If you think a huge game like Gloomhaven might be a bit much for a week or two of vacation, an episodic narrative game like Time Stories might be more up your alley for a family game night. The result is a wonderfully tense battle in which you're paying close attention to everyone's turn to look for that telltale sign of betrayal, while doing your best to keep your own underhanded intentions hidden. Everyone has a secret objective to accomplish, but one person in the group might be an outright traitor. On top of all of that, you need to constantly look at your fellow players with a suspicious eye. Do you use that fuel you just found to keep yourself safe while you're traveling? Or add it to bolster the dwindling defense of the town? You control a couple of villagers with unique abilities, but one wrong step could send any of them to their doom. You're constantly faced with tough decisions about how best to use your resources. It's a zombie game in which you work together to head out into town, gather supplies and defend your colony against the growing hordes of undead looking for a snack. Dead of Winter is a collaborative game that nails this dynamic. The best zombie movies have one thing in common: The biggest threat comes from the other humans, and zombies just serve to bring that distrust to the forefront. If you're looking for a fun exploration game with elements of role-playing - something that splits the difference between a Mansions of Madness-type board game and a Gloomhaven-type lite RPG (which can take over a hundred hours to complete), 7th Continent might be perfect for you. That means you can find one of the unique cards out of the literally hundreds that come in the box in mere seconds. What's more, the pacing keeps at a quick clip, thanks to clever card mechanics and impressive game design organization. You can set up a game in a matter of minutes, "save" midway through, pack up quickly and resume later. Part of what makes 7th Continent so appealing is its accessibility. What follows is a cooperative game of survival and exploration unlike almost any other you'll find. The goal of each game is a sort of mystery: You and your teammates have been cursed, and you need to find a way to lift the curse before it kills you. I don’t know about you, but this type of story keeps me hooked from beginning to end.7th Continent has a fantastic concept at its heart: Players explore a mysterious continent by flipping one "terrain" card at a time, slowly revealing craggy islands, dangerous landscapes and mystical wonders. You’ll grow attached to the characters quite easily, and there will be a couple of moments in which you might shed a tear or two. …and if you like stealth games, you’ll be pleased to find out that most of the levels rely on sneaking.īut what truly makes this one of the best medieval games you can play is its captivating gameplay, intriguing puzzles, memorable soundtrack, and shocking story moments. Somewhat similar to other medieval RPGs, you get a crafting system that allows you to make diverse gadgets to get you through the game more easily – that is if you take your time to gather resources. It’s a haunting tale and metaphor about the black plague that took place in Europe around the same time period. Set in medieval France, you follow Amicia and Hugo de Rune’s story as they try to escape the inquisition and, surprisingly, a swarm of rats that thrive in the dark and eat human flesh.