Dear game lovers,

The game database, which I maintain since mid 2002, contains 4.306 games. Many new games thanks to the Essen 2006 game fare!

A game can only be taken into account if it has at least 3 ratings. Those ratings come from 27 internet sources

1 new source: the Dice Tower website: http://www.thedicetower.com/thedicetower/index.php?page=home

This amounts to exactly 1.957 games with 3 or more ratings.

Most of the new games of the Essen game fare haven’t enough ratings yet. I’ll send an update next month.

Still number 1: Puerto Rico (Alea)

The top 10:

1 (1) Puerto Rico (Alea)
2 (2) Caylus (Ystari Games)

3 (3) Euphrat & Tigris (Hans im Glück)

4 (4) Yinsh (Don & Co)

5 (6) Die Fürsten von Florenz (Alea)

6 (5) San Juan/ Puerto Rico Kartenspiel (Alea)

7 (12) Der Herr der Ringe: Der Ringkrieg/ War of the Ring (Phalanx Games, Fantasy Flight Games)
8 (7) El Grande (Hans im Glück)
9 (9) Die Siedler von Catan: Card game + expansions (Kosmos)

10 (8) Die Siedler von Catan(Kosmos)

The current top 50 of best games is:

Version: 16/11/2006
(previous version: 22/08/2006)

Expansions, adaptations, role-playing 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	6	Die Fürsten von Florenz	Alea	2000
6	5	San Juan/ Puerto Rico Kartenspiel	Alea	2004
7	12	Der Herr der Ringe: Der Ringkrieg/ War of the Ring	Phalanx Games, Fantasy Flight Games	2004
8	7	El Grande	Hans im Glück	1995
9	9	Die Siedler von Catan: Card game + expansions	Kosmos	1996
10	8	Die Siedler von Catan	Kosmos	1995
		Good expansions: Die Städte & Ritter (Steden en Ridders) - Seefahrer (Zeevaarders) - Das Buch zum spielen
11	10	Funkenschlag/ Power Grid	2F- Spiele	2001
12	11	Torres	FX Games/ Ravensburger	1999
13	13	Keythedral	R & D-Games, Pro Ludo	2002
14	14	Java	Ravensburger	2000
15	16	Goa	Hans im Glück	2004
16	17	Löwenherz	Goldsieber/ Kosmos	1997
17	18	Ohne Furcht und Adel/ Machiavelli/ Citadels	Hans Im Glück	2000
		Good expansion: Die Dunklen Lande/ The Dark City/ Donkere landen
18	19	Rush Hour	Binary Arts	1996
19	15	Medina	Hans im Glück	2001
20	25	Carcassonne	Hans im Glück	2000
		Good expansion: Händler und Baumeister/ Builders and Traders/ Kooplieden en Bouwmeesters
21	20	Louis XIV - Ränkespiele am Hofe des Sonnenkönigs	Alea	2004
22	21	Magic the Gathering/ Magic die Zusammenkunft	Amigo/ WOTC	1990
23	23	Schatten über Camelot/ Shadows over Camelot	Days of Wonder	2005
24	22	Blokus	Sekkoia	2000
		Good related game: Blokus Duo (for 2 players)
25	24	Raja: Palastbau in Indien/ Maharadja	Phalanx Games	2004
26	25	Age of Steam and expansions	Warfrog/Winsome Games	2002
27	26	Serenissima /Méditerranée	Descartes	1996
28	38	Tadsch Mahal	Alea	2000
29	29	Ursuppe	Doris & Frank	1997
30	35	Tikal	Ravensburger	1999
31	31	Die Händler von Genua	Alea	2001
32	28	Santiago	Amigo	2003
33	33	Go	3M, Ishi, ...	1973
34	36	Die Werwölfe von Düsterwald/ De weerwolven van Wakkerdam	Asmodée/ 999 Games	2002
35	30	Rumis	Murmel	2002
36	43	Das Zepter von Zavandor	Lookout Games	2004
37	32	Einfach Genial/ Genius	Kosmos	2004
38	37	Die Macher	Hans im Glück, Moskito	1997
39	39	Middle Earth: the Wizards	Iron Crown Enterprises/ Queen Games	1995
40	40	Roads and Boats	Splotter Spellen	1999
41	41	Dvonn	Don & Co/ Rio Grande Games	2001
42	34	Sankt Petersburg	Hans im Glück	2004
43	42	Junta	Descartes, West End Games	1985
44		Himalaya/ Merchants of the Empire	Hexagames, Tilsit Editions	2002
45		Memoir'44 (and expansions)	Days of Wonder	2004
46		Time's Up	R&R Games, Asmodée	2000
47	47	Reef Encounter	R&D Games, What's Your Game?	2004
48	45	Civilization	Avalon Hill	1986
49	46	Oltremare - Merchants of Venice	Mind the Move, Amigo	2004
50		Bohnanza/ Boonanza	Amigo	1997
		Good expansion: High Bohn

Dropped out of the top 50:

Position	Last position	Game	Publisher	Year
52	48	La Citta	Kosmos	2000
53	44	Ca$h'n Gun$	Repos Production	2005
60	50	Antike	Eggert-Spiele	2005
62	49	Sternenschiff Catan/ Starship Catan	Kosmos	2001

Four new games in the top 50, although the games are somewhat older:

44. Himalaya (Tilsit, 2002): Tactical strategical boardgame for 3-4 players
45. Memoir’44 and expansions (Days of Wonder, 2004): Historical 2-player World War boardgame
46. Time’s up (R&R Games, 2000): a party game for teams where names have to be guessed as fast as possible
50. Bohnanza (Amigo, 1997): Fun card game about planting and harvesting strange beans.

Extra lists:

The list which is updated recently is the list of the best children games:

The 3 best games are Akaba (Haba), Nacht der Magier (Drei Magier Spiele) and Chicken Cha Cha Cha (= Zicke Zacke Hühnerkacke; Zoch)

Akaba: one of the best children games.

The best children games (Nov/2006):

Rank	Name	Principle(s)	Info
1.	Akaba Distributed by Haba	Action/Dexterity	2-4 players try to blow their flying carpets about the game board and try to be the first to collect all the presents. (from BGG) Winner of the 2005 Deutscher Kinderspielepreis
2.	Nacht der Magier(GE) Nacht van de tovenaars(NL) Distributed by Drei Magier Spiele	Action/Dexterity Adventure	Nacht der Magier is a new game for 2-4 players, and is played in the dark... It's a game like no other, a strange mix of tactics and poetry, that works even better with adults than with children.(from Bruno Faidutti's website)
3.	Chicken Cha Cha Cha (UK) Zicke Zacke HÃ¼hnerkacke(GE) Jakkiebak Kippekak(NL) Pique-Plume(FR) Distributed by Zoch	Memory	You must steal the feathers of other chickens in order to win. When you find the face down tile showing the same drawing than the one in front of your chicken-pawn, you can move forward. Winner of the 1998 Kinderspiel des Jahres.(from BGG)
4.	Affentheater Distributed by Amigo	Animals Dice	The monkeys ate all their bananas and have to find a new banana field. Who is the first to reach it, while hyenas and snakes are on their path? Children's game for 2-5 players.(from BGG)
5.	Giro Galoppo Distributed by Selecta	Animals Racing Memory Bluff	Giro Galoppo is a horse racing game driven by cards for players 6 years and up. (from BGG)
6.	Lauras Sternenspiel Distributed by Amigo	Set Collection Co-operative Puzzle	Action game in which children are helping Laura to clean up her room just before bedtime. Contains german components (cassette + story)!
7.	Venga-Venga! Distributed by Selecta	Animals Dice	Help the farmer to catch his stray animals. An exciting dice game that is cunning, trickly, and needing a little bit of luck. (from BGG)
8.	Doktor SchlÃ¼sselbart Distributed by Zoch	Skills Intuition	Help Doctor Key-Bit, the famous doctor of alchemy, to find four elixirs in order to prepare a magic potion for opening the doors which are locked...
9.	Obstgarten(GE) Boomgaard(NL) Orchard(FR) Distributed by Haba	Memory Dice Co-operative	A cooperative game for two or more players aged 3 and up. Only a quick harvesting of the trees carrying crunchy cherries, juicy apples, sweet pears and marvellous plums prevents the snitching of fruits by the impudent and insatiable raven. All players work together to harvest the fruits.(from BGG)
10.	Kayanak Distributed by Haba	Collection Dice	Players punch holes through the ice (A4 paper) and fish for various sized steel balls (fish). Large steel balls (big fish) are worth more than small steel balls (small fish). The person with the most points at the end of the game wins.(from BGG) Winner of the 1999 Kinderspiel des Jahres.

Best new games compared to last mailing:

Best new game(s) this mailing: the KRIMI total sets (JMcreative).

The 'Krimi total' games are role playing games in which the players are dressed up and act out their role to solve the mystery because one of the guests is the murderer (who is the only person, who´s allowed to lie). The games are rated very well but aren't taken into account in the top50 because the KRIMI total games aren't board or card games...

Overview best games compared to the previous update: