Specials 4 - Shut Up & Sit Down

INTRODUCING… WORM MONTH (See you at AwSHUX, 16th-18th October)

This week we’ve got an exciting announcement! It’s Worm Month! We’ll see you all on October 16th to the 18th for AwSHUX. Be good!

Like backaches and questionable political opinions, Chess sets seem to be one of those things that people just acquire as they get older. But is it possible to have fun with them?

We put our top board game scientists on the case, and they said “Yes. Yes. We think so.” In this video we’d like to present the games of Peasants’ Revolt, Horde Chess, Monster Chess, Atomic Chess, Alice Chess, Demi Chess, Bughouse Chess, Synchronistic Chess and much, much more.

Were there any particularly spicy, simple Chess variants that we missed? Please leave us a comment. And enjoy the video, everybody.

We played some Wingspan! So that we could impress designer Elizabeth Hargrave with all of our cool bird knowledge, Tom and Matt spent WEEKS in a bird blind; method-acting as birds. Things got ‘not-very-social-distancey’ awful quickly, what with all the regurgitative feeding.

Sorry, that was disgusting. Matt shouldn’t have trusted me to write actual copy for the website – especially when it’s relatively low-stakes content and I’ve had several strong coffees – each one propelling my tiny bird self through the day’s workload like a bird that has had several strong coffees. Enjoy!

This might come as a surprise due to the time-warping effects of Covid-19, but it’s that time of year again! Today, we’d like to give you a quick behind-the-scenes message from Shut Up & Sit Down.

If you’re new to this community, you might not yet know that Shut Up & Sit Down is kept alive by donations from people who love what we do. So if you think you can afford it, please consider giving us a dollar or two this summer.

That’s all! We promise to only bother you about this in another six months. Have a great weekend, everybody.

For this week’s Wednesday video, we wanted to offer something a little different.

At SHUX last year Quinns gave a talk on the history of board games. A quick’n’dirty tour of the games of ancient prehistory, all the way through to the invention of cardboard in the 19th century.

We present it today as a reminder that while today’s tabletop scene is overwhelming white, this is a blip in the 8000 year history of the hobby. The earliest known board games are found in Africa. Dice were invented in the Middle East. The first games that tell stories are found in Egypt. Playing cards were conceived in China. Chess came from India, by way of an Islamic Caliphate.

This hobby owes a debt to people of colour that it could never possibly repay. At the very least, we can make sure we don’t forget it.

This will come as no surprise to anyone who saw the child-like glint in Quinns’ eye during last month’s 1 player print’n’play roundup, but this week, we’d like to present even more nearly-free games for anyone to enjoy during self-isolation.

Included in this roundup are are spritely Agent Decker, the cleanly The Cleaner, the sprawling Sprawlopolis and the startlingly compact Under Falling Skies.

Enjoy, everybody.

It’s time for us to apologise the only way we know how. By smearing raw egg on Quinns.

If you caught the first instalment of our Solo Special, you’ll remember we didn’t always find 1 player games easy to recommend. But since then, Quinns has disappeared into the wild thicket that is absolutely free print’n’play solitaire games, and we’re not sure he’s coming out.

To get stuck in yourself, we recommend browsing the winners of BGG’s yearly print’n’play solitaire contest: 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014 and 2013.

Godspeed, folks! And do let us know what you find.

WE NEVER THOUGHT IT WOULD COME TO THIS.

After years of ragging on 1 player board games, it’s time for SU&SD to eat crow. It turns out that solitaire games can be fun, if they’re consumed in a rational and safe fashion. We’d wholeheartedly recommend Aerion, Kosmos’ new Adventure Game series, and then also in this video there is The Hunted: Twilight of the U-Boats.

Enjoy, everybody!

March 25, 2020 Specials Hello all! It probably goes without saying, but we just wanted to let you know that the work we do might be a little disrupted or different in the coming months. Thanks for your patience, and we hope you enjoy!

February 26, 2020 Learn to Play, Specials, Welcome

How To Teach Games

This week Matt begged Quinns to revisit a topic he’s talked about a little before: what tips could he impart for mastering “The Teach”? It’s the hurdle that stops so many from getting into the hobby – the stumbling block that has seen a many an evening of potential jolly cardboard fun veer off-course into a scene of pure disaster. Whether you’re a seasoned somelier of analog fun or someone who needs the confidence boost to go for it and host, we don’t think there’s any better source of knowledge for teaching people how to teach a board game.

Enjoy! And do let us know if you have any invaluable tips or tricks that you think we’ve missed!

INTRODUCING… WORM MONTH (See you at AwSHUX, 16th-18th October)

The Best Ways to Make Chess Fun

SU&SD Play… Wingspan with designer Elizabeth Hargrave!

What’s the future of Shut Up & Sit Down?

8000 Years of Board Game History in 43 Minutes

MORE of the Very Best Solitaire Print’n’Play Games!

The Amazing World of 1 Player Print’n’Play Games!

Our 1 Player Game Review Roundup!

A Shut Up & Sit Down Update

How To Teach Board Games Like a Pro

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