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A Gaming Life
Top 25 Games Played of All Time (10-6)
We’ve now entered the Top 10 Zone (it’s nowhere near as scary as the Friend Zone)
That’s right, the Top 10 Games I’ve Played of All Time (capitalization is very important here).
These are some amazing games, and if you follow me on Twitter (and if you’re not, why aren’t you?), you’ll probably see many references to them.
Please keep in mind the usual caveat that I haven’t played every game out there (I think Tom Vasel has probably played more games in a month than I’ve ever played).
So don’t be giving me any guff that your favourite game didn’t even rate a mention. I probably haven’t played it yet (or maybe you just don’t have taste…I mean maybe we don’t have the same taste) (Editor – nice save there)
Still have a beef?
And on that note (really, I’m not a violent person), here we go!
Going Against Type – Bezier Games to Release CABO Card Game
Bezier Games is most well-known for tile-laying games like Suburbia or Castles of Mad King Ludwig. Or, even more recently, the incredibly variable One-Night series (like One-Night Ultimate Werewolf or One-Night Ultimate Alien).
Now, my world has just shifted off of its axis.
Bezier has now announced the release a new version of the classic card game CABO designed by Melissa Limes & Mandy Henning back in 2010.
In CABO:
“Spy, swap, and peek to find CABO the unicorn while keeping the lowest amount of points possible to defeat your opponents! Rounds continue until one player reaches 100 or more points, the player with the lowest total wins!”
The game plays 2-4 players in around 45 minutes and has all new artwork for all 52 cards and is scheduled to release in April 2019.
This seems really out of the ordinary for Bezier Games. Are they going to start branching out into card games now?
Maybe if this sells well, they will.
Either way, it’s an interesting diversion and I wonder how it will do for them.
At a $9.95 price point, I can see this selling well.
Hell, I might even check it out! Lunchtime card games?
I’m on it.
Check CABO out when it hits stores in April.
Stronghold Games & Rex Brynen Reach Agreement on Aftershock Name Controversy
Good news has reached us here at Dude Central!
Since I’ve already posted twice on this issue (once criticizing Stronghold for the Twitter block campaign and then asking them to end it when they took the Aftershock Kickstarter campaign down), it’s only fair to post the good news.
Rex Brynen and Stronghold Games President Stephen Buonocore have reached an agreement ending the issue regarding the names of the games and how similar they were.
Kudos to Rex for being diligent about it, to Stephen to being open (eventually) to discussing it and it sounds like everything’s resolved to everybody’s satisfaction.
Stephen has also lifted all of the Twitter blocks as well.
Now, with all of this behind us, we can go back to enjoying the games that Stronghold produces (well, many of them anyway) and I don’t have to wonder whether I should even post my next Top 25 Games Played post (oops, spoiler!).
It’s all well that ends well.
On to more gaming!!!!!
Smash Up: International Incident Coming March 22!
(Edit – 12/20/19: For those finding this post some other way, the review is up!)
Long-time followers of this blog know how big a fan of Smash Up I am.
I’ve done tons of reviews for expansions (ok, three, but tons sounds better, doesn’t it?).
However, recent events have brought a few new followers (thank you for joining us!) who might not be aware.
This is not a Smash Up blog, so don’t worry. But there will definitely be some content about it.
(Smash Up is, incidentally, #27 on my Top list, so it won’t be appearing in any of those posts).
So imagine my giddy excitement when I saw the Alderac Entertainment Group announcement of the latest expansion coming on March 22.
It’s a never-ending train of Smash Up goodness!
World Tour: International Incident is the latest in the wacky saga designed by Paul Peterson.
Does this look jam-packed with goodness or am I just biased?
(Editor – Do you really want an answer to that?)
Top 25 Games Played of All Time (15-11)
After a steady couple of days (thanks, Reddit!), it’s time to get back to the real business of this blog.
That’s right, fashion shows board games!
Apologies for the delay in getting back to the Best Games Played of All Time after a rollicking start, but let’s just say that I hate colds (Editor – Wow, what a controversial stance to take. You should make placards).
Anyway, let’s rectify that by jumping into the Top 15 with five more games that I just love to play.
Before continuing, let’s make everything clear as usual.
I have played 296 games as of the time I ranked them (I’ve reached 300 now), so some “classics” aren’t going to be represented because I haven’t played them.
Don’t get your underwear in a knot if your favourite classic from 2005 isn’t on here.
With that being said, are we ready?
Ok, now that that’s we’ve covered that (nice hair, dude)…
An Open Letter to Stronghold Games
(Edit: A resolution has been reached!)
(Original post below)
It’s all over.
For now.
Yesterday, Stronghold Games pulled the Kickstarter for the new Aftershock game after it had fully funded.
According to company president Stephen Buonocore, this was because:
“the Deluxe Edition upgrades (and their associated costs) weren’t resonating with as many people as we had hoped.”
No mention of the naming controversy at all, though I do know at least a few of the original commenters who had pulled their pledges did so after hearing about it.
I’m sure he’s right, though, that the response to the deluxe items and such was very muted as well.
I’d like to post an open letter to Stronghold Games that I hope somebody will forward to them (since I’m still blocked on Twitter). I’d like to get back to the Stronghold Games that we all know and love.
I’m addressing it to Mr. Buonocore as well as Stronghold staff because we really don’t know where the “block” directive came from (though it’s likely, I’m being open-minded)
Here we go.
Stronghold Games Continuing Aftershock Twitter Tantrum
(Edit: The Aftershock Kickstarter campaign has been cancelled. Apparently due to the quiet response to some of the “deluxe” things they were offering. Nothing about this controversy, but I thought I would update you on that part at least.)
(2nd Edit: I’ve since posted an open letter to Stronghold Games suggesting that they do the right thing and end the Twitter silencing, as well as address the naming controversy.)
(3rd edit, in case you find this post first. A resolution has been reached!)
(Original post below)
I love Stronghold Games. I really do. (Look, I even still linked to their site).
I have nothing against them. In fact, I love many of their games (two have already appeared on my Top 25 Games Played ever, and there will be more, and sorry the Top 15 hasn’t shown up yet, but I’ve been sick).
From everything I’ve heard, and from people who I also like and respect, Stephen Buonocore is a great guy. One of these days, I’d love to go to a con and get a pic of him kissing me on the cheek like he has so many others.
Which is why I am completely mystified at what they’ve been doing on Twitter over the last few days.
What could have justified this?
Let’s tell a story.
New to Me – January 2019
Damn, I hate colds. Colds that work their way into your head and then just sit there, clogging up your sinuses until your head feels bigger than when you get a compliment from somebody you really admire.
But not in a good way.
The cold I’m currently suffering from almost made this post late, but thankfully I do most of these as I play the games, so there wasn’t as much to do this time around.
Conventions always make them a bit harder too, because I tend to get a lot of new games played at them.
So it’s a catch-22, as I get the joy of playing and discovering new games.
But then I have to write about them.
Not that I’m complaining! I love sharing these experiences with you.
Almost as much as I love my fellow Cult of the New to Me members, who have all taken pity on me because I’ve been sick.
In other words, there haven’t been any rebellions.
Instead, they’ve been bringing me hot toddies.
My food taster has had his fill of bourbon by this point.
So, without further adieu (all of my adieu was sold by my underling to somebody in Birmingham anyway), let’s get started!
Top 25 Games Played of All Time (20-16)
As a relatively new board game blogger (less than 2 years, and just hitting 200 posts), I sometimes don’t feel right making “Top 10” lists. The number of games I’ve played, in relative terms, would probably not even fit in Tom Vasel’s pinky finger tip (and you’re welcome for that image).
That’s why I go for top games played by me, rather than just top games. I can’t speak with any definitive voice about the entire genre at all.
I realize that I’ve never played many of the games that some people would consider top tier. I’ve only played 46 of the BGG Top 100, for example (that number actually surprised me, as I thought it was less).
So consider these posts a bit of an inside look at how my brain works in regards to games (Editor – Oh God, you don’t want to do that to them!). Hopefully this gives you a little insight into my tastes and lets you reflect on just what you would put on this list.
So how about we move into the Top 20 with #20-16?
Let’s begin!
Top 25 Games Played of All Time (25-21)
It’s been almost three years in the making, but I almost hit 300 games played since I started recording plays and I thought it would be a great idea to give you what my top 25 games played are.
Thanks to Pub Meeple for the marvelous (if extremely time-consuming) ranking engine! It took 2050 comparisons and about 2 hours of swiping right or left (it’s like Tinder for your boardgame collection if Tinder had a “which person would you rather meet?” comparison function) but I broke them all down.
Just a note before you get outraged. There are tons and tons of games out there. I’ve played 295 of them (as of the ranking). There are some “classics” that are not on there because I’ve never played them. No Blood Rage or Rising Sun, or even Gloomhaven.
Also keep in mind that many of these I’ve only played once. Thus, subsequent plays may affect how I feel about them. These are not reviews or based on some kind of objective value.
These are just the games that appeal to me the most.
Hopefully you’ll find this list interesting. Let me know what you think or what your rankings are like in the comments!
Dude! Take Your Turn! 