Joel Lee

Joel Lee

Joel is an omnigamer who unrepentantly lives for family-style board games, but also enjoys everything from lighter fare to midweight titles. All game mechanics are fair game and the entire spectrum of Euro-style to American-style games are fun under the right circumstances. He's based in the Philadelphia area and loves to play, watch, research, buy, trade, and write about board games and card games.

Dungeons, Dice & Danger Review

Dungeons, Dice & Danger is an adventurous romp through a dungeon, driven by smart dice manipulation and clever strategy.

Turing Machine Review

I've never played a deduction game like Turing Machine before. It's impressive, thinky, creative, and worthy of all the accolades.

The Vale of Eternity Review

The Vale of Eternity distills TCG gameplay into a pure engine builder that sounds awesome on paper but lacks that special sauce.

Junk Art Review

Junk Art has all the elements of a family classic. It's fast, fresh, and fun—with lots of variety and only a few flaws worth noting.

Décorum Review

"A game of passive aggressive cohabitation" is the perfect tagline for this game—and perhaps a bit too accurate for its own good.

Duel for Cardia Review

Duel for Cardia is one of the cleanest, fastest, and most replayable 2-player card duels ever made—and it only gets better the more you play it.

Lure Review

Lure is a chill push-your-luck dice-chucking game where you need to outwit your opponents for first dibs at the fishing pond.

Tag Team Review

Build your deck and see where fate takes you! Tag Team is my favorite 2-player dueling card game of all time.

Railroad Tiles Review

Railroad Tiles is a tile-laying puzzle game that doesn't do enough to rise above the many other games in this genre.

2026 Board Gaming Resolutions

If all goes well, this will be the best board gaming year I've had. The key? Being more intentional about how I engage with the hobby.

A Carnivore Did It! Review

Who's lying? Who's telling the truth? Who's the real culprit hiding in the dubious claims? Untangle the logic in A Carnivore Did It!

Hot Streak Review

Hot Streak is the most fun and silliest race betting game I've ever played. It's so wacky, unpredictable, and charmingly entertaining.

Shelf Update: 2025 Year in Review

Lots of new games added to the collection this year—and I'm starting to get picky about the new games I'm willing to acquire.

Quiddler Review

Quiddler is a card-based word building game that squanders its Scrabble-like premise by being too random and overstaying its welcome.

Just One Review

What do you get when word association, mind melding, and deduction are wrapped up together? Just One is an instant party game classic!

Ra Review

It's so fun, it feels like a party game (even though it isn't). Ra has earned its status as an all-time great among board games.

That's Not a Hat Review

A memory-driven party game that you can win even if you have terrible memory? For that alone, That's Not a Hat deserves some praise.

The Best Board Gaming Accessories

Some accessories are game-changing. Others are a waste of money. Here are my favorites and regrets from over the years.

Agent Avenue Review

Agent Avenue is an outstanding two-player cat-and-mouse card game that plays fast while dripping with tension, deception, and excitement.

Spots Review

Spots is an adorable little push-your-luck dice game that's sure to appeal. Unfortunately, it's less than the sum of its parts.

Diced Veggies Review

Diced Veggies is a casual dice drafting game about collecting veggies and cooking them into tasty dishes. Great to play with kids.

Vegas Strip Review

Vegas Strip mixes casinos, bluffing, cheating, and mind games together... in a way that somehow strips all the fun out of Vegas.

Captain Flip Review

Captain Flip is a quick and simple tile placement game where you have to push your luck if you want to come out ahead.

Alibis Review

Alibis is a party-style word association game that succeeds as a small but welcome evolution on So Clover and Codenames.