Monday, March 09, 2026

#86: Favor of the Pharaoh (Mark's Top 100 - 2026)


Favor of the Pharaoh
    BoardGameGeek
    • rank: 2,149
    • rating: 6.8
    • published: 2015
    • designer: Tom Lehmann
    Print Status
    • out of print
    Why It's On The 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    • I had the privilege of Tom Lehmann (the designer) showing me the unpublished expansion for To Court the King some years back...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 first of seven (7!) Lehmann designs on my list.

    Sunday, March 08, 2026

    #87: Claustrophobia (Mark's Top 100 - 2026)


    Claustrophobia

    • rank: 562
    • rating: 7.5
    • published: 2009
    Print Status
    • out of print
    Why It's On The List
    • Imagine taking the asymmetrical structure of the classic game Space Hulk (hordes of bad guys vs. a small band of heroes) and cross-pollinating it with some very clever dice mechanics (one even borrowed from the much-loved Euro game, Kingsburg)... and then packing the box as full of high-quality components as possible. And there you have it.
    Tips & Tricks:
      • Both players (the good guys AND the bad guys) have to carefully manage all of their resources - each of them has some pretty nifty "powers" but almost all of those are limited in their use.
      • Not unlike the original Space Hulk board game, sometimes winning is just taking out as many bad guys as possible before you go under.
      Extras
      • The playing time for Claustrophobia is almost always less than an hour... and, with a few exceptions, it's pretty easy to set up as the caverns will be explored and the game board laid out as you play.
      • Warning: this is probably the "darkest" game I own (thematically)... this is not for everyone.
      • The De Profundis expansion has a lot more scenarios, some new monsters & heroes, and a bunch of new tiles & cards... and, as per the designer's wishes, does NOT make this a multi-player game. (Croc - yes, that's his moniker - was very clear that he'd designed a two-player game and that putting more folks around the table would mess up the design.)
      • The Furor Sanguinis expansion adds a new "faction" - well, to be accurate, giant lizard/demon bad guy. We've had a lot of fun with it.
      • Yes, I know there's a (relatively) new edition [circa 2019]. But this is the one I own.

      Saturday, March 07, 2026

      #88: Battle Beyond Space (Mark's Top 100 - 2026)


      Battle Beyond Space

      • rank: 10,011
      • rating: 6.3
      • published: 2012
      • designer: Frank Branham
      Print Status
      • out of print but not impossible to find
      Why It's On The List
      • Have a massive multiple armada space battle... in 60 minutes. With almost no luck.
      Tips & Tricks:
        • Important safety tip: I was a long-time playtester on this game... it's not my baby but it certainly feels like it.
        • I do wish the colors of two of squadrons in the blue fleet weren't so dang close. I need to use a Sharpie to mark one of them.
        • Like Catan, initial placement is important. You have to make wise choices based on your special power and your judgement about the relative aggressiveness of your closest foes.
        Extras
        • I wrote an ode to joy about the publication of Battle Beyond Space on my blog back in 2009.
        • The inscription on my "thank you for playtesting" copy of the game...

        Friday, March 06, 2026

        #89: Entenrallye (Mark's Top 100 - 2026)

        Entenrallye

        BoardGameGeek

        • rank: 20,473
        • rating: 5.9
        • published: 1988
        • designer: Walter Müller

        Print Status

        • incredibly OOP

        Why It's On The List

        • 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.
          • Here's what I wrote about Entenrallye for The One Hundred.

          Thursday, March 05, 2026

          Top 100 Songs: #70-#61


          The fourth installment of my top 100 songs - and, yes, there's two songs by the same artist off of the same album. (The whole album is just that good - even 40 years later.)
          • #70: That's Ex-Doormat to You (This Train - 1995)
            • There are some great break-up songs… but none that make me laugh as hard as this one - "Sorry when you want to yell I just can't hear your shouts / Now I live so far away, wish I could help you out / But I realized I'm no punching bag, and I know you hate that / So now you'll have to do without, or get yourself a cat".
          • #69: Mess of Me (Switchfoot - 2009)
            • A fervent prayer wrapped in distorted guitars.
          • #68: You Can Call Me Al (Paul Simon - 1986)
            • This pop-y highly danceable song about confusion and hope lands not because Chevy Chase is in the video but because of the stunning musicianship on display.
          • #67: Outdoor Elvis (Swirling Eddies - 1989)
            • This homage to Blue Hawaii is also a thoughtful (and humorous) look at how we obsess about fame and famous people.
          • #66: You Will Go Free (Tonio K - 1986)
            • Tonio K's Romeo Unchained album is filled with amazing songs - this is the first of four that ended up on my top 100 list.
          • #65: Falling Slowly (Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova - 2006)
            • Yes, we first heard it in the film "Once" - but the haunting duet continues to worm its way into my brain.
          • #64: Hold It Up to the Light (David Wilcox - 1994)
            • I first heard David Wilcox on an NPR radio show performing some of his songs in the studio… and promptly drove to a record store and bought his album. Such an amazing storyteller.
          • #63: Love Reign O'er Me (The Who - 1973)
            • I've never seen "Quadrophenia" (which this song is from)… but the soaring sweep of the song blows me away.
          • #62: Hawkmoon 269 (U2 - 1988)
            • There's a lot of mystery about the title of this song (which was relegated to the Rattle & Hum album without appearing in the film)… but this declaration of love (to God? to a woman?) grabs me.
          • #61: Perfect World (Tonio K - 1986)
            • Yes, another song off "Romeo Unchained"… this plaintive song about the loss of a relationship has been covered by a number of folks (Glen Burtick, ALIAS, What If, etc.) but I still think this is the best version.


          #90: Lost Cities (Mark's Top 100 - 2026)


          Lost Cities

          • rank: 342
          • rating: 7.3
          • published: 1999
          • designer: Reiner Knizia
          Print Status
          • in print?
          Why It's On The List
          • I've played this over & over and I'm still intrigued each time. How far can I push my luck? Should I play aggressively or defensively? For such a simple game, it continues to draw me in. (Probably doesn't hurt that the production of the game is gorgeous.) Now, it's not that I win all that much. My wife is a pro... and my oldest son gets better every game we play.
          Tips & Tricks:
            • I know some people don't like the big cards or the board... but I do.
            • Good Lost Cities play is based not only on the cards you draw but also on the play of your opponent. It is a game about reading their plan as much as executing your own.
            • Lost Cities spawned a whole series of games:
              • Keltis & it's uglier cousin, Lost Cities: The Board Game (I enjoy them both)
              • Keltis: Die Orakel (which I have not played)
              • Keltis: Der Weg der Steine (which I like a lot... hint hint)
              • Keltis: The Dice Game (so-so)
              • Keltis: The Card Game (decent - but I like Lost Cities better)
              • Lost Cities: Rivals (which is very good!)
              • Lost Cities: Roll'n'Write (which is decent as well)
            Extras
            • Here's a link to what I wrote about Lost Cities for The One Hundred...
            • Lost Cities is available to play online on BGA.
            • This is the first of five (!) Knizia game designs on my top 100 list.

            Wednesday, March 04, 2026

            #91: Schnäppchen Jagd (Mark's Top 100 - 2026)



            Schnäppchen Jagd (Bargain Hunter)

            • rank: 3,993
            • rating: 6.7
            • published: 1998
            • designer: Uwe Rosenberg
            Print Status
            • out of print
            Why It's On The List
            • This three-handed trick-taking game resets trump on each and every trick - and yet the unique scoring system (with bargain piles and junk piles) is surprisingly easy to understand. It's just difficult to play well!
            Tips & Tricks:
              • There is a memory element to the game - but you can refresh your memory between hands.
              • The game will play with four players - but three is the number you really want.
              • Don't be ashamed of a low score - it took me 2-3 games to get a positive score.
              Extras
              • This game also ended up on Chris Wray's 20 Favorite Trick-Taking Games list for 2024 over on the Opinionated Gamers site. "If I could pick one game that is undervalued by those newer to the trick-taking obsession, it is Bargain Hunter. The game is a masterpiece!"

              Tuesday, March 03, 2026

              #92: Thebes (Mark's Top 100 - 2026)


              Thebes
                BoardGameGeek
                • rank: 747
                • rating: 7.1
                • published: 2007
                • designer: Peter Prinz
                Print Status
                • not sure it's in print, but relatively easy to find copies online
                Why It's On The List
                • One of the best examples of a game design integrating theme & mechanics - drawing tiles from the bag "feels" like archaeology. As well, the use of the "time cost" mechanic makes the game fluid & gives each player a plethora of tactical options.
                Tips & Tricks:
                • The tile bags are a marked improvement over the card decks from the original version of this game, Jenseits von Theben.
                • If you're not going to collect the lecture series cards, just make sure no other person hoards them - that's some big points out there on the rubber chicken circuit.
                • I like to jump out with one or two quick expeditions to harvest a few easy artifacts (and have a variety of colors for the various exhibitions) - but there's something to be said for making sure you have a couple of assistants & shovels before you do any serious digging.
                • Don't forget about the bonuses for highest level of research into each site!
                Extras