Tokyo Game Market Spring 2026 was the biggest convention yet! We tried to restrict our purchases this convention but as always we ended up with more than we expected. We hope you had a great time if you went, and you found some of these titles!
ゲームマーケット秋2026春
We are excited to be able to share this early first look at Eternal Sevens, the much anticipated follow-up to Eternal Decks. While the two games share art and setting, they differ significantly in terms of gameplay, with Eternal Sevens being a re-imagining of the classic family competitive shedding game Sevens. In this video we talk through how it works and our early impressions of the gameplay.
Note that Hiroken has mentioned that the EN/JP version of Eternal Sevens will be able to be ordered from Amazon Japan by the end of July 2026.
We are truly appreciative of Esper & the Tokyo Board Game Club for providing us with use of their studio so we could get this to you quickly!
Check them out at https://www.youtube.com/@tokyobgc
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 ❤🏳️🌈🇦🇺
It's time to go and find our next 6 months worth of amazing Asian games from Tokyo Game Market Spring 2026. We've gone deep into the rabbithole and once again we want to share our research into the games we're most excited about.
REMEMBER THOUGH - we haven't played any of these titles! And the rules are mostly in Japanese! So buy at your own risk but mostly, have a fantastic time finding some gems that speak to you and your gaming group.
Come say hi if you see us!
A&M x
Here's some helpful links below. Links to the official Game Market pages are below the timestamps and it is here you can find the links to reservation forms. But be warned these do close randomly, and it's easiest to use if you are able to translate the page from your browser!
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 ❤🏳️🌈🇦🇺
It's been tough to film lately - our beautiful dog Boston got suddenly very sick and after 3.5 weeks of fighting it was time for him to leave us. He made us laugh every single day for 11.5 years, and we miss his cheeky presence so incredibly much. But during this difficult time board games offered us fleeting moments of escapism, and we were able to get some games we've been wanting to try to the table with our friends who supported us greatly.
Wherever you're watching, give your furbabies an extra hug today.
Thank you for all of the beautiful messages you've sent,
A&M
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 ❤🏳️🌈🇦🇺
We love gems of the past as much as new hot titles - and we noticed some similarities between these two that we've been playing so much recently. They are brain burn-y trick-taking fun. We hope you enjoy this quick rundown of Stick 'Em and Chasing Shadows.
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro & Remember the 90s??
03:15 Stick 'Em
08:14 Chasing Shadows
14:51 Player Count & Occasions
15:35 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.
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We're BACK with another 10, out of 10 and this time we're pulling an old favourite off the shelf - one we've been wanting to get back to the table for ages, and one that's been sitting on the shelf of shame right in front of your eyes this whole series 👀 If you know, you know! Thank you for watching and for helping us reach a new milestone - 30,000 subscribers!!! Wow! A&M x
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 ❤🏳️🌈🇦🇺
Here's a title that's been sitting on our shelves for many years. Is it still worthy of the shelf space? Does it hold up to newer games in our collection? And importantly, does the new Industria expansion make it better?? We're excited to finally get this one back to the table...
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.
2026 has barely started and ~1000 new board games have been announced! We've read about the mechanics, looked at designers, absorbed the artwork and landed on our Top 10 Most Anticipated Board Games of 2026.
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. https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/450923/the-danes
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This video was meant to be our Top 10 Big Box / Euro board games of the year. But this year we couldn't quite get there, but it wasn't from a lack of trying! For some reason we didn't have as much luck in 2025 finding heavier games that resonated with us... BUT we did find 5 that we truly enjoyed and wanted to share with you. Plus, we talk through some brief thoughts on some newer titles that didn't make the list.
Timestamps:
00:00 Hype, FOMO & Only Five
03:33 Games that didn't make the list...1
05:17 Games that didn't make the list...2
08:06 Games that didn't make the list...3
11:19 Games that didn't make the list...4
15:17 Games that didn't make the list...5
18:58 Games that didn't make the list...6
21:21 Games that didn't make the list...7
24:16 Games we have yet to play
25:16 Amy & Maggie's 5
31:56 Amy & Maggie's 4
37:12 Amy's 3
42:08 Maggie's 2
45:38 Amy's 2
49:58 Maggie's 1
52:44 Amy's 1 & Maggie's 3
58:48 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.
Over time we've grown to highly value accessibility in board gaming - any game that helps a new person discover this wonderful hobby is a winner in our eyes. These ten were some of our most played games of the year... they don't take much to teach and get to the table, and they punch above their weight in delivering on FUN. We love them!
We hope you find some gems in this list! Thanks for watching and enjoy the holiday season! A&M
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. https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/407233/tenby
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This 6min video barely deserves timestamps, so I'm just going to leave the description as this - I love this new daily puzzle by Playte. It's giving mindfulness 2026.
We're back after a quick 1 week trip to Tokyo for Tokyo Game Market Autumn / Fall 2025. We were able to pick up every game on our most anticipated list, as well as close to 40 extras that were not on that list. 😅 Turns out that researching the games only makes you discover more that you want!
This is our fifth trip to Tokyo Game Market. Check out our other videos for more tips and tricks if you're visiting Japan for this amazing convention.
As always, let us know in the comments which games you're most intrigued about!
Timestamps
00:00 - Introduction (time in Japan)
00:47 - Arclight
01:33 - Gamers from everywhere!
02:28 - Most anticipated games of TGM
15:15 - Most anticipated games of Essen
17:23 - Planned purchases
36:37 - Impulse purchases
47:27 - Review copies / gifts
54:26 - More shopping in Tokyo
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 #ゲームマーケット秋2025 ❤🏳️🌈🇦🇺
We're headed back to Tokyo for Tokyo Game Market Autumn / Fall 2025 and for the first time we thought we'd share our research into the games that we're most anticipating. Remember though, we haven't played these titles and even worse, we're often relying on google translate to try to understand the rulebooks (if available!)
If you are headed to TGM have a fantastic con, and please say hi if you see us!
めっちゃわくわくする!
A&M x
Here's some helpful links below. Reservation forms are below the timestamps but these do close randomly, and it's easiest to use if you are able to translate the page from your browser!
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 ❤🏳️🌈🇦🇺
It's been a little while since our last 10 [comma] out of 10 - we've been recording more short-form content to make sure we can post more videos... but let's be honest, we're really long-winded people 😂 So now that we're up and running with board game shelving again in our new studio / games room, we're bringing it BACK!
Thank you for watching and Happy Tuesday, or Monday, wherever you are in the world! A&M x
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 ❤🏳️🌈🇦🇺
Cute animals on the front? Seems cosy.... WE WERE NOT PREPARED!!!!! From the race objectives to the complex programming of moves several steps in advance this is a very crunchy trip into the arctic. We love stumbling upon puzzles like this one, and we can't wait to tell you more about it....
Timestamps:
00:00 🎲 Introduction
00:53 🎨Theme
01:32 ⚙️Mechanics
05:15 ☁️How it Feels to Play
08:00 🎯What Surprised Us
10:39 🛠 What We'd Change
13:33 ✅ 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 Jisogi you'll take on the role of running an anime studio, and take on all of the challenges that come with it; saving enough money to pay wages, trying to stay on trend, hiring new talent and trying to get your merch generating income. This game from Tokyo Game Market (and about to hit Essen) was a delight to get to our table and one that people keep asking about...! We hope this gives you a sense of it!
Timestamps:
00:00 🎲 Introduction
00:50 🎨Theme
02:43 ⚙️Mechanics
04:21 ☁️How it Feels to Play
09:20 🎯What Surprised Us
13:30 🛠 What We'd Change
14:56 ✅ 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 ❤🏳️🌈🇦🇺
Woooow! We would need to bring extra suitcases if we were going to Essen Spiel 2025... there are SO many great choices that it was hard to settle on our top 10 (and only two crossovers!) These are the picks that we would be excited to line up and buy if we were there - but remember, we haven't played any of these so this is entirely speculation! If you're headed to the con have a fantastic time, and we hope to see you back there one day!
A&M
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.
#board games #tabletop games #thinkerthemer ❤🏳️🌈🇦🇺
Timestamps:
00:00 🎲 Introduction
00:15 🎨Theme
01:13 ⚙️Mechanics
02:56 ☁️How it Feels to Play
06:34 🎯What Surprised Us
08:29 🛠 What We'd Change
10:56 ✅ 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 ❤🏳️🌈🇦🇺
There were few games that we picked up at Tokyo Game Market that weren't trick-taking or shedding, but Overparked was one of them! It's been a long time since we've played a new polyomino tile laying game, will this one join our collection? Or yours? 😊
Timestamps:
00:00 🎲 Introduction
00:18 🎨Theme
00:38 ⚙️Mechanics
02:22 ☁️How it Feels to Play
04:12 🎯What Surprised Us
05:52 🛠 What We'd Change
07:59 ✅ 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 ❤🏳️🌈🇦🇺
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 ❤🏳️🌈🇦🇺