TOP Games of All Time (2025) 10-1
TOP 10-1
10. Nidavellir
SPOT: 2024 >> 2025 SAME
Publisher: GRRRE Games
Players: 2-5
Playing Time: 45 minutes
Mechanisms: Auction/Bidding, Set Collection, Simultaneous Action Selection
Sleeves: NDV 54x80mm
I don't like auction games much... but this one is just so smart and simple. The auctioning done right!
9. Unmatched Game System
SPOT: 2024 >> 2025 -2
Publisher: Restoration Games
Players: 2-4
Playing Time: 20-40 minutes
Mechanisms: Hand Management, Point to Point Movement, Variable Player Powers
Sleeves: TCG 63,5x88mm
With just a few decks, you have a looooot of replayability. If you find a partner that is willing to put the time to learn the decks, this game is fantastic. Every move you make can start a snowball effect that can lead you to a victory or a loss. It's an amazing system with a simple rule set that allows the designer to add new decks that play totally differently from each other. Every type of player will find a character that plays to his prefered style…
8. Dinosaur World
SPOT: 2024 >> 2025 -4
Publisher: Pandasaurus Games
Players: 2-4
Playing Time: 60-120 minutes
Mechanisms: Dice Rolling, Income, Tile Placement, Worker Placement
Sleeves: TCG 63,5x88mm, BST 70x120mm
Theme and mechanisms go hand in hand with this one. You are building your park and walking the thin line between an interesting park and an all you can eat buffet for the dinosaurs from the beginning to the end. There are many ways to score points here.. even the safe route without many dinosaurs if you prefer to play with less stress 😊
7. Sleeping Gods
SPOT: 2025 NEW
Publisher: Red Raven Games
Players: 1-4
Playing Time: 60-1200 minutes
Mechanisms: Action Points, Cooperative Game, Hand Management, Push Your Luck, Solitaire Game, Storytelling
Sleeves: MEU 45x68mm, EUR 59x91mm, BST 70x120mm
The most epic game that I played in a long time… and most importantly, that I didn’t get annoyed by the many little annoying things. This game flows very well and you are jumping from one exiting adventure into another one. The only complain is that, if you play well, you will get a bit overpowered by the end of the game.
6. Brass: Lancashire
SPOT: 2024 >> 2025 SAME
Publisher: Roxley
Players: 2-4
Playing Time: 60-120 minutes
Mechanisms: Hand Management, Income, Loans, Network and Route Building, Tech Trees
Sleeves: TCG 63,5x88mm,
Players need to build the routes, buildings… together. This brings to some amazing turns where you completly throw out the window your strategy and just jump on the opportunity for easy cash/points that just opened up. I really like this type of games were the economy is tight and your actions will inflate or the deflate prices etc. The best economic game that I played.
5. Steampunk Rally Fusion
SPOT: 2024 >> 2025 -2
Publisher: Roxley
Players: 2-8
Playing Time: 45-60 minutes
Mechanisms: Closed Drafting, Dice Rolling, Race, Simultaneous Action Selection, Variable Player Powers
Sleeves: STN 57,5x89mm
You will get a lot of dice rolling here, which is against my general taste, but this game allows you to mitigate a lot of rolls and you must really have a personal beef with lady luck that your whole turn would be screwed. Players will build up crazy machines and try to squeeze every meter they can out of it. The racing aspect over a general »Victory Point« goal adds just a bit more to this game that puts it in the TOP 3 of my collection.
4. Heat: Pedal to the Metal
SPOT: 2024 >> 2025 +1
Publisher: Days of Wonder
Players: 1-6
Playing Time: 30-60 minutes
Mechanisms: Deck Building, Hand Management, Push Your Luck, Race, Simultaneous Action Selection
Sleeves: USA 56x87mm
A racing game that feels like a racing game. I tried many of them but they are mostly based on dice rolling which is just a chaotic mess. Heat let's you race using tactics and a long terms strategy. You can push your luck when this is needed but mostly you have the control that is expected from a race driver. They don't just push the gas and hope lady luck is on their side!
3. Ancient Knowledge
SPOT: 2025 NEW
Publisher: IELLO
Players: 2-4
Playing Time: 75 minutes
Mechanisms: Delayed Purchase, End Game Bonuses, Hand Management, Open Drafting
Sleeves: MEV 44x63mm, TCG 63,5x88mm
I love the worker placement limits in this game. You are not cut off by an opponent taking the space that you wanted. You can always pay a bit more to get that spot or wait that the opponent retrieves the workers and then jump in for a cheap action. This game offers many ways to score points.
2. Mindbug: First Contact
SPOT: 2024 >> 2025 SAME
Publisher: Nerdlab Games
Players: 2
Playing Time: 15-25 minutes
Mechanisms: Dueling Game, Hand Management, Take That
Sleeves: TCG 63,5x88mm
Such a small game and yet packs such a huge amount of tactics and replayability. 10 cards is all you need to have a great mind game with your opponent. I just love the pushing the limits of what can pass through my opponents mindbugs..
1. Dominion
SPOT: 2024 >> 2025 SAME
Publisher: Rio Grande Games
Players: 2-4
Playing Time: 30 minutes
Mechanisms: Deck Building, Open Drafting, Variable Set-up
Sleeves: EUR 59x92mm