TL’s Hidden Gems List
So here’s the thing. You know when you are embarrassed because you play a game and you really really like it but then someone is all snobby and is like, “You know, this game has a really bad rating on BGG”? Well I decided to stop letting BGG or other people tell me what to like. If I like something, it’s because it speaks to me. Yeah, there’s over 17,000 games entered into BGG currently (as of the composition of this article). And yeah, not every game can be a winner, but they can still be fun. And that’s what this list is about: fun games. So check out my list (in order of how much fun I have with them) of games I consider to be Hidden Gems. All of these games are ranked on BGG lower than 1,000 (or unranked altogether) but I love them!
DISCLAIMER: This article was composed in September 2019. These BGG rankings WILL be different if you read this any time after this date. But it will give you an idea of where I stand right now.
 | Evo (Second Edition) (2011) (review) BGG Rank 1,349 Philippe Keyaerts Asmodee |
 | Fantasy Ranch (2019) (review) BGG Rank NONE YET! Keshia Swanlund, Anastasia Swanlund Fantasy Board Games, LLC |
 | Spirits of the Wild (2018) (review) BGG Rank 1,169 Nick Hayes Mattel |
 | Harbour (2015) (review) BGG Rank 1,521 Scott Almes Tasty Minstrel Games |
 | Revolution! (2009) (review) BGG Rank 1,282 Philip duBarry Steve Jackson Games |
 | Treasure Hunter (2015) (review) BGG Rank 1,461 Richard Garfield Queen Games |
 | Fantastiqa (2012) BGG Rank 1,985 Alf Seegert Eagle-Gryphon Games |
 | Ghoulash (2001) (review) BGG Rank 11,116 Mike Suchcicki Ghoulash Games |
 | Orbital Conflict (2019) (review) BGG Rank 13,699 Kim Astor, Filip Stjernberg Steel Cave Studio AB |
 | Tiny Epic Defenders (1st 2015/2nd 2018 Ed.) (review) BGG Rank 1,728 Scott Almes Gamelyn Games |
 | Tiny Ninjas (2019) (my review) (solo review) BGG Rank 3,798 Ryan Leininger 2niverse Games |
 | Elementos (2015) (review) BGG Rank 11,103 Sharon Katz Tyto Games |
 | Bob Ross: Art of Chill Game (2017) BGG Rank 1,606 Prospero Hall Big G Creative |
 | Relic Runners (2013) BGG Rank 1,864 Matthew Dunstan Days of Wonder |
 | Shuffle Grand Prix (2019) (review) BGG Rank 13,968 Rob Newton Games by Bicycle |
 | Nanuk (2009) (review) BGG Rank 4,537 Mark Goadrich, Brett Myers Steve Jackson Games |
 | Tales & Games: The Three Little Pigs (2013) BGG Rank 2,436 Laurent Pouchain IELLO |
 | The Princess Bride: Storming the Castle (2008) (review) BGG Rank 19,664 Aaron Watson Playroom Entertainment / Toy Vault, Inc. |
