The A List: Top 5 Game Reviewers of All Time!!!

I am uniquely qualified to put together this "A" list of reviewers for the gaming community. I have looked at the advise reviewers have given over the years and used this data in real world situations with an entire spectrum of gamers from beer and pretzels crowd, hard core, casual and newbies. In the end what we all want from a reviewer is an unbiased appraisal of the game so we can make a buying decision. Many times the review is clouded with Publisher payola, personal preferences, "Basement dweller Clouded headed syndrome", and just a lack of real world moxie. But I promise you that you will not go wrong with this list, these guys have made mistakes
but 90% of the time you can take their advice.

1. Greg Schloesser....They don't call in the Grand Poobah of gaming for nothing! Greg is a true lover of gaming. You can see it in his writing. He has a full time job in the insurance field so gaming is his hobby, he is not trying to make a living off gaming. Let's face it when you make game reviewing a career you may be forced into compromising positions because you have to eat and feed your family. You run into none of these problems with Greg. Greg has been published in the gaming magazine Knucklebones and while some may see some of his reviews as "softball" if you learn to read between the lines you will see Greg knows what he is talking about and that is why he is number one!

2, Michael Barnes: Barnes has always given you the truth and many of you can't handle the truth. Barnes stance against the Fantasy Flight Pussy Boys who couldn't take a bad review are enough to show you he is giving you the straight scoop. Barnes is not always consistent as seen with his "Euro Reclamation Project" but you have to give him points for the courage to give these games another look and not hold a "grudge" against them so to speak.

3. Rick Thornquist---A true pioneer in game review Rick had websites up early and was responsible for the early push of the hobby into the mainstream. Rick is now retired but his influence is still being seen today with "Gone Cardboard" on BGG. It could be said that Rick is responsible for the "Cult of the New" phenom by being one of the first to put out a list of new game releases leaving gamers salivating and wanting more.

4. Scott Nicholson: The true video review pioneer that is still making waves today long after Boardgames with Scott has stopped production. Boardgames with Scott defined video reviews and his most recent video of boardgame shelving is pure genius. Scott is a librarian and teacher and is also responsible for pushing the hobby into the mainstream with his library gaming programs. What is so admirable about Scott is that he is a man of action, He is out interacting with people not some basement dweller troll in lounge pants typing shit.

5. Bruno Faidutti' Ideal Game Library---- Yes Bruno is a designer but he also had a website called the Ideal Game Library (Not sure if it is still around) Bruno is a designer known for chaos in his games but his Ideal game library was far from chaotic it has been an invaluable resource for me over the years. Bruno's rating system on games was straightforward his reviews were concise and he spoke from a voice of authority and I found him really on track 90% of the time which is a remarkable record for any reviewer.

There are several other good reviewers but not many. Most of today's reviewers are floundering in a world of social media trying to promote themselves and achieve record number of hits and views rather than coming from a space of pure love for the hobby.

Did you stop reading reviews in 2003?

Did you stop reading reviews in 2003?

Yes, everything today is mostly shit

If we're talking O.G. reviewers from ye olden times, I gotta give a shout out to Randall Peek's immensely helpful reviews on Funagain circa 1999-2003 or so. I was transitioning from wargames into Euros back then, and it seemed like Randall had magically reviewed EVERY GAME I was interested in. His reviews were always concise and well-written. I didn't see much else of his writing after that, but I'm assuming he ended up on BGG like everyone else.

If we're talking O.G. reviewers from ye olden times, I gotta give a shout out to Randall Peek's immensely helpful reviews on Funagain circa 1999-2003 or so. I was transitioning from wargames into Euros back then, and it seemed like Randall had magically reviewed EVERY GAME I was interested in. His reviews were always concise and well-written. I didn't see much else of his writing after that, but I'm assuming he ended up on BGG like everyone else.

Ah yes, Funagain was cool in those days, along with Mike Siggins who almost made my list. I miss Boulder Games also...they were my go to company with great prices and service.

My favorite is still Kulkmann's G@mebox for sentimental reasons.

www.boardgame.de/

Way back pre-BGG, this was the site that I went to for GW boardgame reviews. I can't seem to find it, but there was a special GW page listing all of the their boardgames that linked each game to its own review page. It was the first place I saw someone talking about the GW boardgames online and my first time connecting the internet to anything game related and was a cool discovery.

I do look at it from time to time because it still has the exact same look and feel so it feels like looking back in time...if only I could find that GW page...

it was the first place I saw someone talking about the GW boardgames online.

Those Early GW games had a lot of mojo and with all the talk about the re release of Fury of Dracula, makes me want the GW game, screw FFG trying to make it better, they don't have a clue!

Holy shit, Kulkmann is still at it? Good for him. Dude is like the Robert Christgau of game reviews at this point.

I don't have a top five list in mind, but I know Frank Branham would go on my list. He gets right to the point and conveys the essence of the game experience in a way that I can easily grasp. I don't need to know the exact rules of a game in a review, but I do want to understand what makes a game different and possibly fun.

Greg Schlosser might be the most dull commentator on boardgames I have ever read. Bruno and Barnes are good, not sure I've read the others. Whos Rick Thornquist? Nickolson was good way back when..

Greg Schlosser might be the most dull commentator on boardgames I have ever read.

Yes, this may be true but I'm not looking for entertainment in reviews. The entertainment is the game itself, NOT the reviewer.
I want the facts about the game laid out in an objective manner, so I can make a buying decision.
This is why written reviews are far better than video reviews...As Joe Friday used to say, Just the facts...

The*Mad*Gamer wrote: [I want the facts about the game laid out in an objective manner, so I can make a buying decision.
This is why written reviews are far better than video reviews...As Joe Friday used to say, Just the facts...

Uhh...That's exactly why I watch video reviews...I see the game and how it is played. Can't get more objective and factual than simply showing the game and how it is played.

Yes, but I find videos are filled with too many bad attempts at humor, like the Dice Tower Component drop, the bad jokes with no sense of timing, etc..its a pain to fast forward thru that stuff and get to the meat. Plus the tubby audio drives me crazy

The component drop to me is the best longest running joke in board games with the perfect amount of "Fuck you".

Me though, I'd rather take some bad attempts a humor than a stuffy highbrow attempt to elevate the hobby to something more than just BS'ing and playing some games.

The component drop to me is the best longest running joke in board games with the perfect amount of "Fuck you".

Me though, I'd rather take some bad attempts a humor than a stuffy highbrow attempt to elevate the hobby to something more than just BS'ing and playing some games.

Stuffy highbrow=Matt Thower, yes Thrower and those of his ilk do take games too seriously, I can understand your point here. Kind of like RUSH took Rock n' Roll too seriously, HAHAHA!