Card and Dice Poll 2021

Tony Boydell – Designer

Notable Games: Snowdonia, Guilds of London, Alubari, Ivor the Engine

Blog: https://www.boardgamegeek.com/blog/344

Selections

1. Agricola – engrossing, challenging, replayable and perfect; my personal No.1

2. Glory To Rome – How to merge skill with exploding combinations; highly interactive

3. Princes of Florence – a tight space in which to operate (21 actions in total) and the Auction is everything

4. Balderdash – the perfect party game

5. Magic: The Gathering – almost 100 sets in, the ultimate CCG has a superb mechanical heart that has withstood the test of time and a thousand imitators!

6. Monopoly – love it or hate it, you can’t deny the sheer power with which it has shaped gaming

7. L’Attaque – simple rules, variable (player-chosen) setup and an enduring popularity from generation to generation

8. Ticket To Ride – opening up the world of railway network building to a new market; the gateway game to end all gateway games

9. Chess – so much drama and intrigue; enduringly popular because it is superb.

10. Tiddlywinks – the game for anyone and everyone; howlingly good fun and the variations on the core mechanism are Legion!

Comments: Obviously, a number of modern games occupy my first thoughts – because I’m a modern gamer and designer – but there is much to be enjoyed/learned from the vintage era of gaming: simple, yes, and with a generous slice of luck, there are also many innovations that will surprise and delight!