by SeerMagic
Here are my lists for the year. The only criteria I had, was "new to me". I mean no offense to anyone with the games I didn't like. Just because they didn't work for me, doesn't mean they won't work for someone else. I hope everyone can find games they love. Games are not getting cheaper either. Sometimes cost is a factor for me if I keep a game, it's not a factor for this list.2024 was a solid year for new to me games. I did go through like a 6 month period of no keeps, but once again I had a strong Q4. 2024 has been extremely challenging, as I got diagnosed with a rare disease that controls my entire life. I still haven't gotten to get gaming with my old group. I'm still hoping to do that after the holidays as cold weather should be more agreeable to me. I am thankful I have a weekly family group. One that my dad made fun of when we started, and now partakes in every week. There is games out there for everyone.
Also below you'll find my top 50 games of all time. Over a decade ago when I started, these lists were not super popular. They are super popular now, so if you take the time to check it out and/or comment I appreciate it. If not, I understand haha. Enough rambling, on with the lists.
My Top 50 Games of All-Time -- 2024 Edition
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We'll kick it off with the disappointments. These are games that didn't live up to my own hype I had for them. And certainly doesn't mean I think they are all bad games. Some of them are good.
#10
Cubitos
I love racing games. I love push your luck. And I like this designer. But I agree with Tom Vasel, it doesn't sound clunky, yet somehow it is. And the push your luck, wasn't that good. Often you wouldn't take low odds for a small gain. Almost all the busting just came from bad rolls with 6 or 7 dice. No one at the table liked it either.
:) Lots of variety
:) Good buy choices
:) Easier than it looks
:soblue: Clunkier than it should be
:soblue: Push your luck is mostly do the obvious instead
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#9
Thorgal: The Board Game
I thought I was getting a polyomino adventure game like runebound. What this is, is a coop puzzle polyomino euro game. A tightly wrapped one. These are things I greatly dislike. I don't think I own a single euro coop game.
I have no doubt some people will love this game. The polyomino stuff was really cool. The action system is interesting and unique. The rulebook though was a struggle like most portal game rulebooks. I'm sad this was a miss. Also sad I wasn't been able to sell my all in of this to back Speakeasy in time.
:D Polyomino combat system is cool
:) Polyomino adventure stuff worked well
:) Thorgal world seems pretty cool (and not generic)
:) Action system is very unique...
:soblue: But I would prefer it in a different type of game
:soblue: Tight euroy puzzle (a pro for some obviously)
:soblue: Which makes the theme disappear
:soblue: Another bad portal rulebook
:soblue: Takes up more table space than expected
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#8
HEXplore It: The Domain of Mirza Noctis
If someone told me this is their favorite game, I would totally understand that. There are parts we really liked. But constant looking things up and a few other things just left a bad taste. It's bizarre to play a game like this where it has a ton of randomness outside of combat and very little inside combat. We loved the theme, and messing around with character creation is fun. This is the kind of game I would love to play an app version. But it was a slog in physical form.
:D Theme
:) Cool character creation
:) Good adventure feel
:soblue: Combat feels off (too bloody?)
:soblue: Rules and game space are a beast
:soblue: Constant rule look ups
:gulp: Way too much swingy luck outside of combat
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#7
Bantam West
A lot of care went into this game, and we had some fun playing it. Length probably hurts it the most. But the theme does too. Despite the effort and look, the theme just isn't strong. A big part of the game is resource gathering. It's rather blah. The combat system is like fury of dracula 3rd edition. That combat system is fantastic. But it does not belong in this game. Because it can take awhile for 2 people to fight. The other players can only twiddle their thumbs. And upgrading your deck isn't a fun ramp up either.
The goal systems, and leveling up your gathering skills works great. I think Western Legends is better overall, but they do feel different.
:D Lots of gameplay options, simple set of actions
:D Mostly a really nice production (all in ks)
:) Some fun leveling up
:) Terrain stuff done really well
:) Good goal systems
:) Fights are fun when you are in them
:soblue: But go on too long when you are not
:soblue: Stealing feels cheap compared to doing pick up and deliver
:soblue: Skip the tutorial, it's unneeded and bad
:soblue: Most of the "advance" modules should just be always in
:gulp: Theme doesn't shine despite effort and look
:gulp::gulp: Dreadful downtime at times due to combat. Especially if you waited 5-10 minutes to take a 60 second turn
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#6
Unfathomable
A not surprising disappointment. As this is how how I expected a modern day FFG effort to go. They made improvements to BSG, they really did. Some of which I really liked. They also do what they do with their all their games now, and streamlined it. And they made the same mistake they make with their games now, they didn't shorten the game length when they streamlined it.
If this was a 2 hour game, it would have been a slam dunk. It's a damn shame. They could have just done roles 1 time, start you in lower resources and more threat out the gate. And this would have been a hit.
:D Some improvements over BSG
:) In particular, the items, monster stuff, icons on all mythos cards
:) I also liked everyone has their own traitor power
:) Cylon leader from BSG is simplified into a cool core role
:) Look of the board, and monsters are cool
:) I wish bsg centurions worked like the deep ones onboard the ship
:soblue: Uninteresting ancient dice chucking (and felt like more than bsg)
:soblue: Like all FFG games, all decks felt way too thin
:soblue: Only a few different powers in each deck
:soblue: Mostly do the obvious on your turn due to lack of options
:soblue: Annoyingly small cards
:soblue: Severe lack of artwork
:gulp::gulp: Way too long for what it is. Should have been 1/2 the length
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#5
Dune: Imperium – Uprising
Even before another game came along and fired Dune Imperium, we were done with uprising. There was just too many things we find meh or flat out don't like.
Spies are an unnecessary addition that just allows everyone to go where they want late game, destroying the core of what makes worker placement great. This also greatly devalues the previous expansions spy mechanics, which I felt where much better. Worms are OP. Last 3rd of the game everyone is sitting on a pile of spice and cash. It's not fun or interesting. Neither is the little loop you do to get these. The new combat deck is a miss twice. More people limping in for the stronger 2nd place rewards. And the icon matching is yet another unnecessary addition that just wasn't needed or fun. The liked idea behind contracts and they had potential, but it's yet another unnecessary addition that isn't fun or interesting. The new board I'm mixed on. I don't like some of the switches they made. The new city council and swordmaster changes are fantastic though. I do like a lot of the new buy cards, and some of the leaders.
Overall this doesn't touch base game imperium with expansions.
:) New board has some wonderful tweaks
:) A lot of the new intrigue cards and buy cards can be used on old DI
:) New rival system works great for 2 players (haven't played solo)
:) Some fun new leaders
:soblue: Spies are lame, I preferred the old ones
:soblue: Contracts a good idea that doesn't pan out for more fun
:soblue: New combat deck misses twice, with icon matching and bigger 2nd player rewards
:gulp: Too much card draw
:gulp: Worms OP
:gulp: Last 1/3 everyone has piles of resources, ruining the tighter economy of the original.
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#4
Wondrous Creatures
I heard someone call this game Everdale + pokemon, that's totally correct. Sadly for me, I hated Everdale. I didn't hate this, but I didn't love it either. It's weird. I love the art. The worker placement is unique and cool. All the systems work well (well not eggs). Yet I didn't find it much fun at all. Mostly tedious to do boring combos. Sad, it's such a pretty eye catching game. I'm sure this game will be on people's top 10 lists at the end of the year, just wasn't for me.
:D Fantastic and charming creatures
:) Wonderful bits
:) Unique worker placement system with a changing board
:) Great graphic design, with icons and text
:) End game trigger also felt different
:soblue: Lackluster egg system
:soblue: Boring dry point combos
:soblue: Different card size/quality for expansions
:soblue: Lame set collection in game goals, for every game
:soblue: Likely has the same problem I have with all games like this, runaway leader who makes the best combo the fastest
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#3
Video Game Champion
A fun theme that design decisions sucked the fun right out of it. They did a great job on the games, goals, drafting, cheat codes, magazines. It all works great. That all that quickly fades. The money is way too tight for this kind of game. As is the IOU system. This game is the first I think I've ever played, that has you collect something, then discard due to an overly tight storing limit, then use them for your turn. It's so unfun to have to discard tiles. There is a reason games check limits on resources/hand size at the end of turn, not right after you collect. So bad. And you can't really work on mutliple things at once, which kills it's cool drafting system.
Not a bad game, but could have been a great one.
:D Theme
:) Playing games through poker hands works great
:) I like how the magazines work
:) Drafting system is cool...
:soblue: But made way less interesting by such a tight tile limit
:soblue: Made more unfun by constant IOUs
:soblue: Made more unfun by such tight economy
:soblue: Having to discard before using stuff instead of end of turn is just a bad mechanic
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#2
Sleeping Gods: Distant Skies
Compared to the original, this was 2 steps forward and 1 big step back. I had several issues with the originals mechanics. I am happy to report they are all fixed. I love the gameplay. How the card systems work, the combat (I could play a whole game based of it), stamina system, movement, skill system. It's all improved.
I would have never guessed the story would be the worst part of this game. Outside it's initial setup and start. It's been dreadfully dull. This is probably the most boring adventure game I've played to date. It's just boring fetch quest stuff. Every now and then you get some cool god stuff. But even when we get a new interesting character, or we think things are picking up. They are not. I don't know why there needs to be so many resources. It's fiddly and annoying. I can't recall how you score "points" in the original, but the way you do here is not good.
:D Many gameplay improvements over the original
:D Great combat systems
:) Wandering encounters
:) Tough skill upgrade decisions
:) I like how you get all your adventure cards on a rest
:) Only 5 characters this time (much better than 9)...
:soblue: But you have to annoyingly pass one around (and their cards/tokens)
:soblue: A game like this doesn't need this many different resources
:soblue: How you get "points" is lame and dull
:soblue: Why are synergy and wound tokens the same color and similar shape?
:gulp::gulp: Very boring story, with dull side quests
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#1
Andromeda's Edge
I think the gameplay is improved in a few areas over Dwellings. And I like scifi WAY MORE than fantasy. I'd rather play Dwellings. So how can that be? Set up and tear down. And so many production nitpicks that I am more bald than I began the day. And it lacks theme.
The gameplay is good. Very good tableau building. Lots of fun factions to play as with cool abilities. I love the raiders minis and some of their mechanics. It's exciting to get ship upgrades... or well it was at first. The combat is slog, and the stakes are incredibly low. Yet there is so much combat. I've never played a game with so much combat and such little stakes. Maybe that's a dream for euro gamers who hate conflict. For us, I'd rather play any other area control game with combat in my collection.
Set up is the worse of any game I own. The theme in dwellings was much stronger. The modules here feel sterile, where you won't even read the names of the cards after a bit. Dwellings it was always fun to flip a card over and see thematically what it did. Putting the game up is super annoying too due to poor insert design (particularly the modules).
I am very happy I played this game though. I hated Dwellings combat but now I understand and appreciate what it's doing in that game. I don't think that would have happened without this game (and now dwellings is a favorite). Though it would have been nice if my #1 wishlist game was a smashing success.
:D Amazing Raider minis, and I like how they work mechanically
:D Worker placement mixed with area control is fantastic
:D Making your own worker placement spots is still really neat
:) Different workers/ships +upgrades is fun
:) Solid graphic design throughout
:) Lots of different factions that certainly play different
:) Tableau building and recall system is fun (though time consuming)
:) Good event system
:) A few of the game trayz are awesome...
:soblue: And some are terrible
:soblue: And insert pieces can't even hold the game right (especially if you travel with it)
:soblue: Tracks are lackluster, as is the scoring
:soblue: Nethervoid is OP as written (don't allow targeting/cards)
:gulp: Big turn order advantage, offset is a joke
:gulp: Uneven number of turns furthers this problem
:gulp: Combat works but isn't much fun...
:gulp::gulp: Made worse with the fact it's extremely low stakes, yet there is a ton of it
:gulp::gulp: Horrific set up and tear down time, makes the whole thing not worth it for me
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My Worst Games of the year. I hope everyone loves the games they pay their hard earn money for. I love the hobby is so big now there is something for everyone. These where not for me. Every year someone tells me how dumb I am for something on this list. Worst games does not mean I rate them all a 1 or a 2. These are just the games I enjoyed the least out of everything I PLAYED. And I do a lot of research before getting games these days. And I think games have generally gotten much better. That means this list of games are much better than the same list would be 10 years ago.
#10
Ready Set Bet
Horse racing is all the rage where I live. I have friends who gamble the ponies often. I like the designer. I did not think this was good. I did have some fun playing it, and I would play it again. But you gotta sit through a good chunk of the race before you can really make any informed decisions. Someone doing the rolling is DREADFUL. Use the app. But you will place your bets (mostly do the obvious), and just hope it works out with very little control.
I pretty much enjoy all other racing games I've played with some gambling in them (like our favorite downforce).
:) Does basic betting well enough
:) End of races are fun
:) Picking powers between each race adds some decisions
:) App is great, and IMO required
:soblue: Heavily luck based
:soblue: Mostly due the obvious
:gulp: Not using the app sucks
:gulp: Gotta wait 1/2 the race before you can make informed decisions
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#9
Great Western Trail: Argentina
It's the same game but with a few new added wrinkles that didn't add any fun to the game. Just more table space and rules. A sequel should improve on a game, and I really don't think this did at all. And it's 2024, heavy iconography games should never come without player aids.
:) Still a good mix of different strategies to take
:) Duel layer boards
:) Good movement/building system
:) The new boat system could have been cool
:soblue: But ends up just being a fiddly table hog that doesn't add much
:soblue: Uneven production
:soblue: No player aids
:soblue: Different board routes are mostly unused like base game
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#8
Dominant Species: Marine
I think the mechanics are strong in this game. I love the worker placement stuff. I've seen it in 2 games now, and it's fantastic. Yet this game is not fun. First off it's themeless. If feels like these cubs could be anything. It feels slow, especially for an area control game. And it's way too easy to disrupt others if you can figure what they are up to. Slow, boring and not rewarding is how all of us felt about it.
:D Fantastic worker placement mechanics
:) It's pretty easy to understand for a heavy game
:) Event cards are cool
:soblue: Doesn't feel like it's theme
:soblue: Slow
:gulp: Boring
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#7
Federation
About 1/2 in I realized what this game is, a complex roll & write with worker placement. I like roll & writes, but not this kind. Where you are all racing on different tracks. I don't find fun in dipping toes in a bunch of tracks to create bonus actions to into other tracks. I don't enjoy having to figure out exactly what my opponent is going to do at all times. Eurobore tracks are one of my least favorite mechanics. And one of my most hated, just buying victory points.
So it's just a lot of things I don't like. The worker placement sounded really neat, I didn't find it that neat. Not for me.
:) Theme
:) Colorful
:) Unique take on worker placement...
:soblue: That didn't grab me like I was hoping
:soblue: The non planet tracks where uninteresting
:soblue: Racing/combing requires heavily paying attention to opponents
:gulp: Roll & Write combo-ing of actions I don't ever enjoy
:gulp: Straight buying points is one of my most hated things in games
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#6
Dune: War for Arrakis
I did not like this game. Plenty of people are loving it, so I think it's just a case of a game being not for me.
I feel like you are moving around the map so slow, just to have dice chucking combat. And it's so swingy. You could roll all hits, or all defense, or nothing. The leader abilities are so lame. Most are just an extra hit or a defense... how exciting. I did like the action system, and how the leaders boost those spots. The card play was fine, though where is the artwork? The win condition seemed cooler on paper than in practice.
This game does not touch star wars rebellion. SW:R has a more interesting goal for each side. Way better leader and combat systems. And while this is thematic to dune, I would much rather play Dune Imperium for my Dune fix.
:) Good action system
:) I like how leaders upgrade actions
:) Thematic to dune
:soblue: Leaders in combat have really lame abilities
:soblue: Sandworm tokens are a complete luckfest
:gulp::gulp: Unfun swingy dice combat. And that's pretty much the whole game.
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#5
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Destinies
This game made my best of list a few years ago. Since then I tracked down all the expansions and bling for it. The first few plays of this were amazing. Then each play got less and less fun. The storytelling is the problem. It's the blind leading the blind, trying to figure out what's happening.
I think the dice system works great. I do not like the theme. Even trying the other boxes, didn't really do it for me. The witches one was alright. So theme + blind exploration and story just ruined it.
:) Competitive story adventure game
:) Exploring new tiles is fun
:) Dice system is unique and simple
:) App works great
:soblue: Way too small minis. Makes finding what you need a pain
:soblue: Reorganizing the game afterwards is a bit of a pain too
:gulp: Theme
:gulp::gulp: Blind leading the blind story
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#4
Bad Company
I love the theme and the heist mechanics, car chase. However it makes a huge mistake. The whole point of these space base like games is the numbers that are rolled less, have bigger payouts. This game, a 7 and an 11 payout the same. This just kills it for me. IMO they missed what makes the upgrading in those games fun. Too bad, liked everything else.
:) Theme
:) Heist and car chase works well
:) Low amount of rules so easy to play
:soblue: Needed more powers in the deck
:soblue: No turn offset and unequal number of turns
:gulp::gulp: Payouts being the same on common numbers and rare numbers kills the whole point of what makes the space base like games interesting
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#3
Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra
I get this series makes a good gateway, but I don't understand why gamers play this with gamers. The drafting isn't interesting, the placement isn't interesting, the scoring isn't interesting. The most interesting thing in this version is choosing when to skip your turn. That's right. If choosing to skip your turn is the most interesting decision in a game something isn't right.
If I made a top 10 "I don't understand why this is popular" list, this would be on it.
:) It's pretty
:) It's easy to teach
:soblue: Blah drafting that is beloved for some reason I don't see
:soblue: Boring scoring and placement
:gulp: Skipping your turn is the most interesting decision
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#2
Riftforce
I was not expecting to HATE this game. Everything I don't like, especially in a filler. Little pinging back and forth non stop, with fiddly damage tokens. Constant fiddly movement, with having to pull them out of rows with tokens. All for the most boring abilities on earth. There is nothing surprising or exciting about this game. Worse game I've played in awhile that functionally works.
:) Mixing of different elements at the start
:soblue: Annoying score system
:gulp: Fiddly damage tokens
:gulp: Fiddly movement
:gulp: Boring and repetitive gameplay
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#1
The Warriors: Come Out to Play
My dad absolutely loves the warriors. It was sad to see his excitement to play a board game of it, get sucked out in no time. This is one of the worst games I've ever played. It starts with the difficulty, which was so ridiculously easy I kept checking the rulebook. Only 1 of us failed 1 combat roll all game. But even if it was hard, it's not fun. Collect cards, to play to roll a few dice for high number. The auto wounds when using weapons. The movement track that gives you no punishment for going slow. The fiddly reputation tracks. Everything was so bad.
:soblue: No reason to not take your time (other than to hurry up so you can play something else)
:gulp: Extremely dated unfun combat
:gulp: Laughable easy
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Next up is surprises. In some cases there where games I didn't really know. Some I expected too little of, etc. These are not in order of how much I like the game, but instead in order of how much of a surprise they were.
#10
Empire's End
This is a gamers version of No Thanks. And it works really well. It's not one you want to play a lot, because it is very punishing. But it's feels different than other games, which is always welcomed when you've played a few thousand.
:) Gamers "no thanks"
:) Feels unique
:) Tough decisions
:!block: Punishing. Won't be for everyone
:soblue: I would hate to not have the wooden upgrade pieces
:soblue: Move cards around as punishment sometimes is helpful instead
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#9
Wyrmspan
I was someone who didn't love or hate wingspan. I didn't think much about it at all after playing it once. Online I thought the graphic design of this game was ugly and a mess, but in person it worked very well. Dragon theme works well enough, though I would have preferred a pokemon like theme or something more. I really liked the rondel mechanic. Goal system works good. All the dragons are different, but I was sad to see so many similar or samey abilities. Still there is a good amount of them.
I was not expecting to like this as much as I did, and everyone else liked it too. I would like to play Raising Robots to see which I like better.
:) Easy to follow action system and icons
:) Lots of variety in the box
:) Dragon theme works well
:) Provides strategy and tactics
:) Great game length
:soblue: Resource components suck
:soblue: Point production at the end of a row seems lame
:soblue: Too many samey abilities
:soblue: A good deal of luck with the display and card draw
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#8
Duffers
This set on the shelf for years. I finally decided to bust it out. Imagine my surprise that it's one of the best golf games I've played. It does have some negatives. Biggest being that more expensive cards always provide more money for buying cards. This kills any kind of creative buying and card balance. You will always want the most expensive cards, especially early in the game. And that sucks, I dunno why they didn't balance this out more.
The game itself is very fun. There is plenty to consider. And for a standard kind of deckbuilder, it has some cool mechanics. You get permanent powers that stay in front of you. You also get a caddy, which lets you save a card until you want to use it. And it a stroke of genius, you level up this mechanic as you play. And just that mechanic raises it above a lot of simple deckbuilders. I also like how you get rewards for trying to do holes before others. And the holes themselves have powers and such. Also there is a luck mechanic if you want to engage in that.
:D Caddy mechanic is fantastic
:) For a simple deckbuilder, offers more than others
:) Lots of fun cards, and even a fun luck mechanic
:) Good humor and some strong thematic cards
:) You actually keep track of strokes like real golf. So just because you can finish a hole, doesn't mean you want to.
:soblue: Everyone needs another putter in their deck to start
:soblue: Long and slow start (fixed by official variants)
:soblue: I'd hate to play this without the playmat
:gulp: Expensive cards always provide more money
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#7
Ra
A classic I've always wanted to play. I honestly thought I wouldn't like it. As I'm not much on the designer's other games and this one is so old. But it's a good time. Wooden version is awesome, but I let it go. I do want to pick up the retail version.
:D Simple but clever bidding systems
:) It looks nice
:) Very easy to understand
:soblue: But the rulebook is lacking and we couldn't find simple rule questions
:soblue: Way too many of the most of tile. Wish it has a few that were more interesting or unique
:gulp: Wooden edition is too pricey for a simple game like is
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#6
Set & Match
This game is super simple, yet totally nails Tennis. It feels like tennis and is so fun to play. I had the XL version, but it was slightly too big for my table. This is much harder than the nice version. Still very fun. If I ever get a slightly bigger table though, I will probably get the XL version again. Great game either way. Best tennis one on the market.
:D :D Super thematic while being super simple
:D The disc moves with ease that it doesn't require hard flicking
:) Built in ace system works so well
:) XL version is nice
:soblue: But too expensive
:soblue: Regular version is harder than XL
:gulp: XL version is too big
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#5
Marvel Dice Throne
This one is kind of a cheat for my list. I've played regular dice throne. And I think I had a 2 player set of marvel and played it last year. I've never been a fan of dice throne. But for whatever reason, I'm having more fun with it each play. I got this for the Missions game, but it's seen steady plays while we wait for it. Good filler.
:) Nice production and graphic design
:) Great player boards and aids, easy to get playing
:) Charming artwork
:soblue: It's an expensive filler game
:soblue: Way too many shared cards
:soblue: Why is this a dueling game
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#4
I never even thought of a coop poker game. I certainly didn't think one would work. But it does. It does really need 4 or 5 players though.
:) Somehow they made coop texas hold em
:) Nice poker chips for a cheap game
:) Plays fast
:) And is super easy to understand if you know texas hold em
:) Rule changing cards are a lot of fun
:soblue: But there isn't enough of them
:soblue: I'm not a fan of their poker deck design
:soblue: Rules give you no difficulty settings for player count, and player count greatly effects difficulty.
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#3
Dwellings of Eldervale: Oracle Hex Tile
The first promo to ever make these lists. That's how big of a game changer this singular tile is for the game of Dwellings. We all know the best thing about dwellings is getting the tableau cards and custom building your own worker spots. Without this tile, doing that speeds up the game. It's completely at odds with itself. This totally fixes that. Now you can have really cool tableaus without ending the fun early. Now 6 dwellings will be the usual end game trigger.
You don't have to take my word for it. If you don't have this, you can proxy it. Just flip over a tile your not using and include it in setup. Best promo ever probably.
:D Fixes end game trigger
:D Allows you to have bigger and funner tableaus
:soblue: Hard to get
:soblue: Rules not clear (you do include it in setup)
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#2
Season Ticket Baseball
I've said for years strato is a sinking ship. It finally sunk. And this was the clear winner for us. The biggest pro is how fast it is, how easy the baserunning advancements are (seriously it's WAY better and easier than other games), and how many manager options it gives. You can pitch around batters, hit to the right side, all kinds of cool things. It's the fastest baseball sim on the market while also giving you the most manager options.
My biggest complaint is how inaccurate it is with split stats. If you only care about overall stats, this won't be a con to you. But it's VERY common to see lefty pitchers with a split of .100avg/325avg have far more hits allowed against lefties. It makes no sense whatsoever. Runs are up, which means ERA is up. In particularly with relievers. Since they only get their card 1/3 of the time, lights out relievers can and often do bad in this game.
We've already came up with a house rule to help the reliever issue, and it was designer approved. Which is always great. We'll see how it does this season when it comes out. And oh yeah, it usually comes out 2nd 1/2 of December. Way before strato gets here.
:D More manager options than other baseball games
:D Plays faster than other baseball games
:D Baked in running results/options greatly speeds up play and ease of play
:D Easily the best fatigue system I've seen in a game
:) Ballpark system and homefield advantage (and player power ratings)
:) Tons of rare plays
:) Great bunting and stealing systems
:) Cool injury system
:) Overthrows, pickoffs, etc baked right in
:soblue: PnP purchases are a tad high (and doesn't have combined cards)
:soblue: No Fast Action Deck for solo play (though it does have a auto manager system that seems cool)
:soblue: Basestealing system great for AI, bad for humans
:soblue: Not enough variety in pitcher and hitter charts, which makes them feel somewhat samey.
:gulp: Stats for pitchers inaccurate, particularly relievers
:gulp::gulp: Highly inaccurate split stats
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#1
Cyberpunk 2077: Gangs of Night City
This had to be my #1, because it's the most I've ever changed my mind on a game. I played it when it was on TTS during the kickstarter, and HATED it. We took a chance on a sale just because my brother and I love Cyberpunk so much. And it far exceeded my expectations. The ks stuff really helps. The theme certainly helps. But having the right expectations is the biggest thing. It looks like a giant bloody area control game. It's not. It's a tight euro game about action timing. Super happy with it.
:D :D Cyberpunk 2077
:D Fun and not bloody combat
:D Plenty of variety in the KS all in
:) Simple and clean action system
:) 3 unique types of units boost theme and mechanics
:) My favorite minis from CMON to date
:) And best designed KS stuff from CMON
:) Clearly made by people who love the video game
:) 10 different gangs, with small but important differences
:) Around 50 unique edgerunners with unique powers
:) Lots of scenarios
:) 2 simple KS modules are great (taxi and med team)
:) Vehicle expansion integrates smooth, and is a cool addition
:) Combat card upgrade system is tough choices that greatly effect strategy and tactics
:soblue: But the combat deck should have been twice the size
:soblue: Fake made up characters while missing some from the game
:soblue: Families and Outcasts should only be used at 4 and 5 players
:soblue: Restrictive use of side gigs expansion
:soblue: Set collection part of the game underwhelms and feels out of place
:soblue: No goal systems (outside scenario stuff)
:soblue: Needed instructions on what is, scenario only components
:soblue: Both the player aid and the board spot doesn't show the combat upgrade cost (causing players to forget)
:soblue: Losing combat is valid strategy I never enjoy in games (but makes sense here)
:soblue: Bad vehicle rule that is unfun and you have to play around (easy houserule fix)
:gulp::gulp: Retail version is missing a great deal of the content. I think more than the usual from CMON. I sadly recommend against it
:!block: Game isn't what people what expect from looking at it. It's not a 4 hour epic bloody area control game. It's a euro game (with card combat) about action timing
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Here is the top 10 of the year. And unlike previous pandemic years, most of these games got several plays.
#10
Comic Hunters
A hyped up dice tower game that actually lived up to the hype. I enjoy the draft mechanics. Usually I don't like set collection but it works great here. And surprisingly, I think this would be one of my dad's favorite games of the year.
:) Original marvel comics artwork is awesome
:) Different draft mechanics work great
:) A touch of variety play to play
:soblue: I'm sick of avengers
:soblue: Very poor tokens
:soblue: Variety icon shows 2, when you need 3
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#9
Bardwood Grove
The theme of this game is different. How it does deckbuilding also feels different and doesn't have the usual problems (cluttered deck, starting cards sucking, very little decision making when playing your hand). I think they did a great job on both. And I still haven't seen a chunk of the content as it has hidden boxes. The theme is refreshing. No fighting even though it has monsters. Instead you sooth them with sweet melodies. I like how the different resources work. I like what's been in the unlock boxes so far. And the one use powers in the expansion work pretty well too. The characters all play pretty different.
The board is a bit lackluster. Movement isn't as interesting as it should be. The board has many repeated location abilities. I wish it was more unique and movement mattered a little more. I do like how the market system works. I like how the end game goals come out too. The production is awesome, if you have the all in. I would dislike having to play this game without the upgraded resources and metal coins, they look great and are easy to grab.
:D Theme
:D Feels different than other games
:) Characters feel different
:) It's a peaceful game
:) Deckbuilding mechanics avoid the usual problems
:) Unlock boxes are fun
:) Upgraded resources and metal coins are awesome
:) Expansion characters and one use powers are great
:soblue: 5th player is nonsense, 4 only with veterans
:soblue: I like the events, don't like the system they have for them
:soblue: Board design and movement is lackluster
:soblue: A lot of music terms for resources and dials can make learning challenging
:soblue: No player aids for unlocked stuff
:soblue: Base game doesn't even fit back into the box all the way with insert
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#8
Wonderland's War
Wonderland's War: Shards of Madness
I think this is one of the best little expansions for a game all time. It improves on one of the weaker aspects of the base game (shards) that I would never play without it. Even with new people. New forge is better. Just great additions. I double sided sleeved my cards, so I can mix base game and expansion ones together. Which also works really well.
:) Makes good use of the underused shard system
:) Lots of new wonderlandian powers
:soblue: Fixed Jabberwolk and Mad Hatter were only an addon
:soblue: As was the player color ring bases
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#7
Ticket to Ride Legacy: Legends of the West
We are 8 games into our campaign. And I have the strong feeling when we get done this will be plenty replayable. And it will fire all other ticket to rides. Part of that is much better scoring. But the other part is having less colors. It has such a wonderful effect on every part of the game.
:D New scoring system is so much better
:D Less colors makes for a more interesting and less frustrating game
:) Event system is something we didn't know we were missing
:) I really like the board colors/graphic design, it pops
:) Unlocks have all been good
:soblue: None have blown our minds like other legacy games
:soblue: Story stuff is just kind of there instead of being great
:soblue: Feels like the box is bigger than needed
:soblue: I was expecting deluxe trains like the anniversary editions, instead of just the bright colored toy ones
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#6
Clank! Legacy: Acquisitions Incorporated
We are almost to the end, I think we only have 3 or 4 games to go. I wasn't much on regular clank. A few new systems and great humor go a long way.
:D Contract system is a wonderful addition
:) It's a pretty board that's easy to read
:) The humor is legit
:):soblue: Legacy stuff works great, but hasn't really thrown sunrises at us like other legacy games I've played
:soblue: Expansions don't work with it
:soblue: Rulebook not that clear, maybe it assumes you know clank very well
:soblue: Box seems bigger than needed
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#5
YINSH
This game is a masterpiece. Easily one of the best abstract games I've ever played. I believe this is the first one in the series I've tried, I'm certainly going to check out other ones. My uncle was equally impressed. This is a forever keep.
:D Simple yet very thinky
:) Nice pieces
:) No set starting spaces
:) Good scoring/catch up mechanic
:soblue: Wish there was other colors. Like a blue/red set. Sick of abstract games always being white/black.
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#4
Legends of Void
So this game is Terraforming Mars core, with more built on to it while fixing things. I don't like Terraforming Mars. I liked what it was trying to do, but I had issues. This is a much better game. The learning curve is higher, the setup is brutal. Once you get over that learning hump, it plays smooth and fair. And maybe most surprising, it's very thematic. By the end of the game, your tableau tells a story of your character. I love it when games do that.
Best change they made is getting rid of the horrible track restrictions of cards, that can make you draw/draft dead in terraforming mars often. Card draw is mostly all gone except for digging out of the discard pile. There is now a spacial element, as you hero moves on the map and controls where you put out tiles. They also get their own actions to gather resources from the board. Helping you get stuff when you really need it. The board is made up of 6 random tiles, out of 8 double sided ones, making variety fantastic. You get a hero and a faction, and their powers are stronger than what I remember from Terraforming Mars. The special resources you put on cards, have been broken down to 3 types. Making the ability to combo them easier.
And their world here is really cool, it is not generic. In fact we liked it so much, I picked up their other game in the same universe.
:D Very thematic
:D Artwork
:D A crazy amount of variety
:) Many improvements over terraforming mars
:) Random board system
:) Blessings
:) Iconography and text on every card
:) Has cards you draft that start in play
:) 2 different player aids work great
:!block: 2nd print run added colors on cards for beginner game cards. Might be a factor if you go looking for the game
:soblue: Wooden resource tokens look too similar in low light
:soblue: 2:1 dark crystal resource conversion not on player board
:soblue: Steep learning curve if unfamiliar with terraforming mars
:soblue: Plays long/slow until you got all the rules down
:soblue: Rulebook unclear on a few things
:soblue: Table hog
:soblue: Some card text is hard to read
:gulp: Brutal setup, with no quick reference
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#3
Trick Shot (Second Edition)
They took a really good game and made it one of the best sports games on the market. It does run a little long, but it moves like a chess match while having fantastic push your luck. This is a forever keep and I don't watch hockey.
:D :D Pulls off highly tactical movement with dice push your luck
:D :D Is exciting and tense
:D Fantastic painted minis
:D Tons of unique powers and arenas
:) 2nd edition has small but very impactful changes
:) New faceoff cards are great
:!block: Is long, especially while learning
:!block: Not always hockey accurate (more time spent at center ice, virtually none behind the goal).
:soblue: No player aids
:soblue: Board has graphic design issues (clock location, red stands)
:soblue: I would have preferred team sheets over pulling cards
:soblue: Experience players have a big advantage over newbies
:soblue: Fighting rules feel weird (in that you beat yourself up)
:gulp: Stamina tokens are still problematic
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#2
Adventure Realms
With the expansions, this game FIRES Dune Imperium. I like the theme more. I like the starting decks and starting leaders more. I like the "combat" more. I like the graphic design more. And I think the buy deck is more interesting. It is expensive and the tokens suck, but it was pretty easy to pimp it out. I can't wait for more stuff that is coming for it.
w/expansions
:D Theme and artwork
:D Wonderful combat system
:) Very fun leaders
:) Sets up pretty fast even with expansions
:) Starter cards not as sucky as most games
:) Tons of heroes and adventure cards
:) Clean and not fiddly
:) Time track is cool...
:soblue: But needs way more cards. Also needs more treasures.
:soblue: Corruption track cards are not colorblind friendly
:soblue: Too easy to get extra worker
:soblue: Losses a bit of the epic feel Dune Imperium has with expansions
:soblue: A handful of direct take that cards (easy to remove)
:gulp: Expensive
:gulp: Really bad tokens (but easy to replace and bling)
:!block: Base game is 80% Dune Imperium clone
:!block: Expansions feel pretty necessary
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#1
Cyberpunk 2077: Gangs of Night City
I broke my own rule of not listing a game twice. This had to be the biggest surprise, and it also had to be my game of the year. It sucks so many are sleeping on it. And it sucks it's just dead at retail. Usually CMON ks stuff is just bloat, that's not the case here. The expansion stuff feels like it was built in from the start. I can't wait to play it more, I want to be playing it right now.
:D :D Cyberpunk 2077
:D Fun and not bloody combat
:D Plenty of variety in the KS all in
:) Simple and clean action system
:) 3 unique types of units boost theme and mechanics
:) My favorite minis from CMON to date
:) And best designed KS stuff from CMON
:) Clearly made by people who love the video game
:) 10 different gangs, with small but important differences
:) Around 50 unique edgerunners with unique powers
:) Lots of scenarios
:) 2 simple KS modules are great (taxi and med team)
:) Vehicle expansion integrates smooth, and is a cool addition
:) Combat card upgrade system is tough choices that greatly effect strategy and tactics
:soblue: But the combat deck should have been twice the size
:soblue: Fake made up characters while missing some from the game
:soblue: Families and Outcasts should only be used at 4 and 5 players
:soblue: Restrictive use of side gigs expansion
:soblue: Set collection part of the game underwhelms and feels out of place
:soblue: No goal systems (outside scenario stuff)
:soblue: Needed instructions on what is, scenario only components
:soblue: Both the player aid and the board spot doesn't show the combat upgrade cost (causing players to forget)
:soblue: Losing combat is valid strategy I never enjoy in games (but makes sense here)
:soblue: Bad vehicle rule that is unfun and you have to play around (easy houserule fix)
:gulp::gulp: Retail version is missing a great deal of the content. I think more than the usual from CMON. I sadly recommend against it
:!block: Game isn't what people what expect from looking at it. It's not a 4 hour epic bloody area control game. It's a euro game (with card combat) about action timing
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FINAL THOUGHTS
A pretty good year for new to me games. If you are new to my ramblings, you might think it's odd I say negative things about the games I love. My goal is to be fair and honest with all the games I play, even if I love them. That doesn't mean I have a negative opinion towards games or I'm a stick in the mud to game with. I'm often the one smiling, joking and laughing the most during games.
If you are wondering where some of the biggest games of the year are, well it's likely I haven't played them. I have a huge list of stuff I want to play that came out this year. I have several piles of shame to play in front of me. I keep my gaming budget in a bubble, so it can be hard to play everything cool.
What did you play that you love? Is there a game you think I should check out?
All the games I've played and my thoughts.
All The Games I've Played.
:meeple::meeple::meeple::meeple: PLAY WHAT YOU LOVE! :meeple::meeple::meeple::meeple: