We’ve all been there. You see a game, love the art, hear the hype, and think: “This is the one. We are going to grow old together.”

But then the cardboard hits the table, you play it, and the spark just isn’t there. Not because they’re bad games, but because they just weren’t the right fit for me.

I’m going to go through my top ten games that I thought I’d love but were a miss for me, explaining why I thought I’d love them and why they were a miss.

Honorable Mention: Dice Throne

I love the battle-arena theme, I love the comic-book style artwork, and I absolutely love throwing amazing quality dice. After playing just a few games, I immediately went out and got just about everything available for Dice Throne because my son loved it so much. He kept telling me it was one of his favorite games of all time and how much he loved it.

But the more we threw dice, the more I found it pretty bland. There wasn’t a whole lot to the game. It was exactly as advertised, but the decisions felt incredibly shallow over repeated plays.

We didn’t completely break up; I keep her around because my son loves her more than I do.

2-6 Players • Ages 8+ • 30 minutes • $25

10. Tokaido

Early on in my modern board gaming days, I kept hearing about Tokaido. I saw the gorgeous, clean artwork, and the game sounded like a lot of fun. With the deluxe anniversary edition and expansions out there, I assumed it was a can’t miss.

So, when I finally had the chance to play it with my gaming group, I jumped at the opportunity. But when the game was over, I asked myself, “Why did I want to play that so badly before?” It was incredibly boring, and only the artwork kept a tiny bit of interest as we played.

We broke up because I liked the idea of the game more than playing the actual game itself.

1-5 Players • Ages 8+ • 45 minutes • $25

9. Terraforming Mars

I was absolutely sure I was going to love this highly acclaimed game. The artwork didn’t do anything for me, but I love engine building, the theme, and the overall game concept. So, when I finally got it as a Christmas gift, I couldn’t wait to crack it open.

Then I played it.

There were just so many cards. Too many cards. The fiddliness of the pieces was also a little annoying, especially if you accidentally bumped your player board and sent all your resource cubes sliding.

But I didn’t give up right away. I bought the Prelude expansion that everyone says you absolutely need to kickstart the game. But even after that, it sat on my shelf for a few more months, and I just couldn’t be bothered to pull it down.

Maybe if the artwork was a little prettier, I’d have stuck with it a little longer. I was really disappointed.

We broke up because there was just no spark to be found, no matter what anyone said.

1-5 Players • Ages 12+ • 120 minutes • $65

8. Scythe

Stonemaier Games puts out some of the best quality games in the hobby. From components to the rulebooks, they are top-tier. When I first saw Scythe, I was instantly intrigued by the artwork, the alternate-history world, and the miniatures. When an affordable copy came along, I pounced on it.

Because it seemed like a “bigger” game, it sat on my shelf until I had the time to really learn it and enjoy it. I was intimidated. Along the way, I even traded for a premium wooden e-Raptor insert because I was sure this was going to be a keeper, and the first date had to be perfect.

Then I actually played it.

The best way I can describe it is that it was dry. Actions were highly limited; there wasn’t a whole lot of real action, and it felt way more mathematical than thematic. I played it a few more times, hoping I would fall in love with it, but realized I never would.

We broke up because, for the type of game she was, she was too cerebral to enjoy.

1-5 Players • Ages 12+ • 120 minutes • $84

7. One-Hit Heroes

I absolutely love campaign games, but they are so hard to get to the table consistently because of the massive commitment they require. So, when I spotted a used copy of One-Hit Heroes at my local game store, it looked like I had found my next love. I learned how quickly each game was and how rapidly I could upgrade my character.

But after going through Season 1 (four bosses), even with two more seasons left to go, I knew I had already seen everything this game was going to show me, and another date wasn’t going to change my mind. I didn’t want more variations of the same thing.

We broke up because she just kept telling the same story over and over and over.

1-4 Players • Ages 8+ • 15-60 minutes • $59

6. It’s a Wonderful World

I have always been a big fan of 7 Wonders, so when reviews started saying It’s a Wonderful World could completely replace it, I just had to try it.

But each time I played, I kept asking myself: “Am I missing something here? Did I do something wrong?” The game just wasn’t exciting. The theme, which is a genre I normally love, felt completely pasted on. I didn’t find a lot of connection between the mechanics and the theme, and that disconnect was ultimately the cause of our separation.

We broke up because the way she plays and looks confuses my brain.

1-5 Players • Ages 10+ • 45 minutes • $50

5. Hot Streak

I’m not usually an early adopter of new games, but I stumbled across a copy of Hot Streak when it was sold out everywhere and picked it up. I played it with three different game groups, fully expecting the kind of high-energy game night filled with cheers and hollers I’d read about.

Instead, it fell flat every single time. No one really cared for it, except for my ten-year-old daughter, who mostly just enjoyed moving the mascot standees around the board.
If my friends and family weren’t fans, it was going to be hard to keep her around. I had to say goodbye because, if I was honest with myself, even my daughter loved her more than I did.

We broke up because no one was really excited about her, not even me, except for maybe my daughter.

2-8 Players • Ages 6+ • 20 minutes • $39

4. Flamecraft

There was a massive amount of hype around Flamecraft when it came out. Sandra Tang’s art was incredibly cute, making the dragon theme so much fun. As I unrolled the center board and set up the cards around it, I was smiling with excitement. “This has to be a good game!” I thought to myself.

But once we got going, all I was doing was moving my dragon around to different shops. It was mildly amusing at first, but very quickly it just turned into a giant, repetitive meh.

We broke up because after a couple of dates there wasn’t much to talk about.

1-5 Players • Ages 8+ • 60 minutes • $73

3. Everdell

Talk about a gorgeous game. Between the board, the artwork, and, of course, the giant cardboard tree, this was one of the most beautiful games in my collection, if not the most beautiful.

I played it a few times, but it just didn’t click. I simply didn’t find the gameplay loop that exciting. I even bought the app version to see if I was missing some deep strategic nuance, but I wasn’t. It’s a solid game, but there was nothing too new about it for me except for maybe the season transitions.

We broke up because I realized I only wanted to love her because everyone else did.

1-4 Players • Ages 10+ • 45 minutes • $74

2. Cubitos

I really wanted to try this highly acclaimed, dice-chucking racing game. I’d heard there were tons of dice and that it was fast-paced fun. I acquired a used copy that even came with custom 3D-printed holders for each set of dice.

I’d never actually looked at the components before buying, so I was definitely disappointed when I opened the box and saw how small the dice were. Wanting to make sure I enjoyed the game, I had a gaming buddy teach me the game. After the first game, I was underwhelmed. Literally said out loud, “That’s it?”

The game played fast, and that was it.

We broke up because she loves to “go-go-go” and for me, so much of the joy is in the journey.

2-4 Players • Ages 8+ • 30-60 minutes • $54

1. Codenames: Pictures

The original Codenames has to be one of my most-played games ever. I’ve played it with countless different groups, so I assumed Codenames: Pictures had to be a hit, too.

Then I actually played it, and it just wasn’t nearly as much fun.

I quickly discovered that using images made the clues feel incredibly one-dimensional. Instead of the wide-open wordplay of the original, the images actually narrowed down your creativity.

We broke up because I didn’t like how much she told me what I could and could not do.

2-8 Players • Ages 8+ • 15 minutes • $25

Who did you break up with and why?