RGL – 10 Top Thematic Games

A cooperative adventure game in which you all work together to save an imperiled kingdom. The evil Vanestra transformed you into little mice as you are still loyal to your King but your heart is big and brave. You will follow a story-driven scenario in which you will face many enemies and come across vital choices. Easy to learn and play, with clever mechanics, Mice and Mystics will offer you heroic moments and battles as long as you use teamwork as your weapon.

As you take under your command an Egyptian tribe, their dominance will fall under your responsibility. Area control, action selection and unique powers are only some of the mechanics that Kemet has to offer. Deploy units, call ancient creatures to assist you in battle and use the mystical powers of the Gods to be glorious. The beautiful aesthetics and high quality miniatures will give you a good taste of war in ancient Egypt. The basic game has already high replay value but if you are thirsty for more we recommend its expansion Kemet: Ta Seti which introduces five new modules.

Another cooperative adventure game for this list, but this time you take the role of fearless heroes who must work together and defend their fantasy realm from invading hordes of powerful creatures. The game contains five unique scenarios and a two-sided beautifully illustrated board made by the well-known Michael Menzel who is also the designer of the game. As you travel and fight through the realm, teamwork will be your greatest ally as you complete objectives and quests. This game offered us one of the most memorable experiences in gaming; as we went through a scenario with LOTR soundtrack and created our own little Legend that ended with an epic last breath fight.  “Legends of Andor” was rightfully the Kennerspiel des Jahres Winner of 2013.

A game by Portal games and famous designer Ignacy Trzewiczek, will teach you how harsh can life be. You are shipwrecked survivors on a deserted island, an already tough situation that will become harder as an extraordinary adventure will unfold before your salty eyes. The game comes with six engaging scenarios which will set your goals and let you follow different paths and strategies. In order to survive you will have to work hard, build your shelter, find food, fight wild beasts, protect yourself from the weather and on top of that debate with your fellow survivors. The game recently came out with a new edition which we recommend as it has upgraded components with new visuals & extra pieces. The path for survival is rocky and big, it will be up to you to explore it and reach the end.

Fire is seductive and beautiful but also deadly and uncontrollable. This time you will take the role of fire rescuers that rush into a living hell to rescue the people depending on your skills, as well as some … needy cats. Choose your expertise, fight with fire and cooperate so you can save everyone before the building collapses and the victims count gets out of control. In this game you can feel the fire growing hungry, pushing your senses and concentration. The game comes with a basic and an expert mode as well as with two building maps to play with.

A social deduction game in which players take the roles of investigators attempting to solve a murder case. The twist in the game is that hidden role where the murderer is one of the players, hiding his true nature! This is one of the reasons that this game is one of our Founder’s Thanos favorites, as he can follow his evil plans.

Among you, one player will be the Forensic Scientist who knows the truth about the murderer’s identity and the combination of “Mean of Murder” and “Key Evidence” investigators try to find. The Forensic Scientist has to guide you through the use of clues, but the beauty of this game is that he/she has to create the story of the case to properly guide you. A pretty tense game which will offer you many disturbing stories to share. I can also safely say that it had the greatest acceptance among various groups and it can be used as an icebreaker or an introductory game for non-gamers.

This game has a rich story and as you can see it was great enough to reach a 3rd Edition. Unfortunately it may be quite difficult to get a copy due to an unexpected contract break between FFG and Games Workshop.

In this dark game one player will take control of the famous Count Dracula (Dracul) and the other players the role of hunters trying to stop and save the continent of Europe. Hunters will travel through the map to find and fight the vicious blood seeking vampire which will set traps, create lairs and murder people. The Rounds are broken into day and night but Count will only move at night, among the shadows. Stay alert, act smart and be brave in your hunt because Dracula will be merciless.

This cooperative deck-building game follow the “Legendary” system. Based on the four movies of the Alien series it offers the same tension and horror as you try to fulfill your given objectives. Even if you have never seen the movies you will enjoy the system and its thematic nature as you fight for yours and your teammates lives. You will blow up aliens, recruit members and search dangerous rooms. The co-op aspect in this game is high and it will make the difference between completing your objectives and having a baby alien burst through your chest. The game contains a high quality play mat and a huge number of cards for endless replay value.

It’s a Japanese scenario-based deduction game utilizing the time travel theme that many love in an exceptionally smart way. Influenced by Japanese manga and anime, one player will be the mastermind and the others the protagonists. The game unfolds through card play as the protagonists try to prevent tragedies from happening and revealing the true nature of some characters in game. The mastermind will play mind games with the other players, trying to fulfill tragedies and influence the fate of key individuals. As protagonists you will use the power of time travel and the knowledge that you acquired before each loop to maintain the balance in the timeline. Tragedy Looper will offer a unique experience in both sides and drive you through a stressful story.

Another time travel game but much less complex and more story-driven. The basic game offers a game system in which you can play new stories that you will purchase in the future.

You take the roles of agents of the T.I.M.E. Agency that protects humanity by preventing temporal faults and paradoxes using your skills by sending you back in time inside the bodies of beings from different world or realities. Each story has unique theme, art and game mechanics making it a once in a lifetime experience. The narrative nature of the game will let your mind travel through time along with your fellow agents and discover things beyond your imagination. The balance of our universe lies in your hands, agents.