2024 Gaming Recap

Top New To Me Games of the Year

1. Hegemony*

2. Lorcana

3. Obsession

4. Watergate

5. The Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle-earth

6. Huang

7. Villagers

8. Flatiron

9. The Guild of Merchant Explorers

10. Star Wars: Unlimited

*Games that made my top 10 of all time list.

This year is going down as one of the best in the last decade! I say decade because this was my 10th year of BGGcon in November and sadly it could be my last as the convention is just too big now for me. Due to family weddings and other events, I didn't attend MTG worlds but I did go to a SCG con in Vegas. It wasn't quite what I was hoping for but I did 3-0 a draft of MB1. Hegemony not only made my top 10 list but it is currently sitting at the #2 slot just behind MTG! That means it is my favorite board game! I removed Game of Thrones because as much fun as I have playing it, Hegemony scratches the itch better of macro economic movements. 2024 also saw the launch of my first board game Wondrous! I will write/film a separate post about that process but it was so fulfilling to take the project to fruition.

Now on to the awards:

Best NTM Game of The Year: Hegemony is a rare game. It fires on all cylinders for what it wants to do. The gameplay is simple with complex decisions, leading rarely to situations like, "how do I do..." and more situations like, "well crap, the taxes are too dang high so I am going to propose a new bill to lower them and then lower all wages to minimum wage." That is simply remarkable to me. I am a business oriented guy. If the theme is business, it probably has my full attention (see my top ten list). Not only is Hegemony business, it is Macro economics, Policy managment, and tons of negotiations! Where Food Chain Magnate scratches my micro-business desires, Hegemony basks in the feeling that I am a character from Succession taking over the world.

Hegemony Lead Your Class to Victory BGGcon 2024

Most Played Game of The Year: MTG. Once again still the best game for me and the one I so easily go to when I want to relax. I really didn't play competitively this year but I did attend many prereleases at my local shop and have enjoyed playing casually for now.

Learning/ Playing Sankore: The Pride of Mansa Musa

Most Underrated Game of The Year: Watergate. This game was so much fun and I have passed on it for YEARS. I really didn't expect the tug-of-war style to be as gripping and thematic but I was so pleasantly surprised.

Most Underwhelming Game of The Year: The White Castle. Man were people hyped on this game. I really don't like it. Nine turns is simply not satisfying and there is practically no engine to build. It is a complicated, drawn out puzzle where players cannot think of their turn in advance because the dice might be gone or the space might get taken.

Most Anticipated Game of 2024: I don't think I have a game coming to mind other than playing more Hegemony and also starting my challenge to play ALL of my games in 2025 or sell the ones I don't want to play.

Arcs

Honorable Mentions:

• Blue Lagoon

• Everdell

• Shobu

• Watergate

• Orleans

• Heat: Petal to the Metal

• Scout

• Ark Nova

• Lorcana

• The Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle-earth

• The Guild of Merchant Explorers

• Obsession

EOY Top Ten list:

1. Magic The Gathering

2. Hegemony: Lead Your Class to Victory

3. Food Chain Magnate

4. Tigris and Euphrates

5. Brass: Birmingham

6. Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy

7. Blood Rage

8. Dune: Imperium

9. The Quest for El Dorado

10. Chess