Matt Ollis
@mattollis.bsky.social
Mathematician at Emerson College, Boston. Combinatorics with a hint of group theory. Brit living in Vermont. Board games. Maps. AVFC. Beginner bassist and even-more-beginner drummer. SciFi. Other stuff.
All set to spend some time in the fishing villages on the Norweigian coast of Vermont. #Saltfjord #boardgame.
November 6, 2025 at 5:30 PM
All set to spend some time in the fishing villages on the Norweigian coast of Vermont. #Saltfjord #boardgame.
Today's new #boardgame: Tacta, a candidate for using in my Math of Games class next semester. I played all hands of a three player version. Quick, intuitive and fun. And luckily my table was just the right size for this player count.
Next: find, or make, a genuine #sologame version.
Next: find, or make, a genuine #sologame version.
November 3, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Today's new #boardgame: Tacta, a candidate for using in my Math of Games class next semester. I played all hands of a three player version. Quick, intuitive and fun. And luckily my table was just the right size for this player count.
Next: find, or make, a genuine #sologame version.
Next: find, or make, a genuine #sologame version.
Enjoyable work task for today: learn Sagrada.
I played the solo mode and I think I got the rules right, but took a while to understand even very basic tactics. Haven't scored it yet, but I don't have high hopes for victory, even though I played on an easy level. I will try again soon.
I played the solo mode and I think I got the rules right, but took a while to understand even very basic tactics. Haven't scored it yet, but I don't have high hopes for victory, even though I played on an easy level. I will try again soon.
October 21, 2025 at 4:58 PM
Enjoyable work task for today: learn Sagrada.
I played the solo mode and I think I got the rules right, but took a while to understand even very basic tactics. Haven't scored it yet, but I don't have high hopes for victory, even though I played on an easy level. I will try again soon.
I played the solo mode and I think I got the rules right, but took a while to understand even very basic tactics. Haven't scored it yet, but I don't have high hopes for victory, even though I played on an easy level. I will try again soon.
One of the many advantages of teaching a game studies course: when Canvas is down, you can declare a games day while staying on topic.
October 20, 2025 at 3:43 PM
One of the many advantages of teaching a game studies course: when Canvas is down, you can declare a games day while staying on topic.
Today's lesson plan: play Pandemic: Hot Zone.
September 8, 2025 at 5:10 PM
Today's lesson plan: play Pandemic: Hot Zone.
Stopped into Greenfield Games to browse and /possibly/ buy /at most/ one game. The result:
#boardgamesky
#boardgamesky
April 11, 2025 at 9:21 PM
Stopped into Greenfield Games to browse and /possibly/ buy /at most/ one game. The result:
#boardgamesky
#boardgamesky
Cosmos Empires! A print-n-play from Bigger Worlds Games. And another great job by the Emerson College print shop.
#BoardGameSky
#BoardGameSky
March 17, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Cosmos Empires! A print-n-play from Bigger Worlds Games. And another great job by the Emerson College print shop.
#BoardGameSky
#BoardGameSky
In this game, Player 3 (me, right of pic) ended up winning. However, Player 1 (me, left of pic) built the best mech engine I've seen with four Belts and Beacons, falling just short on 29pts. Player 2 (me, center) didn't manage to get going with a Bio strategy.
March 17, 2025 at 4:31 PM
In this game, Player 3 (me, right of pic) ended up winning. However, Player 1 (me, left of pic) built the best mech engine I've seen with four Belts and Beacons, falling just short on 29pts. Player 2 (me, center) didn't manage to get going with a Bio strategy.
Shout out to the Emerson College Print Shop, for an excellent job making these PVC credit-card-like cards with a haunting bluish tinge to the art, after experimenting with various cool options.
February 4, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Shout out to the Emerson College Print Shop, for an excellent job making these PVC credit-card-like cards with a haunting bluish tinge to the art, after experimenting with various cool options.
Pentaquest! A print-n-play designed by Lucio Gozzi for Nerdura Games.
Fun as a little solo Yahtzee-like challenge. Roll your dice, defeat the monsters to turn them to your team, where you can use them once to change a roll (at the expense of not scoring for defeating them).
Fun as a little solo Yahtzee-like challenge. Roll your dice, defeat the monsters to turn them to your team, where you can use them once to change a roll (at the expense of not scoring for defeating them).
February 4, 2025 at 2:04 PM
Pentaquest! A print-n-play designed by Lucio Gozzi for Nerdura Games.
Fun as a little solo Yahtzee-like challenge. Roll your dice, defeat the monsters to turn them to your team, where you can use them once to change a roll (at the expense of not scoring for defeating them).
Fun as a little solo Yahtzee-like challenge. Roll your dice, defeat the monsters to turn them to your team, where you can use them once to change a roll (at the expense of not scoring for defeating them).
I love it when reading for work and reading for fun overlap. Thanks for putting this into the world, @timclare.bsky.social
I'm only six pages in, and my big concern at the moment is that the book could completely replace me when I'm teaching my game studies course.
I'm only six pages in, and my big concern at the moment is that the book could completely replace me when I'm teaching my game studies course.
January 12, 2025 at 5:41 PM
I love it when reading for work and reading for fun overlap. Thanks for putting this into the world, @timclare.bsky.social
I'm only six pages in, and my big concern at the moment is that the book could completely replace me when I'm teaching my game studies course.
I'm only six pages in, and my big concern at the moment is that the book could completely replace me when I'm teaching my game studies course.
New bass day! A Sire U5 short scale. First impressions very good. Sounds and feels great right out of the box.
I have two more basses than I need now (harsher critics might say three) but I love them all.
I have two more basses than I need now (harsher critics might say three) but I love them all.
January 8, 2025 at 7:42 PM
New bass day! A Sire U5 short scale. First impressions very good. Sounds and feels great right out of the box.
I have two more basses than I need now (harsher critics might say three) but I love them all.
I have two more basses than I need now (harsher critics might say three) but I love them all.
I heard about @senetmagazine.bsky.social earlier this month, and all of these arrived today. Now to decide whether to binge them or pace myself a bit more sensibly.
December 30, 2024 at 7:09 PM
I heard about @senetmagazine.bsky.social earlier this month, and all of these arrived today. Now to decide whether to binge them or pace myself a bit more sensibly.