© Daniel Sokolovskiy, 2026
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This page outlines the principles that guide how I create content on Think Gaming – from what I choose to cover, to how I approach accuracy, play experience, collaborations, and community interaction. At its core, I want Think Gaming to be a place that feels honest, transparent, and grounded. That means being upfront about how I make content, how I work with publishers and tools, and what values shape the work I do.
I started my YouTube channel out of a genuine love for board games. And while thousands of new titles come out every year, and some creators try to cover them all, I’m not here for the trends or the fear of missing out. I probably won’t cover every game, and I likely won’t be the first to talk about the latest hot release – and that’s okay.
I focus on games I truly enjoy so my videos can stay honest and authentic, and I take my time to play them properly before making videos. I try to keep things calm, thoughtful, and go deep where it matters. If I’m covering something, it’s because I care about it and believe it’s worth your time too. This approach means my videos are designed to stay useful months or even years after release, rather than chasing short-term visibility.
I believe that board game content carries a responsibility to be accurate and grounded in real play. Whenever I talk about gameplay, systems, balance, or strategy, it’s based on hands-on experience with the game, not assumptions, speculation, or second-hand information.
If I haven’t played something enough to speak confidently about it, I’ll say so. If something is still unknown, unfinished, or subject to change, I’ll treat it that way. I’d rather be slower and correct than fast and misleading.
For me, trust is built over time through consistency and honesty. That matters more than views, trends, or confident-sounding shortcuts.
I believe the core value of Think Gaming comes from genuine passion for games, hands-on play, and human judgment. For that reason, I don’t use AI to generate scripts, opinions, reviews, or analysis.
Any insights, strategies, or conclusions shared in my videos come from my own playtime and thought process. I may occasionally use tools for minor support tasks, such as spelling or clarity checks, but the ideas and viewpoints are always my own.
More broadly, I don’t have an issue with creative workers using AI tools to enhance productivity. What I do take issue with is the attempt to replace human creativity entirely with artificial intelligence, often resulting in shallow work or outright misinformation – something that’s unfortunately becoming more common on platforms like YouTube.
One thing I’ve learned while making board game videos is that not every version of a game is suitable for the type of content I create. Since I tend to go deep on character builds, card analysis, rules explainers, and the finer details of how a game actually works, it’s important for me to play with something close to the final version.
Because of that, I don’t work with early prototypes or TTS-only builds. Covering a version that isn’t final, with rules still in flux, would risk giving viewers information that quickly becomes outdated or inaccurate, and I’d rather make content that stays helpful long after the initial hype has passed.
That said, I’m happy to work with full production copies or late-stage pre-production review copies, the kind that reflect the finished version of the game and give players a true sense of what they’ll be getting. These fit my content style well and allow me to create the deeper, more polished videos my audience enjoys.
I understand this approach doesn’t always align with launch-window marketing needs, but post-campaign videos can still be valuable, as they help with long-tail interest and can build momentum for future content, such as expansions. In some cases, I may talk about early versions at a very high level, but anything involving rules, builds, or strategy – which make up most of the videos I create – needs to reflect the final game.
I believe collaborations make the world better, and working together is especially important in a small industry like board gaming. At the same time, I fully recognise that certain relationships can introduce bias, for example, when a content creator is sharing a product they’ve been paid for. So how do I handle that?
First, I acknowledge that biases are real. Even if I try to stay mindful of them, there’s no magical switch that makes anyone completely immune. Second, whenever I do any kind of sponsorship, whether it’s a paid review, early copy, or anything else, I clearly mark it, so viewers are always aware. And finally, whether the content is sponsored or not, I always share my honest opinion, including things I might not like.
I encourage people to jump into the comments to talk about games, share tips, ask questions, all the good stuff. I want those conversations to feel like a healthy and welcoming space. While YouTube’s algorithm rewards comment quantity, I care much more about quality. That’s why I might delete comments that are overly negative, disrespectful to others, or discriminatory in any way.
As Think Gaming grows and I learn more along the way, I’ll keep refining and expanding this page. Thanks for being here and for caring about how this stuff works.