Top 10 Board Games of 2017
Here again, another year, and another awesome 52 weeks of gaming. With another 52 more to come, I thought I'd look back on some fond ones.
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 2017.
In my previous lists, I had this requirement of 3 plays before the game made my list. However, I don't think I can remember if I played any of the below more than that, so I'll probably leave this requirement out this year.
I now present Pavvo's Top 10 Board Games of 2017 (in no particular order) The text links will take you to the Boardgamegeek page for more info and rules.
The only game on this list that I have played over THIRTY times and still enjoy it!
The progression system is unique, and the only dungeon crawl I enjoy that had a dice-less combat system. The story in the game is immersive. We have yet to unlock all the characters and are still looking forward to our next game.
I first heard of this as a Game of Thrones board game re-theme and it didn't really interest me. It was when I saw the box, when I knew I just HAD to have it! The box size did not fit the theme of "epic war game"
We played it the next day during lunch, where I half-expected to stop halfway. We started at 12pm and ended at 1245pm. This is including rules explanation and clarification for 4 new players! There is a lot of back-and-forth and a lot of interaction.
Deals can (and will) be made and broken!
Got this as a Christmas gift! This game takes trick taking games to the next level. The transparent upgrade cards change the game up immensely! The ability to change each card to suit (heh) whatever had you're playing is incredibly fun!
The rule of skipping the next player if you match the card exactly also led to a lot of laughs. The artwork is another additional bonus!
Rarely is a "collectible" or "expandable" game on this list, but I'm making an exception for this. Made by the good people who gave us Warhammer and BloodBowl, Shadespire distills the essence of a small-scale skirmish down to a short 30 minute game, and adds in cards to make the experience for customizable. The end-result is an awesome little, super- replayable, compeition worthy gem of a game. The game also released with 2 expansion packs (LOVE THE ORCS!! WAAARGH!) with more on the way in 2018
At it's heart, this game is essentially an area-control game. This is also the most "Euro" style game on this list, but the theme really shines through here. I really enjoyed how each card, figure and action mirrors the mirror theme and the era of organized crime.
The gameplay itself is a simple game of area-control with tons of sabotaging alternatives!
Bought this on a whim due to the size of the box and price point. A little gem of a game! I always say, I can explain the rules of this game with 2 sentences. "Draw a card, either from the deck or discard, then discard a card and the game ends when there are 10 cards in the discard pile. Most points wins!" I must have played this over 30 times. Good thing is each game takes less than 15 min to play.
"A racing game? Pfft." My first reaction when I saw the cover. After playing it a couple of times, I can honestly say that I have never enjoyed a game where I came in last every single time! The betting aspect could use more work, but the gameplay and the tension throughout is really top notch! Sleeper hit of the year for me.
Saw the promotional video when the product was first announced. Didn't really think much of it as a game. Decided to go ahead and buy it when I saw a cheap copy on Carousell. Turns out I was right, this device is more a toy than a game. But it is innovative enough to earn a spot on this list! The gameplay, while super super simple (See a colour and level, match it!), really goes over well with the right crowd. The Party (Co-op) mode is much better than the VS one, imo. I even play this game solo sometimes!
First played the initial Spice Road version when a friend brought it over for game night. Another game which at first I didn't think much of. After a few more plays, I have to say this game really grew on me. I initially dismissed it as "Splendor 2.0" but the options available tend to overshadow that game.
Played an intro game (the dungeon crawl, not the crappy How-to-play one the rulebook recommend) and was really impressed at the mechanics and cooperation required in this game. Ordered the Heroes and Treasure packs (also pre-ordered the next 2 storylines) and now eagerly awaiting our first venture early in the new year!
A friend showed me a picture of the box art sometime this year and I knew immediately I HAD to get this game! There aren't many new 1 vs X games this year, but this one was really intriguing. The theme resonated with one of my favourite anime and the gameplay mirrors that as well. While, the Titan doesn't really have much choices on his turn (fully relying on the others to both their roll), the interaction between the players really lend to many tense moments.
Special Mention
This game definitely belongs in the list above, but as we have yet to finish the game (August as of this writing), I felt it wouldn't be justifiable to include it here. Like Season 1, there are many twists and turns and the way the maps pans out is a real innovative gameplay feature! Can't wait to continue our legacy and save the world real soon!
Thanks for reading so far! There you have it, my list of games I've enjoyed in 2017! Here's to awesome 2018, with more thrills, spills and chills in the new year!!