Angelo Porazzi's unique Warangel boardgame is one of the most richly realized fantasy worlds I've ever encountered in any medium. While giant fantasy tomes by Tolkien and GRR Martin give vast histories and big box fantasy games like Gloomhaven and Kingdom Death: Monster have tons of cards, tokens, and chits for your ever evolving party of adventurers (and also large rule books), the breadth of Porazzi's great fantasy wargame is realized by his creation of dozens and dozens of races and their respective homelands, each with wholly unique attributes that are lovingly detailed by creator's stylish artwork and quirky rules.
This game can be played with two people or three or more---each player moving pieces from his/her map/homeland through magical blue portals onto an opponent's homeland in an effort to claim resources. Each map is the ruined and often radioactive post apocalyptic analog of cities in our world and quite beautifully drawn in color by the creator.
The races--of which there are more than 100--are hugely varied in terms of their visuals as well as their personalities and abilities. A Tentaculate can emit ink from the bag on her head to hide herself. A Lion can roar to panic enemies. A Pirhanha Cyborg Warmachine can launch a harpoon and drag its enemy to drown in water. If fed by a Dwarf Cook, a Bomburper Dwarf can emit an improved "bomburp" to repel enemies with a nauseating stench. These are not generic fantasy archetypes, but wild, clever, and original creations. Additionally, each race has five species, all of which are unique, which means that there are more than 500 different creatures who can build your armies.
In Warangel, Porazzi has not assembled a trite group of fantasy warriors, he has wrought a highly variegated warring civilization.
Because of these many racial discrepancies, every game will play differently (and have need of occasional house rules). Odd match ups will occur: Porks may ride their Warthogs through swamps, fleeing from flying Dragonwomen who use their air screams to attempt to paralyze their porcine foes...
The combat that ensues (via flipping tokens for successes/hits) and the story that this conflict generates stimulate my imagination like Cave Evil and Cave Evil: Warcults, which feel like the complex, necro kult cousins of Warangel. (All are great games and recommended.)
Thank you Angelo Porazzi for this fertile, radioactive and gorgeously weird fantasy world. I intend to visit this realm and battle for peace quite often...