Last modified November 5, 2025 by Jarjar
Several new games were played this month, including some presented at Essen. In fact, we seem to have access to many of these titles more quickly than before. Here's a selection of the games that stood out the most, either for their originality or simply for the sheer enjoyment of playing them. The selection was more difficult this month, as many excellent games were played.
FAVORITES
take timeA new game presented at Essen, in the vein of The Mind, The Crew, and Bombusters. A simple, fast-paced, elegant, and incredibly addictive game! You'll find yourself playing it non-stop! A real family favorite!
CompileA two-player confrontation game with an AI theme reminiscent of the now-defunct Netrunner. A truly beautiful production, with lovely textured cards, clean and elegant mechanics, fun and highly addictive. You'll want to discover all the factions. There are no resources to manage; players must literally "compile" sequences of instructions to produce the optimal result, which evokes the feeling of coding. I love it!
The AnarchyA fine sequel to Hadrian's Wall, even more polished and very enjoyable, with its multiple, satisfying and engaging storylines, as well as the 3D construction of the castle. A very fine production. My full review here.
THE MENTIONS
ThebesAlso presented at Essen as a preview, mentioned in the honorable mentions because I only played a solo introductory session, but it's a strong contender for a favorite! Lots of lovely dice, which aren't rolled here, representing the progression of our characters—a great mechanic that works very well! Plenty of choices! A word of caution for players who use AP!
Andromeda's EdgeA great combination of worker placement, engine building, and territory control. You always feel like you can pull off amazing combos while making your opponents suffer on the battlefield! I really enjoyed it!
Let's go to Japan, is a rather demanding planning game where players organize a trip to Japan by optimizing their activities and movements using cards with different symbols. Points are only tallied at the end of the game.
Orapa MineIt's actually a modern version of Battleship, with lasers bouncing around the board to create a more complex puzzle. Really well done, I have to have it!
ALL GAMES PLAYED
56 games this month, 26 of them on Take Time alone. Like The Crew, it's easy to play game after game as they're very quick, proof of how popular this game is.
