In the Year of the Dragon is a board game in which the players are rulers in medieval China. At the start of the game, you know the upcoming events: After two months of peace, there are ten months of plagues, famines, Mongol invasions, Imperial visits, and festivals.
Each player must lead his province to prosperity by preparing for the upcoming year. Since it isn’t possible to protect everyone against all the dangers, the key to the game is knowing which losses to take and which ones to defend against.
This is a unique game; I’ve never played anything quite like it. And for being both original and entertaining, it gains a place in the Parade of Awesomeness.