🔥 Gentes Nemesis

Nov 25
2021

Suburbia Review

The Thoughtful Gamer

Ted Alspach’s Suburbia combines two simple pleasures, drafting and tile-placement, as well as any game ever made. Like an ice cream parlor displaying its sweet treats in glass-shielded rows, both parts–drafting and placement–offer up a suite of tasty options.  The line between agonizing decisions and a friendly buffet of options in board gaming is thinner … Suburbia Review Read More »The post Suburbia Review appeared first on The Thoughtful Gamer.


Nov 21
2021

Podcast Episode 93: Chillcast 4: Chill Again

The Thoughtful Gamer

It’s another chillcast, this time with Marc and Amber. It…well, it gets a bit silly. I’m sorry. 1:09 – Literally we talk about the weather3:52 – Oceans13:41 – Boardgames: The Board Game (The Card Game)18:24 – The City20:52 – Marc explains why Munchkin is no good22:10 – Pulsar 284926:37 – Marc gets really into salad … Podcast Episode 93: Chillcast 4: Chill Again Read More »The post Podcast Episode 93: ...


Nov 18
2021

Dinosauria Review

The Thoughtful Gamer

Honestly, I’m split. Now that the paleontological scholarship has shifted towards dinosaurs being feathery and perhaps occasionally brightly colored, I can appreciate the appeal of giant bird monsters. But the dinosaurs of my childhood were those Jurassic Park grey-green scaly things, and the images implanted in one’s youth are difficult to remove. I’m not saying … Dinosauria Review Read More »The post Dinosauria Review appeared first on The Thoughtful Gamer.


Nov 12
2021

Carpe Diem Review

The Thoughtful Gamer

Stefan Feld’s Carpe Diem is so clearly riffing on many of the same ideas in his masterpiece The Castles of Burgundy that I can’t help but compare them. I could play coy with you all, but let’s face it: both are tile-laying drafting games that incorporate all of the Feld-isms you expect, with play over … Carpe Diem Review Read More »The post Carpe Diem Review appeared first on The ...


Nov 05
2021

Podcast Episode 92: A Conversation with Austin Smokowicz about Robotech Reconstruction

The Thoughtful Gamer

Austin’s enthusiasm for Robotech Reconstruction is plain to see (hear?) in this podcast. As one half of the Dr. Wictz design team, he’s gone deep into the lore of this classic anime to create a fascinating game exploring its political and military settings. What emerges is a tense 90-120 minute asymmetric game clearly inspired by … Podcast Episode 92: A Conversation with Austin Smokowicz about Robotech Reconstruction Read More »The ...


Nov 02
2021

Dice Command Review

The Thoughtful Gamer

Dice Command, the small box WWII game debut from Ejected Planet, caused me to reflect on the expression that “war is the continuation of policy by other means”. I did not anticipate this sort of reaction when unpacking the box and reading through the rules. By appearances it’s a tactical combat game, reminiscent of out … Dice Command Review Read More »The post Dice Command Review appeared first on The ...


Oct 27
2021

Battle for Biternia Review

The Thoughtful Gamer

Adapting an outside property into board game form is simple. I mean, it’s not. But it also is. Bear with me here. Board games, insofar as they’re thematic, are abstracted versions of what they’re trying to represent. An engine builder game is fundamentally about investment. You start with a small investment, turn that into something … Battle for Biternia Review Read More »The post Battle for Biternia Review appeared first ...


Oct 24
2021

Podcast Episode 91: A Conversation With Jason Perez On Colonialism In Board Games

The Thoughtful Gamer

Marc sits down with Jason Perez from Shelf Stories to talk about colonialism in board games. Along the way they also touch on social media, moral philosophy, and a couple of tangential rants, as is tradition.  0:30 – Jason’s projects9:25 – Critique of Puerto Rico25:40 – Endeavor: Age of Sail and the challenge of moral … Podcast Episode 91: A Conversation With Jason Perez On Colonialism In Board Games Read ...


Oct 12
2021

Union Station Review

The Thoughtful Gamer

Union Station is on kickstarter now. Travis D. Hill’s Union Station is admirable in its transparency. It doesn’t disguise itself with excess; it’s confident in its simplicity. It’s like a knife: clean, functional, and with purpose. And if you slip, if you lose focus, you’ll be cut. Union Station comes in a box no bigger … Union Station Review Read More »The post Union Station Review appeared first on The ...


Oct 11
2021

Podcast Episode 90: Card and Dice Poll Discussion

The Thoughtful Gamer

Marc sits down with Erik Twice, Ryan LaFlamme, and Andrew Holmes to ask each of them about their approaching to selecting their 10 greatest board games of all time.  3:21 – Erik Twice’s approach to selecting his top 107:41 – Why Netrunner?12:27 – Why Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective?17:57 – Erik’s predictions25:08 – Cosmic Encounter as … Podcast Episode 90: Card and Dice Poll Discussion Read More »The post Podcast Episode ...


Oct 07
2021

Card and Dice Poll Analysis and My Picks

The Thoughtful Gamer

The Card and Dice Poll is here, and that means data! I love fiddling with numbers. Honestly, it was one of the major reasons I started the project. So what can we learn from the 139 different games our 18 participants listed? What are my picks for the 10 greatest games? What do I think … Card and Dice Poll Analysis and My Picks Read More »The post Card and ...


Oct 05
2021

Card and Dice Poll 2021 Results

The Thoughtful Gamer

What are the 10 greatest board games of all time? A simple question, but not an easy one to answer. While list-making is ubiquitous in the internet age, I find there’s some extra gravitas attached when you include the word “greatest” in your query. A couple of months ago I started soliciting volunteers to answer … Card and Dice Poll 2021 Results Read More »The post Card and Dice Poll ...


Oct 04
2021

Podcast Episode 89: Dice, Fights, and Dividends: Some First Impressions

The Thoughtful Gamer

Marc and Ben talk about a few of the new games they’ve been playing. They’re…all good? It feels weird to have an episode this positive, but there you go. 0:58 – Dice Command11:55 – Battle for Biternia31:37 – Boardgames: The Board Game (The Card Game)43:03 – Union Station54:19 – The part where I call out … Podcast Episode 89: Dice, Fights, and Dividends: Some First Impressions Read More »The post ...


Sep 15
2021

Stop Writing Flat Reviews

The Thoughtful Gamer

I think a lot about how to review board games. It’s what I do. I’m a bit obsessive. This particular topic has been on my mind a lot over the last few months. I fully admit that I often fail to meet the standards for which I’m about to argue, but please allow me to … Stop Writing Flat Reviews Read More »The post Stop Writing Flat Reviews appeared first ...


Sep 08
2021

The Alpha Review

The Thoughtful Gamer

The Alpha is the kind of game you pull out at the end of the night, when your capability to play something more complex has long gone, and you feel like a bit of trash talking. It’s a chaotic game, but one that contains most of its chaos in the actions of the players. The … The Alpha Review Read More »The post The Alpha Review appeared first on The ...


Sep 03
2021

Podcast Episode 88: Tile-Laying Games

The Thoughtful Gamer

Amber and Marc discuss tile-laying games since they’ve been playing a number of them lately. What makes tile-laying so compelling? Why is it a feature in so many of our favorite games? 1:29 — Carpe Diem3:46 — Is Carpe Diem simpler than Castles of Burgundy?9:35 — Tile laying: what is it?12:12 — Variables15:15 — Growth21:00 … Podcast Episode 88: Tile-Laying Games Read More »The post Podcast Episode 88: Tile-Laying Games ...


Sep 02
2021

Dune: Imperium and Mage Knight. Lessons in Deckbuilding

The Thoughtful Gamer

I don’t know why, but the lesson game designers seemed to take from Dominion is that deckbuilding is cool, but it’s not random enough. Or perhaps that’s just what has risen to the top in popularity. Star Realms, Ascension, Clank, and now Dune: Imperium have all gained tremendous popularity despite utilizing what I find to … Dune: Imperium and Mage Knight. Lessons in Deckbuilding Read More »The post Dune: Imperium ...


Aug 28
2021

My City Review

The Thoughtful Gamer

The legacy game, as a concept, is 10 years old and My City is the first one I’ve seen that’s wholly, unabashedly humble. After Pandemic Legacy blew everyone’s mind, it seemed like everyone started working on their own legacy game, each promising a bigger, more thrilling experience than the last. Leave it to Reiner Knizia … My City Review Read More »The post My City Review appeared first on The ...


Aug 22
2021

Podcast Episode 87: A Conversation with James Naylor

The Thoughtful Gamer

I sit down with James to talk about his excellent debut game, Magnate: The First City, as well as his next project, cleverly titled Boardgames: The Board Game (The Card Game), and his podcast called Producing Fun. Magnate is such a bold and interesting first design and I’m completely on board for whatever he makes … Podcast Episode 87: A Conversation with James Naylor Read More »The post Podcast Episode ...


Aug 08
2021

Podcast Episode 86: Chillcast 3: Revenge of Chill

The Thoughtful Gamer

Marc and Ben have been playing a lot of new games, and you’re going to hear about it! Come chill with us. 0:59 — My City5:13 — Coldwater Crown11:06 — For Science!19:51 — Legends of Andor27:11 — Downfall33:31 — Exodus Fleet38:29 — San Juan40:57 — Antike Duellum45:07 — The Alpha49:15 — Tasty Humans54:11 — Glass … Podcast Episode 86: Chillcast 3: Revenge of Chill Read More »The post Podcast Episode ...

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