Meet Our Contributors

  Aaron started his site GameEnthus.com back in 2008. The site mainly focused on video games and a podcast of the same name.

After being introduced to games like Vye, Ticket to Ride, Catan, Fluxx and Coup, Aaron’s hunger to learn and play more board games became too difficult to ignore around 2018. 

Several years later he is still playing as many games as he can and feeling

a little more confident that his board game content is worth watching. His work can be seen on GameEnthus.com and, of course, OFPG.

Melanie Barr got into the hobby in 2017, and runs a YouTube channel called Mel's Board Games Room. She is a member of FallCon which host multiple gaming events around Alberta Canada. She is also a co-host of the podcast The Boardgame Specialists. Last, but not least, she is a spoke person for Games and Couples which is a division of Auschrat Counseling.  To see more of Mel, visit her YouTube channel at @Melsboardgameroom

   Marcus Ross (along with his cousin Kit Ryan) started the design studio Water Bear Games in 2012 with a focus on creating fully engaging tabletop experiences. Fittingly, the duo is responsible for the beloved titles Discount Salmon, BEEEEES! and Letter GO!

Marcus’ most recent work was codesigning the highly regarded The Lord of the Rings Adventure Book Game for Ravensburger. 

In addition to design, Marcus is a frequent contributor and volunteer with Omaha-based non-profits Spielbound and The House of Afros, Capes and Curls. His OFPG Voices segments focus on prototyping and practical ways to create common game elements. You can keep up with him on Twitter at @marcusross and @waterbeargames.

 First and foremost Jazz is a family man. He enjoys spending time with his wife and daughters. He loves sports and has a passion for tabletop games. He believes in building a strong and diverse board game community. In 2021, Jazz started The Lobby of Hobbies Youtube channel to create board game content. His goal is to build relationships with gamers, creators, publishers, and designers who share the same vision. He believes that together we can grow this hobby.  To see more of Jazz, visit him on YouTube at  @TheLobbyOfHobbies .

Dwayne & Alicia Shearill of BlackBoardGaminng have been enjoying board games together for about 8 years now. After becoming empty nesters in 2014, they were looking for a fun way to hang out together. In 2019, they attended their first board game convention, which was Origins in Columbus, Ohio. It was there that the idea for starting a Youtube channel was conceived. The initial name of the channel was 'My Wife As A Board Gamer', which was later changed to BlackBoardGaming.

The channel has undergone some changes since its inception in April 2020, but one thing remains consistent. Dwayne & Alicia continue to share their love for board games to a wider audience in an effort to promote them as a way to bring families and friends to the table. To see more of Dwayne & Alicia, visit their YouTube channel - @blackboardgaming5348

 Dr. Tanya Pobuda is a board game academic, game designer, licensed drone pilot, artificial intelligence chatbot creator, and virtual and augmented reality practitioner. She is a sessional lecturer, research assistant, trainer and instructional designer. Her PhD research on board games has been featured in Conversation, New York Times, the Analog Games Studies Journal and OFPG Voices. She has been interviewed on various podcasts and has a PhD from Toronto Metropolitan & York University’s Communication & Culture program. To learn more about Dr. Pobuda, visit her website - tanyapobudaphd.com. 

 Maurice Andrews Jr. loves creating content around Marvel Champions and other short board game reviews. When he is not board gaming, he enjoys frequent trips to the movies, seeing plays, playing basketball and boxing. He enjoys seeing the hobby grow and become more inclusive, as this hobby can be enjoyed by anyone.  He enjoys being a part of the OFPG Voices team and will continue to be an ambassador to its beliefs. To see more of Maurice, visit his YouTube channel at   @mauriceandrewsjr5929

  Michael & Judie, have a YouTube channel called The Nerd Shelves. They love everything about board games and want to share their love of the hobby with you. Their goal is to promote positive, respectful and inclusive board gaming, in a world where we could all use a little bit more happiness. Friends and family are what make this all possible. To learn more about them, visit their website - https://www.thenerdshelves.com/

 Your friendly solo gaming pal, Lexy here! I am a 26 year old, content creator, specializing in the solo gaming space. I joined the OFPG Voices panel in July of 2022! After being diagnosed with Lupus in 2017, I stumbled into the world of board gaming and fell in love! Tabletop gaming has provided me with a much needed escape from the day to day grind and has led me to creating so many meaningful connections within the community. When I am not solo gaming I am either gaming with friends and family, snuggling with my two dogs, or watching documentaries! 

Andrew (Drew) Smith of TableTalk has been a lifelong board game fan ever since being a grade-schooler playing Catan, Diplomacy, Axis & Allies, & Mafia. While he was attending college, during the pandemic, he rediscovered the board game hobby while trying to find fun games to play with small groups of friends and students he worked with. He found a massive wealth of new and old great games and began teaching and sharing them with everyone.

Due to his background teaching students, he found a knack for making games and rules simple and accessible. He started a YouTube channel to fill a nitch of a younger creator seeking to share highly interactive, simple, and thematic games that he had found both young adults and students loving. Drew seeks to make the board game hobby accessible, simple, and fun. He believes there are board games out there for everyone!

 JenCam is a solo board game content creator on Twitch and YouTube. She first got into the board game hobby during the pandemic as a fun thing to do with her kiddo and her now hubby. Roll and write games have a special place in her heart, but she is also a sucker for a thematic campaign game! When not playing games she is studying to be a History/Geography teacher and hopes to start a board gaming club with her future students.

 Clay runs the YouTube channel Beer City Board Games, where he and his wife Jen and his friend Carl discuss a variety of gaming topics.  He’s been a gamer as far back as he can remember, playing lots of trivia games and traditional card games with his family. He and Jen have also passed their love of gaming on to their two daughters.  His introduction to modern hobby gaming came in 2014 when he played a game of Citadels with friends and was immediately hooked!  He has also been open and honest about his mental health struggles and how that relates to attending conventions and building community.  He wants everyone to know that no matter who you are or where you’re from, you have a place at his table!

 Ruel Gaviola is a board game evangelist who creates board-game-related content on various platforms. Find him on Rahdo Runs Through, Good Time Society, Tabletop Live Network, Board Game Spotlight, and more. He regularly livestreams games on Twitch and his written, audio, video, and live work has been featured on Geek & Sundry, Roll20, BoardGameGeekTV, Gen Con TV, Game Trade Magazine, and The Nerdist. He serves on the committees for the American Tabletop Awards, Tabletop Writers Guild, and the Rose Gauntlet Foundation. Find his work at https://linktr.ee/ruelgaviola .