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While I can think of a few games that Knizia has released over the past decade that I'd rather play than El Dorado (FITS would probably be my top choice), none of them are by a large margin. I quite enjoyed my one play of El Dorado and recognize there's some good things to explore then. So while I have no problem in someone saying that this is Reiner's best game from the past 10 years, for me, it's damning with faint praise. Knizia has not been a significant designer for me since 2006. That year, he released what I consider to be his last great game (Medici vs. Strozzi), as well as Blue Moon City, which is quite good and has gotten a good deal of play over the years. There have been a few titles worth checking out over the last dozen years, but hardly enough to raise him above a bunch of other designers of far less pedigree than him. The good news is, Reiner is showing signs of life since turning 60, with El Dorado being one of the more prominent instances, so the Good Doctor may still have some surprises for us. I certainly hope so--he was so good for so long.
I also agree about being tepid over Azul. Prior to playing it, I thought it would be too abstract for my tastes and that's just how it turned out. Combine that with the likelihood of nasty play and a reasonable shot at required kingmaking and it's not a game I have any desire to play again. I'm much more bullish about Kiesling's other two big games of the year, Heaven & Ale and Riverboat. In fact, H&A and Gaia Project are my two leading choices for my personal Game of the Year. So I'm pretty pleased with how the voting turned out.
Larry