Star Realms
(2 players; 20 minutes; ages 8+)
Star Realms is the most elegant deck-building card game with easy rules, stunning art work, and quick play time. Scoring requires students to subtract, but as always you’re going to play this game because it is outstanding – not because of the mathematical skill acquisition or practice. The game incorrectly suggests an age 12+ but it can be taught to children aged 8+.
The sequel game, “Star Realms: Colony Wars” adds a lot of complexity and has some irritating cards whose abilities only apply once, but beginner players will find themselves reading them again and again by accident. Not recommended.
The 2018 release “Star Realms: Frontiers” is maybe a little bit better than the original. Unbelievable!
The other expansion sets sometimes add nice little features, but in general I’d stick to the original Star Realms and Star Realms: Frontiers.
Star Realms is MathPickle’s Game of the Year for 2015.
One of the things that ultimately led me to leave mathematics and go into political science was thinking I could prevent nuclear war.
An abstract struggle with clunky chips and a draw bag.
Simultaneous play and no downtime.
Urbino
2019
MathPickle
Runner-Up Game of the Year
2 players
30 minutes
ages 9+
Urbino is a themed strategy game that has brought joy to my home for years. It is almost as elegant as the greatest abstract strategy games of all time: Dvonn and Go.
Patchwork
2019
MathPickle
Runner-Up Game of the Year
2 players
30 minutes
ages 7+
Patchwork is a tactical zero-luck game. It is challenging to look many moves into the future!
878 Vikings
2019
MathPickle
Game of the Year
2-4 players
60-90 minutes
ages 11+
"1754: Conquest – The French and Indian War" is a simpler game using the same wonderful mechanics.
"The Crew: Missions Deep Sea" is the even better sequel. Beware that cooperative games like these can be more stressful than competitive games because your failure can wreck the whole group.
Cartographers
2020
MathPickle
Game of the Year
1-100 players
30 minutes
ages 8+
My favourite pencil and paper game is mostly a solitaire experience. Place tetris-like shapes to score variable objectives. Just when things get relaxed your sheet gets sabotaged from an opponent.
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. The rules are awkward to understand. Please watch this video: https://youtu.be/4a69YZ-oujY?si=3zLJeNw9A4lz_8_z&t=59
Wiki Histories
2025
A Classroom Game
2 players
15 minutes
ages 8+
These are a series of pencil-and-paper games that are being designed for the classroom. The work-in-progress is available for free download here. Bias alert: Wiki Histories is my game.
Use Wiki Histories to teach world history, board game design or get your class to engage in a head-to-head battle of wits.
Welcome to the Moon
2025
Runner-up Game of the Year
1-6 players
25 minutes
ages 10+
Play eight scenarios on your way to setting up a successful moon base. This wonderful game with sharp decision-making. The first scenrio is not nearly as good as the second, so skip it or play it once and then leave it behind.
This is a game of light player interaction. If you are not super confrontational, this might be the chill game for you. The small pieces make it a bit fiddly, and the production quality is just average, but it is a mechanistic masterpiece! A true joy to get to the table.