Everyone Needs A Shed

Life and Games (but mostly games) from Tony Boydell: Father, Grandfather, Husband, Curator of the Museum of Board Games (in Newent) and Independent UK Game Designer.

Archive for Tony Boydell

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Embrace the magic that the darkness bears; breath deep in the chill and shift in the air.

Anthony Boydell
United Kingdom
Newent. Glos
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Board Game Designer
Every homo sapiens needs an outbuilding within the curtelage of their property
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Welcome...to my Shed!
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Autumn comes dripping in on the soles of our shoes and the tails of our coats:
From gallery of tonyboydell

It's time to put the Winter duvet back on the bed, stock up on logs for the wood-burning stove and pull the 'slow cooker' from the back of the Pots cupboard. Pretty soon there is Essen Spiel, and, then, the hibernating will begin in earnest.

I'm not one who misses the Sun, or suffers from S.A.D; indeed, the opposite is true as we are now moving into my favourite time of the Year. I love the way the world shrinks around you: the shorter days, the weather that necessitates cocooning-in-clothes, the shuffling closer-together of furniture - a general lifestyle hunkering down as you bid farewell to the Sun until the Springtime.

Bliss.
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10 Comments
Wed Sep 20, 2023 9:00 am
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Mi casa es tu casa

Anthony Boydell
United Kingdom
Newent. Glos
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Board Game Designer
Every homo sapiens needs an outbuilding within the curtelage of their property
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Welcome...to my Shed!
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Microbadge: I love Europe!Microbadge: 5 Games for Doomsday fanMicrobadge: Talk Talk fanMicrobadge: Citizenship Recognition - Level VI -  Is six any more shiny? ... Well, it's one shinier isn't it? ... Okay, why don't you just make five a bit more shiny and then that would be the most shiny? ... Because these go to six.Microbadge: Iain Banks fan
Fortune has brought me into a connection with the splendid Mr Dan Hallagan and a bijou project related to his magnum opus Obsession! Back in the way-back-when, I'd had an idea for an Activity tile and our recent discussions about something for Snowdonia: Grand Tour have brought this reciprocal piece back to life as part of a forthcoming Obsession expansion (due October 17th-31th this year)!

In a mechanism that breaks a core rule of the game, the Pony & Trap/Hansom Cab let you make use of activities owned by the other players:
From gallery of tonyboydell


Using someone else's activity won't cause their tile to flip, however.

From gallery of tonyboydell

To be added as part of the general supply (from the bag) rather than a starting piece, I hope to hear many tales of outrage and intrigue.
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Tue Sep 19, 2023 6:20 am
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Anthony Boydell
United Kingdom
Newent. Glos
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Board Game Designer
Every homo sapiens needs an outbuilding within the curtelage of their property
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Welcome...to my Shed!
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Microbadge: I love Europe!Microbadge: 5 Games for Doomsday fanMicrobadge: Talk Talk fanMicrobadge: Citizenship Recognition - Level VI -  Is six any more shiny? ... Well, it's one shinier isn't it? ... Okay, why don't you just make five a bit more shiny and then that would be the most shiny? ... Because these go to six.Microbadge: Iain Banks fan

From gallery of tonyboydell
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Mon Sep 18, 2023 6:05 am
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Meetings

Anthony Boydell
United Kingdom
Newent. Glos
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Board Game Designer
Every homo sapiens needs an outbuilding within the curtelage of their property
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Welcome...to my Shed!
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Microbadge: I love Europe!Microbadge: 5 Games for Doomsday fanMicrobadge: Talk Talk fanMicrobadge: Citizenship Recognition - Level VI -  Is six any more shiny? ... Well, it's one shinier isn't it? ... Okay, why don't you just make five a bit more shiny and then that would be the most shiny? ... Because these go to six.Microbadge: Iain Banks fan
Friday was a day of fettling and settling: Daisy and Andy have moved to their first house (bloody lovely place, very exciting for everyone etc) and left a few bits of IVAR shelving behind - like the IKEA Vulture that I am, I pounced upon them and carried them away to my nest the Museum!

I am also trialling my new work laptop and its ability to tether off of my phone thus enabling me to work from The Shambles - I can be on standby for visitors but - more importantly - I can decide to get out of the house and walk to work ie. for the benefit of my mental health!

The Gift Shop - BEFORE
From gallery of tonyboydell


From gallery of tonyboydell

Everything is looking pleasingly-consistent though I could really do with one more shelf layer.

From gallery of tonyboydell

And speaking of 'work', Saturday saw a special visit from three of my workmates who - for the last 24 months - have been icons on Teams meetings (we had never met IRL); from Newport (South Wales) and Bristol, they tootled into Newent in time for a hearty Erol's Breakfast Bap, coffee and what would be four hours of gaming history and work-related chat. I also had them scurrying about the premises in a game of Railway Riot...which was made especially-spicy when the whole of The Shambles suffered a 20 minute power cut:
From gallery of tonyboydell

This gave us an idea for Hallowe'en...

A full and busy day was rounded off with an impromptu trip to the Cinderford Palace Theatre to see A Haunting In Venice - the new Poirot - which me, Mrs B and Arthur enjoyed very much.
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Sun Sep 17, 2023 6:10 am
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Chairman of the Board(s)

Anthony Boydell
United Kingdom
Newent. Glos
Unspecified
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Board Game Designer
Every homo sapiens needs an outbuilding within the curtelage of their property
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Welcome...to my Shed!
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Microbadge: I love Europe!Microbadge: 5 Games for Doomsday fanMicrobadge: Talk Talk fanMicrobadge: Citizenship Recognition - Level VI -  Is six any more shiny? ... Well, it's one shinier isn't it? ... Okay, why don't you just make five a bit more shiny and then that would be the most shiny? ... Because these go to six.Microbadge: Iain Banks fan
Okay, so I might have been short-changed in a couple recent exhibit acquisitions but, sometimes, I deliberately go after "part works":
From gallery of tonyboydell

This is invariably because the 'full version' would be markedly more expensive and, in the case of these Fairylite products, consist of nothing more than tatty box, some counters, a d6 and a small dice cup. No, indeed; this kind of 'Snakes & Ladders'-esque fare is far better serviced by the art and layout of the boards than anything else:

From gallery of tonyboydell

Simple, bright and doing exactly what you'd expect; the little details make them a delight.

From gallery of tonyboydell
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Sat Sep 16, 2023 6:15 am
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There's mortar this game

Anthony Boydell
United Kingdom
Newent. Glos
Unspecified
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Board Game Designer
Every homo sapiens needs an outbuilding within the curtelage of their property
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Welcome...to my Shed!
Avatar
Microbadge: I love Europe!Microbadge: 5 Games for Doomsday fanMicrobadge: Talk Talk fanMicrobadge: Citizenship Recognition - Level VI -  Is six any more shiny? ... Well, it's one shinier isn't it? ... Okay, why don't you just make five a bit more shiny and then that would be the most shiny? ... Because these go to six.Microbadge: Iain Banks fan
It's taking a little while for folks to acclimatise to the end of the holidays so numbers at The Kings Arms are down on expectations BUT we did manage enough folks to get a couple of great games in.

Joe, Sandra, Dave, Richard and myself went a-sailin' and a-colonisin' with the always-excellent Endeavor: Age of Sail:
From gallery of tonyboydell

It was a strong showing from all but experience will out and Dave just pipped me for the victory: both of us nestled in the low 60s. Richard mis-picked a building mid-game which, effectively, left him with lots of folks and nothing to do in the subsequent round. Joe shipped his way to a couple of Governorships while Sandra lamented the lack of a Cannon with which to exact revenge against the rest of us!

Our new-to-its were very much taken with this highly-interactive gem especially Richard who really enjoys games where the narrative is as strong as the mechanisms - that'll be the 1980s RPG-er in him!

There's always time for Codenames and we split, albeit unevenly, into Joe & Me versus The Rest:
From gallery of tonyboydell

After a tentative start - which let 'The Rest' in for a Round 1 win - the lad and I tuned our mentals and breezed Round 2 with total ease. Round 3 - the decider - fell to us after some unwary clue-ing from Dave: the assassin claimed another victim.

Hopefully, next week will see us back to (at least) two tables worth and offer me the chance to play Agricola for the first time in - gasp! - seven months?!?!
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Fri Sep 15, 2023 6:10 am
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Go Figure

Anthony Boydell
United Kingdom
Newent. Glos
Unspecified
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Board Game Designer
Every homo sapiens needs an outbuilding within the curtelage of their property
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Welcome...to my Shed!
Avatar
Microbadge: I love Europe!Microbadge: 5 Games for Doomsday fanMicrobadge: Talk Talk fanMicrobadge: Citizenship Recognition - Level VI -  Is six any more shiny? ... Well, it's one shinier isn't it? ... Okay, why don't you just make five a bit more shiny and then that would be the most shiny? ... Because these go to six.Microbadge: Iain Banks fan

Shedlife sometimes presents me with curious things - as in this, from a recent e-mail:
From gallery of tonyboydell

What, on (Base-Plate) Earth, could've happened?!
(speculative events added my me)

TBF, I'd be bricking myself...
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Thu Sep 14, 2023 6:15 am
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caveat emptor, quia ignorare non debuit quod jus alienum emit

Anthony Boydell
United Kingdom
Newent. Glos
Unspecified
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Board Game Designer
Every homo sapiens needs an outbuilding within the curtelage of their property
badge
Welcome...to my Shed!
Avatar
Microbadge: I love Europe!Microbadge: 5 Games for Doomsday fanMicrobadge: Talk Talk fanMicrobadge: Citizenship Recognition - Level VI -  Is six any more shiny? ... Well, it's one shinier isn't it? ... Okay, why don't you just make five a bit more shiny and then that would be the most shiny? ... Because these go to six.Microbadge: Iain Banks fan
Well, I always thought that our Nanny State was rather over-egging the pudding when it came to Internet Safety; that is, of course, until I experienced the dangers myself.

Bear with me, dear pals, as I may become emotional: this copy of G1 from the 1980s - described as 100% complete - brought my trusted view of the digital domain smashing and crashing to the ground:
From gallery of tonyboydell

There are supposed to be 54 cards in the deck - but there are only 52 in the box; there should be five player rocket ships but only the one made it to my door. As for the 'Bases'?! Well, the good Lord knows wheretofore they have wandered!
From gallery of tonyboydell

Without hesitation, I turned to eBay for assistance and the vendor immediately apologised and refunded my money...
From gallery of tonyboydell

...I'm not sure I can ever recover from this trauma.

To add insult to (grevious) injury, this 90 year old edition of Trilos - noted with "all parts and pieces" - was delivered on the same day and - woe upon stomach-churning woe - it was missing its rulebook!
From gallery of tonyboydell

I had to - gasp - go online and download a previously-scanned PDF! Though, to be fair, BGG has everything you need to know right here:
Quote:
Trilos is a game system featuring Triangular Dominoes (twenty-four Trilos and one Joker,) two playing boards, and two tile holders that include clips for tracking scores. Each Trilo has a number of pips along each side, one through nine, and has a white face on one side, black on the other. The spots on each side are the same, so that on one side the numbers run clockwise, the other anti-clockwise, which is indicated by an extra mark.

The rules describe these games for play with Trilos:
Dom Trilo – a game of drawing Trilos and matching them on a table, in an attempt to rid one's hand of any remaining tiles
Stones and Windows – two players match randomly drawn Trilos around the blank edges of the small board (a triangular grid of 10 triangles the same size as the Trilos.) The goal is to be the first to use all one's Trilos or, if reaching an unplayable position, to score the fewest points on remaining Trilos.
Rummy Trilo – three players draw seven Trilos and privately try to match a pattern drawn in the rulebook, taking turns swapping out pieces until someone completes the pattern.
Crazy Pavement – a more complicated version of Stones and Windows, with players trying to match pieces around the numbered sides of the small board, tracking several different ways to score points. When the game becomes unplayable, the score determines the winner.
Khuti – two players lay Trilos on the larger board (which features a grid of twenty-two triangles,) attempting to fill the board while outscoring each other.
Khefren – two players engage in a slightly less difficult version of the above game, Khuti.
Two Patience Games – there are two solitaire games included in the rules, Pyramid Patience and Trilex Patience.
Troulette – a game of chance utilizing a scoring board drawn in the rules and the Trilos pieces.
From gallery of tonyboydell

What alchemy is this? Boards that don't fold along a line of symmetry?

From gallery of tonyboydell

From gallery of tonyboydell

From gallery of tonyboydell

A player's tile display 'standing' mechanism

From gallery of tonyboydell


I just have to nip off for a bit of a lie-down; it's all so stressful!
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Wed Sep 13, 2023 6:20 am
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I can lock all my doors, it's the only way to live...

Anthony Boydell
United Kingdom
Newent. Glos
Unspecified
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Board Game Designer
Every homo sapiens needs an outbuilding within the curtelage of their property
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Welcome...to my Shed!
Avatar
Microbadge: I love Europe!Microbadge: 5 Games for Doomsday fanMicrobadge: Talk Talk fanMicrobadge: Citizenship Recognition - Level VI -  Is six any more shiny? ... Well, it's one shinier isn't it? ... Okay, why don't you just make five a bit more shiny and then that would be the most shiny? ... Because these go to six.Microbadge: Iain Banks fan
Newent Town is not very good when it comes to self-promotion; indeed, the council seem reluctant to take charge and - instead - rely on busybodies and enthusiastic amateurs to organise pretty much anything! Pre-Covid, the annual Onion Fair - put together by volunteers - would easily bring 5000+ folks into the sleepy streets for a full day of spending, sunshine (usually) and fun; the viral times brought an abrupt end to the tradition and we're left to see the Summer melt into the Autumn with barely a whimper.

Huzzah!, then, for the Rotarians who decided to put on a Vintage Car Show this weekend - albeit at the Cricket Club about a mile away from the Town Centre - that was well-advertised (in plenty of time) and, as it turned out, well attended (500 people?) too! Arthur and I walked through the back lanes, in the humid early morning, and arrived just before the official 10AM start; machines of great beauty and interest were still turning up, so we set about our zig-zagging tour of these mechanical friends:
From gallery of tonyboydell

From gallery of tonyboydell

From gallery of tonyboydell

From gallery of tonyboydell

Sublime.

From gallery of tonyboydell

Ridiculous.

From gallery of tonyboydell

From gallery of tonyboydell

Yellow car no returns...for 3 points!

We explained the 'Yellow Car' game to the owners - much to their delight - and how this might explain any funny looks and pointing they might notice in the future

From gallery of tonyboydell

From gallery of tonyboydell

Our favourite of the day: a gorgeous, Series 3 (V12), export E-Type

Arty and I had a lovely chat with the owners about how the gentleman had dreamed of owning an E-Type since Primary School (something for Arthur to cling on to as this is his ambition too) and how they, eventually, acquired it. They even got the engine running so we could listen to the glorious purr of it!
From gallery of tonyboydell

From gallery of tonyboydell

Le Mans 66! This GT is a thrilling piece; we actually followed it home down a jammed lane a bit later - it made a wonderful growling!

From gallery of tonyboydell

You could've picked this Fiat up and put it in your pocket!

From gallery of tonyboydell

Arthur helped the owner do some restoration work on this 2CV in the Spring!

From gallery of tonyboydell

From gallery of tonyboydell

You're nicked!

From gallery of tonyboydell

From gallery of tonyboydell

A barn find?!

The Grandfather of the chap who gave Arthur a Summer job helping at a garage found this beast tucked in a local barn - forgotten, dusty and unloved; within two hours, he'd gotten the engine running. Despite some severe rusting in places, it's a grand example and drew much admiration from passers-by.
From gallery of tonyboydell

A convoy of Lotuses and a shiny AC snarled into the field at one point; later there was a train of Austin 7s and a crocodile of tractors.
From gallery of tonyboydell

Bonnets (hoods) and boots (trunks) open; picnic chairs and flasks of tea; the smell of hot oil; loud, deeply-technical discussions - it was a bazaar of automotive treats!
From gallery of tonyboydell

Despite a storm blowing in at lunchtime, my boy and me had a full two-and-a-half hours of happy wandering; I'm not really a petrol head myself but I do like an old car.

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Tue Sep 12, 2023 6:05 am
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@shitgamerpuns 236

Anthony Boydell
United Kingdom
Newent. Glos
Unspecified
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Board Game Designer
Every homo sapiens needs an outbuilding within the curtelage of their property
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Welcome...to my Shed!
Avatar
Microbadge: I love Europe!Microbadge: 5 Games for Doomsday fanMicrobadge: Talk Talk fanMicrobadge: Citizenship Recognition - Level VI -  Is six any more shiny? ... Well, it's one shinier isn't it? ... Okay, why don't you just make five a bit more shiny and then that would be the most shiny? ... Because these go to six.Microbadge: Iain Banks fan

From gallery of tonyboydell
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Mon Sep 11, 2023 7:59 am
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