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‘The Game Changers’ by Tim Clare is as much a love letter as a history of tabletop games. Written with humour and interesting tangents, Clare covers some of the most popular games (Monopoly and Pokémon) and most enduring (chess and mancala). It reads as a series of essays that can be read through in a couple of days (as I did) or as something you can pick up and read a standalone chapter at a time.

Clare manages to convey his passion for tabletop games and their importance in facilitating community, creating safe spaces (particularly for neurodivergent gamers) and in potentially managing stress and loneliness. Clare also tactfully discusses how tabletop games can cross language and cultural barriers.

I loved reading about the Japanese game of Karuta which blends poetry with rapid responses and was deeply moved learning about the importance of mancala to the people enslaved and transported from Africa to the Caribbean.

The moments that shined for me were where, Clare, following the archeological artefacts associated with various games, brings our distant ancestors alive with their shared playfulness and humanity. Clare also shows us his own vulnerable humanity when he shares his own experiences engaging in games from a twelve year old chess whizz Ukrainian refugee now living in Ireland, his nearly decade old dungeons and dragons group and his own father.

Really interesting books. The history or games and the history of the author too really. Good to see some of my favourites in there although I would have liked more chapters on the popular games these days.

An absolute must for anyone who has ever loved a boardgame (or thrown the dice across the room in frustration). The Game Changers is a whistestop tour through the history of gaming in all its forms - dice, cards, boardgames. Full of fascinating facts and engagingly written, it's impossible to put down and Tim Clare's natural charm and humour make this a truly enjoyable read - this reader stifled a giggle at the inevitability of the dreaded Monopoly chapter. Above all, there is great affection for gaming which shines through and makes this an irresistible read.