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It’s interesting to look back on my attitude to board games and Christmas over the last few years. Two years ago, I was participating in all sorts of Secret Santa groups for board games. There were lots of games on my wishlist and so plenty of games to pick from. Last year I had basically bought every board game I wanted during the year. There was nothing left to buy for me at Christmas time. This year, I have finally realised that we have way more games than we can ever play. There’s a bunch of games over the last few months that I’ve avoided buying, so that I have a considerable Christmas list. Here’s five that I’d be very happy to find under the tree.
Ecos: First Continent
Ecos: First Continent is a great game that I’ve had the chance to play twice so far. I would describe it as ‘build your own bingo’. One player is drawing tiles from a bag and all players are marking off the symbol that is drawn on their tableau of cards. When you have completed a card, by covering all symbols you get a ‘bingo’ or ‘ecos’ call and can perform the card’s action. The game is probably medium in terms of complexity. It has familiar elements that make it really fun, as well as thinky. It’s one I can see as a long term member of our collection.
Toy Story: Obstacles & Adventures
Toy Story: Obstacles & Adventures is a re-implementation of Harry Potter Hogwarts Battle – the cooperative deck-building game. One of my favourite films is definitely Toy Story. Even though the Harry Potter version didn’t grab me, this version is one I simply have to play! I’m hopeful that we’ll get engaged in the evolving gameplay as we play through each game in the box, but also that we’ll really enjoy it for mechanisms as well as theme since cooperative deck-builders should be a good fit for us.
Orleans Stories
Orleans Stories was released at Essen this year and I avoided buying it due to size and weight. The game and its expansions are some of my favourite games to play, so a campaign version is definitely enough to catch my attention. I’m not seeing a lot of buzz about it since Essen, so I’m a little concerned, but still keen enough to want to try it.
Rail Pass
Rail Pass is another game we’ve already played, and actually reviewed on the Zatu site. I’m really glad that it's back into stock before Christmas! It’s a real-time cooperative game where you’re passing around model trains, trying to transport goods around your six towns within a 10 minute time limit. It’s a spectacle to behold and a super fun game to play!
Pipeline
Pipeline is a game we almost backed on Kickstarter and then almost bought when it first released. It’s a heavier euro game, so we decided to be patient in buying it because it’s so unlikely to hit our table on multiple occasions. On the other hand, as an adult, getting a gift is sometimes the opportunity to own something that you wouldn’t otherwise buy for yourself, so Pipeline is a game I’m still desperate to try and that would definitely be gratefully received.
Hopefully you've been as good as I have this year and Santa might deliver a few games from your wishlist too!