I have completed my top 10 best games, now I’m going to have a look at some of the games that are in the top spots on Boardgamegeek that I actually don’t like. In fact, most of the games on this list I simply avoid playing whenever possible or play games that use similar mechanics to better effect (games that have been replaced by better games). I kept it to 5 though I could have easily done a top 20, but the games on this list are either just terrible games, boring games or should have been far more than they are.
1. Agricola
When Agricola hit board game geek and rose through the ranks like a cannon I was rather confused, I hadn’t played it, but how does a game about one of the dullest subjects on gods green earth become one of the most popular board games on board game geek? Naturally my curiosity peeked when it hit the number 2 spot, I had to find out and so of course, I did. Several times to be certain of my forming opinion, which now I’m 100% certain on. Hands down, one of the dumbest and most boring games I have ever played, in fact, of all the games on this list, this is the one I can’t name even a single redeeming quality it has. It’s mechanics are dry, virtually nothing creative or profound about the game, it completely lacks player interaction, it’s rules are confusing and unnecessarily over complicated and it boasts some pretty ugly art work with text so small on the cards even with perfect 20/20 vision you have to strain to read overly elaborate language used to define what cards can do.
Its every bit as boring as it sounds, don’t believe the hype. For a far better game about farming try Caverna, but if you value money, skip games about farming all together.
It’s just bad all around and to add the poop cherry on top its stupidly expensive begging the question where the developer/publisher sunk the money? It’s popularity baffles me unlike any other game, though it’s hype was thankfully short lived at least in my circles. There was a burst of “let’s play Agricola” which I suffered through but after a few plays with any group it simply died. I haven’t seen it played in over a year anywhere and wasn’t ever able to find a victim to pawn it off onto. In the end I gave it away with a reluctant recipient who I convinced by using the classic phrase “Just take it, it’s free!”. Avoid the temptation, it’s as stupid as it sounds.
2. Terra Mystica
Another pointless Euro cube pusher following in the footstep of the themeless Euro drones that basically boil down to solving unnecessarily complicated math problems is Terra Mystica. It’s a game of cube management pure and simple and if that sounds boring, it’s worth mentioning that’s it’s not even a particularly good cube pusher. Games like Russian Railroads which follow in the same style of theme-lessnes and mathematics is as least creative and carry’s pretty decent strategic depth.
This over hyped cube pusher will put you to sleep. Bring a calculator.
Terra Mystica is just painful to play, I don’t understand why these games are made and how in the world they become so popular, but it makes me think that people are just completely ignorant to some of the amazing games out there they could be playing instead. I will grant Terra Mystica that it’s premise is at least more interesting than Agricola, but given that there is virtually no connection between premise and actual mechanics, it’s only a slight nudge below Agricola in the “why the hell would anyone play this crap” category. So bad, so not worth your time or money.
3. Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico has some redeeming qualities as an interesting example of role selection mechanics and it does boast some relatively strategic play that can hold your attention but its popularity is confusing. It’s rather stale, has a boring theme and has some severely broken balance issue that once discovered creates a game split between the players that do know and those that don’t know how to break it.
It was clever for its time, but its time has come and gone. For today’s standards it simply doesn’t live up.
It’s a puzzle with a solution and I hate that type of thing in games. Puerto Rico is a good example of games that have aged really badly, back in the day it was an ok game and we played it, but for today’s standard it’s not even remotely acceptable as a designer game. It’s time has come and gone, there are far better and more balanced Euro’s on the market today.
4. Eclipse
When it was first released it’s most common comparison was to Twilight Imperium 3rd edition, in fact it was often referred to as TI3 junior. A small, more compact version of Twilight Imperium that could be played in half the time. As a huge TI3 fan, this was exciting news and the designers comments regarding his inspiration (Master of Orion) further fueled the hype as the next big science fiction opera. The first time I played it I thought to myself, ok, it’s not a terrible game, but it is in no way, shape or form anything even in the ball park of TI3, in fact to say so was insulting. This game has more in common with games on this list (Agricola and Terra Mystica) than it has to do with TI3.
You might say if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck its a duck, but I assure you, the appearance is a lie. This is not an epic space opera, its a game that has more to do with games like Agricola than it has to do with classics like TI3.
After 2 or 3 games of Eclipse you start to see a pattern emerge as well, as is the case with so many Euro’s. It’s frankly a boring game with a nice theme and in a sense it was the theme that intrigued me to play the game several times before I realized that I just wasn’t having any fun.
Eclipse lacks everything that makes space opera games fun. There is no economics to speak off, there is very little interaction between players, diplomacy in particular is pointless since player actions are so predictable and like most Euro games that are cube happy it’s basically a mathematical puzzle and not a particularly hard one to solve. It’s one of those games where in any given situation there are many choices available to you, but one very clear, very obvious one that is far superior. It’s almost like you’re on rails, taking actions that you very clearly must take. I don’t think it’s a terrible game, in fact, I actually don’t mind playing it unlike many games on this list but it’s far too long even though it plays half the time of TI3 for what you get out of it. Today it’s even less attractive given that there are new games in this genre that have been added that are far better than this one.
5. Sid Meier’s Civilization
It pains me to bash this game both because it’s published by my favorite board game maker Fantasy Flight Games and its designer Kevin Wilson who has made some wonderful games both big and small including Android, Arkham Horror and even one of my favorite silver line mini games Arena Maximus. When I first heard that FFG was making a board game version of Civilization I was giddy with excitement, in particular given that the other attempt by Eagle Games (Civilization the board game) wasn’t particularly good either. Sid Meier’s Civilization is full of great ideas but just poorly executed. It just doesn’t feel right, in particular combat which is so dull, made during the weird period when FFG was really into card based combat mechanics, a concept that ruined Rune Wars and Starcraft.
It looks amazing and you may be tempted, but all the dazzle in the world cannot save this games short comings. It’s just not the civilization game your looking for.
It’s a long game and while it has that fantastic FFG component quality, art and solid theme it just isn’t that much fun to play. The first couple of games we played I thought it was ok, but the combat mechanic in particular really ruined it for me. It looks great, but is not worth your time, I think Kevin Wilson missed a great opportunity on this one.
One thing I can say about board games is that I like most of them at first. The truth is that board gaming as a hobby is actually less about the games for me and more about spending time with friends. It’s a social occasion, which is why I have never enjoyed playing games online (I have tried many times). The experience is just not the same.
That said however I do find that over time, most games I tire off. In fact, despite having played hundreds of games over the years, my actual collection is quite thin. I don’t hold onto games I don’t have an itching desire to play and the result is that there is a tremendous amount of culling of the collection that happens.
There are some games however that have made it into my collection and have proven themselves to have lasting power, some for over decades. Today I will talk a bit about some of these great old school games that, even though they didn’t make my top ten lists, I would never get rid of. It’s not so much that they are amazing games by today’s standards, though they are good in their own way, but it’s that they have a certain element to them that just makes them keepers for me.
Ikusa (Formally known as Milton Bradly’s Shogun or Samurai Swords)
This 1980’s classic has been in my collection since I started gaming nearly 30 years ago. It’s a game that hasn’t aged particularly well in light of modern mechanics and is often referred to as “RISK like” which has its own negative connotations to gamers. It’s a long game and it can be a bit mean given the potential for player elimination, but I still love it for its purity as a classic war game.
While many gamers consider dice chuckers like RISK to be beneath them, to me Ikusa has sufficient “extra’s” to make it a quality strategic game. The fact that it looks amazing on the table is just a cherry on top.
There are many war games made today but very few of them go for the pure war mechanic. Most are filled with card play, overly complicated, have various euro style abstractions, some even go the gimmick route and while I like many of these games, classic RISK style dice chucker war games still appeal to me. I grew up on games like Fortress America, Axis and Allies and Ikusa.
Ikusa is actually seriously underrated as a board game even for today’s standards. It is a dice chucker for certain, but it has a pretty considerable depth to strategies that can be employed and there is far more to it than simply building units and fighting, there is a kind of sequence of events that transpires. First there is this war preparation period, the consolidation of troops, the choosing of battlefields, the defining of borders and alliances. In the second part of the game all hell breaks loose, pure chaotic war, when players make all of their big moves. Than in the final rounds there is that last man standing period where players get clever and try to push the limitations of their forces and prepare for the end game. The climatic finish usually comes in the form of two or three contending players fighting out a couple of critical make it or break battles that define the winner. It’s always clutch in the end and though usually a couple of players lose the war much earlier, there are always two or three contenders for the win in the final rounds.
The game can stagnate in the sense that these “periods” in the game can get pretty extensive, but it’s a war game made for gamers who are accustomed to 4 to 5 hour games. Faulting it for taking a long time is like faulting golf for being played over 18 holes instead of a more manageable 5. It’s part of the game and you kind of embrace it or don’t play it.
Ikusa has never disappointed me, it’s always fun to play and just easy enough to teach to anyone. While its mechanics have aged a great deal in comparison to some modern improvements in war games it still holds up quite well in my opinion and remains one of my favorite games to pull out for that pure war game itch. I actually love many of the old Milton Bradly classics but games like Axis and Allies and Fortress America are really two player games, Ikusa is the only one in that group that works well with multiple players and yes, it’s a far better alternative to RISK.
Ticket To Ride
I have never played a game of Ticket to Ride I didn’t enjoy. Despite its simplicity and casual nature, it’s one of those games that just finds its way to the table out of convenience. It’s so easy to teach, it’s very kid/family friendly and really requires very little of your attention so it makes for a good beer and pretzels, not too serious type of board game night. While light on the theme, it’s clearly a game about trains which I think is a topic that has always appealed to me.
Ticket to Ride is a simple game, doorway game that is perfect for introducing people to the hobby of board gaming. It’s theme is attractive and strategies immediately apparent.
Despite this casual nature though the game has some mini depth, there is actually quite a few strategic options and if analyzed a little closer can actually get people involved on a higher than normal casual game level. It’s a doorway game one I played a decade ago and fully expect to still play a decade from now, it’s a staple game.
The Great Dalmuti
Simple trick taking card games like the Great Dalmuti are ideal for camping trips or as fillers. It’s ability to handle larger amounts of players can allow it do double as a small after dinner party game.
A very simple trick taking card game it is THE game that goes into a backpack on any road trip, camping trip or anywhere else where I might find myself with a group of bored friends wanting to relax and pass the time. There are many such games out there but The Great Dalmuti is definitively a social game and plays as well with 4 players as it does with 8 players. It has this addictive nature to it, I’ve never introduced it to any group who ended up only playing it once, it always gets repeated plays and over the years I have had to replace my copy 3 times because of wear and tear. Great, simple game, an old stand-by classic.
REX (Formally DUNE)
A long time ago when I first got into board gaming on a bit higher level there was a game based on the beloved franchise DUNE (called not surprisingly DUNE). It’s a quasi-war game, though it plays more like chess where multiple players fight to control of the thematic spice planet. Each player had unique and very different special powers depending on which house they represented. With immense replay ability, great strategic depth and a lot of intrigue, negotiation and surprises, its one of those games that I vividly remember playing.
REX is a really deep game, but relatively simple to teach. It’s not really a war game, but there is plenty of conflict via intrigue, diplomacy and bluffing.
When the game was reprinted using the Twilight Imperium Franchise I naturally jumped on the opportunity to revisit it and while a bit different than Dune, REX is just as good and carries the game thematically just as well as the old classic.
REX is relatively easy to teach, but it is definitively a gamers game, in fact, I find most people either absolutely love it, or absolutely despise it. It can be a rather infuriating game because there is so many things to consider and the human element has such an enormous impact on the outcome of the game. It’s a purely strategic game with no luck element and is perhaps one of the most balanced games I have ever played. Absolutely fantastic and the truth is that if I had the opportunity to play it more often it would very likely creep it’s way to my top 10 list. If you find a likeminded group who appreciates intrigue games, REX can be a beautiful thing.
Illuminati
Steve Jackson is a notorious game designer, notorious because his games are always very different than anything that has come before it. Whether it’s GURPS and its focus on realism, Munchkin which pokes fun at other games or Illuminati, quite possibly one of the meanest and infuriating games you will ever love to play.
Not a game I play often, definitely a “gamers” game-
Illuminati no doubt deserves far more praise from me than I give it, but the truth is that I haven’t played it for years. It’s main drawback is that Illuminati is a bit mathi and it’s a bit difficult to teach. Those two flaws however when overcome like a lot of great complex games, results in a fantastic gaming experience. It’s pure brutality, but it’s so well balanced and so fun to watch people squirm. It’s one of those games where you have “I can’t believe you just did that” moments.
It’s in the same category as Race For The Galaxy for me and see’s little play for the same reason, I love playing it, but hate teaching people how to play it. It’s been in my collection for over a decade, built into its gameplay are nostalgic memories of friends from years ago I miss very much. A game I never see myself getting rid of.
Carcassonne
There are many expansions for this game, but for me personally the simplicity and elegance of the base game makes this a perfect warm up game. I’m always happy to play it, though I would be hard pressed to give you a good reason, its just fun.
I don’t know why this game lingers as it does, it’s really kind of simplistic and while the expansions (of which there are many) add a lot of variety, I rarely ever play anything but the base game. I suppose it’s got that “Monopoly” thing where it’s a game everyone knows, requires little explanation and is quick to play. I don’t love it but always enjoy playing it, there is no denying its appeal as a simple, quick game.
I think any gaming blogger worth his salt has a best of list, so this will be mine. Included in this list are going to be board, card and miniatures games. This list is what I consider the best of the best, though the term best may be defined as deepest, most strategic or perhaps most fun. Simply put, these are the games I enjoy most, I highly recommend them all.
Star Wars X-Wing
It shouldn’t come as a surprise if you read my blog, but X-Wing has so much going for it without even mentioning the most obvious thing, its Star Wars!
In my humble experience, regardless of what sort of gamer you are, whether casual, serious, one looking for depth or just pure fun Star Wars X-Wing is the single best game on the market today that can easily meet the requirements of any gamer. Easy to teach, impossible to master with infinite replay-ability and bursting with theme, there is no game that I would rather play always than Star Wars X-Wing. I love it’s flexible point system that allows for simple one on one quick dog fights, to its epic level hundreds of points super games that can involve multiple players. I love that it can be approached thematically, or competitively, I love that it can be used to create scenario’s or just basic death matches.
For me personally the collectable element of the game is not a drawback, In particular given the fact that you buy a complete “thing”, unlike most miniatures games that ask you to construct and paint miniatures before you can play. I do realize however that this adds to the expense, and depending on what you buy, can change the experience for you. In a sense, Star Wars X-Wing is a self-contained hobby game, more than a pull it off the shelf all in one complete game. Once you get sufficient amounts of miniatures however, you really don’t have that sense of “keeping up” as you do with most miniatures games. You need a good selection of ships, but once you have it, its simplicity and approachability is there like a typical board game. It’s far more approachable in fact than many board games on this list which is why to me it deserves that number one spot.
Finally, on a personal note which I think is something of a theme for me, I love games where the planning stage of the game and the execution stages are separated. A game where you formulate a plan, make decisions and then a stage in which those plans are executed. A kind of, “now that we planned our strategies, let’s see what happens” thing. Star Wars X-Wing does this beautifully which for me is just icing on the cake.
Twilight Imperium 3rd Edition
Epic is an insufficient adjective to describe Twilight Imperium 3rd edition. It is the ultimate gaming experience for hardened veterans.
There are many very approachable games on this list, Twilight Imperium 3rd edition is not one of those games. In fact, it may be the most difficult to get into games on this list. The complexity of the rules, the depth of the strategies and the sheer volume of moving parts all define this game as a very heavy strategic board game. Difficult to teach, impossible to master, It’s on my list in the number two spot for one very important reason. It is, hands down, one of the most biggest, one of the most elaborate and one of the most extraordinary gaming experiences I have ever had. Exploding with theme, amazing reply-ability and unmatched strategic depth, Twilight Imperium is the very definition of epic board gaming. As a gamer, you simply can’t go bigger because bigger doesn’t exist.
I love it, it’s a gaming event in a box and there is no game on this list I jump at every opportunity the way I do with TI3. There is never a game I rather play instead. It’s THE game on for me and it’s been my number one for the better part of a decade, Star Wars X-Wing is the first time it’s ever been any lower which says as much about TI3 as it does about Star Wars X-Wing.
War of the Rings 2nd Edition
War of the Rings is a story in a box, but not just any story THE greatest fantasy story ever told.
While War of The Rings is definitely a very heavy game, I find its much more approachable than it appears. The rules are very streamlined and straight forward and although there is a lot to this game, you rarely ever need to teach it to more than one person. Once you find a partner for War of The Ring, in particular a fellow Lords of the Ring fan, magic happens. War of the Rings IS Lord of the Rings (all of it) in a single box. Every theme, every plot and sub-plot, every character, every nuance, everything you expect out of the epic tale that is Lord of the Rings is in this game and it demands to be played.
I think of all the things I love about War of The Rings the most, the story it tells, or perhaps better to say re-tells is unforgettable. I love other games on this list, but there are few games I play in which I can recall the details as vividly of specific games as War of the Rings. It’s as much an experience as it is a game, win or lose, playing it is always a pure joy.
Fury of Dracula
My love of thematic games aside, Fury of Dracula is actually a wonderful mechanic I wish we would see in more games, the theme is just icing on the cake.
You may have noticed that every game on this list so far is bursting with theme, something you can expect to continue. Fury of Dracula is no exception; it is a thematic wonderland from the visuals, to the mechanics and everything in between. Whether you are playing as Dracula or as one of Dracula’s pursuers this is a game that infuses the story into the mechanics with so much insistence that you can’t help but feel as if you’re playing a role-playing game rather than a board game. The investigation elements, the chase, the powers of Dracula and the investigators, the equipment and nuances of the day night cycle, they all help to bring the story to life.
The most wonderful element of this game is that it’s very easy to teach and grasp, in fact, there is almost an instinctive expectation based on the visuals on how the game works and sure enough it works how you would logically expect it to. There is this almost natural flow to the game, everything makes sense, is organized and streamlined. Now the game is not “quick”, but you really don’t feel the passage of time as there is this constant sense of involvement as regardless of who’s turn it is, there discoveries and actions beg for your attention. Wonderful game and while mechanically it plays well with any number of players it supports, it’s one of those games where the more, the merrier.
Game of Thrones 2nd edition
Be ready to swallow jagged little pills while playing this game, because it’s very much as brutal, cut throat and mean as the books and tv show.
I will be the first to admit that I have a love hate relationship with this game because I love it, for what it is, an amazing board game, but man will it frustrate the living hell out of you. It’s not so much the games fault however as the cut throat brutality of the competitiveness it creates. It’s a political thriller war game, really a strategic multiplayer chess with betrayals and a never ending stream of shocking “I can’t believe that just happened” moments. It’s as dark and deep as the human soul, friends turn to enemies without notice and in the game of thrones, like the books and tv show, you can’t trust anyone, ever.
Why do I love it? Because it captures the spirit of the story on which it’s based flawlessly. The events that transpire in a typical game, are as shocking as they are reading the books or watching the tv show for the first time. It’s got this edge to it, a tension that builds before the pieces are ever placed on the board. The untrusting looks, the combination of subtle, suspicious moves, the constant sense of looking over your shoulder wondering what people are up to, to the moments when plans are revealed and the creation of frantic chaos. It’s not a game for the faint of heart and it’s definitely not a game you want to play with people who can’t get into the spirit of its theme, but when you get together with friends and fans of the Game of Thrones franchise it’s truly a wonderful albeit (like the books and show) a teeth grinding experience.
Shogun (Queens Game version)
The contrast between the quiet, contemplative planning phase and the outrageously chaotic execution phase make this one of the most memorable Euro games I have ever played.
Most of the games on this list are clearly lovingly identifiable as Ameri-Trash games and it may be a bit unfair to see so few Euro style games on a best of list. It’s not that I don’t like Euro games, but they simply don’t have the same presence nor offer the same memorable experiences as the thematically heavy American designed games. Shogun however is an exception, a game very close to my heart and without question a moderately heavy Euro. I mentioned my love for planning and execution based mechanics in games and Shogun is perhaps one of the greatest exaggerations of that concept as the planning and execution phases are so vividly divided. Shogun is one of those games where players contemplate, strategize, analyze and over think during the planning phase, carefully mapping out their coming actions trying to predict how events will unfold in a respectful silence. Than during the action phase there is a frenzy of explosive activity, climaxing with people rising from their seats cheering at the wildly unpredictable dice tower as their little cubes coming out of the tower give its results. There are heartbreaks, clench victories and shocking revelations, but most importantly uncontrollable smiles from ear to ear around the table amidst the chaos.
I love Shogun for that reason, it’s a fairly deep game, but it hinges on this very unpredictable element and you just can’t help but grin as you play it. There is this anticipation and build-up of the execution phase, this element of prediction of events with the climatic conclusion. I have played this game more times than I can count and its effect never dulls. For me it lands in this odd space in limbo between deep strategy and just silly chaotic fun.
Tide of Irons
It looks and feels like a heavy world war II strategic game, without that uncomfortable elitness required from most games in the genre or that silly need for realism or historical accuracy.
I found it odd that I have two, two player games on my list given that it’s really not that common for me to actually have the opportunity to play with just two players, seems I almost always end up with a group. Tide of Iron makes it’s appearance for a number of reasons, but one is probably quite obvious. Who doesn’t want to play with toy soldiers? I’m not a world war II or a historic gamer, I don’t really care to replicate reality in my games nor do I have any particular need to play war games (though combat tends to be a common theme in my preference). Tide of Irons however brings out that war gamer in hidden inside me, I can’t help but take it kind of seriously and I prefer to play it with kind of serious gamers.
Tide of Irons is fiddly, but it has that spirit of classic miniatures gaming combined with the tactical complexity of war games yet is actually simple enough to teach to casual fans of board gaming. In fact, I have played this game almost exclusively with casual gamers and have found that the effect it has on me, being a game that lends itself to being a bit more serious, is the same one my opponents experience. Perhaps it’s the subject matter, but Tide of Irons while doesn’t claim or really even try to be a serious tactical war game, actually plays like one with the caveat that its simple.
I have never bought any expansions, nor care to, for me the core game is already so robust and offers so many options and scenarios that even after years of playing it, I never find its effect wares off on me or becomes repetitive. Even playing the same scenario’s multiple times, it just seems to me with each play through I find new ways to approach old scenario’s. I find the strategies and depth of the game easy to grasp, easy to teach, but very engaging. I have played a lot of tactical world war II games and perhaps it’s because I’m not a huge fan of the genre, but I just find them quite boring, yet this one I not only like but it is among my favorite games to play (world war II games or otherwise).
Formula D
It’s a party game that doesn’t require you to make an ass out of yourself to entertain your guests.
You know I would be lying to you if I said I love Formula D for any other reason than I love games in which you chuck dice, push your luck and create frantic chaos when you fail or succeed. Formula D is basically a party game as far as I’m concerned and I have never introduced the game to anyone who didn’t absolutely love it gamer or not. I know that there are expansions and rules for Formula D that try to convert this dice chucker into a more serious game, but for me it’s just wacky fun and it’s one of the few games on this list that truly comes through as a game in which who the participants are be they family, friends, gamers or of any age group, it’s always fun to play.
I love that it can be played in teams and I love that it can handle a lot of players. It’s visually appealing and despite its randomness there is actually a fair amount of strategy to it, though, largely I find people ignore this and just try to win in the spirit of the game, by pushing the pedal to the metal.
I really hate stupid party games and there are so many awful ones and while this game might not be categorized as a party game, it certainly feels like one because I have never played it without everyone at the table laughing hysterically at the chaos it creates. I love it, always have, it’s been on my top 10 list for years and while I don’t consider it a serious board game, to me, a board games primary purpose is to have fun playing it. Of course there are many deep strategy, thinker games I could have put in its place on this list, but when it comes to creating great gaming experiences you can’t go wrong with a game like Formula D, it never lets me down.
Lords of Waterdeep With Expansion
My inexplicable addiction, what can I say, I love it and I’m not entirely sure why, its just fun to play.
I don’t really know exactly what it is about Lords of Waterdeep that I like so much, it really is a rather simple worker placement game with a rather thin connection to the theme, thicker than others, but still thin. There is just something appealing about it, it seems, no matter how many times I play it, I’m always drawn to it.
I like its simplicity and the expansion adds this push your luck element which combined with the tightness of the space in which players must compete, it just has that “let’s play again” addictive nature to it. It’s a game that rewards you for smart play and its aesthetically pleasing. I suspect someday this game will fall off my top 10 list, in fact, I struggled between this and Kingsburg already because I really like both of these worker placement games for the same reason. It’s hanging in there right now though, I think largely because we just play it all the time and every time I play it, I find myself wanting to play it again.
If pressed to answer the question, why do you like this game so much, I would have to say its because I think it’s a simple, yet relatively deep strategy game that has this sense of urgency where you plan your move’s carefully and hope that your able to combine the plan into a long term strategy. Yet you sort of stumble against the actions of other players, constantly having to re-think how you will complete the same goal in a different way. It has this sense of involvement, the urgency of a race and with the expansion this push your luck element that when combined simply makes for a great game. I’m always surprised to see how often this game gets chosen over many other games higher on this list, in fact just last week we decided to skip X-Wing to play Lords of Waterdeep and I honestly can’t explain it, but suffice to say given its impact on me and my gaming group it would be dishonest not to include it on this list. I play it often, it’s as simple as that.
Dominion
You simply can’t deny how clever this game is, it might get tiresome, but its a rare gamer I have met who didn’t go through a heavy Dominion period.
Number 10 was really hard for me, there was a lot of games I could have put into this spot, but ultimately I went with the game who’s quality I simply can’t deny. I don’t play it often anymore, but that is not a commentary on what I think about it, quite to the contrary the reason I don’t play it often anymore is because when I first got it and for a very long time, Dominion was a game we played the living shit out of. If I took all the games on this list, I can easily say that I have played Dominion ten times more often than everything else combined.
Dominion was a phenomenon when I first got it, it didn’t matter what we planned to play at any given event, at every session we ended up playing dozens of rounds of dominion. It just has this addictive nature, with layers of depth, despite it being one of the simplest games I have ever played with any regularity since I was kid playing checkers. I still love it and would not hesitate to play it if requested and though it largely collects dust on my shelf, I have never been able to get myself to get rid of it. I just need it there, because it really is an amazing game and It proves it to me over and over again. Each time I introduce it to a new person, the end result is the same for them as it was for me, an insatiable appetite to play it over and over and over again. It happens every time and it’s a tribute to its clever design, its complexity masked by its simplicity and its addictive nature.
Honorable Mentions
There are many games I love excluded from this list, in fact, if you removed these top ten games as selections, I could easily create a new top 10 list from the games not chosen to be on this one. There are also many new mistresses that have recently arrived I was very tempted to put on this list, but for me, a game on a top 10 list has to be a game with longevity, something I still like after many plays.
Some games not mentioned include Power Grid, a game I consider a staple. It didn’t make the list because it’s kind of heavy and slow, I find that I really enjoy playing it sporadically, but as soon as two plays of the game have too little space between them, I find I enjoy it less. Perhaps it’s a bit too heavy and a bit too slow, and let’s face it, the theme is kind of try.
Its a good game, but heavy Euro’s can be a real slog sometimes.
Carcassonne is another one I really like, but in light of the other games on this list I found it to have insufficient “umphf” as a game. I have played it many times and undoubtedly will play it many more times, but I have never felt a particular need to have it in my collection. Still I think it’s a very clever game, I like it’s simplicity and certainly with the many expansions there are lots of interesting variants.
I have a few old favorites I really like, but find are not always particularly fun to teach and as such, I have a hard time justifying them for the list. Race for the Galaxy for example is a game I really enjoy, but typically I find that if I ask “hey want to play Race For The Galaxy” and realize the people I’m asking have never played it, I’m immediately trying to get out of having to teach it to them, because it’s just a pain in the ass to do so. Ikusa (formally Samurai Swords and Shogun by Milton Bradly) is another such game. Not that it’s particularly hard to teach, but it has such subtle and fragile strategic elements that playing it against new players unfamiliar with the game is always a drag and more importantly it can drag on for hours and hours, not to mention the potential for player elimination. It’s an old school game, I love playing it with old school gamers but these days it rarely hits the table. Steve Jacksons Illuminati is another one that falls into that, fun to play with people who know what they are doing but sucky to have to teach it and play it with newbies.
A cult classic, a pain to teach and kind of mean, its one of those games I love to play with people who already know how to play and love it to. Teaching it to new players is a real bitch.
REX (also known as DUNE in the 70’s version) is another game I personally love, but find it’s rarely requested and a bit difficult for new players. I think it’s one of those games you really need to know to play well, each race has unique abilities that play a vital role in the game and if you don’t have them memorized, you are at a major disadvantage. It also suffers from this very fragile balance, it’s very possible for the game to end in round one if players aren’t careful and fall into the traps veteran players set for them.
I love games like Descent, Imperial Assault, Battlestar Galactica, Zombiecide and Star Wars the card game, all worthy games to mention, but each with quirks that sometimes annoy me.
Do not be surprised if Star Wars Imperial Assault hits my top 10 in the future, after the first few play I can only say that Fantasy Flight Games has done it again. Masters of Gaming, that’s what they are.
Hope you enjoyed the list, I will probably periodically do an update when I see sufficient things have changed for me in the future.
Planning a game night may seem like a simple thing, pick a time and place, everyone shows up and you game, piece of cake! The truth is that most game nights are ruined long before anyone shows up to the table as there are so many things people don’t think about when they decide to host a gaming night at their house. Any one thing in this list of problems/solutions may not ruin your game night, but mix a couple of them together and the combination can create some pretty horrible game night experiences. If your host or organizer of a game night, be a good one; Here is some advice!
Lighting
Without question one of the most important thing you can do to see massive improvements is proper lighting. In particular dulled, but bright lighting focused on the table itself rather than the people. There is nothing worse than playing an awesome board game or role-playing game and finding myself squinting to read the often small text of cards, game boards and RPG books. I can honestly say that most of the gaming environments I have played in over the last 30 years of gaming have been in relatively shitty lighting, it’s an epidemic in gaming areas as gaming space requires far brighter lights than you would ordinarily need in a room. It has to be more akeen to a pool table light than a room light. I’m certain that lighting and performance, speed and organization of game play is severely effected by poor lighting. If you take no other advice, take this one, keep your playing area’s very bright.
High Seating
Another common problem to gaming space is low seating. Typically when you game you need to be almost hovering over the table, in particular for board gaming. You want a top down view of the game board and as such the table either needs to be low with normal seats or you need high seats. Again this comes down to visibility, gamers need to be able to see what’s going on, if you are sitting at a table and you can’t see what’s happening on the other side of the table without standing up, you have a seating issue in your game space that needs fixing.
Be A Good Host And Know When You Can’t Be
One of my biggest pet peeves, one that has resulted with me actually skipping game nights when a certain player hosts in some cases even leaving a game group all together is the quality of it’s host. Being a good host is not so much about being gracias and generous but rather welcoming and comfortable. So often I find that when I go to someone’s house for a game night it’s crystal clear that it’s forced. It’s little things that get to you like a host who has children who are being ignored because they are gaming, or where clearly someone’s wife or girlfriend doesn’t want us there giving us the stink eye all night, or where instead of playing in the kitchen table with great lighting and access to a fridge and bathroom we are ordered out to a fidget garage or basement.
Gamers are often willing to tolerate inconveniences and rudeness for the opportunity to game, but as a host it’s your job to know if your house/situation is not a good one for gaming. Sure, it’s in a way easier for the host as the gamers come to him, no need to drive anywhere, but if you can’t be a welcoming host, if your situation is obviously not ideal and makes your guests uncomfortable then don’t host.
Proper Gaming Table
If you don’t have a proper gaming table, don’t host gaming nights at your house. There is absolutely nothing more detrimental to a game night, in particular a board game night than playing on a table that is obviously way too small. It’s absolutely destructive to a gaming experience to not have enough space. It’s better to skip gaming all together than play on a cramped table or cramped space. Let the people breath!
Plan Ahead
In particular for board game nights it’s absolutely vital there is a plan in advance. You want everyone coming to your game night to know what games you are going to be playing so that they have the opportunity to read the rules/rulebooks of the games. More importantly if your hosting or if you are going to be introducing a game to players, read the rules in advance, know how to play the game well so that you can explain it to the others quickly and efficiently.
There is absolutely nothing I hate more than someone pulling out a board game and saying “hey let’s play this”, followed by him pulling out a 20 page rulebook to “figure out how to play”. It’s practically a guarantee that three things will happen. First the game will take 2-3 times as long to play. Secondly you will play rules incorrectly, overlook important rules and this will likely lead to someone winning/losing a game because of this fact. Finally it’s likely that the game will be rejected in the future, this often happens because the game appears unbalanced/broken or boring as a result of getting the rules wrong.
So be smart about your game nights, plan what you’re going to play in advance, read the rules for the games that are planned and be ready to teach players how to play the games without having to read the manual to them.
Know Your Audience
Kind of part of planning ahead, but know who your gamers are and what games are appropriate for them. There is nothing worse than inviting casual gamers or first time gamers to a game event and trying to introduce them to an epic, highly complex board game like Twilight Imperium for example. You really need to think about what sort of game you’re going to play, in particular it’s complexity level and compare that to who’s coming. It’s a sure fire way to ruin a game night to pull the wrong game off the shelf for the wrong kind of group.
This goes a bit further as well for player count. For example Twilight Imperium is clearly a 4, 5 or 6 player game. Sure you can play it with 3 players but you know it’s a shitty game with 3 players so don’t pull it out. Find a game appropriate for the audience and the amount of players you have.
Don’t force it, play games that you know will work with the amount of people you have and the type of gamers you have.
Don’t Take It Too Seriously
It’s a tragic illness that many gamers have, myself included, that we often take the hobby too serious. We become obsessed with trying to find that victory in a complex strategic game and if we can’t be it because the dice gods are against us, or the rules of the game leave something to be desired that we can get outright mean towards our opponents. We forget that we are there to play games and have fun, become competitive, aggressive sometimes even vengeful.
Remember, it’s a game, the people you’re playing with are your friends, quite possibly your guests if you’re the host. Keep your cool and win or lose do it with grace.
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