Thomas Wells

Rise & Fall. An evolution of Terra Mystica that surprises with each new play.



K. David Ladage

Twilight Imperium 4e. When my game group suggested a monthly game of this (especially given how distant we are from one another), I did not think this would work. Real life got in the way a couple of times, but we managed nine plays of that behemoth this year.



Jessie Fletcher

It’s Slay the Spire: The Board Game for me. The way it manages to be a loyal adaptation of the video game without getting bogged down in the details and provides a completely new multiplayer cooperative experience is just fantastic.



Abram Towle

Castle Combo. It's quick, snappy, and gets even more rewarding as you learn the intricacies of each deck. I will gladly churn out a game of this whenever someone asks, but I'll likely request a second play immediately after.



Tom Franklin

Spicy. Who knew I was so into really good bluffing games?



Mark Iradian

Bomb Busters. An amazingly simple cooperative game that thrusts accountability to its players. Little randomness in the game, and the only challenge to overcome is the incompetence of your group that you will eventually witness. All of this with a game with limited components. 



Will Hare

Dead by Daylight. The video game itself is sort of janky, and I thought there was no way a board game adaptation wouldn't be as well. But instead Level 99 Games put together a very complete package with a ton of replayability. The 1v4 gameplay is addicting.