Welcome

At a Glance

Big names set to return to Alexandra Palace Saturday the 26th and Sunday 27th September

First Turn

The Polish designer of Nemesis and Lords of Hellas looks back at his first tabletop epic, 2012’s Theomachy

Ten of the Best

Usually the monsters on our tabletop are lumbering creatures from the dark, Freudian nightmares or Cthulhu mythos brain-melters. So instead, we’re going to take a look at monster for entertaining smaller monsters

Role Call

The new year has yet to bless us with new roleplaying systems, but those looking to expand the lore they love are in for a treat

Have You Played?

War is good for a limited number of things, as the famous song goes. One of those is taking on your friends for an afternoon’s worth of abstract and complex strategy. This is War Chest.

Turn to the Dork Side

Who’s that man, why is he obsessed with muskrats, and why is he invited as a guest to so many UK games conventions? Cartoonist and game designer John Kovalic talks to James Wallis about dorks, munchkins and being a planet in Warhammer 40,000

All the Jahres

James Wallis replays the winners of the Spiel des Jahres so you don’t have to

My Favourite Game

The maker of fantasy Brighton-alike exploration game Paupers’ Ladder talks to us about how Talisman sucked him into a new world of gaming

The Independent Shelf

Q&A your way downtown to get to the bottom of your case. But beware, not every answer you’re hearing is the truth…

Through the Ages

In the beginning…

Cardboard Manifesto

It doesn’t always have to come down to a roll of the dice

Microgame of the Month: Secret Squirrels

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

Around the World in 80 Plays

This month we’re travelling directly along the equator

Unearthed Artefacts

++YEAR 3154++INCOMING TRANSMISSION++

Shop Spotlight

Co-owner Rhiannon Oxley on making meeples the kings of the New-castle

Event Report

Come one, come all! Organiser Steve Turner takes us gaming in the West Midlands

Tabletop Time Machine

It’s always tempting to claim one game as ‘the ancestor

Eviction Notice

We talk to Weta Workshop about their adaptation of 2009’s District 9, and how they kept the spirit of the film alive in the game

How We Made

We talk to Corey Konieczka about bringing the action, suspense and suspicion of the much loved sci-fi series, Battlestar Galactica, to our tabletops

Community Collides

We talk competitive Keyforge with the current UK Vaults champion, and how the community is at the heart of the game

Down by the River

We talk to Flaminia Brasini and Virginio Gigli of Acchittocca about making, big and crunchy Eurogames designed to make you squirm over your choices

Supplementally Speaking

Long roleplaying campaigns can sometimes put the drag into dragon and the “I’m done” into dungeons – but never fear, with a pinch of gaming inception, supplemental games can break your party out of its adventuring malaise

A Game of Life

Can a game capture an emotion or desire? With Inner Compass, players navigate the turbulent world of their feelings to achieve their life goals. We talk to the designers about boarding an emotional rollercoaster

Roam

Ryan Laukat is a game designer who just wants you to

Azul: Summer Pavilion

Diamonds are a tile-layer’s best friend

Reavers of Midgard

Welcome back to a broader, more dangerous Midgard

Babylonia

There aren’t many designers that can be recognised

5211

Back when I was in the film industry my boss had a

Paris La Cité De La Lumière

Before electric lighting the streets of the world were

Dungeonology: The Expedition

We built this city on… cardboard tiles

Bus

To most gamers the name Splotter Spellen may mean nothing.

Coffee Roaster

Solo games are a little bit strange for those of us

Ankh’or

Pleasing two-player games that feel as if they have

Cities: Skylines

We built this city on… cardboard tiles

Uxmal

Building future UNESCO world heritage sites on your

Zombie Kidz: Evolution

The kidz are alright

Zona: The Secrets of Chernobyl

Slow and steady gets the secret

Genesys: Expanded Players’ Guide

A big part of the appeal of setting-free RPGs lies

The Aquicorn Cove Board Game

Katie O’Neill’s insatiably charming graphic novels

Trial of the Temples

The art in Trial of the Temples puts you in mind of

Wingspan European Expansion

Wingspan was arguably the game of 2019, and as such

Tsuro: Phoenix Risin

The timeless gameplay of snakes and ladders could only

Terramana

Bronze place, but not third rate

Homebrewers

Two hobbies make for a joyful brew

Run, Fight or Die: Reloaded

Well hello Mr. Fancy Pants

Nibiru

Can an entire game be carried by just one idea? Well

Skytear

A MOB-Ah! if it’s your thing, a MOB-Urgh if it isn’t

A War of Whispers

As board gamers we are not novices in controlling armies

Queenz

This is Bruno Cathala’s second gardening game of the

Agatha Christie: Death on the Cards

One of you… is a murderer

Painting Guide

Your friendly neighbourhood miniatures painter is back with a set of Marvel heroes. But with a great palette, comes great responsibility

Dungeon Master’s Guide to Roleplaying

Keeping your games on track can be tricky when adventurers ascend from the dungeon wielding mighty new weapons, clutching important artefacts, and groaning under the weight of shiny loot – only to ask, “why did we do that again?” The answer? The recap