2022 Board Games We Are Most Excited For!

It’s 2022 and there are (hopefully) some good things coming this year for all of us. Let’s talk about board games coming this year and the ones that we are most excited for! We compiled a list together and similar to the hype meter that One Board Family used in their article (check it out here) we will rate the excitement level from 1 to 5 stars as indicated by this fancy chart:

Let’s begin shall we?

Unnamed “King of ___” from IELLO
★★★★

Nominated by: Randy
King of Tokyo is a staple in our household. We play it at least once a month. King of New York has received less than stellar reviews since its release, and fans are fairly unanimous that “Tokyo” gives a superior gaming experience to “New York”. I’m excited to see how IELLO responds, and how this new one stacks up to the original. The image below is the teaser they showed at Essen Spiel 2021:

Sentinels of the Multiverse: Definitive Edition
★★★★★

Nominated By: Randy
Ok, this one is kind of cheating. It successfully funded in 2021. It has already started shipping. I will probably have received the game when this article is published. That said, I have loved SotM for years, despite not owning it. It’s been on my back burner “to purchase” list for years. My kids love cooperative games, we all love superheroes, and this Definitive Edition boasts easier teaching. This one will be a big hit with our family.

Fall of the Mountain King
★★★-Stuart, Isaac

Nominated By: Stuart, Isaac
If you’ve played In the Hall of the Mountain King, then you know. If you haven’t, you should. Burnt Island Games has been hitting it out of the park lately for me (ITHOTMK, In Too Deep, Endeavour). The story and theme of the game is really great, and its always fun to go back to a story you know, but is completely different. The game play elements here are different than ITHOTMK – gone are the polyonimos and in come area control and action selection – so it will feel fresh and new within the same story as well.

Azul: Queen’s Garden
★★-Stuart
★★-Isaac

Nominated by: Stuart, Isaac
I’ll be honest – I don’t even know anything about the game. I know just that I like the previous 3, and my wife loves them, so no matter what happens, it will get my wife to the table, and that is always goal #1!-Stuart

I am excited for this title, we love Azul in our house and the pictures and description for this one looks like it will be another hit. Love the drafting in this game and I imagine this will be another fun look into that world!-Isaac

Description from BGG:
“Welcome back to the palace of Sintra! King Manuel I has commissioned the best garden designers of Portugal to construct the most extraordinary garden for his wife, Queen Maria of Aragon. In Azul: Queen’s Garden, players are tasked with arranging a magnificent garden for the King’s lovely wife by arranging beautiful plants, trees, and ornamental features. Using an innovative drafting mechanism, the signature of the Azul series, players must carefully select colorful tiles to decorate their garden. Only the most incredible garden designers will flourish and win the Queen’s blessing.”

Planet Unknown
★★★

Nominated by: Stuart
Space – Check
Polyomino – Check
Engine Building – Check
Asymmetry – Check
Lazy Susan – Check

This game just looks fun and checks so many boxes of mechanics and themes that I enjoy. Also exciting that this is 1-6 players.

Weather Machine
★★★★★-Stuart
★★★★★-Isaac

Nominated by: Stuart, Isaac
It’s Lacerda. His name is now a Verb. If you are into Euro games, and heavy games, you need to check out his games. They’re almost always in partnership with the iconic artistic skills of Ian O’Toole, so you know the game will pop on the table as well. I played this on TTS and was blown away at how smooth and fun it was, yet incredibly challenging and thinky. Its lighter than On Mars, but just as rewarding.-Stuart

Weather Machine is the best parts of all of the Lacerda games you love smashed into one cohesive “machine”. I love the theme and story that this game is telling-for someone who doesn’t always lean into theme this one just grabs you and pulls you in. It is so much fun and engaging when you think through the story and your role in it. And as Stuart mentioned, O’Toole art and design means this is going to be very high on my best of 2022 list!-Isaac

Vindication: Chronicles
★★★★

Nominated by: Stuart
I love this game. Can’t get enough. I will literally buy anything associated with it. My wife even plays it with me. Great mechanics, wonderful narrative, and incredible replayability. Can’t really ask for much more.

Sagrada: Legacy
★★★★

Nominated by: Stuart
So look…… I have no idea how this is going to work. But my wife loves the game, I play the app all the time when I have 10 minutes to spare, and it’s beautiful. If this game gets me an in to get my wife to play a legacy game, I will jump feet first! (The game was announced as GenCon 2021 release however it has since been delayed. Plans currently put it as a 2022 release but no specific details as to when and exactly what it will be. Stay tuned!-Isaac)

Wonderland’s War
★★★

Nominated by: Stuart, Isaac
I love drafting games that allow me to build an engine. I also love bag management (Dice Masters, Orleans). Add in high quality component discs (think Orleans Deluxified or Quacks Deluxe) and my interest is heightened. The theme seems really interesting and the art looks great. I’m hoping that it plays to the level of my excitement.

Gartenbau
★★★★

Nominated By: Isaac
This beautiful tile laying game coming from 25th Century this year is a game that we have played and enjoyed the prototype for and I can’t wait to see the finished product. It is thinky and has an interesting rondel mechanic that I really enjoy. You can even see our preview for it here: Gartenbau Preview. This one is gonna be fun!

Maul Peak
★★

Nominated By: Isaac
I love Skulk Hollow and really anything that Pencil First Games put out there. This is the sequel to that game with new powers and asymmetrical characters who are taking on a big mean boss. This looks to be similar with some fun new twists, can’t wait to see this one!

Green Team Wins
★★★★★

Nominated by: Isaac
This is the game I am looking forward to the most for 2022 without a doubt. I cannot wait to get the final copy of this in my hands-it will be the go-to party game for small, medium and large groups. Green Team Wins will be a hit in 2022 and it makes my list without a doubt.

Resurgence
★★★★★

Nominated by: Isaac
I had a chance to play Resurgence at Origins 2021 and I gotta say, it is a lot of game hiding in a package that looks great on the table. This bag building game from Stanislav Kordonskiy is in a post-apocalyptic world that just felt smooth all around. Stan hasn’t let us down in the past and this one is going to be hot also!

Divinus
★★★★

Nominated by: Isaac
Here it is, the next step in progression from Destinies where players take on an app based story of a game that now moves to a more competitive game style. I played the first two scenarios and loved it, this one is sure to be a blast when we get to see how it all plays out. Lucky Duck Games continues to be the front runner on tech and board game integration and this will be the next step there!

Tidal Blades 2
★★★

Nominated by: Isaac
The first Tidal Blades was a monster hit, a beautiful game on the table with some awesome components. The next game in the Tidal Blade world is coming in 2022 and it is a whole new adventure, a different beast altogether than its predecessor. I had a chance to play it at PAX Unplugged and it was an awesome skirmish game that adds some awesome twists to the genre. This will be one that hits a lot of best of lists when it comes out for sure.

The Paradox Initiative
★★★

Nominated by: Isaac
Elf Creek Games continues to hit big with some innovate and gorgeous games. Honey Buzz and Merchants of the Dark Road have been great the last two years and I think The Paradox Initiative is going to join those titles as tentpoles in their library. I had a chance to play this at PAX this year with Bob from One Board Family and we both left the table wanting so much more. Keep an eye out for this gem.

Mosaic: A Story of Civilization
★★★★

Nominated by: Isaac

What is Mosaic? It is an excellent game that is sure to be one of the best hits of 2022. I had a chance to learn it on TTS with Simon from Forbidden Games and he wasn’t exaggerating for once: this game meets the hype and exceeds it. I can’t want to check this one out! It is bound to be a favorite for anyone who enjoys a good mid-weight game for their next game night.