So what got you into games?

 

I’ve always loved games. As a kid I remember secretly reading all the cards from Trivial Pursuit in an attempt to memorise them and win big! Needless to say, it didn’t pay off, but it did set me up nicely for a lifetime of losing at board games. I had a big Cluedo phase also but I’m proud to say I’ve never played Monopoly! Anyway, fast forward a couple of decades and I’m a husband and a father and looking for a way to spend some quality time with my family that doesn’t involve Netflix or CBeebies.

 

Haha! I can relate to that! What got you into the hobby as a player?

 

Around this time my brother-in-law did me the dubious honour of introducing me to the collectible card and dice game Star Wars Destiny. I’d dipped my toe into a few gateway games like Pandemic and Kingdomino but with Destiny I became obsessed! We had a decent little group for casual play and even the odd draft tournament. To my shock and joy Bek fell in love with the game too. Ooh times were good, then I totted up how much money I was spending on this game! Eek time to divert my obsession into a more cost-effective form of hobby gaming.

 

Yup! Again, I can relate! Haha! So how are you involved in the world of games now?

 

As we discovered more incredible hobby games and our collection grew so did the desire to share this ridiculously fun hobby with others. So was born our Instagram account, a place to share our plays, chat all things board games and discover what other gems were out there! I enjoyed writing about the games we were playing so much that I started blogging, first on my own site then as a guest blogger for Zatu. At Zatu I met some other great bloggers and gamers, people like Jim Cohen, do you know him!?

 

Not heard of him, no? Is he as handsome as Jim.Gamer? What are your top 5 games now and why?

 

My current top 5 are: 

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Everdell. This game is the ultimate marriage of two of my favourite mechanisms, worker placement and Tableau building. The card combo’s and synergies give me a degree of satisfaction that few other games provide. 

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Terraforming Mars. Mars just feels so epic, I love the way the planet evolves before your very eyes. Also the engine building in this game is so mega it feels more like economy building, that production phase is oh so satisfying!

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Anachrony. Anachrony is possibly the most thematic game I’ve had the pleasure of thus far. The way it weaves time travel and quantum paradox’s through the theme and the gameplay is mind boggling.

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Coimbra. The latest addition to our shelf and it’s already shot into our top 5! Coimbra defies categorisation, it’s heavy and light, simple and complex. The game revolves around each player drafting 12 dice, as simple as it gets right? But the scale of complexity and forward thinking in each of those choices is something else! Urgh love love love it!

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Nusfjord. Our first Uwe game and boy, was I impressed?! I love Nusfjord for the same reason I love Wingspan, there’s so much game crammed into a 45 minute play time. I think Nusfjord just pips Wingspan for me though because I find the decisions a little more interesting and the player interaction a little more engaging.

 

What do you see in the future. What’s next for you? 

 

Do you know what? I’m happy! I love discovering new games, sharing them with my friends and family and writing a bit about that for various outlets. If this is my future, I consider myself a very blessed man! I’ve been fortunate enough to work with some wonderful publishers, designers and distributors reviewing various games and if that continues and even expands, well wouldn’t that just be the cherry on top!

 

If you could have made any game yourself what would it be and why?

 

I wish I’d designed Everdell! It’s so enjoyable and such a pleasant weight of game and yet none of it seems so complicated that it feels I wouldn’t have been up to the task of creating it. Not taking any credit away from James Wilson, it’s a masterpiece and he’s a genius. It’s just that when I look at On Mars and that kind of game I know there’s no way I’d ever be able to create something that complex. Everdell stands it’s ground but it’s built on a much simpler scaffolding of mechanisms and boy do I wish I’d thought it up!

 

Which designer would you most like to have a games night with and why? 

 

Out of all the incredible designers out there if I could spend game night with just one I think I’d have to choose Shem Phillips. That guy is on fire right now, the unique and interesting things he’s done with worker placement through the North Sea and West Kingdom trilogies are incredible. Circadians looks like an interesting dice placement game and Raiders of Scythia has me drooling with excitement. So yeah, I’d love to spend an evening with him trying to prise information about plans for Garphill Games future out of him. Also, it would be great to see how a designing mind like his actually plays these games. Besides all that he seems like a genuinely pleasant family man. Your welcome at my table anytime Shem!