Taylor W. Smith

2 Jan

2025 Table Top Gaming Report (Thanks @gamenightpicks.com!) Total Game Sessions: Seventy-Two Most Played Game (Sessions): Root w/ seventeen sessions Most Played Game (Time): Vantage w/ thirty-three hours! Thanks to one delightful marathon session w/ @alanhussey.bsky.social @padfoot240.bsky.social.

Father/Son Game Review #8: Kirby's Dream Buffet! Dad is old; William is nine: questions are welcome! Also open to suggestions of what we should review next. #Kirby #Nintendo #Racing

William: "This is an interesting racing game. It's really fun to play with friends, and I like that is has so many different things to do. There are lots of tracks that make the game fun to play over and over. I especially like unlocking all the great music in the game."

Dad: William found this one, and I'll admit I was suspicious; there's lots of slop on the Switch Marketplace. Yet for $15, it's a nice little package of solid graphics and tight—if light—gameplay. I most enjoyed that William was able to save for and buy it all by himself fairly quickly.

Love these little guys so much.

Takashi Nakamura@root-bg-tk.bsky.social

I can’t decide which one fits the vibe better…!

Father/Son Game Review #7: Kabuto Sumo by @beardedrogue.bsky.social! Dad is old; William is nine: questions welcome! Also open to suggestions of what we should review next. #boardgames #wrestling #fightforever

William: "I think Kabuto Sumo is a fun and exciting game. I like that this game pushes you to be creative. You can push pieces around however you want, and sometimes you make really cool and surprising things happen. If you like crazy smashy games you will probably like Kabuto Sumo."

Dad: Innovative and approachable, with unbeatable flavor. The nods to legendary professional wrestlers put a smile on my face. The physical nature of the game means each experience is unique; you'll never play the same game twice. A unique inclusion to our game library that I very much enjoy.

@graham.loadingreadyrun.com Re: Latest TTC—I do hereby promise I will only say “bwehhh” each time I reference the tiny arcane symbols on these Darkhold Destiny cards. Thank you for this gift.

Running a D&D campaign for my son and his friends, and (predictably) one of them is getting really hung up on spell level being different than character level. Has anyone come up with a good shorthand for helping players square that circle? Kids are 9-10, if that changes things. #D&D

Incredible that despite this environment Magic designers have been creating some of the best--by my evaluation-- limited environments of all time. Excited for my friends at WOTC to push forward with this vital work. I can only see it making things better for all of us. #UWOTC

Rascal News@rascal.news

"Too bad, make it work": Unionizing staff describe crunch culture and creative oppression within Wizards of the Coast www.rascal.news/too-bad-make...

Father/Son Game Review #6: Root by @leder.games! Dad is old; William is nine: questions welcome! Also open to suggestions on what we should review. #Root #boardgames #banvagabond

William: "I think that Root is a fun and adventurous game with lots of options and possibilities. Something I like about Root is how all the different armies are represented by wildlife. I think if you like games you can play with a bigger group then you will like Root."

@cardboard-crack.bsky.social

Dad: A game this adorable has no business being this deep. I can get casual friends to play because of the vibes; my spikier friends join for the incredible mechanical and competitive depth. You'll scratch your head some at first, but the reward for mastering an army is so very satisfying.

Taylor W. Smith reposted

Cardboard Crack

Deck Police #MTG

I'm developing a high school class on learning through gaming. Any suggestions for games to consider? On my radar already: Daybreak by @cmyk.games Votes for Women and First Monday in October by @fortcircle.bsky.social Oregon Trail by @gameloftmontreal.bsky.social #gaming #teaching

@andy.luckypaper.co @anthony.luckypaper.co Need a book recommendation, and I naturally thought of you two! I'm putting together a class on learning through gaming (board, video, ttrpg, card, etc.). Could y'all recommend anything on game design, theory behind game design, etc.?

polygon.comWyrmspan's Designer Is Officially Unveiling a New Cozy Board Game at EssenGuide baby sea turtles to the ocean in this new cozy game

Oh my gosh, this looks absolutely adorable. Might actually be able to get my wife to play this one with William and me. #boardgame #turles www.polygon.com/tideward-con...

Father/Son Game Review #5: Yoshi and the Mysterious Book! Dad is old; William is nine: questions welcome! Also open to suggestions on what we should review. #Yoshi #Nintendo #Books?

William: "I think that this game is fun and exciting. I like how it lets you interact with different creatures in extraordinary ways. I think you will like this game if you enjoy easier games with lots of exploring."

Dad: Nintendo hid a shocking amount of science in this Yoshi game. I love how it encourages the player—especially kids—to experiment. Difficulty is also very well balanced. You can get clues if you get stuck, or just keep repeating levels, trying new interactions and ideas.

Father/Son Game Review #4: Vantage by @stonemaiergames.com! Dad is old; William is nine: questions welcome! Also open to suggestions of what we should review. #Vantage #boardgame

William: "I think Vantage is a fun game because of all the surprises on each of the cards. The game motivates you to play with lots of people, since the more people you play with, the more of the world you get to explore. If you like to discover new things, you will probably like Vantage."

Dad: Absolutely gorgeous; a beautiful way to tell a story with your friends. Me and two friends carved out an entire day to just explore, and it's some of the most fun I've ever had with a game. Plenty of replayability: even if you've seen it all, just share it with new people.

Father/Son Game Review #3: Donkey Kong Bananza! Dad is old; William is nine: questions welcome! Also very open to suggestions for what we should review. #dk #bananza #OH...BA-NA-NA

William: "I like how flexible this game is. It's fun to break everything. The game is easy for anyone to pick up and enjoy right away. Playing two-player makes the game really easy. Playing alone is a challenge as you get later in the game. If you like crazy-smashy games, you'll like this."

Dad: William's right--co-op removes nearly all challenge from the game. Still, I regularly found myself smiling as big as DK. This game exudes joy, while still possessing an impressive amount of depth. I love how creative Nintendo managed to be with a tool as literally blunt as Donkey Kong's fists.

19 Sept

Father/Son Game Review #2: Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring—Trick-Taking Game from @officedoggames.bsky.social! Dad is old; William is nine: questions welcome! #lotr #boardgame

19 Sept

William: “This game is fun, but makes you think carefully about the actions you take. I like that it’s good to play with a group, and I really like the art. If you like a challenge, you’ll probably like this game.”

19 Sept

Dad: Very much second William’s point about the art; this game is gorgeous. Each chapter brings fresh joy from discovering how the designers interpreted that section of the source material. In a year of so many trick taking games, this one stands out.

Father/Son Game Review #1: Pokémon Pokopia! Dad is dad; William is nine. Questions welcome!

Dad (William: "You should tell everyone you're old"): Animal Crossing meets Pokémon, with quite cozy vibes. A beautiful soundtrack and charming visuals make this a great cozy game to enjoy together. I love watching how much William cracks up at Ditto's transformations. High recommend.

Father/Son Game Review #1: Pokémon Pokopia! Dad is dad; William is nine. Questions welcome!

William: "I think that Pokopia is a pretty good game. It's fun to play with the Pokémon, and I like how the game is not very challenging. I don't like that there is not a great way to play with friends. I think if you're a person who likes games that are not competitive you will like Pokopia."

youtube.comRemember This On Labor DayYouTube video by Dimension 20

7 Sept

Happy Labor Daybor! www.youtube.com/shorts/b34LS...

1 Sept

@alisontheperson.bsky.social My son and I just finished listening to the first episode of the Reality Fracture story. Love that you get another crack at Jace! Phenomenal work; can't wait for the next one!

31 Aug

@kathleen.loadingreadyrun.com Hearing you chat Discworld on the latest TTC got me thinking: how good a fit would you consider the series to be for kids? Totally respecting every kid is different (parents too), but I've got a 4th grader who might really vibe with the setting.

28 May

@cardkingdom.com Could you please please PLEASE work with @infinitokens.com to make reusable versions of this incredible "Strixtron" token I just got with my order? I promise I will buy at least 100 of them.

kickstarter.comCounterpoint: a Co-op Classical Music Trick-Taking GameCounterpoint is a cooperative trick-taking game for 3-5 players where the challenges are based on different pieces of classical music.

27 May

If you're seeing this, you probably know me well enough that you can just play my copy of this game. But just in case: check this out! Demoed it at ECCC and had a great time. Counterpoint: a Co-op Classical Music Trick-Taking Game on @kickstarter.com www.kickstarter.com/projects/squ...

Heard this from @lordsoflimited.bsky.social; seems like a cool idea! Had a lot of fun doing it with my son, who just searched Scryfall for "cute" and picked some cards. Nine #Magic cards that made me as a player (in chronological order; 1/?).

Magic helps us bless others. At an LGS; there's a kid breaking down because he can't afford the shop's one copy of The First Sliver—happened to be a foil. I bought one pack of MH1; went out to my car to open it and cracked this card. Went back in; gave it to the kid. Still think of that kid's smile.

I love competing; I also love playing on a budget. The best I've done at an RCQ was playing Selesnya Auras in pioneer. I couldn't afford Mana Confluence to cast my deck's two off-color pips, so I ran Aether Hub instead. I think cheap and unique will always feel better than pricey and optimal. (fin)

I don't like bullies. War of the Spark prerelease: some ass wouldn't stop bragging every time he beat people. "You're trash"; "I'm the best here"; "Nothing could beat me except my deck." Played him, and used Command the Dreadhorde to jack all his best stuff. Guess he was right about the last quote.

Magic helps us introduce ourselves. Being from Alaska, I natually love all things bears. Ayula, Queen Among Bears is one of only two EDH decks I never plan on taking apart. It also serves as a constant reminder of how much I appreciate the folks at @loadingreadyrun.com. (8/?)

The first "competitive" tournament I ever tried was a Junior Super Series event at my local. I put together a slivers deck, made entirely of stuff from Legions. In one match, I clocked in at over 100,000 life thanks to Essence Sliver. This was the moment I learned just how silly Magic could be.

After ten years away from Magic, I came back as a way to make friends after moving to a new town. I put together a budget goblins list from @mtggoldfish.com, headlined by Cavalcade of Calamity. To this day, this is my favorite kind of Magic: fast; cheap; and red. (6/?)

The first Magic "event" I ever played in was a my local shop—Wayne's World of Collectables in Anchorage, AK. I was about 12, and the woman who owned the shop asked if I would teach people to play. I brought my first constructed deck: a 90+ card, five-color monstrosity with Draco as the standout.

While I didn't teach anyone Magic at that "event", I did play some people who were MUCH better than me. I will forever remember the guy who absolutely clobbered me with a Red/White aggro deck. Savannah Lions did a lot of the heavy lifting. In one match, I learned how much I didn't know. (4/?)

I learned to play Magic with the World Championship decks on the floor of a tent on a Boy Scout camping trip. We all thought Necropotence was absolute trash? Paying life for cards? You could draw a card for free every turn! Fun to look back and see how little we knew. (2/?)

godnotcountry.comHelp — For God, Not Country“I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”  In just a few days, I will fly to our nation’s capital—a personal first—to attend the National Prayer Breakfast . I have no idea how this is...

28 Jan

As I look forward to attending the National Prayer Breakfast, I'm struggling with what it means to attend this type of event at this particular moment. www.godnotcountry.com/home/help