Agricola

Players start with a spouse and a shack. From there they need to construct a farm by using the action cards selected. Play runs for 14 turns and 6 harvest stages. The player with the most successful farm at the end wins the game. Actions need to be prioritized in order to win at this game. Winner of the 2008 International Gamers Award for General Strategy Games. 1-5 players. Ages 12 and up.

Pillars of the Earth

Players construct the greatest cathedral the world has ever seen. Points are scored according to how much a player contributes to building the cathedral. The workers or each player gets a turn each and they determine what work can be done. Winner of the Games 100 - Game of the Year in 2008 and several other awards in 2007. 2-4 players. Ages 10 and up.

If Wishes were Fishes!

A family game that looks simple but requires careful thinking and planning. The players are fishermen, who sell their catch at the highest possible price in the market. Space for storing fish is limited. If they catch the fish that grants wishes, the value of fish and storage space will be increased. Winner of the Games 100 - Best Family Game in 2008. 2-5 players. Ages 10 and up.

Khronos

This is an advanced strategy game. Players travel through time (past, present and future) to build and develop cities. Profits are earned for the constructions done. As players travel through time, certain buildings will remain intact, others may be destroyed or may vanish all together. Winner of the International Competition of Board Game Creators - Best Design in 2006. 2-5 players. Ages 10 and up.

Zooloretto

A fun family game where players set up their own zoo and attract as many visitors as possible to it. Wild, exotic animals large and small and their young are used to populate the zoo. Too many animals and too little space will give minus points, unless you expand your zoo on time. 2-5 players. Ages 8 and up.

Ruk-Shuk (Edition 2)

A highly intuitive game that is perfect for any age. Players draw cards and must build different Ruk-Shuk formations (each based on a real life formation found somewhere in the world) mentioned, using the rocks given, before the time on the sand clock runs out. The 2nd edition of this game features new game rocks and challenging Ruk-Shuk formations. 1-5 players. Ages 8 and up.

Formula De

A great game for a large group! The game was first published in 1991 and an updated version that looks and feels more realistic will be available in November 2008. The player whose car crosses the finish line first wins the race. The new version includes two courses, a Monaco Grand Prix course and a city-based street course. Six colored dices are used to determine how far a car moves, gear shifts, collisions, wear and tear and other course events. 2-10 players. Ages 10 and up.

Summary - Many new board games are published each year. Out of those, there are a few that stand out as exciting, innovative, challenging and fun to play.