AT A GLANCE

THE THING THE BOARD GAME Ares Games has

GILL HOVA

The creator of High Rise and difficult 2010 debut, Prolix

10 OF THE BEST SURVIVAL BOARD GAMES

For solo and cooperative games, there’s nothing more motivating that survival. It’s a simple desire that helps you makes choices on the board and around the table. It encourages thematic and dramatic choices, and when your group is defeated, it’ll only make you stronger next time. With all that going for it, here’s our favourite survival games…

Role Call

It’s a supplemental kind of month here at ROLE CALL, but just because we’re light on new rules doesn’t mean we’re light on awesome books

GALAXY TRUCKER

With the second edition of Galaxy Trucker recently busting through our atmosphere, there’s no better time to return to this junk-rummaging asteroid-dodging classic

COMPACT QUESTING

We explore the world of solo gaming one move at a time. This month : solo po cket dungeon delvers

JACK CAESAR

The writer for River Horse’s The Dark Crystal Adventure Game, offers us a mechanical tune-up on Android: Netrunner

ROLL FOR MAGIC SCHOOL

There may not be an official Harry Potter RPG, but we’ll use Gamp’s Law to transfigure something else into something close. Here’s our guide to playing Harry Potter without an official RPG

around the world in 80 plays

MOROCCO

TO LINK THE FIRST FLAME

We answer your questions about how the real Dark Souls begins

ROBOT WARS

Bigger and badder, we talk to designer James Hewitt about Steel Colosseum

YOUR FAVE SUCKS

(AS AN RPG, ANYWAY)

GOCAINE

We see if we can make the big score with this abstract drug-running simulator

BROUGHT TO LIFE

We discover the magic words powering the Essen ’21 hit, Golem

BADGE OF HONUR

We remix heraldry in the curious puzzler that is… Blazon

ALPHA ANTAGONIST DESERVES A BETRAYAL

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

DON’T TOUCH THAT DIAL

We round up our favourite board games podcasts from across the world

2003

As we edge closer and closer to the Second Golden Age of Board Games, we remember those pioneers that made it possible

ALL HALLOWS EVE ALL THE TIME

We talk to a studio making almost exclusively spooky themed games and ask – who is that behind the mask?

THE ONE RING: SECOND EDITION

Capturing the spirit of Middleearth in the confines

WISE GUYS

“I’ve never seen so much cash in my life.”

GHOSTBUSTERS X MEN IN BLACK: ECTO -TERRESTRIAL INVASTION

When alien pirates crashland in New York City

LIVING FOREST

For a lot of us, forests provide that

THE DRAGON PRINCE: BATTLECHARGED

The epic fantasy world of Netflix’s The Dragon

BLOOD ORDERS

Blood Orders has no right to be as

THE SEARCH FOR PLANET X

One of the first things you see on

CAESER’S EMPIRE

All roads must lead to Rome, and that’s

EXODUS

Ambition is an admirable thing in any creative

DOLLARS TO DONUTS

There are fewer things in tabletop gaming more

CORAQUEST

It wouldn’t be far from the truth to

CONQUEST OF PLANET EARTH: THE SPACE ALIEN GAME

Now, I’m not saying that I feel short-changed

CUPHEAD: FAST ROLLING DICE GAME

Cuphead was an instant video game darling due

MERCHANT'S COVE

Sometimes a game can just be a bit

NEOVILLE

Phil Walker-Harding games have their very own feeling

CHRONICLES OF AVEL

Every tabletop fantasy world comes with a backstory

MICKEY AND FRIENDS: FOOD FIGHT

It’s not often you can call a game

RUINATION

Right off the bat, Ruination faces steep competition.

SHINKANSEN: ZERO KEI

Last year’s smash hit The Red Cathedral from

CAPER: EUROPE

Unsurprisingly, Caper: Europe is a beautiful game in

WITCHSTONE

Apuzzle-y monstrosity (I say with some level of

ROOT: THE ROLEPLAYING GAME

As with the boardgame that inspired it, Root

SHELFIE STACKER

When he isn’t creating neat, epic historical board

NO HONOR AMONG THIEVES

Sometimes, it’s fun to be the bad guy.

MISTBORN: HOUSE WAR

The grip of the all-powerful Lord Ruler is

CURATORS: COLLECTION CONUNDRUM

One of the joys of tile-laying games is

THE GOBLINS OF MOONSTONE

We dig deep in this one while painting the goblins of Moonstone

WEATHER

We bring you a smorgasbord of roleplaying tools and ephemera, this month: weather

WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS...

We explore failing forward

ORCS NEST

Opening in 1987, this game shop in the West End has been a staple for many over the years. We chat to Peter about how it came about

tabletop time machine

Zohn Ahl is typical of many stick-dice race