With Black Friday, every retailer in existence seems to be having a sale of one variety or another. The local board game industry is no different, of course, and our local distributor, Solarpop, has discounted a whole slew of games for your general consumption. The entire list of games is too long to go through in any detail, but fear not! I have your back, whatever your gaming preference.
I’ve done some of the hard work for you and picked out eight categories’ worth of the best board games on sale, based on a number of criteria. Note that the sale continues until the end of November, and all you need to do is ask your friendly local gaming store (FLGS) to order the item for you at the discounted price.
8. For the player who enjoys a heavy challenge: Robinson Crusoe: Adventures on the cursed island (1 to 4 players)
This is a seriously challenging game. Essentially, you pick a scenario, set it up, and see whether your planning and reactions are good enough to defeat whatever scenario you’ve chosen. The scenarios range the gamut from a simple “survive as castaways” to “escape the volcano”. Although you can play this solo, playing it with others is the best way to experience the game, with all of you working together as a team to break free or die trying. Most often, it’ll likely be the latter.
Other games you might consider: Pipeline
7. For the player on a budget, or the player who likes to customize EVERYTHING about their game: Blank (1 to 8 players)
Admit it: we’ve all added all sorts of house rules to Uno (or its progenitor, Crazy Eights). If you’re all about the house rules, then Blank is the game for you. At heart, it’s a straight-up shedding-type card game, with the winner being the first player to get rid of all their cards. What sets Blank apart is that there are two sets of cards: one for playing, and one for rules. The rules cards enforce three or more rules that apply throughout the game (depending how much you like chaos), such as “every time a 1 is played, all players must put their hand on the discard pile. The loser takes a penalty card.” However, many of the playing cards ALSO have rules, and this makes things far more interesting. The best thing about all this? Whoever wins the round takes one of the blank cards and writes a new rule on it. It starts slowly, but with more plays your copy of Blank will look like nobody else’s. And what’s better than a whole deck full of house rules?
6. For the player who sat through every movie in the MCU: Marvel Champions LCG (1 to 4 players)
Living Card Games (LCGs) are an invention of Fantasy Flight Games, the folx behind Marvel Champions LCG. The concept is simple: you start with a beginner set of cards, and then slowly add themed sets to change the way you experience the game. In the case of Marvel Champions, you start with just a few of the characters from the Marvel universe (Spider-Man, Captain Marvel, She Hulk, Iron Man, and Black Panther), plus a handful of scenarios to fight through. By picking up expansion sets, you can not only change up your roster of characters, but also add new deadly scenarios to your game. There are several sets available for purchase already, from Doctor Strange to Hulk to individual members of the Guardians of the Galaxy. The only downside of this game? If you’re very into it, it can become an expensive task collecting all the characters. And then there’s the inevitable wait for new ones to arrive!
Other games you might consider: Infinity Gauntlet: A Love Letter game, Marvel Munchkin
5. For the player who likes thematic cosmic dread: AuZtralia (1 to 4 players)
Picture it: it’s the alternate-universe 1930s; you need to expand and settle the Land Down Under after war has ravaged the northern hemisphere. Oh, and also the Great Old Ones are awakening, so expect Cthulhu (or one of his cousins) on your doorstep in a matter of turns. The game itself is an utterly bizarre mix of mechanics that somehow just WORKS, because the designer, Martin Wallace, is an absurd genius. Yes, you’ll be building a railway network, surveying the land, gathering resources, and dealing with kangaroos, but then there’s the Great Old One to consider as well, and nothing says “you’re not welcome” quite like rolling out the army in response. With multiple players, the game is semi-cooperative, but there are rules for a fully co-op experience too, so whichever way you like to let your friends down, there’s an option for you.
Other games you might consider: Arkham Noire, Mountain of Madness
4. For the player who watched a lot of Moana and know all the songs by heart: Blue Lagoon (2 to 4 players)
Game designer Dr. Reiner Knizia is nothing if not prolific. One suspects he hails from the “throw everything at the wall and see what sticks” school of thought, and to be fair it hasn’t hurt his reputation as a game designer, despite the fact that statistically he’s designed just as many klunkers as gold nuggets. Thankfully, Blue Lagoon fits into the latter category, and while the gameplay is simple enough that a 7-year-old kid could understand it, the game has some astounding hidden strategic depth. It sees you colonising a bunch of islands over the course of two phases. It’s not a long game, either, and a single session will last you about 20 to 30 minutes. So you can very quickly and easily set up and start a new game after scoring the last one. The game is bright and colourful, and the artwork is very reminiscent of Moana; it’s an absolute joy to play.
3. For the player who’s a viking at heart: Champions of Midgard (2 to 4 players)
The old Jarl is dead, and you and your clan of viking warriors are seeking to take his place. The problem, naturally, is that this is the exact same goal as the other clan leaders. Nothing for it but to tousle with trolls and draugr and other assorted long-leggedy beasties, and earn glory for their extermination. You’ll need to recruit viking warriors to your cause and send them to battle it out against the various threats. You’ll outfit ships and secure provisions to take up arms against bigger and badder monsters, and even then the trip over there might be fraught with danger. And of course, if the trolls come knocking at the gates of the village and no one tells them firmly yet politely to sod off, everyone at the table shares the blame. It’s a gloriously fun experience, and between placing your workers to get resources and rolling warrior dice to fight off threats, it’s an absolute treat to play.
Other games you might consider: Raids, Reavers of Midgard
2. For the history buffs: Museum (2 to 4 players)
One of the most alluringly-illustrated games out there, Museum is a piece of art in its own right. Initially you’ll think it’s a simple set collection game, where you attempt to match sets of antiquities and artefacts from around the world. The best bit about the set collecting is that you have to consider very closely what to throw out, because other players can happily go rooting around your discard pile for things that will help them complete their sets. The real challenge, however, is trying to fit everything into your museum, because you only have so much space to store stuff, and arranging the displays thematically is the best way to score. But getting the themes right? That’s where the fun is. And that’s not counting the continuing events that keep things interesting as you play.
Other games you might consider: Cleopatra and the Society of Architects; Gugong
1. For the player with kids: Dr Microbe (2 to 4 players)
While Blue Lagoon is something older kids will enjoy, Dr. Microbe is definitely for several someones on the younger side. Dr. Microbe has players racing to pick various microbes based on a set of criteria on cards. Players need to use their tweezers to pick up microbes as fast as they can and place them in the petri dish. It’s not complicated but it’s a good logic experience for young players to try and figure out which microbes match the given criteria. Adults may find it tiresome after a few plays but younger players will enjoy this one for hours.
Other games you might consider: Cupcake Academy
Get your game on!
As a reminder: this sale continues until the end of November 2021. Ask your friendly local gaming store (FLGS) to order the item for you at the discounted price. Visit Solarpop before the end of November to check out the games on offer, and save some money on your next game.
