It’s been a while since I’ve written an actual blog for the page and thought it was time for a Top Ten list. Although I have been posting on a semi regular basis on social media (when time allows it), I’ve been wanting to write this for a while. I have managed to play nearly 40 games this year (at the time of writing) some of which have been many times. I’ve featured lots of them on my Sunday (not so) Solo Game posts so you might have an idea what will appear on the list.
First of all, there are some honourable mentions that did not make the list mainly due to there are similar games on the list that I personally rate higher and I prefer the games on the list. Of course, this is my personal preference and some people might agree/disagree with my choices but feel free to say what your choices would be for the games you have played this year.
Honourable Mentions.
In no particular order, those games are:- Warhammer Fantasy Battle. Horus Heresy: Age of Darkness. Star Wars Legion. Space Crusade. Railroad Ink. Cartographers. Gateway Games (Catan, Pandemic, Ticket to Ride).
10. Voyages – Postmark Games.
Voyages is a simple roll and write game that I first played at the local Roll and Write night. I liked it so much I bought it that night. The idea is to sail your ship around the ocean collecting as much gold as possible and completing tasks to score as many points as possible. It’s such a quick game to play, especially solo, and boasts five different maps to play. A campaign sheet has just been released adding more to the game which is free in their Dropbox (as with everything they release) and also sixth map is on the way. Not bad for a bargain £4.
9. Red Rising – Stonemaier Games.
The first of the Stonemaier Games to appear on the list, Red Rising is a deck building game based on the book series with the same name. The aim is to score as many points as possible by using a combination of cards and actions using those cards. I’ve played this solo and with others and find it a fun and intriguing game. The characters are recognisable (if you’ve read the books) and the mechanics of their cards match their books versions well. I’m yet to read the rest of the series and hope they release an expansion to go with the rest of the series.
8. Adeptus Titanicus – Games Workshop
Out of all the miniature/skirmish/war games I play this is the one I find most enjoyable. Why do I find it enjoyable? Even though you have objectives to claim/complete, I enjoy the randomness of the Titans movement, firing and subsequent reactor overloads that can destroy half the Titans on the board. I enjoyed building and painting the Titans last year and I’m hoping to get more to add to my Legio soon. Oh and I don’t ever seem to win either.
7. Scythe – Stonemaier Games.
Another entry from Stonemaier games. Scythe is an engine building board game based on the artwork by Jakob Rozalski and very enjoyable solo and with others. You have to carefully plan your actions each turn to gain the points, stars and objectives to win the game. I do have one of the expansions to add two more players and will be getting the rest of them to play the campaign in the future. The gameplay is fantastic and I really enjoy the solo mode. I’ve even gone as far as painting the miniatures for it which adds a bit more depth to the game in my opinion.
6. Dungeons and Dragons – Wizards of the Coast.
This game needs no introductions. The king of the RPG. It has been the second year of the Eberron campaign and we’re still not dead (yet). There have been fun side quests , comical outcomes and lots of dead things. Our party is huge and we’re currently at level eight but we are about to face a dragon so that could change very quickly. Everyone knows that scheduling a session of D&D can be hard but we manage to get sessions in and if not, it ends up being a board game night which is always fun.
5. Marvel Champions – Fantasy Flight Games.
It wouldn’t be a top ten list without a game from one of my favourite publishers, Fantasy Flight Games. I had pretty much abandoned this game a while ago and came back to it late last year. I had forgotten how good it was. I played through the starter box and beyond with my She-Hulk deck before moving onto others. I’m still behind on buying the campaign boxes and hero packs but I’ll buy one when I order other games. I enjoy customising the decks and the boss battle style gameplay that it offers. Being a Living Card Game (LCG) there is no randomness attached to buying the cards and this is something that appeals to me. I mainly play this solo and haven’t played it with others for a long time.
4. Paper Dungeons – Alley Cat Games.
Probably my favourite roll and write or dungeon scrawler game I’ve played this year. I’ve played it solo and with others so many times this year I’ve lost count. We had an eight player game last week and it was fun. The random monster and dungeon generation is good, the way you play is different every time and the campaign mode is going to be fun to play (eventually). It’s our go to games night option for a quick easy game (although it does take a while with eight players). I’m so glad I picked this up at UK Games Expo last year and will be checking out other games from Alley Cat Games at next year’s event.
3. Tapestry – Stonemaier Games.
Currently my favourite board game and final Stonemaier Games offering on this list. Tapestry caught my eye at UK Games Expo last year and it hasn’t been a disappointment. This civilisation building game is brilliant. The gameplay is straightforward and the decisions that you make can have a varied outcome on the game for you and others. The miniatures are great, the artwork is fantastic and the overall design of the game is amazing. There are two expansions available, one of which I already own, that add more to the gameplay and the civilisations you can choose to play with. I enjoy this solo as much as with others but I just don’t play it enough.
2. Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion -Cephalofair Games.
How could it be a Top Ten list without a version of Gloomhaven appearing? So it’s not at number one but for a good reason. Jaws of the Lion is a fantastic prequel and teacher for the main game. The story is engaging and the mechanics are amazing. We’re about halfway through the campaign now but obviously not going to post much about it so as not to spoil it for others. This legacy dungeon crawling game is the perfect teaching tool for anyone wanting the main game or Frosthaven when it comes out next year. But it has been beaten to the top of my list by…
1. Arkham Horror: The Card Game – Fantasy Flight Games.
By far, one of the best card games I have ever played. The story of each campaign is based on HP Lovecraft and they are amazing. The scenarios are engaging, you feel for the character(s) you are playing and every decision counts. The deck building aspect is similar to Marvel Champions and the way you can upgrade your cards is brilliant. I have played through three campaigns this year, solo and with others, and have enjoyed it thoroughly. It’s a very tense game at times and as you cannot fail a campaign as such, you still want to try and complete it without your character dying or going insane. This is one game where I want to get every expansion and play through all the campaigns (donations are always welcome haha!)
There may be another week of the year left and games will be played in that week but for now the list is complete. Until next time…
Tabletop Tales 