As we jump into the third piece in this series (war games are next, folks!), the games are getting more complex. The easiest way of judging these things is through Board Game Geek ratings, where people who play a given game note its perceived ‘weight’, or difficulty. This can mean the size of a rulebook, the decisions involved on every turn, or the accumulated knowledge necessary to play well – Chess, for example, might be considered an ‘easy’ game with its slim rules, but factor in the possibilities with every move, both long and short strategies, and that weight begins to climb (at 3.65 out of 5, it’s as heavy as many games on this list).
I point this out to say the games below shouldn’t be daunting, but rather present as compelling opportunities. There’s so much game in each of these titles, so much room to try out different plays, battle different monsters, and work together with or against your friends and family. Many of them have tutorials or learning sessions meant to ease you in, and from there, you’re off on a fantastically fun journey. So read on, use your Want List, and discover some of 2025’s most amazing games.
Vital Lacerda and his frequent artistic collaborator Ian O’Toole have come to define a segment of heavy euros with beautiful productions, interlocking mechanics,
and a commitment to theme. Speakeasy continues that trend, marking Lacerda’s return to the concrete after fanciful spins with Inventions and Weather Machine. You’ll have 11 turns to develop your illegal liquor engine, take territory, and earn some hard cash (which also plays at victory points) all while dodging police and mobsters. The area control element comes in when you and your opponents send your capos to the same spots, which kicks off a mob war (always a good time, those). All told, you probably know if you’re a fan of Lacerda, and if you’ve never tried his interlocking euro style, I’d recommend starting with The Gallerist or Kanban EV. But if his vibe is yours, Speakeasy is an easy win.
Several years back, Imperium deck-building in a historical, crunchy direction that was both unique and entertaining – having, say, Atlantis face off against Alexander the Great made for a goofy good time – and now that system, with tweaks aplenty, has gone boldly where, uh, many board games have gone before. But not like this! Star Trek: Captain’s Chair gives you six captains to choose from, including Picard, with each getting a unique deck. From there you’ll explore, conduct diplomacy, carry out missions, and try to match your goals with your captain’s personal strengths. For any Star Trek fan with a bit of board gaming experience, Captain’s Chair is a deep, endlessly replayable joy (and it comes with a strong solo module too).
3. Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era
Years ago, Chip Theory released Too Many Bones, a fantastic adventure in an evening. They’ve adapted and redefined the system for Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era, fleshing out the space between counters with quests, dynamic character progression, and a nifty cooldown system that ensures your special abilities can be used often. It’s a splashy production, huge and gorgeous, with the usual poker chips serving as tactile delight to maneuver your team across dungeons in maps. Unlike Bones, this is a three-session campaign carrying your group across multiple lands to a climactic encounter. The story, though, continues to serve as fun window dressing to the tactics and character building – you won’t spend ages stuck in text here. Elder Scrolls is perfect for the group that looks at long campaigns with suspicion, anyone who loves the Bethesda video games, or enjoys hard, varied tactical combat in their dungeon crawls.
Elder Scrolls may use its narratives as accessories, but Kingdoms Forlorn, from Into the Unknown, makes it a unique centerpiece. A deep, complex dungeon crawler
and boss-battler hybrid, Kingdoms Forlorn shifts the focus from a grand central narrative to one centered on your characters. You’ll spend every session focusing on one of your party’s characters, exploring their goals, motivations, and making choices with real impact. The neat side effect here is that Kingdoms Forlorn is a massive game that you can play with a shifting group – choosing to explore a character present for the session lets the game continue, while making it easy to catch up missing players on any action that occurred. It’s an antidote to the daunting adventure of a big campaign, and if you enjoy titles like Aeon Trespass Odyssey, Kingdom Death Monster, or Gloomhaven, it’s worth giving this one a long look.
As a musician, I give Luthier bonus points for theme, but there’s plenty to like in this blind-bidding worker placement euro for folks who aren’t familiar with Stradivarius violins. See, you’re trying to make these glorious instruments, and doing so requires craftspeople, resources, and, when done, the chance to show them off in concert. So far, so fun, but, beyond its immaculate production, it’s the blind-bidding that gives Luthier its punch. You’re dropping a hidden amount for the right to pick the action you want (e.g. place that worker), and have to risk paying too much for something you could’ve had for less, or be willing to lose out. It’s Ra’s addictive interaction with the satisfying pay-off of a well-executed plan. With minimal take-that, Luthier is a good choice for Ark Nova, Terraforming Mars, or other congenial euro fans.
At last, the Alien game has taken after Aliens instead. Nemesis: Retaliation sees Awaken Realms’ long-running semi-coop ‘dungeon crawler’ shift from survival horror to an outright blast-em ethos. You’re space marines, effectively, dropping to the aliens’ nest with orders to fry those suckers. You’ll be exploring, handling monsters and other surprises, while still trying to complete personal objectives, some of which might mean a little stab to your buddy’s back. The systems that made earlier Nemesis titles more intricate have been streamlined here, giving more focus on player actions and the narratives they create rather than supporting a neat, if fragile, series of steps and rules. You’ll be chucking dice, and yes, players can still be eliminated, but that tension is a core part of the Nemesis experience. If you’re an existing fan, there’s enough new here to make the splash worth it. And if you’ve never tried this blend of sci-fi action horror, well, there’s no better place to start.
Garphill Games’ passion for historical theming and innovative ideas continues to bear fruit. The Anarchy tunes-up the combo-riffic formula of Hadrian’s Wall, putting you in the shoes of an English lord during the titular ‘Anarchy’ period starting in 1135. You’ll defend your own castle and, in a shift, take the attack to the enemy. You’re still marking off choices every round from your personal board, doing the likes of feeding soldiers, adding thicker walls, or, like, building a pleasant house. All of these lead into bonuses and, ultimately, a final score (which, should you fall to the rampaging hordes, will be quite low). As a solo game, The Anarchy shines – there’s a 20-chapter solo campaign to pursue, and it’s probably the top solo game on this list. With others, however, the tenor changes to one of laughing as your buddy’s pretty village, left with sparse defenses, falls victim to raids. Either way, The Anarchy is a neat peek at a historical moment done with Garphill’s traditional quality.
Awaken Realms gets a second game on this list with Grimcoven, a roguelike boss-battler that sits somewhere between Kingdom Death Monster’s massiveness and Bloodborne’s aesthetic, tactical scenarios. You’ll start by picking a boss and a scenario (most bosses come with five of increasing difficulty), then each player picks a unique hunter. From there, you’ll build the map from tiles and head off on your tense, dice-tossing (but, note, strategic and tactical) adventure. Over the course of the 2-4 hour contest, you’ll upgrade your character, and those choices will have immense impact, as a better ability or dice upgrade is both crucial and agonizing – both are great, how to choose? Moreover, the enemies will take it to you here. This is a challenging game that rewards smart play, and slaps down folks expecting a casual dice-chucker. If you love victorian horror, boss battlers, and difficult co-ops, then Grimcoven is a clear winner.
Ah, space. The final frontier… for war! Eve: War for New Eden yanks videogame Eve Online from cyberspace to your tables with a—stop me if you’ve heard this
one—4X sci-fi adventure. Now yes, Eve comes ready to play with the minimums, like tech trees, diplomacy, an expanding hex map ready to be explored. You’ll be doing all this in a race to 10 victory points, something that’ll tend to happen between two and three hours, meshing with EVE’s complexity to put it more along Eclipse or Fractal and less so Twilight Imperium or a large game of Space Empires 4X. There’s also a bevy of expansions that can change the game in radical ways (such is the way of crowd-funding), but make no mistake, EVE is quality. For fans of the video game or sci-fi 4X, this is an easy recommendation.
We wrote about this Malifaux’s new edition earlier this year, and it remains a standout in the skirmish miniatures space. The lack of lumbering IP and goofy characters gives Malifaux an unmatched personality. It’s easy to convince a skeptical player to jump into a game of goblin pirates, werewolves, and shotgun cowboys, because who wouldn’t want to see that chaos? Plentiful faction sets, refined rules, and a small figure count make painting and assembly easy (no need to paint 50 orcs, space marines, or soldiers), and, in the 4th edition, shorter games make Malifaux just a blast. Though, if you prefer bigger, more traditional fantasy games, Parabellum’s Conquest remains an excellent game, with more lore campaigns now to give your huge battles meaning. Either way, you won’t go wrong with these two if you’re looking for a miniatures game to explore.
11. Marvel Champions: Civil War
Another mention from earlier in the year, but one I continue to find compelling: Marvel Champions: Civil War’s adaptation of the co-op deck-builder into a competitive dueler just does so much to change how Marvel Champions works. From tournaments to classic match-ups from the comics, this one expansion effectively gives your whole collection a completely new game. It’s rare to see a shift like this – where’s Arkham Horror: Duel, Fantasy Flight?? – that actually works. Even if you’re a lapsed Marvel Champions player, it’s worth hunting down Civil War just for the amount of game it provides. And now you can prove to all your friends that Spider-Ham truly is the mightiest Avenger, hero, whatever.
At the intersection of war games and euros lies a thematic gold mine. Chicago ‘68 hits this spot with modern resonance, historical intrigue, and compelling
gameplay all wrapped in a concise, crisp production. A story of four factions (though it’s 2v2, so you can do this as a duel too), Chicago ‘68 pits the Major and his rough police force against the Yippies and the MOBE (the Committee to End the War in Vietnam). Like in a COIN title, the various factions have unique actions, but all tie deeply with one another. Added random elements like unruly mobs add verisimilitude while keeping token density low – pack a place with too many rabble-rousers and something’s bound to go off. What you’re getting here is a slice of history turned into a compelling, challenging game, the sort of thing you pull off the shelf when you want to mix it up with the other players. And, if you like this, then you have a vast world of wonderful games to explore.
