I played 113 new games this past year. That means that a good chunk of them were bound to break into my Top 100 Games of All-Time list, and indeed 42 of them did, meaning that 42 games were knocked out of my Top 100. However, I will be releasing a list of my Top 101-150 games and some of these are still on there, so in this post I will be writing about the 19 games that dropped permanently off my rankings all the way out of the Top 100 and why they have done so.
Twilight Imperium (January 2018 - #13)
I mentioned in the other article that I decided with the new edition being released, me never having completed a game, and it being so long since my last partial game that it no longer qualified as a game I have played. This instantly means that it jumped up to near the top of my Want to Play list and in no way does it signify that the game has dropped for me, because from what I have played I think it could easily be in my Top 10.
San Juan (January 2018 - #58)
At one point in time, I thought this was a great game that simplified Puerto Rico into a card game, but without some of the complexity that Race for the Galaxy has. However, as time has gone on I definitely feel that there are limited scenarios where I would play San Juan as I would always prefer to play Race for the Galaxy and if I was looking for something simpler, perhaps I would play Jump Drive. I still think San Juan is a good game, but there are too many other ones I would rather play.
Citadels (January 2018 - #71)
This is a classic city building game mixed with bluffing that I unfortunately have only played a handful of times. And the couple of times I have played, the game dragged on in the middle quite a bit making it a less than memorable experience. However, there has been a recent reprint with additional roles and the game still ranks very high on BoardGameGeek, so maybe with more plays it can have a resurgence similar to 7 Wonders.
King of Tokyo (January 2018 - #73)
A fantastic game that has just been replaced by King of New York for me. I would not say no to a game of this though and it does make a better gateway game than its sequel, but I don't find the additions in King of New York too overwhelming either. Naturally this then got pushed down as a result of it being too similar to another game higher up in my rankings.
Hanabi (January 2018 - #74)
This is a fine, cooperative filler game that has great mechanics but I think that I have just played it too many times after re-discovering it on BoardGameArena. After awhile, the strategies emerge and don't really change, so it does feel like I'm playing the same game over and over. Great to break out once in awhile to try to reach that personal high score, but it doesn't have the same level of buzz it once did.
Abalone (January 2018 - #76)
When I first played this now 30 year old abstract game, I was taken aback by how much more fun it was than it looked. The way your pieces move and knock off your opponent's pieces was very interesting and unique, which caused it to make its way onto my list last year. I have not played it much at all this year though, which is likely why it has dropped since there isn't much of a theme to back up its mechanics and make it more memorable.
Tsuro (January 2018 - #80)
This is a very calm and relaxing game where you are placing tiles in a grid to try to keep your piece moving along a track for a longer time than the other players. Eventually, these individual tracks may start intersecting and the tile another player puts down might move your own piece in a direction you did not intend. It surprised me how much I liked this game, but there isn't too much to it other than what I mentioned above which is why it has dropped.
Colt Express (January 2018 - #82)
I'm not a fan of programming so it is easy for me to figure out why this game has dropped out of my rankings. Although the components and theme are top notch, the overall gameplay has never really clicked with me. It also doesn't help that I've never been good at the game.
Camel Up (January 2018 - #85)
I have a sense this will break back into my rankings, maybe not the Top 100 but at least the Top 150? That is, of course, if I get my hands on the second edition and also get a chance to play it. This has always been a fun gateway betting game and has fallen due to lack of plays, so since the new edition is supposed to make it a true party game, I can easily see it rising back up.
Love Letter (January 2018 - #87)
Similar to Hanabi, I think I have played out this filler game, especially thanks to BoardGameArena. They even have the Premium version with the additional characters for up to eight players and I have played this version multiple times. This is still an excellent filler and extremely portable, but just not something that I am as keen on these days.
The Resistance (January 2018 - #88)
The Resistance: Avalon is one of my favorite games and in my opinion improved on the original, so there really is no reason to keep the original in my rankings when there are so many other unique games out there. This does not mean at all that The Resistance is no longer a good game, but why play it when I can play the better version of it?
Ultimate Werewolf: Deluxe Edition (January 2018 - #92)
Once upon a time this was my favorite party game but it continually slips and slides against newer social deduction games, including its own One Night brethren. It is still a great choice for larger groups, but since I don't really get around to playing in large groups anymore, it never hits the table.
No Thanks! (January 2018 - #93)
Of the fillers that have dropped out of the Top 150, I think this one should return in the future as I think it is the most interesting of them all. Trying to get the lowest score is a twist on gaming norms and it plays really fast. There are a lot of fillers these days but this one has stayed fresh and might have only gotten pushed out because it has been around for longer, but classics like this usually come back.
Carcassonne (January 2018 - #95)
This is a classic, simple tile placement gateway game that has been replaced by slightly more complex games that I still feel are light enough to be gateway games, including Okanagan: Valley of the Lakes and Cacao. But just because it has dropped for me doesn't mean that I wouldn't recommend this to new gamers as a great game to try out and break from the Monopoly mold.
Dominion (January 2018 - #96)
I think that this game should climb back up as well as this is a really good deckbuilder with numerous expansions that just hasn't been played as much recently. It is still the standard that I compare other deckbuilders to and it probably takes a bit too much flak for all the expansion content, which I don't think is fair.
Onirim (January 2018 - #97)
This game is a really fun solo experience. The app also makes it really easy to play and features expansions to keep the game fresh. However, I just didn't play it this year so that is why it fell out. As I play more and more solo games, this is one that should make a comeback.
Mascarade (January 2018 - #98)
I have only played a couple games of this social deduction party game so that is why it hasn't stuck around. Although the mechanics are solid, the times I did play the game fell flat. So as much as I think it could make its way back onto my rankings, it will have a difficult time hitting the table.
Two Rooms and a Boom (January 2018 - #99)
One reason that this game showed up on my rankings was because I was able to play multiple memorable games at SHUX '17 with the designer. This negated some of the negative plays I had with my own gaming group, probably because people were a bit confused by it all. Unfortunately, I didn't get around to play it at all these year, even at SHUX '18, so that is likely why it has dropped off.
Bohnanza (January 2018 - #100)
Another game that is really fun and doesn't get enough play at all, I have been recently playing the kid-friendly version My First Bohnanza and it obviously brings back memories of this one. This is something else that could slip back into my rankings with another play or two.
Twilight Imperium (January 2018 - #13)
I mentioned in the other article that I decided with the new edition being released, me never having completed a game, and it being so long since my last partial game that it no longer qualified as a game I have played. This instantly means that it jumped up to near the top of my Want to Play list and in no way does it signify that the game has dropped for me, because from what I have played I think it could easily be in my Top 10.
San Juan (January 2018 - #58)
At one point in time, I thought this was a great game that simplified Puerto Rico into a card game, but without some of the complexity that Race for the Galaxy has. However, as time has gone on I definitely feel that there are limited scenarios where I would play San Juan as I would always prefer to play Race for the Galaxy and if I was looking for something simpler, perhaps I would play Jump Drive. I still think San Juan is a good game, but there are too many other ones I would rather play.
Citadels (January 2018 - #71)
This is a classic city building game mixed with bluffing that I unfortunately have only played a handful of times. And the couple of times I have played, the game dragged on in the middle quite a bit making it a less than memorable experience. However, there has been a recent reprint with additional roles and the game still ranks very high on BoardGameGeek, so maybe with more plays it can have a resurgence similar to 7 Wonders.
King of Tokyo (January 2018 - #73)
A fantastic game that has just been replaced by King of New York for me. I would not say no to a game of this though and it does make a better gateway game than its sequel, but I don't find the additions in King of New York too overwhelming either. Naturally this then got pushed down as a result of it being too similar to another game higher up in my rankings.
Hanabi (January 2018 - #74)
This is a fine, cooperative filler game that has great mechanics but I think that I have just played it too many times after re-discovering it on BoardGameArena. After awhile, the strategies emerge and don't really change, so it does feel like I'm playing the same game over and over. Great to break out once in awhile to try to reach that personal high score, but it doesn't have the same level of buzz it once did.
Abalone (January 2018 - #76)
When I first played this now 30 year old abstract game, I was taken aback by how much more fun it was than it looked. The way your pieces move and knock off your opponent's pieces was very interesting and unique, which caused it to make its way onto my list last year. I have not played it much at all this year though, which is likely why it has dropped since there isn't much of a theme to back up its mechanics and make it more memorable.
Tsuro (January 2018 - #80)
This is a very calm and relaxing game where you are placing tiles in a grid to try to keep your piece moving along a track for a longer time than the other players. Eventually, these individual tracks may start intersecting and the tile another player puts down might move your own piece in a direction you did not intend. It surprised me how much I liked this game, but there isn't too much to it other than what I mentioned above which is why it has dropped.
Colt Express (January 2018 - #82)
I'm not a fan of programming so it is easy for me to figure out why this game has dropped out of my rankings. Although the components and theme are top notch, the overall gameplay has never really clicked with me. It also doesn't help that I've never been good at the game.
Camel Up (January 2018 - #85)
I have a sense this will break back into my rankings, maybe not the Top 100 but at least the Top 150? That is, of course, if I get my hands on the second edition and also get a chance to play it. This has always been a fun gateway betting game and has fallen due to lack of plays, so since the new edition is supposed to make it a true party game, I can easily see it rising back up.
Love Letter (January 2018 - #87)
Similar to Hanabi, I think I have played out this filler game, especially thanks to BoardGameArena. They even have the Premium version with the additional characters for up to eight players and I have played this version multiple times. This is still an excellent filler and extremely portable, but just not something that I am as keen on these days.
The Resistance (January 2018 - #88)
The Resistance: Avalon is one of my favorite games and in my opinion improved on the original, so there really is no reason to keep the original in my rankings when there are so many other unique games out there. This does not mean at all that The Resistance is no longer a good game, but why play it when I can play the better version of it?
Ultimate Werewolf: Deluxe Edition (January 2018 - #92)
Once upon a time this was my favorite party game but it continually slips and slides against newer social deduction games, including its own One Night brethren. It is still a great choice for larger groups, but since I don't really get around to playing in large groups anymore, it never hits the table.
No Thanks! (January 2018 - #93)
Of the fillers that have dropped out of the Top 150, I think this one should return in the future as I think it is the most interesting of them all. Trying to get the lowest score is a twist on gaming norms and it plays really fast. There are a lot of fillers these days but this one has stayed fresh and might have only gotten pushed out because it has been around for longer, but classics like this usually come back.
Carcassonne (January 2018 - #95)
This is a classic, simple tile placement gateway game that has been replaced by slightly more complex games that I still feel are light enough to be gateway games, including Okanagan: Valley of the Lakes and Cacao. But just because it has dropped for me doesn't mean that I wouldn't recommend this to new gamers as a great game to try out and break from the Monopoly mold.
Dominion (January 2018 - #96)
I think that this game should climb back up as well as this is a really good deckbuilder with numerous expansions that just hasn't been played as much recently. It is still the standard that I compare other deckbuilders to and it probably takes a bit too much flak for all the expansion content, which I don't think is fair.
Onirim (January 2018 - #97)
This game is a really fun solo experience. The app also makes it really easy to play and features expansions to keep the game fresh. However, I just didn't play it this year so that is why it fell out. As I play more and more solo games, this is one that should make a comeback.
Mascarade (January 2018 - #98)
I have only played a couple games of this social deduction party game so that is why it hasn't stuck around. Although the mechanics are solid, the times I did play the game fell flat. So as much as I think it could make its way back onto my rankings, it will have a difficult time hitting the table.
Two Rooms and a Boom (January 2018 - #99)
One reason that this game showed up on my rankings was because I was able to play multiple memorable games at SHUX '17 with the designer. This negated some of the negative plays I had with my own gaming group, probably because people were a bit confused by it all. Unfortunately, I didn't get around to play it at all these year, even at SHUX '18, so that is likely why it has dropped off.
Bohnanza (January 2018 - #100)
Another game that is really fun and doesn't get enough play at all, I have been recently playing the kid-friendly version My First Bohnanza and it obviously brings back memories of this one. This is something else that could slip back into my rankings with another play or two.
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