Games / Research review
Jaipur Review: A Trading Game Built for Two, With No Third Chair
Built for exactly two players — no dummy hand, no solo mode, no third chair — for $26.99 at Asmodee's US store, with a publisher-listed 30-minute play time.
Games & puzzles
6 guides in Games & hobbies
Games / Research review
Azul Review: A 45-Minute Drafting Fight That Holds Up At Two Players
A 45-minute drafting fight that holds up at two players, built on one-decision turns: 2-4 seats from one $39.99 box, currently $31.99 at Asmodee's US store with no end date on the markdown.
Games / Research review
CATAN 6th Edition Review: $39.99 Seats Four, $63.98 Seats Six
The 30th-anniversary base game costs $39.99 at Amazon against a $49.99 list price, needs three players and holds four, and runs about an hour; the publisher says it can be played with fifth-edition sets, though some card backs differ.
Games / Research review
Ravensburger Paris in the Dawn Review: A Standard 1000-Piece Puzzle Done Properly
Ravensburger's $24.99 street scene is the kind of puzzle the brand has cut for decades: German board, linen-finish print, a 27-by-20-inch image with enough detail to sort by. What you are paying for is consistency, not novelty.
Games / Research review
Wingspan Review: A Calm Engine Builder That Rewards A Second Play
Stonemaier's bird game costs $55 direct, plays one to five, and ships with a solo mode and a teaching pack. The catch is that a first game feels slower than the box suggests.
Games / Research review
Exploding Kittens Original Edition Review: The Right Game for the Right Table
A fifteen-minute luck-and-dodging card game for two to five players. The fit between game and table decides everything, and the editions need untangling.