Shelley and I spend the week drafting cards, building our lands, and borrowing each other's actions in

Key Flow by Richard Breese, Sebastian Bleasdale, and Ian Vincent from R&D Games

and then we head to Chile to trade and plan the actions of our workers in

Valparaiso by Stefan and Louis Malz from dlp Games

Designer and raconteur Tony Boydell (of Snowdonia & Guilds of London fame) joins me for a conversation about game design, jaded gamers, and his own Top 10 from the past year.

Here's his list:

The Mind

Eco-Links

VOLT

Holding On

Airship City

Gingerbread House

Symphony No. 9

Endeavor: Age of Sail

Tales of the Northlands

AuZtralia

Shelley and I spend some time looking through the games we've played and select our Top 10, as well as Honorable Mentions and games that just aren't for us!

Shelley's Lists:

Not For Her = Reef and Century: Eastern Wonders

Honorable Mentions = Let's Make a Bus Route, Facecards, Illusion, Trapwords, and Teotihuacan: City of Gods

10) Walking in Burano

9) Carpe Diem

8) Crusaders: Thy Will Be Done

7) Arraial

6) Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra

5) Forum Trajanum

4) Blackout: Hong Kong

3) Wingspan

2) Lindisfarne

1)1906 San Francisco

Doug's Lists:

Not for Him = Yokohama Duel, Nusfjord, Keyper, Charterstone

Honorable Mentions = Fine Sand, The Mind, Ganz Schon Clever, Walking in Burano, Wingspan

10) Blue Lagoon

9) Lindisfarne

8) 1906 San Francisco

7) Crown of Emara

6) Forum Trajanum

5) Let's Make a Bus Route

4) Teotihuacan: City of Gods

3) Carpe Diem

2) Symphony No. 9

1) Blackout: Hong Kong

Shelley and I train our students and gain knowledge by wandering around Europe in

Newton by Simone Luciani and Nestore Mangione from Cool Mini or Not and Cranio Creations

then attempt to thwart the evil intentions of Nogbad, create wondrous Inventions, and show our heroism by completing Sagas in

Tales of the Northlands: The Sagas of Noggin the Nog by Nick Case from A-Muse-Ment

Shelley and I work hard to gain favor and move up the ranks in Henry VIII's court in

Tudor by Jan Kirschner from Academy Games

and then get out our binoculars and play amateur ornithologists in

Wingspan by Elizabeth Hargrave from Stonemaier Games

Shelley and I build pastel buildings as we wander through the beautiful Venetian island of Burano in

Walking in Burano by Wei-Min Ling from EmperorS4

and then create fantasy islands and try to score the most points in doing so in

Skylands by Shun from Queen Games

Shelley and I race to build the best fleet of space ships and send them out into the void in

Space Base by John D. Clair from AEG

and then send our crusading knights across Europe to defeat the heathen hordes in

Crusaders: Thy Will Be Done by Seth Jaffee from Tasty Minstrel Games

Shelley and I get a chance to preview the forthcoming Bezier Games' title

Cabo by Mandy Henning and Melissa Limes from Bezier Games

and then have fun burning our brains, building a pyramid, and attempting to earn the gods' favors in

Teotihuacan: City of Gods by Daniele Tascini from NSKN Games

Shelley and I take on 2 titles that start with F, but vary markedly in their play and fun value!

Fuji by Wolfgang Warsch from Feuerland Spiele had us running (unsuccessfully) from Fuji's volcanic eruption...and not enjoying the experience.

and

Futuropia by Friedemann Friese from Stronghold Games has us working to create a utopian condominium experience where food and energy are provided by robots doing the work so we no longer have to! Fun planning from the guy who loves green.

This week Shelley and I enjoy some sand castle building from Stronghold Games, then have a bit less fun (possibly due to playing it 2-player) trying to win the favor of the Emperor.

Fine Sand by Friedemann Friese from Stronghold Games

and

Gugong by Andreas Steding from Game Brewer

Shelley and I become competing gods as we build separate worlds with worshippers in pyramids for

Orbis by Tim Armstrong from Space Cowboys

and

5x5 City by Hisashi Hayashi from Okazu Brand

Shelley and I start off with lighter fare as we draft, then place polyominoes in

Polyssimo Challenge by Alain Brobecker from Djeco

and then try to win favor and protect our interests in Portugal in

Coimbra by Flaminia Brasini and Virginio Gigli

Shelley and I head to Japan to duke it out as competing companies building our power and influence in

Yokohama Duel by Hisashi Hayashi from Okazu Brand

and then head under the sea as environmental problems have forced humanity to build

Underwater Cities by Vladimir Suchy from Delicious Games

Shelley and I have some fun as competing space agencies in 1950's inspired artwork of

Lift Off by Jeroen Vandersteen from Hans im Glück

and then explore uncharted forest where monsters roam and rewarding artifacts can be obtained in

The Boldest by Sophia Wagner from Stronghold Games

Shelley and I have more fun with a roll & write polyomino game, then a fantastic time building our ancient Roman colonies.

Brikks by Wolfgang Warsch from Schmidt

and

Forum Trajanum by Stefan Feld from Stronghold Games

Shelley and I check out a quick filler and a solid family game from well-known designers:

Trellis by Teale Fristoe from Breaking Games

and

Okavango by Michael Kiesling and Wolfgang Kramer from Jumbo

Shelley and I attempt to make the best of our tea plantations in

Ceylon by Chris and Suzanne Zinsli from Ludonova

and then expand our reach in the solar system with colonies in

Terraforming Mars: Colonies by Jacob and Jonathan Fryxelius from Stronghold Games

Shelley and I have some fun building rival zoos, then attempt to make the best of a BAD situation as the lights go out and stay out in Hong Kong!

WonderZoo by Florian Fay from Djeco

and

Blackout: Hong Kong by Alexander Pfister from eggertspiele

Shelley and I have a great time rolling dice and creating frescoes for our competing Viking clans, then have a LOT less fun competing to grow veggies in Iceland.

Lindisfarne by Damien Fleury and Alain Pradet from RUNES Editions

and

Reykholt by Uwe Rosenberg from Frosted and Renegade Games

Shelley and I plant rival gardens this week, hoping our neighbors don't disturb our crops too much, then build sections of Rome in two games that involve player building their own tableau.

Mr. Cabbagehead's Garden by Todd Sanders from LudiCreations

and

Great City of Rome (or City of Rome depending on the publisher) by Matthew Dunstan and Brett J. Gilbert from Z-Man (if it's Great) and Abacusspiele (if it's just a City).