April 2026 Games I played for the first time this month, from worst to best, along with my ratings and comments. ­­ Barcelona – 7/10 ­Barcelona is the third Dani Garcia game I’ve played. My first was Arborea, which is well-loved … Continue reading →

    DC Breakout Arkham Asylum  Designers: Brian, Sydney and Geoff Engelstein  Publisher: Wizkids Players: 2-6 Age: 8+ Time: 30-45 minutes Amazon affiliate link:  Played with review copy provided by publisher Make a mad dash out of Arkham Asylum – … Continue reading →

    Gretchen’s Garden Designer: Jay Bendixen, Ryan Boucher Publisher: Lookout Games Players: 2-4 Age: 10+ Time: 45 minutes Amazon affiliate link:  Played with review copy provided by publisher In Gretchen’s Garden, players compete in selecting the most precious succulents … Continue reading →

In 20 Strong Tanglewoods, one takes on the role of their favorite fairytale protagonist in this solo dice-rolling game of adventure. Gamers looking for a card-based, solo, lightweight dungeon crawling experience should check it out. 20 Strong is a series … Continue reading →

    Carcassone Big Box Designer: Klaus-Jürgen Wrede Publisher: Hans im Glueck, Z-Man Players: 2-6 Age: 10+ Time: 35 min + Amazon affiliate link: https://amzn.to/41u2FXV Played with review copy provided by publisher THE ULTIMATE CARCASSONNE EXPERIENCE: The Carcassonne Big Box … Continue reading →

    Well, in recent years, the genre of the Tableau Builder has been one of more popular ones. Two big hits of the past few years Faraway (2023) and Castle Combo (2024) have each recently had an expansion.  Each … Continue reading →

So, each year (well, nearly each year) since 2000, I have been able to attend the Gathering of Friends – an invitational event which is unlike any other that I go to.  The Friends all meet at a hotel, and … Continue reading →

    Flip 7 with a Vengeance Designers: Eric Olsen and Alyssa Swatek Publisher: The Op  Players: 3+ Age: 8+ Time: 20 minutes Amazon affiliate link: https://amzn.to/4vaZLFd Played with review copy provided by publisher Flip 7 is back – With … Continue reading →

    Cucumber Catastrophe Designer: Michael Feldkoetter Publisher: dv Games Players: 3-6 Age: 8+ Time: 20 mins Played with review copy provided by publisher Players compete over four hands of ten rounds each. A round is a trick where all … Continue reading →

    Frosted Blooms Designer: Bruno Cathala, Ludovic Maublanc Publisher: Synapses Games Players: 1-4 Age: 8+ Time: 25-40 mins Amazon affiliate link: https://amzn.to/4rPnrfm Played with review copy provided by publisher Welcome to Frosted Blooms – In the soft dawn of … Continue reading →

    Tembo Designers: Dan Halstad, Daniel Skjold Pedersen, Mads Floe, Asger Harding Granerud  Publisher: The Op Games / Sidekick Games Players: 1-4 Age: 10+ Time: 30-45 minutes Amazon affiliate link: https://amzn.to/4s8Pzet Played with review copy provided by publisher TEMBO … Continue reading →

Well, the 2026 game awards season has finally begun. The American Tabletop Awards have been around since 2019 and they feature an interesting division of games into four categories. The winner in the Complex category is Molly House, designed by … Continue reading →

    All In: Predictions Designer: Phil Walker-Harding Publisher: Next Move Players: 2-5 Age: 10+ Time: 30 minutes Amazon affiliate link: https://amzn.to/4t6Vu3R Played with review copy provided by publisher In All In: Predictions, players become gifted foretellers vying to shape … Continue reading →

  Yotei Designer: Huy Pham Publisher: Mighty Boards Players: 2-4 Age: 8+ Time: 30-60 minutes Kickstarter link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mightyboards/yotei  Played with review copy provided by publisher Create the most charming town at the foot of Mt Yotei, also known as Ezo … Continue reading →

Well, I guess it’s that time of year again.  I’ve been writing Designer of the Year (DotY) articles for over 20 years, but for those of you who are new to the series (or who suffer from temporary amnesia), let … Continue reading →

    Castle Nightingale Designers: Bruno Cathala, Eliette Fraile, Jeremy Fraile  Publisher: Sand Castle Games Players: 2 Age: 10+ Time: 20-30 minutes Amazon affiliate link: https://amzn.to/4aUdBDB Played with review copy provided by publisher Castle Nightingale looms out of the night, … Continue reading →

March 2026 Games I played for the first time this month, from worst to best, along with my ratings and comments.­ ­ Paint the Roses – 5/10­ Paint the Roses is a co-operative deduction game with a light Alice in … Continue reading →

I sat here at my computer for a long time, trying to come up with a creative name for this review. I mulled over pop culture references (“SETI: The Truth Is Out There” and “You Can’t Spell SETI Without E.T.”) … Continue reading →

    Fortunes of Scoundrel Bay Designers: Eilif Svensson, Asmund Svensson, Vergard Eliassen Stillerud Publisher: Chilifox Players: 1-4 Age: 14+ Time: 90-120 min Played with review copy provided by publisher You have finally reached the archipelago of Scoundrel Bay! Here, … Continue reading →

    EXIT: Venice Conspiracy Designers: Inka and Markus Brand Publisher: Kosmos Players: 1-4 Age: 12+ Time: 1-2 hours Amazon affiliate link: https://amzn.to/4809sft The EXIT series was one of the original puzzle-game franchises to hit the market when the escape … Continue reading →