Ten Games to Start Your Game Collection (And Twenty More)

Randolph Pub Ludique's games library. That's a lot of games. 

One of the most common topics I see in board gaming communities like DFW Nerd Night, The Boardgame Group, and /r/boardgames is about folks who are new to the hobby and want to expand their board game collection, but aren't sure what to buy. We're in a "golden age" of tabletop gaming, and with 1,500 new games being released each year, there are plenty to choose from and plenty of ways to evaluate them.

I've crowdsourced this list by polling the members of DFW Nerd Night, and used that list, plus some of my own discretion, to put together "Ten Games to Start Your Game Collection". It's important to note that these aren't the ONLY ten games I think our new friend should purchase, just the first ten that should give her plenty to play for the foreseeable future.

Review: Elder Sign from Fantasy Flight Games

 

Elder Sign is a game based in the Lovecraftian Mythos. You and the other players take on the roles of the various characters from H.P. Lovecraft's writings. You are investigating the Miskatonic University Museum. The Museum has long been a hot-bed of unnatural occurrences.  Today an Ancient One will awaken. Your task is to locate the Elder Signs and seal the monster in the otherworld. There are unseen forces afoot. Keep your wits about you, or suffer the madness inducing twists and turns offered by Elder Sign from Fantasy Flight Games.

Review: Richard Garfield's King of Tokyo

Richard Garfield's King of Tokyo is my favorite dice drafting game, as well it should be! King of Tokyo provides a rich game play experience, minutes to learn and a lifetime to master. It's the winner of several awards, including:

• Best Family Game 2011 from The Dice Tower
• The Dice Tower Seal of Excellence
• 2012 Golden Geek
• Best Children's Game from Board Game Geek
• Best Family Game from Board Game Geek
• Best Party Game from Board Game Geek

Those are just what are printed on the box! There are a total of 19 awards listed on King of Tokyo's Board Game Geek Page.

One of the things that drew me to King of Tokyo in the first place was the box art. A giant lizard holding part of a skyscraper, a gorilla with cybernetic enhancements, and a massive rabbit robot with an energy sword. Everything about this box art screams "there is fun to be had here".