Congratulations to @thunderworksgames.bsky.social on the two new expansions for Tenpenny Parks… both Innovation and Winter Lights & Spooky Nights add great twists without overwhelming the excellent base game.

Lost Revenant yesterday solo in a TIE against the Corrupted Crew. Dadgumit… Just means I’ll need to play again!

As someone who had the privilege of playtesting "The Game Makers" over the last two years... it's really wonderful to see the process to build/publish such an amazing game on film. Doesn't hurt that I just got my delivery notice for my own copy - it'll be here next week!

My newest post on the Opinionated Gamers site - a recap of all things Heroscape from RenegadeCon in June. @renegadegamestudios.com opinionatedgamers.com/2026/07/09/h...

June 2026 (thanks to @bgstatsapp.bsky.social) First, in-person plays

The newest blog post in my Reconstructing My Faith series... sorry it took so long to write. akapastorguy.blogspot.com/2026/06/reco...

Fantastic first game of Kinfire Chronicles last night… birthday gift from my wife & sons. Well done, @kevinwilson42.bsky.social.

Playing Distilled… my son aged Rum with the flavor profile shown below. Me: “How can anyone drink that?” Son: “It’s alcohol. They will drink anything.” Did I mention he’s a college student? :-)

My recap of my top 100 games list (circa spring 2026) is now live on the Opinionated Gamers site. opinionatedgamers.com/2026/06/03/m...

After you climb the iconography mountain to figure out the game, Race for the Galaxy is an amazing adventure in hand management & reading your opponents' mind - made even better by clever card design & interaction as well as great sci-fi art. akapastorguy.blogspot.com/2026/06/1-ra...

This is the perfect collision of all the eras of my gaming life: it's got enough warfare & tactics for the chit-pusher in me, the gorgeous plastic bits remind me of the 1st day we cracked open Axis & Allies, & the speedy gameplay fits my current lifestyle. akapastorguy.blogspot.com/2026/06/2-me...

This is a lovingly crafted and brilliantly designed open world fantasy adventure, full of surprises and grace notes and moments of real emotion. akapastorguy.blogspot.com/2026/05/3-ar...

My favorite civilization-building game... the free-wheeling tech-tree and relatively simple mechanics make for an excellent play experience with 2, 3 or 4 players. akapastorguy.blogspot.com/2026/05/4-cl...

My newest Heroscape review on the Opinionated Gamers site - a pile of stuff released by @renegadegamestudios.com in April & May. Including the Kraken! opinionatedgamers.com/2026/05/29/h...

Despite my attempts to avoid Terraforming Mars for a number of years, this game sucked me in. It combines hand management, resource management, engine-building, leeching off other players, racing to complete goals, & even a bit of take that. And it works. akapastorguy.blogspot.com/2026/05/5-te...

A completely immersive cooperative game that utilizes the "gimmick" of the tower beautifully, integrates the app into the game in ways that make the game more playable, and doubles down on the usual gorgeous production from @restorationgames.bsky.social. akapastorguy.blogspot.com/2026/05/6-re...

I have always described this game as "similar to playing Dungeons & Dragons with a DM who hates your guts" - it's a short (no more than an hour...and often shorter!), brutal & intensely fun experience game/dungeon crawl. akapastorguy.blogspot.com/2026/05/7-du...

This is truly a sandbox game with epic scope - I liken it to FFG's Outer Rim but without any guardrails. Fantastic production values added to gameplay that encourages creating swashbuckling stories makes this one of the best pandemic purchases I made. akapastorguy.blogspot.com/2026/05/8-xi...

Heroscape is the ultimate blending of board game & miniatures game... and while kids can start with this one at 7-8 years old, there's enough going on that you keep playing it well into your adult years - in my case, age 61 & counting!) akapastorguy.blogspot.com/2026/05/9-he...

Imagine if the designer of Race for the Galaxy decided to make a roll'n'move that both gamers & non-gamers could love... that combined some very Monopoly-ish elements with tactical board play. It's a hoot. akapastorguy.blogspot.com/2026/05/11-f...

I'm currently 2/3s of the way through my most recent Missing Expedition solo campaign - the thematic elements are brilliant and the gameplay is even better. akapastorguy.blogspot.com/2026/05/12-l...

Similar to the previous pick (#14: Galactic Cruise), this is a very enjoyable worker placement game with stunning production and top-notch integration of rules & theme. akapastorguy.blogspot.com/2026/05/13-e...

Galactic Cruise isn’t a huge step forward in gaming innovation – it’s a worker placement game with a variety of ways to score in-game and end game points. But the design accomplishes that with such style & thematic integration that I was instantly won over. akapastorguy.blogspot.com/2026/05/14-g...

A slightly more gamer-y 7 Wonders-ish card drafting game of civilization building. The difference is that you’re drafting a cards that you then use as resources or construction - the interplay can be fascinating and fast-moving... w/the right players. akapastorguy.blogspot.com/2026/05/15-i...

Take the drafting system I like from Kingdomino, use it to drive a tile placement game with thematic scoring (like Carcassonne but without arguing about farm rules), and provided the proper components to make a really enjoyable game experience. akapastorguy.blogspot.com/2026/05/16-m...

Another game I love where I own the original game & all of the expansions... but would encourage you to buy the 2nd edition because they are all improved with better iconography, better player aids, and clearer rulesets. akapastorguy.blogspot.com/2026/05/17-7...

Games like Endeavor: Deep Sea are the poster children for designers taking a second (or third!) pass at their designs... and a stunning argument for the power of excellent graphic design (both art & iconography). akapastorguy.blogspot.com/2026/05/18-e...

My most recent article on the Opinionated Gamers site - a recap of my solo gaming over the first four months of 2026. opinionatedgamers.com/2026/05/15/s...

Gorgeous production coupled with easy gameplay... a classic theme (trains!) coupled with a classic Rummy set-collection mechanic... just as playable with 2 as it is with 5. akapastorguy.blogspot.com/2026/05/19-t...

Dungeon Alliance is not for the faint of heart - there's a lot going on here - but it's incredibly involving. I think they're both brilliantly designed games, but Mage Knight didn't hit the table after I got Dungeon Alliance. akapastorguy.blogspot.com/2026/05/20-d...

In my ever-so-humble opinion, this (and not Acquire) is Sid Sackson's masterpiece. It's so simple & yet so engaging. akapastorguy.blogspot.com/2026/05/21-c...

All of the stuff I liked about the original game (Maracaibo) with all of the churn surgically removed. akapastorguy.blogspot.com/2026/05/22-p...

The name implies the genius of the design - with a six card hand, you aren't simulating a whole baseball game... you're just showing us the highlights. This wonderful game melds deck-building with hand management in clever and interesting ways. akapastorguy.blogspot.com/2026/05/23-b...

It's not as random as it appears the first time you play it - but it does require you to watch on what other players are doing (and might do!) to keep from sending your game into a death spiral. akapastorguy.blogspot.com/2026/05/24-d...

This infinitely variable game of trading & building is still a personal favorite, even when way too many "serious" gamers have left it behind. akapastorguy.blogspot.com/2026/05/25-c...

My newest review on the Opinionated Gamers site of the newest Unmatched: Battle of Legends box from @restorationgames.bsky.social . (Been waiting for this set for three years - my son & I were playtesters!) opinionatedgamers.com/2026/05/08/u...

Despite not being a particularly big fan of Dune (the books or the movies), the game manages to combine deck-building & worker placement to evoke the feel of the Dune universe in an incredibly playable format. akapastorguy.blogspot.com/2026/05/26-d...

A classic 80s roll'n'shoot received a substantial re-imagining to turn it into a game worthy of the moniker "a tabletop version of Mad Max's Fury Road". Plus, it's loads of fun. Thank you, @brettspiel.bsky.social & @davethegame.bsky.social! akapastorguy.blogspot.com/2026/05/27-t...

A great Knizia exploration game that was sadly under-rated when it first appeared in 2002 because it wasn't the next Euphrat & Tigris. akapastorguy.blogspot.com/2026/05/28-a...

The theme of defeating the Voidborn is so tightly woven into the design & flow of the game that I find myself lost in the world and the puzzle of trying to expand my civilization’s capabilities whilst fending off the encroachment of mind-altering evil. akapastorguy.blogspot.com/2026/05/29-v...

I own the ENTIRE original set (all of the expansions) and adore the game... but new players should find the Definitive Edition as they really did clean it up & rework a number of things for the better. akapastorguy.blogspot.com/2026/05/30-s...

It is the perfect balance between game length & an unforgiving system. Any longer, & it would be soul-deadening to play out the final rounds when you've lost all hope of winning. Any shorter, and there wouldn't be enough time to make meaningful decisions. akapastorguy.blogspot.com/2026/05/31-p...

This is my favorite of the Mystery Rummy series... mostly because it feels a bit like Canasta (possibly my favorite standard deck card game) in how difficult it is to hide key cards from your opponent(s). akapastorguy.blogspot.com/2026/05/32-m...

This is a game that begs for a reprint... preferably using the GeekBits concept. akapastorguy.blogspot.com/2026/05/33-f...

The ultimate "I don't have to outrun the bear. I just have to outrun you" game... akapastorguy.blogspot.com/2026/04/34-m...

I'm as surprised as anyone that a game about distilling liquor is among my favorites - seeing as how I don't drink. But both the production and the design of the game are excellent and it's a lot of fun to play. akapastorguy.blogspot.com/2026/04/35-d...

Drafting & tile-laying combined - excellent solo, great with 2-5 players! akapastorguy.blogspot.com/2026/04/36-n...

Playing this game just makes me smile... and, yes, it's yet another zoo-themed game on my list. Hats off to @philwh.bsky.social for designing it! akapastorguy.blogspot.com/2026/04/37-b...

The game is a wonderful little filler... and the story behind is cool as well. akapastorguy.blogspot.com/2026/04/38-h...

Hot take: Lots of people like Coloretto better than Zooloretto - they're wrong, of course, but I think that's more a function of "liking a clever mechanic" versus "liking a clever mechanic in the midst of a thematic & enjoyable game". akapastorguy.blogspot.com/2026/04/39-z...