#96: 7 Wonders Duel (Mark's Top 100 - 2026)

7 Wonders Duel

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 24
• rating: 8.1
• published: 2015
• designer: Antoine Bauza & Bruno Cathala

Print Status

• in print

Why It's On The List

• There was a 2 player variant in the original 7 Wonders box... but it wasn't particularly interesting. Enter 7 Wonders Duel, which managed to capture the drafting "feel" of the original game but work perfectly for 2 players.

Tips & Tricks:

• There are three ways to win: military, science, and points... focusing on military or science can force your opponent to fight to stop you - and short circuit their plans.
• Wise use of money is key to winning - being cash poor gives your opponent freedom to leave cards out that you can't use.
• The combination of yellow (commercial) cards and burning cards for cash (increased by each yellow card you have) can be an effective strategy to deny players important cards while increasing your coffers.

Extras

• The picture above includes the excellent Pantheon expansion... and there is second (also excellent) Agora expansion. I've never played them at the same time, as one son like Pantheon and the other likes Agora.
• There's a print'n'play solo mode that works - but there are better solo games out there (and on this list).
• The app actually has a very good AI.
• I'd also highly recommend The Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle-earth - a thematic re-imagining of the 7 Wonders Duel game system.
• This is the first of two games on my top 50 list designed by Antoine Bauza - and I'm willing to bet you can guess what the second one is.

#97: Friday (Mark's Top 100 - 2026)

Friday

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 583
• rating: 7.1
• published: 2011
• designer: Klaus Teuber

Print Status

• in print

Why It's On The List

• The first of two solitaire games on my top 50 list... this is an inventive use of the deckbuilding mechanic as you are Friday from the novel Robinson Crusoe... trying to keep Robinson alive and get him ready to face down the pirates. 

Tips & Tricks:

• I used to be really good at this game... actually won once on Level 3 (there are four levels). Those days are gone - I haven't defeated both pirates on Level 1 in my last 10 games.
• The rules for the various powers are a little tick-y... you need to make sure you read EXACTLY what they do (and do not do) in the rulebook.

Extras

• This is an extremely portable game - when I'm traveling to speak, it's easy to throw in the suitcase and beats the heck out of watching HGTV in a hotel room.
• If you get a chance to play a game with Friedemann, take the chance... even if it's not one of his games. He single handedly made our game of Mord im Arosa into a laugh riot a few years back.

#98: Im Reich der Wüstensöhne (Mark's Top 100 2026)

Im Reich der Wüstensöhne

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 9,031
• rating: 6.4
• published: 2008
• designer: Klaus Teuber

Print Status

• very out of print

Why It's On The List

• As much as I love Entdecker (the parent game to the Im Reich series), I love this gamer-friendly take on desert nomads & the struggle for water & goods even more.

Tips & Tricks:

• The name literally means "in the realm of the desert sons". And while the game rules are in German, almost all of the actual components are language-neutral.
• This is designed by Klaus Teuber - the same guy who gave us Catan.
• There is one other game in this series: "In the Realm of the Jade Goddess" - which is a little more of a family game. There was supposed to be a third game - "In the Realm of the Demons" - but it was never published. (This continues to make me sad in my heart.)
• Water is your friend - do not (if you can help it) run out of water.
• Camels are also your friend - you'll need some in order to win the game.
• An important rule change was made AFTER publication - in order to complete an oasis on the edge of the board, the outer edge of the piece must be desert. Makes the game trickier - and better.

Extras

• I need to actually write a review of this game... which is probably not going to happen any time soon. 
• I also need to bug my friend (who shall remain nameless) with a connection to Herr Teuber to see if 
• a. this can be reprinted
• b. In the Realm of the Demons could be released into the wild!
• Just a thought: a Kickstarter "big box" with all three games in one box. :-)
• This is the first of five (5!) Klaus Teuber designs in my top 100 games.

#99: The Guild of Merchant Explorers (Mark's Top 100 - 2026)

The Guild of Merchant Explorers

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 360
• rating: 7.6
• published: 2022
• designers: Matthew Dunstan & Brett J. Gilbert

Print Status

• in print

Why It's On The List

• 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. 

#100: Tobago (Mark's Top 100 - 2026)

Tobago

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 707
• rating: 7.1
• published: 2009
• designers: Bruce Allen

Print Status

• in print?

Why It's On The List

• Couple a unique treasure-hunting mechanic with beautiful production to create a nifty push-your-luck family game.

Tips & Tricks:

• Read the rules carefully - we messed things up in a couple of different ways because we (gamer-ly) assumed we knew how it would work.
• It doesn't always work - but it's not a bad idea to put clues into each search - so you get something out of every treasure discovery.
• The game ends quicker than you think it will.

Extras

• The one thing missing from the game is a helpful player aid to remind you about amulet powers - thankfully, one has thoughtfully been posted by Evan S over on BoardGameGeek.
• An excellent expansion for the game was published in 2020 - Tobago: Volcano. It's not impossible to teach newbies - but it has some nice twists for folks who've been scavenging about the island a time or two before.

Top 100 Songs: #80-#71

Installment number three of my top 100 songs... it'll be a week or so before the next one appears.

• #80: Owner of a Lonely Heart (Yes - 1983)
• I grew up hearing the Yes classics ("Roundabout", "I've Seen All Good People", etc.) and I loved Wakeman's bombastic prog rock extravaganzas (particularly "Journey to the Centre of the Earth")… but this is the song that has stuck with me.
• #79: Emperor's Clothes (Loyd Boldman - 1988)
• After Prodigal (see #81) ended, Loyd Boldman did an indie solo album. This relatively simple track still breaks me. (Loyd sadly passed away from cancer in 2014.)
• #78: Foreplay/Long Time (Boston - 1976)
• I am a sucker for cool instrumental interludes/introductions… and this is my favorite Boston song.
• #77: Adding to the Noise (Switchfoot - 2003)
• I still want to lead a worship service that starts with the worship band rocking out to this song… and then is COMPLETELY silent for the rest of the service (taking directions from the video screens on meditation on Scripture and times of prayer).
• #76: All You Zombies (The Hooters - 1985)
• I'd watched a bunch of music videos (thanks to Friday Night Videos) but my junior year in college was the year we actually had cable in our apartment and left MTV on like it was a radio station. The Hooters caught my eye with this video - and then I fell in love with their sound.
• #75: Right Now (Van Halen - 1991)
• Van Halen is a guilty pleasure band for me (Jump, Panama, etc.)… but something about this song grabs me. (Yes, the video likely played a role in that - it's a great video.)
• #74: Eminence Front (The Who - 1982)
• There are some folks who will eventually read this that will be cheesed off that I picked this particular The Who song. (They'd be even more irritated if they knew how much I hated "Magic Bus".) I just love the groove to it - it's a great driving song.
• #73: I Don't Know Who You Are (Prodigal - 1982)
• Another Alan Parsons-ish banger from Prodigal - with lyrics that have never been typical for CCM. (Just typing that reminded me of one of my favorite "way back in the day CCM" albums - Erick Nelson and Michele Pillar's 'The Misfit'... need to give that one a spin again.)
• #72: River on Fire (Adam Again - 1992)
• "Dig" is not my favorite Adam Again album… but this song is heartbreaking and gorgeous. (Favorite Adam Again album is probably a tie between "10 Songs" and "Homeboys".)
• #71: Dance Stop (Daniel Amos - 1984)
• Daniel Amos (with Terry Scott Taylor at the helm) created the ultimate concert/dance floor song with this raving bit of madness.

Top 100 Songs: #90-#81

I'm back with the second installment of my top 100 songs.

• #90: All Fall Down (Sarah Masen -1996)
• Released on Charlie Peacock's re:think records (and produced by Charlie), this debut single by Sarah Masen is both catchy and incredibly thoughtful. 
• # 89: American Woman (Lenny Kravitz - 1999)
• Lenny Kravitz absolutely knocks this cover of the Guess Who song out of the park.
• #88: I Found Love (Geoff Moore & The Distance - 1989)
• Geoff Moore has had a number of stylistic shifts in his career - but the roots rock edge of this Lone Justice cover is probably my favorite.
• #87: Monstertruck (This Train - 1995)
• A raucous and adorably sweet love song - "As my 4x rolls down the road of life, I know that I'll be happier when your wife/All we need is a ring and a dress and a tux, and a love as big as a monstertruck". Note: the original version on the album "You're Soaking in It" is much better than the band's self-cover on "The Emporer's New Band".
• #86: This Too Shall Pass (OK Go - 2010)
• You probably know this from the nutty Rube Goldberg music video - but the version I love features a live performance by the  University of Notre Dame Marching Band.
• Two other related videos:
• The Rube Goldberg version
• The behind the scenes video of the march band version
• #85: Light a Candle (Whiteheart - 1992)
• Great memory: jumping around and singing this at the top of my lungs from the first row of the balcony when Whiteheart played Belmont University.
• #84: It's the Eighties (So Where's Our Rocket Packs?) (Daniel Amos - 1984)
• My roommate and I drove the campus radio DJ crazy requesting this very odd track off Daniel Amos' "Vox Humana" album. (Many of the musicians involved will show up MUCH later on this countdown in a different Traveling Wilbury-esque CCM supergroup.)
• #83: Monkeys at the Zoo (Charlie Peacock - 1995)
• I bought my first Charlie Peacock album (cassette) back in college (1984)… and his most recent album (Every King of Uh-Oh) in 2024. I admire his skills as a musician, producer, writer, and philosopher.
• #82: Birdland (The Manhattan Transfer - 1979)
• I'm not usually a fan of the Manhattan Transfer pop songs that got radio play… but I love their jazz-based classics like Birdland.
• #81: Invisible Man (Prodigal - 1982)
• Just three albums in four years - but this band managed to write great rock'n'roll that challenged me to think bigger about what I believed and how I lived it out.