2013 Top 42 Part 4 (21-15)

Welcome back to my Top 42 list. We're halfway home!  For part three, click here.

#21 Eminent Domain  Down 15

Eminent Domain made a big splash late last year, but as I've played it more, it's lost a bit of the luster.  I enjoy the game for the options it provides, and the variety of strategies players can take to win.  At this point, the game needs an expansion.  I'd love to see some more uses for the ships and resources, maybe a new card type, and a bunch of new technologies.  Since the game is made a lot better with a variety of options, I'm all for seeing more of them.


#20 Tsuro New
Well, no surprise that my most played game in 2012 makes this list.  Tsuro has become the game that I can pull out and play with anyone.  I was able to play with my gaming family over Thanksgiving, including a 6 year old niece of theirs and their HS daughter who never plays games.  Helps that they both made it to the final 3 in an 8 player game.  Tsuro isn't the most complicated of games, nor is it the most strategic.  It is a tactical game, and it's quick.  I've never had a game last more than about 20 minutes, and that's perfect for what Tsuro is.


#19 This Game is Bonkers Up 9
I know this game is silly, and it's not really a gamer's game, but I have fun time playing it, and that's what games are about.  It's all about rolling, moving, and doing what the spot says, but the spots continue to move your piece around the board, and you get to place new tiles on spots to do different things.  This isn't a game I want to play all the time, but I always have a fun time playing it, and that's the best reason to play a game, and think highly of it.


#18 Small World  No Change

Small World is one of those games that I always enjoy when I play it, but I don't want to play it often.  I think it suffers from iPad play, since I don't have to worry about all the setup, clean-up, and token management when I play that way.  It's not the best of 3 player games, but around here, there's 3 of us who like it.  That leaves it for when people come in from out of town to play it, which doesn't happen often.  Still, a game I enjoy, a game that has a lot of interesting combinations, and a game that always provides a challenge.


#17 Catacombs  Down 3
I still think Catacombs is one of the most innovative games I own.  It's dropped a bit because it's a little too long for what it is as a game.  I think it's a very enjoyable experience, but I'd like to turn it into a campaign where we can play a couple rooms at a time and then put it away.  Perhaps that's a 2013 project for me.  I've always liked the dungeon crawl aspect of games, but all the specifics of combat and exploration tend to bog them down.  Catacombs boils combat down to did the attacker touch the defender or not, throws in a few special abilities, and then adds in some cool weapons and treasures that players can buy.

#16 Fleet  New
Fleet, in a way, is Deadliest Catch the Card Game.  No, it's not licensed, but the game is all about getting licenses to launch boats, using those boats to go fishing, and turning everything in to victory points.  There are so many different ways to try to win at Fleet.  Each license has it's own ability that makes it seem really powerful.  Some are more subtle than others, but I've seen every type of strategy do well in the game.  I have the Kickstarter expansion, which added some special captains, as well as some bonus license cards to the game.  I think they're a huge plus to the game, but even without them, I still enjoy what Fleet has to offer.  I sure hope this is a game I play a lot more.  It gives me a similar feel to Race for the Galaxy without using as many symbols, hence why Fleet is on this list, and Race for the Galaxy fell off.


#15 Can't Stop  New

Can't Stop should have been on this list last year.  It got lost in the shuffle that happened due to my computer getting stolen.  I forgot about the game since I don't actually own it.  Can't Stop is a very simple dice game.  Roll 4 dice, make 2 pairs, and move the markers up on the board.  The trick, you can only have 3 markers on your turn.  If you ever roll dice that don't combine to one of your numbers, you bust.  At any point you can stop, but there is no glory in stopping.  You're trying to move your markers up to claim a number. You only need 3 2's or 12's, but you need 13 7's in order to take it.  Be the first to claim 3 numbers and you win.  It's not complicated, but it's a great game to get people involved, and actively rooting against you in good fun.  I always have a blast playing Can't Stop.