We're Not Wizards - Tabletop Board Game Reviews

Being a son of Perth and a tabletop gaming fan, its with a sense of duty that I went to the debut of Tabletop Scotland way back in 2018. It was a genuine thrill seeing an event of this stature begin life in my hometown. Such was the success of the inaugural event, that Convention Overlord Dave Wright and his team (Simon, John and Duncan) returned to the Dewars Centre in Perth for the second iteration of Tabletop Scotland. This year the event was held in two halls, as opposed to the one last year and the expansion really made a difference. A lot of people I spoke to over the two days highlighted the space and lack of being cramped as a big plus point. Having been at the UK Games Expo earlier this year, Tabletop Scotland really felt more spacious. Sure, UKGE is massive so its always going to feel smaller by comparison but having the ability to walk around without people being in your bloodstream and being able to find a seat at the open gaming area whenever you needed it was a big b

Taking slow methodical steps, taking your time, closing your eyes and breathing in slowly, taking in the smell of nature and the scenery and managing the sensory overload crashing over you with a pine freshness. Do that. Stop and breathe. Take it all in. Be at peace. You might be inclined to use the word 'majesty', and you wouldn't be blamed for feeling a slight sense of being overwhelmed, as once again you're reminded of how stupidly small you are in relation to everything around you. That no amount of preparation would help you if the uncontrolled environment decided to focus it's gaze entirely on you, to put you back in the food chain. You might think to yourself you could survive, but the reality is that you'd die of thirst before you died of boredom, and so we sanitise our touches with the grander examples of nature, by sticking to the path, and coming within touching distance enough to go ooh and ahh, like we are watching fireworks. Always behind a

That gaming nightmare, that horrific situation where your enthusiasm for something leads you down the track of almost being an apologist, where not even your energetic cheer-leading can save you from the faces of the truth staring back at you. That no, you weren't exactly lying, but you weren't exactly telling the truth either, and like payment protection from the turn of the century, they feel slightly missold, and might be searching for compensation. I blame myself, because there were five of us at the table, and two were reading the new rules for Adeptus Titanicus, with its tables and statistics and huge numbers of rules, and hardback finish and robots for goodness sake. I decided to teach the rules and sit out, not wanting anyone to miss out on the chance to control a team stealing gems or taking out their rivals.  So I sat instead, reading through a rule book of another game needing a critical eye, making sure the quartet were on their way to joy and excitement,

My Bunny is Awesome. Just Like You. Back at the beginning of the year, a group of people who were definitely not average, and at the very least a 6 out of ten, supported us through our Kickstarter campaign. Some of them received biscuits, and some of them asked for nothing more than a chance to help us do some travelling, and get some updated equipment and cover the costs of running the show. The biscuits have been sent, podcasts have been recorded with some of our special guests, and it's time to give a shout out to those who we promised to.. So far in 2019, you have helped us to do the following - Record 70 episodes and hit 34k downloads so far for this year alone. Wrote 17 blog posts with rants, previews, sideways glances and a Dan Hughes Review. Recorded 6 Videos  Helped pay for the podcast hosting and conferencing software we use.  Helped us to update our recording equipment. Totally eat lots of gluten free biscuits. So here are the list of people who as

In a whirlwind of emotions, the little brother of big-box brain burner Cerebria: The Inside World dropped through the letterbox at We're Not Wizards Towers. The standalone card game for 2-5 players is set in the same universe as it's big-box relation. Will the card game fill you with bliss, or leave you feeling gloom? (Quick note: I've not played the other Cerebria game) The first thing that strikes you when picking up the game is the stunning packaging. The cigar like box has a magnetic lid which reveals a lovely insert, featuring two slots either side of a metal coin containing cards and identity fragments. It's a great first impressions bolstered even further by the art of Pedro A Alberto, Villő Farkas and Jamie Sichel who were three of the four artists on the big-box game. The art might not be for everyone, but I found it vibrant, off-kilter and a lot of fun. The game itself sees players building their Mindset with emotions (Bliss or Gloom) which are dra

I look up from the notepad in front of me, catching the eyes of my partner across the room. They have a slightly furrowed brow and a look of confusion on their face. "That's like the third time you've made a strange noise while you've been looking through those cards, what are you doing?" they say. "I'm up to my eyes in Egypt just now, important things going on" I reply, smiling.  "You're an arse. I want you to know this," they respond, before shaking their head and turning back to the television.  This hasn't been the first time this exchange has happened you understand, because since I delved into the envelope that Inside The Box Board Games sent me, I've been making a mixture of noises between frustration and jubilation as I've gone through the preview sample puzzles for Crypt X.  Earlier, I was sitting on the floor, with a collection of playing card size illustrations spread in front of me, a finest