Robert StartPlayer

Seems worth posting an Intro thread here. I'm Robert living in Leeds, UK. My hobbies are listed above.... these are some more details.... I may add more to this as I go.

A friend has gone #vegan so I’m into the vegan and #glutenFree section of The Loopy Whisk’s Element Of Baking Book. I made these Pesto Bread Rolls. I was very surprised how soft they were! #baking

I’ve not shared games for a while. But tonight i played Vanuattu. Im left with the feeling of going with out mates and getting horrifically drunk* before beating each other up and being best mates after. The game won. They dont make glorious #boardgames like this more. *analogy from a teetotaler

I’ve not done proper #baking in ages, and I keep picking up Italian cookbooks in Rome. So ive made Torta Caprese, a flourless almond cake. I tried a British version of the before and it was quite dry. This is like a gooey chocolate marzipan and its amazing. #glutenFree

My understanding is if you visit Pisa then taking this photo is a legal requirement.

I’ve switched the team i work in at my job. I’m now “all my co workers are about 15 years younger than me” years old.

2 visits ago airport security in Italy assured me i could take flour through security. I wasnt sure carrying 1kg bags of white powder was a good idea but i had no issues. This italian #glutenFree flour really is amazing. Best tasting bread ive had since #coelaic diagnosis. Shame its so expensive!

Im not vegan but i will keep making vegan omlette. Trying nutritional yeast to add cheese flavour for the first time. It tasted so much better than expected it to be.

#boardgames hive mind…. Im trying to recall the name of a game i olayed about 20 years ago. I think it was by Knizia. Each round players got a long rectangle. At the end of the game they were laid out and longest track won. I don’t recall specifics or the theme. Just the mechanic to hide scoring

On my way to Leeds Board Games Festival. I would dispute Garfoth is Leeds! Its taking same tome to travel here from where i live in Leeds than it would to get to manchester or harrogate! Still a weekend or games awaits. Ive packed lots of smaller things.

Ive said before and I will say again. The best gelateria in Italy in Gelo Sia in Lido Di Ostia. The dark chocolate and orange, and the apple and cinnamon were amazing. And all #GlutenFree.

Today is my 2 year anniversary of learning Italian. Obviously that means being in Rome! Its much easier to keep up with learning a language when there are many good reasons to. Ive not been Englished once, clearly I’m starting to sound like i know what I’m saying when i ask for Caffe Lungo!

Played 1998: ISS and 1980: Sixtina from @loopinggames.bsky.social. Both are very good. I love the idea of medium weight games in tiny boxes about 1900s history. I can see me buying them all. I’ll 100% try to design games for them in the future! I’d love to have a game in this range. #boardgames

Started #boardgames tonight with Tenby. Im enjoying this even though i usually prefer games with a little more bite than cosy drafting. Im wondering if adding more players will make a little more cutthroat.

I played more Oathsworn. I decided to play a different character and I’m glad i did as i enjoyed it more After 5 chapters my reiview in. Story parts - miles better than Gloom/Frosthaven Game part - nowhere near as good. The puzzle of ‘draw cards or roll dice’ i find really fun though. #boardgames

Played Brass: Birmingham. I know its a great game when i consistently come last but still want to keep playing. Hits the sweet spot of pain and misery that frankly more games need. I don’t to get bonuses and chaining actions all the time. I want to suffer and the game feel worth it. #boardgames

Last night i played Frosted Blooms. For what is a fairly normal cosy drafting game i found my self looking around at what other players were doing allot more than i normally would expect to. Which is a good thing. #boardgames

Another fun day or #playtesting at #Leeds @playtestuk.bsky.social event. I think In Bocca Al Lupo is just about done. I need to make a few small changes… the prettify it. Then i think its ready to start pitching!

I picked up #GlutenFree a cookbook in Rome. These “chick pea taralli” are a simple chick pea dough with water and olive oil and a bit of oregano. Tbh they needed more seasoning and could use a spicy dip. But I’m testing how many days they keep for GF snacks at big games events. #baking

And yes im starting to make copies of #boardgames rules in #Italian for reading practice. Reading with the context of knowing a game is going to help with comprehension of what I’m reading.

Finally today i Played 6 Nimmt. After Diplomacy was probably the very first ‘Simultaneous Action’ game I played. Dare i say it but 6 Nimmt should be up there with the great gateway games of what games Beyond Monopoly can actually be. It feels like every decision matters. #boardgames

I played Zack And Pack. I remember playing this 15 years ago and crushing it. Today. Disaster. Im really enjoying playing these older games and wondering if these would be published now. This is just a simple idea done really well without bloat. #boardgames

I learnt Pili Pili. I enjoyed this. Every round the rules change. Crucially the total of predictions of tricks players say they will win may not equal number of rounds. There is always a loser. This is the first time I’ve seen that rule. Is is used in other trick takers?! #boardgames

I played The Gang with the expansion going up to 10 players. I enjoy the game but i found at full ring this was orobably just a bit to much and random. Also when you have situation where most players are losing to board it was less interesting. #boardgames

I learnt Wir Sind Das Volk! I enoyed this alot as a learning game. I prob made terrible decisions, so to lose by one cube to a friend credited as a playtester I’m happy with. Imagine if Twilught Stuggle was icon based with drafting from a shared card supply. I really enjoyed this. #boardgames

Yesterday I played 1987: Channel Tunnel @llamadice.bsky.social / @loopinggames.bsky.social I enjoyed this more than my first play. I really like the twist on worker placement adding more to think about than “what action do I want?” I also love playing a medium weight game in 45 minutes. #boardgames

Played Marrakesh from Stefen Feld. It took a while to grok as lots going on. I mostly enjoyed it but I’ve one big gripe. Most heavy games you want to do everything and can’t. In this game you are sort of forced to do it all, so there was no post game regret making me want to play again. #boardgames

Last night I played 1987: Channel Tunnel. I picked it up at UKGE as i really the publishers MO. Medium weight games playing under an hour put in small boxes all about 20th century historical events. The game did not dissapoint, it’s a puzzely worker placement with some tricky decisions. #boardgames

Also my #italian level is now “Able to talk with waitress about our mutual disinterest in football and share a high five” This is basically fluent yes. Ive also learnt that internationally being from Leeds carries much less weight than being from “near Manchester”

I will keep banging this drum. But why is England is it so hard to make #glutenFree food easy to find and really good. Rather than the constantly infuriating “ask us about allergies” sign. I should just move to Rome!

The more time i spend in Italy the more i enjoy the subtle difference in tone between Italian and English on signs. On this the Italian broadly “It’s dangerous to lean on” with no instruction, and the English “DANGER: DON’T LEAN ON THE BUS DOOR TOURIST”

Back in my #GlutenFree paradise of #Rome. I think my #Italian must be improving as I’ve only been Englished once. And that was only with a price that a cashier probably always says in English out of habit.

Last night saw the brilliant @loscampesinos.bsky.social live. Last time i saw then about two year ago my knees took a few days to recover. That was probably a wake up call to start losing weight. This time i was able to jump around much of the night and i don’t feel totally destroyed this morning!

I learnt Philharmonix. Its very rare i play a game as heavy as this blind from rules with 4 players, But i didn’t get time for a 2 played learn so we went for it. We didn’t have time for last round but i got enough flavour to know I like this game even if some parts are a little random. #boardgames

I learnt Tenby. A mix if cosy drafting, lots of ways of scoring. But its the drafting that makes this game for me. At first i thought it was Kingdomino turn order but i had i read rules a few times, it seems turn order is very crucial in this adding an air of interaction most ‘cosy’ #boardgames miss

Staring learning #boardgames from UKGE with Shakespeare Card Game from @alliesorenemies.bsky.social. A fun take on 2 player drafting with 3 different win conditions. I imagine the more i play the more ill be aware of not letting my opponent then witched and sneaking a victory on me!

#UKGE over and I’m back home. Everyone was really friendly this year. There were no difficult demos, no angry people (previous years there have been!) I do worry when I’m tired i can be a bit to excitable at games! But i had a great time. Got more games than I intended and always planning next year

Today at #UKGE until 12:45 ill by in @playtestuk.bsky.social area testing In Bocca Al Lupo. Come playtest a 15 min push your luck game about domesticating a stone age Wolf (actual game component) #boardgames

Its #UKGE time! I will be mostly demoing for @markr8games.bsky.social games on stand 3-502! Or generally wandering and in play testing zone. Come and say hello!

Also at approaching midnight. Last minute prep! The wolf is an essential component to this prototype.

@trzewik.bsky.social Are Portal games excepting game pitches? I cant find an email on the contact us section of your website.

Played Acrigola for first time in years and it was an absolute miserable joy. What struct me is that a game i felt was really heavy 15 years ago felt daily quick and the rules book quite thin! Ill Try to not leave it so many years before playing it again! #boardgames

Played White Castle The Duel. Enjoyed this. Again i love that such a short game packs so many decisions. I would make many different decisions another game. #boardgames

Played Number Quest. A very old 90s game with a warped board. I played this maybe 18 years with a friend and it came back in conversation. Using all 4 dice to do a Countdown style sum. Wierdly this was a lot of fun and just enough game in it to not be totally maths #boardgames

Tonight i played Faraway again. I e had a few. Goes of it on BGA. For a such a short game i really enjoy it. Feels such a fun puzzle to solve everygame #boardgames

Today i learnt in Italian that the verb meaning “to invest” also means “to run over in a car”. What other fun example of verbs in any language which can mean two very different things?

Played So Clover. Aka a less tense and much lower stakes Codenames. I did enjoy this. Always feels some clues to more of the heavy lifting than others! #boardgames