Can't make it to Tokyo Game Market myself, but was lucky to have someone grab me some stuff this time! These are the goodies I've got coming soon. Can't wait!

Nice surprise package in the mail today. Very excited to try this one out! But wow, this rulebook is nearly unreadable...

This thread goes into detail with photos of the design copying… and the replies link to MULTIPLE previous threads about these products and the publisher’s business practices.

Also got a chance to try out Mecenat this week, the second game in the National Economy box. Cool to see how the different cards mix up the game play. This one has point cards you can collect while playing and also has some huge end game scoring cards that require some real work to pay off.

Played Atlas Lost twice today. Solo is pretty damn hard, but enjoying it quite a bit (and was only a turn or two away from a win in the first game!). It's an interesting take on tech trees in a race game with multiple end game triggers, plus a bit of resource management.

Never good with lists, and part of my love of the hobby is discovering new things, so very hard to make a top 10 list, but it would include things like Castles of Burgundy Civolution Obsession R.O.V.E. Merchants Cove Coloma GlenMore II It's a Wonderful World Orleans And then SETI or Snow Planner?

Another new game to the table, picked up a copy of Transmissions to introduce my students to rondels. Very glad I got this one, as it's very fun. Somewhat simple set collection rondel game, with a nice bit of tableau/engine building and a secondary bit of tile laying as well.

Finally got my copy of Tricktakers to the table, showing off trick taking to my students, and yeah, it's as good as they say. May very well become my favorite trick taker. The variable player powers make things super interesting. 1/2

New video up on the channel! This is the first of four videos on the solo modes of National Economy from Korokorodou, starting with a solo playthrough of the first game in the set, Progress! youtu.be/W0OFP5hi3RE?...

New video up on the channel! This week I took a look at the solo mode for the I split, you choose card drafting, set collection game, I Made You a Mixtape! youtu.be/B0aT0Olbc4g?...

Finished my first game of Civolution today. Played it little by little over the course of a few days, and am sure I didn't do everything right, but I had a blast doing it and think it'll get even better as I learn more of the combo-y goodness.

Finally got my copy of Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood to the table today. It's a crisis management game a la Pandemic that uses an interesting color based set collection system using cards that are also your attack actions that remove the nasties off of the board.

So excited to finally have Feudum back in my collection, in a new anniversary edition. Also, how could I ever turn down these socks...

All set up for my first play of Civolution! Not gonna lie, it's a bit intimidating, but very excited to finally try it out!

Played my first game of Animal Rescue Team today with my son. Plays a bit like Pandemic with an interesting movement puzzle of getting the right people/items/vehicles to the right places to rescue animals and transport them to shelters.

Also played a couple games of I Made You a Mixtape, beating the AI 127-108 and then being defeated 89-76. I absolutely love the theming on this, and it's a fun take on I Split, You Choose with some set collection and a cool balance mechanism that works surprisingly well solo.

Played another couple games of Progress, the first game in National Economy, and I'm really digging this one, but boy is the solo hard. Only scored 17 points in my first game today, and 100 felt so far away, but then I pulled out a 93! Soooo close, but still so far away...

Continuing the gaming goodness, got a review copy of this guy today as well! Super excited to try this one, such a great theme!

Got in a game of National Economy today as well. It's a super tight worker placement game with a bit of tableau building and an interesting money economy thing thrown in as well. For the first game of three in this box, you need 100 points to win. I struggled to get to 54...

Got Propolis to the table today with my son and had a great time, only beating a 6 year old by 4 points, 19-15, lol. Definitely Splendor plus worker placement, but that's not a bad thing, and since I've never really loved Splendor, I'd say this is for sure a Splendor killer, heh.

My first ever Japanese crowdfunding game (Bodofun) came today! Super excited for this one!

Newest game on the review pile!

Cracked open my copy of Point Galaxy tonight to try it out with my son. Was a fan of Point Salad (never tried City), and really enjoying the added layer of sequential sets and other additional layers of scoring in this one.

Introduced my students to @snowdaledesign.bsky.social Dale of Merchants this week, as one of two intros to deck building games. Still really enjoy this one and the unique twist it brings with the set collection/race aspect.

New video up on the channel! This week I took a look at Ayar: Children of the Sun, from designers Fabio Lopiano and Mandela Fernandez Grandon and @ospreygames.bsky.social, launching at Essen! youtu.be/SgmZpPQE_i8?...

Played my first few games of Cursed!? today. It's a fun solo, push your luck card game that plays in like 5 minutes. Trying to defeat 8 monsters before running out of cards in the deck. Tricky one for sure, but I managed to pull off a win in one of my three games!

Newest games on the review pile, a couple of small solo card games from @goblinhourgames.bsky.social !

Grabbed Sky Team for a neighbor's son for his birthday (he's obsessed with planes) and he immediately asked me to teach him and play, so I finally got a chance to try it out. Had a lot of fun with it, and just barely pulled in safely for a landing at Montreal.

New video on the channel! This week I took a look at the solo mode for the new dexterity game, Diver Go!, from @itten-games.bsky.social and designer Mashiu, launching this month at Essen! youtu.be/Srt_UjUuz7U?...

New games in for my board game after school class! Using these to teach deck building, shedding/ladder climbing, and rondel mechanisms. Excited to play all of them!

This man continues to blow my mind... @toddbarriage.bsky.social is my new music hero. I want to do exactly what he's doing so badly. youtu.be/cHkrj_WxLBQ?...

Played my first solo game of How to Save a World, barely defeating the practice level AI, 52-50. Enjoying what I'm seeing so far with the worker placement and three different tracks that add in a level of push your luck regarding which track will score more points at game end.

So very excited about this arrival!

All set up for my first game of How to Save a World from @burntislandgames.bsky.social Hopefully can get to it tomorrow.

New video up on the channel! This week I took a look at the card drafting, resource management game, Canopy: Evergreen from @weirdcitygames.bsky.social! youtu.be/caLXZJSj4Vo?...

Finally got Ayar from @ospreygames.bsky.social to the table today for a solo play (was missing pieces in the box) and am really enjoying what I've seen so far. This is one of those games that's mechanically fairly simple but that you have so many options to think about on each turn.

Got a review copy of the new Itten dexterity game launching at Essen! Super excited to try this one out!

Pulled out Namidano Festival today to introduce my students to open drafting. It had been 8 years since I'd played it, and am very glad to have gotten it played again. Really makes me sad that Taikikennai Games doesn't exist anymore, but happy to see Nao Shimamura still designing games!

New review game in and straight to the table for a few plays, Twinkle Twinkle from @allplay.bsky.social. Nothing ground breaking here, but a nice combination of familiar mechanisms (turn order tile drafting a la Kingdomino and a wonderful tile laying spatial puzzle) makes for a very fun game!

Alright, Strange World Above the Clouds from Grrre Games is a hit. My son has become quite obsessed and continues to beat me... (Though I did pull off a good win this morning...) Solo is fun too!

Got a review key to the Beacon Patrol beta on Steam. Been curious to check this game out, and after a single play, it's definitely a unique twist on tile laying. Excited to try more and add in the expansion content!

Got in three games of Strange World Above the Clouds today, twice solo once with my son. Pulled out a decent score of 67 in both solo games and lost to my 6 year old 64-68. Helped a bit to maximize scoring, but he did all his own drafting.

Surprise review package from @hachettebgusa.bsky.social today. Curious to try these out (one with my kids of course, lol)!

Super excited to preview the new Ministry of Lost Things puzzletale from @postcurious.bsky.social for the upcoming Kickstarter! Hoping to dive in tomorrow!

Got in my first game of @paverson.bsky.social Luthier today, solo against the bot. Good lord is this a giant game, could barely fit it on the table. Lots going on, and I'm sure I made a mistake here or there, but the core loop is actually not that complex and I ended up pulling off a win 98-87!

New video up on the channel. This week I took a look at the family weight, legacy style co-op game Zombie Teens Evolution! My son also joined me for the playthrough piece as well! youtu.be/TCb0XjtE6iY?...

Exciting new arrival today! @paverson.bsky.social

Also played two games of the Canopy: Evergreen solo mode today, for the first time with the Shifting Seasons cards. Enjoy this one quite a bit, but it tends to be a bit easy on solo. Did log my first loss though today by 3 points after turning up the difficulty.

Played the first two solo scenarios of Jisogi today and am digging it quite a bit. Always feels like so much I want to do with so little time to get it done. Just barely won the first scenario with 10 points and then cleared the 20 point goal of the second with 23!

Got in a 2p game of Tokyo Highway: Rainbow City with my son today, playing mission mode (scoring based on achievements) for the first time, and yeah, this is how I'll likely always play. Pulled out a close win, 20-18!