As the year 2011 comes to a close a lot of other sites are listing their year end picks, the top games they’ve played, learned, experienced, etc. in 2011. I wish to associate myself with those feelings, so I shall present you with a list of the best games I played for the first time in 2011. Not all the games on this list were published in 2011, some appeared on the scene many years ago. Some of the games on this list may not even appear in your FLGS yet…but hopefully soon.

I present this list devoid of order but including superlative titles for each submission. Please enjoy my musings on a great year of gaming for Cartrunk Entertainment.

Tammany Hall (Best Game I’ll Never Own!) I loved this game. It’s almost a purely social experience played around a board. There’s a little more randomness than Steam (a game, I very much put this in league with,) but overall it’s about player choice. It’s finding the right strategy, adopting the appropriate politics, and being willing to drop your agenda at the right time in favor of a better one. The game is finite (a set number of rounds and turns) so you know what you’re getting into. It was just an awesome game that I’ve been eyeing for two years. I finally got to play this gem in 2011 and I am a fortunate gamer because of that! 

The Resistance (Best Mind Blowing Experience!) I have played The Resistance several times now. Each time is a new experience. It’s a trip deep in the minds of your friends and family. It’s…quite frankly, the most deceptively simple and extremely complex game I’ve ever played. It’s also the game that has given me the most headaches! I have enjoyed every single headache and I can’t wait for the next one. Each player brings a new concept to strategy to the game. It’s these varying levels of logic and choices that drive the social interaction. It may get frustrating at times, but that’s okay with me. It’s just a game and it always ends in laughter. Great for groups 6 or more people.

Swinging Jivecat Voodoo Lounge (The Best Game You Can’t Play Yet!) Swinging Jivecat Voodoo Lounge is coming someday in the near future from Clever Mojo Games. I’ll be the first in line if I can help it. After one play of this upcoming gem, I’m hooked. Thematically unique, creative, and with the most outrageously cute components I’ve seen in a game in a long time SJVL is going to be a treat to even the most seasoned gamers! I was so lucky to get to play this game…and I cannot wait to do it again!

Time’s Up: Title Recall (Best Party Game!) This is the game that made me laugh more than any other game in 2011! I have seen grown men do things sober that they wouldn’t even dream of doing drunk while playing this game. I have created lasting memories and in-jokes aplenty. This game is golden. Period. If you have parties and want people to play an outrageously fun game then you owe it to yourself to get this one in your collection. It’s worth every penny and will pay you back in laughter, smiles and memories. End of story.

Grave Business (Best Game Involving Zombies!) I hate zombie games, but I love Grave Business. This is the kind of game that makes me rethink my stance on an entire genre. That’s the kind of power this game has. It’s a game where your interactions with other players are more important than the roll of a dice. there are no dice. It’s you, your zombies and your opponents. The choices you make are key to winning the day and winning the game. It’s about knowing your opponents and counter-playing them. It’s about timing. It’s just a neat little game that I think you’ll love to have in your collection.

Dominion: Prosperity (Best Expansion!) I love Dominion. Prosperity was a game changer. It just amplified everything I like about the game. It improved on concepts brought into the game in the first few expansions without muddying the waters with silly concepts like Seaside or Alchemy did. It was good classic Dominion…but bigger. A worthy addition to the growing Dominion family.

Alien Frontiers (Best Game with a Little Bit of Everything!) Area Control, Resource Management, Worker Placement, Dice…it’s all here. Alien Frontiers spun my gaming world on it’s head a little. I’ve had more fun explaining to people who take one look at it and say “oh, a dice game…” that’s it’s not just a dice game. The dice are important, but it’s what you do with what you get, not what you get that makes the difference. Watching people slowly understand that…and then finding ways to change what they got into what they want. It’s just been a lot of fun. It’s the game I’ve introduced to the greatest amount of people this year…and as the first real expansions for this game start appearing, it’s definitely a game that will continue to grow alongside some of the classic favorites that define this hobby for me. 

Donkey (The Best Sitting Around With the Family Game!) This game is an update on the classic game Spoons…with a kick. That kick makes this one of the most entertaining games I’ve played this year. I first met Donkey at the GAMA Trade Show in March where it was debuting to some of the largest positive buzz I’ve ever seen for a party game. People were lined up to play and to laugh! I succumbed to the temptation and I’ll never look back. It’s been so much fun introducing this one to groups of players throughout the year. Entertaining every time. A great family or party game!

Kingdom of Solomon (Best Euro by an American!) They call this one worker placement with a twist. I say, that’s fairly accurate. It’s a little bit of area control with a twist as well. From the first moments of the game you have to plan for the future. There is no getting around it. Don’t leave anything to chance. …and don’t miss anything either. There are lots of choices to make and none of them are more right than any other, every choice can be beneficial. This game was a thinking game for me and I’m happy that I’ve been able to outplay my opponents each time so far. It’s a great get in your opponent’s head kind of game (which I love.) This game was a real treat for me this December. 

Yspahan (Best Game with Camels!) This is another game that took the concept of dice to a new level for me. So far, I’ve only played it once versus three seasoned players. Somehow I came in second place!…and I may have slept through some of the game. Not as much as I slept through Troyes (which is another game that this reminded me of.) I can’t explain the game to you, but I’ll be able to do that soon. I just got a copy of it mailed to me, so life is good.

Something tells me that I shouldn’t do this, but I’m going to include one game which I consider to be the worst game I’ve played this year. (No, it’s actually not Creatures.)

Infinite City (The Worst Game I Played in 2011.) I liked this game the first time I played it, but the more I played it, the more I realized that it’s a tile laying game from card players. It’s fairly unbalanced. Once you start having a bad game, that’s it your stuck. It’s overly random with little ability to change your fortunes. Some cards are so key that possessing them almost means an automatic win. Within a month after having this game, it’s been relegated to the bottom of the shelf and forgotten about. Sadly I won’t even sell it because I don’t wish this game on my worst enemies.

…To anyone I’ve played games with this year, I want to say Thank You for making 2011 my best year in games so far! It’s been a magical journey and I am looking forward to 2012. Join me again for more card flopping, dice chucking, tile laying, worker placing fun!