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.
designers: Tim Burrell-Saward, Rob Daviau, Isaac Childres, Noah Cohen, Justin Jacobsen, & Brian Neff
Print Status
available
Why It's On The List
A completely immersive cooperative game that utilizes the "gimmick" of the tower beautifully, integrates the app into the game in ways that make the game more playable, and doubles down on the usual gorgeous production from Restoration Games.
Tips & Tricks:
There are not many games that work well across all player counts - Return to Dark Tower breaks that rule.
The Alliances expansion seems to work better with 3-4 players, but I don't think we've played it enough at lower counts to be sure of this.
Solo play is great... except you need to build a barrier of some kind on the opposite side of the tower from you when the game starts spitting skulls out in that direction.
Everything is important: fulfilling quests, buffing heroes, defeating monsters, cleansing skulls... and you can't do all of it. Wisely choose to send the best equipped hero to do a chore... rather than make decisions solely based on proximity to a task.
Extras
While we enjoy the Alliances expansion, the more recent Covenant expansion has been a group favorite - and it's not just the cool monuments or the extra heroes. The whole package is chockful of new twists for an already incredible game.
I playtested the upcoming Expeditions expansion and am really looking forward to the physical copy arriving at my home later this year.
I've written a good bit about Return to Dark Tower:
It's not strictly necessary... but the Dark Hordes box of "bad guy" miniatures makes the game even cooler on the table.
My younger son has played with folks at a convention who have 3D-printed extra stuff (including tiny red LED lights inside them) to bling it out even more!
This is the fifth of five (6!) games designed by Rob Daviau on this countdown... and the third of three for Justin Jacobsen... and the second of two for Noah Cohen & Brian Neff.
I have always described this game as "similar to playing Dungeons & Dragons with a DM who hates your guts" - it's a short (no more than an hour...and often shorter!), brutal & intensely fun experience game/dungeon crawl.
Tips & Tricks:
While I appreciate what Fantasy Flight did in reprinting Dungeonquest, I wasn't a fan of the goofy combat system they loaded onto it or the seriousness they added to the proceedings by transporting the game into their Terrinoth universe. (Part of the charm of Dungeonquest is the off-beat dark humor - which I attribute to the unique blend of Swedish designer & British publisher.)
That said, I have not played the Revised Edition reprint... which has better buzz than the earlier version.
If you manage to track down a copy of the original game + the two expansions, consider yourself incredibly lucky. It took me nearly 8 years to find the expansions - and even then I had to replace some of the missing miniatures from the used copy I bought.
The FFG edition includes some of the expansion stuff - so if you can find that at a reasonable price, it's still a good deal. (But look on BGG for alternate ways to do combat that don't slow the game down.)
We have a house rule... you can't win by simply surviving (running in a couple of spaces & running right back out). You must find SOMETHING of value - and no, a potentially poisonous healing "potion" does not count.
Do not under any circumstances (a) get too attached to your character, or (b) take the game too seriously. It's just a rousing chance to roll dice, fight monsters & generally find creative new ways to die.
Extras
I still have trouble believing that I haven't written more about Dungeonquest. I will have to remedy that... someday.
Queen Games released Dragonquest in 2022... while it shares a designer (Dan Glimne) and the same basic concept (trying to survive a dungeon), I cannot recommend it. It's processional and not a lot of fun to play.
This is truly a sandbox game with epic scope - I liken it to FFG's Outer Rim but without any guardrails. Fantastic production values added to gameplay that encourages creating swashbuckling stories makes this one of the best pandemic purchases I made.
Tips & Tricks:
Note: all but a couple of my plays of Xia has been solo - so take this as a strong recommendation for solo play. (Many have noted that the game slows way down with more than 3 players, which seems obvious.)
This is an adventure game with a lot of moving parts... strategies that work in one game will not necessarily go as well when the map lays out differently.
Stop and smell the roses - there is a lot of wonderful color text and background story buried in the game. Since it is very much an experience game, enjoy it!
The sprawling space opera nature of the game reminds me (in a good way!) of my one online-moderated play of Star Saga: One.
The solo campaign system is excellent - but it's not short. Fifteen games in, I've only accomplished seven of the ten objectives... but my overall campaign score is positive!
Extras
With games like this, more is more. Embers of a Forsaken Star is an essential expansion (particularly if you want to play solo).
The Missions and Powers expansion is also great... but not quite as necessary. (Still glad I own it.)
Because it's from a very niche company, the game goes in and out of print. Keep your eyes open - I found my complete copy via the BGG Marketplace.
Weirdly enough, this was #8 on my list in 2024 as well!
This is the first of two games on the countdown from designer Cody Miller.
designers: Stephen Baker, Rob Daviau, and Craig Van Ness
Print Status
in print!!!!
Why It's On The List
Heroscape is the ultimate blending of board game & miniatures game... and, in a slick move that allowed them to make lots of cool figures, a great blending of genres, as all the characters are warriors sucked through time & space into the world of Heroscape. So, you've got Matrix guys & Braveheart & dragons & robots & kung fu monks & gorillas with guns. (And while kids can start with this one at 7-8 years old, there's enough going on that you keep playing it well into your adult years - in my case, age 61 & counting!)
Tips & Tricks:
While I have a complete set of figures (including many double & triple sets of squads) as well as two of each terrain expansion, I'm a relative lightweight in the realm of serious Heroscape players.
A tough side effect of our huge life change back in 2013 (three states/two moves/most of our stuff still in storage) had been the boxing away of the Heroscape armies... which was mitigated by three rolling carts... and solved by moving into a new house with enough space for a dedicated game room and adjacent office (which is technically also a game room).
When designing boards, remember that "it looks cool" and "it plays well" can be totally different things.
Extras
I've written a BUNCH about Heroscape over the years... probably the best post to start with for "old skool" 'Scape is Heroscape for Beginners (and Robo).
I've chronicled a number of our massive battles - complete with pictures!
In 2010, I wrote a goodbye letter to Heroscape when Hasbro ended the line... of course, a much deeper remembrance was posted by Colby Dauch on the Heroscapers.com website.
More recently, I've written A LOT about the very successful revival of Heroscape courtesy of the good folks at Renegade Game Studios:
This is the fourth of five (5!) designs on my list by Rob Daviau... and the second of two designs by Craig Van Ness... and the first of two designed by Stephen Baker.
Not only is this my favorite pirate game (though I will admit that Pirates on the High Seas has more actual blowing stuff up), it's also the best usage of the card-crafting mechanic John D. Clair dreamed up.
Tips & Tricks:
Don't be fooled by the pirate ship cube "tower" - there's much more to the game than who can get lucky here. (At the same time, having cannons is a good thing.)
Your early card buys will help dictate some of your long-term decisions... whether it is better for you to focus on exploration and island control or going "full pirate" and attacking merchant ships & fellow players.
The base game is solid... though it runs a little long with the full complement of four players. Where the game really shines, though, is when you add in the Saga expansions.
Extras
For a game with this many interactive elements, Dead Reckoning manages to make the solo mode work and work well. Each time I play, I’m fascinated by the balance between the various victory pathways and the variety in the system.
But as much as I enjoyed the base game solo, I’m infinitely more jazzed about playing it with the Saga and SeaDog expansions… the addition of a campaign mode for solo play coupled with the constant drip of story elements meant I had a two week Dead Reckoning festival on my gaming table last fall. This spring, I’m about halfway through the second Saga expansion… and I’m enjoying it just as much.
I finally got to play the Letters of Marque expansion... along with the new Port of Call box. Letters of Marque is for your hardcore Dead Reckoning players while Ports of Call does a nice job of adding variety to the game.
Imagine if the designer of Race for the Galaxy decided to take making a roll'n'move that both gamers & non-gamers could love... that combined some very Monopoly-ish elements with tactical board play. And then you can wake up & play it, because this is actually Tom Lehmann's first game design!
Tips & Tricks:
Despite initial appearances, all of the companies are viable options for strategies to winFast Food Franchise. (Some require you to open a second company - particularly those that grow quickly but don't generate cash from other players.)
That said, you must watch your cash flow - relative both to your own building needs and the increasing costs of paying your competitors.
Rookie mistake? Not advertising.
There are two expansions that exist (note: I don't use the word "available" to describe them): 2 more companies (Tacos Today & Noodles to Go)... and a set of old skool fast food worker hats for each of the companies.
I talked with Tom a few years back about the chances of this getting reprinted... he is continuing to try to make that happen, which will make a number of my friends very happy. (But don't hold your breath.)
This is the sixth of seven (7!) games designed by Tom Lehmann on this countdown.
Yes, it's another combination of worker placement and deck-building... but don't let that fool you. The gameplay is well-thought-out, the artwork/graphic design is gorgeous, and there are meaningful timing and resource management choices throughout.
Tips & Tricks:
Don't lock into a single strategy based on how the last game ended... the game situation can change drastically depending on player choices and the various random decks, so you need to be prepared to react to the game in front of you.
Sometimes, a card is more valuable for the move icon than the special power - one of the tricks of the game is making sure you realize when that is..
The double-sided board (bird temple and snake temple) is a really nice touch to vary up play and tactics.
Extras
The Expedition Leaders expansion is an excellent addition to the game - adding to the variety without overwhelming the game system. The specific special powers of each adventurer are well-balanced.
I played The Search For Professor Kutil solo campaign twice... and while I think it's excellent, you don't need the campaign to play a really enjoyable solo game with Arnak.
The Missing Expedition expansion takes the Search for Professor Kutil and turns it up to 11. The campaign can now be played solo or as a two-player cooperative game.
I added a rather extensive set of thoughts on the Twisted Paths expansion as well the Adventure Box storage system to Dale Yu's review on the Opinionated Gamers site.
Based on the recommendations of others gamers (especially fellow Opinionated Gamer Chris Wray), I splurged on the Everdell Complete Collection without ever having played the game. As you can tell by where I placed this on my top 100 list, I don't regret that decision.
Tips & Tricks:
Everdell is a combination of worker placement and tableau building... all in service to the creation of a world filled with anthropomorphic forest critters. The whimsical and beautiful card and board art makes the game even more enjoyable to play.
The seasons mechanic has a number of interesting strategic considerations - since by not moving into the next season, you block other players from certain worker placement spaces.
While the game will play five players, we've found it most enjoyable at 2-3 players.
My sons' favorite expansion is Spirecrest (which add the large animals and the trek across the mountains)... I'm partial to Newleaf (which adds the train station and all the visitors).
Timing is everything in Everdell...
Extras
The production of the Everdell Complete Collection is stunning - the only problem is how dang big the box is.
Picture above includes both Mistwood and New Leaf.
There are two solo modes: Rugwort (which is mildly entertaining) and Mistwood (Nightweave & her spider crew) that really shines. I’ve barely scratched the surface of the personalities, plans, and plots available in the Mistwood expansion.
BTW, Chris Wray posted a weeks worth of Everdell reviews that are a great read if you’re interested. (These reviews pre-date the newest expansions, New Leaf & Mistwood.)
designers: T.K. King, Dennis Northcott, & Koltin Thompson
Print Status
in print
Why It's On The List
Galactic Cruise isn’t a huge step forward in gaming innovation – it’s a worker placement game with a variety of ways to score in-game and end game points. But the design accomplishes that with such style and thematic integration that I was instantly won over.
Tips & Tricks:
The game has what I lovingly call “the Tom Lehmann curve”. Those of you who’ve played some of Tom’s designs (particularly Res Arcana or New Frontiers) have experienced it – where the pace of the game accelerates dramatically as we approach the end of the game. I’m not complaining – I actually like this arc in games instead of the tendency of some Euros to get slower and slower as the number of decisions required make each turn longer & longer. (I still have PTSD from my last game of Tikal where I spent the final 30 minutes watching other players attempt to min-max their action points for the final turn.)
The biggest "blocking point" in the game is the competition for customers - it's the most limited resource.
Speaking of customers, you can use assign customers to flights that you have not scheduled in order to grab the bonuses... sometimes, that's easier than other ways to get cash plus it ties up customers that other players want to use.
Don't get fixated on a single strategy - a lot depends on what is available and what openings other players are leaving for you.
Extras
I told my adult sons (whom I have brainwashed into being rabid board gamers) that Kinson Key reminded me of Paverson Games – small companies with new designers who knocked it out of the park with their first big game. (Paverson is the company behind Distilled, my favorite “new to me” game of 2024.) Both games sport excellent rulebooks, splendid quality production, smart use of GameTrayz storage to make the game easier to set up & tear down, and really enjoyable game systems. Both used Kickstarter wisely to fund their big games – and, honestly, these kinds of games from small companies is a best use case scenario for crowdfunding.
The solo system works really well - and it's a pleasure to play.
I wrote a review of the game & solo system for the Opinionated Gamers site.
Note: I received a discounted review copy (yes, that means I paid for shipping and some part of the cost of the game).
A slightly more gamer-y 7 Wonders-ish card drafting game of civilization building... but that description sounds like damning with faint praise. The major difference is that you’re drafting a set of cards that you then use as resources (discarding them) or construction (building them) - the interplay can be fascinating and fast-moving... with the right players.
Tips &Tricks:
Creating production is key to winning... but you can make a huge production engine that doesn't generate a lot of points if you're not careful.
Learn when to give up on a card - preferably before you've invested too much in it.
Easy to forget rule: when you discard a card in your construction area, the resource pictured on the card goes to your civilization card - it's not used on another card in the construction area.
The main expansion offers some really interesting cards to mess with producing and scoring... and does so without doing any damage to the base game system.
Warning: a single AP player can slow this game to a crawl.
I also reviewed the newest game in the Wonderful universe, a 1-2 player stand-alone named It's A Wonderful Kingdom. (Second warning: this review contains a lot of Princess Bride references.)
The solo mode is very good - especially when you use the scenarios.
My younger son is a savant at this game... the student has become the teacher.
Take the part I like best about Kingdomino (the drafting system), use it to drive a tile placement game with thematic scoring (like Carcassonne but without the arguments about which set of farm rules we’ll be using), and provided the proper components (big cloth bag, easy to read tiles, clever use of cards to add variety) to make a really enjoyable game experience.
Tips & Tricks:
The scoring has a number of elements... however, they all make sense AND the scoring track includes a reminder of all the rules in play.
Start with the Family game... the Advanced Game has some risk/reward elements that won't be clear until you've got a couple of games under your belt.
Extras
The first expansion (Putt of No Return) does some helpful things: it adds interesting new course tiles and investors, it provides two-layer par boards (a welcome addition), and it fixes my main complaint about the original game with new and better art for all the cards.
The second expansion (Minigolf Empire) adds a bunch of new land cards as well as a campaign game version. I'm glad I own it but don't consider it essential.
Card drafting meets civilization building... and it's playable with 3-7 players in a pretty consistent 45 minutes. No "wonder" it got all those awards...
Tips & Tricks:
You don't have to jump on the science train to score big points - but you do need to burn up science cards for cash or wonder building to prevent others from doing it.
Military still doesn't make sense to me - the worst point loss you can take is -6... and it can be less than that if you can talk your neighbor(s) into a truce.
The new edition is nice - the symbols are easier to teach/use. (They are based on the system used for 7 Wonders: Duel - another game I highly recommend.)
Extras
I'm a big enough fan to picked up all of the available first edition expansions - including the oddball stuff like the Wonder Pack, the Anniversary Leader & Cities cards, and the Catan wonder. And with experienced players, I like playing with all of them, though it is a bit overwhelming.
Cities is the easiest expansion to add to the game - and it contains the rules for team play, which is actually pretty cool. (Note: team play will allow you to play with 8 players.)
Armada is quite enjoyable - and adds some nice twists to the game that require players to pay attention to more than just their immediate neighbors.
The laws portion of Babel and the Leaders expansion are the two most difficult expansions to add to the game - they have lots of new symbols that can confuse players.
Here's my first look at the Cities expansion after I played the prototype.
I wrote a preview of the Babel expansion back in 2014 as well.
The 7 Wonders Dice game is pleasant but not particularly compelling... but 7 Wonders: Architects is actually a lot of fun and very easy for non-gamers to learn. (I think the Medals expansion is worth adding to the game so you can play with up to 9 players and have more interesting scoring opportunities.)
I've now played all of the new edition expansions except Armada - and they are all improved with better iconography, better player aids, and clearer rulesets. Edifices strips out the not-completely-functional "law" module of the original Babel expansion and focuses on the Great Works module - an excellent choice.
Games like Endeavor: Deep Sea are the poster children for designers taking a second (or third!) pass at their designs... and a stunning argument for the power of excellent graphic design (both art & iconography).
Tips & Tricks:
You cannot ignore the track that lets you recover action discs from your crew members... getting hamstrung on actions because your people are "tired" is a quick way to lose.
Each scenario has different scoring bonuses - pay attention to those choices as the first/second place positions will often be the difference between winning and losing.
Extras
My copy of the deluxe edition FINALLY arrived just before Thanksgiving. (Braeden & I had played it at Gulf Games last summer and I promptly came home and ordered a copy from Game Steward. BTW, a unsolicited plug for Game Steward’s customer service – they dealt with my questions and concerns quickly and kindly as the waiting dragged on.)
The real measure of how much I like Endeavor – it took me eight games to finally beat an opponent (yes, the solo system or a real live human). And I still enjoyed each and every game… so much so that it was #3 on my Best New (to me!) Games of 2025 list.
Gorgeous production coupled with easy gameplay... a classic theme (trains!) coupled with a classic Rummy set-collection mechanic... just as playable with 2 as it is with 5.
Tips & Tricks:
Playing with 3 or 5 players is MUCH more cutthroat than playing with 2 or 4, due to how crowded the board can become.
Figuring out the "choke points" on any map is an important step in choosing tickets both at the beginning of the game and as you take ticket turns later.
We have a house rule that players can keep taking turns while someone decides on tickets as long as their action is to draw cards or take tickets. If a player is going to play to the board, they must wait until the ticket-taker has made their decision.
Most importantly, this is an excellent "gateway" game for non-gamers.
Extras
There are a number of expansions & stand-alone versions of the game. I'm partial to the 1910 card expansion - as well as...
My sons & I played Ticket to Ride Legacy: Legends of the West over Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks last year... it was a wonderful experience and well worth our time.
Here's what I wrote about Ticket to Ride for The One Hundred... and for my personal top 100 in 2005.
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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