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The brains behind the boards.

We’re Madeline and Ollie, and Madeline trusted me to write this - which was a silly move, because her copy is so much better.

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It's funny to say our roots are in board games, because for a long time, they weren't.

Madeline was deep in the worlds of book curation and crafting; Ollie was immersed in tech, design, and video games. We’ve always shared the same values and philosophical passions, but for a while, our doing interests were headed in opposite directions.

Then came the board games.

Board games became the space where we finally converged. They became our bridge—a way to connect, play, and navigate the world together. Through those cardboard maps and wooden tokens, we found a shared language that satisfied Madeline’s need for community and Ollie’s love for systems and design.

Today, Board Brains is where our professional backgrounds collide. We combine Madeline’s expertise in neuroaffirming coaching and psychological resourcing with Ollie’s background in tech and design to create something more than just reviews.

We’re here to help you find the games that don't just fill your time, but fill your cup. We research the mechanics, trial the systems, and give you the honest truth about how a game actually feels to play—so you can spend your limited energy on the things that bring you back to life.

We’re glad you’re here. Let’s play.

Madeline

Meet Madeline

Dual-Certified Coach, System Navigator, & Tactical Dreamer

Hi, I’m Madeline. In my professional life, I’m a dual-certified coach and multipotentialite. Before training and certifying as a coach, I was a content marketer, book curator (yes, this is literally a job), and growth specialist. Now, I just do these things for the people I want to invest in most: neurodivergent folks like me trying to flourish beyond the systems that weren’t built for us.

I see board games as an extension of that work, and am often looking at board games through the lens of connection, self-understanding, and play. Board games aren't just a hobby for me; they are a vehicle for change. Play has the power to create connection and safety in a fractured world. And yes, it is that deep.

My Philosophy Around Board Games

  1. 1

    If you have high mental stimulation needs, relaxing and restoration looks different. Board games provide an immersive, experiential way to get psychological detachment, giving our brains enough to do so our nervous systems can actually find a moment of peace (until your opponent takes the card you were eyeing up).

  2. 2

    Our brains are brilliant, but they’re also easily fooled. When you’re agonizing over whether to spend your last rubber berry in Everdell, you’re experiencing a real-time, somatic lesson in your relationship with scarcity and risk. It’s a safe lab where we can learn about our tendencies and work through them. Plus… tactile games are sensory joy. MORE BERRIES!

  3. 3

    Socializing can be exhausting. Realizing we’re all just making up rules and imposing our reality on others is terrifying. Board games create a structured mini-world with clear rules. This structure is incredibly regulating for a mind-body that either craves order to feel safe or struggles to build its own.

How I choose games?

  • Vibe

    I’ll be honest: I will pass over a brilliant game if I don’t connect with the art style. Theme is what draws me in, and while I’m not a thematic-only player, the visual vibe can absolutely make or break the experience for me. You’ll often find me gravitating to cozy, cute, or sleek design.

  • Thinking

    I want my influence to matter. I tend to avoid luck-based games in favor of strategic, intentional play where I can master a system. I’m also a fan of what I call helpful competition: I want there to be a winner, but I don’t want to actively harm or attack you. I want us both to play our best games and feel good at the end.

  • Mechanics

    I live for unique mechanics. If a game has a sensory joy to it (chunky dice, beautiful pieces, a variety of textures), I’m probably obsessed. I love engine-building games and resource management. I often find it easier to take early game risks, and enjoy games that have many ways to score points in a layered way.

Get to Know Me

  • Most toxic trait

    If I get bored while you’re taking your turn, I have a bad habit of “helpfully” suggesting what move you should make. I’m working on it, but the urge to plan is real!

  • Ideal Game Style

    I love games with high interaction and games that let me plan my next three moves while you’re still thinking.

  • Preferred Meeple Color

    Green, Blue, or Purple

  • Current Fixation

    Trinket Trove

  • Current Curiosity

    I’m exploring the world of campaign-style, narrative-driven cooperative games.

Ollie

Meet Ollie

Designer, Developer, & Perpetual Tinkerer

Hey, I'm Ollie. Professionally, I've spent my career bouncing between creative and technical roles—starting as a graphic designer, then moving into web development, with a stint at Twitch along the way. I've always enjoyed both the creativity that comes with an intentionally designed experience and the technical details of implementing it well.

Board games became the place where my interests finally made sense to someone else. Video games were always my thing, but they're hard to share with someone who isn't already in that world. Board games gave Madeline and me a shared language—and honestly, I've developed a real respect for what tabletop designers pull off. When you're limited to cardboard and meeples, you have to be more inventive. There's a real craft to making a box of components feel tense or satisfying, and I love seeing how designers get there.

My Philosophy Around Board Games

  1. 1

    I love the process of mastery—developing a skill, finding my own creative approaches, and getting genuinely good at something. And okay, fine, there's a small ego boost when that pays off against the people I play with. I promise I'm gracious about it. Mostly.

  2. 2

    Some of the most creative solutions come from constraints. Board game designers are working with far fewer tools, which means they have to be more inventive to evoke the same tension or satisfaction. I love experiencing that craftsmanship.

  3. 3

    Board games are easier to share. When I sit down to play a video game, I'm borrowing from years of accrued knowledge that most people just don't have. But a board game is a self-contained experience—someone can learn and play it on the spot. That's how I get to connect with the people I care about.

How I choose games?

  • Vibe

    I absolutely judge board games by their box—Madeline and I are the same that way. Fantasy themes catch my eye: dragons, vikings, demigods. Strong illustrative artwork will get me to pick something up. But the vibe opens the door; it doesn't keep me coming back.

  • Design

    This is where I get picky. I'm not just talking about visual design (though good graphic design on cards and player aids goes a long way). I mean product design—how components work together, how things slot into the box, how the physical pieces serve the mechanics. When a designer has clearly thought through every element, I notice. That level of intentionality is what separates a good game from a great one.

  • Mechanics

    I gravitate toward engine builders and resource management games—anything where you're investing in systems for future payoff. I want games that are easy to learn and hard to master. Not necessarily broad in complexity, but deep enough that I can develop real skill over time and make smarter decisions with every playthrough.

Get to Know Me

  • Most toxic trait

    Taking way too long on my turn trying to optimize for the perfect action. Analysis paralysis is real.

  • Ideal Game Style

    Deep strategy with room to develop skill over repeated plays. I want decisions to compound.

  • Preferred Meeple Color

    Red, purple, black

  • Current Fixation

    Knarr & Evergreen

  • Current Curiosity

    Games that lean into narrative elements—less about the final score, more about the experience

The Board Brains Mission:

At Board Brains, we aren’t just here to talk about cardboard and wooden cubes (though we happily will!). We’re here because we believe that meaningful play is a radical necessity.

In a world that feels increasingly fractured and exhausting, we see play as a form of community repair. Whether you’re navigating the world with a neurodivergent brain or just trying to survive the daily grind, your resourcing—your ability to find joy, connection, and psychological relief—is non-negotiable.

Our mission is to build a world where play is the bridge to connection.

We are creating a space where hobbies are more than just killing time. We are building a resource hub that supports:

  • Connection without Friction: Helping you find the experiences, games, and hobbies that actually work for your specific brain, so you can spend less time searching and more time being.
  • Neuroaffirming Resourcing: Recognizing that for many of us, high-stimulation play is the key to psychological restoration and somatic relief.
  • Intentional Community: Using the structure of games and shared interests to create safe, regulated spaces where we can show up as our full selves.
  • Future-Facing Tools: Beyond content, we are developing digital tools and frameworks designed to help people connect—not just with a rule-book, but with each other and themselves.

Board Brains is our contribution to a more playful, connected, and well-resourced world. We’re starting with games, but we’re building for something much bigger.

Would you play?

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