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10 BEST LEGACY BOARD GAMES



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10 BEST LEGACY BOARD GAMES




Our guide to the best legacy board games

Robyn + Charity
Updated July 29, 2021
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Legacy games are relatively new to the board game universe and are having a big
moment, with both Gloomhaven and Pandemic Legacy: Season 1 topping the charts.
The genre is still evolving, so you’ll see a wide variety of legacy mechanics
and approaches in each of the best legacy board games we’ve listed below. 

At their essence, legacy board games are games where you build your legacy.
Decisions that you and your players make in one session will have dynamic and
permanent differences later in the game. Check out our Frequently Asked
Questions below for a more detailed history and definition of legacy games. We
also provide suggestions for playing successful legacy games in our FAQ section.

Our discussion of the best legacy board games focuses on key factors that we
look for when shopping for a legacy game: importance of the story, legacy
elements (general), whether a game is competitive or cooperative and whether a
game is replayable. We avoid spoilers in all of our reviews. 

With more legacy board game options than ever, there is something for everyone
on our list! Whether you’d like to become a general specializing in war
strategy, colonize land and build cities, or become a mage and defend your city
against the Nameless, here is our list of the (arguably) best legacy board games
available right now.


OUR TOP PICKS – BEST LEGACY BOARD GAMES

BEST LEGACY GAME OVERALL: GLOOMHAVEN

There’s a reason Gloomhaven is #1 on Board Game Geek. This epic game provides
role-playing cooperative campaign play with over 95 scenarios.

Players: 1-5 // Game time: 60-120 minutes // Age: 12+ // Difficulty: Hard

BEST LEGACY GAME TO PLAY WITH KIDS: MACHI KORO LEGACY

With its family-friendly ease of use and subject matter, along with the
eye-catching artwork, Machi Koro Legacy is a breath of fresh air in the world of
legacy board games.

Players: 2-4   // Game time: 30-45 minutes // Age: 10+ // Difficulty: Easy

MOST UNDERRATED LEGACY GAME: THE RISE OF QUEENSDALE

A creative worker placement game with a story to tell, The Rise of Queensdale
slowly evolves and builds up as you play, as one of the best legacy board games
out there.

Players: 2-4   // Game time: 45-60 minutes // Age: 12+ // Difficulty: Medium

BEST LEGACY GAME FOR THE STORY: CLANK! LEGACY: ACQUISITIONS INCORPORATED

This fantasy adventure brings a sarcastic, humorous approach to the table (quite
literally) that will have your group laughing and having fun in no time. 

Players: 2-4   // Game time: 90-120 minutes // Age: 13+ // Difficulty: Medium

BEST COOPERATIVE LEGACY GAME: AEON’S END: LEGACY

If a challenging, cooperative, fantasy deck-builder sounds like fun to you, you
will enjoy Aeon’s End: Legacy! 

Players: 1-4   // Game time: 45-90 minutes // Age: 14+ // Difficulty: Medium



Table of Contents

Toggle
 * First Martians: Adventures on the Red Planet
 * Machi Koro Legacy
 * The Rise of Queensdale
 * The King’s Dilemma
 * Risk: Legacy
 * Charterstone
 * Aeon’s End: Legacy
 * Clank! Legacy: Acquisitions Incorporated
 * Pandemic: Legacy Season 1
 * Gloomhaven
 * Legacy Board Game Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)


OUR TOP 10 LEGACY BOARD GAMES

10
FIRST MARTIANS: ADVENTURES ON THE RED PLANET

Genre: Science Fiction and Survival

Players: 1-4 // Game time: 60 - 90 minutes // Age: 12+ // Difficulty: Advanced
// Publisher: Portal Games




First Martians: Adventures on the Red Planet is based on the mechanics of the
award-winning game Robinson Crusoe: Adventures on the Cursed Island. In First
Martians, you are stranded in the middle of a hostile Martian environment. 

You and your fellow human colonists are working to set up Mars for future
generations, working against the planet itself. It’s also beautiful. It’s
translucent. It’s stark.

From the get-go, you need to work together closely to survive each mission.
Fight to survive malfunctions, limited resources and unexpected surprises. You
will be forced to make difficult decisions in your struggle to survive against
all odds. 

Why This is Fun

First Martians is fun because your decisions actually matter- you can win the
game you’re currently playing, but because of the way you won, you can actually
lose the whole campaign! The great strategic experience this game offers really
shines through in the campaigns. 

Gameplay

Each player starts off the game as an astronaut with five lives. If you run out
of lives, the game ends and the mission is a failure. At the start of each game,
players are provided with the goals that they need to achieve to win the game.

First Martians offers individual missions (standalone scenarios) that you can
complete independently of the five-mission campaigns it offers. It also offers
two campaigns, only one of which is legacy, so you can play through this game
again at your leisure. 

This game is also a great game for solo play. You need to be up to the challenge
and be willing to die as you learn the game. The rules are just complex enough
for one person to really “grok” (learn and absorb) without the distraction of
learning alongside other players. 

First Martians in a Nutshell

Competitive or Co-op? First Martians is a co-op game. Story There’s a narrative
but you need to work at it. You get your immersion from the missions, where you
experience the stress of survival in space with limited resources. Legacy
Elements You’ll unlock things through the game’s app. Replayable? Legacy play
occurs through the app. The game is replayable for both legacy and non-legacy
play.

Who This Game is For

First Martians is a game for an experienced board gamer who loves science
fiction. Anyone looking for a challenging, well-crafted board game to play solo
or via cooperative play with teammates will enjoy this game. The gameplay is
difficult and is not for the casual gamer.

Unfortunately, the game can be somewhat difficult to obtain. If it’s not on
Amazon, your best bet for obtaining a copy is to go to eBay or look for it
locally via avenues such as Craigslist or Board Game Geek. 

Buy First Martians: Adventures on the Red Planet on Amazon

YAY

PROS

 * Beautiful artwork
 * Solo & co-op play
 * Interesting and compelling gameplay
 * Replayable

EH

CONS

 * Complex rules not for newbies
 * Level of difficulty isn’t for everyone
 * Set-up is involved


9
MACHI KORO LEGACY

Genre: Family

Players: 2-4 // Game time: 30 - 45 minutes // Age: 10+ // Difficulty: Easy

Publisher: Pandasaurus Games

Congratulations on being elected mayor of a town on the island of Machi Koro!
Unfortunately, the job is much more difficult than you thought. 

Especially since your town is currently just a bit off the beaten path and
consists of a bakery, a wheat field, and a single die. 

Lucky for you, your citizens have some big city planning ideas. 

In a nutshell, Machi Koro Legacy is a Japanese-inspired city-building game with
dice. You take your tiny town and transform it into something incredible. The
first person to build a set of special landmarks and contribute to the community
landmark wins the game.

Why This is Fun

As you play, a narrative slowly unfolds and the complexities of the game
increase, creating a slow-burn experience that you can savor over ten games. 

Gameplay

Machi Koro is one of the best legacy games because its game mechanics are
stunningly simple, and the game still manages to be highly entertaining. Your
goal is to earn coins to buy better buildings so you can earn more revenue, as
in the regular Machi Koro. You’ll earn cards that add to your game progression,
and you also use dice. Rolling dice can earn revenue, but keep in mind that your
in-game choices will directly affect your playthrough. 

Machi Koro Legacy in a Nutshell

Competitive or Co-op? Competitive, with a dash of cooperative play as you work
together to further community landmarks. Story A loose narrative, though
genuinely fun and charming, ties the game together. Legacy Elements Most game
components are secret when you start, with decks of cards and boxes unveiled
throughout the game. Replayable? Yes. As a personalized and fully functional
game of (non-legacy) Machi Koro.

Who This Game is For

Machi Koro Legacy is for anyone looking for a beautiful game with a low barrier
to entry. The gameplay mechanics are simple and easy to learn in a jiffy. This
fast-paced game, which is easy to learn and teach, is especially good for
immersive gameplay with kids or non-gaming family members!

Buy Machi Koro Legacy on Amazon

YAY

PROS

 * Gorgeous artwork
 * Easy learning curve
 * Great to play with kids
 * Replayable

EH

CONS

 * Luck is a key component of this game
 * Difficult to catch up to others
 * Can seem “light” to experienced gamers

8
THE RISE OF QUEENSDALE



Players: 2-4 // Game time: 45-60 minutes // Age: 12+ // Difficulty: Medium

Publisher: Ravensburger

You are an ambitious builder looking for your claim to fame! When the King
announces that he wants a new city that is fit for his Queen (with a sparkly
castle to boot), you jump at the opportunity. 

Because of course fame seems pretty good to you. 

As a player working towards building a quarter of the city, you control workers
and resources in order to build different types of structures. A creative worker
placement game with a story to tell, The Rise of Queensdale slowly evolves and
builds up as you play, as one of the best legacy board games out there.

During every game in The Rise of Queensdale, you rack up fame points by currying
favor with the Royal family, giving you the opportunity to reach your next
“epoch goal.” Epoch goals are essentially a set number of fame points. The
winner of each game is the one who meets and exceeds their epoch goal by the
most points.

Why This is Fun

The Rise of Queensdale is never boring, complacent or lazy. It unfolds many
legacy game elements over time, rewarding players with more actions and options.
Much like a clever chameleon, this game changes and evolves. It’s practically
breathing with life! You’re constantly kept on your toes throughout the
compelling experience in its entirety.

Gameplay 

At its core, The Rise of Queensdale is a dice worker placement game. Your main
tool of the trade is a customizable set of dice that you use to place and move
your workers. 



Jamey Stegmaier reviews the gameplay of The Rise of Queensdale.



Rise of Queensdale in a Nutshell

Competitive or Co-op? Competitive, but story immersion rewards all players. You
don’t feel the sting as much when you “lose” a game. You’ll also work with your
fellow city builders to achieve shared goals. Story The narrative is
well-written and memorable. The game does a good job of integrating the gameplay
with the story in a seamless way. Legacy Elements Focuses on the evolution of
gameplay vs. forging new paths. You unlock dice customization options and end up
modifying almost everything in the game. There is no real destruction of
components. However, there are upgrades and replacements sprinkled throughout
the game. Replayable? After you’ve completed the legacy series, there are enough
components and actions to allow for rebooting the game as a standard non-legacy
board game. 

Who This Game is For

Do you enjoy a rich narrative-driven game that does a good job of integrating
the story with actual game play? The Rise of Queensdale is a terrific choice for
you. It’s challenging. It provides an ever-evolving and compelling experience.
Tweeners and teens will enjoy this legacy game, so bring it out for family game
night!

Buy The Rise of Queensdale on Amazon

YAY

PROS

 * Gorgeous art
 * Great to play with kids
 * Engaging and entertaining gameplay
 * Game ensures no one falls too far behind

EH

CONS

 * Can be tough to remember new rules
 * Lengthy set-up
 * Set-up is involved

7
THE KING’S DILEMMA

Genre: Fantasy



Players: 3-5 // Game time: 45-60 minutes // Age: 14+ // Difficulty: Easy

Publisher: Horrible Games

Being the leader of a kingdom is never easy. Like Uncle Ben said, “with great
power comes great responsibility.”

You’re always faced with a dilemma, no ifs, ands or buts. There’s no way around
it. You gotta face it head-on. 

In The King’s Dilemma, you and each of your co-players represent the various
houses leading the government of the Kingdom of Ankist. You are tasked with
keeping the kingdom operating, but in this Game of Thrones-esque board game,
you’ll seek to find your house every advantage possible. 

As members of the King’s inner circle, you’ll navigate the kingdom through war,
famine, and/or riot. Or perhaps you’ll successfully generate wealth and foster
your citizens’ well being. The state of the kingdom is in your hands, as you
bargain and bribe to ensure your house comes out on top.

It’s all up to you. Just remember, every choice you make will affect your house
and change the kingdom. No pressure.

Why This is Fun

Players will negotiate, vote and bid for the chance to become the most powerful
house in the Royal Court. Each session in The King’s Dilemma is highly engaging
and entertaining, with random dilemmas coming your way left and right.

Gameplay

Right at the beginning, players select royal house player screens, with the goal
of preventing others from seeing what you’re doing. Each house comes with
different histories, goals and abilities. 

The game board provides a status report of the health of the kingdom’s in five
categories: wealth, strength, morale, food and knowledge. Each round, you will
draw a card from the dilemma deck. Each card represents a problem that the
Council has to resolve as emissaries of the King. 

The King’s Dilemma in a Nutshell

Competitive or Co-op? Competitive, but you work together to make the game a fun
experience. Not for the uber competitive! Having one sore loser can make things
miserable. Story Has a rich theme and unique, well-written narrative. The story
is the number one focus of the game. Legacy Elements Features branching
storylines, unlocking of stickers, cards and secrets, and permanent removal of
cards. Replayable? Many physical changes are made to the board and other game
elements. The King’s Dilemma is not considered replayable after legacy play has
been completed.

Who This is For

The King’s Dilemma is for people who love Game of Thrones! You’ll love this if
you enjoy games that revolve around voting, bidding and negotiating and don’t
mind when morals go out the door. It’s important to have the right group of
players (sore losers need not apply), so you can create your own fun in this
game.

Buy The King’s Dilemma on Amazon

YAY

PROS

 * Innovative dilemma card system is fun
 * Great to play with novice board gamers
 * Quick and easy set-up
 * Rich theme and story

EH

CONS

 * Randomness and luck involved in player success
 * Debating moral issues isn’t for everyone
 * Low player count for a negotiation game
 * Not replayable

6
RISK: LEGACY

Genre: Science Fiction / War Game

Rob Daviau, Chris Dupuis

Players: 3-5 // Game time: 60 minutes // Age: 13+ // Difficulty: Medium

Publisher: Wizards of the Coast

This legacy wargame is set in the distant future where the Earth is suffering
from limited resources and supplies after years of global warfare. 

The world’s top minds have developed groundbreaking technology that allows them
to create new earths. Soon, colonists depart for multiple clones of Earth,
looking forward to leaving war behind. But are the factions ready for peace?

You represent one of five futuristic factions on a new earth clone. Your faction
definitely doesn’t want to share this new Earth with the others, because you
hold on to every single past grudge you’ve ever had. It’s time for war again! 

Your number one objective is world domination for your faction! Let’s repeat:

World domination. Yesssss.

You accomplish your lofty goal by dominating every territory and destroying your
opponents.

Easy enough. 

Why This is Fun

Risk: Legacy is one of several updates to the classic wargame Risk, which is
considered a great gateway to wargames and board games in general. Risk: Legacy
takes the mechanics from the original, then runs in a completely different
direction. The legacy elements make this game unquestionably fun because it’s
not afraid to shake things up. 

Get ready to rethink everything you thought you knew about Risk. 

Gameplay

The game board is divided into 42 territories that are connected either by a
border or a sea-line. You will march across the world’s continents to gain
control of territories. You’ll do this through actions such as:

 * Gaining reinforcements when you control territories
 * Attacking other players
 * Moving a group of armies to another adjacent territory
 * Capturing enemy bases
 * Working with allies

You’ll move your army onto different areas of the board, draft cards, and roll
dice on your path to world domination. The game will change round by round as
you open sealed components, tear cards and place stickers that permanently alter
your board. 

Risk: Legacy in a Nutshell

Competitive or Co-op? Competitive. You’ll go head to head against your friends.
Story Like its predecessor, Risk: Legacy is more well-known for its battle and
world conquest than for the story arc. Legacy Elements You will unlock new
rules, twists and turns that massively change the game. You’ll place stickers
and destroy cards. Replayable? Many physical changes are made to the board and
other game elements. Risk: Legacy is not considered replayable after legacy play
has been completed. However, some groups do enjoy post-legacy play.

Who This is For

Risk: Legacy is for anyone looking for a great wargame where every choice you
make will affect your faction’s success. Risk fans will love this game.

Buy Risk: Legacy on Amazon

YAY

PROS

 * Gorgeous artwork
 * Easy learning curve
 * Great to play with kids
 * Replayable

EH

CONS

 * Luck is a key component of this game
 * Difficult to catch up to others
 * Can seem “light” to experienced gamers


The release of Risk: Legacy in 2011 gave birth to the legacy genre. The game
polarized board gamers– either you loved the idea of making permanent changes or
you hated the idea of destroying a game. Risk: Legacy is in good company – other
successful remakes include games such as Risk: The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
Edition, Risk: Game of Thrones and Risk: Star Wars Edition.

5
CHARTERSTONE

Genre: Medieval City Building

Jamey Stegmaier

Players: 1-6 // Game time: 45-75 minutes // Age: 14+ // Difficulty: Medium

Publisher: Stonemaier Games

Congratulations! You are one of six special citizens that have been selected by
the Forever King to colonize the unchartered lands beyond the Kingdom of
Greengully.

Why me, you ask? 

Well, you’ve been hand-picked because you have mad skills! Use your unique set
of skills to build, support and expand your little charter town. There are
twelve rounds of campaign play where you unfold a sliver of the overall story
arc. You’ll learn more about Charterstone during each round as you attempt to
score the most Victory Points (and win the whole thing). 

Why This is Fun

When Charterstone came onto the scene in 2017, the beautiful artwork and game
mechanics captured board gamers’ hearts. The fun in Charterstone comes from
discovering what is there, but also the long term strategic choices you can make
with your charter. It’s about balance- moving forward with exploration and
storytelling, then also making sure your home charter has the opportunity to
prosper.

Gameplay 

You make two main decisions every turn. Will you place a worker (if you have
one), or scoop up all of your workers from the board so they don’t bump other
workers? 

Your goal is to get the benefits of the spaces where your workers are placed.
After all, you want your charter to become the best one in the kingdom! In order
to hold other charters / players  back, you can also bump another worker that’s
already occupying a space so it is forced to retreat to another player’s worker
supply. Strategic location of your workers is only part of the game. 

You’ll also unlock crates that allow you to scoop up resources you need, along
with secret components. A surprise is always laying in wait for you- you’ve got
to roll with the flow! We don’t want to give away too much of the story- that’s
for you to discover as you play through the entire campaign.

Some legacy games don’t play well at the two-player level, but you can get a
refreshingly clean experience with two players in Charterstone. Gameplay with
two players is noticeably quicker, but you do unlock more aspects of the game
with more players. It’s up to you! 

Charterstone in a Nutshell

Competitive or Co-op? Competitive, but you have free reign to focus on exploring
and building vs. winning. Story There is a light, but enjoyable narrative in the
game. Legacy Elements You’ll unlock boxes, secret components and new layers of
rules. Permanent changes will be made to the game via actions such as marking
cards and placing stickers. Replayable? Replayable as a fun non-legacy worker
placement game. Double-sided game board makes the legacy game replayable with
the Recharge Pack.

Who This is For

Folks who enjoy moving worker tokens across boards to achieve great effects.
You’ll find yourself thinking about how to unlock crates and in which order.
Folks who love surprises. Tortoises, not rabbits- not every single game has to
be won in order to win the whole thing.

Buy Charterstone on Amazon

YAY

PROS

 * Amazing artwork
 * High quality components - metal coins!
 * Simple and clear rulebook
 * Can play solo with automa deck

EH

CONS

 * May be lightweight for hardcore gamers
 * Tiny text in rulebook = rules mistakes
 * Can be tough to remember new rules
 * Automa (secondary artificial characters) score easily


The publisher of Charterstone released a Recharge Pack in 2017. The Recharge
Pack adds components to give you a second go at playing the legacy game.

And did we mention there is a digital version for when you’re on the go?! The
app is available to play on your computer via Steam, and on iOS and Android.

4
AEON’S END: LEGACY

Genre: Fantasy and Science Fiction



Players: 1-4 // Game time: 45 - 90 minutes // Age: 14+ // Difficulty: Medium

Publisher: Indie Boards and Cards

Aeon’s End: Legacy is set in Gravehold, the last stronghold of humanity.
Gravehold is part of a gritty futuristic apocalyptic world where a handful of
sorcerers are the only defense against the Nameless. You find yourself in
Gravehold as a young apprentice at the precipice of becoming a novice mage. 

The stakes are high. 

The future of humanity is in your hands.

Once you overcome your first ordeal, you’ll be able to select skills and
abilities to hone throughout the game. You’ll become stronger and more
proficient against the invading Nemeses and their minions (the Nameless) after
each round of play. You are determined to live up to your role models and defend
Gravehold, even if you have to make the ultimate sacrifice! 

If you’re playing with more than one player, you’ll work cooperatively with your
teammate(s) to battle the Nameless and their minions during each round of play.
Your goal is to defeat the Nemeses before Gravehold is overrun or the players
are exhausted.

Why This is Fun

You get to start from scratch with your mage and develop their character over
time. This, coupled with the fantasy/magic theme and the time-tested Aeon’s End
deck-building mechanics, makes for hours of entertainment. 

Gameplay

There’s no complicated setup, so you’re instantly transported into the world of
Aeon’s End.

You start the game as an acolyte without any special powers other than a few
basic cards. You’ll navigate your character’s development over multiple rounds. 

With each round, your mage will grow in strength and awareness as you choose new
upgrades and obtain new cards. You can even influence how your enemies (the
Nemeses) develop. 

The game features the Aeon’s End trademark variable turn system to simulate the
chaos of an attack. In addition, the deck management rules require you to
carefully plan before discarding a card.

The game begins at a lower difficulty level than a typical Aeon’s End game and
will adapt to your growing power. With each round, you fight off increasingly
difficult enemies to defend Gravehold, ensuring a challenging gaming experience
at each turn. 

Solo players can play the game solo with 1-4 mage characters. The rulebook
suggests playing no more than two mages to reduce the amount of things to keep
track of. If you decide to play as a single character, you may have to tweak
things to make sure the level of difficulty is still there. You play through the
campaign following the game’s standard rules.

Aeon’s End: Legacy in a Nutshell

Competitive or Co-op? You’ll work closely with your teammates to defeat each
enemy. You can use your abilities help other players. And the best part? You can
create amazing chain attacks!  Story The game is played over a series of
chapters and doesn’t feature branching storylines. The story feels more
functional than immersive and helps set the scene for the battles.  Legacy
Elements You’ll unlock new content, enemies, surprises and cards. You’ll also
make permanent changes to the game. But the real fun is in developing and
growing your novice mage. Replayable? Replayable as a legacy game with a Reset
Pack. May be able to use customized breach mage(s), certain cards and enemies
with other Aeon’s End games.

Who This is For

Fans of the Aeon’s End collection. Gamers who love deckbuilding games. Fans of
legacy games. Anyone looking for a good and challenging coop legacy game. If a
challenging, cooperative, fantasy deck-builder sounds like fun to you, you will
enjoy Aeon’s End: Legacy! The Aeon’s End family is a leader among deck builders,
and Aeon’s End: Legacy does not disappoint.

Buy Aeon’s End: Legacy on Amazon

YAY

PROS

 * Fun character creation and development
 * Great intro to Aeon’s End game mechanics
 * Good for solo play
 * Replayable as a legacy game with a reset pack

EH

CONS

 * Not replayable without a reset pack
 * Narrative is functional but not the draw

3
CLANK! LEGACY: ACQUISITIONS INCORPORATED

Genre: Fantasy



Players: 2-4 // Game time: 90-120 minutes // Age: 13+ // Difficulty: Medium

Publisher: Renegade Game Studios

Clank! Legacy: Acquisitions Incorporated brings a sarcastic, humorous approach
to the table (quite literally) that will have your group laughing and having fun
in no time. 

You’re a treasure hunter in a vivid fantasy world. You even own your own
franchise of the infamous treasure hunting company Acquisitions Incorporated.
You are prepared to go to all lengths to get your loot, including sneaking into
the lair of an angry dragon. 

During each round, you’ll aim to steal an artifact from the dragon and escape
safely. Your fellow treasure hunters and you are competing to get enough loot
and earn the title of Greatest Thief in the Realm. 

Why This is Fun

The immersive story and exciting legacy elements are the reason this game ranks
so high on our list of the best legacy board games. Players of all abilities can
get together and play this game. You’ll get to laugh at the game’s humorous
story elements and have hours of highly entertaining game play with your
favorite people. 

Gameplay

Like the original Clank! A Deck-Building Adventure, this game combines elements
of a strategic game with deck-building mechanics. You’ll build up your deck as
you go through the game – bigger is better! Although the game can appear
intimidating to infrequent board gamers at first, the system is simple to pick
up and the play is intuitive. The gameplay is simple – you’ll start each turn
with five cards in hand. Through your growing deck, you’ll be able to acquire
new cards, fight monsters in the dungeon, and move around the board. Although
each player starts Clank! Legacy: Acquisitions Incorporated with the same deck,
it’s fun to see how each player’s strategy unfolds as the game progresses.

Clank! Legacy: Acquisitions Incorporated in a Nutshell

Competitive or Co-op? Competitive with a splash of co-op play. While you are
still playing competitively head-to-head as in the original Clank!, you need to
come together to accomplish certain things, like unlock new locations or reduce
negative consequences to the party.  Story Clank! Legacy features a fun story
arc that draws you in and keeps your group excited about your next round of
play.  Legacy Elements Your game board, your character’s progression and even
the rules will evolve from round to round. You’ll rip up cards, place stickers
on your board and unlock secrets throughout the game. Each round of play has at
least one exciting surprise in store for you and your fellow adventurers.
Replayable? You end up with a highly customized version of the original
non-legacy Clank! you can play over and over.

Who This is For

Anyone looking for a funny, engaging and exciting game with an immersive
storyline that appeals to both serious and infrequent board gamers.  

Buy Clank! Legacy: Acquisitions Incorporated on Amazon

YAY

PROS

 * Catchy artwork
 * Easy to learn and teach
 * Fun humorous theme
 * Replayable

EH

CONS

 * Lacks solo play (unlike the base game)
 * Takes a long time to play (even with 2 players)

2
PANDEMIC: LEGACY SEASON 1

Genre: Environmental and Medical



Players: 2-4 // Game time: 60 minutes // Age: 13+ // Difficulty: Medium

Publisher: Z-Man Games

Several virulent diseases are wreaking havoc in major population centers all
over the world. 

You have twelve months to get the pandemic under control. It’s all hands on deck
– the world needs your help!

Pandemic: Legacy Season 1 is set in the middle of a pandemic. You are a
disease-fighting specialist working desperately to treat people in disease
hotspots and research cures for each virulent disease. 

You have a strong team (your co-players) of various specialists working together
to eradicate disease. Each player has a unique role with special abilities to
help them fight the pandemic. Every time you play, you and your fellow
specialists set out to achieve certain objectives. Usually, the objectives
revolve around preventing outbreaks from happening while attempting to develop
cures for the diseases.

Why This is Fun

Pandemic: Legacy Season 1 is a fun legacy game to play, particularly because it
is shrouded in secrecy. Everyone knows it’s about stopping a pandemic, but
throughout the game there are many twists and turns. Enough to make you stay
awake at night! That’s the hallmark of a great game. 

Gameplay

During your turn, you’ll use your hand of cards to travel around the world,
build structures, find a cure for a disease or trade cards with another player.
The game takes place over a “year”- you have twelve playing sessions (months) of
the game. Each month is the equivalent of 1-2 gaming sessions, so the entire
playthrough can take between 12 and 24 sessions. 

The base game’s rules are simple. However, since the rules change and evolve as
you play, there can be a lot to keep track of. Commit to playing this game
consistently (at least once every 1-2 weeks) so you aren’t constantly
re-learning all of the game’s rules and tweaks.

Pandemic Legacy: Season 1 in a Nutshell

Competitive or Co-op? Since this is a cooperative game, you need to work closely
with your teammates to achieve your objectives. Story This is a story-driven
game. The narrative elements push the game forward and introduce mechanics and
twists. The narrative and gameplay combined create tense, high-stakes gaming
sessions. Legacy Elements Legacy aspects are unlocked in a “slow burn,” which
helps emulate the stress and tension of resolving an outbreak. Legacy mechanics
used in the game include writing on cards, ripping up cards, and placing
permanent stickers on components. New rules, cards and components will be
introduced throughout the game. Your character also changes with each session by
gaining new skills or detrimental effects. Replayable? So many changes are made
to Pandemic: Legacy Season 1 that the game is not considered replayable after
you’ve completed legacy play.

Who This is For

Pandemic: Legacy Season 1 is the perfect game for players who enjoy
choice-and-consequence scenarios. The game evolves as a direct result of the
choices you and other players make, which makes gameplay exhilarating. Couples
will especially love this game and find themselves discussing the choices they
made last weekend while driving the kids to soccer practice. Playing Pandemic:
Legacy Season 1 is also a terrific choice for teenagers, as they get to make
some weighty decisions in a safe gaming environment.

Buy Pandemic: Legacy Season 1 on Amazon

YAY

PROS

 * Good game to play with your family
 * Amazing theme and immersion
 * Strikingly unique gaming experience
 * You’ll remember playing this game forever

EH

CONS

 * Replayability is possible, but limited
 * Can be tough to remember new rules
 * Stressful


While Risk: Legacy was the first legacy game, Pandemic Legacy: Season 1 was the
game that popularized and cemented legacy games’ place in the board game
stratosphere. Pandemic: Legacy Season 1 is an award-winning cooperative campaign
legacy game derived from the original Pandemic. The game took the board game
world by storm in 2015 and 2016, winning virtually every award a board game can
win. The sequel, Pandemic Legacy: Season 2, is also highly rated and worth
playing after you enjoy Season 1. Pandemic Legacy: Season 0, a new addition to
the Pandemic series, is a prequel to Pandemic: Legacy Season 1 and goes back in
time to the Cold War era of deadly bioweapons. There are also a number of
(non-legacy) Pandemic spin-offs you can check out, such as Pandemic: Fall of
Rome and Pandemic: Rising Tide.

1
GLOOMHAVEN

Genre: Adventure and Fantasy

Issac Childres

Players: 1-4 // Game time: 60-120 minutes // Age: 14+ // Difficulty: Advanced

Publisher: Cephalofair Games

Gloomhaven is a city located in a dark corner of the world. Being shrouded in
shadows, it attracts all sorts of people, many of which you probably wouldn’t
want to be associated with. 

Let’s clear it all out!

You are a member of a rag-tag group of wandering adventurers working together to
clear out dungeons in Gloomhaven, explore the lands beyond and accomplish tons
of missions. 

The game comes with 95+ scenarios. Let that sink in. Ninety-five plus scenarios.
Whoo.

In each dungeon, you’ll work together to defeat your enemies and loot money and
treasure. It’s imperative to manage your time because you will become exhausted
if you run out of cards to manage. Exhaustion almost always equals retreat- not
exactly desirable if you want to keep that reputation of yours! 

Why This is Fun

This Euro-style dungeon crawler features challenging dungeons that can push you
and your teammates to your limits. But the real thrill is levelling up and
retiring characters, and unveiling new characters. Of course, there’s much more
to it than that but you need to discover this for yourself!

Gameplay

In each dungeon, you’ll fight monsters with:

 1. A deck of battle cards that determine the order of attack, how much you move
    your miniature, how you attack and how much damage you inflict. 
 2. An attack modifier card for each attack, which can negate or increase your
    attack or you can miss altogether.

After battle, players tally up their loot and pick up their treasure. You’ll
have the option of going to Gloomhaven to do errands and a City Event or do a
Road Event and go straight to your next adventure. After each battle, you’ll
make a decision on where to go next – some of these decisions permanently change
your storyline forever!

Gloomhaven can be fiddly – there are a lot of things to keep track of! Reddit
has a great list of helpful apps in the r/Gloomhaven community that can help
simplify the amount of gameplay you need to monitor during a game, and reduce
the game’s gigantic footprint.

Although Gloomhaven is rated for 1-4 players, many gaming groups play
successfully with 5 players. There are a lot of great threads on Reddit and
Board Game Geek you can check out to see if you’d like to play Gloomhaven with 5
players.

Solo players will play two to four characters throughout the game. Once you’ve
hit certain criteria, you’ll unlock additional, more challenging solo scenarios
designed around characters and their abilities. You can also download additional
solo scenarios that were developed by the Gloomhaven game designer Isaac
Childres made available to the community for free here. 

For solo players who prefer to cut down on set-up and the amount of elements to
monitor, the digital version of Gloomhaven is a great option. This version is
now available as an Early Access game on Steam. 

Gloomhaven in a Nutshell

Competitive or Co-op? Gloomhaven is a co-op game where you and your teammates
work together to clear dungeons. However, there are some very competitive
aspects to the game. Each of you will have a different character with different
objectives, and you’ll be able to pursue your own goals. Story Since Gloomhaven
is so long and epic, the story can seem disjointed. There is no one cohesive
story arc with a clear end and beginning. The game can feel like a long series
of puzzles. Gloomhaven makes up for it with enough story via mini story arcs and
flavor text for each dungeon that help you feel like the game is progressing and
changing. Legacy Elements Gloomhaven includes a complex and ever-branching
storyline where you are developing your characters and building your legacy.
When you make a decision, you can close certain storylines and locations
forever. The difficulty level of the game scales as you grow, so the game never
becomes too easy or too hard. The fun is in retiring and unlocking new
characters that you can build up. You’ll permanently discard (or tear) certain
cards and place stickers on your map. Replayable? You have the option of saving
discarded cards (instead of tearing them) and buying removable stickers. If you
do this, the game is infinitely replayable.

Who This is For

Anyone looking for a challenging and strategic Euro-style dungeon crawler. You
(and your teammates, if you have ‘em) need to be willing and able to invest many
hours in this game. It will take all that and more to discover the secrets of
Gloomhaven! 

Buy Gloomhaven on Amazon

YAY

PROS

 * Immersive storyline
 * Innovative battle decks
 * Levelling up + unlocking new characters is fun
 * Doesn’t require consistent group

EH

CONS

 * Organization is key (and a chore)
 * Gloomhaven is expensive
 * Set-up for each game takes a long time
 * Rulebook can be confusing


Gloomhaven hit the board game universe by storm when it came out in 2017,
winning virtually every Golden Geek award in 2017, including Board Game of the
Year, and the 2018 SXSW Tabletop Game of the Year. With a game this popular, the
good news is that there are plenty of expansions and spin-offs!

Gloomhaven: Forgotten Circles is the first expansion for Gloomhaven.

Founders of Gloomhaven is a prequel to Gloomhaven. In this city-building game,
players build the City of Gloomhaven.

Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion is a standalone prequel to Gloomhaven. This game is
a beginner-friendly introduction to the world of Gloomhaven.

Frosthaven, which will be released in April 2021, includes a new 100-scenario
campaign and features the same combat mechanisms of Gloomhaven.


THAT’S A WRAP!

As with books and movies, everyone will experience each legacy game differently.
It’s important to think about your (and your group’s) preferences in all
aspects, including whether you are playing with kids, your preferred duration of
gameplay, theme, type of game mechanics, strength of narrative, etc.

There is something for everyone in our top 10 legacy board games. Whether you
want a funny and entertaining game with an immersive story (that’s Clank! for
you!), a game that’s good for solo play (Gloomhaven and First Martians), an epic
100+ hour game (looking at you, Gloomhaven) or want to play with your kids
(Machi Koro Legacy, Charterstone, etc.). 

There are a few other legacy games worth mentioning: 

My City – You’ll develop a city on your own playing board in this new
competitive legacy game.

Seafall – Though this game was widely panned for flawed game mechanics, some
gaming groups really enjoyed playing this. It’s also a wallet-friendly pick.

Betrayal Legacy – A horror adventure based loosely on Betrayal at House on the
Hill, where players get to explore a haunted mansion as members of specific
family members.

Ultimate Werewolf Legacy – The ultimate party game for 10-16 players. You get to
lie and misdirect as you either try to hide the fact that you’re a werewolf or
uncover the werewolves in the group.

Shadowrun Crossfire – An epic cooperative cyberpunk fantasy deckbuilding game
for 1-4 players. 

Zombie Kidz Evolution – A legacy-style game developed specifically for kids.
You’ll have a blast working together to save your school from cartoonish
zombies! 

Legacy games offer a one-of-a-kind immersive experience. Sort of like
binge-reading (or watching) the whole Harry Potter series. Or starting up Game
of Thrones after the series finale aired. Once you’ve picked the legacy game
that is the best fit, all you have to do is dive in and enjoy the ride!


LEGACY BOARD GAME FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQS)

What are Legacy Board Games?

If you’re new to the concept of legacy games, a definition is in order. Legacy
games come in all shapes and sizes, from a dungeon crawling campaign game like
Gloomhaven to a medieval city building game with worker placement mechanisms
like Charterstone. 

At its base, a legacy game can be a strategy and/or themed game (e.g. fantasy
and adventure) within one or more genres (e.g. dungeon crawlers and campaign
games). A legacy game can also utilize a number of game mechanics, from dice
rolling and cooperative play to deck building. 

The immersive and interactive elements are what differentiate the best legacy
board games from regular board games.

The popular board game community Board Game Geek defines a legacy game as:

A multi-session game in which permanent and irreversible changes to the game
state carry over to future plays.

This can be done in a plethora of ways!

A few of the potential legacy approaches you’ll find in a legacy game are:

 * Opening sealed boxes or packages that are unlocked when your group hits
   certain milestones
 * Branching storylines
 * Unlocking new items and characters
 * Permanently modifying and/or destroying game pieces
 * Continuing stories from where your group left off from the last session
 * Building your legacy by gaining skills, items and other assets that carry
   over
 * Character development and growth



What Are Some Tips for Successfully Playing Legacy Board Games?

Find Your Tribe – Whether it’s your family members, close friends or board game
friends, you’ll need a group that will commit to playing together regularly. It
can be difficult to deal with turnover in most legacy games, as your fates are
entwined.

Play Regularly – Some legacy games have ever-changing rules that are easy to
follow when you play regularly (looking at you Pandemic Legacy). However, if you
play infrequently, you’ll spend a lot of time re-learning rules and
reacquainting yourself with where you are in the game.

Master the Rules – Some of the games we’ve listed below have complicated rules,
which are further complicated by confusing rulebooks. However, regardless of
their difficulty level we’ve found that you can usually bring in less
experienced gamers if one of you has a good mastery of the rules.

Pick the Right Game – Picking the right game for your gaming group is important.
For example, having a super competitive player while you are playing The King’s
Dilemma can make gameplay a chore.

Are Legacy Games Replayable?

Some legacy games are either replayable as a legacy game and/or replayable as a
non-legacy game. Others are not considered replayable once you’ve completed
legacy play.

Something to keep in mind is that a game that is considered replayable may not
actually be fun to play again. The secret sauce to legacy games is the unlocking
of secrets, game rules and components. Once you’ve played through once, further
games may not have the same allure. Some players may find that they don’t want
to replay a game once legacy play is complete. And that’s okay! Check out our
discussion below under Why Play a Game that May Have a Limited Shelf Life?

Legacy Game Replayable as a Legacy Game Replayable as a Non-Legacy Game Not
Replayable Aeon’s End: Legacy With Reset Pack Yes — Charterstone With Recharge
Pack Yes — Clank! Legacy: Acquisitions Incorporated Yes Yes — First Martians:
Adventures on the Red Planet Yes Yes — Gloomhaven Yes Yes — The King’s Dilemma
No No Yes Machi Koro Legacy No Yes — Pandemic: Legacy Season 1 No No Yes The
Rise of Queensdale No Yes — Risk: Legacy No No Yes



Why Play a Game that May Have a Limited Shelf Life?

Many legacy board games can only be played through once, and each playthrough is
unique and determined by every decision the players make to build their legacy.
For the ones that you can replay, it’s possible that the magic will be gone for
any subsequent playthroughs once you have nothing new to unlock.

So why should you buy a legacy game, particularly considering their (typically)
steep price tags?

The one-of-a-kind experience can offer priceless memories and hours of
entertainment. You’ll even value the experience years later. The right legacy
game for your group will have you talking about the next session and thinking
about the game in between sessions. 

Though the price tag may seem steep, consider this. Gloomhaven, which we bought
for $100, can give us over 100 hours of gameplay. This is approximately $1-2 per
campaign. Which is cheaper and more immersive than going out to eat or going to
the movies. Or even paying to stream the latest movie releases at home! 

You’re also more likely to play a legacy board game for many more hours than one
of your regular board games.

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