My Favorite Games of All Time (11-20) as of 2025

Welcome to this week’s gaming post! This is the third post in my latest four-part series as we count down my top 40 games this year. If you missed the previous list, then I recommend you check that out here. There are two new games that have made it onto the list in this batch, but otherwise, most of these games have held steady since last year. So without further ado, let’s jump into the games.

I recently had the chance to teach Isle of Skye, which reminded me how much I adore this fairly light tile-laying game. In this game, players build their kingdoms, which score them points based on fulfilling certain scoring objectives each round. Not to mention a surprisingly fun auction mechanism where you get to set the price of tiles using your own money. Isle of Skye is my second favorite tile-laying game, only to be slightly outdone by another game on this list.

I honestly can’t explain the reason that Dune: Imperium has moved up from last year. Do I wish the deck-building was a bit stronger in this game? Yes, but I still enjoy the combination of worker-placement and deck-building. I have had a couple plays where I was left feeling underwhelmed, but more often than not, this game has had its fair share of high moments.

I had a feeling I would appreciate the innovative worker progression system in Darwin’s Journey when I first heard about it, and the game did not disappoint. In this loosely themed game around Charles Darwin’s journey through the Galapagos, players take actions through worker-placement; however, the key being different actions require workers to have knowledge in specific areas. This creates an interesting progression system that creates a compelling gameplay arc. I wrote a full review of the game earlier this year here, as well as a review on the excellent first expansion here.

Wayfarers of the South Tigris is still my favorite game in the South Tigris series from Garphill Games. I love the sandbox nature, and the overwhelming variety in this game keeps the game feeling fresh after many plays. I also love the dice upgrading mechanism, which allows for a lot of customization. If you’re curious to know my thoughts on each of the three games in the series, you can check them out here.

I recently upgraded to the second edition of 7 Wonders, along with acquiring both the Leaders and Cities expansions. With the new content, I can confidently say that the game won’t be leaving the collection anytime soon. When you throw in both of the expansions listed above, there’s plenty of extra variety to keep the game feeling fresh. If you’re interested in reading my full thoughts on the game and expansions, you can check them out here and here.

Orléans provides a nice blend of engine-building and bag-building. The theme of medieval France is fairly generic, but the game shines through the combination of different worker types and buildings. There’s a nice amount of variety that allow for many paths to victory. I’ve been curious to try some of the expansions (particularly Trade & Intrigue for the new deed boards), and those could provide an excellent excuse to get this game back to the table. 

Railways of the World holds a special place in my heart. Growing up, I loved the Railroad Tycoon video games, so naturally I wanted to try a board game version of it (Railways of the World was originally published as Railroad Tycoon in 2005). Since the board game was quite expensive for a young kid, I decided to enlist the help of my grandfather to recreate the board game using homemade wooden components. If you’re interested in seeing pictures of our recreation, you can check them out here. Even though I haven’t played this game in quite some time, I still have many fond memories of playing this game with family and friends.

Galactic Cruise is currently my second favorite new game I’ve played this year. I love the theme of running a galactic cruise ship company, which is excellently woven into the game’s mechanics. The attention to detail, like the excellently designed rulebook and player aids, elevate the game. I still have yet to win a game of Galactic Cruise, but I always have a blast (pun intended) when this game makes it to the table. 

My favorite tile-laying game is Castles of Mad King Ludwig. I find the theme of building a wacky castle (complete with doors to know where and rooms like bottomless pit) absolutely entertaining. Add in players taking turns to set the price of rooms and it creates a nice depth of gameplay. I have yet to try any of the expansions for the game, but even with just the base game, it is excellent.

The Crew is still my favorite trick-taking game. I was sad to see this fall out of my top 10, but I think that speaks more to how many amazing games are out there. Personally, I prefer Mission Deep Sea because of the seemingly infinite mission variety, but the core system is the same in both versions. If you’re a fan of trick-taking games, I recommend giving this cooperative one a chance. 

With that, those are my top 11-20 games as of 2025, and stay tuned for the final batch next week! Let me know what some of your favorite games are, and I’d love to hear your thoughts on any of the games I’ve mentioned or future content suggestions in the comments below. Happy gaming!

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