Top 50 Board Games 2018 - 50 to 46

I have always liked and played board games from a young age. Over the years I have amassed quite a collection and only thought it natural to rank these games. Therefore, more for my own enjoyment, I present the below list of my top #50 games.


The restrictions are that I cannot include miniature/tabletop games and it must be games which I have owned (and obviously played). I don't have a massive collection so this list incorporates most of the games I own. Some games are also conspicuously absent from my list, I love them but no longer own them so also omitted them (i.e. Die Macher - cant wait for the new edition).


The below reasons why I these games are on my list are quite short. Next year I may do a more in-depth review of them if I can be bothered.


Here we go!

#50 Lionheart (1997)
Synopsis
Lionheart was a simple chess style game for 2-players.   It was perfect for me as a child as I could use the toys I got in the box, outside of it for other games. The simple dice rolling mechanic used to decide combat also gave me a feeling like I was playing Warhammer or other more complicated games.   Even today, a game of Lionheart is a quick, simple and fun puzzle for all ages.
Number of Players:	2
Recommended Play Time	45	Minutes
BGG Rating:	5.6	/10.0
BGG Rank:	10 097	/164 000+
Complexity Rating	1.77	/5.00

#49 Blood Feud in New York (1997)
Synopsis
When I was younger, the ultimate game my mind could imagine was something like Axis and Allies. When I found Blood Feud in New York I was ‘blown away’. Blood Feud in New York brought ‘dudes on a map’ style game play to a modern mafia setting.   Yes the game was too long, too simple and unbalanced gameplay but there was something charming about its pieces (including mini helicopters, speed boats and limos) that helped you get into the theme and into character.
Number of Players:	3 to 6
Recommended Play Time	180	Minutes
BGG Rating:	6.1	/10.0
BGG Rank:	4 494	/164 000+
Complexity Rating	2.69	/5.00

#48 History of the World (1991)
Synopsis
Another dudes on a map game from the heyday of simple strategy game publisher Avalon Hill.   In History of the World players compete over 7 epochs of human history, playing great civilisation in each of them. Over time, great empires will rise and fall but by managing each of your civilizations shrewdly over the course of history you can win total victory over your competitors.   Some of the rules were a bit awkward (like geographic locations being worth more/less because of our own history, rather than anything you can control in the game. Also there is no catch up mechanics in the game so you may continually be given less powerful empires and half way through the game you know you have no chance of winning. Finally it is quite maths heavy, requiring each player to count up their score ever round (for a big game, its very time consuming).   Otherwise this game represents a stellar romp through history and one any amateur historian can enjoy. Further proving this game has ‘stood the test of time’ it has been reprinted this year!
Number of Players:	3 to 6
Recommended Play Time	180	Minutes
BGG Rating:	7.1	/10.0
BGG Rank:	635	/164 000+
Complexity Rating	2.78	/5.00

#47 Pocket Imperium (2013)
Synopsis
As many of you would know, I love big, long (and some would say, boring) games. The biggest and best amongst these are called ‘4x’ games. The 4x’s stand for eXplore, eXploit, eXpand and eXterminate (I am not sure why they don’t call them ‘4e’ games instead). As you could imagine the scope of these games are normally quite grand and therefore take up a lot of space and time and tend to be complex (maybe not to learn but to play). This also means that the amount of people to play with and amount of times they are played are limited.   That’s were Pocket Imperium comes in. Pocket Imperium is a 4x game but also considered a micro-game. It uses a modular galaxy for replayability, simple rules and combat to promote negotiation and a card system to undertake the 4x actions.   It’s a great little game that I bought during the unbearable period (Bunny can vouch for this) when waiting for Twilight Imperium (a true 4x space opera) to be released. It definitely scratched the itch and is a fun little game that packs a punch when you are short on time.
Number of Players:	2 to 4
Recommended Play Time	45	Minutes
BGG Rating:	6.4	/10.0
BGG Rank:	3 508	/164 000+
Complexity Rating	1.94	/5.00

#46 Bottom of the 9th (2015)
Synopsis
Bottom of the 9th is another little game based on the last inning of a baseball match. One player takes the batting team attempting to hit the home run to win the game, the other player the fielding/pitching team trying to strike them out.   This is a fun little game when time and space is short. The core of the game revolves around trying to read your opponent and outsmarting them when the ball is pitched. My favourite part of the game is when the batter hits the ball and the pitcher and batter madly roll the time to get the desired number – when the desired number is achieve the batter yell ‘SAFE!’ or the pitcher yells ‘OUT!’. It is can be quite a tense game as any hit can result in a home run (and a win for the batting team or loss for the pitching team), just like real baseball.   The production values are also quite nice with the strike counter being a stick of gun and the player cards made to look like baseball cards (also coming in foil packs).
Number of Players:	2
Recommended Play Time	20	Minutes
BGG Rating:	6.9	/10.0
BGG Rank:	1 366	/164 000+
Complexity Rating	1.71	/5.00