Welcome

Lost Ruins of Arnak

AT A GLANCE

We’ve been hard at work putting together other ways

SANDY PETERSEN

The master of horror RPGs looks back on what him to Cthulhu way back in 1981

MYSTERY GAMES

Exploring a mystery, whether that is one that sees you tracking down a killer, escaping a locked room, or even travelling through time to set the right things right, is a one of the great cooperative gaming pleasures. If you’re thinking about how you’re going to get people to play games together after Christmas dinner, we think there’s no better way than solving one of these boxes together. Join us then for ten of our favourite games where you’re the sleuth, or at least, you’re trying to be.

Role Call

If you’ve ever wondered about the sheer range of experiences RPGs can offer, look no further than this month’s ROLE CALL

STAR WARS: HOTH ICE PLANET ADVENTURE

It’s a classic game that’s been given a retro re-do. We take our chances to defeat Darth Vader nearly 50 years after we were first asked to

WE’RE GOING ON AN ADVENTURE…

We’re exploring the world of solo gaming one move at a time. This month: adventure board games

CHRISTIAN LEMAY

The founder and owner of the Scorpion Masqué, and the designer of Loot N Run, puts us on high alert for space adventuring in Space Alert

7TH HAVEN

In a collapsing world, we join Bruno Sautter to find a Citadel of one’s own

CHESS

++YEAR 3158++INCOMING TRANSMISSION++ Found Sector D12: Pastime x17 /// >runCheckComplete { GAME FROM PERSONAL COLLECTION: “CHESS”

LEVELLING UP YOUR GAME

Accessories can be the underdog of the tabletop gaming world, as they’re just there, chilling at every game, completely unobtrusive. So much so in fact, that sometimes we miss some of the additions that could turn our comfortable set up into an epic one. So, whether your tabletop could do with a refresh, or you’ve simply got a difficult to buy for Secret Santa present, we’ve got you covered with ten great accessories. As always, keep an eye out at your FLGS for any new favourites.

TREASURE ISLAND

Marc Paquien marks X on the spot of this treasure of a game, and gives us a map of how he got there

LIFEFORM

Join us for another game of cat and mouse, or rather, humans and xenomorphs, in Lifeform

FIRST CONTACT

We talk to Thorny Games’ Hakan Seyalıog˘lu and Kathryn Hymes on ‘Language Gaming’ and their new ‘chatting to aliens’ game, Xenolanguage

GREECE

Moving on from last month’s quick stop in Finland

CHAMPIONS OF THE DIGITAL WORLD

Digimon are back, and they’re ready to rumble in a new trading card game

I WANT MORE GIRLS WITH GUNS, HELMETS AND APPROPRIATE FOOTWEAR IN TABLETOP MINIATURES, AND I WANT THEM NOW

Sara Elsam asks, where are the all the Ogre ladies?

THE FINAL FRONTIER

We join Dennis Chan for his debut game. Join us as we explore the furthest reaches of space, and the full extent of an upgrade tree

REBUILD LITE

A FREE GAME FOR YOU TO PLAY INSIDE EVERY ISSUE OF TABLE TOP GAMING!

1565, ST ELMO’S PAY

Thankfully nothing to do with any ’80s Brat Pack movies

CALL TO ADVENTURE: THE STORMLIGHT ARCHIVE

Call to Adventure is a board game about making a character

ZOMBIE TEENZ EVOLUTION

When there’s no more room in hell, the dead will go trampolining

TIME STORIES REVOLUTIONS: A MIDSUMMER NIGHT

TIME Stories Revolution: A Midsummer Night is another

ALMA MATER

The struggles of getting people into a game as storied

BRITANNIA: CLASSIC AND DUEL EDITION

Reviewing old wargames is pretty thankless. Britannia

THE KING IS DEAD SECOND EDITION

He’s dead, and what awful timing. There is a power

ATHENEUM: MYSTIC LIBRARY

Ornate bookcases, a handful of spiders, dripping candles

MERV

This genre really needs a name. ‘European style, non-conflict

ADVENTURE GAMES: THE VOLCANIC ISLAND

Following up last year’s well received The Dungeon

TANG GARDEN

A game that leads with components is often one that

GODS LOVE DINOSAURS

Being a nine ton prehistoric lizard is hungry work.

BEYOND THE SUN

Beyond the Sun tells you nearly everything you need

OUT OF THIS WORLD

Out of This World is a cooperative game of ordinary

TINDERBLOX

Ah, the great outdoors – sleeping in a tent, fresh

THE WRETCHED

You remember that scene at the end of Alien where Ripley

THE SHINING

Ah, the Overlook Hotel. Nestled among the majestic

TROYES DICE

Roll and writes have never hit home with me, it’s just

TRUST ME, I’M A DOCTOR

Leeches, lobotomies, trepanning, and… fecal transplant.

TUNGARU

The island cultures of the Pacific have provided inspiration

DUNGEON DROP

What does the idea of dropping a big handful of resource

MOB SITTERS

Babysitting isn’t the most dangerous or lucrative of

CHRONICLES OF CRIME: 1400

SOLO REVIEW

THE LOST WORDS

Rare is it that you’ll be selling a game to people

AGON

Over the years countless tabletop RPGs have used the

KITTIN

It’s not often that a game appears that will fit in

TINY EPIC KINGDOMS

Games in the 4X genre (explore, expand, exploit, and

A GAME OF CAT AND MOUTH

Sometimes, it doesn’t feel like dexterity games get

MAGIC MAZE ON MARS

Magic Maze had a problem – its theme, already confusing

ARKHAM HORROR: UNDER DARK WAVES

The latest mammoth expansion for Arkham Horror promises

MANDALA

It’s not often players have to iron the board before

EPIC ENCOUNTERS: SHRINE OF THE KOBOLD QUEEN & LAIR OF THE RED DRAGON

Note: This is a review of both boxes currently available

DUNGEON DEGENERATES

Take the hand of doom and let it lead you to the acid vomit punk world of Dungeon Degenerates

GOODTIME GAMES

We speak to Tom Walker about Goodtime Games, a FLGS opening during COVID-19 restrictions

FUN FOR ALL THE FAMILY

It’s hard to say this without sounding like one of

1973 PAGODA

Pagoda (German Pagode, with three syllables) was invented