I really like Flip 7. It’s quick to teach, easy to get into, and somehow manages to make flipping over a card feel way more stressful than it should. So when Flip 7: With a Vengeance came out, I was curious. At first glance, it’s still Flip 7. You’re flipping cards, trying not to bust, and deciding how greedy you want to be. The difference is in how the two games get there Vengeance adds some new ways to mess with the other players and changes how you approach your turns. So

🃏 Flip 7 by Eric Olsen | 🏢 Published by The Op Games on 2026 👥 3+ players | ⏳ ~20 minutes | ⚙️ Press your luck, push your luck, take that I really like Flip 7. I've bought it as a gift more than once, and it's one of those games I can put in front of almost anyone and know we're going to have a good time. So when I saw Flip 7: With a Vengeance, I bought it. Then I played . . . My thoughts? This is for someone else. That's not to say I don't like it. I just don't know if I

🔢 Tally Up! |🧥 Designer: Eric Olsen | 🏢 Publisher Messy Tables Games 👥 2+ players | ⏳ ~20 minutes | 🎲 Push your luck, dice, simultaneous play Some people describe Tally Up! as Flip 7 with dice, and I get it. They’re both simple push your luck games where you’re deciding how greedy you want to be. In Tally Up! You decide to be either IN or OUT, but you’re still invested in every roll. Everyone plays at the same time. If you’re OUT, you’re probably hoping everyone else bus

🃏 Flip 7 by Eric Olsen | 🏢 Published by The Op Games on 2024 👥 3+ players | ⏳ ~20 minutes | ⚙️ Press your luck, push your luck, family game I honestly didn't think much of Flip 7 the first time I saw it. I got a promotional copy from my local game store, Millennium Games, and remember thinking the box was colorful. Cute. Whatever. I took it home, played it with my wife, and . . . 🥰 We liked it a lot. So much that we taught it to friends that same afternoon. And the rest i

🏴‍☠️ Booty Dice by Eric Olsen | 🏢 Published by Messy Table Games in 2023 👥 2–6 players | ⏳ ~15 minutes | ⚙️ Push your luck, dice rolling, take that, pirate chaos ⚠️ Disclosure: I was gifted a copy of Booty Dice and translated the game’s rules into Spanish As always, this is my honest review. We do not accept compensation for our opinions or recommendations Who didn't grow up playing Yahtzee? I never really caught the Pirates of the Caribbean bug, but give me some dice and

Zooloretto is a game with a clever twist on spatial planning and drafting. On the surface, you’re placing cute animal tiles into enclosures to build the most charming zoo on the table. But beneath that peaceful theme lies a surprisingly cutthroat game of tile drafting and push-your-luck decisions. Even though it's nearly twenty years old, it doesn't feel dated at all and still delivers an awesome experience every time it hits the table 🎲 Zooloretto published by Rio Grande Ga

I'm a sucker for games that do something fun with their components, and Beer Mug Dice is one of my favorite examples. The dice are chunky little wooden beer mugs that either land standing upright or flop onto their side. It's such a simple gimmick, but it gives every roll a little extra excitement. Add in a tiny box that's easy to toss in a bag, and I was all in 🎲 Beer Mug Dice published by 25th Century Games and Playte Games 🏛️ Designed by: Andreas Schmidt | 🎨 Art by: Wan

When people think of word games, Scrabble is usually the first one that comes to mind. It definitely is for us. As much as I love word games, it's also why a lot of our friends don't. Eventually someone gets stuck staring at the board, trying to squeeze a tiny word into an impossible spot while everyone else waits. You end up spending more time looking for a place to play than actually coming up with clever words Vocabularian takes a completely different approach. There's no

I’ve had a weird long standing relationship with sugar skulls and I honestly cannot explain it. About 20 years ago my childhood best friend and I were traveling through Colombia when we walked past a tattoo shop with a sugar skull in the window. We looked at each other, made a very questionable life decision, and walked out with matching tattoos. I was barely 18. My family was thrilled, obviously 😒 Fast forward to now and nothing has changed. If I see sugar skull art, I’m in

I am the person who always has a board game with me. Going to a brewery? Game in the bag. Waiting for food? Game in the bag. Family gathering where someone inevitably says "we should play something"? (Even if that person is me) Game in the bag For a game to earn permanent residency in my purse, backpack, or meeple bag, it needs to be easy to teach, quick to play, and small enough that I don't think twice about bringing it along PUSH checks every box The box itself is a little

Lucky Jack is one of those cool random finds. The colorful retro visuals instantly gravitate me to wards it. The game is designed by Richard Brault and Pascal Thoniel and published by FoxMind. The game promises high stakes intensity of Vegas, but without the risk of actually losing your money or having to go to a casino Objective The goal is simple: discard your hand as fast as possible to be the first to lay down a 3 or 4-card jackpot of matching symbols Components Rulebook

Reiner Knizia, cats, tile placement, and push your luck? Yeah... this game basically had my name written all over it. Purrramid is one of those games that feels familiar the moment you start playing. Roll dice. Chase your luck. Regret your life choices. Roll again anyway 🙄 I learned this one with a friend, and within a few turns we were already doing the classic push your luck thing where you know you should stop but convince yourself that one more roll is definitely the rig

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,...

Let's Talk Farkle! 🎲Farkle is a game that's pretty easy to learn, but boy, it can be a real challenge to master. In this dice game, you...

Jumping Dice designed by Taewon Moon and published by Boardboom Inc is a quick, loud, and chaotic party game for up to four players. Need...

A few months ago, I tried Can't Stop at Ravenfolks in Mexico City, and it was an instant hit. The thrill of pushing your luck with dice...

Chicken! is a fun, fast-paced dice game for 2-8 players. Play takes under 20 minutes and is perfect for families. First to 25 points wins

Unleash your inner entrepreneur with Widgets and Digits board game currently in Kickstarter. 2-4 player game designed for new gamers

Intro Favor: Gods of Oethera is a tile-placement board game designed for 2-6 players. In this game, you select one of six unique...