The Punchboard Newsletter
The UKGE experience as a member of the press, and a round-up of new reviews.
Hello everyone!
Time for a semi-regular update from me and the various goings-on over at Punchboard. As a reminder, Punchboard is just me, and it’s just a name I decided on because I didn’t fancy something like ‘Adam’s Reviews’.
UK Games Expo
In just over a week’s time I’m back on the road and headed for the bright lights of Birmingham. The NEC, just outside of Birmingham, to be precise. The UK Games Expo is back!
I won’t explain what it’s all about, as I’ve done that a load of times before. You can read my write-up of the 2024 UKGE right here. Instead, I’ll tell you what the show is like for me, attending as a member of the press.
I get there on Thursday afternoon, check in to wherever I’m staying, then head over to the halls to grab something to eat, meet up with the other early birds, and to collect my pass for the weekend. At 6pm we get to attend the press preview, which is an opportunity for the press pass holders to talk to the various publishers and designers in a smaller, more intimate setup, without the tens of thousands of other attendees taking their attention.
I really enjoy the press preview. In the years I’ve been doing Punchboard, I’ve made some good friends from various corners of the industry, and it’s a great chance to catch up and see what’s new with them. I also get a sneaky peek at some new games appearing on the show floor that weekend, and last year I even got a cheeky shot of sake from Mark at Bright Eye Games. It worked - I found his stall the next morning and bought both the games he had on show.
After the preview, the open gaming area is open, so I’ll head over there to chat more and play a game or two before heading to my bed to try to get some rest before the craziness of the next couple of days.
My Fridays are a blur of meetings and sore feet. Many publishers send out meeting invites ahead of time to pop along and spend some time with them to see what’s new, what’s further down the line, and sometimes even pick up a review copy of a game. The problem is that I like to talk to everyone, and the meeting locations are really spread out, so I end up walking miles over the course of the day, and that’s even before I walk the halls looking at games and all the goodies on offer.
In the evening I like to chill out with friends and grab some food, play some games, just have a nice time in open gaming. The days are exhausting, so I have some time to relax and let the craziness of the day wash over me.
Saturdays are for me. I don’t book meetings in, I just enjoy the show for what it is. I do any shopping I want to do, I take the time to have a nose around the smaller stands and try to find something interesting and new to me. By the middle of the afternoon, though, I’m done. My social and sensory batteries are depleted, and I take some great joy in getting in my car to head home. I live in the south west, which means I get to put an audiobook on in my car and chase the waning sunlight home.
That’s how the previous shows have gone, and that’s how this year will go too, and I’m just fine with that.
Reviews
I’ve written and published some reviews since the last newsletter.
First was Shuffle & Swing, a really clever, really pretty game about cats and mice making musical instruments.
After that came an interesting one for me. Tokaido is a game I had years ago, a gorgeous, chill game about making a journey through Japan. Stonemaier Games picked it up and did a near-identical reprint, but also added a new solo mode. Check out my review here.
Finally, and biggest of the bunch, is The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era. It’s a hugely ambitious, lavishly produced tabletop game based on the video game franchise. You can read my (very long) review right here.
If you’ve got anything to say about any of the things I’ve mentioned here, feel free to leave me a comment. Until next time,
Adam