The Alphabet Challenge! (My Entry: Nachos Grande)

Happy Friday, everyone!  

Today is Board Game Friday here on Nachos Grande so let's get right to today's challenge.  That's right, I said challenge.  Thanks to a recent video put out by Foster the Meeple, I'm going to do an Alphabet Challenge for board games.  The folks over at FtM did an alphabet challenge where they recommended a game for each letter of the alphabet.  I'm not able to do that currently as I haven't played nearly the number of games that they have, but I think I can do something along the same line except I'm going to recommend a game for each letter in Nachos Grande.

The rules for my list:

1. I have to had played the game.
2. I have to like the game.
3. Each game must start with the appropriate letter in "Nachos Grande"

Easy enough, right?  Let's see!

N:  New York Zoo

New York Zoo is a game all about (surprise, surprise) building a zoo in New York.  Well, truthfully there's really no indication that you are in New York as opposed to any other location, but you are at least putting together your own zoo.  This is a Uwe Rossenberg tile laying game with lots of little animals.  It's adorable and lots of fun without being terribly complicated.

A:  Arboretum

A game that is best described as a game where when it's your turn you'd love to simply be skipped because every decision is agonizing and feels like it always helps your opponent more than you.  Arboretum is essentially a hand-management game where you are planting trees and then trying to score for certain species of trees.  

C:  Catapult Feud

Back when I was a kid, I had a game called Weapons and Warriors.  Catapult Feud is basically a revamped version of that game - you build a physical castle using plastic bricks and then you use a bunch of different weapons and projectiles to try and knock down your opponent's castle (and inhabitants within the castle).  This game needs to be played on the floor but it's a blast, especially when playing with kids.

H:  Happy Little Dinosaurs

I'd probably put the game Heat here if I had actually played it yet but since I neither own nor have played Heat, it's Happy Little Dinosaurs in this spot instead.  Happy Little Dinosaurs is a game where you want to be the last Dinosaur standing - the one who successfully avoids all of life's pitfalls (asteroids, etc.) that get the rest of the dinosaurs around the table.  It's silly fun, though also a bit more cutthroat that it's silly looks might otherwise suggest.

O:  One Deck Dungeon

A solo or co-op game where you chuck some dice, kill some baddies, level up your character, and then rinse and repeat until it's time to face the boss.  The entire thing is done with a single deck of cards plus some dice and a character card.  And it's hard.  Seriously, the game has a huge luck component and it can beat you down before you even get started...but it's also quick enough to not bother me when things go awry right away.  I actually played this game solo for the first time a couple of weeks ago when we lost power at our house and I only had a single flashlight for a light source...it entertained me for awhile (though I think co-op is much more fun than solo play, for what it's worth).

S:  Splendor

The only game on this list that I've previously reviewed on the blog (way back in 2017).  This game is perfect for pretty much anyone, you can definitely teach it to non-gamers but it's got enough going on in a short time frame for gamers of all skill levels.  

G:  Gloomhaven:  Jaws of the Lion

For the better part of two years now, a (now ex-) colleague and I have tried to get together every few months to play through a few missions of the amazing co-op game Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion.  We still haven't beaten this one but I ended up backing Frosthaven (the newest entry into the series).  Frosthaven is much, much larger and more complicated than Jaws of the Lion but JotL is still a great game in its own right.  

R:  Robinson Crusoe:  Adventures on the Cursed Island

Another co-op game (can you tell I like co-ops)?  In Robinson Crusoe, you are trying to survive life on an island full of dangers.  This game is crazy difficult - and complicated...but once you get it figured out, it's also super fun to play.  

A:  Apex Theropod Deck Building Game:  Collected Edition

Apex is a massive deck builder game where you play as a particular dinosaur species trying to end up victorious.  There's a single player way to play the game and a multiplayer version (but I think this game shines best in single player from what I've read online).  This is the one game on my list that I own but haven't properly played yet - but I have read the rules so I feel okay putting it on this list!

N:  No Thanks!

This is a fun little card game where you pay chips to not take points.  The goal is to have the lowest possible score but chips are limited so eventually you'll have to take a card you don't want...but then, each chip subtracts one from your score so maybe taking that higher scoring card will be worth it?  It's a simple game but one that is a lot of fun and offers a bit of a "meta" within each play group that I've ever introduced this game to.

D:  Divinity Derby

Divinity Derby is a game about racing - but you are more invested in the betting as opposed to controlling a single figure in the race.  This game has a unique shared hand system (you share hands with the player on your left and on your right) as well as interesting betting system (you can bet on characters to win, or lose, or place top 3, or even to get disqualified).  Fun stuff for sure!

E:  Exploding Kittens

We end with another card game.  In Exploding Kittens, your goal is to simply survive by any means necessary - don't draw the bomb (exploding) kitty and you'll be fine!  Plenty of ways to mess with opponents, mess with the draw deck, and even mess with the order of who has to draw next.  It can be a bit mean but it's a fun enough diversion between meatier games!

And thus ends my version of the Alphabet Challenge!  

I'd love to write some more game reviews - so if any of the above games intrigue you and you'd like a full review by yours truly, let me know below!  If nothing else, it'll give me an excuse to play a game that either I haven't played in quite some time (or at all in the case of Apex).  I'd also love to see your take on an Alphabet Challenge for board games (or video games if you prefer)!