-
Rick Baptist
United States
Redlands
California
-
Doing these Top 10 lists aren't very good for my health. I end up leaving games that I love completely off the list, and it messes with my mind. Maybe the only remedy to this is doing this kind of thing every year, and switching in those games next time. I'll tell myself that, at least. Okay? Anyway, I really look like a big ol' Ameritrasher, don't I? I'm not! I'm a hybrid! And you'll see that to be true when I start releasing my favorite strategy games. But for now, we'll finish off these great thematic titles.
#5 - Nexus Ops
Who the heck is Charlie Catino? I read the article on his designer page, and it does shine some light on his position at Hasbro -- still, I'm left a bit wanting. How does one simply create Nexus Ops and then not design another game since? It's been six years. I'm not asking for another Reiner Knizia here, but this dude is a genius. You can tell he enjoys eurogames and American both, because there's a lot of both in Nexus. Maybe that's why I enjoy it so much. I love teaching Nexus, because I get to explain the rules to a typical smash-and-bash American-style game, and then mention that you're playing for victory points. It's awesome. And so is this game. I know it's out of print, and even though they reprinted Betrayal at House on the Hill, I really don't think Hasbro is going to redo this one. I'm sure they lost money on those figures, and reprinting without them isn't something I bet they do. You can get a copy on eBay for $50. My wife paid $100 for #10 on my list here. Using that logic, Nexus is a steal. Anyway, Charlie -- come out of hiding and make another game, already!
#4 - Defenders of the Realm
I actually did a double-take here. Is Defenders really #4 for me? I remember first reading about Defenders and having so many bad thoughts. What the hell is that board? Why are there three different fonts on that stupid little card? Why is one of those fonts Comic Sans? Isn't this just a fantasy Pandemic? I mean, the list went on and on. And YIKES, then I saw the price tag! $60 was the cheapest I could find (by the way, Troll & Toad has it for $45 right now, insane deal if you decide to keep reading my post and find out that I actually love the game and that you'll want to love it too). At this point, it was almost off my wishlist. Well, I have absolutely one person to thank, and that's Jeremy Salinas of Drakkenstrike HD video fame. I was lucky enough to win one of his many contests and got Defenders shipped to my door. Well Jeremy, I am eternally thankful. I still don't like the board (it IS better in person) or the fonts, but the fantasy Pandemic thing is no longer a concern. Sure, Matt Leacock has a right to be upset (but I'm sure he's not, such a great guy) -- Defenders rips a lot of stuff, but adding the generals and the dice into the mix makes it feel like a totally different game to me. Maybe it's the theme, maybe it's the generals, I don't know -- but you can get lost in this game in ways that you can't get lost in Pandemic. It's just so thematic and can create so many tense moments of play. I know there's some concessions to make, but it's so worth it! And here's a little secret -- I haven't even beaten the game yet! What will happen to my rating once I win?
#3 - Last Night on Earth: The Zombie Game
If we're talking straight 'thematic experience', LNoE would be #1. The game has some issues and I'm aware of that - it's fiddly, there's lots of luck, it doesn't play that well with 4-5 - but oh man! What a great experience. LNoE was one of the first games that I bought when I began the great board game revolution here in my house. It was mentioned on the Heroscape Master Set: Rise of the Valkyrie boards, another game I was into at the time, and I think the thing that got me was the photography that was integrated so well into the game. You see, I'm not really much of a zombie fan. I've watched I Am Legend with Will Smith and used to enjoy Resident Evil -- that's it. I'm not a fan of gore. So why this game just jumps out at me and why I enjoy it so much I'm not sure. But playing this game is loads of fun. I'm STILL waiting for a scenario book, but there's still a ton of included scenarios and others for purchase that keep it fresh. The characters and art is just so well thought out. You can really put yourself into the character and the scenario, and many times it's played out in a most epic way. I've had so many great stories associated with this game -- whether it's running over my last remaining buddy with the jeep to escape the town, mowing down 11 zombies in a row only to succumb to the 12th and final zombie to barely lose, getting caught by zombies in the cornfield getting frisky with the farmer's daughter -- absolutely wonderful and memorable experiences, all. Did I mention that the game is heavily supported by Flying Frog Productions, with free scenarios available and all kind of add-on material? I feel the game is best with 2-3 players. Next time you have that number over and you're feel like playing a movie, pull this out instead. You won't be disappointed.
#2 - Battlestar Galactica
Okay, we're getting serious here. To be honest, my Top 3 can be interchanged any kind of way. I dearly love all three games, and they sit together on my shelf with the exact same box size to boot. So why BSG? I've whined about Fantasy Flight Games before, complaining about their rulebooks and mountains of tokens. It's a very long game, too, by far the longest in my Top 10. None of that matters here. I feel that BSG will be Corey Konieczka's best work when all is said and done. What he has accomplished here is an INCREDIBLE piece of work, one that you can play once a year and still remember the rules to, one that contains a good amount of stuff but not too much, one that plays for 4-5 hours but engages every player on every turn. He takes the whole hidden identity thing and throws it right on its head. And it can support 7 people - absolutely OUTSTANDING! Now, full disclosure -- I was enamored with the recent tv show, and I rate it the best drama of all time. Many times people try to tie shows into games, and don't have a clue how to translate the theme into the mechanics. This game is a direct port of the show. If you watched BSG and you haven't played this game for whatever reason (length, American game, whatever) - throw those stupid reasons out the window and get a play in. Incidentally, I'd still love this game without seeing the series, but it does make it that much better. Anyway, great game. Oh, and I'm always the Cylon. Always!
#1 - Chaos in the Old World
Chaos in the FREAKING Old World! Question - how many (good) games puts four players against each other in a world that all four of you are bad guys? Absolutely none other that I know of. How awesome is it that all four of you are trying to destroy the world, and the one that causes the most pain and suffering is considered the winner? I mean, I can understand if you're not into the idea. It's not for everyone. But when I was little, I used to root for the bad guy. Or maybe I just didn't really like the goodie-two-shoes. For instance, I hated Hulk Hogan. I did! I loved the Joker. Skeletor was the best! I always played as Cobra. Maybe that's why this idea appeals to me, I don't know. But I like to think that part of the reason is the game. This game ... I know that I like area control. Well, this has that. I like structured events and turns, which this also has. But there's just something about dropping corruption. There's something about spreading ooze and pus across the world. Does this make me a bad person? I hope not. But I can't help it - I love Chaos. Eric M. Lang created an incredible, thematic experience from, again, a world that I didn't really know until this game. I didn't do Warhammer growing up. But it's a great experience, and perhaps the thing that turns me on most is that each player has a different strategy to win. I don't know many games like that that are actually good - most are broken I'd imagine. But this one works, and it works well. I'll leave you with the thing that put this game on my radar, much like he did with Space Hulk (third edition). Here you go.
|
|
It's quite boring, when compared to a two or three player game where you get a bit of a "squad-based" feel, deciding which character to fight with, which ones to protect and ultimately which ones to throw to the zombies as a distraction. It's much deeper that way and one of my favorite 2-3 player games.
