#56: Undaunted: Normandy/North Africa/2200: Callisto (Mark's Top 100 - 2026)

Undaunted: Normandy/North Africa/2200: Callisto

BoardGameGeek and BoardGameGeek and BoardGameGeek

• rank: 181 & 568 & 2,655
• rating: 7.8 & 7.8 & 7.7
• published: 2019 & 2020 & 2024
• designers: Trevor Benjamin & David Thompson (solo system design by David Digby & Dávid Turczi)

Print Status

• in print

Why It's On The List

• Take the basic deck-building combat design of War Chest and ground it in the theme and combat tactics of WW2... for this old AH/SPI wargamer, it's the best of both worlds. It feels like the best games of Squad Leader without the long playing time or the rules headaches.
• 2200: Callisto takes the battles into space as beleaguered miners face off against an evil corporation.

Tips & Tricks:

• It has all the feels of a classic wargame - with the deck-building system that adds fog of war and command & control issues with extremely low fiddliness.
• So far, scenarios in all three boxes are well-balanced... even those with asymmetric objectives. (Note: I've played completely through Normandy and Callisto and about halfway through North Africa.)
• Like any squad-level combat game, cover is important.
• Lessons learned in the Command & Colors games work here as well - try not to strand units in indefensible positions.
• Both 1940s boxes reflect a solid understanding of the different kinds of WW2 tactical warfare they work to portray - impressive.

Extras

• The Reinforcements box not only adds new units and scenarios for both of the original boxes - it also adds a complete storage system for both games... and, more importantly for my purposes, a sophisticated solo system that is challenging and makes pretty solid tactical decisions.
• Callisto not only makes the sci-fi setting work (including adding mech units to the battles)... it also uses multiple pre-built mapboards which makes set-up much quicker. (It also has a solo mode in the box.)
• I decided to lump these three games together as their systems are very similar - even though each one can stand as a game on its own.
• I'm hoping to finally play Undaunted: Stalingrad later this year - I've got the game & the possible opponent... we just need to carve a very long weekend to take on the campaign!
• This is the second of two David Thompson designs on my list... and the first of four Dávid Turczi designs.

Top 100 Songs: #10-#1

I've finally reached the top ten songs... and interestingly enough, two songs feature Steve Taylor on lead vocals and two songs written by The Call appear. Not to mention the fourth song on the countdown from a single album ends up at number one.

• #10: Violent Blue (Chagall Guevara - 1991)
• I've loved this song from the minute it started playing on the cassette player in my car that first time… but it's taken on a particular resonance in the last decade or so with so many folks I know who pushed down their long-held beliefs and principles in the name of dominion and power.
• Am I boring you? / I could say more / We were headed for somewhere, but that was before / You traded in your peace sign / For a finger
• #9: Let the Day Begin (The Call - 1989)
• This is one of two songs from The Call in my top ten. This is the one that gets me rolling on those tough days when motivation escapes me.
• #8: A Song About Baseball (Bob Bennett - 1982)
• As a kid who was an awful baseball player with a loving dad, I took this song as nearly autobiographical for years. Then, one day, I realized it was about the love of God... and that my dad had done an amazing job of modeling that for me.
• Baseball caps and bubble gum / "I think there’s a hole in my glove" / Three-and-two, life and death / I was swinging with eyes closed / Holding my breath / I was dying on my way to the bench / But none of it mattered after the game / When my father would find me / And call out my name/ A soft drink, a snow cone, a candy bar / A limousine ride in the family car / He loved me no matter how I played / He loved me no matter how I played
• #7: If I Stand (Rich Mullins - 1988)
• Winds of Heaven, Stuff of Earth was the last album on Rich's initial record contract - and since the first two albums had not blown the doors off, Rich and his producer (Reed Arvin) were pretty sure this was gonna be the end. So, they decided to make the album they wanted to make... covering Dougie Maclean's "Ready for the Storm", for example. But there was a praise song ("Awesome God") on the album that got HUGE radio play and changed the trajectory of Rich's career. But it is the same song - this song! - that grabbed Andrew Peterson (see #13 on my list) and stands out to me as Rich's best work.
• So if I stand, let me stand on the promise / That You will pull me through / And if I can't, let me fall on the grace / That first brought me to You / And if I sing, let me sing for the joy / That has borne in me these songs / And if I weep, let it be as a man / Who is longing for his home
• #6: Carry On Wayward Son (Kansas - 1976)
• This song is how I became aware of Kansas back in the day… and it still holds up. (I've continued to follow the career of Kerry Livgren - he's put out some amazing albums with his band AD.)
• #5: Lust, The Flesh, The Eyes and the Pride of Life (The 77s - 1990)
• Taken from 1 John 2:16, Mike Roe and the band created an unbelievably honest look inside their hearts... and ours.
• Well, I see something, and I want it, bam / Right now / No questions asked / Don't worry how much it costs me now or later / I want it, want it, baby, and I want it fast / I'll go to any length, sacrifice all that I already have and all that I might get / Just to get something more that I don't need and Lord / Please don't ask me what for / The lust, the flesh, the eyes, and the pride of life / Drain the life right out of me
• #4: Man of No Reputation (Rick Elias - 1994)
• So, lots of online sources credit "Man of No Reputation" as a Rich Mullins song - probably because it appears on The Jesus Record which was released by the Ragamuffin Band after Rich's death. But it's not Rich's song - it was written by Rick Elias, who performed it on this record... and in MANY concert appearances with Rich & the Ragamuffin Band. Rich loved the song and would insist that Rick sing it.
• He was a Man of no reputation / And by the wise considered a fool / When He spoke about faith and forgiveness / In a time when the strongest arms ruled / But this Man of no reputation / Loves us all with relentless affection / And He loves all those poor in spirit / Come as you are / To the Man of no reputation
• #3: I Still Believe (Russ Taff - 1986)
• This classic 80s rocker by The Call (covered by Russ Taff) has been my personal anthem as I've faced church conflict and struggles over the last 30+ years. Hearing Russ sing it again a few weeks ago with tears running down his face was a gift - I too still believe.
• But I still believe, I still believe / Through the shame and through the grief / Through the heartache, through the tears / Through the waiting, through the years / For people like us in places like this / We need all the hope that we can get / Oh, I still believe!
• #2: The Finish Line (Steve Taylor - 1993)
• Some songs just feel like the artist has been following you around and wrote your life story. For me, this is that song.
• And I saw you licking your wounds / And I saw you weave your cocoons / And I saw you changing your tunes for the party line / And I saw you welsh on old debts / I saw you and your comrades bum cigarettes / And you hemmed and you hawed / And you hedged all your bets / Waiting for a sign / Let's wash our hands as we throw little fits / Let's all wash our hands as we curse hypocrites / We're locked in the washroom turning old tricks / Deaf / And joyless / And full of it
• #1: You Belong With Me (Tonio K - 1986)
• Though the album came out in 1986, Tonio K's masterpiece of a love song ended up on a mixtape I created for my soon-to-be wife in 1989. It's still "our song". (Bonus factoid: Maria McKee of Lone Justice is singing the backing vocals here.)
• Now I can tell / You're so afraid / You've been lied to and taken for granted / And treated like some kind of slave / I'm not after your freedom, I'm after your heart / And I know it's gonna happen / And I knew it right from the start

#57: Web of Power (Mark's Top 100 - 2026)

Web of Power 

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 1,156
• rating: 7.3
• published: 2000
• designer: Michael Schacht

Print Status

• the original game is out of print... it was re-published as Iwari in 2020 but that seems to be OOP as well

Why It's On The List

• An extraordinarily simple game of brinksmanship as various monastic orders struggle to influence medieval Europe. Quite possibly one of the best three player games ever designed.

Tips & Tricks:

• Make plays that enable you to put pairs into your hand - since they act as wild cards.
• Tricky scoring tip #1: advisors only help if you win/tie on both sides of the connection. Don't get in a war you can't win - you're only helping the other guy.
• Tricky scoring tip #2: don't take all but one building site in a country - you leave a spot open for one player to collect a lot of points w/a single play. You only need a majority in a country to garner all of the points.
• There are a couple of expansions - both are print & play: The Vatican (which is ok) and Kardinal & Konig: Das Duell (which does a great job of making Web of Power work as a 2 player game).

Extras

• One complaint: a direct translation of the German name (Kardinal & Konig) would have been much better name than Web of Power... it would have been "Cardinals & Kings".
• Web of Power was reprinted as China - with some board & rules changes. I like the original better. (I have not played another reprint - Han - nor the aforementioned most recent version, Iwari.)
• Sadly, Michael Schacht's site for playing Web of Power/China online is now defunct - but you can still play Iwari on BoardGameArena.
• Here's what I wrote about Web of Power for The One Hundred: personal & "official".
• This is the first of two Michael Schlacht games on my list.

#58: Clash of the Gladiators (Mark's Top 100 - 2026)

Clash of the Gladiators

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 8,561
• rating: 5.9
• published: 2002
• designer: Reiner Knizia

Print Status

• out of print

Why It's On The List

• Knizia at his dice-y best... it's an excuse to make gladiator movie jokes & beat on your friends for fun & profit.

Tips & Tricks:

• It's OK to make a crazed run at a dangerous animal on your turn - esp. if you're down to your last 1-2 gladiators in a group. If you win, you get the big "kill". If you lose, the points don't go to another player.
• You don't need to have a bunch of spears or tridents, just more than the other player. Don't get obsessed with them.
• Shields are good... there are only 8 in the game. You should draft shield-bearers first.

Extras

• There are people who've run computer simulations to figure out the best possible teams for the game - ignore those people. They suck the fun out of everything.
• Here's what I wrote about CotG for my 2010 Top 100 list.
• This is the fourth of five (5!) games designed by Dr. Knizia on my top 100 list for 2026... and the second one in a row in front of Keltis: Der Weg der Steine.

#59: Keltis: Der Weg der Steine Mitbringspiel (Mark's Top 100 - 2026)

Keltis: Der Weg der Steine Mitbringspiel

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 4,099
• rating: 6.5
• published: 2009
• designer: Reiner Knizia

Print Status

• out of print

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 third of five (5!) games designed by Reiner Knizia on this countdown.

#60: Innovation (Mark's Top 100 - 2026)

Innovation

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 378
• 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 your best bet.
• 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".

#61: Armageddon (Mark's Top 100 - 2026)

Armageddon

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 5,615
• rating: 6.6
• published: 2016
• designers: Chris Marling & David Thompson

Print Status

• out of print... but not difficult to find

Why It's On The List

• Imagine a three-way collision between the Mad Max films, an auction game and a worker-placement city-building game. Throw in a little Notre Dame-ish fend off the invaders (marauders instead of rats)... and allow players to use people as currency in the auctions as well as workers to keep your post-apocalyptic settlement running.

Tips & Tricks:

• The artwork is evocative without leaning too hard into the dystopian grimness… and the iconography is very clear once you get the hang of it
• I’ve found that it takes players 2-3 rounds (roughly half a game) to get acclimated and then they’re ready to defend their very tiny barb-wire encrusted empire.
• The auctions are double-layered... they are "get to choose first" auctions for buildings and for equipment. In addition, the winner of each auction gets a small bonus, and the loser gets a penalty. 

Extras

• I've been working on a review (complete with fiction sections) of Armageddon for years now... short version: I think all of the elements fit together to make a really satisfying and enjoyable game experience. I have to give you the short version because I can't find the document with my fiction sections any longer.
• I also think this is a criminally over-looked game... and I said as much in a really good Opinionated Gamers article you should check out.
• This is the first of two games on this list designed by David Thompson. (If I remember correctly, this was David's first published game!)

#62: Gnadenlos! (Mark's Top 100 - 2026)

Gnadenlos!

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 12,728
• rating: 5.9
• published: 2001
• designer: Klaus Teuber

Print Status

• out of print

Why It's On The List

• Klaus "I'm makin' a mint off the isle of Catan" Teuber managed to make a Wild West themed Euro game that uses a press your luck element to create some really great suspense.

Tips & Tricks:

• Poker is where you can lose the most ground if you're pushing to the front - make sure you've got a poker player in your hand.
• The game is shorter than you first anticipate... be ready for it end slightly quicker than you'd imagine the first time you play.
• Just because everyone else is spending big money does NOT mean you need to spend big money - payday is rough if you've got a lot of notes out there.

Extras

• Another game that was never published in English - but the components are language neutral. (The name of the game means "Merciless", btw.)
• One nice thing - it will NEVER go longer than 45 minutes (there are three different game "timers" - and at least one of them is guaranteed to go off by that time).
• Here's what I wrote about Gnadenlos! for The One Hundred.
• This is the third of five (5!) designs by Klaus Teuber on my countdown.

#63: Nemo's War (Mark's Top 100 - 2026)

Nemo's War

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 399
• rating: 7.8
• published: 2017 (2nd edition)
• designer: Chris Taylor

Print Status

• in print

Why It's On The List

• A solo "wargame" that is brimming with thematic touches (from the event deck to some of the unusual ship choices)... and an impressive level of variability created simply by changing Nemo's objective.

Tips & Tricks:

• Nemo’s War was designed as a solitaire game – everything from the unidirectional layout of the board to the theme of the game scream “low player count”. That said, there are variants in the rule book to play with more players… my one play with more players worked fine, but at its heart, it's a solo game.
• Nemo’s War reminds me a bit of old school wargames – ships have attack and defense values, there are a lot of dice rolls, and there is even a printed CRT on the board for the various actions. At the same time, it incorporates action expenditures, bag draws, ways to mitigate bad die rolls, etc. from the more modern game designs.
• Each objective demands different play styles and trade-offs, which I find endlessly fascinating. So far, I’ve proven to be the most successful at exploration – while all-out war with the nations does not seem to be my forte. I must also note that I play on the lowest difficulty setting – I cannot imagine cranking this up to the highest level… I’d be fish food in a few turns.
• The game runs about 90 minutes now that I’ve internalized the rules and the order of play – it isn’t unusual for me to play a couple of times in a night if I’m stuck in a hotel on a business trip. And I’m always eager to play it again.

Extras

• There are multiple expansion packs available - I sprung for all of them. The Bold & Caring pack adds 2 new objectives, which makes the game even more varied.
• The Journey's End expansion is well worth your time & money! (Of course, if you're just jumping into the game, the Ultimate Edition has all the content along with really great rulebooks integrating all the expansion content.)

#64: Nexus Ops (Mark's Top 100 - 2026)

Nexus Ops

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 692
• rating: 7.2
• published: 2005
• designers: Charlie Catino & Steven Kimball

Print Status

• in print again!

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 new edition with new art from Renegade Games Studios is actually a nice blend of the original game with some of the rules variants from the FFG edition as options. Most importantly, it has a molded plastic Monolith rather than the odd cardboard thingee from the original AH edition.

Top 100 Songs: #20-#11

It's the penultimate entry in my top 100 songs list...

• #20: Digee Dime (Burlap to Cashmere - 1998)
• The infectious rhythm coupled with the poetic lyrics sold me on this oddball band.
• Twisted castles in her hair / Building mountains in the air / Making profits, lending loans / Ancient TV's, rotary telephones / But within this misty cave / Lies a painter, blind but brave / Paints the story of where we've been / Where we are, where we could be
• #19: Comedian (Steve Taylor & The Perfect Foil - 2014)
• It had been nearly a decade since Steve Taylor had recorded an album… and here he came with a super-group (Peter Furler, John Mark Painter, Jimmy A), leaning into a similar (though not identical) vibe as his previous band (Chagall Guevera). There's a lot of great cuts on the album - but none of them are as profound and epic as this song.
• And didn’t I thank you from the dais? / And didn’t I do you good? / And didn’t I take up all your crosses / that were made of balsa wood?
• #18: Surprised (Resurrection Band - 1995)
• Resurrection Band had a storied history as one of the first "heavy" CCM bands - not to mention their serious street cred as a part of JPUSA (Jesus People USA), a Christian intentional community & church living in and serving the people of the Uptown neighborhood in Chicago. Bringing in Ty Tabor (King's X) to produce their album Lament kicked their blues-influenced hard rock into high gear.
• #17: Where the Streets Have No Name (U2 - 1987)
• U2 has a bunch of incredible songs… but "Streets" is the one that stops me in my tracks any time I hear it. 
• #16: Song for America (Kansas - 1975)
• I actually didn't know Song for America until I picked up their greatest hits album while in college… the first Kansas album I knew was Leftoventure. This is probably the prog rock-iest cut in my countdown - seeing as how it takes almost 3 minutes for a vocalist to show up. (Love this song.)
• #15: Jim Morrison's Grave (Steve Taylor - 1987)
• I just heard Steve Taylor perform this live a couple of weeks ago - and it was just as good almost forty years later.
• I'll let Steve do the talking about the song he wrote: "I guess he [Jim Morrison] thought of himself as somewhat of a "tortured artist" who not only believe that genius justifies cruelty but that genius and selfishness are inseparable. And that's really how he lived his life. He was very cruel to the people who were close to him, even the people who loved him. So this song is just my thought about going to the grave, almost a stream-of-consciousness lyric. "Jim Morrison's Grave" asks the age-old question: Does artistry justify being a weasel? The last line of the song is, "The music covers like an evening mist/Like a watch still ticking on a dead man's wrist." Morrison left the world some intriguing music. As far as I'm concerned, that's not enough."
• #14: The Medicine (Common Hymnal - 2021)
• A brilliant and moving gospel-tinged appeal for Biblical truth when it comes to racism and justice.
• What does it mean to have compassion for another? / How can I claim to love a God that I can't see? / If I can find the will to harm and kill my brother / Cause he neglected to look like me / I can speak the words of men and songs of angels / I can give all my possessions to the poor / But if your love can't move the mountain of my hatred / Somehow, I missed you, and I need you so much more
• #13: The Good Confession (I Believe) (Andrew Peterson - 2008)
• I first heard Andrew tell the story behind this song sitting in the fellowship hall of the church I pastored… he was playing a solo concert at our little church that night and I had the opportunity to talk with him. I can't do it justice - but you can listen to him talk about it as part of the tribute concert to Rich Mullins he hosted at the Ryman.
• Through the years / I barely fell; / I mostly dove right in. / I drank so deep / From the shallow well / Only to thirst again.
• #12: Broken Things (Julie Miller - 1991)
• The perfect match of Julie's voice and heart-rending lyrics.
• You can have my heart, though it isn't new / It's been used and broken, and only comes in blue / It's been down a long road, and it got dirty along the way / If I give it to you, will you make it clean and wash the shame away? / You can have my heart, if you don't mind broken things / You can have my life; you don't mind these tears / Well, I heard that you make old things new, so I give these pieces all to you / If you want it, you can have my heart
• #11: Life's Just Hard (Tonio K - 1999)
• A poignant reminder that everyone you meet is carrying something you can't see… by one of my favorite songwriters.
• Life's just hard / No matter who you are / No matter who you think you are / It's a fiery ordeal / You play your cards / And you say a prayer / And you look for love / If you’re lucky you find it there / 'Cause love is where it starts / But it's just hard

#65: Viva Pamplona (Mark's Top 100 - 2026)

Viva Pamplona

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 7,589
• rating: 6.4
• 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.
• Sometimes it pays to run one guy WAY ahead of the crowd - especially if Toro takes off at high speed. (Sometimes it doesn't - but them's the breaks, my friend.)

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 third of five (5!) games designed by Wolfgang Kramer on this countdown.

#66: Let's Go To Japan (Mark's Top 100 - 2026)

Expedition

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 427
• rating: 7.6
• published: 2024
• designer: Josh Wood

Print Status

• in print

Why It's On The List

• The combination of beautiful artwork and clever gameplay is really something to behold... particularly for a game that originated from a pandemic-cancelled vacation trip.

Tips & Tricks:

• I try very hard not to commute back & forth between Kyoto & Tokyo. The cost in time (to take trains rather than extra walking as bonuses) or points (-2 for each train ticket you don't acquire) is just not worth it.
• It's OK to occasionally burn a card and take a walk... sometimes, it just doesn't pay to take the known bad and hope you get lucky on the random walk card.
• The game works well with 1-5 players... like all drafting games with a card pass, it runs at the speed of the slowest player.

Extras

• I splurged on the Kickstarter version of the game - and the wooden pieces plus the ceramic bowls for them really have a lovely vibe.
• The solo system for Let's Go To Japan is really smart - whatever you don't draft goes to the "Travel Agent" you're competing against. There are times when that decision can be excruciating!
• I've only played the "Day Trip" expansion a couple of times... but I'm not sure it really adds all that much to the game.
• The Opinionated Gamers review of the game is what convinced me to back it. (Thanks, Dale!)
• There is another game coming in this series... Let's Go To France will be on Kickstarter in May. By all appearances, it is not simply a Gallic re-skin of Let's Go To Japan. 
• This is fifth new-to-the-list game on the 2026 countdown.

#67: Vegas Showdown (Mark's Top 100 - 2026)

Vegas Showdown

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 920
• rating: 7.1
• published: 2005
• designer: Henry Stern

Print Status

• in print

Why It's On The List

• This is the best implementation of the climbing auction mechanic first seen in Evo, then in the (excruciating, IMHO) Amun-Re, and in 20th Century. I also like the need to plan what rooms you'll add to your Vegas resort... and in what order to build them.

Tips & Tricks:

• There are a variety of winning building configurations/mixes - your mission is to choose the one that best dodges what other players are doing... .
• ...and then make it expensive for other players to get their "key" rooms.

Extras

• While the graphics for this one are generally good, I do wish the player boards in the original edition had been mounted.
• I'd suggest adding some tokens in the box to track "extra" victory points. (We use glass beads to track points that are not found on the player boards - that way, you can check & make sure you haven't missed any points during the game.).

Top 100 Songs: #30-#21

So many good songs... and some of my writing on this one reminded me of a couple of songs that didn't make the list ("Beautiful Scandalous Night" and "Look Over Your Shoulder") that probably should or could have. Oh, yeah... happy birthday, Dave W.!

• #30: Breathe Deep (The Lost Dogs - 1992)
• The Lost Dogs is a CCM-alternative supergroup a little like The Traveling Wilburys… and this song is a thunderous ode to the expansive incredible nature of the grace of God.
• Politicians, morticians, philistines, homophobes / Skinheads, dead heads, tax evaders, street kids / Alcoholics, workaholics, wise guys, dimwits / Blue collars, white collars, war mongers, peaceniks / Breathe deep / Breathe deep the breath of God / Breathe deep / Breathe deep the breath of God
• #29: Satisfied Mind (Ben Harper & The Blind Boys of Alabama - 2004)
• Ben Harper teamed up with The Blind Boys of Alabama to create one of the best gospel albums of the 00s… and this is the song that keeps running through my head.
• How many times have you heard someone say / "If I had his money I'd do things my way" / But little they know that it's so hard to find / One rich man in ten with a satisfied mind
• #28: Leave It Like It Is (David Wilcox - 1989)
• The final verse is a bit on the nose… but this song has reminded me over & over to readjust my perspective.
• #27: It's Love (King's X - 1990)
• I came to King's X late… but those first three albums are still golden for me. And this rock anthem is still my favorite song of theirs. (Though "Over My Head" is pretty darn good as well.)
• #26: Sunset Grill (Don Henley - 1984)
• I've always thought that Don Henley's solo music captures a very Los Angeles vibe - and this song (along with "Boys of Summer" and "Garden of Allah") is proof positive of that.
• You see a lot more meanness in the city / It's the kind that eats you up inside / Hard to come away with anything that feels like dignity / Hard to get home with any pride
• #25: Restore My Soul (The Choir - 1990)
• The Choir has had an amazing career - and their genius has touched so many albums that are not their own (including the amazing Clouds Rain Fire worship album). This song is the one that haunts me - both for the lyrical content that sounds like they eavesdropped on my heart and for the amazing musical break/outro at the end of it.
• I call to you / With one lung exploded / From breathing the dust of the earth / With my tongue eroded / From licking the crust of the earth / A tear away from reconciled / A prayer away from whole / Restore my soul
• #24: Double Cure (Vigilantes of Love - 1996)
• My favorite Vigilantes song… flat out. My favorite version is the acoustic take on the V.O.L. album.  (Had a neat online moment a couple of weeks ago when I commented about "Double Cure" and Bill Mallonee himself replied to let me know it was still in his live set.)
• So tired of all my toys / They never last for long / They keep beaming dreams and wishes / To a big dish on my front lawn / I wanna drink out of that fountain / On a hill called double cure / I wanna show you my allegiance, Lord /  Yes, I wanna be a son of Yours
• #23: The Kingdom Is Yours (Common Hymnal - 2017)
• Thanks to the wonderful worship pastor at our church (go, Bethany Bailey!), I was introduced to this song and the amazing collective that is Common Hymnal. I can't sing it without crying.
• Blessed are the ones who fight for justice / Longing for the coming day of peace /  Blessed is the soul that thirsts for righteousness /  Welcoming the last, the lost, the least/ The Kingdom is yours / The Kingdom is yours / Hold on a little more, this is not the end / Hope is in the Lord, keep your eyes on Him
• #22: It Did (Brad Paisley - 2007)
• And now for something completely different - country music! My wife liked a couple of Brad Paisely songs ("Flowers" in particular) and so we listened to some more of his songs… and then stumbled across "It Did" - which isn't exactly our romance/life story but certainly feels like it.
• Tears of joy in my mommas eyes / Her daddy walkin' her down the aisle / He lifted that veil and I saw that smile / And I said / To myself / It doesn't get better than this / No it doesn't get better than this / But it did
• #21: Strong Hand of Love (Bruce Cockburn - 1994)
• Bruce Cockburn is better known for "If I Had a Rocket Launcher" - but this cover of Mark's Heard signature song is my favorite recording from him.
• Young dreamers explode like popped balloons / Some kind of emotional rodeo / Learning too slow and acting too soon / Time marches away like a lost platoon / We gracefully age as we feel the weight / Of loving too late and leaving too soon / We can laugh and we can cry / And never see the strong hand of love hidden in the shadows / We can dance and we can sigh / And never see the strong hand of love hidden in the shadows

#68: Expedition (Mark's Top 100 - 2026)

Expedition

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 2,986
• rating: 6.7
• published: 1996
• designer: Wolfgang Kramer

Print Status

• recently re-published as Expeditions: Around the World in 2023

Why It's On The List

• I love the expedition mechanic at the heart of the game. There's nothing quite like it... (well, this isn't altogether true - but look in the Extras for more on that.)

Tips & Tricks:

• Travel bucks are a relatively scarce currency that aids you in game play and must be managed VERY carefully.
• Watch the number of arrows left in each expedition - other players can run them out to keep you from certain sections of the board.
• There are a variety of options in how loops work - we like the "place anywhere on the loop" one - but you should give them all a try.
• While the game will work with 2-6 players, it's best with 2-3.

Extras

• The designer (Wolfgang Kramer) actually revised his classic Ravensburger game (Wildlife Adventure) which became Expedition - and then he gave it a big tweak and turned it into a children's game (Schatzsucher). While I haven't played Schatzsucher, I've enjoyed my couple of plays of Wildlife Expedition (and still kick myself for not picking up a copy back when you could find them at zoo gift shops).
• There were some rules changes for National Geographic Expedition edition - I only played once but I didn't like them. Frustratingly, I don't remember what I didn't like!
• Here's what I wrote about Expedition for The One Hundred. 
• This is the second of five games designed by Wolfgang Kramer on this countdown.

#69: Flamme Rouge (Mark's Top 100 - 2026)

Flamme Rouge

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 288
• rating: 7.5
• published: 2016
• designer: Asger Aleksandrov Granerud

Print Status

• in print

Why It's On The List

• It's apt to compare this game to the classic 6 Nimmt card game (what with simultaneous action selection and resolution of cards)... but it's really a well-thought-out way to simulate cycling that plays in 30-45 minutes. 

Tips & Tricks:

• Looking at the track and figuring out to shepherd your "good" cards for later in the race is an important skill.
• Drafting is key in this game - holding the lead for most of the game will end up with you sputtering at the end (just like real cycling!).
• Watch for tight spots or crowded groups - you can get caught where you can't catch the leader due to the crowd rather than your lack of good cards.

Extras

• I reviewed Flamme Rouge for the Opinionated Gamers... and also advanced my theory of the Three Buckets of Sports Games.
• There are two "big" expansions for Flamme Rouge - Peloton (which adds two more teams and more kinds of road to race on) Grand Tour (which adds specialist riders and an excellent system for building tour races). There also Meteo (which adds weather conditions), a smaller expansion. I reviewed all three of them last year.
• The Grand Tour expansion absolutely brought Flamme Rouge back to my top 100 games list - it's really well done.
• I'm a little sad that Um Reifenbreite didn't make it into my top 100 games... it's a wonderful racing game but I've had immense difficulty getting it to the table in recent years.