Mark Jackson
@akapastorguy.bsky.social
follower of Jesus, husband, father, former pastor, boardgamer, writer, blogger, Legomaniac, Disneyphile, likely to have the same Christmas list at age 60 as he did at age 10
My newest review on the Opinionated Gamers site - this time, the excellent PlaySystem for Dune: Imperium - Uprising from a new company, PlayMode.
opinionatedgamers.com/2025/12/05/p...
opinionatedgamers.com/2025/12/05/p...
PlayMode + Dune: Imperium – Uprising
No, gentle reader, “PlayMode” is not the phrase I mutter to myself when I’m getting ready to host a game night. Though the name does remind me of this classic bit from the underap…
opinionatedgamers.com
December 5, 2025 at 6:38 PM
My newest review on the Opinionated Gamers site - this time, the excellent PlaySystem for Dune: Imperium - Uprising from a new company, PlayMode.
opinionatedgamers.com/2025/12/05/p...
opinionatedgamers.com/2025/12/05/p...
My newest post on the Opinionated Gamers site - a preview of 52 Duels from @postmarkgames.bsky.social.
Hint: it's another great design from @matthewdunstan.bsky.social and @rorymuldoon.bsky.social.
opinionatedgamers.com/2025/12/03/p...
Hint: it's another great design from @matthewdunstan.bsky.social and @rorymuldoon.bsky.social.
opinionatedgamers.com/2025/12/03/p...
Preview: 52 Duels
When I was a kid, our version of a “fight with playing cards” (to borrow the tagline from Postmark Games) was War. For those of you who never had the pleasure (and I use the word loosel…
opinionatedgamers.com
December 3, 2025 at 5:47 PM
My newest post on the Opinionated Gamers site - a preview of 52 Duels from @postmarkgames.bsky.social.
Hint: it's another great design from @matthewdunstan.bsky.social and @rorymuldoon.bsky.social.
opinionatedgamers.com/2025/12/03/p...
Hint: it's another great design from @matthewdunstan.bsky.social and @rorymuldoon.bsky.social.
opinionatedgamers.com/2025/12/03/p...
My thoughts on some of the new Essen games now live on the Opinionated Gamers site!
opinionatedgamers.com/2025/11/18/m...
opinionatedgamers.com/2025/11/18/m...
Top Board Game Impressions from Essen 2025 Festival
Explore my insights on 46 plays of new board games, from prototypes to favorites, and discover what made them shine or fall flat.
opinionatedgamers.com
November 18, 2025 at 1:38 PM
My thoughts on some of the new Essen games now live on the Opinionated Gamers site!
opinionatedgamers.com/2025/11/18/m...
opinionatedgamers.com/2025/11/18/m...
My latest review on the Opinionated Gamers site about the Embers of War wave of Heroscape releases from Renegade Game Studios.
Mini-spoiler: I am over the moon about the Greatbow Hunters.
opinionatedgamers.com/2025/11/11/h...
Mini-spoiler: I am over the moon about the Greatbow Hunters.
opinionatedgamers.com/2025/11/11/h...
Explore the New Heroscape Figures: Gelyrie to Pirates
Explore the latest updates on Heroscape's newest arc, packed with fresh figures, strategies, and battle insights for dedicated fans!
opinionatedgamers.com
November 11, 2025 at 6:39 PM
My latest review on the Opinionated Gamers site about the Embers of War wave of Heroscape releases from Renegade Game Studios.
Mini-spoiler: I am over the moon about the Greatbow Hunters.
opinionatedgamers.com/2025/11/11/h...
Mini-spoiler: I am over the moon about the Greatbow Hunters.
opinionatedgamers.com/2025/11/11/h...
Customer service is one of my key roles at my job... so it's nice when I get to call out someone doing it right.
A plaintive email through a web-based customer service contact got a response in less than 30 minutes with the information I asked for from @thegamesteward.com.
Well done!
A plaintive email through a web-based customer service contact got a response in less than 30 minutes with the information I asked for from @thegamesteward.com.
Well done!
November 7, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Customer service is one of my key roles at my job... so it's nice when I get to call out someone doing it right.
A plaintive email through a web-based customer service contact got a response in less than 30 minutes with the information I asked for from @thegamesteward.com.
Well done!
A plaintive email through a web-based customer service contact got a response in less than 30 minutes with the information I asked for from @thegamesteward.com.
Well done!
Reposted by Mark Jackson
youtu.be/ciIa0usT7wM?...
FIGHT WITH PLAYING CARDS. Introducing 52 Duels, a 1 or 2 player duelling game coming to kickstarter next month.
Sign up to get notified when we launch! www.kickstarter.com/projects/pos...
FIGHT WITH PLAYING CARDS. Introducing 52 Duels, a 1 or 2 player duelling game coming to kickstarter next month.
Sign up to get notified when we launch! www.kickstarter.com/projects/pos...
52 DUELS - A fight with playing cards for 1-2 players
YouTube video by Roll Them Bones
youtu.be
November 6, 2025 at 2:39 PM
youtu.be/ciIa0usT7wM?...
FIGHT WITH PLAYING CARDS. Introducing 52 Duels, a 1 or 2 player duelling game coming to kickstarter next month.
Sign up to get notified when we launch! www.kickstarter.com/projects/pos...
FIGHT WITH PLAYING CARDS. Introducing 52 Duels, a 1 or 2 player duelling game coming to kickstarter next month.
Sign up to get notified when we launch! www.kickstarter.com/projects/pos...
October #boardgames recap… thanks to @bgstatsapp.bsky.social!
November 1, 2025 at 2:04 PM
October #boardgames recap… thanks to @bgstatsapp.bsky.social!
Reposted by Mark Jackson
My latest #boardgame review on the Opinionated Gamers site - the wonderful Tales of the Arthurian Knights designed by Andrew Parks.
opinionatedgamers.com/2025/10/10/t...
opinionatedgamers.com/2025/10/10/t...
Tales of the Arthurian Knights – A Review
I have strong memories of four books in my elementary school library. I loved The Twenty-One Balloons with its delightful line drawings and crazy tale of exploration and adventure. I was fascinated…
opinionatedgamers.com
October 10, 2025 at 11:19 AM
My latest #boardgame review on the Opinionated Gamers site - the wonderful Tales of the Arthurian Knights designed by Andrew Parks.
opinionatedgamers.com/2025/10/10/t...
opinionatedgamers.com/2025/10/10/t...
This a a wonderful video about one of my favorite Superman stories (written by @kurtbusiek.bsky.social)... but you should go find the trade paperback of Superman: Secret Identity and read it before watching this.
NEW VIDEO! How Do You Tell a Superman Story . . . Without Superman? youtu.be/gsfCcw_uzzE
How Do You Tell a Superman Story . . . Without Superman?
YouTube video by Steve Shives
youtu.be
October 8, 2025 at 5:38 PM
This a a wonderful video about one of my favorite Superman stories (written by @kurtbusiek.bsky.social)... but you should go find the trade paperback of Superman: Secret Identity and read it before watching this.
My latest post on the Opinionated Gamers site is a VERY extensive preview of the Heroscape releases coming February - May of 2026. I not only cover @renegadegamestudios.com RenegadeCon but also salt in a good bit of my own commentary. Enjoy!
#boardgames
opinionatedgamers.com/2025/10/07/h...
#boardgames
opinionatedgamers.com/2025/10/07/h...
Heroscape: “Knowing is half the battle”
Good grief. The Embers of War Heroscape releases just arrived on my doorstep this week… and then the Renegade Game Studios team decided to open the veritable floodgates with information about…
opinionatedgamers.com
October 8, 2025 at 11:59 AM
My latest post on the Opinionated Gamers site is a VERY extensive preview of the Heroscape releases coming February - May of 2026. I not only cover @renegadegamestudios.com RenegadeCon but also salt in a good bit of my own commentary. Enjoy!
#boardgames
opinionatedgamers.com/2025/10/07/h...
#boardgames
opinionatedgamers.com/2025/10/07/h...
The 1 Player Guild on BoardGameGeek votes each October for their favorite solo #boardgames... and I turned my entry into a Geeklist for all to enjoy.
boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/364...
boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/364...
Solotober - My Top 20 for 2025
Each October, the 1 Player Guild (1PG) votes on the top 20 solo games - here's my two cents. (Extensive commentary courtesy of my solo gaming recaps over on the [url=https://opinionatedgamers.com/?s=s...
boardgamegeek.com
October 5, 2025 at 1:54 PM
The 1 Player Guild on BoardGameGeek votes each October for their favorite solo #boardgames... and I turned my entry into a Geeklist for all to enjoy.
boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/364...
boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/364...
September gaming… a good bit of solo play plus multiple BGA async tournaments. And the chance to try some oddball new stuff thanks to my son and some good friends.
October 1, 2025 at 10:18 AM
September gaming… a good bit of solo play plus multiple BGA async tournaments. And the chance to try some oddball new stuff thanks to my son and some good friends.
My latest review on the Opinionated Gamers site - the splendid Galactic Cruise.
#boardgames
opinionatedgamers.com/2025/09/30/r...
#boardgames
opinionatedgamers.com/2025/09/30/r...
Rocket Man: Galactic Cruise Solo
I’m not going to bury the lede here – I’m enjoying the heck out of playing Galactic Cruise as a solo game. And since I started with a sly newspaper/journalism reference in the first sentence …
opinionatedgamers.com
September 30, 2025 at 10:45 AM
My latest review on the Opinionated Gamers site - the splendid Galactic Cruise.
#boardgames
opinionatedgamers.com/2025/09/30/r...
#boardgames
opinionatedgamers.com/2025/09/30/r...
My latest review on the Opinionated Gamers site - this time, I'm examining the three expansions for the cycling game Flamme Rouge. My main focus is on the newest expansion: Grand Tour.
#boardgames
opinionatedgamers.com/2025/09/27/f...
#boardgames
opinionatedgamers.com/2025/09/27/f...
Flamme Rouge: The Expansions
It’s hard for me to believe that I wrote my initial review of Flamme Rouge (the cycling game) back in 2017. That’s right – eight years ago. (For those of you who can’t be bo…
opinionatedgamers.com
September 27, 2025 at 11:29 AM
My latest review on the Opinionated Gamers site - this time, I'm examining the three expansions for the cycling game Flamme Rouge. My main focus is on the newest expansion: Grand Tour.
#boardgames
opinionatedgamers.com/2025/09/27/f...
#boardgames
opinionatedgamers.com/2025/09/27/f...
September 13, 2025 at 11:26 AM
It's early September... so that means that it is time for my solo gaming recap from the first 8 months of 2025 over on the Opinionated Gamers site.
#boardgames
opinionatedgamers.com/2025/09/08/s...
#boardgames
opinionatedgamers.com/2025/09/08/s...
Solo Gaming 2025: The First Eight Months
I’ve been writing these solo gaming reports since March of 2020… yes, early on in the pandemic. This new era of well-designed automata and solo modes for multiplayer games, coupled with excell…
opinionatedgamers.com
September 8, 2025 at 11:03 AM
It's early September... so that means that it is time for my solo gaming recap from the first 8 months of 2025 over on the Opinionated Gamers site.
#boardgames
opinionatedgamers.com/2025/09/08/s...
#boardgames
opinionatedgamers.com/2025/09/08/s...
I enjoyed Tenpenny Parks a lot... so I'm very interested in the upcoming KS from @thunderworksgames.bsky.social to add both variety and some additional depth to the game. (Plus, a way to store all of it together.)
thunderworksgames.com/products/ten...
thunderworksgames.com/products/ten...
Tenpenny Parks: Innovations / Winter Lights & Spooky Nights
Two exciting expansions for the Tenpenny Parks board game! Bring fresh, innovative entertainment to your theme park, and celebrate the holidays with spooky rides and holly-jolly fun for all.
thunderworksgames.com
September 6, 2025 at 12:22 PM
I enjoyed Tenpenny Parks a lot... so I'm very interested in the upcoming KS from @thunderworksgames.bsky.social to add both variety and some additional depth to the game. (Plus, a way to store all of it together.)
thunderworksgames.com/products/ten...
thunderworksgames.com/products/ten...
September 5, 2025 at 2:17 PM
August was a big month for BGA gaming... and the discovery of Unstoppable & Sniper Elite. I'm working on reviews of Flamme Rouge: Grand Tour (excellent expansion) and Tales of the Arthurian Knights... and my every four month solo gaming report is just a week or so away.
September 2, 2025 at 11:30 AM
August was a big month for BGA gaming... and the discovery of Unstoppable & Sniper Elite. I'm working on reviews of Flamme Rouge: Grand Tour (excellent expansion) and Tales of the Arthurian Knights... and my every four month solo gaming report is just a week or so away.
My newest board game review on the Opinionated Gamers site - Zoo Tycoon: The Board Game (and the New Shores expansion) from Treecer Games.
It's got cute wooden animals and some think-y strategic choices all rolled into one.
opinionatedgamers.com/2025/08/15/i...
It's got cute wooden animals and some think-y strategic choices all rolled into one.
opinionatedgamers.com/2025/08/15/i...
I Bought A Zoo (Alternate Title: The New Zoo Review) – A Solo Review of Zoo Tycoon: The Board Game & the New Shores expansion
We have a lot of family stories about our trips to zoos, aquariums, and animal parks. It was at San Diego’s Wild Animal Park that we discovered that the way to keep a 5 year old motivated for…
opinionatedgamers.com
August 15, 2025 at 7:21 PM
My newest board game review on the Opinionated Gamers site - Zoo Tycoon: The Board Game (and the New Shores expansion) from Treecer Games.
It's got cute wooden animals and some think-y strategic choices all rolled into one.
opinionatedgamers.com/2025/08/15/i...
It's got cute wooden animals and some think-y strategic choices all rolled into one.
opinionatedgamers.com/2025/08/15/i...
How RFK Jr. Mastered Fake Science—and Screwed Us in the Process
www.thebulwark.com/p/rfk-jr-ken...
www.thebulwark.com/p/rfk-jr-ken...
How RFK Jr. Mastered Fake Science—and Screwed Us in the Process
He’s Making America Great Again—for lethal pathogens.
www.thebulwark.com
August 10, 2025 at 1:43 PM
How RFK Jr. Mastered Fake Science—and Screwed Us in the Process
www.thebulwark.com/p/rfk-jr-ken...
www.thebulwark.com/p/rfk-jr-ken...
We're having a blast at Gen Con. Today we shared exciting news about what's next for #ThunderRoadVendetta, #ReturntoDarkTower, and #Unmatched at our Blueprints panel. We'll post the full video soon but check out the news on our blog right now: restorationgames.com/gen-con-blue...
Gen Con Blueprints Announcement Recap! - Restoration Games
Curious what’s next for Thunder Road, Return to Dark Tower, and Unmatched? Find out what our Gen Con Blueprints announcement shared!
restorationgames.com
August 1, 2025 at 6:50 PM