My Top 18 Board Games (as of today)

In previous years, I worked really hard to do long multiple blog post lists of my top 100 (or 200) games... but life has conspired to make that less and less likely now. Granted, I'm still getting to play a lot of games... but writing about them has become trickier.

So, in honor of nothing in particular (except a meme-ish thing going around boardgaming Twitter), here are my 18 top games. (Note: the meme is Top Nine - but I couldn't narrow it down that far, so here's my top 18.)

Notes: 

• I've been tracking plays since 1997. Only Dungeonquest predates that... I'd conservatively estimate another 30+ plays of the game in the late 80s and early 90s.
• The time estimates are courtesy of the excellent Board Game Stats app.

#1 Memoir '44

• 197 plays
• approximately 210 hours
• my expansion reviews over the years
• Breakthrough
• Winter Wars
• Campaign Book Volume 2
• Equipment Pack

#2 Race for the Galaxy

• 445 plays
• approximately 170 hours

#3 Heroscape

• 114 plays
• approximately 218 hours
• I've written a BUNCH about Heroscape over the years... probably the best post to start with is Heroscape for Beginners (and Robo).
• In 2010, I wrote a goodbye letter to Heroscape when Hasbro ended the line.

#4 Clash of Cultures

• 14 plays
• approximately 50 hours

#5 A Brief History of the World

• 11 plays
• approximately 32 hours

#6 Dungeonquest

• 81 plays
• approximately 43 hours

#7 Betrayal Legacy

• 10 plays
• 9 hours

#8 Nemo's War

• 7 plays (in less than 3 weeks)
• 11 hours

#9 Dungeon Lords

• 24 plays
• approximately 58 hours
• I'm really proud of my review of the Festival Season expansion...

#10 Fast Food Franchise

• 105 plays
• approximately 110 hours

#11 Eminent Domain

• 49 plays
• approximately 42 hours

#12 7 Wonders

• 86 plays
• approximately 65 hours

#13 Catan

• 145 plays
• approximately 138 hours

#14 Flowerpower

• 62 plays
• approximately 23 hours
• Here's what I wrote about Flowerpower for Game Central Station (my old website)

#15 Ticket to Ride

• 132 plays
• approximately 103 hours
• Here's my review of the Alvin & Dexter expansion.

#16 Favor of the Pharaoh

• 30 plays
• approximately 21 hours

#17 Sentinels of the Multiverse

• 102 plays
• approximately 170 hours
• We tried an interesting experiment in game play - The Bloodsworn Arena - and I wrote about it.

#18 Anno 1701: Das Brettspiel

• 11 plays
• approximately 15 hours