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.
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.
I have not played the 2nd edition Edifices expansion - it looks like they rebooted some of the best ideas from Babel.
As some of my long-time readers know, I spent nearly 15 years as a church planter & pastor (after 13+ years in youth ministry)... which came to end in early 2013. (You can read more about that on my posts aka former pastor guy and Kenny Rogers, Toffee, and a Hatmaker.)
For nearly ten years, I didn't preach. (That's not entirely true - I officiated at funeral services for friends and former congregation members - but I didn't deliver the message for a Sunday morning service.)
Last year, that changed - thanks to the leadership and encouragement of Aarron Schwartz and our church family at Restoration Church Nashville. It's been humbling and wonderful and a bit scary to be back "in the pulpit" (even if we don't actually use a pulpit). The Restoration Church family has been so supportive. (A special shout-out to Bethany and the worship team... it's a privilege to speak after they've helped us prepare our hearts and minds.)
I need to also say "thank you" to a number of folks who encouraged me to take Aarron up on his offer to be part of the preaching rotation - including my wife (Shari Jo), my sons (Braeden & Collin), and even some of the folks I know through my "day job" (thank you, Terri & Denette.)
I decided that I needed to pull those messages into a single place... so that's what this post is for. I'll update it as needed. I'm putting the time stamp for the start of the message - but you're missing out if you don't get the worship team as well.
February 23, 2025 - 2nd Samuel 6 - When The Ark Comes to Town...
message starts at the 40 minute mark
I left out another 80s reference from my notes to the 1984 film "Footloose"
God will not be put and kept in a box, whether the box is constructed of crafted wood or hewn stone or brilliant ideas or fine feelings. We don't take care of God; God takes care of us.
September 1, 2024 - Exodus 35 - More Capable Than You Realize
message starts at the 35 minute mark
"Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy." (Psalm 33:3 NIV)
Every faculty you have, your power of thinking or of moving your limbs from moment to moment, is given you by God. If you devoted every moment of your whole life exclusively to His service you could not give Him anything that was not in a sense His own already. So that when we talk of a man doing anything for God or giving anything to God, I will tell you what it is really like.
It is like a small child going to its father and saying, "Daddy, give me sixpence to buy you a birthday present." Of course, the father does, and he is pleased with the child's present. It is all very nice and proper, but only an idiot would think that the father is sixpence to the good on the transaction.
"I have prayed [especially] for you [Peter], that your faith [and confidence in Me] may not fail; and you, once you have turned back again [to Me], strengthen and support your brothers [in the faith].” (Luke 22:32 AMP)
March 17, 2024 - Luke 20:27-40 - Jesus & the Theobros
message starts at the 38:30 minute mark
balloon illustration is borrowed from N.T. Wright's Luke for Everyone
Yeah, I somehow managed to combine Narnia, levirate marriage, and Admiral Ackbar into the message.
September 24, 2023 - Luke 14:25-35 - Counting the Cost
message starts at the 38:30 minute mark
my personal notes call this message "The Symphony Bar"
“Simply put, if you’re not willing to take what is dearest to you, whether plans or people, and kiss it good-bye, you can’t be my disciple.” (Luke 14:33 MSG)
March 26, 2023 - Luke 8:22-25 - Master of the Storm
message starts at the 33 minute mark
The message here is NOT “Jesus will calm all the storms in your life”… it is “Jesus will not leave you alone in the boat”.
"If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast." (Psalm 139:9-10 NIV)
Flip your standard adventurers v. monsters around and put players in the role of harried dungeon masters trying to fend off sticky-fingered heroes. Add loads of RPG and WoW-related humor... and tie it together with an almost perfect melding of mechanic and theme.
Tips & Tricks:
My original impression of Dungeon Lords is that it only worked with a full complement of four players. I'm happy to say that I was wrong. My oldest son and I really enjoy playing two player - there are some interesting decisions in choosing actions for the non-player dungeon lords.
The Festival Season expansion makes the game a little longer & adds some more wrinkles... but they're really good wrinkles and worth the time if you like the game system.
You MUST pay attention to what other players can and cannot choose as actions to avoid losing an action.
CGE published a blinged-out version of the game (Happy Anniversary) - I spent too much money getting the pieces to upgrade my set, but the Anniversary set is just so darn cool.
Final warning: a 4 player game with the expansion fills up a dining room table - but it looks good doing it.
Extras
I'm really proud of my review of the Festival Season expansion... I think I managed to capture the humorous tone that adds so much to this game system.
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).
out of print... but not difficult to find at decent prices on Amazon & Wal-Mart
Why It's On The List
Imagine a three-way collision between the Mad Max films, an auction game and a worker-placement city-building game. Throw in a little Notre Dame-ish fend off the invaders (marauders instead of rats)... and allow players to use people as currency in the auctions as well as workers to keep your post-apocalyptic settlement running.
Tips & Tricks:
The artwork is evocative without leaning too hard into the dystopian grimness… and the iconography is very clear once you get the hang of it
I’ve found that it takes players 2-3 rounds (roughly half a game) to get acclimated and then they’re ready to defend their very tiny barb-wire encrusted empire.
The auctions are double-layered... they are "get to choose first" auctions for buildings and for equipment. In addition, the winner of each auction gets a small bonus, and the loser gets a penalty.
Extras
I've been working on a review (complete with fiction sections) of Armageddon for years now... short version: I think all of the elements fit together to make a really satisfying and enjoyable game experience.
I also think this is a criminally over-looked game... and I said as much in a really good Opinionated Gamers article you should check out.
This is the first of two games on this list designed by David Thompson. (If I remember correctly, this was David's first published game!)
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.
This is the second of two games designed by Wolfgang Warsch on the countdown.
While Ark Nova has similarities to Terraforming Mars (i.e. buckets of cards, build your engine, resource management), it is very much its own entrancing creation. The puzzle of how to build my zoo while building conservation initiatives tickles my brain.
Tips & Tricks:
The solo game is absorbing and the multiplayer game (with 2-3 players) is great fun. (I’d avoid four players due to downtime.)
While you can over-focus on developing an income stream, you can certainly err in the other direction and find yourself forced into helping the other players to generate enough $ to compete.
Don't let the perfect way to play a card become the enemy of the good - sometimes, it's better to get something on the table than delay in order to get the maximum benefit. (And sometimes, it's not. Life is like that.)
Extras
The Marine Worlds expansion is highly recommended if you're a fan of the game - better bits, corrected cards, added marine animals without overwhelming the game system... and the enhanced action cards add some really interesting twists.
The Zoo Pack just adds a couple of new park blueprints - but as much as I've played this solo, I welcome the additional variety.
Zoo-themed games that were ranked from 101-200 on my list (seriously, I like zoo-themed games!):
It's a solid civilization-building game that plays in a reasonable amount of time (roughly 30-45 minutes per player for multi-player games) and isn't overburdened by a need to pursue military buildup in order to survive and thrive.
Tips &Tricks:
Balancing short-term goals (completing Golden Age & Civilization Achievement tiles) and long-term goals (scoring for Projects & Technologies) is key.
It's also important to remember what does (and doesn't) score at Empire scoring points. Sometimes, it's worth guaranteeing second place in a region to stay relevant in the game.
The game moves at a wonderful clip - since players only take one action each turn, experienced players can make the game fly while still having lots of interesting decisions to ponder.
Extras
Mosaic is an excellent civ-building game… and the expansion adds some great new elements (many of which can be used as modules). Multi-player games with it have been a lot of fun,,,
...but I’m still unhappy with Forbidden Games for numerous mistakes they’ve made with the excellent David Turczi solo “bot”: only putting Herobotus in the Colossal edition of the base game, then not updating the solo bot with the Wars & Disasters expansion (even after printing “1-5 players” on the expansion box).
There is a fan-made solo version using the expansion that works... but it's a little clunky.
while it's not currently in print, you can find some of the versions in the secondary market pretty easily
Why It's On The List
The ultimate "I don't have to outrun the bear. I just have to outrun you" game... which plays up to 8 players and always provides a splendid time for all involved - even if Hugo the Ghost tags your players.
Tips & Tricks:
Don't put your folks close to each other - you need to spread them out a bit.
Starting next to an open door is always a good idea.
The game works well at all player counts... but is best with 5+ players.
I think the older versions of the game are better - while the newer versions feature some twists, the original Ravensburger game is hard to beat.
Extras
Here's what I wrote about it for my Kid Games 100 list back in the day.
This is the fifth of five (5!) Kramer designs on my list.
A re-imagined version of the classic dice game To Court the King - imagine Yahtzee crossed with Magic: The Gathering. You use dice to obtain card powers in order to manipulate dice to obtain more power (and dice) to finally win the favor of the Pharaoh.
Tips & Tricks:
You need dice - and a few manipulation powers. Going the other way (dice manipulation powers and a few extra dice) will lose you the game.
The game works well with 2-4 players.
The variability introduced in this version is excellent - each game has its own feel.
I do wish I'd sprung for a second set of dice... with 4 players, you have to do a lot of trading around of base dice.
Extras
I had the privilege of Tom Lehmann (the designer) showing me the unpublished expansion for To Court the King some years back... many of those great ideas ended up in Favor of the Pharaoh.
This is the fourth of seven (7!) Lehmann designs 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.
designers: Wolfgang Kramer, Richard Ulrich, and Jens Christopher Ulrich
Print Status
back in print
Why It's On The List
You have 21 moves - 7 auctions & 14 actions - in order to turn your estate into the perfect place for great artists & scientists to create their masterworks and bring prestige to your name... each action, each bit of coinage, each building, each recruitment is vital. What a perfectly formed & thematically rich (yes, I think it is!) Euro game...
...it's the perfect balance between game length (70 minutes) and an unforgiving system. Any longer, and it would be soul-deadening to play out the final rounds when you know you've lost all hope of winning. Any shorter, and there wouldn't be enough time to make meaningful decisions in this game's Spartan structure.
Tips & Tricks:
I first started playing The Princes of Florence with a German version and cheat sheets to translate the cards. The game was/is good enough that people were willing to get over themselves & learn to play this way. (I have since replaced all of the components in my set with English language equivalents except for the player boards... which is what you see in the picture above.)
This game is subject to groupthink - despite much debate online, jesters & recruitment cards (both of which are valuable) are worth what the market will bear, not some arbitrary number established by a bunch of game nerds (he sez with his tongue firmly planted in his cheek).
There are two expansions available with newer versions of the game that are nice but not necessary. (For those of us who've played it a lot, they offer some variety - but the original game is so good that even I, the Man Addicted to Expansions, don't feel like they are important.)
The building strategy (building LOTS of buildings) can work - but only if you commit to it and only if you're the lone person attempting it.
Extras
Here's what I wrote about The Princes of Florence for The One Hundred: both the list entry & my personal entry.
This is the fourth of five games designed by Wolfgang Kramer on my top 100 list.
The Family Englestein strikes again with a 3D homage to the classic fighting game Swashbuckler... and turns it into a free-for-all romp with modern game mechanics. Tip tables, swing on chandeliers, cast spells, pull rugs, and even "Guard! Turn! Parry! Dodge! Spin! Ha! Thrust! Sproing!" with you and up to 7 other of your friends!
Tips & Tricks:
Obviously, you can play a smarter game if you know your deck well (and the decks of those you are fighting)... but over-obsessing about the details will suck all the life out of this experience game.
The middle of the tavern is a dangerous place to be.
Sometimes just causing a bit of mayhem (pushing a table, tipping a bookcase, etc.) in a crowded area is extremely helpful as it frustrates the plans of your opponents.
The game works just as well with 2, 3, or 4 players playing 2 fighters each as it does with 5-8 players.
Extras
I'm extraordinarily proud of the very long review I wrote of The Dragon & Flagon for the Opinionated Gamers website.
There's an expansion for the game as well - The Brew That Is True - that adds more characters, bookcases, and even reprints the hard-to-find promotional coaster for the game.
Note: I'll say it once again - this is an EXPERIENCE game. Some games will just not go your way... and that's OK.
A splendid road rally race that's fraught with luck... and some actual decision-making.
Tips & Tricks:
You can't make it to every prize ceremony - so don't even try.
Deciding when to cut & run - or at least leaving yourself that option - is one of the keys to winning the game.
Extras
This is probably the lowest ranked game (BGG-wise) on my Top 100 - and frankly, I think that simply indicates that my list is superior to the opinions of a whole lot of other people.
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.
out of print (but new version is sort of available)
Why It's On The List
Designer Wolfgang Kramer took his classic 6 Nimmt game & converted it into a delightful hoot of a board game - and one I'd rather play than the original card game.
Tips & Tricks:
One of the key decisions in the game is "when do I buy more tiles"? Making that decision correctly gives you a better chance at victory.
There is actually more visible information in Tanz than in a standard game of 6 Nimmt... and the ability to pull back tiles when you step in the poop can really mess with what happens next.
Extras
You do not need to have played 6 Nimmt/Take 6 in order to understand "The Dance of the Bulls". Everyone is pretty clear that you don't want to step in the poop.
A new 6 Nimmt board game was released in Germany back in 2019... while I enjoyed it, I like this one better.
There is a new English/Korean version named Dance of Ibexes... but I haven't seen a copy yet.
This is the third of five Wolfgang Kramer games on this countdown.
Andrew Parks created a space empire-building deck-builder - and combined it with a tableau system for deploying units that makes this game both deeply strategic and a challenging puzzle. And then he created three(!) incredible expansions that make the game even better!
Tips &Tricks:
I think the original Core Worlds game is a solid 7 - but when you add the first expansion (Galactic Orders), it's jumps to an 8 (or maybe even a 9). And the second expansion (Revolution) just locks that high rating into place!
The game has enough components for 5 players... but I prefer it with 2-3, as the pace of the game is quicker.
Building combos is important - as is managing expectations. You will not be able to do everything you want, so you will need to prioritize your energy and actions near the end of the game to bring in victory points.
Extras
The VERY recently released Nemesis expansion is an excellent solo mode for the game.
I wrote a big review of the two expansions for the Opinionated Gamers website.
I'd also be remiss if I didn't recommend the newest game in the Core Worlds family, Core Worlds: Empires... thematically set in the same universe - but using a worker placement mechanic as the victors work to solidify their holdings. (Note: I was a playtester for both Empires and the Nemesis expansion.) There is actually rules to play a campaign consisting of a game of Core Worlds which affects your starting position in Core Worlds: Empires!
This is the first of two games designed by Andrew Parks on my top 100 countdown.
For a game of space conquest (complete with a tech tree), it zips along at a blistering pace. Turns are short, decisions are tricky, scores are close, and there are multiple ways to victory. Plus, you get to flick stuff!
Tips & Tricks:
As much as I love flicking games (Catacombs, Carabande, etc.), the flicking here is not the whole game - it's just a part of a much larger space-empire building game.
The game scales really well from 2-4 players - which is odd, considering it has a four-quadrant map.
There are even some official variants for the game posted on the Geek... both of which are quite good.
Combat is NOT the most important thing in the game. While you can't ignore it, it won't win you the game by itself.
Extras
My Opinionated Gamers review of Ascending Empires... with lots more information and my thoughts on all the whining about the puzzle-cut boards.
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.
It takes the classic game (Monopoly) and makes it extremely gamer-friendly by adding Cosmic Encounter-ish roles, a variety of choices for building, and a great victory point system that lets you stop the game at any point and declare a legitimate winner.
Tips & Tricks:
Basic Monopoly strategy still works with Tropical Tycoon... but there are major new considerations when you are building on monopolies. You can build for cash or for points... or for some balance point in between.
The more people playing, the more careful you have to be about how you make trades. Some of the cheaper properties can be converted into pretty powerful income streams if you plan correctly.
Extras
The only problem I can see with the game is the need for a DVD player - all of the card draws/random events are keyed off of the DVD. That said, it works really well without being overly intrusive. (Yes, the "funny" stuff gets old the 2nd or 3rd time you hear it - but it still works.)
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.
This extremely clever flip’n’write game doesn’t actually contain any writing – but it does have enough look-ahead to make wise decisions and enough luck of the draw to force you to hedge your bets.
Tips & Tricks:
Creating villages gives you jumping-off points for later rounds... which is essential to scoring well.
Keep track of which cards have been flipped - so that you don't base your plays on something that can't happen this round.
It’s been a hit with everyone I’ve taught it to… and I find it relaxing and enjoyable to play as a solo game.
Extras
There are four different maps in the original box, with 2 more maps available as an expansion from AEG.
Second. Best. Memory. Game. Ever... but the over-the-top production means it gets requested more often - and therefore ended slightly higher on the list than Hallo Dachs!
Tips & Tricks:
Do not mistake this for the unexplicably popular A-Mazing Labyrinth (or the spin-off games in that series). This is closer to an old favorite that it "fires" - Magical Maze.
While the game works great with 2, 3 or 4 players, it is probably best with four players. By watching more players explore the (hidden) maze, it's easier to figure out a safe route to your destination.
The expansion - only published in Germany as far as I know - is very, very good. It adds one-way walls as well as three special one-time abilities: a felt wizard's hat (cause another player to miss a turn), a wooden vial of potion (move until you reach your destination or hit a wall), and a wooden magic wand (get rid of your destination chit & draw a new one). The picture of the game on this post is using the expansion.
Another great example of Knizia using math to make fun instead of dry as dust slogs (I'm looking at you, Auf Heller und Pfennig/Kingdoms.) It's horse racing with actual gambling & great levels of player involvement. It plays well with 4-6 players and I've never had a dull game of Royal Turf.
Tips & Tricks:
Play with the "zero"/bluff bet variant & face-down bets. Trust me on this one.
If you're in the lead, make sure your bets are on the better odds horses... and with the players who are closest to you in score.
If you're behind, leave the leader on his own on a couple of horses. (This takes working together... which doesn't always happen.)
Extras
There have been three versions of the game - my favorite is Royal Turf, but Winner's Circle may be easier to find.
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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