As everyone knows, 2020 was different than anything else we could expect. Some even said Godzilla or Cthulhu would appear. However, one fact is indisputable, it was a good year for the popularization of board games, so the editors of the Last Tawerna prepared for you a list of the best games that appeared on our market at that time.
God’s finger
The Finger of God from Foxgames definitely deserves a place on the list of the best board games of 2020 . This is a successful arcade game that surprises with originality, while at the same time evoking a feeling of nostalgia for the iconic game in caps. The point in the game is to place as many prophets of specific deities as possible (disks with their likenesses usually change their position with a click) on the islands located on the map included in the set. Thus, a considerable number of their inhabitants can be converted. The winner is whoever does the best (i.e. scores the most victory points). The item impresses with its design, but also amazes with the great fun it causes. After all, how often do we persuade the messenger of the Egyptian patron of mummification, Anubis, or the sun god Ra, to make a bouncy wandering around the atolls? 🙂
The creators of the game Finger of God are Paweł Stobiecki, Jan Truchanowicz and Łukasz Włodarczyk. The illustrations were made by Dagmara Gąska (Orbs CCG, Earthcore: Shattered Elements) and Krzysztof Piasek (Awaken Realms). – Marzena Siarkiewicz
Everdell
In my opinion, Everdell is one of the best games of 2020 . A beautiful game with amazing graphics and animal-shaped pawns is eye-catching and promises great gameplay. The world of forest creatures does not disappoint and provides many paths to victory by sending meples to the board and cards, and acquiring characters and buildings to your city.
The success and popularity of Everdell can be demonstrated by the current expectations of players for reprinting the base game and the release of three small and three large add-ons, diversifying the gameplay in the same year. I was also tempted by the beautiful workmanship and I was not disappointed. The game has met my expectations and that of many other players, so if you haven’t had a chance to play it yet, don’t hesitate. You will not be disappointed. Squirrels and mice will steal your hearts and take over your tables, and picking blueberries will be your everyday life. – Katarzyna Satława
Marvel Champions
Marvel Champions is my game of 2020. Card game from LCG perfectly fits my sympathy and sentiment towards superheroes. Last year I spent over 81 hours with it, playing it 77 times (usually with 2 people). The base itself offers many combinations, and the accessories that come out every now and then (if not for the pandemic!) Enrich it with new possibilities. The rules of the game are quite simple and the depths lie in the cards. A new box with the guardians of the galaxy is already visible on the horizon, which undoubtedly heralds the appearance of another epic campaign in the future – this time with Thanos in the lead role. The fan scene also deserves a lot of praise, as it produced a huge amount of content that is willingly tried out. This is by far the best co-op / solo game I have ever played. Will somebody else be able to threaten her this year? We will see. May there be as many surprises as possible.Bartek Jaworski
Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion
The classic and hit of recent years in the dungeon crawling genre was released in a version without throwing players into the deep.
We still play the role of mercenaries hungry for gold, experience and glory – the basic mechanics known from the basic Gloomhaven remained unchanged. The game is divided into scenarios during which we have to clear the rooms of enemies or destroy specific targets.
The biggest change to Jaws of the Lion is the tutorial, which stretches over the first five scenarios. We start with simplified rules and narrow choices. Enemies have basic attacks and we learn how each action works. Over time, the rules grow and we discover new dependencies. After going through a dozen or so scenarios, we play practically like ordinary Gloomaven and there aren’t many that surprise us.
Jaws of the Lion is given very good appetizer before the main course in the form of Gloomhaven or imminent strides Frosthaven .
Etherfields
Etherfields is a tale of a journey through a dreamland where anything can happen.
Our characters visit the nooks and crannies of dreams and nightmares in search of answers to the question of where they are and who they actually are. Mechanically Etherfields is a combination of a multiplayer game with deck building and resource management.
Each dream is a different story with a unique idea to use the same cards and character abilities. Sometimes we have to find something, sometimes to run away from something, sometimes to beat something and we don’t know where the game will throw us further.
Etherfields potrafi być nieco nużące – rozgrywka wymaga powtarzania pewnych elementów. Grze zarzucana jest też nieczytelność zasad i niepraktyczne wykonanie planszy. Tak, pewne elementy można było inaczej wykonać.
At the same time, going through the two campaigns available in the box was for me a unique experience and experience that another game has not given me so far.
7 Wonders of the World: Duel – Agora
The expectations were high. It would seem that the base game 7 Wonders of the World: Duel is the perfect game.
Everything was there – strategy planning, tactical plays, clever use of cards. The game was a constant interaction and keeping the opponent in check on three battlefields at the same time. Then the Pantheon expansion pack came out and it messed up a lot. Another aspect of the game had to be monitored and all the calculations became even more complicated. What more could you want?
The Agora expansion introduces elements of political struggle to the game, and with it another condition for victory. We can now recruit politicians and plot conspiracies. During the game, we will have access to small bonuses that can tip the scales of victory to our side, and the intrigue cards will allow us to thwart our opponent’s plans.
While the deities of the Pantheon gave us powerful one-time supernatural effects, the Agora add-on is more subtle. Here we must act methodically, plan, react and not let go too much. The balance of certain cards and the effectiveness of the moves known to us change noticeably.
A game with two expansions at once becomes an extensive strategy game. – Jarek Wójcicki
Foreign
Alien came to Poland ! However, in this case, RPG fans were delighted with this fact. Because yes, it is about the famous Alien with whom she fought, among others Ellen Ripley, but this time it is a game manual published in our country by the Galactic.
Aliens is a role-playing game set in a universe known to all fans of science fiction. We get a horror game based on the Year Zero Engine , known from games such as Loop Secrets and Mutant . We play the role of colonial infantry soldiers or crew members of spaceships and we have to survive the attacks of cosmic predators. In this brutal and merciless world, however, it will not be easy. We can choose one of two modes: film, based on ready-made scenarios and proposing the so-called one-shot sessions and campaigns, adapted to longer games. However, will you actually live long when the Alien takes you on his target? – Piotr Markiewicz
Marvel: Infinity Gauntlet
This is definitely not the best game of 2020, but I enjoyed it the most. During this extremely difficult period, in the midst of ubiquitous isolation, I spent a lot of time at home with my family. My son and I had a good time during dozens of games in the Infinity Gauntlet , which fantastically alluded to our favorite superheroes.
The game, published by Rebel, is a card game based on the Love Letter mechanics , which forces us to deduce and take risks. In the Gauntlet, we play the role of the Thanos team or the mighty Avengers looking for the Infinity Stones. Our goal is, of course, to defeat the opponent or allow the Titan Gauntlet to be completed. A maximum of 6 people can participate in an approximately 15-minute game.
Marvel: Infinity Gauntlet is, above all, an insanely simple, fast, fun and addictive game that allows us to fight a duel for the fate of the universe with superheroes or annihilate half of the population by Thanos’ hand. And most importantly, we can play the fate of the Marvel universe in almost any location, with minimal preparation and limited time for the game! Onward Avengers! – Mateusz Michałek
A new, wonderful world
Brave New World – this is undoubtedly one of the best items released in 2020, and certainly a real gem in the portfolio of FoxGames. The most interesting mechanism in this item is the production phase, in which we get individual types of resources that we can immediately assign to development cards to build them. As a result, you can create a brilliant combo. For example, build a card with resources produced in this phase, which will have time to produce more resources, and they will create the next card, etc. Thanks to this, Brave New World stands out mechanically from other board games. Let’s add solid workmanship, decent graphics and a nice solo mode, and we will be just a gem – Hubert Heller
