As COVID restrictions lift and we begin inviting people over again, you might find yourself wondering what is best to spend your time with. Should you enjoy a board game or movie? Now, as a board game designer myself, I will admit that I am a little biased. However, I’ve tried to create a brief bullet list for the intrepid board game player to convince their friends and family that board games are, in fact, the superior option. 1) Board Games are Communal Yeah we love watching movies together, but nothing is quite as fun as sitting across the table from your loved ones and sharing in the e ..read more

Emmet Solisqueen, Field Researcher In Transit: Unincorporated Rings, Sector E-45 Terraforming Biologist: Wanted for Arrest Day 5, 1300 Hours Okay, it’s been 5 days since I reset my log in Reno, and even though I’m bankrupt with billions in debt, the Reno police are gaining on my ship, all my friends abandoned me, and I’m out of food rations…I think it could be worse! I still have my 10 billion credit piece hidden away, I’m still platinum blonde, and when you think about it getting chased means someone wants me, so. Day 5, 1550 Hours Holy Sol. The police are chasing right behind me now and they ..read more

We’ve all been there, sitting with friends and unable to decide what to play. Every game you own is too long, too short, or just not good. Luckily, I’ve figured out the answer. Get a new game! But, as a college student it’s often not possible to get a new game whenever I want because of time and money constraints. But I’ve picked up a few tricks to get a free board game here and there. So here are my favorite board games to play for free.  Secret Hitler is a Communal Board Game The creators of this game have made the game absolutely able to play for free. All you need is a printer ..read more

Do you want to play Factions of Sol, but can’t wait for the kickstarter to come out? Good news! We’ve been hard at work the past few months to bring Factions of Sol for anyone to play right at home.  To play the game, download Tabletop Simulator (TTS), an independent program you can purchase and use through Steam. TTS is essentially a virtual table, with hundreds of downloadable board games accessible at your fingertips.  After you have Tabletop Simulator, here’s how you can play Factions of Sol! 1. Subscribe to our Newsletter The Mark IV Games newsletter has lots of awesome thi ..read more

There has been a trend amongst my friends and I recently: reviewing board games based on their perceived tastiness. Of course, most games score pretty low on the list, as most games aren’t designed with tastiness in mind. However, there are some games that stand apart from the crowd. Games whose pieces you can’t help but imagine popping into your mouth. Games that you should NEVER play with small children around. Here are the tastiest board game pieces that I have on my shelf: 5. Pandemic/Terraforming Mars Now these are certainly not the most yummy pieces on my shelf, but they just make t ..read more

A question that I’ve seen floated around, often by new board gamers, is what is the best board game? While I totally get where this question is coming from, it’s one that’s impossible to answer. Board games, like all media, are works of art. Because of that, it’s as impossible to determine a best board game as it is a best movie. Sure, there are online rankings like BoardGameGeek top 100 (similar to IMDB), but even that has its own biases. So, I’ve split this question into multiple parts. What are the best board games for each of these specific groups of people? 1. Best Game for New Board ..read more

Catan (or previously Settlers of Catan) is largely recognized as the beginning of the massive rise in popularity of board games since the late 90’s. If you’ve played anything more than Clue, Monopoly, or Risk, you’ve probably played Catan.  So where should you go after this gateway game? Here are my top 4 recommendations of board games like Catan. 1. Ticket to Ride is an easy choice If you like Catan, but it was a bit too long and complex for you, that’s ok! Ticket to Ride is a fantastic board game to play at game night, with the family, or with people who you want to get into games ..read more

About 5 years ago I went to Houston’s Comicpalooza for the first time, which was amazing. As an avid gamer it was an amazing opportunity to try new games, meet new people, and to geek out with my friends. It was here that I first ran into Extra Life. What is Extra Life? Extra Life is a charity that was founded in 2008 to support local children’s hospitals. As they put it, “Extra Life unites thousands of gamers around the world to play games in support of their local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital.” Since its foundation, Extra Life has raised over $87 million to support kids.  ..read more

Yes, board games are a blast by themselves, but sometimes in order to get the night going, you might need the combination of a board game and drinks to grease the wheels. As a bartender, I know that the right drink choice for the night can go a long way toward making it go the way you want it to. So in order to help that noble endeavor, here are a couple drink choices I think go really well with some of the most popular games today. Catan: A Wheat Ale You’ll want to feel like you actually did the work of harvesting the wide open fields of grain and colonizing this poor islan ..read more

For my fellow board game geeks who may not know how to socialize, have fun, or even communicate with other human beings (without the help of board games), finding out how to flirt or connect with someone you’re attracted to might seem impossible. It’s awkward, you never know what to do with your hands, and it never seems to last. Trust me, I’ve been there, and it sucks.  HOWEVER, I’ve devised a unique and well-tested method of how you can actually flirt while playing board games and connect with someone you really like. It’s pretty cheesy, but I hope this quick little list can help peop ..read more