Top 10 Games Published in 2003

1. I'm the Boss

I'm the Boss is my second-favorite negotiation game of all time -- and, due to time restraints, it gets played much more often than my favorite, Diplomacy. It's a fast-paced, sometimes harsh (so play with friendly players!), always fun cut-the-deal-and-make-some-money game. Designed by master game designer Sid Sackson, I'm the Boss is a reprint of a game (Kohle, Kies & Knete) that was never before available in an English edition.

2. New England

Games magazine chose New England as its game of the year, and it's easy to understand why. The most significant mechanism in the game is bidding for turn order. There are 10 coins, and the player who choses the highest coin goes first. But you must pay the price on your coin for each card or land token you purchase. The first player may grab the '6' coin, but it will cost him 12 gold to purchase two things. The last player will have less to choose from, but he'll pay a lot less.

3. O Zoo le Mio

This is a new version of ZooSim, which was independently published and won wide acclaim, including being named Games magazine's Family Strategy game of the year. Players bid on zoo attractions, trying to make their own zoo more attractive to visitors than their opponents' zoos. You accomplish this by having the best of certain kinds of attractions -- reptiles, birds, etc. The placement of the tiles you win (they have paths that must connect) is absolutely crucial.

4. Smarty Party

Smarty Party is a wonderful trivia game, a new experience for veteran trivia game players that also appeals to those whose brains aren't packed with minutiae. One player reads and the others answer questions with multiple answers. For example, players may name states bordering the Mississippi River. Or John Grisham and Tom Clancy novels made into films. The creative scoring system and other clever rules almost guarantee that every game will be close.

5. 10 Days in Africa / Europa Tour

In these related games, players start with 10 randomly selected cards representing African and European countries, respectively, and methods of transportation. Your goal is to sort them in your card holder and replace them as necessary so that you start in a country, end in a country and have a legal path from one to the other. Similar to Rack-O, both games were designed by Alan Moon and Aaron Weissblum, who also teamed to design New England.

6. Mystery of the Abbey

Who killed Brother Adelmo? That's the question to be solved in this rather chaotic deduction game, which encourages players to make revelations ("the killer is thin") before making an accusation ("the killer is Father William"). There are 24 suspects; each has five distinguishing characteristics (e.g., order, title and girth). Players roam the monastery, with each room giving certain benefits. Mystery of the Abbey is a light deduction game unlike any other.

7. Scene It?

Until now, movie trivia games have never benefited from players actually seeing the subject of the questions. In Scene It?, there are eight question categories. Three of them require the game's DVD, including answering a question after watching a movie clip and identifying a movie from a single frame in which the actors' faces have been removed. An ideal game for movie fans. This game was originally published in 2002, but was picked up by Mattel in 2003.

8. Balloon Cup

In designer Stephen Glenn's first published game, there are five colors of hot air balloons. Players try to be the first to win three of them, which is done by collecting cubes in the appropriate color -- which, in turn, is done by playing the right cards. In some cases, the highest total wins cubes; in others, it's the lowest total. You can play cards to your total or your opponent's total, so there's plenty of opportunity for strategy and mischief.

9. Battle Ball

Roaring good fun for players who won't take it too seriously, Battleball (aka Battle Ball) is a beer-and-pretzels game -- light and quick, but with some strategy -- with cool plastic figures representing the football players. Battle Ball is a perfect gift for for children who like football, and a game that's likely to be a favorite on college campuses.

10. King Me!

The king is retiring, and 13 people want to replace him. You support six of them -- the six found on your card. On a turn, players move one of the candidates up a level (the board goes from the basement to the throne room, increasing value in each room along the way). When a candidate reaches the throne room, a vote is taken. Only a candidate chosen unanimously becomes the next king. A great short game that nicely balances strategy, tactics and bluffing.