Tag: Board Games & Card Games

If you’re a fan of Board Games & Card Games, this is the place where you will find all the Thumb Culture news and reviews of the OG games.

Vivi Gets The Ban Hammer in MTG Standard
Features, News & Updates

Vivi Gets The Ban Hammer in MTG Standard

Wizards of the Coast announced new cards to be added to the ban list of several formats today. Most anticipated were the bans of Vivi Ornitier, Screaming Nemesis, and Proft's Eidetic Memory from Standard. For the last few months, Izzet Cauldron has been bending the Standard format to its image. After its omnipresence in most major Standard tournaments, it became clear that the Izzet Cauldron deck had to go for the sake of the meta. It is simply too fast, too powerful, and most importantly, too many people play it, hence warping the entire format around it. Izzet Cauldron Takes Over Standard Meta Instead of an emergency ban, as they used to call them, Wizards of the Coast moved up their ban schedule from November 24th to Monday, November 10th. This announcement was made shortly after the ...
Dicealot – PC Review
PC Reviews

Dicealot – PC Review

There’s something about dice in video games that always gets my heart rolling. Maybe it’s the nostalgia of tabletop games, maybe it’s the thrill of chance, or maybe it’s just that sound when a perfect roll hits the table and you know fortune’s finally decided to stop mocking you. Whatever it is, Dicealot out now on Steam by Goodview Games, published by Yogscast Games, leans all in on that satisfying roll. Dicealot a lot of dice, a lot of rolls It’s genuinely great seeing Yogscast continue their support for quirky indie gems. They’ve built a bridge between creators and gamers that feels refreshingly genuine, and Dicealot fits that ethos perfectly. With a charming, risk-filled romp through Camelot where luck, logic, and laughter all share the same pint. Tell us in the comments below which ...
The State of Magic: The Gathering
Features

The State of Magic: The Gathering

Wizards of the Coast may finally have found out when it is just too much. Overwhelmed fans and viewers were left mouth-opened when Blake Rasmussen, Mark Rosewater, Gavin Verhey, and company took the stage at MagicCon in Atlanta and shared a series of new products and announcements. The Magic: The Gathering community has now had some days to digest the information, and many content creators have come out with statements of their own. Let's dig in, shall we? Good News First What were the announcements made during MagicCon Atlanta? Let's start from the top, in January 2026, Magic players will at long last revisit the enchanting plane of Lorwyn. A beautiful, lush, and vibrant world full of Magic's very own IP. Kithkins, hybrid mana, the evoke mechanic, and many other things that made this fa...
LotR Over Hill And Under Hill Roleplaying Game – Review
Features

LotR Over Hill And Under Hill Roleplaying Game – Review

The Lord of the Rings role-playing game Over Hill and Under Hill, created by the Swedish tabletop gaming company Free League, is a story-driven cooperative game inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien's world. The game is a fun mix of role-playing, narrative choices, and dice mechanics. The starter set, Over Hill and Under Hill, which we played, was released in July 2025. An Unexpected Journey into Middle-earth's Roleplay The starter set contains everything a group of new players needs to kick things off, from a rule book to cards of preset characters, a map, different types of dice, and a story book for the Game Master. The game is designed to help players new to the genre get started without requiring extensive prior preparation. Nonetheless, as a casual player myself, I must say that without the h...
Magic: The Gathering Spoiler Season Never Ends
Features, News & Updates

Magic: The Gathering Spoiler Season Never Ends

Magic: The Gathering will start the official spoiler season for Edge of Eternities on July 8th, according to Mark Rosewater's Tumblr account, Blogatog. Barely three weeks apart from the release of the Standard legal Final Fantasy set. Oh, and just last week, they also announced another Secret Lair, this time casting Sonic the Hedgehog and friends. It almost feels like there is no time for fans, players, and collectors to just breathe and enjoy a new product before a new one is already announced, and another is close to launching. Back To Canon Lore Three weeks after its release, it is safe to say Final Fantasy was a tremendous success for Wizards of the Coast. Even among the most sceptical fans, such as myself, it is undeniable that this Universes Beyond crossover was a total hit. The em...
Wizards of the Coast Bring Out The Ban Hammer
Features

Wizards of the Coast Bring Out The Ban Hammer

On June 30th, Wizards of the Coast (WotC) announced its updated ban list for all formats of Magic: The Gathering. Interestingly, only the Standard format was struck by the ban hammer. Seven times! Seven cards currently legal in Standard have been banned, effective immediately. While bans in Standard aren't unusual, seven at once is a rather rare occurrence. WotC is sending a clear message that what happened at Pro Tour Las Vegas can't happen again. Furthermore, no updates were made to Modern, Legacy, Pauper, Brawl, Vintage, or Pioneer. Further, giving the impression that Wizards is laser-focused on fixing and balancing Standard. What Went Wrong at Pro Tour Final Fantasy? Izzet Prowress took the Pro Tour by storm, pun intended. In the words of Magic: The Gathering Hall of Famer Reid Du...
Final Fantasy Is Shaking Up Every Magic: The Gathering Format
Features

Final Fantasy Is Shaking Up Every Magic: The Gathering Format

Magic: The Gathering - Final Fantasy is the first Extended Universes premium set to be Standard legal. After only one week since its official release, many Final Fantasy cards are finding their way into competitive Standard builds. From enchantment reanimation with 'Yuna, Hope of Spire', and 'Cecil, Dark Knight' mono black midrange, to my personal favourite Gruul Delium with 'Terra, Magical Adept'. Final Fantasy's influence doesn't stop there, though. In only one week, 'Vivi Ornitier' and 'Y'shtola, Night's Blessed' have made their way up to the 200 most popular commander list on CEDHREC.com. From Midgard to Modern: Why (Almost) Every MTG Format is Impacted Are you playing with the new Magic: The Gathering - Final Fantasy cards? How do you feel about them becoming a steadfast in players ...
Magic: The Gathering – Final Fantasy – Most Expensive Standard Set Ever
Features

Magic: The Gathering – Final Fantasy – Most Expensive Standard Set Ever

Most Magic: The Gathering players are, by now, used to the high prices of cards, booster boxes, or other premium products that Wizards of the Coast has been releasing at overwhelming speed in the last few years. The Final Fantasy set marks a stark difference, simply by the fact that it is Standard legal. Players excited to play their favourite characters from the rich Final Fantasy lore are going to have to dig deep in their pockets to do so. Cloud and Sephiroth are coming to an LGS near you Yes, it's an exciting time to be a Magic: The Gathering player, undoubtedly so. With this set and the SpongeBob Secret Lair that just came out not three months ago, you can now play Commander and sit across 'Squidward, Sarcastic Snob', 'Cloud, Midgar Mercenary', and 'Chun-Li, Countless Kicks'. Th...
DANGEN Entertainment to Publish ‘Deck of Haunts’
News & Updates

DANGEN Entertainment to Publish ‘Deck of Haunts’

DANGEN Entertainment has announced its partnership with Mantis Games to publish Deck of Haunts, a sinister new deckbuilding roguelike where players take on the role of a malevolent haunted house. In this eerie title, players will build their mansion, lure unsuspecting humans into it, and terrify them into madness, or kill them, using a variety of haunting cards. Spooky houses, eerie atmosphere and plenty of cards to choose from! Set in America in the 1970s, players embody a forsaken 1920s art deco mansion. Once grand but now steeped in bitterness and malice after decades of abandonment. Over time, the house’s simmering hatred for humanity has manifested as a living, pulsating stone heart at its core. Fuelled by this dark power, the house now lures unsuspecting humans into its twisted h...
Exploding Kittens VR – Quest 3 Review
VR Reviews

Exploding Kittens VR – Quest 3 Review

If you haven't heard of Exploding Kittens then where have you been hiding? Not only is it a popular physical card game but also a Netflix series. It is now, thanks to Asmodee Entertainment and Saber Interactive, a video game. I present to you Exploding Kittens VR! I know what an unexpected name. Released on the Meta store for Quest 3, Quest Pro as well as the Quest 2 you can take on friends, foe and AI in this heart stopping chaotic card game where the main aim is to blow up your friends. WARNING: HIGH LEVELS OF EXPLOSIVI-KITTY As someone who loves it when card games make the jump to VR I was super excited to play Exploding Kittens VR. So let's dive into the virtual world and see the experience. Gameplay The gameplay loop is quite straightforward in Exploding Kittens VR; Don't Blow Up!...