Our Favourite Tabletop Games of 2023
Russell:
Dancing Queen
Why this game is my favourite
I’ve grown increasingly fond of small, tight games, and Dancing Queen feels like a logical step along this phase. I’ve half-jokingly explained the game as: “you set-up, then you score - no wasted time in-between”, and the fact that that works is credit to the game’s brilliance.
Favourite moment from the game
Pushing into scoring right after the first card played is particularly amusing - there’s something electrifying about just winging everything purely on one’s instinctual reading of the opponent.
Who you’d play this with
While the art is gorgeous, it’s fundamentally quite an abstract game. I’d play this with anyone who appreciates abstract strategy while craving something quick.
other favourites
DiceWar: Summing and splitting dice values (and hence reducing/increasing the number of dice you have) creates nice moments of strategic eb-and-flow, and lets players feel clever for seeing lines of play.
Robot Quest Arena: PLUSHIE.
lynette:
Viking See-Saw
Our first time trying Viking See-Saw with Naotaka Shimamoto, President of itten games!
Why this game is my favourite
I’d say this is an accidental favourite, because I had set my eyes on Town77 before trying out Viking See-Saw. I like how easy it is to explain the game, even to my 3.5-year-old son, and it’s a game I could easily bring around and play with non-gamer friends. As simple as it is, it is still exciting to put the different cargo pieces on the balancing ship and try to make the other players tip it over so they get the penalty!
Favourite moments from the game
The feelings from playing this game with friends and my son were so different. Playing with friends is all about being competitive but playing with my son removes that. Instead, I just take in the sight of him enjoying the game while exploring the different masses of the cargo, and be silly with him whenever the ship tips over. Such moments truly depict the saying “simplicity is joy”.
Who you’d recommend this to
Anyone can play this! It’s so portable, easy to explain and understand the rules, and easy to set up too – perfect for festive get-togethers! I’d play it more with my kids, and I think it’s a good game to introduce them to simple physics.
other favourites
I’ve always liked word games, and Just One is another great game to play as an ice-breaker. I like how lightweight it is as a cooperative game, but at the same time, I’d have some FOMO (fear-of-missing-out) moments as the player who’s guessing the word.
I like playing several of the Oink Games for various reasons; compact box, clean and cute graphics, and clever and (some) deep thinking gameplay.
Hazel: Root
Why this game is my favourite
It’s Root! What else needs to be said?
There is just so much I love about this game.
I love the historical grounding for the game, and how each animal faction represents a different political ideology. The game designer, Cole Wehrle, has a PhD in History, and I can see his dedication to representing different political groups with their different styles of accumulating power through the game mechanics.
Small touches like calling the first phase of each turn “Birdsong” – referencing (I’d imagine) the Eyrie faction announcing their new decree – have my heart! The amount of love, care and attention that went into this wonderful game really shines through.
It’s also just super fun, and the asymmetrical factions, each with their own set of rules, means no two games are alike. I never get bored of playing Root, and it’s fun to see how different players wield each faction. Kyle Ferrin’s vibrant and playful art style also really helps with the game immersion and brings lightness to an otherwise fairly rules-heavy strategy game.
Favourite moment from the game
I have so many. But the one that will require the least context to explain is that I was playing Eyrie and for my first turn had placed a Mouse card in my decree under Recruit. (This means that I would need (i) to place a warrior in a Mouse clearing roost each turn (ii) to possess said Mouse clearing roost – but this was my starting roost, six warriors on the board, barely any enemy buildings on the map. I thought it was a fairly calculated risk, and I was greedy to advance my decree.)
It was foolish of me. My partner, who was playing Lizard, cruelly sanctified my Mouse roost first round (turning it into a Lizard garden) and I turmoiled second turn. Turmoiling so early in the game is quite devastating for Eyrie because you lose almost a whole turn, your decree (which basically represents the number of actions your warriors can take) and some VP. In later rounds you would have built enough Roosts to still farm VP at the end of each round. In the early game, it’d take a few extra rounds to start expanding your territory, which is the main way Eyrie earns VP. By then, the others would be far in the lead – and, unlike the Woodland Alliance, there is little potential for Eyrie to get exponential VP growth late in the game.
Even though it was at my expense, it was such a brilliant play that it’s one of my favourite moments in the game. It was also an opportunity to learn more about two of my favourite factions (Eyrie and Lizard) and how they interact!
Who you’d recommend this to
My partner and I have run many games with Root first-timers! Most of them really enjoyed it, even friends who hadn’t played more complex board games before. I think for Root, all you need is patience and a solid 3-hour block for your first game. (And, I suppose, enough interest in the game to cultivate that patience.) It also helps to have someone who is good at explaining the game. (This person is not me. My deepest gratitude to my partner for tanking all the hour-long rule explanations!)
Other favourites
R-Eco: I love the clean art style illustrating different types of trash, and the gameplay is simple and straightforward in the best way.
Obake Meeting: This has the cutest, most creative game story I have ever heard in my life. You’re a ghost trying to decide where to meet to scare humans with your other ghost friends – but you’re too shy so you have to communicate through knocks! The art is also so incredibly cute.
Key: Nemesis Lockdown
Why this game is my favourite
I’ve always been a fan of horror and sci-fi, so this game’s theme instantly caught my attention. It’s a game in which you have fun dealing with surprise events that determine whether you win or lose.
Favourite thing about the game
Maximising your character’s ability cards to deal with the game’s challenges.
Who you’d recommend this to
Anyone who wants to sit down to play a long game and loves a highly thematic game with well-crafted components.
Other favourites
R-Eco, Nine Tiles Panic
