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2011 was the year I really got into this hobby, plus it was a year with many, many, many great releases. I thought, with a year and a half's worth of reflection, it might be time to look back on this great year and assess what I consider to be the top ten games of the year.
10. Trajan
Trajan is an empire development game set in ancient Rome for two to four players. It uses worker placement, card drafting, and a very unique Mancala-like system for action management. It's designed by Stefan Feld, published by Passport Game Studios, and playable in ninety minutes.
Why is it #10? It would probably be higher on the list with more plays. I've only played it a few times after acquiring it in mid-2012 and I haven't adequately wrapped my mind around the strategies yet. This is one of those games on my "must play it again soon" list, though.
9. Village
Village is a worker placement game in which your workers actually have children, age, and die off, creating a unique dynamic. It's designed by Inka and Markus Brand, published by Tasty Minstrel Games, and playable in about an hour.
Why is it #9? It's a pretty light worker placement game, a genre where I usually prefer heavier ones, but the unique "aging worker" mechanism makes me want to keep bringing this one back out on the table. It is a great unique twist.
8. Risk: Legacy
Risk: Legacy is your traditional game of Risk except that over the course of the first fifteen games you play, you permanently modify the game in several ways, both aesthetically and functionally, via the revelation of sealed packets in the box that are triggered to be opened by certain game events. It's designed by Rob Daviau and Chris Dupuis, published by Hasbro, and playable in an hour or two.
Why is it #8? The "Legacy" mechanism is amazing. The way this game grows and modifies itself into a unique game/artifact is something truly innovative and worth exploring. This would be very high up on the list if it were not based on the relatively weak Risk.
7. Airlines: Europe
Airlines Europe is a mix of route building and stock collection set in the skies over Europe. I describe it as a mix of the classics Acquire and Ticket to Ride. It's designed by Alan R. Moon, published by Rio Grande Games, and playable in an hour to an hour and a half.
Why is it #7? This game was an enormous hit for my game group for about six months from late 2011 to mid 2012. It still sees the table somewhat regularly, too, which means it has enough legs to get past the "discovery" phase and enter into the "mastery" phase - a fairly rare thing for my group.
6. Belfort
Belfort is a worker placement and area control game with a wonderful fantasy theme and a touch of humor. The mechanisms in the game mix together very well. It's designed by Jay Cormier and Sen-Foong Lim, published by Tasty Minstrel Games, and playable in about half an hour.
Why is it #6? This is hands-down one of my favorite worker placement games of all time. The gameplay and the theme are both incredibly enjoyable. The only reason it's not higher is because 2011 is just loaded with great games.
5. Sentinels of the Multiverse
Sentinels is a cooperative (but not customizable) card game for one to five players. Each player receives a deck of cards representing a hero and they cooperatively take on a villain deck that presents challenges to them. It's designed by Christopher Badell, Paul Bender, and Adam Rebottaro, published by Greater Than Games, and playable in about 45 minutes.
Why is it #5? This one flew up the list recently as I discovered that it makes for a very nice solo experience as well as a multiplayer one and thus I've been playing it solitaire quite a bit. I love the challenging choices that the game constantly presses upon you, plus the theme is very light and fun and it's easy to get out on the table.
4. The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game
The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game is a customizable cooperative card game for one to four players. Each player plays a deck of cards representing three (or fewer) heroes and these players/heroes square off against an encounter deck filled with challenges. This provides a much deeper experience - but one that requires more setup and more deckbuilding - than the above game. It's designed by Nate French, published by Fantasy Flight Games, and playable in about an hour.
Why is it #4? It's a tremendous solo experience. This is perhaps my favorite solo game of all time, as it strikes that sweet spot of depth and relative ease of setup almost perfectly for me. It has tremendous replayability thanks to the abundance of available scenarios.
3. Eclipse
Eclipse is a space exploration, conquest, and technology discovery game with tiles that are revealed as the game goes on, lots of space battles, and some brutal twists and turns. It's designed by Touko Tahkokallio, published by Asmodee, and playable in about two to three hours.
Why is it #3? If I made this list a few weeks ago, this would have been much lower, as this is one that's hard to get to the table with my game group. Thankfully, there's a wonderful iPad adaptation out there that I've now played many times that has made me respect this game quite a lot.
2. Mage Knight
Mage Knight is a fantasy theme gamed loaded with mechanisms from tile exploration to deckbuilding. It's a very deep and rich game with a lot going on, but it comes together in a way that makes every move feel tight and crucial. It's designed by Vlaada Chvátil, published by Wiz Kids, and playable in two to three hours.
Why is it #2? It's a great game to play for one to three players, in my opinion. The only thing that keeps this from being number one for me is the rules density and the time it takes to set up a solo game, but if this were just magically on the table for me whenever I wanted it, I would play it a disturbingly high number of times.
1. Castles of Burgundy
Castles of Burgundy is a set collection and tile placement game that uses dice in an incredibly clever way to aid in the collection of those tiles. Each player has a unique map that they're trying to fill in with tiles, and many of those tiles have unique powers and scoring attributes. This all comes together in an amazing tight game. It's designed by Stefan Feld, published by Ravensburger, and playable in about an hour to an hour and a half.
Why is it #1? My wife is a pretty avid gamer and this is our shared #1 game of all time. If we have a chance to sneak in a two player game, odds are that it's this one. It's just this wonderful strategic game that just clicks in so many ways for both of us. I also enjoy playing it in groups, but I have so many fantastic memories of playing this with my wife that it's hard to put it anywhere but #1. Champagne, chocolate, and Castles of Burgundy? It's happened.
2011 was the year I really got into this hobby, plus it was a year with many, many, many great releases. I thought, with a year and a half's worth of reflection, it might be time to look back on this great year and assess what I consider to be the top ten games of the year.
10. Trajan
Trajan is an empire development game set in ancient Rome for two to four players. It uses worker placement, card drafting, and a very unique Mancala-like system for action management. It's designed by Stefan Feld, published by Passport Game Studios, and playable in ninety minutes.
Why is it #10? It would probably be higher on the list with more plays. I've only played it a few times after acquiring it in mid-2012 and I haven't adequately wrapped my mind around the strategies yet. This is one of those games on my "must play it again soon" list, though.
9. Village
Village is a worker placement game in which your workers actually have children, age, and die off, creating a unique dynamic. It's designed by Inka and Markus Brand, published by Tasty Minstrel Games, and playable in about an hour.
Why is it #9? It's a pretty light worker placement game, a genre where I usually prefer heavier ones, but the unique "aging worker" mechanism makes me want to keep bringing this one back out on the table. It is a great unique twist.
8. Risk: Legacy
Risk: Legacy is your traditional game of Risk except that over the course of the first fifteen games you play, you permanently modify the game in several ways, both aesthetically and functionally, via the revelation of sealed packets in the box that are triggered to be opened by certain game events. It's designed by Rob Daviau and Chris Dupuis, published by Hasbro, and playable in an hour or two.
Why is it #8? The "Legacy" mechanism is amazing. The way this game grows and modifies itself into a unique game/artifact is something truly innovative and worth exploring. This would be very high up on the list if it were not based on the relatively weak Risk.
7. Airlines: Europe
Airlines Europe is a mix of route building and stock collection set in the skies over Europe. I describe it as a mix of the classics Acquire and Ticket to Ride. It's designed by Alan R. Moon, published by Rio Grande Games, and playable in an hour to an hour and a half.
Why is it #7? This game was an enormous hit for my game group for about six months from late 2011 to mid 2012. It still sees the table somewhat regularly, too, which means it has enough legs to get past the "discovery" phase and enter into the "mastery" phase - a fairly rare thing for my group.
6. Belfort
Belfort is a worker placement and area control game with a wonderful fantasy theme and a touch of humor. The mechanisms in the game mix together very well. It's designed by Jay Cormier and Sen-Foong Lim, published by Tasty Minstrel Games, and playable in about half an hour.
Why is it #6? This is hands-down one of my favorite worker placement games of all time. The gameplay and the theme are both incredibly enjoyable. The only reason it's not higher is because 2011 is just loaded with great games.
5. Sentinels of the Multiverse
Sentinels is a cooperative (but not customizable) card game for one to five players. Each player receives a deck of cards representing a hero and they cooperatively take on a villain deck that presents challenges to them. It's designed by Christopher Badell, Paul Bender, and Adam Rebottaro, published by Greater Than Games, and playable in about 45 minutes.
Why is it #5? This one flew up the list recently as I discovered that it makes for a very nice solo experience as well as a multiplayer one and thus I've been playing it solitaire quite a bit. I love the challenging choices that the game constantly presses upon you, plus the theme is very light and fun and it's easy to get out on the table.
4. The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game
The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game is a customizable cooperative card game for one to four players. Each player plays a deck of cards representing three (or fewer) heroes and these players/heroes square off against an encounter deck filled with challenges. This provides a much deeper experience - but one that requires more setup and more deckbuilding - than the above game. It's designed by Nate French, published by Fantasy Flight Games, and playable in about an hour.
Why is it #4? It's a tremendous solo experience. This is perhaps my favorite solo game of all time, as it strikes that sweet spot of depth and relative ease of setup almost perfectly for me. It has tremendous replayability thanks to the abundance of available scenarios.
3. Eclipse
Eclipse is a space exploration, conquest, and technology discovery game with tiles that are revealed as the game goes on, lots of space battles, and some brutal twists and turns. It's designed by Touko Tahkokallio, published by Asmodee, and playable in about two to three hours.
Why is it #3? If I made this list a few weeks ago, this would have been much lower, as this is one that's hard to get to the table with my game group. Thankfully, there's a wonderful iPad adaptation out there that I've now played many times that has made me respect this game quite a lot.
2. Mage Knight
Mage Knight is a fantasy theme gamed loaded with mechanisms from tile exploration to deckbuilding. It's a very deep and rich game with a lot going on, but it comes together in a way that makes every move feel tight and crucial. It's designed by Vlaada Chvátil, published by Wiz Kids, and playable in two to three hours.
Why is it #2? It's a great game to play for one to three players, in my opinion. The only thing that keeps this from being number one for me is the rules density and the time it takes to set up a solo game, but if this were just magically on the table for me whenever I wanted it, I would play it a disturbingly high number of times.
1. Castles of Burgundy
Castles of Burgundy is a set collection and tile placement game that uses dice in an incredibly clever way to aid in the collection of those tiles. Each player has a unique map that they're trying to fill in with tiles, and many of those tiles have unique powers and scoring attributes. This all comes together in an amazing tight game. It's designed by Stefan Feld, published by Ravensburger, and playable in about an hour to an hour and a half.
Why is it #1? My wife is a pretty avid gamer and this is our shared #1 game of all time. If we have a chance to sneak in a two player game, odds are that it's this one. It's just this wonderful strategic game that just clicks in so many ways for both of us. I also enjoy playing it in groups, but I have so many fantastic memories of playing this with my wife that it's hard to put it anywhere but #1. Champagne, chocolate, and Castles of Burgundy? It's happened.