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Prehistoric ranching in the palm of your hand

TINY EPIC DINOSAURS

TRY THIS IF YOU LIKED DINOSAUR ISLAND…

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Tabletop Gaming
The Best Games of 2020
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Tabletop Gaming
Welcome
It’s been a strange kind of year. We’ve spent half
NEMESIS
You are rudely awoken from hypersleep. There’s a body
ALIEN: THE ROLEPLAYING GAME
There are plenty of horror games on the market, but
PAUPERS’ LADDER
It doesn’t get much more indie than calling your game
GANYMEDE
Space has provided fertile ground to game designers
NINJA ACADEMY
Open Ninja Academy’s box and you might wonder whether
TUSSIE MUSSIE
Following Wingspan with Tussie Mussie feels like the
HORRIFIED
Ravensburger have really been knocking it out of the
DREAMS OF TOMORROW
From the description I hoped Dreams of Tomorrow was
PARIS LA CITÉ DE LA LUMIÈRE
Before electric lighting the streets of the world were
TROGDOR! THE BOARD GAME
No fantasy story is truly complete without the presence
TOY STORY: OBSTACLES AND ADVENTURES
In the crowded boardgame market of today, one of the
EBERRON: RISING FROM THE LAST WAR
It’s been said that the art of originality lies in
DALE OF MERCHANTS: COLLECTION
In the kingdom of deck-building games, Dominion rules
ADVENTURE GAMES: MONOCHROME INC.
The growth of story-focused games has been one of the
LAST BASTION
Last Bastion is a re-work and a re-theme of Ghost Stories
MARVEL: CRISIS PROTOCOL
Crash! Zoom! Thock! Pow! As comic book adaptations
KUNG FU PANDA: THE BOARD GAME
Kung Fu Panda: The Board Game is one of frantically
YGGDRASIL CHRONICLES
The time for Ragnorok is nigh. Fenrir is set to bound
NECROMUNDA: DARK UPRISING
Amidst the clanking machinery of the manufactorums
ROAM
Ryan Laukat is a game designer who just wants you to
AZUL: SUMMER PAVILION
Azul was Michael Kiesling’s beautiful, million-selling
REAVERS OF MIDGARD
Reavers of Midgard sees Grey Fox Games storming back
BABYLONIA
There aren’t many designers that can be recognised
ANKH’OR
Pleasing two-player games that feel as if they have
BUS
To most gamers the name Splotter Spellen may mean nothing.
THE AQUICORN COVE BOARD GAME
Katie O’Neill’s insatiably charming graphic novels
ZOMBIE KIDZ: EVOLUTION
First released in 2013, Zombie Kidz has been around
GENESYS: EXPANDED PLAYERS’ GUIDE
A big part of the appeal of setting-free RPGs lies
TRIAL OF THE TEMPLES
The art in Trial of the Temples puts you in mind of
THE FOX IN THE FOREST DUET
Attention games publishers: if you’re going to call
TERRAMARA
You don’t get much more Eurogame than this. One huge
HOMEBREWERS
Homebrewers are a community of artisan spirit crafters
RUN, FIGHT OR DIE: RELOADED
Perhaps what makes the humble zombie such an enduring
NIBIRU
Can an entire game be carried by just one idea? Well
A WAR OF WHISPERS
As board gamers we are not novices in controlling armies
QUEENZ
This is Bruno Cathala’s second gardening game of the
VAMPIRE: THE MASQUERADE - THE FALL OF LONDON
The first full campaign for Vampire: The Masquerade’s
DARK DOMAINS
Being the bad guy is pretty good fun. Really the only
MINECRAFT: BUILDERS & BIOMES
Tabletop versions of video games have always seemed
IN THE HALL OF THE MOUNTAIN KING
A troll’s life is not a simple one. There is always
TINY EPIC TACTICS
Ever since the first game in their series, Tiny Epic
TAINTED GRAIL: THE FALL OF AVALON
The myth of King Arthur is a story so often told, retold
FATE OF CTHULHU
You can’t fling a tentacle into a gaming store without
CAYLUS 1303
Way back in the dark ages (of board gaming) worker
THE MIND EXTREME
Of course there was going to be a sequel. When a game
CAIRN
Where the sea meets the forest, shamans duel, infused
DUNGEON DEGENERATES: HAND OF DOOM
As board gamers, we are not unfamiliar with the term
QUARTERMASTER GENERAL SECOND EDITION
Logistics, as the old adage goes, is the lifeblood
VILLAINOUS: PERFECTLY WRETCHED
The Villainous series seems to have cracked the best
STAR WARS: DARK SIDE RISING
Star Wars: Dark Uprising is another game in The OP’s
WORMLORD
Dexterity games don’t often get the love they deserve
MÖRK BORG
From its name to its tone to the design of its rulebook
COURT OF THE DEAD
Death has had enough of the daily grind of soul collecting
ON MARS
As any scientist will (probably) tell you, a sure way
TAJUTO
There’s been a new movement in games over the last
FLYIN’ GOBLIN
This should have gone so wrong. This should have been
WORDSMITH
It seems almost impossible to create a ‘new’ word game.
HARRY POTTER: DEATH EATERS RISING
When thewizarding world meets the cube clearing Pandemic
CORSAIRS OF VALERIA
According to board games, the only thing pirates love
CRAZY TOWER
Watching the increasingly ridiculous evolution of Jenga
LETTERPRESS
Finding a new way to have fun making words can often
SANCTUM
Another trip to hell. Haven’t got the right gear for
SORCERER CITY
With a seismic rumble, the foundations of the city
SPICY
Some of us wasted much of our studying time at school
BRUXELLES 1897
Reputations are not built overnight. They take around
POSTHUMAN SAGA
Posthuman Saga plunges players into a post-apocalyptic
NERD WORDS SCIENCE
Blending games with learning is a tricky balancing
KODAMA 3D
Kodama 3D is the latest arrival in the Kodama family
CTHULHU DARK AGES
Gamers from across the globe can testify that facing
DUNGEON MAYHEM: MONSTER MADNESS
Monster Madness is the second expansion for the cutesified
SHADOWS OF KILFORTH: A FANTASY QUEST GAME
Three years ago, independent designer Tristan Hall
THE CREW: THE QUEST FOR PLANET NINE
Space travel is all about teamwork. In order to survive
HATS
Although, it is not a trick-taking game, Hats, a small
ANIMAL KINGDOMS
Every kingdom has laws which must be followed without
MIYABI
There’s a certain draw to gardening for board game
EXPLORER’S GUIDE TO WILDEMOUNT
Cracking open the pages of the latest tie-in between
ORIFLAMME
The ‘Oriflamme’ was the golden battle-standard of the
EXPEDITION TO NEWDALE
Before we start it is worth pointing out that, because
ODYSSEY OF THE DRAGONLORDS
‘Epic’ is a word that gets thrown around pretty loosely
ADVENTURE MART
Given our current global predicament, many of our usual
D-DAY DICE SECOND EDITION
Many games put you in the general's seat, ordering
FAFNIR
Fafnir is a chicken that lays gems. For some reason
VIDEO VORTEX
The world of VHS rentals is one not consigned mostly
HERO MASTER: AN EPIC GAME OF EPIC FAILS
With art and game design by Jamie Noble-Frier, Hero
FUJI KORO
Fuji Koro tells a tale of shogun heroes escaping from
MECHANICA
The future is spotless, we are told by a subtly threatening
LABYRINTH: THE ADVENTURE GAME
Caught somewhere between an RPG and a choose-your-ownadventure
IRONSWORN
While Ironsworn can be played like a regular roleplaying
THE LIBERATION OF RIETBURG
Smaller recreations of bigger tabletop experiences
KAREKARE
Karekare is a deceptive game. Set in Aotearoa (New
KRAKEN ATTACK
Designing a great kids’ game is a tricky proposition.
CHRONO CORSAIRS
If I had to be trapped in a time vortex I could think
KUNIUMI
In Japanese mythology, KuniUmi is a tale of creation
BEAK, FEATHER & BONE
Kickstarter wrapped their second ZineQuest event in
KING OF TOKYO: DARK EDITION
Special editions of games often draw funny looks. Whether
RURIK: DAWN OF KIEV
Rurik: Dawn of Kiev is a game that tricks you into
SILVER & GOLD
Seven years ago, Phil Walker- Harding designed one
PATHFINDER 2ND EDITION: BESTIARY 2
Varied and exciting monsters have always been the fuel
NESSOS
Nessos is a game based on the Greek myth where the
TEA FOR 2
Many things have happened during the Mad Hatter’s tea
CHARTAE
Chartae may not have the picturesque game board of
OCEANS
A first glance at the box and artwork for Oceans suggests
TIME STORIES REVOLUTION: THE HADAL PROJECT
Time travel is a tricky subject for gaming, especially
MY CITY
There’s no shortage of family-friendly games about
POETRY FOR NEANDERTHALS
On first inspection, Poetry for Neanderthals seems
HAGAKURE
Trick-taking games vary vastly in variety, playtime
UNDAUNTED: NORTH AFRICA
There’s two main ways to do war on the tabletop. Many
MYTHIC ODYSSEYS OF THEROS
Between the capricious gods, mighty heroes and terrible
PLANET APOCALYPSE
This might be an entirely unnecessary review – Sandy
GEOMETRIC ART
If you’re a gamer with an artistic streak, the tabletop
BACK TO THE FUTURE: DICE THROUGH TIME
One of the most enjoyable (and noodle-baking) moments
MARGRAVES OF VALERIA
Word of advice; never use the descriptor "Worker Placement"
AGE OF SIGMAR: SOULBOUND
We all know that you shouldn’t judge a book by its
COWBOY BEBOP: SPACE SERENADE
Stack up on fuel, get your crew ready and don’t forget
PROJECT: ELITE
Originally released in 2016 to general acclaim, Project:
TOP CAKE
Top Cake is a deceptively simple auction game from
DON’T COUNT YOUR CHICKENS
Ellie Dix’s charming small tin game of competitive
KEYFORGE: MASS MUTATION STARTER SET
KeyForge has been known for its weirdly fun brokenness
GENESYS – SECRETS OF THE CRUCIBLE
One of the great strengths of Genesys lays in its ability
THE 7TH CONTINENT: CLASSIC EDITION
This is the new, smaller and somewhat trimmed version
CARAVAN
If Caravan had been published in the early-to-mid 2000s
SHERLOCK HOLMES CONSULTING DETECTIVE: THE BAKER STREET IRREGULARS
When the original Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective
DIG DEEPER
The Detective Board Game from Portal Games really sticks
FORBIDDEN LANDS – THE BITTER REACH
If Forbidden Lands’ fog-shrouded aura of doom hasn’t
PLANETARIUM
Where a game like Oceans or Evolution takes us right
AQUALIN
It’s hard not to love a satisfying clack of a tile
BARKING KITTENS
Barking Kittens is the third expansion to the popular
INNER COMPASS
Inner Compass is the latest release from the Danish
BUTTERFLY
In Butterfly, players all assume the role of Hudson
FAIRY SEASON
It’s harvest time for the goblin kings – and what are
POKÉMON TRADING CARD GAME: BATTLE ACADEMY
Everyone has a Pokémon memory, whether it’s the mourning
UBONGO! TRAVEL EDITION
Ubongo! is a family friendly puzzle game, and in its
DECKSCAPE: ESCAPE FROM ALCATRAZ
An escape room game that’s actually about escaping
POTEMKIN EMPIRE
If board gaming was a medieval kingdom, then Indie
THOUSAND YEAR OLD VAMPIRE
There is a tendency among solo RPGs to delve into the
QUEST
If you walked past a group playing Quest you’d be forgiven
THE MAGNIFICENT
In The Magnificent, players are competing to bring
SUCCULENT
This reviewer has a soft spot for gardening games.
CONQUEST: THE LAST ARGUMENT OF KINGS
Conquest, now with updated rules and many new minis
BERMUDA PIRATES
It’s hard not to be intrigued by magnets in a game
HERD MENTALITY
Continuing Big Potato’s tradition of taking simple
ESCAPE THE DARK SECTOR
For once, we had firepower on our side. We were full
VAESEN – NORDIC HORROR ROLEPLAYING
With all the Lovecraftian horrors and fantastical demons
MEZO
Would you like to be a God, even for a little while?
MARVEL VILLAINOUS INFINITE POWER
You probably know by now what you’re getting when you
BORED? GAMES!
Folk games are something close to all our hearts. Whether
DEATH ROBOT JUNGLE
We don’t often review vinyl at Tabletop Gaming Magazine.
VILLAGE GREEN
Ah, the village green. The source of pride for many
STRINGAMAJIG
Sit down and relax for a moment, and cast your mind
HALF-PINT HEROES
Glorified on celluloid by the likes of James Bond and
SONORA
Let’s imagine ourselves heading into the Sonora Desert
WATERGATE
Themes in board games broadly can fall into two extremes.
CENTURY: GOLEM EDITION – EASTERN MOUNTAINS
Reskinning games has its ups and downs. For the publisher
TOP OF THE POPS: THE GAME
After the release of Blockbuster, it’s actually a bit
LEWIS AND CLARK: THE EXPEDITION SECOND EDITION
On its initial 2013 release, Lewis and Clark stood
HIGH RISE
The big city is full of corruption, and sometimes
FOR WHAT REMAINS
It’s the end of the world, again. Welcome to another
FORT
Once upon a time, children played outdoors. Which sounds
MYTHOS
Mythos, a narrative skirmish game from Warcradle Studios
KIDS ON BROOMS
There must be an entire generation of us who grew up
MEOW: THE CULT OF THE CAT
Meow: The Cult of The Cat is loosely based on the game
HOGS OF WAR
Back in the weird and wonderful days of the Playstation
SLYVILLE
If you are not a player who enjoys a bit of skulduggery
TOKYO GAME SHOW
What’s better than one game? 62 games of course. As
WHAT’S MISSING?… FROM MY DRAWING
If you’ve ever played Jackbox, you’ll be surprised
FORGOTTEN WATERS
Many games have tackled the pirate theme in recent
TOKYO TSUKIJI MARKET
We all love good components. Any time there’s a very
TOKYO COIN LAUNDRY
This might be one of the weirdest boxes we’ve opened
TICKET TO RIDE: AMSTERDAM
2004 was a simpler time, all we needed was Ticket to
7 WONDERS SECOND EDITION
Nobody builds Wonders anymore. The closest we get to
MARIPOSAS
If you were a fan of last year’s avian hit Wingspan
GLASGOW
Glasgow was once known as the second city of the British
PRISMA ARENA
Rory O’Connor describes himself as a designer of “games
GODSPEED
As opening hooks go, ‘The Space Race was a lie’ is
UNLOCK!: STAR WARS ESCAPE GAME
The Unlock series is a group of escape room inspired
DELVE: A SOLO MAP-DRAWING GAME
Anna Blackwell’s fantasythemed zine Delve is as much
RIDE THE RAILS
Whenever a board game has a small rulebook, I'm intrigued.
TEKHENU
Like a crossover album we didn’t know we were waiting
THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED PARTY
All adventures start somewhere, and in the case of
DETECTIVE: A MODERN CRIME BOARD GAME – SEASON ONE
Detective: Season One is the newest entry into the
CTRL
Area control, but in three dimensions, and a bit like
ENDANGERED
At the time of writing much of California is on fire.
EUROPE DIVIDED
Europe of the last 30 years has been a fairly confusing
BANDIDA
Returning to Martin Nedergaard Andersen’s classic
NUTTY NOODLES
You would be forgiven for confusing Nutty Noodles for
SMALL WORLD OF WARCRAFT
Small World is something of a modern classic. In the
MYSTERIUM PARK
Come one! Come all! To the mystical magical delights
EMPYREAL: SPELLS & STEAM
How does another train game follow the tracks of the
STAR TREK ADVENTURES: THE KLINGON EMPIRE
Ever since they menaced their way onto the screen some
ICEWIND DALE – RIME OF THE FROSTMAIDEN
Buried in a land of eternal winter and prowling death
KITTIN
It’s not often that a game appears that will fit in
TINY EPIC KINGDOMS
Games in the 4X genre (explore, expand, exploit, and
ZOMBIE TEENZ EVOLUTION
2018’s Zombie Kidz Evolution was one of the first legacy
SUPERFLY
Superfly is like the ‘hold my Panda-Pop’ of family
MAGIC: THE GATHERING JUMP START
The struggles of getting people into a game as storied
BRITANNIA: CLASSIC AND DUEL EDITION
Reviewing old wargames is pretty thankless. Britannia
THE KING IS DEAD SECOND EDITION
He’s dead, and what awful timing. There is a power
ATHENEUM: MYSTIC LIBRARY
Ornate bookcases, a handful of spiders, dripping candles
MERV
This genre really needs a name. ‘European style, non-conflict
GODS LOVE DINOSAURS
Being a nine ton prehistoric lizard is hungry work.
BEYOND THE SUN
Beyond the Sun tells you nearly everything you need
OUT OF THIS WORLD
Out of This World is a cooperative game of ordinary
MANDALA
It’s not often players have to iron the board before
THE WRETCHED
You remember that scene at the end of Alien where Ripley
THE SHINING
Ah, the Overlook Hotel. Nestled among the majestic
TROYES DICE
Roll and writes have never hit home with me, it’s just
TRUST ME, I’M A DOCTOR
Leeches, lobotomies, trepanning, and… fecal transplant.
AGON
Over the years countless tabletop RPGs have used the
DUNGEON DROP
What does the idea of dropping a big handful of resource
MOB SITTERS
Babysitting isn’t the most dangerous or lucrative of
MAGIC MAZE ON MARS
Magic Maze had a problem – its theme, already confusing
CHRONICLES OF CRIME: 1400
It’s 1400 Paris, and you’re going to play a knight
THE LOST WORDS
Rare is it that you’ll be selling a game to people
1565, ST ELMO’S PAY
When he’s not inflicting Gloom on the fantasy world
A GAME OF CAT AND MOUTH
Sometimes, it doesn’t feel like dexterity games get
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