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 take on the house in a cooperative game of poker in The GangNext:  We explore the depths of the ocean in search of aquatic glory in Endeavor: Deep SeaAnd lastly: We drive our way through an automobile-unfriendly world in Beat Detroit







The Gang







Designed by: John Cooper, Kory HeathPublished by: KOSMOS (2024)Players: 3 – 6Ages: 10 & upPlaying time: 20 minutes







In The Gang, a co-operative version of Texas Hold’em, players bet on how good they think their hand of cards will be relative to the other players, then try to make their predictions a reality.







Early in a round, without talking to each other, each player chooses one of four chips indicating how strong they think their hand is. Then they begin dealing cards into the middle of the table and have a chance to reassess their hands as more cards are revealed. At the end of the round, players see whether they correctly evaluated their hand. If all players did, you get to open one of the bank vaults! If not, you trip the alarm! If you manage to open three vaults before you trip the alarm three times, your gang wins!







Shuffle up and deal! And keep yer yaps shut!







Endeavor: Deep Sea







Designed by: Carl de Visser, Jarratt GrayPublished by: Burnt Island Games, Grand Gamers Guild (2024)Players: 1 – 4Ages: 10 & upPlaying time: 60 – 120 minutes







Endeavor: Deep Sea, is a worker placement and area discovery game where you head an independent research institute with the goal of developing sustainable projects and preserving the fragile balance of marine life. Throughout the game, you’ll recruit field experts and use their abilities to explore new locations, research dive sites, publish critical ecological papers, and launch conservation efforts.







Played over six rounds, each explorer will improve four tracks—Reputation, Inspiration, Coordination, and Ingenuity—to recruit specialists and gain actions and resources.







In each round, hire a new specialist, generate effort discs (based on Inspiration), and reclaim discs from specialists per your Coordination level.







Workers are placed both on specialists to activate them and on ocean-zone action spaces (like Dive, Journal, Explore, or Conserve), where discs often remain to mark progress 







Your sub’s movement and number of subs depend on your Ingenuity track, while deeper or longer expeditions yield greater rewards 







Discovering zones involves sonar-based exploration where you reveal and choose which ocean tiles to place—each new area unlocking opportunities and bonuses 







At game end, players score points based on their specialist abilities, filled ocean spaces, and advancement on the four tracks, adjusted by scenario-specific goals on the impact board.







To sum it up … to reach the heights of your career is a race to the bottom







Beat Detroit







Designed by: Jay Moriarty, Leo PosillicoPublished by: Antler Productions / Dynamic Design Industries (1972)Players: 2 – 6Ages: (not listed)Playing time: (not listed)







In Beat Detroit, players roll the dice and move around the board hoping to drive their car 50,000 miles (five times around the track) while paying for service, insurance, theft and other problems that plague car owners. The first player to make it to the end without running out of money is the winner.