Season 2 of BBC’s “Gladiators” has just finished, and saw two fantastic contenders (Joe Fishburn and Amanda Wah) crowned as the 2025 champions. They have been immense and their efforts against the almighty gladiators have been truly inspiring. Well done to all involved.
The blogging team looked at some games associated with the contemporary Gladiator series earlier in the year. This got us all taking a trip down memory lane, back to the 1990’s where it all started. Where many of us bloggers were kids ourselves being inspired by these elite individuals, I can remember it well. So we wanted to pay tribute to the iconic 90’s Gladiators show and create this little feature on some of the gladiators we loved back in the day. We all have those memories, whether it was Shadow duelling, Lightning on Hang Tough, Jet flipping around the arena or the Wolf scrapping with a contender, so many of us loved it all.
Carcassonne Hunters and Gatherers – Hunter. (David Ireland)
Hunter was an immensely physical Gladiator. Described as the ultimate gladiator by his piers he was one to be feared in the arena. Not leaving too much comparison to the Hunters and Gatherers Carcassonne game, Although I would personally describe this game as the ultimate board game as it is a personal favourite of mine and I believe it to be the best. So maybe there is something.
Hunters and Gatherers takes Carcassonne back to the Caveman era. Where we still turn tiles but there are no castles and roads. Now we have forests, rivers and animals to hunt, including the legendary Mammoth.
Players can create a network of fish also for scoring at the end of the game and the feature I particularly like is the option for bonus tiles if you are a player completing a forest with a golden nugget. These bonus tiles are real game changing tiles that swing game momentum each time one is played.
I also very much enjoy the reduction in meeples from the base game. Only 5 meeples available for in games which is significantly less. However, as referenced above there are fish networksnow and the new meeple playing piece is required. The hut piece is an option for this. However this is a piece that stays on the table when played so you are typically working with less meeples.
Carcassonne is a giant of a game and Hunter was a giant of gladiator. They very much go hand in hand. If you are a fan of Carcassonne then you need to give this game a try.
Galactic Cruise – Rocket (Dan Phillips)
There is only one game that comes to mind at the moment when the word ‘Rocket’ is spoken. Brand new on shelves and already causing a stir is the big box Galactic Cruise from first time publisher Kinson Key Games. As competing executives of a space cruise company, the heart of the game is to build, sell and launch your holiday rocket up to the stars. This game looks like a lot. It’s a sprawling table hog of a production but despite its intimidating appearance it has a really intuitive gameplay. Everything on the board makes sense and Ian O’Toole’s amazing graphic design means the iconography is clear to follow. You are simply placing out your workers to get blueprints, build ship segments, advertise to customers and gain resources all with the intent of launching these ships onto an intergalactic exploration in order to gain juicy victory points. However, there is nothing I love more in a worker placement game than a cheeky bump action, meaning that options are readily available and you are never stuck without something useful to do. But the interesting decision space is then you are giving your opponent a potentially powerful bonus. Then, finally when your ships are launched, you start every turn with a bonus round gaining anything from money to victory points. I have loved playing Galactic Cruise and exploring the depths of gameplay. It’s early days but I think it will rocket to the stars!
Battle of Versailles – Vogue (Dan Phillips)
When it comes to ‘vogue’, what comes to mind faster than fashion! And when it comes to fashion, the most interesting board game that has come out in recent years to explore such a rich theme is 2024’s Battle of Versailles. For those not deep in the history of fashion, the ‘battle of Versailles’ was the nickname given to one of the most iconic fashion shows the world has ever seen, which took place, as you can guess, at the palace of Versailles in France in 1973. Why this was important was it brought together the classic and traditional fashion world of France and the contemporary, antagonistic trends of the USA. The game is a two player, head to head affair with each player taking on one of the two fashion giants as they put together their show. It’s such an interesting theme but the gameplay is strong enough even if you have no interest in the subject matter. Maybe this theme will stay in a vogue and we will see more games explore this fascinating world.
Glow – Shadow (Dan Phillips)
Shadows are at the heart of 2021 game Glow seeing you as adventures through a dark world as you collect slivers of light. The illustrations of the game are gorgeous, playing on the shadowed silhouettes of different creatures that you find along the way. As you build your collection of companions, you also receive dice which will dictate the options you have on your turn and rolling them is all lead by a bit of push your luck. You have three roles, very much in the Yahtzee style, but you can continue to roll by spending tokens or even moving back on the point track which can get very dangerous when looking for that perfect combo of symbols. Glow really is a lovely little game in a small box on a board that doesn’t take up a huge amount of the room the table and so makes for a great addition to any collection.
Fox In the Forest – Fox (Sophie Jones)
With season 2 of Gladiators coming to an end, we can’t forget where this amazing show began. My first taste of Gladiators was back in the 90s, when Jet threw herself from the Pyramid and Wolf taunted the crowd like a pantomime villain, making this season’s Viper look more like a harmless grass snake. As we celebrate the success of the new series, it’s only right to throw back to the original legends who shaped the show.
One of the fiercest contenders from that era was Fox. She was an all-rounder, dominating in almost every event. Her unbeaten run on Hang Tough made her a fan favourite, and she was a force to be reckoned with in Duel. If I had to match a board game to her legacy, it would have to be The Fox in the Forest.
This little two-player card game packs a real punch. Over a series of rounds, players play cards to win tricks, but victory doesn’t go to the player who wins the most. Instead, you need to strike the perfect balance. Win too few tricks and you’ll fall short, win too many and you score nothing.
The sweet spot is where the points are, which makes every round a careful dance of restraint and timing.
Much like Fox’s performance in the arena, this game is all about reading your opponent, knowing when to make your move and when to hold back. Her success on Hang Tough came from patience and precision, not just brute strength. The game’s power cards let you shift suits and win tricks at just the right moment, echoing the clever, adaptable style she brought to every event.
If you’ve been reminiscing about the golden days of Saturday night TV, The Fox in the Forest is the kind of tight, tactical duel Fox would absolutely dominate.
Final Thoughts
We hope you enjoy Gladiators as much as we do. Hopefully this little trip down memory lane has brought as many fond memories back for you as it did for us.
