Day 9 of December is almost over, so it is time to present the nine next games in the countdown… (For methodology and introduction, please see the previous post.)
24. The Gallerist (2015)
My third-favourite Lacerda is still such an amazing game, and also, incidentally, my favourite art-dealer themed game… It is also my favourite of his games to play solitaire. Such an easy to run and efficient virtual opponent.
| Game | The Gallerist |
|---|---|
| What | Amass a fortune, and stake your reputation by operating a lucrative art gallery. |
| How | worker placement, speculation, set collection, … |
| Playtime | 3 hours |
| BGG Weight | 4.26 |
23. La Granja (2015)
This game dropped 11 places, quite possibly due to lack of plays… One of my favourite examples of multi use cards in this one.
| Game | La Granja |
|---|---|
| What | Develop your farm and compete to deliver goods to the market at the right time. |
| How | multi use cards, area majority, dice drafting, hand managment, simultaneous action selection… |
| Playtime | 2 hours |
| BGG Weight | 3.57 |
22. It’s a Wonderful World (2019)
I’m quite surprised that this one dropped 7 places, since, it is just getting better every time I play it. A great game that works with all player counts – even solo! Also, I’ve been enjoying the ‘legacy’ expansions that has been released for it…
| Game | It’s a Wonderful World |
|---|---|
| What | Draft yourself the ‘perfect’ dystopia, complete projects and churn out resources. |
| How | closed drafting, hand management, multi-use cards, … |
| Playtime | 1 hour |
| BGG Weight | 2.30 |
21. Lost Ruins of Arnak (2021)
Great Indiana Jones’ey theme – updated for the more inclusive 2020’s – with great artwork, amazing components, and, the most important, solid mechanics. Worker placement, deck builder, resources, racing… Everything. And it works.
| Game | Lost Ruins of Arnak |
|---|---|
| What | Explore an island to find resources and discover the lost ruins of Arnak. |
| How | worker placement, resources, multi-use cards, deck building, race, … |
| Playtime | 2 hours |
| BGG Weight | 2.88 |
20. New Frontiers (2018)
The board game based on a card game based on one of my favourite board games did not disappoint. This is, for me, just a better version of Puerto Rico. It solves my main gripe with it’s predecessor – fixed turn order, by adding a new role that lets you grab the first player marker. (This is something I would like to try to “backport” to Puerto Rico at some point…) Also, it has just a better theme. (The original’s slave trade theme was never great…)
| Game | New Frontiers |
|---|---|
| What | Select an action for all that gives you the edge in building the best space empire. |
| How | action drafting, tableau building, open drafting, race… |
| Playtime | 1 1/2 hours |
| BGG Weight | 2.90 |
19. Gaia Project (2017)
Gaia Project is another game that is just “better than it’s predecessor”. (…but I still prefer another game that is heavily inspired by Terra Mystica… #spoileralert)
| Game | Gaia Project |
|---|---|
| What | Expand, research, upgrade, and settle the galaxy with one of 14 alien species. |
| How | hexagone grid, tech trees, network building, modular board … |
| Playtime | 3 hours |
| BGG Weight | 4.39 |
18. Viscounts of the West Kingdom (2020)
My third-favourite West Kingdom game is a great take on rondels.
| Game | Viscounts of the West Kingdom |
|---|---|
| What | Travel the Kingdom seeking upgrades in an attempt to bring poverty or prosperity. |
| How | rondels, hand management, multi-use cards, deck building, area control … |
| Playtime | 2 hours |
| BGG Weight | 3.44 |
17. Architects of the West Kingdom (2018)
Architects is another amazing West Kingdom game that really shines when you add the expansions to it – especially Works of Wonder. (This takes the game from a BGG weight of a modest 2.75 to a decent 3.38…) Also, I appreciate how well it scales from 1(!) to 5 (or, apparently, to 6) players.
| Game | Architects of the West Kingdom |
|---|---|
| What | Will you be a virtuous or nefarious servant of the king? Build your way to glory. |
| How | worker placement, resources, variable player powers, open drafting … |
| Playtime | 2 hours |
| BGG Weight | 2.75 (or 3.38, if you want) |
16. Race for the Galaxy (2007)
One of the oldest games on this top 50 is a modern classic that also sprung from the loin of good old Puerto Rico. So many interesting choices with one of the simplest takes on multi-use cards… Card as card, or card as money. Great, great stuff.
| Game | Race for the Galaxy |
|---|---|
| What | Worlds await! Colonize, develop and conquer taking advantage of others’ choices. |
| How | simultaneous action selection, hand management, multi-use cards, set collection … |
| Playtime | 1 hour |
| BGG Weight | 2.99 |
Summary
So, there you have it, 16-24, or rather 24-16, of my highly… objective… top 50 games of all time. In table form it would look something like this:
| Rank | Item | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 16 | Race for the Galaxy (2007) | ↓3 |
| 17 | Architects of the West Kingdom (2018) | ↑2 |
| 18 | Viscounts of the West Kingdom (2020) | ↑2 |
| 19 | Gaia Project (2017) | ↓3 |
| 20 | New Frontiers (2018) | NEW |
| 21 | Lost Ruins of Arnak (2021) | NEW |
| 22 | It’s a Wonderful World (2019) | ↓7 |
| 23 | La Granja (2015) | ↓11 |
| 24 | The Gallerist (2015) | NEW |
Or as a 3 by 3 grid of photos I’ve taken from various gaming sessions:
