Matt Thrower

Matt Thrower

Freelance Writer

Matt is a freelance writer specialising in board games. Having reviewed tabletop content professionally for over a decade, his credits range from IGN to Dicebreaker. He is also the author and co-author of three books on board gaming.

Latest articles by Matt Thrower

Duel of Meloch box, cards, and components on a plain background
Duel of Meloch review: "A bold experiment that blends two beloved strategy board games together"

By Matt Thrower Published

Review We've been hands on with Duel of Meloch, a game that blends Scythe with Expeditions, so here's what we think about the combo.

Review
Fan-favorite strategy board game sequel Brass: Pittsburgh features the "most innovative mechanisms and dynamics" its designer could imagine

By Matt Thrower Published

Features Sequel to beloved strategy board game series will put your skills to the test

Features
Our experts' favorite board games of 2025

By Benjamin Abbott Published

Features Our experts weigh in on their favorite board games to come out in 2025

Features
Brass: Birmingham box showing a puddle in a cobbled street, against a plain white wall
Brass: Birmingham review - "Fans think this is the best strategy board game ever made, and I have to admit that they've got a point"

By Matt Thrower Published

Review Is this highly-regarded strategy game worth diving into?

Review
Spooktacular box on a dark background
Spooktacular review: "This is the perfect family board game for Halloween"

By Matt Thrower Published

Review Spooktacular is a spectacular family game for spooky season

Review
Splendor Duel board and components closeup
Splendor Duel review: "A superior game in almost every regard"

By Matt Thrower Last updated

Review Give Splendor Duel your time and you'll find that it may be better than the original

Review
Iliad box, tiles, bag, and board on a white wooden surface
Iliad review: "It’s hard to imagine there are many gamers who won’t enjoy this quick but tactical board game for 2 players"

By Matt Thrower Published

Review Renier Knizia's trip to the world of ancient myth is one worth taking.

Review
Battle of Hoth box on a dark background
Star Wars: Battle of Hoth review - "An excellent introduction to a whole galaxy of gaming"

By Matt Thrower Published

Review

Review
The Vantage box, seen from above, as it sits on a white wooden surface
Vantage review: "A masterclass in narrative and sandbox gameplay"

By Matt Thrower Published

Review The size of this sandbox board game is truly staggering, and fans of exploration will adore it

Review
Fate of the Fellowship box seen from above, with a board and box of components below
Fate of the Fellowship review: "A thing of absolute genius"

By Matt Thrower Published

Review Fate of the Fellowship is the "best game in the Pandemic series yet"

Review
Horrified: Dungeons & Dragons box against a dark surface, with game components visible in the foreground
Horrified: Dungeons & Dragons review - "Could be the magic item needed to refresh your game nights, but it won't be a critical hit for everyone"

By Matt Thrower Published

Review Is the latest Horrified an adventure worth taking? We weigh in.

Review
A full setup for Fate of the Fellowship with cards, tokens, and pieces all laid out
Legendary board game designer says his upcoming Lord of the Rings project is "definitely the most thematically and mechanically rich game I’ve worked on"

By Matt Thrower Published

Features Pandemic designer Matt Leacock waxes lyrical about his latest game, The Lord of the Rings: Fate of the Fellowship

Features
UK Games Expo stands and crowds
You need these 7 board games from the UK Games Expo 2025 in your collection

By Matt Thrower Published

Features We go through the games you need to know about from one of the biggest board game shows in the world

Features
A collection of board games stacked together, with Paypay and Monopoly clearly visible
The history and cultural significance of board games

By Matt Thrower Published

Features Tabletop gaming has a long and illustrious history stretching back thousands of years

Features
The Divinity Original Sin: The Board Game box and contents against a white surface
Divinity Original Sin: The Board Game review - "An ambitious undertaking to say the least"

By Matt Thrower Published

Review

Review
Star Trek: Away Missions models on the game's board, with boxes in the background
Star Trek: Away Missions starter set review - "Hard to recommend on its own merits"

By Matt Thrower Published

Review

Review
Arborea box and components laid out on a table, against a cream-colored wall
Arborea review: "Fascinating interplay"

By Matt Thrower Published

Review

Review
Leaf box and board game components on a white surface
Leaf review: "An astonishing amalgamation of different elements"

By Matt Thrower Published

Review

Review
Wandering Towers box, tokens, rules, and components on a white surface
Wandering Towers review: "Good and crunchy fun"

By Matt Thrower Published

Review

Review
The Legions Imperialis box, rulebook, miniatures, tokens, and tools on a table
Legions Imperialis starter set review: "A delicious frisson of tension"

By Matt Thrower Published

Review

Review
The box, tokens, and board pieces of Race to the Raft
Race to the Raft review: "An odd but very appealing beast"

By Matt Thrower Published

Review

Review
The box, board, cards, and scattered tokens of Horizons of Spirit Island on a white table
Horizons of Spirit Island review: "You still get the full, deep, and demanding gameplay of the original"

By Matt Thrower Published

Review

Review
A card, dice, and miniatures sit on an illustrated board from Trials of Tempus
D&D Trials of Tempus review: "Full of twists and turns to surprise and delight"

By Matt Thrower Published

Review

Review
The One Ring Starter Set rulebooks, dice, cards, and map laid out on a wooden table
The One Ring and Lord of the Rings Roleplaying are the RPGs Tolkien fans have always wanted

By Matt Thrower Published

Features Few RPGs have been able to capture the wonder of Middle-earth, but The One Ring and Lord of the Rings Roleplaying do. Here's why

Features
Keys From the Golden Vault cover artwork, showing two Rogues rappelling into a building
Keys From the Golden Vault review: "Both daring and problematic"

By Matt Thrower Published

Review Many of the adventures in Keys From the Golden Vault provide a refreshing change of pace, but D&D rules aren't always the best fit for them.

Review
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