Introduction:
Somewhat in the autumn of last year I started going to a board game club. We play a new board game nearly every time, and since I often try to squeeze in some board game in my local circle (girlfriend, family, friends), that amount tends to grow a bit. I've compiled a list of played games and roughly ranked them in how much I loved those plays. These aren't exactly my favorite games, though there's certainly overlap in the latter half.
EDIT: yes, I'll be doing a top video games as well. I'm putting a bit more work in that one, but it should be up in a couple of days.
(below 5/10)
75. fire & stone
A skirmish wargame. Too much text to plough through, didn't like the components.
74. Yinsh(!)
The (!) means I really should try it more. This one play was against my 6 year old cousin, and because my parents ensured me he was good at chess. But this game really fell flat for him, and it was just a bad experience.
(5 and 5.5/10)
73. Age of galaxy
Not so much bad as forgettable. I remember something "space tanks", but it all seemed just random mechanics thrown together.
72. Dvonn
I remember liking it at the play time, but honestly couldn't even remember how it played at all. And no, that's not because it's an abstract game.
master of the galaxy
This one's most likely on me: I couldn't get the handle on how the bag building worked. Either way: I kept drawing the wrong or suboptimal things, not knowing what to do with it.
71. Paper dungeons
one of the first games I played in the board game club. This one was certainly on me, and on hindsight I see where I went wrong. But even so: despite one of the others calling it "the most thematic roll& write I've played", the theme was hollow and abstract.
70. Flamme rouge (!)
This is actually a top 20 or even 10 game for me...but this session really, really wasn't. And I blame my niece and father for their cheating/sabotaging actions, leaving my nephew and mom sort of "there" and me annoyed when trying to run the game. Niece at least has the excuse she's 8.
(6 and 6.5/10)
69. Royals
A definition of "I somewhat liked it". You place out tokens on the board to bid for majority. It played okay. The theme is dry as fuck and it's both deep in what you should be doing and light in mechanics. However, El grande is just better in all ways.
68. fort
I had high hopes for this one, but it didn't came through. Girlfriend was a bit reluctant to play which might have played into my rating, but thus far (one play) I think this was a mistake purchase.
67. robo rally(!)
Another favorite way below where I think it is. But robo rally really needs a large group. This one play was more a demonstration to my six year old nephew. It went really good for what it was, but it's still akin to the dodgem's with only two participants.
66. through the desert
I really wanted to play this, but came away disappointed. Played it twice, but I still don't know why this is considered a Knizia classic. It's just cutting up a landscape. Not bad at all, mind you, but I had expected better (perhaps it's the arc?)
65. villagers
Heard good things about this, but I left unsure what to think. This one DEFINATELY needs more plays, as it somewhat relies on you knowing what cards are remaining in the deck (cards tend to want, require or depend on other cards).
64. fantasy realms
This one I should play more. It's a typical filler/end of the evening game with very simple rules and fast gameplay. There's more to this than I know, but I don't know how much. As such, it's a "okay but potential for higher score".
(7/10 games)
63. Tales & games: the hare & the tortoise (?)
Very tentative scoring. I liked this little race game, but it could be just because I won. That it's a fast filler game might have been the rest. Either way: this score doesn't mean much.
62. innovation
Going by my two handed plays, it's a great complex game that's crammed in a card game. Well...complex? "wild" is the better term, as things seem totally broken and unbalanced...until another card comes out which breaks it even more. It's nuts and absolutely a gamer's game...but that comes at a price.
That is: I tried it with my girlfriend but we had to cancel after a couple rounds. See, innovation is UGLY! And requires vast knowledge of English (it's a step up for even experienced magic: the gathering players).
61.cyclades titans
Played this one twice, and second one really boosted the score. It's mostly "just" a fun bidding game, with the entire board, army and buildings taking up the second half. This comes together nicely. Only real complaint is that the end can just sneak up on you. It's a race to just two points, but I think in both games both those points happened the same turn (neither by me, btw).
60. twilight struggle
An absolute modern classic...that isn't in my wheelhouse. It's a serious game about the cold war that seems more an interactive history lesson than a game to me. This really NEEDS multiple plays, as knowing the cards coming up is key. It's also a long game (not by its standards, but I'm not a wargamer).
59. medina
In a sense, this is just an abstract "tile" laying game. But the rules make it so you all build a city together. By accident, almost...but the result is pretty and the process engaging. I need more plays of this for a more certain score, but thus far I think this is a hidden gem in the abstract game section.
58. russian railroads
Despite the name, it's not a railroad game. It's a worker placement with some 'ganz schöhn clever' combo chaining potential. Our play was tense and close, but even though I ended on top I'm not very inclined to play again. Good game, though.
57. l.l.a.m.a.
Bought this to play with nephew and niece. Played like an inferior uno, so couldn't understand the reward it got. But after some time I played it again with my girlfriend, and when started realising the importance of passing, it became a much better game. Still...I can't give it more than a 7.
56. sanssouci
Despite the theme, this is an abstract game through and through. I had some trouble wrapping my mind around that. Not bad and I'm interested in playing again...but could be meatier. Literally, as this game comes with an expansion that has pigs running around on the board.
55. almanac: crystal caves
A worker placement in which each of the six rounds plays different. And not as in "a tiny rules change", but a completely new board and new rules. I think I would like it more if I had all the rules in advance. But with IIRC 19 (!!!) different boards and rules, that's pretty hard to do. It's an interesting one...but (ironically) I don't know how much replay value it has. That is: do the individual maps hold up on their own?
54. catan junior
My nephew loves games (both board and video), and because I like playing with him I sort of became his hero (note: he's six). This was my birthday present to him. I had hoped his dad (my brother...who loves catan, mind you) would play it with him, but thus far I fear I mostly did the playing. But the two plays - one with full player count - worked better than I expected. It doesn't use the iconic trading between players (well...that's an advanced mode I wouldn't advise with children), but it has the rolling for resources and the building out part. And getting more stuff the longer the game goes by. It's a kids game...but an impressively good one at that (meaning: this is FAR from a cash grab for a popular franchise).
53. roll for the galaxy (!)
Another favorite. And I'm averaging out here: I love the app and I loved the solo playthrough (only way to include the expansion)...but one of my plays with my close friends fell flat, and the other on the board game club I had one who completely couldn't wrap his mind around it and the other who seemingly casually just outplayed me completely. So...take note this is an average in rating.
(7.5/10 games)
52. altiplano
this initially seemed like a dauntingly complex game, but once we got into it, it played pretty smoothly. I felt it kind of multiplayer solitaire (the other two players didn't hinder me in anything), but apparently better players don't perceive it as such. So...(again) your mileage might vary, but I rate it 'quite good' based on the play.
51. tzaar
Played this roughly back to back with dvonn, but this one I remember. I got wrecked, but on hindsight I realised beginner mistakes, saw potential for better moves, I liked the cadance...all in all: a pleasant surprise.
50. century: new world
This is the third part in a trilogy, but even though the three games play different, I can't shake the feeling of "we played the earlier ones...now we must play this one". But it's a solid worker placement game. A bit fiddly in components and setup time, but once underway it's kind of neat.
49. horrified
Prepared this to play with another couple. That meeting didn't go through (and on another we didn't have the time for a long game), but I played it solo a few times to get it in my fingers...and I like it. It's often mentioned as a replacement for pandemic, and I can see why: it's about the same complexity and rhythm, but with more than enough differences to warrant having both. The classic monster theme is great as well (note: there are a lot of fan-made expansion modules, all using the Hammer-style/B-movie horror vibe).
48. terraforming mars: ares expedition
Took this with me on vacation. I was recovering from a burnout, and this game was borderline too stressy for me. And that was in a solo game. Right now I feel it's good, but I'm just scratching the surface. It did not, however, replace race for the galaxy. It is simply too long for that.
47. onirim
This one I got some years ago, but started playing it again (it's a solo game) and mingled in some of the expansion modules. It's a strange sensation: the shamanist theme and the shuffling give it a pretty unique theme. I was surprised when someone labeled it horror, but really: that's what it is.
46. project L
Minimalism at its finest. A couple rules and you're off building tetris blocks. The game is fine. Puzzling and relaxing (think Azul). It's also one of my little one's favorite games. She's too young to play (little over 2.5 years), but she LOVES filling in the puzzle pieces.
45. sushi go party
I played this with a couple we hadn't seen since before covid. It was fun and relaxing (more so that our little one was behaving so well). Nothing too complex but good for the purpose. The only minus: swapping sets between games takes so much time you often just keep the same cards in it. So we barely scratched the surface of this game.
44. alien frontiers
The jury is out on how much I like it. I mean...with my girlfriend we gravitate to multiplayer solitaire-ish games. And though it's dice placement, it's meaner and has area control going on. But I was surprised at how much I liked it at my local gaming club. It introduced me to a different kind of games, which is why I'm hestitant to love it. But aside the downtime, I can't fault anything.
43. würfel bohnanza
A dice chucker that sounds a lot more complicated than it is. You roll dice and try to get sets. But some pips show twice, on both types of dice or are more rare to roll. It's constantly calculating odds, but once you're in the groove the game seems to play itself. Except it can get to some tough decisions to make.
(8/10 games)
42. My farm shop
Somewhat of a mismatch...even though it isn't. You've got a board of ten cards (2+12->11) and on your turn you roll three dice, then split them 2-1. The sum of the two determines what field will activate both for you and your opponent, the last one determines what card you get. It's simple but a proper management game. I had hoped it would replace space base, but I really missed the combo's on that one.
41. Caverna duel
One of the few heavy 2-player games I played (I don't think I can convince GF for these things). I really ended up liking it. Well...not the art, but I remember that I "Did Things", which even turned out to be more fun than winning. And why not? Setting up a cave is sweet.
I'm certainly curious about caverna, but it's a bit too costly to buy blind.
40. el grande
Yup...the granddaddy of area control. I'm a fan. Not a massive one (no, I'm not buying the big box), but I like it. Most of all: you don't really engage as much in fighting, which was a surprise to me. It's "just" moving units around the board, which means it doesn't have poundings, people draining each other or other stuff I came to associate with risk (which I considered an entire genre before).
39. kardinaal & koning/Web of power
This game is known under other names and versions (Iwari is the most recent, I think), though the gameplay barely has changed. I'm reluctantly putting it above el grande, which is saying a lot because this game is UGLY (and dumb, as there's neither a cardinal nor a king in this game). Not a game I want in my collection (even iwari, which is a couple light years better in production quality), but I liked playing it.
38. Mandala
With this I can check off "battle line" clones off my list. Not sure if I want to call it relaxing because I got totally wrecked. But even so: I liked the push and pull nature of it.
37. Azul
We got it years ago, but it's one we bring out from time to time: draft tiles from a common pool, then use what you drafted to build a mosaic. The rules are fairly simple (especially after you've played your first round), but the decisions can be tough. And unlike similar games, I tend to utilise the meta game to screw opponents (eg: I want 2 black tiles. I can get it in two ways...so I'll get it in the way that favors you the least). This is a rare one that my parents and inlaws also tend to enjoy.
36. Ora et labora
Played this cold when recovering from covid. NOT the best first impression...but that means it probably would be even higher after a second play. So...this is a heavy Rosenberg. Game club host's favorite, in fact. I disagree (I'll get to that), but I respect his opinion. The wheel that distributes resources and the spatial elements are clever if not downright brilliant (remind me to play glass road one time). It's just...like some other of his heavy games it starts out small but slowly but steady spirals out of control. By the end I had A HEAP of stuff, and I had no idea how to properly use it. I think I should read my own report to know how it ended.layed
33. Flip city
Only played solo thus far. It's a small deckbuilder - dominion miniature, even - with the caveat that the cards are two-sided. It uses a push your luck approach and an open market, which is a better combination than I'd given it credit for. The solo is nicely balanced and has potential to be a good two player game. Unfortunately, never got around to introducing it.
35. Roam
I heard about this in a dice tower video and bought it almost immediately, purely based on the premisse. It's an abstract game of tetris shape tile laying, but also on card collecting (there's a 6x6 grid consisting of 3x2 cards. Once all six sides are covered, the one with the most of his/her color gets the card...which is both points and an extra tetris tile to use) and some light economic management. So it's abstract...but I can't call it overproduced because it looks so damn fine. I only later learned that this was just on par for this designer.
34. Everdell
Got this for my birthday. To my surprise, girlfriend really loves playing this. More than me, in fact: it's a worker placement in which you collect cards that can combo with other cards. But that means you're constantly trying to match cards, or don't have good matches, or...
I dunno. I don't want to complain because it's a good game that looks DOWNRIGHT GORGEOUS (if this isn't my prettiest game it's probably a tie). But I'm not sure why we haven't played it more since March... :-\
33. fantastic factories
If you want an engine builder that uses dice, look no further than this. You roll dice, allocate them how you want, buy what you want, activate what you want and keep doing that until you run out. It's completely multiplayer solitaire, but for this sort of game I don't mind at all. I rather build something pretty on my own pace than being pressured to act because the next player wants a turn.
32. Hanabi
A card playing game in which your hand faces AWAY from you? It exists. And leads to a very strange cooperative game. You go around giving each other clues about what's in your hand ("this card...is a red one"), or playing a card from your hand. The idea is to build stacks of fireworks in ascending order. But how are you going to ascend if you don't know what you're holding?
The result is a lot in non-verbal communication and finding the hint behind the hint (WHY is he saying I'm holding a red card?). It's also tense, as you're the only one on the table not knowing what you should be doing. I heard it's a "love it or hate it" game because of that, but for me: I like it.
31. war chest
Played with board game club host: a chess-like abstract game that properly uses bag building. It blows the duke out of the water (a shame, because I hadn't gotten to it yet) and has gorgeous components. I'm bad at it, but I really like the design.
30. Land vs sea
Picked this up last year but only played it now: a 2-player alternative to carcassonne. One that doesn't even need meeples. It has two-sided tiles with 6 sides, and sincs you always have two you've got plenty of choice on how to lay a tile. Since both of you want to close off your area, the emerging map hardly ever has holes in it. It's clever and smart. The only reason I still have carcassonne is because that one's better at high player counts.
29. Port royal
Bought it a few years ago but played it a few times this year. And it's a blast: like blackjack (and flip city earlier), you draw cards until you either stop or go bust. It's light and intuitive but has a nice amount of player interaction. A good one to play when you've got two toddlers to keep an eye out on.
28. Sagrada
This dice-picking game is compared to azul so often I delayed getting this one for a long time. But though I should try out both for a valid comparison, sagrada might be the better game. It's more varied and has a solo mode, and all this with a very basic rule set. But because there's more to chew on mentally, I don't tend to hate draft (which is often the main interaction in azul). But speaking of which...
27. Azul summer pavilion
The very first game I played in my board game club (and as such a late 2021 entry, but ey...). Like azul, summer pavilion is about building glass windows by selecting from common pools. Summer pavilion goes more on tile bonusses. Not exactly cascading, but enough to make it stand on its own. It's less elegant than the original, though.
(note: I think sagrada's the better game overall, but I'm rating plays here. Also: I haven't played stained glass of syntra, so I can't compare those).
26. Above & below (?)
A temporary place because I bought this in a bundle with near & far. This is a worker placement game that doubles as a choose-your-own adventure. Only played it two or three times thus far, but the story elements are downright FUN. And that's sort of weird: these types of worker placement games are usually about min-maxing your moves, doing things the most efficient way possible. The adventuring part is almost a random way to get random resources, but even so I just find myself wanting to do it more. Will probably rise, but need to play it multiplayer.
(8.5/10 games)
25. olympos (?)
This one has deceptively bad looks, some questionable iconography and a few (small) strange rules. But underneath is a game that took me by surprise at how GOOD it is. Main mechanic is a timetrack like patchwork uses: you can move anywhere, but it'll cost you more time the further you go. Which might give the others multiple smaller turns. On top of that, the stuff you buy you mostly pay through infinite resources...but these are tied to territories that you might lose to an opponent. And that might sound cutthroat but it's less than it seems. It's more like a "I only need resources X, Y and Z to purchase that stuff. So if I lose X afterwards, I can just move him to spot A, and get something that costs A, Y and Z". It's sharp, had some exciting moments and a nailbitingly close finish (note: I only played it once). It immediately takes my top spot of "this game should get an updated version". Especially so since the designer had another mediocre game for which he did just that...and the resulting game became a modern classic (smallworld).
24. paper tales
One of the problems with a backlog is that sooner or later a desiger comes up with a game that's just BETTER at what that backlogged game does. Case in point: paper tales completely does what I want from 7 wonders, but better. It's actually somewhat close to the mobile/PC game calles "age of rivalry": you draft tiles 7-wonders style, use them for "battle" (basically having the highest army number), then their action (provided you can pay for them), then there's aging. It's not high on player interaction aside the draft, but during the draft you're calculating what you can afford and/or how well cards play into each other. Like...in my first game I ended up with a kraken. Sounded cool but it had a bunch of negatives so I didn't play it. But next round I picked a card that mostly negated those, resulting in my kraken powerhousing the army points and en passant negating the negative of the other card. It was a bit of a gamble (it's hard to predict how well combo's like this work), but it payed off.
The only reason I didn't ran out and bought this was because I find it pretty costly for what's essentially a card game.
23. space base (?)
This is almost a guilty pleasure. Like my farm shop, you roll dice and get resources based upon it. Unlike that one, buying something on your 1->12 track keeps the previous power intact somewhat (albeit on someone else's turn). And that ramps up as the game progresses. But which slot do you fill? Do you gamble or go for mitigation?
I'm calling this a guilty pleasure because it feels like gambling AND because I really dislike the theme (random space ships...this is actually worse than abstract because it turns off my girlfriend of giving it a try).
22. Welcome to the dungeon
That title immediatly reminds me of Robin Hood: men in tighs (one of the first scenes of the movie). This game isn't about that, but has that same whimsy. It's basically a game of chicken: someone in the table is going into the dungeon to fight what's in there. But you're standing outside daring each other. "I go in and defeat 3!". "I'll do 4!". "I'll do it without my +3 sword!" and so on until everyone but the last person passes. At that point everyone but that person hopes he'll get pounded by what's inside.
I played it once or twice and got totally wrecked. More so: it's a game that you really need to play multiple times to get a feel for what you can do. But the games are short and it's probably my favorite board game to spectate.
21. Ghost stories
I'm a sucker for Oriental horror movies. And this one delivers on that front in spades. It's a coop tower defense game that's really all about survival. The game is notoriously difficult to the point where I might never actually win a game ever. But you do have options, you do have chances for clever play, tactics, thinking ahead and so on. So like some video games, it has that "next time I'll do better!" challenge in it.
I should note that I bought this (and its expansion) from my board game club buddy after we played its follow-up. Which is better in all ways except the theme...which weighs a lot!
20. Jump drive
Babies first race for the galaxy! This is a filler that might sound longer than it is (first to get to 50 points? But on my first turn I still have 0!?). But every played card scores you cards and/or points for the rest of the game, which means it ramps up exponentially.
So it's a drag race: get ahead in points first and make sure nobody gets more momentum. Zero interaction but a game that's over in 10-15 minutes.
19. solenia
Strongly in the running for most beautiful board game I own: a worker placement game that's played on...a conveyor belt. Well...it's really a ship flying forward and that cycles through day and night phases, but same difference. That board isn't so much a gimmick as a part of the play, though. You collect and deliver goods, and get points and some bonusses for that. Granted: it's a bit basic. But that's the family side. The winter board is more constrained in your bonusses and storage space, which makes it better for gamers. I only played it solo, though (which is a plus: the game has a very simple yet decent AI to practice against).
18. Caylus
Heh...from pretties to ugliest: Caylus has a notoriously (and hilariously) bad cover, which makes it a textbook example of not judging a game by said cover. Caylus was one of the first worker placement games, and it's certainly one of the meanest. You all build out extra spots that give you a bonus when someone else uses it. But it also has a "provost"...a unit that deactivates part of the board.
And our four-player game had players plotting conspiracies to move the provost to screw with other players' plans. But even though it were MY plans (bastards! ), I prefer a game with this sort of interaction over one where you might as well play four different games without anyone else noticing.
This one has a remake (Caylus...1304, IIRC). It's still strong on my wishlist, even though some purists say the tweaks removed its teeth.
17. search for planet x
I got this after playing (and liking) Cryptid. Cryptid is a clue-like game in which you all have "some clue" about a spot you all look for. It, however, requires at least three, whereas search for planet X can be played solo and two player as well. Oh, and the starmap chartering appeals to me much more than "find a monster" (which turns off my girlfriend even if the monster's at best a mcGuffin).
Planet X is also a very good mix of a board game with app integration. You really want and need to have both (unless you want to have someone be the judge on all the clues). The game is a puzzle where the pressure is purely in outthinking your opponent. At certain times you post your findings, which are revealed later. And this is just brilliant, as it can cause others to make assumptions ("he searched for dwarf planets. Now he posted a position. It's a dwarf planet...right?") which might just as well be guesses. Very solid gameplay. Looks great as well.
16. That's pretty clever (&clever cubed, &4ever)
This is more a series than one game, even though I tend to introduce the first one ("ganz schöhn clever" or "that's pretty clever") to others. The idea is you roll dice, pick a color, then note or cross something off in that color (eg: I rolled three with yellow. I cross out one of the 3's on the yellow board). Very typical of this game is the cascading effect: by round 3, marking a red field allows you to cross out what you want in the blue section. Which might end up YET ANOTHER write-down somewhere. This is fun, especially since it racks up points.
Clever cubed and Clever 4ever (as well as 'twice as clever', which I didn't like) use the same rule set...but the boards are different. You can consider those extra DLC, but the fact that they're standalone games means they count. I just don't like giving them 3 different spots on this list.
15. islebound (?)
I should actually play this with others rather than solo (two handed). But I just love playing it. It's a sandbox game in which you sort-of play pirates: you've got a crew you can expand (but need maintenance), islands to conquer through force or diplomacy, resources to obtain...While this is, in a way, a heavy game, it doesn't FEEL heavy because it's so intuitive. I admit it: I bought it because of Ryan Laukat.
(scores: 9/10 or higher)
14. winter kingdom (?)
This is my most recent played game, so I'm hesitant to give a definite score. But my three two-handed plays have been vastly different, allowed for clever moves and showed a game that is filled to the brim with opportunities. I played kingdom builder on the app, and...I'm inclined to say that in this case "more is more". Yes, it's less elegant. Yes, it's much more analysis paralysis prone. But in kingdom builder it's perfectly possible you're screwed within the first two turns because of bad card draws (in both games, your obligatory move is to put out three houses on the central board on a specific terrain. And they whenever possible, you have to build houses adjacent to already existing houses).
Either way: I was immediately in love with this game. Chances are more likely it'll go up in score than down.
13. last bastion
This is that remake of Ghost stories. It has a simplified ruleset, slightly more powerful characters and gives you a bit more freedom (eg: you can move before or after fighting, instead of only before). It is still a very tough game, though (even though we ended up winning this one...barely).
I'll be frank: unless you love the oriental theme (this has classic gothic horror. By the same artist, btw), get this one. It's an amazing experience.
12. Tranquility
I didn't get it when explaining: so it's an excercise in laying down 36 tiles between 1 and 80, but when you place a tile next to another, you discard the difference. With just 5 cards (that replenish when you play). Isn't that...impossible? It's not. It's a puzzle of estimations and tough choices (what you discard might screw the game), but it's satisfying when it works and has several difficulty modules. Very portable and also a rare game that scales at least from solo to four players.
11. Le havre
Ora et labora was good, Le havre is (IMHO) great. There's no randomness aside the setup and first round, but your actions tend to gear toward a wildly different outcome. Also very back-and forth since you need ALL buildings but your opponents will scoop up some (but you pay each other when you use each other's buildings). The advanced buildings seem like a small addition but make each game unique. Easily among my favorite heavy games.
10. Tzolk'in: mayan calendar
Speaking of heavy games: here's another one that took me by surprise. The main mechanic is cogs: you place out your workers at the entry level of a cog, and each round they turn, meaning you get different (better) benefits when you pull them off. It's a brilliant, elegant and thematic way to do this, and the game itself is very decent.
9. Tiny epic galaxies (blast off)
A short dice rolling game set in space. Colonize planets or reap their benefits? Upgrade your armada? It all SOUNDS large and grandiose, but like the name implies: it's actually a very short game. But it's a game with no fluff, a short setup time and a sweet solo mode. I love these kinds of games. Not tried the others (there's a whole slew of "tiny epic" games), but I'm content with this one.
8. Eight-minute empire: legends (& lost lands)
...is a remake of eight minute empires. As such, it plays a bit longer (around 20), but for an area control/set collecting game that hits a sweet spot. It has some modules and beautiful artwork (again: Ryan Laukat), but the fact it actually plays two players was the more important reason to get it for myself.
7. Las vegas: royale
This dice game is just mindless fun. Well...it has A LOT of bells and whistles you can attach, but the basic premisse is a great beer & pretzels game: you roll dice, you place one number on the corresponding casino (eg: all your threes on casino 3). After all dice are rolled, the casino pays those who has most dice. The kicker is what sells it: in case of a tie, the dice are removed.
Such a simple concept, but it's a blast every time I pull it out. Which, admittedly, was only two or three times.
6.Tsuro
Probably my little nephew's favorite game, and I can see why: the premisse is simple (just stay on the board), the actions as well (lay a tile next to your meeple, move everyone adjacent to the other end). But this simple concept has choice (which of my three tiles do I place and how do I rotate them?) and an emerging depth, because the board starts resemble spaghetti after a few turns.
5. The crew: quest for planet 9
It shouldn't have been a slow burn: I tried to get it to the table for over a year! But my gaming buddies don't know trick taking and my girlfriend was hesitant at first (she now denies it). But with four people that know the rules? A blast. The idea is you're all working together, mostly to get certain cards to certain people. But getting a purple 1 to that player isn't easy when he's holding that card. Presuming he IS holding it, because why else won't he just play a high one? The limited communication and the randomness makes it tricky, but it's doable. Well...the first missions, that is (We managed to get to mission 14...of 50!).
4. Kemet: blood & sand
There's only one reason I didn't bought this game straight away: it's way too complex for my gaming buddies, and the board game club already has it. But this is what things like Risk and Axis & Allies could be for me but never were: an all out war in which attacking is encouraged (we did turtling before we even knew it was a thing), has a decent economy system and can create some very interesting play states. In one of my games I boosted my defence, but I hadn't anticipated the result: I kept losing fights but somehow kept all my people. In two cases even killing all the enemies (yeah: "losing" a fight ). Though it has a lot going on, it's only the massive amount of upgrades that I dislike.
3. Near & far
The other part of the bundle (see above & below). Haven't opened my own copy yet, but in the board game club we were all so impressed by it we played it again the next week. It's a worker placement/route building game with story elements. Also has a campaign, but I'm not sure if that has added value. But either way: it neatly integrates story and a sense of adventure in tried-and-true euro mechanics.
2. Pandemic: iberia
This is my favorite game. Only played it once this year (solo, no less), but it cemented itself as to WHY I like it so much: it's tense, requires tough decisions, is a gorgeous production and a thrill to play. Man, I want to play this more often. :-(
But though this is my favorite game, I can't deny there's one experience this year that blows it out of the water...
1. Hellapagos
Once a year my family on father's side has a weekend getaway. Mostly to leisure, barbecue, entertain the kids, and so on. When they went to bed, I brought out this and gathered eight players around a simple concept: we're all stranded on an island trying to escape. In turn, we have one single action per round(a day): gather food, gather water, build on the raft or draw a card (that might help the group). Each day the food and water supply dwindle. We win by having enough rafts for everyone (AND enough food for the day).
But if food or water run out, there's an island council in which we decide who has to die.
We all played two back-to-back games and never had it happen. But not only was the tension there, the simple actions caused hilarious drama on all sides. Because the cards have things like a gun, a way to boost your action (which in reality means you cannot do otherwise because it'll draw the ire of the group) or other silly things. Some even useless (Winning lottery ticket? ). But as me and girlfriend predicted, this fits my family well: we're all out for each other, trying to help out whenever possible. But if we can't...then there's no reason to keep the gloves on.
Unranked games:
Dixit, monopoly junior, one (imho not good) tricktaking game of which I forgot the name and perhaps one or two others...
Somewhat in the autumn of last year I started going to a board game club. We play a new board game nearly every time, and since I often try to squeeze in some board game in my local circle (girlfriend, family, friends), that amount tends to grow a bit. I've compiled a list of played games and roughly ranked them in how much I loved those plays. These aren't exactly my favorite games, though there's certainly overlap in the latter half.
EDIT: yes, I'll be doing a top video games as well. I'm putting a bit more work in that one, but it should be up in a couple of days.
(below 5/10)
75. fire & stone
A skirmish wargame. Too much text to plough through, didn't like the components.
74. Yinsh(!)
The (!) means I really should try it more. This one play was against my 6 year old cousin, and because my parents ensured me he was good at chess. But this game really fell flat for him, and it was just a bad experience.
(5 and 5.5/10)
73. Age of galaxy
Not so much bad as forgettable. I remember something "space tanks", but it all seemed just random mechanics thrown together.
72. Dvonn
I remember liking it at the play time, but honestly couldn't even remember how it played at all. And no, that's not because it's an abstract game.
master of the galaxy
This one's most likely on me: I couldn't get the handle on how the bag building worked. Either way: I kept drawing the wrong or suboptimal things, not knowing what to do with it.
71. Paper dungeons
one of the first games I played in the board game club. This one was certainly on me, and on hindsight I see where I went wrong. But even so: despite one of the others calling it "the most thematic roll& write I've played", the theme was hollow and abstract.
70. Flamme rouge (!)
This is actually a top 20 or even 10 game for me...but this session really, really wasn't. And I blame my niece and father for their cheating/sabotaging actions, leaving my nephew and mom sort of "there" and me annoyed when trying to run the game. Niece at least has the excuse she's 8.
(6 and 6.5/10)
69. Royals
A definition of "I somewhat liked it". You place out tokens on the board to bid for majority. It played okay. The theme is dry as fuck and it's both deep in what you should be doing and light in mechanics. However, El grande is just better in all ways.
68. fort
I had high hopes for this one, but it didn't came through. Girlfriend was a bit reluctant to play which might have played into my rating, but thus far (one play) I think this was a mistake purchase.
67. robo rally(!)
Another favorite way below where I think it is. But robo rally really needs a large group. This one play was more a demonstration to my six year old nephew. It went really good for what it was, but it's still akin to the dodgem's with only two participants.
66. through the desert
I really wanted to play this, but came away disappointed. Played it twice, but I still don't know why this is considered a Knizia classic. It's just cutting up a landscape. Not bad at all, mind you, but I had expected better (perhaps it's the arc?)
65. villagers
Heard good things about this, but I left unsure what to think. This one DEFINATELY needs more plays, as it somewhat relies on you knowing what cards are remaining in the deck (cards tend to want, require or depend on other cards).
64. fantasy realms
This one I should play more. It's a typical filler/end of the evening game with very simple rules and fast gameplay. There's more to this than I know, but I don't know how much. As such, it's a "okay but potential for higher score".
(7/10 games)
63. Tales & games: the hare & the tortoise (?)
Very tentative scoring. I liked this little race game, but it could be just because I won. That it's a fast filler game might have been the rest. Either way: this score doesn't mean much.
62. innovation
Going by my two handed plays, it's a great complex game that's crammed in a card game. Well...complex? "wild" is the better term, as things seem totally broken and unbalanced...until another card comes out which breaks it even more. It's nuts and absolutely a gamer's game...but that comes at a price.
That is: I tried it with my girlfriend but we had to cancel after a couple rounds. See, innovation is UGLY! And requires vast knowledge of English (it's a step up for even experienced magic: the gathering players).
61.cyclades titans
Played this one twice, and second one really boosted the score. It's mostly "just" a fun bidding game, with the entire board, army and buildings taking up the second half. This comes together nicely. Only real complaint is that the end can just sneak up on you. It's a race to just two points, but I think in both games both those points happened the same turn (neither by me, btw).
60. twilight struggle
An absolute modern classic...that isn't in my wheelhouse. It's a serious game about the cold war that seems more an interactive history lesson than a game to me. This really NEEDS multiple plays, as knowing the cards coming up is key. It's also a long game (not by its standards, but I'm not a wargamer).
59. medina
In a sense, this is just an abstract "tile" laying game. But the rules make it so you all build a city together. By accident, almost...but the result is pretty and the process engaging. I need more plays of this for a more certain score, but thus far I think this is a hidden gem in the abstract game section.
58. russian railroads
Despite the name, it's not a railroad game. It's a worker placement with some 'ganz schöhn clever' combo chaining potential. Our play was tense and close, but even though I ended on top I'm not very inclined to play again. Good game, though.
57. l.l.a.m.a.
Bought this to play with nephew and niece. Played like an inferior uno, so couldn't understand the reward it got. But after some time I played it again with my girlfriend, and when started realising the importance of passing, it became a much better game. Still...I can't give it more than a 7.
56. sanssouci
Despite the theme, this is an abstract game through and through. I had some trouble wrapping my mind around that. Not bad and I'm interested in playing again...but could be meatier. Literally, as this game comes with an expansion that has pigs running around on the board.
55. almanac: crystal caves
A worker placement in which each of the six rounds plays different. And not as in "a tiny rules change", but a completely new board and new rules. I think I would like it more if I had all the rules in advance. But with IIRC 19 (!!!) different boards and rules, that's pretty hard to do. It's an interesting one...but (ironically) I don't know how much replay value it has. That is: do the individual maps hold up on their own?
54. catan junior
My nephew loves games (both board and video), and because I like playing with him I sort of became his hero (note: he's six). This was my birthday present to him. I had hoped his dad (my brother...who loves catan, mind you) would play it with him, but thus far I fear I mostly did the playing. But the two plays - one with full player count - worked better than I expected. It doesn't use the iconic trading between players (well...that's an advanced mode I wouldn't advise with children), but it has the rolling for resources and the building out part. And getting more stuff the longer the game goes by. It's a kids game...but an impressively good one at that (meaning: this is FAR from a cash grab for a popular franchise).
53. roll for the galaxy (!)
Another favorite. And I'm averaging out here: I love the app and I loved the solo playthrough (only way to include the expansion)...but one of my plays with my close friends fell flat, and the other on the board game club I had one who completely couldn't wrap his mind around it and the other who seemingly casually just outplayed me completely. So...take note this is an average in rating.
(7.5/10 games)
52. altiplano
this initially seemed like a dauntingly complex game, but once we got into it, it played pretty smoothly. I felt it kind of multiplayer solitaire (the other two players didn't hinder me in anything), but apparently better players don't perceive it as such. So...(again) your mileage might vary, but I rate it 'quite good' based on the play.
51. tzaar
Played this roughly back to back with dvonn, but this one I remember. I got wrecked, but on hindsight I realised beginner mistakes, saw potential for better moves, I liked the cadance...all in all: a pleasant surprise.
50. century: new world
This is the third part in a trilogy, but even though the three games play different, I can't shake the feeling of "we played the earlier ones...now we must play this one". But it's a solid worker placement game. A bit fiddly in components and setup time, but once underway it's kind of neat.
49. horrified
Prepared this to play with another couple. That meeting didn't go through (and on another we didn't have the time for a long game), but I played it solo a few times to get it in my fingers...and I like it. It's often mentioned as a replacement for pandemic, and I can see why: it's about the same complexity and rhythm, but with more than enough differences to warrant having both. The classic monster theme is great as well (note: there are a lot of fan-made expansion modules, all using the Hammer-style/B-movie horror vibe).
48. terraforming mars: ares expedition
Took this with me on vacation. I was recovering from a burnout, and this game was borderline too stressy for me. And that was in a solo game. Right now I feel it's good, but I'm just scratching the surface. It did not, however, replace race for the galaxy. It is simply too long for that.
47. onirim
This one I got some years ago, but started playing it again (it's a solo game) and mingled in some of the expansion modules. It's a strange sensation: the shamanist theme and the shuffling give it a pretty unique theme. I was surprised when someone labeled it horror, but really: that's what it is.
46. project L
Minimalism at its finest. A couple rules and you're off building tetris blocks. The game is fine. Puzzling and relaxing (think Azul). It's also one of my little one's favorite games. She's too young to play (little over 2.5 years), but she LOVES filling in the puzzle pieces.
45. sushi go party
I played this with a couple we hadn't seen since before covid. It was fun and relaxing (more so that our little one was behaving so well). Nothing too complex but good for the purpose. The only minus: swapping sets between games takes so much time you often just keep the same cards in it. So we barely scratched the surface of this game.
44. alien frontiers
The jury is out on how much I like it. I mean...with my girlfriend we gravitate to multiplayer solitaire-ish games. And though it's dice placement, it's meaner and has area control going on. But I was surprised at how much I liked it at my local gaming club. It introduced me to a different kind of games, which is why I'm hestitant to love it. But aside the downtime, I can't fault anything.
43. würfel bohnanza
A dice chucker that sounds a lot more complicated than it is. You roll dice and try to get sets. But some pips show twice, on both types of dice or are more rare to roll. It's constantly calculating odds, but once you're in the groove the game seems to play itself. Except it can get to some tough decisions to make.
(8/10 games)
42. My farm shop
Somewhat of a mismatch...even though it isn't. You've got a board of ten cards (2+12->11) and on your turn you roll three dice, then split them 2-1. The sum of the two determines what field will activate both for you and your opponent, the last one determines what card you get. It's simple but a proper management game. I had hoped it would replace space base, but I really missed the combo's on that one.
41. Caverna duel
One of the few heavy 2-player games I played (I don't think I can convince GF for these things). I really ended up liking it. Well...not the art, but I remember that I "Did Things", which even turned out to be more fun than winning. And why not? Setting up a cave is sweet.
I'm certainly curious about caverna, but it's a bit too costly to buy blind.
40. el grande
Yup...the granddaddy of area control. I'm a fan. Not a massive one (no, I'm not buying the big box), but I like it. Most of all: you don't really engage as much in fighting, which was a surprise to me. It's "just" moving units around the board, which means it doesn't have poundings, people draining each other or other stuff I came to associate with risk (which I considered an entire genre before).
39. kardinaal & koning/Web of power
This game is known under other names and versions (Iwari is the most recent, I think), though the gameplay barely has changed. I'm reluctantly putting it above el grande, which is saying a lot because this game is UGLY (and dumb, as there's neither a cardinal nor a king in this game). Not a game I want in my collection (even iwari, which is a couple light years better in production quality), but I liked playing it.
38. Mandala
With this I can check off "battle line" clones off my list. Not sure if I want to call it relaxing because I got totally wrecked. But even so: I liked the push and pull nature of it.
37. Azul
We got it years ago, but it's one we bring out from time to time: draft tiles from a common pool, then use what you drafted to build a mosaic. The rules are fairly simple (especially after you've played your first round), but the decisions can be tough. And unlike similar games, I tend to utilise the meta game to screw opponents (eg: I want 2 black tiles. I can get it in two ways...so I'll get it in the way that favors you the least). This is a rare one that my parents and inlaws also tend to enjoy.
36. Ora et labora
Played this cold when recovering from covid. NOT the best first impression...but that means it probably would be even higher after a second play. So...this is a heavy Rosenberg. Game club host's favorite, in fact. I disagree (I'll get to that), but I respect his opinion. The wheel that distributes resources and the spatial elements are clever if not downright brilliant (remind me to play glass road one time). It's just...like some other of his heavy games it starts out small but slowly but steady spirals out of control. By the end I had A HEAP of stuff, and I had no idea how to properly use it. I think I should read my own report to know how it ended.
layed33. Flip city
Only played solo thus far. It's a small deckbuilder - dominion miniature, even - with the caveat that the cards are two-sided. It uses a push your luck approach and an open market, which is a better combination than I'd given it credit for. The solo is nicely balanced and has potential to be a good two player game. Unfortunately, never got around to introducing it.
35. Roam
I heard about this in a dice tower video and bought it almost immediately, purely based on the premisse. It's an abstract game of tetris shape tile laying, but also on card collecting (there's a 6x6 grid consisting of 3x2 cards. Once all six sides are covered, the one with the most of his/her color gets the card...which is both points and an extra tetris tile to use) and some light economic management. So it's abstract...but I can't call it overproduced because it looks so damn fine. I only later learned that this was just on par for this designer.
34. Everdell
Got this for my birthday. To my surprise, girlfriend really loves playing this. More than me, in fact: it's a worker placement in which you collect cards that can combo with other cards. But that means you're constantly trying to match cards, or don't have good matches, or...
I dunno. I don't want to complain because it's a good game that looks DOWNRIGHT GORGEOUS (if this isn't my prettiest game it's probably a tie). But I'm not sure why we haven't played it more since March... :-\
33. fantastic factories
If you want an engine builder that uses dice, look no further than this. You roll dice, allocate them how you want, buy what you want, activate what you want and keep doing that until you run out. It's completely multiplayer solitaire, but for this sort of game I don't mind at all. I rather build something pretty on my own pace than being pressured to act because the next player wants a turn.
32. Hanabi
A card playing game in which your hand faces AWAY from you? It exists. And leads to a very strange cooperative game. You go around giving each other clues about what's in your hand ("this card...is a red one"), or playing a card from your hand. The idea is to build stacks of fireworks in ascending order. But how are you going to ascend if you don't know what you're holding?
The result is a lot in non-verbal communication and finding the hint behind the hint (WHY is he saying I'm holding a red card?). It's also tense, as you're the only one on the table not knowing what you should be doing. I heard it's a "love it or hate it" game because of that, but for me: I like it.
31. war chest
Played with board game club host: a chess-like abstract game that properly uses bag building. It blows the duke out of the water (a shame, because I hadn't gotten to it yet) and has gorgeous components. I'm bad at it, but I really like the design.
30. Land vs sea
Picked this up last year but only played it now: a 2-player alternative to carcassonne. One that doesn't even need meeples. It has two-sided tiles with 6 sides, and sincs you always have two you've got plenty of choice on how to lay a tile. Since both of you want to close off your area, the emerging map hardly ever has holes in it. It's clever and smart. The only reason I still have carcassonne is because that one's better at high player counts.
29. Port royal
Bought it a few years ago but played it a few times this year. And it's a blast: like blackjack (and flip city earlier), you draw cards until you either stop or go bust. It's light and intuitive but has a nice amount of player interaction. A good one to play when you've got two toddlers to keep an eye out on.
28. Sagrada
This dice-picking game is compared to azul so often I delayed getting this one for a long time. But though I should try out both for a valid comparison, sagrada might be the better game. It's more varied and has a solo mode, and all this with a very basic rule set. But because there's more to chew on mentally, I don't tend to hate draft (which is often the main interaction in azul). But speaking of which...
27. Azul summer pavilion
The very first game I played in my board game club (and as such a late 2021 entry, but ey...). Like azul, summer pavilion is about building glass windows by selecting from common pools. Summer pavilion goes more on tile bonusses. Not exactly cascading, but enough to make it stand on its own. It's less elegant than the original, though.
(note: I think sagrada's the better game overall, but I'm rating plays here. Also: I haven't played stained glass of syntra, so I can't compare those).
26. Above & below (?)
A temporary place because I bought this in a bundle with near & far. This is a worker placement game that doubles as a choose-your-own adventure. Only played it two or three times thus far, but the story elements are downright FUN. And that's sort of weird: these types of worker placement games are usually about min-maxing your moves, doing things the most efficient way possible. The adventuring part is almost a random way to get random resources, but even so I just find myself wanting to do it more. Will probably rise, but need to play it multiplayer.
(8.5/10 games)
25. olympos (?)
This one has deceptively bad looks, some questionable iconography and a few (small) strange rules. But underneath is a game that took me by surprise at how GOOD it is. Main mechanic is a timetrack like patchwork uses: you can move anywhere, but it'll cost you more time the further you go. Which might give the others multiple smaller turns. On top of that, the stuff you buy you mostly pay through infinite resources...but these are tied to territories that you might lose to an opponent. And that might sound cutthroat but it's less than it seems. It's more like a "I only need resources X, Y and Z to purchase that stuff. So if I lose X afterwards, I can just move him to spot A, and get something that costs A, Y and Z". It's sharp, had some exciting moments and a nailbitingly close finish (note: I only played it once). It immediately takes my top spot of "this game should get an updated version". Especially so since the designer had another mediocre game for which he did just that...and the resulting game became a modern classic (smallworld).
24. paper tales
One of the problems with a backlog is that sooner or later a desiger comes up with a game that's just BETTER at what that backlogged game does. Case in point: paper tales completely does what I want from 7 wonders, but better. It's actually somewhat close to the mobile/PC game calles "age of rivalry": you draft tiles 7-wonders style, use them for "battle" (basically having the highest army number), then their action (provided you can pay for them), then there's aging. It's not high on player interaction aside the draft, but during the draft you're calculating what you can afford and/or how well cards play into each other. Like...in my first game I ended up with a kraken. Sounded cool but it had a bunch of negatives so I didn't play it. But next round I picked a card that mostly negated those, resulting in my kraken powerhousing the army points and en passant negating the negative of the other card. It was a bit of a gamble (it's hard to predict how well combo's like this work), but it payed off.
The only reason I didn't ran out and bought this was because I find it pretty costly for what's essentially a card game.
23. space base (?)
This is almost a guilty pleasure. Like my farm shop, you roll dice and get resources based upon it. Unlike that one, buying something on your 1->12 track keeps the previous power intact somewhat (albeit on someone else's turn). And that ramps up as the game progresses. But which slot do you fill? Do you gamble or go for mitigation?
I'm calling this a guilty pleasure because it feels like gambling AND because I really dislike the theme (random space ships...this is actually worse than abstract because it turns off my girlfriend of giving it a try).
22. Welcome to the dungeon
That title immediatly reminds me of Robin Hood: men in tighs (one of the first scenes of the movie). This game isn't about that, but has that same whimsy. It's basically a game of chicken: someone in the table is going into the dungeon to fight what's in there. But you're standing outside daring each other. "I go in and defeat 3!". "I'll do 4!". "I'll do it without my +3 sword!" and so on until everyone but the last person passes. At that point everyone but that person hopes he'll get pounded by what's inside.
I played it once or twice and got totally wrecked. More so: it's a game that you really need to play multiple times to get a feel for what you can do. But the games are short and it's probably my favorite board game to spectate.
21. Ghost stories
I'm a sucker for Oriental horror movies. And this one delivers on that front in spades. It's a coop tower defense game that's really all about survival. The game is notoriously difficult to the point where I might never actually win a game ever. But you do have options, you do have chances for clever play, tactics, thinking ahead and so on. So like some video games, it has that "next time I'll do better!" challenge in it.
I should note that I bought this (and its expansion) from my board game club buddy after we played its follow-up. Which is better in all ways except the theme...which weighs a lot!
20. Jump drive
Babies first race for the galaxy! This is a filler that might sound longer than it is (first to get to 50 points? But on my first turn I still have 0!?). But every played card scores you cards and/or points for the rest of the game, which means it ramps up exponentially.
So it's a drag race: get ahead in points first and make sure nobody gets more momentum. Zero interaction but a game that's over in 10-15 minutes.
19. solenia
Strongly in the running for most beautiful board game I own: a worker placement game that's played on...a conveyor belt. Well...it's really a ship flying forward and that cycles through day and night phases, but same difference. That board isn't so much a gimmick as a part of the play, though. You collect and deliver goods, and get points and some bonusses for that. Granted: it's a bit basic. But that's the family side. The winter board is more constrained in your bonusses and storage space, which makes it better for gamers. I only played it solo, though (which is a plus: the game has a very simple yet decent AI to practice against).
18. Caylus
Heh...from pretties to ugliest: Caylus has a notoriously (and hilariously) bad cover, which makes it a textbook example of not judging a game by said cover. Caylus was one of the first worker placement games, and it's certainly one of the meanest. You all build out extra spots that give you a bonus when someone else uses it. But it also has a "provost"...a unit that deactivates part of the board.
And our four-player game had players plotting conspiracies to move the provost to screw with other players' plans. But even though it were MY plans (bastards!
), I prefer a game with this sort of interaction over one where you might as well play four different games without anyone else noticing.This one has a remake (Caylus...1304, IIRC). It's still strong on my wishlist, even though some purists say the tweaks removed its teeth.
17. search for planet x
I got this after playing (and liking) Cryptid. Cryptid is a clue-like game in which you all have "some clue" about a spot you all look for. It, however, requires at least three, whereas search for planet X can be played solo and two player as well. Oh, and the starmap chartering appeals to me much more than "find a monster" (which turns off my girlfriend even if the monster's at best a mcGuffin).
Planet X is also a very good mix of a board game with app integration. You really want and need to have both (unless you want to have someone be the judge on all the clues). The game is a puzzle where the pressure is purely in outthinking your opponent. At certain times you post your findings, which are revealed later. And this is just brilliant, as it can cause others to make assumptions ("he searched for dwarf planets. Now he posted a position. It's a dwarf planet...right?") which might just as well be guesses. Very solid gameplay. Looks great as well.
16. That's pretty clever (&clever cubed, &4ever)
This is more a series than one game, even though I tend to introduce the first one ("ganz schöhn clever" or "that's pretty clever") to others. The idea is you roll dice, pick a color, then note or cross something off in that color (eg: I rolled three with yellow. I cross out one of the 3's on the yellow board). Very typical of this game is the cascading effect: by round 3, marking a red field allows you to cross out what you want in the blue section. Which might end up YET ANOTHER write-down somewhere. This is fun, especially since it racks up points.
Clever cubed and Clever 4ever (as well as 'twice as clever', which I didn't like) use the same rule set...but the boards are different. You can consider those extra DLC, but the fact that they're standalone games means they count. I just don't like giving them 3 different spots on this list.
15. islebound (?)
I should actually play this with others rather than solo (two handed). But I just love playing it. It's a sandbox game in which you sort-of play pirates: you've got a crew you can expand (but need maintenance), islands to conquer through force or diplomacy, resources to obtain...While this is, in a way, a heavy game, it doesn't FEEL heavy because it's so intuitive. I admit it: I bought it because of Ryan Laukat.
(scores: 9/10 or higher)
14. winter kingdom (?)
This is my most recent played game, so I'm hesitant to give a definite score. But my three two-handed plays have been vastly different, allowed for clever moves and showed a game that is filled to the brim with opportunities. I played kingdom builder on the app, and...I'm inclined to say that in this case "more is more". Yes, it's less elegant. Yes, it's much more analysis paralysis prone. But in kingdom builder it's perfectly possible you're screwed within the first two turns because of bad card draws (in both games, your obligatory move is to put out three houses on the central board on a specific terrain. And they whenever possible, you have to build houses adjacent to already existing houses).
Either way: I was immediately in love with this game. Chances are more likely it'll go up in score than down.
13. last bastion
This is that remake of Ghost stories. It has a simplified ruleset, slightly more powerful characters and gives you a bit more freedom (eg: you can move before or after fighting, instead of only before). It is still a very tough game, though (even though we ended up winning this one...barely).
I'll be frank: unless you love the oriental theme (this has classic gothic horror. By the same artist, btw), get this one. It's an amazing experience.
12. Tranquility
I didn't get it when explaining: so it's an excercise in laying down 36 tiles between 1 and 80, but when you place a tile next to another, you discard the difference. With just 5 cards (that replenish when you play). Isn't that...impossible? It's not. It's a puzzle of estimations and tough choices (what you discard might screw the game), but it's satisfying when it works and has several difficulty modules. Very portable and also a rare game that scales at least from solo to four players.
11. Le havre
Ora et labora was good, Le havre is (IMHO) great. There's no randomness aside the setup and first round, but your actions tend to gear toward a wildly different outcome. Also very back-and forth since you need ALL buildings but your opponents will scoop up some (but you pay each other when you use each other's buildings). The advanced buildings seem like a small addition but make each game unique. Easily among my favorite heavy games.
10. Tzolk'in: mayan calendar
Speaking of heavy games: here's another one that took me by surprise. The main mechanic is cogs: you place out your workers at the entry level of a cog, and each round they turn, meaning you get different (better) benefits when you pull them off. It's a brilliant, elegant and thematic way to do this, and the game itself is very decent.
9. Tiny epic galaxies (blast off)
A short dice rolling game set in space. Colonize planets or reap their benefits? Upgrade your armada? It all SOUNDS large and grandiose, but like the name implies: it's actually a very short game. But it's a game with no fluff, a short setup time and a sweet solo mode. I love these kinds of games. Not tried the others (there's a whole slew of "tiny epic" games), but I'm content with this one.
8. Eight-minute empire: legends (& lost lands)
...is a remake of eight minute empires. As such, it plays a bit longer (around 20), but for an area control/set collecting game that hits a sweet spot. It has some modules and beautiful artwork (again: Ryan Laukat), but the fact it actually plays two players was the more important reason to get it for myself.
7. Las vegas: royale
This dice game is just mindless fun. Well...it has A LOT of bells and whistles you can attach, but the basic premisse is a great beer & pretzels game: you roll dice, you place one number on the corresponding casino (eg: all your threes on casino 3). After all dice are rolled, the casino pays those who has most dice. The kicker is what sells it: in case of a tie, the dice are removed.
Such a simple concept, but it's a blast every time I pull it out. Which, admittedly, was only two or three times.
6.Tsuro
Probably my little nephew's favorite game, and I can see why: the premisse is simple (just stay on the board), the actions as well (lay a tile next to your meeple, move everyone adjacent to the other end). But this simple concept has choice (which of my three tiles do I place and how do I rotate them?) and an emerging depth, because the board starts resemble spaghetti after a few turns.
5. The crew: quest for planet 9
It shouldn't have been a slow burn: I tried to get it to the table for over a year! But my gaming buddies don't know trick taking and my girlfriend was hesitant at first (she now denies it). But with four people that know the rules? A blast. The idea is you're all working together, mostly to get certain cards to certain people. But getting a purple 1 to that player isn't easy when he's holding that card. Presuming he IS holding it, because why else won't he just play a high one? The limited communication and the randomness makes it tricky, but it's doable. Well...the first missions, that is (We managed to get to mission 14...of 50!).
4. Kemet: blood & sand
There's only one reason I didn't bought this game straight away: it's way too complex for my gaming buddies, and the board game club already has it. But this is what things like Risk and Axis & Allies could be for me but never were: an all out war in which attacking is encouraged (we did turtling before we even knew it was a thing), has a decent economy system and can create some very interesting play states. In one of my games I boosted my defence, but I hadn't anticipated the result: I kept losing fights but somehow kept all my people. In two cases even killing all the enemies (yeah: "losing" a fight
). Though it has a lot going on, it's only the massive amount of upgrades that I dislike.3. Near & far
The other part of the bundle (see above & below). Haven't opened my own copy yet, but in the board game club we were all so impressed by it we played it again the next week. It's a worker placement/route building game with story elements. Also has a campaign, but I'm not sure if that has added value. But either way: it neatly integrates story and a sense of adventure in tried-and-true euro mechanics.
2. Pandemic: iberia
This is my favorite game. Only played it once this year (solo, no less), but it cemented itself as to WHY I like it so much: it's tense, requires tough decisions, is a gorgeous production and a thrill to play. Man, I want to play this more often. :-(
But though this is my favorite game, I can't deny there's one experience this year that blows it out of the water...
1. Hellapagos
Once a year my family on father's side has a weekend getaway. Mostly to leisure, barbecue, entertain the kids, and so on. When they went to bed, I brought out this and gathered eight players around a simple concept: we're all stranded on an island trying to escape. In turn, we have one single action per round(a day): gather food, gather water, build on the raft or draw a card (that might help the group). Each day the food and water supply dwindle. We win by having enough rafts for everyone (AND enough food for the day).
But if food or water run out, there's an island council in which we decide who has to die.
We all played two back-to-back games and never had it happen. But not only was the tension there, the simple actions caused hilarious drama on all sides. Because the cards have things like a gun, a way to boost your action (which in reality means you cannot do otherwise because it'll draw the ire of the group) or other silly things. Some even useless (Winning lottery ticket?
). But as me and girlfriend predicted, this fits my family well: we're all out for each other, trying to help out whenever possible. But if we can't...then there's no reason to keep the gloves on. Unranked games:
Dixit, monopoly junior, one (imho not good) tricktaking game of which I forgot the name and perhaps one or two others...
