Looking for Reviewers to Join Everything Board Games

Time really depends on you. It can be easy to take on more projects than you have time for (without cutting other things that probably shouldn’t be cut...). 

What we do is, when a game comes up for review, we all put in our yes/no/maybe for interest level. The games we get are decided on by the owner based on how many reviews each person already has active, preferences (I.e. euro, sci-fi, kid game, etc.), and turnaround time.

When you receive a game, you need to learn it (obviously), and the time that takes really depends on the game. I’ve had some that took literal minutes while a few have taken far too long. Of course, if it’s drudgery to learn, then that is mentioned in the review. 

After learning, you gotta play, and that can also be time consuming, depending on the game. Some games you really only need to play once, whereas others may need a few more—until you’re comfortable discussing it in a review. More often than not I really enjoy the games I review, and have only had one or two real duds. The duds aren’t too fun to play multiple times, but are also some of the most important to play over and over, just to make sure it’s not user error. So yeah, playing the game takes time. 

Then there’s the write up. I can pound one out in an hour or so, about 1,500 words (a decent sized article). Some games are shorter, some are longer. It all depends. And you’ll probably start off at a slower pace and then get faster as you go. I sure did. 

While it may not take as long to write up your thoughts as it does to learn and play, you still have to remember about pictures, proofing your review, and adding any applicable links. I always try to take all my pictures while playing or right after playing (if it’s a larger game, during setup, gameplay, and at the end). 

Of course, I forget all the time and end up having to stage photos (which is fine, as long as it’s accurate). Getting good photos takes a bit longer, especially if you have to set it all up specifically for photos. Save time and take them while you play (your game group will understand). 

While that may sound like a lot of work, I all aspects of it can be enjoyable if you’re not rushed. That’s why it’s important to pace yourself and not take on too many at once. 

I love the review process and definitely enjoy all aspects heretofore mentioned. It does suck when I’m rushing to complete something, so I’ve learned how to better manage my time. 

If you love learning new games and talking about games, reviewing is both fun and fulfilling. Plus, the games you keep are *generally* pretty good. 

I have no idea if that’s what you were asking about, but hopefully you were able to find something useful in there haha If you feel like you could be able to make it work, I recommend it. I don’t think I could ever turn away from this part of the industry at this point.