Emily Parker

Nothing kills the mood of game night faster than a player trying to grab a token from the punchboard and hearing that awful tear. If you have ever held a half-detached cardboard coin and wondered whether to throw it away or try a fix, this guide is for you. I have repaired dozens of ripped … Read more

If you collect board games, controlling humidity is the single most important thing you can do to make them last. The sweet spot is 45-50% relative humidity at a room temperature of 65-75°F. I learned this the hard way after watching a beloved copy of Ticket to Ride turn into a Pringle over one humid … Read more

If you’ve ever cracked open a brand-new board game and felt a small wave of dread at the punch board, you’re not alone. I used to rip through tokens like I was opening a bag of chips, leaving torn corners and bent edges everywhere. After ruining the look of more than one favorite game, I … Read more

Keeping long campaign games alive when the group loses momentum comes down to three habits: run a short recap every session, end on a hook that pulls players back, and break the big story into smaller arcs you can finish in a few sessions. I have run campaigns that died at month four and others … Read more

You have friends coming over. The drinks are cold, the snacks are laid out, and somewhere in the back of your mind you are thinking about that shelf of board games collecting dust. You want to introduce them. But you also remember the last time you tried, when half the room glazed over during a … Read more

Running a board game library or lending shelf for friends is one of the most rewarding ways to share your hobby without giving away your collection. I started mine three years ago after a friend asked to borrow Wingspan for a weekend, and it never came back for two months. That small frustration pushed me … Read more

A few years ago, I moved to a new city and left behind my weekly board game group. For the first six months, I had a shelf full of games and nobody to play them with. Then I started learning how to find and vet a local board game group or club — and within … Read more

If you have ever finished a game of Monopoly feeling frustrated, watched a Scrabble argument unfold, or wondered why people keep talking about “gateway games,” you are not alone. I spent years thinking board games were something my family tolerated on rainy Sundays. That changed when a friend brought over a copy of Ticket to … Read more

Board game collections have a way of sneaking up on you. One Kickstarter here, a thrift store find there, a birthday gift or two, and suddenly your shelf is bowing under the weight of 80 boxes you barely touch. If you are staring at an overflowing collection and feeling a mix of guilt and overwhelm, … Read more

I remember the day I realized I could not remember whether I owned a copy of Tokaido. That moment sent me down a rabbit hole, and now I run a collection of more than 180 games with plays logged since 2019. If you want to learn how to catalog and track a growing board game … Read more