Most days, you'll find me testing board games or writing about them. Reviews, features, news stories, and guides about the finest tabletop treasures are my bread and butter, but sometimes, there's a specific title that makes me want to drop everything else. A game so good, I thoroughly irritate everyone around me by insisting we play it at every opportunity.
This week, that board game is Life in Reterra.
Despite being set in a post-apocalyptic world, there are no road vikings or mutant raiders to be seen here; it's a surprisingly upbeat and cheerful doomsday scenario, making a nice change from many of the best board games. Actually, it's all about rebuilding after civilization's over, so matches that optimism with a lovingly cheerful aesthetic. It never fails to put a smile on my face.
The gameplay is far deeper than you might expect, too. As noted in my Life in Reterra review, it's easy to learn but will keep you invested for the long-haul. That's because each type of building offers different bonuses and ways to earn extra points, but they're also double-sided with an alternate set of rules. In addition, there are multiple building packs to choose from… all of which can be mixed and matched. That means you'll rarely run out of things to try, or do.
Am I terrible at this game? Yes. I recently started to bring it in for our weekly board games session at the GamesRadar+ office, and have lost every single match. But I don't care. It's a delight even if you come stone-cold last because it feels like a personal puzzle you're trying to solve, and I enjoy the Tetris-style challenge of fitting your patchwork world together.
In short: give Life in Reterra a go if you want something new to play. You really can't do any worse than me, and even if you do, you'll have a blast regardless.
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For more tabletop recommendations, don't miss the best family board games or the best tabletop RPGs.
