Top 10 (AND MORE) Board Games of 2018
2018 was an awesome year! Got my new house, my sister got married, went on a long-awaited family trip to Perth, and played A TON of games!
To be on this list, these are games have to be
a) published in 2018 and
b) played (by me) in 2018.
There are a LOT of other games that I've played that did not meet the criteria above, so I'm going to place them below this list as a sort of "Honorable Mentions" section. There are lot of other games I played which I felt did not meet that mark as well.
I now present Pavvo's Top 10 Board Games of 2018 (in no particular order) The text links will take you to the Boardgamegeek page for more info and rules.
Giant Killer Robots: Heavy Hitters
It's quite rare for a sci-fi themed game to make my list, but you'll find that there's actually THREE here this year! The name of the game says it all! Giant Killer Robots (GKR) is an all-out brawl, no-holds barred slug fest. It was not only about the dice-chucking that drew me to this game. The "equip-your-mech/deck" mechanic, as well as how the each weapon in your deck personifies your mech, really brought to life the epic-ness of this game. The combat system is easy-to-learn and turns go by really quick.
When I first heard the description of this game, I knew I HAD to play it. And it did not disappoint. In Vengeance, you play as a hero who has been bashed and tortured by one of the gangs in the game. Starting the game with bashed teeth, or a broken rib-case, you spend the first part of the game healing, upgrading and building up your hero in anticipation of taking down the gang (and their leader) who wronged you. The next part of the game sees you rolling dice "puzzle-style", invading gangs on their home turf and trying to take out their leader and escape to tell the tale. The game draws inspiration from movies the like of Kill Bill. To me, it felt like I was in an 80s Hong-Kong "Untouchables" like movie, where I had to make my way through hordes of "Ka-Kias" before having a showdown with the "Lao-Da". Very thematic and very epic!
Another game that was on the "MUST-HAVE" list once I heard of it. I grew up watching 武侠 movies and TV shows. To be able to play one in a board game was something I'd always dreamed of (At one point, I even contemplated trying to design such a game). And to have that game be a GOOD game, with sound mechanics and very immersive game-play was a dream come true! You take on the role of an aspiring pugilist from a well-known martial arts sect (武当派 , 少林, 峨嵋派, 丐幫, etc...) and you win by ascending the peak (重出江湖) before anyone else. You could also win by turning evil and joining the 魔教, where you then win by defeating any hero!
The game is a blast to play! I even made a tutorial video when I realised there wasn't one available. (See below!)
Another game on the list dealing with Asian mythologies. Rising Sun is the spiritual successor to another of my previous Top 10 games - Blood Rage. It has the same area-control-esque type of charm that Blood Rage had, with the same gorgeous physical presence that demanded an entire tabletop. The "sweet-spot" for number of players is 4, in my opinion. Any larger and the downtime that occured at the end of each year can get quite draggy. And it works best at an even-numbered player count. What I also like about this game is that it's not just a "who-controls-most/biggest-models" that wins, there are alternate ways of victory that require a more pacifist approach.
Speaking of multiple ways to win, I don't believe there is any other game I've played this year that has the expansive (and yet simplicity) of Western Legends. Touted as a sandbox style game, Western Legends allows you to purse multiple paths in your quest to victory! You can gamble the whole time, ranch up some cattle, arrest bandits, rob banks, visit saloons, mine gold, or even a combination of all of the above! It is really very open-ended! But what I really love about it, are the stories that emerge. Nothing like hearing about how you spent majority of the time mining a ton of gold, only to be robbed by another player. And then spending time in the gambling den to get over the lost, then using your winnings to buy a bigger gun, take up a career in law enforcement and then sending that same player to jail! Really epic just for the stories that come out of this game. It also helps that the game mechanics are sound and the interaction/immersive level of this game is really high.
I did not expect this game at all! Saw it being offered for an affordable price in one of the Kickstarter chat groups I was in. I bought it even before I could read up on what it was about. Turns out, it is spiritual successor to another of my top 10 games - Vast, the Crystal Cavern. In root, you take on the role of a type of forest animal, purchasing your own path to victory. What is really unique about this game is that EVERY player has a different game mechanic and a different way to achieve victory! The Marquis de Cat is the "Ruling Class" in the game and focuses on spreading their meowfulness empire! The Rebel Alliance start the game hidden, sowing discord among the ruling class, and suddenly causing rebellion among the dissenters. The Vagabond is solo-character, playing the game like an RPG, equipping himself and leveling up. Truly a uniquely awesome game. It was also A LOT easier to teach than Vast and the production quality (Player boards, game pieces) is stunning!
I have to admit that when I first heard about this game, I was skeptical. A game where EVERY deck is different? A card game where you CANNOT deck build? How is that going to be challenging? All my doubts were laid to rest when I first played it. I really don't know how they came up with the algorithm of generating the decks, but EVERY deck I've played or played against felt strong (in its own way).
Designer Richard Garfield really never ceases to amaze. While there isn't any "resource-requirement" in this game, the choice of which house to play and use every turn, adds to the tension of the game, and provides some very intriguing dilemmas you face in the game. A top-notch card game with top-notch design, coupled with organized play support from the publisher, makes this one of my TOP games of the year.
I hesitated to include this in my list as, at its heart, it's really just a re-hash of an old game. I went into it thinking of the fun times I had when playing the original Thunderstone (and its successor the Advanced version) 8-9 years ago. The rules for this however, have been streamlined A TON making it almost like a new game (if you excuse the deck-building mechanic). The changes in the way the game handles "light" and the extended village phase really added to the uniqueness of the game. Having played both the Quest and Epic mode, I'd have to say, if you ever pick up this game, skip to the end of the rulebook and learn the EPIC variant. It overshadows the normal Quest mode by a lot, and in my opinion, is the optimum way to play this gem!
The last 2 games on my list are from the same "family" of games. Last year, when I was playing Warhammer Underworlds: Shadespire, I was entranced by how they managed to condense the epic feel of a Warhammer game down to a bite-sized board-game like experience. This year, I was flabbergasted. My friends can attest to how I have always mentioned that, despite loving Age of Sigmar, I could never get into Warhammer 40k as the theme did not appeal to me. Then along came Kill Team. Kill Team takes the world and uniqueness of 40k and shrinks it down into a short, skirmish experience! You no longer command hordes of infantry blindly shooting at each other across the battlefield, but instead take an elite squad of figures and face off against an equally-skilled opponent. I love the ability to customize individual abilities of each of models; it gives each of them a sense of purpose. Something that was sorely lacking in miniature gaming (and even in AoS: Skirmish). I also love the ability to paint each figure to suit that individuality! #canplaycanalready
Warhammer Quest: Blackstone Fortress
Another game set in the Warhammer 40k universe. This time it's the first time Games Workshop is porting over the Warhammer Quest license to the Dark Millennium. And I have to say that as a board game, it works! It just works! The game is a campaign style dungeon crawl (I LOVE dungeon crawls) played over several game sessions. Each sessions sees an intrepid group of explorers tackling various combat and challenges in their quest to uncover the secrets of a vast ancient space station. With each expedition, more and more of the secrets are discovered. After each expedition, the group is allowed to return to their own ships and shop, recuperate and upgrade themselves. However, the denizens of Black Fortress also grow stronger in this same span of time. Each explorer has a unique set of abilities and playing through (and alongside) each of them is a blast! The difficulty of the AI is also one of the most challenging (although managable) I've ever encountered in any dungeon crawl game.
Honorable Mentions
These were games that did not make the list either (a) they were not published in 2018, or (b) I felt the 10 above were way better. Nonetheless, they were those that I felt added to my gaming experience this year. (There were A LOT of other "fluff" games that did not make the cut). Photo gallery of the games after the descriptions.
Guards of Atlantis (2017) - Good MOBA game. Really gave you the feeling of the digital version. But I'd hold out for the "new" card-based one coming out soon.
Hero Kids (2012) - Very good light RPG for kids 5 years and younger. Played it with my nephew who loved it!! His character is in the screenshot.
One Deck Dungeon (2017) - Light campaign style dungeon romp. Good for a lunchtime distration for 2 players. I like the progression and the puzzle style combat.
Hand of Fate (2018) - Neat little deck-builder. I enjoyed my single play of this but I could see how in a multiplayer game, the last player could get discouraged very easily.
Card Kingdoms Valeria (2016) - Most requested game during family game nights. Easy to pick up and lots of variety.
Spirit Island (2017) - A very thematic solo game, with variable player powers that really immerses you in the theme. However, I could see how it could get draggy and suffer from authoritarian alpha-gaming after a while.
New York Slice (2017) - Love the accessories that came with the game- the pizza box lid, the menu scoring pad. Simple and light game.
Nusfjord (2017) - One of the few Uwe Rosenburg games that I actually enjoy. I want a copy of this!!
Barenpark (2017) - Build your own bear park! I like the look of the game once it is complete, and the simplicity and elegance of the mechanics. I did not like the chore of the setup and takedown though.
Cavern Tavern (2017) - Got this off a Math Trade. Enjoyed my one play of it, but felt it needed more plays for me to justify putting it in the top 10.
Ethnos (2017) - Could have easily made my top 10 had I played this last year (or if it was published in 2018). The variable setup and player-power makes every game different.
Richard the Lionheart (2017) - I'm surprised CMON even made a game like this; was so unlike them. A "team-based" set-collection-ish style game. I like the game, even though I didn't like the theme.
Roll Player (with the Monsters & Minions expansion) (2017) - The character creation game. The expansion added a more "complete" feel to the game, where you have something to do with your character after you've created it. The "puzzle" feel of placing dice and buying gear was a good mashup of mechanics and the theme was really something I could get into.
D&D Temple of Elemental Evil (2017) - It's a D&D board game. To play it just for the theme is worthy enough to be here. The gameplay however, fell a little flat. We played the campaign mode and the joy that came out of it was more from the people I was playing with, than the game itself.
Flow of History (2016) - Neat little civilization card game that plays in less than an hour. Easier to get into than Innovation, with less card reading.
Nations Dice Game (2014) - Another civilization style game. However, it wasn't as immersive, but I still like it for the dice chucking.
Gloomhaven (2017) - We brought our Gloomhaven campaign to a close in February. My Game of the Year 2017 had to be included here just because we ended it this year.
Graphic Novel Adventures (2018) - I hesistated to include this, as only 2 of the 5 books were good. The rest were "meh" at best. It's a primarily solo experience, so your mileage may vary.
Hero Realms: Ruin of Thandar (2017) - The original Hero Realms made my list a few years back. I waited quite a long time for this expansion to come as it was bundled in with my Star Realms set. It was ok at best. It would have made my list had it been released when Hero Realms was out.
Istanbul Dice Game (2017) - The dice version of one my favourite (if not only) "Non-thematic" games. Have yet to play any solid Yahtzee style game lately, so this fills that niche.
Meeple Circus (2017) - A game that is very much dependent on the crowd you're with. Balancing meeples to the tune of the music, really a riot with the right group.
Viticulture (2017) - This made the list due to how surprised I was that the theme, in this wine-making game, is actually quite strong. The variable add-ons enhanced the game a lot.
Sagrade (2017) - MORE DICE!! Why not? and the game looks beautiful!
Time Stories: Expedition Endurance (2017) - Finished off our Time Stories with Expedition Endurance. Not quite as enjoyable a swan song as I hoped, but the rest of the series was good enough that this deserves a mention.
Betrayal Legacy (2018) - This would have made my top 10 had we finished it this year! Very cool game!! Love the mash of legacy elements with the hauntings of Betrayal.
Charterstone (2017) - Another legacy game that almost made the list (oh why wasn't it published in 2018?) One of the few competitive legacy games out there that really made you feel like you're growing an entire town.
Clank!: Expeditions Gold and Silk (2017) - Clank! will always be part of my go-to game in my game library collection. I dare say that it is my favourite deck building game of all time.
Arkham Horror LCG (2016) - We finally finished Forgotten Age - the 3rd campaign. So that's (3+8+8+8+3) 30 scenarios of Arkham!! done. Enough to drive a guy insane!
Tower of Madness (2018) - Almost made my list. I liked the tension of pulling a tentacle out and seeing the marbles dropped. But it can be manipulated quite easily and I can see how the novelty would wear off after a few games.
Scythe (2017) - Got it as a housewarming gift this year. Haven't played it enough to warrant a concrete reaction, as I could see how some "combos" can be determined game breaking, but nonetheless, had a blast playing it! And can't wait to play it again!
Other Honorable Non-Physical Games
