Reviews

  • Review: Volo

    ByiMisut Hours
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    A game themed around birds soaring across the skies. Players add or move bird pieces with the goal of forming a flock of their own color. However, they cannot add their birds adjacent to an ally, and when moving them, they must steer them toward other allies without splitting the original flock. This is a poetic game inspired by mathematical models of animal behavior.

    This is how we are presented with Volo, a design by Dieter Stein (Mixtour, Urbino). It was first published in 2012 by nestorgames in an English and Spanish edition. Later, it was republished by kanare_abstract in an English and Japanese edition. Graphic design for this latest version was handled by Kanare Kato (LAG, Enso).

  • Review: Tango

    ByiMisut Hours
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    It takes two to tango, but only one dancer will remain standing in this trick-taking game for two players. Players play cards, both from their hand and from their face-up display, to pull off the best possible dance steps. Plan ahead as best you can, but remember that your opponent knows some of the moves you are about to make! Will you claim the title of lord or lady of the dance?

    This is how Tango presents itself, designed by David Harding (Matcha, Elevenses) and Matt Sims (his debut design). First published in 2024 by Grail Games in an English edition. The illustrations are handled by Heiko Günther (Circus Flohcati, Burgle Bros.).

  • Review: Kilia

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    The Baltic Sea glistens in the morning sun, sails flutter in the wind, and aromas of salt and exotic spices drift through the air. Kilia awakens, and with it, your burgeoning shipping company. The Schleswig-Holstein Canal has just opened and, as the resourceful entrepreneurs and proud burghers of Kiel that you are, you will take advantage of these new times to build your own merchant fleet. With foresight, a bit of luck, and your connections with harbormasters and city councilors, you will bring goods from distant lands to Kiel, turning this young port city into a central hub for trade.

    This is the premise behind Kilia, designed by Lars Ehresmann (Tippi Toppi: Hoch Hinaus!). First published in 2025 by HUCH! in a trilingual English, French, and German edition, it features artwork by Stefan Sonnberger, the illustrator behind games like Rising Cultures or Kuhfstein.

  • Review: Frosted Blooms

    ByiMisut Hours
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    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

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    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

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    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.