Reiner Knizia – Staying Relevant
After a throwaway comment I saw online somewhere, I realised that one of the most prolific, important game designers of all time, only has one game left in the BGG top 100.
After a throwaway comment I saw online somewhere, I realised that one of the most prolific, important game designers of all time, only has one game left in the BGG top 100.
One of the things I hear from people when I tell them I review games is “Well I know not to play against you then, you must be great at them”. While it’s flattering that that’s their assumption, they’re also wrong. Oh boy, are they wrong.
the moment. We’re seeing more and more Personalities being employed by board game publishers to act as marketing co-ordinators, social media gurus, or any one of a load more nondescript fluffy job titles.
With the numbers of board games released each year growing by thousands, there’s a lot of cardboard trying to grab your attention, and the quality of the rulebook can mean the difference between a smash hit and a damp squib.
I am a messy person. I don’t know how it happens, but despite my best efforts, I’m often disorganised and untidy. It’s frustrating, because I find it so satisfying when things are all in their proper places. What has all of this got to do with board games, you ask? Plenty, as it happens
A week or so ago I wrote a blog piece about hype, looking at why games are forgotten so quickly in this hobby. One major reason is that aforementioned hype, and getting swept along on the wave of The Cult of the New. The other though, in my opinion, is the crazy rate of progress and evolution in board games.
One of the best things I’ve ever done in the past, was to go to a professionally-run murder mystery evening. We went to a big manor house, had dinner and drinks with the cast while the mystery unfolded. I loved that, and I really want to do it again soon. There’s one big problem with that however, the biggest baddie we’ve come up against recently: Covid-19.
Hype surrounds us all in this hobby. yet most recent review covered The Castles of Burgundy, a game that came out ten years ago. While I was playing it and writing about it, I was forced to do something I don’t usually, and that was thinking about the age of the game, and whether that had any bearing on whether I should be recommend it.
It’s been a while since I posted anything non-review on here, so this is long overdue. We’re decidedly in 2021 now, and I’m at a point where things are going well for Punchboard. So, here’s a little about what’s been going on with me, and what’s coming next.
If you’ve been visiting and reading lately, you might have noticed that I’ve updated a couple of reviews here. Those for PARKS and Nemo’s War got republished, because I’ve added a video review to each of them. These have been my first, tentative steps into video and YouTube, so I thought I’d write a quick update to share my learning for anyone else thinking of doing the same.