Top 42 Part 1 (42-36)

I've been thinking about doing a Top n list of games for awhile now. My first thought was 100, but I realized I didn't really like the tail end games, so that wasn't going to work.  Then I thought 50 would be a  nice even number, but that's a little too plain.  So I give to you a Top 42 in honor of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxay.  I'll run my list in 6 weeks of 7 game segments, so be sure to come back every week for the new list

#42 Sorry Sliders
Sorry Sliders is a neat little dexterity game.  There isn't a lot of strategy, and ultimately it comes down to how well you can slide your sliders, but it's a fun game.  It's quick to play and easy to teach, making it a game I can play with just about anyone.  Not my typical fare, but still a fun game every so often.

#41 No Thanks!
No Thanks is a filler card game.  Each turn there a numbered card gets flipped over, and you have to either place a chip on it to pass, or take the card with all the chips.  Your goal is to get the least amount of points, but all cards count positive.  The trick is in a run of cards, only your lowest counts against you, and then all chips help lower your score.  The downside is you never know if the card you need to bridge your run is even in the game, since some cards are randomly removed.  All in all a fun filler game which I enjoy, but not something I play all the time.

#40 Blokus
Blokus is a puzzle game where you're trying to get all your pieces on the board, and stop your opponents from doing the same.  The board is large enough for everyone to do this easily, except for the rule that you have to only touch a diagonal edge with your own pieces, you can never go adjacent to any of them.  This causes players to expand quickly, so they have the most room possible for tricky pieces.  I really like the puzzle aspect of the game, but I don't play it much, else it would be higher on my list.

#39 Mystery Express
Mystery Express is a deduction game in the ilk of Clue.  I love logic puzzles, but Mystery Express is far more than that.  It's not about figuring out what thing is missing, it's about finding the thing that only has 1 copy instead of 2.  This distinction adds a lot more mystery to the game, since in order to rule something out you have to see both copies in the same turn, because cards get passed around between players.  I've rarely won this game, but I always have fun playing it.  It takes a little long for what it is, but all of those turns matter for trying to figure everything out.  It's another one I don't play as often as I'd like, but it's a great alternative to clue, and a fun way to spend an evening solving a murder.

#38 Say Anything
Say Anything is a party game which is best described as free-form Apples to Apples.  The "judge" asks a question, then everyone writes down their answer.  The judge then secretly selects the winning answer and all players place bets on which one the judge chose.  Points are then awarded based on guessing the judge's choice, as well as having other players guess your card.  I prefer this over Apples to Apples, because the limitation is in the player's creativity.  There are also more ways to score points, and clearly defined guidelines, whereas Apples can lead to judges choosing cards for all the wrong reasons.

#37 Give Me the Brain!
You're a zombie working in a fastfood restaurant.  You have one combined brain. Let the hilarity commence.  With cards like "Is this meat vegetarian? Uh you mean did the cow eat meat?" and "I need the brain, my hand is locked in the safe" It's just a fun mess.  Sure, the game has balance problems, and too many ways for you to have no chance to win, but that's ok, it's fairly quick.  This isn't a strategy game, but it's something you can play at a party, or that Zombie theme night you've always wanted to throw, and people will have a good time.

#36 Colossal Arena
Colossal Arena involves controlling monsters, playing cards to support them in combat, and a fight to the near death.  Ultimately, it's a betting game, but you have a fair amount of influence over the various creatures.  If you have the most invested in a creature, then you are it's "backer" meaning you get to use it's special power when you play a fight card to support its survival.  This continues until every creature has a fight card and a single creature has the lowest value (range 0-10).  The problem I have with the game is that public bets allow for one player to be targeted by the others.  The other issue is how the game ends.  You either have 3 creatures left, or you run the draw deck. The draw deck tends to run out far too quickly in a 4 or 5 player game, which means the true end only happens in a 3 player game. Just know going in, great 3 player game, ok 4 player game, not the best 5 player game.  I do enjoy the various creature powers, but the game does become samey after a bit.