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Introduction Two player games are our favorite, and cooperative ones always give us just the right amount of stress. Codenames Duet takes the classic party game and turns it into a secret mission for two. Have you ever wanted to be a spy? Now is your chance! Sit across from each other, trade clues, dodge the assassin, and wonder how on earth your one and only could have chosen that word. My clues are usually terrible, so we usually play more than once. Whether you have played the original Codenames or are looking for a cozier twist, Codenames Duet  is a clever way to spend a night in Gameplay Players work together to find 15 secret agents hidden in a 5 by 5 grid of 25 words. Each of you has your own side of a key card showing which words your partner needs to guess. Nine agents per side, twelve bystanders, three possible assassins, and nine rounds to find all fifteen agents (three agents overlap). Guess an assassin and it is game over. Trust me, it happens more than you think in our house because I seem to have a magnetic talent for finding them 🙈 On your turn, give a one-word clue plus a number and hope your partner can read your mind. Guess an agent, cover it with a green tile. Guess a bystander, and the turn ends. Guess the assassin and lose immediately. Each turn uses one timer token, and if you run out, there is one last sudden death round to save the mission. My advice: do not overthink it, trust your gut, and remember, double guessing usually leads straight into trouble Tips When a clue feels impossible, do not sweat it. You can always pass. Sometimes it helps to give a zero clue to steer your partner away from the wrong words. Make sure to read all words before giving out a word. Patience is key. It’s okay to think for a minute (which will probably seem like forever) before giving out a word and a number. Also, do not react to your partner’s possible guesses. That's cheating. I have a bad poker face, so when things get tense, I turn around Conclusion Codenames Duet is a tense, clever mission for two. This cooperative word association game feels like a fresh puzzle every time. It plays fast and works well for two or a group. Bring your creativity and try not to overthink it! Once you’re comfortable with the basics, the mission maps add a new layer where you guess within a set number of turns and limited mistakes. Less turns, more tension, more fun as long as the assassin doesn’t come up. And oh, boy! That dude comes up a lot in my house 🙈 I'm in a mission to only keep games we play in our collection, and Codenames is a keeper. Here's my rubric and my Geeklist with all the 2-player games I've reviewed

A.E.G.I.S.: Second Ignition is all about sparks, steel, and smashing robots together until they combine into something bigger, or get destroyed. It’s tactical, chaotic, and blends dice chucking with clever positioning. The game is published by Zephyr Workshop, and it plays 1–4 players. It has an expansion that allows for up to six players I tried a three player game on the expansion six player mat. The hex board gave me nostalgic Chinese Checkers vibes. If Chinese Checkers had blocked spaces, missiles, lasers, and giant anime mechs shouting “Combine!” The game is designed by Cassandra Clark, Breeze Grigas, and Zach Kettell. The production is gorgeous: bold art, flashy standees, and tokens that pop. I was ready to love it. Dice rolling, robots combining, big tactical battles? Yes please! ⚠️ Disclaimer: I do not usually play war strategy or miniature games, so my perspective might be very different from someone who does. After playing AEGIS, I realized this one might not be for me. And that’s a shame, because who doesn’t like the excitement of rolling dice? I’ll give it another go with more of an RPG twist. If you lean into narration and storytelling, I think it could really shine. The art, the boards, the robots, it all looks like an anime crossover dropped onto your table. But for me, the gameplay didn’t click. And that’s rough to admit, because I wanted to love it What’s the Game About? At its core, A.E.G.I.S. is a tactical combat game where each player builds a squad of five robots and battles it out. There are five robot classes, and together they spell the game’s name: Assault : Aggressive attackers with melee and guns Evasive : Fast scouts with bombs, missiles, and machine guns Guard : Big tanks that soak up damage Intel : Tricksters with lightning and energy abilities Support : Long-range helpers and healers Each robot generates energy at the start of your turn, which you spend to move, attack, or activate special abilities. Each hex you move costs one energy, and most actions require dice rolls that also consume energy. Managing this resource is key as you balance positioning, attacking, and saving enough for powerful combinations. Robots can also merge into larger forms, fusing multiple units into one more powerful robot Victory comes when your opponents can no longer function effectively. Either they can’t produce at least five points to keep their team running, or their remaining robots can’t deal damage, drain energy, or move other robots around the battlefield My Experience The variety in this game is staggering. There are over 100 unique robots, each with a card and standee. You could play dozens of times and never field the same squad. The rulebook is detailed and well-written, and the system has a lot of clever ideas. And yet… I struggled 😭 Pacing : while the system allows for big tactical setups, the game can drag. In the three-player variant, players start too far apart. You’ll often spend two or three turns just maneuvering into position and playing defensively before the action really starts Analysis Paralysis : If you thrive on complex decisions, this game has plenty. For me, though, the sheer number of options (which robot to activate, where to move, which action to use, whether to combine) slowed things to a crawl as players calculated every possibility. I’m hopeful this eases with more experience Combining Robots : Cool in theory, confusing in practice. Once standees start fusing into duos, trios, or beyond, I often wasn’t sure who was who or where my target had moved to Dice Probability : Some attacks feel frustratingly punishing. When you roll three dice and all of them need to be greater than a certain number, it can waste precious energy and come up empty Components : The iconography is heavy, and while the summary cards help, there’s a lot to absorb at first. Plus, there just aren’t enough damage tokens to go around That said, when the system clicks, you really do feel like you’re commanding an over-the-top anime battle, complete with giant robots clashing, combining, and pulling off big cinematic moves Who Is This Game For? This is a game for players who: Love tactical skirmish games and plotting every move like a battlefield general Grew up on anime mechs and dream of shouting at the table Enjoy long, swingy battles with crunchy rules Don’t mind chaos and dice luck in their strategy Pros: 💕 Gorgeous artwork and components 🤖 Loads of unique robots, tons of variety 🎲 Multiple game modes 📍 Pre-built squads and detailed rules to get you started Cons: Gameplay can drag Combined robots are hard to track on the board If luck is not in your favor, dice can be punishing Iconography learning curve is steep Final Thoughts I wanted to love A.E.G.I.S.: Second Ignition. The concept, the style, the dice-chucking chaos, it all seemed tailor-made for me. But in practice, I found myself more frustrated than thrilled. That doesn’t mean it’s a bad game. For the right group, especially those who thrive on tactical depth and anime-style battles, this could be an absolute hit. For me, though? I may try it once more with a narrative. In the meantime, I’ll admire it from afar and let someone else pilot the giant robot

Some games teach you how to plant crops or stack engines. Watergate is about corruption, conspiracy, and dragging a president’s reputation through a heap of redacted memos. Just another two-player date night at our place 🥰 Designed by Matthias Cramer and published by Capstone Games, Watergate is a card-driven duel that takes about 45 minutes to play. It’s light on rules but heavy on tension. Unlike most games, this one also teaches you history, and oh boy! It brings the drama. I didn’t grow up in the States, so learning about the scandal and the real people behind it was unexpectedly fascinating. The informants, the conspirators, the journalists, so many people! Spoiler alert : the rulebook goes all in with background blurbs for everyone involved. It’s basically a two-player civics lesson, with bonus paranoia What’s Going On Here? Watergate pits one player as the Nixon Administration, trying to survive their full term by suppressing evidence, and the other as a an editor scrambling to connect the dots and publish the truth before it's too late. The game is all about the cards and feels a lot like tug-of-war. Both players constantly trying to keep their evidence momentum. The game is very dramatic and deliciously tense What’s in the Box? 2 decks of unique cards (20 for Nixon, 20 for the Editor) A central board that feels like a bulletin board straight out of a conspiracy movie A mess of evidence tokens in three colors with a few wildcards Momentum tokens, picture tiles, and the one initiative token everyone wants A nice little cloth bag How It Sets Up This is the best part, pick your role, shuffle your deck, seed the board, and boom. You’re ready to start your own miniature historical scandal How It Plays Each round has three phases: Draw and Seed : Players draw cards based on initiative and Nixon secretly pulls three evidence tokens from the bag Card Play : Players alternate playing cards either for their value or for their actions. While the editor tries to plant evidence, Nixon tried to bury the truth Evaluate : Tokens get awarded. Evidence gets pinned to the board face up for the editor, and face down for Nixon. If Nixon has five momentum? Victory! But if the Editor is able to connect two informants, journalism prevails! Pros 📰 Sharp theme 📍 Snappy, high-stakes tug-of-war gameplay 📅 Plays in about 45 minutes 🃏 Every card feels meaningful 🤐 Nixon gets to hoard secrets and a chance to rewrite history 🧠 Really clever asymmetry. Both sides play very differently Considerations 🧩 Not for folks who dislike hidden info or historical games 🛑 Some card effects are super swingy. Queue up the drama Editor's Note If you’ve ever wanted to scream “Check the tapes!” across the table at someone you love, Watergate  is for you. It’s tense, thematic, and constantly asks you to gamble. The game is all about timing, the cards combos you can create, and hoping to trust your gut. Below is my two player rubric for Watergate. Though the game is not language-independent and cannot be taken everywhere, it is a solid game for those who dig a history tug-of-war game that plays under an hour

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 before, but now you’re wondering how you lived so long without that little bit of yummy magic That’s exactly how I felt about Dominion. The game dropped in 2008, but I didn’t even hear about it until 2020. Then the pandemic hit, so I wasn’t able to try it until 2021. One night, a friend and I were comparing how our game nights had escalated. Many started with Monopoly or Uno, but we had graduated to Catan. In fact, we’d played so much Catan that I get queasy when someone suggests it. She grinned and said, “Ah, Catan is great, but have you experienced Dominion?” I had no idea what I was walking into. My first reaction was, “A game with just cards?” I had no idea what a deck-builder was. The concept is brilliantly simple: you start with a small deck of basic cards and build it up as you play by buying new, more powerful ones. Each turn, you draw from your deck, use those cards, and try to create powerful combos that help you score points or mess with your opponents. It’s like building your own toolkit on the fly. And Dominion was the OG that kicked off the whole genre! At first glance, Dominion isn’t winning any beauty contests. It's just a plain box and art that feels more old-school Magic: The Gathering than modern, glossy card games. The newer printings have improved, but the real beauty is in the gameplay Underneath that plain wrapper is a strategic and addicting powerhouse. Not all kingdoms (the unique card setups) are created equal, and not every set of cards works for all player counts. Discovering which combinations shine at 2, 3, 4, 5, or even 6 players has been half the fun. Some groups love money-heavy games, others crave attack card. The perfect set really depends on the vibe Why am I hooked? ✅ Easy to learn 🔄 Infinite replayability ⏩ Quick turns (unless someone gets stuck with analysis paralysis) 👩‍👩‍👧‍👦 Anyone can play 📦 Travel-friendly (I keep a travel copy in my car) 📜 Clear rules. I really like that each card explains what it does Heads up though: ⚠️ The OG box and art won’t wow your friends 🧠 The game is delightfully crunchy 💸 Expansions are dangerously addictive Since that first game, we’ve upgraded, sleeved, laminated, organized, and packed expansions into boxes like Tetris pros (I have about 3-4 expansions per box). I even challenged myself to play 100 different kingdoms this year, and I’m well on my way So yeah, I was late to the Dominion party. But like that Chick-fil-A sauce, once you get a taste, it sticks with you forever Who's that in the photo? That’s Mozart Bartholomeo! My newly retired, 10 or so year old cat who’s also been enjoying Dominion. Mostly, he naps on my side while we play. But if you need a furry game buddy with chill vibes and the occasional paw swipe, he’s your guy!

Witch better have my package  💌 Tried Delivery Witches  by a new publisher Undigital. The game is designed by Eric Rodriguez and illustrated by Mado Peña and Ernest Sala. This is a cozy broom-riding delivery game is based on Mika and the Witch’s Mountain (I am not into video games but if there's a comic or movie about this, I want to know about it). What first drew me in? The art — it’s absolutely gorgeous. You play as a young witch flying around a dreamy coastal island, delivering mail, upgrading your broom, dodging hazards, and flexing your magical logistics skills 🧹What is Delivery Witches? 1–4 player delivery game where you're a witch-in-training zipping around a dreamy coastal island in about 30 minutes per player. Your job? Pick up packages, dodge hazards, flex your magical logistics skills, and upgrade your broom to delivery packages and score points. You’ll start in the sleepy village, but to reach the spooky woods and dramatic mountain, you’ll need better gear! ✨ How It Plays Each turn, you get 4 actions . Choose from: Moving along the paths Picking up a delivery Upgrading your broom Getting new abilities You can also save your actions for a future turn as long as you don't exceed eight actions. Dropping off packages is a free action. Once you match the corresponding house, boom! mail delivered. Want bonus points? Go for mastery challenges: Deliver on a specific number of moves Avoid terrain hazards like mountains or water If you succeed, you’ll move up the matching mastery track and maybe even snag a mastery Token. Fail the challenge? That's okay. The delivery still counts! The game offers subtle player interaction through racing for deliveries and strategic use of abilities to leap over rivals or avoid hazards. The components are colorful. The witch meeples are chunky and beautiful. The iconography of the game is clear and once you understand it, it's very thematic and easy to follow. 🏅 Endgame The game ends once someone earns their fourth medal. Everyone else gets one last turn, then tally up: Delivered packages Earned medals Mastery bonuses Leftover coins and crystals Most points wins and becomes the island’s magical mail carrier! Pros 📦 Satisfying delivery system 🎯 Medals give clear, fun goals 🔮 Strong ability combos 🗺️ Smart map design with level-based areas. I really like that you can randomize the setup to mix up hazards and deliveries 🌐 Language independent 🎨 Stunning art with a cute witchy vibe Considerations 📖 Review based on prototype copy . Rules and components may change or evolve 🕰️ The game takes about 30 minutes per player 🔄 No way to refresh the ability card market which can be frustrating at times 🙃 Some downtime at three and four player counts, but you get more player interaction! Bottom Line Delivery Witches is beautiful, whimsical, and just the right amount of thinky. It reminds me of fall, pumpkin spice lattes, just add a spreadsheet. If you’ve ever dreamed of running a magical FedEx, this is your moment!

🌲 Aspens  scratches a very specific itch. We’re big Photosynthesis fans, and I’ve been hunting for a two-player nature game that’s faster, cozier, and still offers that satisfying chess-like crunch 🚨Spoiler alert: Aspens delivers One of my favorite things about board games is how much you learn along the way. I thought Aspen was just a ski town in Colorado. Turns out they’re beautiful, tough trees that grow in huge underground colonies. Aspens are like one big forest family quietly expanding together.That calm, persistent and resilient growth? That's basically the theme of this game! Aspens  is a fast, strategic, two-player forest expansion game from new publisher Ludivore Games, designed by Neil Edwards and Luke Roberts. It's a tug-of-war powered by dice and pretty trees. The wind die establishes the direction in which you can grow, and the sun die determines which tiles get to spread their roots. Outgrow your opponent, claim the most territory, and hopefully become the ruler of the woods! Forest Fresh: The Setup The board? Seven hex tiles with three water tiles scattered around. Players choose either yellow aspens or green pines. Then, each player plants three seeds, one next to each water tile. I'm happily taking pro tips on where to face my first trees to maximize my growth! Player than take turns planting four trees. You can plant all the trees on one existing tile, or spread out to try to maximize your space. 🌞 How to Play Each turn rolls the sun die and the wind die. The sun die shows a number, and each of your forest tiles with at least that many trees will generate one tree The wind die tells you which directions you can expand into empty tiles The rolling player, gets a bonus tree Then, collect trees based on your forest size and the sun roll Here comes the fun. Plan your move! Either grow up on your existing tiles to boost future tree production, or grow out in wind-allowed directions to claim more territory. If you enclose an area that your opponent can’t reach, you instantly celebrate and fill it with your trees to claim the whole zone. This is a very satisfying and savage way to strategically and peacefully conquer the forest. But beware, claiming a huge chunk of the forest doesn't guarantee your victory. 🏆 You win by controlling the most tiles when the board is full! Who’s This Game For? Nature game lovers who want a beautiful and fast game Two-player gamers who crave tactical decisions with a touch of luck Fans of spatial puzzles and peaceful competition Anyone who likes watching something grow (and then totally cutting off their opponent’s opportunities) What Makes Aspens Unique? Tug-of-forest decisions by balancing the growth of tall forests vs. quick expansion Sun and wind dice that add luck yet keep the game strategic Territory claiming  race your opponent to close off areas to instantly claim them Chain planting  place new trees adjacent to ones just planted for massive growth Pros 🌞 Clever dice system mixing luck with strategy 🧩 Spatial puzzle keeps you thinking each turn 🎓 Quick to learn, teach, and play 🌐 Language independent 🚀 Fast turns, minimal downtime Considerations ⏳ Dice rolls can mess with your plans 🌳 Forest tiles can get crowded if you stack too many trees in one spot 📦 There are two versions: standard edition which has abstract pieces deluxe version with beautiful treeples and cloth bags for easier set up Bottom Line Aspens is a beautiful, brainy, quick-to-play forest game. It takes up a bit of table space, but it’s worth it. I really enjoy how the board gets colorful as you play. I had the chance to playtest an early copy, and while my opinions are totally my own, I can’t wait to play the finished version. This one hits right on target for my 2025 goal to find and review the best two-player games. Check out Aspens Kickstarter campaign to learn more about the campaign and see how the final forest takes shape

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. Spoiler: the hype fades, but some games are forever! 📊 Progress Report ✅ Collection under 500  — nailed it! 🕹️ 27% of the collection played 👑 25/100 unique Dominion kingdoms  — slowly but surely building our own Throne Room 🏆 Most Played Games So Far Let’s be honest, some games just don’t leave the rotation: 👑 Dominion  – The reigning champ. Still discovering new combos and kingdoms 🧑‍🚀 The Crew  – Quiet chaos and teamwork at its finest. I honestly think that if LotR Trick taking Game could be counted as The Crew, this would be the most played game of the year. It's so good, and depending on the group, we can't finish a night without playing one of the other, or sometimes both 🔥 Knister  – Fast, crunchy, and chaotic fun. Like Splitter  but speedier. We keep trying to outsmart the dice… spoiler alert: we never do 🙈 🧙‍♂️ The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Trick-Taking Game  – Long name, probably one of the longest ones I've seen. Amazing game! We are obsessed! ⚓ Captain Flip  – Bag mechanic magic from Paolo Mori? Yes please. 🪐 Jump Drive  – Forever in our deck box. Still teaching it, still loving it, still undefeated in universal appeal. We've sleeved this game, we got a second copy, so it can live in the car, and! We got score counting dials, so we can play this EVERYWHERE! 🎒 Games That Go Everywhere We love a good portable game — here are the ones that live in bags, purses, and glove compartments: 7️⃣ Flip 7  – The one we always  bring. Even non-gamers ask for it! ✍🏻 Knister  – Fast, tense, and somehow always just  out of reach 🧳 Jump Drive  – Our default pick for cafes and travel nights (And don’t worry — Dominion still  travels with us in that iconic Gamegenic sleeved 1,000-card case) We’re chasing fewer new releases this year and playing more of what we love. What’s been hitting your table lately? Any 2025 games still going strong?

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 space for the finished version. Like Sequence ? Love cats? Obsessed with pretty art? This game is a delight. It’s a cozy spatial strategy game where every card you play brings you closer to completing patterns on the board or blocking someone else’s perfect setup. It’s clever without being crunchy. Fast to teach. Easy to love. What makes it shine is the modular board. It changes every time you play but never feels overwhelming. It plays well at any count, looks gorgeous on the table, and you’re constantly doing something. Scoring. Building. Blocking. Plotting. During our first game, we played four times in a row. Sad news? I did not win, but I did come close. The fact that you are able to score throughout the game makes it a blast and anyone's game. 🎯 What’s the Game? Cat in 8  is published by Ghetti Games and illustrated by Katerina Izobova. It plays 2–6 players, and it scales purrfectly (more cat puns incoming). It’s a beautiful spatial strategy game that blends pattern-building with just the right amount of chaos. Think of it as Sequence’s modern and mischievous feline cousin—better art, chunkier tokens, rotating tiles, and just a little extra bite 📦 What’s in the Box Please note that this is a first impression, so some components may change at production. With that said, the components are very high-quality Chunky double-sided cat tokens Gorgeous full-color cards A sleek organizer that fits everything purrfectly One (yes, ONE) plastic bag—for scoring pegs only, which is brilliantly intentional A neat modular board The production quality already has us swooning, and I can't wait to play the finished product 🧶 Setup The custom organizer makes setup a breeze! No digging through baggies, no fiddling with loose bits. Everything has its spot, and you’ll be playing within a few minutes. More games need to take notes from this level of thoughtful design As for the board, it’s just as easy. Lay out all 16 tiles face-up in a 4x4 grid—any order, any orientation. That forms the full 8x8 play area. The four blank corners get Free Space Cat Tokens, which are neutral and usable by anyone. The final version will have the pieces slightly raise. This will make it easier to see scoring opportunities 🎲 How It Plays Each turn, you play a card and place one of your chunky cat tokens on one of the matching spots on the board. Your goal? Create sequences of three or more of your tokens in a straight line. You’ll earn points for each new line you complete or extend on your turn, and if you manage to score in multiple directions at once—voilà! Even more points Here’s the twist : if you ever complete a line of eight of your tokens, it’s game over. Instant win. Cat in 8 , baby 🏆 The deck also includes a few special cards that adds just the right amount of chaos: Cat Fight  lets you swap one of your tokens with someone else’s, what a way to strategically block your opponent(s) and possibly score big points Cat Nado  rotates a tile to a new orientation. My wife played this in a four player game, and won with Cat in 8! Cat Zoomies  pushes an entire row of tiles across the board. This can either mess with your opponents, help you score big, or both! Lastly, don’t forget to draw a card at the end of your turn. If you forget, you play the next round with one fewer card. That rule is brutal. And we love it! 😻 Pros 🎓 Simple rules, quick to learn 🧠 Clever spatial mechanics—every tile move counts 🧩 Strategic yet accessible 📦 Packs small, plays big! 👜 Zero setup fuss 🎨 Gorgeous art and table presence 🐾 Chunky tokens and tactile tile design 🔄 High replayability with a dash of chaos 👩‍👩‍👧‍👦 Purrfect for families or game night groups 🤔 Considerations 🎲 Chaos Cards can turn the tide . . . expect surprises! 🧩 Strategic players may get caught in a thinky catnap 😸 Token placement can get c[h]atty  in a competitive way—blockers beware! 🐾 Bottom Line Cat in 8 is paws-down  one of our favorite prototypes we've ever played. It’s clean, clever, and cozy. It's a strategic snuggle wrapped in chunky tokens and charming art. If you love Sequence (as much as we do) but wish it had a glow-up, this is the cat’s meow 🐈‍⬛ And if you’re into a dash of competitive chaos, don’t sleep on this one. Cat in 8 plays well at any count whether playing at 2, 3, 4, or in a 2v2 team showdown.

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 the test: strategic depth, replayability, table space, and how travel-friendly they are. My shelf is not infinite, so some tough decisions are on the horizon. And while I’m saying goodbye to some, I want to make sure the ones that stay are the games we keep playing over and over again Which brings me to these two: Blitzkrieg!  and Caesar! Same Designer, Same DNA… Different Beasts Ah, Paolo Mori. I love this guy; he's a genius. If you’ve played either of these games, you’ll know what I’m talking about. Both are two-player, war-themed, fast-paced, and tactical with high, high replayability. They’re built on that awesome token-drawing mechanic (which besides Quacks, I had never experience before). In these games, you're trying to stay ahead of your opponent, read the board, and control the game Blitzkrieg!  is all about tactical flexibility, reacting, adapting, and positioning yourself for that perfect strike to close out a campaign Caesar!  is a different beast. It’s more about slow, calculated control, cutting off routes, trapping your opponent, and forcing them into a corner they can't escape Honestly, it’s like comparing chess to checkers. Blitzkrieg! gives you that cerebral, chess-like depth, while Caesar! has that steady, inevitable progression of checkers Blitzkrieg! – Chess in 20 Minutes Blitzkrieg! ( read the full review ) feels like you’re playing a high-stakes game of chess, but in 20 minutes . Every move feels like part of a bigger puzzle. You're setting up plays, making sacrifices, and keeping your opponent guessing. The best part? You’re never  out of the game. Even when you think things are slipping away, a single, bold move can flip the entire battlefield in your favor There’s this constant tension as you juggle influence across multiple fronts. You can bait your opponent into overcommitting and then swoop in for the kill. Every play feels impactful—every decision matters, and the pressure never lets up. One wrong move, and it’s game over Caesar! – The Checkers of Area Control On the other hand, Caesar! ( read the full review ) is a slow burn. It’s not about wild battles—it’s about quiet, methodical control. You’re not rushing to get into the action; you’re carefully planning your moves, setting up your traps, and waiting for that inevitable moment when your opponent realizes they have nowhere to go The luck factor in Caesar! is a bit higher, and while I like the strategy, the random draws can sometimes feel frustrating. But when it clicks, and you corner your opponent, it feels incredibly satisfying It’s like checkers, but with a slow, calculated build-up. You’re thinking a few moves ahead, looking for that perfect time to strike. And when that time comes, you’ve already won. It’s inevitable Which One Stays? So, which one stays on my shelf? Blitzkrieg! edges out Caesar! just slightly. Why? It offers that deeper strategic depth, and I love the feeling of constant adaptation. The game’s shifting battlefield keeps me on my toes, and I find it more balanced when it comes to luck versus skill. Plus, the chess-like dynamic of outsmarting my opponent with every move is what keeps me coming back for more That said, Caesar! is still a fantastic game. If you’re into slow, steady control, and don’t mind a bit of luck thrown into the mix, it’s absolutely worth a try. But for me, Blitzkrieg! wins because of its dynamic, ever-changing nature In the end, both games are solid choices, and while I’m parting ways with Caesar! due to space (and a bit of preference), there’s always room for Caesar! in my heart... and hopefully someone else’s shelf 😎 What about you? Which one would you choose: Blitzkrieg! or Caesar!?

June is Pride Month — a time to celebrate love, identity, and community. And for me, it’s also a chance to celebrate one of the most meaningful through-lines in my life: board games . I’m the youngest in my family by a lot. While my cousins were off getting degrees and rings, I was still learning how to hold a pencil. But somehow, I still had a seat at the table — at least before poker night started. My grandpa and his siblings hosted poker games with their friends. Though I wasn’t old enough to join, they played Carioca with me beforehand. I had a seat at the table too and that meant everything! Later, I learned Rummikub, which became a constant with my parents. We played it so often, we eventually combined two sets so we could invite more people in. That clack of tiles? That was the soundtrack to my childhood. And no matter what could have been going on: family feuds, long days, big emotions, board game night was sacred. We laughed. We competed. We connected. As I got older, that love of games grew with me. I moved from Uno and Clue to the wonderful chaos of hosting " gayme nights" . It started with a few queer friends in my living room turned into a ritual passed from place to place, with someone new hosting each time. A space to show up exactly as we were, laugh too loud, get way too competitive, and try to explain rules we barely understood. Of course, I didn’t only play at gayme night. I’ve crashed plenty of “straight nights” too. For the record, they’re great! Some folks get nervous about the term gayme night , so just to clarify: it’s not a secret club. It’s just board games with people who happen to be queer. Sexuality has no effect on your ability to dominate at Codenames. And if it did, I’m pretty sure I’d have won at least once in the Duet version by now. Whether queer, straight, old, or young, board games brought us together. It didn’t matter where you were from, what your story was, or what you did for a living. As long as you were ready to play and have a good time, you had a seat at the table. Because sometimes, all it takes is a shared game to turn strangers into friends. When I met my now-wife, our first date ended with a game of Taboo , just the two of us. I know, I know, you’re supposed to play in teams, but it was what we had on hand and honestly it was perfect. Maybe it was a bit premature to think that night sealed the deal, but that shared love of yelling guesses while holding a buzzer made me wonder if we could be soulmates. Whether playing with family, friends, or friends to be, board games have always been about connection for me. They have created safe spaces, joyful spaces, healing spaces. They have taught me strategy, empathy, and how to keep a straight face during bluffing games (even when very gay). This Pride, I’m reminded that the game table should reflect the world we want to build: one where everyone is welcome, everyone gets a turn, and no one is left out of the fun. So whether you’re a rule lawyer, a casual player, or just here for the snacks, there’s a game and a group out there for you. If you’re ready to play, don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and take your seat at the table 🏳️‍🌈

Whenever I visit a new city, there’s one stop I always  make room for: the local board game store. It’s one of my favorite ways to get a feel for the place. Occasionally, I stumble on a store I love enough to visit again and again. Spilavinir  in Reykjavík is 100% one of those stores. Tucked into a cozy spot, it has a friendly, welcoming vibe and a basement that feels like a secret board game vault. Seriously! It’s packed with what seems like a million games, just waiting to be played. But the real magic? The people! A Staff That Knows Their Stuff On this trip, Þorri was incredibly kind and helpful. He pointed us toward games we’d never seen in the States including Icelandic gems. He introduced us to Flip 7, a clever little game I already love. What makes Spilavinir special is how on point their recommendations are. A few years ago, they suggested Heckmeck  (or Pickomino, depending on which name you know it by). I bought it purely because it said Reiner Knizia  on the box and I trusted the Spilavinir staff And boy. I LOVE this game! It’s quick, a little chaotic, and surprisingly strategic. There’s just something about grabbing warm worms from your friends that never stops being funny. So imagine my delight when I saw they now have a pocket version.. We immediately grabbed that. It's beautiful round small tin that's travel-size. Let's just say that my only regret from this trip was not grabbing more than one copy of Heckmeck Flip 7, Warm Worms, and Universal Joy One of my favorite things about board games is how universal they are. You can be anywhere in the world, roll some dice, play some cards, and instantly connect. Seeing a game you love being enjoyed in another country? That hits different. Spilavinir doesn’t just sell games—they help build that connection. Their thoughtful recommendations, warm energy, and ever-growing collection of clever titles make this spot feel like more than a store. It’s a gathering place for game lovers of all kinds. I think that after my local shop, Millennium Games, this one has my heart Don’t Miss It If you’re ever in Iceland 🇮🇸, Spilavinir is debatably on the way to the airport ✈️ and right next to Pure Deli, which has fresh, delicious wraps 🥗. That way you can leave the land of fire and ice inspired, a little over-packed 🎒, full of good food, and very excited to get back to the table. Now excuse me while I go {try and} win back my warm worms.

Everdell, but shrunk down for the younger crowd? Or maybe a quicker version? Yes please. But don’t let the “Lil” fool you—this is still a game with clever decisions, resource management, and crunchy card combos... all in a friendlier, faster format. Plus there's a die! My Lil’ Everdell  is a streamlined version of the beloved Everdell . The game is designed by Will and Clarissa Wilson and published by Starling Games. It’s a 2-4 player game where you build your critter community over four rounds. During each round you place three workers and try to collect resources and play cards to score the most points Who’s This For? If you’re introducing board games to kids, new gamers, or adults who like the idea  of Everdell but not the full hour-long teach—this may be your jam. It’s quick to learn, satisfying to play, and it still comes with squishy berries! 📦 What's in the Box? A central game board with beautifully illustrated art 54 Beautiful critter and places cards Colorful cardboard boxes that become crates to store the game tokens Tokens that also come in extra format as cardboard pieces: squishy berries resin twigs pebbles 4 token dice 16 Parade tokens Achievement goals Cute critter meeples (just 3 per player = quick turns!) blue butterflies (mine) orange foxes green lizards white mice (I thought they were bunnies but someone pointed out the tail--whoops!) Personal home boards where your woodland town grows Sun token for first player Moon token for round tracking 🧩 Setup Place the main board, resource crates, and 8 cards in the meadow Give each player 3 critters and a home board. Sort and stack Parade tokens above the forest. Sun goes to the shortest player 🌞, moon starts on the left 🌚 🔁 How It Plays Each round, players: Activate Green cards  to gather passive resources Roll dice  to randomize the forest rewards Take turns placing critters  to gather resources from the board, dice, or red cards in your own home Purchase cards  from the market to add to your home, paying with the resources you’ve gathered Check for Parade Tokens  — unique bonuses for building a diverse or specific town End the round, bring your critters home, pass the sun, and scooch the moon one space right After four rounds, tally points from: Cards in your town Parade tokens Extra point tokens Every 2 leftover resources = 1 point 🏆 Highest score wins. In case of a tie, check who has more points on their cards 🧠 What Makes It Tick? The streamlined turns make this game a winner for kids and adults new to the hobby. No need for heavy iconography or tight engine-building. Instead, the joy comes from: Placing your tiny critter on a dice spot before someone else grabs it Playing cards Racing to snag that juicy Parade token before your sibling does 🐸💨 🌟 Pros ✨ Just like Everdell the art is perfection. Whimsical, bright, and full of personality 🚸 Great for young and new gamers: teaches turn order, worker placement, and light strategy. I think this is a good way to see if your friends that are curious about board games could manage a full Everdell game ⏱️ Quick turns and limited downtime. Though this can change if playing with 4 players 🧩 Easy to teach, even easier to play—very limited text on cards which makes it mostly language independent 🤔 Considerations 🧠 Less strategic depth than classic Everdell  (by design)—if you’re looking for crunchy combos, this is more bite-sized appetizer It may still be too much for some younger players 🎯 Limited player interaction 🍄 Bottom Line My Lil’ Everdell  is the perfect introduction to modern board games for kids, with just enough decisions to keep grown-ups engaged too. Whether you're raising the next generation of woodland strategists or just want a quick, cozy game that fits on the coffee table, this one's worth the try. 🐿️ Tiny critters, big fun. Now who’s ready to build the coziest forest town?