Top Whatever Boardgames

OK, now I feel like I need to play more Vlaada games! I think I've only played Codenames and Dungeon Lords and they're GREAT.

Oh! And if we can count Xia as a pick-up-and-deliver game then I might swap that in for Steampunk rally. Though my list is looking a bit scifi heavy.

Also, you're now making me wonder if I should pick my top 10 designers and pick my favourite game from each, which would again be a different list.

Like, HOW do I not have any Stefan Feld or Antoine Bauza games in either of my lists so far?

Can someone negotiate me a month off work and I'll write 100,000 words on all this? ;-)

You wanna trade Xia for steampunk rally?

Kes wrote:You wanna trade Xia for steampunk rally?

Tempting, but I want to hold on to Steampunk Rally for now! Particularly as a great new Christmas promo just came out for it... :-)

PaulG wrote:Making a list like this makes me realise that, for all the time that I spend playing games, I've still only scratched the surface of what's out there...

This is something I think about often, and it depresses me. Not just in terms of board games, of course: there are so many books I'd like to read, which I know I'd enjoy; so many bands I know I'd love but I've never heard (of) them; so many classic films I should watch, would love to watch.... Board games are just added to this list of media which I'll never get to experience because I have too little time and life is too short.

As far as games go, this is complicated by the fact that I'm trying to design my own games. Every time I attend SBGC, I see the games on the go and think, "Oh man, I so want to play that!" ... but I can't because I need to keep playtesting The Path to Panic if I'm ever going to make something of it; I can't risk procrastination leading to stagnation and creative abandonment.

But yes - I agree, I need to play more games. I just wish I believed in reincarnation with an accompanying awareness of previous lives (and previous board games played)....

Colonial Andy wrote:

PaulG wrote:Making a list like this makes me realise that, for all the time that I spend playing games, I've still only scratched the surface of what's out there...

This is something I think about often, and it depresses me.  Not just in terms of board games, of course: there are so many books I'd like to read, which I know I'd enjoy; so many bands I know I'd love but I've never heard (of) them; so many classic films I should watch, would love to watch....  Board games are just added to this list of media which I'll never get to experience because I have too little time and life is too short.

As far as games go, this is complicated by the fact that I'm trying to design my own games.  Every time I attend SBGC, I see the games on the go and think, "Oh man, I so want to play that!" ... but I can't because I need to keep playtesting The Path to Panic if I'm ever going to make something of it; I can't risk procrastination leading to stagnation and creative abandonment.

But yes - I agree, I need to play more games.  I just wish I believed in reincarnation with an accompanying awareness of previous lives (and previous board games played)....

I'm doing my best to schedule more game playing in, and trying to address my horrible work life balance which is skewed unfavorably towards work at the moment...

It might be worth taking an occasional tuesday off to play something new, perhaps a bit of variety will let you see path to panic differently and offer some new inspiration and motivation ?

Colonial Andy wrote:

PaulG wrote:Making a list like this makes me realise that, for all the time that I spend playing games, I've still only scratched the surface of what's out there...

This is something I think about often, and it depresses me.  Not just in terms of board games, of course: there are so many books I'd like to read, which I know I'd enjoy; so many bands I know I'd love but I've never heard (of) them; so many classic films I should watch, would love to watch....  Board games are just added to this list of media which I'll never get to experience because I have too little time and life is too short.

I know what you mean, and I think the danger here for me is that it becomes a chore. "Oh, I need to play 3 new games today then get through this list of books and watch this new TV show." It's something that I have to remind myself of - my leisure time is for leisure and not inventing new types of work and targets :-) Yes, I want to play through my unplayed games, and yes just up there ^^^^ I listed a whole bunch of games I want to play more of, but I have to just relax and make sure when I have a games session that I look back at the fun I had and not the regret at games I didn't fit in this week.

I’ve thought about this slightly differently (again) from everyone else. I’ve considered what games I would keep out of my collection if I could only keep 12 of them. I’ve tried to have a good balance of games, different categories with a spread of player numbers and satisfies a range of abilities. I think I could be pretty happy with just these 12 games:

Blueprints (Abstract)
Close run with Splendor, but I prefer the tactile nature of Blueprints, building little stacks of dice is just so pleasing. Splendor is just a bit dry. Abyss would also be a good contender here.
Catacombs (Dexterity)
This is my favourite of my dexterity games. I do love A La Carte as well though and I suspect Cube Quest will be up there once I’ve played it. Catacombs just has a great balance of complexity and silliness. Also fits the dungeon crawler/fantasy category I seem to be missing.
Colt Express (Programming)
I still love RoboRally, but I’ve found a significant number of people just hate it. Colt Express doesn’t outstay its welcome like RR can and is nicer to look at. I’d be happy with Space Alert too, but I’ve struggled to find people who enjoy that and the need of a sound track makes it awkward to play in pubs.
Jamaica (Racing)
I do like Snow Tails as well, but Jamaica is just so pretty and less fiddly. I would possibly take Steampunk Rally if I owned it, which would cover card drafting as well.
Kemet (Area Control)
This fits my bigger game/ultra aggressive tendencies. Love the progression up the skill tree and funky pyramids. Another game I don’t play enough of.
King of Tokyo with Power Up (Intro/Party)
Always willing to play KoT after I don’t know how many plays. It has its flaws, but I’ve had so many fun games of this and still not bored.
Krosmaster Arena (Miniatures)
Great introductory miniatures game. Looks lovely and could play this with lots of different people who could be put off by the more complex options. Imperial Assault would be a good fit here, but why would I buy that when I can play Aneurin’s beautifully painted copy?
Lords of Vegas (Negotiation)
I’m not a big fan of trading/negotiation, I’m just crap at getting people to do what I want, but I really enjoyed this game. The negotiating isn’t the whole game like it is in, say Chinatown, where if you don’t loudly fight your corner, you’re not going to do well. In LoV you can play a quieter, more tactical game and still win. Especially if you roll really well  
Mysterium (Deduction/Family)
Great for non-gamers due to the lack of rules and best with a high number of players. Played this with loads of different people and it’s always gone down well. Codenames might supersede in time.
Shadow Hunters (Hidden Role)
I’m not one for hidden role games, for the same reasons as LoV. SH lets you play a game without having to argue with people and convince them of stuff. It’s much more based on actions and you can actually figure out who people are with concrete information.  
Space Cadets: Dice Duel (Real time/Party)
Big fan of real time games, but this is my favourite. I love that everyone has a different role to play and just the chaos of the whole thing with 8 players. Galaxy Trucker would be a close second here, but it’s a bit limited at 4 players only. Real shame I couldn’t find a way to fit it in somewhere though.
The Ancient World (Worker Placement)
I had to get a Ryan Laukat game in here somehow and I really enjoy this take on worker placement with its monster killing and city building mechanics added in. Really nice thinky game that doesn’t take too long to play.

There are a couple of categories missing here. I don’t have a deck-builder, I just don’t own any. I’d probably pick Star Realms as the easiest to pick up and play. Web of Spies is another good option though.

The only 4x I own is Empires of the Void, which I really liked, but I can’t imagine me getting much use out of it. I’d probably take Xia as my big epic space game of choice. Mage Knight is possibly my favourite massive, levelling up, takes ages sort of game (also fits the deck building category, sort of) but I don’t own it and never, ever want to have to teach it. It’s a game I definitely want to play again though. We never really got into the bigger missions properly.

I could do with another simple party game as well, I’m not entirely happy with that. Dobble or Codenames should be in there. There’s also no card drafting. I really like 7 Wonders, but it’s a bitch to teach new players. Sushi Go would probably be my choice from that category, but I’d definitely take other games over that.

As I’m sure you’ve noticed both X-Wing and Netrunner are conspicuous by their absence in my list, but I consider those two as separate hobbies in my mind. They don’t even live on my board game shelf. I love both of them, however, and you should play them!

Lizzy wrote:I’ve thought about this slightly differently (again) from everyone else.

Good choices and more games I need to play Abyss is a good contender for the abstract game for sure (I haven't played Blueprints). I also really like Lords of Vegas, Mysterium and Shadow Hunters.

And this idea of X-Wing and Netrunner being separate hobbies is intriguing... will have to see if I can get away with that!

Can I go for:

Tigers and Euphrates
Gloom
Settlers of Catan
Starfarers of Catan
La Boca
Loonacy
Mysterium
Notre Dame
Just Desserts
Takenoko
Firefly
Betrayal

With special runner up space for Zoowaboo, The Little Prince and the Bean Game my parents had when we were growing up but threw out. It was the best game ever and involved crawling under tables, gargling with water and eating sweets.

The above based on 'cos like them. Not sure how to categorise them. But some of them take longer than others.

Oooh, Starfarers is a terrific call. Might prefer that over regular Catan, even with Cities and Knights.

Kes wrote:
Deck-building: Web of Spies I don't like deck building games but this is great.

In case you (or anyone else) is interested, the guy who made Web Of Spies has posted a message saying he's got a bunch of copies left over after the Kickstarter and to be in touch if you want to order one. Don't know how much they'd be, but the Kickstarter price including UK delivery was $60. Given that it's self-published, I doubt it will make it to retail any time soon...

My attempt at a 12-game cupboard:

Co-op - Pandemic (with the On The Brink Expansion)
Hidden movement - Scotland Yard
Hidden role - The Resistance (I think Avalon has a smoother gameplay and better theme but somehow the best games I've had have been with the original)
Negotiation - Diplomacy
Knizia - Tigris and Euphrates
Party - Codenames
2-player - Patchwork
Abstract - Go (I haven't got far into the strategy yet but I can see how deep it could get)
Classic Euro - Terra Mystica
Deduction - Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective
Not-really-a-game-but-fun-activity - Once Upon A Time
Whee! Look at the awesome models! - X-Wing

But there are plenty of other great games that could easily go on this list. Samurai or Through the Desert could have nudged out Tigris & Euphrates in the Knizia category, with Through the Desert also being a sentimental choice as it was one of the first games we got that opened our eyes to the wonders of modern boardgaming. Shame about the pastel colours, though. I think War of the Ring could easily go in there, too, in the 'Whee! Look at the awesome models' category, except I haven't played it enough to know how much I like the game itself rather than just enjoying looking over a table full of lovely miniature orcs.

The 2-player game could easily be Jaipur or Twilight Struggle or Le Havre: Inland Port. The Party game could be Jungle Speed. I maybe should have put Lords of Vegas or Chinatown in the Negotiation category, but Diplomacy was the first I played and loved, even though the others are probably better games.

On a different day, I'd come up with a different list.

I can't believe I forgot the cooperative category! Pandemic over Legacy - is that just due to replayability?

Love that you voted for Tigers too BeardyTom

PaulG wrote:I can't believe I forgot the cooperative category! Pandemic over Legacy - is that just due to replayability?

Basically, yes. Pandemic Legacy is the best gaming experience I've had, but it's finished now, so I decided I couldn't put it in my stripped down 12-game desert island games cupboard.

Maybe Sherlock Holmes shouldn't be in there, for the same reason, although I think I could see myself getting that out again sometime in the future, when the details of the cases have faded in my aging memory. Also, I hear there may be some extra cases published sometime in the new year.

Hard to make list. My Geek tells me I have a clear Top5 in ratings, but then I have 15 tied for 6th place.

TOP5
1. Eclipse
2. Rokoko
3. Fury of Dracula
4. Glen More
5. Legendary Encounters


for a 12 game cupboard I'd include all of those 5 as they each offer something different.
The other 7 would be:
1. Flick em up
2. Mysterium
3. Codenames
4. A Game of Thrones
5. Avalon
6. Red7
7. Roll for the Galaxy/Race for the Galaxy



For a further list, I play a lot of games with my GF, and we do tend towards chilled out games that are good with 2 players that we can play as either a filler or as part of a relaxing evening. A current Top10 of those for us would be (in no order):

1. Carcassonne
2. Patchwork
3. Biblios (Thank you secret santa)
4. Jaipur
5. Morels
6. Lost cities
7. Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective
8. Red7
9. Glen More
10. Labyrinth

JohnH wrote:1. Eclipse

Have to say; some people have impeccable taste in games around here.

Eclipse is probably still my number one proper board game. This is despite the fact that I keep losing. Now, I'm not saying that the last time I lost it was 2 on to 1 or anything; but sometimes, a chap can feel a little ganged up on (*waves* to Sam and Tom).

Actually, in that game (this Saturday), I did make one serious strategic blunder, mid game. With hindsight, it would have been wise had I oriented new hexes (during explore actions) as to close myself off, or at least, limit the number of routes in to my area of space. Then, just consolidate my very healthy position at that time (had the most perfect round 1 imaginable, placing 5 population cubes on to 2 hexes, and I was the science dudes).

Instead, I left myself (my area of space) too open, in anticipation of my own forces going forwards and trouncing those of my enemies, giving me even more juicy hexes and VP's at the end of the game. Didn't go to plan...

Anyhow, really looking forward to a 6 player game in February...