Time for my next chunk of favorite games of all time! Next is 80-71. This year I have played two of my top 10 all-time games once each…including the number one game…well, technically earlier today. We played until almost 7am…Anyway…to the list!
Also-worth reminding the last list number 81 was Between Two Cities. I may have a reason that is worth mentioning.
80. Castles of Mad King Ludwig
Bezier Games
Designer: Ted Alspach
Owned: Yes
Why it is on the list: When I was a kid way back in the last century, there were a handful of computer games I remember enjoying…Carmen Sandiego, Oregon Trail…but the two biggest with Sid Meier’s Civilization and SimCity. I’ve always enjoyed building games. This is an extremely fun game of building a castle. The most fun part of the game is often not the process of playing, but the funny things that happen with placement. “So I have the mold room near the pantry…”
Who may like it: People who like building and designing with things like SimCity or other design elements.
79. Tsuro
Callope Games
Designer: Tom McMurchie
Owned: Yes
Why it is on the list: This is a super simple, very quick game where you are dragons zipping around trying to avoid other dragons while placing tiles to set-up routes. This game zips by most of the time and is a great filler game.
Who may like it: People who like fast, simple party games or are looking for something to do between two larger, more complex games.
78. Last Night On Earth
Flying Frog Productions
Designer: Jason C. Hill
Owned: NO
Why it is on the list: If you take this game as a super serious strategy game…it MAY still be fun. However, if you take it as a silly, old B-movie as it is designed this game can be a lot of good, silly fun. As those who know me know that isn’t the top thing I look for in games…but this one does it so well it is excellent.
Who may like it: Fans of old, over-the-top horror movies.
77. Planet
Blue Orange Games
Designer: Urtis Šulinskas
Owned: Yes
Why it is on the list: Uniqueness. I received this last year for Christmas from Bethany and have played it 4 times so far. Clearly it just clicks with me because I’ve won all 4 times. However, the player board and mechanics are so unique (as Blue Orange Games is known for) really puts this a step above.
Who may like it: People who are interested in animals, the environment, or unique board games.
76. Charterstone
Stonemeier Games
Designer: Jamey Stegmaier
Owned: Yes
Why it is on the list: I enjoy worker placement games. I enjoy legacy games. Jamey Stegmaier is one of my two favorite game designers. So this one was sure to hit well with me-and it did. I’ve played twice. This may be higher but I haven’t played with either completed board after we completed the campaigns. I know you CAN…and I’ve heard it is fun. For me the fun was playing the legacy game-building a charter, etc. I need to try where that isn’t the focus.
Who may like it: Fans of worker placement games. This is a very well designed one but adds the legacy component.
75. Last Will
CGE Games
Designer: Vladimír Suchý
Owned: NO
Why it is on the list: What if Brewster’s Millions was a board game? It would be Last Will. In Last Will you inherit a bunch of money from a rich uncle…but to get the true fortune you have to be able to spend all of your initial inheritance first. This, like a game much higher on the list, was found by accident at Origins. At a time we needed to find a place to just sit down and take a break we stumbled upon this game.
Who may like it: This game takes a very serious game mechanically and puts a good amount of humor and fun on top of an excellent mechanical game.
74. Letters from Whitechapel
Fantasy Flight Games
Designer: Gabriele Mari, Gianluca Santopietro
Owned: Yes
Why it is on the list: I enjoy hide-and-seek the board game style games. This is an excellent one. You are either the police working to catch Jack the Ripper, or Jack the Ripper killing the ladies of the night. Excellent hidden movement game.
Who may like it: Fans of hide and seek? Fans of history?
73. Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig
Stonemeier Games with Bezier Games
Designer: Matthew O’Malley, Ben Rosset
Owned: NO
Why it is on the list: Remember at the top when I mentioned in the last list I ended with Between Two Cities…and earlier here I mentioned Castles of Mad King Ludwig? What happens when you take the mechanics of those two games, mix them together from two top game companies? An excellent tile placement building game.
Who may like it: Fans of the other two games who want to take the next step to a better implementation of either.
72. Formula D
Asmodee
Designer: Laurent Lavaur, Eric Randall
Owned: Yes
Why it is on the list: One of the best (and probably the second most fun) racing game I’ve played. This one is great, silly fun and you press your luck…do I shift up and risk overshooting the corner and getting destroyed or do I shift down and risk being passed? Hint: I always shift up. Also: I never win.
Who may like it: Racing fans, fans of risk taking.
71. Can’t Stop
Eagle-Gryphon Games
Designer: Sid Sackson
Owned: Yes
Why it is on the list: This game is from 1980 but I didn’t play if for the first time until 2012 at NASAGA. This risk taking game is a top of fun and one of the better simple risk taking games around. Theme is pretty much non-existent but the game itself is a lot of fun.
Who may like it: People who like risk taking…or who enjoy beating people who take too many risks. Fans of dice rolling who don’t care about theme.
It has been a while but there is my next 10. Feel free to leave comments and try to guess games from my top 10 as I prepare for the next list.