Author

Matthew Smail

Matt is B3's resident Head of Board Games. As a life-long fan of all things gaming he'll also occasionally be found covering video games with the team,

Reviews

Omen: A Reign of War — Duel of the deities

Matthew Smail Nov 18, 2019 0

I've always been a big fan of one versus one card games, the most famous of which is probably Magic: The Gathering. There's little time or money in my life to keep up with expansive and costly trading card games nowadays though, so I'm…

Reviews

Extraordinary Adventures: Pirates — Shiver me timbers!

Matthew Smail Nov 17, 2019 0

When it comes to six player games, you’ll usually need to invest in an expansion (or two) — or look to your collection of party games — in order to satisfy your guests. Extraordinary Adventures: Pirates is that rare and special gem that is…

Features

A season as Leeds United in Football Manager 2020; New features and changes in review

Matthew Smail Nov 14, 2019 0

People love rituals. Most of us have several — whether we know it or not. One of mine happens annually, when the release date for the new Football Manager game is announced and I feverishly prepare myself for what will be at least a…

Reviews

Finger Guns at High Noon — Battle Royal

Matthew Smail Nov 11, 2019 0

At the outer reaches of board gaming is a dark place frequented mostly by the drunk and the curious. It's a place where few dare to tread, yet those who do will often swear by the invigorating ambrosia that they find there. What am I…

Reviews

Ishtar: Gardens of Babylon — Sowing seeds and planting trees

Matthew Smail Nov 10, 2019 0

IELLO are known for their beautifully crafted, straightforward games, often focussing on lighter mechanics and gameplay with a family-friendly feel. Whilst Ishtar: Gardens of Babylon shares IELLO’s usual exceptional production qualities…

Reviews

Lornsword Winter Chronicle — Cold Comfort

Matthew Smail Nov 6, 2019 0

Somewhere between MOBA, Real Time Strategy, Tower Defense and action RPG lives a game called Lornsword Winter Chronicle. It’s a strange game that tries to answer the age old question of how to make a compelling strategy game specifically…

Reviews

Skulk Hollow — A Foxen good time

Matthew Smail Nov 5, 2019 0

The relationship between board games and video games is a strange one. Obviously board games came first, and have inspired many a digital conversion — yet sometimes, the opposite is true. Taking the immediacy of video games and translating…

Reviews

Chronicles of Crime Noir and Welcome to Redview Expansions — Virtual realities

Matthew Smail Nov 4, 2019 0

When I think back to my review for Chronicles of Crime, it was obvious at the time that the game was designed with expansion content in mind. After all, several add-on scenarios were available on day one, and, most tellingly, the box…

Guides

Frostpunk: 9 tips on how to keep warm and win the game

Matthew Smail Nov 3, 2019 2

The world has fallen into a new ice age and only you can lead the remains of humanity into a new age of survival in Frostpunk. With more and more strategy and management simulation games making their way onto consoles these days, you might…

Reviews

Megaquarium — Fishy business

Matthew Smail Nov 1, 2019 0

When it comes to management simulations, the strength of the area of focus is often the deciding factor between whether a game succeeds or not. Theme Park, for example, excited millions of fans with its theme, despite some relatively…

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