Ten of your games you WANT to play this year

This is my "god damn it, I'm going to play these games I own in 2016" top 10 list. Not all of them are brand new, some of them are just shelf toads I'm dying to play. I've already played some of them, so they aren't necessarily "play for the first time!" either. No particular order.

1) Clash of Cultures---my favorite game still, which I haven't played much in 2015.
2) Nations---I really like this civ game and I played it a bit when I first got it. It is a more builder-ish civ game using worker placement mechanics. I'd like to play 3-4 players (I've only played 2) for tighter game with more card grabbing passive conflict (and war!).
3) Theseus---more plays. I've played this five or six times against a particular opponent, but I want more.
4) Archipelago---on this list like every year. Still haven't played it.
5) Catacombs---got the new KS edition, have had no chance to play it.
6) US Civil War---a P500 I'm pretty psyched to play, a friend around here is interested so maybe I'll get a shot at it...
7) Merchants and Marauders---I love Clash, would love to play this. Hope it's better than Firefly, I would dump that but my spouse loves it.
8) A Study in Emerald---I've played this a few times, but this game really requires players who know the rules from the beginning and play to win. My crew didn't like the win conditions, so I'm not sure how this would get played.
9) Long GCACW campaign---don't even care the specific game. It reminds me I need to pick up the most recent bull run reprint.
10) Food Chain Magnate---supposed to be a gem. This heavy euro along with Archipelago are the biggest brow furrowers, probably.

What about you guys? Anything stick out?

What I really need to do is bust my ass a little and set up a weekly game day.

I've had Terra Mystic since my birthday and Age of Steam for years now. Haven't played either. I need to play both this year. This is getting silly.

I downloaded Gems of War, Rayman Legends and a few others but never played them. I need to play those two titles this year.

Gary Sax wrote: 7) Merchants and Marauders---I love Clash, would love to play this.

This is funny because I love M&M so want to play more Clash. We played it once and liked it despite getting some stuff wrong. Actually I need to push to get this and Eclipse back to the table more.

We played Settlers of Catan a few months back. I used to play a lot back in the day, but hadn't touched it in years as my old group had all burned out on it. I'd like to play Cities & Knights again. I'd like to get Ra and Tigris played more too. Two of my favorite games and they seem to have been left by the wayside. Yes, I know its not 1999. No, this isn't ERP 2. I already own these games and never didn't enjoy/defend them.

Crokinole. SInce my housemate I used to play with moved out this hasn't gotten much love.

Imperial Assault is a given.

I need to get more of my 2-player games played. War of the Ring and Incursion just shouldn't be shelf toads.

^Yeah, War of the Ring is basically a shelf toad for me as well. We almost always go Twilight Struggle in situations where you might bring out War of the Ring.

I got a buddy looking for War of the Ring! Anyone looking to unload go ahead and PM me and I'll pass the info along.

I would love to play more 2 player games, X-Wing, Netrunner, Napoleon's Triumph, Guns of Gettysburg, Sekigahara, or Space Hulk. 2 player games are always a tough sell because I so rarely get to play games that when I do usually I try to involve more friends that I haven't seen in a while... maybe some day when the kids grow up.

Great question. Let me look into the wall of doom and decide.

Oh great wall of doom, what say ye!?



1. Fire in the sky
2. Blood Royale
3. Merchant of Venus
4. 1846
5. Space Empires w/ Close encounter expansion
6. Napoleons Triumph
7. Xia
8. Kemet
9. Antiquity
10. Origins

And when I get it, the 3rd edition of High Frontier.

1. Clash of Cultures - I hear all the cool kids are doing it, and I think I finally have all the rules down.
2. Merchants and Marauders - Been too long since I played it last.
3. Tales of the Arabian Nights - I just found a couple of players who are up for it.
4. Eclipse - just because.
5. Fire and Axe - since I didn't sell the second edition for ginormous amounts of cash, I might as well play it.
6. D&D Attack Wing - my spouse bought it for me for Xmas, and I need to find a player.
7. Steam - bought the iPad version a little while back, and now I'm stoked.
8. Chaos in the Old World - because it needs to be played.
9. Spartacus - I want to get four players for it.
10. Cuba Libre - because I want to melt my brain.

- Duel of Ages II (have only done some learning scenarios)
- Greenland (had it shipped all the way to Qatar then brought it back with me) Traded for Android Netrunner and an expansion.
- More of the games in MU and Much Mehr
- Twilight Struggle
- Ars Victor
- Detroit-Cleveland Gran Prix (with drafting rules)
- Fiasco RPG

In no particular order

Pax Pamir - wnat a four player game really.
Empire of the Sun - played this a few times but its a game i really want to learn at a more indepth level
EastFront - got this recently and want some block action
War of the Ring - only played this twice last year
Dune - long time no play
Car Wars - From secret satan and I want to try it out

1) The Republic of Rome - Haven't touched it in one year which is a shame because I know I can get players with a little bit of planning.
2) Car Wars - I need to buy Micromachines and print a circuit, which is why I haven't done it yet.
3) 1825 - I have actually played this 3 times last year, but I want to play it again.
4) 1843 - Talking about 18XX, I still haven't played my copy despite having made it by hand. I need to make tokens, though.
5) Fiasco RPG - I always forget I have this even though it's incredibly fun!
6) Liberté - Great game, but I won't play it because it requires at least 4 players.

No particular order:

Forbidden Stars - Played it a half dozen times to review it and haven't gotten back since.

X-Wing - This one will happen because I play X-Wing a dozen or so times a year, but still really itching to play it

Fire In The Lake - Phenomenal game. Needs more attention.

Claustrophobia - This never gets out as often as it should.

Cave Evil

Blood Rage - Because I'm still not close to being sick of it.

Myth - Currently waiting for the expansion content to hit but we're excited to pick up where we left off.

Aetherium - Bought a bunch of expansion minis for this and haven't touched them yet.

Dreamblade - Got a buddy to buy into this so it looks like I'll get to play this one again after discovering it mid-2015.

Fief: France 1429 - This is a tough one because it's longish and there are other games which we'd probably go to first. I enjoy the game as it scratches my Crusader Kings II itch, and I'd really like to try the Crusades expansions.

@ Craniac

What drafting rules you got for Detroit Cleveland Grand Prix? You use the Daytona 500 rules or Homebrew your own?
Very curious to know how you implement drafting.....

GMT US Civil War. Played New Years Eve, got through about half the campaign in a little over five hours. DON'T pay attention to the hordes of rules questions on BGG or CSW - its a small number of idiots too stupid to read or who are projecting what they think the game should be rather than what the designer ( CLEARLY ) spells out in the rules. Play the fucking game, its great.

Advanced Squad Leader. I've been away from the game about a dozen years, I still buy the core stuff, need to find some FtF opponents , somehow.

Chaos in the Old World. Played Cthulu Wars and it fell flat w/me. and reminded me to get back to the original. Did get in one play at WBC, and had a blast.

Combat Commander - got in 16 games last year and still didn't feel like enough .

Enemy Action Ardennes - played the German Solo and was blown away by how clever the design is. As soon as I finished, reset for the American Solo. Yeah the game is expensive, but the production is top notch - part of the cost is the copious play aids, three separate maps, and the move lavishly illustrated rulebook I've ever seen. Butterfield is currently without peer in this area.

Breakout Normandy. Its old school, but a very tight design. Got reacquainted with it at a con last January and will probably play it again this year. I still like it better than most of the more modern area impulse designs, even though it doesn't have cards. On a related note, need to try Storm over Normandy to see how it compares.

Pax Pamir. Just got it, want to see how it compares to Pax Porf .

RobertB wrote: 10. Cuba Libre - because I want to melt my brain.

Cuba Libre is the easiest COIN game of them all. I certainly wouldn't call it a brain melter.

Alastair MacDirk wrote: @ Craniac

What drafting rules you got for Detroit Cleveland Grand Prix? You use the Daytona 500 rules or Homebrew your own?
Very curious to know how you implement drafting.....

Metalface13 (who I have met in real life) says the Daytona 500 rules work. I'm replacing Daytona 500, which I left in Qatar, and Detroit is cheaper.