Playing Board Games in 2022
Overall, 2022 was comparable to 2021. I played almost the same number of games (196) as the previous year (193), but there were more unique titles (101 vs. 88). This made it more difficult to pick out clear winners, which is why I have also been procrastinating writing this post.
2022 was the year I got into Board Game Arena. A couple friends and I tried quite a few games there, playing asynchronously. The ones that saw most plays were Barrage, Beyond the Sun, Carnegie, Gaia Project and Great Western Trail.
When it comes to playing games live, I track both the number of plays and the time it takes to finish a game, excluding setup and teach.
When looking at the number of plays, these are the games that stand out most:
When including also the time spent playing a game, a few more titles get added to the list:
You may think this is my "top 10 of 2022," but that would be incorrect. While I enjoyed Nemesis and Merv for a while, I eventually sold both. As I said last year, the games that got the most plays weren't necessarily the most memorable gaming experiences of the year.
Looking back, the following games stand out as personal highlights:
Pax Renaissance (2nd edition). Ok, this also was my most played game of the year, and has actually become my most played game ever. Which is quite something, because it’s also a game I refuse to teach to anyone. It’s a beast to learn, but when you start playing, it’s surprisingly smooth and quick. And it’s one of the most fascinating games that I know.
Pax Renaissance
Carnegie. This one actually came out in 2022. The first time I played it, I didn’t particularly like it. But then I tried it again, discovered it has one of the best solo modes I’ve ever seen, and I’ve also played it a bunch online. Definitely my top pick when it comes to games that were published last year and I got to play (Yes, I’ve tried Ark Nova. It was ok.).
Carnegie
Grand Austria Hotel. I was hesitant to purchase this game, as on the surface it seemed a bit too dry for my tastes. I decided to try it out first from the library and discovered that the theme and mechanisms work together surprisingly well. It is also a great two-player game. It is tight, has a lot of variability, and isn't overlong.
Anachrony. I was late to jump on this bandwagon, although I had looked into the game multiple times before. What finally got me to get the Essential Edition (+ minis) was this fantastic how-to-play video, which made me understand the theme and how all the mechanisms fit together. While the game doesn't do anything particularly new, what it does, it does extremely well. I also like the way the game handles time travel. Plus, it plays surprisingly smoothly - at least, without expansions. After hearing so much praise, I also bought Fractures of Time and was disappointed. It added complexity and depth but also killed the flow of the base game. The expansion will not stay, but the base game will definitely get more plays in the future.
Anachrony
Age of Steam. A classic. I didn't particularly enjoy my first game, but when we tried a different map, I started to really like it. This game is very tight; a single mistake can cost you the victory. However, the rules are not overly complicated and there is lots of player interaction and table talk. It is a heavy and lengthy game, and the theme and aesthetics may not be for everyone, but it is a whole lot of fun!
Age of Steam
What were your most memorable gaming experiences of 2022? And what are you looking forward to in 2023?
At the time of writing this, I have finally gotten my copy of Stationfall, which I expected already in 2022, and Dune: Imperium is also waiting to get on the table with the new Immortality expansion. I have managed to play Horseless Carriage once and will definitely want more. Dungeon Degenerates has also seen quite a few solo plays in January.
Then there are the kickstarters that are supposed to arrive this year: Fractal, Beast, Shikoku 1889 (my first 18xx!), and a few others… We’ve also gotten Twilight Imperium 4 on the table with another game scheduled for April. This year is looking good!