Genesis's Pick
EVERDELL

"Everdell is a resource management, worker placement, “engine” building game that features some of the most beautiful art I have seen on a board game. I am always partial to games that have cute animals or pretty art and this one has both! Underneath all the cuteness is a game that can be enticingly strategy heavy. I say “can be” because the game is easy to pick up and understand but can delve into complex turns and unexpected combos.

The goal of the game is to create an efficient city before winter falls again. You start the game at the end of winter and slowly progress through the seasons as you play. The seasons are an interesting mechanic because you can be in a completely different season than your friends and still be playing on the same board!

One of the highlights of the game is the board design. They give you the beautiful Everdell tree, which stands at the end of the board hosting extra critters that will come to help when the seasons change, and the cards that will create your city. The board itself is quite large and they made sure that the expansions fit like puzzle pieces onto the base game. I absolutely adore that they didn’t make the resources out of boring cardboard and they made them into tiny replicas! They even made the berries squishy!

Overall, it’s a beautiful game that has diverse complexity and has kept me entertained for years as I try to implement new builds. It also has a ton of expansions so you won’t get bored! I recommend it for pretty much anyone who can appreciate good art, cute animals, and a good amount of strategy :)"