Current Top 10 Board Games

I will maintain a "Current Top 10" list to the right side of this blog. But I will also make a blog posting on that list whenever it changes to keep a running record of how my personal opinion changes over time.

As mentioned on the right, this list reflects my current rankings based on my own reasons. I will from time to time share those reasons in a review, but the appearance in the list could be subjective. I see no need to scientifically analyze each game and produce a "rating engine" - how can you hope to quantify a measure so elusive as that special magic that happens when people enjoy a board game?

So, for the first list, I offer the following:

1. Trajan - Love the Mancala. Hate the Mancala. Love the choices of actions.
2. Bora Bora -The "dice as a random-strength worker" is well executed and has mechanisms to alter the fate dealt (rolled?) you. The myriad of choices presented you is in line with Trajan - there are plenty.
3. Castles of Burgundy -Another excellent "dice as a random-strength worker". Compared to Trajan and Bora Bora, this game feels lighter to me - but in a most excellent way! Superb game.
4. Agricola -Yes, I understand the comments made about the cards and the possibility of unbalanced cards and all that. But, holding a "card draft" for the game can help to minimize that. I really enjoy the game immensely.
5. Village -I enjoy this game a lot. The mechanic of the generations of workers passing away is really neat. It really makes you plan for the investment of your workers.
6. Macao -My first plays were a two- and three-player game, after each I said, "Meh, is that all?" Sorta dry. After my third play, a three-player game, something started grabbing me. My fourth play was a four-player game and I thoroughly enjoyed the game. It plays fast and has all those Feldian elements.
7. Lancaster - Good game. Nice worker placement mechanics. I like the voting for laws too. I actually feel like the Henry V expansion weakens the game by placing too many more options into the game. Which sounds really weird for me to say since I like having a lot of options. More plays with the expansion will prove me right or wrong in my own mind.
8. Goa -I was really pleased when this got reprinted. I really like the auction mechanic. This was one of the first Euros I ever played years ago.
9. Alhambra -A favorite for the family. We have a few cherry-picked expansions that we enjoy. The fact that it plays six is a big help to get it on the table too.
10. Caylus - Ah yes. Caylus. I like it. A good friend of mine also enjoyed it with me - but since he moved away, this gem gas not made the table. I vow that it shall soon.

So, the list is pretty Stefan Feld heavy at this time with four titles in the list (including the top three). This is in part due to my recent introduction to some of these games and the recent introduction of some of the games themselves. Also, I really enjoy Feld. I like that he gives you some elements of control and that he reserves other elements of control for the game itself. In so doing, he causes you to not only make plans for success, but to deal with intrusions to that plan. Rather like many of my favorite miniature wargame rules.If I wanted perfect information and total control about my path through the game, I could play checkers.

Assumptions About the Future
Troyes (and the Ladies of Troyes) is arriving on Wednesday...so...I am guessing that this will make its way into the current top ten soon. We'll see where it lands and who it bumps.

Honorable Mention
Well, the games that meet my rule and did not make the current list are:

1. In the Shadow of the Emperor.
2. Pillars of the Earth.
3. Puerto Rico.