Our Top Games of 2024

Everdell

Publisher: Table Top Tycoon

Player Count: 1-4

Play Time: 40-80 min

Why Do We Love Everdell?

Everdell is a perfect blend of tableau building and worker placement. The game mechanics are smooth and easy to learn, while being a real challenge to master. Beyond the game play, the art is adorable and adds to the immersion aspect of the game. The added bonus of combos and each critter/construction having a unique ability, makes Everdell highly replayable. The best part? The expansions add new features and mechanics to the game!

Obsession

Publisher: Kayenta Games

Player Count: 1-4

Play Time: 30-90 min

Why Do We Love Obsession?

When my family and I first tried obsession we were… OBSESSED! The tile placement aspect is one of my favorite gameplay mechanics. We’ve played 10+ games of Obsession and it still feels unique each time we play as we discover new tiles that weren’t pulled in the last game. The expansions add depth and new tiles to the game, as well as a co-op mode that we absolutely love! At this point I would buy any game Dan Hallagan puts his name on!

Root

Publisher: Leder Games

Player Count: 2-4

Play Time: 60-90 min

Why Do We Love Root?

Two words… Asymmetric factions. Root is a game of woodland might where you will take the role of a faction trying to accomplish your goal before your fellow critters. Root is one of the most replayable games in our collection as we can play as a different faction/faction combo each game, getting a unique experience each time. For people who have and enjoy Root, make sure to check out Leder Games new game, Arcs.

Dice Throne

Publisher: Roxley

Player Count: 2-6

Play Time: 20-40 min

Why Do We Love Dice Throne?

Dice Throne is a combat, asymmetric, Yahtzee style game that is one of my family’s favorites! There are over 20 characters to play as, including a marvel set that has my current favorite player, Scarlet Witch. Dice Throne is hands down one of the most unique games we have in our collection, and has made it to the table more times than I can count. If you are a fan of Yahtzee, this is the game for you!

Cities

Publisher: Devir

Player Count: 2-4

Play Time: 30-40 minutes

Why Do We Love Cities?

Cities is a super quick city building game that is fun, competitive, and easy to learn. Cities is one of our favorite games to travel with and is great for when new people come over for a game night. There is also a fan-made solo mode on Board Game Geek that makes this game perfect for a quick 15 minute game!

Distilled

Publisher: Paverson Games

Player Count: 1-5

Play Time: 30-150 min

Why Do We Love Distilled?

Full disclosure… When I first played Distilled, I played it 4 more times before picking up another game. In Distilled, you will be working to create recipes and batches of spirits from around the world. In order to distill a spirit, you’ll have to build a hand of cards, shuffle, and pull two at random that will not count towards the recipe. This aspect brings a level of uncertainty to the game that keeps me on my toes. The expansions bring new spirits and unique characters to the game, to add even more replayability!

River Valley Glassworks

Publisher: Allplay

Player Count: 1-5

Play Time: 25-45 min

Why Do We Love River Valley Glassworks?

River Valley Glassworks is one of our new favorites! Beyond our usual 2-5 players, the solo mode alone is one of the best I’ve tried. In this game, you’ll be working to pan glass from a river that is ever moving with the current, and constantly adding new pieces to the game. I really enjoy the puzzle aspect of the game based on placement and pickup of the different glassworks. An added bonus is the amazing artwork by Andrew Bosley!

World Wonders

Publisher: Arcane Wonders

Player Count: 1-5

Play Time: 50-70 min

Why Do We Love World Wonders?

World Wonders is another city building game, with a unique twist. During the course of the game, you will be adding world wonders to your board, based on the unique conditions needed to place them. This game is one of our favorites for family game night, as well as one of my favs for a quick solo play!

Roll Camera

Publisher: Keen Bean Studios

Player Count: 1-6

Play Time: 45-90 min

Why Do We Love Roll Camera?

My family has recently discovered co-op games and we’ve fallen down the rabbit hole. What do you mean we can play a board game together instead of against each other??? In Roll Camera, you will be rolling and assigning dice to create sets, solve problems, and pitch ideas, all in an effort to create the best movie. We really enjoy Roll Camera as it is a fun break from the competitive style games, and is pretty funny at times when looking at the final movie we create.

Castles of Burgundy

Publisher: Awaken Realms

Player Count: 1-4

Play Time: 70-120 Min

Why Do We Love Castles of Burgundy?

Hands down one of my top 5 favorite games ever! Castles of Burgundy is one of the games that got my family into board games and will always hold a special place in my heart. It is where my love of tile placement games started, and why I always have such high hopes for them. The replayability is amazing and Awaken Realms has produced one of the best solo Automas in any game I’ve played. If you are looking for a new game this year, I highly recommend Castles of Burgundy!

Castle Panic

Publisher: Fireside Games

Player Count: 1-6

Play Time: 30-60 Min

Why Do We Love Castle Panic?

Talking about co-op games… if you like the idea of co-op but still want some competition look no further than Castle Panic. In this game, you and your fellow players will be working together to defeat the monsters emerging from the forest, and defend your castle. There are so many fun mechanics of the game including rolling a boulder to see which monsters are hit and damaged.

Whether you are looking for a new co-op game or want a little more competition, this list is what we consider the best of the best in our collection. If you have any questions about the games mentioned above, or any suggestions for new games for us to try, make sure to leave us a comment below. 

Happy holidays!