Every year I do this list. What games am I looking forward to the most in 2024. The list is done in a few parts. Mainly three as I talk about anticipated crowdfunding campaigns on Gamefound, Kickstarter, and Backerkit. Then I talk about board games that I hope are coming from crowdfunding to my doorstep in 2024. Though not always in that order. And the third part is games that I think are coming to retail in 2024. I go off of Board Game Geek with games that have a release/publication date of 2024. There will be crowdfunding in there, most likely, but I try and avoid that. So what board games make the list?

It’s also worth noting as I talk about these board games, this is obviously going to change with what comes out a lot. Every year board games are announced that don’t come out. Then around Gen Con I see a ton of board games announced that maybe weren’t previously announced. And the same happens with Essen Spiele, but those at least aren’t likely to make to North America until 2025 if they are announced there.

Most Anticipated Board Games of 2024

Arcs

We’ll start off with a game that was definitely on crowdfunding, Arcs from Leder Games who makes games like Root. Arcs is supposed to be fast moving 2-4 player sci-fi strategy game. That looks like a ton of fun to dig into. And the best part, I know someone who backed the game. It gives me more Root vibes, not in how it plays, but with factions and a bigger game, than Fort or Ahoy, but I don’t know a ton about it. I just remember on crowdfunding thinking it looked cool and passing because it’s a big multiplayer game.

Malhya: Lands of Legend

The cover caught my attention and the choose your own path exploration. This sounds like my sort of game, 1-5 players, heavier, and a cooperative adventure experience. We know that is what I play on Malts and Meeples, at least once a week with the bigger campaign games. Well, this one I hadn’t heard about, but definitely looks intriguing. I like how games are getting better at that branching narrative and letting you explore your own paths. And the description talks about powers and abilities, another thing I really like in this type of game. Sure it’s in most of them, but if they are cool and I feel like I’m doing something unique, I’m in.

Star Wars Unlimited

Yes, I already have content on this one out. Yes, I already have it pre-ordered. This is going to be a game that I pick-up some stuff with it. If I already have my article on board gaming goals for 2024 out, you know that I’m going to be buying my TCG stuff from TCG Player with store credit coming up.

Well, I plan to sell until March, because I want to build a number of decks and really play around with this game. I liked it a lot with the starter decks, and I think that with more deck building and more cards, this is going to be a blast to play. The starter decks are easy, so what else can I build towards that will create a really fun experience.

Weirdwood Manor

Another one that falls into that cooperative game and a solo game. So it makes it easier to get to the table. But everything around it sounds like a cool combination of a good decision making space with a fun theme. You’re racing against time to protect Weirdwood Manor from the invading Fae monster and his clockwork scarab minions. I think that sounds really interesting, and I want to look into how this is done, because the artwork and them definitely draw me in. And I’m hoping it might not be too heavy and fall into that category of cooperative game that is pretty easy to get to the table.

Fateforge: Chronicles of Kaan

Time to dispense with some of the obvious stuff, Fateforge is solo, action and narrative game. This one again draws me in with t hose things and with the cover. I also like, which I know this won’t be for everyone, that there is an app. If I play it solo, I hope that the app is going to assist and make navigating the story and game easier for me.

The game dos describe itself a RPG like, so if there is too much RPG like feel to it, I prefer those games as a bigger group game. But if the app maybe assists with some of that, letting the players all experience the story without twists and turns being spoiled, I’m very much interested in it.

Tales of the Arthurian Knights

This one I think is a bit in limbo. It is from Wizkids or it’s supposed to be. But Z-Man is mainly not doing board games anymore. So in that case is it going to be a board game anymore? But if it does happen, it’s a game system that I find fun in Tales of the Arabian Knights. I

’m hoping that they took what they learned from that, kept the really sandbox choose your own adventure style of game, but streamlined it a little bit. Maybe made it a bit more obvious what skills would be useful with an answer given. And maybe gave a better/clearer way than the guesswork for the end game. But if it’s similar and actually comes out, I’m excited for it.

Phantom Division

This one I don’t think should surprise anyone too much. I like dexterity games. And this is a cooperative dexterity game that reimplements SEAL Team Flix, a game that I’ve heard about. I hope that a game like this is not going to be too rules heavy because I like my flicking and dexterity games pretty simple. What said, it sounds like something different and something that could be a lot of fun. And, since it’s cooperative, it does come with a solo mode.

The Hunters A.D. 1492

Another one that I know was on crowdfunding, this time I believe it was Gamefound. And I want to late pledge it, but I won’t. But also, it’s another campaign game, I need to play through some of my other ones first before I get another one.

But it’s going to be hunters protecting humans in a post-apocalyptic world. And the post-apocalyptic world isn’t one set in the future or present day. The 1492 kind of gives that away, but I like the idea and the setting of an apocalypse having happened in the past. Now what does it look like when you have swords and bows and arrows to fight with versus space craft or humanity being reset back to a previous time period or technological period.

Theme Park Mania

I am curious about this one because it sounds like a game split into two parts, at least kind of. The players start out by players jointly building out a theme park. But once that happens each player is on their own and you want to move and visit the different attractions and you’re trying to build up the most points. I wonder how the two different parts will work together, but I like the combination of the two and think that it could be pretty entertaining to check out.

Restart

This is the last one on the list, but I could go with more as well. Restart though just caught my eye because again can be played solo But it’s a time travel game. You travel back in time to be your younger self. When that happens, now you know what is coming and the dystopian future that is coming. Can you defeat that, can you stop that or will it be too much of a strain and a problem. I think this feels a bit like an escape room in a box, but I also think they are trying to make it not just that. I love the theme, but will it work as a game?

2024 Is Looking Strong

Now, will all of them come out, I don’t know. But I pretty easily found 10 games (the order I have them in isn’t specific) that I’m very much interested in. A number of them are bigger campaign games. And those games, that type of game I should say, I want to slow my roll on getting them. I own so many, I need to play more of them. So stuff like The Hunters A.D. 1492, sounds amazing, probably pass on it for now. But some of the smaller ones or one off games, Restart in particular, I really hope to get a better look at in 2024.

What board games are you hoping to see in 2024?

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