This month, for our Parks & Rec theme, we chose the gorgeous new tile placement game Leaf. The “tiles” in this case are beautifully colored leaves representing the seasonal cycle of trees. The way that you place the different types of leaves together grants you resources like mushrooms, sunshine and animals to hibernate in your winter den; all of which can be exchanged for the most coveted resource: acorns. The goal of the game is to gather more acorns than your opponents before winter comes.
“Puzzling the leaves to their perfect spot was incredibly enjoyable.” -Alex
Leaf is a game for two to four players, but playing with four players definitely felt like the most competitive version of the game. Everyone was placing leaves on a central board, so the spaces you could take on your turn became highly coveted and your strategy had to adapt to each new leaf placed.
“Reminds me a bit of Hive in that the board (of leaves) is going to build out very differently each game.” -Luis
Mickey started the game off by placing leaves that blocked off options and once we realized the only places we could put our leaves were where he had planted mushrooms (which give the player who planted them more resources), everyone started to find creative ways to build out in other directions.
"I really liked the "Ahas!" of figuring out the different leaf shapes and how our plays would help/hurt our opponents." -Mickey
We all ended up having very different strategies during play – Mickey had tons of mushrooms, Morgan had great leaf placement and Alex got his squirrel the highest in the tree, but Team Luis and Lauren won by advancing the seasons and successfully hibernating a pack of four foxes and four hedgehogs (arguably the most adorable of the animal cards- look at that face!) before the coming of winter.
“Definitely recommended for people who (like me) love Photosynthesis and maybe want a quicker game.” -Morgan
Leaf is easy to learn, plays quick, and has a ton of strategic options for a unique game play experience each time. All that paired with gorgeous art, adorable animal cards and teeny tiny mushroom tokens makes this game perfect for our Spotlight celebration of all things nature!
“Leaf is my new go-to game for our next dinner party.” -Lauren
Check out our featured Spotlight collection of games for April 2024 | Parks & Rec!
]]>This month, for Meeple March, we wanted to play a game with lots of really cool pieces and a great table presence – enter Queen by Midnight by Darrington Press!
"The clocktower is the best game component I've ever seen!" -Alex
We all chose our princesses who are vying for the throne and have some pretty familiar origin stories from folk lore/fairy tales. Lauren played Dr. Lux (a version of Belle from Beauty and the Beast), Luis played Rosaline (Sleeping Beauty), Morgan played Boss No (Snow White), Alex played Hephestra (Cinderella), Mickey played Freya (Rapunzel) and Sarah played Erdene (Mulan). Game rounds were tracked by advancing the hour on the clocktower (which is also a dice tower!).
"I love advancing the clock tower. It really builds the tension as the game gets closer to the end." -Lauren
Each character had their own set of strategies, like scheming and brawling, which made for pretty interesting gameplay because you weren't sure who could do what. At a certain hour on the clocktower, we all had to secretly choose another princess at the table to pledge our allegiance to in the game. This gave a great social aspect to the gameplay and really made it feel like we were competing for the crown.
"I liked when we all argued for who to give our allegiance to." -Sarah
"I got blackmailed! Very cool way of trying to get resources (clout) out of another player without total feel-bad moments." -Luis
Queen by Midnight is great for anyone looking for an excellent theme with some pretty fantastic flavor text on the cards. We all had a laugh when Morgan figured out that getting rid of her Copper card was a better move– the flavor text on the bottom said “weirdly banishable.”
"For fans of deck builders and players who like some social energy/politicking at the table!" -Mickey
A ton of cool pieces mixed with multiple strategies and one ever-present clocktower ticking down the rounds of play make this game an excellent addition to our collection of games for Meeple March!
"Would love to play this again!" -Morgan
Check out our featured Spotlight collection of games for March 2024 | Meeple March
]]>To introduce our theme Love Always for February, we brought Fog of Love to our staff game night and had a hilarious time.
“I forgot how good this game is!” - Morgan
Fog of Love is a romantic comedy game about love, relationships, and following your destiny. There are many tropey love stories to choose from like Highschool SweetHearts, and I Give it a Year – we played the intro scenario, Morning Date.
“What says passion more than love at first sight followed by the struggle to make it all work?” Mickey
Traditionally a two-player game, we decided to play each character as a team. Morgan & Luis played as the tall and shy firefighter character in a relationship with the loud and confident valet character played by Mickey & Sarah and Alex taught us the game, guiding us through each round.
“When playing Fog of Love, go with the flow - sometimes your goals will change halfway through the game. That's when it's the most fun!” - Alex
After selecting the attributes for our characters, we got to choose some aspects for our partner’s character, which was a pretty fun mechanic in the game – providing interesting character choices and solidifying the collaborative storytelling aspect of the game.
“It makes you think about relating to one another’ - Sarah
Fog of Love is well designed and makes storytelling creative and fun. The trait cards and chapter prompts offer a variety of fun scenes and opportunities to roleplay as much as you feel comfortable with – you can act out a scene, or simply answer the question on the card. You could probably even stand outside holding a boombox over your head, who’s to stop you? There’s truly no wrong way to play.
“Play this game with your best friends or, if you're brave, your partner.” Alex
Check out our featured Spotlight Collection of games in February 2024 Love Always!
]]>If you want to know our Top 20 Games and Top 20 RPGs of 2023, the lists are up!
I love worker placement games in general but I really enjoy the variability of Apiary. Different factions, ship mats, planets, seed cards, dances, all the different tiles - there isn't one specific strategy to "solve" the game, which can sometimes be an issue with worker placement games.
– Steve, Ridgewood
Alright Choom, listen up... You should be playing Cyberpunk RED. It's a great game with a great world behind it. I always have a blast running it, and I guarantee that you might as well. (I don't know you, you might not actually have a blast, but odds are, you will.)
– Finn, Williamsburg
This game brings the team bonding and the spooks!
– Melissa, East Harlem
My six-year-old and I played this countless times over the summer, with my 10-year-old and husband joyfully joining in occasionally. It’s a compact, portable way to get your Catan fix while traveling. Kills time on the airplane and keeps everyone from saying hangry things they’ll regret later while waiting for the food to come at restaurants. Catan on the go! The graphics on the dice are adorable and the score sheets are evocative of the original art work, slipping you right into Catan world anywhere you play.
– Jonna, BedStuy
I have seen kids grow as individuals by playing dnd. Their capacity for compassion and respect expanded over the course of their time spent at the table. It truly can change lives!
– Nick, Bushwick
Introduced to it at the board game social and loved it!
– Thomas
Splendor Duel, a new two-player version of the classic, Splendor, made its way onto the list this year. If you've played the original, it has enough familiar mechanics and also quite a few new strategies to feel fresh and exciting. Skull had a cute new box redesign this year and must have made its way to a bunch of tables- it's back on our Top 20! Easy to learn and perfect for a crew who loves bluffing (and a little bit of gambling), I personally am glad to see this one on the list again- it's one of my favorites! Strawberry Sunset is one of the cutest, tiniest card games we carry. It's a really quick strategy game that can fit in your pocket- what's not to love?
I'm sorry did you say street magic, Something is Wrong with the Chickens, Moonlight on Roseville Beach
New editions to the Top 20 Roleplaying Games list included two very cool local RPGs. Moonlight on Roseville Beach, by Richard Ruane, is a fantastic queer game of disco and cosmic horror. Solve mysteries and build community during your summer gaycation. We played Something is Wrong with the Chickens, by Elliot Davis, a few times at the store this year and every time it was a blast. Fun, quirky and full of chickens with Eldritch powers, I'm so glad to see this one on our list. I'm sorry did you say street magic, by Caro Asercion, is a brilliant little (literally- it's a tiny book) city-building game. Super-accessible and GM-less, this one flew off the shelves. Also, what a fantastic title!
Check out the full collection of our Top 20 Games and Top 20 RPGs!
]]>Dust off those English degrees for Once Upon a Time, a competitive storytelling game. Start weaving your tale and play the cards in your hand to shape the story, but any pause in your story (dramatic or otherwise) means someone else can jump in and steer the story towards the cards in their hand. Bonus points for bringing it back around to one of your ending cards.
"I AM THE GREATEST STORYTELLER EVER." -You, to your siblings, probably.
Got a tiny storyteller on your hands? Tell Tale is an adorable storytelling game perfect for the young ones in your life. Flip over cards with pictures on them and tell your tale based on the pictures. It's great for sparking creativity and for telling some silly stories together!
Cinephile is perfect for the movie buffs in your family. It's got a bunch of games in one box - from recalling an actor's filmography to correctly linking two actors through who they have worked with. Ooh I know that actor! They were in that one movie with that guy. You know, that one guy. With the beard? **Checks IMDB**
Cocktail and wine aficionados rejoice! Another Round and Wine IQ are two trivia games will test your knowledge of all things alcohol-based. Time to test your expertise and prove you know your mimosas from your martinis. Your mojitos from your mint juleps. Your Malbecs from your other wine that starts with M... Merlot! That's what I was looking for. You get the idea- alcohol!
Stet! Dreyer's English - okay, language lovers: Whats' wrong with this sentence? If you're screaming at the misplaced apostrophe or you've ever thought about competing in the Grammar Olympics (is that a thing?), this card game is going to be right up your alley. With over 100 sentences waiting for you to correct, bring it to your next family gathering and challenge that aunt that never lets you end a sentence with a preposition.
Rabble and Monikers - these two games are fantastic group games. At their cores, they are guessing games. Both get sillier and sillier as the game goes on. Can you get your team to guess the same people, places and things through three rounds? What about while also standing on one leg or sticking your tongue out? Giggles are guaranteed.
Noobs in Space and Spaceteam are both delightfully chaotic cooperative games. Each has their own take on "we're on a spaceship and things are going terribly wrong!" You and your teammates must solve task after task and work together as well as possible, because each team member only knows a small part of the solution. They're cooperative, easy-to-learn and absolute chaos.
Sheriff of Nottingham - I love a good bluffing game. In this one, you are trying to smuggle some goods into the bustling metropolis of Nottingham. But wouldn't you know it- the sheriff definitely wants to check in your bag. Bluff, bribe and beg your way into getting the most contraband through the checkpoint and win the title of Coolest Person in Nottingham (May not actually be the title of the winner).
Check out the rest of this month's Spotlight Collection!
]]>Slasher, The Skeletons and This Discord Has Ghosts In It
We have so many fantastic roleplaying games for telling spooky tales with your friends around the table.
The Skeletons is such a gorgeous game that flips the script on a dungeon crawl. Instead of playing the "adventurers" you play as the skeletons of the dungeon, cursed to spend eternity guarding a tomb. Defend the tomb from intruders and as the years pass, both you and the tomb will change. You, the skeletons, slowly start to remember who you once were. Glory fades, worlds crumble, but the tomb must be defended.
This Discord Has Ghosts In It is an online RPG that you can play over a Discord server. You are invited to a haunted house and play as either an investigator or a ghost. Investigators may only speak. Ghosts may only type. It's a truly unique way of uncovering a scary story together and making excellent use of technology though play.
For an absolutely terrifying story (and if you love any kind of trope-y horror movie), Slasher is for you. Character classes are classic horror tropes like the jock, the camp counselor and the stoner. Your characters then try to escape from a house with a different killer on each floor. Whether you roll randomly to surprise yourself and your players, or you plot out the most evil haunted house you can think of, this game is not for the faint of heart.
Choose Your Own Adventure: House of Danger, There's Been a Murder and Mysterium Park
Mysteries really feel like they were made for Fall. These mystery games are a great addition to any candlelit table.
House of Danger is a delightfully nostalgic storytelling game that probably looks familiar if you've ever read any of the Choose Your Own Adventure books. It's spooky, campy and a whole lot of fun at the table.
Mysterium and Mysterium Park are two of our best selling games, in any season really, but they shine in spooky season. Sort of like reverse Clue, one person plays as the ghost and the others are trying to figure out what happened to the ghost. The ghost can't speak, but gives clues in the form of these gorgeous art cards. It's a great twist on a cooperative game.
For a faster, lighter game of mystery, There's Been a Murder is a collaborative card game of deduction where you're trying to solve a horrendous murder in a fancy country estate in the 1930s. Team up to investigate the crime by playing cards in your hand. You may not may not talk about the cards you hold or that you’ve seen during play. By playing your cards, you can discover who holds the key cards, allowing the Detective to uncover the Murderer. Good luck!
Betrayal at House on the Hill, One Night Ultimate Werewolf and Dead of Winter
Nothing says terror like having a traitor in the mix. These deception games are all great for raising the stakes at the table.
Possibly one of my favorites of all time, Betrayal at House on the Hill came out with a new edition at the end of last year. It's got all new haunts and some updates to the characters from the old edition. If you've never played before, you and your friends are exploring a haunted house room by room. Once enough ominous things happen during your exploration, the haunt will begin and one of the players will turn on their friends. It's random and different every time you play, making it easily one of the games you can play and replay again and again. There's also a new Werewolf expansion for even more variety.
If, like me, you've been missing The Last of Us, Dead of Winter will bring the zombie apocalypse to your table. You're working together to survive the harsh winter, but each person has their own secret objective– and that could possibly be to work against the group. For less harsh betrayal, more smashing zombies, try Zombicide.
And finally, the ultimate betrayal, bluffing and (for me) anxiety-inducing party game– Werewolf. I really love the One Night version where you have just one round to figure out who the werewolf is. It's super fast, so you won't have time to dwell on the fact that your best friend just swore up and down that they weren't the werewolf and they totally were. The BETRAYAL! *shuffles cards*
Happy Fall Spooky Season! Check out the rest of our spotlight games here... if you dare! Mwahahaha
]]>I absolutely love the story prompts in these decks. Whether you're starting a new campaign or just need to generate some fresh ideas for an ongoing adventure, sometimes you need a little inspiration. These story cards have ideas for Opening, Rising and Climatic action to help you on your way. The Genesis Box also includes some helpful ideas for NPCs and Sensory cards to add some flavor to your storytelling.
Give you GM a break and run a game for them! These games are perfectly collaborative and most require no prep!
Fiasco is probably some of the most fun I've had at a table. The boxed set makes it super easy to just dive right in – draw your character cards, relationships, objects you need and the setting where it all takes place and watch it go wildly off the rails!
Dialect is a really beautiful game about community and language. With the language deck of stunning artwork, you'll tell the story of an isolated community, the language they build and what it means when they lose that language.
The Quiet Year is a truly fantastic world-building/community building game. What better way to show your GM appreciation than to build a world together?
There's something about dice trays that really raise the stakes at the table for me. It feels elevated and special to roll in the tray. The highs seem higher and the lows seem lower, and it makes everything feel pretty epic. Maybe it's just me, but I love a dice tray. Pick one up for your GM as a little treat (I won't tell if you "curse" it ahead of time..).
As the resident notetaker in my D&D home group, I absolutely adore the notebooks we carry. Dungeon Notes have really great prompts and resources for taking notes on your character or campaign. And the artwork on the Critical Role journals is gorgeous. So fill up those notebooks and make your GM proud (even if it's just "Hot Orc NPC" on every page.). Happy note taking!
]]>(Barkeep on the Borderlands, Azul Mini, Kites & Skull)
In this new, fast and fun cooperative game, everyone works together to keep their kites in the air. Your kites are represented by colored sand timers and you'll be flipping cards and the matching sand timers, making sure none of them run out and hit the ground. You can play it anywhere – might I suggest Domino Park? All you need is a somewhat stable surface (or not, if you're in for more of a challenge).
If you'd rather have an adventure about a pub crawl than actually do a pub crawl, this tavern crawl roleplaying game is for you! (Although, I imagine it would also be REALLY fun to do a site-specific version of this game as well– maybe somewhere along Berry Open Streets?). Barkeep on the Borderlands has 20 different taverns to explore, plus rules for drinking, sobriety and even hangovers. The art is fantastic and with tavern names like Off-Central Park, The Warm Shoulder and of course, The Original Tavern™ you can (and should) spend hours visiting these whimsical bars. Cheers!
One of my favorite bluffing games recently got cute new box art, and it's absolutely perfect for a trip to McCarren Park. In Skull, everyone gets beautifully illustrated coasters– all flowers and one skull. Go around the circle and lay your coasters face down in a pile. Then everyone bets on how many they can flip over around the circle without hitting a skull. The only catch is you must start with your own pile. Can you outbid your friends or will you get caught in a bluff?
Tiny versions of two of my favorite games? Yes, please! Hive Pocket is the perfect travel-sized two player strategy game– think chess, but with bugs. Each bug has its own way it can move, and your goal is to surround your opponent's queen bee. With no board and a cute little travel bag, you can take this Hive with you anywhere, maybe even on the Ferry!
Azul Mini is the tiny version of the classic tile placement game, Azul. Pick your patterned tiles and make a beautiful work of art (while scoring points). The stunning tile patterns will fit right in with the gorgeous can designs at the Williamsburg taproom, Talea.
For more recommendations check out the rest of our Featured Spotlight Collection!
]]>There's nothing quite like summer in New York. So, thank you, Spider-man.
Here's the round up of city-inspired games!
This is one of the most fun solo games I have ever played. You play as a late night radio host and using a deck of cards and a six-sided die, you will curate your playlist, interact with callers to your show and evolve their stories over as many broadcasts as you like. I really love the way this game replicates the pressure of being on the air (I assume– I've never been on the radio). You've got as long as your songs are playing to get the details of your caller and then get your next block of songs ready. You're encouraged to record your show, record yourself as a caller for someone else's show and even submit your show to be played on the author's own 1680 radio station! Speak into the VOID, you never know who's listening...
This is a game about building a city. You'll take turns exploring the city, filling it with life and vivid detail, meeting its strange and wondrous inhabitants. No game master is required in this collaborative game. Everyone will "wander the city" and create new neighborhoods and landmarks together, expanding on each other's ideas. Want a summer in the city? Get to building one!
These two were no-brainers for summer in the city games. In Skate Summer, channel your inner Tony Hawk as you nail ~rad combos~ and show off your skills. You'll even collect S-K-A-T-E-R upgrades from each corner of the board. (Tony Hawk Pro Skater Soundtrack optional.)
In Wildstyle, the city is your canvas as you and your crew tag train stations, residential blocks, industrial wastelands and everything in between. Not everyone appreciates your artistic endeavors though, so watch out for your rivals and, of course, the (proverbial) man.
Photo courtesy of Jackbar
This game does an excellent job of mimicking the joy of getting a high score playing pinball. Roll the dice to hit bumpers, drop targets and activate the multiball. You can play solo and try to beat your high score or go head to head against your friends. Once you get on the high score leader board, try out the stand-alone expansion, Ramp It Up!
Check out the rest of our Summer in the City collection here!
]]>There truly are so many ways to tell stories. Indie Roleplaying Games have something for every type of storyteller. Here are a few we've been obsessed with as of late!
by Côme Martin
Two Summers is a game of sunny adventures and light drama across two timelines. I love the story trope of playing as children and then playing those same characters as adults 30 years later (Now & Then, anyone?). There's something so wonderful about watching a character grow and being able to shape their relationships over decades. It's not something we often get to do in roleplaying games, and this game uses a fabulous relationship building system that all players collaborate on.
And if Yellowjackets and Stephen King's It are more your speed, you can pick up the Other Summers supplement to add some spookiness to your story.
by April Kit Walsh
Winner of the Best Game and Product of the Year for the 2022 ENnie Awards, Thirsty Sword Lesbians is a roleplaying game for telling queer stories with your friends. Full of flirting, sword fighting and zingers, this game invites you to feel the deep emotional conflict of your characters and to care about your fellow characters in the game. The safety and consent guidelines are fantastic for creating a safe environment for emotional roleplay. You, the player always get to choose the actions of your character– the game never dictates what your character must do.
"What if not lesbians?" In its brilliance, this game plays with themes that are common for all sorts of marginalized people, as well as feelings that go beyond the queer experience. Being able to tell those stories in a way that celebrates the varied ways we live our lives is very cool and I can't recommend this RPG enough.
Want to try it out? We're playing Thirsty Sword Lesbians Heist at the Meta Gala this month- come play!
by M Veselak
Wickedness is such a beautiful game (and another 2022 ENnie Award winner!). At its core, it's a fantasy RPG about the resilience and power of queer community. In this game for three players, use your tarot deck to uncover the story of your Coven of witches. Beautifully collaborative, everyone has an equal hand in portraying the world, its inhabitants and the interpretation of the tarot cards.
One thing I love about this game is the "Hmm Finger" mechanic. While you’re thinking, if you’re open to hearing suggestions, you can put a finger to your lips and say “Hmm!” If someone doesn’t put up a Hmm Finger or ask for help, don’t chime in. Once they’ve answered the question, you can return to freely making suggestions. Just as every tarot deck is different, every game of Wickedness is also different and I really like the true collaboration at work in this game.
Check out the Spotlight Page for more Indie RPGs and ways to tell stories together!
]]>
I love a space western– Firefly is one of my favorites shows (If you haven't seen it, what are you still doing reading this?! Go watch Firefly!). Offworlders is an absolutely delightful roleplaying game. If you're looking to go explore the galaxy doing odd jobs with a lovable ragtag crew, this game is for you. Oh, and you're all aboard an absurdly, yet somehow perfectly named spaceship, "The Quiche Lorraine."
I love the epic feeling of traveling all over the world doing battle with intense problems, and the co-operative nature of Pandemic brings people together in fun ways. You all NEED each other to succeed or you all lose as a team. I think people have forgotten how outstanding of a game this is because of the "ahem" pandemic we just went through, but today it feels really good to defeat a global pandemic from the comfort of your living room.
When we think science fiction I believe most of us will picture space, scientific discovery, and exploration of the universe. However, to me science fiction is about humanity's faults, our fears, and how we respond to threats that may not be so far-flung into the future as we would like to believe. Passing explores humanity's fear of outsiders and the paranoia that follows; however in true Twilight Zone fashion, the genre is subverted by placing the players in the role of Aliens trapped on Earth attempting to survive against the humans!
Mad Scientists traveling across multiple timelines to vanquish their rival and prove once and for all that they're the only true genius! If you're like me, and always kick yourself for thinking of the perfect move hours too late, fear not! That Time You Killed Me lets you play in past, present and future simultaneously, who needs hindsight?
When thinking about spring games, the first one to come to mind is Photosynthesis– the ultimate game about... GROWING! In this game, you'll place beautiful 3D tree tokens onto the circular board. Each round, the sun rotates around board, gaining you points for each tree you have in the sunshine. The taller your trees, the better chance you have of blocking other players' trees, making them miss out on that sweet, sweet sunlight.
In this indie roleplaying game, you and your friends will play as the first generations of humans to live amongst the animals. You'll collaborate to create a unique map of the Garden and fill it with inhabitants of the furry variety. With simple rules and no game master or dice required, will you get along with your fellow humans with only the animals to guide you?
This hands-on dexterity game features adorable moles who have come to the annual Mountain Maker Tournament to compete in building the tallest molehill. With punny mole names like Loama, Sandy, Clay and Pete, you and your friends will battle it out to see just how high you can pile your molehill. Build and control the most Mountains made out of Molehills (get it?) over 6 rounds will be declared the ‘top tunneler!' Dig in (...or up, I suppose)!
Who's a good dog? It's YOU! In Heckin' Good Doggos – you guessed it! – you play as a dog. Not just any dog. A very good dog who teams up with their very good dog friends to sniff out adventure and save their humans from danger. It's a roleplaying game that is fantastic for all ages. You'll create your doggos, define your neighborhood, work together to solve conflicts and, of course, make it home in time for dinner. Must Love Dogs.
]]>This month, we're celebrating just that – all things Meeple – and this is our round up of games that have some really great components.
Thinking of opening your own Jurassic Park? Then foolishly abandon your morals– this game is for you! Featuring adorable Dino Meeples and (*gasp*) Jeeples, you'll need to hire people to gather DNA, clone new dinosaurs, and design new attractions. This game also has a fantastic beginner variant version of the rules to get you started!
Indiana Jones more your speed? (I swear not all of these are movie adjacent.) In Lost Ruins of Arnak, you will lead an expedition to explore the island of Arnak– find lost artifacts, and face fearsome guardians, all in a quest to learn the island's secrets. With a variety of actions, artifacts, and equipment cards, the setup for each game will be unique, encouraging you to seek out new strategies each time to meet the challenge, you know, like a real explorer (I assume).
Coming in at #1 for Most Adorable Meeples™, is Great Western Trail– I mean, look at those little hats! In this strategy game, you play a rancher trying to get your cattle from Texas to Kansas City. You'll need to keep your herd in good shape in order to make money. Hire cowboys (again, the hats!), upgrade your equipment and buildings and keep those cows happy!
Set in the Dungeons & Dragons city of Waterdeep, Lords of Waterdeep is an excellent introduction to a worker placement game. (One of those games where each turn, you put your "worker" on a space and that space gives you certain things.) In this case, as a Lord of Waterdeep, you'll recruit adventurers to go on quests on your behalf, earning rewards and increasing your influence over the city. Incredibly easy to learn, this game will have everyone on board by turn number two. And by "on board" I mean ruthlessly vying for control of the city. Have Fun!
Check out the rest of the collection on our Featured Spotlight page!
]]>Need some bardic inspiration for your feast? Check out these themed cookbooks for some delicious recipe ideas!
In You've Got Problems, you'll be convincing your friends to choose the life you make for them. Filled with hilarious "would you rather" situations and arguments for whose problem is the most tolerable, you'll really get to know your friends and the terrible choices they make.
Wavelength is a fantastic party game that pits two teams against each other to guess the exact spot on a spectrum the clue giver places a word. On a scale of hot to cold, where would they place 'coffee'? When your team guesses exactly right, it feels like you just might have psychic powers. (I once played this game for hours and no one was even keeping score.)
MicroMacro Crime City is a cooperative detective game with serious Where's Waldo vibes. You'll be working together to find clues and solve crimes on a giant fold-out map. Magnifying glass included for extra detective points.
If your group is into more of a "hands-on" mystery experience, the Deadly Dinner series is for you! These dinner party box sets come with everything you need to host your very own murder... uh, mystery party. Everyone will take the role of a murder suspect and the story will unfold throughout the night. Bon appétit!
Hues and Cues will have you and your friends guessing a specific hue on a board of over 480 colors. Can you put your marker on the exact shade of apricot you friend is thinking of? Closest person wins [the admiration of your design friends].
Illusion is a fast, fun card game of optical illusions. You'll be placing your cards according to the most dominate color in the picture. With some mind bending artwork, trusting your eyes might get interesting. An excellent addition to any cocktail party.
No prep solutions for a campaign off-night or any other night!
i'm sorry did you say street magic is a city-building game played in a single session. You'll take turns exploring the city, meeting its inhabitants and creating a vibrant and multifaceted metropolis together. All in the span of one dinner!
Tiny Library is a deck of tons of single-card RPGs ready to go. Just shuffle, draw a card and play!
Theatre-goers and Shakespeare fans alike can really let their Theatre 101 skills fly in Zounds! Drawing characters cards from famous Shakespeare works, you'll use them to cast your plays. Bonus points if you can finish the line of dialogue on the card. All the world's a stage... and stuff.
Tall Tales is a competitive storytelling game. Complete the prompt for each scene and vote on your favorite. The top scenes will get entered into the final tale. You'll come up with some interesting stories you can later turn into a screenplay if enough people vote on it. (Pretty sure that's how that works.)
]]>Black cats, witches, and werewolves are year round favorites, yet somehow I am inspired every halloween by reinvented versions of the classic horror tropes, especially in games. So naturally my Spooktober Spotlight picks for this year are Gloom (reminds me of The Addams Family) and Horrified which features every iconic horror movie all in one game!
Daniel’s pick is Final Hour, with so many H.P. Lovecraft Cthulhu inspired games, it definitely stands out among the rest.
Morgan’s pick is Our Haunt, a new roleplaying game that just came out this year and already a staff pick!
Luis’ pick is Night Cage – I am so glad we were able to get this game back in stock!
Also check out the full breath of Spooktober games in our Spotlight collection.
“Similar to a zombie survival game or horror movie, you are faced with relentless ranks of monsters spawning at random. I think it is the most fast paced game in the Arkham universe (takes under an hour to play), and it's a great introduction to the greater Arkham universe.”– Daniel
“This beautifully spooky RPG about a found family of ghosts and the house they haunt checks both the creepy and cozy boxes for me. Who doesn't want to play as a ghost who haunts an old house? With tons of brilliant room aesthetics like 'the Ouija board we promised not to use again' I am ready to move in. Where do I put my ghost luggage?” – Morgan
"The perfect game for when you are feeling nostalgia for all of your favorite classic monsters. Get out the popcorn and gather your friends for some monster hunting!" – Lauren
“This pocket-sized card game is perfect to take to the bar. It has beautiful art to easily rope in a group of novice players. It has plastic cards, so you don’t have to worry about spilled drinks. And with a group of saucy players, embellishing the prompts can easily turn this strategy game into a roleplaying game.” – Lauren
“Great dark and thematic co-op game! Dropping through a tunnel and not knowing where you will show up is so creepy. I love the light/dark mechanic and not being sure what is in front of you or not.” – Luis
]]>Each month we spotlight different themes and highlight the amazing designers behind the games we love. As we curate collections for this upcoming fall season, we decided to spotlight our Top 20 Best Selling Games and RPGs from August 2021 to now!
With so many people from all over the world joining our community and connecting with our long time regulars, we thought this was a perfect time to discuss why these Top 20 Games and RPGs are so popular amongst 20siders!
My quick go-to After Dinner games in the Top 20 collection are Azul, Cat Lady, and Splendor. They are simple to set up and quick to play, but have tons of strategy and complexity to keep us coming back again and again.
If it is just the two of us, Hive, The Fox in the Forest, and The Mind are perfect, providing both competitive and cooperative options depending on what mood we are in.
For a slightly more challenging 2-player game, 7 Wonders is the best.
Game Nights require games with a bit more immersion like Mansions of Madness and Betrayal at the House on the Hill. In these games you take on a character with special abilities and work together to overcome obstacles. We get really into it – playing by candlelight, hooking up the background music to the nice stereo speakers, and roleplaying our characters – but it is totally not required if that is not your thing.
For more of a resource management game, Catan, Ticket to Ride, and Wingspan are our top picks.
Dixit, Ramen Fury, Coup, Codenames, and Wavelength round out the Party Game collection perfectly. All of these games can be played with just a few people to get the night started, and scale up smoothly as more people arrive fashionably late. Coup and Ramen Furry cap at five players, but Dixit, Codenames, and Wavelength can accommodate plenty more especially when played as teams.
Root and The Initiative are games that I save for the weekend.
Root has a bit of a learning curve, so if I have new players I want to take my time setting up the game and going over the rules so I don’t cause anyone to feel overwhelmed or rushed.
The Initiative is a campaign, each game plays in about an hour but the entire story is told through a 48-page comic book that spans multiple games. It can be played weekly, as a Game Night game, but I like the idea of taking up to a cabin and playing the campaign over the weekend as an epic adventure. I personally haven’t gotten the chance to weekend in a cabin in the woods yet, and I am so jealous of all of our customers who do this – I imagine taking lots of long breaks in between games to cook meals and go for hikes… soon, very soon. I am ready!
When Luis and I first opened the store there were hardly, if any, roleplaying games you could play solo or two player. Now there are so many, and each of them are wildly unique.
Thousand Year Vampire is a solo journaling game where you play out your existence.
In Wanderhome, you play traveling animal-folk discovering the beauty of nature as you travel from village to village.
Star Crossed Lovers holds the emotions of a couple in exhilarating tension using a stacking block tower to determine whether or not the temptation to act on your feelings for the other person can be resisted.
The Quiet Year is a post-apocalyptic map making game that uses cards to trigger events that get played out over each passing season of a quiet year before the Frost Shepherds arrive, ending the game.
Microscope can be played with two, but I think it is better when you have a few people to bounce ideas off of as you create the events in the timeline of your world.
Sign and Dialect are about creating languages and exploring what it feels like to be understood.
Sleepaway is besieged by a strange and ominous cryptid. As a camp counselor you are determined to keep this camp safe and provide a refuge from the alienating outside world.
In Ryuutama, you travel and journey far from home, but you are protected by the half-dragon Ryujin as you explore the unknowns of the world ahead of you.
Fiasco is played over three acts. In the first act you learn about yourself and others as you develop the objective of the plot. Act two builds up to the penultimate scene where everything goes awry. Act three closes with the epilogue. Each playset offers a totally different genre and tone to suit your mood.
The first time I played Kids on Bikes was with Luis at the 2018 GAMA trade show. I don’t think the game had officially been released then. Ivan B. Van Norman was guiding our game and it was truly epic! Had there not been a line of people waiting, we would have kept roleplaying kids in a small suburban town, getting in way over our heads, for hours. If you like Stranger Things and the X-Files, you will love this game! Kids on Bikes uses the full set of dice which I love, and is simple enough for a quick one-shot, but has enough mechanics for an ongoing campaign.
Apocalypse World and Powerd by the Apolcolypse games – Monster of the Week, Monsterhearts, Thirsty Swords and Lesbians, Punk's Been Dead Since '79 are amoungst our favorites! They all have a tight theme or genre, and like Kids on Bikes they come with customizable pre-generated characters that have very satisfying choices and leveling-up system for keeping the game focused on facilitating a style of game play that really enhances the themes of each game. Monster of the Week is about slaying monsters, Buffy-style. Monsterhearts is Heathers with vampires and werewolves. Thirsty Sword and Lesbians conquers all and Punk’s Been Dead Since ‘79 is litterly roleplaying my teenage years.
I remember I was hanging out with Lucian Kahn at Full Circle Bar after playing D&D at the store when he first told me about his concept for a roleplaying game that was a dating sim, set in a mall full of goth kids!!! My first reaction was – this game is gonna be amazing!!! Visigoths vs Mall Goths is now one of our Top 20 best selling RPGs at Twenty Sided Store.
Blades in the Dark is a d6 system like Powered by the Apocalypse games, but like Visgoths vs Mall Goths, it features a unique rules system. The system introduces a mechanic using progress clocks, which work great for facilitating heists and intrigue heavy games.
It is no surprise that the D&D 5e Player's Handbook and Critical Role Tal'dorei Campaign Setting book would be on the list of best sellers.
If it weren’t for Dungeons & Dragons, roleplaying games might have ceased to exist. Somehow playing characters inspired by Tolkien, worked its way into the basements of storytellers all over the world. As people wanted to explore other worlds and different styles of game play, more game systems and worlds to go with them were created. As gamers came out of the basement, tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) became more mainstream and when a bunch of video game voice over actors started playing D&D on Geek & Sundry, everyone instantly fell in love with Critical Role and the world of Tal’dorei.
]]>"The puzzles in The Light in the Mist are thought provoking and found within the beautiful artwork of the tarot deck. As you complete each puzzle, there is a compelling story that unfolds. Explore the world through the deck– you can take any path and navigate the game in any order! When you have completed the journey, you have a tarot deck that you have made a real connection with and is an artifact you will cherish for years to come."
"Arkham Horror has creepy Cthulhu vibes, deep strategic gameplay and campaign gameplay that makes me want to see what happens in the next part of the story. This game scratches a lot of itches that few games can hit. Plus, I really like the cooperative aspect of the game."
(Luis is teaching Arkham Horror Saturdays in July!)
"I am really missing Stranger Things (Eddie Munson, you absolute legend), so any chance to play through that type of story while I wait for Season 5 is awesome. The Snallygaster Situation gives you all the feel of a Stranger Things style of adventure in a cooperative board game. Follow the clues, find your missing friend, all while avoiding monster attacks and the Feds*!"
*Kate Bush on repeat is optional, but recommended.
]]>"Hive is high strategy and only takes a minute to learn but a lifetime to master! Every single person I have shared this game with has fallen in love with it and winds up buying it to share with their friends. It's also the most portable game ever. You can play it in the park, on the beach or in a bar. And it can never be damaged– it's very durable!"
This month for Pride, we want to shine the spotlight on queer creators in the indie RPG space and show some love to their brilliant games!
Twitter @muscularpikachu
Instagram @helloalexroberts
Alex is a master at creating games that include all the pieces- every artifact serves a purpose. For the Queen is a compact box full of endless story possibilities for weaving a tale— no prep involved!
Star Crossed tells the story of two lovers who really, really want to but really, really can’t. Tension mounts with the help of a teetering Jenga tower. You may forever ask yourself why Jenga isn’t always played this way. And that would be a fair question.
Fun fact! Both games have been translated into French, German, Spanish, Italian and Korean!
An invited Guest of Honour at 3W6Con in Vienna, Austria, Alex’s most recent games are RAT TRASH PARTY, co-created with Dana Johnson and Our Time on Earth, both of which can be found on Alex's itch page here.
Twitter @lackingceremony
The tagline of the Buried Without Ceremony site is “Games that mean something.” Avery builds thoughtful games about community, relationships, queerness and self-discovery.
From angsty teen monsters exploring the confusion of coming of age in Monsterhearts, to quite literally planning for the end of civilization in The Quiet Year, to queer strife in a time of collapse in Dream Askew, Avery strikes the balance between levity and provocative storytelling. These are games about relationships that build relationships.
Avery is currently working at Possibility Space as a Senior Narrative Systems Designer. You can find the rest of her works here at buriedwithoutceremony.com
Twitter @whitewing
Instagram @lysander03
TikTok @Lysander003
Glitters Hearts is one of those games that flew off the shelves when we first got it in stock. Greg has flawlessly captured the age-old story of ordinary people who gain extraordinary powers in such a fun way. That’s just it – it’s pure fun. Fun dusted in glitter. So much glitter!
Fun fact! The game is being sold in Brazil, so it’s being translated into Portuguese. Because Portuguese is a gendered language, the translation team is having a fun and interesting time coming up with gender neutral terms and patterns of speech to match the book.
Greg also has a podcast called Very Random Encounters, an actual play podcast of a ton of different game systems in which they randomize as many things as possible.
itch necromancy.itch.io
Local game designer Lucian Kahn creates games that are surreal, campy fun and just a little bit spooky. Visigoths vs. Mall Goths is a dating sim for angsty teens in an L.A. shopping mall in 1996. Dead Friend: A Game of Necromancy uses tarot cards to tell the story of a ghost. These witchy, playful stories are the perfect accompaniment to your candlelit table.
A long time friend of the store, Lucian most recently wrote for the new Advanced Lesbians and Lovers!
You can join Lucian's email list here.
Twitter @possum_creek Jay Dragon @jdragsky Ruby Lavin @rubylavin
Instagram @possumcreekgames
We carry and love so many games from Possum Creek, a local indie publisher based in the Hudson Valley. The team is made up of Jay Dragon (creative director) and Ruby Lavin (art director and graphic designer). Possum Creek Games invites everyone to the table, with a wide variety of player styles and beautiful, cozy illustrations.
Jay’s games invoke inquisitive wonder, and include everything from queer counselors at a haunted summer camp in Sleepaway, to traveling animal-folk and the world they inhabit as the seasons change around them in Wanderhome.
You can find more Possum Creek Games here at possumcreekgames.com
Twitter @Arr_Roo
Itch https://r-rook.itch.io/
Richard’s games are full of rich world building, yet low-prep and easy to run. He has a beautiful way of putting a playful spin on classic systems. Play as adventurous young adults in Barrow Keep’s romantic fantasy setting, or travel through the multiverse of the Infinite Void in Enoch’s Wake.
Richard has two upcoming projects: Sherwood and Moonlight on Roseville Beach and will be releasing Dragonmaw Cave later this summer. You can stay tuned by signing up for his newsletter.
When we asked these lovely game designers if they wanted to amplify anyone else's games, these are the creators they suggested checking out:
April Kit Walsh (Thirsty Sword Lesbians) | Twitter @GaySpaceshipGms
Banana Chan (Jiangshi: Blood at the Banquet Hall) | Twitter @bananachangames
Logan Jenkins (I'm Sure You're All Wondering Why I Gathered You Here This Evening ) | Twitter @LoganJenkins
Rae Nedjadi (Apocalypse Keys, Our Haunt) | Twitter @temporalhiccup
Yeonsoo Julian Kim (Women are Werewolves) | Twitter @yjuliankim
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This month Twenty Sided Store is celebrating Sci-fi, Superheroes, and The Multiverse! Swing by the store and check out our new displays and head over to our Featured Spotlight collection online for more details.
Grogu, our very special guest is here to give you a tour of his favorite games in the Multiverse...
Offworlders by local 20sider, Chris Wolf, is an easy entry sci-fi roleplaying game perfect for a one-shot or mini-campaign. The adventurers, outlaws, and guns for hire making their fortune on the rough end of the galaxy remind Grogu of the Outer Rim in Edge of the Empire.
Marvel just released the Marvel Multiverse Roleplaying Game Playtest Rulebook. It uses a unique D616 System and is printed to the exact size and paper stock as a Marvel Comic Book with beautiful illustrations of your favorite superheroes.
The Crew is the perfect cooperative trick-taking game with over 50 different missions that span the solar system in Quest for Planet Nine!
The Search for Planet X will have you playing astronomers searching for a new planet solving logic puzzles as you explore and discover the vastness of space. There is a companion app to help manage game play and keep you focused on your mission. Don't let Grogu's cuteness distract you!
Terraforming Mars takes place in the future when Earth has become so unhabitable, that the mega corporations that you work for have settled on Mars to make a better life for us humans.
Aliens, Star Trek Adventures, and Shadowrun are on Grogu's top 10 Sci-fi cinematic style roleplaying games. These Starter Sets have every thing you need to play. They feature worlds familiar, foreign, and terrifying. They are complex and provide the perfect range of setting and system for creating your own adventures.
This spring we bring you a collection of Curious Creatures.
Fox in the Forest frolic, and Dog Lovers Get Wild. Birds Wingspan and soar over Cascadia as you Wanderhome. You soak in a little Animal Medicine and join the other Cat Ladies in a game of How to RPG with your Cat.
Check out our Spotlight collection for the complete curated list of games for animal lovers.
When we played How to RPG with our cats, Arya got really into rolling the oversized d20 Morgan had made for her and Arrow gave me a look like "games are for humans!" Eventually she got into the adventure prompts and became tangled in yarn.
Share your RPG cat adventures. Join the Twenty Sided Discord and post photos and videos of your #familiars favorite moments.
Finally a dog themed game... In Dogs BOND you get to play as super adorable dogs... batting those puppy eyes... and doing your best to get adopted. You will not settle for just any family because you want to go home with your Forever Family. So be prepared to show off your uniqueness!
In Get Wild you roll dice to restore all the wildlife back to their native habitats. The art on this game has that wish you were here postcard vibe and every time I play this game I am nostalgic for when traveled to some of these National Parks on family vacations as a kid. For a luck based game, the strategy and scoring is very satisfying – perfect for a quick after dinner game night.
Dinosaurs are no longer extinct! You have scientifically cloned their DNA and raised them from hatchlings in your Dinosaur World amusement park. However, your park is feeling some pressure from competitors and you must figure out how to clone new behemoths for your upcoming attractions.
I love how this game uses science, safety, and profitability as its resources. I keep thinking of the quote in Spider Man, "Great power comes with great responsibility."
How far will you go to succeed... and at what cost?
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