Top 10 New to Us Games

[@alanrobertson8626]

Just got into the hobby with my dear wife this year. So it's all been new to us. I believe you are at least partially responsible for about half of our burgeoning collection. My wallet is Ralph Wiggum on the bus. Top 10 for me is probably Castles of Burgundy, Keyflower, Ginkgopolis, Targi, The Prodigal's Club, El Grande, Dune Imperium, Codenames, Hive and Hansa Teutonica.

[@TheBrothersMurph]

Welcome to the board game family!

[@alanrobertson8626]

​@@TheBrothersMurphThanks, chaps. We appreciate the welcome!

[@jankogo]

It´s a great time to get into the hobby.

[@MCJesse-hu4ru]

My favorite new to me games this year were Acquire, Blitzkrieg, Viscounts of the west kingdom and Wayfarers of the south tigris.

[@paulsalomon27]

Coloretto is one of my very very favorite designs of all-time.

[@TheBrothersMurph]

It's just so good!

[@hondito]

My Top 10 from this year 1. Bus & Stop 2. World Wonders 3. Stonespine Architects 4. Sky Team 5. Newsboys 6. The Light in the Mist 7. Things in Rings 8. Forest Shuffle 9. SiXeS 10. Trio Another great year from Saashi & Saashi!!

[@sarablackburn6967]

Morels was my fav new-to-me discovery this year, such a nice 2-p game. Have played it with my husband a bunch.

[@ThomasHelms]

My top 10 new to me: 10) Revive 9) The Loop 8) Paris: La Cite de la Lumiere 7) Cubitos 6) Seasons 5) Hive 4) Ashes Reborn: Rise of the Phoenixborn 3) Element: Silver 2) Heat: Pedal to the Metal 1) Null Signal - System Gateway/Update

[@TheBrothersMurph]

SO many good games!

[@jjtheBaldBoardGamer]

Castles of Burgundy was the biggest new to me game. I knew of it, never paid much attention for some reason. But then I heard people talk about it enough, particularly Jenna from the BGG, that I finally decided to try it on BGA. It’s one of my favorite games now, and I backed the second printing of the new edition from Awaken Realms to have a physical copy to play. Such a banger.

[@hondito]

The way you describe Circus Flohcati, it sounds a LOT like Dead Man's Draw which is another great push-your-luck game. Didn't realize they were so similar!

[@grog3514]

They aren't really similar aside from flipping cards with a push your luck element. Circus is more of a game with strategy in how you will try to win. But you can win without ever flipping a card.

[@megabluejj678]

Also discovered Dice Town this year and it was a lot fun! The best new to me older game (okay it came out in 2022) is Federation. It’s now in my top 10 of all time. Mid-heavy worker placement with dual sided workers giving different benefits as well as outstanding player interaction through a voting-themed area majority mechanism. Played it once on BGA and immediately tracked down a copy.

[@Jakob_Price]

Yes! Federation belongs in the BGG top 100!

[@TheBrothersMurph]

Never even heard of Federation! Need to check out out now

[@paulsalomon27]

I'm glad to hear you like 5 Cucumbers, because I'm also working on a cucumber variant to be published in 2025.

[@Jakob_Price]

👀 you're quite the busy man, Paul!

[@paulsalomon27]

@@Jakob_Price You have NO idea. Going to release 6 games this year (as developer/publisher).

[@Jakob_Price]

@@paulsalomon27 that's awesome! Hopefully they all launch as smooth as possible! Best of luck 🤞

[@TheBrothersMurph]

Cucumber gamesssss

[@JonathonV]

Coloretto was the first card game I bought with my own money (some 14 years ago!). The two-player mode is meh (because you can just dump the cards you don’t want on the other pile), but for three to five players, it’s fantastic! I play it with my nephew sometimes, and he’s only 8 but he loves it!

[@tracytroutman7188]

We have owned the original version of Shipyard for a LOT of years and never touched it until this year and I absolutely loved it. Also finally got around to playing Wind the Film this year and that was also amazing. We played Fast Sloths a few years back and have been keeping an eye out for a used copy and we managed to grab one this year. Excellent topic that I hope you revisit next year.

[@thegamesninja3119]

5 Cucumbers works well as an intro to trick-taking. I find 2 players even worked well with nongamers. I am currently checking out 40 card Italian playing cards and Scopa. I will tackle Hanafuda next.

[@AhJong0]

I LOVE these lists, with so much (undrstandable) focus on the new hotness, to have a video looking back is sooooo awesome. I know that this sort of game time is few and far between for you guys, but I feel pretty confident that if you tried Suchy's Pulsar 2849 it would make your 2025 list! It is sooooo much of what TBM love 😊

[@BobbyReichle]

Best not-so-new-ones, 2024: 10. Carson City 9. Dominant Species 8. Joraku 7. Troyes 6. Cthulhu Wars 5. R-Eco+ 4. Gingokopolis 3. Bunny Kingdom 2. The Crew Mission Deep Sea 1. Age of Steam

[@keithbarry29]

Love you Bros! Have a very Merry Christmas! Go Bills! :)

[@stevenamamoto585]

I made a point of playing some time honored classics this year. Grand Austria Hotel, Concordia, Ginkgopolis, Tzolk’in: the Mayan Calendar, La Granja all got my 1st play. If those had been my only games played all year it would have been a great year of gaming. I finally got Tawantinsuyu and Rajas of the Ganges: the Dice Charmers off the shelf of shame.

[@TheBrothersMurph]

What was your favorite!? That is SO many bangers!

[@puffbronfman03]

Finally played Nusfjord this year and loved it - easy #1 new to me game for 2024. And it's a crime that y'all hadn't played Fast Sloths until this year - such a great game and such a perfect Murphs game. If you want a different under-appreciated Friese game to check out, Free Ride is worth your time. Nowhere near as silly, but just a really solid train game that's a step up from Ticket to Ride but still dead simple rules-wise

[@TheDavidPhillips]

Seas of Strife was new to me as well (courtesy of Steeeeeeve during DTW) and it became an instant buy - that game got its freaking hooks in me, and I'm sad that my group is small and doesn't like trick taking. Nick - "IMMU-HUUUNE!"

[@TheBrothersMurph]

That was such a fun game of it!

[@TroyPeiffer]

Mike, I love that cardigan! It has a Big Lebowski vibe to it.

[@TheBrothersMurph]

The Dude abides

[@JonTripp115]

Thanks to recent reprints, I've been high on Circus Flohcati, Potato Man, and Skulls of Sedlec this year.

[@TheBrothersMurph]

Potato Man is such a good simple trick taker

[@rachellecrain3016]

We just finally played Pioneer Trails. It was pretty good.

[@msmilder25]

My Top 10 New To Me games this year using your rules using games from 2022 or older: (my ranking is not by favorites but by # of times I played the game) 1 - Super Mega Lucky Box (2021) which I was introduced to in May, and played it a TON through June 2 - Paperback (2014) got the app from Steam and play it a bunch when I want to scratch that letter jumble itch 3 - Diceathlon (2022) simple yet challenging roll & write 4 - Dice Hospital (2018) I bought the actual game more than a year ago, but only first played it in November on BGA 5 - Martian Dice (2011) first played this one in January 6 - Regicide (2020) card battler essentially using a normal deck of cards 7 - Vulture Culture/What the Heck? (2015/1988) card game 8 - Mutant Crops (2016) simple worker placement card game 9 - NEOM (2018) 5x5 city builder, I enjoyed this so much, I bought the physical version 10 - 18 Holes (2020) tiled golf game, the ONLY physical board game I played on this list HM - Bad Brood (2019) a Gloom-like game where you try to raise the worst child ever (played the physical version) HM - Dice Hospital: ER Emergency Roll (2022) roll and write version of the board game HM - Finca (2018) re-released worker placement game HM - Monster Factory (2012) fun little tile placement I haven't played any other game this year more than twice that fits the criteria, but I only just played Coloretto (2003) for the first time this last week, I'm sure to play it more before the end of the year All games listed are games I played on BGA except where noted.

[@TheBrothersMurph]

Happy to see Super Mega Lucky Box at #1!

[@reso7675]

New older games that I enjoyed this year: 9) This War of Mine (2017) 8) Pagoda (2014) 7) Llamaland (2021) 6) Let's Make a Bus Route (2018) 5) Chrononauts (2000) 4) Bullet♥ (2021) 3) Feed the Kraken (2022) 2) Sid Meyer's Civilization: The Board Game w/ expansions (2010) 1) Psychic Pizza Deliverers Go to The Ghost Town (2018) Still need to play Tidal Blades for the first time this weekend, though.

[@TheBrothersMurph]

Pagoda desperately needs a reprint

[@reso7675]

@@TheBrothersMurph It really does. I got lucky at a local-only online Facebook auction a few months ago. And I remembered you guys saying it was a great game, so I took the chance and won it at a decent price.

[@benleague3115]

We think you'd both really like Pokemon Chips from South Korea! Awesome themed spin on Bag o' Chips!

[@TheBrothersMurph]

Whaaaa!?

[@paulinatolak5128]

I got Dice Town because of Foster The Meeple as well!

[@bradspelsmats]

I am so glad a get a copy of fast slots. Everybody I play it with love it

[@eldolceable]

Clans of Caledonia for me. Started playing on bga. But now I was able to back the kickstarter and expansion so I’ll eventually get to play irl (I guess the expansion is “cult of the new” but I would have def just bought the base game if it was offered) And just got at the gates of loyang, (real old one) haven’t played yet. But very excited to play it.

[@TheBrothersMurph]

Clans is just so so good! Can't wait for that expansion!

[@dawsondemars1092]

Top 3 new to me: Last Night on Earth That’s Pretty Clever Obsession

[@paulsalomon27]

Need to figure out how to get a copy of Fast Sloths

[@TheBrothersMurph]

We saw it in a shop once...didn't buy it. Oh how we messed up

[@GourmetBurrito]

Coloretto is sooooooooooooo good. One of my favourite small box card games. That and No Thanks! Gives me a similar sort of "I will never financially recover from this" feeling and that's what I live for in games Not sure if you played the card game version of Bruxelles (I haven't played the big box one so I don't know how they compare) but I'd recommend that too. Very crunchy for the form factor with every decision affecting multiple paths to VPs

[@TheBrothersMurph]

Didn't know there was a card version! We'll check it out!

[@heithrobinson996]

Fast sloths needs a reprint so bad

[@FostertheMeeple]

We love you and we love Dice Town and everyone should play - funnest game ever!

[@hoolio197900]

416 represent! Toronto area code