Top 7 Games I Could Talk About for a Very Long Time

We all have games that we have strong opinions about, at least I think most of us do.  Well, I have a fair number of games that I like or dislike for various reasons.  Some wouldn't shock you based on how often I talk about them on this blog, but others might surprise you.  I'm going to try to keep my explanations brief, else this article would take an hour to read, and I don't want to do that to anyone.

#7 Shadows Over Camelot
There's so much going on in this co-op game.  Lots of different ways to approach quests, lots to figure out with who a traitor might be, how to spring at the exact right moment, etc.

#6 & #5 Ticket to Ride & Settlers of Catan
Yes, I'm kinda cheating here but let me explain.  I rarely talk solely about one of these games.  Most of the time I'm talking about the two in comparison to each other.  These are two great games that lead people into the gaming hobby, and two games that I enjoy playing.  I certainly prefer one over the other, but that's just my opinion.

#4 Dominion
I have to start Dominion with the caveat that I will only talk for a long time with certain people.  If you don't know the game, the in depth discussion is extremely boring.  For people who know the game, there's nothing that beats talking about card interactions, an epic combo you were able to pull off, or the thing I'm going to miss most - talking about new cards as they're spoiled on BGG.

#3 Resistance
Yep, this was the game that I was able to talk about on a podcast, so I'd say that classifies it as a game I can talk about for awhile.  I love the intrigue of the game, and talking through things after the fact just adds to that.  Add in the memories of games past and you have a game that I can talk about for a very long time.

#2 X-Wing
Pilots, elite talents, bombs, torpedoes, missiles, upgrades, ship types, etc.  You name it, I can probably talk about it.  I'm never going to be a high level tournament player, I'm never going to run a blog solely about X-Wing, but I do enjoy talking about this game with anyone who's interested.

#1 Cosmic Encounter
It shouldn't be a surprise that I can talk for a long time about my favorite game.  I'm active on the Cosmic boards on BGG, I playtested for the new expansion, etc.  In short, I love talking Cosmic with anyone that will listen.

Top 7 Games that Make People Stop and Watch

There are many board games out there, many of them have great artwork, but there are some games that have such amazing components or have such evocative gameplay that passersby can't help but stop and find out what's causing the commotion.

First off, a couple of honorable mentions - Shadows over Camelot, Marvel Legendary and Catacombs.  All of these games catch the eye as something a bit different.

#7 - Tsuro - As my review showed, Tsuro is truly a piece of art.  The board looks amazing, and the game is simple enough to explain to passersby quickly.  Players have time between their turns to talk, and the game creates a lighthearted atmosphere that encourages people watching.

#6 - Battlestar Galactica - This is a game that draws people in based on the table talk.  It will catch the attention of people familiar with the TV show.  The game has enough tension and deduction that outside people can try to figure out who's a cylon and who's a human.

#5 - Star Trek: Fleet Captains - Fans of Star Trek will gravitate towards this game.  The ships and crew cards evoke a great sense of Star Trek.  The game is gorgeous, especially if one paints the ships.  It's still a game that makes people ask "what's that?"  The game isn't perfect, but it is eye catching and interesting enough for other people to enjoy.

#4 - Werewolf - While Werewolf isn't the most fun game to watch, it is interesting to see how people behave in different situations.  It's fun to see how Werewolves try to avoid lynching, and it's also enjoyable to listen to a good moderator keep the game moving while telling an interesting tale.

#3 - Resistance - Much like Werewolf, Resistance is a game where the players are going to make wild accusations while trying to work together.  No one is revealing their plans publicly, but everyone has an agenda.  I've had several people watch a game of Resistance and then jump in because they had such a good time.  

#2 - King of Tokyo - Dice and monsters seem to make watching a game very easy.  I haven't had people stay and watch this game, but I have had a lot of people want to play if they catch us near the end of a game.  People will stop and ask some questions so they know what's going on, so that much is good.

#1 - X-Wing - I don't need to gush even more about X-Wing, but the facts are that the models are stunning, the game looks like a lot of fun, plus it's Star Wars.  Those 3 things put together make people stop every time I play this in public.  They'll watch a round, maybe even a few, but without fail, someone will want to learn more about this game.  I've added a few things that help, mainly the black felt mat, but even without that, the game stands on its own.

Top 7 Cooperative Games

These days there is a plethora of games where you can either work together or work in teams.  Like them or not, these games have become a fixture in the game libraries of many gamers.  I know that I have a good number of these games.

First let me mention some games that I have yet to play, and thus cannot place them on this list, but have potential to make this list in the future.  Some of those games are Forbidden Desert, Ghost Stories,  Arkham Horror, and Space Alert.

Also some games that just didn't make the list for various reasons - Space Cadets, Catacombs, Werewolf/Mafia, Elder Sign and Forbidden Island.

#7 Hanabi

Some may consider Hanabi more of a puzzle than a game since there's nothing you're playing against, but I really enjoy the challenge.  The game is all about communicating in a very limited fashion, but the things you say, and the things you don't say often tell a person far more than what little you think they do.  Sure, there's some shorthand that can develop, but the game is a challenge each and every time.    

#6 Pandemic
Pandemic is arguably the game that really kicked the co-op movement into high gear.  Pandemic is already a classic, despite being 5 years old.  The game presents a true challenge for players of all skill levels.  It falls victim to the alpha gamer, which knocks it down a peg for me, but the game is still a challenge.  There are multiple ways to make it harder, as well as many different roles which take a lot of time to figure out how to maximize.  

#5 Escape: Curse of the Temple
This is an intense dice game.  You have exactly 10 minutes to explore a temple, perform tasks, get gems, find the exit, and get everyone out.  You have to work together, but you often have to head off in different directions in order to win.  It's a tricky game with a lot of communication.  The first time I played it, I said that it was the most intense 10 minutes of my gaming life.  I feel that way every time I play it.  There's no alpha gamer problem here because there's no time for one.  You can't optimize play, you just have to play.

#4 Flash Point: Fire Rescue
Flash Point may be the easiest co-op game on my list.  You can tell that the game is targeted at families, but there's enough in the game to entertain gamers.  I love the theme here, who can't support being a firefighter, putting out smoke and fire, and saving people and pets from a burning building?  The game has a lot of randomness in terms of where the dice come up.  You can have a smooth game with no explosions or a near impossible game with all kinds of flare ups and explosions.  Still, Flash Point is a game that I enjoy each time I play it.  I've never had a bad game of it, even though I've had several games where we've lost.  

#3 Shadows Over Camelot
Shadows was the first hidden traitor game I ever played.  Even though I wasn't the biggest Shadows fan at first, it captivated my imagination.  Having a co-op game where you can't really trust everyone was a great thing because it got rid of the alpha-gamer syndrome.  Sure, people will try to advise others as to what to do, but you always have to wonder if you can fully trust them.  One of the best things that Shadows has is the ability for a character to perform a noble sacrifice, killing themselves in the hope that good can triumph.  It's not perfect, but I think it's very thematic.

#2 Battlestar Galactica
Speaking of theme, BSG may be the most thematic game I've ever played.  The first several times I played, I felt like I was reliving moments from the show.  The game is full of tension, trickery, and deceit.  You know that the cylons are out there plotting your demise, but they're not exactly easy to find since they look exactly like your friends.  If you strip BSG down to its core mechanics, you don't get an amazing game.  The game really does depend on what people bring to it, especially the suspicion of their fellow players.  

#1 Resistance: Avalon
Speaking of boiled down games, we have The Resistance, specifically the Avalon version, though the base version is good as well.  Avalon is a simple game of two teams where the bad guys know who each other are and the good guys have no clue who anyone is, well except for Merlin(he knows the bad guys but no one knows him.)  There are 5 missions which some subset of the players must attempt, but the leader must choose wisely, for if a single fail card is present, the whole mission fails.  Resistance isn't an amazing game from just a gameplay standpoint.  I played a game where no one talked, and it was boring as all get out.  As soon as everyone started thinking it through, making wild accusations, trying to talk their way out of suspicion or onto a team, the game really came to life.  This is another game where the players make or break the game.  The reason it takes #1 for me is that the game feels epic but it only takes around 30 minutes.

Top 7 Games I Enjoy but Don't Own

Just like the title says, this is a list of the best 7 games that I've played but aren't in my collection.  Most likely they're not in my collection because I have easy access to them, and I'd only really play with the person or people who own the game.

#7 Las Vegas

A simple dice game with a lot of tactical choices.  Each turn you roll all your available dice, then you place all your dice of one number on a casino.  After everyone has placed all their dice, then you look at each casino.  Whoever has the most dice gets their first pick of a dollar amount, then if there are more checks, 2nd gets a pick, 3rd, etc.  The trick is that any players with the same number of dice on a casino  have all of their dice removed.  That means that if 2 players are fighting over a casino, someone can place a single die there and end up winning the big check because those two have the same number of dice there.  It's a really interesting concept.  The game plays fairly quick and is easy to get into.

#6 Black Friday

This is a stock market manipulation game that I find rather challenging.  You have to plan ahead enough, but you also have to see what effect each move might have down the road.  There's a lot of challenge to this game, all with the very simple goal of make the most money possible.

#5 Ugg-Tect

This is a silly game, it's really more of a party game, but come on, what's not to like about inflatable clubs and gently(or not so gently) bopping your teammates on the head. This is fun to watch and play.  Especially when a lot of serious gamers get together and let loose.

#4 Race for the Galaxy

I used to own this, but I traded it away for a couple of games that I ended up being able to play more often.  I still like RftG, but I now have 2 other people who own it, so I can get a game in with them if I want to play.  

#3 Marvel Legendary

This is the deckbuilder that has almost made me get rid of Dominion.  I love the theme, the gameplay is solid and offers a lot more variety within a game.  I like that the game is co-op if you want it to be, and a real competition if you want that too.  Legendary is easy enough to get into, but offers enough variety of heroes and villains to keep it different every time.

#2 Settlers of Catan

It's hard not to put a game I've played over 50 times at the top of this list, but Catan takes the #2 spot.  Yes, it's perhaps a little shocking that I don't own Catan, but I know 3 people within 30 minutes who own it, and when I want to play Catan, it's going to be with one of them.  Plus I own Star Trek Catan which is kinda the same thing, but not really.

#1 Kingsburg with To Forge a Realm expansion

Kingsburg is a dice rolling worker placement game, which means that you roll dice and based on what you roll, you do things with them.  There's a lot of variety in this game with the expansion, and because of that each time feels just a little different.  The base game was solid, but some dominant strategies emerged.  Most of those have gone away with the various modules offered in the expansion.  I really like the dice aspect of the game, even though I can never seem to get what I need.

Top 7 Games that are Better with Expansion(s)

First of all, note that this is not a list of the top 7 expansions.  This is a list of games that are good alone, but great with an expansion or expansions, and a list of games that might be ok by themselves but become better with expansions.  Either way, the expansion(s) to a game make it better than it is by itself.

#7  Settlers of Catan
I enjoy basic Settlers.  I enjoy Settlers with Seafarers and/or Cities and Knights more.  The other expansions have their merits, but they're not as good in my own opinion.  Basic Settlers is a fine game, but it needs a little extra something to make each resource feel important.  Seafarers gives sheep an added importance while C&K changes up the game in many ways.  These do add time, but I think that either is worth including to make the game better.

#6  Formula D
Expansions to Formula D are new tracks to race on, but the thrill of racing games is learning how to race on new tracks.  If you race on the same layout every time, eventually you know exactly how to best get around, provided your dice cooperate.  Being able to race on 8 different tracks gives me a lot options right now, though more tracks would be nice to have.

#5  Rattus
Specifically the Pied Piper expansion.  The base game comes with 6 powers, but you use all 6 in every game.  That leads to some strategies becoming dominant, and samey gameplay.  Pied Piper adds 12 more powers, yet you still only play with 6.  That really changes up the game and leads to a lot of variety between games.

#4  Carcassonne
Carcassonne has many expansions, very few of which are necessary, but several of which enhance the game in some way.  Basic Carcassonne is a fine game, but it really needs the first expansion (Inns and Cathedrals) to make it a more strategic experience.  This is a game where you can't play with everything every time you play it, the game would take too long.  Adding in some expansions makes Carc a more enjoyable game, just don't go overboard.

#3  Pandemic
On the Brink changed Pandemic in so many ways that one could argue that it is an essential expansion. OtB more than doubled the available roles that players can use to try to win the game.  This alone would be an expansion worth owning, but when you add in several new ways to play the game, OtB greatly enhances Pandemic.  I liked the basic game of Pandemic, but after 20 plays, I needed something more.  OtB made it harder in ways and easier in others, which when combined made for a much more enjoyable gaming experience.

#2  Dominion
Though I own every expansion to Dominion, I won't argue that they are all necessary.  However, adding in at least 1 expansion makes Dominion a better game.  Each set has a general theme, so the cards in any set tend to combo well with each other.  Once you start mixing things, the combos get more interesting, and setting up a deck becomes a bigger challenge.  The nice thing is that the choices in any given game don't expand a lot, but the variety of games goes up exponentially.  So for not a lot of extra difficulty, and a lot of added replay value, Dominion is the #2 game that gets better with expansions.

#1  X-Wing
This game would be nothing without expansion ships and upgrades.  They are what makes this game compelling and challenging.  In ways this is cheating since it's a miniatures game.  You have to have multiple units for it to be playable, but the game does have a core set that works on its own.  There is fun in that single box with 2 Tie Fighters and 1 X-Wing, but adding in more ships truly makes the game special.

For links to many of these games and their expansions, click on the BoBG store link in the header.

Top 7 Games Every Gamer Should Own

It's been awhile since my last Top 7 list, so I thought I'd jump back in with a big one.  I've been addressing a bit of this with my collection building articles.  These games are irrespective of genre, but instead focus on the idea that a game collection is incomplete without either owning or at least having access to the following games.

Before I start my list, there are several games which could have easily made this list, but didn't for a variety of reasons.  Some of those games are: Lost Cities, Power Grid, Pandemic, For Sale, Flash Point: Fire Rescue, Say Anything, Wits and Wagers, Shadows Over Camelot, The Resistance, and Small World.

#7 Settlers of Catan
Like it, love it, or hate it, no one can deny the importance of Catan on most of our gaming lives.  It is a good game to be able to pull out to introduce people to gaming, and it's a good negotiation and dice rolling game to be able to pull out with gamers.  I don't own this, though I do own Star Trek Catan, but I have multiple people around me who own it, and anytime I want to play, it would be with those people.  Catan doesn't need all the expansions to make it a good game, and they can overcomplicate the game sometimes.

#6  Dominion
Dominion is the current gold standard for variety and replayability.  No two games are exactly the same, though some will feel similar.  I'm fortunate to have a couple people who are right around my play level, so we can all give each other a good match.  In ways, Dominion can become chess, where new players have almost no chance against highly experienced players, but the learning curve is far less steep.

#5  Cosmic Encounter
Cosmic is the silver standard for variety and replayability, but it beats Dominion on this list for three reasons. First, Cosmic is a deeper game.  Second, Cosmic has more player interaction and ability to come from behind.  Third, Cosmic gives new players the opportunity to win right away.

#4  No Thanks!
Every gamer needs a simple and quick card game.  No Thanks gives players interesting choices while not punishing mistakes.  There's a good amount of luck, but also some strategy that makes the game accessible to new players while also being enjoyable for gamers.

#3  Incan Gold
Incan Gold is my favorite push your luck game.  Players have to calculate some of the odds in their head, but they can also rely on gut feelings.  There can be crazy runs of cards sometimes, which will reward those who don't have the instinct to run, but it can also reward those who want to play it safe.  I like that players have to take the choices of others into consideration since some treasures are only gained when running alone.  Even though the game uses the same 35 cards each time, every game has a different feel.

#2  Ticket to Ride
Ticket to Ride is one of those games that is so simple to explain, but offers a lot of strategic and tactical choices.  There's lots of player interaction, which keeps things interesting.  I know there are better train games out there, but Ticket to Ride makes this list because of it's simplicity and elegant design.

#1  King of Tokyo
Everyone needs a game where you roll lots of dice and get to do something cool with them.  For me, and many others, that game is King of Tokyo.  I'm not saying that KoT wins any awards for being super strategic, but it's pure simple monster mashing fan.  That's what I want to play sometimes, and King of Tokyo, is the perfect game for those times.

Top 7 Games for Non-Gamers

I've been asked many times "What should I play with someone who isn't a gamer?"  Well, first it is important to remember that not everyone likes playing boardgames.  "But wait, isn't there a game for everyone?"  Well, yes, but there's a caveat - everyone who wants to play a game.  We can't force our hobby on other people.  Many have had enough bad experiences with games that they are completely unreceptive to even the most fun games out there.

That being said, maybe you're fortunate enough to be in a position to teach a game to someone who has never played a hobby boardgame before.  Here are some ideas, and my personal choices, for games to try.

#7  Tsuro
The best reason I can give for Tsuro making this list is watching a friend's 6 year old daughter play this game and win.  She's not a gamer in any way, but she loved making paths and staying on the map as long as possible.  Tsuro isn't deep, but that's why it's a perfect game for non-gamers.  There's a lot of luck, but also some strategy.  Tsuro also gets major points for being quick.  For more info on Tsuro, read my review here.

#6  Dominion
I like introducing Dominion to card game players, ie Magic, Pokemon, or even traditional card games.  The strategy in Dominion can take awhile to see, but it's another quick game most of the time, and the majority of the rules are on the cards so complexity in any given game is minimal.  Dominion is a game that draws people in because it isn't overly complicated, but there's a lot of variety.

#5  Zombie Dice
Zombies seem to be a big crazy lately, so why not a Zombie game?  Zombie Dice is a quick game where you're trying to eat brains without being shot too many times.  Ultimately it's a push your luck game, but it's easy to learn, has those stand-up and cheer or groan die rolls, and that makes it great fun.

#4  Ticket to Ride (US Version)
Ticket to Ride has some strategy, and it may be a little overwhelming for new players, but the theme does a good job of drawing people in.  The great thing about TtR is that any given turn isn't that involved.  Instead, the game requires an overall strategy, with the ability to adapt to the occasional blockage.  For more info on Ticket to Ride, read my review here.

#3  Flash Point
This is the best cooperative game I've played with new people.  People seem to have an instinct of what to do to fight a fire, they just need to be told the specific rules of the game.  It does help to have someone read the rules and know the game, but Flash Point has a flow that makes logical sense.  For more on Flash Point, read my review here.

#2  Dixit
I like to describe Dixit as Apples to Apples for people who want to be more creative.  That being said, you don't have to be immensely creative to enjoy the game.  Dixit is all about giving a subtle clue about a piece of artwork in your hand.  Then everyone plays a card they think matches the description.  Everyone then guesses which card they think is yours.  The trick is that you want someone to get it right, but not everyone.  Dixit is a great party game, I've had amazing success introducing it to all types of people, and everyone has fun trying to guess, and getting people to not guess their card.

#1  King of Tokyo
This is one of the best dice games I've ever played.  The rules are simple, it can be taught in under 3 minutes, and every game feels different enough to keep it interesting.  The theme of beating up other monsters and taking over Tokyo is great and enjoyable, the game pace is quick and keeps everyone involved even when it isn't there turn.  For more on King of Tokyo, read my review here.

My Top 7 Gaming Memories of 2012

2012 was a great year of gaming for me.  Lots of games played, lots of great people, and plenty of great experiences.  There are far more memorable experiences than space on this list, but these are 7 that really stood out for me.

#7 Thanksgiving and Christmas gaming with my extended family.  I was able to play a bunch of games with my cousins, and even an uncle who almost never plays boardgames.  It's great to bring family together and have some laughs.

#6 Customizing Star Trek: Fleet Captains.  I really enjoyed all the work painting the ships, creating the custom board, and doing something to make the game look really different.  The game feels so much more thematic with painted ships as opposed to the normal plastic.

#5 June in Los Angeles.  Being able to spend time with people I hadn't seen in over a year and play some games was a great thing.  Also helps that the trip served as a major turning point in the design of my current game.

#4 Day After Thanksgiving X-Wing Mega Battle.  8 hours of flying starfighters around a table shooting at each other.  It was a long day, but it was a very fun day.

#3 Wil Wheaton's Tabletop and BGG's Game Night.  Being able to watch other people play boardgames is something I find oddly enjoyable.  Sure, I'd much rather be playing games myself, but being able to watch others play and talk about it has given me some good opinions on games and if I'd like them or not.

#2 Watching people play my first prototype game.  It's been through a lot of changes, but there is something immensely satisfying about watching other people enjoy something you've worked hard to create.

#1 Monday night boardgame night.  This has been the highlight of my year.  There isn't any one specific night that stands out, but rather the nights as a whole.  I've met some great people, and learned a bunch of new and different games.

1 Year Anniversary

1 Year in the world of boardgame blogging is a bit of an accomplishment.  Sure, I'm still the new guy on the block, but I've been at this a year, with more to come.  It hasn't always been easy, nor has it always been consistent, but it has been fun.  I've enjoyed being able to share my thoughts on specific games, as well as the world of boardgames.  I know it's a hobby, and I know I'm biased to say it's one of the best, but boardgames have meant a lot to me for the last 6 years.

Anniversaries are a time for celebrating.  They're a time to look at the good things in the past, and a time to look ahead to the growth of the relationship.  While I don't know what the future holds, I do know that games will be a part of my life for as long as I live.  As for the looking back, I give you my top 7 articles written in the last year.  These have been determined by you and your pageviews.

#7 Top 7 Games that I want to Play, but not Buy
This article took a bit of flak on BGG, and I never really understood why.  To me, these are good games.  They just have some little part that makes me not want to own them.  Could be the lack of opponents for the game, or the storage required, or the investment cost.

#6 Forbidden Island vs Pandemic
Two really good co-op games by the same designer thrown into an arena and only one can come out.  Perhaps I need to do more face-off reviews?

#5 Playing to Win?
This is a look at playing games to have fun, while trying to win, but not getting caught up in the winning.  It's important to do your best, and to have fun.

#4 Ticket to Ride Review
It's only fitting that Ticket would make an appearance here.  I've had so many fun moments with Ticket to Ride, and I'm glad that you all have enjoyed reading my thoughts on a great game.

#3 Dominion Dark Ages
Part review, part in depth look at every card in the expansion.  This article took me many hours to compose, but I'm glad I took the time to do it.  I've been meaning to write more on Dominion, and I think that will be a series coming sometime in 2013.

#2 Why We Play
A look at the various reasons people have for playing games.

#1 Collection Building: 2 Player Games
A bit funny that this would be my top article considering how rarely I play 2-player games.  Still, it's nice to know that this article, and the collection building series in general, have been well received.

So that's where we stand after one year. 123 posts, 15,817 views. Not the biggest of numbers, but more than I ever dreamed possible in the span of 1 year.

From the top and bottom of my heart, thank-you all for reading.  I couldn't do it without each of you.

Top 7 Games to take on Holiday

As American Thanksgiving approaches, and the December holidays grow ever closer, I wanted to talk about good games to take with you to family gatherings.  Most family gatherings won't consist of "gamers" but they may consist of people who are willing to play games.  As such, it's good to have some short games to play, games that are really easy to learn, and maybe even some games where it doesn't matter if people come in and out since it's a busy time.

#7 No Thanks
Plays with 3-5 players. No Thanks takes around 15 minutes to play.  It's all about knowing when to pass, and when to take cards.  It's quick to explain, really simple choices, and doesn't require full attention from all players at all times.

#6 For Sale
Plays with 3-6 players. A quick auction game.  Players bid on houses, then use the houses to earn money.  It's a fast auction game, good for a few laughs with the various artwork on the houses, and good for gamers and newbies alike.

#5 Tsuro
Plays with 2-8 players.  A game of last man standing.  Players play tiles to move their marker on the board.  If you run off the board or into another player, you're out.  Really simple to learn and do well in from your first play.

#4 Dixit
Depending on the version you have, plays 3-6 or 3-12 players.  Dixit is a storytelling game with quick play and amazing artwork.  When you're the storyteller, you give a clue about your card, then put it in the center.  All other players then put a card in.  All cards are revealed and players try to pick which card belongs to the storyteller.  It's a great game for kids of all ages, especially ones with vivid imaginations, but adults will get a kick out of it too.

#3 Wits and Wagers Party
Plays with 4+ players. If you have a large group, break into teams.  Wits and Wagers is a trivia game where you don't need to know the answers, just have a ballpark idea.  The questions are things that most people won't know, but might have a reasonable guess about.  7 rounds keeps the game short but interesting, and the questions may spark some conversation.

#2 Ticket to Ride
Plays with 3-5 players.  Ticket is the most complicated game on the list, but that's not a bad thing.  It's probably not great for little kids, but for the teenager and up, the game makes sense.  There's only 3 things you can do on your turn: draw cards, play cards, get more tickets.  You really only have to decide between the first two most turns.  The game takes around an hour, but it's a great game to introduce the family into the world of boardgames.

#1 Incan Gold
Plays 3-8 players.  Incan Gold is a push your luck game.  With each card, you must decide if you want to take what you have and run, or risk it and try to find more treasure.  The game plays for 5 rounds, so even if you don't do well in a round or two, you still have a chance.  Incan Gold takes a play to see it work, but most people say "let's play again" after they learn.  It's a great game for a larger group, and a lot of collective emotion as cards come out.

Top 7 Gaming Moments

I spend a lot of time talking about games, but not nearly enough talking about moments in games.  Games are memorable based on what happens, the crazy things people do, or making that one roll that wins you a game when you had almost no chance making it.  This list is a tribute to those moments, the things in games that I will remember for a long time.

#7 2008 - Starfarers of Catan
Who knew that a Saturday night in December could so drastically alter one's life. A friend of my next door neighbor in the dorms came by and asked if he wanted to play a game.  He was heading out, but he said "Ask the guy next door, he likes games."  So the guy asked me and I was reading for class, but I decided a diversion would be a nice thing.  So there I was, playing a game I had never heard of with 4 people I didn't know, but it was a blast.  I got into it really quickly, since it did resemble Catan.  I admit to having some amazing luck that game, and I ended up winning because of it.  But that's not the important thing.  That night sparked 3 good friendships, many nights of nights playing boardgames, mostly Cosmic Encounter, and truly finding where I belonged in College.

#6 2009 - Formula D
My dad and I are big Formula 1 fans, so buying Formula D for Father's Day was a perfect gift.  We didn't get around to playing until August, but when we did, what a race.  All 4 of us got together, and it was a tight race.  My dad and I got out to early leads, but my sister kept things close.  Dad and I were neck and neck going into Rascasse (2nd to last turn) when I hit the brakes just a little too late.  He was able to come out of the corner in a higher gear, and beat me to the line by about 5 places.  My sister was hot on my heels, but she broke late as well, which allowed me to get out ahead.  Racing around the streets of Monaco was a great way to break in Formula D.

#5 2007 - First time become lord of Catan
Late in the summer of 2007, I got together with my gaming family to play Catan.  I've been playing for nearly 9 months at this point, and I'd yet to win a game.  Now, I didn't really mind, since I was having a good time playing, but still, I really wanted to win.  I jumped out to an early lead by cornering the ORE market.  Most players needed to trade with me in order to build cities or knights, so I was a popular guy.  All of that was just enough to get me through, and at the end, I heard those words that felt so good, "All hail lord of Catan."

#4 2010 - First game of Munchkin
I'm not a huge fan of Munchkin these days, but back then I was young and naive.  I sat down to learn the game.  The rules basically made sense, and everyone seemed to have a good natured attitude towards it.  Then things got nasty, as they're prone to do in Munchkin.  Things were really close, everyone was at level 8 or 9.  Then it happened, DIVINE INTERVENTION, and oh look, I was a Level 9 Cleric, which made me a game winner, along with the other 2 Level 9 Clerics.  So we had a 3-way win thanks to Divine Intervention.  It has to be the least frustrating game of Munchkin that I've ever played.

#3 2011 - Shadows Over Camelot
In my 32nd game of Shadows, I was finally the traitor.  Now, not all of these games have used loyalty cards, but still, that's a lot of Shadows to play Loyal.  When I first saw the card I got excited, but I knew I couldn't show it.  I was playing Sir Percival, which has the power to look at the top black card before deciding on his evil action.  This is fairly useless, unless you have Lancelot's Armor.  So, I convinced the knights to let me get the armor.  I was victorious in my quest, but I knew I still had to play things loyal.  I couldn't always play really bad black cards, but I tried to pick the worse of the two, or at least what I thought would hurt more.  As it turns out, the game was running very loyal.  Loyal knights seemed to be cruising towards victory.  Then it happened, a string of bad black cards, Vivien, Mists of Avalon, Dark Forest, all in quick succession.  I knew this was my chance, so on my turn I chose the more hurtful of black cards.  I kept this up for 3 rounds, by then I was gathering some attention for my poor card play.  That's when I did it, I falsely accused a fellow knight, and then played Fate to send myself to Traitorland.  From there it was a relatively easy cruise for me, the game lasted another 2 rounds, and then the knights were no more. Muhahaha.

#2 2012 -  7 Wonders
I was at a game night, and we had an hour left to play.  There were 5 of us, 3 who had never played 7 Wonders, so I suggested it as something relatively light.  I set off to explaining the rules, and everyone seemed to understand what was going on.  There were some questions along the way, but that's to be expected.  By the 2nd age, everyone was going at a good clip.  In the 3rd age, I knew things were going to be close.  There was a lot of coins out there, and several key guilds in play.  We tallied up the scores at the end, 46-45-44-42-26.  I have never seen the top 4 covered by 4 points, it was intense.  The 3 new guys were 45-44-26.  I ended up winning, but I didn't think I had it until the score was final.  2 of the guys liked it so much, they went and bought the game for themselves.  That's the mark of a good time.

#1 2009 - My 2nd game of Battlestar Galactica
I'm playing President Roslin, and a key crisis comes up early on.  My turn comes to add cards, and I put them on the table.  My friend Aaron says something to the effect of "That's how a cylon plays cards."  I pointed out that I couldn't possibly play cards that hurt us, since both of my colors were positive.  He wasn't buying it though.  Everyone seemed to ignore it after we passed the check.  I was in fact a cylon in that game, and we did win when Admiral Tigh revealed himself as a bomber and destroyed Galactica.  Aaron knows me pretty well, and he's perceptive, but for him to call it that early still makes me smile.

Top 7 Cosmic Encounter Powers

I know this won't pertain to all that many people, but it's something I've been mulling over for awhile.  Cosmic Encounter is my favorite game, so I think about it often.  One of the questions I got a lot is "what's your favorite power?"  This list is meant to explain some of my choices and give some of my thought process behind the choices.

#7 Fury
Fury gains a token for each ship they lose to the warp.  They can use these tokens to add or subtract 3 per token from their side in an encounter.  Fury has to play a balance game between ships and tokens, but if Fury is smart, they'll be a key player at the end of the game.

#6 Genius
Genius wins if they have 20 cards in their hand.  Often this is hard to accomplish, but certain flares can help.  Genius does have the ability to forgo claiming a colony in favor of drawing cards.  This gives Genius great flexibility.  It is more powerful in a hidden power game, since no one really knows why you're accumulating the cards, but it's still a solid power, and a lot of fun to play.

#5 Miser
Miser plays the game with 2 hands of cards.  This gives them a lot of options when it comes to playing cards.  They're still stuck with bad cards, just like everyone else, but they can also manage their main hand better, thus keeping flares and artifacts around longer.  Miser isn't a power that's feared, and rightly so.  It won't directly help you win a combat, but it does give you more options, and in a game that relies on cards to win the game, having more cards is a good thing.

#4 Sorcerer
Sorcerer has the option to switch the encounter cards that the main players play before their value is revealed.  Sorcerer is a giant mind-game, which often leads to a Princess Bride esque moment that goes something like this.  "I think you're the kind of person who's going to swap cards so I'll play card A. But knowing that you know that I think that you'll swap means you won't, so I'll play card B. But knowing that you know that I know that you know that I think you'll swap means you will, so card A it is." And so and and so forth.
Sorcerer lets you make something good out of the bad cards in your hand.  It does require a certain finesse to use well, but it's also easy to play the first time you see it.

#3 Pacifist
Pacifist is one of the simplest powers to explain, you win if you play a Negotiate.  Now, you can still win an encounter the normal way and an N v N still leads to a deal.  Pacifist is great because it allows you to utilize every card in your hand.  There is that bluffing aspect where players don't know if you'll play a Negotiate, so you can slip in a low attack card while they go for the N to try to deal.  Pacifist is a great power for using all the cards in your hand.

#2 Remora
Remora is just a bit clingy, maybe too clingy.  What I mean by that is Remora gets a card whenever someone draws cards, and a ship whenever someone takes a ship back.  It means that they'll likely never run out of cards, and will likely never be low on ships.  Remora continuously brings a supply of cards, which should help in combat.  Remora itself won't help you in combat, but the additional cards and ships make you a bigger threat as the game goes on.

#1 Chosen
Chosen is the power I would pick if I had a "must-win" game of Cosmic.  Chosen's power is to draw 3 cards after encounter cards have been revealed. He can then use one of the 3 cards to add to his encounter total, or replace the card he played.  This has a two main uses.  If things are close, you just gained a reinforcement card of some value.  If things are way against you, you can hope for a Negotiate to at least take some cards from your opponent.  Chosen isn't forced to add or replace anything, so his power can never hurt him.

Every power has good things and bad things to it.  Different powers suit different play styles.  Someone else's top 7 may be completely different than mine, but that's a good thing.  I think every power (110 to date) has something to offer.  Sure, you may not like all of them, but each and every power could come out victorious.

Top 7 Game Publishers

I try my best to judge a game based on the merits of the game.  One of the merits of a game is the company that publishes the game.  This isn't always a guarantee that the game will be great, but there are some companies that excite me more than others.

#7 Tasty Minstrel Games (TMG)
TMG is an up and coming company.  They've had some early successes with Homesteaders, Belfort, Martian Dice, and my personal favorite from them, Eminent Domain.  They've had some growing pains, but they're a company looking to publish great games, and provide fun games for families and gamers alike.  I've enjoyed the TMG games that I have played, and I hope there are more to come.  A few are in need of an expansion, and I hope TMG focuses on building up their existing product line as well as adding quality to it.

#6 Gryphon Games (Part of FRED distribution)
I've enjoyed many Gryphon games, from the non-gamer favorites of For Sale and Can't Stop to the slightly heavier Roll Through the Ages.  Gryphon Games targets casual gamers who are looking for an enjoyable play experience in a relatively short time. (Under 1 hour, typically around 30 minutes)  Games that are fun and short tend to be a hit with people of all ages and gaming backgrounds.  I really appreciate having games like that around, since I can introduce them to people and play almost instantly.

#5 Wizkids
Wizkids is fairly new to boardgame publishing, but they've made a big splash.  When they acquired the Star Trek license, my Trek fanboy heart was overjoyed.  When I saw what they did with Star Trek Fleet Captains, and to a lesser extent, Star Trek Expeditions, I was simply amazed.  Wizkids has been in the HeroClix business for a long time, so they're no stranger to amazing sculpts of characters and vessels from a variety of properties.  Wizkids has published some very strong games in their short existence, including the highly innovated Quarriors, and the highly intriguing Mage Knight.  They're a company on the rise, and I look forward to seeing what the have in store.

#4 Rio Grande Games (RGG)
RGG is best known for Carcassonne and Dominion, which are two games I rate highly and enjoy.  Those two games also show the two paths that RGG has taken in game publishing.  In their early days, RGG was primarily a game importer.  They sought out great games in Europe and brought them over to the US.  With Dominion and Race for the Galaxy, RGG started publishing some of their own games.  I've greatly enjoyed this shift, since I'm not a huge fan of "euro" games.  RGG has a good blend of games, and I think they're a company that offers something for everyone.



#3 Z-Man Games

Z-Man takes the shotgun scatter approach to games.  They like to publish a lot of games and see what sticks with their audience.  There isn't anything inherently wrong with this approach, though it can lead to some good games not getting the recognition they deserve.  The best Z-Man game I've played is Pandemic, but they have published a lot of other really good games: Agricola, 1960, Ascending Empires, Ares Project, No Thanks, Neuroshima Hex, and countless others.


#2 Fantasy Flight Games (FFG)
FFG is best known for large scale productions.  Twilight Imperium, Descent, StarCraft, Rune Wars, and many more.  I've yet to play one of their "coffin box" games, choosing to focus my efforts on some of their smaller games, such as Cosmic Encounter and Space Hulk: Death Angel the card game.  FFG is well known for stunning production quality.  They put a great effort into miniatures which make their big games look fantastic.  FFG is also known for their LCG (Limited Card Game) lines.  They have taken the business model of a randomly distributed card game and modified it with predefined chapter packs.  This allows everyone to own all the cards for a set price.  FFG has a superb commitment to quality and growth in the board game industry, and a propensity for expansions.  

#1 Days of Wonder (DOW)
DOW has made some truly great games, Ticket to Ride and Shadows over Camelot are two of my favorites.  Every DOW game that I've played, I've liked.  There are some that are better than others, but all of them have something to offer.  DOW focuses on superb quality and a very small quantity.  This keeps people coming back from more, without feeling that they could never keep up with the flow of new releases.

Top 7 Places to Play Games

Often times we focus just on the games, but this time we're going to focus on where we play games.  Environment has a lot to do with the enjoyment of a game.  You don't always want to play in a loud environment, or in an environment where you're afraid to make noise.  What most people want is a place where they can be comfortable, make some noise, have a good time.

#7 Library
Several libraries have a place for people to get together for activities.  It's generally separated from the main area so people can make some noise without disturbing the non gamers.  Libraries tend to have space for people to spread out, with plenty of tables and chairs.  They also have the opportunity to attract people who aren't gamers.  Sometimes the hours are restrictive, but they're typically free to use, so that's a plus for a game group.

#6 On-the-Go
I'm kinda cheating here, since "On-the-Go" isn't really a place, but it's a way to play games.  I enjoy having my phone and tablet to play games on long rides(when I'm not driving) or even when I'm waiting for food or a beverage.  I rarely play a full game of something while waiting, but making a move in an async game is a good use of my time.  I enjoy playing Forbidden Island or Small World on my tablet, since it is a lot faster way to play.

#5 Online
Again, kinda cheating, but hear me out.  A lot of times you can't get together with your your friends for a variety of reasons.  Sometimes they're out of town, or need to be home.  This is where playing a game online can come in handy.  Lately, I've been playing Dominion with a friend via Skype.  It gives us a chance to use the new cards, and do something we wouldn't be able to do, since we live ~300 miles apart.  There are a few different sites to play games online with people from all over the world, and I recommend hunting some down.  It can be a great way to learn a new game and try it before you invest in the cardboard version.

#4 Coffee House/Bookstore
Here's another great place to get together with people.  They're typically in an area with a lot around, restaurants, stores, etc. so you get a lot of foot traffic.  This enables passersby to come in and see what's going on.  There is also food/drink available, which is great for longer game sessions.  There are typically a lot of tables around, which gives you many places to play.  The atmosphere is also very casual, so some noise (not yelling and screaming) is perfectly fine.

#3 Game Store
Game stores are a mixed bag when it comes to boardgames.  Many of them cater to the CCG and miniatures crowd, and don't have much time for boardgames.  Other stores do have open gaming tables that people can use for whatever they want, so long as their isn't a pre-planned event.  Stores with tables offer a lot for gamers.  It gives people a fun environment to play, and it gives gamers a chance to meet other gamers.

#2 College Common Area
I spent 4 happy years in college playing games in the dorm lounges.  There were two round tables with chairs around, though we typically only needed one table.  This enabled us to get a group together without having to go far.  It also gave us foot traffic, since a lot of people come in and out of the dorms on a Friday or Saturday night.  We had a few people come back and play because they saw us playing and all the fun we were having.

#1 Private Home
Most of us start playing games at home.  As the hobby grows for us, we find other places to play for many reasons.  Sometimes it's a space issue, sometimes you just don't want to play host all the time.  I've been fortunate to have a few houses to play games at.  You've heard me mention my gaming family in other posts, and this is how they earned that name.  They continue to invite me into their home, and it does feel like I'm part of the family.

There are many great places to play games.  It really does come down to the people, but the atmosphere goes a long way towards making the gaming time enjoyable.

Top 7 Gaming Distractions

This is a list of infamy.  These are the things that take away from gaming time, make games take longer, and have people waiting for someone to take their turn.  If you find yourself doing things on this list, try to avoid them.

#7  Conversations
I like players talking during the game.  It's meant to be fun, and games are a nice way to catch up with people.  What can be a problem is someone talking to you while it's your turn.  It's different if you're discussing a trade or something related to the game, but asking me about work or life on my turn is only going to make the game longer.  A lot depends on the game.  If it's something fun and simple like Can't Stop, talk away.  If it's more complicated like Agricola, Cosmic Encounter, or something in that vein, then please, give me time to think when it's my turn.

#6  Smoking
Sadly, some of my fellow gamers are smokers.  This means that they need to go outside and have a smoke every so often.  That means that the game grinds to a halt, and then I don't want to be around them with the smell.  This may not be a problem for others, but for me, it's an issue.

#5  Game Pieces
Think Poker for this.  Players have chips to play with, and do so mindlessly at times. In other games, like Catan, you have a lot of pieces you aren't using yet.  This gives you time to build things and play with the pieces.  This becomes a problem if you lose track of the game.  Also, having spare dice can be problematic, since many players are prone to rolling dice constantly.  They're all mindless activities, or just ways to do something, but they can distract others.

#4  Children
One downside of playing games in someone's home is that their kids are around.  If the kids aren't gaming, then they're likely going to want something at some point during the gaming time.  One little thing isn't a problem, but when they want attention on themselves, it gets frustrating.  Games start taking a lot longer, and then eventually someone has to step away to play with the child.  The solution to this, turn your kids into gamers.

#3  Significant Others
This can be a significant other playing in the game, or not in the game.  For the ones playing in the game, often they will have glances or some other signal when something goes wrong.  There also tends to be an unwritten agreement where they don't mess with each other.  When only one is playing, the other is often around, bringing snacks, acting all lovey-dovey, etc.  It can be distracting for the other players with all of that going on.

#2  Food
Everyone needs to eat sometime, but not all the time.  Snacks are a pain because most leave some form of residue on your fingers, so you need to wash your hands before resuming play, which just takes a long time.  If everyone takes a dinner break, that's a good thing.  People will eat quickly and get back to the table.  The problem is the frequent trips to the kitchen to get something to eat.

#1 Cell phones
Specifically smart phones.  Sure, they can be helpful, there are all kinds of apps for dice rolling, coin flipping, and some for specific games to track something or help set-up or score at the end.  The reasons cell phones are #1 is the people who get on the internet and look up videos, or check e-mail, text everyone they know and so on.  What's worse is when they take a call in the middle of a game, and they make it a long call.  I've gotten phone calls in the middle of games, and they were important to take, but I try to keep them short.  Courtesy is the idea here, and if people have to remind you it's your turn for the 4th time this game, you may want to put the phone away.

Top 7 Games I Want to Play, but Not Buy

Many times there are games you like to play, but there isn't much purpose in you owning them.  For me, the most common cause of this is that I would only play with a certain group of people, so there's no reason to have multiple copies of the same game around.  Many times, these games are expensive and/or hard to store.  Most of the games on this list are games I haven't played, and I've talked myself out of buying for one or more reasons.

Honorable mention to Settlers of Catan 3D.  The reason it didn't make the list is because it isn't really its own game.  The game looks amazing, but there's no way I could ever justify the cost.

#7 Memoir '44
I used to own Memoir '44, but I traded it away.  I grew tired of the game system, and felt that it was lacking an epic feel.  I've heard that playing with 8 players in the Overlord format helps that notion, but I don't have 8 people to play Memoir with, so that would be wasted money and space for me.

#6 Wings of War
Let me be specific here.  Wings of War with the plane miniatures, and all the stuff that makes it look really cool.  I've played Wings of War, and I have a good time playing it.  It's fun to get everything set-up and turn the table into a war zone.  My gaming dad's brother owns a lot of the game, and he visits once, sometimes twice, a year.  We'll get together a big group and play then, but outside of that, it's something we wouldn't play.

#5 Heroscape
I've never played Heroscape, but man does it look awesome.  The miniatures look amazing, and the terrain looks even better.  The rules seem complex enough to be interesting, but not overly complicated.  The problem I run into is storage space, and money.  I'd love to play with someone who has the game, but it's not something I'm willing to get for myself.

#4 Descent 2.0
I owned Descent for about a year, and over that time, I never got it to the table.  The game is big, bulky, and has a lot going on.  Descent 2.0 does seem to fix a lot of that, but it has a potential issue, Campaign play.  Now, I love the idea of a Campaign, but right now, my gaming time is sporadic, and I feel like this would sit on the shelf and gather dust while shorter games come out.  Plus it's something that seems hard to bounce in and out of, so that restricts play to having the same set of people.

#3 Crokinole
Crokinole is on this list for the simple reasons of cost and storage space.  Yes, I know that the boards can be hung on a wall, and that removes a fair amount of the issue of storage, but it increases the cost.  See, if you're going to put something on the wall, it should look good.  That means buying a more expensive board.  Plus, without ever having played the game, it's something I don't want to invest in right now.  Maybe someday, but not soon.

#2 Pitchcar
Flicking a disk around a track just sounds like a good time.  The problem with that, once again, is storage.  The track for Pitchcar is rather overbearing.  It would be a lot of fun to own the game, but then I'd want to get all the cool pieces, the crosses, the loops, jumps, etc. and that just adds cost to everything.  This is best left to the play if I ever get a chance, but don't buy category.

#1 Twilight Imperium 3rd Edition
This is the inspiration for the list.  When I first heard of TI3, I knew I wanted to play it.  The game sounds fascinating, with a lot of depth and choice.  The problem, 8 hours.  There is no way that I can get at least 6 people together to play a game for 8 hours.  It just won't happen.  Even if it did, there's no way I'm storing the game at my house the other 364 days of the year when it didn't get played.

Top 7 Games to take on vacation

It's summertime, and this typically means some kind of vacation for most people.  Of course since this is a blog about boardgames, I'm going to promote the idea of taking some games with you.  Now, a lot of what you can take depends on how you travel.  Airplanes leave very little spare space, trains give you a bit more, but car travel has its limitations as well.  Two factors play into this list - size of the box and game footprint.

#7 A Standard Deck of Cards.

Yes, I am going here. Vacations don't have to be all about games.  A deck of cards gives people a lot of options, many games to play, and common ground for all ages.

#6 Forbidden Island

Here's a fun family activity.  Working together is a good thing to have in a vacation game.  The theme of treasure hunting is fun for all ages.  

#5 Tiki Topple

I've talked a lot about Tiki Topple.  I know the box is a little big, but if you really want to slim it down, put the tikis and pawns in a bag, then grab the board and cards.  You could even play without the board if you want to save more space.  Also, you can play with 2-4 players, which is a good mix.

#4 No Thanks

The only reason this isn't #1, is because there are cards and chips, and the chips could get lost.  Besides that, No Thanks is good fun. It's maybe a little mathy for some people, but it's playable in about 10-15 minutes.  

#3 Mafia/Werewolf

If you're in a big group of any kind, I'm thinking large family gathering with 10+ people, this is the game for you.  The best thing, you can play it with a standard deck of cards.

#2 For Sale

2 decks of cards and a bag of tokens.  Can't get much simpler than that.  It plays 3-6 players, in around 20 minutes.  The best part, it's incredibly easy to teach non-gamers.

#1 Coloretto

Here's a fun card game that doesn't take tons of space.  The box fits in your hand, plus with only cards, it's hard to lose any pieces.  It plays 3-5 players which is great for those family trips.  The game is short and simple, which makes for an ideal quick game on vacation.

There are a lot of games you can take on vacation.  Try to pack a game on your next vacation.  Don't go overboard and pack 10 games.  Ultimately a vacation is about spending time with people and exploring a different area than home.  

Top 7 games to play with 3 players

3 is perhaps the most awkward number in gaming and life in general.  Two people can usually agree on something, but once a third is in the mix, things get clouded.  Plus the major problem with most 3 player games is that person A goes after person B. Then person B retaliates to person A, leaving person C in a better position.

This is not a comprehensive list, as other good games work well with 3 aren't here.  Some that I know are Small World, Quarriors, Citadels, and Acquire.  

#7 Tiki Topple

Yes, I am going here. Tiki Topple is best as a 3 in my opinion.  Everyone gets to use their toast cards, and the round can't end until everyone has done so.  Unlike a 4 player game where 1 player could use neither of their toast cards and have the round end.  2 is ok for Tiki, but there are too many leftovers and not enough dynamics.  3 is a good balance of control and making the best of what happens.

#6 Pandemic

2 player Pandemic can be a little too easy sometimes since cards are more concentrated. 4 can be a little hard since everything is spread out. But 3 is a good balance of the two.  Pandemic is a good challenge at any player level, but a 3 player game gives you the right mix of voices to contribute but not too many cooks in the kitchen.

#5 Settlers of Catan

Now, I learned Catan with 5 and 6, played a lot of games at school with 4, and all of those were good, but there's a nice elegance to 3 player Catan.  Trading is straightforward, you have a pretty good idea of what your opponents can and will do, and the biggest advantage, you get your turn frequently.  Now, 3 player Catan does lose some of the dynamics, I'm thinking of resource variety, special building with 5 and 6,,, but the map is fairly open, and everyone will have good places.

#4 Pizza Theory

Here's a new game to me, I just got it in mid March, but the first time I broke it out, I played it 7 times.  The game is specifically designed for 3 players, and it does a great job at giving players strategies to pursue that depend on others, but there are no means of direct retaliation.  For kicks, it's also a game all about pizza, which is an unusual theme.

#3 Ticket to Ride (Ideally Nordic or Switzerland)

Ticket to Ride is a classic game with any player count really.  It works well as a 3, since blocking isn't too horrible, but to eliminate blocking as a huge play, go for a map where 3 is an extended route set, like Nordic or Switzerland, rather than one where 2 and 3 have the same options like US, Europe, Marklin.
3 players keeps the game moving, there's very little down time, and a lot easier to go where you want than in a 5 player game.

#2 Eminent Domain

Em-Do doesn't suffer from the A v B so C wins, which moves it up the list.  The 3 player game feels long enough to be fun without being so long.  The 4 player game feels short, and the 2 feels long, so 3 with either one or two piles works well.  I personally like 2 piles just to get tech moving a little bit, but one less player taking cards does prolong the game.  I suppose it depends on the strategies at play, since running out the victory tokens seems to happen more often than two piles in my extended 3 player games.

#1 Dominion

3 player Dominion has a few advantages over 2 player Dominion.  There are 12 of each victory card instead of 8, yet still 4 per player.  Some attack cards become more useful, Pirate Ship, Thief.  Other cards become more intriguing.  The choices are a little deeper, and the strategies aren't as straight forward as 2 player, specifically in the endgame.  Best of all, Dominion has very little of the A v B so C wins dynamic.

The main point of this list, don't be afraid of games with 3.  Sure, not everything works, but some games can be fun, or even their best at 3 players.  If you have a group of 3, try pulling these games out, and see where they get you.  

Top 7 Games to Play with your Significant Other

As Valentines Day approaches(it's next Tuesday as of the date of posting), our thoughts naturally turn to candlelight dinners, chocolate, and the one we love. Well, not so much in my case, but there is hope for the future.  Consider this my top 7 games I'd like to play with my wife someday.  I'm going to go with games that play well as 2 player, but not necessarily games that only play 2 player.

First off, some honorable mentions, but ones that didn't make it due to lack of a widely appealing theme, or me not knowing the game enough - Small World, Eminent Domain and Lost Cities.

#7 Mr. Jack
Mr. Jack is a back and forth puzzle and deduction game.   It's also a 2 player only game, so the game is balanced for that.  With game time around an hour, this isn't a brain burner, and it's pretty fun to pull out every so often.

#6 Carcassonne
Carc works really well as a 2 player game.  It's a simple matter of outscoring one opponent, and using tiles to either help yourself, or make life harder on your opponent.  If you take that to an extreme, you end up in trouble, but the occasional block should be fine.

#5 10 Days in _____ 
This is a full series of games in different locations.  I've yet to play it myself, but everything I've seen and read about it makes it fit this list perfectly.  It's all about planning a travel route in a manner similar to Rack-O.  You're dealt an opening set, but you have to draw new tiles to make adjacent countries connect, or use cars and airplanes to travel to non-adjacent countries.  It looks like a lot of fun, and who knows, you might just plan your next vacation this way.

#4 Agricola
Repeat after me, "This is not a weeknight game"  Now, some may disagree with me, but after a long day of work, I don't know anyone who wants to sit down and play a 1-2 hour game.  True, 2 player is the fastest way to play the game, but still, there's a lot of planning to this game, and every move has to matter. With that kind of cause and effect, it feels too much like work, and not the best way to relax on a weeknight.  That being said, it does make an excellent Friday night or Saturday game.  Lots of back and forth, tons of options, and you have the ability to take what you need and perhaps block your opponent from what they need.

#3 Dominion
This takes #3 in my book because it's has a lot of variety, and is quick to play.  If you or your partner don't care for the attack cards, don't play with them.  Don't like a certain card, change it out.  The goal is to make it fun for both players.  If you find that one of you wins all the time, try starting with 2 estates and a curse instead of 3 estates.  Dominion is all about cards and coming up with a good strategy.  There isn't a ton of thought required once you know the game and all the cards, but that can take awhile.  Still, for a 20-40 minute two player game, it's hard to go wrong.

#2 Ticket to Ride
I'm specifically thinking Nordic Countries since the board artwork is great, but any Ticket map would probably work well.  Depending on the map and the tickets, TtR can be a mostly friendly game or a brutal block-fest.  I think both ways can be fun, and as long as your sig-other remembers that this is just a game, I think it's a great game to play with 2 or more people.

#1 Forbidden Island
I excluded Pandemic since they are similar games as noted in my review of the two.  Forbidden Island is a great 2-player game.  The theme makes it accessible, and there's nothing better than teamwork for a relationship.  It's relatively quick, which makes it easy to play on a weeknight after dinner, and it doesn't require too much thought, which makes it the perfect game to play with your significant other.

I hope this list inspires you to sit down and play more games with your significant other.  It's a great way to bond, and a lot cheaper than dinner out and a movie!