Top 10 Board Games of 2015
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 2015. So although Castles of the Mad King Ludwig, Colt Express, Legacy and Camel Up are awesome games, they were published in 2014. They do however, get an honourable mention below :)
To avoid lop-sided plays, a minimum of 3 plays are required to make the list too.
Non-Board Games are also not included in this list, although they do get a special mention further down.
I now present Pavvo's Top 10 Board Games of 2015 (in no particular order) The text links will take you to the Boardgamegeek page for more info and rules.
Enjoy!
Chock full of theme, this heavy weight game caught my eye when it first appeared on kickstarter. Having missed my chance to back this, I happened to chance upon at a local board game gathering. The drafting mechanics (aka 7 wonders), mixed in with elements of combat and area control drew me into the game instantly. I borrowed a copy from a friend the following week and played it again and again!
"I live, I die! I live again!"
This was another gem which combined a mechanic (worker placement) of another favourite game - Lords of Waterdeep! The game was dripping with theme and after seeing how a friend "bling-ed' his copy with components from another game, I just knew I had to "bling" mine! The third photo above showed my "upgraded" components, courtesy of DND minis and the Stonemaison Treasure Chest!
I had never even heard of this game before I chanced upon it in Carousell. After a brief readup on BGG, I just knew I had to try it! If you've ever seen those Storage Wars-like shows on cable, this game plays exactly like those! The bidding mechanic is old but the gameplay and the partial revealed/hidden loot add to the bluffing element of the game.
PLAY THIS GAME! That's all I can say. If I had to choose a number one game of the year, this would be it. I've played the original Pandemic before and thought it was an "okay" coop game. Wouldn't really play it twice in a row nowadays. But this game.....phew...played it 5 times in one day! And even after that, we were arranging our next few sessions. We're up to September now....and the surprises just keep coming!
My cousins and family can attest to the popularity of this one. It never fails to ensure laughs and cheers! Combining word games with the elements of puzzle, Codenames really shines when you have a group that know each other well.This game will always have a seat at our family table.
Oh how far board gaming has come. We used to think that the only connection between physical board games and our devices were the scoring and game companions apps that we download from the app store. Last year's Golem Arcana was only the beginning. The Xcom app was a huge necessity and added not only to the theme, but also to the immersion of the game. The tutorial mission helped to introduce new players to the concepts of the game, while the other difficulty settings really threw the game into overdrive!
When I first saw this on kickstarter, I knew straightaway that I wanted to play it! Progressive gameplay! Loot drops from monsters! Craftable gear! Set pieces! It's like a video-game come to life! The price tag of USD$450 (inc.shipping) was a major major turn off though. Luckily a friend happened to own a "print-and-play" copy of the game and brought it down one day. While the combat did not turn out to be super-strategic or tactical, the post-combat and settlement phases were really engaging and made me want to play it more!
Dixit with a theme! Playing the provided background music added a much richer atmosphere to the game. So far, I've played the ghost 3 times and been the psychics twice. All times were a hoot! The right crowd is needed however, this is something to not play with power or alpha gamers. Providing the dreams is just as fun as interpreting them. Definitely another to take out when we get tired of Dixit.
A game best played with 2 players. In fact, only playable with 2. One of the best 2-player board games I've played in a long long time. It managed to elicit a feel similar to the 6-7 version of its parent game, yet still remaining competitive in its own right.
Seeing as how 2015 is the year of the Star Wars movie, there had to be Star Wars game on this list! Played this on the last day of the year and the name does not do it justice at all. This is in no way a Risk game. If anything, it is more akin to the old Star Wars Queen's Gambit, where one player plays the light side while the other plays dark. Battles take place across 3 arenas - the space battles above Endor, the ground troops taking out the shield generator and the classic Vader/Luke confrontation in the Throne Room!
Notable Non-Board Games
While the below are not technically board games, they were still released in 2015 and were a blast to play!
A Game of Thrones LCG: 2nd Edition
The first collectible card game edition, came out in 2002, and was replaced by the Living Card Game version in 2008. This year saw the release of the much-anticipated 2nd edition. The relaunch meant it was easier for new players like myself to get into! Especially after the hype of the TV series, this thematic competitive card game is a welcome edition to my collection. The only gripe i have with it - THREE CORE SETS?!
Having spent the greater part of the early 21st century playing and taking parts in many V.S tournaments (both locally and overseas), I jumped at the first chance to buy this. They released a little 'teaser' at Gencon 2014, which had totally nothing to do with this game at all. Still, it was a good thing I bought this when it came out, as it proved to be a much needed revival to an old, yet awesome game. Now we just have to wait a few more weeks for an OP kit and the next expansion!
HONOURABLE MENTIONS
While the following games did not make a cut (due to not being played, not enough plays or not being published in 2015), they will remain a staple in our group due to their awesome gameplay and mechanics
The buying and income generating mechanics were simple yet provided many interesting choices. The layout of the buuldings and the availabilty of the different scoring tiles ensured much replayabilty to this awesome game.
I'll be honest, the first thing that drew me to this game were the 3D trains and scenery. The gameplay itself works best with the full complement of players. A lot of shooting and looting. Fun fun!
The theme of this game was what enticed me to this game. The ability to build your own family and marry them off made it very unique. Bonus points for including it with the tried-and-tested mechanic of worker placement. Chrck iut my play-by-play of this in the link on the lrft!
Camel Up! Who'd thought a game of betting on camel racing would be fun! The randomness of the dice roll plus the added "me-first" of action tile grabbing made this game hilarious to watch and even more fun to play.
Having played this during my trip to Gencon 2014, I knew I had to grab it. The price and size of the game then proved prohibitive. Luckily I managed to snag it during a trade in mid 2015. This programming style-area control-hidden resource style game is always a hit when it hits the gaming table.
Managed to play this during the last week of the year. Didn't much of it when I read about the action mechanics. But the storytelling aspect of this game is excellent! Imagine Tales of Arabian Nights with a Eurogame twist!