2023 has plenty of compelling board games for all of you tabletop enthusiasts out there. Let’s check out some of our favorites that are releasing this year.
Board games have come a long way since the Egyptians over 5000 years ago. One of the earliest board games was a Senet board found that apparently dated back to around 3500 B.C. Although if we’re looking at the oldest playable board game that is still enjoyed in certain parts of the world today, The Royal Game of Ur that came from the royal tombs at Ur in ancient Sumer, which is in modern Iraq, takes the top of the league.
Fast forwarding quite drastically to 2023, board games are still a huge hobby for many people, whether they are niche or fall in line with the more popular names we all know and love, it’s safe to say that our love for tabletop entertainment is here to stay.
We take a glance at five of the most exciting board game titles that will be hitting the shelves this year.
The Last of Us: Escape the Dark
This one was sure to be a hit, especially with its dedicated fan base coupled with backing from The Last of Us game creators Naughty Dog.
Escape the Dark will allow up to 5 players to experience the dark atmospheric game as you team up as survivors by making difficult choices and tactical use of item cards and custom character dice to overcome a variety of threats including Hunters, FEDRA agents, and the dreaded Infected.
Release date: November 2023
The Witcher: Old World
The Witcher is one of the biggest franchises in media having gone from books and video games to Netflix, it now takes its place on the highly anticipated board games list in The Witcher: Old World. Allowing 1 to 5 players to tackle its realms, fans will head out through the Continent on quests and adventures as they become a masterful monster slayer.
Choosing your own decks of cards from a wide range of abilities that include attacks, dodges, and witcher combat magic, this will be a must-have for all Witcher enthusiasts.
Release date: June 2023 but keep an eye on the product page as there are various issues currently with shipping
Slay the Spire: The Board Game
The roguelike deck-building title by MegaCrit and published by Humble Bundle was a huge hit when it was first released in early access in 2017. Finally getting an official release in 2019, Slay the Spire was considered one of the best indie titles around.
If you were one of those who spent many hours of your time addicted to working your way through several levels of a spire while battling monsters, you’ll be glad to know you can soon play the game physically in a cooperative deckbuilding adventure.
Release date: December 2023
UNCONSCIOUS MIND
This little gem looked like it could be a real winner as 1-4 players delve into their clients’ dreams by mastering therapeutic techniques, establishing a practice, and growing their clientele.
The publisher for UNCONSCIOUS MIND, Fantasia Games, gives players a little more detail “As you work your way from surface-level “manifest” dreams down to deeper “latent” dreams, you can help your clients dispel their grief layers (represented by lifting off transparent cards) and eventually resolve their issues altogether—unlocking ongoing rule-bending abilities and end-game scoring opportunities.”
Release date: December 2023
Septima
If you’re all about Witchy goings-on, Septima could be your cup of brew. The board game can be played with 1-4 others where you lead a powerful coven and rescue other witches caught by hunters as you build up your very own coven.
Septima’s central mechanism revolves around the simultaneous, secret selection of one of nine Action cards each turn: Move, Collect, Brew, Heal, Recruit, Plea, Chant, Rite and Remember. Praised for its fast learning techniques so a plus for those new to board games, Septima takes less than 2 hours to play, even with four players so perfect for a good gaming night get-together with friends or family.
Release date: May 2023
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