Skyrise

Roxley’s Skyrise takes about three minutes to explain, then gives you the innocent look of a game that is about to steal your spot from under your nose. It is continuous bidding, clean and immediate, with racing and area dominance keeping the whole thing moving.

At its centre, you keep bidding to claim what you need on the board, while the race and control of areas make each choice matter. There is no long rules preamble. You are in quickly, and you know quickly what is at stake.

Then the cutting-in starts. Its simplicity leaves room for grabs, for the move that shuts off someone else, and for that lovely moment when a player realises you have taken precisely the thing they wanted. The rulebook earns a comfortable good mark; the table will make its own noise. With the right group, there will be pointed comments and a little bullying too. That is the good bit.

The production is very good as well, in the way Roxley has taught us to expect, and it gives the game the table presence it needs. Skyrise is easy to learn, quick to put everyone in a combative mood, and very happy to let the group do the rest. You bid for a place, cut off a friend, then listen to the objection: quietly delightful.