March 2023 MBR The Gaming Shelf

The Gaming Shelf

Everybody Wins
James Wallis
Aconyte Books
https://aconytebooks.com
c/o Simon & Schuster (distribution)
https://www.simonandschuster.com
9781839081910, $29.95, HC, 224pp

https://www.amazon.com/Everybody-Wins-Decades-Greatest-Board/dp/1839081910

Synopsis: The annual Spiel des Jahres (Game of the Year) Awards are like the Oscars of the tabletop gaming world. With the publication of "Everybody Wins: Four Decades of the Greatest Board Games Ever Made", British author and game designing expert James Wallis investigates the winners and losers of each year's contest to track the incredible explosion in amazing new board games.

From modern classics like CATAN, Ticket to Ride, and Dixit to once-lauded games that have now been forgotten (not to mention several popular hits that somehow missed a nomination), "Everybody Wins" is a comprehensive yet hugely readable study of the best board games ever made with commentary penned by one of the most knowledgeable commentators on the hobby.

Critique: Profusely and beautifully illustrated throughout, "Everybody Wins: Four Decades of the Greatest Board Games Ever Made" reveals the evolution in tabletop gaming and showcases 40 years worth of award-winning games. This coffee- table style (10 x 0.7 x 10 inches, 2.73 pounds) volume is an inherently nostalgic trip down memory lane and a 'must' for all truly dedicated gamers. While unreservedly recommended for personal and community library collections, it should be noted that "Everybody Wins" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.95).

Editorial Note: James Wallis (http://www.jameswallis.com) is an award-winning games designer, author and critic. He has been designing and reviewing games for three decades and is best known for "Once Upon a Time" and "The Extraordinary Adventures of Baron Munchausen". James has also been a national newspaper columnist, TV presenter, magazine editor and novelist.

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