The best games by Ryan Laukat 🇺🇸👨 2026

Sleeping Gods is a cooperative, narrative-driven board game that immerses players in an expansive and mysterious world. Set in 1929, players take on the roles of Captain Sofi Odessa and her crew, who are lost at sea aboard the steamship Manticore in the mystical Wandering Sea. Their mission is to awaken the gods to find their way home.

Eight-Minute Empire by Ryan Laukat is a rapid, card-driven strategy game that combines elements of civilization building and exploration with area control and set collection mechanics. Designed to be quick and engaging, it presents players with a series of tough decisions regarding map expansion and resource management, all within a compact timeframe.

Above and Below combines the elements of town-building with an enthralling storytelling experience. Players are tasked with rebuilding their lives and creating a new village after their last one was destroyed by barbarians. The game is set in a unique world where a network of caverns lies beneath the surface, ripe for exploration and adventure.

Eight-Minute Empire: Legends is a standalone sequel to Eight-Minute Empire, offering a quick and engaging area control game set in a fantastical land of legends. This sequel introduces several new elements that enhance gameplay and provide a fresh experience, even for those familiar with the original game. The game is designed for swift play, maintaining its eight-minute playtime for those who play briskly.

Emphasizing storytelling and exploration, Near and Far is a captivating board game where up to four players embark on a quest for the fabled Last Ruin, a city rumored to house an artifact with the power to fulfill the heart's deepest desires. Each player assumes the role of a wanderer with personal motivations, from reuniting with lost family to seeking redemption.

Are you ready to run? Bet your luck in the video game world of Megaland, fighting monsters (and rabbits) while collecting coins!

Artifacts, Inc. is a dynamic, competitive board game set against the backdrop of 1929 New York's archeological fervor. Designed for 2-4 players, it invites participants to dive into the thrilling world of artifact recovery and museum exhibitions, aspiring to establish the most prestigious archaeology company of the era.

Islebound is an engaging strategy board game where players navigate a richly themed world of exploration and conquest. Set in a vibrant archipelago full of opportunities and dangers, players compete to build the most prosperous sea-faring nation through clever diplomacy, trade, and the might of their fleets.

In a forgotten ancient world, massive Titans terrorize the land. Five tribes have been on the run for centuries, but now powerful city-states rise to challenge the Titans and create a safer place for all. Players compete to build the most influential city-state by managing citizens, treasury, and military while defeating Titans to gain tribal banners and victory points.

Players strive to build the greatest and most influential city-state by managing citizens, treasury, and military while defeating Titans. They take turns sending citizens to perform special actions or use military cards to attack Titans. The influence of a city-state is measured by the number of tribal banners it possesses, with victory points awarded for sets of these banners after six rounds. In a forgotten ancient world, giant Titans terrorize the land, but growing city-states aim to end this reign of terror and create a safer environment for all.

The Kurross Empire emerged from the depths of space, swiftly destroying Earth's fleet and breaching its planetary shield. As they bombarded the planet, Captain Markan made a desperate attempt to survive by commandeering an abandoned worldship and journeying to the galaxy's edge to establish a foothold and find allies against the Kurross. In Empires of the Void II, you'll explore, wage war, engage in diplomacy, and build structures to secure victory in a sparsely populated frontier filled with unique alien species and unfolding stories.

Players engage in a bidding and action game set during the gold rush, constructing mines along various routes. There is also an opportunity for a hefty reward by hunting a wild monster that frightens the miners.

2-4 players compete to build a small nation in a world filled with machines, magic, and wealth. Choose to lead one of four rival nations, producing goods like machine parts and bottled demons, or explore steam technology and recruit mercenaries to dominate the continent. Build advanced structures while managing city capacity, and decide what to keep or demolish as you shape the future of your empire.

This is the second version of City of Iron. Players compete to build a small nation in a world filled with machines, magic, and wealth, taking on the roles of four rival nations. Produce goods, explore technology, and recruit mercenaries to dominate the continent while managing city capacity and making tough decisions about your empire's future. Differences from the first edition include updated expert cards, simplified auction mechanisms, and revised endgame scoring based on players' contracts and regions.