About Us

The Glass Meeple provides clarity and transparency, magnifies, and illuminates board games. Well, at least that’s my lofty goal!

Hi, I’m Tina G. McDuffie, note the similarity in initials to The Glass Meeple. I’m a gamer – a girl gamer. I used to teach Computer Science, now I teach people how to play board games.

I’ve been writing board game reviews – more like overviews ’cause I try to stay neutral – for several years now. Initially I did it sporadically, then it became a regular thing when I started writing a monthly newsletter for my book and game store.

My goal in my “reviews” is to give you a good idea of how the game plays, what it’s like, the theme, etc. so you can make a more informed decision as to whether this game is a good fit for you or someone you love. It’s not important whether I like the game or not – different gamers prefer different styles of games. (I’m more of a Euro gamer myself.) What’s important is that you get a good idea of what the game is like before you plunk down your hard earned cash to buy it. Nothing’s worse than getting super excited about a game only to buy and play it once, disappointedly discovering it’s not at all what you thought it was.

So my “reviews” tend to focus more on the theme, the goal and what you can expect to do in a turn to work toward achieving that goal. I usually also talk about replayability – how much bang are you going to get for your buck – and what kind of gamers and ages it’s appropriate for. I’m trying to get better about talking about the components, too.

For me high-quality components can make up for some issues like poorly written rule books, thin card stock, etc. They can also enhance an otherwise just ok game by making it more immersive. I like pretty games. However, some of my favorite games are awesome despite their components. So flimsy cards won’t break a really good game in my opinion – I’ll probably recommend that you sleeve the cards – however, flimsy cards in a just ok game is yet another strike against it. I hope that makes sense.

Now that you know what I’m about here – or what I’m trying to accomplish anyway – I hope you’ll enjoy your time at The Glass Meeple and find the information helpful. And if you’re ever in the Summerville, SC area (near Charleston) drop by my store and we can play a game together. I’ll even teach you how to play!

Tina G. McDuffie
The Glass Meeple
Here Be Books & Games
810 Travelers Blvd, Suite A2
Summerville, SC 29485-8535
Phone: (843) 695-1498