This was new to me. White strawberries. I expected them to taste like unripe strawberries, but shock of shocks, they just taste like normal, sweet strawberries.

Somehow I've just published my 350th review! I can't remember more than about ten games I've played though, so I'm not sure how that works. No. 350 isn't new, but it is very good. Rumble Nation, check it out right here - punchboard.co.uk/rumble-natio... @77spiele.jp

Jeff and Peggy both needed a big bath (and a haircut for Peggy) both of them hate me now, but I have two sparkly clean pups. For how long remains to be seen...

@brunocathala.bsky.social makes some cracking games, and along with Andrea Mainini this time, and via @studio-h-games.bsky.social & @hachettebguk.bsky.social we now have Bella Vista, which is really good. I've written a review, which you can read right here - punchboard.co.uk/bella-vista-...

A fun email tonight to me is a lesson on how NOT to carpet bomb looking for positive coverage. I don't swear much, and anyone who knows me or spends five minutes on my site knows what sort of games I like. It says in my About Me "I’m not a big fan of the Ameritrash style of games" - yet... 🧵

Oh boy oh boy oh boy - Joraku!

Yay me?

I solved the daily #CluesBySam, May 14th 2026 (Tricky), in 04:53 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩 cluesbysam.com

Are you heading to UKGE this month and looking for something a bit different? I've written a guide to my top 10 Japanese and East Asian exhibitors that I think are worth your time, complete with stand numbers - punchboard.co.uk/the-best-of-...

A reminder to consider design choices in all the sizes of your artwork, not just the big, box art version. I saw this pop up with a thumbnail on a crowdfunding feed and wondered why they called the game Battle Boy

After a weekend of having lots of family around, I got lots of Railway Porters played. So much so I felt compelled to write up my thoughts while it was all still fresh in my head and notebook. It's good, classic Saashi & Saashi fun. If you want to know why read on punchboard.co.uk/railway-port...

What a great start to the week. My copy of Rumble Nation finally arrived, and I just ticked over the 30 hour mark in my Japanese lessons.

It must be close to UK Games Expo, I've had to clip some more corners on my business cards. It's a little ritual now which marks the coming of getting excited about the show.

Family D&D night, and I think I've spent as much time scribbling on my character sheet as punching bad guys.

AI authors aren't authors. AI artists aren't artists. Vibe Coders (🤢) aren't programmers. Knuckle down and learn how to do something. Even if what you make is chuffing terrible, at least you made it.

By the looks of my inbox, the press list has gone out to exhibitors ahead of UKGE. Now it's time for my favourite game of "Guess who will mass email but use CC instead of BCC!" No winners yet, time will tell.

First impressions of Railway Porters from Saashi & Saashi. It's a dice-rolling, push-your-luck game with the feel of a roll and write, but with the tactile loveliness of the pieces. Each of the six boards (you play with five each game) has different scoring setups, and there's a really nice twist 🧵

New review time! I've been playing a really pretty tableau-building, drafting game from French publisher Subverti. It's beautiful, has nice big cards, and is over in done in 15 minutes. Glorious stuff, find out more now ➡️ punchboard.co.uk/symbiosis-ca...

Mail call! And it's a good one, I'm super pleased to have these in my hands. Better get learning ahead of #UKGE .

booya! I solved the daily #CluesBySam, May 6th 2026 (Medium), in 02:30 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩 cluesbysam.com

@5g4d.bsky.social sat down with the warm, fuzzy, Scottish bunny Richard from @werenotwizards.com for an episode of Five Games For Doomsday. If you don't know one or both of these folk, firstly, sort your life out. Secondly, listen to this - 5g4d.com/podcasts/ric...

UKGE - Are you going? I'd love to know who among you are headed there in a few weeks. If you're working, tell me which stand. If you're just visiting, what are you looking forward to seeing? Hopefully I'll see lots of you there 🙂 #UKGE

I'm using the bank holiday weekend to catch up on some writing. The first thing from my keyboard is a review of what might just be my favourite game of the year so far, Nippon Zaibatsu. What a great game - punchboard.co.uk/nippon-zaiba...

I played a new one from @brunocathala.bsky.social - Bella Vista. I had no expectations, but really, really enjoyed this. It's a spatial building puzzle, trying to complete contracts, obey building rules, and bid for placement order. Loads of ways to score, loads of ways to trip each other up.

A cute card game, a new Bruno Cathala game, AND a Shackleton Base expansion all in one day? You've outdone yourselves @hachettebguk.bsky.social ! 😍

Advertise your account with a Simpsons image

The stars aligned in my feed

Nucleum still delivers in spades. I taught two newbies at our local club last night and we all had their brains pulled about in a delightful way.

I solved the daily #CluesBySam, Apr 29th 2026 (Medium), in 04:01 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩 cluesbysam.com

Back today with another entry in my series of posts called 'Play Something Old', because old games are still good too, sometimes. The Brands are famous now for the Exit games, but Village is still my favourite thing they ever made - punchboard.co.uk/play-somethi...

Japanese has been going well, but today we started a new form that doesn't feel like it has a direct English equivalent, and it's going to take a lot of getting used to. Adding ~んです to a sentence conveys providing (or looking for) an explanation. It's all very fascinating. My brain hurts.

I did this exact swap a while back and don't miss Windows one bit. Games just work nowadays on Linux, but I have all the cool stuff I like for tinkering with, no adverts, and it's all mine.

The longest review I've written in a long time, with a summary for board gamers and another for Terraria fans. Terraria: The Board Game from @paperfortgames.bsky.social is very ambitious and for the most part, nails it. It's a loooong game though! Read more here - punchboard.co.uk/terraria-the...

Everyone wants to find a hidden gem game. They expect it to come in a small box from the other side of the planet. Sometimes you only have to look closer to home. This 2-player asymmetric game from the UK is exactly the sort of thing I'm talking about. punchboard.co.uk/orbs-vs-dron...

Fresh off the back of playing (lots of!) Personal Demons from @tettix.bsky.social , I've written a full preview telling you exactly what to expect when it launches on Kickstarter later in the year. It's very good! punchboard.co.uk/personal-dem...

A first game of Personal Demons, the next game from @tettix.bsky.social (Deep Regrets). Early impressions are very good. Lots to think about, easy turns, and the usual amazing art from Judson.

Jaya One this weekend! Cal will be there with Mass Effect The Board Game! I will also be there!

Ooooooh, hello! @tettix.bsky.social

I've been thinking about the issue of bias in game reviews for a little while, so I tried to make some kind of order out of those thoughts and wrote a post about it. Maybe some of it rings true for you. Maybe some of it you never considered. What do you think? punchboard.co.uk/my-reviews-a...

I bought this designer's previous game, Homalet, from Travel Games, so this was an easy back. I just backed Circlora: Guardians of Balance / サークローラ: バランスの守護者たち on @kickstarter.com www.kickstarter.com/projects/tot...

Do you like games like Splendor, but wish they were set in Hokkaido and had lots of potatoes in? Have I got the game for you! Yotei is getting the @mightyboards.bsky.social treatment and hits crowdfunding soon. Read my review now punchboard.co.uk/yotei-review...

Back home after a great few days away at Baycon. Sundays are much quieter there, but I still got in games of Railway Boom, Panda Spin, Let's Make a Bus Route: The Dice Game and Bus & Stop before hitting the road. Support your local conventions and meet some lovely people.

Check these out. Idle Hands is superb, I've taken to yet another convention this weekend and taught new players.

Day 2 of Baycon in the bank Shackleton Base with some different corporations, then later the superb Nippon Zaibatsu with @gamingrules.bsky.social My first time playing Nippon and I loved it. Then Rebuilding Seattle and wound down with Let's Make a Bus Route: The Dice Game.

Day 1 of Baycon (for me) was great. GWT:NZ, Middle Ages (really enjoyed this one), Fromage, Idle Hands, Fishing, a prototype social deduction game from Martin Wallace, and probably others too. Good times, with more to come

I've got a few days away at a local convention, Baycon. Started with a first play of GWT: New Zealand. I really enjoyed it, the game throws lots more stuff your way than its predecessor.

I've got a couple weeks off work, and what better way to spend an afternoon and evening than a learning game of Terraria from @paperfortgames.bsky.social with my son. He's a massive fan of the video game, and over the moon with the little touches so far. Good stuff!

I've been playing The Glasgow Train Robbery from @saltandpeppergames.bsky.social , and used my time off over Easter to write a review. Is this co-op puzzle for you? Read on and find out - punchboard.co.uk/the-glasgow-...

I solved the daily #CluesBySam, Apr 6th 2026 (Easy), in 02:20 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩 cluesbysam.com

All set up for a learning game of The Glasgow Train Robbery from @saltandpeppergames.bsky.social