Board Game Review Site Roundup

[mouser]

As some of you know I've caught the board game bug.  More than playing them I enjoy reading about them and thinking about the different mechanics and game design ideas.

I'd like to start a thread collecting various sites and blogs that review board games.  Here's a few to start us of -- fellow board game fans please add more.  I'll link directly to the sites or to DC threads about them:

• BoardGameGeek.com - All things boardgame site with tons of user reviews
• The Dice Tower (Tom Vassel Video Reviews) - One of the best known video review sites
• The Blog of Michael Mindes - Ramblings of a Board Game Publisher
• TheGameCrafter - Cool new site to help you make and sell indie board/card games, with reviews of indie games
• The Great Game Gate - Lots of game descriptions though not very opinionated
• Obessed Board Gamers - Nice long reviews with detailed rule discussion
• Board Games with Scott - Recently switched to a more academic format focusing on comparison of games with certain mechanics to great effect
• Drake's Flames - Good opinionated reviews
• Cracked LCD - good reviews
• BoardToDeath - The funniest review intros

[app103]

I have found some great reviews on Funagain Games. (Tom Vassel was a contributor till the end of 2008)

The site also gives away $100 game grants to schools, libraries, community organizations, game groups, and US military personnel deployed overseas.

[wraith808]

Most of the sites that sell games also have reviews of some extent, and I think (at least in the case of board games) that they know better than to shill their reviews.

Thought Hammer aggregates the reviews from their site, geekdo and, in the case of kid games, Kid Game Ratings.  Kid Game Ratings is a good source of ratings for kid friendly games.  I've been trying to get the family into board games since I've moved and don't have anyone local to play games with, and that's my source for reviews that let me know if they'll possibly like them.

http://www.boardgamedesign.com and http://www.gameparts.net are two resources for budding game designers also.

[parkint]

I won almost 80 board games (of various types).  { My wife and I are strange in that we don't watch TV.  Instead we spend our nights playing games }
Whenever I am considering the purchase of a game (fortunately, I am local to CoolStuff Games - the best prices on the Internet for games), I rely on the Board Game Geek.
It gets a high personal recommendation from me!

[mouser]

More:

• Fortress: Ameritrash - http://fortressat.com/index.php?option=com_news_portal&view=category&id=51&Itemid=100047
• RpgNet - http://www.rpg.net/reviews/
• http://www.dreadedgazebo.com/

[crono]

Nice Topic  Board Game Geek is one if not the best Board Games Site on the net. Are Board Games becoming some kind of a trend in the US? Here in Germany they are "big" for years (well, at least among Geeks and Nerds ), but I read more and more English posts about games the last, lets say 1 - 1.5 years...

{ My wife and I are strange in that we don't watch TV.  Instead we spend our nights playing games }

Hehe - I know two other guys who abandoned TV entirely and focus on games or good books - we usually meet once or twice a week for a Game-Night.

[mouser]

More:

• http://gamerchris.com/
• http://www.boardgame.de/board.htm

[mouser]

More:

• http://jedwards14thegamer.blogspot.com/

[mouser]

A new site is aiming to fill some of the same functions as board game geek:
http://www.boardgameinfo.com/

[mouser]

For something different, "Watch It Played" (WatchItPlayed) is a very fun youtube series where each episode is just one turn of an extended game.  They already did Mansions of Madness and now they are on "Wrath Of Ashardalon" and up to move 11.

If the host and his family didn't have such winning personalities you can see how this might get tiresome very quickly, but i'll be darned they make it fun and interesting.  Perfect for those who want to really see in depth how a game is played, learn the rules well, and get a real feel for the experience.  Big thumbs up from me.

[kyrathaba]

Nice find!  I'm enjoying it! 

[mouser]

Another good board game review site: http://www.oldboardgamers.com/

[mouser]

And another: http://www.nerdbloggers.com/

[mouser]

Just wanted to add an update -- the creator of WatchItPlayed has begun a little indie fundraiser to help him do more videos.  I love their videos and I love these independent funding projects (like kickstarter).  This kind of grass roots direct funding is one of the greatest things and we need to all support it whenever we can  

[jcrog]

I love board games too and have a blog where I review many. Click here to check it out. I am always looking for feedback so any suggestions are appreciated.

Many of the sites listed in the thread are full of useful information. If you enjoy board games you should check them out!