Top 10 Board Games of 2019
2019! Counting down to Gencon 2020, where I'm sure a whole bunch of games will be played (and bought). But onwards now to the list!
To be on this list, these are games have to be
a) published in 2019 and
b) played (by me) in 2019.
I now present Pavvo's Top 10 Board Games of 2019 (in no particular order) The text links will take you to the Boardgamegeek page for more info and rules.
If you wish to have a game of any of the below, feel free to hit me up on insta @pavvob
Played this really late in 2019. Although there are some people who dismiss the abstract-ness of the 4X theme, the variability of starting cultures and the fact that it's playable in 2 hours (quite an achievement for a 4X game) puts it up on my list! The awesome 3D prepainted buildings and the "tetris-like" nature of your capital city was a HUGE plus in my books as well!
To be fair, this was a 2016 game. However, the English version only came out in 2019, so this qualifies for my list! When word came out of an "infinitely replayable" deduction game, my interest was definitely piqued. The game is NOT easy, which makes it very satisfying when you manage to piece together the clues towards the case. If you are going to play this, I recommend using the digital app over the cases in the rule book. It allows you to play without player elimination and the cheers and boos you get when you solve (or don't solve) the case adds to the fun!
Another game that the original form came out before 2019. But I must admit that I have never played any other versions of it before his Legacy one. A tad shorter than other Legacy games that crossed my path, but definitely a memorable one. The game manages to keeps things really fresh by allowing each member in the group to specialize and upgrade their character EVERY game! I know that Clank Legacy probably does it better, but I'm keeping that to play in 2020 (watch out for that in next year's list)
Before I played Awkward Guest (above), I declared this the BEST deduction game I've ever played. Now I'm conflicted. Detective is a really immersive game where you try to solve the crimes before your fellow detectives. The game is lead by another player (The Chisel), attempting to plant false leads and prevent you from achieving your goals. The questioning and deduction element in this game is awesome. But the fact that once you've played a case, you can't go back to it, leads me to place Awkward Guest above this. Nonetheless, still a very good game!
A cute little card game that grew on me after a few plays. And it continues to grow on me the more I play it. Marketed as a drafting game, the drafting element doesn't come out as strong as other games, but the combos and the overall unique game flow makes this one of my top picks this year.
Star Wars: Outer Rim
It wouldn't be a Top 10 without a Star Wars game, would it? Stow your lightsabers and keep your Force, this game focuses on the scoudrels and smugglers of the Star Wars universe. Never has a sandbox game kept my interest going game after game. There are so many paths to victory that every time I play, I tend to pursue a different avenue. Do I complete jobs to increase my fame? Do I take on a bounty hunter role and seek out quarries? Do I do the lawful thing and hunt down rogue patrols? or do I want to just fly low and do cargo runs? All these are possible! The fact that the entire game is just dripping with Star Wars theme is an added bonus. A MUST-keep and a MUST-play in my books. Looking forward to the inevitable expansions that follow!
Definitely my nomination for "puzzly" game of the year. The simultaneous turn element and the how the game ends differently for each player is another interesting aspect. Visually, seeing your town build up from mere coloured blocks into sprawling buildings is a real treat too. There is also enough variety in the type of buildings for multiple play sessions. I hear there's an expansion coming out soon that ups that variability too! Can't wait to play this again.
When I first heard about this game, it didn't really speak to me - both theme and gameplay wise. But when I sat down to play it, the simplicity of the game, coupled with the feel of "old-timey" monters really made it more fun than I had initially thought. Each monster comes with a way to slay it and the combination of those monsters made every game different. I wish I had more plays of this. Hope to have more runs of this next year!
Backed this on kickstarter without much high hopes. Almost every drafting game out there claimed to be a "7-wonders-killer" so I didn't pay much attention when this was announced. After my first 2 games in, I could see why they called it that. While it still has a ways to go before they dethrone the aforementioned King of Drafting Games, this is a really strong contender. Simpler rules and more consistent gameplay will see this on more casual gamers tables. Coupled with the fact that it comes with 2 solid campaigns in the box, this definitely ranks up there with 7 wonders as a drafting game I'd gladly take out anytime.
Seems like coop games are on the rise! 3 already on my list and I'm not that big a fan of the "genre". Marvel on the other hand happens to be a universe that I am very interested in! FFG learned from their productions of the Lord of the Rings and Arkham Horror LCG what it takes to publish a good coop game with strong theme, awesome mechanics and really tight gameplay. With this being an LCG, I can safely say that this is not the last I'll see of this card game. PREPARE YOUR WALLETS!
Honorable Mentions
These were games that did not make the list either (a) they were not published in 2019, (b) I felt the 10 above were way better or (c) they were expansions of current games. 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.
Anomia (2010) - A party game made the list (sort-of). This word-play party game really hit it off with my family gaming group.
Various miniature games - The poison is strong. I got into more miniature games this year than ever. Of note are Aristeia - an arena-like MOBAish style game, and Rumbleslam - a wrestling game that brought back lots of WWF memories. There are also the regulars like Age of Sigmar and Warhammer Underworlds.
Other Honorable Non-Physical Games
A host of digital games that added to my gaming experience this year.
