Top 10 Gateway Games! - Sommelier Suggestions with Alex!

Awesome recommendations. Good idea to go by mechanic

This is solid list! Love how you sectioned it by mechanic. My favorites are Bonanza, Tranquility, Azul, Patchwork, and Magic Maze. Can’t wait to try Sea Salt & Paper and Spots (Especially Spots 🥹)

I think the trick-taking mechanic needs a gateway game, since games like The Crew, Cat in a Box, Scout, and Brian Boru require a familiarity with the mechanic to understand the twist to the usual gameplay. I feel like Hearts or Euchre could do the job, but maybe even something like Fox in the Forest would work!

Big time gateway game for me was Shadows Over Camelot. Can be a little intimidating but since it’s co-op you can work together and the hidden role component creates a ton of drama that can really put a hook in folks!

I love Spots! (And several others, Azul, Patchwork, Cascadia). I nearly always recommend King of Tokyo as a gateway game, but Spots has become my alternate recommendation for folks who may not be enticed by the theming of KoT.

Thanks everyone for tuning in! What are your favorite gateway games??