Thebes
BoardGameGeek
- rank: 556
- rating: 7.1
- published: 2007
Print Status
Why It's On The List
- One of the best example 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
Can't Stop- rank: 756
- rating: 6.9
- published: 1980
Print Status
Why It's On The List
- In my ever-so-humble opinion, this (and not Acquire) is Sid Sackson's masterpiece. It's so simple & yet so engaging.
Tips & Tricks:
- One of the niftier variants to try is "one piece per space" - in other words, you can't stop rolling if you would have to place a marker on an already occupied space.
- Dan Blum once suggested that there are two basic ways to play Can't Stop based on Star Trek: you can play like Kirk (take crazy risks) or Spock (analyze the odds). I find that both funny and accurate.
Extras
- There are some enterprising folks who have scavenged copies of Advance to Boardwalk to add extra playing pieces to their copies of Can't Stop - I am not one of them. First, that's rude to a very nice game (Advance to Boardwalk). Second, Can't Stop isn't as much fun with 5+ players.
- My last four games of the 2013 Gathering of Friends were the Can’t Stop tournament. I won my first two rounds, then squeaked forward in the semifinal with a second place finish over my arch-nemesis (and good friend) Larry Levy. (There were two semifinal games with 3 players each – the first two players to complete 3 columns advanced to the final.) So, I found myself in the final against Daryl Andrews, Rebecca, and the designer of two of my favorite games: Tom Lehmann. I quickly shot up the board & claimed the 6 and the 8… but it took what seemed like forever (thanks to a couple of near-misses) for me to finally nail down a 3rd column and the win! That win SHOULD have meant that I got the first pick off the amazing prize table in 2014... but as I was not able to attend, I got nothing but the thrill of victory. Sigh.
- Here's what I wrote about Can't Stop for The One Hundred.
Core Worlds
BoardGameGeek
- rank: 809
- rating: 7.2
- published: 2011
Print Status
Why It's On The List
- Andrew Parks created a space empire-building deck-builder - and combined it with a tableau system for deploying units that makes this game both deeply strategic and a challenging puzzle. And then he created three(!) incredible expansions that make the game even better!
Tips &Tricks:
- I think the original Core Worlds game is a solid 7 - but when you add the first expansion (Galactic Orders), it's jumps to an 8 (or maybe even a 9). And the second expansion (Revolution) just locks that high rating into place!
- The game has enough components for 5 players... but I prefer it with 2-3, as the pace of the game is quicker.
- Building combos is important - as is managing expectations. You will not be able to do everything you want, so you will need to prioritize your energy and actions near the end of the game to bring in victory points.
Extras
- The VERY recently released Nemesis expansion is an excellent solo mode for the game... making this the sixth solo-recommended game on the countdown.
- I wrote a big review of the two expansions for the Opinionated Gamers website.
- I'd also be remiss if I didn't recommend the newest game in the Core Worlds family, Core Worlds: Empires... thematically set in the same universe - but using a worker placement mechanic as the victors work to solidify their holdings. (Note: I was a playtester for both Empires and the Nemesis expansion.) There is actually rules to play a campaign consisting of a game of Core Worlds which affects your starting position in Core Worlds: Empires!
- Here's what I wrote about the prototype after playtesting Empires. A full review of the new game is upcoming!
- This is the first of two games designed by Andrew Parks on my top 100 countdown.
The Princes of Florence
BoardGameGeek
- rank: 213
- rating: 7.5
- published: 2000
Print Status
- out of print (but not impossible to find)
Why It's On The List
- You have 21 moves - 7 auctions & 14 actions - in order to turn your estate into the perfect place for great artists & scientists to create their masterworks and bring prestige to your name... each action, each bit of coinage, each building, each recruitment is vital. What a perfectly formed & thematically rich (yes, I think it is!) Euro game...
- ...it's the perfect balance between game length (70 minutes) and an unforgiving system. Any longer, and it would be soul-deadening to play out the final rounds when you know you've lost all hope of winning. Any shorter, and there wouldn't be enough time to make meaningful decisions in this game's Spartan structure.
Tips & Tricks:
- I first started playing The Princes of Florence with a German version and cheat sheets to translate the cards. The game was/is good enough that people were willing to get over themselves & learn to play this way. (I have since replaced all of the components in my set with English language equivalents except for the player boards... which is what you see in the picture above.)
- This game is subject to groupthink - despite much debate online, jesters & recruitment cards (both of which are valuable) are worth what the market will bear, not some arbitrary number established by a bunch of game nerds (he sez with his tongue firmly planted in his cheek).
- There are two expansions available with newer versions of the game that are nice but not necessary. (For those of us who've played it a lot, they offer some variety - but the original game is so good that even I, the Man Addicted to Expansions, don't feel like they are important.)
- The building strategy (building LOTS of buildings) can work - but only if you commit to it and only if you're the lone person attempting it.
Extras
- Here's what I wrote about The Princes of Florence for The One Hundred: both the list entry & my personal entry.
- This is the third of three games designed by Wolfgang Kramer on my top 100 list.
Baseball Highlights 2045- rank: 502
- rating: 7.5
- published: 2015
Print Status
Why It's On The List
- The name implies the genius of the design - with a six card hand, you aren't simulating a whole baseball game... you're just showing us the highlights. Set in a future timestream where robots are batters and pitchers have cybernetic arms, this wonderful game melds deck-building with hand management in clever and interesting ways.
Tips & Tricks:
- Drafting well is key... and part of that key is paying attention to the types of players your opponent is drafting.
- Losing a game on your way to the World Series can be beneficial, if you stack your team with popular players that enable to get higher quality draftees.
- While I'm not a fan of the three player variant in the rulebook, the 2 player game is great and the 4 player tournament is amazing with fouro experienced players.
Extras
- The expansions that add players have some nice twists - but the coaches and ballpark expansions are just for variety (aka non-essential).
- This is the first of two Mike Fitzgerald designs on my top 100 list.
Innovation- rank: 347
- rating: 7.3
- published: 2010
Print Status
Why It's On The List
- Yes, I'll be the first to admit there can be some wild swings of luck - some card combos are unbelievable in their massive synergy - but one of the real joys of the game is discovering those, whether you get to do it yourself or watch someone else find the proverbial pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. And the card-splaying mechanic is just cool.
Tips & Tricks:
- One of the great temptations in Innovation is the "I need to do something IMPORTANT every turn" longing... it can talk you into cranking up a Dogma action that helps others more than it helps you. Watch out.
- The game is very good with 2-3 players... if you want to play with 4, you should use the partnership rules - they're a lot of fun.
Extras
- I can not recommend the first expansion (Echoes of the Past) highly enough - not only does it introduce some nifty new mechanics to the game (echoes, forecasts & bonuses) but they also finally put all of the special wonder info on the new player mat.
- I like the Figures in the Sand expansion, but it makes play even more complicated.
- There are new rules for how to integrate the expansion cards into the game... evidently, it is to help with upcoming expansion plans. While I didn't have any problems (except a lengthy set-up/deck shuffling issue) with the original expansion rules, these work great and reduce set-up time. (This note is primarily here for folks like me who own the earlier edition of the game.)
- Yes, there are multiple expansions I haven't played yet, due to the change in format to the new edition. I'd like to fix that.
- The implementation on BGA is really solid... a great way to play if you have trouble getting this one to the table in "real life".
The Taverns of Tiefenthal- rank: 236
- rating: 7.6
- published: 2019
Print Status
Why It's On The List
- A clever puzzle of a game that incorporates deck-building, dice placement, and a nicely thought-out series of mini-expansions in the base game box.
Tips & Tricks:
- Sequencing your card purchases is an important skill... working so that you group nobles together, for example, makes it much easier to spin through your deck.
- It isn't necessary to throw in every mini-expansion on your first play to prove your "gamer cred" - the base game is enjoyable on its own merits.
Extras
- There is an expansion coming (Open Doors)... and I'm ready for it to show up already!
- My younger son refers to Taverns as "gamer Quacks"... not sure I completely agree, but I see where he's coming from.
- This is the first of two games designed by Wolfgang Warsch on the countdown. (I don't think you'll have a difficult time figuring out the other one.)
Risk Legacy
BoardGameGeek
Print Status
- not in print... but still not difficult to find a copy
Why It's On The List
- What if a game remembered what had happened during the previous games... and that game told an epic story? That's always been true in role-playing games - but Rob Daviau's brilliant design idea took the core engine of Risk to a whole new & wonderful mind-warping level. And for the purposes of this list, it's still one of the best multi-game experiences I've ever enjoyed, playing it with the Fresno Gamers group!
Tips & Tricks:
- I’m not sure how to extol the virtues of this wonderous Risk reboot without spoiling some of its well-hidden charms, but I’ll give it a shot.
Risk: Legacy is…
- …a product of nearly a decade of experimenting with this classic game system. (It incorporates ideas from Risk 2210 & Risk: Black Ops to make the game shorter & yet packed with thematic touches.)
- …an innovative board game concept – something we don’t see nearly as often as we’d like to think. (The whole “open this pack of cards when this happens” way of changing the game is brilliant.)
- …a reminder of what was really great about my old RPG days – we’re working together to tell a story about this new world we’re fighting over. (In our case, the founding of Great Humongustan, the DEW line populated with installations left over from the Battle of the Northern Wastes… and the Cataclysm in Southern Europe.)
- …gamer catnip. (Let me explain – each time you get to open a new packet, it feels very similar to the “rush” you get when opening a new game or game expansion. And it not only gives you the “new car smell” effect, the added stuff takes the story of the game in a new direction.)
- …fun even for people who don’t particularly like Risk. (One of the guys in our group – the founder of Great Humongustan – is not a fan of “dudes on a map w/dice” games & esp. not a fan of Risk. Yet he had a grand time playing Risk: Legacy with us… and even commented when he arrived after a game had started that “it was just fun watching you guys play.”)
- If you choose to buy this here in the U.S., go to BGG and download/print the bonus cards which were not officially released stateside.
- More importantly, don't spend a lot of time reading about the game before you play it! let the surprises catch you unawares - one of the packet reveals is easily one of the best gaming experiences I've had in the last 15 years.
Extras
- Yes, it was the first legacy game... and, yes, I've played a lot more of them over the years. (One or two might show up later in this countdown... and one already has.) It's not the most fully developed of the genre - but I'm still trying to figure out how to talk my game group here in Nashville into playing it with me so I can enjoy it again!
- Note: while I didn't receive a review copy of Risk Legacy (it was actually a BGG Secret Santa gift!), I did receive a copy of Risk: Black Ops as a review copy. And, no, I haven't sold it for re-donk-u-lous amounts of cash - it's still in my collection.
Showmanager- rank: 1,670
- rating: 7.0
- published: 1996
Print Status
Why It's On The List
- A wonderful card-drafting game that whips along at a breakneck pace and offers a consistently enjoyable gaming experience as the players cast (and miscast) theater productions.
Tips & Tricks:
- You don't have to be a card counter to do well - but it is good to know what "9" cards are remaining in each show.
- You do not have enough money - so you're going to have to accept that one of your four shows is going to be, well, a flop.
- Use your flop show to borrow money - a common tactic is put on a flop, put it in the lowest point value city & then take the maximum amount of money out of the show.
Extras
- While I'm very glad there is a reprint available (though it's OOP as well), I do want to note that the two included variants are not necessary to enjoy the game.
- Thankfully, the truly inferior version of the game (Atlantic Star) is out of print.
- And, no, I haven't ever played the original version, Premiere.
- Showmanager scales really well for 3-6 players... I'm least fond of 4 but it still works well.
- Here's what I wrote about Showmanager for The One Hundred.
Claustrophobia- rank: 360
- rating: 7.5
- published: 2009
Print Status
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 new edition. But this is the one I own.
For What Remains
BoardGameGeek
- rank: 6,131
- rating: 8.1
- published: 2020
Print Status
Why It's On The List
- Let me be honest... this ranking is on the strength of the first box of three in this skirmish level wargame that reminds my oldest son of the X-Com computer game. Me? I don't know about the X-Com connection, but it plays quickly and cleanly as a two-player battle and has a brilliant solo system.
Tips & Tricks:
- The chit pull system for unit activation works well here - especially when playing in solo mode. It also means you need to attempt to keep your team in cover - leaving them out in the open may expose them to brutal fire if they don't move.
- I use a 3x3 piece of felt as the surface for my board when playing... the tiles tend to slide on the slick surface of my regular table. (Note: I like the double-sided map tiles... I just don't want them to move around.)
- The system for leveling up units and dealing with their various powers is clever AND simple... which makes it easy to set up a battle and start playing.
Extras
- As I said above, I've only played the first box (Streets of Ruin)... but I have both Blood on the Rails and Out of the Basement waiting for me so I can further explore this post-apocalyptic world where, for lack of a better thematic description, Russia used underground nuclear explosions to open the Hellmouth.
- This is the 5th solo-recommended game on this list.
- This is David Thompson's first of three games on my top 100 games countdown.
Bärenpark
BoardGameGeek
- rank: 306
- rating: 7.4
- published: 2017
Print Status
Why It's On The List
- Yet another zoo-related game on the list (there are actually 3 of them!) - this time, it's a very-straightforward tile-laying game that can be give a lot of layers (esp. by using the expansion) or kept simple, straightforward, and very family-friendly with the base game.
Tips & Tricks:
- Like many game where players draft from a common pool, timing is extremely important.
- As well, this is a game that rewards the Tetris-y spatial skills of looking at a piece and being able to mentally flip it about to find the optimal placement.
- The addition of the goals (both from the base game and the expansion) vary up the mental puzzle really well.
Extras
- The storage solution in the base game is, well... not very good. I love the Folded Space insert I bought that fits both the base game and The Bad News Bears expansion into the box.
- The expansion adds extra goals, an additional piece of land per player for building, grizzly bear enclosures, and tramways. I think the tramways here are much better implemented than in the designer's Cloud City game.
- This is Phil Walker-Harding's second of two games on my top 100 games countdown.
Ra
BoardGameGeek
- rank: 192
- rating: 7.5
- published: 1999
Print Status
- currently out of print - but it looks like it's coming back this year
Why It's On The List
- I'm not sure why Ra jumps on & off my top games list... it's a splendid auction game that scales well from 3-5 players and is filled with tension and constant reevaluation of values.
Tips & Tricks:
- Timing is everything. Seriously.
- My first play of Ra was 90 minutes - which was miserable and turned me off the game for a good year or so. When I finally got to play it at normal speed (30-45 minutes), it jumped considerably in my estimation.
- There are times (particularly in the final epoch) where winning an auction simply to trade up for a better sun is a good idea. These do not happen as often as I see people making these kinds of trades.
- There are two spin-off games from the Ra family:
- Ra: The Dice Game (which I enjoy and wish I owned a copy of...)
- Priests of Ra (which I do not - it just uses the same base engine & monkeys with the scoring)
Extras
- Here's what I wrote about Ra for The One Hundred.
- This is the sixth of seven (7!) Reiner Knizia designs on the list.
CloudAge
BoardGameGeek
- rank: 1,420
- rating: 7.4
- published: 2020
Print Status
Why It's On The List
- A solidly Alexander Pfister game - but less complicated and long than Great Western Trail and substantially more thematic than Oh My Goods and/or Expedition to Newdale. Added bonus: post-apocalyptic theme sans creepy post-apocalyptic art design.
Tips & Tricks:
- Once you head down a particular scoring/development pathway, the shortness of the game requires you to make sure you are doing everything you can to keep that particular game engine fed.
- Resources are much more plentiful in 3 & 4 player games... switching back to solo is sobering!
- The game can be played as a campaign (7 games long) or as a single game - it works well both ways.
- It is not a legacy game - but it does have campaign elements that hang on from game to game.
Extras
- I've enjoyed the solo campaign so much that I've played through the seven game arc twice! And that makes it the fourth of 18 games in the countdown I recommend for solo play.
Cartographers
BoardGameGeek
- rank: 111
- rating: 7.7
- published: 2019
Print Status
Why It's On The List
- Though it is thematically part of the Roll Player universe (along with #64 Roll Player, Lockup, and Roll Player Adventures), Cartographers works without any experience with the other games. It's a clever flip-n-write that challenges players to map fantasy kingdoms while conforming to a set of scoring objectives.
Tips & Tricks:
- One of the required skills of the game is figuring out what goals you have to accomplish and in what order (based on the seasons). Since you score each goal twice, you want to set up to get the maximum score for that goal when it appears in the timeline.
- If a landscape card has a choice that is worth gold, take it unless the larger shape will help you meet another scoring goal. Gold taken early pays off four times over the game.
- I invested in a set of colored pencils for my set - and while my art skills are almost non-existent, my maps look much nicer in color.
Extras
- Cartographers has a really solid solo play option - making it the third of 18 games in the countdown I recommend for solo play.
- Cartographers is also a fantastic "Zoom call" game - you just have to use the solo rules for monster placement and you're ready to go.
- There are multiple expansions available for the game:
- Cartographers: Heroes - which is a stand-alone game that can be used with the original maps or the maps that come with it... and which adds heroes and more active monsters.
- Two different Skills packs which each add a set of special power cards that allow players to manipulate what they draw by spending hard-earned gold pieces.
- The Ambush pack which adds four new monsters with different shapes.
- Three different map packs (Nebblis, Affril, & Undercity) which add two new maps and 3 cards each with some interesting twists.
- More new stuff is on the way - more heroes and three more map packs!
- You don't need to own all the extra stuff - but if you play it as much solo as I do, it's nice to have the variety.
Clank!: A Deck-Building Adventure
BoardGameGeek
- rank: 68
- rating: 7.8
- published: 2016
Print Status
Why It's On The List
- Smoosh Dungeonquest and Ascension together and you'd get something close to this fantastic deck-building dungeon crawl... with the very clever “clank” mechanic binding the two together and acting a game timer and source of tension.
Tips & Tricks:
- While there is a lot of witty color text, it’s small and doesn’t make the cards more difficult to read.
- The graphic design of the cards is really smart – they have used consistent iconography and clear text instructions to make it easy to understand what the card does for you, even when you add in the expansion cards.
- The expansions have been packaged well in appropriately sized boxes... and have all been worth their cost as far as enjoyment and variety goes. (Better than you can say for some franchises - I'm looking at you, Adrenaline: Team Play DLC and Carcassonne: The Catapult.)
Extras
- You can read my Welcome to the Clank-iverse overview of most of the expansions available for Clank!... and includes Kulkmann's homebrewed rules for a Clank! campaign. (I say "most" because Adventuring Party appeared after I wrote the article.)
- Clank! In! Space! is excellent as well... with a slightly higher rules overhead.
- My boys and I loved Clank! Legacy. It is longer per game by about 50%, but we had a blast.
- The picture includes heroes from various expansions as well as the different versions of the "boss" marker... and the monkey idols. There's a really monkey obsession on the part of the designers.
- There's actually a really nice free app from Renegade that has a solo mode for Clank! which works well... making it the 2nd of 18 games on the countdown I recommend for solo play.
- This is the first of two games on the countdown from designer Paul Dennen.
Tobago
BoardGameGeek
- rank: 535
- rating: 7.1
- published: 2009
Print Status
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.
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 available through the Geek Games Shop on BGG.
Septikon: Uranium Wars- rank: 10,199
- rating: 6.4
- published: 2012
Print Status
- out of print (but not impossible to find a used copy)
Why It's On The List
- a two-player wargame with elements of tower defense, resource management, and lots & lots of destruction... defend your asteroid while demolishing your opponent.
Tips & Tricks:
- This is a Russian game that was Kickstarted in an international version back in 2015 - and that makes it a little easier to locate a copy here in the States.
- There are multiple ways to defeat your opponent - some of them are more obvious than others. Part of the fun is finding the less obvious ways.
- The Kickstarter versions of the game came with some extra variant cards - they are fun but not necessary. The base game is great "as is".
- Learning how to properly position your clones to give yourself a variety of options each turn is a key to winning. By the same token, cutting off your opponent from options is a splendid way to ensure victory.
Extras
- I think that my review of Septikon is one of the best pieces of board game review writing that I've done - go take a look!
O Zoo le Mio- rank: 2,094
- rating: 6.6
- published: 2002
Print Status
Why It's On The List
- The lovely graphics & components combine with "in the fist" auctions & tile-laying to make a zoo-building game that's relatively quick (45 minutes) and always interesting to play...
Tips & Tricks:
- Yes, there are problems with the income system (you get $ based on the number of tiles in your zoo) and the escalating point values (scoring is similar to Acquire) in the later rounds - but in such a short game, part of your job is to plan to deal with both of those issues rather than whine about them when the game is over.
- Circular pathways are an important scoring opportunity - and they can't be taken away once they're built.
Extras
- The box says ages 9+... but my six-year-old enjoyed this game (when I helped him with tile placement).
- This was originally published as ZooSim... and later was republished as Zooronga. (The newest version changes the income rules to all players receiving 3 coins per turn... which I need to try out to see if I like the change.)
- This is the first of two designs by Corné van Moorsel in this countdown.
Nexus Ops- rank: 509
- rating: 7.2
- published: 2005
Print Status
Why It's On The List
- A really well-thought-out "dudes on a map" game that subverts the ever-present turtling problem with a varied set of rewards for attacking other players.
Tips & Tricks:
- Hordes of cheaper figures can work just as well as a few expensive figures - and sometimes even better.
- This is the rare combat game that works well with 2, 3 or 4 players.
- I know I said it in the previous section - but it's worth saying again: turtling does NOT work in this game. ("Turtling" is emphasizing heavy defense and little or no offense, in hopes of getting your opponents to exhaust themselves fighting each other and/or throwing themselves against your defenses in vain.)
Extras
- The FFG edition (2nd edition) evidently contains some variant stats for the units as well as some extra tiles and an alternate middle hex - but I haven't played it and am perfectly happy with my H/AH original edition.
Keltis: Der Weg der Steine Mitbringspiel- rank: 3,186
- rating: 6.4
- published: 2009
Print Status
Why It's On The List
- The most straightforward of the Lost Cities/Keltis family - and incredibly portable.
Tips & Tricks:
- When playing with 3 or 4 players, don't start lines in all five colors.
- It's easy to forget about blarney stones in your first game - don't. The penalty for going short on them is steep.
- In German, the name means "the way of the stones." The "Mitbringspiel" is a rough equivalent of our "travel games" - it literally means "bring with game".
Extras
- It's not that I dislike Lost Cities or Keltis or Lost Cities: The Board Game... it's just that I like this one so much better.
- This was republished as Lost Cities To Go in 2018... but I've never actually seen a physical copy of it.
- Since the publication of Der Weg der Steine, there have been other very good Lost Cities family games... my favorite of the newer bunch is the Lost Cities Roll'n'Write.
- This is the fifth of seven (7!) games designed by Reiner Knizia on this countdown.
Lord of the Rings
- rank: 946
- rating: 6.7
- published: 2000
Print Status
Why It's On The List
- There had been cooperative games before this one... but Knizia broke the mold and created a sprawling (and gorgeous) cooperative masterpiece that reflects the tensions & storylines of the books in a highly abstracted way. And my wife likes it.
Tips & Tricks:
- There are three expansions to the already meat-y base game...
- Friends & Foes (which added Foes as well as two new "locations" - boards - to work through) - yes, it did make the game longer by almost half.
- Sauron (which added several different ways to play the game, including a "one player - Sauron - versus everyone else" variant that works like a charm)
- Battlefields (which added another board for each location... and is highly abstract... I played once and then sold it for a ridiculous amount of money.)
- Suggestion: don't combine the Friends & Foes and Sauron expansions - it's just too darn long.
- I've played 65+ games of this... and will happily play it again if someone asks. Especially my wife.
Extras
- Here's what I wrote about the game for The One Hundred: both my personal entry and the group entry.
- This is the fourth of seven (!) games on the countdown designed by Reiner Knizia.
Impact: Battle of Elements / Strike- rank: 1,467
- rating: 6.9
- published: 2012
Print Status
Why It's On The List
- Some days, you just need an excuse to toss dice into a box and hope for the best. Other days, you want to chuck those dice as hard as possible. This is your game.
Tips & Tricks:
- I first experienced the complete insanity of the "wing a die into the arena at high velocity in order to knock both dice out of play and force the next player to roll all their dice" tactic while at a weekend gaming event with the Cincinnati crew of the Opinionated Gamers... then made the mistake of telling my older son about this "strategy". Now, when playing with him, I feel like I need goggles and a helmet.
- When playing tournament style (one 'game' per player and total scores over multiple games), it's better to finish 2nd than to go out early in a blaze of dice-rolling glory.
Extras
- The picture above show Strike (the Harry Potter edition) next to Impact: Battle of Elements... the main difference is the shape and depth of the arena. My boys like Strike better while my wife prefers Impact. I'm happy to play either of them.
- I'm not convinced that the magic/elements rules found in the Harry Potter version and in Impact: Battle of Elements actually add anything helpful to the game.
