Tim Clare
@timclare.bsky.social
(he/him) Author, podcaster & tabletop games writer. Books: The Game Changers, Coward, The Honours & The Ice House.
https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-game-changers-how-playing-games-changed-the-world-and-can-change-you-too-tim-clare/7687024
https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-game-changers-how-playing-games-changed-the-world-and-can-change-you-too-tim-clare/7687024
Pinned
Tim Clare
@timclare.bsky.social
· Oct 12
Intro post to pin to profile:
I'm an author & podcaster. I've written 2 gothic Fantasy novels, The Honours & The Ice House, a book on the science of anxiety & panic called Coward, & a book on how boardgames make us human, The Game Changers.
I make a podcast for writers called Death of 1000 Cuts.
I'm an author & podcaster. I've written 2 gothic Fantasy novels, The Honours & The Ice House, a book on the science of anxiety & panic called Coward, & a book on how boardgames make us human, The Game Changers.
I make a podcast for writers called Death of 1000 Cuts.
Went to my small, very local library this afternoon with my little one. It's an incredible community hub. Newborns doing bounce & rhyme, couple of older SEN kids getting one-to-one tutoring for reading, an adult learning conversational English, pensioners reading, us reading board books & colouring.
November 25, 2025 at 4:07 PM
Went to my small, very local library this afternoon with my little one. It's an incredible community hub. Newborns doing bounce & rhyme, couple of older SEN kids getting one-to-one tutoring for reading, an adult learning conversational English, pensioners reading, us reading board books & colouring.
Why does the glass slipper *only* fit Cinderella & no one else in the entire city? Are we to understand that either her feet are smaller or larger than every other adult in the population, or that the slipper is moulded very precisely & her foot is shaped so weirdly that no other foot fits?
November 25, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Why does the glass slipper *only* fit Cinderella & no one else in the entire city? Are we to understand that either her feet are smaller or larger than every other adult in the population, or that the slipper is moulded very precisely & her foot is shaped so weirdly that no other foot fits?
I don't know if you've watched the live action Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan, but if you want something weird & interesting, I recommend checking it out for at least an episode. It's about a famous mangaka who investigates supernatural mysteries. He has an incredibly odd, seemingly OP superpower.
November 25, 2025 at 8:52 AM
I don't know if you've watched the live action Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan, but if you want something weird & interesting, I recommend checking it out for at least an episode. It's about a famous mangaka who investigates supernatural mysteries. He has an incredibly odd, seemingly OP superpower.
After well over a decade of drinking coffee literally every day, since the beginning of October I haven't had any caffeinated coffee. It was my one vice. I came off it while titrating onto my ADHD meds. Anyway today I made myself a stovetop coffee today &... I didn't really enjoy it. Oh no.
November 24, 2025 at 9:25 PM
After well over a decade of drinking coffee literally every day, since the beginning of October I haven't had any caffeinated coffee. It was my one vice. I came off it while titrating onto my ADHD meds. Anyway today I made myself a stovetop coffee today &... I didn't really enjoy it. Oh no.
Reposted by Tim Clare
I don't know how to introduce this one. After three titles about opium peddling, I figured the rest of SDHistCon would be breezy by comparison. I was wrong. The next day, I experienced one of the toughest board games I've ever played. Perhaps *the* toughest. spacebiff.com/2025/11/24/u...
Unnameable
After the first day of SDHistCon, where I played three games about opium peddling, I figured the second would be easier on my stomach. I could not have been more wrong. It has no name. Its designer…
spacebiff.com
November 24, 2025 at 8:01 PM
I don't know how to introduce this one. After three titles about opium peddling, I figured the rest of SDHistCon would be breezy by comparison. I was wrong. The next day, I experienced one of the toughest board games I've ever played. Perhaps *the* toughest. spacebiff.com/2025/11/24/u...
Reposted by Tim Clare
Of course I would say this, but we need to talk about the moral & ideological case for play & leisure more than ever. So much political discourse - especially from the super-rich - assumes we ought to construct society around forcing citizens to spend most of their one, unrepeatable life working.
November 24, 2025 at 10:50 AM
Of course I would say this, but we need to talk about the moral & ideological case for play & leisure more than ever. So much political discourse - especially from the super-rich - assumes we ought to construct society around forcing citizens to spend most of their one, unrepeatable life working.
I would love to find a way to teach more creative writing - fiction & nonfiction. I enjoy it so much & I'm genuinely halfway decent at it. I like helping people cross-train & build confidence, & also working with groups where everyone is working on individual book length projects.
November 24, 2025 at 2:53 PM
I would love to find a way to teach more creative writing - fiction & nonfiction. I enjoy it so much & I'm genuinely halfway decent at it. I like helping people cross-train & build confidence, & also working with groups where everyone is working on individual book length projects.
Of course I would say this, but we need to talk about the moral & ideological case for play & leisure more than ever. So much political discourse - especially from the super-rich - assumes we ought to construct society around forcing citizens to spend most of their one, unrepeatable life working.
November 24, 2025 at 10:50 AM
Of course I would say this, but we need to talk about the moral & ideological case for play & leisure more than ever. So much political discourse - especially from the super-rich - assumes we ought to construct society around forcing citizens to spend most of their one, unrepeatable life working.
Do all countries have a custom of saying something after someone sneezes, or is it only anglophones & Germans? (Gesundheit / bless you)
November 23, 2025 at 1:32 PM
Do all countries have a custom of saying something after someone sneezes, or is it only anglophones & Germans? (Gesundheit / bless you)
If I could appear like Marley's Ghost to writers & give one piece of advice, it'd be: don't forget why you're doing this. Using recognition or sales or agent interest or even daily word count to gauge how you're doing is fatal if your actual dream was 'I want to lose myself in creating stories'.
November 22, 2025 at 6:18 PM
If I could appear like Marley's Ghost to writers & give one piece of advice, it'd be: don't forget why you're doing this. Using recognition or sales or agent interest or even daily word count to gauge how you're doing is fatal if your actual dream was 'I want to lose myself in creating stories'.
Prevalence rates are no guide as to whether a condition is 'real' or overdiagnosed. 1 in 8 men get diagnosed with prostate cancer. Incidence rates have risen 55% since 1990. We accept this is due to better awareness & screening, & people surviving other conditions, not a fad or medical overreach.
November 22, 2025 at 8:37 AM
Prevalence rates are no guide as to whether a condition is 'real' or overdiagnosed. 1 in 8 men get diagnosed with prostate cancer. Incidence rates have risen 55% since 1990. We accept this is due to better awareness & screening, & people surviving other conditions, not a fad or medical overreach.
A really lovely thing that happened today was I got to sit & play some more Mario Odyssey with my daughter. I had such a blast (& she seemed to too). It really lifted my spirits.
November 21, 2025 at 11:39 PM
A really lovely thing that happened today was I got to sit & play some more Mario Odyssey with my daughter. I had such a blast (& she seemed to too). It really lifted my spirits.
Reposted by Tim Clare
The second episode of my new podcast with @ava.foxfort.net and @timclare.bsky.social is out now. Listen in as we discuss listener questions and offer solutions as your ludological agony aunts. Got something you want us to answer? Get in touch!
open.spotify.com/episode/5boR...
open.spotify.com/episode/5boR...
People Can't Hear Faces
open.spotify.com
November 21, 2025 at 6:24 PM
The second episode of my new podcast with @ava.foxfort.net and @timclare.bsky.social is out now. Listen in as we discuss listener questions and offer solutions as your ludological agony aunts. Got something you want us to answer? Get in touch!
open.spotify.com/episode/5boR...
open.spotify.com/episode/5boR...
Have had to ride out several mood spirals this week. It's been hard, but I try to remind myself that there's another version of each where I wasn't able to triage, & instead of just feeling bad & low I went into crisis. So each, despite feeling bad, also sort of represents progress.
November 21, 2025 at 2:53 PM
Have had to ride out several mood spirals this week. It's been hard, but I try to remind myself that there's another version of each where I wasn't able to triage, & instead of just feeling bad & low I went into crisis. So each, despite feeling bad, also sort of represents progress.
Reposted by Tim Clare
Hey if you want a Xmas gift for the boardgame lover in your life (even if that person is you) then my book THE GAME CHANGERS (US title: Across The Board) is all about the history & culture of tabletop games. Hopefully it is surprising, amusing & interesting.
www.waterstones.com/book/the-gam...
www.waterstones.com/book/the-gam...
The Game Changers by Tim Clare | Waterstones
Buy The Game Changers by Tim Clare from Waterstones today! Click and Collect from your local Waterstones or get FREE UK delivery on orders over £25.
www.waterstones.com
November 18, 2025 at 2:19 PM
Hey if you want a Xmas gift for the boardgame lover in your life (even if that person is you) then my book THE GAME CHANGERS (US title: Across The Board) is all about the history & culture of tabletop games. Hopefully it is surprising, amusing & interesting.
www.waterstones.com/book/the-gam...
www.waterstones.com/book/the-gam...
Sometimes it's not about happiness. Sometimes it's just about not letting a low mood spiral into something worse, & hanging on til bedtime.
November 20, 2025 at 8:21 PM
Sometimes it's not about happiness. Sometimes it's just about not letting a low mood spiral into something worse, & hanging on til bedtime.
Never wheedle or coerce folks into playing, but Wits & Wagers always feels to me like a terrific, surprising, very simple rules party games that works for introverts or extroverts, requires no general knowledge & has a completely adaptable play time.
Would love a game for five adults - most who profess to not playing games. Something that leaves them saying games can be fun - so easy to learn. In the past I’ve found Chronology works for people who never play games. Thank you!!!
November 20, 2025 at 1:24 PM
Never wheedle or coerce folks into playing, but Wits & Wagers always feels to me like a terrific, surprising, very simple rules party games that works for introverts or extroverts, requires no general knowledge & has a completely adaptable play time.
Reposted by Tim Clare
Would love a game for five adults - most who profess to not playing games. Something that leaves them saying games can be fun - so easy to learn. In the past I’ve found Chronology works for people who never play games. Thank you!!!
November 20, 2025 at 12:22 PM
Would love a game for five adults - most who profess to not playing games. Something that leaves them saying games can be fun - so easy to learn. In the past I’ve found Chronology works for people who never play games. Thank you!!!
I don't know about 'perfect', but I wonder if The Cousins' War fits the bill? A tight COIN game that takes ~1 hr, with one of the best combat systems I've had the pleasure of experiencing - dice-based bluffing. I've had lots of success getting it to the table.
A gift for a couple where the one half likes lighter interactive/social deduction/mindgames sort of thing and the other is in for heavier and strategy-oriented games. What would be the perfect middle ground?
November 20, 2025 at 10:16 AM
I don't know about 'perfect', but I wonder if The Cousins' War fits the bill? A tight COIN game that takes ~1 hr, with one of the best combat systems I've had the pleasure of experiencing - dice-based bluffing. I've had lots of success getting it to the table.
If you want quick & raucous, Flip 7 deserves its rep as a funny, engaging push your luck game.
Something cooperative but still quick? The Mind is rules-light but intense.
If you want a fun fight, HMS Delores is prisoner's dilemma the game, about splitting treasure as wreckers & betraying each other
Something cooperative but still quick? The Mind is rules-light but intense.
If you want a fun fight, HMS Delores is prisoner's dilemma the game, about splitting treasure as wreckers & betraying each other
Oooh! Something for two adults and two late teens to play between courses on Christmas Eve. Last year we tried to get them into D&D, which was a partial but unrepeated success.
November 20, 2025 at 10:11 AM
If you want quick & raucous, Flip 7 deserves its rep as a funny, engaging push your luck game.
Something cooperative but still quick? The Mind is rules-light but intense.
If you want a fun fight, HMS Delores is prisoner's dilemma the game, about splitting treasure as wreckers & betraying each other
Something cooperative but still quick? The Mind is rules-light but intense.
If you want a fun fight, HMS Delores is prisoner's dilemma the game, about splitting treasure as wreckers & betraying each other
Reposted by Tim Clare
It was a crazy busy in the bookshop today. I took almost four times what I'd expect to take on a normal Weds. I guess the ramp-up to Christmas has started, which is good news. Independent bookshops make around a third of their yearly income over the seasonal period, so remember to shop local!
November 19, 2025 at 9:15 PM
It was a crazy busy in the bookshop today. I took almost four times what I'd expect to take on a normal Weds. I guess the ramp-up to Christmas has started, which is good news. Independent bookshops make around a third of their yearly income over the seasonal period, so remember to shop local!
Reposted by Tim Clare
Hey, I'm Tim - a boardgames writer, player & now, apparently, podcaster. Are you likely to find yourself playing games with family & friends this holiday season? Do you need recommendations for good ones to play with your group, or to gift? Reply below with who it's for & I'll do my best to help!
November 19, 2025 at 12:41 PM
Hey, I'm Tim - a boardgames writer, player & now, apparently, podcaster. Are you likely to find yourself playing games with family & friends this holiday season? Do you need recommendations for good ones to play with your group, or to gift? Reply below with who it's for & I'll do my best to help!
Depends on the 5 year old's frustration tolerance! We always enjoyed Escalado, where the youngest got to crank the handle that moves the horses you bet on. Off to the Tower is simple, quick & funny, & honestly I've come round to Ludo variants like Kimble/Frustration. Or have the 5 y.o. on a team.
I’m hosting a dinner party and need games for a small group of kids—board games that don’t require each player to read (youngest is 5) but keep the oldest (12) engaged.
November 19, 2025 at 6:31 PM
Depends on the 5 year old's frustration tolerance! We always enjoyed Escalado, where the youngest got to crank the handle that moves the horses you bet on. Off to the Tower is simple, quick & funny, & honestly I've come round to Ludo variants like Kimble/Frustration. Or have the 5 y.o. on a team.
Revolver Noir & Wonder Tales are my two favourite wallet games to whip out of the old back pocket & teach to people. They're not necessarily my absolute favourite Button Shy titles (very fond of Seasons of Rice, & Sprawlopolis is obviously a lovely chill solo) but they do so much with so little.
Ever since you mentioned carrying Love Letter (I think?) around with you I've wanted to get something portable that I can carry around and teach people if the opportunity arises. So this is technically for me - any recommendations (beyond Love Letter assuming that's the one you mentioned somewhere)?
November 19, 2025 at 2:42 PM
Revolver Noir & Wonder Tales are my two favourite wallet games to whip out of the old back pocket & teach to people. They're not necessarily my absolute favourite Button Shy titles (very fond of Seasons of Rice, & Sprawlopolis is obviously a lovely chill solo) but they do so much with so little.
For family time, I still dig No Thanks as an accessible but funny, engaging card game that has some bite but isn't just miserable for one of the players. Nana aka Trio is also a delight.
For 2 player, Hanamikoji or Mandala are lovely 2 player only card games I enjoy more & more the more I play them.
For 2 player, Hanamikoji or Mandala are lovely 2 player only card games I enjoy more & more the more I play them.
I have 9 and 14 year old daughters - best group games for family time or even two player for one on one time?
November 19, 2025 at 2:39 PM
For family time, I still dig No Thanks as an accessible but funny, engaging card game that has some bite but isn't just miserable for one of the players. Nana aka Trio is also a delight.
For 2 player, Hanamikoji or Mandala are lovely 2 player only card games I enjoy more & more the more I play them.
For 2 player, Hanamikoji or Mandala are lovely 2 player only card games I enjoy more & more the more I play them.