New delivery! Covenant from @devirgames. Inspired by Lord of the Rings — dwarves reclaim their ancestral mountain home. Discussed in an upcoming episode of the Polyhedron Collider Podcast!

Vantage from @stonemaiergames.com hit the table today. Steve and I escaped our malfunctioning ship and crash-landed on an alien world before heading off on our own adventures—fishing, rune stones, gambling troubles, more fishing, and rescuing elemental creatures. More soon!

I’m sure I only ordered this a couple of hours ago? Another delivery — Vantage from @stonemaiergames.bsky.social, one of this year’s hottest games. Open-world co-op with a “first-person” twist and I love a game that tells a story. Steve’s keen to get it to the table — we’ll report back.

Galileo Galilei from @capstone_games.bsky.social has a lot going for it: Rondel telescope action selection, dice manipulation, tracks, negative scoring, fantastic art, and fast-paced, accessible gameplay.

We loved The White Castle, so hearing there’s a 2-player Duel version from Shei S & Isra C had us buzzing. We’ve been playing a review copy from @devirgames.bsky.social and it’s full of tight, clever decisions and brilliant moments. More thoughts soon on the show!

Wroth from @chiptheorygames.bsky.social has been getting the PhC Treatment recently. This psychedelic area-control war game looks stunning on the table with neoprene mats, bright colours and plastic pieces and graffiti-style artwork. We’ll dig in full in Ep 176 of the Polyhedron Collider Podcast.

Galileo Galilei from @capstone-games.com was one of the big games at #essen last year, and the Boys from the Collider have been giving it a go, whether the Inquisition likes it or not! 🎧 Listen now: tinyurl.com/PhCEpisode175

Star Wars: Battle of Hoth from @daysofwonder (distributed by @asmodee.bsky.social) has Steve excited! We first played it during the UK Games Expo, but now he & Rory are several scenarios in, that excitement hasn’t dissipated. You can hear it in his voice! 🎧 Listen now: tinyurl.com/PhCEpisode175

🧊 Ice and Idols from @InsideUpGames just arrived, and it looks like a lot of fun! We loved Block and Key, the “sort of prequel,” and even though this one’s a pick-up and deliver (Steve’s least fave), we’ve got high hopes it’ll be just as clever and surprising.

Rory got to try out Bohemians from @portalgames.bsky.social during the UK Games Expo, and he’s been waiting since then to be able to talk about it properly, now that its release is just around the corner, he finally can! 🎧 Listen now: tinyurl.com/PhCEpisode175

Ayar: Children of the Sun from @ospreygames.bsky.social gets the PhC Treatment in Episode 175 as Rory gushes about how much he loves this game, but he’s not the only one! This will be at #essen so you can see it for yourself. 🎧 Listen now: tinyurl.com/PhCEpisode175

We may have already put out a Spiel Essen preview list, but in this episode, we talk about some games coming to Essen that we have actually played. tinyurl.com/PhCEpisode175 ☀️Ayar: Children of the Sun (@ospreygames.bsky.social) 🎨Bohemiums (Portal Games) 🚀Galaxy Trucker: Do What?! (@czechgames.com)

More deliveries arriving at Collider Towers, today it's the White Castle Duel from @devirgames.bksy.social Designed by @llamadice.bsky.social and being released later this month at Spiel Essen, I am very excited to get this to the table as soon as possible! tinyurl.com/RamshackleEs...

Ayar: Children of the Sun from @ospreygames.bsky.social Ayar: Children of the Sun has become my most-played game of the year — and for good reason. It’s a Euro that turns time into the most valuable resource at the table.

Ahoy: Fang & Fortune from @leder.games is an absolute steal from our show sponsor @kienda_UK right now. Ahoy is a brilliant, fun, exciting asymmetric game of dice placement and pirates. This expansion provides some replacement factions for the smugglers, and the Leviathan is just so much fun!

A Message from the President of the Fabio Lopiano Appreciation Society Subject: Ayar: The Children of the Sun Designed by @flopiano.bsky.social & @mandelafg.bsky.scoial Art: @ianotoole.bsky.social Published by: @ospreygames.bsky.social

In Episode 174 of the Polyhedron Collider Cast, the boys dig into some very different tabletop experiences—from lush engine-building to sneaky strategy and top-secret dossiers. ▶️Find us on your podcast platform of choice (or here: tinyurl.com/PhCPodcastEp...)

Kalypso from InsideUpGames is finally live on #Kickstarter! This game was awarded our inaugural Bankruptcy Award during the @ukge.bsky.social this year – in other words, the game we’re going all in on when it comes to Kickstarter. And, well, today’s the day! www.kickstarter.com/projects/ins...

In this special Ramshackle episode, Sid and Rory are joined by none other than Dan Hughes—co-designer of CoraQuest (with his daughter, Cora), Dice Tower regular, and co-host of Sporadically Board.

In Episode 172 of the Polyhedron Collider Cast, the lads return fresh from PeachCon, and discuss Altay, Ponzi Scheme, Gwent, Compile and Burnt Moon! www.polyhedroncollider.com/2025/08/poly...

Today Sid has been rubbing shoulders, hobnobbing, and living his best life at the Edinburgh Fringe with some Call of Cthulhu Live fom @chaosium.bsky.social Tune into the next episode of the Polyhedron Collider Podcast to hear all about it, be warned, he will no doubt mention his "frillies"

Sid saw that Call of Cthulhu Live from @chaosium.bsky.social was playing at Edinburgh Fringe, there was only one option, roll against Fast Talk! Sid will be there on Thursday, so come join him (look for a bloke in a PhC shirt) for what looks to be an amazing show! www.chaosium.com/blogin-1920s...

From refined bidding on gods to smarter titan rules and smoother monster triggers—Cyclades: Legendary Edition from Studio H Games (@and provided by @hachettbguk.bsky.social) tightens the screws while delivering still-satisfyingly brutal gameplay.

Jackpot: Set the Reel from @drandagames.bsky.social Is it a deck builder, a tableau builder, or an engineer builder, perhaps? Maybe a hand management game…Yes to all of the above…kind of. Manipulate your cards (in one way or another) to set the reel in this slot machine/one-armed bandit game.

Fathom by @paperfortgames.bsky.social is a serene dive into tile laying and ocean exploration. This gateway game has a low rules overhead and a nice interface to help first-time gamers track key turn and their personal actions.

Cyclades: Legendary Edition - this game is so much fun. It is exciting and dynamic; it can swing from winning to losing in a turn. It's brutal, fun, but it's also losing.

Transgalactica from @devirgames.bsky.social is a bright (some might say psychedelic), crunchy middleweight Euro where, in typical Tascini fashion, you‘ll climb tracks, as you explore space and colonise planets.

Fathom from @paperfortgames.bsky.social is a light tile-laying gateway game all about exploring the depths of the ocean and discovering and researching all manner of life found down there. You can listen to the full discussion in Episode 171 on your podcast platform of choice.

🎰 Jackpot: Set the Reel (@drandagames.bsky.social) Slot machine theme meets deck builder, or a tableau builder, or an engineer builder, perhaps…? Maybe a hand management game…Yes to all of the above…kind of, we land on our own unique name for this that is equalled only by this unique game.

Transgalactica from @devirgames.bsky.scial is one that split the podcast, Steve and I (Rory) both think it's a really interesting and enjoyable game with a unique look.

🎲 Ep 171 of the Polyhedron Collider Cast is live! In this episode, we blast off into space, dive into the depths, battle for ancient Greek supremacy, and try our luck at the slot machine of strategy—all in one beautifully unhinged episode.

Take the Throne from Death Trap Games is a whole lot of game in a little box. With just these few cards, you'll be surprised by how much game there is. If Love Letter became a backstabbing game of courtly intrigue, you'd probably end up with Take the Throne.

🎲 New episode! Ep 170 of the Polyhedron Collider Cast dives into 3 very different board games: 🗡️ Fighting Fantasy Adventures – nostalgia, dice rolls, and sudden death 👑 Take the Throne – bluff your way to power in this sharp little skirmish 🎼 Luthier – euro-strategy meets baroque violin-building

In Sankore, from @ospreygames.bsky.social, knowledge is power @flopiano.bsky.social takes worker placement + area majority and folds it into something smart, tense, and razor-sharp.

Just played Luthier from @paverson.bsky.social and it’s a new fave. A Eurogame at heart, with clever twists: 🎯 Blind bidding for actions 🎯 Turn order controls action resolution 🎯 So much player interaction + strategic disruption Tense, crunchy, and surprisingly dramatic.

In Episode 169 we discuss our love for Sankoré: The Pride of Mansa Musa from @ospreygames.bsky.social Check out the latest episode on your podcast platform of choice!

We’re back to the normal format with a jam-packed episode full of cardboard strategy, wooden meeples, and the occasional alcohol-related tangent. We’ve got three fresh games on the table—each offering a different flavour of thinky goodness—and we’re ready to break them down.

🛡️🏰 The Anarchy from @garphilgames.bsky.social might just be the best “verb & write” game I’ve played. Yes, even better than Hadrian’s Wall. You’re physically building a castle — walls, towers, moat — using chunky polyhedrons that actually affect gameplay. It’s got toy factor and tactical depth.

I just needed 20 minutes to rest our feet at UKGE. Grabbed a random kids’ game in the family zone. And now, I’m emotionally compromised. 🧵👇 We picked up Under the Mango Tree from @pegasusspiele.bsky.social. Bright, vibrant, kangaroo on the box — good enough.

If Undaunted was too slow or tactical for your taste, Burnt Moon might be your jam. It takes the best of that system—deck-building, unit activation, tough choices—and strips away the downtime.

Transgalactica is what happens when Daniele Tascini turns the saturation up to 11 and lets your opponents interrupt your every move. It's a crunchy Euro where you’ll explore space, colonise planets, and piggyback on others’ actions.

Get yourself a cuppa, sit back, and listen in to your all-access pass to the best of @ukge.bsky.social here: tinyurl.com/PhC-at-UKGE We cover a host of new games and present the prestigious Polyhedron Collider awards.

Revenant from Mindclash Games is what happens when you mix Battlestar Galactica tension with euro-style worker placement and a dash of Voidfall corruption. Semi-cooperative, tight decision-making, and that classic “who’s gonna jump the ship?” dilemma. Smart, elegant, intense.

Wepalyed some great games this weekend

You wake up in 1930s Arkham. You're a cop. A librarian. A fisherman. Just another day. Until you glimpse something… odd. Miskatonic Tales is Chaosium’s co-op, story-driven game set in the Lovecraftian Mythos. 📘 Branching narrative 🃏 Multi-use cards 🧠 Clever skill checks ⏳ Tight time limit

Played a light abstract tile game that completely caught me off guard: 🎨 Place colourful tiles to grow connected “routes” 🟣 Drop ink pots on numbered spots to score 💥 Avoid blockers that clog your scoring engine Like Sagrada and Dorfromantik had a crunchy little cousin.

Malediction might be one of the most exciting genre blends we’ve seen in a while. Think skirmish minis game meets CCG. You’re not just duking it out with minis—you’re summoning, equipping, and casting spells via a card-based economy that feels both fresh and familiar.

Kalypso from InsideUpGames blew us away at UKGE A T-tile drafting, spatial puzzle of a game set in a post-flood world. It’s clean, clever, and looks stunning. Build a floating city from old-world flotsam and squeeze multiple synergies from each tile drop.

Bohemians by Portal Games is a light, accessible, and genuinely funny deckbuilder that stood out at UKGE — even though it’s not due out until Essen!

Missed our live show at UK Games Expo? Then you can listen to all the ramshackle nonsense, from Rory's chaffed crotch to Sid's fever dreams and plenty of games in between. www.polyhedroncollider.com/2025/06/live... #podcast #boardgames #ukgamesexpo