Everything including the kitchen sink... but with special attention paid to board games, Jesus Christ, my family, being a "professional" (and I use that word loosely) Christian, and the random firing of the 10% of the synapses I'm currently using.
Take the basic card combat idea behind Star Wars: Epic Duels... add in the brilliant LOS board configuration system from Tannhäuser...and infuse the game thematically with a "mix of characters across time & reality" vibe from Heroscape... and then do a top-notch production job... and you've got Unmatched.
Tips & Tricks:
One of the biggest issues in Epic Duels (the need of some characters to turtle for multiple turns in order to make decent attacks) is fixed here... both by better balancing the decks AND by instituting a "getting to the end of your deck" penalty.
Each character/team has different strengths and weaknesses... you cannot play each character the same way and be successful.
The character receiving the least love out of the gate was King Arthur... but I've managed to pull off some wins with him by playing the cards in his deck, not the cards I wish he had.
Some of the newer boxes (and there are a LOT of them) have more complicated decks - but I'm happy to have the variety in play styles and characters.
Extras
Due to the expiration of publication rights, the Restoration Games Unmatched vault already contains the Jurassic Park, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Deadpool sets. While Deadpool is impossible to find in retail (and have been for quite a while), the other sets are still available - so if you're interested, it's time to pick them up.
Some quick thoughts on the various boxes - all of which are stand-alone expansions:
Robin Hood vs Big Foot - the best introduction if you're not sure about the series... two great characters and two great maps
Cobble & Fog - two more great maps with four excellent characters - though three of the four characters are not quite as straightforward to play
Jurassic Park: InGen vs Raptors - my least favorite map, though both characters are fun to play. Dr. Sattler vs T-Rex contains the only large figure in the system (so far)... the dino is fun to play occasionally.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer - two more excellent maps... don't love the Buffy character in 1v1 play but otherwise a fan of this box
Volume II - a great map and four excellent medium-difficulty characters
Bruce Lee - a solo character (no map) that's a lot of fun to play... now rereleased as Lee vs Ali with another great fighting character.
Marvel: Redemption Row, Marvel: Hell's Kitchen, Marvel: Teen Spirit, and Marvel: For King & Country - I like the creativity in the Marvel maps and the figures are incredible. Due to some balance issues across the set (my sons both swear that Bullseye is "way OP, dad" and I'm not sure we've ever seen Elektra win), I like these better for 2v2 play. (Note: I love the teen heroes in Teen Spirit... and I haven't seen a production copy of Brains & Brawn yet, which was a great deal of fun to playtest.)
Unmatched Adventures: Tales to Amaze! - we hated the playtest... .but Restoration knocked this one out of the park and it's one of my favorite cooperative games of the last few years (and the heroes are playable in head-to-head fights as well!)
Slings & Arrows - these are not beginner characters... but there's not a bad hero in the set (and the theme comes through beautifully [speaking as a former English/theater major])
The Witcher: both Witcher boxes are really good (Steel & Silver and Realms Fall) - interesting maps, interesting characters... and I'm not even a fan of the IP.
Volume III - we playtested this box as well... and these are the trickiest characters to play in the "volume" boxes.
Stars & Stripes - working on a review of this RIGHT NOW... my younger son & I have been waiting for these characters since we playtested them!
My boys & I have been playtesters on a number of Unmatched sets: Vol. II & III, the Marvel boxes, Tales to Amaze!, Slings & Arrows, the Witcher boxes, Lee vs. Ali, and Stars & Stripes.
I've written a number of reviews about Unmatched for the Opinionated Gamers site:
I wouldn't go as far to say that New Frontiers has fired the classic Puerto Rico for me... but it covers a lot of the same ground with better graphics and a more compelling theme.
Tips & Tricks:
New Frontiers does not seem to have the same "newbie automatically assists player to their left" problem as Puerto Rico... but players still need to pay careful attention to the downstream effects of their action choices.
Don't put all your point-scoring eggs in one basket - especially when it comes to the 9 cost technologies. I have been known to buy a 9 cost tech that was only marginal for me in order to keep it out of the hands of someone who could really benefit from it.
I personally like the goals (which is also true for with both the original card game and Roll for the Galaxy)... but not everyone is fond of them.
Extras
The Starry Rift expansion adds new worlds, a much greater selection of developments, and an excellent solo option.
This is the fifth of seven (7!) Tom Lehmann games that will appear on my top 100 list this time around... and the second of three Race for the Galaxy universe games. Sue me.
It doesn't so much simulate soccer (like Pursue the Pennant attempts to simulate baseball)... instead, it uses a backgammon-ish mechanic to simulate the feel of a soccer game - and does so brilliantly.
Tips & Tricks:
Like playing backgammon, winning at StreetSoccer is as much about the position you leave yourself in as well as pushing hard to score...
And like backgammon, what appears initially to be a random dice game actually reveals itself to be a very tactical game of risk & probability.
Extras
There are three different online PBEM versions of StreetSoccer... the one I used to play on (a lot!) was Little Golem.
A civilization-building game that packs in the game mechanics: deckbuilding, resource management, tableau building, asymmetric factions, multiple game timers, keywords to differentiate similar actions… and each individual civilization has a uniquely structured deck.
Tips & Tricks:
Know what's in the deck you're playing... they do NOT work the same way and tactics can be very different.
Don't forget about Innovate (dropping your hand to get a card you want from the market)... sometimes, it's the best thing you can do.
It will take a few plays, but watching what other players are doing is key to winning.
Extras
I'm on the fence about buying the 3D-printed bits from MeepleSource - but they look really nice..
Here's the review I wrote about Imperium Classics/Legends for the Opinionated Gamers website.
It is a brilliant solo system.
Horizons adds a LOT of content to the game... as well as a trade module which twists things in some interesting ways. It's also has the best comprehensive rulebook for the game.
This is the first of two games on my list by designer Nigel Buckle & the third of four games by Dávid Turczi. (Extra credit - Imperium is the first of two games designed by this team on my list!)
This 3D re-implementation of Matt Leacock's classic Roll Through The Ages did not impress me on my first play... but subsequent plays changed my mind. It's not the same game with cuter bits - it is a different (and more confrontational) game with limited amounts of certain buildings and the ability to bleed your opponents if you choose to pursue that route.
Tips &Tricks:
Important safety tip: don't forget the final phase of each turn, which is Extort. Simply using all your resources won't prevent pain (you gain disaster points instead).
Corollary to the safety tip: in a 3 or 4 player game, you could potentially get hit multiple times in the Extort phase. Plan accordingly.
You can't do everything - but you should at least build a walled area and put some valuable buildings in it (since they are doubled in a completed walled area).
Extras
I consider the Rivers & Roads expansion essential - not only does it add some very interesting new buildings and the titular rivers & roads, it also adds cards for the middle of the table that are much easier to see and understand about the cost & power of each building.
I also own all of the Collector Set expansions... which add a variety of tricky twists to the system. They're not cheap (I used leftover Christmas money to buy them) but if you're enjoying the game system, they're pretty nifty.
The solo mode works well... and building a little working medieval city is very satisfying.
Bag-building and whimsy combined to produce an easy-to-teach press-your-luck game that has been 100% successful with everyone I've introduced it to.
Tips & Tricks:
You need to look at what powers are available - and remember that you can't do everything.
Not worrying about scoring for the first couple of rounds is sometimes worth it for the rat-tail catch-up mechanic.
Extras
I like both of the expansions... though they make the game a little trickier to teach and get into for new players. I'd recommend you wait on Herb Witches and/or Alchemists until everyone at the table has a game or two under their belts.
I have two nifty add-on things for my Quacks collection - the splendid GeekUp Bits tokens (seen in the picture) thanks to a very good friend (King Bob!)... and the Folded Space organizer.
I don't love the new cover for Quacks - but I'm not angry about it. (And I haven't actually played with a new edition, so I have no thoughts on whether it's better or worse.)
This is the second of two games designed by Wolfgang Warsch on the countdown.
designers: Richard Ámann, Thomas Vande Ginste, Viktor Péter, Wolf Plancke, and Dávid Turczi
Print Status
in print - sort of? (it was primarily a Kickstarter product)
Why It's On The List
Crunchy dice-drafting decisions are coupled with oodles of thematic elements across a four game system with gorgeous production values.
Tips & Tricks:
The four games ("episodes") that make up the series are related to each mechanically - each uses a dice drafting mechanism that is placed to activate a variety of actions. But, in practice, each game develops in very different ways as the objectives of the overarching story create intriguing new puzzles for players to struggle with.
The story is a like a fever dream mash-up of LOST, Jurassic Park, and Stargate - but the team makes it work with evocative card & board art as well as really nice miniatures.
The solo system is impressive - not particularly simple to learn but thematically strong and clever to play against.
Objective for 2026: finally play the Chronicles box that connects the four episodes together!
Extras
I purchased a nearly pristine used copy of all three boxes from the BGG Marketplace (thank you, kind sir!)... our hobby can be a really wonderful sometimes.
Mindclash Games has specialized in these sprawling 'heavy' games with splendid production. No surprise - there's another Mindclash game coming on the countdown.
This is the seventh new-to-the-top-100 game on the countdown.
This is the second of four games designed by Dávid Turczi on the countdown.
The best of the customizable dice games out there... and it moves along at a furious pace as you develop your little medieval realm.
Tips & Tricks:
Much like Dominion, being able to look at the collection of special powers/die faces available in the game and make a coherent plan for development is a key to victory.
When there are "attack" die faces in play, you want to make sure you have some defensive capabilities... as the combination of attacks + winter can put you into a death spiral (and hasten the end of the game).
Extras
The Trade expansion is very, very good - and incorporates a version of thesolo & cooperative rules that designer Tom Lehmann posted on BGG.
This is the fourth of seven (7!) games designed by Tom Lehmann on the countdown.
A dexterity game that more about physics than perfect dexterity... and more about the fun of building (and accidentally destroying) a huge house of cards than about tricking your opponent into making a bad move. And, yes, it's a kids game - but it's been successful with pretty much every person I've taught it to.
Tips & Tricks:
Not getting "cute" with your early builds will lead to a more stable base and a MUCH taller building.
The game is random enough (you roll both to see how far your hero climbs AND to win battles against other heroes) that you should not take it seriously.
The only person worth setting up for a fall is the player who is currently highest up on the tower - if they lose, everyone else wins.
Extras
This is part of the very successful Rhino Hero family of games from HABA... the original Rhino Hero is both highly portable and a lot of fun to play. I haven't played the other games.
Picture includes Owen (my younger son's good friend AND fellow Unmatched fan).
This third iteration of the Great Western Trail engine has the right combination of elements to appeal to me - a bit more money in the game that opens up new strategies, two different ways to use sheep (selling & shearing), and an "expansion" board that makes more sense than Rails to the North (from the original game).
Tips & Tricks:
The solo automata is brilliantly designed and offers a competitive game and a relatively low level of player upkeep/overhead for this heavy a game.
There is not a single correct strategy - so much is dependent on what is happening in the game state and you need to constantly adjust your expectations while still planning for future turns.
I avoided playing the original Great Western Trail for a long time – even though I really enjoyed some of Pfister’s designs. My first play was very good – but I just didn’t see who I could get to play it with me. The new versions being released piqued my interest – but not enough to pull the trigger until GWT: New Zealand… and boy howdy, I’m glad it did. There are a number of changes to the base game – though the basics are still the same. It’s as if they took GWT and the Rails to the North expansion, smushed them together, added some clever twists to “loosen” the game up a bit, and then did a better job with the graphics than the previous versions.
Extras
I've only had the opportunity to play GTW:NZ solo and two player - I'd like to try it with 3 or 4 players, but the game time would increase pretty seriously.
This is the second of three games designed by Alexander Pfister on this countdown.
I've described Mr. President as "a solo role-playing game for people interested in domestic and international politics" – and I stand by that statement. (I’m Mark Jackson, and I approve this message.)
Tips &Tricks:
For a game that takes 5-10 hours (not including set-up and tear down), it's a pretty tactical game. Much of the time you're simply reacting to the craziness of the world around and trying to keep all of your plates spinning.
The advice in the rulebook is spot on - "you win the game by doing well at domestic politics; you lose the game by doing badly at foreign affairs."
Extras
This is an overwhelming design - but GMT has gone out of their way to make it playable and enjoyable - especially with the clean-up they did with the second edition.
GMT is currently working on a digital version of the game that will solve the combined problems of "table-eater" and "game length" for some folks.
I wrote a preview of Mr. President in the form of a press briefing/interview for the Opinionated Gamer site.
I heartily recommend the 3D-printed storage system created by PrintablesByCaren... it makes it so much easier to find the right chits when playing.
The developer of the game (Mike Bertucelli) was a long-time member of the gaming group I ran in Central California and a great guy to game with.
This is the sixth new-to-the-top-100 game on the countdown.
The lightest of the Race for the Galaxy family games is not just a sci-fi retread of Tom Lehmann's The City... it's an interesting blend of the two systems to make for a very quick and highly enjoyable tableau building card game.
Tips &Tricks:
Chances are excellent that someone who hasn't played much will tell that a certain building strategy is "broken" and "always wins". See my personal information below for why I raise a Spock-ish eyebrow to that claim.
You only have 6-8 rounds before the game is over... so exploring (drawing extra cards instead of building) is a serious decision. Doing it twice is just a nice way to say "let's play again after you beat me."
Extras
I have played Jump Drive 158 times and The City 113 times.
The new expansion for Jump Drive, Terminal Velocity, not only adds some new elements to the game but also has a really well-done solo mode.
I wrote a review of Jump Drive for the Opinionated Gamers website. (I will note that I am now incorrect in that review - the newest edition of The City makes it much easier to teach - it's in English - and score - it has point chips just like Jump Drive.)
This is the third of seven (7!) Tom Lehmann designs on the countdown... and the first of three Race for the Galaxy-themed games.
There are only six bugs to remember - but you have to remember where multiples of those bugs are hidden... and your badger's dietary preferences are dictated by a die roll. This is not for the faint of heart.
Hallo Dachs! also contains some real board play elements - both racing players to particularly point-rich spots as well as being careful about not wasting turns by eating your way into a dead end.
Extras
Hallo Dachs! was the #2 game on my Kid Games 100 back in the day.
This is the fourth of five (5!) games designed by Klaus Teuber on my top 100 list.
designers: Rob Daviau, Alan Roach, & Craig Van Ness
Print Status
VERY out of print... but see the news below!
Why It's On The List
This is possibly the best licensed game out there - certainly the one with the best combination of "toy factor" and "solid gameplay"... and it's based on the weakest film in the Star Wars franchise. It manages to capture the best parts of a bad film and make a splendid game.
Tips & Tricks:
The Trade Federation is slightly easier to play... but with two experienced players, the game is pretty well balanced.
If you're playing the Naboo side, you MUST use every Anakin card possible to push the timer. (This is really the only "can't miss" bit of strategic advice I can give you.)
Extras
This is not the only good Star Wars game (I also like Outer Rim & X-Wing Miniatures & Imperial Assault) but it's certainly the best. (Note: I have not yet played Armada, Legion, or Shatterpoint...)
The Risk: Star Wars Edition published in 2015 is a similar but NOT identical design... Nat Green has an excellent article on BGG comparing them.
Here's what I wrote about The Queen's Gambit for The One Hundred.
Restoration Games just announced in late March that they will be crowdfunding Lord of the Rings: The King's Gambit - marrying the design of Queen's Gambit to the Lord of the Rings storyline and theme. Color me extra excited!
This is the first of five games co-designed by Rob Daviau on this countdown... and the first of two co-designed by Craig Van Ness. (Please note: Rob heaps praise on Craig for doing the lion's share of the work on Queen's Gambit.)
designers: Trevor Benjamin & David Thompson (solo system design by David Digby & Dávid Turczi)
Print Status
in print
Why It's On The List
Take the basic deck-building combat design of War Chest and ground it in the theme and combat tactics of WW2... for this old AH/SPI wargamer, it's the best of both worlds. It feels like the best games of Squad Leader without the long playing time or the rules headaches.
2200: Callisto takes the battles into space as beleaguered miners face off against an evil corporation.
Tips & Tricks:
It has all the feels of a classic wargame - with the deck-building system that adds fog of war and command & control issues with extremely low fiddliness.
So far, scenarios in all three boxes are well-balanced... even those with asymmetric objectives. (Note: I've played completely through Normandy and Callisto and about halfway through North Africa.)
Like any squad-level combat game, cover is important.
Lessons learned in the Command & Colors games work here as well - try not to strand units in indefensible positions.
Both 1940s boxes reflect a solid understanding of the different kinds of WW2 tactical warfare they work to portray - impressive.
Extras
The Reinforcements box not only adds new units and scenarios for both of the original boxes - it also adds a complete storage system for both games... and, more importantly for my purposes, a sophisticated solo system that is challenging and makes pretty solid tactical decisions.
Callisto not only makes the sci-fi setting work (including adding mech units to the battles)... it also uses multiple pre-built mapboards which makes set-up much quicker. (It also has a solo mode in the box.)
I decided to lump these three games together as their systems are very similar - even though each one can stand as a game on its own.
I'm hoping to finally play Undaunted: Stalingrad later this year - I've got the game & the possible opponent... we just need to carve a very long weekend to take on the campaign!
This is the second of two David Thompson designs on my list... and the first of four Dávid Turczi designs.
I've finally reached the top ten songs... and interestingly enough, two songs feature Steve Taylor on lead vocals and two songs written by The Call appear. Not to mention the fourth song on the countdown from a single album ends up at number one.
I've loved this song from the minute it started playing on the cassette player in my car that first time… but it's taken on a particular resonance in the last decade or so with so many folks I know who pushed down their long-held beliefs and principles in the name of dominion and power.
Am I boring you? / I could say more / We were headed for somewhere, but that was before / You traded in your peace sign / For a finger
As a kid who was an awful baseball player with a loving dad, I took this song as nearly autobiographical for years. Then, one day, I realized it was about the love of God... and that my dad had done an amazing job of modeling that for me.
Baseball caps and bubble gum / "I think there’s a hole in my glove" / Three-and-two, life and death / I was swinging with eyes closed / Holding my breath / I was dying on my way to the bench / But none of it mattered after the game / When my father would find me / And call out my name/ A soft drink, a snow cone, a candy bar / A limousine ride in the family car / He loved me no matter how I played / He loved me no matter how I played
Winds of Heaven, Stuff of Earth was the last album on Rich's initial record contract - and since the first two albums had not blown the doors off, Rich and his producer (Reed Arvin) were pretty sure this was gonna be the end. So, they decided to make the album they wanted to make... covering Dougie Maclean's "Ready for the Storm", for example. But there was a praise song ("Awesome God") on the album that got HUGE radio play and changed the trajectory of Rich's career. But it is the same song - this song! - that grabbed Andrew Peterson (see #13 on my list) and stands out to me as Rich's best work.
So if I stand, let me stand on the promise / That You will pull me through / And if I can't, let me fall on the grace / That first brought me to You / And if I sing, let me sing for the joy / That has borne in me these songs / And if I weep, let it be as a man / Who is longing for his home
This song is how I became aware of Kansas back in the day… and it still holds up. (I've continued to follow the career of Kerry Livgren - he's put out some amazing albums with his band AD.)
Taken from 1 John 2:16, Mike Roe and the band created an unbelievably honest look inside their hearts... and ours.
Well, I see something, and I want it, bam / Right now / No questions asked / Don't worry how much it costs me now or later / I want it, want it, baby, and I want it fast / I'll go to any length, sacrifice all that I already have and all that I might get / Just to get something more that I don't need and Lord / Please don't ask me what for / The lust, the flesh, the eyes, and the pride of life / Drain the life right out of me
So, lots of online sources credit "Man of No Reputation" as a Rich Mullins song - probably because it appears on The Jesus Record which was released by the Ragamuffin Band after Rich's death. But it's not Rich's song - it was written by Rick Elias, who performed it on this record... and in MANY concert appearances with Rich & the Ragamuffin Band. Rich loved the song and would insist that Rick sing it.
He was a Man of no reputation / And by the wise considered a fool / When He spoke about faith and forgiveness / In a time when the strongest arms ruled / But this Man of no reputation / Loves us all with relentless affection / And He loves all those poor in spirit / Come as you are / To the Man of no reputation
This classic 80s rocker by The Call (covered by Russ Taff) has been my personal anthem as I've faced church conflict and struggles over the last 30+ years. Hearing Russ sing it again a few weeks ago with tears running down his face was a gift - I too still believe.
But I still believe, I still believe / Through the shame and through the grief / Through the heartache, through the tears / Through the waiting, through the years / For people like us in places like this / We need all the hope that we can get / Oh, I still believe!
Some songs just feel like the artist has been following you around and wrote your life story. For me, this is that song.
And I saw you licking your wounds / And I saw you weave your cocoons / And I saw you changing your tunes for the party line / And I saw you welsh on old debts / I saw you and your comrades bum cigarettes / And you hemmed and you hawed / And you hedged all your bets / Waiting for a sign / Let's wash our hands as we throw little fits / Let's all wash our hands as we curse hypocrites / We're locked in the washroom turning old tricks / Deaf / And joyless / And full of it
Though the album came out in 1986, Tonio K's masterpiece of a love song ended up on a mixtape I created for my soon-to-be wife in 1989. It's still "our song". (Bonus factoid: Maria McKee of Lone Justice is singing the backing vocals here.)
Now I can tell / You're so afraid / You've been lied to and taken for granted / And treated like some kind of slave / I'm not after your freedom, I'm after your heart / And I know it's gonna happen / And I knew it right from the start
the original game is out of print... it was re-published as Iwari in 2020 but that seems to be OOP as well
Why It's On The List
An extraordinarily simple game of brinksmanship as various monastic orders struggle to influence medieval Europe. Quite possibly one of the best three player games ever designed.
Tips & Tricks:
Make plays that enable you to put pairs into your hand - since they act as wild cards.
Tricky scoring tip #1: advisors only help if you win/tie on both sides of the connection. Don't get in a war you can't win - you're only helping the other guy.
Tricky scoring tip #2: don't take all but one building site in a country - you leave a spot open for one player to collect a lot of points w/a single play. You only need a majority in a country to garner all of the points.
There are a couple of expansions - both are print & play: The Vatican (which is ok) and Kardinal & Konig: Das Duell (which does a great job of making Web of Power work as a 2 player game).
Extras
One complaint: a direct translation of the German name (Kardinal & Konig) would have been much better name than Web of Power... it would have been "Cardinals & Kings".
Web of Power was reprinted as China - with some board & rules changes. I like the original better. (I have not played another reprint - Han - nor the aforementioned most recent version, Iwari.)
Sadly, Michael Schacht's site for playing Web of Power/China online is now defunct - but you can still play Iwari on BoardGameArena.
Here's what I wrote about Web of Power for The One Hundred: personal & "official".
This is the first of two Michael Schlacht games on my list.
Knizia at his dice-y best... it's an excuse to make gladiator movie jokes & beat on your friends for fun & profit.
Tips & Tricks:
It's OK to make a crazed run at a dangerous animal on your turn - esp. if you're down to your last 1-2 gladiators in a group. If you win, you get the big "kill". If you lose, the points don't go to another player.
You don't need to have a bunch of spears or tridents, just more than the other player. Don't get obsessed with them.
Shields are good... there are only 8 in the game. You should draft shield-bearers first.
Extras
There are people who've run computer simulations to figure out the best possible teams for the game - ignore those people. They suck the fun out of everything.
This is the fourth of five (5!) games designed by Dr. Knizia on my top 100 list for 2026... and the second one in a row in front of Keltis: Der Weg der Steine.
The most straightforward of the Lost Cities/Keltis family - and incredibly portable.
Tips & Tricks:
When playing with 3 or 4 players, don't start lines in all five colors.
It's easy to forget about blarney stones in your first game - don't. The penalty for going short on them is steep.
In German, the name means "the way of the stones." The "Mitbringspiel" is a rough equivalent of our "travel games" - it literally means "bring with game".
This was republished as Lost Cities To Go in 2018... but I've never actually seen a physical copy of it.
Since the publication of Der Weg der Steine, there have been other very good Lost Cities family games... my favorite of the newer bunch is the Lost Cities Roll'n'Write.
This is the third of five (5!) games designed by Reiner Knizia on this countdown.
follower of Jesus, husband, father, "pastor", boardgamer, writer, Legomaniac, Disneyphile, voted most likely to have the same Christmas wish list at age 58 as he did at age 8
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