When Steff and I first saw Patchwork on the shelf, we laughed. With it and Quilt Show sitting side-by-side show on the shelf, we were amazed that not one, but two quilting games had just been released at the same time. Who would ever want to play a game about quilting?
Though it wasn’t in our plans, Steff and I did. We came across it at a generous discount, and its high standing on Board Game Geek made it seem like something we could gamble on. Does the game manage to surprise in spite of its dull premise?
Start with Scrabble. Keep the tiles, but remove the board and replace the letters with shapes. Now you have Qwirkle. While this concept sounds strange at the outset, it’s actually brilliant when you think about it. By removing the board and the vocabulary barrier, Qwirkle focuses on the best part of Scrabble, which was the ways in which you could strategically place tiles in ways that garner the most points. Don’t you love it when you’re able to play one word that actually spells out two words because you placed them in just the right spot? That’s what Qwirkle is all about, without needing to memorize a dictionary.
One of my favourite things to do as it pertains to board games is to introduce newcomers to the hobby. With the way the scene has grown in terms of gameplay innovation and variety, I feel like everyone can enjoy what board games are today on some level. From coworkers, to kids, to those who read this website, to even my mom, it’s been cool to be a part of someone discovering how fun modern games can be.
Paperback by Tim Fowler puts players in the shoes of aspiring writers. Pouring over each word, players compete to become the most famous writer of the bunch by completing work on paperback novels. No, you won’t actually have to write novels to win the game, but your vocabulary will be put to the test in a game that is equal parts Scrabble and Dominion. Are you ready to become the next J.K. Rowling, Stephen King or Nicholas Sparks?
In Third Person 