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AT A GLANCE

Hachette Board Games UK has announced that the

JUST SLAP IT ON

Why you should paint your board game miniatures. Even if you’re bad at it.

10 OF THE BEST BOARD GAME BOOKS

Hey! You! Yeah, you! You’re reading this right? What if I told you there were several really good books about board games out there to also read? Here’s some of our favourite books about games, game design and the hobby in general.

Role Call

It’s a quiet time for big new titles, but that just means there’s more room for Austenera cultists and kick-arse tournaments in this month’s ROLE CALL!

THE QUEST FOR EL DORADO

This Ravensburger classic is a great addition to any family gaming table, even for those who don’t quite make it to the treasure at the end

CHOOSE YOUR OWN PANEL

Each month we explore the world solo gaming one move at a time, this month: graphic novel adventures

ALEX MURTY

Hobby veteran Alex Murty tells us why Rhino Hero Super Battle is his top pick

RETURN OF THE KING

We talk to the king of tabletop game about his new cooperative King of Tokyo outing, the gigantic King of Monster Island

NETRUNNER AND NULL SIGNAL GAMES

In our last Independent Shelf we look at a real comeback – that of Netrunner by Null Signal Games

DUDE! WHERE’S MY EMPIRE?

How long should an empire last? Hundreds of years? Thousands? How about just under half an hour? That’s what we’re dealing with in this expansive new asynchronous civilization game

BULGARIA

Geographically speaking, we’re merely popping next door

A SOLO SECOND WIND?

Each month our in-house agony aunt, Ben Maddox, answers your ludological lamentations

GRAIL GAMES

Do you have long-forgotten tabletop gold in your attic? Find out as we look for our grail games

NO RULES REQUIRED

Our round up of the good, the bad and the ugly of nongaming, nearly-gaming, sort-of-gaming stuff

DRIVEN TO DISTRACTION

We all know games are good for us, but in what way? Each month Tim Clare untangles the science and philosophy behind what makes games good

WHAT IS THE PRICE OF POWER?

We attempt to take control of Europe , again, in this new translation of the video game strategy classic

2012

Collectable Gaming Forever Changed

TERRAIN CRATE DUNGEON ADVENTURES: INTO THE NECROMANCER’S LAIR

Terrifying terrain

THE PERILS OF PVP

Sometimes you just don’t get along

BOARDS AND SWORDS

Ian and Rob, who co-own Boards and Swords, started selling subscription trading card loot boxes out of Ian’s garage in 2015 – now they’re running their own store

Tabletop time machine

Cribbage has been described, somewhat tongue-in-cheekily, as cross

AHOY

Fish ‘n’ ships

SAN FRANCISCO

San Fran by tram

THE SPILL

A slippery slope to success

AIR MAIL

Is this high-flying route builder first class or lost in transit?

BAG OF CHIPS

Bag of Chips is a simple handmanagement and

BURGER ASAP!

How fast can you assemble a burger? Burger

WORDLE: THE PARTY GAME

Have a word

ELEVEN

Football manage your expectations

CHAINSOMNIA

A chain link short of greatness

MARCHING ORDER

Escape the Darkest Dungeon

MAUI

Lazy fun in the sand – just don’t forget your towel

DELICIOUS

Veg out and get fruity

PATCHWORK: STACK ‘N STUFF

Look, you can’t just throw stuff in a van…

WONDER WOODS

A mysterious yet merry mushpit

WAYFARERS OF THE SOUTH TIGRIS

The stakes are high in both desert and sky

PRECOGNITION

Seeing into the future of gaming?

THE WOLVES

Fluffy, yet fiendish

MICROMACRO : CRIME CITY – ALL IN

A repeat offender

FOUR HUMOURS

Good humoured fun

SQUID GAME

Top shelf series, bottom shelf game

SKATE SUMMER

Does it stick the landing?

WILDSTYLE

Let’s play tag!

FANTASY REALMS

The crazy combo-building classic returns

TILETUM

Putting the tile in Tiletum

TERRA NOVA

Welcome to Euro Games 101

THE PALACES OF CARRARA

Finding your marbles

MOVIE MIND

Better than Netflix roulette

STAR TREK: MISSIONS

On my cue, launch photon snorepedos

DUNCAN RHODES’ TWO THIN COATS PAINTS

I’ll get my coat

CALL TO ADVENTURE: EPIC ORIGINS

That’s ‘epic’ with a small ‘e’