Playing Board Games in 2024

I started keeping track of the games I’ve played in 2020 spring. In 2021 and 2022 I managed just short of 200 plays but in 2023 and 2024 the number has dropped to around 150. I am not entirely sure why that has happened, except for either me or my friends being ill, leading to canceled game nights. I have also played a lot less solo games, which can at least partly be explained by getting a PS5 after summer in 2023.

It was surprising to see how many games in 2024 have hit the table only once: my 153 plays included 83 different titles. In 2023 that number was even higher.

Since starting to keep records, I have now played 302 unique games. This includes only live plays. There are maybe a dozen more games that I’ve played only on Board Game Arena.

I do not like to rank games based on the number of plays, because it favors quick filler games. On the other hand, I also do not like to rank them based solely on cumulative playtime, because it favors games like Twilight Imperium, which we played once the entire year, but due to its length ranks #4 in game time. So consider this list of “best and most-played games of 2024” to be a somewhat subjective mixture of both.

Dune: War for Arrakis

3 plays - 10h 55m

I love the Dune IP. I’ve read the books multiple times and this lets me relive the events of the second half of the first book like no other Dune game.

Dune Imperium

3 plays - 7h 40m

I think this year solidified Dune Imperium as one of my all-time favorite games. It’s so interesting and tense every time I get to play it. I think I have also finally found my preferred way of playing it, which includes a customised intrigue deck and a partially included Immortality expansion with the Ix expansion.

I did get to play Dune Imperium: Uprising once. It was also great and I want to play it again, but right now I am leaning towards my setup of the original game due to Uprising being more swingy, whereas the original game seems more methodical.

Inventions

3 plays - 9h 15m

The new big Vital Lacerda game of 2024. At first I was a bit skeptical about this. It has the mechanism of building on top of what other players do that I enjoyed in CO2: Second Chance. But unlike other Lacerda games, the integration of theme to mechanisms is not as clear since the game takes place at a much more abstracted level than e.g. Lisboa, The Gallerist, or On Mars. Considering also how heavy the game is, and how much analysis paralysis it can lead to, the odds were not looking good for Inventions.

However, the gameplay is all about chasing combos and getting to what you want in a roundabout way. This gives ample opportunities to clever moves and it is really satisfying to do a huge turn with multiple linked actions.

Despite liking the game a lot, I am hesitant about keeping it. A normal Lacerda game is hard to get on the table and this seems even worse in that regard. So it might be that I end up giving up on Inventions just so that e.g. Lisboa has more chances to get played.

Horseless Carriage

3 plays - 8h 50m

I love the brain-burning part of this game where everyone builds up their car manufacturing plant in quiet agony. Only to realise two rounds later the horror of their mistakes. That puzzle is just so satisfying and interesting. So far no tile-laying game has manged to feel as awful in a good way as this. And then there’s the really interesting market mechanism, where you really need to pay attention to what other players are doing.

If I had to “run” the game and manage its fiddly components, I might be a bit colder on it, but since it’s a friend who owns a copy I can just enjoy playing this gem :)

Zhanguo: The First Empire

3 plays - 7h 20m

A surprisingly good euro game that feels classic but has way better and more interesting player interaction than most other euros where you compete for victory points. The card play can get really tense, your plans can get foiled by someone playing a card you didn’t expect, and timing your actions needs to be considered at all times.

I really hope this will get more playtime in 2025.

Arcs

3 plays - 6h 45m

Perhaps the most hyped game of 2024? And for a good reason, being from Cole Wehrle and Leder Games.

The more I play board games, the less I seem to enjoy games that are about direct conflict, unless they are 1v1 or 2v2. Arcs is a rare exception in this regard (alongside Kemet). I also don’t particularly like trick-taking games. Yet the way Arcs combines cardplay to everything else going on is spectacular. This is a game that rewards repeated plays and there is so much room to improve.

And I have not yet even tried the Blighted Reach campaign expansion. So there’s that to look forward to in 2025.

River of Gold

6 plays - 6h 10m

This was a completely unexpected surprise hit. A euro game that plays in about an hour or less, is quick to teach and has a lot of player interaction. No wonder then that it has gotten the most plays of any game this year.

Harmonies

2 plays - 55m

I have to mention this game despite it having so few plays, but the reason is that I only got it after Christmas. However, it has already proven to be a perfect fit for me and my wife, and I have high hopes that our 7yo daughter will pick this one up too, as the rules are not that complicated and she already loves playing Calico with us.

Let’s Go! To Japan

5 plays - 3h 35m

A great lazy Sunday afternoon game about planning your trip to Japan in the first phase of the game, and then executing that trip on the second phase. There could be more player interaction, but perhaps that would take away from the cozy experience that this game offers.

Capital Lux 2: Generations

3 plays - 1h 40m

A friend bought this gem of a filler game that has proven to be great end-of-night entertainment after bigger games. There is plenty of variability but the core gameplay is a great combination of hand management, pushing your luck and trying to read your opponents. Definitely worth looking into if you have missed out on this.

Endeavor: Deep Sea

3 plays - 4h 10m

The last game I want to mention on this list. Such a thematic departure from its predecessor, which makes the game more palatable, but also results in much more interesting mechanisms around ocean exploration, scientific research and conservation efforts. Overall a great midweight euro game that is quick to teach and plays in less than 90 minutes.