Tabletop Reviews

Push your luck mechanics are some of the most pure form of gaming, and one of the few that can be distilled down to a single action: flipping a coin or rolling a dice. It's the latter in the case of 5 Up, an incredibly easy to learn game…

Defenders of the Wild, designed by Henry Audubon and T.L. Simons and published by Outlandish Games, is a cooperative, card-driven game that blends asymmetric player abilities with ecological resistance. Defenders of the Wild shows its…

Faraway, designed by Johannes Goupy and Corentin Lebrat and published by Catch Up Games, is a small-box tableau builder that punches well above its weight. Supplied to us by Hachette UK, Faraway is a small box game that offers a clever…

There and Back Again, designed by Reiner Knizia and published by Office Dog, is a charming and refreshingly straightforward roll-and-write adventure that invites players to journey through Middle-earth one quest at a time. With eight unique…

There’s a quiet confidence about Earthborne Rangers — an inherent sense that it has a lot to say, but it’s not shouting about it. Designed by Andrew Fischer, Brooks Flugaur-Leavitt, Andrew Navaro and both Adam and Brady Sadler, and…

The concept of Whirly Derby is pretty simple. You each have a set of marbles of a single colour, you select a number of marbles to enter into a race and put them into a provided cardboard cup, then roll them into the circular tray. The…

As much a satire about house prices, economic boom and bust and even the world's most famous capitalist board game, Magnate seeks to build up and then destroy all you know about city-building. Designed by James Naylor and published by…

Wyrmspan is the latest game in the ever expanding Wingspan flock. It challenges you to take on the role of a debuting dracologist seeking to entice dragons to take up residence in your freshly excavated cosy caves as you compete for the…

Trivia games come in all shapes and sizes these days. There's absolutely no denying that it's the easiest way to get into a living room board game collection, or under the tree at Christmas. Don't Fall For It combines trivia with a fun,…

Race to grow and harvest from your garden all while trying to outmanoeuvre other gardeners in Vicious Gardens. Vicious Gardens challenges players to quickly build sets of plants in order to fulfil orders, however the same plants that allow…

In Vantage you and your crew mates have crash landed on a strange and mysterious planet, each of you at different locations. You will need to work together, describing what you see so that others can offer expertise and advice as you…

There was a moment in Flashpoint: Legacy of Flame — I think around the third or fourth mission — when I realised that I wasn't playing a rehash of the original Flashpoint: Fire Rescue, but something more akin to the culmination of 15 years…

If you normally sit there, shouting answers at the TV during quiz shows or happen to be a master of memory, then Junior Tension, and its non-kids version Tension, is a great game for you and your younger children. Specifically aimed at 6+…

Kevin Wilson has designed a lot of games over the years, but few feel as immediately confident and mechanically rich as Kinfire Council. This is a game that knows exactly what it is trying to be — an asymmetric, competitive worker placement…

When it comes to discussing games that can be played with the family, there's normally a hard-line between games for younger children and older children. Sandcastles of Burgundy, like many classics, cleverly bridges that gap with a fun,…

Everyone loves a game that stops passer-bys in their tracks, and Catch the Moon XXL is exactly that kind of game — a towering, whimsical spectacle that draws gasps from children and adults in equal measure. With oversized ladders, a giant…

When it comes to games about running businesses, there are a few that come to mind... and some of them end in big arguments and disappointment. I'm not saying that Big Boss fixes all of the issues of games about exponential, capitalist…

Playing The Lord of the Rings: Fate of the Fellowship feels like much more than just a game — it’s the retelling of an epic story. Frodo is one step from despair, the Nazgûl are circling, and you’re desperately trying to recruit Rohirrim…

One thing that kids games do a lot better than most games aimed at adults is convincingly take over the table and, in the case of playing them out at gaming cafes or events, draw in a crowd. Stomp the Plank is an incredibly easy to…

The Lambada is a Brazilian dance where people bend their knees and make lots of small steps. Lambada is not about the dance, it's instead about matching colours, getting rid of all of your cards and avoiding forbidden colours. Bright…