Keydom's Dragons

Keydom's Dragons was my surprise discovery: it has the epic bustle of the hidden-strength worker placement first brought to the fore by Mechanisburgo, without that game's drag and brain-scorching edge, and without the minimalist chill of Throne of Allegoria. Give it five or more players, give it the right crowd, and the table makes exactly the right kind of noise.

At its centre, you place workers with concealed strength and try to read what everyone else has committed before they get there first. Finding a useful spot is not enough; you need to claim it, block someone, and leave them wondering whether you beat them fairly or merely put on a convincing little show.

Then the guards turn it into a proper push-your-luck exercise: you taunt them, keep pressing, and decide when to stop before they stop you. You will stab your friends in the back, laugh when somebody's plan collapses, and, crucially, do it all without needing a doctorate to join in. That is where this game lives.

That is also its one thorn. Beside the other Key-something games, it carries almost no strategic weight, so I can see why Breese's audience, expecting something more intricate, gave it a rather cool look.

I would still recommend it without hesitation to big groups comfortable with something like Dungeon Derby: it is not here to impress you with depth; it is here to make you ruin each other's evenings, pleasantly.