New to Me – December 2025

This is going to be an unusual “new to me” post, because there is literally only one game on it!

December was a really slow month, as shown on Friday’s post.

A really low amount of games, covered only because of a bunch of plays of two different games.

A couple of Sundays were cancelled, especially Sundays that I was hoping/planning to bring out a new game (though it is only a “new” game because I haven’t played it, since I bought it in 2024), but those game days were cancelled due to a low number of people able/willing to join us.

Thus, the Cult of the New to Me gave me a pass this month.

No rebellion, no trying to take me out (though they did take me out to Christmas dinner, which was amazing!).

(though I do miss my grandma’s deviled eggs!)

I think it helped that the one game was from 2022, so while it’s not “old,” it’s certainly not “new” in the boardgame sense.

Let’s make this short and sweet.

Without further ado (all of my ado was lost down in the dungeon anyway), let’s get this minor post started!

Clank: Catacombs (2022 – Dire Wolf Digital) – 1 play

Designer: Paul Dennen

Artists: Lots!

Players: 2-4 players

When I first played Clank, I was a bit underwhelmed (having already played, and loved, Clank in Space). I missed the factions on the cards that gave you extra benefits, I wasn’t happy that you could run in, grab a minor artifact, and run out, literally triggering the endgame.

I started appreciating it more with the Dire Wolf Digital app that came out, which I loved.

When Clank: Catacombs came out, the random nature of the dungeon, putting a random tile out when you leave your current tile, was actually really intriguing!

However, I didn’t want to spend the money for it with so many other games that I was buying and I haven’t had the chance to play it.

Finally, it came out from somebody else and I got the chance to play it!

Incidentally, it also came out with the Lairs & Lost Chambers expansion and the Underworld expansion, which really didn’t add much complexity but added some cool stuff.

Anyway, I really enjoyed this one, even though I still miss the factions and it’s still too possible to do a smash and grab to grab the cheapest artifact.

It’s not quite as much of a problem because you don’t know when the artifact tile is going to come out!

It was so mysterious that I didn’t take a picture!

Sorry about that.

Anyway, I love the exploration factor in Clank Catacombs, where you are going off the side of the tile you’re on and who knows what’s coming?

Some tiles have to be placed in a certain orientation (if they have green arrows) but otherwise you get to choose how they’re oriented.

That’s a nice mechanic.

The above picture is also a lost chamber, where you can get some cool stuff if you can defeat the Sphinx.

The Underground expansion adds even more depths that you can explore through ladders that show up on tiles.

We didn’t use this a whole lot, but it was a nice addition and it was good to know it was there.

It also adds a new 16-point artifact that you can choose to go after if you want.

I really enjoyed this one!

I’d love to play this again, definitely over the original Clank and even, given time constraints, over Clank in Space.

That’s because other than setup time (you have to shuffle all the tiles and stuff), this isn’t much longer than the original Clank, which is much shorter than Clank in Space.

There are a bunch of new cards too which adds to the variety.

Another thing I like about this one is that you have lockpicks instead of having to buy a Master Key at the market.

You can spend lockpicks to permanently open doors (for everybody), but if you find yourself in a room with a prison or a Major Secret, you can spend the lockpick to free them or get the secret.

It’s not automatic like it was in the base game, and the Prisoners are no longer cards, but actual Prisoner tiles (which unfortunately I never rescued any, so I don’t have a picture of those either).

However, some cards depend on prisoners, like the Brave Hero above.

I would love to keep playing this game, and the base game (other than the app), I can take or leave.

But this one stays with me and I hope we do get more chances to play it.

Maybe with players who don’t want to smash and grab (again, that is a major flaw in the game).

That being said, Catacombs does mitigate that smash and grab tendency a little bit, mainly because it’s not always easy to get back to the beginning when you get to an artifact tile.

I agree, little urchin.

Anyway, January should have many more new to me games, so the post will be more substantial.

For now, just enjoy the fact that while there was only one game on this list, it was an amazing one!

What new to you games did you play in December?

Let me know in the comments.