Welcome

NOW PLAYING... Explorers Welcome to the cutest issue

AT A GLANCE

TABLETOP GAMING ADVENT CALENDAR RETURNS Now in its

PLAY TIME

Why do box-printed game-length times never feel accurate? Dan Jolin investigates.

10 OF THE BEST GIFTS FOR BOARDGAMERS

The eternal problem for board gamers and those who love them is ‘what can I get them for Christmas this year?’ The trouble is that with the cycle of Kickstarters that could arrive at any time, or what they already have in their collection or will have added by Christmas Day. Here’s some of our (maybe slightly early) gift ideas that sidestep that tricky problem of trying to find the right game…

Role Call

New RPGs based on existing rules abound in this month’s ROLE CALL, with everything from D&D to GUMSHOE cropping up in strange, new formats!

ONITAMA

We take the first move in this abstract game where you build the rules as you go. But watch out, whatever you give to your opponent will come back to bite you in the end in Onitama

FOUR RESOURCES FOR SOLO ROLEPLAYING

We explore the world of solo gaming one move at a time This month: Four Tools of the Trade

SEAN McCOY

The creator of indie dying-in-space darling Mothership proposes a chest burstingly good classic, Hearts

THE BEST OF ESSEN SPIEL 2022

Essen is back, and our intrepid explorer Tim Clare goes to greet it with open arms

HOT STUFF

The cutest game of the year is coming in hot

V-SABOTAGE

V-Sabotage was originally published in 2016 by Triton

TABLETOP GAMING LIVE 2022 IN PICTURES

Our first event in Manchester kicked off with a bang, and here’s some of our favourite moments from the weekend

LITHUANIA

The next stop on our worldwide tabletop tour

NEW REALMS

A beautiful battle for fantasy kingdoms comes to our tabletops, and your very life is on the line

STICKS AND STONES

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

LATECOMERS LEAVE GAMING NIGHT LIMPING

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

ENCAPSULATE 2010

It’s a new dawn to a new decade and gaming is feelin’ good

OUT OF THE WOODS

If you go down to the woods today… you better be really well armed

TWILIGHT INSCRIPTION

PLAYED Twilight Imperium is the behemoth of board

OATHSWORN: INTO THE DEEPWOOD

If you go into the woods today, you better bring lots of weapons

FLAMECRAFT

The much hyped Flamecraft arrived on our desks

DOG PARK

As aform of escapism, board games allow us

ABSTRACT ACADEMY

PLAYED As an art student, you aim to

SWATCH

Of all the riveting moments in adult life,

STARFINDER: PIRATES OF SK YDOCK

PLAYED Pirates of Skydock takes place in Paizo’s

SUCCESSORS

He who chases two heirs catches neither

POCKET DETECTIVE

PLAYED Jessica Fletcher had her typewriter. Starsky had

FIREFLY: MISBEHAVIN’

Back in the verse two decades on

SUPER FANTASY BRAWL

Slinging spells and standing close to fancy pillars

CARNEGIE

A rollocking exercise in competence

DODO

How do you like your eggs in the morning? Hopefully, wibbling and wobbling

HUNGRY MONKEY

Sometimes you thumb through a rulebook and find

NOLI

A leaky boat full of great ideas

THUNDERBIRDS DANGER ZONE: THE GAME

Kenny Loggins joins international rescue

CHICKEN VS HOTDOG

PLAYED When a game like this one lands

CACTUS TOWN

Choose your faction, draw your six-gun

ARMADA: TWO PL AYER STARTER SET

Hobby high jinks on the high seas

CL ACKS: A DISCWORLD BOARD GAME COLLECTOR’S EDITION

A puzzle that just clicks

LEGENDS OF AVALLEN

Cards, celts and boundless creativity

UNDAUNTED: STALINGRAD

Relive World War II’s bloodiest battle

LITTLE FACTORY

Following on from their 2017 title Little Town,

PLATYPUS

Platypus is best described as a gateway game

CRESCENDO OF VIOLENCE

PLAYED Blending the neon-tinged aesthetics of cyberpunk with

THE MARCH OF PROGRESS

Several small steps for war

1941: RACE TO MOSCOW

A sorry theme for sound design

ARRAKIS: DAWN OF THE FREMEN

Control the Spice to rule the tabletop

STAR WARS VILL AINOUS: POWER OF THE DARK SIDE

PLAYED Villains are almost unquestionably the most interesting

EPIC ENCOUNTERS SWAMP HYDRA, FIRE DRAGON AND FROST GIANT

Part Two of our Epic painting series

CITY SLICKERS

WHY URBAN CAMPAIGNS ROCK

BUZZIN’ MEEPLES

Alan Lacey fills us in on the opening of Buzzin’ Meeples in Prestwich

tabletop time machine

This ancient Chinese game remains somewhat of a