UK Games Expo One Day Visitor Guide

Uk-Games-Expo-One-Day-Visitor-Guide

Only got one day at UK Games Expo? Here is how to plan it, which day to pick, and how to make sure you see and do what matters most. Not everyone can make the full weekend. Work, family, travel costs, or just how the calendar falls. If you are heading to UK Games Expo … Read more

UK Games Expo Packing List

Games-Expo-Packing-List

Things Experienced UK Games Expo Attendees Always Bring Nobody tells you the first time. You turn up to UK Games Expo full of enthusiasm, wearing slightly-too-new shoes, no snacks, and a phone on 40% battery. By 2pm you are sitting on the floor near a plug socket, regretting every decision you have made. The second … Read more

Root Review

Root Board Game

A Forest at War with Itself The Short Version – Tl;Dr Root is the most ambitious board game on my shelf, and also the one most likely to cause someone to quietly fold their arms and say ‘actually, I don’t think this is for me.’ It puts 2–4 players in control of rival factions fighting … Read more

The Best Cat Themed Board Games

We own a cat. Her name is not relevant to this post but she has sat on Wingspan cards, knocked over a Catan water hex, and once ate a Codenames word card so thoroughly we had to write the replacement in biro. So when someone brings a cat-themed game to the table, there is at … Read more

Brass Birmingham Review

Brass-Birmingham

The industrial revolution, reconstructed in card and wooden disc form. Brass: Birmingham is the kind of game that takes about ninety minutes to teach someone properly and then about three years to fully understand. It is a two-phase economic network builder set in 18th and 19th century Birmingham, where you are building industries, connecting cities, … Read more

Is Wingspan Good for Two Players?

Is-Wingspan-good-for-2-players

Yes, Wingspan is good for two players. The game works at this count and both players can have a satisfying session. It plays faster than at higher counts, the engine-building is just as rewarding, but there is less competition for food and eggs. It is not the best player count, but it is a solid … Read more

Low pressure worker placement games for social nights

Not every game night calls for intensity. Some evenings, the game is the frame rather than the point. There is food on the table, someone is mid-story, drinks are being refreshed, and the room has a particular relaxed energy that you want to keep rather than interrupt. Bringing out a game that punishes distraction or … Read more

How to Teach a Board Game Without Losing Your Table

The difference between a great session and people checking their phones by turn three Why Teaching Is the Game Before the Game The moment a rules explanation goes wrong, the session is usually over before it started. People check out during a poor teach and spend the first thirty minutes of play confused and frustrated … Read more

Tacta Review

Tacta Review

Some games arrive quietly, sit on a shelf for a while, then suddenly reappear with confidence. Tacta is one of those. Originally designed by Jason Tremblay and first published by The Op Games, it drifted past a lot of players the first time around. Then a fresh edition landed via Osprey Games, backed by a … Read more