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Reviews

AI Opens a Board Game Store

Andon Labs has created a store run by AI . What does this mean? Well the store's 3 year lease was obtained by Alton Labs for a store-front space in San Francisco. The AI called Luna was given $100,000 USD to create and run a retail space. The AI came up with the concept for the shop and hired employees and contractors to build out the shop and run it. The shop is called Andon Market and its concept is a "slow life" store so not exactly a board game store. This is what the AI

NEWS

What is a "Rouge-Like" Board Game?

The year was 1980 and the video game Rouge was published. This is the the Rouge in "Rouge-Like". Recently I have been hearing the term...

THE GAME MECHANICS

Reviews and Previews

A Preview of PDX, a Game Landing on Crowdfunding Soon.

You have finally done it. You are in charge of Portland's newest airline. In PDX the newest game from Waterworks players must build out their concourse to expand for larger planes, and gather all the resources they need to build the best air routes for their airlines. PDX is a worker placement game where players seek to build out the best airline out of the Portland International Airport. PDX is coming to Kickstarter on February 24th, do go ahead and hit that "notify me" butt

Puppies or Poop, a Darling Card Game Review

Puppies or Poop was an instant hit at our house, our 5 year old picked it up right away and wanted to keep playing it. I think this game is good at 2 players and it really shines at three and four players. When playing with 3 and four players there is a lot more unknown information on the board and it makes the game more challenging. The two player version has a more strategic feel too it. Either way players can enjoy trying to bluff the others at any player count.

Marsh Hallow: a Flip and Write Game Review

Your family has not been answering your calls. Finally your sister sends a message to explain that they have all joined a cult. Of course you and your family are personified marshmallows. But now the race is on to rescue your family before the ritual completes and they set themselves on fire. This is the setting for Marsh Hallow a flip and write game that will have players racing to rescue their marshmallow families by using polyominos to navigate through the Caddo Lake Campg

2001 A Space Odyssey: A Review of Board Game Based on a Classic.

The movie 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) is the only film by Stanley Kubrick to win an Oscar. He was nominated 13 times throughout his long career and 2001 won the award for Best Special Visual Effects. The movie is based on Arthur C Clark's The Sentinel (1951) a great short story if you have not read it its worth it. So here I am reviewing a game based on a movie that is based on a book.

Interviews

Community Interview: Mike and Grace (Tabletop Inn)

I recently had a chance to catch up with Mike Belsole and Grace Kendall the proprietors of the Tabletop Inn in Marion, North Carolina. The Tabletop Inn is a board game themed bed and breakfast. Mike and Grace live and breath board games! Mike is the General Manager of Well Played Board Game Cafe in Asheville NC. Both Grace and Mike have designed the game Smug Owls (Origins' 2024 Party Game of the Year). Mike Belsole and Grace Kendall What is the concept of Tabletop Inn? We a

Designer Interview: TJ Swing

The Great Smokey Mountains are amongst the worlds oldest on earth and the most visited national park in the US National Park System. This...

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Designer Interview: Jesper Bennhult

Artist Interview: Kelly Forrest

Designer Interview: Brad Hiscock

Community Interview: Ben Mandelker

News and More

AI Opens a Board Game Store

Andon Labs has created a store run by AI . What does this mean? Well the store's 3 year lease was obtained by Alton Labs for a store-front space in San Francisco. The AI called Luna was given $100,000 USD to create and run a retail space. The AI came up with the concept for the shop and hired employees and contractors to build out the shop and run it. The shop is called Andon Market and its concept is a "slow life" store so not exactly a board game store. This is what the AI

A Supreme Tariff Response

On Friday February 20th 2026, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that the law (IEEPA) the President was using to manipulate tariffs did not grant the power to tax the US people to the President for more than 150 days. International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) is a law (passed in 1977) that authorizes the president to regulate international commerce after declaring a national emergency in response to any unusual and extraordinary threat to the United States

Two Player Games

Gudnak : Exploring the Depth of A Tactical Card Game

2 Player

Wanted Wombats: A Game Preview That Pushes Your Luck

press your luck

Stones and Rivers: Review of a Modern Classic Board Game

Board Games

INKTensions: Preview of a Light Game of Bluffing, Deception and an Octopus

Card Game

Solo Games

River Valley Glassworks: a Cozy Family Game

Preview of 52 Realms: Adventures

Preview: Springsign

A Preview of Koala Rescue Club, an Adorable Print and Play Game

Bert's Game Design Journal

Design Journal: Theme Forward

As you might know I love space games. So this year inspiration struck along a very long boring stretch of i65 in Indiana on my way to GenCon. I was listening to the Game Brain Podcast. I have realized that the last couple of years there have been a lot of trick taking games that have come out. So my mind was there and one thing I love to do at GenCon is play miniatures games. So I combined trick-taking, miniatures, and space into one idea for a game.

Design Journal: Cards in Space and Imposter Syndrome.

As you might know I love space games. So this year inspiration struck along a very long boring stretch of i65 in Indiana on my way to GenCon. I was listening to the Game Brain Podcast. I have realized that the last couple of years there have been a lot of trick taking games that have come out. So my mind was there and one thing I love to do at GenCon is play miniatures games. So I combined trick-taking, miniatures, and space into one idea for a game.

Role Playing Games

20 Sided Tavern: Theatrical Review

This week I had the pleasure of being invited to see Dungeons and Dragons: The Twenty Sided Tavern. This is my first theatrical review...

Preview of 52 Realms: Adventures

Postmark Games has been churning out print and play games since their debut game Voyages in 2021. The newest print and play game in...

First Look at D&D Player's Handbook

Wizards of the Coast released the 5e Player's Handbook in 2014 and since then there have been 47 other suplements and campaign setting books

Crit Awards no longer at Gen Con 2024

The Crit Awards honner the people who make Tabletop Roleplaying Games (TTRPG) awesome. The awards include real play, publisher of games,...

Events

A Game Night at The Field Museum

I have been going to the Field Museum in Chicago since I was a little boy. I remember going to the museum with a note pad and my grandfather's fedora pretending I was a reporter and taking notes on all the exhibits. So when this opportunity came up you know I was excited to do this in a professional adult capacity. Game Night: Clues from the Curator featured demonstrations of many historical board games. We spent a night at the museum playing games. The docents were very kno

Chicago Toy and Game Fair

The Chicago Toy and game fair is the unofficial kick off to the Holiday shopping season here in Chicago. The Chicago Toy and Game fair features local toy and game vendors as well as big names like Lego that attend to show off their games and toys for the season. The Fair also hosted several famous game designers and board game influencers. There was also the Illinois state yo-yo competition and the young inventor challenge. Rail Cube This year there were some great highlights

20 Sided Tavern: Theatrical Review

This week I had the pleasure of being invited to see Dungeons and Dragons: The Twenty Sided Tavern. This is my first theatrical review...

GenCon 2025 SOLD OUT

Monday July 28th GenCon has sold out all of the tickets for the "Best Four Days in Gaming". This is going to be the largest GenCon ever...

Bert's Tabletop Games provides in-depth analysis of tabletop games in plain language and decodes the industry jargon to help make board games accessible to all.