Hello and welcome to Big Boss Battle’s Best 50 Board Games We’ve Ever Reviewed list. It may not be as definitive an opinion as suggesting that these games are the best we’ve ever played, but it is a list of the best games that we’ve played through in detail, more than four or five times and in most cases, still return to when the fancy takes us.
Here’s rank 30 through to 21 in our countdown. You can find buttons to navigate to other pages at the bottom of the article.
Rank: 30
Game: Fire in the Library
In brief: Another Kickstarter, this time featuring a very cheeky push your luck mechanic that has players acting as librarians that must rush back and forth to rescue books from their burning collection. Charming artwork and a ton of mechanical personality characterise this worthy small box game. You can read more about it in our preview, here.
Rank: 29
Game: Stuffed Fables
In brief: From the creator of the extremely popular Mice & Mystics comes Stuffed Fables, a game that is played on a high quality, ring bound storybook filled with small, detailed boards. Stuffed Fables is a game about a team of soft toys who must rescue their human child from the nasties under the bed. Not as scary as it sounds, Stuffed Fables is literally the best game for families to play together during dark nights and rainy Sundays. Here’s our review.
Rank: 28
Game: Rise to Nobility
In brief: Set in the same world as Cavern Tavern (which we’ll be reviewing in early 2019) Rise to Nobility is a big budget Kickstarter that comes with all the bells and whistles. Superb artwork, a box that is packed to the rafters and several bundled variants and expansions mean that you’ll never run out of things to do. At it’s heart though, Rise to Nobility is a dice placement game with euro elements that delivers a heap of fun. Here’s our detailed review.
Buy Rise to Nobility on Amazon.
Rank: 27
Game: King of Tokyo
In brief: King of Tokyo is one of the most iconic tabletop games of recent years, which is no surprise given that it is the creation of Richard Garfield — the man behind Magic: The Gathering. King of Tokyo is nothing like Magic, however, since it features madcap dice rolling in a world where monsters face off to be crowned… The King of Tokyo. Here’s our in depth write up.
Rank: 26
Game: Vast
In brief: Rarely has there been a mainstream game that is as ambitious as Vast is. With numerous different characters in the base game and its expansions, Vast demands that every player learns and understands their role in detail, since each has its own mechanics, victory conditions and way of playing. Not for everyone, but impressive nonetheless, you can read about Vast in detail, here.
Buy Vast on Amazon.
Rank: 25
Game: Ravage: Dungeons of Plunder
In brief: A relatively indie title that few will have heard of, Ravage earns its spot high in our list thanks to its fast gameplay, incredible artwork and sheer versatility. Packaged in just a mid-sized box, Ravage has cooperative, competitive and solo modes, as well as several scenarios to work through. A modular board makes replay value high, whilst future expansions are promised later down the line. Check out this glorious and unusual game in detail, here.
Rank: 24
Game: Azul
In brief: Arguably the game of Christmas 2017 and winner of many awards, Azul remains a steadfast choice when introducing new players to modern board games. With fast gameplay, attractive components and a very simple learning curve, Azul has a lot of positives going for it, even despite the introduction of a sequel in late 2018. Check out our detailed review here.
Rank: 23
Game: Root
In brief: The second game from Leder Games to appear in our list, Root is even more ambitious about its asymmetrical setup than Vast is. Although there are fewer different roles to play, each one is wildly different, making Root a eurogame, a war game, a programming game and something akin to a hand management game all at once. Very niche, but incredibly powerful, here’s our review.
Rank: 22
Game: Lords of Waterdeep
In brief: Whilst Lords of Waterdeep is a longstanding classic for some, it may be completely new to tabletop players who are taking their first steps into the hobby. Whatever your perspective, Lords of Waterdeep is undeniably one of the best entry points into worker placement games, especially if you enjoy the thematic crossover with the Dungeons & Dragons universe, which is deeply ingrained here. You can read more about it in our review.
Buy Lords of Waterdeep on Amazon.
Rank: 21
Game: Hotshots
In brief: Potentially the last big surprise on this list is Hotshots, from indie publisher Fireside Games. This solo or cooperative game about fighting fires in the mountainous regions of North America is an exceptionally tight, tough as nails game that delivers a Pandemic style challenge that is unforgettable. Here’s our detailed review.
