Purple Moose Plays
@purplemooseplays.bsky.social
Previews, reviews, and playthroughs of soloable board games both new and old (though to be honest, mostly new...)
Also got a chance to try out Mecenat this week, the second game in the National Economy box. Cool to see how the different cards mix up the game play. This one has point cards you can collect while playing and also has some huge end game scoring cards that require some real work to pay off.
November 19, 2025 at 1:29 AM
Also got a chance to try out Mecenat this week, the second game in the National Economy box. Cool to see how the different cards mix up the game play. This one has point cards you can collect while playing and also has some huge end game scoring cards that require some real work to pay off.
Played Atlas Lost twice today. Solo is pretty damn hard, but enjoying it quite a bit (and was only a turn or two away from a win in the first game!). It's an interesting take on tech trees in a race game with multiple end game triggers, plus a bit of resource management.
November 19, 2025 at 1:23 AM
Played Atlas Lost twice today. Solo is pretty damn hard, but enjoying it quite a bit (and was only a turn or two away from a win in the first game!). It's an interesting take on tech trees in a race game with multiple end game triggers, plus a bit of resource management.
Never good with lists, and part of my love of the hobby is discovering new things, so very hard to make a top 10 list, but it would include things like
Castles of Burgundy
Civolution
Obsession
R.O.V.E.
Merchants Cove
Coloma
GlenMore II
It's a Wonderful World
Orleans
And then SETI or Snow Planner?
Castles of Burgundy
Civolution
Obsession
R.O.V.E.
Merchants Cove
Coloma
GlenMore II
It's a Wonderful World
Orleans
And then SETI or Snow Planner?
board game enthusiasts of bluesky, what are your top 10 board games of all time
November 16, 2025 at 1:28 AM
Never good with lists, and part of my love of the hobby is discovering new things, so very hard to make a top 10 list, but it would include things like
Castles of Burgundy
Civolution
Obsession
R.O.V.E.
Merchants Cove
Coloma
GlenMore II
It's a Wonderful World
Orleans
And then SETI or Snow Planner?
Castles of Burgundy
Civolution
Obsession
R.O.V.E.
Merchants Cove
Coloma
GlenMore II
It's a Wonderful World
Orleans
And then SETI or Snow Planner?
Another new game to the table, picked up a copy of Transmissions to introduce my students to rondels. Very glad I got this one, as it's very fun. Somewhat simple set collection rondel game, with a nice bit of tableau/engine building and a secondary bit of tile laying as well.
November 14, 2025 at 8:01 PM
Another new game to the table, picked up a copy of Transmissions to introduce my students to rondels. Very glad I got this one, as it's very fun. Somewhat simple set collection rondel game, with a nice bit of tableau/engine building and a secondary bit of tile laying as well.
Finally got my copy of Tricktakers to the table, showing off trick taking to my students, and yeah, it's as good as they say. May very well become my favorite trick taker. The variable player powers make things super interesting. 1/2
November 7, 2025 at 1:29 AM
Finally got my copy of Tricktakers to the table, showing off trick taking to my students, and yeah, it's as good as they say. May very well become my favorite trick taker. The variable player powers make things super interesting. 1/2
New video up on the channel! This is the first of four videos on the solo modes of National Economy from Korokorodou, starting with a solo playthrough of the first game in the set, Progress!
youtu.be/W0OFP5hi3RE?...
youtu.be/W0OFP5hi3RE?...
Purple Moose Plays...National Economy: Progress (solo)
YouTube video by Purple Moose Plays
youtu.be
November 3, 2025 at 12:26 PM
New video up on the channel! This is the first of four videos on the solo modes of National Economy from Korokorodou, starting with a solo playthrough of the first game in the set, Progress!
youtu.be/W0OFP5hi3RE?...
youtu.be/W0OFP5hi3RE?...
New video up on the channel! This week I took a look at the solo mode for the I split, you choose card drafting, set collection game, I Made You a Mixtape!
youtu.be/B0aT0Olbc4g?...
youtu.be/B0aT0Olbc4g?...
Purple Moose Plays...I Made You a Mixtape (solo) - review copy
YouTube video by Purple Moose Plays
youtu.be
October 31, 2025 at 1:58 PM
New video up on the channel! This week I took a look at the solo mode for the I split, you choose card drafting, set collection game, I Made You a Mixtape!
youtu.be/B0aT0Olbc4g?...
youtu.be/B0aT0Olbc4g?...
Finished my first game of Civolution today. Played it little by little over the course of a few days, and am sure I didn't do everything right, but I had a blast doing it and think it'll get even better as I learn more of the combo-y goodness.
October 31, 2025 at 3:16 AM
Finished my first game of Civolution today. Played it little by little over the course of a few days, and am sure I didn't do everything right, but I had a blast doing it and think it'll get even better as I learn more of the combo-y goodness.
Finally got my copy of Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood to the table today. It's a crisis management game a la Pandemic that uses an interesting color based set collection system using cards that are also your attack actions that remove the nasties off of the board.
October 30, 2025 at 12:10 AM
Finally got my copy of Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood to the table today. It's a crisis management game a la Pandemic that uses an interesting color based set collection system using cards that are also your attack actions that remove the nasties off of the board.
So excited to finally have Feudum back in my collection, in a new anniversary edition. Also, how could I ever turn down these socks...
October 30, 2025 at 12:02 AM
So excited to finally have Feudum back in my collection, in a new anniversary edition. Also, how could I ever turn down these socks...
All set up for my first play of Civolution! Not gonna lie, it's a bit intimidating, but very excited to finally try it out!
October 28, 2025 at 12:24 AM
All set up for my first play of Civolution! Not gonna lie, it's a bit intimidating, but very excited to finally try it out!
Played my first game of Animal Rescue Team today with my son. Plays a bit like Pandemic with an interesting movement puzzle of getting the right people/items/vehicles to the right places to rescue animals and transport them to shelters.
October 25, 2025 at 7:49 PM
Played my first game of Animal Rescue Team today with my son. Plays a bit like Pandemic with an interesting movement puzzle of getting the right people/items/vehicles to the right places to rescue animals and transport them to shelters.
Also played a couple games of I Made You a Mixtape, beating the AI 127-108 and then being defeated 89-76. I absolutely love the theming on this, and it's a fun take on I Split, You Choose with some set collection and a cool balance mechanism that works surprisingly well solo.
October 24, 2025 at 12:11 AM
Also played a couple games of I Made You a Mixtape, beating the AI 127-108 and then being defeated 89-76. I absolutely love the theming on this, and it's a fun take on I Split, You Choose with some set collection and a cool balance mechanism that works surprisingly well solo.
Played another couple games of Progress, the first game in National Economy, and I'm really digging this one, but boy is the solo hard. Only scored 17 points in my first game today, and 100 felt so far away, but then I pulled out a 93! Soooo close, but still so far away...
October 24, 2025 at 12:05 AM
Played another couple games of Progress, the first game in National Economy, and I'm really digging this one, but boy is the solo hard. Only scored 17 points in my first game today, and 100 felt so far away, but then I pulled out a 93! Soooo close, but still so far away...
Continuing the gaming goodness, got a review copy of this guy today as well! Super excited to try this one, such a great theme!
October 23, 2025 at 12:21 AM
Continuing the gaming goodness, got a review copy of this guy today as well! Super excited to try this one, such a great theme!
Got in a game of National Economy today as well. It's a super tight worker placement game with a bit of tableau building and an interesting money economy thing thrown in as well. For the first game of three in this box, you need 100 points to win. I struggled to get to 54...
October 23, 2025 at 12:17 AM
Got in a game of National Economy today as well. It's a super tight worker placement game with a bit of tableau building and an interesting money economy thing thrown in as well. For the first game of three in this box, you need 100 points to win. I struggled to get to 54...
Got Propolis to the table today with my son and had a great time, only beating a 6 year old by 4 points, 19-15, lol. Definitely Splendor plus worker placement, but that's not a bad thing, and since I've never really loved Splendor, I'd say this is for sure a Splendor killer, heh.
October 23, 2025 at 12:13 AM
Got Propolis to the table today with my son and had a great time, only beating a 6 year old by 4 points, 19-15, lol. Definitely Splendor plus worker placement, but that's not a bad thing, and since I've never really loved Splendor, I'd say this is for sure a Splendor killer, heh.
My first ever Japanese crowdfunding game (Bodofun) came today! Super excited for this one!
October 21, 2025 at 9:21 PM
My first ever Japanese crowdfunding game (Bodofun) came today! Super excited for this one!
Newest game on the review pile!
October 21, 2025 at 12:11 AM
Newest game on the review pile!
Cracked open my copy of Point Galaxy tonight to try it out with my son. Was a fan of Point Salad (never tried City), and really enjoying the added layer of sequential sets and other additional layers of scoring in this one.
October 12, 2025 at 12:13 AM
Cracked open my copy of Point Galaxy tonight to try it out with my son. Was a fan of Point Salad (never tried City), and really enjoying the added layer of sequential sets and other additional layers of scoring in this one.
Introduced my students to @snowdaledesign.bsky.social Dale of Merchants this week, as one of two intros to deck building games. Still really enjoy this one and the unique twist it brings with the set collection/race aspect.
October 12, 2025 at 12:06 AM
Introduced my students to @snowdaledesign.bsky.social Dale of Merchants this week, as one of two intros to deck building games. Still really enjoy this one and the unique twist it brings with the set collection/race aspect.
New video up on the channel! This week I took a look at Ayar: Children of the Sun, from designers Fabio Lopiano and Mandela Fernandez Grandon and @ospreygames.bsky.social, launching at Essen!
youtu.be/SgmZpPQE_i8?...
youtu.be/SgmZpPQE_i8?...
Purple Moose Plays...Ayar: Children of the Sun (solo) - review copy
YouTube video by Purple Moose Plays
youtu.be
October 11, 2025 at 12:10 AM
New video up on the channel! This week I took a look at Ayar: Children of the Sun, from designers Fabio Lopiano and Mandela Fernandez Grandon and @ospreygames.bsky.social, launching at Essen!
youtu.be/SgmZpPQE_i8?...
youtu.be/SgmZpPQE_i8?...
Played my first few games of Cursed!? today. It's a fun solo, push your luck card game that plays in like 5 minutes. Trying to defeat 8 monsters before running out of cards in the deck. Tricky one for sure, but I managed to pull off a win in one of my three games!
October 8, 2025 at 9:24 PM
Played my first few games of Cursed!? today. It's a fun solo, push your luck card game that plays in like 5 minutes. Trying to defeat 8 monsters before running out of cards in the deck. Tricky one for sure, but I managed to pull off a win in one of my three games!
Newest games on the review pile, a couple of small solo card games from @goblinhourgames.bsky.social !
October 8, 2025 at 7:34 PM
Newest games on the review pile, a couple of small solo card games from @goblinhourgames.bsky.social !
Grabbed Sky Team for a neighbor's son for his birthday (he's obsessed with planes) and he immediately asked me to teach him and play, so I finally got a chance to try it out. Had a lot of fun with it, and just barely pulled in safely for a landing at Montreal.
October 5, 2025 at 12:41 AM
Grabbed Sky Team for a neighbor's son for his birthday (he's obsessed with planes) and he immediately asked me to teach him and play, so I finally got a chance to try it out. Had a lot of fun with it, and just barely pulled in safely for a landing at Montreal.