Hello everybody! Last year, I presented Peter's and my top 10 games of all time on Valentine's Day and wrote a bit about the benefits and drawbacks of primarily gaming with your significant other. This year, I've decided to present our lists again with a little :) :soblue: list at the bottom. I will try to make this a Valentine's Day tradition because I really enjoy learning about Peter's absolute favorites and Peter enjoys learning about mine and I think that Valentine's Day is the most fitting day for us to do this!
Peter's Top 10
Peter most enjoys games that are easy on the brain and quick to play, but offer plenty of strategic decisions. That said, he does love heavier games, but only ones that fit his thematic preferences. His appreciation of games is strongly affected by their themes and he typically cannot get behind games that contradict his thematic tastes. His preferred themes are real-life themes (like building cities or curing disease or running wineries or running airports), but he also loves space games. Peter created this list based on the games he most wants to play most of the time and games he could play every day. His "bubble games" include Kingdom Builder, Far Space Foundry, AquaSphere, Race for the Galaxy, and Tzolk'in: The Mayan Calendar. He really wanted to put those in his top 10, but a top 10 can only have 10 games.
This game was Peter's number 1 last year and it's here again this year.
Peter says (in paraphrase)
Peter loves the resource conversion and the challenge of Le Havre. He also likes the ship theme. Somehow, it manages to keep him engaged despite its relatively long play time.
Mina Says
This is one of my less favorite Uwe Rosenberg games. The feeding in this game stresses me out way more than that in Agricola and the game takes a very long time to play. I don't like to be that much on edge for that long.
The Capitals has not budged either.
Peter says (in paraphrase)
Peter LOVES the artwork in this game and he loves the challenge of balancing the various tracks (income, population, employment, culture, etc.). City building is Peter's all-time favorite theme and this is his all-time favorite city builder.
Mina Says
I enjoy The Capitals. It's another game that stresses me out. I really have to be in the right mood to play it, but when I'm in the mood for it, I love it.
Clinic also holds its 2015 place in 2016 at #3.
Peter says (in paraphrase)
Peter loves Clinic because it's a modern theme and the game allows him to build something. What I wrote last year still stands. The clever mechanism of managing patient intake (sort of pick-up-and-deliver) in Clinic is akin to a mechanism Peter used to talk about for his imaginary board game of "Air Traffic Controller." So he loves the game because it does something that his own ideal board game would do.
Mina Says
Clinic holds a special place in my heart. Indeed, I was so inspired by this game, that I decided to make it my first review ever (Mina's Not-So-Mini Review - Clinic)! This was probably the start of Mina's Fresh Cardboard, so THANK YOU ALBAN! :)
Peter says (in paraphrase)
Peter loves the wine-making theme, the uber high-quality pieces in our Collector's Edition, the artwork, and the sense of having built a winery at the end of the game. Peter does not care whether he wins or loses AT ALL in this game. In fact, much of the time, he doesn't even actively try to win; he just tries to make his winery the way he wants to make it.
Mina Says
I do love Viticulture, but I only truly love it with the Tuscany expansion. That expansion adds so many interesting decision points and so much game-to-game variability that it nearly turns Viticulture into a different game. I'm not typically a huge fan of racing games, but tension in this one is palpable and it isn't typically obvious who will win.
Peter says (in paraphrase)
Peter loves how quickly this game can be played, how elegant the game system is, and how intense and interesting every decision feels. He loves the tableau building and the interaction between the cards and the pieces on the board. He loves the element of luck and the game-to-game variety.
Mina Says
I agree with Peter's assessment of Deus. I think the game plays like poetry; the rules and mechanisms are so simple and smooth and yet the gameplay is so intricate and interesting. The luck element has been a negative for me in a few games, but for the most part, I've had a lot of fun with Deus!
Peter says (in paraphrase)
Peter could play Subdivision all day every day. He loves it that much. He loves the quick play time, the puzzle, the feeling of having built something, and the sense of having bested (or at least tried to best) his previous score. He also loves playing through the various scenarios, which make the game highly replayable.
Mina Says
I agree with Peter on all counts. Subdivision is one of my favorite fillers. I love the puzzle of trying to find the best positions for the various tiles and I love trying to outdo myself every time. I also love the different challenges provided by the various scenarios.
Peter says (in paraphrase)
Peter loves the quick, simple puzzle of this game and he LOVES the artwork. He prefers the chunky cardboard pieces in Cities to the cardstock used in Limes, but he loves both games.
Mina Says
I love Cities and I love Limes. I agree with Peter, but I prefer the more vibrant colors in Limes.
Peter says (in paraphrase)
Peter loves the theme of this game. It's very video game-y and Peter lovers his video games. He loves the fast play time and the strategic and tactical choices in the drafting. The various types of cards (Holdings, Thugs, and Events) and their availability in the draft create different choices in each game. The game has very high replay value.
Mina Says
I love Greed, but I don't love it as much as Peter does. However, tableau building and drafting are among my favorite game mechanisms and they are done very well in Greed. The drafting is reminiscent of that in Fairy Tale, where you secretly draft a certain number of cards before you actually play them. This generates some interesting mind reading and opportunities for risk taking. It's a great little game.
Peter says (in paraphrase)
Peter LOVES Ora et Labora. It is his second favorite Uwe Rosenberg game. It is also the Uwe Rosenberg game that is most similar to his favorite Uwe Rosenberg game - Le Havre. Peter loves the resource conversion, quick setup time, and competition for buildings.
Mina Says
It's in my top 10!
Peter says (in paraphrase)
This game is like a walk in the park. It's easy on the mind, but still stimulating and engaging. Peter loves the simplicity of the mechanisms and the sense of having build something at the end of the game. He also loves the quick setup and play time.
Mina Says
I agree with Peter. Sanssouci is an excellent game and one of my favorites to play when I'm tired and want a quick pick-me-up. It gives me some interesting decisions to make, but it doesn't burn my brain. I will happily play it whether I'm sick and have a headache or whether I just want a quick pleasant filler.
Mina Says
TM has not budged since last year or the year before or the year before that. It is still my favorite game of all time and will likely continue to be for the rest of eternity :P. I'm sure something awesome will come along to dethrone it, but I haven't experienced anything that would even come close thus far.
TM is a game that makes me happy because of
:) Huge variety in unique player powers that strongly affect strategy and tactics
:) And consequently, a huge variety in the combinations of unique player powers that strongly affect strategy and tactics. No two games of TM feel the same and there are many routes to victory and directions to explore.
:) Incredibly deep with many strategies to explore
:) Playable in 45 minutes with 2 experienced players
:) Huge variety in in-game scoring and end-of-round bonuses that affect strategy and the value of the various races
:) Challenging network building that can get contentious even with just 2 players involved (certain race combinations make this more/less likely)
Peter says (in paraphrase)
Peter loves TM! It's not his favorite and he loses all the time, but he has fun trying to outwit me nonetheless.
Mina Says
Eclipse was on my top 10 last year and it firmly remains in my top 10 this year. Here is why:
:) Gorgeous
:) Huge variety in unique player powers that strongly affect strategy and tactics
:) Huge breadth of decision points
:) A fun dose of randomness
BUT
:soblue: Takes a long time to set up
Peter says (in paraphrase)
Peter thinks Eclipse takes too much effort to set up and tear down and finds it quite heavy. However, he thinks it's a great game and has fun when I set it up and put it away.
Mina Says
Fields of Arle was also on my list last year and it's on the list again this year.
:) Beautiful
:) Surprising amount of game-to-game variability generated, for the most part, by the slightly random assortment of buildings and actions of your opponent
:) Great sense of accomplishment at the end; you can look upon your farming empire with pride
:) Deep and highly strategic
BUT
:soblue: Takes a long time to set up
Peter says (in paraphrase)
This is not one of Peter's favorite Uwe games, but he thinks it's a good one. He thinks it takes a lot of effort to set up and tear down and finds it to be very heavy. It's not one he could play every night and will flat out refuse to play it when he's even a little tired.
Mina Says
Agricola was also on my list last year and continues to remain this year.
:) The "draft" of Minor Improvement and Occupation cards that determines your strategy for the game is incredibly engaging and exciting. Selecting the optimal cards to combo with each other is a lot of fun.
:) Challenging
:) Features an incredible amount of variability with Minor Improvement and Occupation cards
:) Plays quite quickly (we usually get it done in under 60 min)
:) Each and every decision is crucial
:) Animals!
BUT
:soblue: Feeding people can be very stressful
Peter says (in paraphrase)
Agricola is bubble material for Peter. He loves how quick it is to set up and play.
Mina Says
Ora et Labora is making its debut on my list this year and at #5! It's a brilliant Uwe Rosenberg game that I neglected to pick up during the previous print run. Happily, it was re-printed this year and both Peter and I have enjoyed our time with it tremendously.
:) Intricate spatial optimization puzzle
:) Interesting interaction between players in being able to pay other players' available workers to work for you in their buildings
:) Interesting resource conversion chains
:) So engaging that the longish playtime (around 90 minutes with 2) seems to fly by
Peter says (in paraphrase)
Also in his top 10!
Mina Says
Mage Knight dropped slightly since last year, but only because Peter likes some of my other favorites more, so they take less convincing to get to the table. The Mage Knight Board Game: Shades of Tezla Expansion expansion introduced a 45-minute Lost Relic scenario that makes the game playable even when we have less time on our hands.
:) Determining how best to use your hand each turn is a most fun puzzle!
:) There is a good number of playable characters with wildly different play styles and strategies
:) There is a huge variety of scenarios that completely alter the goal and progress of the game
:) Leveling up and acquiring loot happens at a good, consistent pace that keeps me feeling like I'm getting more and more powerful throughout the game
:) The game is very deep and filled with combos and strategies to explore
BUT
:soblue: Takes a long time to set up and tear down and in some cases, play
Peter says (in paraphrase)
Peter likes Mage Knight and plays it because I love it so much, but he wouldn't actively request it very frequently, if at all, if I didn't love it as much as I do.
Mina Says
Mombasa is a new game on my top 10 this year, which is fitting because it was a 2015 release.
:) Super cool and challenging action selection mechanism
:) Intricate interconnections between actions that create difficult decision points and demand a lot of planning
:) All the options are good ones; you just have to determine the best one for you
:) Interactive, but not mean
:) Plenty of game-to-game variability and replay value
Peter says (in paraphrase)
Peter enjoys Mombasa, but it's a wee bit too heavy and long to be one of his favorites.
Mina Says
Trickerion is a wonder. It is so deep, rich, and intense.
:) Interesting take on worker placement; different workers have different amounts of action points and the worker placement spaces have action point modifiers
:) Breathtakingly beautiful
:) Incredible amount of game-to-game variability
:) Many interesting choices
:) Playable on two levels
:) Many opportunities to create exciting combos
:) Variable player powers!
:soblue: Takes a long time to play
:soblue: Felt like too much stuff put into one game at first, but not so any more
Peter says (in paraphrase)
Peter adores the artwork in Trickerion and he finds that the artwork helps to pull him into the theme. He really enjoys the game, but finds it a bit too heavy, long, and fiddly to be among his favorites.
Mina Says
Argent just grabbed me from the minute I first played it. The theme, the beautiful artwork, the breadth of options...it just spoke to me.
:) Vibrant, colorful, and high quality everything
:) Interesting hidden end-game scoring mechanism
:) Interesting take on worker placement, with multiple types of workers, each of which has unique powers
:) Huge breadth of options on each turn
:) Even though there is some negative interaction, it is typically not utterly devastating and you can get some positive benefit from it or protect yourself against it
:) Insane amount of game-to-game variability and through-the-roof replay value
:) Variable player powers
:) The theme really comes through and it's a theme I love!
:) FUN!
Peter says (in paraphrase)
Peter loves Argent, but he does not like having to fully open up our table to accommodate the ginormous entirety of the game. He is happy to play it because he knows how happy it makes me and he really gets into the theme.
Mina Says
Roll for the Galaxy was nowhere near my top 10 games of all time at this time last year. I had to bump it up this year because I just keep wanting to play it.
:) Takes 15-20 minutes to play
:) The tension of a race is present, but the winner won't be obvious until the end
:) It's fun to try to make the most out of the tiles you draw and to try to create the best combinations in the short amount of time you have available
:) Each and every game plays out very differently due to the plethora of starting worlds and developments and worlds and developments that are drawn
:) The luck of the dice can be mitigated
:) Gorgeous artwork
Peter says (in paraphrase)
Peter loves Roll, but I am so much better at it than he is that it makes him feel quite hopeless sometimes. It was on his top 10 last year, but dropped out this year due to...more games. Nevertheless, Peter does love Roll and he does love trying to beat me...most of the time.
Peter and I play board games each and every night. Whether we are at a hotel, on an airplane, or at home, we have played at least one game every day for the past 3+ years. And since my previous Valentine's Day post, we have acquired numerous new towers of games and enjoyed more time with games and each other than ever before. I feel very fortunate to have a willing and ready gaming partner at my disposal at all times and am well aware of the fact that he is the main reason I am able to play so many games each week. I repeatedly get asked about how I have time to play the number of games that I do AND write about them each week. Peter is the answer. He comes home from work, I go to the gym (which is in my building, so I don't spend any time going anywhere) while he works out on his bike in our condo, we have dinner, and then we have the rest of the night to play games. We stay up late. We play games while waiting for food to cook or laundry to get done over the weekend. Because I have Peter, the time I would have to spend traveling to and from a board game group is the time I can spend playing 2 or 3 board games instead. Peter is my board game group and he is all the board game group I really need.
So, here are some advantages to being a gamer couple that we have experienced. I wrote about some of them in my post last year, but others are new additions this year :).
:) You can play games whenever you have any seconds of free time! Waiting for laundry to tumble or stew to cook = game time!
:) You can play in pajamas and with no makeup!
:) You don't have to spend any time traveling to and from a location other than your home.
:) You can play with a warm puppy in your lap.
:) Games that can be played at higher player counts but also accommodate 2 players typically become significantly less random and more strategic when played with just 2. I enjoy strategic games.
:) Games played with 2 are less about negotiation and diplomacy and more about sheer brain power. I find out-thinking my opponent a lot more satisfying than bashing a leader or forming an alliance or doing other such things to get ahead.
:) Playing a game with only 2 players takes significantly less time than playing at a higher player count, so you have more time for more games!
:) Gaming at home means that you can finish at midnight or 2 am and go straight to bed.
:) Games help you learn about each other. They really do! Peter was not aware of how vicious I can be before we started playing games and he still loves me! :P
:) Games allow you to spend time interacting with each other rather than just sitting next to each other on a couch. They create a unique space in which to interact and grow together.
:) I worry about dementia. I'm only 32 and Peter is only 31, but his grandmother had Alzheimer's and my grandfather died of Alzheimer's at a not-very-advanced age; dementia is the most frightening thing in the world to me. Brain exercise is one of the best way to stave off the onset of dementia. I know I sound like a mother or teacher, but the fact that we are exercising our brains together and helping each other in the process is a significant plus for board gaming together in my books.
:) It's a lot easier to convince someone who loves you to play a game that you love and really want to play than it is to convince a dubious stranger, acquaintance, or friend.
:) It's a lot more satisfying to play a game you don't enjoy to please your partner than to please a stranger or acquaintance.
Now, it's not all roses and Valentines. There are flip sides to a lot of these :)...
:soblue: You can't play games that require at least 3 players.
:soblue: Some games that purportedly support 2 players simply don't. I call those games liars.
Is that it for the negatives?
Yup. Because my LOVE METER rating for couples gaming is :heart::heart::heart::heart::heart: ALL LOVE ALL THE TIME
If you'd like to read what I wrote last year,click here.