Look, I play a lot of games. In 2025, that included around 95 new games… well, new to me games. That’s lower than usual – it was approximately 160 in 2024, 145 in 2023, and 150 in 2022. I’m privileged … <a href="https://opinionatedgamers.com/2026/01/07/best-new-to-me-games-of-2025/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>
Each pirate has a unique ability that influences their playstyle and strategy, and the first player to fulfill their secret objective or to capture the legendary Kraken wins.The game features action cards, attribute cards, sabotage cards, and fish cards divided into different environments: lake, sea, river. Managing sabotage and maximizing bonus effects are key to success. Multiple tactics are viable: boosting your gear, slowing down your rivals, or outright stealing their resources.Monnier plan
December 2025 Games I played for the first time this month, from worst to best, along with my ratings and comments. Ruins – 6/10 Ruins is a climbing and shedding game where the gimmick is that the cards will … <a href="https://opinionatedgamers.com/2026/01/06/josiahs-monthly-board-game-round-up-december-2025/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>
by Emanuele Ornella A Second BeginningAssyria's second edition began for me on October 18, 2023, with a simple Geekmail from Shem Phillips asking about my old game Assyria and mentioning that Garphill Games might be interested in bringing it back.Assyria first appeared in 2009 with Ystari Games, a French publisher then known for complex titles like Caylus, as well as their playful "ys/sy" naming pattern, which is how my original prototype, "Ziggurat", became Assyria — a change that ultimately fi
The Opinionated Gamers rang in the new year with — you guessed it — board games! The beginning of a new year is a great time to gather with friends and family to play new games. Today we’re here to … <a href="https://opinionatedgamers.com/2026/01/05/first-game-of-2026/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>
New-to-me games played recently include … 15 JOURS EN FRANCE (2025): Rank 21212, Rating 6.0 Your aim is to buy cards that give you the icons to satisfy objective cards (this many icons, most of this icon, 1 pt … <a href="https://opinionatedgamers.com/2026/01/05/alison-brennan-game-snapshots-2026-part-1/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>
I conduct a survey on this blog about newly released games after each Game Market, and I will announce the results in a later article to see which game received the highest ratings.Climbing/SheddingBest Family Forever from Today (from Mysboard Games) is a shedding game withoutnumbers. When three colors are played, the phase changes and the number of cards you need to play increases. Despite its appearance, it is quite a competitive game.13月32日 / The 32nd Day of the 13th Month (from 6jizoGames) i
I realized that I could combine the two, with each Elder becoming a specialist in a knowledge type, and with their bonuses moving on spaces along the corresponding track.Final Elder council chambersThe Mothership and the Core LoopThe heart of Xenology is a simple loop:propose research → travel to the planet → complete research → upload data → repeatAt first, it may seem that you can just follow this pattern and everything will run smoothly. However, you quickly realize that your alien meeples ar
CUDDALORE: Fire and rescue services personnel on Thursday recovered the body of an elderly man who jumped into a canal while ...
Caniglia, at 94 years young, and Monastero, along with Pat Venditte, Steve Woodrich and Tony Distefano, keep the Italian ...
Up or Down? Designer: Wolfgang Kramer & Michael Kiesling Publisher: Capstone Games Players: 2-6 Age: 8+ Time: 30 mins Played with review copy provided by publisher In Up or Down?, you build ascending and descending rows of cards, trying to … <a href="https://opinionatedgamers.com/2026/01/03/dale-yu-review-of-up-or-down-2025/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>
Eric Martin ▪️ In March 2025, UK illustrator and author Owen Davey crowdfunded Fame & Fable, with copies currently anticipated to reach backers in Q2 2026 and presumably available elsewhere after that.The publisher's game overview is minimal:Fame & Fable is a fantasy-themed competitive board game for 1-4 players. Use your actions to buy ally and item cards from the market, and play these to defeat monsters, complete contracts, or disrupt other players. Gain fame through your exploits to move you
Above and Below Haunted Designer: Ryan Laukat Publisher: Red Raven Games Players: 2-4 Age: 12+ Time: 60-120 minutes Amazon affiliate link: https://amzn.to/44SwbsK Played with review copy provided by publisher You and your family have lived in the marshlands for generations. … <a href="https://opinionatedgamers.com/2026/01/02/dale-yu-review-of-above-and-below-haunted/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>
win %s confirmed this.Insight and CursesThematically, occultists are seeking to obtain knowledge from beyond, represented by insight.But, of course, there are temptations and dangers lurking in the nether realms.Insight and curse points mostly have no direct effect — though you cannot buy Insight cards if you have any cursed treasures in play — but various dark pacts refer to them:In addition, if the deck runs out before any player satisfies a dark pact, the game ends, each player totals their d
The design is a mid-to-heavy Eurogame that will debut at SPIEL Essen 26 and feature engine building, track advancement, worker placement, and airships.▪️ Thunderworks Games released a far more succinct overview of its plans for 2026, with:• A Stonespine Architects expansion being crowdfunded in Q2.• The Tenpenny Parks: Winter Lights & Spooky Nights Expansion crowdfunded in October 2025 will be fulfilled in Q2, with this item debuting at Gen Con 2026.• Another Gen Con 2026 release, codenamed "Q",
The Glorious Guilds of Buttonville Designers: Christian Kudahl, Erik Andersson Sunden Publisher: Ravensuburger Players: 2-4 Age: 8+ Time: 30 minutes Amazon affiliate link: https://amzn.to/4o9mttf Played with review copy provided by publisher The village of Buttonville is undoubtedly the most glorious … <a href="https://opinionatedgamers.com/2026/01/01/dale-yu-review-of-the-glorious-guilds-of-buttonville/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>
On a turn, roll all unplaced dice, choose a single value that you rolled, then place all dice of that value on the casino of the same value.Take turns until all dice have been placed. For each casino, whoever has placed the most dice on it claims the most valuable bill, then the player with the next most dice takes the other bill — but if two or more players have the most dice, then you remove those dice from play and re-evaluate who has the most. After three rounds, whoever has the most money w
Here's a handful of what I've seen publishers pitching:▪️ In January 2024, I wrote about new editions of two trick-taking games — Yeon-Min Jung's Boast or Nothing and Takashi Sakaue's My Favorite Carrera RS Trick Taking Game — that will be coming from Portland Game Collective.PGC planned to run a crowdfunding campaign for these two editions — now titled, respectively, Best of Neapolitan and Zoom Zoom Vroom — in mid-2025, then put those plans on hold due to unexpected tariffs being imposed on go
Australis Designer: Alessandro Zucchini & Leo Colovini Publisher: Kosmos Players: 2-4 Age: 10+ Time: 60 minutes Amazon affiliate link: https://amzn.to/43Guqi5 Played with review copy provided by publisher Stand your ground in the East Australian Current where you have to make … <a href="https://opinionatedgamers.com/2025/12/31/dale-yu-review-of-australis/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>
An old group of Italian friends continues a long tradition of playing cards in Omaha's Little Italy every Tuesday.