As every year, I am rounding up my favourite board games of the last 12 months! You can find the previous iterations here. In 2024 there were four games I encountered for the first time that deserve a special mention! Incidentally, those four games cover four different genres, so there’s something for everyone!
Calm puzzle solving: Next Stop London
You are tasked to connect locations by drawing underground lines through London, scoring extra points when you create interchanges or visit tourist sights. It is a calm, quiet affair where everyone puts their head down and scribbles away. It is a delightful challenge that highlights the fact that not all games have to be interactive to be fun. With a compact box, small footprint, and playtime of under 20 minutes, this game quickly became a favourite when travelling or to round off an evening of games!
Collaborative word play: So Clover
If you like words and like people, then you will like this one. You are presented with pairs of random words on cards. You then need to find a single linking word for each pair. The word cards are shuffled and your friends have to put them back in their original formation, helped by only your linking words. Turns out, that’s a lot more difficult than it sounds! Disarmingly simple in rules and set up, this game has been a hit with those who prefer collaborative, word based games and those who are not regular board gamers. Great to bring out at family events!
Creative space discovery: SETI
The market is already full with space-themed Euro-style explorer games, and yet, SETI manages to carve out a little niche for itself. Focused entirely on exploration with no combat, it is pure dopamine-inducing engine building fun. With its colourful design and superb player aids the barrier to entry is low for a game of this complexity. Its hefty stack of action cards and the many different ways in which you can collect victory points encourage you to explore different aspects of the game and come back for more. Played over just five rounds, the game gets going quickly and does not drag on. A real treat for those who seek a new challenge!
Social deduction at its finest: Blood on the Clock Tower
If you want to question the moral integrity of your friends for a few hours while having a whole lot of fun, this is the game for you. Social deduction games like Werewolf or Mafia with a few bad actors among innocent players have been popular for a long time, but Blood on the Clock Tower takes this concept to a whole new level. Here, each player (both good and evil) has a specific role with valuable skills that demand action from the get go. Even players who have passed away continue to contribute from the afterlife, such that no one has to wait on the side-lines as the game goes on for three hours or more. Hosting this game is a serious commitment, so if you are lucky enough to be invited to a session I wholeheartedly recommend you accept!
Still Playing
There are many games I previously reviewed that I keep coming back to! Some of my favourite evergreens deserve another mention.
- Skyjo: a quick, number-based card game.
Ideal for mixed groups and casual board gamers. Reviewed in 2022. - Search for Planet X: basically a Sudoku.
Not only did we run out of provided player sheets, we had to reprint them twice already. One of my favourite games of all time. Reviewed in 2021. - 7 Wonders Duel: made for two.
Not all two-player versions of already successful games hit the spot, but this knocks it out of the park. Quick and challenging game play for two. Reviewed in 2023. - Beyond the Sun: another space discovery game.
Conquering planets and while advancing your technologies is a popular theme, but this game absolutely excels at it. Every time you play it feels different thanks to the varied tech cards. Reviewed in 2023.
Isabella Deutsch 