Game of the Year – The Main Players
Never mind Wi-Fi and your battery, here are the top four board games to be excited about in 2015.
Digital games of skill and chance are undoubtedly on the rise. But there is still no substitute for an old-fashioned get together. Never mind all the apps and virtual reality headsets, there is nothing like a good board game. The year of 2015 sees the release of a number of new titles that look set to entertain even after your Wi-Fi and batteries have cut out. Here are our favorite four.
Five Tribes
Five Tribes is a contender for the table top game of the year at the 2015 SXSW game of the year awards. It is basically a modern twist on the ancient game of Mancala. Players take it in turns to occupy squares around a board in a game of absorbing strategy and mental agility. The idea is simple. However, the game is far from easy. Like the challenge posed by online casinos or the mobile casino version of slots and blackjack, Five Tribes is guaranteed to get your brain working overtime.
Sheriff of Nottingham
The Sheriff of Nottingham, who is the bad guy in Robin Hood, is a game with a neat line in double dealing. Players assume a merchant character identity and have to trade their goods into Nottingham, where the Sheriff rules supreme. The fun comes in the way players may not always be quite what they pretend. Produced by Arcane Wonders, the Sheriff of Nottingham is also a nominee for the table top game of the year at the 2015 SXSW awards.
Star Realms
Star Realms is a card game for two players. It can be a game for more players if you buy extra cards. The battle is to build the best collection of star ships and space stations whilst destroying your opponent’s chances of doing the same thing. It has got all the angst of Risk with a space-age twist and a much faster turnaround.
King of New York
King of New York owes much to the earlier King of Tokyo. But it is a significant step forward in terms of the game’s complexity and all-round excitement. Each player controls a giant monster. That monster rampages through the streets of the city in an attempt to destroy each other as well as the city itself. Needless to say this does not go down well with the ever vigilant National Guard. Giant dice provide the random element that is guaranteed to keep everyone on the edge of their seats.
