Brought to you by #SpielMas ⛄️!

It feels good to say I’ve just come off the Missouri River Breaks. It feels even better to say we did so much canoeing and hiking that we had to work to fit in a game night. But by day three of four it happened, and one of our river guides played, too.

Heading up to canoe the Missouri River Breaks. One of our party has their #SpielMas ⛄️ sticker ready to go!

Labor Day vacation on the island of Catan! First the base game, then Seafarers. #boardgames

Labor Day gaming continues with my variant called Palace: River and Stone. It exclusively uses a standard deck of playing cards designed by @bethsobel.bsky.social and intentionally includes her four extra cards. #boardgames Variant: boardgamegeek.com/thread/29741...

More practice for #SpielMas ⛄️ but over Labor Day. This time it was Harmonies. Beautiful but deadly. Close win! Definitely a lot of comparisons to Cascadia and a bit of Azul, but very satisfying. And it’s on Board Game Arena, so it’s simple, strategic, short, and shareable. #boardgames

Playing Forest Shuffle at Shine Beer Sanctuary in Bozeman MT. #boardgames

GMW Fall 2025 Countdown - Soccer 54: Premier by Greg Pool Playing soccer with playing cards! Using six cards in your hand, challenge for possession to move a soccer ball up and down a 3x3 field for the best shot on goal. Whoever scores the most goals wins! #boardgames @haoleboygames.com

Love me some @bethsobel.bsky.social playing cards in the morning! FYI That deck was a runner-up for “Great Game with only a Deck of Cards.” 2024 Frosties: www.spielmas.com/blog/2024-fr... #boardgames #SpielMas ⛄️

Nominations aren’t until October, but already “High Tide” from @underdog.games & @marcelineleiman.bsky.social looks like an early candidate for recognition in the 2025 Frosties during this year’s #SpielMas ⛄️ festival. #boardgames

What if you host a #boardgames “book club” meeting in the middle of the sixth annual #SpielMas ⛄️ festival? 1. Pick a shareable game you’d like to learn (ex. Parks on Board Game Arena). 2. Everyone watches a play through video, scans the rules, or plays the tutorial on BGA. 3. Come back… 🧵

ICYMI this is a solid #SpielMas ⛄️ strategy. And if it leads to discovering Splendor Duel, you’re doing it right.

Pentaquest on Board Game Arena is simple, strategic, short, and shareable. Perfect for the #SpielMas ⛄️ festival! #boardgames

CGE has issued an important statement. I will await details of the organizations who will benefit, but this is a welcomed first step. 👏 Read: bsky.app/profile/czec... #BlacklistCGE

I’m doing victory laps in my kitchen right now!!!! 💃🏼 CGE just announced they are going to be giving away 100% of the profit from their Harry Potter game to pro-trans charities!! www.instagram.com/p/DNG48n-IVP...

I have removed the link to Codenames on www.spielmas.com/play in support of the #BlacklistCGE boycott until @czechgames.com: 1) Recognizes trans lives matter as much as any life. 2) Donates some profits made from "Codenames: Return to Hogwarts" to the @trevorproject.bsky.social.

This would be a great opportunity to encourage playing “Brave The Book” by Gregg Jewel. #boardgames

Should you play #boardgames at your local library to earn points? As in #SpielMas ⛄️ in July? Asking for a friend… 🤣

“As seen at #GenCon” was not a phrase I thought I’d use in 2025, but I had some ambassadors walk the halls on my behalf in appreciation. Thanks for bringing a cool sticker to a hot town! #SpielMas ⛄️ #boardgames

Who got to playtest this new #boardgame at #GenCon?

“That is huge!” is everyone’s 10yo self awakening in amazement. #boardgames

Actually text exchange before this celebration of #boardgames took place:

I recently found myself celebrating #SpielMas ⛄️ in July with a new gaming friend. They work for the local national marine sanctuary, so I brought a few ocean themes to teach in addition to adventure. Tides by @weheart.games was a hit! #boardgames

Now compare that to the shelf at our local pub. Many of these have been intentionally left behind, so it’s an interesting level of stratigraphy. Sorry and Phase 10 aside, what’s more interesting to play here? #boardgames

Learned how to play Welcome To Moon's fifth adventure, The Dome, on Board Game Arena. Energy is a *huge* factor; it makes for at least four different winning strategies to choose from. I can see us going to the Moon during #SpielMas ⛄️ this year. Very fun to play! #boardgames

At the local dump’s last chance mercantile, looking at a lower layer of stratigraphy in #boardgames. What should I have taken?

Checkmate! ♟️ #boardgames

Woah!

Very happy to see Diatoms by @ludoliminal.bsky.social on this NPR list! #boardgames

IRL Diamant (aka Incan Gold) players avoid dangers, hit jackpot. 💎 #boardgames

This needs to be accomplished at least one night during the #SpielMas ⛄️ festival.

Prof. Scott Preston: “During the COVID-19 pandemic, people who were stuck inside with their family dusted off old copies of games in their basement or found a way to play online with friends.” Yup. That was how #SpielMas ⛄️ started. Thanks @timclare.bsky.social for this article! #boardgames

Now do Board Game Arena. #boardgames

The *best* part of playing with the Star Trek deck from Theory 11. #boardgames

Played a copy of Samurai (Reiner Knizia) that is out-of-print. Should have worn our white gloves! #boardgames

That is rough! If it's any consolation, we are learning to play Under Grove in your honor on BGA. #boardgames

“Chess helps you think critically. If there's a dictatorship, they don't want thinkers.” Play more chess! ♟️ #boardgames

Just gave a listen to the 2019 interview with @janemcgonigal.bsky.social on @ologies.bsky.social with @alieward.bsky.social, and it’s so refreshing. We’re still doing everything right, people!

When you leave out a game to play again, you know it’s a hit! #boardgames

We finished up #InternationalTabletopDay with a 2p 80-point game of Sea Salt & Paper from @pandasaurusgames.com. Then we learned how to play Tides from @weheart.games and @buttonshy.bsky.social . Both will be perfect to play during the #SpielMas ⛄️ holiday festival! #boardgames

Our Saturday morning ritual is to learn a new 2p BGA game and then play enough that someone breaks 100 ELO. We went with Faraway because of its Kennerspiel des Jahres nomination and American Tabletop Awards recommendation. This will be a great #SpielMas ⛄️ game to play! #boardgames

Note to self: Play Memoir ‘44 today. #DDay #boardgames

Tiny Towns is in beta on BGA! 🟥🔨🟦🔨🟨🔨🏠

Whirling Witchcraft is a favorite during Halloween and the #SpielMas ⛄️ holiday festival, so it's exciting to hear that an expansion is on its way. Congrats to @eanderssonsunden.bsky.social 👏🏼

you missed Neuland (Looot) :)

Someone in my online gaming group asked what 2025 Spiel des Jahres games are currently available to play on Board Game Arena. #boardgames 🧵 1/3

I once saw Bird Game, Table Hogs, and Wood4Sheep perform at a fundraiser for my local zoo. #boardgames

Thanks to @nobleknightgames.bsky.social I finally tracked down an elusive version of Tokaido Duo we played at the Mox Boarding House in Portland OR last month. #boardgames

Finally found some time to learn Matcha from @playmatcha.bsky.social. Perfect to play in the pub! #boardgames

My local library is hosting an event featuring their 3D printer. It’s a good reminder that you can print a #SpielMas ⛄️ display using @binarypretzel.com’s design.