Tabletop game reviews enjoyed lately thread

I skipped to the end when he introduced Homeland. It's a good piece, but an editor would have helped him out on this one.

I was pleased to see him expand that scope of the thematic element to doubters and queers as well, even if just in passing because I think there are plenty of people that see themselves in the position of cylons fully within American (and other) cultures. Though BSG came out after 9/11, it struck chords that have been in our cultures for years, just not well considered.

I did read the final paragraphs which brought it back to Unfathomable. Truth be told, the game was made because there was a market for it. Poorly executed, the goal was to sell a package with as small an overhead as possible, and Lovecraft's misfitted theme could be wedged in at no charge to serve the purpose. As with Rexx before it, players of the original game could shake their head and say "that doesn't look right" while new people hooted with excitement. Sales made.

Sagrilarus wrote: It's a good piece, but an editor would have helped him out on this one

I kind of feel that way about a lot of his work.

re: last six months, I agree. His stuff on Root is clearly exciting him but I find it a bit too much and have very little interest in any further continuation of that series. I won’t complain too much as very few reviewers/critics are even trying to be ambitious in the board game review space.

I have not read one word of his stuff on Root. Tried the game twice, hope to never play again. Somehow I completely missed getting on that train.

He's definitely at his best, by far, when his pieces are anchored by an explicit game review or something specific and mechanical about a game.

playerelimination.com/2022/06/06/once-mo...ic-explorers-review/

I ultimately decided not to back this one a few years ago, but it's nice that it's still resonating with Charlest

playerelimination.com/2022/06/15/a-crescent-moon-review/

Traditional review but among his best!

Gary Sax wrote: playerelimination.com/2022/06/15/a-crescent-moon-review/

Traditional review but among his best!

But why not compare it to the one game the designer cited as inspiration?

I don't think it's actually terribly similar to Chaos in the Old World at all. While his love for that game set him on a creative path, his development process actually broke far away from Lang's design and they bear little resemblance to each other and feel almost nothing alike.

I suppose the paragraph should have been in the review, but my mind wasn't focused on Chaos in the Old World because Crescent Moon is much more similar to Dune and the COIN series.

Yesterday, my first article for IGN went up, a review of the solid deckbuilder/tactical miniature hybrid Ascension Tactics: www.ign.com/articles/ascension-tactics-d...es-board-game-review

Today, my review of one of the best games of 2022 thus far - Return to Dark Tower - is up at Polygon: www.polygon.com/reviews/23171216/return-...er-board-game-review

Been super happy to see the outlets you write in increase prestige-wise.

On a real talk question, did you find that doing your site/blog reviews consistently helped give bigger outlets a better sense of your work? I always wonder if toiling away at your own stuff ends up helping or if it really is all about the little opportunities you take advantage of in spaces with more eyes.

Thanks, that means a lot to hear.

Honestly, I think it's the latter. Should be more about hard work, but like most things in life, luck and opportunity are needed.

The main catalyst was Teri Litorco. I recruited her for the Review Corner at Miniature Market and she later pulled me in to write for Geek & Sundry.

Writing for Geek & Sundry was not a great experience. The editor at the time was fantastic and still offers occasional positivity on social media for my writing, but it was a low paying gig with a lot of work. It also went downhill after a year or two with many people above the writers being laid off, which totally wrecked any direction and the process.

However, I was able to use that to leverage work at Tabletop Gaming Magazine (which is the longest I've ever written for any outlet, as I still contribute there monthly). My Geek & Sundry experience is also probably the only reason Nate Anderson at Ars Technica gave me a chance.

Then I got in at PCGamer due to my Ars experience, although that lasted a single review (Western Legends) before they stopped utilizing freelancers.

But I pursued Polygon for years. I messaged Charlie Hall a few times, I think as early as 2017. He followed me on Twitter sometime there and I believe he'd occasionally read my reviews, despite telling me he couldn't take any freelance work.

Eventually they were looking to expand board game coverage and he reached out to me.

IGN came about as their editor reached out to someone I know, and they passed my details along.

I'm very thankful for all of this, but as you know, I'd much rather write something like my Crescent Moon or Rocky Mountain Man reviews. I don't see that ever changing.

Also, apologies for posting those two reviews above in this thread, I meant to post in the "What are you WRITING" thread.

Charlie’s Ascension Tactics review had my finger hovering over the Buy button but I resisted. I don’t think I have the right opponent for it. I’d love to play that one.

You shouldn't watch it Mark (I fully endorse buying less and resisting, despite being a reviewer), but anyone desiring a video review of Ascension Tactics should watch Joel Eddy's review.

hotseatgames wrote: Charlie’s Ascension Tactics review had my finger hovering over the Buy button but I resisted. I don’t think I have the right opponent for it. I’d love to play that one.

A friend of mine is one of the designers on that game, you should buy it it's really fun!

If that was enough, I'd already have bought it, as I know Justin Gary.