Tapestry $99If you’re looking to sink your
teeth into something long
and complex, Tapestry is your
game. Take a couple of hours,
whether by yourself or with up
to four friends, and build your
own civilization using “advance-
ment tracks” like science,
technology, exploration, and
military. Designer Jamey Steg-
maier built in some flexibility
here: You can choose to focus
on one of the four approaches
(and reap improved benefits as
you progress) or take a more
“jack-of-all-trades, master of
none” track.Obscurio $47Gorgeously illustrated, Obscurio
is part escape room with a twist
thrown in: One player is the “trai-
tor” secretly working to prevent
the team from making it out of
the library. The game is easy to
get the hang of and emphasizes
effective communication among
the party. To succeed, members
must decipher the meaning of
certain images on their way to
the correct exit.Abandon All
Artichokes $13
Abandon All Artichokes requires
players to become “heartless”
by ridding their starting deck
of any artichokes, as the title
suggests. To do so, they must
take new vegetables from the
“Garden Row”—a series of five
face-up vegetable cards that
players may draw from—and
use their effects. Players add
these cards to their decks in the
hopes of drawing a perfect five-
card hand with no artichokes in
sight. The concept of deckbuild-
ing is often fairly challenging,
but designer Emma Larkins has
done an excellent job creating a
simple game to teach a difficult
concept, making this title a great
way to introduce new players to
modern tabletop gaming.
Rosetta: The Lost Language $20Players work cooperatively to translate an inscription from a now-lost
civilization, with one person—the “author”—creating the hidden mes-
sage for the others to guess. The whole team wins if they can correctly
decode the meaning. Because only the inscription must be hidden,
Rosetta is conducive to remote play: With the right camera setup, play-
ers can easily collaborate. Featuring great artwork and encouraging
creativity, Rosetta: The Lost Language is an engaging title for two or
more players to have some group fun, even in quarantine.The Search for
Planet X $40In The Search for Planet X,
players scour the night sky to
find a mysterious new planet,
using logic to piece together
information about asteroids,
gas clouds, comets, and more.
Be careful, though: Any theo-
ries you make may help your
opponents come up with the
right answer. It’s a fantastic
tabletop experience with great
art that should appeal to play-
ers who want to dive into a
thoughtful game.BY ERIC YURKO, WILL EGENSTEINER & WILL HERKEWITZ64 November/December 2020
COURTESYSTONEMAIER^ GAMES(TAPESTRY);COURTESYLIBELLUD(OBSCURIO);^ COURTESY^ GAMEWRIGHT(ARTICHOKES);^ COURTESY^ STORYMACHINEGAMES^ (ROSETTA);COURTESYRENEGADEGAMESTUDIOS(PLANET^ X)