#64: Nexus Ops (Mark's Top 100 - 2026)

Nexus Ops

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 692
• rating: 7.2
• published: 2005
• designers: Charlie Catino & Steven Kimball

Print Status

• in print again!

Why It's On The List

• A really well-thought-out "dudes on a map" game that subverts the ever-present turtling problem with a varied set of rewards for attacking other players.

Tips & Tricks:

• Hordes of cheaper figures can work just as well as a few expensive figures - and sometimes even better.
• This is the rare combat game that works well with 2, 3 or 4 players.
• I know I said it in the previous section - but it's worth saying again: turtling does NOT work in this game. ("Turtling" is emphasizing heavy defense and little or no offense, in hopes of getting your opponents to exhaust themselves fighting each other and/or throwing themselves against your defenses in vain.)

Extras

• The new edition with new art from Renegade Games Studios is actually a nice blend of the original game with some of the rules variants from the FFG edition as options. Most importantly, it has a molded plastic Monolith rather than the odd cardboard thingee from the original AH edition.

Top 100 Songs: #20-#11

It's the penultimate entry in my top 100 songs list...

• #20: Digee Dime (Burlap to Cashmere - 1998)
• The infectious rhythm coupled with the poetic lyrics sold me on this oddball band.
• Twisted castles in her hair / Building mountains in the air / Making profits, lending loans / Ancient TV's, rotary telephones / But within this misty cave / Lies a painter, blind but brave / Paints the story of where we've been / Where we are, where we could be
• #19: Comedian (Steve Taylor & The Perfect Foil - 2014)
• It had been nearly a decade since Steve Taylor had recorded an album… and here he came with a super-group (Peter Furler, John Mark Painter, Jimmy A), leaning into a similar (though not identical) vibe as his previous band (Chagall Guevera). There's a lot of great cuts on the album - but none of them are as profound and epic as this song.
• And didn’t I thank you from the dais? / And didn’t I do you good? / And didn’t I take up all your crosses / that were made of balsa wood?
• #18: Surprised (Resurrection Band - 1995)
• Resurrection Band had a storied history as one of the first "heavy" CCM bands - not to mention their serious street cred as a part of JPUSA (Jesus People USA), a Christian intentional community & church living in and serving the people of the Uptown neighborhood in Chicago. Bringing in Ty Tabor (King's X) to produce their album Lament kicked their blues-influenced hard rock into high gear.
• #17: Where the Streets Have No Name (U2 - 1987)
• U2 has a bunch of incredible songs… but "Streets" is the one that stops me in my tracks any time I hear it. 
• #16: Song for America (Kansas - 1975)
• I actually didn't know Song for America until I picked up their greatest hits album while in college… the first Kansas album I knew was Leftoventure. This is probably the prog rock-iest cut in my countdown - seeing as how it takes almost 3 minutes for a vocalist to show up. (Love this song.)
• #15: Jim Morrison's Grave (Steve Taylor - 1987)
• I just heard Steve Taylor perform this live a couple of weeks ago - and it was just as good almost forty years later.
• I'll let Steve do the talking about the song he wrote: "I guess he [Jim Morrison] thought of himself as somewhat of a "tortured artist" who not only believe that genius justifies cruelty but that genius and selfishness are inseparable. And that's really how he lived his life. He was very cruel to the people who were close to him, even the people who loved him. So this song is just my thought about going to the grave, almost a stream-of-consciousness lyric. "Jim Morrison's Grave" asks the age-old question: Does artistry justify being a weasel? The last line of the song is, "The music covers like an evening mist/Like a watch still ticking on a dead man's wrist." Morrison left the world some intriguing music. As far as I'm concerned, that's not enough."
• #14: The Medicine (Common Hymnal - 2021)
• A brilliant and moving gospel-tinged appeal for Biblical truth when it comes to racism and justice.
• What does it mean to have compassion for another? / How can I claim to love a God that I can't see? / If I can find the will to harm and kill my brother / Cause he neglected to look like me / I can speak the words of men and songs of angels / I can give all my possessions to the poor / But if your love can't move the mountain of my hatred / Somehow, I missed you, and I need you so much more
• #13: The Good Confession (I Believe) (Andrew Peterson - 2008)
• I first heard Andrew tell the story behind this song sitting in the fellowship hall of the church I pastored… he was playing a solo concert at our little church that night and I had the opportunity to talk with him. I can't do it justice - but you can listen to him talk about it as part of the tribute concert to Rich Mullins he hosted at the Ryman.
• Through the years / I barely fell; / I mostly dove right in. / I drank so deep / From the shallow well / Only to thirst again.
• #12: Broken Things (Julie Miller - 1991)
• The perfect match of Julie's voice and heart-rending lyrics.
• You can have my heart, though it isn't new / It's been used and broken, and only comes in blue / It's been down a long road, and it got dirty along the way / If I give it to you, will you make it clean and wash the shame away? / You can have my heart, if you don't mind broken things / You can have my life; you don't mind these tears / Well, I heard that you make old things new, so I give these pieces all to you / If you want it, you can have my heart
• #11: Life's Just Hard (Tonio K - 1999)
• A poignant reminder that everyone you meet is carrying something you can't see… by one of my favorite songwriters.
• Life's just hard / No matter who you are / No matter who you think you are / It's a fiery ordeal / You play your cards / And you say a prayer / And you look for love / If you’re lucky you find it there / 'Cause love is where it starts / But it's just hard

#65: Viva Pamplona (Mark's Top 100 - 2026)

Viva Pamplona

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 7,589
• rating: 6.4
• published: 1992
• designer: Wolfgang Kramer

Print Status

• very OOP

Why It's On The List

• It's a great theme (the running of the bulls) with great art and even better game play... you must have courage to win - and the willingness to shove your opposition to the ground.

Tips & Tricks:

• The tempo of the game can vary wildly - depending on how the Toro cards appear. That's not a bug... it's a feature - part of what makes the game so charming.
• Sometimes it pays to run one guy WAY ahead of the crowd - especially if Toro takes off at high speed. (Sometimes it doesn't - but them's the breaks, my friend.)

Extras

• I was pleasantly surprised how well this game works with 3-4 players... of course, it's a "more the merrier" game that is an absolute joy with the full complement of six people around the table.
• This is from the same gaming design family as Viva Topo and Midnight Party. (It's a family I'm fond of...)
• I've often wondered about how you can lose courage points when someone else shoves you (and worse yet, they get them!), but it's still fun.
• This is the third of five (5!) games designed by Wolfgang Kramer on this countdown.

#66: Let's Go To Japan (Mark's Top 100 - 2026)

Expedition

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 427
• rating: 7.6
• published: 2024
• designer: Josh Wood

Print Status

• in print

Why It's On The List

• The combination of beautiful artwork and clever gameplay is really something to behold... particularly for a game that originated from a pandemic-cancelled vacation trip.

Tips & Tricks:

• I try very hard not to commute back & forth between Kyoto & Tokyo. The cost in time (to take trains rather than extra walking as bonuses) or points (-2 for each train ticket you don't acquire) is just not worth it.
• It's OK to occasionally burn a card and take a walk... sometimes, it just doesn't pay to take the known bad and hope you get lucky on the random walk card.
• The game works well with 1-5 players... like all drafting games with a card pass, it runs at the speed of the slowest player.

Extras

• I splurged on the Kickstarter version of the game - and the wooden pieces plus the ceramic bowls for them really have a lovely vibe.
• The solo system for Let's Go To Japan is really smart - whatever you don't draft goes to the "Travel Agent" you're competing against. There are times when that decision can be excruciating!
• I've only played the "Day Trip" expansion a couple of times... but I'm not sure it really adds all that much to the game.
• The Opinionated Gamers review of the game is what convinced me to back it. (Thanks, Dale!)
• There is another game coming in this series... Let's Go To France will be on Kickstarter in May. By all appearances, it is not simply a Gallic re-skin of Let's Go To Japan. 
• This is fifth new-to-the-list game on the 2026 countdown.

#67: Vegas Showdown (Mark's Top 100 - 2026)

Vegas Showdown

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 920
• rating: 7.1
• published: 2005
• designer: Henry Stern

Print Status

• in print

Why It's On The List

• This is the best implementation of the climbing auction mechanic first seen in Evo, then in the (excruciating, IMHO) Amun-Re, and in 20th Century. I also like the need to plan what rooms you'll add to your Vegas resort... and in what order to build them.

Tips & Tricks:

• There are a variety of winning building configurations/mixes - your mission is to choose the one that best dodges what other players are doing... .
• ...and then make it expensive for other players to get their "key" rooms.

Extras

• While the graphics for this one are generally good, I do wish the player boards in the original edition had been mounted.
• I'd suggest adding some tokens in the box to track "extra" victory points. (We use glass beads to track points that are not found on the player boards - that way, you can check & make sure you haven't missed any points during the game.).

Top 100 Songs: #30-#21

So many good songs... and some of my writing on this one reminded me of a couple of songs that didn't make the list ("Beautiful Scandalous Night" and "Look Over Your Shoulder") that probably should or could have. Oh, yeah... happy birthday, Dave W.!

• #30: Breathe Deep (The Lost Dogs - 1992)
• The Lost Dogs is a CCM-alternative supergroup a little like The Traveling Wilburys… and this song is a thunderous ode to the expansive incredible nature of the grace of God.
• Politicians, morticians, philistines, homophobes / Skinheads, dead heads, tax evaders, street kids / Alcoholics, workaholics, wise guys, dimwits / Blue collars, white collars, war mongers, peaceniks / Breathe deep / Breathe deep the breath of God / Breathe deep / Breathe deep the breath of God
• #29: Satisfied Mind (Ben Harper & The Blind Boys of Alabama - 2004)
• Ben Harper teamed up with The Blind Boys of Alabama to create one of the best gospel albums of the 00s… and this is the song that keeps running through my head.
• How many times have you heard someone say / "If I had his money I'd do things my way" / But little they know that it's so hard to find / One rich man in ten with a satisfied mind
• #28: Leave It Like It Is (David Wilcox - 1989)
• The final verse is a bit on the nose… but this song has reminded me over & over to readjust my perspective.
• #27: It's Love (King's X - 1990)
• I came to King's X late… but those first three albums are still golden for me. And this rock anthem is still my favorite song of theirs. (Though "Over My Head" is pretty darn good as well.)
• #26: Sunset Grill (Don Henley - 1984)
• I've always thought that Don Henley's solo music captures a very Los Angeles vibe - and this song (along with "Boys of Summer" and "Garden of Allah") is proof positive of that.
• You see a lot more meanness in the city / It's the kind that eats you up inside / Hard to come away with anything that feels like dignity / Hard to get home with any pride
• #25: Restore My Soul (The Choir - 1990)
• The Choir has had an amazing career - and their genius has touched so many albums that are not their own (including the amazing Clouds Rain Fire worship album). This song is the one that haunts me - both for the lyrical content that sounds like they eavesdropped on my heart and for the amazing musical break/outro at the end of it.
• I call to you / With one lung exploded / From breathing the dust of the earth / With my tongue eroded / From licking the crust of the earth / A tear away from reconciled / A prayer away from whole / Restore my soul
• #24: Double Cure (Vigilantes of Love - 1996)
• My favorite Vigilantes song… flat out. My favorite version is the acoustic take on the V.O.L. album.  (Had a neat online moment a couple of weeks ago when I commented about "Double Cure" and Bill Mallonee himself replied to let me know it was still in his live set.)
• So tired of all my toys / They never last for long / They keep beaming dreams and wishes / To a big dish on my front lawn / I wanna drink out of that fountain / On a hill called double cure / I wanna show you my allegiance, Lord /  Yes, I wanna be a son of Yours
• #23: The Kingdom Is Yours (Common Hymnal - 2017)
• Thanks to the wonderful worship pastor at our church (go, Bethany Bailey!), I was introduced to this song and the amazing collective that is Common Hymnal. I can't sing it without crying.
• Blessed are the ones who fight for justice / Longing for the coming day of peace /  Blessed is the soul that thirsts for righteousness /  Welcoming the last, the lost, the least/ The Kingdom is yours / The Kingdom is yours / Hold on a little more, this is not the end / Hope is in the Lord, keep your eyes on Him
• #22: It Did (Brad Paisley - 2007)
• And now for something completely different - country music! My wife liked a couple of Brad Paisely songs ("Flowers" in particular) and so we listened to some more of his songs… and then stumbled across "It Did" - which isn't exactly our romance/life story but certainly feels like it.
• Tears of joy in my mommas eyes / Her daddy walkin' her down the aisle / He lifted that veil and I saw that smile / And I said / To myself / It doesn't get better than this / No it doesn't get better than this / But it did
• #21: Strong Hand of Love (Bruce Cockburn - 1994)
• Bruce Cockburn is better known for "If I Had a Rocket Launcher" - but this cover of Mark's Heard signature song is my favorite recording from him.
• Young dreamers explode like popped balloons / Some kind of emotional rodeo / Learning too slow and acting too soon / Time marches away like a lost platoon / We gracefully age as we feel the weight / Of loving too late and leaving too soon / We can laugh and we can cry / And never see the strong hand of love hidden in the shadows / We can dance and we can sigh / And never see the strong hand of love hidden in the shadows

#68: Expedition (Mark's Top 100 - 2026)

Expedition

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 2,986
• rating: 6.7
• published: 1996
• designer: Wolfgang Kramer

Print Status

• recently re-published as Expeditions: Around the World in 2023

Why It's On The List

• I love the expedition mechanic at the heart of the game. There's nothing quite like it... (well, this isn't altogether true - but look in the Extras for more on that.)

Tips & Tricks:

• Travel bucks are a relatively scarce currency that aids you in game play and must be managed VERY carefully.
• Watch the number of arrows left in each expedition - other players can run them out to keep you from certain sections of the board.
• There are a variety of options in how loops work - we like the "place anywhere on the loop" one - but you should give them all a try.
• While the game will work with 2-6 players, it's best with 2-3.

Extras

• The designer (Wolfgang Kramer) actually revised his classic Ravensburger game (Wildlife Adventure) which became Expedition - and then he gave it a big tweak and turned it into a children's game (Schatzsucher). While I haven't played Schatzsucher, I've enjoyed my couple of plays of Wildlife Expedition (and still kick myself for not picking up a copy back when you could find them at zoo gift shops).
• There were some rules changes for National Geographic Expedition edition - I only played once but I didn't like them. Frustratingly, I don't remember what I didn't like!
• Here's what I wrote about Expedition for The One Hundred. 
• This is the second of five games designed by Wolfgang Kramer on this countdown.

#69: Flamme Rouge (Mark's Top 100 - 2026)

Flamme Rouge

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 288
• rating: 7.5
• published: 2016
• designer: Asger Aleksandrov Granerud

Print Status

• in print

Why It's On The List

• It's apt to compare this game to the classic 6 Nimmt card game (what with simultaneous action selection and resolution of cards)... but it's really a well-thought-out way to simulate cycling that plays in 30-45 minutes. 

Tips & Tricks:

• Looking at the track and figuring out to shepherd your "good" cards for later in the race is an important skill.
• Drafting is key in this game - holding the lead for most of the game will end up with you sputtering at the end (just like real cycling!).
• Watch for tight spots or crowded groups - you can get caught where you can't catch the leader due to the crowd rather than your lack of good cards.

Extras

• I reviewed Flamme Rouge for the Opinionated Gamers... and also advanced my theory of the Three Buckets of Sports Games.
• There are two "big" expansions for Flamme Rouge - Peloton (which adds two more teams and more kinds of road to race on) Grand Tour (which adds specialist riders and an excellent system for building tour races). There also Meteo (which adds weather conditions), a smaller expansion. I reviewed all three of them last year.
• The Grand Tour expansion absolutely brought Flamme Rouge back to my top 100 games list - it's really well done.
• I'm a little sad that Um Reifenbreite didn't make it into my top 100 games... it's a wonderful racing game but I've had immense difficulty getting it to the table in recent years.

#70: Showmanager (Mark's Top 100 - 2026)

Showmanager

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 2,444
• rating: 7.0
• published: 1996
• designer: Dirk Henn

Print Status

• out of print

Why It's On The List

• A wonderful card-drafting game that whips along at a breakneck pace and offers a consistently enjoyable gaming experience as the players cast (and miscast) theater productions.

Tips & Tricks:

• You don't have to be a card counter to do well - but it is good to know what "9" cards are remaining in each show.
• You do not have enough money - so you're going to have to accept that one of your four shows is going to be, well, a flop.
• Use your flop show to borrow money - a common tactic is put on a flop, put it in the lowest point value city & then take the maximum amount of money out of the show.

Extras

• While I'm very glad there is a reprint available (though it's OOP as well), I do want to note that the two included variants are not necessary to enjoy the game.
• Thankfully, the truly inferior version of the game (Atlantic Star) is out of print. 
• And, no, I haven't ever played the original version, Premiere.
• Showmanager scales really well for 3-6 players... I'm least fond of 4 but it still works well.
• Here's what I wrote about Showmanager for The One Hundred.
• Finally, I got Showmanager to the table last month at Gulf Games... and it holds up beautifully.