Board Games

  • Review: Stupor Mundi

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    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).

  • Review: Ostia

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    In 103 AD, Emperor Trajan built Portus Ostia, which became Rome’s most important port. Arranged in an elegant hexagonal layout, this port received vast quantities of goods from across the entire empire and became the logistical hub that sustained the prosperity of the imperial city of Rome. You assume the role of the owner of a massive fleet of ships, where crowds of merchants and nobles flock to the port of Ostia to charter your vessels. Use the money and resources earned from chartering to expand your enterprise and meet the demand for wheat and other goods, thereby earning the favor of the people. Using your ships to explore other territories is also vital: your adventure tales and the discovery of exotic artifacts will undoubtedly spark the curiosity of both emperors and nobles. The one who achieves the greatest fame will be blessed with victory by the Senate and citizens of glorious Rome!

    This is the premise behind Ostia, a design by Totsuca Chuo (Sweet Lands, Aqua Garden). First published in 2022 by uchibacoya in an English and Japanese edition. The illustrations are by Tatsuki Asano and Rocinante Urabe, both responsible for the artwork in games like Aqua Garden and Sapporo 1876.

  • Review: Finspan – Sharks & Reefs

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    Now you can Cultivate colorful Coral Reefs in each of the 3 Dive Sites in your Ocean. Healthy Reefs allow you to play powerful Reef Fish, unlock Abilities, and gain end-of-game bonuses. Meanwhile, Sharks scatter Fry Schools (to form more Schools elsewhere) and leave behind food scraps that any Fish in your Ocean can Consume.

    This is how Sharks & Reefs is presented to us, the first expansion for Finspan, designed by Michael O’Connell. First published in 2026 by Stonemaier Games in an English version. The artwork is provided by Ana María Martínez Jaramillo (Wingspan), Catalina Martinez, and Mesa Schumacher (Ecosystem).

  • Review: Nippon – Zaibatsu

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    In the mid-19th century, Japan finally realized how far behind the Western world it had fallen in economic, industrial, and technological terms. The Meiji Restoration marked the beginning of a rapid industrial revolution powered by zaibatsu—vast conglomerates of closely intertwined companies. In this economic strategy game, you will manage your own zaibatsu: constructing and modernizing factories, establishing the production and supply of goods, attracting investments, fulfilling contracts, developing mining and technology, laying railways, and recruiting foreign experts. All of this to catch up with Western nations and prove to the Emperor that your zaibatsu is the most valuable. Lead the industrial revolution and guide Japan toward prosperity!

    This is the premise behind Nippon: Zaibatsu, designed by Nuno Bizarro Sentieiro and Paulo Soledade (Asian Tigers, Madeira). First published in 2026 by CrowD Games following a successful crowdfunding campaign, it is a reimplementation of Nippon, originally published in 2015 by What’s Your Game?. The artwork is illustrated by Maya Kurkhuli (Enigma: Beyond Code, City of the Great Machine).

  • Review: President

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    The party chairmanship has become vacant, and you have gathered to decide who will take over. Look closely around you, because even though you all belong to the same party, only one can seize power. In politics… anything goes!

    This is the premise of President, a design by Nico Cardona (Panots, Rudolph). Published for the first time in 2026 by Too Bad Games and Zacatrus in a bilingual English and Spanish edition. Illustrated by Alba Aragón (the Sherlock series) and Raúl Moreno.

  • Review: Ayar – Children of the Sun

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    Viracocha created Inti, the Sun God, and Mama Quilla, the Moon Goddess. They emerged from Lake Titicaca as one: husband and wife, sister and brother. But Inti looked upon Mama Quilla’s glow with jealousy and threw ash over her so she would not shine brighter than him. Together they fathered four sons and four daughters—the Ayar pairs—who would emerge from Tiwanaku, south of the great lake, alongside the ten minor clans of the first settlers. The Ayar would be tasked with finding fertile land at the center of the universe to found the Tawantinsuyu empire, while teaching the clans the necessary skills to build a civilization. As the four Ayar pairs traversed the lands northward, one by one they would meet their fate—trapped in a cave or turned to stone—until only one pair remained. The final Ayar pair would survive to receive the honor of bearing the golden staff and founding the Tawantinsuyu empire, standing at its head as the Sapa Inca and the Coya.

    This is how we are presented with Ayar: Children of the Sun, a design by Mandela Fernandez-Grandon and Fabio Lopiano, responsible for Sankoré: The Pride of Mansa Musa. First published in 2025 by Osprey Games in an English edition. Illustrations are handled by Ian O’Toole (Lisboa, Railway Boom).