Ars Technica’s ultimate board game gift guide, 2021 edition
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A good list -- note that some games have good expansions. The Lords of Waterdeep expansion adds a 6th player, and some interesting choices (some spots give you a lot of resources, but you have ti take skulls which are negative points unless you can get rid of them). The Lorenzo expansion adds a fifth player and mixes cards up (otherwise you will always see the same cards)
Note that in No Thanks! the cards are numbered 3 to 35 (not 1 to 30).
One of the tricky bits are 9 cards are taken out. If I have the 22, do I take the 20 in hopes of the 21 being in the deck?
Brian
Note that in No Thanks! the cards are numbered 3 to 35 (not 1 to 30).
One of the tricky bits are 9 cards are taken out. If I have the 22, do I take the 20 in hopes of the 21 being in the deck?
Brian
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Flamme Rouge probably belongs on a list of accesible but great games. With the Peloton expansion you can play up to 12 players (one bike per player)!
Also Dune, especially now with the new movie existing so it's a bit more accesible, thematically. Plus it's really cheap for such a big experience.
Also Dune, especially now with the new movie existing so it's a bit more accesible, thematically. Plus it's really cheap for such a big experience.
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Great list!
I am assuming that some of this text has been reused from previous years, though. Mansions of madness was definitely not released last year! In fact, it was 2016.
Still a great game.
I am assuming that some of this text has been reused from previous years, though. Mansions of madness was definitely not released last year! In fact, it was 2016.
Still a great game.
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I should add that if you have the cash, the big box version of terraforming mars looks much more spectacular, with plastic tiles and makers, and improved player boards. It is around £150- get a rich friend to buy it if you enjoy the game 
For the more budget conscious, there are some designs for 3D printable tiles, which is the route I went....
For the more budget conscious, there are some designs for 3D printable tiles, which is the route I went....
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I hate to be "that guy", but I find the separators between the image and the description of the game very visually confusing. My eye wants to group the pictures with the text that is above them with no separator (the previous game). It keeps throwing me off even after I figured it out.
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I'm kinda surprised "Lost Ruins of Arnak" did not make the list. Great game, great themes, works really well.
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/312 ... uins-arnak
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/312 ... uins-arnak
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For anyone intimidated by Gloomhaven's size I can highly recommend Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion. It's a bit more streamlined and compact. We've been playing through that with a few friends and it's a lot of fun! We played 8 sessions so far (out of the 25 in the campaign) and we already decided we'll get the full game when we're done.
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Excellent selection, played many od these games. What i eould like to get my hands on and is not here are : pax pamir 2nd edition and beyond the sun
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A number of these games are on board game arena which is a nice way to try things out. I've played Parks, Patchwork, Azul and Welcome To on it.
We've also got Gloomhaven and JotL, and have done most of JotL, which feels nice when you manage to get all your things working together. I prefer it to Mansions of Madness in terms of story/scenario games.
Also finished Pandemic Legacy S1 and we have S2 but not yet played it.
Dragomino is OK as a short game that's quite straightforward.
I've bought Scythe, Calico, Dixit and Azul to give as gifts to my OH for Christmas this year.
We've also got Gloomhaven and JotL, and have done most of JotL, which feels nice when you manage to get all your things working together. I prefer it to Mansions of Madness in terms of story/scenario games.
Also finished Pandemic Legacy S1 and we have S2 but not yet played it.
Dragomino is OK as a short game that's quite straightforward.
I've bought Scythe, Calico, Dixit and Azul to give as gifts to my OH for Christmas this year.
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i actually dont like scythe, it was too slow for me. even if i play heavy games from time to time, but there is a kids version called my little scythe which can be played in an hour that i did enjoy.
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I like the games from ButtonShy for stocking stuffers. I keep them in my travel bag as they are all about the size of a pack of cards.
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possible that due to lack of early morning caffeine I missed a nuance here:
but if Carcassone makes the list as a 'modern classic' how is Catan not on the list?
but if Carcassone makes the list as a 'modern classic' how is Catan not on the list?
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A casual / simple / fun party game for "non-gamers" at the top of my list is Lost Cities. Dead simple, but still super fun and takes like 3 mins to learn. Have played it hundreds of times at parties and it never gets old.
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Definitely some proofing issues in the middle. A very solid list of games.
Some comments:
1. Is Watergate replacing Twilight Struggle, with its similar theme? I love the concept of TS, but bounced hard off of memorizing cards and it's action list, which is completely unintuitive imo. Does Watergate improve on this?
2. I have played Star Realms so many times but only with my son. I think it should be considered as a kid's game/filler. The gameplay definitely has random results based on collected statistics (little difference between 'good' and 'bad' players).
3. Similar with Dominion. It is the classic innovator of the deck builder genre, but I'm not sure it should be promoted over newer games. I do agree with all the other classic picks.
To me, the 'classics' section is the most interesting, because it's basically a 'Hall of Fame' argument, but with a definitive ranking - also as a buying guide it must be in stock. To replace Dominion, my nominees would be Splendor, Patchwork and Jaipur, all of which have had time to age and a simplicity which is almost universally appealing. And I would argue the themes are more compelling, even if Patchwork swings a little too hard in the opposite direction.
Some comments:
1. Is Watergate replacing Twilight Struggle, with its similar theme? I love the concept of TS, but bounced hard off of memorizing cards and it's action list, which is completely unintuitive imo. Does Watergate improve on this?
2. I have played Star Realms so many times but only with my son. I think it should be considered as a kid's game/filler. The gameplay definitely has random results based on collected statistics (little difference between 'good' and 'bad' players).
3. Similar with Dominion. It is the classic innovator of the deck builder genre, but I'm not sure it should be promoted over newer games. I do agree with all the other classic picks.
To me, the 'classics' section is the most interesting, because it's basically a 'Hall of Fame' argument, but with a definitive ranking - also as a buying guide it must be in stock. To replace Dominion, my nominees would be Splendor, Patchwork and Jaipur, all of which have had time to age and a simplicity which is almost universally appealing. And I would argue the themes are more compelling, even if Patchwork swings a little too hard in the opposite direction.
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I think the Sushi Go entry should have a picture of Sushi Go and not of Port Royale (which is fun, press your luck type game).
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I think the Sushi Go entry should have a picture of Sushi Go and not of Port Royale (which is fun, press your luck type game).
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Maybe Ars should do a roundup of video game board games as an article.
Dark Souls, Europa Universalis, Deep Rock Galactic etc etc.
Dark Souls, Europa Universalis, Deep Rock Galactic etc etc.
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If you like Arkham Horror, new version or old, give Horrified a try. I love Arkham and use to play it a lot, but it takes so long. For me Horrified hits the same notes but plays in an hour or so.
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I would give my highest personal recommendation to Azul and Lords of Waterdeep - both have proved to be surprisingly well received hits (meaning, nobody I've introduced them to have disliked them - a lot of games one of the players won't be as much of a fan). Also, pretty easy to pick up and turns play quickly, so people don't get bored sitting around. The only thing people seem to have problems with is the scoring in Azul - usually have to help after each round for the first game.
On another note, I've really enjoyed Mansions of Madness, but I will say I've run into more than a few bugs with the app system.
On another note, I've really enjoyed Mansions of Madness, but I will say I've run into more than a few bugs with the app system.
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Lorenzo? I got excited about an expansion I was unaware of, but can't turn up anything by this name. As far as I can tell they've only released the one expansion (though with two independent additions in it - Undermountain and Skullport).
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No, it's a buyer's guide, and this isn't for novelty, it's for solid gameplay, which simply doesn't change year to year for board games. I would appreciate MORE boardgame articles/videos, but this one is fine for what it set out to do.
And you could at least make some suggestions? Pax Pamir? Imperial Struggle? Root? Scythe? Dune? Undaunted? Cascadia? Spirit Island?
I haven't played these new games, but they have buzz, but are they even appropriate for Christmas gifts? Will they stand the test of time? Can you even buy them?
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If you are looking for Christmas themed stocking stuffers don't overlook the new series Funko has released. I was skeptical because they're typically $6.99 +- $1, they're mostly themed to licensed properties, and are sized to fit in most stockings.
They are very well done in the sense that their mechanics actually have some loose tie to the licensed property, and there are meaningful decisions to make. Additionally, the rules are easy to learn but mostly have the option to employ meaningful strategies.
You can see that Reiner Knizia's style strongly influenced Funko's approach to this series, and it reminds me of Fantasy Flight's long gone Silver Line series which Knizia did have a direct hand in several of those titles.
They are very well done in the sense that their mechanics actually have some loose tie to the licensed property, and there are meaningful decisions to make. Additionally, the rules are easy to learn but mostly have the option to employ meaningful strategies.
You can see that Reiner Knizia's style strongly influenced Funko's approach to this series, and it reminds me of Fantasy Flight's long gone Silver Line series which Knizia did have a direct hand in several of those titles.
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Would be nice to have an added link for ones that have electronic versions. I have Sagrada, TTR, Wingspan, and Carcasonne on various services, but curious about others.
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There is also a newer "American monsters" (Bigfoot, Mothman, Chupacabra, Jersey Devil, Ozark Howler, Banshee of the Badlands) version of Horrified in addition to the original which was Universal monsters (Frankenstein's monster & bride, Dracula, Mummy, Wolfman, Creature from the Black Lagoon).
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Not who you are asking, but if you like coop strategy games I can't recommend Spirit Island enough. Contrary to what the author here says, the game is not crushingly difficult. You will probably lose your first few playthroughs, but that's just cause you're learning. The base difficulty shouldn't be any issue for an intermediate board gamer. Now, if you ramp up the difficulty you can and will get destroyed.
As for replayabillity , since we got the game it is our staple game when we have people over for gaming. It's not mentioned in the article, but the game has a 2nd expansion that arguably has more content than the original base game. I have my favorite spirits, but even after probably 100 games there are some I still haven't tried, and many more I still haven't really figured out how to play.
TLDR: Spirit Island is great. If you like coop strategy it is absolutely worth picking up.
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One game I recommend trying is Obsession. Don't let the name or the theme fool you. This is a very solid game that you can play solo or up to 6 players.
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Really appreciate the list.
Our 6 year old has recently become very interested in board/card game, but we really only have games my wife and I played with friends. We've been playing a lot of (modified rules) Ticket to Ride, Flux and Settlers of Catan, but have been looking for other options that are a bit more his speed.
Our 6 year old has recently become very interested in board/card game, but we really only have games my wife and I played with friends. We've been playing a lot of (modified rules) Ticket to Ride, Flux and Settlers of Catan, but have been looking for other options that are a bit more his speed.
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Dominion is great. Especially if you consider the 2nd Edition version of the base game, it's already much more "modern" than what you might be remembering from a decade ago. The second edition removed 6 of the "dud" cards from the original, and added 7 new, better-designed cards. And to really improve the game further, start adding in any of the last ~5 expansions, which are all better than the original expansions.
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Not a board game but a card game that is a lot of fun with my 9+ year old kids: Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza. At $10 or less, would make a great stocking stuffer. It's simple, silly fun, and they bring this one out fairly often, and the adults enjoy it as well.
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I saw submarine, and expected Captain Sonar... Missed that in the article. Excellent game, played it once with a quiet bunch of people and by the end of the game, the pandemonium was REAL.
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Re: Pandemic Legacy
"The great trick here is that you play the same game two dozen times, but every time you do, something changes for good."
(I understand your phrasing, but) I just wanted to point out that as you play, things will definitely be changing "for bad" as well!
"The great trick here is that you play the same game two dozen times, but every time you do, something changes for good."
(I understand your phrasing, but) I just wanted to point out that as you play, things will definitely be changing "for bad" as well!
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Is there a decent getting started guide for that? I picked it up a couple of months back and my group bounced hard off it barely making it through the initial setup. The manual didn't really help in clarifying any of our questions and left us feeling like the only way to learn to play was to have someone who already knew how to play.
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The Crew (either version) should be in the stocking stuffers, too! (And it was on sale for as low as $5 recently.)
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