My Top 3 Games of 2025

 My top 10 games of 2025

 

I have put together my top 10 games for 2025.  Note that these are games that I have played for the first time in 2025, not necessarily games that were released in 2025.  With all the games that I already have, I got another 22 games plus expansions last year.  Some were gifts, some were purchased at the thrift stores, and some were new.

This was my lowest year for playing new games.  We didn’t get together and play games at all, and I did not manage to play any of the solo games that I still have unplayed.  I will need to put a lot more effort into getting some played this year.

 

The new games were: Absolute Emperor, Blood Bowl: Gutter Bowl, Disney Villainout: Treacherous Tides, Freakz!: Mutant Murder Machine, Frostgrave 2nd ed, Hairfoot Jousting, Lion Rampant – second edition, Marvel United – Spider-geddon, Men of Bronze, Ragnarok, Stargrave, Star Trek Away Missions, The Doomed, Unmatched – Battle of Legends – volume 3, Unmatched – Bruce Lee vs Muhammad Ali, Unmatched – The Witcher – Realms Fall, Unmatched – The Witcher – Silver & Steel, Unmatched Adventures – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Uno – Show Em No Mercy, Wars of the Republic, Xenos Rampant.

 

 

The ones I picked up not new were:

Illuminati Crime Lords ( which was one of my grail games)

 

 

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:

3 – Arschmallows – It has a similar gameplay to an extended blind 31, with special powers on some of the cards.  It plays okay but was nothing special.

 

2 – Uno – Show Em No Mercy – Surprisingly fun for an Uno game.  With the stacking rules and the Take 10 and Miss a Turn cards, this one plays a lot faster.  If a player’s hand becomes larger than 25 cards, they are out for the round.  This would still be lower on the list if more games were played.

 

1 – Sorry! Sliders – A Crokinole variation using Sorry pawns with Rebound-like rollers in their base.  There are 4 game variations and 4 board set up variations.  It plays pretty fun.  This was the big hit of the year.

My top 10 games of 2024

 My top 10 games of 2024

 

I have put together my top 10 games for 2024.  Note that these are games that I have played for the first time in 2024, not necessarily games that were released in 2024.  With all the games that I already have, I got another 21 games plus expansions last year.  Some were gifts, some were purchased at the thrift stores, and some were new.

 

The new games were: Blitz Bowl – Ultimate Edition, Blitz Bowl – Ultimate Edition season two, Burrows & Badgers, Combat Arena: Clash of Champions, Disney Villainous: Sugar and Spite, Groo: the Game 2nd edition, Gretchinz!, Kobolds & Cobblestones, Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing game, Reality’s Edge, Star Wars Villainous: Revenge at Last, Tantrix, The Pikeman’s Lament, Tiki Topple, Top Trumps Match, Unmatched – Slings and Arrows, Unmatched – Sun's Origin, When Nightmares Come.

 

The ones I picked up not new were:

Codenames*, Dust Tactics, Sorry Sliders.

 

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:

 

11 – Movie Trivia – Each team gets 10 cards, each with 8 questions on them.  They take turns asking the other team a card, and the highest score wins.  It was a bit simple for our group, as we see a lot of movies.

 

 

 

10 – Top Trumps Match – We had the Harry Potter version but they all play the same.  You have to try to make a bingo line using the pictures on blocks that you push back and forth through a grid.  It is okay.  It plays pretty quick.

 

9 – Something Wild: Villains – Bitty POP!  This is a simple game and it comes with a tiny POP! figure of Maleficent.  It played pretty simple, and can be combined with the other versions to give it more cards.

 

8 – Tantrix Gobble – You are trying to make valid Tantrix plays to be the first to finish your stack of tiles.  There are no turns, you just rush to play them.  While the speed element might be fine for the younger crowd, I prefer the original version of Tantrix,

 

7 – Exploding Minions – This is a Minions variant of Exploding Kittens.  You play cards and manipulate the hands in order to be the last one around after all the other players have exploded.  It is a quick play.

 

6 – Combat Arena – a simple combat game set in the 40K universe, and comes with 5 figures.  The cards tell you where you can move and attack.  It is played on a tight board and goes pretty quickly.

 

5 – Tantrix – Each player picks one of the four colored lines.  Then they take turns laying tiles connecting the lines.  The player with the longest line or completed loop (loops count double) wins.  This is a classic that still holds up well.  And the thick plastic tiles has a good feel to them.

 

4 – Groo the Game – 2nd edition – A card game where you are trying to build up your village.  You can also build up your army to defend your village and attack the other villages.  However Groo can wander into your town and destroy both your buildings and army.  The new edition has very large, indented dice, and includes the cards from the expansion.

3 – Dune (Parker Brothers 1984) – While it does not have individual player powers, or as much depth as the Avalon Hill version, this one also does not take 4-8 hours to play.  You move your three characters around two tracks, collecting spice and combat bonuses.  You are trying to attack and defeat the other house characters but be careful how you calculate your attacks as, once started, the duels are to the death.

 

2 – Unmatched – Little Red Riding Hood VS Beowulf – Unmatched is a remake of the Star Wars Epic Duels or Transformers Armada system.  This is the first of the new versions that we have played.  I do like the simplified movement, and ranged attack determination based on the Tannhauser Pathfinder system.  Both character decks seem wildly overpowered in their own right, and yet play fine against each other.

 

1 – Tiki Topple – You are playing cards to rearrange the stack of tikis, trying to get your tikis to the top to match the order on your scoring card.  It plays like a streamlined Guillotine.  The little plastic tikis are pretty cute.

My top 10 games of 2023

 

I have put together my top 10 games for 2023.  Note that these are games that I have played for the first time in 2023, not necessarily games that were released in 2023.  With all the games that I already have, I got another x games plus expansions last year.  Some were gifts, some were purchased at the thrift stores, and some were new.

 

The new games were: Chosen Men, Don’t Look Back – second edition, Gelatinous, Marvel Splendor*, Marvel Villainous: Twisted Ambition, Marvel Villainous: We Are Venom, Scooby Doo: Betrayal at Mystery Mansion, Silver Bayonet, Spectre, Star Wars Villainous: Scum and Villainy, Unmatched – Brains and Brawn, Unmatched – For King and Country, Unmatched – Teen Spirit, Unmatched Adventures: Tales to Amaze, Warhammer 40,000 – tenth edition - Leviathan.

 

The ones I picked up not new were:

 

 

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:

10 – Boggle Jr – a very simple version of the regular game for young kids. 

 

9 – Stay Alive – I had seen this one as a child but had never played it.  You have to move sliders and try to drop your opponents’ balls while keeping your balls from falling into the holes.  It does play pretty well. 

 

8 – Draftosaurus – is a quick drafting game using dinosaur shaped meeples instead of cards.  You draw 6 dinos from a bag and place them on your own board to score depending on the areas and number of dinos in them.

 

7 – Trash Pandas – a quick card game for up to 4 players where you play as a raccoon digging through trash cans for leftovers.  It combines set collecting with push-your-luck.

 

6 – Cover Your Assets – a card game for 4-6 players where you try to make sets of assets cards but your topmost pile can always be stolen.

 

5 – Gelatinous – is basically a gamer version of LCR.  There is no decision making or strategy involved, you just roll your dice, move them depending on what you rolled, and then continue until someone wins.  The green sparkly dice are very pretty though.

 

4 – Pokemon Jr Adventure Game – a very simple RPG for young kids, with a very preprogrammed path.  It would have been much better enjoyed if we had been able to get to this ten years ago, but was still fun.

 

3 – Munchkin – The Nightmare Before Christmas – it is our first Munchkin game played.  It is a dungeon crawl kind of game with a heavy take-that element.  It was a bit slow to start but picked up as we got the hang of it.  I don’tknow if it is different from the regular Munchkin but the rest of us were at level 9 when someone won.

 

2 – Dust Tactics Revised Core – I was finally able to play the introductory scenario.  The rules seem pretty basic once we got the hang of it.  I was glad to finally play this as I keep buying forces for it.  It seems like there will be enough depth to satisfy that miniatures battle need.

 

1 – Blitz Bowl – I also got to play this with someone who had only played Blood Bowl online.  The players and rules are somewhat similar to Blood Bowl but a lot more simplified.  It took me a few turns to get used to the differences but then it really played quickly.

 

My top 10 video games

my top 10 video games

1 - Monkey Island – 1 + 2 - for Apple/PC - finished 1 + 2

2 - Diablo +Diablo 2 - for PC (also played the demo) - Finished 1 – and 2

3 - Hellgate London - PC - not finished

4 - Heroes of Might & Magic 2 + 1 – lesser 3 - for PC - finished campaign

5 - Moebius: The Orb of Celestial Harmony - for Apple - finished

6 - Ultima 4 – also 3 - for Apple - finished 4 +3?

7 - Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis - for Apple - finished

8 - D&D Pool of Radiance – not Baldur’s Gate - for Apple - finished

9 - Dragon Warrior - for Nintendo - finished – new one ongoing

10 - The Lurking Horror – and Infocom games – Zork, Planetfall, Hitchhikers Guide - for Apple - almost finished

Honable Mentions

Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness - for Game Cube - finished

Wasteland - for Apple - almost finished

Thimbleweed Park - PC - ongoing

Death Spank - PC - finished 1 – 2 ongoing

Autoduel (Car Wars) - for Apple - finished

Load Runner - for Apple

Theme Hospital - for PC

Real Steel - for Xbox 360

Astrosmash and Intellivision games plus Pitfall - for Intellivision

Die by the Sword - for PC

Loom and Maniac Mansion - for Apple - finished Loom

Gabriel Knight - for PC - not finished

Dino Eggs - for Apple

Castle Wolfenstein - not 3D - for Apple

Sim City/ World - for Apple

Castleville - until they kept adding buildings but not more spaces - but not Farmville - for PC

Not on my list

Doom/Duke Nukem

Link/Zelda

Final Fantasy

Bard’s Tale

Super Mario et al

Warcraft

What are your choices?

My top 10 games of 2022

 

 

I have put together my top 10 games for 2022.  Note that these are games that I have played for the first time in 2022, not necessarily games that were released in 2022.  With all the games that I already have, I got another 13 games plus expansions last year.  Some were gifts, some were purchased at the thrift stores, and some were new.

Again I failed to play ten new games.  I did get two solo plays in this year.  I brought a couple of solo games to the table a few times (Firefly Adventures, and Big Trouble in Little China) but was unable to find the motivation to figure out how to play them.  This was also the year with the fewest new game purchases but also the first year I did not manage to play any of the new games purchased.

 

The new games were: All’s Quiet on the Martian Front, Castles in the Sky, Disney Villainous: Bigger and Badder, Dust Warfare, Gamma Wolves, Marvel Villainous – Mischief & Malice, Pulp!, Star Wars Villainous: Power of the Dark Side, Street Wars NYC, The Men Who Would be Kings, Unmatched – Battle of Legends Volume 2, Unmatched – Hell’s Kitchen, Unmatched – Redemption Row.

 

The ones I picked up not new were:

Dust Tactics Revised Core

 

None of these hit the table this year.  Some games from previous years were finally played.

 

 

7 – Codenames: Pictures – we’re still not a huge fan of the Codenames system – where you have to give clues to your team about which card to pick, and more importantly, not pick.  My wife preferred the pictures to the words in Codenames, while I prefer the words.

6 – Button Men: Beat People Up – we used to love Button Men back in the day.  It is a simple battle game using dice.  The new game has the characters printed onto cards instead of buttons.  It didn’t play as well as I remember but that could be due to the other player who was new to the system.

5 – Gold Town – I was finally able to print out the components for this game and played through it solo.  It is more about miners going to town to cash in their gold and get supplies than gunfights.  The rules are pretty detailed to go through but it plays pretty well after the first few rounds.  It doesn’t seem to overstay its time and will be worth giving it another try with more people.

4 – Marvel Splendor – it plays similar to the regular Splendor game with a few modifications.  The Marvel theme does make this more likely for us to pick up.  I am sure that there is more to this game that we have not figured out yet but we do look forward to playing it more to try to figure it out.

3 – Disney Haunted Mansion: Call of the Spirits – a simple, quick card game where you try to collect sets of ghosts without collecting too many haunt cards.  The player who collects the most haunt cards loses their largest set. 

2 – Don’t Look Back – a horror movie skirmish game.  The rules are a bit jumbled, but I was able to play this solo.  It seems like it should be a pretty fun fit for our group.

1 – Transformers Armada: Battle for Cybertron – This is based off of the Star Wars Duels system, and more importantly the new Unmatched system.  It is a simplified skirmish game using cards.  It went over well with our group so we should be able to play some of those as well. 

 

My top 10 games of 2021

I have put together my top 10 games for 2021. Note that these are games that I have played for the first time in 2021, not necessarily games that were released in 2021. With all the games that I already have, I got another 16 games plus expansions last year. Some were gifts, some were purchased at the thrift stores, and some were new. 

 For the first time since I started tracking these back in 2013, I failed to play 10 new games this year. I only played 7 new games and 4 of these I played solo. There are another 6 games that I could have played solo but I did not find the time for them. Some of these require are the miniature skirmish games and require a larger space to set up terrain and I did not get around to clearing the space at the end of the year to play them. 

The new games were: A Billion Suns, Blitz Bowl 2, Disney Haunted Mansion – Call of the Spirits, Disney Villainous – Perfectly Wretched, Don’t Look Back, Frostgrave, Ghost Archipelago, Marvel Villainous – Infinite Power, Space Marine Adventures – Doomsday Countdown, Space Marine Adventures: Rise of the Orks, Unmatched: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Unmatched: Deadpool, Unmatched: Little Red Riding Hood vs Beowulf, Warhammer 40K – 9th edition – Indomitus. 

 The ones I picked up not new were: Shadow War: Armageddon, Slide 5 

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

 My top 7 is: 

 7 – Forbidden Desert – We’ll have to play this again to see if it was just the group we played with or if it isn’t as good as we had heard. 

 6 – Pandemic: Hot Spot – North America – It plays like a streamlined game of Pandemic. It is over very quick but the timing is very tight. I won a solo game with two characters but would have lost due to cards in two turns, or due to another outbreak. 

 5 – Slide 5 – It has a bit of a Connect 4 feel to it, with the addition of being able to shift rows that are already on the board. It is a fun enough light game. 

 4 – Roller Coaster Tycoon – Visually this is an impressive game with the roller coasters, and rides. Game wise, it is pretty simple, but wraps up before it starts to drag. 

 3 – Space Marine Adventures: Doomsday Countdown – I played this solo. This has the figures for the enemy team instead of just tokens. But the set up is a bit fiddly. This was the last of the three Space Marine Adventures games that I played. 

 2 – Space Marine Adventures: Labyrinth of the Necrons – I was able to play this solo. It is a good, simple way to expose people to the Warhammer 40K universe without being too much of a drain. The Marine figures are quite lovely, but the Necrons are only tokens. 

 1 – Space Marine Adventures: Rise of the Orks – I played this solo as well. It has plastic Terminator figures and tokens for the Orks forces. It is the only one of the three Space Marine Adventures games that contains a game board. This doesn’t allow as much modularity but I found the gameplay the best of the three. It is the only one of the three that does not have a campaign so might not have the legs for a lot of repeated play.

Top 10 Games of 2020

 

I have put together my top 10 games for 2020.  Note that these are games that I have played for the first time in 2020, not necessarily games that were released in 2020.  With all the games that I already have, I got another 20 games plus expansions last year.  Some were gifts, some were purchased at the thrift stores, and some were new.

2020 was quite the odd year.  Even though we spent most of the year quarantined, and our entertainment and social obligations were limited, we did not play a lot of games.  I am going to have to put more effort in playing through more of the games with a 1 player variant in the new year.

The new games were: Batman Miniature Game 2nd edition – The Dark Knight starter, Blood Bowl Second Season, DC Universe Miniature game, Fallout Shelter, Fallout: Wasteland Warfare, Gaslands – Refueled, Godzilla: Tokyo Crash, Pandemic: Hot Spot – North America, Rebels and Patriots, Speed Freeks, The Fantasy Trip – Melee/Wizard, Unmatched – Battle of Legends, Unmatched – Bruce Lee, Unmatched – Cobble and Fog, Unmatched – Jurassic Park – Ingen vs Rapors, Unmatched – Robin Hood VS Bigfoot, Warhammer 40,000 – 9th Edition Recruit starter, Zona Alfa.

 

The ones I picked up not new were: Clue Mysteries, MLB Sports Clix.

 

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:

Legends of the Old West – basically Specific Fish.  Apparently also known as Authors.

 

13 – Fluxx: the Board Game – I found that it slows down the wackiness of Fluxx too much.  The extra complexity of moving the pieces to get the pairs for the goals becomes too much when mixed with the randomness of the rest of the cardplay.  Other players mentioned that they liked it better than the card game.  Further plays may improve. 

 

12 – Kong: Skull Island – This is not a good game.  There are many pieces on the board which serve no in-game purpose – like the wall, ship, Ann, building, and the Kong figure.  There is not much to the first part of the game where you try to capture Kong, and less to the second part of the game where you move around a circle and try to land on one of three spots when it also does not contain an airplane.  None of the 3D parts of the game have any play value, but it does make the game look like it should be more.  The mix of cardboard used in the building and ship is frustrating.  Still, it’s over quick enough, and I would play again if the kids really wanted to.

 

11 – Geek Out! – a trivia game where they don’t actually give you the answers.  You need to agree on the answers or have some way of looking them up.  Seems like it could play very quick or very long depending on the skill of the group.

 

10 – What Do You Meme? – Another game where you have to choose from among the other player’s submissions using pictures for the first card.  It includes the option for Freestyle – which allows the player to submit their own meme, a feature I did not care for.  It was a hit with the younger crowd but, I still prefer Apples to Apples.

 

9 – Skip-Bo – very similar to Double Solitaire but can play more players.  For what it is, I prefer Double Solitaire.

 

8 – Disney Treasure Planet – a kid’s game in two parts.  The first is a quick modified roll and move to get to the planet.  The second part, to escape the planet, is brutal.

 

7 – The Incredibles – a simple kid’s game where you make your moves to collect a controller and get close to the omnidroid to deactivate it.  At the end of your turns, you drop a dice down the chute and the pieces that get hit by it move back.  Simple game but an impressive board. 

 

6 - Bommerz over da Sulphur River – I was able to play this solo.  Easy enough but a lot of dice rolling.  Would be better against an opponent.

 

5 – Century – Spice Road – another engine builder, with some lovely metal coins. 

 

4 – Star Wars Destiny – a collectible dice and card game.  It’s fine but a bit too complex for a gateway game.  It’s not bad once you have it explained to you but some people find it hard to pick it up from the rules alone.

 

3 – Fallout Shelter – A worker placement game based on the App.  There are a lot of rules for the different situations but, by the second turn you pretty much have it down.  It moves along quickly and does not drag on too long.

  

2 – Monopoly Empire – It streamlines much of the play for up to 4 players.  It removes the player elimination, and shortens the length significantly but does away with houses and hotels.  It’s a nice version to expose those people who are anti-Monopoly to a version that might be fun enough to get them to try an actual Monopoly game.

 

1 – Samurai Jack: Back to the Past – You play as one of 5 sidekicks helping out Jack against Aku.  You have to move along a path, collecting support cards and keeping Jack company.  If left alone, Jack loses a bit more sanity to Aku.  If Jack loses all his sanity, you all lose.  You play three rounds of the path, fighting a boss at each round, with the final boss being Aku.  The sidekick with the most honor wins.  It takes a bit to get used to, and the rules could be a bit clearer – a lot of rules are only mentioned in the examples.  The figures are great.  As a fan, it’s a great experience.

 

Top 10 Games of 2019

My top 10 games of 2019

I have put together my top 10 games for 2019. Note that these are games that I have played for the first time in 2019, not necessarily games that were released in 2019. With all the games that I already have, I got another 25 games plus expansions last year. Some were gifts, some were purchased at the thrift stores, and some were new.

The new games were: Big Trouble In Little China, Button Men: Beat People Up, Combat Arena, Disney Villainous, Disney Villainous: Evil Plans Ahead, Disney Villainous: Wicked to the Core, Dracula’s America: Shadow of the West: Forbidden Powers, Dune, Jurassic Park Danger, Justice League Strategy Game, Outremer: Faith and Blood, Saurai Jack: Back to the Past.

The ones I picked up not new were: Anomia, Conspiracy, Crash Tackle, Euchre, Gangs of Commorragh, Lexigo Rush, Loopin’ Chewie, Ninja Burger, Shogun (Lakeside), Snake Oil, The Collectors, Trespass.

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:
Get the MacGuffin, Han Solo Card Game, Jaipur, Yahtzee Texas Hold ‘em.

12 – Sagrada – Looks very pretty. You have to choose from the dice rolled and place one into your scoring grid. But, like Catan, if not explained fully, you can be messed up right from the start. The play is okay.

11 – Snake Oil – another game where one player has to choose from among other player’s submissions. In this one, the first player draws a consumer, and the other players have to use two of the cards in their hands to come up with a product that person would like. Unlike most of this category, your submissions are not secret, you actually get to pitch them to the judge.

10 – Splendor – Another classic resource building game. You collect gems in order to buy cards with gems on them. This allows to buy more cards so that you can buy more expensive cards with points on them in order to get enough points to win.

9 – Anomia – One of the Mensa select games. You flip over cards and if you match symbols with someone, you have to give an example from the topic on their card before they give an example of the topic on yours.

8 – Perpetual Commotion – Plays like G’Nertz or Dutch Blitz except the Aces and Kings are replaced by Starts and Stops, both of which are wild. It comes with cards for up to 6 players, but you can get extra decks for up to 10 – which would be insane. There are slight scoring variations but it tends to last a bit long if played to 150.

7 – Take the Train – a quick card game for up to 6 players. You try to play all your cards first by building on routes. The simple rules could be a bit more clear about some of the odd situations, but the game plays quick enough to try any questions both ways until you can agree on any questions. A lot of the game depends on your original deal but it still fun and simple enough for mixed groups.

6 – Unspeakable Words – A word game where playing too many larger point words may end up losing you the game. Letters are scored by the number of angles on them. You have to roll your score or higher on a d20 or you lose one of your adorable Cthulhu statues. If you lose all of them you are out of the game but, while you are down to your last one, you are considered insane and can spell gibberish words. Seems a bit short but keeps everyone feeling like they have a chance.

5 – Trespass – an old Lakeside game. One player has to move one of their 9 red pieces to the top of a column. The other player can move their 4 black pieces to block while their sole yellow piece can actually remove the red pieces. It’s quick, simple to learn, and feels like it needs just the right amount of strategy for such an easy game.

4 – Domination – An older control game (also known as Focus). You move your pieces and the top piece on a stack controls it. The setup is a bit precise but it plays pretty well. Definitely looking forward to trying a few more times.

3 – Zooloretto – A set collection game where you are populating a zoo. It’s pretty simple to explain and quick to play.

2 – Disney Villainous – A lovely looking game where you play as the villains trying to achieve your goal first. Each villain has their own decks so the theme stays very true. It starts with 6 villains and already has two expansions of three each so the combinations are quite high.

1 – Cathedral – A two player area control game. It has a very GO-like feel to it that I like. It’s fast but makes you want to play again and again.

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.

Top Ten Games - 2017

I have put together my top 10 games for 2017. Note that these are games that I have played for the first time in 2017, not necessarily games that were released in 2017. With all the games that I already have, I got another 37 games plus expansions last year. Some were gifts, some were purchased at the thrift stores, and some were new.

The new games were: Batman Miniatures Suicide Squad, Blood Bowl (2016), Bob Ross: Art of Chill Game, DC Universe Miniature game, Dracula’s America, Five Points: Gangs of New York, India Rails, Iron Dragon, Iron Man 2: Game of War, Kill Team, Knightmare Chess 3rd Ed, Lanterns, Lost in R’lyeh, Lost Patrol, Mad Dogs With Guns, Marvel Universe Miniature game, Oddville, Pamplona: Viva San Fermin!, Perpetual Commotion, Risk Europe, Rogue Stars, Santorini, Shadows Over Camelot: the card game, Super Mario Bros. Power Up Card Game, Sushi Go Party, Zombies!!! 5, Zombies!!! 6, Zombies!!! 7, Zombies!!! 8, Zombies!!! 9, Zombies!!! X, Zombies!!! 11, Zombies!!! 12, Zooloretto.

The ones I picked up not new were: Bananagrams, Cathedral, Flames of War: The World War II Miniature Game, The Hunger Games: District 12 Strategy Game, Zombie Fluxx.


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:
Don’t Take My Word, Double Feature, Happy Salmon, Kittens in a Blender, Mars Attacks: Ten-Minute Takedown, Set, Star Wars: The Return of the Jedi – The Sarlacc Pit, Zombie Fluxx


13 – Zombie Run – has a Blind 31 feel to it. You have four face-down cards and you start by seeing two of them. You have to swaps cards out to try to get the lowest amount of zombies on your cards at the end of a round. The lowest score at the end of five rounds wins.

12 – Cars 2 Sorry Sliders: World Grand Prix Race Edition – a pretty simple flicking game. It works fine for younger kids as well as for adults.

11 – Sheriff of Nottingham – a bluffing game about smuggling goods in to the market. You don’t have to lie to win, but it is easier to win if you do lie at the right time.

10 – Sharp Shooters – an older Yahtzee-type dice game where you are trying to score points by finishing hands on cards. It seems to be a precursor to Roll For It!

9 - Dealer’s Choice – Despite being both heavily overproduced – with the blue books and the huge card holder, and having some of the cheapest paper money, this game still holds up surprisingly well. It represents buying used cars for your lot. The car values are very dated but the gameplay could be updated without too much trouble.

8 – Scotland Yard – one player plays Mister X and the rest of the players try to catch him based on his movements. They can see how he moves and occasionally get to see where he is. It is an older game but still holds up quite well. The logic trees in solving the location really appealed to me.

7 – Sushi Go Party – it is a larger version of Sushi Go! It has all the basic cards plus more cards for variations. While it is great with all the extra choices and the ability to play with up to xx people, it does require more setup time than the classic Sushi Go!

6 – Bob Ross: Art of Chill Game – A surprising good game. You have to try and mix paints to make the landscapes before Bob does. We played it with people who didn’t know Bob Ross and it still holds together. It plays just long enough to get the idea but not too long to become boring.

5 – Lanterns – You place tiles to match lanterns by color to get cards. You can cash in the card sets to get scoring tokens. It’s pretty easy to pick up, looks pretty, and has a nice light depth for the length of time it plays.

4 – Batman: Gotham City Strategy Game – You play as the villains and are trying to get enough resources to level up enough to win. Batman is a game mechanism that smacks you down. I like the way it plays. Our first play was a bit long but l am looking forward to trying it again.

3 – Lemonade Stand – similar to the old Apple II game. It has cute art and simple rules but it is a bit complex to start for such a short game.

2 - Pamplona: Viva San Fermin! – A quick game about running with the bulls. It looks like it should be quite simple but there is definitely something there. It is a bit confusing to start but by the second of the four heats you have most of the play down.

1 – Acquire – an old classic about buying stock in hotel chains that I was finally able to play. It still holds up well with strategy about which chains to merge and which stocks to buy and when to do both of those.

Top Ten Games - 2016

Inspired by The Dice Tower and their top 10 lists, I have put together my top 10 games for 2016 as well. Note that these are games that I have played for the first time in 2016 not necessarily games that were released in 2016. With all the games that I already have, I got another 38 games plus several expansions last year. Some were purchased at the thrift stores and conventions, and some were new.

The new games were Betrayal at House on the Hill, Black Ops, Dragon Rampant, Dust, En Garde!, Ender’s Game:Battle School, For Sale!, Geek Out!, Kings & Things, Legendary: Big Trouble in Little China, Lion Rampant, Magic: The Gathering – Arena of the Planeswalkers: Shadows over Innistrad, Mars Attacks: 10 Minute Takedown, Mission Red Planet, OGRE: Objective 218, On the Seven Seas, Sons of Anarchy: Men of Mayhem, Star Trek Fleet Captains, Sushi Go Party!, The Horus Heresy: Betrayal at Calth, Timeline Challenge, TMNT HeroClix: Mouser Mayhem Starter Set, X-Men: Mutant Revolution.

The ones I picked up not new were 221B Baker Street: The Master Detective Game, Attack of the Mutants, Blood Royale, Bunco Deluxe, Clue (2-6), Cranium Ziggity, Dune, Electronic Mystery Mansion, Inner Circle, Loopin’ Louie, Monopoly Hotels, Set, Showdown Yahtzee, Uno Hearts.

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:
Hanabi, Loopin’ Louie, Telestrations, There’s a Moose in the House

13 – Archer – Once you Go Blackmail – Another Love Letter variation. The extra hidden card mechanism doesn’t work as smooth as the Batman variation does but it does speed up the rounds.
12 – Codenames – Basically it is like team password. I think it is okay for 4 or more players but I’m not as impressed as a lot of people seem to be with this one.
11 – Legendary: Big Trouble in Little China – a deck building game. I’ve only played the intro game a couple of times. There is a lot going on here and it seems like it has a lot of variation available. Not as easy to play as a single player even though listed as capable of such on the box. This involves a lot of set up to start.

10 – Mission Red Planet – A worker placement game that seems like it would be very complex but was actually pretty easy to pick up. It seems like there should be more to it but it’s certainly worth a few more plays to check.
9 – 13 Dead End Drive – An interesting marriage of the good elements of Clue and Mousetrap. More time spent on the set up for the board than it is worth but still a fun little game.
8 – For Sale! – A very simple auction game in two parts. In the first part you bid on properties, and in the second part you sell those properties. It is easy to explain, plays quick, and you can usually get a few games in as one game leads to another.
7 – Storage Wars – It’s not a bad game for a mass market license. I’m not a big fan of regular auction mechanics and that does form a big part of this game. Otherwise it is a quick game for up to 6 players.
6 – Inner Circle – A game from my youth that I am not sure I ever actually played but always wanted to. You maneuver your pieces to get on to the spots that remain when the boards are lifted away trying to be the only player to get to the final spot on the fourth board.
5 – OGRE: Objective 218 – A very small game in the OGRE universe. Still feels like a tight little war game even though it is more about maintaining a supply chain.
4 – Yahtzee: Free For All – An interesting variation which allows a bit more player interaction in that you get 1 round to steal points from another player before they can score them. Also pretty quick.
3 – Pandemic: Contagion – A much smaller version on Pandemic where you play as the viruses. Very tight on your resource management as you only have so many cubes and turns with which to work.
2 – Timeline Challenge – It includes 5 variations of how you can use Timeline cards built into the game. More than one player can score each round so it moves along nicely. There are two points where the bottom players get to play 1 round to get a chance to gain bonus points. It includes some new Timeline cards but you can add other Timeline decks that you already have to it.
1 – King of Tokyo – A giant monster battle contained in a quick, dice-rolling game that is both cute and brutal. I am looking forward to playing with the expansions but right now the base game is more than enough fun.

My take on the next step of "better" games.

Tom, Sam, and Zee over at the Dice Tower posted an interesting top 10 list - Top 10 "Better" Games. In it they list alternatives for 10 of the more common ‘regular’ games. If you like the regular game, you would probably also like the alternative game. It’s an interesting idea – but a lot of their choices seem a bit too ‘gamey’ to me.

A lot of newer gamers tend to look down on these more mainstream games. But those of us who grew up before the wave of Magic the Gathering and Settlers of Catan tend to be a bit more open-armed about the ‘classic’ games. We played Monopoly, Scrabble, Yahtzee, and even Risk. We were there when Trivial Pursuit first came out and when Uno proved that you could get people to spend money on a Crazy Eights variant.

My take on the alternative list would be a bit different. It includes a lot more games that would bridge the gap between the mainstream ones and the more obscure specialty games.


Sorry! – a basic ‘take that’ style of game where you interfere with the other players’ pieces and send them home. Trouble is another basic example of this type of game. A good next step game would be Walk the Plank, or even Family Business. Both have you directly affecting the other players’ pieces and play quick enough to play again. Walk the Plank is pirate themed and the simpler game while Family Business is mobster themed and a bit more complex and a bit longer.


Uno! – is basically Crazy 8s. I’m not sure why they singled this game out from the deck of cards but I suppose enough people play just this. You could try Uno Hearts to advance the depth of the rules a bit or even one of the other simple deck games – Spooks, Canasta Caliente, Rook, or even Pit.


Deck of cards – they had this on their lists for Poker or Hearts. Any game that you can play with a deck of cards can be played with a Wizard deck. Besides the Wizard game itself which is a really good trump game, it is basically a deck of cards with 8 extra cards – 4 wizards, and 4 jesters. These can always be removed from the deck if you need less cards for the game.


Cranium – I haven’t actually played one of the many Cranium variations but it is a party game with many parts to it. Depending on which aspect you like of Cranium, there are games which match that. Some good examples would be Tsuro – a simple path making game that can play up to 8 people, and Telestrations – which is more of a party game where you each have a phrase that you have to draw in a booklet, and then pass those around for the next player to guess the phrase, and then draw it.


Scrabble – some people like the word making aspect of this game and some like the grid of it. If you like working with the grid, Quirkle is for you. Iota is similar but with much less expensive pieces. If you prefer the word making, try Quiddler – in which you make words from hand that increases each round but doesn’t allow people to take too long with their turns. Another good game is Word Thief which is older but has been reprinted recently.


Trivial Pursuit – a trivia game. Good replacements are Wits & Wagers – Family – where everyone answers and then you bet who answered closest, or even Timeline: Challenge – which has a variety of games to play with the Timeline cards included – where you have to guess the dates of when things happened.


Clue – a nice deduction game marred by an awkward way of having to move around the board. They do have a card game version that does away with the board and have made some variations in the newer Clue games to address this issue. They can also try Resistance – which is a great deduction game if you have at least 5 people or even Scotland Yard – in which one player has to hide their position and movements from the other players while using train, taxi, and the subway.


Chess – an old classic stylized wargame. Bosworth – is a nice variation that allows up to 4 players and the pieces all move similar to chess pieces. Go is and even older game with even simpler rules than chess but a higher amount of strategy available. Hive is a nice two player game with a lot of strategy and lovely pieces if you aren’t bothered by the bug tiles.


Risk – an area conquest game. Like Clue, it has come out with many variations that change the rules a bit. These players can try Diplomacy – which is a WW1 game that is often described as Risk without the dice. If they like the dice but want more complexity, they can try Fortress America or one of the Axis & Allies boxed games.


Monopoly – a much maligned trading/property game. Most people who have bad experiences with playing this game are simply not using the actual rules. A quick read through the rules may surprise you and might be worth giving it another try. If they like the property trading they can try Catan or even Catan Jr – which allows you to make trades with the board and is a little more forgiving. If they really like bankrupting the other players, they can try Acquire – which is a classic hotel stock game that is still in print.


Yahtzee – you try to get combinations on dice, keeping some and rerolling others. I am not sure how many people still play this one. There are a few variations of this as well, with Yahtzee Free For All being very the best – it plays quick and allows you to steal other player’s scores. But a good game to try is King of Tokyo – which is easier and quicker than King of New York. Both are giant monster battles using a similar dice rolling technique. This one wasn't on their list but deserves to mentioned as well.


If you find that the people you play with are stuck in a rut with the older games, or have family that you only play with occasionally, they can try these games. This should allow them to take the first step into a larger world of gaming and, if they like these, may allow you to expose them to even more esoteric games.

My top 10 games of 2015

Inspired by The Dice Tower and their top 10 lists, I put together my top 10 games for 2015 as well. Note that these are games that I have played for the first time in 2015 not necessarily games that were released in 2015. With all the games that I already have, I got another 110 games plus expansions last year. Some were gifts, some were purchased at the thrift stores and conventions, some were from Kickstarter, and some were new.

The new games were A World Aflame, Assassinourm: Execution Force, Axis & Allies: 1914, Axis & Allies:D-Day, Bring Out Yer Dead, Batman The Miniature Game, Camel Cup, Cash ‘n’ Guns 2nd ed., Colt Express, CN Fluxx, Dead Money, Deadwood Studios, Don’t Take My Word, Dust Tactics, Dux Bellorum, Escape From Elba, Fight City, Fighting Sail, Fish Cook, Fleet Admiral, Frag: Gold Edition, Frag: PVP, Iota, Just Desserts, Kill Doctor Lucky, King of Tokyo, Love Letter: Batman, Magic the Gathering: Arena of the Planeswalker, Monsterpocalypse: Voltron Defender of the Universe, Nanuk, Of Gods and Mortals, Ronin, Save Doctor Lucky, Scoville, Sheriff of Nottingham, Spree, Star Trek 5 Year Mission, Star Wars Risk, Straw, Survive: Escape from Atlantis, Sushi Go, Ticket to Ride Europe, Uncle Happy’s Train Game, Veritas, and Winner’s Circle.

The ones I picked up not new were 1313 Dead End Drive, 4000 AD, Ablaze!, Admirals, Air Charter, All My Children, Avalanche, Battleship Live, Beat the Parents, Blink, Blue Line Hockey, Boom-O, Blurt Card Game, Cannakeena Caper, Chief Herman’s Next Big Thing, Cineplexity, Clue 24, Clue DVD, Conspiracy, Davinci’s Challenge, Daytona 500, Disney’s Treasure Planet, Dixit!, Double Crossing, Electronic Mall Madness, Exago, Gambler, Hangman, High Hand, Hordes: Primal, Jungle Speed, Kuuduk, Last Chance, Lord of the Rings Strategy Game, Malarky Card Game, Manga Manga, Master Labyrinth, Mine a Million, Overboard, Probe, Risk Transformers, Rubik’s Magic Strategy Game, Scrabble Express, Scrabble Up, Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective, Smess: the Ninny’s Chess, Starship Troopers, Stay Alive, The Honeymooners Game, The Hunger Games: Training Days, The Incredibles, The Inventors, The Perilous Parlor Game, There’s a Moose in the House, Treasure of the Lost Pyramid, Tuf, Upwords, Ur: The Royal Game of Sumer, Vampire Hunter, Warmachine Prime: Remix, Warzone, Wide World, and Win, Lose, or Draw, Yahtzee: Free For All.

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:
Back to the Future, Bring Out Yer Dead, Dixit!, Exago, Frag Gold Edition, Iota, Jungle Speed, Just Desserts, Overboard, Pit, Quiddler, Star Trek 5 Year Mission, Straw, Ticket to Ride , Tsuro of the Seas

The ones that just missed my top ten were:
13 – Pandemic – We were finally able to play this. You play as scientists trying to stop outbreaks. We lost, of course, but found it interesting enough that we will need to try this again. It seems like it could suffer from an alpha gamer leading everyone but that might be what is needed to be able to beat it.
12 – Get Lucky – A very simplified version of Kill Doctor Lucky. Once we realized that most of the text on the cards could be ignored this went better.
11 – No Thanks – A very simple game with very simple rules. It is very easy to teach, and one game usually leads to a few more. It has a nice level of thought for how quick it is.

10 – Love Letter: Batman – It only has one rule variation from the regular Love Letter but that change greatly improves gameplay. It doesn’t hurt that the retheming makes this game more palatable to our group.
9 – Wits and Wagers Family – a trivia game where you do not need to know the right answers yourself. As long as you are able to pick out the best answer from those supplied by the other players you can still win.
8 – Colt Express – It has simplified programmed movement – most of the time you can see what the other players are planning. You play as western bandits robbing a train. Plus the 3D train model is really cute.
7 – Resistance – I was finally able to give this a try. It is a good intro to hidden role games and it plays well for larger groups. It wasn’t as complex as it seemed – we were able to pick it up very quick.
6 – Camel Cup – A race game where you are wagering on which camels are in the lead in each leg and the overall outcome of the race. It plays fast with up to 8 players and hits a lot of the same buttons as Circus Imperium. It seems quite simple but does have a bit of strategy in it.
5 – Daytona 500 – This is an older race game. You bid on cars each race based on your cards and play those cards to move them. However, most of the cards will also move the other cars as well. This would have been higher if it allowed more than 4 players.
4 – Scoville – You are pepper farmers planting, harvesting, and selling peppers as well as making chili recipes. The set up and play appear very complex but it actually makes a lot of sense as you play through it. It seems to have a lot in it with many different options of play to lead to victory.
3 – Sushi Go – a simple, quick little game. It easily deserves the reputation it has as a fun, quick, little card game. It’s also a good way to introduce people to card drafting.
2 – Cash ‘n’ Guns – second edition – You are mobsters dividing up the loot after a heist. This allows up to 6 players and plays very quick. The foam guns are fun and went over very well with our group.
1 – Survive:Escape from Atlantis – This game can be brutal. You try to get your islanders to shore while sinking other player’s islanders. It fits in to the mood of our group and allows up to 6 players with the expansion. We played this one early in 2015 and nothing else we played was able to top it.

Top Ten New Games for 2014

Inspired by The Dice Tower and their top 10 lists, I put together my top 10 games for 2014 as well. Note that these are games that I have played for the first time in 2014 not necessarily games that were released in 2014. With all the games that I already have, I got another 69 games plus expansions last year. Some were gifts, some were purchased at the thrift stores and conventions, some were from Kickstarter, and some were new.

The new games were Bang – the Dice Game, Batman Gotham City Strategy Game, Battleship Galaxies, Bejeweled, Bejeweled Frenzy, Blue Max World War I Air Combat, Cardline – Animals, Coin Age, Firefly, In Her Majesty’s Name, Let’s Kill, Lords of Vegas, Lords of Waterdeep, Love Letter – Tempest, Marvel Dice Masters, Nuts!, Pairs, Qwirkle, Risk Legacy, Roll For It!, Spot It!, Takenoko, Telestrations, Templar Intrigue, Timeline – Diversity, Timeline – Music & Cinema, Tsuro of the Seas, Unusual Suspects, Warhammer 40,000 – seventh edition, Wits and Wagers Family, and Yetisburg. Coin Age, Pairs, and Templar Intrigue were from Kickstarter.

The ones I picked up not new were 13 Dead End Drive, Battleship Express, Bionicle: Mask of Light, Boggle, Boggle Jr, Captain Parks Imaginary Polar Expedition, Charlie Brown All Stars, Clue: Discover the Secrets, Clue: Secrets & Spies, Dear World, Edison & Co, Finance and Fortune, Harry Potter: Diagon Alley, Inside Moves, Isolation, King’s Court, Lego Ninjago, Life – Pirates of the Caribbean – Dead Man’s Chest, Monopoly Clone Wars, Neopets: Adventures in Neopia, Nexus Ops, Pirates of the Caribbean DVD Treasure Hunt, Pit, Power Lunch, Quiddler, Rail Baron, Roller Coaster Tycoon, Shakin’ Sorry, Sharp Shooters, Sky Galleons of Mars, Sorry Sliders – Cars 2, Star Trek Starship Tactical Combat Simulator, Stop Thief, Storage Wars:The Game, Supremacy, Tannhauser, Ten Commandments Bible Game, Yahtzee:Texas Hold ‘Em, and Zaxxon.

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 Bejeweled, Bejeweled Frenzy, Boggle, Cards Against Humanity, Isolation, Love Letter – Tempest, Nuts!, Pairs, Shakin’ Sorry, Unusual Suspects, XLR8, and Yahtzee Jr.

Roll For It! and Spot it! just missed my top ‘10’. They are both fun enough to play and easy enough to teach new people, but seem to be lacking in replayability with the same group. My daughter destroys all others in Spot It! through all the variations. Depending on your group, it may have more of a range. I played Roll For it! with both 2 and 5 players. I believe 3-4 may be more of a sweet spot. With 2 players you can get bogged down going for the big sets, and with 5 it takes just a bit too long to come around again and the small sets go too fast.

14 – Battle Cry – 150 Anniversary – It’s card driven – similar to Battle Masters or Assault on Hoth except by section of the battlefield instead of by troop. We’re not super into the Civil War but thought we would try the system as it is the basis for the Memoir ’44 system. It seems fun enough and we look forward to playing through more of the scenarios. Plus the figures are pretty detailed.

13 – Revolution – It has a very euro-type feel to it. You have to try to control territory by bidding with blackmail, force, or gold. It plays well enough. We now have the first expansion and are looking forward to trying it again.

12 – Monsters Menace America – A grail find of mine. I was only able to play it once this year but that was fun. It had a light Fortress America vibe to it with each player controlling both a monster and a branch of the military during the main play, and then a bit of a monster battle at the end.

11 – Yetisburg – When I saw this on sale for $2 at Paizo I had to get it for the name alone. Again, we’re not super fans of the American Civil War but the card play makes this interesting. You have to manage your attrition to avoid losing and to be able to mount a proper offensive.

10 – Castellan – We have both sets so we can play a four player game. You each have a set of towers and walls to add to a castle depending on your cards. Your goal is to complete courtyards containing the most towers. Each player has the same set of cards and pieces so the management is what makes the difference. It plays well and is easy to teach.

9 – Timeline – Music & Cinema – Each player is given a set of tiny cards that they have to take turns playing into the correct place in a timeline. It is a bit harder on the younger kids who are guessing more often but played well with the rest of us.

8 – Hive – I was finally able to get the kids to play this. We picked up a set of the Carbon version (in black and white) last year. I love the solid feel of the bakelite pieces. The play takes a little bit to get used to but does seem like it will have a lot of replay in it.

7 – Cardline – Animals – This is similar to the Timeline series but with standard sized cards. You have the option of sorting the animals by size, weight, or life expectancy. It plays slightly better than Timeline due to the three game choices but mostly gets the big ranking nod due to the larger cards.

6 – Battleship Galaxies – Contains a lot of cool plastic starships with a fairly solid game behind it. It comes with several scenarios and cards and points to make your own battles. This has a lot of life in it and I am pretty sad that it did not do well enough to warrant an expansion with more ships. Even so, it seems like it will have enough to keep us involved for a while.

5 – Qwirkle – You places tiles to match rows by color or by shape. It has a good Scrabble feel to it without having to deal with all the words – in case you have that one player who is leagues ahead of the rest of you.

4 – Rocketville – A robot-political game where you are trying to win enough planetary elections in an area to score more points. There seems to be enough strategy in knowing when to draw more cards and which planets you can let slip for an area and for which ones to fight heavily.

3 – Takenoko – A lovely looking game with a lot of good gameplay. You have to get the most points in one of three ways – by playing tile combinations, by growing certain types of bamboo, or by having the panda eat certain types of bamboo. The wooden pegs for the bamboo are a good weight and the pastel colors make the game look pretty during play.

2 – Bang: The Dice Game – We didn’t play the regular card version of Bang – even though the large bullet case looked tempting. Due to the guys at the Dice Tower going on about this game, we tried it out. It is a pretty easy hidden-goal game to introduce new players. It is quite streamlined in play and plays pretty quick and fun.

1 – Walk the Plank – This has a Family Business-kind of feel to it. You have to program moves for pirates to try and get the other players’ pirates into the water while trying to save yours. It is very quick, and one game leads to a few more as you try to get revenge for the last game. It replaced Get Bit! with us and is a good filler for new players or when we don’t have time for Family Business.