My earliest recollection of playing Catan was on a family vacation. At first, the game seemed difficult, but we soon got the hang of it. As the dice began to roll and the first few resources were divvied up, it became a great deal of fun. My younger female cousin, who was ten years old at the time, mastered the game. While we were all trading various resources like wheat, wood, and ore from our…
The inspiration for Robinson Crusoe comes from the classic novel of the same name by Daniel Defoe. What follows that,…
Splendor, designed by Marc André and published by Space Cowboys, has been widely acclaimed since its 2014 release as a…
The brainchild of Christophe Raimbault and brought to life by Ludonaute, Colt Express is like stepping straight into those dusty cowboy boots we’ve seen in westerns. You’re thrown headfirst onto a moving locomotive where it’s steal or be stolen from as one slick bandit among up to five others. There’s loot galore up for grabs if you can dodge an onslaught of bullets while giving the slip-and-slide treatment to other players—all aboard this nifty three-dimensional…
Scythe is a game for board game enthusiasts. It fascinates, baffles, and questions their basic terms. Set in an alternate-historical…
Viticulture is a game that swiftly makes you forget your surroundings and transports you to its alternate reality—the peaceful vineyards…
In the cooperative adventure, The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine, 1-4 players work together to complete a series of 50 increasingly challenging missions into deep space. They’re drilling down into the hardest difficulty level on the very first play. Because the game uses a standard deck of playing cards (along with a handful of special cards), the fact that it’s a trick-taking game, and the sheer variety of objectives from mission to mission do…
At my game nights, Small World is a popular choice. For many years now, it has consistently provided entertainment, laughter…
7 Wonders was developed by Antoine Bauza, and it became a card-drafting civilization building game upon its release in 2010.…
In the world of two-player board games, Jaipur shines like a topaz—radiant and multifaceted. It’s an uncomplicated contest of low-level commerce, quick thinking, avarice, and guile. But you’re buying and selling over a backdrop of the cream-and-orange dream world that is the city of the Indian desert. Jaipur is also a game that’s particularly easy to learn if you’re a complete novice. Jaipur distinguishes itself with a beautiful ease. The underlying rules are as simple…
There’s something truly magical about a campaign game—one that extends beyond a single evening and weaves a tale across multiple…
A design from Michael Kiesling, Azul is truly inspired by the colorful ceramic tiles from the Alhambra palace in Granada.…
R. Eric Reuss designed the board game Spirit Island and Greater Than Games published it. The colonialism that so many games use as a theme takes an unusual twist here. The players take on the role of not just one, but a veritable pantheon of towering land spirits trying to fend off a shared island from a seemingly never-ending stream of settlers. Some look like living flame; others are something like a stone come to…
The hearts of many international players have been won over by the board game Carcassonne. It’s a modern classic with…
As a fan of the Ticket to Ride series, I’m always excited for new expansions and maps this game. With…