Gaming Sessions Pages on my blog are all about time spent with friends and family at the gaming table. As always, feel free to browse through, the latest session will always be at the end of the page.
Mission Control, We’re Learning! "The Crew" lands on our Gaming Table
(7th February 2026)
Our first gathering of the year opened with The Crew: The Quest for Planet 9, a compact cooperative trick taking game that hides surprising depth in its small box. The premise is simple, complete a series of missions by playing cards in the right order, all while communicating as little as possible. It is a clever design that rewards thoughtful coordination and shared intuition rather than the usual table talk.
We were pleasantly surprised by how convenient it was to set up and get going. It allowed us to pause for some food and drinks without that much bother and that itself is usually a big deal. The main hurdle we found was the trick taking element, which none of us usually play. It took a mission or two before the rhythm settled, yet once it did we all found our stride and the game became genuinely enjoyable.
As for the greatest challenge presented by the game, that was most certainly the imposed limitation on in-game communication. That single communication token each round forces you to think carefully about what you reveal and what you leave unsaid. It gave each mission played an intriguing layer of complexity to the puzzles posed.
By the end of the evening we had completed seven missions, a respectable start for a group entirely new to the system. With fifty missions in the full game, and given how much we all enjoyed ourselves, we agreed that, throughout the year, we would include a couple of missions before each board game session to keep the campaign moving. It felt like the right way to begin this year’s series of gaming nights, with something relatively light, cooperative, and yet quietly satisfying.
*** LATEST SESSION HERE ***
(21st March 2026)
We held another gaming night this year on Saturday 21st March, during which we played Slay the Spire, the board game adaptation of the popular rogue-like video game by Mega Crit Games. For this session, we welcomed a new player to the table, Julian, who joined the fray and fitted seamlessly into proceedings, playing with the confidence of a seasoned pro.
The board game captures the core spirit of its digital counterpart through deck building, character synergy and challenging encounters, while placing a much stronger emphasis on discussion and shared decision-making. Unlike the video game, upkeep between turns can slow the pace of play, though this is offset to some extent by the encouragement of simultaneous actions. Cooperation is fundamental to success, yet an underlying element of luck adds a notable level of difficulty.
In the end, we did not manage to complete Act 1, but everyone was enthusiastic about the strong table presence and the decisions made throughout the session. While it is unlikely that we will return to this game in the near future, all present are looking forward to playing it again when the opportunity arises.
As a final note, I also had the chance to play this game at the club, where conditions were more favourable. On that occasion, we completed Act 1, progressed halfway through Act 2, and stopped only because it was getting late. It was a memorable experience and certainly worth another outing.
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