Truth be told my family and I are n00bs in the tabletop gaming world. Board games weren't reintroduced to my Husband and I until we went to a local gaming event (Kefcon) a little over a year ago. We played Cosmic Encounter&Carnival Zombie and wow, did we ever have a blast!
Before this we knew little about just how many amazing games were out there! We had only really played the regular oldschool games that everyone grew up on like Monopoly and whatnot.
My family (Myself, My Husband, Son 13 and Daughter 12) have been playing new (to us) games and I've compiled a list of the Top 10 that we've enjoyed the most in our 1st year of Tabletop Gaming. Here goes!
10. Dixit
3–6 Players | Ages 6+ | 30 Min Playing Time
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^Dixit
Dixit is such a cool game where everybody has a bunch of cards with crazy pictures on them. One person picks one of their cards and says something random, like 'Lust' or 'Spooky' or 'Do you hear that?' Then everyone else picks one of their cards that looks like it might match what the first person said, and then everybody has to try to pick the card that belongs to the first person.
It's not as easy as it sounds, and personally I suck at it. Even though I still haven't won a game against my Husband and kids, it's still a lot of fun! The pictures on the cards are super strange. But good strange. They look like they were pulled right out of a child's dreams. Each player has a little bunny rabbit that moves around a track keeping score and the first to pass the finish line wins.
It's I guess what the gaming community would call a "light party game". The gameplay is straight forward and certainly easy enough for even small children to play. It's a game that you'd think that only young children would enjoy, but it's actually incredibly engaging and a hell of a lot of fun.
9. Castle Panic
1–6 Players | Age: 10+ | 60 Min Playing Time
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^Castle Panic
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^Castle Panic
In Castle Panic you are swarmed by evil monsters; goblins, orcs and even trolls that come at your castle, and your job is to stay alive. I am not really a fan of cooperative games but there is just something about Castle Panic that I really enjoy.
Sometimes the game feels a little too easy but the Designers have made some really awesome expansions that you can get to make it tougher. I do love how the board is set up with the different colored sections and rings. You have to think a couple moves ahead to try not to get yourself into a difficult situation. The game does a really good job at making sure that everyone gets involved on their turn by having the option to trade a card to another player. The best part of the game in my opinion is the random Giant Boulder you get. The boulder will destroy everything in it's path (even monsters), and will only stop once it destroys a wall or tower. To win the game-- all the monsters must be defeated and the castle must have at least 1 tower standing
8. Cauldron
2–5 Players | Age: 11+ | 60–90 Min Playing Time
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^Cauldron
Cauldron is a visually stunning game that my family really enjoys! You get to take on roles of powerful mystical characters like the Druid, the Shaman or the Wizard and it's played in a series of alternating “seasons”: Harvest and Market. You get to brew potions to grow your magical power, all while casting spells to stop others from getting ahead. It's a resource management game where resources are limited, and not every ingredient will be available when you need it.
It's a wonderful, not overly-complex game and the theme is felt throughout the actions you take. The design of the game play is fluid, and makes this game a joy to play for my family.
7. Celestia
2–6 Players | Ages 8+ | 30 Min Playing Time
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^Celestia
Celestiais an awesome light, push-your-luck dice game with gorgeous artwork and a clever gameplay. Players ride a steampunk styled steam-powered airship, taking turns to be the captain. The airship travels from one cloud city to the next. Celestia doesn't have a game board but rather oval shaped tiles which represent the cloud cities that the players are attempting to reach. Before the captain gets to play any cards, the rest of the crew get to decide whether they want to stay on the ship, putting their faith in the captain's ability to fight off any obstacle in their current path, or jump ship and grab some loot from the city they are currently on. In the end, it’s a race to see who can reach the point goal first.
6. Tsuro
2–8 Players | Age: 8+ | 15 Min Playing Time
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^Tsuro
![]()
^Tsuro
Tsuro is just an all out beautiful game. It has such an elegant blend of simple gameplay, strategy, and luck. It's all about who drew the right tile that allowed an escape route into the most open area, who swung to the right instead of the left a few turns ago. This game is just plain fun. I enjoy pushing my luck in trying to extend my road, avoiding the other players while trying to force them off the board or into each other. There’s lots of “Wait, uhhhh, hold on..” while people mentally turn tiles, trying to predict the best path. We've definitely had a few laughs playing this game.
5. Cosmic Encounter
3–5 Players | Age: 12+ | 60–120 Min Playing Time
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^Cosmic Encounter @ Kefcon 2015 - My Husband Steve on the right, in the Black Hat
Cosmic Encounter is the game that started it all for my Husband and I. After we played it for the first time last year, we just had to see what other amazing games were out there. It's still one I get confused with in regards to all of the Aliens and their powers. I find when my Husband and I play with a group of people, I just nod like I know wtf they're talking about and continue to play and just make sure that I at least understand my own Alien lol This is one we still haven't played with our kids for this reason but we love it nonetheless. I could play this game every week and not get sick of it.
It's a game that is very hard to win if you don’t bother negotiating with people. You need them to help your side win the galactic battles and establish colonies. This game is cool in regards to the way you win, sometimes; everyone gets to win! Sometimes; only you win! The last time I played it, my Husband would have won but I pulled Judas on him and gave the opponent the winning card to beat him. Hah! I really do have a lot of fun playing it! We were thinking of maybe just taking the Aliens out of the game and try it out with the kids that way to see how well that works..
4. Arcadia Quest
2–4 Players | Ages 13+ | 60 Min Playing Time
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^Arcadia Quest
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^Arcadia Quest
![]()
^Arcadia Quest
Arcadia Quest is said to be a light dungeon-crawl board game yet it plays more like a lovely little tactical skirmish. It's jammed full of beautifully sculpted little miniatures and thick cardboard tiles. I cannot tell you how many Hundreds of Dollars I have spent on this game series and all of it's expansions and Kickstarter Exclusives. I mean there's even a mini that looks like David Bowie in Labyrinth! So Rad!! There's just SO much to this game and my family absolutely loves it!
Each person drafts a team of three heroes, each one with a unique ability. To win each scenario you must complete a set of available PVE quests and at least one PVP quest. Dice are rolled, trying to land swords, bows or crits to take out anyone standing in your way. It's a lot of fun and it gets pretty competitive fast.
3. Epic Spell Wars of the Battle Wizards: Duel at Mt. Skullzfyre
2–6 Players | Age: 15+ | 30 Min Playing Time
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^Epic Spell Wars of the Battle Wizards: Duel at Mt. Skullzfyre
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^Epic Spell Wars of the Battle Wizards: Duel at Mt. Skullzfyre
Oh Epic Spell Wars of the Battle Wizards: Duel at Mt. Skullzfyre how I love thee. So much so that I just remove the worst cards from the game at times just so that my kids can play too (many cards are gorey and a little bit pervy). It’s a game about battling wizards in a quest to become the Last Wizard Standing, It's SO much fun! You get to shout out silly spell names, roll dice, all in a realm of the ridiculous. Plus have I mentioned how the art is just the best?! Well it is! Plus the game comes with the most tubular cardboard stand-up of Mount Skullzfyre that you can put on the table during a match to help set the tone. Epic Spell Wars is a game of over the top fun.
And of course there's the Epic Spell Wars of the Battle Wizards: Rumble at Castle Tentakill which is equally as awesome to us!
2. King of Tokyo
2–6 Players | Ages 8+ | 30 Min Playing Time
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^King of Tokyo
![]()
^King of Tokyo
King of Tokyo, a rowdy face-off between Godzilla-like monsters destroying Tokyo. It doesn't get any more bad-ass than that! The theme really comes through in every part of the game. The cards are especially clever. One card gives you an “Extra Head”. Another card “It Has a Child”, brings you back if you are eliminated. Each card is well designed and integrated with theme and mechanics. I think my favorite game yet was when my daughter schooled everyone by having 10✮, my son yielding Tokyo to her (+1✮), and then her rolling one of each die WHILE holding the Complete Destruction card giving her +9✮ bringing her up to 20✮ and winning the game.
1. Takenoko
2–4 Players | Ages 8+ | 45 Min Playing Time
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^Takenoko
![]()
^Takenoko
Takenoko, where do I even start?! This is the first game that I fell in absolute love with and it stole my heart. I love it SO much that My Husband bought me the Collector's Edition of Takenoko (Which is the GIGANTIC version) Christmas 2015.
It's a super cute game where a Chinese Emperor whom has a large garden --grows a wide selection of bamboo plants, maintained by his Gardener. However the Emperor has now received a present - a large panda bear which he lets roam around in his garden. Unfortunately the panda has quite the appetite for bamboo much to the annoyance of the Gardener.
So.. you have a panda who wants to eat all of the bamboo and a gardener who has to grow it. It's as simple as that.
You don't have to think too hard about what you are doing. Players build up the garden with tiles while controlling the Gardener and Panda --both to grow and eat bamboo plants. Scoring points happens upon completing these objectives.
I have to say my favorite part of the game is the quality of the pieces. They are gorgeous to look at and are very well crafted. I love the colorful stackable wooden bamboo pieces that fit together, and the high quality tiles and cards. My favorite pieces are the two miniatures-- one being the Gardener and the other one the Panda. Fully painted and absolutely adorable - they steal the spotlight from the rest of the game.
![]()
^Takenoko
^picture of the original figures next to the gigantic Collector's edition figures! I'm just obsessed with the figures for this game!
Well, that's it for my list of Games that my family and I really enjoyed This Year of 2016. I hope you haven't already played these that you get a chance to and I can't wait to see what gems 2017 turns up.
Before this we knew little about just how many amazing games were out there! We had only really played the regular oldschool games that everyone grew up on like Monopoly and whatnot.
My family (Myself, My Husband, Son 13 and Daughter 12) have been playing new (to us) games and I've compiled a list of the Top 10 that we've enjoyed the most in our 1st year of Tabletop Gaming. Here goes!
10. Dixit
3–6 Players | Ages 6+ | 30 Min Playing Time
^Dixit
Dixit is such a cool game where everybody has a bunch of cards with crazy pictures on them. One person picks one of their cards and says something random, like 'Lust' or 'Spooky' or 'Do you hear that?' Then everyone else picks one of their cards that looks like it might match what the first person said, and then everybody has to try to pick the card that belongs to the first person.
It's not as easy as it sounds, and personally I suck at it. Even though I still haven't won a game against my Husband and kids, it's still a lot of fun! The pictures on the cards are super strange. But good strange. They look like they were pulled right out of a child's dreams. Each player has a little bunny rabbit that moves around a track keeping score and the first to pass the finish line wins.
It's I guess what the gaming community would call a "light party game". The gameplay is straight forward and certainly easy enough for even small children to play. It's a game that you'd think that only young children would enjoy, but it's actually incredibly engaging and a hell of a lot of fun.
9. Castle Panic
1–6 Players | Age: 10+ | 60 Min Playing Time
^Castle Panic
^Castle Panic
In Castle Panic you are swarmed by evil monsters; goblins, orcs and even trolls that come at your castle, and your job is to stay alive. I am not really a fan of cooperative games but there is just something about Castle Panic that I really enjoy.
Sometimes the game feels a little too easy but the Designers have made some really awesome expansions that you can get to make it tougher. I do love how the board is set up with the different colored sections and rings. You have to think a couple moves ahead to try not to get yourself into a difficult situation. The game does a really good job at making sure that everyone gets involved on their turn by having the option to trade a card to another player. The best part of the game in my opinion is the random Giant Boulder you get. The boulder will destroy everything in it's path (even monsters), and will only stop once it destroys a wall or tower. To win the game-- all the monsters must be defeated and the castle must have at least 1 tower standing
8. Cauldron
2–5 Players | Age: 11+ | 60–90 Min Playing Time
^Cauldron
Cauldron is a visually stunning game that my family really enjoys! You get to take on roles of powerful mystical characters like the Druid, the Shaman or the Wizard and it's played in a series of alternating “seasons”: Harvest and Market. You get to brew potions to grow your magical power, all while casting spells to stop others from getting ahead. It's a resource management game where resources are limited, and not every ingredient will be available when you need it.
It's a wonderful, not overly-complex game and the theme is felt throughout the actions you take. The design of the game play is fluid, and makes this game a joy to play for my family.
7. Celestia
2–6 Players | Ages 8+ | 30 Min Playing Time
^Celestia
Celestiais an awesome light, push-your-luck dice game with gorgeous artwork and a clever gameplay. Players ride a steampunk styled steam-powered airship, taking turns to be the captain. The airship travels from one cloud city to the next. Celestia doesn't have a game board but rather oval shaped tiles which represent the cloud cities that the players are attempting to reach. Before the captain gets to play any cards, the rest of the crew get to decide whether they want to stay on the ship, putting their faith in the captain's ability to fight off any obstacle in their current path, or jump ship and grab some loot from the city they are currently on. In the end, it’s a race to see who can reach the point goal first.
6. Tsuro
2–8 Players | Age: 8+ | 15 Min Playing Time
^Tsuro
^Tsuro
Tsuro is just an all out beautiful game. It has such an elegant blend of simple gameplay, strategy, and luck. It's all about who drew the right tile that allowed an escape route into the most open area, who swung to the right instead of the left a few turns ago. This game is just plain fun. I enjoy pushing my luck in trying to extend my road, avoiding the other players while trying to force them off the board or into each other. There’s lots of “Wait, uhhhh, hold on..” while people mentally turn tiles, trying to predict the best path. We've definitely had a few laughs playing this game.
5. Cosmic Encounter
3–5 Players | Age: 12+ | 60–120 Min Playing Time
^Cosmic Encounter @ Kefcon 2015 - My Husband Steve on the right, in the Black Hat
Cosmic Encounter is the game that started it all for my Husband and I. After we played it for the first time last year, we just had to see what other amazing games were out there. It's still one I get confused with in regards to all of the Aliens and their powers. I find when my Husband and I play with a group of people, I just nod like I know wtf they're talking about and continue to play and just make sure that I at least understand my own Alien lol This is one we still haven't played with our kids for this reason but we love it nonetheless. I could play this game every week and not get sick of it.
It's a game that is very hard to win if you don’t bother negotiating with people. You need them to help your side win the galactic battles and establish colonies. This game is cool in regards to the way you win, sometimes; everyone gets to win! Sometimes; only you win! The last time I played it, my Husband would have won but I pulled Judas on him and gave the opponent the winning card to beat him. Hah! I really do have a lot of fun playing it! We were thinking of maybe just taking the Aliens out of the game and try it out with the kids that way to see how well that works..
4. Arcadia Quest
2–4 Players | Ages 13+ | 60 Min Playing Time
^Arcadia Quest
^Arcadia Quest
^Arcadia Quest
Arcadia Quest is said to be a light dungeon-crawl board game yet it plays more like a lovely little tactical skirmish. It's jammed full of beautifully sculpted little miniatures and thick cardboard tiles. I cannot tell you how many Hundreds of Dollars I have spent on this game series and all of it's expansions and Kickstarter Exclusives. I mean there's even a mini that looks like David Bowie in Labyrinth! So Rad!! There's just SO much to this game and my family absolutely loves it!
Each person drafts a team of three heroes, each one with a unique ability. To win each scenario you must complete a set of available PVE quests and at least one PVP quest. Dice are rolled, trying to land swords, bows or crits to take out anyone standing in your way. It's a lot of fun and it gets pretty competitive fast.
3. Epic Spell Wars of the Battle Wizards: Duel at Mt. Skullzfyre
2–6 Players | Age: 15+ | 30 Min Playing Time
^Epic Spell Wars of the Battle Wizards: Duel at Mt. Skullzfyre
^Epic Spell Wars of the Battle Wizards: Duel at Mt. Skullzfyre
Oh Epic Spell Wars of the Battle Wizards: Duel at Mt. Skullzfyre how I love thee. So much so that I just remove the worst cards from the game at times just so that my kids can play too (many cards are gorey and a little bit pervy). It’s a game about battling wizards in a quest to become the Last Wizard Standing, It's SO much fun! You get to shout out silly spell names, roll dice, all in a realm of the ridiculous. Plus have I mentioned how the art is just the best?! Well it is! Plus the game comes with the most tubular cardboard stand-up of Mount Skullzfyre that you can put on the table during a match to help set the tone. Epic Spell Wars is a game of over the top fun.
And of course there's the Epic Spell Wars of the Battle Wizards: Rumble at Castle Tentakill which is equally as awesome to us!
2. King of Tokyo
2–6 Players | Ages 8+ | 30 Min Playing Time
^King of Tokyo
^King of Tokyo
King of Tokyo, a rowdy face-off between Godzilla-like monsters destroying Tokyo. It doesn't get any more bad-ass than that! The theme really comes through in every part of the game. The cards are especially clever. One card gives you an “Extra Head”. Another card “It Has a Child”, brings you back if you are eliminated. Each card is well designed and integrated with theme and mechanics. I think my favorite game yet was when my daughter schooled everyone by having 10✮, my son yielding Tokyo to her (+1✮), and then her rolling one of each die WHILE holding the Complete Destruction card giving her +9✮ bringing her up to 20✮ and winning the game.
1. Takenoko
2–4 Players | Ages 8+ | 45 Min Playing Time
^Takenoko
^Takenoko
Takenoko, where do I even start?! This is the first game that I fell in absolute love with and it stole my heart. I love it SO much that My Husband bought me the Collector's Edition of Takenoko (Which is the GIGANTIC version) Christmas 2015.
It's a super cute game where a Chinese Emperor whom has a large garden --grows a wide selection of bamboo plants, maintained by his Gardener. However the Emperor has now received a present - a large panda bear which he lets roam around in his garden. Unfortunately the panda has quite the appetite for bamboo much to the annoyance of the Gardener.
So.. you have a panda who wants to eat all of the bamboo and a gardener who has to grow it. It's as simple as that.
You don't have to think too hard about what you are doing. Players build up the garden with tiles while controlling the Gardener and Panda --both to grow and eat bamboo plants. Scoring points happens upon completing these objectives.
I have to say my favorite part of the game is the quality of the pieces. They are gorgeous to look at and are very well crafted. I love the colorful stackable wooden bamboo pieces that fit together, and the high quality tiles and cards. My favorite pieces are the two miniatures-- one being the Gardener and the other one the Panda. Fully painted and absolutely adorable - they steal the spotlight from the rest of the game.
^Takenoko
^picture of the original figures next to the gigantic Collector's edition figures! I'm just obsessed with the figures for this game!
Well, that's it for my list of Games that my family and I really enjoyed This Year of 2016. I hope you haven't already played these that you get a chance to and I can't wait to see what gems 2017 turns up.