Tabletop Games Blog

Most of the earliest card games were trick-taking games played in the 800s in China. These will have felt quite different to our modern eyes. They didn't have the concept of trump cards or trump suits. There was also no bidding. Trumps were added to European card games in the 1400s, followed by bidding in the 1600s. It took another 100-200 years for familiar trick-taking games like Whist and Skat to appear. A few hundred years after that, the mechanism has now found a new lease of life in modern hobby games. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/06/06/trick-taking-a-modern-card-mechanism-topic-discussion/ Useful Links Trick-takinghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trick-taking_gameSkull Kinghttps://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/01/04/skull-king-saturday-review/The Fox in the Forest: Duethttps://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/04/30/the-fox-in-the-forest-duet-saturday-review/The Crew: The Quest for Planet Ninehttps://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/12/05/the-crew-the-quest-for-planet-nine-saturday-review/Cat in the Boxhttps://beziergames.com/products/cat-in-the-box-deluxe-editionBrian Boru: High King of Irelandhttps://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/04/16/brian-boru-high-king-of-ireland-saturday-review/Morihttps://www.kickstarter.com/projects/boardgametables/pies-mori-lunar-bacon Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) The following music was used for this media project: Music: Corporate Uplifting Chill by MusicLFiles Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/6298-corporate-uplifting-chill License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Artist website: https://cemmusicproject.wixsite.com/musiclibraryfiles The following music was used for this media project: Music: Lo-Fi Hip-Hop 03 by WinnieTheMoog Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/7848-lo-fi-hip-hop-03 License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Artist website: https://linktr.ee/taigasoundprod The following music was used for this media project: Music: Mermaids by Rafael Krux Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/6403-mermaids License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Artist website: https://www.orchestralis.net/ Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tabletopgamesblog.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash) --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tabletopgamesblog/message

Gosh! The tiles were almost like dominoes, but square instead of rectangular. They came in a combination of six shapes and six colours. Every time you laid out tiles with the same colour, but different shapes or the same shape, but different colours, you had to connect them to what was already there, but without doubling up on colours or shapes. It quickly became confusing. It was a right Qwirkle by Susan McKinley Ross from MindWare. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/06/03/qwirkle-saturday-review/ Useful Links Qwirklehttps://www.mindware.orientaltrading.com/qwirkle-a2-32016.fltrMindWarehttps://www.mindware.orientaltrading.com/BGGhttps://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/25669/qwirkle Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) The following music was used for this media project: Music: Chill by MusicParadise Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/5058-chill License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Artist website: http://www.music-paradise.de If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tabletopgamesblog.com/⁠⁠⁠ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tabletopgamesblog/message

Pretty much every hobby game contains some sort of score which measures who is in the lead and decides who wins the game. That's undoubtedly true for competitive games, but sometimes also for cooperative ones. The score can be in the form of victory points, glory points, reputation, money or something else or even a mix of different things. Some games keep track of players' scores throughout the game, others count everything up at the end and there are also games that have a mix of in-game scoring and end-of-game points. In this article, I want to look at these different ways of score keeping and how it affects gameplay experience. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/05/30/round-the-outside-tracking-scores-in-board-games-topic-discussion/ Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) The following music was used for this media project: Music: Relaxing Piano Improvisation by Alexander Nakarada Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/5978-relaxing-piano-improvisation License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Artist website: https://www.serpentsoundstudios.com/ Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tabletopgamesblog.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tabletopgamesblog/message

We were a band of feared Viking warriors of Borg on the Lofoten islands. Our chieftain had tasked us with assembling a cunning and mighty crew, collecting provisions and journeying north to plunder gold, iron and livestock from foreign lands. We would find glory in battle and the Valkyrie would lead the fallen to Odin's Valhalla. We were the Raiders of the North Sea by Shem Phillips from Renegade Games Studios. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/05/27/raiders-of-the-north-sea-digital-eyes/ Useful Links Raiders of the North Seahttps://renegadegamestudios.com/raiders-of-the-north-sea/https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LwZ0ve3I6el9dRCIfPeKvFzmtfArqD4S/view?usp=sharingRenegade Games Studioshttps://renegadegamestudios.com/BGGhttps://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/170042/raiders-north-sea Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) The following music was used for this media project: Music: Frost by Alexander Nakarada Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/10542-frost License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license The following music was used for this media project: Music: Stöðvar by Alexander Nakarada Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/4753-stodvar License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tabletopgamesblog.com/⁠⁠⁠ (Photo courtesy of Garphill Games) --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tabletopgamesblog/message

Card games date back to the 1400s with Karniffel, or Thuringian Karnöffel, often listed as the oldest one, at least the oldest in Europe that we know of. As a popular trick-taking game in Germany for centuries, it clearly started a trend. Many trick-taking games are still popular in Germany today and I certainly grew up with a fair few. However, card games have come a long way since then. In this article, I want to look at deck-building games specifically and how this mechanism has been applied in many different ways since Dominion made it popular. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/05/23/deck-building-a-modern-card-mechanism-topic-discussion/ Useful Links Karniffelhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KarniffelDominionhttps://riograndegames.wpengine.com/games/dominion/Shards of Infinityhttps://stoneblade.com/Mystic Valehttps://tabletopgamesblog.com/2018/12/08/mystic-vale/Undaunted: Normandyhttps://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/07/23/undaunted-normandy-saturday-review/Forthttps://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/04/03/fort-saturday-review/Imperium: Classicshttps://ospreypublishing.com/uk/imperium-classics-9781472844743/ Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) The following music was used for this media project: Music: Bugbears Be Approaching by Tim Kulig Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/8518-bugbears-be-approaching License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Artist website: https://timkulig.com/albums Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tabletopgamesblog.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (Photo courtesy of Big Potato Games) --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tabletopgamesblog/message

Before the dawn of time, Gaia, our Mother Earth, gave birth to the first trees. With their strong trunks and majestic crowns, they quickly converted the fallow land into fertile soil. They cherished the everlasting rituals of Gaia that sent a ferocious force through their veins, bringing life to the highest branches and deepest roots. It did not take long for them to cover the whole continent and create the vast Forests of Pangaia by Thomas Franken from Pangaia Games. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/05/20/forests-of-pangaia-saturday-review/ Correction The publisher pointed out that the backside of the box shows two FSC certificates, one for the paper and cardboard and the other for the wooden components. All wooden components are sourced from 100% FSC-certified beech and all paper and cardboard components are FSC-certified as well, with the exception of the German black core cards, which were not available in FSC quality. That's great to hear and I am sorry that I missed that in my review. Useful Links Forests of Pangaiahttps://www.pangaia.games/http://files.pangaia.games/rulebookPangaia Gameshttps://www.pangaia.games/BGGhttps://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/317859/forests-pangaiaTree-Nationhttps://tree-nation.com/profile/pangaiaTreecelethttps://treecelet.com/ Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) Initial Music by Purple Planet (https://www.purple-planet.com) The following music was used for this media project: Music: Relaxing Piano Improvisation by Alexander Nakarada Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/5978-relaxing-piano-improvisation License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Artist website: https://www.serpentsoundstudios.com/ If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tabletopgamesblog.com/⁠⁠⁠ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tabletopgamesblog/message

When you publish a review every week, there is a certain amount of pressure to frequently play games that are new to you. Even if you bear in mind that I sometimes re-review a game and that once a year I list my top 5 games as well as look back at the past 12 months, that still leaves around 50 games that I need to get to the table and play a few times. That's a fair amount and risks taking the fun out of it. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/05/16/review-pressures-fun-versus-review-topic-discussion/ Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) The following music was used for this media project: Music: Village Ambiance by Alexander Nakarada Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/6586-village-ambiance License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tabletopgamesblog.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tabletopgamesblog/message

The tigers were stealthily making their way onto the meadow, where the goats were grazing. Watching their calm and coordinated approach made you believe there was going to be only one outcome - and it wasn't going to be in favour of the goats. However, the sheer number of grazing animals didn't make it easy for the hunters. It didn't take long for one animal to sense the danger. Suddenly, the whole flock was alert and bunched together, making it virtually impossible for the large cats to attack. It was now their turn to make the next move in this Bagh Chal from Lemery Games. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/05/13/bagh-chal-saturday-review/ Useful Links Bagh Chalhttps://lemerygames.com/pages/bagh-chalhttps://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1sdUY-efjt3K3XtSyiHGjN-XGh2nrzFU4?usp=sharingLemery Gameshttps://lemerygames.com/BGGhttps://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/315/bagh-chal Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2023 BBC The following music was used for this media project: Music: Australia by MusicParadise Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/5056-australia License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Artist website: http://www.music-paradise.de If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tabletopgamesblog.com/⁠⁠ (Photo courtesy of Lemery Games) --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tabletopgamesblog/message

If you are a veteran board game hobbyist, you will have learned a lot of terminology and mechanisms. You will instinctively know what a draw deck is and that you usually shuffle a discard pile into a new draw deck, if it runs out. The concepts of action points and turn order are going to be obvious to you. It will be second-nature to you that resources can be converted not only into each other, but also into victory points, which is another concept that you will understand. However, many of these terms will mean very little to someone who is new to our hobby. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/05/09/board-game-beginnings-how-we-learn-board-games-topic-discussion/ Useful Links Nemesishttps://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/06/18/nemesis-saturday-review/ Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) The following music was used for this media project: Music: Afternoon by DreamHeaven Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/6242-afternoon License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Artist website: https://www.patreon.com/dreamheaven Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tabletopgamesblog.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tabletopgamesblog/message

"Troll!" came the shout from the battlements. "Where?!" we shouted back. "Southeast!" was the reply. Darn it. We didn't have any archers defending our fortress in that direction. It was fortunate that we still had time before we had to deal with the next wave of attackers. We were already in over our heads fending off orcs and goblins at the northern end of the bastion. Things were slowly becoming too chaotic. It was a real Castle Panic by Justin De Witt from Fireside Games. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/05/06/castle-panic-saturday-review/ Useful Links Castle Panichttps://firesidegames.com/product/castle-panic-big-box-second-edition/https://www.firesidegames.com/downloads/CP-Big-Box-2E-Rules-WEB.pdfLemery Gameshttps://firesidegames.com/BGGhttps://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/278693/castle-panic-big-box Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2023 BBC The following music was used for this media project: Music: Fantasy Ambience by Alexander Nakarada Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/4953-fantasy-ambience License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tabletopgamesblog.com/⁠⁠ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tabletopgamesblog/message

Apart from being a great way to meet new people and make new friends, just like any other hobby, for many of us in the hobby, playing board games is a social activity. We enjoy spending time with friends or family and catching up over a game or two. We have snacks and drinks and chat away in between turns. However, not everyone shares that view and there are good reasons for this. So in this article, I want to investigate why games can be a great conduit for socialising while also potentially being a hindrance. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/05/02/right-time-right-place-board-games-and-socialising-topic-discussion/ Useful Links Gloria LiuThe Atlantichttps://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2023/04/board-games-bonding-game-night/673670/Rachel Kowerthttps://rkowert.com/Love Letterhttps://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/01/23/love-letter-saturday-review/ Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) The following music was used for this media project: Music: Village Ambiance by Alexander Nakarada Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/6586-village-ambiance License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tabletopgamesblog.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠ (Photo by Luis Cortes on Unsplash) --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tabletopgamesblog/message

The two of us were strolling along the beach. We could feel the damp sand underneath our feet. We stopped for a moment to dig our toes in and take a look around. There were plenty of beautiful objects just waiting to be found: driftwood for sculptures, sea glass for earrings and many other things. So we followed the Tides by Mike Berg from Button Shy. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/04/29/tides-saturday-review/ Useful Links Tideshttps://buttonshygames.com/products/tideshttps://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/230471/official-rules-button-shyButton Shyhttps://buttonshygames.com/BGGhttps://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/341963/tides Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2023 BBC The following music was used for this media project: Music: Australia by MusicParadise Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/5056-australia License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Artist website: http://www.music-paradise.de If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tabletopgamesblog.com/⁠⁠ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tabletopgamesblog/message

Yes, my dear friends, Tabletop Games Blog is 5 years today. When I posted my first article, I didn't know where I was going with this and had no idea about the journey the site would take me on. Since then, I published 550 articles, releasing them also in audio format since December 2018, which means there are over 430 podcast episodes available as well. I played hundreds of games, attended many exhibitions, was a guest on a number of podcasts, met lots of people and made many good friends. So let me tell you about the journey so far to celebrate this anniversary with you. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/04/25/5th-anniversary-looking-back-to-the-beginning-topic-discussion/ Useful Links Games nightshttps://tabletopgamesblog.com/2018/04/25/games-nights/Abouthttps://tabletopgamesblog.com/about/Das Schwarze Augehttps://ulisses-spiele.de/game-system/das-schwarze-auge/Dungeons & Dragonshttps://dnd.wizards.com/Digidicedhttps://digidiced.com/Le Havre: The Inland Porthttps://tabletopgamesblog.com/2018/10/20/le-havre-the-inland-port/PSC Gameshttps://www.pscgames.co.uk/Wren Gameshttps://wrengames.co.uk/main/Steeped Gameshttps://steepedgames.com/Good Owl Gameshttps://goodowlgames.com/Tabletop Inquisitionhttps://tabletopinquisition.com/2019/03/11/episode-1-who-are-we/Tabletop Inquisitionhttps://tabletopinquisition.com/Die Spielträumerhttps://www.spieltraeumer.de/podcast/the-spieltraeumers-54-deckbuilding-deathmatch/Die Brettagogehttps://brettagoge.de/144-von-voegeln-und-hudern-teamteaching/We're Not Wizardshttps://www.werenotwizards.com/e/episode-320-oliver-kinne-tabletop-games-blog/Brainwaveshttps://giantbrain.co.uk/tag/brainwaves/Essen Spielhttps://www.spiel-messe.com/de/Slickerdripshttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmtyR1piEzGwYR5cfHo_VTQGaming Ruleshttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvIWBOfYGXYQQQORhjAJKCQFog of Lovehttps://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/175324/fog-loveJess Cassidyhttps://twitter.com/Boardgame_girl1Heavy Cardboardhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnuxFrI7_2mBmeay2R5FhXg Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) The following music was used for this media project: Music: Lo-Fi Hip-Hop 03 by WinnieTheMoog Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/7848-lo-fi-hip-hop-03 License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Artist website: https://linktr.ee/taigasoundprod The following music was used for this media project: Music: Lofi Chill Hip-Hop by WinnieTheMoog Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/6347-lofi-chill-hip-hop License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Artist website: https://linktr.ee/taigasoundprod The following music was used for this media project: Music: Lofi by DreamHeaven Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/6148-lofi License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Artist website: https://www.patreon.com/dreamheaven Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tabletopgamesblog.com/⁠⁠⁠ (Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash) --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tabletopgamesblog/message

It was dark in damp. Of course, that was not unusual for the Tacora Cave, a giant underground system which was strewn with precious jewels and priceless artefacts. Those were the reason why we were here in the first place. Armed with our torches, we explored one tunnel after another, always mindful of traps. Sooner or later, one of us would get scared and make their way back to the entrance with their share of the treasures we had found so far. The rest of us continued, praying we would not fall foul of another trap and lose everything. After all, we wanted to get rich and find the most Diamant by Bruno Faidutti and Alan R. Moon from Iello. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/04/22/diamant-saturday-review/ Useful Links Diamanthttps://iello.fr/jeux/diamant/https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/136662/english-rules-2016-iello-versionIellohttps://iello.fr/BGGhttps://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/15512/incan-goldKarubahttps://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/04/08/karuba-saturday-review/ Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) Sound Effects: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2023 BBC The following music was used for this media project: Music: The Big Adventure by Sascha Ende Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/431-the-big-adventure License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tabletopgamesblog.com/⁠⁠ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tabletopgamesblog/message

The other day I noticed how similar books and board games are. The thought was triggered when I held a board game box in my hand and then plonked it on the table. The sound it made was very much like that of a tome being placed down. It also felt as heavy as a thick hardback book. I soon realized that there were many more commonalities. So let me investigate the spiritual twins that are books and board games. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/04/18/board-game-library-books-and-board-games-topic-discussion/ Useful Links https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/01/10/serious-war-games-controversial-or-not-topic-discussion/ Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/⁠⁠⁠⁠) The following music was used for this media project: Music: A Very Brady Special by Kevin MacLeod Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/5760-a-very-brady-special License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tabletopgamesblog.com/⁠⁠ (Photo by 2H Media on Unsplash) --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tabletopgamesblog/message

Cornwall, the early 19th century. Tin and copper mines are popping up everywhere. These metals are so important for the Empire. Tin is used in many alloys and copper to clad the ships of the Royal Navy. Both industries attract more and more people and lead to new developments and inventions. The growing demand for efficient water pumps leads to the development of the steam engine, which in turn allows the building of the first steam trains. However, it is the people who are at the heart of all of this activity and their daily walk from their homes to the mines becomes known as the Tinners' Trail by Martin Wallace from Alley Cat Games. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/04/15/tinners-trail-deluxe-edition-saturday-review/ Useful Links Tinners' Trailhttps://www.alleycatgames.com/tinners-trailhttps://www.alleycatgames.com/_files/ugd/aa325b_557d5158ab1d4848bd8b863073230f76.pdfAlley Cat Gameshttps://www.alleycatgames.com/BGGhttps://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/321277/tinners-trail Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/⁠⁠⁠⁠) The following music was used for this media project: Music: Bugbears Be Approaching by Tim Kulig Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/8518-bugbears-be-approaching License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Artist website: https://timkulig.com/albums If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tabletopgamesblog.com/⁠⁠ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tabletopgamesblog/message

Board and other hobby games are a form of entertainment for the people who play them. It doesn't matter whether these are solo games, family games, heavy games or party games for larger groups of people. There should be a game for anyone and everyone. However, as we know, our large hobby still struggles with who is represented in the games themselves, let alone with what groups of people our community make feel truly comfortable and welcome. In this article, I want to explore why representation and diversity in our hobby matter and what we all can do to promote greater inclusivity in the board game community. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/04/11/representation-and-diversity-why-it-matters-topic-discussion/ Useful Links https://www.elizhargrave.com/black-voices-in-board-gameshttps://www.elizhargrave.com/women-nonbinary-designers Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/⁠⁠⁠) The following music was used for this media project: Music: Lo-Fi Hip-Hop 03 by WinnieTheMoog Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/7848-lo-fi-hip-hop-03 License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Artist website: https://linktr.ee/taigasoundprod Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠https://tabletopgamesblog.com/⁠ (Photo by Big Potato Games on Unsplash) --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tabletopgamesblog/message

Each of us was part of a team of four brave explorers who had spent months on the high seas to reach an island of myths and legends. All of us were on an expedition to navigate through dense jungle, trying to uncover paths that had been long lost and many of which were dead ends. If we were lucky we might find treasures along the way: gold nuggets or precious jewels. However, the riches along the way were mere trifles compared to our ultimate goal. Each of us wanted to be the first to reach one of the four temples whose tips we could see sticking out above the giant trees. These temples would reward us with unimaginable treasure and glory. We were determined to make history on the island of Karuba by Rüdiger Dorn from HABA. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/04/08/karuba-saturday-review/ Useful Links Karubahttps://www.haba-play.com/de-de/p/karuba--1300932https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/126720/official-english-rule-bookDigital Eyeshttps://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/08/14/karuba-digital-eyes/HABAhttps://www.haba-play.com/de-de/BGGhttps://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/183251/karuba Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/⁠⁠⁠) The following music was used for this media project: Music: Twin Explorers by Alexander Nakarada Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/5108-twin-explorers License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license The following music was used for this media project: Music: Buzzkiller by Alexander Nakarada Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/5820-buzzkiller License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Artist website: https://www.serpentsoundstudios.com/ If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠https://tabletopgamesblog.com/⁠ (Photo courtesy of Haba) --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tabletopgamesblog/message

If you have ever managed to get a game to the table more than once, you may have experienced how it can feel different each time. The very first game can evoke emotions that starkly contrast with playing it for the fifth time. Games can become more exciting or interesting with every play, or they can become more and more boring. It's not necessarily a linear experience either. The same game can go from being a confusing morass and too overwhelming to comprehend to a highly engrossing battle of wits until eventually turning into a repetitive wilderness of tediousness. Of course, some games provide an almost level gameplay experience with every play. They simply keep on delighting everyone around the table, even after many plays. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/04/04/first-looks-how-the-gameplay-experience-changes-from-first-to-later-games-topic-discussion/ Useful Links Quacks of Quedlinburghttps://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/06/06/the-quacks-of-quedlinburg-saturday-review/Tapestryhttps://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/11/09/tapestry-saturday-review/Oathhttps://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/11/27/oath-chronicles-of-empire-and-exile-saturday-review/Pax Pamir: Second Editionhttps://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/08/27/pax-pamir-second-edition-saturday-review/Mint Tin Mini Skulduggeryhttps://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/03/09/mint-tin-mini-skulduggery/ Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/⁠⁠) The following music was used for this media project: Music: Lofi Chill Hip-Hop by WinnieTheMoog Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/6347-lofi-chill-hip-hop License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Artist website: https://linktr.ee/taigasoundprod The following music was used for this media project: Music: Lofi by DreamHeaven Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/6148-lofi License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Artist website: https://www.patreon.com/dreamheaven Patreon: ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠https://tabletopgamesblog.com/ (Photo by Marcel Eberle on Unsplash) --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tabletopgamesblog/message

The canal era was over. It was the time of the steam railways. The industrial revolution was in full swing and coal was at the heart of new, booming industries. A lot of iron was needed to build the infrastructure that would allow resources and goods to be shipped around the country. The workforce needed to be kept happy and beer was the perfect lubricant for this task. The rise of cotton mills, potteries and manufacturing gave us the opportunities to earn our Brass: Birmingham by Gavan Brown, Matt Tolman and Martin Wallace from Roxley Games. Read the full review here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2023/04/01/brass-birmingham-deluxe-saturday-review/ Useful Links Brass: Birminghamhttps://roxley.com/products/brass-birmingham-deluxe-editionhttp://files.roxley.com/Brass-Birmingham-Rulebook-2018.11.20-highlights.pdfDigital Eyeshttps://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/10/03/brass-birmingham-saturday-review/Roxley Gameshttps://roxley.com/BGGhttps://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/224517/brass-birminghamEconomic simulationshttps://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/12/06/economic-simulations-why-i-love-them-so-much-topic-discussion/ Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/⁠⁠) Music: Vital Whales by Unicorn Heads (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/) If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below: ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠https://tabletopgamesblog.com/⁠ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tabletopgamesblog/message