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As the tabletop hobby becomes increasingly popular, there are just so many games to choose from. However, whether it’s a straight-up war game, coop dungeon crawler, or somewhere in between, these board games showcase the very best that tabletop gaming has to offer and will appeal to a wide variety of moods and preferences.
10 Wingspan
This game took the world by storm back in 2019 and 2020, showing that a very niche and specific theme with good and fun mechanics can do very well as a tabletop experience. In Wingspan, players are bird enthusiasts trying to attract various birds into their wildlife preserves (divided into woodland, grassland, and wetland biomes). Now as it may not sounds as exciting, the game plays very intricately and players may be surprised at how much they enjoy their first game.
Likened to Terraforming Mars, Wingspan is a beautiful game that features over a hundred species of birds and combinations to achieve victory. This tabletop experience will likely take flight on the next game night.
9 Rurik: Dawn Of Kiev
As the scion of the late Vladimir the Great, players must compete with other contenders to the throne to become the next great ruler of the Kievan Rus. Rurik: Dawn Of Kiev combines area control, and resource management, and includes an auction programming mechanic.
In a deeply ‘stressful’ and strategic experience, players will build, tax, fight and accomplish heroic deeds to gain popularity from the masses. However, the meat of the game is centered around the auction phase, where players must decide carefully on how to bid for specific advisors for players can negate one another’s actions with their own.
8 Concordia
Something with less emphasis on war and fighting, Concordia has players become merchant families during a thriving Roman Empire trying to establish better trade connections and find favor with the gods. It involves hand management and resource management.
Although players may be tempted to write this off, that should hardly be the case. The game is easily one of the best experiences a gaming group can have as it features very interconnected mechanics. It’s, therefore, no surprise that this game still currently ranks as the 20th best game of all time according to Board Game Geek, after almost being a decade old (given that so many games are released every year).
7 Clans Of Caledonia
A ‘mid-heavy’ euro game involving Scottish clans and farming, Clans Of Caledonia will have players compete with one another to cement their dominance over the arable lands of Scotland and on the markets to become the next leading economic power.
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Game groups who enjoy strategic and economic games might enjoy this one as the game offers several factions that play very differently and multiple pathways to victory. Manipulating markets has never been so fun! The game is paired fantastically well with a nice bottle of peaty Scotch.
6 Everdell
A game where cute woodland critters compete to create the most beautiful and amazing city at the heart of the forest, Evedell is a worker placement game where ‘meeples’ are assigned to gather resources that are used to carry out actions and fulfill various criteria.
Considered one of the most beautiful games ever made,Everdell not only has gorgeous components but plays very well. The game offers a richly strategic experience as players prioritize certain cards and actions to score the most amount of points.
5 Root
A game where cute woodland critters compete to murder one another and establish their dominance over a woodland biome, Root is another game that took the world by storm. An area control war game with elements of Risk, Root features asymmetrical factions. This means that every faction plays very differently and must complete distinct objectives unique to that faction.
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Although this means that there are differing rules for each faction, meaning more time to learn how every side works. The game can be a deeply rewarding experience for 4 players who commit and learn the intricacies of the game. Moreover, the game currently has several expansions which introduce more factions (there are 10 now in total) and new maps, offering more opportunities for carnage and destruction.
4 Blood Rage
Another area control war game but this time set at the end of the Viking world, Blood Rage has players assume command of different Viking clans duking it out amidst a crumbling world as Ragnarok descends. Instead of dice, the game introduces an interesting card-based system and encourages players to attack one another to gain rewards on the map.
Throughout the game, players will be able to upgrade their clan leaders and warriors, acquire powerful mythological monsters, and more powerful cards to level the playing field. What’s interesting about this game is that losing fights can also be a winning strategy. Losing players can score points by sending their dead warriors to Valhalla or be able to steal things from their opponents. A must-play for 4 (and possibly 5) players looking for a solid war board game.
3 Dune Imperium
A worker placement and deck-building board game set in the Dune universe, Dune Imperium is an extremely popular game, and for good reason. Although the theme checks out, players can experience a very tight-knit strategy game that plays rather quickly and is deeply satisfying.
Each turn, players will send their workers onto the planet Arrakis or towards the 4 factions featured within the game to gain influence with them. Players will then acquire resources and then add cards to their deck that allows for stronger plays later on. It finally ends with a big fight between all the players and whoever emerges victorious from the fighting, earns the rewards. Simple, easy to learn, and surprisingly deep, Dune Imperium is an excellent choice for a team of 4.
2 Brass Birmingham
An economic game set during the British Industrial Revolution where players compete to become the next big economic powerhouse, Brass Birmingham is currently ranked as the 3rd greatest board game of all time according to Board Game Geek. Players will build their economic networks and buildings in an attempt to generate more income and score points.
Players can also deny or steal their opponent’s resources and build spaces should they be cunning and savvy enough. Though there is a certain level of luck involved, the game strikes a fine balance between having a strategic plan and adapting to an opponent’s movements.
1 Gloomhaven
The reigning number 1 board game on Board Game Geek, Gloomhaven is currently one of the most popular dungeon crawling games available on the market. Players form a band of mercenaries who must seek gold, glory, and fame in a tailored campaign that won’t be spoiled here.
What makes the game truly unique is that it introduces a card mechanic that acts as the player’s ‘life’ and denotes what characters can do on a turn. Players must carefully choose which actions to take on their respective cards and when to use them as using the best cards early might mean not having them later in the mission. Every gaming group should experience Gloomhaven at least once, whether they play the physical copy or the digital version.
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