This was the first year that I've done the 10 x 10 challenge. I learned about it mid-January, and did not choose my final ten games until most of the month had evaporated. The challenge is designed to prevent against the tendency of newer games to overshadow the gems of your collection. I decided to pick ten different mechanics and find games I would commit to playing that had that mechanic at its core. I also wanted to ensure that no game would be an easy, automatic entry.