The Best Polyomino Board Games
It’s an old proverb, “How many ways are there to skin a cat?” As a cat owner myself, I can confidently say zero and apologize to other cat lovers. However, when it comes to board games, we can easily change this to “How many ways are there to make polyominoes an interesting board game puzzle?” Designers, it seems, love to answer this question. But not all answers are good answers. The Board Game Quest brick-laying guild has decided to vet these answers and offer some experienced takes on a few of their faves. Read on to see if you agree or if you find that these opinions don’t stack up!
Chosen by Dylan:
Horseless Carriage isn’t what you would usually think of when you think of a polyomino game. It has player interaction. It balances the tile placement with economic selling of your cars. It has all those factors but still stands out. Where you place your tiles is so critical. You may place a break tile to add to your cars and feel good about it. But two rounds later, you are thinking “Why did I place those brakes there? They’re right in the way of what I want to add next” The game is more than likely the most complex game on the list. In both of my in-person plays, we had to use a second table to fit everything (and before you ask if I am recommending it based on two plays, I’ve gotten in some plays online too). The game makes you think in a really cool way and is a different experience than one would expect from the genre.
Chosen by Tony:
I may be cheating a little by choosing Foundations of Rome, as it’s probably not as steeped in polynomials as other games on this list. But it has squares, rectangles, and even some 90-degree turn pieces, so I’m counting it. Shapes aside, Foundations of Rome is in my Top 5 board games ever list, so of course I had to choose this one. From its silky-smooth gameplay to its amazing production values, this board game lets you watch the city of Rome come to life before your eyes. Sure, it’s ridiculously overproduced, but that’s part of
