The best time to write a most anticipated board game list for 2021 was at the start of the year, the second-best time is today. So let’s get into it and discuss all the upcoming board games I’m personally looking forward to.
Bullet <3
There’s no easy way to say this, but I am a simp for Level 99 games.
They are one of the only 3 companies left that I trust to make board games that tickle my every erogenous zone. I will always check out their board games, and more than likely always buy their board games.
Bullet <3 is from Kickstarter last year, they’ve tried to emulate a bullet-hell style game. Where bullets are streaming down a ‘screen’ towards your character, and you’re trying to create patterns and spend action points to stop them. All on a 3-minute timer.
Spoiler: it arrived last week, and I’ve already played it a few times. You can read my review of it to find out if it lived up to my hype.
Unsettled
Orange Nebula’s second title. Their first, Vindication, was a terrific board game that blended traditional cube-pushing adventure and character building – with a snafu for the title. This time around they’re making a cooperative space survival game. Boasting that it will just be mankind against the elements, with no monsters to be seen. Think of yourself as Matt Damon in The Martian.
It looks to have the same polish as their first title, and it’s been too long since I’ve seen a good heavy cooperative game not named Gloomhaven. I am very excited to get my hands on this one.
Oath
This game will probably be the most common on these types of lists. Leder Games has been on a roll recently with their four-letter word games (Root, Fort and Vast). Oath looks to be no exception. One person plays the Emperor and tries to maintain control over the region, while the rest of the players are Exiles trying to arrest control.
It has a closed economy and nary a victory point in sight. But the most interesting mechanic is the one they call dynasty. After each game, the winner gets to manipulate the world deck – a common deck of action cards – allowing the game to change and evolve over numerous plays.
This one arrived last week as well – it looks GORGEOUS on the table. Though a lot more complicated than the other three titles mentioned. However, after reading the rulebook, I can’t wait to get this one to the table!
Here’s my review. I loved it, but not unconditionally.
Deep Space D-6: Armada
FTL is a steam game that I adore, and Deep Space D-6 is meant to be the board game equivalent. For those who haven’t played it – you should. But essentially you’re on a spaceship jumping through space trying to complete missions. You’ll be hiring crew members, upgrading your ship, and being attacked by bad guys.
All with a sprite-based art style.
This is the second game of the series and introduces cooperation. The original Deep Space D-6 has been praised with fantastic reviews. So I’m ready to give it a shot!
Merchants of the Dark Road
There are a lot of great games mentioned already, but this might be the one I’m most excited about.
I’ve fallen in love with games that can combine good mechanics with narrative and theme. Merchants of the Dark Road looks to be the perfect blend. You spend turns gathering and selling supplies to venture along the dark road and fulfil contracts in far-reaching areas. Each time you fulfil one of these contracts you get a bite-sized piece of narrative – like Scythe’s exploration cards.
I’m also looking forward to piggybacking off of opponents’ contracts. Reading their moves, or at least attempting to, and converting that insight into points. It’s a mechanic that I love to see in games, and I always have fun with it. This makes Merchants of the Dark Road seem like a winner!
Edit: In 2022, you can read my review of Merchants of the Dark Road.
Endless Winter: Paleoamericans
I originally passed this one up, but Rahdo’s Final Thoughts suckered me in like a board game vacuum cleaner. Saying it’s a similar game to Dune Imperium (my favourite game of 2020) but so much better. I find that hard to believe, but damnit I hope he’s right!
It is another deck-builder worker placement game, where you’re building a deck and using your current hand of cards in conjunction with the action spaces on the board. And the cards you don’t use, give you benefits and go towards figuring out who’s first player next round.
Beyond that, it provides three or four different ways to get victory points; hunt, build, explore and recruit. Each of these is a separate mechanism and all look incredible on the table.
Honourable mentions
These are games that are either yet to hit Kickstarter or have already passed and I’m waiting for consensus and reviews. Either way, I do plan on checking them all out.
- John Company
- ISS Vanguard
- The Fall of the Mountain King
- Mind MGMT: The Psychic Espionage Game
- Darwin’s Journey
- Stellaris Infinite legacy
- Seventh Cross
- Lands of Galzyr
Expansions
To wrap up, here are some expansions I’m excited for:
- Root Marauder Expansion
- Empyreal Spells and Steam: Far Corners
- Vindication Chronicles
That’s everything on my list at the moment – Kickstarter-wise. But there’s a whole slew of games coming to retail that I’m equally excited for. You can read about them in my next post.
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Nice list. It is truly wonderful how many amazing games are out there and how far the hobby has progressed over the past couple of decades. BIG on my list is Perseverance: The Castaway Chronicles. I am drooling waiting for this to arrive. I’ve played it several times online and at online conventions (David Turczi was teaching once – awesome!). Episodes 1 and 2 have such intriguing decisions and mechanisms, that I think I will enjoy this for years to come. I am also looking forward to TM: Ares Expedition. I’ve got the TM app, but not the game — I just couldn’t get into it with the poor art and the mechanics are fun, but not worth me spending too much on it — probably the way you think of Everdell. However, Ares seems to have boiled TM down to a compact package where I can enjoy the game in a way that makes sense to me. Also, Kemet: Blood and Sand is arriving soon — I played the older version online. Man, what a quick, easy to learn, tactical combat/strategic game. I’m excited for the upgrade. Thanks for sharing your ideas, and keep on posting!
Thanks for commenting Anton.
I totally forgot about TM: Ares, that one is also one I’m waiting for the general public to get their hands on first. But I am definitely interested as TM has got to be one of my favourite games.
It sounds like you have a lot more stamina for rules than I do. I had a look at Perseverance and my eyes glazed over. There is SOOOO much going on in that game haha. But I hope that it’s awesome when it arrives!
Oh and I too can’t wait for new Kemet, I sold my old version already so it’s a painful wait. But reminded me that there should be Cyclades remake sometime soon… I think?