W. Eric Martin | Board Game Beat

@index.wericmartin.com.ap.brid.gy

Board Game Beat post feed. 🌉 bridged from ⁂ https://www.wericmartin.com/, follow @ap.brid.gy to interact

470 followers0 following143 stories

Longform Stories

Bruno Cathala Round-up: TRÖK, Visions, Splendor Duel, and More

Ten publishers (at least!) are bringing this designer's works to stores in 2026

6h ago·7 min read·1361 words

Hit the Pedal to Matchy Match Your Speed

Also, make stripes liberally to succeed in Operation Zebra

1d ago·7 min read·1239 words

More Bombs to Bust, Pixels Invade Carcassonne, and More

An ennead of minimal game announcements

2d ago·3 min read·450 words

Deal with the Devil, and Fight with Fairies

Smirk & Dagger Games has four 2026 titles, including a new way to boop cats

4d ago·7 min read·1287 words

Matthieu d'Epenoux Has Passed Away

A memorial of sorts for the founder of Cocktail Games

5d ago·7 min read·1394 words

Go Abroad with Robots on the Run

Portal Games prepares new releases for Gen Con 2026 and SPIEL Essen 26

6d ago·5 min read·870 words

Sail South for The Isle of Penguins

Instead of corralling cats, you can prepare to pack penguins

Jun 3·3 min read·422 words

Rediscovering Rosetta, and Unearthing Mykerinos

Also, tall tales are triumphant in The Extraordinary Adventures of Baron Munchansen

Jun 2·4 min read·782 words

And the Sun Will Set for You…at CATAN x Linkin Park Game Night

A crossover event brought music and game fans to the table

Jun 1·2 min read·383 words

Artist Diary: Fantastique

Travel the world without leaving the table thanks to artist Miriam Rowe

Jun 1·5 min read·850 words

Play for Keeps Revives the Past

Mexica, Gheos, El Caballero, and The Bridges of Shangri-La are returning in new editions

May 30·8 min read·1461 words

What Awaits at Bastion Indie Market?

Self-publishers will feature unique creations at UK Games Expo 2026

May 29·3 min read·463 words

Pandasaurus Rides in with Bohnanza, Greylune, Saboteur, and More

Three AMIGO titles have been picked up by this U.S. publisher

May 28·4 min read·648 words

Finalists Revealed for the 2026 Diana Jones Emerging Designer Program

Sample the wide range of creative works by these honored designers

May 27·3 min read·424 words

Michael Yang Invites More Compilations

Use the seven deadly sins to achieve victory in Compile: Main 3

May 27·5 min read·863 words

What Do Stefan Feld, CATAN, and The Monolith Have in Common?

Nothing other than teases about future game releases.

May 24·3 min read·583 words

A First Look at Morty Sorty Magic Shop

An overview of this 2026 Spiel des Jahres nominee

May 20·9 min read·1684 words

2026 Spiel des Jahres Nominees: Cozy Stickerville, JinxO, and Morty Sorty Magic Shop

Boss Fighters QR, Moon Colony Bloodbath, and Rebirth are nominated for the 2026 Kennerspiel des Jahres

May 19·8 min read·1512 words

Spiel des Jahres Speculation for 2026

Any guesses as to what might be nominated?

May 18·6 min read·1116 words

Time for IP Battle, with Plants vs. Conan on the Lower Decks

Looney Labs, Monolith Board Games, and Mantic Games pitch fun to fans

May 15·3 min read·595 words

Osprey Games Will Ditch Board and Card Games

In the future, the UK publisher will focus on wargames and roleplaying games

May 14·3 min read·582 words

Dire Wolf, Capstone, and Chaosium Sign on with asmodee

Asmodee USA adds more companies to its distribution services

May 14·1 min read·18 words

Discover Giant-Sized Pandemic, Dark Crystal, and Magic and Pokémon Sales

Other stories include the Golden Geek Awards, Hasbro's Q1 2026 revenue and how to create licensed board games

May 14·1 min read·28 words

Michael Menzel Heads from Andor to Gotham City

KOSMOS also announces a third Fourth Wing game for October 2026

May 13·1 min read·19 words

Greater Than Games Is Reborn

Original founders Badell and Bender are in charge once again

May 12·1 min read·15 words

How Much Middle-earth Is Too Much?

asmodee announces new partners for The Lord of the Rings adaptations

May 12·1 min read·17 words

Can You Figure Out Who You Are or What to Play?

Korea Boardgames preps Abraca Who? and Jusayo for Tokyo Game Market

May 12·1 min read·22 words

The Wheel of Time and Dragon Ball Z Head to Tabletops

Adaptations being crowdfunded in 2026 by Dire Wolf and Pop Art Games

May 11·1 min read·23 words

Ken Tidwell Passed Away

The Game Cabinet's founder spread awareness of games in the 1990s

May 11·1 min read·15 words

From Underground to Out of This World

Control worlds above and below with games from Phantom Horizon and Elzra

May 10·1 min read·19 words

Line Up Your Sweeet Cards

Row, row, row your cards into a winning formation

May 9·1 min read·14 words

Book Review: The Score

Which games are you playing, and are they ones you want to play?

May 8·1 min read·17 words

Asmodee Purchases Time's Up

This acquisition consolidates the 27-year-old game under one company

May 7·1 min read·13 words

Make Plans for Gen Con 2026, and Vote on TCG Awards

Also, Italian game awards and an exploration of interaction in games

May 6·1 min read·22 words

An Overflowing Playte at Game Market Spring 2026

Make fences, stack pizza, crack safes, collect toys, and call out industrial waste

May 5·1 min read·21 words

Celebrate Anniversaries of Clank!, Star Trek, and...Swords Against?!

Amabel Holland dives through a gamer's history via a forgotten game

May 4·1 min read·19 words

Take Tricks without Cards in Rascally Rabbits

Trick-taking games keep coming with Fishing 2, Beastro, and Masquerade Trick Party

May 3·1 min read·19 words

Return to Andor in Late 2026

Explore the wonders of birds, and discover June 2026 releases from Asmodee North America

May 2·1 min read·20 words

Ding Dong! Here's a Floral Surprise for You

To celebrate the holiday, here's a handful of new nature-based games

May 1·1 min read·19 words

Your Call: Assemble Furniture, or Face Death in the Woods

Explore islands, valleys, moving dungeons, IKEA, New Zealand, and more

Apr 30·1 min read·20 words

Try Your Hand as a Railway Porter

Saashi challenges you to deliver luggage with care

Apr 29·1 min read·15 words

Use Four Deuces to Control Chicago

And tackle two head-twisting designs from Nokosu Dice's Matsumoto Yusuke

Apr 28·1 min read·16 words

Prepare Your Fantastique Hand

Assemble the right cards and wave bye-bye to the competition

Apr 27·1 min read·14 words

Pack Lightly with Button Shy and Deck Hand Games

These companies create lots of card games that take up little space

Apr 26·1 min read·21 words

Wonder about Excursions through Earth and Middle-earth

Here's another half-dozen spinoff games for more of what you like

Apr 24·1 min read·18 words

Chaz Marler Files Legal Complaint Against Rodney Smith

The complaint requests relief due to defamation, false light, and more

Apr 23·1 min read·19 words

Flip Through Dead Channels, and Bring Back the Guillotine

Explore five card games old and new, including 15th Stamp and All Mine!

Apr 23·1 min read·22 words

The 2026 Mensa Select Winners, and Games in Italy

Also, explore the use of dice in Native American gaming

Apr 22·1 min read·19 words

Randolph Suffers Warehouse Fire

The Canadian publisher has lost much of its inventory in that country

Apr 21·1 min read·16 words

Coming to America: Recall, Yōtei, Kingdom Crossing, and more

A round-up of five games coming to the North American market

Apr 21·1 min read·20 words

Fight Bosses, Compress Numbers, and Make Wine from Tiles

Let's sample another handful of designs debuting at Game Market Spring 2026

Apr 20·1 min read·21 words

Extra Beats: Games Played in 2026

Quick takes on Wabanti, One Mind, dnup, Up or Down?, and Big or Bang

Apr 20·1 min read·20 words

Luma Picks Up Queen, and Dolphin Hat Becomes Taco Cat

A round-up of business happenings in the tabletop game industry

Apr 17·1 min read·20 words

Previewing ALT: GAMES 2026

Designers prepare new works for the second games festival in Parramatta, Australia

Apr 16·1 min read·16 words

Fury of Dracula Returns in 2026

Avalon Hill will debut Fury of Dracula: 5th Edition at Gen Con 2026

Apr 15·1 min read·19 words

Winners of the 2026 ATTAs, and Playtest Notes about Jumanji

This links round-up also features a night with Elizabeth Hargrave and Ree Drummond

Apr 14·1 min read·23 words

Handelabra Games Buys Sentinel Comics

The company has also purchased the "Greater Than Games" brand

Apr 14·1 min read·15 words

Reinhold Wittig Has Passed Away

Designer of Spiel, Piratenbillard, Volta, and 100+ more games

Apr 13·1 min read·14 words

Investigating Miniatures, and Talking about Marketing

Also, new conventions, D&D on death row, and giant athletes

Apr 12·1 min read·16 words

Mario, Monkey, Munchkin, and More on Your Tabletop

A round-up of new IP-based board and card games due out in 2026

Apr 11·1 min read·21 words

Fantasy Flight Games Deep Sixes Descent

Descent: Legends of the Dark – Act III will not be released

Apr 10·1 min read·18 words

Play Together to Escape a House, a Planet, and Monsters

Overviews of three co-operative games: Shadow Brume, Xorakus, and Alpha Team Mechanized Battle Force Go!

Apr 10·1 min read·25 words

Go Fishing for Wild Magic with a Pet Quartet

U.S. publisher GameHead prepares a handful of games for release in June 2026

Apr 9·1 min read·22 words

Asmodee Buys ATM Gaming, Ships Ostia, Reports Q3 2025 Earnings

Also, asmodee North America announces its release plans for May 2026

Apr 8·1 min read·21 words

Mechs vs. Minions Is Returning to Print

Riot Games is partnering with Incredible Dream for a 10th anniversary edition

Apr 7·1 min read·19 words

When It's Time for a Revolution, Don't Be Undaunted

Also, keep your threads organized and your crabs enraged

Apr 7·1 min read·18 words

Take Tricks Together, Balance Beans, and Play Inside-Out Tetris

Here's another half-dozen games from Japanese creators

Apr 6·1 min read·16 words

Competing Statuses

Will you take control of a country — or dominate the neighborhood?

Apr 5·1 min read·14 words

Competing Statuses

Will you take control of a country — or dominate the neighborhood?

Apr 5·1 min read·14 words

New Editions of Older Japanese Games: Elementica, Eternal Sevens, Circlora, and More

Get a taste of what's showing up at Tokyo Game Market in May 2026

Apr 2·1 min read·26 words

Indie Games Spotlight: Game Market West (Spring 2026)

More than 400 attendees looked at new designs from dozens of creators

Apr 1·1 min read·20 words

Get Ready for a Hot Brown Surprise

Stack ingredients to create a mystery sandwich

Apr 1·1 min read·14 words

Danes, Rebels, Irregulars, Courtisans, and Bazis

Feuerland Spiele prepares for SPIEL Essen 26, and Krakel Orakel expands

Mar 31·1 min read·17 words

Use Sticks to Collect Tricks, and Get Your Spirit Animals in Line

A half-dozen card games new and old await your handling

Mar 30·1 min read·22 words

Yell Words, Draw Pictures, Set Up Dates, and Yell Some More

Making plans for the weekend? Check out this septet of party games.

Mar 28·1 min read·23 words

Awards in Switzerland, and Oink in a Retail Store

Also, pitch games to Ravensburger and dive deeper into the rules ratio

Mar 27·1 min read·21 words

Artist Diary: Sanibel

Watercolor artist Dahl Taylor explains his painting process for this Elizabeth Hargrave game

Mar 26·1 min read·16 words

Restoration Games Announces The Lord of the Rings: The King's Gambit

Go from Star Wars to Middle-earth with The Return of The Queen's Gambit

Mar 25·1 min read·24 words

Riding the Rayroads to Annihilation

Amabel Holland invites you to contemplate capitalism's consequences

Mar 25·1 min read·13 words

Fort Circle Games Talks Money

Atomic Mass Games changes focus, Don't Panic Games comes to North America

Mar 24·1 min read·17 words

Create Your Own Concrete Canvas at Home

Intersection Games collaborates with street artist Chris RWK for its debut

Mar 23·1 min read·18 words

Asmodee Acquires Japon Brand from CMON

Nekuma is asmodee's new studio for games from Asian designers

Mar 20·1 min read·16 words

Push Tiles in Tulikko, and Grow Gretchen's Garden

An overview of games coming via asmodee North America in April 2026

Mar 18·1 min read·20 words

Finding the Right Balance at Brainy Hearty

Designer Ionah Nguyen has released two games to date: Tech Race and Chuồn Chuồn

Mar 17·1 min read·21 words

COVID, Tariffs, and Now...War

Increasing costs for oil and natural gas will raise prices on games and much more

Mar 16·1 min read·19 words

Countless Capybaras Clog Collections

Who wants to find a home for these cute critters?

Mar 15·1 min read·14 words

SPIEL Essen 26 Gets Bigger, and Human Intelligence Gets Certified

Also, would electric shocks help you get better at chess?

Mar 14·1 min read·20 words

Want to Join the Cult of the Old?

Time to hit your shelves and see what you've been missing

Mar 13·1 min read·19 words

Don't Chicken Out on Growing Enchanted Ivy over Goat-Filled Containers

An overview of new and upcoming releases from Allplay and Druid City Games

Mar 13·1 min read·23 words

Roll Call Recap: Help Shape Our Coverage

Time to make some adjustments?

Mar 12·1 min read·12 words

Omens Show Rising Cultures on Seven Islands in 2026

Overviews of future releases from Looney Labs, Capstone Games, and Spiral Éditions

Mar 12·1 min read·21 words

Scurry Up to Pack Canal Houses with Cats, Cucumbers, and Pressure

Get a taste of what's coming from Gigamic, UP Games, 1HUNDRED GAMES, KTBG, and Levity Game Studio

Mar 11·1 min read·28 words

To Succeed in 2026, Make Your Games Smaller (+Boardcast)

Publishers shrink packages to knock down prices

Mar 10·8 min read·1431 words

Treat New Pets to Time on the Table

Spot cats, place kittens, floof dogs, destroy houses, and fight rats

Mar 9·1 min read·19 words

Rolling Three Sisters into Middle-earth

Use dice to farm in North America or Mallorca — or to fight in Tolkien's world

Mar 8·1 min read·21 words

Assembling Mosaic Studio while Flickering Stars Go Out

Also, Genius Games takes over Elf Creek Games and makes like Santa

Mar 7·1 min read·20 words

Symbly Delightful

From Faraway, the card game Symbiosis resembles Castle Combo

Mar 6·1 min read·11 words

Borg, Bauza, and Reynolds Inducted into the AAGAD Hall of Fame

Can't Stop and Apocalypse World are also part of the "Class of 2026"

Mar 5·1 min read·24 words

Join Critical Role for Adventures in Codenames

Design a deck to drill for minerals because they won't excavate themselves

Mar 5·1 min read·19 words

The Rules Ratio: A New Stat to Geek Out About

How well do your favorite games measure up?

Mar 4·1 min read·18 words

How to Use BoardGameGeek — and Why (+Boardcast)

Let's explore the world's largest online tabletop game database

Mar 3·24 min read·4677 words

Nostalgia in the Game Market

New releases for Heroscape, Mortal Kombat, Citadels, Robo Rally, and more

Mar 2·1 min read·16 words

Toy Battle Wins 2026 As d'Or

Other award winners in France: Civolution, Zenith, and Mooki Island

Feb 26·1 min read·16 words

Become an Almighty Lion Dancer

Manage the flow of candy, seeds, scrolls, yarn, and your paycheck

Feb 26·1 min read·16 words

Navigate Your Way Through Furry Pawlitics

Discover two designs from Mozaic Games and JollyKin Games

Feb 25·1 min read·15 words

Gamefound to Require Disclosure of Generative AI Use in Crowdfunding Projects

Also, Ryan Dancey was removed as COO of AEG for comments about AI

Feb 24·1 min read·24 words

Spotting Criminals Is a Daily Challenge in "Clues by Sam" (+Boardcast)

How quickly can you sort the guilty from the innocent?

Feb 24·22 min read·4363 words

Expect No Mercy in Monopoly Deal

At Toy Fair NY, Hasbro revealed its 2026 game line-up

Feb 23·1 min read·16 words

Stack Your Hippos High in Kumata

Designer Claude Leroy branches out from his abstract game roots

Feb 22·1 min read·16 words

No Loading Games Brings More Cyberpunk to the Table

PAC-MAN: Craze Maze asks to build a rich buffet for your hero

Feb 21·1 min read·21 words

Throw Hands for a Wild and Crazy Summer

U.S. publisher Wild Guess Games expands its catalog to five games

Feb 20·1 min read·19 words

Member Survey: What's Your Favorite Escape Room Series?

How would you rank these lines of escape room games? This survey is for our Bits and higher supporting members.

Feb 19·1 min read·28 words

The Op Games Welcomes a Menagerie of Hummingbirds, Cats, Camels, and Elephants for 2026

The Op also has four new acquisitions of previously self-published games

Feb 19·1 min read·25 words

Horrified and Villainous Once Again Lead Ravensburger's U.S. Line-up

Check out what Ravensburger showed off at Toy Fair NY 2026

Feb 18·1 min read·20 words

Build Roads on the Road to CATAN

Check out part of asmodee's coming release calendar from Toy Fair NY 2026

Feb 18·1 min read·20 words

Moose Buys Bananas; KOSMOS Buys Kosmos

Netflix licenses Ticket to Ride for adaptations

Feb 17·1 min read·13 words

After Ten Years of EXITs, Inka and Markus Brand Aren't Going Anywhere (+Boardcast)

KOSMOS' EXIT: The Game series of escape room games has sold 30 million copies in its first decade

Feb 17·13 min read·2583 words

Satisfy Your Ravenous Desires on the Beach

Happy Camper prepares two titles for Q2 2026: Beach Bandits and Zeus on the Loose

Feb 17·1 min read·22 words

Reach for New Sushi Dishes in This Chef's Special

Grab a half-dozen dice and duel in Qwixx

Feb 16·1 min read·17 words

Journey Through Seoul on a Meeple Vacation

Check out the Play to Z game line-up for 2026

Feb 16·1 min read·17 words

Forbidden Legacy to Debut at Gen Con 2026

Matt Leacock and Rob Daviau join forces once again

Feb 15·1 min read·17 words

Krakel Orakel Coming from Ravensburger as Mind the Lines

And Rush Hour turns competitive

Feb 14·1 min read·14 words

No Idea What KENDi Will Release in 2026? Read On...

Learn how to play Sneaky and Keine Ahnung?!

Feb 14·1 min read·18 words

Pegasus, Wolves, and Spirits

An overview of Pegasus Spiele's 2026 game line-up

Feb 13·1 min read·12 words

Return to Thunder Road

The standalone game Thunder Road: Ignition will debut at Gen Con 2026

Feb 12·1 min read·16 words

Cédrick Chaboussit Has Passed Away

Designer of Lewis & Clark: The Expedition, Glow, Shamans, and more

Feb 12·1 min read·16 words

Take Time to Twist Your Temple

An overview of KOSMOS titles due out in early 2026

Feb 12·1 min read·16 words

Once More Around the Block

Place predetermined polyomino pieces to perfect a path for patient passengers

Feb 12·1 min read·16 words

Hasbro Reveals Its 2025 Financial Results

Sales of Magic: The Gathering increased by 59% compared to 2024

Feb 11·1 min read·17 words

Give Ghosts to Guests at Your Spooky Bar

Get an overview of Edition Spielwiese's 2026 game line-up

Feb 11·1 min read·17 words

Meet Raf Peeters, Who Puts the "Smart" in SmartGames (+Boardcast)

If he does his job right, Raf Peeters' challenges become our challenges

Feb 10·25 min read·4887 words

Rodney Smith Accuses Game Night Picks of "Unethical" Advertising Behavior

Smith's Watch It Played to once again feature solely game tutorials

Feb 9·1 min read·21 words

Bet on Building Perry Road in Shimoda

Mandoo Games prepares three games for release in early 2026

Feb 9·1 min read·17 words

Flip Pandas, Slide Blocks, and Handle Fugu with Care

Helvetiq teases three game releases for late 2026

Feb 8·1 min read·17 words

In the Media: Atlas vs. Amazon, Lost Diamonds, and the As d'Ors

Also, Hasbro accused of printing too much Magic

Feb 7·1 min read·20 words

Unveiling Prague Unseen

And puzzle out how to get animals back into the zoo after a night out...

Feb 6·1 min read·18 words

A Preview of Game Market Vegas 2026

Self-publishers get to shine at this show within a show

Feb 6·1 min read·17 words

Jacques Zeimet Has Passed Away

Designer of Cockroach Poker, Geistesblitz, and dozens more games

Feb 5·1 min read·14 words

Lighting the (Wooden) Fuse at Puzzle Bomb

Chad and Caylyn Krizan have been piecing together a successful jigsaw puzzle business since 2021

Feb 5·1 min read·22 words

Member Survey: Is It a Puzzle...or Is It a Game?

How would you rate these 21 titles? This survey is for our Bits and higher supporting members.

Feb 5·1 min read·27 words

Games, Puzzles, and Everything in Between (+Boardcast)

Can you tell the difference between games and puzzles? And does it matter?

Feb 3·14 min read·2672 words

Sixty Minutes in Nürnberg

Sampling Mythologies, Dragon Overload, and Dungeon Cube at record speed

Jan 27·1 min read·14 words

Welcome to Board Game Beat! (+Boardcast)

Finding good games to play is itself a co-operative game

Jan 27·5 min read·992 words