Hey everyone, I’m so excited to be here sharing my top three games with you! Each of these games has different mechanics, but what they all do so well is offer replayability. Even if you’ve played these games 100 times (and one of them, I have!) they’ll still feel fresh and new. And in my opinion, that’s what makes a game truly excellent!
Number 3: Roll Player
This is my new obsession, and it’s what I always want to bring to the table on game night. In Roll Player, you’re creating an epic hero! The main mechanism is dice placement, and you gain reputation stars based on your rows of dice (they create the various attributes of your character), as well as getting certain colored dice in specific spots on your mat. You also gain skills, armor and various traits along the way, all of which gain you more and more reputation stars.
It’s a really think-y game with lots of choices. Each time you place a dice you are given extra abilities, and it allows you to be really intentional about what you do. Every decision matters and affects your overall score so you have to be really thoughtful and I LOVE that. There are lots of times I have played this game and killed it, and other times where I lose horribly. But it’s a blast every time, and I always want to start a new game immediately. Number 2: Cartographers
I’ve recently become addicted to Roll and Writes, and this is the top of the list for me. Played over four seasons, in this game you’re attempting to fill in your map with various lands (villages, forests, farmlands and waterways) and gain points based on goals that change throughout the year. But beware! Monsters can come out at any point and ruin your expedition. (Your opponent draws the monsters in on your map, and will therefore do it in the worst possible spot.)
I absolutely love this game. You never know what goals you’ll have, and what cards you’ll draw. Because of that it feels fresh and new every time. It’s great in a crowd or solo (although the rules for scoring solo are brutal!) and it’s one I come back to time and time again. Number 1: Star Realms
I just checked my BGG app to see how many games of Star Realms I’ve played this year and I’m already at 92. That should tell you everything you need to know. This is deck building at its finest. You start with a basic deck of 10 cards and attempt to build up the strongest fleet.
There’s faction play, meaning collecting cards of certain colors gives you extra abilities if they come out at the same time. It forces you to be strategic and decide what card will truly benefit you the most (verses simply grabbing what you deem to be the best card out in Trade Row). It’s only two player, but you can make it four player with a second deck (or the Colony Wars deck). There’s also a ton of expansions that allow for everything from solo play to cooperative play! (My favorites are the Commander expansions that let you play as a character with extra skills.)
The app happens to be fantastic as well, and is where I play the majority of the time. It’s a great game for experienced gamers, as well as newbies. It’s easy to learn, but leaves you wanting more. Even after hundreds of games, I always end up pulling it out over any other game.