Contributor
WhiteColarGamer
Suave, flamboyant, and unrepentant about it. Drawn to deluxe editions, upgraded components and a table that looks as good as it plays.
217 reviews
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Strategy Piloting Vigilance Luke: patience as a win condition
The list wins by making every trade slightly bad for the other side. Here is what that means turn by turn.
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Tournament Store Showdown, Athens: 4–1 with Vigilance Luke
Shields, sentinels and a lightsaber: the oldest deck in the format still punishes greed.
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Getting into Star Wars: Unlimited in 2026
Five sets in, the game is bigger than its starter box suggests. Where to begin, what to buy, and what to skip.
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Horizon Forbidden West: Seeds of RebellionHorizon Forbidden West: Seeds of Rebellion is a polished, substantial co-op campaign game that captures the videogame’s combat well. Its weak, filler-heavy narrative, however, may keep it from reaching the finish line despite the strong gameplay.
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AbaloneThe Abalone I remembered from the 1990s came back off the shelf and, to my pleasant surprise, immediately found a new opponent at home. It remains an honest blast from the past, even if it feels somewhat dated once nostalgia is removed from the equation.
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Dune: War for ArrakisAn impressive asymmetric conflict game that sat on the shelf for a long time, but ultimately justified the moment it finally reached the table. It keeps its depth without becoming exhausting, and the Spacing Guild makes it even better.
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The First Tsar: Ivan the TerribleThe First Tsar: Ivan the Terrible is a satisfying light euro that seems to smooth out Rurik’s clumsiness without chasing originality. We had a good time and would play it again, even if it did not become the game we would call for first at the end of the night.
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World OrderWorld Order arrived as a lavish, carefully produced deluxe package and, after two plays, it left me thinking it is a very clever game of superpowers. For me, it is also clearly stronger than the already good Hegemony.
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Axis & Allies: Battle of the BulgeA gateway wargame that became the occasion for a very good family return to the Ardennes, with Sabaton in the background and plenty of appetite for a rematch. I do not ask much more than that.
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Cthulhu: Dark ProvidenceCthulhu: Dark Providence hooked me more as an excuse to gather the group around the table again than because we needed another tentacle game. It ultimately proved to be a very good choice.
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Star Wars: The Deckbuilding Game – Clone Wars EditionThe Clone Wars theme was exactly the reason to bring this deck-builder to the table, especially as a less tiring alternative to the now more demanding Star Wars: Unlimited. It is cute and approachable, but for me it did not quite justify the huge enthusiasm surrounding it.
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FromageFromage and Formaggio are two editions of an ambitious game, with a modular cheese platter that makes their table presence truly distinctive. The ability to mix them together promises almost endless variety.
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Angel's ShareAngel's Share is a dry, clean economic game themed around Scottish single malt, and it won me over from the first few plays. For me, it belongs to that rare category of games that genuinely want five players at the table.
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Azul: Queen's GardenAzul: Queen’s Garden was my revelation of 2026: a game that sat unopened on my shelf and then got me completely hooked. Even though I am not usually a big fan of abstracts, this one has exactly the right mix of thought, risk, and pace.
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Nippon: ZaibatsuNippon: Zaibatsu brought me back to a game that once hit the table often, and its new edition has given it a meaningful refresh. For lovers of economic euros, it remains an easy recommendation.
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Galaxy TruckerGalaxy Trucker felt more like a game that needs the right group and the right moment than a space trip I will be eager to revisit. My would-be successor was not tempted by it either, so I am holding out for one final four-player attempt and a bit of chaos.
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SkybridgeSkybridge is not the forgotten revolution that BGG unfairly overlooked, but it is a strange, decent resource-management game that left us in a good mood. It does not melt your brain or show off any originality; it simply makes for a good time.
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Puerto Rico 1897: Special EditionPuerto Rico 1897: Special Edition reached me embarrassingly late, and in the end it won me over more as a lavish table production than as a game I will be desperate to replay.
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QuorumQuorum is a satisfying half-hour filler with teeth: smart drafting and combos without turning into chaos. It does not quite reach the fuller small boxes from Devir for me, but it is certainly not forgettable.
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CovenantCovenant is a lavish, hefty medium euro with thoroughly familiar dwarf theming, but enough cardboard and acrylic splendour to create an occasion at the table. It does not reinvent anything, yet it is consistently entertaining and leaves a pleasant Caverna-like aftertaste.
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Perseverance: Castaway Chronicles – Episodes 3 & 4Episodes 3 & 4 of Perseverance raise the series into a lavish, tight heavy-euro climax: heaps of material on the table, dinosaurs everywhere, and decisions that demand a serious brain. It is not for everyone, but for the right group it is one of the year’s experiences.
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Port Royal: Big BoxPort Royal: Big Box is a light pirate-flavoured push-your-luck card game, well suited to ending a game night on a pleasant note. It does not reinvent anything, but it knows how to make everyone laugh when greed blows up spectacularly.
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Imperial Stars II: LegacyA well-made, old-school hex-and-counter space wargame that does not pretend to be more complicated than it needs to be. The deluxe edition may sting at its suggested retail price, but at a discount it is very easy to say yes to it.
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Light Speed: ArenaLight Speed: Arena hit the table like the Death Star hit Alderaan, leaving nothing but laughter and wreckage behind. It is pure, photogenic chaos for groups who know better than to take it seriously.