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

Nobody likes losing. Most of us don't mind it, but I don't think anyone actually relishes it when they come last. When we play board games with others, we want to have an enjoyable time. That's something we should keep in mind. So in this article, I want to talk about how to try and be a good loser. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/09/27/salty-tears-losing-gracefully-topic-discussion/ Useful Links Player elimination article: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/09/13/slow-death-player-elimination-in-board-games-topic-discussion/ Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) The following music was used for this media project: Music: HighTech by Sascha Ende Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/184-hightech License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Artist website: https://www.sascha-ende.de 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 Nong V on Unsplash)

After Earth had been mostly laid to waste, major corporations took charge and colonized much of the solar system. Interplanetary trade was the only source of money and therefore power. Earth's few remaining societies still held a fair amount of political influence, but controlling as many of the independent planetary parliaments as possible was probably even more important. If you timed it right and invested your money wisely, you could gain power in the solar system's ultimate authority, the Plutocratic Council. After all, Earth's political systems had been replaced by a Plutocracy by Claudio Bierig from Doppeldenkspiele. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/09/24/plutocracy-saturday-review/ Useful Links Plutocracy: https://www.doppeldenkspiele.de/plutocracy.html Doppeldenkspiele: https://www.doppeldenkspiele.de/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/363531/plutocracy Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Prelude Music: Holy War by Hans Zimmer from the album Dune (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) The following music was used for this media project: Music: One With Ocean Currents by Tim Kulig Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/8510-one-with-ocean-currents License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Artist website: https://timkulig.com/albums 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 some of us, not being able to see friends or family, or anyone else for that matter, in person is becoming a distant memory. I appreciate that for some of you, it's still very much the present, depending on where you are in the world or the health of the people you would otherwise meet, you live with or your own. In this article, I want to write about how it feels to be playing board games face-to-face with other people, as this has now been possible for me for quite some time. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/09/13/slow-death-player-elimination-in-board-games-topic-discussion/ Useful Links Yucata: https://www.yucata.de/en/CurrentGames My profile on Yucata: https://www.yucata.de/en/User/oliverkinne Learning digital article: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/02/23/learning-digital-topic-discussion/ Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) The following music was used for this media project: Music: Tivinize by Sascha Ende Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/62-tivinize License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Artist website: https://www.sascha-ende.de 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/

"Afloat, upon the surface of a smooth and silent river, slowly breathing, you observe the shifting currents [...]. There is little much to do, but let the river take you. Surrendering to its flow, slowly you realise that perhaps there is no separation between surface and sky, between your mind and the river itself and if your mind is the river and the river your mind, perhaps if you can balance the thoughts and feelings and sensations that arise, you may have some say in where you are taken" as you Float Downstream by Jeremy Dawson from Blood Moon Games Ltd. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/09/17/float-downstream-saturday-review/ Useful Links Float Downstream: https://www.bloodmoongamesltd.com/team-3 Blood Moon Games Ltd: https://www.bloodmoongamesltd.com/ Kickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/663814497/float-downstream BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/369650/float-downstream Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) The following music was used for this media project: Music: Dreams Become Real by Kevin MacLeod Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/3678-dreams-become-real License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Artist website: https://incompetech.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/

In many modern board games, all players participate until the very end. Everyone continues to take their turns until the game has finished and it's time to decide the winner or winners. That's true for co-operative as well as competitive games. Player elimination games are very different in that respect. In these games, some people around the table could be out of the game early on and end up sitting it out until it's all over. If done well, player elimination can be a very interesting mechanism in modern board games. In this article, I want to look at different ways this mechanism is implemented and discuss how well these work. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/09/13/slow-death-player-elimination-in-board-games-topic-discussion/ Useful Links Board Game Geek: https://boardgamegeek.com/ Love Letter review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/01/23/love-letter-saturday-review/ King of New York review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/04/25/king-of-new-york-saturday-review/ Nemesis review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/06/18/nemesis-saturday-review/ Splotter: https://www.splottershop.com/ Food Chain Magnate: https://www.splottershop.com/products/food-chain-magnate Jaws review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/10/10/jaws-saturday-review/ Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) The following music was used for this media project: Music: Dreams Become Real by Kevin MacLeod Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/3678-dreams-become-real License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Artist website: https://incompetech.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 Zoltan Tasi on Unsplash)

A game about dancing sheep, rockets, lasers, cabbages and sometimes fun. I would like to add "death" to this list, but other than that, it's pretty much a good description of 3 Minutes to Freedom (or Death) by Samuel Edmondson and Daniel Somerville Roberts from Icarus Games. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/09/10/3-minutes-to-freedom-or-death-saturday-review/ Useful Links 3 Minutes to Freedom (or Death): https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/3minutestofreedom/3-minutes-to-freedom BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/335863/3-minutes-freedom-or-death Exploding Kittens: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/172225/exploding-kittens Fluxx: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/258/fluxx Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) The following music was used for this media project: Music: Sirius by Sascha Ende Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/3233-sirius License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Artist website: https://www.sascha-ende.de 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/

Here is another article in my series about teaching games. Last time I spoke about the responsibilities the person has who teaches the game. This time I want to cover what is expected of the people learning the game. After all, the teacher will not get anywhere if no one is willing to actually learn the game. So, as a learner there are certain things you have to try and do to make the rules teach easier for everyone. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/09/06/teaching-games-responsibilities-as-a-learner-topic-discussion/ Useful Links Teaching games article series: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/category/teaching/ Teaching games - responsibilities as a teacher: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/08/30/teaching-games-responsibilities-as-a-teacher-topic-discussion/ Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) The following music was used for this media project: Music: Tivinize by Sascha Ende Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/62-tivinize License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Artist website: https://www.sascha-ende.de 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 Eric Mok on Unsplash)

It was hard to get the favour of the Emperor. Many noble houses were vying for their attention by offering their resources and manual labour to help restore the Emperor's wonderful monuments. As a way to remember the work everyone did and to honour the grace and power of the Emperor, artists were commissioned to create beautiful paintings. It was your hope to catch the Emperor's eye and receive the ultimate recognition: being invited as a guest at the Eternal Palace by Steven Aramini from Alley Cat Games. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/09/03/eternal-palace-saturday-review/ Useful Links Eternal Palace: https://www.alleycatgames.com/eternal-palace Alley Cat Games: https://www.alleycatgames.com/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/306311/eternal-palace Teach and playthrough video: https://youtu.be/exso9gRqkeo Jacqui Davis interview: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/02/03/jacqui-davis-let-me-illustrate/ Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) The following music was used for this media project: Music: Orbitalmelody by Lilo Sound Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/5577-orbitalmelody License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Artist website: https://electronicmoods.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/

Continuing my series of articles about teaching games, in this article I want to talk about what responsibilities the teacher has. It's not always obvious, but when you teach a game, you're not done after explaining the rules to the group. You have to continue to keep an eye on things, to make sure everyone plays correctly. You also have to be ready to answer questions during the game. That's a lot of responsibility to shoulder. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/08/30/teaching-games-responsibilities-as-a-teacher-topic-discussion/ Useful Links Teaching games article series: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/category/teaching/ 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/ (Photo by Big Potato on Unsplash)

The Durrani Empire had just collapsed and large swathes of Central Asia had fallen into disarray. It was an ideal opportunity for the ferengi to impose their power over the region and fight out their rivalries somewhere far away from their daily politics. The foreigners were completely unaware of how the local Afghan leaders were manipulating them to their own benefit. They played their own "Great Game" with these superpowers and knew that the imperial might would not survive for long. There was never going to be a Pax Pamir: Second Edition by Cole Wehrle from Wehrlegig Games. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/08/27/pax-pamir-second-edition-saturday-review/ Useful Links Pax Pamir: Second Edition: https://wehrlegig.com/collections/frontpage/products/pax-pamir-second-edition-1 Wehrlegig Games: https://wehrlegig.com/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/256960/pax-pamir-second-edition Oath review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/11/27/oath-chronicles-of-empire-and-exile-saturday-review/ Leder Games: https://ledergames.com/ Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) The following music was used for this media project: Music: Bugbears Be Approaching by Tim Kulig Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/8518-bugbears-be-approaching License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Artist website: https://timkulig.com/albums 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/

Depth in board games is often confused with complexity. They are related, but they're also very different. I wrote a whole article about complexity about two years ago. So now it's time for me to look at depth in more detail. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/08/23/the-deep-blue-depth-in-board-games-topic-discussion/ Useful Links Article about complexity in board games: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/08/11/complex-complexity-topic-discussion/ Splotter: https://www.splottershop.com/ Scythe review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/01/19/scythe/ 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/ (Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash)

I wasn't sure what it was. It was certainly yellow. Maybe it was a banana. Or it was a pencil. Actually, it could have even been a lemon. I just couldn't remember. There were just too many cards on the table. I wish I could Recollect from Pikkii. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/08/20/recollect-saturday-review/ Useful Links Recollect: https://pikkii.com/products/recollect-memory-challenge-game Pikkii: https://pikkii.com/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/368121/recollect-memory-challenge-game 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/ (Photo courtesy of Pikkii)

It's been a long-standing tradition in the board game hobby to show others your lovely collection. People love posting photos of their board game shelves. It's no surprise really. People are proud of the games they've got. Some of the games in your collection will be rarities, they might be out of print, maybe you have games signed by the designer or you just love the latest and greatest. In a similar vein are so-called "haul photos" showing off the games you managed to get your hands on at a convention. In this article, I want to look at the latter in more detail. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/08/16/trawl-the-haul-topic-discussion/ Useful Links UK Games Expo 2022 review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/06/11/uk-games-expo-2022-saturday-review/ 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/

A brand new greenfield site was ready for development. The architects had submitted their drawings and the planners were satisfied that everything was in order. Everyone was in agreement that this new place should grow organically, but had to follow strict rules. New houses could only be placed in certain ways to create this brand new Town 66 by Christoph Cantzler and Anja Wrede from Oink Games. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/08/13/town-66-saturday-review/ Useful Links Town 66: https://oinkgames.com/en/games/analog/town-66/ Oink Games: https://oinkgames.com/en/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/361212/town-66 Oink Games reviews: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/category/oink-games/ 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's always interesting to see how different games decide when they end. There are so many different ways of ending a game. Some games are played over a fixed number of rounds and others end when a certain goal or goals are achieved. There are also games that have a slightly more random timer. What happens when a game ends is also not always the same. In some games, all players get one more turn or the current round is played out. Other games end immediately and nobody gets another chance. In this article, I want to look at how all of these different endings create different player experiences. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/08/09/uncertain-death-end-game-triggers-topic-discussion/ Useful Links Sagrada review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/08/06/sagrada-saturday-review/ Aquamarine review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/07/16/aquamarine-saturday-review/ Undaunted: Normandy review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/07/23/undaunted-normandy-saturday-review/ Adventure Games: The Dungeon review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/06/25/adventure-games-the-dungeon-saturday-review/ Dominant Species: Marine review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/01/29/dominant-species-marine-saturday-review/ Scythe review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/01/19/scythe/ Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) The following music was used for this media project: Music: Silent Alpha by MusicParadise Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/5067-silent-alpha License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Artist website: http://www.music-paradise.de 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 Aron Visuals on Unsplash)

As an artist, I knew this was going to be a challenging project. Making stained glass window masterpieces required clever and careful planning and meticulous execution. The prospect of having one of your pieces be seen by people around the world was a daunting prospect, but working for such a prestigious family made up for it. I was honoured to be employed by the famous family of Sagrada by Adrian Adamescu and Daryl Andrews from Floodgate Games. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/08/06/sagrada-saturday-review/ Useful Links Sagrada: https://floodgate.games/products/sagrada Floodgate Games: https://floodgate.games/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/199561/sagrada Rules teach video: https://youtu.be/0JLpaGHL8MQ Azul review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/09/19/azul-saturday-review/ Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) The following music was used for this media project: Music: Wanderer by Alexander Nakarada Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/4772-wanderer License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Artist website: https://www.serpentsoundstudios.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/

Reviewing board games is something I take quite seriously. It's important to me that people reading my reviews know that what they read are my own, independent thoughts. I also want to ensure that my views properly reflect my experience of a game. I want my reviews to be relatively thorough and a fair assessment of the game. In this article, I want to look at how often I feel I need to have played a game before I'm ready to review it. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/08/02/enough-is-enough-minimum-board-game-review-requirements-topic-discussion/ Useful Links Reviewing games – the importance of gameplay experience article: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/07/26/reviewing-games-the-importance-of-gameplay-experience-topic-discussion/ Brass: Birmingham review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/10/03/brass-birmingham-saturday-review/ Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Main Music: Namaste by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Artist: http://audionautix.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 Usman Yousaf on Unsplash)

It was a glorious time of progress, industry and opportunity. The turn of the 20th century promised so much and if you were flush with cash, there were plenty of opportunities to invest and reap huge rewards. That was especially true for the railroad industry in the United States. In one place alone, there were five companies working together to build the greatest station in the world. They all bought stock in one of the potentially most lucrative companies in Chicago. Their hopes and dreams all began at Union Station by Travis D. Hill from New Mill Industries. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/07/30/union-station-saturday-review/ Useful Links Union Station: https://www.newmillindustries.com/games/unionstation New Mill Industries: https://www.newmillindustries.com/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/318638/union-station Small Railroad Empires: https://www.archonagames.com/small-railroad-empires/ Luzon Rails review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/06/05/luzon-rails-saturday-review/ 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 goal of board game reviews is to give the reader the information they need to make a decision about whether a game is for them or not. Reviews are always going to be subjective and people may agree with them or they may not - or most likely they'll agree with some things and not others. Either way, reviews have to convey what a game is like, from a product perspective as well as a gameplay experience angle. In this article, I want to focus on the latter and explain why I think gameplay experience is so important. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/07/26/reviewing-games-the-importance-of-gameplay-experience-topic-discussion/ Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Main Music: Without You by Valcos & Chris Linton [NCS Release] Music provided by NoCopyrightSounds Free Download/Stream: http://ncs.io/WithoutYou Watch: http://youtu.be/wdpGocMoipw 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 AbsolutVision on Unsplash)

We had just landed in Normandy. It was the summer of 1944, but it was relatively cold. We were thousands of miles from home and the landscape was unknown to us. Yet, we had to push deeper into a country we didn't know in our goal to push the German forces out of France. There was regular machine gun fire and mortar bombardment. It was really scary, but we remained Undaunted: Normandy by Trevor Benjamin and David Thompson from Osprey Games. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/07/23/undaunted-normandy-saturday-review/ Sources Estimated Battle Casualties during the Normandy Invasion on June 6, 1944: https://www.britannica.com/story/estimated-battle-casualties-during-the-normandy-invasion-on-june-6-1944 The 10 Things you Need to Know about D-Day: https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/the-10-things-you-need-to-know-about-d-day D-Day: Facts on the Epic 1944 Invasion That Changed the Course of WWII: https://www.history.com/news/d-day-normandy-wwii-facts World War II (Wikipedia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II Useful Links Undaunted: Normandy: https://ospreypublishing.com/undaunted-normandy Osprey Games: https://ospreypublishing.com/store/osprey-games/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/268864/undaunted-normandy 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 think a lot of people in the board game hobby play together for fun and for the social aspect. Sure, many of us want to win the game. We don't play to lose. However, I think only very few people are hugely competitive. Playing board games is more of a hobby. In this article, I look at different ways of improving your game and what it might take to become better at winning. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/07/19/winning-at-all-cost-topic-discussion/ Useful Links Scythe review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/01/19/scythe/ Terra Mystica review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/06/01/terra-mystica/ Crescent Moon review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/05/21/crescent-moon-saturday-review/ Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Main Music: Afternoon by DreamHeaven Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/6242-afternoon License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Artist website: https://www.patreon.com/dreamheaven 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 Big Potato on Unsplash)

It was a beautiful day. The sea was calm and the sun was shining. The water was crystal clear and even while you were sitting on the side of the boat, in your full diving gear, you could see the corals and wonderful sea creatures in the water. You knew it was going to be a long day and you would probably split it into two or three dives. You did one last check of your gear and then you leant back and dropped into the Aquamarine by Matthew Dunstan and Rory Muldoon from Postmark Games. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/07/16/aquamarine-saturday-review/ Useful Links Aquamarine: https://www.postmarkgames.com/aquamarine Postmark Games: https://www.postmarkgames.com/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/360471/aquamarine Aquamarine trailer: https://youtu.be/KAbpv39e5fY Rory Muldoon interview: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/10/14/rory-muldoon-let-me-illustrate/ UK Games Expo 2022 review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/06/11/uk-games-expo-2022-saturday-review/ Skora review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/05/14/skora-saturday-review/ Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Sound Effects: BBC Sound Effects Library (bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2021 BBC) Music: Broken by DreamHeaven Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/6475-broken License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Artist website: https://www.patreon.com/dreamheaven 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 we know, and as I always say, there are so many games, chances are there is something for everyone. Not only that, there will be games for all sorts of different types and sizes of groups. That has always been true for family games that can be enjoyed by a wide range of ages and interests. In this article, I want to look at what it is I enjoy so much about playing games with my family. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/07/12/family-fun-enjoying-games-as-a-family-topic-discussion/ Useful Links Face-off article: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/06/28/face-off-interactions-in-two-player-games-topic-discussion/ He ain't heavy article: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/01/08/he-aint-heavy/ Home is where the board games are article: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/05/17/home-is-where-the-board-games-are-topic-discussion/ Chai review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2018/11/24/chai/ Colt Express review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/01/01/colt-express-saturday-review/ Azul review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/09/19/azul-saturday-review/ Town 66 BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/361212/town-66 Scout review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/07/02/scout-saturday-review/ 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 thought long and hard about how to start this review. Usually, the introductory paragraph of my reviews is like a short story, setting the scene of the game and the experience you're likely to get. I finish by linking back to the title of the game, making it part of the short story. Yet, for this game, its name is a little short story in itself. So I might as well just go straight to the title. Here goes... In this review, I look at A game about stuffing balloons as a team, without talking. But it's a card game - there are no actual balloons by Bez Shahriari from Stuff by Bez. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/07/09/a-game-about-stuffing-balloons-as-a-team-without-talking-but-its-a-card-game-there-are-no-actual-balloons-saturday-review/ Useful Links Stuff by Bez: http://www.stuffbybez.com/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/362779/game-about-stuffing-balloons-team-without-talking The Mind review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/01/05/the-mind/ 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 like heavy games a lot. Games that take around 2 hours to play are probably also the favourites in my games group. Sure, you need to spend an hour learning them, then probably half an hour teaching them to the group and then two or more hours playing them - but as a reward, your brain gets a full workout. At the same time, there are also many reasons why quick-to-play and easy-to-learn games can be the better option. In this article, I want to compare the two. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/07/05/quick-and-dirty-easy-to-learn-quick-to-play-games-topic-discussion/ Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Background Music:  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 Flavien on Unsplash)

Finally, the baton of ringmaster has been passed to you. Your predecessor has been in the job for many decades, but now it's your turn. You need to get the most out of the motley crew of performers and put together a show that will beat your rivals'. Yet, immediately it becomes clear that you need to bring in new talent to make your circus really stand out from the rest. It's time for you to Scout by Kei Kajino (梶野 桂) from Oink Games. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/07/02/scout-saturday-review/ Useful Links Scout: https://oinkgames.com/en/games/analog/scout/ Oink Games: https://oinkgames.com/en/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/291453/scout Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Sound Effects: BBC Sound Effects Library (bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2021 BBC) Background Music: Circus Theme Song (String Version) by Alexander Nakarada Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/5699-circus-theme-song-string-version- License: 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/

I love playing board or card games with my wife. Spending a little, or a lot of time together focused on the same activity is a wonderful way to connect. It started as a date night, but now we might play a quick 5-10 minute game or two over lunch or we play a longer game. Co-operative games tend to be our favourite. Working together to solve the puzzle that the game presents is a lot of fun. That's why we also love solving the Sunday crossword puzzle together. There are very few two-player competitive games that we enjoy and in this article, I want to explain why. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/06/28/face-off-interactions-in-two-player-games-topic-discussion/ Useful Links We Can Play review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/05/28/we-can-play-saturday-review/ Wingspan review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/03/16/wingspan/ Biblios review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/02/05/biblios-digital-eyes/ Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Background Music: Coffee by Alex-Productions Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/9330-coffee License: 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 by Big Potato on Unsplash)

Waking up from an uneasy sleep, you look around. You aren't quite sure where you are or how you got here. There is moonlight streaming through the small, barred window. It looks like you're in some sort of cell, but you're not chained up or otherwise restrained unlike the skeleton opposite you. There is only one thing for it. You have to find a way to escape Adventure Games: The Dungeon by Phil Walker-Harding and Matthew Dunstan from Kosmos. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/06/25/adventure-games-the-dungeon-saturday-review/ Useful Links Adventure Games: The Dungeon: https://www.thamesandkosmos.co.uk/product/adventure-games-the-dungeon/ Kosmos: https://www.thamesandkosmos.co.uk/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/267813/adventure-games-dungeon Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Sound Effects: BBC Sound Effects Library (bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2021 BBC) Background Music: Dark Hollows by Alexander Nakarada Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/7120-dark-hollows License: 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/

As you probably know by now, I'm a very visual person. I love great illustrations in board games, hence my series "Let me illustrate" highlighting board game artists in the industry. At the same time, a board game with an amazing look alone is not enough. The gameplay needs to be great too and the rules must not be more complicated than necessary for the weight of the game. So in this article, I want to look at how important realistic resources are to me in games. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/06/21/immersive-resources-topic-discussion/ Useful Links Let me illustrate podcast series: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/let-me-illustrate/ Terra Mystica review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/06/01/terra-mystica/ Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Background Music: Sinuswelle by Sascha Ende® Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/537-sinuswelle License: 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/

Waking up from years of hibernation, all of us were a bit dazed and confused. Temporary amnesia was very common and while we all knew our names, we only had some basic memories of what had happened before or what we were meant to do. We weren't even sure which ship we were on, let alone its layout. When we saw that one of our colleagues was dead and had a gaping hole in their chest, we knew something was seriously wrong. Nobody was sure what caused our colleague's death. We knew we had to work together to get out of this nightmare, but the trust in each other had evaporated. So we set about exploring the ship and finding our Nemesis by Adam Kwapiński from Awaken Realms. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/06/18/nemesis-saturday-review/ Useful Links Nemesis: https://awakenrealms.com/games/nemesis/ Awaken Realms: https://awakenrealms.com/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/167355/nemesis Pandemic review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/01/18/pandemic-saturday-review/ Sleeping Gods review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/03/27/sleeping-gods-saturday-review/ Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Background Music: Alien motion picture soundtrack by Jerry Goldsmith 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 genre of roll-and-something or something-and-write or whatever else there is these days has really grown in the last few years. To start with, there was a deluge of Yahtzee-style games, but soon the genre added themes and settings to try and draw people in and make them feel like they were exploring a map or fighting monsters. In this article, I want to talk about my experiences with roll-and-write games, as I will call them from here on in for the purpose of simplicity. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/06/14/roll-and-wrong-topic-discussion/ Useful Links Aquamarine: https://www.postmarkgames.com/aquamarine Postmark Games: https://www.postmarkgames.com/ Rory Muldoon interview: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/10/14/rory-muldoon-let-me-illustrate/ UK Games Expo 2022 review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/06/11/uk-games-expo-2022-saturday-review/ 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 UK Games Expo is the largest hobby games convention in the United Kingdom. It covers all types of hobby games, including board games, card games, RPGs, war games and many, many more. After a break of a couple of years, I was finally ready to make my way up to the NEC, Birmingham again in 2022. However, this time, a friend from my games group joined me. I was really looking forward to finally meeting many of the people I only knew via social media. I also wanted to introduce myself to some of the publishers exhibiting there. My schedule was really full. It was going to be exhausting, but also a huge amount of fun. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/06/11/uk-games-expo-2022-saturday-review/ 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 know this is a First World problem, but I currently have a number of games sitting on my shelves that I haven't played yet. I also know that I'm not the only one with a "shelf of opportunity" that seems to be growing, rather than shrinking. I basically have too many board games. It seems to be something that's quite common in the board game hobby. In this article, I want to look at a number of reasons why my game pile has increased, rather than gotten smaller. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/06/07/boardgame-backlog-topic-discussion/ Useful Links Games I own, but haven't played yet: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/mygames/#not-played Brainwaves board game news podcast: https://giantbrain.co.uk/podcast/ Oath review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/11/27/oath-chronicles-of-empire-and-exile-saturday-review/ Root review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/02/12/root-a-game-of-woodland-might-and-right-saturday-review/ Dwellings of Eldervale review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/02/19/dwellings-of-eldervale-saturday-review/ Brass: Birmingham review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/10/03/brass-birmingham-saturday-review/ We Can Play review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/05/28/we-can-play-saturday-review/ Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Background Music: Just Say by Beatcore & Ashley Apollodor (https://ncs.io/JustStay) 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 game, it's a test of sorts, for determining whether something is a machine or a human being. There's a judge and a subject. The judge asks questions and based on the subject's answers they determine who they are speaking with - what they are speaking with. All you have to do is ask a question. So, now it's your turn to ask Turing by Glenn Ford from Man O' Kent Games. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/06/04/turing-saturday-review/ Useful Links Turing: https://www.manokentgames.com/turing Man O' Kent Games: https://www.manokentgames.com/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/341901/turing Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Background Music: The Imitation Game by Alexandre Desplat and London Symphony Orchestra 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 have now spoken quite a bit about how to teach board games to people. Those articles were about teaching games that you have already played yourself and therefore know relatively well. However, when you buy a game, you will be faced with the difficult task of teaching the rules for the first time, before having played it yourself even once. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/05/31/first-time-teach-topic-discussion/ Useful Links How to teach board games: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/category/teaching/ Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Background Music: Way 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/tabletopgamesblog Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/ (Photo by Bit Potato on Unsplash)

From ancient times to the present day, women have never been recognised for their contributions to the world. Yet, throughout history, there have always been women who were strong leaders, who fought for better conditions and equal rights, and not just for themselves, who made significant scientific breakthroughs, were trendsetting artists and did everything their male contemporaries did. So it is time for all women around the world to say: We Can Play by Julia Johansson and Albert Pinilla by Julibert. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/05/28/we-can-play-saturday-review/ Useful Links We Can Play: https://www.julibert.com/product-page/WeCanPlay Julibert: https://www.julibert.com/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/338690/we-can-play-women-who-changed-world 101 women who changed the world: https://www.julibert.com/the-101-women Albert Pinilla interview: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/02/02/albert-pinilla-let-me-illustrate/ 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 last UK Games Expo I attended was 2019. It was an amazing event and I came back from it buzzing, full of ideas and the energy you get after you've been able to catch up with good friends again. We all know what happened soon after the 2019 event. So when UKGE came back as an in-person event in 2021, I decided to give it a miss. However, now it's 2022 I'm ready to dive into the crowds again and meet lovely board game people at UK Games Expo 2022. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/05/24/looking-ahead-at-uk-games-expo-2022-topic-discussion/ Useful Links UK Games Expo: https://www.ukgamesexpo.co.uk/ Naylor Games: https://naylorgames.com/ Ruined Sky Games: https://www.ruinedsky.com/ Minerva Tabletop Games: https://www.minervatabletop.co.uk/ Dissent Games: https://dissentgames.com/ SDR Games Studio: https://sdrgames.studio/ Stuff by Bez: http://www.stuffbybez.com/ Atikin Games: https://atikingames.com/ Wayfinder Games: https://www.wayfinder-games.com/ James Family Games Night: https://linktr.ee/jonesfamilygamesnight Cards or Die: https://www.cardsordie.com/ Gaming Rules: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvIWBOfYGXYQQQORhjAJKCQ Postmark Games: https://www.postmarkgames.com/ Osprey Games: https://ospreypublishing.com/store/osprey-games/ Steeped Games: https://steepedgames.com/ Ravensburger: https://www.ravensburger.org/uk/products/games/index.html Hachette: https://www.hachetteboardgames.co.uk/ 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 Caliphate is in turmoil. The Murshid spreads its influence and whispers into the Sultan's ear, trying to affect where they build their magnificent towns and cities. The Warlord ravages the lands, plundering and destroying everything in their way. Nothing is safe and everyone has their own goals. So as the sun sets on the deserts, mountains and fertile lands and as day turns to night, the warring factions prepare for another day and get ready to put their plans into action. For now, though, it's the time of the Crescent Moon by Steven Mathers from Osprey Games. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/05/21/crescent-moon-saturday-review/ Useful Links Skora: https://www.insidethebox.games/product/skora Inside the Box Board Games: https://www.insidethebox.games/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/271645/skora Other games in the Lunchbox Collection series: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/category/lunchbox-collection/ Rory Muldoon interview: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/10/14/rory-muldoon-let-me-illustrate/ Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Incidental Music: Fortress 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/tabletopgamesblog Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

I feel that the board game hobby is great and that our community is wonderful. Board games bring like-minded people together. I know, nothing is ever perfect and we can't ignore the bad actors, but on the whole, board game people, if I may address you all this way, are great folk. Playing board games is my happy place and I feel very much at home whenever I see board games. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/05/17/home-is-where-the-board-games-are-topic-discussion/ Useful Links Thirsty Meeples: https://thirstymeeples.co.uk/ Airecon 2022 review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/03/26/airecon-2022-saturday-review/ Ravensburger: https://www.ravensburger.org/uk/start/index.html 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/ (Photo by edgeeffectmedia.com on Unsplash)

The boats were making their way out to sea, heading for the three main fishing grounds off the coast of the Isle of Norsica. You were hoping that your fleet would bring back the best catch. It would require brain and brawn to beat the rival clans and land the biggest fish. If your clan could grab the most lucrative haul, you would be crowned Skora by Rory Muldoon from Inside the Box Board Games. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/05/14/skora-saturday-review/ Useful Links Skora: https://www.insidethebox.games/product/skora Inside the Box Board Games: https://www.insidethebox.games/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/271645/skora Other games in the Lunchbox Collection series: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/category/lunchbox-collection/ Rory Muldoon interview: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/10/14/rory-muldoon-let-me-illustrate/ Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Incidental Music: Horizon 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/tabletopgamesblog Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

Teaching a game isn't easy and the same is true for learning. The teacher will do their best to explain everything and get everything right, but the first play of a game should always be chalked down to experience. Players should do what they can to help and expect mistakes to creep in. However, there are also things the game itself can do to make learning a new game easier, some of which will also help with playing the game again later. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/05/10/player-aids-topic-discussion/ Useful Links Root review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/02/12/root-a-game-of-woodland-might-and-right-saturday-review/ Fluxx: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/258/fluxx The Fox in the Forest Duet review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/04/30/the-fox-in-the-forest-duet-saturday-review/ 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/ (Photo by Lidia Estaban on Unsplash)

The squad had been practising many hours a week for months to get to this point. They were up against a tough team, but they had the belief, conviction and the appetite to win. The determination was written on every single swimmer's face. As the routine started, it was clear that these women were headed for glory. The tension grew as the music played and eventually reached its climax. When the last figure was executed, there was no holding back. The crowd got up from their seats and started cheering. It was clear that the routine was absolutely perfect. Throughout the routine, all of the swimmers had been perfectly Synchronized by AnnaMaria Jackson-Phelps and Amelie Le-Roche from Zerua Games. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/05/07/synchronized-saturday-review/ Useful Links Synchronized: https://www.zeruagames.com/synchronized Zerua Games: https://www.zeruagames.com/ Amelie Le-Roche interview: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/03/02/amelie-le-roche-let-me-illustrate/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/295756/synchronized 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/

Hobbies are known to be a way to reduce stress and can improve feelings of anxiety and depression. Board games are, of course, no different. In this article, I want to look at how playing board games can help your mental health. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/05/03/board-game-relief-topic-discussion/ 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/ (Photo by Big Potato on Unsplash)

The woodcutter and I were travelling the lands when we reached a kingdom far to the south. Its people were most distraught, because the fairies of the woods had kidnapped the most famous musician whose music made everything better. Of course, we agreed to help the people without hesitation. We ventured into the forest and peeked under every leaf and fern and beneath the shelf of every mushroom until we finally found the musician, surrounded by angry fairies. Overjoyed, they played an enchanting lullaby that made the fairies go to sleep and allowed us to escape. After reuniting the musician with the people, we were celebrated as heroes and from that moment on were both known as The Fox in the Forest Duet by Foxtrot Games from Renegade Game Studios. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/04/30/the-fox-in-the-forest-duet-saturday-review/ Useful Links The Fox in the Forest Duet: https://uk.renegadegamestudios.com/fox-in-the-forest-duet/ Renegade Game Studios: https://uk.renegadegamestudios.com/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/288169/fox-forest-duet The Crew review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/12/05/the-crew-the-quest-for-planet-nine-saturday-review/ 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's so very easy to dismiss the old adage that we learn through play. Many of us take our shared hobby very seriously. We're highly competitive and want to win. We need to play by the rules. It's an unwritten law - but it's a law nevertheless. It's "the law". Yet, when we see how young children interact with games, it's often very different to what we do as adults. In this article, I want to explore what we can learn from children and how it might help us rediscover the joy of board games. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/04/26/childs-play-topic-discussion/ 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/ (Photo by Michal Vrba on Unsplash)

Get your friends together, grab some bits from the local junkyard and assemble everything into the best stronghold you can, to be crowned champion of the Junk Forts by Matthew Dunstan and Brett J. Gilbert from Inside the Box Board Games. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/04/23/junk-forts-saturday-review/ Useful Links Junk Forts: https://www.insidethebox.games/product/junk-forts Inside the Box Board Games: https://www.insidethebox.games/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/265805/junk-forts Fort review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/04/03/fort-saturday-review/ 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 following article was written by Laurie Trueblood of Adventures of Authenticity. As a kid, family game night was a staple and we had that one closet that always seemed to overflow with board games. As I got older, I added tabletop RPGs like Dungeons & Dragons and video games. And while gaming has always been a part of my lifestyle, I never really saw it as beneficial beyond just something to do for fun. But according to scientific research, tabletop gaming is actually quite good for you. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/04/19/the-scientific-benefits-of-tabletop-gaming-topic-discussion/ 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/ (Photo by Big Potato on Unsplash)

It is the 11th century AD and the Vikings regularly invade our lands, while my domestic rivals try to forcefully take territory from me, without much luck. My military prowess is well known and I prove myself again and again, while also forging political alliances by strategically arranging marriages between my family members and other important houses. I even have time to rebuild the many monasteries in my realm, bringing the Church and its wealth onto my side. My name is Brian Boru: High King of Ireland by Peer Sylvester from Osprey Games. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/04/16/brian-boru-high-king-of-ireland-saturday-review/ Useful Links Brian Boru: High King of Ireland: https://ospreypublishing.com/brian-boru Osprey Games: https://ospreypublishing.com/store/osprey-games/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/337765/brian-boru-high-king-ireland The King is Dead (2nd Edition) review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/03/13/the-king-is-dead-2nd-edition-digital-eyes/ The Crew review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/12/05/the-crew-the-quest-for-planet-nine-saturday-review/ 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/

When you have a long-standing, regular games group, you will probably have already established certain "house rules" that define what's considered good behaviour at the table. Chances are many of them are actually unwritten rules that have just come out over time and are based on the types of people you play with. In this article, I want to try and talk about a few of these rules that are probably generally useful to have at games night, whether this is with a long-established group or people you've just met. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/04/12/etiquette-topic-discussion/ 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/ (Photo by Naim Benjelloun on Unsplash)

After graduating from Oxford, specializing in criminal law, it was time for me to travel and see the world. Little did I know that every journey I took would present me with a mystery I had to solve using my formidable spirit of deduction and unfailing determination. Tiny clues would lead me along a trail of discovering more and more proof which would lead me to the perpetrator. However, until then, all the people I met were Suspects by Sebastien Duverger Nedellec, Paul Halter and Guillaume Montiage from Studio H. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/04/09/suspects-saturday-review/ Useful Links Suspects: https://www.hachetteboardgames.co.uk/shop/stu027su-suspects-115 Studio H: https://twitter.com/Studio_H_Games BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/322785/suspects Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Other Music: Epic Cinematic Orchestra Instrumental by EdiKey20 Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/7594-epic-cinematic-orchestra-instrumental License: 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/