Matthew Smail

Imagine picking up a bright yellow bag that weighs a lot more than it should. Now picture yourself putting your hand into the bag and finding it full of thick, smooth-edged hexagonal tiles that have considerable weight and character to…

Original Review: December 4th, 2023, post updated with Giveaway (at foot of article) November 21st, 2023. About five years ago, it was hard to tell which “gamer's game” was top of the tree. Lords of Waterdeep, Five Tribes, Viticulture and…

Another day, another low-key strategy title makes its way to console — and this time it’s a hybrid of Surviving Mars, Aven Colony and… The Sims? Yes, you read that right — Stranded: Alien Dawn typically allows the player to work with just…

These days, Ticket to Ride is the perennial choice for many families who play board games infrequently. With Monopoly less popular than it used to be, a new generation of gateway-level games has long since been established. But what if…

The PDP Afterglow Wireless Controller for Nintendo Switch feels almost as good as Nintendo’s own Pro Controller, and adds a beautiful light show all of its own. My abiding memory of third party Nintendo controllers harks back to the N64…

In Dog Park, players take on the thematic role of a professional dog-walker, and must build out their collection of customers (dogs) and focus on specific collections to score loads of points. With bidding, set collection, variable…

Snap Ship Tactics is perhaps both the most obvious and yet unexpected idea that I’ve seen in board gaming. It takes a simple, snap-together construction toy and turns it into a head-to-head tabletop duel reminiscent of Fantasy Flight Games’…

Original Review: 28th June 2021, post updated with Giveaway (at foot of article) 17th October 2023. To be a Spiel Des Jahre (Game of the Year) winner, a game must be simple to teach and learn, fairly quick to play, and filled with fun,…

Spellbook is the brand new game from acclaimed designer Phil Walker-Harding - creator of such fantastic games as Sushi Go Party, Imhotep and Barenpark. Walker-Harding is known for creating straightforward, engaging games that almost anyone…