Friday, July 4, 2025

The Veteran's Game Log

I've been into board games for a long time now, and at 52, it takes a lot to impress me these days. Luckily, I still experience instances where a few new games catch my eye straight away, but most of the time, I'm not bothered. Perhaps understandably, I tend to get the most enjoyment from older games that have, by now, lost their "new" appeal. Maybe that's just it. While I'm drawn to the latest releases out of sheer curiosity, it often feels like these new titles are trying too hard to reinvent the wheel. Last year, I was really keen on buying Flamecraft. The artwork is lovely, and it promised a worker placement style, which I normally enjoy. I never actually bought it, and it turns out, that was for the best. This year, I finally got to play Flamecraft, and to be honest, the mechanics felt like a chore. I wasn't playing, I was working, which is a red flag for me. I won't go into whether it's a good game or not – perhaps it was the atmosphere or just me – but when it finished, I was just glad the job was over.



Another game from last year that truly impressed me with its elegant simplicity is Art Society. I played it once at my board game club, loved it, bought a copy, played it with my mates, and loved it even more! It's that kind of game. The turn structure is easy to grasp, your decisions feel logical and significant, and it does not feel difficult to get through a turn. I also played a beautiful and enjoyable title from the design genius himself, Reiner Knizia. Yes, I might be a bit biased when it comes to him, but I do enjoy many of his creations. The game is called Rebirth. It looks fantastic on the table, and once again, you quickly understand how to play a turn. It is indeed intuitive and a real joy to play. Then, when the last tile falls neatly onto the game’s gorgeous board, the end state becomes this earth-toned spread of tokens and pieces spread across a map of Scotland (or Ireland, depending on which side you play), and you feel like you've achieved something. The rules are straightforward, and the strategies you employ are only as complex as you make them. If you're wondering if I got my own copy, well, I already have, and it's signed by Reiner Knizia, so I'm chuffed with that one!


On the flip side, I also got to play Azul. Having played it a while ago, I realised it's both simple and complex. I believe an explanation here is due. Personally, I picked up the rules straight away, but that's not the case for everyone. In fact, explaining the rules to casual players can be a bit tricky, and if you're playing against a really competitive opponent, things can get “interesting””, if you catch my drift. Still, at its heart, this game is a simple, elegant, and visually appealing little thing. The tiles are colourful, and the artwork is vibrant, though I still think a proper board or a Neoprene mat instead of the round factory tiles would have been better. By today’s standards, it is one of the older games now, having been first released in 2017, but it still ticks many of my boxes when it comes to board games.


Another such older game that hit my gaming table this year was Villainous, the original standard edition. Focusing solely on the game’s mechanisms, It can be a truly cringeworthy, nasty experience to play. Though, to be fair, it largely depends on how nasty the players get while playing. The game's artwork and design on the other hand are faultless; it's just the strong "take that" element that really comes out when hyper-competitive players join in. In my most recent game, I played as Captain Hook and was well on my way to winning. However, a particularly villainous opponent (pun intended) decided to focus on making me skip a turn, which cost me the game. I mean, what do you expect from a game called "Villainous", right? It does kind of invite villainy, after all. The irony, or perhaps it was a karmic return, was that the chap who did this to me couldn't stop another player from winning, and I felt a bit vindicated by that. Still, this is a game I don't see myself playing again; I just hate the nastiness it seems to encourage.



Recently, I also saw another big worker placement game called Galactic Cruise in action. Again, this was something else, and definitely a bit heavy. Experienced board gamers would call it "crunchy", I just call it "too much". Mind you, the production quality is incredibly good, and the artwork is fine, though there's way too much iconography for my liking. I noticed the icons kept getting in the way of turns, and some players ended up making a few mistakes because of them. There's also, for me at least, a complexity issue with this game. The idea is you're organising custom galactic cruises for wealthy customers. To do this, you need to get rocket ships ready with the right modules to meet your patrons' needs. This means taking actions to get the rockets and modules, handling advertising to attract more customers, and strategically opening up actions on the main board that fit your goals. Each time a player successfully launches a rocket, the game moves one step closer towards one of three AGM events (yes, Annual General Meetings!), which gives you points towards the final score. Like most worker placement games, this one offers scoring as you go, as well as a final tally. The decisions you can make each turn are numerous, meaning if you're prone to "analysis paralysis", you won't be popular with the other players at the table! However, I think that if you were to give it time, perhaps with the right group of understanding players, it could be a very entertaining experience. But if you do play it, plan for a whole afternoon, as it can take a while to play.


I reckon the games I've played or seen this year have given me some good ideas for my next gaming adventures. I ordered three games back in late April, and they've all turned up now. First up is Clank!. It's a highly rated deck building game with a Dungeons & Dragons theme. I've had a few goes already, and it's quite interesting. You play as rogues sneaking into a dungeon to steal treasure from a dragon. Naturally, the dragon isn't too pleased about being robbed, and any noise you make will stir its anger. It's good fun, though, as you push your luck to grab the most valuable treasures and get back to the surface before your luck runs out. The second game to arrive was an expansion for Cascadia. I absolutely love playing this with my son, so getting the expansion was a no brainer. It adds some interesting twists to the original game, making the terrain types more important for the final scoring. Plus, the "Landmarks" expansion, as it's called, lets up to six players join in, which is another bonus. The last game, which arrived just over a week ago, is called Canvas. For me, this game is as easy to get into as Art Society. However, it introduces a neat drafting mechanic that lets you create composite artworks to score the most points. While there's a bit of competition and you can stop other players from getting better cards, it's still largely a solo task. Again, the gorgeous artwork certainly helps make this game an interesting addition to any collection.


Funnily enough, I have realised that I have also chosen to order games that have digital PC adaptations. Perhaps the main reason is that it will allow me to play against an AI opponent and hopefully help me crack the puzzles they both present. The digital version of Clank! is very well presented and has a great tutorial to help players get to grips with the game's interface and symbols. It also comes with some thematic animations that bring the game to life, like the dragon's attack spewing fire and "Clank!" cubes at the affected players. Similarly, Canvas also has a digital version, though in this case, it's still in pre-release. From what I've seen and experienced through the app, the digital version of the game is pretty well made. The designers and developers have done a good job of putting the rules into the game, making every decision and selection intuitive. But what really matters with these digital versions is that they let you experience the games in a really immersive way. When they manage that, they become great tools for learning how to play, while also improving the quality of your game.



I have also had the opportunity to try out two other titles at my club called “Verdant” and the classic Stefan Feld title “The Castles of Burgundy”. I had never played either but I must say I was pleasantly entertained by both. Verdant invites you into a world of houseplants and curated greenery whereas “Castles” hails back to the earlier Eurogames which offered what we now term “point salad” scoring. Again here, while Verdant is only a three-year-old, Castles of Burgundy was first published in 2011, making it a teenager in board-game years. 


Aside from the games I've already mentioned, discovering new titles that genuinely catch my interest remains challenging. There's one, a Santorini standalone expansion called "Santorini - Puzzle of the Sphinx", which promises a co-operative puzzle game as well as a solo option, both of which I quite enjoy. As my board game collection grows, I feel somewhat unsure whether this hobby has proper staying power for me. I still love board games with a passion, and I doubt that will ever change. Still, the chances to play what I have are limited. I'd thought joining a board game club would help me enjoy these games a bit more, but actually, time at the club has only made the tiniest dent in my total hours of play, at least so far. You could argue that there was a dent and I should be grateful, but that's just human nature I guess. Then there's the matter of my home games. Luckily, so far, it's been encouraging, and I'm hoping that bodes well for the coming months. If all goes to plan, we have anything between five to seven sessions to look forward to, and I'm hoping they'll be memorable and enjoyable.


This personal journey through board games, both the new and the old, has always been about more than just the games themselves for me. It  has been and is about shared moments, enjoyable challenges, and the liberating pleasure of play. As far as I am concerned, it's a passion that continues to evolve, and I still look forward to discovering the next gem amidst all the chaff. Until my next blog!



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