My Top Ten Favorite Board Games (late 2017)

Tastes constantly evolve, so as I mentioned in my previous versions, I intend to periodically revise my top ten games to see how things change and share any new games that have impressed me.

Ground rules:

• This reflects my favorite things to play. I love everything on this list. Order is pure personal preference and whole list HIGHLY subject to change and reshuffling, as ten is a small number to cover all the great games I’ve played and something’s bound to be missing.
• Narrowing things down to just ten games is always difficult. Some games have been replaced here simply because of other games that suit my current tastes (and those of my group) just a little more. Blueprints, Euphoria, Mysterium, and The Duke are all still fantastic games well worth seeking out / trying.
• Expansions I have are considered with the base game and won’t be listed separately.
• The write-ups for reappearing games were changed only as needed.
• Links to further reviews included as available.

 

Outside Looking In:

Here are some honorable mentions of games I’ve enjoyed that very well could make this list as I play them in the future: Ars Alchemia, Magic Maze, Near and Far, Ravens of Thri Sahashri, Trickerion, Yokohama, and many more…

 

10. Viticulture

The debut game from Stonemaier, which instantly made them one of my favorite publishers. Beautifully realized worker placement game that is just completely infused with the unlikely theme of winemaking. The Tuscany expansion adds several great aspects that make it even more amazing, and the game scales incredibly well and feels like the same game no matter the player count. As usual with Stonemaier the production quality is absolutely unreal, with individually shaped building pieces and gorgeous art elevating the immersion.

 

 

 

9. Yamatai

Yamatai is a great area claiming game that’s reasonably accessible yet achieves significant depth due to modular setup, the variety of action choices available, and needing to properly exploit boats/resources placed by opponents. There are a lot of  -interesting choices every single turn and subtle underlying strategy and tactics to experiment with. I’ve played two and three players and the dynamics were quite different while still retaining the same feel and appeal. This is a fantastic new addition to my collection.

 

8. Castles of Burgundy 

Castles of Burgundy  is a wonderfully unique, and it shines in the unusual way uses dice to determine both which tiles a player can buy and which purchased tiles can be placed on their personal player boards. There are a lot of “moving parts” and things to keep track of, but it’s all logically laid out and intuitive once you get the hang of it. There’s tons of replayability and different viable strategies, even before considering the numerous different player boards available. I fall more and more in love with this game each time I play.

 

 

7. Scythe

Scythe definitely has a learning curve and is Stonemaier’s heaviest game yet, but I was pretty well acclimated after a single game and I adore the way it comes together. This is a unique game that won’t necessarily appeal to all fans of Jamey’s other offerings, but players who can take it for what it is and enjoy adapting to (somewhat) constantly changing situations and balancing needed actions with required currencies will find a thoroughly enjoyable (and quite possibly addictive) experience here. Extra praise is deserved for a great included solo player variant that captures the same feel as the “regular” game. If I had more opponents up for this and thus more opportunities to play it would likely be ranked even higher.

 

 

6. Ghost Stories

Fantastic co-op game that’s fairly easy to teach but has a lot of variation and depth. Best on its own or with Ghost Moon (Black Secret has fallen flat with my group so far). Notorious for its difficulty, but we’ve found it challenging rather than frustrating. The changing board, player powers and enemy cards make every game significantly different, which greatly aids its longevity. It’s also great to have a go to co-op game on hand, as many of my “non-gamer” friends have really enjoyed trying something that has them working with, rather than against, the rest of the group. I played a LOT of excellent co-ops lately that are nipping at Ghost Stories’ heels, but for now this is still the standard bearer for the genre.

 

5. Hanamikoji

Hanamikoji‘s gameplay design is phenomenal. A selection of four specific actions, all of which must be used eventually, determine how cards must be played in attempting to play more matching “gifts” for each central geisha card on your side of the table. The depth and brilliance of the game come from actions that involve picking several cards from your hand, of which your opponent then gets to choose some for themselves. You can essentially only ever guarantee a single card in your hand each round is going to count for your own scoring, and the psychology and  strategy of picking what options to give your opponent are vexing in the best possible way. This is quick, surprisingly deep, and addictive.

 

4. La Citta

La Citta is over fifteen years old and feels so timeless and classic I’m actually surprised it’s not older. Wonderfully thematic game that combines tile laying and resource management as players try to build the most attractive cities and lure the greatest population (the game’s victory points) to them. Details like needing water sources to grow beyond a certain point, having to produce enough food to feed your population, and a changing priority system signifying what people value most in their cities each round make this a fantastically deep, balanced game.

 

 

2. (tie) TIME Stories

 

The best part of T.I.M.E Stories is how engaging it is. The sense of foreboding and immersion, as well as the depth of gameplay, achieved with just a deck of various cards is INCREDIBLE. The artwork and graphic design are both exquisite and work in tandem to fulfill both functional and thematic demands perfectly. We were completely invested on surviving the game and completing our mission, and extremely intrigued with the mysterious happenings we were thrown into. It really felt like we were exploring and investigating, which again is amazing given everything is represented by and explained on cards. The puzzles and situations are appropriately challenging without being impossible, and it all further enhances a strong core story that has some great twists.

This really comes together brilliantly and blew me away in all aspects of design, immersion, and fun, as evidenced by the fact that it actually tied my previously clear cut favorite game of all time…

 

 

2. (tie) Princes of Florence

For the first time in a great many years I’m not only ranking something equal to Princes of Florence, I’m ranking something else higher. But make no mistake, it’s still the bar for me in terms of design and longevity.

It incorporates what’s usually one of my least favorite mechanics (the auction) in a quick and enjoyable way that enhances the balance of differing strategies greatly. At any point if an opponent’s strategy seems to be working too well, the others players need to be making them pay more for the needed components. The way the different elements that can be purchased and used come together is wonderful and allows deep and varied gameplay. The combination of resource management, strategic choices and maximizing opportunities is just perfect and I could (and probably will) play this a million times.

 

1. Tragedy Looper

 

Here’s the juggernaut that finally toppled Princes from it’s perch atop my favorite games. Tragedy Looper is unlike anything else I’ve played and I absolutely adore both the atmosphere and the way its core mechanics combine mystery elements with those of a logic puzzle. It’s somewhat of a tough game to get your mind around, given unusual mechanics and a non-trivial learning curve, but once you do it’s a great mystery game (a genre that’s underrepresented and hard to do well).  It’s asymmetric, with players who are time traveling and trying to prevent a tragedy, and a gamemaster that is trying to stop them. There are limitations on possible actions based on the scenario and various stats of the characters being controlled, which is where clues about what has happened and how to prevent it come from. It requires the right group of players, but is highly enjoyable once you’ve found them.

 

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And that’s it for this time. Will be interesting to track how this list changes in the future. What are everyone else’s current favorites?