January 11 2018

Cassie's Top 5 Games Played in 2017

Hi everyone, Cassie here, I've come up with a Top 5 list of my favourite games for the past year. I don't think I have a top game of the year, they were all pretty awesome! Here they are, in no particular order.

Charterstone

A surprise with each game! Charterstone plays with very limited initial rules, leaving players to discover the world they have been thrust into with each new card drawn. I can’t say a whole lot about this game without giving too much away, as it is best if you go into it know as little about the rules as possible.

As a legacy game, you play 12 games, making alterations with stickers and writing on cards and the board as you go. It is a bit of a worker placement game, but it has many layers of strategy. As you have to play 12 games, you want to keep people interested, and so far (we are halfway through), the game is pretty balanced, given its competitive nature. (There’s even a bonus if you lose a game).

For longevity, you can play this game once the 12 games are done, when the board will be full and you can play as a worker placement strategy game. But, if you really want to, the playing board is double sided, so just flip it, open up a recharge pack, and off you go! I don’t hesitate to recommend this to groups of 3-6 gamers for hours and hours of fun. You’re really getting your value for money with a well thought out and interesting adventure of a game.

Rhino Hero

True story, at PAX Aus a few years ago, I was determined to get a medal for winning in the tabletop area. I had tried a few of the games I was good at, but it was the last day and I was getting desperate, so I entered a game I’d never played before. It was called Rhino Hero.

I came second in my heat, I was disappointed, but I stuck around, because there was a chance at a wildcard. Well I got that chance! With a bit of luck from some good cards, I managed to get in the position with the fewest cards, and someone else toppled the tower, I was the winner! It was one of my tabletop gaming life highlights.

This year I rediscovered Rhino Hero again after it was re-released, and it was still as awesome and fun as I remember. Stacking the house tiles up and trying to position the Rhino so its as difficult as possible to move creates bouts of laughter as the tower eventually falls. It is an excellent dexterity game for family and friends.

Ticket to Ride: Rails and Sails

Ticket to Ride is always a keen favourite of mine, even if it doesn’t get to the table much anymore (either due to time, or because there is so much else to play). However with the release of the Rails and Sails edition, I was able to play it once again.

The game come a reversible board, so a couple of options to play. But the new feature here is the addition of little ships! The ships are an extra element that you have to account for, so for Ticket to Ride players who like to hoard cards as a strategy, this is definitely the spin off or you.

Game of Thrones: The Board Game, 2nd Edition

In case you were living under Casterly Rock, the seventh season of Game of Thrones was released this year, and with it came an renewed interest for myself and my fellow gamer’s in Game of Thrones: The Board Game. Countless hours were spent vying for the regions in Westeros.

I have to say that I didn’t ever win one of these games, but I enjoyed my time all the same, as I find that each time I play, I try to alter my strategy slightly to improve. It often times also depends on who I’m paying against, as certain players (who I’ve played a few games with) have strategies that they employ, regardless of what character they’re playing.

Sometimes I feel like this game is similar to Settlers of Catan, as even if you’ve been defeated a few times, you can slowly build your forces back up, whether through patience or a bit of player manipulation, and that can help you get back into the game.

Scythe

It seems like the Scythe hype train has been non-stop for the past year and a half, and with another expansion just announced, that’s sure to continue into 2018. I may not have played it a ton in 2016, but I definitely played it a lot in 2017!

Trying out the game with the new factions, and the introduction of the airships added more layers to an already pretty strategic game. Once again, as with Game of Thrones, I am yet to come out with a victory (I think), but I am always keen to have another go and try and improve my gameplay and engine building abilities.

Highly Recommended