Wednesday, March 1, 2017

Top 100 Games (26-50)

26. Nations

Like Through the Ages, Nations is an epic civ game that spans millennia. However, Nations is far more tactical than its cousin. For example, it is much cheaper to move workers between different roles, so I end up with very indecisive workers while I stall for time.
27. Wit and Wagers

My favorite trivia game, mostly because it doesn’t require you to know anything.

28. Summoner Wars

A 2 player miniature game that uses cards for miniatures.  Lots of diversity between decks gives each faction a very different feel.

29. Amerigo

Feld + Cube Tower = Win

30. Linko

A fun set-collection card game where the end-of-game rushes up unexpectedly.   If you finish with a positive score, you didn’t do too badly.

31. Patchwork

Another excellent two player game involving buying tetris shaped patches and placing them on a grid.  Despite its simple rules and quick game play, there are lots of competing elements that lead to difficult decisions.

32. Nefertiti

One of those games I really like while playing, and completely forget everything about the game an hour later.

33. Scrabble

Yeah I wish that not every 2 letter combination was a word, but I still enjoy it.

34. Merkator

A game of completing increasingly difficult orders.  Can drag a little bit, but lots of senses of achievement throughout.

35. Fits

Tetris the board game  The official and unofficial expansions give it nice variety, though some are overwhelming.

36. 10 Days

The perfect filler.  Plus I now know where all those small eastern Europe countries are.

37. Ticket to Ride Family

There have been a couple duds, I’m not overly fond of the UK map for example, but for the most part the Ticket to Ride Family has been consistently good.  It is difficult to pick a favorite, but I’ll go with the Nordic Map, if for no reason other than the exquisite snow-capped train cards.

38. Shogun/Wallenstein

Did I mention I love cube towers?

39. Resistance

Don’t play it much since it is best with 7+ and requires everyone to enjoy this type of game, but has had some of my most memorable game moments.

40. Lords of Waterdeep

Nothing spectacular or particularly innovative, but still an enjoyable D & D themed worker placement game.

41. Mu

A tricky five player trick taking game with rotating partners  Hard to grasp, especially the bidding element, but shifting loyalties makes for some intriguing relationships.
42. Bohnanza

The absolutely positively best game about planting beans.

43. Crokinole

A dexterity game on a large wooden board.   You can make some amazing shots, occasionally even on purpose.

44. Planet Steam

A weird steam punk themed economic game which, at least in its original form, came in the most oversized box that you will ever see.  However, it handles market fluctuations really well, so i can forgive it some eccentricities.

45. Star Realms

A quick mostly two player deck building game.  It hits the right spot of difficulty and speed to be a perfect phone app.

46. Fairy Tale

A drafting, game where you are making a story.  It is not quite as thematic as it could be, but making combos and blocking opponents allows for some agonizing decisions.

47. Battleline

A two player game where you are battling your opponent along nine fronts to get the best Poker hands.  Trying to plan your battles involves a lot of math and a lot of really hoping you draw that card you need later on.  

48. For Sale

A simple auction game that shifts into a new game halfway in.  Simple and fast, yet always tough to figure out just what to bid.

49. Alhambra

A game that almost always goes over well given its simple rules and the walled city you get to lay out in front of you.

50. Vasca De Gama

Another worker placement with a generic exploration theme, but I like that type of game, and Vasca is a particularly good one.  It does have some unique mechanics, such as its turn order bidding and sailing systems, which help it stand out.