8 years ago I was in Finland in a summer cabin, lake swimming with my wife & picking wild strawberries from the forest floor with my toddler. It is honestly one of the closest experiences I've had in my life of Heaven

Played some lovely little games - Overparked, Builder's High & First Giants. I dig them all, although Builder's High remains my 'acquired taste' game that I think I enjoy more than people I introduce it to. Give it a chance, people. It's a grower

I haven't decided yet! But I might try to finish Steve Aylett's steampunk novel The Book Lovers & work through the Brontës' Glass Town / Gondal proto ttrpg they wrote as kids

This was me, 5 years ago, resting in my parents' garden on my way to teach a week's writing retreat at Arvon. In a few days I'm off to teach there again, my 5th consecutive year teaching the same school with my co-tutor Lamorna Ash. Teaching there has been one of the highlights of my creative life.

Urbane champignon

Pur necromancer just did 36 d6 points of damage to the big lich

Played some Tenby this evening with my dad. It's nice! I really like this sort of simple, 'collect scoring conditions + stuff to score' gameplay. It's by no means perfect, but that's about as damning as I can be. If your expectations are 'a fun little game that's light but engaging', you're golden.

Played some Railway Porters with the 9 y.o. Very gentle way to pass time together. I am not anti screens but I am pro chill activities in a low noise environment. My stress tolerance is very low at the moment so it's so nice to just feel safe & connected, having fun.

Steve Aylett is so strong on the line. Something compelling on every page. In this bit, in The Book Lovers, they're in a weird mirror emporium.

Also trying out Bookshelf. As an anxious, hypervigilant book- & cat-lover I am not sure if this game is therapy or trauma. Perhaps both.

Playing a bit of new dexterity game Spaghettin from Alley Cat Games. My main complaint so far is it's making me very hungry. Yet another game society won't let me eat

Would you like to read something I've written? I have a book about tabletop games & how they make us human, I have one about the science of anxiety & my attempts to get calm, I have a gothic yarn in a country house in 1935, I have a Fantasy novel with a pensioner vs a child battle nun. Catch em all!

But you're not helping... Why is that, Leon?

We finished #UKGE with a game of Magical Athlete & honestly it was some of the stupidest, most tortuous shit I've ever experienced in a game (complimentary)

Super pooped after 3 & a bit days at #UKGE. Too tired for coherent reflections at this point but hopefully will write a bunch once rested. Hope it doesn't sound twee to say I appreciate the folks I meet in this scene who sit at a table with me so much. So many warm, unique, very patient people!

Glad I remembered to pick this up! Card game by @marcelineleiman.bsky.social - looking forward to trying it out today. I've managed to pick up every game on my list (& then some)

Really pleased to sample a range of games from everyone from massive international publishers to one person indie operations. It's so useful to see what other people are excited about - what's buzzy, what's under the radar but brilliant, what turns out to be disappointing, etc.

Intense 2nd day of #UKGE. I played a lot of games & spent a great deal of time with People of Quality. I will have some thoughts to write up in the week but for now preparing to head onsite for the final day. Delighted to have picked up a few games I was keen to find.

I didn't take pictures of everything but it is so nice as someone who plays a ton of games professionally & privately to still be repeatedly surprised & delighted, to be reminded, over & over, that I love games & they continue to be one of my favourite iterations of human creativity & community.

Great, intense first day at #UKGE. Played plenty of *fascinating* games, hung out with the best people, & explored bits I'd never tried before, with my daughter.

Overstimulated but happy

At #UKGE, grabbing a snack. Demoed some fun games already. Just getting a sense of the expanded space. It is quite busy but people are very friendly!

An absolute frenzy for Tenby. Never seen anything like it. A queue of at least 50 people all with at least 1 copy each. Staff handing out copies hidden under a table. Limiting people to 1 each. Strangers asked to help them buy multiples. I blame @nopunincluded.com's frankly irresponsible review

In the queue waiting to go into #UKGE - I have copies of The Game Changers, my book on tabletop games, with me, if anyone wants one! I'm wearing a bright pink Gengar shirt

Setting off for #UKGE. Utterly bricking it, as is the way of my people. Chest tight with anxiety. Trying to do the best I can to just accept I am anxious, life is uncertain, & I am ok to be me, & imperfect. I would love to see you there, say hello, & play some games.

The new Senet magazine has landed on my doorstep, with an interview I did with Saashi of Saashi & Saashi, & my review of The Queen's Dilemma. (obviously lots of other brilliant pieces in there too!) Feels weird to say I'm proud of an interview as it's mostly not me, but I'm very happy with the piece

They must have crawled under to shelter from the intense heat & sun. I made sure they hopped to safety, guarding them from the big campsite dog who came to investigate as they made their journey, & poured water so the ground was nice & damp. This is the bigger one safely in the bush.

Camping was mostly a shitshow, but when I was packing up the tent this morning I found two toads sheltering under the groundsheet! Pictured is the smaller one. It felt like a miracle. I fetched water in my daughter's plastic watering can, hydrated them then guided them back to the shady bushes.

Hey, I'm on the first episode of the latest season of We, The Poets - a podcast about poets, poetry & writing. We talked about masks & masking, performance, & I did some of my poetry. Listen here: www.podbean.com/eas/pb-ib3zb...

Anyway in other news I took my littlest to a duck race in Norwich today