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Ascension has become my “Go To” deckbuilding game over Dominion and Thunderstone. I still really enjoy both of those games, but Ascension makes it easier to scratch that itch.

I love the ease of setup for a game of Ascension, and I really enjoy the tactical feel from turn to turn. Some people complain about the lack of strategic options since you have to react to the changes to the board each turn. I can see that a bit, but there are still many layers of strategy that reveal themselves the more you play.

There is also a variant that some people enjoy that increases the strategic options. Instead of only one six card display of cards, you setup a second row directly above the main row. You can only buy from the main row, but you can see the replacement for the cards you are going to buy now.

My rating of Innovation is as a two-player game. I think this a fantastic two player, and I kind of wish they had only listed that as an option. That being said, this is one of my favorite two player games. Every game plays out differently because of the different inventions. It’s also extremely fun to exploit the various power combos in the game.

I don’t recommend this game for four players, but definitely give it try if you’re looking for a top notch two player game. There is also a way to play a partnership game. I would try that before playing the standard four player version.

Dominion is responsible for the surge of deck building games that have hit the market over the past three years. The Dominion base set is still one of the best. I will admit that I’m more partial to some of the more recent deck builders (Ascension and Thunderstone), but I still enjoy a good game of Dominion.

These cards are a requirement for any true Ticket to Ride fan. The “Big Cities” variant also adds some nice spice to the vanilla ticket set. Having everyone’s tickets require connections to only a few different cities on the board is a great change up.

Magic is one of the reasons I got involved with hobby gaming. I don’t play it as avidly as I once did just from a pure monetary standpoint. I still enjoy playing limited games of sealed deck, booster drafts, and cube drafts.

The Magic 2012 Core Set is your standard Magic core set. It provides many staples for the Type II format. There are a few cards that are bombs, and others are just sort of forgettable.

Race for the Galaxy is one of my favorite games. The learning curve for the iconology is very steep. Fortunately, this is a deeply rewarding game once you get over that hump. Find a few other people who enjoy it, and you can play it over and over. The card variability provides almost infinite replayability.

I’m not a big fan of this Dominion expansion. I think it introduced to many evil cards. Sure, some people may like that about this set, but it caused the games to drag out. Dominion is supposed to be a quick game in my opinion.

This game is a great game to play in 30–45 minutes. It’s also excellent for up to seven players, and that’s not something many games can say.