Matthew Smail

2018 was a year in which there was not one, but two Stefan Feld games themed around ancient Rome. The first, Carpe Diem, is a relatively straightforward tile drafting and placement game where players act as wealthy Patricians. The second,…

Have you ever dreamed of travelling through the stars, exploring new worlds and exploiting their resources to fuel the expansion of your species? Horizons is certainly not the first board game to help this dream materialise, but it is one…

Leading a stone age tribe, training dinosaurs, using your own magical power — all this and more can be found in Warparty. Since the days of the Super Nintendo and Megadrive, dedicated console fans have repeatedly shown their appreciation…

In Kanagawa, players take on the role of art students in 19th Century Japan. In a time-honoured tradition, the students will compete to improve their skills, expand their own studio and compete to make the best impression on their master.…

It’s not every day that you’ll see a re-release like The Fantasy Trip: Legacy Edition. In fact, it’s a game — or rather a system — that I think will surprise a lot of people with both its accessibility and it’s flexibility. As the…

Imperator: Rome is the latest grand strategy game from veteran design and publishing house Paradox Interactive. With a timeline beginning around 300 BC, players are tasked with managing the formation of the Roman Empire  — or one of its…

Many board games allow players to act out their fantasies of world domination, but how many of them truly explore the egotistical nature of the world leaders who live out this reality on a daily basis? World Dumbination is an upcoming…

StudioMDHR’s rock hard platform shoot-em-up Cuphead makes its way onto Nintendo’s handheld Switch console

Are you a console gamer looking for a relaxing crafting game that provides hundreds of hours of entertainment draped in a sugary layer of primary colours and soft melodies? If so, then My Time At Portia might be the game you’ve been waiting…

I don't recall music being a central theme for many board games, but lately that trend is changing. Last year we previewed Rap Godz from Board Game Brothas, whilst one of our featured reviews during 2019 will be Moaideas Symphony No. 9. In…