A foundation of many modern games. Worker placement games let you place your pieces onto spaces to take actions and gain resources from the places you put them.
An early prototype of Ryugu was kindly provided by 14Games. All artwork and rules are subject to change. Thoughts & opinions are my own. Ryugu The Fleeting Paradise, to give it its full name, is a clean, colourful new worker-placement…
Snow Planner takes the concept of a dice-as-workers game, layers on a lovely theme, and delivers a really solid Japanese import special.
Call it a toy, call it a gimmick, call it a quality-of-life improvement, call it what you want, but the sucker dart in the Salamandra box is genius.
Ringyo (Ringyō / 林業) is a game about forestry in Edo-period Japan. Well, kinda. It’s more accurate to say that it’s a game where you’re a Daimyo in Japan overseeing a province covered in trees and floodwaters. I can honestly…
There's an element of engine-building, the presentation is superb, and everyone I've introduced to the game has had a great time playing.
Caylus was different. Caylus was difficult. Caylus was mean. And you know what? I bloody love it for it.
We're not even halfway through 2026 at the time of writing, but Nippon Zaibatsu is an early frontrunner for my heavy game of the year. Wonderful stuff.
Championship Manager on your table? Not quite, but not far off!
It's a game where you roll dice and use them to take actions in the French town of Troyes in the 1200s. Phwoar! If that doesn't get you hot under the collar, are you even human?!
If you played Stone Age and loved the theme, or wished there was a bit more to the game, then Doggerland was basically made for you.
I like Tianxia a lot; it does things you rarely see in modern games.
Galactic Cruise is a Joy. It'll be a tough act for Kinson Key to follow, and I really hope they manage to. Stellar stuff.