Board Game Reviews

"Congratulations on your promotion to junior biologist. We know that it's a bit disappointing to start out at the bottom of the ladder, but your job as a field biologist is critically important to the ecosystem, and while we're going to start out at the local park,...

You're savvy and know that you don't make money selling products, you make money buying products for cheap in one place and selling them dearly in another. The most successful merchants are also explorers, seeking new trade routes and exotic goods. Imagine being the...

It's not easy being a carpet weaver in the bustling Persian market city of Tabriz, but you're determined to overcome the odds and have your rugs in the royal palace. You've got your three faithful apprentices poised and ready to run from shop to shop collecting...

The latest finding from astronomers is that the planet Jupiter has 79 moons. Seventy-nine moons! Fortunately, you're only sending robots to mine four of Jupiter's biggest moons in the terrific game "Galilean Moons" from Lukus Adams and Fantasy Workhouse Games. The...

I have spent quite a few hours of my life playing Monopoly, starting with the basic game with street names from Atlantic City, (the original, as designed by Charles Darrow) then the English edition with London street names, then any of a dozen subsequent variants....

Those darn Weavlings. They eat everything, so when Zadarra, a Fate Weaver who's fed up feeding the little critters, puts them on a restricted eating plan, they break out and head into the Tender Wilds. Free feedings, woot! Problem is, the Tender Wilds is a pretty...

Placing tiles one by one from a pool is a cornerstone of lots of games, from dungeon crawlers to train and terrain exploration games, and much more. Carcassonne wouldn't work without tiles, nor would Betrayal at House on the Hill. Tsuro relies on tiles, as does...

You and your crew have been in space for years. R&R at nearby planets doesn't count for much, and you're all fed up with space and ready to head home. But no. Just as you think it's safe to head back, a distress call comes over the sub-space ether: The S.S. Omega...

There are some classic themes in the board gaming world, including road trips. Think Monopoly: You're literally just driving in circles around Atlantic City hoping to acquire and develop property before your opponents do so. Another theme that's been a part of board...

You don't need to head to a National Park with your favorite outdoor gear in the back of your SUV to appreciate an ingeniously planned interlocking series of hiking, biking, and kayaking trails. These are the three activities front and center in the card-laying puzzle...

You don't have to remember the Electric Slide, the Boogaloo, the Bus Stop, and the Hustle to enjoy the new family-focused card game Kangaroo Disco Mania, but it might help just a little bit. Actually busting out a move is optional, but this fun pattern-matching game...

While we humans were telling each other about the rocks and dust on the moon, the rats were sharing different stories late at night. Stories about a moon made of cheese far from those dangerous humans. And then one little rat found a comic book that showed just how to...

Every gamer is at heart an explorer and adventurer. Venturing into the unknown, sword in hand, ready to take on whatever they may encounter. Study the earliest maps of the world and anywhere the cartographers weren't sure about they'd include pictures of sea monsters...

Them thar woods are full o' bears and they're all a bit nutty. Some of 'em are aggressive, but mostly they've clearly spent too much time dumpster diving, watching TV through tent flaps, and reading gossip magazines for news of us humans. It's no wonder that the only...

Living on a tropical island was great until the Fog started ruining everything. This isn't just a pea-souper, though, this is a deadly fog that overcomes everyone whom it touches. The local tribes have rushed to the last corner of the island where it's safe, but...

Captain D! This is the Intergalactic Council. We need to talk to you! It's a matter of galactic peace! Roger, roger, Council, Captain D here, in the far reaches of space, as usual. What's going on? Captain D! What a relief to hear from you! We have a secret mission...

The rainforest is one of the most diverse areas of our planet, hosting thousands of species of plants, insects, and animals, all in a complex dance to attain ecological equilibrium. This all happens under the protective canopy of enormous trees that can grow hundreds...

The era of coal and gas-burning power plants has passed and it's time to help migrate the power grid to using green and clean power sources. The challenge is that you can't just shut everything down because there's an ever-increasing demand on the grid: People need...

If parents wanted to get their kids excited about board games, it used to be that the entry point was Candyland, Chutes & Ladders, Trouble, or similarly banal and simplistic games. In recent years things have improved with terrific family-friendly titles like...

INT. DAY: tight on Roll Camera game set up on a large, well-lit table. Slow zoom out to reveal game room with shelves full of games and a man [TAYLOR] sitting at the table, staring intently at the game. SF/X: retro sci-fi 'whoosh' sound as from old 40's serials of...

I've always loved 20th Century abstract art, and one of my favorite painters is Piet Mondrian, a Dutch abstractionist known for his bright, playful works featuring different size primary color boxes separated by heavy black lines. I've even had Mondrian wallpapers on...