Hey gamers! Did you have a good year of gaming? I’m so glad I was finally able to go to a game convention again, I missed it so much. Of course, I didn’t play every game that came out in 2021 (who has?) and I still have a bunch of them that I need to play that I just haven’t gotten to the table yet, but I still found some gems I adore! Check out my top ten games that (as far as I know) came out in 2021!

10. Fairy Tale Inn

A super cute two-player game that has a Connect Four-esque board, but is so much more strategic than you might think! I was pleasantly surprised by this one. I think it’s something that will appeal to kids because of the cute look and familiar characters, but also captivate adults when they see the various scoring objectives and strategies.

9. Lions of Lydia

I like the combination of bag builder and worker placement in this one, and the innovative nature of your bag changing each turn, but never getting bigger. It has a lot going on, but I feel it’s easy to get into if you’ve played other games with similar mechanics, and it has smooth turns and plenty of variability.

8. ArchRavels

This game has a really great look to it; I love the vibrant colors, and the super cute designs within the game like the octopus or the dinosaur. I like the variable player powers too, as they allow you to focus on different parts of the game depending on which one you choose to play with.

7. Funfair

I played Unfair prior to playing this, and while I liked it fine, I thought it ran a bit too long, and some of the take-that cards felt a bit swingy. When I saw this newer version, with less take-that and a more streamlined system, I was excited to play, and for me, it delivered. It takes the fun elements of the original and highlights them while stripping out the unnecessary components. I really enjoy it.

6. Dungeons & Dragons: Dungeon Scrawlers – Heroes of Undermountain

The title’s a bit much, but the game is super cool. It’s an interesting mix of racing, but also following key rules (i.e. covering monster heads, tracing treasures, etc) so as to not lose points along the way. The game felt very fresh and innovative, which is always nice to find when you play so many games. Definitely a neat one!

5. The Golden Ticket Game

Grabbed this on a clearance sale, not thinking too much about it. I figured it’d be okay but nothing special, and I was pleasantly surprised! First of all, the quality is more than I expected – those chocolate bars are adorable, and really bring you into the theme when you’re grabbing them up, and then opening them at the end. The game is fairly simple, super thematic, and a lot of fun. I’m so glad I picked it up!

4. Whirling Witchcraft

I’m a sucker for a good spooky-themed game, and also love witches, so this seemed right up my alley … and it was! The game is usually a pretty quick play as everyone tries to force cubes onto their neighbor in order to gain them as points. I love the variable player powers, and strategizing around your power. I also really like how many different combinations of spells you can get – so much replay value!

3. Cascadia

Another super attractive game from this year that I just found super smooth and accessible. I was able to teach this to a lot of people, which is always a plus, and it’s another that felt like it had a lot of replayability. I also really like that the game gives you a way to mitigate your choices for tiles, because I often feels like not enough games try to counter a luck element like that. It’s great!

2. ROVE: Results-Oriented Versatile Explorer

I don’t solo game a ton, but I definitely like a good solo play every so often. ROVE is a pleasantly puzzley little game that gives the player so many moves to consider as well as choosing when is the best time to use abilities. The game feels different every time I play it, which I love, and since it’s so small, it’s so easy to bring and play anywhere, which is perfect for a solo game. I quickly came to adore this one!

1. Meadow

I often feel that a game that tries to combine a bunch of mechanics feels clunky or lackluster, but Meadow does just the opposite. This game has so much to offer and each play feels unique and fresh, which is why I like it so much. I definitely still haven’t seen everything this game has in it yet, so I’m still excited to see new combos/strategies/etc from it. Great game, and also looks incredible!

Some Honorable Mentions from 2021 include...

  • Cartographers: Heroes
  • Red Dragon Inn 8: Pub Crawl
  • Kingdomino Origins

These games were all awesome, but just felt very familiar to their original games, and I wanted to highlight games from this year that felt more unique to me in play or theme.