Tis the season for end of year lists! This was perhaps the first full year free of the production issues caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic and publishers put out some absolute bangers this year. While it is always hard to pick favorites, and impossible to try to rank them, our board game team got together to spotlight the best board games that blew us away this year.
Arcs
Publisher: Leder Games
While Leder games rarely misses in our book, Arcs feels like as impactful a release from the studio as the original Root. Like that mega-hit, it takes a classic board game form in 4X space conquest and puts a spin on it that is both more accessible but deep in ways you don’t always expect. The constantly shifting balance of power keeps things from getting too lopsided as can happen in big strategy games while the combat is an incredibly fun bit of push-your-luck that keeps everyone on their toes. Combined with some of Kyle Ferrin’s most original artwork yet its no wonder we’re not the only place putting this on our “Best Of” list.
Harvest
Publisher: Keymaster Games
One of Seher’s first worker-placement games, Harvest puts players in farming activities in the town of Furroughfield, featuring charming animal characters, beautiful artwork, and multiple action spots. Each game is super unique and there’s a lot of really different ways to play. The game is structured around 4 rounds, each with three phases, offering deep strategic gameplay, as players must manage resources like water, fertilizer, and coins. Players must decide whether they want to get points from building, harvesting, or both, and while there are multiple phases, the game does go quickly! While dealing with the ever-present Mayor Gairy, an “AI” character adding a layer of unpredictability. Keymaster Games also successfully Kickstarted an expansion called Fall Festival, and we’re super excited to see that next year!
Rock Hard 1977
Publisher: Devir Games
Jackie Fox’s big passion project with Devir grabbed the industry by the throat at Gen Con and hasn’t let up. It’s hard to find a game that matches thematic unity with fantastic production like Rock Hard does. From the 70’s rock humor inspired by Fox’s time in the music industry to the amp-inspired player boards to fake money so well done you wonder if the Treasury Department might be knocking at your door this is an absolute blast to both play and look at. The action-based gameplay is incredibly clean and easy to follow. True to life, there’s no right or wrong way to be a rock star so long as you rock all the same. And Rock Hard does that in spades.
Aqua
Publisher: The Op
Brody and Seher both had Aqua from The OP on their Best Of shortlist: This is such a good looking game that has great colors and represents the beauty of The Great Barrier Reef. The game is a tile placement game with tiles that are eventually placed on top of other tiles with a third layer being placed on top of the second layer. So the planning is 3 fold, and starts with the bottom tiles you place down. You are trying to get your large animal tiles down by matching small animal tiles in the orientation needed to place your large animal tiles. So you are essentially forming habitats with reefs to attract these animals. You also form ecosystems which will score you points for having certain things out for animals you have. The game can be placed with the basics or added with advanced elements to make things more challenging. But, it’s a 3 layered tile placement game with great art and a good theme.
Mass Effect The Board Game: Priority Hagalaz
Publisher: Modiphius
This got a big rollout from Modiphius and trust us, we’ll have a very in depth review of it soon because it absolutely deserves a deep dive. This is not just a simple cash grab or excuse to sell you minis, this is a beautifully done work of adaptation that doesn’t just translate the Mass Effect experience to the tabletop but enhances the setting with a brand new story set during the third game. Each character included plays like you’d expect with a ton of flexibility in how you approach each encounter in the book. The choices are meaningful and encourage replay value to see every bit of story you can. And its all wrapped up in Modiphius’s top notch production quality like well sculped minis and brand new art.
Metrorunner
Publisher: Thunderworks Games
Seher was a HUGE fan of Metrorunner. This captivating cyberpunk-themed worker placement game places players in the role of runners navigating the city’s underworld, completing contracts to gain the most points. The design features stunning illustrations and diverse character backstories. Players begin by selecting a runner board and character card, then navigate the city, advancing their figures and performing actions like completing jobs, hacking the network, or contacting agents. The game offers two types of actions: location actions, which involve gaining jobs or interacting with agents, and district actions, where players can complete jobs or gain resource cubes. Each completed job provides rewards, such as credits, resource cubes, and ongoing abilities, while players can also purchase boosts for special abilities. The hacking minigame is super entertaining and sometimes the most exciting part of playing. Plus the board sides are different for a larger or smaller game, changing the experience each play!
Flip 7
Publisher: The Op
Brody: This is probably the game me and my family have played most of this year. It’s a quick card game that feels like blackjack combined with Can’t Stop. You decide if you want to be dealt out an additional card on your turn, and you can’t gain a card that is the same number as another card you already have, or you bust. The thing is, there are the same number of cards as the number on the card. So 12 cards with “12” on it, 11 cards with “11”, 1 card with a number “1” on it, in addition to 1 “0” card. So you can somewhat see what your odds are for gaining a card you already have. If you have a 9, 10, 11, and 12 already, your chances are pretty high that the next card will be one of those. You can decide to stop at any time and bank your points. The game plays over several rounds, and provides you with the push your luck feeling from Can’t Stop that everyone likes, combined with a little more chance of using some strategic decision making, but also there is some luck.
Burn The Fort
Publisher: Indigenous Action
Burn The Fort stood out this year as an example of how board games can be a medium of expression for marginalized groups and a source of education. Created by the late Diné activist and artist Klee Benally, its a game meant to help educate players about the reality of American colonization, especially Indigenous youths who might not get taught their history in school. Represented as a reverse tower defense game, you play as real-life resistance leaders working to burn down a US Army fort while fending off the forces of the government and dealing with real life atrocities and events that occurred during the era. Klee put a lot of love for history and his culture into the game and it’s a beautiful, if often harrowing, experience to play.
Harmonies
Publisher: Libellud
Brody: This game was first introduced to me by gaming friends who live in town. After 1 play I was impressed with the simple yet difficult decisions you are making. You take 3 tiles per turn to place them on your board in ways that form patterns from cards you can choose to gain points from. All the different colors score in themselves differently. Like the blue is water and wants to form a river, and scores forming a chain, while the brown and green form trees, the gray is rock, and so on. While you score the points from placing down the tiles themselves, you score by matching the placement of those tiles shown on available cards. You are trying to overlap as many of these designs as much as you can, and then hope that more tiles appear that will match your plans. Games are quick, rules are simple, but there is some depth in strategy that requires planning. I think the art and components are done very well, and its a game I have continued to play on the computer due to the lasting impressions it has on me.
Images courtesy of their respective owners
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