Sequoia

The tension of pushing your luck across 11 different forests is what makes this so addictive. I love that you only score a forest if your tree ends up tallest after 10 turns, so every placement feels like a real gamble.

Ten turns goes by way faster than you'd think, and that last push to stack one more tree in a forest you're already winning is genuinely stressful in the best way. The 11 separate forests keep every game close, since you can't just camp on one and coast.

I love the tension of deciding when to stop growing a tree or risk pushing further. The mix of push-your-luck from Can't Stop with area control is brilliant. My group was hooked after the first round.