Stonemaier Games News, Reviews, Videos, Opinions – Big Boss Battle (B3)

Viticulture: Bordeaux Expansion Review – A Worthy Vintage?

John Hobkinson — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 18:00:37 +0000

With Viticulture, we’ve previously sipped along the Rhine, strolled through Tuscany, and now Viticulture: Bordeaux invites us to one of the most prestigious wine regions in the world to see what the locals are fermenting. First things first: you do need the base game of Viticulture to play. If you don’t own it, I’ll politely […]

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Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s Stonemeier Games newest release: Origin Story!

John Hobkinson — Mon, 12 Jan 2026 14:00:05 +0000

From Stonemeier Games, the company that brought us familiar game shelf favourites such as Wingspan, Scythe and Tapestry; Origin Story is the newest member of their gaming pantheon. Designed by Jamey Stegmaier, one of the world’s most easily known board game designers, and design newcomer Pete Wissinger. Origin Story blends classic card play with a […]

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Tokaido Duo is smaller and more complex than the original, but it’s also better

Matthew Smail — Fri, 28 Nov 2025 14:00:29 +0000

Tokaido Duo is a serene but surprisingly crunchy, two-player-only reimagining of the original Tokaido — offering a layered, asymmetric experience that captures the spirit of travel and reflection while introducing previously unexpected strategic depths. We liked the original way back in 2017, but we loved the 2025 Stonemaier reprint even more, so I was curious […]

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Vantage challenges you to survive together on a mysterious planet

Aaron Jones — Fri, 26 Sep 2025 13:00:01 +0000

In Vantage you and your crew mates have crash landed on a strange and mysterious planet, each of you at different locations. You will need to work together, describing what you see so that others can offer expertise and advice as you explore this strange new world seeking to complete your mission or perhaps reveal an even greater destiny.

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Even after 13 years, Tokaido still tells a sweet tale for gateway gamers

Matthew Smail — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 13:00:00 +0000

When we first reviewed Tokaido back in 2018, it was already 6 years old and board gaming was entering a Golden Age with innovative new games being released weekly and entirely new mechanics emerging all the time. Somehow, even then, Tokaido quietly fulfilled a constant need — offering gateway gamers a super relaxed and non-confrontational […]

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Between Two Castles Essential Edition offers fun, versatile tile placement

Matthew Smail — Mon, 02 Jun 2025 13:00:57 +0000

You don’t see many big box eight player games these days, but with Between Two Castles Essential Edition, Stonemaier Games offers up the perfect option for those occasions when you have a full house, and a smaller game won’t cut the mustard. Featuring the base game of Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig and […]

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Rolling Realms Redux is a fantastic write and roll exhibition

Aaron Jones — Fri, 27 Dec 2024 14:00:07 +0000

Get ready to roll and write in this grab and go battle criss crossing the biggest board game realms from Stonemaier games. Dry wipe markers at the ready!

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Stamp Swap challenges you to draft and swap your way to the crown

Aaron Jones — Fri, 15 Nov 2024 14:00:13 +0000

Calling all fellow philatelists it’s time for the Stamp Swap show. Converge on this collection convention to see who will be named the curation king (or queen) following three fast paced rounds of drafting and swapping. Watch out for those pesky faded stamps.

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Expeditions is the sequel to Scythe that we were not expecting

Matthew Smail — Fri, 05 Jan 2024 14:00:32 +0000

2016’s Scythe from Jamey Stegmaier and Stonemaier Games remains in the BoardGameGeek top 20, having already had a profound effect on the course of modern board gaming. Any potential sequel would be met with high expectations, and Expeditions wisely moves in a different direction — to mixed success. Set in the same alternate 1920’s universe […]

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Apiary – in space, no one can hear you buzzzZzzzZ

Matthew Smail — Mon, 11 Dec 2023 14:00:07 +0000

In Apiary, the brand new worker placement game from Stonemaier Games and first-time designer Connie Vogelmann, up to five players take on the role of space bees as they explore and expand through the galaxy. These bees will carve lasting monuments, work hard to gain the Queen’s favour and recruit specialists into their hive whilst […]

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Scythe sees you controlling factions in fictional 1920’s Europe

Matthew Smail — Mon, 04 Dec 2023 13:00:57 +0000

Original Review: December 4th, 2023, post updated with Giveaway (at foot of article) November 21st, 2023. About five years ago, it was hard to tell which “gamer’s game” was top of the tree. Lords of Waterdeep, Five Tribes, Viticulture and Dead of Winter were just a few of the games making their case, but there […]

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Wingspan: Asia is a versatile expansion and a standalone experience

Matthew Smail — Mon, 16 Jan 2023 14:00:14 +0000

Chances are, if you have arrived at this review then you sit in one of two camps. Most people, I suspect, will be well aware of Wingspan already, and will want to know whether or not they should add Wingspan: Asia to their existing collection. The other group is perhaps completely new to Wingspan (or […]

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Libertalia: Winds of Galecrest is a sky-high remake

Matthew Smail — Mon, 16 May 2022 13:00:05 +0000

It can be a bit of a challenge to review games that are subject to a remake. Sometimes I have a strong opinion, or on other occasions I’ve never even heard of a particular game. In some cases, I didn’t like the original game, or at the very least I risk annoying or upsetting dedicated […]

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The Red Rising Board Game is Great for Fans, Good for Everyone Else

Matthew Smail — Fri, 02 Jul 2021 13:00:25 +0000

For fans of the novels that inspired it, Red Rising from Jamey Stegmaier and Alexander Schmidt will be a smorgasbord of familiar faces and subtle character traits baked into multi-use cards. For those who haven’t heard of Pierce Brown’s books (like me) the nuanced interplay between characters might be lost thematically, but mechanically, Red Rising […]

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Wingspan is as relaxing as ever, but the digital interface clips its wings, slightly

Matthew Smail — Wed, 30 Jun 2021 13:00:11 +0000

During 2020, digital adaptations of my favorite board games were very welcome. With few options and brief periods during which I could play in person, proper online implementations were one of the key ways to keep board gaming alive. Things look slightly more positive at the moment, however, so is there still room for the […]

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My Little Scythe is more than a baby step, but it’s no Giant Leap

Matthew Smail — Mon, 08 Mar 2021 14:00:26 +0000

Sometimes, a game is designed specifically to break the mould. New games are released every day that layer in crazy new mechanics over the top of traditional ones, ramping up the complexity to dizzying new heights. Others are the opposite, specifically designed to introduce new players to the hobby. My Little Scythe is neither of […]

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Enter the Majesty of Wingspan: European Expansion

Hira — Fri, 06 Mar 2020 14:00:58 +0000

Wingspan: European Expansion is the first expansion of Wingspan featuring the birds of Europe.

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Tapestry takes time and effort to unravel, but the result is worth the wait

Matthew Smail — Wed, 12 Feb 2020 14:00:29 +0000

The expectations placed on some board game designers are, simply put, too high. One designer who finds himself in the (both enviable and dubious) position of being considered among the very best of all time is Jamey Stegmaier, the founder of Stonemaier Games. Tapestry is Stegmaier’s latest design and by now, you’ll probably have […]

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Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig — Building with friends

Matthew Smail — Fri, 17 May 2019 13:00:18 +0000

There are so many modern board games these days that it’s hard to play all of them, so why not tackle two at once with Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig? If you’re new to the scene, it can be especially hard to track down some of the offerings that have been instrumental in […]

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Review | Charterstone (Minor Spoilers)

Matthew Smail — Mon, 08 Jan 2018 14:00:04 +0000

We set out to create our own village under the watchful eyes of our temperamental king in Charterstone, a worker placement board game from Stonemeier Games.

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Review | Viticulture (Essential Edition)

Matthew Smail — Mon, 11 Dec 2017 14:00:56 +0000

Ever wanted to be a wine magnate? We explain how we frustrated our friends in this Essential Edition of Viticulture, all for the glory of the grape.

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