PAX Unplugged 2018 Recap: Part 1
I turned 29 during last month’s delightful PAX Unplugged, and I think this is the year where time really starts to accelerate, because it’s been an absolute blur since then. Even PAX felt like it was over too quickly. I … Continued
Anthelion Review
Anthelion is on Kickstarter until 1/18/19 Some games feel open and comfortable. Whatever system the designer created feels like it could contain endless iteration and tweaking. You’ve got a general idea that it’s probably balanced, but there’s room in the … Continued
Podcast Episode 44: Aesthetics
Marc, Matt, and Orion, three people who typically don’t care very much about the look of the games they’re playing talk about the games that do have remarkable visuals and design. What games’ aesthetics are so good or so bad … Continued
Welcome To Abstract Month!
For 2019 I’ve decided to implement one major change for The Thoughtful Gamer. We’re doing themed months! January will focus on abstract games, and while everything isn’t set in stone, I will certainly be reviewing Tak and Santorini. I’ll also … Continued
The Best Of The Thoughful Gamer In 2018
We’ve done it, folks! We’ve made it another year and now I have to remember it’s 2019 for all those times I have to write the date on something. Before looking ahead to the bright, glorious future, maybe we should … Continued
SPQF Review
In film there’s a bizarrely frequent occurrence where two movies with remarkably similar premises or inspirations will release at roughly the same time. Like, remember when we got two mediocre movies about the White House blowing up? Or that same … Continued
Podcast Episode 43: PAX Unplugged 2018
Marc and Amber sit down to talk about their time at PAX Unplugged. We played some new games, some old games, and some that aren’t even released yet. What are the highlights? What do we think of Keyforge? Why is … Continued
London (2nd Edition) Review
I was at the wonderful PAX Unplugged earlier this month, and I was able to share the experience with some friends I hadn’t seen in a while. I’ve been dabbling in Magic The Gathering Arena recently, and I enjoy the … Continued
Podcast Episode 42: A Conversation With Isaac Shalev
We’re delighted to sit down with game designer Isaac Shalev to talk about a variety of things, from the designs of Ryan Laukat to Isaac’s history with board games, to his current project creating an encyclopedia of game mechanisms. Don’t … Continued
Deep Sea Adventure Review
Remember when Love Letter was the hot new game taking the western world by storm? A fun game, with fun art, and only 18 cards! This was going to be the beginning of a wave of small Asian games hitting … Continued