My Top 10 Games (as of 2021)
X. Eldritch Horror
This game just sorta keeps hanging onto my list, despite the fact that the more I play it, the less I think of it as a game that I enjoy as opposed to a Choose Your Own Adventure I enjoy experiencing. I say that because this game is so, so swingy owing to its dependence on card draws and dice results. I've been up only to have a card draw erase one of our solved Mystery cards, a second card draw leave us all hobbled and without equipment, and then bad dice rolls eliminated any thoughts we had of a comeback. Conversely, I spent a lot of time warning some new players to the game that Eldritch Horror is a real tough game, that they shouldn't be discouraged by losing, and that it was more about the narrative than anything else. Sure enough, we won that game against a moderately difficult Great Old One (GOO) by something ridiculous like round 3 or 4. With 6 or 7 players. Happy for the win, frustrated that it literally all broke our way, thus making the game insanely easy. So when I break out Eldritch Horror, I break it out for the narrative experience: which GOO against which Investigators, which awful monsters arrive, which Mysteries need to be solved, etc. I almost have more fun setting up the game with its various components than playing it through (much like how my favorite part of any fantasy sport is the draft rather than the season).
IX. Descent: Journeys in the Dark (2nd Edition)
I have had and played this game for years. For almost 5 years now, maybe? I can't remember exactly how long, but it's been awhile. And I still just love it. It's not a priority to hit the table anymore simply because I've played every paper campaign, I've played through nearly everything in the app multiple times, and I've explored nearly every nook and cranny of the game over that time. There was also a solid stretch where this was sort of all I played when getting together with two different groups of friends. There is a seemingly endless combination of heroes and classes that can be played with anywhere from 2-4 players. There's so much to explore, and the app really maintains that by presenting players not just with campaigns, but with endless trials and random puzzles spread out over 6 levels that are selected from something like 50 possibilities. There are a couple of design flaws, to be sure. And those were mostly addressed with Imperial Assault. But despite it being a little older now and being surpassed by stronger game designs out there, Descent will always be a game of which I'm very fond, and so it has yet to be supplanted on my Top 10 list.
VIII. Boss Monster
This game, y'all. This game. I don't know why it is that everyone tires of this game before I do, but that seems to be the pattern. I've got all sorts of expansions that need to hit the table! I find this game fits a couple of roles on my game table: it's a good palate cleanser, it can be played while catching up on conversation, it's great for wind-up or wind-down games, and if you play a couple in a row, you get a narrative going between games. I also like that the entire table can turn on a leader or a winner, and that's just the way the game goes. I love the theme and art, and I really like the mechanics of building a dungeon. I literally bring this game with me to EVERY GAMING WEEKEND I ATTEND.
VII. Power Grid
This game was one of the early loves in my boardgame career, and has retained my affection throughout the years. I don't think it's the best at what it does anymore, but I really enjoy the aesthetic and the gameplay. I'm especially fond of the fact that this is a game wherein I've still yet to see it played with no lead changes from start to finish. I always tell newcomers to this game that while the goal of the game is to build X number of generators and be able to power them all to win the game, the crux of the game is identifying the moment at which a player should jump into the lead and then sprint to the end. Jump too early, and the game's "safety mechanics" kick in, letting the other players get the drop on you by buying up the resources you need or building where you want to build. Wait too long, and you've simply missed your window and will be beaten to the endgame. I still think it can be really enjoyable to watch someone mastermind 4 builds in a single turn with EXACTLY enough money and resources to win the game.
VI. Twilight Imperium
This one fluctuates on my list the most just because of the commitment it requires. I need to have the time available and I need a specific type of group of players. I know, I know: I'm needy when it comes to this game. Here's the thing - I really enjoy the heck out of this game, and that's usually true whether win, lose, or draw. But I will also be the first to say that I don't do well with whiners. Dice don't go your way? People ganged up or betrayed you or wouldn't deal with you "for no good reason?" Your corner of the sky isn't as good as that of other folks? You are playing a 4X (Explore, Expand, Exploit, Exterminate) game created by Fantasy Flight Games; people 👏 are 👏 going 👏 to 👏 get 👏 screwed 👏. This is the reality we've chosen for ourselves by playing this game. I have way more sympathy for a player's first game, but after that, I've got very little if any at all.
Anyway, it's quite a testament to my friends and gaming buddies that I've played this several times now! I like the asymmetry, the different paths to victory, and I like negotiating around the table. It's one of, I think, the few 4X games I want to keep coming back to.
V. Beyond the Sun
I simply cannot say enough about this game. I don't know if it's because my expectations weren't so high or what, but I think it's just a really clean, fun game. The design is slick, the shared tech tree is a lot of fun, and while there are always choices (especially as the game goes on), I rarely find that those choices or the game induce analysis paralysis. The components of the game are solid while the aesthetic is, again, just very clean and simple. This is one of the few boardgames that I feel received just as much hype as it deserves.
IV. Root
The first time I played Root, I thought it was cool, but didn't feel the need to buy it. I knew we must have misunderstood and misplayed some stuff, but I couldn't begin to guess what that stuff might have been. I was much more sold on Vast. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I learned that there was a Root app. And since I wasn't getting in any gaming time, I thought it was worth a shot. At that point, I was hooked. The tutorials taught me all the things I was missing about the game and I really came to appreciate its design. I love the look, the components, and the creativity of the design. I can't call it elegant or slick, because I don't think it's either of those things. I think it can often be clunky without at least one person who understands and can explain EVERY faction in play, and I think the dice can wreck even the most sound and well-executed strategies. But I think the asymmetry of it all is just so creatively and thoughtfully designed that I cannot help but admire and enjoy it.
Needless to say, I now own Root and all of its expansions and components (except the HUGE plastic or acrylic or whatever clearing markers; one component I just can't get behind).
III. Everdell
I owe quite the debt of gratitude to my friend Chad. I give that man a ton of crap, but he has introduced me to a lot of games I might not have otherwise discovered. Everdell is one of them. It's a delightful worker placement game that features beautiful components, lovely artwork, and many different paths to winning. Plus, I have really come to appreciate the fact that everybody always has something to do, because players can progress through the season at different speeds. In fact, there are times when stalling your change of seasons is a great strategy, and times when moving it along so that you get to the next season before the other players is the best tactic you could have implemented. It's such thoughtful design. And the expansions are all modular, but each brings something new to the table. When you play with an expansion, it really changes the feel of Everdell to reflect the expansion you've incorporated without losing the core game. This is one of the very few games in which I don't even tire of playing the solo mode!
II. Star Wars Armada
I play so much Armada that I can understand my wife's surprise when I told her it wasn't my favorite game. Some of y'all might be surprised too, given how frequently I post about Star Wars Armada! So how is it that I play Armada and post about it so often, but I don't consider it my number one favorite game?
It really comes down to the niche in my gaming needs that it fills. I like a lot of different types of games. But I learned that I've got a big need for a competitive, customizable 2 player game. I used to play Magic: the Gathering and Pokémon when I was younger. I liked playing Super Smash Brothers and Heroes of Might and Magic (II, III, and V, to be specific). It was always about playing a game in which my specific strategies could pay off by defeating another player. And it wasn't always customizable, but it seems pretty close when I look back. I like having an idea, and then tinkering with it until it works just as I envision, then challenging myself to beat other people with it. I've learned that only became more true as I got older, because I fell HARD for the Conquest LCG.
I think Armada is a lot of fun, well-designed (especially using defense tokens instead of defense dice, thus removing some more chance from the equation of battle), and the minis mostly look great. But the reason it ranks so high on my own list is because the community is stellar and because it scratches my itch to keep building and tweaking machines, then trying to prove their worth in competitive events that foster a meta that changes regularly.
I. Spirit Island
I just adore everything about this game. It checks all the boxes for me: it's gorgeous, its replayability is through the roof, it's asymmetrical, it's challenging, each game tells a story, and it requires so much of my focus that any work-related thoughts are put on hold for as long as I'm playing. I never tire of this game and much like Armada, I think of it often. There are a lot of factors to consider while playing as well as a lot of planning needed to win, so this game rewards good tactics and good strategy. But there are a variety of strategies that can win the day, too. Overall, I just can't say enough about this game. I know it's got a lot going on at once, and so it's not a game for everyone. Honestly, that and the fact that it tends to run on the longer side are the only reasons I don't play this game at least weekly!
Commonalities:
- They all tell stories between their theme and the varied play from game to game.
- Most of them are competitive.
- They all boast depth that requires tactical thinking, so I can be proud of a winning strategy.
The only reason Oath: Chronicles of Empire and Exile didn't make the list is because I haven't gotten to play it yet, and it's driving me mad! But I'm certain after learning about it, watching, and reading the rules again and again, that even if I don't love the game for all that it is, I'm certain I will love the story it tells over time.
I talk about some of these games more in my Game Review or Game Introduction sections. If they're not there yet, trust me: they will be!
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