Contributor

TheTrainSpotter

A mechanisms obsessive. Never reviews a game in isolation — always reaching for what it borrows, what it refines, and which other titles sit next to it on the shelf.

76 reviews

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  Periorbis

  Periorbis is a middling indie production with several strong ideas and an honest, low-luck challenge. It never quite takes off, though, mainly because it feels shallower than I wanted and offers little room for players who fall behind to recover.

  TheTrainSpotter · 22 Jan 2018
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  Import / Export

  Import / Export takes the familiar lead/follow core of Glory to Rome and Eminent Domain and moves it into an economic theme, with changes that seem especially helpful at a full table.

  TheTrainSpotter · 23 Sept 2017
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  Tramways

  Tramways initially left such a bad taste that I called it my worst gaming experience of 2017. Yet every return to the table raises it in my estimation: it is a harsh, divisive game that ruthlessly rewards familiarity.

  TheTrainSpotter · 22 May 2017
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  Nations

  With Dynasties, Nations has seriously re-entered the conversation against Through the Ages. My first reservation about dynasties remains, but later plays showed a much tighter, faster, and more aggressive game.

  TheTrainSpotter · 3 Oct 2016