Join me for a very special stream with legendary designer Mark Herman, as he demos his latest design, Army of the Potomac: Campaigns of 1862 and 1864, the upcoming release in GMT Games’ Civil War Heritage series.
Following on from the acclaimed Rebel Fury, this volume brings players into the shoes of Union and Confederate commanders across some of the most pivotal battles of the Civil War, including the Seven Days, Spotsylvania II, North Anna River, and Cold Harbor. With streamlined setup, low counter density, and a clever Zone of Influence mechanic, Army of the Potomac delivers fast-playing scenarios that still capture the drama of division-level Civil War combat — from artillery duels to desperate multi-wave assaults.
Mark will walk us through the design, show how the system builds on Rebel Fury, and give us a taste of the operational and tactical decisions that shaped these campaigns. If you’re curious about what makes this new entry stand out, or just want to see a master at work, you won’t want to miss this session.
For five thousand years, people have gathered together to play games. Each of those games has something to teach us; not just about rules, mechanisms, and themes, but also about the business of games, publishing, and achieving lasting success.
Award-winning designer Adam Porter explores the 100 most influential tabletop games in history, from timeless classics like Chess, Go, and Mancala, through mass-market icons such as Monopoly, Connect 4, and The Game of Life, to modern strategy hits like Terraforming Mars, Gloomhaven, and Wingspan.
Each chapter examines a landmark title, uncovering the design choices behind its impact and the lessons today’s creators can draw from it. Whether you’re a designer, player, or student of game design, this book offers inspiration, insight, and actionable advice, derived from the games that shaped the hobby.
About the author
Adam Porter is an award winning game designer from the United Kingdom, known for making accessible games suitable for families, and for his popular YouTube channel Adam in Wales where Adam talks candidly about his experiences pitching and licensing games to publishers. Many new designers have looked to Adam for guidance when taking their first steps in the board game industry. Adam's published games include Pikoko, Doodle Rush, Kompromat, Qwuzzle, Zooligans, Thrown, Big Bazar, Happy Hoppers, Ballot Battle, and Zing-a-Zam.
Adam's four previous books are available from Amazon worldwide.
- Adam in Wales: Board Game Designer Journal
- Adam in Wales: Playtesting
- Adam in Wales: Product Design
- Adam in Wales: Getting Published as a Board Game Designer
If you would like to donate to Drive Thru Games, you can use the "Thanks" button under the video, or please check out the Gamefound Pledge Manager - https://tinyurl.com/2p8tbhpu
Intro (00:00);
My Retro Handheld Journey (03:35);
Donkey Kong 94 (17:34);
Metroid Games (20:13);
Actraiser (33:17);
Dragon Quest Games (39:10);
Trails to Azure (43:29);
Some Musings (48:03);
Cosmic horror, pocket-sized. In Lovecraft Letter, you’ll draw 1, play 1, and decide whether to stay sane for steady powers or go insane for wild effects—and risk elimination. Quick turn demo shows how sanity vs. insanity changes your choices.
#boardgames #review #emberleaf If you'd like to support thoughtful and responsible board game media, consider donating to us on https://patreon.com/nopunincluded
Our board game podcast is called Talk Cardboard which you can find on your podcast devices or our website https://nopunincluded.com
We couldn't get our hands on this title in 2024, but we were finally able to get it to the table - over, and over, and over again. This one surprised us both, and might just be the Red Raven game that unites us....
Timestamps:
00:00 🎲 Introduction
00:15 🎨Theme
00:58 ⚙️Mechanics
02:04 ☁️How it Feels to Play
06:52 🎯What Surprised Us
09:45 🛠 What We'd Change
12:57 ✅ Is it Shelfworthy?
Thanks for stopping by! We're Amy & Maggie aka ThinkerThemer. We're an Australian couple with two very different perspectives of what makes a great board game - Amy (Thinker) is all about the mechanics and enjoys tight, competitive games, and Maggie (Themer) is all about the storytelling and the theme of the game, and the 'world' that the designer is trying to create. Subscribe to our channel to hear us talk about these two elements of a game, and how well integrated we feel these are in delivering a cohesive and wonderful game experience.
#boardgames #tabletopgames #thinkerthemer ❤🏳️🌈🇦🇺
In this video I compare side-by-slide, with commentary, two editions of the classic Dominique Ehrhard game Condottiere: The Eurogames/Descartes edition from the late 90s or early 00s (not sure exactly) and the most recent edition, Z-Man from 2018.
There are a number of editions floating around, and probably the most common one to find used in English is the 2007 edition from Fantasy Flight. I'd strongly suggest avoiding that as it changed the rules. The rules of Z-Man are also changed, but at least it comes with a way to play the classic way out of the box.
Board Gems highlights older board and card games that are still great games today, and deserve to not be forgotten!
We LOVE Tokyo Game Market and the Spring 2025 (May) convention was as spectacular as always. It felt as though the hit rate was really high this year - it was a joy playing through the 50+ games we bought (even though it took us a very long time hehe). This video showcases our top 10, which are all wonderful games. We hope you enjoy this list. A&M xo
Timestamps
00:00 Introduction
01:05 Number 10
02:58 Number 9
05:40 Number 8
09:25 Number 7
12:30 Number 6
14:54 Number 5
18:01 Number 4
21:09 Number 3
24:48 Number 2
28:49 Number 1
33:07 Games we thought would make our top 10 but didn't...
35:03 Quirkiest games
38:46 Wrap up
Thanks for stopping by! We're Amy & Maggie aka ThinkerThemer. We're an Australian couple with two very different perspectives of what makes a great board game - Amy (Thinker) is all about the mechanics and enjoys tight, competitive games, and Maggie (Themer) is all about the storytelling and the theme of the game, and the 'world' that the designer is trying to create. Subscribe to our channel to hear us talk about these two elements of a game, and how well integrated we feel these are in delivering a cohesive and wonderful game experience.
#boardgames #tabletopgames #thinkerthemer #ゲームマーケット春2025 #東京ゲームマーケット #ゲームマーケット ❤🏳️🌈🇦🇺
Join me for an exciting hybrid stream where I sit down with designer Wolfgang Klein to talk about Assault Sicily ’43: Gela Beachhead, and then jump straight into a fast-paced demo of the game!
Set during the 1943 Allied landings at Gela, this tactical wargame puts you in charge of combined arms across 40 gripping scenarios—ranging from isolated beach assaults to a sprawling dynamic campaign. With modular geomorphic maps, a unique formation–card driven system, and a bespoke dice mechanic, every battle unfolds with high tension, deep decision-making, and cinematic flair.
We’ll explore the game’s design principles, its storytelling ambitions, and then showcase how the systems work in practice— from landing waves to firing squad engagements. Whether you're new to tactical ops or a seasoned grognard hunting for jewel-like gameplay, don’t miss this revealing and action-packed session.
If you would like to donate to Drive Thru Games, you can use the "Thanks" button under the video, or please check out the Gamefound Pledge Manager - https://tinyurl.com/2p8tbhpu
Intro (00:00);
game overview (01:47);
final thoughts and review (11:06);
This time last year I went to a friend's cottage, and recorded one of three mailbag episodes. This year, as I prepared to visit that same cottage again, I realised that I never finished answering all the questions I received! So, here they are: The last Q&A of 2024. Only eight-plus months late. 😔
00:00 Intro ▶️
00:53 Most intriguing gem? 🤔
02:45 Most wanted but hard to find gem? 🔎
05:22 What designer deserves more recognition? 📣
08:06 What designer you wish still made games? 🔚
10:56 Games from only one designer for rest of life? 🧓
12:15 Most want to see on virtualtabletop.io? 🛜
15:55 Heavy game? Small-box game? Unexpectedly good game? 🧑🧑🧒🧒
Board Gems highlights older board and card games that are still great games today, and deserve to not be forgotten!
At PunchedCon earlier this year, Pierre Vagneur-Jones and I sat down with Mark Benson and Alan Hardy for an After Action Report of an epic Commands & Colors: Napoleonics Grande Battles game. A fully customised game on the battle of Waterloo, complete with hand-built terrain and beautifully upgraded components!
Mark and Alan share how they created this incredible setup, why they tour UK conventions with it, and how it’s helping to bring new players into the world of wargaming. We also recount the key moments of our battle, from daring cavalry charges to the final desperate stands.
Timestamps:
00:00 🎲 Introduction
00:26 🎨Theme
01:06 ⚙️Mechanics
02:17 ☁️How it Feels to Play
08:07 🎯What Surprised Us
08:37 🛠 What We'd Change
11:53 ✅ Is it Shelfworthy?
Thanks for stopping by! We're Amy & Maggie aka ThinkerThemer. We're an Australian couple with two very different perspectives of what makes a great board game - Amy (Thinker) is all about the mechanics and enjoys tight, competitive games, and Maggie (Themer) is all about the storytelling and the theme of the game, and the 'world' that the designer is trying to create. Subscribe to our channel to hear us talk about these two elements of a game, and how well integrated we feel these are in delivering a cohesive and wonderful game experience.
#boardgames #tabletopgames #thinkerthemer ❤🏳️🌈🇦🇺
If you would like to donate to Drive Thru Games, you can use the "Thanks" button under the video, or please check out the Gamefound Pledge Manager - https://tinyurl.com/2p8tbhpu
Intro (00:00);
game overview (01:55);
final thoughts and review (23:19);
Timestamps:
00:00 🎲 Introduction
00:35 🎨Theme
01:00 ⚙️Mechanics
03:26 ☁️How it Feels to Play
09:45 🎯What Surprised Us
11:57 🛠 What We'd Change
14:30 ✅ Is it Shelfworthy?
Thanks for stopping by! We're Amy & Maggie aka ThinkerThemer. We're an Australian couple with two very different perspectives of what makes a great board game - Amy (Thinker) is all about the mechanics and enjoys tight, competitive games, and Maggie (Themer) is all about the storytelling and the theme of the game, and the 'world' that the designer is trying to create. Subscribe to our channel to hear us talk about these two elements of a game, and how well integrated we feel these are in delivering a cohesive and wonderful game experience.
#boardgames #tabletopgames #thinkerthemer ❤🏳️🌈🇦🇺
In Patrician, by Michael Schacht, players play cards to place tower pieces, hoping to have the most and highest pieces in the tallest towers. Where they play determines what card they get next, leading to a do-this-to-get-that-to-play-there kind of process. A game in which planning in advance, but not too far in advance, is necessary. Easy to learn and play, with quick turns and a nice flow.
Patrician first appeared from Amigo in 2007 — an OG-style game released a bit outside the OG era. Calliope re-released it in 2024 with some QOL improvements and a smaller box, at a very reasonable price.
00:00 Intro ▶️
03:32 How to Play 🎲
10:32 Is It a Gem? 💎
Board Gems highlights older board and card games that are still great games today, and deserve to not be forgotten!
0:00 Introduction
0:30 What's the point of making more games?
7:04 Is playing existing games helpful?
11:49 Should first time designers design the game they like to play?
16:47 Re-pitching rejected board games
19:13 Fun is all that matters in playtesting
21:59 Deckbuilders stole their name from TCGs
TT meets TT in this review! We take a look at the new title from a new publisher, to see if it earns it's 'thinky' label underneath all of that cuteness... will it make it to our shelf?
Timestamps:
00:00 🎲 Introduction
00:36 🎨Theme
01:14 ⚙️Mechanics
02:14 ☁️How it Feels to Play
06:11 🎯What Surprised Us
08:00 🛠 What We'd Change
09:27 ✅ Is it Shelfworthy?
Thanks for stopping by! We're Amy & Maggie aka ThinkerThemer. We're an Australian couple with two very different perspectives of what makes a great board game - Amy (Thinker) is all about the mechanics and enjoys tight, competitive games, and Maggie (Themer) is all about the storytelling and the theme of the game, and the 'world' that the designer is trying to create. Subscribe to our channel to hear us talk about these two elements of a game, and how well integrated we feel these are in delivering a cohesive and wonderful game experience.
#boardgames #tabletopgames #thinkerthemer ❤🏳️🌈🇦🇺
If you would like to donate to Drive Thru Games, you can use the "Thanks" button under the video, or please check out the Gamefound Pledge Manager - https://tinyurl.com/2p8tbhpu
Intro (00:00);
game overview (06:09);
final thoughts and review (35:43);
Playtesting is the heart of game design. Ideas flow thick and fast for many designers, but it is only by getting them on the table in front of players that we see what we have created.
Playtesting is the process by which designers turn ideas into experiences.
This book describes:
- The purpose of playtesting
- Types of playtests
- Protecting your idea
- How many playtests are necessary
- Documenting playtests
- Forms of playtester feedback
... and then goes on to describe 100 questions you should ask during the playtesting process, with a detailed rationale for each of them.
About the author
Adam Porter is an award winning game designer from the United Kingdom, known for making accessible games suitable for families, and for his popular YouTube channel Adam in Wales where Adam talks candidly about his experiences pitching and licensing games to publishers. Many new designers have looked to Adam for guidance when taking their first steps in the board game industry. Adam's published games include Pikoko, Doodle Rush, Kompromat, Qwuzzle, Zooligans, Thrown, Big Bazar, Happy Hoppers, Ballot Battle, and Zing-a-Zam.
Adam's previous book 'Adam in Wales: Board Game Designer Journal' is available as a physical book from Amazon worldwide, or as a download from DriveThruRPG.com
Anmelden
