Steve 
Let’s be honest, Monopoly is a dreadful game. And yet, for reasons beyond comprehension, it continues to be dragged out at family gatherings, causing arguments, frustration, and that one smug player who somehow ends up with all the properties. Thankfully we’ve not played it in years but it’s still eponymous when someone asks “What, LIke … Read more
A Guide for Bird-Loving Board Gamers Right, let’s talk Wingspan. It’s the engine-building bird game that took over the world, and probably a shelf near you. I first played Wingspan at a Sheffield Libraries board game night. I had no idea what it was, and I came away wanting to own it by the end … Read more
The tile-laying classic where the landscape is different every single game Carcassonne is a tile-laying game for 2 to 5 players in 35 to 45 minutes. Each turn you draw a tile and place it to extend the medieval landscape, then optionally place a meeple on a road, city, monastery, or farm to claim it. … Read more
The most strategic game in the Azul serie, and the one that needs the most explanation before you can enjoy it What Is Azul: Queen’s Garden? Azul: Queen’s Garden is the Azul series at its most complex. If the original Azul is a satisfying afternoon puzzle, Queen’s Garden is what happens when designer Michael Kiesling … Read more
The Fast-Paced Trading Game You’ll Love Jaipur is the game I reach for when there are two of us and we want something sharp and fast. It plays in around 30 minutes, teaches in five, and produces the kind of tense moments where you watch your opponent carefully and still cannot tell if they are … Read more
Harmonies is a game I was introduced to at UK Games Expo last year and I have been a big fan ever since. It is the kind of game that looks like a gentle puzzle and turns out to have more interesting decisions than you expected. The kind of game you finish and immediately want … Read more
The dice-placement Euro that looks approachable and quietly becomes one of the most satisfying strategy games you own Castles of Burgundy is one of those games that has quietly earned its place in the top ten of most respected board game lists for over a decade. It does not shout. It does not have dramatic … Read more
Pandemic is the game that introduced many people, including me, to cooperative board games. The premise is simple: you and your team are disease control specialists trying to stop four contagions from spreading across the world before you can find cures. Everything is working against you. Most games end in defeat. It is absolutely wonderful. … Read more
The word game where giving a clue your team understands is only half the problem What Is Decrypto? Decrypto is the Decrypto board game review I keep coming back to when someone asks which word game to play with a group who already knows Codenames. It is the same broad category: two teams, clue-giving, deduction. … Read more
For when three isn’t a crowd. The Three Player Problem Two player gaming has had a golden decade. Designers have leaned into the format and produced some of the best games in the hobby specifically for two people. Five player gaming is well served too: most modern euro games scale to five, and party games … Read more
