Category Archives: First Impressions

Queen Alice

Posted on October 29, 2026 by lornadune

Queen Alice   Designer: Hector Carrion, David Heras Artist: Amelia Sales Publisher: Combo Games  Player Count: 1-4 “It’s a great huge game of chess that’s being played – all over the world – if this is the world at all, … Continue reading →

Posted in Essen 2026, First Impressions, Reviews | 7 Comments

Excursions – An Opinionated Preview

Posted on October 6, 2026 by Mark Jackson

Once upon a time, there was a tiny company located in a small town in Tennessee…and through hard work and careful planning and taking the time to get it right, they managed to produce a game that won multiple awards … Continue reading →

Posted in First Impressions, Kickstarter, Preview | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Odds and Ends from TGM 26

Posted on August 5, 2026 by lornadune

So I didn’t attend TGM but I did manage to acquire a few games. TGM designers continue to astound me with clever designs for trick takers and shedders as well as capturing unusual themes. Here are some of the stand … Continue reading →

Posted in First Impressions, Tokyo Game Market | Leave a comment

Dale Yu: Review of Boss Fighters QR

Posted on December 2, 2025 by Dale Yu

Boss Fighters QR Designers: Michael Palm and Lucas Zach  Publisher: Pegasus Players: 2-4  Age: 10+ Time: 40-60 minutes Played with review copy provided by publisher  Dive into daring battles with 2 to 4 heroes as you face off against ten … Continue reading →

Posted in Essen 2025, First Impressions | Leave a comment

Dale Yu: First Impressions of Movie Tricks

Posted on November 20, 2025 by Dale Yu

Movie Tricks Designers: Vegard Eliassen Stillerud, Eilif Svensson, Åsmund Svensson  Publisher: Chilifox Games Players: 2-5 Age: 10+ Time: 20-30 minutes Played with review copy provided by publisher Movie Tricks is a unique trick-taking game: Play cards to determine turn order. … Continue reading →

Posted in Essen 2025, First Impressions | 1 Comment

Mark’s Bundle of 2025 Essen Game Thoughts

Posted on November 18, 2025 by Mark Jackson

Five days. Forty-six plays. Four prototypes plus thirty games that were new to me. Unless otherwise noted, these are FIRST impressions… I only had the opportunity to play many of these games a single time with a physical copy. If … Continue reading →

Posted in Convention Report, Essen 2025, First Impressions | Tagged | 4 Comments