Dune Imperium. Pandemic S0 - My favourite Pandemic by far. Lost Ruins of Arnak. Oceans. And Gloomhaven JotL should be in there somewhere, but almost all of my experience with that was with digital version. I think the Oceans App is free to play, so anyone can try the basic game vs AI.
I can only find six games released in 2020 that I have played. This is how I would rank them; 1. 7 Wonders 2nd Edition (I never played the 1st Edition so I counted this). 2. Gloomhaven - Jaws of the Lion 3. Unmatched - Cobble & Fog 4. Back to the Future - Back in Time 5. Marvel United 6. Unmatched - InGen Vs. Raptors
10. Furnace 9. Here To Slay 8. Viscounts of the West Kingdom 7. Warp's Edge 6. Mysterium Park 5. Pandemic Legacy: Season 0 4. Fallout Shelter 3. Tranquility 2. Dune: Imperium 1. Under Falling Skies
As usual, JT's selection hits it outta the Park(I dunno what's up with Sam's; COVID induced fever follies, I guess) For example, JT's #10 N.Y. Zoo (& apparently #5 according to that Expert Editing by...well...yeah) and #7 Under Falling Skies are two that I have in my vast 32 game Collection...I really need more games. And #2 Kanban EV is on my "Must Have when Lottery is Won" List. And AGREE, LRoA (own) is overrated or just not "My Stein of Beer" as they say....maybe after I get Lost Expedition expansion, that may change. So, JT...WTG...our tastes align again. Just goes to show ya, "Geniuses of Same 'Verse, All Others are Perverse"
My top 10... One exact crossover! One normal crossover. 10. New York Zoo 9. Tranquility 8. Project L 7. Beyond the Sun 6. 15 Days 5. Paper Dungeons: A Dungeon Scrawler Game 4. Sagani 3. Marvel United 2. 7 Wonders Second Editions 1. Lost Ruins of Arnak This month I played Dwellings of Eldervale for the first time. Too bad I didn't give it a rating yet. Otherwise, it could maybe have taken a place somewhere here. I want to honourably mention: "Merv Heart of the Silk Road". Maybe it's something to try out (for JT), because he mentioned heavier games like Kanban EV and Dwellings. I'm not sure, but maybe this is also a hybrid game? I mean, it feels like a bunch of boardgame mechanics, and you can choose on which one you want to focus as a player. There is route connecting in the desert, going up on a mosque track, area control in sultan palace,... I couldn't win this game, if I didn't focus on something specific. Not sure if this is what JT means with hybrid game.
I'm curious if you guys have tried My Island? I have it on my shelf but not sure if I should keep it. My game group loved My City. If you have played it, is it any good?
I do not agree that this is a down year as far as the top games. Mine are: 5 Praga Caput Regni, 4 Furnace, 3 Dune: Imperium, 2 Dwellings of Eldervale and 1 Forgotten Waters. Maybe not as deep a year but exceptionally good games at the top.
Definitely fewer favorites from 2020. In my collection, some good ones you may not have played are; 1) "Hansa Teutonica: Big Box", a highly competitive euro route building building race that ends just when you think you're finally building your momentum. This one has a lot of player interaction as you intentionally get in the other players' way because you get to bring back more units on the board when they kick you out. 2) "Beyond the Sun" which doesn't look like much on the table, but combines worker placement and area control with a race to develop tech in order to control which worker placement actions will appear. 3) "Furnace" a smaller stripped down engine builder with a fun auction mechanic (where the loser still gets something). 4) "Pan-Am" a fun, lighter route building game with an, admittedly thin, retro/historical theme where you're a small airline trying to build up commercial routes before being gobbled up by the industry giant, Pan-Am. I should also mention "Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy" which has many elements I like (exploration, economic engine building, growth at a cost), but the randomness of dice rolling for combat when the rest of the game feels so strategic really needs a better way to mitigate bad die rolls beyond upgrading ship components. It's a good game, but I feel it could be better if combat was less random.
I’m sorry! I am not above making mistakes, but often cutting and pasting these lower thirds, for some reason, encourages the program to keep the original texts during rendering no matter how many times I be checked that it’s right.
