Author name: Variant Berry

A Machi Koro 2 game box is on display on top of a yellow table cloth. Behind the box is an array of Japanese food.

Board Games, Features, Food & Drink, Game Reviews, Lifestyle

Machi Koro 2 Game Review & Themed Dinner

Variant Berry / February 6, 2026

Variant Berry reviews Machi Koro 2 and Izzie shares their themed dinner & cocktail!

A close up of the Hanabi box cover art. Reads race the clock, build the fireworks, launch your rockets on the bottom. The art shows colorful fireworks in the foreground and a pagoda in the background.

Card Games, Game Reviews

Hanabi Game Review

Variant Berry / September 25, 2021

Hanabi is a cooperative card game by R&R Games Inc and is rated for 2 to 5 players, ages 8 and up and plays in about 30 minutes. The objective of the game is to put on a stunning fireworks show with your other players, but the catch is you cannot see your own cards!

A series of retro arcade style games are lined up against a wall.

Talk Shop, Culture & Media, Video Games

Talk Shop: Replay Amusement Museum, Tarpon Springs, FL

Variant Berry / September 17, 2021

Southwest of Orlando is the beach town of Tarpon Springs. Originally famous for its sponge diving exports, this gem of a town is now an excellent location for a day trip if you are in the Central Florida area. While there are many reasons to visit such as dolphin tours, excellent Greek food, and picturesque

Game Reviews, Other Games

Azul Game Review

Variant Berry / June 20, 2021

Variant Berry reviews Azul, a colorful tile game from Michael Kiesling and Plan B Games!

Board Games, Features, Game Reviews

Machi Koro Game Review

Variant Berry / June 14, 2021

Variant Berry reviews Machi Koro, a city planning game by developer Pandasaurus!

A paper sheet of hexes, some of the hexes are filled in with doodles. a six sided die with a 4 showing on top is on the paper.

Game Reviews, Tabletop Roleplaying Games

Bumbling Solo TTRPG Review

Variant Berry / June 13, 2021

Variant Berry writes about her experience playing Solo TTRPG Bumbling, as a fresh honeybee in the hive!

All of the Zombie Dice components are shown including, dice, score pad and tokens.

Game Reviews, Other Games

Zombie Dice Horde Edition Game Review

Variant Berry / May 29, 2021

Variant Berry reviews Zombie Dice: Horde edition, a fast paced game of chance from Steve Jackson games!

4 people are dressed as renaissance actors are outside in celebration.

Cons & Events, Culture & Media, Lifestyle

Bay Area Renaissance Festival, Tampa, FL

Variant Berry / May 28, 2021

Variant Berry talks about her time spent at the Bay Area Renaissance Festival during its final day open for the 2021 season!

Photosynthesis strategy board game box featuring colorful layered trees and forest artwork, photographed on a wooden table before gameplay.

Board Games, Game Reviews

Photosynthesis Game Review

Variant Berry / April 11, 2021

Variant Berry reviews Photosynthesis, a competitive, forest themed resource management game for 2 to 4 players from Blue Orange Games!

A game box featuring colorful, silly monsters is open, revealing game components inside of the box. On top of the box is written Monsdrawsity. The bottom of the box reads a game by Eric Slauson.

Game Reviews, Other Games

MonsDRAWsity Game Review

Variant Berry / March 29, 2021

Variant Berry reviews monsDRAWsity from Deep Water Games.