Author Archives: AnnaMaria Jackson-Phelps

Waiting. The average person spends six months of their lives waiting – in queues, for service, and on hold. Some of us fidget, some doodle, some mess around on their phones. ALL of us wish we had a better way to pass the time. With the rise in the popularity of filler games (usually designedContinue reading “Purse and Pocket Games – Good Things Come in Small Packages”

Do you have what it takes to win the nomination? The Primary is a strategy game for 1-4 players currently on Kickstarter. Travel the country, host rallies and fundraisers, and predict your opponents’ strategies in order to earn the most delegates and win the game! And – no politics involved! This week I chatted with TheContinue reading “Kickstarter Preview: The Primary by Mountaintop Games”

As an avid gardener and foodie, I felt a little like Herbaceous was directly marketed to me. While I’m not usually a fan of push your luck games, its gorgeous, watercolor style art caused me to overlook that in order to get a peak at all the beautiful cards inside. I wasn’t disappointed – HerbaceousContinue reading “Review: Herbaceous – a Visual Feast”

Whether it’s for listening to on Audible while working out or as we’re starting to plan that poolside novel list, most of us are always on the lookout for great book recommendations. Did you know there are more book/game tie-ins than just Lord of the Rings and Rainbow Six? Consider incorporating some of your favoriteContinue reading “Summer Reading List: Books Based on Games and Games Based on Books”

While Pew Research Center states that 53% of black adults play video games and on average black gamers play more per week then any other demographic, a University of California study shows that fewer then 11% of games feature black characters, and of those the majority are athletes or gangsters. Additionally, IDGA reports that only 3% of game developers areContinue reading “Diversity Matters: A Look at the Best Black Protagonists in Video Games”

I’ve been a fan of Spycraft for years and recently got hooked on the Mistborn series, so when an opportunity to sit down with Patrick Kapera of Crafty Games at PAX Unplugged I jumped at the chance. We found a quiet-ish corner of the vendor hall for a long chat about role playing with kids,Continue reading “Crafty Games: Great Things Happen When Stars Align”