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The Mystery Agency: The Bookshop Murder WBG Score: 9 Player Count: 1+ You’ll like this if you like: The previous mystery agency book. Any of the mystery agency games. Puzzles and playing detective.  Published by: The Mystery Agency Ltd Designed by: Henry Lewis This is the reviewer’s copy. See our review policy here By Steve Godfrey This is your obligatory ‘NO SPOILERS’ warning. I’ll try my best to not spoil any clues / puzzles in the pictures but if you are worried about that then quickly scroll past the pics.  If you want to read my review of the of the Museum Heist, the first book in this series then head here If you’ve played the previous book, then feel free to skip this ‘how it works’ section as it works the same. If not, then prepare yourself for this expertly written explanation on… How to solve a bookshop murder.  First, grab yourself your writing implement of choice and some paper. No more than that... maybe just a touch more… perfect. The first few pages will contain suspect sheets, a homicide report, and a map of the street. You can either write on them in the book or you can scan the QR code and download the printable versions. I prefer the latter in case someone wants to borrow the book or for me later on when I’ve forgotten enough of it to play again… so about two weeks if I’m being generous. Then away you go. Most of the pages and spreads in this book will have some form of puzzle on them. Simply read through the story, observe the pictures. Then solve the puzzle and go to the next page. At certain points, you’ll come across locked door puzzles. Once you’ve solved these, you’ll need to scan the QR code on the page that’ll take you to a web page where you can enter the code once you’ve solved it. This will tell you if you're successful or not. If so, go to the next page. The back of the book will have a hints section that will give you two hints per puzzle. Then there’s a solution section. No prizes for guessing what that does.  A paragraph about a QR code! This is going to feel like a trivial point to some, but for me, it made me happy. Plus, it’s at the start of the book, so it makes sense to talk about it at the start of the review. If you wanted to print the suspect pages in the first book, you’d either have to scan them or take a photo and then try and print it that way. It wasn’t the biggest inconvenience, but it wasn’t quick either, so it wasn’t ideal, especially when you just want to get into the game. In this one, they have a handy QR code where you can easily print off the suspect sheets and map with no fuss. It’s such a small quality of life improvement, but it meant I could get going on the book that much quicker. So thank you for that change. Just to say that the lack of QR code was in my printing of the first book. I don’t know if that’s changed for newer printings.  The difficult second album? Last year's book was always going to be a tough act to follow for me. I gave it a 9.5 out of ten, and it was number three in my top ten games of last year. So has it lived up to last year's lofty heights? I won’t bury the lead. Yes, yes it has.  Tales of the unexpected  One of the genius parts of the first book was the setting and how it was used as a basis for the puzzles. You see, being set in a museum, you had access to all sorts of different settings and time periods, and the book could play about with those and make clever use of them, and they still made sense for the story. You could have a puzzle that used hieroglyphics and one that had medieval knights, and it wouldn’t feel out of place. So when I originally saw that a bookshop (or in this case shops plural) was the setting, I assumed that it would be much the same and would go about using different books or book settings as the backdrop for the puzzles. Much like Jasper Fforde does with his Thursday Next novels, I thought we’d be in a world that bounced us through classic and modern literature, and we are, for a bit. The book instead does something that I didn't expect and focuses more on the themes of each of the shops. Each shop, and not all of them are bookshops, has a different theme, and each shop and the proprietor are used in really clever ways that keep the variability of the last book intact here. It’s safe to say that my expectations weren’t met here, but that’s not a bad thing. In fact, far from it. It just goes as proof that these books aren’t going to rest on their laurels and follow the same path from book to book.  The puzzles here are just as fun as its predecessor, and there's an interesting variety of difficulty and type of puzzle. Of course, the difficulty is subjective, and puzzles where I found it difficult to work out the mechanisms, you might instantly get and vice versa. But variety is the name of the game, and one minute you’ll be trying to decode like you're at Bletchley Park, and next you’ll be having flashbacks to GCSE maths. If any of that worries you, it shouldn’t because even me with my poor maths skills managed to work out the more mathy of the puzzles.  The major thing I loved from the last book that’s carried over here is the mix of puzzles and detective work. You'll have individual puzzles on pretty much every double-page spread coupled with story elements and pictures. The puzzle solutions present their own clues to the culprit, but that won't be enough. You'll need to rely on your detective skills and information gathering to figure out the case (hence the amount of paper you'll need). Yes, here you'll need to channel your inner Benoit Blanc, or Jessica Fletcher, or whatever the name of the current detective on Death in Paradise is when you're reading this. It's these elements that immerse you in the story and ultimately keep everything from feeling like “just a set of puzzles” that you can find in any old puzzle book. I rarely felt like I solved a puzzle that was pointless to the investigation. If I did, I was proved wrong at a later point in the story. When that did happen, I had images of Henry Lewis sat at home in his armchair by a roaring fire and looking up from his book and saying “hah, got him.” One of my assumptions was that, given my experience from the first book, I’d have some decent foreknowledge of what to expect from this one. I’d know what to look out for, what to keep an eye on, what sort of things could help me solve the case. I wrote down loads more for this one, and I thought that I’d covered enough ground and enough clues to help me solve it. And so it came to the big denouement, and all I could think was, “I know your game, Henry, I’ve got this”... turns out I didn't know his game, and I certainly didn't have this. Now, while at the time I didn't feel quite as clever as I did before the big reveal, it did lead me to a few conclusions. The devil is in the details. I’d managed to get quite a few of the bigger plot points, and I’d managed to hone in on a lot of the clues and solve quite a lot. Just, you know, not the big one. Mainly I was annoyed at myself because I’d missed a few little details that I should have seen and that I’d second-guessed myself on some detail which led me down a different route. Which in some sense I’m glad about. It means that the game isn't made easier just because you’ve played the other one in the series. You still get clever puzzles and a clever case that isn't going to be affected by any foreknowledge. You’re still going to be just as challenged as you were before or maybe even more.  Personally, I tend to play these books on my own, and it’s just nice when everyone’s gone to bed or doing their own thing to break this one out with a cup of tea and my brain food of choice. Although with the amount of sugar in some of it, I don’t suppose I can really call it brain food. This one took me about three evenings playing at least a couple of hours each, possibly a bit more, but I didn’t really time it, and I kinda just got lost in them. Which is what you ultimately want from something like this. You could easily play this with more people. I don’t think I’d want to play with more than two personally, but I generally prefer these kinds of puzzle games capped at two anyway. However, if you have a group that you like playing these types of games with, then you absolutely can.  If you loved the first book, then you’ve probably already got this, but if you haven't, then you certainly need to think about adding it to your collection as soon as you get a chance. If you’ve played the last one, then you’ll find a comforting familiarity here that you can settle into. However, none of that detracts from anyone new jumping straight into this one. As I said, foreknowledge won’t be an advantage here. My only disappointment with this is that it’s left me wanting to dive into another one… and there isn’t one yet. Now I know why my wife waits until TV shows have finished before binge-watching them.  Right, I’m off to binge a load of detective shows before the next book comes out because mark my words, I’ll be ready for it! There’ll be no pulling the wool over this detective's eyes! No, wait, I’ve just been told we’re going to be very busy until then. Maybe I’ll just squeeze in a couple of episodes of Murder She Wrote and hope that’s enough.

Peranakan WBG Score: 7.5 Player Count: 2-6 You’ll like this if you like: Chill puzzle games Published by: Genie Games Co Designed by:   Eugene Lim This is a review copy. See our review policy here Peranakan is from the same designer who brought us the 10219 cult hit, Rats to Riches . They are now back with something quite different, debuting at the UKGE fair in the UK in 2026. For fans of games that look gorgeous, play simply, but offer a cosy, relaxed strategy, this well could be one for you. Let's get it to the table and see how it plays. How To Set Up Peranakan Roll out the gorgeous play mat, and separate the four types of Kueh (bite sized snacks), placing them into their spaces on the left of the game board. Shuffle all the tiles and place them into a stack on the top left of the board, then place the top four into their spaces below this. Give each player their Babas and Nyonyas of their chosen colour, and you are ready to begin! Unless you want a quick cultural lesson like I did. The Baba-Nyonya, also known as Peranakan, are a unique ethnic group in Southeast Asia, primarily found in Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia. They are descendants of Chinese immigrants from the 15th and 16th centuries who married local Malay or Indonesian women. "Baba" denotes the men, while "Nyonya" refers to the women, and together they developed a distinctive hybrid culture that combines Chinese traditions with local Malay language, attire, and culinary practices. Ad now, in 2026, are seen in this game! Cool, you are all caught up! How To Play Peranakan Players will now take turns to choose one tile from the four currently displayed, or the top one from the stack. When you take a tile, you will also take the Kueh adjacent to it. If you take the tile on the bottom spot, you can take any Kueh; this is a wild space. Next, you will place the tile you just took onto the game board. You can place it anywhere you like, even on top of a previously placed tile. However, you cannot stack more than once in this way. You can then, if you wish, place one of your Baba or Nyonya onto the tile you just placed. If you stack on top of another tile, and there is a figure there already, simply move them up to be on top of the new tile. You will then replenish the tiles in the stack, replacing the one you took with the top one from the stack, and it is the next player's turn. Simple, right? If you ever place a Baba and it is fully surrounded by eight other tiles, you will score that Baba. This is done by looking at all tiles in the surrounding tiles that match the same design as the tile that the Baba is on. You will then take the matching Kueh shown on the matching tile into your collection. Similarly, with the Nyonya, these score when the tile that they are on has a complete row and column around it. All tiles in both the row and column this tile is within are completely filled to the edges. Again, score all Kueh on all matching tiles to the tile your Nyonya is on. This continues until either the stack of tiles runs out, all players have used all their Baba and Nyonya, or there are no more Kueh left in all four supplies. Players will then score for each complete set of Kueh. The player with the most complete sets wins. In case of the tie, most Kueh in total wins. Peranakan Board Game Review - Is It Fun? Why this game may be good At first glance this game is pure comfort food, a gorgeous play mat, tactile tiles, and those delightful little Kueh snacks waiting to be collected. Then the game starts purring. Turns are simple, choose a tile, take adjacent Kueh, place it, maybe drop a Baba or Nyonya. Under that cosy surface, though, is a surprisingly sharp little puzzle about timing, positioning, and just how greedy you can afford to be. It feels relaxed, but it rewards the player who plans two, three, maybe ten turns ahead and keeps their options open. Who may like it If you love games that look stunning, teach quickly, and still give you something to chew on, Peranakan is waving you over. Tile-laying fans will enjoy the gentle spatial tactics, while lighter strategy players will appreciate that it stays approachable even when the decisions start to tighten. Anyone who likes satisfying set collection, calm table presence, and that warm “one more round” feeling should put this high on the list. It also suits groups who enjoy a bit of table chat and soft competition, because the interaction is there, but it is never mean. Who may not If you want direct conflict, dramatic swings, or constant fireworks, this may feel too polite. The strategy is real, but it is quiet, and the tension builds in small choices rather than big moments. Players who dislike spatial games, or who prefer a clearly scripted plan instead of flexible tactics, might find the tile placement and scoring triggers a little fiddly. And if you hate a game where someone can casually take the tile you were eyeing, well, you might mutter a few unprintable words into your tea. Pros Beautiful table presence, genuinely eye-catching Simple turns with deeper strategy than expected Satisfying tile placement and set collection loop Scoring triggers create tension without aggression Cons Low conflict may feel too gentle for some groups Tactical swings can happen when the display shifts Spatial scoring rules may take a round to fully click Peranakan is a calm, inviting strategy game that knows exactly how to disarm you. It looks like a cosy evening, plays like a breeze, and then quietly asks you to make clever choices while you are still admiring the art. If you like your games warm, elegant, and sneakily smart, this could be a lovely new regular at your table. Just do not blame me if you end up craving snacks, because this one is kueh-fully moreish.

General Orders: Sengoku Jidai  WBG Score: 9 Player Count: 2 You’ll like this if you like: General Orders World War 2 Published by : Osprey Games Designed by: Trevor Benjamin , David Thompson This is a review copy. See our review policy here By Steve Godfrey It’s one thing having one clever game system that combines a seemingly un-combinable theme and mechanism… but to have two? At this point, I can only assume the two designers have a huge mechanism spinney wheel in their office, and every so often they spin it, stick a war theme on whatever it lands on, and boom, a successful game system. Do you know what, though? Whatever it is, I'm 100% here for it! If you’ve already played the original General Orders: World War 2, then the rules are largely the same, so feel free to skim through this explanation for the changes.  How to give General Orders Pick the side of the board you’ll be playing on, take the components appropriate for that side, and set up the board as indicated. Each player will have a number of commanders (determined by the side of the board), and on your turn, you’ll either place one of your commanders on one of the boards or pass. When you place a commander on the board, place it on an unoccupied activation space and play out the action from that space.  Before I go into what the actions do, I want to talk about the concept of being “in supply.” A lot of spaces can’t be activated unless the activated space is in supply. A space is considered in supply if you can trace an unbroken line of adjacent spaces from the activated space to your HQ. When you advance into a space, you can move any number of units from spaces that are adjacent to that space or that are adjacent to a water area that is adjacent to that space. However, at the end of your turn, you can only have five units in a space, so any excess you have will need to go back to your supply. Why would you take more, you ask? Well, if you move into a space with the other player's units, you battle. First, the defender rolls a die, and the attacker removes the number of units equal to the pips rolled. Then each player removes units on a one-for-one basis until there are either at least one of a player's units left or no player's units are left. This is the same with the Sail action, except this only involves your ships. The bombard action lets you use your ships to attack an adjacent land space. Roll one die for each ship in space and total up the pips to destroy that many units.  The Shell action is essentially the same as the bombard action, except it’s targeting adjacent water spaces, and you’ll roll two dice regardless of how many units you have in the space. If you're using the side with the siege engines, then you’ll have the siege action, which works the same as the bombard action, except you’ll be targeting adjacent land spaces.  You can also place commanders on the side board. This board has two reinforce actions, two embark actions, and two plan actions. Each player can only use one of each of these in a round. Embark and reinforce will let you put more units in play, and the Plan action will let you draw a number of command cards, and one space will give you the first player for the next round. Command cards have a number of different abilities and timings on when they can be played, and everything is written on the cards. You can alternatively spend a command card to reroll any dice you’ve rolled. There are some spaces that will also give you bonus abilities as long as you control them, like, for example, being able to reinforce extra units or draw extra cards when taking those actions.  The game will end when either one player has control of their opponent's HQ or after four rounds. If it ends in rounds, then each player will score points based on stars in spaces they control and that are in supply. The player with the most points wins, with the tie going to the player who is first in turn order this round. The student has become the master. The first General Orders game (World War Two) served as another interesting take on the war game by introducing worker placement into the genre. It was tight, tense, brilliant, and condensed the whole experience into a box so small you could barely fit baby shoes in it. Most of all, it was accessible and hopefully more appealing to a much wider range of gamers because of the more familiar mechanisms. Although I appreciate the theme isn’t for everyone. With praise like that, it’s gotta mean that topping that for a sequel is going to be difficult, but what do I know! Apparently, for the two designers, this was actually super easy, barely an inconvenience. I’ll get into why a bit later because first, I want to focus on what makes their system so brilliant. Plus, I’ve not reviewed the first one yet, so I can’t just cheat and make you read that review.  It very quickly becomes apparent how clever and strategic this system and this combination of mechanisms is, especially when it comes to the area control aspect. In other area control games, it's not uncommon to see areas change hands or be fought over a number of times during a single game round. In this, though, more effort is needed because of the limited number of actions you can use to do that. In the original WWII version, only Advancing and Paradropping could let you take over a space. In this, it’s even tighter because you don’t have that paratrooper's action. You know, what with planes not having been invented. The only way you could achieve the same effect is by flinging people across the map with a catapult, but I don't think that’s really practical. Of course, once those actions are used, it still doesn’t mean that a space is safe because there are other ways to weaken the forces in a space to make them more susceptible to take over next round. In the original game, there were few ways to do this, but in this one, they’ve really upped the ante.  With the introduction of ships and siege engines, every space feels vulnerable to attack all throughout the round, and it just raises the tension. Nothing is safe, so you have to decide if your priority is trying to go on the attack or if you're going to have to defend what you’ve already got. It’s not impossible to balance both, but you’ll certainly find yourself leaning one way in a given round.  I see no ships! Right, let's talk about one of the changes from the first game. Previously, you could only bring in units from adjacent areas to the space you're advancing into. Now you can also bring them in from areas that are adjacent to ships that are next to that space, meaning you can bring in units from a bit further out. It brings a lot more freedom in terms of how you distribute your units across the map and helps in not immediately giving away your cunning plans. Nothing says “I’m gonna attack you” more than adding units to a couple of next-door areas. At least now you can be a bit sneaky by putting people a bit further and not completely exposing what you’ve got in store for your opponent. What I love about this change is that it makes cutting off opponents' supply lines even more tactical and probably a bit easier since the water spaces cover a lot of the board and give you more opportunity to get to those all-important spaces quickly. Personally, I only used to try and cut off my opponent near the end of the game to stop them scoring points and because they then had to spend their last moves desperately trying to reinforce those areas and be distracted from what I was doing. Now, though, you may want to go for the other player's ships to really limit their resources in a whole section of the board. Something so seemingly simple as adding ships to this game just turns it up to eleven in terms of strategy because you have so many more options open to you. You have a lot more things to consider and so many ways to swing the fight back to your side. I love the balancing act and the eventual race that comes with this mix of mechanisms. Each round, you have either 5 or 6 commanders at your disposal, and timing can be essential in this game because of the limited spaces to place them, thanks to the worker placement aspect of the game. For example, you may plan to move into a space and then reinforce it on your next turn. Your opponent may have other ideas and choose to hit that space by sea and wipe out those units before you get a chance to add those other units. On the flip side, reinforcing before you want to move may result in your opponent taking that space first. The game is full of these tough decisions, and the wrong one could see you going from being on the offensive with the upper hand to scrabbling to build yourself back up and resupply your forces. In some games, being on the back foot like that could signal the end of your game, but in Sengoku Jidai, and the previous WWII, you never really feel like you're out of the game until literally the end of the game. Unless you’ve played really badly, of course.  It’s written in the cards If all the above is all the game had to offer, I’d still rate it just as highly. Throw in the cards as well, and you open up a whole new world (try getting that song out of your head). The reason I’d still rate it as highly without the cards is because, in my first couple of games of the original, I kinda ignored the cards and still had fun, but the cards certainly add another level to the game. It’d be all too easy to see a turn where you're not using an action to do something on the map or reinforce it as a waste of time. You quickly learn, though, that that’s not the case and that card actions can be just as important. First and foremost, you can just spend them to reroll dice, which, for someone who seems to have upset dice (they won’t tell me what I’ve done), is a massive deal. Each card will give some kind of benefit, like giving you additional dice to roll, adding units to the boards, or letting you take second actions. These are all things that may not sound like much on paper, but in such a tight game, any of these could make all the difference. Another simple thing on the cards that I love is that they give you the exact timing of when you play them. It’s written right there on the bottom of the cards and takes away any ambiguity.  It’s like Piccadilly Circus This is a board that can get very busy. With discs, siege engines, and ships on the board, a lot of the commander placement spaces and victory point stars can easily get lost in the mix. I can’t tell you how many times games have nearly been won/lost because someone couldn’t see what stars their opponent had just because of the volume of stuff on the board. This was a problem for the original game as well, but it seems to be more of an issue here. Because there are more placement options, the spaces are now a touch smaller to fit them into the areas. Couple that with the sepia colour scheme, and they can easily get lost in the mix. In the original game, the commander spaces were bigger and could use better contrast to make them easier to spot. Don’t get me wrong, I love the artwork in this game; it’s beautiful, but the colour on the board can sometimes be a hindrance. We also found the shell and siege action symbols were a bit too similar to each other, and we kept confusing the two. The iconography is really clever in showing you what it does. But again, the size of spaces made them a bit difficult to read at a distance, so lots of leaning and addressing of the rulebook was involved.  The General Orders series is the Aladdin's lamp of board games (I bet you’re really singing that song from earlier now, aren’t you?) Epic feeling war game, itty bitty box. The only difference being that you will need to open the box to get the game out. If you rub the box too much, the only thing likely to happen is the ink rubbing off on your hands. When you do get the box open, though (it’s really not that difficult), you’ll be left with a strategic, fun, and innovative take on a war game that will leave you wanting to rack it up and play again.  Trevor Benjamin and David Thompson have yet again taken two seemingly incompatible mechanisms and themes and combined them to make a gloriously triumphant series of games that offer tight, strategic, and tactical gameplay while making it accessible to anyone who wants to dip their toes into this genre. For me, this surpasses the original, and that’s saying something because I love the original. That being said, though, both are staying in the collection. Right, I’m off to predict what the next game in the series will be. So here’s a peek behind the curtain. I was gonna think of something “witty” to put here and was gonna say Lord of the Rings, you know, because of how many games have been using the theme lately, and now I can’t stop thinking how cool a Lord of the Rings version of these games would be. One side of the board for Helm's Deep and one for Pelennor Fields. We need to make this happen!

Absolute WBG Score: 7.5 Player Count: 2-6 You’ll like this if you like: Maths! Published by: Nonymous Games Designed by:  Tony Diaz This is a review copy. See our review policy here I love a little card game with a clever scoring mechanism, and Absolute pulled me in with exactly this. It looks mathy, clever, intriguing, and fun, and one I could enjoy with my friends and family both for entertainment but also education, for my kids that is, not my friends. Although, some could benefit! But now I have my hands on a copy and have enjoyed it for a lot of plays (and I've only had it a short while). Is it any fun? Let's get it to the table and find out! How To Set Up Absolute Shuffle the deck and deal five cards to each player, and then place the remaining deck face down in the centre of the table. Take one card from the top and place it face up as a discard pile. You are now ready to play! How To Play Absolute Players take it in turns, using their cards to try and create three sets of cards. On their turn, they will draw one card from the deck and then use their cards to try and create sets of at least three cards (but can be more) of cards that add up to zero combined. The deck is made up of cards numbered one to ten in both positive and negative. So, you could combine a positive five and positive two with a negative seven for a set of three cards that total zero. Make sense? The idea is you are looking to create three sets and go out using all your cards. You can use zeros as wild cards, so they can help with most sums. But you can also take cards from other players' played sets (so long as they are not out of the game yet) and replace a zero another player used with a card you hold that matches what they were using the zero for. For example, if another player was using a zero as a seven you could take this and replace it with a seven of your own, to use however you wish. The game ends when the first player has discarded their final card and played at least three sets. Everyone else gets one more turn to make it equal turns, and then final scoring happens. You will score points for the highest card played in each set, plus an extra point for every card over three in a set, so two bonus points for a set of five cards. You also gain a bonus for any card in a run of three or more, so a set that has a two, three, and four in it would score three points extra for this run of three consecutive cards. And then you will double any set made up of four of the same number or four of the same suit! Such as the below example. Where you would score seven point for seven being the highest card in the set. Then an extra point for having one more card than the minimum of three, so eight in total now. And then double that as every card was the same, so 16 points for this set. One final thing to note is how open the game is when it comes to building sets. Sets can be made freely using any combination of suits, and on your turn you may lay down as many sets as you are able to create. Suits do not restrict play during the game and only really come into focus at scoring, where they can increase the value of a set. This keeps the gameplay flexible and tactical, letting players focus on clever card use and timing rather than rigid constraints. Is It Fun? Absolute Card Game Review Absolute will really appeal to players who enjoy small card games with clever scoring and lots of little moments of satisfaction. If you like spotting patterns, nudging numbers into place, and squeezing extra value out of a set, there is plenty here to enjoy. It is also a great fit for families, as the math is simple enough to grasp but rewarding enough to stay interesting and potentially even informative for the right ages. 8-13 I would suggest being the sweet spot for academic purposes, way beyond that for simple fun. It feels like the kind of game that can be fun on a casual evening but also quietly educational, especially for kids who like numbers and problem-solving. That said, Absolute will not be for everyone. Players who prefer high interaction, constant drama, or big swingy moments may find it a little too calm and thoughtful. While there is some interaction through upgrading other players’ sets, most of the game is spent focusing on your own hand and planning ahead. If mental arithmetic or careful optimisation puts you off, this may not be the card game that wins you over. What makes Absolute stand out is how open and flexible it feels. Sets can be built freely, turns can be explosive when everything lines up, and the scoring system constantly tempts you to push a little further. Do you lock in a safe set, or do you add one more card to chase bonus points? The way runs, extra cards, and matching numbers or suits all layer together gives the game a satisfying puzzle-like feel that rewards smart play without becoming overwhelming. Pros Clever, layered scoring system Flexible set building with meaningful choices Easy to teach but rewarding to master Works well for families and mixed-age groups Cons Limited player interaction during most turns Can feel quite maths-focused for some players Less exciting for those who prefer high-chaos card games In the end, Absolute is a small card game with a big brain and a gentle charm. It looks mathy, clever, intriguing, and fun, and it delivers on all four. It is the sort of game that invites repeat plays, encourages improvement, and quietly rewards smart thinking. If you enjoy compact card games with elegant rules and satisfying decisions, Absolute is well worth getting to the table.

This is a preview copy sent to us for our early opinions. No money exchanged hands. Some art, rules or components will change in the final game. Blitz Creed is a card game themed on war, so it may not be a theme for everyone. But it sure does make great use of a tug-of-war and take-that mechanic in a thematic way. The game is for two to five players, but I found it works best with two. Although larger groups do work, the back-and-forth and tightness of the take-that mechanic work so well with two. The game is coming to crowdfunding soon, and you can follow the progress here . The game works very simply. There is one deck of cards. Shuffle them up, deal five to each player, and place the rest as a face-down draw deck. Players now take turns to draw two cards and play up to two battle cards and up to two dispute cards. Players are looking to be the first to have three secured regions. There are four main groups of cards. Country cards, which are grouped into regions. You can place up to two down into your play area each round. Each country will show what region it is from and how many cards from that region are required to secure it. This is essentially set collection. Get three full sets and win the game. However, your countries will be at constant threat of attack by the second type of card, Soldier cards. These can be placed down into your play area, and then later used to attack a rival player's country. You must use them with a country of your own, then it is a simple equation of which country has the higher strength. Although, defending players can play one of the third group of cards as reinforcements, to strengthen their defence and stop the attack. The final group of cards are dispute cards which let you gain more cards for your hand, look at another player's hand, take cards from other players, take countries from other players, or steal soldiers from another player. So, take it in turns to build your armies, countries, attack other players, and boost your hand for later defences and attacks. It's a constant back and forth, as players will be constantly taking, losing, and regaining countries, using their soldiers to try and build their regions. And only when a country is part of a secured region is it then safe. Although, there are some cards that let you take countries from secured regions too! It's a real tug-of-war, with a hilarious swing between powers as the game progresses. I find that as much as this is a classic case of two steps forward and then one step back, you are always slowly making progress. And the winner will be the player who can make sustained progress the quickest. Why Blitz Creed May Be For You Blitz Creed can be a lot of fun if you enjoy direct interaction and a proper back-and-forth struggle. Every turn feels punchy, with players building toward regions while also tearing each other down. The tug-of-war is constant, and the take-that elements feel purposeful rather than mean for the sake of it. You are rarely just waiting for your next turn. You are watching, reacting, and planning how to protect what you have while lining up the next strike. It really shines at two players, where every move feels tight and personal, but it still delivers plenty of chaos and drama at higher counts. In truth, it's probably a better game at higher player counts. I just find the accessibility, speed of play, and high interaction perfect for two players. So that is my personal preference. But I feel this will score higher in general with four or five. This game is likely to appeal to players who enjoy confrontation, card play, and tactical timing. If you like games where your plans are never fully safe and you have to adapt on the fly, Blitz Creed has a lot to offer. Fans of compact card games with lots of interaction will feel right at home. On the other hand, players who dislike take-that mechanics or get frustrated when progress is undone may bounce off it. The war theme also will not be for everyone, especially those who prefer lighter or more abstract settings. What makes Blitz Creed interesting is how cleanly it blends set collection with aggression. Securing regions gives you a clear goal, but getting there is anything but straightforward. Countries are always under threat, soldiers can suddenly turn the balance of power, and dispute cards create big swings at just the right moments. Even when you lose ground, it never feels pointless because the game rewards steady, sustained progress. That push and pull creates a lively rhythm and some genuinely funny reversals, making each game feel like a small story of shifting power and hard-fought victories. One to watch on crowdfunding for sure.

This is a preview copy sent to us for our early opinions. No money exchanged hands. Some art, rules or components will change in the final game. Proving Grounds is a new trick-taking game (with a twist) from the people that have brought us many other trick-taking games (with twists!) Such as Justice , which incorporates deduction, Tolerance , which uses a historical background to make every card played in a trick available to be used by the player who wins the trick; and my personal favourite, White Hat . A trick-taking game set in a hacking universe, which incorporates a board that you move along, alongside the usual trick-taking mechanic. So these peeps have pedigree! But what have they cooked up for us this time? Well, Proving Grounds is an intriguing trick-taker that incorporates a clever card playing mechanic that simulates a fight between rival clans. There are six suits in total, but across three colours. Two colours have two sub-suits you see. These six suits all linked in a circle, like the hexboard below. And when you lead with a suit, players can follow with the same suit, or either one of the suits that reside next to it on the hexboard. Twist number one. All the cards are multi-purpose too, and you can flip then round to any orientation, and use each card for either one of the two suits and value it shows on either end. Twist number two. As such, when players play a card, they must make it clear which side they are using, and then all other players must follow with either the same suit, or one that is adjacent to the lead suit on the Hexboard. If you do not want to do this, or cannot do this, you must pass. When play returns to the lead player, that does not end the trick. They can decide to play another card if they wish. Maybe they are no longer winning the trick and they want to change that! Play does not stop until two consecutive players pass. Twist number three. At the end of the trick, if any player has not played at card, they must then discard a card from their hand and take a penalty token. If ever any player has seven penalties, the game immediately ends. Penalties will score you minus one point at the end of the game. player that ended the game with seven penalties will come last no matter what the scores were. The winner of the trick then places a white marker into a space within the hexboard either to their left or to their right. They must place this into a space matching the card they just won with. Then at the end of the round, when the first player runs out of cards, all players score both hexboard's to their left and right. This way, players share each board with one different player but score the cumulative score of both boards on either side of them. The way you score is by seeing which side, the red or blue, has the most white markers in it. Then you will place down a score marker on the centre of the hexboard with the plus two oriented towards the side with the most white markers. You then score two points for each marker on this side. The white markers on the other side lose you a point for each one. This way, as you play the tricks, you are not just thinking about how you may win, but how the card you are trying to win with may either help or hinder your scoring at the end of the round. Will it be placed on a side where you already have a majority and thus increase the chance that side gets the plus two over the minus one? Or could it do the opposite of that? You have two choices of hexboard to use each time you do this, and other players will, of course, affect them when they win tricks too. Twist number four! The game works like this, over three rounds. After each round, all white markers are replaced with orange ones, which block spaces but do not score for the next round. So, as you continue into later rounds, you need to find ways to manipulate the game and your two hexboard's so you can win tricks with new cards from new suits. All the while, tracking how your neighbours are scoring on their other hexboard that they don't share with you, so you can monitor who is ahead of you, which side hexboard you need to focus on, and how you can best put yourself into a position to win the game. All this combines to create a trick-taking game, where every hand matters. Every card is important. And every card can be one of two things, and you have so many options of how and when you should pay each card, and then how, if you win the trick, you score that card. It keeps your focused and in the game at all times. And considering this is just three rounds, this is a quick game. But you are fully engrossed at all points. It never fails to impress me when people come up with new ways to use old mechanics. And this is not just the fusion of a few mechanics into one new experience. It feels more like the development of a new mechanic. I am not sure what that would be called. I suppose it is the combination of multi-use cards in a trick-taking game, with multi-score zones, in a semi-cooperative, hand management card game? If that sounds like fun to you, then check out the upcoming crowdfunding for this game. I will add the link when it goes live. I believe it will be some time in 2026.

This is a preview copy sent to us for our early opinions. No money exchanged hands. Some art, rules or components will change in the final game. If you have played Factory 42 or Mine 77 then this game's theme may ring a few Dwarf shaped bells! Like those games, the 15th Stamp takes place in the grand Halls of Bureaucracy in Odrixia. A flood of documents covers the desks of overwhelmed government officials, each needing to be stamped and authorised according to set procedures. And it's your job to sort them... by playing a trick-taking game! But here, you don't follow suit. There are no trumps. You can play whatever you want! How is there order in that? Well stick around and find out. How To Set Up 15th Stamp To start a Round, the lead player, known as the Administrator takes all cards from the same numbers as suits as there are players, plus one. There are eight suits in the game, so this plays up to seven players. They will shuffles the deck of chosen suits, and deals all the cards evenly among the players. If there are leftover cards that cannot be dealt evenly, these are set aside for the Round, unseen, and will not be used. You should never start playing a Round with more than 12 cards per player. In a three-player game, you will have 13 cards each, so each player must choose one card to discard without revealing it. The Lead player is always the player to the left of the Administrator. How To Play 15th Stamp Each Round is made up of multiple Tricks. For each Trick, play proceeds clockwise, beginning with the Lead player. On your turn, you play one card at a time into the Trick. You do not need to follow suit; any card of any Suit and Rank can be played. The Trick continues until the total combined Rank value of all cards played reaches or exceeds the Target Value of 15. The Trick ends immediately once 15 is reached. This means that players may have played a different number of cards into the Trick, and some players may not have played any cards at all. When playing your cards, make sure to keep them separate from other players’ cards so you can easily retrieve your own later. Ideally, play them in front of you, not into a shared trick pile as usual with these sort of games. Now, calculate the total Rank value of cards played for each Suit that participated in the Trick. If two or more Suits tie for the highest total value, the Suit containing the last card played becomes the scoring Suit for that Trick. All players who played cards of the scoring Suit now retrieve the cards they played. The player who played the highest Rank card of the scoring Suit places that card face up in front of them. This will be worth two points at the end of the game. If there are two or more cards of equal highest Rank, the last one played takes precedence and becomes the face-up card. Other players who contributed to the scoring Suit place one of their cards face down in front of them. These are worth one point. Any remaining cards in the Trick are discarded. The player to the immediate left of the player who caused the Trick to reach 15 becomes the new Lead player and starts the next Trick. The Round ends when any player plays their last card. The current Trick then becomes the last Trick of the Round. It is played out as usual until either the total reaches 15 or all players run out of cards. Any remaining cards left in players’ hands at the end of the Round are discarded. Once the Round is complete, record Victory Points for each player on the Scorepad. Remember, each face-up card scores two points and each face-down card scores one point. If any player has reached the End Game score on 20 or more points, the game ends and a winner is determined. Otherwise, the first player to run out of cards becomes the Administrator, and the game continues with a new Round starting at the Deal. The game continues in Rounds until one or more players reach 20 Victory Points. The player with the most Victory Points at that time is the winner. Of course, if players want a longer game, they may agree to increase the winning total before the game starts. If two or more players tie with the highest Victory Points, the game is considered a joint win. Is It Fun? 15th Stamp Card Game Preview What makes this game fun is the constant tension around the number 15. Every card played pushes the trick closer to an abrupt end, and you are never quite sure how many cards you or your opponents will get to contribute before it stops, if any! That creates a push-your-luck feeling that is easy to grasp but surprisingly tense, especially as hands get smaller and every decision matters more. You can play higher cards to stop other players from having a chance to contribute, but then you may want to play a few cards into it if you have a lot of a certain suit, as you may have a chance to score them all. This also sets the game apart from more traditional trick-taking games. You are not following suit, you are not playing exactly one card per Trick, and you are not even guaranteed to take part in every Trick. Instead, scoring is driven by timing, suit totals, and who plays the decisive card at the right moment. Tricks end suddenly, scoring can swing on a single play, and the usual rhythms of trick taking are turned on their head. Its ridiculous fun! Players who enjoy clever card games with simple rules and lots of table talk should definitely keep an eye on this one. It will appeal to trick-taking fans looking for something fresh, as well as players who like tactical games that reward reading the table rather than memorising conventions. If you enjoy games that are quick to teach but hard to master, this is one worth watching when it comes out.

This is a preview copy sent to us for our early opinions. No money exchanged hands. Some art, rules or components will change in the final game. First Published July 5th 2025. Updated 10th Jan 2026. Below are the words at the start of the rule book. I will leave this here for you to read, word for word. Quantum Tricks supports 3-5 players and plays similarly to many other Trick taking games, making it simple to learn. But there area few twists which make it very difficult to master. Instead of just one Trick, you will be playing to up to three Tricks at any one time, requiring considerable hand strategy. And, oh yes, you’re not actually trying to win the most Tricks. Intrigued? Well, yes! I am intrigued in fact! What a brilliant opening. This game is coming to Kickstarter soon. I will add a link when I have one. How To Set Up Quantum Tricks Card Game To set up, place the three Trick markers on the table, spaced out so there’s plenty of room to lay cards around each one. I don't have these with the preview copy but its essentially like a four sided dice, with four colours either side to signify the different players. These are used to identify who owns each card placed on the table in three separate areas. You'll find out why soon! Build the deck based on how many are playing. If there are three players, take out all cards ranked four, five, six and seven. If there are four players, just remove cards ranked four and five. If there are five of you, keep the whole deck as it is. Each player picks one of the coloured edges or numbered sides on the Trick markers to use as their player identifier. This helps everyone see whose cards belong to whom. And then simply, you are left with the task of picking first player. The game very helpfully suggests you do this by picking the last person who has been into space which my buddy Buzz loves. How To Play Quantum Tricks The dealer shuffles the whole deck and deals everyone the same number of cards. If there are any leftover cards, put them aside unseen. They will not be used this round. On your turn, play a single card next to your player marker on one of the trick slots. You can either add your card to an existing trick, (if you do this, you must follow the suit that has already been led in that trick) or, you can start a new trick in an empty slot using a suit currently not in play. There can be three tricks running at once you see! Three trick markers, three tricks at once! Cool huh! But that isn't the end of the twists o this game. When you start a new trick, you must choose a suit that is not already in use in any current trick. If you cannot follow suit in any trick and cannot legally start a new trick, then you must play a card face down as space debris. When you do, you can place your debris in any trick. The debris still counts as a card towards finishing that trick. But it's not good for you! In a three player game, the lowest player count, then anyone can play a second card into the fourth slot. A very interesting twist! As soon as a fourth card is played into a trick, that trick is resolved. Space debris cards count towards the four. The player who played the most powerful card wins that trick. Remember to check for special effects from the lowest cards when you decide who wins. The are called Spacial anomalies. More on that soon! When you win a trick, take all the face-up cards and keep them in a single pile in front of you. This pile shows you have won one trick. Keep each trick you win in its own separate pile. Any space debris cards from that trick go back, still face down, to the players who played them. Those players keep them as penalties points at the end of the round. Tricks will finish at different times, so new empty slots will open up and close as the round goes on. The round ends when all cards have been played. If there are unfinished tricks left, give them to the player who has the strongest card in each trick at that moment. Then it is time to score. When you score, first look at how many tricks everyone won. The player who won the most tricks went over budget and gets zero points. If there is a tie for the most tricks, all those players get zero. Everyone else scores one point for every trick they won. Then take off one point for each piece of space debris you played. There is a special rule too. If you win exactly five tricks, you make a historic discovery. In that round only, players who also have exactly five tricks get to score their points and avoid space debris penalties. It is possible to have a negative score in a round, but your total score for the whole game cannot go below zero. At the end of each round, the next player clockwise becomes the new dealer. You will play as many rounds as there are players. At the end, the player with the most points is the winner. Now for the anomalies! When working out who played the most powerful card, the three lowest cards in each suit have special effects. You can see these on the cards. If you play a zero, you must remove the highest printed face value card currently in that trick. This happens straight away as you play the zero, so the trick still keeps the same number of cards. If you play a one, it normally counts as one. But if there is an eleven in the same trick, your one beats the eleven. If you play a two, it normally counts as two. But if there is a ten in the same trick, your two beats the ten. These again are shown on the card in a clear way so you wont forget as you play them. Is It Fun? Quantum Tricks Card Game Preview What makes this game feel different and fun is how it runs several tricks at the same time. Instead of waiting around for one trick to finish before starting the next, you are juggling up to three at once. It keeps everyone involved every turn because the shape of the game changes so quickly. One trick might be almost done while another has just started, so you are always rethinking where to put your cards and what might happen next. Another clever touch is the idea of space debris. You cannot always play what you want, so sometimes you are forced to dump a card face down as rubbish. It feels a bit like a last resort, but even that has weight because it still helps push a trick towards finishing if you playing in a three player. And if you have the most powerful card this would be a good thing! But it does cost you points. It is a simple rule, and a clever way to keep the tricks moving even when you cannot follow suit, but it creates tension in ways throwing a dead card away in other trick-taking games does not do. But we haven't even mentioned the special low cards that can flip everything yet! Playing a zero and wiping out the highest card in the trick feels cheeky and clever, and everyone can see it coming but can rarely stop it. This makes playing higher cards early a huge risk, as a ten or 11 could be quickly usurped by a special card. You need to clock when those cards are out of the game and then strike with your higher cards that you have been holding since then. But what if the player with the Blue one is holding that and you are holding your blue 11 at the same time? What if you have both the one and 11 of the same card? What really brings it all together is the scoring twist. The fact that winning too many tricks can be bad forces you to hold back. You cannot just throw your best cards out every time or try to win every trick. Although the historic discovery rule where getting exactly five tricks wipes your penalties and scores points adds another layer if your hand is strong enough and there is a chance to go for that. But what if you do, and end with four, and that's the highest number! Zero for you. It keeps you thinking throughout! It becomes a real push and pull, trying to win but not win too much, and timing when to play those powerful cards. It feels quick, sharp, and just messy enough to be fun. How people keep reinventing trick-taking I do not know! But they have, and they continue to do so, and I am here for it.

Orbit WBG Score: 7.5 Player Count: 2-4 You’ll like this if you like:  Published by: Bitewing Games Designed by: Reiner Knizia This is a review copy. See our review policy here By Steve Godfrey An orbit is defined as a spacecraft or celestial object going round and round and round and round and round and round and round (checks minimum allowed word count) and round a star, planet, or moon. So with that in mind, let’s orbit my thoughts on this game as we go round and round and round and round and round and round. How to Orbit First, pick a side of the board, but for your first game, stick to the recommended side. Give each player a board and a planet token in each color except the same color as their ship. Place the planets on one of the spaces on each of their colored tracks. Then place the space station tokens randomly on the board in the assigned spaces. Shuffle the deck of cards and give three to each player.  On a player's turn, they play a card and then enact the actions on it in any order. The number on the card is the number of spaces you move your ship, and you can move up to that many spaces. Ships will move along the intersections on the triangles on the board.  If you end your move on a planet, then you collect that planet and remove it from your player board. Some planets will give you a special boost like upgrading your energy limit or hand size, and two will give you a special one-off movement ability. If a planet is moved and there are players' ships on it, then they move along with the planet. If you end your move on a space station, depending on what it is, you either take the token for its upgrade ability or use its one-off ability. The one-off abilities are either Hyper Jump, in which you can travel to another hyperjump portal on the board, or the Hyper Accelerator Cannon. This allows you to travel as far as you want across the board in a straight line.  The planets on the card will tell you which planets to move. Planets will move from space to space on their track in the direction they’re facing. You may also find special abilities on the card. Some will give you a certain amount of energy, and some will give you energy up to your maximum. Some will reverse the direction of the planets. All the actions on the card are optional except moving the planets.  You can spend energy cubes on your turn to add an extra movement for each one you spend. At the end of your turn, draw back up to your maximum hand size. This will carry on until one player has collected all of the unique planets and got back to their home planet.  Racing. In. Spaaaaaace. You know, I think there’s a reason that Reiner Knizia is the most prevalent designer in board games at the moment. It’s because he doesn’t always like to overcomplicate a lot of his games. Well, not the ones I’ve played. Take Orbit, for example. Play a card, it shows how you move, how a planet moves, and maybe a small bonus. Chuck in some special movement rules and done, print, onto the next one. It’s not a bad way to make a living, but more importantly, it works. The first time we played Orbit, my mate turned to me and said, ‘it’s nice to play something a bit old school,’ and that’s exactly how Orbit feels, old school. Everything about it screams classic game. The way movement works, the simplicity of the gameplay, heck, even the board has a classic look to it. If it wasn’t for Ian O'Toole's artwork all over the box and the rulebook, you’d think you were playing something from the 80s. All of this is quite ironic (don’t you think) when you realize that out of the three games in this recent space trilogy from Bitewing Games, this is the only original design. The other two are remakes of his previous designs. With so many racing games on the market these days, it must be all too easy to fall into that rabbit hole of trying to think of something new and complex and dynamic in its ruleset, something new that no one has seen before. I reckon Reiner Knizia saw that and simply said ‘nah,’ but probably not in an Essex accent. He probably just wrote two words on his notepad: Simple, Fun. And do you know what? He kinda nailed it. Just the simple act of playing a card, moving your ship, and a number of planets makes room for so much strategy that you probably don’t need anything else. (There obviously is, I’ll get to that later). I’ll say now that although this game is strategic, trying to forward plan that strategy is probably fruitless to a point. So much of this board state can shift so drastically by your next turn that any plans you did have probably aren’t going to be feasible when you get to go again unless by some miracle no one has interfered with your plan. This becomes even more miraculous as the player count goes up.  Half of the fun of this game is adapting to what’s laid out in front of you. Now, I know that won’t appeal to a lot of the planners out there, but being able to pull something out of the bag regardless of what state everyone else has left the board in is really satisfying. That said, the game gives you enough things to do even if you're not able to reach any planets on your turn. There are enough space stations scattered around the board that you’ve generally got something to go for that will help your game.  At the very least, you’ll be able to power up your ship for when you get energy or give yourself more cards in hand. Both of these go a long way to help mitigate the ever-changing board state.  It’s the hyper jump and the hyperspace accelerator cannons that are gonna be your biggest jump (literally) to victory. I love the fact that you have these extra ways to bounce around the board, which is a much-needed boost when you realize how much movement that would take normally. It's a clever way to keep people in the game on those occasions when things are bunched up on the other side of the board.  The planets align. On the face of it, this doesn't seem like a mean game, and it kinda isn't. However, there are ways you can mess with your opponents simply by doing the one thing that the game requires you to do: move planets. For the most part, you’ll want to move planets nearer to you, but the cards in your hand won't always help you with that. So if you can't help yourself in one way, then why not help in the other way and cheekily move planets away from other players. I’d be lying if I said that I didn't find it fun to watch someone be on the cusp of a planet only to shift it away from them at the last minute and add in an “oh sorry, I had to play that card to get where I needed.” The hardest part of all is trying to hide the evil grin when you do it.  Does space need expanding? As I mentioned earlier, there are ways to change up the game in the box. First, there's an extra planet to go for. This replaces one of the space stations on the board and really just adds one more planet to make the game a bit longer and is especially recommended for two players. There is also a four-player team variant, which I haven’t personally felt the need to try, and finally, you have the variant side of the board. This side has diverging paths for the planets rather than the one set path on the regular side and is my preferred way to play the game. It adds that extra layer of strategy without overcomplicating the game, and yes, I do think you could even teach the game using this side of the board. Plus, seeing someone set themselves up on a course to reach a planet and then you slam it off course will never get old for me.  Be aware that the spaces for player movement won’t be all that clear. From the close-ups in the photos, it looks fine, but on a table at a distance, they’re not as clear as I would have liked. Although I appreciate that there's a balancing act of looks and form at play here. Orbit feels like a classic-style board game. It doesn’t do anything to reinvent the wheel, but the simple, fun gameplay goes to prove that you don’t necessarily need to. Games don’t need to go out of their way to do something different to stand out. They just need to be fun, and this game is absolutely that.  Right, I’m getting dizzy now, so I’m off to circle the planet in the other direction to see if that helps. I’ll go round and round and round… you see where this is going.

Moon Colony Bloodbath WBG Score: 7 Player Count: 1-5 You’ll like this if you like: Galaxy Trucker Published by: Rio Grande Games Designed by: Donald X. Vaccarino This is a review copy. See our review policy here By Steve Godfrey This is a game where humans are colonizing the moon when all of a sudden things start going wrong; robots are fighting back, and people are dying! I mean, if that doesn't sound like the cold open of a Doctor Who episode, I don't know what does! How to colonise the moon (don't worry it’ll be fine) Give each player their board, deck of perk cards, 4 building cards, and starting resources, including 30 colonists. (Don't get too attached to them.) Now build the starting deck by shuffling the four Work cards and the two Trouble cards together along with two random twist cards. The game is run using this shared deck, which will have cards added to it throughout the game. One player simply flips over the top card, and players will simultaneously play it out, after which the next card is flipped, and it happens again. When the deck runs out, it's reshuffled, and you go again. This will keep happening until one player has lost all of their colonists, at which point the player with the most colonists left wins.  When a Work card is flipped, players can take one of the actions on their player board. Mine will get you 4 money, Farm gets 4 food, and Research gets you 2 building cards. Restock will let you put a crate on cards you’ve played into your colony. Build will let you play a building card. Pay the cost in the top left corner and play it in front of you. The number on the top right is how many colonists inhabit that building. (Seriously, don't even think about naming any of them.) Some cards are color-coded and will add to your actions when you take them. Some will also give you ongoing abilities. Some will also have a "when played" ability. Some of these buildings will let you add development cards or perk cards into the shared deck. There are cards that are generally helpful in some way. Perk cards are character-specific, while development cards can be used by all players. When a Trouble card is flipped, you put the next event card into the deck. There is a deck of 13 event cards in number order. Whenever you are instructed to add any card to the deck, it goes immediately on the top of the deck so it's drawn next. Since this is simultaneous play, if many cards get added in the same turn, they are shuffled together and added to the top of the deck. Event cards are bad, and you’re going to have two added to the deck each round. You can always see what the next event is before it gets added to the deck, so you can have some time to prepare… maybe. Events will generally have you discarding cards, losing colonists, and adding robots to the deck. Robots who have broken their programming and not in a Kryten from Red Dwarf kind of way. I mean in the screaming and death kind of way.  Like I said, eventually you’ll start to lose colonists (see, I told you not to name them), and when you do, you’ll take them first from your supply on your board. When you’ve run out of those, you need to start destroying your buildings to pay the cost. Don't worry, though, some may make it out alive… but don't expect them to last that much longer. Once one player has no more colonists and buildings left, the game is over. The player with the most colonists left wins.  This is all going to be fine. If there was ever a game that is the definition of the phrase “well, that escalated quickly,” then Moon Colony Bloodbath may be it. As much as you can prepare people for the absolute chaos that is going to ensue, you can never really prepare them for just how quickly things will escalate. In fact, it’ll be about round two when the first delightful robot will be added to the deck, but it'll be about round three that the true panic will start to set in and people really start to see the bloodbath and the running and the screaming… It's such a delightful theme.  The game is essentially an engine builder, and for a little bit, you may be fooled into thinking that this engine-building lark is pretty simple. You build your buildings, you get your perks (sometimes literally), and you carry on, and at first, it’s alright. You've got four work cards coming out and actions aplenty, and if you can manage to get a couple of cards built that combo off each other, it turns out to be a really delightful time on the moon. Until it isn’t. Now, I’m not one to start getting into odds (mainly because I’m terrible at math), but at the start of the game, you’ll have a 50/50 chance of getting a work card and taking an action, and at that point, the game just runs like a standard game. As the game goes on, however, and more cards are added to the deck, those odds get smaller and smaller. As they get smaller, the tension and the panic start to rise. Sooner or later, you’ll start getting desperate for those work actions. Colonists start to get lost, so you need to play a building, and good news! You have one you can play, but you just need that work action to come out before anything happens that makes you discard a card. Now every card flip is preceded by each player praying desperately that the next card is something that will help them pull themselves back from the brink of total loss.  If there's one piece of advice I can give you for this game, then it's this: manage people's expectations before the game. This is one of those games that I can easily see rubbing some people up the wrong way, doubly so if they don’t know what they're in for. If you tell them, “Oh, it's just a quick, kinda light engine builder,” and they get excited by that, then you can't blame them if they get annoyed by what this game actually turns out to be. Let people know that it can get chaotic and silly and that you’re essentially just lining up dominos only for them to immediately be knocked down again. The game is like a depressing version of the Chumbawamba song. They get knocked down, but they probably ain't getting back up again. If you explain the game to people properly, they can choose to embrace the silliness, and they’ll most certainly have a much better time with it.  In respect to the engine-building aspect of the game, it works pretty well. Yes, it’s pretty much luck-driven on the cards you draw, but if you can get a good combo of cards that play off of each other, it can feel really satisfying. As you can tell, anyone who may have a problem with the rampant destruction aspect of this isn't going to be a fan of this one, and that's fine. This sits in a weird niche with the likes of Galaxy Trucker and is certainly one of those Marmite-style games. Although I’d say that this will probably appeal more than Galaxy Trucker due to it being far less chaotic and actually quite measured by comparison.  On the subject of silliness, the theme, the art, and, well, let’s face it, the title goes a long way to embrace that and not lull you into a false sense of security. Unlike the lapsed security on your moon base, of course.  “I’m afraid I can’t do that Dave” I enjoyed my first few plays of this. As I’ve played it more and more, though, I’ve found the highs of those first few games dropping off. Not a massive amount. I still enjoy the game, but it’s just not captured me as much as those early plays. After a while, the game starts to feel a bit procedural. Because the makeup of the event deck doesn’t change from game to game, it gives it a predictability. Now, for some people, this’ll be perfect since they can challenge themselves to beat the event deck while having some foreknowledge. Personally, I found it toned down the randomness and the potential chaos that makes the game what it is. I get that it’s done that way for balance, and don’t get me wrong, there is still some randomness in regards to the twists, development cards, and robots, but how many of these appear in a given game can vary wildly. So for me, the thing that makes this game is the people I’m playing with. It needs the right group to really play into the silliness and really interact with the theme, which then heightens the fun factor for me and brings the game to life. It’s not essential to play the game, of course, but it really upped the enjoyment for me. As I said earlier, the engine building can work really well, but again, luck can play a crucial factor, and those who manage to get a decent set of cards that combo well are certainly going to fare better than those who don’t. I know this isn’t a game I’m overly fussed about winning, but I do like to at least try, and not having that chance because of a bad card draw doesn’t feel great.  Moon Colony Bloodbath is what happens when an efficiency puzzle and a party game have a baby, and it turns out it births a fully fledged teenager of a board game. Thoughtful and brilliant one minute, and chaotic and devastating the next. Most of all, this is bound to bring a smile to the face of those who take it in the spirit that it's presented, and look, if the title of the game doesn't clue you into what’s in store when you open this box, then I don't know what will.  Right, I’m off to check on the robots on that new moon colony. I just found a part from their processing units that I missed putting in. It’s just one little thing, though, what could possibly go wrong? I’m sure it's all absolutely fine.

By Steve Godfrey I've been doing one of these top ten lists for the last three years, so hopefully, you know the drill by now. These are my ten favorite games that I played for the first time this year and not necessarily released this year. I’ll leave a link to any review we already have on the site. Keep checking back, though, because I am planning to review a lot of those that haven’t been reviewed in the future. This was another really hard top ten to put together. I did my usual and used Pub Meeple to hone down my choices, but even then, I wasn’t sure. I was half tempted to put the games into a randomizer and use the list that it spit out. Aside from number 1, I could easily make an argument for any of them being in a different position. But, I made the commitment and ranked them, and I’m happy with where they all are, and I definitely don’t feel like I want to rearrange them… at all… not again… ever… right, give me a sec, I just need to do something. Honourable Mentions Yep, this is the part of the list that’s basically an excuse for me to have 12 games on my list and still call it a top ten. Because let’s face it, whittling a list down to just ten suggests I’m disciplined. Ready, Set, Bet - A fantastic game that I was absolutely spoiled by on my first play with the deluxe edition. A fun and frantic horse racing game that will have you cheering and shouting with your mates. The only reason it’s not in the top ten is because it’s not been as easy to get to the table as I would have liked.  Star Wars: Battle of Hoth - This sits in the pantheon of great Star Wars games, but the reason it hasn't quite hit the 10 spot is because it’s essentially Memoir ‘44. I love that game and this is just as great, but I need more time with it to appreciate that it's more than just Memoir ‘44 with a Star Wars skin. I’m sure it will rise with more plays, especially once I’ve properly played that campaign mode. If I ever do a retrospective of this list, then I’m sure I’ll be berating past me for not putting it on the list of my Top Ten Games of 2025. Top Ten Games of 2025 10. Cretaceous Rails (Spielcraft Games) Iiiiiiin 10 (there’s my British TV reference for this list), Cretaceous Rails won me over with its clever action system. Each round, you take the action tiles, shuffle them, and lay them out in a grid. To take an action, place your pawn between two of the tiles and take both actions. It’s unique, and the fact that the grid changes each round keeps the game fresh. Couple that with its fun decision space and cool look and theme, and we have one of the better dinosaur park games. It’s currently at number 10 purely because I’ve only had one play, but I can easily see this rising with more.  Check out Jim’s review here 9. Trio (Cocktail Games) Trio clocked in as my most played game last year, and there’s a reason. It’s a quick, easy-to-learn card game in which players try to get sets of cards by asking players what their highest and lowest cards are, similar to something like Go Fish. It’s easy to throw into the bag on game nights and is great to throw in at any point of the night. Like a lot of the great card games, it’s easy to get caught in the “one more game” loop. 8. The Mystery Agency: The Bookshop Murder (The Mystery Agency) The first book in this brilliant series was number three on my list last year, but don’t let its position on this year's list lead you into thinking that the quality has dropped. This brilliant mix of single puzzles interwoven into an overarching story is still just as wonderful as its predecessor and a worthy follow-up that leaves you begging for the next one.   7. Thunder Road Vendetta (Restoration Games) This is another one that, with a few more plays, I can see being higher because it’s utter, chaotic fun. This is a “race” game in which the race aspect feels more like an alternative way to end the game, more like a suggestion, if you will. We all know, though, that the best way to win the game is by wiping out your opponents' cars by shooting them or crashing into them and watching the beautiful chaos play out. I was lucky enough to grab a copy when it came back into stock on one site for a split second, and now I’m just looking forward to how much chaos I can cause in the future. 6. Wyrmspan (Stonemaier Games) I’ll admit to being a bit sceptical when this was first announced. I wasn’t sure if it would be different enough from Wingspan to warrant owning it just for the different theme. Then I played it, and oh boy, was I wrong. The changes made give this game more bite and more of that combo-tastic gameplay, and that makes it all the more satisfying. I love the flexibility in how many actions you can have. I even wondered if the guild board would do much when I first saw it, but I found myself planning a lot of turns around it. I’ve certainly been enjoying it even more than its avian predecessor. It’s not in the collection yet, but I’ve got a feeling it may just make its way in at some point.  Check out Jim’s review here 5. Castle Combo (Hachette, Catch Up Games) A satisfying combo is one of my favorite things in games, so a game with "Combo" in the title has got to be a shoo-in for a top games list. It’s a game that has consequences from the very first card you play. Even though it feels like you have the freedom to play your cards anywhere in your 3x3 grid at the start, you really need to be thinking a few steps ahead to be truly competitive. It also has a lovely little nod to The Princess Bride in the artwork, and that alone would earn it a place in this list. It's just a bonus that the gameplay is also brilliant.  4. General Orders: Sengoku Jidai (Osprey Games) The first General Orders game was a brilliant mix of war game and worker placement game and served as a brilliant, tight, and tense two-player game. This new edition takes that core gameplay and manages to improve upon it simply by taking the fight to the seas as well. This simple change really opens the game up strategically. I love the artwork and the new theme, which I think will appeal more to those who don’t like game themes around the world wars. Just like the Undaunted series (by the same designers), this series is one to watch in the future. 3. Galileo Galilei (Pink Troubadour) I've been trying to not get caught up in the Instagram hype with games until I’ve played them because I’ve been stung before. This was in that category……and then I played it and saw why it was getting the love and why this designer may be one to put on my watch list because (spoiler) he may be appearing in this list later. I love the rondel which is ever changing and the fact that you can update the actions to make them more powerful. I love that as the game goes on you can really get some great chaining going on with your actions. The difficult decisions come into their own with the addition of the inquisitors. Because a lot of actions include taking them and moving them (which can get you negative points) it can really make those bigger chains risky, but a fun risk. 2. Joyride Turbo (Rebellion Unplugged) How do you truly know that a game has won you over? Well, when you are given a review copy for the two-player version and almost immediately go and order the big box with everything! While Thunder Road is mostly chaos, Joyride sets out to bring some balance and a bit of strategy to the fold while also being a bit more forgiving. The way the dice are used gives you some control of your turns, but the freedom of the open “track” means that there’s always a chance to come back from catastrophe. To top it off, they’ve now got a version that plays six players, and it’s all compatible with everything else! Check out my review of Joyride Next Gen here . 1  SETI: Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (Czech Games Edition) Well, here we are at number one Top Ten Games of 2025, and this is my once-per-year cheat for this list. I technically played this at the back end of December in 2024, but it was a two-handed learning game, so I’m not counting it. This is the game that put Tomas Holek on the board gaming map, and what a way to do it. SETI throws in everything I want in a game: multi-use cards, combo tactic turns, and lots of paths to victory. It’s like the folks at CGE had abducted me and scanned my brain for my board game wishlist. I did offer to send it to them, but they have their own methods, I suppose. I’m currently eagerly awaiting my pre-order of the space agencies expansion, which could see this game rocket into my top ten (if it isn’t already). Check out my SETI review here

This is a free preview copy of the game. See our review policy here . Some components and art may change in the final version of the game. You can find out more here . OK, this is an interesting one. This is not the sort of game we usually cover here on WBG. But the designer of the game, Nathan, sent me a personalized video message, asking for help with the game, where he seemed genuinely excited about the game and how it may land with us. I am a sucker for that kind of thing! Nathan pitched it to me as Exploding Kittens meets UNO but with monkeys. Which does not really get me going, other than the monkeys bit, but he went on to say that you never really wait for your turn to play, due to some always-play cards, and told me that the art was hand-drawn by a former Disney artist. OK, fine. You got me, Nathan, I'm in. But is it any good? Let's get it to the table and find out. How To Set Up Bananarchy Card Game Separate the different decks, and then give each player a single point Banana card. Then shuffle the rest of the Banana cards, and place them face down in a stack showing the rotten side. Then, shuffle the Monkey cards and deal each player five face-down cards to form their starting hand. Place the remaining Monkey cards into a separate face-down deck. Give the Active player card to the player who last ate a banana. You are now ready to play. So far, so simple! How To Play Bananarchy Card Game Play now moves around, starting with the active player. They will draw one Monkey card into their hand, and then play one Action card. They can play as many ANYTIME cards as they wish, so long as they read it out loud so everyone knows its effect and how it is being played too. Other players can play ANYTIME cards whenever they wish too, and also, they can play REACTION cards to counter the effects of cards being played onto them. It is quite frantic! Hence, you must read out the powers of the cards you are playing. The active player will then end their turn by declaring this out loud, so everyone knows the play has moved on. They will re-draw their hand back up to five cards and pass the active player card on one turn. Before you draw on your turn, instead of playing cards, you can choose to discard all your cards and refill your hand. Or, stash a previously gained Banana card by turning it horizontal, but when you do this, you must discard and refill your entire hand as well, and you can only stash one card at a time. It's important, though, as there are a lot of ways to steal other players' un-stashed banana cards. And bananas in this game are points! How Do You Win Bananarchy? The game continues until the final Banana card is drawn. At that point, all players will score the Banana cards they managed to keep to the end of the game. There are a few scoring cards in the game that you may draw from the Monkey card pile; these can act as multipliers to gain extra points. Any banana cards you have had flipped over will score you negative one. The player with the most points wins! Is It Fun? Bananarchy Card Game Review Now, if you like Take That in games, and enjoyed card games like UNO and Exploding Kittens, as this game was pitched to me, then I think you will love this! And this could well become a huge family favourite for you. It has that same type of chaos, random exchange, and constant state of fluctuation in who is winning. It is hard to run away with this, and older players won't necessarily be able to use strategy to outwit other players. Meaning families of all ages can enjoy the chaotic nature of this game on an equal playing ground. That said, if you don't enjoy this sort of chaos, random play and take that, then this won't be for you. Hence my score. For a Take That card game, this is great. A wonderful game. If you don't like Take That, then this will be terrible for you. So, it's hard to score. As one mechanic leans so heavily into your potential enjoyment. Why it’s fun Bananarchy leans hard into fast, chaotic, always-on card play, and that’s exactly where its appeal lies. The ANYTIME and REACTION cards mean you are rarely sitting back waiting for your turn, with the table constantly shifting as players interrupt, counter, steal, and sabotage in real time. Add in the scramble to protect and stash your bananas, plus the ever-present threat of them being flipped or stolen, and you get a game that stays loud, lively, and unpredictable right through to the final draw. Why it’s not That same chaos will be a deal-breaker for some. Strategy takes a back seat to timing, luck, and opportunism, and players who like to build careful plans or feel in control of their fate may find it frustrating. The game is deliberately swingy, and just when you think you’re safe, someone can pull the rug out from under you, which is fun for the right group but exhausting for the wrong one. Pros Constant interaction with very little downtime Easy to learn and quick to get going Works well for families and mixed-age groups Strong “take that” energy and dramatic moments Thematic, playful presentation Cons Very random and swingy Little room for long-term strategy Can feel overwhelming for quieter players Not suited to those who dislike direct player conflict Bananarchy knows exactly what it is: a loud, chaotic, take-that card game that thrives on unpredictability and shared table moments. If you enjoy the energy of games like UNO  or Exploding Kittens , this will feel right at home and could easily become a family favourite. If you don’t, it will bounce right off you. It is a niche, but within that niche, it delivers exactly what it promises. You can check it out for yourself here .