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.
The best (and best supported!) of the Command & Colors games... it combines a wonderous toy factor (plastic army men & tanks!) along with remarkably evocative recreations of WW2 battles. This is the perfect collision of all the eras of my gaming life: it's got enough warfare &; tactics for the chit-pusher in me, the gorgeous plastic bits remind me of the day we cracked open Axis & Allies for the first time, and the speedy gameplay fits my current lifestyle. The plethora ("si, Jeffe") of scenarios is a definite point in favor of Memoir '44, as well as one of the cleverest 'fog of war' mechanisms ever - the command deck.
Tips & Tricks:
Memoir '44 is splendid right out of the box... though the first couple of scenarios are probably the weakest and don't show off the game as well as they could. (They do a good job of getting players used to how the game works.) Don't give up on it until you've played some of the later scenarios.
There are a LOT of expansions... and I personally own at least one or two of each of them. (Point of fact: my Memoir '44 collection weighs over 30 pounds now.) There are no duds in the set... though probably the least valuable to a casual player is the Terrain Pack.
BoardGameArena has an excellent implementation of Memoir '44... which explains why I've played so many games of it in the few years. (I've been in an ongoing "war" with a good friend in Australia - hi, Fraser! - for nearly three years now.)
My favorite way to play is 2 player Breakthrough (using the Breakthrough deck included in the Winter Wars expansion). Close behind that is playing in Overlord (multi-player team) mode or playing a campaign (using one of the Campaign Books).
Extras
I've written a number of reviews (review copies provided) of Memoir '44 expansions over the years:
Here's what I wrote about it for The One Hundred - both personally & for the group.
This week was the 82nd anniversary of the D-Day invasion of Normandy. We must not forget all of those who gave their lives to end Nazi tyranny and genocide.
This is a lovingly crafted and brilliantly designed open world fantasy adventure, full of surprises and grace notes and moments of real emotion. Add in the "advent calendar" reveal of the miniatures, the creativity of the map systems, the clever way combat is dealt with... it all works like a charm.
Tips & Tricks:
Arydia is NOT a short game. The campaign will take 40-60 hours of play to complete. (It's worth it.)
Knowing when to run away is important - due to the nature of the game, you can stumble into situations that your character(s) are not leveled up for and will live to regret. (Or not live to regret - you get the idea.)
I wish I'd taken notes while I was playing - the card system is excellent for clues and pathways, but there are times that I wish I remembered exactly which town had which small store or NPC I needed to consult.
Extras
I've been playing solo with two characters... that's been just the right level of difficulty and story (since each character has a story arc based on their class and heritage).
Arydia is a "green legacy" game - meaning it can be completely reset and played again.
I wrote a glowing review of the game last year for the Opinionated Gamers site.
This is the second of two designs by Cody Miller on my top 100 list... and both of them are in the top 10!
the original edition is out of print... but the new edition (which includes the impossible to find expansion and a number of tweaks) is available
Why It's On The List
My favorite civilization-building game... the free-wheeling tech-tree and relatively simple mechanics make for an excellent play experience with 2, 3 or 4 players.
Tips & Tricks:
Playing an online game of the Tresham version of Civilization a few years ago makes me like Clash of Cultures even more. The tech tree decisions are more interesting, the random events aren't earth-shattering, and the gameplay has more variety. I'm pretty much done with classic Civ.
There are multiple ways to win Clash of Cultures- we've had games that focused on military build-up and games where trade was king. The direction of the game is often affected by the layout of the board.
The expansion is highly recommended for the original edition - it not only adds cavalry & elephants & extra buildings, it adds historically based civilizations to the game. But good luck finding a copy.
Extras
I have played the new edition - finally. (And I now have a copy.) It contains the expansion material from the original and streamlines some of the other rules/components to speed up the game (slightly). I need a few more plays under my belt but I think the new version is better.
I have not written a lot about Clash of Cultures... I need to fix that!
Despite my attempts to avoid Terraforming Mars for a number of years, this game sucked me in. It combines hand management, resource management, engine-building, leeching off other players work, racing to complete goals, and even a bit of take that. And it works.
Tips & Tricks:
While I get why some people like it with a full complement of five players, I think I enjoy it more with 2-3 players or as a solo game.
Resist the urge to throw everything into the game for first-timers... there's a lot to process. It's also helpful to explain why you are doing what you are doing during their first game - just not in an obnoxious manner.
It's important to build the engine you have/draw rather than the one you wish you had. It's a long enough game that wishing you were doing something different can make seem unending.
Extras
There are a LOT of expansions for this game system - I own all of them. The only two I think are really necessary, though, are Prelude and the Hellas/Elysium alternate map.
If you're a solo player, I heartily recommend the Automa expansion.
Thanks to the generosity of a good friend, I also own the 3D pieces... and they are a delight.
I would recommend a better individual play mat for each player than the one provided... something that makes it less likely that a table bump would end the game.
I like Terraforming Mars: Ares Expedition - which feels like they cross-breeded Terraforming Mars with Race for the Galaxy - but it really needs the expansions to shine.
I didn't like Terraforming Mars: The Dice Game... which surprised me.
This is the final day (May 29, 2026) to back the Legacy of Mars campaign game/system... yes, I have done so. (Is anyone surprised?)
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.
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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