Four Wish List Board Games 2021

Merchants Cove (2021)

This game is like four mini-games in one. All players compete as merchants trying to be the most successful at selling their wares. Each merchant plays in a different way. So, while competing to reach the same goal, all players are actually playing a different game. There are four unique merchants in the base game: the Alchemist, the Captain, the Time Traveler and the Blacksmith. Each has its own unique rules sheet and way to play. Expansions to the game add more merchants and more different ways to play. This makes Merchants Cove a really interesting game, and one that I hope to add to our collection soon.

Genotype (2021)

In this game, players crossbreed pea plants in an attempt to create the greatest pea in the entire world!! Based on the work of Gregor Mendel credited with the discovery of modern genetics, Genotype is a sciency-cool, set-collection, worker-placement game that's reported to be educational as well as fun and challenging to play. It's gotten great reviews and it looks beautiful to boot.

Free Ride (2021)

This is a pick-up and deliver, route building game by designer Friedemann Friese who is responsible for Fabled Fruit an early favorite of Julie and myself. We don't own many train games (maybe only Village Rails ... so, one.) Ticket to Ride is too light for us and runs a bit long. But, I like the idea of games with a train theme, and I love pick-up and deliver when it's done right. Everything that I have seen about Free Ride makes me feel that it does what it does very well. So, I am super excited for this one.

Escape: Roll & Write (2021)

The board game version of Escape always seemed like it would have been something that I might really enjoy. The main problem that kept me from getting the board game was the "real time" element (meaning that players perform under the pressure of a timer.) I really hate the idea of timed elements in board games. Enter the Roll & Write version of Escape. It's not timed, and it's cooperative. A cooperative roll and write game?! We don't own one of those! (This is in fact, the only one that I have heard of.) Add the theme of Indiana Jones style adventurers trying to escape a cursed temple, and the fact that it's based on an award winning board game, makes Escape Roll & Write a MUST HAVE for our collection.