Dell Kaufeld on More Than Games

Review: Starfinder Second Edition GM Core (Paizo)

Thu, 16 Oct 2025 12:00:00 -0500

Fans and players launched into the new world of Starfinder Second Edition (2e) when the Player Core released in early August. 16+, 3-7 players, 3-4 hours

Review: Starfinder Second Edition Player Core (Paizo)

Mon, 22 Sep 2025 12:00:00 -0500

On Thursday morning of Gen Con in 2017, Paizo released the Starfinder Roleplaying Game. 16+, 3-7 players, 3-4 hours

Review: Tea Garden (Capstone Games)

Wed, 13 Aug 2025 12:00:00 -0500

It’s another busy day in your tea garden. 12+, 2-4 players, 90 minutes

Review: Elemystic (Wise Wizard Games)

Thu, 17 Jul 2025 12:00:00 -0500

When I first saw Elemystic from Wise Wizard Games, it was so small I thought it was an expansion, not an entire game. 12+, 2 players, 20-30 minutes

Review: Tacta (The OP)

Thu, 19 Jun 2025 12:00:00 -0500

Phrases like ‘tactical strategy game” and “easy to teach” don’t usually go together, but thanks to its clever graphic design, that actually works in Tacta. 10+, 2-6 players, 20-30 minutes

Review: Vegas Showdown (Renegade Games)

Thu, 08 May 2025 12:00:00 -0500

The glitz and glamour of the Las Vegas Strip is legendary. 12+, 3-5 players, 75 minutes

Review: Tangram City (Capstone Games)

Mon, 21 Apr 2025 12:00:00 -0500

The name on the box declares the game’s basic idea right from the start, but Uwe Rosenberg’s Tangram City from Capstone Games still keeps plenty of surprises under wraps. 8+, 1-5 players, 30 minutes

Review: Milkman (Dice Hate Me Games)

Tue, 25 Mar 2025 12:00:00 -0500

Milkman, from Dice Hate Me Games, takes you to a time when people were more directly connected to the origins of their food, much like today’s “farm to fork” movement. 10+, 2-4 players, 40-60 minutes

Review: Butterfly Garden (Capstone Games)

Tue, 18 Mar 2025 12:00:00 -0500

Watching spring flowers begin to bloom outside feels deliciously appropriate since this month’s game focuses on flowers, gardens, blooms, and butterflies. 8+, 2-4 players, 30 minutes

Review: Tower Up (Monolith)

Mon, 17 Feb 2025 12:00:00 -0500

In Tower Up from Monolith, two to four players take the roles of construction companies expanding the city’s downtown. 10+, 2-4 players, 40-60 minutes

Review: Colt Express Big Box (Ludonaute)

Tue, 17 Dec 2024 12:00:00 -0500

Running between train cars, grabbing bags of gold, climbing onto the roof, and getting whacked by an overhanging swivel arm — it’s all in a day’s work for train robbing varmints in just about every movie about the Old West. 10+, 3-8 players, 40-60 minutes

Review: Acquire 60th Anniversary (Renegade)

Mon, 18 Nov 2024 12:00:00 -0500

Sixty years is a big anniversary, whether it’s for a company or your favorite couple. 14+, 1-4 players, 45-60 minutes

Review: Kinfire Chronicles: Night’s Fall (Incredible Dream)

Fri, 18 Oct 2024 12:00:00 -0500

Kinfire Chronicles: Night’s Fall by Incredible Dream Studios is the newest — and possibly largest, because this game is physically huge — installment in a series of titles set in the fantasy world of Atios. 14+, 1-4 players, 45-60 minutes

Review: Star Trek: Star Realms (UVS Games, Wise Wizard)

Thu, 19 Sep 2024 12:00:00 -0500

When I first saw Star Trek: Star Realms from UVS Games and Wise Wizard Games, my mental sound effects library immediately pulled up the swoosh-squeak of the original Enterprise’s doors — and, of course,“Engage!” and “Fire!” heard in several actors’ voices. 14+, 2-4 players, 20 minutes

Review: Starfinder 2nd Edition Playtest Rulebook (Paizo)

Wed, 21 Aug 2024 12:00:00 -0500

Seven years after its successful launch, the Starfinder Roleplaying Game is headed for a second edition — and Paizo wants everyone to get a voice in its creation. 13+, 3-7 players, 3-4 hours

Review: Distilled (Paverson Games)

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 12:00:00 -0500

You still can’t quite believe it, but the letter in your hands is very clear. 14+, 1-5 players, 30 minutes/player

Review: Adventure Party (Smirk and dagger)

Mon, 17 Jun 2024 12:00:00 -0500

Every fantasy adventure features the stuff of bardic songs: terrible monsters, dangerous locales, dastardly villains, and heroic deeds — and, of course, a tavern where our heroes gather and enjoy each other’s company. 14+, 3-8 players, 20-60 minutes

Review: Sandbag (Bezier Games)

Mon, 20 May 2024 12:00:00 -0500

A lot of people picked up interesting hobbies over the last few years. 15+, 3-6 players, 30 minutes

Review: First Rat (Pegasus Spiele)

Tue, 16 Apr 2024 12:00:00 -0500

Everybody knows the moon is made of cheese — and for the comic book-reading rats of the local junkyard, it’s an article of faith. 10+, 1-5 players, 30-75 minutes

Review: Kobolds Ate My Baby! The Orange Book (9th Level Games)

Thu, 21 Mar 2024 12:00:00 -0500

During my first visit to the Origins Game Fair many years ago, someone standing nearby suddenly yelled, “All hail King Torg!” at the top of their lungs. 8+, 2-8 players, 2 hours

Review: Salton Sea (Devir Games)

Fri, 16 Feb 2024 12:00:00 -0500

In a time when global warming, alternative energy, and electric vehicles seem to be on everyone’s mind, the Salton Sea in California feels like a mirage. 14+, 1-4 players, 45-60 minutes

Review: The Rich and the Good (Ares Games)

Thu, 18 Jan 2024 12:00:00 -0500

In The Rich and the Good from Ares Games, you’re a commodities trader in the midst of the Second Industrial Revolution. 13+, 2-5 players, 45-60 minutes

Review: Express Route (The OP)

Thu, 14 Dec 2023 12:00:00 -0500

It’s 1959 in the alternate reality of Express Route from The OP, and catalog shopping is exploding throughout the US! 10+, 1-4 players, 60-90 minutes

Review: Dodos Riding Dinos (Detestable Games)

Thu, 16 Nov 2023 12:00:00 -0500

Life was calm and peaceful on Dodino Island — right up to the point when a meteor fell on the ruling dino and dodo, leaving the island without leadership. 14+, 1-6 players, 20 minutes

Review: Romi Rami (Hachette)

Sat, 04 Nov 2023 12:00:00 -0500

Confession time: I’m not a big fan of rummy games. 8+, 2-4 players, 30 minutes

Review: Sushi Boat (Japanime Games)

Wed, 20 Sep 2023 12:00:00 -0500

I hope you’re hungry, because we’re bringing a sushi restaurant to your table. 8+, 2-5 players, 30-75 minutes

Review: Bonsai (DV Games)

Fri, 25 Aug 2023 12:00:00 -0500

There’s something magical about bonsai trees. 8+, 1-4 players, 40 minutes

Review: Quarto (Gigamic, Hachette)

Thu, 22 Jun 2023 12:00:00 -0500

There are luck games and pure strategy games. 8+, 2 players, 15 minutes

Review: Clash of Cultures: Monumental Edition (WizKids)

Mon, 22 May 2023 12:00:00 -0500

You stand in the knee-deep grass of a rolling prairie. 14+, 2-4 players, 3-4 hours

Review: Galileo Project (Sorry We Are French)

Wed, 19 Apr 2023 12:00:00 -0500

There’s a certain joy that comes from playing an elegantly designed game. 14+, 2-4 players, 40-80 minutes

Review: Shapers of Gaia (WizKids)

Mon, 27 Mar 2023 12:00:00 -0500

After a millennia of waiting, Gaia is ready to be reborn — and you and your fellow Shapers are ready to make it happen. 14+, 2-3 players, 60-90 minutes

Review: Puerto Rico 1897 (Ravensburger)

Wed, 15 Feb 2023 12:00:00 -0500

Andreas Seyfarth’s Puerto Rico has been reprinted and expanded over the years and even given the deluxe anniversary treatment. 12+, 2-5 players, 90 to 150 minutes

Review: Broken and Beautiful (Left Justified Studio)

Mon, 23 Jan 2023 12:00:00 -0500

Broken and Beautiful, from Left Justified Studio, is a deceptively wicked little game. 12+, 2-4 players, 15 minutes

Review: Starfinder Interstellar Species (Paizo)

Thu, 15 Dec 2022 12:00:00 -0500

When Paizo’s Starfinder roleplaying game launched, players could choose among only a handful of species options for their characters. 16+, 3-7 players, 2+ hours

Review: Galaxy Trucker Keep on Trucking Expansion (Czech Game Edition)

Fri, 18 Nov 2022 12:00:00 -0500

Anyone who ever read the rules of Galaxy Trucker from Czech Games Edition knows that truckers can add a lot of different pieces to their craft, and they should add as many of all of them as possible. 8+, 2-4 players, 30 minutes

Review: Boop (Smirk and Laughter)

Fri, 21 Oct 2022 12:00:00 -0500

Cats get into everything. 10+, 2 players, about 20 minutes

Review: Lost Ruins of Arnak (Czech Games Edition)

Mon, 26 Sep 2022 12:00:00 -0500

The moment you set up this game on your table, you’ll feel teleported into your favorite archaeological adventure movie — most likely that series featuring the guy who runs away from giant boulders and can’t lose his hat no matter how hard he tries. 12+, 1-4 players, about 30 mins. per player

Review: Starfinder Drift Crisis (Paizo)

Wed, 17 Aug 2022 12:00:00 -0500

It just happened. 16+, 3-7 players, 2+ hours

Review: Free Radicals (WizKids/NECA)

Thu, 19 May 2022 12:00:00 -0500

When we gaze across the variety of game systems, our eyes always linger on asymmetrical games. 14+, 2-5 players, 90 minutes

Review: The Loop (Pandasaurus Games)

Fri, 22 Apr 2022 12:00:00 -0500

Oh no! 12+, 1-4 players, 60 minutes

Review: The Goonies: Never Say Die (Funko Games)

Thu, 10 Mar 2022 12:00:00 -0500

We’ve seen lots of companies take the characters from a movie or TV show, slap them haphazardly onto a game framework, and count on fans to buy their creation just because of the name. 12+, 2-5 players, 50 minutes

Review: Pathfinder 2e Complete Wizard Chronicle (Beadle and Grimm)

Tue, 22 Feb 2022 12:00:00 -0500

Everyone who loves roleplaying games handles their character sheets and game notes in different ways. 14+, 2-5 players, 90 minutes

Review: Starfinder Galactic Magic (Paizo)

Sun, 13 Feb 2022 12:00:00 -0500

There’s a rhythm to the expansion books for roleplaying games. 16+, 3-7 players, 2+ hours

Review: Wild Space (Pandasaurus)

Thu, 20 Jan 2022 12:00:00 -0500

This review is a little late. 10+, 1-5 players, 3 to set up; 25-30 to play

Review: Cindr (Smirk and Dagger)

Tue, 21 Dec 2021 12:00:00 -0500

*“Looking for a dragon to light up your life? 14+, 1-5 players, 3 to set up; 25-30 to play

Review: Alice in Wonderland Fluxx (Looney Labs)

Wed, 24 Nov 2021 12:00:00 -0500

If any piece of literature deserves to be enshrined in a Fluxx deck, Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland stories certainly qualify. 8+, 2-6 players, 2 to set up; 5-30 to play

Review: Galaxy Trucker 2nd edition (Czech Game Edition)

Sun, 10 Oct 2021 12:00:00 -0500

When a company comes out with a new, updated version for one of their classic games, you can pretty much count on two things: the new one will cost more — sometimes a lot more — and it’ll add a bunch of complicated new features so it’s harder to learn and takes longer to play. 8+, 2-4 players, 5 to set up; 20-60 to play

Review: Starfinder Galaxy Exploration Manual (Paizo)

Thu, 12 Aug 2021 12:00:00 -0500

The world is a big place to explore, but it’s not much compared to a whole universe. 13+, 4-7 players, 1-4 hours to set up, 4-6 hours to play

Review: Doodle Dungeon (Pegasus Spiele)

Wed, 21 Jul 2021 12:00:00 -0500

When your new dungeon turns out to be nothing but an empty cave, it’s time to channel your inner dungeon builder and get to work. 10+, 2-4 players, 4 to set up, 45-60 to play

Review: Duel of Wands: Kids on Brooms Card Game

Mon, 14 Jun 2021 12:00:00 -0500

Every student at the school of magic knows the dueling rules. 10+, 2 players, 3 to set up, 30-45 to play

Review: Cubitos (AEG)

Wed, 21 Apr 2021 12:00:00 -0500

Dice love to race. 14+, 2-4 players, 10 to set up, 30-60 to play

Review: Gods Love Dinosaurs (Pandasaurus Games)

Wed, 24 Mar 2021 12:00:00 -0500

It’s good to be a deity. 8+, 2-5 players, 5 to set up, 45-60 to play

Review: Tiny Epic Dinosaurs (Gamelyn Games)

Mon, 22 Feb 2021 12:00:00 -0500

Don’t let the cute box art with playful dinosaurs and a sunny sky fool you. 14+, 1-4 players, 5 to set up, 30-60 to play

Review: Pan Am (Funko Games)

Thu, 14 Jan 2021 12:00:00 -0500

I grew up listening to my dad’s stores stories about working for Pan Am as a mechanic and then a pilot, so when a board game with the Pan Am globe appeared on the scene, I knew we had to give it a try. 12+, 2-4 players, 5 to set up, 60 to play

Review: Pathfinder Beginner Box (Paizo)

Thu, 17 Dec 2020 12:00:00 -0500

Starting any hobby can feel daunting. 13+, 2-5 players, 60 minutes

Review: Homeworlds and Nomids (Looney Labs)

Mon, 23 Nov 2020 12:00:00 -0500

Many game people — our family included — have a long-standing love for the Looney Labs pyramids games. 10+, 2 (Homeworlds), 2-10 (Nomids) players, 30-60 minutes (Homeworlds), 2-10 minutes (Nomids)

Review: Succulent (Renegade)

Mon, 26 Oct 2020 12:00:00 -0500

Gardening is calm and patient work that demands skill, planning, and an eye for color and design. 10+, 2-4 players, 45-60 minutes

Review: Santa Monica (AEG)

Tue, 22 Sep 2020 12:00:00 -0500

Sun, sand, shopping, and relaxing. 14+, 2-4 players, 5 minutes

Review: Pathfinder 2e Arcane Spell Cards, Chase Cards, and Bestiary Battle Cards (Paizo)

Fri, 14 Aug 2020 12:00:00 -0500

When we think about new roleplaying game products, we usually imagine source books with rules, monsters, and character classes, adventure modules that explore some new part of the world, or maps to simplify combat and exploration. 8+, 3-6 players

Review: Deck of Many Worlds and Space Station Flip-Tiles (Paizo)

Fri, 17 Jul 2020 12:00:00 -0500

In the futuristic universe of Starfinder, players can experience an endless number of fantastical and unique planets, all teeming with curious, exotic, and often dangerous species and locations. 8+, 3-6 players

Review: Cabo Deluxe (Bezier Games)

Wed, 24 Jun 2020 12:00:00 -0500

Unicorns capture the imagination. 8+, 2-4 players, 3 to set up, 30-45 to play

Review: Hues and Cues (The OP)

Wed, 24 Jun 2020 12:00:00 -0500

What color is “grape”? 8+, 3-10 players, 3 to set up, 30-45 to play

Review: Starfinder Character Operations Manual (Paizo)

Fri, 15 May 2020 12:00:00 -0500

Even with all of the playable races, fantastic feats, and customizable classes in Paizo’s Starfinder roleplaying game, sometimes your character idea still doesn’t exactly fit. 8+, 4-8 players, 30-60 to set up, 2-6 hours to play

Review: Imperial Settlers: Empires of the North (Portal Games)

Mon, 24 Feb 2020 12:00:00 -0500

Welcome to the frozen north, where the land is cold, the penguins are friendly, the drink is plentiful, and the islands are up for grabs. 8+, 1-4 players, 8 to set up, 45-90 to play

Review: SpyMaster (Calliope)

Fri, 17 Jan 2020 12:00:00 -0500

A furtive glance and an almost imperceptible nod. 8+, 2-6 players, 5 to set up, 20-50 to play

Review: Nemo Rising: Robur the Conqueror (Wizkids)

Fri, 20 Dec 2019 12:00:00 -0500

Set in the world of C. 8+, 1-4 players, 10 to set up, 90 to play

Review: Clip Cut Parks (Renegade)

Fri, 22 Nov 2019 12:00:00 -0500

The city needs more parks, and it’s up to you to build them. 8+, 1-4 players, 3 to set up, 30 minutes to play

Review: The Aquicorn Cove Board Game (Renegade)

Wed, 23 Oct 2019 12:00:00 -0500

Cooperative play, the challenge of balancing conservation with development, plus possibly the cutest meeples ever seen on a game board—all of that adds up to The Aquicorn Cove Board Game experience from Renegade Game Studios. 10+, 2-4 players, 5 to set up, 45-60 minutes to play

Review: Funkoverse Strategy Game Series (Funko Pop)

Thu, 22 Aug 2019 12:00:00 -0500

Almost anybody in pop culture fandom immediately recognizes a Funko Pop! 10+, 2-4 players, 5 to set up, 20-60 minutes to play

Review: Cat Lady Premium Edition (AEG)

Thu, 25 Jul 2019 12:00:00 -0500

You don’t need to dig (well, scratch) very deeply to find cat ladies everywhere you look. 8+, 2-4 players, 5 to set up, 30 minutes to play

Review: Volcanic Isle (Arcane Wonders)

Wed, 29 May 2019 12:00:00 -0500

Let’s start with the basics: In Volcanic Isle from Arcane Wonders, the island you’re on will sink. 13+, 2-4 players, 5 to set up, 45-60 minutes to play

Review: Smash Up: Oops, You Did It Again (AEG)

Mon, 23 Jul 2018 12:00:00 -0500

Illustration ideas: Shield Maiden, High Noon, Honorable Combat, Priest of Anubis 14+, 2+ players, 4 to set up, 45 to play

Review: Topiary (Renegade)

Mon, 25 Jun 2018 12:00:00 -0500

Gazing across a garden of sculpted plants known as topiary brings joy to most any heart. 10+, 2-4 players, 4 to set up, 10-20 to play

Review: Sentient (Renegade)

Wed, 23 May 2018 12:00:00 -0500

If the artwork in Sentient from Renegade Games is accurate, we look forward to a future filled with shiny intelligent robots and fascinating strategic decisions. 12+, 2-4 players, 4 to set up, 30-60 to play

Review: Doctor Who Fluxx Review

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:00:00 -0500

Let’s get this out of the way up front: One of us watched more Doctor Who than the other one. 8+, 2-6 players, 1 to set up, 5-40 to play

Review: Quadropolis: Public Services (Days of Wonder)

Fri, 23 Feb 2018 12:00:00 -0500

Congratulations, Mayor! 8+, 2-4 players, 5 to set up, 30-60 to play