Greetings Gamers! I hope 2025 has started well and that you’ve already managed to get many games to the table.

I’ve never made a Top 10 list before and I tend not to play favourites because I’m fortunate enough to enjoy a hobby that provides such a great deal of variety and nuance that distilling the many, many games I play down to a short list seems like a daunting task at best. However, I thought it might be fun to choose 10 games I played and reviewed in 2024 from a selection I awarded Above Board’s ‘Top 10 Contender 2024’ seal. The caveat here is that this list doesn’t comprise only of games that were released in 2024, but rather, games I played or experienced for the first time in 2024. So its a mixed bag, there are a few fresh, new titles in there, but more than a couple of older games from the past couple of years that I only managed to play first time in 2024, so do please keep that in mind if your favourite new release from 2024 doesn’t appear here.

So without any further preamble, lets begin. First with three honourable mentions. These are games that secured the seal, but didn’t quite make it to the final ten.

Honourable Mention 1. Thunder Road: Vendetta

Thunder Road: Vendetta came as something as a surprise when I finally managed to source a copy. I’d heard it was good and I’d heard it was popular, but I wasn’t expecting it to be so easily accessible and fun to teach. Fury Thunder Road: Vendetta is a catastrophic thrill ride of dice rolling vehicular mayhem. The only thing more fun than winning, is losing and the friends you take with you along the way. While it didn’t ultimately make it into my top ten for the year, it certainly did stand out from the multitude of games I played during 2024. If only it had a solo mode….

Read my full review review here: Thunder Road: Vendetta

Honourable Mention 2. My Father’s Work

While not a 2024 release, My Father’s Work was a title that I first experienced during ‘24 and as such it became something of a sleeper hit for me. My only regret is that we didn’t get to play it more, or it may have ended up hitting the top ten. My Father’s Work is a dark gothic tale of generational experimentation, obsession and horror presented in a gloriously produced app-assisted worker placement game. The unfolding narrative following the players as they progress through three generations of their family, trying to fulfill their father’s grand experiment while trying to appease the townsfolk who are growing wary of this mysterious family in their creepy estate. The choices player make affect the development of the town and as such, future turns as some doors open up tot he players as other doors close. An excellent strategy game dripping with theme and wrapped in a one of the most gorgeously produced titles I’ve ever seen!

Read my full review here: My Father’s Work

Honourable Mention 3. Trogdor!!: The Board Game

Okay, this one is a little more me indulging my nostalgia than the game itself, but hey, its my blog and I’ll gush if I want to. Trogdor!!: The Board Game was a title a never expected to see and arguably, one that had the odds stacked against it. It’s a niche within a niche within another niche, and I love everything about it! For those in the know, Trogdor requires no introduction, but for the regular people out there, Trogdor is a Dragon-man character (with a suped up, beefy arm) who was created but another character Called Strong Bad who himself is a character within an animated web series called Strong Bad’s Emails. It was a popular series that ran in the early 2000’s and utilised Flash animation (remember that?). It was clever witty and irreverent and the game encapsulates those qualities in abundance. Trogdor (the game) is a co-operative tile laying game in which the players collectively play Trogdor as he ‘burninates’ his way through a village, destroying the peasants and their thatch-roofed cottages while avoiding the town’s defences, and Troghammer, the big knight who’s purpose is to bring Trogdor down. The game has colourful minis, tons of in-jokes, humour and above all, really great gameplay! It’s simple, fun and thematic and I’d love to see it get more attention. While it fell just shy of reaching my top ten, it’s definitely a game I plan to revisit in the years to come.

Read my full review here: Trogdor!!: The Board Game

10. Aliens: Another Glorious Day in the Corps

Now we get down to it! Number 10 is a game who’s IP is near and dear to my heart, Aliens: Another Glorious Day in the Crops follows the crew of the Sulaco as they progress through a version of the events of James Cameron’s Aliens. This dungeon crawler owes much of its design cues to classics such as Space Hulk, which ironically, often took homage from the Aliens franchise itself. A tight, stellar production dripping with theme and plenty of bug-hunting action. The option to intersperse rescue missions between story missions to recover fallen squad mates is inspired and the combined action deck/squad endurance deck ups the tension as it gradually depletes as the crew becomes overwhelmed by xenomorphs. I was later to the party on this one than most, but I couldn’t overlook it as one of my top favs that I played in 2024!

Read my full review here: Aliens: Another Glorious Day in the Corps

9. Moonrollers

Now we come to the first actual 2024 new release on this list. Moonrollers from IV Games, the game studio branch of IV Studios, is a dice rolling push-your-luck game set in the Moonrakers universe (also by IV Games). This one made the cut for many reasons, not the least of which is that it was so quick and easy to both learn and teach and a breeze to set up and play, that within a few short weeks it had become one of the most played games of the year both within our home and with my regular gaming group. What’s more, both my son and my gaming group just couldn’t seem to get enough of it, it was requested time and again to the point where members of the group actually asked about how to acquire their own copies. Moonrollers isn’t reinventing the wheel, and it has low complexity, which can be either a boon or a drawback depending on what you’re looking for. As far as I am concerned, it filled a gap in my collection and proved to be a thoroughly enjoyable experience time and again.

Read my full review here: Moonrollers

8. Final Girl

After many months of deliberation and reading rave reviews I decided to dip my toes into Final Girl waters and I have to say that sounded a lot better in my head, also I don’t regret taking the plunge for a second! Final Girl is a solo only game in which one plays the heroine in a slasher horror-style game where she must rescue innocent victims, gather strength and resources and ultimately, defeat the big bad. The game’s modular nature, allowing players to mix and match different final girls, monsters and the settings, makes this one of the more versatile games on the market. The game is fresh, challenging and rewarding, and if you can eventually work your way through to a win even better. Even if the horror theme doesn’t grab you, the excellent puzzle the gameplay provides will likely keep you engaged for hours. I’ve described Final Girl as the most fun I’ve had losing and I think that says it all! If you haven’t tried your hand at it yet, then do yourself a favour, I doubt you’ll regret it.

Read my full review here: Final Girl

7. Septima

Another game suitable for Halloween but also just a great game in general is the second on my list to be released in 2024. Septima, from Mindclash Games is a card drafting, trick-taking, worker placement game in which players are witches during the height of the witch trials. Players are tasked with gathering resources to help cure the sick and injured to the village, cast spells, brew potions and escaping the witch hunters roaming the surrounding forest and should they draw too much attention, the townsfolk will conduct a witch trial to expose and persecute the very same witches who have been trying to keep the town safe. This production took me quite by surprise as I hadn’t heard of it until I steam led upon it online after it’s release. Needless to say, it left an impression and was unlike any of the other titles in my collection. There are a ton of options to keep players busy and multiple paths to victory, There’s a degree of social interaction with the trick taking elements and the component quality blew me away! While Septima has made it to the number seven spot on my list, I feel that with further plays it could easily creep higher.

Read my full review here: Septima

6. Unmatched: Tales to Amaze

Unmatched takes the award for the all-time most played game in our household with over 230 logged plays just in 2024 alone! Unmatched: Tales to Amaze added a refreshing element to the mix with the addition of solo and cooperative play by pitting players against the Mothman or the Martians together with a selection of cryptozoic minions to flesh out the experience. One of the biggest draws of the Unmatched series is the ability to pit fighters from such a wide range of IPs against one another. How would Bigfoot fair against Shakespeare? Could Bruce Lee take down Jurassic Park’s T-Rex? Just when I thought they had reached the peak experience, they surprised everyone with Tales to Amaze and having it remain compatible with every other Unmatched Set released propels this ahead of even Final girl in terms of it’s versatility and scope. I’ve already gone all-in on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles set due out later this year and if Restoration games nails that the same way they have here, then I’ll be a happy camper for sure! (Damn, that would have made a much better Final Girl pun!)

Read my full review here: Unmatched: Tales to Amaze

5. Let’s Go! To Japan

Another 2024 release that gained some much deserved buzz was AEG’s Let’s Go! To Japan. This is a title that hit home for me since that’s exactly what we planned to do in our real lives. This card drafting game has players planning a week away in Japan touring the famed cities of Tokyo and Kyoto. The game takes some innovative approaches to planning an itinerary and walking players though their holiday at the end as part of the scoring phase. The art work stood out as well, making this game a must have for anyone who loves travelling, Japan or clever card drafting games. For myself, it managed to crack the top five of this list showcasing it’s re-playability, inviting theme and family-friendly play style. I highly recommend you check out Let’s Go! To Japan if you get the opportunity.

Read my full review here: Let’s Go! To Japan

4. Fractured Sky

IV Games has produced a steadily increasing list of well-received games filled with engaging gameplay, high production values and striking, unique art work that makes each title stand out on its on merits. Fractured Sky rates highly for me among their work as it manages to balance so many elements so gracefully. This bluffing and area-control game is set in a world of floating islands as several factions compete to find and control the star falls, fragments of a fallen star that have broken up and scattered themselves across their lands. The magnetic discs attached in secret to the underside of players ships determine their level of troop power and thus, their ability to control each area and this hidden information is the central concept of the experience. The game plays fairly quickly and accommodates 1-5 players, so its suitable for most group sizes. I knew I’d enjoy Fractured Sky, I just didn’t know what a stand out game it would be for our group, it has certainly earned its place in the final five of my top ten!

Read my full review here: Fractured Sky

3. Foundations of Rome

Foundations of Rome is a game I wish I managed to play more often in 2024. I love everything about this game, from its incredible components to its fast and simple game play. This is what I would describe as a big box game providing a small box experience, and in this case, I think that’s not half bad at all. In Foundations of Rome, players are competing to contribute to Rome’s greatness by building the most valuable buildings and controlling coveted properties. Buying lots of land, constructing everything from residential and civil to entertainment and religious structures, the city take shape through the gorgeously detailed miniature buildings. Could these have just been 2D tiles? Absolutely! Am I glad they didn’t go that way? Absolutely! Foundations of Rome is well constructed, smooth to play and easy to get into to the point I’d even suggest this one as a stepping stone for newcomers to the hobby to dip their toes into more complex games without feeling overwhelmed. Highly recommended!

Read my full review here: Foundations of Rome

2. Dead Reckoning

Card Crafting has become a game mechanic I’m quite excited about. It takes what has traditionally been an optional upgrade to protect cards and utilises it as a game mechanic, Mystic Vale is my favourite of these, but when I heard about Dead Reckoning, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. The trouble was, actually getting my hands on it! It seemed like years until I was finally able to procure a copy, but when I finally got it to the table at the beginning of 2024 it didn’t disappoint! Dead Reckoning blends card crafting, pick-up-and-deliver and area control with a rich pirate theme, add to this a host of fabulous components and a cornucopia of options for point scoring and you have yourself a high seas adventure filled with ship and crew upgrades, seaborne battles, resource gathering and player on player conflict! Dead Reckoning appears to be more widely available now, so it might be a great time to pick up a copy for yourself! Drink up me mateys, yo ho!

Read my full review here: Dead Reckoning

1. Moonrakers

Settling on my number one game for 2024 wasn’t the difficult task I thought it would be. While I have played a great many amazing games during the year, the one I kept coming back to time and again was Moonrakers. Again, not a 2024 release, but it was the title that I acquired and played most during the year. It immediately took the top position among my collection and managed to remain there despite many other solid releases during the following months. I love deck builders and Moonrakers manages to blend the genre seamlessly with negotiation and hidden information all while presenting a setting and art style that just ticks all of my boxes. The variety of play, the inclusion of an app-driven solo/cooperative experience and the multitude of mini expansions propelled Moonrakers to the forefront of gaming for me. The Moonrakers universe is one I’m all in on and I can’t wait to try Brink when it releases later this year. Another fantastic entry from IV Games and, in my so so humble opinion, fully deserving of the number one spot on this list!

Read my full review here: Moonrakers

So, those are my top ten picks for 2024. I’d love you hear your top tens and if any of my choices made your own lists. 2025 is already shaping up to be another promising year for the hobby. I hope to bring you more reviews and blog entries during the year. Thank you for joining my in 2024 and I hope to see you all return again and again as I bring you more of my thoughts on our favourite board games and please remember to follow Above Board on Facebook and Instagram.

I hope 2025 brings you the very best. Love and kindness to all!

Above Board’s Top 10 Games of 2024!