Urnal Angr: Me like Myk's Hard Lemon-grog.
Carv: A favorite of everyone here at this station yet to be named. Maybe the writer should get on that.
Urnal: Me no tease writer anymore. Last time was a big ow.
Carv: (chuckle) Yes, it was certainly the highlight of my day. Moving on! We pick up our ranking with #30, Mystic Vale.
Urnal: Ugh, more hippy-dippy bullCarv: (interrupting) This is a deck-building game of sorts. What does the box call it, deck construction? Deck creation? I don't have it in front of me.
Urnal: We do it live!
Carv: Card crafting! That's it. A nice twist on deck-building where the amount of cards you have all game remains constant, but you are continually upgrading the card by sleeving new powers into your existing hand.
Urnal: Urnal likes sleeving. It zen.
Carv: This is a side of you we haven't seen before, Urnal. That's deep.
[Sounds of a bony hand being smashed to dust]
Urnal: Reputation and all.
Carv: The press your luck aspect of this game may turn some people off, but it's a nice change from the usual draw 5, buy new cards, discard, draw 5, buy new cards, discard, draw 5
[Sounds of a punch to a bony face]
Carv: Thanks, buddy. Got stuck in a little loop there.
Urnal: Any time. Me mean it. [Knuckles cracking] Any. Time.
Carv: #29, Tokaido. A peaceful journey crossing the "East Sea Road" of Japan.
Urnal: Me not sure you play same game. I steal your spot.Carv: Yes, this is a mean, peaceful trek.
Urnal: Mean is my favorite.
Carv: We are certainly all aware of that. This is a lightweight intro to hobby board gaming kinda game, which frankly, at this point sees more play on the app than the actual board. But still, can't deny it is a fun game when it is broken out.
Urnal: BOARD GAMES!
Carv: (sigh). Moving on to #28, Viticulture.
Urnal: This one not me favorite.
Carv: Oddly, I agree, Urnal. The writer here has a real love for worker placement though, so I'm not surprised to see this on the list. Certainly the Essential Edition fixes some of the... problems with the base game. As far as worker placement goes, this is definitely a good game, and #28 feels
[Sounds of a safe teetering on a ledge 50 ft above our cast]
Carv: ...just right for our overseer. A wonderful selection.
Urnal: This just worker placement. Maybe reskin to make grog. Then drink when make.
Carv: I think you're onto something. Viticulture: A Drinking Game. Someone get on that home-brew.
Urnal: Me just move to #27, Tzolk'in: The Mayan Calendar.
Carv: Alas, worker placement to worker placement.
Urnal: Me like this one more. Gears are fun gimmick. Game worker placement and worker removal.
Carv: You are absolutely correct. I would also agree this is a nice twist on the genre. And who doesn't love Crystal Skulls?
Urnal: Ind
Carv: (interrupting) Let's not go there. This is worth the play through just to play with the board a bit.
Carv: Continuing on to #26, Dice Forge.
Urnal: UUUUUUUGH.
Carv: You are just not feeling the list today, are you?
Urnal: Game is fun. Players always doing stuff, even not on turn. But me have big hands and dice faces are so small.
Carv: Understood, my gentle giant. The only dice crafting game on our list, this was definitely a good amount of fun for the first few play-throughs.
Urnal: Only first few?
Carv: It got a little repetitive, but an expansion is incoming in 2019, and I couldn't be more pleased. This game was begging for just a tiny bit more depth.
Urnal: Me still think fun at base game for when brain is burnt out on heavy stuff. Good... filler not right word... Carv?
Carv: You stumped me, friend. Perhaps we call this a casual game, a la Tokaido.
Urnal: Makes sense. It fun game even without expansion if not played it.
Carv: #25, I'm afraid you will also have some slight aversion to with your meaty hands. A little dexterity game called Tokyo Highway.
Urnal: Dexterity games are poop.
Carv: Urnal! Don't be so harsh. Sometimes you need a break from the usual. And as far as dexterity games go, Tokyo Highway is tops, and now has a 4 player version out for massive highway building
Urnal: Easy for you to say with little puny bone fingers.
Carv: The game does come with tweezers to help.
Urnal: Oh, let me replace little tiny car with little tiny tweezer. That help. Me say game is fun, but ends in one of two ways. Actual end how supposed too... or Urnal accidentally knock over large amount of highway and we say f
Carv: (nervous laugh) Yes, that can certainly happen where the winner comes from the loser conceding the match instead of figuring out how to rebuild. But when the game goes well, you can end with a rather fun bit of table presence. Play this in public and you will have eyes on your game.
Urnal: Urnal used to eyes on him (flex).
Carv: Of course you are. #24, Survive: Escape from Atlantis.
Urnal: Now you talking.
Carv: Yes, this is right up your alley. As mean as it gets, as you have the sea monster devour your opponents' meeples. But as mean as this game can be, it is not complicated.
Urnal: Which why Urnal likes it so much. Easy mean is the best mean.
Carv: This game is likely the oldest game on the list (fact checker hasn't been written in yet, so this is a rough guess that is not going to be verified any time soon) and certainly has staying power. It doesn't get taken out as much, but with the gremlins coming into real board gaming age, it is being worked back into rotation.
Urnal: Me laugh when six year old eats your meeple.
Carv: (dejected) so does she.
Carv: I'm not giving this game any more time. #23, Azul.
Urnal: Me like placement of this game.
Carv: An appropriate comment about a game involving placement of tiles, but continue.
Urnal: See many people put this in top games ever. Game is good, but that good? Me don't think so.
Carv: Yes, after playing I was mildly surprised to see it in so many top 10's or 5's. I agree, this is a fun tile placement game, better at full player count in my opinion, but it seemed to tiring faster than most games. The "back" board does offer extra challenge, being more open, but again it's to a certain degree.
Urnal: New Azul out now. More windows like other game.
Carv: I haven't played that just yet, and have to wonder the need for a new game. The appeal to Azul is its approachability and ease of play. Perhaps there is a segment that wants a deeper Azul, but for me, this is a family game or intro game for non-board gamers. You played? You liked this? Allow me to broaden your horizons now with some more depth and mechanics.
Carv: Like what we have here at #22, Concordia.
Urnal: Urnal's brain hurts trying to think of what to even say about this one.
Carv: It's certainly heavier than anything else we discussed so far, yet still, not the heaviest game on our list. So fire that brain up, ya galoof.
Urnal: This one brain burner of grabbing right cards to make synergies with your resources. It take much thought.
Carv: Yes, you certainly don't want to shoot from the hip.
Urnal: What you mean?
Carv: You know? Like, when you just fire a gun really
Urnal: What that?
Carv: This is only loosely a fantasy setting. We're discussing modern board games, so obviously we can use some anachronistic phraseology. C'mon.
Urnal: Fine.
Carv: I recommend this above all others we've discussed so far.
Urnal: That how ranking work. It better than others before it.
Carv: Shut it.
Carv: Last call of the period, #21, The Quest for El Dorado.
Urnal: Deck building race game. Me like.
Carv: Right? This is so simple, yet it's one I just don't tire from. We've probably played through all of the suggested map setups in the book and gone so far as to create the ultimate setup of
Urnal: ALL OF THE TILES!
Carv: Even that game was fun. Or the one where we intentionally put as much water spots on the board as possible. Or where we combined two games...
Urnal: Maybe that too much.
Carv: Maybe. But this is a deck builder where efficiency becomes king. Grabbing the right cards at the right time and know when to weed them from your deck is key.
Urnal: Me find it funny when everyone rushes ahead and me go slow to create effective deck and then blow by everyone at end.
Carv: That is definitely possible in this game. It plays so quick too. Definitely fits in with Tokaido and Dice Forge into that "casual" category. And generally you can find this pretty cheap, so it's worth the pickup.
Urnal: Me have enough for today. Play more BOARD GAMES!
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