Okay, I’m not gonna lie. I have a HUGE presentation at work tomorrow and have been up late trying to get it done but I owed you guys another list segment so… I just had ChatGPT do all the blurbs.
Don’t worry, the rankings are all mine, and I’ll vouch for everyone single one of these. But for the text – well, let’s just say you may want to doublecheck things on Board Game Geek.
If you’re curious, the prompt I gave was “Write a three paragraph review of the board game GAMENAME that includes discussion of a unique mechanic and a joke.” Just for fun, I slipped one of my own reviews in there. See if you can find it!
Look, it’s the slog through the middle part of the list. I’m sure both of you that actually read these don’t care THAT much. Anyway, onto the list!
Previous entries: 100-91 90-81 80-71 70-61 60-51
50. Altiplano
Released: 2017
Designer: Reiner Stockhausen
Players: 2-5
Estimated Time: 60-120 minutes
Altiplano is a fantastic board game that offers players a unique and engaging gaming experience. In the game, players compete to become the most prosperous village in the Andes region by managing their resources and trading with other players. One unique mechanic in the game is the use of “bag building” – players must carefully manage the resources in their bag, with the order in which they are drawn impacting their ability to take actions on their turn.
Another standout feature of Altiplano is its beautiful artwork and high-quality components. The game board and player boards are colorful and detailed, immersing players in the world of the Andes. Altiplano is also a great game for players of all skill levels, offering a high level of replayability and a variety of strategies to explore.
Overall, Altiplano is a must-play for fans of resource management and trading games. And as a bonus, the game’s unique bag building mechanic means you’ll never have to “bag” out on a turn – unless you’re really struggling, of course. (Sorry, I had to make at least one bad bag-related pun!)
49. A Few Acres of Snow
Released: 2011
Designer: Martin Wallace
Players: 2
Estimated Time: 60-90 minutes
A Few Acres Of Snow is a two-player board game that simulates the struggle for control of North America during the French and Indian War. The game features a unique deck-building mechanic, where players must carefully manage their hand of cards to gain advantages on the battlefield.
One of the standout features of the game is its historical accuracy. The various factions and their abilities are based on real-life events and figures from the war, adding a layer of immersion to the gameplay.
In terms of strategy, the game can be quite challenging. Players must constantly balance their military efforts with their economic development in order to succeed. As the old saying goes, “it’s not easy ruling a few acres of snow.” Overall, A Few Acres Of Snow is a solid choice for fans of history and strategic board games.
48. Taverns of Tiefenthal
Released: 2019
Designer: Wolfgang Warsch
Players: 2-4
Estimated Time: 60 minutes
The board game Taverns of Tiefenthal is a fun and engaging experience for players. One unique mechanic in the game is the use of “influence” cards, which allow players to manipulate various aspects of the game such as prices and supply. This adds a layer of strategy and deception, as players must carefully choose when and how to use their influence cards.
Another aspect of the game that I enjoyed was the colorful and thematic artwork. The various taverns and characters are well-designed and add to the immersive experience.
One minor downside is that the game can take a bit longer than expected to set up and explain to new players. However, once everyone understands the rules, the game flows smoothly and provides hours of entertainment. Overall, I would definitely recommend Taverns of Tiefenthal to fans of board games and taverns alike. And as a wise old tavernkeeper once said, “A mug of ale a day keeps the doctor away… or at least makes the visit more enjoyable.”
47. Concordia
Released: 2021
Designer: Mac Gerdts
Players: 2-5
Estimated Time: 100 minutes
Concordia is a strategic board game that challenges players to build a thriving Roman empire. The game’s unique mechanic is the use of resource cards to purchase buildings and recruit citizens. This adds a level of resource management and decision making that keeps the game interesting and engaging.
One aspect of the game that I particularly enjoy is the use of different character cards. Each character has their own special ability that can be used to gain a strategic advantage. This adds a fun element of surprise and keeps players on their toes.
Overall, Concordia is a great game for fans of strategy and resource management. And let’s be honest, who doesn’t want to be a Roman emperor for a day? Just remember to keep an eye on those pesky barbarians – they’ll ruin your day faster than a bad Caesar salad.
Editor’s note: The interesting thing here is that ChatGPT successfully identified the core innovation – the character cards – but managed to describe them in such a way that imparted no useful information at all.
46. Rajas of the Ganges
Released: 2017
Designer: Inka Brand, Markus Brand
Players: 2-4
Estimated Time: 45-75 minutes
Rajas of the Ganges is a fantastic board game that is easy to learn but challenging to master. One of its unique mechanics is the use of dice to determine which actions players can take on their turn. This adds an element of luck and strategic planning as players must weigh the benefits and drawbacks of each potential action.
Another standout feature of the game is the complex scoring system. Players must carefully balance their resources and actions in order to maximize their points at the end of the game. This can be challenging but also incredibly rewarding when executed successfully.
Overall, Rajas of the Ganges is a great game for both casual and hardcore board gamers. And if you’re feeling adventurous, you can even try playing it with a bag of curry on the side – it’s a spicy treat!
45. Chaos in the Old World
Released: 2009
Designer: Eric M Lang
Players: 3-4
Estimated Time: 60-120 minutes
Chaos in the Old World is a unique and highly strategic board game that puts players in the roles of powerful, ancient gods vying for control over the world. The game’s unique mechanic is the use of Corruption cards, which allow players to gain powerful abilities at the expense of becoming more susceptible to attacks from other gods. This creates a deliciously chaotic balance of power as players must weigh the benefits of gaining power against the risk of being overthrown.
In addition to its unique mechanic, Chaos in the Old World also boasts beautifully detailed artwork and a rich lore that immerses players in the world of Warhammer. The game’s mechanics are well-balanced and provide a challenging and engaging experience for both seasoned board gamers and newcomers alike.
One of the game’s most entertaining aspects is the inclusion of humorous event cards, such as “Mass Hysteria” which causes all players to frantically search for their lost keys. Overall, Chaos in the Old World is a must-play for fans of strategy games and anyone looking to unleash their inner god-like power.
44. Hadrian’s Wall
Released: 2021
Designer: Bobby Hill
Players: 1-6
Estimated Time: 30-60 minutes
Hadrian’s Wall is a strategic board game that takes players back to the ancient Roman Empire. The unique mechanic of the game is the use of Roman numerals on the player cards, which adds an extra layer of complexity to the gameplay. Players must not only plan their moves carefully, but also familiarize themselves with the Roman numeral system in order to maximize their points.
The game itself is well-designed and easy to learn, with clear instructions and engaging gameplay. The use of Roman numerals adds a fun challenge for players, and the game offers a variety of strategies to employ in order to win.
Overall, Hadrian’s Wall is a great board game for fans of history and strategy. Plus, with its unique mechanic, it’s sure to make you feel like a real Roman Emperor. Just remember, “IV” is not the Roman numeral for “for”!
Editor’s note: This is not at all accurate but was too hilarious not to share. Hadrian’s Wall is a very excellent Roll and Write, and very likely the heaviest and best roll-and-write you will ever play. Your standard understanding of Roman Numbers will be fine.
43. Aquatica
Released: 2019
Designer: Ivan Tuzovsky
Players: 1-4
Estimated Time: 30-60 minutes
Aquatica is a tableau builder where you play merfolk royalty attempting to restore the lost glory of your ancient civilization. It has surprising depth and yet still manages to be relatively simple and accessible. Players will recruit heroes, and use those heroes to try to find and rescue , which makes it easy to get on the table. Also, it has cute little manta ray powerups.
From a design perspective, though, what I like is the mechanic of raising locations. You pay resources, the locations slide into your board, and as you succeed, you earn benefits (and mantas) for your trouble. It’s overall a slick presentation on a tight, accessible little game.
Overall, Aquatica is a great little game that merits more attention, and should be welcome at any board game table. However, since you’re playing as merfolk, I strongly recommend against serving sushi as snacks. Nothing kills a festive mood like cannibalism!
42. Tzolk’in
Released: 2012
Designer: Simone Luciani, Daniele Tascini
Players: 2-4
Estimated Time: 90 minutes
Tzolk’in is a unique and engaging board game that has quickly become one of my favorites. One of the standout mechanics of the game is the use of a gear system to track player turns and actions. The gears rotate each turn, allowing for different actions to be taken depending on their current position. This adds a level of strategy and planning to the game as players must carefully consider their actions in relation to the gear system.
In addition to the gear system, Tzolk’in also offers a variety of interesting and challenging paths to victory. Players can focus on gathering resources, building monuments, or advancing their religious beliefs, allowing for a personalized and dynamic gameplay experience.
Overall, Tzolk’in is a fantastic board game that offers a unique and engaging experience. And as the Mayans would say, “Tzolk’in, tzolk’in, tzolk’in – it’s all fun and games until someone loses a sacrifice.”
41. Xia: Legends of a Drift System
Released: 2014
Designer: Cody Miller
Players: 3-5
Estimated Time: 60-180 minutes
Xia: Legends of a Drift System is a fantastic board game that offers a unique and immersive experience. The game features a unique movement mechanic where players must carefully navigate their ships through the dangerous and ever-changing drift system in order to reach their destinations and complete their objectives.
One of the standout features of Xia is its dynamic and unpredictable game world. The drift system is constantly shifting and evolving, meaning that no two games will ever play out the same way. This adds a great deal of replayability and keeps things interesting even after multiple playthroughs.
In addition to its unique mechanics, Xia also features a humorous and lighthearted tone. The game includes a variety of wacky and amusing ship upgrades, such as a “cowcatcher” that allows players to plow through asteroids, or a “fog generator” that can create impenetrable clouds of fog to hide from pursuing enemies. Overall, Xia is a highly entertaining and enjoyable game that will keep players engaged for hours.
Are most of these reviews accurate? At a glance – maybe about 75%! Actual board game reviewers don’t have anything to fear– yet. Anyway, please join me tomorrow when I will officially be Back On My Bullshit instead of offloading my bullshit to a robot.
I’m going to guess that Aquatica is the one you wrote.
Correct! Was the sushi joke just insufficiently lame?
It was two things, the first was the phrase “From a design perspective, though…”, which set up a contrast with the previous sentence. The other ones were all written as straightforward progressions- this, then this, then this. The one time there was a reference to a previous sentence it was to a specific phrase in that sentence.
The second thing was that Aquatica was the only one with a typo.
I also guessed Aquatica. As a non-native english speaker, it is the one easiest to understand. At the end of all other review, I have no idea what the game play like – except the Roman one, it seems a very fun game to read Roman number 😉 I do not know how much come from my grasp of english, or just because it is the only one that feel cohesive.
I read all your game list, because I am looking for gift idea to share with my family. I find it interesting how much you prefer ‘big game’ with a big plateau and a lot of elements, while I prefer simpler game with far fewer rules, and a lot more of personal interplay.
My lists tend to get meatier as you go up the chain – moreso this year than previous years. That being said, if you can give an example of games in the weight class you prefer, I can probably offer some recommendations. (“Light games” can mean different things to different people – as an example, Aquatica is a very good medium light game).