End of Year & Top 100 (2024)

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90 — Vinhos

2022 #25
2023 #89

Well, we didn’t get it played like I had planned, but somehow, my memories of it were strong enough to keep it on here, swapping with Kanban again (not in the top 100 this year). It’s a challenging economic game with the right amount of building up and getting better at the things you’re trying to do. Maybe it will finally see play again in 2025?

89 — Dune: Imperium

2022 #98
2023 #27

Though it shot up last year after getting some plays in (the first year was off of very limited play), it’s fallen back down a ways. There have been some other tight Euros I’ve been gravitating towards more as well as other games with more emphasis on deck-building than DI. Haven’t tried the expansions or the new version, though, so who knows where it’ll be next year.

88 — Bitoku

New in 2024

Though for some reason it has a weird made-up “fantasy Japan” very loosely inspired by actual Japanese folklore, it’s just an excuse for charming artwork and a different theme from most Euros. But the gameplay is very crunchy with some satisfying turns when you’ve set up a sequence just right. It probably could have used some streamlining; it has a bit of a feel of, “We have the game designed but we want it to be heavier, so just keep adding more to it.” Still, I look forward to playing it some more.

87 — Asgard’s Chosen

New in 2024

I had my eye on it years ago when it was announced, and it eventually was so unwanted by everyone else, that I bought a new copy for I think $15? Maybe it was $12? And I’ve come to accept that I just enjoy weird games that mix old-school wargaming sensibilities with other genres. Other than the cards, the components are hilariously ugly, and the rules are nearly impossible to read thanks to awful background color choices, but the gameplay is just my kind of different. And it’s a fun theme.

86 — Septima

2023 #90

Despite my issues with the game, the core gameplay is just very satisfying. And I appreciate the effort to make it easier to get into with a basic mode and more advanced rules and modules that players can add when ready. Just remember, don’t play the normal rules for witch hunters and trials, use the deterministic rules.

85 — Call of Cthulhu: The Card Game

2022 #87
2023 #77

Despite still making the list, I did trade away my meager collection (barely anything) and have moved on to other head-to-head card games and Cthulhu games (including a head-to-head Cthulhu game). Maybe someday I’ll drop the cash to buy a lot of this at once so I’ve got a bit more to play with. Until then, this is probably the last we’ll see of it on here.

84 — Space Hulk: Death Angel – The Card Game

2022 #34
2023 #47

Still a classic solo game. The rules are a bit rough with a lack of clarity (it was that era of FFG), but once you get into it, it moves along without much difficulty. A shame this never came back, even with a new theme. Who just lets a great design disappear?

83 — Pocket Master Builder

2023 #69

I’m surprised this has stuck around, especially since I’ve not yet played it 2-player. But sometimes I just want a simple but crunchy city-builder. And Pocket Master Builder hits the spot. It’s such a unique little game. The tight resources and spatial elements remind me a bit of Village Rails. You just have to get over the hurdle of poorly translated rules.

82 — Glen More II: Chronicles

2022 #32
2023 #48

This didn’t make it back to the table, unfortunately, so it dropped a bit. It’s still a great rondelle game with tight resource management and tile-laying. We’ll see if it comes back out in 2025.

81 — Res Arcana

2022 #44
2023 #46

Whoops; I failed to meet my goal of getting this played this year. Well, as expected, it did drop some because of it, but it’s still hanging in. I suppose there’s just been too much competition in the genre of “collect resources to play cards and build an engine to earn points.”

Top 100: 80-71
Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

5 thoughts on “End of Year & Top 100 (2024)”

    1. It’s mostly the rules that are listed in the rulebook, but there are a couple of extra variant rules in the Wizard’s Companion (including how to generate a point threshold for winning). It’s very easy to run.

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