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TOp 10 D&D Publications & Works for DM’s

When it comes to RPG material, the quality of the various publications and writing can vary dramatically. Back in 2017 I did a Top 10 RPG Modules list of all time which was both one of the most popular articles on this blog, but also the one I doubt I will need to update anytime in the next decade.

In this list we broaden the scope a bit to talk about various RPG publications which go beyond adventure models. These are books and books series I think are not only a core part of D&D history, but very much applicable material that any good DM should own and read. This is material that will advise you, inspire you and make you a better DM.

I think it would be impossible for me to rank these so, I simply decided not to. Enjoy the list.

1st Edition Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Dungeon Masters Guide

There have been many Dungeon Masters Guide for the game of D&D, not to mention countless supplemental and advice books for running games, but to me the original works of Gary Gygax are the equivalent to what I would consider the bible for Dungeons and Dragons.

The 1st edition Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Guide was reprinted in a glorious leather-bound book a few years back along with the rest of the core books, selling out instantly, proving that these books are every bit as important today as the day they were printed.

The book is written in a style that speaks directly to the DM in a commanding voice offering you advice that though can sometimes be tough to swallow in the light of modernization of the game is as true, as factual and as indisputable today as the day it was written. It’s a bit like a self help book written by your dad who doesn’t try to spare your feelings and rather focuses on preparing you for real life.

While the book is chalk full of advice, don’t be so arrogant as to assume the rules are “out dated”. The book is a literal gold mind of supplemental rules that can be universally applied to any edition of the game, quick resolutions using rules that are well suited for the abstracted concepts on which Dungeons and Dragons is founded. More than that you will find a treasure trove of magical items and an endless array of tables for quick randomized information. There are rules that cover concepts like henchmen and hirelings, magic item creation, world building concepts and a wide variations of approaches to campaign styles that are all universally applicable.

I have never run a game of D&D without this books influence regardless of edition, it is a must read and a must have for any serious DM.

The Mystara Gazetteer’s

There are many settings created for the game of D&D, but you would be hard pressed to find a setting that does a more thorough of job creating a diverse, living, breathing world in which to set your game that are directly applicable to game sessions. The Gazatteer’s were written over 16 books that detail every culture and every region of the world, but the focus of the books is to give you material you can use and it is here where most settings kind of fail for me.

The Mystara Gazetteer series was a bright, colorful series of books that inspired you with its art and attention to detail, but the most valuable aspect of the books is their usability at the table.

The amount of inspired writing, unique story hooks and NPC characters in excessive detail makes this one of the most usable campaign settings ever written in my humble opinion.

More than that however is the fact that Mystara is a truly unique setting, not reliant on the endlessly repeating clichés found the many settings written for Dungeons and Dragons in the following years. It breaks the mold before there ever was one to base your setting off of. Since Mystara settings have been largely variations on the same concepts and it can be tough to distinguish the difference between the Forgotten Realms and point of light.

Thanks to RPG Drive Thru and print on demand, getting access to these books is relatively easy, a well worth investment for any aspiring DM looking for a place to create their adventures.

Pathfinder 2nd edition Core Rulebook

While as a DM I generally prefer simpler and more classically driven systems for my D&D like B/X or BECMI, when it comes to modern renditions of the modern game of D&D, Pathfinder 2nd edition is without question the gold standard.

It makes quick work out of complex rules while serving to provide highly involved and exciting game session. This is a game so fine tuned, so well thought out, streamlined and brilliantly diverse, that it works not just as a D&D clone but a universal fantasy system.

Paizo has shown that fantasy role-playing can be stretched in a variety of creative and interesting ways, with Pathfinder 2nd edition they have effectively created a new sub-genre of Dungeons and Dragons.

Pathfinder ensures that players have maximum creativity and options in their hand, while ensuring the DM can manage it all, keeping it straight for the table without having to do constant rules look ups. Pathfinder 2nd edition does everything right, including correcting the many things D&D has done wrong for 40+ years like its core action management systems.

If you are looking for a modern D&D system, before you consider 5e, consider Pathfinder 2nd edition. It is the definitive modern version of the game that is superior to everything that is out there today.

The Reavers of Harkenwold

I think the saddest part of the Dungeons and Dragons 4th edition as a game is that despite a really terrible mechanical focus, it had some of most inspired adventure and setting writing, with some of the best writers in the business providing the material. Guys like Richard Baker and Bill Slavicsek were at the helm of some of this material which included The Dark Sun Campaign book, Kyhber’s Harvest for the Eberron setting and one of my absolute favorite adventures, the two parter, Reavers of Harkenwood (The Iron Circle & The Die is Cast).

Reavers of Harkenwold was released as part of the Essentials Line for 4th edition as a two part introductory set, but the love that was put into this book shows just how fantastic of a content creator Richard Baker is.

What I love about Reavers of Harkenwold is that its one of those rare instances where an setting for the adventure is so well written you can run it as written and its absolutely brilliant. That is really rare in adventure writing, I can only think of a small handful of adventures that pull that off.

Reavers of Harkenwold however is more than just an adventure, in fact that is not why its on this list, what this is really is a very well thought out mini campaign and its written in a style that really makes it system agnostic which is also something that is really rare in adventure writing. Its a setting, its an open world, it has a great villains and above all else it tests the morality of an adventuring group. By the time your troupe is done playing through this adventure, they will know who their characters are, but they will also care about a place, become involved in the setting and establish themselves as part of it. That is really what makes Reavers of Harkenwold so great as a publication.

Reavers of Harkenwold didn’t make my top 10 modules of all time list but the truth is that I have never viewed this as an adventure module, to me its a mini campaign as what makes it great is less the story and more the setting it presents.

The Rules Cyclopedia

The Dungeons and Dragons Rules Cyclopedia to me is the most definitive work ever done for Dungeons and Dragons. It combines all of the original 1st edition Dungeons and Dragons core rules under one roof before the game diverged into the “advanced rules” concept which arguably could be construed as a good or a bad thing.

This very thick book is the absolute definitive collection of rules for the 1st edition D&D system and its very accessible today via RPG drivethru using their print on demand service.

To me personally the Basic and Expert Dungeons and Dragons sets combined to form THE best version of Dungeons and Dragons as a game system. To me, once the advanced rules came along with concepts like the race and class split is where most of the problems in Dungeons and Dragons started. Balance issues, rules complexity issues and all of the minutia that comes with that complexity that have driven decades of arguments what about D&D should and shouldn’t be. The B/X set never suffered under the weight of rules complexity, it was a system that was designed to be played and to this day it is the most commonly used system as a base for D&D variant. Their are more fantasy games based on B/X rules then all other D&D systems in existence times a hundred.

The rules cyclopedia is a compilation of the Basic and Expert rules, but it also includes the companion, master and immortal supplements which bring in concepts like kingdom management, high level play and topping it off with the ascension of characters as gods. Using the rules Cyclopedia is the only way a group of D&D fans can play the same D&D game for decades and never run into the balance issues of high level play. It is the most complete, all in one rule set for running D&D and its the first and last book you will ever need to run D&D forever.

Its a masterpiece in my eyes and though I prefer to run only the B/X rules myself, its great to have all the added support in the event a campaign stretches into those higher levels.

1st edition Forgotten Realms Box Set

Not to suggest that 1st is always better, but the 1st edition Forgotten Realms Box set to me is the unquestionable definitive work for this setting and everything that followed played second fiddle to it. Not only as a description and definition of the setting, but in how it was written and what it focused on.

The Forgotten Realms is a iconic D&D setting, but never in its history was in as good a shape as it was in its original box set release, if you love the realms, these are the books you should be using.

This box set was designed to be used at the table, offering the GM key information about events in this place, events that would lead to modules linked to the original setting material. Strangely this approach was largely abandoned after this box set, transitioning to the way settings are written today where the material is “general information” about the world with an assumption that creating a story in the setting is up to the GM. I prefer the way it was done in this book as it ties key stories and events of the setting to the player characters with other fantastic material like The Pool of Radiance, The Curse of Azure Bonds and other classic stories like Expedition to Undermountain and City of the Spider Queen.

It was also before anyone started fiddling with the history of the setting to try to fit it into modern editions of the game that constantly expanded the races and classes of the game, breaking a lot of the nuances of the setting, those subtle elements that would take the setting from a believable real place to an obvious attempt to fit the latest players handbook into it.

The 1st edition Forgotten Realms setting was the only version of the setting that did not take the rules of the game into consideration, focusing on the lore and history of the world, directing its events based on the story, rather then the latest rules.

When it comes to the Forgotten Realms, this is the box set to own.

The Scarred Lands Campaign Setting

Born from the remnants of the White Wolf writers, The Scarred Lands Campaign Setting is styled after the story first concept so much of the amazing writing that was done for the world of darkness. The Scarred Lands is perhaps one of the most unique settings that exists for Dungeons and Dragons, originally published for 3rd edition D&D.

The Scarred Lands, like Mystara, had incredible detail among countless books released for the setting, each effectively its own mini campaign setting, but because it was written by former White Wolf writers, it has that dark and almost disturbing twist blended into its pages.

It’s a setting that defines in absolute perfect detail some of the most unique places ever inked for a Dungeon and Dragons world. Whether your talking about Calastia: The Throne of the Black Dragon that brings one of the most amazing political villains ever written into your world, The City of Hollowfaust, essentially a city run by necromancers and the undead or awesome books like The Wise and The Wicked that describe the many unique people of the world both villain and hero alike, The Scarred Lands is just chalk full of exquisite detail.

The Scarred Lands setting to me is one of the few out there written for D&D that completely breaks expectation, discards the cliques and gives the players a place to explore that will truly surprise them and again, it does this on a level so detailed that every single book written for the Scarred Lands becomes a campaign setting in of itself.

So good, it hurts.

Old School Essentials

One of the issues many modern gamers have with old school systems like 1st edition Basic D&D and Advanced D&D is that the rules are considered incoherent, hard to grasp, inconsistent and difficult to run. It has always been a problem for modern gamers to even try out old school systems to see the differences, to see what they are missing, to understand that piece of history and why their are so many fans of these old school systems. Its an unfortunate situation, one old school GM’s like me contend with all the time because frankly its all true. Old school systems are indeed written in a style that makes them really difficult to implement at the table.

I will never be able to say enough about how highly I think of The Old School Essentials books, this is the finest, most streamlined and impactful release for D&D in 40 years to me.

In comes Old School Essentials, essentially a true down to the last detail replication of Basic/Expert rules but with modern organization to make the game as comprehensible, as easy to understand and use as the original rules desired to be. It took 4 decades for someone to unravel the mess of the original works and create a book that makes the whole thing comprehensible and not only has Old School Essentials done this successfully, but it did it better then what we see even in modern rule books.

Old School Essentials brings all the fun, excitement and glory of the old days in a easy to understand and absorb way proving that not only are the original B/X rules amazing, but it is everything modern gamers want modern D&D to be, but simply never quite gets their.

One of the best books written this decade, oddly enough using rules made 4 decades early. A masterpiece resurrected for the modern day.

Pathfinder: Kingmaker & Ultimate Campaign Guide

The 1st edition of Pathfinder was really just a spruced up version of D&D 3rd edition, but because of the timing of its release, being after 3.5 which was an extremely long running edition of the game and during the 4th edition of D&D which was one of the least popular editions of the game in the D&D franchise, 1st edition Pathfinder was the edition I actually played the most next to Basic/Expert rules.

Pathfinder Kingmaker was updated for 2nd edition in a single book for the entire adventure path. To me this was an instant classic that deserves mention in any conversation about Dungeons and Dragons campaigns.

In the course of its run, I found most of the material released for the game to be quite suitable, but it was the adventure path Kingmaker and its related source book, The Ultimate Campaign Guide that really brought the game to a whole new level.

Pathfinder takes an old D&D concept, Empire/Kingdom building found in classic D&D modules like Test of the Warlords and campaign settings like Birthright and makes it comprehensible. While the rules for domains were covered reasonably well in the BECMI system, the word comprehensible would not be how I would have described it their either for all the love I have for the system.

Kingmaker made domain running for D&D a pure joy and because the module had a great story and setup for players to take throne, it ended up being one of the most popular adventure path in Paizo’s history, so much so that they made a video game out of it.

Ultimate Campaign uses the same core system for kingdom management as Kingmaker, but expands on it and other campaign running features that allow you to create your own kingdom building stories.

Of all the stuff that came out of Pathfinder, I count Kingmaker and Ultimate Campaign Guide as the absolute best of the best and what is really great with the Ultimate Campaign Guide is that it is mostly system agnostic so you can apply the rules of kingdom management to your favorite D&D system not to mention that Kingmaker itself as an adventure path has been converted to both Pathfinder 2nd edition rules and 5th edition D&D rules making it that much easier.

Fantastic content worth getting even if you don’t use the 1st edition Pathfinder system.

1st edition Oriental Adventures

The offensively named book is to me one of the best supplements ever written for 1st edition Advanced Dungeon and Dragons and that is saying a lot as their have been quite a few that competed for a space like this.

Oriental adventures was effectively an alternative version of 1st edition Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, a self contained alternative for fans of Asian lore. No one has done as amazing of a job bringing this style of play to the table as this Gygax did with this book.

I’m a huge fan of Japanese and Chinese lore. What Oriental Adventures does is D&D’affy it, creating not only a fantastic sub-system for Dungeons and Dragons with all new races and classes with mechanical constructs way ahead of its time like Ancestry and Honor, new spells, new equipment, but a great setting. It effectively refreshed Dungeons and Dragons using the endless well of Asian lore, doing so not only respectfully but with a fantastic fun twist.

I adore Oriental Adventures and because it’s written by Gygax, it has that commanding voice legibility to it, making it not only a fun, applicable book for the table, but a great night stand read.

There was a 3rd edition of this book and of course their are entire systems dedicated to this setting like the amazing Legend of the Five Rings, but if you already love D&D and you want an Asian twist, this is the book to get.

That concludes our list, hope you enjoyed it!

Best of List

Top 10 Board Games 2020 Edition

It has been almost a full year and a half since I have updated this list and while board gaming as a hobby has been tragically hindered by the ongoing covid crisis pretty much the entire year, I think an update is in order.

This time around there are some pretty heavy handed changes and I have to admit that even I was surprised when I was finished writing this article and making my determination, but on the bright side there is plenty of new stuff to talk about so without further delay, lets get into it.

10. B-17 Flying Fortress Leader

I know that solo games are not everyone’s cup of tea but this game has so much great depth and such an amazing feel factor, not to mention it looks absolutely stunning on the table that it just has to be on my list.


I will be the first to admit that when it comes to my top 10 list, putting this one on here I have almost a sense of embarrassment. It’s sort of like admitting that you like the Star Wars Holiday special, or are a fan of white socks with sandals.

While it’s not my first solo game on the list, this is a rather obscure DVG game that I think most people who look at my list will scratch their head and wonder where the connection is, how in the world you go from any of these game to this one. It’s just something out of left field.

The truth is however that B-17 Flying Fortress Leader is one of those “piece of engineering” games that has this very tight, story driven premise that I personally find completely engrossing. You are a commander of a fleet of American bombers during World War II, making all of the decisions about bombing targets, flight paths, plane configurations, resource management and general command decisions. You setup all of your orders and put everything into place and then the games AI takes over where your plan is executed and you watch helplessly as your decisions are put into action. Its just enthralling and though I can’t say I’m a huge history buff, there is something about this particular piece of history I just can’t help but obsess over. There is just something sexy about world war II American bomber planes.

More than that though this is a game that just looks amazing on your hobby table, it’s an intimate solo game that you can play in one sitting or spread it out over days. It has a really fine-tuned sequence and there is a tremendous amount of strategy and planning that when done well you are rewarded for, yet there are surprising twists that keep you coming back to try again and again.

It’s a hard one to recommend to a general player base but It would be dishonest if I didn’t put it on my personal top ten list given how often I play it. If you have an interest in the subject matter and are looking for a cool solo game however, if my opinion counts, I think this is one of the coolest games I have found in years. (read the full review here ).

9. Twilight Struggle

Twilight Struggle really blew me away the first time I played it despite having a lot of reservations about even trying it. It’s one of those games you always hear about but don’t actually think you will like, well I’m here to tell you, you are wrong. You will like this game, any reasonable gamer will.

Twilight Struggle is an award winning game that has maintained a strong presence in the euro gaming community on board game geek for years, keeping the number one spot for nearly a decade. It has a digital app, yearly competitions and is considered widely as one of the best designs in board gaming by some of the most prestigious designers around.

That is not however why I like it, quite to the contrary, I was fairly uninterested in the game despite all of these accolades and have only recently tried it on a whim with very few expectations. Truth is that the subject matter didn’t interest me and I feel very strongly that theme is key to any game that would ordinarily make this list.

Twilight Struggle’s surprise for me was two fold. First I was shocked to discover how amazing the game actually was and how well deserved its praises really were. This is a deep, thinky and very dynamic game that pulls on a lot of mechanical levers that beg to be explored. More importantly however it actually inspired an interest in the subject matter for me (The Cold War) which is actually a fascinating period in history full of intrigue, actions and counter actions that give A Song of Ice and Fire a run for its money.

Just a fantastic game, one of my favorite discoveries in the last few years and as you have already been told by pretty much everyone, this is a game that belongs on your shelf no matter what type of board gamer you are.

8. War of The Ring

The Asymmetrical 2 player epic is effectively Lord of the Rings in a box, if you love the books and movie, this is an amazing way the battle for Middle-Earth.

This year I have tried to be honest with myself and include “times played” as a consideration for judgement for games on this list. Truth be told, I have not played War of the Ring for nearly 3 years at this point and this is the reason it drops to the number 8 spot. I couldn’t bring myself to remove it from the list entirely because I still consider it to be one of the best 2 player epics out there, but fall it has and unless something changes, fall off the list it will.

I have spoken so much about this game over the years I could put up half a dozen links from this sight alone, it feels strange to repeat any of it. I think the game can be summed up by saying that this is the entire Lord of the Rings story in a box, if you love the middle earth saga you must play this game. This game is Lord of the Rings.

So why haven’t I played it, this I think is a fair question that should be answered. After all its on my top 10 list and I haven’t played it in 3 years, that needs an explanation. The answer however is actually quite simple. When the opportunity to play 2 player games comes up, this is usually time reserved for playing miniature games. Miniature games in my gaming group carry a lot of weight and so there is this default assumption that if there is 2, then we play a miniature game. It’s just really hard for me to get 2 player board games to the table in general no matter how good I think they are.

7. Game of Thrones The Board Game 2nd Edition

This is a game that is played in the minds of the players, the board and pieces are mostly distraction.

Game of Thrones the board game has had a consistent presence on this list for years but this year it takes a significant drop from the number 3 spot. I don’t think this is a reflection on the game itself but popularity and current plays of any game are going to fluctuate and frankly this year Game of Thrones was a bit meh all together in our group and especially for me.

I think its something that happens eventually when you have played a game often enough where you start to see some of the chinks in the armor. Don’t get me wrong, this game would not be on this list if I didn’t love it and was willing to drop what I’m doing to play it, but I certainly can think of several epics I would pick right now over this one to play in a larger 5-6 player group. It is a great game, it has been a great game for over a decade in my group, but I’m at a point with it where I have played it enough times that it may be time to retire it from this list.

For those that have never played this one however, know that its staying power in my gaming group and for me personally exceeds a decade of entertainment, if you can get that much out of any game its what I would call an auto-buy. Like that is a great record to have for a game and GoT the board games earns those stripes undisputed.

6. War Room

War Room is not a game, it’s an experience. It takes the idea of playing war games to the absolute limit, yet somehow makes it very accessible and to some degree practical. You’re going to need a huge table and a lot of time, but that is the price of entry into this theatre of the mind.

I was very hesitant about putting this game on this list because I have to be honest here, I am yet to play a full game with a full group. Its on this list largely because I know my games, I know what I like and I know that a game is “going to be amazing” from reading of rules and play testing it myself. I have done this extensively with War Room and I’m almost 100% certain that after playing it with my local gaming group this one will surge on this list to one of the top spots. For now I leave it at number 7 for the sake of propriety.

War Room is Larry Harris’s new world war II epic, the guy that brought us the ultimate classic Axis and Allies. War Room is massive both in size and scope, a game designed with about the most elegant and well thought out mechanics I have seen in years. Its very clear that Larry took his time with this one using all of the experience, feedback and knowledge he has mustard up over the last few decades with Axis and Allies.

It is absolutely astonishingly beautiful on the table, its designed with various player counts in mind and though like Axis and Allies and most “super games” as I like to call them this one is long as fuck and will not be easy to get to the table, likely taking in excess of 12 hours. Hence this is an event in a box and it makes no apologies for that.

This game will make you feel like a military commander running world war II and this is exactly what the game tries to accomplish. The rules are relatively simple but the strategies go deep and its going to cease up your brain as you try to unravel the possibilities. For fans of war games, in particular Axis and Allies, this is a must own. Unfortunately its a very exclusive and hard to get game not to mention without a doubt one of the most expensive I have ever bought so be warned before you get too excited that this one may be as hard to get on your shelf as it is to get to the table.

5. Twilight Imperium 4th edition

Without a doubt one of my favorite games of all time, Twilight Imperium is just part of the family at this point.

Twilight Imperium is a game I have talked about since I started this blog and the blog before that. In fact, I have spent the last 10+ years talking about it and frankly I’m yet to fully tire of it. This is a versatile game that offers science-fiction fans the ultimate epic in gaming today. There is no game on the market that comes even close to creating such a dynamic, one of a kind experiences as Twilight Imperium and though it has fluctuated on this list over the years and editions, this latest version of the game is in my humble opinion the best yet and by a wide margin.

I think of all the things I could say about Twilight Imperium the one that should get your attention is that despite its weight, scope and play time, it is a relatively simple game to learn to play and learn to play well. A couple of games of this and anyone can become an expert and that is what I love about it. The mechanics just work and just like all great board games, much of the games strategy and game play is very much player driven. Which simply means that every group is going to play this game differently and each time you add or exchange a player the dynamics of the game will change.

Love it, always have, always will.

4. Vampire: The Masquerade Heritage

Vampire Heritage is the new kid on the block, fresh and young and though legacy games have a tendency to rise and fall, I think this one may stick around a lot longer than what might be expected. Very strong opening.

Anyone who follows my blog may know that I’m a huge Vampire: The Masquerade RPG fan, in fact I have been running a Vampire Chronicle with my local group going on 3 years now and we absolutely love everything about this setting. When a board game set in the world of darkness was announced it was an easy decision for us, but frankly we were quite reserved in our excitement initially. Vampire as a game and as a setting is a very delicate matter to fans like us and its easy to fuck up, our confidence that someone would come along and make a great board game out of it was lets just say limited.

Boy where we wrong, holy shit balls this game is amazing. Now I have put it on my number 6 spot only because we have just started to play this legacy game, having only finished our first era of the game, but I personally fell instantly in love with this one for three key, indisputable reason.

First is that the game captures the world of vampires with perfection. This is exactly the feeling I was hoping the game would offer. The politics, the betrayals, the maneuvering, the manipulation.. its all there. It gives you that creepy sense of place and time, illustrated beautifully to also enhance the imagery. Really just a perfect execution of the theme in board game form.

The second thing is that the game is extremely simple from a mechanical “how do you play this thing” point of you, while the gameplay, the strategy itself is immensely complicated. I love it when any game does this, where I can sit down with friends and spend 10 minutes explaining “how” the rules work, but we will spend the next six months trying to figure out how to win. Again I can’t say enough how pleased I was to see this approach taken, its really amazing.

Finally its a legacy game and I know a lot of people have reservations about legacy games because they are sort of “one shot” play throughs but there are 21 games in the chronicle and even after 3 games (the first era) the game has fundamentally changed in unique ways that will not repeat if you in the future would replay this one. Those permanent alterations to the game give this amazing sense of personalization and when you really think about it one of the biggest problems with most board games is that you will eventually tire of playing them anyway. The legacy keeps the game fresh play after play which means that each time we get together though we are playing the same game, things will be very different. I love this concept, I think it works particularly well in this game.

For fans of the world of darkness, don’t hesitate, this is a game tailor made for you.

3. Lord of the Rings The Living Card Game

I love this game and true love lasts forever!

Yes, my favorite, top game of all time has dropped down from the list. What can I tell you, it happens to the best of them. I have to say however even though this card game represents the highest investment I have ever made in a game (I have an almost complete collection), I have gotten more joy out of this game then everything else in my collection combined and I know I will play it forever.

Its just an amazing game and you can read the various reviews and comments on this one all over this blog site, I speak of it often. The truth is however that I have played this game so much that its time for me to sort of move on to other things.. for a while. I will certainly be back at some point as this one has a tendency to resurge like crazy. I have periods when I play this one non-stop and periods when I don’t play at all, but it goes back and forth.

What is it, why do I love it, just read the review and you will understand. REVIEW.

2. Through The Age: A New Story of Civilizations

Through The Ages is to Civilization building games what Twilight Imperium is to science-fiction games. Its a game fit for a king.

Through The Ages drops to the number 2 spot on my list, but holds strong as one of my all time favorites. This has always been one of those games that’s tough to recommend much like Twilight Imperium and maybe even War Room simply because of the length of play. Through The Ages however has two things going for it that keeps it on my radar far more frequently then the other “heavy” board game experiences.

For one, it plays really well with a small group, even as a two player game. Far more importantly however is that its supported by a really great app allowing me to play it whenever I have time without the fuss of trying to get a table game going and nothing is lost in this resource management game when doing so. I certainly think the pandemic crisis in the world leaving me locked in my house has helped this game to claim more of my free gaming time then it might have otherwise, but I have played this game quite consistantly for over 3 years now and I still love it every bit as much as I always have.

Recently it got an expansion as well which is the first for the Through The Age franchise as the original version never got that service which has also helped to refresh the game for me.

Love this one, but it’s heavy, thinky and long so be ready for that if you plan to commit.

1. A Song of Ice and Fire: The Miniature Game

Song of Ice and Fire is one of those games that you just know 20 years from now you will look back and consider it a classic, a game that becomes representative of an age of gaming in your life. It’s just that good.

Without question or doubt, Song of Ice and Fire the miniature game is the big blow out in 2020 for me. A game I have played and obsessed over at every opportunity I could get and thanks to the ability to play the game online through the use of Table Top Simulator, I played it a lot this year.

It’s not the first miniature game to find its way to the top spot on my list, you may recall (if you read my blog) that Star Wars: X-Wing held that spot tightly for a couple of years.

Song of Ice and Fire is just one of those gems that fires on all cylinders both as a miniature game and just as a gaming experience for me. It’s deeply tactical, yet simple to learn, it adds the hobby component but makes it as painless for you as possible, it has a really strong community and tremendous support by the publisher.

More than that though its just a fun game to play, it’s one of those “sink your teeth into it” kind of games that you can analyze and experiment with, the more you play the more you discover the little nook and crannies of possibilities. List building, adapting new ways to use the same units, trying to find those great positional and circumstantial moments that tip the scales. I love that it’s so dynamic as well, rather then your standard “lets just kill each other” it’s a mission based game and each mission is as unique as the next, all of them presenting interesting and diverse challenges.

The fact that its based on an amazing franchise with a robust theme, one it incorporates amazingly well certainly adds to the games flavor but certainly at least for me personally the fact that all my friends dove in head first into it means that I have a plethora of opponents always available representing all of the factions in the game.

It’s just a really solid miniature game that dropped into my group at the right time, one that I’m totally head over heels for, it earns its stripes as the top game for this list.

The Drop Offs

I always feel compelled to mention some of the games that drop off the list, in particular given that I still consider them amazing games worth your time.

Shogun by Queen Games falls off the top 10 list for the first time since I started the list and I can’t stress enough how painful that was as I absolutely adore this game. The dice tower of terrible faith, the deeply analytical planning phase and those explosive “I can’t believe that just happened” moments as battles are resolves are just a small taste of why I love this game. It’s wonderful but it gets pushed off the list, it happens to the best of them.

Great Western Trail is another one I consider “the best in genre”. This is probably my favorite pure euro, pure victory point smorgasbord game. It’s just clever as hell and deserves all of the praise it gets from the general gaming community. It was only ever at the tale end of my top 10 list, but certainly deserving to be on the list as is any other game that made it over the years.

New Angeles was one I didn’t really lose too much sleep over, don’t get me wrong I think it’s a great game but I felt it had sort of played itself out for me personally. It’s still a staple of my gaming groups yearly super board gaming weekend for good reason as its a fantastic group game and I’m sure that will remain unchanged, but for me it was time for it to go.

Blood Rage is one I struggle with always because I do believe it to be an absolutely perfectly designed game, but I just don’t play it often enough nor find myself drawn to it frequently enough to justify its presence on my list. That does not change its status as the only game on this blog that ever got a perfect 5 out of 5 star review rating, it deserved it and I stand by it.

Star Wars Armada falls of the list and I think its largely because I just don’t feel there is room on my top 10 list for two miniature games and A Song of Ice and Fire blew it out of the sky with ease. There will always be a special place in my heart for Armada as I do believe it to be a fantastic game, but its so heavy and weighs you down so much that I just can’t bring myself up to restarting the engines. I don’t have any intentions to get rid of my collection and I do genuinely hope it comes back around in my group some day, but right now I’m battling it over the seven kingdoms of Westeros and loving it.

Best of List, Gaming Articles

Top 10 War Games

While I recognize the concept of a war game can be a great many things and such a list can probably vary dramatically, when I say war game I mean soldiers on a map, fighting over territory in the classic sense. So while games like Through The Ages have abstracted war concepts and something like Cosmic Encounter may technically be seen as a galactic war, to me this sort of game would not really qualify as the focus game is something other then war. For example Through The Ages is an empire building game and while war is an inevitable part of that, at the core of its game-play is the concept of building up your empire. I also excluded miniature games because I feel though certainly these games would qualify as war games, its kind of its own category deserving of its own list. Finally I excluded short (filler) games, again, not that I dislike or don’t play such games, but filler gamers are really their own category and though many can be about war even in the more serious sense, I believe most people who would look up “war games” are looking for something a bit more robust.

Ok lets get into this.

10. IKUSA, formally Shogun, Formally Samurai Swords

While many gamers consider dice chuckers like RISK to be beneath them, to me Ikusa has sufficient “extra’s” to make it a quality strategic game and would simultaneously please RISK players. The fact that it looks amazing on the table is just a cherry on top.

This 1980’s Milton Bradly big box classic has been on my shelf since I was a teenager and with only brief interruption I have always played with pretty much every gaming group I have had. Certainly at this stage in gaming history its a bit of a dated game, but I do believe it has aged a lot better then all of the other Milton Bradly classics and still holds up in particular as an alternative to the traditional dice chuckers like RISK.

Its a nostalgia thing to some degree for sure, though I do believe out of all the old 80’s classics which includes Axis and Allies, Fortress America, Stratego, RISK and Supremacy, this is the only one I still long to play today.

Its a classic take on the dice chucker, but it takes it up a notch or two by having unique armies that can be permanently removed from the game, strategic resource management to give the game a measure of planning beyond just where you attack and unique individual units for interesting ways to affect battle outcomes.

Of course the fact that its medieval japan (one of my favorite time periods and historical cultures) as well as looking absolutely amazing on the table helps it a great deal not to mention the childhood memories I have of the long summer days playing it with my friends. I love this game and this list would be incomplete without it, warts and all.

Recommendations: If you love medieval Japan in using western presumptions about the era (think samurai’s and ninja’s), in particular if your a fan of RISK, this game is for you.

9. Tide of Iron

It looks and feels like a heavy world war II tactical game, without that uncomfortable elitness required from most games in the genre or that silly need for ultra realism.

I love war games and I love tactical miniature games, but when it comes to tactical board games I find I don’t have the same affinity for them. In fact, Tide of Iron is, out of my considerable collection of games, the only tactical board game I actually own. I don’t know why that is exactly, but I suspect it has to do with the fact that so many tactical board games are based on World War II and since I have Tide of Iron and adore it, I find it difficult to seek out other games that cover the same subject on the same scale. I mean there are a metric ton of them out their from Conflict of Heroes to Advanced Squad Leader which all seem interesting, but I always fall back to the question, why do I need another one when I already have one I love?

My love for Tide of Iron comes from a childhood memory of playing war with little green men, which is essentially what Tides of Iron is. Scenario driven, Tide of Iron zooms in on the battlefield to the squad level where players control squads of soldiers, tanks, various artillery in a wide range of situations in a green vs. grey army men World War II battle.

It abstracts many high level concepts like bombing runs, long range artillery and various “tactics” on the battlefield with cards that give the game a sort of zoomed in and zoomed out level of play which makes the battles feel more authentic, while also having a very clever system for managing terrain that is easy to understand and teach, a common complexity in other games of this type that often focus too much on realism in my opinion.

Its an engaging game that I love to pull out and I have even on occasion made it my choice of solo plays. I can’t recall a time I introduced the game to someone who didn’t love it, in fact, its been a birthday present to a couple of friends over the years which says a lot, especially since they were not “gamer” buddies.

Great tactical experience, bit of a pain to setup but tons of scenarios available and can be scaled for different lengths, ranging from everything between a short 1 hour mini battle to a 4 hour major engagement. Great fun, simple mechanics, perfect for inducting new players into war gaming.

Recommendations: If you like World War II tactical games, but find many of them overcooked, Tide of Iron gets it just right here with a perfect balance between realism and ease of play.

8. Empire of the Sun

Empire of the Sun is a very complex game and is not recommended for the uninitiated.

Easily one of the most complex games I have ever played and certainly the most complex one on this list by a wide margin, Empire of the Sun approaches the war in the Pacific in such detail, such focus and such an unusual scale that it is truly a unique gem in the genre, in fact I would say the game is a genre onto itself. I actually don’t recommend this game to all but the most dedicated war game fan, but in terms of scale and subject matter, it is the unquestionable king of high level strategic war games.

Card driven similar to Paths of Glory and as likely to have a-historical outcomes as Paths of Glory, Empire of the sun simultaneously zooms out and plays on the high level strategic map, while zooming in to cover the history of the Pacific War in great detail.

Its a fantastic game, one I have Reviewed, worth a look but be sure you are ready, it can be quite overwhelming.

Recommendation: This is for the ambitious war gamer looking for the ultimate challenge. It takes time and dedication to learn to play it and ten times that to learn to play it well. Its a life style game, make sure you have a dedicated partner.

7. Paths of Glory

Paths of Glory is a classic in the historical war gaming communities and is the foundation game for card driven mechanics.

World War I is probably one of the less known or sought after topics, and though this is a relatively new addition to my collection I’m warming up to it very quickly thanks to its strategic depth. Paths of Glory falls into the card driven point to point high level strategy games which is almost a genre in on to itself but this classic is a classic for good reason as I have discovered.

Really intricate and detailed it does what I love most about historical war games of this type, it infuses the game with rich thematic history, but does not become scripted walking you through the war as it actually happened. In Paths of Glory you are going to change history in some of the most unpredictable and interesting ways and because its a card driven game with literally billions of possible outcomes its physically impossible for you to play enough games to have even a similar outcomes from game to game. Every game of Paths of Glory is going to be wildly different. Some history buffs might find the a-historical outcomes to be distracting but for me personally there is nothing I hate more then playing a war game where I’m just going through the motions to ensure my war turns out exactly as it did in history. I find games like that incredibly boring and they never make my shelf.

Paths of Glory is more than just a war game however because while you are certainly focused on winning the war on the battlefield, you must carefully manage your resources and supply lines and like in real history, wars are rarely won or lost becomes of the outcome of battles, but rather everything that happens before and after. The influx of key historical moments represented on cards can also create some incredibly complex puzzles to solve increasing the challenge on a wide range of scales. What happens if Italy fails to enter the war in a timely fashion, or the Russian Czars never fall or the US never enters the war? All of these things are possible and more in a wide range of combinations and timings, all driving you to play the game again and again.

Absolutely love this game and though the complexity level ranges somewhere between the mid to high range, I find that the rules are very well laid out and it really doesn’t take more than one play to really get it. People say the game takes about 8 hours to play and I would agree that is the case until you play with an opponent that already knows the rules. Then the game goes from an 8 hour game to a 3 hour game fairly easily as the flow of the game is very quick once you get the hang of things.

Recommendations: This is definitely a game for someone looking for a higher level of complexity and meeting to the game, if you like games like Twilight Struggle or Washington’s War, this game uses many of the same concepts. If you are a world war I history buff, this one should not be missed.

6. Washington’s Wars

Washington’s War looks a lot more complicated than it is, I would put this is the light rules category.

A Mark Herman card driven game, however unlike Empire of the Sun, Washington’s War is a relatively light game that is closer to the likes of Twilight Struggle in weight and scope. This is a game about card management, strategic positioning and timing but unlike Twilight Struggle there is no requirement of card memorization which makes it a lot more newbie friendly.

In fact it’s almost questionable whether this is an actual war game, just like Twilight Struggle it is technically a game about war and you have armies and battles, but really this is a strategy game that covers the revolutionary war from a very high level overview.

I put it on this list mainly because I believe very strongly that if you are going to play games like Twilight Struggle, Paths of Glory, or even Empire of the Sun, this is your starting point. Learn this game and the rest will be a lot easier for you to absorb and understand as its incredibly rules light for such a deep strategic experience yet it uses many of the same concepts and mechanics as the various more complex cousins.

One thing I love about Washington’s War is that the game is relatively quick, yet gives you that full, heavy war game feel. Its a rare treat to find an opponent as the Revolutionary war, much like World War I in Paths of Glory is something not everyone is really going to know, though unlike Paths of Glory, knowing the history of the Revolutionary War is really not going to be much help here, its a lot more abstracted and general in terms of card play.

In any case I adore Washington’s War, while many would claim that Empire of the Sun is Mark Hermans masterpiece (and it very well may be) I think of all his games, this is the most likely to make the table if for no other reason than that it takes all of 10 minutes to explain how to play and even a first timer will pick up the game and put up some serious competition which is really what puts this one over the top for me.

Recommendation: Great entry level war game and introduction to card driven war games. If you have interest in playing games like Twilight Struggle, Paths of Glory and Empire of the Sun (universally accepted classics in the historical war gaming genre), this is where you start.

5. Battle of Rokugan

Its a game that feels like a knife fight in a phone booth from round 1, one of the hidden gems in the Fantasy Flight Games library.

Easily one of the most underrated strategy war games to come out of fantasy flight in the last decade, Battle of Rokugan is a gem that fills that “I want a war game, but I don’t have 4 hours to play one” feel to it. This is my go to game whenever I have people over who see all my board games on the shelf and want to play one because “they love risk”.

I have never introduced this game to anyone who didn’t instantly love it and I have on a number of occassions pulled it out at partys with non-gamers who not only end up playing it and loving it, but wanting to instantly play it a second time.

Its fast and furious yet deeply strategic, somewhat asymmetrical and though very abstract, still fairly thematic war game straight to the point war game. Its just a great mechanism for presenting that full fledged war game feel with a very light touch.

I think what I like about it the most is how close the games always are, its rare that a winner can be determined before the final move of the final round and often the game ends with several people within 2-3 points of each other.

Great, deeply strategic game, yet simple to teach and learn. Perfect for that spur of the moment game night.

Recommendation: While it may not scratch that deep historical war game bug floating around in your system, this is a game that will hit the table with just about anyone with even a passing interesting in war games. Its a perfect replacement for RISK.

4. War of The Ring

There is nothing like the feeling of a epic scale game that captures a story, War of the Ring is the best of its kind.

My favorite game I never play, this dust collector however still deserves notice for two core reasons. First, it is the single most thematic game I have ever played, it is without reservation The Lord of the Rings in a box. Secondly, its a game that tells an alternative version of history, written through gameplay of what I believe to be one of the greatest fantasy stories in existence unless you count Star Wars.

Why don’t I play it. Its hard to say, its not a lack of desire, but more circumstance. Its a two player game that takes a good 4-5 hours to play for starters which is not that easy of a thing to pull of for a guy like me who has a dozen gaming friends who always want in on board game night. Though this isn’t really the only problem. The second kind of difficult thing with War of the Rings is that its a terrible game to teach. It requires intricate knowledge of the cards/events, board and an understanding of some of the strategy which can be quite high level and though the game is not really complex per say, it does have an element of randomness that doesn’t really mesh well with the length of the game. Its something that I find is a problem in a lot of games, randomness and long games are a really bad combo. Still when played by experienced players, War of the Rings luck can and is completely circumvented. Beneath its ulterior is a very deep strategy game.

I love this game, it tells a great story, it makes for a fun evening and with the right opponent it will make for a great game two man game night.

Recommendation: If you have a dedicated gaming partner, this is one worth learning and playing repeatedly as it gets better with time. Its a must have for Lord of the Rings fans.

3. Shogun (Dirk Henn version)

Most of Dirk Henns games are in the “not my thing” category, but Shogun is about as me as you can get.

Shogun has been on my top 10 best games of all time list as long as I have kept one. There is so much to love about this game. It combines deep strategic thinking and planning with the wacky and chaotic gameplay reminiscent of Galaxy Trucker. I will submit that this combination will not be for everyone, but to me, board gaming is about having fun and this game brings it in a way no other game I have ever played does.

Ok so its not a serious war game, that cube tower is just down right silly but I have never played this game at any table where when cubes go into the tower people aren’t shouting, cheering and standing up. Its a game that goes from silent contemplation to people laughing out-loud in a single round of play. Some games I love because they are deep and strategic, others I love because they have interesting and thoughtful mechanics, others still I love because they are silly or funny, but Shogun I love just because it combines all of it into a single game.

Its a game that is very easy to grasp, it will capture that casual “RISK” crowd, it has plenty to offer for more seasoned war gamers, yet its play time is relatively quick so it never overstays its welcome.

I would never dare to make a best of list without Shogun on it, it checks so many boxes it can be justified on just about any list but certainly on one with my favorite war games list. Love, love it.

Recommendations: Really and honestly I believe this game has universal appeal if you have an open mind, but my experience has been that some people love it, some people hate it.

2. Game of Thrones The Board Game

This is a game that is played in the minds of the players, the board and pieces are mostly distraction.

While I have much love for the 2nd edition card game as well, to me the board game is a representation of everything I love about war gaming. It is not only a high level strategic war game with asymmetrical factions in an awesome fantasy setting, but throws into it that classic “diplomacy” style betrayal of move and counter move politics. There are so many ways to screw opponents and get screwed by opponents that every turn of the game is a nail biting assessment of what if scenarios and I have rarely ever played this game with anyone where all the passion and raw human emotion a gaming group can muster doesn’t spill onto the table.

This is a very controversial game that may not work with some groups if for no other reason then its a requirement to lie and betray to win, which can create a lot of hostility at the table and create a huge disadvantage for the more casual gamer. Its a cruel game where the only way to win is to completely screw people over and much like the classic Diplomacy it can rub people the wrong way.

My gaming group loves it and every year we do a big game of Game of Thrones at our big board gaming weekend, its always the main event, but be weary, its a long, painful and very hostile game that will end less mature friendships. Adult Advisory on this one.

Recommendations: I would say if you can handle games like Diplomacy, you are going to love this one, but I always put a friendship advisory on this one, its a rough ride and a fairly complex game to boot.

1. Twilight Imperium

There is no doubt in my mind that this is the ultimate gaming experience available in the board game market period.

Easily one of my favorite science-fiction war games, while Twilight Imperium is a fairly complex game and in depth game, I’ve never had much trouble inducting new players. There is a lot of “common sense” rules in the game and even a casual observer can pick up the core concept of the game with ease. There are a lot of moving parts and a fairly multi plateau of strategy that can stump new players, so experience certainly makes a difference but I find a reasonably seasoned gamer doesn’t require more then a couple of turns for the light to come on and understand how to win.

In either case, while the focus of the game is a grand scale intergalactic war the game also features trading, politics, diplomacy and various types of resource management and careful strategic positioning. There is a lot more to it then simply fighting, yet most games are ultimately resolved through direct conflict and the winner is typically the person who created the best setup for himself going into that war.

Amazing game, but it is one of those 6 to 8 hour games that is always at its best with 6 players which can be a fairly difficult game to put together. Though I only play it roughly once a year or so, It’s always one of my favorite gaming get together’s. Its been on my shelf since 3rd edition, over a decade and now with the new streamlined 4th edition there is even more justification to get into this one.

I put it as number one on this list because to me, there is gaming, there is war gaming and then there is Twilight Imperium. It stands out as a unique experience that I have never seen any other game come even close to. Anything can and will happen in this game, no two games will ever resemble each other and you really can spend countless hours contemplating the endless possibilities in the depths of its strategy. This is without question in my mind THE best war game ever made.

Best of List

THe Back 20 Best Games of All Time: 2020 Edition

The last time I updated my top 10 best games of all time list was way back in July 2018, since then quite a few games have graced my table and ordinarily I would want to update that list. As I reviewed the potential new additions to the list and potential replacements a clear reality set in for me. It still holds up.

First lets review the 2018 list.

10. Great Western Trail
9. New Angeles
8. Shogun (Queen Games Version)
7. Blood Rage
6. Twilight Imperium 4th edition
5. Star Wars Armada
4. War of The Ring
3. Game of Thrones: The Board Game
2. Through The Ages: A New Story of Civilization
1. Lord of the Rings: The Living Card Game

Frankly while I could certainly consider shifting the order around a bit and maybe bring some games to challenge some of the ones on this list, I just don’t see enough shifts taking place to revise the list.

Instead what I will give you today is the back 20 best games of all time, numbers 11 to 20. After all the point of any good best games list is to find something that might peek your interest and be worth getting to the table, so as long as we are writing and talking about games, promoting the hobby, what difference does it make if a game is in the top 10 or top 20.

Without further delay here are your top 11 through 20, best games of all time brought to you by Gamersdungeon.net. Enjoy the list.

20. Ikusa (Originally Shogun or Samurai Swords)

Ikusa is gorgeous on the table making this one of the best productions of the game to date.

It may surprise some that an old Milton Bradley title like Ikusa would still make the cut on a best of list, but to me of all those old classics that strived to dethrone RISK as the final word in dice chucking war games which includes prestigious titles like Axis & Allies and Fortress America, Ikusa is still one of the most balanced and straightforward war games that came out of that 80’s era of big box war games.

While I think both Axis and Allies and Fortress America are gems in their own right, they are both asymmetrical games which notably the king of dice chuckers (RISK) with which these games aimed to compete with was not. Back in those days this was the common commentary and line of thought. A game in which all players start on exactly equal footing left no discussion or argument about the balance of the game. Everyone started the same and while you could still blame luck for your loss, you could not blame an unbalanced game for it.

That however is not why I love Ikusa and will still happily play it today. This is a game that was way ahead of its time that went far beyond simply moving army men around a board and chucking dice. Its broken down into planning and execution phases, there are distinctly different units, hail mary plays and a feel of ever escalating warfare in which alliances are made and broken in the same breath.

I have a lot of fond memories from my childhood playing all of the milton bradley titles, in fact I have a lot of nostalgic memories of quite a few games from that era but Ikusa is the only one of those games I own today and there is a good reason for it. Even outside of nostalgia, this is still a solid game classic, nostalgia or not. It’s one I can easily recommend to anyone who loves men on a map war games, it certainly blows out of the water the vast majority of such games put out today.

19. 1830 Railroads & Robber Barons

This is a big, long and fairly complex game that really requires a bit of preparation and commitment from the players. Given its nature to be brutal and unforgiving, it can be difficult to get to the table even with the most experience group of gamers.

Another blast from the past, 1830 is the grandaddy of 18XX train games and without question THE best game about economics that has ever been made. Yes it’s slow and yes, if you don’t love trains, stock markets and capitalism this game will definitely not speak to you, but for me this is one of those rare gems that does something truly unique in gaming that has never been done before and never done since. Except of course in the massive library of 18XX games that exists today that tries to recapture and honor the original. While I have played a few others in what has become a genre/series of games, 1830 is still my favorite with 1854 being a close second.

I spent god only knows how many hours playing the PC version of this game back in the mid 90’s, second only to Sid Meier’s Civilization. It’s far too difficult to explain exactly what the driving force is behind 1830, but I always like to describe it as a knife fight in a phone booth. Claustrophobic, unforgiving and mean almost to the heights of games like Diplomacy where you know it’s not a question of IF your competitors will completely screw you, but a question of WHEN.

If you want to know everything that is wrong with capitalism & greed, there is no game that will make the point better then 1830 Railroads & Robber Barons. It’s not for the feint of heart, but without question in my mind an experience no connoisseur of board games should pass on, it’s a remarkably unique experience you will not have with any other board game out there.

18. Albion: The Resistance & Coup

If I had to choose between coup and the resistance, I think I would choose coup, but mainly because I prefer a more intimate experience of a smaller group.

Albion the resistance is in my mind the result of gaming evolution, the final product of a genre that was born in classics like Werewolf. The final word in hidden identity and betrayer games, forming itself into what I believe to be the ultimate party game.

Coup on the other hand is Albions little brother, for smaller more intimate groups, but effectively has all the same benefits and logic which is why I bring these two games together into a single position on this list.

With very few components and very simple rules, both games in combination with a bit of red wine and good company, can turn a boring dinner party into a memorable evening you’ll be talking about for years.

I have pulled both of these titles out at countless parties and events and they have always been so popular that I end up giving away my copies of the games to my guests. Both games break the barrier between gamer and non-gamer and they are easy to teach and always fun to play.

Wonderful party games without limited meanness and though it may be cheating to put them both in the same spot on this list, to me, even though they are definitely distinctly different games, they accomplish the exact same thing and serve the same purpose in my collection. It’s just a question of whether I have 5 guests or more than 5 guests which defines which of these two I pull out.

17. Condottiere

There are some differences between this original version and the newly reprinted version available today, but the classic rules are optional in the new version so there is no reason to seek out this vintage version, get the new one.

Though the game was released back in 1995 and should be considered a “classic” at this point, I actually only recently discovered it as it has flown under my radar for more than a decade.

I recall the first time I played this game and came to the conclusion right then and there that this game would undoubtedly be a contender for my top 10 best game of all time list. It may be in the 17 spot right now, but frankly I adore this game and it’s making the table at home with my family with more and more frequency.

Its a simple trick taking game, but it adds an area control element to the game play as a sort of strategic scoring mechanism but more importantly it gives the tricks in the game meaning, defining for players the importance of any particular trick which really represents a battle.

It’s a fantastically tactical game and while there is certainly a component of luck in the game, in my experience the skill of a player can mitigate luck almost entirely. In fact, I would say Condottiere has far more in common with games like Texas Hold’em where, what you have in your hand is as important as your ability to read the whites of a competitors eyes. This is a game in which you gamble, you bluff, you stall and you wait for that perfect moment to make your play and hope you have read the room correctly.

Super easy to teach and learn, fantastic sequencing of events that really builds memorable stories which is truly amazing for a game that has such an incredibly simple premise. Definitely a rising star on this list, the more I play it, the more I fall in love with it.

16. Star Wars: Destiny

Star Wars Destiny had a good, albeit short run. Get what you can, once this one goes out of print its not likely to ever come back.

While the story of Fantasy Flight Games collectable card and dice game Star Wars: Destiny was without question always going to end in tragedy (and it did), while FFG failed to make the game work as a business, the designers certainly made it an awesome game to play.

Star Wars: Destiny as a game is absolutely amazing, it is my favorite dueling deck building game out there by a pretty large margin and me and my friend (singalur) have always had a great time with it. It’s unfortunate that FFG just chose a very poor business model for the game making it far too expensive and inaccessible to most people. It certainly rivals games in my collection as the most expensive game on my shelf. It was just a tragically piss poor business model that drove its failure and it came to the surprise of no one that it was cancelled, yet I can’t help but feel incredibly sad to see it go out like this. Star Wars Destiny deserved a better fate.

Still I recommend getting it (on sale preferably) if you can because I don’t think we will ever see a game quite like this again. The combination of card and dice play, the perfectly executed theme and always extremely tight games resulted in a perfect formula for a dueling game.

Easily one of the best failed games that I have ever seen, despite its cancellation I fully intend to buy up what I can for this game before it disappears into the annals of history and I recommend you do the same.

15. Empire of the Sun

This epic experience is not easy to get into, but there is a smaller version of the game called “South Pacific” which is available that covers a smaller part of the conflict and is easier to get into. If you are going to take a dive, know that this smaller version is included in the full game.

Empire of the Sun is definitely not the type of game I would expect to show up on my list and admittedly, its unlikely anything like this will ever show up again. Frankly it was a metric ton of work just to learn how to play this game properly, countless hours pouring over a thick and incredibly complex rulebook to learn how to play an insanely in depth world war II simulation game.

Yet I did it and frankly, I’m better for it and I’m glad I did. Empire of the Sun for all its complexity is an ingenious game, a true masterpiece of game design and though certainly, it speaks to a very specific audience, as a gamer I’m always trying to broaden my horizons and I believe that if you are going to be a conesiour of board games you must be ready and willing to truly explore the hobby. This was undoubtedly my greatest departure out of my comfort zone, yet it has without question been one of the most unique experiences I have had this year.

Empire of the Sun is a game about the war in the pacific that not only gives you the feel of truly commanding with incredible detail this freighting moment in history, but you get to try to re-write it, ultimately coming to the realization that how history actually transpired, did so for very good reason. It’s a wonderful experience to not only command the game, but learn and experience a piece of tragic human history with understanding and ultimately humility.

I don’t recommend you buy this game under normal circumstances. This is what I would call an exploration of passion, do it only if you have the patience and desire to explore the board gaming hobby to its deepest level because that is where this game will take you.

14. Lords of Waterdeep

The Scoundrels of Skullport is an absolute must have expansion for Lords of Waterdeep, I wouldn’t dream of playing the game without it.

One of the few games on this list I don’t actually own, though for the past 4 years running it has been a highlight of our big board gaming weekend we do every summer with my gaming group. I caution you here by saying that YOU MUST have the Scoundrels of Skullport expansion and its position on this list assumes this.

Lords of Waterdeep is really a very standard take on the worker placement genre and in fact, I think by comparison what has been done in the genre over the years since, you might even call it uninspired. It does however have two very distinct elements that elevate it for me above most games in this genre.

First, its Dungeons and Dragons in a setting that is near and dear to my heart, The Forgotten Realms. Secondly however and definitely more importantly, it’s a worker placement game with a lot of fuck you mechanics in it, which is unequivocally the main problem I have with almost all other worker placement games out there today. Aka, the lack of interaction.

Lords of Waterdeep is an actual competition unlike most worker placement games where you can attack and hinder your opponents directly, even team up with other players to do so in a confrontational way which is really the key to the whole game.

Beyond that the game has so many different ways to approach it in terms of victory conditions where replayability really is infinite. You also have the asymmetrical lords which define your play style a bit and of course the expansion with its corruption mechanic adds a gambling/push your luck element to the game which results in the game rising far beyond the experience of your typical worker placement game. I would say its my favorite worker placement game, but as you will see in the moment, there actually is one I like just a little bit better than this one.

13. Empires: Age of Discovery

The definitive deluxe version is well worth getting, it is the pride and joy of my gaming collection, I sometimes pull it off the shelf just to look at all the pretty pieces.

The king of worker placement games in my book, Empires: Age of Discovery really is a masterpiece. It scales up every element of what makes a great game design, by taking existing, tried and true mechanics (namely worker placement) and twisting them just enough to elevate them beyond the traditions to near perfection in terms of balance and clever option expanding player choices.

Empires combines area control, economics, worker placement with unique workers, resource management and more into a single unified system that runs smooth as silk and keeps every player engaged at all times. Going beyond that with the deluxe edition of the game, it brings beauty to the table with an almost astonishing visual appeal that far exceeds the overwhelming majority of board games out there.

For fans of the worker placement genre, this is the ultimate experience. This is a game that always threatens my top 10 list and for good reason, in terms of just sheer design and gameplay, this game is unmatched in the genre.

12. Star Trek Fleet Captains

The expansions add a lot to the game, but the experience is not lessened if you can’t get your hands on them. The game and two expansions are going to cost you a pretty penny, but just look at it, its sooo preeeeettty!

I always say that when it comes to a good board game, theme is absolutely critical, but when it comes to trying to replicate something as specific and beloved by its fans as Star Trek, theme is everything.

I think the best way to describe Star Trek Fleet Captains is that it’s all of Star Trek, from original series, to Voyager and everything in between in a box. It is the perfect Star Trek game and that is saying quite a bit given that there have been countless Star Trek games that came before and after Fleet Captains. It’s pinnacle of Star Trek games and to me, without a doubt, one of the best adventure games in any genre ever made.

It melds gameplay and theme with perfect harmony, capturing all of those little micro moments of Star Trek goodness you crave and only a true fan would fully appreciate. I have honestly stopped even trying other Star Trek games at this point because frankly, I just don’t believe it is possible to make a better Star Trek game and there is no point in trying to fix what ain’t broke.

If you love Star Trek, this is the only game you need on your shelf.

11. Game of Thrones: The Card Game 2nd Edition

As a living card game, the model is perfect for collectors as you only need to buy one of everything to complete your collection. Like Lord of the Rings, that is greatly appreciated by this fan!

Game of Thrones conjures up a lot of imagery as this is a setting with a vast, intricate story weaved in many different ways in the books and tv show. Yet at the heart of the story behind Game of Thrones are the politics and the unique and interesting characters that drive them.

While Game of Thrones the board game captures the sort of global conflict on a high level, to me Game of Thrones the card game is the embodiment of what Song of Ice and Fire is really about. The card game brings to life the characters and the politics in a unique game mechanic tailor made for multiplayer competitive deck building game.

Sure you can play Game of Thrones the Card game as a duel, but really this game shines in a 3 or 4 player game and I don’t really care to play it any other way. It would not make this list as a duel game.

Card games tend to capture themes in very indirect ways, typically more by the art then anything else, but Game of Thrones The Card game really nails the thematic feel of the story in its gameplay. You really come to care about the cards that represent your characters and the story the different events and actions brought to life by the cards tell.

Amazing game, always a contender for my top 10 list and definitely deserving of the number 11 spot on this list.

Best of List

Top 10 Board Games July 2018 Edition

Its time once again to update my top 10 list of best board games ever, its been quite a while since the last one and this year I’m determined to be bold.

One aspect of a top 10 list like this is that its the one thing I do on this blog that I don’t really put through any filters, another words, its just my gut that I rely on.  However looking at my list from last year I realized two things.

First, some of the games on that list while I love them I don’t play much anymore, which is not a reflection on what I think about it, but rather a reflection on my gaming groups preferences and the impact of that classic discussion ”what are we going to play”.  I think games on this list should not only be popular with me, but popular with the various gaming friends I have.  After all, if I love a game no one wants to play, does it belong on the list?  Its a tough question, which I have tackled when making this list.

Secondly, I think some games may be here more out of nostalgia then anything.  Nostalgia goggles are a thing, it can be hard to push games off a ”my favorites list” because of how much fun I had with them 5 years ago, but if I have no interest in playing them anymore do they really still belong on the list?  This is another tough question which I have tackled when making this years list.

First lets look at the list from last time I updated it.

1. Through The Ages: A New Story of Civilization
2. Star Wars: Armada
3. Lord of the Rings: The Living Card Game
4. War of The Rings
5. Blood Rage
6. Game of Thrones: The Living Card Game 2nd Edition
7. Game of Thrones: The Board Game
8. Star Wars: X-Wing
9. Empires: Age of Discovery
10. Shogun (Queens Games Version)

Last years list to me still represents some of the best board games around without question.  It’s clear to me that when I made the list last time, I was really doing it without any filters, for example X-Wing and War of The Rings are both on here, yet I have not played either of these games in about 2 years at this point and probobly several years since I played it with any regularity.  There are also some games on here I was really hot and heavy on at the time, for example Empires: Age of Discovery I was playing quite a bit at the time, amazing game but I really had to review whether or not it belonged on this years list.

This year I’m going to do this in reverse order starting with number 10… and here we go.

10) Great Western Trail

Dubbed a heavy Euro game, while there is a lot going on and the strategy goes deep, its surprisingly easy to get into.

Putting Great Western Trail on my top 10 list is a bit of a quandary for me.  Considering how much shit I have given to games like Russian Railroads, Terra Mystica, Voyage of Marco Polo and other heavy Euro victory point smorgasbord games, putting one on my top 10 list that is very much in line mechanically with those types of games is contradictory if nothing else.

In my defense however, I’m not a gaming snob, I will play anything and not be ashamed of liking anything when I do, so if I like a Euro victory point smorgasbord game, even if its not typical of me, so bloody be it!

Great Western Trail to me is among the best Euro Games I have played from a mechanical perspective.  Like most Euro games that shamelessly either just copy/paste existing mechanics and add another theme or re-use slightly altered versions of already existing mechanics, Great Western Trail does considerably less of that while  squeezing in a considerable amount of unique flavor of it’s own.  I think the theme, though light in application fits the game perfectly and the game is really very re-playable with a lot of cool dynamic elements that will have you re-thinking your strategies from game to game.  I also really love the fact that its an entirely different game at 2 players, 3 players and 4 players, yet each player count is as fantastic as the next.  Its really almost like Great Western Trail is 3 different gaming experiences depending on player count.

As far as I’m concerned this one earns its stripes for this list, its a pretty a-typical game compared to what I usually go for, but if a game is great, its great, I don’t care what genre or style it is.

9) New Angeles

Simply the best of the cooperative-betrayer genre of games.

There are 3 games that have dropped off the list this year opening the door to new arrivals, Great Western Trail was one, New Angeles is the other.  In the last year, board gaming hasn’t really been at the top of our gaming groups agenda.  I have spent a great deal of time playing living card games, namely Lord of the Rings, while simultaneously my gaming group has been very focused on RPG’s and to a smaller degree miniature games. Still there were some gems I discovered this year and New Angeles was without question the big surprise this year.

This game was a hit with my group like no game has in years, we were like moths to a flame to this take on the cooperative betrayer genre, the only real shock to me is how little attention it gets.  There are many competitors in this genre, Dead of Winter and Shadows Over Camelot just to name a couple, but to me this blows them all out of the water.  Hands down the best in its class, New Angeles is the rising star in my list and I fully expect that it may rise further in the future.

8) Shogun (Queens Games Version)

Most of Dirk Henns games are in the “not my thing” category, but Shogun is about as me as you can get.

This is a game that has consistently hung on in my top 10 list since I started it and while all the games on this list earn their stripes, this is without question my most consistantly loved and played game.  It gets pulled out a couple of times each and every year like clockwork, it always fires on all cylinders and I can’t imagine making this list without Shogun on it.

It’s also the one game on this list where people are often like ”Shogun?  Really?”, as if they are understanding why I might like it, but calling it best of all time is a bit much.  To me understanding why this game is on the list is all about your attitude towards gaming.  What is it that you are looking for.  Some might say strategy, clever mechanics, theme and I would agree, but to me above all else is the fun factor.  How much do I enjoy playing the game, how much fun do I have and Shogun to me represents everything I love about board gaming.  It has strategic, thinky, contemplative moments, burst out and cheer moments and laugh out loud moments all built into a single game using one of my absolute favorite themes, Medieval Japan.  I can’t think of a game that is more complete as a gaming experience than Shogun.  It’s a staple of my collection and a staple of this list, earning it’s ranking with pride.

7) Blood Rage

The only 5 out of 5 stars game I have reviewed for this blog, a review I stand by, its an amazing game.

Dropping from the number 5 spot, Blood Rage remains firmly the only game at Gamersdungeon.net to ever receive a perfect review score, its a design masterpiece in my humble opinion.    So why is it not number 1 on my top 10 best board games of all time.  Well, because this is my list, it’s not about what is best, its about what is my best, my favorite.  My relationship with Blood Rage is one of respect, appreciation for design, art, theme and it’s general near perfection, but that doesn’t make it the first game I want to play every time board games get pulled out.  It’s an amazing game, it has its place in this list because its earned it, but I can think of at least 6 games I rather play over this one.

Still it’s worth pointing out that in my humble opinion, if your a game designer and you want to learn how to do it right, you will never find a better example.  Eric Langs Blood Rage is nothing short of a masterpiece in board game design, it’s our Mona Lisa.

6) Twilight Imperium: 4th Edition

The ultimate 4x science-fiction epic, it is the king of the genre by a margin so wide, I wouldn’t insult it by naming any names.

Twilight Imperium returns to my top 10 list after it’s 3rd edition finally dropped off after not only being on my list since I started it, but for several years being in the top spot.  3rd editions departure stemmed from the fact that, after nearly a decade of playing the game, spending hundreds of hours on it, it finally sort of played itself out.  When it fell off the list it was not seeing any table time years at a time and its general weight, size and complexity no longer had me reaching for it in anticipation.

The resurgence here is largely do in part to evolution of Twilight Imperium in 4th edition, the streamlining that went into the new edition, the amazing art and perfections of the original mechanics all prompted me be to buy and play this one again.  Of all the games on this list, I think at this moment I want to play this one more often than I get the opportunity to, it even prompted me to attempt to create an entire separate gaming group around it.  Because it still suffers from the weight, size and complexity as did 3rd edition, it makes it difficult to get to the table.  Still I think its earned this spot on the list, Twilight Imperium is to me the ultimate 4x board gaming experience, nothing else comes even close and while its a very niche game, because of it’s depth of play and sheer epic gaming experience I have brought it back from obscurity into my top 10 list of best games.

I caution anyone considering buying it to really research it and make sure you have the player group for it, their is no worse feeling than having this amazing game collecting dust on your shelf, but given the opportunity, its an absolutely fantastic game, a vastly improved edition over the last one.  I can’t wait to play it again.

5) Star Wars: Armada

The fact that I don’t have to paint is just icing on the cake, Armada is without a doubt in my mind the best miniatures game on the market today.

Star Wars Armada has had a rather fluctuating history in my personal gaming preferences and on this top 10 list.  This is less a reflection of its quality and the simple fact that miniature gaming, while I love it, tends to be hot and cold over time.  One thing that separates Armada from all other miniature games that I have tried is that it comes back around, both for me personally and in my gaming group.  We go back to this one time and time again and while the time in-between cold time is always longer than the hot time when I’m actively playing it, it remains in my consciousness at all times.

Armada is a tough, complex and deep miniatures game, it has a way of exhausting me but I relish the periods of time when I’m heavily into it trying to build that perfect list or play that perfect match.  It’s also the game that has given me the greatest rewards for my commitment as I constantly improve at it and have managed to get several wins in what was once game I only ever lost.

For me personally, if you are going to spend the money on a miniature hobby, it should be a game that is deeply fulfilling and satisfying, Armada is that game for me.  It’s what I would call the perfect miniature game for a guy like me who isn’t exactly chomping at the bits to paint and assemble mini’s.  I want to play miniature games, but I’m not a hobbyist. I also want the game to have true depth and Armada does all that for me using the magical Star Wars franchise.

4. War of the Rings

The Asymmetrical 2 player epic is effectively Lord of the Rings in a box, if you love the books and movie, this is an amazing way the battle for Middle-Earth.

It’s a bit heartbreaking to watch this one collect dust on my shelf, especially since my opinion of this games quality is unchanged, it remains the single best two player gaming experience I have ever found.  A heavy, complex and involved 2 player game however is just not a filter that makes an appearance in my gaming schedule.  My gaming circles are growing not shrinking in size and as opportunities to game pop up its becoming rarer and rarer that there is just two players ready to spend 4 hours involved in a heavy game like War of the Rings.  The result is that I haven’t played this beast in well over three years at this point which makes it hard to justify keeping it this. high in this list.  Strictly speaking I questioned whether or not it should be removed from the list entirely but the truth is that, even though I haven’t played it in a long time, it changes absolutely nothing about the fact that I want to.

War of the Rings is not only an epic masterpiece for two players, it’s also without question one of the most unique gaming experience you can have.  Thematically rich, strategically deep, beautiful to look at and mechanic perfection.  Its nothing short of a tragedy that I don’t get to play this game more often.

3) Game of Thrones The Board Game

This rich fantasy setting comes to life, brutality, deceit, treachery and all.

Rising on the list, Game of Thrones is a game with raw, unfiltered, human emotion and infused energy.  This is a game that brings out the beast, it will have you feeling angry, frustrated, vengeful, wrathful and murderous and while some might associate that as negative energy, to me for a board game to draw that out of you is a beautiful thing.  You need to play this game in the safe space of friends who can quickly forgive you raising your voice and being spiteful but it’s a gaming experience unmatched by any other game I have ever played.

Like War of the Rings this is a deep, complex and heavy game, but because its a 6 player game the growing size of my gaming groups means it see’s more opportunities to hit the table.  Not as much as I would like of course, but still, it certainly earned the right to rise on the list.  Oh and one more thing, its crazy thematic to the point you actually feel like you are a character in the show and everyone at the table will eventually morph into the plight of this middle age world becoming the darker version of themselves.  Just awsome!

2) Through The Ages: A New Story of Civilization

Through The Ages is to Civilization building games what Twilight Imperium is to science-fiction games. Its a game fit for a king.

I’m a sucker for civilization building games and Through The Ages, while to me technically not the most approachable (see Nations for something more reasonable), has that hard, heavy purist spirit, a game really made for fans.  It’s a slow methodical thinker, but thanks to its strong online support this last year coming to Steam and Ipads, I have played this civilization epic hundreds of times at this point and it just keeps getting better.  I wish I had more oppertunities to play it at the real table, but still, its such an amazing game and the digital implementation is so good, I can’t be anything but grateful.

Its slip to the number 2 spot was a hard call, I was really struggling deciding between this and my number one pick, but to me, every game in this top 10 list is, strictly speaking in the “amazing” category, so I had to go with my gut here.

Lord of the Rings: The Living Card Game

If I was to be stranded on an island and could only bring one game to play for the rest of my life, Lord of the Rings LCG would be that game.

Perhaps the biggest turn around of any game I have ever owned has to be Fantasy Flights, Lord of the Rings the living card game.  First time I played it I thought to myself, meh, its ok.  Today as I write this not only is it the most played game in my collection, it’s also the game I have sunk more money into than any other.

I absolutely love this game from top to bottom, it’s a rare week I don’t pull out any one of the dozens of expansions or quests in my collection.  This single game takes no less than two shelves for all the stuff I own for it and I’m constantly trying to scratch nickles together to get more stuff.

Easily one of the best collectible card games I have ever been involved in despite its less traditional cooperative genre footprints.  Between the amazing deck building options, seemingly impossible challenges and its fantastic art work this is without question in my mind the most rewarding game you can play on the market today.

Drop Outs

Inevitably everytime I make this list some games drop off the list and I feel obligated to explain why.

Star Wars: X-Wing is probably the most notable, once a holder of the number one spot, it has been slowly slipping down the list and finally falls of this year.  To me, at this point X-Wing has become too bloated and full of holes thanks mostly to some terrible expansions that brought in components and mechanics that derailed it from its original vision and the reason I loved this game so much.  I still enjoy playing it with certain house rules in place to fix some of the issues, but thankfully FFG agrees with my assessment and has announced that this year we will see X-Wing 2.0.  2.0 promises to return the game to its dog fighting roots and hopefully the new version will bring this one back to the table and perhaps even back to this top 10 list.  I loved my X-Wing when it was younger, but in its current state, I can’t bring myself to dust of the miniatures anymore.

Game of Thrones 2nd Edition (LCG) is another that falls off the list, this is largely due to two facts.  One is that it really wasn’t fully embraced by our gaming group so table time is rare.  This coupled with the fact that I never really took the plunge fully just means I don’t spend much time thinking about it or anticipating to play it.  I still think its a fantastic game, but a person can only collect so many collectible games and this year I found that both Arkham Horror LCG and Star Wars Destiny made it into my collection not to mention Star Wars: Legion and my always expanding Lord of the Rings LCG.  So GoT LCG has taken a back seat, but this is not a reflection on the games quality, I consider it a really great, thematic card game well worth your money.

Finally Empires: Age of Discovery.  I think if this was a top 11 list, it would firmly hold the number 11 spot.  This is an amazing game and it was a really struggle to pick between this and Great Western Trail.  On any given day I might swap this one back in, I gave it to Great Western trail almost on a coin toss between the two to be honest.