Gift Ideas for the Serious Board Gamer
Buying games for serious board gamers can be difficult if they don't have a wishlist or you want to actually surprise them. As such, we thought we'd put together this list of games from independent publishers - games that might not be on their radar just yet.
1.
Arctic Scavengers
Arctic Scavengers uses the same deck building game mechanic as the more well-known card game, Dominion. However, Arctic Scavengers uses an entirely, much more integrated theme - that of a post-apocalyptic world where players are tribes attempting to grow their tribe and scavenge for the best medical equipment and tools available. Much more interactive than Dominion, Arctic Scavenger is an entirely different game with its own well developed mechanics and fun gameplay.
2.
Band of Heroes
Band of Heroes (2nd Edition) is from Mark H. Walker's Lock'n Load Publishing. Band of Heroes is a squad level tactical wargame that deals with the 101st and 82n Airborne Division of the US in June 1944. Using the award winning Lock'n Load game mechanics, Band of Heroes takes players to the battlefields of World War 2 Germany.
3.
Battleground Fantasy Warfare: Punic Wars Starter
The Battleground Fantasy Warfare system from Your Move Games has spawned a series of fantastic expansions and the latest Battleground Historic Warfare system containing the Punic Wars and the armies of Rome and Carthage. A fast playing, tactical miniatures games that uses cards instead of the more expensive miniatures, the Punic Wars is both easy to transport and fun to play.
4.
Bushido : the Way of the Warrior
Bushido : the Way of the Warrior is one of our German imported games. Like many of our imported games, Bushido has no necessary in-game text. A resource management and conflict driven game, players in Bushido must be the 'most honorable' Daimyo at the end of the game to win. Honor can be gained in a variety of ways, from owning provinces to winning defensive or offensive battles. A partial negotiation and bluffing game as well as area control, Bushido offers a lot to your gamer and furthermore, is hard to find in North America due to its import status.
4.
Chainmail
Chainmail is another wargame that uses cards to drive the game. In Chainmail, each player gets a certain number of cards to determine movement, combat, and actions for his medieval units and actions. Played on a square grid battlemap, Chainmail does not use any dice and is thus an entirely skill based tactical wargame.
5.
Galactic Emperor
Galactic Emperor has been billed as 'Twilight Imperium in 3 hours' and it mostly lives up to its name. With many of the same game mechanics as Twilight Imperium - if simplified - Galactic Emperor plays at about 30 minutes per player. While not having the same epic feel of Twilight Imperium; it's a solidly designed game that stands very well on its own.
7.
God Dice
God Dice is probably one of my favourite dice games. It's a fast moving, 2 to 4 player, direct conflict game where players use their party of heroes to do battle with one another. However, each battle is looked upon by the Gods, and their favour can be easily won or loss by a throw of the dice. A mostly tactical game, this is both great filler and great fun.
8.
Galaxy's Edge
Made by the designers of the well received 'Conquest of the Fallen Lands'; Galaxy's Edge is an empire building, area control game. Players attempt to control the galaxies in space by expanding their empire, but must also ally themselves with the aliens who exist out there already. Depending on their alien allies, the players will have to adjust their gameplay; making sure that there are multiple paths to victory. Over-shadowed by another area control game on release and without the marketing budget of DOW; Galaxy's Edge still should receive another look.
9.
Sumeria
Sumeria is the third published game from small publisher Reiver Games and has received some great Essen buzz even though it was released months before Essen. An area control game, players attempt to boost the importance of a city state each round, attempting to be in control of the pre-eminent city state during each scoring round. An interesting variation on the normal 'area control' game mechanic, Sumeria comes in a small, but tightly packed box; making it highly transportable.
10.
The Art of War
The Art of War is the latest game from Bucephalus Games and players are seated across one another in this tense 2 player strategic board game. You'll need to control your various pieces from workers to Ninja drawn from Japan's medieval period to successfully eliminate your opponents monarch.
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