Welcome to Which Game First where we boldly explore the hilariously huge world of board games. Did we unearth any hidden treasures you’ve been missing out on? Let’s find out!



First up: We use a cast of strange creatures to capture trophies in Challengers! Next: We roll the dice and hit the gas in Rallyman: DIRTAnd lastly: We travel to Mallorca for a succulent harvest in Finca



Challengers!



Designed by: Johannes Krenner, Markus SlawitscheckPublished by: 1 More Time Games (2022)Players: 1 – 8Ages: 8 & upPlaying time: 45 minutes



Challengers! is a deck-management game where characters and creatures yield abilities and powers to help you grab trophies in hope of getting to the grand finale.



The game is played over 7 challenge rounds, and then the final two players with the most trophy points square off head to head in the final victory round. All players’ starting cards are the same, but that changes quickly, because each round, you will pick new cards to add to your deck, while strategically removing cards and thinning your deck along the way.



All players play simultaneously in a series of head to head competitions. Play your deck, one card at a time. Each card has a number. Back and forth, players will play enough cards until they have an equal sum or higher than their opponent. Bested cards are retired to a “bench”, where there are 6 bench spots. Each bench spot can hold one type of card. If your bench fills up and can not handle any more bested cards, you lose the round. You also lose the round if you run out of cards to play without beating your opponent.



Try to get the most trophies over the course of seven rounds to be able to qualify for the final. If you can best your opponent in the final, you win Challengers!



Rallyman: DIRT



Designed by: Jean-Christophe BouvierPublished by: Synapses Games (2022Players: 1 – 6Ages: 14 & upPlaying time: 45 – 60 minutes



Rallyman: DIRT is a roll and move racing game, so to move around the track, you’ll be rolling dice! Each player will have a mixture of Gear, Brake and Coast dice at their disposal to get their car speeding along the track. Each die can only be rolled once per turn. Each die has a certain number of Warning symbols. If you get 3 in one roll, you’ll lose control of your car, increasing your time and potentially damaging your vehicle!



Rallyman: DIRT is all about you and the track – planning the perfect trajectory is the key to success! You’ll have to adjust your driving technique to tackle the challenges of each stage, from sharp corners to open water, obstacles and bumps.



The player who crosses the finish line with the lowest time is the winner, rally you are!



Finca



Designed by: Wolfgang Sentker, Ralf zur LindePublished by: Pandasaurus Games (2024), Originally published in 2009Players: 2 – 5Ages: 10 & upPlaying time: 45 minutes



Finca is a worker placement and resource management game, which takes place on Mallorca, Island of the Wind. A place of golden beaches and a light-blue sea. The almond harvest is at hand, in addition, juicy oranges, lemons, and figs are ready to be picked and taken to the market. Gather as many of Mallorca’s resources as possible and deliver them to the island’s communities. 



Each player controls a set number of farmers on the resource wheel. Take one of two actions: move a farmer, or, make a delivery of goods. Move a farmer by moving them the number of spaces equal to the...