2. Euphrat & Tigris

I remember first reading about Euphrat & Tigris on Peter Sarrett's excellent 'The Game Report' back in 1997. You can read the review here:

http://www.gamereport.com/tgr17/tigris.html

There's a magical quality to this game that's difficult to describe. Some people claim that it's too abstract, but I've never felt so. In my heart (if not in my head) I can feel civilizations rising and falling. Some have complained that the lowest-is-your-score device is nothing more than simple, disguised set-collecting, but to me that's insult by omission. The game leading up to the scoring is nothing more than a breathtaking, monumental achievement. Every time I play this game something happens that introduces me to a whole new aspect of this incredible design.

To quote Mr. Sarrett: "Years from now, if I'm brainwashed into a life-simplification cult and start jettisoning games from my collection, I'm confident that Euphrat & Tigris will be one of the last to go. "