Our staff has a wide range of game preferences, which can make it a lot of fun to discover new things with recommendations from all the genres and difficulty levels available in our extensive library of hobby board games. In this Volume 3 of our Staff Top Picks, we share some more of those recommendations with you, our guests!
Paul, Team Member: Sheriff of Nottingham
If you are looking for a party game with a twist for your next gathering with friends who may be at different skill levels, Paul recommends Sheriff of Nottingham. This bluffing game relies on social mechanics, such as using deceit to gain trust or risk reward against making enemies.
Sheriff of Nottingham is an all around good game for anyone to pick up and play. You don’t have to be highly skilled to get the hang of it and new players are often ruthless competitors by the final round. Paul says it is best to play with people you know well to flex your bluffing skills and see who you can fool and who will call you out.
Lauren, Assistant Manager: Tiny Epic Quest
Sometimes the best experiences come in tiny boxes. According to our Assistant Manager Lauren, big fun can be found inside the packaging for Tiny Epic Quest. She recommends this game to young adults who don’t mind spending a little time learning to play and like adventurous strategy games.
One of her favorite aspects of the game is the super cute meeples that have tiny equippable weapons. She also likes that you essentially build a different game board every time you play, which means the game has high replay value and you will get multiple sessions out of the game without it getting stale.
While all the pieces are miniature they are really well made and the game is played as if it were a full-size game, so there is some serious meat in that deceptively small box!
Nick, Team Member: Wakening Lair
Wakening Lair is recommended for people who enjoy table top RPGs or anyone who wants to try something like an RPG but maybe isn’t ready to commit to a full session just yet. Nick suggests it is a great way to introduce your non-RPG friends to the concept.
This game is cooperative and is all about working together to defeat monsters in a dungeon and collecting loot to improve your party and prepare for the boss fight. Nick’s favorite aspect of this game is the variety of player character classes to choose from; each one has a unique mechanic that keeps the game interesting. It is really fun to try different combinations of characters to see how they work together and balance their abilities with the different of boss monsters you might encounter.
If any of these games intrigue you, we invite you to come by and give them a try. If you enjoy them, let us know! We are always open to guest recommendations as well, or you can ask your server what they recommend if you want to try something new. We hope to see you soon!
Maureen McCardel is a game industry veteran and has worked with publishers, designers, and retailers. She loves the logistical side of marketing and events and digging into a good spreadsheet. She is obsessed with circuses and survives on sugar and tea. Her favorite games include Citadels, Lost in R’lyeh, and Here, Kitty, Kitty!