Ruel Gaviola
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ruelgaviola.com
Ruel Gaviola
@ruelgaviola.com
Board gamer, host, producer for Good Time Society, Rahdo Runs Through, and more. Taelor ambassador. Dodgers fan. Pug papa. He/Him. 🎲🇺🇸🇵🇭 https://linktr.ee/ruelgaviola
I did a Rahdo Run Through of Ancient Empires, a 4x game with a fun mix of action selection and area control. I love that you can play a complete 4x game within an hour or so! #boardgames #kickstarter

Watch: youtu.be/vwZSNBi6CDI?...
Ancient Empires ►►► A Fast Paced Action Programming 4x Civilization Game
YouTube video by Rahdo Runs Through
youtu.be
February 12, 2026 at 5:59 AM
Reposted by Ruel Gaviola
I want to thank people who took the time to read the document and watch the video I shared. It is also important to me that it is understood: I do not believe Matthew, Paula, Monique or Naveen (or anyone else) had involvement (or awareness) of the actions the owner of Game Night Picks took. 1/4
February 11, 2026 at 1:25 AM
Banzainator and I shared our Top 10 Games for the month of January! Check out Tabletop Recall, my monthly gaming recap. What was your favorite game played last month? #boardgames

Watch: youtu.be/_0-c55YYEds
February 11, 2026 at 8:01 AM
I just backed Barkane: the RPG you play with your Dog! on @kickstarter.com www.kickstarter.com/projects/fig...
Barkane: the RPG you play with your Dog!
A beginner friendly, action-journal RPG. Tail your wizard doggo through 10 walking quests!
www.kickstarter.com
February 10, 2026 at 11:27 PM
Reposted by Ruel Gaviola
Congrats to the team over at Creatist Games for their launch of NPC Rivals on Kickstarter this morning!

Leo Camacho has designed a delightfully combative deck-building game, that incorporates the best parts of the mechanics and introduces some great d20 dice elements.
February 10, 2026 at 6:21 PM
LIVE NOW on Twitch: @colewehrle.bsky.social joins us for our Top 10 Most Anticipated Games! It's the R&R Show! #boardgames

Watch: www.twitch.tv/rahdorunsthr...
RahdoRunsThrough - Twitch
Hey everybody! If you're looking for LIVE Rahdo boardgame stuff, this is the place!
www.twitch.tv
February 10, 2026 at 7:54 PM
The remastered Sagrada is now available! What 3 things did I love about this new edition? And what was 1 things I didn't love? #boardgames

Watch: youtu.be/TcNVTjFofgg
February 10, 2026 at 9:00 AM
The remastered Sagrada is now available! Join me for a solo play through of this dice drafting and placement game. #boardgames

Watch: youtu.be/tAO4SD8678I
February 10, 2026 at 8:00 AM
Reposted by Ruel Gaviola
What is this? A commander party where Dragons go head-to-head, INCLUDING superbowl Champion Leonard Williams?

youtu.be/hEdyTCl2eFM
Leonard Williams "Oops, All Dragons" | Commander Party 18 | MTG EDH Gameplay
YouTube video by Good Time Society
youtu.be
February 9, 2026 at 5:59 PM
LIVE NOW: Banz joins me for our Top 10 Games of the Month! It's time for Tabletop Recall, a monthly recap of games played. What was your favorite game played last month?

#boardgames

Watch on YouTube and Twitch!
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ruelgaviola
Twitch: www.twitch.tv/ruelgaviola
February 9, 2026 at 5:55 PM
Reposted by Ruel Gaviola
Today I emailed publishers about a concerning practice a board game media creator engaged in. This will likely become public, so I'm providing the details here to give the full context of what I shared.

1) Document: www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/o8ovt...

2) Video: youtu.be/fHXGWflPj4c

1/2
www.dropbox.com
February 9, 2026 at 2:47 PM
Can we get these for the LA Dodgers home opener next month?
25,000 protest towels are being handed out to Super Bowl spectators today by group 'CONTRA-ICE'

They tap into longstanding protest traditions going back to the 1968 Olympics, 1975's "Terrible Towel" protest and the Canadian "Towel Power" protest

Watch for these in the stands during the broadcast!
February 9, 2026 at 7:12 AM
Self-publishers get to shine at this show within a show
A Preview of Game Market Vegas 2026
<p>Designer Taylor Reiner is a fan of trick-taking games, as he makes abundantly clear on his YouTube channel <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@ClaudeAndTaylor" rel="noreferrer">Taylor's Trick-Taking Table</a>, and has self-published several trick-taking games — and he wants others to self-publish as well: "I'm a huge proponent for getting my friends who are disposed to game design to get their designs out there."</p><p>In 2025, Reiner co-ordinated Game Market Vegas, an event taking place at <a href="https://dicetowerwest.com" rel="noreferrer">Dice Tower West</a> where designers could present self-published games to attendees for play and purchase, and in 2026 he's doing it again, with Game Market Vegas 2026 taking place on March 12 and 14 during Dice Tower West in the event room near the welcome area around 17:00. "The line management is much easier when split up", he says, "and you get folks who play the game with others at the con, then people will come by on Saturday and say, 'I played this earlier and want to get a copy.'"</p><p>Here's an overview of the games that will be available:</p><ul><li>Daryl Durston's <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/463281" rel="noreferrer"><strong><em>Aetherium: The Forgotten Duel</em></strong></a> is a two-player abstract strategy duel in which players use actions to boost the power of element tokens. Max out a token, and you pull the aether market toward your side of the board. If you get the aether token to your end of the track or max out the final token in an element, you win instantly.</li><li>In Chris Lawrence's <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/457851" rel="noreferrer"><strong><em>Coupon Clipper</em></strong></a>, 2-4 players pass around sheets of paper filled with coupons, making two cuts on a sheet each turn, plus one extra cut per bonus token spent. You collect everything cut free from the sheet, trying to end up with the best groceries for a BBQ picnic.</li><li><strong><em>I Cut, You Lose</em></strong> is Taylor Reiner's own contribution to the show, with this being a single-card, micro-legacy game in which players try to rip off the "middlest" piece from a card during a snake draft.</li><li>Dennis Bigelow's <strong><em>Tricked Out</em></strong> from <a href="https://farallongames.com/" rel="noreferrer">Farallon Games</a> can be played only while playing a trick-taking game, with the winners and losers of tricks earning "Tricked Out" cards with "special abilities that change how the trick-taker is played and give points in <em>Tricked Out</em>".</li><li>Perhaps you can pair <em>Tricked Out</em> with Bigelow's own <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/436394" rel="noreferrer"><strong><em>Trickster Gods</em></strong></a>, a game for 3-4 players in which trick winners can keep winning cards or use them to manipulate the 'Cosmic Equation' that determines how sets score at the end of the round.</li><li>Tommy Kerbow's <strong><em>Trixy Rabbits</em></strong> is a bidding-free, trick-taking game in which rabbits can cost you points or help you score.</li></ul><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://www.wericmartin.com/content/images/2026/02/trick-hero-1.jpg" class="kg-image" alt="" loading="lazy" width="1361" height="911" srcset="https://www.wericmartin.com/content/images/size/w600/2026/02/trick-hero-1.jpg 600w, https://www.wericmartin.com/content/images/size/w1000/2026/02/trick-hero-1.jpg 1000w, https://www.wericmartin.com/content/images/2026/02/trick-hero-1.jpg 1361w" /></figure> <div style="text-align:center;color:#E26D5A;letter-spacing:6px;font-size:14px;line-height:14px;margin:20px 0"> • • • • • • • • • • • • • • </div> <aside class="mt-10 text-center text-base"> <p class="mb-3">Like what you read? Leave a tip to support independent board game journalism!</p> <a href="#/portal/support" class="px-4 py-2 bg-brand text-brand-contrast rounded-btn hover:brightness-110 no-underline" style="text-decoration:none"> Leave a tip </a> </aside>
www.wericmartin.com
February 7, 2026 at 5:57 PM
Reposted by Ruel Gaviola
Put it on your calendar today. Tell your family and friends. The next No Kings protest is Saturday, March 28.
We were 7 million strong in October. We can be even stronger in March.
February 5, 2026 at 6:10 PM
No set who dis?! It's time for Good Morning Society, your weekly source of board games, beverages, and shenanigans! #boardgames @goodtimesociety.com @thebeccascott.bsky.social

Watch on Twitch or YouTube: www.twitch.tv/goodtimesoci... or

www.youtube.com/@goodtimesoc...
February 4, 2026 at 6:01 PM
Reposted by Ruel Gaviola
It's Cardboard Time! Episode 128 (AND a bonus episode) is now live (tinyurl.com/mrzmbxe5). On today's episode, we chat about our trip to Orcacon and all the wonderful people we saw out there. On the Bonus Episode, you can hear about our Honeymoon adventures until the audio gets cut off!
February 4, 2026 at 12:39 AM
Reposted by Ruel Gaviola
Guess what's live now? #bloodontheclocktower
February 3, 2026 at 7:04 PM
Today's Tabletop Recall has been postponed until next Monday 2/9. Join me then as we share our favorite games of the month! Don't forget, you can catch me on Good Morning Society this Wednesday 2/4 at 10am Pacific! #boardgames
February 2, 2026 at 5:49 PM
ICYMI: New studio, who dis?! :) We've got a new look over on Good Morning Society! And we have more surprises in the weeks to come. Join us every Wednesday at 10am for your weekly dose of board games, beverages, and shenanigans! @goodtimesociety.com

www.youtube.com/live/CrLzefF...
We got a NEW STREAMING STUDIO!! With marshmallows! (but Bailey ate them all) | Good Morning Society
YouTube video by Good Time Society
www.youtube.com
January 31, 2026 at 8:12 PM
LIVE NOW: It's my birthday live stream! Let's hang out and play games! #boardgames

Watch on YouTube and Twitch!

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ruelgaviola
Twitch: www.twitch.tv/ruelgaviola
January 30, 2026 at 6:00 PM
Reposted by Ruel Gaviola
This is why Liz @beyondsolitaire.bsky.social was the perfect creator to work with on the official Votes for Women tutorial. Beyond being smart, she's curious. Beyond being caring, she's driven by values. Beyond a gamer, she's a valued member of my community.

youtu.be/1qlEn8ob2ns?...
Thoughts from a Minnesota Gamer
YouTube video by Beyond Solitaire
youtu.be
January 28, 2026 at 6:54 PM
Reposted by Ruel Gaviola
Board Game Beat is officially launched & loaded with content...with more to come as I report on Spielwarenmesse!

If you're into independent board game journalism—articles, videos, interviews, news, reviews & more—please check it out and share.

www.wericmartin.com

#boardgame #spielwarenmesse
Board Game Beat LLC | W. Eric Martin
Tabletop and board game journalism with deep-dive news, reviews, interviews, videos, and essays, plus rulebook writing and editing services.
www.wericmartin.com
January 26, 2026 at 5:00 PM
Reposted by Ruel Gaviola
This poem by an NBA chaplain eloquently conveys something I've been trying to say about why #boardgames can't always promote peaceful vibes:

Peace*keeping* is all about protecting a status quo; it keeps the peace by silencing dissent.

Peace*making* disturbs that peace to build a more loving world.
Statement from the Minnesota Timberwolves team chaplain with alt text (ht @gregolear.bsky.social)
January 26, 2026 at 5:16 AM
Reposted by Ruel Gaviola
TD/DR I am matching your donations to MN response or immigrant rights groups in your area. I've got 352.08 left from what might be my last royalty payment for my game Votes for Women.

Send me a screenshot of your donation and a link and I'll match it.

Let's do something good together.
January 26, 2026 at 2:06 AM
Reposted by Ruel Gaviola
When stuff if bad out there, be a sword, a shield, or a purse.
January 25, 2026 at 5:32 PM