Games Jess is Looking Forward to in 2026

With the amount of games that come out every year, it’s a tall order to stay informed. What do we fill the cafe with? What will hit our shelves? In our research, conventions, and Kickstarter, these are the games that have caught Jess’s eye that are due in 2026.

Wonderland’s War Duel

Wonderland’s War has taken up quite the real estate on my shelf. She’s massive and Druid City Games keeps coming out with the coolest upgrades to make it even more gorgeous on the table. 

But it’s a little hard to get it to the table at our house. It is a bit of a time commitment and we don’t always have enough interested players. Enter WONDERLAND’S WAR DUEL: a two-player version they’ve streamlined to play in an hour. Say less. Take my money. And they do. They take so much of my money. 

Estimated delivery date: August 2026

Vine

I first encountered Vine at Origins in Columbus, OH. When I stopped by Cavernhold’s booth, it was to look at their amazing board game travel bags (which we ended up adding to the store). While there, I noticed them demoing their new game Vine. 

Vine is lovely on the table and is accessible to most players. You are growing your vine via tile placement. You plant and prune your way to the most productive plant in the game.

Estimated delivery date: May 2026

Sail Legacy

One of the WORST parts of legacy/campaign games is finding time to get everyone together to play 12-24 times and actually complete the experience. Sail Legacy fixes that with a two-player legacy game.

With gorgeous artwork, solid story telling, and excellent components, Sail is getting a beefy upgrade! 

Estimated delivery date: August 2026

Flip Voyage & Fliptown: New Frontier

One of my favorite games is Fliptown from Write Stuff Games. It was the game that really got me into the “Blank & Write” mechanism. So when designer Steven Aramini announced a new expansion AND a new game in that series, it was an automatic Kickstarter back.

In Flip Voyage, players take on the role as crew members of the Nautilus, competing for their piece of Captain Nemo’s legacy. Similar to Fliptown, three cards are flipped each round that you use as your move, discipline, and action strategies. Something I’m really looking forward to on this one, other than the theme upgrade, is their claim that it is “Less luck-based, more deterministic and strategic game play.”

Fliptown: New Frontier adds a ton to the base game, including a new board, allowing you to play only with the new board or combine the two for “double-barrel mode”. These games are coming home with me in a hurry!

Estimated delivery date: March 2026 (just in time for my birthday!)

Dicey Devices

This one kept popping up on my social media. The algorithm knew… It knew I would fold eventually. Dicey Devices has it all – eye-catching art, fun theme, engine building, death rays.

I had the opportunity to see this game decked out and talk with Origami Whale Games while I was at PAX Unplugged. It pulls you in right away. I can’t wait to get this to the table!

Estimated delivery date: October 2026

Ember

As previously gushed, I am a big fan of Steven Aramini’s games, and his newest Button Shy wallet game looks so cool. A solo game, you are defending your fire from the invading monsters. Button Sky manages to pack the biggest punches into just 18 cards. Ember feels like a heavy-weight defense game, but fits in your pocket.

Estimated delivery date: February 2026

Cats vs. Cucumbers

Published by our friends at Envy Born Games and designed by the delightful Ammon Anderson & Melanie Anderson, Cats vs. Cucumbers is one I cannot wait to get to the table. It’s a press-your-luck game that anyone can pick up, but still has enough strategy to keep the hard-core gamers interested. 

The components on this one are really the star of the show. Wooden, adorable meeples, a first-player cat tree marker, and upgraded “Killer Kittens” options. This game has “board game cafe” written all over it!

Estimated delivery date: January 2026

Mountain Goats Legacy

Arguably one of the best Allplay games is Mountain Goats. It is easy, fun, interactive, and balanced for gamers and muggles alike. When I heard rumors that they were creating a legacy version of it, I had questions.

However, at PAX Unplugged, I had the opportunity to play the prototype with Azkadelia Hattress and Grant Lyon. The art has been redone by Sandara Tang (Flamecraft, Critter Kitchen), a story line has been inserted, and chaos ensues. I don’t want to give anything away, but this is a blast! The game is fully replayable, and you can even pick and choose your favorite episode as your new version of the game going forward. This one is going to be huge, so make sure you get in on the Kickstarter when it goes live in January (and if you don’t, don’t worry. We will have it at Village Meeple for sure!)

Estimated delivery date: August 2026

Which games do you have your eye on for 2026? What should we add to our lists too?