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Old 01-03-2020, 10:02 AM   #5
Kurt
 
Join Date: Jan 2020
Default Re: January 2, 2020: Are These The Most Important 100 Games Of The Decade?

Hi folks! Author of the piece here -- thank you to everyone who took the time to read, and to the Daily Illuminator / SJ for featuring the article. I figured I'd reply to a couple comments.

Ronbo: You're bang on, actually. While I've played the majority of the games on this list (71/100), the goal was more to discuss the impact the games had on the industry than their actual feeling of play -- unless that feeling of play was central to their impact.

For any given entry, I tried to make use of designer interviews, reviews (at release and years later), and rulebooks when I wasn't certain of a mechanism's function. When I started writing the article in October, early entries had more of a focus on play, but that made a long piece much longer... so I ultimately pivoted. Thanks for taking the time to read.

lachimba: Right? Skipping roleplaying games was an intentional choice, but it definitely felt a little wrong. I love RPGs, but I felt like comparing them directly to board games felt like less respect than they deserved. I'd love to see a similar write-up for the roleplay world.

As for 18XX (and train games more broadly), I considered a few! Ultimately, I erred on the side of omitting them, since so many critical titles in the movement pre-dated the 2010s. Which titles would make your list, and why? I'm curious what the defining releases of the last ten years have been.

ParadoxGames: Cards Against Humanity being so high definitely felt wrong. But working at a board game café, I saw the impact it had in bringing people into the hobby... even if it's not my cup of tea. As for Twilight Struggle -- that would be a crime indeed! But since the game came out in 2005, I think I get a pass. ;)
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