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Articles by Bailey Dunn
Scales of Fate Review
I despise the word “impossible” in the two-player board game design space. It’s “impossible” to make an 18xx game at two players. It’s “impossible” to make an area control game with two players. It’s “impossible” to make a hidden roles game with two players. When a designer or design team aims to tackle the “impossible,” I always seek it out. Scales of Fate, promising to be a two-player deduction game, intrigued me from the start, and I’m honored to be able to review it.
The tribe has spoken: How Drop Your Buffs manages a community thousands of chats deep
Illustration by Mia Wu; photography by Rebecca J. Michelson Sean Ross started watching the reality TV show Survivor at 14, and became an early lurker in the fandom. Years later, he met cohost Evan Ross Katz, and they turned their obsession with the show into the popular podcast Drop Your Buffs. As the show grew, they joined Substack to offer their listeners a community space for it.
Sky Bloom Preview
Merchants of Play is a board gaming platform where users can play official implementations of popular titles such as My Little Scythe, Trailblazers, and Moytura. The CEO, Mack Flavelle, has also used the platform to launch and test his own designs, including Sky Bloom, which will be launching on Kickstarter on October 6th.
Sky Bloom Preview
Merchants of Play is a board gaming platform where users can play official implementations of popular titles such as My Little Scythe, Trailblazers, …
Realm of Reckoning Review
IV Studio’s first game Moonrakers, was the first game I ever crowdfunded. I was struck by their combination of old-school design ideology, paired with marketable and upgraded components and art. Unfortunately, I found Moonrakers too simple to be fine. Because of that opinion, I never really checked in with their output of the last dozen or so releases. However, Realm of Reckoning caught my eye for its variable victory conditions, so I decided to give it a shot. Let’s see how that worked out.
Malediction Review
“The world’s first 3D-printable Miniatures Card Game” is here in the form of Malediction. Is this game a gimmick to sell miniatures, or is this a tried-and-true games system that could take over the wargaming space? Let’s find out. Malediction is a competitive skirmish wargame that features card play and deck customization, published by Loot Studios. Games of Malediction take about 45-90 minutes to play. In Malediction, each player controls an army, led by their Seeker.
The Battle of Versailles Review
As someone who adamantly enjoys two-player, card-driven games, I was quite excited to have the opportunity to check out The Battle of Versailles. But in a crowded field, how does it stack up against the intense competition? Does it slowly fade away like the French fashion scene, or explode out of nowhere like the American scene? The Battle of Versailles is a 2-player board game published by 25th Century Games and takes about 30-45 minutes to play.
Qomet Review
I am an abstract fanatic. While I certainly haven’t played them all, because as far as I know, my time in life is finite, I have played more than the average bear. But my favorite “rivalry” in the space is seeing how Gigamic’s Classic Series (Quarto, Quoridor, Qawale, etc.) shape up to Project GIPF (GIPH, TZAAR, ZERTZ, etc.). I jumped at the chance to play Qomet, the newest game by Gigamic.
Qomet Review | Flipboard
Gaming 3 hours ago Gaming Memories: Volume 03 meeplemountain.com - K. David Ladage • 3h What is gaming without games? What is life without memories?
Moytura Review
Here are two facts you should know about me: I love area control games, and I often only get to play board games with two players. Sounds like a conundrum, right? Well! Moytura pitches itself as a two-player area control game with the feel of a five-player game, thanks to three bot players. But does this game live up to this premise? And does it actually create a two-player area control game with pizzazz? In Moytura, two players will be competing for regions across Ireland.
Origin Story: Heroes and Villains Expansion Review
Origin Story is one of the most unique, enjoyable trick-takers I’ve ever played. However, in the base game, there were only 10 Superhero cards, making the end of the game feel predictable and quite dry. But with Origin Story: Heroes & Villains, 7 more Superhero cards and 14 brand-new Supervillain cards are added. So does this mini-expansion fix the ending of a great game, or is it too little, too late? Let’s dig in.
Three models for building community for your podcast
Great podcasts have loyal communities: the people who show up for every episode drop, create a dedicated group chat with their friends, or scour the internet looking for takes. We’ve worked directly with hundreds of podcast creators to build tools that allow them to own and grow these communities on Substack—whether or not they’re using the platform as a primary hub for distribution.
Top 10 Influential Years in Board Gaming History
The history of the board gaming hobby is something I’ve paid close attention to over my 10+ years in the hobby. Remembering the hype of the past, understanding why certain games were so popular in their time, and identifying why certain games are lost to time are just some of the factors that keep me coming back to my anthropological study of the industry.
Botswana Review
As the Queen of Knizia here at Board Game Quest, it’s my duty to play as many Knizia titles as I can. Botswana is not only one of those titles, but a game I was quite looking forward to. So let’s see if this is a Knizia Classic, or a Knizia Cluster. Botswana is a hand management card game published by 25th Century Games. It’s designed by Reiner Knizia and takes about 20-30 minutes to play. In Botswana, players are dealt nearly all cards from a 30-card Animal Deck.
Merchants of Andromeda Review
I have been loving the Knizia Renaissance we’re currently living through. With publishers like Bitewing Games, 25th Century Games, and Allplay revitalizing and reprinting Knizia classics, has me giddy. Knowing hidden gems are coming back into print and being given much-needed facelifts is exactly what we need in this hobby of continued excess and over-production. So let’s see how Allplay’s Merchants of Andromeda, a reimplementation of Merchants of Amsterdam, fares in this crowded Knizia field.
SILOS Review
Reiner Knizia is a designer I hold a lot of reverence for, even when some of his titles can feel underbaked and simultaneously overwrought. However, with the help of publisher Bitewing Games, some of Knizia’s lesser-developed titles are being reimagined and reworked to bring them up to the caliber they should have been from the start. Let’s take a look at SILOS, a reimagining of Municipium.
SILOS Review | Flipboard
Reiner Knizia is a designer I hold a lot of reverence for, even when some of his titles can feel underbaked and simultaneously overwrought. However, …
Wroth Review
I love area control games: El Grande, Rumble Nation, Blood Rage… the list goes on. However, I am quite mixed on Chip Theory Games’ design efforts so far: Too Many Bones is too convoluted; Cloudspire feels half-baked; Hoplomachus: Victorum is the best solo experience I’ve ever had; and The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era is my most anticipated game (when I win the lottery and can afford it). So can Chip Theory Games make a great area control game?
Concordia Review
Getting to review games is an immense privilege that I have always cherished; however, getting to review tried-and-true classics in order to bring some of the best games to new audiences is the pinnacle of authorship. Concordia has been a revered game since its publication in 2013, and even with the recency bias of the hobby and its constant innovation, it still sits at an Overall Rank on BoardGameGeek of 26. Does this title still deserve this ranking in 2025, or has its age started to show?
Galactic Renaissance Review
2016’s Inis, designed by Christian Martinez, is easily one of my favorite games of all time, and my favorite drafting game ever made. Upon hearing that he was designing the second title in the “Political Trilogy”, except this time it was set in space, I was immediately interested; however, due to some concerns I had during the Kickstarter, I didn’t end up backing it. Were those concerns founded, or is Galactic Renaissance an overlooked gem?
The Moon & You - The Montclarion
4 We always said it would only take the two of us and the moon. It took more than that. That night, the meat-hooked stars tittered in the sky, all shimmer and deceit. The wind curdled into our skin, winded our hair into coils. Our overlaid hands were the only spot of warmth in the crisp night. That night we wore our favorite stripes, but our muddied cotton did little to protect us from the sea’s sharp gales.
Yokohama Review
Revisiting a game that you played many years ago, when your experience in the hobby was much less, can be a tricky proposition. Sometimes these older games hold up extremely well, and sometimes these games we loved were so beloved because they were the only things we had really played at the time. Yokohama was one of the first mid-weight Euros I played when I entered the hobby.
How creators are bringing their paid subscription audiences to Substack
Substack is designed to help creators grow and connect with a powerful suite of publishing, community, and discovery tools. You can expand your reach through recommendations and the Substack app, engage directly with your audience in chat and live videos, and seamlessly publish or migrate your posts, podcasts, and videos—all while maintaining full ownership of your business.
paleosols - The Montclarion
4 I want to pound your words to poultice, catch their shapeless hum as I set them to steep. I want to trace your temptations across ginger tea leaves. Where is your rabid, the sultry curl of your spite? I miss it, I miss you in lightning bug night. In the canopy call give me your knuckles knocked words. The ones silent in scurry, from the shrill bleating Blur, from the keep of the Shroud, from the tap tooth creature, from the soilstir swell.
repose - The Montclarion
4 I’ll just rot maggot ears collect sinew song rasp buzz beetles ravage from toe to the last words forgotten on my tongue all the withering unkempt roots reach preach to upturned eyes sockets stealing solace in the shatter of my skull and when my box is lost to loam and all nail rust dust haloes my head I’ll just rot some more I’ll just rot some more
AI Space Puzzle Review
Board Game Review by:: Bailey Brewer Price: $29 Reviewed by: Rating: On Last modified: We review AI Space Puzzle, a cooperative deduction game published by Portal Games. In this game, most players take on the role of people who have been evacuated from Earth on spaceships and one player performs as a distressed AI that has partially malfunctioned. Limited communication co-ops is one of my absolute favorite subgenres in the co-op sphere.
Talisman: 5th Edition Review
Board Game Review by:: Bailey Brewer Price: $50 Reviewed by: Rating: On Last modified: We review the 5th Edition of Talisman from Avalon Hill. This edition updates this classic game and brings it some quality of life changes for the new age. I love examining new editions of classic games. Seeing what aspects of the game’s designers and developers see as “rough” or “underbaked” is absolutely fascinating to me.
An Age Contrived Review
Action Efficiency Eurogames are a sub-sub-genre I quite enjoy. Terra Mystica is my 3rd favorite game of all time, and I have at least 100 plays of …
The Binding of Isaac: Four Souls Requiem Review
5 hours ago The next iPhones will have a different look when they are released this September, it seems. From different displays on some models, to a new strategy for its new-generation processors, more advanced camera lenses, and a new thermal design to prevent overheating, lots will be changing. And now, a …
Top 10 (More!) Required Board Game Expansions
21 hours ago Snag digital collections of Pathfinder 2E and Warhammer Fanatasy RPG rulebooks, expansions, and campaigns. Humble often spoils tabletop fans with huge collections for popular pen-and-paper RPGs, but right now the online retailer has two massive tabletop book bundle deals worth checking out—one for …
26 Free/Awesome Downloadable Women's March Posters
The Annual Women's March returns to cities across America on Saturday, October 2nd and this year's theme is on point: to mobilize and defend women's reproductive rights (we're looking at you, Texas). There are rallies scheduled in San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, and across Northern California. To find the one nearest you, go to Women's March homepage. And, before you head out, make sure your poster game is strong.
20 Fun Things: It's Restaurant Week around the Bay Area! Plus, SF Ballet's season opener, Neil Patrick Harris in town + more events this week
The word of the week: eat. SF Restaurant Week returns this week with affordable pre-fixe menus at 100-plus eateries. Plus, drink rum, and beer, and hang out with Neil Patrick Harris. Have a great week! Monday, January 21st "Bringing the Noise" for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. When: 7pm to 9pm Where: Nourse Theater, 275 Hayes St. (Hayes Valley) It's MLK Day, to celebrate the man himself at Youth Speaks' 22nd annual gathering, of young poets and writers in conversations about justice and liberation.
20 Fun Things: Restaurant Week around the Bay Area, SF Ballet's season opener + more delish events
The word of the week: eat. SF Restaurant Week returns this week with affordable pre-fixe menus at 100-plus eateries. Plus, drink rum, and beer, and hang out with Neil Patrick Harris. Have a great week! Monday, January 21st "Bringing the Noise" for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. When: 7pm to 9pm Where: Nourse Theater, 275 Hayes St. (Hayes Valley) It's MLK Day, to celebrate the man himself at Youth Speaks' 22nd annual gathering, of young poets and writers in conversations about justice and liberation.
20 Fun Things: Restaurant Week around the Bay Area, SF Ballet's season opener + more delish events
The word of the week: eat. SF Restaurant Week returns this week with affordable pre-fixe menus at 100-plus eateries. Plus, drink rum, and beer, and hang out with Neil Patrick Harris. Have a great week! Monday, January 21st "Bringing the Noise" for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. When: 7pm to 9pm Where: Nourse Theater, 275 Hayes St. (Hayes Valley) It's MLK Day, to celebrate the man himself at Youth Speaks' 22nd annual gathering, of young poets and writers in conversations about justice and liberation.
Tuesday, January 22nd
The word of the week: eat. SF Restaurant Week returns this week with affordable pre-fixe menus at 100-plus eateries. Plus, drink rum, and beer, and hang out with Neil Patrick Harris. Have a great week! Monday, January 21st "Bringing the Noise" for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. When: 7pm to 9pm Where: Nourse Theater, 275 Hayes St. (Hayes Valley) It's MLK Day, to celebrate the man himself at Youth Speaks' 22nd annual gathering, of young poets and writers in conversations about justice and liberation.
Saison launches cheap eats (kinda sorta not really) + more topics to discuss over brunch
This week has seen multiple earthquakes and cats and dogs falling from the sky (it's a metaphor, people). But basically, it's the apocalypse. At least now we can eat Saison food for half-price while Silicon Valley's own Dr. Evil plans for a machine takeover of the world as we know it. Another mimosa, please! Why SF Restaurants Are Suffocating,Medium We all know SF is an expensive city—ugh. But we also really like our pricey, trendy restaurants.
Kamala Harris is probably running for president, Boba Guys open a tapioca factory + more topics to discuss over brunch
Watch out, Elizabeth Warren—there's a Bay Area woman most likely entering the presidential race and she's very persistent. Also, would you live in an "abartment?" That's right, one Berkeley artist/activist wants to turn decommissioned BART cars into homes. Plus, AT&T Park is so last year. Welcome to Oracle Park, home of the SF Giants! They've Made Lots of Bubble Tea. Now They'll Make the Pearls Too, The New York Times Your favorite bubble tea just got a even more local.
10 Most Popular Stories of 2018: ROFL Comics, Epic Road Trips, NSFW Pics + More
There's so much we could say about 2018. Let's recap. 10. The photo ops that upped our Insta-game. The process of snapping that perfect pic was plenty easy in 2018 thanks to these Instagram hot spots. Read more. 9. We satisfied our #wanderlust with 25 NorCal road trips. If you didn't get out much in 2018, check some of these Northern California escapes off your bucket list this year. Read more. 8. Humblebragging with inspired engagement pics at gorgeous Bay Area locales.
How Allbirds is killing fashion, Impossible Burger lands at grocery stores + more topics to discuss over brunch
Plus, BART will run extra-late on New Year's Eve, Scott Wiener keeps pushing for 4am bars, and Thad Vogler's rum haven opens in the Mission. Are Allbirds the end of style?, The New Yorker Ok, we're a little glad someone said it. Because while as on-the-go urbanites we appreciate the the squishy-comfy feeling of everyone's favorite locally based Merino wool sneaker, the style maven inside us still thinks they're kinda ugly.
How Allbirds is killing fashion, Impossible Burger lands at grocery stores + more topics to discuss over brunch
Plus, BART will run extra-late on New Year's Eve, Scott Wiener keeps pushing for 4am bars, and Thad Vogler's rum haven opens in the Mission. Are Allbirds the end of style?, The New Yorker Ok, we're a little glad someone said it. Because while as on-the-go urbanites we appreciate the the squishy-comfy feeling of everyone's favorite locally based Merino wool sneaker, the style maven inside us still thinks they're kinda ugly.
How Allbirds is killing fashion, Impossible Burger lands at grocery stores + more topics to discuss over brunch
Plus, BART will run extra-late on New Year's Eve, Scott Wiener keeps pushing for 4am bars, and Thad Vogler's rum haven opens in the Mission. Are Allbirds the end of style?, The New Yorker Ok, we're a little glad someone said it. Because while as on-the-go urbanites we appreciate the the squishy-comfy feeling of everyone's favorite locally based Merino wool sneaker, the style maven inside us still thinks they're kinda ugly.
The free speech history behind Free House
Sitting by the crackling fire in the corner of Free House’s dining room, the biggest things on your mind are the lively conversation you’re entertaining with your friends and this week’s pint of ever-changing craft beer. In a lull in the chatter, your eyes drift to the black-and-white photos lining the room in the space near the ceiling. The photographs depict scenes of the famed political activism that took place on UC Berkeley’s campus in the 1960s as part of the Free Speech Movement, or FSM.
UC Berkeley professors on the politics and potential of science fiction
Science fiction as a film and literary genre is often delegitimized as pulpy or pure entertainment — as if the texts that entertain us couldn’t possibly be engaging in deep political or ideological discourse. In fact, sci fi often reflects the cultural anxieties of its time, whether it be in regards to nation and immigration, race and gender, or technology and belonging.
Unplugged: Why your weighty textbook might outweigh your Kindle
College students around the country collectively groan when, on syllabus day, they see the words “NO TECHNOLOGY ALLOWED” emblazoned across the top of the paper. Although writing notes by hand seems onerous to many current college students, research shows that students who handwrite their notes retain information better than students who type notes.
though seeing, they do not see: A short story
Purple is OK, I guess. A little too flamboyant for my taste. But purple makes me feel like a queen. I go out to get milk from the grocery store, and a little girl points at me. “Mommy,” she whispers under her breath, her voice tingling with innocent curiosity and a hint of reverence that I’m not sure she herself notices. “Look at her.” I disregard the small family and take care that my crown doesn’t slip. Purple brings with it feelings of opulence.
My body, my business: The fate of birth control in the Trump era
On Oct. 6, women across the country released a collective cry of anguish as news outlets announced what seems to be five leaps backward for women’s rights. Holding their breath since the inauguration of President Donald Trump in January, many women have anxiously dreaded the execution of Trump’s promises to roll back the Affordable Care Act.
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