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It's nearly that time of year. The time of panicking about snow, the time of festivities, the time of family. When it gets a tremendous amount colder, everyone becomes merry and people will constantly mention how early it gets dark. With this change in focus, it becomes apparent that the time of giving will also be upon us. To exchange gifts, laughter and food with loved ones. Whether it's for religious reasons or for traditional ones, it's hard to deny how wonderful the times can be. However, what's not wonderful is the difficulty of knowing what to buy for who. You think you know someone until you have to buy them a gift. It's maddening! So I'm going back to my roots and writing a Christmas Wish-list for Santa. And what do I want more than anything? What else. Board games!
Cryptid
Cryptid has been on my Christmas wish-list for a good, long while, and I can't remember what made it catch my eye! Something about it's initial artwork on the box perhaps? Cryptid is a game of deduction with a heavy emphasis on misdirection. You work independently to find a Cryptid on the board, trying to become the next big discoverer of the strange, weird and wonderful. The issue is that every other player is on the trail too!
You have one piece of evidence, one clue, and everyone else has another one. Together you could find the creep easily, but sharing glory isn't your style. There's an element of writing and tracking clues within the game, so it's going to make you feel like Sherlock when piecing everything together. What's also appealing about Cryptid is the creator's devotion to the game. Originally for 3-5 players, Osprey games have developed a two player rule set and more scenario set ups. All round excellence!
Resident Evil 2: Malformations of G B-Files Expansion
The Malformations of G B-Files Expansion for Resident Evil 2 The Board Game (take a breath) is one I've wanted for ages. I own a plethora of content for Resident Evil 2 The Board Game, and the Malformations of G is a new scenario boss for the original content. Well, it's actually two bosses. For those who aren't familiar, the core game included one of Birkin's mutations only and ran a fairly streamlined story. Perfect for anyone who was a fan but not hardcore enough to want every inclusion.
I'm tremendously hardcore when it comes to Resident Evil. Survival horror is life, and I desperately want every situation for the game. I want the whole shabang for the experience, and would love to go through the game and have those encounters included. It introduces Stage one and five for Birkin's mutations and would replace minor bosses for the B-Files expansion. This one might not be for everyone, but is one I've had an eye on since receiving Resident Evil 2 The Board Game!
Carcosa
Carcosa has my love for Lovecraftian horror at its heart. This was another addition to the wish-list based initially on the theme, and then when I culled the impulsive additions from the list this one survived it. It's a game of area management, bluffing and placing tiles, all to summing the King in Yellow himself, Hastur. Players need to recruit cultists, influence the board, build power and drive your followers mad, and even sacrifice them to the King. There are some powerful things you can do to change the game as well throughout play, but of course nothing is so simple! This is one I'll be hoping to get for, if not just after Christmas, and is one that will go nicely next to every other Cthulhu/Lovecraft centred game I own. Not that I'm obsessed or anything.
Terraforming Mars
Alright, here's a bit of a shame moment. I haven't played Terraforming Mars, and it's not shameful that I haven't, but shameful that I've actively sought to avoid playing it. In recent years it's been tempting and opportunities have arisen, but I've always said no. And that's because I believe it's a game I'd play and purchase immediately! I'm now in a position to say I do want it and will ask for it, but I still don't want to play it. I want that experience for myself, for my hype to be mine.
Luckily, this is a game I know of and have done my homework on. It's an economic game with a fair amount of take that and variable powers. Your goal is to terraform Mars (in case you hadn't guessed), and you're working to do so from a corporate point of view. There's no profit in creating a climate on Mars for free, but the better you do at it the more points you'll earn. You work alongside your competitors to make the planet hospitable, but ensure your own projects and endeavours succeed over theirs. A delicate balance and a tricky situation. One I'm very much looking forward to playing!
Arboretum
This was a game that went straight on my wish-list as soon as I saw it. They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I think this game looks absolutely stunning. Gorgeous even! Something about the artwork and the game's presentation just resonates with me. I'm a fan of aesthetics, I'm no art expert or anything, but I just think it's beautiful. On top of that, the play is clear and accessible with some level of tactics available to players. It changes based on the number of players, something I love as it ensures play times are similar, and it's centred around collecting sets.
The game is not run as simply as just collecting a set! You create an arboretum for your trees by playing cards and score according to cards in hand, so there's a strong emphasise on both managing your play area and your hand. I'm wanting this as a game piece game - a game to play when I'm wanting to introduce hand management games to friends whilst also impressing them with visuals. A bit of showing off does not harm, especially if it gets non-gamers gaming!