Power Grid, Isle of Skye, Raiders of the North Sea, Targi, Burgle Bros 1 & 2, Jamaica, Summoner Wars, Circle the Wagons, Sprawlopolis, The Networks, Roam, Artifacts Inc, Ex Libris, Castles of Mad King Ludwig, Dice Town, Fantasy Realms, Gold West, Hawaii, Lost Ruins of Arnak, Yspahan, Exit, Unlock...
Betrayal at House on the Hill needs all the love. With the expansion, you have 100 seperate scenarios that never play exactly the same. Add in the spooky vibes and eventual "betreyal"... *chef's kiss*
Picking a favorite board game is like picking a favorite child - it depends on the day 🤣. In all seriousness, I have several that I classify as favorites. Those include Ark Nova, Castles of Burgundy, Orleans, Marvel Champions, and Nemesis.
Having played it again this week for the first time in a few months, absolutely Calico. It’s STUNNING, crunchy yet somehow relaxing. I have so much fun every time I play
I think it has to be A Feast for Odin for me. Despite the length (3+ hours), it doesn't feel like there's any downtime because there's so much to think about and puzzle over when it's not your turn. It only gets more interesting the more I play it.
Board Game of Thrones for me. It's so stressful, every turn is make or break, but it's so perfectly weighted around the fulcrum of building and betraying alliances that I keep coming back.
omg it’s the best, it’s maybe my favorite expansion ever? I would never play it without it after getting it (even on first plays). Really feels more like a 2.0 where they cleaned stuff up and smoothed out the whole game. The first Dune Imperium expansion also felt like that to me
I got it in one box with a custom 3D printed insert I printed! And yea I’m often the same? Sometimes they just add complexity, but really great ones actually streamline the game like this imo
Such a difficult question! I have too many i truly love. So recently 2player sky team, deckbuilder aeons end, r&w three sisters, experts ark nova and barrage,…….and so many more🫣
Castles of Burgundy because my wife will play it with me. The Crew because my parents will. But the best experience I've had has got to be Pandemic Legacy with a consistent group of friends
Nemesis. It’s not for everyone and you need to set expectations of what you’re getting into, but when it hits it sings and leaves me with some of my most memorable gaming stories.
Same feeling on this one. Highly competitive players wanting a "balanced game" will be disappointed at the random exploration. If you want a thematic, narrative experience with memorable (ridiculous) twists, it's the best game ever!
Arkham horror 3rd edition. I went to visit my parents for four days and my dad and I played from 8am till 11 every dang day with breaks for food. Good good times. Also talesman holds a nostalgic place in my heart
Happy Little Dinosaurs has been a favorite of mine recently because how fast my SO (not a big gamer) and I (big gamer) can get thru games without getting lost in the rules.
Space Alert was my favorite the last time I ranked them! It’s so hard to pick a favorite though since they’re all dependent on who’s playing and what we feel like.
It changes over time...but... If it qualifies, Sentinels of the Multiverse (Definitive Edition) is a current obsession. LOVE that game! (But it IS mostly cards.)
Otherwise, probably Dead of Winter - the co-op and betrayal zombie survival game.
Cartographers 🧭
Love all the variety with different maps and different scoring cards.
Plus, it's just so dang satisfying to create a map with colored pencils!
Depends on the genre and the experience I want. Friday is a great solo game, Skull is a good simple bluffing game, Arkham Horror lcg is a good adventure game, Santorini is a great 1-on-1 whatever game, Bling Bling Gemstone for a dexterity game, and so many others.
Currently I can’t stop thinking about Tend. But I can’t get away from my love from the joy it is to play Dune Imperium every time. Completely different games but both make me crazy happy.
You play several rounds of drafting and playing cards, some to upgrade your clan, some for end of round scoring, and some to boost your clan during fights. The art and table presence are really cool, and you can get amazing card combos (if your fellow players aren't careful).
I've long considered Merchant of Venus to be my favorite but I've not played it in 10 years to know if that's still the case. So Eclipse can be my proxy.
I was going to play Merchant this year after a several year hiatus. When I reread the real book, I realized how random the endgame scoring can be. So I ended up selling it. Eclipse however is always a favorite.
I tried going back to it a couple years ago but had trouble parsing the 2 different 'versions', I like elements from both. I have Xia on my shelf of shame that has the chance to fill that need for space truckin'.
I got to play Xia once and it was a blast. The only issue was one player had a deadly spaceship and spent most of the game just blowing us up and we spent most of the game running away from him. But the thematics and open world style play was great.
Tough to pick, but going with Terraforming Mars - have played it probably hundreds of times now and it's never grown stale, especially with expansions, and the new random milestones/awards that have been added means it's going to stay fresh with my gaming group for a good while longer.
Lost Ruins of Arnak. I love the theme and how it's integrated into the game, but I also equally love the optimization and timing puzzle of trying stringing out your rounds as long as possible.
I really like Alhambra. The spatial awareness, the choice of different money to collect, the frustration when someone else takes what you were saving up for… it just works for me.
Currently the Jaws boardgame by Ravensburger. A really fun 2 part game for up to 4 ppl. Both parts can be played independently. Doesn't take too long to play the full game. And someone gets to play the shark.
Absolutely the same for me. Me and one group have more or less cracked it, but it really does require frequent playing, which is just not practical at all!
Disney Villainous - I just love that all the characters have different goals and rules. I sometimes just play by myself with three diff characters. Loads of fun and strategy building
It changes a lot depending on my mood or what I've been playing... but I will almost never say no to a game of Cosmic Encounter. I will say that Thunder Road: Vendetta is inching up there though
Gloomhaven was my first and opened the whole world of games and miniatures up for me. So many memories of exploring with my now-wife during Covid. Then, roping two more friends into Jaws of the Lion and now Crimson Scales!
My favorite is most DEFINITELY Dice Throne 🎲👑 I love all the characters they have to choose from and and everyone I've introduced it to agree that its the best 😄
There's not just one, but I have many favourites for different situations:
Twilight Imperium 4 for those grand, once-a-year gaming events; Brass Birmingham if I'm in the mood for a heavy Euro; Concordia for some light fun; and Codenames for party-game situations.
In no particular order, my top dozen: Wyrmspan, Wingspan, Ark Nova, Botany, Obsession, Merchants of the Dark Road, Viticulture, Lands of the Mesozoic, Scythe, Tang Garden, Earth, Ticket to Ride
Such a tricky question! My favorites change all the time, but I've had wonderful experiences with games like Boggle, Happy Salmon, Wavelength, Pandemic and more!
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Agricola
Hansa Teutonica
Dune (1979)
Recently acquired Namiji, and it is fun as well.
Tapestry
Forest Shuffle
Meadow
A Gentle Rain
After that - any of the @leder.games
Lately it's been a lot of Looney Ludo.
So maybe Azul is my favorite game!
Some hot new entrants are Dead Reckoning, Container and Age of Steam.
Solo: Imperium (Classics/Legends/Horizon)
2p: Watergate or 7 Wonders Duel
Multi: Inis
Party: Bohnanza, Wavelength, Wilmot's Warehouse
Clue
Trivial Pursuit
some other HMs in no particular order: Heat, Taverns of Tiefenthal, Libertalia, Clank!, calico and arnak!
Serenissima
Illuminati
Strat-O-Matic Baseball
Eurorails
Example: My Scout getting destroyed. 😆
https://www.plotweavergame.com
Sentinels of the Multiverse
Eldritch Horror
Lost Ruins of Arnak
Tichu
...to name a few
Also, Munchkin is peak and always a favorite
Otherwise, probably Dead of Winter - the co-op and betrayal zombie survival game.
Love all the variety with different maps and different scoring cards.
Plus, it's just so dang satisfying to create a map with colored pencils!
Magic the Gathering
Blood Rage
Beyond the Sun
Forgotten Waters
Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood of Venice
Pax Pamir
🥰
Fun card drafting (and hate-drafting) each round, area control, and some interesting ways to get victory points.... including the Loki Strategy: https://www.skeletoncodemachine.com/p/losing-on-purpose-with-the-loki-strategy
1. Blood Rage (2015)
2. John Company: Second Edition (2021)
3. Black Rose Wars: Rebirth (2023)
Honorable mention to Ankh: Gods of Egypt (2021).
But personally, I love social deduction games like Coup and Bang! etc
Ark Nova
Although Lost Cities comes a close second.
Carcassonne I learned to play thanks to my ex, and we spent many evenings with the game
Pyramido is a childhood favorite I still love
Mole in the hole I also played a lot with my big sister as a kid
Pandemic
Secret Hitler
Alt Monopolies (National Parks is tops)
Backgammon
Dominion (if card games like that count)
Camel Up
And a classic....Sorry!
Board games aren't just about me. They are about us.
Spirit Island, I meant Spirit Island!
Twilight Imperium 4 for those grand, once-a-year gaming events; Brass Birmingham if I'm in the mood for a heavy Euro; Concordia for some light fun; and Codenames for party-game situations.
Memorized all the faction rules by heart so I can teach this game to others 😆
Last Friday(Legally Distinct, and totally not Jason)
And Fury of Dracula.
If anyone knows any other hidden moment games, let me know!
P.S. I know of Letters From Whitechapel before anyone suggests that.
I must check it out. It sounds cool, just by the title!