Editors’ favorite board games –

Dune: Empire

(André Lamartine)
There is no point in skimping on the praise here: the Dune: Imperium license is one of the most brilliant things ever spread on our gaming tables. Nor are we exaggerating when we say that Dune: Imperium should be on every board gamer’s shelf. There is not a dull moment in this phenomenal game, which is all about conquering Dune at all costs. When you’re not fighting for squares to place your pieces on, you’re constantly playing a political game about which faction to form an alliance with and how many soldiers to sacrifice to win the game’s constant conflicts. Dune: Imperium is a wonderful blend of worker placement mechanics and deckbuilding, slowly but surely building up an intriguing card game that offers an addictive amount of flavor every time you play. The newest edition called “Dune: Imperium – Uprising” is also MUCH better and MUCH more polished. What are you waiting for, you lazy sandworm? Save your summer with Dune: Imperium!

Last Girl

(André Lamartine)
Fans of horror films, behold! Sometimes it can be a pure privilege to experience a solo game when it is as thoughtful and passionate as the horror film Final Girl, which is itself a beautiful love letter to the conventions of the horror film genre. As the title suggests, you play as one of the many “final girls” who are tired of running away from their abusers and instead gather the courage to face their nightmare. This is done by playing dice and trading cards to increase your chances of defeating the bad guy once and for all. The mechanics of the boss are easy to learn and if you tolerate a high luck factor in your games, Final Girl will provide plenty of unforgettably intense confrontations. The best thing about Final Girl? Charmingly, each expansion is packaged as a VHS cassette, with each “movie” offering new horror movie villains to play with. So everything from Freddy Krueger clones, zombies and The Thing-scented mutants are available for horror fans looking to brighten their summer nights with cozy gaming fun….

Planet Unknown

(André Lamartine)
Sometimes the number of players around the table is a little tricky. Some games become uneven if there are not the right number of players, and if there are too many players, game night can risk becoming a prolonged mess. However, these problems are eliminated with Planet Unknown, a polyomino game for up to six players that works equally well regardless of the number of players, since all participants play their rounds simultaneously. Planet Unknown is as simple as it is difficult to master, requiring each player to colonize their own planet with the most efficient tile placements to defeat their opponents. Planet Unknown is one of those games that, thanks to its accessibility and cleverness, is always a guaranteed hit no matter the gaming group, where each player must choose a tile from a spinning UFO and make sure his planet is filled as much as possible. It’s like Tetris with plenty of tactical depth and seemingly endless replay value, making Planet Unknown a lifesaver every time.

Sushi Go Party

(Marcus Persson)
One of the essential games to have on the shelf at home, perfect for squeezing in between two heavier, more complex titles and which lends itself well to being enjoyed by multiple age groups thanks to its simple, straightforward concept. Sushi Go Party is simply a card game where you choose a card, play it and then pass the deck to the next person, with the goal of eventually scoring the most points through various combinations. This is repeated over three rounds, with each card having different rules for how it scores points. As more and more cards are played, it is also possible to predict to some degree what your opponent is trying to accomplish, creating the potential for a lot of excitement. Unlike the original, the “Party” box also supports up to eight players instead of just five, without taking up more space. Sushi Go Party is as clever as it is simple, with a fantastically fun theme and expressive, beautiful components.

Taco Back Goat Cheese Pizza

(Marcus Persson)
The sequel to the equally charming and ironic Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza follows in the same crazy footsteps and delivers more of the same, highly accessible fun. Young or old, it doesn’t matter. Taco Back Goat Cheese Pizza offers something for all ages and whether it’s a little family fun that is the goal, or entertaining friends while you wait for the BBQ goodness to be ready. Taco Back Goat Cheese Pizza will not disappoint and is easily customizable for two to eight players. The game is best described as an intense word game where the cards you put in front of you dictate what you have to do, or rather – every turn. On your turn, you turn over a card from your deck and say Taco, the next player does the same but says Cat (etc), until sooner or later you match cards with what you say. And then you have to be as fast as a ferret and not be the last to respond, which is punished by having to pick up everything in your hand. Simple but sneaky and incredibly entertaining, for all ages!

Joke Danger

(Marcus Persson)
Another light-hearted card game to entertain you on warm summer nights, this time with the terribly delightful Cyanide & Happiness at its center. It’s a contest to put together the most zealously evil (but entertaining) comics possible, with content that ranges enormously from brutal and crude to dark and offensive. All in the best way possible, provided, of course, that you and your company are not a bunch of boring, dry bums. And if you’ve ever been in contact with Cards Against Humanity or played it, you’ll recognize a lot here. One player acts as judge and draws a random card that forms one of the series’ panels. Then it’s up to the remaining players to choose two other cards from their hand to complement it, to form the sickest, funniest or just plain most disgusting combination possible. The more visual aspect of Joking Hazard is its real strength, giving it the edge over Cards Against Humanity in our opinion.

Dodos driving dino’s

(Jonas Mäki)
I’m not really a super fan of board games that require physical agility, throwing things and the like. But. Dodo’s Riding Dinos is the exception that proves the rule, and is basically a fairly simple racing-based board game, but with just enough craziness to make you feel Mario Kart in board game form – there’s even a Rainbow Road-inspired track. Up to eight people can participate and a race usually lasts half an hour, with lots of laughs almost guaranteed. The premise is that everyone chooses a card for each round and shows it at the same time. There are ordinary shades of blue and powerful shades of red. But if too many people take a red card, they don’t count, so it’s very risky to use them. In addition, there are green cards that can undo conditions. The great thing about the game, however, are the various types of bonus items that must be used with terrible precision to hinder others and help oneself. Nothing ever goes right, however, and the phrase “just one more race” is uttered almost every time this gem is pulled out.

Unmatched

(Jonas Mäki)
Normally I am not a fan of team games, preferring where everyone plays against each other. Unmatched, however, is team-based versus where two warriors fight each other. The theme is that there is not really a theme and it is teeming with characters like Dracula, Achilles, Robin Hood, Daredevil, Bruce Lee, Jurassic Park dinosaurs and Sherlock Homes. Everyone has their own unique deck of cards and then it’s just a matter of fighting. There is always a shortage of cards, which should be enough to both fight the enemy and defend yourself. It quickly becomes an exciting game of cat and mouse as you circle each other and try to find the right opportunity to attack. Simple rules where most things are on the cards you use make this a great game that I highly recommend.

Star Wars: Outer Rim

(Jonas Mäki)
One problem with Star Wars games is that they rarely feel particularly Star Wars, and usually are just popular characters and ships slapped onto a game that might as well be Star Trek or Lord of the Rings. Star Wars: Outer Rim, however, delivers that Star Wars feel in spades as we, as bounty hunters, buy ships, travel the galaxy, do small missions and encounter unforeseen events. There are several paths to victory, and often a well thought out plan can get lost, while someone using simpler missions in last place manages to make the big bucks and can upgrade to a better ship and leave with the victory. You would have to be a Star Wars fan to appreciate all the fun and clever details, but if you are, a real treat awaits you, and I can also recommend the Unfinished Business expansion, which is terribly good.