iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Yggy Stardust @yggystardust.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

After half a dozen plays (one with the Notables cards from the Carnies expansion), The Bloody Inn remains...fine. I want to love it. The theme is right up my alley. But try as I might, I just can't find a lot of game there. #boardgames

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Yggy Stardust @yggystardust.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

The Calamities, @chuckwendig.bsky.social. Wendig has become one of my favorite authors over the past several years, and I was very excited for this book to come out. It did not disappoint. Plus, I got my very own demonic progenitor (Draugmoraj) upon pre-order #booksky

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Yggy Stardust @yggystardust.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Designing Your New Work Life, Bill Burnett and Dave Evans. A more focused follow up to Design Your Life, for people who have a job/career & are willing to make changes mostly in the confines of it. A good read, but I don't think you need both. One or the other will be more suited to you. #booksky

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Yggy Stardust @yggystardust.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Last night we played Tenpenny Parks with the Spooky Nights expansion. It does a great job of adding to the game without making you learn a ton of new stuff or blowing up the original game play. Plus, the little ghosts are absolutely adorable. #boardgames

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Yggy Stardust @yggystardust.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Hear me out: knock it off with the space stuff and give me Undaunted: Japan. #boardgames

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Yggy Stardust @yggystardust.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Can a #boardgame be both Metal and delightful? Apparently so! Hair Band made outstanding use of its theme, the drama cards were hilarious, and the song cards showed a deep love of glam and hair metal. We had a blast.

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Yggy Stardust @yggystardust.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

The Manager Method, Ashley Herd. This had the same kind of vibe as Erin McGoff's The Secret Language of Work - like it was advice from a trusted friend given over coffee. It also has the same kind of practical, real life examples that show how to use the recommended techniques. #booksky

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Yggy Stardust @yggystardust.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Brooke Shields is Not Allowed to Get Old, Brooke Shields. Every woman of a certain age needs to read this book. Brooke Shields is HILARIOUS. She has no filter, in the best way possible. She is very much telling it like it is about a phase of life that is actually pretty awesome. #booksky

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Yggy Stardust @yggystardust.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Got in two plays of Feya's Swamp last night. We really dug this one. There's a lot going on but it all comes together very well. I feel like this game was everywhere and then suddenly dropped off everyone's radar. It's absolutely worth the original hype. #boardgames

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Yggy Stardust @yggystardust.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Today while watching this video, I learned that they're hex-and-counter games, not hex encounter games (as I have been calling them for my entire life). In my defense, your troops do encounter each other on a hexgaon map. It makes sense. #boardgames

youtu.be

TDG: Cody's Top 100 Games 2026 (#60-51)

YouTube video by The Discriminating Gamer

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Yggy Stardust @yggystardust.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Swing by FUNtainment in Munich today. If you ever wondered how to say Apiary in German, wonder no more! #boardgames

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Yggy Stardust @yggystardust.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Every time I'm waiting for an Uber to the airport, we play Carcasone Winter Edition at the kitchen table while looking out the window for the driver. #boardgames

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Yggy Stardust @yggystardust.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Pandemic was a HUGE hit at game day yesterday. It's always been a favorite of mine, and it brought me so much joy to see my friends having such a great time with it. The experience is going to send an already highly ranked game rocketing up my top 100 list at the end of the year. #boardgames

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Yggy Stardust @yggystardust.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Rich People Problems, Kevin Kwan. The last installment in the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy. I love a gossipy read, and there's almost no better gossip than billionaires vying over the contents of their matriarch's will. I highly recommend this entire series and all of its delightful footnotes. #booksky

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Yggy Stardust @yggystardust.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

When needing comfort after a long day, some people binge watch Community. Some make grandma's chicken soup. We play Fjords. #boardgames

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Yggy Stardust @yggystardust.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

I Am Not A Robot, @joannastern.bsky.social. Most coverage of AI pertains to the workplace, with some worry about education and art thrown in for good measure. This book covers all that, but also considers more "everyday" stuff. What does it look like when AI is woven into everything we do? #booksky

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Yggy Stardust @yggystardust.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

It Came From Neverland, @cynthiapelayo.bsky.social. What if everything you know about Neverland is wrong and Peter Pan is actually truly awful? This version of Peter is one of the cruelest characters I have ever read. Excellent story and very well written, but it was INTENSE. #booksky

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Yggy Stardust @yggystardust.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

Waddle from @allplay.bsky.social packs a surprising amount of game into a very tiny box! This area control game requires a decent amount of advance planning & a good amount of defense. It can get pretty mean if you let it, but it's also simple and fun (and cute) enough to play with kids. #boardgames

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Yggy Stardust @yggystardust.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

Designing Your Life, Bill Burnett & David Evans. This book gives detail & context to the Odyssey Plan framework. I really need to stop reading books like this in transit - reading in airports and listening in my car - and keep them for home when I can work through the exercises real time. #booksky

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Yggy Stardust @yggystardust.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

I WON A GAME OF LANIAKEA THIS NEVER HAPPENS THIS IS THE BEST DAY EVER. #BOARDGAMES

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Yggy Stardust @yggystardust.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

There are many excellent iterations of Pandemic, but my heart belongs to the original. #boardgames

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Yggy Stardust @yggystardust.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Mad Mabel, Sally Hepworth. I almost cried at the end but I was in an airport so I decided against it. I did not think a book in which an 81 year old famous for being Australia's youngest convicted murderer tells her story could be so touching. And also charming. And funny. #booksky

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Yggy Stardust @yggystardust.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

IT'S HERE! If you need me, don't. I'm busy for the foreseeable future. @chuckwendig.bsky.social #booksky

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Yggy Stardust @yggystardust.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Giph project night! We already had Yinsh, and we picked up Tzaar and Dvonn as freebies at #ogc last month. All of the games are super interesting but for now I think Dvonn is my favorite. #boardgames

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Yggy Stardust @yggystardust.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

This is the best possible use of your money. #booksky

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Yggy Stardust @yggystardust.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Yesteryear, Claro Claire Burke. This book is worth absolutely all of the press it is getting. I could not put it down. The story lines are so compelling and I especially appreciated the twist ending that actually made sense. The end was surprising without being ridiculous or abrupt. #booksky

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Yggy Stardust @yggystardust.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

America Rapture, CJ Leede. @ceejthemoment.bsky.social Having now read two of their books, I can confidently say that any time an editor has asked CJ Leede if something goes too far, they have replied with a firm, "No." I ignored my family for 3 days straight to read this. Highly recommend. #booksky

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Yggy Stardust @yggystardust.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

@amanpossessed.bsky.social! Evenglow is @tylorkovray.bsky.social's #1 game of July! Watching the video now. #boardgames

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Yggy Stardust @yggystardust.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

ALMOST won a game of Yggdrasil last night. We were only two cards away! This is a recent eBay acquisition that I'm very excited to finally own. #boardgames

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Yggy Stardust @yggystardust.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Tonight in our #boardgame room: Blood Rage! Can't decide if I am happier to be introducing this classic to friends at our upcoming game day or happier that my copy was signed by legendary game designer and honestly delightful human being @ericlang.bsky.social at Omaha Gaming Convention #ogc

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Yggy Stardust @yggystardust.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

We Are Satellites, Sarah Pinsker. A really interesting story about family, technology, and privilege. It provided a lot of food for thought about how we intertwine our lives with new gadgets and innovations without putting all that much thought into the consequences. #booksky

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Yggy Stardust @yggystardust.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Do Nothing, Celeste Headlee. It was WILD listening to this book. It so perfectly described post-pandemic life. Loneliness epidemics, 24/7 work culture, social media overload...but the book was published on March 10, 2020 and researched over several years before that. #booksky

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Yggy Stardust @yggystardust.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Murder Your Employer, Rupert Holmes. A very funny and very not-magical tale of Dark Academia. The 3 main characters are students at McMasters Conservatory, where everyone's graduation thesis is the execution of 1 well planned, well justified murder. Also, Google the author. Yup, same guy. #booksky

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Yggy Stardust @yggystardust.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

Valley of the Moms, Hannah Selinger. A fun read about a mom who runs afoul of the local PTO & ends up dead (not a spoiler - she's found like two pages in). There are two storylines - the mom's leading up to the murder & her husband's, in which he is trying to piece things together after. #booksky

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Yggy Stardust @yggystardust.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

Gamers, find yourself a partner (or bestie!) who cheers for you like Tarrant cheers for Stella. That shirt is top tier. @meepleuniversity.bsky.social #boardgames

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Yggy Stardust @yggystardust.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

#booksky! It's been a minute & I have read a lot! Next up, Visible, May Busch. I found this book to be extremely practical and I'm looking forward to digging into the online resources and worksheets. This would be useful to anyone navigating the corporate world and looking towards their next steps.

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Yggy Stardust @yggystardust.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

Been a minute since I posted as we were hosting my niece this week. We played so many #boardgames while she was here, including Votes for Women! I won twice as the opposition but the bigger win was hearing the way my niece, at almost 13 years old, practically spits the word "patriarchy."

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Yggy Stardust @yggystardust.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

Spent part of the trip home tossing around the idea of starting a YouTube channel to visit and review #boardgame cafes. It would be expensive and time consuming, but also very fun.

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Yggy Stardust @yggystardust.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

Last game of the weekend (unless we play something tonight, which is possible), again at Spielbound, was Forest Shuffle Dartmoor. Call me contrarian, but I liked the original better. It was simpler and brighter. I know it's said to be unbalanced, but sign me up for the OG #boardgames

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Yggy Stardust @yggystardust.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

And...layover! Next up at Spielbound was Soothsayers. Loved the Tarot theme. The game has good bones & a unique action selection/activation mechanic. I'd like to give it another play now that I've had a practice run to really ingest the rules, & also try it with more than 2 players. #boardgames

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Yggy Stardust @yggystardust.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

Ramp congestion means you get a post from the tarmac at ORD! The 2nd game we played at Spielbound was Zenith. I can see why people love it. Interesting choices, fun cards, engaging tug of war aspect, creative twists and powers. But that iconography is a STEEP learning curve. #boardgames

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Yggy Stardust @yggystardust.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

One more game post before we board, and then more during what will hopefully be an uneventful layover. First #boardgame at Spielbound was Vale of Eternity. I really enjoyed this one and could see several different strategies unfolding as we played.

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Yggy Stardust @yggystardust.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

Last night we visited Spielbound Board Game Cafe for get a few more games (and some pizza!) in after #ogc came to a close. I'd kill for a place like this closer to home. Friendly staff, solid game selection, plenty of space to eat and play, and what looked like a solid events calendar. #boardgames

spielbound.com

Spielbound | Spielbound Board Game Cafe

Quality coffeehouse drinks and the best board games for pickup or shipped directly to you.

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Yggy Stardust @yggystardust.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

Almost forgot to share the super fun cocktail menu from the hotel bar at Omaha Gaming Convention! #boardgames

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Yggy Stardust @yggystardust.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

Wrapped up #ogc with a couple rounds of Citizens of the Spark. We liked the first combination of factions we used better than the second, which rewarded the player in the lead and got out of hand prety quickly. We'll be gaming at local game cafe Spielbound tonight! #boardgames

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Yggy Stardust @yggystardust.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

Cascadia provided a much needed palate cleanser. We'd never played before despite the games longstanding popularity. We found absolutely charming and just the right amount of thinky. In the Harmonies v Cascadia debate, @metalslacker.bsky.social and I are voting Cascadia. #ogc #boardgames

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Yggy Stardust @yggystardust.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

Started Day 3 at #ogc with Seti. I might be willing to try this again with someone who knew the game well, but without someone to guide you it's a real slog. I can see how someone could make this game sing, but for us it mostly sounded like pots & pans crashing on the kitchen floor. #boardgames

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Yggy Stardust @yggystardust.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

Last new (to us) #boardgame of the day at #ogc (but not the last game of the day overall) was Azul Summer Pavillion. A hybrid of the original Azul and Queen's Garden (which is the best Azul), it was very easy to learn and played pretty quickly.

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