Author Archives: Chris Wray

Trick-taking in 2021: Reflections on the Past, Present, and Future of My Favorite Mechanic

Posted on December 17, 2021 by Chris Wray

I played Ghosts of Christmas last night. It was, simply put, one of the best trick-taking games I’ve ever played. I’m hooked. Thematically, it is a nod to the Dickensian novel A Christmas Carol. Players can play into one of … Continue reading →

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7 Wonders Architects (Game Review by Chris Wray)

Posted on November 21, 2021 by Chris Wray

Designer: Antoine Bauza Publisher: Repos Productions  Players: 2 – 7 Ages: 10 and up Time: 25 Minutes Times Played: 7 7 Wonders is one of my all-time favorite games, and Antoine Bauza is one of my all-time favorite designers. So … Continue reading →

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American Bookshop Card Game (Game Review by Chris Wray)

Posted on November 20, 2021 by Chris Wray

Designer: Taiki Shinzawa Publisher: Twins Lion Do; Geeks N’ Orcs Players: 3-5 Ages: 8 and up Time: 30-50 Minutes Times Played: > 5 Trick taking is a hot genre in gaming right now.  After the success of The Crew, gamers … Continue reading →

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The Opinionated Gamers (Try To) Predict the Spiel Des Jahres and Kennerspiel Des Jahres – 2021 Edition Final Guesses

Posted on July 17, 2021 by Chris Wray

For the past few years, our group of gamers has taken their best guess at trying to read the minds of the Spiel des Jahres jury members.  The nominations for the Spiel des Jahres and Kennerspiel des Jahres were announced … Continue reading →

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OG Reactions to the SdJ Nominations

Posted on May 18, 2021 by Chris Wray

Below are the reactions of some of our writers to the SdJ nominations. Chris Wray:  When I heard the nominees this morning, I was struck by how much the SdJ has changed since I started following it several years ago.     … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | 21 Comments

Congratulations to the 2021 Spiel des Jahres nominees!

Posted on May 17, 2021 by Chris Wray

The Spiel des Jahres jury announced their nominees and recommendations this morning. Congratulations to the nominees! We’ve listed the nominees below, but we’ve only put in the names of the German publishers (or what we assume is the German publisher). … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary | 3 Comments