Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Dan Thurot @danthurot.bsky.social · 16h

Origin Story is a trick-taking/engine-building hybrid about up-and-coming heroes developing their powers. It's a bit of a weird one, with wild powers flinging in every direction. My review: spacebiff.com/2025/10/13/o...

The Hero We Became

Every time a pearl necklace is scattered across a rain-soaked alleyway behind a theater, a superhero is born. Sorry, them’s the rules. While endless reboots have turned origin stories into a …

spacebiff.com

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Dan Thurot @danthurot.bsky.social · 19h

Ah, that's kind of you to say.

You know, my first play was pleasantly surprising. I have some hangups (like, of course I do), but on the whole it seems very well-intentioned and even, in spots, self-reflective. I still need to play a few more times, but I'll have a lot to say.

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Dan Thurot @danthurot.bsky.social · 19h

Thanks for the kind words, Rick!

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Reposted by Dan Thurot

Rick Faaberg @debuggest.bsky.social · 19h

“And this is one of the things that I don’t love about large language model AI, the notion that you can think about something but then have a machine write it for you because it means you’ve never thought about it.” Great interview with @danthurot.bsky.social

talkingshelfspace.com/origin-story...

Origin Story: Space Biff – An Interview With Board Game Critic Dan Thurot - Talking Shelf Space

When I started writing about board games, it was in part because of my dissatisfaction of the review landscape at the time. There were on one side a whole lot of YouTubers hyping up crowd-funding proj...

talkingshelfspace.com

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Dan Thurot @danthurot.bsky.social · 19h

The new edition is pretty slick! I've been having a good time with it. Still feeling my way through some of its oddities, but I think I like it better this time around.

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Dan Thurot @danthurot.bsky.social · 19h

It's great! We played it at my father's birthday party -- and at his request!

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Dan Thurot @danthurot.bsky.social · 20h

It was a nice week! What did you get to the table?

board games: Tag Team, Leviathan Wilds, Storyfold: Wildwoods, Don't Botch the Borccoli, March of the Ants, Bohemians, The Great Commission, Fate of the Fellowship, Magical Athlete

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Dan Thurot @danthurot.bsky.social · 20h

Thanks for the kind words!

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Reposted by Dan Thurot

J. Rey Lee @jreylee.bsky.social · 1d

This is why Dan is good at what he does: when he says "Writing is thinking for me," he means it. Instead of churning out content to fit a formula, he just engages with games and sees where it goes.

I tell my students this over and over, so I'm always happy to see someone say it so clearly.

Dan Thurot @danthurot.bsky.social · 2d

I had an utterly lovely time chatting with Alex of Talking Shelf Space about... well, a bunch of stuff. My origins in the hobby, how I started writing my site, how I got to be such a nerd. Give it a look! talkingshelfspace.com/origin-story...

Origin Story: Space Biff – An Interview With Board Game Critic Dan Thurot - Talking Shelf Space

When I started writing about board games, it was in part because of my dissatisfaction of the review landscape at the time. There were on one side a whole lot of YouTubers hyping up crowd-funding proj...

talkingshelfspace.com

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Dan Thurot @danthurot.bsky.social · 2d

Also on BGG: boardgamegeek.com/blog/12035/b...

Origin Story: Space Biff – An Interview With Board Game Critic Dan Thurot | Talking Shelf Space

boardgamegeek.com

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Dan Thurot @danthurot.bsky.social · 2d

I had an utterly lovely time chatting with Alex of Talking Shelf Space about... well, a bunch of stuff. My origins in the hobby, how I started writing my site, how I got to be such a nerd. Give it a look! talkingshelfspace.com/origin-story...

Origin Story: Space Biff – An Interview With Board Game Critic Dan Thurot - Talking Shelf Space

When I started writing about board games, it was in part because of my dissatisfaction of the review landscape at the time. There were on one side a whole lot of YouTubers hyping up crowd-funding proj...

talkingshelfspace.com

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Dan Thurot @danthurot.bsky.social · 2d

Agreed. That's what I mean, I think — and it's been well over a decade since I watched the thing, so my memories are spotty — but it felt so prototypical of a different story Whedon wanted to tell instead.

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Dan Thurot @danthurot.bsky.social · 2d

Resurrection is such an interesting movie in multiple ways. It's not, like, GOOD, but it's definitely fun to analyze. I remember thinking the merc crew showed Whedon in his prototype-Firefly stage.

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Dan Thurot @danthurot.bsky.social · 3d

It's funny, because I got my butt kicked by one of the medium puzzles just earlier this week, but then this one struck me as super easy.

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Reposted by Dan Thurot

Moon Crab Games @mooncrabgames.bsky.social · 3d

May every creative professional (or heck, every person) someday get the opportunity to receive such direct validation.

Dan Thurot @danthurot.bsky.social · 5d

In some ways, Deepvale, the expansion to Leviathan Wilds, is rather workmanlike, adding one character, one class, and a handful of leviathans. But those leviathans reveal a designer who understands fully the appeal of his game. My review: spacebiff.com/2025/10/08/l...

Once More Unto the Leviathan

Any opportunity to get back into Leviathan Wilds is a good thing. That’s another way of saying you already know my impressions of Deepvale. As expansions go, nothing major has changed. There&…

spacebiff.com

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Dan Thurot @danthurot.bsky.social · 4d

Fun!

I solved the daily Clues by Sam (Oct 10th 2025) in less than 10 minutes
🟩🟩🟩🟩
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cluesbysam.com

Clues by Sam

A daily logic puzzle where you deduce who are criminals and who are innocent!

cluesbysam.com

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Dan Thurot @danthurot.bsky.social · 5d

In some ways, Deepvale, the expansion to Leviathan Wilds, is rather workmanlike, adding one character, one class, and a handful of leviathans. But those leviathans reveal a designer who understands fully the appeal of his game. My review: spacebiff.com/2025/10/08/l...

Once More Unto the Leviathan

Any opportunity to get back into Leviathan Wilds is a good thing. That’s another way of saying you already know my impressions of Deepvale. As expansions go, nothing major has changed. There&…

spacebiff.com

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Dan Thurot @danthurot.bsky.social · 5d

Agreed.

Dan Thurot @danthurot.bsky.social · 5d

That's such an incredibly kind offer! I'm doing okay, though. Now that I'm out of bed (finally!), I'm playing some solitaire games and listening to the kids play pretend.

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Dan Thurot @danthurot.bsky.social · 5d

I'm glad to hear it isn't entirely bad! I'll still decline to look — even internet praise can be corrosive — but it heartens me to know that most folks are discussing in good faith.

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Dan Thurot @danthurot.bsky.social · 5d

Thanks, Matt. I think I'll be okay.

r/bgs is super weird to me. Sometimes it seems very thoughtful. Other times... less so. I never know what's going to tumble out.

But there's no way I'm reading those comments, haha

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Dan Thurot @danthurot.bsky.social · 5d

feelin sick this morning, have some time in bed, let's check what's happening on the ole r/boardgames

oh no. oh no oh no.

someone put my "fun" article on there. 100+ comments

back to sleep

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Dan Thurot @danthurot.bsky.social · 6d

There are no spoilers

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Dan Thurot @danthurot.bsky.social · 6d

Yes.

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Dan Thurot @danthurot.bsky.social · 6d

Not many board games are as mysterious as City of Six Moons. Is it a puzzle? A training ground for historical preservation? A grift? To answer those questions and many more, today we’re joined by Amabel Holland to discuss her oddest title yet. Listen here: spacebiff.com/2025/10/07/s...

Space-Cast! #50. City of Six Amabels

Not many board games are as mysterious as City of Six Moons. Is it a puzzle? A working board game? A grift? To answer those questions and many more, today we’re joined by Amabel Holland to di…

spacebiff.com

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