Tabletop Games Blog - board game reviews and discussions with a personal touch
719 episodes — Page 4 of 15
Ultramassive (Saturday Review)
A black hole is a region of spacetime where gravity is so strong that nothing, not even light, can escape. Black holes are enormous and entirely ungovernable. They form when massive stars collapse on themselves at the end of their life. They grow by absorbing mass from their surroundings and if they absorb other stars or merge with other black holes, they become supermassive, millions of solar masses in size. Yet, some black holes are even more gigantic and powerful. They are Ultramassive by Alex Greenberg and Jacob Phillips from Studio Unknown. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/10/05/ultramassive-saturday-review/ Useful Links Ultramassive: https://www.studiounknowngames.com/ultramassiveboardgame Rulebook: https://www.studiounknowngames.com/_files/ugd/3543fc_e4111f93dcbd4034a12b939d314a9e9c.pdf Kickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/studio-unknown/ultramassive Studio Unknown: https://www.studiounknowngames.com/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/407965/ultramassive Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Music: bensound.comLicense code: 0J0DK5719NKUBIV9 Music by Bensound.com/royalty-free-musicLicense code: YNZBKH8IPGZTSQV4 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/
Vrahode: Age of Prophecy (Saturday Review)
The Age of Inception is all but over. People are starting to forget the stories that were passed down. Tabuhl's Tail, a sign of things to come, will soon return. While our memories fade, that most ancient of omens is ready to lighten the night sky once again. It is time for a few of us, whose memories are more vivid, to get ready for a new age, when Tabuhl's Tail returns and reigns supreme in Vrahode: Age of Prophecy by Jeffrey Irving from Weathervane Games. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/09/28/vrahode-age-of-prophecy-saturday-review/ Useful Links Vrahode: Age of Prophecy: https://www.vrahode.com/ Rulebook: https://www.vrahode.com/_files/ugd/d7f5fc_bff3f9371008454da014e604872f569c.pdf Kickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/weathervanegames/vrahode-age-of-prophecy Weathervane Games: https://www.weathervanegames.com/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/412436/vrahode-age-of-prophecy Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Music: "Cinematic Trailer" by AShamaluevMusic.Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com Music: "Area 18" by Sascha EndeWebsite: https://filmmusic.io/en/song/10436-area-18 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/
Mischief (Saturday Review)
In Tir na-Nog, ethereal Queen Titania and Lord Oberon have finally decided to not only end their age-old rivalry, but also to get married. For the big day, they have invited delegations from all the vassal faeries to come together and celebrate the grand occasion. As a faerie noble yourself, you also received one of these invitations, but which role your folk will play in this new combined kingdom is unclear. It is up to you and your delegation to be true faeries and form as many alliances as you will cause Mischief by Dan Cassar from Dream Cult Game Studio. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/09/21/mischief-saturday-review/ Useful Links Mischief: https://www.dancassar.com/ Rulebook: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QoraSbsDTMGiL_EMi3rCOGjG0PtJE9dSFav13RThnZU/edit?usp=sharing Kickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dancassar/184207081?ref=bc1enj Dream Cult Game Studio: https://www.dancassar.com/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/396648/mischief Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2024 BBC Woods Of Imagination by Alexander Nakarada (CreatorChords) | https://creatorchords.comMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)https://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/tabletopgamesblog Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/
Sakana Stack (Saturday Review)
You have risen early to prepare your stall at Tsukiji Market. It won't be long until the doors open and the aisles become a sea of people wanting to sample the wares. It's going to be tough. The quality and variety of fish and shellfish on your stand are outstanding and should speak for themselves, but you can't be sure until you have sold your whole Sakana Stack by Mike Petchey from Huff No More. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/09/14/sakana-stack-saturday-review/ Useful Links Sakana Stack: https://www.huffnomore.co.uk/sakanastack Huff No More: https://www.huffnomore.co.uk/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/413838/sakana-stack Scout review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/07/02/scout-saturday-review/ Odin review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/03/30/odin-saturday-review/ Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2024 BBC Music: Undercover Mission 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/
Objective Bias - why reviews are always subjective (Topic Discussion)
If you have spent a number of years reviewing board games, you will have seen how people keep bringing up the topic of how reviewers should not be biased and remain as objective as possible. Of course, reviewers, like all people, are always going to have biases and a review will never be objective. As this topic was recently discussed yet again, I wanted to share my thoughts on bias and subjectivity in my writing. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/09/10/objective-bias-why-reviews-are-always-subjective-topic-discussion/ Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Easy by | e s c p | https://www.escp.spacehttps://escp-music.bandcamp.com 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/ (Photo by Ayo Ogunseinde on Unsplash)
Loot Dispute (Saturday Review)
The band of brave adventurers had finally arrived back in our town. They had returned jubilantly after clearing the local dungeons of the many monsters that had lurked in the deep caverns and tunnels. We celebrated with them because we no longer faced the threat of attacks. Not only that, now that the dungeons were clear of all dangers, we were able to scour them for treasure. The only problem was how to divide the riches we would find. It was clear, there was going to be a lot of Loot Dispute by Jeffrey D. Allers from Gold Seal Games. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/09/07/loot-dispute-saturday-review/ Useful Links Loot Dispute: https://www.goldsealgames.com/product/loot-dispute Gold Seal Games: https://www.goldsealgames.com/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/362889/loot-dispute Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Cinematic Experience by Alex-Productions | https://onsound.eu/Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons / Attribution 3.0 Unported License (CC BY 3.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US 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/
Star Trek: Away Missions - Captain Kirk: Federation Expansion (Saturday Review)
Captain's Log - Stardate... well, nobody is really sure. After having been drawn into some sort of temporal disturbance, the Enterprise is now floating helplessly in space without thrust and only minimal power. Our viewscreens show the presence of another vessel. It isn't completely clear, but it looks like we have been transported into the aftermath of a massive battle. To find out what we are dealing with, Spock, McCoy, Chekov and myself, the captain, have decided to beam across and investigate. I know this is going to be our first of many Star Trek: Away Missions - Captain Kirk: Federation Expansion by Andrew Haught, Mike Haught and Phil Yates from Gale Force Nine. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/08/31/star-trek-away-missions-captain-kirk-federation-expansion-saturday-review/ Useful Links Star Trek: Away Missions - Captain Kirk: Federation Expansion: https://www.gf9games.com/awaymissions/785/captain-kirk-expansion/ Rulebook: https://www.gf9games.com/awaymissions/wp-content/uploads/StarTrekAwayMissions_Rulebook_WEB.pdf Gale Force Nine: https://www.gf9.com/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/412920/star-trek-away-missions-captain-kirk-federation-ex Star Trek: Away Missions review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/05/11/star-trek-away-missions-saturday-review/ Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Music and sound effects are the copyright and/or trademark of Paramount Global. 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/
Joint Excitement - discovering games together (Topic Discussion)
I love my game group. We've been playing board games for many. many years now. Over the years we learned many new ones and slowly established favourites, which would eventually get replaced by new favourites. It's very special to have a consistent group of people to play games with. One of the really special things I found is how we discover games together and I want to write about it in this article. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/08/27/joint-excitement-discovering-games-together-topic-discussion/ Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Music: JoDon by Blue Dot Sessions 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/ (Photo by Hannah Busing on Unsplash)
Charms (Saturday Review)
Whether it is coins, keys, clover or rabbit feet, there are many items that, according to ancient superstitions, bring you luck and maybe even protect you from evil. You merely need to wear them around your neck or on a bracelet and their magic becomes active. Collectively, these items are known as Charms by Taiki Shinzawa from New Mill Industries. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/08/24/charms-saturday-review/ Useful Links Charms: https://www.newmillindustries.com/store/p/charms Rulebook: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/281400/charms-english-rules New Mill Industries: https://www.newmillindustries.com/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/172844/charms Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2024 BBC Music: Nu Fornacis by Blue Dot Sessions 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/
In Between Games - quick games while you wait (Topic Discussion)
I think many of us like games that take an hour or two to play, maybe even longer. I guess that's at least true when you've got a game group you play regularly with. I love longer games, but I also love those quick games that take less than half an hour to learn and play. They're ideal to play before, after or even in between other games. They're also perfect for game groups, because you can play them while you wait for others to arrive, after some people have left or in between other games, while some of you freshen themselves up. So in this article, I want to look at these "in-between" games. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/08/20/in-between-games-quick-games-while-you-wait-topic-discussion/ Useful Links Bombyx: https://studiobombyx.com/en/ Sea Salt & Paper review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/07/08/sea-salt-paper-saturday-review/ Knarr review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/07/20/knarr-saturday-review/ Pixies review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/08/10/pixies-saturday-review/ Prey Another Day review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/08/17/prey-another-day-saturday-review/ Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Music: La Naranja Borriana by Blue Dot Sessions 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/
Prey Another Day (Saturday Review)
The forest is dark and eerie. A cold wind whistles through the branches and makes them creak and groan. The rustling of the leaves goes some way to hiding the noise of your prowling through the undergrowth. You have your prey in sight, but suddenly, at the same time as you break cover, other hunters reveal themselves. There is a moment of confusion which our shared victim uses to their advantage to escape to safety. It looks like we are all going hungry today and we all have to accept that we will have to Prey Another Day by Matthew Dunstan and Brett J. Gilbert from Pegasus Spiele. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/08/17/prey-another-day-saturday-review/ Useful Links Prey Another Day: https://pegasus.de/en/16425/prey-another-day-english-edition-edition-spielwiese Rulebook: https://pegasus.de/media/pdf/10/07/ed/4250231737596_en_web.pdf Pegasus Spiele: https://pegasus.de/en/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/234260/prey-another-day Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2024 BBC Music: Cherry Heath by Blue Dot Sessions 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/
Pixies (Saturday Review)
As we were walking through the forest on a mild, damp spring morning, with the mist still rising and the trees and other plants slowly waking up as the sun was peeking over the horizon, we saw, to our great surprise, little creatures emerging from flowers and the hollows of the trees. Some wore cupule hats, while others had slung oak leaf ponchos over their bodies. We even spotted some with little string instruments made from walnut halves. They were magical to behold as they walked along the forest floor and formed little groupings, three side-by-side and three deep. These were clearly Pixies by Johannes Goupy from Bombyx. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/08/10/pixies-saturday-review/ Useful Links Pixies: https://studiobombyx.com/en/jeu/pixies/ Rulebook: https://studiobombyx.com/assets/PIXIES_rulebook_EN.pdf Bombyx: https://studiobombyx.com/en/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/411875/pixies Sea, Salt & Paper review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/07/08/sea-salt-paper-saturday-review/ ColorADD: https://www.coloradd.net/en/ Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2024 BBC Music: Saving the Floe by Blue Dot Sessions 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/
Not for the Win - games aren't necessarily about winning (Topic Discussion)
If you're a competitive person, you want to win. If you're a really competitive person, winning is your absolute goal. Competitive games will probably be your favourite, but even when you play cooperative games, you probably still try to do everything in your power to beat the game and take the win for the team. However, I don't think playing games is necessarily about winning. There are many other benefits of enjoying a board game together that I want to talk about in this article. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/08/06/not-for-the-win-games-arent-necessarily-about-winning-topic-discussion/ Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Voyager by Blue Dot Sessions 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/
Hidden Agendas (Saturday Review)
We all had our different plans. Getting the right bills through the Senate was never easy. There would always be compromises and endless debates. We all wanted to further our own goals. The odd promise of a bribe, digging up dirt on the other parties' representatives and some last-minute voting changes all helped to get what your party wanted. At the end of the day, we all had our own Hidden Agendas by Josh Rossman from Big Boom Games. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/08/03/hidden-agendas-saturday-review/ Useful Links Hidden Agendas: https://bigboomgamesllc.com/collections/all Big Boom Games: https://bigboomgamesllc.com/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/419554/hidden-agendas Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2024 BBC First Results by Blue Dot Sessions 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/
Cultural Games - board games as cultural assets (Topic Discussion)
The term Kulturgut is very hard to translate into English. In fact, I don't think there is a similar concept in the UK. "Cultural asset" doesn't really do it justice, because the term describes things that have a cultural value and need to be preserved. Literature is a type of Kulturgut for example. As a British person, you can easily see how the works of Shakespeare have a cultural value and require to be preserved. Yet, when it comes to our hobby, people don't necessarily think of modern board games as Kulturgut. In this article, I want to look at this a little closer. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/07/30/cultural-games-board-games-as-cultural-assets-topic-discussion/ Useful Links Spiel des Jahres: https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/en/ Brass: Birmingham review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/04/01/brass-birmingham-deluxe-saturday-review/ e-Mission: https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/en/games/e-mission-daybreak/ Sagaland: https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/spiel-des-jahres-1982-sagaland/ Um Reifenbreite: https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/spiel-des-jahres-1992-um-reifenbreite-von-rob-bontenbal/ Dungeons & Dragons: https://dnd.wizards.com/start-playing-dnd Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Music: The Coil Winds by Blue Dot Sessions 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/ (Photo by Daniele D'Andreti on Unsplash)
Berlin Brettspiel Con 2024 (Saturday Review)
Over the weekend during a hot July in Germany at a different, but much cooler location compared to last year, around 16,000 people attended the "big summer board game festival for gamers, geeks and the whole family", as the event describes itself. Located in my home city, the convention I am talking about is, of course, Berlin Brettspiel Con 2024. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/07/27/berlin-brettspiel-con-2024-saturday-review/ Useful Links Berlin Brettspiel Con: https://berlin-con.de/en/homepage_en/ Estrel Convention Center: https://www.estrel.com/en/congress Spielworxx: https://www.spielworxx.de/ Make My Game Travel: https://makemygametravel.com/ EPOS: A Gentes Game: https://gamefound.com/en/projects/spielworxx/epos-a-gentes-game Ostia Spiele: https://www.ostia-spiele.de/ Tee oder Kaffee: https://www.ostia-spiele.de/games_teeoderkaffee.htm Schnitzeljagd: https://pegasusshop.de/en/product-line/games/family-games/16426/schnitzeljagd-edition-spielwiese Edition Spielwiese: https://spielwiese-berlin.de/edition/ Pixies: https://studiobombyx.com/en/jeu/pixies/ Bombyx: https://studiobombyx.com/en/ Snap Ship Tactics: https://www.snapshipstactics.com/ Pandoria: https://www.irongames.de/wordpress/index.php/the-games/pandoria-2024-2/ Iron Games: https://www.irongames.de/wordpress/ Karma Games: https://karma-games.com/ Industria: https://karma-games.com/clans-of-caledonia/industria-expansion/ Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Music: Tripoli by Blue Dot Sessions 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/
Knarr (Digital Eyes)
Vikings were known for plundering, but what many people forget is that they also did a lot of trade. In fact, the Viking Era saw an increase in trade in the English Channel, the North Sea and the Baltic. There was one vessel that was specifically made for the exchange of large quantities of goods. It was a cargo ship with a shorter hull than the commonly known longships, which were mainly warships, and that had only a partial deck or sometimes none at all. It was specially adapted to the high seas to transport goods safely from shore to shore. To the Vikings, it was known as the Knarr by Thomas Dupont from Bombyx. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/07/20/knarr-saturday-review/ Useful Links Knarr: https://studiobombyx.com/en/jeu/knarr/ Rulebook: https://studiobombyx.com/assets/KNARR_rulebook_EN-1.pdf Bombyx: https://studiobombyx.com/en/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/379629/knarr Odin review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/03/30/odin-saturday-review/ Viking See-Saw review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/09/16/viking-see-saw-saturday-review/ Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2024 BBC I Walk With Ghosts by Scott Buckley | https://soundcloud.com/scottbuckleyMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)https://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/tabletopgamesblog Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/ (Photo courtesy of Bombyx)
Flamme Rouge (Saturday Review)
We had started in Florence when everyone was still fresh and raring to go. An endless sea of bicycles with teams sticking closely together had lined up at the starting line. The support teams had only done their last checks minutes before and everything was shiny and gleaming. Now, several thousand kilometres later, everyone started to show signs of slowing down. Yet, at the horizon a welcome sign became visible. We knew it wasn't going to be much further. There it was, the red flag, the Flamme Rouge by Asger Harding Granerud from Lautapelit.fi. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/07/13/flamme-rouge-saturday-review/ Useful Links Flamme Rouge: https://en.lautapelit.fi/product/22825/flamme-rouge-eng Rulebook: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/132037/rulebook Lautapelit.fi: https://en.lautapelit.fi/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/199478/flamme-rouge K2 review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/09/25/k2-digital-eyes/ Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2024 BBC Overdrive (By PraxI) by Diamond Ace | https://soundcloud.com/diamond-ace-musicMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons / Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en_US 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/
Early Finish - why we don't always have to finish games (Topic Discussion)
There is an unwritten social contract that, when you choose to play a board game, you agree to play it to its conclusion. Everyone around the table expects to finish the game. Everyone wants to have an equal chance of winning. People want to be able to come back from behind and snatch their victory right on their last turn. I think that expectation is perpetuated by how games are designed. So in this article, I want to explore this a bit further. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/07/09/early-finish-why-we-dont-always-have-to-finish-games-topic-discussion/ Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Music: Etude 3 Chessanta by Blue Dot Sessions 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/ (Photo by Lisa Bresler on Unsplash)
Shikoku 1889 (Saturday Review)
The period of sakoku has only recently ended, and now with the Meiji Restoration in full swing, the country is investing heavily in new technologies. Locomotives have become the leading symbol of the nation's modernization. Across all four islands, new railway operations are created and entrepreneurs attempt to profit from the money being injected into the economy. Our small island is no different. It's the same here on Shikoku 1889 by Yasutaka Ikeda from Grand Trunk Games. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/07/06/shikoku-1889-saturday-review/ Useful Links Shikoku 1889: https://www.grandtrunkgames.com/ Rulebook: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/267620/shikoku-1889-rulebook-compressed Grand Trunk Games: https://www.grandtrunkgames.com/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/23540/shikoku-1889 Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Music: JoDon by Blue Dot Sessions 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/
Round and Refined - when games are perfectly designed (Topic Discussion)
Games come in all shapes and sizes. Designers create them in different ways and with different intentions. Some games are an interesting mix of mechanisms, others are a passion project that tries to evoke certain emotions when people play them. Games can have simple rules with deep emergent gameplay or they can be rules-heavy. While some games take minutes to play, others can take hours to complete. However games are designed, there are some that feel round and refined, while others seem awkward or overly difficult. So in this article, I want to investigate what it is that makes a game perfectly designed. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/07/02/round-and-refined-when-games-are-perfectly-designed-topic-discussion/ Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Music: Plum Blossom by Blue Dot Sessions 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/ (Photo by Tahlia Doyle on Unsplash)
Mayan Curse (Saturday Review)
We made it! We finally decoded a very important ancient Mayan manuscript and found the temple described in the old document deep in the jungles of El Salvador. As we were standing at the entrance, we saw in front of us a very long paved road, leading to a circular pyramid. Each paving slab had a different symbol on it and we knew from the manuscript that we had to align them to make our way safely across. As keen as we were to get to the end, we also knew we had to get back out alive. After all, the secret underground pathway we had discovered was protected by an ancient Mayan Curse by Sylvain Plante and Joe Slack from Crazy Like a Box. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/06/29/mayan-curse-saturday-review/ Useful Links Mayan Curse: https://www.crazylikeabox.com/mayan-curse/ Rulebook: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ytdnwryr15t9bm5fou9rt/MayanCurse_RULES_OCT-25_PROOF-3.pdf?rlkey=mwr9vcn6wuv0nr451scnfblnm&dl=0 Crazy Like a Box: https://www.crazylikeabox.com/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/396704/mayan-curse Fireball Island: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/233020/fireball-island-the-curse-of-vul-kar Deep Sea Adventure review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/04/11/deep-sea-adventure-saturday-review/ Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) "Adventures in Adventureland"Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ 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/
Rule Breakers - when breaking the game rules is more fun (Topic Discussion)
Good games will have had a lot of time put into them to ensure they create the experience that the designer wanted. The rules will have been created with intent and purpose. Rules are the skeleton around which the muscles, sinews, skin and the whole living body of the game grows. Games are meant to be played by their rules, or at least that's what we're being told. In this article, I want to look at why rule-breaking can be a better option. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/06/25/rule-breakers-when-breaking-the-game-rules-is-more-fun-topic-discussion/ Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Music: BensoundLicense code: UEUT8CH4Q4I7FUKR 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/ (Photo Ian Barsby on Unsplash)
Undermined! Pairadice City (Saturday Review)
Howdy partner. Welcome to the Wild West, where there is gold to be found in them there hills. Only the most daring souls will find the riches. Mining is dangerous work. So helping your fellow human is the right thing to do, but getting repaid for your kindness is not guaranteed. I'll start you off with a pick-axe, some safety gear and a few sticks of dynamite. It's on the house, because I'm sure you'll soon be back to stock up. Now, off you go. Make your fortune in this wonderful place we call Undermined! Pairadice City by Chris Fisher and Nick Barker from Devilfly Games. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/06/22/undermined-pairadice-city-saturday-review/ Useful Links Undermined! Pairadice City: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/878983701/undermined-pairadice-city Devilfly Games: https://www.facebook.com/devilflygames/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/379802/undermined-pairadice-city Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2024 BBC Music by: bensound.comLicense code: OTGKK4PHBSRPGFOI 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/
UK Games Expo 2024 (Saturday Review)
It is always a pleasure to arrive by train at Birmingham International train station, which not only gives you access to West Midland's main airport, but also to the amazing NEC. It is in this huge exhibition complex that the UK's largest hobby games convention takes place every year. The event welcomes tens of thousands of visitors over three days who explore the three main halls of the NEC as well as a number of rooms in the nearby Hilton Metropole Hotel. You will have guessed it. It is, of course, UK Games Expo 2024. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/06/15/uk-games-expo-2024-saturday-review/ Useful Links UK Games Expo: https://www.ukgamesexpo.co.uk/ UK Games Expo 2018 review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2018/06/08/uk-games-expo-2018/ Essen 2019 review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/10/12/essen-spiel-2019-most-wanted-saturday-review/ SUDC UK: https://sudc.org.uk/ Williams Montessori School Foundation: https://www.facebook.com/p/John-William-Montessori-school-100064321020329/ Bear's Army: https://www.kidney.org.uk/blog/bears-story Play Test UK: http://www.playtest.co.uk/ Express CIC: https://www.expresscic.org.uk/ The Giant Brain: https://giantbrain.co.uk/ Gavin Jones: https://keep-up-with-the-jones-family.com/meet-family/ Punchboard: https://punchboard.co.uk/ Library Labyrinth: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/02/26/library-labyrinth-saturday-review/ Atikin Games: https://atikingames.com/ Bright Eye Games: https://www.brighteyegames.com/ Make My Game Travel translation services: https://makemygametravel.com/ Hachette UK: https://www.hachetteboardgames.co.uk/ Dina Said So: https://www.dinasaidsostudio.com/ Push D6: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/400372/push-d6 Lirius Games: https://liriusgames.com/en-uk Berlin Brettspiel Con 2023 review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/07/22/berlin-brettspiel-con-2023-saturday-review/ Huff No More: https://www.instagram.com/huffnomore Scout review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/07/02/scout-saturday-review/ Roland MacDonald: https://rolandsrevenge.com/ BoardGameWire: https://boardgamewire.com/ Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Music: "Corporate Motivation" by AShamaluevMusic.Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com 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/
Abandon All Artichokes (Saturday Review)
Artichokes come in two main forms: globe and Jerusalem. Both are lovely vegetables with many health benefits. As culinary ingredients, some love their wonderful flavour, while others hate them for the same reason. However, we want to talk about globe artichokes specifically here. So while you might love these wonderful green plants, as relatives of thistles it is no surprise why one might be desperate to Abandon All Artichokes by Emma Larkins from Gamewright. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/06/08/abandon-all-artichokes-saturday-review/ Useful Links Abandon All Artichokes: https://gamewright.com/product/Abandon-All-Artichokes Rulebook: https://gamewright.com/pdfs/Rules/AAArules_v2.pdf Gamewright: https://gamewright.com/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/302260/abandon-all-artichokes Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Music by https://www.bensound.com/free-music-for-videosLicense code: HIGPLVNSPBZKZOVK 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/
Doomlings (Saturday Review)
Space: an endless void with countless stars, some of which capable of harbouring a planet that can support life. On one of these Goldilocks planets far away from our own, life has indeed emerged. Yet, nothing is ever allowed to last. One day, the inevitable end will come. So in the meantime, life on this planet is competing for supremacy. They do not know it yet, but they are the Doomlings by Justus Meyer and Andrew Meyer from Doomlings LLC. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/06/01/doomlings-saturday-review/ Useful Links Doomlings: https://doomlings.com/ Rulebook: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0554/6190/4593/files/Doomlings_Rulebook.pdf?v=1709671623 Doomlings LLC: https://doomlings.com/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/324413/doomlings Fluxx: https://www.looneylabs.com/games/fluxx Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Arrakis by Sascha EndeFree download: https://filmmusic.io/song/568-arrakisLicense (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license 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/ (Photo courtesy of Doomlings LLC)
UK Games Expo 2024 - looking ahead (Topic Discussion)
Another year has gone by in a flash and it's time again for me to start another convention season. Well, I say "season", but that's exaggerating it. I'm actually only attending two board game shows this year. I just can't afford to fly everywhere and spend time away from home. So I chose two events that I really enjoyed last year and that won't cost me the world. The first of these is, of course, UK Games Expo 2024. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/05/28/uk-games-expo-2024-looking-ahead-topic-discussion/ Useful Links UK Games Expo: https://www.ukgamesexpo.co.uk/ Asmodee: https://www.asmodee.co.uk/ Splendor review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/07/25/splendor-saturday-review/ Jaipur review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/02/29/jaipur-saturday-review/ Hachette: https://www.hachette.co.uk/ Akropolis review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/09/09/akropolis-saturday-review/ Kosmos: https://www.thamesandkosmos.co.uk/ Devir: https://devirgames.com/ Czech Games Edition: https://czechgames.com/ Hegemonic Project Games: https://hegemonicproject.com/ Lirius Games: https://liriusgames.com/en-uk Berlin Brettspiel Con review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/07/22/berlin-brettspiel-con-2023-saturday-review/ Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Royalty Free Music: https://www.bensound.comLicense code: ACUS489FQQZVP6UD 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/
Sea of Thieves: Voyage of Legends (Saturday Review)
Build your reputation, they said. Complete voyages, defeat foes and gather treasures, they said. Visit the outpost to sell cargo and make repairs, they said. Having two sloops under my command was supposed to make this easy, but the truth was far from it. A pirate's life for me, my barnacle. It was a huge challenge from the start. It was almost impossible to safely navigate this Sea of Thieves: Voyage of Legends by Mat Hart, James M. Hewitt, Steve Margetson, Sherwin Matthews and Sophie Williams from Steamforged Games. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/05/25/sea-of-thieves-voyage-of-legends-saturday-review/ Useful Links Sea of Thieves: Voyage of Legends: https://steamforged.com/en-gb/products/sea-of-thieves-the-board-game Rulebook: https://steamforged.com/cdn/shop/files/SOT-Rulebook-compressed-pp.pdf?v=1950745597445457082 Steamforged Games: https://steamforged.com/en-gb BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/382016/sea-of-thieves-voyage-of-legends Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2024 BBC The Big Adventure by Sascha EndeFree download: https://filmmusic.io/song/431-the-big-adventureLicense (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license 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/
Paper App Dungeon (Saturday Review)
Welcome, adventurer. You are about to embark on a very unique dungeon crawl. Sharpen your pencil and be brave. You are about to face an almost endless cave system stuffed to the brim with coins, treasure chests, spiders' webs, enemies and even the odd portal. So off you go, brave fellow, and descend the stairs into the amazing Paper App Dungeon by Tom Brinton from Lucky Duck Games. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/05/18/paper-app-dungeon-saturday-review/ Useful Links Paper App Dungeon: https://luckyduckgames.com/en/games/749-paper-app-dungeon Rulebook: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XvvW4e0-MeePAfPu0Y-FeUHe9V_ufwMNX3GaI0uVBPE/edit Lucky Duck Games: https://luckyduckgames.com/en BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/329613/paper-app-dungeon Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Music: "Darkness" by AShamaluevMusic.Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com Music: "Destination" by AShamaluevMusic.Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com 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/
Boiling Point - why tension and escalation matters in games (Topic Discussion)
Hi, it’s Joe Slack here. I’ve written a few guest posts for Oliver in the past and I was delighted when he requested another guest blog, so here we go! Something I think about a lot as a game designer is how to create tension in a game as well as ensure that players feel a sense of progression as they play. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/05/14/boiling-point-why-tension-and-escalation-matters-in-games-topic-discussion/ Useful Links Tokaido: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/123540/tokaido A Gentle Rain: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/334011/a-gentle-rain Magic Maze: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/209778/magic-maze Incan Gold: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/15512/incan-gold Diamant review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/04/22/diamant-saturday-review/ Splendor review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/07/25/splendor-saturday-review/ Istanbul: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/148949/istanbul Steampunk Rally: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/162007/steampunk-rally Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Music: Borough by Blue Dot Sessions The Desert | The Grand Score by Alexander Nakarada (CreatorChords) | https://creatorchords.comMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Sandstorm by Alexander Nakarada (CreatorChords) | https://creatorchords.comMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)https://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/tabletopgamesblog Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/ (Photo by Daniela Paola Alchapar on Unsplash)
Star Trek: Away Missions (Saturday Review)
After the battle of Wolf 359, the team consisting of Commander Riker, Lieutenant Commanders Data and Shelby and Lieutenant Worf on board the U.S.S. Enterprise were doing all they could to protect the ship against the invading Borg, led by Locutus of Borg, formerly Captain Picard of the Federation. It was a strange situation. The alien drones seemed oblivious to the starship's crew as both sides went about completing their objectives and overall missions. Our training kicked in and it was as if we were on Star Trek: Away Missions by Andrew Haught, Mike Haught and Phil Yates from Gale Force Nine. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/05/11/star-trek-away-missions-saturday-review/ Useful Links Star Trek: Away Missions: https://www.gf9games.com/awaymissions/37/star-trek-away-missions/ Rulebook: https://www.gf9games.com/awaymissions/wp-content/uploads/StarTrekAwayMissions_Rulebook_WEB.pdf Gale Force Nine: https://www.gf9.com/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/384136/star-trek-away-missions Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Music: Mars Is Burning by Benvibrant (from Pond5) 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/
Get Inspired for Your Wedding with Board Games (Topic Discussion)
Feeling stressed about your upcoming wedding? Why not sit down and relax, and maybe even get some inspiration from these wedding-themed board games! Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/05/07/get-inspired-for-your-wedding-with-board-games-topic-discussion/ Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Music: Borough by Blue Dot Sessions 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/ (Photo by Sandy Millar on Unsplash)
Like Cain and Abel (Saturday Review)
As the first two sons of Adam and Eve, a lot of responsibility had been laid upon our shoulders. We were a farmer and a shepherd who had to offer our harvested grains and livestock to God. We were never sure if either of us was in His favour. So we carried on and made wilder and wilder boasts about our gifts to Our Lord until it was too much and one of us struck down the other. We were Like Cain and Abel by J.L. Reid from Bent Pin. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/05/04/like-cain-and-abel-saturday-review/ Useful Links Like Cain and Abel Kickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bentpin/like-cain-and-abel-an-18-card-trick-taking-and-bluffing-game Rulebook: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CyG0hIkO4IuqdSmXuq6uSDGysNYDYoT2/view Bent Pin: https://www.thebentpin.com/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/414512/like-cain-and-abel Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2024 BBC The Desert Planet (feat. Udio) by Sascha EndeFree download: https://filmmusic.io/song/12290-the-desert-planet-feat-udioLicense (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license 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/
Exotic Games - cultural appropriation in board games (Topic Discussion)
I grew up at a time when "cowboys and Indians" were a popular topic in literature. Westerns, spaghetti or otherwise, were on television pretty much all the time. Similarly, Kung Fu films were regularly shown on the small screen. The jungles of India also often featured heavily. Board games often followed the same trend and portrayed these seemingly exotic and alluring themes and settings that appealed to children of my age. Yet, much of what was created was clearly guilty of cultural appropriation. So in this article, I want to look at the trend in our hobby specifically. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/04/30/exotic-games-cultural-appropriation-in-board-games-topic-discussion/ Useful Links Winnetou game: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/29236/winnetou Karl May Wikipedia entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_May Ticket to Ride: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/9209/ticket-to-ride Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Music: "Calmness" by AShamaluevMusic.Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/
I Found Bigfoot (Saturday Review)
I had my camera ready. The tripod was weighed down to ensure I got a clear picture and the telescopic lens was attached to get me as close to the action as possible. It wasn't going to be easy because this creature was hard to find and very camera-shy. I was sure I was in the right spot though. There had been footprints in the ground, so there was no doubt. I stood to make good money from my photos. Then, almost out of nowhere, there it was. I almost couldn't believe it, but it was true - I Found Bigfoot by John David Wood from Thing 12 Games. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/04/27/i-found-bigfoot-saturday-review/ Useful Links Thing 12 Games: https://thing-12-games.square.site/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/382929/i-found-bigfoot Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2024 BBC Invasion by Sascha EndeFree download: https://filmmusic.io/song/206-invasionLicense (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license 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/
Twist Taking - trick-taking games with a twist (Topic Discussion)
I've written about my love of trick-taking games and the genre in general many times. Just check the archives... Now that my game group has also gotten into the genre, I've discovered more and more games that take this ancient card game mechanism to new heights. They apply new twists and add different mechanisms to create really exciting new titles. In this article, I want to share with you which ones I am particularly excited about. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/04/23/twist-taking-trick-taking-games-with-a-twist-topic-discussion/ Useful Links other trick-taking articles and reviews: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/tag/trick-taking-games/ Inflation!: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/282255/inflation Charms: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/172844/charms Nokosu Dice: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/294693/nokosu-dice Tiger and Dragon: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/349992/tiger-and-dragon Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Eternal Springtime by | e s c p | https://www.escp.spacehttps://escp-music.bandcamp.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/
Picky Pixie (Saturday Review)
They were very shy and very few people had seen one, but you and your friends had been lucky. One lived at the bottom of the garden of the McGregories at the end of the village. The old couple was completely unaware of the sneaking by both, the mythical creature and your group of pals. You really wanted to make friends with this little winged being, but it was a very Picky Pixie by Elizabeth Hargrave from Button Shy. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/04/20/picky-pixie-saturday-review/ Useful Links Picky Pixie: https://buttonshygames.com/products/picky-pixie-uk-only Rulebook: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/271059/official-rules-button-shy Button Shy: https://buttonshygames.com/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/389043/picky-pixie Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2024 BBC Azure, Purple & Gold by WombatNoisesAudio | https://soundcloud.com/user-734462061Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons / Attribution 3.0 Unported License (CC BY 3.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US 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/ (Photo courtesy of Button Shy)
Naylor Games vs CMON Acquisition PR - how announcing acquisitions and PR affects your company (Topic Discussion)
The following article is a guest post written by Alexandra Yaverbaum (aka Sasha) and Dina Ramse from Dina Said So Studio and originally published on LinkedIn. In light of the recent announcement that CMON have acquired some of Mythic Games’ projects, it brought into clear contrast just how well, (or indeed how poorly) these can be handled. I have been involved in previous mergers and acquisitions and most recently worked with Naylor Games to help consider their communication during their acquisition of ITB's assets, which parallels the situation very closely. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/04/16/naylor-games-vs-cmon-acquisition-pr-how-announcing-acquisitions-and-pr-affects-your-company-topic-discussion/ Useful Links Dina Said So Studio: https://www.dinasaidsostudio.com/ original LinkedIn post: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/naylor-games-vs-cmon-acquisition-pr-dinasaidsostudio-jabne/?trackingId=%2BPzH2uQg%2FX419uzbUU%2BQPQ%3D%3D CMON: https://www.cmon.com/ Mythic Games: https://mythicgames.net/ Naylor Games: https://naylorgames.com/ Kickstater campaign for HEL: The Last Saga: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1162110258/hel-the-last-saga/posts/4014026 Mythic Games' update: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1162110258/hel-the-last-saga/posts/4005539 CMON press release: https://www.cmon.com/news/cmon-acquires-hel-the-last-saga-and-anastyr-ips-from-mythic-games Naylor Games press release: https://naylorgames.com/blogs/blog/naylor-games-buys-all-assets-of-itb-games-and-a-plan-for-saving-its-projects ITB Kickstarter update: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/itbboardgames/crypt-x-a-narrative-puzzle-game/posts/3776703 Alba project update: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/itbboardgames/alba-an-open-world-adventure-book/posts/3776855 Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Background Music: Easy by Mixaund (https://www.free-stock-music.com/mixaund-easy.html) Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/ (Photo by AbsolutVision on Unsplash)
Medici (Saturday Review)
Trading in the Mediterranean was profitable, but came with risks. Merchant ships were travelling far to seek out rare spices, precious cloths and many other valuable and lucrative goods. Once a heavily laden ship returned, the goods would be brought to market and auctioned off to the highest bidder. It was never easy to compete with the other buyers and ensure you got the best deal. It was even harder to compete with the infamous and hugely influential trading family, the Medici by Reiner Knizia from Steamforged Games. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/04/13/medici-saturday-review/ Useful Links Medici: https://steamforged.com/en-gb/products/medici-board-game Rulebook: https://steamforged.com/cdn/shop/files/Medici-Rulebook-Digital.pdf?v=6530382457095034148 Steamforged Games: https://steamforged.com/en-gb BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/46/medici Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2024 BBC Village Ambiance by Alexander Nakarada (CreatorChords) | https://creatorchords.comMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)https://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/tabletopgamesblog Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/
For the Love of Old - classic games that stand the test of time (Topic Discussion)
I was pleased to see the re-released game Medici from 1995 become so popular in our household. It made me think why a game that's now nearly 30 years old was not only picked up by another publisher, but still has a lot of appeal such a long time later. So in this article, I want to look at classic games and see which ones have stood the test of time. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/04/09/for-the-love-of-old-classic-games-that-stand-the-test-of-time-topic-discussion/ Useful Links Medici: https://steamforged.com/en-gb/collections/medici-board-game Steamforged Games: https://steamforged.com/en-gb Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Fragments by AERØHEAD | https://soundcloud.com/aeroheadMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons / Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en_US Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/ (Photo by Andreas Oberdammer on Unsplash)
Portents (Saturday Review)
There were signs. As the king's fortune-teller, you were acutely aware of what the future would hold. As you scatter the sacrifices on the altar, you immediately see your fate. The king would ask for your head. It was all there in front of you in the Portents by Christopher Ryan Chan from New Mill Industries. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/04/06/portents-saturday-review/ Useful Links Portents: https://www.newmillindustries.com/games/portents Rulebook: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/246811/portents-rulebook New Mill Industries: https://www.newmillindustries.com/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/370879/portents Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2024 BBC Path Through The Mountains by Scott Buckley | https://soundcloud.com/scottbuckleyMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)https://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/tabletopgamesblog Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/
Movie Fandom - How to Embrace Your Individuality While Finding Your Crowd (Topic Discussion)
The following article is a guest post by Ellen Klein, an editor who brings a unique perspective to her work. She believes in the power of planning for life's unknowns, bringing her extensive experience to bear on business, family and relationship advice. The following is a bit different to the usual fare on Tabletop Games Blog. So let us know what you think. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/04/02/movie-fandom-tips-for-everyone-how-to-embrace-your-individuality-while-finding-your-crowd-with-movie-fandoms-topic-discussion/ Useful Links Ellen Klein: https://eklein.me/ Jaws review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/10/10/jaws-saturday-review/ Online Solitaire: https://online-solitaire.com/embed Fight Club: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0137523/ Fandom Forward: https://fandomforward.org/ Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Above The Clouds by | e s c p | https://www.escp.spacehttps://escp-music.bandcamp.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/ (Photo by The New York Public Library)
Odin (Saturday Review)
Viking warriors cherish war. They bravely man their longships with healers, skalds, spies, seidmadrs, völva, hirdmen, berserker, a styrimader and maybe even the jarl. They go on long voyages to conquer far-away lands and fight the locals in glorious battles. Those Vikings who fall go to Valhalla, a majestic hall located in Asgard and presided over by the god of gods, Odin by Yohan Goh, Hope S. Hwang and Gary Kim from Helvetiq. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/03/30/odin-saturday-review/ Useful Links Odin: https://helvetiq.com/intl/odin Rulebook: https://helvetiq.com/media/hexaattachment/products/attachments/Odin_Rules_EN_DE_FR_ES_IT_NL_compressed.pdf Helvetiq: https://helvetiq.com/intl/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/406854/odin Scout review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/07/02/scout-saturday-review/ Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) The Vikings by Alexander Nakarada (CreatorChords) | https://creatorchords.comMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Viking Intro (Loop) by Alexander Nakarada (CreatorChords) | https://creatorchords.comMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)https://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/tabletopgamesblog Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/
Designers, Developers, Publishers - from game idea to final product (Topic Discussion)
Having been a part of our hobby now for a number of years, I have had the pleasure and honour to see a number of games go from early prototypes through to final products. I have also had the honour of being a judge and mentor in the Board Game Workshop Design Contest back in 2019 and 2020. So in this article, I thought I would share my experiences with the stages board games go through until they eventually reach hobbyists like you and me. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/03/26/designers-developers-publishers-from-game-idea-to-final-product-topic-discussion/ Useful Links Board Game Workshop Design Contest: https://theboardgameworkshop.com/design-contest/ Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/
Starry Night Sky (Saturday Review)
The sun had set, but we still had a few hours before the main event. Our telescopes were set up and we had a flask of hot chocolate and a few biscuits ready to see us through the night. Our thick coats and thick socks were going to keep us warm and cosy. We were hopeful that tonight we would be able to discover new constellations. It was really exciting. Luckily, there were no clouds, so we stood a good chance to see the wonderful Starry Night Sky by Emma Larkins from Buffalo Games. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/03/23/starry-night-sky-saturday-review/ Useful Links Starry Night Sky: https://buffalogames.com/starry-night-sky/ Rulebook: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/261696/starry-night-sky-game-instructions Buffalo Games: https://buffalogames.com/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/368519/starry-night-sky Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2024 BBC Royalty Free Music: Bensound.comLicense code: FACYGOWWLEPY0SM1 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/
Bad Trevor (Saturday Review)
Fero City: a bustling metropolis that has become a battleground. There was little time to evacuate the millions of inhabitants before a horde of supervillains descended and started pulverizing iconic landmarks. Most people fled, but many had no chance. Now you have to get them out of there before it's too late and before the arrival of the worst supervillain of them all: Bad Trevor by Mark Hurdle from Fist Bump Games. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/03/16/bad-trevor-saturday-review/ Useful Links Bad Trevor: https://badtrevor.com/ Kickstarter campaign: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/markhurdle/bad-trevor BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/415081/bad-trevor Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Music: "Valor" by AShamaluevMusic.Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com Epic Intro 2018 by Sascha EndeFree download: https://filmmusic.io/song/3002-epic-intro-2018License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license 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/
Game Definitions - a game is a game is a game (Topic Discussion)
It is sometimes nice to discuss semantics. It can get a bit abstract and more often than not rather nuanced, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. So while we all might be talking about the same thing in broad strokes, we are likely to have slightly different definitions in our heads. Therefore I want to look at how to define the term "board game" in this article and see where it takes me. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/03/12/game-definitions-a-game-is-a-game-is-a-game-topic-discussion/ Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Music: bensound.comLicense code: DV1LYSKUQFEWBOIN Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/ (Photo by Romain Vignes on Unsplash)
The Plot Thickens: Sci-Fi Edition (Saturday Review)
Space - the final frontier. These are the adventures of space pirate Oliver, who is on a mission to catch bounty hunter Boba on the star Alpha Centauri. Bob knows where their towel is - at all times. Meanwhile, in an underwater base, crime lord Jabba has built their shrink ray using the data chip that Boba had stolen. And so, The Plot Thickens: Sci-Fi Edition by Mike Callahan, Brigette Indelicato and Thomas Rochelle from Bright Eye Games. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/03/09/the-plot-thickens-sci-fi-edition-saturday-review/ Useful Links The Plot Thickens: Sci-Fi Edition: https://www.brighteyegames.com/games/#tpt Bright Eye Games: https://www.brighteyegames.com/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/210817/plot-thickens-sci-fi-edition Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Music: Bensound.com/royalty-free-musicLicense code: SUI7NKUQ7PK6VGGO 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/
Digital Advantage - online gameplay experience versus in person (Topic Discussion)
Since the pandemic, many of us have started to explore the world of online board gaming. Even before we went into lockdown, there have been digital platforms allowing us to play games remotely. For me, these were really important, because it allowed my game group to carry on when we were all told to stay at home. Now that my friends have moved away, they continue to help us play together. Yet, in this article, I don't want to look at these platforms themselves, but focus on how the digital gameplay experience differs from meeting in person. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/03/05/digital-advantage-online-gameplay-experience-versus-in-person-topic-discussion/ Useful Links Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/ Yucata: https://www.yucata.de/en Board Game Arena: https://boardgamearena.com/ Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Dreamsphere 1 by Sascha EndeFree download: https://filmmusic.io/song/196-dreamsphere-1License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/ (Photo by Goran Ivos on Unsplash)