Reviews

I don’t know what Carl Chudyk looks like, but I picture him in mad scientist garb, cackling over card templates as he conjures up his latest game. He’s a designer who definitely has a style, and that style is dense … Continued

Just look at the box cover of Big Dig and you’ll see why I jumped on a chance to review it. That woman is so excited she’s running recklessly with a pickax. No one’s ever been that happy in a … Continued

Escape rooms are a humorous signal of prosperity. Who knew that a fad would emerge where people pay $30 each to voluntarily trap themselves in a room for an hour, simulating some kind of fantasy escape scenario? Ignoring the simulated … Continued

Antinomy is on Kickstarter for just a couple more days! It’s fitting that Antinomy grants first player privileges to the person who has most recently experienced Deja Vu, because I feel like I just played this game. Button Shy kickstarted … Continued

Look, people. I know I come across as this paragon of Aristotelian temperance, but when three people I trust tell me that a particular game might be the best 2 player game ever made, I slap that game in my … Continued

Fry Thief is on Kickstarter until 2/24. Check it out! I have never seen a game with a more relatable theme. You’re at dinner and your partner has ordered a burger and fries. In a moment of health-consciousness you got a salad. Now you’re done with your leaves and … Continued

A version of this review first appeared at Love Thy Nerd. Check it out! The cover of Pioneer Days depicts a colorful cast of eclectic characters smiling in the sun and looking like they’re having a splendid time in the great outdoors. I had the pleasure of learning quite a bit about the … Continued

As abstract game month here at The Thoughtful Gamer spills into February for a bit, I have to admit that I’ve fallen more and more in love with the abstract game aesthetic. I enjoyed it before–particularly the black and white … Continued

Drop It, the silly abstract dropping-things dexterity game from Kosmos, is part of that eclectic board game sub-genre where the title of the game is also a command. It joins games as diverse as Smash Up, Roll For The Galaxy, … Continued

After opening my review of SPQF talking about the slightly strange occurrences when two movies with very similar premises are released at the same time, I arrive, by complete happenstance, to this review of Master of Wills, a game that … Continued