The Unsolvable Puzzle, and How It Was Solved
Why is there a Mormon Version of the Settlers of Catan?
How board game reviews are biased
A Brief History of Narrative Games
The Modern Game based on Medieval Alchemy
How to Criticize a Board Game & Why No One’s Criticizing Board Games
So, a while ago, I wrote an article titled How to Review a Board Game, which has been really well received. Teachers, new board game reviewers, and a few designers have reached out to me, thanking me for creating that resource. But I’ve been thinking about my favorite reviews that I’ve read lately, and I […]
Can Board Games be Immersive? The Psychology of Board Game Immersion
When people talk about video games, one of the biggest buzz words seems to be “immersive.” Webster defines it as “the sensation of being surrounded by a completely other reality.” everyone knows that video games are unrivaled in their ability to create immersive worlds, and their ability to engulf a player in that world. Video […]
The Ultimate Gloomhaven Enhancement Guide
One of my favorite parts of Gloomhaven wasn’t even originally a part the game: enhancements. Isaac came up with the idea as a stretch goal during the initial kickstarter, a goal that funded just a few days before the campaign ended. Oddly enough, the commenters on that post were largely against the idea: the “destruction” […]
Cardboard Mountain News
An update on the state of the site. Cardboard Moutain is just over a year and a half old now, and I wanted to mention to my viewers what I’ve been working on for the site. I love the strategy content I’ve put up so far, and I hope you do too, but going forward, […]
Cartographers Strategy: A Board Gamer’s Guide
Cartographers is a fairly straightforward game. However, Cartographers strategy isn’t straight forward at all. While making a map, you’ll be presented with many ways to score, and you must puzzle out the best way to do so by drawing shapes on your map in this Roll and Write game.
The Ultimate Res Arcana Strategy Guide
Res Arcana is one of my favorite games. I reviewed Res Arcana quite positively a while back, and after the game was released on Board Game Arena, I figured it was time to write a little bit more about the game. Res Arcana strategy is like an onion, and after getting to play it online […]
Sushi Go Vs Point Salad: The Best Simple Drafting Game
In 2013, Sushi Go was released, a charming card drafting game that’s simple enough to teach in a few minutes, yet compelling enough to bring out on game night. For me, that’s made it the perfect gateway game to carry around and teach to non-gamers. But last year, a new super light drafting game came […]
12 Tips to Make the Most Memorable RPG Character Ever
Sometimes, a character in your campaign is unforgettable. You and your friends talk about them forever. You might forget everything else about the campaign, but that one character was so interesting or funny, that it becomes what everyone in your group thinks about when they think about that campaign. They become the most memorable character […]
Board Games, Global Pandemics & Bears! Oh My!
The age of Covid has been weird. People have more time than ever, and increasingly fewer things to spend that time on. It almost seems trite to say “a global pandemic that has killed nearly one million people has ruined my game night,” but right now interpersonal connections are a commodity that many of us […]