These may not be the top 40 board games ever designed, nor is it the top 40 influential or otherwise important games. If you aspire to really understand tabletop, or if you have visions of designing your own games, these are the 40 games that, if you play them, will give you the widest possible perspective on what it means to make a good game (and what “good” even means).
Presented at MAGFest 2018 by the Geeknights crew as part of the MAGES track
MAGFest is an amazing convention that we lecture at every year, and you should go if you have the chance to do so!
https://www.magfest.org
If you’re too lazy to even watch the video, here is the full list of games discussed:
Tigris & Euphrates
Dune
Mafia (Werewolf)
Codenames
Battletech
Torchbearer
Fast Food Franchise
Spot It
Jungle Speed
Puerto Rico
Hanabi
Vinci
Wizard
Bohnanza
Glory to Rome
Camel Up
Tales of the Arabian Nights
Eclipse
Amon Re
Elkfest
Exit: The Game – The Pharaoh’s Tomb
Lost Cities
Magic: The Gathering
Fury of Dracula
Android: Netrunner
Dungeons & Dragons
Lady Blackbird
Pandante
America
1846: The Race for the Midwest
Dominion
Some Old Grognard Wargame
Shogun / Samurai Swords / Ikusa
XCOM: The Board Game
Between Two Cities
Pandemic: Legacy
Deep Sea Adventure
Captain SONAR
Factory Fun
Quartermaster General
Vast
Inheritance
Panelists: Brandon “Rym” DeCoster [Podcaster, Website], Scott “Apreche” Rubin [Podcaster, Website]
Source: GeeknightsRym