Grimcoven (of which we received the retail standee edition) is a fascinating entry in the boss‑battler genre because it strips away the spectacle often associated with Awaken Realms productions and leaves the underlying system fully exposed. Without the usual OTT miniatures to lean on, the game has to stand on the strength of its mechanics, […]
Cthulhu: Dark Providence, designed by Travis Chance and Martin Wallace and published by CMON, is a fascinating hybrid: part deck‑builder, part hidden‑role game, part area‑influence struggle set against the backdrop of the Great Depression. It reimplements Wallace’s A Study in Emerald, but rather than simply reskinning that design with tentacles and art deco horror, it […]
Ascending Empires: Zenith Edition, published by Play to Z, is one of those rare re-imaginings that doesn’t just polish an older design – it elevates it and fixes everything that people had issues with in the first version. The original Ascending Empires from Z‑Man Games earned a cult following for its hybrid of 4X strategy […]
Terrorscape, designed by Jeffrey CCH and published by ICE Makes, is a one‑vs‑many hidden‑movement horror game that leans fully into the slasher‑movie fantasy. It’s a game about creeping dread, muffled footsteps, panicked whispers, and the sudden, stomach‑dropping realisation that the killer is right outside the door. What makes Terrorscape stand out is not just its […]
Perch, designed by Douglas Hettrick and published by Inside Up Games, is a fascinating twist on area control for two (with special rules) to five players. At first glance, it looks light and approachable – thanks to its charming bird theme and modular setup of beautifully drawn perches. That said, beneath the surface lies a […]
Clank! Catacombs, designed by Paul Dennen and published by Renegade Games, is the latest evolution of the Clank! series, and it represents a bold step forward for a franchise that has already carved out a reputation as one of the most accessible and entertaining deck-building adventure games. Where the original Clank! and its expansions offered […]
Bus: Complete Edition, designed by Jeroen Doumen and Joris Wiersinga and published by Splotter Spellen with a modern reissue from Capstone Games, is one of those rare board games that feels both timeless and singular. First released in 1999, it is often cited as the very first worker placement game, and even now, more than […]
Secrets of Power is the sixth set for Star Wars Unlimited, and it feels like the most thematic expansion yet. Where earlier sets leaned into battles and iconic duels, this one is about the subtler struggle for influence – the clash between secrecy and transparency, manipulation and conviction. The two Spotlight Decks, Chancellor Palpatine and […]
Civilisation has always been a balancing act between planning and chance. In 7 Wonders, Antoine Bauza gave us a world of careful drafting, where every card was a deliberate step in shaping history. In 7 Wonders Dice, he asks a different question: what if the fate of your city rested on the roll of a […]
Gloomhaven: Second Edition is a comprehensive overhaul of the original game, featuring rebalanced classes, redesigned scenarios, streamlined rules, improved component quality, and a more immersive narrative structure. It preserves the core tactical gameplay while refining nearly every aspect for clarity, accessibility, and long-term replayability. When Gloomhaven first launched in 2017, it redefined what a dungeon-crawling […]
Knitting Circle is a cosy, accessible evolution of Calico’s spatial puzzling – retaining the satisfying tile-laying core while softening the difficulty curve and introducing charming new mechanics like yarn drafting, garment knitting, and button collection. There’s also a slight edge to Knitting Circle that gives it another dimension – thanks to the cutthroat way in […]
Memoir ’44 Refresh, designed by Richard Borg and published by Days of Wonder, is a modernised reprint of the original 2004 tactical wargame that brought the “Commands and Colours” system into the mainstream. It retains its core gameplay while introducing upgraded components, a huge number of variable scenarios, and a clearer rulebook. It is fully […]
Mission: Red Planet – 20th Anniversary Edition, designed by Bruno Cathala and Bruno Faidutti and published by Matagot, is a reprint of a modern classic that first landed in 2005. This new edition doesn’t reinvent the wheel, nor does it need to. Instead, it refines, repackages, and reintroduces one of the most elegant, chaotic and […]
Doomlings: Legends of Enderas isn’t just an expansion – it’s a transformation. Where the original Doomlings offered a light, chaotic romp through the end of the world, Enderas introduces a mythic backbone that reframes the game as a layered, strategic ecosystem. It’s still fast-paced and accessible, but now there’s more lore, synergy, and a sense […]
As most readers will know, I love a game that literally embodies its theme, and Cretaceous Rails does so with unapologetic flair. Designed by Ann Journey and brought to life by Spielcraft Games, this mid-weight euro game invites players to travel back to the Cretaceous period, build railways through dense jungles, and ferry time-travelling tourists […]
Whilst a few video games have mixed World War II with occult themes, not least the likes of Achtung! Cthulhu and even Call of Duty: Zombies, I feel this is an underused idea. Thankfully, Escape From Stalingrad Z leans into that premise with grim determination. Designed by Marco Pecota and released by Raybox Games, this […]
There are games that wear their themes lightly, and there are games that live and breathe their subject matter. Kavango is firmly in the latter camp—a game that doesn’t just use conservation as a backdrop, but builds every mechanism, every decision, and every moment of tension around the realities of protecting nature in southern Africa. […]
Some Star Wars games don’t need lore dumps, stat cards, or a sprawling campaign. They just need a handful of iconic ships, a colourful track, and a race to beat the odds in order to make their point. Star Wars: Super Teams (designed by Max Gerchambeau and published by Zygomatic) is exactly that kind of […]
There’s something about the Battle of Hoth that will stick in my memory forever. Maybe it’s the visual contrast – white snow, those giant dark AT-AT’s and the orange flight suits of Luke and his wing. Maybe it’s the desperation of it all: the Rebels scrambling to evacuate, the Empire marching forward with cold precision, […]
Everyone knows and loves The Witcher mythos these days – where monsters are just misunderstood apex predators, and the best-laid plans of the human inhabitants of the world are just one step away from disaster. The Witcher: Path of Destiny captures that chaos beautifully. It’s a tableau-building card game that feels like a narrative brawl- […]
There’s a moment in Skara Brae – usually around round three – when you realise you’ve been hoarding bones, shells, and broken tools like a prehistoric raccoon, and suddenly it starts to make thematic sense. The “midden” isn’t just a clever mechanic; it’s the beating heart of the game and of the story that surrounds […]
