Top Ten Games - 2018

I have put together my top 10 games for 2018. Note that these are games that I have played for the first time in 2018, not necessarily games that were released in 2018. With all the games that I already have, I got another 29 games plus expansions last year. Some were gifts, some were purchased at the thrift stores, and most were new.

The new games were: Axis & Allies & Zombies, Batman Miniatures Arkham Campaign, Blitz Bowl, Broken Legions, Deathwatch: Overkill, Domination, Downforce, Downforce: Danger Circuit, Dracula’s America: Shadow of the West: Hunting Grounds, Firefly Adventures: Brigands and Browncoats, Gaslands, Get The MacGuffin, Godzilla: Kaiju World Wars, Highlander board game, Last Days: Zombie Apocalypse, Poseidon’s Warriors, Santorini: Golden Fleece, Space Marine Adventures: Labyrinth of the Necrons, The Horus Heresy: The Burning of Prospero, Through the Desert, Unspeakable Words, Zombies!!! 14: Space Bites, Zombies!!! 15: Another One Bites the Dust.

The ones I picked up not new were: Bommerz over da Sulphur River, Forbidden Island, Lawmen of the Old West, Take the Train, Tetris Dual, Tetris Link.


A lot of these did not hit the table this year. Some games from previous years were finally played.

Games that I played for the first time that did not make my list were:


14 – Dutch Blitz – seems very reminiscent to G’Nertz or Nertz. I like the idea that it can play 4 people but it seems like a bit more confusing compared to the original.

13 - Iron Man 2: Game of War - really doesn’t seem like there is much to this one. I didn’t pay much so didn’t expect much but it only seems a little bit better albeit much quicker than classic War.

12 – Patchwork – This plays okay but is only for two players. I wasn’t impressed with my first play of it. I may need another play to see if I’m missing something.

11 – Tetris Dual – it is basically an electronic version of two-player Tetris Link with a modified scoring. Tetris Link does it better. It also loses a few points as the sound effects cannot be turned off.


10 – Sleeping Princesses – A simple game for kids. There is a bit more to it to keep adults somewhat entertained.

9 – Monopoly Hotels – Not a great game but kind of a neat little filler. The hotels are a bit overproduced but they do look nice. Only for two players.

8 – Queendomino – A bit fiddly to pick up for the first play. The scoring is a bit involved. But once you get the hang of it, it plays pretty well.

7 – Neopets – Adventures in Neopia – a simple kid’s game with a bunch of minigames, some random, some dexterity.

6 – KUUDUK – a deceptively simple card game. It looks like it comes from the 70s but there is something there. It can play with a larger number of players.

5 – Battleship Express – a nice variation which does away with the grids and pegs and uses dice. It allows to up to 4 players and has two levels of play.

4 – Veritas – It seems pretty simple enough once you get a few rounds in. But once the monasteries start burning, a runaway leader can easily occur.

3 – Super Mario Bros. Power Up Card Game – nice in that it can handle up to 8 players. We tried it with 3 but found that there was not a lot of gameplay. We tried again with 5 players and found that it really sings with the extra people. One of them mentioned that it is similar to Chase the Ace but with added powers.

2 – Tetris Link – A vertical linking game. It is quick and scales well from 2 to 4 players. Easy to pick up and explain.

1 – Downforce – It’s has the extra complexity of betting layered on to Daytona 500. It also has rules for a more streamlined version without the auction or betting that plays well with new or younger players.

Books read September to December 2018

Sept
Ty’s Tricks: Home repair secrets plus cheap and easy projects to transform any room by Ty Pennington
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
The Mighty Aztecs by Gene S Stuart
The Incredible Incas and Their Timeless Land by Loren McIntyre
Robotech Art 1: The Official Guide to the Robotech Universe by Kay Reynolds and Ardith Carlton

Oct
40K: Crusade of Fire by Andrew Kenrick
Crimson Slaughter (6th edition) by The Games Workshop Design Studio
Blood Bowl – Death Zone Season One! By Games Workshop LTD
40K: Shield of Baal: Exterminatus by The Games Workshop Design Studio

Nov
Blood Bowl – The Inaugural Blood Bowl Almanac by Games Workshop Ltd
Disney-Pixar: The Art of Cars 2 by Ben Queen with Karen Paik

Dec
The Greatest Comeback by Patrick J Buchanan
Inside the Magic Kingdom: Seven Keys to Disney’s Success by Tom Connellan
The Antiques Roadshow – A Celebration of the first 21 years by Fiona Malcolm
Ship Modeling from Stem to Stern by Milton Roth
Based on a True Story (A Memoir) by Norm Macdonald
Lady Parts by Andrea Martin
Wildflower by Drew Barrymore

Figure Painting Total December and 2018

I did get more figures in December especially at Christmas. Even though I had made a good start on my Blood Bowl team, I was not able to find time to finish any. With things calming down, I hope to get back to it.

Elfheim Eagles – 12
Highlander board game – 7
Highlander board game expansion – 7
Space Marine Adventures – 5
Blitz Bowl – 12
40K First Strike – 15

Dec figures bought – 58, figures painted – 0

Running total 2018 – figures bought 238, figures painted 0