2025 Board Game Challenge!

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It’s that time of year, folks.

Just a reminder to those who have done these before, and an FYI for anyone who wants to join in: these are strictly positive, no-shame, encouraging sorts of challenges. They are intended to motivate you, not to discourage or disappoint… think of them as a theme you want to work towards, or a goal you’re aiming for, not something you can miss or “get wrong.”

I have traditionally aimed for a 10x10 (ten games I attempt to play 10 times) with a separate list for new games I haven’t played yet, but feel free to do whatever you think is the most fun! Maybe 100x1 (a hundred games played once, or one game played a hundred times!), or a 20x5, or just a list of games you want to play… or whatever!

That stated, here is my starting volley:

Arcs
Battletech
Descent
Destinies
Dune Imperium
Heat
Root
Thunder Road Vendetta
Twilight Imperium IV
War for Arrakis

And my list of unplayed games:

The Undercity, New Salem, Dune Conquest, Frosthaven, Star Wars Shatterpoint, Catacombs Co-op/Red

Best of luck to everyone for a great year of gaming!

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I have avoided gaming challenges in years past.

This year, the challenge I set for myself is: 12 plays.

I’d like to, if possible, average one play per month.

Games that have flirted with my table recently and will, perhaps, make a showing:

  • BattleCON, using solo mode from either BattleQUEST or the one designed by Mike Kelley
  • Millennium Blades (finally fully sleeved, almost had it set up on my table when we hit some sleep regression with the baby)
  • Cellulose (on my list of cull candidates, need to figure out if it’s going to stay)
  • Ashes: Reborn – Red Rains (just got new content to explore)
  • Commands & Colors – Medieval w/CDG Solo System 2 and recently released C&C:M expansion
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I think I am going to do a repeat of last year: play two of my unplayed games per month. I think I would give half credit for something that has only been played once before. So aiming for 24 plays total.

Considering I have 104 unplayed games per the geek group app, this should be manageable. Plus, I know it isn’t accurate since I log BGA plays, and I have a number of games I played there and now own, but have not yet played my copy. So there’s even more games to choose from.

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  • I will probably set up some dynamic challenges in BGStats. I liked the 20x5 for multiplayer and the 10x10 for Solo games.
  • I would like to reduce my number of unplayed games by whatever means necessary :slight_smile: (See below)
  • I would also like to get rid of some games this year. So maybe getting rid of 3 a month would be a good start.
  • I would like to keep my number of (crowdfunding) preorders low. I am currently sitting at 8 undelivered boardgame campaigns (+3 game related, +2 rpg related, +3 book related for a total of 16). I want to keep the number in the low teens. I don’t think I’ll reduce my crowdfunding to nothing. There are some tempting campaigns every once in a while.
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The fact that there are people with more unplayed games than I have games makes me think my board game collection isn’t in fact as bloated and out of control as it sometimes feels!

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My only challenge for the year is:

I would like to get to the end of the year happy with the amount of board game play I have managed, and not thinking I really should try to find time/make the effort to play more.

Didn’t manage that in 2024.

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The only formal challenge I do is the 52 Game Challenge. And I don’t take that super seriously.

I’ll go for a soft 10×10 as usual, and try to reduce my unplayed games, and try to get something currently in my head playable by other people.

Unplayed games right now (not counting the for-sale pile):

  • Assembly
  • Make It Happen (demonstrator freebie)
  • Path of Light and Shadow
  • Riverside (demonstrator freebie)
  • Umbra Via
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I’ve found myself invited to a campaign of Risk: Legacy.

So I’m going to do my damned hardest to get that finished this year.

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1.) Finish my culling campaign by end of Q1
2.) Shame pile down to zero by end of Q1
3.) Solo puzzle games (e.g. Unlock, SHCD) done by Q2

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Once again: play all my unplayed games, but specifically games that I’m responsible for, not stuff that my husband has bought :laughing:

List of unplayed games (inc. pre-orders/Kickstarters
  • Agropolis
  • Akropolis
  • The British Way
  • Caverna: Cave Vs Cave
  • Factory Funner
  • Glass Garden
  • Gloomhaven: Buttons and Bugs
  • Hipparchus
  • In a Grove
  • Kabuto Sumo
  • Lock
  • Loot
  • Molly House
  • Pendulum
  • Ptolemy
  • Santorini
  • Twins
  • Undaunted 2200
  • Vegetable Stock
  • Wingspan: Asia
  • Wonder Bowling (played yesterday)
  • Zoo Vadis

I’ve also set up a dynamic 20x5 challenge and an alphabet challenge on BG stats. I think that the only really tricky one will be X, so I might need to book @RogerBW for a game of Xia!

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At some point I may get enough bits together to run a PBF… though I usually bring it to conventions too.

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I’ll be at Handycon in two weeks, and at Airecon in March :slight_smile:

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I’ll also be at Airecon!

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You havent played this masterpiece?! :scream::scream:

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In my defence, it’s bundled in with a Kickstarter that hasn’t arrived yet!

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I think we were playing it at the next table last Airecon.

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I’ve never done this but I might give it a shot.

I’m not going to start with a 10x10 but I’ll put the next ten games I play (and I like)and use that to construct the list.

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Does it count if you play my copy of Zoo Vadis? Will definitely bring it to Aire Con.

I can also lose at Santorini

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Happy to help out

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For 2025, I’m doing two 10x10s plus monthly mini challenges.

10x10
To be selected from the long list below. Learning from last year and including a few extra lighter games to avoid getting bogged down when life gets busy.

  • Anachrony
  • Andromeda’s Edge
  • Bullet :black_heart:
  • Brass Birmingham
  • Forest Shuffle
  • Frostpunk
  • Gaia Project
  • Gugong
  • The Isle of Cats
  • Legacy of Dragonholt
  • Meadow
  • Red Rising
  • Robinson Crusoe
  • Smartphone Inc
  • Tricktakers
    Edit…
    Adding a couple of titles to the long list after arrival of some unanticipated belated Christmas gifts
  • Salton Sea
  • Great Western Trail / GWT: Argentina
    … end edit.

KeyForge 10x10
Scan all my decks from each tournament legal set owned, and complete 10 plays of my highest SAS rated deck from each.

  • Call of the Archons
  • Age of Ascension
  • Worlds Collide
  • Mass Mutation / More Mutation
  • Dark Tidings
  • Winds of Exchange
  • Grim Reminders
  • Vault Masters 2024
  • Æmber Skies
  • Tokens of Change

Stretch goal is to add the two new standard sets scheduled to be released later this year: Prophetic Visions and Draconian Measures.

Monthly Challenges
To mix things up, complete a new mini challenge each month.

For January, the mini challenge is to play all my Roll/Flip and Write games, including the three shelf of opportunity titles (French Quarter, Super Skill Pinball and Next Station London).

2025 January
2025 January1352×1512 786 KB

Stretch goal is to also play the shelf of opportunity expansions (5x Railroad Ink expansions and the Europe map for On Tour).

Good luck with your challenges everyone!

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