Dear game lovers,
The game database, which I maintain since mid 2002, contains 4.309 games.
1 new source: the Italian giochidatavolo website: http://www.giochidatavolo.net/gdt/modules.php?name=Reviews
This amounts to exactly 2.014 games with 3 or more ratings.
Still number 1: Puerto Rico (Alea)
The top 50:
2 (2) Caylus (Ystari Games)
3 (3) Euphrat & Tigris (Hans im Glück)
4 (4) Yinsh (Don & Co)
5 (5) Die Fürsten von Florenz (Alea)
7 (7) Der Herr der Ringe: Der Ringkrieg/ War of the Ring (Phalanx Games, Fantasy Flight Games)
8 (6) San Juan/ Puerto Rico Kartenspiel (Alea)
9 (11) Funkenschlag/ Power Grid (2F-Spiele)
10 (9) Die Siedler von Catan: Card game + expansions (Kosmos)
The current top 50 of best games is:
Version: 14/12/2006
(previous version: 16/11/2006)
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 | 5 | Die Fürsten von Florenz | Alea | 2000 |
| 6 | 8 | El Grande | Hans im Glück | 1995 |
| 7 | 7 | Der Herr der Ringe: Der Ringkrieg/ War of the Ring | Phalanx Games, Fantasy Flight Games | 2004 |
| 8 | 6 | San Juan/ Puerto Rico Kartenspiel | Alea | 2004 |
| 9 | 11 | Funkenschlag/ Power Grid | 2F- Spiele | 2001 |
| 10 | 9 | Die Siedler von Catan: Card game + expansions | Kosmos | 1996 |
| 11 | 12 | Torres | FX Games/ Ravensburger | 1999 |
| 12 | 10 | Die Siedler von Catan | Kosmos | 1995 |
 Good
expansions: Die Städte & Ritter (Steden en Ridders) - Seefahrer
(Zeevaarders) - Das Buch zum spielen | ||||
| 13 | 13 | Keythedral | R & D-Games, Pro Ludo | 2002 |
| 14 |  |
Die Säulen der Erde | Kosmos | 2006 |
| 15 | 14 | Java | Ravensburger | 2000 |
| 16 | 15 | Goa | Hans im Glück | 2004 |
| 17 | 17 | Ohne Furcht und Adel/ Machiavelli/ Citadels | Hans Im Glück | 2000 |
| Good
expansion: Die Dunklen Lande/ The Dark City/ Donkere landen | ||||
| 18 | 18 | Rush Hour | Binary Arts | 1996 |
| 19 | 19 | Medina | Hans im Glück | 2001 |
| 20 | 16 | Löwenherz | Goldsieber/ Kosmos | 1997 |
| 21 | 22 | Magic the Gathering/ Magic die Zusammenkunft | Amigo/ WOTC | 1990 |
| 22 | 21 | Louis XIV - Ränkespiele am Hofe des Sonnenkönigs | Alea | 2004 |
| 23 | 23 | Schatten über Camelot/ Shadows over Camelot | Days of Wonder | 2005 |
| 24 | 24 | Blokus | Sekkoia | 2000 |
| Good
related game: Blokus Duo (for 2 players) | ||||
| 25 | 20 | Carcassonne | Hans im Glück | 2000 |
| Good
expansion: Händler und Baumeister/ Builders and Traders/ Kooplieden en
Bouwmeesters | ||||
| 26 | 26 | Age of Steam and expansions | Warfrog/Winsome Games | 2002 |
| 27 | 27 | Serenissima /Méditerranée | Descartes | 1996 |
| 28 | 28 | Tadsch Mahal | Alea | 2000 |
| 29 | 29 | Ursuppe | Doris & Frank | 1997 |
| 30 | 30 | Tikal | Ravensburger | 1999 |
| 31 | 25 | Raja: Palastbau in Indien/ Maharadja | Phalanx Games | 2004 |
| 32 | 32 | Santiago | Amigo | 2003 |
| 33 | 31 | Die Händler von Genua | Alea | 2001 |
| 34 | 33 | Go | 3M, Ishi, ... | 1973 |
| 35 | 34 | Die Werwölfe von Düsterwald/ De weerwolven van Wakkerdam | Asmodée/ 999 Games | 2002 |
| 36 | 37 | Einfach Genial/ Genius | Kosmos | 2004 |
| 37 | 38 | Die Macher | Hans im Glück, Moskito | 1997 |
| 38 | 40 | Roads and Boats | Splotter Spellen | 1999 |
| 39 | 39 | Middle Earth: the Wizards | Iron Crown Enterprises/ Queen Games | 1995 |
| 40 | 41 | Dvonn | Don & Co/ Rio Grande Games | 2001 |
| 41 | 35 | Rumis | Murmel | 2002 |
| 42 | 43 | Junta | Descartes, West End Games | 1985 |
| 43 | 44 | Himalaya/ Merchants of the Empire | Hexagames, Tilsit Editions | 2002 |
| 44 | |
Ticket to Ride: Die Märklin Edition | Days of Wonder | 2006 |
|
Adaptation of the original 'Ticket to Ride' game. | ||||
| 45 | 45 | Memoir'44 (and expansions) | Days of Wonder | 2004 |
| 46 | 46 | Time's Up | R&R Games, Asmodée | 2000 |
| 47 | 48 | Civilization | Avalon Hill | 1986 |
| 48 | 47 | Reef Encounter | R&D Games, What's Your Game? | 2004 |
| 49 | |
Mr. Jack | Hurrican | 2006 |
| 50 | 42 | Sankt Petersburg | Hans im Glück | 2004 |
Dropped out of the top 50:
| Position | Last position | Game | Publisher | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 52 | 49 | Oltremare - Merchants of Venice | Mind the Move, Amigo | 2004 |
| 53 | 36 | Das Zepter von Zavandor | Lookout Games | 2004 |
| 62 | 50 | Bohnanza/ Boonanza | Amigo | 1997 |
3 new games in the top 50:
- 14. Die Säulen der Erde (Kosmos, 2006): Novel-based 3-4 player
game. Nice game and one
of the best of Essen 2006!
- 45.
Ticket to Ride: Die Märklin Edition (Days of Wonder, 2006): Ticket to Ride
adaptation with extra passengers and merchandising.
- 46.
Mr. Jack (Hurrican, 2006): 2-player deduction detective game about Jack
the ripper and the investigator.
Best new games compared to last mailing:
Best new game(s) this mailing: Die Säulen der Erde.
Die Säulen der Erde / The Pillars of the
Earth is based on the bestseller by Ken Follet and the next game in the Kosmos
line of literature-based games.
At the beginning of the 13th century, construction of the greatest and most
beautiful cathedral in England begins.
Players are builders who try to contribute the most to this cathedral's
construction and, in so doing, score the most victory points.
(text from http://www.boardgamegeek.com)
Overview best games compared to the previous update:
- (14) Die Säulen der Erde (Kosmos)
- (83) Leonardo da Vinci/ Maestro Leonardo (Abacus Spiele, daVinci Editrice S.r.l.)
- (90) Einfach Genial Reise-Edition (Kosmos)
- (104) BattleLore (Days of Wonder)
- (113) 24/7 The Game (Sunriver Games LLC)
- (120) Hermagor (Mind the Move)
- (136) Imperial (Eggert-Spiele)
- (145) ConHex (3-Hirn-Verlag, Clemens Gerhards)
- (205) Canal Mania (Ragnar Brothers)
- (229) Die Baumeister von Arkadia (Ravensburger)