About Us — Rules and Guides
Rules and Guides isn’t a company, a publishing brand, or a bunch of people trying to sound clever about cardboard. It’s just a group of regular players who got tired of seeing confusing rulebooks, shallow reviews, and “expert” advice from people who don’t actually play games. We’re not designers or academics — we’re teachers, parents, collectors, hobbyists, party hosts, and grandparents who play everything from heavy Euros to silly party games and want to help other people enjoy them too.
It all started with Albert, our resident rules whisperer. He’s a math teacher from Minneapolis who treats rulebooks the way other people treat novels. Albert reads every page, every footnote, every errata, then somehow manages to explain the most complicated game in a way that makes sense to everyone else. If you’ve ever been halfway through a rulebook wondering whether a “may” is optional or mandatory, Albert’s your guy. His guides are basically what would happen if every rulebook were rewritten by an actual teacher instead of a designer who assumes you already know everything.
Then there’s Lawrence, our collector — the man with a house full of games he swears he’s going to play someday. He’s not chasing the latest hotness just for bragging rights (well, maybe a little), but because he genuinely loves exploring how games work. Lawrence is the reason we cover such a wide range of titles here. If there’s a weird Kickstarter game from Poland or a Walmart exclusive about space penguins, chances are he owns it, and he’ll tell you exactly whether it’s worth your shelf space. He represents that sweet spot between enthusiasm and common sense — the voice that reminds you it’s fine to enjoy lighter games and that you don’t need to “go pro” to be a board gamer.
Walter keeps us grounded. He’s a dad from Ohio who plays the kinds of games most families actually have in their cupboards. Uno, Monopoly, Clue — all the classics that hobby gamers like to roll their eyes at. But he’s the reason we don’t. Walter reminds us that every gamer starts somewhere, and that sometimes the perfect game isn’t the cleverest one — it’s the one that makes your kids laugh and lets you all spend an hour without screens. He writes the sort of honest, no-nonsense advice that parents appreciate: which editions are worth buying, how to survive family game nights without tears, and how to make sure everyone’s having fun (not just the most competitive player).
Then there’s Christine, who could probably host a game night for forty strangers and somehow make it feel like a dinner party among friends. She’s our expert on social and party games — the fast, loud, hilarious ones that don’t need strategy charts to be fun. Christine writes about hosting, group dynamics, and all the little touches that turn an average night into one people talk about for weeks. She’s proof that board gaming isn’t just about competition or mechanics — it’s about connection, laughter, and having a good time even when nobody remembers who technically won.
On the heavier end of the table, Thomas handles the deep strategy stuff. He’s a Seattle-based software developer who loves complex systems and games that make your brain sweat a bit. If you’ve ever wondered why some games feel perfectly balanced while others collapse into chaos, Thomas can probably explain it. He writes about mechanics, design choices, and what makes a game tick without sounding like he’s teaching a seminar. His reviews and strategy breakdowns are for the people who like their games with a side of math, analysis, and the occasional existential crisis about whether they should have built a second power plant in round four.
And finally, there’s Raymond — our retired electrician turned grandfather gamer. He came into modern board games late in life and now plays weekly with his grandkids. His perspective is what keeps this site human. When he writes about a game, it’s not about victory points or production quality; it’s about moments — the laughter when someone makes a clever play, the satisfaction of learning something new together, the joy of seeing kids put their phones down for an hour. Raymond reminds us why we fell in love with games in the first place.
Together, we make up Rules and Guides: six voices, six styles, one shared obsession with making gaming easier, friendlier, and more fun for everyone. Our articles aren’t algorithm-churned SEO fluff or “ultimate strategy guides” written by people who played once for content. Every piece on this site comes from real play — our tables, our families, our friends, our mistakes. Sometimes our advice contradicts each other’s, and that’s fine. Board gaming isn’t one-size-fits-all, and part of the fun is figuring out what works for your group.
Our focus is helping people actually understand and enjoy games. That means clear rule explanations, honest reviews, straightforward strategy, and practical hosting advice. Whether you’re a teacher trying to get your students into cooperative games, a collector wondering how to store another hundred boxes, a parent planning a family night, or a retiree looking for something fun to do with grandkids — you’ll find something here that speaks your language.
We don’t claim to know everything. We get rules wrong sometimes. We argue about whether expansions improve or ruin games. We complain about bad rulebooks, we gush about good ones, and we never forget that games are meant to be played, not studied to death. What matters to us is helping people feel confident opening a box, teaching the rules, and actually having fun instead of feeling overwhelmed.
If there’s one thing uniting everything we do, it’s this: board games are for everyone. Not just hobbyists. Not just collectors. Everyone. Whether you’re learning Catan for the first time or playing your 300th game of Terraforming Mars, you belong at the table.
Welcome to Rules and Guides. Grab a chair, pick a game, and if the rulebook doesn’t make sense — don’t worry. Albert’s already reading it for you.
If you ever want to reach out, suggest a game, or share your own experience, email us anytime at [email protected]. We read every message, even the ones that start with, “Actually, you got that rule wrong…” because, well, you’re probably right.