Tabletop Games Blog

It could be visually beautiful, mechanically or otherwise.

I’m a visual person, so I have to go with Photosynthesis. It has an amazing table presence and the artwork is amazing. Seeing the trees slowly fill the clearing and, if the lighting is right, cast their shadows is very special.

What's your most beautiful game?

Nov 17, 2022 at 10:00amWeb
Show threadDirkNov 17, 2022
@tabletopgamesblog It’s Everdell because every card, every detail is a pleasure to look at. Bought it years ago only because of the illustrations and received a great game as well 🤩
Show threadNattNov 17, 2022
@tabletopgamesblog Royal Visit, Pax Pamir (2e), Root, Wingspan...
Show threadTabletop Games BlogNov 17, 2022
@natt They are all contenders, for sure.
Show threadRob Harper (he/him)Nov 17, 2022

@tabletopgamesblog
I'm going to say Tsuro.
It looks lovely (to my eye - both on the table and in the box), the game takes moments to teach, the components mostly explain themselves, and I can play it in most company - all of which is beautiful to me.

Also it really annoys some folk who consider themselves "serious gamers" and that is beautiful too.

Show threadTabletop Games BlogNov 17, 2022
@harperrob Tsuro is also beautiful for sure.
Show threadDave Dawkins (D. Harrigon)Nov 17, 2022

@tabletopgamesblog

A good Go board is a thing of beauty. The cleanness and simplicity along with the chaos of the game.

Show threadTabletop Games BlogNov 17, 2022
@golgaloth It definitely can be.
Show threadBezNov 17, 2022

@tabletopgamesblog Isn't that football? 😛

For mass-produced boardgames I might agree with Photosynthesis.

But I'd say that I find more beauty in most handmade games than mass-produced games.

Go was already mentioned by @golgaloth but I'm also thinking of @MildaMatildaGames and also all the folk who craft their own Hnefatafl boards out of stones.

Show threadTabletop Games BlogNov 17, 2022

@StuffByBez @golgaloth @MildaMatildaGames Football is a beautiful game, they say, but I wouldn't know. :)

You're right. Hand-made games are often amazingly beautiful.

Show threadQuinn McHenryNov 17, 2022
@tabletopgamesblog tough question as there are so many! Squishy berries in Everdell definitely give it a bump. My eyes darted up to the Lacerda corner of the Kallax and landed on Lisboa which I think is a joy to look at. My wife chimed in with Feudum from 7/8ths asleep which is impressive and a solid choice, too.
Show threadTabletop Games BlogNov 17, 2022
@qeek Everdell certainly has an amazing table presence. I'm not surprised so many people mentioned it. I never played Feudum. but from the photos of it I've found, it does look pretty cool.
Show threadmary.Nov 17, 2022
@tabletopgamesblog I will go with Wingspan because of all the different bird cards and the colorful eggs. By the way, the new Asia expansion has the most interesting/beautiful birds so far in my opinion.
Show threadTabletop Games BlogNov 17, 2022
@marinou Yes, Wingspan is really gorgeous. I had Natalia Rojas on the podcast and it's so amazing to hear how she approaches her work. You can find out more here, if you're interested: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/11/11/natalia-rojas-let-me-illustrate/
Natalia Rojas (Let me illustrate) - Tabletop Games Blog

Natalia Rojas is a self-taught artist and illustrator from Colombia living in Tampa, Florida. She specializes in highly detailed and realistic graphite and coloured pencil drawings and loves to create portraits of people, pets and wildlife, as well as meaningful pieces that could be anything from a portrait of a loved one to a special item or a still life. She has worked on the board game Wingspan by Stonemaier Games, as well as all its expansions.

Tabletop Games Blog
Show threadapostateantNov 17, 2022

@tabletopgamesblog Nemo's War is up there for me, Ian did an amazing job. Pax Pamir 2 and Shamans also immediately come to mind.

Finally, I know the box art was contentious but Nevsky looks amazing laid out on the table. Period maps, card art, and the crests of all the lords on the pieces really nailed the aesthetic. The lord boards fell a bit short of the level of the map and calendar, presumably in service of readability, but still.

Show threadTabletop Games BlogNov 17, 2022
@apostateant Lots of beautiful games, for sure. Thank you.
Show threadOf Dice and MenNov 17, 2022

@tabletopgamesblog this is a much harder question to answer than I anticipated! I'm very drawn in by visual appeal so I'd say the majority of my games are beautiful at some level.

I do enjoy how my copy of Terraforming Mars looks with the 3d printed and painted components, but that's an after-market thing.

Perhaps Kingdom Death: Monster stands out with its stark visuals and wonderfully detailed miniatures?

Show threadTabletop Games BlogNov 17, 2022
@ofdiceandmen Yes, it's quite a hard question really. I like that you seem to be drawn in by the 3D appeal of games - with miniatures or 3D-printed components. Thank you for sharing.
Show threadToots McGeeNov 17, 2022
@tabletopgamesblog Azul
Show threadTabletop Games BlogNov 17, 2022
@emmreef True. That one is also very pretty.
Show threadPawel Nocznicki Nov 17, 2022
@tabletopgamesblog I think Everdell is the obvious choice here (excluding the debatable tree). I also love Root in terms of design and mechanics. Love Ian O'Toole's board designs for their clarity and overall cleanness - Irish Gauge, Clinic Deluxe (waiting for Weather Machine by Lacerda). I would add Oath by Leder Games to the list, which is beautiful.
Show threadTabletop Games BlogNov 17, 2022
@qubus Ian's graphic design certainly helps the aesthetics of a game.
Show threadJ C LawrenceNov 17, 2022
@tabletopgamesblog Bjoern Rabenstein's prototype map art for Hazbahn 1873 remains the most delightful and attractive I've seen, even for players who have never played an #18xx. Such an excellent board for sucking in a player with a intertwingled nest of suggested relationships, values, WhatAbouts, and OhHangOnButs. Just delightfully entrancing.
Show threadsablebadgerNov 17, 2022
@tabletopgamesblog pretty much anything with @bethsobel art in it to be honest.
Show threadPedroMR he/himNov 18, 2022
@tabletopgamesblog I love Inis’s use of Celtic mythology and art. And the interlocking tessellated tiles for terrain are gorgeous.
Show threadDavid CruzNov 18, 2022
@tabletopgamesblog At the table, I will say Root and Scythe. Eager to receive Lacerda's Weather machine, which I think is gorgeous at the table
Show thread@[email protected]Nov 19, 2022
@tabletopgamesblog For me, the games with the best art are Abyss, Space Park, Parks, Herbaceous and Floriferous 🥰
Show threadTabletop Games BlogNov 19, 2022
@tlarraya They do all look amazing.
Show threadYarnHooliganDec 16, 2022
@tabletopgamesblog Unearthed is beautiful! I love the abstract architecture style. The gameplay is very fun as well.