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Games Reviews and related articles
This page is an index to my reviews of board games and other articles I've written about games and related topics. Click on the link for the index or use the search feature to find what you're looking for.
These articles were written for a variety of magazines, including Flagship, Gamers Alliance Report, Games & Puzzles, Games Games Games and Games International, as well as my own 'zine, To Win Just Once. I add more pieces as time allows (and when I can locate them in the case of older articles!).
The oldest pieces are only web pages; more recent articles are both web pages and PDF documents (click the icon for the PDF version), while some are PDF only. You will need Adobe Reader to view PDF documents. If you don't have it, you can get it from Adobe by clicking on the button
on the right.
Articles and reviews are also published in my magazine, To Win Just Once.
Reviews
Reviews are listed alphabetically by (the first significant word in) the game's title, showing publisher, designer, country of publication and my rating.
Wherever possible, I give the original publisher (and country) of each game as well as the publisher of any English language version. Links to the publisher and game's designer (the term I prefer to inventor or author) are provided where possible.
The rating is my own, highly personal and subjective score for each game, where 1 is something I never want to play again and 10 is a brilliant game.
Index to title: numbers A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
| Title | Publisher | Designer | Country | Rating (1-10) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1825 Unit 3  |
Tresham Games | Francis Tresham | UK | 7 |
| 20th Century (Gathering 2011 PDF) | Czech Games Edition | Vladimir Suchy | Czech Republic | 9 |
| Rio Grande | USA | |||
| A | Top | |||
| Title | Publisher | Designer | Country | Rating (1-10) |
| After the Flood (PDF) | Warfrog | Martin Wallace | UK | 8 |
| Age of Industry (PDF) | Treefrog | Martin Wallace | UK | 8 |
| Age of Steam | Warfrog | Martin Wallace | UK | 10 |
| Agricola |
Lookout | Uwe Rosenberg | Germany | 10 |
| Z-Man | USA | |||
| Airlines Europe (Gathering 2011 PDF) | Abacus | Alan R Moon | Germany | 7 |
| Rio Grande | USA | |||
| Amazonas |
Kosmos | Stefan Dorra | Germany | 8 |
| Mayfair | USA | |||
| Ambush (PDF) | Victory | John Butterfield & Eric Lee Smith | USA |
8 |
| Amun-Re |
Rio Grande | Reiner Knizia | USA | 9 |
| Hans im Glück | Germany | |||
| Ankh-Morpork (Gathering 2011 PDF) | Treefrog | Martin Wallace | UK | 8 |
| Antike |
Eggertspiele | Mac Gerdts | Germany | 8 |
| Artus (Gathering 2011 PDF) | alea | Wolfgang Kramer & Michael Kiesling | Germany | 5 |
| Rio Grande | USA | |||
| Ausreisser, Der |
FX Schmid | Pierre Jacquot | Germany | 8 |
| Automobile (PDF) | Warfrog | Martin Wallace | UK | 9 |
| B | Top | |||
| Title | Publisher | Designer | Country | Rating (1-10) |
| Bean Trader |
Rio Grande | Uwe Rosenberg | USA | 8 |
| (Bohn Hansa) | Amigo | Germany | ||
| Big Cheese | Cheapass | James Ernest | USA | 9 |
| Blindside | Hangman | Alan D Ernstein | USA | 6 |
| Brass |
Warfrog | Martin Wallace | UK | 7 |
| Breaking Away | Fiendish | John Harrington | UK | 8 |
| Brief History of the World, A | Ragnar Brothers | Ragnar Brothers | UK | 9 |
| Burgen von Burgund, Die (Gathering 2011 PDF) | alea | Stefan Feld | Germany | 8 |
| C | Top | |||
| Title | Publisher | Designer | Country | Rating (1-10) |
| Canal Mania |
Ragnar Brothers | Ragnar Brothers | UK | 9 |
| Capone | Amigo | See The Mob | ||
| Carat | Queen | Dirk Henn | Germany | 5 |
| Castles of Burgundy, The | Rio Grande | see Die Burgen von Burgund | ||
| Caylus |
Ystari | William Attia | France | 10 |
| Check the Ripper | ASS | Alex Randolph | Germany | 2 |
| Chinatown | Rio Grande | Karsten Hartwig | USA | 7 |
| alea | Germany | |||
| Confucius (PDF) | Surprised Stare | Alan Paull | UK | 8 |
| Cults Across America | Atlas | Jeff Tidball | USA | 6 |
| D | Top | |||
| Title | Publisher | Designer | Country | Rating (1-10) |
| Devil Bunny Needs a Ham | Cheapass | James Ernest | USA | 5 |
| Dominant Species (Gathering 2011 PDF) | GMT | Chad Jensen | USA | 7 |
| Dreizehnte Holzwurm | Queen | Wolfgang Kramer & Michael Kiesling | Germany | 7 |
| Dschungel | Adlung | Bernhard Naegele | Germany | 3 |
| E | Top | |||
| Title | Publisher | Designer | Country | Rating (1-10) |
| El Grande | Rio Grande | Wolfgang Kramer & Richard Ulrich | USA | 10 |
| Hans im Glück | Germany | |||
| Enemy in Sight |
Avalon Hill | Neal Schlaffer | USA | 6 |
| F | Top | |||
| Title | Publisher | Designer | Country | Rating (1-10) |
| Falsche FuFFziger | 2F | Friedemann Friese | Germany | 9 |
| Feudo |
Zugames | Mario Papini | Italy | 4 |
| Few Acres of Snow, A (Gathering 2011 PDF) | Treefrog | Martin Wallace | UK | 9 |
| Fifth Avenue |
Rio Grande | Wilko Manz | USA | 4 |
| alea | Germany | |||
| Fire & Axe | Asmodée | See Viking Fury | ||
| Foppen | 2F | Friedemann Friese | Germany | 5 |
| Formula Motor Racing | Gibsons | Reiner Knizia | UK | 9 |
| GMT | USA | |||
| Fürsten von Florenz | alea | See Princes of Florence | ||
| G | Top | |||
| Title | Publisher | Designer | Country | Rating (1-10) |
| Galopp Royale | Goldsieber | Klaus Teuber | Germany | 9 |
| Glory to Rome |
Cambridge Games Factory | Carl Chudyk and Erek Slater | USA | 9 |
| Go West |
Phalanx | Leo Colovini | Netherlands | 6 |
| Gothic Game | Tolmayax | Robert Wynne-Simmons & Nigel Andrews | UK | 7 |
| H | Top | |||
| Title | Publisher | Designer | Country | Rating (1-10) |
| Hamburgum |
Eggertspiele | Mac Gerdts | Germany | 9 |
| Hansa Teutonica (PDF) | Argentum | Andreas Steding | Germany | 7 |
| Z-Man | USA | |||
| Hermagor |
Mind the Move | Emanuele Ornella | Italy | 9 |
| Rio Grande | USA | |||
| High Frontier (PDF) | Sierra Madre | Phil Eklund | USA | 9 |
| Homesteaders (Spring 2010 PDF) | Tasty Minstrel | Alex Rockwell | USA | 9 |
| Hornochsen | Amigo | Wolfgang Kramer | Germany | 4 |
| I | Top | |||
| Title | Publisher | Designer | Country | Rating (1-10) |
| Ice Cream |
Face 2 Face | Joe Huber | USA | 4 |
| Industria |
Queen Games | Michael Schacht | Germany | 10 |
| Intrige | FX Schmid | Stefan Dorra | Germany | 9 |
| J | Top | |||
| Title | Publisher | Designer | Country | Rating (1-10) |
| Jet Set (PDF) | Wattsalpoag | Kris Gould | USA | 9 |
| Just Wait | Hangman | Alan D Ernstein | USA | 7 |
| K | Top | |||
| Title | Publisher | Designer | Country | Rating (1-10) |
| Key West (PDF) | Spiel Idée | Martin Schlegel | Germany | 7 |
| Keythedral |
R+D | Richard Breese | UK | 10 |
| Keywood | R+D | Richard Breese | UK | 10 |
| King of the Elves | Rio Grande | Alan R Moon | USA | 9 |
| (König der Elfen) | Amigo | Germany | ||
| Konzern | Fanfor | Valentin Hermann | Germany | 6 |
| Krieg & Frieden | TM | Gerard Mulder | Germany | 5 |
| L | Top | |||
| Title | Publisher | Designer | Country | Rating (1-10) |
| La Città | Rio Grande | Gerd Fenchel | USA | 9 |
| Kosmos | Germany | |||
| Last Train to Wensleydale (PDF) | Treefrog | Martin Wallace | UK | 7 |
| Le Havre (PDF) | Lookout | Uwe Rosenberg | Germany | 8 |
| Letters from Whitechapel (Gathering 2011 PDF) | Nexus | Gabriele Mari & Gianluca Santopietro | Italy | 7 |
| Liberté | Warfrog | Martin Wallace | UK | 10 |
| Linie 1 | Goldsieber | Stefan Dorra | Germany | 8 |
| Lords of Creation | Warfrog | Martin Wallace | UK | 7 |
| Louis XIV |
Rio Grande | Rüdiger Dorn | USA | 9 |
| alea | Germany | |||
| M | Top | |||
| Title | Publisher | Designer | Country | Rating (1-10) |
| Maharaja | Avalon Hill | Craig Sandercock | USA | 7 |
| Mamma Mia! | Rio Grande | Uwe Rosenberg | USA | 7 |
| Abacus | Germany | |||
| Media Mogul |
JKLM | Richard Huzzey | UK | 6 |
| Metallurgie |
Argentum | Maik Hennebach | Germany | 7 |
| Mob, The | Gibsons | unknown | UK | 7 |
| (Capone) | Amigo | Germany | ||
| Monastery (PDF) | Ragnar Brothers | Ragnar Brothers | UK | 7 |
| Mordred | Warfrog | Martin Wallace | UK | 9 |
| N | Top | |||
| Title | Publisher | Designer | Country | Rating (1-10) |
| Naval War |
Avalon Hill | Neil Zimmerer and Craig Taylor | USA | 7 |
| Navegador (PDF) | PD-Verlag | Mac Gerdts | Germany | 8 |
| Neuland |
Eggertspiele | Tobias Stapelfeldt and Peter Eggert | Germany | 8 |
| New England Railways | Winsome | Martin Wallace | USA | 10 |
| O | Top | |||
| Title | Publisher | Designer | Country | Rating (1-10) |
| Old Town |
Clicker | Stephan Riedel | Germany | 8 |
| Olympos (PDF) | Ystari | Philippe Keyaerts | France | 9 |
| On the Underground |
JKLM | Sebastian Bleasdale | UK | 9 |
| Rio Grande | USA | |||
| Origo |
Parker | Wolfgang Kramer | Germany | 8 |
| P | Top | |||
| Title | Publisher | Designer | Country | Rating (1-10) |
| Pantheon (Gathering 2011 PDF) | Hans im Glück | Michael Tummelhofer | Germany | 6 |
| Rio Grande | USA | |||
| Pastiche (Gathering 2011 PDF) | Gryphon | Sean MacDonald | USA | 6 |
| Peloponnes (PDF) | Iron Games | Bernd Eisenstein | Germany | 8 |
| Pergamon (Gathering 2011 PDF) | Eggertspiele | Stefan Dorra & Ralf zur Linde | Germany | 8 |
| Gryphon | USA | |||
| Perikles |
Warfrog | Martin Wallace | UK | 8 |
| Phoenicia |
JKLM | Tom Lehmann | UK | 10 |
| Rio Grande | USA | |||
| Pillars of the Earth |
Mayfair | Michael Rieneck and Stefan Stadler | USA | 9 |
| (Die Säulen der Erde) | Kosmos | Germany | ||
| Princes of Florence | Rio Grande | Wolfgang Kramer and Richard Ulrich | USA | 10 |
| (Die Fürsten von Florenz) | alea | Germany | ||
| Princes of the Renaissance |
Warfrog | Martin Wallace | UK | 9 |
| Puerto Rico | alea | Andreas Seyfarth | Germany | 10 |
| Rio Grande | USA | |||
| R | Top | |||
| Title | Publisher | Designer | Country | Rating (1-10) |
| Really Nasty Horse Racing Game | Upstarts! | unknown | UK | 8 |
| S | Top | |||
| Title | Publisher | Designer | Country | Rating (1-10) |
| Salvo! | 3W | Michael Smith | USA | 4 |
| Sandwich (Gathering 2011 PDF) | Le Joueur | Christophe Raimbault | France | 8 |
| Säulen der Erde, Die | Kosmos | See The Pillars of the Earth | ||
| Scepter of Zavandor |
Z-Man | Jens Drögemüller | USA | 10 |
| (Das Zepter von Zavandor) | Lookout | Germany | ||
| Secret de Monte Cristo, Le (Gathering 2011 PDF) | Filosofia | Charles Chevallier & Arnaud Urbon | France | 5 |
| Secret of Monte Cristo, The | Z-Man | USA | ||
| Settlers of Catan | Mayfair | Klaus Teuber | USA | 10 |
| (Die Siedler von Catan) | Kosmos | Germany | ||
| Shadows over Camelot |
Days of Wonder | Bruno Cathala and Serge Laget | USA | 9 |
| Skallywaggs |
Bent Castle Workshops | Ben Crenshaw | USA | 8 |
| Space Beans | Rio Grande | Uwe Rosenberg | USA | 5 |
| Amigo | Germany | |||
| Special Delivery | Kevingston | Kevin Rolph | UK | 4 |
| Struggle of Empires |
Warfrog | Martin Wallace | UK | 10 |
| Sun, Sea and Sand (PDF) | Cwali | Corné van Moorsel | Netherlands | 7 |
| T | Top | |||
| Title | Publisher | Designer | Country | Rating (1-10) |
| Tales of the Arabian Nights (PDF) | West End | Eric Goldberg | USA | 10 |
| Z-Man | Eric Goldberg et al | |||
| Tempus |
Various | Martin Wallace | UK | 8 |
| Through the Ages (Spring 2010 PDF) | Czech Games Edition | Vlaada Chvatil | Czech Republic | 10 |
| Eagle | USA | |||
| Thurn & Taxis |
Hans im Glück | Karen and Andreas Seyfarth | Germany | 9 |
| Rio Grande | USA | |||
| Ticket to Ride |
Days of Wonder | Alan R Moon | USA | 8 |
| Tinners' Trail (PDF) | Warfrog | Martin Wallace | UK | 8 |
| Tulipmania 1637 (PDF) | JKLM | Scott Nicholson | UK | 7 |
| TV Wars | Avalon Hill | Bob Nash | USA | 6 |
| U | Top | |||
| Title | Publisher | Designer | Country | Rating (1-10) |
| Ubongo |
Kosmos | Grzegorz Rejchtman | Germany | 4 |
| University Games | USA | |||
| V | Top | |||
| Title | Publisher | Designer | Country | Rating (1-10) |
| Velo City (PDF) | Abacus | Kevin G Nunn | Germany | 6 |
| Viking Fury |
Ragnar Brothers | Ragnar Brothers | UK | 8 |
| Vikings are Coming!, The | ASS | Alex Randolph | Germany | 2 |
| Vinhos (PDF) | What's Your Game? | Vital Lacerda | Italy |
7 |
| W | Top | |||
| Title | Publisher | Designer | Country | Rating (1-10) |
| West Riding | Winsome | Han Heidema | USA | 9 |
| Wildlife |
Uberplay | Wolfgang Kramer | USA | 9 |
| Clementoni | Germany | |||
| Workshop of the World (PDF) | Ragnar Brothers | Ragnar Brothers | UK | 6 |
| Y | Top | |||
| Title | Publisher | Designer | Country | Rating (1-10) |
| Yspahan |
Ystari | Sébastien Pauchon | France | 9 |
| Rio Grande | USA | |||
| Z | Top | |||
| Title | Publisher | Designer | Country | Rating (1-10) |
| Zepter von Zavandor, Das | Lookout | See The Scepter of Zavandor | ||
Index to title: numbers A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Articles
Articles are listed in reverse chronological order: most recent first, oldest last.
British Toy Fair 2012 – the games on show at the London Olympia event: PDF version of Toy Fair 2012 report (600 Kb)
Spiel '11 - new games from the annual games fair (version 2): PDF version of Spiel 11 report (6.8 Mb)
EuropeMasters 2011 - Pevans reports from the European Board Games Championship
Gathering of Friends 2011 - Pevans plays new games in Niagara Falls
Toy Fair 2011 (PDF) - this year's new games at the London show
Spiel '10 (PDF 3.6 Mb) - new games from the annual games fair (version 2)
UK Games Expo 2010 (PDF) - Pevans went to the Bimingham show
Spring Round-up 2010: Homesteaders and Through the Ages
Toy Fair 2010 (PDF) - this year's new games at the London show and the Spring Fair
Spiel '09 (PDF 1.6 Mb) - new games from the annual games fair (version 3)
Blasts from the Past: 1 Tales of the Arabian Nights (PDF); 2 Ambush (PDF)
UK Games Expo 2009 (PDF) - Pevans went to the Bimingham show
Toy Fair 2009 (PDF) - this year's new games at the London show
Spiel '08 (PDF) - what Pevans saw at the 2008 Spiel games fair
EuropeMasters 2008 (PDF) - Pevans was at the European Board Games Championship
SpielChamps 2008 (PDF) - The UK Board Games Championship at Manorcon
UK Games Expo 2008 (PDF) - Pevans went to the Bimingham show
Toy Fair 2008 (PDF) - this year's new games at the London show
Spiel '07 - a report from the 2007 Spiel games fair: PDF version
Toy Fair 2007 – a report of the new games on show at the UK’s annual showcase.
Spiel '06 - a report from the 2006 Spiel games fair: PDF version
Toy Fair 2006 – a report of the new games on show at the UK’s annual showcase.
Spiel '05 - a report from the 2005 Spiel games fair.
Toy Fair 2005 - a report of the new games on show at the UK's annual showcase.
Spiel '04 - a report from the 2004 Spiel games fair.
Toy Fair 2004 - a report of the new games on show at the UK's annual showcase.
Toy Fair 2003 - a report of the new games on show at the UK's annual showcase.
Spiel '02 - a report from the 2002 Spiel games fair.
Toy Fair 2002 - a report of the new games on show at the UK's annual showcase.
Spiel '01 - a report from the 2001 Spiel games fair.
Toy Fair 2001 - a report of the new games on show at the UK's annual showcase.
UKBCGC 2000 - a report from the UK's Board and Card Games Championship.
Toy Fair 2000 - a report of the new games on show at the UK's annual showcase.
TV Wars - The Pevans Option - alternative rules for this game that remove much of the luck element and reduce the playing time.