The Game Changers Book by Tim Clare Review

Written by Charlie Pettit

If you’ve read Tabletop Gaming for any length of time, you’ll know one of our regular contributors. Tim Clare has been writing for Tabletop Gaming for as long as I have, and it feels like in that same period of time, he’s always been writing a book. Occasionally I’d ask Tim to write a feature and he’d come back with a wealth of knowledge on it having investigated it for said book, and I was ever curious as to what it might turn out to be. Well, it’s here, and it’s The Game Changers: How Playing Games Changed the World and Can Change You Too, which Tim kindly gave me an advanced copy of. Between raising a toddler and an ever-growing pile of games to be played, it’s taken me a while to get to, but oh boy, do I have regrets on not reading it sooner.

A quick nod to the elephant in the room – I expect there’s an element of unintended bias here, in that I know and like the author. However, Tim gave me the book as someone who might enjoy it rather than for review, and you’re reading about it now because he was absolutely right.

What is The Game Changers?

If you enjoy reading about games, you absolutely need to read this book. The Game Changers is a look back through the history of games, how they’ve grown and change, how they connect across the world and across the table, how they unite us on different levels. It spans from moments thousands of years ago up to the modern day – there are examples from the Ukraine War, which feels incredible knowing how long print-to-press runs in books. It talks about the early games, the modern games, the growth and attitudes of dice, disputes and resolutions, why games are good for us, and everything in between. 

The Game Changers Review

We’re no stranger to the history of games, but Tim presents it to us a little differently. Not only does he truly know his stuff, but the stories he weaves from moments in history are incredible. I know of the Game of Ur (and it's variations) – a beautifully crafted game considered to be one of the earliest (although the book explains why that isn’t actually the case) found within a burial site – but I never knew or gave thought to the story of the extravagant burial in the first place. I didn’t know the attitude of the archaeologist, or the investigations and discoveries around it since. The storytelling presented – including of course, facts and quotes from prominent authorities on these moments – brings these moments alive. It’s got as many facts as a textbook, but it’s as fun to read as a mass market fiction.

It's not just that that saves the book from being too historical, but the peppering of humour throughout where you get to see of Tim’s personality and wit. His own thoughts are often injected into the text, but it never feels self-serving – ‘The Obligatory Monopoly Chapter’, and a preceding comment on his opinion of it made me laugh out loud, whilst also teaching me that what I thought I knew actually has a deeper history than just The Landlord's Game.

I think the key reason that this book is a masterpiece – for Tim, but also for us underserved gamers – is that complex and dry topics are made alive and engaging. It’s entirely accessible, as if you’re in on the joke, no matter your existing level of knowledge. It’s made me feel connected to a bigger and wider ancestry of games that I never thought of.

I’d wholly recommend this book, and I’ve already bought additional copies for my gaming group (because they’ll love it, and I don’t want to share!).

Buy The Game Changers Here

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