— Board Game Review

Holiday board game gift guide 2024 [Guides]

With thousands of board games flooding the market in recent years, finding the perfect board game gifts for 2024 can feel overwhelming. Whether you’re searching for budget-friendly games, options for beginners and new players, or something with a bit more depth than a typical lightweight game, you’re in the right place.

Steam Power [Review]

by Stephan Sonny

So, we do have a streamlined train game in Steam Power. One that’s highly accessible even. Compared to Brass: Birmingham, the network-building mechanic remains intact, where we construct railways to connect cities, transfer and make use of resources. Yet, this game trims away the more economic aspects and the technology tree. It reduces the intricacies. Which, in the end, makes the game more approachable.

Golem Run [Preview]

by Stephan Sonny

There’s a certain darkness that seems to shroud everything emerging from Dragon Dawn Productions’ forge. Their games exude a ghastly atmosphere. It is drenched in themes that… I don’t know… feel pulled straight from the shadowy recesses of a mythical netherworld. Golem Run may still carry the DNA of its dark and gritty dwarves society with whatever dwelling along in their deep caves. But this time, it brings us closer to the surface. Perhaps, there’s no place to conjure a racetrack in the underworld.

Nightmares of Sushi [Review]

by Stephan Sonny

There’s an undergoing genre transformation in Good Spirit Games. It seems so. After delving into the dreadful world of gangsters, they have switched gears. In 2023, we embraced a lighter mood in their new game. A rather whimsical one, truthfully. Last year’s Nightmares of Sushi was a complete curveball. And it does raise a curious question: how does one even manage to get nightmares from sushi? It’s a great cuisine. Seems harmless.

Snow Planner [Preview]

by Stephan Sonny

Snow Planner is, at its core, a game of simplicity. Everything lies on the table. It’s straightforward generating resources to pay and optimising our moves with it. Despite the straightforward nature, it still offers a bit of complexity. Just a sprinkle of it. And let’s not confuse the simplicity and less complex bits with a lack of depth. Complexity itself is not linear with the latter part.

The Vale of Eternity [Review]

by Stephan Sonny

The Vale of Eternity penetrates the market as a lighter side of euro game. Belonging to this category, I see it tailored as a family game, thanks to the integration of familiar mechanics, such as engine building and open drafting. The gameplay is straightforward, too. Thus, making it accessible and approachable, an easy choice to get to the table.

Dawn [Review]

by Stephan Sonny

I imagine some gamers might take their first step into the board game world with more accessible games. Social deduction is one of the entry points. Easy to learn and ready-to-play in just a few minutes of explanation. We are granted some big titles, one of them being The Resistance. Of course, I would not forget the more classic Werewolf, which for some of you maybe more well-known as Mafia. These are undoubtedly fun games. However, they share one particular trait that Taylor Hayward has notably refined in Dawn.

Shallow Sea [Preview]

by Stephan Sonny

Scary is the sea and whatever enigmatic inhabitants — yet don’t mistake the unsettling underwater wonders for monotony. There’s an entire world beneath the waves, brimming with vibrant lives. Shallow Sea takes that deep dive into the colourful spectacle of Great Barrier Reef. Its splendor breaths live on your table. It’s a labour of love from Bad Comet Games, the South Korean studio that’s no stranger to visual opulence. This one is delivered as something that looks to be their most stunning creation yet.

An interview with Michael Raftopoulos, MOB Vanguard [News]

by Stephan Sonny

We had the pleasure of interviewing none other than Michael Raftopoulos, the founder and co-owner of MOB Vanguard. The company is well-known for specializing in board game licensing. And they have been working tirelessly to bring games to a global audience, negotiating localization and publishing deals are their bread and butter. Making sure your favourite titles are available in your own language. I think breaking language barriers is their hobby.

ADAPTOID 24 [Review]

by Stephan Sonny

If there’s one moral lesson I can cherry-pick from most horror sci-fi movies as a fellow scientist, it’s definitely this one: tampering in genetic level is a perilous endeavour. Genetic modifications, albeit its allure of creating new life forms based on our images, comes with a catastrophic risk. TL;DR — it’s not worth it. Alas, here we are again, facing the consequences. After 23 failed attempts, the last one unleashes havoc. This is Adaptoid 24. The message still remains — never play God.