I have already presented My top anticipated wargames of 2024; now is the time to talk about more general boardgames wishlist. They will appeal definitely to much broader audience than hardcore grognards 🙂 Some RPG, EURO or even light conflicts games will be discussed here. These are of course my choices and as there are so many more titles in works, I am sure some of you would add different positions to that list – I encourage you to do it in comments section!

Summary of 2023 and look into the 2024:
My top anticipated wargames of 2024
The Boardgames Chronicle most often played games of 2023
The Boardgames Chronicle in 2023 – analysis
New to me – 2023

1. Red Dust Rebellion from GMT Games

It is 2250 and the bicentennial celebrations of the first human colony on Mars are about to begin. 200 years of human achievement, but also 200 years of hardship. Mars is an unforgiving world, a barren wasteland on the surface, therefore the people live in vast underground cities known as labyrinths.

Over the years, the people of Mars have formed their own culture and identity and want more say in their own rule. To many, Earth is a remote world with too much control over Martian affairs. Furthermore, Earth’s corporations have too much power over life and death. Some long for a green Mars, covered in oceans and life. While others recoil at the idea that humanity will destroy the climate of another planet.

Red Dust Rebellion is volume XIII of GMT’s acclaimed COIN Series, and tells the story of the Martian revolts of the 2250’s and the rise of Martian nationalism.

Publishers Page

Truly, what a great title Red Dust Rebellion will be! First and foremost, system – COunter INsurgency, a concept devised by Volko Ruhnke and developed to its maximum, now is being further used by broad group of talented designers (in this case, Jarrod Carmichael). Secondly, the theme – colonized Mars where tensions and resentment grows to the Earth. Third – the graphics – GMT publishes almost every month new pictures and they look fabulous – the recently revealed box cover simply rocks! Of course, one question stays – let us hope it is published this year.

More on the title:

2. 1793 – Patriots & Traitors from Sound of Drums

Patriots & Traitors recreates the chaos that tore up France from the fall of the monarchy in August 1792 until July 1794. Each of the players belong to a different political faction (moderate, conservative, radical, etc.) each with their own agenda. Although they are rivals, they will have to work together to prevent the armies of Austria, Prussia and Sardinia-Piedmont from reaching Paris, thereby crushing the Revolution and ending the game prematurely!

With the help of the multi-functional action cards, the players will be able to influence a number of areas in Paris (National Convention, Palais-Egalité, the Paris streets…) or the provinces. Each controlled area offers certain benefits…or will help them to perform a Coup d’Etat or Civil War. Activated leader cards (Robespierre, Marat, Dumouriez) belonging to their faction will help them in achieving their goals IF they are not arrested or assassinated!

From publisher page

I am becoming huge fan of the Sound of Drums games. That small Europe-based company publishes interesting, astonishingly beautiful and perfected to the smallest detail games (see: First look at History of the Ancient Seas). This year we should get 1793 – Patriots & Traitors. I had a chance to play that title during the Essen 2023 as well as meet the designer – and it was a blast! The game is very thematic, allows for elements of negotiation – we all need to protect France but at the same time push our own agenda. It has great components, and I am sure will attract much broader group of enthusiasts than wargamers only.

More on the title:

3. Away Team: The Voyages of the Pandora from GMT Games

Away Team: The Voyages of the Pandora is a game of exploring alien worlds in distant star systems. You command the Pandora, an interstellar survey ship on its voyages of discovery. Each voyage sends Pandora to a different star system where you assemble away teams from the ship’s crew and equipment to explore planets, moons and other sites of interest, with the following directives:

  • Locate exo-life forms, and document them;
  • Collect exo-DNA, vital to human adaptation to life in the stars;
  • Identify & survey environments suitable for human settlement;
  • Search for intelligent life and alien cultures;
  • Don’t get killed 🙂

Away Team has three modes of play. The solitaire campaign game provides an epic inter-connected narrative experience for one player across seven star systems; providing over 80 hours of play time, exploration, and plot-twists. The solitaire star system game provides one player with a repeatable play experience commanding one Pandora voyage to a single star system. You set the experience level of your crew and the danger level of each voyage. The 2-player game puts players in command of competing away teams from Pandora in a voyage to a single star system, also a repeatable play experience.

Publishers page

For years already, I am big fan of Joh Butterfield creations. D-Day series, Enemy Action games, Downfall, or – thematically connected to Away Team and bellowed by my kids – SpaceCorp – are among my favorite. So, when I heard about another space-related title from this author I immediately jumped for it. What we are getting here is not a simple game, where you play and finish the session (although there is such mode). We are getting a great campaign which you will be able to play for many, many hours to come. Can’t wait!

More on the title:

4. Thorgal: The Board Game from Portal Games

Thorgal: The Board Game is a cooperative storybook adventure game for 1-4 players. Players take on the roles of Thorgal, his wife Aaricia, their son Jolan, and Kriss – a deadly female warrior, and go on a series of adventures. The game consists of 7 stand-alone scenarios, each taking roughly 90-120 minutes of play. Scenarios do not form a campaign nor have any legacy features, so they can be played by different playgroups and over an extended period of time.

Thorgal: The Board Game comes with a book of maps. Each scenario is played on a different map that players explore while fulfilling scenario goals and promises completely different adventures, hidden opportunities, and vivid characters. Players are free to choose whether they travel in one group or split to cover more areas at the same time. They also perform side quests that might help them win a scenario.

Thorgal: The Board Game, while having a strong narrative element, offers a brand new, unique action selection mechanism. In this new mechanism, actions have varying power depending on which other actions have already been taken. Players carefully plan their strategy and sequence of actions taken, as this directly impacts the strength of the effect of each action. This creates an interesting decision space and makes each turn important for everyone at the table.

Publishers Page

First Thorgal comics I had a pleasure to read when I was still a kid, in 80’s and 90’s. Since then, I am a big fan of Jean Van Hamme and Grzegorz Rosiński creations, having whole collection of books at my home. Thus when I saw that Portal Games will be publishing that position, my curiosity immediately jumped. And when I read in detail about mechanics, story, idea for play – I decided to support that very intriguing title. Maybe that will be a way for my kids to get hooked with that incredible Viking family, just as it worked for me back in time with comics? Let us see!

More on the title:

5. A Gest of Robin Hood from GMT Games

A Gest of Robin Hood adapts the COIN system to depict peasant revolts, feudal tax collection, and outlaw activities in late 12th century medieval England. A simpler format and a more approachable setting makes A Gest of Robin Hood perfect for newcomers to wargaming. At the same time, it also offers a tight challenge for more experienced wargamers who can enjoy a tense asymmetric duel in under an hour.

Publishers Page

I am truly waiting for that game for years 🙂 Being a COunter INsurgency games fun, I got intrigued by the title which promised simpler gameplay while providing great theme. That way I discovered Gest of Robin Hood at online SDHistCon in 2021. Let us be honest, I am influenced here not only by my love for COIN, great work of Fred Serval and Joe Dewhurst but also my child memories of the Robin Hood TV series. Well, let us see this game hitting the table!

More on the title:

Summary

I will repeat myself here but although this is self-explanatory, it is good to underline that as with Wargames, above list is just scratching the surface – each year so many titles go out that you are not able to get to know all of them, not to mention play and familiarize with them. Still, those several which I presented above would definitely make me happy should I get them somewhere in 2024! And what are your awaited general boardgames for the current year?