This week at The Thoughtful Gamer we’re celebrating what I would say is unequivocally a modern classic in board gaming–Dominion. Below is my review of the game. Tomorrow we’ll have mini-reviews of each individual expansion. Wednesday we have a massive … Continued
I’ve been learning and playing a lot of new games recently, but none of them have made the impression that Concordia has after only one play. It’s been a few days and I’m still thinking about strategic possibilities and how … Continued
I have this theory, supported by some evidence, that game designers have to harbor a bit of cruelty for the participants in their games in order to make great games. We see this with Uwe Rosenberg, who built a punishing … Continued
The worst part of being a critic is reviewing derivative, mediocre works. It’s a strange problem that often causes division between the critic and their audience. Why? Well, audiences often like mediocre, derivative things if they’re similar to what they … Continued
Ben Franklin said, apocryphally, that “beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy”. As much as I enjoy beer, I think dogs might be the ultimate proof. What other creature is so boundlessly happy, loyal, … Continued
Co-op games have become very popular in the modern boardgaming hobby. Pandemic in particular was a huge success and has contributed to the growing popularity of boardgaming generally. The problem with co-op games is that they’re almost always essentially solo … Continued
I just realized the main irony of Friday. It would be a great game to have with you if you were stuck on a desert island. It’s portable, a solo game, challenging, and replayable. Plus it’s about being stuck on … Continued
The name Seikatsu confuses me. The rulebook says that it is a Japanese word meaning “life”, but all of my life I have associated “katsu” with deliciously breaded and fried cutlets. I mean, if there’s anything more life-affirming than fried … Continued
It’s the kind of thing where you play it, and then wonder why no one had thought of it before. Quantum, above all else, is novel and elegant in its main conceit–essentially using dice for every task. Your dice act … Continued
I don’t think I’ll create any controversy by saying that the War on Terror is, and has been, a mess. A war of intelligence gathering and ideology as much as it is about traditional combat, we’ve seen it stretch to … Continued