Well its official, its 2017 and the apocalypse has not come yet although thanks to Donald Trump you won’t have to wait too much longer. In the meantime, we may as well presume that the human race will survive another year and talk about games coming to us in 2017.
So here is my list of top 5 most anticipated games of 2017.
Rising Sun by CMON
These miniatures are begging to be painted, but I love that CMON went with a light brown color as this is a very Japanese hue that really works for the game’s color scheme.
I absolutely love Blood Rage, it was definitely the sleeper hit of 2015. Eric Lang is an amazing designer in his prime but anyone who knows me knows that while I appreciate all themes, when it comes to my list of favorites medieval Japan definitely has to be at the top of the list. Rising Sun is dubbed the spiritual successor to Blood Rage based in Medieval Japan and that combined with being an Eric Lang games makes this an auto buy! Eric Lang has recently tweeted that the game is complete and is now in development, the final stage of testing and preparation for release. I’m giddy with excitement!
The Godfather: Corleone’s Empire by CMON
The concept of running your own mafia crime family in a competitive board game that offers the opportunity to “wack” your friends is not something I intend to pass on.
I said he was in his prime but Eric Lang is really more like on literal fire making his second appearance on the list with The Godfather. Now I love mafia stuff but mafia games like Star Trek games are typically very bad. My hope here is that Lang behind the wheel The Godfather can be to mafia games what Fleet Captains was to Star Trek games. I’m already in love with the concept and the art work, so assuming Lang is the genius we all know he aspires to be, the addition of fantastic gameplay should not be a problem. Really have high hopes for this was, I want to wack people!
Tau Ceti: Planetary Crisis
I’m a sucker for 4x games, but I have actually passed on most of them over the last few years. Twilight Imperium is a tough act to follow, but I have a good feeling about this one.
A game by unknown game designers, published by an unknown publisher, Tau Ceti’s is yet another among a sea of games that attempts to re-invigorate the 4x space game genre. Now the odds are against it here but the reason I put Tau Ceti on the list is because I really like that “Archipelago” of players competing against each other, but having to cooperate on certain elements in the course of a game. In the case of Tau Ceti, players are effectively trying to do all the usual expansions, technology research, trading and politics that you might find in games like Twilight Imperium, but at the same time they must deal with the crisis that take place on the different planets and colonies in the Tau Ceti system or deal with the consequences for failing to do so.
I love the concept, I don’t know that these designers and publishers are going to be able to pull this off, but they have done a great job of creating a solid concept and developing nice visuals for a game of this type, so it just leaves the really important work of actually designing a good game. I will definitely be keeping an eye out on this one.
Raise Your Goblets
It just reminds me of the princess bride, one of my all time favorite movies. I love the concept of trying to slip one past your friends.
Ok this one caught my eye mostly because of its original (I wish I thought of that) concept. Basically it’s a game where players are sitting around the table drinking from goblets in an imaginary kingdom and the goal of the game is to poising each other by slipping special poison tokens into each other’s goblets. Like a scene from Princess Bride the goblets will be shifted around, players can put antidote into their own goblets as defense and a few other little quirky bits of randomness. It’s a bit of a funny party game for shits and giggles but like is often the case these simpler “focus on fun” type of games usually go over quite well and it could end up being the Sheriff of Nottingham of 2017.
Terra-forming Mars
I don’t know how this one got past my radar, but it went out of print fast as hell and has received nothing but rave reviews. I MUST OWN IT.
Ok this is actually a game that is already released but it was received so well by the time I had heard about the awesome concept of a game of terraforming planets, it was already out of print. For those of us that missed the train, we have to wait for god knows how long for the next printing. The game is very pretty, great concept, already getting amazing reviews, people are raving about it like it’s the second coming of Christ. Very excited!
Perhaps the most common theme among gamers is that we are all in a way all amateur game designers. Most us dream of creating a game from our own imagination or based on our own theories on game design, or simply concepts we think would make a great game. I don’t think I have ever met a gamer immune to this very natural instinct. That said I do believe that the only way to truly be a game designer is to experience the widest range of games possible. I firmly feel that there are certain games on the market today that are so unique and so expressive in terms of what can be done with game design that they absolutely must be played by all would be game designers. I would imagine there is a brick ton more then what is on this list, but if you have aspirations, this is probably not a bad place to start. Enjoy the list!
REX: Final Days of an Empire
There was a time when REX actually lived in my top 10 best games of all-time list and for good reason. It’s an amazing design. It’s effectively a remake of the classic DUNE which stands out as one of the very few games in recorded gaming history that was released in the 70’s and is still has a place in modern gaming. This should give you a pretty good clue about how distinct its design is, very few game designs can stand the test of time like this.
REX is a fantastic and very unique area control game with special powers, unique victory conditions and is infused with player interaction mind games as a non-mechanical, very natural, caveat that actually carries the game far beyond appearances or rulebooks. It is a unique blending of mechanics, theme and gameplay that draws out a very unique gaming experience you will not find in games often. I do believe it takes a very special lot to appreciate this game and I will admit that doing research to determine whether or not you will like this game is insufficient. In fact even playing it once or twice is insufficient. This is one of those games you will have to play 5 or 6 times before you you really recognize what its really about and why it is without question an objective work of genius… yes, I just turned an opinion and stated it as a fact, that’s how certain I am that like it or not, REX (aka DUNE) is a piece of board game design brilliance not to mention history, a true original among a flood of imitators and pretenders. I’m not surprised at all to see this game continue to get attention decades after release.
REX is definitely a must include for any board game design education, not only is it an amazing game to play it boasts a lot of great lessons for a would be game designer.
The Duke
I would argue that chess is a must play classic, a core concept game for basic board game design that every game designer should explore. To put it simply Duke is effectively an expansion for chess, or perhaps more accurately, chess 2nd edition. A game that arguably increases the complexity and challenge while maintaining that elegant simplicity of the classic. Duke turns things 3 dimensional mechanically creating a far wider and more intriguing gaming experience than the classic chess, more than that though while abstract as chess is, it oddly feels thematic. It has that Ancient Art of War feel to it, as if you are in a war tent playing a game with a fellow commander while you wait for the real battle to start. Its exercise for the brain and an absolute must play for would be game designers.
Duke has been reprinted in a few different ways but it never really caught on which I found strange given how purposefully unique it is. You don’t see it played anywhere and while I think it might be partially because it’s both an abstract game and a two player game making it kind of niche, being rather boring to look at probably doesn’t help much either. I mean we are talking wooden tiles here, not exactly a game with modern board game pazzas! But I would argue that if you released Chess today, no one would care to play that either for the same reason. To me The Duke Is an absolute must play if you plan to be a game designer if for no other reason than to show you just how much power couple of lines of rules can have. This is a perfect example of less is more design.
Star Trek: Fleet Captains
While there are a lot of different types of thematic games out there one could use as a way to exemplify and learn from on how theme and gameplay merging together is done right, to me, there is no game out there that does it with more precession than Star Trek: Fleet Captains. You often hear the term X or Y franchise in a box, well this is Star Trek in a box, but not just the shows but the very essence of the shows, movies and experience that is the Star Trek franchise.
This is a perfect combination of just the right mechanics, just the right art, just the right strategic flicks and pazzaz, fidly vs. functional and nerdy but not wordy design. It captures the very soul of Star Trek in a board game and if you are a proper trekie you will really get it when you play fleet captains. Which really brings the point home, there isn’t a card, miniature, tile, action or mechanic that doesn’t scream “STAR TREK” in this game. If you’re a Trekie this is an absolute must have, but if you’re a game designer trying to figure out how to bring theme to life in a board game, you won’t find very many examples that do it better than fleet captains. An absolute must play for game designers trying to get their head around how to infuse theme into their games.
Galaxy Trucker
I think one element of board gaming most game designers actually fail to understand is that playing a board game isn’t just about the game, it’s also about the evening and the people you spend it with. Games are supposed to be fun, they should put a smile on your face and while I would argue that there is a time and place for “haha” funny, Galaxy Trucker is a great example of how to fuse fun “haha” funny and “fun game” into a single box, inside of a single product. Unlike party games that try to draw out fart humor, Galaxy Trucker creates laughs by creating memorable moments in game that has just enough strategy to attract board gamers, but not enough to discourage non gamers. It’s really a great example of how to blend the world of gamers, non-gamers and how to create a game that will enhance an evening without making it about only gaming.
While I have heard of people who don’t like Galaxy Trucker, in my personal experience every person I have ever introduced the game to has absolutely loved it. I think the brilliance in the design is not its mechanics, but its flip on a basic premise of gaming in general. One thing that Vlaada Chvatil is amazing at is looking at game design from a perspective of experience rather than gameplay. For example in Galaxy Trucker you build a ship in a timed phase creating a bit of a frantic panic, while in the execution phase players lose control almost entirely and just watch the game unfold. It’s a very unique gaming experience. You would be hard pressed to find a game on the market that comes even close to something like it. Being able to tap into that “spark”, that ability to see what others miss is what separates a brilliant game designer like Vlaada Chvatil and everyone else. Sure you might or might not appreciate Galaxy Trucker, but you can’t deny that it’s a truly unique design and if for no other reason than that, as a would be game designer you must check this game out.
Love Letter
Game design comes in all shapes and sizes, but I truly believe that if you want to be a great game designer you should be able to take a small amount of mechanics, a couple of lines of rules and create a sensational game. Another example of less is more design, Love letter is essentially a dozen cards and a couple of tokens, yet it creates a truly strategic, dynamic, thinky and fun gaming experience. I actually think that being able to create a game like Love Letter is a test to see if you will ever be a good game designer because if you can’t create magic simply, you’re not going to do it when creating a more complex game. That’s just the reality of it and I firmly believe that even the most complex games are actually nothing more than mini designs (mini games) put together to make a grander game. So the ability to create simply and intriguing mechanics is really an important skill to develop as a gamer designer. I have personally seen a lot of gamers design games and it’s always the same story. They create a lot of fancy components and art but in the end the game itself is a slog fest that suffers from too many mechanics, too many rules and way too much weight to be functional. The ability to simplify is what separates an amateur from a pro. Love Letter is a perfect example of that in action.
Le Havre
Le Havre is a stone cold classic Euro game that does something very few games are able to pull off. It creates a very deep, strategic, very heavy and very thinky game yet manages to do it using a rule system that can be explained in under 30 seconds. In Le Havre you can take one of two actions every turn. That’s it, that’s the entire game. Either you take some resources, or place a worker. That is the entirety of the rules explanation you need to give before starting the game, yet by the end of the game your brain will be fried as you try to navigate the two impossible strategic decisions that must be made to win.
It’s a perfect example of economic simulation done right as well and I think that more than the simplicity of the mechanic is the reason to study Le Harve as a game designer. Economic simulation and resource management is the one place I see a lot of game designs having immense problems. In fact for most games I have played, including most beloved classic Euro’s often praised for their brilliance for their resource management and economic simulations are almost always way too complex, way too fiddley and ultimately far too easily exploitable. Which is why so many of the Euro classic are what I call puzzle games, where they are good, until you solve the puzzle, at which point it’s just a matter of repeating the same actions each time you play. Puerto Rico comes to mind as a good example of a horribly failed resource management and economic system design. Sure the first few times you play your trying to figure out the puzzle, but once you have that aha moment every game of Puerto Rico you ever play in the future will be exactly the same. There is a definitive “best way”, “best moves” approach to the game.
Le Havre is not the world’s best game (though I love it), but it is definitely the world’s best example of economy simulation done right and for that reason anyone looking to understand how good economic design works, this is a fine example and a really good place to start thanks to its simplicity.
Robinson Crusoe: Adventures on the Cursed Island
Ok first I will admit this is not my favorite game. Generally I’m not a huge fan of cooperative games, but we aren’t here to discuss what I like, so much as we are here to discuss objectively good designs and Robinson Crusoe is certainly brilliant if anything. I honestly have a hard time describing it, other than to say if you want to become a game designer, you must play this game because if you do, becoming a game designer will be easier for you.
There are so many great lessons about how to do it right in this game in terms of timing of mechanics, creating tension, putting players to tough choices and just a staggering amount of dynamic replay ability inside what amounts to a static game. The manipulation of cards and effects, the sort of thematic link to effects and just general capturing of atmosphere are all exemplified in this design. If you’re a fan of cooperative games and plan to design cooperative games, Robinson Crusoe is an absolute must.
Twilight Imperium
Many aspiring game designers dream of creating an epic, that big box super game that just does everything. Well let me just tell you that after nearly 3 decades of board gaming I can count on one hand the amount of games (game designers) that have come out in that time, that managed to pull this off. Truth is that most big box epics are actually epic failures. There really are very few success stories in this area and while there are plenty of games that will try to wow you with miniatures and their sheet size, mechanically speak I have never played one that is even in the same league as Twilight Imperium. It is the best EPIC level game on the market today and it is so by a margin so wide, there is nothing to look at in the rear view mirror.
This complex beast of a game does exactly what you want an epic to do, wows the living shit out of you with immense attention to detail and an amazing level of balance given the sheer amount of complexity in the game. It’s a galactic civilization building game that brings to life the entire genre reminiscent of the 4x PC games of old like Masters of Orion and Galactic Civilization. If you plan on creating an epic, in particular a space epic, Twilight Imperium is an absolute must play. It is one of the best examples of Epic done right on the market today.
Shogun (Dirk Henn version)
I’m not a big Dirk Henn fan to be honest, with the exception of Shogun I don’t like any of his games, but with Shogun he really nailed it. Shogun aside from its German twin Wallenstein is a truly unique game with design elements that you will not find anywhere else before or since. The use of the Cube Tower as a combat resolution mechanic, the pre-planning action phase, the unique order of play sequence it all combined produces one of the most fascinatingly strategic and simultaneously infuriatingly chaotic games I know and god I love it for that very reason. For a game designer this is an absolute must experience as it will show you just how far out of the box you can go despite the constraints of design that we sometimes feel we exist in. It really shows how you can take something seemingly gimmicky and actually give it purpose and fit it into a game so that not only is it functional but oddly thematic. Dirk Henn really tapped into that “I’m a general giving orders” theme found in Shogun, while still remaining true to the Euro roots on which the game is based. I don’t know that Dirk Henn is a brilliant designer, but he definitely had a brilliant moment when he made this game. One of my all time favorites!
Ticket To Ride
Ok so this last one is a simple game, a classic at this point but it’s also an amazing lesson of mechanic theft done right. See in game design, most of the greatest games, the truly genius ones that seem to proliferate beyond the cult board gaming culture into the mainstream are buried in classic design that was simply stolen. Ticket to Ride is a perfect example of that. What you’re looking at here is Gin Rummy. It’s really that simple. The designer took an old classic card game, added a game board with train pieces for scoring and created one of the bestselling games of all time since Monopoly. Here is the thing… it’s an awesome game. I have played Gin Rummy, I hate it, I love this game. It’s the same mechanic. Can you explain that?
This is why you really need to play Ticket to Ride as a game designer, there is magic in there and deciphering and understanding what that magic is, is very important if you want to be successful as a game designer.
It’s time once again to update my top 10 best table top games, without question my favorite article to write each year. I’m not entirely sure why I find it so entertaining, but most gamers find themselves saying “oh that’s my favorite game”, on a regular basis, but I think few take the time to actually think about that comment, assess it and put it to paper. Perhaps it’s a bit obsessive of me, but I don’t care.. so here we go.
First just a re-cap of the list from last year (October 2015)
1. Star Wars X-Wing 2. Game of Thrones (The Board Game) 3. Star Wars: Armada 4. War of the Rings 5. Twilight Imperium (3rd edition) 6. Nations 7. Star Trek: Fleet Captains 8. Fury of Dracula (3rd Edition) 9. Kemet 10. Shogun (Queen Games Edition)
Now right up front I want to say that all these games as far as I’m concerned are fantastic and while at this point in the article I’m yet to make my list, I can say with certainty at least half of them will probably remain on the list, perhaps more. Those that fall off the list, aren’t getting kicked out of bed for being bad, but rather simply fall out of favor for younger newer models.
Ok here we go!
1. Star Wars: X-Wing
Perhaps not my most highest rated review, but still my favorite game of all time.
This was actually a tough call for me this year which is not to say that I don’t think X-Wing is not one of the best games ever made (it is) but because my recent review triggered a close up and objective look at the game and as you can see below (3 out of 5 Stars) it did good but not great, at least not as great as a number one spot would suggest. In fact almost every other game on this list would probably score close to or higher using my rating system.
In the end though top 10 lists aren’t about how they review, but about how much I like to play them and despite any flaws I still rather play X-Wing than any other game on this list. It is simply put, my favorite game.There is a lot of stuff on the board, but this game takes place largely in your head.
X-Wing continues to be the dynamic, thematic, chaotic Star Wars infused dog fighting game it has always been. I love it, plain and simple. I will say that at this point my interest in X-Wing is less competitive, outside of the 100 point standard death match and more about creating cool thematic experiences. I favor scenario based games, high point counts, alternative rules and in particular I have fallen head over heels with Epic play. I think it’s a testament to X-Wing’s longevity that not only is it replay-able years after release, but within the scope of the game there are different ways to play it. It’s this refreshing of the game that I think raises X-Wing above the rest.
2. Game of Thrones: The Board Game
There is a lot of stuff on the board, but this game takes place largely in your head.
Another unyielding game that refuses to drop down on the list is my beloved Game of Thrones. I didn’t get many opportunities to play it this year and I considered dropping it a bit but the truth is that, despite the lack of table top opportunities this year, I rather play it then anything below on the list. It simply deserves to be here. Game of Thrones is like a favorite cousin you don’t see very often but each time you get together you realize how much you have missed him.
There are very few games out there that increase my heart rate and offer up intensity in fat slices like this one. Game of Thrones is a roller coaster of emotion, stress and simplicity in a sea of complexity. It is in my humble opinion one of the most challenging games to win at and it’s because so much of the game play exists in the meta-mental state of the players. How much they trust you, what their gut tells them about your eyes and body language. It’s far less a game about mechanics and strategy and far more a game of social and mind games.
It’s one of FFG’s oldest games and it’s one of its best, this is an experience no gamer should pass up and if you are actually are a fan of the franchise, this is simply mandatory.
3. Game of Thrones: The Card Game 2nd Edition
This is a game of political intrigue, it’s got the depth to be a contender for best card game I have ever played.
Ok you might get the sense here that I’m a Game of Thrones fan boy but the truth is that I actually like these games far more than the show and this particular card variation while in the same spirit of psychological mind games like the board game I actually like it more for its amazingly thematic and tactical gameplay. Deck builders are usually not my thing, but Game of Thrones The Card Game has revitalized the genre for me.
I think what really drives this game is the fact that it’s a multiplayer versus card game and the fact that it’s subtle where deck building while important isn’t the driving force but rather the combination of card play and tactical thinking is. This isn’t a game of big explosive plays, but rather one of chipping away at each other through cleverly executed chess move, one piece at a time, grinding away towards the win.
This card game really slapped me across the face and sprung on my list like a cracked out squirrel and while I find this does happens every year for a couple of games on my top 10 list, games that sky rocket to great heights usually deflate and fall off with the same intensity. Still right now this new bundle of joy is occupying a lot of my brain space not to mention rapidly emptying my bank account. Fantastic game that deserves to be played if you love challenging multiplayer versus games, but in particular if you have a group of Game of Thrones fans at home who will appreciate the intricate political scheming replicated in card game form you find in the tv show and books.
4. War of The Rings
As much a visual story experience as a game, War of the Rings deserves every word of praise it has ever received.
Like Game of Thrones the board game this game is a bit of a dust collector of my collection, I rarely get to play it but when I do I’m reminded exactly why this game has a permanent space on my shelf despite having a box so big it could knock you the fuck out. It is the Lord of the Rings story in a game, not part of the story, the whole god damn thing from Frodo to Mount Doom and everything in between.
I suppose I’m being a bit unfair to some of the games below this spot that I play considerably more often, but the truth is that I would with no hesitation drop what I’m doing at any point in my day to play this game. I actually open the box and read the cards and manual a couple of times a year wishing I had the opportunity to bust it out so while the opportunities to play a long 2 player game don’t come up often for me, the desire for them is reason enough to have it on this list. Love it, always have, always will.
5. Through The Ages: A New Story of Civilization
There is no question in my mind that this is Vlaada Chvatil’s Mona Lisa.
The remake of the classic has not only inspired me to play this game again, but the improvements have legitimately took this game from a good game I like to pull out every long once in a while to a game I will happily play any time. Yes, it’s long and complicated as fuck, it’s a pain in the ass to teach and it can be quite tough to find people willing to blow off 4-5 hours playing a deep euro driven resource management simulator but the truth is that this game is made for guys just like me.
The improvements in this latest version are not only mechanical, solving some of the most disliked, turn off, mechanics, but it joins the 21st century in quality components and visual appeal. The old edition largely got the standard “it looks stupid” response from people and rightfully so, the old version looked like a damn prototype, but this new deluxe, visually enhanced Through The Ages has the sex-appeal that triggers people to try it and the refreshed mechanics that inspire that “aha” moment to keep trying it. If you doubt that, look at Board Game Geek, this game will be number 1 before the year is out, I guarantee it and it’s no surprise to me, it has the chops to be a fantastic, albeit it deep and complex board game. Plus it’s Sid Meier’s civilization in board game form, thematically driven by a universally beloved genre of gaming.
6. Twilight Imperium
If there was ever a game you can say is for a hardcore audience, this is definitely that game.
My staple standard number one game for years remains on the list for the same reasons it’s always been there. Never has there been a better 4x, Master of Orion inspired, science fiction civilization builder and I doubt there ever will be one this good. TI3 is the definitive science fiction galactic everything game and with the two expansions it has grown to become one of the most complex and dynamic games..period… in existence.. period..
It’s heavy as fuck and that might explain why it’s a rather niche game but I make no apologies for it and neither does FFG. It’s made for the veteran gamer who wants to get in knee deep into some serious gaming and isn’t fazed by a 6 hour endeavor to find that ultimate experience. It’s a blow out hit and at this point a golden classic, the graduation game that takes you from an amateur to a pro.
7. Star Wars: Armada
It’s slip from grace has nothing to do with it’s visual appeal, the game is beautiful.
This one is steadily dropping off my radar but I still have an affinity for it that can’t be denied. It’s a deeply strategic and tactical miniatures game and while I find it rather exhausting by comparison to the simplicity of my beloved X-Wing, every once in a while I want to drag out X-Wings big brother and rock it capital ship style.
FFG has done a fantastic job of supporting this game and it’s largely thanks to the influx of new and interesting ships this games dynamics have already grown beyond the grumblings of competitive meta, something I wish I could say about X-Wing. It’s richness and in your face theme brings it to the point of a story-telling game because the battles are always memorable and epic which really hits that Star Wars G-spot.
It deserves all the praise I can give it and it’s slip from the list probably has to do with the fact that I’m always put to the split test between playing X-Wing and Armada, a contest in which Armada rarely comes out on top. It’s not Armada’s fault that I love X-Wing over everything else, but it does suffer for it. Great game though and it’s in no danger of losing its shelf space on my wall of Star Wars glory.
8. Fury of Dracula (3rd Edition)
This classic game gets a face-lift that any fans have unanimously praised and for good reason, its brilliant.
I think if it wasn’t for the recent re-print this game would have fallen off my top 10 by now but there is absolutely no denying that the new edition has re-vitalized this game for me. Sticking to the classic formula this mind-fuck simulator has players chasing the elusive Dracula around Europe in an effort to slay him, a simple concept, with a fantastic theme.
I have always loved deduction games but in my humble opinion this is really the only one that never becomes stale nor are there any real tricks or puzzles to solve here. It’s too dynamic for that and I think it’s largely why it stands out so well over a sea of mediocre deduction games.
I will admit that this game has a lot of nostalgic value to me and that probably helps keep it on the list, but I honestly believe if I were to review it today it would out-perform most of the game on this list using my rating system, especially this new edition. Love it, live it!
9. Dead of Winter
It might take a few plays to warm up to it, but once it gets its hooks into you, watch out!
Holy shit, I can’t believe I’m putting this game on my list in particular since the first 3 or 4 times I played I thought it was kind of Meh. I actually think the true sign of an amazing game with strong longevity is if it slowly grows on me. Dead of Winter had a big impact on me this summer during one of my gaming groups epic summer weekend board game nights. We ended up playing it back to back twice and it stands out as two of the best gaming experiences I have had in recent memory.
I love that cross-roads system, those story’s really bring the game to life but ultimately it’s that betrayer mechanic that really brings this game home. You have so much psychological fuck you going on in this game that it just pulls you out of your seat and creates atmosphere so thick it almost feels like you’re actually experiencing the bloody zombie apocalypse.
Love it, it deserves this spot, despite my own disbelief, it really just knocked it out of the park for me.
10. Shogun (Queens Games Version)
The contrast between the quiet, contemplative planning phase and the outrageously chaotic execution phase make this one of the most memorable Euro games I have ever played.
Holding on for dear life, the number 10 spot was defiantly disputed but in the end all I had to do is reminisce about game nights gone past to choose this one out of the line-up. It’s about feudal Japan, and it’s about that two part mixture, one part thinky-contemplative game and the other part, an explosive shock inducing frenzy.
I just love how this game is constructed, it’s got that wonderful easy to learn hard to master core, it has the euro style strategic (control your fate) puzzle, but dynamically linked to the shocking amount of randomness that will have you throwing your hands up in victory or despair. This might explain why many Euro gamers hate it and many Ameri-trash gamers hate it as it is a true merging of an unholy union, but I love bastard and this wretch owns that badge of honor with pride.
I have always had affection for this game and really these types of games in genera that is hard to explain, but despite not getting much play these days it remains one of my all-time favorites.
The Fallout
Yes every year there is fallout as games drop off the list and I feel compelled to explain why.
NATIONS
Yes there was a time when I favored this over Through The Ages and it was largely because it was a more approachable, easier to teach, more streamlined and above all else a faster civilization building game. In the end though I don’t think there was room in my top 10 for two civilization building games, in particular two games that had so much in common, but more importantly I had to honestly ask myself, which game is better. In light of the re-vitalized Through The Ages, having played them both several times in recent sessions it was clear to me that while more complex and time consuming, Through The Ages is simply a better game. I still love Nations and if this was a top 20 list it would certainly be on their somewhere, so its fallout isn’t a break up, but more like the game just became my chick on the side.
Star Trek: Fleet Captains
This one didn’t fall from grace, it was in stiff competition for the number 10 spot and while ultimately I chose Shogun, it sits firmly as a number 11. This story driven adventure game in the Star Trek universe will never be displaced, but there are only so many games that can be in the top, 10 to be exact, so it had to take a bullet. Still love it and will gladly play it, for a Star Trek fan this is still the best there is and I say this in light of new Star Trek adventure games being released this year. Frontiers has nothing on Fleet Captains.
Kemet
Another casualty, this one fell a bit further for me then the others but I suppose it’s more because “light warfare” is just not something that competes well in my current game state of heavy gaming. Every game on my list is a beast of one form or another and Kemets light hearted nature while I certainly I have nothing against just doesn’t have the legs to stand with the big boys. I will still happily play it and I actually highly recommended if you are looking for a simple fun wargame, I actually think this is one of the best around, but it’s novelty has worn off on me a bit.
Whooa, that is a mouthful! As gamers I imagine most of us day dream about some way for us to put our life on the sidelines and get involved in some of those full bodied hobby games that take up extraordinary amounts of time, money and effort to play. Those ultra-complex games that are out there that look amazing, but are largely inaccessible thanks to the hustle of our everyday lives. I suspect most people have a game or two that definitely falls into this magnetic allure so Today I’m going to identify 5 games that qualify in my opinion with some tips and ways you might actually be able to get involved with minimal or at least less effort than what it appears to be.
Advanced Squad Leader
For many gamers war is a very common and favored theme in board games. In fact, I would estimate that at least 80% of all my gaming is dedicated to some form of war game. While I’m personally not that a huge of a realist, historical buff or simulationist gamer, some of my favorite games actually kind of qualify. Tide of Irons for example is a tactical world war II game which has graced my shelf for several years and is one I would not object to being buried with it. I love it and it definitely scratches that itch, but Advanced Commander by all accounts is really the meca of world war II tactical war games.
Advanced Squad Leader is really kind of the ultimate in complex war games in general thanks to countless modules and expansions, but like all of the games on this list it’s really almost overwhelmingly complex and demands a pretty serious commitment to learn to play let alone actually play. Even the smallest most basic scenario will have you reading over a hundred pages of rules and will take 4+ hours to resolve. So why would anyone be attracted to it?
Not really designed with table presence in mind, but it does have that general standing over a map feel to it.
The truth is that most war games heavily abstract combat for streamlining sake immediately drawing it out of the realm of realism, but for me personally sometimes I really want that full experience out of a game. That gritty reality only a complex war game can offer. This is probably why for more complex games I look to my PC as much of what is complex about games like ASL (remembering rules, the math) is done for you. I have never played Advanced Squad Leader but I do feel the allure of it and it’s something that has been on my must try list for years.
Fortunately the Advanced Squad Leader fan base has put forth some effort to creating some initial baby steps and shallow waters for new players. Several levels of Advanced Squad Leader basic kits have been released since 2004 as well as the creation of some pretty comprehensive youtube tutorials that really walk you through the absolute basic need to know information. Enough so that the game almost reaches that approachable spectrum. More importantly unlike many games on this list, its actually very cheap to try so all you really need to do is convince a friend to join you and you really have a shot at getting a game off the ground.
I don’t know if my schedule and patience will ever allow me to try this game, but I can definitely understand its popularity. There is a tremendous amount of depth and realism in this game allowing history buffs to really play out those scary moments in time from the comforts of their favorite chair. I totally get it.
Warhammer
Large table top games like Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40k is not that far from reality for me. I actually dove into it several years ago and its every bit as epic as it looks. The trouble with Warhammer like many miniature hobbies is that aside from simply playing the game it requires that you spend hundreds of hours carefully gluing and painting your army and terrain. It’s really a two part hobby that is not only incredibly time consuming and expensive but fairly complex and difficult to be successful at.
This actually brings me to one conclusion about these sort of epic style hobby games which is that sometimes the allure of them is far stronger than the actual impact. In the end, after playing Warhammer for a couple of years I saw the countless flaws in the game system, tired of the endless stream of “pre-game work” and the insane amounts of money that you have to invest in the game. After a thousand hours of invested time and as many dollars I doubt I played more than a grand total of 15-20 games over the course of two years. Was it worth it?
if the mechanics of the game had the same quality as the view from the table, this would easily be the best game ever made.
Hunched over a massive table of miniatures painted in painstaking detail after having spent months reading, planning and thinking about a single event was really kind of as epic and monster sized of an event as it sounds. I don’t regret the money or time invested in the short lived hobby, it was really fun while it lasted but it was just impossible to maintain. No regrets, I wouldn’t object to repeating it but in a way it’s probably part of the reason why alternatives pre-painted miniature games like X-Wing and Armada sort of appeal to me more. You still have to spend the money, but after that it’s just to play the game which in a sense is actually the best part of the hobby for me.
If you have never tried it however, I urge you to because it really is, despite all the work and money a lot of fun, even if it does not last forever. Unfortunatly there really are very few shortcuts to take here, ultimately the best way to approach the game is to find people who are already playing it. Thanks to a pretty healthy 3rd party market the cost of getting involved has dropped considerably and in the end selling off your collection is not going to be that difficult either when you’re done with it.
Twilight Imperium
Another Big Bad Ass game that I have actually played a ton in the past that certainly deserves to be on this list. I have met and talked to many gamers who look at this intimidating beast and imagine themselves hunched over the table as a master of a galactic race, drawn to it like a moth to a flame but off put by its sheer size and scope. All I can say is that its every bit as epic and awesome as you probably imagine it to be but the good news is that while it’s an incredibly long game considering the rest of this list, this game actually has some pretty streamlined and comprehensive rules, it really isn’t that hard to grasp. It’s a complex board game, but within the realm of normal gaming, it’s a lot less of a stretch I think. It’s probably the most approachable game on the list and quite possibly the best.
Small tables need not apply, I shit you not this is a small game of Twilight Imperium.
Twilight Imperium definitely is an investment though and the hard part is that it requires an investment of time not just from you or one other opponent but actually a whole group of at least 4 players but preferably 6. That can be the most difficult part for a lot of people myself included, its actually one of the reasons on the I wish I had more time for it list. I would imagine this alone excludes a lot of gamers from ever getting the opportunity to try it.
We probably will never see another game like Twilight Imperium designed either, it’s really a product of an era of gaming that has come and gone. In fact it might actually be considered the spiritual last member of the Big Box Epic board games that evolved from classics like Axis & Allies, Shogun and Fortress America. Games like Twilight Imperium are really not made anymore, these days mechanics are focused on being streamlined, simpler and faster.
I could be wrong, perhaps someday we will see a resurgence of this sort of design but for what it’s worth, in my humble opinion no gamer should ever miss an opportunity to try this game at least once. I would suggest doing it as soon as possible to because I suspect once this game goes out of print, it will be out of print for a very long time, perhaps forever.
18XX Game Series
This is one on this list that really attracts me that I’m yet to try, a complex game of building railroads and manipulating stock markets in the age of steam. The 18XX games is actually a series, though the foundation rules are all the same. It is in effect a Railroad Tycoon style game where you are competing against other players as a Railway Baron in a fairly simulationist economy which is every bit as cut throat and mean spirited as it is complex and I imagine actually was in the 1800’s.
She’s an ugly pig, but there is some serious depth here.
I love Railroad Games and Railroad themed games but truth be told everyone that I have ever tried was just too simple for me. Railways of the World (eagle games Railroad Tycoon) was a fun game and it certainly had the theme of railroad building but it lacked that umf as a complex game which I think kind of fits this genre. Games like Russian Railroads are complex, but not in the simultationist way rather more in the Euro puzzle style being barely recognizable as an actual game about railroads. This is one that I’m itching to try, the issue is that the Railroad Baron theme is kind of a love it or hate it one and I fear that my group might not take to it in particular since it’s a very deep, complex, long and unforgiving game.
The good news is that the 18xx’s games received what is referred to as an XL version, you can think of it as 18xx game for newbies which cuts down the rules weight for easier learning. This may just be my ticket to trying it in the near future.
It’s on the list for me though, one day this is going on the table!
Heroscape
Ok so this one might not actually belong on this list in its entirety. It’s actually a very simple game, really the hardest thing about it is
Going bat shit crazy is not a requirement, but I can see myself spending hours building terrain like this if life were a bit more cooperative.
that its insanely difficult to get a hold of, takes up a shit ton of room and has probably one of the longest set up and take down times of any game in the existence of the human race. You are going to spend at least an hour or more setting it up and just as long taking it down unless you just do the rage quit arm sweep into a bin at the end to be dealt with at another time.
That said Heroscape is probably one of the most fun looking games I have ever seen and I have always wanted to try it. Its concept is kind of cool as well as there are over a thousand different units in this war game. Players construct a team from soldiers from all genres, histories and imaginations ever created and fight it out in a massive landscape constructed out of hexagon legos that traverses time and space. Its as much a game of war as it is of creativity and silliness from what I have gathered but in the end I just love the way it looks.
Unfortunately Heroscape is both out of print and what is available on the 3rd party markets is really expensive, in particular terrain which you need a lot of. There are a lot of drawbacks to this one, but in a perfect world this game will see a re-print at some point in the future, something I believe is inevitable if you consider how well the 3rd party moves for this game.
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.
The last time someone tried to make a Masters of Orion (no 3) it failed miserably. Let’s hope this time someone has their thinking cap on.
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, .
It didn’t take much googling to find that people are already creating Star Trek Armada on their own. Get on it FFG!
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.
The classic Advanced Civilization actually got a new update called Mega Civilization which promises, I shit you not, a 12 hour game on the box! It looks great and all, but, please fuck off immediately!
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!
Outside of the CCG and roleplaying game the only other application of the franchise was… of course Love Letter. These people seriously need to be stopped!
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.
The models aren’t terrible, but this game could do with a visual upgrade as well.
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!
You must be logged in to post a comment.