I’ve never played Molly House. I don’t know what it purports to represent but I have a perception that it provides visibility on historical LGBT relationships and therefore the implication is that the game’s existence promotes normalcy of, and acceptance for, LGBT presence in our society. If it does, that’s wonderful of course.
Let me offer an accompanying view. When my gaming buddies were playing it at a recent gaming weekend, it caused me constant distress. All game I felt it was continually reminding them that I was trans.
As those who’ve met me know, I’m proud and open about who I am, always happy to talk about it or laugh at myself. Because openness leads to understanding, and understanding leads to acceptance. But after a lifetime of hiding and depression, you know what I also want more than anything? To feel normal. To live a simple quiet life. In my gender. For my friends (and me) to gradually ‘forget’ that I’m trans and allow me to live a normal life as much as I can. I’m gradually adjusting the balance between these competing ‘wants’ as I go.
But when people are playing Molly House, there’s no escape. It just keeps getting hammered home in my brain – my friends are thinking Alison is trans, trans, trans, trans. My brain can’t turn it off. It’s a constant dysphoric distress.
As such, I will never, ever play it. I’ve requested that it never be brought out again in my presence. Gaming is my escape. It ruins that.
Unfortunately there can be a downside to even the best of intentions.
New-to-me games played recently include …
FIGMENT (2025): Rank 14287, Rating 6.9 – Warsch
A co-op version of Illusion. Sort 5 weird modern art type cards in order of those showing the lowest percentage of a designated colour to those with the highest percentage. Get pts for getting it right. Play 5 rounds. The problem is it’s not co-op, it’s a solo activity – the only discussion is a debate on placement and how any disagreement gets resolved. Maybe I’d play again as a pastime if something brain-simple was required, but sorting weird cards into order isn’t the type of gaming most gamers look forward to.
Rating: 5
FRUIT FIGHT (2021): Rank 1845, Rating 7.1 – Knizia
Push your luck, if you draw a fruit you’ve already drawn, you’re bust. If you draw a fruit someone else drew, steal it. If it gets back to your turn and you have fruit that hasn’t been stolen, bank it. It’s just random, nothing clever, a bit of light fun for 10 minutes, where you can summon up some glee for drawing well and stealing high point cards from others, or you can get unlucky all game and look forward to it ending soon.
Rating: 6
FTW? (2023): Rank 6205, Rating 6.5 – Friese
Shedding game where you play a higher card to the discard pile OR play a lower card in front of you (but pick up a new card) which can be used later to make a low card higher. There’s just nothing about this that was fun or meaningful. I mean, whoever gets to play directly to the discard pile the most wins. Hope you get a high hand.
Rating: 3
GALILEO GALILEI (2024): Rank 2134, Rating 7.6
Each player has their own rondel which cleverly has a non-changing main action order but ever-changing sub-actions which rotate between the main actions. Sub-actions can be upgraded allowing players to tailor a strategy. The actions get you resources (represented per dice values) which buy you cards. The cards not only provide VPs but can also help build a string of bonus actions to lean into. All of which has you quite engaged trying to work out how to best use and manipulate your rondel based on what’s available, all the while targeting the differing end-game scoring conditions. While constantly hoping people don’t buy that card you want before you can get it! I’m not sure what kinds of legs it has but I liked the rondel challenge and I’d be keen to explore again.
Rating: 7
HAICLUE (2019): Rank 8765, Rating 6.1
You get secretly allocated one of four public words. You then get a set of 15 words from which you select 2 or more, arrayed however you like, which give you the best chance of having the rest of the players guess which was your public word for points. It’s a game of forever being hamstrung, making the best of it, and hoping people get on your wavelength. And hoping you’re on other players’ wavelengths on their turn. The intermittent joy of success doesn’t override the unremitting sense of frustration enough for this to be any more than occasional.
Rating: 6
PLEASE DON’T BURN MY VILLAGE (2025): Rank 15972, Rating 7.2
Set collecting where each time you play or collect cards, the value of the colours change so you’re never sure what each colour will be worth at end of game. As such, whenever you get a chance to collect more than a single card on a turn, jump on it (cards are added to the display each time a set is played), collect what others are collecting, and keep some cards back in your best suits to try and move them to a higher value just prior to game end. The admin (value adjustments, feeding the display) takes longer than the game-play, which Is too simple and random for our tastes.
Rating: 5
QUIBBLES (2025): Rank 13872, Rating 6.0
Either discard a high card to collect multiple cards from the common display that equal the discarded number, or discard low cards to collect all cards equal to their sum. Repeat, churn, until you’ve collected as many cards as its value, and toss them all to score that many points. First to 21 wins, and it takes way too many churns and repeats, and I mean waaaaay too many churns and repeats, to get there.
Rating: 5
Thoughts of other Opinionated Gamers:
Larry: I’ve played two of these games and in one case, I agree with Alison’s comments, but for the other, I have a strong dissent.
FTW?! (played almost 20 times) – I continue to be surprised at how often this game is misunderstood. I guess I was lucky in that I was introduced to it by the designer and was able to see its nuances first-hand. But the game is much, much more than just playing high cards to the discard pile. Almost every hand, I’ll voluntarily play a reserve card in front of me at least once, to position myself better for the end game. And low cards can be almost as valuable as high ones, since they subtract so little from your final score. I’m not saying FTW?! has the depth of a game like Tichu, but there’s a reasonable amount to consider each hand, despite it playing nice and fast. Everyone I’ve shown it to has enjoyed it and it’s a game I’ll happily play at any time. I like it.
Galileo Galilei (played once) – The telescope/rondel is indeed clever and I enjoyed exploring this title. The inquisitors seem as if they’d be a royal pain in Uranus, but I was able to successfully manipulate them and they turned out to be a big source of endgame points. So this game has some nice depth and multiple paths to victory, making it one of the better designs from last year, IMO. I like it.
Alison Brennan: Game Snapshots – 2025 (Part 25)
I’ve never played Molly House. I don’t know what it purports to represent but I have a perception that it provides visibility on historical LGBT relationships and therefore the implication is that the game’s existence promotes normalcy of, and acceptance for, LGBT presence in our society. If it does, that’s wonderful of course.
Let me offer an accompanying view. When my gaming buddies were playing it at a recent gaming weekend, it caused me constant distress. All game I felt it was continually reminding them that I was trans.
As those who’ve met me know, I’m proud and open about who I am, always happy to talk about it or laugh at myself. Because openness leads to understanding, and understanding leads to acceptance. But after a lifetime of hiding and depression, you know what I also want more than anything? To feel normal. To live a simple quiet life. In my gender. For my friends (and me) to gradually ‘forget’ that I’m trans and allow me to live a normal life as much as I can. I’m gradually adjusting the balance between these competing ‘wants’ as I go.
But when people are playing Molly House, there’s no escape. It just keeps getting hammered home in my brain – my friends are thinking Alison is trans, trans, trans, trans. My brain can’t turn it off. It’s a constant dysphoric distress.
As such, I will never, ever play it. I’ve requested that it never be brought out again in my presence. Gaming is my escape. It ruins that.
Unfortunately there can be a downside to even the best of intentions.
New-to-me games played recently include …
FIGMENT (2025): Rank 14287, Rating 6.9 – Warsch
A co-op version of Illusion. Sort 5 weird modern art type cards in order of those showing the lowest percentage of a designated colour to those with the highest percentage. Get pts for getting it right. Play 5 rounds. The problem is it’s not co-op, it’s a solo activity – the only discussion is a debate on placement and how any disagreement gets resolved. Maybe I’d play again as a pastime if something brain-simple was required, but sorting weird cards into order isn’t the type of gaming most gamers look forward to.
Rating: 5
FRUIT FIGHT (2021): Rank 1845, Rating 7.1 – Knizia
Push your luck, if you draw a fruit you’ve already drawn, you’re bust. If you draw a fruit someone else drew, steal it. If it gets back to your turn and you have fruit that hasn’t been stolen, bank it. It’s just random, nothing clever, a bit of light fun for 10 minutes, where you can summon up some glee for drawing well and stealing high point cards from others, or you can get unlucky all game and look forward to it ending soon.
Rating: 6
FTW? (2023): Rank 6205, Rating 6.5 – Friese
Shedding game where you play a higher card to the discard pile OR play a lower card in front of you (but pick up a new card) which can be used later to make a low card higher. There’s just nothing about this that was fun or meaningful. I mean, whoever gets to play directly to the discard pile the most wins. Hope you get a high hand.
Rating: 3
GALILEO GALILEI (2024): Rank 2134, Rating 7.6
Each player has their own rondel which cleverly has a non-changing main action order but ever-changing sub-actions which rotate between the main actions. Sub-actions can be upgraded allowing players to tailor a strategy. The actions get you resources (represented per dice values) which buy you cards. The cards not only provide VPs but can also help build a string of bonus actions to lean into. All of which has you quite engaged trying to work out how to best use and manipulate your rondel based on what’s available, all the while targeting the differing end-game scoring conditions. While constantly hoping people don’t buy that card you want before you can get it! I’m not sure what kinds of legs it has but I liked the rondel challenge and I’d be keen to explore again.
Rating: 7
HAICLUE (2019): Rank 8765, Rating 6.1
You get secretly allocated one of four public words. You then get a set of 15 words from which you select 2 or more, arrayed however you like, which give you the best chance of having the rest of the players guess which was your public word for points. It’s a game of forever being hamstrung, making the best of it, and hoping people get on your wavelength. And hoping you’re on other players’ wavelengths on their turn. The intermittent joy of success doesn’t override the unremitting sense of frustration enough for this to be any more than occasional.
Rating: 6
PLEASE DON’T BURN MY VILLAGE (2025): Rank 15972, Rating 7.2
Set collecting where each time you play or collect cards, the value of the colours change so you’re never sure what each colour will be worth at end of game. As such, whenever you get a chance to collect more than a single card on a turn, jump on it (cards are added to the display each time a set is played), collect what others are collecting, and keep some cards back in your best suits to try and move them to a higher value just prior to game end. The admin (value adjustments, feeding the display) takes longer than the game-play, which Is too simple and random for our tastes.
Rating: 5
QUIBBLES (2025): Rank 13872, Rating 6.0
Either discard a high card to collect multiple cards from the common display that equal the discarded number, or discard low cards to collect all cards equal to their sum. Repeat, churn, until you’ve collected as many cards as its value, and toss them all to score that many points. First to 21 wins, and it takes way too many churns and repeats, and I mean waaaaay too many churns and repeats, to get there.
Rating: 5
Thoughts of other Opinionated Gamers:
Larry: I’ve played two of these games and in one case, I agree with Alison’s comments, but for the other, I have a strong dissent.
FTW?! (played almost 20 times) – I continue to be surprised at how often this game is misunderstood. I guess I was lucky in that I was introduced to it by the designer and was able to see its nuances first-hand. But the game is much, much more than just playing high cards to the discard pile. Almost every hand, I’ll voluntarily play a reserve card in front of me at least once, to position myself better for the end game. And low cards can be almost as valuable as high ones, since they subtract so little from your final score. I’m not saying FTW?! has the depth of a game like Tichu, but there’s a reasonable amount to consider each hand, despite it playing nice and fast. Everyone I’ve shown it to has enjoyed it and it’s a game I’ll happily play at any time. I like it.
Galileo Galilei (played once) – The telescope/rondel is indeed clever and I enjoyed exploring this title. The inquisitors seem as if they’d be a royal pain in Uranus, but I was able to successfully manipulate them and they turned out to be a big source of endgame points. So this game has some nice depth and multiple paths to victory, making it one of the better designs from last year, IMO. I like it.
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About Dale Yu
Dale Yu is the Editor of the Opinionated Gamers. He can occasionally be found working as a volunteer administrator for BoardGameGeek, and he previously wrote for BoardGame News.