Ok, so to put the "it's a board game blog" chapter of this little diary to rest, I figured I'd give an overview of what I played in my April-to-April gaming "fiscal year," post a giant mini-review of all the new stuff, then post this year's top 100 list.  Then we move on to other things I'm obsessed with.  Like dill.

( How the baby at my gaming )

For those who haven't been playing along, or just want the at-a-glance version of my opinions, here's the short version of all my rankings, as of 4/1/2010:( Lots of Numbers )

And finally, #1, just a few days short of the April 1 anniversary of creating this list. And speaking of which, this will probably be the last such list. This blog will stick around, but probably morph more into the “random comments about life” format that everyone else uses. Game-related content will be ported over to boardgamegeek, where it ( Read more... )

On to my #2 game (and suddenly also the #1 game on boardgamegeek.com): Twilight Struggle (“TS”), a game which somehow manages to encapsulate the entire Cold War.

( Twilight Struggle )

Finally down to my top 3. First, the old #1, Magic: the Gathering, takes a tumble down the rankings.

Several reasons behind this, both in the total lack-of-play department (a grand total of one game of Beach Week: the Gathering, and none of standard Magic), as well as an epic fail at trying to play competitively (sold off some old rare stuff to ( Read more... )

My #4 is another heavy economic game, again by Martin Wallace, this time about the industrial revolution in Lancashire, England.

( Brass )

After some hiatus, we're finally up to my top 5, just in time to finish the list out before my April 1 “year-end” deadline.

Let's start with a new entry: Indonesia. Indonesia is a 3-4 hour, 2-5 player economic game, in which the players are developing the economy of Indonesia, producing, transporting, and selling goods (rice, spices, rubber, oil, ( Read more... )

...and we're back to one of my old stand-bys. One of the first (and best) European-style games, El Grande.

( El Grande )

Finally, a new game (sort-of)!  The latest (and arguably greatest) in the Age of Steam family of railroad games, Steam: Rails to Riches.

( Steam: Rails to Riches )

Some of the shine wears off the hotness of two years ago, but the only game I own about medieval farming still survives in my top 10.

( Agricola )