The State of Blogging

This is a blog. The hottest medium of self-expression… in 2003. Since then, blogs have turned from the exciting new thing to something a lot of people were dabbling in to something a lot of people had once dabbled in. Now, conventional wisdom has it, the blogosphere is withering away – including the blogs on history and/or board games. Let’s see if that is true, what might have replaced blogs, and what that means for this particular blog here.

Board Games as Gifts

Many of you will unwrap presents in just a few hours’ time… which begs the question of gifting board games. I have been both the giver and the receiver of board game gifts over the last years and will share my thoughts on the matter with you.

How I Became a Board Gamer

Confession: I was not born a board gamer. I became one. Here’s how.

Adjusting Difficulty in Eldritch Horror

Happy Halloween, everyone! Nothing better today than a little gathering with friends – and maybe playing a spooky board game. One of my favorite horror-themed games is Eldritch Horror (Corey Konieczka/Nikki Valens, Fantasy Flight Games). As a cooperative game with fairly straightforward rules, it’s suitable for newcomers as well (provided they have the patience for a multi-hour game), it accommodates one to eight players, and thus it makes for an excellent Halloween party game. Depending on the group with which you play, maybe you want to adjust the difficulty of the game – make it a bit easier for a laid-back beginner’s game, turn it up to challenge crack players. This post contains some ideas how can make the game easier or harder – via investigators, Ancient Ones, the Mythos deck, and encounters.

Related: I’ve written a short primer on how to win at Eldritch Horror already – so if you need some simple tips for successful play, check it out!

Shelf Statistics, #2

Board gamers love talking about their shelves. Sometimes, that’s literally the piece of furniture – do you use KALLAX shelves or something else? More often, it’s about what’s in them. I did so in the first part of my Shelf Statistics – who designed the games in my collection, who published them, when were they published? In this second part, it’s all about ownership and acquisition – and about the most important part of our hobby (at least to me) – playing!

Shelf Statistics, #1

Board gamers are a funny folk. They love statistics. Many track all the games they own and play, sometimes to the level of detail that they write down if Gina played with the green pieces this time. I’m not quite as obsessed, but I do love statistics, too. And infographics. So, without further ado, here are some from my collection.