1999, Spiel Des Jahres ceremony award. Tikal got not only the nomination, but also the very coveted award. And for a good reason!

25 years later, you can still discover it in its latest design and graphic upgrades.

But what is it?
Tikal is a game of exploration within the Central American jungles in search of lost temples and the treasures within. Players send their team of explorers into the jungle, exposing more and more of the terrain. Along the way, you find temples that require further discovery and offer more treasure. Players attempt to score points for occupying temples and holding onto treasure.

Tikal has survived longer than most the members of my gaming group, probably because it combines a bit of "take that" and "euro player interaction" in a delightful way.

There is a lot of strategy involved in how you signal to other players whether or not you will fight to score points at a temple vs bluffing disinterest so that other players will improve the temple and you can swoop in.

This game has held up very well over twenty years, and we hope everybody will enjoy it for the next twenty to come.

Playable from 2 to 4 players in close to an hour in real-time mode, you can learn the rules in a few minutes with the help of the amazing included tutorial by Nekonyancer, or simply by clicking the link below:

https://boardgamearena.com/gamepanel?game=tikal

Let's celebrate the amazing work done by Sir Heo to develop this game for our platform, all with the combined help from the publisher Super Meeple as well as the game designers: Michael Kiesling and Wolfgang Kramer.

That's it for this Wednesday Release Time!

Let us know if you enjoyed the latest releases as much as we do.
More surprises will come, but until then...
Take care and play fair!

Congratulations to all participants and winners from the previous season!

But wait, what exactly is "the Arena?"

The Arena is the competitive mode on BGA. If you master a game and want to play it competitively, this is THE mode to use, so you can challenge the best players and get the most experience points.

The Arena is organized in seasons of 3 months each. Achievements are awarded to the best players at the end of each season.

To play in the Arena: select "Play" and then choose "Arena" instead of "Simple game."

Read more about Arena mode

Arena format and Gurus

In the previous seasons, it was you (more exactly the gurus) who chose the game formats for the Arena: player number, options used, ...

We are very happy to see that this way of doing things contributed to making the Arena more popular: thank you to all gurus for their smart suggestions and their votes!

Rules updates

No Arena rules are changing this season. It does not mean we are 100% satisfied with how the Arena is running, but you seem to appreciate the current rules so we want to keep them as they are for now.

Season 19 is NOW Launched.

The new Arena is now open for its new season.

Some Explanation About: Relegations

At the end of each season, after winners have been awarded, you are relegated.

Some custom relegation rules may have been applied to games for some reason (ex: we decided to update the number of leagues), but in general here is what happens:

• For games with 6 or 5 different leagues, all players are decreased by 3 leagues.
• For games with 4 different leagues, all players are decreased by 2 leagues.
• For games with 2 or 3 different leagues, all players are decreased by 1 league.
• For all games and all leagues, your number of Arena points is reset to 1, and your AES ("Arena Elo") is reset to 1500.

It's up to you to find the way to the elite!

May the odds be ever in your favor!

You'll find soon below the updated options for each game for this new arena season

You are the head of a fiefdom and its future is in your hands. Will you develop agriculture with fields and mills? Will you become a pious church-builder or prefer to feast in your sumptuous palaces? Develop your lands in your image and become the most influential lord in the kingdom.

Build your kingdom, shape your destiny...

In Middle Ages, your goal is to use your Noble pawns to claim valuable tiles and place them in your city. Each tile comes with rewards, and the more of the same type you collect, the greater the payoffs! But beware: some tiles require careful synergy with others to unlock their full potential. With every move, you will be strategizing, expanding, and adapting to the evolving board as you race to build the ultimate kingdom.

Every four rounds a game-changing event will shake up the board, keeping you on your toes! As you approach the 16th round and the game’s climactic finale, there is more at risk than just grabbing tiles. You will lose 10 points for each type of tile missing from your city! In the end, only the player with the sharpest strategy and most points will reign supreme.

With its simple but engaging decision-making, Middle Ages moves fast, making it perfect for your digital game nights. The only questions you will face are: which tile should I take, and where should I place my Noble pawn? The placement of your Noble pawns determines turn order, adding another layer of strategy as you compete to be the first to grab the best tiles.

The game offers plenty of player interaction- whether it is blocking others from taking a crucial tile or using special tiles like the Ramparts (which prevent other players from choosing a certain tile) or the Mill and Barracks (which force opponents to give up coins or tiles). It is not just about building your city- staying a step ahead of your opponents is key!

With 15 different events and only four appearing per game, no two sessions will ever feel the same. The tiles themselves offer diverse rewards and synergies that make each playthrough fresh and exciting. While this title does not offer a solitaire mode, the blend of quick pacing and tactical choices ensures that every game is a thrilling challenge for any group.

Middle Ages strikes a wonderful balance between a light, filler-style game and strategic depth. The quick rounds, lively gameplay, and constant rewards keep the energy high and the decisions flowing: it delivers a satisfying, interactive experience that is ideal for a fun and fast-paced game night!

Are you ready to outsmart your rivals and build the greatest medieval city? Check the included tutorial first, now and let the battle for the crown begin by clicking the link below when you feel like you're ready:

https://boardgamearena.com/gamepanel?game=middleages

All the thanks go to Moof for having developed a wonderful adaptation of this novelty on our platform. And of course, nothing would have been possible without the support of the publisher Studio H, and the game designer Marc André (of Splendor fame).

That's it for today, and more will come soon, as usual, on Wednesday.
Stay tuned, don't forget to add us on your social network favorite apps (on X, Facebook or Instagram),

Until Wednesday, as always, take care and play fair!

How about creating your own botanical garden?

As an aristocrat in the late 19th century, you have bought land, hired a gardener and set out to find the best plants there are. As you know, the visitors are very picky about the plants they want to see, so your job is not only to acquire the plants, but also to sort them according to the visitors' preferences.

Gardens are not made by singing 'Oh, how beautiful,' and sitting in the shade. - Rudyard Kipling

In Botanicus, you compete for the best action-spots in a unique selection mechanism, and then make the most of the options available to you. You have to collect new plants, take care of them, water them and keep an eye on the gardener. Last but not least, you have to collect some money along the way to pay for all this. In the end, what counts is how many visitors you satisfy and how beautiful your garden is.

Will you be able to outdo the gardens of your competitors in 3 rounds? Find out first how to play by going through the amazing tutorial included, and get to the game page to start your own garden:

https://boardgamearena.com/gamepanel?game=botanicus

It's an amazing Wednesday Release for a 2024 novelty by Hans Im Glück, and we would love to thank them for the authorization to bring it to our platform with the support of the game designers, Samuele Tabellini and Vieri Masseini.
Just as there are no gardens without a gardener, there are no games without a developer, and this one is up to Archduke, who coded everything for your pleasure. Let send him some love (we do too)!

That's it for your WRT. Tomorrow the Essen fair is starting. Which games are you into?

Let us know your feelings on Botanicus!

Take care, play fair, and see you next week (or through the alleys of the fair)!

Push your luck ! Roll the dice and get the best combinations to win the game.

Dicy Cards is a family game in which you challenge your opponents by starting on equal terms!

Roll the dice, get the best combination and use your cards to reroll or score them. But be careful, once you use a card, it freezes! Pass your turn to unfreeze your cards. Are you going to get lucky enough to reach 100 points?

It's time to try another dice game and get out of your regular dice games! You can learn it in a few minutes through the tutorial, or simply start a game by clicking the link below:

https://boardgamearena.com/gamepanel?game=dicycards

And that game was ported to Board Game Arena thanks to the Blue Orange team and the designer Eric B. Vogel, all our thanks goes to them!

Let's mention the development done by Moof who made this game playable on all platforms.

As Essen is coming, it's an exceptional Tuesday release!

See you tomorrow for another title, but until then...
Take care and play fair!

Try to have the fewest splashes in your bathtub by ducking and covering your ducks!

Duck & Cover is a goofy 20 minute game in which you are trying to have the least water around your bathtub. You will either duck your ducks by moving them around your grid or cover your duck cards with other ducks.

Each player has a set of duck cards numbered 1-12 laid out randomly in a 3x4 grid in front of them. The large number on the card is the card number, and the small number is the splash number.

There is a draw deck of 26 cards: 2 sets of cards numbered 1-12 + 1 Max card + 1 Repeat card. This is called the Captain deck.

Each turn, you will move a card/stack in your grid that matches the number drawn from Captain deck.

After 3 rounds, the player with the fewest Splashes showing on their grid wins!

Yes, it's as crazy as it reads.
Ready to try it? Just click the link below, and you will dive in a game in no-time, from 2 to 7 players, for 10 mins:

https://boardgamearena.com/gamepanel?game=duckcover

We would love to thank the Captain Games team, as well as Oussama Khelifati for their support to bring this game online, and let's also thank tchobello for adapting it to our platform.

A light-hearted game for duck lovers, that's more than welcome before Essen!

That's it for this Monday.
Until Wednesday, as always, take care and play fair!

Altered TCG is an innovative trading card game with a modern, rich and colourful universe. Shape your own adventure, choose your faction and lead your expeditions through an ever-changing world. TCG stands for Trading Card Game. A well-known game format that implies a lot and that you probably have even heard of (like a gathering, or some small creatures that fit in your pockets). Using the same base mechanics for years, the genre needed refreshing. And that is where the Equinox team came up with a lot of original ideas.

Altered is a two-player game in which each player builds a deck led by a hero or heroine card.

In the game, you lead two Expeditions to explore the lands surrounding your home peninsula of Asgartha. One of your Expeditions is led by your Hero, and the other by his or her Companion. Your Expeditions move towards each other as the game progresses, and your aim is to bring them together before your opponent does.

As one of your faction's Heroes, you embody its philosophy and ideals. Each faction is played differently and uses certain mechanics rather than others in order to advance.

There are six factions and your deck can only contain cards from the same faction.

And that is pretty much all you need to know before diving in to the included tutorial. Altered is a deep game, and by this we do not mean complex or difficult, but captivating.
There are a lot of different powers to choose from, effects to handle, and it is all detailed in the game itself: we cover everything by giving tooltips on pretty much anything you would need to enjoy the game.

So what is the next step?
If you are discovering Altered, you can play a tutorial or start a normal game. Once the table starts, you will have the pleasure to discover the factions and choose an already-made deck to play it instantly.
When you have played it, you can try other factions to discover the one you prefer (My personal favorite is Lyra).

It's time to click the link below and start to play in no-time:

https://boardgamearena.com/gamepanel?game=altered

Did you enjoyed the game? You want to get more of it?
Then it may be time for you to dive into the Altered universe. And we mean, for real!

Because Altered is a Trading Card Game, you can trade them. Obviously, you can also buy them. But you are not getting only the cards:

You are also getting their online siblings!

On every unique pack and card there is a code for your to scan to add it to your very own collection. There are plenty of things you can do with them, and we recommend that you browse the official website to discover more about them (and create an Altered account). The benefits? You can play your very own, self-built decks on BGA!

Connect your Altered account to our platform through the account linking magic, and next time you start a game, you will be able to play your own cards!

How to connect your account to BGA? Check the link below: it's really simple and contains more informations about the game : https://bga.li/WgUn

Playing your own cards online is a fun and perfect way to test them against players around the world before joining an official event in real life.
Will you discover new winning strategies? It's all up to you!

But you should definitely give a try to this outstanding game that shares a lot of its feel with modern boardgames.

We would like to thank, of course, the Equinox Team to allow and support this online adaptation of their game, and the magnificent work done by vincentt and Tisaac, the developers who made the whole adaptation to our platform possible. Send them some love, they deserve it!

Also don't forget to check their announcement and more informations about the game there: https://bga.li/n2LL

In the coming time, you can expect updates and maybe, if you are kind enough... novelties.

This is a release we will take extra care of, so do not forget to post any remarks or bugs about the game in the appropriate sections.

That's it for this Wednesday release!

Until next week... Take care and play fair!

In ナナトリドリ (pronounced "Nanatoridori"), you are a guide at a castle where a bird party has just concluded, and now you are helping the birds return home, the "birds" being cards in your hand.

From a deck of 63 cards, with nine copies each of the numbers 1-7, players get a hand of cards that they cannot rearrange. The starting player leads a card or set of cards with the same value- but they can play multiple cards only if the cards are adjacent to one another in their hand. If cards have been played on the table, to play you must play the same number of cards with a higher value or a larger set of cards, e.g., 2 < 5 < 3,3 < 6,6 < 2,2,2 < 1,1,1,1. When you overplay someone, you can pick up the cards you beat and add them to your hand wherever you wish or you can discard them.

If you cannot or choose not to play, you must pass, drawing a card from the remaining cards in the deck, then either adding it to your hand wherever you wish or discarding it.

If all but one player pass, clear the table, with the player who last played leading to an empty table. When all but one person has emptied their hand, the last player loses one of their two lives. When a player loses their second life, the game ends, and everyone else wins.

Easy, fast, beautiful; original and interesting: what else can you expect from a trick-taking game? Click the link below to discover:

https://boardgamearena.com/gamepanel?game=nanatoridori

Note that the game includes a special 2 players mode that will give you a totally different feel for the game.

We would love to thank Arclight Games - Ateam and the game designer Toshiki Arao with the wonderful artwork provided by Kotori Neiko. The game has been brought to it's digital life by dahrf and BoucleMed, and we would love to send them our warmest chrips for this. ;)

That's it for this Monday!

Have an excellent week, Essen Spiel convention is only a bit more than a week now.
See you there and until then...
Take care and play fair!

The great cities of the world are challenging each other to present the most beautiful festival imaginable. The closing fireworks ceremony, held in all cities, will be the final rose in the crown of the festivities.

In Festival, you select tiles to place on your tableau to create the most impressive and beautiful fireworks display possible...and of course, score the most points! You have two stacks of tiles in front of you, with each neighboring player having access to the stack closest to them; tiles come in four colors and four firework designs. Four stacks of objective cards are in the middle of the table, along with four crowd-pleaser tiles.

On a turn, take a tile from the top of either stack and place it in the 3x3 grid on your board, whether on the ground level or on an existing stack. Alternatively, you can take an objective card from the top of its stack and place it to the left of your board. To end your turn, see whether you have satisfied any of your objectives or the crowd-pleasers that are available to everyone. Move each completed objective to the right of your board.

Whenever a player has completed six objectives or a stack of firework tiles has run out, the game concludes at the end of the round. In addition to scoring completed objectives and claimed crowd-pleasers, you have a target color and firework type depicted on your board. Each tile of this color or type at the top of a stack on your board is worth as many points as the number of tiles in that stack. If a tile matches both color and type, you score it twice.

Can you shoot the right fireworks to victorious heights? Discover it right now by clicking the link below:

https://boardgamearena.com/gamepanel?game=festival

Let's celebrate this new release from Scorpion Masqué team, designed by Grégory Gard and developed by jordijansen for you all to enjoy!

That's it for this WRT (Wednesday Release Time)!

See you in a few days for more amazing games, and until then...
Take care and play fair!

In the Inori Valley, villages are built under a giant sacred tree in which spirits live. All year long, village chiefs make offerings to these spirits and assemble altars in the hope of becoming the Great Tree Guardian for the next year.

For each of the four seasons comprising a complete game of Inori, players place their offering markers on the spirit cards or on altars for the Great Tree. This allows them to activate abilities, earn points, or obtain favor tokens. At the end of a season, a spirit card with all spaces occupied gains bonus points and is replaced, creating new opportunities.

At the end of the game, offerings for the Great Tree give points according to their color for players having the most favors of each color.

The Guardian of the Great Tree for the next year is the player with the most points.

Let's discover this wonderful game by clicking the link below:

https://boardgamearena.com/gamepanel?game=inori

And let's thank the Space Cowboys publishing team, as well as Mathieu Aubert and Théo Rivière for their support to bring the game on our platform. Of course, no games without developers and this adaptation has been brought to you by LeSteffen who did a remarkable job.

Play it and let us know your opinion about it!

That's our Monday release, so see you on Wednesday for another game.
Until then, take care and... play fair!