[Ryan] I honestly can’t remember the last time this happened—our older brother, younger sister, Daniel, and I (and only us four siblings) played a big board game together! Wonderland’s War is a crazy presentation full of abilities, bag-building, and area control, and it was fun to get to share the experience of a big 4-player session. While I had a big lead during the game, my weak end-game scoring led to me being passed by our sister, who took the victory, knocking off all three of her older brothers. 🙃

[Daniel] We finally did it! Twilight Struggle! Oh, how long it had been since Ryan and I had gotten this to the table. It brought us great joy to bring out this classic again, and boy did it deliver (at least for me 😉). Playing the USSR, I shot ahead to a rapid lead in the Space Race. This was critical as it forced Ryan to reveal his headline every round, which led to a crucial mistake that resulted in my victory. While we weren’t able to experience the full satisfying arc that this game can offer, it was still great to get to experience this masterpiece again.

[Ryan] My first play of Daniel’s copy of La Granja: Deluxe Master Set was so positive that I snagged it for myself, and I finally got the chance to play it again. On first blush, it seems like there is a lot of complexity in the game, but once you get going, it really plays smoothly and in a reasonably short time. The cards and dice do a great job of keeping each game fresh and tactical, and I am really excited to try some of the expansion modules that, on paper, seem right up my alley.

[Daniel] Another game I haven't played in forever is Power Grid. I got to try a five-player game with a group that had never played it before, which was a blast. What I find so interesting about this game is how you have to manage your money across everything — what you bid on power plants, what you spend on resources, and how many cities you build to power. And then it gets even more interesting when you realize the game actually punishes you for being in the lead. It's a constant tension of building your engine while waiting for just the right moment to take the lead. Love it. Glad I've kept this one around!

[Ryan] It had been a year since I played Foundations of Rome, which is a really a crime because it is such an accessible but deeply satisfying game! Looking past the over-the-top production value, it is just a brilliant system as players jockey for positioning on the shared map and timing the simple actions of claiming deeds, building, and gaining money. We also played with the Roads of Fortune expansion for the first time, which adds a fun little twist with variable abilities for each edge, shifting those deeds from being the least desirable to having huge potential. I always have a good time with this one!