The Brilliant Abstract Strategy Game You Need to Try Hive is one of those games that looks deceptively simple until someone pins your Queen Bee and you suddenly realise you have been outmanoeuvred for the past four turns. It is a two-player abstract strategy game with no board and no luck. Just you, your opponent, … Read more
A Tile-Laying Board Game for All Ages – The Perfect Gateway Game? Kingdomino is one of those games that earns its place on the shelf by doing one thing brilliantly: getting people playing within five minutes. It is fast, approachable, and more tactical than it first appears. Designed by Bruno Cathala and published by Blue … Read more
Carcassonne is one of those games that seems simple at first but quickly reveals a depth that keeps players coming back. Whether you’re a seasoned board game enthusiast or just dipping your toes into the world of tabletop gaming, Carcassonne is a fantastic choice. Carcasonne was one of the first game si bought when i … Read more
A Deep Dive into the Most Strategic Azul Yet Azul: Queen’s Garden takes the beloved tile-laying game in an entirely new direction. If you thought the original Azul or Summer Pavilion offered enough strategic depth, think again. This version dials everything up, from the tile placement challenges to the way you draft and pay for … 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
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 art or big plastic miniatures. It is a patient, deeply satisfying dice placement and tile-laying game that rewards … Read more
Takenoko is the game I pull out when I want something with a strong table presence that I can explain in ten minutes. It is genuinely beautiful, the panda miniature makes everyone smile, and the bamboo stacking mechanic is one of those small physical pleasures that makes people want to play again just to do … Read more
Tsuro is one of those games you can explain in thirty seconds and play for years. On your turn, you place a tile, follow the path it creates, and try not to fall off the edge of the board. That is genuinely it. And yet, at a table of six, it produces some of the … 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
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
