Here's a bonus video for you all - Gizmodo (a tech news site) have made a video about me and my board game collection. It's part of their series Show Me Your Nerd, which looks at people's geeky collections.
The interview happened over webcam, but they've done a really nice job of editing clips from my videos (some deep cuts in there!) to bring it all together.
Hope you enjoy it!
Jon
2021-12-14 13:00:29 +0000 UTC View PostFor the older patrons who were giving before the recent pledge drive - the lanyards and badges are now on the way to those of you who don't have one already.
If you're expecting one - keep an eye out in the post for them shortly (slightly less shortly if you live in Australia!), and if they don't arrive within a month, please send me a private message through Patreon and I'll sort it out.
And if you've not seen the last post, there's still time to leave a question for the upcoming...
2021-12-13 17:59:47 +0000 UTC View PostTime for a Christmas Q&A, if you have a question for me to answer on camera, now's your chance!
Leave a comment below and I'll answer it as best I can!
It can be asking for gift buying advice, about my gaming collection, about the channel, my favourite pizza toppings, anything you like!
This Christmas I have created a Christmas mega-mix of the last six years of Christmas videos, turning them into the ultimate gift guide. 57 games, categorised, so you know what section to watch depending on who you are buying for.
I wasn't able to make new Timmy and family stuff for this video because I was racing against time to make a Christmas video and get it out in time for people to still find it useful. I hope you enjoy the walk down memory lane with the family clips from previo...
Hey patrons!
I've been playing a lot of turn-based games on Board Game Arena on my phone, lately - because it's easy to fit them, just taking my turn when I have a spare minute. And I thought - why don't I play them against you lot!
So if you'd like to play a turn-based game with me, please add "jonpurkis" on BGA, and invite me to a game, or leave your username in the comments so we can get a group together in one game. These are the games I'd be up for playing:
Buenos dias benevolent donors!
And thank you to all the new patrons! Welcome to your first Actualol newsletter.
This month saw a review of Cascadia, a pledge drive, and the first part of my Top 50 series. And I spilt the beans on myself in the 2021-12-01 17:05:44 +0000 UTC View Post
First of all, I was absolutely blown away by the number of you generous lot who switched to annual membership after my post yesterday. Thank you. It has really made me feel valued. Doing a pledge drive always makes me feel vulnerable, so I'm grateful for the vote of confidence.
As a reward (you would have got it anyway!), here is the first video of my new Top 50 series. I hope you enjoy it! It was nice to get to film some games that I've spoken about in Q&As a lot but never pr...
2021-11-30 17:41:57 +0000 UTC View PostYou can now pay for your Actualol Patreon pledge annually instead of monthly, and you'll save money!
Paying annually means that there are less transaction fees, which is why you get a 10% discount - giving you one month's membership a year for free.
From my point of view, it would make me feel more financially secure to know that the pledge is guaranteed for a year. And it helps avoid complications that arise when cards expire and get declined.
You can easil...
2021-11-29 17:22:42 +0000 UTC View PostIt's important that I'm making videos that my patrons enjoy. It's easy for me to think that what's most popular is what's gets more views on YouTube, but that's not always true.
This is your chance to tell me - what were your favourite types of videos on the channel from the last 12 months?
Please pick EXACTLY THREE types of videos you enjoyed from the list. Try to vote based on the type of the video, rather than the specific gam...
2021-11-29 12:09:23 +0000 UTC View Post
Thank you to everyone that has supported Actualol over the last two years. This video is in part a thank you for your support, during one of the weirdest two years imaginable.
And it's also asking - what's next?
The last few months I have been paying someone to help me film and edit videos, so that I can make better and more frequent videos. My dream is to make that a permanent reality, and today I am asking viewers on YouTube to become patrons of the channel to do that.
Nex...
2021-11-26 17:29:21 +0000 UTC View PostI'm sorry to those of you who haven't received their lanyards yet. I will be sending them all out next week.
I wanted to let you know because I have removed the reward for new patrons (as of today), but I will still be fulfilling the rewards for everyone currently signed up.
As for meeples, I believe I am up to date. If you haven't received your meeple then please send me a private message on Patreon and I'll get it sorted for you.
Thanks,
Jon
2021-11-26 16:17:16 +0000 UTC View Post
Hey there patrons!
My episode of 5 Games for Doomsday is now online to listen to. It is basically Desert Island Discs for board gamers. I picked five games that I would happily play over and over again if stuck in a cabin in the woods forever.
But it's more personal than your average board game podcast because the host Ben Maddox asks me a lot of questions about my life, my careers, and some thoughtful questions about how I see games, the industry, and being a YouTuber.
<... 2021-11-17 15:55:43 +0000 UTC View Post
Today, it's back to the future, with a review of a newer game - Cascadia
If you read the newsletter, you already knew I liked this one, but then I played it even more and liked it even more, and a video became a necessity.
I'm off to Lobstercon (gaming convention by the sea) tomorrow, so I'll be playing all the games for future videos!
Have a great weekend all,
Actually yours,
Jon
Hey there perfect patrons,
This month we had a Top 10 Drinking Games with Dr. Ed Hope and I hope to get back together with him at some point to talk about more games we love - let me know if you have any topics you’d like us to cover.
And my Lost Cities video, celebrating one of my favourite two player games of all time. The video was a pleasa...
2021-11-01 17:38:54 +0000 UTC View Post
Hi patrons!
I'm back with my next video about a modern classic. One which I've never talked about in any video before, but I've been playing for years.
If you want to see more videos like this, let me know.
Actually yours,
Jon
2021-10-22 15:44:12 +0000 UTC View Post
It's back to the forest for another Top 10 - this time I'm joined by Ed to talk about our favourite games as drinking games.
It's a topic I've wanted to cover for a long time, and even though we share five games each, I really like Ed's picks for this.
And if you don't drink - these are still great social games. To be honest, I've played them all much more sober than drunk.
Let me know what topic you'd like me and Ed to tackle the next time we get together.
Hey-lol pledgends!
This was a month of firsts. We had the first ever collaboration on Actualol, doing a Top 10 with Dr. Ed Hope. And the first lookback at a classic game, with my video on Bohnanza.
And this month you can expect more of both! This week, I’ll be posting up another Top 10 I filmed with Ed. And I’ve filmed my ne...
2021-10-04 16:22:37 +0000 UTC View Post
I had an epiphany recently - why must I always talk about new games when there are so many older games which deserve a spotlight. But I wanted to do it in a way that is still interesting and useful to those who have already heard of that game.
So, starting with Bohnanza, here is the first (possibly last!) video celebrating a modern classic, telling the history behind the game, and sharing some "if you like this" recommendations.
I truly hope you like it, because I'd like to make m...
2021-09-17 17:45:42 +0000 UTC View Post
Hey patreonies,
Something different this week! I'm joined for my first official "collab" by my friend Dr. Ed Hope, who is a much bigger YouTuber than I, with his medical channel Dr. Hope's Sick Notes
Ed loves board games too. So much so that he's run a board game tent at a festival for six years running, and it is a huge success.
In this video we talk about the Top 10 most played games in the t...
2021-09-10 16:53:31 +0000 UTC View PostGreetings gamers!
Last weekend, Serena and I went to a festival called Camp Wildfire, where we helped teach games in a board game tent there. It was an amazing experience, and it was so rewarding to see all my favourite games be so well enjoyed. In fact, it was so fun that we’re going back this weekend to do it all again!
I was invited by my friend Dr. Ed Hope, who has a very successfu...
2021-08-31 17:13:01 +0000 UTC View PostHey there Actual Heroes,
I am writing this from a train to and from Scotland. I wanted to get the video out before we went away, hence the delay with the newsletter.
Hopefully you’ve seen my Top 5 Pub Games, a video I filmed with help from Bartosz Jokiel, a videographer I hired to help me out. It’s the first step in...
2021-08-17 20:21:15 +0000 UTC View Post
Happy Monday Patrons!
It's time for a new video. In this one I'm trying a few new things, most notably I worked with a videographer to help film the video. It's the first step in a long-term plan to hopefully make more regular videos. And it went pretty well! I hope you like the results.
As for the games, there are some absolute classic card games in this list, some of which it is amazing that I have never talked about before on the channel in six years.
Enjoy!
A...
2021-08-09 17:30:10 +0000 UTC View PostHey Actual Heroes,
This month's newsletter is running behind schedule because I've been filming this week, straight off the back of finishing the last video. I'm hoping to get this one done before I go away next week, hence the rush.
Thanks for your patience!
Jon
2021-08-04 13:33:34 +0000 UTC View Post
Hey patrons!
Today, I'm sharing three games which I think are very easy to overlook, because they seem unappealing at first glance. But actually they are a lot of fun, and I wanted to draw attention to them.
Sorry for the quiet period this month, I have been working hard on some stuff behind the scenes for some long-term improvements to the channel. It's an experiment that I hope will pay dividends, but we'll see! I will be filming another video next week, that should be with you ...
2021-07-30 17:19:44 +0000 UTC View Post‘Allo Actual Heroes,
I hope you enjoyed this month’s videos - the 5 Card Games and The Problem With Board Game Sequels, starring “Ricky” - thank you to patron Ricky Rodriguez for backing at character level so that I could have another chance at butchering an American accent!
It’s been a busy month - I celebrated my birthday, went on a ...
2021-07-01 16:08:20 +0000 UTC View Post
Well, I originally set out to review Burgle Bros 2 and Railroad Ink Challenge, but then it became something a little different. Have a watch and see!
I'd be interested to hear what you patrons think of this one - it feels like a little departure for me.
Actually yours,
Jon
2021-06-29 16:13:16 +0000 UTC View Post
Hey patrons - it's time for some game recommendations!
I don't often find the right time to talk about small card games that I think are worth attention - so here are five all at once. And I've thought of a common theme amongst them to trick people on YouTube into watching it!
But you're too clever and discerning to be conned by anything like that!
It's a combination of new and old - two are new games which might be a little hard to get hold of at the moment (unless yo...
2021-06-03 17:52:14 +0000 UTC View PostHey there patron pals,
I’m desperately sorry to have not released a more important video this month than my recent Q&A. It has not been for lack of trying - I have started but not completed a Burgle Bros 2 review, a Railroad Ink: Challenge review, a Best of the Month and a 5 Card Games.
What happened is that I finally reached a point in lockdown where I was being held back by not playing games in person wit...
2021-06-01 14:55:38 +0000 UTC View Post
I talk about the games that were my gateway into board games in this Q&A video, and answer questions on how I got into videomaking, what my favourite filler games are, and whether I back games on Kickstarter or not, among others...
The Patron newsletter will be out later today!
Jon
2021-06-01 10:10:07 +0000 UTC View PostAhoy Actual Heroes!
I hope you enjoyed this month’s Top 5 Games of 2020, and The Board Game Ambassador sketch. I actually wrote that one at the start of last year and it’s taken until now to work up the courage to film it. I’m delighted that people are enjoying it, and I hope to do another one when the right idea comes along.