Drafting Our Top 5 Stonemaier Games
Stonemaier Games is celebrating ten years as a board game publisher. In the past ten years, Stonemaier has published 13 games and several expansions. To join in on the celebration, we’re competing to draft the ultimate collection of 5 Stonemaier Games.
How this game works: Adam and Kelsey will go back and forth drafting eligible games until each has a five game collection. Selected games include all expansions and prevent the other player from drafting any other edition of that game.
Let us know on Instagram which stack you think is the winner!
First Round
Kelsey 1st Pick: Viticulture
With the first overall pick, I select Viticulture. This is the game that started Stonemaier Games and the best worker placement game. The essential edition of the base game is so excellent. The expansions only improve the game, with Tuscany adding unique special worker powers and Viticulture World turning Viticulture into a challenging cooperative game. I think I have already won the draft with my first pick; it doesn’t matter what my last four picks will be since this game is that good.
Adam 1st Pick: Tapestry
Wow, I was hoping to select Viticulture as my first choice. Instead, I will have to choose my favorite Stonemaier game, Tapestry. I love the progression of this game as you advance on tracks and try to earn more resources to squeeze out another turn. The variety with the civilization cards and capital city maps keeps each game feeling new. I also love the elements of racing up an advancement track to get a structure before other players and confronting each other on the central exploration map. While other Stonemaier games may be more popular, I had to go with my heart for my first overall pick.
Second Round
Kelsey 2nd Pick: Wingspan
I will take advantage of your heart and select the most popular Stonemaier title with my second pick: Wingspan. This game is as fun to play as it is beautiful. Wingspan has a great sense of progression as you get more powerful in the later rounds and plays at the perfect length. This the near perfect “next-step” game for almost anyone. Each expansion continues to add more beautiful birds and strategic decisions. With over 1 million copies sold, it is clear my stack will be the people’s favorite.
Adam 2nd Pick: Scythe
It is a testament to how great of a catalog of games Stonemaier has produced that I can select Scythe with the 4th overall pick. There is a ton in this game to do, from combat to resource management, exploration, confrontation, and just all the overall goodness it brings! Scythe is a must play game and one I love coming back to year after year.
Third Round
Kelsey 3rd Pick: Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig
The first four games selected were always likely to be the top four picks, so this round is where things get interesting. My third choice I am going to select my heart’s favorite and the amazing combination of two of my favorite games: Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig. BTCoMK releases players from the constraints of having to build a square grid while still providing a challenging tile placement puzzle to maximize your points and earn a castle bonus. This is Stonemaier’s best non-party-game-party-game. One of the few cooperative-competitive games that actually works well and plays so well at all player counts.
Between Two Castles Full Review
Adam 3rd Pick: Libertalia: Winds of Galecrest
We are on the same wavelength because I am selecting my favorite “non-party game-party game” Libertalia: Winds of Galecrest. I really like what Stonemaier did with their edition of Libertalia. The production values of the loot tiles and them having two different powers is great. While I do miss the more pirate inspired art – the gameplay with a large group is so fun, there’s no way I could not select this one for my stack.
Fourth Round
Kelsey 4th Pick: Euphoria: Build a Better Dystopia
For my fourth pick, I will select the hidden gem in the Stonemaier collection, Euphoria: Build A Better Dystopia. My favorite part of this worker placement game is using dice as your workers. Dice with a higher value can take more powerful actions, but if the collective intelligence of your workers is too high, you will lose dice.
Before you even make your next pick, I am going to be clear that this is Stonemaire’s best dice game.
Adam 4th Pick: Rolling Realms
You guessed correctly, I am picking Rolling Realms, Stonemaier’s roll and write game as my fourth pick. I love that the design of the game is so simple yet the variety of combinations is so high with all of the different Realm cards you can select to play each time. The puzzle of earning the right resources to mark extra spaces and mitigate bad luck is very enjoyable. With Stonemaier releasing new realms for the foreseeable future, this could become my most played roll and write in the years to come.
Fifth and Final Round
Kelsey 5th Pick: My Little Scythe
Our kids love my fifth pick so I have to select My Little Scythe. This streamlined version of Scythe gives you all the Scythe feels in half the time and with double the friendship. I love that I get to play a “big” game with my kids, since they are thrilled to play something that looks like the games they see the adults playing. Controversial Opinion Alert. This is my preferred version of Scythe. Just kidding….maybe.
Adam 5th Pick: Charterstone
Finally, I get to select a worker placement game with my last selection, Charterstone. This legacy game is exceptional. There are a ton of cards to name and unlock. The story progresses nicely and has some fun gameplay twists along the way. I am happy that we got the recharge pack; I look forward to playing this game with our kids in a few years. A legacy game I am wanting to play through twice is evidence of the high esteem I hold for this game experience.
With that being the last pick of the final round, let’s recap our chosen stacks.
Kelsey Selected: Viticulture, Wingspan, Between Two Castles, Euphoria, and My Little Scythe
Adam Selected: Tapestry, Scythe, Libertalia Winds of Galecrest, Rolling Realms, and Charterstone.
Help us decide the winner! Vote in the poll on Instagram to let us know which stack you’d choose!
