Shelley and I go to taverns and draft the help of dwarves in

Nidavellir by Serge Laget from GRRE Games

then get abstract with polyominoes with

Project L by Michal Mikes, Jan Soukal, and Adam Spanel from Boardcubator

Shelley and I check out new iterations of some of our favorites this week, trying out the new version of Let's Make A Bus Route

Let's Make A Bus Route: The Dice Game by Saashi and from Saashi and Saashi

and then we were happy to receive a copy of the excellent re-issue of On The Underground

On The Underground: London & Berlin by Sebastian Bleasdale from LudiCreations

Shelley and I check out the 'card-game' version of Terraforming Mars (one of our favorite heavier titles of the past few years):

Terraforming Mars: Ares Expedition by Sydney Engelstein, Jacob Fryxelius, and Nick Little from Stronghold Games and FryxGames

then go back to one our first heavier titles when we were just getting into boardgames

La Città by Gerd Fenchel from Rio Grande Games, KOSMOS, and ABACUSSPIELE

Shelley and I enjoy some fruity goodness this week, looking at

Juicy Fruits by Christian Stöhr from Deep Print Games and Capstone Games' new family line

and then check out

Finca by Wolfgang Sentker and Ralf zur Linde by Rio Grande Games

Shelley and I were fortunate enough to travel to Portugal this summer and returned with an awesome card game that's well worth hunting for

Café by Rôla and Costa from Pythagoras Games

and then we pull a favorite HEAVY game off the shelf designed by two Portuguese friends whom we had the great fortune of spending time with

Nippon by Nuno Bizarro Sentieiro and Paulo Soledade from What's Your Game

along with its small expansion Nippon: Keiretsu

Shelley and I get a chance to play a cool new forthcoming game from Mebo Games

Lisbon Tram 28 by Pedro Santos Silva

then we pull a classic of camel caravan building to which we have referred often

Through The Desert by Reiner Knizia from Kosmos, Fantasy Flight Games, and Z-Man Games

Shelley and I compete to build our zoos the fastest in

New York Zoo by Uwe Rosenberg from Feuerland Spiele and Capstone Games

then we head Down Under to check out new birds and interesting modifications to rules in

Wingspan: Oceania Expansion by Elizabeth Hargrave from Stonemaier Games

Shelley and I check out a "new to us" game from BGG's store:

Legacy - The Testament of Duke de Crecy by Michiel Justin Elliott Hendriks from Portal Games, IELLO and Pegasus Spiele

then we do a re-review of another Feldian classic

In The Year of the Dragon by Stefan Feld from alea, Ravensburger, and Rio Grande Games

Shelley and I head to Mars to mine for riches in

Mining Colony by Steve Finn from Dr. Finn's Games

and then head to Medieval France to make our fortunes and deal with rats as we re-review

Notre Dame by Stefan Feld from alea, Ravensburger and Rio Grande

Shelley and I create towers with our hands of card in

Sky Towers by Charles Ward from Ex1st Games

and then build different colored subway lines to manipulate how people travel around London in

On The Underground by Sebastian Bleasdale - originally published by JKLM and Rio Grande Game, but picked up in 2019 by Ludicreations

Shelley and I capture animals and attempt to gain a foothold on the mountain in

Nanga Parbat by Steve Finn from Dr. Finn's Games

then we reflect on an older titles as we sail to gather spices and attempt to overcome some luck in 2004's

Goa by Rudiger Dorn from Rio Grande Games and Hans Im Gluck.

Shelley and I capture, then deliver butterflies to beautiful outdoor spaces in

Butterfly Garden by Steve Finn from Dr. Finn's Games

then head to ancient Rome to get our mancala mechanism in play as we build and conquer in

Trajan by Stefan Feld from Ammonit Spiele, as well as Huch and Renegade Game Studios.

Shelley andI roll dice to collect books, travel as a novice, develop influence, and then spend it in

Biblios - Quill and Parchment by Steve Finn from Dr. Finn's Games

then we head back further in time to develop our lands and gain resources in

Lions of Lydia by Jonny Pac from Bellwether Games

Shelley and I pick food mancala-style in

Fruit Picking by Jun-ichi Shinde from Korea Board Games

and then race from our jobs and try to get as happy as possible in

Finishing Time/Feierabend by Friedemann Friese from 2F Spiele and Boardgamegeek.

Shelley and I check out both

Whale Riders (the board game) by Reiner Knizia from Grail Games

and its smaller cousin withmore of a publishing history

Whale Riders The Card Game by Reiner Knizia from Grail Games

Shelley and I try another variation of drawing polyominoes in

Patchwork Doodle by Uwe Rosenberg from Lookout Games

then spin a HUGE 4-story pagoda to obtain resources and build our tableaus of gardens in

Four Gardens by Martin Dolezal from Korea Boardgames Ltd.

Shelley and I check out version #4 of a Knizia classic

Medici: The Dice Game by Reiner Knizia from Grail Games

and then head to Africa with a bit of problematic theming but a great game to re-review in

Mombasa by Alexander Pfister from R&R Games

Shelley and I search for clues into the existence of cryptozoological creatures in

Evidence by Orestis Liontaritis from Pegasus Spiele and Edition Spielwiese

then we head back in time to Emperor Hadrian's rule and work to build his famous wall in Britain to keep the Picts at bay in

Hadrian's Wall by Bobby Hill from Garphill Games and Renegade Game Design

Shelley and I journey first to the City of Light for a re-review of the now more readily available

Paris - La Cité de la Lumière by Jose Antonio Abascal Acebo from Devir and Kosmos

then we trek to the mountains to press our luck as we climb

7 Summits by Daryl Andrews and Adrian Adamescu from Deep Water Games

Shelley and I check out a couple of art-themed games, one which we enjoy, and another which might have benefitted from some more development.

Starving Artists by Mike Wokasch from Deep Water Games, Fairway 3 Games and Zafty

and

Fresco (with many of its expansions) by Marco Ruskowski and Marcel Sußelback from Queen Games