9. Through the Desert

Through the Desert's appeal to me was immediate. It's essentially a no-luck, multi-player abstract with an extremely imaginative theme. I love connection-based games, and while TtD is not exactly a member of the connection family, it is a close, personal friend. The main ways to score are through sealing off territory, and majority building. Playing well requires a knack for efficiency and knowing how to pick your battles.

Another bonus is that it's short! A typical game can take more time to set up than to actually play. Of course, the exact opposite can be true if you have slower, more analytical players. At any rate, this is first class Knizia!