Hello everyone!

What a month April was! I played a lot, I laughed a lot, and I discovered some real gems along the way. 32 plays over 17 different games, more than double my March count of 15. That says it all, really. 😊

April 2026 by the Numbers

• 32 plays (vs. 15 in March, more than double!)
• 17 different games
• 10 new-to-me games
• Most played: Onirim (6 plays)

Onirim

Onirim is not new to me. I’ve owned it for a few years now and I keep coming back to it. It’s part of the Oniverse, a collection of small-box games designed for solo or two players, all set in the same dream world. Eight games in the series so far, and while they all share the same universe, each one feels genuinely different from the others. Onirim was my entry point into the Oniverse and it holds a special place in my heart. It reminds me of the solitaire card games I used to play as a kid. The goal is to escape the labyrinth by finding the eight exit doors, using only cards, but be careful not to cross paths with a nightmare! It’s quick, tense in the best possible way, and an absolute must-have for solo players. I’ll dedicate a full review to it one day. It deserves one.

Red Rising

Red Rising was technically already in my collection, but this month was the first time I actually sat down to play it, and it won me over quickly. I lost only once out of four plays, but the win/loss count almost misses the point: what kept me coming back was how differently each game played out. The combo mechanics between the different castes are the heart of this game, and there are so many ways to build a hand that each play genuinely felt like a different puzzle to solve. The solo mode is quick to set up and easy to run, but don’t let that fool you. It’s genuinely hard to beat. I already have a full review written and ready to post, so I won’t say too much more here. Keep an eye out. It deserves its own spotlight!

It’s a Wonderful World

I honestly can’t fully explain the pull this game has on me. With more than 25 plays under my belt, solo and at two players, you’d think the magic would wear off. It hasn’t. This month I came back to it in solo mode and, well, I lost. But even losing felt satisfying.

The balance between building an efficient production engine and building a scoring engine is just perfect. You can have a smooth game where resources flow freely and cards go down easily, and still lose because none of them actually scored you points. It’s that tension that keeps me coming back. The theme doesn’t hit you over the head, but the artwork is lovely. More plays incoming for sure.

Last Will

Last Will is a game I really love, but since it’s a multiplayer-only experience, I hadn’t had the chance to play it in a while. That changed this month, thanks to a wonderful new development: I’ve started joining the monthly and weekly meetings of Legiao dos Jogos. What an amazing group of people! It’s been such a joy to bring some of my favourite games to the table, and to discover new ones alongside them.

So, Last Will finally hit the table again, and at four players no less. The premise is wonderfully absurd: instead of trying to become the richest player, you have to spend all your money. Sounds easy? It really isn’t. The game is beautifully designed for its theme, the artwork is spot on, and playing it at four created exactly the kind of chaos and laughter I was hoping for. If spending money is your thing, this game is absolutely for you. 😄

Other Notable Games

Multiplayer discoveries with Legião dos Jogos

Being part of the group also meant discovering, or rediscovering, some great lighter games. I got to play The Gang, The Game, Codenames, Take 5, and Escape: The Curse of the Temple, and they all delivered fun in their own way.

Escape: The Curse of the Temple was my favourite of the bunch. At four players it’s pure glorious chaos: everyone rolling dice at the same time, shouting across the table to coordinate. It’s genuinely one of those experiences where you’re nearly screaming just to be heard, and somehow that makes it even better. If you enjoy real-time games where the table turns into beautiful pandemonium, this one is for you.

Codenames we played at eight, which in my opinion was a bit too many. I’ve played Codenames Harry Potter at two players before, and I think the sweet spot is around six. That gives you two people giving clues, one per team, and two players on each team discussing the hints and making guesses together. At three per team, some people inevitably get less involved, maybe out of shyness or just because the discussion gets harder to follow. At eight it felt a little crowded for me. Fun either way, but six feels like the right balance.

Solo new-to-me games

On the solo front, I explored five new games this month: Era of Kingdoms, Outlive, Side Quest: 7th Sea, Fromage, and Paper Tales.

Era of Kingdoms was a genuine surprise. I had never heard of it before, and it turned out to be a really enjoyable tableau building, deck building, and hand management game. The atmosphere is a bit dark, which suits the theme well. My only small complaint is that some of the symbols could be a bit bigger. For a game that came completely out of nowhere for me, I would absolutely recommend it.

Outlive was a game I had been wanting to play for a long time. I almost got to it last year, but then I realised I needed the Underwater expansion to unlock the solo mode, so the experience had to wait. It was worth it. I love the survival theme, and the worker placement twist is clever: you never retrieve your workers from the board, you can only move them. It forces you to think carefully about placement at every step. The automa is pleasant to manage, and as a collector’s edition owner, I can confirm the components are just stunning.

SideQuest: 7th Sea is an escape room game from the SideQuest series by Board & Dice. The puzzles in the first part of the game were well-balanced and satisfying. The second part was trickier. I struggled at times to figure out what I was supposed to do. I own two more games from the series, so it’ll be interesting to see if that difficulty curve feels the same across them.

Fromage immediately charmed me. The theme is exactly what it sounds like: you’re making cheese. The worker placement mechanic is wonderfully on theme too. The more elaborate the cheese you’re making, the longer your workers are tied up in the affinage process. It’s clever, it’s thematic, and the components are just delightful, including that cheese board-shaped board! I only played solo this time, but I’m already curious to try it at two or three players.

Paper Tales left me with mixed feelings, though I suspect that’s partly on me. I think I made some resource management mistakes on my first play. The core idea is interesting: you have limited tableau space, and you’ll place your workers and fighters to defeat the solo king. What I found particularly charming is the ageing mechanic. Your characters grow old and eventually die, which adds a lovely layer of bittersweet planning. I need a few more plays before I can say anything definitive, but the concept is good and I want to give it a fair chance.

Games I Keep Coming Back To

Dice Throne Adventure

I’ve mentioned this one in previous monthly reviews, and here I am again. I’m still working my way through the campaign in solo, and I’m now into the fourth scenario. The pattern has become something of a ritual: I almost always lose the first attempt at each new scenario, except for the third one, which I beat on my very first try. Very proud of that! The fourth scenario has already beaten me once, so I’ll be going back in for another try. The campaign is funny, addictive, and just the right amount of punishing.

Ancient Knowledge

Ancient Knowledge is another game that requires the expansion to play solo, in this case the Heritage expansion. I’ve played it before but April reminded me that I still haven’t cracked the winning formula. I lost again, and I have a feeling I’m simply forgetting the recipe between plays! Fair warning: the cards carry a lot of text, so if that puts you off, this one probably isn’t for you. I do like the game though, and one of these days I’ll figure out how to actually win it. 😅

Viticulture

Have I mentioned that I love Viticulture? Because I really love Viticulture. Solo, every single point counts. One wrong decision and the win slips away. I’m genuinely curious to explore the Tuscany and Bordeaux expansions at some point. Something to look forward to.

Looking Ahead

May is looking exciting! My main goal is to finally finish the Dice Throne Adventure campaign. The fifth scenario still owes me a win. Beyond that, I’m feeling the pull of Minos, Unconscious Mind, and Luthier. I don’t know which one will make it to the table first, but I have a feeling at least one of them won’t wait much longer.

What About You?

What a month it’s been! New groups, new games, old favourites. April had it all. Are any of these games on your radar? Have you played any of them? Come share your thoughts on Mastodon.