Dan Thurot
@danthurot.bsky.social
I'm just some dude. A cardboard cowboy. I also write Space-Biff!, the world's first and only board game review site.
Reposted by Dan Thurot
✨ Reminder!! ✨
Indie Games Night Market is tonight @ 7pm!!
When the Expo Hall closes, come down to Hall C to buy the freshest indie games!!
“More even than last year, these games seem like they’re pushing boundaries. They capture the spirit of what it means to be ‘indie.‘“ @danthurot.bsky.social
Indie Games Night Market is tonight @ 7pm!!
When the Expo Hall closes, come down to Hall C to buy the freshest indie games!!
“More even than last year, these games seem like they’re pushing boundaries. They capture the spirit of what it means to be ‘indie.‘“ @danthurot.bsky.social
Pax Unplugged is right around the corner!!
Looking back at all the IGNM coverage—I’m so proud and impressed at how much our community came together to promote these awesome indie works!
There’s a game for everyone in this lot!
Here’s a thread of all the incredible coverage of IGNM 2025: 🧵 🎲✂️
Looking back at all the IGNM coverage—I’m so proud and impressed at how much our community came together to promote these awesome indie works!
There’s a game for everyone in this lot!
Here’s a thread of all the incredible coverage of IGNM 2025: 🧵 🎲✂️
November 22, 2025 at 1:20 PM
✨ Reminder!! ✨
Indie Games Night Market is tonight @ 7pm!!
When the Expo Hall closes, come down to Hall C to buy the freshest indie games!!
“More even than last year, these games seem like they’re pushing boundaries. They capture the spirit of what it means to be ‘indie.‘“ @danthurot.bsky.social
Indie Games Night Market is tonight @ 7pm!!
When the Expo Hall closes, come down to Hall C to buy the freshest indie games!!
“More even than last year, these games seem like they’re pushing boundaries. They capture the spirit of what it means to be ‘indie.‘“ @danthurot.bsky.social
Reposted by Dan Thurot
Three great reviews here; I'm very excited for both of these other games! They'll all be available at the Indie Games Night Market this Saturday evening.
And Crownfell (regular paper edition) can be purchased at the link in my pinned post. 🧡
And Crownfell (regular paper edition) can be purchased at the link in my pinned post. 🧡
Today I investigate three more indie games, all of which are ambitious and explorative of what games can accomplish. These are good'uns. spacebiff.com/2025/11/18/h...
Nebulae, Medusae… Crownae?
Yesterday on BlueSky, Marceline Leiman asked a great question. Using only one or two extremely vague words, how would I describe the titles on offer at this year’s Indie Games Night Market? N…
spacebiff.com
November 21, 2025 at 4:07 AM
Three great reviews here; I'm very excited for both of these other games! They'll all be available at the Indie Games Night Market this Saturday evening.
And Crownfell (regular paper edition) can be purchased at the link in my pinned post. 🧡
And Crownfell (regular paper edition) can be purchased at the link in my pinned post. 🧡
Reposted by Dan Thurot
Playing a couple of rounds of Medusa's Garden in the parking lot was a very surprising highlight of SDHistCon for me. I'm not usually a social deduction fan, but that one was a delightful distillation of the genre. Great writing on it (and two more games) from Dan here.
Today I investigate three more indie games, all of which are ambitious and explorative of what games can accomplish. These are good'uns. spacebiff.com/2025/11/18/h...
Nebulae, Medusae… Crownae?
Yesterday on BlueSky, Marceline Leiman asked a great question. Using only one or two extremely vague words, how would I describe the titles on offer at this year’s Indie Games Night Market? N…
spacebiff.com
November 20, 2025 at 11:06 PM
Playing a couple of rounds of Medusa's Garden in the parking lot was a very surprising highlight of SDHistCon for me. I'm not usually a social deduction fan, but that one was a delightful distillation of the genre. Great writing on it (and two more games) from Dan here.
Reskeet with a time I looked cool? Um, right now, baby. Right fucking now.
November 20, 2025 at 9:10 PM
Reskeet with a time I looked cool? Um, right now, baby. Right fucking now.
The Two Towers: Trick-Taking Game follows up on last year's Fellowship trick-taker, and like that inaugural release it's an innovative and excellent adaptation of Tolkien's fantasy novel. My review: spacebiff.com/2025/11/20/t...
Trick-Taking’s Back on the Menu, Boys!
The problem with sequels, especially in board games where sequels are mechanical artifacts first and narrative artifacts a distant second if at all, is that there isn’t necessarily more to sa…
spacebiff.com
November 20, 2025 at 7:46 PM
The Two Towers: Trick-Taking Game follows up on last year's Fellowship trick-taker, and like that inaugural release it's an innovative and excellent adaptation of Tolkien's fantasy novel. My review: spacebiff.com/2025/11/20/t...
I keep trying to get my grubby mitts on Eternal Decks, but to no avail. Reached out to someone on BGG who had it listed for trade, and they wanted like five games in exchange. Five full games! New games! Hotness games!
Anybody have a lead? I'm bad at this, haha.
Anybody have a lead? I'm bad at this, haha.
November 19, 2025 at 5:25 PM
I keep trying to get my grubby mitts on Eternal Decks, but to no avail. Reached out to someone on BGG who had it listed for trade, and they wanted like five games in exchange. Five full games! New games! Hotness games!
Anybody have a lead? I'm bad at this, haha.
Anybody have a lead? I'm bad at this, haha.
I sincerely hope people will check out this year's Indie Games Night Market at Pax Unplugged! I covered nine of the games that will be featured there, each of which has something to recommend it. With any luck, some of them will be picked up by publishers or continue to be sold by their creators.
@danthurot.bsky.social returning from last year has done incredible write-ups of so many of the games that will be available at the market!
Dan has an uncanny ability to capture the very spirit of the things he critiques.
We’re so so lucky to have such a skilled writer on our backs!!
Dan has an uncanny ability to capture the very spirit of the things he critiques.
We’re so so lucky to have such a skilled writer on our backs!!
Indie Games Night Market – SPACE-BIFF!
Posts about Indie Games Night Market written by Dan Thurot
spacebiff.com
November 19, 2025 at 4:32 PM
I sincerely hope people will check out this year's Indie Games Night Market at Pax Unplugged! I covered nine of the games that will be featured there, each of which has something to recommend it. With any luck, some of them will be picked up by publishers or continue to be sold by their creators.
Fun factoid: Some ancient Mediterranean peoples believed that many creatures spontaneously generated from inorganic matter. Flies from soil, fleas from dust, maggots from dead flesh, oysters and scallops from sea mud.
Bees came from dead cows.
Bees came from dead cows.
November 19, 2025 at 4:26 PM
Fun factoid: Some ancient Mediterranean peoples believed that many creatures spontaneously generated from inorganic matter. Flies from soil, fleas from dust, maggots from dead flesh, oysters and scallops from sea mud.
Bees came from dead cows.
Bees came from dead cows.
Reposted by Dan Thurot
It is only because of indie designers did I feel comfortable trying designing myself. Once I saw the strange, the unique, and the expressive thriving in their communities, i felt comfortable enough to be vulnerable and make my games
Today I investigate three more indie games, all of which are ambitious and explorative of what games can accomplish. These are good'uns. spacebiff.com/2025/11/18/h...
Nebulae, Medusae… Crownae?
Yesterday on BlueSky, Marceline Leiman asked a great question. Using only one or two extremely vague words, how would I describe the titles on offer at this year’s Indie Games Night Market? N…
spacebiff.com
November 19, 2025 at 2:37 AM
It is only because of indie designers did I feel comfortable trying designing myself. Once I saw the strange, the unique, and the expressive thriving in their communities, i felt comfortable enough to be vulnerable and make my games
Reposted by Dan Thurot
Thank you, Dan, for putting the spotlight on the edges of tabletop design, where some truly exciting experiments and provocative design is happening. I can't wait to check out the Indie Night Market for myself! Getting into the Market has become one of my goals as a designer.
Today I investigate three more indie games, all of which are ambitious and explorative of what games can accomplish. These are good'uns. spacebiff.com/2025/11/18/h...
Nebulae, Medusae… Crownae?
Yesterday on BlueSky, Marceline Leiman asked a great question. Using only one or two extremely vague words, how would I describe the titles on offer at this year’s Indie Games Night Market? N…
spacebiff.com
November 18, 2025 at 8:37 PM
Thank you, Dan, for putting the spotlight on the edges of tabletop design, where some truly exciting experiments and provocative design is happening. I can't wait to check out the Indie Night Market for myself! Getting into the Market has become one of my goals as a designer.
Reposted by Dan Thurot
I loved Dan's perfectly succinct description of the #Crownfell playmat:
November 18, 2025 at 8:20 PM
I loved Dan's perfectly succinct description of the #Crownfell playmat:
Reposted by Dan Thurot
It may not be an 'official' DVC creation, but Medusa's Garden is some real silly nonsense that came out of our friend group and game nights. Phil also did a ton of the best work here... if you are at PAXU, come play a round with us.
Today I investigate three more indie games, all of which are ambitious and explorative of what games can accomplish. These are good'uns. spacebiff.com/2025/11/18/h...
Nebulae, Medusae… Crownae?
Yesterday on BlueSky, Marceline Leiman asked a great question. Using only one or two extremely vague words, how would I describe the titles on offer at this year’s Indie Games Night Market? N…
spacebiff.com
November 18, 2025 at 8:05 PM
It may not be an 'official' DVC creation, but Medusa's Garden is some real silly nonsense that came out of our friend group and game nights. Phil also did a ton of the best work here... if you are at PAXU, come play a round with us.
Reposted by Dan Thurot
“Even when I’m getting walloped, Heavenly Bodies feels so good to handle that it’s hard not to keep coming back.”
Thanks so much!!! It’s a fun conversation to have your second review from a writer.
I so appreciate you covering Heavenly Bodies and the many of us capturing the indie spirit! 🎲✂️
Thanks so much!!! It’s a fun conversation to have your second review from a writer.
I so appreciate you covering Heavenly Bodies and the many of us capturing the indie spirit! 🎲✂️
Today I investigate three more indie games, all of which are ambitious and explorative of what games can accomplish. These are good'uns. spacebiff.com/2025/11/18/h...
Nebulae, Medusae… Crownae?
Yesterday on BlueSky, Marceline Leiman asked a great question. Using only one or two extremely vague words, how would I describe the titles on offer at this year’s Indie Games Night Market? N…
spacebiff.com
November 18, 2025 at 7:43 PM
“Even when I’m getting walloped, Heavenly Bodies feels so good to handle that it’s hard not to keep coming back.”
Thanks so much!!! It’s a fun conversation to have your second review from a writer.
I so appreciate you covering Heavenly Bodies and the many of us capturing the indie spirit! 🎲✂️
Thanks so much!!! It’s a fun conversation to have your second review from a writer.
I so appreciate you covering Heavenly Bodies and the many of us capturing the indie spirit! 🎲✂️
Reposted by Dan Thurot
🏆 Getting reviewed by Dan has been a bucket list item for me...
Getting such an incredibly positive review... I don't even know what to say. 🧡
Getting such an incredibly positive review... I don't even know what to say. 🧡
Today I investigate three more indie games, all of which are ambitious and explorative of what games can accomplish. These are good'uns. spacebiff.com/2025/11/18/h...
Nebulae, Medusae… Crownae?
Yesterday on BlueSky, Marceline Leiman asked a great question. Using only one or two extremely vague words, how would I describe the titles on offer at this year’s Indie Games Night Market? N…
spacebiff.com
November 18, 2025 at 7:15 PM
🏆 Getting reviewed by Dan has been a bucket list item for me...
Getting such an incredibly positive review... I don't even know what to say. 🧡
Getting such an incredibly positive review... I don't even know what to say. 🧡
Reposted by Dan Thurot
Really wonderful to see such a high-profile and thoughtful reviewer as Dan continue to cover not just big board game hotness, but small indie and even unpublished games too - there’s huge treasure to be found out there, great to see someone in major board game media take the time to check them out
Today I investigate three more indie games, all of which are ambitious and explorative of what games can accomplish. These are good'uns. spacebiff.com/2025/11/18/h...
Nebulae, Medusae… Crownae?
Yesterday on BlueSky, Marceline Leiman asked a great question. Using only one or two extremely vague words, how would I describe the titles on offer at this year’s Indie Games Night Market? N…
spacebiff.com
November 18, 2025 at 7:03 PM
Really wonderful to see such a high-profile and thoughtful reviewer as Dan continue to cover not just big board game hotness, but small indie and even unpublished games too - there’s huge treasure to be found out there, great to see someone in major board game media take the time to check them out
Today I investigate three more indie games, all of which are ambitious and explorative of what games can accomplish. These are good'uns. spacebiff.com/2025/11/18/h...
Nebulae, Medusae… Crownae?
Yesterday on BlueSky, Marceline Leiman asked a great question. Using only one or two extremely vague words, how would I describe the titles on offer at this year’s Indie Games Night Market? N…
spacebiff.com
November 18, 2025 at 6:59 PM
Today I investigate three more indie games, all of which are ambitious and explorative of what games can accomplish. These are good'uns. spacebiff.com/2025/11/18/h...
Reposted by Dan Thurot
I know I will be in Finland and I shouldn't complain, but I remain sad I won't be at the Indie Games Night Market and you should be sad too.
Today I'm covering three more upcoming Indie Games Night Market titles! Fold & Fly!, Coupon Clipper, and Paper Pencil Stencil are all tactile treats. My reviews: spacebiff.com/2025/11/17/t...
Paper Planes, Coupons, Stencils
We’re only a few days away from the Indie Games Night Market at Pax Unplugged. Funny how time gets away from us. Don’t worry, that’s less a plaintive cry about my fading youth tha…
spacebiff.com
November 17, 2025 at 8:11 PM
I know I will be in Finland and I shouldn't complain, but I remain sad I won't be at the Indie Games Night Market and you should be sad too.
Reposted by Dan Thurot
I'm so glad Dan liked Coupon Clipper! (And I appreciate the six-year-old's sacrifice.)
I've also played Fold & Fly! a bunch of times and can vouch for it, it's great silly fun.
Both'll have copies sold at the IGNM this Saturday at PAXU. (And yes Coupon Clipper comes with scissors!)
I've also played Fold & Fly! a bunch of times and can vouch for it, it's great silly fun.
Both'll have copies sold at the IGNM this Saturday at PAXU. (And yes Coupon Clipper comes with scissors!)
Today I'm covering three more upcoming Indie Games Night Market titles! Fold & Fly!, Coupon Clipper, and Paper Pencil Stencil are all tactile treats. My reviews: spacebiff.com/2025/11/17/t...
Paper Planes, Coupons, Stencils
We’re only a few days away from the Indie Games Night Market at Pax Unplugged. Funny how time gets away from us. Don’t worry, that’s less a plaintive cry about my fading youth tha…
spacebiff.com
November 17, 2025 at 9:44 PM
I'm so glad Dan liked Coupon Clipper! (And I appreciate the six-year-old's sacrifice.)
I've also played Fold & Fly! a bunch of times and can vouch for it, it's great silly fun.
Both'll have copies sold at the IGNM this Saturday at PAXU. (And yes Coupon Clipper comes with scissors!)
I've also played Fold & Fly! a bunch of times and can vouch for it, it's great silly fun.
Both'll have copies sold at the IGNM this Saturday at PAXU. (And yes Coupon Clipper comes with scissors!)
Reposted by Dan Thurot
Dan covered Fold & Fly! 🌈🛫
"It’s a pleasant activity that requires ten minutes, gets everybody laughing, and then it’s over."
Check out Fold & Fly! + Coupon Clipper at the Indie Games Night Market this weekend!
"It’s a pleasant activity that requires ten minutes, gets everybody laughing, and then it’s over."
Check out Fold & Fly! + Coupon Clipper at the Indie Games Night Market this weekend!
Today I'm covering three more upcoming Indie Games Night Market titles! Fold & Fly!, Coupon Clipper, and Paper Pencil Stencil are all tactile treats. My reviews: spacebiff.com/2025/11/17/t...
Paper Planes, Coupons, Stencils
We’re only a few days away from the Indie Games Night Market at Pax Unplugged. Funny how time gets away from us. Don’t worry, that’s less a plaintive cry about my fading youth tha…
spacebiff.com
November 17, 2025 at 8:54 PM
Dan covered Fold & Fly! 🌈🛫
"It’s a pleasant activity that requires ten minutes, gets everybody laughing, and then it’s over."
Check out Fold & Fly! + Coupon Clipper at the Indie Games Night Market this weekend!
"It’s a pleasant activity that requires ten minutes, gets everybody laughing, and then it’s over."
Check out Fold & Fly! + Coupon Clipper at the Indie Games Night Market this weekend!
Today I'm covering three more upcoming Indie Games Night Market titles! Fold & Fly!, Coupon Clipper, and Paper Pencil Stencil are all tactile treats. My reviews: spacebiff.com/2025/11/17/t...
Paper Planes, Coupons, Stencils
We’re only a few days away from the Indie Games Night Market at Pax Unplugged. Funny how time gets away from us. Don’t worry, that’s less a plaintive cry about my fading youth tha…
spacebiff.com
November 17, 2025 at 8:06 PM
Today I'm covering three more upcoming Indie Games Night Market titles! Fold & Fly!, Coupon Clipper, and Paper Pencil Stencil are all tactile treats. My reviews: spacebiff.com/2025/11/17/t...
It has been a wild two weeks! Thanks to SDHistCon, the forthcoming Indie Games Night Market, and my own game days, we've played some truly incredible games. And these are only the ones I can talk about!
AMA.
AMA.
November 17, 2025 at 5:57 PM
It has been a wild two weeks! Thanks to SDHistCon, the forthcoming Indie Games Night Market, and my own game days, we've played some truly incredible games. And these are only the ones I can talk about!
AMA.
AMA.
Reposted by Dan Thurot
I got to play @ericdittmore.bsky.social's Adulting recently and it was very solid. I love how it approached multi-victor and it might be one of the most dynamic deckbuilders I've yet played. Give this a look at next week's Indie Games Night Market at PAX Unplugged!
Adulting is another forthcoming Indie Games Night Market title, this time tackling the stresses and self-care of an ordinary weekend. It is warm, inviting, and does the multi-victor thing without feeling like a cop-out. My review: spacebiff.com/2025/11/06/a...
Joy in the Burnout
Eric Dittmore’s Adulting is not Johnny O’Neal’s Adulthood, although it’s inevitable I’ll mix up the two titles somewhere in the text of this review. In fact, I already…
spacebiff.com
November 17, 2025 at 12:54 AM
I got to play @ericdittmore.bsky.social's Adulting recently and it was very solid. I love how it approached multi-victor and it might be one of the most dynamic deckbuilders I've yet played. Give this a look at next week's Indie Games Night Market at PAX Unplugged!
I'm a bit confused. Why even make a "more faithful" Running Man if you're going to pull back from the very things that make the book worth considering?
November 14, 2025 at 7:02 AM
I'm a bit confused. Why even make a "more faithful" Running Man if you're going to pull back from the very things that make the book worth considering?
Reposted by Dan Thurot
In which Dan describes three very interesting and unsettling games, all of which I am very sorry not to have played at the convention...
This past weekend, I was delighted to attend @sdhistcon.bsky.social, where on Saturday I played not one, not two, but three games about selling opium. It was quite the day. Read about it here: spacebiff.com/2025/11/13/s...
SDHist 2025: Day of Copium
This past weekend, I attended SDHistCon in San Diego, the most interesting board gaming convention currently running. Here are the official snapshots: the Summit Award went to War Story: Occupied F…
spacebiff.com
November 13, 2025 at 10:16 PM
In which Dan describes three very interesting and unsettling games, all of which I am very sorry not to have played at the convention...
This past weekend, I was delighted to attend @sdhistcon.bsky.social, where on Saturday I played not one, not two, but three games about selling opium. It was quite the day. Read about it here: spacebiff.com/2025/11/13/s...
SDHist 2025: Day of Copium
This past weekend, I attended SDHistCon in San Diego, the most interesting board gaming convention currently running. Here are the official snapshots: the Summit Award went to War Story: Occupied F…
spacebiff.com
November 13, 2025 at 9:51 PM
This past weekend, I was delighted to attend @sdhistcon.bsky.social, where on Saturday I played not one, not two, but three games about selling opium. It was quite the day. Read about it here: spacebiff.com/2025/11/13/s...