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

It's the 11th of July in the year of our Lord 1899. At 10am Mountain Daylight Time, the Union Pacific Express departed Folsom in Union County, New Mexico as scheduled, but only a few minutes after leaving the village's last buildings behind, heavily armed bandits started robbing the 47 passengers, taking purses and jewellery. A short while later, gunshots could be heard and some of the bandits had climbed onto the roof of the train. It was feared that Marshal Samuel Ford, who was protecting the Nice Valley Coal Company's weekly pay, was being attacked. The whole incident went down in history as the "Attack of the Colt Express" by Christophe Raimbault from Ludonaute. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/01/01/colt-express-saturday-review/ Useful Links Colt Express: http://www.ludonaute.fr/portfolio/colt-express/?lang=en Colt Express unboxing: https://youtu.be/cy6gV7LKR0I Colt Express Digital Eyes review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/10/30/colt-express-digital-eyes/ Ludonaute: https://www.ludonaute.fr/?lang=en BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/158899/colt-express Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Sound Effects: BBC Sound Effects Library (bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2021 BBC) 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/

Like probably everyone else does at the end of another calendar year, it's time for me to look back on 2021 and share with you what I've been up to. In fact, this year I want to share with you some more detail, so that you can see what is involved in doing what I do in the name of the Tabletop Games Blog. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/12/28/2021-in-review-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/

Yes, it's the time of year again where I list the 5 board games that I think were the best in 2021. The games don't necessarily have to have been published this year, but as long as I have played them in 2021, they qualify to appear on this list. Of course, as is now custom on the Tabletop Games Blog, the #1 game will receive the exclusive and prestigious Top Table Award. I know you're already at the edge of your seat to find out who got the coveted trophy, but let me list the top 5 board games of 2021 in reverse order, to raise the excitement even further and make you wait a little bit longer. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/12/25/top-5-board-games-of-2021-saturday-review/ Useful Links Genotype review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/06/26/genotype-a-mendelian-genetics-game-saturday-review/ Genotype unboxing video: https://youtu.be/96fOb9A8H4Y Luzon Rails review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/06/05/luzon-rails-saturday-review/ Jessi Cabasan: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/10/28/jessi-cabasan-let-me-illustrate/ The King is Dead review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/03/13/the-king-is-dead-2nd-edition-digital-eyes/ Sleeping Gods review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/03/27/sleeping-gods-saturday-review/ Oath review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/11/27/oath-chronicles-of-empire-and-exile-saturday-review/ Oath Takebacks review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/06/19/oath-chronicles-of-empire-and-exile-takebacks/ Oath Digital Eyes review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/01/02/oath-chronicles-of-empire-and-exile-digital-eyes/ 5 Heavy Christmas Board Games review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/12/18/5-heavy-christmas-board-games-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/

In my third article about teaching games, I want to talk about light games. The advantage of these games is, that they are easy to teach and quick to learn - and often also quick to play. So, this article should be rather short, but as we know, the easier something is, the better you have to execute it and given that lighter games are usually the sort of games new people to the hobby will come in contact with first, we need to do a good job teaching these types of games or we may miss a chance to grow our hobby. So, no pressure. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/12/21/teaching-games-light-games-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/

Most of us will have a lot of spare time over the holidays and if we have board game enthusiasts among the family, this is the perfect time to set up and play some heavy games. We might also have more time to meet up with our games group and again, now is the time to get those heavy games to the table that we might not feel like playing of an evening after a busy day at work. So, here are 5 heavy board games I think you should play over the holidays. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/12/18/5-heavy-christmas-board-games-saturday-review/ Useful Links Oath: https://ledergames.com/products/oath-chronicles-of-empire-exile Oath Digital Eyes review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/01/02/oath-chronicles-of-empire-and-exile-digital-eyes/ Oath Takebacks review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/06/19/oath-chronicles-of-empire-and-exile-takebacks/ Leder Games: https://ledergames.com/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/291572/oath-chronicles-empire-and-exile Tharos: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tribune/tharos Tharos review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/10/16/tharos-saturday-review/ Spielworxx: https://www.spielworxx.de/ Tharos on Tabletopia: https://tabletopia.com/games/tharos BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/292901/tharos Harald Lieske: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/12/23/harald-lieske-let-me-illustrate/ Dominant Species: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-943-dominant-species-marine-2nd-printing.aspx GMT Games: https://www.gmtgames.com/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/262941/dominant-species-marine Brass: Birmingham: https://roxley.com/products/brass-birmingham-deluxe-edition Brass: Birmingham review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/10/03/brass-birmingham-saturday-review/ Roxley Games: https://roxley.com/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/224517/brass-birmingham Magnate: The First City: https://magnategame.com/ Magnate: The First City review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/06/29/magnate-the-first-city/ Naylor Games: https://naylorgames.com/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/258242/magnate-first-city 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/

Continuing in my series of articles about how to teach games to others, I want to talk about maybe the best approach - and that is getting your games group to learn a game together. After all, for many of us, playing board games is a social activity and at the very least, it's a hobby we share. So it makes sense to also share the burden of teaching, or rather learning, how to play a new game. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/12/14/teaching-games-learning-together-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 Clay Banks on Unsplash)

Continuing with my list of 5 board games for Christmas, this week I talk about medium weight games. These games are for those days over the holidays, when the weather is horrible outside and you want to be inside, all cozy and warm, maybe with a mug of hot chocolate and spend around an hour playing a board game with either your immediate family and/or with friends. The games on this list will take a little longer to teach and learn and playing time will be around the 1 hour mark, maybe a little longer. However, they're not too difficult or complex to make your brain hurt. They're at just the right level to keep you occupied before you all settle down in front of the TV to watch a film together. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/12/11/5-medium-weight-christmas-board-games-saturday-review/ Useful Links Splendor: https://www.spacecowboys.fr/splendor-english Splendor review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/07/25/splendor-saturday-review/ Splendor unboxing video: https://youtu.be/eqatqPK62-E Space Cowboys: https://www.spacecowboys.fr/our-board-games BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/148228/splendor Wingspan: https://stonemaiergames.com/games/wingspan/ Wingspan review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/03/16/wingspan/ Wingspan unboxing video: https://youtu.be/OBG3s-BsYDI Wingspan brief impressions video: https://youtu.be/Fn-MBwoVhYM Watch It Played rules video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgDgcLI2B0U Jon Gets Games rules and play through video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDJ5WwpV3Sg Stonemaier Games: https://stonemaiergames.com/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/266192/wingspan ttps://www.geniusgames.org/products/genotype-a-mendelian-genetics-game Genotype: https://www.geniusgames.org/products/genotype-a-mendelian-genetics-game Genotype review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/06/26/genotype-a-mendelian-genetics-game-saturday-review/ Genotype unboxing video: https://youtu.be/96fOb9A8H4Y Heavy Cardboard 3-player playthrough: https://youtu.be/XBk6vAemFyQ Genius Games: https://genius-games.eu/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/252752/genotype-mendelian-genetics-game Small Railroad Empires: https://www.archonagames.com/small-railroad-empires/ Small Railroad Empires playthrough with the designer: https://youtu.be/DqZvaQZMk9g Archona Games: https://www.archonagames.com/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/299178/small-railroad-empires Sleeping Gods: https://redravengames.squarespace.com/sleeping-gods Sleeping Gods review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/03/27/sleeping-gods-saturday-review/ Sleeping Gods Watch It Played rules video: https://youtu.be/qCjfbyscG8s Red Raven Games: https://redravengames.squarespace.com/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/255984/sleeping-gods 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/

Teaching someone the rules to a board game is never easy. I wouldn't say I'm an expert when it comes to teaching, but over time I've learned a few things that have helped me to become a better teacher. I found that different types of games require different types of teaching. So I thought I'd share with you what I've learned so far and maybe you pick up some ideas that help you with teaching new games to people. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/12/07/teaching-games-vp-games-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 Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash)

Yes, Christmas is just around the corner, so it's time for me to put together lists of games you might want to get out over the holidays and play. I thought I'd start with a list of five games that you can play with all the family. These games are easy to teach and learn and quite quick to play. Most of them can be played up to four players, so if you have a large family gathering, you might need to split into smaller groups. I hope you find this list useful. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/12/04/5-family-christmas-board-games-saturday-review/ Useful Links The Split: https://www.wayfinder-games.com/store/p/the-split Wayfinder Games: https://www.wayfinder-games.com/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/344682/split Mint Tin Mini Skulduggery: https://subquark.com/rules-mtmskulduggery.html Mint Tin Mini Skulduggery review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/03/09/mint-tin-mini-skulduggery/ subQuark: https://subquark.com/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/265226/mint-tin-mini-skulduggery Karuba: https://www.habausa.com/karuba-tile-laying-puzzle-game/ Karuba review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/08/14/karuba-digital-eyes/ HABA: https://www.habausa.com/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/183251/karuba Colt Express: http://www.ludonaute.fr/portfolio/colt-express/?lang=en Colt Express review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/10/30/colt-express-digital-eyes/ Ludonaute: https://www.ludonaute.fr/?lang=en BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/158899/colt-express Kombo Klash: https://www.wearehubgames.com/our-games/komboklash Kombo Klash review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/03/06/kombo-klash-saturday-review/ Hub Games: https://www.wearehubgames.com/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/317312/kombo-klash 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/

There are so-called "race" games, where the first player to fulfil certain winning conditions takes the victory and the game ends immediately. These games differ from other games where you play so many rounds and whoever has the most points at the end wins. Most race games are highly competitive and it's every player for themselves, but in some of these types of games, the situation is a bit more complicated. In this article, I want to look at race games where positive player interaction is a thing. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/11/30/for-the-win-topic-discussion/ Useful Links Oath review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/11/27/oath-chronicles-of-empire-and-exile-saturday-review/ Rising Sun review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/10/26/rising-sun-saturday-review/ Splendor review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/07/25/splendor-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 Seth kane on Unsplash)

As the Chancellor, I had the people on my side. The Empire was going to thrive and grow and be beautiful. Yet, there were rumours of Exiles stirring in the Provinces and Hinterland, trying their best to claw back control. They were two visionaries, one stomping through the regions, using brute force to exert their influence and letting the wolves lose on anyone who would get in their way, while the other was biding their time in the Salt Flats, enlisting the help of witches and unnatural powers, trying to glean secrets and waiting for the right moment to strike. Both were intent on taking over the Empire, because they both had sworn an Oath by Cole Wehrle from Leder Games. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/11/27/oath-chronicles-of-empire-and-exile-saturday-review/ Useful Links Oath: https://ledergames.com/products/oath-chronicles-of-empire-exile Oath review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/01/02/oath-chronicles-of-empire-and-exile-digital-eyes/ Oath Takebacks review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/06/19/oath-chronicles-of-empire-and-exile-takebacks/ Leder Games: https://ledergames.com/ BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/291572/oath-chronicles-empire-and-exile Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Music Snippet: Hotel California by Eagles (https://eagles.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 think something that many of us in the hobby feel very bad about, are the many board games that are set against historic events, but that make no attempt to respectfully represent what happened and often sweep under the carpet the atrocities that were committed during the time that the games are set. So it's very refreshing to see people come together to create an award that tries to redress the situation and encourages the creation of historical games designed by people from marginalized groups. The hope is that these games will be much more representative, respectful and diverse. That's the Zenobia Award. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/11/23/zenobia-award-topic-discussion/ Useful Links Zenobia Award: https://zenobiaaward.org/ 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/ (Logo courtesy of Zenobia Award)

Takahama was dying. We were tending to him and tried to make him as comfortable as possible. The windows were wide open and a warm breeze filled the room. Takahama was muttering about how he was too ill to visit his love Akiko's grave and how she would miss the white rose he brought her every day. We told him that he would visit again as soon as he was better, when suddenly, a pure white butterfly flew in through one of the windows and landed on his pillow. We tried to shoo it away, but to no avail. The butterfly would keep coming back, so we relented and allowed it to stay. Takahama looked at the butterfly, smiled and then his final breath left his lungs, as he died in peace. The butterfly saw this, lifted off the pillow and flew out of one of the windows. We didn't know this at the time, but it flew all the way to Akiko's grave and when it landed, it disappeared. The butterfly was one of the Fluttering Souls by Joel Lewis from Good Games Publishing. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/11/20/fluttering-souls-saturday-review/ Useful Links Fluttering Souls: http://www.goodgamespublishing.com/games/fluttering-souls.html Good Games Publishing: http://www.goodgamespublishing.com/ BBG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/258154/fluttering-souls Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) Music: Eternal Hope by Purple Planet Music (https://www.purple-planet.com) If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

Someone once said that board games are basically just a framework to arbitrate a victor. Even though that sounds quite cold, at its heart, it describes how many of us, especially competitive players, feel about board games. There needs to be someone at the end of the game who has won. The emphasis here is on the singular victor rather than winning as a team. In this article, I want to look at what it means not to have a single victor. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/11/16/all-tied-up-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 Ruthson Zimmerman on Unsplash)

There was darkness everywhere. The surface of the Earth was empty and cold. There was no noise, nothing stirred or moved. It was an arid place, void of everything - a blank canvas - but you would change all that. You would command the energies of the Earth and mould lifeless piles of mud into creatures that would populate the world. It was the time of the Golems by ThunderGryph Games. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/11/13/golems-saturday-review/ Links Golems: https://thundergryph.com/golems/ ThunderGryph Games: https://thundergryph.com/ Matchbox Collection reviews: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/category/matchbox-collection/ BBG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/303734/golems 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 ThunderGryph Games)

Learning a new game, playing it for the first time, probably with a few rules mistakes, then playing it again, now with a better understanding of how the game works, then playing it once more, after having formulated a rough strategy and feeling you know what the game wants from you is a lot of fun. We've all experienced this, I'm sure, but there is another level to playing games that only becomes apparent after several plays. It is what is often called the "meta" of a game. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/11/09/the-metaverse-topic-discussion/ Links Scythe review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/01/19/scythe/ Stonemaier Games: https://stonemaiergames.com/ Dune review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/02/08/dune-saturday-review/ Gale Force Nine: https://www.gf9.com/ Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/ (Photo by Robynne Hu on Unsplash)

"Bubble, bubble, my lovely potions," you cackle gleefully as you carefully stir more solvents into the vial that's slowly being heated over the Bunsen burner. The library you're working in is full of old, musty smelling books full of alchemic knowledge, carefully annotated and added to by the many generations of scientists who have come before you. You can't stop now. You're so close. The light is fading but your candles still provide enough light. Then you hear the familiar voice of your housekeeper: "It's time to stop now, Rebis" by Gaetano Cavallaro from Thundergryph Games. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/11/06/rebis-saturday-review/ Links Rebis: https://thundergryph.com/rebis/ Thundergryph Games: https://thundergryph.com/ Matchbox Collection reviews: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/category/matchbox-collection/ BBG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/301085/rebis 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/

With a climate catastrophe looming on the horizon, more and more people do what they can to try and turn things around or at least do their bit to slowly steer things in the right direction. The board game hobby is no different. More and more games now not only try and raise awareness of environmental issues, but the games themselves strive to be more environmentally friendly or even carbon-neutral. In this article, I want to highlight a handful of projects that do what they can to help the planet. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/11/02/carbon-neutral-games-topic-discussion/ Links Earth Rising: 20 Years to Transform Our World: https://sdrgames.studio/earth-rising/ Stop, Drop & Roll: https://sdrgames.studio/ Hero Time Manufacturing: https://herotime1.com/ Tree Sisters: https://treesisters.org/ YouTube video about carbon offsetting: https://youtu.be/wQPlwd_kkIg UK Government carbon calculator: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/carbon-calculator Carbon Care emissions calculator: https://www.carboncare.org/en/co2-emissions-calculator.html Forests of Pangaia: https://www.pangaia.games/ Tree-Nation: https://tree-nation.com/ Treecelet: https://treecelet.com/ Pilfering Pandas: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/05/08/pilfering-pandas-saturday-review/ Wren Games: https://wrengames.co.uk/main/ Kickstarter update about adopting a panda: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/wrengames/pilfering-pandas/posts/3338932 The Spill: https://www.smirkandlaughter.com/the-spill Smirk & Laughter: https://www.smirkandlaughter.com/ Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/ (Photo by Jonas Allert on Unsplash)

"Hands up! Give me all your money!" you shout at the passengers on this express steam train to Colt City as you wave your revolver from side to side. You're in for a big haul and already imagine how you're going to spend all this money and how you're going to pawn the jewellery and become rich - but you hadn't expected the marshall being on board, as well as other bandits going from coach to coach trying their luck at getting rich quick at the same time as you. Your carefully planned heist seemed to quickly go off its rails and you begin to consider jumping off this fast-moving Colt Express by Christophe Raimbault from Ludonaute. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/10/30/colt-express-digital-eyes/ Links Colt Express: http://www.ludonaute.fr/portfolio/colt-express/?lang=en Ludonaute: https://www.ludonaute.fr/?lang=en BBG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/158899/colt-express 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/ (Image courtesy of Ludonaute)

We're used to seeing epic movie-style trailers for video games. They feel like million-pound productions that were directed by a famous Hollywood director with a cast of blockbuster actors. Of course, these are all animated sequences, often showing in-game footage, which makes sense, because modern 3D video games look very realistic and are often set in an epic conflict of some sort. Board games are a bit different though, but because CGI and 3D animation have become so highly accessible these days, many crowdfunding campaigns and some board game marketing campaigns feature these amazing looking videos. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/10/26/board-game-trailers-topic-discussion/ Links Magic: The Gathering trailer: https://youtu.be/b5W9t62t10I Shasn: Azadi trailer: https://youtu.be/P6a-g-Bav5w Shasn trailer: https://youtu.be/P6a-g-Bav5w Thunder Road: Vendetta trailer: https://twitter.com/RestorationGame/status/1447619661709860868 Unsettled Kickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/orangenebula/unsettled-board-game/description Circadians: Chaos Order Kickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/shem/circadians-chaos-order-first-light-2nd-edition Solar Sphere Kickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/drandagames/solar-sphere-harness-the-power-of-the-stars/description Lunar Base Kickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/hugphones/lunar-base-a-moon-colonization-base-building-card-game/description 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 Jakob Owens on Unsplash)

The Moon was big enough for all of us, but of course, we were still competing like any other business would. We had to invest a fair amount, 3 credits, to build new modules and expand our base. We needed to make sure everything was connected up correctly and functioning as expected. If we succeeded and outdid our competitors, we would be the first to either get 10 colonists safely homed, make 5 different scientific discoveries or gain a profit of at least 20 credits from our Lunar Base by Joosep Simm, Kaido Koort, Martin Paroll and Silver Türk from Plepic Games. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/10/23/lunar-base-saturday-review/ Links Lunar Base: https://lunarbasegame.com/ Splendor review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/07/25/splendor-saturday-review/ BBG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/313841/lunar-base 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/

Maybe you're reading this now, because you saw the title of the article and wondered what it meant. Maybe you clicked on the link, because you disagree with my statement about the effectiveness of clickbait and have come here to put me right. Maybe you've come here because you do agree with me and want to back me up. Whatever the reasons, in this article, I want to talk about the effectiveness of using clickbait titles to get views. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/10/19/clickbait-doesnt-work-topic-discussion/ Links BBC: https://www.bbc.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/ (Photo by Anne Nygård on Unsplash)

We had been on this planet for decades now, exploring its riches, mining for crystals and ore, building factories, markets and other public buildings, growing our pool of experts and increasing our commerce. Now it was time for the steam guilds to move to another section of the amazing planet Tharos by Spielworxx. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/10/16/tharos-saturday-review/ Links Tharos: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tribune/tharos Spielworxx: https://www.spielworxx.de/ Tharos on Tabletopia: https://tabletopia.com/games/tharos BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/292901/tharos Harald Lieske: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/12/23/harald-lieske-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/

Once you've been delving into the board game hobby for a while, you discover there is more to it than just the games themselves. There is a whole swathe of board game accessories that lures you deeper into the rabbit warren of our wonderful and amazing hobby. In this article, I want to look at some options and give you an idea of what you can add to your collection to make your gameplay experience even more exhilarating. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/10/12/bits-and-pieces-topic-discussion/ Links Board Game Extras: https://www.bgextras.co.uk/ MeepleSource: https://www.meeplesource.com/index.php Brass: Birmingham review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/10/03/brass-birmingham-saturday-review/ Iron Clays: https://roxley.com/collections/accessories/products/iron-clays-100 Clans of Caledonia review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/03/02/clans-of-caledonia/ Genotype: A Mendelian Genetics Games review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/06/26/genotype-a-mendelian-genetics-game-saturday-review/ Luzon Rails review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/06/05/luzon-rails-saturday-review/ Oath: Chronicles of Empire and Exile review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/06/19/oath-chronicles-of-empire-and-exile-takebacks/ Wingspan review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/03/16/wingspan/ 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/

Humans were close to becoming extinct. No, this wasn't some sort of natural disaster. It was what many films had predicted. An artificial intelligence had seized power and started to manufacture parts that it added to itself. The longer we waited, the bigger this monstrosity grew and the more powerful it became. If we did nothing, it would eventually become our Doom Machine by Nathan Meunier. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/10/09/doom-machine-takebacks/ Links Doom Machine: https://nathanmeunier.com/my-tabletop-games/doom/ Review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/11/28/doom-machine-digital-eyes/ Playthrough: https://youtu.be/mLj99rmV3Ng Kickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/nmeunier/doom-machine-a-pocket-sized-card-dice-solo-game BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/323898/doom-machine 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 it's always worth reminding yourself of what you have in your life. It gives you an opportunity to appreciate the people, connections, things and everything else around you. It's so easy to go through the day and take everything for granted. So, maybe this article is a bit of a fluff piece, but I still want to share with you what it is that I appreciate in my life and maybe it reminds you of what you have in yours - and if you're happy to, please share those things in the comments below.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/10/05/appreciate-it-topic-discussion/LinksSpielworxx: https://www.spielworxx.de/Good Owl Games: https://boardgameinquisition.com/Tabletop Inquisition: https://tabletopinquisition.com/YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/TabletopGamesBlogIntro 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/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

Our spaceship had safely landed on Mars and it didn't take too long to convert it into our base station. A few other corporations had done the same and we could just about see them in the distance. There was even an embassy station that was there to try and keep the peace. However, we were quite some way off thinking about politics. All of our energy was spent mining resources so we could build tunnels and other buildings to grow our settlement and increase our population. It would take a long time, but eventually, we would finish project Migration: Mars by Enhance Games.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/10/02/migration-mars-saturday-review/LinksMigration: Mars: https://migrationmars.com/BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/299191/migration-marsIntro 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/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

For many of us, me included, playing board games is about escaping from the day-to-day worries, thoughts and general dross and give us an hour or two, maybe more, to think about something else, to occupy ourselves and to have fun with friends, old and new, family or alone. We don't want to think about the horrors going on in the world. We don't want to worry about politics. That's fine and that's what board games can help us achieve. However, the hobby itself isn't apolitical and we do need to consider what games we play and why we play them.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/09/28/boardgame-politics-topic-discussion/LinksBrainwaves podcast: https://giantbrain.co.uk/podcast/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/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

Being halfway up the mountain, in bad weather, the time when we were still acclimatizing at base camp felt like an eternity ago. I knew that "Squiggle" was ahead of me and had erected their tent, but I had to save mine for nearer the top, where we needed the shelter more urgently. I could only imagine the relative comfort my fellow climber was in, while I was hunkered down behind a small collection of rocks to take the brunt of the storm. I kept thinking how dangerous it was, but I also kept reminding myself of the ultimate goal: reaching the summit of K2.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/09/25/k2-digital-eyes/LinksK2: https://www.rebelstudio.eu/games/k2-382.htmlRebel Studio: https://www.rebelstudio.eu/gamesK2 live playthrough: https://youtu.be/juPIe3vGoWkBGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/73761/k2Intro 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/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

Over the years, I've played many games where you produce and have to manage resources of one kind or another. These can range from traditional things such as coal and ore or wheat and sheep to money, gems, energy or similar. Different games represent resources differently, so in this article, I want to look at what you might come across when you play a resource management game.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/09/21/resourceful-components-topic-discussion/LinksSettlers of Catan: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/13/catanMigration: Mars: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/299191/migration-marsTapestry review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/11/09/tapestry-saturday-review/Splendor review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/07/25/splendor-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/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

The bazaar was busy. Traders were displaying their colourful wares on their rickety stalls, shouting into the crowd how they offered the best prices and the best quality. It was mesmerizing to watch, but I had to focus and make sure I found the goods I needed to exchange for rubies. If I could get five rubies before everyone else, then I would be the best trader in Istanbul: The Dice Game by Alderac Entertainment Group.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/09/18/istanbul-the-dice-game-saturday-review/LinksIstanbul: The Dice Game: https://www.alderac.com/istanbul-old/dice/Alderac Entertainment Group: https://www.alderac.com/BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/235488/istanbul-dice-gameIntro 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/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

Card drafting, and other forms of drafting, can be found in a large number of games and takes many different forms. In this article, I want to describe drafting in more detail and look at the benefits and disadvantages this board game mechanism offers.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/09/14/breezy-drafts-topic-discussion/LinksNear and Far: Amber Mines review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/09/21/near-and-far-amber-mines-saturday-review/Terraforming Mars review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/07/31/terraforming-mars-digital-eyes/Splendor review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/07/25/splendor-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/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

Being a city planner isn't easy. You need to balance out the needs of your citizens for green spaces, living accommodation as well as offices and industry. You also have to ensure the infrastructure allows everyone to get around easily, without taking over. With that in mind, we went ahead to collaborate on the design of Sprawlopolis by Button Shy.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/09/11/sprawlopolis-saturday-review/LinksSprawlopolis: https://buttonshygames.com/products/sprawlopolisButton Shy: https://buttonshygames.com/BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/251658/sprawlopolisHanging Gardens review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/05/25/the-hanging-gardens/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/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

Player interaction isn't for everyone. Some enjoy the confrontation in competitive games, the moments when they move their troops into another player's territory and battle commences, the epic card combos that deplete the other player's health or similar actions that directly attack another player. Yet, there are more forms of player interaction, and in this article, I want to look at what these are and how they work.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/09/07/attack-topic-discussion/LinksScythe review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/01/19/scythe/March on the Drina review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/08/21/march-on-the-drina-saturday-review/Fort review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/04/03/fort-saturday-review/Tapestry review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/11/09/tapestry-saturday-review/Pandemic review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/01/18/pandemic-saturday-review/Brass: Birmingham review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/10/03/brass-birmingham-saturday-review/Luzon Rails review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/06/05/luzon-rails-saturday-review/Rising Sun review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/10/26/rising-sun-saturday-review/The King is Dead review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/03/13/the-king-is-dead-2nd-edition-digital-eyes/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/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

Waves upon waves of attackers were lining up in front of me and behind me, two rows of three fighters each. I wasn't daunted by having to face 12 highly trained warriors at a time, because as a samurai I was more than able to defend myself. I wasn't even worried that every line of attackers would be replaced by another, creating a constant stream of enemies. The only thing that was on my mind was facing the bosses that would eventually appear at the end of each line - four in total. There was nothing for it. I had to give my all and fight for my honour, my Eiyo by ThunderGryph Games.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/09/04/eiyo-saturday-review/LinksEiyo: https://thundergryph.com/eiyo/Matchbox Collection game reviews: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/category/matchbox-collection/ThunderGryph Games: https://thundergryph.com/BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/299946/eiyoIntro 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/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

If you've been following me for a while, you'll know how much I like small box games. From wallet games to mini mint games to mint tin games to Oink-sized games to a deck of cards to any game that you can repackage into a smaller box and take with you anywhere. The other thing I like are games that are very quick to teach and learn and very quick to play, but still provide a lot of fun and excitement and many small box games provide exactly that. So in this article, I want to discuss why small and quick games are sometimes the better choice than big, heavy and long games.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/08/31/small-and-beautiful-topic-discussion/LinksMint Tin Mini Skullduggery review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/03/09/mint-tin-mini-skulduggery/subQuark: https://subquark.com/Button Shy: https://buttonshygames.com/Oink Games: https://oinkgames.com/en/Nathan Meunier: https://nathanmeunier.com/Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

We were going to fight it out head to head or rather golem to golem. Using our magic control grids, we would steer them around the arena and inflict damage on each other until one was mortally wounded. It was going to be a quick fight, but the battle would take longer. We would fight over many rounds to decide the victor in this Earthenwar by Lazy Poet Games.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/08/28/earthenwar-saturday-review/LinksEarthenwar: http://www.earthenwar.com/Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lazypoets/earthenwar/How to play video: https://youtu.be/_bKIblMAiZABGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/343396/earthenwarIntro 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/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

Many of us have taken to playing online when the pandemic started to take hold and moved regular games nights into the digital world. I have written about different online board game platforms and their pros and cons in previous articles and you can find out which games I personally play online, but this time I want to focus on so-called play-and-pass games, where you don't play a game with others at the same time, but everyone takes their turn when they have time and log off again. It's a bit like old-school postal games, but with a digital twist.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/08/24/play-and-pass-topic-discussion/LinksPlay with me online: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/online-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/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

March on the Drina by Princep Games is a war game set during World War I, or more specifically the Serbian campaign, where one player controls the Serbian forces, which are technically supported by Montenegro, but that country has no forces or financial power of its own, while 1 to 3 other players control the opposing side of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/08/21/march-on-the-drina-saturday-review/LinksMarch on the Drina: https://princepsgames.com/march-on-the-drina/Princeps Games: https://princepsgames.com/BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/298728/march-drinaIntro 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/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

As someone who has a slightly addictive character, collecting pretty much anything comes quite easy to me. "You never know when you might need it again," is what I tend to say. The same is true for board games, of course. "We might play this again at some point," is how I justify not letting a board game go that I haven't played in months. So, in this article, I want to talk about how I overcome my own excuses to keep my board game collection to a manageable size.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/08/17/paring-down-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/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

In the jungle, the mighty jungle, there is no lion, but a bunch of four, intrepid explorers trying to make their way through. The paths they cut into the vegetation will cross each other and wind their way almost aimlessly from the edge of the forest to finally emerge at four different temples and each explorer is trying to get to their specific temple. It's not clear why each explorer has their heart set on only one, specific destination, but that's how it goes in Karuba by HABA.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/08/14/karuba-digital-eyes/LinksKaruba: https://www.habausa.com/karuba-tile-laying-puzzle-game/HABA: https://www.habausa.com/BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/183251/karubaIntro 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/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

Good customer service is always welcome and nobody likes bad service. In fact, we're more likely to complain about bad service than we are to praise good service. In this article, I'm trying to redress the balance a little and talk about the good customer service I have come across in the board game hobby and give some extra praise to those companies who have gone above and beyond.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/08/10/above-and-beyond-topic-discussion/LinksRed Raven Games: https://www.redravengames.com/Spielworxx: https://www.spielworxx.de/subQuark: https://subquark.com/Atikin Games: https://atikingames.com/Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

The seasons had been disrupted, a clear indication that climate change was taking its toll. Animal migrations were affected and everything was out of sync. We had to do everything we could to restore order in the world and make everything right again. However, we only had 15 Days by ThunderGryph Games.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/08/07/15-days-matchbox-collection-saturday-review/Links15 Days: https://thundergryph.com/matchbox/#15daysThunderGryph Games: https://thundergryph.com/Other games from the Matchbox Collection: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/category/matchbox-collection/BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/298619/15-daysIntro 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/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

White, straight, cis men are everywhere - not just in board games. I'm one of them. My voice doesn't add anything new. My experiences may be unique to me, but they're probably not much different to those of every other white cis man. I may not be rich or live in luxury and I feel that I have put in the work to get to where I am in my life, but I have grown up with privilege - and that privilege has given me a headstart and opened up opportunities to me that others won't have had. However, this article isn't about me. It's about why we need more representation, more diversity and more voices from a wide range of backgrounds and it focuses on the board game community specifically.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/08/03/representation-matters-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/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

We were on Mars. Our colonization team had arrived. The mission of our corporation was to make this planet inhabitable and do so in the most economical and efficient way possible. There were many challenges ahead, but we had a great mix of engineers, researchers, technicians, managers and construction workers and everyone was fully committed to our goal. We were fully aware that this project would take us a number of generations and we were ready to begin Terraforming Mars by Stronghold Games.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/07/31/terraforming-mars-digital-eyes/LinksTerraforming Mars: https://strongholdgames.com/our-games/terraforming-mars/Stronghold Games: https://strongholdgames.com/Scythe review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/01/19/scythe/BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/167791/terraforming-marsIntro 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/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

If you have followed me for a while, you probably know that I like to have metal coins in games, instead of cardboard chits or paper money. Recently, I purchased the wonderful Iron Clays poker chips when I bought the deluxe edition of Brass: Birmingham and I must admit, I really like those as well. In this article, I want to talk about how board game components can change the enjoyment of a game - for better, or worse.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/07/27/feeling-it-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/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

We had reached the planet Earth. There were many of us who had been watching the people of Earth for a long time, sometimes interacting with humans, sometimes influencing events on the planet. We had come from different worlds, many light-years away, because we felt mankind was an interesting species and we wanted to help them become a great people. We just had to be careful, as we had been spotted, and it was time for another UFO Wave by Paradigm Games.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/07/24/ufo-wave-saturday-review/LinksUFO Wave: https://www.ufowavegame.com/Unboxing video: https://youtu.be/72mB3jHMQXkKickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/davehodrien/ufo-wave-the-tactical-card-game-of-alien-supremacyIntro 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/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

Playing a game for the first time is often quite an undertaking, unless the game is quite light. There is a lot to learn and take in and the first few turns can feel a bit awkward, because you don't really know what you're doing. You have a vague idea of what you're trying to achieve, but how you get there is usually unclear. In this article, I want to look at the expectations people often have of a first play.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/07/20/go-with-it-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/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

It was unheard of, but here they were: cats and dogs working as a team. They were busily scouring the village green for toys to take home or return to the Lost & Found. It was really hard to believe and when you looked closer, things weren't quite as peaceful as they seemed - and they were even stranger than you could imagine. The cats and dogs weren't all working together as one big pack or clowder. No. One cat and one dog were working together as a pair against all the other cat and dog teams. They had formed an Animal Alliance by Atikin GamesRead the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/07/17/animal-alliance-saturday-review/LinksKickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/atikingames/playful-pets-3-games-in-1Canine Capers review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/07/03/canine-capers-saturday-review/Feline Felonies review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/07/10/feline-felonies-saturday-review/Atikin Games: https://atikingames.com/BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/341756/animal-allianceIntro 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/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/

When you really enjoy something, when you have something that you get a lot out of, that makes you happy or otherwise has a positive impact on you, you probably want to share that joy with others. For me, board games are one of those things that I really love and want to share with others. It's something that has been shared with me, that one of my friends introduced me to and it's wonderful when I can spread this love even wider. In this article, I want to talk about how I have been able to introduce others to the wonderful hobby of board games.Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/07/13/spreading-the-love-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/tabletopgamesblogKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlogPayPal: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8hovaYouKDWebsite: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/