Best Game for Two Players

Winner: King of Tokyo Duel - We love the base game, which you can also play on BGA, but Duel adds a lot of back and forth interactivity that’s so much fun.
Runner up: High Tide - This became one of the games added to our Pub Bag this year, meaning games we play outside in our favorite beer garden. Not available to play online (yet?), but you will be finding it in a Barnes & Noble store in 2026.
Runner up: Tokaido Duo - We “discovered” it on vacation at the Mox Boarding House in Portland OR, and we had never played the base game on BGA. But Duo has just the right amount of tactics to choose from to make every game close.
More challenging: Lord of the Rings Duel - We played this for the first time at The Game Parlour in San Francisco during last year’s SpielMas festival, and it still holds up. No knowledge of LotR required!

Best Game for 3-4 Players

Winner: Harmonies (1-4 players) - This is a beautiful game that plays well on BGA and sparkles in-person. We gave a copy to a host while on vacation, and it’s getting so much love on their table!
Runner up: Sea Salt & Paper (2-4 players) - We pulled this out of our Pub Bag a lot this year. There’s just enough interactivity to make it fast and fun. Plus the set-up only takes 10 seconds!
Runner up: Symbiose (2-4 players) - We discovered and played this a lot in my online gaming group. A lot of interactivity, beautiful art, and fast game play.
More challenging: Forest Shuffle (2-5 players) - What a great combination of engine builder with fantastic art. The replay is strong with this one!

Winner: Pixies (2-5 players) - This game’s artwork is so striking, but cozy goes out the window when you start to play. Very fast and fun!
Runner up: Sushi Go Party! (2-8 players) - Always a quick way to fill the game night, especially if you need up to eight players. And the art work is very amusing!
More challenging: Challengers! Beach Cup (1-8 players) - Last year, I gave the base game a “more challenging” award, but Beach Cup is a stand-alone sequel. It’s just as much fun to discover new ways to win.

Winner: Winner: Hugo - We have played this for the last two Halloweens, but unlike other “holiday” games it keeps coming out throughout the year. Probably because the only strategy is to run screaming and hide.
Runner Up: Martian Dice - This filler gets played a lot in our online group, but it includes planetary scientists. Hilarious and random all at the same time!
More challenging: Welcome To (1-100 players) - The role-and-write that forces you all to build a subdivision is great with lots of players. Its variants are good, too, and check out the sequel Welcome to the Moon!

Winner: Shallow Regrets (2-3 players) - A fun, awkward game of fishing gone wrong is also in our Pub Bag this year, and we can’t wait to dive into its base game, Deep Regrets. Not available online, but worth the try.
Runner Up: In Vino Morte (3-9 players) - We play this when bringing friends to our favorite tasting room, and it is a romp.
Runner Up: Skulks of Sedlec (2-3 players) - This is a great game that just got added to our Pub Bag. Lots of replay, and the theme is very strong.

Winner: Sea Salt & Paper (2-4 players) - Definitely add the Extra Salt and Extra Pepper expansions. Except for the seastars, everything is a fantastic addition. Fortunately, you can try this out on BGA!
Runner Up: Skulls of Sedlec (2-4 players) - When we first played this, our host added a bunch of new “skulls” and we loved the variety. Pick up one of the expansion collections to make this game even more rewarding! Not available online but still worth checking out.
Runner Up: Mountain Goats (2-4 players) - Use the Big Mountain expansion. In the base game, you quickly lament not being able to use some of your goats when point tokens run out; getting to add them back in gives new life to a great game.
More challenging: Parks (1-5 players) - We still have the first edition of Parks, which we always play with the Nightfall and Wildlife expansions. The second edition, which is available on BGA, incorporates the campfire tokens from Nightfall, but alas the bison token is missing. Still worth playing, and the artwork is stunning.

Winner: Can’t Stop (2-4 players) - The second official variant is the best; it’s called the “forced movement requirement” on BGA. It requires you to keep rolling if you land on another player's marker. We play a four-person, best-of-two tournament with this variant to end our weekly online game night, and it’s a ton of fun.
Runner Up: 6 Nimmt (2-10 players) - Play the “professional” version in BGA; you can “add a card to a row on the left or right, with the order always ascending to the right and descending to the left.” Also known in our group as “6 Nimmt of Death.”
Runner Up: Lucky Numbers (1-4 players) - Once you get the hang of the base game, add Bruno’s variant and play in a tournament. So much better!

Winner: The Crew (2-5 players) - I brought a bunch of games to a weekend gathering several years ago, and we ended up playing The Crew more than any other game and for long stretches.
Runner Up: The Gang (3-6 players) - Not available to play online, but in-person it’s amazing. You actually learn from your mistakes and become a better poker player.
More challenging: Libertalia: Wings of Galecrest (1-6 players) - You can play the original game on BGA, but when you play this in-person with people who love pirates, it gets real…fast.

Published December 1, 2025