New Year, New Games

Last month we asked you, our customers, which games brought you the most joy in 2019. The results are in and the wide variety of games reaffirms that we are living in a great time for games! Check out your favorites below, and see how they stack up to our Staff Favorites!

Light Strategy Games

Customer Favorite | Love Letter

Win the heart of the princess by passing along love letters! Each round, determine who now holds your letter and try to avoid other suitors. This classic game was updated in 2019 to add more characters, include a sixth player, and features new artwork!

Medium Strategy Games

Customer Favorite | Dominion

Achieve dominion of your kingdom and beyond in this deckbuilding game! Fans of resource management games such as Catan and deckbuilders like Magic the Gathering find Dominion at the cross section. Dominion’s strategy is accessible but deep - learning the game is not hard, but getting good is not easy. 

Favorite 2019 Release | Wingspan

Of the new strategy games released in 2019, Wingspan was the clear favorite! In this game of bird watching and collecting, you will compete against other bird enthusiasts to get food, lay eggs, and spot birds. Fans of other engine building games like Gizmos and Terraforming Mars will love Wingspan, if they can get their hands on a copy! 

Heavy Strategy Games

Customer Favorite | Gloomhaven

Gloomhaven is the definition of a heavy game… it weighs over twenty pounds. It also deeply immerses the players into the detailed world and exciting adventures of Gloomhaven. This cooperative game is played over many sessions and the story changes according to your choices! 

Close Second | Terraforming Mars

In Terraforming Mars you and other players act as corporations undertaking the task making Mars liveable. While you may be working towards the same goal as the other players,Terraforming Mars still pits your interests against each other, making for a unique game!

Classic Games

Community Favorite | Clue 

Also chosen as the Staff’s Favorite classic game, Clue has thrilled mystery fans for almost eighty years! Figure out the Who, What, and Where to win - and now, play other versions such as Classic, Harry Potter, and Dungeons and Dragons for a new mystery!

Card Games

Customer Favorite | Arkham Horror LCG

The Staff Favorite Runner Up in its category, the Arkham Horror LCG unfolds a horrific story of monsters and insanity as you play through different scenarios. Arkham Horror has elements of a roleplaying game and a strategic card game - and as a Living Card Game, continuous releases keep the story going! 

2 Player Games

(TIE!) Customer Favorite | Forbidden Series

One of our staff’s favorite game series for cooperative play, the Forbidden Series has become especially popular for those looking to play 2 player games! As a cooperative game, both players will work together to escape their dire circumstances through accessible, but addictive, strategy!

(TIE!) Community Favorite | Jaipur

It is no surprise that the 2 Player Staff Favorite at least tied for first! Jaipur has been a favorite 2 player since its original release in 2009, and the updated 2019 edition adds beautiful artwork to already excellent gameplay!

Party Games

Customer Favorite | Secret Hitler

One of the most talked about party games of the last few years, Secret Hitler rose in popularity after it’s $50,000 Kickstarter goal reached well past 1 million dollars! The hype proved to be well placed, as Secret Hitler has delighted players with its irreverent comedic tone as the Liberals and Fascists try to uncover who is who!

Social Deduction Games

Customer Favorite | One Night Ultimate Werewolf

A reinvention of the classic social deduction game werewolf, One Night Ultimate Werewolf places every player in a secret role, with their own goals and motivations! The One Night Ultimate series has become exceptionally popular as you can mix titles together, plays quickly, and is guided by a free app! 

Cooperative Games

Customer Favorite | Betrayal at House on the Hill

Many cooperative games fit the model of cooperative horror. Betrayal at House on the Hill has two twists! The first is that the haunted house you explore is one of your own making. The second is that among your ranks is a Betrayer, a player who turns on you in secret and must be stopped. Betrayal is a great party game for the group who wants to spend an hour uncovering a mystery! 

Local & Storytelling Games

Double Community Favorite | Someone Has Died 

Our favorite storytelling game was one of your favorites across the board! Top of both Local and Storytelling game categories, Someone Has Died has a funny take on a dark situation, as each player takes on the role of an acquaintance to a recently deceased person. The game is less about winning the deceased’s possessions, and more about the crazy arguments you use to justify your claims! 

Licensed Games

Customer Favorite | Disney Villainous

It feels so good to be bad! In Villainous, you can play as one of 6 Disney villains vying for dominion. Winning the game depends on the character you have chosen, as each has their own objective they are trying to fulfill by the game’s end! 

Roleplaying Games

Community Favorite | Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition 

Dungeons & Dragons continues to reign supreme! Our favorite RPG is yours as well, as D&D destroys the competition. The poll revealed while there are certainly other indie games rising in popularity, the father of them all still holds the hearts of gamers everywhere!

2019 D&D Releases

Community Favorite | Eberron 

Of the newest D&D releases this year, Eberron won the hearts of staff and customers alike. This steampunk setting reintroduces Eberron while adding highly anticipated race and class options, including the first new class since the release of the 5th edition core rules, the Artificer! 

Close Second | Tyranny of Dragons

Though technically not a new sourcebook, Tyranny of Dragons combines Rise of Tiamat and Hoard of the Dragon Queen with a brand new, beautiful alternate art cover. New artwork and a reworked first chapter won the hearts of players, bringing Tyranny of Dragons to a close second in the bid for the Best of 2019!

2019 MTG Releases

No Winner Declared | War of the Spark, Modern Horizons, Throne of Eldraine

Unlike many of our other categories, the Magic the Gathering Best 2019 Release was so divisive that no winner can be called! The three releases at the top included staff favorite Modern Horizons, the newest release Throne of Eldraine, and War of the Spark. Perhaps the upcoming Theros Beyond Death will unify players under the banner of a new favorite release.

2020 Favorite Games?

That concludes the Best of 2019 games, leaving us to wonder which games will capture our hearts in 2020. Keep up with the newest games and our favorites right here at Tune in Today, or pay us a visit in Williamsburg to play a game of Eberron, learn Sealed, or get recommendations for your new favorite game!

Written by Johnni Medina