4. Most surprising game
Another tough one. Although the period is not specified, let’s go for “within the last year” just to narrow it down, and I’ll say Motobushido from Alliterated Games. I was first attracted by the art and the seemingly quirky genre mashup, but my expectations were only for a fun afternoon of gaming every once in a while. But this game goes much deeper than the concept suggests, provides real drama, and offers clever tactics, enjoyable mechanics, and the best card-based resolution system I’ve encountered in RPGs.
The Reef 