12 Days of Christmas Giveaway - Day 4!

 

Day 4!
That means we're only 9 days away from the big day!!
We're running out of time and we still have so many awesome games to talk about - so today we're featuring our 10th AND 9th games from our Top 12 Favorite Games Countdown!!!

Yes, I use a lot of exclamation points, but it's just to let you know that I am friendly and excited - and it's definitely not because I'm going crazy :-P

As always, let us know which ones you love (or hate!) in the comments for your entry to tomorrows giveaway.

Game Grid's Top 12 Favorite Board Games
Number 10 & 9

Jordan Bird

10 - King of Tokyo

Picture of the Board Game: King of Tokyo (2016 Edition)

What Jordan enjoys most about this game:

King of Tokyo is the ultimate dice rolling game for everyone in the family!
Even though it's core mechanic is "just" yahtzee (roll dice, 2 rerolls, see what you get) I've never had more fun rolling dice.
Claws attack other monsters, Hearts heal you up, and Lightning Bolts power up special abilities, so there's always something to go for when you're rolling.
However, my favorite part of King of Tokyo is the "King of the Hill" gameplay - when someone is in Tokyo, they attack everyone, and everyone attacks them, but if you give up Tokyo then all of a sudden you're on the same team as everyone else against the new King of Tokyo.
This was a great mechanic for playing with my nephews, who absolutely hate being picked on, because they could always join our team if they were willing to surrender the crown :-)


Jordan's favorite memory of this game:

When King of Tokyo first came out, we took it on a family vacation.
Literally, every single night we ended up playing multiple rounds - and we're all adults! It's just that much fun to roll the dice and see if your monster can take down the rest.

Recommended for anyone who loves:

Family Games - (Catan, Ticket to Ride, etc...)
Party Games - (Telestrations, Code Names, Apples to Apples, etc...)

This game is great for:

Family Game Night
Board Game Night (Friends/Other Gamers)
Holiday Get Togethers
Babysitting or playing with Kids

9 - Camel Up

Camel Up
What Jordan enjoys most about this game:

Camel Up is the best possible bridge between Board Gaming & Party Gaming.
Regardless of whether your family regularly spends the night playing Catan with all of the expansions, or if you're more likely to play endless rounds of Scum/Dalmuti/Uno, Camel Up is going to be a hit.

In Camel Up, you're betting on the most prestigious of all events, the great camel race around the pyramid! You'll have to choose when to place your bets, roll the die and see which Camel takes the lead, and where to place your oasis.
Is it highly strategic? No, not at all.
Is it a ton of fun? Absolutely.

Jordan's favorite memory of this game:

To be entirely honest it's been a few years since I've pulled out my copy of Camel Up, but the reason it still holds a spot in my Top 12 is that literally every time I have played, with family, friends, whoever, everyone has had a great time.
It's just so quick to pick up and play through, the risk-reward of placing your bets early or rolling the dice first is so well balanced, ultimately it's the perfect game when you're just looking to have fun with your friends and family without too much stress (and no hurt feelings!)

Recommended for anyone who loves:

Family Games - (Catan, Ticket to Ride, etc...)
Party Games - (Telestrations, Code Names, Apples to Apples, etc...)

This game is great for:

Family Game Night
Board Game Night (Friends/Other Gamers)
Holiday Get Togethers
Babysitting or playing with Kids

 

Zach Bird

10. Root

Picture of the Board Game: Root

What Zach enjoys most about this game:

Root is a blast to play as a sort of alternative to Risk, like Risk evolved. Games need good reminder cards in my opinion and Root has the best possible that covers all you need to/can do in a faction.

Zach's favorite memory of this game:

RoboRally is a board game where each turn you put one card into a column and then activate all cards in columns you have, effectively "programming" a robot. The goal is to move to certain places and maybe run into a few of your friends along the way thus throwing off their programming.
I absolutely hate RoboRally. I'm terrible at it and one person running into me throws off my entire game.
In Root there is a Faction called The Decree where you are essentially playing robo rally with a twist; you if you ever can't do one of the actions you placed, your birds revolt meaning you have to select new leadership and start from square one with your action cards. I have no idea why it sounded like a good idea at the time, but I picked The Decree. I ended up starting from scratch so many times that I ran out of Leaders, something that was so obscure we had to search on Board Game Geek to see what happened (they pity you and you get your dead leadership back to start again btw).
That was an awful game for me, but I still love Root, because I can just pick another Faction that isn't RoboRally Reincarnate.

Recommended for anyone who loves:

Territory Control Games - (Risk, Axis & Allies, etc...)
Strategy Games - (Stone Age, Agricola, Terra Mystica, Scythe, etc...)

This game is great for:

Board Game Night (Friends/Other Gamers)

9. Hero realms

Picture of the Board Game: Hero Realms

What Zach enjoys most about this game:

It has a very satisfying balance of letting you do powerful things while also giving your opponents counter-play that doesn't feel stifling. It also has an Attack Left rule which makes for a surprisingly good multiplayer.

Zach's favorite memory of this game:

Watching Jordan go off and heal back from near death after he finally hit a critical mass of heroes.
*Jordan's Note - Zach is so talkative in person you would think that he would have more to say about his favorite games - make sure to ask him about it in person next time you're in the shop! :-)

Recommended for anyone who loves:

Co-Op Games - (Pandemic, Unlock, etc...)
Deck Building Games - (Dominion, Legendary, Mystic Vale, etc...)

This game is great for:

Family Game Night
Board Game Night (Friends/Other Gamers)
Couples / Game Night with your BFF

 

Skyler Hanks


10 - Cthulhu Death May Die

Picture of Cthulhu Death May Die

What Skyler enjoys most about this game:

The thing I enjoy most about this game is the chaotic nature to it.
To be able to see and interact with Cthulhu you have to be insane, so everybody starts the game with some sort of mental illness whether it be paranoia, pyromania, or OCD etc and you have to try to find ways for the abilities of these characters to help you rather than be detrimental to your mission.
It is also one of the more difficult games I've ever played as far as actually winning which definitely helped its case as cooperative games are not something I generally enjoy.

Skyler's favorite memory of this game:

My favorite time playing this game I was the pyromaniac. I got trapped in a room with another player when my insanity got triggered multiple times in the same round. This ended up lighting the room on fire, killing everything in the room with me. Normally having a player die would cause the game to just end, if you have not summoned Cthulhu yet, but we got lucky because the person trapped in the room with me was the one person that got a free death! It actually ended up being beneficial to us because I was also able to clear out the entire room of monsters.
We also had another game of extremely unfortunate circumstances where we lost before I even got to take my first turn. You win some and lose some I guess :-D

Recommended for anyone who loves:

Co-Op Games - (Pandemic, Unlock, etc...)

This game is great for:

Family Game Night
Board Game Night (Friends/Other Gamers)

9. NA - Skyler!! You need to finish your Top 12!!

 

Will Sawyer

10: Mystic Vale


Picture of the Board Game: Mystic Vale
What Will enjoys most about this game:

I'm not a fan of deck builders, but Mystic Vale fixes the largest issues I have with the genre by keeping your deck the same size by directly upgrading the cards in it. This causes the addition of stronger cards at the cost of weaker cards, and allows gameplay to flow a lot more naturally by not forcing you to take turns off to thin your deck out, while avoiding the point of "I just have too much garbage in my deck to play meaningfully!"

Will's favorite memory of this game:

The Push-Your-Luck aspect of the game makes each a thrill and a gamble, which I am inherently bad at. This causes me to play it safe during most all games, which ends up working out for me most of the time by not getting greedy and just taking what I'm given. I REALLY like being able to compete in this game without needing to take a gamble every turn.

Recommended for anyone who loves:

Family Games - (Catan, Ticket to Ride, etc...)
Deck Building Games - (Dominion, Legendary, Mystic Vale, etc...)

This game is great for:

Family Game Night
Board Game Night (Friends/Other Gamers)
Couples / Game Night with your BFF

9: Wavelength

Picture of the Board Game: Wavelength: Telepathic party game

What Will enjoys most about this game:

Wavelength forces people to actually discuss topics. Unlike other opinion oriented games, simply talking louder and pushing your argument won't work. Real discussion is required in order to arrive at the most likely conclusion, which often results in learning things about the people you are playing with that you didn't before.

Will's favorite memory of this game:

It's hard to name a single favorite interaction when I've had so many genuinely excellent discussions playing this game. One of the underappreciated aspects of this game I feel is also listening to the opposing team's discussions, watching and learning about how their opinions clash and how their arguments form into their agreed upon answer. It's just a level of social interaction that I haven't found in any other game.

Recommended for anyone who loves:

Family Games - (Catan, Ticket to Ride, etc...)
Party Games - (Telestrations, Code Names, Apples to Apples, etc...)

This game is great for:

Family Game Night
Holiday Get Togethers

Joey (Jordan) Wheeler

10 - Point Salad


Picture of Point Salad
What Joey enjoys most about this game:

This game is so simple to teach to anybody but it has so much replayability because of how many unique scoring mechanics there are on all the cards. It is challenging but fun to balance taking both the scoring cards and vegetable cards that you want while also trying to make sure your opponents do not get the cards that they want.

Joey's favorite memory of this game:

My favorite moments playing this game are when I get to steal a card that the player next to me really wants but when that turns up a card that is even better for them than the one I stole. It always serves me right for trying to steal from them instead of just take what is good for me but that constant balance of trying to figure out what the best choice is on my turn is a ton of fun. I also love that they made the deck the right size to be able to play 2 or 3 games in a row when you play with less people because my wife and I have played 3 games back to back several different times and it is so easy and fun.

Recommended for anyone who loves:

Card Games - (Scum, Dalmuti, Uno, etc...)
Party Games - (Telestrations, Code Names, Apples to Apples, etc...)

This game is great for:

Family Game Night
Holiday Get Togethers
Babysitting or playing with Kids

 

9 - Great Dalmuti

The Great Dalmuti: Dungeons and Dragons

What Joey enjoys most about this game:

The game box describes my favorite thing about this game perfectly when it says that "life isn't fair." That sums up Great Dalmuti perfectly and is why I enjoy the game so much. Trying to make the most out of an unfair situation when you had to pass the Great Dalmuti card to the Great Dalmuti in a round as the Greater Peon can feel really dismal but then that turn that you get dealt the two jesters and call a revolution and end up on top as the Great Dalmuti is so much fun! It's equally fun to sit on your throne as the Dalmuti for round after round and watching the peasants and merchants squabble with each other to move up a single chair.

Joey's favorite memory of this game:

I remember almost every holiday as a kid playing round after round after round of Great Dalmuti. My family even had designated hats for the Dalmutis to wear as crowns and the Peons to wear as punishment for being lowest in the pecking order (the Peons had to wear underwear on their head which was hilarious). And I live for the feeling of drawing both jesters and calling a revolution to completely switch up the order of the table. I remember one night when we had three revolutions happen in a row! It was the craziest three rounds I ever remember!

Recommended for anyone who loves:

Card Games - (Scum, Dalmuti, Uno, etc...)

This game is great for:

Family Game Night
Holiday Get Togethers

 

Spencer Martin

10 - Clank


Picture of the Board Game: Clank!
What Spencer enjoys most about this game:

I am a Magic the Gathering and Dungeons and Dragons player at heart, so when I heard about Clank, a kind of combination of the two, my interest was piqued.
Clank is like the cupcake to full on adventure games cake; a bite sized (yes I consider cupcakes bite sized) experience with all the flavor of a full on campaign. I love the loot aspect of the game. You have to get what you can while be careful of the greedy dragon who gets more enraged with the more gear you make off with.

Don't get too greedy yourself!

Spencer's favorite memory of this game:

With a relatively low learning curve (30-60 minute play time), Clank! is a really simple game to teach to new players. Especially if they have any experience with deck building before. I played with my Dungeons and Dragons play group and after a brief explanation, we jumped into it! Half our party ended up making it out, and even though I was the most experienced in playing Clank!, I was one of the unlucky (and greedy) adventurers that fell to the mighty dragon. I love that Clank! adapts to different adventurers play styles, and helps you learn your limit on what is safe and whats worth the risk!

Recommended for anyone who loves:

Family Games - (Catan, Ticket to Ride, etc...)
Strategy Games - (Stone Age, Agricola, Terra Mystica, Scythe, etc...)
Deck Building Games - (Dominion, Legendary, Mystic Vale, etc...)

This game is great for:

Family Game Night
Board Game Night (Friends/Other Gamers)
Holiday Get Togethers
Couples / Game Night with your BFF

 

9. NA - Spencer!! You need to finish your Top 12!!

 

Chris Fajardo

10 - Small World

Picture of the Board Game: Small World

What Chris enjoys most about this game:

Have you ever been in the middle of a game of Risk and thought "man I really wish I could start over right now"?
In Smallworld this is exactly how you play.
I love that each race has a limited timespan before you have to move it into decline and grab another. It prevents a player from steamrolling a game and provides a unique challenge to each game. Each race and trait are mixed up every time you play as well, creating a unique game every time you sit down.
Most of the games on my list have a similar mechanic to this. Variety is the spice of life, and it makes games worth keeping on the shelf.

Chris' favorite memory of this game:

I really love the design of this game. The race cards explain their special ability without having to read a single word. This game is the right amount of complex for a serious game night while also being inviting to new gamers.

Recommended for anyone who loves:

Territory Control Games - (Risk, Axis & Allies, etc...)

This game is great for:

Board Game Night (Friends/Other Gamers)

 

9- Camel Up

Camel Up

What Chris enjoys most about this game:

A great party game for when I'm entertaining my non-gaming relatives. The rules are easy to pick-up, and the strategy is minimal. Camel-stacking is also one of the most satisfying mechanics in any game.

Chris' favorite memory of this game:

It is often that a camel can swing from last place to winning in a single round. It is nice that there are several different ways to score and it isn't dependent on any one camel. The first couple of times I played this with my family they thought I was cheating or knew some deep strategy. I was just a lucky guy.

Recommended for anyone who loves:

Family Games - (Catan, Ticket to Ride, etc...)
Party Games - (Telestrations, Code Names, Apples to Apples, etc...)

This game is great for:

Family Game Night
Babysitting or playing with Kids

 

NOW!
The moment we've been waiting for!!

4 Winners for Day 4 -

Brock Howard
Chase C
Cory
Clint h

Congrats!! 
We'll have a $20 Gift Cert with your name on it waiting for you or, if you're staying in for COVID, you can call in and we'll add the credit to your account.

Make sure to visit or call soon - If your gift is unclaimed by Christmas, it'll be "re-gifted" to another winner!

Happy Holidays & Merry Christmas to you all again, we'll see you tomorrow :-)