31 Jan 2024
If I’m being honest, the majority of the reason I’m making this post is so I have an excuse to gush about Hadestown. But once I started thinking about it, 2023 was a real return to form for me for seeing musicals, theater shows, and concerts. So let’s talk about what I managed to experience this year.
I first heard about Hadestown through the excellent Strong Songs podcast. Similar to Kirk’s breakdown of Hamilton’s “Satisfied”, the podcast introduced the musical themes and walked through a key moment of the performance. And the music was… not what I’d expect. The musical opens with a trombone groove; this is not normal. I was very intrigued, but at the time we were in the middle of a pandemic and seeing the show was not an option. As life resumed, the show made its way to Seattle… last year. I saw Hadestown then, loved it, and I saw it again this year. Yep, I liked it that much.
As a kid I was a big Greek mythology nerd. I remember my grandparents using me as a resource to finish their crossword puzzles. So a musical about the tragedy of Orpheus and Eurydice is thematically in my wheelhouse. Combine that with good music… yes please. It’s also inherently a story about a musician, and this adaptation makes it about writing a song, so the musical trappings are an excellent fit. And the performance leans into that. There’s no pit here; the band is on stage. The actors themselves contribute to the music as well, with Orpheus playing his “lyre” and the fates stalking the stage with violin and accordion.
Last year when I saw this performance, it moved me. It was the first time going to see something in a big theater in years. Seeing it with my family was really special, and really emotional. When considering seeing it a second time (not something I’d generally do)… I thought maybe the impact was just due to that specific moment in time? Well, after bringing more loved ones along and seeing it a second time… nope. This musical still absolutely cuts me deep. I cannot recommend it strongly enough.
I knew nothing about this show going in, other than the title. It’s nice to have no expectations sometimes. Well it turns out it’s about the six wives of Henry the VIII, largely known for their fate in marriage with him (divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, and survived). If I hadn’t seen that Tudors show years ago, I would have been lost.
The structure of the show is a competition among the wives for who had it worse, a real expression of their sister wound. Each one is a pop diva, and belts out one persuasive song that tells their story. Here’s the thing… compared to something like Hadestown, this isn’t the music that I’m going to take home with me. These jams are not my jams. But that’s a personal preference, not a judgement of the execution. The performers were talented and varied, the storytelling within the songs was clever.
I like how the tenor of the show changed in the latter half. At some point they realize they’re all cutting each other down and defining themselves by their relationship to one (problematic) man. And they put that down and pull together.
But to me there’s one song that defines this musical, and that’s All You Wanna Do. The song starts out playfully and flirty and ends worn-down, feeling violated, and over it. All within the same song structure; the progression is in the performance. It’s powerful.
This tour was for two bands, unified under their shared singer Ben Gibbard. It was a linear performance of two iconic albums from 20 years ago: Death Cab for Cutie’s Transatlanticism, and Postal Service’s Give Up. These are both albums that have a strong pull on me… and clearly everyone else in the audience. In general, I’m not a fan of people singing along, unless that’s the vibe. In this case, that was that vibe. The crowd wasn’t singing along to their latest crush of a newly released album… this was a battle-tested and established long-term relationship. It was moving for everyone, including the band. Not only had the band created these songs in Seattle not far from where we were, this specific night was the exact 20 year anniversary of Transatlanticism’s release date. Gibbard was visibly moved. It was a special show.
This musical adapts the Baz Luhrmann movie. It’s probably been 20 years since I’ve seen the original film, but it left a pretty strong imprint on me and this stage performance lined up with my memory of it. But woah… it’s a bit much. When they kicked of the performance with “CAN CAN CAN!” I squirmed in my chair against the assault on my eyeballs and my ear holes. Spectacle, indeed. Minimalist, this is not. Other than being perhaps overly stimulating at times, my main complaint is that the performance leaned a bit too hard into its gimmick. Which is a rapid remixing of teasers from modern songs as a way for the characters to communicate emotion. It’s there in the original film, but here it’s turned up to eleven. No, thirteen. This is probably best captured by Elephant Love Medley, which in the movie was 10 songs in 4 minutes but in the musical is 19 songs in 5 minutes. It’s more, but definitely not better. Do you want musical whiplash? I personally tired of the gimmick before the end. Overall, it’s a performance with great vibrant costumes and sets, but I wouldn’t strongly recommend it.
This was billed as a burlesque show. I’ve seen plenty of burlesque in Seattle. This show sparked significant debate in our group about whether it met the definition. What are the essential components of burlesque female empowerment versus just something that’s a classy stripper show? In the spectrum from celebratory fun to creepy, this show trended towards the wrong pole. Why? I started with a bit of “you know it when you see it”, but lots of discussion helped me put my finger on some reasons why.
The performers weren’t introduced or named. No silly burlesque moniker, no persistent identity, no cheering for them. They were treated like sexy interchangeable cogs, with a suspiciously heterogenous body type. Additionally, perhaps leaning into the wrong aspects of the subject matter, a lot of them were literally masked (helmeted)… providing a faceless anonymity. This upped the creep factor and dehumanization. It was getting really awkward until the first Han and Chewie number, which relieved some of the tension from such a sustained male gaze. Those two scoundrels were essential relief, because overall there’s a queerness and fluidity to burlesque that was sorely missing from this show.
There were some amazing moments too. There was nothing sexy about the emperor riding the death star, and it was glorious. The Jabba “Biggie” number was hilarious. There were some amazing sets and lighting tricks (like dancing by saber light). And the dancers were certainly all very talented. But if you’ve become used to the feeling of sex positivity from Seattle’s quirky burlesque scene, you’re not going to see that from this show. Be warned.
01 Jan 2024
I don’t read books quickly. I have a hard time creating large blocks of time for reading, primarily because I have many competing hobbies and media types. The main hack to increase my “reading” has been audio books, as I can fit them alongside a walk or commute. It still means my progress is broken up into ~30 minute increments, so it’s slow going (If you’re looking at a 300+ page 10 hour novel… that’s 20 daily trips to get through, or like 4 weeks). Also there are many times when I can’t focus enough for that (I’ve learned that during my commute home my brain is too crowded to handle an audiobook). But I still make progress.
This year was dominated by one series in particular, because it totally captured me. And that’s the Wayfarer series by Becky Chambers. I cannot recommend it enough. Some musings on that and other books I “read” this year below.
This is what I would love to see more of in science fiction. It’s optimistic, inclusive, character-focused, and more feminine in its perspective. It’s what I would hope a future could look like, rather than the more common dystopian/apocalyptic/technophile envisioning. This story is more character-driven vignettes than a strong central narrative. The multi-species crew of the Wayfarer goes from point A to point B, and along the way there’s the most delightfully natural world building and character building. The stories are also often distinctly science fiction in that they could foundational not exist in our current reality (as opposed to sci-fi being mere window dressing). But also the stories are all distinctly human-relatable. Plus the audiobook performance is incredible; Rachel Dulude has range. I loved this book so so much.
Listened to on Audible
I didn’t know that the second book in the “Wayfarer series” wasn’t at all about the same characters. I was petulant at first. I wanted more of what the previous book had offered! And, well, this is that, but not in the way I expected. This story explores what would happen if an AI raised a human, and also explores what would happen if a human raised an AI. They’re both interesting to explore, and they intersect in interesting ways. By the end I was in love with these characters too and having a great time.
Listened to on Audible
When the third book opened up to a whole new cast of characters I was more prepared and open minded. After two books of multi-species characters, this one focuses on a human-only story. Specifically the humans that left earth in ships and decided to stay on those ships rather than colonize another planet. It’s a story of that society, from many different angles. Of the series this was perhaps the most detailed in how things might work, what family and government and commerce might look like in an constrained but interconnected social environment.
Listened to on Audible
The final book in the series takes a complete turn from the previous one. Now the cast is completely lacking any human characters, and takes place on just one hunk of rock. It’s a bottle episode, with a diverse set of anatomy and culture involved. It might be recency bias, but I think this one is my favorite. It’s funny. It’s poignant. It’s explores things that don’t actually exist in fascinating detail. I loved every moment of it.
Listened to on Audible
I’ve been a big fan of the Greek myths ever since I was a kid. Circe is a well-crafted story that takes an alternate view on familiar events from those myths. I really enjoy this kind of storytelling, focused on giving you new perspective on something you’re already familiar with and fond of. Or at least when it’s done well (I’ve got my eyes on you, trend of soulless prequel cash grabs). Here it’s done well. The story is one of a woman claiming her own path, making the best of a world that was not receptive of her and her craft. Yes, she spends the majority of the time stranded on island. But, that’s the thing. She makes waves despite so much being outside her control.
Listened to on Audible
This was recommended to me as a way to try on Brandon Sanderson but not sign up for a long series. And I enjoyed it enough that I’d go back to that well for another of his books. Part of the sales pitch also included that this author creates interesting unique systems of magic. Warbreaker definitely delivered there. The system of “breath” was thoroughly explored from enough different angles to make it feel fully realized and grounded. Out of its core concepts we get gods and magical objects and an economy and intrigue and none of it works the way it would in another fantasy novel. And yet it all makes more sense, feeling downright scientific. The characters were distinct and memorable. The plot twists unfold in interesting ways. This was a solid read.
Listened to on Audible
I was sold this book as “queer necromancers in space.” And it is that. But… here’s the thing. The actual story could have entirely dropped the “in space” part with almost zero edits. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that this was a last minute re-theme to make the book stand out more. It doesn’t meaningfully factor into the plot (feel free to mentally replace it, it’s not hard). And it’s surprising how much that bothered me… the premise was a lie. The book also made the questionable choice of having its protagonist be silent for a significant portion. She is establishes as a distinct irreverent character (props to the audiobook narrator for delivery of this dialogue)… but then is muzzled. Perhaps most difficult for me was how the book introduces a very large block of characters all at once, each with obscure names and titles, and then overly relies on the reader’s retention of all of that. The author will shorthand “the fifth” as one of two potential people out of about fifteen. Sorry, I have no idea who you’re talking about. For a story that should thematically resonate with me (I did design a game about necromancy, after all) this book really frustrated me. It wasn’t so bad I quit on it, but it also didn’t hold together.
Listened to on Audible
31 Dec 2023
In 2023 apparently all the pent up energy needed to come out and it was time to go to the theater. It looks like I saw ten movies in the theater which is… a lot for me, and certainly coming out of the past few years. Partially I was ready to get out, but also there were just some great movies to go see. I got very tired of that AMC movie quotes intro. Please stop.
Alright, whether in the theater or at home, this is a list of movies that I watched in 2023 that warranted commentary.
Into the Spider-verse set new high standards for animation. It’s sequel somehow meets them. The first 20 minutes, which are all about Gwen Stacy, are perfect. I love the difference in her verse’s visual style (something the movie continues to explore in spades as it moves to other verses). I love the small but poignant story told in this opening section. It left me thinking “what if we just stayed with Gwen for a whole movie?” But Miles is great too, of course. This movie goes so many wild places. It’s so so good.
Watched in the theater, now streaming on Netflix
Hi Barbie! This movie has heart, and pushes buttons. Buttons that need pushing. I saw it in the theater on the same day as Oppenheimer, and being part of the zeitgeist was fun. Everyone should see this movie.
Watched in the theater, now streaming on HBO
This movie is long and we had terrible seats (the cost of deciding last minute to do Barbenheimer). The movie was also so good that these things didn’t bother me. It is incredibly well told story of a time of difficult choices.
Watched in the theater
What an amazing year for animation! I had recently watched Across the Spider-verse which was already a gorgeous accomplishment. Mutant Mayhem then follows it with the most incredible animation style. My eyeballs were so incredibly pleased through the entire runtime. I also like how the story is about flawed teenage characters dealing with appropriate sized conflict; much better than all the overblown over-scaled adventures that have become too commonplace.
Watched in the theater
This movie is dripping with fan service directed right at me. And I am not sad to be catered to in this way. Yes, I did recognize all those little musical nods, thank you for making them. Not just nostalgia, the whole thing does actually hold together as an enjoyable animated romp.
Watched in the theater, now streaming on Netflix
As a player of D&D, I was braced for this movie to be bad. I’m so glad it wasn’t. It had very D&D energy about its stories and characters. Things get silly, stuff happens, don’t overthink it, everyone has a great time. A delightful carefree romp.
Watched in the theater, now streaming on Amazon
Margot Robbie is a treasure. From Harley Quinn to I, Tonya to Amsterdam to Barbie… she clearly has range. Babylon is a film about film-making, specifically the transition from silent films to talkies. It’s wild and colorful and engaging, filled with memorable moments. I found it captivating.
Now streaming on Amazon
I was instructed to know nothing about this movie before seeing it, other than it fit into the horror genre. And that was indeed the best context to see it. I didn’t know where it was going, it delivered real tension, it had moments of shock and violence but they didn’t permeate the experience, and overall I enjoyed it.
Now streaming on HBO
A dishonored knight works with a shapeshifter to overthrow the unethical regime. It’s a stylish animated movie filled with heart and humor. The mashup of medieval knights and technology gives it a distinct setting. I also read the graphic novel, and they certainly diverge but the adaptations are appropriate for making a better (and more complete) story.
Now streaming on Netflix
This movie was recommended to me so many times before I actually acted on it. It’s a story of a musician in a high intensity band (and by “high intensity” we mean verbally and emotionally abusive). It was extremely hard to watch at times. But also excellent. Meticulous. There was actually a scene from the movie that I had seen as a clip before, which I now realize was taken entirely out of context about the role of teachers and pressure. Oh wow does this movie ask you whether the end justifies the means.
Now streaming on Netflix
Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver deliver amazing performances about a couple going through divorce. It gets ugly. It’s emotional. It’s very very good.
Now streaming on Netflix
Thanks to Patrick H Willems for this recommendation (and I recommend his follow-up video about Bollywood. This movie is… over the top. “Man throws a tiger at another man” over the top. It’s also a story of brotherhood and friendship. And there are dance numbers. It has everything. Watching it I realized all the other films I’ve watched have been holding it back. That there is another plane to ascend to. I can’t live there all the time. But it was real nice to visit.
Now streaming on Netflix
And the Rest
Here are some other movies I had thoughts on.
Maybe Yes
- Dunkirk: For a period as well traveled as World War II, I never felt like I had seen this movie before. The mechanism of telling 3 different storylines advancing at different rates (an inevitably combining for the climax) worked really well. Very engaging.
- Three Thousand Years of Longing: dris Elba is a genie in a bottle found by Tilda Swinton. It’s a vibrant movie with Shahrazad vibes of storytelling, magic, and history.
- M3GAN: A horror movie about dolls and technology that’s not terrible explicit on the horror visuals. It worked for me.
- Elemental: I’m not positive the world of elements living together in a city actually makes sense, but that’d be nit picking. It’s a story of immigration and racism, for kids! It’s not going to enter my highest echelon of Pixar movies, but that’s tough company. It was still enjoyable.
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3: The movie that needed a content warning about animal violence. Which put a dampener on its otherwise traditionally light comedic action vibe. I of course must praise how the movie featured the Zune far more prominently than anyone could have expected. But overall to me the movie didn’t raise to the level of the previous two.
Maybe
- Nope: I’m in for a mystery and monster movie. And this one was fine, but others seemed to have liked it a lot more than me so I’m not sure what I’m missing.
- Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny: This movie was not the disappointment that Crystal Skull was. The young accomplice was decidedly less annoying. And it’s back to fighting nazis. I didn’t have a bad time with it.
- Hereditary: I needed more of a warning before seeing this movie. I was expecting a spooky horror movie, and instead got real life family trauma. The supernatural happenings that follow can’t compete with that.
- The Marvels: This movie just kind of washed over me as okay and not exceptional in any way. There are funny bits. There are cool bits. But it didn’t have enough of a purpose or point of view to punch through.
- The Little Mermaid (2023): I don’t really want to contribute to these live action remakes continuing to be profitable. But sometimes that’s the movie that’s available when it’s time to watch a movie. And… it was fine. The whole first act where things are underwater is too uncanny valley. Prince Eric gets more of an identity and a reason, so that’s cool. Honestly, I’m too attached to the original to give a fair comparison. It was fine.
- Renfield: Nick Cage chews up all the scenery, and that’s appropriate. It’s campy, there is some comedically gratuitous action violence… but it didn’t really land as all that memorable or interesting.
- Strange World: Some interesting visuals but ultimately forgettable. As in I literally had to watch the trailer to remember what happened. It felt very… well-tread.
Maybe No
- Magic Mike’s Last Dance: The first two Magic Mike movies are excellent. This one is not. It has a completely dissonant romantic relationship and loses all of the positive masculinity of the previous film. There is some good dancing, but not enough to make up for its sins.
- Avatar: The Way of Water: Well that certainly looked expensive. Was the story dumb and lazy? Yep. Were the whales cool? Yep. Did the whole thing overstay its welcome? Yes absolutely.
- Licorice Pizza: This is a movie about nothing. And it knows it’s a movie about nothing. But also I didn’t like the characters. And the vibes didn’t land for me. Can’t recommend.
- Jurassic World Dominion: This movie has no soul. It’s preying on nostalgia, marching beloved characters out to tempt us to watch it. I did, and immediately forgot it.
- Morbius: I expected this movie to be bad. And it was bad. If you needed someone to confirm that for you… I’m here for that.
30 Dec 2023
This is a list of shows that I watched in 2023 that warranted commentary.
This series was so good I watched it twice. If you want some hyperbole, it may be the best Star Wars has ever been. It starts a bit slow, but after 3 episodes it breaks into an unrelenting pace of many different storylines an environments. It’s a heist story, a jailbreak story, a revolution story. It is grounded in a way that has the Star Wars world at its most believable. Also the music is excellent and worth learning more about. In the aftermath of the severely disappointing 2019 film Rise of Skywalker (which is the only main saga film I am content to pretend never happened), Andor was more than a return to form. Andor showed that Star Wars may actually be a environment for good storytelling. I’m eager for more of this, but terrified it won’t be as good as I now know it can be.
Watched on Disney+
I’ve never played The Last of Us video game. I certainly hear it’s good. The show is certainly very good and does not require any familiarity with the game. Where something like The Walking Dead drifts too often into stories of bleak survival, The Last of Us is fundamentally about hope and love and family. Even if (no, especially if) those positives lead to terrible outcomes. I was recommended to listen to the companion podcast, which is not something I would have ever thought to do. It’s a fantastic story of talented creators being incredibly intentional about a loving adaptation, highly recommend.
Watched on HBO
This year our marriage felt solid enough that we had stomach to take on Marriage Story (oof, ain’t that one a gut punch) and Scenes from a Marriage. Both have amazing performances by the actors, and both are excellent (if intense) character stories. The latter explores many facets of a transforming relationship. There’s an odd choice in the production, where each episode starts with a visible transition between the actors on set into the characters in the story. Somehow the performance is so strong that even this intentional breach of the illusion is not enough to reduce its power.
Watched on HBO
I was cynical about this one going in. Amazon Prime is not exactly a bountiful store of quality original content. And a prequel to The Lord of the Rings? After the deeply disappointing The Hobbit film trilogy? Sounds like a soulless cash grab. But I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this show. Telling the story of Sauron’s time, the forming of Mordor, the forging of the rings… yeah, I’m in for that. The younger versions of Galadriel and Durin IV really feel fully realized. There’s plenty of story to tell here, and if the quality keeps up then this is a prequel series I’m in for.
Watched on Amazon Prime
Nathan Felder’s “terrible business ideas” series Nathan for You is something I consider funny. To some… it’s too awkward. The Rehearsal takes that and transcends to another plane of awkwardness. The line between what is real and what is not gets severely blurred. I’d rather not spoil any of it for you. I found it both engaging and hard to watch. Your mileage may vary.
Watched on HBO
This true crime miniseries has many different moods. A romance, a murder mystery, a legal drama… it has a lot of range. I really enjoy a solid limited series (I’m reminded of Sharp Objects and Big Little Lies); something good and complete that doesn’t drag it out. This show confidently tells its story and then ends.
Watched on HBO
And the Rest
Here are some other shows that are worth a little mention.
Maybe Yes
- Hilda: Season 3: This show is a comforting warm bowl of soup. Reliably beautiful, whimsical, and charming. This is the final season apparently (surprise, the last episode is movie-length), and I’ll be sad to see it go but rather it end than trundle on endlessly.
- Succession : Season 4: This show remains a compelling train wreck of extreme nepotism. You still thrash between loathing and rooting for these terribly privileged children. More of the same, but it’s good.
- Crown: Season 6: This show has been very evenly enjoyable. It explores different storylines of the paradox of the British monarchy. Humans raised in an inhuman system, destined to dysfunction but also intertwined with history. The setting is grand but the individual storylines are often incredibly petty, in a way that seems wholly accurate. The last seasons more breached into time that overlaps with my memory, which is an interesting contrast with the generations before. Supposedly this season is the end of the line, even though the real dysfunction marches on, and I’m a bit sad to not have more.
- White Lotus: Season 1 and 2: To me, this show is about people in the hospitality industry dealing with entitled travelers… and then things going terribly wrong. The first season really lands that, and is a wild ride (with a particularly captivating hotel manager). The second season has a bit more sympathetic guests and less interesting hosts, and so doesn’t land quite as well. But I enjoyed both.
- House of the Dragon: Season 1: Given the uneven landing of Game of Thrones’ final season, I had my doubts about this one. But I think it’s good. I like the large multi-generation timeline of it all. Like the Crown… but with dragons.
Maybe
- The Marvelous Ms. Maisel: Season 5: This final season is largely more of the same. Charming, quick-witted, very New York, very Jewish, very period piece. And all of that is a pleasant watch. But it’s time to wrap it up.
- The Witcher: Season 3: Long ago we decided this was a “vibes” show, which is to say don’t think so hard about it and instead focus on the vibe. It’s best when it’s a “monster of the week” serial focusing on Geralt being a gruff monster detective. Sadly the show seems far more focused on big politics that are less interesting than when the show is small.
- The Mandalorian: Season 3: As with the Witcher, this show is best when it focuses on smaller vignettes. Space western bounty hunter, yes please. Big overwrought politics and mythology, no thank you. This third season leans heavily into the larger story, and gets more Star Wars than it should.
- Loki: Season 2: For a show about a god and time travel, this show should be more fun. It’s surprisingly dry. And focuses a lot on the precise rules of time and multiverses that frankly don’t really make sense. The show does have some moments. When Loki finally actually plays around with time travel, it hits. But my least favorite parts of the last season were Kang, and… this season leans heavily on that weak point.
- Ms. Marvel: Season 1: I’ve read the first few books of the Ms. Marvel comics, and was eager to see this live action version. And the first few episodes hit the vibe. Kamala Khan is a kid (and a nerdy fangirl at that), so small stakes work really well here. The second half of the season really muddled things though. Can we please just focus on small human-scale stories?
- Moon Knight: Miniseries: I liked that this didn’t try to fit into a crowded Marvel universe. It was a weird story of multiple personalities and Egyptian mythology. It didn’t really sink in for me; I couldn’t really tell you what it was about. But I appreciated it for trying to be different.
Maybe No
- Hawkeye: Miniseries: I watched this while my family was out of commission sick for a week. And I remember precious little about it. It certainly has very little Hawkeye in it, but maybe that’s okay? I remember it ending with some Scooby-Do quality mooks. Meh. This is not Marvel focusing on doing its best.
- The Wheel of Time: Season 1: I’ve read the first Wheel of Time book, and only that one. It didn’t grip me. The show… yeah kind of the same. I don’t know if I’ve been terrible fair to it; I never gave it a chance to be good. It’s… fine? There’s something about this brand of fantasy that just doesn’t land for me.
- Sex Education: Season 4: The previous seasons of this show have been really amazing; the fourth season… not so much. The characters and setting have turned practically cartoonish. As is, I’d recommend stopping after season 3.
29 Dec 2023
The year 2023 was a return to big events. I attended GenCon and PAX Unplugged (as well as returning to PAX West), all as a normal attendee not trying to exhibit or pitch prototypes. As such I had time to try new games and play with friends at conventions. The following are games I played this year that warranted mentioning.
This game claimed the 2023 Spiel des Jahres (essentially the Game of the Year for board games). What if I told you there was no winning in this game? It’s a solo experience of relaxing and laying down hexes. You can play it with other people (and exclusively, I have), but mechanically the game is no different. Play a hex one at a time, try to score the most points. However, when you beat your score target, or you accomplish something quirky in the game… there are achievements. And those unlock new game components, new ways to score… and fundamentally that’s the drive that will bring you back time and time again. I’ve had a great time sitting down to a game of chill hexes with a loved one. Do recommend.
1-3 players, 30 minutes
This was a delightful GenCon find. A small box of cards with numbers and colors, that’s it. You assemble these cards into a triangle of plumage, where the first (and largest row) is negative points… but every row after is positive points. But you can only use colors that appeared in the previous row. And you can only hold six cards in your hand at once. Inevitably, imperfection and compromise creep in as you race against other players. This game is elegant and portable.
2-6 players, 30 minutes
Quinns was pretty darn excited about Hostage Negotiator, but it sounded like a hard thing to get into. Then I heard that Final Girl is a retheme of that same concept, and it was coming to Kickstarter. Mind you, this a solo game. I’m not so sure about solo games (the main draw of the hobby is playing with friends). But we’re crawling out of the pandemic here, and I went to some weird places. So I pledged for Season 2 of Final Girl. The key to amplifying the experience of this game has been pairing it with the horror movies that inspired each box. It’s a lot more fun to play the Panic from Station 2891 box right after watching The Thing. So Final Girl has turned into a “movie and a game” date night co-op experience; watch the movie, play the movie. The game itself is tense. You’re probably going to fail. But when you succeed and smash the killer… oh yeah it feels good. Suffice to say, I’m in for Season 3’s Kickstarter too, and looking forward to more of this.
1-2 players, 45 minutes
I’ve played so much Clank. The classic, every expansion board for that, the space version, the beginning of the legacy version (really need to get an opportunity to delve back into that…). Obviously I like Clank. Build a deck, don’t be too greedy, don’t be not greedy enough. This latest version, Catacombs, brings a new sense of exploration. Instead of a fixed board, you build it as you go. This means you don’t quite get the sense of place as when holding your breath underwater to get sunken treasure. But running off into the darkness is fun too. And this far into Clank’s evolution… they really have tuned the cards to be fun. I’ve had an above-average amount of fun with this particular brand of Clank.
2-4 players, 60 minutes
This game was so hard to get for so long (Thanks Tom Brewster :/. But it’s great. Make pairs or straights to get cards out of your hand. Empty your hand first and win. But empty your hand too aggressively and you may find yourself unable to play. It feels like a classic timeless card game, and comes in that delightful Oink box size. Portable, easy to teach, satisfying.
2-5 players, 15 minutes
I became wise to this game via the SUSD podcast. It’s a silly thing. A deck of cards with a variety of images on a theme. Try to get people to guess one card in a grid of 16 using only other cards as a clue. Is Poseidon more similar to Athena or Artemis? Is that a comment on the art, or the lore, or… whatever whim of the clue master? Things get extra spicy when you start mixing decks (Is Hagrid similar to a chicken?). This is a great game to pack with you and bust out when you’re waiting for food at a pub. You can play exactly one round in the time it takes the ferry to get from Whidbey to Seattle. Ask me how I know.
2+ players, 10 minutes
I’ve known that this game was a simple delight for a long time. But I resisted buying a copy. The Amigo production is… ugly. I contemplated making my own printing. It’s just a set of 32 cards with numbers on them. There are so many examples of alternate card designs out there. But that time spent pouting over the production was also time not playing it. So I bought an ugly copy. And I’m happy to have it in my collection. Watching players agonize over whether they should take that card (they probably shouldn’t). The hubris of thinking you’ll be able to complete a run and turn the whole thing around. Social strategy emerges from this simple game. I just wish it were a little smaller and a little easier on the eyes.
3-7 players, 20 minutes
This was the year I finally got a Klask board. I’ve played Klask plenty, primarily on a yearly camping trip with friends. This year the Klask board’s owner didn’t bring it, so when later there were stacks of them for purchase at Pax West… and I finally had a home that could handle owning Crokinole and Klask… it was time for my very own. This game is electric. Your pawn is controlled by a magnet underneath the board, and you need to “kick” a ball into the opponent’s goal to score. But the special ingredient is the three “biscuits”; have two of them magnetically attach to your pawn and your opponent scores a point. Thus the game is a balance between trying to score with the ball and trying to not be so frantic that you lose to the biscuits.
2 players, 10 minutes
This game continues to be a favorite for large groups. If you have enough people and the right stable window of time… it’s magic. On the surface it’s just Taboo or Charades or something like that, by having three different rounds of guessing really turns into its own thing. Over those ~40 minutes you will all develop a shared secret language. And you will all laugh. Reliably. Monikers has never failed to pull off its magic trick.
4-16 players, 45 minutes
What a charming game. You roll dice, and you match the pips on the dice with the spots on dogs. Fail to match too many, and you bust. You choose different “tricks” to determine how your roll the dice. It’s simple and the presentation is stinking adorable.
1-4 players, 30 minutes
There’s nothing new about Skull for me in 2023. Well, technically they did have a new pink box release and it allowed me to refresh my copy that was visibly marked in a way that kept it from being playable with six players… but really, this game is old to me. I’ve literally played it 100 times (I keep track of these things). But once again, this was one of my top played games for the year. It’s a perfect game. Bluffing, hubris, laughter with friends.
3-6 players, 15 minutes
I like maps. I like drawing. I like board games. This is a board game about drawing maps. It plays simultaneously, so it scales to any player count. It’s also compact enough to be able to play at a very small table. This is a new addition to my collection, but I’m eager to play more and eager to try out the expansions.
1+ players, 30 minutes
And the Rest
Here are some other games that are still occupying some of my brain space and are worth a little mention. Some may turn into stronger recommendations, but it’s too early to say.
Curiosities
- Dro Polter: In this game you hold a set of varied small objects in your hand (a ring, a shell, a cube, etc.). A card is flipped that shows some number of those objects, and the first person to (without looking) drop exactly those objects scores a point. Each point is bell you have to also hold in your hand… but if you drop a bell you lose it. First to five bells wins. It’s simple giggly fun.
- Rafter Five: Essentially this game is Jenga in an Oink sized box. It’s different of course, with thin cardstock planks holding wooden meeples and treasure chests. Making it more like Men at Work, actually. Regardless, it’s tense silly fun in a small box.
- Trash Talk: In this game you try to map weird dollar store items to a set of words. Does this tiny slinky map to “level” and the little racecar to “happy”, or the other way around? Each time you’re correct, add one weird little item to make the next round more challenging. It’s very much a game of getting into the head of the clue-giver.
- Lacuna: Some games are so simple that they feel like they came from an older time. Place your metal tokens to capture flowers, working towards claiming the majority in each flower suit. It’s a spatial head to head pub game… minus the fact that I wouldn’t want to lay the pretty playmat on a sticky pub table. I was persuaded by Matt Lees’ review to pick this up before playing it (a rarity for me these days), and I think it will work well as an accessible curio for a broad audience.
Let’s Color
- Sagrada Artisans: Sagrada is a game of drafting dice and filling out your stained glass window with them following certain placement rules. Artisans turns that into a coloring book legacy game. When it’s not your turn, you’re coloring your page. It completely takes the sting out of anyone’s turn running long. We’re only a few games into the campaign, but I’m really enjoying the relaxed mutual activity vibe of it.
- Blueprints of Mad King Ludwig: In the theme of “games that let you color and draw” (like Cartographers and Sagrada Artisans), this one is more complicated. Each turn your draft a new room to your growing palace, tracing it onto your piece of velum with colored pencils. The complexity is in the different per-room-type special abilities and scoring criteria. We’ll see with more plays how that holds up (and smooths out), but is undeniable that drawing a palace floorplan is fun.
Good for Kids and Adults
- Castles by the Sea: Build sandcastles with wooden blocks, populate them with your little meeples, and then watch the whole thing get knocked over by a bouncing beach ball. It’s a great theme, and a lovely rendering of that theme in 3D space. The puzzle is in playing off of existing sand blocks to efficiently score shapes. Given that mental spatial manipulation isn’t for everyone, that puzzle may short-circuit some brains. But playing it quick and casual had this one feeling good.
- Wandering Towers: Wizards are racing around a circuit getting lost in towers on their way to the constantly-moving finish line. The theme is weird. The stacking cardboard towers are great. I had more fun playing this with kids and adults than I expected.
- Penny Black: Collect stamps and add them to your collector book in patterns matching your scoring criteria. There’s nothing ground-breaking about how this game plays. But the production will leave a smile on your face. The stamp books are adorable, the tiles are clack-y, and the turn tracker is a rubber stamp. It all feels great, even if the experience is a little on the thin side.
Small Boxes
- Inheritors: In this small box card game you play ascending numbers in colored suits, and your score is the sum of the largest number in each suit. Simple, effective. But then there’s just enough interest in the cycling of cards (discards go into a center market; no number card ever leaves circulation) and some power cards to make it juicy. It has a little bit too much extra fluff, but the core is solid.
- Splendor Duel: Splendor is a modern classic. The Duel version focuses it in on two players and adds a little board to make the gem drafting more interesting. It totally works, and the result is a tuned version of the larger game.
- Radlands: Mad Max as a two player card game. Perhaps your wastelanders are bit too fragile, as the board state can be very dynamic. I’d like to spend more time with this one, more than partially influenced by the absolutely incredible art on these cards.
Main Events
- Art Society: Hang paintings on your wall, matching their frame style but not clashing their contents. Each round the paintings are allocated based on a simultaneous bid (with little paddles!). The presentation is absolutely impeccable. A gorgeous game.
- Meadow: Draft cards and play them in a natural progression, for example from mud fields to worm to bird to wolf. The art is delightful and watching your cards layer is satisfying. If I had to share a complaint it’d be that the point values are maybe too tight, where getting a 2 value instead of 3 value card just twice in the game is probably going to sink you.
- HEAT: Pedal to the Metal: I was told this was the best racing board game… and I can’t really refute that. More than anything I’ve played it captured a sense of speed and risk. Push your deck to its limits and hope that it pays out. I very much enjoyed it, and if I decide to open a slot for a racing game it may replace my critically-beloved-but-no-one-wants-to-play Flamme Rouge.
- Décorum: It’s hard to beat the provided tagline: “a game of passive aggressive cohabitation.” Work together to meet both of your shared goals for home decoration… but without communicating directly. It’s a cute little puzzle that so far lives in the space of enjoyable confusion.
Maybes
- The Hunger: You’re a vampire. Venture out into the forest, feast upon the townsfolk, and get back before sunrise. But if you feast too hard, your engorged vampire might not be able to roll itself back into bed in time. It felt like similar to Clank but with vampires. I’d give it another play.
- Wormholes: I like this game of making wormholes and making planetary deliveries. But after more plays of it it’s become clear that it has a strong runaway leader problem. If someone cracks the code, they’re going to be one or two turns ahead of you and you will never catch up. The number of moves per turn is too tight, and the game is rather short. So I guess I need to only play it with people who suck as much as I do at the puzzle?