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Yet where does one start? With so many titles to choose from, the process can become overwhelming. Classic titles like Dungeons & Dragons are great experiences to have but for those looking for something more streamlined or one-off games that don’t carry over (or take up too much time), there are other alternatives.
8 War Of The Ring 2nd Edition
Fans of Lord Of The Rings can rejoice. This board game faithfully attempts to recreate the showdown between good and evil during the 3rd age of Middle Earth and the events of the trilogy. War of the Ring is a 2-player epic experience that features an asymmetrical wargame. The forces of good have a limited supply of troops and must secretly guide the ringbearer towards Mount Doom whilst the forces of evil have overwhelming numbers but must find or corrupt the ringbearer before it’s too late.
In a game of cat-and-mouse, both sides of the conflict offer a unique experience and different flavor of tension. The game also contains the entire Middle Earth map that includes the other areas of Gondor and Northern regions, making the conflict truly grand and epic in scale.
7 Rising Sun
Rising Sun is a game whereby players take on various clans and utilize the powers of different Kami (gods) to become the most powerful Shogun of Japan. Like Risk, players will make temporary alliances and conquer regions to acquire dominance. The game also introduces an honor system whereby having high or low honor will grant several advantages and abilities depending on where players lie on the spectrum.
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Players will engage in negotiations, diplomacy, warfare, and bribery to further their causes. Rising Sun also features distinct factions ensuring different advantages and styles of play for each faction.
6 Vindication
This is a fantasy tabletop game where players are exiled onto a mysterious island and must regain their honor by acquiring new companions, positive character traits, and strange relics. Vindication also draws parallels from the popular Path Of Exile video game.
Players will slowly discover an island that offers various actions and opportunities. They will have to utilize their potential and influence (actual resources in the game) to carry out these actions and build their characters. Vindication offers multiple pathways to victory as players mold their champions however they like.
5 Too Many Bones
Known as a dice-builder RPG, Too Many Bones players will get to experience a new strategic fantasy world that involves dice in a completely different way. Players can go solo or team up with others as they choose from several classes and use over 100+ specialized dice. The game features campaigns and typically involves 8-12 battles before a boss encounter.
The game also features story-based decisions which will determine the fights, choices, and areas that are explored, with dice woven into the frame of the game. At times light-hearted and hilarious and other times nerve-wracking, Too Many Bones offers a breath of fresh air for fans of the fantasy board game genre.
4 Root
Imagine Risk but set in a cute woodland and foresty region, and the result would be Root. Featuring cats, foxes, birds, and culty lizards, the game is very adorable, but remember that looks can be deceiving. Root is a card-driven and area control board game that features asymmetrical factions vying for power within the forest. What’s interesting is that each faction’s mechanics plays very differently, unlike Risk and other war games.
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The base game includes the current rulers of the forest, the Cats, who win by constructing buildings and crafting items. Meanwhile, the Eyrie dynasty made up of birds must take back their former empire by building roosts and following their programming before they fall back into squabbling. Hiding in the shadows is the Woodland Alliance, a rag-tag group of animals who employ guerilla attacks to overthrow their would-be overseers, whilst the Vagabond must play all sides to pursue their hidden goal. Fun, different, and gorgeous to look at,Root has multiple expansions and offers several other factions to spice up the game every single time.
3 Terra Mystica
Terra Mystica is best described as an economic and territory-building strategy game that involves very little luck. Players will govern 1 of 14 factions, attempting to transform the landscape on the game board to place structures in those locations. Using guile and subtlety, players attempt to rule as large an area as they can and develop their race’s skills.
Terra Mystica also features four religious cults that players can pursue to receive benefits. The game can get intense if players happen to be close to each other as being nearby to rivals grants powers but also means difficulty when expanding.
2 Spirit Island
Imagine instead of colonizing or taking over islands, players must repel invaders seeking to do so. In Spirit Island (or ‘Reverse Catan’), players will assume the role of an island deity and must use their powers to work alongside local tribes and remove foreign invaders that want the island for themselves. A cooperative experience that has players work alone or with others, each spirit is aligned with a specific element and has unique abilities to overwhelm and subdue adversaries.
With several spirits to choose from and different types of enemies (eg. Swedish mining colony), Spirit Island always delivers a fresh experience as players discover new and improved ways to synergize their abilities against the filthy colonizers.
1 Gloomhaven
The no.1 Board Game on Board Game Geek, Gloomhaven offers gamers an alternative to the DND experience. Playing as mercenaries, players will embark on a campaign and travel from dungeon to dungeon fighting and looting a variety of enemies. How this game differs from other dungeon crawlers is that it utilizes a unique card system that represents both skills to be used and as a ‘life’ meter.
Players must choose their cards carefully during play as burning them up too fast will mean that their mercenary will become exhausted and be removed from the game. With several classes to choose from and different versions of the game such as Gloomhaven: Jaws Of The Lion and Frosthaven, the game offers a fresh and strategic experience for fans of the fantasy genre. A digital version also exists that is significantly more affordable and streamlined.
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