The ultra-popular strategy game Scythe was designed by Jamey Stegmaier, released by Stonemaier Games. Scythe and its multiple expansions, are territory building games, taking place in an alternate reality war-torn 1920s timeline. If you are a fan of Jamey Stegmaier’s Scythe, check out this great list of games your friends at Board Game Bandit have compiled for your fast filling game shelf!

5. Terra Mystica

If you are unsure about this recommendation, all you have to do is browse the long list of awards and nominations for Terra Mystica. This game is perfect for those that like strategy, territory building and fantasy play.

In the land of Terra Mystica live 14 different people in 7 terrains, with each group bound to their own environment, to develop and grow, they must terraform neighboring landscapes into their home environments.

Terra Mystica is a full-information game that rewards strategic planning (no luck involved!) Each player manages one of the 14 groups. The player needs to try to govern as big an area as possible and to develop that group's skills. Each group has unique skills and talents.

Different buildings let players develop different resources. Homes permit more workers. Trading houses allow players to make money. Strongholds unlock a group's unique ability, and temples let you develop religion and your terraforming and seafaring abilities. Buildings can also be upgraded, and groups must also develop terraforming skills and skills with boats to use the rivers.

Remember, your proximity to other groups is a double-edged sword, closeness to other groups offers you extra power, however it also makes expanding harder.

Buy Terra Mystica online now!

4. Lords of Hellas

Step into the dark ages of Greece in this territory building game or mythology, strategy and miniatures. Build magnificent multi-part monuments of Gods on the board and unleash their vast powers that will help you win and survive the attacks of monsters, who travel through the land and bringing chaos.

In Lords of Hellas, players control an asymmetric hero, created by expanding his 3 basic statistics (leadership, strength and speed) and collecting artifacts.

Throughout the game you can select various actions and influence the game with mighty monuments of base Gods: Zeus, Athena, and Hermes. You will want to strategically move your armies and hero while managing your actions to win.

Players can win in multiple ways: controlling area, temples, or killing monsters that are roaming through the map and interfere in different ways. Once a victory condition is achieved, the game ends without any point scoring being necessary.

Lords of Hellas plays in 60-90 minutes, with a 1-4 player option.

Buy Lords of Hellas online now!

3. Near and Far

Near and Far is a standalone sequel to the game Above and Below. This thematic exploration game is for 2-4 players.

In the game 4 travelers search for the Last Ruin, a city that’s said to hold an artifact that will grant the greatest desires of the heart. Whether that be lost love, redemption, approval, a family rejoined—the desires motivating the travelers' quests, but will they conquer their own greed and inner demons on the way?

In Near and Far, players discover different maps in a search for the Last Ruin, recruiting adventurers, searching for treasure, and battling to be the most storied traveler. You must gather food and equipment for long journeys to mysterious locales, ensuring not to forget about weapons to fight off bandits, living statues, and rusty robots! You may run into something unique on your travels, and one of your friends will read what happens to you from a book of stories, allowing you a preference of how to react, forming a new and unforgettable tale every time you play.

Players read over ten game sessions to achieve the end of the story. Each chapter is played on an entirely new map with unique art and adventures.

Buy Near and Far online now!

2. Charterstone

Charterstone, like Scythe, is also designed by Jamey Stegmaier.  This game is playable solo, or up to 6 players, making it a great option for your game shelf!

The wealthy Kingdom of Greengully, ruled by the Forever King, has released a decree to its citizens to colonize the immense lands beyond its borders. In an effort to create a new village, the Forever King has chosen 6 citizens for the job, each with a unique set of skills to use in building their charter.

Charterstone, is a competitive legacy game, of card drafting and city building, you create buildings and populate a shared village. Building stickers are permanently added to the game board and develop into action spaces for any player to use. Therefore, you begin with simple choices and few workers, but soon find a lively village with lots of possible actions.

Your journey through Charterstone's many secrets lasts 12 games, but it doesn’t stop there. Your completed village will be a one-of-a-kind worker-placement game with lots of variability.

Buy Charterstone online now!

1. Viticulture Essential Edition

Viticulture is another hit from Jamey Stegmaier and Stonemaier games, this one being designed with both gamers and non-gamers alike in mind. This 2 -6 player game places players in pre-modern Tuscany with a plots of land, an aged crush pad, a small cellar, and three workers. Each player has a vision of having the first successful winery.

You choose how you want to allocate your workers throughout the year. Each season is unique on a vineyard, so workers have separate duties to take care of in the summer and winter. There's rivalry over those duties, and frequently the first worker to get to the task has an advantage over later workers.

However, people love to visit wineries, and many visitors are eager to help around the vineyard when visiting as long as you appoint a worker to look after them. Visits are brief but helpful.

Using workers and visitors, players can expand their vineyards by building structures, planting vines, and filling wine orders. Players work towards the objective of operating the most successful winery in Tuscany. This one is a can't miss if you enjoy playing Scythe, it's a hit every time we bring it to the table.

Buy Viticulture Essential Edition online now!