War of the Ring: Second Edition

I've never actually created a Top 10 before, but I figured it was a good way to finish off this week's challenge. While this probably will change slightly each week these are mostly games I have played a bunch and consistently loved: 

10) #The Defence of Procyon III - a game I have currently only played on TTS, however it is a gorgeous asymmetric skirmish game that feels so ambitious. I love it online and anticipate it leaping up the rankings once I get to try it in person.

9) #Nemesis - I have only played this game about 3 times but have never had a bad time with it. It is thematic and tense, it is a game that creates narratives and memories. While too pricey for me to buy I will never say no to a game.

8) #Architects of the West Kingdom - my favourite worker placement game, the eco-system that is created, the multiple paths to victory, the engine building, the moral track opening and closing opportunities. There are so many great mechanics at play. It also has more player interaction than a lot of worker placement games while feeling less mean at the same time. Also the art design is great.

7) #Dead of Winter: A Crossroads Game - this has ended up on a number of lists this week. I think it is a wonderful hidden traitor game, I like how much ownership you feel for 'your characters' so people will try hard to prevent them dying and as such harm the collective whole. That combined with everyone having a secret mission means there are plenty of moments when someone does something'suspicious'. It has great discussion as you plan as a team and also question people's actions. The crossroads cards are a lot of fun when they come up, we always play without reading out the mechanical consequences so the team are just making a decision based on the 'story'. 

6) #13 Days: The Cuban Missile Crisis - By far the smallest game on this list, but packs so much into that space. The mechanics are really beautifully integrated, with each action usually having consequences (good or bad) further down the line. I love the bluffing, the fact that you have to balance where and how you put down influence with your 'Defcon' otherwise you start a nuclear war and lose the game which creates a real flow to the game. The cards are all actual events that happened during the war which is pretty cool. Cannot recommend this enough as a dedicated 2P game.

5) #Cry Havoc - Such a tense asymmetric area control game, you only get 15 actions the whole game (which can be as straight forward as drawing a new card or activating scoring for the round) so evrything you do is meaningful. The dynamic set up by the asymmetry of the factions is brilliant but also gives player plenty of room within it to make strategic and tacical decisions. It also has one of the best combat systems I have ever come across in a game: there is no luck involved just a lot of preparation and maneuvering. Plus the fact that there are different objectives in a battle means that both players can get what they want out of a battle (or neither). Just a wonderful game.

4) #Great Western Trail - This game is one of the best examples I have seen of a integration of theme and mechanics in a more Euro style game; all the actions feel pretty intuitive and are interesting. Dubbed 'the cow game' by my friends, it has so many routes to victory, a couple of nice points of player interaction and is just wonderfully evocative as you walk down this path with a handful of cows, building as you go. There is a great sense of progression as the board fills up and you each specialise in certain ways, each of which feels exponentially powerful. It is a tonne of fun.

3) #War of the Ring (Second Edition) - Such an epic game, the best 2P experience I have had with a board game. It captures the feeling of the books so well: this unstoppable wave of evil sweeping across the land with just little pockets of resistance, with all hopes on this fellowship as it trudges relentlessly across the land. Both sides feel like they are up against it from the start which is excellent. The only real downside is how long it takes to play so you can only crack it out every so often.

2) #Archipelago - I rave about this game constantly. It is in my opinion the best game (that I have played) to get players to cut deals and negotiate and by being a big open 3X (no combat) game gives huge scope for how those negoitations can proceed. We've had some fascinating dynamics appear in the game as people monoploise a certain resource or go around nabbing 'other peoples' (no one owns anything which is cool) hexes with some sneaky town building. The semi-coop aspect is very cool, as it forces compromise or you all lose. Also, the secret scoring objectives that you each have one of but that all the players score at the end means you are all watching each other carefully to try and work out what they are (and that knowledge can also be traded). It's just excellent.

1) #Pandemic Legacy: Season 1 - Such an epic experience to plays through with a group of friends. It takes an already solid game and game on game changes it up in significant but understandable ways. While the story presented by the game is fairly minimal that is actually genius as it gives space for you as a group to create that narrative through your actions. You imbue your characters with personality and grow very attached to them (I'll never forget Horatio Peck or Gabriel Hanes). I won't spoil any of them but the games keeps you massively engaged throughout with twists and changes to how you play. If you can get a couple of friends to commit to playing it, it is such a worthwhile experience.

What do you guys think? What are your favourites?