Dethroned Games from my Top 40 (as of 2025)

Welcome to this week’s gaming post! I recently wrapped up my top 40 games of all time, and since there were ten games that were new to the top 40, that meant ten games dropped off from last year’s list. Therefore, I thought I would take a moment to discuss the games that fell out; so without further ado, let’s jump into the games.

Dominion slid just outside my top 40, coming in at number 42 in my rankings. I still enjoy this OG deck building game, but unfortunately it hasn’t hit the table recently. I particularly enjoy the setup of picking out the ten kingdom card types to include, especially when you include the expansions because it creates different strategies to explore. Who knows – if I try more expansions, there’s always a chance for Dominion to jump back up into my top 40.

Unfortunately, Skymines tumbled quite a bit in my rankings this year. I still really enjoy the hand management system, but I find the company/stocks mechanism is best at the full four-player count, which limits how often I get this one played. The solo mode is implemented well, so perhaps I’ll have to pull it out soon.

Rajas of the Ganges is a game that I need to explore more. I’ve only played the game a handful of times, but I’ve enjoyed it each time it has hit the table. The game has an interesting race mechanism where players are trying to converge on the two tracks (wealth and fame). With more repeat plays, this game could potentially move back up.

Maracaibo is another Alexander Pfister designed game that has sadly fallen a bit for me. While I enjoy the rondel and influence mechanisms, I’ve found the game to be quite long, particularly at four players. Additionally, while the solo mode is fairly easy to pilot, the game’s setup can be quite daunting. I haven’t tried Pirates of Maracaibo, but I’d be curious to see if it manages to retain the things I like from its big brother, while making it a bit more accessible. 

I love the combo chains that you can develop in Praga Caput Regni, which is why it’s difficult to pin down exactly why it’s fallen from my Top 40. There are just so many good games out there, and there’s a lot of competition in the medium to heavy euro space. One slight to the game is that I wish the included solo mode was not beat-your-own score. Even then, this is another game that is due for a few plays soon.

Clans of Caledonia saw the biggest drop of any game from last year’s list. I tend to enjoy it at the full four-players due to the dynamic market mechanism, which does limit how often this game gets played. However, the steep fall might been a bit harsh, and I could see this jumping back up next year, particularly with this year’s release of the game’s first expansion, Industria.

With these types of scenario games, Chronicles of Crime was likely to fall a bit, especially considering I haven’t played it in quite some time. However, I really enjoy how well the app is integrated into the game, and I appreciate the murder mystery theme. Additionally, there isn’t a lack of content with many expansions and spinoffs for when I’m ready to return.

Similarly to Praga, Lacrimosa suffers from a lot of competition in the point-salad euro market, which is why its rank took a hit this year. I do enjoy the multi-use cards, as well as the hand management system, which lets players upgrade cards throughout the game. While the theme is a bit lacking, the game is striking on the table.   

Heat: Pedal to the Metal is another game that is due for some plays, as I have yet to try all of the maps in the core box, as well as some of the included modules. I’m also curious to give the Championship System a go, which combines multiple races to simulate a race season.

I had a challenging time writing my review of Nucleum last year. It was a game that occupied my mind quite a lot, particularly between plays. Mechanically, the game implemented a lot of interesting ideas, such as the main action system of multi-use rail tiles. Unfortunately, I also had some issues with the game that ended up holding it back compared to some of my favorite heavy euros. Combine that with the fact that the game is quite complex, which makes it intimidating to pull off the shelf after some time away from the rules. All that said, I’m still glad to have the game in the collection, and I have been meaning to come back to it soon.

With that, those are the ten games that fell out of my Top 40 games! With the plethora of new game releases each year, the top 40 is increasingly difficult to narrow down, and that meant that some games had to slide down. Ultimately, it mostly comes down to games not making it to the table, which could be for a variety of reasons. Now, 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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