My Apocalypse Games Box: Game Picks for the End of the World

While Covid-19 may make it seem like the apocalypse is already upon us, The Apocalypse Games Box has always been a tongue-in-cheek project. I consider it similar to how the podcast “Five Games for Doomsday” uses the backdrop of the apocalypse as a way to really just explore the meaning of games and gaming. The Apocalypse Game Box is my way of combining some of my many fascinations, including design, minimalism/efficiency, and games. The fact that I live in a small apartment certainly factors in as well.

The arbitrary limitation for “Five Games for Doomsday” is that game designers are allowed to select only five games to bring with them into the zombie apocalypse. The arbitrary limitation for the Apocalypse Games Box is that I can bring as many games as I want, but they all have to fit into a single box. The specific box in my case is a cheap repurposed toolbox from Harbor Freight. It gets bonus points because it looks cool. No frivolity here, this is serious business. 

The boards fit in the lid.  

Singularity Deck – Deck Boxes

The left side of the box contains the Singularity Deck and all the accessory components.

My favorite games playable with the Singularity Deck: Las Vegas, Arboretum, Lost Cities (my most gifted game), For Sale, Hanabi, and Medici. 

The full set of components are listed below, each stored in a deckbox:

Singularity Deck Earth Set: Six suited deck of extended playing cards.

Singularity Deck Cosmos Set: Six suited deck of extended playing cards.

Singularity Deck Spacetime Set: Single Suited cards ranked 0-100.

Expansion Box: This includes accessory cards and game reference cards.

Dice: 12mm dice in 6 different colors matching the colors of the deck.

Tokens: wooden tokens matching the colors of the deck.

Coins: generic currency tokens for playing games like for sale or for score keeping.

Pandemic Iberia – Double Deck Box

I absolutely love Pandemic in just about all its forms. I particularly love the survival series versions. I debated which of the 3 survival series games I’d want to include in the box and settled on Pandemic Iberia. Although, I just got Fall of Rome and am loving it.  All three games in the survival series could fit in this space, so who knows, maybe I’ll swap Iberia out at some point. 

Ultimate Gipf – Medium Box

It shouldn't be a surprise how big a fan I am of Kris Burm’s Gipf series of games. To me they are truly masterworks of design. 

The box contains the Ultimate Gipf Board and has bags containing the components for Tzaar, Yinsh, Zertz, and Lyngk. Gipf can be played using the Tzaar pieces, and Dvonn can be played by combining the Tzaar and Lyngk pieces. 

Of all the games in my collection, I believe these will still be played in a thousand years.

Looney Pyramids – Small Box

I recently posted about the Looney Pyramid Storage Box and how much I like these awesome little pyramids:  https://www.patreon.com/posts/looney-pyramid-38206960 

Paperback - Double Deck Box

Playing Paperback makes me feel clever and stupid all at the same time. "Why did I fill my deck with nothing but Qs!?!" The combination of deck building and word-making is phenomenal. 

It's my favorite deck builder and the fact that this plays up to five and can be played competitive or co-op makes it a must include for the box.

For those curious, overall, I prefer Paperback to Hardback. I played Hardback first and thought it was decent, and then played Paperback and thought it was amazing. To me, it’s just cleaner and more focused.

Codenames - Double Deck Box

It’s hard to say anything about Codenames that hasn’t already been said. It really is a genius creation of game design. This box contains ~50 standard key cards, ~50 duet key cards, the spy markers, and as many clue cards as I can fit in. This is a brilliant, versatile game that can be played by 2 people (with the duet pieces) or a big group. It’s also easy to make new clue cards or variations on the game.

Also, since I'm already throwing out hot takes about Paperback vs. Hardback, I prefer the words versions of Codenames to the pictures version. That said, the versatility of the design and the types of clue types (words, pictures, physical objects) that can be used is part of what makes it amazing.

Broom Service - Double Deck Box

This game manages to be both incredibly pleasant and immensely intense as you stare down your opponents and decide whether to be brave or cowardly. Any game where you get to loudly declare "I'm a brave weather fairy" is automatically a top pick. It plays great from 2-5 people, has fantastic player interaction, and I love the theme. 

Hive Pocket – Deck Box

Of all the games on this list, this is the one that could actually survive just about any apocalypse. It's just a bunch of hard plastic tiles. A thousand years later, survivors could be digging in rubble and find a perfectly playable copy of it. The rules wouldn’t last as long though, so I’m proposing that the publisher include a stone tablet chiseled with the rules in every future copy of the game just to ensure that this wonderful creation lasts through the ages. The tactical, spatial puzzle of this boardless game is a delight to play.

Avalon – Deck Box

While I love the zaniness of One Night Ultimate Werewolf and my personal favorite social deception game is Deception: Murder in Hong Kong, the game going in the box is The Resistance: Avalon. It is the perfect distillation of the genre and because so much of the game is played above the table, it offers nearly endless replay. To fit the hole game in a deck box I’m using a modified version of these ingenious cards for the boards:  https://veryhigian.wordpress.com/2015/09/16/pocket-arthur-the-quest-for-a-portable-avalon/ 

I’m also using black and white tokens instead of the usual tiles that come with the game.

Orleans – Medium Box

Of all of the games on this list, this is the box I struggled with the most. I could have fit the Gallerist, Viticulture, or Orleans here and I debated between all three. I untimely decided on Orleans for its versatility, given that it can play up to 5 people and it has a co-op version. It was really a toss up for me though so who knows what’s going to go here in the future. 

RPG – Double Deck Box

This is a placeholder for a portable RPG/Miniatures gaming component set I’ve been brainstorming. I’m working on designs for modular tokens to play things like D&D, ICRPG, and Rangers of Shadowdeep.