News

Tomb Raider: Dice & Games

What's the coolest thing you've ever found when digging holes in the garden? Researchers in Qingzhou City, China, stumbled upon this ancient dice when poking around in a 2,300 year old tomb. If you thought your dice collection was gathering dust, think again! The fourteen-sided die has only twelve numbered faces, and two others are blank. Oooh, mysterious! It's made from an animal tooth and was found alongside 21 rectangular game pieces and a broken tile from a game board. The archaeologists presume the loot was part of an ancient game called 'bo' (not your average Ticket to Ride). The tomb itself had been brutally plundered, with robbers stealing almost everything except the game - clearly more of a video game crowd. One skeleton was found in a cavity, meaning whoever the poor chap was, he might've spent his last breaths playing a solitary board game in an ancient Chinese tomb. Hey, I can think of worse ways to go!

The Best Christmas Games, as Chosen By...

The Independent. The growing assimilation of board games into mainstream culture (as in, gaming's evil plan to take over the world) is clearly having an effect on our most popular papers; this list of the 12 best board games for Christmas includes Qwirkle and City of Zombies! Unfortunately, world domination isn't happening quickly enough, and Monopoly, Scrabble, and a few other basic games made the list - no shame in playing 'em, but with such a huge range of fascinating board games out there, it might be time to try something new! Last Christmas, I took Tsuro home and my family loved it! Then we gave in to what we truly are and played Articulate. Some things never change.

How to Cheat at Games (& Get Away With It)

If, like me, you're not actually a natural winner at board games, you may need some under-the-table help. This article by Lifehacker Australia is essentially a cheat-sheet for, well - cheating!

First tip? Be bad at games. Nobody has the willpower to correct you the 17th time you've got the rules wrong in Splendor, so just be bad! I've got that one sorted.

Second tip - be terrible at maths. Turns out this article was written specifically for me! As they state, the resource prices in Power Grid go up and down, so some quick, topsy-turvy additions will confuse and outwit your opponents.

Third tip is to just outright lie about stuff. If you're playing Machi Koro and you owe a few coins to the bank, is anyone really looking? You owe 10 - chuck 8 back in there! No one will stop to count it; they're probably too busy wondering how to cheat too! 

Fourth tip? Just reverse the previous trick, and take more when you're grabbing money from the bank. It's illegal in real life, frowned upon in games... but who has to know?

To read the full article of how to become a terrible human being (I judge you all!) click here.

And One More Thing...

Our Christmas Shop is Open!

We know that shopping for Christmas gifts ain't easy, so that's why we've made it super simple with our hand-picked Christmas collections, all ready and gift-wrapped. If you're looking for stocking fillers, gifts for couples, gifts for the family, festive party games, or gift vouchers, we've got you covered. We offer free delivery on every single product in our store, so there's one less thing to worry about! If you're still after some help, head over to our Twitter or Facebook pages and drop us a line - we'll endeavour to be your own personal shopping elves (minus the impractical shoes).

Join Us at Board Game Bar This Monday!

We're back at Urban Tap House this Monday, 5-10pm with £3 entry, for another awesome night of gaming. Last week, Made in Cardiff TV dropped by to have a looksie at Cardiff's best weekly event. Huw and myself talked a little about the shop, the games, the event, and whatever else popped into our heads! You can watch Part 1 & 2 at Made in Cardiff TV > Player > Entertainment > What's Occurrin', Cardiff? 17.11.2015! Fancy a slice of the action? Join us this Monday, and check out our Christmas party on Monday December 14th!

New Releases / Restocks / Coming Soon!

New Releases Coming Next Week! Go totally Viking with Blood Rage; Warhammer Quest - The Adventure Card Game; Dungeon Saga - The Dwarf King's Quest; A Study in Emerald; a mystery Black Friday box from AEG...; card tricks and schemes with The Game; Doctor Who RPG; Mask of the Pirate Queen Adventure Module RPG; The Thin Blue Line - A Detroit Police Story RPG; and Lankhmar - City of Thieves Limited Edition RPG!