Hobby games are often called “Eurogames” because they are, for the most part, created, developed, produced, and sold in Europe. Even more specifically, they’re sometimes referred to as “German Games,” which makes sense when you hear the names of some of the most popular creators: Reiner Knizia (Tigris and Euphrates, plus a host of others), Klaus Teuber (The Settlers of Catan), Wolfgang Kramer (The Princes of Florence), Friedemann Friese (Power Grid), etc. This style of strategy game got its start in Europe and remains popular there; the worldwide industry convention …

One of the criticisms of American politics is that it’s been turned into a game, where the only concern is making the other side “lose” instead of trying to figure out what will be best for the country. What better way to examine this than to actually make a game out of American politics? And what better political event to make a game out of than the 2008 Obama/McCain election, with all its highs, lows, majesty, and mudslinging?

Rare is the person whose heart doesn’t harbor some deeply personal creative fantasy–be it writing the great American novel, transforming a run-down bit of parkland into a thing of beauty, or opening a small, meticulously managed movie theater. The vast majority of these dreams are destined to remain just that–objects of aspiration with no little to chance of fulfillment.
Occasionally, however, an individual will reach a point–such as having recently starred in one of the most successful action movies of all time–where he or she is in a position to make …

In the last column I had to burn down the village of American boardgaming in order to save it. With Monopoly off the table, I will now offer some alternatives for folks to try out. The criteria I have for these games were: (1) Easy to learn from the rulebooks. (2) Available for purchase. (3) No crazy complex rules or long play time. (4) Appropriate (within reason) for the entire family, from double-digit kids to Grandma. To find a store near you that sells these games, check The Game Store …

The recent installation of a home wireless network (motivated by my wife’s acquisition of a spiffy new netbook) put an end to two years of hotswapping our DSL modem between our PC and our Xbox 360. Prior to the upgrade, my online console gaming time was limited to specified, pre-arranged times so as not to deprive my better half of internet access. Now, however, I am free to game online to my heart’s content…providing the bandwidth isn’t being choked by a certain person streaming last week’s episode of High School …

In an article for Philadelphia “Family Newspaper” The Bulletin (no relation), Susan Brinkman makes several video games of varying degrees of popularity sound about a thousand times more awesome than they actually are by insisting that the games contain dangerously irreligious themes.
• Tecmo’s Deception: Invitation To Darkness (Playstation) – Players “make an unholy pact and sell their soul to Satan in exchange for power” with the object of the game being to ensure the resurrection of Satan and obtain his power. (This game is rated “T” for teens.)
• Nocturne (Playstation …

When I tell people I read comics, the response I get is usually, “Like Batman?” And you know which (BAM! POW!) Batman they’re thinking of.
Likewise, when I tell people I play boardgames, I often get, “Like Monopoly?”
However, I’m not sure which Monopoly they’re thinking of. Are they thinking of Star Wars Monopoly? I am, after all, something of a Star Wars fan. Of course, I also like comics, too, so it could be the Justice League or Marvel Comics Monopoly. Maybe they’re thinking of Historical Boston Monopoly. Or Coca-Cola Monopoly. …

Somewhere in Australia a gal has decided to show us how edgy she is by taking pictures of herself at an aquarium dressed as some character from some video game her boyfriend won’t shut up about.
Dollars to donuts there are pictures of her sitting in a bathtub in an old house wearing a gas mask somewhere on the internet.