Board Games Archives - Caramel Salé

Everdell: Seasons of Endless Charm

November 15, 2025 No Comments

I have a habit of remembering things by seasons: real ones, emotional ones and, at times, the ones marked in cardboard. There’s a season of my life that began five years ago, when I first started playing board games regularly. And like many beginnings, it didn’t announce itself. There was no dramatic awakening, no grand declaration of “I am now a hobbyist”. It simply started with a game about a forest.

Everdell was, quite unintentionally, the key that unlocked something in me. And although I’ve played countless games since (some louder, heavier, sharper, stranger), I keep returning to this gentle woodland valley, as if it’s a place where I left a version of myself who still has something to say.

Board Games, Journal

Beyond Strategy: The Emotional Language of Spirit Island

October 19, 2025 No Comments

There is a particular moment in almost every game of Spirit Island that still catches me off guard, no matter how many times I’ve played it. It’s that instant when my co-spirit and I are staring at the board (invaders creeping inland, blight spreading like a bruise) and one of us calmly says: “Okay, we can fix this.”

Board Games, Journal

Play, Talk, Repeat: Why Board Games Have Become the Language of My Life

September 12, 2025 No Comments

Board games have been part of my life for four years now and, if I’ve learned anything, it’s that the real magic isn’t confined to the table. Don’t get me wrong: I love the ritual of unboxing a game and leaning into hours of strategy and laughter. But somewhere along the way, I realized something important: I don’t just love playing board games. I love talking about them, too.

Debating mechanics. Analyzing strategies. Comparing designs. Even disagreeing passionately about whether a game is elegant or clunky. It’s all part of the experience.

Because here’s my truth: every game has two phases. The play itself. And the echo afterward.

Board Games, Journal

Walking Through Art: Why PARKS Is More Than a Game

August 26, 2025 No Comments

The first time I played PARKS, I didn’t rush through the rules or dive straight into strategy. I stopped. I stared. The artwork pulled me in. Every National Park looked like a painting I wanted to frame, every tiny wooden token felt like holding a miniature piece of nature in my hands.

It reminded me that board games aren’t just about clever mechanics or competitive strategy. They’re also about artistry, the creative vision of illustrators and designers who make the experience feel alive.

This article is my little ode to that vision. Yes, I’ll talk about gameplay and strategy – they’re important. But I also want to celebrate the art, the tactile joy and the immersive beauty that makes PARKS more than a game.

Board Games

Wingspan – When Birds Get Intense

December 27, 2022 No Comments

Have you ever wondered about the mental strain of hearing your partner say ‘Yeah, I think I’m gonna grab that penguin”?

All jokes aside, I will confess right from the start: yes, this game is simply charming. That comes as no surprise, considering the quality of the components, the illustrations that show a very detailed artwork and the theme that feels both universal and original.

Board Games

Is it just a game?

September 15, 2022 No Comments

As someone who reads and explores languages and cultures, I always felt like I’ve just carried on playing the way I did as a child, mostly through literature and travelling, but also by laughing wholeheartedly and enjoying life one experience at a time. However, during these past two years, I rediscovered the word “play” in its literal sense: I started to play board games with my partner. And it completely reshaped my life.