Every year the catalog of board games grows and grows and 2021 looks to be a great year of new board games. Here are some of the most exciting new games coming to Gameology in 2021.

1) Frosthaven

Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion wowed us last year with its easy entry into the Gloomhaven franchise. In 2021, Isaac Childres is bringing us Frosthaven, a new big box, 100-scenario campaign that stands alone from the original Gloomhaven. Adding more to do outside of combat, like mysteries and seasonal events, as well as a crafting system, Frosthaven promises a massive adventure for fans both new and old.

2) Creature Comforts

This family weight worker placement game about adorable animals preparing their homes for winter swept Kickstarter in 2020. And for good reason. The sweet theme of building cosy items and the soft colourful artwork are absolutely gorgeous and the light complexity of the worker placement makes it suitable for all ages. Could Creature Comforts be a new gateway board game? We can’t wait to find out!

3) Canvas

Another Kickstarter darling of 2020, Canvas places players as painters competing to win awards at an art show. What’s so exciting about this game are the transparent cards that, when layered over each other, form a unique painting! Around the same complexity as Century: Spice Road, we are hoping this will be another beautiful but strategic gateway game to introduce to our friends and family.

4) Philosophia: Floating World

It’s no secret that I’m a fan of deck-builders. Philosophia: Floating World is not only a deck-builder, it is also a fully simultaneous sandbox game! Not only does the unique blend of genres have us excited, it’s also set in feudal Japan where you can build beautiful pagodas, fight ancient monsters, or even learn ancient wisdom.

5) Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon

Though this is a game that was released a couple of years ago, we at Gameology will be receiving our Kickstarter editions, complete with all the stretch goals, in 2021, and we couldn’t be more hyped. Promising a branching narrative that pushes the limits of non-linear storytelling, meaningful character development, and secrets that can take multiple playthroughs to discover, Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon is a whole world in a big box and we can’t wait to dive into it.

6) Renature

Beloved by Tom of Shut Up and Sit Down, Renature is a puzzly area majority game...but with dominoes! In Renature, players will place animal dominoes alongside a brook to replant the surrounding land. However, though simple on the surface, we are intrigued by the strategic decisions that arise when deciding where but also when to place each of your dominoes.

7) Welcome To 2nd Edition

Welcome To, one of the best roll-and-write games to date (and one of our retail manager’s favourite board games) is getting a second edition in 2021! The original game is beloved for its quick playtime, flexible player count, and lo-fi roll-and-write gameplay and we are so glad to be bringing back this true classic.

And there we have it! Our most anticipated board games of 2021! What board game are you most looking forward to in 2021? Anything we didn’t cover? Let us know in the comments below!