I review board games as a full-time job. I’m very lucky to do so, but the need to constantly stay on top of ‘what’s hot’ can take its toll. Sometimes, I glance at my review copy pile of very new, very exciting games, and I start asking questions. Questions like ‘how many of these will I still want to play in 10 years’ time?’
Much of the tabletop industry is propped up by overconsumption. Kickstarters live and die on their capacity to sell you not just a shiny game, but FOMO. Hell, sites like this one survive because consumers want to know what the best board game or Warhammer army or Magic: The Gathering card is RIGHT NOW.
There is always something new and exciting to buy, and personal collections can quickly bloat. I own so many board games that playing them all regularly is simply unfeasible. I may review them for a living, but I have several friends who’ve bought their way into the exact same situation.
I’m not here to decree that we all stop buying board games. There’s lots of new ones that deserve your attention. I do, however, want to take pause. Put the breaks on your relentless desire for The Future of Gaming, and take stock of what you have now.
What games have you held passionate love affairs with for many years? Which will never leave your life? Which are you still playing after all this time? Here’s mine:
Azul
First published: 2017
Years in collection: 4 years
I play Azul several times a week, either at the tabletop or in my browser. It comes out every Christmas. Despite the simplicity of its drafting and tile-placing, I seem to run out of brain-teasing turns. There’s a richness to its decision-making. Combined with the approachable playtime, and you’ve got an instant classic.
Azul will turn 10 next year, which makes it basically ancient for many modern gamers (don’t @ me if you’re older than 10 and offended). My personal copy is still in good nick, however, as I picked it up not long after Covid. A Christmas gift I received not long after getting my job at Wargamer, it represents a moment where board games became a bigger part of my life than ever before.
Mysterium
First published: 2015
Years in collection: 9 years
Mysterium released right before I went to university, and I discovered it while studying my Bachelor’s. The spooky concept – mediums trying to discover how a ghost was murdered through cryptic visions – instantly clicked with this card-carrying goth. Even better, the gameplay is as smooth as it is silly.
I still whip this one out for my family, but when I first found it, I was a fresh-faced young adult in an unfamiliar city. The uni board game society became my main source of friends. I met one of my dearest friends there, and as a huge fan of image-association games like Dixit, she introduced me to Mysterium. Recently, I was a bridesmaid in her wedding. Thanks, Mysterium!
Dead of Winter
First published: 2014
Years in collection: 10 years
Dead of Winter hit the scene back when we were still using words like ‘Ameritrash’ to describe thematic board games. It’s a full-on beer and pretzels game where you work together to gather resources, murder zombies, and try to survive a harsh winter. There’s narrative elements, as well as a hidden traitor mechanic.
Sure, it’s not remembered as fondly as games like Eldritch Horror, Nemesis, or the more recent Unfathomable. But I’m a die-hard defender of it, and I still play it regularly. I remember Dead of Winter as one of the first ‘hobby’ board games I ever bought – and the first my zombie-loving parents would actually play with me.
One Night Ultimate Werewolf
First published: 2014
Years in collection: 12 years
Another of my first purchases as a hobby gamer was One Night Ultimate Werewolf. The breezy, five-minute game of secret murder and pointing fingers was my first introduction to social deduction, now my favorite board game genre. It might be the game that got me hooked on board games, as well as Carcassonne (a classic that’s still in my collection, too, but more for sentimental reasons).
12 years later, One Night Ultimate Werewolf is just as accessible and addictive as it ever was. I use it as an icebreaker game, a drinking nights game, or a gateway to get people to play my new all-time favorite game, Blood on the Clocktower.
Yahtzee
First published: 1956
Years in collection: 25+ years
Forgive the odd orientation of this one photo – it was taken by my mom. The Russell family have been playing Yahtzee for literally as long as I can remember. That’s almost 30 years! The box disintegrated long ago, but we still have the sheets and the dice cup.
For me, no roll-and-write has ever surpassed Yahtzee’s satisfying simplicity. Maybe my judgement is clouded by emotions. I certainly look back on family Yahtzee nights with warm, fuzzy feelings. It was the board game I played when I was still learning my numbers. It might be the first tabletop game I ever touched. And, yes, I still play it today.
Want to share your own lifetime board game list? I’m all ears in the Wargamer Discord.
Source: Wargamer
