Author | Lightnews

Caitlin Ernest. @caitlinernest.bsky.social · 28d

Shota & I had a super fun day filming a playthrough video with @esperbgs.bsky.social for their upcoming game, 'Eldertide: A Thousand Lights'.
You'll have to tune in to see which of us came out on top!
#ボードゲーム #Eldertide

Caitlin Ernest. @caitlinernest.bsky.social · Sep 12

I've been quiet on here for the past few months because on July 25th '25:
WE GOT MARRIED!💍🥰

Planning two weddings, one week apart, in two different countries was INTENSE & it meant we weren't getting any board games to the table.
But we're looking forward to jumping back in! 🎲

Caitlin Ernest. @caitlinernest.bsky.social · Jun 14

Jisogi: Anime Studio Tycoon is brilliant!
It's a worker placement game that really captures the essence of struggling to keep an anime studio afloat. And gosh, just look at all the stunning artwork & components. SUCH a fun game!
@esperbgs.bsky.social

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Caitlin Ernest. @caitlinernest.bsky.social · Jun 3

I'm SO EXCITED by The Slasher, a co-op trick-taker!
The Item Acquisition phase is the real meat of the game. Cards in tricks you've won affect: how many item cards you reveal, damage you prevent & damage the killer deals if drawn.
Get five escape items before he gets you!

Caitlin Ernest. @caitlinernest.bsky.social · May 28

Slambo! is a fast and super fun sumo wrestling game!
You're knocked out if the card you play brings the sum of the played cards above 10 or below 0.
Manage your hand carefully to ensure you can counteract your opponent!
@allplay.bsky.social @saibep.bsky.social #ゲームマーケット2025春 #ゲムマ2025春

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Caitlin Ernest. @caitlinernest.bsky.social · May 28

Last Sunday was my bachelorette party!
My friends & I did a photo-based scavenger hunt race in both Japan & Australia.
Next was a sip'n'paint of special places for Shota & I; one friend painted Tokyo Game Market's mascot, Koro! 🎲
The last 3 stragglers & I then played some wine-fuelled games of Ito🥂

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Caitlin Ernest. @caitlinernest.bsky.social · May 24

For a small box, BACHIxBACHI! has so much fun gameplay! It's an abstract chess-like game of honeybees vs giant hornets🐝
To win:
The bees must collect 8 nectar or kill every hornet;
The hornets must kill and collect 8 bees.
#FurukawaAtelier #ゲームマーケット2025春 #ゲムマ2025春

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Caitlin Ernest. @caitlinernest.bsky.social · May 23

I adore Ukiyo-e!
Build up ukiyo-e collections & hold exhibitions, ensuring you play more cards than have already been played for that artist.
Only scoring the smallest number in a set causes a fun little pause before playing cards!
#ToshikiSato #MichaelSchacht #ゲームマーケット2025春 #ゲムマ2025春

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Caitlin Ernest. @caitlinernest.bsky.social · May 22

Extreme Mission is great! Be the first to complete one mission from each difficulty level.
I love the five Informants acting as wild cards. But! Having to ensure they're flipped face-up again before you can win adds some fun tension 🐕
#HisashiHayashi #ゲームマーケット2025春 #ゲムマ2025春 #TokyoGameMarket

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Caitlin Ernest. @caitlinernest.bsky.social · May 21

I had a lot of fun playing Explorers of Navoria & it looks GREAT! 🩵💚
I also think it's lightweight enough that it'd be great for introducing someone into the world of worker placement/set collection games.
This game sold out on both TGM days!
#QilingBoardGame #ArclightGames #ゲームマーケット2025春 #ゲムマ2025春

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Caitlin Ernest. @caitlinernest.bsky.social · May 20

How fun is Saashi & Saashi's The Great Evening Banquet! 😊
Simple rules, but tough decisions that get trickier each round! Do I put my old man here for end-game scoring or over there to ensure I can fully score the table?🤔
#saashiandsaashi #ゲームマーケット2025春 #ゲムマ2025春

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Caitlin Ernest. @caitlinernest.bsky.social · May 19

We didn't get photos with everyone, but these were some of the other lovely people we saw at #ゲームマーケット2025春. It was so fun catching up with you all! 🥰

1. Rodrigo (Esper Game Studio) & Yofiandhy (designer of Biohack).
2. Saashi & his wife Takako.
3. Bajir (designer of Trickarus).
#ゲムマ2025春

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Caitlin Ernest. @caitlinernest.bsky.social · May 19

The people we spent time with made #ゲームマーケット2025春 much more fun & special for us!
Shout out to @mikedilisio.bsky.social: he was incredibly kind to take the time to come hang out with Shota & myself (+ @missmerc.bsky.social!). We had a great chat & he couldn't have been nicer! 😊
#ゲムマ2025春

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Caitlin Ernest. @caitlinernest.bsky.social · May 18

14,600 steps, 26 tokens, 13 games, 3 expansions, 2 Mikes, & too much ¥¥¥: #ゲームマーケット2025春 was amazing! ✨️
Here's our game haul. Now we've gotta find space on our board game shelves... 😅
#ゲムマ2025春

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Caitlin Ernest. @caitlinernest.bsky.social · May 18

Thanks! 🥰

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Caitlin Ernest. @caitlinernest.bsky.social · May 18

After his 6:30am wake up, Tote Mike is lined up and ready for #ゲームマーケット2025春!

#ゲムマ2025春

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Caitlin Ernest. @caitlinernest.bsky.social · May 17

How was your day at #ゲームマーケット2025春 today? 😊

Tote Mike, Shota, & I are looking forward to attending tomorrow. If you see us around, please say hello! 🥰
#ゲムマ2025春

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Caitlin Ernest. @caitlinernest.bsky.social · May 16

I adore the tumbling & weaving of Trickarus. Such a great idea to use the tale of Icarus as a trick-taking theme!
The way the 5s figuratively & literally flip the game around is wonderful. And the art is gorgeous. What a fun game!
#ゲムマ2025春 #ゲームマーケット2025春

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Caitlin Ernest. @caitlinernest.bsky.social · May 16

This Bed is Mine has a 🐱+🐶 fighting to control bed space. So cute!
Use number tiles to form bordered areas, ensuring the sum of your numbers is higher than your opponent's: the higher sum wins an area.
A pretty strategic game!
#BroadwayToys #ゲムマ2025春 #ゲームマーケット2025春

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Caitlin Ernest. @caitlinernest.bsky.social · May 15

Our first ever Tokyo Game Market purchase was Gold Rush.
It's a pretty quick, yet enjoyable game! The dilemma of trying to decide which mines to claim is a lot of fun.
I love @saibep.bsky.social's gold-embellished artwork, too; it's gorgeous!
#ReinerKnizia #ゲムマ2025春 #ゲームマーケット2025春

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Caitlin Ernest. @caitlinernest.bsky.social · May 14

Manekinecollection/まねきねこれくしょん has the strategy of poker w/ the coziness of cats & kotatsu!
Play poker with cards + cats to win points hidden under the cats' zabuton.
So cute & simple! And those angry cats 😍
#ReinerKnizia #StudioMundi #ゲムマ2025春 #ゲームマーケット2025春

Caitlin Ernest. @caitlinernest.bsky.social · May 14

I made contact information cards for Shota & myself!

I'd love to collect business cards from everyone I meet at TGM. So if we meet this weekend, let's exchange cards! 😊

#ゲムマ2025春 #ゲームマーケット2025春

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Caitlin Ernest. @caitlinernest.bsky.social · May 14

Rock, Paper, Spirits is a shedding game that mixes head-to-head battles & activating abilities. When you do either, your card's # or 🪨/🗒/✂️ symbol must beat your opponent's.
Looking forward to the new cards at #ゲムマ2025春!
#SmartApeGames #Nakamura326 #ゲームマーケット2025春

Caitlin Ernest. @caitlinernest.bsky.social · May 13

How incredible does Pizza Zombie look!?🍕🧟‍♂️
When one friend becomes a zombie after eating bad pizza, the other friends do their best to hide around a diner!
Play a hiding place card & try to avoid matching with the zombie.
#BoardbullGames #ゲムマ2025春 #ゲームマーケット2025春

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Caitlin Ernest. @caitlinernest.bsky.social · May 12

Saashi & Saashi's 1 A.M. Jailbreak/午前１時の大脱走 is a light & delightful shedding game! I love the satisfaction of using the Shoot Ahead mechanic to play a HEAP of cards.
As always, Takako Takarai's artwork is wonderfuI! 😊
#ゲムマ2025春 #ゲームマーケット2025春

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