[Ryan] So glad I was finally able to play Sky Team, and what a great, clever little design this is! Such elegant systems that bring out the theme while being powered by limited-communication dice placement that is simple, tense, and nuanced. It has been fun to start exploring some of the variability of scenarios in the base box, and it has been cool that I am able to play it with my 5-year-old son. Maybe the best cooperative game I’ve played that plays in less than 20 minutes?

[Daniel] At our family reunion, we had the perfect chance to get six people around the table for a game of Heat: Pedal to the Metal. We raced on the Mexico track Ryan brought along, and it was an absolute blast! The competition stayed tight the whole way through, with a surprise winner crossing the finish line at the end. I love how this game captures the fast-paced, high-stakes energy you hope for in a racing game. Unfortunately, my reckless driving early on came back to haunt me in the final stretch…

[Ryan] While on vacation, we had a 6-player group that all enjoyed games and wanted something that would teach and play in under an hour, and Faraway delivered! Such a mental twist is presented in this game as you try to fulfill objectives in reverse, with cards only able to utilize resources on cards played after them. There is a lot of push-your-luck as you decide how ambitious to be with your objectives in the early game, and I can attest to the fact that it can backfire—I easily got last place. But still a ton of fun and went over really well with the group!

[Daniel] I played Dwellings of Eldervale a while back and really enjoyed it, so I was definitely intrigued when Andromeda’s Edge came out—especially with the changes that promised to improve on an already great game. And wow, did it deliver. Ryan and I played a two-player game, and I was seriously impressed. It felt like a major upgrade across the board, the definitive version of what I’m looking for in this kind of game. Looks like Dwellings of Eldervale might be heading for the cull list soon… stay tuned.

[Ryan] Who would have thought that Chess would see a bunch of action this month? Sparked by my father-in-law teaching my 5-year-old son, we have not only been playing it more, but I have found myself bitten a bit with the bug to explore it more deeply… I have no idea if it will last, but for now, my son and I are having a lot of fun playing the game casually and having a bit of our own “chess club” at home as we read through a book on basic chess strategy together. I have also messed around a little on chess.com, and there is a world where it could become one of my most-played games just due to convenience and quick play time. Definitely wasn’t on my bingo card for 2025 though!