozens upon dozens of them into specific places on the game board or player mat and spend hours shuffling dozens of decks of cards before you can even think about starting the game. Setup is something most of us will want to be quick, so we can get to the fun bit as soon as possible.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/01/14/setup-pains/LinksShuffling methods on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ShufflingIntro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)Music: Happiness 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/

After a short journey by train, you arrive in Berlin at Friedrichstraße central station. Wasting no time, you immediately take the stairs down to the U-Bahn platforms. You want to see as much of this metropole as possible, not just the usual tourist sites, but also the more regular stations that locals would travel to. Your first destination is Zitadelle in Spandau, after which you want to see the famous Potsdamer Platz. However, as you arrive on the platform, you notice there are no trains running. It turns out that you have to take a taxi to Jungfernheide, after which you can take the yellow line to Zitadelle, then back to Jungfernheide and another taxi to Zoologischer Garten, where you can catch the white line. It seems weird, but this is On the Underground London/Berlin by LudiCreations.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/01/11/on-the-underground-london-berlin-saturday-review/Links On the Underground London/Berlin: http://ludicreations.com/product/on-the-underground-london-berlin/ LudiCreations: http://ludicreations.com/ Unboxing video: https://youtu.be/klx_ta_uWw4 Gaming Rules! how to play video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iv5n4KxXWQg Gaming Rules! playthrough video: https://youtu.be/d1BtU4xNZZg 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/

Let's start 2020 with a serious topic and wade straight in. I might as well start the year as I mean to go on. So, turn order. It's something that matters very little in some games, and a lot in others. In some games, players take their turns in clockwise order, in others it's based on the faction they've chosen or some other similar measure, or you might bid for turn order. In some games, turn order remains the same throughout the game, in others it changes from round to round. I want to look at the different ways turn order is implemented in games and the effect this can have.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/01/07/turn-order/https://tabletopgamesblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/turn-order-topic-discussion.wav Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Music from https://filmmusic.io &#8220;Chill&#8221; by MusicParadise (http://www.music-paradise.de) 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/

Here is a game that has been around the blocks for a few years, but still seems very popular amongst people who like trick-taking games.&nbsp;Skull King by&nbsp;Schmidt Spiele*&nbsp;does a few things differently to other trick-taking games, which is why it’s so much fun and a game that you can teach to people who are new to trick-taking games. Yet, there is as much depth in this game as there is in other trick-taking games. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/01/04/skull-king-saturday-review/ Links Skull King: https://www.schmidtspiele-shop.de/skull-king Schmidt Spiele: https://www.schmidtspiele-shop.de/ Grandpa Beck’s Games: https://www.grandpabecksgames.com/ Thing 12 Games: http://thing12games.com/ 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/

I wanted to use this opportunity to thank everyone who supports me via Patreon, follows me on Twitter, has subscribed to my YouTube channel, follows me on Instagram, likes my LinkedIn page or who supports me otherwise. A particular thank you goes, of course, to Antoinette from Board Game Inquisition with whom I'm running the Tabletop Inquisition podcast.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/12/31/thank-you-for-a-wonderful-2019/https://tabletopgamesblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/thank-you-for-a-wonderful-2019-topic-discussion.mp3 Music: Positive Motivation by AShamaluevMusicIf 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/

For the first time, the Tabletop Games Blog is giving away an award: the Top Table Award for the best game released in 2019. As you know, a lot of new tabletop games were released this year, probably around 3,000 to 4,000, excluding expansions. That's more games anyone will ever be able to play in a year, and I have probably only seen 20-30 of those. However, I still thought it'd be good to share with you my top 5 games that were published in 2019 and crown the winner.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/12/28/top-5-tabletop-games-of-2019-saturday-review/LinksSilver: https://beziergames.com/products/silverBezier Games: https://beziergames.com/Silver review:&nbsp;https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/08/31/silver-saturday-review/Tapestry: https://stonemaiergames.com/games/tapestry/Stonemaier Games: https://stonemaiergames.com/Tapestry review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/11/09/tapestry-saturday-review/Roam: https://redravengames.squarespace.com/roamRed Raven Games: https://redravengames.squarespace.com/Roam review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/11/02/roam-saturday-review/Vivaldi: http://www.xvgames.it/en/vivaldi/XV Games: http://www.xvgames.it/en/Vivaldi review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/11/23/vivaldi-saturday-review/Wingspan: https://stonemaiergames.com/games/wingspan/Elizabeth Hargrave: https://www.elizhargrave.com/Beth Sobel: http://bethsobel.com/aboutAna Maria Martinez Jaramillo: https://www.anammartinez.com/Natalia Rojas: https://www.nataliarojasart.com/shop/original-artwork/Spiel des Jahres: https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/Wingspan Kennerspiel des Jahres 2019: https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/spiele/fluegelschlag/Wingspan review:&nbsp;https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/03/16/wingspan/Music from https://filmmusic.io&#8220;Epic Intro 2017&#8221; by Sascha Ende (https://www.sascha-ende.de)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: http

I know, it's Christmas Eve, so talking about New Year's resolutions might feel a little early, but I thought I'd get them out of the way now, so I can enjoy the holidays. As this blog is about tabletop games, my list of resolutions featured here focuses solely on what I promise to do, or stop doing, with regards to the hobby. Of course, there are many other things, that are personal and private to me and that I aim to become better at next year, but that I won't mention below.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/12/24/resolutions/Links Blog article &#8220;Alpha One&#8221;: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/12/03/alpha-one/ https://tabletopgamesblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/resolutions-topic-discussion.mp3 Music: Corporate Motivation by AShamluevMusicIf 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/

Another year has come and gone. A lot has happened in the world, some good, some bad. The tabletop game community has not got away unscathed of course. Yet, there have also been a lot of positive trends and changes. So as we're nearing the end of 2019, I want to look back at what happened in the tabletop games hobby.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/12/21/2019-saturday-review/Links Francis Tresham: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Tresham_(game_designer) Chad Jensen: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/6331/chad-jensen Dominant Species: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-621-dominant-species-5th-printing.aspx Combat Commander: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-703-combat-commander-europe-4th-printing.aspx Dominant Species: Marine: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-738-dominant-species-marine.aspx Starting Roll: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjAMzVSxHSw&amp;list=PLUII-TIgX3qFUvnssiJ7puvASOKF1rJHG GammaRay: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSf8PUVb3DRY85sFL2BTyPA Nyctophobia: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/249505/nyctophobia Meeple Like Us: https://meeplelikeus.co.uk/ Sightless Fun: https://sightless.fun/ Dibs on Blue: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9FMiJybd6Wlf5f_HPKX9ag Watch It Played: https://www.youtube.com/user/WatchItPlayed UK Gaming Media Network: https://www.ukgmn.co.uk/ Tabletop Inquisition: https://tabletopinquisition.com/ Board Game Inquisition: https://boardgameinquisition.com/ UK Games Expo: https://www.ukgamesexpo.co.uk/ Essen Spiel: https://www.spiel-messe.com/en/ AireCon: https://www.airecon.co.uk/ https://tabletopgamesblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/2019-saturday-review.mp3 Music: Documentary Piano by AShamaluevMusicIf 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: <a href="https://paypal.me/pools/c/8

I thought it would be helpful to talk about something that I, and many other people, struggle with around this time of year. It's not quite a tabletop games related topic, but there is a link, as you will see. What I am talking about is the feelings of gloom, self-doubt and general negativity when the days get shorter and the weather is less pleasant. I hope my experiences are helpful to others, even if it's just so people know they are not alone. After all, mental health does matter.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/12/17/dark-times/Links TED Talk &#8220;The surprisingly charming science of your gut&#8221; by Giulia Enders: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNMQ_w7hXTA https://tabletopgamesblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/dark-times-topic-discussion.mp3 Music: Filaments by Scott Buckley on SoundCloudIf 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 is absolute silence and the flickering candles cast eerie shadows of the four people sitting around the table. Everyone has one hand on the table and moves their gaze from face to face, trying to lock onto the thoughts that waft through the other person's mind. The tension is palpable and the air is thick. There is a faint sound of ticking, as if from a grandfather clock, but it's not real. It's in everyone's head. Yet, it's not a single clock, but a jumbled rhythm as each player counts down at their own frequency. Then, slowly, everyone withdraws their hand and the game begins. It's time to get into synch as the game of The Mind Extreme by Nürnberger-Spielkarten-Verlag begins.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/12/14/the-mind-extreme-saturday-review/Links The Mind Extreme: http://www.spiele-offensive.de/nsv/index.php?cmd=nsv_artikel_anzeigen&amp;aid=1024431&amp;kat=109 Nürnberger-Spielkarten-Verlag: https://nsv.de/ The Mind Extreme unboxing video: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/12/12/the-mind-extreme-unboxing The Mind: https://coiledspring.co.uk/product/the-mind/ The Mind review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/01/05/the-mind/ 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 thought it might be time to give everyone an update of where I'm at with the blog, the podcast, videos and everything else I do in the industry. After all, we're nearing the end of the year and everyone is starting to reflect on what they have achieved. However, there will be a separate article on my blog talking about what happened in 2019 in the industry in general and with regards to my work specifically, so here I focus on what is involved in producing the content for my various outlets and give you a behind-the-scenes look of what I do.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/12/10/working-9-to-5/Links Board Game Inquisition: https://boardgameinquisition.com/ Tabletop Inquisition: https://tabletopinquisition.com/ Make My Game Travel: https://makemygametravel.com/ https://tabletopgamesblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/working-9-to-5-topic-discussion.mp3 Music: Cinematic Light by AShamaluevMusicIf 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 four armies have landed on the beach of the abandoned island and deposited their troops with intent. They are here to claim their stake and become the new rulers. Yet, battles are rare. The invaders mostly compete for majority, tolerating their opponents’ presence, while brave cohorts cross the seas to reach neighbouring islands in this tiny archipelago. Cities are built to establish a permanent presence, but it doesn’t take long until it is all over. In&nbsp;Eight-Minute Empire: Legends by&nbsp;Red Raven Games, you and up to three other players try to manoeuvre your armies over eight to eleven rounds to come out victorious. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/12/07/eight-minute-empire-legends-saturday-review/ Links Eight-Minute Empire: Legends: https://redravengames.squarespace.com/eightminute-empire-legends Red Raven Games:&nbsp;https://redravengames.squarespace.com/ Unboxing video: https://youtu.be/ih-yggBm1gI 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/

As some of you will know, I’m an alpha player at the core, which means I can take over co-operative games and tell people what to do. Even in competitive games I’m the one who makes sure rules are followed and actions are done in the right order. I even adjust tokens or tiles to line them up properly and ensure everything is in the right place. However, I’ve changed a lot over the last year or so and I want to share my journey with you. Maybe it will give you some tips for yourself, if you’re an alpha player too. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/12/03/alpha-one/ 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/

The price bubble has burst and the property market has crashed. People have lost a lot of money when they were forced to sell everything at a much lower price. They bought too high and got out too late. Yet, there are also a number of happy faces around the table. They bought land when prices were still extremely low, built properties, rented them out, earned a decent income and then sold everything at the peak of the market - or at least sold most of it, breaking even with everything else. These are the property tycoons that managed to make it big in Magnate: The First City by Naylor Games.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/11/30/takebacks-magnate-the-first-city/Links Magnate: The First City: https://magnategame.com/ Naylor Games: https://naylorgames.com/ Saturday Review of Magnate: The First City: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/06/29/magnate-the-first-city/ UK Games Expo: https://www.ukgamesexpo.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/

I guess it has become tradition now for boardgame blogs to suggest a number of games that people should play with their friends and family over the festive period. As I love tradition, I will do what everyone else is doing and give you a selection of games some of which may suit your taste and may also be a good match for whoever you choose to play with when you enjoy some time off over Christmas.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/11/26/games-of-christmas/https://tabletopgamesblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/games-of-christmas-topic-discussion.mp3 Music: Yuletide Greetings by Purple Planet MusicIf 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's been a very long time since I have played one of the classic, German trick-taking games, like Skat or Doppelkopf. My family and I used to play Skat at home a lot when I was in my late teens, early twenties, and I used to play Doppelkopf pretty much every break with my friends in school when I was in my late teens, keeping the session going virtually all day, as one person would leave to get to their lesson and someone else would take their place. I had very much forgotten how much I loved these sort of games, especially the uncertainty in Doppelkopf where you don't know who your partner is until later in the game. However, when someone bought Vivaldi by XV Games at Spiel Essen this year and brought it to the Gaming Rules meet-up, we had so much fun and all my fond memories flooded back.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/11/23/vivaldi-saturday-review/Links Vivaldi: http://www.xvgames.it/en/vivaldi/ XV Games: http://www.xvgames.it/en/ Skat: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/6819/skat Doppelkopf: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/9364/doppelkopf Briscola Chiamata: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/99696/briscola-chiamata Spiel Essen: https://www.spiel-messe.com/en/ Gaming Rules: https://www.youtube.com/user/GamingRulesVideos/ 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/

Apparently, modern tabletop games have had a huge surge worldwide recently. Mind you, "recently" really means a few years, and it doesn't seem to let up. It's great to see so many people pick up cardboard and have a great time, whether it's alone or with friends, family or complete strangers. So I want to look at what has been happening and see where and how tabletop games have appeared in people's lives.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/11/19/hitting-the-mainstream/Links Monopoly: https://monopoly.hasbro.com/en-gb Game of Life: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2921/game-of-life Wil Wheaton: http://wilwheaton.net/ TableTop: https://geekandsundry.com/shows/tabletop/ James Hudson: https://twitter.com/druidcitygames Starting Roll: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUII-TIgX3qFUvnssiJ7puvASOKF1rJHG Gamma Ray TV: http://gammaray.tv/ South Park: https://www.southparkstudios.co.uk/ Target: https://www.target.com/ Barnes &amp; Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/ Waterstones: https://www.waterstones.com/ Baloise: https://www.baloise.com/en/home.html Sarah&#8217;s Vision: https://www.baloise.com/en/home/news-stories/news/media-releases/2019/baloise-develops-a-board-game-for-strategy-communication.html https://tabletopgamesblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/hitting-the-mainstream.mp3 Music: Sweet by BensoundIf 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/

You and a handful of brave explorers have finally found the entrance to Mount Arima, the fearsome volcano that has laid sleeping for decades, and which hides an important secret in its maze of tunnels. Tales of a magical sanctum have drawn you and your fellow adventurers together. You all promise to work together and face whatever dangers you may encounter in the depths of this mountain. Yet, none of you have realized that your allegiance will be tested to your death, if you are not able to escape before the volcano erupts and burns you alive. Sub Terra II: Inferno's Edge by ITB Board Games will require you to work together effectively and swiftly if you want to succeed.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/11/16/sub-terra-ii-infernos-edge-saturday-review/Links Sub Terra II: Inferno&#8217;s Edge: http://itbboardgames.com/games/sub-terra-2/ ITB Board Games: http://itbboardgames.com/ Sub Terra: http://itbboardgames.com/games/sub-terra 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 commemorate the fall of the Berlin Wall 30 years ago, I wanted to talk about walls in tabletop gaming and look at what walls there still are that might stop people from enjoying the hobby or becoming a part of our growing community. I don't proclaim to be able to tear down all the walls that still exist, but hopefully my thoughts will start a constructive discussion and help move us forward in some way. Maybe we can look back in 30 years and see the positive things that have happened and evaluate what else needs to be done.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/11/12/breaking-down-walls/Links Starting Roll: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUII-TIgX3qFUvnssiJ7puvASOKF1rJHG Gaming Rules: https://www.youtube.com/user/GamingRulesVideos/ Essen Spiel: https://www.spiel-messe.com/en/ Cards or Die: https://www.cardsordie.com/ Tabletop Inquisition podcast: https://tabletopinquisition.com/2019/10/28/episode-11-ann-jones-of-cards-or-die-interview/ Catherine Stippell: https://twitter.com/playnyctophobia Stephanie Jessup: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9FMiJybd6Wlf5f_HPKX9ag https://tabletopgamesblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/breaking-down-walls-topic-discussion.mp3 Music: Cinematic Ambient by AShamaluevMusicIf 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/

Through five millennia you guide your civilization from the discovery of fire through vastly different eras to its ultimate end. You discover and develop different technologies, flex your military muscle, explore new lands and execute unexpected and sometimes devastating science experiments as your people advance from generation to generation. In Tapestry by Stonemaier Games, you write an alternative history that has echoes of mankind's but turns out completely different, but hopefully for the better.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/11/09/tapestry-saturday-review/LinksTapestry: https://stonemaiergames.com/games/tapestry/Stonemaier Games: https://stonemaiergames.com/Tapestry updated review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/02/22/tapestry-takebacksAndrews Bosley interview: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/07/22/andrew-bosley-let-me-illustrate/Wingspan (Saturday Review): https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/03/16/wingspan/Scythe (Saturday Review): https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/01/19/scythe/Tapestry unboxing video: https://youtu.be/vT8kOHae9j4If 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'm sure, many of you are tired of hearing all about Essen Spiel 2019. Everyone who went is talking about all the games they saw, played and bought, and anyone who didn't go is reading about all the games everyone saw, played and bought. So I want to talk about the people side of the exhibition and share my experiences of attending this major event for the first time.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/11/05/post-show-blues/Links Essen Spiel 2019: https://www.spiel-messe.com/en/ Essen Spiel 2019 Most Wanted (Saturday Review): https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/10/12/essen-spiel-2019-most-wanted-saturday-review/ Mark Cooke: https://twitter.com/aireconuk Hush Hush Projects: https://hushhushprojects.com/ We&#8217;re Not Wizards: http://werenotwizards.podbean.com/ Fog of Love: https://www.fogoflove.com/ Slickerdrips: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmtyR1piEzGwYR5cfHo_VTQ Skull King: https://www.schmidtspiele-shop.de/skull-king Schmidt Spiele: https://www.schmidtspiele-shop.de/ Jacob Jaskov: https://twitter.com/jacobjaskov Emma: https://twitter.com/emmzaja Semi Co-op: https://www.semicoop.com/ Board Game Inquisition: https://boardgameinquisition.com/ Tabletop Inquisition: https://tabletopinquisition.com/ Gaming Rules: https://www.youtube.com/user/GamingRulesVideos/ Steeped Games: http://www.steepedgames.com/ Heavy Cardboard: https://www.heavycardboard.com/ Jess: https://twitter.com/Boardgame_girl1 Meet and Play: https://meetandplay-essen.de/ Der Ablagestapel: http://ablagestapel.blogspot.com/ UK Games Expo: https://www.ukgamesexpo.co.uk/ https://tabletopgamesblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/post-show-blues-topic-discussion.mp3 Music: Smooth Jazz by AShamaluevMusicIf you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgames

Here is another beautifully illustrated game by&nbsp;Ryan Laukat. You will immediately recognize it from his other games, such as&nbsp;Near and Far. You will also recognize a lot of the characters he created in his other games and which appear in&nbsp;Roam as well. Yet, this game from&nbsp;Red Raven Games is quite different from the others. There is no resource management, no movement and no storytelling. Instead, you get a lovely, light game that is very easy to explain and learn and relatively quick to play. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/11/02/roam-saturday-review/ Links Roam: https://redravengames.squarespace.com/roam Red Raven Games: https://redravengames.squarespace.com/ Unboxing video: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/10/24/roam-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/

It has been nearly a year since I last updated my tabletop player profile using the Quantic Foundry&#8216;s online form. Let&#8217;s see what has changed since December 2018. I have played a lot of games since then, so there must be some change.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/10/29/tabletop-player-profile-updated-3/https://tabletopgamesblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/tabletop-player-profile-updated-topic-discussion.mp3 Music: Corporate Ambient by AShamaluevMusic 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/

Feudal Japan is in turmoil. Warring clans are roaming the land to claim territories and gain influence and power, while vying for the favour of the spirits, the Kami, whose support will help cement the superiority over the enemies. As clans form alliances and recruit legendary monsters to bolster their armies' ranks, everyone prepares for multiple battles which will change the face of Japan. Yet, territories are often held only fleetingly as alliances are betrayed and powers shift. It is up to you to use your cunning and strategic planning to come out the victor in Rising Sun by CMON.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/10/26/rising-sun-saturday-review/Links Rising Sun: https://cmon.com/product/rising-sun/rising-sun CMON: https://www.cmon.com/ Blood Rage: https://cmon.com/product/blood-rage/blood-rage 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 have previously spoken about unique games, which were something new at the time - see my article "There can be only one". It was KeyForge by Fantasy Flight Games and designed by Richard Garfield of Magic: The Gathering fame, which started this new way of making games. There is probably a better and longer description of the term, but in short, the term unique in this context describes games where every published copy is different in a number of ways. In KeyForge this is, for example, the name and logo, as well as the composition of the different cards, but different decks will still have some cards the same. I want to look at some aspects of unique game design in more detail to explore the concept.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/10/22/one-of-a-kind/Links KeyForge: https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/products/keyforge/ Fantasy Flight Games: https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/ Richard Garfield: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/14/richard-garfield Magic: The Gathering: https://magic.wizards.com/en Continental Drift: https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1734082/wip-continental-drift-2017-two-player-pnp-contest Tabula Rasa: https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/2260967/wip-tabula-rasa-2019-wargame-print-and-play-contes Max Seidman: http://twitter.com/resonym Fluxx: https://www.looneylabs.com/games/fluxx Star Realms: https://www.starrealms.com/ https://tabletopgamesblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/one-of-a-kind-topic-discussion.mp3 Music from https://filmmusic.io &#8220;Dayly&#8221; by MusicParadise (http://www.music-paradise.de) 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/

When struggling gramophone salesman Barry discovers a not-so-secret secret lab (I recommend you watch the trailer on Halfbrick's website) which has developed a number of different and increasingly crazy jetpacks, his life changes. He starts with a basic jetpack and flies through the various rooms of the lab to avoid obstacles and find the next and better jetpack to try out for himself. A lot of frantic horizontally scrolling fun ensues, which the boardgame conversion of Jetpack Joyride by Lucky Duck Games tries to reproduce on your dining room table.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/10/19/jetpack-joyride-saturday-review/Links Jetpack Joyride: https://luckyduckgames.com/jetpackjoyride/ Lucky Duck Games: https://luckyduckgames.com/ Jetpack Joyride app trailer: https://youtu.be/Jzxi8nid9BQ Halfbrick: https://halfbrick.com/ Unboxing video: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/10/17/jetpack-joyride-unboxing 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/

Trying to organize a group of people to regularly play games with isn't always straightforward. I am lucky to have a weekly games night group of four, including myself, with people who live quite close, making it easy for us to meet up. I have previously described how you can play games with different groups of people (see "Night, night"). So this time I want to focus on what to consider when trying to organize regular games nights with friends.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/10/15/games-with-friends/https://tabletopgamesblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/games-with-friends-topic-discussion.mp3 Music from https://filmmusic.io &#8220;Journey Of Hope&#8221; by Alexander Nakarada (https://www.serpentsoundstudios.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/