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5 Video Games to Secretly Play at Work

Published on September 1, 2025May 23, 2025 by Kyra2 Comments

Happy Labor Day for those of you who celebrate and have the day off. For those of you who don’t celebrate Labor Day or have to work in an office environment, you can secretly play plenty of video games at work. Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here. We will be a little naughty with today’s list in honor of Labor Day and share five great video games you can secretly play at work.

Never mind that the first board games I designed were solo-player games that fit inside school folders and could be played in the middle of class. I would never condone playing video games while at work. Wink, wink.

5: Desktop Tower Defense

We’re kicking this list off old school. The tower defense genre is crazy popular. One of the genre’s first breakout hits was the 2007 Flash game, Desktop Tower Defense. This browser game was my introduction to the tower defense video game genre. Even though I never played Desktop Tower Defense while at work (yeah, right), the game scores extra points for recreating the aesthetics of an office desktop. That’s the trick to games one can play while at work. They need to be easily concealed, like in a school folder.

Like the name implies, players must set up tower defenses to prevent enemies called “Creeps” from reaching portions of the playfield. Desktop Tower Defense further differentiates itself from competitors by using mazes as a game mechanism. Rather than players being at the mercy of the Creeps moving in a predetermined path, players created paths for the enemies to travel. So, while Desktop Tower Defense may have found an early audience by being easy to conceal at work, its unique maze mechanism made it more than just a “game you can play at work.” Desktop Tower Defense is a good game. It even earned a port for the Nintendo DS.

4: GeoGuessr

GeoGuessr uses Google Maps to make an interesting game. GeoGuessr is another browser game, which will be a trend because we’re trying not to get caught playing video games at work. When players load into GeoGuessr, they’ll receive a random street view. The player must use their surroundings to figure out where they are. It’s like Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?, only you’re Carmen Sandiego and you don’t know where you are.

Google is ubiquitous in workplaces, so it’s easy to load up a game of GeoGuessr without raising suspicions. The game can be played without time limits, which makes it a casual game, and players can play GeoGuessr in between other tasks. If you want to work, you can. GeoGuessr is also a great way to figure out where you want to take your next vacation or holiday. You’re being productive.

3: Arena XLSM

Arena XLSM may do a better job than Desktop Tower Defense at pretending to be work. In fact, Arena XLSM is a free RPG made in Microsoft Excel. It works in Excel’s 2007, 2010, and 2013 versions, but hasn’t yet been updated for later versions. Like all good RPGs, Arena XLSM is story-driven. The player has been captured after rebelling against an emperor. He’s imprisoned in the titular arena and must fight waves of enemies to survive. Arena XLSM features thousands of enemies and a story told through notes the player receives from their wife, leading to several possible endings.

I was tempted to put Arena XLSM higher on this list, but the game’s availability knocks it down a spot or two. If your company’s PC runs older versions of Windows and the Microsoft Office suite of products, you may be in luck.

2: Paperclips

Oh, ho ho! Paperclips is yet another video game masquerading as work. Except for one other game on this list (our top spot), Paperclips may be the best video game to disguise itself as work. Also known as Universal Paperclips, Paperclips is a clicker game that looks like a calculator program. Clicker games may not be my first choice, but they can have a lot of complexity. After clicking a button to create a paperclip, the player gains the ability to automate, and then they can focus on resource allocation. Resource allocation is what makes clicker games so addictive. Paperclips is a ton of fun and happens to look like something you may have on your computer screen while working. Those numbers aren’t going to click themselves.

1: Leadership

Leadership takes our top spot because it’s the sneakiest.If you couldn’t tell by now, I love it when video games one secretly plays at work are disguised. Leadership looks like a boring line graph, but look closely, and you’ll find a tiny spaceship between the lines. Leadership is a secret lunar lander clone from a group of Danish developers. Leadership must be fun because Danish people tend to be voted the happiest. Just saying. During Leadership, players must guide their spacecraft from point A to point B, and they have a set amount of fuel to reach their goal.

Like other games on this list, Leadership is a browser game, so it’s easy to conceal. But Leadership’s appeal runs deeper than its skin. It’s another fun game. There’s even a leaderboard. You can compete with fellow slackers, I mean, otherwise motivated people from around the world.

That’s our list. I would include more, but I had a lot of other “research” I needed to conduct. Pay no attention to the line graph on my computer. What video games do you like to “not play at work?” Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Geekly News: August 31, 2025, MCU X-Men

Published on August 31, 2025August 30, 2025 by KyraLeave a comment

Happy Sunday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another week of Geek News. We have several new releases for video games and board games, but before we get to those, the MCU made a somewhat major announcement: they’ve started work on their version of the X-Men. Okay. The MCU was going to begin work on the X-Men within the next year, so this may not be the biggest of headlines, but this could lead to future headlines.

The MCU Begins Work on X-Men

Thunderbolts* may not have done as well at the box office as the MCU had hoped, but it was a great recent entry for the MCU. The Thunderbolts*’s director, Jake Schreier, proved he could handle the quirky and dysfunctional family dynamics of the New Avengers. He even explored the team’s mutual trauma and had them bond. Marvel agrees with me. Early this year, Marvel Studios gave Jake Schreier the nod as the upcoming X-Men movie’s director, meaning Marvel’s mutants are in good hands. In a recent interview with Empire Magazine (via Deadline), X-Men director Jake Schreier confirmed he’s already working on X-Men.

Schreier doesn’t elaborate on his statement, so we don’t have much to glean from what he said. He literally said work on X-Men has begun. Okay. Looks like we may need to extrapolate. That’s right. Buckle up, because we’re flooring the gas pedal into MCU speculation territory.

Early this month, we mentioned an unnamed MCU movie scheduled between the two upcoming Avengers movies (Doomsday and Secret Wars). I stand by our reasons for the MCU films we thought could be released between Doomsday and Secret Wars: Deadpool 4, Black Panther 3, Blade, and Doctor Strange 3. Schreier mentioned X-Men would begin filming next year. Taking recent MCU production practices into advisement, this could add X-Men to the list of possible movies to fill the “unnamed MCU” film slot. But I’m reluctant to add X-Men.

The X-Men will need more build-up than a standard MCU film production. While I’m excited for an X-Men MCU film, my enthusiasm rises with the thought that X-Men will receive an additional year of filming, ensuring the film is the best it can be. X-Men will have too much going on for a quick year-and-a-half turnaround. That production schedule may work for Thunderbolts*, not X-Men. Asking the MCU to squeeze in an X-Men movie between Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars is a huge ask.

However, we should expect X-Men casting news to heat up in 2026. Until now, we’ve had mostly speculation. Geekly even did our own fan casting for the MCU’s X-Men. But that’s what most “X-Men Casting” has been to this point, fan casting. With Scheier’s announcement, X-Men will begin filming in 2026, and casting rumors will be more than speculation. I’ll be on the lookout for trusted industry insiders (like Daniel RPK, who has a great track record with MCU casting news) to report on potential X-Men cast members. In short, if we see someone consistently cast in a role for months by a trusted industry insider, there’s a great chance the actor has been cast for the role. This is the time for X-Men rumors to boil.

Stay tuned. 😉

Transecopia Emerges on GameFound

Transecopia adds hidden placement to the dice placement mechanism. Turns go quick with simultaneous play, and multiple win conditions keep the game fresh and exciting. I’m unsure of Transecopia’s theme, but I imagine it has to do with underwater exploration, based on the game’s artwork. Since I’m unsure exactly what you’re doing, I’ll be focusing on the gameplay, which looks fantastic. Transecopia has a relatively simple concept. Players simultaneously roll dice so everyone can see. Then, everyone places screens in front of their player boards and begins placing dice.

Player boards are resolved in areas, positioned top to bottom and left to right. Whoever has the highest value of dice located in each area, earns the resources from that area. Like I said, Transecopia has a simple concept, but you’ll need to outthink your opponents. Armed with the knowledge of what everyone rolled during the round, you can take educated guesses to where you think your opponents will place their dice. The big reveal is a blast and bound to yield audible responses.

Since Transecopia is releasing on GameFound, we have little information on how much pledges will be at this time. If you’re interested in Transecopia, check out its GameFound page.

The Gilded Realms Marches onto GameFound

Harness the unique strengths and skills of your people in the robust kingdom builder, The Gilded Realms. Armed with their own factions, players compete to defend and fortify the crucial region, The Pristine Mountains. The Gilded Realms offers a lot of customization to each game. Faction upgrades come in handy as you try to build the best empire.

The Gilded Realms offers a ton in its box. This second printing, offered on GameFound, features a new expansion for an extra wrinkle. The Gilded Realms has received great reviews. It offers an intriguing hybrid of simultaneous and turn-based gameplay. Again, The Gilded Realms is on GameFound, so we have little information on how much a pledge will cost. My guess would be in the triple figures, over a $100. You’d be getting a lot of game at that price. If you’re interested in The Gilded Realms, check out its GameFound page.

Airport Empire Lands on KickStarter

Who hasn’t wanted to run their own airport? Airport Empire puts you in charge of a small airstrip and tasks you with building it into an airport empire. Events occur to keep you on your toes. You can buy upgrades to expand your tiny airstrip to an airport. The airport pieces look great. But watch out. You must meet your needs to upkeep your growing business.

You score points in three categories: customer satisfaction, profits, and efficiencies. I love Airport Empire’s example of “an air traffic control tower is great to improve efficiency, but does little to improve your bottom line, where as maintenance hangars brings in revenue but go unnoticed by passengers.” I’m wondering if you don’t “need” these structures to run your airport. That’ll be fun. The player with the most points at the end of the game wins.

I like that Airport Empire keeps each version the same. Too many board game campaigns offer varied game experiences with deluxe versions of the same game. And Airport Empire offers plenty of pledge options, ranging from $49-95. That’s a good range for what appears to be a middle-weight game. If you’re interested in Airport Empire, you can check out its KickStarter page.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land – Star-Crossed World Expansion and Switch 2 Upgrade Released

Kirby and the Forgotten Land was–and still is–a great three-year-old platformer. Kirby gets his time for a Switch 2 upgrade, but this upgrade comes with an expansion, Star-Crossed World. The 12 new levels add some interesting twists to the fun formula. Hilarious Mouthful Mode transformations and the levels themselves make Star-Crossed World a worthy addition. I am a little worried by the Switch 2 upgrades. Switch 2 upgrades should be free if players already purchased the game for the Nintendo Switch, but this upgrade does come with an expansion. Upgrading Kirby and the Forgotten Land from Switch to Switch 2 does give you the Star-Crossed World expansion. This may be an adequate middle ground.

That’s all the geek news we have for you this week. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Top 5 Black Panther Villains

Published on August 30, 2025May 4, 2025 by KyraLeave a comment

Eyes of Wakanda continues its run this month, so we’re celebrating by recounting the greatest Black Panther villains. Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here. We’ve done the Top 5 villain treatment to several Marvel and DC Comics heroes. It’s only fitting that Black Panther receives his Top 5 Villains.

Honorable Mention: Ulysses Klaw

I feel like we have an honorable mention a lot in these lists, but Ulysses Klaw makes this list in this manner for a reason. He’s a Marvel Universe villain more than just a Black Panther villain. Sure, his origin has Wakandan roots, but Klaw has often battled the Fantastic Four and Avengers. Everyone should fear the man with a body of pure sound.

5: Achebe

Achebe is the Joker to Black Panther’s Batman. Little is known about Achebe, only rumors. The most persistent of these rumors is that Achebe was once a Ghudazan farmer who helped rebel guerrillas from the neighboring country of Ujanka. He helped nurse the fighters back to health, but his wife fell in love with the rebel leader, and the rebels repaid his kindness by stabbing him 32 times, razing his farm, and taking his wife. What is known is that Achebe made a deal with Mephisto and serves as an emissary of Marvel’s version of the Devil. Achebe is ruthless, unpredictable, and a constant thorn in Black Panther’s side.

4: T’Channa

T’Channa is T’Challa’s sister in an alternate universe (Earth-2301). She and her siblings were beaten (she implies brutally) by T’Challa in a contest for Wakanda’s throne. As a result, she left Wakanda for Latveria, where she joined forces with Victor von Doom, until she became strong enough to overtake him as the new Doctor Doom. Honestly, I wouldn’t mind seeing T’Channa’s Doom in an upcoming Marvel project. She blends Wakanda’s technology with the magic she learned from Victor von Doom to become a menace, not just to T’Challa, but to the entire world.

3: White Wolf

Hunter is T’Challa’s adopted brother. The two were close as children. They even competed in childish games like footraces. But Hunter was born a foreigner from the African nation Mohannda. He was the sole survivor of a plane crash before T’Chaka, T’Challa’s father, adopted him. Hunter doesn’t look like other Wakandans. He has light skin. When he was young, Hunter was the Wakandan envoy to European nations because he looked like them. This othered Hunter from his fellow Wakandans. Eventually, Ulysses Klaw killed T’Chaka and Ramonda (Hunter’s adoptive parents), and he was orphaned again. Hunter blamed T’Challa for his problems and sought revenge against Klaw. He strives to make the country of his birth, Mohannda, as technologically advanced as Wakanda. Hunter’s nationalism often puts him at odds with T’Challa.

The Winter Soldier has been nicknamed White Wolf in the MCU, so it’s unknown if a White Wolf will make an appearance. Fingers crossed that he will.

2: Erik Killmonger

Born N’Jadaka, Killmonger needs little introduction. Portrayed by Michael B. Jordan, he exploded on the screen in the original Black Panther movie. Killmonger is a Wakandan exile and vows to take the Black Panther mantle. He often challenges T’Challa to ritual combat. Even when he dies, he finds ways to return. One of his most recent reanimations came in the form of an alien symbiote (like Venom). N’Jadaka will never rest until he’s taken his rightful place on Wakanda’s throne. Death can’t even stop him.

1: M’Baku/Man-Ape

M’Baku’s alias Man-Ape has gone out of favor for obvious reasons. It’s problematic. While the MCU has mostly shown M’Baku as one of T’Challa’s allies, he rarely ends up on the same side as the Black Panther. While T’Challa controls the Panther cult, M’Baku is head of the Gorilla cult (hence his alias Man-Ape). In the comics, M’Baku detests Wakanda’s technological revitalization. He seeks to outlaw technology and return the nation to its mystical roots. Often, M’Baku will use greater conflicts to undermine Wakandan leadership. He’s cunning and willing to ally himself with anyone he thinks will grow his standing within Wakanda. Occasionally, that will be Black Panther. But often, he’ll choose Black Panther’s opposition.

I’d love to see Winston Duke’s M’Baku receive more shine in the MCU. I also like how the MCU changed his alias to Great Gorilla. That works.

Did we get the list right? Let us know who you would add or remove in the comments. And wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Who’s the Best Villain?

Published on August 29, 2025August 1, 2025 by KyraLeave a comment

Sweet Emoji: Comic Book Character 01

Published on August 28, 2025May 2, 2025 by KyraLeave a comment

Geekly Tunes: August 2025

Published on August 27, 2025September 24, 2025 by KyraLeave a comment

Happy Wednesday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here. This week’s Whatcha post is Geekly Tunes. Our writers will be sharing what they’ve been listening to over the past month. Feel free to share the music you’ve been listening to as well, because we’re all part of the Geekly Gang. I’ll get us started.

Kyra’s Tunes

Last month, I listened to the latest Wet Leg album, Moisturizer. I’m still listening to that album on occasion. But I mentioned in the write-up for Moisturizer that PJ Harvey was one of their influences, which led me to To Bring You My Love. I owned a cassette of PJ Harvey’s To Bring You My Love and listened to it on repeat in my first car, a jade Dodge Neon. At the time when I purchased To Bring You My Love, I didn’t know what to expect from PJ Harvey. Folks described her as grunge. The label didn’t fit. Harvey’s music occupies a space between punk, rock, blues, and folk. One can’t pin it down to one genre. And To Bring You My Love is one of her best albums. It earned countless perfect ratings from multiple music critics and continues to inspire.

I first caught Chappell Roan’s “The Subway” during a live performance stream. No offense to any of Roan’s other tracks, but “The Subway” was excellent. It was easily her best song in the set. There was no way Roan’s best song wasn’t on her album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess. Yeah. “The Subway” was kept off Roan’s album because she wanted it to be a live performance-only song. I get it. “The Subway” brings down the rafters when Roan performs it live. Pirating led to “The Subway” being released as a single this past month. I got to rediscover this song all over again, and I love it.

We go from a couple of acts that hit the big time (Chappell is the current Queen of Pop) to another that didn’t quite make it, Jellyfish. This Nineties band is one of the internet’s favorite what-ifs. Jellyfish would’ve fared much better in a decade that wasn’t dominated by torn jeans, flannel shirts, and grunge. During that decade, no one wanted a fusion of Beach Boy harmonies over thought-provoking–and sometimes esoteric and bizarre–lyrics. Jellyfish doesn’t shy away from eclectic instruments in the service of finding the perfect blend of Wonderland-Core. While “New Mistake” was the closest this power pop four-piece got to a hit, I really like “Ghost at Number One” and “The King is Half Undressed.” The latter is a great example of lead singer Andy Sturmer at his Mad Hatter best.

I omitted some other bands I’ve been listening to lately, but I may save them for another month. It’s time to hear what Season and Skye have been listening to this past month.

Season’s Tunes

I’m back with another soundtrack. I can’t seem to get away from them. This month’s soundtrack is from Singin’ in the Rain. I’ve only watched the movie once, but it was so memorable that I can picture every dance number while listening, especially “Make ‘Em Laugh.” Even though he was bedridden after the shoot, Donald O’Connor nailed that performance. Respect.

Continuing with ’50s nostalgia, I discovered Elliot James Reay last week. The song I listened to, “Boy In Love,” blends 1950s rock ‘n’ roll with blues set in today’s world. Reay said in an interview that he wrote this song with his girlfriend, and some of the lyrics are things she’s said to him. It’s sweet, and Reay does a great job of blending nostalgia with a modern setting. Seriously. The music video had a handful of people on their smartphones in the background.

Skye’s Tunes

I put my vinyl collection on shuffle this past month. I like The Who, but I don’t listen to their music often. After popping The Story of The Who back on my turntable, I felt guilty. I forgot how good The Who was. Even as I write this, several tracks are cycling through my head, including “Substitute,” “Boris the Spider,” “Magic Bus,” and “Baba O’Reilly.” Well, I knew I bought this album for a reason. Thanks, Past Me!

I couldn’t resist. I know American Idiot is a cliché album for my collection, but…come on. How could I not own American Idiot? Green Day is the kind of music I’m proud to say I grew up with. Before owning American Idiot, I had never heard every track on the album. After listening to American Idiot the way the band intended, I feel like I understand it much better. That and I’m listening to American Idiot as an adult as opposed to an oblivious child, an oblivious child who also didn’t understand swear words.

I have similar feelings about Billie Holiday as I do about Nina Simone. Both are great to listen to when I need something to wind down. As Simone’s predecessor, it’s easy to see the influence Holiday’s work had on artists like Simone. What feels especially comfy about Holiday’s music is the quality and tone. It qualifies more as “lounge music” than Simone’s, and the recording quality for each song on Lady Sings the Blues has a classic feel. That’s part of why I started collecting vinyl: albums like Lady Sings the Blues make me feel cozy.

It’s about time I talked about Queen. Don’t worry, I knew this rock band was coming sooner or later. As another band (and album) I grew up with, I have a strong personal connection with Queen: Greatest Hits. This album introduced me to amazing songs like “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Don’t Stop Me Now,” “Another One Bites the Dust,” “Killer Queen,” “You’re My Best Friend,” and many more. I don’t say this often, but I’m so glad my parents are as cultured as they are. Because of them, I dare say: I was classically trained. I’m sorry.

Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here again. That’s the music our writers have been listening to over the past month. Feel free to share yours in the comments, Geekly Gang. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Sweet Emoji: 80s Songs 02

Published on August 26, 2025May 2, 2025 by KyraLeave a comment

Statistics

Published on August 25, 2025August 24, 2025 by KyraLeave a comment

Geekly News; August 24, 2025,

Published on August 24, 2025August 23, 2025 by KyraLeave a comment

Happy Sunday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another week of Geek News. We don’t have much in the way of major headlines this week, but as usual, we’ll break down the board game and video game new releases. Let’s start with board games.

Storybook Saga Opens on GameFound

We’ve been covering every Solo Game of the Month release on GameFound ever since January of this year, because these games, even if they don’t look like ones I’d be interested in, are designed by established board game designers, and this company never fails to deliver. This month’s game, Storybook Saga, continues this tradition. Per usual (for GameFound), we don’t have an idea of pledge costs or Storybook Saga’s game mechanisms. But it looks amazing.

Players assemble a team of classic storybook characters and attempt to survive scenarios. Each card will be tarot-sized–you don’t see much of that. the art looks stunning. Storybook Saga is yet another Solo Game of the Month title that uses top-notch components. And even though we don’t know how the game is played, you know Storybook Saga will be a solo game, and the pledge should land in a reasonable price range. My guess would be $20-35. If you’re interested in Storybook Saga, check out its GameFound page.

Reiner Knizia’s Hanami Launches on KickStarter

As Hanami’s subtitle says, Hanami is an update to the Reiner Knizia classic board game Samurai, and when I say Samurai is a classic board game, believe it. The game still holds an impressive 7.5 rating BoardGameGeek. Yeah. 7.5 on BGG means the game is great.

Hanami celebrates a different side of Japanese culture, but one that’s still steeped in Samurai tradition. Who doesn’t love sakura blossoms? Hanami offers a lot of free add-ons for a standard pledge of $40. If you’re interested in Hanami, check out its KickStarter page.

Restless Spirits Emerges on KickStarter

Restless Spirits puts players in the role of a spirit guide, trying to collect magical totems and release spirits. Restless Spirits’ rules are easy to pick up. Choose a spirit guide, attract spirits to your board, find and play matching totems, use spirit abilities to gain an advantage, and release the most spirits. This game gets really combo-tastic.

Restless Spirits is another game that features tarot-sized cards. I’m always down for that. The art looks amazing, but my favorite feature for Restless Spirits is its story mode. Tales of the Spirit Realm is a collection of 12 short folktales about the Spirits in the game. Before playing, draw a Tale card (either at random or in order), turn to the associated page in the Tales booklet, and read the story. Each Tale has an accompanying gameplay modifier, so you get to learn more about the specific spirit you’re playing, which comes with a fun gameplay twist.

Restless Spirits offers a couple of pledge levels. The standard edition costs about $47 (the prices are in Pounds), while the deluxe version that adds some extra swag runs about $74. If you’re interested in Restless Spirits, check out its KickStarter page.

Herdling Video Game Releases

This past week was a big one for indie video game releases. Herdling is a brand new adventure from Okomotive, who also created the atmospheric and acclaimed FAR games and Firewatch.

Herdling looks stunning. If it follows previous Okomotive releases, Herdling should have more of a focus on immersing gamers in the world it’s crafting. I never thought herding livestock would appeal to me, but Herdling has me second-guessing that opinion. Herdling released on PC, Nintendo Switch, Playstation5, Xbox.

Discounty Lands on Steam

Newcomer developer Crinkle Cut Games released its first video game, Discounty, on Steam. Discounty takes some concepts of games like Stardew Valley and applies them to a discount supermarket. You’ll be managing a local supermarket and getting caught up in small-town drama. Organize and plan your shop’s layout and strike lucrative trade deals as you expand your business empire.

Discounty scratches that resource management itch that I often get. The quirky town looks fun and inviting. And at the time of writing this post, there’s a bundle for Tiny Book Shop (which we covered in a previous Geekly News post and is an amazing video game) and Discounty. If you’re interested in Discounty, check out its Steam store page.

Sword of the Sea Sails onto Systems

I’ve always liked developer Giant Squid’s aesthetic. Giant Squid are the ones behind Abzû and The Pathless, but their art director also worked on Journey and Flower. You can see those influences in Sword of the Sea. Players control a Wraith, who explores abandoned and desolate worlds, hoping to bring life back to them. The Wraith explores the world with a hoversword, which is part snowboard, skateboard, and hoverboard. Needless to say, this world is stunning.

Sword of the Sea plays like an eco-fantasy. In a world as desolate as the one made by the Once-ler in The Lorax, Sword of the Sea has players soar through barren lands, seeding them with life in an art style reminiscent of Journey or Flower. Sword of the Sea’s premise has me intrigued. Giant Squid delivers the graphics we know them for, and that makes for a title on my short list of 2025 video games that I need to try. Sword of the Sea is available on PC and Playstation5.

That’s all the geek news we have for this week. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Top 5 Tabletop Games from 1996

Published on August 23, 2025August 23, 2025 by Kyra1 Comment

1996 was a weaker year for board games than the past handful of years, but a banner year for collectible card games. As a result, we’re lifting the CCG embargo for the 1996 list. There will be more than one CCG entry for the top 5 tabletop games from 1996, and it’s a doozy of a collectible card game. Woo hoo!

Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here. We’re back with another Top 5 Tabletop Games. We’ll talk about 1996’s board game list soon, but let’s recap the ground rules for which games make these lists before we start.

1: Cultural relevance plays as much of a factor as overall quality. A game might make a list that doesn’t hold up to others of its type, but you must admit the game is everywhere.

2: Only one game from a franchise makes the list. This will become more of an issue the closer we get to games with expansions.

3: Longevity plays a role, too. A game doesn’t have to fly off the shelves today, but it had to have some widespread appeal for a decent time.

**5: Mythos Collectible Card Game (1996)**

We begin this list with an interesting collectible card game, Mythos. Based on the Cthulhu Mythos stories of horror author H.P. Lovecraft, Mythos is also an adaptation of the Call of Cthulhu role-playing game. Mythos combines elements of some traditional card games like Rummy and borrows other concepts from previous CCGs. While the game is playable by two players, the intent is for Mythos to be played by a larger number of players. The main objective of Mythos is to collect points by completing adventures. Adventures are cards that include keywords derived from different card names and types. Once the required cards are in the player’s story deck or on the table, the player can play the adventure and receive its points.

Mythos differs from many collectible card games because of its lack of a combat focus. This is a CCG that attempts to tell a story. Unfortunately, Mythos faltered after its initial release. Later expansions, most notably the non-collectible Standard Game Set, confused consumers and forced the publisher Chaosium to discontinue Mythos only one year after the game’s original release. Still, Mythos shows what collectible card games can achieve. It earned its distinction as one of Pyramid magazine’s The Millennium’s Best Card Games.

**4: Mad Gab (1996)**

Lately, we haven’t included too many mass-market board games in these lists. Mad Gab bucks this trend. It does so, not just because 1996 was a weaker year for board games like I mentioned, but because it was a cultural cornerstone. Mad Gab uses puzzles known as mondegreens (misheard words that could mean something else) and contain small words that, when put together, make a word or a phrase. For example, “These If Hill Wore” when pronounced quickly sounds like “The Civil War.” Mad Gab had two levels, easy and hard. The faster players solve the puzzles, the more points they score.

Mad Gab uses phonetics. It tests players’ ability to process sounds based on simpler English-written sounds into a meaningful word or phrase. Players must read the words aloud. Reading the phrases silently won’t allow someone to decode the puzzles’ meaning because the sounds need to be decoded.

**3: Kill Doctor Lucky (1996)**

We covered Mystery of the Abbey on our last week, and that game revamped Cluedo (or Clue for the United States). Kill Doctor Lucky flips the idea of Clue on its head. Kill Doctor Lucky features a sprawling mansion filled with a variety of dangerous weapons. Cluedo begins after the murder has been committed, and players compete to solve it; Kill Doctor Lucky ends with the murder, and players attempt to kill the titular character, Doctor Lucky.

Players must find a secluded room before slaying Doctor Lucky. You can even gain extra points if you pair a weapon with a specific room. For example, if you kill Doctor Lucky in the wine cellar with a trowel, you’ll gain extra points, alluding to Poe’s short story “The Cask of Amontillado.” As soon as I heard that Clue: The Movie could receive a remake, I wondered why Hollywood didn’t choose to go with a Kill Doctor Lucky movie. Why not lean into the silliness?

**2: Netrunner (1996)**

We have yet another Richard Garfield collectible card games that make one of these lists. Garfield has a knack for stretching the boundaries of collectible card games. That makes sense. He did create this form of game. Like Mythos, Netrunner doesn’t have a focus on combat. It takes place in the Cyberpunk 2020 role-playing game universe (which is also the basis for Cyberpunk 2077) and pits players against each other in asymmetric roles. One player assumes the role of a runner, who tries to break through and steal hidden plans (hacking) of the mega-corporations (the Corp) that run the world. The other player assumes the role of the Corp and attempts to catch the runner.

Beyond its focus on non-combat, Netrunner was unique because most collectible card games are framed as a battle between peers. Netrunner has two very different sides facing off against each other. While the collectible card game only ran for a few years, in 2012, Fantasy Flight Games adapted Netrunner into Android: Netrunner, which is a living card game that ran until 2019. Netrunner has a long and storied history. Its fans are fierce. But it doesn’t claim our top spot on this list. A different collectible card game has that honor.

**1: Pokémon Trading Card Game (1996)**

Pokémon had to claim the top spot for 1996. It’s the second-longest-running collectible card game in history. When Pokémon first released, it sold out so fast that all the trading card manufacturers in the world postponed their other orders (like baseball, football, and basketball cards) to fill the demand for new Pokémon cards. Releasing later the same year as Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow (the original Pokémon video games on the Game Boy) helped catapult Pokémon to legendary status.

Play alternates between players who take several actions during their turn, including playing Basic Pokémon, evolving Pokémon, attaching an Energy card, playing Trainer cards, and using Pokémon abilities and attacks. The first Pokémon Trading Card Game sets played like simplified Magic: The Gathering decks. This helped Pokémon and built a pipeline for Magic. Wizards of the Coast, the producer of Magic: The Gathering, didn’t mind because the Pokémon Company licensed the Pokémon Trading Card Game to Wizards of the Coast, who published eight expansion sets between 1998 and 2003, after which the licensing transferred back to The Pokémon Company. The Pokémon Trading Card Game is one of the few games of this type from the original trading card boom that has stayed in continuous production. I haven’t played Pokémon in years, but I have fond memories. This game’s legacy demands that it takes our top spot.

Did we get the list mostly correct? Let us know which games you’d add in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.