#65: The Quest for El Dorado (Mark's Top 100 2024)

The Quest for El Dorado

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 121
• rating: 7.7
• published: 2017
• designer: Reiner Knizia

Print Status

• in print

Why It's On The List

• Reiner Knizia turns his adept design talent to deck-building... and makes a racing game that manages to stay tense throughout, offer a variety of interesting (and clever) tactical decisions, and be enjoyable with both gamers and non-gamers.

Tips & Tricks:

• Add the caves into the game after your first play - they offer some difficult choices as well as helping deal with overcrowding at choke points.
• Players often undervalue the usefulness of gold... both for movement through villages and for purchasing higher valued cards that make a big difference in the end game.
• Learn to look at the board to figure out the "rhythm" of when you'll need various kinds of cards - sections of the board may have a preponderance of one type of terrain and/or high numbered terrain (3s & 4s) that force you to take a different route. Planning ahead will make a difference!

Extras

• The Heroes & Hexes expansion is excellent... highly recommended.
• The Golden Temples expansion is actually a stand-alone game that can be combined with the base game and Heroes & Hexes to make some truly crazy maps.
• There is an excellent set of maps available on BGG.
• This is the third of seven (7!) Reiner Knizia games on my top 100 list.
• Weirdly enough, I graduated from El Dorado High School.

#66: Thebes (Mark's Top 100 2024)

Thebes

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 663
• rating: 7.1
• published: 2007
• designer: Peter Prinz

Print Status

• in print

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

• The German video trailer for the game!

Manhandling the Word of Truth

To be accurate, the former president is not selling Bibles - he's simply licensing his name & image through the same company (CIC Ventures LLC) that licensed Trump Trading Cards & his Never Surrender High-Top Sneaker to a company selling a King James Version of the Bible with an American flag embossed on the cover and the texts of foundational U.S. government documents included.

Because nothing says "God so loved the world" (John 3:16) like branding Scripture with American symbols and documents. Note: "CIC Ventures, though, is a conduit to Trump — personally, if not politically. In his financial disclosure released last year, he’s identified as the company’s “manager, president, secretary and treasurer” and the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust is identified as a 100 percent owner of the business. The same entity also receives royalties from his book “A MAGA Journey” and speaking engagements. A person familiar with the agreement confirmed to the New York Times that Trump earns royalties from purchases." (Source: Washington Post)

----- I've written about politicians and accurately handling the word of truth before:

• former vice-president Mike Pence - ""So let’s run the race marked out for us. Let’s fix our eyes on Old Glory and all she represents."
• President Joe Biden - "The American military has been answering for a long time. “Here I am, Lord. Send me. Here I am, send me.”"
• Governor Ron DeSantis - "Put on the full armor of God. Stand firm against the left’s schemes. You will face flaming arrows, but if you have the shield of faith, you will overcome them, and in Florida we walk the line here."

Suffice it to say that I get the need to use rhetorical flourish and echo classic passages of literature to evoke emotion. But we as followers of Christ are called to "be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15, NASB). The things Mike Pence & Joe Biden & Ron DeSantis said was not accurately handling Scripture.

What the former President has done and is doing makes them look like amateurs at the abuse of God's Word.

-----

Mr. Trump has a spotted history when it comes to both hucksterism and the use/abuse of the Bible as a prop. He's managed to brand and/or sell almost anything that isn't nailed down - some highlights include Trump Steaks, Trump University, Trump Vodka, and Trump: The Game. If you want to see more, the Wikipedia article on the Trump Organization has a very long list.

As for his use of Scripture...

• 
  "Two Corinthians" (which he blamed Tony Perkins for... who in return noted that "It shows that he’s not familiar with Bible.")
• Signing Bibles... and other things (just read the article... which, even from Fox News, does manage to cover the outrage pretty well even as they indulge in a bit of whataboutism) 
• posing with a Bible (thanks to a suggestion from his daughter) in front of St. John's Church - minutes after protestors had been forcibly cleared from the street with tear gas and pepper balls
• And, yes, I'm aware that there is conflicting reports about the orders to clear Lafayette Square that night of protestors responding to the death of George Floyd... but it was still a photo op with a Bible as a prop.

This newest grift - endorsing Lee Greenwood's God Bless The USA Bible - is sadly par for the course.

-----

The reaction to the release of Trump's endorsement during Holy Week provoked a - shall we say? - strong reaction.

The former president once claimed that "Nobody has done more for Christianity or for evangelicals or for religion itself than I have..." - but if memes like the ones shared above are any indicator, the main thing he's accomplished is to drive people away from faith.

The frustration isn't simply limited to The Daily Show and meme-happy Facebook friends... it extends to devoted followers of Christ as well.

I found it equally sobering to think about what a grift like this does to further erode the moral sense of those who've chosen to follow the former president.

...Clips like the one above make a certain sort of shrewd strategic sense.

That seems counterintuitive since many Christians will recoil from it, and Trump can’t afford to alienate Christian voters seven months out from an election. But I suspect that any evangelical who’d hold a little light grifting involving the Holy Bible against him is already long gone, wandering in the Never Trump desert with the likes of David French and Russell Moore.

And Trump is fine with that. His first political priority, even above maximizing his chances of reelection, is purging the Republican Party of anyone who would question his right to rule. He doesn’t want independent-minded Christians in the GOP any more than he wants the traditional conservatives who preferred Nikki Haley in the primary. He’ll win without them—and if he can’t, he’ll at least have consolidated his power over one-half of America’s political establishment in the process.

In that context, whether by design or by happenstance, the “Trump Bible” operates as a sort of litmus test for evangelicals who have stuck with him this far through thick and thin. You won’t abandon me if I make a mockery of your faith, will you? No, of course you won’t.

I see it as an analog to the point he made in 2016 when he boasted that he could shoot someone without losing votes. The reaction of Republican primary voters to the four indictments filed against him last year essentially vindicated that boast; go figure that if they’re willing to indulge him in crimes, he might reasonably assume that they’re willing to indulge him in brazen sacrilege aimed at lining his pockets amid a cash crunch.

It’s a loyalty test, as practically everything in a cult of personality is. He’s testing their faith—in him, not in Christianity. And insofar as those two faiths conflict, he expects them to choose more wisely than the Frenches and Moores of the world have. Those who refuse will find the doorway to exile from the Republican Party that-a-way.

Hawking Bibles emblazoned with an American flag during an election season suggests he’s very confident about how they’ll choose.

I don’t blame him.
Nick Cattagio ("The True Faith" - sadly behind a paywall)

-----

Christians are under siege but must protect content that is pro-God. We love God, and we have to protect anything that is pro-God. We must defend God in the public square and not allow the media or the Left-wing groups to silence, censor, or discriminate against us.

(quote from the Trump endorsement of the God Bless The USA Bible)

I need to push back just a little bit against this... I am a Christian and I don't feel particularly "under siege". The same week this video was released (yes, Holy Week), I actually managed to share Scripture multiple times on Facebook. In an online group of friends (both Christian and non-Christian) counting down our favorite albums, I posted music videos from Common Hymnal, Steve Taylor, and Adam Again (all Christian artists) without nary a peep of protest. I drove without being stopped or hassled to church twice - once on Good Friday and again on Easter Sunday. In both of those services, the truth of Christ's crucifixion and resurrection were clearly taught and sung about. Here in my office where I'm typing this, I count eight Bibles and multiple commentaries in my line of vision.

I have not been silenced, censored, or discriminated against for my faith - well, except when the things I believed were true to Scripture and the character of Christ were attacked and undercut by [checks notes] other Christians.

-----

I wanted to come up with something wise and convicting to close this post with... I wanted to turn on my "pastor mojo" and finish with marching orders to my fellow followers of Christ.

But I'm tired. So tired of watching Biblical truth (and physical Bibles themselves) being used as props... by both political parties.

So, I once again leave you with this.

Pray always. Pray in the Spirit. Pray about everything in every way you know how! And keeping all this in mind, pray on behalf of God’s people. Keep on praying feverishly, and be on the lookout until evil has been stayed.

Ephesians 6:18 (VOICE)

#67: Eminent Domain (Mark's Top 100 2024)

Eminent Domain

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 812
• rating: 7.0
• published: 2011
• designer: Seth Jaffee

Print Status

• out of print - but not difficult to find a copy (see potential good news at the end of the post)

Why It's On The List

• Eminent Domain is tighter & quicker than another space-themed deck-builder/tableau-builder hybrid, Core Worlds (read: less sprawling) - and is easier to teach new players. Don't let that fool you, though - there's some nifty twists on classic mechanics from Race for the Galaxy and Dominion that add to an excellent game.

Tips & Tricks:

• My first experience with Eminent Domain was off-putting: late in a long gaming weekend with two people trying to teach me the rules at the same time. I'm glad I gave it another chance - it's a game that reveals new wrinkles each time you play.
• Learning when (and when not) to invest in technology is a key game skill - and one that took me a few plays to learn.
• I think the Escalation expansion is splendid - though not for first time players. Especially nice are the scenarios, which give each player a different starting hand along with some technological advances.
• While I think the game probably shines best with 3 players, my oldest son and I have played a lot of 2 player games and enjoyed them immensely.

Extras

• Sadly, this is really the only thing I've written about Eminent Domain.
• I did write a preview of Eminent Domain: Microcosm - a fantastic 2 player microgame in the same universe.
• I also had the privilege of playtesting the Exotica expansion for Eminent Domain... which is very cool.
• And for die hards, the Oblivion expansion adds an interesting political system.
• Good news... it looks like Rio Grande Games will be re-publishing Eminent Domain!

#68: Voidfall (Mark's Top 100 2024)

Voidfall

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 231
• rating: 8.6
• published: 2023
• designer: Nigel Buckle & Dávid Turczi

Print Status

• in print

Why It's On The List

• Normally, I’d balk at a game with a non-random combat system and heavy intertwined mechanisms – but the theme of defeating the Voidborn is so tightly woven into the design & flow of the game that I find myself lost in the world and the puzzle of trying to expand my civilization’s capabilities whilst fending off the encroachment of mind-altering evil. 

Tips & Tricks:

• You have to know two things about this game going in: first, there's a LOT going on and it's going to be overwhelming. Second, for as heavy as it is, it's not a tremendously long game - 2 hours as a solo game and 3 hours or so as a two player competitive game.
• I don't care if you're the savviest gamer in town, you should NOT skip playing the tutorial. It's an actual game with an excellent guardrail system that gives you a pretty full tour of the complex game system without sending you down a railroaded pathway.
• It takes a bit to get used to the combat system. Remember: the "battles" in this game are multi-year wars, not a single battle. (It's a highly abstracted and non-random system... but it works well in the context of the game.)
• All but one of my plays of Voidfall have been solo - and that system (which is similar to the cooperative system) works like a charm.

Extras

• The copy pictured is the Galactic edition - which has cool miniatures and lots of other bling. The underlying game engine is strong enough not to need the bells & whistles.
• Along with a team of fellow writers at the Opinionated Gamers site, I hosted an extended conversation about Voidfall.
• This is the first of four games on this countdown with design work from Dávid Turczi and the first of two games from Nigel Buckle.

#69: Great Western Trail: New Zealand (Mark's Top 100 2024)

Great Western Trail: New Zealand

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 264
• rating: 8.7
• published: 2023
• designer: Alexander Pfister

Print Status

• in print

Why It's On The List

• This third iteration of the Great Western Trail engine has the right combination of elements to appeal to me - a bit more money in the game that opens up new strategies, two different ways to use sheep (selling & shearing), and an "expansion" board that makes more sense than Rails to the North (from the original game).

Tips & Tricks:

• The solo automata is brilliantly designed and offers a competitive game and a relatively low level of player upkeep/overhead for this heavy a game.
• There is not a single correct strategy - so much is dependent on what is happening in the game state and you need to constantly adjust your expectations while still planning for future turns.
• I avoided playing the original Great Western Trail for a long time – even though I really enjoyed some of Pfister’s designs. My first play was very good – but I just didn’t see who I could get to play it with me. The new versions being released piqued my interest – but not enough to pull the trigger until GWT: New Zealand… and boy howdy, I’m glad it did. There are a number of changes to the base game – though the basics are still the same. It’s as if they took GWT and the Rails to the North expansion, smushed them together, added some clever twists to “loosen” the game up a bit, and then did a better job with the graphics than the previous versions.

Extras

• I have only played this solo - but a number of times. I'd like to play it multiplayer but it does have a bit of a rules overhead that makes getting it to the table trickier.
• This is the third of three games designed by Alexander Pfister on this countdown.

#70: Viva Pamplona! (Mark's Top 100 2024)

Viva Pamplona

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 6,676
• rating: 6.3
• published: 1992
• designer: Wolfgang Kramer

Print Status

• very OOP

Why It's On The List

• It's a great theme (the running of the bulls) with great art and even better game play... you must have courage to win - and the willingness to shove your opposition to the ground.

Tips & Tricks:

• The tempo of the game can vary wildly - depending on how the Toro cards appear. That's not a bug... it's a feature - part of what makes the game so charming..

Extras

• I was pleasantly surprised how well this game works with 3-4 players... of course, it's a "more the merrier" game that is an absolute joy with the full complement of six people around the table.
• This is from the same gaming design family as Viva Topo and Midnight Party. (It's a family I'm fond of...)
• I've often wondered about how you can lose courage points when someone else shoves you (and worse yet, they get them!), but it's still fun.
• This is the second of five (5!) games designed by Wolfgang Kramer on this countdown.

#71: Innovation (Mark's Top 100 2024)

Innovation

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 376
• rating: 7.3
• published: 2010
• designer: Carl Chudyk

Print Status

• in print

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.)
• I've been able to play the newer expansions finally (Artifacts & Cities)... and while they're great for completionists, I don't personally need to upgrade to own them.
• If you're new to the game, however, the Innovation Ultimate box is currently in production with late pledges (it was crowdfunded) likely to open in the near future.
• 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".

#72: Port Royal

Port Royal

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 557
• rating: 7.1
• published: 2014
• designer: Alexander Pfister

Print Status

• in print

Why It's On The List

• A tableau-building push-your-luck game with some "you scratch my back, I'll scratch your back" added in to increase the fun... and the current version available in the U.S. has all the expansions along with the base game in a single box.

Tips & Tricks:

• You need to properly assess what your opponents are getting from the number of cards you flip (or don't flip) on your turn. Alternately, you can vocalize what you see happening to warn less savvy players. 
• Buying something just because you can afford it is not always a good idea... patience is a virtue and no gamer hath enough of it.

Extras

• This is the second of three designs by Alexander Pfister on my top 100 list.

#73: Ghost Fightin' Treasure Hunters (Mark's Top 100 2024)

Ghost Fightin' Treasure Hunters

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 1,112
• rating: 7.1
• published: 2013
• designer: Brian Yu

Print Status

• out of print

Why It's On The List

• A cooperative game that's simple enough to play with elementary age kids... and (with the additional cards added in) difficult enough to challenge gamers.

Tips & Tricks:

• Getting the jewels out is how you win. Failing to contain the ghosts and haunts is how you lose. You have to think "clean up" as much as "run for the door".
• Try not to get stuck landing in the hallways - no chances to shoo away ghosts plus you could be blocking the pathway for someone else.

Extras

• I have the Expansion Pack... which is difficult enough. I haven't yet had the chance to play the Creepy Cellar expansion (and the going aftermarket OOP price is likely to keep it that way.)

#74: Schnäppchen Jagd (Mark's Top 100 2024)

Schnäppchen Jagd (Bargain Hunter)

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 3,518
• rating: 6.7
• published: 1998
• designer: Uwe Rosenberg

Print Status

• out of print but relatively easy to find

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 just 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!"

#75: Ra (Mark's Top 100 2024)

Ra

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 136
• rating: 7.6
• published: 1999
• designer: Reiner Knizia

Print Status

• in print

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.
• I finally had the opportunity to play with the new DELUXE edition (wooden big tiles, fancy bag, etc.)... it was very cool but I'm ok with my old skool original edition. (The best thing about the new set is the player boards.)
• This is the second of seven (7!) Reiner Knizia designs on the list.

#76: Mountain Goats (Mark's Top 100 2024)

Mountain Goats

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 1,722
• rating: 6.9
• published: 2010
• designer: Stefan Risthaus

Print Status

• in print

Why It's On The List

• An attractive remake of the very abstract dice game Level X... but don't let the abstractness fool you. It's highly entertaining with some tricky decisions on when to spread yourself thin and when to focus intensely on a single mountain goat.

Tips & Tricks:

• Setting yourself up to take over a mountain when no one else is close is really nice - particularly if you can hoard all of a particular number chip and keep folks from claiming the "one of everything" bonuses.
• If you have alternatives, it can be worth it to let another player "win" the mountain so you can butt them off. (That's the way mountain goats roll, right?)

Extras

• Not a lot to say here... but it is a part of a series of games being reprinted by Allplay. (The UI here is much better than their GPS reprint of Finito!.)

#77: A Brief History of the World (Mark's Top 100 2024)

A Brief History of the World

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 3,240
• rating: 6.9
• published: 2009
• designers: Gary Dicken, Steve Kendall, and Phil Kendall

Print Status

• out of print

Why It's On The List

• It's all about the epic sweep of history - and this particular version of a game system originally published in 1991(!) is the best yet. It's tighter, smarter, and faster than any previous edition - playing time is about 3 hours for six players to experience this dudes/empires on a map masterpiece.

Tips & Tricks:

• I first played the Ragnor Brothers' History of the World in the mid-90s. The experience was a disaster - six new players coupled with the overly wargamer-tinged rules of the original Avalon Hill publication of the game meant it took us nearly four hours to complete two of the seven epochs... and then we abandoned the game.
• It was nearly six years later when I received an early prize table pick at a gaming convention and thanks evidently to a whiff of the massive amounts of plastic figures in the box decided to pick up the Hasbro/Avalon Hill edition as my first pick. The game was substantially better than I had remembered - esp. with the revisions that had been made to streamline the design. It became one of those "once a year" games (because of the length... 4-6 hours) though I wanted to play more often.
• Fast forward to late 2009 as the Ragnor Brothers announced that they had - nearly 20 years after the first edition was published - once again made some major revisions to their signature game. The early press was positive enough for me to plunk down some hard-earned cash on it - seeing as how I hadn't played my beloved H/AH copy of HOTW in nearly 3 years.
• I didn't waste a penny... though I miss the 7 different plastic minis (one type for each epoch) and the shiny capitol/city markers, everything else I love about the game system is still there - and less. It's shorter, leaner & tighter (our six player game this year took 3 1/2 hours with 2 new players)... and there's actually more room in the game for tactical & strategic decision-making while reducing the number of armies on the board. The refining of the empire deck (giving more thematically specific powers to some of the empires) and the costing of the event deck (many events now come with some kind of VP cost to activate) make for an even better game.
• This is more of an experience game than a strategy game - but given the choice, you want to score when you have lots of pieces on the board (follow a late empire pick with an early empire pick) and deny the same opportunities to your opponents.

Extras

• I've quoted above pretty much the only thing I've written about A Brief History of the World.
• Here's the two (admittedly short) blurbs from The One Hundred: the group blurb & my personal blurb.
• I have not played the most recent published version of History of the World... but I'd certainly like to try.

#78: Im Reich der Wüstensöhne (Mark's Top 100 2024)

Im Reich der Wüstensöhne

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 6,630
• rating: 6.5
• published: 2008
• designer: Klaus Teuber

Print Status

• very out of print

Why It's On The List

• As much as I love Entdecker (the parent game to the Im Reich series), I love this gamer-friendly take on desert nomads & the struggle for water & goods even more.

Tips & Tricks:

• The name literally means "in the realm of the desert sons". And while the game rules are in German, almost all of the actual components are language-neutral.
• This is designed by Klaus Teuber - the same guy who gave us Catan.
• There is one other game in this series: "In the Realm of the Jade Goddess" - which is a little more of a family game. There was supposed to be a third game - "In the Realm of the Demons" - but it was never published. (This continues to make me sad in my heart.)
• Water is your friend - do not (if you can help it) run out of water.
• Camels are also your friend - you'll need some in order to win the game.
• An important rule change was made AFTER publication - in order to complete an oasis on the edge of the board, the outer edge of the piece must be desert. Makes the game trickier - and better.

Extras

• I need to actually write a review of this game... which is probably not going to happen any time soon. 
• I also need to bug my friend (who shall remain nameless) with a connection to Herr Teuber to see if 
• a. this can be reprinted
• b. In the Realm of the Demons could be released into the wild!
• Just a thought: a Kickstarter "big box" with all three games in one box. :-)
• This is the third of five (5!) Klaus Teuber designs in my top 100 games.

#79: Dice Realms (Mark's Top 100 2024)

Dice Realms

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 2,635
• rating: 7.2
• published: 2022
• designer: Tom Lehmann

Print Status

• in print

Why It's On The List

• The best of the customizable dice games out there... and it moves along at a furious pace as you develop your little medieval realm.

Tips & Tricks:

• Much like Dominion, being able to look at the collection of special powers/die faces available in the game and make a coherent plan for development is a key to victory.
• When there are "attack" die faces in play, you want to make sure you have some defensive capabilities... as the combination of attacks + winter can put you into a death spiral (and hasten the end of the game).

Extras

• There is an expansion on the way (Trade) which I not had the opportunity to see.
• Tom (the designer) published solo & cooperative rules for Dice Realms... they are worth checking out.
• This is the third of seven (7!) games designed by Tom Lehmann on the countdown. 

#80: The Taverns of Tiefenthal (Mark's Top 100 2024)

The Taverns of Tiefenthal

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 236
• rating: 7.6
• published: 2019
• designer: Wolfgang Warsch

Print Status

• in print

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 (Open Doors) that adds some neat extra twists to the game... but I still haven't got to play through all of the modules. (Sigh.)
• 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.)

#81: Wildlands (Mark's Top 100 2024)

Wildlands

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 1,039
• rating: 7.3
• published: 2018
• designer: Martin Wallace

Print Status

• in print?

Why It's On The List

• While I'm not a fan of Martin Wallace's "classic" games (Age of Steam, Brass, etc.), I think that this card-based skirmish game is brilliant. It plays quickly, each faction has it's own flavor, and the plethora of expansions and maps available give the game system great variety. (And the miniatures are excellent.)

Tips & Tricks:

• There are two tricky concepts when introducing the game to new players - first, the pictures on the cards are not "who can use this card". (That is indicated by the flags on the edge of the card.)
• Second, the wise use of the Interrupt actions can often be the difference between winning and losing... but it's really tempting to use the wild movement or draw 2 capabilities of those cards.
• While some teams thrive on being in a tight group (or at least in LOS of each other), it's often smart to spread out your team to find your shards.
• The balance of victory conditions (you get 1 point for each opponent figure eliminated and 1 point for each shard recovered - first to 5 points wins) means that some teams will focus on getting rid of opponents, some will race to harvest their shards, and still others will aim for a balance of objectives.

Extras

• I own all of the expansions - and while I think they all have things to recommend them, my favorites are the second map pack (The Fall of the Dark House) and the incredible big box (The Ancients).
• Speaking of The Ancients, it not only adds a couple of great maps, a team play mode, and a new faction of high-powered Ancients... it also adds an excellent solo mode as you face off against those Ancients. 
• Well, not ALL of the expansions - I'd still love to get my hands on the promo expansions (The Hagmoles and The Thorns & The Roses). 

#82: Nexus Ops (Mark's Top 100 2024)

Nexus Ops

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 618
• rating: 7.2
• published: 2005
• designers: Charlie Catino & Steven Kimball

Print Status

• out of print (but not for long!)

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.
• There's a new edition with new art coming from Renegade Games Studios this summer... with a molded plastic Monolith (and some of the rules variants from the FFG edition).

#83: Battle Beyond Space (Mark's Top 100 2024)

Battle Beyond Space

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 8,286
• rating: 6.3
• published: 2012
• designer: Frank Branham

Print Status

• in print

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...