Décorum Receives CGI's Best Casual Game of 2022 Award

boop. (Smirk & Laughter Games) – In this two-player duel, kittens become cats as they vie for control of the bed and battle it out with 'boops.' The game is played on a soft fabric quilt board. Each player starts with eight kitten meeples, with a goal of placing three or more of their own color in a row. When this happens, kittens are discarded from the board and the player receives cat meeples in their place. When a player manages to either place three cats in a row or add all of their cats to the board, they win the game. What makes this game very challenging is the fact that when you place a meeple, it 'boops' any adjacent meeples of the same size or smaller one space away. So, you can't just place your meeples side-by-side in a row for an easy win — instead, you have to maneuver them into place over a series of strategic turns, all while dealing with an opponent who is also trying to 'boop' your meeples off the board.

What we love about this game: It’s difficult to make an abstract game that feels fresh, yet Smirk & Laughter Games managed to do it while also taking their time on the theme and components. It’s just so darn cute with the kitten and cat meeples and squishy quilt board. The gameplay is also so much fun — very easy to learn, but you need to think ahead a few steps and be ready to change up your strategy when you get 'booped' out of the way. This game can be played very casually, but it can also be a brain burner for players who prefer an all-out battle of wits. We, of course, prefer the casual approach, and this game fits the bill nicely.

Cat in the Box: Deluxe Edition (Bezier Games) – A fascinating twist on a well-known and well-loved genre, Cat in the Box brings a new dimension to trick-taking. In this game, there are four different suits, but the suit each card belongs to is not determined until it is played. The player who plays the card chooses the desired suit and places a marker on the board representing the number and suit. This number and suit combination is no longer available for the rest of the round. Players continue to play, trying to win the number of tricks they predicted at the beginning of the round. If you're stuck with no way to play a card legally, you cause a paradox and lose points for the round.

What we love about this game: Cat in the Box has such a unique mixture of mechanics. It’s easy to learn how to play but the choices you are presented with are so engaging and require a lot of thought. From the area control elements for the points you win from a successful prediction, to actually getting to just announce what color each card is, this is such an interesting spin on the genre and forces you to think along new lines. There are a lot of trick-taking games out there, but none of them are like Cat in the Box.

Décorum (Floodgate Games) – Who knew decorating a house could be so complicated! But it certainly can be when multiple people have very definite views on how everything should look, and no one is saying exactly what those views are. In this game, players take on the role of roommates who have very different viewpoints about what types, styles, and colors of decorative items belong in their shared house. Every room has a space for one lamp, one curio, and one wall hanging, plus a wall color. For each scenario, players are given individual conditions that must be met in order to feel fulfilled — however, they cannot communicate these rules to the other players. Each player must try to arrange the different items the way they would like to see them, then ask how the other players feel about it. This feedback provides the only clue as to what conditions the other players have. If all players feel fulfilled by the end of the 30th round, they all win together.

What we love about this game: Décorum is a truly exceptional cooperative game for fans of logic puzzles. The puzzles are so well thought out, and the back-and-forth interaction is really engaging — it forces you to analyze other players’ actions and choices, to try and deduce why they are doing something, and when it’s necessary to steer them towards another path that will meet both your requirements, as well as considering how you might be able to do that. It shines the brightest with the 2-player campaigns, but it's also enjoyable with 3-4 players, as well.

We couldn't let the opportunity pass to also mention the #1 favorite this year of our editor, Justin, who has the opportunity to discover and play new games while covering Gen Con and interviewing many different publishers. This year, we tip our hats to Evergreen, published by Horrible Guild. Evergreen is a game in which players are taking actions to plant and grow trees across a multitude of ecosystems, in an effort to create a giant forest while also accounting for which direction the sun shines during the game’s four rounds to maximize points for mature trees. It may seem a bit complicated at first, but with a small amount of effort, you will find that it is a great puzzle game to unwind with, either in a group or solo. The artwork is also eye-catching and relaxing. This game has earned our Recommended award — you can read the full review here.