This week I’m including games from our regular game day, plus a couple of other game nights. It ended up being a nice mix: party games, quick card games, a big heavier game, and even a quiet little cooperative puzzle.
Hitster
Hitster has been the big surprise hit lately.
In this game, you use your phone to play songs, then try to place them in the correct spot on a timeline by year. We have already played it three times, and it has been a hit with almost everyone.
One night we played a large team game with 12 people, and it was loud, chaotic fun. With a smaller group, it became much more reflective. People started thinking about where they were when certain songs were on the radio, or arguing over whether a song “feels” like the 80s or the 90s.
I can definitely see why people have been asking me about this one. It has that rare party-game quality where the game itself is simple, but the conversations around the table do most of the work.
Luthier
Luthier is a big, beautiful game with a musical theme where you build, repair, and deliver instruments.
This is a heavier game, both in table presence and game length, but I found the theme helped make the gameplay easier to follow. Because it is a contract fulfillment game, the order of what you need to do usually makes logical sense. You need materials, you need to work toward instruments, and you need to complete what your patrons are asking for.
It still has a lot going on, but the theme gives your brain a few handrails. We definitely enjoyed this one, though it is the kind of game you want to sit down for when you have time and table space.
Trio
Trio is always a quick hit.
We played it twice this week, and it brought out lots of laughs again. It is simple to teach, quick to play, and has that great little mix of memory, deduction, and “how did I already forget who had that card?”
This is one of those small-box games that does a lot with very little.
Circus Flohcati
Circus Flohcati was another quick and satisfying game.
It is a fun push-your-luck card game where you are trying to collect the right cards without getting too greedy. There are a few different strategies you can try, and the decisions are simple but still interesting.
It is light, fast, and easy to get to the table, which is exactly what I want from this kind of card game.
Tiny Towns
Tiny Towns is great because it supports a larger number of players while still keeping everyone involved, since much of the game happens simultaneously.
On this play, I really noticed how tight the puzzle becomes as your board fills up. Early on, it feels like you have lots of room and plenty of options. Then suddenly every choice matters, and one badly placed cube can haunt your tiny little town forever.
That narrowing of choices is what makes the game interesting. It also explains my loss.
A Gentle Rain
A Gentle Rain is designed as a solo game, but we played it cooperatively.
It is a quiet little puzzle where you are placing tiles to complete flowers as efficiently as possible. The whole feeling of the game is very calm. There is no big dramatic moment, no shouting, no “take that.” Just a gentle puzzle and a relaxing table presence.
This is a nice one when you want something peaceful rather than competitive.
Spots
This was my second or third play of Spots, a dice-rolling push-your-luck game with a dog theme.
During the game, you have six different trick tiles available. These give you different ways to roll dice, gain cards, or collect bones. I want to try more of the content in the box, because it comes with a lot of different tiles and options.
There is quite a bit of game packed into a small box here. It is cute, but there are still real decisions about when to keep going and when to stop before your dice betray you.
Final Thoughts
This was a good week of variety. Hitster was the loud crowd-pleaser, Luthier was the big table event, and games like Trio, Circus Flohcati, A Gentle Rain, and Spots filled in the week with quick, interesting plays.
That is one of the things I like about board games: some nights you want a big meal, and some nights you just want a snack-sized game that still gives everyone something to talk about.
