People Behind the Meeples - Episode 259: Cody Spears

Welcome to People Behind the Meeples, a series of interviews with indie game designers.  Here you'll find out more than you ever wanted to know about the people who make the best games that you may or may not have heard of before.  If you'd like to be featured, head over to http://gjjgames.blogspot.com/p/game-designer-interview-questionnaire.html and fill out the questionnaire! You can find all the interviews here: People Behind the Meeples. Support me on Patreon!

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Name:	Cody Spears
Email:	codyspears02@gmail.com
Location:	The southern United States.
Day Job:	Dedicated to designing games, writing, a few other odds and ends, mainly because I'm the neat freak in the house and my fiancé isn't, so she rather I be the stay at home person in the relationship.
Designing:	Five to ten years.
Webpage:	Nightbird Games
BGG:	Nightbird Games
Facebook:	Cody Spears
Twitter:	@GamesNightbird
YouTube:	Nightbird Games
Instagram:	@thenightbirdgames
Find my games at:	The Game Crafter.

Today's Interview is with:

Cody Spears
Interviewed on: 11/20/2020

This week we get to meet Cody Spears, a designer that's been working on games since he was a teen! He's currently designing games that can be found on The Game Crafter, under the name Nightbird Games, so check him out over there.

Some Basics
Tell me a bit about yourself.

How long have you been designing tabletop games?
Five to ten years.

Why did you start designing tabletop games?
Originally? Out of boredom. One day when nothing was happening I said hey, I want to make a board game based off my favorite horror film. Which was Phantasm. After that I made a Friday the 13th board game. Next came numerous batman related games. I then started to make other games through my own creative ideas.

What game or games are you currently working on?
Numerous, I can never stop thinking about something design related.

Have you designed any games that have been published?
Yes. Words from Beyond the Grave. Published through the game crafter.

What is your day job?
Dedicated to designing games, writing, a few other odds and ends, mainly because I'm the neat freak in the house and my fiancé isn't, so she rather I be the stay at home person in the relationship.

Your Gaming Tastes
My readers would like to know more about you as a gamer.

Where do you prefer to play games?
In a room with very little distractions, however I've been playing music themed to the games we play lately.

Who do you normally game with?
Same 4-5 people, all my friends moved away lol

If you were to invite a few friends together for game night tonight, what games would you play?
The Thing: Infection at Outpost 31 is always fun when you have a group of 4+ but that's rare to happen these days. Sons of Anarchy: Men of Mayhem. Lately Jaws by Ravensburger, they did a phenomenal job with that game.

And what snacks would you eat?
NONE! No greasy fingers on my games. Clean freak.

Do you like to have music playing while you play games? If so, what kind?
Yes. Music themed to the game we're playing. If it's zombie related we play the original soundtrack to Night of the Living Dead, or for something more fun we play the soundtrack to Return of the Living Dead. You can already guess what we play when we play Jaws.

What’s your favorite FLGS?
Don't have one where I live.

What is your current favorite game? Least favorite that you still enjoy? Worst game you ever played?
Sons of Anarchy: Men of mayhem is my favorite. Betrayal at House on the Hill. Funkoverse.

What is your favorite game mechanic? How about your least favorite?
Hidden role is my favorite. Phase order is my least, I prefer a more sandbox style of play.

What’s your favorite game that you just can’t ever seem to get to the table?
I really like Dead of Winter, but my game group is already exhausted by the time it's all set up.

What styles of games do you play?
I like to play Board Games, Card Games, Miniatures Games, RPG Games, Video Games, Other Games?

Do you design different styles of games than what you play?
I like to design Board Games, Card Games, RPG Games, Other Games?

OK, here's a pretty polarizing game. Do you like and play Cards Against Humanity?
No

You as a Designer
OK, now the bit that sets you apart from the typical gamer. Let's find out about you as a game designer.

When you design games, do you come up with a theme first and build the mechanics around that? Or do you come up with mechanics and then add a theme? Or something else?
It usually hits me at the same time, my theme goes hand in hand with my mechanics.

Have you ever entered or won a game design competition?
Not yet...

Do you have a current favorite game designer or idol?
Jason Glover has been doing some great work. It's been a bit of an inspiration to see his games from start to where he is now.

Where or when or how do you get your inspiration or come up with your best ideas?
Usually in the shower, or right when I turn off my computer and lay down for bed.

How do you go about playtesting your games?
With my brutally honest gaming group, along with anyone else who happens to be around.

Do you like to work alone or as part of a team? Co-designers, artists, etc.?
I usually work alone as far as designing a game goes, but I work with an artist on nearly all of my games who's done some great work.

What do you feel is your biggest challenge as a game designer?
Time. A few of my game designs and ideas I've been working on for a while have been done by another company this year, when previously (I checked thoroughly) nobody had. Had the designs down pat, just not the art yet. Now I have to try and find a way to change them up, so they aren't compared.

If you could design a game within any IP, what would it be?
Friday the 13th. Mainly because the one I designed when I was like 14 was much more fun than the one that came out this year, very disappointed by that.

What do you wish someone had told you a long time ago about designing games?
Play test more.

What advice would you like to share about designing games?
Make sure it's original, or at least a new take.

Would you like to tell my readers what games you're working on and how far along they are?
Published games, I have: Words from Beyond the Grave
Games that will soon be published are: No more room in hell. The Invasion of Pucker County. Escape the Witch. An untitled thief card game. Turf. The Re animators Apprentice. Hairy Mountain. Volatile. Among many others.
This is what I have currently crowdfunding: In the near future.
Currently looking for a publisher I have: Couldn't hurt.
I'm planning to crowdfund: With the right game, yes.

Are you a member of any Facebook or other design groups? (Game Maker’s Lab, Card and Board Game Developers Guild, etc.)
TGC Designer Discussion.

And the oddly personal, but harmless stuff…
OK, enough of the game stuff, let's find out what really makes you tick! These are the questions that I’m sure are on everyone’s minds!

Star Trek or Star Wars? Coke or Pepsi? VHS or Betamax?
Star Wars, but only the original trilogy. Pepsi. VHS.

What hobbies do you have besides tabletop games?
I'm getting into diorama making.

What is something you learned in the last week?
Burt Gummer dies in Tremors: Shrieker Island... spoilers lol.

Favorite type of music? Books? Movies?
Most people would call it depressing music. I like Keaton Henson, Jake Bugg, Tom Odell, and many 50s-60s songs. Misery was a great read. One flew over the cuckoos nest, Meatballs, Stand by me, Clue: the movie, and Phantasm are my favorite movies.

What was the last book you read?
Lord of the Flies

Do you play any musical instruments?
Does tapping/drumming various things around my work station count?

Tell us something about yourself that you think might surprise people.
I'm very educated in pop culture, despite my age.

Tell us about something crazy that you once did.
You know that scene in the notebook where Ryan Gosling's character lays in the middle of the road while a car is coming? Yeah, me neither...

Who is your idol?
Can't say I've had one sadly.

What would you do if you had a time machine?
My answer would depress lol.

Are you an extrovert or introvert?
Introvert until we get talking.

If you could be any superhero, which one would you be?
Superman. Kryptonite doesn't exist IRL, so bow down!

Have any pets?
One or two, three...

When the next asteroid hits Earth, causing the Yellowstone caldera to explode, California to fall into the ocean, the sea levels to rise, and the next ice age to set in, what current games or other pastimes do you think (or hope) will survive into the next era of human civilization? What do you hope is underneath that asteroid to be wiped out of the human consciousness forever?
Clue should survive. Politics can go away.

If you’d like to send a shout out to anyone, anyone at all, here’s your chance (I can’t guarantee they’ll read this though):
Hi mom!

Thanks for answering all my crazy questions! Is there anything else you'd like to tell my readers?

Do the truffle shuffle!

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Thank you for reading this People Behind the Meeples indie game designer interview! You can find all the interviews here: People Behind the Meeples and if you'd like to be featured yourself, you can fill out the questionnaire here: http://gjjgames.blogspot.com/p/game-designer-interview-questionnaire.html

Did you like this interview?  Please show your support: Support me on Patreon! Or click the heart at Board Game Links , like GJJ Games on Facebook , or follow on Twitter .  And be sure to check out my games on  Tabletop Generation.

People Behind the Meepels - Episode 258: E. Michael Wostbrock

Welcome to People Behind the Meeples, a series of interviews with indie game designers.  Here you'll find out more than you ever wanted to know about the people who make the best games that you may or may not have heard of before.  If you'd like to be featured, head over to http://gjjgames.blogspot.com/p/game-designer-interview-questionnaire.html and fill out the questionnaire! You can find all the interviews here: People Behind the Meeples. Support me on Patreon!

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Name:	E. Michael Wostbrock
Email:	onederfulgames@gmail.com
Location:	Atlanta, GA
Day Job:	I am a network engineer for a large energy company.
Designing:	Six months to a year.
Webpage:	onederfulgames.com
Facebook:	Onederful Games
Twitter:	@onederfulgames
YouTube:	Onederful Games
Instagram:	@onederfulgames
Find my games at:	https://www.thegamecrafter.com/designers/onederful-games

Today's Interview is with:

E. Michael Wostbrock
Interviewed on: 11/20/2020

This week we get to meet Michael Wostbrook, a newer designer who's started Onederful Games to showcase his own designs. His first major design, a deck-building game about the food chain called The Clearing, should be available on The Game Crafter soon. So keep your eye out for that, and read on to learn more about Michael and his projects.

Some Basics
Tell me a bit about yourself.

How long have you been designing tabletop games?
Six months to a year.

Why did you start designing tabletop games?
I was talking with my family about an old card game we played as kids (Into the Forest). We all used to love that game but looking back, the mechanics and gameplay left a lot to be desired. I thought it would be fun to try and recreate what we liked about that game (the animal kingdom food chain) in a new game that was more fun and fair.

What game or games are you currently working on?
The result of my aforementioned design goals is The Clearing. It is a deck building, food chain game with a simple game board. The gameplay focuses on changing habitats that give special bonuses to the animals that find their home in those habitats. There are also changing seasons that pace the game and keep things interesting. I am playtesting several printed copies of The Clearing that I ordered from The Game Crafter.

I'm also working on Kaleidoscope, a simple board game I am entering into a Ben Moy's Community Anthology contest. Picture Chinese Checkers mixed with a color wheel.

Besides those games, I'm tinkering around with a few other ideas. I guess you could say I caught the game design bug.

Have you designed any games that have been published?
I have not, yet. I am certainly interested in publishing a game, but first I want to make sure I have a game worth publishing. I hope that The Clearing will be ready by mid 2021, but I'd really like to take it to ProtoATL first.

What is your day job?
I am a network engineer for a large energy company.

Your Gaming Tastes
My readers would like to know more about you as a gamer.

Where do you prefer to play games?
At home, at a big table with lots of space.

Who do you normally game with?
My wife, my siblings and in-laws, and my kids.

If you were to invite a few friends together for game night tonight, what games would you play?
If it was my sister and brother-in-law, probably another round of Gloomhaven. It's been far too long since we played that. For my side of the family, Bang or Secret Hitler are more likely.

And what snacks would you eat?
Does coffee count? I eat a lot of coffee.

Do you like to have music playing while you play games? If so, what kind?
Sometimes I'll play something fun to set the mood, like western music when we play Colt Express.

What’s your favorite FLGS?
Raven's Nest Games, in Marietta. It's a personal goal to have them carry one of my games one day.

What is your current favorite game? Least favorite that you still enjoy? Worst game you ever played?
I love Machi Koro, and my oldest daughter (4y) is just getting to where she can play it with me, so that is fun. 7 Wonders is a good family game, but I can't figure out how my mom keeps beating me at it! I hate dominoes. It drags on forever and it feels like none of your choices matter. In all of my game designs, one thing I keep asking myself is "do my players' choices matter?" because the world doesn't need another game like dominoes.

What is your favorite game mechanic? How about your least favorite?
As I mentioned, I'm fond of worker placement and deck building. There is a video game called Slay the Spire that does a better job with deck building than any physical card game I have ever played, and I highly recommend designers check it out if they are interested in that mechanic.

I don't like pile-on mechanics that encourage players to "kick someone while they're down". One example is the combat system in Through the Ages, which is an excellent game but once a player falls behind in military strength they gain a huge target on their backs and attract aggression from every other player. This can snowball and leave the losing player with no way to regain military might. I think aggressive tactics like this should offer diminishing returns, but that may be more of a play style preference than good game design.

What’s your favorite game that you just can’t ever seem to get to the table?
Gloomhaven. So good, but it takes more time to set up than it does to play!

What styles of games do you play?
I like to play Board Games, Card Games, Miniatures Games, RPG Games, Video Games, Other Games?

Do you design different styles of games than what you play?
I like to design Board Games, Card Games

OK, here's a pretty polarizing game. Do you like and play Cards Against Humanity?
Never played it, but I'm pretty sure I would like it

You as a Designer
OK, now the bit that sets you apart from the typical gamer. Let's find out about you as a game designer.

When you design games, do you come up with a theme first and build the mechanics around that? Or do you come up with mechanics and then add a theme? Or something else?
I'm pretty new to this, but the two principles I have found most helpful are
1: Fail Fast
2: Chase the Fun
If an idea of a gameplay mechanic seems interesting I'll spin something up quickly and then test it out on someone. The parts that are engaging or fun, I keep. Then, rinse and repeat with new ideas. The main goal is to not get hung up on a bad idea and to keep after the things that are fun.

Have you ever entered or won a game design competition?
I have one entry submitted to Ben Moy's Community Anthology Contest. Fingers crossed!

Do you have a current favorite game designer or idol?
So many people have welcomed me into the design community, and I am thankful for each of them.

Where or when or how do you get your inspiration or come up with your best ideas?
I have to give my wife Karie credit for most of my good ideas. I mostly just handle the implementation.

How do you go about playtesting your games?
I'm experimenting with several approaches. I play as much as I can with close friends and family. I have also shipped prototypes to friends that live further away (this also helps with blind testing). I am working on porting The Clearing into Tabletop Simulator so I can bring it to Protospiel Online.

Do you like to work alone or as part of a team? Co-designers, artists, etc.?
I'm a solo designer, but I get lots of help from family and friends.

What do you feel is your biggest challenge as a game designer?
Since I have a full time job and a family, time can be hard to come by. I also sometimes feel anxious because I feel like I have so much catch-up to do compared to others that have been designing for years.

If you could design a game within any IP, what would it be?
I'd love to make a tile-based dungeon creator featuring The Legend of Zelda.

What do you wish someone had told you a long time ago about designing games?
That I could start sooner. I didn't know until this year that there were print to order services like The Game Crafter that could let me make a game without needing to purchase hundreds of copies.

What advice would you like to share about designing games?
Learn to use GIMP. And Inkscape. And maybe Scribus.

Would you like to tell my readers what games you're working on and how far along they are?
Games that will soon be published are: The Clearing, Kaleidoscope
Games I feel are in the final development and tweaking stage are: The Clearing
Games that I'm playtesting are: Kaleidoscope
Games that are in the early stages of development and beta testing are: Crowded Kitchen
And games that are still in the very early idea phase are: Westward

Are you a member of any Facebook or other design groups? (Game Maker’s Lab, Card and Board Game Developers Guild, etc.)
TGC Designers Discussion and Board Game Design Lab Community

And the oddly personal, but harmless stuff…
OK, enough of the game stuff, let's find out what really makes you tick! These are the questions that I’m sure are on everyone’s minds!

Star Trek or Star Wars? Coke or Pepsi? VHS or Betamax?
Starwars
You can't taste the difference (come at me)
What is a Betamax?

What hobbies do you have besides tabletop games?
Hiking (I've stayed several nights on the AT), Guitar, Video Games, Cooking.

What is something you learned in the last week?
The importance of flossing daily

Favorite type of music? Books? Movies?
Rock/Jazz/Electronic
Fantasy/Mystery
Action/Thriller

What was the last book you read?
My Side of the Mountain

Do you play any musical instruments?
Guitar

Tell us something about yourself that you think might surprise people.
When I was a kid I made a 3D Mario Party board game out of cardboard

Tell us about something crazy that you once did.
I ate a 3lb burrito in under 30min

Biggest accident that turned out awesome?
watermelon yogurt smoothie

Who is your idol?
Shigeru Miyamoto

What would you do if you had a time machine?
Go back in time and uninvent it. Too dangerous.

Are you an extrovert or introvert?
Introvert

If you could be any superhero, which one would you be?
Static Shock

Have any pets?
A Weimaraner named Layton

When the next asteroid hits Earth, causing the Yellowstone caldera to explode, California to fall into the ocean, the sea levels to rise, and the next ice age to set in, what current games or other pastimes do you think (or hope) will survive into the next era of human civilization? What do you hope is underneath that asteroid to be wiped out of the human consciousness forever?
I think games that simulate war and economy like Chess and Shogi will be around forever. I also think silly games - the kinds that kids make up - will always be around because at our core humans love to play, and I hope we never forget that. That asteroid could crush every last domino on the planet and I wouldn't shed a single tear...

If you’d like to send a shout out to anyone, anyone at all, here’s your chance (I can’t guarantee they’ll read this though):
Thanks to Karie for all the support and ideas! And thanks to Christy, Becca, Anna, and all my family to their help in making The Clearing. Even if I never sell one copy, it will have been worth making just so we can play together.

Thanks for answering all my crazy questions!

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Thank you for reading this People Behind the Meeples indie game designer interview! You can find all the interviews here: People Behind the Meeples and if you'd like to be featured yourself, you can fill out the questionnaire here: http://gjjgames.blogspot.com/p/game-designer-interview-questionnaire.html

Did you like this interview?  Please show your support: Support me on Patreon! Or click the heart at Board Game Links , like GJJ Games on Facebook , or follow on Twitter .  And be sure to check out my games on  Tabletop Generation.

The 11 Best New-To-Me Games of 2020

The 11 Best New-To-Me Games of 2020
Plus 20 honorable mentions.
Support me on Patreon!

Well, this year did not turn out the way I expected it to.  Back in January I had all sorts of big plans for the year.  I was going to jump back into reviewing a whole lot more, I was planning outings to local businesses for game nights with my game group instead of having every game night at our usual FLGS, I was planning on attending more conventions to focus on pitching games, and I was hoping to play a whole lot of new games this year.  Then COVID-19 hit in March and everything came to a screaming halt.  For a while that meant a lot more free-time to play games with my family, which was great while it lasted. However, before long we had settled into a new normal as extracurricular activities picked back up despite social distancing and other restrictions, and our free time was filled with Scouts, dance, library activities, etc.  Plus my wife started a full-time job (in addition to her part-time job with the library that she loves too much to give up), so free time has become much more scarce lately.

That said, the number of games I played this year is way, way down from past years.  The number of new games is especially reduced since most of what I've played has been from my collection of games that I already had.  I've added a number of new titles to my library, and even played a few of them, but over the course of a typical year many of the new-to-me games that I play are friends' games.  According to BG Stats, I've only played 30 new-to-me games this year (it was between 70 and 100 the last few years) and only 84 different games total this year (usually around 150-200 games).  

However, it hasn't been a completely disappointing year as far as gaming is concerned.  I did gain a wonderful new gaming partner this year.  My three year old son is turning out to be quite the gamer!  Out of 217 recorded game plays, I've played with him 79 times (so far)!  That's more than with anyone else, and it doesn't include all the times he's sat in and "played" some of the more complex games, like Scythe or Tash Kalar, while I've played with my older sons.  Most of the games I've played with him are simpler games, like My First Castle Panic or cooperative games, like Forbidden Island, but he has played a few more complex games, too, like Court of Miracles!  He doesn't quite get the strategy, but if the mechanics are simple enough he loves to play along!  I'm really looking forward to seeing him grow in his gaming skills over the years.

As usual, this list only contains published games that I've played for the first time this year (although a couple I played previously in their prototype form).  So, without further ado, here are my Top 11 New-To-Me Games for 2020, including 19 honorable mentions, so that's 31 games for 2020!  OK, it's every new-to-me game I played this year, but most were pretty good and the list was small enough to keep them all on, even the couple that didn't quite click for me.

Also, check out my lists for 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, and 2014 as well as The Best Kickstarter Previews & Prototype Games of 2020.

Honorable Mentions in Alphabetical Order:

* Indicates I played first as a prototype and then a completed, published version in 2020.

Animal Upon Animal (2005) - This is a classic dexterity children's game from Haba that is also fun for adults.  We got this for my son in 2019 when he was still 2 and he enjoyed the animal blocks, but we never actually played the game until this year.  Finally, this year we played it by the rules for the first time ever.  He loved it!  For me it was just OK, but for what it is, it does a good job.

The Castles of Burgundy (2011) - This is always on all sorts of top games lists and I've had it in my collection since 2014 but never managed to get it to the table until New Years Eve 2019.  So technically I played this game in 2019, but it was after I made my top games post last year.  It was the only new-to-me game I played between December 27 and December 31 of 2019, so it makes this list.  I still want to get it to the table again, but it didn't quite grab my wife and I when we played.  That's probably because she was going between playing and cooking, plus we had several interruptions from the kids, so we weren't completely focused on the game.

Caverna: Cave vs Cave (2017) - I've only played this once solo, but I quite enjoyed it.  Caverna is one of my wife's favorite games, and I'm sure she'll love this two-player version of it (though it doesn't have all the cute animal and produce meeples that she loves in the big game).  Hopefully we'll get to play this soon, and it would probably have made the top 11 list if I had played it more, but for now it's on my Honorable Mentions list.

Codenames: Pictures (2016) - I've played Codenames quite a bit, and I played Codenames: Duet for the first time this year (spoiler, Duet made it into the top 11 list).  I really like Codenames, and Pictures is great, too.  I didn't feel that it brought much new to the game though, especially compared to Duet.  I'm happy I have both Codenames and Codenames: Pictures, and will play either with equal enjoyment, but I really like the innovation that Duet brings to the series more, so this one didn't quite make the top 11 list.  I'm hoping to play this again over the holidays, and then look for a review of it coming soon.

The Court of Miracles (2019) - This came in a prize pack from Lucky Duck Games in November and it's the only one of the four games that I've had a chance to kind of play.  My middle and youngest sons played about a half a game one evening.  The mechanics are simple enough that my three-year old was able to play, though he didn't understand the strategy at all.  My 11-year old liked the game, and I quite enjoyed it, too.  We weren't able to finish though and I'm looking forward to getting it to the table again for a full game.

Exit - The Game Series (2016+) - Technically I played my first Exit game in 2018, but since each one is different and each can be played only once, I've included it here again.  My family and I really like puzzles and the Exit games are great.  We played two over the summer and have a few more on the shelf waiting to be played.  We've figured out how to play them without destroying components, so we can pass them on eventually.

Gridopolis (2018) - Gridopolis is essentially 3-D checkers with a few gimmicks.  You can add on to the board, block spaces, and even teleport to different locations.  It's an interesting gameboard that connects multiple pieces into grids, kind of the way the old Construx building toys worked.  Unfortunately the whole thing is pretty wobbly and the huge pawns, while great looking, are easy to bump off and knock around.  Also, once a player gets a kinged piece it seems a bit unbalanced.  Those kings are pretty powerful!  But the game looks great and it's easy to play with my youngest, as long as he doesn't knock the pieces off.  He's happy to just build with the pieces though.

Guillotine (1998) - This is a classic card game that I finally played for the first time this year.  This is a silly card game about lining up nobles during the French Revolution and collecting the most 'valuable' heads as they meet the guillotine.  You get action cards that let you rearrange the line so you can collect the heads with the greatest value.  It's simple, silly, and fun despite the slightly macabre theme.

The Little Firefighters (2013) - This was the first game that my youngest actually played by the rules and I reviewed it in April.  It's a super simple game, essentially drawing a tile and moving the indicated firefighter or fire closer to the house and hoping the firefighters get there before the fire.  So players take turns drawing a tile and then moving the pieces.  There's no decisions, but the game does teach taking turns and very basic mechanics.  For a few months this was one of his favorite games and we played it quite a bit, but now he's looking for more complex games that feel a bit more exciting.  He can handle more complex mechanics now, even if he doesn't get the strategy, and he loves being able to play some of daddy's games.

Lords of Waterdeep (2012) - This is another game that always makes it onto people's top lists of gateway games and I finally had a chance to play it this year.  We played with the Skullport expansion and I really enjoyed the game.  For a gateway worker placement game, I think I enjoyed Stone Age a little more, but Lords of Waterdeep definitely lived up to my expectations and didn't disappoint.

The New Science (2013) - I played this once, and we had a bunch of the rules wrong, so it's kind of hard to judge the game fairly.  I'd love the opportunity to play again with all the correct rules this time!

The One-Hundred Torii (2020) -  I absolutely love the gameplay of The One-Hundred Torii, however I wasn't super thrilled with the component overhead and visual chaos of the garden.  My review from April goes into this in a lot more detail, but this was close to making the top 11 list and would have if it wasn't quite so fiddly to set up and clean up or so visually busy during gameplay.  I'd love to see the game with updated artwork and a good organizer to make setup and cleanup a lot easier.  

Paradise Lost * (2020) - I first played Paradise Lost at Protospiel Chicago in 2018 when it was just hand drawn components on poster board.  I enjoyed it then, but felt that the ending was very anticlimactic.  I was excited to get the full version to the table though to see how it resolved that and a few other minor issues I had with the game at the time.  I'll be sharing a full review of this sometime soon, after I have a chance to play it with my game group, but my first play impression with my family was that the end game still felt lacking.  The new artwork is mostly wonderful, though some of the colors are hard to discern and the font choice is difficult to read in a few places, but the game looks incredible and was fun to play, right up until the very end.

The Resistance (2009) - I own and have played The Resistance: Avalon a few times and the original The Resistance is pretty much the exact same game (Avalon includes a few characters and options that are expansions in the original).  Mechanically I felt both games worked well, but thematically I'm a bit more drawn to the Avalon version.

Space Explorers (2017) - Here's another game that I reviewed this year, back in March.  I love the theme and artwork of the game, and the mechanics are pretty solid, however I felt it landed in a middle area where it doesn't quite find its audience.  I didn't feel like it provides a better experience than similar set collection, resource management, and engine building games like Splendor.  New gamers will be able to pick up Splendor much more quickly and experienced gamers won't find additional depth that matches the additional complexity.

Spell Saga (2019) - I've played through the introduction of this "tabletop novel" twice now and want to get in a full game soon (it's on my review queue), however it feels like the type of game that you really need to just immerse yourself in, which is difficult with an active family around you all the time.  It's a super interesting concept though, where you end up telling a story where you control the characters and their experiences through a deck of cards that guide you through a free flowing narrative.  It's somewhere between a card game, choose-your-own-adventure style novel, and RPG and I'm itching for a nice, quite afternoon I can really delve into the world.

Spyfall (2014) - This has been on my wishlist since I started to discover the world of modern board games back in 2014.  It, along with other social party games, appealed to my nostalgia of playing Mafia in college.  Unfortunately my circle of friends, as well as my personal tastes, tend toward more strategic board games.  But I was able to play Spyfall this year and, while I enjoyed it and think it would be fun with the right group, it didn't go over so well with my main game group.

Tigris & Euphrates (1997) - This is a classic Reiner Knizia game that I had previously played as a mobile app and wasn't thrilled with.  Part of what I didn't like about the app was that the AI players moved through their turns so quickly that I had a hard time learning what was going on.  I found the board game version a whole lot more enjoyable because I could see each player's strategy developing as the game grew.  I played just once and would love to play again, especially since I won!

Trainmaker (2012) - Trainmaker is a fast, fun press-your-luck game by Chris Leder and published by Grey Gnome Games that I won in a contest at the beginning of the year.  I've only played this solo so far, and it's a solo variant that I designed.  It's fun, and I'd like to play with more people at some point.

Truck Off: The Food Truck Frenzy Roll And Write (2019) - Here's another game that I reviewed, back in April.  I've played it a lot solo and a couple of games with two players, so I'd like to play sometime with more players.  It works pretty good as a solo game, though it can be a bit too reliant on lucky dice rolls.  I also wish the maps were a little more varied so they provide very different experiences, but they're almost identical with just a few variations.

And Now for the Top 11 New-To-Me Games of 2019

* Indicates I played first as a prototype and then a completed, published version in 2020.

11. Triassic Terror (2013) - Eagle-Gryphon Games - Triassic Terror was sent to me a couple of years ago to review and I finally got around to reviewing it earlier this year.  For an area control, combat game, I think I prefer Kemet, but Triassic Terror is dinosaurs, and who doesn't love dinos?  This is a brutal combat game though, especially with 5 or 6 players.  I think the sweet spot is 3-4 players and it doesn't scale super well up or down, but at 3 or 4 players this is a ton of fun and looks incredible!

10. On Pointe: The Ballet Board Game (2018) - Analog Game Studios - My middle son has been taking ballet for three years now and absolutely loves it.  So when I saw On Pointe on Kickstarter last year I had to get it for him.  We've played it a handful of times now and have quite enjoyed it.  It's a very light, family friendly game.  I don't often write up reviews for games from my own collection, but we really enjoyed playing On Pointe, and I wanted to share our excitement for the game. The theme, artwork, and gameplay really brought the ballet home!  If you have a dancer in the family this is definitely a game for you, and even if you don't have dancers at home this is still a very solid family game. 

9. My First Stone Age (2016) - Z-Man Games - I may have mentioned how my youngest has really been getting into board games.  Maybe just a little?  He really turned it on earlier this year when he insisted on "playing" Scythe, Tash Kalar, and other "grown up" games with my older sons and I.  It wasn't long though before he was insisting on actually playing the games and not just playing with stuff while we played.  So I started looking for more gamery looking games that were more to his level and My First Stone Age is one I picked up for his third birthday.  The component quality on this game is awesome.  Nice thick tiles, big clunky wooden resources, and great artwork all come together to make a wonderful kids game.  Plus, the game is actually interesting!  Mechanically it's super simple - choose a face-down tile, move where it says, and either collect a resource or build a hut in your village.  However, since the tiles get returned face-down and then some are moved every time someone builds, there is an element of memory and strategy to the game that can keep even older players interested and engaged.  I'm looking forward to playing this with him for years to come! 

8. Herbaceous Sprouts (2019) - Pencil First Games - I've been a huge fan of the games that Pencil First Games has been putting out from the team of Steve Finn, Eduardo Baraf, Beth Sobel, and Keith Matejka.  They've all been excellent, lightweight filler games, and Herbaceous Sprouts is no exception.  The dice are wonderfully colored and tactile, and the drafting mechanic works perfectly in the game.  And, as usual, the artwork and theme are very tightly integrated with the mechanics and so much fun!  I hope this team keeps putting out games because they're all amazing!

7. Hues and Cues (2020) - The Op - I haven't played this physically yet, just a game over Zoom during my Extra Life 24 hour marathon in November, but I had an absolute blast playing.  This is a great, family party game that doesn't feel to partyish.  It works great with people of all ages, is quick and simple to teach, and doesn't require any special skills.  This is Scott Brady's first published design and I have to say, he nailed it here!  It's right at the top of my wishlist right now!

6. Dual Powers: Revolution 1917 * (2018) - Thunderworks Games - I reviewed this game for its Kickstarter in 2018 and finally had a chance to play it again this year.  I enjoyed it just as much as the prototype I played, and the final components are of incredible quality!  My wife wasn't super excited about the game with its bluffing and deduction, though she did beat me.  I also played the solo game and was quite impressed with it.  Dual Powers is a game I'm always happy to get to the table.

5. Trace the Stars (2020) - Allright Games - This game is a finalist in the TGC Staff Roll and Write Challenge and it's the one game that I was about as excited about as my own Rolling Seas.  This is a gorgeous roll & write game about mapping constellations in the night sky.  I haven't played it multiplayer yet, though playing solo plays pretty much the same.  I can see where it can be a bit AP prone, but I don't mind 'cause it's such a beautiful, amazing game.  Unfortunately you can't get it off of The Game Crafter any more, but that's because it's been signed by a publisher, so look for it to get an upgraded version soon!

4. Codenames: Duet (2017) - Czech Games Edition - As hinted at earlier, I really liked Codenames: Duet.  It really adapts Codenames to a two-player version quite well.  It stays true to the original while still providing a unique experience.  I really like the missions that present you with additional challenges and variations of play to keep the game interesting.  I also really love that you can mix this version with any of the other versions of Codenames.  If you enjoy Codenames, but want to play with just two players, or if you like two-player games, then Codenames Duet is just the game for you!  You can read all about it in my review!

3. My First Castle Panic (2019) - Fireside Games - Of all the kids games I've played with my three year old, My First Castle Panic is probably the one I enjoy the most.  It's super simple, but has a few decisions and choices, so it doesn't completely feel like just random chance (it's mostly random chance though).  Thematically it matches the actual Castle Panic pretty well, and mechanically it's similar, too, but very basic.  Each turn you draw a hero card into your hand and that hero (or another from your hand) can attack monsters on the space that match the hero's color and shape.  Or you can ask another player for help attacking.  Once you've attacked if you can, all the monsters move forward one space and a new monster arrives.  Some monsters have special abilities, and some of the hero cards do, too.  If monsters knock down your wall and arrive at the castle you lose, but if you capture all the monsters and throw them in the dungeon first, you win!  My son loves capturing monsters and yelling "get in the dungeon dude!"  It's a simple game, but if your kids can match shapes and colors they can play.  A game lasts about 10 minutes, so it's the perfect length for those short attention spans and doesn't last so long for it to get too boring for parents either.  I think My First Stone Age will keep his interest for more years, but My First Castle Panic is more fun to play with him right now.

2. Unlock! Series (2017+) - Space Cowboys - This year was the first time I ever played an Unlock! game, and my family and I really fell in love with the games.  You can only play each one once, and some were better than others, but after playing our first one we went out and bought a bunch of others.  We played 10 different Unlock! games this year and enjoyed every single one!  We always seem to get three stars though... Maybe we'll be able to finally get 4 stars on one of the titles we still have to get to.

1. Roam (2018) - Red Raven Games - I only got to play Roam once, back in January, and I've been itching to play again ever since.  My FLGS had one copy of the game after that play and someone else from my group bought it.  It's been out of stock since then, and I keep checking.  Hopefully the game will get a reprint and I'll finally be able to pick up a copy, or at a minimum I'll hopefully get to play it again when it's safe to meet up with my game group again.  There were a lot of games I only got the opportunity to play once this year, but Roam is the only one that I really, really want to play again and again and keep thinking about.  I check the shelves every time I'm in my FLGS and have been searching online, too.  Please Red Raven Games, get a second printing of this to our game stores!

In Roam each player is searching the land for lost adventurers.  Adventurers in your party let you place search tokens onto the cards in the play area in certain patterns and when an area has been completely searched the player with the most tokens in the area collects it, gaining points and a new adventurer in their party that gives them a new pattern that can be searched.  You can also earn coins to gain artifacts and use special abilities. I really loved the player interaction, puzzles and patterns, and of course the artwork and theme.  As with all of Ryank Laukat's games, the artwork is fantastic and this fits right in with the mythos in his other games, like Above and Below, Islebound, and Near and Far.

I really can't wait to play this one again. especially since I need a rematch against Kevin, who beat me by just one point!

Well, that's it for 2020!  I may not have played as many games this year as in the past, but man, there were some great ones!  I still have a number of games that I know are great on my shelf of shame, like Terraforming Mars, The Manhattan Project, TMP: Energy Empire, Agricola, and more.  I hope 2021 is better all around, for games and everything else.  I can't wait to get back to some normalcy for gaming, Protospiels, conventions, and everything else about life in general!  

Let me know your thoughts in the comments.  Are there any games you can't believe I put where they are?  Is there anything that you think I just NEED to add to my collection?  I want to  hear!

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GJJG Game Reviews are independent, unpaid reviews of games I, George Jaros, have played with my family and friends.