Author Archives: jeffinberlin

About jeffinberlin

Jeffrey D. Allers lives in Berlin and has worked there as an architect and youth pastor. He is a published game designer and has been writing "Postcards From Berlin" since 2005 on GameWire, BoardgameNews and now, the Opinionated Gamers. He enjoys writing about game design and his experiences as an American expatriate living in the midst of German boardgame culture.

POSTCARD FROM BERLIN #53: Elegance and Efficiency, or Hitting Two Flies with One Swat

By Jeffrey D. Allers and friends Berlin had mild weather this year, and although my sons were disappointed in the lack of snow, it allowed us to keep our bicycles out from Autumn through Spring.  Not that bad weather would … Continue reading

Posted in Commentary | 6 Comments

POSTCARD FROM BERLIN #52: Getting it Wrong

By Jeffrey D. Allers When you enter a foreign culture for the first time, it is inevitable that you will find yourself inadvertently breaking the rules, no matter how much you may have prepared beforehand.  Even simple, everyday tasks need … Continue reading

Posted in Commentary | 15 Comments

Postcard From Essen

By Jeffrey D. Allers After a brief 3-hour train ride Wednesday evening, I finally found myself in an Essen guest apartment, anxiously awaiting my first SPIEL fair. My housemates were fellow Berliner and game designer Günter Cornett (Hey, That’s My … Continue reading

Posted in Convention Report, Essen 2011 | 3 Comments

POSTCARD FROM BERLIN #51: The Waiting Game

By Jeffrey D. Allers During the summer of ’94, Berlin was still a frontier for me, and each day was an expedition into new territory. I stayed in a youth hostel, contacted architectural offices on street-side pay phones, and criss-crossed … Continue reading

Posted in Commentary | 2 Comments

POSTCARD FROM BERLIN #50: License to Sell

By Jeffrey D. Allers There’s something funny about watching oversized toys lay waste to Chicago as they battle it out on the big screen, while the actors who probably grew up playing with them are reduced to the supporting cast.  … Continue reading

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POSTCARD FROM BERLIN #49: Memorabilia

By Jeffrey D. Allers After a three-year absence, my family and I are vacationing in America, the land of my childhood and youth, and  I find myself returning to a country that, for most of my adult life, has primarily … Continue reading

Posted in Commentary | 2 Comments