Pandemic board game boxed set.
03 Jan
Uncategorized

Board Games for your Family Get-Together!

The holiday season is just "that time of year" for which we need to prepare for some positive family engagement. Thanksgiving and the December celebrations come fast upon us and often mean dedicated time is set aside for some family engagement like no other time of the year. Many of those family time traditions have become part of the holiday rituals your family embraces over years of practicing them. And so, maybe it is time for...

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03 Jan
Board Games, Card Games, Games, Role Play Games

Game Conventions on a Budget

Game Conventions on a Budget Attending a game convention is a fantastic opportunity to play the newest games, get cool exclusives and meet others with the same gaming passions. Many have successfully used networking opportunities to break into the industry. With all these swanky-cool elements why don’t more people attend game conventions? The sad reality is that attending game conventions are expensive and time-consuming. A single day’s badge might be $50 or more--not to mention the transportation...

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09 Dec
Games, Role Play Games

Sandbox Campaigns: The Do’s and Don’ts

Sandbox Campaigns: The Do's and Don'ts Hey folks, it's me, Jasmine, and today I want to talk about a particular style of Dungeons & Dragons campaign that dungeon masters really seem to love: the sandbox. The theory of Sandbox games applies to other tabletop role playing games as well! Yes, a sandbox campaign can be built in any game system, it simply refers to a style of game where the player characters drive the story.  They can travel...

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29 Nov
Uncategorized

Every Board Game Genre You Should Know

This is a follow up to my previous article about board game mechanics. While similar in many ways to game mechanics, a genre is less rigidly defined. Much like movies, games come in many genres. If you like one genre it is highly likely you will enjoy others of the same type. With that in mind, I have compiled a list of the most common game genres as well as a few games from each Abstract...

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10 Oct
Uncategorized

Game Mechanics you Should Know

Game Mechanics you Should Know Imagine for a moment, the various parts of a car. We have obvious pieces, things like the tires and engine. Thinking deeper we might find items like the steering wheel or headlights. Without these pieces combined together, we don’t have a car. Board games are similar. Tabletop games are a collection of standardized rules that we call “mechanics.” By combining mechanics, designers attempt to create an engine that runs smoothly every time....

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01 Oct
Games, Role Play Games

4e Rules To Enhance Your 5e Game

4e Rules To Enhance Your 5e Game Dungeons & Dragons has been the most popular tabletop RPG in the world for decades, and in that time it has reinvented itself several times with complete reboots of the rules. Put a few longtime fans in a room together and they'll launch into debate about which edition is the best faster than a feral manticore launches its tail spines into your marching order. However, no edition of Dungeons...

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26 Aug
Games, Reviews

Gryn and Grump Review Santorini

 Santorini by Game Designer Gordon Hamilton Hey Grump! Gryn. What are we doing today? You’ve forgotten already, haven’t you? We’re supposed to talk about Santorini … You know, the game we just finished playing 30 minutes ago.... We played seven times in a row …And somehow you won all of them.... And then you said you had to go and get something out of your ear … What? I can’t hear ya real well, Grump. I got something in my...

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01 Aug
Board Games, Card Games, Games, Reviews

5 games you can learn in 5 minutes

5 games you can learn in 5 minutes From the open ended fantasy world of Talisman, to the meticulous sci-fi strategy of Twilight Imperium, I’m always ready to throw down on longer running games. Sadly, there isn’t enough time some nights to crack into a 4 hour game. Sometimes all we’re looking for is a game we can teach quickly and pick up and go, so I’m highlighting some smaller games that can all be learned...

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30 Jun
Board Games, Games

Special Education Through Game Play

When teaching special needs students, flexibility is key. The best Special Education (SPED) teachers are adaptive and intuitive, anchoring their students with both support and a malleable lesson plan. When they see a safe place to teach a valuable lesson, they go towards it. I never had a full appreciation of what they do until I stumbled into teaching life lessons through board games in a public school. Years ago, I had the absolute pleasure to work...

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01 Jun
Board Games, Reviews

Gryn & Grump Review Res Arcana

Res Arcana by Game Designer Tom Lehmann In a high tower, an Alchemist prepares potions, using vials filled with otherworldly fluids. In a sacred Grove, a druid grinds herbs for a mystical ritual. In the catacombs, a necromancer summons a bone Dragon… Welcome to the world of Res Arcana! In it, life, Death, elegant, calm, and gold are the essences that fuel the art of magic. Choose your mage, gather essences, craft unique artifacts, and use...

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18 Feb
Board Games, Games

7 Steps to Starting a College Board Game Club

If you’re a student, particularly in higher education, it can be very difficult to find the communities for you. If this is the case, consider creating your own tabletop gaming club! Board games are a fantastic way to meet people and build lasting friendships. While it might seem intimidating to begin such a process, I can attest ​​ that it’s an incredibly rewarding experience. I’ve founded three successful gaming clubs and am excited to share...

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