Top Twenty Board Games (2012 Edition)
This is my fourth year to do this so I think it is now established tradition, but every May I make a list of my favorite board games of all time (as of that year anyway). For the past three times I made a top ten list. However, I have played just shy of 500 unique games so even a top twenty list is still less than the top 5% of all games that I have played. Plus, my top ten list is really starting to solidify and there is not as many changes in years past, so going to twenty gives a better picture of the games that I love. As always the list is in descending order for dramatic effect:
20. Citadels
Back in 2009, when I first made a top games list, Citadels sneaked onto the list at #10. At that time I had a much lessened exposure to board games than I do now, but Citadels as endured as a favorite (for perspective only 4 of the 10 games from that original list are still here). Citadels is a game where players are building buildings in a city, but to do this they are selecting secret roles. A lot of the game's fun comes from trying to figure out who has what role, and how that guess might be used to one's advantage and the opponent's disadvantage.
19. Ninjato
This is a new game that came out last year, and when I made my top games of that year, I listed it at #5. A few more plays has moved Ninjato further up the list, and into the top 20. In this game players control a ninja clan and raid noble houses. The game is extremely thematic and a lot of fun. Players only get three actions a round, and there are only nine rounds. This makes the game very tight and every decision a tough one. Plus, it has ninjas :)
18. Manoeuvre
This deserves to be on the list because it is a war game that Abigail actually enjoys! In this game, players control the army of one of eight countries. Each army is represented by eight counters and an unique deck of cards. This game really emphasizes maneuvering and using board position to dictate the flow of the game. This game uses dice for combat as well, so the mix of luck from dice/cards and strategy is really good.
17. Federation Commander
This is the most recent addition to this list, as I just played it for the first time in February but I think I love this game. Federation Commander is set in a variant of the Star Trek universe and is a star ship combat game. Each ship is represented by a counter and a sheet that shows systems, shields, engines, etc. The game is all about energy management, so when a hit goes to the forward shields and drops them to 20% I can transfer power to the forward shields. Even though it is all counters, dice, charts, and dry erase markers this game makes me feel like I am in the captain's chair and that is a blast.
16. Last Night on Earth
At this point I have played A LOT of zombie games, and this continues to be the best one. The game is made to play out like a zombie movie where four survivors try to do complete an objective, like rescue survivors, escape in the truck or burn out the zombies. This game is very luck dependent, but it is also a lot of fun and tells a great story.
15. Yomi
Last year I considered this my 9th favorite game, and the second best game made in 2011. Yomi has dropped a bit, mostly because Abigail is "meh" on the game and I do not get to play it as much as it really should be played. Yomi is essentially a card based version of a 2D fighting game like Street Fighter 2. The neat mechanic is that players play cards at the same time and a Rock, Paper, Scissors like mechanic determines who hits. The game has ten unique fighters who all play differently, and involves really trying to get into the opponent's head.
14. Havana
In 2010 I listed Havana as my ninth favorite game, and in 2011 it got bumped back. However, it is still one of my favorites. Like Citadels, Havana is a role selection game where players are picking roles and building buildings. However, in this game players will have two roles a turn, and at the end of each turn choose to replace only one of them. This creates some interesting combos and a lot of trying to figure out what the other players are going to play.
13. Glen More
This is a tile placement game where players slowly build up their own little corner of Scotland. It uses a very unique way of determining whose turn it is. It also has an unique way to do scoring. I find this makes every game play differently and it is very tactical. Having an overall strategy is good, but decisions need to be made and modified turn by turn. Another big plus of this game is that it features real world locations, and Abigail and I have been to most of the castles and loches in the game.
12. Agricola
In 2010 this was my 5th favorite game, and in 2011 it was my 7th favorite game and it continues to drop. I like Agricola and I always have fun playing it, but I do not enjoy the thought of playing the game. Agricola is a game of worker placement and farming. It is also brutal, as there is never enough actions to do everything that needs to happen. By the fifth turn in or so, I feel like the game is kicking my butt and I am going to get destroyed, but by the end of the game things have turned around. Even if I do not win I feel like I have a working farm that only a few turns ago seemed destined for ruin. This game is fun, but it is an emotional roller coaster.
11. Core Worlds
I know this picture makes Core Worlds look like a mess of cards, and it kind of is. This is a deck building game where players are going to acquire tactics, troops, and ships. These are then used to conquer planets and build a space empire. However, players have a limited amount of actions per round so every round provides tough decisions as players balance building their deck, playing cards, and conquering planets.
10. A Touch of Evil
A Touch of Evil continues to be my 10th favorite game. I know that objectively there are mechanically better games. This game still uses roll and move to get around the board! It also has a lot of luck, and a strong dose of "take that" which can lengthen the game and lead to king making scenarios. Despite that, I love playing this game. The theme and narrative structure is so strong. Every time I play this game I feel like I am taking part in an exciting and compelling story in a rich and engrossing setting.
9. London
London also remains one of my top ten favorite even though its position has shifted down a little bit. London is a game of risk management and building London after the great fire of 1666. Having an overall strategy is helpful, but making good decisions based on the context of the turn from round to round is just as important. I really like the card interaction in this game as well.
8. ElfBall
This is the first of two new entries into my top ten favorite games. Elf Ball is a fantasy (emphasis on fantasy) sport game about a sport that is kind of Rugby like. The game is a simulation, played on hexes. I love the back and forth of this game. There are over a dozen teams available for the game. I have cardstock stand ins for all the teams, but the game is meant to be played with miniatures. I have two miniature teams I painted for the game, and one of them is what is pictured. I really want to get another team, I just have to find a reason to justify it. My brother likes this game, and he likes the Dwarf team. . . .
7. Small World
Small World is one of four games to be in my Top Ten all four years. The game continues to be a blast to play. In Small World, players score points by conquering territory with fantasy races. Each race has a special ability, and they are also randomly assigned another special ability. So one game the elves might be "Dragon Rider Elves" and the next they might be "Sea Faring Elves." This makes every game feel very unique. There is a new expansion for this game coming out this year that adds a randomly created board to the mix, and I think that will give this game even more possibilities.
6. Blood Bowl: Team Manager
This was my favorite game of 2011, and it is one of my favorite games period. Blood Bowl uses cards to abstractly simulate a Blood Bowl (fantasy based football) season. The winner of the game though is not the player who wins the most games, but has the most fans. Each round provides exciting back and forth between the players. I am not entirely sure what it is, but I love this game and I do not think I will ever get tired of playing it.
5. The Resistance
When it comes to a group game, the Resistance is my absolute favorite. In the Resistance players are members of rebels trying to take down an evil Empire. However, the empire has infiltrated the resistance with spies who attempt to foil missions. The resistance win if three missions succeed, and the spies win if three mission are foiled. Everyone accuses everyone of being a spy and it is great fun!
4. Race for the Galaxy
This use to be our favorite game, but last year it was dethroned by Memoir '44, and this year it takes another step back. However, it is still way up their on how much we like it. Race for the Galaxy is a great card game that combines card synergy with role selection. It has a great mix of strategy and tactics as well. The game has a new expansion coming out this month, and we are anxiously anticipating getting it.
3. Dominion
The above picture is out of date. It use to be the picture of every card available in Dominion, but it is one expansion set behind. Dominion is a deck building game where players start with a small group of cards and use those to buy more cards all with the idea of getting enough cards to buy high value victory point cards. Of the cards available in the game, only ten are used at a time and the possible card pool as over 150 possible choices. This makes the game just about infinitely replayable.
2. Warhammer: Invasion
At this point Warhammer: Invasion is my most played game. By the end of the summer I will probably have over 100 games played just in 2012. In this game players take their own sets of cards and build decks to compete against each other. The game offers six factions that play differently, and every game is full of interesting decisions. I also feel like I am somewhat decent at this game. Recently I competed in a Regional tournament and finished third. Every month new cards for this game come out, and as long as they make them I will probably get them.
1. Memoir '44
Memoir '44 continues to be my favorite game. I just love everything about this game. I love the way it scales to create a whole variety of WWII battles. I love how the system uses command cards and dice to mix luck and strategy almost perfectly. I love how the terrain tiles make it for new scenarios to be created easily. I love how the expansions have added a ton of depth, new options, and replayability to the title. Every time I play this game I have a blast, and it is easily the game I enjoy playing the most. Memoir '44 is my favorite game ever (at least for this year).
20. Citadels
Back in 2009, when I first made a top games list, Citadels sneaked onto the list at #10. At that time I had a much lessened exposure to board games than I do now, but Citadels as endured as a favorite (for perspective only 4 of the 10 games from that original list are still here). Citadels is a game where players are building buildings in a city, but to do this they are selecting secret roles. A lot of the game's fun comes from trying to figure out who has what role, and how that guess might be used to one's advantage and the opponent's disadvantage.
19. Ninjato
This is a new game that came out last year, and when I made my top games of that year, I listed it at #5. A few more plays has moved Ninjato further up the list, and into the top 20. In this game players control a ninja clan and raid noble houses. The game is extremely thematic and a lot of fun. Players only get three actions a round, and there are only nine rounds. This makes the game very tight and every decision a tough one. Plus, it has ninjas :)
18. Manoeuvre
This deserves to be on the list because it is a war game that Abigail actually enjoys! In this game, players control the army of one of eight countries. Each army is represented by eight counters and an unique deck of cards. This game really emphasizes maneuvering and using board position to dictate the flow of the game. This game uses dice for combat as well, so the mix of luck from dice/cards and strategy is really good.
17. Federation Commander
This is the most recent addition to this list, as I just played it for the first time in February but I think I love this game. Federation Commander is set in a variant of the Star Trek universe and is a star ship combat game. Each ship is represented by a counter and a sheet that shows systems, shields, engines, etc. The game is all about energy management, so when a hit goes to the forward shields and drops them to 20% I can transfer power to the forward shields. Even though it is all counters, dice, charts, and dry erase markers this game makes me feel like I am in the captain's chair and that is a blast.
16. Last Night on Earth
At this point I have played A LOT of zombie games, and this continues to be the best one. The game is made to play out like a zombie movie where four survivors try to do complete an objective, like rescue survivors, escape in the truck or burn out the zombies. This game is very luck dependent, but it is also a lot of fun and tells a great story.
15. Yomi
Last year I considered this my 9th favorite game, and the second best game made in 2011. Yomi has dropped a bit, mostly because Abigail is "meh" on the game and I do not get to play it as much as it really should be played. Yomi is essentially a card based version of a 2D fighting game like Street Fighter 2. The neat mechanic is that players play cards at the same time and a Rock, Paper, Scissors like mechanic determines who hits. The game has ten unique fighters who all play differently, and involves really trying to get into the opponent's head.
14. Havana
In 2010 I listed Havana as my ninth favorite game, and in 2011 it got bumped back. However, it is still one of my favorites. Like Citadels, Havana is a role selection game where players are picking roles and building buildings. However, in this game players will have two roles a turn, and at the end of each turn choose to replace only one of them. This creates some interesting combos and a lot of trying to figure out what the other players are going to play.
13. Glen More
This is a tile placement game where players slowly build up their own little corner of Scotland. It uses a very unique way of determining whose turn it is. It also has an unique way to do scoring. I find this makes every game play differently and it is very tactical. Having an overall strategy is good, but decisions need to be made and modified turn by turn. Another big plus of this game is that it features real world locations, and Abigail and I have been to most of the castles and loches in the game.
12. Agricola
In 2010 this was my 5th favorite game, and in 2011 it was my 7th favorite game and it continues to drop. I like Agricola and I always have fun playing it, but I do not enjoy the thought of playing the game. Agricola is a game of worker placement and farming. It is also brutal, as there is never enough actions to do everything that needs to happen. By the fifth turn in or so, I feel like the game is kicking my butt and I am going to get destroyed, but by the end of the game things have turned around. Even if I do not win I feel like I have a working farm that only a few turns ago seemed destined for ruin. This game is fun, but it is an emotional roller coaster.
11. Core Worlds
I know this picture makes Core Worlds look like a mess of cards, and it kind of is. This is a deck building game where players are going to acquire tactics, troops, and ships. These are then used to conquer planets and build a space empire. However, players have a limited amount of actions per round so every round provides tough decisions as players balance building their deck, playing cards, and conquering planets.
10. A Touch of Evil
A Touch of Evil continues to be my 10th favorite game. I know that objectively there are mechanically better games. This game still uses roll and move to get around the board! It also has a lot of luck, and a strong dose of "take that" which can lengthen the game and lead to king making scenarios. Despite that, I love playing this game. The theme and narrative structure is so strong. Every time I play this game I feel like I am taking part in an exciting and compelling story in a rich and engrossing setting.
9. London
London also remains one of my top ten favorite even though its position has shifted down a little bit. London is a game of risk management and building London after the great fire of 1666. Having an overall strategy is helpful, but making good decisions based on the context of the turn from round to round is just as important. I really like the card interaction in this game as well.
8. ElfBall
This is the first of two new entries into my top ten favorite games. Elf Ball is a fantasy (emphasis on fantasy) sport game about a sport that is kind of Rugby like. The game is a simulation, played on hexes. I love the back and forth of this game. There are over a dozen teams available for the game. I have cardstock stand ins for all the teams, but the game is meant to be played with miniatures. I have two miniature teams I painted for the game, and one of them is what is pictured. I really want to get another team, I just have to find a reason to justify it. My brother likes this game, and he likes the Dwarf team. . . .
7. Small World
Small World is one of four games to be in my Top Ten all four years. The game continues to be a blast to play. In Small World, players score points by conquering territory with fantasy races. Each race has a special ability, and they are also randomly assigned another special ability. So one game the elves might be "Dragon Rider Elves" and the next they might be "Sea Faring Elves." This makes every game feel very unique. There is a new expansion for this game coming out this year that adds a randomly created board to the mix, and I think that will give this game even more possibilities.
6. Blood Bowl: Team Manager
This was my favorite game of 2011, and it is one of my favorite games period. Blood Bowl uses cards to abstractly simulate a Blood Bowl (fantasy based football) season. The winner of the game though is not the player who wins the most games, but has the most fans. Each round provides exciting back and forth between the players. I am not entirely sure what it is, but I love this game and I do not think I will ever get tired of playing it.
5. The Resistance
When it comes to a group game, the Resistance is my absolute favorite. In the Resistance players are members of rebels trying to take down an evil Empire. However, the empire has infiltrated the resistance with spies who attempt to foil missions. The resistance win if three missions succeed, and the spies win if three mission are foiled. Everyone accuses everyone of being a spy and it is great fun!
4. Race for the Galaxy
This use to be our favorite game, but last year it was dethroned by Memoir '44, and this year it takes another step back. However, it is still way up their on how much we like it. Race for the Galaxy is a great card game that combines card synergy with role selection. It has a great mix of strategy and tactics as well. The game has a new expansion coming out this month, and we are anxiously anticipating getting it.
3. Dominion
The above picture is out of date. It use to be the picture of every card available in Dominion, but it is one expansion set behind. Dominion is a deck building game where players start with a small group of cards and use those to buy more cards all with the idea of getting enough cards to buy high value victory point cards. Of the cards available in the game, only ten are used at a time and the possible card pool as over 150 possible choices. This makes the game just about infinitely replayable.
2. Warhammer: Invasion
At this point Warhammer: Invasion is my most played game. By the end of the summer I will probably have over 100 games played just in 2012. In this game players take their own sets of cards and build decks to compete against each other. The game offers six factions that play differently, and every game is full of interesting decisions. I also feel like I am somewhat decent at this game. Recently I competed in a Regional tournament and finished third. Every month new cards for this game come out, and as long as they make them I will probably get them.
1. Memoir '44
Memoir '44 continues to be my favorite game. I just love everything about this game. I love the way it scales to create a whole variety of WWII battles. I love how the system uses command cards and dice to mix luck and strategy almost perfectly. I love how the terrain tiles make it for new scenarios to be created easily. I love how the expansions have added a ton of depth, new options, and replayability to the title. Every time I play this game I have a blast, and it is easily the game I enjoy playing the most. Memoir '44 is my favorite game ever (at least for this year).
posted by SeanXor at 12:51 PM
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