This game provides a calm and thoughtful challenge, encouraging players to carefully consider each move as they cultivate their bonsai garden. It’s a tile-placement game about growing a bonsai tree that turns out to be the most satisfying 35 minutes in my collection. I am a sucker for a pretty game. I will admit that … Read more
Yeah i went there… I like Puns. I discovered Splendor on Board Game Arena and played it more times than I am prepared to admit. It sits alongside Azul as one of my most-played digital games, and for good reason: it is brilliantly simple to pick up and just deep enough to keep you thinking. … Read more
There’s something deeply satisfying about a board game that’s quick to learn, deceptively strategic, and packed with opportunities to outwit your opponents. Hey, That’s My Fish! ticks all those boxes. It might look light-hearted with its cartoonish penguins and brightly coloured ice floes, but don’t let that fool you—this game is all about calculated moves … 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
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
I first saw SETI: Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence in the flesh at UK Games Expo 2024, and it immediately caught my eye. This was before it had been widely released, and the setup alone stopped me in my tracks. A rotating board representing the night sky. Antenna tokens being placed to scan sectors of space. … Read more
The Game That Started the Modern Board Game Revolution Catan is the board game that introduced millions of people to modern gaming. It is the game that proved to the world that board games could be genuinely interesting, social, and worth playing again and again. I was one of those people. My first game of … Read more
A Fresh Take on a Modern Classic Azul: Summer Pavilion is the third standalone game in the Azul series, and the one I would call the most forgiving. That is not a criticism. Sometimes forgiving is exactly what you want. The original Azul can be ruthless. Take too many tiles you cannot place and the … Read more
Terraforming Mars is the game I recommend to people who loved Wingspan and want to know what comes next. It is bigger, heavier, and asks more of you. The components are famously uninspiring compared to prettier games at similar prices. I’m known to be a sucker for a pretty game and even so, it is … Read more
A Stunning Sequel with a Strategic Twist Azul is one of my favourite games, so when Stained Glass of Sintra arrived I was both excited and slightly nervous. Sequels to beloved games have a habit of fixing things that did not need fixing, or adding complexity for its own sake. This one does neither. Azul: … Read more
