It might just be me but this heatwave has slowed my brain down. I feel sluggish, struggle to concentrate long enough to find out whether the lie detector result is surprising on Jeremy Kyle and I lose my car keys twice a day (which is an increase of 50%). It got me thinking that I should play some games which increase my brain power. So I raided the Cards or Die library and had a go at these brainy games. Have a go at them yourself - I've included a sample from each game. I'm not asking for much - I don't want enough brain power to develop psychic powers and take over the world... although... To be honest I'd just settle for less time searching for my sodding car keys and less time getting l

Hi I’m Calvin and you may have read a twitter thread I did about cultural appropriation; what it is, why it’s Not Good, and how to avoid it. (click here) One of the more common ways the hobby tends to perform cultural appropriation is Asian-themed board games (usually ancient, feudal, or imperial Japan/China) where no one involved with the actual production is Asian - unlike the three games I’m spotlighting today! Three Kingdoms Redux Designers Christina Ng Zhen Wei and Yeo Keng Leong. Artist Ray Toh. The heaviest of the bunch, 3KR is a worker placement game set during the decades-long conflict between the Three Kingdoms of Wei, Wu, and Shu. Featuring constantly-fracturing alliances, economi

It starts off innocently enough; a mild interest, or reminiscing. Maybe you visit your parents and come home with an armful of 'soft games': Connect 4, Kerplunk and Cluedo. They sit, neatly tessellating on the shelf till one rainy day you get them out. You play 'Connect 4' five or six times until you feel it's too easy. You need something harder. As you chat, you remember you once owned Downfall. And it was good. Then to e-bay and oooh - they don't just have Downfall but also Deflection. You haven't heard of it but it says MB so it must be good. I mean, that's the dealer you got Connect 4 from and while you couldn't identify him in a line up, he was reliable and he's only asking for a bit mo

Hi, I’m Jackson Pope (@jackson_pope) and I self-publish hand-crafted board and card games as Eurydice Games. I’m here today to talk about Craft Wednesday, a celebration of crafting in tabletop gaming that I run every Wednesday on twitter using the #CraftWednesday hashtag. I started Craft Wednesday after attending a training course for work during which they presented research on how much more likely you were to reach your goals if you had an ‘accountability partner’ - someone checking in on you to see how you’re progressing, offer encouragement and celebrate your victories. A cast and painted treasure pile by @Raven_elf I’m a keen gamer and a maker of things - I’m always making something, an

This week we've got a great blog from the lovely Hannah Johnson, all about community and belonging. Boardgaming has become my community and I've developed a great support group from those close by as well as those miles away. Twitter has given us all a great support group, including Hannah, so here's her story... As I write this, it’s Wednesday. I’m stood at the bus stop attempting to find a small piece of shade. I don’t cope in the heat very well so doing the school run in this heat is driving me a little crazy. I have 8 minutes until I have to collect my son and 6 minutes until the bus arrives. I know, that’s close and means I’ll be late. Not only does it feel like an oven but today isn’t