2019 was a heck of a year for the board game community. We saw so many great titles hit the market and our table. Although we’re still working on wrapping up a list of our favorites from last year, we couldn’t wait any longer to talk about what we’re excited for this year. Here’s just a sampling of the new games that have peaked our interest.
Alma Mater
From the publisher’s of Coimbra, Alma Mater is being released this year. We’re big fans of Coimbra; the elegant dice-drafting and placement mechanics drew us in right away. And it’s so beautiful! We don’t have much information about the game itself aside from its theme. Set in the 15th century, each player is the headmaster of their own university trying to attract and retain the most students. The art and design is very reminiscent of Coimbra, and we’re not complaining. We’re suckers for vibrant colors and simple, yet effective 2D designs.
Kanban EV
It’s probably not a surprise that we LOVE Vital Lacerda’s games. Kanban isn’t a new title, but it is being released again this year with a new skin and some updated mechanics. The original version of this title didn’t really grab us in the past; It wasn’t super appealing because the theme didn’t stick out so much. Cars? Meh. But slap a new coat of paint (especially paint slapped on by Ian O’Toole), and it’s definitely grabbed our attention. We also love a heavy Euro with complex decision-making, and we’re sure that this revamp will deliver. Its Kickstarter ended February 20th after blowing past its funding goals – check it out!
Honey Buzz
Elf Creek Games, designers of Atlantis Rising (one of our anticipated games from 2019), released a sweet (and sticky) worker placement game, Honey Buzz, on Kickstarter in late 2019 that’ll be hitting presales in 2020. We’re specifically excited about the honeycomb drafting feature and the personal spatial puzzle it adds (We love ourselves a spatial puzzle). The theme is just adorable. We mean…BEES?!? Yes, please!
Perseverance: Castaway Chronicles
From one of our all-time favorite designers, Mindclash Games, Perseverance is a dinosaur themed, euro-style, dice drafting game. A bit of a mouthful, we know. Castaway Chronicles is the first in a four part epic saga from the creators of Anachrony, Trickerion, and Cerebria. These will be legacy-style games that we’re sure will burn our brains and keep us wanting more. Looking forward to learning more about this one.
Mariposas
We love Wingspan and by expansion, we love Elizabeth Hargrave. When we saw a glimpse of Mariposas, it lit a fire within us. Also suckers for a unique theme, we’re so ready to add a butterfly game to our collection. This game follows the migration of the Monarch Butterflies from Mexico to North American and combines mechanics of set collection and hand management. We’re excited to learn more about this new title, and we’ll be definitely adding it to our must-buy list.
And so many more!
It’s a great time to be a gamer! There are so many exciting new games being released each year, and there’s no sign slowing down! Here’s to a (continued) great 2020!
What games are you excited about this year?
Let us know in the comments below!
Wait… we don’t have comments below. Let us know on Instagram!