Dude! Take Your Turn!
A Gaming Life
Friday Night Shots – Updates
It’s been a while since a Friday Night Shots post, but I’m also going to do away with the ongoing “welcome to the bar” jokes for it.
However, I am actually at a place with a bar, and I may be actually drinking a beer as this posts.
That’s because I wanted to update you on how things are going with me, with my gaming, and with my blogging especially.
I’m proud of myself because I am allowing myself a little grace, which I don’t always do.
I’m proud also because, for the entirety of 2026 (and also probably since the beginning of December), I have done at least 3 posts a week.
Typically they were Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, with the occasional Saturday instead of Friday.
Those of you who have followed me, and have read my annual Blog in Review posts, know that one of my major issues is imposter syndrome and actually working up the energy to write posts (or to write anything).
I get into these posting funks where I start to doubt myself and whether I am writing anything that other people even care about at all, and then I end up going 3 weeks without posting anything.
That streak of posting consistently on those three days is most likely going to end on Monday.
Read MoreSo Many Birds! – Final Girl – Terror From Above Review
I’ve never seen the classic Hitchcock thriller, The Birds, but I’m very familiar with the trope!
Some birds are just creepy.
They sit and watch you. Crows can recognize you, which can be good or bad depending on whether you’re a good person or an asshole to them.
I think it’s the eyes.
Terror From Above is the first vignette for the now-classic (in my opinion, anyway) solo game franchise, Final Girl, and it has to do with sinister clowns.
No, you dolt, I mean birds! That’s why I’ve been talking about birds so much already!
Yes, this vignette is full of birds.
It was designed by series creator A.J. Porfirio with artwork by Vladyslava Ladkova and published by Van Ryder Games in 2021.
Vignettes are designed around a new killer, using a location from a feature film that you already have.
So you can’t just have the Core Box and be ready.
Thus, this review will be shorter than the rest!
Don’t all clap at once.
Read MoreBGG Top Games – 2001 Through 2100
We’re into a new millennium!
Not year-wise, of course.
We are sadly still in 2026.
But in looking at the Boardgame Geek game rankings, we are now over 2000.
Some might say we’re getting into the dregs, where I haven’t played, or even thought about, most of the games.
Surprisingly enough, there are still some decent options here!
That’s the thing about the BGG rankings.
Depending on when you get there, sometimes you’ll see games that are on their way up.
And sometimes you’ll see them having settled around where they’re going to be.
Like I mentioned last week, Pendragon is still falling a bit, having dipped even further to #2005 (it was #2001 last week, but when I had started last week’s post, it was in the 1901-2000 range so I talked about it).
There is always so much movement in these ranges, it’s interesting to see!
In this century, I own (or have owned) four games, and have played six of them.
But in looking at the list, there are some games I wouldn’t mind trying out.
The list I’m talking about is here, though keep in mind that things can change over time.
Let’s begin with the ones that I’ve played and whether I want to keep playing them or not.
Read MoreKids’ Play Time Can Be Weird – Fort Review
Boardgames have had many themes, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a game where the theme is the rise and fall of friendships when you were a kid.
Not to mention playing around the neighbourhood, building a tree fort, and just passing the hours running around outside.
Now I have!
Fort is a game that encompasses all of that, using deckbuilding mechanics but where you can actually lose cards if you don’t use them.
Designed by Grant Rodiek with artwork by the great Kyle Ferrin, the game was published by Leder Games in 2020.
It plays 2-4 players, and you’re all kids trying to navigate life, attracting more kids to your entourage, and maybe just losing them if you don’t play with them.
Kids have feelings too.
Read MoreBook Review – A Death in Berlin by Simon Scarrow
Since I did a “book series you should read” post about the first two books in Simon Scarrow’s “Criminal Inspector Schenke” series, I should probably review the third book now that it’s out and I’ve read it.
Right?
The third book, A Death in Berlin, finally resolves the Ration Coupon investigation that’s been going on throughout the first two books, in an intriguing and explosive conclusion that brings Kripo Inspector Horst Schenke to ally with some unsavory people in order to safeguard not only the German populace who are trying to get by, but also his own life when his Jewish lover gets caught in the crossfire.
This series continues to be incredible, as we see Schenke have to wrestle between being a cop who wants to do well by the populace but also has to weigh his position in an increasingly authoritarian state with the Nazis taking over.
Read MoreBGG Top Games – 1901 Through 2000 – Supplementary Edition
Thanks for those of you who have already checked out today’s post about the latest century of games rated on Boardgame Geek, the coveted (I tease) 1901-2000 slot!
The reason for this updated post is that I completely missed talking about two games that should really be talked about.
Rather than just editing that post, I wanted those of you who have already read that one to see this too.
I can only blame delirium for somehow going right over the top of these!
Read MoreBGG Top Games – 1901 Through 2000
It’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve done one of these BGG centuries posts, though not because I was getting tired of them.
There were just more important things to post about!
I enjoy writing these BGG posts, even when the games are kind of lackluster, mainly because it gives me the opportunity to talk about games that I haven’t said much (if anything) about.
And who can complain about that?
Especially since one of my favourite blogs to read daily (because he posts daily), No Rerolls, just last week said this about my blog (mainly about my Top 10 Games played of all time, but I like to think it carries through in all of my posts):
“each write-up is delivered with the easy charm of someone who simply loves talking about the games that stuck with them”
I love that! (And seriously, go check out his site, especially if you like Magic: the Gathering and RPGs, along with some other boardgame content as well).
Anyway, we are now on to the last of the Top 2000 games, though this series may continue further than that.
Hell, with my Top 50 Games Played of All Time done, what else am I going to write about?
Today, we’re talking about games ranked 1901-2000.
Here’s the list of games, though keep in mind that, depending on when you visit this post, the games will probably have changed!
Certainly the rankings will have.
In this batch, I’ve played 8 of them and own (or previously owned) 4 of them.
That’s down from last time!
Oops, it’s been so long since the last post, that one of the ones from last time has actually fallen into this century.
I won’t be talking about it again.
Let’s begin, so this post won’t be so long and make me a liar!
Read MoreGrandma’s Getting a Little Hairier – Final Girl – Once Upon a Full Moon Review
You all know the story.
Little girl goes to visit Grandma, who for some strange reason lives alone in the woods.
Is she the Unabomber? Is she posting manifestos on Facebook?
Anyway, little girl arrives at Grandma’s house and lo and behold, Grandma forgot to shave that day!
And her teeth have grown a little bit.
Either that, or maybe something really terrible has happened to her.
Oh no, it’s a wolf!
For once, Final Girl goes to the old fairy tale book instead of the horror movie for another installment of the wonderful solo game franchise.
Not only that, Red (or whichever Final Girl you are using) came to Grandma’s house loaded for bear, ready to kick ass and chew bubble gum.
(Whoops, wrong franchise).
Maybe she really was the Unabomber and you’re her faithful revolutionary relative?
Whatever.
Once Upon a Full Moon (which makes it sound like it’s a werewolf? But it’s not, really) once again brings a new location (Storybook Woods) and a new killer (The Big Bad Wolf) to the game, ready to make you wonder why you torture yourself like this because you can’t win to save your life.
That could just be me, though, because I’m terrible at this.
This particular feature film was designed by Julie Ahern (Yay, Julie!) with artwork by Tyler Johnson.
It’s part of Series 2 and was published by Van Ryder Games in 2023.
I love how the various feature films do mix things up a bit in their mechanics, which the Wolf does with the Track and Slay mode, and Storybook Woods does by having a river and many fewer locations than other films have.
So let’s start examining this one with the Wolf!
Read MoreNew to Me – January 2026
January 2026 wasn’t a huge month for new to me games, though the ones I did play were very fun.
That may change in February, though, since a friend of mine has bought a few games I’ve never played, so we’ll get some of those done!
In the meantime, though, there were only four new to me games in January, and the Cult of the New to Me was not very happy with me.
That’s because two of them are from 2024 and two from 2025.
That’s too new!
They were giving me the stink-eye when they saw the list of my games played.
I weathered the storm, though.
Buying them new PS5 consoles might have something to do with it.
Just sayin’!
Anyway, let’s move on.
Without further ado (all of my ado was used to move up some track anyway), let’s begin!
Read MoreSandy Tableaus – Santa Monica Review
Being from the Midwest and now living in the rainy Pacific Northwest, one thing I haven’t really had much of a chance to do is walk the sandy ocean beaches on the Pacific Ocean.
Yes, the Oregon Coast is amazing, but where we’ve gone in the past, it’s a bit more rocky than sandy.
That doesn’t mean it’s not on my bucket list!
In the meantime, there’s always the chance to build my own beach boardwalk area, attracting tourists and locals, and VIPs who just want to experience certain things and will pay you well for them (but not in a creepy way or anything).
That’s where Santa Monica comes in, the tableau-building card game where you are building a beach and boardwalk area in, I assume, Santa Monica.
This card game was designed by Josh Wood with art by Jeremy Nguyen and Josh Wood (though the box just says Jeremy’s name).
It was published by Alderac Entertainment Group in 2020.
This is a card-drafting tableau-builder where you are forming your beach and your boardwalk, trying to install areas where tourists and locals alike will want to hang out.
It also has a lot of icon/tag matching which can score you points.
If you place your cards in the right order.
Read More
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