The long awaited continuation of my Top 10 Games of 2017 is here! If you missed part one, you can find it here. I don't have a long-winded introduction this time, so let's just get to the list!
#5: Yamataï
Days of Wonder game? Check. Designer of Five Tribes? Check. Yamatai should have been everything I could desire in a game, but here it is at #5 of the year. Don't get me wrong, it's a super solid game and has some similarities to Five Tribes, but this might be my disappointment of the year. It's just...fine. The mechanics are interesting, but it borrows a bit from Five Tribes and it just feels kind of same-y.
I know you're thinking, "Scott, why is it #5 on your list then?". Good question. It's still a good game, better than Azul by my standards, but probably not better than my #7-#10. Difference? I've played this 3 or 4 times, I know it's solid, I don't know if the others hold up. They probably do, but we'll see. What I do like about this game is the different paths to victory, similar to Five Tribes. Want to focus on building? Cool. Want to focus on recruiting specialists? Cool. It offers some fun and interesting choices
I know you're thinking, "Scott, why is it #5 on your list then?". Good question. It's still a good game, better than Azul by my standards, but probably not better than my #7-#10. Difference? I've played this 3 or 4 times, I know it's solid, I don't know if the others hold up. They probably do, but we'll see. What I do like about this game is the different paths to victory, similar to Five Tribes. Want to focus on building? Cool. Want to focus on recruiting specialists? Cool. It offers some fun and interesting choices
While the game is definitely interesting, it does have one giant flaw. Good luck playing this if you're colorblind. Above is a picture of a completed game viewed through a colorblind filter, all of which make it look like component soup. It hasn't been an issue for me or those I've played with, but consider this your red flag.
#4: Sagrada
Quite possibly the prettiest game of the year, and my most played, Sagrada is a stunning game that came out of nowhere on a wave of Kickstarter hype. Sagrada is an easy-to-teach, puzzle-y dice-drafting game that just hits a lot of check-boxes that I like in a game. Sure, the theme is mostly pasted-on, but how many games do you see about stained glass windows?
I don't really have a complaint about the game, but I'm looking forward to a potential expansion to add some additional powers and maybe even some new window cards. It does have a few downfalls that a lot of drafting games do where one player can let another have exactly what they need, but for the most part it's so fast and light-hearted that it doesn't matter.
#3: Downforce
Entry #2 from Restoration Games on this list, and this time with a racing game. Downforce puts a couple of interesting twists on the racing genre in that it is both card-driven (pun intended) and forces players to become invested in one another's success. Not only do you want your car to win, you bet on the potential winners even if that doesn't include your car.
Downforce has a lot of cool mechanics: Interesting movement, clever blocking moves, and interesting player powers. The game comes with a double sided map board, but I'm looking forward to additional maps to ramp up the blocking or to allow for some interesting player interactions. Super fun game and a great take on racing that's accessible to just about everyone.
#2: Ethnos
Ethnos is a relatively simple, gateway-level game in the vein of Ticket to Ride or Carcassonne, which is usually a huge negative for me. However, the clever card-play and area control was a huge success for me. So what makes Ethnos a success and the others as a solid "meh"? In-the-box variability. I would probably enjoy playing Ticket to Ride on a bunch of different maps with some variations, and likewise an expansion or two makes Carcassonne a pretty good game.
Ethnos, however, comes with different creatures that can totally alter the game depending on the combination. Each game is an interesting blend of different cards that makes each game feel different enough and allows you to really explore the different strategies. While it's not the most visually appealing game, it's definitely not bad. I'd put it up against any traditional gateway game in a heartbeat and I'd wager it's probably a better choice for someone into fantasy than trains on a map.
#1: Bunny Kingdom
Raise your hand if you saw this one coming. Now put it back down, because you're lying. I had less than zero expectations for an over-produced game by a designer that I don't care for at all. What I ended up with is my favorite drafting game, not of the year, but overall. Better than 7 Wonders, Sushi Go!, Seasons, on and on. This game has torturous decisions, interesting interplay between characters, hate drafting, and various paths to victory. Oh and how do you score? BY MULTIPLYING!! Get it? They're bunnies!
If I have one qualm with the game, it's the miniscule board. There's absolutely no reason for the score track to take up 1/4 of the board and leave little baby spots for the area control aspect. It's certainly worth getting past, though, the game is a fascinating interaction between the players. The theme is adorable, the mechanisms are great, the art is surprisingly good, and the total package is a huge success. You may be dubious of the title, but the game is fantastic and absolutely worth a shot.