Games

This is a list of all games that have so far been discussed on Talking Shelf Space. Doing long form, in-depth reviews and first impressions does take its time. I seem to average one piece every 2-3 weeks and started in early 2022. So by now a sizeable back catalogue exists for you to enjoy!

  • First Impressions of Unconscious Mind – What it Means to be Truly Thematic

    First Impressions of Unconscious Mind – What it Means to be Truly Thematic

  • Review of Kingdom Legacy: Feudal Kingdom – Honey, I Shrunk The Kingdom

    Review of Kingdom Legacy: Feudal Kingdom – Honey, I Shrunk The Kingdom

  • First Impressions of Barcelona: Passeig de Gràcia – As Before, Good Timing Is Everything

    First Impressions of Barcelona: Passeig de Gràcia – As Before, Good Timing Is Everything

  • First Impressions of Rise & Fall – There Might Still Be Hope for Crowd Funding

    First Impressions of Rise & Fall – There Might Still Be Hope for Crowd Funding

  • First Impressions of I, Napoleon: Swipe Left for Conflict

    First Impressions of I, Napoleon: Swipe Left for Conflict

  • First Impressions of Pampero – How Many Plays Do You Owe A Game?

    First Impressions of Pampero – How Many Plays Do You Owe A Game?

  • Review of Pandemic: Rising Tide – You Saved the World, but Can You Save the Netherlands?

    Review of Pandemic: Rising Tide – You Saved the World, but Can You Save the Netherlands?

  • First Impressions of Salton Sea – A Mechanism, an Eye Test, and a Theme Walk into a Bar …

    First Impressions of Salton Sea – A Mechanism, an Eye Test, and a Theme Walk into a Bar …

  • Review of Antiquity – A Blast From the Past

    Review of Antiquity – A Blast From the Past

  • First Impressions of Anno 1800: The Expansion – A Welcome Update to Version 1.2

    First Impressions of Anno 1800: The Expansion – A Welcome Update to Version 1.2

Editorial Policy

When I started this project, I had one firm rule: only write about a game if there is a story to tell. There is already an abundance of content creators that do “this is how the game is played and do I like it” and I noticed that I didn’t find them helpful at all. Often they were produced after only a few plays, which might explain why the enthusiasm with which the games were presented didn’t really match the long term feedback that later came from the community of players out there.

The articles on this site are written only once I’ve played a game enough times to discovered its core, what it is really about. They are more about the experience of playing a game rather than its rules. So don’t expect being able to play the game after reading one of the discussions here. Instead, I love digging into small details that one doesn’t get from a rulebook but only from actively playing a game. There are also no ratings. It is up to you to figure out if a particular game is for you. I can only try to paint you a picture what’s it like to play the game.

As a general rule, I don’t ask for review copies. I’m not opposed to the idea, but mainly I don’t want to have the pressure of having to write about a game I don’t know if it will interest me or not. Pretty much all games you read about on this page have been bought by me, either first or second hand, or been on loan from a friend. In the rare case where that isn’t so, I mention it in the article.