Thou shalt release a top ten games of the year, every year, lest you be fed to the Ancient One, Kuh’Nhizhya

Pretty serious stuff, right? So, to make sure I’m not fed to he-of-the-infinite-bow-ties, here are my top games of 2022, in no particular order. I know they’re numbered, but don’t pay too much attention to that. It’s also worth noting that these games weren’t necessarily released in 2022, they’re just the ones I enjoyed most last year.

1. Atiwa (Lookout Games, 2022)

Coming straight out of the blocks with a new one. I’m not one to buy into hype and The Hotness, but when I played Atiwa at GridCon (convention report here), I instantly fell in love with it. I love Uwe Rosenberg’s games, and this is no exception. It’s a game about the bats, trees and families in the Atiwa region of Ghana, and it’s just gorgeous.

The gameplay loop is fast and easy, and as with so many of Uwe’s games, there are a lot of different ways to build your score. What sets this one apart from a lot of his games is the lack of cards. The only cards in the game are the big square ones which you draft to grow your community in your tableau. It’s extremely fast to setup and play. and the solo mode is great. I’ll have a full review soon, but for now it’s enough to say I’ve played it three times in the last two days.

2. 44 BCE (Gray Forrest Games, 2022)

If you haven’t heard of 44 BCE before, don’t worry, you aren’t alone. It’s a game I previewed earlier in 2022, which turned out to be my most unexpected hit of the year. It’s a game set during the Roman Empire which sees each player trying to become head honcho – or Imperium Maius as they’re better known – and to stay there.

It’s a fantastic mix of Euro game engine-building, secret auctions, and massive player interactions. The theme is woven into every strand of the game, and I love it. It has this fantastic mechanism where players must work together to ensure the current leader doesn’t end the round as the leader, but at the same time need to be self-serving. It leads to loads of temporary partnerships with all the breaking strain of a wet noodle, and it’s fabulous.

3. Gorilla Marketing (Roxley Games, 2020)

I have more opportunities to play party games than any others for most of the year, so I make sure I keep plenty of good ones on my shelves. Gorilla Marketing is just such a game. The premise is simple. As an advertising agency made up of primates, you need to come up with some catchy titles and slogans. Between you, you come up with these ideas, choose the ones you like the best, and laugh. Laugh a lot.

There are loads of categories of things to come up with ideas for, from movies to bands, and loads of sub-categories to award your votes for. In a game I played with my local group at our Christmas meet-up, one player had to award a tagline for a religious movie, in the category of ‘most extravagant use of explosions’, or something similar. Whenever I play this, and whoever is in the game, it always results in a good time and a lot of laughs. Highly recommended.

4. By Stealth and Sea (DVG, 2020)

Over the last year I found myself taking a much greater interest in wargames. Combined with my lifelong interest in submarines (yes, really), when I had the chance to review By Stealth and Sea, I jumped at it. It’s a solo game which puts you in the role of Italian submariners in WWII. These guys weren’t your standard submariners, however. Instead of being stuck inside a metal tube underwater, they rode torpedoes into Allied harbours, manually attached the warheads to ships, and tried to make it to shore in the hope of being picked up.

And you thought your job was bad.

If you want to know the full low-down, check out the review I wrote last year. It’s an incredible game, and it’s also highly emotive, and tells stories. Every member of your crew was a real person, with their photograph included on the cards. The missions you take part in really happened. Things break down all of the time, and it results in a game of trying to make the most of a bad hand. Awesome stuff.

5. IKI (Sorry We Are French, 2015/2022)

IKI is a reprint and overhaul of the original game from 2015. I never played that original, and instead took on the newer version. IKI is a game set in feudal Japan, in which you’re trying to fill shop space with your craftsmen, make plenty of money, and hope your business doesn’t burn down when the fires hit!

If you know me, you know I love a rondel, and IKI’s board is just a great big, delicious rondel. Combine that with me being a self-confessed Nihonophile, and I was always going to be keen on this. Fortunately, the game is fantastic, as I point out in my review. The artwork is bright and colourful, the gameplay is tense and tactical, and it’s just a very nice package.

I took my copy to the 2022 UK Games Expo and introduced some friends to it, who loved it. In fact, my favourite anecdote of the whole show came from that evening. One girl who had been demonstrating the game all day on the Hachette Boardgames UK stand (the folks who sent me the game to review) saw us playing, and enjoyed the game so much that she sat down with us to help setup and do a teach! Another great game, with an expansion on the way I believe. Watch this space…

6. Greedy Kingdoms (AEG, 2018)

Everybody likes to have a shock entry on these lists, and here’s mine. Hands up if you’ve heard of Greedy Kingdoms? Keep your hands up if you’ve actually played it. Not too many hands, I’m willing to bet. I picked this up on a whim from my FLGS, when I was out for the day with my son. I saw Bruno Faidutti’s name on the box, and that was enough for me.

Greedy Kingdoms is a two-player card duel which plays out really quickly. you try to build a tableau of cards which generates the resources you need to out-do your opponent, aiming to be the first to afford two royal palaces. The fun comes from the fact that you both have the same cards in your decks, and each round sees you select a card in secret, hoping that during the reveal you manage to read the other player’s mind to prevent them doing what it was they tried to. Or maybe you’re all talk and no trousers – there’s plenty of room for bluffing too.

It’s a gem of a game, so if you’re after something a little different for your two-player collection, check it out.

7. All Bridges Burning (GMT Games, 2020)

2022 was my real year of COIN game awakening. I added another three to my shelves, and I still adore them. All Bridges Burning, a game set in the Finnish Civil War has an unusual twist on the standard COIN formula, taking the player count down to three. The Reds and Whites posture and fight, while the blue Moderate faction try to use influence to keep things on an even keel.

If you like the COIN series, you’re going to enjoy All Bridges Burning. For the most part it is just more of the same, but the small tweaks really keep the game feeling fresh. Other than the change three players, it also splits the game into two distinct halves. The first is each side posturing for position, the second sees plans unfurl, come what may. I really like that the eligibility track works differently too. It’s a really neat package, of a well-refined system, in a period of history I had no idea about. Excellent stuff.

8. Scout (Oink Games, 2019)

Yeah, it’s Scout. So many people have raved about it this year, and with good reason. The recent Oink version is actually a redesign and reprint of an older game, and I think I prefer this modern version. As with all Oink games, this comes in one of those teeny, colourful boxes, which means you can (and should) take it everywhere with you.

Scout is built on such a simple idea. Play a better set than the one on the table. It can be a run of consecutive numbers, or a set of the same number. You just have to play a more powerful set than the one that’s there. If you can’t, you take a card from the set, awarding that player a point, and grow your hand. The kicker which makes Scout absolutely sing is the rule which says you cannot re-order your hand. if you’ve got five of a kind, with an odd card in the middle, tough! Find a way to take cards and play that odd one, leaving you to play your beast of a set.

Cheap, simple genius. Buy Scout. Go on, off you toddle.

Summary

There you have it then. My top eight games from 2022. Yes, I know you’re meant to do a top ten, but who cares? It took me a long time to whittle this list down, and I know I’ll look at it tomorrow and change something. There are SO MANY amazing games out there, just waiting to be played. I hope this list gave you some food for thought, and helps you realise that you can just ignore the Instagram hype and Facebook group hotness. Try something different, you might just surprise yourself and find the next sleeper hit.

Some of the games above are available from my partner retail store, Kienda. Head on over with my link – kienda.co.uk/punchboard – and you’ll save 5% off your first order of £60 or more.

If you enjoyed this article and would like to read more like this, consider supporting the site by joining my monthly membership at Kofi. It starts from £1 per month, offers member benefits, and lets me know you’re enjoying what I’m doing.

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Instead, I’ve had a look through the lists of games being released there and picked my top 10. These are the games that I’m most excited to play for one reason or another. There are some on here you’d expect, and maybe one or two you wouldn’t.

I chose a variety of games, as it would be very easy to just choose a bunch of midweight Euro prettiness. I’ve got for something for two-player only, something for the family, unusual themes, and even a wargame of sorts.

Have a look, and let me know what’s on your list and what I might have missed. Let’s get into it.

10. Basilica (Portal Games)

Full disclosure here – I already have a copy of this new edition of Basilica, ahead of Essen. However, I’ve enjoyed it so much so far that I want to make sure it’s on this list. Essen is board game overload, and it’s easy for real gems to slip through the cracks.

Basilica is a two-player only game of laying tiles, placing builders, and carrying out orders. Between you, you’re trying to build what can only be described as a very colourful cathedral. The theme is paper thin, but it doesn’t matter one bit. The gameplay is fast, cunning, and at times, mean. Full review coming soon.

9. Unconscious Mind (Fantasia Games)

I’ve been very excited about Unconscious Mind since I learned about it while interviewing Jonny Pac. In it, you play as psychoanalysts, followers of Freud, in the early 1900s. You’re trying to analyse dreams and make your clientele happier. It’s such an unusual theme, it really appeals to me.

With Jonny (Merchants Cove) as one of the designers, and boasting the artwork of Vincent Dutrait (Robinson Crusoe) and Andrew Bosley (Everdell), it could turn out to be something very special indeed. Worker-placement, engine-building, multi-use cards – what’s not to like?

8. Turing Machine (Scorpion Masque)

Taking its name from the analogue computer of the same name, which in turn takes its name from computing pioneer Alan Turing, Turing Machine has been slowly creeping up my wishlist. When I first saw it, I was pretty non-plussed. The description of the gameplay, however, has me champing at the bit.

I love a good deduction game, so one which combines a bit of sleuthing with an actual analogue computer? Oh my! I love the look of the gameplay, combining punchcards with what sounds like some kind of random scenario generation. If the boasts deliver on their promise, it sounds like a nearly-endless deduction game, and I can’t wait to try it out.

7. Amsterdam (Queen Games)

I wasn’t going to put Amsterdam on this list for a while, mainly because it’s a remake of an older game. That older game though, is Macao, a game which I used to own, designed by Stefan Feld. The original was a brilliant, beautiful game, and I’m hoping that Queen Games’ re-implementation of it (with Stefan on board) does justice to the original.

It’s a game of hand management, action selection, and pick-up-and-deliver, and as you might expect with Stefan Feld, it’s one which has you thinking the whole way through. I can’t wait to see what’s happened to it in the intervening years.

6. Tiletum (Board&Dice)

Board&Dice have a nasty habit of making very good games. That sounds like a good thing, right? It’s just a matter of finding time to play them all. I’m still not sure whether Tiletum is an official T-game, like Teotihuacan and Tawantinsuyu, but it certainly seems to share a lot of their DNA.

It takes place in the Golden Age of the Renaissance, and pits you in the roles of merchants. You fulfil contracts, butter-up the nobles, and try to build cathedrals. I’ll have a review of Tiletum up in the next few weeks, and I’m looking forward to getting stuck into it.

5. Fire & Stone: Siege of Vienna 1683 (Capstone Games)

What do you mean you haven’t heard of it? Fire & Stone: Siege of Vienna 1683 is the hotness on everybody’s lips! Sarcasm aside, seeing this one pop up on the lists excited me. Firstly because of the historical war theme. Regular readers know that I’m slowly becoming a real wargame fan. Secondly, because of the logo I noticed on the box.

Capstone Games isn’t the first name I think of when it comes to historical conflict, yet here we are. It looks to be a card-driven game with stark asymmetry. Can a 12,000-strong city militia hold on against the 100,000-man might of the Ottoman empire? We’ll see I guess. Keep an eye on this one, folks.

4. Eleven (Portal Games)

Eleven may well turn out to be my surprise of the year. I’ve seen a few football (soccer, US friends) games, but most concentrate on trying to replicate the beautiful game played on the field. It’s not something that really appeals to me. When I was invited to try Eleven with Joanna from Portal Games at the UK Games Expo this year, I didn’t know what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised, to put it mildly.

Although we only had time for one full in-game week, the Euro mechanisms on offer had me hooked. I love the sport, and having that so well implemented into the theme of running a football team was amazing. Hiring staff, transferring players, upgrading the stadium, promoting your matches… it all felt like it works. Whether the full game delivers on the initial promise, I don’t know just yet. Time will tell, and I’ll have a full review for you before too long.

3. Lacrimosa (Devir)

Devir came seemingly out of nowhere a couple of years ago when they dropped Red Cathedral on an unsuspecting Essen crowd. They’ve shown no signs of slowing down, with last year’s assault on the senses, Bitoku, and this year they’re sure to make another big splash in Germany with Lacrimosa.

Lacrimosa is a beautiful game, based around the death of Mozart. Players take on the roles of his patrons, desperate to help complete his deathbed requiem, Lacrimosa. It’s another historical theme that I can really see myself enjoying. Hopefully, the deck-building, resource management, and point-to-point movement combine to make a game that’s as enjoyable to play, as it is beautiful to look at.

2. Sabika (Ludonova)

The Alhambra, the Spanish palace-cum-fortress, has already been the inspiration for at least one major game – Alhambra! This time around, Ludonova have the design talents of Germán P. Millán, designer of the aforementioned Bitoku.

If the setting and theme weren’t enough for me, Sabika features not one, but three interrelated rondels! Rondels, in case you didn’t know, are my favourite mechanism in board games. I don’t know why, they just are. I’m especially excited now, having watched some footage of it over on Paul Grogan’s Gaming Rules! channel. You can watch his solo playthrough right here, and see if it excites you as much as it does me.

1. Woodcraft (Delicious Games)

If I’m being honest, most of this list could have made my number one spot. I can only choose one, however, so for now, that game is Woodcraft. What’s gotten me so excited for this game is the combination of Vladimir Suchy and Delicious Games. If the combination sounds familiar, it’s because it’s the same one that brought us Praga Caput Regni, a game I fell in love with a couple of years ago.

The theme is gorgeous. Rival folk running workshops in the forest, competing to craft goods for customers, and making the best workshops. It’s got some really interesting-looking dice play, and it’s great to see Vladimir going back to a light-hearted theme, as he did with Last Will.

So that’s it. Those are the games I’d be looking to try to find a way to get home. This list could easily have been a top 20, or even top 40, there are a lot of good-looking games on the way, if you’re willing to scan your eyes past the main hotness. Next year, with a little luck and a lot of planning, I’ll be able to share my own Essen haul.

If you enjoyed this piece, please consider my Ko-fi membership. It’s cheap, and you’ll make me feel all warm and fuzzy.

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Any of the links in the summaries below will take you to full reviews of each game. So without further ado…

10. Anno 1800 (Kosmos Games, 2020)

If the name seems familiar, it’s because Anno 1800 was first a city-builder video game from Ubisoft. One of my favourite designers – Martin Wallace – is behind the board game version, and he’s done a brilliant job of capturing the feel of the original. The Anno series of games are about taking a small settlement and growing it. Gather resources, convert them into other resources, add roads and housing for the populace, and do your best to keep them happy. There’s usually a little warfare involved, but the reason that I enjoy them so much is watching your village grow and thrive.

Anno 1800 the board game does a remarkable job of capturing nearly everything in the video game. You need to add buildings to generate and convert resources, manage your workers, and even explore new lands. The main board is a market of SO MANY tiles to buy and add to your player board. Honestly, it’s crazy how many there are, so a good insert is the order of the day. But once you’ve sorted your table out, what you’re left with is a game with a ton of ways to play it, a very addictive gameplay loop, and the best cardboard representation of a video game I’ve ever played. Full review to come in 2022.

9. Dominion (Rio Grande Games, 2008)

The grand-daddy of deck-building games, and still my favourite. No other game in my collection has seen the play time that Dominion has, and the brilliance of Donald X. Vaccarino’s design still holds up today. Although the game is supposedly about building your city, with the cards representing buildings and people in it, the setting may as well not be there. What makes Dominion sing is the streamlined Action, Buy, Clean-up (ABC) loop the game employs. I couldn’t care less if I’m playing a Village or a Market card, I’m looking at how many extra actions or coins it gives me on that turn.

The sheer variety of game setups with just the base game box means you can play it over, and over again. If you do get bored, there’s around a hundred expansions too. Okay, that’s an exaggeration, but there are a lot of them. This year I’ve played my aging copy with real people, and also playing weekly on the excellent implementation at dominion.games. I even got in on the beta testing of the new (and very good) app version of the game. If you’ve never played Dominion, and you’re looking at the 2008 release date, please don’t let it put you off. Deck-builders come and go. Dominion is forever.

8. Anomia (Asmodee, 2010)

I’ve sung the praises of Anomia here plenty of times this year, and I’ll continue to. It’s my favourite party game, and because it’s just a couple of decks of cards, I can (and do) take it everywhere with me. The idea is simple. Flip a card, and if the picture on it matches the picture on the card in front of another player, name an example of the thing written on their card. If you do it first, you win the card. I know that doesn’t very interesting, or much fun, but believe me when I tell you that Anomia will have you laughing and shouting at your friends like no other game does.

There’s an amazing cognitive disconnect that happens when you have to name something. I think it’s something to do with your brain immediately having to switch from matching pictures, to reading and recalling words. Something as simple as naming a bird for example. You could be sat there with a parrot on your shoulder, stroking your pet penguin, bluebirds in the kitchen doing the dishes Disney-style, and you won’t be able to name a single bird. It’s cheap, hilarious, and absolutely brilliant.

7. Lost Ruins of Arnak (Czech Games Edition, 2020)

I’ve not really mentioned Lost Ruins of Arnak here much, and that’s shameful. It was one of the biggest releases last year, and one I picked up as soon as it released. The debutant designers, Min & Elwin, created a fantasy land of ancient mystery and monsters. Players take the roles of archaeologists exploring the lands of Arnak. Researching ancient texts, making expeditions into forgotten lands, and taking on the guardians protecting them. “How?”, you ask. Deck-building and worker-placement!

The deck-building is very light in all honesty, but the way the game plays out is really fun. There’s competition for the various worker spots on the board, and lots of ways to score points, but the game’s mechanisms are nice and simple. The components are really good, and the artwork is incredible. It’s also available on Board Game Arena, and I’ve been playing it asynchronously on there for months. I’m still not tired of it, and it’s going to stay in my collection for a long time, as I think it’s an excellent gateway game.

6. Dune Imperium (Dire Wolf, 2020)

The third of the big ‘Combining deck-building with other things’ game of last year (along with Lost Ruins of Arnak and Viscounts of the West Kingdom), Dune Imperium was destined to be launched alongside the new film. Unfortunately, our friend Covid-19 disrupted the film’s release, but luckily for us, the game came out. It’s a mix of traditional worker-placement with deck-building, vying for favour with the empire and houses of Arrakis. The board is bigger than it needs to be, but the artwork and attention to detail is great throughout.

Unusually for a worker-placement game, there’s a lot of interaction, albeit not direct. As well as taking actions, harvesting water and Spice, and recruiting people and vehicles into your deck of cards, there are battles kicking-off on the lower-right of the board. Players raise their troops, who are cubes, naturally, and compete to see who can dominate the area at the end of the current round, with some hefty bonuses on offer for the victor. There are some neat mechanisms whereby cards and powers can be used right up until the point of conflict, keeping you on your toes. Is there room for all three games in your collection? Absolutely, all three are on my shelves next to me as I write.

5. Ride the Rails (Capstone Games, 2020)

Cube rail games were among my favourite new things in 2020. My first dabblings were with Luzon Rails and Ride the Rails, and I was immediately hooked. Each of them have a subtly different take on the idea of a hex-based railway game, with players competing to lay tracks and invest in the various companies who own them. Ride the Rails is about as a pretty as a board covered in hexes can be, thanks to Punchboard favourite Ian O’Toole in charge of the art. The tiny wooden trains and little wooden passenger tokens are irresistibly cute, it’s a game desperate to be played with.

The simple turns consisting of investing in a company, putting trains on the board, and moving passengers along the tracks are really simple to teach. So much so, there’s no rulebook, just a double-sided rules sheet. It plays out in around an hour, but in that hour there is so much scope for cunning strategy, and each successive play only makes the game better, as players start to learn the ins-and-outs better, and learn where there are opportunities to piggyback someone else’s good work and buy stock in the same companies. Locomotive magic, and I hope to cover the rest of the Iron Rail series next year: Irish Gauge and Iberian Gauge.

4. Too Many Bones (Chip Theory Games, 2017)

Too Many Bones was one of those games that I’d always kept on the edge of my radar. I didn’t like the look of the poker chips moving around a small arena board, I didn’t like the price, but I did like how much people raved about it. Including people who share similar tastes with me. Luckily, earlier in the year Chip Theory sent me a copy to review, and I fell in love with it. It evokes the feeling of playing a Tactical RPG on a computer, but gathered around a table, with a ridiculous number of dice to roll all over the place.

The production values are really high, and I love the neoprene player character mats, with their little cutouts to slot dice into when you learn new abilities. It’s not all just prettiness though, Too Many Bones is a really solid skirmish game, with so much variety available in every game. The monsters you fight, the characters you use, the way you choose to customise them, and work together with your team-mates. It’s extremely satisfying, and one of the few co-op games I genuinely love. I can see myself playing this years from now, which is an honour not too many games have.

3. On Mars (Eagle-Gryphon Games, 2020)

You don’t have to be into board games for too long before you get wind of the combination of publisher Eagle-Gryphon Games, and designer Vital Lacerda. Their partnership is ubiquitous in euro games, with huge boxes of game, lavish presentation and components, and very hefty price tags. While at this year’s UK Games Expo, I sold some games and treated myself to the most-recent of their games – On Mars. It’s a very heavy worker-placement game with a vast array of choices at every step of the way.

The clever use of the planetside and orbit areas, and choosing when to transition between them. The way the resources chain together in a glorious cycle of production, rooted in science. The tiny wooden rockets you put on your double-layered player boards. There’s is so much about this game that I love. It’s a tricky game, and it’s one I won’t get to play too often, just because of the weight of complexity when it comes to choosing what to do. If you’re not scared of a learning game or two though, and if you’re looking for a sci-fi game with a well-integrated setting, you really ought to be looking at On Mars. Its weight and cost, in this instance, more than warrants a place in my collection. It’s a fabulous game.

2. Gandhi (GMT Games, 2019)

The biggest and best surprise I had in 2021 was playing Gandhi: The Decolonization of British India, 1917-1947. I’d been taking a little more interest in traditional war games since playing Root, and ended up choosing Gandhi as my foot in the door. To say I was overwhelmed when I went through the box contents for the first time, would be a big understatement. Despite the really nice wooden components, and pretty board, the two thick rulebooks were so daunting. Even when I sat down and tried to read through them, I came away none-the-wiser.

Patience is a virtue, however, or so they say, and my patience was rewarded in a massive way. After understanding that one of the two books in the box is perhaps the single best play-along tutorial I’ve ever encountered, I came to understand why this genre of game gets so much love. It’s a very heavy game, there’s no denying that, but the strategising and the choices on offer in each round are brilliant. The asymmetry between the four factions, the brilliance of the solo automa decks, the different campaigns, the historical accuracy, and the gameplay, are all things of beauty. It’s not tanks rolling across French countryside in the 1940s, but it’s an area-control game of the highest calibre, and I can’t wait to play it again. Even writing this is making me want to set it up for a game, it’s magnificent.

1. Hadrian’s Wall (Garphill Games, 2021)

Hadrian’s Wall has the biggest disparity between presentation and fun that I’ve ever come across in a game. The chunkiest roll-and-write game so far, it’s an absolute masterclass in how to make a satisfying game. The designer, Garphill newcomer Bobby Hill, might not be well-known just yet, but if he keeps making games like this, he soon will be. Two sheets covered in literally hundreds of small boxes are set before you, some cards flipped, and it’s your job to turn your people and resources into the greatest section of fortification in Roman Britain. Although it’s a game for up to six players, it’s ostensibly a solo game, played at the same time as others, which is good news in these masked days we find ourselves in.

The gameplay loop of scribbling out a box, which lets you scribble in another, and then another, is so addictive it could be categorised as a Class-B drug. There’s an inordinate amount of joy that comes from doing it, and it makes me worry for my free time when I become old enough to comfortably visit the local Bingo hall. There are so many options available that you can try different ideas every time you play it. At first it feels like… well, I can’t see how you can possibly get better at this, it’s so random. But then you realise it isn’t random, and you can do better, and you’ll sit there and play game after game after game.

I knew how much I loved the game when I was playing it in the first half of the year, but I wondered if that new-game lustre would fade as the year went on. It hasn’t. I still love it. I still play it. And that’s not just because after release they released a full, FREE, downloadable solo campaign either (although it didn’t hurt). Yes, it looks a bit blergh, yes, it sounds a bit dull. But please, trust me when I tell you how good this game is, then toddle off and buy yourself a copy, and then write to me. “Hey, Adam, I’m so glad I bought Hadrian’s Wall, it’s great, let’s talk about it lots, new best friend“

Have you played all of my top 10 games? Some? None? Is there anything on there you strongly disagree with, and what have I missed? Let me know in the comments below, or let me know on Twitter.

The post My Top 10 Board Games of 2021 appeared first on Punchboard.

If you’re a fan of modern board and card games, there’s a feeling you’ve probably experienced at least once. It’s when you know you’re going to be in a social gathering where people might want to play games, but – SHOCK! HORROR! – they aren’t gamers! I know, I know, it’s hard to believe such people exist, but they do.

This is your chance though. As the guru of all things games, this is your chance to open peoples’ eyes to the wonderful world of modern games. All of which begs the anxiety-inducing question: which games do you take? You have a collection of maybe ten games, maybe fifty, maybe hundreds – and you’re meant to pick a few?! The agony of choice.

I was recently faced with exactly this dilemma, so I thought I would share the fruits of my frantic choosing, and let you know which ten games I think are sure-fire hits in most situations. I set myself some constraints though. They need to be easy to teach, easy to buy, and not cost more than £30. The closer to £15, the better. I’ve also indicated whether each game is competitive, co-operative, or a bit of both, so you can match to your target group. Enough chatter, on with the games.

1. 6 Nimmt! (1994) ~£10

(Competitive)

I’ve sung the praises of 6 Nimmt! here before, and with good reason. It’s a fantastic, competitive card game that works with any number of players between two and ten (although four to six is the sweet spot). The gameplay is so simple. Players have a hand of cards, each of which is numbered somewhere between 1 and 104. Play your cards face-down, flip them over, then add them to one of four rows, placed next to the next-lowest card on the table, lowest card first. If you’re the player whose card takes the sixth place in a row, you pick up the five previous cards.

The aim of 6 Nimmt! is to have the lowest number of bull head symbols on the cards you’ve picked up. Everyone I’ve taught how to play this game has picked it up in a few turns, and it gets so competitive. The genius comes in the fact that you can’t directly affect other players, but you can get a good idea of which cards might force someone else to play the sixth of a row and do the pick-up of shame. When you get it right, it’s so good.

I’ve never met someone who doesn’t like 6 Nimmt!, from the most hardcore Euro gamer to my parents. It’s universally loved, and a fantastic game to bring people to the table.

2. Codenames (2015) ~£15

(Co-operative & competitive, teams)

Vlaada Chvátil is responsible for some of the best heavyweight Euro games ever made. Through the Ages, Dungeon Lords, Mage Knight – he’s board game design royalty. The game he’s most famous for though, is the super lightweight party game, Codenames. Players split into two teams, and in each team there’s a ‘spymaster’. Only they know which of the 25 cards on the table, each with a random word on, they want their teammates to guess. They’ll give one-word clues which they hope will make their teammates choose the cards they have in mind, and not the others.

It’s a brilliant game for a group, because it’s so quick and easy to explain, and so satisfying when someone gets your obscure clues. When someone gets inside your head and correctly guesses which three cards you meant when you said “Kneecaps. Three”, it makes people want to give high-fives around the table. Or if you’re British, like me, a firm handshake and a subtle nod of recognition.

In all honesty though, the most fun comes from the debriefing the spymasters give at the end of the game, especially for those on the losing side. It’s almost impossible not to laugh when someone’s trying to explain why they think ‘Brian’ is a good clue for Cat, because they had a cat called Brian when they were six-years-old. The box says it’s for two to eight players, but I wouldn’t play with less than four. If you have to play with two, get the spin-off – Codenames: Duet. Codenames is genius, and a surefire party hit.

3. The Resistance (2009) ~£17

(Competitive)

Whether you go for the original sci-fi stylings of The Resistance, or the Arthurian remake, The Resistance: Avalon, you’re in for a fantastic game. Players are given a hidden role, and only the bad guys know who the other bad guys are. Over a series of rounds, the bad guys are trying to sabotage missions, while the good guys are trying to weed out the bad actors.

If the sound of going on missions sounds like it’ll turn people off, don’t worry. Players who are picked to go on a mission just turn in a pass or fail card. If a single fail card comes out, the mission is failed, and the accusations start flying. It’s such a brilliant game for getting conversations going around the table, and the logic and reasoning that people come out with is just hilarious. Especially with couples involved. We jokingly refer to The Resistance as divorce fuel.

A word of warning though, as The Resistance isn’t for everyone. Some people cannot stand lying, even in a game, and others hate confrontation. While everything that happens is just a game, it can still make some people feel uncomfortable. With the right group though, it’s just brilliant. With a group of old friends who know each other really well, it’s perfect. Or maybe Christmas with the family. If you’re prone to have arguments over the festive season, you might as well have a reason, and what better reason than calling your mum a lying spy?

If you don’t like confrontation though, don’t worry, I’ve got you covered!

4. Love Letter (2012) ~£12

(Competitive)

You won’t find more game in a small package than in Love Letter. The entire game comprises of just 16 cards, but you will play it a lot of times. It’s only for two to four players, but it’s best with three or four. The theme is really thin: you’re trying to get your love letter into the Princess’s hands by deflecting the other suitors. The way it works in reality, is with every player being dealt one of eight different cards. The person holding the highest value card at the end of the round, wins that round.

Where it gets clever is the way the cards interact with one another. The lowest value card, the guard, isn’t going to win you anything. But if you play its ability, and guess the card another player is holding, they’re out of the round. Another card lets you swap hands with another player, while yet another forces someone to discard their hand. One rule says if you discard the Princess ever, you lose. So by playing with cunning, and trying to guess what the others are holding, you can come up with some nice strategy.

Love Letter is awesome. Even if the romantic, renaissance theme doesn’t do it for you, give it a chance. The setting is so abstracted from what’s going on that even the staunchest of dyed-in-the-wool, bear-wrestling, muscle-car-eating, alpha males will enjoy it. There are some re-themed versions out, like Batman, Lord of the Rings, and even Cthulhu, but you’ll often pay through the nose for them, so don’t bother. Terrific hidden role fun with no confrontation.

5. Anomia (2010) ~£15

(Competitive)

Would you believe me if I said I was a wizard? No? Okay, how about I prove it to you. If I ask you to think of a breed of dog, I bet you can do that pretty easily. What if I tell you I can suddenly make you forget every breed of dog that’s ever existed? Along with every colour, book, food, and probably even your own name? The secret to my magic – Anomia!

Anomia is another of those super-simple games that takes a minute to explain and learn. Draw a card and flip it over. If the symbol on your card matches the symbol on the card in front of someone else, you have to name an example of the word written on their card. That word could be something like ‘Dog’, which sounds really easy, but the pressure of racing to be first somehow inhibits your ability to remember anything. That’s where the name of the game comes from. Anomia is the inability to recall words.

It plays between two and six players, but it’s best with four or five. Anomia is just hysterical, it’s absolutely brilliant. Watching your friends and family trying to wrestle their brains into working is so funny, and I’ve never met someone who didn’t enjoy playing. It works well with all ages too, but there might be the occasional word which younger players struggle with, like ‘Playwright’ for example. I’ll never not have a copy of Anomia with me when I go to a social gathering now, just in case.

Head to the next page for the next five games!

The post 10 Games For Your Non-Gamer Game Night appeared first on Punchboard.

Before I get into it, just a quick note to say that these are the games I enjoyed most in 2020. The year they were published is irrelevant. With that in mind, let’s get into it.

10. Targi (2012)

Targi came out a long time ago comparatively, but it’s really stood the test of time. It’s on the list because I really love how quick and easy it is to set-up and teach, and because there’s so much depth to the game.

A full, meaty little Euro game comprised of a few cards and pawns, and some cardboard tokens, it’s a much bigger game than its little box, and it’s a perfect two-player face-off game. Balancing collecting what you want against blocking your opponent is an artform. I would still recommend it to anyone with a regular player-two, and in fact I did – my colleague bought it over Christmas.

Read (and watch) the full review here.

9. The Red Cathedral (2020)

The Red Cathedral arrived late in the year, but I really fell in love with it. I’ve had time to think about why, since I wrote my review. I think I love how understated it is. It arrived without the fanfare of a big release, it’s a small box, and it hasn’t gotten a lot of love yet. I think it might more soon when fresh stock arrives, but for now, it’s not setting people’s lists on fire.

It’s beautifully made collect-and-deliver game, with a really unique dice rondel on the main board. It’s really easy to teach, there’s plenty of depth, and it doesn’t feel daunting to set-up and play on a weeknight. The solo mode plays a tight game and is ridiculously easy to run too. If you can pick it up in the next few months, I’d really recommend doing so. It’s cheap,, charming and great fun.

Read the full review here.

8. Merv (2020)

Another game that turned up late in the year (which, let’s face it, with Essen is always likely to happen), Merv is fantastic. It would probably have been higher up the list if I’d had the chance to play more three- and four-player games. It’s a great solo and two-player game, but I think it shines brightest with more people.

Merv is such a beautiful game to get on the table, and I think there’s a lot to be said for table presence with games. It just feels nice to sit in front of. It’s more than just a pretty face though, the game is solid, and like Targi up at number 10, it’s really quite interactive for a Euro game. Seeing the board develop over the course of the game is great, and it’s a nice change to have a big game without player boards. I like having everyone’s focus on the middle of the table.

Read the full review here.

7. Praga Caput Regni (2020)

Vladimir Suchy knows how to make a good game, and Praga Caput Regni is exactly that – a good game. It’s an excellent game in fact. Like Merv, it’s bright and colourful, and it’s got loads of depth. It’s quite confusing to look at at first, but once you’ve played it once you can quickly see what’s going on.

I love how there are loads of different things you can do on any turn, but there are so many variables that come into play with every one of those turns. Marginal advantages in the early rounds can snowball for good players, and it really does feel like every strategy can win, it’s just a question of who’s best at executing theirs.

It’s really hard to categorise Praga, as there’s no main mechanism like worker-placement or card-drafting. It’s all about action selection and making the most of your limited turns. It’s fantastic, and I can see myself playing it even more over the next year.

Read the full review here.

6. Nemo’s War: Second Edition (2017)

Nemo’s War is the only ‘designed for solo play’ game on this list, which surprised me as I chose the games. Lockdown last year meant I had to play a lot more solo games than I might have otherwise chosen, but this one was the one that stood out.

It’s a clever game of travelling the world as Jules Verne’s Captain Nemo, battling or evading the world’s navies, who are amassing above the waves. The game is driven by dice rolls, and clever use of chance and probability means that it’s a game that never feels like it’s completely driven by luck.

The presentation is immaculate throughout, thanks to the work of artist Ian O’Toole (also responsible for Merv above), and it adds so much to the game. If you enjoy the story and setting of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea, you will love this game. The addition on multiple motives for play is great too, Your choice at the start of the game will dictate how it gets scored at the end, and which actions you’ll be chasing or avoiding.

Taking the time to absorb myself in the story of my game, and weave my own narrative with a glass of whisky, was one of my stand-out moments from the year.

Read (and watch) the full review here.

5. Maracaibo (2019)

Maracaibo is the subject of plenty of debate, around which is Alexander Pfister’s best game. This and Great Western Trail are neck and neck for a lot of people, but Maracaibo edged it out for me in 2020. The addition of the automa opponent and a really good campaign mode made playing it solo a really rewarding, interesting thing.

If you’ve not played it, the game is about trading and gaining influence with the colonial powers in the 17th century Caribbean. Over the course of four rounds, players will sail around the islands trading, engaging in combat, exploring, and growing their crew. A deck of cards drive the game, and the way they can be used for three different things (buying for their power, trading, or turning in to complete quests) means lots of tricky decisions for players.

There’s an expansion coming this year, which I can’t wait to play, and I’ve got two or three more games to see out the rest of the campaign story. It’s a fantastic game which plays well at any number of players from one to four.

Read the full review here.

4. Teotihuacan: City Of Gods (2018)

Daniele Tascini has been turning out the ‘T’ games over the last few years (Tzolk’in, Trimegsitus, Tekhenu), and shows no sign of abating. Teotihuacan was my first, and I still really enjoy it. It’s a game about building the ancient Aztec city, its great pyramid, and the famous avenue of the dead.

The way that dice are used, but never as dice, is really good. As they move around the board, rondel-style, they ‘age’ and become more powerful when performing actions. When they die and ascend, they’re reincarnated as low-power workers, and take their place on the avenue of the dead.

Building and decorating the big pyramid in the middle of the board is really satisfying, and does a great job of engaging people with what is a heavy, and relatively dry Euro. That’s my idea of heaven, but it’s not for everyone. David Turczi’s solo mode is really good, a really tough opponent, but that’s to be expected, he makes some really good solitaire opponents.

Variable setup placement keeps the game fresh, and I’ll be picking up one or two of the expansions this year for sure.

Read the full review here.

3. Nusfjord (2017)

Nusfjord is a special game for me, so maybe there’s a bit of bias with it being this high up, I’m not sure. It’s the first heavy game I bought when I got properly back into the hobby this year, and quite honestly, I’ve enjoyed every game I’ve played.

It’s probably not mentioned in the same breath as Uwe Rosenberg’s more well-known titles like Agricola, A Feast For Odin or Caverna, but in my opinion it ought to be. It’s a worker-placement game, which is my favourite mechanism, and it features Uwe’s now-signature style of modular boards setup. It’s great, because it means you can make it fit to your table, whatever the size or shape.

Using all three decks included in the box means there’s loads of variety and replay value, and while it’s great fun just playing a game, the more I play it, the more I find that the campaign mode in the back of the rule book is the way it should be played. The solo mode is fantastic, the game is fast and fun, and like all the best Rosenberg games, you can learn it in one play and never need the rule book again. The man’s a genius, and this charming game of running a fishing village in Norway is a prime example of exactly that.

Read the full review here.

2. Paladins of the West Kingdom (2019)

There we are, the unmistakable combination of the artwork of Mihajlo Dimitrievski, and the Garphill Games logo in the corner. If anyone knows me, they probably expected one of these in here.

Paladins of the West Kingdom is an absolutely brilliant game, with its sort of worker-placement, sort of card-drafting, sort of market mechanics, and a really nice system that unashamedly and explicitly outlines the concepts we all hold dear in a good Euro; use black to increase red, use red to increase blue, use blue to increase black etc.

No choice is easy in Paladins, there’s so much you can do, and if you do it well, most tactics can win you the game, but the race to claim spots on the main board, or recruit townsfolk and outsiders makes it feel quite interactive. In a stark contrast to something like Merv, for example, your player board is where your focus is, and that’s reflected by the comparatively tiny main board in the middle of the table.

The solo mode, as with all the Shem Phillips games I’ve played, is really good, and really feels like playing a human opponent. More clever game design allows your automa opponent to have variable difficulty levels too, so it’s a great way to learn the ropes. Whether this is the West Kingdom game that makes it to next year’s list or not remains to be seen. I’m really enjoying VIscounts of the West Kingdom at the moment, but it’s early days.

Brilliant, brilliant game. I love it.

Read the full review here.

1. Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective: The Baker Street Irregulars (2020)

Well, well, well. Mister Heavy Euro chooses a number one which isn’t even a board game? What’s that all about? I’ll tell you what that’s all about. The Baker Street Irregulars is an absolutely incredible combination of brilliant writing, clever mysteries, and wonderful presentation.

If you’ve never experienced a SHCD game before, this is where to start. People who’ve played all four boxes available say this is the best, and I can see why. I’ve never played anything like it really. The game is entirely driven by you, the reader, the detective. You decide when you’ve amassed enough clues and think you have the solution to the mystery, so you dictate how long it takes, and how far down the rabbit hole you go.

Through a combination of a book for each chapter of the game (ten in total), a map of London, a copy of the Time newspaper from the day in question, and a directory of people and places, you set out to solve a mystery, and maybe a side-mystery at the same time. Choose where to go, who to talk to, collect evidence and clues, and then go to see Sherlock and see how your solution compared to his.

This game was a revelation to me during the first lockdown. It’s a fantastic way to unwind of an evening, settling into a chair with a notebook and pen, a glass of something strong, and getting thoroughly absorbed in 19th century Holmesian London. Some cases I did well on, some not-so-well, but every time I had a really fulfilling couple of hours of entertainment. You can play this as a group, but it works perfectly as a solo exercise too.

Dave Neale’s writing throughout is astounding. It really feels like it could have been part of the original stories. The illustrations are evocative and capture the atmosphere of the time, and the quality of everything in the box is top-notch. I love the subtle Easter eggs in there too. I’m a big fan of mystery stories, especially locked-room mysteries, and I had the biggest grin when I saw Dr Gideon Fell in the directory. He’s the star of a series of books by the master of locked-room, John Dickson-Carr.

Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective: The Baker Street Irregulars is an exceptional game, well deserving of my number one pick for the year, and I’d recommend it to you and anyone who’ll listen to me for two minutes. Whatever wins next year’s top ten has a high bar set for it.

Read the full review here.

Honourable Mentions

These games just missed out on the top ten, but are all great. They’re in no particular order, and linked to reviews where I’ve written them.

Watergate, Aeon’s End: Legacy, Spirit Island, Everdell, 6 Nimmt!, PARKS, Great Western Trail, Ganz Schon Clever, Bonfire, Terraforming Mars.

The post My Top Ten Games In 2020 appeared first on Punchboard.