Unplayed List - End of 2021

 Unplayed List - End of 2021

Consider this the post Imma use in order to game-shame myself for motivation in 2022. Here, I'll be listing all of the games on my shelf that I have not played by the end of 2021. Some of these I bought in the past couple of months and so are excusable. Some of them were purchased...well, not in the past few months. Like, a little while before that. Maybe a longer while than a little while. So a little bit of shame here might motivate me in the right direction, given my previously stated preference for being a gamer and not a collector. In addition to listing my unplayed games here, I will also talk a little bit about why they're still unplayed, as well as how eager (or not) I am to get them to the table.

Heads-up: this isn't for the faint of heart. I've got 30 games on this list I've not played before, which is...you know, a bunch. Not as many as a lot of people, I know. But again, for someone who prides myself on being a gamer more than a collector, this number isn't great.

The vast majority of them have been opened and punched, ready to play. I've played a couple of them solo in order to learn the rules, but until I've played it with other people, I don't count it as played. Solo just doesn't count for me personally. I definitely don't judge if you count it for yourself! Some of us are far happier and have more fun as solo gamers and that's completely valid.

• Nemesis, by Awaken Realms
• I haven't learned this one yet because I got it fairly recently. Probably about a month ago when I had enough store credit from Armada tournaments to buy a copy without actually buying a copy. I had heard really good things about it, it looks like fun, so I'm in! I've had the rulebook out for a hot minute, but since I wasn't focused on getting it to the table anytime soon, I simply haven't read the rules yet. But I imagine this one will be on the table in the next 3-6 months; Nemesis is sure to be played in 2022!
• Above and Below, by Red Raven Games
• Ever since pre-ordering Sleeping Gods, I've wanted to play Above and Below, as I'd heard of it several times before. When I learned that Above and Below was the first in a planned trilogy of games, my interest was piqued even further. This one kept getting bumped down my list because ultimately, I was more interested in playing the game because of its maker rather than the game itself. I planned on playing it twice, but it was never a high priority, and so we didn't get to it. However, this is one of those games that I have taught myself by playing solo. I only played several rounds to get the hang of it so I could teach it, but I liked what I saw! This will be an easy one to mark off my list in 2022.
• Near and Far, by Red Raven Games
• This is the second in the trilogy of games I mentioned above. I had read and heard it's even better than Above and Below, but I wasn't ready for just how different it was! Consider what I wrote above as applying to this game as well, including the fact that I learned the rules by playing several rounds solo. I really like it and look forward to getting it on the table! As I mentioned in my recap of Geekway to the West 2021, I am really looking forward to the release of Now or Never, the final game in the trilogy. So I absolutely have to play both of these games with other folks before I can play and appreciate Now or Never!
• Star Trek Ascendancy, by Gale Force 9
• Ah, Ascendancy. I got this on a good sale through Miniature Market because I've read it described as Twilight Imperium but set in the Star Trek universe. I bought it, opened it, read the rules, and shelved it. I saw a bunch of expansions, but only bought the Ferengi faction expansion because I think the Ferengi are delightful. I later read that this faction can really change the complexion of a game, so I feel as though my insight worked out well for me. I did end up buying the Borg expansion because it allows for the players to play against the board. I thought it would be a good way for me to really learn the rules on my own through play so that I could teach other people how to play it (as far as I know, nobody I game with knows how to play Ascendancy). I kinda started to unpack it, then got distracted, put the game up after several days of it sitting there, and just haven't returned to it.
  
  
  I want to play this in 2022, but I'm not certain it'll happen. I think if I played Twilight Imperium more frequently than I do, then it would be much more likely to hit the table in 2022. But since I already don't play TI that often at all, I don't know how likely it is that Ascendancy makes it to the table in 2022 without considerable effort, given that I know I want at least 4 players and it feels like the kind of game that'll eat up half a day.
• Watergate, by Frosted Games
• I've heard terrific things about this game and saw a 'dent n ding' copy over at Miniature Market, so given that discount, its reputation, and my alarming lack of 2 player games, I thought this was worth picking up. I opened it, punched it, and read the rules, and retained almost none of it. I am looking forward to playing this, but I'm not excited about it, persay. But because it's only a 2 player game, I'm certain I'll get to it in 2022. At some point, Roger and I will be sitting around, chatting, and decide to get something light to the table, and at some point, we'll land on this title.
• Hocus Pocus, by Ravensburger
• I can say with confidence that this game only makes it to the table in 2022 at someone else's behest. My wife's family loves Disney, and so it felt like a no-brainer to introduce them to Ravensburger's "Villainous." They dug it and we've played several times, whether on family vacation or on a holiday. So I saw Hocus Pocus at Target and thought it was a smart purchase in the wake of Villainous success. I think I bought it when it dropped in 2020, and we just haven't had a lot of family time during COVID. Hopefully, that changes in 2022! But while I enjoy Villainous enough to play it outside of family time, I suspect that the same cannot be said of Hocus Pocus. I look forward to getting this to the table, but I'm also not in a rush and don't feel bad if this doesn't get played anytime soon.
• Firefly: The Game, by Gale Force 9
• I will definitely be playing this one in 2022. I picked it up because I (incorrectly) thought that it was tough to find, so when I saw it, I snagged it. I never got into the show, so the IP doesn't really do anything for me. However, I had read about it being a terrific pick-up and deliver game, and since that's the game design space I'm currently occupying, I thought it was a decent pick-up. I feel good about this hitting the table in 2022. I do have one friend who absolutely loves the game, so if I can get him to the table at any point, I doubt Firefly will be a hard sell.
• Terraforming Mars, by Fryxgames
• I think it's unlikely I get to Terraforming Mars in 2022. I've heard it's a great game, I already own it, it's opened and such because my friend Clayton gave me a quick brief in how to play it, and so there's really no excuse for me not to get to this game. Except I'm just not in a rush. It sounds like a decent game and it looks nice, but nothing about it really draws me in except the promise that it's a good game. And I'm sure it is! One year is a lot of time in which to fit a game that most gamers would happily play with me! But if I'm being completely honest with myself, there just isn't a lot of motivation to get to it except that I *should* if I'm going to design games. That's literally why I own this game. So unless I end up in a similar design space or I hit some designer's block, I'm just unlikely to pull this off the shelf in 2022; there are more than enough games on my shelf that I'm excited to get to the table without forcing Terraforming Mars on myself, even though I really don't have anything against it!
• Caylus, by Ystari Games
• Oof. This one. I bought this one something like 7 years ago. No exaggeration. I remember being in Game Nite, looking around, and someone working there approached me and asked if I needed help. I mentioned how much I liked Puerto Rico, and his immediate response was that his favorite worker placement game was Caylus, a copy of which was on the shelf in front of me. We discussed it a little bit, but it really didn't take much to convince me that I wanted it. I bought it, brought it home, and read the rules. I didn't entirely follow, but figured I could work it out with whoever would play it with me. At the time, though, I hadn't really found a regular board gaming group in St. Louis. I knew a couple of people who said they played games, and I had my RPing group, with whom I played some board games! But I knew worker placement games weren't really in their wheelhouse. So it has sat on my shelf as I've accumulated other games around it, and it has kinda faded into the background at this point. I did break it out, read the rules a couple of times, punch everything and start to learn the game by playing on my own. But it quickly became clear to me that this is a game for which I need to watch a playthrough or two, and then I've got to make an effort to get it to the table. Because I want to finally get around to playing it, but I haven't been excited or felt any urgency to play it for quite some time. Likelihood of me playing it in 2022?
  
  
  
• Pendulum, by Stonemaier Games
• I'm not sure I'll get to this one in 2022. I saw it on sale for $20 or so and picked it up because it's a Stonemaier game and sounded different than anything else I owned. But everything I've heard about it is downside. It seems unlikely, given that even when I don't necessarily enjoy playing a Stonemaier game, that's more because it's not for me than it is that the game isn't good or worth playing. But it's certainly possible! I read through the rules and nothing about it really made me want to sit down and play right away. As I'm in no rush to play this one, I'll try to get to it in 2022 so I can decide if I'm keeping it or not, but I'm just not sure if it happens this upcoming year...
• Offshore, by Aporta Games
• I'm confident I'll be getting to this one in 2022. I was really attracted to this title by the notion that I'd have to work with other players to build oil platforms in a competitive game. So striking a balance while dealing with other players is key, and I want to see how that unfolds. Plus, someone on Dice Tower (it's been awhile, so I can't remember who) had praised it, and those two things combined were enough to convince me to buy it.
• With that said, though, my enthusiasm for the game wavered pretty hard as its drop date got pushed further and further back. I don't know why it did, and normally, I'm willing to give the benefit of the doubt. But after waiting so long for this title, I was feeling a little sour patch about it, so I sort of shelved it when it finally came in. So I still really want to play this! I just sort of illogically pushed it aside in my mind and didn't think much of it. So this is a definite yes in 2022.
• Death Angel, by Fantasy Flight Games
• I'm feeling good about finally getting to this one. It's an older game that's a little harder to get hands on. Never seemed like anything brilliant, just small and fun. I really enjoy Red November, so I thought this might be in that vein of "small and fun despite its flaws" games. The group I had in mind when I bought this is gathering in January, so I'm hopeful I can move this title off of my unplayed list in the next month.
• Dominant Species, by GMT Games
• It's a real long game with a really great reputation. I've been excited about this one, but it requires me to set aside time *specifically for this game* and I've just not done that yet. However, my buddy Chad really wants to get to this one, and since we're getting together regularly for design work, it's really a matter of time at this point. This one is a lock for 2022.
• Dominant Species Marine, by GMT Games
• It's said that this one is sleeker than its predecessor above. So Chad and I will play the original first and then Marine so we can compare and contrast. This one is also a lock for 2022.
• Sentinels of the Multiverse, by Greater Than Games
• Honestly, I think this one is unlikely to hit the table. Not for any other reason than this was a purchase of opportunity for reasons that no longer exist, so I'm not in a rush to get it to the table. I would *like* to play it, but I don't have anyone pushing to play it, I'm not designing any games anchored by decks of cards, and the game itself doesn't capture my interest. It's not on the chopping block, but I'm just not in a rush on this one.
• Oceans, by North Star Games
• I can say with confidence that I'll play this one in 2022. I enjoy Evolution for what it is, so I do want to get Oceans to the table. However, I've also learned from playing Evolution that this is a game I play when I know I'm playing other games. Why? Because I think it'll be a fun, decent game, but won't be very fulfilling for me if it's the only thing I play in a day or evening.
• Gentes, by Spielworxx
• Found this on sale and it sounded interesting. It's a pretty game! I think it lands in the middle of my priority list. I think the fate of this game in 2022 is entirely dependent on how much progress we make against COVID. If we start backsliding and it gets more difficult to game with other people (especially because my kiddo is still too young to get vaccinated), then Gentes almost certainly misses the 2022 cut. I also don't feel pressure to get this one to the table right away because I only got it two weeks ago.
• Sub Terra, by Inside the Box Board Games
• I can't honestly remember why I so adamantly sought this game. I just know that when my friend Josh found it at Atomic Empire in NC and offered to pick it up for me, I jumped at the chance. I still really want to play this! I just can't remember why I was hunting down a copy in the first place... Anyway, I'm confident I'll get this to the table in 2022.
• Unmatched: Cobble and Fog, by Mondo Games
• The best chance of my playing Unmatched in the new year is if my friends Ted and Roger are up for it and bring their own copies of the game with different characters to the table. It looks cool and comes highly recommended from someone I trust, so I still want to play it. It just took a backseat to so many other games in 2021, and it's at risk of doing so again next year...
• Blue Moon City, by CMON
• This is one I've played solo to learn the rules, and it certainly seems simple and straightforward enough. That said, it just didn't leap up and grab me; if it hits the table, then cool. But I'm not in a rush, I've got enough "palate cleanser" games, and so this one might just end up in the pile of games I ditch altogether...
• Dead Men Tell No Tales, by Minion Games
• I think this one is a bit of a coin flip. I read good things about it and since it's a pick-up and delivery game, I'm really looking closely at those right now. I got it for a deal, though, so I don't feel badly that it's been collecting dust over the past year. I think if I struggle with developing my own pick-up and deliver game, then I'll probably play this to jumpstart my process a bit. If I don't run into those roadblocks (or, at least, any crippling ones), then this is likely to stay on the shelf unless there's a special request to play it.
• Trickerion: Legends of Illusion, by Mindclash Games
• I think it might be time to call time of death on this one for me. It sounded cool, it looks interesting, but it's never come close to coming off my shelf after several years. This wasn't even a pandemic purchase. I can't even tell you why my interest waned as hard as it did! I just haven't heard anybody talking this game up, and I'm not the only one who has seen it on my shelf more than once and still passed it over as a choice. 2022 is the year I stop kidding myself and admit that I'm simply not going to play this game.
• UBoot, by PHALANX
• I already have plans to play this one in January! So I heard about this while listening to a Dice Tower Top 10 list (though I can't remember which one, now), and in this co-op, app-driven game, four players pilot a submarine through various missions. It sounds cool to me, but then someone (I think it's Tom) mentions that on the highest difficulty, when players speak too loudly to one another, the app picks it up and any enemies in the area know where your submarine is because you've made too much noise. And that was it for me: I was hooked on the notion. I picked up the game during the pandemic and haven't had the opportunity to play it, but I literally bought it for one specific group of gaming friends. We're meeting up in January, and so the moment has finally arrived. I cannot express how excited I am to get this to the table!
  Honestly, games like this usually stress me out more than anything else because they happen in real-time. But I am extremely excited for this one!
• The Shared Dream, by ODAM Publishing
• Pretty unlikely. I was drawn in by the premise of the game and it had a decent grade on BGG when I found it on sale. But I haven't thought about it in so long that I had forgotten I had lent it out! I'm pretty sure I lent it to Chad, and he returned it to me feeling kinda "meh" on it. I'm holding onto it because I would like to get to it at some point, but it's not pressing and I'm content with it on the back of my shelf for now. Maybe in 2023 or if someone desperately wants to play it before then?
• Final Hour, by Fantasy Flight Games
• I think this one is likely in 2022. I've got a lot of con and trip plans (fingers crossed that they happen in the face of COVID!), and Final Hour feels like one that travels decently well and isn't terribly involved. I don't think I'll love it or anything, but if it's a fun, light to medium game, that's enough to keep it on my shelf, given its small footprint.
• Sagrada, by Floodgate Games
• This one has been sitting in shrink since I found it on sale probably a year ago, and I really owe it to myself to make sure I play it. It's got a reputation as a good game, it's not very long or very heavy on the rules, and so I don't really have much excuse. It's been mostly out of sight, out of mind for me. But I really must insist to myself that this is finally coming to the table in 2022. If nothing else, the title and mechanics used make it something I *should* play as long as I'm a student of game design.
• Rising Sun, by CMON
• This is absolutely happening in 2022. It is extremely high on my priority list, and has only risen as I've continued working on painting the various monster minis that come with the game. I've been excited about this one since I bought it and while I'm kind of anxious about getting it to the table with only half the monsters (or less) painted, I really like what I'm reading about this game. I'm familiar enough with the rules that I'd feel comfortable teaching it, and I cannot wait to get this one to the table, even if I have to set aside a specific day for it!
• Almost Got 'Im, by Cryptozoic Entertainment
• This is another lock for 2022. I bought this on a whim I don't know how many years ago because it's based on one of the best Batman: The Animated Series episodes of all time. It's got a low rating on BGG, and it requires a higher player count, but this one is definitely getting played at least twice to finally try it out!
• Ex Libris, by Renegade Game Studios
• Yet another lock for 2022. I had this on my Wishlist with Miniature Market, but then found a copy when I visited Gather and Game in Buffalo, NY this past summer (terrific store; don't sleep on it if you're in the area!) and had to pick it up. I read the rules right away and it seemed like a fun time, so I'm looking forward to hitting it! I have prioritized other games ahead of it in the past several months, but this one is definitely getting played in 2022.
• Ecos: First Continent, by AEG
•  I think this one likely gets played, but I only just got it last week and it was a freebie for me, so I don't feel bad about having it sit more towards the lower middle end of my priority list. It looks like a ton of fun, so I'm looking forward to it! But I don't feel guilt about it yet, so that in and of itself ensures that it probably won't get played until I do feel guilt about it! But I'm pretty confident this will be on the table at some point out of sheer curiosity. It certainly sounds cool!
  

Hoo! Finally done! It's a lot, man, I'm not gonna lie. Lots of games to get to, and not really sure how I got this many on the shelf that I haven't played yet. I think it's a decent bet that a bunch of them were pandemic purchases. You know the ones: you're feeling crappy about the state of the world and feeling isolated and you're hopeful a purchase will bring you a little bit of joy. I'm sure I'm not the only one, but mine manifested in purchasing board games. So here we are. I'll make good use of this retail therapy, for sure! But still, I can absolutely identify some of these buys as being exactly what I described above.

And I'm just gonna have to give myself some grace for those purchases. If you've got them, you need to give yourself a little bit of grace too. It's not ideal for any of us, of course. But we all cope how we cope, and it's been another difficult year. Take care of yourself and not just the ones you love, because you deserve love and care too. You're valuable, you're valued, and I hope 2022 promises you the best! Happy New Year!