Garrett's Games 924: Ark Nova + Marine Worlds Expansion and Heart of Venice

This week it's all about small box games. The first, quick title for 1-2 players is  Autumn by Maria and Enrique Blasco from Devir  then we try one of those small games that play like their bigger brothers in 1923 Cotton Club by Pau Carles from Looping Games Make sure to sponsor the podcast at www.patreon.com/garrettsgames OR help us make room for new games by supporting the podcast and getting some great titles for your own table here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16ovRDNBqur0RiAzgFAfI0tYYnjlJ68hoHyHffU7ZDWk/edit?usp=sharing  

As promised, Shelley and I get one of last week's big games back to the table with it's recent expansion for a discussion of what that adds in Revive + The Call of the Abyss Expansion by Helge Meissner, Kristian Amundsen Ostby, Eilif Svensson and Anna Wermlund from Aporta Games then we got a great and beautiful mancala-based game on the table with  Amritsar by David Heras Pino from Ludonova

Shelley and I get two HEAVY games to the table this week, re-visiting  Revive by Helge Meissner, Kristian Amundsen Ostby, Eilif Svensson and Anna Wermlund from Aporta Games Scholars of the South Tigris by Shem Phillips and SJ MacDonald from Renegade Game Studios and Garphill Games Support the podcast at www.patreon.com/garrettsgames OR check out the extensive list of games we have for sale that belong on your table! https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16ovRDNBqur0RiAzgFAfI0tYYnjlJ68hoHyHffU7ZDWk/edit?usp=sharing  

Shelley and I play two games that provide variety through various player boards: The Gig by Robb Smigielski, Lewis Shaw, Jamie Gray, and Dann May from Braincrack Games and Apiary by Connie Vogelmann from Stonemaier Games

Shelley and I get two heavier games to the table this week. First up is a sequel to a worker placement/deck builder we've enjoyed in the past: Dune Imperium: Uprising by Paul Dennen from Dire Wolf and Legendary then we create cool 3-ring binder books, collect resources and perform actions in Books of Time by Filip Glowacz from Board&Dice

Shelley and I work together to build Orleans' cathedral in the cooperative family game The Cathedral of Orleans by Wolfgang Dirscherl, Markus Müller, and Reiner Stockhausen from dlp games and Matagot then we compete to capture the most genies while collecting resources in Djinn by Benjamin Schwer from Hall Games and Pegasus Spiele

Shelley and I add the Marine Worlds Expansion to Ark Nova by Mathias Wigge from Feuerland Spiele and Capstone Games and then roll dice to build canals and ship goods in Heart of Venice by Yuko Y from JrnyCat

This week Shelley and I get snooty as we buy painting to hang on our crowded wall in  Art Society by Mitch Wallace from Mighty Boards the go prehistoric as we wander across various landscapes in Footprints by Eilif Svensson, Asmund Svensson and Geir Andre Wahlquist from Chilifox Games

After our Top 10 Games last week, it's time to reveal some of our disappointments of the year...and also suggest OTHER games by many of the designers that you should play instead. The Fox Experiment (play Wingspan) Mosaic Glades (play Keythedral) Spellbook (play Sushi Go...or get a pack of cards and play Rummy!) Atiwa (play Agricola) Railway Book (play Yokohama) Trekking Through History (play Trekking the National Parks) Stack n Stuff Orichalcum Rauha Bonsai And our best gaming experience (to end on a positive note) involved playing flowerpower out on our deck.

Remember to sponsor the podcast at www.patreon.com/garrettsgames or check out our extensive list of games for sale here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16ovRDNBqur0RiAzgFAfI0tYYnjlJ68hoHyHffU7ZDWk/edit?usp=sharing It's time for our annual countdown of our favorite games that were new to us in 2023! We always wait about a month into the next year so we can try and play as many of the big games as possible, but we still haven't gotten around to all of the possibly great games we have seen on other reviewers end-of-year lists. With that caveat, listen for our comments and our lists are below: Doug's Honorable Mentions In the Footsteps of Darwin by Gregory Grard & Matthieu Verdier from Sorry We Are French Lunaris 45 by Rola & Costa from Pile Up Games Wandering Towers by Michael Kiesling & Wolfgang Kramer from Abacusspiele Moesteiro by Rola & Costa from Pythagoras Doug's Top Ten 10) Revive by Helge Meissner, Kristian Ostby, Eilif Svensson, & Anna Wermlund from Aporta Games 9) Terracotta Army by Przemyslaw Formal & Adam Kwapinski from Board&Dice 8) Marrakesh by Stefan Feld from Queen Games 7) Forest Shuffle by Kosch from Lookout Games 6) Amygdala by Michael Kiesling and Wolfgang Kramer from Game Brewer 5) Darwin's Journey by Simone Luciani & Nestore Mangone from ThunderGryph Games 4) House of Cats by William Attia & Kristian Ostby from Aporta Games 3) Tucana Builders by Kristian Ostby & Eilif Svensson from Aporta Games 2) The White Castle by Isra C & Shei S from Devir 1) Barcelona by Dani Garcia from Board&Dice Shelley's Honorable Mentions Oranienburger Kanal by Uwe Rosenberg from Spielworxx Forest Shuffle by Kosch from Lookout Games  Wandering Towers by Michael Kiesling & Wolfgang Kramer from Abacusspiele Earth by Maxime Tardif from Inside Up Games Moesteiro by Rola & Costa from Pythagoras Shelley's Top Ten 10) Terracotta Army by Przemyslaw Formal & Adam Kwapinski from Board&Dice 9) Joan of Arc - Orleans Draw & Write by Ryan Hendrickson & Reiner Stockhausen from dlp Games 8) Amygdala by Michael Kiesling and Wolfgang Kramer from Game Brewer 7) Neotopia by Orlando Sa & Andre Santos from MEBO Games 6) Darwin's Journey by Simone Luciani & Nestore Mangone from ThunderGryph Games 5) Caldera Park by Michael Kiesling & Wolfgang Kramer from Deep Print Games 4) Tucana Builders by Kristian Ostby & Eilif Svensson from Aporta Games 3) House of Cats by William Attia & Kristian Ostby from Aporta Games 2) The White Castle by Isra C & Shei S from Devir 1) Barcelona by Dani Garcia from Board&Dice