Searching for Games: Looking at Search Trends for Board Game Geek’s Top 20 Rated Games from 2017

In case you are not familiar with it, Google Trends is quite a fun tool for exploring all kinds of information regarding what and how people search.

I’m going to give you the fun part first: the map of most searched board games from 2017 (limited to BGG’s top 20) by state. And then I’ll explain some of the details below the image.

One caveat: Since This War is Mine is based off a video game, there may some skewing of the data with the video game and board game searches being conflated.

And if you’re looking for more top board games from 2017, then you can check out our aggregated list which has a slightly different top 10 than BoardGameGeek.

Some quick explanations on how Google Trends works

  • Google Trends allows you to see the ranking for a search term by state, relative to the number of searchers performed in that state. Based on my understanding, it is not a simple ratio (# of searches for term in the state / # of total searches in the state), but that explanation is close enough for our purposes.
  • To elaborate, Wyoming having a sad face does not mean that no searches for any of the games were performed, but instead, the number of searches are so low compared to the total number of searches that the Google Trends’ score is 0.

And some notes regarding the data and presentation

  • This list focused on games published in 2017 and looks at searches performed so far in 2018. The idea is that we can see how popular games released last year are in each state. The entire list of games is then limited to just the top 20 rated games (using BoardGameGeek’s rankings).
  • Rather than trying to include ties in the map, in the event of a tie I have included on the map the game that had a score above 0 for the most states (in other words, the game scored the same in the state and is more popular in other states).
  • None of the twenty board games had a score for Wyoming. Hence the sad face.

Interesting in seeing more data or learning more about a game?

In case you’re interested in seeing some more data details or even possibly purchasing the game, I have included that information below. We do receive a small commission when you purchase a game through our links below.

Gloomhaven

Game Description and PriceGoogle Trends Data
From Publisher: “Gloomhaven is a game of Euro-inspired tactical combat in a persistent world of shifting motives. Players will take on the role of a wandering adventurer with their own special set of skills and their own reasons for travelling to this dark corner of the world. Players must work together out of necessity to clear out menacing dungeons and forgotten ruins. In the process they will enhance their abilities with experience and loot, discover new locations to explore and plunder, and expand an ever-branching story fueled by the decisions they make. This is a legacy game with a persistent and changing world that is ideally played over many game sessions. After a scenario, players will make decisions on what to do, which will determine how the story continues, kind of like a “Choose Your Own Adventure” book. Playing through a scenario is a cooperative affair where players will fight against automated monsters using an innovative card system to determine the order of play and what a player does on their turn.”

  • # of States represented: 49
  • States Where Highest (11):

    Alabama

    Alaska

    Arizona

    Arkansas

    Hawaii

    Iowa

    Montana

    Nebraska

    North Dakota

    Oregon

    South Dakota

Gaia Project

Game Description and PriceGoogle Trends Data
From Publisher: “Gaia Project is a new game in the line of Terra Mystica. As in the original Terra Mystica, fourteen different factions live on seven different kinds of planets, and each faction is bound to their own home planets, so to develop and grow, they must terraform neighboring planets into their home environments in competition with the other groups. In addition, Gaia planets can be used by all factions for colonization, and Transdimensional planets can be changed into Gaia planets.

All factions can improve their skills in six different areas of development — Terraforming, Navigation, Artificial Intelligence, Gaiaforming, Economy, Research — leading to advanced technology and special bonuses. To do all of that, each group has special skills and abilities.

The playing area is made of ten sectors, allowing a variable set-up and thus an even bigger replay value than its predecessor Terra Mystica. A two-player game is hosted on seven sectors.”

  • # of States represented: 1
  • States Where Highest (1):

    California – not depicted on map

The 7th Continent

Game Description and PriceGoogle Trends Data
From Publisher: “It’s the early 20th century. You have decided to sail back to the newly discovered seventh continent to attempt to lift the terrible curse that has struck you since your return from the previous expedition.

In The 7th Continent, a solo or cooperative “choose-your-own-adventure” exploration board game, you choose a character and begin your adventure on your own or with a team of other explorers. Inspired by the Fighting Fantasy book series, you will discover the extent of this wild new land through a variety of terrain and event cards. In a land fraught with danger and wonders, you have to use every ounce of wit and cunning to survive, crafting tools, weapons, and shelter to ensure your survival.

Unlike most board games, it will take you many, MANY hours of exploring and searching the seventh continent until you eventually discover how to remove the curse(s)…or die trying.

The 7th Continent features an easy saving system so that you can stop playing at any time and resume your adventure later on, just like in a video game!”

  • # of States represented: 4
  • States Where Highest (2):

    Texas

    Washington

Twilight Imperium: Fourth Edition

Game Description and PriceGoogle Trends Data
From Publisher: “For two decades, Twilight Imperium has thrilled gamers with its grand storytelling and tactical strategy. Now players can explore the next step in the Twilight Imperium legacy with Twilight Imperium Fourth Edition, an epic game of galactic conquest for three to six players.

Each player takes command of one of seventeen unique civilizations to compete for interstellar supremacy through warfare, trade, uncertain allegiances, and political dominance. Every faction offers a completely different play experience, from the wormhole-hopping Ghosts of Creuss to the Emirates of Hacan, the masters of trade. All of these races have many paths to victory, but only one will sit upon the throne of Mecatol Rex as the new masters of the galaxy.”
  • # of States represented: 14
  • States Where Highest (2):

    Michigan

    Wisconsin

Pandemic Legacy: Season 2

Game Description and PriceGoogle Trends Data
From Publisher: “Embark on an epic adventure to bring humanity back from the brink of extinction in this standalone follow-up to the acclaimed Pandemic Legacy: Season 1.

Pandemic Legacy: Season 2 is an epic cooperative game for 2 to 4 players. Unlike most other games, this one is working against you. What’s more, some of the actions you take in Pandemic Legacy will carry over to future games. No two worlds will ever be alike!”

  • # of States represented: 10
  • States Where Highest (1):

    Utah

Spirit Island

Game Description and PriceGoogle Trends Data
From Publisher: “Powerful spirits have existed on this isolated Island for time immemorial. They are both part of the natural world and – at the same time – something beyond nature. Native Islanders, known as the dahan, have learned how to co-exist with the spirits, but with a healthy dose of fear and reverence. However, now, the Island has been “discovered” by invaders from a far-off land. These would-be colonists are taking over the land and upsetting the natural balance, destroying the presence of spirits as they go. As spirits, you must grow in power and work together to drive the invaders from your Island. before it’s too late!.”
  • # of States represented: 18
  • States Where Highest (3):

    Connecticut

    Maryland

    Pennsylvania

Azul

Game Description and PriceGoogle Trends Data
From Publisher: “Azul was designed by the world famous, award winning game author Michael Riesling. Azul captures the beautiful aesthetics of Moorish art in a contemporary board game. Players compete as artisans decorating the walls of the royal Palace of Dvora. By carefully drafting the correct Quantity and style of tiles, the most clever of artisans plan ahead to maximize the beauty of their work (not to mention their scores!) while ensuring they wasted no supplies in the process. Introduced by the moors, “azulejos” (originally white and blue ceramic tiles) were fully embraced by the Portuguese, when their King Manuel I, on a visit to the Alhambra Palace in Southern Spain, was mesmerized by the stunning beauty of the Moorish decorative tiles. The King, awestruck by the interior beauty of the Alhambra, immediately ordered that his own Palace in Portugal be decorated with similar wall tiles. As a tile-laying artist, you have been challenged to embellish the walls of the royal Palace of Dvora.”
  • # of States represented: 42
  • States Where Highest (7):

    Arizona – not depicted on map

    Georgia

    Illinois

    Kansas

    Nevada

    New Mexico

    South Carolina

Clans of Caledonia

Game Description and PriceGoogle Trends Data
From Publisher: “Clans of Caledonia is a mid-to-heavy economic game set in 19th-century Scotland. At this time, Scotland made the transition from an agricultural to an industrialized country that heavily relied on trade and export. In the following years, food production increased significantly to feed the population growth. Linen was increasingly substituted by the cheaper cotton and raising sheep was given high importance. More and more distilleries were founded and whisky became the premium alcoholic beverage in Europe. Players represent historic clans with unique abilities and compete to produce, trade and export agricultural goods and of course whisky! The game comes with nine different clans, a modular board with 16 configurations, nine port bonuses and nine round scoring tiles.”

  • # of States represented: 0
  • States Where Highest (0)

Ananchrony

Game Description and PriceGoogle Trends Data
From Publisher: “It is the late 26th century. Earth is recovering from a catastrophic explosion that exterminated the majority of the population centuries ago and made most of the surface uninhabitable due to unearthly weather conditions. The surviving humans organized along four radically different ideologies, called Paths, to rebuild the world as they see fit: Harmony, Dominance, Progress and Salvation. Followers of the four Paths live in a fragile peace, but in almost complete isolation next to each other. Their only meeting point is the last major city on Earth, now just known as the Capital. By powering up the mysterious Time Rifts that opened in the wake of the cataclysm, each Path is able to reach back to specific moments in their past. Doing so can greatly speed up their progress, but too much meddling may endanger the time-space continuum. But progress is more important than ever before: if the mysterious message arriving through the Time Rift is to be believed, an even more terrible cataclysm is looming on the horizon: an asteroid bearing the mysterious substance called Neutronium is heading towards Earth. Even stranger, the scientists show that the energy signature of the asteroid matches the explosion centuries ago… Anachrony features an unique two-tiered worker placement system. To travel to the Capital or venture out to the devastated areas for resources, players need not only various Specialists (Engineers, Scientists, Administrators and Geniuses), but also Exosuits to protect and enhance them and both are in short supply. The game is played in 4-7 turns, depending on the time when the looming cataclysm occurs (unless, of course, it is averted!). The elapsed turns are measured on a dynamic Timeline. By powering up the Time Rifts, players can reach back to earlier turns to supply their past ‘self’ with resources.”
  • # of States represented: 6
  • States Where Highest (2):

    Indiana – not depicted on map
    Ohio

Chartersone

Game Description and PriceGoogle Trends Data
From Publisher: “The prosperous Kingdom of Greengully, ruled for centuries by the Forever King, has issued a decree to its citizens to colonize the vast lands beyond its borders. In an effort to start a new village, the Forever King has selected 6 citizens for the task, each of whom has a unique set of skills they use to build their charter.

In Charterstone, a competitive legacy game scaled for 1-6 players, you construct buildings and inhabit a shared village. Building stickers are removed from cards and permanently added to your charter on the board, becoming action spaces for any player to use (kind of like Lords of Waterdeep, Caylus and Ora et Labora). Thus, a few available buildings soon grow into a bustling village with dozens of actions.”
  • # of States represented: 23
  • States Where Highest (2):

    Minnesota
    New Jersey

Lisboa

Game Description and PriceGoogle Trends Data
From Publisher: “Lisboa is thus played, in part, on a representational map of the city. During the planning of the downtown re-building project, the type of businesses permitted in each street was pre-determined. The clockmakers and goldsmiths had their street; as did the bookstores and libraries; the tailors and silk vendors; and the toolmakers as well. This all comes into play on the Lisboa gameboard. Players represent the nobility of Lisboa who will use their influence in the reconstruction and business development of the new city. In rebuilding the city, players will make use of the Royal Builder, who works with the architects to build Lisboa anew, while the Marquis will provide aid in the development of commerce. The King will provide players with political help in re-opening the beautiful new city. But the true reason you are rebuilding the city is not for greatness, or even fame or fortune. As a nobleman or noblewoman of Lisboa, your primary motivation is the acquisition of Wigs–a most important trading commodity of the Era, and the means of scoring points in the game.”
  • # of States represented: 11
  • States Where Highest (3):

    Massachusetts
    Tennessee
    Virginia

Codenames: Duet

Game Description and PriceGoogle Trends Data
From Publisher: “Codenames Duet keeps the basic elements of codenames – give one-word clues to try to get someone to identify your agents among those on the table – but now you’re working together as a team to find all of your agents. (Why you don’t already know who your agents are is a question that CONGRESSIONAL investigators will get on your back about later!) to set up play, lay out 25 word cards in a 5×5 grid. Place a key card in the holder so that each player sees one side of the card. Each player sees a 5×5 grid on the card, with nine of the Squares colored green (representing your agents) and one square colored black (representing an assassin). the assassin is in different places on each side of the card, and three of the nine Squares on each side are also green on the other side! collectively, you need to reveal all fifteen agents — without revealing either assassin or too many innocent bystanders — before time runs out in order to win the game. Either player can decide to give a one-word clue to the other player, along with a number. Whoever receives the clue places a finger on a card to identify that Agent. If correct, they can attempt to identify another one. If they reveal as many as the number stated by the clue-giver, then they can take one final guess, if desired. If they identify a bystander, then their guessing time ends. If they identify an assassin, you both lose!”
  • # of States represented: 11
  • States Where Highest (2):

    California
    New York

Terraforming Mars: Hellas & Elysium

Game Description and PriceGoogle Trends Data
From Publisher: “Terraforming Mars: Hellas & Elysium, the first expansion for the 2016 smash-hit Terraforming Mars, consists of a double-sided game board representing two new areas of Mars: Hellas, which includes Mars’ south polar region; Elysium, which is on the opposite side of Mars’ equator. Each of these maps consists of new sets of milestones and awards with relevance for that particular map. As examples, place three tiles around the south pole to be a Polar Explorer, or race to have the most estates beside water on Elysium!.”
  • # of States represented: 11
  • States Where Highest (0):

Near and Far

Game Description and PriceGoogle Trends Data
From Publisher: “Search for a lost city in a strange and wonderful world of ruins; manage and recruit adventurers, each with a unique identity; read from a book of stories, building an amazing and memorable tale each time you play!.”
  • # of States represented: 30
  • States Where Highest (1):
    Delaware

Sagrada

Game Description and PriceGoogle Trends Data
From Publisher: “As a skilled artisan, you will use tools-of-the-trade and careful planning to construct a stained glass window masterpiece in the Sagrada Familia. Players will take turns drafting glass pieces, represented by dice; carefully choosing where to place each one in their window. Windows have unique color and shade requirements, and similar dice may never be adjacent so placing each die is more challenging than the last. Fortunately, you’ll have just the right tools to help you through. Gain prestige by adapting to the preferences of your fickle admirers, and of course, by adding your own artistic flair while completing your glass masterpiece in Sagrada. Sagrada – a game of dice drafting and window crafting for 1 to 4 players that plays in about 30 minutes.”
  • # of States represented: 28
  • States Where Highest (5):

    Alaska – not depicted on map

    Kentucky

    Maine

    New Hampshire

    Vermont

This War of Mine: The Board Game

Game Description and PriceGoogle Trends Data
From Publisher: “This War Of Mine: The Board Game is the tabletop adaptation of the award-winning video game that pictures the drama of civilians trapped in a war-torn city.

You will enter this experience as a group of civilians trapped in a besieged and conflict-ridden city, enduring many hardships that often test the essence of humanity.

Your goal is to SURVIVE until the cessation of war hostilities. During your struggle as the survivors, you will experience dramas connected with making extremely difficult decisions and choices (you will have to face the consequences of your actions sooner or later in the playthrough). Survival itself will often prove not to be enough. The price each of you will decide to pay, might be too high in the final outcome. So the goal is really to survive in a way that will let you live on with the decisions you made.

Experience the simulation of a struggle for survival as a group of civilians facing a blind and merciless war.”

  • # of States represented: 33
  • States Where Highest (10):

    Colorado

    Florida

    Idaho

    Louisiana

    Mississippi

    Missouri

    North Carolina

    Oklahoma

    Rhode Island

    West Virginia

Clank! In! Space!

Game Description and PriceGoogle Trends Data
From Publisher: “The evil Lord Eradikus has all but conquered the galaxy, and is now on a victory lap across the sector in his flagship, Eradikus Prime. He may rule with an iron grip, but his most prized artifacts are about to slip through his cyborg claws. You and your fellow thieves have challenged each other to sneak aboard his ship, hack your way into its command module, and steal from him.

Along the way, you’ll recruit allies and snatch up extra loot. But one false step and—Clank! Careless noise draws the attention of Lord Eradikus. Hacking into his command module and stealing his artifacts increases his rage. You’d better hope your friends are louder than you are if you want to make it to an escape pod and get out alive…”
  • # of States represented: 3
  • States Where Highest (1):

    Indiana – not depicted on map

Century: Spice Road

Game Description and PriceGoogle Trends Data
From Publisher: “Introducing Century, a series of exciting and wonderfully addictive stand-alone, mixable games. Each title is set in different centuries, from the 15th to the 17th, and depicts the major trading systems and routes of these eras. While quick and easy to learn, the century trilogy will fully engage even the most strategic players.

Discover the beauties of the spice trading road and its colorful markets with the amazing artwork by international renowned artist Fernanda Suárez. Wrap your mind around simple and pure game mechanics combined with a touch of deck-building system that lead to endless strategies and decisions. Century Spice road is truly an outstanding game. One you will play over and over and…over again!”
  • # of States represented: 1
  • States Where Highest (1):

    California – not depicted on map

Ethnos

Game Description and PriceGoogle Trends Data
From Publisher: “At the end of the last age, the rulers of Ethnos left the six Kingdoms without leadership, and scattered the twelve ancient tribes across the land. A once-prosperous and glorious empire was reduced to ruins. Now, it’s the dawning of a new age, and you have a chance to unite the members of the scattered tribes and take control of the Kingdoms under one rule, once and for all!

In Ethnos, you recruit different Tribe cards into your hand, form them into Bands, and play them to assert your control in one of the six Kingdoms. Over the course of three ages, you battle with opponents in a war for dominance and glory. Each Band has a Leader, and only the Leaders can tap into their tribe’s special abilities. Each of these abilities will give you a special advantage, but finding the right Leader for each assault is the key to victory.

As the war rages on, more and more glory will be gained for controlling a territory. After three ages of political maneuvering and battles, peace between the six Kingdoms will be restored under a new ruler. If you are wise in your recruiting and make well-planned assaults, you may just rise to the throne.”
  • # of States represented: 11
  • States Where Highest (1):

    Indiana

Too Many Bones

Game Description and PriceGoogle Trends Data
From Publisher: “Too Many Bones is a 1-4 player Solo/Co-op RPG Adventure using dice to shape and implement your battle strategies. Game length is decided by the Boss tyrant you choose to confront and can range from 60-90 mins.

ou start your journey as a Gearloc in the town of Obendar, fighting one battle a day as you progress north toward the tyrant you are trying to take out. The goal is earn enough Progress points by completing Encounters/Daily Battles to reach the Boss Tyrant and trigger the final battle. You must achieve this within a set number of days shown on that tyrant.

Each day provides you with a new Encounter that will affect your next battle. Based on what you choose, you may gain very specific rewards or you may have to forfeit them to allow your party a better chance of success. Every Encounter card and the choices within can change from one game to the next due to how enemies are introduced into your battles.”
  • # of States represented: 3
  • States Where Highest (1):

    Indiana – not depicted on map
About Wesley Lyles 117 Articles
Wesley is a jack of all trades hobbyist. Though much of his spare time is spent playing board games (especially solo card games like Legendary), Hearthstone, Rocket League, and MLB The Show.e He also enjoys most sports, but pays way too much attention to baseball and football.

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