Board game enthusiast Jānis' TOP 10

In the world of board games, winter is known not only for the turn of the year and the active gaming season, but also for the time when many game lovers create and share charts of their favorite games. I'm one of the chart makers too, and this year I've decided to tell those interested more about my favorite games.

I have been working on my list of all-time favorite games for several years, renewing the list at the very turn of the year - on December 31 or January 1. This will be the first time I share it publicly. My TOP 10 games include both well-known classics and brand new games that have only seen the light of day a couple of months ago.

Before I get into the TOP 10 itself, there are a couple of games that didn't make it into the top 10, but that I want to highlight anyway. I didn't include any of the collectible card games on the list this time, even though they too have a special place on my gaming table and in my heart. I also didn't include my most played board game of all time, chess, which I play online almost every day. Such excellent family games as "Cascadia" , "Dominion" and "7 Wonders" were left behind immediately.

Neither did Wonderland's War and Dwellings of Eldervale, which would probably break into my favorites if only I'd gotten to put those games on the table more often. At least after the first few games, these games seemed to have TOP 10 potential, but only time will tell if they will make it.

But now it's time to tackle the ten main stars of the blog.

#10 Tiny Towns

For the second year in a row, an abstract strategy game with a cute animal theme - Tiny Towns - made my top. During their turn, players name one of the five resources available in the game (clay, wood, straw, stone, glass) that all players must place on their 4x4 city plan. Players try to place resources in specific articles to exchange them for houses. With every house built, there is less and less space left in the city, making planning more and more difficult. As soon as a player runs out of space in a city, it's game over for them.

Each game has eight different houses to build in your small town. In addition, before each game, each building type draws its own card, which determines how to build that house and how it will give points. One of the buildings will be unique to each of the players, which makes the game even more exciting.

Tiny Towns also has a very good solo option. While I'm not a huge fan of solo games, this is one of the few games that I've enjoyed more than once alone.

#9 Flamecraft

One of last year's top games "Flamecraft" came into my possession only after the "Spiel" board game exhibition. But during these two and a half months, I managed to visit the dragon town seven times.

Flamecraft is a family + level game that is a very good option for those who want something a little more challenging than Catan or Ticket to Ride . The game has a unique theme with a very cute visual design. In addition, this game has a mat instead of the usual cardboard field, which is a great rarity for games. Usually these types of mats are something you can buy separately to upgrade your copy of the game, but here the manufacturers have made it standard.

In this game, players walk from one shop in a dragon town to another, adding new workers - dragons - to them, collecting resources, completing tasks and discovering new shops. Although it may sound like a lot at first, the turn itself is quite simple - we go to a shop that we were not in the previous turn and choose one of two actions - get resources or enchant the shop. The game has a very good help card that explains the turn order and how the actions work, and you can find an explanation of the various card effects at the end of the rulebook.

I am extremely excited to know that this game will be available in Brain Games stores in Latvian already this year! Of all the news, this is the one I'm most looking forward to!

The game is currently available for pre-order and will be available this summer!

#8 Abyss

Although Abyss has dropped six positions in my chart, it is still one of my favorite games of all time.

This game has extremely beautiful visuals and a very bold box cover that definitely stands out from the rest. Although the new version also includes the game's logo on the cover, I'm glad I have the old version, which only has a portrait of the lord of the deep sea adorning the box.

In Abyss, players gain new allies, which are used to recruit lords who grant points and special abilities, and help gain control over various locations. One of the most interesting aspects of the game is that when players get new allies, they are forced to first offer them to other players, who can buy them for gems. Although the rules of the game are relatively simple, different dilemmas await players around every corner.

It should be mentioned that there is also a small luck factor in this game, because the cards are worth from one to five and you never know at what moment the most valuable cards will appear. Will you get to them, or will they be pulled down in front of your nose? However, if you don't mind a little luck, this is an excellent game to try.

#7 In the Hall of the Mountain King

"In the Hall of the Mountain King" sat unplayed on my game shelf for more than a year and a half. I couldn't quite find the motivation to learn the rules, but once I got over that, it was clear that this game was definitely worth a try.

Mechanics such as resource management, placing polyomino (tetra-shaped) squares, pick-up and deliver are mixed in one game , which may seem incompatible at first, but they are not.

During their turn, players either add a new polyomino to their tunnel system or hire a new troll. Polyomino squares come in different sizes and prices, but more important is how to map them better, because mountains have hidden resources and statues that players want to discover, but there are also more difficult places to maneuver around.

The most interesting part is precisely the attraction of trolls, because players form a pyramid of them, and each time a new troll card is added to it, they receive a resource from the new card and everyone below it.

This is one of those games where all the choices feel good and the moves make sense - I'm either getting resources to help me in my next moves, or I'm building my own tunnel system that helps me as well.

That's why In the Hall of the Mountain King is not only a great piece by Edvard Grieg, but also one of my favorite games of all time.

#6 Pan Am

The only one of my TOP 10 games that is not in my personal collection is Pan Am . I want to point out right away that it was developed by Prospero Hall, which is my favorite team of game authors. So far I haven't played a single game of theirs that I didn't like.

It's a worker placement game complete with connecting routes and a rulebook. Even though it ranks at a relatively high 526 on the BGG game chart, it's still a very underrated and little-known game in my opinion that hasn't gotten the recognition it deserves.

Pan Am players relive the golden years of the famous American airline. Connect different cities, increase your income and then sell these stages to the Pan Am company, which gradually expands throughout the game.

The obtained funds can be used by players to expand their fleet as well as to buy shares, as the player with the most shares will win in the end. However, at the beginning of each round, a new event card is revealed that determines whether stock prices rise or fall, so players can never be completely sure when to buy a company's stock.

I really like when random event cards like this are added to the game that make each game different. In Pan Am, this mechanic is well thought out, as the cards are divided into rounds to suit each phase of the game. However, there is one event in the last round that can change the course of the game very drastically, so I would prefer to avoid this particular event.

If you like Ticket to Ride and want something a little more challenging, this is definitely a game to consider trying.

#5 Specter Ops: Broken Covenant

How is it possible to determine which of the games is better? Although there is no single formula for this, clearly one of the main values ​​is the emotion it provides. Specter Ops: Broken Covenant does not disappoint in this case, as each game is full of tense events.

This is a stealth action game where one player is an agent who breaks into a closed base to complete three of four missions. Meanwhile, the other players are catchers trying to put this trespasser on the spot. But the catch is that catchers don't know exactly where the agent is until they see it.

Each of the players is an asymmetric character with unique abilities that help find the agent or, on the contrary, help the agent complete his mission.

This game will also appeal to fans of miniatures, as each character has its own detailed and high-quality figure. Plus, they look simply stunning when painted, for which I am grateful to my fantastic colleagues Sanzo and Ksenia.

Whether I've played as an agent or a trapper, each game has been memorable - I remember how we caught the agent on the last turn just before he snuck out the door, how I missed the agent in the next square twice in a row, like the smoke behind the cover I fooled all the catchers and went to the completely opposite side of the map, how with triple bluffs and retreats I drove myself into a corner and lost very precious time...

Is this the best stealth game ever? I do not know. Didn't get to try the classic of this genre "Fury of Dracula", as well as the new "Sniper Elite", which was praised by many game critics. So, at least for now, Specter Ops is number five on my chart.

#4 The Wolves

Highest on my list of games released last year is The Wolves, a wolf-themed territory control game.

Just like Flamecraft above, I only bought The Wolves at the Spiel in Essen. Also, I bought this game by giving up the Flamecraft deluxe components - I originally planned to take everything for the cute dragon game, but in the end I decided that it would be better to get another game for the same price, and not some small game, but the standard "Ticket to Ride” size box game.

Each of the players represents one wolf clan that wants to control specific regions of the map at the respective moments. During your turn you can move your wolves, build your dens, attract new wolves to your pack, hunt and sometimes even lure other wolves into your pack.

All game actions are planned with double-sided tokens representing the five habitats of the game. Depending on the planned action, players need to turn over one to three tokens of the respective region, so players must carefully plan their moves so that they can prepare themselves for powerful actions at that moment.

Players can make their operations stronger by acquiring new wolves and building dens, which help with more than just territory control. Underneath each piece that is removed from its square is an upgrade that can be revealed to improve the speed of wolves, for example.

The most interesting element of the game, however, is the timer. Each time players remove a token or figure from the board, it is placed on the game calendar, bringing the next scoring mark and the end of the game closer.

This game might appeal to those looking for something similar to Scythe , only simpler and faster.

#3 Root

A year ago , Root topped my chart, but this time around, the asymmetric beast war game has fallen to the third position. This does not mean that this game has become worse in my eyes.

In case anyone doesn't know yet, Root is a very asymmetric game where each player represents one of the forest beast factions, each of which plays completely differently. The base game includes four teams of animals, but the game has three more expansions, each adding two more new factions.

The number of factions allows everyone to find their own flavor, but it also means that players need to know significantly more rules. Players should be familiar with the basic rules of the game as well as each faction. In theory, it is enough to know only the basic rules and the conditions of the animals you choose, but it is much easier to play knowing what your opponents are doing and what their strengths and weaknesses are. Expansions don't help learning everything either, as you have to learn new factions, and they're a bit more complicated than the ones found in the base game.

Root is definitely one of those games that is best played with the same people, as knowledge and experience give you an advantage. Plus, it can be played over and over again, trying out different factions and fighting different opponents.

To further highlight how much I love Root, it helps that at the time I made this top, I had never won the game (I finally managed to break that curse in the first game after making the top). So even losing all the time, this is one of my top games.

#2 Horrified

If someone had told me a couple of years ago that my top two games would be co-op, I would have simply laughed at the comment, but here we are, and indeed it has happened.

I've revealed before that I'm a big fan of Prospero Hall games, and it's their best-known game , Horrified, that's in second place on my list. It has experienced an increase of one place compared to the previous year.

Horrified is a family co-op game that I think, with the forgiveness of Matt Leacock and Pandemic fans, is like Pandemic, only better. Undoubtedly, "Horrified" has borrowed a few things from the better-known flagship of co-op games, but combining them with fresh ideas and interesting themes, a true masterpiece has been created.

In this game, players are townspeople, each with their own unique ability, who have decided to confront the classic Universal Studios monsters that have haunted the town - Dracula, The Mummy, The Invisible Man, The Lagoon Monster, The Werewolf, Frankenstein's Monster and his bride. There are six different monsters in the set, each of which can be stopped in a completely different way. Depending on the desired difficulty, players work together to stop two to four monsters. But the monsters also fight back.

In my opinion, the best family game for new players! In addition, this is also my top choice for solo games.

Horrified currently has two versions, Classic and American Monsters . Either one will work just fine. I myself prefer the original, because it seems thematically more logical and certainly more attractive, although the monsters themselves seem more thematically interesting to me in the second part.

Whichever version you choose, don't get both - it's not worth it! All that changes for these games are the monsters and the visuals, and they can't even be connected to each other.

Because I love Horrified so much, I decided to buy Horrified: American Monsters as well, and it's my biggest board game disappointment to date. I was expecting the same game idea, just a different execution, but even all the good characters had the same special abilities and almost all the cards remained the same.

Since Prospero Hall is currently under Funko Games, and Horrified remained under Ravensburger, American Monsters has a different author. I'm not saying that the second part is worse than the original, but it is definitely very sloppy in terms of innovation. However, if you haven't played any of the parts, it won't interfere in any way, and you can definitely choose the most interesting topic.

#1 Arkham Horror: The Card Game

For the first time , Arkham Horror: The Card Game has topped my chart, a co-op card game where players battle various foul creatures from the world of Howard Philip Lovecraft's horror stories.

I've mentioned before that I'm not a big fan of co-op games, and I've never really been interested in story games either. The Lovecraftian theme isn't one of my favorites either, but when you combine all of that with the plot building, asymmetrical characters, unexpected twists, and the luck factor, you've got a game that I want to play again and again.

The Path to Carcosa campaign probably helped Arkham Horror: The Card Game reach the top of my chart. I'm currently halfway through the campaign and I like it better than Dunwich Legacy , and I can't wait to see what happens next.

"Arkham Horror: The Card Game" is certainly not the cheapest pleasure, because from time to time you will want to add a new expansion to your collection. Fortunately, the developers have moved to a more consumer-friendly campaign format - instead of seven separate expansions, you can now buy an eight-scenario campaign in one box, while the investigator cards can be bought in a separate expansion according to your preferences.

This co-op game has a perfect balance between game mechanics and story, as each scenario feels vastly different, yet feels like you're playing the game and making your own decisions, rather than just trying to follow a pre-trodden path. It certainly helps that your choices, decisions, successes and failures affect future scenarios. As soon as you have finished the particular batch, you have to write down certain things in your notebook depending on what was done. You know that it will somehow affect one of the scenarios later, but you never know how or who exactly.

The game works best with two players, but it's also very good in solo and three or four player versions.

Here is my TOP 10 favorite games. Do you also make your own game charts? Which games are your favorites?