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Top 5 Tabletop Games from 1999

Published on December 13, 2025July 12, 2025 by KyraLeave a comment

Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another Top 5 Tabletop Game List throughout the years. Today we’re gonna party like it’s 1999. 1999 finishes the decade strong with another major collectible card game release, and Reiner Knizia dominance. Oh! Did Knizia ever own tabletop games in 1999? We’ll get to the games in a bit, but first, let’s review our list’s criteria.

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: Schotten Totten (1999)**

Get ready to hear Reiner Knizia’s name a lot on this list. Schotten Totten is the first Knizia design. In Schotten Totten, players take on the role of Scottish clan leaders. Nine boundary stones lie between you and your opponent. In front of each, you build poker-like formations of three cards on a side. Whoever plays the higher-ranking formation wins the stone. But you may use powers to claim a stone before your opponent has played all three of their cards. Successfully claim five stones, or any three adjacent stones, and you win.

Schotten Totten has received multiple reprints. Its game mechanisms have been reimplemented by many games. There’s even a Schotten Totten 2. Few designers could top Knizia in 1999.

**4: Lost Cities (1999)**

Lost Cities is another Knizia design. Lost Cities also continues Kosmos’ excellent two-player game series. Kahuna (another game from this series) made our 1998 list. I love Lost Cities’ theme. Players mount archaeological expeditions to different sites represented by the cards’ colored suits. Lost Cities incorporates a push-your-luck mechanism, as you can choose to continue an expedition (with the possibility of busting) or you can return to base with what you have (and play it safe). Many games have copied Lost Cities’ formula. Including Knizia himself.

While Lost Cities wasn’t considered for the Spiel des Jahres (German game of the year), Keltis, which reimplemented Lost Cities’ gameplay, took home the Spiel des Jahres in 2008. To this day, I prefer to play Lost Cities to Keltis. Lost Cities has staying power.

**3: Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game (1999)**

Speaking of staying power, Yu-Gi-Oh! has that in spades. While new collectible card games (CCGs) continued to be released in the mid to late Nineties, few grabbed hold of the gaming community or stayed longer than a handful of sets. Heck! Even some of the CCGs that made previous lists in this series struggled to make it to ten sets. Yu-Gi-Oh! doesn’t have that issue.

You could argue that Yu-Gi-Oh! at the three spot is a little low. I’ll give you that. What started as the middle ground between Pokémon the card game and Magic: The Gathering has grown into its own dominant brand. From a cultural relevance standpoint, Yu-Gi-Oh! may take 1999’s number one spot.

**2: Tikal (1999)**

Tikal earned 1999’s Spiel des Jahres. This Walfgang Kramer and Michael Kiesling co-design is a brilliant game. Tikal claims our second spot on this list, but I can see someone switching 1 and 2. Tikal deserved the Spiel des Jahres; I just think another game has more relevance today. Tikal is the first of Kramer and Kiesling’s Mask Trilogy of games: Tikal (1999), Java (2000), and Mexica (2002). Tikal is a game of exploration within the Central American jungles in search of lost temples and treasure.

Players send their team of explorers into the jungle, unearthing more and more of the terrain. Along the way, you’ll find temples that hold secrets and treasure. Players try to score points for occupying temples and holding treasure. I’ve played the Tikal mobile app, and it’s a good implementation of the game. If you like the idea of exploring the jungle, check out Tikal.

1: Ra (1999)

Three! Reiner Knizia has three games on the Top 5 1999 Tabletop Games List, and his auction game Ra takes our top spot. Ra highlights what makes Knizia games excellent. Take one simple concept (in this case, auctions) and do it better than most designs. Ra is an auction and set-collection game with an Ancient Egyptian theme. Players purchase lots of tiles through bidding. While every player can win three lots during an epoch (round), tension builds because an epoch can end before every player obtains three lots. The various tiles either give immediate points, prevent negative points (for not having certain types at game’s end), or give points after the final round. Ra is easy to learn and quick to play.

While overlooked for 1999’s Spiel des Jahres, Ra has proven it has longevity. Ra received a reprint in 2023. This year (2025), Ra was inducted into the BoardGameGeek Hall of Fame. My only guess as to why Ra wasn’t considered for the Spiel des Jahres (yes, Ra wasn’t even considered) is that the committee grew tired of seeing Knizia’s name. To date, Reiner Knizia is the most prolific board game designer in history. I can’t blame the Spiel des Jahres committee for getting Knizia fatigue. I played a few new-to-me board games this year. I thought, wow, that game was great, who’s the designer? Reiner Knizia. Of course. Keep them coming, Knizia.

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.

Top 5 Tabletop Games from 1998

Published on November 22, 2025July 12, 2025 by KyraLeave a comment

Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another Top 5 Tabletop Games throughout the years. 1998 saw the continued dominance of collectible card games (CCGs). Fewer CCGs were released this year, but established ones kept board game stores afloat. 1998 had a lot of great board games, but many of them didn’t have the same staying power as previous years in this series. There may be more than one forgotten gem on today’s list. We’ll get to the games in a minute, but first, let’s look at our criteria.

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: Kahuna (1998)**

Kahuna fits the bill of a forgotten gem. This two-player game has players assume the role of ancient sorcerers of the Pacific. You compete for dominance of an archipelago consisting of twelve small islands. Players use cards to place bridges between islands and remove opponent’s bridges. If you get the majority of bridges around an island, place one of your marker stones on it and remove any of your opponent’s bridges to that island. This could, in turn, cause your opponent to lose a bridge majority on an adjacent island.

Kahuna plays in three rounds. A round ends when all cards from the face-down deck and the three face-up cards have been used. Kahuna is a fast-paced area control/majority game. It’s one of the better two-player games from this era, but Kahuna’s status as a two-player only game may have prevented it from seeing wider gameplay. Still, Kahuna was a finalist for the Spiel des Jahres (the German game of the year).

**4: Elfenland (1998)**

We go from a Spiel des Jahre finalist to 1998’s Spiel des Jahre winner, Elfenland. Elfenland is a redesign of the original White Wind game Elfenroads. The game is set in an elvish world. Players begin in the Elf capital, draw one face down movement tile, and are dealt eight transport cards and a secret “home” city card that they must reach at the end of the fourth round or lose points for each city space away from “home” they are at the end of the game.

Elfenland’s designer, Alan R. Moon (Ticket to Ride), has a knack for route-building games. Elfenland marks the first time Moon has made one of these lists. I may have just spoiled the game, but this won’t be the last time we’ll see Moon on one of these lists. Elfenland shares some similarities with Moon’s more popular Ticket to Ride. Elfenland is another forgotten gem.

**3: Guillotine (1998)**

Guillotine is yet another forgotten gem, and its theme is one of the most macabre and interesting of 1998. Players take the role of executioners during the French Revolution. In Guillotine, you’re doing your best to manipulate the execution line and score as many points, claiming the lives of nobles, clergy, and former military as you can. Off with their heads!

If you like Gallow’s humor, you’ll love Guillotine. I say this a lot, but this will not be the last Paul Peterson design to make one of these lists. Peterson has a knack for taking traditional card games in strange and exciting directions. Guillotine is bloody fun.

**2: Cranium (1998)**

Cranium marks the first mass market board game (a game one can find in department stores) to make one of these lists in several years. While it may have faded in popularity, Cranium took elements from various party games and formed what it claims is “the whole-brain” game. Cranium identifies four main party quiz game elements and gave them names: Creative Cat, Data Head, Word Worm, and Star Performer.

Creative Cat involves sculpting and drawing. Data Head is trivia. Word Worm has players unscrambling words, challenging them to spell a word, and guess definitions. And Star Performer includes whistling songs, impersonating a celebrity, or acting out a clue. Cranium managed to assemble as many party quiz game elements into one game as one can. In fact, I still don’t think a party quiz game has managed to include as many elements as Cranium’s into a single game design.

**1: Through the Desert (1998)**

Reiner Knizia takes another top spot on one of these lists with Through the Desert. Through the Desert is one of those games players remember fondly and hold in high regard. But I rarely see anyone playing Through the Desert, making it yet another forgotten gem on this list. I’d argue Cranium, despite its status as a mass market board game, is another forgotten gem. This entire list is made up of forgotten gems. Getting back to Through the Desert, it takes inspiration from the classic game of Go. Through the Desert also completes Knizia’s tile-laying trilogy of games: Tigris & Euphrates (1997), Samurai (1998), and Through the Desert (1998).

In Through the Desert, players attempt to score the most points by snaking caravan routes through the desert, trying to reach oases and blocking off sections of the desert. Two to five players control a tribe of nomads vying for control of the desert. Strategy is key in building your tribe’s caravans. There are multiple paths to gain points, but Through the Desert manages to keep its cognitive load low, meaning it’s easy to learn but difficult to master. Through the Desert is deserving of its Spiel des Jahres recommended status.

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.

Skye’s Halloween Favorite Movies

Published on October 31, 2025October 28, 2025 by Kyra4 Comments

Hooray! It’s that day again. Happy Halloween! To honor Spooky Season, I’d like to discuss my favorite movies to watch for Halloween. We all have our go-tos for holiday movies. What are some of your favorite Halloween movies? You may find some of your favorites among my list. With all that said, let me walk you through my favorite Halloween movies.

5) Coraline (2009)

While Coraline doesn’t take place during Spooky Season, the themes and tone are a perfect fit. This’ll be a common thread among many of my picks. I first saw Coraline as a kid with my family soon after it was released, and I didn’t fully understand it. In fact, my main takeaway was “Huh…that was weird.” Despite being a chronically terrified child (so much so, I couldn’t bear to look at horror movie DVD covers), Coraline didn’t scare me. Now that I’m older–and a very weird person–Coraline is one of my ideal Halloween movies. Given my love of stop-motion animation and the freakish imagery its creepy movement creates, Coraline remains a solid Spooky Season film.

**4) Beetlejuice (1988)**

I’m glad I didn’t have Beetlejuice growing up. Considering how impressionable I was as a kid and the adult content it contains, Beetlejuice would’ve rubbed off on me in all the wrong ways. I first watched it 3 years ago when I was feeling desperate to find a new classic Halloween film. As you can see, I found one. Beetlejuice scratched all the right itches, and now, I’m happy to say it’s joined the list of movies I watch during Halloween. Beetlejuice is a beautiful blend of contradictions. It doesn’t always make sense, but I forgive it since that’s part of the joke. While Beetlejuice is funny, it can also be dramatic, heartfelt, and creepy. Some of the effects are outstanding while others are laughably terrible, and I’d expect nothing less from Tim Burton.

**3) The Thing (1982)**

I love monster movies. Just check out my Halloween movie post from last year. I’m also a die-hard practical effects lover. Enter The Thing. The Thing is one of the quintessential monster films for any monster fan. It gives us outstanding scenes of ooey-gooey transformations, while not boring us with slow moments. Like other classic sci-fi monster flicks (like Alien), it’s the slow, quiet moments that add to the scare factor. The Thing is, first and foremost, a survival film. Each of the men at the Antarctic research base is well-qualified and competent, unlike several other horror film protagonists. You want to see them make it out alive. Unfortunately, they’re dealing with something that’s way beyond their understanding.

**2) Trick ‘r Treat (1986)**

Trick ‘r’ Treat is a favorite of mine, given how much it’s covered in Halloween. It has a lot of personality, but I enjoy how it respects Halloween. Despite being an adult film, Trick ‘r’ Treat manages to speak to my inner child with its aesthetic and emphasis on classic Halloween traditions. While watching Trick ‘r’ Treat, I can’t help but look back on the years I walked door-to-door in a costume and getting wasted on candy. Ah, those were the days. Also, the protagonist, Sam, reflects my attitude towards folks who don’t enjoy Halloween. You’d better watch out.

**1) The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)**

Could any other movie claim the top spot? The Nightmare Before Christmas has long been my #1 Halloween movie. In fact, it’s the movie I always watch on Halloween itself. While I was lukewarm towards Nightmare Before Christmas as a kid, as I’ve gotten older, I absolutely love it. Nightmare Before Christmas was the movie that got me interested in the art of stop-motion and fascinated me with its fantastic yet relatable story and characters. By now, I’ve seen this movie so many times that I can practically recite it from memory. Sometimes I feel like Jack and am desperate to find a new Halloween movie to add to my Spooky Season tradition (like I mentioned earlier with Beetlejuice). But I’ll never stop watching The Nightmare Before Christmas around Halloween. It was and remains my #1 Spooky Season movie.

Those are my picks for Halloween movies. I hope you had as much fun as I did on this road of spooks, nostalgia, and holiday cheer. What are your favorite movies to watch around Spooky Season? I can’t wait to hear from y’all in the comments, and I hope you have a fabulous Halloween.

Famous Black Cats in Media

Published on October 27, 2025June 21, 2025 by KyraLeave a comment

Happy Black Cat Day, Geekly Gang! That’s right. Today is Black Cat Day. I didn’t know a day like this exists. Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here. We’re celebrating Black Cat Day by listing five famous (and popular) black cats in media. Oh, it’s about to get spooky up in here.

5) Pluto (“The Black Cat”)

We’ll start this list with the titular feline in Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Black Cat.” Often read as the companion piece to “The Tell-Tale Heart,” “The Black Cat’s” point of view character gets spooked by Pluto, walling him beside his deceased wife. Poe may have had some unresolved issues.

Originally published in 1845, “The Black Cat,” like many of Poe’s works, has stood the test of time. Loose adaptations have cropped up over time. More recently, the Black Cat returned in Netflix’s Fall of the House of Usher, and Wednesday (another Netflix offering) makes more than one reference to this short story. Not bad for a black cat with only one eye.

4) Salem Saberhagen (Sabrina: The Teenage Witch)

Many 90s kids know Salem Saberhagen from Sabrina: The Teenage Witch. Salem is a 500-year-old witch serving a 100-year sentence for attempting to take over the world. Salem’s old self gives off mad supervillain vibes. Getting transformed into a powerless American shorthair robbed him of a modicum of his sassiness.

Salem serves as a mentor for Sabrina as she navigates her life as a teenage witch. Sympathetic and often self-serving, fans of Sabrina: The Teenage Witch know that Salem’s the real star. Yas, Queen!

3) Luna (Sailor Moon)

Luna (from Sailor Moon) stands out from many of the other black cats on this list. The crescent moon on her forehead makes her visually stand out, but her serious nature runs counter to many other black cats in anime, who are usually sarcastic or silly or both. Luna assembles the Sailor Senshi on Earth. She’s Usagi’s mentor, and her serious nature plays well against Usagi’s childish nature. Someone needs to be the grown-up. Who cares if the grown-up is a cat?

2) Thackery Binx (Hocus Pocus)

Thackery Binx was a 17th-century boy who was transformed into an immortal cat by the evil (but fabulous) Sanderson sisters. Binx spends eternity guarding the witches’ house, ensuring no one lights the black flame candle. Fast-forward to modern-day when Binx befriends Max, Dani, and Allison. The three kids light the candle. This alerts the sisters, so Binx does what he can to help his friends defeat the witches. In the end, Binx’s soul leaves the cat’s body and reunites with his sister. This is such a great moment. Can someone pass the tissues?

1) Jiji (Kiki’s Delivery Service)

This cat’s story isn’t as bittersweet as Binx’s. I promise. I love the scene where Jiji finds a black cat mug, points to it, and says, “Hey, Kiki, it’s me!” Jiji is by far the cutest black cat on this list. Add the fact that he’s voiced by the late, great Phil Hartman, and you have a character who can’t be beat. Kiki’s Delivery Service is a fantastic Studio Ghibli film. The Jiji character highlights what makes Phil Hartman great as a voice actor. Jiji stole the show with his sarcastic wit and endearing nature, quickly becoming one of the film’s most beloved characters.

At the end of the film, Jiji stops talking, which remains a mystery for fans. According to Hayao Miyazaki, the film’s director, the young witch and her pet lose their ability to communicate because Kiki grows up and doesn’t need her “other self” to rely on anymore. Okay. This story is bittersweet. I did it again. I’m not crying. You’re crying.

That’s our list of famous black cats in media. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Top 5 Slasher Film Villains

Published on October 11, 2025July 2, 2025 by KyraLeave a comment

It’s Monday the 13th. OoooOOoooo! Happy Spooky Season, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here. We’re continuing our Halloween coverage with slash films. Grease your chainsaws. Sharpen your machetes. It’s time to discuss the five best slasher film villains of all time. All time!

5) Art the Clown (Terrifier Franchise)

Art the Clown is a demented killer clown mime who kills people on Halloween nights. He carries a multitude of crude weapons and mutilates his victims in gruesome ways. Art the Clown’s manner of killing–which includes lots of kills and gore–cause his movies to verge on torture porn (popularized by the Saw franchise), but the Terrifier films maintain their slasher film status because of Art the Clown at their center.

Art the Clown has appeared in three movies and two shorts, and in a short time span, he’s become a horror icon. He’s easily the best slasher villain of the past decade. Given enough time, Art the Clown could climb this list, but I’m not so sure. The names above him are horror mainstays. Still, Art the Clown and the movies that feature him are more hardcore than most slasher killers throughout the years. He causes a glorious mess with every kill.

4) Candyman (Candyman Franchise)

Candyman, or Daniel Robitaille, is as much an urban legend or myth as he is a slasher villain. This is only one way he stands out. He’s tragic backstory goes beyond slasher movie tropes. Rooted in themes of racial violence and injustice, Candyman’s origin adds a layer of empathy, making his vengeful actions terrifying and, in an odd way, justified. His phrase, “Be my victim,” adds to the sense of dread and serves as a reminder of buried societal traumas.

The Candyman series had me scared to say his name five times. The first Candyman film remains the best. Tony Todd (rest in peace) gave Candyman a sense of purpose and grace that separated him from any slasher villain of his era. The second film went deeper into Candyman’s lore, while the fourth movie, produced by Jordan Peele, brought back the iconic killer while honoring the Black culture within the story. I love the Candyman series. Its villain just misses out on our top three, but the top three are horror movie royalty.

3) Freddy Krueger (A Nightmare on Elm Street Franchise)

Freddy Krueger’s ability to invade dreams sets him apart from other slasher movie villains. He transforms the safe haven of sleep into a terrifying killing ground. With his burned face, razor-sharp blades, and sinister laugh, Freddy taps into primal fears. He is the boogie man under the bed, in the bed, above the bed, hiding in the closet, and so much more. But Freddy isn’t all horror. He adds enough dark humor and charisma to make him repulsive and magnetic.

There’s no escape from Freddy. He follows victims into their most vulnerable state. Created by Wes Craven, Freddy Krueger will haunt the audience’s dreams long after his movies end. I’m haunted by the children’s song that serves as Freddy’s preamble. One, two, Freddy’s coming for you. Three, four, better lock your door. Five, six, grab your crucifix. Seven, Eight, gonna stay up late. Nine, ten, never sleep again. Try singing that right before you go to bed. You may just stay up an extra hour or two or five.

2) Jason Voorhees (Friday the 13th Franchise)

At the end of the first Friday the 13th movie, and after his mother died, Jason rose from the depths of Camp Crystal Lake to become the franchise’s new villain. He machetes his way through the camp and into the audience’s hearts with his bloody kills. Jason is a killing artist. He became more flamboyant through the years. He’s been killed and reanimated more times than a comic book hero, which actually matches his demeanor of an unstoppable zombie-like killer.

Interestingly, Jason is the more sympathetic character in his big crossover movie with Freddy Krueger, despite Jason being an unfeeling killing machine in his solo movies. Few slasher villains are more prolific than Jason. We can only think of one other slasher villain who tops his kill count and takes the number one spot as the true face of evil.

1) Michael Myers (Halloween Franchise)

Black Christmas may have come first, but Halloween’s Michael Myers is the first name and face people think of when they think of a slasher villain. There’s something about a bleached William Shatner mask. Michael Myers completes the slasher villain big three of Michael, Jason, and Freddy. Michael Myers doesn’t claim our haunting number one spot because he’s physically imposing. He’s the shape of evil. He’s the one who began killing when he was a child and never stopped.

John Carpenter’s 1978 Halloween didn’t create the slasher subgenre. The genre bloomed in the wake of Michael Myers’ butcher knife. This horrifying classic had a simple premise. A silent serial killer stalks a quiet town. After decades of movies (and more on the way, we’re sure), Michael Myers petrifies audiences. Michael’s theme music is the stuff of legend. As soon as I wrote this post’s title, it played in my head. Not going to lie, I played the song. Pure movie magic.

That’s our list of the top five slasher film villains. Did we get the list right? Who would you add or take away? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, we hope you’re having a great day.

5 Great Video Game Dances

Published on October 6, 2025June 25, 2025 by KyraLeave a comment

Today marks the beginning of Dance Week, so we’ll kick off this dance off with five great video game dances. Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here. I didn’t know Dance Week existed, but I’m here for it. Video games have featured so many dances. There are even entire games, like Dance, Dance Revolution and Just Dance, that are about dancing. Some of those video games could make this list, but I prefer dances from video games that don’t feature dancing, so we may get more than one dance from a role-playing game. Let’s get to the list.

Honorable Mention: The Sheppard Shuffle (Mass Effect Series)

We begin this list with one honorable mention, the Sheppard Shuffle. This dance isn’t exactly good, let alone great, but it is iconic. The Mass Effect series is an all-time great Sci-Fi video game series, and the game’s protagonist, Sheppard, is at the game’s center, but it’s not for their dancing ability. Sheppard’s dance move (they only have one), the Sheppard Shuffle, is so half-baked that the Citadel DLC makes fun of it. Still, the Sheppard Shuffle is seared into my brain.

5) Celebrate Chaos (Sonic: The Hedgehog Series)

Sonic: The Hedgehog was always the “cool” video game mascot. Shortly after his release, he developed a dance, a simple two-step with some flair, every time he obtained an objective. Over the years, Sonic became more brooding. Goofiness was no longer “cool,” but no matter what phase the blue ball of lightning has taken, he finds a way to incorporate that little two-step dance.

4) Waltz for the Moon (Final Fantasy VIII)

Ah! I love the Waltz for the Moon from Final Fantasy VIII. This iconic scene is what got me hyped for FFVIII. It featured in almost every teaser or trailer for the game. This dance did a great job introducing the main characters, and it’s gorgeous. Even after several video game generations, the graphics hold up well. The fireworks peaking through the moon roof take my breath away. On a personal note, my favorite track from Mannheim Steamroller’s 1984 Christmas album is “Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella,” and whenever I hear that song, Waltz for the Moon dances in my head.

3) Poison Dance (Fortnite)

We could’ve included any number of dances from Fortnite–I swear this battle royale doubles as a dancing game–but we landed on the Poison Dance. Originally, this dance was featured in the sitcom Scrubs. Fortnite pays homage to this dance by including it as an emote. You get extra points if you use the Poison Dance emote while playing with a Poison Ivy skin in Fortnite. That girl is poison. On second thought, a Poison Ivy skin may be too on the nose.

2) Crash Dance (Crash Bandicoot Series)

Similar to Sonic: The Hedgehog, Crash Bandicoot was the mascot (for a time) for the cooler and newer gaming system (PlayStation), so of course, he was going to incorporate a special dance every time he finished an objective. But Crash has never taken himself too seriously. Throughout the Crash Bandicoot series, he pelvic thrusts, shuffles until his back is to the player, and then coyly turns and smiles. He’s even gotten his teammates to join in the fun.

1) Friday Night (Yakuza 0)

Any song from Yakuza 0’s disco minigame prompts Kiryu to do his hilarious entry on the stage before recycling through the same move again and again during his dance, but “Friday Night” is by far this minigame’s best song. “Friday Night” is the one song I jam out to while trying to complete this challenging disco minigame. Seriously! Yakuza 0’s disco minigame is so difficult, I feel like I learned the dance in real life. Now, watch me break a hip.

Happy Dance Week, Geekly Gang! We hope you enjoyed this list of five great video game dances. What are some of your favorites? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Top 5 Tabletop Games from 1997

Published on September 8, 2025September 12, 2025 by KyraLeave a comment

1997 was another stellar year for tabletop games. There were so many games to choose from that we have an honorable mention for the first time in a couple of yearly lists. Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here. We’re back with another Top 5 Tabletop Games throughout the years; today’s list is the top five board games of 1997. We’ll talk about 1997’s board game list soon, but let’s review the ground rules for which games make these lists before we begin.

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.

**Honorable Mention: Mississippi Queen (1997)**

Yep. 1997’s winner of the Spiel des Jahres (German Game of the Year) just misses our list. Mississippi Queen puts gamers in the role of a paddlewheeler captain in a race down the Mississippi River in 1871. Mississippi Queen won numerous awards, not just the Spiel, and it’s a stellar game, but the other games that made this list have had longer staying power. Still, Mississippi Queen is a satisfying racing game.

**5: Tigris and Euphrates (1997)**

The incomparable Reiner Knizia makes another one of these lists with Tigris and Euphrates. Many gamers may balk at this game being this low. Tigris and Euphrates is often dubbed a “gamer’s game.” It centers on a clash between neighboring dynasties along the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Funny, both of the first games we’re talking about are named after famous rivers. Anyway, Tigris and Euphrates offers tactical and strategic objectives, where immediate (tactical) goals are more realistic at larger but smaller player counts allow for long-term planning.

Tigris and Euphrates features drawing tiles from a bag. Players may redraw tiles if they don’t like the ones they drew by spending an action point (players have two action points per turn). After drawing tiles, players will place tiles and leaders onto the board, creating and expanding regions and kingdoms. During the game, players collect points in each of the four tile colors, prompting players to balance the tile types they play. Tigris and Euphrates has a lot more conflict than most German games during this time. It’s a classic.

**4: For Sale (1997)**

For Sale is a fast-paced auction card game about real estate. It’s played in two phases. During the first phase, players bid for several buildings. After all the properties are purchased, the second phase begins, and players sell their buildings for the highest profit. For Sale is one of those easy-to-teach, easy-to-learn, and difficult-to-master card games.

In short, For Sale may be the opposite of Tigris and Euphrates. Both are stellar games, but I’m giving For Sale the slight nod for its accessibility.

**3: GIPF (1997)**

GIPF is the first abstract strategy game to make one of these lists in several posts. GIPF was recommended for the Spiel des Jahres in 1998. It has plenty of accolades, but GIPF makes this list because it began a series of abstract strategy board games by designer Kris Burm named the GIPF Project. TZAAR, ZERTZ, DVONN, YINSH, PUNCT, LYNGK, and MATRX GIPF are great games that use various game mechanisms. But we’re talking about GIPF, the game of pushing.

GIPF takes a board that looks like it could belong in Chinese Checkers. Players introduce a new piece (disc) on the hexagonal game board and push their piece in a straight line. GIPF involves no luck. It’s a straight-up brain burner, and it reintroduced the gaming community to abstract strategy games akin to Go or Othello.

**2: Bohnanza (1997)**

Uwe Rosenberg makes his first appearance on one of these lists with Bohnanza. The game’s title is a pun on the German word Bohne (for bean) and the English word bonanza (for an exceptionally large and rich mineral deposit). Players plant bean cards and then harvest them to earn coins. Each player begins with a random hand of bean cards, and each card has a number on it corresponding to the number of that type of beans in the deck. Modern card game darling, Flip 7, may have borrowed that idea from Bohnanza. Cards with fewer copies in the deck are more difficult to collect, but players don’t need as many copies of the cards to harvest (or make a set).

Bohnanza features trading and can get political. Get ready to make your case. More so than any other game on this list—so far—I’ve seen Bohnanza played in game shops and board game cafés.

**1: Twilight Imperium (1997)**

Twilight Imperium is a board game space opera. Twilight Imperium is the closest thing to a board game version of Star Wars. Twilight Imperium is a classic 4X board game: explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate. You choose how your civilization will settle the cosmos. Twilight Imperium is not for the faint of heart. Games run a minimum of five hours. This is one of the reasons why I’ve only observed games of Twilight Imperium. There’s a lot going on, but if you want to control every move of an intergalactic kingdom, few games do as good a job of capturing that vibe as Twilight Imperium.

You can even dive into Twilight Imperium’s world with its novel series published by Aconyte Books or play the tabletop role-playing game spinoff. Twilight Imperium is a game that some board gamers play exclusively. And there may be a good reason for that. As recently as last year (2024), Nerdist and Polygon dubbed Twilight Imperium as one of the greatest board games ever made. Twilight Imperium easily tops our 1997 list of tabletop games.

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.

Top 5 Beards in Comic Books

Published on September 6, 2025May 23, 2025 by KyraLeave a comment

Evidently, September 6, 2025, is Beard Day. Who knew? Geekly has celebrated lesser-known observances over the past couple of months, like Shark Day. Why not comic book beards? Sorry, but I couldn’t help but make the Beard Hunter our featured image. Tee hee. Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here. JK Geekly has ignored the important topic of beards in comic books for too long. We aren’t talking about the best comic book characters who wear beards; that’d be a different list. No, we’ll try to break down the best beards. Let’s get to these glorious flavor savers.

5) Lobo

Typically, Lobo wears a mustache and mutton chops, which don’t qualify as a beard. I like it when Lobo sports a chin strap. He may always be the “Main Man,” but Lobo works best when he’s the “Mane Man.” What’s the point of surviving decapitation if you’re not sporting a yeard?

4) Maestro

I admit it. I’m partial to Maestro. If you can no longer grow hair on your scalp, grow it on your face. Like I used to say, it’s just one’s hair migrating south for the winter. Look at Maestro’s luxurious beard. You can’t deny how magnificent his chin curtain looks. I wonder if he’d let me run my fingers through his Grizzly Adams. You know what, no. I want to keep my hands.

3) Vandal Savage

Vandal Savage has lived for a long time. I mean a long time. Centuries. Millennia. Savage has sported various beards throughout the years. Like Lobo, he’s even gone with mutton chops, but those count as beards. Savage looks best when he lets his grizzle flow. Vandal Savage has earned every touch of gray.

2) Aquaman

Aquaman is another comic book character who doesn’t always wear a beard, but let’s face it, he looks tough with a beard. Aquaman’s abilities make him one of DC Comics’ most powerful heroes, but he often gets clowned. That ended when he sported a lumberjack. There’s something about Arthur’s hair, all of his hair, flowing under the sea. Aquaman’s anchor shows true grit.

1) Hercules

I almost went with Thor at this spot, but he’s another comic book character who isn’t always depicted with a beard. Instead, we’ll go with Marvel Comics’ Hercules, who rocked a hipster beard before it was cool. How long do you think it takes Hercules to topiarize that beard? Forget the muscles. You’ve got to give it up for a true beardionado.

I tried to put as many references to beards as I could in this post. Feel free to mention some of your favorite beard terms, and while you’re at it, add a few more comic book beards for this list. There are way too many great beards. Let’s share more hot fuzz. Happy Beard Day, Geekly Gang. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

5 Video Games to Secretly Play at Work

Published on September 1, 2025May 23, 2025 by KyraLeave a comment

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.

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.