Review

  • Review: Silver & Gold – Pyramids

    Embark on a fun expedition into the realm of the pyramids! Your goal is to explore them, collecting gems and reaching the burial chamber at the end of the map (or maps) with the most valuable loot, under the motto: «More treasures, more gold».

    This is how Silver & Gold: Pyramids is presented, designed by Phil Walker-Harding as a follow-up to Silver & Gold. First published in 2023 by Nürnberger-Spielkarten-Verlag in a multilingual edition (including Spanish). Illustrations are provided by Oliver Freudenreich (Goa, No Thanks!) and Sandra Freudenreich (Illusion, Qwixx).

  • Review: Frosted Blooms

    The crisp Dutch air still carries the chill of winter, occasionally blanketing the awakening polder fields with a delicate morning frost. Yet beneath this fleeting shimmer, the first determined tulips push their way toward the sky, showing vibrant colors that promise a radiant spring. As ambitious gardeners, you will compete to cultivate the most admired tulip display. Carefully select plots of land and strategically place iconic windmills and barns, all while assigning diligent workers to create a harmonious and valuable landscape. Will your garden, caressed by the cool dawn, bloom into the most celebrated masterpiece of the season?

    This is how we are introduced to Frosted Blooms, designed by Bruno Cathala and Ludovic Maublanc (Cyclades, Mr. Jack). First published in 2026 by Synapses Games in an English and French edition. The artwork is handled by Simon-Pierre Bernard, marking his debut in the board game industry.

  • Review: Feya’s Swamp

    Three years have passed since the expedition returned from the west with the discovery of Feya’s Swamp, our new home. We have established our first settlements, and peace prevails among the four clans. The swamp, brimming with life and mana, offers us a promising future, and the ancient temples that encircle it beckon us to venture into the unknown in search of ancestral treasures. We live in a time of opportunity where each clan can forge its own destiny, striving to thrive as best it can. Each guide among the four clans is doing remarkable work fostering our growth in harmony with the others, and soon we will leave behind the dark times of our past. Even in times of peace, we want our clan to be the one that adapts best and prospers most effectively in our new home; after all, no one can strip us of our pride…

    This is the premise behind Feya’s Swamp, designed by Helge Ostertag (Terra Mystica) and Anselm Ostertag (Wulong). First published in 2025 by Fractal Juegos in an English and Spanish edition, it is a reimagining of Kaivai. The illustrations are handled by Mihajlo Dimitrievski, responsible for the look of titles such as Claim and the West Kingdom trilogy.

  • Review: Enso

    Enso is a game inspired by the Zen concept of the Enso (円相): the circle drawn by Zen monks. Players move their stones and capture their opponent’s, aiming to position one of their stones so that it is surrounded by open spaces in eight directions, as if enclosed within a circle. What makes this game unique is that the moves a stone can make depend on whether it is adjacent to opponent stones.

    This is the premise behind Enso, a design by Dieter Stein (Urbino, Volo). First published in 2026 by Kanare_Abstract in a bilingual English and Japanese edition, with cover illustration handled by Kanare Kato.

  • Review: Tag Team

    Fight to knock out your opponent—every decision counts! ROUND 1… FIGHT! In this competitive 2-player fighting game, you will need to assemble your own duo of two fighters and build the ultimate synergy by combining their unique decks. A programmed combat game and a deck-builder all at once… with a twist!

    This is the premise behind Tag Team, designed by Gricha German (Biomos) and Corentin Lebrat (Faraway, Draftosaurus). First published in 2025 by Scorpion Masqué in a bilingual French and English edition, it features artwork by Xavier Gueniffey Durin “Naïade”, the artist behind titles such as Seasons and Zenith.

  • Review: Stupor Mundi

    Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, King of Germany and Italy, was a historical figure of extraordinary culture, energy, and ability. His contemporaries nicknamed him Stupor Mundi (“the wonder of the world”), and with good reason, as many historians consider him the first modern ruler of Europe. His realm, centered in Sicily and southern Italy, stood as a model of efficient bureaucracy, remarkably similar to the centralized governments of the modern era.

    This is the premise behind Stupor Mundi, designed by Nestore Mangone (Autobahn, Darwin’s Journey, Baghdad: The City of Peace). First published in 2025 by Quined Games following a successful crowdfunding campaign. The artwork is provided by Maciej Janik (Stroganov, Oak, Neuroshima Hex).