Contributor
CaptainObvious
Loves the games everyone already owns and the strategies everyone already knows. If it is popular it is on the table, and if it is exploitable it has already been exploited.
25 reviews
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Toy BattleToy Battle is a smart, accessible two-player game that got us properly hooked. Cheap, hugely fun, and easy enough for children to teach successfully to their friends.
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Unmatched: Teen SpiritUnmatched: Teen Spirit confirmed, in the simplest possible way, why the series has such a loyal following: its duels are brisk, satisfying, and ideal for sharing around the table.
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Stone AgeStone Age is one of those older, clean worker-placement games that still makes it immediately clear why the genre became so popular. I do not consider it equal to modern games, but it remains a very good, approachable choice with real competition.
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RecallRecall is a lighter, breezier dudes-on-the-map eurociv that keeps the interest high without demanding the same brain-burn as Civolution. At three players, it delivered chaos, competition, and tension right to the end.
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Flip 7Flip 7 is brazen, stripped-down push-your-luck with a little take-that and plenty of tzatziki. And yes: if you embrace the mood, it can blow a gasket in the best possible way.
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Everdell DuoEverdell Duo keeps Everdell’s condensed feel and brings it to a solid two-player game. It is not quite a gateway game, but with a little help at the table it is perfectly manageable.
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CarcassonneCarcassonne remains the family game that can turn farmland into genuine domestic drama without wearing me out. With its first two expansions, it gains exactly the extra depth I want—provided we do not overdo it.
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Art SocietyArt Society is a quick, clever game of auctions and tile placement that makes its art theme immediately approachable. It is one of the year’s very good games, especially if you want non-gamers at the table too.
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Slay the Spire: The Board GameSlay the Spire: The Board Game is a very successful cooperative adaptation of a digital game that had already kept me awake for countless nights. It does not contain the full depth of hundreds of mobile/PC hours, but it delivers quick, satisfying runs with plenty of strategy at the table.
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Marvel Zombies: A Zombicide GameMarvel Zombies won me over despite my initial suspicion: it is a silly, random, and thoroughly enjoyable guilty pleasure. With the right group—or with kids—the Marvel theme and the X-Men combos give it an extra reason to hit the table.
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Point CityPoint City takes Point Salad’s immediate, effortlessly simple charm and gives it a little more of a “proper board game” feel. For me, it is a very successful twist that comfortably belongs alongside the original.
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Crossing OceansCrossing Oceans is a smoother, easier-to-follow version of Transatlantic, with Gerdts’s familiar love of the rondel intact. It is the sort of comfortable game I will put on the table without a second thought.
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Hidden Leaders (Kickstarter Edition)Hidden Leaders proved to be the right, undemanding choice for six people when nobody was in the mood for anything heavy. It is quick, playful, and easy to imagine ending up under plenty of Christmas trees.
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Dune: ImperiumDune: Imperium remains a timeless, dependable choice for a relaxed game night—especially once the whole group knows it well. The competition stays tight to the end, and the expected intrigue-card nastiness keeps it reliably entertaining.
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Catapult FeudCatapult Feud is exactly what it promises: safe, loud, and hilariously good fun for kids and adults alike. The serious mode can wait; this is all about a castle-smashing championship.
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CascadiaCascadia is the family game I want to bring back to the table again and again: beautiful, immediate, and full of points. If you are looking for this year’s friendly go-to game, here is the obvious answer.
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Grand Austria Hotel: Let's Waltz!Let's Waltz! is the much-anticipated expansion that does exactly what you want from an expansion to a beloved game: it adds options without ruining anything. If you own Grand Austria Hotel, it is a must-buy — yes, it really is that simple.
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Android: NetrunnerAndroid: Netrunner remains, for me, the king of CCGs/LCGs. Project Nisei’s System Gateway is the obvious and correct excuse to get back into it.
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EverdellEverdell is exactly the cheerful engine builder I want when I want some thought without making the evening feel heavy. With or without expansions, it consistently gave me a happy, satisfying experience at just the right length.
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QEQE is a very easy economic party game that does not pretend to be deep. It creates laughs and tension around the table, and I think it deserves a place in every collection.
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Railroad RevolutionRailroad Revolution was the shame of my shelf: it sat shrink-wrapped for over a year because I had completely mistaken it for another game. Two plays in three days were enough to show me a simple, short, and very enjoyable optimization game.
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Scorpius FreighterScorpius Freighter is the right next step when gateway games start to feel like too little. It has thought, choices, and almost no luck, without drowning you in rules.
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War ChestWar Chest was the outsider hit that came out of nowhere, reminding me how good a game can be when it is learned instantly but never runs out of depth. It remains an unreserved recommendation for every collection, with one important correction about its best player count.
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Escape PlanEscape Plan is an epic winner, full stop. After two back-to-back plays, I can say it without a second thought: buy it with your eyes closed.