Straw dummies may be brainless, but you’ll need all your grey matter for Scarecrow Tactics’ sneaky card contests. Armed with a mix of Soldiers and Scarecrows, you and your opponent play cards to claim regions on the board. Use your Scarecrows’ special powers – such as the Low Cow, which scores a point even if you have fewer Soldiers at a location – and bluff your way to a win!

What we love: The delightfully eccentric vibe. Whimsical music and hand-drawn art immerse you in a surreal game world. Win a match and you might see a hooded-skeleton foe get cooked in carrot soup while your fanged-deer character celebrates its victory.

Quick tip: Losing an individual zone is fine if you end up with the most points overall, so try piling Scarecrows into a high-points zone to make your opponent think you’re trying to capture it. Hopefully, they’ll commit lots of Soldier cards to that spot – while you sneakily use your own Soldiers to snag two or more other zones.

Meet the creator: Kim Hyunjoong and Lee Gangyong – the two-person team behind Scarecrow Tactics – waded through muddy wetlands to research the game’s oddball deer character. Luckily, they didn’t meet any with giant fangs.