I haven't done a top 10 list since 2019, so I thought I'd take a look at my favorite games from the last five years. Looking strictly at the hours spent playing each game, tried and true favorites tend to have an advantage over newer games, so for this list I'll only be looking at games published since the beginning of 2020.
10. Pan Am (2020)
I was initially attracted to this game due to the elegant, retro graphic design. As I shop for new games, I am finding that I have less and less interest in the fantasy and horror titles that used to grab my attention, so a travel-themed game that doesn't involve stabbing anyone seemed like a nice change of pace. It's a very clever design, and different from a lot of "empire building" games in that rather than claiming more an more territory on the board, the goal is to anticipate the air travel routes that Pan Am will want to buy from you at the end of each round, with the winner being the one with the most Pan Am stock. Read the full review.
9. Star Trek: Away Missions (2023)
When I first looked at this game, the goofy looking miniatures were a turn off but I'm glad I reconsidered. Most "miniatures on map tiles" games involve a lot of fighting, but this one is much more about moving your characters to the right spot on the board for them to fulfill their missions, giving them advantages based on the cards you have in your hand. The different factions play very differently, with the Klingons more interested in openly attacking, for example, while the Romulans skulk about in the shadows and the Federation boldly go (or go boldly) about their business. And those miniatures really have grown on me. Read the full review.
8. Star Wars Unlimited (2024)
I've always enjoyed the collectible card game format. I like the idea of assembling the right combination of cards to win the game the way you want to win it, and there is a definite thrill to ripping open random card packs hoping for that rare card you need for your deck. Star Wars Unlimited is the sixth such Star Wars themed game since 1993, and definitely the most playable. Read the full review.
7. Ark Nova (2021)
Ark Nova is a bit of a rarity: a game about animals that doesn't feature any cute wooden meeples or other figurines. The game's somewhat dry appearance hides an absolutely fascinating game that combines card drafting, worker placement, and even tile laying. I always get a sense of accomplishment when the game is over, even if I didn't win. Read the full review.
6. Tiny Epic Dinosaurs (2020)
As I struggle to find room for all our games, I find the Tiny Epic line more and more appealing. And honestly, a tiny box was the only way I was going to be able to justify a third dinosaur zoo game in our collection after DinoGenics and Dinosaur Island, both of which are major space hogs. It's a delightful little game about breeding and selling different types of dinosaurs, sort of a prequel to the larger zoo games that don't stress too much about where the dinosaurs are coming from. As with most of the other Tiny Epic games, this one does a lot with as little as possible, managing to be a full featured worker placement/resource management game in a very small package. Read the full review.
5. Oltréé (2021)
I bought this board game (apparently based on a French-language roleplaying game) entirely on a whim. I was enticed by the gorgeous Vincent Dutrait cover artwork, and also by the promise of an adventure board game that might be a little smoother than Talisman and/or less fiddly than Arkham Horror, and I wasn't disappointed. Oltréé doesn't necessarily do anything new with this type of game, but it does it very, very well. Read the full review.
4. Starship Captains (2022)
Starship Captains does Star Trek better than most licensed Star Trek games do. At its best, Star Trek should be about problem solving rather than fighting, and I'm always disappointed when a Star Trek game is too combat-centric, as many of them tend to be. Starship Captains has players assigning and managing their crew in an ingenious variation on the worker placement mechanism, and juggling ship upgrades in a way that would do Montgomery Scott (or Geordi LaForge) proud. Read the full review.
3. Dune: Imperium (2020)
Combining different game mechanisms has become a popular way to design games, and this one mixes two of my favorites: deck building and worker placement. Most deck building games start each player with a small deck of cards representing basic resources, with the point being to spend those resources to get better cards, and eventually build up an engine of cards that can do whatever it is that needs to be done to win the game. Dune: Imperium takes that idea and adds worker placement, with cards dictating where workers can be placed, and a simple battle mechanism that functions as an additional resource to be spent. It's an elegant combination of elements, and it fits the Dune source material perfectly. Read the full review.
2. Lost Ruins of Arnak (2020)
Like Dune: Imperium, Lost Ruins of Arnak combines deck building with worker placement, but manages to do it in a completely different way. Arnak has players gaining cards from two different decks, one of tools and items and the other representing archaeological artifacts. As the game progresses, the amount of available tools decreases, increasing the amount of artifacts that players can add to their card decks. Cards are played to gain resources, which are then used to move around the board exploring lost temples, with the eventual goal of moving counters along a track that gives out even more resources, and also eventually leads to victory. It's an amazing game with a lot going on. Read the full review.
1. Star Wars: Shatterpoint (2023)
This was another one I wasn't going to get into because I didn't like the miniatures. Specifically, I didn't like the size of the miniatures, which are a bit larger than the standard 28mm size used for most wargames and roleplaying games. I don't know why we miniatures gamers are so obsessed with being able to mix and match our figures -- it's something we rarely if ever do, it seems that we just want to always have the option. Anyway, the miniatures for Shatterpoint are actually amazingly well done, and the larger size makes them a little easier to paint. Its an important detail considering that the average miniatures gamer is going to spend a lot more time assembling and painting their miniatures than they are actually playing.
But the game itself is fantastic too. It seems to specifically address a lot of the pitfalls common to other games of this time, avoiding stale game play by emphasizing movement and area control over just eliminating the opponent's figures as quickly as possible. In Shatterpoint it's rare that any figures ever leave the board -- the point of the game is to occupy areas of the board, and the tactical challenge is to be able to adapt when those areas move. It's a great game that really feels like Star Wars. Read the full review.
Honorable Mention
Blade Runner: the Roleplaying Game
I'm never sure whether I should lump roleplaying games in with board and card games because the experience is so different, although that is changing with hybrid storytelling games like Detective and even some miniatures games like Core Space or Conan. Blade Runner doesn't use a board or miniatures, but it does include a whole slew of prop photos, brochures, and even a newspaper, physical components that aren't common in a lot of RPGs but were absolutely essential to this one. Read the full review.
So there you have it, my favorite games from the past five years, at least for now. Ask me again in six months and it might be a completely different list...