Everything including the kitchen sink... but with special attention paid to board games, Jesus Christ, my family, being a "professional" (and I use that word loosely) Christian, and the random firing of the 10% of the synapses I'm currently using.
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I had the privilege of Tom Lehmann (the designer) showing me the unpublished expansion for To Court the King some years back...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 third of five (5!) Lehmann designs on my list.
It doesn't so much simulate soccer (like Pursue the Pennant attempts to simulate baseball)... instead, it uses a backgammon-ish mechanic to simulate the feel of a soccer game - and does so brilliantly.
Tips & Tricks:
Like playing backgammon, winning at StreetSoccer is as much about the position you leave yourself in as well as pushing hard to score...
And like backgammon, what appears initially to be a random dice game actually reveals itself to be a very tactical game of risk & probability.
Extras
There are three different online PBEM versions of StreetSoccer... the one I used to play on (a lot!) was Little Golem.
I'm hopeful that Portal Games' upcoming Eleven will fill in the management side of soccer in my collection. (Yes, I backed it.)
This is my favorite of the Mystery Rummy series... mostly because it feels a bit like Canasta (possibly my favorite standard deck card game) in how difficult it is to hide key cards from your opponent(s).
Tips & Tricks:
In my opinion, this is the easiest of the Mystery Rummy games to teach to non-gamers.
While MR: Al Capone is a great 2-handed game and a wonderful partnership game, it drags on way too long with three players.
Don't give up... it is possible to fight your back into the game, even after a bad hand. (Just one of the reasons I love this game.)
Extras
Wyatt Earp is a cousin to this series of games & is very enjoyable as well.
Here's how I rank the Mystery Rummy games currently...
For a game of space conquest (complete with a tech tree), it zips along at a blistering pace. Turns are short, decisions are tricky, scores are close, and there are multiple ways to victory. Plus, you get to flick stuff!
Tips & Tricks:
As much as I love flicking games (Catacombs, Carabande, etc.), the flicking here is not the whole game - it's just a part of a much larger space-empire building game.
The game scales really well from 2-4 players - which is odd, considering it has a four-quadrant map.
There are even some official variants for the game posted on the Geek... both of which are quite good.
Combat is NOT the most important thing in the game. While you can't ignore it, it won't win you the game by itself.
Extras
My Opinionated Gamers review of Ascending Empires... with lots more information and my thoughts on all the whining about the puzzle-cut boards.
It takes the classic game (Monopoly) and makes it extremely gamer-friendly by adding Cosmic Encounter-ish roles, a variety of choices for building, and a great victory point system that lets you stop the game at any point and declare a legitimate winner.
Tips & Tricks:
Basic Monopoly strategy still works with Tropical Tycoon... but there are major new considerations when you are building on monopolies. You can build for cash or for points... or for some balance point in between.
The more people playing, the more careful you have to be about how you make trades. Some of the cheaper properties can be converted into pretty powerful income streams if you plan correctly.
Extras
The only problem I can see with the game is the need for a DVD player - all of the card draws/random events are keyed off of the DVD. That said, it works really well without being overly intrusive. (Yes, the "funny" stuff gets old the 2nd or 3rd time you hear it - but it still works.)
Take the part I like best about Kingdomino (the drafting system), use it to drive a tile placement game with thematic scoring (like Carcassonne but without the arguments about which set of farm rules we’ll be using), and provided the proper components (big cloth bag, easy to read tiles, clever use of cards to add variety) to make a really enjoyable game experience.
Tips & Tricks:
The scoring has a number of elements... however, they all make sense AND the scoring track includes a reminder of all the rules in play.
Start with the Family game... the Advanced Game has some risk/reward elements that won't be clear until you've got a couple of games under your belt.
Extras
The new mini-expansion (Putt of No Return) does things: it adds interesting new course tiles and investors, it provides two-layer par boards (a welcome addition), and it fixes my main complaint about the original game with new and better art for all the cards.
I find the solo mode an engaging puzzle with a nice push-your-luck element... which makes it the ninth game of eighteen on the countdown that I recommend for solo play.
This is possibly the best licensed game out there - certainly the one with the best combination of "toy factor" and "solid gameplay"... and it's based on the weakest film in the Star Wars franchise. It manages to capture the best parts of a bad film and make a splendid game.
Tips & Tricks:
The Trade Federation is slightly easier to play... but with two experienced players, the game is pretty well balanced.
If you're playing the Naboo side, you MUST use every Anakin card possible to push the timer. (This is really the only "can't miss" bit of strategic advice I can give you.)
Extras
This is not the only good Star Wars game (I also like Outer Rim & X-Wing Miniatures) but it's certainly the best. (Note: I have not yet played Imperial Assault or Armada or Legion...)
Here's what I wrote about The Queen's Gambit for The One Hundred
This is the third of eight games co-designed by Rob Daviau on this countdown... and the first of two co-designed by Craig Van Ness. (Please note: Rob heaps praise on Craig for doing the lion's share of the work on Queen's Gambit.)
Flip your standard adventurers v. monsters around and put players in the role of harried dungeon masters trying to fend off sticky-fingered heroes. Add loads of RPG and WoW-related humor... and tie it together with an almost perfect melding of mechanic and theme.
Tips & Tricks:
My original impression of Dungeon Lords is that it only worked with a full complement of four players. I'm happy to say that I was wrong. My oldest son and I really enjoy playing two player - there are some interesting decisions in choosing actions for the non-player dungeon lords.
The Festival Season expansion makes the game a little longer & adds some more wrinkles... but they're really good wrinkles and worth the time if you like the game system.
You MUST pay attention to what other players can and cannot choose as actions to avoid losing an action.
CGE published a blinged-out version of the game (Happy Anniversary) - I spent too much money getting the pieces to upgrade my set, but it's just so darn cool.
Final warning: a 4 player game with the expansion fills up a dining room table - but it looks good doing it.
Extras
I'm really proud of my review of the Festival Season expansion... I think I managed to capture the humorous tone that adds so much to this game system.
This is the second of two games on my list designed by Vlaada Chvatil.
A fast-moving game of space conquest with built-in variety and room for great tactical play. And I love the cover art.
Tips & Tricks:
Thanks to the modular board format, the game works like a charm with 2, 3 or 4 players.
The combat system is pro-attacking... wise players will take advantage of this to slow down opponents, even if it doesn't directly benefit your plans for placing quantum cubes.
Learning how to use the "free" ship powers is the key to playing well. They are easy to overlook in your first play.
The technology cards may seem out of balance at first - but each card can be very helpful when paired with the right strategic and tactical play. I'm constantly finding new ways to combine card powers and ship powers.
When I say "fast", I'm not kidding. A long game of Quantum lasts an hour.
Extras
I haven't written much about Quantum - which is really too bad. It's a great, great game.
The Void expansion - which was available through the BGG shop - is a nifty addition to the game.
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 variety 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. (Yes, it's the eighth of 18 game that come recommended for solo play on this countdown.)
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
Yes, I know... it's another space empire-building deck-builder (right after I put Core Worlds at #43). Eminent Domain is tighter & quicker than 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's possible that a Big Box version of Eminent Domain (from a new publisher) is on the way.
The lightest of the Race for the Galaxy family games is not just a sci-fi retread of Tom Lehmann's The City... it's an interesting blend of the two systems to make for a very quick and highly enjoyable tableau building card game.
Tips &Tricks:
Chances are excellent that someone who hasn't played much will tell that a certain building strategy is "broken" and "always wins". See my personal information below for why I raise a Spock-ish eyebrow to that claim.
You only have 6-8 rounds before the game is over... so exploring (drawing extra cards instead of building) is a serious decision. Doing it twice is just a nice way to say "let's play again after you beat me."
Extras
I have played Jump Drive 93 times and The City 108 times.
I wrote a review of Jump Drive for the Opinionated Gamers website. (I will note that I am now incorrect in that review - the newest edition of The City makes it much easier to teach - it's in English - and score - it has point chips just like Jump Drive.)
This is the second of five (5!) Tom Lehman designs on the countdown... and the second of three Race for the Galaxy-themed games.
Another flip'n'write with a simple way to vary up starting positions on identical maps... and a lovely edge of push-your-luck as you try to build a meaningful trail network across the island.
Tips &Tricks:
Collecting multiple sites of the same type (by connecting them to villages) both builds points and eventually lets you create extra 'wild' trails... I don't think you have to complete all of them, but neglecting them doesn't seem like a viable strategy.
The reward cards for being the first to connect villages is often the difference between winning and losing among skilled players.
Extras
There is a (sadly difficult to get here in the U.S.) expansion (Ferries) that adds two new maps with some new elements... and an extra pad of the basic maps.
I'd also highly recommend another roll'n'write by the same design - Riverside.
The solo mode is a great 15 minute puzzle. It's the ninth of 18 solo-recommended games on the countdown.
It's the old "Choose Your Own Adventure" books in board game form... and, with the right players, a completely engrossing & enjoyable two hour "experience game" romp.
Tips & Tricks:
Play with 3 players - that way every one gets something to do on each turn & stays involved.
You can make the game shorter by using a smaller victory point total... but then you miss some of the fun of the sprawling nonsense of chasing your goals.
I can't emphasize enough how much you need the right players to make this game work... when you have that (I'm looking at you, Jeff Myers & Richard LeQueiu), the experience is sublime. And hysterical.
I've said this before about other games - and it goes double here: this is an EXPERIENCE game. If you're looking for something heavy or thoughtful, you have come to the wrong place.
Extras
Here's what I wrote about Tales of the Arabian Nights for my 2010 Top 100.
The version pictured is the most recent - which has the most extensive Book of Tales and a lovely graphic design by Universal Head.
I wouldn't go as far to say that New Frontiers has fired the classic Puerto Rico for me... but it covers a lot of the same ground with better graphics and a more compelling theme.
Tips & Tricks:
New Frontiers does not seem to have the same "newbie automatically assists player to their left" problem as Puerto Rico... but players still need to pay careful attention to the downstream effects of their action choices.
Don't put all your point-scoring eggs in one basket - especially when it comes to the 9 cost technologies. I have been known to buy a 9 cost tech that was only marginal for me in order to keep it out of the hands of someone who could really benefit from it.
I personally like the goals (which is also true for with both the original card game and Roll for the Galaxy)... but not everyone is fond of them.
Extras
The Starry Rift expansion is supposed to be coming at some point... I'm looking forward to it! It will add 16 home worlds, 10 developments, 13 worlds, and 8 goals - and Xeno worlds will add a risk/reward element to military conquest.
This is the first of five (5!) Tom Lehmann games that will appear on my top 100 list this time around... and the first of three Race for the Galaxy universe games. Sue me.
A slightly more gamer-y 7 Wonders-ish card drafting game of civilization building... but that description sounds like damning with faint praise. The major difference is that you’re drafting a set of cards that you then use as resources (discarding them) or construction (building them) - the interplay can be fascinating and fast-moving... with the right players.
Tips &Tricks:
Creating production is key to winning... but you can make a huge production engine that doesn't generate a lot of points if you're not careful.
Learn when to give up on a card - preferably before you've invested too much in it.
Easy to forget rule: when you discard a card in your construction area, the resource pictured on the card goes to your civilization card - it's not used on another card in the construction area.
The main expansion offers some really interesting cards to mess with producing and scoring... and does so without doing any damage to the base game system.
Warning: a single AP player can slow this game to a crawl.
I also reviewed the newest game in the Wonderful universe, a 1-2 player stand-alone named It's A Wonderful Kingdom. (Second warning: this review contains a lot of Princess Bride references.)
The solo mode is very good - especially when you use the scenarios. It's the eighth of 18 solo-recommended games on the countdown.
This 3D re-implementation of Matt Leacock's classic Roll Through The Ages did not impress me on my first play... but subsequent plays changed my mind. It's not the same game with cuter bits - it is a different (and more confrontational) game with limited amounts of certain buildings and the ability to bleed your opponents if you choose to pursue that route.
Tips &Tricks:
Important safety tip: don't forget the final phase of each turn, which is Extort. Simply using all your resources won't prevent pain (you gain disaster points instead).
Corollary to the safety tip: in a 3 or 4 player game, you could potentially get hit multiple times in the Extort phase. Plan accordingly.
You can't do everything - but you should at least build a walled area and put some valuable buildings in it (since they are doubled in a completed walled area).
Extras
I consider the Rivers & Roads expansion essential - not only does it add some very interesting new buildings and the titular rivers & roads, it also adds cards for the middle of the table that are much easier to see and understand about the cost & power of each building.
I also own all of the Collector Set expansions... which add a variety of tricky twists to the system. They're not cheap (I used leftover Christmas money to buy them) but if you're enjoying the game system, they're pretty nifty.
The solo mode works well... and building a little working medieval city is very satisfying. It's the seventh of 18 solo-recommended games on the countdown.
This is the first of two Matt Leacock games on my top 100 countdown.
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!
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.
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!
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.
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.
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".
follower of Jesus, husband, father, "pastor", boardgamer, writer, Legomaniac, Disneyphile, voted most likely to have the same Christmas wish list at age 58 as he did at age 8
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