Hey Everybody!
I have been trying a ton of new and new to me games this year and I wanted to share them with you guys! I have been collecting board games for a while now, but there are still a few classics that I haven’t yet tried, and I would love to share about this journey of trying out these classics, as well as new games that have come out in the past few years. As a heads up, many of these games were provided to me by the publishers for review purposes, but the opinions I share in this post will be my true opinions about the games!
Publisher: Czech Games Edition
BGG Rating: 8.1
My Rating: 8.5
In Lost Ruins of Arnak, you will be going on an expedition to uncover the secrets of a vanished civilization that once inhabited the island of Arnak. I was super excited to get this game to the table as it is one of the top games on Board Game Geek, currently 28, and I had heard so many amazing things about it!
One of the things that stood out the most to me about Lost Ruins of Arnak was the board. The board is longer vertically than it is horizontally and the way the board is laid out perfectly conveys the theme of exploring an unfamiliar landscape.
The game is a mix of worker placement and deck building with unique mechanics to each. I really enjoyed the fact that the cards could be used in many ways such as for resources, or to pay the travel cost to get to a different site.
There are so many moving parts to Lost Ruins of Arnak and I absolutely love it! There are still so many things I am yet to uncover about this game, and it will definitly be seeing a lot of table time!
Publisher: Incredible Dream Studio
BGG Rating: 7.9
My Rating: 8.5
As I’m sure you know, I LOVE solo board games! When I first heard of Kinfire Delve I was obsessed and I decided to go with Kinfire Delve: Vainglory’s Grotto for my introduction into the series since it has a mystical theme I love seeing in a game!
In Kinfire Delve you will be working to delve down the well deck and defeat challenges along the way. The game’s mechanics of hand management as well as the chance built in with the dice, work in tandem to create a game with the perfect blend of luck and strategy. One of my favorite things about Kinfire Delve is how you can tell this game was made for solo play! Beyond the gameplay, I absolutely love the artwork! It is so pretty and mystical, and it truly transports you to the world of Vainglory’s Grotto!
If you are looking for a new solo game to get to the table, I highly recommend Kinfire Delve: Vainglory’s Grotto!
Publisher: Keen Bean Studios
BGG Rating: 7.4
My Rating: 8.5
Roll Camera has been a staple piece in my collection since it first arrived. It was also in my top games of the year post in 2024. It’s back again as there are new expansions coming out for the game, and I figured it was the perfect time to share my thoughts on the base game!
In Roll Camera, you and your fellow players will be working together to create the best movie possible. You’ll need to monitor the quality of the movie, as well as the time and budget you have left. There will also be problem cards thrown your way that need to be mitigated. Although I have never been on set of a movie, I get the sense that Roll Camera isn’t too far off from what actually happens on set.
Roll Camera is one of my favorite games to break out at a friendly game night as it always delivers on the fun and the laughs. Even the box is amazing and the game itself is stored inside of a film reel!
Publisher: Incredible Dream Studios
BGG Rating: 7.6
My Rating: 8
A Gentle Rain is easily the most relaxing board game in my collection! From the beautiful illustrations and 3D bloom tokens, to the feel of the tiles themselves, everything about this game felt welcoming and calm.
In A Gentle Rain, you’re working to place tiles, complete patterns, and ultimately place all 8 bloom tokens before you run out of tiles. One of the things I enjoyed most about this game is that there isn’t really a way to lose. Your score is an addition of the bloom tokens you were able to place plus the amount of tiles left in your draw deck, so even if you only place 5 bloom tokens, you still have a score of 5. Of course, me being me, I played until I was able to place all 8 bloom tokens in a single game to be able to know I did my best.
Overall, A Gentle Rain is an amazingly relaxing game that is perfect for travel or a day when you want to play a game but don’t want to stress about a billion moves. I highly recommend A Gentle Rain if you haven’t already tried it!
Publisher: Wehrlegig Games
BGG Rating: 7.5
My Rating: 8
I’ve been interested in Wehrlegig Games for a while, but when I saw they were releasing a game about a queer community in 1720’s London, I knew I needed to try this one out!
In Molly House, you will be working to accumulate joy by throwing and participating in festivities. You’ll be working to manage the gossip deck, trying to keep out threats, and control the amount of each color being placed in the deck. This gossip deck is how you assign evidence to each house in the game… and you’re trying to avoid this evidence since it could lead to raids and even houses being shut down.
Molly House is an incredibly puzzle driven game, and there is so much strategy that goes into each turn, especially when playing solo!
If you’re looking for a heavy game with a historically important theme, make sure to check out Molly House!
Publisher: Keen Bean Studios
BGG Rating: 6.8
My Rating: 7
As I stated above, I absolutely love Roll Camera, so naturally I had to try the next game by Keen Bean Studios, Power Vacuum. Power Vacuum sticks with the whimsical feel of Roll Camera as players will be taking on the roll of an appliance trying to gain the most power by the end of the game. At its heart, Power Vacuum is a trick taking game but there is also an element of betting involved since you’re trying to wager who will have the most, and the least, power at the end of the round. If youck is guess correctly you gain points to put towards building your monuments.
I really enjoyed Power Vacuum since the goal of each trick isn’t always to win. You’re going to sometimes want to “throw” a trick so that you can manipulate the power at the center of the table ensuring your bet comes out on top.
Overall I love that Keen Bean Studios stuck with a fun and unique theme for Power Vacuum and it was a great introduction into the world of trick taking games!
As I continue to try more games, I will come back and update you with each new one I feel like sharing about!
Until then, I hope you love these games as much as I do, and I will see you next time!
About The Board Gaymer:Joey is a student, board gamer, and content creator based in Atlanta, Georgia—most days, he’s somewhere between a study session and a cardboard filled game night. When he is not spending time with his partner or family, you can find him sharing about his favorite board game moments on social media as @TheBoardGaymer. One of Joey’s favorite accomplishments was being named one of Best Self Atlanta’s 40 Under 40 Inspiring Innovators alongside his partner.
It was my pleasure to attend the Sara Lee Soft & Smooth Back-to-School Nutrition Summit held July 22-23, 2009 at the Kitchens of Sara Lee in Downers Grove, IL. It was a whirlwind two...
How many times have you thrown away perfectly good household items only because they were taking up space in your home? Stop doing that because every item in your home has a value that...
Gone are the days when eloping meant a hasty marriage at a courthouse or a kitschy chapel in Vegas. Modern couples are redefining elopements, transforming them into spectacular, intimate ceremonies that are as detailed...
How to Grow a Good Reputation When Running Your Business Part-Time Running a part-time business is becoming more common than it has been in the past. This is due to several reasons, one being...
