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Tabletop
Miyabi sees you building tall, Japanese gardens
When it comes to games that have you building upwards or across a large area, the strategy behind stacking tiles and building up is one to be watched across all players. Miyabi is no exception to this, as a two to four player tile placement…
Mandala is the most complicated simple game you’ll ever play — but it’s worth it
My review for Mandala was originally taken on alongside a number of other two-player games, with the intention of including it in a piece about games that cater specifically for couples. Somehow, though, the suffocatingly thematic language…
Lost Ruins of Arnak takes tomb raiding to a more cerebral level
When I think of movies like Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom or The Mummy, I tend to be drawn towards the swashbuckling elements of those movies, and the protracted and exciting action scenes. The fantastical archaeological and…
7 Wonders Duel is the essential two player hobby game
Whilst I admit that I’ve been something of an evangelist towards two-player board games recently, I couldn’t help but feel disappointed that the new 7 Wonders: Second Edition strips out all two-player variants entirely. That is only…
Baron Voodoo casts an interesting spell, but it may leave you a little disorientated!
If times were different and board-games were being played as normal — between a mixture of players who do and don’t know each other, often in dedicated cafes or spaces in public areas — then Baron Voodoo is the kind of game that would make…
Talisman: Batman — When the Inmates run the Asylum
The Batman mythos has evolved over the years since its inception and the strength of the characters; both good and evil; adds additional weight and focus to an already interesting premise.
The Lost Ones — Beautiful art and rich atmosphere can’t hide mechanical shortcomings
From designer Gordon Alford and Greenbrier Games, The Lost Ones is a solo or co-operative narrative adventure game. Taking on the role of youngsters taken from their homes and cast adrift in a beautiful but strange world, players must work…
Hocus Pocus is spooky cooperative card chaos
A simple premise on paper, turns may only last 10-20 seconds but rounds can last anywhere from 5 minutes to 20 minutes depending on the deck shuffle and the spell types in play.
When it comes to big experiences, Kahuna’s small box is solid but a little lacking
Continuing our recent run of two player only games, Kahuna is a small box standalone game from publisher Kosmos and designer Gunter Cornett, in which the players act as deities vying for dominion of an archipelago in the South Pacific.…
Man and beast meet with deadly consequences in Matagot’s Raptor
I could think of more loveable heroine’s than the Velociraptor, yet there’s something about Bruno Cathala and Bruno Faidutti’s Raptor that invokes a primal instinct to protect, and leaves the players in no doubt about who the bad guys are.…
Slimy Joe is a board game full of slime!
Slimy Joe is a tabletop game that involves slime, meaning that it's designed with younger children and families alike. It’s perfect for four years old and older, two to four players, and each game will last around ten minutes. This means…
Sketchy Tales: Disney Edition — Chinese Whispers
Given the recognisable characters from the Disney back catalogue it’s easy to see why Big Potato included them in a customized edition of Sketchy Tales.
Lost Cities converts the Golden Age of exploration into a head to head duel
Since the second quarter of 2020, I’ve been playing more and more games with just two players — primarily with my wife and one of our children. Whilst many games work with two players, relatively few multiplayer games scale down well, and…
Fat Stacks can make some delicious sounding pancakes!
I make pancakes every single month. Sometimes, we add berries, sometimes we add sprinkles, sometimes chocolate… In Fat Stacks, you hope to add those yummy toppings while your “friends” add burnt pancakes, bugs, raw meat, and more to your…
Frozen Unicorns is a Charming Idea, but it isn’t much of a game…
When it comes to choosing board and card games, I’m always on the lookout for options that might appeal to me, my wife and our kids equally. This is a heck of a challenge, and so far only the likes of Jurassic Snack and Zoo Run have managed…
The Pursuit of Happiness is a gloriously thematic worker placement game
As our lives become more and more complicated, we often seek simpler, more straightforward pleasures — things like drawing with our children, or taking a walk with friends. In a related parallel, I seek release from playing board games, and…
Bellum Sacrum is a symmetrical card game with Godlike replay value
As modern board games become more and more popular, the temptation to use increasingly bigger boxes with more and more elaborate components is more than some publishers can resist. For design Anthony Gibbins and his company (Bow String…
Patchwork is a fast, tight, 2-player game of Tetris for your tabletop or your phone
In these uncertain times, when the next lockdown could be imposed at any moment, it makes sense to keep a stock of games that really work at low player counts — and for most households, that means two players. Patchwork, from legendary…
Creator Interview: Sunil & Zoeya — I Built It
Discover the architectural wonders of I Built It with an interview of its founders, Sunil & Zoeya — and learn more about their highly successful Kickstarter project!
Kingdom Rush: Rift in Time is a huge box of Tower-Defense Tricks!
Lucky Duck Games is rapidly becoming one of the most talked about board game publishers of the current gaming era. This is no small thanks to securing the rights to convert huge properties like Jetpack Joyride and Kingdom Rush into board…