The best board games of 2023 so far
The first half of 2023 has been a little sluggish for board games. Many of the most significant releases won’t be available until the latter half of the year, during convention season. Yet, there are still new releases worth paying attention to. Though it’s only June, several titles have arrived with a fury, establishing their place among other recent stellar board game releases.
This list is not ranked. Instead, titles are offered in alphabetical order. All are currently in stock and available for sale.
CrowD Games’ City of the Great Machine has been a surprise. One player controls a steampunk mechanized AI whose grip on the floating sky city has tightened. The rest of the group opposes the technocratic authority by inciting dissent and sowing destruction. The goal is to foment three riots before the clock strikes midnight and the machine has squeezed the last sparks of life from the city.
This is a marvelous hidden movement game. Players plot their paths on the map using hidden cards, while the Great Machine attempts to deduce their plans. Location powers and special abilities are triggered during a dramatic reveal each round. There is latitude for creative solutions as you can move sections of the cities around and reconfigure the map layout. Furthermore, it’s a flexible design that includes an alternate rule set for the game itself to control the Great Machine, allowing for solitaire or cooperative play. It’s an underrated design worthy of greater attention.
Prices taken at time of publishing.
• 1-4 players, age 14+
• Playtime: 60-90 minutes
• Similar games:Mind MGMT
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