The Game Aisle

GM: Charisma check.

Mamdani: [rolls natural 20]

GM: that’s a d6 how did you

Mamdani: [direct to camera] Did you know you can check out board games at your local public library? 😊

Yay!! Love this! I’m actually avoiding the frigid temps by heading to Spielwarenmesse in Germany to say hi to some clients. Enjoy the gaming & stay warm! ❄️

It appears that you have one corner missing a heavy game. Off to your FLGS stat!

PS like the rug

1.5 years?? Ugh that is going to suck

Important read — and I added my thoughts on implicit bias within the industry at the end.

Like I said at the start, I think there are some richly talented women who are overlooked. I would love for folks to stop, consider what they read about the impact of implicit bias, and take a second look at their pitches. Maybe we’ll see that percentage jump to double digits+. 7/7

Historically, men were called chefs and women “cooks” — and I’m sure many of these “cooks” were creating their own recipes and techniques.

So when we see a women pitching a game — is she a “game designer” or a women who designed a game? 6/7

Do we in this industry subconsciously think women are less creative?

Consider how society has regularly devalued women’s creativity; we often refer to women’s art as “crafting” despite things like quilts being mathematical, technical, and design masterpieces. 5/7

It said “survey participants who viewed identical photos of creative work rated the designer as more creative when they believed the designer to be a man rather than a woman.” Yikes! 4/6

Instead, I think back to a study in Psychological Science that touches on the perception of creativity in women in male stereotypical fields (which I believe this industry is). gap.hks.harvard.edu/gender-bias-... 3/6

I don’t believe there’s malace in this, but I do think our industry suffers from an implicit bias problem. When only 7% of the top 500 games on BGG are by women, that’s eye-raising considering there are women (and non binary folks) designing games. I don’t believe these women are less talented 2/6

Great thread! I think companies would also benefit from working closer with the women who already are in this field — the ones who deserve a better seat at the table but have been overlooked or not given a proper chance. 1/6

YouTube video by Extra Credits Board Games are in Trouble, and it's NOT Why You Think | Extra Credits

A solid explanation of the chaos being caused by the current administration. youtu.be/5BRLn2Ii4Rc?...

a cartoon character with the words more more tell me more ALT: a cartoon character with the words more more tell me more

Who was at Gen Con? What was the best family friendly (8+ or 10+) game you saw? Sad folks who didn’t get to go really want to know.

Vernon Hills toy company challenges Trump’s tariffs before Supreme Court The company argues the president illegally imposed tariffs under an emergency powers law rather than getting approval from Congress.

A Vernon Hills company challenged President Donald Trump’s tariffs in front of the Supreme Court on Tuesday in a long shot bid to press the justices to quickly decide whether they are legal.

YouTube video by Seize the Play A Video to President Trump. TOY TOP 10: Reasons to #KeepToysTariffFree

So many good reasons to keep tous & games tariff-free. www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-Wk...

Nope. Not a « deal ». He’s walking back a self-inflicted mess for 90 days, which doesn’t help with uncertainty and future planning. This is hurting US businesses and consumers.

🔊 Listen Now: What "Made in China" actually means Planet Money on NPR One | 27:00

Another reason @npr.org is so vital to our country —Educational episodes like this one from @planetmoney.bsky.social about country of origin. It is BONKERS and so interesting! 5⭐️ 10/10 worth a listen: What "Made in China" actually means one.npr.org/i/1249592921...

Grinch vibes FOR SURE!

Retailers Fear Toy Shortages at Christmas as Tariffs Freeze Supply Chain Toy makers and stores are freezing holiday orders, predicting shortages and higher prices. Some are consulting bankruptcy lawyers, fearing their firms won’t survive.

It’s going to be so bad for “Santa’s” across the US — and this is REALLY scary for the toy and game industry as a whole.

www.nytimes.com/2025/04/29/b...

Picture from The Week Junior “Grandpa's on a trading card” Some kids collect Pokémon cards or baseball cards, but in Kawara, Japan, children are obsessed with trading cards that depict senior citizens. Created by a local official, the collection features 28 ojisan, or older men, from the town. Each man, including former fire chief Mr. Honda, age 74, and noodle master Mr. Takeshita, age 81, has special abilities in the game. One fan favorite is Mr. Fuji, a 68-year-old community volunteer, who said, "I never imagined 'd become a trading card, let alone have fans."

I love this article from my child’s issue of @theweekjuniorus.bsky.social senior citizen trading cards sounds so wholesome #tradingcards

🐌✉️ Prefer to write some snail mail or have your child write some snail mail?

Here's the mailing address:

Attn: FWS-HQ-ES-2025-0034
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
MS: PRB/3W
5275 Leesburg Pike
Falls Church, VA 22041-3803

Rescinding the Definition of “Harm” Under the Endangered Species Act The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) (collectively referred to as the Services or we) are proposing to rescind the regulatory definition of "harm" ...

TAKE ACTION: Earth Day! 🌎 🌱☀️
The Trump administration is trying to alter the Endangered Species Act’s so the definition of “harm” to excludes habitat damage. Take two seconds to add your public comment! www.federalregister.gov/documents/20...

Graphic from the Toy Association entitled “Christmas 2025 at Risk.” This graphic shows the impact of 145% tariffs currently levied on Chinese imports in the toy and game industry. In bar graphs it shows that 81% of small toy companies and 87% of midsize towing companies are delaying orders, 64% of small companies and 80% of midsize companies are canceling orders, and 46% of small companies and 45% of midsize toy companies think they may go out of business within weeks or months.

Welp… this downright sucks. This reference is to toy companies, but game companies are lumped in and the ones who aren’t are still in the same situation. It is dire. And we Americans are the ones who are going to suffer. Contact your representatives. #savechristmas #tariffs

Those are adorable!

Picture of the wooden stacking game Jenga all stacked up with a couple pieces missing and the orange box it comes in off to the left

Bet you know something she’s done…

Flashback: Your Weekly History Quiz, April 12, 2025 Can you sort 8 historical events?

Started doing the @nytimes.com flashback puzzle and oh my goodness my friend Leslie’s name is the second question!! How cool is that?? 🤩🤩🤩 www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

Yesss!! So glad they’re enjoying it! 😍

Love this!! 😍😍😍

Tabletop teams near panic as Trump tariffs could kill decades of growth ‘Devastating consequences’ on the way, says trade group

Tabletop industry in full panic as Trump tariffs are poised to erase decades of growth