Narrative games will continue to struggle

Personally, I just feel that games like Tainted Grail and Etherfields are ‘overcooked’. These games provide so much content during the Kickstarter but seemingly fail to live up to the hype. One of the issues seems to be that the core games ship first and that any issues with the core then seems to bleed through on to the next wave of shipping. I have a feeling that Solomon Kane (if it fulfills) will be a prime example of this – a beautifully polished and illustrated Kickstarter will end up with a game that is just OK.

Solo board gaming will build

As last year was a bumper, I believe that solo games will continue to go from strength to strength. Hell, even Shut Up and Sit Down came around when the lockdowns were in place. More people have realised the potential for solo gaming and the abilities to entertain. I think this will continue to build the hobby in general as well.

The Top 100

Again, as always, there will be movement in the Top 100. I predict that 2020 games like Dwellings of Eldervale, Lost Ruins of Arnak and Dune: Imperium could very well make it into the Top 100 within the first 6 months of 2021.

As for new entries, there are plenty that will make it to Top 100 – Oath, Sleeping Gods, Oathsworn, Iss: Vanguard. However, it will remain to be seen whether some of these bigger projects will make it to fulfillment in time for a 2021 release.

2020 Predictions

Last year I said:

The release of Blood on the Clocktower, I feel, will be a watershed moment in board game criticism and the line between review, preview and paid promotion.

Well…This one is still a while away, so who knows what is happening at this stage. I do feel that the media industry is growing which is a good thing. But we will see what happens from here, the hype of this game, pre-release, has been massive with a lot of people lauding it. Fulfilling and providing to the paying public is going to show whether there is a bias in media reporting.

BGG Top 100 Gloomhaven will remain at Number 1 with Pandemic Legacy (buoyed by an interest in Pandemics) will stay at Number 2. With it’s quick rise, I see that Brass: Birmingham will make it to Number 3, taking the spot of Terraforming Mars. There will be movement in the Top 10, though there will not be any new 2020 games that make it into this list.

OK, so I hit most of these. However, Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion landed in the Top 10 in late 2020, so there was movement in the Top 10.

The post 2021 Board Games predictions appeared first on Next Player.

From the previous post I am surprised to say that all but two of the games got played. Bang: The Dice Game and Skull were the games that did not get played with the rest getting a great run through by a range of people.

“The bird game” – Wingspan became a pretty big hit with the other gamers in the family and was a great source of entertainment for the rest. Heaps of comments on artwork and components kept the interest of the non-players.

Deception: Murder in Hong Kong – not as many plays on this one, but lots of fun when it did happen. The only reason that it didn’t get played more was the constant presence of younger kids and conversation around bludgeoning and blood loss seemed to bother them a little…weird.

Just One – I sent some games a week early to where we are celebrating Christmas and Just One had already be played numerous times. This is a great family board game, players can come and go as they please, you can make rounds indefinite and it is so easy to explain to anyone who wants in.

Five Tribes – I don’t think that this one was on my radar originally for family games, but it really went down well, especially for those who are more into strategy games. The Mancala type movement is easy enough to explain, while the rest of the rules tend to fall into place. One of the only issues is that this game tends to favour those who have played it before, although it isn’t necessarily bad to crush the nephews and family every once in a while (did I mention I rarely win anything…)

Istanbul – Another Mancala-esque game that involves grid movement. I have previously played and reviewed and wasn’t the greatest fan, but now things have changed. I feel a change in the force and a swing towards the middle weight Euro. I played this at 2 player 3 times over the holidays and it has become a fast favourite, easy setup and quick play for experienced players, watch out for the player who takes all the Mosque tiles early though…

What did you get played over the holiday period, anything that you find particularly easy/hard to get to the table with family gamers?

The post What did I actually play over Christmas appeared first on Next Player.

The Isle of Cats – This one is a great tile laying/puzzle game for the whole family. Simpler rules can be played with the younger kids and more complex ones for the adults. Great theme and overall good fun. Only issues is that it is a bit of a space hog, which can be a bit hard to come by at Christmas.

Wingspan – It’s Wingspan. One of the breakout hits of the last few years. I don’t have any of the expansions, but even just the base game is a great experience for the whole family. Relatively easy to teach and set up and just a chilled out experience in general makes me want to share it with others.

Skull – Good, silly, non-thinky fun. Can be played with anyone and you don’t even need the official game to play it. The essence of a bluffing game, I don’t think I have ever played a game of Skull without a ton of laughter and silliness involved.

Just One – This was one of the hits of last year’s Christmas, so it will definitely be going in the bag again this year. Raucous, silly fun that the whole family can engage in. It’s not uncommon for several games of this to get played back to back.

Deception: Murder in Hong Kong – This is actually one that I haven’t tried out yet, so Christmas will really be the test for it. Highly rated for Party games, what could go wrong? I’m drawn to the deduction and deception in this one and really feel that it will match the family well.

Bang: The Dice Game – great for the whole family, deduction, dice chucking and silliness. Not the game if there are little ones napping but a fun experience all round.

What, if anything, are you taking to family gatherings or holidays this year?

The post Board Games for Christmas 2020 appeared first on Next Player.

The release of Blood on the Clocktower, I feel, will be a watershed moment in board game criticism and the line between review, preview and paid promotion. The Blood on the Clocktower Kickstarter campaign was buoyed by very strong critical acclaim from big reviewers and it’s production and release will show us what the game is really like. With such strong positive opinions, I think, this game will really need to hit the ground running and make it into the Top 200 games quickly, lest cynicism towards reviewers build. 

Frosthaven will be a massive success, not a controversial opinion, but more so because I believe that the vast majority of backers will not have actually completed their own copy of Gloomhaven by the time that it is released. I have a feeling that there won’t be a great deal of mechanical changes, but the focus will be on more classes/races and a more in depth narrative. The big question is: Will Frosthaven integrate at all with Gloomhaven? 

CoVid-19 will have a big impact on the industry from shipping to Kickstarter fulfillment to game nights. However, solo gaming has been on the rise for a while now, so I think that will be something that will build even further. With social distancing and quarantine I think that players will see the advantage to solo play. I hope that this also means that more games will come with ‘baked in’ solo modes, rather than the tacked on modes that we often see. Places like BoardgameArena may see an increase in players for a bit, but I think this will drop once people end isolation measures, where I see the boom in solo gaming persisting. 

On the BGG Top 100 Gloomhaven will remain at Number 1 with Pandemic Legacy (buoyed by an interest in Pandemics) will stay at Number 2. With it’s quick rise, I see that Brass: Birmingham will make it to Number 3, taking the spot of Terraforming Mars. There will be movement in the Top 10, though there will not be any new 2020 games that make it into this list. 

So what about you, what are your predictions for the rest of 2020 in gaming?

The post Predictions for 2020 Board gaming appeared first on Next Player.

There have been so many great releases (and new to me) this year and there seems to be no end in sight. Christmas is a time of getting together with the family. While we don’t get the cold weather that forces us inside, the weather is often too hot to be outside, so we have that going for us at least. I have tried to put together a bit of a list for what sort of boardgames I would recommend for a family with a wide range of interests and ages. You can always check out my list from last year as well to get some more ideas.

This year has been the year of the Roll (or Flip) and Writes. These games are often quite simple with a lot of strategy, meaning that they can appeal to the new to games and the serious gamer. Play a card or roll a dice and then add this to your own personal grid or map. These games are small setup and space (because who wants to move the pudding) and often played pretty quickly (under half hour). The picks of these would be games like Welcome To and Cartographers.

You are sick of playing Catan and have decided that it’s time to move on, not only that but some of the family have worked out the maths of the game and have decided to use this to their advantage. There are a couple here that I think fit:

• Orleans –  a bit more complex than Catan, but pretty easy to explain to the new player. Still lots of building, but no trading.
• Carcassone – tile laying, the ability to out maneuver others, but readily accessible to younger players as well.
• Clans of Caledonia – you are still jostling for space but with the added element of working with an economy that is constantly fluctuating

If you are looking for chilled out strategy there are a few really good choices. With rich food, alcohol and noise Christmas isn’t always the best time to be trying out something with deep rule set or difficult decisions. There have been some great games that have been released over the years that fit this including Wingspan or the iterations of Azul and Sagrada are all great options.

If you are looking for something that is great, interactive fun you really can’t go past this year’s big winner – Just One. This game can be calm or raucous and allows players to come and go across the course of the game, if you wish. With a simple rule set, this is one that is really going to shine at the holiday period.

So with these games I think that there is a great range of experiences to have with the family. What else have I missed, and what would you recommend to take with you on the Christmas break?

The post Games for the Holiday period 2019 appeared first on Next Player.

Terraforming Mars – On initial play I wasn’t the greatest of fans of this one, despite it sitting in the Top 5 of BGG. Then I didn’t play it for a long time, before coming back to it solo, and what a decision that was! The game is so easy to set up for solo play and you are playing within 5 minutes of deciding. You can play this as fast or slow as you want, there are no AI turns, so it can be frenetic and fast paced or you can take your time working out the very best strategies for the cards that you deal. I’ve racked up around a dozen games of Terraforming Mars solo vanilla, and look forward to adding in some of the expansions to see how they impact game play.

Architects of the West Kingdom – This pips out Raiders of the North Sea solo for me, as the game has the solo mode baked in, rather than a later addition. Much like Terraforming Mars, Architects is super quick to set up and get going, not too much fiddling around at all. Play is pretty chilled out and rewards repeat plays for building strategy and with 2 AIs to play against there is plenty of replayability in the core box (an expansion has been announced).

Robinson Crusoe – This one is absolutely brutal and I love it. In around 10 plays I have only managed to register 1 win, but that doesn’t stop me from going back for more. I love this one because as soon as you think that you are on track to meet your goal at the right time, you realise that you have forgotten to feed yourself, or fortify your camp from attacks.

Spirit Island – In terms of solo board games, Spirit Island is one of the big daddies, that could potentially de-throne Mage Knight one day. Spirit Island has been building its reputation as a very solid solo game over the past few years and it seems that there is nothing stopping it. More expansions releasing soon will definitely solidify it even further as a game with long term appeal. Spirit Island is a deep and brain burning game, so make sure you are prepared!

Special Mention

Eldritch Horror/Arkham Horror: LCG – This is a funny one, as they are games that I desperately want to like, but just can’t bring myself to. Both of the games are absolutely dripping with Eldritch theme, but the mechanic of action selection just seems too…mechanical. I find myself just making the moves that I need to, doing the AI moves and then the next turn commences. The action selection just seems to pull me totally out of the theme altogether. However, I am willing to give these games a pass due to their them and also due to the amount of expansions that I haven’t played yet. These are definitely games that keep drawing me back, so hopefully soon they will grab me.

On the review list

In terms of solo board games, I try to keep to games that have a solo variant in the box, rather than fan made variants, so I am yet to try the solo for games like Great Western Trail. Although they are definitely on the list, there are more solo games that I look forward to playing and reviewing in the near future:

• Friday – this has been touted as one of the great small/quick solo experiences, so getting it to the table is a priority;
• Any Uwe Rosenburg – I have yet to play A Feast for Odin solo, however love the idea of it, as well as trying out games like Agricola and Nusfjord;
• Dungeon Crawlers – I have mostly stuck to Euro games as my solos, but look forward to some Imperial Assault or Gloomhaven as a solo experience.

What are your thoughts on this list? What are some of your favourite solo games?

The post My Favourite Solo Board Games appeared first on Next Player.

Best Overall

Terraforming Mars – I have to admit that my first play of Terraforming Mars was less than ideal. It was one of those situations that an experienced player taught the game and took every liberty of neglecting rules that would advantage them. Needless to say, I left it alone until recently when I resdiscovered it with a new group – and what a game it is. Even as the base game it plays well, moves constantly and there is always a combination of cards that you have never seen before.

The expansions, especially Prelude and Colonies, apparently add extra depth and play ability to the base game and with a new expansion on the horizon – Turmoil – this game is the one that constantly gives. (Affiliate link)

Great Western Trail – I have talked about how I was put off by the box art previously, but when I finally played the game it was well worth it. A deck building Euro where you are travelling through the Wild West and delivering your prized stock to numerous stations may sound a little dry, but the game has plenty to keep you going.

Great Western Trail is still very high on my list of games and is a game that I will happily play whenever it is suggested. With the new Rails to the North expansion it also continue to build it’s reputation as one of the best. (Mighty Ape – Affiliate link)

Scythe – Scythe is the game that, in my opinion, really kicked the hobby into high gear. Jamie Stegmaier is a Kickstarter genius and everything from the gameplay to the (and especially) art design makes Scythe stand out on the shelf. Not to mention that there have been several expansions, from added players to campaigns and rule changes over the years which have built the replayability of this game immensely.

A game that still makes it regularly to my table. It may look confusing to the beginner, but it is a really easy concept to get once the play gets moving.

Best Family

Codenames: Pictures – The picture version of this team game is the perfect addition for the family with younger children, or to add to your Codenames base set. Simple play, quick setup and ease of access makes this an all time favourite for me.

Santorini – This had been around for a while as an abstract strategy game and it was only in 2016 that it hit the shelves in it’s current iteration. This is a great game to introduce kids to strategy games (with or without the cards) and get them interested in the hobby.

Kingdomino – It’s dominoes essentially, but with a great family theme. You must use the tiles that you get to create the highest scoring land, and that is pretty much the extent of it. Playing at around 10 minutes per game and suitable for 6+ this is a game that will hit your table very regularly if you have children.

Overview

2016 was a massive year for gaming with some of the biggest names releasing that year. All of our top picks for Overall have newly released (or releasing) expansions and show how strong this industry and it’s supporters are. So, after reading our list, what are your favourite games from 2016, what are some of the gems from that year that we haven’t considered?

The post Best board games of 2016 appeared first on Next Player.

This post may seem a bit early, but it really is only around 6 weeks until Christmas, so when you factor in buying time, postage and all of the other stress around Christmas it is probably timely! The purpose of this post is to look at a few of the reasons why you might be looking for a board game for some one and what to buy.

For Family Fun

The family are all together only a few times a year and you want to make the most of it, so you are looking for a game that will play well for the family in the quiet times. The day is hot and you have eaten a big meal (or meals) and people are looking for a way to interact that isn’t too intense.

Love Letter – This is one of our favourite small card games that are easy to play and pick up with anyone. Love Letter is a take-that card game where each player is aiming to have the highest scoring card left at the end of the round. Lots of fun and interaction between players is what makes this game great. You can often pick it up for less than $15 on Amazon.

My Little Scythe – This one is great if you are looking for a bit more strategy in your games and can play up to 6 players. Each player controls 2 chibi-style characters to build their friendship points. Now this may look child focused, however the game has a great deal of strategy involved and will allow both children and adults to have a great amount of fun at the table. 

Codenames – If you are looking for something that might get a little bit more raucous, Codenames is a great game to check out. Basically, each team has a number of cards that they need to identify, the ‘Spymaster’ will give one word clues to their teammates. The trick is that these one word clues can indicate more than one clue card, meaning that both the Spymaster and the players must be trying to look for connections, often vague, between clue cards. Codenames comes in several types – Pictures, Words, Marvel, Disney and Harry Potter, all of which can be combined for endless hours of fun. You can pick up the range of Codenames pretty much anywhere for less than $30, including Amazon

Azul – This is the winner of the Game of the Year and rightly so. It plays up to 4 players and is a pretty relaxed approach to gaming. Each player is aiming to get the highest score from the tiles that they lay on the board. Very simply, each player takes a turn taking tiles from the centre of the board ‘factory’ and then adds them to their wall. The catch is – when you take a tile you must take all of it’s colour from it’s location, unfortunately you may not have this much space and will have to take a hit in points. Play continues until one player has completed a horizontal line of 5 tiles. You can pick it up from Amazon for around $60 – worth it for the component quality. 

Pandemic – This is one of the all time classics and if you ask any board gamer you will probably find that this was one of their initial experiences that got them into the hobby. This game is a little different that the others on the list as it is a purely cooperative game, that is, all players are aiming for the same end goal. A pandemic illness has broken out and it is your job to stop it. Across the world and with varying roles you must work together to ensure that you keep the contagion at bay and seek out a cure. You can often find Pandemic for around $50 from most game shops including OzGameShop and Amazon 

Raiders of the North Sea – This is a game by a New Zealand designer and it is a great one for those who are looking for a little more strategy in their games with the family. You play as a Viking raiding party and build up your crew so that you may go pillaging. This is a great worker placement game and is a good introduction to the genre (as well as being a great game in general for seasoned players). Some games in the ‘serious’ category have a tendency to be a bit mean to other players, but I have never found that with Raiders. You can often find it for around $60 on games sites like Gameology and Games Empire. 

What do you think of this list, is there anything that you will be getting out on the table at Christmas with your family this year? 

The post Christmas Board game buying guide appeared first on Next Player.

Best Travel Board Games

Travel can be difficult, between the time in actual transit to sitting in airports or waiting areas there is a lot of lost time, especially for gaming. There is also limited space to play, so we are going to look at some of the best travel board games, those that can be played while on a plane or whilst a passenger. Let us know below what some of your favourite travel games are!

No space needed

Chess/Checkers – The good thing about these games is that that they are usually cheap and easy to come by. My pocket sized checkers set has been with me through countless trips, all the pieces fit inside and it can be played anywhere, from a lap on the train to the seat back on a plane. Sure not the most creative of solutions, but the accessibility really puts it on this list.

Magnets – Magnets are the best! I could just take a bunch of magnets to travel, but that may not impress security..BUT any travel game with magnets is great, they may not be as in depth as other modern games, but they allow you to interact with others and fill in time on the go. Most of the big manufacturers have these available from places like KMart – whether it be Scrabble or Connect 4 they are all good options. 

Cards – There are so many card games that you can play in transit, from Snap to 21 to Cribbage. They take up so little room as well, that they are almost a guarantee for gamers and non-gamers alike when travelling.

Needs some space

Jaipur/Splendor – These are great games to be taking travelling. They have a small box to start with (remove inserts for more space) and can also be bagged up as well to make some more space. Great game play is also a massive selling point here, but the biggest is probably the fact that you can get through a game of each pretty quickly. Playing short games is so important, as the ability to focus and concentrate is often difficult on a plane or train, you want things that can give you some stimulation, without wearing you out altogether.

Hive (Amazon Link)- This is one that comes up on pretty much every ‘Best travel board games’ forum or list and for good reason, especially for the pocket version. The game is 2 – player, takes up minimal space and is a great quick, strategic game. The pocket version comes in it’s own pouch and takes up virtually no room at all, the only think that you will need is a flat playing surface.

Star Realms – This one is pretty great to throw into a bag for anything really. A great little deck-builder in the top 200 of BGG ratings that can be set up in a very small area. 

Tiny Epic Galaxies – Much like Star Realms, this is a small game that packs a lot of punch. It is also one of the games on this list that comes in a greater than 2 player count, so it is definitely appealing to travelling with a family. Two caveats though, there are tiny pieces that come with this game and the dice rolling may need to be dampened down in some way, especially if you are travelling in a plane or anywhere else that people are crushed together. 

So what about you, what are your favourite games to play while travelling? 

The post Best travel board games appeared first on Next Player.

Shut Up and Sit Down – Three guys who run the Shut Up and Sit Down website and have a passion from bringing games into popular culture. This is probably my favourite podcast of the lot as they cover not only the new releases, but will also cover older games in depth. Their Youtube channel is also fantastic and they constantly release high quality content. The 3 main hosts: Paul, Quinns and Matt have great chemistry and work brilliantly together to the point that I feel that I am among friends when I listen to them.

The Dice Tower – Hosted by Tom Vasel and Eric Summerer alternating with Mandy and Suzanne, the podcast will usually have a theme “Top 10 of ..” where each of the hosts will reveal their picks with a bit of a snippet on the game. Tom would also have to be one of the most knowledgeable people in the games industry and produces a ton of content on a weekly basis. The Dice Tower is truly a massive machine now, and Vasel at it’s head seems to be across it all.

The Secret Cabal Gaming podcast – Hosted by a group of guys who love to play games, make sure you set aside some time for this one. Usually a light-hearted chat about what is new and what they have been playing followed by a deep dive into a game of the week.

The Board Game Design Lab – This one is a bit different as it covers the principles of game design more so than the actual games. If you are a budding designer, or if you would just love to hear about the process of game design from some big names, this is definitely one to check out – relatively short run time too, so it never becomes dry or dull.

The post Best Podcasts for Boardgames appeared first on Next Player.