Top 10 Board Games of 2013
I've played A LOT of games over the course of the year and (if you know me) I like them all!! It is hard to narrow down my No. 1 game or for me to say which is the best. So instead of a ranking system, I'm just going to present games which I felt were noteworthy and definitely deserve more play time.
Note that these are games which were published and played (by me) in 2013. So although Caverna, Star Realms, Agents and Shadows Over the Empire are awesome games, I only managed to play them in 2014.
To avoid lop-sided plays, a minimum of 3 plays are require to make the list too.
Expansions are also not included in this list, although they do get a special mention further down.
Without further ado, I present Pavvo's Top 10 Board Games of 2013 (in no particular order) The text links will take you to the Boardgamegeek page for more info and rules. I have documented my sessions with some of these games and you will find those links to your left. Enjoy :)
Pathfinder: Adventure Card Game
Figured I start with the most recently played one. I have always wanted a board game that tracks your progression across games. This game does that and more! It allows you to level up, and keep your cards and skills across multiple games. Add to the fact that it has the rich Pathfinder universe behind it , this is one stellar game. You get the full RPG experience in a box, and it scales really well from 1 right up to 6 players!
The box art didn't really stand out but a good friend bought the kickstarter edition with the really cool board sleeve. The game itself is brilliant! One of the best dice/worker placement games I've ever played! The whole game is dripping with theme and the every element is perfectly balanced!
Backed it on kickstarter thinking it was quite cute. Very thematic little filler which plays in 10min. Not a very deep game but an enjoyable one after a long day when you don't want to think too much. I find myself pulling this out for solo games more than I should have!
When I first heard a friend of mine bought this game, I thought, "Oh a Talisman clone, he probably bought it because he didn't have Talisman.' After playing it, I realized that this game was the upgrade that Talisman needed! I remember gathering round his table chanting "SIX! Explosion!". Brought back memories of a long time ago in a chalet where younger version of us were huddling around the former game chanting "Toad Toad Toad" . Really an underplayed gem.
Another Kickstarter buy which started off as "ah, the components look good". The components were AWESOME! Plastic blimps, hardboard player cards! I tell people it's a pick-up-and-deliver style game, and most go "meh". Until they play it! The different character and ship abilities as well as the action sequences give this genre a real breath of fresh air.
An unfamiliar mechanic in a familiar setting. The amount of manipulation and plotting involved in this game is only surpassed by the simplicity of game mechanics. I remember times playing mind games and gently cajoling fellow players to take spots which benefit me as well as them.
A cute little video-game-themed card game. The idea is that the players are all Boss Monsters (hence the name) building the baddest, meanest dungeon trying to lure hapless adventures to their doom.And scoring points. This game is dripping with theme. Want to attract mages? Build a magic shrine. Want to attract that thief? Build a treasure room. But the more you build, the more powerful heroes that come. The fact that each Boss has a different special ability just adds to the variety of this game. We also felt a little "Mario Brothers" music added to flavour of the game.
When I first saw the box of this game, I was "what? 15th Anniversary? Why haven't I heard of this before?" A little digging and I realized that this was based on a web movie! In that movie, the characters were playing a Collectible Card Game and the story focused about the (awfully but entertaining overly-dramatic) interactions between the players and the tournaments they participated in. The gameplay, however was so unique, that AEG picked it up and made the card game a part of their Kickstarter campaign. The result - a very deep and extremely satisfying card game. The game comes with a fixed set of cards and is non collectible. Probably the only "CCG" I've seen with 4 ways to win! The box set came with 5 distinct decks, each with a very unique feel, and they even give more cards should you want to further customize.
Another game best played with 2 players. This little Kickstarter bad boy came exceptionally late but the wait was worth it! The game is one of furious space combat between your gunships, carriers and fighters. Surprisingly enough, the dice don't really play such a big part in this game. If you play your cards right and choose the right upgrades and crew, you hardly have to rely on the dice at all. Playing this really felt like piloting a big 2-ton hunk of metal in space, blowing your opponents to bits! Not to the mention the fact that the Kickstarter bonus came with ships with additional configurations. BOMBS AWAY!
I was almost tempted to take this entry off my Top 10. But the sheer amount of laughter we got out of the funky stone grinding mechanic kept it in! The game itself was alright, but the way you "generate" resources was hilarious and led to house rule of "No Pushing"
Notable Expansions
While the original editions of these 2 games were released before 2013, the expansions below really shined and carried the game to a whole new level!
Star Wars The Card Game: Edge of Darkness
The original was the most played games of 2013. Every lunch hour of almost every day in 2013 was spent playing this LCG. The expansion really opened the game up and made capturing a viable option for the Dark Side while making the Light Side sleuths a top deck, even till today!
Lords of Waterdeep: Scoundrels and Skullport
This really enhanced the gameplay experience of the original game. In worker placement games, more options were always a good thing! And in this case, a much much needed and more optimized way of playing. With more options, come more drawbacks and the 2 are perfectly balance in this expansion.