Every October, Spiel Essen lights up with the hottest board games, indie gems, and clever reprints you might otherwise miss. One publisher that has been catching my eye is Playte. Over the last few years, I’ve played a bunch of their titles, and I love their clever design, compact boxes, and thoughtful use of every component, sometimes even the box itself. Whether you’re at the convention or following from afar, these are the kinds of games that sneak into your bag and onto y

Hundreds of new games are debuting at Essen this year. Some are brand new, some are returning favorites, and a handful are already working their way onto wishlists everywhere. Here are a few I’ve played and thoroughly enjoyed 🍖 Barbecubes This is like an appetizer filled with chaos. You are trying to grill tiny pixelated proteins with a pair of tongs while everyone watches and silently judges you and prays that your hand-eye coordination fails you. If you drop a cube, you ta

Every October, the board game world lights up for Spiel Essen (spiel meaning game and Essen being the city where the convention takes place), the biggest board game event of the year. This is where the hottest new releases are revealed, Christmas wishlists start forming, and the games that will dominate tables in the coming year first make their appearance. It’s the place to see which titles are capturing hearts and dice cups around the world. Even from afar, following Essen

You’ve seen her smile, you’ve seen the crowds, and now you can bring her home. The LEGO Art Mona Lisa takes one of the most famous faces in the world and turns her into a pixel-perfect mosaic. At first glance, it’s hard to believe those subtle shadows and that mysterious smirk come from thousands of tiny bricks. But, it works. Plus, there are a few different faces, so you can change her face and throw your family off for a loop. Don’t ask me how I know The Basics Set: 31213

I wasn’t sure what to expect with Etherstone. The art is gorgeous, the rules are light, and once you get rolling it’s deeper and faster...

And just like that, Q3 is over! Somehow summer disappeared in a blur of dice, cards, and late-night table time. Let’s see what made it to the table this quarter and how the 2025 goals are holding up. Spoiler: Dominion still rules, but plenty of challengers fought for table space 🏆 Most Played Games This Quarter Some games just kept calling us back: 👑 Dominion – The reigning champ. Still discovering new combos and kingdoms. We are so obsessed with this game, we bought an ex

I've been on a kick to discover the best Playte game , and this one is a bit bigger than their usual L-shape small box, but don’t let...

I’m a sucker for two-player games, and Hanafuda: Koi-Koi is a reprint of a fast, elegant game that checks all my boxes. Pencil First...

Ever wonder how much slang has changed over the past 100 years? Slanguage teaches you all about it in about 30-minutes. This 3-8 players...

Introduction Lately, I’ve been obsessing over Playte games. I love their clever design and small boxes packed with big games. Enter,...

Introduction Two player games are our favorite, and cooperative ones always give us just the right amount of stress. Codenames Duet ...

A.E.G.I.S.: Second Ignition is all about sparks, steel, and smashing robots together until they combine into something bigger, or get...

Some games teach you how to plant crops or stack engines. Watergate is about corruption, conspiracy, and dragging a president’s...

You know when life is fine… and then someone introduces you to something like sriracha or Chick-fil-A sauce? Your life was perfectly okay...

Witch better have my package  💌 Tried Delivery Witches  by a new publisher Undigital. The game is designed by Eric Rodriguez and...

🌲 Aspens  scratches a very specific itch. We’re big Photosynthesis fans, and I’ve been hunting for a two-player nature game that’s...

Tasso Banana  is fast, silly, and way more strategic than you'd expect from a bunch of wobbly wooden bananas. It’s also a Playte  game,...

I blinked and somehow it’s July. It's time to check on those 2025 board game goals and see what’s actually making it to the table....

Our First Look at Cat in 8 🐾 We pounced on the chance to try a prototype of Cat in 8 , and I gotta say, we’re already clearing shelf...

I’m on a mission 🎯—a full-on board game purge. Specifically, I'm diving deep into my two-player collection and putting my criteria to...