Contributor
TheCuttlefish
Cares about the box, the insert and the rulebook as much as the game. Has a particular weakness for tidy rules and gleeful take-that.
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274 reviews
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ThebaiThebai is a very well-made euro with a theme that does not feel pasted on and rules that settle quickly despite its mixed bag of mechanisms. It plays excellently at three; at four, I have some reservations because its dynamics change noticeably.
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Colonial 1700-1800Colonial 1700-1800 is an odd little pocket wargame full of atmosphere, cards moving over cards, and dice that can either lift you up or bury you. There is real substance here, but also rules and reversals capable of leaving a very bitter taste.
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1860: Railways on the Isle of Wight1860: Railways on the Isle of Wight was a rather harsh introduction to train games for newcomers: it ran longer than I wanted and exposed several strange corners. At least the group had fun — especially the player who buried me all over the map.
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Storm RaidersStorm Raiders is an unexpected pick-up-and-deliver game from the designer I associate with Garphill’s rise. Short but demanding, it rewards good route planning—provided the group does not turn it into an AP festival.
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Battle for the Deep: Powered by Axis & AlliesA summery crab-and-shrimp battle with fast-forming conflict zones, asymmetric factions, and dice that demand a strong stomach. It is fun when the odds are shared fairly, though its production did not win me over.
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Farms Race: Deluxe Edition“Catan with Nukes” sounds like advertising nonsense, yet it hides enough chaotic fighting for the right group. It is not a game to take seriously: it is mutant zombie rabbits versus super-sheep, with nukes in the middle.
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Raising ChicagoRaising Chicago is a nearly hidden Spiellworx gem: a pure auction game with no luck and enough tension for players who enjoy looking their opponents in the eye before making the next bid.
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Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Board GameA faithful, substantial adaptation of Heroes III whose greatest enemy is the time it demands at the table. We had a very good time, but a first play that runs to four hours or more needs a special occasion.
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Frozen FrontierFrozen Frontier is a fast, clever economic resource-management game with enough interaction to ensure you are never simply playing by yourself. And yes, the fact that I missed it during procurement still hurts.
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InfernoInferno is a tight euro with an unusual theme, heavy pressure, and scoring that gives nothing away. It does not scale perfectly and its asymmetric guardians do not always land, but it is a thoroughly respectable game overall.
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PipelinePipeline remains a very solid title, provided the group is in the mood to play Tetris with pipes. Emerging Markets adds a little spice, but it is still fiddly and selective.
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Fancy FeathersFancy Feathers has a genuinely odd drafting system that gives it character, but for me it is not enough to carry the whole game. The quality of a session seems far too dependent on which birds show up.
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Burning BannersBurning Banners is an asymmetric, thematic fantasy conflict game that rewards patience, but demands real preparation with its rules, errata, and timing. It is not the classic wargame you may expect; it is more about spell management and solving scenarios amid buckets of dice.
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Paranoia: The Uncooperative Board GameParanoia: The Uncooperative Board Game is a chaotic, merciless betrayal game that captures the spirit of its setting, but asks the group to endure a few utterly undignified deaths first.
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CaylusCaylus remains an honest, minimalist old-school euro, with tightly connected mechanisms and no unnecessary decoration. It did not win me over completely, but I can absolutely see why it has earned so many accolades.
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Warhammer 40,000 (Tenth Edition)Warhammer 40,000’s tenth edition leaves the old world and much of its fluff further behind, but it has a sharply tactical core that immediately made me want a rematch. My first game with Ynnari was an introductory slap, but not one strong enough to send me away.
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ResafaResafa is a light, clever, well-balanced euro that fits in plenty without becoming heavy. It is one of the most enjoyable games I played this year, and I recommend it without hesitation.
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StephensStephens arrived completely off my radar and turned out to be a pleasantly odd surprise. Its central system is spicy and inventive, though it shares Yinzi’s tendency not to come fully together by the end.
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Deep ShelfDeep Shelf initially won me over as a heavy, purely economic 3X with no combat, but a correct second play exposed balance issues that noticeably hurt the experience. Approach it selectively, especially if your group is experienced with economic games.
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Worms: The Board GameWorms arrives in an age of polite euros to remind us that a board game can be bazookas, super sheep, and a very personal grudge. The adaptation loses some of the videogame’s immediacy, but retains its explosive core flavour.
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MistwindMistwind is the sort of independent production we probably would never have seen without crowdfunding—and one that I fear may be too expensive for a retail reprint. Beneath its airships and cargo deliveries sits a tight, demanding game that shines especially with five players.
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Aeon's End: The New AgeAeon's End: The New Age retains what I liked about the original: a boss fight convincingly delivered through deckbuilding. With a campaign that gradually reveals its material, it is a very solid addition for calm, occasional trips to the table.
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Endeavor: Deep Sea Deluxe EditionEndeavor: Deep Sea Deluxe Edition is pleasant, variable, and generous—perhaps too generous for my taste. The player-generated map and scenarios are interesting, but the introductory game left me with very little friction and far too much comfort.
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VinylVinyl is a pleasant, simple action-selection game about record collectors, though it arrives at the table with unnecessary confusion around its editions and expansions. It does not reinvent the wheel, but my first play was interesting and fun.