Hanabi
(2-5 players; 25 minutes; ages 8+)
Hanabi is both the top deductive and co-operative game. It’s best with 3-4 players and is the only game that I’ve played where my real objective is to win without cheating too much. Players work together against the game, so a subtle grimace here or a sudden intake of breath there gives a much needed, but strictly forbidden clue to your team mates! I’m sure you will try to play more ethically than me 😉
Hanabi is MathPickle’s 2013 Game of the Year. Perhaps more importantly, it is the first small game that has won gaming’s most prestigious game design award: the Spiel des Jahres. For $15 you can’t go wrong.
I like mathematics because it is not human and has nothing particular to do with this planet or with the whole accidental universe – because, like Spinoza’s God, it won’t love us in return.
An abstract struggle with clunky chips and a draw bag.
Simultaneous play and no downtime.
"The Crew: Missions Deep Sea" is the even better sequel.
Jon Perry's Air Land & Sea impressed me immediately with its inspired rule that allows players to withdraw from a battle at any time. The game improves with play as the first games will be slowed down because each card has critical text... however there are only 18 cards in total. This game is a gem for those with a limited budget.
Elizabeth Hargrave's Wingspan does not have the most innovative mechanisms, but it is infused with natural beauty like no other game I've played. Unlike all previous winners, the game did not "wow" me on the first play, but over many plays, I came to love the anticipation of each new bird entering play. It is a sumptuous game.
Ever dreamed of being James Bond? In Sniper Elite one player secretly sneaks around a top-secret WWII military base - attempting to sabotage the enemy without getting killed. Many parents will have issues with the theme. I do not let my children play violent computer games, but a violent strategic board game? That is different.
My City is a legacy game that is played 24 times. A legacy game is one in which permanent changes happen with each game. For example, if you win a game you might "win" a building that is difficult to construct for all future games. Only buy My City if you plan to play with the same people again and again.
Dune Imperium
2023
MathPickle
runner-up Game of the Year
2-4 players
2 hours
ages 12+
This is not an easy game. Choose a different game if you are new to board gaming, but if you are an experienced gamer AND enjoyed the 2021 movie Dune, then this is an immersive game experience with tense decisions.
Cat in the box
2023
MathPickle
Game of the Year
3-5 players
30 minutes
ages 10+
This card game is a logician's paradise. The suit of each card is not written on the cards. Instead, you declare the suit when it is played. Then you must live with the repercussions of your decisions. Do you decide to trump a hand by saying you have no yellow cards? Fine, but that means you cannot play another yellow card for that round. Continue until someone wins or there is a paradox!
Skull
2024
MathPickle
runner-up Game of the Year
3-6 players
15 minutes
ages 8+
Skull is a minimalist joyful experience that is a descendant of the dice game Perudo/Dudo/Liars Dice. While I prefer the dice game original for the classroom, the artwork on these coasters make this the most beautiful of all the bluffing games.
This game is brilliant and minimalistic. You start with a hand of wrestlers. At the start of a hand, the relative strength of the wrestlers is unknown. If a wrestler beats another wrestler, then it will always beat that wrestler for the rest of the hand.