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Derek Bruff

@firstplayertoken

Host of First Player Token, a short podcast for folks who enjoy playing board games with family and friends, https://linktr.ee/firstplayertoken

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05.09.2023
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Latest posts by Derek Bruff @firstplayertoken

Right? So sweet. I’m glad I got that on audio

05.03.2026 01:48 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
71. Gaming with a Three-Year-Old - First Player Token, a short board game review show In this episode, we put the spotlight on the preschooler with twelve games that are fun to play with a three-year-old! I’ve been on a quest to find board games that the three-year-old can play an...

Cute kid alert! This month, I take a deep dive into board games for three-year-olds. I talk about Hoot Owl Hoot, Cascadia Junior, Incan Gold, Sushi Go!, and a lot more, with lots of gaming audio featuring my favorite three-year-old. www.buzzsprout.com/2292265/epis...

01.03.2026 14:06 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 1

Sadly, I parted with my copy recently. The randomness was just too much for some of my kids to handle.

03.03.2026 15:02 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Ah, I found the discourse: bsky.app/profile/eliz.... I think since half my extended family voted for You Know Who, I have a different kind of tolerance for such things. The fact that Chapin would do a press conference with a Democrat against the tariffs is certainly interesting.

03.03.2026 14:54 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Rep. Mike Levin and Toy Manufacturer Reveal Tariff's Consequences on the Cost of Living and Local Jobs | U.S. Congressman Mike Levin The Official U.S. Congressional website of Congressman Mike Levin

I’m trying to figure out why that CEO is so problematic. From this piece, he seems very opposed to the tariffs: levin.house.gov/media/press-...

03.03.2026 14:33 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

I am so excited about this!

03.03.2026 03:58 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
35. Mysterium - First Player Token, a short board game review show  In this episode, we work together to solve a murder in the game with no words… Mysterium!Mysterium is the English name for a 2013 Polish game called Tajemnicze Domostwo designed by Oleksandr Nev...

We made a fun podcast episode about β€œMysterium” a few years ago: www.buzzsprout.com/2292265/epis...

02.03.2026 13:21 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Me, too! I couldn’t wait for the US release so I ordered a copy from Poland. Then I had to figure out which of the different European rule sets I wanted to use! Good times.

02.03.2026 13:18 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

One of the kid’s favorite parts of the board game experience is punching out a new game. Listen to the new podcast to hear about this and some of our favorite games to play with the three-year-old!

01.03.2026 23:18 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
BG Stats 4 x 4.
Play count:
3: Sleeping Queens;
2: Wingspan;
2: Sushi Go!;
1: SETI: Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence;
1: Clank! In! Space!;
1: Bristol 1350;
1: Deep Sea Adventure;
1: Unmatched Game System;
1: Xenon Profiteer;
1: Tussie Mussie;
1: Tic Tac Trek;
1: Duel for Cardia.

BG Stats 4 x 4. Play count: 3: Sleeping Queens; 2: Wingspan; 2: Sushi Go!; 1: SETI: Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence; 1: Clank! In! Space!; 1: Bristol 1350; 1: Deep Sea Adventure; 1: Unmatched Game System; 1: Xenon Profiteer; 1: Tussie Mussie; 1: Tic Tac Trek; 1: Duel for Cardia.

February was a light month for gaming as expected given its day count. But I had good range.

01.03.2026 15:45 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
71. Gaming with a Three-Year-Old - First Player Token, a short board game review show In this episode, we put the spotlight on the preschooler with twelve games that are fun to play with a three-year-old! I’ve been on a quest to find board games that the three-year-old can play an...

Cute kid alert! This month, I take a deep dive into board games for three-year-olds. I talk about Hoot Owl Hoot, Cascadia Junior, Incan Gold, Sushi Go!, and a lot more, with lots of gaming audio featuring my favorite three-year-old. www.buzzsprout.com/2292265/epis...

01.03.2026 14:06 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 1
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Game night! Everyone made it out in Clank in Space, but in Bristol 1350, no one did! Also, the always thematic Xenon Profiteer!

28.02.2026 14:51 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Also I love it that they used their usual naming convention (City + Date) but with Roman numerals.

24.02.2026 16:21 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Roma XLI: A Book-Box Game of Exile & Deceit for 1-9 Players Vote your opponents into exile, gain influence, form (and break) alliances. Light strategy, 20-40 minutes, 1-9 players, book box.

Did I back Roma XLI from Facade Games the instant I saw the Kickstarter notification? Yes, yes, I did.

www.kickstarter.com/projects/fac...

24.02.2026 16:16 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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This just in! Keep the Faith, a storytelling game about religion in transition, by @gregisonthego.bsky.social and @cmichpress.bsky.social! I talked with Greg about this game last year on the podcast: www.buzzsprout.com/2069949/epis...

21.02.2026 23:01 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 4 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Nice review! I had never heard of it! But β€œStone Age for grown ups” sounds great.

22.02.2026 21:21 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

The rest of my most played were all family games. My kids and I got on quite the Dominion kick that summer.

22.02.2026 20:34 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

My most played games of 2015! Dead of Winter was the game that got me back into the hobby, after a few years off. Splendor was the game that I could take just about anywhere and play with just about anyone. It was how I introduced others to the hobby. Mysterium worked well for that, too.

22.02.2026 20:31 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 3 πŸ“Œ 0
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This is what the end of a game of Wingspan looks like when your wife plays the chiffchaff as her first bird. 27 tucked cards!

22.02.2026 16:04 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Like it’s your job or something

21.02.2026 02:01 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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It was also very fun to photograph!

16.02.2026 05:05 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

It’s so beautiful! I had the chance to see it on a layover a couple of years ago. So cool.

16.02.2026 01:30 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
A Birder Reviews Wingspan: Americas Expansion If you sometimes prefer birding from an easy chair, and you haven’t yet discovered the board game Wingspan, you really should. It’s the perfect board game accompaniment to your binoculars. And the new...

A Wingspan review that focuses on the nods I make to actual bird behaviors.

15.02.2026 15:01 πŸ‘ 137 πŸ” 20 πŸ’¬ 5 πŸ“Œ 2

We saw that and kept expecting them to dance.

09.02.2026 04:25 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

My wife is a marketer, and her theory is that ad-makers aren't used to making ads for general audiences. Ads are so targeted these days that they've forgotten how to creatively engaged a non-targeted audience.

09.02.2026 04:23 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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I got SETI to the table last night. Figuring out this game is so much fun. I won, but with a score (167) that was a good bit lower than the last time I played, when I came in second place. Very excited to give this one another go and see if I can improve.

08.02.2026 19:52 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Post image Post image Bat Falcon spotted at the Mayan ruins at Chaccoben, Mexico

Bat Falcon spotted at the Mayan ruins at Chaccoben, Mexico

We enjoyed our first play of Wingspan Americas! I love the vibe of the hummingbirds flitting back and forth. I was also excited to see the Bat Falcon in the new cardsβ€”it was one of a few lifers I picked up during our fall break cruise to Mexico. Also, we ended with a tie, 103-103!

07.02.2026 18:44 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

I can’t think of a reference for the former off the top of my head.

03.02.2026 14:52 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Tabletop Math: Teaching Early Elementary Math with Board and Card Games – First Player Token

Math educator here. I think learning a sufficiently complex board game teaches a kind of logical reasoning. Learning specific QR skills depends on the game. I wrote about the latter for elementary age kids (e.g. multiplication with Kingdomino) during the pandemic: derekbruff.org/blogs/firstp....

03.02.2026 14:52 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

A board game β€œreview” which is really just a how-to-play. Sigh.

03.02.2026 00:41 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0