I have written a series of posts looking at the Board Game Geek (BGG) top 100 games, checking to see if I had the game in my collection and talking a little bit about each one, if I could. At the end of the first sixty games covered I owned 23 for a 38% ownership rate. I also had one game that I formerly owned but had sold, so it didn’t get counted. Today I will cover games ranked from 40 up to 31.
For all posts in this series check for the BGG Top 100 tag.
40: Everdell
Released 2018
I really liked the look of this game! Through various trades and dealings I ended up with a collector edition with upgraded components, plus I have added the special wooden tree. So yes, I own it.
39: Mechs vs. Minions
Released 2016
Looks fun, sounds interesting, comes in a huge box, but it’s not in my collection at this time.
38: Star Wars: Imperial Assault
Released 2014
This is the second “formerly owned” game for me on this list. I picked up the base set at Half Price Books (one of my favorite places to shop). Then I discovered there were boxed expansion sets, individual ally or villain expansion blister packs, and even special playmats! I bought it. I bought it all. I mean everything. Extra dice packs, all of the skirmish maps, everything.
It’s an attractive property (Star Wars) that I really enjoy. There were tons of minis (miniature figures) that I could paint. And it took me a year and a half to find everything.
Then I sold it. 😯 I decided that it was too much for me to play or paint, and while I enjoyed the thrill of the hunt, finding individual blister packs on sale or clearance here or there, once the acquisition process was complete it just took a bunch of space on my shelf. So I sold it.
And now I’m trying to acquire a complete set of Run & Bones instead. 😆
37: Tzolk’in: The Mayan Calendar
Released 2012
Isn’t it ironic that a game based on the Mayan Calendar was released in 2012? 😆 And yes, I own this.
36: Power Grid
Released 2004
This one sounds interesting, and I expect that if I find the right deal I will buy it, but right now I do not own it.
35: Kingdom Death: Monster
Released 2015
This one is a beast! Or a monster! Literally. The boxes (plural) are huge, there are tons of miniatures, and the subject matter skews towards the adult-oriented horror theme. It’s super expensive, and I don’t think I would play it that often, so I skipped it.
34: Root
Released 2018
This is an extremely fascinating and complex game! It’s an example of what is called asymmetrical game which means that each player has their own rules and their own victory condition, despite playing the same game on the same board at the same time! The first game that I heard of in this category was Vast: The Crystal Caverns (which I also own, although it’s not in the top 100 at BGG). In the base game of Root players pick from the cats, birds, woodland alliance, or vagabond creatures. The winner gets to rule the forest!
The biggest challenge with asymmetrical games is teaching them. You have to teach the game differently for each player, so if you’re not starting out with experienced players it might take a while to get started.
33: Pandemic Legacy: Season 2
Released 2017
A “legacy” game is one where the game changes as you play it. When you’re done (most legacy games involve a campaign of sorts that has a defined ending) you can continue to play the game, but your game is not likely to be the same as anyone else who started playing the same game. I honestly don’t know how many people go back and continue to play their legacy games after they’re done, but it’s possible.
This is Season 2 of the popular Pandemic Legacy franchise. The source game (Pandemic) was on this list at number 90 (I own it). Spoiler Alert: Season 1 appears higher on this list. Much higher.
32: Blood Rage
Released 2015
I found this at Half Price Books and bought it. Then I found it was selling for higher than I bought it for, so I sold it. That makes this the 3rd previously owned game on the list. I never even got around to playing it…
31: Mansions of Madness: Second Edition
Released 2016
I have bought and sold this several times, mostly to make money to fund my other game purchases. Each time I buy it I think, “Maybe I’ll keep it this time.” At the moment I do have a copy of the base game on my selves, but it has a “destined for eBay” sticker on it. We’ll see. For now I will count it as previously owned because I do intend to sell it. That makes it the 4th previously owned game out of the top 100 for me.
But this week was nice! There are only 3 of the games in this bracket that I have never owned, and I currently own four!
Games Mentioned: 70
Games Owned: 28 (40%)
Games Previously Owned: 4
After the first 70 games I own 27, which brings my cumulative percentage back up to 39%! There are some really good games in this bucket and I am happy to have them in my collection. There are only thirty games left to cover, and I need 13 more to hit 50%.