May 2026 Plays

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Hello everyone!

May was a quieter month than April, at least by the numbers, but no less enjoyable. I revisited some firm favourites, discovered a few charming new games, and had a great time around the table with others. I have to admit, Minos, Unconscious Mind, and Luthier, which I was hoping to finally get to the table, once again didn’t make it. Lack of time got in the way, but they will soon. Let’s get into it!

May 2026 by the Numbers

24 plays (vs. 32 in April)
11 different games
5 new-to-me games
Most played: Ancient Knowledge and It’s a Wonderful World

May 2026 stats

All games played in May 2026

It’s a Wonderful World — My Favourite of the Month

Sometimes I ask myself why I love this game so much. And then I play it, and the answer becomes obvious: there is nothing quite like the satisfaction of constructing every single card by the end of the fourth round, watching your empire hum along exactly as planned.

The design is really clever. You’re building cards that allow your empire to produce goods and score points, but the order in which you construct them matters. A card built early can start producing in that same round, as long as the relevant good hasn’t been produced yet. Goods are generated in a fixed order, so planning your sequence well is what separates a smooth engine from a frustrated one. That puzzle is exactly what I love about this game.

I’ve played the War or Peace campaign both solo and at two players, and now I’m starting Leisure and Decadence for the first time, playing solo. The campaigns bring new mechanics that make the game really shine, and they do it all behind a story that is genuinely well constructed. I also always play with the Corruption and Ascension expansion. It can help or hurt depending on how you build your strategy: some of those cards are really worth constructing, but they demand a lot of resources. Will you be patient enough to pull it off?

My rating: 9/10. The only thing holding it back is that the theme doesn’t always feel fully present during play. But the puzzle and the engine more than make up for it. If you enjoy engine building and don’t need a game to be heavily thematic, I fully recommend this one.

It’s a Wonderful World: the satisfaction of a perfectly constructed engine

Ancient Knowledge

I already have a full review of Ancient Knowledge on the blog, so I won’t go into detail here. The short version: you’re the architect of ancient wonders, and the real heart of the game is deciding when to spend your cards and how to manage where they enter the timeline. Should you push a monument closer to the past, or keep it in play a little longer? That tension is what makes the game tick.

I’ll be honest, the theme doesn’t feel fully present after a while. But the enjoyment of managing what to play and when is real, and I genuinely love watching the monuments drift toward the past. It took me several plays to really get into it, and I’ve only played solo so far. Worth the patience.

My rating: 8/10 — same as in the review. A game that rewards patience and grows on you with every play.

Ancient Knowledge: managing the flow of time

Fromage and Fromaggio

These two are standalone games that can also be combined as expansions of each other. I’ve now played Fromage at three players and solo, and Fromaggio solo. I haven’t mixed them yet, but I’m curious to try.

My verdict? I really like this game. As someone pointed out during my three-player session, the first play can feel a little overwhelming. There’s a lot to track: plate colours, cheese colours, the different scoring conditions for each location, plus cows, buildings, and fruits. But after that first play, everything clicks into place and you start to see the strategies.

If you ask me which one I prefer, honestly, I can’t say. Both are really good. But they’re also quite similar, so there’s nothing dramatically new if you own both. My recommendation: start with Fromage. After several plays, if you’re still hooked and want a bit more variety, then pick up Fromaggio. No need to rush into both at once. The components are fantastic, by the way, in both the retail and premium versions.

My rating: 8/10 for both. Funny, addictive, and very well made.

Fromage: more cheese strategies than you’d expect

Formaggio: same great cheese, a little more variety

Time Bomb

Time Bomb is a party game that plays quickly and will almost certainly make you laugh. We played at five players, and it wasn’t my first time with it. Every time I play, I enjoy it just as much as the first.

The idea is simple and brilliant. Each player receives a set of face-down cards showing parts of a bomb. Some cables can be cut to defuse it, others do nothing, and somewhere in the deck is the bomb itself. Players look at their own cards, shuffle them, and lay them face-down in front of them. The first player then cuts a cable by flipping one of another player’s cards. That player becomes the next to cut, and so the game goes, one cable at a time. Two hidden teams are at play throughout: Sherlock’s side is trying to defuse the bomb, Moriarty’s side is trying to make it explode. And here’s the funny part: after your very first play, you’ll never quite trust what anyone tells you again. Everyone claims to have the right cables in front of them. Everyone.

My rating: 8/10. If you enjoy bluffing games and hidden traitor mechanics, this one belongs in your collection.

Time Bomb: two teams, one bomb, no one tells the truth

Other Notable Games

Broom Service

One play at four players, and I had a brilliant time. The theme is charming: you run a delivery service for witches, collecting ingredients and fulfilling orders across a magical realm. The core mechanic is wonderfully tense: you play a card and declare whether you want to be brave or cowardly. The brave action is stronger, but if another player plays the same card and also chooses brave, they can steal the action from you. Reading what other players might do, second-guessing their choices, deciding whether to play it safe or go for it — it’s all very funny and surprisingly interactive.

I enjoyed the game and the mechanisms a lot, but I’d need more plays before giving it a proper rating. For now, 7/10, with the caveat that it might go higher. If someone invites me to play this again, I’ll say yes immediately.

Broom Service: brave or cowardly? Choose wisely

Onirim

I already have a full review on the blog. Onirim is a game I love, and it reminds me of classic solitaire card games. Fair warning: if you’re not a fan of shuffling, this one might test your patience. You’ll be doing it often. Absolutely worth it.

My rating: 8/10 — as in the review. A perfect everyday game that never overstays its welcome.

Onirim: one more game, always

Codenames

Codenames is fun, but it really depends on the group. 6/10 from me. The game itself is sharp and clever, and you can see how much better players get together over time. But if someone at the table struggles with word associations or is a bit more reserved, it can become a painful experience rather than an enjoyable one. Sweet spot for me is around six players.

Age of Civilization

I had only played this one solo before, so this month I tried it at two players for the first time. It’s a pleasant little game built around timing: actions move through the eras, so things that are useful early may not be available late, and vice versa. I still feel like I need more plays to really get comfortable with it. For now, 6/10. Quick, easy to play, perfectly fine. I’d play again, but it wouldn’t be my first pick off the shelf.

Age of Civilization: timing is everything

Suburbia

My first solo play, and I have mixed feelings. The city-building puzzle is genuinely enjoyable: managing your borough, deciding what to build next, balancing income and growth. But the rules are messy and hard to follow, and the player aid offers no clear ordering of the tiles, which makes looking things up frustrating. 6/10 for now, but I need more plays before saying anything definitive. The potential is there.

Suburbia: great puzzle, frustrating rules

Ohio Bob

One play, and a win. It’s a small, clever little game you can take anywhere. The rules are a touch unclear in places — I had to check the FAQ to sort out a couple of doubts — but nothing that broke the experience. 7/10 so far, and I’ll definitely be going back to try harder levels.

Ohio Bob: small box, clever challenge

Looking Ahead

June is looking promising! I’m planning my first plays of Minos and Unconscious Mind, two games I’m really curious about. Septima already had one play and left me wanting more, so it’s definitely coming back to the table. And Hogwarts Battle… it’s a game I love and have been missing, so it’s time to give it the attention it deserves. I hope it will be a great month!

What About You?

May had a nice mix of familiar favourites and new discoveries. It’s a Wonderful World continues to be one of those games I simply can’t put down, and Fromage turned out to be a real treat. Have you played any of these? I’d love to hear your thoughts! Come find me on Mastodon and Facebook.

Broom Service on Marta's BG Corner