Benny

 

Relax, this is not a top 100 board games list or anything (well, for now...), but rather I thought it would be fun to get an idea of everyone's favourite board/card/dice/hippo games in here. This would also double up as a handy buyers guide I think for people just getting into the hobby.

 

Go for a top 10 or 20 even if you can't fit them all in. My personal current top games (so far):

 

 

 

 

1. Gloomhaven

 

 

An absolute monster of a game, in more ways than one. I was unsure about placing this here until I had really played hours and hours of the game to be certain of my convictions, and now, dozens of missions in, I can safely say it deserves all the hype and in some respects even exceeds it. It's not by any means perfect, and setup time can be insanely laborious, but this is hands down the greatest board gaming experience I have ever had, maybe even one of the greatest even including video games. There are so many cool innovations in this game and the value for money in the box is staggering. The combat system is truly something of sublime tactical genius and the normal difficulty level is so perfectly judged and exacting it often feels a bit like Dark Souls in the way it's a game you can learn to get better at and work around enemy behaviors with specific abilities. It's a glorious puzzle in every encounter, and the story elements are weaved into the experience with a deft touch.There are so many characters all with unique abilities and the way they can all interact with variable turn order is wonderfully complex yet simple to understand. Finding a decent image of the game is actually quite difficult, as there is so much in the box that begs to be discovered for yourself and savored. Leveling up a character has also never been so delightful and fiendish, as you have to make hard choices to swap out existing cards and change the very nature of how they each work. There is also no dice rolling or crazy levels of variance, so you can really plan things out and work together as a team or even solo. And then the personal goals prevent alpha player problems, as well as the hidden card picks each turn. If it sounds like gushing it's because the game deserves it. It's a staggering achievement, and deserves a place on anyone's shelf. Even if you only play a few missions, it will return your investment in both money and time over and over again and it's a box of utter delight.

 

 

 

2. Twilight Imperium: 4th Edition

 

 

For ages before I played this it was one of those games that was talked about in hushed tones both because of its length and its complexity. Happily, when finally getting the chance to enjoy its delights, I can confirm the reality is nowhere near as intimidating. Yes, it will most likely take around 8 hours to play a full game, perhaps a couple more with newer players, but you will absolutely get that time investment rewarded for every single minute you are at the table, as every player's actions will affect all of your plans within plans and there will never be a dull moment. Absolutely a must to find 6 players, and at the very least 4, it's not going to be easy to get it to the table, but when you do it will be an unforgettable experience.

 

 

 

3. War of the Ring (second edition)

 

 

Back up to number 2 as the second edition is the best version of what used to be my favourite game. Great looking on the table, incredible theme, and one of the most satisfying games I've played. The only problem is it's essentially limited to 2 players, but those two people will have one of the best board gaming experiences you can have.

 

 

 

 

4. Terra Mystica

 

 

Simply sublime. Terra Mystica is indeed very deserving of all of its praise. Much easier to understand that you might expect, and a truly brilliant exercise in difficult but rewarding choices and strategy. It makes you think about it for days afterwards, as there are so many possibilities.

 

 

 

 

 

5: Forbidden Stars

 

 

Shot up 10 places because I absolutely love this after getting a few games under my belt. A kind of reskin of the Starcraft board game and truly excellent it is too. Gone way up in my estimation after getting to know the mechanics: there is deep strategy here and it rewards multiple plays.

 

 

 

 

6. Twilight Struggle.

 

 

Love this game even more now, it has so much depth and historical interest. I almost had an aneurysm trying to work out what to do every turn. It's horribly absorbing and thematically incredible. Much quicker to set up and get going than many long games too.

 

 

 

 

 

7. Fire in the Lake

 

 

This was such a hard decision to make to kick my original favourite game off the top spot when I first wrote this, but my experience of Fire in the Lake is something I have been thinking about ever since, and has actually changed what I think board games are capable of in terms of both documenting, representing, and making you think more deeply about the nature of a historical conflict. Far from just being a war game, this actually makes you question the motives of factions involved in the conflict and the role played by commanders and political alliances in shaping an entire country. Far from trivializing the human cost in a game of wooden block and cards, this is actually deep enough to encourage sober reflection and study, and has been, dare I say it, an important experience for me. Incidentally, I would argue that this has to be played by 4 players to get the true feel of the issues affecting each side. It's dropped down my list a bit because it's hard to get a game like this to the table.

 

 

 

8. Netrunner

 

 

 

I think to enjoy Netrunner it helps to be sold on the theme, but even then the sheer brilliance of the mechanics of the game could win it many converts who aren't even interested in cyberpunk. An absolutely superb exercise in asymmetric gaming and a horribly addictive one at that. I've rated it higher on reflection because the game really is that good, and now with the reset of the game with the new core set it's more balanced than ever before.

 

 

 

 

 

9. Concordia

 

 

This one kind of crept up on me - the card playing mechanic is just brilliant and makes it a far more dynamic and involving Eurogame than most.

 

 

 

10. Memoir '44: Operation Overlord

 

 

The core Memoir '44 game is a solid and straightforward game, but add the Overlord expansion and another coreset and suddenly you have one of the most amazing experiences you can have around a table with 7 friends. I would rate it higher if it wasn't out of print.

 

 

 

 

 

11. Deception: Murder in Hong Kong

 

 

This is now my favourite "party" game. If you can imagine a cross between The Resitance and Mysterium, this is basically the result.  A murderer secretly picks a murder weapon and evidence from the cards in front of them while watched by the forensic scientist, then when all players open their eyes the forensic scientist has to use a series of clue cards to point the investigators in the right direction, without any dialog or expressions. Each investigator has just one chance to get it right. Immense fun and in my opinion one of the best party games out there.

 

 

 

 

12. Kemet

 

 

I used to not like Kemet this much until it clicked after a few games, and now it's one of my favourite area control games. The "menu" that you pass around with the different power tiles you can buy to improve your army is great and makes for very asymmetric games. The setup is just a bit of a faff.

 

 

 

 

13. X-wing Miniatures Game

 

 

A Terrible, terrible, terrible drug. Don't buy this game. You'll only end up selling your house, family and dog to fund expansions for it. If you like tactical combat miniatures games, don't buy it. If you like Star Wars, certainly don't buy it. If you ever liked the X-wing/TIE Fighter series of space combat games, DEFINITELY don't buy it. I think what I'm saying is: you should probably buy it. I'm dropping it down just because there is literally so much of it now it's suffering from bloat. But it's still awesome.

 

 

 

 

14. Inis

 

It's possible this may replace Kemet for me eventually as I play more games, but to be honest they are still very different games, they just share an area control aspect. The card drafting and the eb and flow of power between players is truly excellent and it rewards repeat plays. Unfortunately it seems to be a bit of a marmite game with some people really bouncing off it. I'd urge anyone to give it a try though as they may love it.

 

 

 

 

15. Arkham Horror: the Card Game

 

 

Streamlining the Arkham Horror board game into a card game that can be played in a fraction of the time but with the same atmosphere, this is probably the best game of its type available. There are now loads of expansions out so the game has been extremely well fleshed out.

 

 

 

 

16. DOOM: The Board Game

 

 

No not the original Doom boardgame that came out before the Descent series of fantasy one-vs-many board games, this is based on mechanics that have been refined over the years including in Imperial Assault and gone back to the start again with models based on the new Doom computer game. The card driven actions are incredibly fun, as you can combo cards together and run through demons, including "glory killing" them like in the videogame for health and bonus cards. It's far more streamline, fun, and pacy for me than all the other games of this type that have been released. But be warned, unlike those games the Overlord player has a really tough time on the early missions.

 

 

 

 

17. Codenames
 

 

Ridiculously awesome and still one of the best party games you can buy.

 

 

 

 

18. Caverna

 

 

Dropped down the list as it's quite time consuming and the number of bits is almost overwhelming, and it's a real pain to set up, but I love how relaxing the game is and the wooden pieces are something gorgeous and special. It's also unbelievably well designed.

 

 

 

 

19. Yokohama

 

 

I wasn't expecting to like this as much as I did, and it's almost beaten Caverna for me, but the unavailability of the Deluxe components version (pictured) lets it down for me, as the components of that version felt much more polished and it's a shame it was Kickstarter exclusive. Nevertheless, a fantastic game.

 

 

 

 

20. Seasons

 

 

A riotous splashing of colourful components, superb deck building mechanics and glorious card synergies. It's very intuitive for this type of game and the lovely artwork will melt the hardest of hearts

 

 

 

 

21. Not Alone

 

 

A truly brilliant game of bluffing and second guessing, with one players vs many trying to escape the planet. It scales well with all player counts and the iconography and rules are ridiculously straightforward to learn and teach. Lovely game.

 

 

 

22. Jaipur

 

 

One of the best 2 player games there is. I find myself just whipping it out any time there is a spare 15 minutes as it's so accessible. It's very deep as well and doesn't seem to get old with repeat play.

 

 

 

23. Blood Rage

 

 

I didn't like this at first but it really grew on me. You've got card drafting, area control, amazing miniatures, and it rollicks along at a decent pace.

 

 

 

24. Star Wars: Rebellion

 

 

A truly grand strategy game of sheer unadulterated awesomeness. Yes, another Star Wars game is on this list but what a game it is: asymmetrical in a similar way to War of the Ring, and having the truly perfect central conceit of the rebel player having a secret base that the empire is trying to find (a bit like the fellowship in War of the Ring), and like all Fantasy Flight games it has wonderful components and overall visual quality. Utterly brilliant. It's dropped down a bit as I find the combat increasingly fiddly, but the expansion improves this greatly.

 

 

 

 

25. The Voyages of Marco Polo

 

 

Don't listen to the Shut up and Sit Down review - this is a fantastically designed Eurogame. Yes it's not the "best" one you can buy in terms of surprises or unique mechanics, but it's one of the most finely crafted and enjoyable. The player powers are the icing on the cake. Plus look how colourful it is

 

 

 

 

26. Conan

 

 

Yes it's got tons of extra stuff from the Kickstarter you won't get in the core box, and yes it has some questionable design choices visually, but I've had a lot of fun with Conan. It might actually have the best mechanics of any 1 vs many game I've played, with the river system used by the Overlord and gems system making for extremely balanced games. It's an extremely good game but I've not felt able to rate higher simply because of the aforementioned sour taste problems and the terrible rule book that's in the core box. (download the revised rules or you'll end up looking for clarifications on so many things that the core box rules just don't bother to even mention let alone explain.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

27. Cosmic Encounter

 

 

As a party game, narrowly beaten by Codenames because it's a bit more time consuming and takes (fractionally) longer to set up, but with all the expansions this is sheer fun in a box - it's utterly brilliant fun with a good group. I like it because it lets me be a colossal dick to other people in a safe environment where they will probably only slightly murder me.

 

 

 

 

 

28. Dead of Winter

 

 

Hands down the best co-op style game with a traitor mechanic I've played. And yes, better than Battlestar Galactica. The one genius aspect that creates such amazing stories and event that happen to the players is that it is not guaranteed that you have a traitor, but every player always has a unique personal objective that they have to achieve, so they may end up looking suspicious while trying to do it during the game. The crossroads deck is just the icing on the cake, with unique and context sensitive events happening during players' turns and every mechanic being finely judged to create the maximum fear due to the risks of moving or searching at any time. Best played with as many people as possible, but put a whole evening aside for it. Truly spellbinding stuff.

 

 

 

 

 

29:  7 Wonders

 

 

Just a lovely theme, great mechanics and the fact that there is no down time between turns is brilliant.

 

 

 

 

 

30: Skull

 

 

A Shutupandsitdown favourite - played this a lot and it is probably one of the simplest yet most riotously fun bluffing games I've played.

 

 

 

 

31: Scythe

 

 

Beautiful components and artwork, and one of the best 4X "style" games I think I've played. Utterly absorbing for 5 players too and amazingly not longer than a few hours for that many people. After a few plays however I've had to drop it down to 30 as it's clear that there are some definite paths to victory, some better than others, but it's still a very very good game with lovely production values. I'm just not too keen on how abruptly games can end making it feel unsatisfying.

 

 

 

 

32:  Sail to India

 

 

Really deceptively deep for such a simple game to set up and play and with some great mechanics. What do you mean I have to spend workers to use my victory point track??

 

 

 

 

33. Splendor

 

 

After only playing this a few times it grew on me a lot. A very quiet game of contemplation over the sound of clacking chips that are part of the beautiful components.

 

 

 

Honourable mentions:

 

Go - I've not played it as much as Chess, but I think it's actually a better game. Perhaps the most simple and elegant game in existence.

Five Tribes - great game with a weird and original placement mechanic

Keyflower - worker placement with added brutal bidding wars

Love Letter - simple, quick and superb

Libertalia - requires cunning like a mighty pirate

The Resistance - brilliant party game for large groups

Imperial Assault - what's that, you've bought into a bit of the X-wing game and are destitute already? Then avoid this like the plague.

Takenoko - cuter than Ticket to Ride and feels very similar. Get this instead if you hate trains...

Fury of Dracula - one of the most thematically brilliant games I've played, and perfectly captures the atmosphere of the story.

Tzolk'in: The Mayan Calendar: worker placement game with a very interesting time based mechanic where you have to do a lot of planning ahead, and lovely art and components too!

Puzzle Strike: really fun "deckbuilder" that uses a videogame theme.

Android: superb cyberpunk storytelling and roleplaying game but with victory points and actually quite clever game mechanics.

Kingdomino: if you like Carcassone try this, you might like it even more.

Magic Maze: careful who you play this with or you might end up murdering each other.