Days 1-6 of Tabletop Gaming Advent Calendar 2022

Where better to start any advent countdown than with indulgent food? 2023 saw Honeybadger Games offer some game-related sweets for our day one opening, in a range of mouth watering flavours. Then, continuing the food theme, with each the size of a pack of gum, came four card games from Perplext – Bus, Gym, Sow and Dig from the Pack O’Game series, which let you bring your games practically anywhere with no impact on your luggage space. For the RPG players, levelling up your game table was easy, with battle map stickers from Loke Battlemats for day three – and it was even wrapped in paper you could reuse for your RPG maps in future. 

Day four was something wild – no really, it was Something Wild from Funko, the fun and easy card game that features some of your favourite pop culture characters, which may be a great starter game for the uncertain family. Begin here, and they’ll be playing Twilight Imperium in no time at all. We followed that up with possibly the greatest gift any tabletop gamer could receive… a six month subscription to Tabletop Gaming magazine, bringing the best in gaming, straight to your door. Then by day six, beneath the Christmas tree (if you’d put it up by then) sat the mini wargame, The March of Progress by Suprised Stare Games. This two player scenario game was part of the pocket series (admittedly bigger than average pockets) and is a great introduction to wargaming. 

Days 7-12 of Tabletop Gaming Advent Calendar 2022

A week in, and there's yet more goodies to be found!

Not sure what you want to play yet? Conversely, dying to get your hands on a specific game? Day seven offered a months subscription to Rent, Shuffle, & Roll, a board game library that will post games to you to play. So whether you’re been eyeing Ark Nova or Imperial Assault, renting the game first gives you the best chance to try it out before committing it to your shelf. Speaking of your shelf though - days eight and nine saw us add two more games to it, with Family Business from Lookout Games, and Last One Alive, by Ares Games. 

Day ten brought Karekare, a light tile placement game from Devir set in New Zealand (where one expects it to be warmer this time of year), before we jet set back across the world to Rome for day eleven, with Caesar! from PSC Games, a 20 minute area control game (that notoriously descended into a competitive battle here at TTG HQ one lunch break). That was followed by an equally competitive game, but this time a card game, with King of 12 from Lucky Duck Games. 

Days 13-18 of Tabletop Gaming Advent Calendar 2022

For Day 13 we sought to brighten up your hallways, refresh your gaming space, or otherwise demonstrate your love of the hobby to visitors, with a gaming poster from the incredible Meeple Design. Imagine that above Rolling Realms, the game from day 14, and a gorgeous dice holder, mat, and set of dice, as day 15 saw provided by Barrel of Dice. 

Passing ten days to go, we took you to new worlds with Steamforged’s Epic Encounters: Island of the Crab Archon. Perfect as a standalone encounter, or blended into your existing RPG, it’s also a perfect mini to get painting. But from combat to tranquillity, fictional crabs to village bliss, day seventeen brought us Village Rails from Osprey, where you build a new railway network across the sprawling countryside, to the “oddly specific” demands of the locals. And if that doesn’t get your brain whirring, Coiledspring for day 18 gave Cortex, a party challenge game – and a fun sponge brain to go with it

Days 19-24 of Tabletop Gaming Advent Calendar 2022

As we head into the 2022 home stretch, don't forget the fun doesn't have to end – pre-orders are open for the 2023 advent calendar now!

Day 19 saw the unwrapping of Mini Rogue, a minimalist dungeon crawler game that can be played solo or two player from Nuts! Publishing, and then Great Scott! From Sinister Fish. Described as a “game of mad invention”, you might find that Christmas Day sees your Bedazzling Duck Driven Bauxite Behemoth become your Dragons Den project. Then for day 21, channelling those same creative juices, we offered a $30 Hero Forge voucher, which would allow you to bring your RPG character (or yourself!) to miniature form, using their fun Sims-esque creator. 

Day 22, as Christmas approached, we brought you Achroma, from Realm Runners. This was a card game we reviewed as a Must-Play game, and this contained everything you would need to get started. Following this, we brought you Amelia’s Secret, an AR escape room game from Hachette Boardgames UK, before our Christmas Eve treat – Kosmos’ Luna Capital.

Christmas Day in the Tabletop Gaming Advent Calendar

Finally, we needed a Must-Play awarded game for our Christmas treat, and what better than the one to rule them all? The phenomenal The One Ring Starter Set from Free League was under the tree at Christmastime, calling to you from Tolkein’s worlds of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. 

The fun doesn’t have to stop in 2022, as with 2023 comes a whole new calendar! Of course, we won’t be spoiling what’s inside, so you’ll need to buy your own for your dose of daily excitement. Join us in the countdown to Christmas, with each gift hand wrapped and ready for you to open each day. You’ve been on the nice list this year - so treat yourself!

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