As someone who usually wants to play board games that are 10-20 years old, like Stephensons Rocket or War of the Ring, I don’t tend to get excited about many new games these days.  But recently, I’ve found myself looking forward to a number of games, rather than back to longtime tried and true favorites, like Hansa Teutonica or Notre Dame.  Here’s the abundance of games that I’ve got on the way and why:

Just Arrived

Three games have just arrived and I’m excited to try all three of them:

• Forbidden Jungle: As a fan of the Forbidden series, I really wasn’t sure if I needed another Forbidden game.  Forbidden Island is a perfect intro cooperative game, and Forbidden Desert is a nice step up.  I ended up selling Forbidden Sky after a few plays because it never quite clicked for me, and I figured I was done adding to the series, but then the design diary came out for Jungle, and that changed everything.  I’m a sucker for a good design diary, and this one was particularly intriguing and enticing.  So now the game sits next to me waiting to hit the table hopefully soon.
• Next Station Tokyo: I enjoy a good roll-and-write (like Railroad Ink or Penny Papers) or a good flip-and-write (like Cartographers or Silver & Gold), so Next Station London was an obvious fit for me.  I’ve enjoyed several plays of London, and I love new maps for games generally, so Tokyo was an obvious pick up (not to mention that really thoughtful designer diary).
• Sea Salt & Paper: Everyone that I follow seems to be raving about this little card game, and it’s gorgeous, so I’ve got to try it out, and thankfully it just arrived.

In the Mail

Four more games are on their way to me now…

• Apiary: I just ordered this one yesterday, after learning the game from the local DC designer last weekend, and I’m really looking forward to playing it more later this month.  I learned it as a four-player game, which was a blast, but as someone who usually prefers my worker placement games with minimal player counts, I’m excited to try this two-player when it arrives.  The mechanisms fit together so well, the decisions are difficult and meaningful, the variability is remarkable, the theme is well integrated, and the components are top notch.  I’m here for it.
• Lacuna: As with Sea Salt & Paper, everyone I follow seems to be really buzzing about this game.  The video on the publisher’s website makes it seem like a nice, novel addition to the collection, but we’ll have to see if it has any staying power.
• Fit to Print: Yet another game that I ordered because of the designer diary.  Galaxy Trucker is one of my all-time favorites, and I love Extrablatt as well, so an absurdly adorable game that combines the two is right up my alley.
• For Northwood: Shut Up & Sit Down made me order it, I swear.

Pending Kickstarters

Five more games are pending Kickstarters eventually headed my way:

• Arcs: I told you all that I was a Kickstarter Curmudgeon… but then Root happened, and Oath too, so how was I supposed to resist Arcs?  Don’t be ridiculous.  I need Arcs, obviously.  They keep e-mailing me detailed updates and print-and-play files, but I’m keeping my head buried firmly in the sand all year because I want to be surprised and delighted when it eventually arrives some day.  In the meantime, I should get Oath back to the table for its 28th play and beyond.
• The Fox Experiment: I had a chance to playtest this game last year, and I loved it, so backing this game was an easy choice.  Breeding and naming the next generation of cuddly foxes is just too fun to pass up, especially as a big fan of this Radiolab podcast episode on the topic.
• Innovation Ultimate: I’ve played Innovation almost 100 times, and I’d be happy to play 100 more times.  I don’t think it needs any expansions, but an ultimate edition?  Yeah, that sounds like the thing for me (and maybe I’ll even enjoy some of those many expansions).
• Castles of Mad King Ludwig: Renovations: I’ve had such a great time playing this game, so the expansion seems like a no brainer, although this reminds me that I need to get the game back to the table.  I’ve got it on my 3-4 player shelf though, and I seem to play 2-player or 5-player games more often, where I think it doesn’t shine as much.
• Cartographers: Architects Mini Expansion: Give me all the Cartographers!

Pre-Ordered Expansions

I love expansions… too much?

• Lost Ruins of Arnak: The Missing Expedition: I’m skeptical of most deck-building games and most new worker placement games, but Arnak really clicks for me.  I’ve played it over 50 times, and I love the first expansion so much.  I can’t resist a second expansion with more stuff for this phenomenal game.
• War of the Ring: Kings of Middle-Earth: Given that War of the Ring is possibly my favorite game of all-time, I need to try the third expansion.  I just hit 70 plays of War of the Ring, so it seems like the perfect time to celebrate by adding Denethor and Theoden to the mix!
• Ark Nova: Marine Worlds: I slowly warmed up to Ark Nova after repeated two-player games that are snappy and quick with rewardingly close and tense outcomes.  I was skeptical of an expansion, but this video totally sold me on it.  I love the idea of the unique action cards, especially because the action selection mechanism is by far my favorite part of the game.
• Living Forest: Kodama: The game that launched 1,000 e-mails returns with an expansion?  Sure, why not.  I don’t know that I like Living Forest, but I have a strange and inexplicable obsession or fascination with it nonetheless.

Future State

Three more games are on my horizon:

• Undergrove: I had a chance to playtest this game last year, and I really enjoyed it.  This another game that is on the same topic as a favorite Radiolab podcast episode of mine – From Tree to Shining Tree.  The way that you build the board with mushrooms to exchange nutrients with your saplings is such fascinating fun.
• Tatsu: I absolutely adored this four-player card game when I tried the prototype last year, and I’ve been eagerly awaiting the game’s U.S. release since then.  I really enjoy a handful of trick-taking games (particularly Njet and Was Sticht) and this game perfectly adds to that canon in a new and unique way.
• Tokaido Duo: I’m on the fence about this one, but it seems to have the potential to be a perfect 20-minute two-player game, in much the same way that 7 Wonders: Duel improved upon the original with a focused two-player version.

I blame podcasts and videos and design diaries and playtests and all of those other enticing forms of media for making me crave these 13 games and 6 expansions!  I certainly don’t need any more games, but I’m nonetheless excited about these 19 additions to the collection, and I’m hopeful that many of them will have the staying power to appear on the sequel to my 18 Years and 13,000 Plays Later post.  Only time will tell if these titles make up a meaningful portion of the next 18 years or 13,000 plays.