When people find out I’m on a podcast, one of the first things they ask me is what I’ve been playing lately. Usually, the answer is pretty simple – whatever we reviewed on the podcast.
But every month there are games that for some reason keep finding their way back to my table, whether we reviewed them recently or not. To showcase some of those recent and recurring favorites, I’m going to start publishing monthly playlists – a sort of snapshot of all the games I can’t get enough of. (For the new ones we’re lusting after, check out acquisition disorder corner).
DC Deck Building Game
(Amazon)
We’ve reviewed this game a couple times and talked about it a few more. In fact, we circled back to it so many times that I feel kind of silly talking about it again, especially considering how simple of a game it is.
But as Chris says in Episode 27, this is one of those quintessential junk food tabletop games, and whether you enjoy this flavor or the new Street Fighter or Naruto variants, it’s a really good, easy to pick-up game that takes less than an hour.
The Duke
(Amazon)
The Duke will probably never leave my playlist. I’ve been playing it nearly non-stop since I bought it a year ago and with every expansion in my collection I pull it out every now and then just to stay sharp. It doesn’t hurt that it’s one of my wife’s favorites too – a true spiritual successor to chess and a great abstract game when you have 20-30 minutes to kill.
7 Wonders
(Amazon)
A few months ago, I wasn’t very nice to 7 Wonders. I had played it plenty of times and every time it felt messy and disjointed. Only playing against the two people next to you, basically relying on the kindness of opponents to get the cards you need, never having a clear strategy.
That’s how I felt the first five or six times through. But then I discovered the Leaders and Cities expansions, a good group of people, and a sweet spot of about 5 players that make the game a LOT more fun – a puzzle to be solved. As long as the table doesn’t let one person run away with a 90 point technology win, it’s a blast.
Myth
(Amazon)
Our most recent big review was a bit of a mix. This sandbox dungeon crawler is sprawling, intimidating, and unfortunately bogged down by a dense, unclear rulebook. But it’s compulsively playable in the way that Diablo 2 or Gauntlet 64 were when I was mashing buttons in my basement as a teenager.
The miniatures are gorgeous, the Story Quests are fun, and the game, once you finally get the rules down pat, is tightly paced and unique for every character. In short, it’s a new favorite. The problem, of course, is that it’s not a game-night game. This is an event game – like Dungeons and Dragons or Talisman, you need to play ahead for a game of Myth.
Boss Monster
(Amazon)
Light, silly, laced with nostalgia, and in all honesty, not the tightest of games in terms of mechanics and competitive balance, Boss Monster is nonetheless incredibly entertaining and a favorite whenever I pull it out. The Tools of Hero Kind expansion made it that much more challenging and a perfect 30-40 minute filler for four people with an 80’s 8-bit nostalgia kick to scratch.
Most of these have been reviewed on the podcast but for the ones that haven’t, you can find a boat load of information on Board Game Geek, and keep track of the newest BGA episodes – there’s a good chance we’ll cover them soon, especially for games like 7 Wonders with new expansions on the way this summer.
What are your playlists favorites right now? Any new or old faves that you can’t help but bring out whenever you connect with your gaming group? Share in the comments below:
