Matthew BaileyThis announcement is going to be unusually personal, so if that’s not your bag, there’s no need to read on.
In the next day or so, I’m going to be starting Summer Games Fest 2026… but it’s not quite going to run as usual.
For the last four years, I’ve posted a review every day throughout July and August, but sadly that’s not going to be quite possible this year. On July 8th, I’m undergoing surgery for trigger finger, which has been getting progressively worse over the last few years to the point where I now struggle to bend my index and middle fingers, and when I do, they lock in a bent position (hence the name “trigger finger”).
See pic for details 
For those of you who know me personally, you’ll know I have a number of long-term chronic health issues. I’ve had Type 1 Diabetes for over 30 years, I have Primary Biliary Cholangitis, an extremely rare incurable autoimmune liver condition, along with a number of other medical issues that have partly exacerbated this tendon problem, together with my day job (I’m a Design & Technology teacher).
As a result, over the last few months I’ve been finding certain things I love, such as making things and playing board games, progressively more difficult and painful.
These days I actually dictate most of my reviews, as well as all of my school reports, because typing has become difficult and painful.
I’ve finally reached the point where surgery is needed.
On July 8th I’ll be having the tendon sheaths removed on two of my fingers to hopefully allow them to move freely and, eventually, pain-free again.
The usual recovery time for this type of surgery is around 4–6 weeks, but because of my other health conditions, my recovery is expected to be slower, with a higher risk of complications.
As such, posting a review every single day this year just isn’t going to be possible. However, I’m still hoping to make Summer Games Fest 2026 a fantastic event, albeit not quite as plentiful as in previous years.
Firstly, reviews and content won’t be numbered like they have been in previous years. We normally aim for 60+ reviews over the two months, but that simply isn’t going to be achievable this time.
I already have a number of reviews from recent publisher releases written and ready to go, and I’m also hoping that Jack (11) is going to be able to take the reins a little more when it comes to playing games and sharing his thoughts.
My plan is also, on some days, to replace a review with features on the best games from specific genres, which is something many of you have been requesting over the last few months.
Equally, there are some amazing games that we still play regularly which have reviews that are now several years old and could really do with a fresh coat of paint.
Basically, what I’m trying to say is: bear with me.
I absolutely love Little Board Gamers, and I love running this community. It was a really difficult decision to finally agree to have the surgery, knowing it would inevitably disrupt things for a while. I just didn’t want the reduced amount of content this summer to make anyone think I was winding things down or losing interest.
Quite the opposite, in fact.
I love doing this, and with my youngest, Henry, finally starting to show more interest, all three boys are incredibly keen to help create more content. I’m genuinely excited about where Little Board Gamers is heading once I’m back firing on all cylinders.
Big hugs to everyone, and thank you all so much for your continued support. I hope you enjoy everything I manage to put out over the summer, and fingers crossed my recovery is a swift one so I can get back to posting regularly again by the middle of August.
Matt
