20th Century (Vladimir Suchy)

A terrific development game with a green twist: as well as developing their ‘country’, players have to deal with the pollution and garbage this creates. Recycling plants are a must to balance their growing industrial complex: £40.00 £18.00.
 

Barking up the Wrong Tree (Ragnar Brothers)

An entertaining and surprisingly subtle card game from the veteran British designers. Players use their dog (and cat) cards to collect sets of trees. The first round is simple, but the game gets increasingly complex as it goes on. Amusing artwork adds to the entertainment: £10.00 £7.50.
 

Employee of the Month (Alan Moon & Aaron Weissblum)

Everybody can get Brownie Points, but can you avoid the suspicions of your co-workers when you curry favour with your boss? It's a card game of quickfire bidding. Clearance price: £5.00 (or make me an offer...).
 

Fruit Fair (Kris Gould)

Lovely little game of collecting fruit with some tactical options that make it more subtle than initially appears. Large, bold artwork makes it visually appealing, too. And it has a raccoon! £15.00 Clearance price £7.50.
 

Junta (Eric Goldberg, Ben Grossman and Vincent Tsao)

A wonderfully cynical view of a banana republic as players compete to get the most cash stashed in their Swiss bank account. Assassinations abound and every now and then the Presidential palace will take a pounding as a coup starts: £30.00 £24.00 (£20.00 ex-VAT outside the EU).
 

Kosmonauts (Nadezhda Penkrat and Yuri Yamshchikov)

I like race games and this has the players navigating the solar system, visiting the planets. Each player works out their optimal route, but has to manage their fuel and cope with the Newtonian movement system. It's clever; it's fun: £25.00 £20.00 (or make me an offer...).
 

Manhattan TraffIQ (Dirk Arning)

If it didn't play so quickly, this would be a game that required lots of thought. As it is, it's a pleasant challenge of grabbing taxi and truck routes as you expand Manhattan. And nobbling the other players, which just adds to the fun: £15.00 £10.00 (£8.33 ex-VAT outside the EU).
 

Massilia (Alain Epron)

In Roman times, Marseille (as it's now known) was an important trading port and this is the setting for the game. Players are competing merchants, using dice to buy goods, curry favour with the consul and seek the favour of the Gods. It's entertaining stuff and comes with the "Bacchus" and "Thief" mini-expansions: £20.00 £15.00 (£12.50 ex-VAT outside the EU).
 

Master Builder (Wolfgang Kramer and Hartmut Witt)

A game where the players construct model buildings. The tricky bit is hiring (and firing!) the right workers to get your buildings done without running out of cash: £30.00 £22.00 (£18.33 ex-VAT outside the EU).
 

Nefarious (Donald X Vaccarino)

A chance to play the mad scientist: construct your greatest invention and take over the world! Before the other players have a chance to build theirs and do the same... It's wonderful fun deploying your 'Igors' to best effect: £20.00 £15.00 (£12.50 ex-VAT outside the EU).
 

Niña & Pinta (Ragnar Brothers)

Billed as "the first Quantum game", this has players exploring and developing three parallel versions of the New World – one for each of the ships in Columbus's expedition. And each player has their own version of the three ships! Plenty to think about and lots of decision making in another excellent game from the Ragnars: £33.00 £24.00 (£20.00 ex-VAT outside the EU).
 

Old Town Robbery (Günter Cornett and Peer Sylvester)

This is a memory and communications game that requires quite some mental concentration. First, players devise a story as they track a robber; then they use the story to retrace his steps. It's hard work being sheriff: £10.00 £7.50 (£6.25 ex-VAT outside the EU).
 

Porto Carthago (Bernd Eisenstein)

Set around the port of ancient Carthage (Rome's great trading rival), this is such a clever game. Players have to think carefully about positioning their 'servant' pawns to gain the right goods, deliver them to the right ships and get these safely to their destinations. Great stuff: £40.00 £30.00 (£25.00 ex-VAT outside the EU).
 

ROME: City of Marble (Brett Myers)

Intriguing game of developing the city of Rome, using diamond-shaped tiles and wooden sticks. Players have plenty of options and thus decisions to make: £30.00 £22.00 (£18.33 ex-VAT outside the EU).
 

Rome: Rise to Power (Elad Goldsteen)

Scheme your way to the top in the declining Roman Empire. Players' actions are both powered and constrained by their initial dice roll, so adapting your tactics is key: £25.00 £18.00 (£15.00 ex-VAT outside the EU).
 

UFOs! Fries from Space (UFOs! Fritten aus dem All) (Petra Brandenburger)

Fast food joints are really a front for aliens taking over the Earth – and you're one of them! Sell the most fries and conquer the planet. (German edition with English rules). Clearance price: £10.00 (or make me an offer...).
 

What's He Building in There? (Sean Scott Garrity)

I just couldn't resist the title of this game! It looked good when I saw it at Spiel, too. Players are mad scientists in Victorian London, each building a doomsday machine – and coming up with an escape plan! They have to work quickly as Scotland Yard is on the trail. It's good fun: £30.00 £22.00 (£18.33 ex-VAT outside the EU).