2013 Holiday Gift Guide—Gamers' Games

Alright, here it is! It's our final list of gift suggestions for the 2013 Christmas season! These are games we suggest picking up for the tried and true gamer on your list. Many of these games we've played and reviewed, and others we're hoping to find under our tree in just under 2 weeks! So, here we go! Our list of gamers' games for 2013!

the dukeThe Duke—In this 2-player abstract game, players maneuver their tiles in an attempt to capture their opponent’s Duke. Simple to learn, highly strategic, and there are plenty of expansions already available.

MSRP: $40 (Find it online)

Ages: 13 and up

Review: http://wp.me/p2hTk7-122

SuburbiaSuburbia—It’s like SimCity: The Board Game. I (Firestone) am completely enamored with this city-building tile game from Ted Bezier. And with a recently released expansion, this one gets better and better. The third printing will be available in January, but you might be able to preorder with your FLGS.

MSRP: $59.99 (Find it online)

Ages: 8 and up

Review: Coming soon!

MysticaCoverTerra Mystica—This game is a beast. Lots going on. Lots of wood. Lots of variety in the various races. It’s a deep game where you’re trying to expand your race better than the others.

MSRP: $79.99 (Find it online)

Ages: 12 and up

ViticultureBoxViticulture—An elegantly designed worker-placement game that has players taking on the roles of vineyard owners. Grow, crush, and bottle your way to success and become a master, vineyard...ist?

MSRP: $60 (Find it online)

Ages: 13 and up

Review: http://wp.me/p2hTk7-NA

Mage-WarsMage Wars—Okay, imagine Magic: The Gathering, except you pick your spells instead of drawing from a deck. That’s Mage Wars. You’re two mages battling each other, using spells and creatures and equipment, but you have all of your spells available at any time. It’s deep and fascinating and very, very good.

MSRP: $59.99 (Find it online)

Ages: 13 and up

libertaliaLibertalia—This under-the-radar gem is a unique auction game where you’re a pirate captain trying to get the best treasure. You’ll play out your character cards and jockey for position.

MSRP: $49.99 (Find it online)

Ages: 14 and up

BoraBora Bora—The remarkable Stefan Feld came out with four games this year. And this was by far the best of the three I (Firestone) played. It’s a heavy Euro where you’re juggling 100 things in an effort to get VPs.

MSRP: $59.99 (Find it online)

Ages: 12 and up

Buy_Tzolkin_The_Mayan_Calendar_NZTzolk’in—This worker-placement game didn’t make our list last year because we hadn’t yet played it. Well, once we did we realized it’s one of the best ones out there. It’s innovative, tense, and so, so good.

MSRP: $59.99 (Find it online)

Ages: 13 and up

Review: http://wp.me/p2hTk7-u6

Thanks so much for reading, and have a great Christmas!

The International Gamers Awards Nominees

BoraIt's awards time again, and now we've got the nominees for the International Gamers Awards. According to their Web site, "The International Gamers Awards were created to recognize outstanding games and designers, as well as the companies that publish them. The awards are truly international in scope, with committee members representing countries throughout the world. As such, it is our belief that these awards will truly select the ‘best of the best’ and come to be respected by not only hobbyists, but the general public at large. We hope that this will lead to greater exposure for these wonderful games to more and more people and help spread the word of the 'wonderful world of gaming' on a global scale. There are two categories (that we're concerned with, anyway): The Multi-player General Strategy category and the 2-Player General Strategy. Last year's winners were Trajan and Agricola: All Creatures Great and Small, so I automatically have more faith in these than the sketchy Origins Awards...

So who are this year's nominees? Let's take a look...

Multi-Player General Strategy

Bora Bora—Stefan Feld

Bruges—Stefan Feld

Clash Of Cultures—Christian Marcussen

Ginkopolis—Xavier Georges

Keyflower—Richard Breese and Sebastian Bleasdale

Myrmes—Joann Levet

Nieuw Amsterdam—Jeffrey Allers

The Palaces of Carrara—Wolfgang Kramer and Michael Kiesling

Robinson Crusoe: Adventure on the Cursed Island—Ignacy Trzewiczek

Snowdonia—Tony Boydell

Terra Mystica—Jens Drogmuller and Helge Ostertag

Tzolk'in—Simone Luciani and Daniele Tascini

2-Player General Strategy

Jinteki

Android: Netrunner—Richard Garfield and Lukas Litzsinger

Antike Duellum—Mac Gerdts

Le Havre: The Inland Port—Uwe Rosenberg

Mage Wars—Bryan and Benjamin Pope

Polis: Fight For the Hegemony—Fran Diaz

 

So what's your favorite of the nominees? Will Feld win again, or will the juggernaut Terra Mystica take it. Will a once-dead CCG come back like a zombie of awesomeness to flatline the competition? Who knows?!

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