Lacuna 3x (led by K-ban) 2023 two-player 15-minute abstract with incredible table presence. 49 wooden flower tokens in 7 different colors are deposited on a square fabric board and spread fairly evenly to avoid clumping. The first half of the game consists of each player placing one of their 6 metal markers between two flowers of the same color (providing there is a clear line of sight) and claiming them. After each player has made their placements, the remaining flower tokens are claimed by whoever’s metal marker is the closest (a ruler is provided to measure). Victory goes to the player winning majorities in at least 4 of the 7 colors. Short, sweet and thought provoking.

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/386937/lacuna

Cartagena (led by Chris) 2000 racing game set during a 17th century jailbreak among pirates. Each player has a group of six pirates, wanting to be the first to have all six escape through the tortuous underground passage that connects the fortress to the port, where a sloop is waiting for them. To move a pirate, players need to play a card that bears one of six symbols (dagger, pirate hat, etc.) and then move one of your pirate markers forward to the next matching symbol in the tunnel, leapfrogging over matching symbols where another pirate already stands. The only way to get more cards, however, is to move backwards; more specifically, you move one of your pirates backwards to the first space that holds one or two pirates, drawing one or two cards after doing so. Each turn, you take 1-3 actions, whether moving forward or backward or both. The first player to get all their pirates to the waiting ship wins.

Radlands (led by Matt) 2021 two-player competitive dueling card game about identifying fiercely powerful card synergies. Players act as the leader of a post- apocalyptic group of survivors in a tooth-and-nail fight to protect their three camps from a vicious rival tribe. If all of them are destroyed, players lose the game. The main resource in the game is water – spent to play on both people and events, as well as to use the abilities of cards already on the table. People both protect camps and provide useful abilities, while events are powerful effects that take time to pay off. Both players draw cards from the same deck. All cards can either be played to the table or discarded for quick “junk” effects. 

Arraial (led by Ethan & Rob) 2018 tetris-like game with a rondel, where players try to make their neighborhood traditional event the most popular by attracting visitors to their celebration. Grab the most beautiful decorations, hire the most inspired performers, serve the most traditional delicacies, take to the streets, and host the party of the year! Players take turns spending action points to get the best tiles (decorations, artists…) and place them on their player boards to form the perfect match and attract visitors to their party. In the end, whoever attracts the most visitors in their neighborhood wins.

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/246150/arraial

NineTiles Panic (led by K-ban) 2019 twenty minute opener where each player has a set of nine double-sided town tiles. At the start of a round, three scoring cards are revealed, such as most aliens on a single road, most dogs visible, or longest road. All players then race to assemble their town in whatever pattern seems best, trying to score points for one, two, or three of the scoring cards as they wish. As soon as the first player decides that they’re done, they flip the sand timer and everyone else has 90 seconds to complete their town, then players determine who scores for which cards, with ties being broken in favor of whoever finished their 3×3 city first. Players score points based on the number of players in the game, and players track their score on a chart over multiple rounds.

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/279869/nine-tiles-panic

Project L (led by Sandy) 2020 charming combination of puzzle solving with engine building. Players start with 2 acrylic puzzle pieces and earn additional shapes by completing puzzles. Players select from among several actions – drafting puzzles, upgrading pieces, placing pieces and the important master building action. The game rewards efficiency in the drafting and in use of their 3 actions per turn. There are two recently released expansions to try, as well as a spin-off similar game in the works called Square One.

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/260180/project-l

Knarr (led by Tim) 2023 race, set collection and drafting card game. Players are leaders of a band of Vikings that are sent to new destinations. Manage the recruitment of your crew, and choose the best territories to explore. Depending on the destinations reached (for trading or influence) and the Vikings who accompany you, players can increase their reputation to gain even more wealth. On each turn players either place a new member in their Viking crew, activate the effects of all of them with the same icon, and get another one from those available under the matching color on the central board, or they can explore new destinations, with the opportunity to trade with those places and get more gains or reputation.

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/379629/knarr

Hideous Abomination (led by Tony) 2021 drafting card game where players compete to create miscreants. Players sharpen their bone saws and practice their whipstitching, taking turns laying body part tiles to build their own unique abomination, trying to get the most desirable features and win the most trophies. With randomized win conditions and over 200 unique hand-inked body parts, no two games are ever the same. Who can breathe life into the most repugnant and bizarre monstrosity? IT IS ALIVE !

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/300081/hideous-abomination

Santa Fe Rails (led by Anna) 2001 Alan R Moon designed railroad/network building/stock game that preceded his Union Pacific and breakthrough Ticket to Ride. Players are forming a network of railroads from the midwest heading westward, gaining coins for reaching new cities as well as their historical terminals and adding shares in cities to their portfolios. Final city score is determined by multiplying the value of each city card played by the number of different rail lines connected, then adding a player’s coins for connection bonuses. All agreed that this game is still challenging and relevant 30+ years after the White Wind Games subscription release of its predecessor, Santa Fe in 1992. This was the first Eurogame that Herb Levy introduced to LI Gamers in the early 1990’s. Thanks Anna for honoring Herb’s memory in leading this classic.  

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/3348/santa-fe-rails

Fractured Sky (led by Matt) 2023 game of area control, resource management and deduction, set on a fantastical island. Players lead their kingdom in the hunt for shards of fractured falling stars, which are rumored to grant wishes to those that can amass enough of them. Using airships, players send their armies to regions with the star shards, but finding those is not always easy and hiring seers to predict their falls can be worth the investment. Over time, players will increase their presence on the island, placing permanent buildings to give them advantages like extra resources or increasing the size of their troop numbers. Only one wish will be granted, so who will amass the most shards before the final star falls?

MLEM: Space Agency 2x (led by Tim) Reiner Knizia’s 2023 push your luck family exploration board game featuring CATS in space. Players step into the shoes of fearless captains of cosmic expeditions. These intrepid felines have long conquered the Earth with their unmatched bravery, and now they’ve set their sights on conquering the entire cosmos. Players take the helm of a cosmic rocket, reach for the stars, and trust their cat instincts to decide when to bail out before things go up in flames. Fame and admiration from the entire meowing world await the most exceptional leader of the feline space agency. The board is a huge playmat with feline decorations. Evidently so much fun, that it was played twice in succession!

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/387378/mlem-space-agency

Steve