13 best board games
13 best board games
Old games are a relatively new concept in board games and today we are looking for the best older board games.
Typically, a board game offers an all-in-one experience that you can pack in a box, forget about, and pull out for a new game a year later.
Old games are not like that at all.
In Abandoned Game, you build a legacy. Your legacy.
What you do in the game will affect every subsequent game play. It is designed to have real consequences for the actions of your game. If a character dies, he usually stays dead. You tear up the card, burn it, attach it to the bottle rocket, and shoot the space into it .
Our best selections for top rated old board games
Are you in a hurry? Take a look at our favorites before you leave.
Best for the value of repetition
The best budget
Best overall
Since this is such a new genre, there is also a lot of ambiguity around legacy games, so let’s clarify that.
What is the official Legacy game?
- Does it have lasting changes?
- Is it about destroying the components of the game?
- Are irrevocable decisions at play?
Of course.
I can’t answer exactly yet, and that’s because this genre is still in a phase of growing pain. Many people saw the Legacy system and immediately responded to it, saying the Illuminati board game publisher was planning to destroy the secondary market. I don’t really have an answer to that either (but I don’t think that’s the case).
It can be a scam at times, but I can honestly say that outside of Pen & Paper RPGs, I haven’t been involved in the board game story for a long time. I think never.
The system takes into account the high emotional value that players attach to the characters and objects in the game, and uses this emotion not only to tell the story, but also to bring the players deeper into it. Board games are, after all, a social experience, and anything that connects you to the world you play will enhance the experience.
Even at the time of writing, the factors of what constitutes abandoned board games have evolved and are constantly being challenged.
More on that later. For now, let’s take a look at what board games are available. We’ll take you among Legacy’s favorite board games and see what ticks each one.
# 1. Legacy of Risk
This is where it all started.
The Legacy of Risk was the first Legacy game ever made and reprinted so you can now actually find an unused copy.
The legacy of risk begins as a normal risk game that quickly turns into madness. After each game, the winner can adjust their army and award bonuses. Losers will be able to choose a different set of powerful bonuses to help them in the next game. Everyone gets something, but you definitely want to be the one to win. This balances the game somewhat so that one player does not get the advantage of escaping the first game.
While playing, the landscape will change as players fight around the world. Some locations may become more vulnerable, more defensive, or completely destroyed.
- Put down the TV and rekindle the family night by hanging out ...
- Have fun and at the next event surprise your guests with ...
- Nostalgic table games with interactive digital content for ...
The legacy of risk is as different as the first Legacy game created and as such has some growing pains. The system was still new in the beginning and not as balanced as it could have been, but overall it is a good addition to the list of legacy games. I’ve always had a soft risk point in my heart, and Risk Legacy simply takes it to a whole new level.
Haven't tried Risk Legacy yet? Check out our Full Review Before You Do It!
# 2. The Legacy of the Pandemic: Season 1
The Legacy of Risk may be the first Legacy game ever made, but Pandemic Legacy exploded there and became part of the overall board game. Games Z-Man has done an amazing job with versions and extensions of the pandemic and Legacy is no exception.
He has been at the top of the BGG rankings for quite some time.
The entire Pandemic Legacy campaign (seasons 1 and 2) is divided into one year (story time, not real time). Each round you play represents a month of time in the game. If you don’t reach your goals for this month, you’ll get another chance to play another game this month.
So if you’re completely insane and never lose a single game, the full Pandemic Legacy Season 1 series will last 12 games, and you’ll be able to get a maximum of 24 games out of the box.
Pandemic Legacy: Season 1 starts players almost like any other Pandemic game . The first game you play is pretty standard. There are four viruses you need to cure before you run out of cards or have too many outbreaks ... easy.
Then things turn for the worse. Without putting spoilers, viruses mutate and do “different” things, and at the same time, the board will start to move. Some places can become foci of disease and traveling down the board is quite difficult.
The story is in the form of an old deck. Before and after certain games, you will be instructed to draw a certain number of cards from this deck (NO PEEKING). The story will come through and instruct you to open small boxes or do something on the board.
- STRATEGY GAME: Players must participate in their ...
- GAME COOPERATIVE: Only by working in groups will you keep ...
- PLAY AFTER THE YEAR: The pandemic legacy begins as ...
We really liked our 1st season game. It was challenging, exciting and almost like Christmas every time we had to open a new item. It’s true that it’s sometimes stressful to tear up cards and spoil the board, but when it’s the fate of the world, you have to do what you have to do.
# 3. The Legacy of the Pandemic: Season 2
Without giving away anything story, Pandemic Legacy: Season 2 continues where Season 1 ended. In Season 2, players will face the consequences of the finals in Season 1.
I can tell you it uses a lot of the same mechanics as you will find Pandemic . If you’ve ever played Pandemic, you’ll recognize a lot of gameplay options. If you haven’t already, you should .
- Move around the board.
- Take action.
- Don’t let things get out of hand.
But it's different. It seems like a completely different game to me. The thematic elements evolved with the story and for me it seemed like a completely different game.
- STRATEGIC GAME: Embark on an epic adventure to bring humanity back ...
- GAME COOPERATIVE: Only with group work will you and ...
- PLAY AFTER THE FLIGHT: Pandemic Legacy requires playing ...
I will leave it so as not to spoil it for anyone. Old games are important time commitments with complex stories and surprises. Spoilers are buzzkill. So, play Season 1 of Pandemic and if you liked it and you blew it, Season 2 won’t disappoint.
# 4. Gloomhaven
The most important dungeon-spider / RPG is also the Legacy game. It was also the first game to remove Pandemic Legacy from # 1 on BGG’s list of top rated games. That alone raises eyebrows and is worth a visit.
Gloomhaven Knowledge, background, acting, story and frame are MASSIVE. Seriously, it’s a huge box full of tiles, mini, stats, booklets and maps.
“But where are the elements of the legacy?” You will ask yourself.
You will probably only see ¾ available content in one campaign. Depending on the actions performed during the missions, the players will actually be able to influence the world of Gloomhaven, but will essentially create their own world adapted to the map. The game will adapt to the choices you make in the game.
The difference between Gloomhaven and other older games is that it’s not really designed to be destroyed, and changes to the base game are in the form of stickers on the map. There are replacement stickers that can be purchased separately to “reset” the older system.
- For 1-4 players
- 60-120 minutes of play
- The cooperative plays a tactical battle inspired by the euro
If you want to deal with Legacy games and you’re still not 100% in favor of the idea of tearing up cards, I warmly suggest you start with Gloomhaven. You’ll get a ridiculous amount of content in one box, and “permanent” decisions can be easily reset if you choose to replay or with another group of players.
# 5. Charterstone
Charterstone is probably one of the most unique records in the Legacy genre.
The makers of Charterstone have decided that players will build a city instead of the usual Legacy themes ...
According to our own promotion:
“The prosperous Kingdom of Greengully, ruled for centuries by the King Forever, has issued a decree to its citizens on the colonization of vast lands beyond its borders. In an effort to establish a new village, Forever King has selected six citizens for the task, each with a unique set of skills to use to build their charter. "
Ignoring autocratic and imperialist bases, this game is absolutely wonderful with strange works of art and pure components. It’s probably one of the nicer games I’ve ever seen.
Everyone in this game is screaming: nice. Box artwork, clean white lines, cute fluffy clouds and little people.
Too bad it’s an abandoned game with a limited number of presentations ... oh wait!
- For 1-6 players
- 60 minute playing time
- Competitive game Legacy
You’re really building a small town in Charterstone, and when you’re done with it, you have a fully functional (custom) game to deploy workers . One of the reasons designers have made everything look so beautiful is that it will exist for a while. You can continue to play Charterstone as a standalone board game forever.
It’s a bit of the best of both worlds.
# 6. A betrayal legacy
I’m a big fan of the Betrayal series, scary sliders and everything else. The treacherous legacy takes all of Scooby-Doo’s entire camp, kills Shaggy, and ten years later, his younger brother searches for clues to his disappearance, metaphorically speaking, of course.
The legacy of the issue is based on the same system as the House of the Hill Edition . Inherited items are a lot of fun. The objects used by some characters can become heritage. Any player can use an element, but if we convey it through the family line, this particular character can use it better .
However, there may still be many ambiguous rules and vague instructions. It’s not necessarily hard to figure out, but if you don’t read carefully, you’ll miss a lot of important events.
The most important thing to remember is: READ EVERYTHING CAREFULLY .
- Attention! In the board games "Legacy" there could be every move of yours ...
- Discover the secrets of the iconic house in the 13th episode ...
- With 52 blood chases — including 13 that permanently ...
"Travel before the goal." - Brandon Sanderson, Path of the Kings
This is all about travel. Take your time, read all the details and you will have a much more exciting experience. Old games are all about the story you build it anyway, and when releasing it you need to be 100% sure you understand ALL the rules before continuing.
If you totally hated the issue or just weren’t a fan of it, I highly recommend you avoid the Legacy version. Mostly it’s the same game, but a much more customized story-based experience.
# 7. The First Martians: Adventures on the Red Planet
My first experience with First Martians was very similar to my first experience with Dark Souls . I vaguely understood the rules (or so I thought) and died.
Round 2: I lived a little longer. Then I died.
Round 3: Why the hell is this card? I died.
...
Round ???: Why can't I stop playing?
First Martians is not the most affordable game in the world, but it is one of the most useful. Hardcore is science fiction . You won’t run into monsters or green women in bikinis but you’ll need to figure out how to transfer power, make sure everyone has oxygen, and take care of the relentless landscape of Mars.
It won’t be easy and the rules won’t necessarily keep you through the game. It will be a wild ride.
It’s built on the same engine as Robinson Crusoe: Adventure on the Cursed Island , so if you know him, you’ll understand that this is designed as a tough game.
For the sheer value of what you get in the box, it’s very hard to beat the First Martians. It is available with two full campaigns. One is the standard price of board games and is designed to be playable again, just like all other board games. The second campaign, however, is also large and is a legacy campaign. Instead of releasing the regular version and then releasing the old version, the designers decided to put it all together in one box.
This completely eliminates the main drawback of old games. You basically get two games in one field.
- 3 basic game modes and 3 campaign modes
- 1 to 4 players
- 60 - 90 minutes of play
Is it for everyone?
No.
The first Martians were highly technical and based on hard science. It is very resource management - difficult and extremely ruthless. It won't be for the casual player, but it's a fantastic game ... once you get to the point where you understand all the rules and complexities of the game. Expect to get lost and die a few times. Whatever you do, don’t play the old version until you fully understand the game.
# 8. The Rise of Queensdale
The king announced that he wanted a new castle suitable for the queen. Everyone and everyone is welcome to try their hand at building a castle, but only the most successful builder will receive fame and glory.
Rise of Queensdale is a sleepy game to deploy workers that slowly accumulates while playing. It is often called an evolutionary game instead of an abandoned game because it is not really a big umbrella story and it is an evolution of the game, as opposed to forging a new path.
Rise of Queensdale uses custom dice as part of its abandoned system. There’s a lot more to the game than that, but the actions you’ll be able to perform revolve mostly around those dice. While playing the game, you will be able to customize each side of the dice and give you different abilities from your opponents.
Another interesting aspect of the game is that there are some resources we can store from one game to another. You may have performed very poorly during one round, but you set yourself a big advantage for the next match, which is a feature I haven’t seen too often.
- What you get: in this abandoned game for 2-4 players there is ...
- Clear instructions: in this game for ages 12 and up you can ...
- Abandoned game: legacy-style games develop both in the story and in ...
Kendra grew up in the Ravensburger Games. Ravensburger is a German company that usually produces very pure educational board games and is designed for children. I’m a bit sympathetic to the company myself and I think they did a great job with Rise of Queensdale. It’s not heavy in stories or full of features and crazy artwork, but it’s a very solidly crafted game that is both strategic and challenging.
# 9. Aeon's End Legacy
“Once again, dear friends, once again; / Or close the wall with our English dead. "
- William Shakespeare, Henry V
An unknown breakthrough between worlds has opened up and nameless monster hordes are spreading through.
There is hope.
The power that opened the fracture can be reused. In the right hands, it can be shaped into magic and a weapon that can be used to push the tide of horrors. Humanity was rejected to a single bastion: the underground city of Gravehold.
Le Breach Mages remain as humanity’s last hope for a solution.
If we couldn’t tell, I really like the story of Aeon’s End . As for playing, I had a lot of fun. Aeon's End is basically a weird mix between a dungeon-spider and an umbrella builder playing cards. Players work together to defeat a series of monsters and draw cards to improve their skills.
There won’t be a Dominion where you can simply connect the entire deck into a massive combination, so you’ll need to be very careful about what goes into your deck.
Players control Breach Mage, which turns on and evolves as the game continues. It also works very well with the Legacy system. Players start out as beginner magicians, and in the beginning, the rules will be fairly simple and straightforward. As the story progresses, complexity is gradually introduced into the rules, making it very accessible to beginners.
- First Legacy Roof Builder
- 80% of the content is compatible with aeon plus endings and extensions
- A rich, engaging narrative experience
If you’ve played Aeon’s End Legacy and still can’t get enough, Indie has built a separate reset package that (unfortunately) sells separately, but still less than half the price of the base game. It’s always nice if you can repeat the campaign.
- Aeon's end: Legacy reset package contains all cards, carpets, ...
- Model number: IBGAEL1R
- Item package dimensions: 7.87 "L x 1.97" W x 6.7 "H
Interested in the original Aeon's End before trying the old version? See our full review of Aeon's End here .
# 10. Ultimate Werewolf Legacy
How the hell do you turn bluffing into Legacy? I was genuinely confused by this when I first heard about it.
I really enjoy hanging out deduction games but ... let’s take a look.
Ultimate Werewolf Legacy is divided into 5 chapters, and each chapter consists of 3 different games. Individual games last about 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on how large a group you have. is a Werewolf , so playing an account at the higher end will improve the experience much more than if you had a minimum number of players.
So what is the legacy system about?
Each player belongs to a different family / faction and as the story progresses, different groups discover different aspects and abilities. To top it all off, there are signs that affect what happens in the next game during the game.
The game begins in a small village in New England in 1666, and the last chapter ends in 1777. Each subsequent game thus progresses in a timeline. You will not play the same characters in each game, but you will be from the same blood / family group. Speaking of bloodlines, it starts with a few werewolves, but further on (and depending on what you do in previous games) some more werewolves may appear.
The results of each game are recorded in a leather log attached to the game. When the entire Ultimate Werewolf Legacy campaign is over, you’ll have a really cool souvenir detailing all the events throughout the game. The components and production value here were surprisingly amazing and it blew me away quite a bit as it is a card game.
My first thought when I first saw this was, "This one definitely makes money."
But when I saw how it was played, I really wanted to give it a try.
- Officially licensed
- Bezier Games
- 9-16 players
Unlike some of the other games on this list, there is a playback package sold separately, and a brand new leather bound magazine and replacement cards are included for those you may have destroyed or written on and ... about half the cost of the basic games.
The final thoughts
I am interested in. I don’t think I would buy it just for myself. If I was interested in a large enough group of friends, I would definitely invest $ 5 per person and host a werewolf party. It seems a lot of fun and the idea of having a very interesting handwritten bill in the end makes it a much cooler souvenir than just a used board.
# 11. Landing
Seafall is a game you love or hate. If you’ve heard anything about it at all, he was super hippied during Kickstarter, then widely ridiculed, hippied again, and then somehow disappeared into the niche category. You understand the idea.
Overall, it’s an interesting game, and because of the popularity of train riding, you can actually find it significantly cheaper than most old games ( around $ 25 ) and at that price, it’s definitely worth checking out.
It is based on the 4X game concept .
- Investigate
- Expand
- Take advantage
- Exterminate
When you start, each player has 1 boat and 1 island. It’s a simple trading game at first, but as the world expands and more islands and ships are added, the rules become more complicated and things start to move.
Why all the claims?
The game is a bit complicated. The rules are not badly written, but a lot needs to be followed. As you progress, the game adds more rules and sometimes those rules override other rules, and then you start fighting.
There is also an ever-moving element on the board. When you get to the queue, the face of the board may have changed and all available actions may be completely different. As you may have already noted, this means a long wait for players to re-evaluate a board before deciding on any action.
Finally, there are the general goals. The game creates a false sense of time and empire building. Each subsequent game requires players to collect more winning points than the previous one, but each game has goals that are transferred from game to game and give a set of points. It is quite common for someone to suddenly win after meeting a goal or two.
Now that all the negative things have receded, let’s take another look. Seafall is a very nice game and it is a lot of fun. The strategy on offer is almost stunning at times, while exploring new islands and advancing the story is a ton of fun. The transition from one ship to a strong fleet is a very cool touch.
- For 3 to 5 players
- Playback time from 90 to 120 minutes
- High repeat value
If I bought this as a Kickstarter supporter for full retail, I would be fine, but if I got it for $ 25 after the hype dies, I would be absolutely thrilled. It’s not the most technically sophisticated game in the world, but it’s still a hell of an adventure and a lot of fun.
# 12. Shadowrun: Crossfire
Shadowrun is a fascinating world. It started with humble beginnings as a Pen & Paper RPG and expanded into a broad conglomerate of products. My first experience was actually playing SNES (which is still fun to play).
The main assumption is that in 2011 (this is an old series) witchcraft was returned to the world. The human genetic code was unlocked after the remaining dormant and magical creatures began to return. It's all about how the modern technological world is struggling with the return of magic and ... the consequences are not good.
Shadowrun: Crossfire is a cooperative deck building game that also plays pretty well as a standalone game .
In Crossfire, the actors take on the role of Shadowrunner, a hired mercenary who works on the fringes of society.
Throughout the game, players will build their decks with strategies, equipment, spells and everything they can collect for the run.
Cooperative board game
Shadowrun: Crossfire barely qualifies for Legacy. The longest I would say is that it has a built-in Legacy-esque mechanic. When you play Crossfire, each individual character earns karma (exp points). When enough is accumulated, we can upgrade it with new abilities, making them much more deadly.
The longer you play as a character, the stronger they will be. It’s a very nice RPG element that we throw away. We follow the abilities with stickers placed directly on the character sheet.
The reason I say it’s more about Legacy-esque mechanics, unlike the old game, is because that ’s the only enduring aspect from game to game. To make it even better, the guys and friends from Catalyst Game Labs included a lot of ability stickers. Theoretically, we could play around, get bored, tear off stickers, play around again, and we would probably still have enough stickers. If you’re really worried about permanently sticking things to game components, you can always attach them to the index card for your character.
- Innovative, challenging game offers many different ...
- It provides fast action and team play in the center ...
- Builds mechanics to advance characters, so players have ...
Despite the lack of old elements in the game, Shadowrun: Crossfire is a very cool umbrella builder who has a double duty as a great standalone game . If you want to try Legacy games without actually ruining anything, then this is probably a good start.
# 13. Machi Koro Legacy
Machi Koro is a very cute city building dice game . Players with dice raise funds and compete in building landmarks in their sleepy town. It's a very nice transition game it's easy to take and start throwing some dice. If you’re into Japanese-made artwork and styling, this box is likely to appeal to you at your local game store.
It is simple, fast and easy to learn.
The older version of Machi Koro is one of the newer Legacy games that came on the scene. It needs a lot of original gameplay, but as with all games, Legacy gives weight to the decisions you make throughout the game. What is built and who wins everything affects the next games. What I found particularly cute is that each player names their place and you can write it in big bold letters at the top. This can lead to a lot of weird new places, but it’s all in good fun.
This follows the same path as Charterstone, as once the old elements are finished, you are still left with a fully functional Machi Koro game. The players just adjusted it.
Honor: Clank Legacy Acquisitions Incorporated
Clank Legacy didn't get on the original list for an obvious reason ... I haven't played him yet. When I finally got the game under my belt, I wanted to add it to the list because it was great, but as you can tell from the title, it’s the 13 best Legacy games, not the 14, so Clank Legacy gets an honorable mention, though it probably deserves it. to be rated much higher than the last on the list.
Clank Legacy rides through a dragon-infested dungeon through the fun and picks up the stakes by ... turning on?
Clank takes his usual deck-building mechanics and then adds old elements as players run and influence his prison-dealing corporation. If you’re a fan of Clank, you’ll definitely feel at home with the basic mechanics, but as your adventurers continue up (or down) the corporate prison ladder, you’ll be waiting for some fun and unpleasant surprises at the party. .
The artwork and play were extremely easy to read and seem to be geared towards bringing younger children closer to the play table with their art and story-based play. That doesn’t mean it was silenced. Quite the opposite. One of Clank Legacy’s biggest strengths is that they manage to target younger players while still playing an amazing game that doesn’t talk to their players.
- Design your world - your decisions affect your story, your ...
- Go to the corporate adventure ladder in a fantastic 10+ game ...
- Continue your story with a unique and fully playable ...
Wrap-Up
So…
Let's talk about the elephant in the room.
Why buy a board game with a limited shelf life?
Nothing can be bypassed that when the Legacy game is over (mostly), it’s done. It is hard to reset and expensive.
To be clear, I bought several Legacy games with my own hard-earned money (for a teacher’s salary in the US) and I didn’t regret any of them.
One of my favorite aspects of board games is that it’s a social activity in itself and I usually really enjoy games with a very themed touch. Moving away from the table with the story, instead of just the score, is extremely exciting for me.
Old games offer a themed story that goes beyond what a normal board game can offer. It goes from a pre-created world to one that you actually influence. This is the same phenomenon that has created RPG Games of all kinds popular. You are no longer a faceless character running around and fulfilling tasks. Instead, you play a character you have guided through trials and tribulations and carefully guarded. Emotional attachment makes the game real and on top of that makes the whole playgroup feel the same.
Old games can be expensive, but the cost will give you an amazing experience.
Let's see Pandemic Legacy: Season 1.
It was the first Legacy game I bought from Barnes and Noble for $ 70 (Yes, Barnes and Noble still exists). I played the whole campaign with Kendra and her mother in three months.
We lost just 2 games, so the whole action took us 14 games.
That's $ 5 per 1 - 1.5 hours of playing time.
For 3 players, this is just over $ 1.50 per game for an hour of fun.
Mathematics FTW! I don’t know about you, but I can’t go to the movies for $ 1.50. As we played through Pandemic Legacy: Season 1, we talked about it constantly and looked forward to playing the next round every weekend. It was amazing and I have no regrets about the purchase.
Another thing to keep in mind is that if you have a group willing to go and commit to a weekly schedule for the Legacy game, nothing says one person has to pay the full price of the game. Let everyone sign up. With normal play, the owner can keep it and continue to play it with other groups, so it makes sense if they buy it for themselves. If you watch Legacy games, chances are you already have a group of dedicated players. There is no reason that one person should bear the cost of everything.
These are just my thoughts on pricing. Some won’t touch one of these games on their own in principle, and many think it’s the money the gaming industry has drained to leak the Legacy system to “force” players to repurchase games.
I can only say "maybe". There could very well be a flood of new Legacy board games that would quickly run out for players to buy. My personal opinion is that this hasn’t happened yet and every game I’ve seen so far has been a well thought out product.
What do you think of our choices for the best old board games? We would love to hear your opinion on the genre and your favorite board games!
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