My favorite board games in early 2024
I thought it would be interesting to write up a "favorite board games" post once per year to see how my preferences evolve.
Here's the first installment from early 2024. It's split into three parts: games I'm currently playing, games I'd like to try, and games I'd like to play again. As I'm currently living in the remote town of Kiruna, Sweden, this list is partly constrained by the availability of games. Nevertheless, there are some board games available at the student board gaming evening every Wednesday, and some of my favorites have digital versions available. And thankfully there's also Tabletop Simulator.
Games I'm currently playing
Dune Imperium
Released at the same time as the first Dune movie by Denis Villeneuve in 2021, Dune Imperium by Direwolf Games has quickly risen to the top 10 on BoardGameGeek, and no wonder. It combines deck building, worker placement, and combat mechanics into a re-playable package with a Dune ambiance. Combined with the Rise of Ix expansion, this is my clear favorite board game right now.
Terraforming Mars
Right on the heels of Dune Imperium on BGG's top 10, and on my personal favorites list as well there is Terraforming Mars. Released in 2016 by the Swedish studio FryxGames, this game has already achieved classic status. I like it for its clear mechanics, huge variance in cards ("projects") you can buy, and consequently the replayability that's introduced.
Games I'd like to try
War of the Ring
I recently re-read Lord of the Rings and am now looking forward to watching the extended edition movies for the first time, having only seen the theatrical versions previously. As a side-effect, I've also been wanting to try this popular LOTR board game.
Dune Imperium: Uprising
Dune Imperium: Uprising is not just an expansion, but a standalone game with new mechanics. However, it is backward compatible with the original game and its expansions. Apparently, Uprising makes Dune Imperium even more tense and exciting, so I'd like to try it even though I'm not ready to buy it outright.
Games I'd like to play again more
Wingspan
A true classic in my book, Wingspan was the first real "designer" board game I played. With all the expansions (although I don't like playing with Oceania too much) the game is rich in detail and the nature-inspired ambiance is fantastic. The game is currently in my storage, but I'm looking forward to playing it again once I'm back in Finland.
Dead of Winter
In contrast to the other games on this list, Dead of Winter is way down on BGG's list but ticks a lot of boxes for me. Maybe I just haven't played enough co-op games, but the co-op aspect is indeed what stands out with this game. Dead of Winter is great to play in December or January since it matches so well with the dark wintery mood of that period of the year.
Gloomhaven (digital)
Another co-op, Gloomhaven is on the very top of BGG, and I like it too for its wide variety of characters and their associated decks. The storyline isn't bad either, although I feel like I don't really pay attention to it. Gloomhaven is best played digitally since it takes ages to set up in the real world (and costs a fortune).