This is a three article series covering the majority of Single Issue Board Games from 1952 to 1979 (Article 1 of 3), the 1980s (Article 2 of 3), and the 1990s (Article 3 of 3).
In this part, we cover the 1990s...
Family game night, filling the vacation days, vacation trips, or just because, board games are one of the popular entertainment options for nearly any person. The variety of adventures, topics, characters, rulesets, and courses captivate and pit players against others all for sheer fun. The epic episodes could aggravate one player, invigorate the “trash talker,” and giggle another yielding new acquaintances and bonding other kindred friendships.
While this article could also be titled single production, one-off, or the like board games, these are the board games that were only produced within a single year. Several of us in the Generation X genre can remember these board games, primarily from our favorite cartoons, while there are a few others that stood out as popular games. This article will highlight and recall many of these games that we consider as single issue board games. We have done our best to include much of the “Single Issue Board Games,” however we are aware that there are many more that simply were not accounted for.
One final disclaimer that should be addressed, much if not all of the research has been obtained via wikipedia.org and boardgamegeek.com, to include the photographs of each game. Additionally, there are board games towards the end of the 1980s and 1990s, in particular, that had several publishers. We noted one or two of the predominant publishers, yet we recommend the reader to visit the resources for more information.
1990
Fantasy combat is the baseline of Bladestorm published by Iron Crown Enterprises. Unlike common boardgame including their character or pawns, each of the 2-6 players provides their own miniature figure which encapsulates the characteristics specified within multiple pamphlets. This complex game incorporates sorcery, combat, and specific movements (offensive or defensive) as the game is played out upon a large, double sided map.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bladestorm_(board_game)
Eurorails published by Mayfair Games is based upon the railroad industry wherein the 2-6 players build and expand their rail lines throughout Europe. The goal is to deliver freight while earning money. Much like rail lines, the player can elect to traverse their dedicated line or operate on another player’s tracks for a fee. As the player’s funds increase, they can choose to make upgrades to the train tracks (expanding) or the train. Achievement of 250 million european currency units and having their railways connecting seven of the eight cities will result in the win!
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurorails
Published by Überplay, Hoity Toity pits 2-6 players choosing whether to go to the auction house or the castle to big for antiques or display and/or steal an item. Each member bets how many items they can acquire during a day while utilizing a detective and two thieves. The goal of the game is to be the first player back at the club.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoity_Toity
The camel racing game Karawane published by Otto Maier Verlag has 3-5 players racing their camels and collecting silk. During the race, the contestants bid on water chips so their camels can race across the desert to oasis spots. The player who has the most silk after 3 legs wins the race.
Source: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/940/karawane
Notable Quotables, similar to the popular Trivial Pursuit, has the 3-6 players attempting to acquire a color token from each category while the column game piece traverses the board. Questions are set up in a multiple choice format or filling in the missing word from a famous quote.
Source: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/4527/notable-quotables
The Republic of Rome published by The Avalon Hill Game Company revolves around the politics within the Roman Senate. This 1-6 player game involves a variety of control measures such as competing for state offices, commanding military units, and so on while competing to have their faction becoming the most powerful in Rome while not destroying Rome all together.
Source: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/1513/the-republic-of-rome
2-4 players are intrigued in this World War II, European theater game called Shell Shock! played with 2 ten sided dice and a hex grid. Published by Victory Games, each player chooses their chosen country’s troops and their weapon ensemble as the 540 counter cards and event cards deliver intense battles and situations.
Source: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2082/shell-shock
This prehistoric game published by The Avalon Hill Game Company allows players to play a board game with dinosaurs. Tyranno Ex has each player choosing their dinosaur and working to survive the changing environmental climate. Predators are also part of the equation of whether to survive or become extinct.
Source: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/719/tyranno-ex
1991
This challenging game pits the 4-8 players to create an acronym from 3-7 random letters and create words from those acronyms. Published by Acronymwits Incorporated, Acronymble is a comical game where all of the play is completely random. Movement is a traditional roll the dice and move down a path which pose hazards, or advancements.
Source: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/12646/acronymble
Greyhawk Advertures: Wars published by Tactical Studies Rules is a 2-6 player challenges each other along their territories obtaining country cards with the abilities to gain more territory. Plenty of variables exist as each player selects a scenario and rolling the 2 - ten sided dice while cleverly making alliances to gain more territory and treasure.
Source: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2307/greyhawk-adventures-wars
Set during the Persian Gulf War, A Line in the Sand published by Tactical Studies Rules is a 2-6 player war game utilizing a variety of tactics and two versions in how to play: Basic or Real Game. With a complement of 6 players, this board game interweaves diplomacy as well as the battlefield maneuvers. Whereas playing 5 or fewer players constitutes a basic or battlefield only game.
Source: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2061/a-line-in-the-sand
Published by Games Workshop Limited, Mighty Warriors delivers a combination of fantasy and battle play in the 2-4 player board game. Players compete as either Heroes or Skavon Champions utilizing magic, movement, missile or melee combat and recovery from stuns. Building rooms within a castle using modular tiles and doorways, the movement is from room to room in an attempt to grab the opponent’s shield.
Source: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/6333/mighty-warriors
Playing on a 4x4 circular grid, Quarto published by Gigamic utilizes 16 unique pieces with a variety of characteristics. One player uses a specific game piece with the opponent having to use the same unique game piece. The objective is to have a row of four pieces either horizontally, vertically, or diagonally with a common design (all tall, all square, etc).
Source: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/681/quarto
Wow Enterprises Limited published Rave is based on the party scene as the 2-6 players go from club to club. The goal is to attend the Rave before one of your energy cards deems you exhausted. This game is unique as it was quickly withdrawn from the shelves due to the potential “adult content” as there are cards that references recreational drug use. Another factoid is that there were a limited number of game boxes which were packaged with a Rave soundtrack and sparkly dice. If found, the board game owner could contact Wow Enterprises and receive a gift.
Source: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/12645/rave
This game had a cameo in the popular series Star Trek: The Next Generation. Terrace is arguably a 3D gameboard in that there are elevated square tiles. This 2-4 player game published by Herbko International Inc. pits the opponents to win in one of two ways: to move their smallest game piece with a “T” on it to the opposite corner or to capture the opponent’s “T” game piece.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrace_(board_game)
1992
Taking inspiration from the European and African World War II theaters, Advanced Third Reich enabled the game player a complex scenario with land and naval warfare atop a hex grid coupled with diplomatic points and strategy amongst the nations of the time period. Published by The Avalon Hill Game Company, this 1-6 player game is quite involved with a game play range from 2.5 hours or more.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Third_Reich
How well do you speak? Articulate! will challenge 2-8 players as you move along the circular path. Published by Drumond Park Limited, each player is expected to say as many words as they can within 30 seconds in a particular subject. Much like charades, one player gives descriptions while another attempts to say the desired word. The number of correct words indicates the amount of spaces to move. The winner is one who successfully completes the circuit and answers a spade category.
Sources: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/6541/articulate and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Articulate!
Don’t Wake Daddy published by Parker Brothers has the 2-4 players spinning their movement number and landing on certain spaces along the gameboard. Certain spaces have the player choosing the appropriate card and if the card matches the color of the space, the player is safe. However, there are other cards that indicate noises being made or having to press the snooze button a set number of times which may keep daddy sleeping or suddenly waking him, ejecting his cap from his head. The first player to cross the finish line, wins.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don%27t_Wake_Daddy
The Flying Dutchman (Der Fliegende Hollӓnder) published by Bandai Company Limited enabled 3-6 players sailing their ships with various treasure chests. A bit of luck is involved as each player possess’ lucky horseshoes and roll two custom numbered dice to provide that lucky number. Game play can either be sailing the seas or on land while each player negotiates their voyage with trading, using the horseshoes, as you attempt to have the highest money value within the chests to win.
Source: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/305/der-fliegende-hollander
This 3D game pits 2-4 players to enter a lost civilization to acquire gems and return to the boat with two jewels. Watch out while traversing the Forbidden Bridge board game. The opponent explorer can steal another’s jewel or the bridge guard/spirit could awaken sending planks and/or the jewels over the bridge. A custom pair of dice are used for movement and actions to take.
Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forbidden_Bridge and https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/3945/forbidden-bridge
Using tiles for the game board, Get Out Of The Maze Unit (G.O.O.T.M.U.) creates a challenging custom maze wherein the 2-6 players roll a die and upon landing on a space must execute the instruction. Published by Jolly Games, the tiles can change if you roll a six, giving the player the option to rotate the tile while power tokens provide another chance to rotate a tile or pick your number to move. To win, the player must collect all three of their pieces.
Sources: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/1908/gootmu and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G.O.O.T.M.U.
The Grape Escape is a 3D game published by Parker Brothers utilizes clay (Play-Doh)to form grapes as the game pieces. Escorting the grape characters through obstacles to include a mechanical conveyor belt as the 2-4 players roll a custom die, could spell disaster or a narrow escape from the hazardous areas. The first grape character reaching the finishing line, wins!
Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Grape_Escape and https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/8636/the-grape-escape
Test your flight skills in this 3D board game called Loopin’ Louie published by Milton Bradley. 2-4 players use radial arms to protect their chicken characters. However, Louie flies around on a motorized plane with players attempting to knock the plane away from their chickens and potentially wreaking havoc on their opponents. The lone player who has chickens left in their possession, wins. While this came is a single issue board game, numerous versions and themes therein have been produced.
Sources: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/327/loopin-louie and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loopin%27_Louie
Minion Hunter published by Game Designers’ Workshop is a 1-6 player game uses a map game board as the players stroll along the outer pathway of the board to build up their arsenal and cash. The center playing area is a representation of the USA wherein the Dark Minion progresses. While a variety of players are involved, their combined efforts to thwart Dark Minion are the primary objective. If the Dark Minion character reached the Plot Point Track end, all of the players lose. However, when the players exhaust all of the Plot Cards prior to Dark Minion reaching the end of the track, the player who has the most Fame points is deemed winner.
Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minion_Hunter and https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/679/minion-hunter
Are you an art enthusiast? Modern Art published by Hand im Glück (Germany) and Mayfair Games (U.S.) is a board game in which 3-5 players bid for one another’s art work. The goal is to gain the most paintings by a particular artist and sold in one of four rounds. There are only three paintings worth money while the others are not. At the end of four rounds, the player with the most money wins.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_Art_(game)
Do you dare steal the crown jewels? Outrage! Steal the Crown Jewels published by Imperial Games enables 2-6 players to enter the Tower of London in an attempt to cease one or more of the Crown Jewels and escape with the correct rolled die. Challenges arise throughout the course as there are situations where the player will lose the Crown Jewels, forfeiting all weapons, and so on.
Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outrage!_(game) and https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/1147/outrage-steal-the-crown-jewels
A game of bluffing and espionage is the center of Spy Alley. Published by Eddie’s Games, Incorporated, this 2-6 player game allows each player to choose their country’s nationality. During the game play, each player collects a series of specific items while purchasing items, not necessarily for their nationalities, to build their opponent’s suspicion to guess the other’s identity. If they choose correctly, then that player is out of the game. However, if it is incorrect, then they are removed from the game. To win, the first nationality spy must gather all the necessary items and land on the winning square.
Sources: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/1986/spy-alley and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spy_Alley
1993
Who will win Aunt Agatha’s fortune? In 13 Dead End Drive, this 2-4 player 3D board game published by Milton Bradley keeps the players in suspense as there are several traps during the course. Movement is dictated by rolling dice with the opportunity to move the player’s piece and/or an opponent’s to inch them closer to a trap. Characters can be marked for death, attempting to escape as well as a portrait card that can highlight the favorite relative destined to inherit the fortune. All while the game is in motion, a Detective character is also moving up the 13 steps towards the doorway to read the will, declaring the winner. Uniquely, there are 3 ways that this game is won: being the final character alive, escaping while the final character’s picture is in the Picture Frame, and having the Picture Frame with the final character in it when the Detective reaches the front door.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/13_Dead_End_Drive
Your character is a disease in this 2-6 player game called Black Death. Published by Blacksburg Tactical Research Center, the player has a choice of known diseases or creating a new disease with each having a Virulence and Mortality ratings. Game play is set in the European and adjacent countries. The first player to achieve an agreed upon victim count, decided prior to game start, wins.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Death_(game)
Target Games published their first board game entitled Blood Berets. This 2-4 player is a roleplaying combat game player strike their opponents with cards displaying their injured state and status. Depending on the character utilized, the character would die when struck two (all others) or four times (Nepharites).
Source: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/4979/blood-berets
Published by Queen Games, The Gardens of Alhambra (aka Carat) utilizes a combination of a octagon and square tiles as 2-4 players vie to accumulate the most victory points. While a pawn is used, it merely represents the color of plants that a player must attempt to accumulate while opponents are doing the same. Each player needs to choose how to pattern and add up those points while equally cancelling their opponents accumulation.
Source: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/963/the-gardens-of-the-alhambra
An exceptionally rare board game which includes an instructional VHS video tape, Dragon Strike is a 1-6 player game in which one character is the Dragon Master while others are various characters. Published by Tactical Studies Rules, the Dragon Master’s role is to control the actions of non-player characters or villains while the remaining characters are considered heroes. The heroes consist of a Dwarf, Elf, Thief, Warrior, and Wizard and action takes place upon a variety of four game boards.
Sources: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/1149/dragon-strike and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DragonStrike_(board_game)
Published by Azure Wish Enterprise, Europa Universalis is a complex, time consuming board game with a deep diplomatic, military, expansion, and economic game. Game play is ideally set at six players with a several day course, there are options for 1-6 players making a shorter duration. The game includes ten sided dice, several documents for game play, rules, scenarios, and counters with two maps as the play boards with the time period of 1492-1792.
Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europa_Universalis_(board_game) and https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/4102/europa-universalis
Focused in the American Revolutionary War time frame, We the People board game is a hex grid map in which strategy cards are the primary guidance. While dice are used, it is merely to resolve minor squirmishes while each player’s focus is on controlling the majority of colonies. The Avalon Hill Game Company published this 2 player game.
Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_the_People_(boardgame) and https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/620/we-the-people
1994
Be the first player to amass the largest empire in space in the Gateway to the Stars board game. Published by MAS Projects, this 1-7 player game enables players to explore the vastness of space while exploring and conquering your opponents as the player constructs their portion.
Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gateway_to_the_Stars and https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/21/gateway-to-the-stars
Gess is a chess-like variant board game published by Eureka and The Archimedeans. It is a 2 player game in which the opponents use a 18x18 grid. This complex game is best quoted by “https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gess”:
Two players, "Black" and "White", each have 43 stones of their colour on the board in the starting configuration.
Starting with Black, players take turns moving a piece on the board. A move must always change the stone configuration on the board. There is no passing.
A piece consists of a 3 × 3 grid of squares, at least one of which must exist on the board. Only stones of one colour may be in the grid. There must be at least one stone on the eight squares around the central square.
A piece can only be moved by the player whose stones are inside the grid.
The 3 × 3 grid is termed the footprint of the piece. Each piece can move as determined by the stones in its footprint:
The central square determines the extent of the piece's movement. If the square is unoccupied, it may move up to three spaces; if it is occupied by a stone, it may move any number of spaces.
Each of the eight surrounding squares determines the directions the piece can move. If a square has a stone, the piece can move in the direction indicated by the square's location relative to the central square; if a square is unoccupied, the piece cannot move in that direction.
As a piece moves, all of the stones in its footprint move in unison.
When the footprint of a piece coincides with any other stones on the board, those stones are removed from the board and the move ends.
Pieces can be moved partially, but not entirely, off the board. The stones of the piece which are on a square that has moved out of the board are removed.
A move also may end before any stone is removed.
A ring is any piece consisting of eight stones around an empty central square.
The game object is to be the only player with a ring piece on the board: when, at the end of any turn, a player has no ring pieces on the board, that player loses the game. If neither player has a ring piece, the player who has just moved loses.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gess
Railroads and fantasy collide in the Iron Dragon board game. Published by Mayfair Games, this 2-6 player board game utilizes dragons to pull trains along unexplored lands. Each player strives to create a railroad empire via a railroad network, drawn with erasable crayons, to connect cities and utilize ships to traverse remote lands. With the fantasy aspect, players must fend off a variety of creatures while obtaining necessary resources with the goal to connect seven of the eight cities while collecting 250 gold pieces.
Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Dragon_(board_game) and https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/130/iron-dragon
Nubian Jak is a several player board game with game play similar to Trivial Pursuit in that there are cards with questions and multiple choice answers which direct movement upon the correct answer while wrong answers incur a penalty. Published by Nubian Jak Limited and Kemco, the object of this game is to place their Jak, a pyramid shaped pawn, into three separate Jak zones. Note: there is differing observations of the correct year. It was introduced in 1994 however a launch in January 1995 is also mentioned in the research.
Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nubian_Jak and https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/27744/nubian-jak
RoboRally, published by Wizards of the Coast, is a sci-fi board game in which automaker factory robots “come to life” and must complete specific steps in order. 2-8 players navigate their robot avoiding obstacles such as conveyor belts, lasers, and pits in an effort to become the first robot to complete the goals in the correct order.
Source: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/18/roborally
1995
This unique, arguably a 3D board game uses a VHS as the timekeep in Atmosfear: The Harbingers is a 60-minute timed game. The object of the board game is to collect 6 key stones while the Gatekeeper, on the video, interrupts and instructs the current player to perform an action. With a central hub, the game board can be flipped to provide two courses with 3-6 players racing to reach a headstone within ten minutes or face becoming a lost soul awaiting release. Acquiring a key stone will release them as well.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Harbingers
Empire of the Rising Sun published by The Avalon Hill Game Company is a two map, hexagon grid with the focus of play on the Eastern hemisphere. Specifically Australia, China, India, Japan, and Russia are the focus for the naval forces and their aircraft components. This 2-6 player game recounts the Pacific Wars with various scenarios with the primary objective of a rapid Japanese surrender being who wins.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empire_of_the_Rising_Sun
Conflict amongst bounty hunters, gangs, military, and scavengers is the feature of Future Warriors: Kill Zone. Published by Grenadier Models, Inc this miniature figure played board game using two separate dice throw with the first to see if your character is hit, if so, then the second roll is how much damage is sustained. In this unique 2 player game, points are tallied as the play is selected out of three scenarios choices.
Source: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/16812/future-warriors-kill-zone
3-6 players, acting as monks, search for clues to resolve a murder case in Mystery of the Abbey. Published by MultiSim, each player must ask the other player questions in which the opponent can either answer correctly or refrain entirely by putting a finger to the lips. Play is detailed in a monastery setting with movements being chosen in a single or two space move. Mass is held after four moments where all players go into the sanctuary wherein an event card is chosen and then play resumes.
Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mystery_of_the_Abbey and https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/915/mystery-of-the-abbey
How well do you know cinema? Test your knowledge with The Reel to Reel Picture Show board game. This 2-4 player game published by The Reel to Reel Picture Show Limited and Daisy Reel Productions, Inc. is a trivia game quizzing opponents on words for phrases. The player who has completed all the categories first, wins.
Source: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/13283/the-reel-to-reel-picture-show
1996
Age of Renaissance, published by The Avalon Hill Game Company, is a board game in which 3-6 players choose a European capital and work towards expanding their empire. Working through the course to produce and cash in on a variety of commodities, each player continues to build up their civilization along with cards which keep the game play in motion. Depleting a deck of cards concludes a epoch with the endurance of the game ending upon the conclusion of the third epoch. This is when the true winner emerges with the highest score.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_Renaissance
Bitin’ Off Hedz is a prehistoric adventure where 2-8 players race their dinosaur to doom. That’s right! Published by Cheapass Games, players race along a large track filled with a few challenges to include having rocks thrown as the dino character which can take you back to the starting line, if hit. However, your objective is to be the first to the volcano and fall in.
Source: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/1527/bitin-off-hedz
Fill with turmoil, the primary objective in the board game City of Chaos is to restore order. 1-6 players select a randomized plot and world generator which enables the gameplay to be completely unique. Published by Monocle Games Limited, each player is commissioned to search for clues to defeat the mystical forces.
Source: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/1145/city-of-chaos
How well can you Equate? That’s the title of this board game published by Conceptual Math Media. Equate is a 2-4 player game in which math equations are created in a “Scrabble-like” game play which has identical double and triple score tiles to incentivize players.
Source: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2499/equate
Published by The Gamers, Leros: The Island Prize is a 1-2 player hex grid game board wherein one player is the German attackers while the other player is the British and Italian players. This is an advanced game which has a 60 page rulebook coupled with five scenarios and three maps along with three phases.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leros:_The_Island_Prize
Wadjet published by Timbuk II is a treasuring hunting game as 2-4 players where the journey is full of unknowns, avoiding traps, not awakening spirits, and potentially stealing artifacts from others. Players need to locate the final treasure and return to camp to become the winner.
Source: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/1422/wadjet
1997
Can you make a unique prehistoric animal in the board game American Megafuma? Published by Sierra Madre Games, this 1-4 player board game is situated in North America where currency is gene coins and DNA cards are auctioned as the game moves along. Creating unique animals such as a reptile with horns but chews cud can be created while traversing swamps, desert terrain, and other unique encounters to survive.
Source: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/639/american-megafauna
Invented by Christophe Malavasi, Gounki is a unique 8x8 grid game in which pieces are circles and squares. The goal is to traverse the board and have each piece get to the opposite side while confounding or deterring the opponent from achieving that same. Square pieces can move one step forward, left, or right while circle piece movement is much like a checker, one step diagonally and always forward. Additional movements include combining pieces, captures, deployments, and bounds which adds to this game’s unique and abstract game play.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gounki
Play cribbage as a board game in King’s Cribbage, published by Cococo Games. This combination of a deck of cards and “scrabble-like” play allows 2-4 players to inch or tile along to create a suits or runs while create points from various sets, runs, using all tiles, etc. Each tile must connect to a line or row of established play, must like Scrabble. The player with the most points wins, however the game concludes when a player exhausts their tiles.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kings_Cribbage
Published by Parker Brothers, Lionheart is a 2 player game that has hints of chess play while using combat dice for attack outcomes. Movements are similar to chess, also, in that certain units move one square forward (foot units like pawns) while mounted units (like rooks) move linear as far as desired. Winning is achieved by either removing the opponent’s king or eliminating all of the warriors.
Source: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/1150/lionheart
Marvel Super Dice is a unique board game in which each boxed set came with 3 rare, 6 uncommon, and 9 common dice but were all random; each box was unique to add variety and expansion. Published by Tactical Studies Rules, this 2 player board game used cards as street sections with the uncommon and rare dice representing the villains and heroes while the common dice were the civilians, military, and minions.
Source: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/7959/marvel-super-dice
Primordial Soup is a board game in which 3-4 players used primitive organisms called “amoeboids” and work towards structuring an ecosystem. Designed and published by Doris Matthäus and Frank Nestel along with Z-man Games, the resources to include food consists of an opponent’s waste with other various components. Those resources, however can become scarce and they, in turn, can become an opponent’s food. Winning consists of a point system and reaching either 42 points or when the remaining environment card is drawn.
Sources: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/124/primordial-soup and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primordial_Soup_(board_game)
Create a maze or Quoridor as 2-4 players vie to move their pawns from one end to the opposite. Published by Gigamic, this game enables players to either install a wall or move their pawn to cleverly slow their opponent’s move while attempting to ebb closer to win.
Source: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/624/quoridor
Build civilizations via a variety of tiles in Tigris & Euphrates. 2-4 players utilize four leaders within the farming, government, religion, and trades played out on a square grid atop the two rivers. Published by Hans im Glück, the objective is to collect points in each of their four colors but it’s the weakest category where the points have value.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tigris_and_Euphrates
A unique combination of Monopoly meets the tri-dimensional chess game seen on Star Trek, Triopoly is arguably a 3D or, more accurately, a three-tiered monopoly game. Originally invented in 1989 by Jeffrey Berndt but published in 1997 by Reveal Entertainment, allows players to traverse amongst the tiers via elevators with the aid of tickets. Expansion of gas stations, malls, and skyscrapers while gambling adds to this 2-8 player board game.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triopoly_(board_game)
A proverb based game published by WiseandOtherwise.com Inc is a 2-6 player game in which players read a portion of a proverb aloud to the opponent. Opponents then write down both the beginning and then what their interpretation of the ending of the proverb may be. Points are voted upon by the most convincing and the most authentic. This game’s objective is to gather twenty points to win.
Source: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2652/wise-and-otherwise
1998
Accasta is a hexagonal board wherein two players jockey their pieces and attempt to stack them while equally using others to facilitate opposition to the other. Published by Bambus Spieleverlag under the board game title Tactic Blue, it was never officially published except as an online/web-based game.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accasta
Photo Courtesy: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/645/bosworth
Bosworth is a 2-4 player chess game played on a 6x6 square grid published by Out of the Box Publishing. Pieces are replaced by large tokens with the pictures of the chess pieces except as four different colors. There is no checkmate, instead the game is to be the last player with their king as opponents can capture kings. Naturally, not all 16 pieces can occupy the game board thus there are certain rules established as to when a new token can be placed as well as the corners of the board are impassable as marked by a tree.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bosworth_(game)
Published by Cardinal and inspired by the Nickelodeon game show, Figure it Out is a 2-6 player game in which players take turns as the contestant while the other players are the panelists. Panelists answer yes or no questions while the contestant uses a picked card to have the panelists attempt to guess.
Source: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/9526/figure-it-out
Noble Armada is an outerspace combat board game published by Holistic Design, Inc. Utilizing a hexagon board and 30+ plastic starships for game play, this two player role playing game is a spaceship combat game with opportunities to boarding opponent’s ships or issuing long distance torpedo strikes.
Source: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/11689/noble-armada
Published by Hans im Glück (Germany) and Fantasy Flight (U.S.A.), Samurai the board game which uses four game boards representing four islands of Japan. Tokens serve as the game pieces in this 2-4 player game. The objective is obtain or wipe out all of the opponent’s figurines or a tie is established with determining rules for claiming winner.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samurai_(board_game)
Sand timers are your play pieces in this hexagonal, hole grid game called Tamsk. Published by Rio Grande Games, Don & Company, and Schmidt Spiele, each turn is a simple flip of the timer and into the next available space. Winning is achieved by one player still being mobile while the opponent’s pieces are locked or the sand has run out.
Source: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/108/tamsk
This 3D desert, hex grid board game is a versatile game which sets up with shuffled tiles serving as watering holes, and oases. Through the Desert, published by Fantasy Flight Games, 2-5 player use camels as their pieces to caravan through the desert. Strategy is an important piece in gaining the most effective points. Dominating an oases is one strategy, another is the longest caravan, yet other avenues are still available to win yet your opponent may also cut off access to the oases or watering hole. It’s the points that matter to win this game.
Sources: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/503/through-the-desert and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Through_the_Desert
Published by Wizards of the Coast, What Were You Thinking? is a 4-10 player game in which a player spins a spinner, then reads the color matching question from the card deck. The other players write their best answer down until the timer runs out. Matching answers gain points, whereas the fewest points for each round earns that player another spot up the penalty track. Game play continues until there is one remaining player.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What_Were_You_Thinking%3F
1999
Published in issue #229 of Games Workshop Limited’s White Dwarf magazine, Arena of Blood pitted cardboard cutout Elf Wyches dueling to the death in a gladiator arena scenario. While there is no set number of players, a minimum of two players traverse a hexagon grid littered with established and player-selected Murder Stakes. Each character has a specific action and statistics as dice are rolled for movement and combat.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arena_of_Blood
Invented by the same creator of Big League Chew bubblegum, Rob Nelson, Bōku is a marble game for two players. Utilizing a hexagon playfield with circular indentations, players work to achieve five marbles in a row to win. This game was published by Cadaco Toys.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C5%8Dku
Published by Underground Games, Life as a Blackman is a board game in which each player starts as an 18 year old black male. 2-6 players begin at randomly selected, via a die roll, starting areas and roll another die to select one of four random districts. A four sided die is utilized for movement with action cards dictating game play. The player that reached the “Freedom” square first, wins.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_as_a_BlackMan
Paths of Glory: The First World War published by GMT Games is a two player game centered around the 1914-1918 World War I era. Gameplay is centered in Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean wherein movement is a point-to-point manner with a point system dictating movement. Various tactics such as attacks, trenches, fortresses, as well as supplies are all part of this game as well as three separate card decks dictating intricate game play.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paths_of_Glory_(board_game)
Published by Rio Grande Games, Ra is a 2-5 player auction-style board game set in Ancient Egypt. Initially, players use suns to bid for lots as their starting build then work towards advancing their empire. Players continue the play for three cycles or epochs building their empires to include monument builds, Nile farming, persuading Pharaohs, and paying tribute to the sun god Ra.
Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ra_(board_game) and https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/12/ra
Arguably more of a puzzle than a board game, Ricochet Robots is styled as a two or more player game wherein a four piece board is connected via a center, plastic hold. A possible 96 game configurations are possible leading to challenging games. Published by Rio Grande Games, the objective is to move the correct color robot and onto the color matching chip/token in as few moves as possible. Movement of the robots is horizontal or vertical however the robot moves until it hits a wall or another robot. The player with the most chips is declared the winner.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricochet_Robots
Ta Yü, published by Rio Grande Games and Kosmos, is a 2-4 player tile board game where each player attempts to create a connection from their respective ends. Points are accumulated in a unique way and with chances to double the score at key areas on the board. Connections are vital to the points as zero connections multiplied by the tiles laid down is zero points.
Sources: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/117/ta-yu and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ta_Y%C3%BC_(game)
R&R Games, Inc. published Time’s Up as a party, charades games. Players enjoy three rounds where the four or more players attempt to say the name of the person on either fictional or famous (Deck of Fame) individuals. Each round is increasingly harder as the cluegiver is challenged from providing multiple clue to single word to a charades gesture style to guess the name before Time is Up.
Sources: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/1353/times-up and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time%27s_Up!_(game)
This 3D knight and castle style board game pits 2-4 players to achieve new heights and expand their castle all to gain the most points to win. Published by Rio Grande Games and FX Schmidt, Torres focuses on knights working to fortify the kingdom while being effective with resources and the action cards dictating game play.
Sources: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/88/torres and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torres_(board_game)
Vinci is a 3-6 player board game published by Descartes Editeur and establishes the game play in Europe. This civilization game utilizes wooden tokens to expand their civilization to grow their respective empires. Capturing territories is performed by placing a number of pawns in the area but enemies and illegal moves can pose a risk to losing the territory. Points are the key to winning, however there is no published number which states at which point value the winner is claimed.
Source: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/60/vinci and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinci_(board_game)
Photo Courtesy: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/528/zertz
Zèrtz is a checker-like boardgame utilizing a combination of a hexagon pattern via 37 rings and multi-colored balls. Published by Rio Grande Games and Don & Company, the objective of this two player game is to obtain the majority of the opponent’s marble single color or three marbles of each color. Movement is either jumping over a marble, which is required, or if not available, placing a marble on a ring while removing another ring, inevitably shrinking the game board.
Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Z%C3%88RTZ and https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/528/zertz
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