Dear game lovers,
The game database, which I maintain since mid 2002, contains 3863 games.
This amounts to exactly 1881 games with 3 or more
ratings.
Still number 1: Puerto Rico (Alea)
The top 10:
2 (2) Caylus (Ystari Games)
3 (3) Euphrat & Tigris (Hans im Glück)
4 (4) Yinsh (Don & Co)
5 (5) San Juan/ Puerto Rico Kartenspiel (Alea)
6 (6) Die Fürsten von Florenz (Alea)
9 (9) Die Siedler von Catan: Card game + expansions (Kosmos)
10 (10) Funkenschlag/ Power Grid (2F-spiele)
The current top 50 of best games is:
Version: 22/08/2006
(previous version: 25/05/2006)
Expansions, adaptations and Children's games aren't taken into account in this list!
| Position | Last position | Game | Publisher | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Puerto Rico | Alea | 2002 |
| 2 | 2 | Caylus | Ystari Games | 2005 |
| 3 | 3 | Euphrat & Tigris | Hans im Glück | 1997 |
| 4 | 4 | Yinsh | Don & Co | 2003 |
| 5 | 5 | San Juan/ Puerto Rico Kartenspiel | Alea | 2004 |
| 6 | 6 | Die Fürsten von Florenz | Alea | 2000 |
| 7 | 7 | El Grande | Hans im Glück | 1995 |
| 8 | 8 | Die Siedler von Catan | Kosmos | 1995 |
Good expansions: Die Städte & Ritter (Steden en Ridders) - Seefahrer (Zeevaarders) - Das Buch zum spielen | ||||
| 9 | 9 | Die Siedler von Catan: Card game + expansions | Kosmos | 1996 |
| 10 | 10 | Funkenschlag/ Power Grid | 2F- Spiele | 2001 |
| 11 | 12 | Torres | FX Games/ Ravensburger | 1999 |
| 12 | 11 | Der Herr der Ringe: Der Ringkrieg/ War of the Ring | Phalanx Games, Fantasy Flight Games | 2004 |
| 13 | 13 | Keythedral | R & D-Games, Pro Ludo | 2002 |
| 14 | 14 | Java | Ravensburger | 2000 |
| 15 | 15 | Medina | Hans im Glück | 2001 |
| 16 | 16 | Goa | Hans im Glück | 2004 |
| 17 | 17 | Löwenherz | Goldsieber/ Kosmos | 1997 |
| 18 | 18 | Ohne Furcht und Adel/ Machiavelli/ Citadels | Hans Im Glück | 2000 |
|
Good expansion: Die Dunklen Lande/ The Dark City/ Donkere landen | ||||
| 19 | 19 | Rush Hour | Binary Arts | 1996 |
| 20 | 22 | Louis XIV - Ränkespiele am Hofe des Sonnenkönigs | Alea | 2004 |
| 21 | 20 | Magic the Gathering/ Magic die Zusammenkunft | Amigo/ WOTC | 1990 |
| 22 | 21 | Blokus | Sekkoia | 2000 |
|
Good related game: Blokus Duo (for 2 players) | ||||
| 23 | 24 | Schatten über Camelot/ Shadows over Camelot | Days of Wonder | 2005 |
| 24 | 23 | Raja: Palastbau in Indien/ Maharadja | Phalanx Games | 2004 |
| 25 | 25 | Carcassonne | Hans im Glück | 2000 |
|
Good expansion: Händler und Baumeister/ Builders and Traders/ Kooplieden en Bouwmeesters | ||||
| 26 | 26 | Serenissima /Méditerranée | Descartes | 1996 |
| 27 | 27 | Age of Steam | Warfrog/Winsome Games | 2002 |
| 28 | 28 | Santiago | Amigo | 2003 |
| 29 | 30 | Ursuppe | Doris & Frank | 1997 |
| 30 | 31 | Rumis | Murmel | 2002 |
| 31 | 33 | Die Händler von Genua | Alea | 2001 |
| 32 | 34 | Einfach Genial/ Genius | Kosmos | 2004 |
| 33 | 29 | Go | 3M, Ishi, ... | 1973 |
| 34 | 32 | Sankt Petersburg | Hans im Glück | 2004 |
| 35 | 35 | Tikal | Ravensburger | 1999 |
| 36 | 36 | Die Werwölfe von Düsterwald/ De weerwolven van Wakkerdam | Asmodée/ 999 Games | 2002 |
| 37 | 38 | Die Macher | Hans im Glück, Moskito | 1997 |
| 38 | 37 | Tadsch Mahal | Alea | 2000 |
| 39 | 44 | Middle Earth: the Wizards | Iron Crown Enterprises/ Queen Games | 1995 |
| 40 | 42 | Roads and Boats | Splotter Spellen | 1999 |
| 41 | 45 | Dvonn | Don & Co/ Rio Grande Games | 2001 |
| 42 | 46 | Junta | Descartes, West End Games | 1985 |
| 43 | 43 | Das Zepter von Zavandor | Lookout Games | 2004 |
| 44 | 49 | Ca$h'n Gun$ | Repos Production | 2005 |
| 45 |  |
Civilization | Avalon Hill | 1986 |
| 46 | 41 | Oltremare - Merchants of Venice | Mind the Move, Amigo | 2004 |
| 47 | |
Reef Encounter | R&D Games, What's Your Game? | 2004 |
| 48 | 50 | La Citta | Kosmos | 2000 |
| 49 | |
Sternenschiff Catan/ Starship Catan | Kosmos | 2001 |
| 50 | |
Antike | Eggert-Spiele | 2005 |
Dropped out of the top 50:
| Position | Last position | Game | Publisher | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children's game | 39 | Zicke Zacke Hühnerkacke/ Jakkiebak! Kippenkak! | Zoch | 1998 |
| Children's game | 40 | Akaba | Haba | 2004 |
| Children's game | 47 | Nacht der magier | Drei Magier Spiele | 2005 |
| Children's game | 48 | Obstgärtchen/ Boomgaardje | Haba | 2004 |
As from now, children’s games will
not be taken into account anymore in the top 50.
They will be listed apart in the near future. That’s why we have
some changes…
The only real new game in the top 50 is ‘Reef Encounter’:
Reef Encounter is a game (about life on a coral reef) for 2-4 players by top designer Richard Breese.
Extra lists:
Two extra lists this time:
1)
Games with most different
opinions: well-rated by ones and bad-rated by others…
Games which are rated very good by ones, but very bad by others:
Die verbotene stadt
Die verbotene stadt (tactical game distributed by Ravensburger in 1992) has the most differing ratings:
it is rated as a poor game by the Vlaams Spellenarchief (1/4), has average ratings in the BGG and the internet top 100, but rated as a very good game by Spielphase (5/6) and Spieletest (29/30).
Other games rated extremely different are the popular Trivial Pursuit and the CCG Magic.
The list with the most differing opinions can be found below (>5 ratings):
| Games with differing opinions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Ranking | Game | Publisher | Year |
| 1 | 877 | Die verbotene Stadt | Ravensburger | 1992 |
| 2 | 526 | Das Spiel | Franckh-Kosmos, Abacus | 1980-2004 |
| 3 | 1383 | Monopoly Exchange/Die Boerse/ Beurs editie | Parker | 2001 |
| 4 | 1780 | Lifetime | Amigo | 1996 |
| 5 | 1713 | Continuo | Amigo, Schmidt | 1993-2001 |
| 6 | 1316 | Kula Kula | Blatz | 1993 |
| 7 | 22 | Magic the Gathering/ Magic die Zusammenkunft | Wizard of the Coast, Amigo | 1990-1995 |
| 8 | 1150 | Trivial Pursuit | Parker, Selchow & Richter | 1981 |
| 9 | 1555 | Harry Potter CCG/ Harry Potter Sammelkartenspiel | Amigo | 2001 |
| 10 | 1573 | Goldrausch/ Gold Digger | Hans im Glueck, Blatz | 1990-1994 |
Ranking: rank in the game database.
2)
Racing games: Top race, Hase
und Igel, Roborally etc. …
Games in which you have to reach the finish line before the other players:
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Carabande/ Pitchcar: Players use their fingers to send little wooden pieces fast forward. | Top Race: Racing game in which you have to race fast while guessing the top 3 finishing order. | Roborally: Robot race on the factory floor filled with nasty obstacles... | Hase und Igel: Entertaining racing game from 1974 in which carrots and lettuces play an important role. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Breaking away: Cycling game in which you play with a team of 4 cyclists, totally luck free. | Formula D: A fast-paced racing game in which you try to do better than Michael Schumacher... | Um reifenbreite: Players takes control of a four-member cycling team and try to score most points for their team. | Ave Caesar: Race three laps in a Roman Coliseum with saying 'Ave Caesar' during the game! |
Best new games compared to last mailing:
Best new game this mailing: Giro Galoppo (Selecta).
Giro Galoppo is a horse racing game for players 6 years and
up, published by Selecta.
The game even seems a challenge for adults...:-)
Overview best games compared to the previous update: