Cult of the Not So New June 2010

Hey! It has been forever and a day ago, so let's do this thing! It is time to look back at the hotness from 10 years ago! 

BGG user JonMichael Rasmus (jmsr525) has been doing analysis of the games and their trends each month for what seems like forever. I like looking back, because frankly, there are lots of good games that didn't come out in the last two years, and lots of games you probably heard of that don't get played anymore (for good reason). So sit back and enjoy this blast from the past. Based on information in the geeklist - BGG Top 100 Analysis June 2010

Prime Movers

This is the biggest climber of the Top 100 for the month of June 2010 - War of the Ring Collector's Edition which jumped 46 places to claim #47.

Not a huge surprise really. The game was given a CRAZY special edition. You might have seen one at conventions (or on eBay for $1000-$2000). It was (is) really nice.  As you'll see in a minute, it re-sparked interest in the original game as well and I suspect that a large number of people that hadn't rated the game before, suddenly did. And ranked this one as well, only higher.

Falling Stars

Well, technically none, (Falling Stars being those games that dropped more than 10 spots in the top 100), but these games each fell four spots.

• Ingenious - this is a great Kniza games with double hex tiles. As with so many of his games, you score points in six different colors (based on placing colors in lines) and then your end score is the lowest of the six, so you have to work things evenly. It is a clever game, but luck of the draw has a little bit of a role to play, so I much prefer playing this as a four-player game in teams. This dramatically reduces the luck factor and adds a new dynamic to the game. 
• Advanced Squad Leader Starter Kit #1 - the goal of the starter kits for ASL was to reduce the complexity of the game for new players by limiting the scope of what was available and happening. This had been around for 5-6 years by this point, so no idea what pushed it out a few spots.
• Hive - Hive is a wonderfully well done abstract game where each hex tile has a bug on it. Each bug "moves" differently and the goal of the game is to surround the other player's Queen Bee. Both players tiles touch and cannot become separated from the rest. It is a good game that (to me) is tense almost from the word go. BGA has a great implementation available for online play (I'm playing a game of this now as a matter of fact).

Hot Lava Birth

• Imperial 2030 - #91 - another Max Gerdts rondel game based on his original Imperial game. While I like most of his rondel games, I personally wasn't enamored with Imperial and thus never attempted to try 2030. Today this sits at #219, so it didn't stay hot long.
• Union Pacific - #100 - this is an Alan Moon stock game with a theme that wasn't licensed from the UP corporation, so re-production of the game itself was never done despite interest in a re-print from consumers (UP was a remake of an earlier Moon game - Airlines). So around this time (2010) it was announced that UP was going to finally get a reprint (sort of). It was getting redone (again) - to be reborn as Airlines Europe. Since the reprint was a year off, UP probably got a little interest and jumped up. Today there is little interest in UP and the game sits at #620 on BGG's charts (Airlines Europe is #390). If you find a copy and get to play it, you'll see something that looks like Ticket To Ride (Alan Moon's real hit), but don't be deceived - UP is a decent stock game and aside from theme (trains) there isn't much that is similar. 

Top Ten Trends

Well, the only change in the Top 10 for BGG in June 2010 was El Grande, which rose back into the Top 10 (at #10). El Grande (not unlike its name) is one of (if not THE) kings of area control games. This is your classic Euro game at its best. Frankly, this is still a great game that holds up. It plays up to five players and can induce a lot of AP, but real is one of the "best of show" kind of games. If you have never played this, you are truly missing a good game experience. El Grande is still in the top 100 sitting at #63.

Top 5 Winning Movers

These are the highest ranked games that have shown any positive position movement in the last month that aren't in the top 10.

• War of the Ring - I mentioned this at the top of the show. Well, whether the game itself is that good (I haven't played) or whether assisted by the Collectors Edition, the standard game itself jumped up. Today it sits just outside the top 100 at #111 - which is a huge testament to what is pretty much a theme specific two-player game (and yes, I know, it plays more than two, but we all know its a two-player game).
• Combat Commander: Europe - STILL one of my all time favorite games. Let me explain... No, there is too much. Let me sum up. Buttercup is marrying Humperdinck in a little less than half an hour, so all we have to do is get in, break up the wedding, steal the Princess, and make our escape after I kill Count Rugen. Much like the Princess Bride, the reason this is one of my all time favorites? Each and every time I play Combat Commander, I come away with some fantastic session that gets retold over and over again. I didn't just play a game. I lived an adventure. I'm no Grognard or WWII buff, but this game is not just fun, but a story that unfolds in front of you the whole time.
• Railroad Tycoon - haven't heard of this? Well, it was eventually rebranded as Railways of the World (2009). Still doesn't ring a bell? How about Age of Steam or Steam (no not the video game platform). RRT was a slight revision of the original AoS with a larger map, some plastic bling and more friendly rules. It wasn't (isn't) a bad game - not in the least. I kinda is a table hog, but it looks good and is fun. I suspect that people started getting their hands on RotW and the ratings started going up on this one a bit. Don't believe me? Today it still sits outside the top 100 at #118. Pretty decent!
• Ra - another true classic (this was the twelfth game entered into the BGG database). Another Knizia to boot. This is a great combination of push your luck and auction (and a simple auction at that). Probably one of Knizia's best games of all time (so many of his games feel the same, this doesn't). If you have never played Ra, I don't know how you can call yourself a boardgamer...
• Go - been around for 4000+ years, still widely played. Must be doing something right. 

And that's all for this look back at BGG history and what was hot a decade ago.

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