My Top 50 Games (as of Jan. 1 2014) Part 2 40-31

Welcome back to my top 50 games list as of the start of 2014.  Part 2 has some ups and downs, only 1 new entry, and a lot of good games.

Without further ado, the games!

#40 No Thanks  Down 17
No Thanks is still a great card game in my book.  A fair bit of this drop is due to newer games.  The game can be a bit lucky in terms of what cards get pulled out, but I still have fun playing it.  I think I've said everything I can say about No Thanks in my review and the previous 2 editions of this list.  It's a game worth owning.


#39 Survive: Escape from Atlantis  New
Survive was one of those classic games that I heard a lot about, but didn't get a chance to play until early 2013.  When I did, I really enjoyed the gameplay.  Sure, the game can be mean, it can be lucky, and you can be completely out of it rather quickly, but it's a very fun game.  Weird stuff is going to happen to your guys, they're going to get eaten by sharks, just accept it.  It's a relatively quick game that lets you be mean if you want, but also requires a certain amount of cooperation in order to do well.  I appreciate the balance there, and I will never turn down a game of Survive.


#38 Tsuro  Down 18
I'll be brief here.  Nothing really changed with Tsuro.  I still enjoy the game, but there are other games in the same niche that I currently enjoy more.  It's still a challenging puzzle, but I've found that most games end in very similar ways.  I'm curious about Tsuro of the Seas in terms of added gameplay depth and variety.  Perhaps something to try out in 2014.


#37 Carcassonne Down 13
I still really enjoy Carcassonne, the problem is that I have no one to play with these days.  I guess that's partially my fault, since I don't take the game to game night often, but it's also a pain to separate and teach.  Sure, the basic game is fairly straight forward, but start adding in expansions and things go crazy, plus the game gets longer.


#36 Seasons Up 2
Seasons made it's debut on my list last year because my first few plays intrigued me.  I didn't play it a lot in 2013, but each time I did, I enjoyed it more than the previous time.  The game plays out differently each time.  Drafting cards at the start of the game is key to keeping the game balanced and varied.


#35 Rattus  Down 21
This is tied for the biggest drop on my list.  I probably had Rattus overrated last year, and perhaps a bit underrated this year.  I only played it once in 2013, so that contributes to the drop.  I can't really put my finger on why Rattus dropped so much.  I still like playing the game, but it's not something I bring out all the time.


#34 Wits and Wagers  (Original, Family, and Party) Down 6
Wits and Wagers essentially holds steady in the middle of the pack.   It's a good game, but has situational uses.  I'm not apt to pull it out at a game night, yet parties are often too big for W&W.  This is still my go to trivia game, I just don't have a lot of trivia players in my game groups.

#33 Catacombs  Down 16
Down due to lack of play.  I really want to play this again, but it's not a good set-up for my Monday night group.  Catacombs is a lot of fun to play, even though it can run long at times.  I stopped buying expansions for it since I have more than I've been able to play, and more than I will be able to get tired of even if I played it once a month or more.

#32 Formula D  Up 7
Formula D gets a rare up movement in the rankings this year.  I continue to enjoy this game every time I play it, even if it's usually with the basic rules and a short 1 or 2 lap race.  I really enjoy the strategy of trying to plan ahead for corners, and the way players have to take some risks in order to get ahead.  I think I've only crashed out once, but that's typically because I'm in the top 3 and not needing to take a lot of chances late in the game.

#31 Risk Legacy  Down 2
Just a little drop here for Risk Legacy.  I finally won a game this past year which was a welcome sight.  My group is still only through 6 games, and unfortunately we're not likely to finish it any time soon.  Risk Legacy took basic Risk and added a lot to the game.  The gameplay itself is still really basic, but all the extra things that go into this game make it a lot of fun to play.  I also appreciate the faster playtime, most games last around 60 minutes, which is the perfect amount of Risk for me.