Viticulture is a game that swiftly makes you forget your surroundings and transports you to its alternate reality—the peaceful vineyards of Tuscany. As one of the country’s more devoted board game aficionados, this particular game is saved on my shelf. Players in this worker-placement game are transformed into winners. Every round, you must play worker cards for various actions, all in the hope of making the best wines. This game’s appeal lies in its faithfulness…

7 Wonders was developed by Antoine Bauza, and it became a card-drafting civilization building game upon its release in 2010. This game is a mixture of strategy, resource management, and mental gymnastics under the backdrop of ancient civilizations all seeking to construct architecturally magnificent buildings and establish cultural superiority. Each player assumes the role of one of the seven wonders in the ancient world, trying over three periods–depicted by card decks of each age–to bring…

A design from Michael Kiesling, Azul is truly inspired by the colorful ceramic tiles from the Alhambra palace in Granada. The Romano-Egyptian religion which inspired Azul to flood light into each life strategic. Players take turns picking up tiles from a common pool and arranging them on their individual boards as they see fit Emperor Qin looked at the perfect building standards for the forty-fifth time. I first came across Azul in a local board…