The world of tabletop games is vast, sprawling across genres, mechanics, and themes that seem to grow more diverse every year. Yet even as the hobby grows and becomes more mainstream, there remains an imbalance between the games that get noticed and the ones that quietly slip into the shadows. Some titles are celebrated almost immediately, riding the wave of hype to secure their place in collections worldwide. Others, equally deserving of attention, struggle to find an audience. They might receive lukewarm early reviews, lack flashy production, or simply get released at the wrong time, competing with more popular titles. As a result, they wind up forgotten or dismissed, earning lower ratings than their gameplay would suggest.
Exploring these overlooked games can be a rewarding experience. It is not just about playing something different; it is about rediscovering joy in a space where novelty often feels fleeting. Finding a hidden gem can make you feel like an archaeologist dusting off a relic, uncovering something valuable that others have passed by. It can reignite your love for the hobby because it reminds you that there are still surprises waiting on the shelves, games that may never have been featured in a top-ten video or recommended list but still have a lot to offer.
One of the best tools for uncovering these hidden treasures is introspection—looking at what you love, at the games you rate highly, and asking why they might be misunderstood. This kind of self-curation leads to a list that feels deeply personal. Instead of following the herd, you are declaring to the world, This is what I think deserves more attention. Doing this reveals not only the games themselves but also what kind of player you are, what mechanics excite you, and what themes spark your imagination.
That personal process led me to compile a list of games I believe are genuinely underrated. They are not necessarily perfect, nor do they appeal to everyone, but each one has something clever, thematic, or mechanically satisfying that the wider community seems to have overlooked. And in a way, that makes them even more special. Playing them feels like being in on a secret, one shared by a much smaller circle of players.
Revisiting City of the Living
City of the Living sits in an odd space for me because I have not played it enough times to say with absolute certainty that it belongs at the top of any list, yet every time I have played it, I have been struck by how engaging it is. My plays so far have been solo, which is not always the best way to judge a game that might have a richer experience with multiple players, but even in this limited context, the core systems shine through.
On the surface, City of the Living looks like a simple game. The rules are straightforward, the setup is streamlined, and the flow of play is easy to grasp. But once you start digging into it, the depth reveals itself. It has that quality I love in smaller games where a few rules create a surprisingly wide decision space. You can feel the tension in every turn as you decide how to allocate resources, which opportunities to seize, and which risks to take. There is a sense of gradual escalation as the city develops, and you find yourself trying to anticipate the consequences of your choices several turns down the line.
Some players criticize the game for its limited randomness and the fact that the setup is largely static. I understand that critique, but I see it differently. The lack of randomness makes every decision matter more. You are not relying on luck to bail you out. Instead, the puzzle is entirely on you to solve, and that makes it all the more satisfying when you pull off a strong run. It also means you can improve with practice. Each play becomes a chance to refine your approach, to squeeze a little more efficiency out of your strategy, and that kind of skill development is one of the most satisfying experiences in gaming.
The biggest potential drawback is longevity. If the setup never changes, there is a risk that after dozens of plays, the game could start to feel solved. But that has not happened yet, and I suspect it will take many more sessions before it does. Right now, every play feels fresh because I am still experimenting, still finding new approaches. The replayability may eventually plateau, but until then, the game offers a surprisingly deep well of challenge for something that appears so unassuming.
What City of the Living lacks is interaction. If you are the kind of player who thrives on direct conflict, take-that mechanics, or cutthroat competition, this one will probably feel too solitary. Even with multiple players, the experience is more about parallel play than direct engagement. But for those who enjoy quietly working through a puzzle, it is a hidden gem that deserves far more attention than it receives.
The Hunger Games: District 12 Strategy Game
When I first encountered The Hunger Games: District 12 Strategy Game, I was skeptical. Licensed games have a checkered history, with many existing primarily as cash grabs to capitalize on a popular intellectual property. They often lack mechanical innovation and rely too heavily on the strength of the brand. But this one surprised me in the best possible way. It is a light worker-placement and resource-management game that plays quickly, delivers meaningful choices, and captures the tension of the source material in a way that feels appropriate and clever.
The core gameplay loop involves sending characters to gather resources, using those resources to prepare for survival, and managing the ever-present threat of the reaping and the possibility of being chosen for the Games. The game ends with what some players have described as a frustrating lottery, where, despite your best efforts, chance can still decide your fate. For many, that was a dealbreaker. They wanted a game where skill alone determined the outcome, where careful play guaranteed victory.
But that misses the thematic brilliance of the design. The randomness at the end is not a flaw; it is a feature. It mirrors the unpredictability and inherent unfairness of the narrative world. In the books, no one is guaranteed safety. No matter how careful you are, the reaping is always a looming danger. Translating that into a game mechanic gives players the same tension the characters feel. Do you play conservatively, gathering enough tokens to reduce your risk but perhaps sacrificing victory points in the process? Or do you go all-in, hoping to maximize your score but risking everything in the final draw?
That push-your-luck element elevates the experience because it forces players to make tough decisions right up until the very end. It is not a game you play to show off perfect strategy; it is a game you play to tell a story, one where sometimes the story ends in triumph and sometimes in tragedy. Either way, it is memorable.
Another reason this game is underrated is its length. At around thirty minutes, it is easy to dismiss it as a filler. But that brevity is actually one of its strengths. It does not overstay its welcome, and that makes it an ideal candidate for repeat plays in a single sitting. You can explore different strategies, take more risks, and laugh off losses because you know you can reset and try again almost immediately.
It is also a surprisingly accessible introduction to worker placement. The rules are light enough that you can teach them to casual players or fans of the books who are not hardcore gamers, yet there is enough tension to keep experienced players engaged. It sits in a sweet spot where it can bridge the gap between mass-market tie-ins and hobbyist titles, which is no small feat.
Unfortunately, its theme may have worked against it. Not everyone wants to play a game where the climax involves children being chosen to fight to the death, even if it is abstracted and stylized. For some, the subject matter is just too grim. That is understandable, but it means many people never give the game a chance. For those who can appreciate the narrative context, however, this is a title worth seeking out.
Discovering Why Some Games Remain Underrated, Part 1
The fascinating thing about underrated games is that their status often has very little to do with their inherent quality. It is rarely as simple as a game being “good” or “bad.” Instead, the reasons they are overlooked often stem from a complex mix of perception, timing, marketing, and player expectations. A game can be mechanically sound, even brilliant, and still fail to capture the attention of the wider community because of factors entirely outside of its design.
Timing, Trends, and Market Saturation
One of the most common reasons great games get buried is timing. The tabletop industry is cyclical, and each year tends to bring one or two “hot mechanics” that dominate the conversation. When deckbuilding first exploded, every publisher seemed to have a deckbuilder. When legacy games hit, suddenly every big release was a campaign experience. Worker placement, social deduction, and roll-and-write — all of them have had their time in the spotlight.
When a game launches during a period of mechanical saturation, it risks being dismissed as “just another” iteration of the current trend, even if it introduces clever innovations. Worse, if it releases just after a major hit with similar mechanics, it may feel redundant in the eyes of players who feel they already have the “best” version of that experience. Timing can make or break a game’s reception, and unlike mechanics, timing is not something a designer or publisher can easily control.
Another factor is sheer volume. Thousands of new titles are released every year, and even dedicated reviewers cannot possibly cover them all. Big names and highly anticipated projects inevitably get more attention. A small-press title with no flashy miniatures, no crowdfunding campaign, and no influencer buzz can easily be drowned out before it ever finds an audience.
The Role of Production and Presentation
Board gamers, whether we like to admit it or not, are deeply influenced by presentation. A game with lavish art, chunky components, and deluxe production values can earn goodwill before a single rule is explained. Meanwhile, a game with thin cardboard, bland graphic design, or confusing iconography has to fight an uphill battle to prove itself — even if the underlying gameplay is excellent.
This does not mean that production is superficial. It can meaningfully impact playability. Clear iconography speeds up rules teaching. Quality components make a game feel more tactile and inviting. But there are examples of brilliant designs that languish simply because they look dated or cheap. In some ways, this can make finding these games even more rewarding, like discovering a dusty paperback novel that turns out to be a masterpiece.
Misaligned Expectations
Perhaps the most subtle reason a game remains underrated is when it promises one thing and delivers another. If a game’s box, theme, or marketing suggests a fast-paced brawl but the game turns out to be a slow, thinky puzzle, early players may feel disappointed — even if what is actually in the box is excellent at what it does.
Games also sometimes suffer from being too far ahead of their time. A title that feels too “weird” or experimental may only find its audience years later, after the community has warmed up to its style of design. By then, it might be out of print, adding to its cult status but limiting its reach.
More Hidden Gems Worth Discovering
To illustrate just how varied these overlooked treasures can be, here are more games that deserve a second look — titles that, for one reason or another, did not make a big splash but have a lot to offer.
The Bloody Inn
Few games manage to blend theme and mechanics as seamlessly as The Bloody Inn, a darkly comedic game about running a rural inn where you murder guests for profit. On paper, that theme sounds grim, and perhaps that is part of why it is not more widely played. But mechanically, it is a brilliant little engine-builder with a clever card economy. Every card can represent a guest, an employee, or a building, and choosing how to use them creates delicious tension.
The game rewards efficiency and planning, but it never feels like pure calculation because the theme is so over-the-top. There is an absurd humor to hauling corpses around and stuffing them under annexes, and that levity keeps the game from becoming oppressive. It is short, tight, and highly interactive — a mix of puzzle and provocation.
Unfortunately, the combination of morbid humor and slightly grim artwork probably scared off some players who might have otherwise loved it. But for those who appreciate a touch of macabre cleverness, it is one of the most distinctive games on the market.
Dreamwell
Another game that slipped under the radar is Dreamwell, a gorgeously illustrated abstract strategy game about navigating a surreal dreamscape. Its pastel art and whimsical characters make it look like a light family game, but underneath is a surprisingly sharp spatial puzzle. Players move their pawns across a shifting grid, trying to reach dream friends and fulfill objective cards.
What makes Dreamwell compelling is the way the board changes from turn to turn, forcing players to adapt and rethink their routes. It is interactive, but not in a hostile way — you are not directly attacking opponents, but their moves constantly reshape the landscape you are navigating.
Its biggest hurdle may have been its own aesthetic. The dreamy, almost childlike art style may have signaled “kids’ game” to hobby gamers and “too thinky” to casual players. As a result, it never quite found a clear audience, despite being a beautiful and mechanically rich design.
Village
While not exactly obscure, Village is another game that deserves more recognition for how thematic and innovative it is. At its heart, it is a worker-placement and resource-management game, but with a twist: your workers eventually die. Rather than being a penalty, this is baked into the game’s scoring — your family members can earn points for being remembered in the village chronicle.
This mortality system adds a layer of bittersweet narrative that few Eurogames attempt. Suddenly, the order in which you take actions matters not just for efficiency, but for ensuring that the right family member is remembered for their achievements.
The village is not flashy. Its production is serviceable but not striking. And yet, it tells a better story than many bigger-box narrative games. Its relative quietness is probably why it is not mentioned as often today, but for players who enjoy medium-weight strategy games, it is a classic that rewards repeat play.
Raptor
For fans of asymmetric two-player games, Raptor is a delight. One player controls a team of scientists trying to capture baby raptors, while the other plays as the raptor mother trying to protect them. The game uses simultaneous card selection, creating a constant bluffing and tactical dance as players try to anticipate one another’s moves.
The tension is palpable every turn. Do you play a high card to take a powerful action, knowing your opponent will act first? Or do you play a low card to seize initiative and react to their play? The result is a quick, tense duel with plenty of replayability.
Raptor never got as much attention as bigger asymmetric titles like Root or Star Wars: Rebellion, but it occupies a wonderful niche as a fast-playing head-to-head strategy game.
Why Seeking Out Underrated Games Matters
Part of the joy of digging into overlooked titles is the sense of ownership it gives you over your experience. When you find a game that speaks to you but is rarely talked about, you feel like you have discovered something secret and precious. These games often become conversation starters because they are not on everyone’s shelf.
There is also a creative thrill to seeing how designers solve problems in ways that might not be commercially “safe.” Smaller or underrated games sometimes take bigger risks, experimenting with unusual themes, mechanics, or victory conditions. Playing them can broaden your understanding of what games can be, pushing you outside the comfort zone of the hobby’s biggest hits.
Closing Thoughts
The tabletop hobby thrives on diversity, but it is easy to fall into the trap of chasing whatever is currently popular. There is nothing wrong with playing the latest hotness — buzzworthy games often become popular because they really are excellent. But some of the richest experiences are waiting just off the beaten path, in the stacks of games that never quite caught on.
Exploring these hidden gems is not just about discovering new favorites; it is about keeping the spirit of curiosity alive. It is a reminder that every game, no matter how small, represents a designer’s attempt to create something meaningful. When we seek out the underrated, we are participating in a kind of rescue mission, giving these games the attention they might have deserved all along.
Whether it is the quiet elegance of City of the Living, the thematic brilliance of The Hunger Games: District 12 Strategy Game, or the quirky charm of The Bloody Inn and Dreamwell, these titles remind us that popularity is not the same as quality. Some treasures require a little more digging, a little more willingness to step away from the crowd. But when you find them, the reward is worth it — not just for the game you have discovered, but for the way it reignites your sense of wonder in the hobby as a whole.
Discovering Why Some Games Remain Underrated, Part 2
The practical reasons some games never get the recognition they deserve, then Part 2 is about looking outward — at the hobby as a whole — and thinking about what it means to champion these games. At its heart, discovering underrated titles is not just about finding something for yourself. It is also about sharing that discovery, keeping games alive in the collective consciousness, and building a culture that appreciates diversity in play experiences.
The Echo Chamber of Popularity
One of the biggest challenges underrated games face is the echo chamber effect. In today’s board game hobby, much of the discourse is shaped by a few central platforms — YouTube reviewers, podcast hosts, social media influencers, and aggregator sites like BoardGameGeek. When a game receives early buzz from one of these sources, it snowballs. People get curious, buy it, post their own impressions, and the cycle reinforces itself.
The reverse is also true: if a game launches quietly, with little fanfare, it rarely gets a second chance. Early reviews shape perception. A single lukewarm first impression can sink a game’s reputation before most people have even tried it. This does not mean reviewers are malicious — far from it — but it does mean that the conversation around games can quickly narrow.
This is why it can feel so satisfying to discover something outside the noise. It is like stepping off the well-trodden trail and finding a hidden path. But the echo chamber is powerful, and it means many people never leave the main road at all.
The Psychology of Ratings
Another factor working against underrated games is the way we use ratings. Aggregated ratings on sites like BoardGameGeek can create the illusion of objectivity. A game with a 7.9 “must be good,” while a game with a 6.8 is “probably mediocre.” But ratings are an average of thousands of subjective experiences, each colored by individual expectations, group dynamics, and even the circumstances of play.
A game that is niche, divisive, or experimental is likely to polarize players. Some will love it, some will hate it, and the average will settle somewhere in the middle, which looks, at a glance, like a sign of mediocrity. But those “middle” scores can hide games that are brilliant for the right audience. In many ways, a game with wildly split opinions can be more interesting than one everyone agrees is “pretty good.”
This is why some of the best underrated games are the ones you see described as “love it or hate it.” They might frustrate players who want total control or turn off players who want a fast pace. But for those whose tastes align, they can become all-time favorites.
Cultivating Your Own Taste
One of the best ways to find underrated games is to step back from ratings and hype cycles and start thinking about your own preferences. What do you actually enjoy when you play? Do you like building engines? Negotiating with other players? Tension-filled risk-taking? Solitary puzzles?
When you start filtering games through the lens of your personal tastes, you can uncover titles that were never designed to appeal to the masses but are perfect for you. For example, if you love heavy resource-optimization games but dislike random chance, you might enjoy something like Navegador or Coimbra, which reward careful planning but often get overshadowed by flashier euros.
Similarly, if you like narrative-driven games but want them in shorter play sessions, you might find something like Cartographers or Holding On: The Troubled Life of Billy Kerr to be more satisfying than sprawling campaign games. The key is recognizing that your “top ten” will never look like anyone else’s — and that is a good thing.
More Underrated Titles Worth Exploring
To continue celebrating these overlooked gems, here are a few more that deserve the spotlight:
The Estates
At first glance, The Estates looks like a simple auction game. Players bid for building pieces to create rows of colorful blocks, scoring points by completing buildings. But the genius of the design is that players can also sabotage projects, and only completed rows score points — incomplete rows actually cost points.
This creates a tense, cutthroat experience where players are constantly balancing self-interest with sabotage, bluffing, and brinkmanship. Games often end with negative scores, which is a shock to players who are used to games that reward everyone equally.
The Estates never gained mass popularity partly because its nastiness is so unabashed. It is not a game where everyone feels good at the end — and that is exactly what makes it so compelling. It is a distilled economic knife fight in under an hour.
Pax Pamir
While the second edition of Pax Pamir has rightfully earned critical acclaim, its first edition remains one of the most fascinating and overlooked designs of its time. Cole Wehrle’s take on the “Great Game” in 19th-century Afghanistan introduced players to coalition-switching, dynamic alliances, and a kind of political negotiation that felt genuinely fresh.
Its production was rough by modern standards, with small cards and a busy layout, which likely held it back from broader appeal. But mechanically, it was already brilliant — a game about shifting power structures and fragile loyalties, where players could suddenly pivot to a different faction and completely rewrite the board state.
For those interested in gaming history, playing the first edition is like watching an early draft of a masterpiece — rough around the edges, but already alive with ideas.
Shadows Over Camelot: The Card Game
The original Shadows Over Camelot was one of the first cooperative games with a hidden traitor, and it became a staple of many collections. But its card game spinoff flew under the radar, which is a shame because it is a tense little deduction and memory game that captures the spirit of the original in a fraction of the time.
Players work together to complete quests by playing the right combinations of cards, but if they play too carelessly, they risk advancing the forces of evil. The twist is that you do not see everyone’s cards — you have to trust (or distrust) what they say they are playing. It is a clever little package that deserves more love, especially for groups that want a quicker, more portable social experience.
Clans
Before area-control games became dominated by plastic miniatures and sprawling boards, Clans offered a minimalist take on the genre. Players secretly control colors, moving huts around the map to form new villages and score points. Because control is hidden, the game becomes a subtle exercise in bluffing, deduction, and opportunism.
It is over in about 30 minutes, but leaves plenty of room for clever play. Its age and unassuming production have kept it out of the spotlight, but it remains a sharp and elegant design.
The Role of Players as Curators
If we want more underrated games to survive, players have to take on the role of curators. Sharing your personal favorites, writing about them, posting session reports, and teaching them to new players are all ways to keep these games alive. The conversation around games does not have to be dictated solely by publishers or reviewers — grassroots enthusiasm can revive a title long after its release.
In fact, some games have seen a resurgence years after their debut because a small but passionate group of players kept talking about them. Great Western Trail went from a quiet release to a widely celebrated classic, partly because players kept insisting it was something special. Even niche titles like High Frontier have cult followings that ensure they never disappear entirely.
The Future of Underrated Games
As the hobby continues to grow, the challenge of finding hidden gems will only increase. With thousands of releases each year, no one can play everything, and the spotlight will always be limited. But this also means that there will always be room for discovery.
Digital tools may help. BoardGameGeek already allows for tagging, rating, and recommendation engines, but more advanced curation — personalized lists, AI-driven suggestion systems, and smaller niche communities — could make it easier to surface games that match your specific tastes rather than just showing you the top 100.
Crowdfunding has also created a path for strange and experimental designs to find an audience. A game that might not survive in a traditional retail environment can still thrive if enough people are willing to take a chance on it upfront. This opens the door to more niche titles finding success without needing mass appeal.
Closing the Loop
Underrated games are more than curiosities. They are a reminder that there is no single “canon” of great games. The hobby is too big, too diverse, too creative for that. For every Gloomhaven or Catan or Wingspan, there are dozens of smaller, stranger titles offering experiences just as rich — if you are willing to seek them out.
Part of the magic of gaming is that it is interactive. It is not a passive medium; it lives through the people who play it. When you discover an underrated game, teach it to your group, and watch their faces light up as they “get it,” you are doing more than playing a game. You are participating in the ongoing life of the hobby. You are proving that there is still room for surprise, for discovery, for something truly new.
And that, perhaps, is the greatest gift of all — that no matter how crowded the shelves become, there will always be something waiting to be found. Something brilliant, overlooked, and quietly waiting for the right person to give it a chance. Maybe that person is you.
Discovering Why Some Games Remain Underrated – Part 3
At this point, we have explored why games become underrated (timing, marketing, expectations), celebrated the joy of finding hidden gems, and discussed the role of players in keeping those games alive. But there is still more to say — because discovering underrated games is not just about the games themselves, but about the act of discovery and what it means for the tabletop community. Part 4 is about turning that discovery into action: how to find these games, share them, and shape a culture that values more than just the “hottest new thing.”
The Search for Hidden Gems
Finding underrated games takes intention. The easiest thing to do in this hobby is to buy whatever is currently at the top of the BoardGameGeek hotness list or featured in a flashy crowdfunding campaign. Those games are not necessarily bad — many deserve their popularity — but if you want to go deeper, you have to look in places where the spotlight does not shine as brightly.
Here are some practical strategies for uncovering gems:
- Dive into the BGG archives.
BoardGameGeek is an overwhelming site at first, but its search filters are powerful. You can filter by year, weight, player count, and even game mechanisms. Instead of looking only at the top-ranked games, try exploring titles from five or ten years ago that never cracked the top 100. You may find designs that were ahead of their time or simply overshadowed. - Browse the thrift stores and flea markets.
Many hobby games end up in secondhand stores after their initial owner moves on. This is how many players have stumbled on classics like Tikal, El Grande, or Ra for a few dollars. Even mass-market games can surprise you — some of them are better than their reputation suggests, and part of the fun is giving them a fair shake. - Follow smaller publishers.
Not every great game comes from a big name like Fantasy Flight or Stonemaier. Some of the most creative designs come from boutique publishers who take risks that the big companies cannot afford to. Seek out their catalogs and you might find something truly unique. - Ask your local game group.
Gamers love to share their passions. Ask your friends what games they think are underrated or underplayed. Chances are, someone has a favorite they have been dying to introduce to the group. - Watch for out-of-print reprints.
Some underrated games get a second life when they are reprinted — and those reprints are a perfect chance to jump in. When Brass was reprinted as Brass: Birmingham and Brass: Lancashire, it went from a niche title to a top-ranked classic. Paying attention to reprint announcements can put you ahead of the curve.
Building a Group That Appreciates Underrated Games
Discovering an overlooked gem is one thing — getting other people to play it with you is another. Some games need the right audience to shine. Teaching a slow, thinky eurogame to a group that prefers party games will not make anyone happy. The key is to build a culture within your group that embraces exploration and variety.
- Set aside “discovery nights.”
Once a month, dedicate a game night to trying something new or rarely played. This takes pressure off the game to be an instant hit — everyone knows the goal is to experiment. - Frame the experience positively.
When introducing an underrated game, do not apologize for it. Instead, highlight what makes it special: “This one has a really clever card economy,” or “It tells a unique story you do not see in other games.” Curiosity is contagious. - Allow for multiple plays.
Some games do not reveal their depth until the second or third play. If possible, play shorter, underrated games two or three times in a row so everyone can see how strategies develop. - Celebrate the failures too.
Not every hidden gem will land for your group — and that is okay. Treat those experiences as valuable, too, because they help you refine your taste.
The Social Value of Sharing Obscure Games
One of the great pleasures of finding an underrated game is teaching it to others. There is something satisfying about watching people light up as they discover a design they had never heard of. It can create memorable moments and even reshape the way your group thinks about what games can be.
For example, introducing someone to a quiet, contemplative solo-friendly game can expand their idea of what counts as “board gaming.” Teaching a nasty economic auction game like The Estates can reveal a group’s appetite for confrontation in ways they never expected. These moments build shared stories — which is one of the reasons we play games in the first place.
The Economics of Underrated Games
Another angle worth considering is how supporting underrated games affects the industry. When you buy, play, and talk about smaller or overlooked titles, you help keep them in circulation. Publishers notice when games suddenly get attention years after release. Designers notice too — and it can encourage them to revisit those ideas, expand them, or make similar experiments in the future.
In an industry where shelf space and attention are finite, championing overlooked games is a way of voting for diversity. It signals that there is room for more than just the big-box, miniatures-heavy Kickstarter spectacles or the next hot eurogame with a solo mode.
More Underrated Games to Seek Out
Since this series has become a kind of running list of recommendations, it would be wrong to end without sharing a few more:
Lancaster
This is a medium-weight eurogame about building up your noble house and exerting influence over English counties. What sets it apart is its clever combination of worker placement and area control — your “workers” are actually knights, and they can bump out weaker knights placed by other players. This creates a subtle layer of competition that is more interactive than many euros.
Lancaster has been overshadowed by flashier titles in the same weight class, but its mix of planning, negotiation, and tactical blocking makes it one of the most satisfying games in its category.
Targi
Targi has developed a quiet following among two-player gamers, but still does not get talked about as often as it should. It is a worker-placement game with a brilliant twist: you place workers along the edges of a grid, and the intersections determine what actions you get to take. This creates a constantly shifting puzzle that is rich in planning but never overwhelming.
Its small box and deep decision space make it a perfect “couples’ game” or travel game for players who want something meatier than a filler but shorter than a full evening’s euro.
London (Second Edition)
Martin Wallace is known for Brass and Age of Steam, but London is one of his most elegant designs. It is a tableau-builder about rebuilding the city after the Great Fire, balancing economic growth with poverty management. The game’s card play is simple but full of interesting choices, and the poverty mechanism is a brilliant way to keep players honest about overbuilding.
It never hit the same heights of acclaim as Brass, but for players who like economic card games, it is a gem that deserves far more attention.
Nyet!
For trick-taking fans, Nyet! is a clever game where players set the rules each round before play begins. They vote on what suits will be trump, how many points each trick is worth, and even which player will be the starting player. This pre-round negotiation adds a delightful meta-layer to a familiar genre.
Its biggest drawback is that it can be hard to teach to players unfamiliar with trick-taking, but for experienced groups, it is endlessly replayable.
Toward a Culture of Discovery
Ultimately, the question of why some games remain underrated is inseparable from the question of how we as a community choose to talk about games. The more we amplify only the most popular titles, the more we risk creating a monoculture where smaller, stranger designs cannot thrive.
But every time a player shares an obscure game they love, teaches it to a group, posts a thoughtful review, or writes an article about it, they help create a culture of discovery. They remind us that this hobby is vast, that there are always new corners to explore, and that the next great gaming memory might come from a dusty box no one else is talking about.
The Joy of the Long Game
One of the quiet truths about underrated games is that they often become long-term companions. Big, hyped releases can sometimes burn bright and then fade quickly — played a dozen times in the first month, then sold or shelved. Underrated games, on the other hand, often stick around. They are not tied to the hype cycle, so you discover them slowly, savor them over time, and return to them again and again.
In this way, they can form the backbone of a collection — the games that never leave the shelf because they always feel fresh. They are not just “games you own,” they become games that define your taste.
Conclusion
It is not enough to just know that some games are underrated — the real joy comes from seeking them out, sharing them, and keeping them alive. If Part 1 was about personal discovery and Part 2 about understanding the forces that shape popularity, and Part 3 about curating your own taste, then Part 4 is about participation.
You are not just a consumer of games — you are part of the ecosystem that sustains them. When you champion an overlooked game, you give it new life. When you teach it, you create new fans. When you post about it, you expand the conversation beyond the hotness of the month.
And perhaps most importantly, you remind yourself that this hobby is not a race to play everything, but a journey of exploration. Somewhere on a dusty shelf, there is a game that will surprise you, challenge you, delight you — and maybe, just maybe, become one of your favorites. You just have to go looking for it.