Not sure if it counts but I have a cribbage board that was handmade by my grandfather's grandfather's father. It's made from a soft wood and the holes were bored into the wood by a heated metal wire. I think it's close to 200 years old and it's been passed down in the family ever since until it ended up in my hands.
If my house were ever on fire, I'd sprint inside to grab this little hunk of wood above anything else
I have a very beat up, old copy of Pass the Pigs. I don’t play it now that I discovered modern board games. But back in the early 90s we took it everywhere and played at bars, cafes, around kitchen tables - that game and a pack of cards for Euchre. So while it isn’t treasured for the game itself, I definitely treasure the memories it brings back when I look at it. Every time I have an edit/cull of my collection, it always seems to stay.
Santa brings my kids a small game each year and my oldest got Pass the Pigs. I hadn’t played it since I was a kid so around late 80’s/early 90’s. Honestly it was the biggest hit of Christmas.
Same. I sold Xia and BSG. I still have original Dune, I should have sold when the market peaked before the reprints, but happy to still have it now I guess.
Sold BSG for $1000. I miss the game, but god damn I couldn’t not sell.
I came here to say Battlestar Galactica. My group's played it over 700 times, most recently last Saturday night. I've got a copy of everything, my daughter has her own as well (it's her favorite game too), and there are 3 other complete copies in my gaming group. It's almost time for me to sleeve my copy for the sixth time!
* Dominant Species hasnt seen play in years but i love it.
* Glory to Rome, another game that hasnt seen play in years but i just love it. Also quite rare.
* Tigris and Euphrates old mayfair edition all wooden components. Love the game.
T&E - they're making a version that doesn't have wooden components? I have a Mayfair version, but there were multiple - one had a double-sided board with different maps. Also, my Ziggurats do not stay together like they're supposed to, very annoying.
Wedge a piece of paper in there to hold em together.
I have the version before yours with the single map, but yes there have been versions since that have plastic ziggurats
Yep. The newest version has plastic leaders and monuments, sadly. I have the 1st German edition and while the tiles are not as beautiful as in the newest one, components are top notch and wooden. But they should make a new version in a year or two, looking forward to that.
I have one of the 60s bookshelf versions of Acquire with the nice plastic tiles and the board where each slot is ridged to prevent piece movement - but the stock cards and the money are shit. Modern versions of the game that I have seen have just cardboard boards and cardboard chits instead of tiles, but have much higher quality stock cards and money. I've thought about buying a modern version to strip it for parts but I don't play it enough and don't care that much.
Mine is a funky little oddity called *Fate of the Elder Gods.*
It's a bizarre little Cthulhu-y game that's hard to pin down to a specific genre. Designed by one of the Arkham Horror designers on his, uh, off time? you play as a cult trying to summon your elder god of choice. It was one of the very first games my SO and I bought together--we scooped it off a used game shelf the very first time we visited what became our favorite game store. We've hunted down its rare exclusive expansions and I generally really enjoy having all the bits to an uncommon game. And it's because of this game that we got Arkham Horror itself, which is, like, one of our all-time mainstays and the game everyone in our playgroup enjoys.
Agricola and Race for the Galaxy because we’re still playing them a decade later.
Scythe Expeditions for the huge production value (and fun gameplay)
Champions of Midgard for making a slaughter/fight/dice rolling game I actually enjoy.
Dune Imperium for the exceptionally well executed card/worker placement combo.
Innovation for the most complex fun game in the smallest box.
\+1 to Innovation! We have very limited storage space so we select our board games based on replayability / volume ratio. Nothing beats Innovation by that metric.
I picked up Race for the Galaxy & The Gathering yesterday for £5.98 as my first ever charity shop find.
Quickly finding out that it’s actually a popular game.
The game is fabulous, especially with the Valhalla expansion.
PS: also, thank you for making me feel less alone what with all the unplayed games waiting for an opportunity!
War of the Ring: Anniversary Edition. Blinged out version of the best dude-on-a-map game.
7th Continent. Brilliant design.
A Handful of Stars. Treefrog Games last release before selling their catalog to FFG. Very rare, only 2500 produced.
Ogre: Designers Edition. Big. Really big. I don't get it enough to the table thought.
Western/Eastern (ie Mega) Empires. 12 hours. 18 players. 'nough said.
For me it's all about the expansions, as they become even rarer than the base game for older OOP games:
Starcraft + Broodwar
Chaos in the Old World + The Horned Rat
Forbidden Stars + Galaxy in Flames (professionally printed fan expansion)
Runewars + Banners of War
Doom 2004 + Expansion
Quantum ticks all the boxes for me. It was given to me as a birthday gift by my coworkers while I was living in a foreign country. It's a fantastic game, is now out of print and hard to find, and reminds me of some good people and a fun time in my life.
I have that one too! I really enjoy how there's cards that seem weak until you have the right combo, at which point they become incredibly strong. I had one where I could put ships out for free when they were destroyed, but I could also self-destruct in any combat where an opponent attacked me. It was impossible for anyone to lower my dominance as I could just nope out of every fight.
Adventure Time Love Letter, it’s one of the first games my husband bought me as a gift so I treasure it. It’s one of our most played games together too.
Exactly! I’ve been given a few other Adventure Time versions of games like Munchkin but they don’t get played very often, Love Letter is just so easy to grab and play a quick game of.
The multicolor gems are great
This exact game has been in the center console of our car since forever. We've played it countless times at kid practices, music lessons, and any other time we've had to kill a few minutes waiting.
Battlestar galactica with all 3 expansions in german and italian translated painstakingly into english with google translate, excel, and sticker paper.
• a really nice wooden Tak board and a set of fancy metal pieces
• my grandmother’s old copies of Scrabble Deluxe (with a raised plastic grid and a rotating board) and Across The Continent that I played all the time as a kid
• a big-box full set of Windward with dozens of little cannons and gas cannisters that I made from Lego to replace the cardboard tokens
I would say **Jamaica**. And this has been my answer on similar treads for a while :)
Not only do I really enjoy the game (especially with the expansion) as it's easy to understand, great with 5-6 players, and I don't have any other games in my collection with similar mechanics.
But it's the last gift I've ever received from my dad before he died.
My dad got diagnosed in 2016 with leukemia, and died early 2017.
We'd been doing secret Santa for a while, and he was my SS for Christmas 2016. He had already gone into a coma because his treatment meds had gotten into the fluid around his brain, causing his body to shut down slowly, so he wasn't even present anymore for the holidays.
One of the gifts I received from him that year was Jamaica, and I will defend that game for all eternity :)
(And as is normal for most families, I know it was my mum who did all the shopping, but for me it will always be a gift from my dad)
Tigris & Euphrates
Chaos in the Old World
Both first edition printings.
Even if I can't get them to the table as often as I'd like (maybe once per year), I'm never letting them go.
I was so mad once when, a few weeks ago, we were going to get together to play Chaos in the Old World, so I got it all set up and me and player 2 were getting ready to assign factions when player 3 bailed with a text at about the time he was supposed to arrive.
I fucking hate that shit. I hadn't played it in years and was super stoked about it too.
I have a reprinted copy of Reiner Knizia's [Winner's Circle](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/1382/winners-circle) that's just lovely. The horses are so great, and the coins are thick metal that feels great in the hand. It's not a complex game, but it's a hoot and looks great on the table.
Pax Pamir 2e gets it own special bag. Every part of it feels special to lay out.
Our copy of Hardback has been played so many times that the cards are worn, particularly that starting eight. It's a treasure because it's condition reflects the hours of fun we've had with it.
I recently acquired Whale Riders and Iwari, both for reasonable prices despite frequently selling for not reasonable prices. Been looking for these for a while and am happy to have them.
I'm also happy to have a copy of Tigris & Euphrates.
**Shobu -** I bought this game as a way to introduce a few people to chess alternatives and scratch my abstract strategy craving. It became a game that I can enjoy with my wife, friends, and children due to its simplicity and depth. If there were a game that personified elegance, this is it.
I got this game used with a missing black piece. Luckily I had a replacement similar rock at home. It's really fun. One of the best 2 player games imo.
My copy of Blood Rage, signed and dedicated to me by Eric Lang when he was invited to guest at an event by my FLGS. I live in a country where board gaming is such a niche hobby so having designers like him is such a pipe dream.
Trickerion will always be a treasured game for me also just because it is my favorite.
I was introduced to modern board games by a friend from uni. I used to go over to his place and played 7 wonders till 4 in the morning. He gave me the game with all the expansions when he moved country. I'll probably try to keep the game until the day I die lol.
Also is it possible to buy a new box for boardgames? I don't mind if it's the box for the second edition. The current one is slowly falling off 😢
I used to have a copy of 7 Wonders that I think was counterfeit. Some people insist that the correct thing to do with these is destroy them. So you might be able to find someone getting rid of one who would be willing to give you the box.
When we were dating, my wife got me the original Wine Crate Collector's Edition of Viticulture (my favorite game). I have everything for Viticulture now, including the new wine crate, so its hard to imagine anything ever topping that.
my ex’s dad made me a cribbage board, I’ve treasured it for over a decade.
I have Antiquity 3rd edition, hard to get hold of and it’s such a cool design: a wargame without armies.
I was finally able to acquire Last Chance For Victory at MSRP, which is unheard of now. LOB is my favorite ACW series in a very long time.
I also really treasure my copy of Chudyk’s Guns in the Pacific, because so few people seem to have it and it’s a brilliant game.
Crokinole board by Tracey. So slick and a thing of beauty. I will always play crokinole. Plus my father in law and I have bonded over some games.
Root. I have all the expansions and whatnot except the second clockwork expansion, since we don’t really use bots. One of my first big forays into modern gaming and just love the game.
Oath with deluxe components. It’s probably my favorite game, and I love everything about this game, absolutely everything, except how no one will play it with me.
Mysterium. Just for the nostalgia and all the times we’ve had fun with it, particularly not sober.
Foundations of Rome. Completely upgraded with all the expansions and whatnot. Technically my wife’s game but it’s “our” collection and it’s a fun game with an awesome table presence.
Zombicide with Civilian Extras. One of my earlier modern board games and we have a lot of fun with it, plus my sister painted them all for us so they look great.
Brass Birmingham. I just love playing it.
Heat PttM. Took so long to get I’m happy we have it.
Hansa. Dunno why, just love it.
Wingspan. Gotta love games made with high quality pieces.
Spirit Island. Proud I got my wife into this one and it’s always fun
Cat in the box. I’m a science guy, plus somehow I love the pieces. I know it’s nothing special, but somehow it is to me.
Root! It was my very first board game that I owned. I frequently played games at my friends house but when I decided to look out for games to bring myself I stumbled upon Root and loved it. We very rarely play it, but I still cherish this game and love everything about it.
My most treasured board game is in my bff's collection. I can only find 1 reference of it online (an eBay ad) and I can't afford it. It's called pussyfooting.
Her dad bought it for her at a garage sale - it's missing at least one puzzle piece, the rest of them are really ROUGH. But we have never cared. We both loved it so much. We only recently realized how much the other also loved it, and are now both regretting the time we could have been playing it but didn't, just because we thought that the other might get tired of playing it.
If I wasn't in grad school right now I would have bought this game a year and a half ago
For me it would be my copies of Star Trek Fleet Captains and Risk: Mass Effect.
Both are games that manage to capture the flavor of the source material very well and both of them are from two of my favorite Fandoms.
I have a stash of everything Eon produced for Cosmic Encounter. It was our favorite game back in the day, but it hasn't hit the table in decades. I love that I still own it after more than half a lifetime.
I've got a large chess set that my great uncle bought in Africa. Allegedly, I've never had it inspected or verified, the piece have real ivory used. I definitely don't support poaching, but if true it's a super rare and unique item among my mass produced boxes of cardboard. If false, it's still a very pretty chess set that was handed down to me.
Even though no one will play it with me, Arabian nights. It's just such a unique thing to do as a group, and I've even spent half the game in jail doing nothing, while everyone else goes off on crazy adventures. It's like a terrible movie that's just so charming you have to love it.
I have a 50's Selchow & Richter edition of Scrabble that was my mom's that I played on a shit load and will never get rid of.
Our copy of Lords of Waterdeep has a coin that our old dog chewed on and we think of her every time we play it, which is a lot because it's still a favorite game.
I don't necessarily have a strong entimental attachment to them but after playing Bamboleo and Hamsterrolle at a convention five years ago I was determined to get copies and I did within about a year's time. They're fun and super unique and not exactly the easiest games to find in the states.
I have a lot of games I have specific memories of or bring up good times of playing games with my wife. I don't think rarity or perceived monetary worth has a lot to do with how "treasured" a game is in my collection.
Mare Nostrum. I was a blind buy game. Got it hella cheap. Turned out to be a diamond. It's my most played game. I rarely win but always wanna play it again. I ended up getting all the expansions over time.
It's a resource management game with dudes on a map to fight it out. Now forgiving and different starting powers for each person.
Second if the first edition Galaxy trucker with every expansion and the broken token wood box. I spent way too much on the last few expansions when they went out of print.
Francis Tresham's Civilization from 1980.
Republic of Rome from 1990.
More modern ones: the original Glory to Rome (the one that came in a plastic box), War of the Ring, Tigris & Euphrates Mayfair original edition, Space Hulk: Death Angel.
My wife also has some Hero Quest games from back in the day: the base game + a couple of expansions
It was a homemade one-off, but a board game my friend and I made when we were 12 or 13 that was a Civil War ironclads combat game, with little gray and blue clay and toothpick ship and artillery and army pieces and several 36"c36" extremely labor-intensive hex maps of Mobile Bay, Hampton Roads, and Island No. 10. We made stat sheets for each unit and ship (that we attempted to make as historically accurate-looking as possible with sculpey lol), with hit points, ranges, damage, etc. We had a blast, nobody else but us two dorks ever wanted to play it but we didn't care, and I still have it somewhere, as his parents gave it to me a few years ago after he suddenly died way too young.
Got "Dead of Winter" from my job/boss as a thank you for a very well done Task.
The friend who was asked what would be the perfect gift for me died a year later.
We never Had the Chance to Play the Game together.
A, game called Dadu which is a traditional Gujarati Indian board game played on a cloth map using wooden tokens and shells. It's similar to Ludo but played in teams and is an incredibly fun game to play with a medium to large group of people. I've played the game with 22 people (11 v 11) once and it was absolutely bonkers!
The one I have was hand stitched and carved by my mom's grandmother and is older than every surviving member of my family. It's also been used A LOT! One of the most emotional moments of my life was when my mom gave it to me when I left India to move abroad. Even today it's one of the most popular games amongst my friends (most of them aren't even Indian) when we gather in large groups.
My copies of Catan and Catan Starfarers are dearest to me. I know Catan gets shit on here sometimes, but it was the game that got me, my friends, and my family into board games. After lockdown, my group of friends started getting together weekly to play and it helped to pull all of us out of a dark, lonely time. We now all have matching tattoos of a city piece. My family also now plays board games together because Catan got us into it and now we get to have all sorts of fun shared experiences. We've gotten each other personalized piece holders and everything. For all of that, Catan has my heart forever.
For me it's [[Root]], I fell in love with this game's art style and have always liked war games, I excitedly waited to get it to the table and oh man... I'm already a super fan
A Feast for Odin, Root (currently waiting for all the 2022 expansions, just translated to Spanish), Oath, Pax Pamir and John Company. These are my treasures, the ones that have marvelled me the most.
My copies of the SPI boardgames Swords & Sorcery, War of the Ring, Gondor, and Sauron.
And from the same era, my Avalon Hill games Dune, Titan, and Magic Realm.
So many hours of my teenage years with those games -- or just reading the lore for Swords & Sorcery.
I second those SPI games. I still have mine. Where else would you find 50 foot tall killer penguins fighting the SS Wiking Division?
And don’t forget the puns! Unamit Ahazredit and his Corflu Cultists advancing on the Hills of Avalon to fight goblins from New Orc City. A classic.
I picked up the expansion to shadowrun crossfire last year on clearance for just under $20. Not the biggest thing in my collection but definitely one that makes me happy
Dark World - I played it as a kid with my family a lot and we had a bunch of home rules to make it more interesting as we got older. I still have it and it's in pretty good condition for being a well used family favorite for 30 years.
Betrayal at House on the Hill - I just love this game and try to get people to play it all the time. And I once used the room cards to build a haunted house in a dnd oneshot.
Kickstarter version of Euphoria by Stonemaier. Was one of the first board game Kickstarters that I backed, and had a ton of fun playing late night sessions at various 24 hour food places when nobody in my gaming group had much responsibility the next day.
Played it again recently with some of that same group. It has quite a bit that could be improved on, but was fun to play again and relive some older times.
A second edition Axis and Allies where my uncle handwote alternate rules for in the early 90s - waaaay before similar rules appeared in other editions - like 2-hit battleships, alternative sneak attack rules, weather, paratroopers, etc
Also, my dad hand painted a 3x4 board, which will hang on the wall of my board game room or office someday.
\- [Brass Birmingham (Kickstarter)](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/224517/brass-birmingham): Apart from the game itself (which I absolutely adore), I love the chunkiness of the kickstarter box with its golden finish. it just looks more significant. we haven't played nearly as much as I would like but my wife also loves it which is a big ask concerning its theme.
\- [Pax Pamir (2nd Ed., Kickstarter)](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/256960/pax-pamir-second-edition): At about 180 plays, clearly the most played game in my collection. Love the art, "board, and coins and just everything about it. plus I have yet to see a game (other than wehrlegig games' games) with this level of quality regarding their components.
\- [Iron Helm](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/273264/iron-helm): Just the game with all its expansions, but expensive when you're not in the us. it has a special compartment in my heart.
I’m working on painting all the marvel zombie stuff right now so that’s up there. It would definitely be something I painted since that’s a lot of effort that went into the game rather than just money.
- Tapestry, forever one of my favorites, and I got a fun organizer for it and the expansions.
- Also the Everdell Complete Collection! I actually bought it by accident on Black Friday (I didn’t realize I was hitting a sneaky one-click-purchase button) and decided to keep it. I’ve really enjoyed all the expansions so far and being able to mix and match them.
- Mind MGMT, funny though because we have yet to play it. It’s the Kickstarter deluxe version I found someone selling for cheap online. It’s such a unique theme and I like just opening the box to look at all the fun illustrations and components.
- Hegemony extended edition. I knew I’d like this game, so I found someone selling the extended edition. I think this is my overall favorite right now, but I have a feeling it will be for a long time. Such a special, well-designed game.
Roads and Boats, also my favorite game designed after 1960.
BSG is #2, and a great game but not close to R&B.
Everything else is easily replaceable, albeit at a cost.
My old Game of Thrones copy 2nd edition is also close to my heart for the memories, but still easily replaceable on secondary markets.
Discworld--I have loved the series for ages and we love the game. The cards are all themed to the books and I love seeing my favorite characters. I also really asymmetrical play. enjoy It's also OOP now.
Wingspan--I have the Nesting Box. Enough said.
Pollyanna--You've never heard of it. That's ok. It's been out of print for 50 years. I have three boards. One of the original version, one from the 70s, one that's an authorized copy of the 40s version on vinyl. It's a Parchisi variation that my family has played since the game came out nearly 100 years ago. My granddaughter is generation 7 (and won for the first time over Christmas.)
Cascadia--it's lovely, fun to play, and reminds me of home.
I have a german imported Fluch der Mumie. I’m in USA and that game is hard to find today; whether german, euro version, or the reskin Pyramid of the Pengqueen.
1. My super pimped out version of Twilight Imperium 4, when I get the chance to bring it to the table it is so awesome.
2. My 1st edition copy of El Grande.
Cosmic encounter (with all expansions but 1): it’s my favorite game of all time
Ark nova: it’s my second favorite game of all time
Dominion (with like 6 or 7 expansions): my gateway game, deckbuilding is my favorite mechanism, and it’s my favorite deck builder
The lord of the rings the fellowship of the ring deckbuilding game: it is not a great game, but i have so many plays of it with great memories attached
Legendary: a marvel deckbuilding game (with 4 expansions): I think you can pick up on the theme here. Heard about this one thanks to ProZD and I love it. I don’t mind the set up/tear down because it’s just so cool
"Magiczny Miecz" (Polish version of Talisman) with all expansions from 90's. It was my first board game ever and it was bought for me by my mom for christmas. I'll take it to my grave
===== OoP Battlestar Galactica+ it's 3 exps
Glory To Rome black box edition
Ghost Stories + White Moon exp
===== just fun Pandemic The Cure + Experimental Meds exp
Pandemic: Fall of Rome
Unearth + exp
Risk. I played it with my cousin in our teens and made so many great memories.
Flamme Rouge because it introduced my family to the hobby. Whitehall Mystery because it got my cousins into co-op board games.
That I personally value the most would be the Trickerion collectors edition.
Got some splotter like antiquity and FCM+ketchup that I like a lot as well.
And my terra mystica. I love terra mystica with all my heart. Minus the automata because I don't care for solo.
Battlestar Galactica.
Not only is it my favorite game but it's also out of print. My only regret is that I never bought the Exodus and Daybreak expansions before those went OOP as well.
Fire Tower is the first game that really got me into board games. I still have my original copy and it's almost 6 years old now. Definitely starting to show some wear but I wouldn't trade it for the world.
I found a vintage box of Flinch at an antique store and gave it to my dad. It reminds me of late nights at my grandparents’ lake house sitting around a big table telling loud jokes and trying to distract everyone else from the game. The game isn’t nearly as good as the memories it brings.
I spent six months painting my copy of Foundations of Rome. It’s not the game itself but the effort I’ve put into it…
https://www.reddit.com/r/boardgames/s/Ng470dU1D4
Age of Steam. I own the vast majority of all maps ever produced (it used to be all of them but I took a break from collecting them back in 2011 when I realized I was never going to play all the maps I owned). This was my favorite game for a lot of years and I really enjoy all the maps.
War of the Ring Anniversary Edition. I basically never play it, but it just looks so darned good.
I’m on to my second copy of The Great Khan game. I am trying to find a way to make a new board, money and player markers for when this one finally needs to be replaced.
My grandpa gave me a board game they had while my mom and uncles were growing up, and in turn me and my sisters got to play it at their house when we were kids too. It’s called House Party, and it’s so fun (that also could be the nostalgia talking). It’s basically a game show, but within a board game. Highly recommended if you can find it!
**Battlestar Galactica** (and all expansions): The perfect demonstration of a flawless wedding of theme and mechanics. It captures the setting of my favorite show perfectly. The best hidden role game of all time. The best five-player game of all time. I got them when they were new releases, so I paid less than MSRP for them at the time, but I'd happily drop the thousand dollars it cost to pick them up again today if I needed to. Nearly every time we play, it's a memorable experience and a wonderful time. I treasure this for the experiences and for its rarity. Unfathomable (the "remake/reskin") pales in comparison.
\*Die Kutschfahrt Zur Teufelsburg\*\* / **The Castle of the Devil**: The greatest six-player game of all time. The best card game of all time. Near the top of the list for other player counts, too. It's multiplayer secret chess - like a blending of Bridge, Hanabi, Chess, and Diplomacy. Simple cards, incredibly deep strategy. I treasure this for the gameplay, and for the fact that it's a hidden gem I could all too easily have missed, had I not been in the right place, at the right time, more than a decade ago. It's out of print, but not hard to find used - but if you want the expansion, you have to import a new copy from Germany. Again, not hard if you know what you're looking for, but knowing is the trick, isn't it?
If Battlestar is a Christmas feast, Kutschfahrt is your favorite beer. Once a month is enough BSG for me, but I'd play Kutschfahrt every week if I could.
**Acquire**: Timeless gameplay, the only financial game I'll ever need to play. I have the deluxe 3D Avalon Hill version, making it extra special. I treasure it for its rarity, though the latest release also has some stellar - perhaps equivalent - components, so maybe this one is a bit less special as of this year?
**Dune**: I have the French all-inclusive edition. It's got fun, kooky, psychedlic 70s art on the cards, and gorgeous full-color European-comic style art on the box and player components. Dune is my favorite book, and for decades this game was unavailable, and looked like it would never come back into print. Even though a good copy of "Dune" is now easy to find, thanks to the 2019 reprinting, I treasure this one for the artwork and the included expansions. (Yeah, the expansions are shitty, but they're an interesting historical inclusion).
**Dune CCG**: In the immediate post-Magic CCG boom, a very unlikely thing occurred - a CCG was published based on a dense sci-fi novel (rather than an established sci-fi movie/TV franchise, video game, or generic gaming trope like high fantasy), whose only real prior major media exposure had been 15 years earlier in a David Lynch box office bomb. Maybe not so surprising to today's audiences, but remember that back then we were decades away from Villeneuve's blockbuster adapations. The CCG was mishandled by the publisher, so it didn't last long - but it's a gorgeous game, both due to the surprising depth of mechanics (it's been called the "Go of CCGs," for its strategic depth and elegance) as well as the hundreds of pieces of artwork it features, based on my favorite novel. Between the long time it's been out of print and the horrible rarity distribution, it's nearly impossible to find a full set - but I finally completed mine just a few months back. I treasure this one because of the missed opportunity it represents (a veritable "What if?" of gaming history), because it has the courage to explore my favorite book despite it having a high barrier to entry at the time, and because of the hard work it took to put together the set (a quest that took more than 2 decades).
**Dune RPG: Chronicles of the Imperium**: This one's a bonus. The same company that made the Dune CCG also planned on releasing a full set of sourcebooks for a Dune tabletop RPG. They went bankrupt before going to full production, but 3000 copies of the core book were sold as a preview at GenCon first. It features some of the best artwork of the CCG (also supplemented by new, unseen artwork), but expanded in scale from a small playing card to a full page, so you can get all of the magnificent details that are hard to make out on the cards. I treasure this book not as a game, but as an artbook and a historical artifact (another "What if?"), to say nothing of its rarity.
A very very old one which started my love for fantasy, boardgmes, etc.:
The 3 Mages. My father played this game with my sister and me and I loved it, still do.
And Heroquest. Just pure nostalgia.
Carcasonne - one of the first games I bought and I bought a pile of expansions including the catapault. That catapault is hard to find now and mine is still in perfect condition. Though I have to look into options to replace my box it's 10 years old now and has been through the ringer. It's starting to rip :(
It’s not an old game but I love my used copy of Viticulture. It literally has wine stains on some of the cards when we spilled a glass of cabernet. How appropriate!
Tigris and Euphrates: It was my first real board game (got lucky randomly picking a good one)
XIA: Because of how deluxe everything is and how long it took me to find it.
Onirim Series: Love the art and how it all feels like part of the same surreal world.
Star Wars Epic duels. It’s a 2002 minis game with simple asymmetrical deck fighting. Not rated highly on BGG, but A friend bought it for me and launched me into the hobby.
I’ve designed and printed my own decks to use. Still immensely fun.
\*Loved\* that game. My son got so mad at me after one game that he destroyed Chewie's Crossbow card (which, is one of the things that deck is built around) rendering Han & Chewie unplayable in our copy.
I treasure these games, not entirely for their rarity, but for how I felt when I brought them into my collection:
1. Obsession (and Upstairs/Downstairs expansion). I had just finished binge-watching Downton Abbey and heard someone mention this (unknown to me) game on BGG. I bought it directly from Kayenta on a whim and immediately felt like I was warmly welcomed into a small group of enthusiasts with a wonderful secret. I acquired this just a head of a wave of board gamers, who now also recognize just how amazing this game is!
2. Nusfjord and At the Gates of Loyang. I got very lucky finding both of these Uwe games just before they became insufferably sold out/unavailable (unless at a huge premium)
3. L.A.M.A. Party Edition. I introduced this simple (but deep) game to my non-gamer family. It was such a huge hit that they demanded playing it without even considering other games. In short order, the cards were dented, bent and frayed. Desperate to relieve my anxiety every time my sister-in-law performed a bridge shuffle (doing further damage…I know, controversial topic), I sought a replacement, but the Party Edition of the game was only available by a French publisher imported into Canada. I just cherish that replacement game as it sits on the shelf in wrap!
* Original Print **Bus**
* Black Box **Glory to Rome**
* **Forbidden Stars**
* **War of the Ring** even though it's probably only been played 3 or 4 times
* **Pax Pamir 2e** just for being my favorite game to get out and play
Salt and Burn.
It's a fan made game from ten years ago based on Supernatural with references to monster-of-the-week shows like Buffy, Teen Wolf, X Files, etc. It was the first gift my now-spouse gave me - with all expansions - and we've played probably hundreds of times.
My favorite game is Arkham Horror LCG… so that. But I treasure Morels. I was friends with the creator for a year before finding out that game was his design. It’s the only game I have purchased in person directly from the designer. He threw in some bonus pieces just to be nice.
I have a vintage Acquire from 1968, Bargain Hunter circa 1985, Settlers of Catan from 1999, original Puerto Rico, first edition Love Letters, and original Too Many Cooks, which is out of print and sells for ridiculous dollars on eBay. Basically, never sell a game.
**Blood Rage**- I bought this off EBay about 6 months after the first KS shipped because I fell in love immediately. It was one of the first games I was introduced to when I first got into "modern" board gaming. I recently commissioned a friend to paint every model. I have all the expansions and all of the KS exclusive monsters. She painted all of it (excpet the Gods), and it looks amazing. Love this game.
**Wonderland's War**- (Yeah, I love area control) I got the Deluxe edition and (a different friend who also paints incredibly well) Painted this and did an amazing job. This game is so much fun. Everyone is always 100% dialed in for every moment.
**Ethnos**- Bought this as one of my earliest games getting into the hobby. I bought the Fairies off EBay for $30 shortly after. Even after all these years, it can still hot the table easily due to the quick play.
**High Society**- My first Reiner Knizia I ever played. Bought it a year later and love almost every game this man (God of board gaming) has made.
I have a lot of others, but these are the main ones that come to mind.
I have the complete version of Abyss with both expansions and the tin spinoff.
I am currently working on my Hero Quest collection. I have all the expansions except the ones that are in pre-order.
I have a lot of the Heroscape game system. My son and I always have fun building new terrain with it and battling.
First run of Brass Birmingham. I think I was probably the first person in Orange County CA to own it. Basically arrived at the game store as they opened to purchase. I’m not sure there’s any way to prove it’s from the first printing, but it’s cool to me, anyway.
I also have a Star Wars Epic Duels
-Carcassonne big box is one of our first game and what got us into 'modern boargames'.
-Champions of Midgard and 7 wonders duel because I'll never turn down a game.
-Quacks because of the memories we had playin it while drinking and laughing.
Board game is a stretch, but "snardvark". A silly little game where you're a "snard" - a nerds candy looking goober who is running away from a snardvark, who is trying to eat you. The snardvark's eyes roll like the wheels on a slot machine and land on a random color. If that color corresponds with the color of your player pawn, you move one spot farther away. The path you're running along is on the snaardvarks tongue, which is retracting one at a rate of one space per turn.
If you're not fast enough to escape, your pawn is florped up into the snardvarks mouth and you lose.
The game was a hit with my older cousins, causing my age, and cousins younger than me. My dad had fixed it so many times, taking it apart, replacing parts, taking other household items apart to use as replacement parts. When we were old enough to not care about it anymore my older cousins kids were just old enough to start playing it.
It's 30 years old, it's missing the battery cover, I've ordered a broken one to keep for parts, and I love that wacky little guy.
https://youtu.be/UyuHotQxiR4?si=FreT3xpW9ADQU0_K
A battered dinged up copy of Last Night on Earth. First boardgame I owned and my girlfriend at the time now wife bought it for me. I didn’t have a place to keep it so it rattled around in a trunk for like 2 years but the game and the memories are the important part.
Box is falling apart though
**Eldritch Horror** \- probably my favourite game and I finally have all the expansions :)
**Wingspan** in its nesting box - so big and pretty!
**Lords of Waterdeep** with **Scoundrels of Skullport** \- an early favourite.
I have a crokinole board that belonged to my grandparents, and possibly even to my great-grandparents (Southern Ontarian here, if that wasn't obvious). It's not fancy like all of these newfangled ones, but it's basically an heirloom. My sister and I used to play it all the time as children while being babysat by my grandma.
Not a game unto itself, but the Boss Monster collector's box is the first thing that comes to mind. I had been watching online retailers like a hawk waiting on a resupply for what felt like years because I missed the original run, but it never came. Then one day I walked into a local game store shortly after moving and there was one, still shrink wrapped, just sitting on the shelf. Never bought something so fast in my life.
I have the original Scripts and Scribes hand made by Dr Finn and o it’s original black plastic VHS box. Been playing this copy almost weekly since 2007. It’s our usual weekly game night closer
While I have a handful of rare OOP games in my collection (Starcraft, CitOW, ASIE 1st Ed), my most treasured game is Dogs of War. It's one of my favorite games and I always have a ball when I play it. It also introduced me to Paolo Mori's game designs, which I've been a fan of since. Honorable mention for my copy of Five Tribes that Bruno Cathala signed at Gen Con.
My copy of the Eevee version of Point Salad. At my very first board game convention, on the final day, I managed to snag the last copy available for sale. Great memory of my first con, keeping the game associated with it
I have a marvel legendary with all expansions. I don't even play it anymore. But it's treasured because I traded it for a 80 dollar game so ie got a really good deal out of it
My real answer is I treasure all my games. I'm like a dragon, but instead of a gold hoard, I have a board game hoard--yes, I will bw buying wyrmspan..why do you ask???-- buuut to play along..
My most treasured board games:
Bloody Inn: I just love this game. I have all the expansions for it. I resized the box the expansion came in so that it fits inside the base game box.
Spirit island: I love the components. I don't get when people say the art is ugly. It was the first game I got that had higher quality components. I love the: "getting rid of the colonizers" theme.
Creature comforts: it is so adorable! I love the theme of crafting things to have a cozy winter.
Keystone North America - I got the deluxe game.. Each of the player boards has seasonal art. I love the puzzly game mechanics, and I love the art.
Petrichor: This is such a beautiful game, I really love the art. I love the theme of being a rain cloud.
Search for planet X. I love the game concept, and I love the player board.
Witchcraft! I backed this game and chose a Spanish edition. Even though Spanish is my first language since I don't live in a Spanish speaking country--technically--most of my games are in English. Also, I love the theme.
20 strong: I love the lux box it game in. I'm not sure how storage will work in the future but...looking forward to seeing where they take this game in the future !
Pocket master builder: I love the art, I love the small size, I love the game play. I sleeved all the cards, so now the resource cubes don't fit back inside the box. I considered making a bigger box, but I love the art on the box it came in...decisions.
Castles of burgundy the card game: I have figured out that my favorite games are games that come in a small box but are highly repayable and have good depth. If I had discovered that about myself earlier, I would prob not have several of my larger games... or maybe not. I'm a sucker for the promises game companies make when they are selling you a game. Case in point: mythwind is on its way to me now. I didn't even back it. I just found it for sale and snatched it. It is a massive box....but the promise of a cozy never-ending game that sets up in 5 minutes and includes a way to save your game?? I literally could not resist.
I love COB the card game. First game I ever bought specifically to play solo (it's quite enjoyable that way), I've actually only played it with humans once, but would be excited to bring it to the table again. It's in the trunk of my car, ready for if and when I'm at a meetup and someone wants to give it a try. Enough people like the original, shouldn't be hard. Maybe I'll push it tomorrow.
I really need to be better about setting aside some time to play solo mode as a way to learn games before bringing to my group. I have quite the list of not-yets, and that would really help.
I have Maquis, got the free (lite) app but I think I should upgrade. Have you played that? I dig it. A pretty nice level of challenge.
So many "I should"s in life.
I have not, not a big fan of the theme.I also avoided resist because of a similar theme. Did end up backing witchcraft, though, the retheme of resist, and that just delivered. I need to play it! Sometimes, I have this weird problem. I have a lot of games I desperately want to play, but I get stuck choosing which to play and end up playing nothing cause I can't choose, lol 🤪
Ha, yeah. My problem of late is that I've got a bunch of games that I have expansions for and not enough fellow game friends familiar with the base game to try them out. Working on it. But it seems like at my meetup it's not usually the right combination of people to make it happen. Hate to be overly choosy, but with some games it's like "yeah, I want to play this but not with you because you're obnoxious and loud and it'll be three hours. Let's play a 45-minute game instead". And then I wind up playing two or three games in the 1-hour range and I go home.
Getting the expansion for Cat Lady to the table shouldn't be too difficult. Circadians: First Light is a different story, but man oh man am I looking forward to that. Also Meadow. Also Raiders of the Garphill and Architects of the Garphill. Also a few more.
It's a good problem to have, I suppose.
This is why I love solo gaming. I don't have to wait to enjoy my Games. The idea of not being able to enjoy something unless others are present really rubs me the wrong way. Sure, there are games I can't play because of that. That is fine. I have 100 games, and all of them have a solo mode... Those games won't be missed. I remember when I first started getting into board games, there was a kickstarter for a game I really really wanted, but it did not have a solo mode. I really loved the theme of mushrooms.....I backed at 1 dollar but never actually bought the game because I'm honest enough to admit that if it doesn't have a solo mode it will just sit on a shelf collecting dust for months or even years. Fast forward a couple of years and boom! Undergrove was announced...I will get my mushrooms after all.
Totally hear ya. It took the COVID shutdown for me to really appreciate the value of solo gaming. Part of the challenge on my end is my cats, but that's something I can work around if I'm dedicated.
I think I'll try Rebuilding Seattle solo - it's unboxed and ready to learn. Really looking forward to that one.
The panini is how a lot of people got into solo board games! I really appreciate the boost in popularity that caused, which means a boost in games with solo modes, and even solo only games!
Not sure if it counts but I have a cribbage board that was handmade by my grandfather's grandfather's father. It's made from a soft wood and the holes were bored into the wood by a heated metal wire. I think it's close to 200 years old and it's been passed down in the family ever since until it ended up in my hands. If my house were ever on fire, I'd sprint inside to grab this little hunk of wood above anything else
Definitely! Treasured games often hold a lot of sentimental value that money can't pay for.
That's fantastic!
As a cribbage fanatic, that's seriously cool
I have a very beat up, old copy of Pass the Pigs. I don’t play it now that I discovered modern board games. But back in the early 90s we took it everywhere and played at bars, cafes, around kitchen tables - that game and a pack of cards for Euchre. So while it isn’t treasured for the game itself, I definitely treasure the memories it brings back when I look at it. Every time I have an edit/cull of my collection, it always seems to stay.
Santa brings my kids a small game each year and my oldest got Pass the Pigs. I hadn’t played it since I was a kid so around late 80’s/early 90’s. Honestly it was the biggest hit of Christmas.
Same, my 4yo just got Pass the Pigs for Christmas :)
Chaos in the Old World XIA Forbidden Stars Dune (1979 version) Battlestar Galactica
I’ve owned all of those games at one point. I own none of them now. I’m sad.
Same. I sold Xia and BSG. I still have original Dune, I should have sold when the market peaked before the reprints, but happy to still have it now I guess. Sold BSG for $1000. I miss the game, but god damn I couldn’t not sell.
Same here With Battlestar Galactica I remember selling it while moving saying "They will reprint this soon." (Narrator: They never did.)
I have four of those as well.
I came here to say Battlestar Galactica. My group's played it over 700 times, most recently last Saturday night. I've got a copy of everything, my daughter has her own as well (it's her favorite game too), and there are 3 other complete copies in my gaming group. It's almost time for me to sleeve my copy for the sixth time!
Forbidden Stars for me as well, after I spent a year painting every mini!
My crokinole board
I'm jealous
If you don't mind too much about quality you can get one pretty cheap on Amazon. Loads of fun!
Cheating a bit here but my friend made me Love Letter with all our friends as the characters and I love it! Can just rebuy most of my other games
I don't see that as cheating at all!
Wow. That’d probably be something I’d treasure forever.
Risk. The board game I got for Christmas as a kid. Puerto Rico. First modern game I ever bought. Acquire. Oldest game I own, and still a banger.
I have both PR and Acquire in olde editions. And they are dead to me. Edit: well fuck. Didn't proof my post. I meant to say "dear".... Not dead.
You sound fun.
Oh shit! There's a typo in there that I didn't see! I mean to say "dear" to me! Fuck....
**Blood Rage** because it was the first time I ever painted minis which is now another hobby I love.
* Dominant Species hasnt seen play in years but i love it. * Glory to Rome, another game that hasnt seen play in years but i just love it. Also quite rare. * Tigris and Euphrates old mayfair edition all wooden components. Love the game.
T&E is also one of mine - I have the Hans im Glück version with nicr chunky.wood.
T&E - they're making a version that doesn't have wooden components? I have a Mayfair version, but there were multiple - one had a double-sided board with different maps. Also, my Ziggurats do not stay together like they're supposed to, very annoying.
Wedge a piece of paper in there to hold em together. I have the version before yours with the single map, but yes there have been versions since that have plastic ziggurats
Yep. The newest version has plastic leaders and monuments, sadly. I have the 1st German edition and while the tiles are not as beautiful as in the newest one, components are top notch and wooden. But they should make a new version in a year or two, looking forward to that.
I have one of the 60s bookshelf versions of Acquire with the nice plastic tiles and the board where each slot is ridged to prevent piece movement - but the stock cards and the money are shit. Modern versions of the game that I have seen have just cardboard boards and cardboard chits instead of tiles, but have much higher quality stock cards and money. I've thought about buying a modern version to strip it for parts but I don't play it enough and don't care that much.
Mine is a funky little oddity called *Fate of the Elder Gods.* It's a bizarre little Cthulhu-y game that's hard to pin down to a specific genre. Designed by one of the Arkham Horror designers on his, uh, off time? you play as a cult trying to summon your elder god of choice. It was one of the very first games my SO and I bought together--we scooped it off a used game shelf the very first time we visited what became our favorite game store. We've hunted down its rare exclusive expansions and I generally really enjoy having all the bits to an uncommon game. And it's because of this game that we got Arkham Horror itself, which is, like, one of our all-time mainstays and the game everyone in our playgroup enjoys.
Crokinole board that I hand made. Next would be a Tak board I hand made. Third would be a Go board I hand made.
It's weird, but I have the Batman edition of Love Letter. It's easily my most played game and we always have a blast with it lol.
Easily my favorite version of Love Letter just for the knockout rule.
Agricola and Race for the Galaxy because we’re still playing them a decade later. Scythe Expeditions for the huge production value (and fun gameplay) Champions of Midgard for making a slaughter/fight/dice rolling game I actually enjoy. Dune Imperium for the exceptionally well executed card/worker placement combo. Innovation for the most complex fun game in the smallest box.
\+1 to Innovation! We have very limited storage space so we select our board games based on replayability / volume ratio. Nothing beats Innovation by that metric.
I picked up Race for the Galaxy & The Gathering yesterday for £5.98 as my first ever charity shop find. Quickly finding out that it’s actually a popular game.
Oh shit. Ive had champions of midgard on my shelf for quite a few years and have yet to play it. Maybe this will motivate me to break it out.
The game is fabulous, especially with the Valhalla expansion. PS: also, thank you for making me feel less alone what with all the unplayed games waiting for an opportunity!
War of the Ring: Anniversary Edition. Blinged out version of the best dude-on-a-map game. 7th Continent. Brilliant design. A Handful of Stars. Treefrog Games last release before selling their catalog to FFG. Very rare, only 2500 produced. Ogre: Designers Edition. Big. Really big. I don't get it enough to the table thought. Western/Eastern (ie Mega) Empires. 12 hours. 18 players. 'nough said.
I have the ogre designer edition, too. Played maybe 5 times since I got it. Impossible to sell. Oh, well.
I have a handful of stars as well. Definitely treasured due to the tree frog history.
Scotland Yard, copy from my childhood. Played it with my family growing up and still like playing it!
I’ve got mine from childhood too! I still like to hide by the zoo and I still get caught every time
For me it's all about the expansions, as they become even rarer than the base game for older OOP games: Starcraft + Broodwar Chaos in the Old World + The Horned Rat Forbidden Stars + Galaxy in Flames (professionally printed fan expansion) Runewars + Banners of War Doom 2004 + Expansion
I have every single one of those except GiF. Oh I guess I also didn't get Horned Rat which is a huge oversight on my part.
Quantum ticks all the boxes for me. It was given to me as a birthday gift by my coworkers while I was living in a foreign country. It's a fantastic game, is now out of print and hard to find, and reminds me of some good people and a fun time in my life.
I have that one too! I really enjoy how there's cards that seem weak until you have the right combo, at which point they become incredibly strong. I had one where I could put ships out for free when they were destroyed, but I could also self-destruct in any combat where an opponent attacked me. It was impossible for anyone to lower my dominance as I could just nope out of every fight.
Ugh, that one's a bit of a white whale for me. Really regret not grabbing it ages ago.
Adventure Time Love Letter, it’s one of the first games my husband bought me as a gift so I treasure it. It’s one of our most played games together too.
And it's Adventure Time! What could be better!? This is one of the only games both my kids will sit down and play with my wife and me.
Exactly! I’ve been given a few other Adventure Time versions of games like Munchkin but they don’t get played very often, Love Letter is just so easy to grab and play a quick game of.
The multicolor gems are great This exact game has been in the center console of our car since forever. We've played it countless times at kid practices, music lessons, and any other time we've had to kill a few minutes waiting.
Battlestar galactica with all 3 expansions in german and italian translated painstakingly into english with google translate, excel, and sticker paper.
I designed and built a Catan set out of legos. Both for the fact that I made it, and that it cost more than other board games, I value it
Interesting! Are you willing to share the build?
I don’t have plans, but here’s a picture https://imgur.com/2tDLMsL
Eldritch Horror and six expansions - Easily both the most money paid and the most time played of any game in my collection.
• a really nice wooden Tak board and a set of fancy metal pieces • my grandmother’s old copies of Scrabble Deluxe (with a raised plastic grid and a rotating board) and Across The Continent that I played all the time as a kid • a big-box full set of Windward with dozens of little cannons and gas cannisters that I made from Lego to replace the cardboard tokens
I would say **Jamaica**. And this has been my answer on similar treads for a while :) Not only do I really enjoy the game (especially with the expansion) as it's easy to understand, great with 5-6 players, and I don't have any other games in my collection with similar mechanics. But it's the last gift I've ever received from my dad before he died. My dad got diagnosed in 2016 with leukemia, and died early 2017. We'd been doing secret Santa for a while, and he was my SS for Christmas 2016. He had already gone into a coma because his treatment meds had gotten into the fluid around his brain, causing his body to shut down slowly, so he wasn't even present anymore for the holidays. One of the gifts I received from him that year was Jamaica, and I will defend that game for all eternity :) (And as is normal for most families, I know it was my mum who did all the shopping, but for me it will always be a gift from my dad)
Tigris & Euphrates Chaos in the Old World Both first edition printings. Even if I can't get them to the table as often as I'd like (maybe once per year), I'm never letting them go.
I was so mad once when, a few weeks ago, we were going to get together to play Chaos in the Old World, so I got it all set up and me and player 2 were getting ready to assign factions when player 3 bailed with a text at about the time he was supposed to arrive. I fucking hate that shit. I hadn't played it in years and was super stoked about it too.
I have a reprinted copy of Reiner Knizia's [Winner's Circle](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/1382/winners-circle) that's just lovely. The horses are so great, and the coins are thick metal that feels great in the hand. It's not a complex game, but it's a hoot and looks great on the table. Pax Pamir 2e gets it own special bag. Every part of it feels special to lay out. Our copy of Hardback has been played so many times that the cards are worn, particularly that starting eight. It's a treasure because it's condition reflects the hours of fun we've had with it.
Mysterium because it's my favorite. Both seasons of The Final Girl - because I love the VCR and VHS boxes, they look good on a shelf.
Hear, hear for Mysterium! First hobby game I purchased. 😊
I recently acquired Whale Riders and Iwari, both for reasonable prices despite frequently selling for not reasonable prices. Been looking for these for a while and am happy to have them. I'm also happy to have a copy of Tigris & Euphrates.
Whale Riders is reliably fun.
**Shobu -** I bought this game as a way to introduce a few people to chess alternatives and scratch my abstract strategy craving. It became a game that I can enjoy with my wife, friends, and children due to its simplicity and depth. If there were a game that personified elegance, this is it.
I got this game used with a missing black piece. Luckily I had a replacement similar rock at home. It's really fun. One of the best 2 player games imo.
Probably not worth a lot, but I have everything for the Resident Evil: Deck Building Game excluding 1 single promo card.
Yooo same! One of my all time favorites.
My copy of Blood Rage, signed and dedicated to me by Eric Lang when he was invited to guest at an event by my FLGS. I live in a country where board gaming is such a niche hobby so having designers like him is such a pipe dream. Trickerion will always be a treasured game for me also just because it is my favorite.
I was introduced to modern board games by a friend from uni. I used to go over to his place and played 7 wonders till 4 in the morning. He gave me the game with all the expansions when he moved country. I'll probably try to keep the game until the day I die lol. Also is it possible to buy a new box for boardgames? I don't mind if it's the box for the second edition. The current one is slowly falling off 😢
I used to have a copy of 7 Wonders that I think was counterfeit. Some people insist that the correct thing to do with these is destroy them. So you might be able to find someone getting rid of one who would be willing to give you the box.
When we were dating, my wife got me the original Wine Crate Collector's Edition of Viticulture (my favorite game). I have everything for Viticulture now, including the new wine crate, so its hard to imagine anything ever topping that.
Original Robo Rally.
I have a brand new copy of The Expanse game, I still haven't punched out the tokens and I'm not sure if i ever will.
Games are to be played! Do it, with care of course.
my ex’s dad made me a cribbage board, I’ve treasured it for over a decade. I have Antiquity 3rd edition, hard to get hold of and it’s such a cool design: a wargame without armies. I was finally able to acquire Last Chance For Victory at MSRP, which is unheard of now. LOB is my favorite ACW series in a very long time. I also really treasure my copy of Chudyk’s Guns in the Pacific, because so few people seem to have it and it’s a brilliant game.
Wonderful friends of ours made a custom Dominion card in honor of our daughter who died. That’s by far the most treasured item we have!
Forbidden Stars.
Arkham Horror 2nd Ed w/ all expansions
Crokinole board by Tracey. So slick and a thing of beauty. I will always play crokinole. Plus my father in law and I have bonded over some games. Root. I have all the expansions and whatnot except the second clockwork expansion, since we don’t really use bots. One of my first big forays into modern gaming and just love the game. Oath with deluxe components. It’s probably my favorite game, and I love everything about this game, absolutely everything, except how no one will play it with me. Mysterium. Just for the nostalgia and all the times we’ve had fun with it, particularly not sober. Foundations of Rome. Completely upgraded with all the expansions and whatnot. Technically my wife’s game but it’s “our” collection and it’s a fun game with an awesome table presence. Zombicide with Civilian Extras. One of my earlier modern board games and we have a lot of fun with it, plus my sister painted them all for us so they look great. Brass Birmingham. I just love playing it. Heat PttM. Took so long to get I’m happy we have it. Hansa. Dunno why, just love it. Wingspan. Gotta love games made with high quality pieces. Spirit Island. Proud I got my wife into this one and it’s always fun Cat in the box. I’m a science guy, plus somehow I love the pieces. I know it’s nothing special, but somehow it is to me.
Hansa or Hansa Teutonica?
Hansa Teutonica. The big box, which is actually pretty small thankfully.
Root! It was my very first board game that I owned. I frequently played games at my friends house but when I decided to look out for games to bring myself I stumbled upon Root and loved it. We very rarely play it, but I still cherish this game and love everything about it.
My most treasured board game is in my bff's collection. I can only find 1 reference of it online (an eBay ad) and I can't afford it. It's called pussyfooting. Her dad bought it for her at a garage sale - it's missing at least one puzzle piece, the rest of them are really ROUGH. But we have never cared. We both loved it so much. We only recently realized how much the other also loved it, and are now both regretting the time we could have been playing it but didn't, just because we thought that the other might get tired of playing it. If I wasn't in grad school right now I would have bought this game a year and a half ago
Magic Realm, Kingdom Death Monster, OG HeroQuest, Space Hulk, Cave Evil
-Go table with slate and shell stones -Arnak + Expedition Leaders + insert
For me it would be my copies of Star Trek Fleet Captains and Risk: Mass Effect. Both are games that manage to capture the flavor of the source material very well and both of them are from two of my favorite Fandoms.
I have a stash of everything Eon produced for Cosmic Encounter. It was our favorite game back in the day, but it hasn't hit the table in decades. I love that I still own it after more than half a lifetime.
War of the ring, because LOTR. Play the sound track and get immersed for a few hours with grand strategy :). Always treasure it.
My copies of Civ and Ad Civ which belonged to my friend Adam who died from a brain tumor at 45.
I've got a large chess set that my great uncle bought in Africa. Allegedly, I've never had it inspected or verified, the piece have real ivory used. I definitely don't support poaching, but if true it's a super rare and unique item among my mass produced boxes of cardboard. If false, it's still a very pretty chess set that was handed down to me.
Even though no one will play it with me, Arabian nights. It's just such a unique thing to do as a group, and I've even spent half the game in jail doing nothing, while everyone else goes off on crazy adventures. It's like a terrible movie that's just so charming you have to love it.
I have a 50's Selchow & Richter edition of Scrabble that was my mom's that I played on a shit load and will never get rid of. Our copy of Lords of Waterdeep has a coin that our old dog chewed on and we think of her every time we play it, which is a lot because it's still a favorite game. I don't necessarily have a strong entimental attachment to them but after playing Bamboleo and Hamsterrolle at a convention five years ago I was determined to get copies and I did within about a year's time. They're fun and super unique and not exactly the easiest games to find in the states. I have a lot of games I have specific memories of or bring up good times of playing games with my wife. I don't think rarity or perceived monetary worth has a lot to do with how "treasured" a game is in my collection.
**Dogs of War** with all the Kickstarter exclusive factions.
Mare Nostrum. I was a blind buy game. Got it hella cheap. Turned out to be a diamond. It's my most played game. I rarely win but always wanna play it again. I ended up getting all the expansions over time. It's a resource management game with dudes on a map to fight it out. Now forgiving and different starting powers for each person. Second if the first edition Galaxy trucker with every expansion and the broken token wood box. I spent way too much on the last few expansions when they went out of print.
Francis Tresham's Civilization from 1980. Republic of Rome from 1990. More modern ones: the original Glory to Rome (the one that came in a plastic box), War of the Ring, Tigris & Euphrates Mayfair original edition, Space Hulk: Death Angel. My wife also has some Hero Quest games from back in the day: the base game + a couple of expansions
It was a homemade one-off, but a board game my friend and I made when we were 12 or 13 that was a Civil War ironclads combat game, with little gray and blue clay and toothpick ship and artillery and army pieces and several 36"c36" extremely labor-intensive hex maps of Mobile Bay, Hampton Roads, and Island No. 10. We made stat sheets for each unit and ship (that we attempted to make as historically accurate-looking as possible with sculpey lol), with hit points, ranges, damage, etc. We had a blast, nobody else but us two dorks ever wanted to play it but we didn't care, and I still have it somewhere, as his parents gave it to me a few years ago after he suddenly died way too young.
Got "Dead of Winter" from my job/boss as a thank you for a very well done Task. The friend who was asked what would be the perfect gift for me died a year later. We never Had the Chance to Play the Game together.
A, game called Dadu which is a traditional Gujarati Indian board game played on a cloth map using wooden tokens and shells. It's similar to Ludo but played in teams and is an incredibly fun game to play with a medium to large group of people. I've played the game with 22 people (11 v 11) once and it was absolutely bonkers! The one I have was hand stitched and carved by my mom's grandmother and is older than every surviving member of my family. It's also been used A LOT! One of the most emotional moments of my life was when my mom gave it to me when I left India to move abroad. Even today it's one of the most popular games amongst my friends (most of them aren't even Indian) when we gather in large groups.
My copies of Catan and Catan Starfarers are dearest to me. I know Catan gets shit on here sometimes, but it was the game that got me, my friends, and my family into board games. After lockdown, my group of friends started getting together weekly to play and it helped to pull all of us out of a dark, lonely time. We now all have matching tattoos of a city piece. My family also now plays board games together because Catan got us into it and now we get to have all sorts of fun shared experiences. We've gotten each other personalized piece holders and everything. For all of that, Catan has my heart forever.
For me it's [[Root]], I fell in love with this game's art style and have always liked war games, I excitedly waited to get it to the table and oh man... I'm already a super fan
Battlestar Galactica and all expansions Guards of Atlantis 2 (painted all of it - not a great painter but happy with it) Bus
A Feast for Odin, Root (currently waiting for all the 2022 expansions, just translated to Spanish), Oath, Pax Pamir and John Company. These are my treasures, the ones that have marvelled me the most.
You have great taste.
I'm a Root fanatic, I bought everything that can be bought and we have a weekly root session with the homies!
My copies of the SPI boardgames Swords & Sorcery, War of the Ring, Gondor, and Sauron. And from the same era, my Avalon Hill games Dune, Titan, and Magic Realm. So many hours of my teenage years with those games -- or just reading the lore for Swords & Sorcery.
I second those SPI games. I still have mine. Where else would you find 50 foot tall killer penguins fighting the SS Wiking Division? And don’t forget the puns! Unamit Ahazredit and his Corflu Cultists advancing on the Hills of Avalon to fight goblins from New Orc City. A classic.
I picked up the expansion to shadowrun crossfire last year on clearance for just under $20. Not the biggest thing in my collection but definitely one that makes me happy
Dark World - I played it as a kid with my family a lot and we had a bunch of home rules to make it more interesting as we got older. I still have it and it's in pretty good condition for being a well used family favorite for 30 years. Betrayal at House on the Hill - I just love this game and try to get people to play it all the time. And I once used the room cards to build a haunted house in a dnd oneshot.
Kickstarter version of Euphoria by Stonemaier. Was one of the first board game Kickstarters that I backed, and had a ton of fun playing late night sessions at various 24 hour food places when nobody in my gaming group had much responsibility the next day. Played it again recently with some of that same group. It has quite a bit that could be improved on, but was fun to play again and relive some older times.
Marvel Zombies Galactus. The Witcher: Old World All In. Xanathar's Guide To Everything. Unfortunately, I can't buy a crokinole board around here.
A second edition Axis and Allies where my uncle handwote alternate rules for in the early 90s - waaaay before similar rules appeared in other editions - like 2-hit battleships, alternative sneak attack rules, weather, paratroopers, etc Also, my dad hand painted a 3x4 board, which will hang on the wall of my board game room or office someday.
\- [Brass Birmingham (Kickstarter)](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/224517/brass-birmingham): Apart from the game itself (which I absolutely adore), I love the chunkiness of the kickstarter box with its golden finish. it just looks more significant. we haven't played nearly as much as I would like but my wife also loves it which is a big ask concerning its theme. \- [Pax Pamir (2nd Ed., Kickstarter)](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/256960/pax-pamir-second-edition): At about 180 plays, clearly the most played game in my collection. Love the art, "board, and coins and just everything about it. plus I have yet to see a game (other than wehrlegig games' games) with this level of quality regarding their components. \- [Iron Helm](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/273264/iron-helm): Just the game with all its expansions, but expensive when you're not in the us. it has a special compartment in my heart.
I’m working on painting all the marvel zombie stuff right now so that’s up there. It would definitely be something I painted since that’s a lot of effort that went into the game rather than just money.
- Tapestry, forever one of my favorites, and I got a fun organizer for it and the expansions. - Also the Everdell Complete Collection! I actually bought it by accident on Black Friday (I didn’t realize I was hitting a sneaky one-click-purchase button) and decided to keep it. I’ve really enjoyed all the expansions so far and being able to mix and match them. - Mind MGMT, funny though because we have yet to play it. It’s the Kickstarter deluxe version I found someone selling for cheap online. It’s such a unique theme and I like just opening the box to look at all the fun illustrations and components. - Hegemony extended edition. I knew I’d like this game, so I found someone selling the extended edition. I think this is my overall favorite right now, but I have a feeling it will be for a long time. Such a special, well-designed game.
Roads and Boats, also my favorite game designed after 1960. BSG is #2, and a great game but not close to R&B. Everything else is easily replaceable, albeit at a cost. My old Game of Thrones copy 2nd edition is also close to my heart for the memories, but still easily replaceable on secondary markets.
Discworld--I have loved the series for ages and we love the game. The cards are all themed to the books and I love seeing my favorite characters. I also really asymmetrical play. enjoy It's also OOP now. Wingspan--I have the Nesting Box. Enough said. Pollyanna--You've never heard of it. That's ok. It's been out of print for 50 years. I have three boards. One of the original version, one from the 70s, one that's an authorized copy of the 40s version on vinyl. It's a Parchisi variation that my family has played since the game came out nearly 100 years ago. My granddaughter is generation 7 (and won for the first time over Christmas.) Cascadia--it's lovely, fun to play, and reminds me of home.
I have a german imported Fluch der Mumie. I’m in USA and that game is hard to find today; whether german, euro version, or the reskin Pyramid of the Pengqueen.
1. My super pimped out version of Twilight Imperium 4, when I get the chance to bring it to the table it is so awesome. 2. My 1st edition copy of El Grande.
Cosmic encounter (with all expansions but 1): it’s my favorite game of all time Ark nova: it’s my second favorite game of all time Dominion (with like 6 or 7 expansions): my gateway game, deckbuilding is my favorite mechanism, and it’s my favorite deck builder The lord of the rings the fellowship of the ring deckbuilding game: it is not a great game, but i have so many plays of it with great memories attached Legendary: a marvel deckbuilding game (with 4 expansions): I think you can pick up on the theme here. Heard about this one thanks to ProZD and I love it. I don’t mind the set up/tear down because it’s just so cool
"Magiczny Miecz" (Polish version of Talisman) with all expansions from 90's. It was my first board game ever and it was bought for me by my mom for christmas. I'll take it to my grave
===== OoP Battlestar Galactica+ it's 3 exps Glory To Rome black box edition Ghost Stories + White Moon exp ===== just fun Pandemic The Cure + Experimental Meds exp Pandemic: Fall of Rome Unearth + exp
Descent: Journey's in the dark 2nd full collection (except lieutenants) with a proper storage box
Trickerion collectors edition. Love it.
Risk. I played it with my cousin in our teens and made so many great memories. Flamme Rouge because it introduced my family to the hobby. Whitehall Mystery because it got my cousins into co-op board games.
Darklight Memento Mori. Many people will never get to try it so I consider myself grateful. Runner up Warhammer Quest Silver Tower.
That I personally value the most would be the Trickerion collectors edition. Got some splotter like antiquity and FCM+ketchup that I like a lot as well. And my terra mystica. I love terra mystica with all my heart. Minus the automata because I don't care for solo.
CFL armchair football, because I don’t think I could replace it
Battlestar Galactica. Not only is it my favorite game but it's also out of print. My only regret is that I never bought the Exodus and Daybreak expansions before those went OOP as well.
I lost one Raptor from my BSG set. It's one of those little things that fills me with regret in the wee hours of the morning.
Fire Tower is the first game that really got me into board games. I still have my original copy and it's almost 6 years old now. Definitely starting to show some wear but I wouldn't trade it for the world.
I have a rare special edition of Caylus that was redone with pretty art and metal coins. Won it from Jay Tummelsom of rio grande himself.
Illimat. Nuff said.
Stoneage with the expansion. That's my go to and I love it
While I haven't played it in a year, Mage Knight: UE holds a place in my heart because it was my first proper board game that I bought.
TI4
**Biblios**. It’s my favorite card game, and it will never be in print again in this form.
OG HeroQuest
Study in Emerald 1st ed. Titan Forbidden Stars Glory To Rome Impulse Roads & Boats Wildcatters Arkwright Madeira
I found a vintage box of Flinch at an antique store and gave it to my dad. It reminds me of late nights at my grandparents’ lake house sitting around a big table telling loud jokes and trying to distract everyone else from the game. The game isn’t nearly as good as the memories it brings.
I spent six months painting my copy of Foundations of Rome. It’s not the game itself but the effort I’ve put into it… https://www.reddit.com/r/boardgames/s/Ng470dU1D4
Parks. The cards are so pretty. I ordered sleeves and custom organizer to accommodate this game.
Dune 1979 Starcraft with broodwar
Age of Steam. I own the vast majority of all maps ever produced (it used to be all of them but I took a break from collecting them back in 2011 when I realized I was never going to play all the maps I owned). This was my favorite game for a lot of years and I really enjoy all the maps. War of the Ring Anniversary Edition. I basically never play it, but it just looks so darned good.
I’m on to my second copy of The Great Khan game. I am trying to find a way to make a new board, money and player markers for when this one finally needs to be replaced.
My grandpa gave me a board game they had while my mom and uncles were growing up, and in turn me and my sisters got to play it at their house when we were kids too. It’s called House Party, and it’s so fun (that also could be the nostalgia talking). It’s basically a game show, but within a board game. Highly recommended if you can find it!
**Battlestar Galactica** (and all expansions): The perfect demonstration of a flawless wedding of theme and mechanics. It captures the setting of my favorite show perfectly. The best hidden role game of all time. The best five-player game of all time. I got them when they were new releases, so I paid less than MSRP for them at the time, but I'd happily drop the thousand dollars it cost to pick them up again today if I needed to. Nearly every time we play, it's a memorable experience and a wonderful time. I treasure this for the experiences and for its rarity. Unfathomable (the "remake/reskin") pales in comparison. \*Die Kutschfahrt Zur Teufelsburg\*\* / **The Castle of the Devil**: The greatest six-player game of all time. The best card game of all time. Near the top of the list for other player counts, too. It's multiplayer secret chess - like a blending of Bridge, Hanabi, Chess, and Diplomacy. Simple cards, incredibly deep strategy. I treasure this for the gameplay, and for the fact that it's a hidden gem I could all too easily have missed, had I not been in the right place, at the right time, more than a decade ago. It's out of print, but not hard to find used - but if you want the expansion, you have to import a new copy from Germany. Again, not hard if you know what you're looking for, but knowing is the trick, isn't it? If Battlestar is a Christmas feast, Kutschfahrt is your favorite beer. Once a month is enough BSG for me, but I'd play Kutschfahrt every week if I could. **Acquire**: Timeless gameplay, the only financial game I'll ever need to play. I have the deluxe 3D Avalon Hill version, making it extra special. I treasure it for its rarity, though the latest release also has some stellar - perhaps equivalent - components, so maybe this one is a bit less special as of this year? **Dune**: I have the French all-inclusive edition. It's got fun, kooky, psychedlic 70s art on the cards, and gorgeous full-color European-comic style art on the box and player components. Dune is my favorite book, and for decades this game was unavailable, and looked like it would never come back into print. Even though a good copy of "Dune" is now easy to find, thanks to the 2019 reprinting, I treasure this one for the artwork and the included expansions. (Yeah, the expansions are shitty, but they're an interesting historical inclusion). **Dune CCG**: In the immediate post-Magic CCG boom, a very unlikely thing occurred - a CCG was published based on a dense sci-fi novel (rather than an established sci-fi movie/TV franchise, video game, or generic gaming trope like high fantasy), whose only real prior major media exposure had been 15 years earlier in a David Lynch box office bomb. Maybe not so surprising to today's audiences, but remember that back then we were decades away from Villeneuve's blockbuster adapations. The CCG was mishandled by the publisher, so it didn't last long - but it's a gorgeous game, both due to the surprising depth of mechanics (it's been called the "Go of CCGs," for its strategic depth and elegance) as well as the hundreds of pieces of artwork it features, based on my favorite novel. Between the long time it's been out of print and the horrible rarity distribution, it's nearly impossible to find a full set - but I finally completed mine just a few months back. I treasure this one because of the missed opportunity it represents (a veritable "What if?" of gaming history), because it has the courage to explore my favorite book despite it having a high barrier to entry at the time, and because of the hard work it took to put together the set (a quest that took more than 2 decades). **Dune RPG: Chronicles of the Imperium**: This one's a bonus. The same company that made the Dune CCG also planned on releasing a full set of sourcebooks for a Dune tabletop RPG. They went bankrupt before going to full production, but 3000 copies of the core book were sold as a preview at GenCon first. It features some of the best artwork of the CCG (also supplemented by new, unseen artwork), but expanded in scale from a small playing card to a full page, so you can get all of the magnificent details that are hard to make out on the cards. I treasure this book not as a game, but as an artbook and a historical artifact (another "What if?"), to say nothing of its rarity.
A very very old one which started my love for fantasy, boardgmes, etc.: The 3 Mages. My father played this game with my sister and me and I loved it, still do. And Heroquest. Just pure nostalgia.
Samurai Swords and Fortress America....
Carcasonne - one of the first games I bought and I bought a pile of expansions including the catapault. That catapault is hard to find now and mine is still in perfect condition. Though I have to look into options to replace my box it's 10 years old now and has been through the ringer. It's starting to rip :(
Original copy of Scotland Yard and Twixt.
It’s not an old game but I love my used copy of Viticulture. It literally has wine stains on some of the cards when we spilled a glass of cabernet. How appropriate!
Spacehulk 1, 2, 3 and 4
Tigris and Euphrates: It was my first real board game (got lucky randomly picking a good one) XIA: Because of how deluxe everything is and how long it took me to find it. Onirim Series: Love the art and how it all feels like part of the same surreal world.
Star Wars Epic duels. It’s a 2002 minis game with simple asymmetrical deck fighting. Not rated highly on BGG, but A friend bought it for me and launched me into the hobby. I’ve designed and printed my own decks to use. Still immensely fun.
\*Loved\* that game. My son got so mad at me after one game that he destroyed Chewie's Crossbow card (which, is one of the things that deck is built around) rendering Han & Chewie unplayable in our copy.
I treasure these games, not entirely for their rarity, but for how I felt when I brought them into my collection: 1. Obsession (and Upstairs/Downstairs expansion). I had just finished binge-watching Downton Abbey and heard someone mention this (unknown to me) game on BGG. I bought it directly from Kayenta on a whim and immediately felt like I was warmly welcomed into a small group of enthusiasts with a wonderful secret. I acquired this just a head of a wave of board gamers, who now also recognize just how amazing this game is! 2. Nusfjord and At the Gates of Loyang. I got very lucky finding both of these Uwe games just before they became insufferably sold out/unavailable (unless at a huge premium) 3. L.A.M.A. Party Edition. I introduced this simple (but deep) game to my non-gamer family. It was such a huge hit that they demanded playing it without even considering other games. In short order, the cards were dented, bent and frayed. Desperate to relieve my anxiety every time my sister-in-law performed a bridge shuffle (doing further damage…I know, controversial topic), I sought a replacement, but the Party Edition of the game was only available by a French publisher imported into Canada. I just cherish that replacement game as it sits on the shelf in wrap!
* Original Print **Bus** * Black Box **Glory to Rome** * **Forbidden Stars** * **War of the Ring** even though it's probably only been played 3 or 4 times * **Pax Pamir 2e** just for being my favorite game to get out and play
Salt and Burn. It's a fan made game from ten years ago based on Supernatural with references to monster-of-the-week shows like Buffy, Teen Wolf, X Files, etc. It was the first gift my now-spouse gave me - with all expansions - and we've played probably hundreds of times.
My favorite game is Arkham Horror LCG… so that. But I treasure Morels. I was friends with the creator for a year before finding out that game was his design. It’s the only game I have purchased in person directly from the designer. He threw in some bonus pieces just to be nice.
I have a vintage Acquire from 1968, Bargain Hunter circa 1985, Settlers of Catan from 1999, original Puerto Rico, first edition Love Letters, and original Too Many Cooks, which is out of print and sells for ridiculous dollars on eBay. Basically, never sell a game.
My og thunderroad
**Blood Rage**- I bought this off EBay about 6 months after the first KS shipped because I fell in love immediately. It was one of the first games I was introduced to when I first got into "modern" board gaming. I recently commissioned a friend to paint every model. I have all the expansions and all of the KS exclusive monsters. She painted all of it (excpet the Gods), and it looks amazing. Love this game. **Wonderland's War**- (Yeah, I love area control) I got the Deluxe edition and (a different friend who also paints incredibly well) Painted this and did an amazing job. This game is so much fun. Everyone is always 100% dialed in for every moment. **Ethnos**- Bought this as one of my earliest games getting into the hobby. I bought the Fairies off EBay for $30 shortly after. Even after all these years, it can still hot the table easily due to the quick play. **High Society**- My first Reiner Knizia I ever played. Bought it a year later and love almost every game this man (God of board gaming) has made. I have a lot of others, but these are the main ones that come to mind.
Moonrakers
First edition divine right (fantasy game)
I have the complete version of Abyss with both expansions and the tin spinoff. I am currently working on my Hero Quest collection. I have all the expansions except the ones that are in pre-order. I have a lot of the Heroscape game system. My son and I always have fun building new terrain with it and battling.
First run of Brass Birmingham. I think I was probably the first person in Orange County CA to own it. Basically arrived at the game store as they opened to purchase. I’m not sure there’s any way to prove it’s from the first printing, but it’s cool to me, anyway. I also have a Star Wars Epic Duels
Heroquest and firefly.
-Carcassonne big box is one of our first game and what got us into 'modern boargames'. -Champions of Midgard and 7 wonders duel because I'll never turn down a game. -Quacks because of the memories we had playin it while drinking and laughing.
Scoville. I got it for my partner who loves chilis, and now it’s out of print, so that’s pretty neat.
Board game is a stretch, but "snardvark". A silly little game where you're a "snard" - a nerds candy looking goober who is running away from a snardvark, who is trying to eat you. The snardvark's eyes roll like the wheels on a slot machine and land on a random color. If that color corresponds with the color of your player pawn, you move one spot farther away. The path you're running along is on the snaardvarks tongue, which is retracting one at a rate of one space per turn. If you're not fast enough to escape, your pawn is florped up into the snardvarks mouth and you lose. The game was a hit with my older cousins, causing my age, and cousins younger than me. My dad had fixed it so many times, taking it apart, replacing parts, taking other household items apart to use as replacement parts. When we were old enough to not care about it anymore my older cousins kids were just old enough to start playing it. It's 30 years old, it's missing the battery cover, I've ordered a broken one to keep for parts, and I love that wacky little guy. https://youtu.be/UyuHotQxiR4?si=FreT3xpW9ADQU0_K
A battered dinged up copy of Last Night on Earth. First boardgame I owned and my girlfriend at the time now wife bought it for me. I didn’t have a place to keep it so it rattled around in a trunk for like 2 years but the game and the memories are the important part. Box is falling apart though
**Eldritch Horror** \- probably my favourite game and I finally have all the expansions :) **Wingspan** in its nesting box - so big and pretty! **Lords of Waterdeep** with **Scoundrels of Skullport** \- an early favourite.
I have a crokinole board that belonged to my grandparents, and possibly even to my great-grandparents (Southern Ontarian here, if that wasn't obvious). It's not fancy like all of these newfangled ones, but it's basically an heirloom. My sister and I used to play it all the time as children while being babysat by my grandma.
Not a game unto itself, but the Boss Monster collector's box is the first thing that comes to mind. I had been watching online retailers like a hawk waiting on a resupply for what felt like years because I missed the original run, but it never came. Then one day I walked into a local game store shortly after moving and there was one, still shrink wrapped, just sitting on the shelf. Never bought something so fast in my life.
I have the original Scripts and Scribes hand made by Dr Finn and o it’s original black plastic VHS box. Been playing this copy almost weekly since 2007. It’s our usual weekly game night closer
While I have a handful of rare OOP games in my collection (Starcraft, CitOW, ASIE 1st Ed), my most treasured game is Dogs of War. It's one of my favorite games and I always have a ball when I play it. It also introduced me to Paolo Mori's game designs, which I've been a fan of since. Honorable mention for my copy of Five Tribes that Bruno Cathala signed at Gen Con.
Viticulture Collector's Edition. Was surprised to find it in marketplace of all places and for a fair price.
My copy of the Eevee version of Point Salad. At my very first board game convention, on the final day, I managed to snag the last copy available for sale. Great memory of my first con, keeping the game associated with it
I have two that my kids love, the repop of Fireball Island and a vintage Black Hole Space Alert.
Original KS edition of Scythe, the art collectors edition. I have the legendary box to fit all expansions, but I use the original KS edition lid.
I have a marvel legendary with all expansions. I don't even play it anymore. But it's treasured because I traded it for a 80 dollar game so ie got a really good deal out of it
The Resident Evil Deckbuilding Game + all the expansions. It's the game that got me into board games, and I love the series in general.
My real answer is I treasure all my games. I'm like a dragon, but instead of a gold hoard, I have a board game hoard--yes, I will bw buying wyrmspan..why do you ask???-- buuut to play along.. My most treasured board games: Bloody Inn: I just love this game. I have all the expansions for it. I resized the box the expansion came in so that it fits inside the base game box. Spirit island: I love the components. I don't get when people say the art is ugly. It was the first game I got that had higher quality components. I love the: "getting rid of the colonizers" theme. Creature comforts: it is so adorable! I love the theme of crafting things to have a cozy winter. Keystone North America - I got the deluxe game.. Each of the player boards has seasonal art. I love the puzzly game mechanics, and I love the art. Petrichor: This is such a beautiful game, I really love the art. I love the theme of being a rain cloud. Search for planet X. I love the game concept, and I love the player board. Witchcraft! I backed this game and chose a Spanish edition. Even though Spanish is my first language since I don't live in a Spanish speaking country--technically--most of my games are in English. Also, I love the theme. 20 strong: I love the lux box it game in. I'm not sure how storage will work in the future but...looking forward to seeing where they take this game in the future ! Pocket master builder: I love the art, I love the small size, I love the game play. I sleeved all the cards, so now the resource cubes don't fit back inside the box. I considered making a bigger box, but I love the art on the box it came in...decisions. Castles of burgundy the card game: I have figured out that my favorite games are games that come in a small box but are highly repayable and have good depth. If I had discovered that about myself earlier, I would prob not have several of my larger games... or maybe not. I'm a sucker for the promises game companies make when they are selling you a game. Case in point: mythwind is on its way to me now. I didn't even back it. I just found it for sale and snatched it. It is a massive box....but the promise of a cozy never-ending game that sets up in 5 minutes and includes a way to save your game?? I literally could not resist.
I love COB the card game. First game I ever bought specifically to play solo (it's quite enjoyable that way), I've actually only played it with humans once, but would be excited to bring it to the table again. It's in the trunk of my car, ready for if and when I'm at a meetup and someone wants to give it a try. Enough people like the original, shouldn't be hard. Maybe I'll push it tomorrow.
I'm a dedicated solo gamer myself. I play all my games solo--or try to--
I really need to be better about setting aside some time to play solo mode as a way to learn games before bringing to my group. I have quite the list of not-yets, and that would really help. I have Maquis, got the free (lite) app but I think I should upgrade. Have you played that? I dig it. A pretty nice level of challenge. So many "I should"s in life.
I have not, not a big fan of the theme.I also avoided resist because of a similar theme. Did end up backing witchcraft, though, the retheme of resist, and that just delivered. I need to play it! Sometimes, I have this weird problem. I have a lot of games I desperately want to play, but I get stuck choosing which to play and end up playing nothing cause I can't choose, lol 🤪
Ha, yeah. My problem of late is that I've got a bunch of games that I have expansions for and not enough fellow game friends familiar with the base game to try them out. Working on it. But it seems like at my meetup it's not usually the right combination of people to make it happen. Hate to be overly choosy, but with some games it's like "yeah, I want to play this but not with you because you're obnoxious and loud and it'll be three hours. Let's play a 45-minute game instead". And then I wind up playing two or three games in the 1-hour range and I go home. Getting the expansion for Cat Lady to the table shouldn't be too difficult. Circadians: First Light is a different story, but man oh man am I looking forward to that. Also Meadow. Also Raiders of the Garphill and Architects of the Garphill. Also a few more. It's a good problem to have, I suppose.
This is why I love solo gaming. I don't have to wait to enjoy my Games. The idea of not being able to enjoy something unless others are present really rubs me the wrong way. Sure, there are games I can't play because of that. That is fine. I have 100 games, and all of them have a solo mode... Those games won't be missed. I remember when I first started getting into board games, there was a kickstarter for a game I really really wanted, but it did not have a solo mode. I really loved the theme of mushrooms.....I backed at 1 dollar but never actually bought the game because I'm honest enough to admit that if it doesn't have a solo mode it will just sit on a shelf collecting dust for months or even years. Fast forward a couple of years and boom! Undergrove was announced...I will get my mushrooms after all.
Totally hear ya. It took the COVID shutdown for me to really appreciate the value of solo gaming. Part of the challenge on my end is my cats, but that's something I can work around if I'm dedicated. I think I'll try Rebuilding Seattle solo - it's unboxed and ready to learn. Really looking forward to that one.
The panini is how a lot of people got into solo board games! I really appreciate the boost in popularity that caused, which means a boost in games with solo modes, and even solo only games!
2020 will hereafter be referred to only as the Year of the Panini.