Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Looks Like They (Almost) Made It

First, sorry about the Barry Manilow reference in the title. It's just because I write the blogs that make the whole world sing...

And, now that I'm done with that tangent, here's the 25 games that just missed making it onto the 2012 list. (Note - I don't dislike these games - in fact, they're some of my favorites. Remember, I have over 1000 games in my game room.)

Tumblin' Dice
  • 2012: 101st
  • 2010: did not appear
  • 2005: did not appear
Fury of Dracula
  • 2012: 102nd
  • 2010: 58th
  • 2005: prior to publication (the FFG version)
Bargain Hunter
  • 2012: 103rd
  • 2010: 27th
  • 2005: 34th
Lost Cities
  • 2012: 104th
  • 2010: 71st
  • 2005: 53rd
Starship Catan
  • 2012: 105th
  • 2010: did not appear
  • 2005: did not appear
Return of the Heroes
  • 2012: 106th
  • 2010: 55th
  • 2005: 19th
  • I still love this game - but it's starting to date a bit.
Loopin Louie
  • 2012: 107th
  • 2010: did not appear
  • 2005: 75th
  • I think it disappeared in 2010 due to burnout.
Timber Tom
  • 2012: 108th
  • 2010: did not appear
  • 2005: prior to publication
  • My boys & I are really enjoying this - esp. w/the Wollomi Pines expansion.
Niagara
  • 2012: 109th
  • 2010: 86th
  • 2005: prior to publication
Turn the Tide
  • 2012: 110th
  • 2010: 69th
  • 2005: 29th
Toledo
  • 2012: 111th
  • 2010: did not appear
  • 2005: prior to publication
  • I'm not blindly following the gamer crowd - this is the only Martin Wallace game in my top 125 games.
Tsuro
  • 2012: 112th
  • 2010: did not appear
  • 2005: did not appear
  • Easy to teach, easy to play, works for 2-8 players as a great 10 minute filler... what's not to like?
Medieval Merchant
  • 2012: 113th
  • 2010: did not appear
  • 2005: 31st
  • I still say the guy on the cover looks like Jay Tummelson (the guy who owns Rio Grande Games).
Time's Up
  • 2012: 114th
  • 2010: did not appear
  • 2005: 25th
  • I'm suffering from Time's Up fatigue.
Balloon Cup
  • 2012: 115th
  • 2010: did not appear
  • 2005: did not appear
Meuterer
  • 2012: 116th
  • 2010: did not appear
  • 2005: did not appear
  • Verrater may have been the first to use role selection... but Meuterer was the first to do it RIGHT.
Zoff Im Buffalo
  • 2012: 117th
  • 2010: 88th
  • 2005: 92nd
  • I wonder sometimes if I love this game BECAUSE it's so hard to find - then I play it again & remember I'd like it even if it wasn't OOP.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
  • 2012: 118th
  • 2010: 67th
  • 2005: did not appear
  • the U.S. version, btw...
Battle Beyond Space
  • 2012: 119th
  • 2010: 28th
  • 2005: did not appear
  • This is the only unpublished game in the top 125... I've been playtesting it for nearly 8 years!

Prophecy

  • 2012: 120th
  • 2010: did not appear
  • 2005: did not appear
  • Between this game & Return of the Heroes, no one in their right mind should be playing Talisman or Runebound. (Yes, that's probably an inflammatory statement.)
Colossal Arena
  • 2012: 121st
  • 2010: did not appear
  • 2005: 32nd
El Grande
  • 2012: 122nd
  • 2010: 72nd
  • 2005: 4th
  • I still love the design - but I've played too many games now with people who can't properly "read" the board & so target the wrong people (meaning: me).
Wyatt Earp
  • 2012: 123rd
  • 2010: did not appear
  • 2005: did not appear
Mutant Chronicles: Siege of the Citadel
  • 2012: 124th
  • 2010: did not appear
  • 2005: did not appear
Mush
  • 2012: 125th
  • 2010: did not appear
  • 2005: 100th

7 comments:

  1. Funny, after my last plays of Return of the Heroes and Prophecy, I felt like nobody should be playing them! I guess that's why they make both... so that we can all be happy... (though whiny).

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  2. I think both Return of the Heroes & Prophecy (along with Runebound) are best with a maximum of 3 players - and better with 2.

    Taking them up to 4 players just increases downtime & competition for scarce resources (items, gold, easy monsters to defeat, etc.) that make the games drag on too long.

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  3. When we played Prophecy, I think we started off with 4. It took hours, even after people were eliminated (don't remember if this was a voluntary elimination).

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  4. We just got Tsuro at Christmas. Our 4 year old LOVES it and we love being able to play such an serious game with him.

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  5. Josh: we play Prophecy with "first to 3" rules - not all of the gates have to be opened... and w/2 or 3 players. (Works much better.)

    SchrefflerFamily: Tsuro IS a great game - stay tuned to my top 100 for more family games you might enjoy!

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  6. Bargain Hunter: No Schnappchen Jagd? Inconceivable!

    Toledo: It's a fine game and much underrated.

    Time's Up: I'm not suffering fatigue, but rather facing the fact that most of the crowd I game with don't understand my old-man references (and vice versa!).

    Balloon Cup: Surprised you hadn't shown love for this before. Sheryl and I used to play it all the time. BC > 1st and Goal. :-)

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  7. Larry: I still love Bargain Hunter (and am glad for the new pronounceable name)... it just fell a little bit.

    Balloon Cup has always been right on the edge - but I do like what 1st & Goal does w/the genre it's in.

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