My Favorite Games of All Time (30-21)

Welcome to this week’s gaming post! This is the second post in my new four-part series as we count down my top 40 games as of this moment. If you missed last week’s list, then I recommend you check that out here. I’m really enjoying this series so far, so without further ado, let’s jump into the games.

I really appreciated the semi-deckbuilding mechanism combined with the multi-use cards in Lacrimosa, and the gameplay is surprising smooth once you get going. Unfortunately, the Mozart theme doesn’t exactly shine through in this one, but that still didn’t stop this game from cracking my top 30 games of all time.

I still haven’t finished all of the scenarios in the base game of Chronicles of Crime, but all of the ones I have played have been incredibly memorable in this cooperative crime investigation game. I think this speaks to games that can win you over without needing a bunch of repeat plays. The game is also very innovative with its use of scanning cards and some light VR to make it feel like you’re truly at the scene of the crime.   

Another fairly new game to the collection is Near and Far which builds upon Above and Below’s systems and has better success integrating its euro mechanisms with the storytelling. I’ve really been enjoying the character stories that continue throughout a handful of games, and there’s just something incredibly fun about building up your party before adventuring through its world.

I’m not a Dune superfan by any means, and you certainly don’t need to be to still enjoy Dune: Imperium. However, after watching Dune: Part 2 earlier this year, I have found that I enjoy this game even more after learning more about the world and characters within Dune. As you can tell from a few of the games on this list, I especially enjoy games that combine worker placement and deckbuilding together, along with multi-use cards. I recently discussed how this game has grown on me, and I recommend you check that out here if you want my more detailed thoughts on the game.

I really like the unique card programming mechanism combined with the light deckbuilding in Skymines (a reimplementation of Mombasa). The card programming mechanism determines which actions you can take that round, and I haven’t seen a similar mechanism in other games. The company tracks are also another highlight as they lead to some fun player interaction. Finally, I did a write-up with my more in-depth thoughts on the game here if you’re curious to learn more or are interested in some of the differences in Skymines compared to Mombasa.

A shout-out to my friend, Tim, for really getting me into the Arkham Horror Living Card Game (LCG). We’ve already played through two full-length campaigns this year (The Path to Carcosa and The Forgotten Age), and both campaigns felt very thematic and were incredibly memorable. I also did write-ups of both campaigns here and here if you’re interested to learn more about those experiences.

The Gallerist is my favorite Vital Lacerda-designed game. I know almost nothing about running an art gallery, but that doesn’t stop me from truly enjoying the feeling of discovering an unknown artist to then promote their work and later sell it for boatloads of money. The economic mechanism of works gaining value over time is very exciting, and I wrote even wrote my more detailed thoughts on the game here.

I’m surprised by how high up Lorenzo il Magnifico has managed to stay in my rankings as I’ve had the game longer than most, but I almost always have a really fun time playing this dice/worker placement game. I recently picked up the excellent House of Renaissance expansion, which added even more variety to the game. There are a lot of great things I like about this game, but what tops it is the mechanism of rolling shared dice at the beginning of each round. This may look like another beige euro, but the smooth gameplay sings. 

The bird game, Wingspan (not to be outdone by its newer dragon sibling), is still an excellent engine-builder with gorgeous artwork. I do think the Oceania expansion helped fix some of the balancing issues with the game, but even without it, it’s still an excellent game. For my taste, this feels like the perfect medium-light game that doesn’t overstay its welcome (provided you don’t play with more than four players). Does it help that this game is one of my wife’s favorite games? Probably.

The Quacks of Quedlinburg is my favorite push-your-luck game. It’s one of those games that I go into with a mindset of trying not to take it too seriously, as there is tons of luck, and I almost always come out on the other side having a ton of fun, regardless of the outcome of the game itself. This game won’t be for all types of gamers, but that doesn’t stop this one from being one of my go-tos for teaching to new gamers and one of my all-time favorites.

With that, I’ll wrap up my favorite 30-21 games of all time, and stay tuned for the next batch! I’d love to hear your thoughts on any of the games I’ve mentioned, future content, or format in the comments section below, and let me know what your favorite games are. Happy gaming!

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