2025 was an incredible year for new games and I was surprised by the diversity of themes and creativity that came out this year. I hope this list inspires you to seek out the games mentioned to play with your family and friends.
#10. Sand Art
Publisher: 25th Century Games
Number of Players: 2 to 4
Purchase on Amazon
One of the most surprising themes I’ve encountered in the “verb-and-write” genre is Sand Art from 25th Century Games. Players move along an action track to collect primary sand colors, mix them into secondary colors, and pour sand to create layered patterns inside their bottle. I often tell new players that as long as they understand how gravity works, they’ll know how the sand will fall—and that realization usually leads to a satisfying “aha” moment that’s fun to watch unfold.
The production supports the experience well, with large, easy-to-read pads and enough colored pencils for everyone in the box. The theme is both clever and original and Sand Art delivers a uniquely themed and enjoyable puzzling experience.
#9. Finspan
Publisher: Stonemaier Games
Number of Players: 1 to 5
Purchase on Amazon
Finspan is in the same universe as the well-known Wingspan and Wrymspan but this time, it’s all about fish. The hand drawn art of the fish jumps out of the cards and the color palette is aesthetically appealing. On your turn, you can either play a fish or dive down to obtain the benefits of the fish cards played and like in other recent Stonemaier games, a lot of the benefits from fish cards offer generous player interaction. It allows all players to play a very fulfilling game and enjoy being able to accomplish the goals from round to round.
I found Finspan to be a very streamlined game making this a quicker rendition and accessible to all kinds of players. I’m really looking forward to future expansions. The squishy fish eggs components are addicting to play with as well.
#8. Petiquette
Publisher: Oink Games
Number of Players: 2 to 6
Purchase on Amazon
Petiquette from Oink Games has sparked some surprisingly deep discussions in my several plays. For such a small game and in a small game box, it’s become a surprising favorite across a wide variety of my gaming groups. Players try to get on the same wavelength by predicting combinations of animals, hats, and numbers with their own deck of combinations after a row of cards are randomly placed out in the center of the table. Matching another player exactly earns points, and after each round, you can discuss and explain why each choice made sense to them.
It’s fascinating from a psychological standpoint, offering insight into how others perceive patterns and logic. Listening to others may help you in future rounds, as more points are awarded in later rounds to help catch up from earlier rounds. There is also a co-operative variant that brings about even more discussion when one player chooses a pattern and the others try to mind meld on what that player chooses. Petiquette is refreshingly different and thought-provoking.
#7. Tornado Splash
Publisher: Arclight Games
Number of Players: 2 to 5
I was able to pick up Tornado Splash from Tokyo Game Market in the spring. I remember the first day of the market, the line for Arclight Games was extremely long so it deterred me from looking at their new release for the year, however, the next day it was readily available and I’m so glad I went back to pick this up. In Tornado Splash, you are racing in a speed boat from starting line to finish line and the first to cross the finish line wins. The rulebook offers multiple racing configurations and guidelines for creating your own configuration which adds some fun and creativity for each race.
Each racer/boat combo has a unique deck of cards showing movement and turns—the lighter boats move farther, while heavier boats tend to have a better turn radius. Laying out the cards creates a trail of waves, making your playing space feel very immersive. The game’s bright aesthetics and fun racing appeal also drew attention of younger players, making it as visually engaging as it is fun. Hoping this gets wider distribution in the future!
#6. The Wondrous Museum
Publisher: Broadway Toys LTD
Number of Players: 1 to 5
I’m a big fan of small yet satisfying games, add in engine building mechanisms as well and you have The Wondrous Museum where you are curating a magical museum by collecting treasures and exhibiting them to win the most admiration amongst your fellow curators. This small-box, 30-minute game by designer Zong-Ger and publisher Broadway Toys LTD is a fast, satisfying engine builder where players build a tableau of mysterious yet oddly familiar treasures. I picked this up at Tokyo Game Market Spring as well.
Players use runes to activate their collected treasures. The card abilities usually default to drawing a card or adding admiration tokens to the card itself which double for points or a form of currency to buy more cards. Other card abilities range from moving the admiration tokens to other cards, manipulating the player’s tableaus, or providing end game points based on some set collection. There is variable setup as well, choosing only two different treasure sets out of several each game keeps future plays unique. The Wondrous Museum is a delightful quick-play engine builder that often ends just as it hits its stride, leaving you eager for another round.
#5. Tend
Publisher: IV Studio
Number of Players: 1 to 6
Purchase on IV Studio webstore
I’m a huge fan of the “verb-and-write” genre, and Tend from IV Studios is a shining example of why this is top genre of games for me. Players take on the role of pioneers for the Zenith Corporation, landing on an alien planet to build their own homestead—raising fauna and flora, exploring forests and mines, and, of course, fishing. The art is very charming and cozy, perfectly capturing the relaxed, farming-simulator vibe.
The four core actions—tend, chop, mine, and fish—are familiar and simple but lead to deeply satisfying turns round to round. The tend action of planting crops and placing animals will provide steady rewards from round to round. While chopping and mining are scratch-off sheets using your special Zenith coin to reveal bonus actions and rare resources. Fishing is my favorite action, it’s push-your-luck, dice-chucking action, with better spots that are unlockable as you dig deeper into the woods and mines. While all actions can be upgraded, the game smartly encourages specialization. Tend is a rewarding, replayable experience that tempts experimentation every time it hits the table.
#4. Luthier
Publisher: Paverson Games
Number of Players: 1 to 4
Purchase on Paverson webstore
I grew up playing classical music on the piano and the cello and Luthier from Paverson Games is a beautiful dedication and appreciation to the musical arts. I instantly fell in love with the aesthetic and the theme captivated me as soon as it was announced. It’s a lavish love letter to the classical era—grand, expressive, and instantly eye-catching on the table. The artwork by Vincent Dutrait and Guillaume Tavernier is stunningly noteworthy and easily among the best in board gaming.
Players take on the role of luthiers, repairing and crafting instruments while selecting musical pieces to satisfy patrons. The game centers on hidden bidding paired with worker placement, rewarding careful planning while still allowing for backup strategies. High bids earn first access to card markets, while resources are spent on crafting instruments.
Though expansive and highly strategic, Luthier is a richly rewarding game, especially for players who appreciate classical music themes and deep, immersive gameplay.
#3. Speakeasy
Publisher: Eagle-Gryphon Games
Number of Players: 2 to 4
Purchase on Eagle-Gryphon webstore
Set in Prohibition-era Manhattan, Vital Lacerda’s Speakeasy puts players in charge of smuggling alcohol to their own speakeasies and casinos while navigating a web of mob connections. You’ll reach out to mutual contacts, strike deals with rival mobsters, raid party boats, and send rum runners out to deliver the goods. The goal is simple: sell prohibited alcohol and amass the most money to win, however, the actions are abundant and there’s a lot to think about in this thinky game.
The experience echoes Lacerda’s Escape Plan, sharing a similar focus on leveraging local help and chaining actions to maximize profits, which leads to some wonderfully thematic moments. These games honestly make me feel like I’ve been immersed in the setting and could relive it through a story I could share with when introducing it to other people. With only 11 main actions, timing and comboing become deeply satisfying puzzles. Speakeasy, to me, is thoroughly enjoyed while soaking in the art’s atmosphere by Ian O’Toole, preferably with some big-band jazz playing in the background.
#2. Sweet Lands
Publisher: Uchibacoya
Number of Players: 1 to 4
Sweet Lands is a heavily strategic game that combines some of my absolute favorite game mechanisms – multi-use card play, tile placement, unlocking bonuses for engine building, and route building in a beautiful diary theme-filled game. Every action has impact as each one is setting up for the payoff of creating a beautiful kingdom of sweets.The publisher, Uchibacoya, is also known for making wooden components for games and they have immersed the game from the art from Tatsuki Asano. They look delicious!
Playing this game is a treat for my sweet tooth, both figuratively and literally. Adding on to Ryan’s video Top 10, my scores have also been quite low but I cannot stop thinking when can I table Sweet Lands again.
#1. FlipToons
Publisher: Thunderworks Games
Number of Players: 1 to 4
Purchase on Thunderworks webstore
My number one game of 2025 is FlipToons from Thunderworks Games. I first played it at Gen Con, and it quickly became addictive and the most requested as I shared it with others. It’s a fast-paced deck-building game where you reveal cards in a three by two grid to gain Fame, which is used to buy new cards, trim your deck, and ultimately score points when the game ends. I really dig the old style cartoon art chosen for this game and it fits the name so well.
As you fill your deck with different card combinations, you’ll be riding the emotional highs and lows of each reveal—sometimes the order hurts, and sometimes the final card dramatically boosts your score. FlipToons smartly teaches that a lean, efficient deck beats a bloated one, and it’s a really easy recommendation for anyone looking for a dash of push-your luck, deck building game.
