Expand Your Game

Origin Story: Review Information: Mechanics:  Trick Taking, Engine Building Player Age: 14+ Player Count: 1 - 5  Players Time to Play: 45   Minutes  Game Designer: Jamey Stegmaier, Pete Wissinger Game Artist: Clémentine Campardou Publisher : Stonemaier Games  Year Published: 2026 BGG Weight:  2.10 Disclaimer: A review copy for the game was provided by the publisher. Introduction : Trick taking games is a genre I'm open to, but still exploring. Stonemaier intrigued me as soon as it was announced with Origin Story a trick taking game that had a large focus on Engine Building. Four out of five rounds every player will add one of three story cards to their engine. They will then charge the abilities from these story cards based on their strategy for the round determined by cards in hand and the alignment decided (different ways to score per round). The game is an interesting mix of engine building and planning the round ahead. Game Anatomy...

Viticulture Bordeaux: Review Information: Mechanics:  Worker Placement, Engine Building, Contracts, Hand Management Player Age:  14+ Player Count:  1 - 6  Players Time to Play:  90 - 120  Minutes  Game Designer:   Jamey Stegmaier Game Artist:  Sylvain Leroy Publisher : Stonemaier Games  Year Published:  2026 BGG Weight:  3.23 Disclaimer:  A review copy for the game was provided by the publisher. Introduction : Viticulture is over ten years old, it is the first game from Stonemaier. Over the years there has been an essential edition and Tuscany that revamp the rules balancing and creating new gameplay challenges for Viticulture fans. Bordeaux is an incredibly small expansion physically for the game featuring some solo components, a new board and several cubes. This board however drastically changes the gameplay loop of Viticulture, this expansion will sit with Tuscany and essential edition in revamping Viticultu...

Jump Drive: Review Information: Mechanics:  Engine-Building, Simultaneous Play Player Age:  13+ Player Count:  2 - 4  Players Time to Play: 10 -  30   Minutes  Game Designer:   Thomas Lehmann Game Artist:  Martin Hoffmann, Claus Stephan, Mirko Suzuki, Jens Wiese Publisher : Rio Grande Games Year Published:  2017 BGG Weight:  2.03 Disclaimer:  A review copy for the game was provided by the publisher. Introduction : The space franchise of Rio Grande is back, this time players aren't rolling or racing through the galaxy. No this game is much faster as players are perfecting their engine to enter Jumpdrive. The game holds a similar essence to race to the galaxy but compacted into a fast paced engine builder which will only last a few rounds/turns. On a turn players will build either planets, developments or one of both. There will then be an income phase granting points and cards on every built card. First time a p...

Azure: Review Information : Mechanics: Abstract, Resource Management, Two-Playe, Race to Points Player Age:  10+  Player Count:  2 Players Time to Play:  20  Minutes  Game Designer:   Trevor Benjamin, Brett J. Gilbert Game Artist:   Kwanchai Moriya Publisher:  Bitewing Games Year Published:  2026 BGG Weight:   2.00 Disclaimer:   A review copy for the game was provided by the publisher. Introduction : Azure is a spatial placement abstract game where players race to place strategically to achieve 25 points first. There are only 14 stones per player if a player cannot place a stone whether by lack of available placement or by running out of stones they will lose. The benefit that players have is as long as a stone isn't blocked by a mountain it will provide a discount for any placement being placed in the same row and column. These discounts will stack, creating a lower priority for cards as the game progresses. ...

Nerd and Nest - Nesting System Gaming Table: Review  Introduction: There are two quintessential gaming accessories in any gamers life; a gaming shelf (preferred option being the Kallax) and a gaming table. These tables take many forms from a standard dining room table, a poker table, or for the lucky few, a tailored made gaming table. There are a lot of tried and true companies overseas that specialise in these tables, however, today's review is focused on the second iteration of the Nerd and Nest table here in Australia.  Nerd and Nest: Nerd and Nest is a newly developed Brisbane based company on a quest to design affordable, modular and easy to assemble/disassemble tables. Their first nesting table had a successful kickstarter and can be found at their site here. The pursuit of this second version was to build and improve on what was learned to develop the same principal but with better wood options, easier assembly and the addition of accessories.  The Tabl...