Being stuck inside for most of 2020, it was hard for much of society to go out and play games with friends. Video games came in handy for people who were apart, but there was still the reality that people couldn't gather to play games in the same room. This meant a decline in playing tabletop games.
That said, 2020 still had plenty of solid tabletop games come out that gave people who lived under the same roof an activity they could do while they passed the time in quarantine. There were even some games people could play alone if they needed to.
10 Tekhenu: Obelisk Of The Sun (8.0)
Help the Pharaohs build a site to honor the many Egyptian gods and learning to manage each move in Tekhenu: Obelisk of the Sun. The board is divided into six sections, each representing a different Egyptian god. For each round, players must draft dice. Depending on what di an individual may receive will determine what action they must take. Choosing which of the dice to draft is dependent on whether it's Pure or Tainted, which has a role in determining draft order for the next round. The goal of the game is to build a solid foundation of solid structures and a happy population.
9 Calico (8.0)
An abstract yet cozy game, Calico is a puzzle-like game with a feline theme for everyone. Players compete to see who can create the best quilt that must be placed in a specific pattern. Each turn, players must select one tile from their hand and place it into their quilt. Then, they must draw another tile. If players are able to form a color group, they can add a button to their quilt. Points are scored with the number of buttons an individual has on a quilt, as well as the number of cats the quilt may attract.
8 Forgotten Waters (8.2)
Those looking for a board game equivalent of Sea of Thieves could take a dive into Forgotten Waters, a role-playing game about being pirates. Each player can create a character that will be the subjects of the story. Players will work together on a ship as they sail the ocean blue while also further developing their characters and stories.
The game includes five possible scenarios that players could experience and a location book for players to thoroughly explore. Choices made in the game help evolve the story and can lead players to different conclusions.
7 Viscounts Of The West Kingdom (8.2)
Reigning over society can be hard work, and in Viscounts of the West Kingdom, a kingdom's success lies in the players' hand. Set in 980 AD, players must spend each turn doing everything they can to make sure their kingdom is a prosperous as it can be. Players must construct buildings, purchase new land, enhance the castle, and write manuscripts to earn points. The game ends once a kingdom reaches full poverty or prosperity. The player with the most points at the end of the game is declared the winner.
6 Lost Ruins Of Arnak (8.3)
It's time to hunt down secrets and treasure in the Lost Ruins of Arnak. The strategy game puts players in the role of explorers as they look to explore this uncharted territory. The game focuses on deck-building and resource management with the goal being to find artifacts and discover everything there is to know about the ruins. Players must choose what move they want to take each turn as they decide what cards they want to deploy, such as whether to place workers down or going after specific resources. The game encourages using new strategies in each game due to its randomness.
5 On Mars (8.3)
The Department of Operations and Mars Exploration, otherwise known as DOME, is looking for a new chief astronaut. In On Mars, players are tasked with creating a sustainable society on the newly-colonized planet. The game is split into two phases: the Colonization Phase and the Shuttle Phase. The first phase includes traveling between the space station and living on the surface in order to achieve many tasks from developing technology to constructing buildings. The second phase focuses on managing basic necessities. The game ends once three missions are completed.
4 Dune: Imperium (8.5)
Fans of the classic science fiction franchise Dune will get a kick out of the board game based on the universe. Dune: Imperium has players become leaders of one of the Great Houses of the Landsraad. The game also involves deck building and strategizing how to deploy agents in different areas of the game board.
Players can enhance their edge in the game in terms of the number of forces they have or how much of an advantage they have in the four different factions in the game. The goal is to lead and navigate the way to victory.
3 Pandemic Legacy: Season 0 (8.8)
Fitting that a game about a pandemic would be among the most popular games that came out in 2020. Pandemic Legacy: Season 0, the third game in the series, is a prequel to its predecessors. Players are medical graduates in the Cold War era who have been recruited to help fight back against the development of "Project MEDUSA," a new Soviet weapon. The gameplay revolves around a 12-month period where players must complete missions to uncover the truth behind the project. There are some cooperative elements to the game as well.
2 Eclipse: Second Dawn For The Galaxy (8.8)
Heading back to space, Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy is a remake of the base game that came out in 2011. In charge of an interstellar society, players must strategize exploring space, researching technology, and building ships for battle. This newer edition of the game features more miniatures that can be used in the game, including a full line of different ships. The game is also aesthetically enhanced with new designs, custom plastic inlays, and custom combat dice. Overall, it's a more fine-tuned experience than the original.
1 Gloomhaven: Jaws Of The Lion (8.9)
For those who are looking for a grand adventure, Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion is a great place to start. A standalone installment of the Gloomhaven series, the game is a lot less complicated than its main-series counterpart. The game focuses on fighting monsters using cards in a strategic matter. The particular game focuses on one campaign that features up to 25 different scenarios. In addition, there are four new types of characters to choose from as well as 16 different monster types that can be fought.