Recap

Our 2023 Gaming Year in Review

And just like that, another year has come and gone, and a new year is upon us. But before we rush into 2024, we want to share our top games of 2023. Consider this our 2023 Board Game Wrapped.

2023 was an exceptional year for us in many ways. First and foremost, we welcomed a new baby to our family, went on exciting family adventures, and of course played a bunch of games. In fact, we played 1,103 plays of 323 games in the last calendar year.

Our most played games were:

5. Trio – 15 Plays
4. That’s Not A Hat – 17 Plays
3. 5-Minute Mystery – 17 Plays
2. Spots – 17 Plays
1. Tumblin Dice – 21 Plays

We log all of our games into the BG Stats app. It keeps track of these and more stats throughout the years and it’s a fun way to track our gaming sessions.

Without future ado, here are our Top Five kids, family, and strategy games of 2023

Kids Games

5. Capt’n Pepe Treasure Ahoy! By Haba

This legacy game worked great for our family because the audio story clips were short and fun and made the kids want to continue to advance the story. Because of the short games, it’s easy to play a few games back to back. While intended for younger players, the challenges increase the further you advance in the game so older kids will enjoy it as well.

See it played here

4. Honk! By Sinister Fish Games

From the fun theme, quality components, and straightforward rules, this is an excellent choice for a first-set collection game for kids ages 5+. This one is so simple and fun, I would even pull it out and play it even if the kids aren’t around.

3. Clever Kids by Stronghold Games

This is a roll-and-write game for kids based on That’s Pretty Clever. Clever Kids shares the same combo-tastic fun gameplay while being accessible for our 6-year-old to play. Supurb game for kids who love to roll dice.

2. Deduckto by Gamewright

Hidden within these beautifully illustrated cards is an excellent fast logical deduction game. If your kids loved Outfoxed, this is a great next-step choice!

See it played here

1. Gasha by 25th Century Games

Gasha is the Tabletop Family Kids game of the year! The theme is unique and perfectly paired with the set collection gameplay. The games play quickly and are the ideal mix of skill and luck that I want in a kid’s game.

See it played here.

Family Games

5. Race to the Raft – by the City of Games

Our family enjoys playing Isle of Cats, but I enjoy Race to the Raft even more. This co-op path builder was a fun puzzle to solve as a team. The wide variety in setup and difficulty options has made it easy to play with anyone regardless of experience.

See it played here.

4. Nimalia by Lucky Duck Games

If you liked Kingdomino then Nimalia needs to be on your radar. The card drafting and card placement feel very similar, but the variable scoring objects that change each round and the ability to overlap cards made this a competitive puzzle game we couldn’t stop playing.

3. Junk Orbit by Renegade

If you have never tried a pickup and deliver game, Junk Orbit would be a perfect one to play (or our #5 strategy game below if you prefer co-op). We love the mash-up of theme and game mechanisms.

2. Dorfromantik – by Pegasus Spiele

I cannot say enough good things about Dorfromantik. This simple solo/co-op game has you building your city to earn a high score so you can unlock new tiles to get a new high score. It perfects a gameplay loop of doing well to get new stuff to do even better. It’s perfect for cozy game players. If you’ve already played Dorfromantik check out our honorable mention game Beacon Patrol by Pandasaurus—another game about placing tiles to earn a high score with a unique movement mechanism.

See it played here.

1. Spots – by CMYK Games

This push-your-luck dice game is our top Family Game of 2023. We love how each game has variable powers (tricks), which keep each game fresh. While there is a lot of luck in the dice, there is a ton of strategy as well. Nothing is better than completing all six dogs in one turn and then reminding everyone about that one time you did every game after. You can try it out now for FREE on Board Game Arena.

See it here.

Strategy Games

5. Express Route – The OP

Coordination is vital in this pick-up and deliver co-op game, as your limited actions will test your efficiency as you puzzle out how to get your packages delivered on time. Adam enjoyed this one so much that he even found time to play it solo, and loved it.

See it played here.

4. The Search for Lost Species – Renegade

It seems most deduction/mystery games are based on murder, so I love the unique theme of The Search for Lost Species. Having to move around the board and using an app for giving information make this game stand out. This is our new favorite deduction game. (if you prefer a space theme, check out The Search for Planet X.)

3. First in Flight: Genius Games / Artana

This push-your-luck game set in the early days of aviation is the best themed game of 2023 we played. You build your flight deck while moving around a track to select your actions. If you enjoyed The Quacks of Quedlinburg, I highly recommend this educational strategy game.

2. Sky Team – Scorpion Masque

For us, this is the best two-player game released in 2023 and it’s not close. This limited communication co-op game has you landing a plane in a series of progressively challenging scenarios. It’s as much a simulation as it is a game. This one is currently out of stock, but you can play it for free on Board Game Arena right now.

1. Earth – Inside Up Games

We called Earth as our top strategy game from our first play early in the year, and we are still loving this game. There are so many cards in Earth that we find we are still discovering new combinations in each play. If you enjoy Wingspan and are looking for your next favorite engine builder, Earth is one to check out!