NEW YEAR, NEW GAMES: 14 ADDITIONS TO OUR COLLECTION FROM THE HOLIDAYS

And how many of these games have we played so far?

JAN 31, 2024

Our holiday game haul was off the charts! Our gaming cabinets are now bursting at the seams, and it's like playing real-life Tetris trying to squeeze in the newbies. We're almost out of space, so when it comes to future quests for game acquisitions, we'll have to think outside the box and get creative with our storage solutions.

Now, onto the fun part. Sharing with you all the games so that you can maybe find a new gem to add to your own collection.

GAMES GIFTED TO US

1. DIABLO IV

PLAYERS: 1-4 | RATING: M (MATURE) | GENRE: ARPG, MMO, DUNGEON CRAWL, ADVENTURE, HACK AND SLASH

The war between the heaven and hell continue on. Lilith has returned, leaving chaos and destruction in her wake. Slaughter demons, master your abilities, crawl through dungeons, discover legendary loot, and save humanity from this nightmarish war.

Ever since hearing about Diablo IV coming out, Victoria has been eagerly anticipating getting her hands on it. As a fan of the previous installment in the franchise, she was looking forward to the newest release. Despite the temptation to purchase it upon its initial release in June, she decided to add it to her Christmas wish list instead. Victoria tends to be pretty reserved when opening gifts in front of others, but on the inside, she was most definitely shaking in anticipation. Lucky for her, we did end up receiving it as a gift, and the wait was finally over. We've begun to navigate this war-torn world and are working our way through the campaign. Stay tuned for our future thoughts on this highly-anticipated game.

2. DUNGEON MAYHEM

DIFFICULTY: EASY | PLAYERS: 2-4 | AGES: 8+ | PLAY TIME: 10 MIN

Play as one of four brave, quirky characters — barbarian, paladin, rogue, or wizard — battling it out in a dungeon full of treasure! With magic missiles flinging, dual daggers slinging, and spiked shields dinging, it's up to you to prove your adventurer has the guts to bring home the glory!

While Dungeon Mayhem may still be in its packaging, we're itching to bust it open and give it a go! This Christmas, Zach received it from a co-worker who knew we were interested in playing Dungeons and Dragons. Bring on the gaming adventure!

3. HORRIFIED: GREEK MONSTERS

DIFFICULTY: EASY | PLAYERS: 1-5 | AGES: 10+ | PLAY TIME: 60 MIN

Greece's most notorious monsters have escaped Pandora's Box! You have been called upon to trap these beasts once more. Work together to defend against Medusa, Cerberus, Minotaur, Chimera, Siren, and Basilisk. Save the Isle of Elysium before terror overwhelms you!

As enthusiastic Horrified fans, we found ourselves yearning to purchase the latest game upon release. But, we showed some major self-control and waited for the ultimate moment to indulge - the Christmas season. Finally, we made our move and snagged the game in a flash, gifting ourselves a present we couldn’t resist. We kept it untouched until Christmas, which is when we ripped this baby open to immediately dive in.

4. INCAN GOLD

DIFFICULTY: EASY | PLAYERS: 3-8 | AGES: 8+ | PLAY TIME: 30 MIN

Players push their luck as they head into a ruined temple, attempting to find the most jewels. Each turn, a card is turned over that increases the gold found in a temple or shows a hazard. Players can attempt to escape, keeping the loot that they've acquired, or stay in the temple, hoping for increased profits.

At a game night with friends, we were introduced to this fast-paced game that caught our attention. While Victoria was busy playing another game, Zach was at the table engrossed in this one. It immediately piqued both of our interests, and we knew it would make a great addition to our collection. Not only is it enjoyable, but we thought it could be an easy game to introduce to our loved ones. We did break this out at the family Christmas this was gifted us, but we aren't quite sure it was a hit like we had hoped. Oh well. We still love the game.

5. LOST CITIES

DIFFICULTY: EASY | PLAYERS: 2 | AGES: 10+ | PLAY TIME: 30 MIN

Two explorers embark on research journeys to remote corners of the world. As the cards are played, the expedition routes take shape, and the explorers earn points. The explorer with the highest score after three rounds of expeditions wins. The rules of the game are simple, but beware: The lost cities hold many unseen mysteries!

This is a game we have never played before, but we have heard other gamers rave about it. We are always on the hunt for 2-player games to add to our collection, so we decided to blindly put this on our list. We have yet to give it a go, but we will let you know what we think once we do.

6. SPACE BASE

DIFFICULTY: MEDIUM | PLAYERS: 2-5 | AGES: 14+ | PLAY TIME: 60 MIN

Your must draft new ships into your fleet to work and patrol the 12 sectors under your watch. Earn profits and expand your influence as you roll your way to domination. Only one will be promoted to U.E.S. Admiral of the Fleet in this competitive dice game of intergalactic fleet management.

This was yet again another game introduced to us at a game night with friends. The game itself appears to be very daunting with all of the various pieces and cards. However, this game had Zach enthralled. We left that game night still enraptured by Space Base. We were ecstatic to add this game to our shelves over the holidays, and we quickly opened to it to play shortly after receiving it.

7. SUSHI GO PARTY!

DIFFICULTY: EASY | PLAYERS: 2-8 | AGES: 8+ | PLAY TIME: 20 MIN

In this fast-playing card game, the goal is to grab the best combination of sushi dishes. In this expanded version, you can customize each game by choosing a la carte from a menu. What’s more, up to 8 players can join in on the sushi-feast.

Have you noticed a trend yet. We get introduced to new games when we have game nights with friends. We have yet to open the Sushi Go Party we received, but we are looking forward to the opportunity to break it out with a larger group of family or friends. Although, we may have to break it out sooner in order to freshen our memory on the game rules.

GAMES ACQUIRED, BUT NOT NECESSARILY GIFTED

8. ASHES: RISE OF THE PHOENIXBORN

DIFFICULTY: MEDIUM | PLAYERS: 2-4 |

AGES: 14+ | PLAY TIME: 30-120 MIN

In the world of Argaia, humanity was saved by the powerful Phoenixborn. But the time of peace was short-lived. A prophecy arose that if one Phoenixborn was able to absorb enough Ashes of the others, they would reign supreme over the world.

Recently, one of our friends was downsizing his game collection and we couldn't help but notice one title in particular. We've been gravitating towards deck building games lately, and this one caught our attention with its captivating artwork and suitability for two players. After a single playthrough, we're eager to try out the other Phoenixborn. Although Victoria emerged victorious in the first game, Zach is determined to rise above and claim the throne of victor.

9. BATMAN: GOTHAM CITY STRATEGY GAME

DIFFICULTY: MEDIUM | PLAYERS: 2-4 | AGES: 14+ | PLAY TIME: 60 - 90 MIN

Play as one of Gotham City's greatest villains – The Joker, The Penguin, Killer Croc, or Two-Face — and lead your gang of henchmen to try to become the King of Crime in Gotham City! But beware, as your hold on the city increases, so does the chance of your plans being foiled by Gotham's protector – Batman!

Victoria and her brother grew up with Batman as their favorite superhero, so there was no way she was letting this one slip away from her. The artwork of the game serves as a nostalgic reminder of the countless hours they spent watching Batman films and TV shows, as well as playing with Batman toys. She's excited to get the hang of the game mechanics with Zach, and maybe even have a little sibling throw-down with her brother!

10. CTHULHU'S VAULT

DIFFICULTY: EASY | PLAYERS: 3-6 | AGES: 10+ | PLAY TIME: 45 MIN

Players work to tell the story of the monster's defeat, but there is no set ending. Players begin with a hand of cards, each an element to work into the story being told. The objective is to tell a great story and reach the climactic fight between the investigators and the Great Old One.

We have to be honest, we were on the fence about this one. We were drawn to this game because, well one, it has to do with Cthulhu, and two because of the story telling mechanic. Why the hesitation? Because it requires at least 3 people to play. You see, we have another game that requires a minimum of 3 people. We've taken it with us to few family gatherings, and we still have yet to break it open to play. We are hoping that the same will not be said of this game. Since this game also came from our friend's purge of games, we decided to go ahead and take the chance with this one.

11. DRACO MAGI

DIFFICULTY: EASY - MEDIUM | PLAYERS: 2 | AGES: 12+ | PLAY TIME: 30 MIN

The powerful and benevolent Dragon King has passed, and as the laws of succession dictate, only one of his remaining apprentices can rise to the position of "Draco Magi". Players play their dragon cards to capture gems on different battlefields until one has obtained the necessary gems to become Draco Magi.

Dragons. Need we say more? An added bonus is that the artwork on the box gives off major Dragonlance vibes for Victoria. When we took this game off our friend's hands, we knew this was one we wanted to play first. Dragons battling it out, two players, and roughly 30 minutes of game play - sounds like a winner to us. The beauty of this game, aside from the artwork, is how easy it is to take a break after a round and come back to it later - perfect for when you want to play a game but are short on time. We both thoroughly enjoyed our first play through, but we had a few nitpicky thoughts. First, the directions seemed to overcomplicate simple mechanics. The directions had unnecessary explanations that ended up causing confusion because the explanations didn't really apply to anything. They were, shall we say, unnecessary . And lastly, there were some card mechanics that were not explained in the directions. We had to agree on how those mechanics would work while playing. Overall, the game is a 10/10, while the directions are a 7/10.

12. NUNS ON THE RUN

DIFFICULTY: EASY - MEDIUM | PLAYERS: 2-8 | AGES: 10+ | PLAY TIME: 45 MIN

You're a novice nun attempting to sneak out of your room to find the key you need to get to your secret wish. But, the Abbess and Prioress are on patrol throughout the abbey. Make sure you don’t get caught because if you do, you must make your way back to your room, without your secret wish.

We were introduced to Nuns on the Run over the holidays, and this game blew us away. It was a blast! It was described to us as a game of hide and seek. You wouldn't think that would work in a board game format, but it does. Did Victoria immediately come home and see if Nuns on the Run was still available? She most certainly did. Sadly, the company who made this game is no longer in operation, so the game is no longer being made. However, we were able to acquire a used copy thanks to the help of a friend of ours. We broke in our copy of the game at another game night with some friends, and we discovered that we think the game is probably best played with more than 4 people.

13. PATHFINDER ADVENTURE CARD GAME: RISE OF THE RUNELORDS

DIFFICULTY: MEDIUM | PLAYERS: 1-4 | AGES: 13+ | PLAY TIME: 90 MIN

Strike back against the evils plaguing Varisia. This cooperative strategy card game pits 1 to 4 heroes against traps, monsters, deadly magic, and despicable foes. Find and defeat a villain before it is too late.

This box is hefty. Not only has this game had expansion packs added to it by one prior owner, but two. There is so much for us to discover with this game. We want to sink our teeth into it, but we know it's one that we will have to carve out a decent chunk of time for since the play time alone is an hour and half. Add on the time it will take for us to go through the directions and actually learn how to play, and well we could be looking at all afternoon. Sounds like the perfect game for a relaxing Saturday afternoon.

14. STELLAR CONFLICT

DIFFICULTY: EASY | PLAYERS: 2-4 | AGES: 10+ | PLAY TIME: 10 MIN

There's no time to waste. Deploy your fleet and shoot laser beams to take out the fleet of your opponents and steal their cargo in this fast-paced space combat game where the actions take place in real time.

Look, it could be the eye catching colors on the box, the galactic space them, or the fact that it only takes 10 minutes to play that drew us to this game. Most likely it was all of those combined. This game sounds like a chaotic whirlwind. With no time to second-guess their strategy, players must quickly place their ships, risking friendly fire upon their own fleet in order to seize the chance to annihilate the other team. We've read through the directions, and now, we are ready to give this game a shot.

So, of the 14 games we acquired over the holidays, we have already played our way through half of them. We think that's a pretty good ratio if we do say so ourselves.

Did you acquire any new games over the course of the holidays? We'd love to know what games you have recently added to your shelves!