Roll better. Read deeper. Play everything.
CosmicQuestFrontier is a Vancouver game blog for people who read the rulebook twice. We publish honest tabletop reviews, video game deep-dives, and playtest reports every single week — dice included.
A tabletop newsroom above a coffee roaster on Water Street
We started CosmicQuestFrontier in a Gastown loft with three shelves of Euro games and one very worn copy of Twilight Imperium. Nine years later we are a five-person crew of critics, a rules lawyer, and a resident narrative-game obsessive who still argues about the Catan robber.
Every review is built from real table time — no press-release rewrites, no scores handed out before the box is even punched. If a game drags at four players or the app crashes on turn nine, we say so, and we tell you what to play instead.
- Minimum three full plays before any score is published
- Component photos shot in-house, never supplier renders
- Both tabletop and video game coverage under one roof
- Weekly Friday drop, every week since 2016
From shrink-wrap to verdict
A repeatable five-step process keeps our scores consistent whether we are covering a 20-minute filler or a 6-hour campaign box.
- 01
Unbox & inventory
We punch the box on camera, weigh the components, and log every token, card, and miniature against the manifest so quality-control issues get flagged on day one.
- 02
Learn the rules cold
Our rules lawyer teaches the game blind from the rulebook alone, noting every ambiguity and errata so the review reflects how a real group will actually learn it.
- 03
Three tables, three counts
We play at low, mid, and full player counts — minimum three sessions — to expose downtime, runaway leaders, and how the game scales.
- 04
Score the framework
Depth, replayability, table presence, teachability, and value are each rated on our published rubric, then cross-checked by a second editor.
- 05
Publish & follow up
The verdict goes live Friday with photos and a shelf-life update, and we revisit big releases after 90 days to see whether they survive the honeymoon.
Coverage at a glance
Every membership tier unlocks a different slice of the archive and community table.
| Included | Free | MeepleMost popular | Legendary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly written reviews | |||
| Full scoring breakdowns | |||
| Video playthrough vault | |||
| Early access, 48h before public | |||
| Monthly members-only game night | |||
| Ad-free reading | |||
| Vote on next month’s deep-dive | |||
| Print & Play design archive | — | Sampler | Full |
From the community table
What our readers say after taking our recommendations to their own game nights.
“Their three-plays-minimum rule saved my group from a 90-dollar dud. The scaling notes are the only ones on the internet I actually trust for five players.”
“I run a game cafe on Commercial Drive and I stock straight from their Friday drop. The component photos alone have cut my customer questions in half.”
“The video-game crossover coverage is criminally good. Their Baldur’s-Gate-versus-board-games essay is the reason I finally tried a legacy campaign.”
“Honest scores in a hobby full of hype. They dinged a game I helped Kickstart and they were completely right. That kind of integrity keeps me subscribed.”
“The members game night in Gastown is the best 15 dollars I spend each month. I have met my whole regular group through this blog.”
“Teachability ratings are a genius idea. As the person who always teaches, I now check their score before I buy anything for family holidays.”
Support the newsroom
Reader-funded and proudly ad-light. Pick a tier and keep the Friday drop independent. Prices in Canadian dollars.
Free
Everything we publish for the public, forever free.
- Weekly written reviews
- Public archive access
- Friday newsletter
- Comment on articles
Meeple
For the weekly gamer who wants the full toolkit.
- Everything in Free
- Full scoring breakdowns
- Video playthrough vault
- Ad-free reading
- Monthly members game night
Legendary
For collectors and cafes who want it all, first.
- Everything in Meeple
- 48-hour early access
- Vote on next deep-dive
- Full Print & Play archive
- Name in the credits
Pitch a game, book a review, or just say hi
Publishers, designers, and readers all welcome. We answer every message within two business days from our Gastown desk.