[Ryan] Heroscape is a game that holds a special place for Daniel and me as we played many, many hours of it back when we were kids, and I couldn’t help but want to recreate that magic with my own kids. With the reboot from Renegade Games, my 5-year-old Toby and I have had a lot of fun playing around with the system. There is just such a pure fun factor with the modular map and detailed miniatures, and it is a system that provides such a cool sandbox for creatively coming up with your own scenarios. I anticipate this will see even more play as my sons get older, but it has been very cool to see Toby’s eyes light up as we watch this epic battle unfold on the tabletop.

[Daniel] Going into this month, I never imagined I’d be getting this game to the table. But I managed to snag a copy of Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era, and my first play absolutely lived up to the hype. As always, Chip Theory Games delivers with incredible components and iconic character chips. What really makes this one stand out, though, is the deep character customization, immersive sense of exploration, and satisfying progression over a three-session campaign. I’ve already scheduled my next play, and I can’t wait to see where it goes from here!

[Ryan] It had been far too long since I had played Mage Knight, one of my all-time favorite games, and it just really never disappoints! The way you level up to tackle a series of increasing challenges walks the tightrope between punishing and achievable in such a satisfying way. It amazes me how often a battle begins with me thinking, “Oh man, there is just no way…” but then I slowly uncover a clever way to use all the tools at my disposal to solve the tactical puzzle. It has pretty much been exclusively a 2-player cooperative game for me in recent years, but time and time again, it proves it is one of the best in that niche.

[Daniel] I’m not sure there will ever be a day when I get tired of playing Heat: Pedal to the Metal. It’s just that good. I recently got the chance to play a 6-player game on the new Japan map, and as always, the race was intense, with plenty of jostling for position. Many racing games suffer when players fall behind early, but this one continues to amaze me with dramatic, game-changing moves that leave everyone at the table in shock. For me, this is the definitive racing experience!

[Ryan] Back in 2010, I ran across a funny little game called “Magical Athlete” and enjoyed my plays of this goofy roll-and-move game with special abilities. Despite being almost entirely luck, it managed to capture a little bit of the magic of seeing how things unfold with the interplay of wacky effects. For years, I felt that the game deserved a reprint from a development team that could modernize the design while keeping the magic of the original. Imagine how excited I was when I heard it was not only going to be reprinted, but the lead developer was none other than Richard Garfield, one of the most prolific game designers of all time! It was a no-brainer of a pre-order for me, and I have to say they nailed it. My son Toby has been absolutely loving this one as well, and I am glad to finally be able to bring out this unique experience with the right groups.