Adam @ Punchboard
@punchboard.co.uk
✍ Written board game reviews and editorial. Lover of worker-placement, rondels, and well-written rule books. Be kind to one another. He/him
I learned the second of my railway game purchases from Gridcon - Lightning Train. I'm surprised it's not getting talked about much. Bag building, trains, and Paul Dennen (Dune Imperium, Clank!) - what's not to like? I really enjoyed the first play, looking forward to a 4-player game now.
November 26, 2025 at 10:49 PM
I learned the second of my railway game purchases from Gridcon - Lightning Train. I'm surprised it's not getting talked about much. Bag building, trains, and Paul Dennen (Dune Imperium, Clank!) - what's not to like? I really enjoyed the first play, looking forward to a 4-player game now.
I spent my weekend at GridCon, a convention organised by Paul from @gamingrules.bsky.social . You can read about what I played and what I thought of the event, along with my moaning about being poorly, right here - punchboard.co.uk/gridcon-6-20...
GridCon 6 (2025) Report
November is a special time of the year for me. The beginning of the year unwinding, the countdown to the Christmas break begins, and best of all - it's Gridcon!
punchboard.co.uk
November 26, 2025 at 2:40 PM
I spent my weekend at GridCon, a convention organised by Paul from @gamingrules.bsky.social . You can read about what I played and what I thought of the event, along with my moaning about being poorly, right here - punchboard.co.uk/gridcon-6-20...
Day two of Gridcon in the bag, another fantastic day. Today I played Suburbia, Let's Make a Bus Route the Dice Game, Lepidoptery, Railway Boom, Bean to Bar, Tag Team, The Gang, and most excitingly of all, the top secret new game from @theoldkingscrown.bsky.social . Thoughts in thread 🧵
November 22, 2025 at 11:26 PM
Day two of Gridcon in the bag, another fantastic day. Today I played Suburbia, Let's Make a Bus Route the Dice Game, Lepidoptery, Railway Boom, Bean to Bar, Tag Team, The Gang, and most excitingly of all, the top secret new game from @theoldkingscrown.bsky.social . Thoughts in thread 🧵
Day 2 of Gridcon! Woke up feeling like death, but it didn't stop me. I didn't take enough photos but played Molly House, Ayar, Origin Story, Panda Spin, Lepidoptery, Yokai Septet and probably something else. Good times!
November 21, 2025 at 10:16 PM
Day 2 of Gridcon! Woke up feeling like death, but it didn't stop me. I didn't take enough photos but played Molly House, Ayar, Origin Story, Panda Spin, Lepidoptery, Yokai Septet and probably something else. Good times!
A busy and thoroughly enjoyable day 0 of Gridcon 6. Magical Athlete, Idle Hands, No Thanks, Yubibo, Ayar, Start-ups - and the convention hasn't actually started yet.
November 20, 2025 at 10:15 PM
A busy and thoroughly enjoyable day 0 of Gridcon 6. Magical Athlete, Idle Hands, No Thanks, Yubibo, Ayar, Start-ups - and the convention hasn't actually started yet.
Off to the last convention of the year for me tomorrow, Gridcon, in darkest Somerset. Haven't packed any clothing or toiletries yet, but I think I'm sorted for games. Trying to cover all bases and all occasions.
November 19, 2025 at 9:13 PM
Off to the last convention of the year for me tomorrow, Gridcon, in darkest Somerset. Haven't packed any clothing or toiletries yet, but I think I'm sorted for games. Trying to cover all bases and all occasions.
If you see this, post your getaway vehicle
November 19, 2025 at 2:34 PM
If you see this, post your getaway vehicle
Some people are just a bit too talented for their own good...
First art-complete prototype of Personal Demons just finished! All the demon cards looks so cool together and I couldn’t even fit them all on a double table! Very excited to go into heavy balance playtesting with this!
November 19, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Some people are just a bit too talented for their own good...
Reviews haven't come easily recently, thanks to real life kicking me in the balls repeatedly, but I'm back with another today. This is Leptioptery from @dnlnwmn.bsky.social , and it's a lot of fun. Find out why in my review, here - punchboard.co.uk/lepidoptery-... #BoardGameSky
Lepidoptery Review - Is a review better than word of moth?
For a game to succeed in a crowded market, it needs to stand on its own two feet. Butterflies have six feet, which is surely cheating, but it works.
punchboard.co.uk
November 18, 2025 at 5:21 PM
Reviews haven't come easily recently, thanks to real life kicking me in the balls repeatedly, but I'm back with another today. This is Leptioptery from @dnlnwmn.bsky.social , and it's a lot of fun. Find out why in my review, here - punchboard.co.uk/lepidoptery-... #BoardGameSky
Reposted by Adam @ Punchboard
Over the years, I have demoed quite a lot of games at a few different locations. So in this article, I want to share my demoing method, which can also be applied to teaching games in many ways.
tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/11/11/d...
#boardgames #thoughts #demoing #demonstrating #teaching
tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/11/11/d...
#boardgames #thoughts #demoing #demonstrating #teaching
Demonstrative Board Gaming - my approach to demoing games (Topic Discussion) | Tabletop Games Blog
Over the years, I have demoed quite a lot of games at a few different locations. It all started back in 2019 at Essen Spiel, where I demoed Fog of Love to the German audience. More recently, I have be...
tabletopgamesblog.com
November 11, 2025 at 12:27 PM
Over the years, I have demoed quite a lot of games at a few different locations. So in this article, I want to share my demoing method, which can also be applied to teaching games in many ways.
tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/11/11/d...
#boardgames #thoughts #demoing #demonstrating #teaching
tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/11/11/d...
#boardgames #thoughts #demoing #demonstrating #teaching
A two-handed learning game of Ayar from @ospreygames.bsky.social @flopiano.bsky.social @mandelafg.bsky.social & @ianotoole.bsky.social in the books. First impressions are great, I want to play again right away and do better sun scoring! Touches of Merv, Sankoré and others all over it.
November 9, 2025 at 10:20 AM
A two-handed learning game of Ayar from @ospreygames.bsky.social @flopiano.bsky.social @mandelafg.bsky.social & @ianotoole.bsky.social in the books. First impressions are great, I want to play again right away and do better sun scoring! Touches of Merv, Sankoré and others all over it.
I'm a big Stefan Feld fan, so I was very happy when The Druids of Edora landed on my doorstep. I like it a lot, despite the terrible translation job and missing things from the rulebook, but luckily there's an FAQ (linked to in the review) punchboard.co.uk/the-druids-o... #boardgames #boardgamesky
The Druids Of Edora Review - Fun forest frolics from Feld
A new Stefan Feld game arriving is always exciting to me. You never quite know what you're going to get.
punchboard.co.uk
October 27, 2025 at 11:53 AM
I'm a big Stefan Feld fan, so I was very happy when The Druids of Edora landed on my doorstep. I like it a lot, despite the terrible translation job and missing things from the rulebook, but luckily there's an FAQ (linked to in the review) punchboard.co.uk/the-druids-o... #boardgames #boardgamesky
I have appeased the owl. My soul is my own for another day.
October 26, 2025 at 8:39 PM
I have appeased the owl. My soul is my own for another day.
A great way to spend your dark winter evenings, now that the clocks have gone back.
If you are thinking of gifts for Xmas this year, my book about tabletop games, The Game Changers (UK, other territories) / Across the Board (US, Canada), is out in paperback, audiobook & ebook. I think it is good for anyone who loves boardgames old or new, or who likes stuff on culture & history.
October 26, 2025 at 12:00 PM
A great way to spend your dark winter evenings, now that the clocks have gone back.
The collaboration I never knew I needed
New Mr Poirot and Little Miss Marple books to be published | Books | The Guardian share.google/Rqw2CP1dwmn1...
New Mr Poirot and Little Miss Marple books to be published | Books | The Guardian share.google/Rqw2CP1dwmn1...
New Mr Poirot and Little Miss Marple books to be published
Agatha Christie’s popular detectives feature in new Mr Men and Little Miss stories – Mischief on the Nile and Muddle at the Vicarage
share.google
October 23, 2025 at 4:59 PM
The collaboration I never knew I needed
New Mr Poirot and Little Miss Marple books to be published | Books | The Guardian share.google/Rqw2CP1dwmn1...
New Mr Poirot and Little Miss Marple books to be published | Books | The Guardian share.google/Rqw2CP1dwmn1...
I can almost hear the midi music from the menu screen...
October 17, 2025 at 3:02 PM
I can almost hear the midi music from the menu screen...
I installed Omarchy on an old SSD. Runs fast, looks nice, and I can even play Overwatch on Linux nowadays. Times have changed for sure!
October 14, 2025 at 9:38 PM
I installed Omarchy on an old SSD. Runs fast, looks nice, and I can even play Overwatch on Linux nowadays. Times have changed for sure!
What could possibly be in this, I wonder...? Hmmm, new a new Stefan Feld game to get stuck into, I'm excited to see what it's all about.
October 14, 2025 at 2:21 PM
What could possibly be in this, I wonder...? Hmmm, new a new Stefan Feld game to get stuck into, I'm excited to see what it's all about.
I done gone wrote a review about an Uwe game. Not many reviewers would think of Rosenberg Ripple as an ice cream flavour, but here you go - punchboard.co.uk/kanal-review... @ulible.bsky.social @hachettebguk.bsky.social #BoardGameSky
Kanal Review - Waterway to make a game
For me, though, Kanal is another of those games I'll return to again and again when I have an hour to myself and want to get away from the screen. A delicious solo puzzle ice cream with Rosenberg ripp...
punchboard.co.uk
October 13, 2025 at 11:51 AM
I done gone wrote a review about an Uwe game. Not many reviewers would think of Rosenberg Ripple as an ice cream flavour, but here you go - punchboard.co.uk/kanal-review... @ulible.bsky.social @hachettebguk.bsky.social #BoardGameSky
Both of these are great. Go take a look, I'll leave links to my previews in the comments.
🦚 It's live!! 🦚
Grab both a copy of Fetching Feathers & D.O.T for only £25 (save £4) and the option to pick up for free from UKGE26!
www.kickstarter.com/projects/unf...
Grab both a copy of Fetching Feathers & D.O.T for only £25 (save £4) and the option to pick up for free from UKGE26!
www.kickstarter.com/projects/unf...
Fetching Feathers & D.O.T
Attract fancy flocks to your seasonal sanctuaries in Fetching Feathers & Duel with a Difference in D.O.T.
www.kickstarter.com
October 10, 2025 at 9:39 AM
Both of these are great. Go take a look, I'll leave links to my previews in the comments.
It's hump day, and if you need a little pick-me-up to get you through and be a day closer to the weekend, let Ned's Atomic Dustbin do it. Still one of the greatest feel-good, upbeat, happy songs ever www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqGz...
Ned's Atomic Dustbin - Grey Cell Green
YouTube video by nedsatomicVEVO
www.youtube.com
October 8, 2025 at 7:59 AM
It's hump day, and if you need a little pick-me-up to get you through and be a day closer to the weekend, let Ned's Atomic Dustbin do it. Still one of the greatest feel-good, upbeat, happy songs ever www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqGz...
Trick takers - who on earth likes those?!
Turns out it's me. I do. I like them.
I've been playing a very good one called Idle Hands from Fukutarou of @fukuroudou.bsky.social and @dnlnwmn.bsky.social , so I wrote a bunch of words to tell you all about it. punchboard.co.uk/idle-hands-r...
Turns out it's me. I do. I like them.
I've been playing a very good one called Idle Hands from Fukutarou of @fukuroudou.bsky.social and @dnlnwmn.bsky.social , so I wrote a bunch of words to tell you all about it. punchboard.co.uk/idle-hands-r...
Idle Hands Review - Full of negatives, yet brilliant
If you like trick-taking games, especially those with a little bit of needle in them, a little bit of take-that, you'll have a great time with Idle Hands
punchboard.co.uk
October 7, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Trick takers - who on earth likes those?!
Turns out it's me. I do. I like them.
I've been playing a very good one called Idle Hands from Fukutarou of @fukuroudou.bsky.social and @dnlnwmn.bsky.social , so I wrote a bunch of words to tell you all about it. punchboard.co.uk/idle-hands-r...
Turns out it's me. I do. I like them.
I've been playing a very good one called Idle Hands from Fukutarou of @fukuroudou.bsky.social and @dnlnwmn.bsky.social , so I wrote a bunch of words to tell you all about it. punchboard.co.uk/idle-hands-r...
I taught myself The Coil from @amuristudio.bsky.social after their Kickstarter fulfilled super fast. What a clever game. You use your faction's dice to constantly one-up everyone else, aiming to claim cards from all players according to secret agendas. Very pretty too!
October 5, 2025 at 8:40 PM
I taught myself The Coil from @amuristudio.bsky.social after their Kickstarter fulfilled super fast. What a clever game. You use your faction's dice to constantly one-up everyone else, aiming to claim cards from all players according to secret agendas. Very pretty too!
@cmyk.games Magical Athlete's recent reprint has been making waves, so I bought myself a copy from @travelgames.bsky.social and have been playing it a LOT recently. I wrote a review all about it, which you can read here - punchboard.co.uk/magical-athl... #BoardGameSky
Magical Athlete Review - Hysterical nonsense of the best kind
Magical Athlete is the Black Sheep of the family. The nonconformist. The maverick. The 'bad game' which is an absolute blast to play.
punchboard.co.uk
October 3, 2025 at 12:48 PM
@cmyk.games Magical Athlete's recent reprint has been making waves, so I bought myself a copy from @travelgames.bsky.social and have been playing it a LOT recently. I wrote a review all about it, which you can read here - punchboard.co.uk/magical-athl... #BoardGameSky
I picked up The Roottrees Are Dead in the current Steam sale. It's set in the 90s and you're trying to piece together a huge family tree, using a lot of very early internet sleuthing. I'm in love with it at the moment, it has proper Return of Obran Dinn feels. store.steampowered.com/app/2754380/...
Save 20% on The Roottrees are Dead on Steam
A genealogical mystery straight out of 1998. Scour the early Internet for clues, uncover hidden connections, and piece together the family tree behind the secretive Roottree Corporation.
store.steampowered.com
October 2, 2025 at 7:23 AM
I picked up The Roottrees Are Dead in the current Steam sale. It's set in the 90s and you're trying to piece together a huge family tree, using a lot of very early internet sleuthing. I'm in love with it at the moment, it has proper Return of Obran Dinn feels. store.steampowered.com/app/2754380/...