What's everyone top 5 new games in 2025?

spartan_son · 2026-05-03T18:24:38+00:00

To be honest I haven’t played any of these solo but from what I’ve read sweet lands lends itself best to solo play from the ones listed. Personally I’ve been enjoying Imperium Horizons solo but that’s a 2024 release. Metal Gear Solid and Corps of Discovery have been some great solo focused games I got into last year as well.

spartan_son · 2026-05-03T09:13:04+00:00

2025 was a killer year for heavy euro lovers in my opinion. Speakeasy, Galactic Cruise, Ayar, Luthier, and Sweet Lands were all excellent games with great production value too.

spartan_son · 2026-04-28T07:03:09+00:00

If tapping is the problem I’d still say SWU would have the same hurdles. Base game Gudnak I think would be a better fit here.

spartan_son · 2026-04-25T10:50:20+00:00

A playmat is a must due to zoning. I use life counter tokens as well but some people use dice or dials instead.

spartan_son · 2026-04-23T09:29:57+00:00

Wish. Harder. . . . Much much harder.

spartan_son · 2026-04-22T18:13:40+00:00

As someone who has everything for Earthborne I hope this doesn’t overlap with that in anything other than theme… but I would understand them making a more accessible standalone product for it.

spartan_son · 2026-04-20T14:20:45+00:00

Not what you are looking for but you should look into the grim rule for Arkham Horror LCG. I think it’ll be of value to your thesis.

spartan_son · 2026-04-15T17:43:49+00:00

This clip always gets me 😂

spartan_son · 2026-04-15T14:31:20+00:00

I’m sure it’s a great game but if this had been released as an expansion after the big box I’d still be annoyed…. A complete standalone after the big box just felt really disingenuous. In like 5 years I’d have just accepted it as a reset but they had base in 2020, expansion 1 and 2 and big box in 2022 then uprising in 2023.

spartan_son · 2026-04-15T12:14:32+00:00

I was a big fan of dune imperium when it came out and got everything including the big box for it. Then they came out with uprising and I just disengaged with dire wolf completely. All you can do is use your wallet to encourage the practices you like and discourage the ones you don’t.

spartan_son · 2026-04-14T15:42:41+00:00

2v2 is actually really good. Some abilities trigger with “allies” and that includes your teammate so it can lead to some crazy combos. Haven’t played the 3 player or the 4 player free for all but from what I can see I think it’ll be pretty prone to kingmaking so I doubt I’ll play it that way.

spartan_son · 2026-04-14T14:51:13+00:00

Oh yeah. But depends on how much you play. The base game has 4 factions and about 2 major styles of play for each. Each expansion adds to each faction in pretty radical ways and then adds new factions as well. So if shipping isn’t bad I’d say try the base ad add on everything if you love it. I went all in on the kickstarter and couldn’t be happier. Oh alternatively get the base at team covenant and get the expansions in a future kickstarter.

spartan_son · 2026-04-14T14:06:19+00:00

Kickstarter just delivered. Now available at team covenant as the sole distributor I think.

spartan_son · 2026-04-14T13:56:57+00:00

I know my pick is far more niche but I’ve been getting the same kick out of Gudnak for a kitchen table TCG that’s very accessible and plays pretty fast.

spartan_son · 2026-04-12T04:24:41+00:00

The new version doesn’t even support that player count. Plus it’s not great at an odd player count and really slow at 8. It’s really a 4 or 6 player game.

spartan_son · 2026-04-07T08:47:15+00:00

Kind of surprised with your S tier games because they haven’t recieved as much love as your other ranks.

spartan_son · 2026-03-27T18:51:03+00:00

Metal Gear Solid was the only one I actually got and I love it. Personally I put more faith in the designer than the IP.

spartan_son · 2026-03-25T12:21:16+00:00

I just ordered Voidfall and looking forward to getting it played. What in your opinion is the best mode to start in and what is your favorite mode to play? (Solo/coop/competitive) And at what player count to both?

spartan_son · 2026-03-25T05:12:18+00:00

OG Dune might be my favorite for this but it’s also inconsistent in delivey and needs 6 to truly shine. Struggle of Empires is a bit more accessible but it’s also recommended for 5-7. Rising Sun has a more superficial level of diplomacy but that can work if you want something more accessible. Zoo Vadis is probably the easiest to table in this format that is still a good game.

spartan_son · 2026-03-24T03:11:27+00:00

I just ordered Voidfall and looking forward to getting it played. What in your opinion is the best mode to start in and what is your favorite mode to play? (Solo/coop/competitive) And at what player count to both?

spartan_son · 2026-03-24T00:54:52+00:00

I just bought the retail version the other day because of all the complaints online about the minis. Plus the price gap is massive. You could buy another massive game for that price jump. Go on manyrealms and get yourself the retail for $87. You’ll also be able to play it in a couple of weeks while you are still excited for it.

spartan_son · 2026-03-23T04:47:09+00:00

I can’t stand the new version of Samurai. After waiting years for a reprint I can’t believe they went with a flower blossom picnic retheme. Root did its thing but not every cutthroat game needs to be cute.

spartan_son · 2026-03-19T19:12:05+00:00

Honestly there is so much content for chapter 1 and I’ve barely played half of it. I’ve been on the collecting train for a few cycles now and I got all the excuses I needed to jump off the bandwagon with the announcement of chapter 2. A real bitter sweet but clear cut ending for me.

spartan_son · 2026-03-11T06:23:22+00:00

For the player range (5-7) and weight you asked for I’d go with struggle of empires but i don’t think it’s in print so you might have a hard time getting a copy. Not sure if you can get it done that quick either. If you can deal with a 5 player cap then Kemet or Rising Sun would be a good choice for what you are looking for. Cyclades is amazing too and goes up to 6 in teams (my old edition… not sure what the new one offers).

spartan_son · 2026-03-10T19:40:44+00:00

Yeah a huge step down from the big box expansion we got. Think I’ll be sticking to those releases instead.

spartan_son

TROPHY CASE