Ok so a while back I asked people to kind of vote or at least submit some ideas on some types of top X list I could make.  It kind of backfired on me, the one that won with overwhelming majority was top 10 cooperative games. The problem is that, of all the genres of gaming I like, Cooperative games might just be the only one that I mostly avoid. I don’t think I could even come up with a top 5 list of cooperative games I like to fill the list. Rather than making a crappy list on a topic I care little for I chose the 2nd highest requested thing instead. The Top 5 Board Games I wish someone made. Rather a strange list, but apparently it’s a common subject for blogs.

In any case, this turned out to be a lot more entertaining than I thought it would be so here goes nothing!

1. Masters Of Orion

Ok so clearly Twilight Imperium is a bow to the classic PC game Masters of Orion designed by one of my all-time favorite game designers Alan Emrich. I have met the man and you will never meet a person that knows more about game design than him, but of all his creations Masters of Orion is the unquestionable king of PC games to me. If there was an alter, I would worship it! The fact that Master of Orion is actually getting a PC reboot is exciting news but as I wrote this on my list I checked to make sure that no one was actually doing a board game version and sure as shit, someone actually is. The information is sketchy at the moment but it is apparently one of the many announcements coming out of the Nurnberg Toy fair this year.

Suffice to say I love space epics, but that love doesn’t come from movies, TV shows or books, it actually all stems from the original Masters of Orion. While it houses many clichés of the science-fiction genre it’s just one of those games that came at the right time for me, at that perfect, impressionable age. I would love to see a board game version, I just hope whatever is coming, it does it justice!

2. Star Trek Armada

With Star Wars X-Wing we did get a Star Trek version (Attack Wing) but the truth is that in Star Trek almost all of the classic ships from the show are capital ship and it just did not at all work as an X-Wing game. Star Trek is as much about the people as it is about the ships and I think the Armada rule set is really a perfect setup for a Star Trek game. In fact, more so than Star Wars in my humble opinion, .

I would love to see a Star Trek Armada, just tell me where mail my credit card!

3. Civilization

Ok so there have already been several tries and frankly they have all been disappointments to me. The original Advanced Civilization that kick started it all was a good effort, but ultimately it was overly complex and way too bloody long even for a Civilization game. Eagle games did one and again, I thought it was a gallant effort but that game had more rules holes than a fishing net. Finally when Fantasy Flight Games announced Sid Meier’s Civilizations I thought, for certain with Kevin Wilson behind the wheel and Fantasy Flight Games at the helm it can’t fail. In the end however it might have been the worst of the bunch, one of the few major disappointments coming out of FFG.

We also got some quasi Civilization games like Imperial Settlers, Through the Ages and Nations. I actually liked those fine but they really weren’t comparable to the PC version, they don’t have that epic feel. Everything is very abstracted and while I like Nations the best of the bunch it still does not completely fill that gap for me.

A proper Civilization should really have that epic Twilight Imperium feel. It needs to be huge, dynamic, and have a true asymmetrical feel. I really hope that at some point in the future we will get someone to pick this up and try again, there is an empty space on my shelf for one big box game and its reserved for Civilization whenever and if ever it comes.

4. Legends of the Five Rings War Game

Legends of the Five Rings has probably one of the most quintessential game worlds upon which an amazing war game could practically design itself. You have the many asymmetrical factions, countless unique units to draw on, an epic map and quite possibly one of the most awesome themes in existence, Samu-Fucking-ri’s. The fact that this game doesn’t already exist is shocking, it’s so full of potential I can think of at least a half a dozen different genres which could make use of the theme. One of the most underutilized franchises that exists today. There should be movies, tv shows, board games, PC games… so much wasted potential! Instead it swims in obscurity as a CCG and a role-playing game which could be awesome but is based on a shitty system. Bah, it makes me sooooo angry I want to dragon punch a motherfucker!

5. Battletech

Ok so back in 2002 they brought battletech back and when I say they brought it back, I mean they basically took the old version of battletech and re-released it. Some minor rules adjustments aside this 1980’s classic really didn’t age that well, it really needed a lot more than a minor revamp. Not surprisingly it kind of landed on def ears and while I’m sure there is a cult following out there that appreciates the efforts made what this game really needs is a proper, new edition of the game and it should be drawing on modern design.

Battletech was always more board game than miniature game, but it sort of landed in this odd midway area. It was too complex as a board game and far too light as a miniature game leaving it to live forever in limbo. Still it’s a fantastic franchise and there is real potential here.

I personally would love to see it join the ranks of Attack Wing. We have already seen what ground battles can look like in a D&D version, I really think there is some real potential here. Ideally though it would draw inspiration from modern preprinted miniatures, rather just a conversion. Let’s be serious though, we are talking about giant robot battles, I will straight revoke your nerd license if that does not excite you!