A bit larger list than the highlights list!
Top 25 Games Played in 2025
Illiterati (co-op word game)
=> BoardGameGeek
=> Official Website
=> Kickstarter (already ended for original game)
=> Kickstarter (for expanded game … in 2026)
=> Rulebook
May be easier with fewer players (ie, 2 or 3).
Excellent calm explanation of how to play (better than the official how to play):
Hot Streak
I now have the game… and it is even more hilarious than Ready Set Bet!
=> BoardGameGeek
=> Official Website
=> Rulebook
=> Lens 1 page Rule Summary (v4)
Live Playthrough
Atlantis Rising 2nd Edition (co-op)
Community: 3-6 players, best with 4 (solo & 2 player variants included, 7 player included but not recommended)
=> BoardGameGeek
=> Kickstarter
=> Official Website
=> Official Rulebook // Latest edition of rulebook
=> Len’s 1 page Rule Summary
=> Video Playlist
=> Background Music for this game
How To Play:
Ready Set Bet (giant High Roller edition)
=> BoardGameGeek (regular edition)
=> Rulebook
=> Len’s 1pg Rule Summary (v1)
=> Web-based Horse Racing (so you don’t have to roll the dice)
=> Download the App (for Apple and Android and Web)
=> Music to play before the race starts
=> Video Playlist (High Roller edition – mostly unboxing videos)
=> Video Playlist (regular edition)
=> at the bottom of the page is a video of the excited announcer for the races
The first four videos are from my favorite reviewers:
Quick Overview of the giant High Roller edition
Continue reading “Ready Set Bet (giant High Roller edition)”
Tedoku (flip N roll N write)
1-12+ players // 10 mins // Easy
Easy to learn, setup and play. One person rolls one die and flips one card that everyone uses (so no claiming that you got the bad cards:) Everyone draws the shape shown on the die in the row, column or grid area specified by the card.
=> BoardGameGeek
=> Official Website
=> Rulebook AND Player Sheets
=> Len’s half page Rule Summary
=> Large Player Sheet (print your own)
=> 4 player sheets page (print your own)
Official Quick Overview:
Pop Art
With clear transparent plastic cards (like Canvas – also by the same designers)
Pop Art is designed to be light, fast, and instantly engaging, while still offering satisfying strategic depth.
• Learn in 2 minutes
• Play in 15 minutes.
=> BoardGameGeek
=> Kickstarter
=> Rulebook
=> Lens v3 Pop Art Rule Summary (v3)
2 minute How To Play
Martian Dice
2-5 players (best with 3) // 10 mins // Easy
Perfect game to play while waiting for the others to arrive for your game day! Just a handful of dice that you can roll into the box cover so it needs very little table space. Or just put the dice in your pocket or purse so you can play anytime you have a few minutes to spare!
=> BoardGameGeek
=> Rules
=> Len’s v1 Half Page Rules Summary
Review:
Cosmic Encounter
=> BoardGameGeek PLUS 7 Expansions (in order of release – first three add a player):
=> Incursion // Conflict // Alliance // Storm // Dominion // Eons // Odyssey
=> 2pg Rules Summary (not Len’s though) with Added Reference Card
=> Quick Start Guide (Official Comic Style)
=> Core Game Rulebook (Official) 2018
=> Rulebook (official) 2008 (some say it’s better)
=> Master Alien Selector v7 Spreadsheet (make a copy for yourself) / or BGG Master Aliens Selector v7 Color Coded – List PDF (Helps Choose Aliens)
=> Alien Database (figures someone would do this:)
=> Alien Sheets / Alien Tips (Fandom Wiki)
=> 3D printing planets for the game (an article about doing it – VERY time consuming) / video of them
=> Len’s Alien List v5 Color coded (2 columns per page color coded by alert AND expansion)
=> Play Online (web based)
=> Select an Alien by number (1-238) [repeat if needed]
=> Alien Combos (suggested aliens that go well together for up to 8 players)
How to play each Alien (for and against):
=> Base Game
=> Cosmic Incursion
=> Cosmic Alliance
=> Cosmic Conflict
=> Cosmic Dominion
=> Cosmic Storm
=> Cosmic Eons
=> Cosmic Odyssey
Great Overview plus How To Play:
Vantage
=> BoardGameGeek
=> Annotated Rulebook v20
=> Official Player Aid Reference Card
=> Lens 1 page Rules Summary Vantage v2
=> Errata (mistakes on the cards) – see end of this article)
=> RulePop (includes the errata and easy to use storybook entries)
=> Vantage Locations Checklist (v2 with room for journal notes)
=> Log Your Journey (location by location) Thin Columns
=> Vantage Travel Journal (lots of room for journaling along with location number space plus print single sided so spiral bound has alternating blank pages)
=> Video playlist
=> Several videos about things we may be playing wrong (officially recommended)
=> Background Music for Vantage
From the designer: Vantage is primarily designed to reward curiosity, observation, and shared knowledge (either with other players or with yourself from previous plays). It is a rewarding, abundant game, not a punishing game; if you pay attention, use your eyes, and discuss what you see and have seen, the game will reward you. [ie, you ALWAYS succeed when you try something … it’s just that the COST to have done it can be minor or MAJOR:) ]
Tip: Games may be harder with fewer players. However, with 4, 5 or 6 players there is quite a bit of lag before you get your turn again!
It is possible to add in or drop players to a game in progress. To add in . . . just like another escape pod landed on the planet, treat them like additional player in start up, and have them land on the planet and add 2 more black dice to the game.
Overview (queued to summing up the game – if you like it, go back to the beginning for his overview of playing the game)
