BENGALURU: Last week, it was videogames; this week, let’s look at the best board games that graced our tabletops this year
Ganz Schön Clever
Roll-and-write games are truly here to stay, and one of the biggest indicators of that was Ganz Schön Clever being nominated for the Strategy Game of the Year earlier in 2018. Although it didn’t win, it richly deserved the nomination — it’s a crunchy puzzle of optimization and rolling with the punches. (It’s also incredible addictive, so be warned.)
Brass: Birmingham
The debate will rage on for years to come — which is better, Brass: Birmingham (the upstart newcomer) or Brass: Lancashire (the hallowed classic)? For my money, it’s Birmingham all the way. They managed to take the best elements of Martin Wallace’s original design and added just enough to make it much more enjoyable by my lights.
Decrypto
Three years after Codenames released, we finally have a contender for the crown of best word-based party game around. Decrypto, to be fair, doesn’t compete with Codenames’ ease of play; but what it lacks there, it makes up for with scope for much subtler tactics and an ever-present tightrope of tension to walk. If you’ve been playing and loving Codenames, this is the next game to introduce your group to.
Welcome To
Of all the games on this list, Welcome To is the game that I’d be willing to play with just about anybody. It’s quick, accessible, pleasant and just plain fun. Year after year, more games come out that require hours of playtime or perhaps commitment to a campaign-style series of games. While those are great too, there’s something to be said for games that just keep it simple and thus will get played much more often.
Cryptid
Finally, we come to Cryptid, my game of the year. It’s certainly not a game for everyone, and there are people who will bounce right off it, frustrated by its take on deduction. But when you get a group of people who are up for it, you’ve got the potential for some genuinely great moments. There were some great games this year, but Cryptid’s the one I can see myself playing for years.
http://goo.gl/uNBWN3
(Arjun is a gamer, book lover and an all-round renaissance man)