Five addictive tabletop games for rainy autumn days
28.9.2022
When the falling temperature and wet weather drive us back into our cosy living rooms, it’s time for board game season to begin. Here are five games you should check out this autumn.
Throughout the year, I was lucky enough to participate in various game training sessions with manufacturers and in board game nights with friends. Among all the games I had the chance to try out, a few in particular stuck in my mind. They’re ideal for those rainy autumn days.
Arche Nova
The premise of «Arche Nova» is that you’re a zookeeper. That means you have to buy animals, hire specialists, invest in species conservation projects, enter into partnerships with other zoos, and even do some lobbying, just to name a few of your tasks. «Arche Nova» is a board game for one to four people ages 14 and up, and this year it won the coveted German Game Award. Once you have the rules and all the mechanics down, you’ll make it through a game in 90 to 150 minutes. The game is complex but very entertaining once you’ve got the hang of it. And yes, you’ll need a big table because this game requires a lot of space!
Fantasy Realms
«Fantasy Realms» is a card game for up to six people ages 10 and up. In this game, you’ll mount your warhorse alongside your empress, unleash your dragon upon your enemies with the mage’s help, start a bushfire or go to war beside your Army Rangers. In «Fantasy Realms», you’ll rule over faraway lands because your goal is to build the mightiest kingdom in the world. And to do so, you’ll need to have the best possible hand of cards. But be careful. Each card is unique and will have a positive but also negative effect on the other cards in your hand.
Cryptid
Want to really work your brain? Then you should definitely play «Cryptid». This game entails the search for a mysterious creature, which is hiding somewhere on the board. Each of the three to five players holds a clue to the creature's whereabouts. You’ll embark on your journey to find it by questioning fellow players and trying your luck. If you find the creature first, you win.
Cascadia
«Cascadia» is a well designed tile-laying game from Kosmos Publishing that will keep you on the edge of your seat. A few weeks ago, it was rightly named Game of the Year 2022. The object of the game is to recreate the landscape of the Pacific Northwest of America with hexagonal tiles and then populate it with various species of animals. You can play «Cascadia» either by yourself or with up to three other people. The game is suitable for ages 10 and up; each game lasts between 30 and 60 minutes.
Jass
While this is not a new game, it never gets old. Nothing beats a friendly round of «Schällejass» or «Hose abe» Jass among friends and a hot chocolate to go with it. If you don't know the rules of the game or have never played with Jass cards at all, you can look them up here in my little encyclopedia.
As I said, these are just a few of the many games I got to try out this year. If you’re looking for a larger selection to choose from, I also heartily recommend the nominations for Game of the Year. Fellow boardgamer Alessandro has played through them all and given his own personal assessment of each.
Riding my motorbike makes me feel free, fishing brings out my inner hunter, using my camera gets me creative. I make my money messing around with toys all day.
