[HN Gopher] Ask HN: Best board games of 2022?
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Ask HN: Best board games of 2022?
What are your favorite board games of 2022? I think saboteur might
be kind of old, but it ranks for my favorite this year (as I just
found out about it)
Author : palidanx
Score : 55 points
Date : 2022-12-14 21:37 UTC (1 hours ago)
| mathgladiator wrote:
| https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/340466/unfathomable is
| fantastic, and since this is a great thread.
|
| I'm building a "roblox for online board games", and if anyone is
| interested in learning more then you can email me at
| boardgames@mathgladiator.com
|
| This is all I talk about online, for the most part...
| maest wrote:
| For a different set of games that I haven't seen so far in this
| thread:
|
| 1. Secret Hitler (or maybe Avalon, which is the strategically
| marginally richer, but harder to pick up, cousin of Secret
| Hitler). It's a highly adversarial, intense and fun game. The
| main downside is that you can't have a relaxed game of Secret
| Hitler and it tends to expand to take up the whole night (people
| always want one more game).
|
| 2. Code names; more relaxed game, fun even when losing. The main
| drawback is that it's language focused and everyone needs to have
| a good command of the English language (at least in the base
| version of the game), which can be a problem in more
| international groups.
|
| 3. Chinatown; easy to pick up and play even for people with no
| board games experience. The core of the game involves bargaining
| with other players and trying to strike various deals to trade
| resources. The game is designed in such a way that you rarely
| feel like you're losing - all trades generate surplus for both
| parties, so the core activity of trading feels very satisfying.
|
| I have introduced the games above to multiple groups and,
| generally, everyone loved all of them. The one exception being
| Secret Hitler, as some people found it a bit daunting at first or
| didn't enjoy the intensity of the game. (on the flip side, others
| absolutely loved it)
| cableshaft wrote:
| Of the games that came out this year:
|
| - Mosaic (disclaimer, I know the designer), Bullet Star, Planet
| Unknown, Fjords, Long Shot: The Dice Game, Wonderland's War
|
| 2022 releases I have but haven't gotten to the table yet:
|
| - Eleven (waiting for it to arrive), Vagrantsong, Resurgence,
| Caesar!, Mind Bug, Puzzle Strike II, Creature Comforts, Verdant
|
| Best "New to me" games for 2022:
|
| - Memoir '44, Imperium Classics, Ark Nova, Res Arcana, Trekking
| the World, Nemo's War, Scout, Downforce, First Class, My City
|
| I finally played Memoir '44 for the first time, and man is it
| amazing. My new favorite game, edging out Spirit Island. I now
| have a regular person I play with online and have racked up 25
| games of it just this year, working our way through all the
| scenarios (of which there's a ton). The online version at
| BoardGameArena is excellent.
|
| Best board game-like video game I played in 2022: Inscryption.
| Basically a "Slay the Spire" style deckbuilder mixed with a
| creepy vibe mixed with an escape room mixed with...well, you
| should play it and find out for yourself.
| JoshTriplett wrote:
| Etherfields is one of the best board games I've ever played.
| Beautiful, thematic, exploratory, unique, great mechanics.
|
| Seventh Continent is also fun from an exploratory point of view,
| though it has a bit more self-similarity in its gameplay loop
| such that the _mechanics_ can get old, but the exploration doesn
| 't.
|
| On the other end of the spectrum, Jaipur is a two-player quick
| card game with great style and fun, great mechanics, and much of
| the "reading another player" of a gin/pinochle/etc style game.
| surfsvammel wrote:
| I have picked up solo board gaming as a hobby this year. It's
| been great. I've been trying to get friends to play board games
| with me for years, no one is really interested. So. I decided.
| What the hell. I'll just play myself. Totally underrated.
| awithrow wrote:
| What games can be played well solo? Do you take the roll of
| multiple players?
| dmnd wrote:
| The Crew (2019). Approachable but interesting co-op trick taking
| with communication restrictions and 50 missions for
| replayability. If you liked Hanabi, you might end up spending
| more time on this.
| countersixte wrote:
| Also be sure to consider its bigger brother, The Crew: Mission
| Deep Sea (2021).
| ptasci67 wrote:
| Too many great options in this thread already so I'll stray and
| focus on small 2-player games I discovered this year and enjoyed:
| - Trails - Jaipur - The Agora expansion to 7 wonders duel (added
| more of a unique take than Pantheon I think)
| Archipelagia wrote:
| Skull [1] has been my favorite one this year - it's basically a
| bluffing / negotitation game. The specific version I linked has
| particularly beautiful design of cards.
|
| And while it's not exactly a boardgame, this year I finally got
| into DM'ing D&D campaign - it's more time consuming that I
| expected, but very satysfying.
|
| [1] https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/92415/skull
| maest wrote:
| Skull is definitely in my top 5 games. Love the simplicity.
|
| If you like games which distill the notion of bluffing, you
| should also try Perudo. Very similar to Skull, but it uses
| dice.
| LesserEvil665 wrote:
| I've described my play style to friends thusly: ALWAYS. SKULL.
| SonOfLilit wrote:
| So Clover (2021) is a really nice game that you'll love if you
| liked Code Names. It's very social, at times hilarious, many
| times very puzzling, and people can join and leave at random.
| IlPeach wrote:
| Still love Pandemic. I find it really well done, and quite unique
| on being a cooperative game.
| dmarcos wrote:
| I played the first legacy season. Have you played the other
| seasons? How do they stack?
| JoshTriplett wrote:
| Most reviews I've seen of the second season seem pretty
| specifically negative. The tone seems very much "you lost a
| pandemic" post-apocalyptic.
| spiffytech wrote:
| I've only played Pandemic Legacy Season 2, and it's one of
| the best board game experiences I've ever had.
|
| It was intense and gripping every step of the way.
| jeremymims wrote:
| Not a board game... but highly recommend Magic Puzzle Company
| puzzles as gifts for family and friends who aren't quite ready
| for intense games. A bonus is that Susan Kare (of Apple/Next
| fame) designed the logo and branding.
|
| https://www.magicpuzzlecompany.com/
| conartist wrote:
| Moonrakers, we had so many fun game nights especially with people
| who don't typically play board games due to the forced
| interaction of the game.
| bravura wrote:
| If I've never done board games before, and don't have local
| friends who do either, but I want to start and maybe do game
| nights...
|
| How do I figure out what I like? Is there a bluffers guide to
| board games? A top-3 covering set
| molsongolden wrote:
| Try a few games on https://en.boardgamearena.com/ !
|
| They have faithful digital versions of many eurogames and you
| can either play with a public matchmaking group or host private
| games and invite friends for a remote game night.
| falcolas wrote:
| Been having fun with Azul, namely the Spring Pavilion and Stained
| Glass versions. Great family games
| roryisok wrote:
| Ravine or Space-Team
| p0pcult wrote:
| Not a game that launched in 2022, but new to me in 2022: Tokaido.
|
| As much as i love medium and heavy weight games, the world needs
| good light games too.
| eddsh1994 wrote:
| Dominion (dominion.games) - I must have played a thousand games
| since the first lockdown.
| thdc wrote:
| Personally a big fan of ones with co-op elements (I'd guess all
| of these were released earlier than 2022)
|
| - Eldritch Horror
|
| - Fury of Dracula
|
| - Betrayal at House on the Hill
|
| - Nemesis
|
| - Spirit Island
|
| - Pandemic
|
| And for the not-so-complex list
|
| - Hanabi (more of a card game)
| yamtaddle wrote:
| > - Eldritch Horror
|
| This one's essentially Arkham Horror if it hadn't sacrificed so
| much of its mechanics to its flavor that it became, more or
| less, a bad game. Plays much faster and cleaner. Does lose some
| of the atmosphere in the bargain, but playing Arkham Horror was
| such a slog that I doubt anyone at the table will want it back
| after playing this.
|
| > - Betrayal at House on the Hill
|
| The Legacy version of this is excellent. IMO adding those
| elements effectively _completed_ this game, which never felt
| like it was living up to its potential, before.
| JoshTriplett wrote:
| Complete agreement on Eldritch Horror. But the _new_ Arkham
| Horror is quite good in that regard as well; it 's a
| _different_ game but a fun one.
|
| Pandemic is another game vastly improved by the Legacy
| mechanics.
| yamtaddle wrote:
| Oh snap, didn't know there was a new AH under the same
| name. Will have to check it out.
|
| Yeah, I mean the old one. It made it to our table a few
| times on the strength of the fluff, but it seemed like
| every time everyone was _kinda unhappy_ that we 'd played
| it, by the time it was over. Like we just kept forgetting
| how not-fun it had been, and remembering how fun we
| _wished_ it was.
| TheMaskedCoder wrote:
| Wingspan (2019) was my favorite new (to me) game. I like that you
| can strategize and compete without directly getting in each
| other's way. It's great if you're tired of making enemies during
| games.
|
| Other long term favorites are Castles of Burgundy, Scythe, and
| Viticulture.
| maest wrote:
| > I like that you can strategize and compete without directly
| getting in each other's way.
|
| You may be aware of this - this genre is called Eurogame
|
| https://boardgamegeek.com/wiki/page/Eurogame
|
| It's the type of game where you don't directly or fully
| interact with your opponents (at most, you can usually
| indirectly block one of their moves, but that's about it).
| People seem to like the less adversarial playstyle as there are
| many successful games in this genre: Catan, Ticket to Ride,
| Puerto Rico, Carcassone etc.
| spiffytech wrote:
| What do you like about Viticulture?
|
| I know it's well-loved, but when my wife and I tried playing it
| we found it dull and tedious. I'm curious if we're just missing
| something.
| greenie_beans wrote:
| > It's great if you're tired of making enemies during games
|
| this is what my family needs.
|
| also, i heard this is a good game. might get it.
| kaczordon wrote:
| I tend to have a pretty eclectic taste.
|
| - John Company II edition
|
| - Root: The Marauder Expansion
|
| - Horse and Carriage, splotter games
| benji-york wrote:
| I think that is "Horseless Carriage".
| jbm wrote:
| The best game I played in 2022 was probably Northern Pacific
| (which was made by Tom Russel, the creator of Irish Gauge and
| Iberian Gauge.)
|
| Northern Pacific is a surprising mix of train games (which are
| often long and complex) and a party game with surprising
| strategic space. You only have two options, but the impact on
| other players is real. However, as the game ends in 15 minutes,
| you don't get the same feelings of betrayal and anger that you'd
| get playing something like Chinatown.
|
| I strongly recommend it. I also recommend Irish Gauge and Iberian
| Gauge, but those require a bit more of a time investment (1-2
| hours) and Iberian Gauge is a bit too complicated for even well-
| behaved children under the age of 10 or so.
|
| -edit- I just realized it was released in 2013, but I bought it
| this year so :shrug:.
|
| https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/138704/northern-pacific
| pmontra wrote:
| If I have to limit myself to the boardgames I learned this year
| I'd say Ark Nova and Terraforming Mars Ares Expedition. I think
| they are from 2021.
| supersrdjan wrote:
| If you're in the mood for a co-operative family-friendly
| experience, take a look at Forest of Radgost.
| spiffytech wrote:
| Here are a bunch of my favorites, in no particular order. I don't
| think any of them are brand new, though I only found some of them
| in 2022.
|
| - I dissent
|
| - Panamax
|
| - Pandemic Legacy, Season 2
|
| - Root
|
| - Dice Hospital
|
| - Cthulhu: Death May Die
|
| - Food Chain Magnate
|
| - Letters from Whitechapel
|
| - Terraforming Mars
|
| - Space Base
|
| - Dominant Species
|
| - Cockroach Poker
| Tyr42 wrote:
| If you like to work together, The Crew (both editions) is a good
| choice.
|
| I also played a lot of Flamecraft and is fun and cute. Doesn't
| scale up to large player counts well though.
| vermaden wrote:
| Its not a 2022 board game - but I would really recommend
| _Carcassonne_ with these two expansions:
|
| - _Traders and Builders_ [1]
|
| - _Inns and Cathedrals_ [2]
|
| The base itself is little limited - but with these two expansions
| you have one of the best sets for a nice evening with friends.
| You can also add _River_ or _River II_ expansion - but they only
| 'divert' the beginning of the game - so you can omit them.
|
| The Carcassonne is really a simple game - yet it takes real
| thinking and strategy to really master it.
|
| What I like the most about Carcassonne is its 'minimalistic'
| approach. There are roads/cities/grasslands/monasteries ... and
| nothing else ... yet taking someone else' city or road is very
| important strategic move - or splitting the work between X
| players.
|
| You do not need cards, figures, notes, calculators, excel or
| dice. You just play and move the cones on the scoring board.
|
| Regards.
|
| [1] https://carcassonne.fandom.com/wiki/Traders_%26_Builders
|
| [2] https://carcassonne.fandom.com/wiki/Inns_%26_Cathedrals
| 6LLvveMx2koXfwn wrote:
| Chess, just like every year since 1497 [1]
|
| 1. http://history.chess.free.fr/papers/Calvo%201998.pdf [pdf]
| powerset wrote:
| Honey buzz was my favorite (new to me) game of 2022. It's rare to
| find a game with this combination of both top tier strategic
| depth and aesthetics.
|
| https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/284742/honey-buzz
| Yoric wrote:
| Spirit Island (and its extensions) remains a favourite of mine.
| Very cooperative, quite asymmetrical, fair but hard (at least if
| you play in harder difficulty levels).
| mirashii wrote:
| The Slay the Spire board game, which launched a kickstarter to
| ship next year, has a Tabletop Simulator version and has easily
| worked its way towards the top of my board game list, even before
| receiving the physical copy. In fact, it's the first game that's
| made me willing to tolerate TTS to play it, my board game group
| during the pandemic tried to do some TTS sessions but it always
| fell a little bit flat.
|
| There's plenty of info out there about it so I'll avoid giving a
| detailed recap, but since it's a coop game and it feels best with
| 3-4 players, if folks are interested in trying it out, I'd be
| happy to host a session. E-mail is in my profile.
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(page generated 2022-12-14 23:00 UTC)