I haven't posted in here in way too long.
So here are some games I learned this year that get two thumbs up. (These aren't all games from this year, but they were new to me this year)
SETI. This game is outstanding: the theme, the components, the design, all of it. Expansions are coming. If you don't like this game, you're wrong.
Harmonies. I prefer heavier games, in general. But I do love a game that can be taught in 5 minutes, and played in 20 minutes, but still manages to pack in a lot of strategy and replayability. This is one of those games. Tremendous.
Hegemony. Heavy, asymmetrical national domination. Great design.
Apiary. I like this game more than I expected to. Worker placement with some twists: workers age up and get stronger, then leave the game for good. And you can bump other players' workers off of spots you need, but that helps them, too. As with Maracaibo, players have a lot of agency in how long or short the game goes, which I like.
DinoGenics. Manage a dinosaur park! It's a pretty average game, but the theme and components are cool, and you don't need to find psycho board game nerds to play it with.
Caverna. Agricola's much less punishing brother. It's sandboxy and thinky, and it won't make you feel stupid during the learning curve like Agricola. I do like Agricola more because of its tightness and the way the cards change things each game, but Caverna is a cool variant that won't make your girlfriend hate you for taking the last reed.
Vinhos. Vital Lacerda has never missed. I don't like it as much as Lisboa, his masterpiece, imo, but I like it about as much as The Gallerist, which is to say, a lot.
Firefly. It's a pretty average pick-up-and-deliver, but if you're a fan of the show/movie, you'll play this at least three times before you've seen all the cards and done all the reminiscing.
Pandemic: Fall of Rome. A war-gamey twist on the Pandemic co-op formula. Fun, and another game you can play with just about anybody.
Also, for those interested, Harmonies, Apiary, DinoGenics, and Caverna are all on BGA.
See y'all next year....