Well, friends, another year is flying by. I don’t like talking about how everything flies by so quickly, that once upon a time it was completely different from what it is now, etc. We'll leave this topic for the old farts. According to the good old tradition, at the end of the year I write an article about what I remember about the past year. Previously, there was a lot of text, and readers rightly wrote about the “multi-book”, so now I’ll try not to let my thoughts run wild, if possible =)

In the past year, I didn’t have any special articles, series of interviews or mega-cool announcements on my blog. I worked as usual, as usual =) At the same time, I am very pleased to note that this year, according to statistics, turned out to be special. Firstly, a week ago I recorded more than 1000 views per day. Before this, it was literally just a little bit lacking. It would show 986, then 995, but I couldn’t get to 1000. By Internet standards, these are very small numbers, but they finally managed to reach the bar. Of course, this is all thanks to you - those who read these lines. And secondly, overall this year has seen a significant increase in statistics. Previous years showed little growth, but this year there was about 40 percent more growth. I think it's cool. I hope that this boom is caused by growing interest in board games, the development of this topic on social networks, etc. In any case, the boom in interest in board games is great!

After looking through the list of reviews, I was a little saddened that I had very few articles about non-localized games. On the one hand, it was possible to turn on the old record again about the complexity of the life of a tabletop worker in Belarus, but on the other hand, if desired, everything could be done. Moreover, sometimes I still take something over the hill (at the beginning of the year I took some extras for my favorite games). From time to time, I keep thinking about taking something else, but in the end I spend the money I had set aside on localizations (in particular, those that raise money through crowdfunding). No, really, if in Russia people are collecting money for cool board games, then what’s the point of worrying about all sorts of coolstaff? I don’t understand why I should buy conditional money from foreign stores. Agra , but not Concordia , which was published Crowd Games .

This is not the first time I’ve written that the time has finally come when you can pick up cool new games in Russian (if only you have the money). TO Crowd Games Tabletop developers have different attitudes, but I will note that it was they who gave impetus to the localization boom. IMHO, before the release Dead of Winter There was an opinion that geeks were not able to buy back copies of hardcore games. They say that a couple of large titles are enough per year; beyond this limit it will definitely go into the minus. To be honest, the situation hasn’t changed much now - geeks still don’t buy up games with a circulation of 5,000. So far, only 2-3 thousand sell out quite normally. According to my insider information, no one makes much money from these high-profile releases, but they certainly receive interest in their publishing house. Those. Nowadays it’s quite difficult to survive if you release purely children’s games, and someone trumps sickle . Mine Sickle Every publisher should have it. For example, the same GaGa Games specialized in fillers for a long time, but now she has Orleans , War of the Ring , Through the centuries etc. So far, board gamers are only benefiting from this trend. Over the past few years, we have been offering you a variety of cool new products at affordable prices. And every year it gets hotter. In 2018, we will once again have hot new products that will definitely make us swoon.

Therefore, I decided that if I buy anything overseas, then only add-ons for my favorite games, which will definitely not be Russified. Although I didn’t believe it, they recently announced localization Magognight. And I was sad because I already have it in English =)

Best games of 2017

Usually I'm in Results and trends I’m making a list of games that I remember in the past year. I play the same thing I write reviews for. No more, no less. As they say, what I bought is what I play. Or I play what kind publishers sent me. That's why I choose the best of these games. In the 2016 report, 10 positions were selected from me. This year I will not change my traditions. True, all these places are subjective, and in six months everything can change. For example, I looked at last year’s top and smiled. By the way, I like the games I played this year much more than last year. Those. The outgoing year turned out to be really high quality. If you want to know which games I reviewed this year I think are the best, read on =)

10. / (Hobby World)

Yes, I have two whole games in 10th place. I thought for a long time about which game to remove from the top, but I couldn’t decide. Although one game seems to be a filler, and the other a family game, for me they are equivalent in terms of fun.

ZV: The Path to Hope I was very surprised by the gameplay. I expected it to be some weak filler from a Russian author (forgive me, Petya, for thinking so), but I was wrong. The gameplay turned out to be interesting. First, players hide blueprint cards in piles, and then look for them, revealing the decks one by one. The problem is that the drawing may not be in the deck, but there will be more than enough enemies there. It seems like a simple game, but I liked guessing the location of the drawings. What I didn’t like was that there was no goal in the game as such. If I didn't find the required number of drawings, I lost. If you find what you need, you win. I found more than I needed - well, well done. Therefore, I would still replace the ending of the game with something else.

Co Istanbul I had a funny situation - when I read the rules of the game, I was upset that I took it for review. It seemed to me then that this was not my type of game at all. But after the game I changed my mind - the game turned out to be good. I liked thinking through the optimal moves, placing my assistants on the cards. I haven't seen anything like it in other games. I played 3-4 games with great pleasure. But then... Then it turned out that the replay value of the board game was low. In my opinion, she desperately needs additional supplements. And they exist, but not in Russian. Unfortunately, as I understand it, HB does not plan to release additional supplements, and this is a very pity. I don’t want to play without extras anymore. You'll probably have to buy them in a foreign language and hope that the cards match in color and size.

In the end, it turned out that both games seem to be good, but they are missing something =)

9. (samizdat)

I really didn’t expect that a game from Arkhangelsk from a little-known author would be so good. When I played Pomeranian pilot , I don’t understand why this game is still not sold in online stores Game expert or Hobby World . The board turned out very cool. Simple but interesting. All you need to do in the game is move your boat along the cards and catch fish. But in Pomeranian pilotage There is a very interesting card engine, thanks to which the player moves his token. Actually, in my review I described all this in detail. I still love this game, and my geek friends also had good impressions from it. I really hope to see you next year from Stas Serebryakova something just as cool too!

8. (GaGa Games)

Another board game that surprised me with its gameplay, because in absentia I thought that it would be less interesting. But in the end I played and played and forced other people to play it =) I like to play both for the Alien and for the astronauts who crashed on a strange planet. There doesn’t seem to be anything special in the game - hide in locations and hope that you won’t be found, or look for those hiding and assimilate them with the planet. The game is beautiful, replayable, balanced, fast. This is exactly what I need. I'm very glad that GaGa published this filler and plans to release an addition, which I will definitely pick up.

7. (Hobby World)

My second encounter with this game was a great success - I finally realized that this is a cool board game. Before that, I gave her low marks and quietly hated her for being a crisis. But it turned out that we can and should work with the lack of food! The game opened only with the acquisition of experience. I can't say that this is the best worker placement I've played, but it's definitely one of the best. I don’t recommend it for beginners, but this game is quite suitable for experienced players. I can't say that I'm wildly drawn to play Agricola , because it is still heavy. I always prepare for it in advance, because... This board is not for spontaneous meetings with friends. IN Tzolkina I still play more willingly =)

6. (Hobby World)

Dada, you can start making fun of me - it’s in my top Carcassonne =) But it was this year that I savored it. Calmly, at home, in a quiet, cozy environment, with two, three or four people - the game is perfect for family games. I tried a variety of Carcassonne — both additional and stand-alone versions. It's true what they say: there's nothing better than the basics. Carcassonne , and I agree with this statement. I’ll just add that to be completely happy, you need to add new tiles from the special stages. A very good game that is equally interesting to both newbies and old-timers. IMHO, Carcassonne A must have in every board gamer's collection.

5. (GaGa Games)

Another game with which GaGa got it right 100%. Orleans - a very good board game for learning new combinations. You want to play it in order to try a new strategy that will bring you even more points. Unfortunately, the game doesn't have much room for variety. You simply draw new tokens from the bag every turn, so you build your strategy based on what you draw. But this hardly prevents you from diving headlong into recruiting warriors, merchants or merchants. And when you find the best combination for you, you will use it always. And yes, this is the downside of the game. But the point is that as long as you find this combination, you will play many exciting games. And then maybe there will be an addition in Russian, which I’m really looking forward to. Orleans - the game is not without its drawbacks, but I really like playing it.

4. (Hobby World)

Perhaps this is the most underrated game in my top list by board gamers. I don't often see reviews of it on Tesera or other desktop resources, but personally I Isle of Skye very surprised. It's like something like Carcassonne , but not at all Carcassonne . This is a game with changing goals - each new game has different goals. And it's cool. Until you prepare the game, you don’t know what you will have to do in the game - build roads, collect barrels, look for animals or build lighthouses. And this makes me angry. Not a single game disappointed me, I still love playing this board game. It's a shame that the game didn't reach the masses much. IMHO she's cooler Carcassonne =)

3. Steel Arena (GaGa Games)

Well, here come the fat games. At the end of 2016, I had not yet had the opportunity to play this game, but I had high hopes for it. And my hopes were 100% justified. Believe it or not. I understand that some readers think that I sold out to MX and GaGa a long time ago, but I really like SA - this is the honest truth. I have long wanted to have a game about robots in my collection. A week ago I played with the expansion and was happily reminded of what a great game it is. I really like thinking about my actions in this game. You can walk around with your robot, turn around, shoot and jump to the side. Or you can jump forward and take a cool gun. Or you can push the enemy into the acid and hit him with Snowball. A fun game, in short. IMHO this is the best game Yury Yamshchikova , and one of the best board games in my collection. Steel Arena is a game that I always play with great pleasure.

2. (Game Shop)

This game really surprised me. To be honest, I didn’t expect anything special from the game. I thought it would be an average card game that you could play periodically until you got tired of it. And as soon as I played it, I was immediately hooked. I really liked that in Conquest of Mars all cards are different. And they are all useful in different ways - some play better at the beginning of the game, some at the end, some are cool but expensive, and some are weak but cheap. And you decide for yourself whether to take the card or not. Reset it or leave it for later. A playing field has also been added to the wonderful card engine, on which players can build something and get victory points. I am absolutely delighted with the game. Definitely a good game that I recommend to everyone.

1. (Fantasy Flight Games)

And here is the winner of my top for the year. Card UA surprised me both with its gameplay and the stories it tells. Each new scenario is a new story, which is very interesting to go through together with another player. For me this is a very atmospheric game, and I love those. I love reading chilling stories. The gameplay also keeps up with the theme - you choose a detective, build a deck for him and try to go through the story with it. Successfully complete the task, and you can update your deck with new good cards. If you fail, think about what needs to be changed in the deck. About the same thing happened in ZhKI on Lord of the Rings , but I like UA better. Hobby World It seems that they have already announced the localization of the game, so I can only be happy for those who have yet to get acquainted with this cool game. I'm slowly passing Dunwich Legacy and I want more new special stages and more. Cool game!

Plans for next year

Next year I want to get acquainted with a lot more games. Reputable localizers are so zealous with publishing games that I am now absolutely sure that I will not be able to buy everything I want. This year, I became convinced that I have to greatly cut back on my Wishlist (and even refuse foreign purchases), because I don’t have time to buy all the localizations that are interesting to me. They passed me by Project Gaia , Blood Rage , War of the Ring and many other good games. Unfortunately, you can’t have enough money for everything. You have to choose the best.

I have already purchased some this year (or even earlier =)), but I have not yet reviewed these games. Most likely they will appear next year:

La Granja

The game turned out to be very good indeed. Fortunately, my acquaintance with her coincided with my wave of interest in Eurogames. The game turned out to be a little strange in places (not very logical), but it’s interesting to play. Almost ready to write a review.

Legendary: A Marvel Deckbuilding Game

Doomtown: Reloaded

I continue to figure out the game. Cool card game, I've been wanting to play it for a long time. I already want extras.

Tzolk'in: The Mayan Calendar - Tribes & Prophecies

So far I haven’t gotten to the extra stage. I asked GaGa if it was worth rushing with the review (suddenly some kind of localization was coming) - they said that it’s not on fire yet =) So I won’t rush.

Sushi Go Party!

extended version Sushi Go . The game looks 100% perfect, i.e. very cool. A tin box, high-quality cards, an amazing tablet - a delight for an esthete. I'm glad that I finally bought an excellent game about my favorite sushi =) I'll definitely post when I play it.

Through the Ages: A New Story of Civilization

For a long time I was chasing this wonderful game by Vlad Khvatil, and finally GaGa localized it (which I immediately took advantage of). True, I never got around to it, because I need a few free weeks to do it. It is necessary that I not play anything else, but only read the rules, explain them to other players and eventually play several times. Unfortunately, so far I haven’t been able to get such free weeks, because I’m always in a hurry to pay the publishers who send me games for reviews. In short, you need to take a couple of weeks off and study Through the centuries ! The game is definitely delicious.

Concordia

I hope I will play this board game this winter, because... I really want to know if this is my type of game or not. I bought it purely because of the hype, when several people I respect said that the game was very cool. In addition, the Russian version was not at all expensive. I'm already preparing money for add-ons that will be released next year.

Great Western Way

Eh, I promised to review this game this year, but I just don’t have time... I don’t have the opportunity to play or write anything about it. November and December turned out to be very busy and intense for me (for some period there was little time for games at all), so my plans shifted a little. For example, I feel ashamed in front of Yura Yamshchikov for the fact that he sang and reviewed his early. But I still plan to quickly play VZP, because... promised readers to write a review.

Red7

I've already played it, I can already write a review. Not a bad filler, as expected. But I can’t call it a masterpiece, as some guys sometimes write on the Internet. It's interesting to figure out how to get out of a seemingly losing situation. Indeed, as those who have played say, this is filler for geeks. Noobs' heads will swell from miscalculations. After each move of any player, the situation on the field changes dramatically. The game is fun, but I don't want to play it often.

Indians

I recently received a parcel from Spaceport Games , which included this game. I haven’t read the rules yet, I don’t know what to do there, but visually I really liked the board game. It has an interesting unusual design. Can't wait to try it!

Grand Hotel Austria

I don’t expect anything great from the game, but I liked the rules and it was very inexpensive. If the price were higher, I would Hotel I definitely wouldn't take it. So far, the only downside for me in the game is the poor design, and the rest, I hope, will please me.

Here's what I'll highlight from what I want to buy next year. I hope that the plans will at least partially come true =)

Abbey

This board has been on my wish list since about 2011. And, probably, she would have hung there forever, if not GaGa Games , which published the game in Russian. As far as I know, this board is already on its way to me, so it’s only a matter of time before I get to know it. I've read a variety of reviews for the game, from very bad to very good. What will be my opinion? Let's see!

Mage Knight Board Game add-ons

I've been planning to start buying add-ons for my favorite game for a long time. I can’t say that I play Magor Knight often, but it’s definitely a good and interesting game that practically gives me goosebumps =) And then there’s Games shop boasted that it would release the game in Russian. It’s probably unlikely that it will be possible to mix the Russian and American versions, so I’ll try to take this extra when I buy something on Coolstaff. And when I will do this, I don’t know yet =)

Smash Up: Pretty Pretty Smash Up

This extra was released in Russian in 2017, but I haven’t gotten around to it yet. Maybe HW will somehow give it to me for review, but if he doesn’t give it to me, I’ll still buy it, because I’m collecting all the extras for my favorite Smash Up. I think there will definitely be a review of this addition next year.

Ancient Horror

For several years I kept beating around this game. I still couldn’t understand whether I should get involved with this game or continue playing Arkham Horror . And you want it, and it hurts, as they say. On the last Playerone judges of original games were supposedly given certificates for spending the whole day choosing the best games. I missed this moment because I ran away with Playerona , without waiting for the final chords =) As I was later told, the certificate is valid until some date in December and can only be capitalized in Russia. In general, they offered me one scheme according to which I can use the certificate and get a game from my wishlist (specifically, DU). I myself don’t know yet whether I succeeded in doing this or not. There will be a surprise for me after the New Year =) If it works out, well, hello to DU and all the additions to it. If it doesn’t work out, acquaintance with the remote control is postponed for an indefinite period.

Bruges: The City on the Zwin

As soon as Crowd Republic We started collecting money for an addition to a game that I have liked for a long time, I immediately invested in the project. Add to Bruges I've been waiting a long time, although I don't think it will change the game much. But I’ve been itching to drive the notorious boats along the canals for a long time. Thanks CR for letting me in Bruges still be!

Mansion of Madness: 2nd Edition

If I understood the text version of the last interview with Mikhail Akulov , the second MoM will speak Russian after all! And it pleases. I have long wanted to try to play this wonderful cooperative game based on the myths of Lovecraft, but the price for the original was a little high, IMHO. I hope that the localization will not be more expensive than the original, otherwise it will pass me by. This game makes me happy because no one needs to play as Evil in it. Evil must be punished mercilessly =)

Kanagawa

To raise money for Kanagawa I'm invested, so the localization is from Game shops there's no getting away from me now. I don't expect anything spectacular from the board game. I hope for calm gameplay and contemplation of beautiful watercolor paintings.

Stone Age

This game made me fall in love with Eurogames. Several years ago, I promised myself that if localization of this board game (circulation from Stars was no longer available), then I will definitely buy it for my collection (although I mostly play it online). Stone Age is an excellent placement worker for a family format. A simple and understandable game that I have already played about 50 times, and I still like the game. I'll try to get it next year.

Brass: Lancashire

To be honest, I still don’t know why I need Breaststroke . The game was just announced and everyone around started talking - wow, new Breaststroke, we must take! And I succumbed to the hype. Well, yes, the cover is cool, but whether the game is good, I don’t know. If during the period of collecting money for the game there is nothing more worthwhile, I will take it.

Mombasa

I'm aware that Mombasa it seems Crowd Games removed from plans. But in the fall I asked them about this game again, and they told me that the cancellation of localization was not yet final. I don’t know what the fate of localization depends on Mombasa , but I hope that Pfister’s decent Eurogame will still speak Russian soon. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

Code

This board game will be released by GaGa Games, but I still know very little about it. It’s not a fact that GaGa will provide me with a game for review (after all, this is not a simple filler), so you’ll have to make the purchasing decision yourself. I like card games, so I'll keep an eye out for reviews of the game. If the game works for our board players, we'll have to take it.

Somnicum

In 2017 I met some wonderful people. One of them - Kostya Domashev from Saint-Petersburg. Somnicum - this is his game. The board game is simple, in it you need to travel through dreams and collect sets. Reviews for this game are already appearing on the Internet, they are very different, but I hope that Somnicum will turn out to be as good as its author =) The game is already on its way to me.

Viticulture

At the end of the past year, I contributed the second part of the money for the publication of this game. Previously, I could not understand why there are lots on crowdfunding with payment divided into two parts. Vitikalcha turned out to be not a very cheap project, so this time it was convenient for me to contribute part of the money before the salary, and part of the money after. Convenient! And everyone is praising the game, so if you haven’t decided to buy it yet, make up your mind quickly while you can still get the game at an affordable price. It will cost more at retail.

Star Wars: Destiny

I played your Destiny in the summer and I will say this - it’s a good CCG game on cubes. They say it sucks players in to death. All my friends who doubted the purchase ended up buying starters and do not regret what they did. I'm sure I'll buy myself a starter too. At the same time, I hope that later I won’t run around like a sick person to the shops and buy boosters =)

Barbaria

A simple dayomet with half-naked girls on cards. I played it several times and liked the gameplay. I hope that HB will send the game for review, because they seem to have promised it. The game has a very cool author. I met him on Playerone this year, and the meeting left me with the most positive emotions. So don't take the game seriously, and everything will be fine =)

Extras for Terraforming Mars

Made me a little upset Mars by the end of this year. Although it was not so much the game that upset me as the intermediaries who were supposed to deliver the games from Game shops . 2 weeks ago they called me that the game was already in Minsk, but I paid for the game with delivery, so I waited for a notification from the post office. And there is still silence. Everyone is already playing with the new one Mars , and I’m like... like I don’t know who. Sadness... Where is mine Mars , A?

Flamme Rouge

Initially I planned to buy the game as soon as the collection of money began, but recently I began to doubt the feasibility of the purchase. Until I find out the price, I won’t say for sure whether I need the game. Nowadays a lot of cool games are being announced, so you have to choose the best from what is offered. Veliki seems like a good fun game to me, but I'm not sure they'll last me long. Camel Up It's also a fun game, but I haven't played it for a long time... I would play it, but would I buy it? I don't know yet.

Photosynthesis

Nice abstract about growing trees. I have very few games of this kind in my collection. I like the game visually, and its gameplay seems cool. Maybe I'll take it for myself.

Sid Meier's Civilization: A New Dawn

I've been wanting to buy myself a desktop Ziva for a long time. The previous version had all sorts of small bugs that I was afraid of, so I didn’t pick up the game. HV clearly said that localization A New Dawn maybe, so I’ll most likely take it. I hope the game will be worthwhile.

Rising Sun

In 2018 Crowd Republic will collect money to publish this game. "Rising Sun" is something like a diplomatic Blood Rage , which I thought about buying but never bought. I like the theme of Japan much more, although I don’t really like negotiating at the table (I prefer a silent war). The game is very beautiful, the minions are cool. Let's see how much it will cost.

Epic Spell Wars of the Battle Wizards: Melee at Murdershroom Marsh

The third part of a crazy card game about unfinished sorcerers. I don’t know how long it will be needed (the first two parts are more than enough for me), but the board is selling excellently, so there is no doubt about the success of the third part. They say it's new Epic Spell Wars became even tougher and more brutal, although it seems that it could be much tougher. I hope the game developers will please us with something interesting.

Legend of the Five Rings: The Card Game

One of the most common questions I was asked in 2017 was whether I bought LCDs at Legend of the Five Rings . So no, I haven’t bought it yet. To buy, you need to place an order in a foreign store. To place an order, you need to add something else to the cart... In short, nothing but problems =) I think I’ll get hold of a box by spring.

Clans of Caledonia

This was probably the best European Spire game of 2017. It’s great that the game will definitely be published in Russia, which means that it will be much easier to get the game. I plan to invest in crowdfunding.

Azul

A very beautiful and interesting abstract that is about to be localized Star . True, the price is unlikely to be acceptable, so I can’t say for sure that I will take the game into my collection. Unfortunately, beautiful abstracts are expensive...

Gloomhaven

This is one of the most high-profile projects in recent years. Although it seems like it’s just another dungeon crawler with legacy elements. But look how he hooked people! Finally, HB announced the localization of this board, so it’s a problem to get it Gloomhaven will not be. While discussions on the Internet are frightening that the price will be rather high (even more expensive than Viticulture ), but I still plan to take it. This is my type of game that I can't get past.

Gaia Project

Another high-profile project of 2017 is Terra mysticism in space. I haven't played TM, but I've heard a lot of good things about this game. I like the theme of space, so I really want to get acquainted with the Project. But I didn’t get involved in raising money for the PG (you can’t buy everything you want at once), and the retail price is promised to be rather high. So for now I can’t say for sure whether I will buy this tabletop or not. I'll wait for good reviews and then I'll decide =)

Bronze

This is another Kostya Domashev. I played it this summer and really enjoyed the gameplay. A simple family, beautiful, replayable. It seemed to me that board gamers would love this game more than Somnicum , but for some reason it turns out the other way around =) Visually for me Bronze I like it better. I'll play Somnicum , I will compare the gameplays of both games.

Altiplano

Finally GaGa started to announce something after the Spire, otherwise she behaved very quietly. Aliplano - this is a cool announcement. This is a game from the author Orleans , which I really liked. And in terms of gameplay it’s also something like Orleans , because it also has a bagbuilding mechanic. Reviews on the Internet for this game are very good, so I am sure that I will take Altiplano.

That's it, enough torturing you and myself included, it's time to get ready for the New Year celebration =) Friends, thank you all for visiting my blog to read my writings! I am always happy to receive any comments, advice and questions, so I hope that I will not disappoint you next year and the quality of my recordings will only increase.

I wish you all a Happy New Year and the upcoming or upcoming Christmas! I wish you to play only the best and most interesting board games next year! I wish that you always have someone to play with, because, of course, you can also play with yourself, but it’s still better with someone =) Let the kind Grandfather Frost put your most cherished game under your Christmas tree, and if he doesn’t put it, then may he give you a lot of luck, luck, happiness, love and everything that you want to have in 2018 =) All the best to you, joyful events and wonderful reasons to smile =) See you next year!

Sasha scafandr

Several new publishers debuted in 2017, and the range of board games expanded significantly. While the shelves of Russian stores were replenished with new localizations of foreign hits, huge sums of new geeky board games were regularly collected on crowdfunding sites. Our top list includes the most notable releases of the year

Best Foreign Game

Contenders: Pandemic Legacy 2, Warhammer Underworlds: Shadespire

We would dare to call Gloomhaven the best adventure game in the world. A campaign with a hundred scenarios, 17 character classes with truly different styles of play, a flexible system of difficulty levels, several dozen types of monsters that do not need a villain player - they can handle it just fine on their own. Controlling your character comes down to manipulating just 10 cards - these are your combat techniques and extra lives. Legacy's mechanics help make a good game great. I’m especially pleased that Gloomhaven will be released in Russian.

Best Role Playing Game

Contenders: Fate Core, “An Adventurer's Diary. Rules of the game"

The project to publish and translate the tabletop role-playing game Pathfinder has raised an incredible amount on CrowdRepublic - over 4 million rubles! This convincingly shows how much domestic roleplayers love complex fantasy games. The 600-page book contains a complete set of rules, including character creation steps, chapters on equipment, artifacts and magic, as well as a voluminous section for the leader. Pathfinder reimagines the classic Dungeons & Dragons 3.5, but behind a similar foundation lies a lot of nice little innovations. The most important thing is that the developers actively support the game: they release new products and organize events. Pathfinder has long been popular in Russia, especially in board game clubs, where regular organized Pathfinder Society meetings are held.

Best domestic game

Contenders: " ", "Indians"

“Bronze” was presented at the autumn “Igrocon” and received a lot of positive reviews. Those who are familiar with the author's prototype called Jazz Band have been waiting for it for a long time, but for most it turned out to be a pleasant surprise. “Bronze” adds another historical era to the collection of Eurogames and at the same time attracts players with expressive design and original illustrations. The mechanics of “Bronze” please with tactical scope with a moderate influence of randomness and simplicity in planning moves. Thanks to this, both geeks and fans of family games liked it so much.

The most stylish game

Contenders: “Legends of Signum. Battle of Vallor", "", "Bronze"

“Sickle” has been in the news throughout the past year. The game owes much of its popularity to , whose project “1920+” became the basis for its world. The original setting of the game, combining Europe of the 1920s and the future, illustrations made in the techniques of impressionism and naturalism, delighted both the artist’s fans and the happy owners of the board game. The creators of "Sickle" carefully recreated this style in the design of the maps, the design of the robot mechs and in the detailed plastic miniatures.

Game of the Year

Contenders: "New Angeles", "This is My War", "Blood and Fury"

Conquest of Mars is a rare combination of European design and deep theme. Forget the same games about medieval builders and merchants. You are no longer on Earth. You have to melt ice caps and grow potatoes in a greenhouse. Get ready to launch orbital stations and breed frost-resistant moss. Build a spaceport on Ganymede and bombard Mars with asteroids. The project maps just came off the pages: any of them offers a real step towards blossoming apple trees and the cosmic brotherhood of peoples. Conquest of Mars stands the test of time. Each card in the project deck is presented in a single copy, and the games are very variable. There is no single correct strategy in the game, and there is exactly as much interaction between players as is needed for a conflict-based European game. It's hard to find another board game that weaves together a fantasy theme and mechanics so well.

06.10.2017

Family plays a special role in the life of every person. Now, fortunately, a lot of entertainment has been invented specifically for family leisure. Board games are especially popular as they allow you to take your mind off various gadgets. Interesting, complex, evoking a storm of emotions and truly exciting - these are just a few of their advantages. They are able to unite all family members at one table, making them forget about their problems. But every year there are more and more variations of board games, and when they come to the store, many customers’ eyes run wide. What to choose? How to choose exactly what everyone will like without exception among the entire assortment? In this article we offer a selection of exciting board games that will be good entertainment for your family on a dreary autumn day.

This game is simply ideal for both a friendly company and fun entertainment with the family. It helps in developing attention, trains reaction speed and teaches concentration. In addition, this entertainment can cheer up even the most gloomy guest in just a few minutes!

The rules of this game are simple, so they will be understandable to any player. All participants are given a funny toy mustache on sticks. Exactly the same ones are depicted on the cards included in the set. They are all different colors and shapes. The presenter takes out one of the cards and places it on the table. If the card with the image of a mustache matches the look that the participant has, he must quickly slap it. The suction cup on the handle of the mustache will help you catch it. If a participant slaps his own card, then he takes it and puts it in front of him, and if it’s someone else’s, he returns the card back and adds two penalties from those that he managed to accumulate. When “Turn” is rolled, the players must exchange mustaches: each passes his card to the neighbor on the left. If you are lucky enough to get the “Catch the Mustache” card, then all players simultaneously try to grab it.

The winner is the participant who collects the most cards.

Who among us hasn’t wanted, at least for a moment, to become a spy who has to guess a secret code? With this exciting game it has become possible! It will perfectly diversify the leisure time of not only gambling boys, but also the whole family! The lucky winner will receive a present - gold coins and diamonds! Who will become the best spy and open the ill-fated box?

This board game set includes: a spy stethoscope, 18 game cards, 3 diamond stickers, 15 gold coins, an alarm sticker, instructions and the safe itself.

Despite the equipment, which at first glance seems complicated, the rules of the game are simple and clear. Place the coins inside the safe. The “fireproof cabinet” itself, by the way, looks very presentable: it is a bright red box with a door that can be locked with a combination lock. Now the participants, in turn, must choose one card with a number by spinning the wheel of the combination lock the number of times indicated on its card. After this, the player must place his finger on a special device that scans fingerprints (included in the kit). If the correct code has been entered, the safe door will open and coins will fall out! The light on the door will flash green. Now all that remains is to collect your reward! If the box does not open, it means that the wrong code was entered. In this case, the safe will emit an audio prompt that the participant can only hear through the spy stethoscope. It is also included in the set. There are three types of sound signals in total. The first is “Ping-Ping” (high-pitched sound). It means that the correct number is greater than the entered number. “Boom-boom” is a barely audible sound that will indicate that the correct code will be less than what the player entered. Well, the worst thing is the howl of a police siren! This means that you are out of luck, and this time you should not wait for a hint from the safe... The winner is the participant who is the first to collect coins (5 gold or 2 with diamonds).

In order to prevent the game from becoming boring over time, its creators decided to make it three difficulty levels at once. In the first, all participants do not reuse cards that were already in the game. On the second, these cards are already added to one pile along with those that have not yet been used. At the last, most difficult stage, you will have to abandon cards altogether.

It is worth noting that this board game requires 3 AA batteries to operate. They must be purchased separately from the set.

And this game will be interesting to those who are confident that they have the richest vocabulary!

This entertainment will be a wonderful way to spend time among friends and family. The chances of winning the long-awaited victory here are equal for everyone - both the child and the parents. It all depends solely on how many words you know! The board game “Word by Word” perfectly trains intelligence, thinking and, of course, makes your vocabulary wider and richer.

It is presented in the form of a small round panel with letter buttons. The set also includes special thematic cards with tasks (for example, names, vegetables, plants, fruits, animals). There are 36 of them in total. Now players choose one of the topics, after which they all take turns pressing different available platform buttons (those that have not previously been pressed on the platform wheel by other players are considered available) and name the words.

The whole difficulty of the game lies in the fact that each move only takes 10 seconds! You won't be able to fool anyone here - the built-in timer will notify you that the time is up. Anyone who could not name the word within the specified period of time leaves the game. The winner is the participant who says his answer last.

Monopoly 00009 Game Monopoly Classic

Monopoly is a game that has long been loved by millions of people around the world. She can rightfully be considered legendary. There is probably not a person left in the world who has not heard of her. Monopoly teaches each of its players cold calculation, cunning and enterprise. Luck also plays an important role here - after all, moves depend on how the dice are thrown. This gives the game a special mystery and unpredictability, and everyone without exception has a chance to win!

In Monopoly, participants buy and sell real estate, try on the role of a landlord, and do not forget about paying taxes. Here, everyone decides for himself whether he will buy plots of real estate or whether they will have to be sold to other players at the Auction. It also depends on you whether you will have to pay rent to your opponents. By making decisions like these, you are one step closer to victory or disappointment...

The goal of the game is to leave all your rivals bankrupt and become the one and only owner of all property.

By the way, Monopoly is currently sold in several versions (Road, Monopoly Millionaire, etc.). But the “classic” one still remains among buyers’ favorites. Become part of an amazing story with Monopoly from the world famous Hasbro Corporation!

Spin Master 6039198 Board game "Ropes and Ladders" Disney Cars

Is your child still very young, and will all of the above selections be difficult for him? It doesn’t matter, in TOY.RU stores you can find entertainment that will be interesting for kids! The board game “Ropes and Ladders” can easily be classified as one of these. It will be a good choice for preschoolers - bright, colorful and so easy to use!

The set includes:

✔ playing field size 60*60 cm (4 puzzle elements);
✔ 4 hero figures;
✔ cube;
✔ instructions.

Before starting the game, you need to complete an easy task to develop logical and imaginative thinking: assemble a puzzle of 4 parts. The collected picture will become the field for the game. Now the participants have to go from the start (number “1”) to the finish (number “36”). So many obstacles await them along the way!

Here you will come across cones that carry players closer to the finish line, and flags that force them to return back. Who will be the winner? By the way, the board game will teach your child numbers and counting in an accessible and interesting way! With such leisure time, he will definitely fall in love with mathematics!

Perhaps in every company there was a popular entertainment when a participant was stuck on a sticker with some inscription on his forehead, and the player had to guess what was written there. A game like this usually causes a storm of positive emotions and wild laughter! That is why it will be great entertainment for absolutely everyone, regardless of age and profession. What could be better than having fun with the whole family? It is for such occasions that this board game will come in handy more than ever!

Its rules are familiar to everyone: each player is given chips and cards with various images, which they must fasten to their head using a special hoop (included in the kit). Now each participant asks the others a wide variety of questions related to the hidden object. They can only be answered with a monosyllabic “yes” or “no.” Paying attention to everything that is said, the player must guess what is depicted on his forehead.

The game is complicated by the fact that each move is given a limited amount of time - the hourglass will remind you and notify you when it has expired. If the participant was able to guess, then he puts aside his chip. The winner is the one who gets rid of his chips first.

This board game can not only be great entertainment, but also help develop logic, intelligence, and attention.

Is your family one of those who can't play the same thing all the time, and buying a new board game every month isn't feasible? Then a family set of 10 board games at once is your ideal choice! It is convenient to take it with you anywhere: it does not take up much space, and is easy to fold and take out. In addition, you will never get bored, because the type of game can be changed at least every hour!

The family set of 10 board games comes in a small plastic box. One part of it is pulled out, and on it there are fields, holes and drawings for all games. Inside the box there is a glued backgammon field. All figures are divided into several bags, which makes the set even more convenient to use.

The first game presented is chess. It is especially popular not only in Russia, but throughout the world. There are even various championships for playing chess! It uses special chess pieces, for example, king, pawn, queen, rook, bishop. Each of them “walks” in a certain way. The player's task is to build a combination of pieces so that the opponent's "king" does not have any further possible moves. Then the participant becomes the winner.

The second game, simpler, is checkers. It seems easy, but in fact it requires the same logical effort as chess.

The same can be said about the backgammon that comes included. They, contrary to various opinions, are not at all intended only for older people. As practice shows, representatives of all generations play them with pleasure and excitement.

You can also play tic-tac-toe here. A simple game is exciting because it does not require a lot of free time and enormous intellectual work. If you get tired of complex games, you can always change them to the popular tic-tac-toe.

In addition, the set includes games that not everyone is familiar with: these are 60 Chinese checkers and a field for them. The essence of this entertainment is that you need to use checkers to move through the entire playing field from one triangle to the opposite one faster than all your opponents.

Also included in the set is Mancala, a game designed for two players. In it, the participant must one by one move all the stones from one hole to another, and, ultimately, capture more stones than the opponent!

Another logical board game for two players is The Mill. Its rules are that you need to put all the chips in a row in order to assemble the mill, preventing your opponent from doing so.

Another, no less exciting entertainment from this set is “Pick up the sticks”. The Spin Master set contains 30 of these sticks. The game will be interesting for both children and adults. Here you need to pull out one stick at a time and not touch all the others. The winner is the one who has more of them left.

The set also includes Mind magic (a game with balls) and Insanity, which uses holes arranged in a row.

In addition, as a nice bonus, there are two additional dice. They can be used both for your own invented games and for those that come with the kit.

By purchasing this set, you will be able to diversify your leisure time as brightly as possible, because here you can choose games for every taste!

Do you want to find out who is the most important in the family? Then identify this person using…. Cooking! And this unusual cooking game will help you with this!

Her set includes:

✔ conveyor with 2 belts,
✔ parts-ingredients for assembling hamburgers,
✔ culinary tongs,
✔ cards containing recipes for making burgers.

Here each participant will have to compete in accuracy and agility! The rules of the game are simple - you need to assemble a hamburger according to the recipe (they are indicated on the cards and given to all participants). But it's not that simple! There are several complications here. Firstly, all this needs to be done with tweezers! And secondly, the burgers will move on the canvas, so the participants will have to work at an accelerated pace. For even more excitement, there are several speeds of web movement that can be adjusted!

The winner will be the one who makes the most burgers that don't fall apart on the way to the finish line.

It is worth noting the fact that this game requires 4 AA batteries to operate. They are not included in the set, so you need to purchase them yourself.

Down with tablets and mobile phones! The Uno Deluxe board game will be a great addition to a fun family evening. Excitement, laughter, a restless thirst for victory - these are just a few of the emotions that await you with this unusual entertainment! The game is convenient, compact and does not require much space! Children love it because it is simple, interesting and truly exciting!

In it, all participants are dealt seven cards. Other cards are formed into a deck, and the top one remains open. During the game, each participant takes turns discarding a card that matches the color or shape lying on the table. If this is not in your arsenal, then you have only one option - take it from the general deck. When the last card remains in your hands, you need to say the symbolic “UNO”. Scoring begins after the first participant leaves the game - the sum of the opponents' cards is counted. The winner must score 500 points.

And this game will undoubtedly appeal to all intellectuals! It will help you learn amazing facts about our world, expand your horizons, and introduce you closer to the culture of our country! In order to become a winner in it, you need to be comprehensively developed. After all, here there are questions in several categories at once! Fight in the intellectual ring with the whole family! Find out who among you will bear the honorary title of the smartest!

Participants need to choose questions on a variety of topics (for example, history, geography, literature). If the player answered correctly, then he receives a chip of a certain color depending on the category (each area of ​​​​knowledge represents its own color). After collecting 6 slices of different colors, the player faces the most difficult test - the final, decisive question. If he knows the answer to it, then victory is already in his pocket!

Of course, the board games we present are radically different from each other and have different goals and rules. But, despite this, they have a lot in common: they all create a fun competitive atmosphere, help in the development of attention, logic, visual memory and imaginative thinking. And, of course, thanks to them the whole family can gather at one table, forgetting about all their problems for a moment.

We live in the golden age of board games. Below is our selection of the best board games that will delight PC gamers in particular.

As always, the list covers the best games that are sure to appeal to a variety of PC gamers, from RPG players to strategists and shooter fans. On the other hand, we are not going to follow your potential interest. My main requirement for the games featured on this list is that the game should be worth the money.

And yes, we are still easily captivated by amazing graphics and beautiful thumbnails. Don't forget to check out our games that you can play on your computer.

Renegade Game Studios | 1-4 players

Ever wanted to be a fantasy librarian? You can fulfill your dream in Ex Libris, a game whose essence is to collect books. Players compete to collect the best collection of themed, fantasy books. In doing so, they need to go out of their way to ensure that these books are not outlawed by local authorities. This is a good game with great graphics and smart jokes. The process of organizing your bookshelves turned out to be truly fascinating and challenging. I'm not kidding: organizing bookshelves is an important mechanic at the core of the game.

Okay, that's kind of unfair. The most basic mechanic is to send your assistants (some of them special creatures, such as witches or gelatin cubes) to collect books around the city. Assistants exchange books and go to places where items from private collections are sold or auctions are held. The main thing is to get the books before they fall into the hands of your opponent.

Then the books end up in the library, where you begin to arrange the books in alphabetical order and strengthen the shelves. At the end of the game, the official library inspector appears (he has a wonderful score board that you can write on and erase from). He determines the best book lover in town. This is a very interesting game that I can't forget.

Cephalofair Games | 1-4 players

This is a 2017 board game that's simply impossible to ignore. Gloomhaven is a large cooperative dungeon crawler with carefully designed, non-linear mechanics. Taking on the role of fantasy heroes, players fight their way through hordes of automated monsters, and the type of plot is chosen by the player in accordance with their tastes. Players' decisions made during or after a gaming session affect future events. Some plot development options are closed forever, while others, on the contrary, arise.

As you progress through the game, the characters improve. The player can make his choice, thanks to which the character's characteristics and equipment change forever. Because of these story arcs that last for a very long time, Gloomhaven is an ideal option for those who have an established group of people to play with. However, of course, it is quite possible to play alone. This is a fantastic game for RPG fans and tacticians.

The main thing is that since the game is difficult, there is a very functional and simple manual. It can be quickly disassembled, and there is no need to constantly check it during the game.

What I like most about Gloomhaven is that the game's creators have abandoned the boring dice often used in dungeon crawlers in favor of cards that are much more reliable. Actions are selected from the cards in the player's hand and are also influenced by a whole chain of random effects. Of course, sometimes you can find yourself in a bad situation. However, there is no black streak of poorly thrown dice that can cause you to lose interest in dungeon crawlers, as could happen in the case of Descent.

Gloomhaven can take hundreds of hours to complete, but you don't have to reach the end to enjoy it. This is a great game. Her box is bigger than a small child. In my house it doesn't even fit on one shelf. There is also the problem of printing as many copies as required. Because of this, it may happen that you do not receive the game immediately when you decide to buy it. Please be patient and check the Cephalofair Games website.

Academy Games | 2-4 players

A wonderful and relatively simple wargame that has a lot to offer, 878: Vikings-Invasions of England uses the Academy Games card system to create a solid, consistent and enjoyable wargame. There are also pros and cons, some of which are expressed in the unexpected collapse of plans.

The plot is so simple that you don't need to know anything about the story to enjoy the game. 1 player or team of players take on the role of disparate Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, and at the start of the game they control all of England. The remaining players are responsible for the Vikings, who successfully carry out invasions. In the end, the team that controls the most cities at the end of the game wins.

The big advantage is that it can be played well with 2-4 players, as recommended. This means that it is played more often than any other 1-2 hour wargame.

The best thing about this game, although not the only thing, is that it is based on real historical events. The cards that are played to pull off maneuvers are based either on real tactics, historical events, or real personalities. Despite this, there is also a game of dice, resulting in unexpected turns and strong-willed victories that gamers then talk about for years.

Plan B Games | 2-5 players

There is no way that the list of board games does not include a game that is based on collecting points. The best such game released in 2017 is Century: Spice Road. The player is a merchant who develops a trade route from East to West during the ancient period. This is an economic strategy game in which you need to learn management and correctly use your cards to get the necessary spices and fulfill trade contracts. This means you need to collect wooden cubes, then spend them to get - you got it - even more wooden cubes.

Century: Spice Road is a good strategy game. People who enjoy solving hellishly difficult optimization problems or building economic engines will love the pacing of Century: Spice Road. They will also like Age of Empires and Farm Manager. Honestly, I would put it on par with games like Jaipur and Splendor. Unlike them, it is better to play this game not together, but with 3-5 people. It takes between 30 and 45 minutes to complete, even with 5 players vying for the richness expressed in spices.

If you've never played an economic strategy board game before, you could probably pick a worse game than Century. It's well made. The kit includes useful items such as small bowls. It does not require understanding of any complex subsystems. You only have to make one move each time it's your turn, so the game just moves along in alternating turns.

This gives you time to decide what move to make next. It is important to be able to do combos. They are scattered throughout the passages. However, you don't need to fully understand the structure of the game to successfully use combos.

Pandasaurus Games | 2-5 players

Ever thought what would happen if Mad Max was a postman? So, I have this game for you. In Wasteland Express Delivery Service, players are drivers for the last delivery company left on Earth. It's the chaos of rolling dice and traveling through post-apocalyptic landscapes in a tank-bulldozer van to complete missions and deliver packages. With a little planning and a lot of luck, you can even survive the experience.

The game kit includes a huge number of miniature vehicles. Wasteland Express Delivery is a light blend of economic strategy, market forces and dice rolling. Perhaps the best thing is the length: in a game that takes up to 2 hours to complete, there is a decent ending mechanism. It rarely happens that the passage takes too long, especially when the winner is already clear.

At the same time, the game also has some weak points in its mechanics. At its core, it's a game of picking up a package and delivering it, with the game's action subject to chance and poorly drawn cards. But the lack of variety in maps and events can lead to the game becoming boring after a few playthroughs.

This point may seem obvious, but I didn't include it just because it's Fallout. That's because this game does a good job of creating a great Fallout atmosphere. At the start of each session, players are faced with a vast, unexplored post-apocalyptic wasteland with a single goal. As you explore the area, you will encounter the remnants of civilization, fight monsters, solve strange problems, and explore ruins.

There is also a semi-cooperative element, with players attempting to complete their quests often forming factions. However, if one faction goes against the other, the end will come for all. Taking into account the above, the game still has strange triggers that provoke the ending, and an incomprehensible scoring system. Everything comes together when you realize that this system is more needed for the development of the plot than for competitions.

Every game has a winner. Sometimes players can leave the battle due to a random incident. Fallout fans probably won't care too much about this. The game is designed so well that you can have fun with it. Top-notch miniatures and components represent post-nuclear America. Perhaps fans of apocalyptic games will more like Wasteland Express Delivery Service, which was described above.

Riot Games | 2-4 players

It would be easy to place this game on the list of the best board games for PC gamers simply because it is based on the most popular PC game. But that’s not why this game is on this list. That's because Riot took the time (and consulted with experts) to make a really good game. The fun of automated gameplay and co-op in a board game pairs well with mechanics similar to the original, League of Legends. The magic trick is that the game uses campaigns. This means that each new game is based on the previous ones.

It's fun to watch your poorly planned trick work, and actions that seemed like genius a few turns earlier turn out to be wasteful disasters or put you in danger. Similarly, it is very satisfying to put carefully thought-out decisions into action. It is quite easy to learn this game, despite its complexity, because there are good videos about it. You can watch them before game night.

By the way, the content of Mechs vs. Minions is better than other games of the same size and scope. Any other board game company would charge about $50 for the same set. The quality of all components and miniatures is amazing. There's even a soundtrack. Apparently this is what happens when you grease the wheels of the board game business with video game money.

Probably the only drawback is that you can only buy the game from Riot.

Stonemaier Games | 1-5 players, 7 with expansion

Jakub Rozalski's drawings, which combine technology and the countryside, captured the imagination of everyone I showed them to. Scythe is the embodiment of these works into reality. This 1920+ world turned out to be so exciting that it will be released in a real-time strategy game for PC called Iron Harvest.

You'll understand everything if you quickly read excerpts from Scythe. The cards feature delightful scenes of rural life, featuring dieselpunk mecha and war machines. The cows come along with four-legged devices like spiders that protect the peasants. The metal giants monitor what is happening in the distance as the soldiers cross the plain.

Scythe is not just a board, albeit a beautifully drawn one, and not just miniatures of mechanisms. This is a strategy that combines different playing styles. Like Civilization, the point is to build and expand, as well as fight. There are many ways to win without ever picking up a weapon. At first glance, this game may seem like a primitive tabletop wargame.

However, in reality, this is a complex economic and strategic game in which you need to strengthen the territory, bluff your opponents by demonstrating your strength, and capture uninhabited lands. While all players have similar options, each in-game faction plays slightly differently. Some may be aggressive, some may focus on a single strategy, and some may be none of these options.

Scythe also has an expansion that increases the number of players to 7 (!). Also added 2 new factions.

Fantasy Flight Games | 1-4 players

Arkham Horror is a fun board game that is loved by many. But due to the fact that she is already 10 years old, she has already become boring. For many people, the time needed to prepare a session already seems too long. Luckily, we now have Arkham Horror: The Card Game. It uses the same card format as Android: Netrunner. Arkham Horror is going co-op. Several players are investigators who own separate game boards.

They fight creepy creatures from another world. You move around the city of Arkham, take cards and get equipment for your character. The deck also has character weaknesses: perhaps you suffer from paranoia or are afraid of being alone. There's also an RPG feel to it, as the actions you do have little to do with the cards. In this sense, you are not tied to the cards. This creates an atmospheric, role-playing aspect - which is what the developers were striving for.

The game is worth its price. The main set can be played by two people, and two more players can be added using the second main set. You can also purchase optional but interesting expansions that add more deck-building cards and enemies. This allows the character to do a better job or do what you want.

The best thing is the campaign mode. It allows you to change your deck and character over several gaming sessions. It's fun to do this alone, which isn't often the case in 1-person games. You'll also be dreaming of game nights. Talking about your company's play and deck combinations between sessions is very addictive.

Greater than Games, Dice Hate Me Games | 1-4 players, 5 with expansion

“Arkham Horror sounds good,” you might say, “but I prefer something like Cities: Skylines, management simulators. Is there anything like that?”

Of course have.

This game is crisper and faster than most other similar board games. New Bedford is a small game based on resource management, and the number of actions that can be performed is limited. Many players call this frame placement. Players develop the small town of New Bedford during the years of whale hunting, launching ships to catch prey.

The main thing is to become the most famous captain in the city. The most important thing is to develop a good strategy and then either stick to it or change it when faced with difficulties, even if the whale population is declining and the era of whale hunting is ending. The game lasts about an hour, making it possible to find time for it even in the most crowded schedule. You can even play not only it, but also other games during the meeting.

Perhaps the smartest detail is the multiple automated opponents you can play against. Thanks to this, you can play alone. This detail will also be useful if the number of players is less than four, but you want to increase competition. If you enjoy this game, it has a great expansion that adds a 5th player, additional structures for the city, and a whole deck of sea events in case you run out of whales.

WizKids | 1-4 players

Whether you want to be an adventurer in a fantasy world or a captain on the final frontier, WizKids will satisfy your every desire. They have 2 variants of the same gaming system. These are amazing games, well designed and executed. During the game you get the impression that you are an explorer of an unfamiliar world. Mage Knight is a few years old now, but Star Trek Frontiers just came out this year.

Both games are about the search for adventure and overcoming difficulties along the way. You play the role of a hero or captain who explores a dynamic game map, finding treasures, while defeating enemies. As you progress, you encounter different events, choosing different outcomes, while dealing with the people and situations you encounter. However, despite this, the player is still pursuing a larger goal.

These are the kind of games where, even if you don't win, you still feel satisfied. And this is good, because winning these games is very difficult (albeit enjoyable). The story that each player lives practically writes itself: triumphs, personal growth, problem solving. You can add an element of competition and co-op to the games, you can even play alone. Any of the “modes” is good fun.

Fantasy Flight Games | 1-4 players

This galactic conflict wargame comes in a huge box. Star Wars: Rebellion allows you to tell and retell the Star Wars story to your heart's content. The action takes place in a galaxy where armies and fleets move from one world to another. There are 2 sides in the game, and their gameplay differs. The Rebels need to protect their troops and gain support, while avoiding major conflicts with the Empire and protecting a hidden base.

The Imperials must guess the location of the hidden rebel base and gain control over as much of the galaxy as possible. In addition, you need to collect enough resources to build the Death Star, which will allow you to blow up any planet that decides to support the Rebellion.

Perhaps what makes Rebellion so special is that the game focuses not only on strategy, but also on characters, allowing them to lead the action. Characters from the Star Wars universe are your generals and admirals. You could have Han Solo lead the Rebel fleet while Luke Skywalker trains on Dagobah to become a Jedi. It could go like this: Darth Vader commands the Death Star to destroy the suspected rebel home planet. Remixes can also be done: Princess Leia leads a strike force seeking to destroy the Death Star, while Boba Fett tries to capture it.

Fantasy Flight | 1-4 players

The tabletop version of XCOM simulates one aspect of the XCOM series, which includes science, ground combat, close air combat, management and economics. These tasks are assigned to 4 different roles. Each player has a section of the field for which he is responsible. For example, the squad leader plays a symbol-matching mini-game while placing soldiers to defend XCOM HQ.

In terms of co-op, the game is similar to something like Pandemic. However, XCOM is move-based, and the app (found in a printed manual and can also be run in the browser) forces players to respond to events that happen in the present time. This could be a base attack or the arrival of a UFO. The result is quite tense: you are engaged in the XCOM quadrant for which you are responsible, but you can feel the impact of each dice roll on the entire session.

Fantasy Flight | 2-X players (usually 2)

If our bodies didn't need sleep and our loved ones didn't need love, there would be plenty of room in my life for lifestyle board games like Warhammer 40,000. For those of us who fall into the realm of reality, the X-Wing is a great alternative that retains everything good about miniatures while reducing the time it takes to complete the battle.

Size variability is a positive quality of the X-Wing. As in 40K, each ship, pilot and upgrade is assigned a value. Here you can arrange a battle of 4 ships for half an hour, or you can make a large campaign of several parts with large ships like Tantive IV, and 4-5 other players will be responsible for entire squadrons.

The best thing about X-Wing, however, is its FlightPath system. In this movement system, which first appeared in the World War II air combat simulator Wings of Glory, players send movement orders secretly and then reveal them simultaneously. Maybe the enemy's TIE Bomber will be right in front of you or make a barrel behind the asteroid? It takes strategic thinking to predict your opponent's moves and make better maneuvers. However, all this does not fill X-Wing with a billion rules.

The basic set is quite cheap. To build your own fleet, you'll have to invest in expansion ships, most of which cost around $25 on Amazon. Well, at least the models look wonderful and are worth putting on the table. Fantasy Flight has also tried to organize competitive X-Wing tournaments, which are available all over the world if you're interested.

Special Mention: Captain Sonar

Matagot | 2-8 players

So you tell me: I like all these games, but I have 7 friends and we want to play something decent together. And I answer: “Okay, buddy. I understand".

Captain Sonar is for you. This is a chaotic submarine battle in which each player from the opposing teams has his own task. Everyone must fulfill their assigned goals well, otherwise everyone will die. The captain must set the course, the radio engineering post must look for the enemy, the chief mate must manage the systems, and the engineer must correct problems. They all must work together to defeat the opposing team.

Some more good board games

• DOOM is an exact translation of a reboot of a fast shooter for those who loved it.
• Seafall is for those who enjoyed Risk: Legacy and want a bigger, better sequel.
• Star Wars: Imperial Assault is a dungeon crawler with 4 vs 1 Star Wars campaigns.
• Cthulhu Wars - if you want to play a battle between Lovecraft's deities, and also get some beautiful miniatures.
• Fief: France 1429 is a political-strategy game that is essentially Crusader Kings 2 in cardboard form.
• Eclipse is the best board game about space.
• Islebound or Above and Below - for those who like text adventures.

Accessories

Dice from Chessex.

These bones are featured in our Risk Legacy photos. Chessex dice are perfect. If you've ever attended PAX, you've seen their massive, colorful display. A whole pound of their versatile dice can be purchased on Amazon.

Dice tower.

If your kitchen table is the only surface on which to play games, consider rolling the dice vertically. Etsy has a selection of DIY options.

Coiledspring Games' board game Kingdomino wins prize Best Game(Best Game) at the Spiel des Jahres. Thus, Kingdomo wins the prestigious annual German board game world award.

The winners were awarded in July 2017: Now we know the best board games on the market, which were evaluated by a jury of experts.

The game Kingdomino was named by the jury of the show best game.

In Kingdomino ("royal dominoes", a game for 2-4 players) you must become the king of your region. Manage your tiles (domino tiles) as wisely as possible to create the most impressive worlds, but be careful because other kings are also hungry for lucrative lands to win with the most prestige points.

Who will win?..

Thames & Kosmos also won an award at the annual ceremony, taking home the top prize in the Kennerspiel des Jahres category for its innovative developments in the EXIT Games series.

Best board games 2017

Let's look at the list of winners.

Nomination Games of 2017

King Domino by Bruno Catala
Publisher: Pegasus Spiele.
Terrain planner, 2-4 players.

Magic Maze by Kasper Lapp
Publisher: Sit Down!, Distribution: Pegasus Spiele.
A cooperative game that can be played by 1 to 8 desperate heroes.

Racing on Eldorado from Reiner Knizia
Publisher: Ravensburger.
From 2 to 4 players, fast treasure hunters.

Tempel des Schreckens

Nomination Best children's games 2017

Captain Silver, by Wolfgang Dirscherl & Manfred Reindl
Publisher: Queen Games.
A fast-paced treasure hunt for 2 to 4 keen pirates aged 6+.

ICECOOL by Brian Gomez ( first place)
Publisher: Amigo.
Cold walks, 2 to 4 players, from 6 years old.

Mysterious forest, from Carlo A. Rossi
Publisher: Iello, sales: Hutter Trade.
An adventurous trip for 2 to 4 smart Boy Scouts from 6 years old.