I remember The A-Team movie as being a fluffy action comedy, not unlike its TV counterpart. Turns out it's quite mean-spirited, fetishises the military and lacks the rogue-ish charm of the original. Replacing it with a very ugly version of macho fantasy. Sloppily told, too. Just bad, full stop.

This just in: Robo Rally still slaps. Though I'm not sure if the extra boards I picked up will ever see play. 🤔

Wenn das kein Beleg dafür ist, dass schon lange Klassenkampf von oben nach unten herrscht, dann weiß ich auch nicht.

brandsatz bodo.@brandsatzbodo.eurosky.social · yesterday

finde wichtiges zeichen in diesen schweren zeiten

If you see this, quote the energy you bring to Bluesky

Oblivious Dance in Brooklyn 99 Office

Alt: Gina with headphones on dancing obliviously in Brooklyn 99, while there's a brawl in the background

static.klipy.com

James Wallis@jameswallis.bsky.social · 2d ago

If you see this, quote the energy you bring to Bluesky

Ever had a glowing review lower your enthusiasm for a game? Not because it contradicted your expectations, but because it contradicted the actual experience of playing that game.

I don't know how to explain to the people who pop up when creatives complain about "AI" to say there are legit uses for it just how much they sound like someone saying "Well actually fire is used to make bread" when people are talking about an organized arson ring burning down their fucking houses

board game : film expansion : sequel reprint : re-release new edition : reboot collector's edition : boxed set theme swap : remake self-published : director's cut the dice game : merchandise the card game : merchandise the roll'n'write : merchandise

Re-watching (SUSD) Tom's review of Oath: "players may be nobodies for long stretches of the game". (paraphrased) That's an interesting, unorthodox and very divisive quality of Oath. And other Wehrle designs as well. Games in which agency can decrease rapidly are most players' biggest nightmare.

Everyone's talking about, now you get to try it at the table: democracy! With Guessocracy: Roll & Write. #boardgames

Game Night Verdict #123 – Guessocracy: Roll & Vote

If taken literally the phrase “reading between the lines” is funny. After all, there is explicitly nothing printed between lines in a book. It takes some contextual knowledge, and linguistic skill to pick up on references, double meanings and nuances to identify some meaning in a text that goes beyond what the printed words say. If we apply this idea to board games, we might speak of “reading between the actions” to express something similar.

lestmyopinions.com

Oath does this neat little magic trick during post-game clean up (i.e. "writing the chronicle"). You set up changes for the next game, making you curious and excited to play again. Particularly if you didn't win this time around, because with the new setup, you may fare better.

Kudos to whoever was responsible for the cover of the new edition of Container. This is easily one of the most intriguing box covers this year. In that, it makes me want to know more about the game without suggesting that it is anything other than what it is: An economic game about ships.

Just wrapped up the first game of my third attempt at playing Oath. One player already never wants to play it again. Two are at least interested in seeing how game 2 might turn out. It feels clunky in places. I mostly blame the rulebook trying to be universal when it needs to be comprehensible.

Hot take: people don't like to read rulebooks because they're badly written. Badly doesn't mean incomplete or ambiguous. It means they're dense and do little to enable play. At best, they relate a game's underlying system, but not how to act within it. Which is what people read rulebooks for.

If you see me at Gen Con, well done. My assassin training has clearly not finished yet, and I will let you live.

No Pun Included@nopunincluded.com · last wk.

if you see me at Gen Con, please run away because I have been teleported by a demon half way across the world

So, Spider-Man Brand New Day is pretty good. Corporate to its core, but the vibe, visuals and character adjustments (growth is far too big a word for what happens), are fun, pleasant and entertaining. More likely to be rewatched, than that other movie with Holland, Bernthal and Zendaya.

Watched The Odyssey. It's fine. To be fair, I'm not the biggest Nolan fan. The film is immaculately cast. Every actor brings a specific cultural cachet and persona, and that's exactly what Nolan makes use of. Since they all act within the paths we already know them in, performances are on par.

I don't know what I expected, but the 70mm showing of The Odyssey is chock (choke?) full of film bros.

The Serfs (youtube.com/theserfstv)@theserfstv.bsky.social · last wk.

They're coming for your children www.lgbtqnation.com/2025/06/jk-r...

A board game collection (i.e. the games you hold on to over time) is a form of self-expression.

"...(but I knew his) meaning was what I decided I had heard." And that is how board game themes work in practice.

Yesterday's day-time CSD was a nice reminder of what life could be: colorful, joyous and free. Last night's CSD was a reminder of what those in power want it to be: gloomy, painful and full of fear.

Had a quick stroll alongside the CSD parade today. Good fun.

Gaming is a social activity, meaning that the way you behave at the table has an impact on how enjoyable / frustrating a game is. In other words, if you only care about and notice your own enjoyment, if you limit your attention purely to the game's mechanisms and how they benefit you..

Board game criticism matters, not because it guides people towards 'good' games and away from 'bad' ones. But because it opens up the conversation about games. It establishes the cultural significance of play, while also expanding our vocabulary and the tools we have to reflect on it.

I'm in a handful of boardgame-related discords, and a majority of them has a channel dedicated to people showing off their newly purchased games. It's hard to argue that boardgaming doesn't have a consumption fetish.

A wrong lesson people have taken from 1st/2nd wave online board game criticism is that speaking passionately about a game (good or bad) will yield something truthful and helpful. In other words: a game review. It doesn't. But it does create something that's indistinguishable from marketing.

I owe you an apology Osprey, I wasn’t really familiar with your game

The Emotion Engine@emotion-engine.bsky.social · 3w ago

Thinking about how Osprey, a publishing house almost entirely devoted to publishing military uniform/equipment fetish material disguised as dry but picture heavy non-fiction tomes, put out a book dismantling the right wing mythologization of Sparta with an absolute all-timer table of contents.

A sure-fire way to make sure a game won't get played again for a while is investing in any kind of accessories (sleeved, inserts, etc.) for it. So far I'm 10:10 on any game I decided to buy an extra to.

I absolutely agree with this, but I also think mass social detachment is a response to a world that has consistently demanded more while reciprocating less we study for jobs that don’t exist. we work but can’t afford our lives. we rinse our recyclables but billionaires destroy the world —

Brielle 💖@briellebear.bsky.social · 3w ago

I really hate the “I don’t owe anyone anything” mentality because we actually owe each other and this planet a lot. You don’t have to be selfless all the time or burn yourself out but you should be kind and helpful and compassionate to the best of your ability. We need to care about each other more

One day I will manage to time my plays of Seasons in such a way, that I won't have to continually start with the basic set and suggested hands of cards. But sadly, it is not today. Had a great time introducing Seasons to my son. I think he figured out some strong combos right away. :)