Tomorrow, Saturday the 21st, we’re hosting NAG’s first-ever community board game day at the office.
Which is wholesome.
Which is exciting.
Which is financially irresponsible.
In the spirit of gathering around tables, shuffling decks, and aggressively insisting “it’s just a friendly game,” I thought it was the perfect time to take you on a journey through five board games that have been living on my wishlist.
They’ve been waiting for an excuse.
Community board game day might be that excuse.
A monthly community board game day? That’s a full-blown financial crisis waiting to happen.
Here’s what I’m currently side-eyeing with intent.
Tenby
Players: 1-5
Play Time: 30-60 minutes
Set in the real-life seaside town of Tenby, this is a cosy card-drafting game that feels like a holiday in a box.
In Tenby, you’re building your own picturesque version of the town by drafting and placing cards to create charming terraces, bustling piers, iconic landmarks, and idyllic beachscapes.
The goal? Craft the most delightful little seaside haven and score the most points doing it.
Each round unfolds across three phases, Day, Night, and Cleanup, with Day and Night cards cleverly dictating turn order and action priority.
That interlocking system means you’re constantly thinking ahead, jockeying for position, and deciding whether you want first pick now… or control next round.
It plays over ten brisk rounds, making it approachable but still strategic.
It’s thoughtful without being brain-melting, competitive without being table-flipping.
If you love smart drafting mechanics wrapped in cosy vibes, this feels like the perfect “one more round before we pack up” game.
Townsfolk Tussle
Players: 1-5
Play Time: 40-200 minutes
If you’ve ever wanted to punch a cartoon outlaw in the face with your friends, this one’s calling your name.
Townsfolk Tussle is a cooperative boss battler set in the chaotic Wild West town of Eureka Springs.
The beloved sheriff is gone, Ruffians are flooding in, and it’s up to you and your fellow townsfolk to defend the place the only way that makes sense: cartoon violence and increasingly ridiculous gear.
Across a campaign, you’ll face off against four unique bosses, each more brutal and bizarre than the last.
Between fights, you explore town, buy equipment, level up your characters, and craft increasingly wild builds to survive what’s coming next.
Mechanically, it’s all about teamwork and timing.
Bosses have their own behaviour decks and patterns, forcing you to adapt on the fly.
One moment you’re confidently swinging a frying pan; the next, you’re scrambling because the boss just dropped dynamite in your lap.
It’s strategic, chaotic, and dripping with personality.
If your group loves cooperative “us versus the game” experiences with big set-piece fights and dramatic last-stand moments, this one sounds like it could absolutely take over an entire Saturday.
Possibly several.
Dreadful Meadows
Players: 1-4
Play Time: 30-60 minutes
Imagine if farming games went slightly feral and started growing haunted candy.
In Dreadful Meadows, you play as a delightfully twisted Confectioner cultivating sinister seeds to grow candy crops.
Through careful tile placement, you expand your meadow, experiment with patch layouts, and try to optimise your sugar-fuelled empire.
But it’s not just about planting and harvesting. You’ll recruit magical Sugar Sprites with special abilities, summon terrifying Harvesters to speed up production, and spend your candy to unlock powerful Concoctions.
Every choice matters because actions and patch types are limited, so efficiency and forward planning are everything.
Each Confectioner plays differently, giving the game strong replayability and encouraging experimentation.
Do you focus on rapid expansion? Sprite synergy? Maximum candy turnover? There are multiple paths to becoming the sweetest (or most horrifying) supplier of the season.
It’s colourful, clever, and just dark enough to feel mischievous – which, frankly, is my favourite aesthetic.
Into The Godsgrave
Players: 1-4
Play Time: 60-120 minutes
You killed the gods.
Congratulations.
Now deal with the consequences.
Into The Godsgrave is a narrative-driven campaign game set in a world shattered by divine rebellion.
You and your party are mercenaries navigating political tension, mysterious new cults, and the fallout of a war that literally rewrote existence.
This is a hybrid experience powered by a companion app that tracks your choices, remembers your decisions, and adapts the campaign as you play.
Enemies, quests, branching paths, and world states are all managed digitally, creating a living, reactive world that evolves with your group.
Character customisation is deep. Your hero’s Lineage and Class determine your starting deck, and as you complete scenarios, you’ll earn new cards, items, abilities, and powerful Events to refine your build.
Skill checks use custom dice tied to your hero’s strengths, and each round, your team selects a Plan Card that shapes your strategy for that turn.
It sounds epic, reactive, and gloriously chunky.
The kind of game you commit to with snacks, notebooks, and a group chat that says “no spoilers.”
Dangerous. Deeply dangerous.
Fame & Fable
Players: 1-4
Play Time: 45-90 minutes
This one’s for the fantasy heroes who aren’t just saving the world, they’re building a brand.
Fame & Fable is a competitive fantasy game where you recruit allies and items from a shared market, defeat monsters, complete contracts, and occasionally sabotage your friends (lovingly, of course).
Every action you take earns you Fame, which pushes your token around the board’s track, unlocking bonuses and advantages as you go.
The more impressive your exploits, the further you climb, and the player with the most Fame at the end wins.
It blends tactical card play with light engine-building and a dash of opportunistic mischief.
Do you focus on monster slaying? Contract efficiency? Market denial? Or do you simply ruin someone’s carefully laid plan at the worst possible moment?
It sounds fast, interactive, and just competitive enough to make victory feel delicious.
And there you have it – five games currently staring at me from my wishlist like, “So… about that community board game day?”
The universe is clearly sending a sign.
It’s screaming, “Roll the dice with friends.” It’s whispering, “You need more shelf space.”
It’s gently suggesting that owning just one more campaign game is completely reasonable.
Right?
Right.
If tomorrow goes well, this might not just be our first community board game day.
It might be the beginning of a monthly tradition.
And my shelves?
They’ve been warned.
