2018 Board Game Highlights - Ranking 40 - 31

Urnal Angr: Urnal almost ready for the next period of BOARD GAME rankings, but there something Urnal need to do before he ready.

Carv Halberd: What's that, my friend?

Urnal: Urnal feels stress... bad. He needs to smash something.

Carv: Why not go to...

Urnal: CLUCKY FREEZES'!

Carv: Right you are, Urnal. Whenever I'm feeling the need to break something, I head on over to Clucky Freezes'. For only 37 Gold, you can get borrow any sized club and 476 frozen cluck-eggs for smashing.

Urnal: Urnal smashed giant cluck-egg with his own mallet and feels ready for some BOARD GAMES! Thanks, Clucky!

Carv: That's Clucky Freezes' on the Duopig Trail.

Urnal: Mention Urnal's name and get Ogre special - giant club rental, free with frozen dragon cluck-egg purchase.

Carv: And now back to our program. Ranking for 2018 Board Games - #s 40 - 31.

Urnal: Bony man probably likes #40. Many bony people in Dead of Winter.

Carv: It's not just the bony people, my friend, but the survival horror. I love a good survival horror story, and DoW, with a possible traitor, makes for a fun game with some sometimes great storytelling moments with the crossroads cards.

Urnal: Ugh, just get a room with stupid bony people already. Me like smashing them.

Carv: And this is why you're on your 4th copy of the game. Cardboard is not for smashing.

Urnal: Everything is for smashing.

[Sounds of a mallet clapping into a meaty ogre hand]

Carv: ANYWAY. #39. Possibly our only 1 vs many game. Fury of Dracula.

Urnal: Praise Lolth, enough with the bony people. Me like cornering stupid bony man and smashing him with ogre friends.

Carv: Alas, with hidden movement, this is harder than it seems. The game creates some tense cat and mouse moments, but if I had to complain

Urnal: Like anyone could stop you.

Carv: IF I HAD TO COMPLAIN, I might say this one goes on a tad too long. Still. This isn't a game likely to hit the table for weeks in a row, but is always a good time when the occasional mood to play it creeps in.

Urnal: If next game has more bone people, me feed your legs to Urnal's demondog.

Carv: [Sounds of paper shuffling. Mumbling]. Uh. Not anymore. #38 is something totally different. Dice drafting and placement with Sagrada.

Carv: Surely this can't offend you.

Urnal: I like the part where I smash your window.

Carv: That's not... Seriously?!

Urnal: ... What?

Carv: You're just... Nevermind. Moving on. This one can be a bit of a brain burner to some extent, and at times comes down to efficient use of the power cards to manipulate the randomness of dice dependency.

Urnal: I hate dice den... depped... Or me just break it.

Carv: You haven't won this one yet, have you?

Urnal: [Dejected] no. But me like numbers and colors instead of more reading. Good change of pace.

Carv: Moving on to another semi-coop. #37 is Shadows Over Camelot.

Urnal: Me go for Excalibur.

Carv: [Sigh]. So, traitor, this is one you enjoy?

Urnal: Like Dead of Winter, but me like betraying silly knights more than puny post apoc people.

Carv: This one does have that potential hidden traitor mechanic like DoW, and potential overruns, but gameplay is different with gathering poker-like hands of cards to play. It's like a bunch of mini games, which may turn some people off. But overall, it's another good traitor-type game that is more likely to be played once in a while than over and over. But it will not leave the collection.

Carv: But let us quiet things down a little bit now. Sometimes you just need some solo gaming relaxation. We'd said previously, that 2017's most played game was The Game. In 2018, it was solo gaming again that took the Most Played spot, and this one is just a fantastic solo puzzle of a game. At #36, Mr. Cabbagehead's Garden.

Urnal: We talked about this already on this list. Carv want another blue ribbon?

Carv: [Shudder] Only in the game, my friend. I will try again today.

Urnal: You need Urnal to smash pesky neighbors, you just let me know.

Carv: [Sounds of cards shuffling into a desk drawer] Please don't break my game.

Urnal: URNAL'S FAVORITEST THEME AT #35. Cat Lady.

Carv: ...

Urnal: Me love kitties.

Carv: So no Kittens in a

Urnal: You finish that thought, me break you.

Carv: Got it. No

Urnal: Me not kidding.

Carv: Cat Lady is a drafting from a grid game where you must collect cats, toys, food, and costumes for your kitties. A tough sell to some groups based on the name and pink box, but people, monsters, ghouls or ghosts, just get over it. This is a fun game. Play it.

Urnal: Urnal a proud Cat Lady.

Carv: I'm with you on this one, friend.

Carv: Speaking of box art that's a turn off. At #34 there is quite a bit of death in the Downfall of Pompeii.

Urnal: Silly man had it coming.

Carv: ...

Urnal: Too soon? It was 79 A.D.

Carv: That's... actually correct, Urnal. Why don't you take this one?

Urnal: Me like this game. Run your peoples away from lava spouts and BURNIFY your opponents. Me favorite part is throwing friends into the volcano.

Carv: Summed up exquisitely. I am rather fond of the plastic volcano on the board that you throw your opponents into as well. A nice touch. There is quite some randomness involved as the lava spreading is based on tile draw from a bag, but this is more of a fun Survive: Escape From Atlantis type game, where the fun is the interaction in destroying your opponent more than the actual gameplay itself.

Carv: Next up, nothing pairs so well with a game of sacrificial burning like a game with some... coffee and cake. #33 is Grand Austria Hotel.

Carv: This is another dice drafting / puzzle type game where you get guests to come to your cafe, feed them, and send them to a room in your hotel.

Urnal: Me like playing with you, but not so much with more. Waiting makes Urnal want to throw things.

Carv: Yes, the turn ordering can be problematic, especially if you have anyone prone to analysis paralysis. Turn order snakes, so - A, B, C, D, D, C, B, A. A has a brutal wait from one turn to the next.

Urnal: Me rather go on date with Medusa. Already feels like turning to stone. May as well be with

Carv: Moving on. I know backstabbing and area control is your forte.

Urnal: You have my attention.

Carv: #32. Tyrants of the Underdark.

Urnal: ...

Carv: Not impressed?

Urnal: It good. It just not...

Carv: I see. This is a deck builder with some area control thrown in.

Urnal: Urnal played twice. Based on cards picked for deck, had one exciting game. One boring game.

Carv: Player count as well. As with any area control game, the more you have, the more tense the control battle. 1 vs 1 just doesn't have the same feel. But I must say, the combination of deck building and area control is fantastic. I just with they would make some more expansions to change things up.

Urnal: If wishes were fishes...

Carv: Speaking of... Let us finish out today's ranking with #31. Sushi Go Party!

Urnal: Better than Cat Lady? Me not so sure.

Carv: This is card drafting in its most basic form, and I might put Cat Lady before Sushi Go!, unless you make it Sushi Go Party!

Urnal: Me like to party. [Sounds of an ogre chugging something frothy]

Carv: The additional cards, the reminder cards, the board, the Party version just adds so much to the base game. It's quick, light, and maybe more of a filler, but definitely one everyone should own.

Urnal: Me go party now. Play more BOOOOARD GAAAAAMES!