Board Games of 2023

Many of my afternoons and evenings in 2023 were filled with all sorts of board games: exciting, challenging, fun – but above all, enjoyable. There are six games that I want to highlight this year, as they brought me so much joy. Happy board gaming!

Quick and Easy

MicroMacro: Crime City

If a gigantic Where is Waldo? and a classic Whodunnit had a child, it would be MicroMacro. You and your fellow detectives are tasked with solving a crime in a busy black and white cartoon city, where everything happens all at once. Quick to play and ideal when you want to play with people of different ages. I would recommend this to anyone, as long as they have good eyesight, as it does require some close examination of small images. Once you have solved all 16 cases, you can lend the game to your friends while you get the next of the four editions.

Verdict: A game unlike anything in your collection.

Spots

Dogs have spots. Dice have spots. Match the spots on the dice to the ones on the dogs. That’s the premise of the game. The adorable dog drawings only initially distract from the brilliant game mechanics of luck, risk, and strategy. You might be tempted to calculate probabilities and expected value, or just try your luck with a satisfyingly big hand of dice. Either way, you are gonna have a great time with Spots!

Verdict: A cute, no-frills game that is quick to teach and play for casual gamers.

For Two

Splendor Duel

This game is designed for exactly two players. It is a spin-off of the OG Splendor game, which I already reviewed in my Lockdown Board Games. I seldomly like it when components are added to an already brilliant game, but here it just works. In my opinion, the two player game is actually better than the original – more strategy, more variety, a smaller box. A no-brainer addition to your board game collection if you routinely play games with just one other person.

Verdict: Satisfying and challenging, it shows just how good games for two can be.

7 Wonders Duel

This is another two player variant of an already successful game, and yet another smash hit. While retaining the theme and feel of the original, the adaption didn’t shy away from changing it up quite significantly – to the benefit of the game play. The game is quick to set up and even quicker to get going. While most of your turns just consist of picking up cards from the centre, there is a good amount of strategy going into each decision from the moment you start the game. It is an epic battle with multiple winning strategies that wastes no time on pleasantries.

Verdict: In just 30 minutes this game delivers the satisfaction of a big box game.

Bigger and Longer

Beyond the Sun

With its spacefaring theme, planet conquering, and tech tree advancement Beyond the Sun is similar to a plethora of other board games out there (looking at you, Eclipse). Nevertheless, with its sleek mechanics and nimble game play, it deserves a spot in your board game collection. It is a well balanced game where you need to combine strategies to be successful. Each game you play will be different thanks to randomisation and the actions of your fellow players, which keeps you coming back again and again. It is surprisingly easy to teach and first-timers will have a great time even if they are up against more experienced players.

Verdict: A great game-to-effort ratio for those who are up for something a little more complex than Settlers of Catan.

Sleeping Gods

This was the first proper campaign game I played and it was the perfect introduction to that world of games for me. There is enough to guide you if you haven’t played something like it before, but loads of freedom to explore and develop characters if you so wish. You play a crew of seafarers lost in a magical world, where you fight demons, collect treasures, and hope to make it back to the real world someday. I found it to be exciting, yet relaxing at the same time. We spent about 15 hours on our first campaign and once we were done, I wished it would have lasted even longer. 

Verdict: A thoughtful game ideal for campaign novices.

Looking for more recommendations?

If you want something quick, make sure to check out my Board Games under 1h. One of my all time favourite games is Search for Planet X, which I reviewed in my Lockdown Board Games. Some great party games, like Decrypto, and expert games were played in 2022.