10 Board Games We Disagree On

[@BeforeYouPlay]

What game do you go against the grain on? lol

[@jannagregory7928]

Root, for sure. I know so many people love it, including you guys, but it’s just not for me. I even won it the one time I played it, so it wasn’t dislike due to losing. Maybe I just don’t care for quite that much player interaction.

[@JEV03]

I can’t play social deduction lying games and it’s not for lack of trying! After a dozen plays of secret hitler that I did not enjoy I tried Among Us. I had the most fun if I get killed off early and therefore can skip the lying/discussion part of the game. Those games are great at what they do! Unfortunately what they do gives me so much social anxiety, haha.

[@inezkestens5561]

Res Arcana. I really don't see the appeal. It's way too limited ... and if you play a dragon against me ... you'll suffer the consequences :p

[@yorkoh5880]

Gloomhaven is an iffy one for me; I found the best part of the game was opening a new character and figuring out how they play, but nearly everything outside of that fell flat. Similar to Naveen's feelings on reading too much text, I also felt that the choices were always so glaringly obvious or annoyingly obfuscated. Our group never got really invested into the world or setting, we just enjoyed learning, mastering and retiring a specific character.

[@myguyry]

Terraforming Mars. The randomness of the card draws, and just pushing cubes over and over again makes it a pass for me.

[@MrMrsBoardGame]

Ooohhhh Naveen! Santorini, though! "Give it to someone who would really enjoy it" "I WOULD REALLY ENJOY IT!" 😂

[@marybethboyd]

I’m with Monique on Codenames- I actually love the game itself, but HATE playing at parties. In my opinion, the sweet spot for Codenames is 2v2- it’s so much better that way! One clue giver and one guesser- best way to play.

[@jamesmorgan1967]

My takeaway from this video: Naveen craves excitement!

[@BeforeYouPlay]

I must be entertained!!! LOL. It was just the word of the day for some reason... ;-)

[@DenisRyan]

"Ten games that we disagree on." "This was voted on by our Patrons." Your Patrons want to see the world burn, apparently...

[@BeforeYouPlay]

HAHAHA, they're a pack of anarchists!

[@Blokoddity]

Grizzled is one of my favorites as well- some of my friends think it’s too depressing- but I think it’s beautiful; you’re supporting your friends through a tough time! The one time a group of three of us won we exploded with triumph (concerning the rest of the patrons of a quiet bar...). Great video! I love hearing such thoughtful takes. Also, shout out to Hive, another goodie!

[@adamkenney6932]

Great list and video! We had trouble with Grand Austria at first, but now it's one of my favorites. Lots of things you mentioned are actually accounted for. You can pass to reroll dice, there are starting sets of cards you can play with (or you can draft), and getting a new guest can be expensive, so the luck is mitigated. We've played it maybe seven times and the length of the game has surprised us. It's only seven rounds with two actions each, usually amounting to 45 minutes. I really recommend rereading that rulebook and giving it another shot. Thanks for the video!

[@TheNerdShelves]

I love how Naveen couldn't win Star Realms so he just got rid of it, hahaha. So great! Also, our group has discussed this at length and we do not like how Codenames is classified as a "party game." We love it, but there is too much silence for being a part game, lol.

[@BeforeYouPlay]

Lol, a few people have mentioned that about Codenames. We never really though about it like that before. Star Realms had to go, no matter the small footprint lol! PS had my morning coffee out of your mug today! ;-)

[@TheNerdShelves]

@@BeforeYouPlay tee-hee-hee, that's amazing😊♥️

[@ianotoolevideo]

I love The Grizzled so much, it’s a top five game for me.

[@5ammy13]

Hey, found you guys recently and love the production, the lists, the way you explain games and the playthroughs too. My only recommendation for these Top 10 lists is to leave the names of the games in the bottom right corner until you get to the next game. This will help get through some of the videos for time-poor people or when you're in a hurry and want to get the list.

[@BoardGameCo]

Love this vid :) It's like being at home all over again :) Rina and I disagree on Santorini, Codenames Pictures (but we both love the rest), I love Resistance and Rina hates any hidden role games...and she absolutely hates weeding her decks/bag in any game :)

[@shadowjack22]

Surprised by Monique‘s reaction to codenames. My experience has been completely different. I’ve played it in many groups with people who don’t usually play games and it’s very popular. Usually with three to five people on a side. And we never see turns finishing quickly. Since words have multiple meanings, we often see very clever clues that attempt to link answers in subtle ways. A friend of mine clued five correct answers once with the word ‘Skywalker”.

[@pjarnfelt]

Yea, I think the internal debating in the guessing group is a crucial part of that game.

[@mattlorz5123]

I think you guys need to give GAH another try. There are definitely starter sets of staff cards listed as "Recommended sets" on page 11 of the rule book. Also, once you have played a few times, the total play time in a two player game is very fast (usually less than 45 mins).

[@BeforeYouPlay]

I (Naveen) enjoy it and would definitely like to play it some more, unfortunately I'll have to wait till Covid lifts since Monique won't touch it with a 10 foot pole lol.

[@chuckm1961]

You are a lucky man. I have no friends who do not play slowly and deliberately. There is no way a game of grand Austria hotel is going to take less than 90 minutes in my world, even with two players.

[@maximef1]

Friendly tip from a viewer, I'd recommend putting a simple picture of the game (likely in a corner, but during the whole video, not just at the very start) of the video when you're talking about it. A quick overview of what will be talked would be appreciated. Nice video regardless!

[@Cissewis]

Woaw, it just feels so recent that I watched your Bora Bora video when it first came out... And you're now almost 20K subscribers later ;-)! Thanks again for the great video!

[@BeforeYouPlay]

🎉 Yeah it's insane!! It continues to be a blast for us and it's great to always see your comments. =)

[@northlakeghost]

Grand Austria Hotel is best at 2 I think. More players and things quickly devolve. Have you guys played much one-on-one? That's where it shines imo. Really enjoyed this list!

[@BeforeYouPlay]

Yeah we played it again 3-4 months ago and Monique still wasn’t jazzed.

[@marknadeski7485]

Fun video! You guys are sooooo polite with each other. If this was me and my wife, every game would include one of us saying some form of "you're crazy" or "you're an idiot." And often times one of us would be right! (Ok, it would be her.)

[@onepipwonder915]

Naveen, the secret to Star Realms is the Blobs... just collect ALLL the Blobs. You might still lose, but at the very least, its fun causing havoc for the other player :D very fun video guys!

[@blottieb]

Grand Austria is 100% one of my favorite games of all time.

[@aweso]

Cool video idea. I love Nippon, Bora Bora, Grand Austria Hotel, and The Resistance, but for all four I can get why not everyone would like any of them. And I totally agree with Monique about Codenames. The only Vlaada game I really like is Pictomania, that definitely gives me more of the party game vibe.

[@joerobert7847]

Grand Austria is a great game. Monique, Monique, Monique. Oh my!!!

[@BeforeYouPlay]

Haha I know, we just need to make it so she’s on the lucky side for once.

[@j.r.cilliangreen4083]

I much prefer Lorenzo to this...so I am with Monique on this...

[@JEV03]

I’m with Naveen on Santorini but I still enjoy it enough to use it as a filler on tabletopia when I’m playing with my family. It kinda feels like tic-tac-toe to me but I do think it’s a good game. I’m curious whether the NYC spinoff will spice it up for me!

[@BeforeYouPlay]

Oh we haven't heard of the new spin off. I'd assume you are stacking sky scrapers?

[@JEV03]

@@BeforeYouPlay Pretty much. It's called Santorini: New York and BGG calls it a "sequel" but apparently it implements card play in a very critical way that from the little I've heard about it, feels less like a 2p abstract and more like a multiplayer euro as a result.

[@KenDudd]

I absolutely love Grand Austria, but we ONLY play it at 2. The snake drafting is a game killer.

[@BeforeYouPlay]

Absolutely!!

[@valnarz9550]

Do you ever use handicapping? In my play group we play Star Realms with handicapping so people who lose regularly start with more life (like 60 instead of 50 etc.). We use poker chips for life (don't really like the cards they have for your life). You can adjust the life totals as you keep records of peoples wins and losses, it keeps the game fun even in just 2 player duels.

[@davidvelazquez677]

Grand Austria is soooooo good!! My number 1 right now. I love how it’s a medium weight euro that I can teach to others who aren’t gamers

[@BeforeYouPlay]

It certainly fits a good level of complexity. Just wish there was more control over which actions you can take and also the turn order sequence causes lots of problems at 3+ players.

[@JPNox]

1:36 I thought flavor text is a text that adds flavor (theme) but has no impact on gameplay, usually some interesting quote written in italics

[@BeforeYouPlay]

Yes, I think you're right about that actually. What we meant to say was just cards in general with a lot of gameplay text haha. There's definitely a difference.

[@bryanscollick8305]

NOOOO! Naveen - not Mansions of Madness!! Here's a house rule that will help - each investigator takes 3 actions instead of two. That might help you feel like you are accomplishing something on every turn!

[@DukensteinA1]

I may have to do this. I really don’t like the “always behind the 8ball and you can’t recover” feeling of the game (and most of the Arkham games).

[@windyhillbomber]

Grand Austria is so much fun and the new expansion looks to make it even better. Importantly the new expansion introduces a more sensible turn order mechanic. The dice rolling really isn’t a luck outcome but rather dictates action selection for the current round. In that way, each player is equally impacted.

[@BeforeYouPlay]

I'm excited to now deep dive into the new version of the game. Monique biggest gripe is action choices that are based on luck in a strategy game.

[@windyhillbomber]

@@BeforeYouPlay I agree when such luck elements unfairly favour one player over another but I really don’t think that is an issue in GAH. Firstly there are some mitigating actions that can be taken and secondly, the dice roll outcome only dictates how many times a certain action can be taken during that round.

[@AltarenGalil]

Star realms is one of my favorite games! Such a pure and distilled deck building experience. Its small, fast, easy to learn but with surprising depth. If you're getting it again go for Frontiers, its more balanced and has more formats including solo and coop play. For me Frontiers with a couple expansions (either a balance of dual faction ones or the starship/starbase packs) is the perfect game. Would be the last to leave my collection.

[@Jemethyy]

Monique needs to replace Codenames with Decrypto. Completely fixes the issues I've had with Codenames...so much better, whether it's on your turn or on the other team's turn.

[@wrightknight5508]

I feel your deck building pain Naveen. Sacrificing starter or low value cards is tough for me too. If you are going to try again, I’d recommend Shards of Infinity instead of Star Realms. Low barrier to entry, quick, simple, and has a solid solo mode (in the first expansion) in case you don’t take to it.

[@BeforeYouPlay]

Several people have specifically recommended that game to me (Naveen) in the past. I'm definitely open to trying it out!

[@LazySleestack]

I with Monique on The Grizzled, it is a game that is ALMOST as fun as the trench warfare of World War I.

[@BeforeYouPlay]

LOL!!

[@Alittlefruitgoesalongway]

I really love Nusfjord but usually have a hard time finding others who are interested in playing. I think the theme might put some people off, or perhaps the building cards having a lot of text. I love how quick and clean it plays though, and the building cards do offer tons of variety.

[@psterud]

My biggest wish for your channel is for you to try two-player Grand Austria Hotel again. It's great! Well, honestly, if you're kind of new to it, it can be pretty harsh. The beauty of it is in learning how to balance everything with the options provided. There's always something one can do, and sometimes the combos are crazy. It's super-tight. The replayability is very high. And yes, by all means draft your beginning deck of worker cards. My second biggest wish for your channel is Twilight Struggle, one of the greatest games of all time. The theme is off the charts.

[@Gathanokos]

Haha that was an exciting list of games I love Santorini so much I actually backed their new game on Kickstarter (Ragnarocks) XD I totally agree with Codename pictures. It was more engaging than the original and because the pictures are so abstract it has more potential for funny moments

[@BeforeYouPlay]

Heard good things from some friends about the new KS game. Pictures hands down for both of us.

[@psterud]

Been watching your channel recently, drawn in by my and my partner's love of Lisboa. First comment. 1. Star Realms rocks, even just the base game. The app is great, too, to play remotely or when traveling with a friend with some time to kill. I've had so many fun experiences with the cards and the app over the years. 2. Monique, you need to play Grand Austria Hotel a couple more times. It's truly great. Remember that you have to swap your 2-player turn order pieces every round. That is, in the first round, the first player gets turns 1 and 4, and the second player gets turns 2 and 3. The next round, those are swapped. This way no one has the same advantages every round. It's very dynamic. You can ignore the expansion. The base game is a masterpiece. Yes, occasionally you'll experience a game in which your decisions cause you to be limited for long periods, and it can be very painful (the most painful experiences I've had in gaming, honestly). But once you get the groove of the game, it's big fun. Please try it again. 3. Thanks for the videos. My girlfriend and I have been really impressed by the quality of information.

[@ambarishprakash16]

Agree with Naveen on Hive and Santorini. I feel they are very chess like games that require thinking ahead 5/6 moves+ if you want to win, rather than other games where you probably have to only plan your next 1/2 turns. They go into deep strategy which Ive not been a strong fan of.

[@Amadre278]

I was going to say the exact opposite. I absolutely love both Hive and Santorini. I admit I’m probably not playing either game at a premium level, but neither game requires such rigorous turn planning as people think. Nearly all strategic board games have us planning a few moves out. These can be enjoyed at that same level. Also, I’m a big fan of Star Realms and I don’t love Codenames, so I guess I side a lot with Monique on this video!

[@joanmoriarity8738]

My takeaway: Monique really does not enjoy downtime.

[@BeforeYouPlay]

Haha that and action selection luck!

[@ScherFire]

Honestly, who can blame her!?

[@TRoberti023]

I’m surprised about the way you play Codenames! You take turns guessing on the clues? When I play, it’s always the whole group working together and debating which words pertain to the clue, and any of the members can touch the word cards, so everyone is fully involved every turn!

[@ramorgan1]

agreed, seems wrong. The codemaster is the only one "separate" but the guessing side of the team should all be participating equally!

[@piotrx6498]

Not only that - we always have the opposite team trying to be 'helpful' by suggesting the craziest connections between the clue and every single word on the board :D The only real waiting is if the codemaster takes long to come up with the next clue but even then you can think about missed clues from the past

[@TRoberti023]

@@piotrx6498 true, that part is hilarious! hahahaha :)

[@BeforeYouPlay]

We do play it that way, it's just that Monique isn't a fan of the aggressive players dominating the conversation / waiting for the other team to take their turn. Worse is when the clue giver gives a 1-2 word clue.

[@TRoberti023]

@@BeforeYouPlay Oh I see, that's a fair point! :)

[@Jon-G]

Totally agree with the points about Grand Austria Hotel. I played a really frustrating game of it tonight and it will be my last. It's impossible to strategize long term because whatever you think you might want to do, there's a chance you won't get the dice you need. What do you do when your 3 tables are full and you need coffee to check someone in to clear a table and finish a section of rooms for a bonus and there are no 2s or 6s rolled? Pass your turn and roll them again? I'll pass. An entire round can be ruined by the roll of dice. The combos are great when you get them but most of the time I'm playing a game of "What's the next best thing to what I actually want to do but can't because of luck?" If you don't get 1s and 2s, you're in for a grind.

[@AccordingToPlandrew]

love narrative/reading in games, I think that just means I gotta turn my game nights into book readings

[@BeforeYouPlay]

Hahahahaha

[@paulw2813]

I LOVE Santorini! Im currently playing through EVERY God power with a friend. ( including promo gods). Ill play with you anytime, Monique!

[@littlebluecubes]

For each of these top 10 games, if you also mentioned how often you win these (you did for some), would have given a nice perspective too. Losing and disliking are known to have a very strong correlation. Not 100% correlation but over 75% I think.

[@markschaal6050]

I'd like to see that research. Personally I tend to dislike games that I find too easy to win.

[@BeforeYouPlay]

Monique wins 3/5 games we play. And 100% of Star Realms LOL.

[@MarkWardReacts]

@@BeforeYouPlay I have noticed that Monique seems to win more than you... :D She's a very good board game player so don't feel too bad. ;-)

[@raymyers700]

Man...your number 6 really speaks to me. I LOVE abstract games and I cannot figure out why I don't love this game. I have owned it 2 times and I also have the smaller version. Naveen, I used to be like you and in 2016, my gaming goal was to REALLY give pure abstracts a chance and I really really enjoy them now because of that focus. You don't have to play them all the time, but there is no genre that will give you the biggest bang for your buck in rules simplicity versus depth and short gameplay time.

[@giladnadler]

When we have a lot of people playing codenames we play with 3 groups, the 3rd group uses the white and black words..its makes things very tense and interesting, because every miatake gives points to another group.

[@alicia1465]

On Grand Austria Hotel, get the expansion! Gives you more options.

[@JudgeFyre]

If you ever play Mansions of Madness again, try the Shattered Bonds scenario. For me, that's the best scenario in the base game, because the narrative really mattered. What really surprised me was the first small expansion, Beyond the Threshold, because that has a scenario about solving a whodunnit murder mystery. It made me realize what the game system is capable of

[@BeforeYouPlay]

Thanks for the tips, I’m definitely down to try it again. What’s the ideal player count for you?

[@JudgeFyre]

My group always plays it with 5 players

[@ButOneThingIsNeedful]

Good video and good idea for a video. Sometimes I was with M and sometimes with N. One thing I find interesting in the board game hobby is how people like/dislike different game mechanisms (passionately), including me. For example, some people's greatest enjoyment of time is to build and build and build (a world, an army, a city, etc.). They could do it for days if not weeks straight. Frankly, that has never excited me. There are a thousand things I'd rather do. On the other hand I've always liked a Sherlock Holmes-type of mystery (deduction), whereas it puts others right to sleep. Oh well.

[@BeforeYouPlay]

That's a great point, people love different things and sometimes it can be polarizing haha. Thanks btw! Really appreciate it.

[@brandbryson3616]

The Grand Austria Hotel reprint has a rules variant that removes the snake draft and adds a new way to approach this. Excited to see what they do with it (it's a hotel room key I think) and if it may get you to enjoy the game a bit more. :)

[@TheLuminousCleric]

What is snake draft?

[@JB-ym4up]

@@TheLuminousCleric a example is when you have 3 players and they have 6 cards to select from they will pick in this order: 1,2,3,3,2,1

[@Viragomp]

My fave game, Grand Austria Hotel, but I've only ever played it at 2P.

[@inz55]

Great video! Games definitely bring out strong feelings sometimes. One way or another. :) I was really surprised to find my all time number one game in your "disagree on" list. I just LOVE Grand Austria Hotel. I know it's really only good with two players. I know it has a few flaws. But I still love it more than any other game. Waiting for the expansion, that will replace the "snake draft" and add extra content.

[@BeforeYouPlay]

We knew GAH would be controversial lol. Excited to see what the new version has to offer. I (Naveen) didn't really do any research on it because I knew Monique wasn't a big fan.

[@jbmusic77]

Yessssss, I love to see anyone talk about Star Realms it is one of my favorite light games that I have literally played probably 3x more than any other game in my collection

[@petergross7235]

I struggle a lot with abstract strategy games. I want to like them, but they just don't do it for me. Great list, thanks!

[@ambarishprakash16]

@Before You Play / others - what games you guys suggest for large groups (like 6-8 people)? The only ones that come to my mind are social deductions (with Avalon being my fav) and something like code names or pictionary type(like telestrations) ones. Given you guys disagree on both Codenames and Avalon, is there any such games you do agree on?

[@papercavegames]

Star Realms was the first game that introduced me to the hobby! I haven't played it in some time but I can't let it go because it was my first game.

[@benrichardson2837]

Loved this! I'm also of the opinion that every game gets at least two plays. Almost every game is well-liked in the collection. However, The Estates has only been played once so far, but it fell very flat (I like it). I haven't played GAH, but the snake draft is a reason I'll really only look to play Sagrada at 2p - it's insane to me that they came out with a 5p/6p expansion for that game... This video reminded me of your 'games you don't like' video. I've recently picked up Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion. Like Monique mentioned in that video, I too am not into RPG or that style of game at all (Lisboa #1!), but I've been really surprised by how enjoyable it's been at 2p. I didn't disagree with a person, per se, but more so a game based on a genre. Happy to have been wrong!

[@BeforeYouPlay]

Would never want to play Sagrada with 5+, 4 is even pushing it too. Glad you tried Jaws of the Lion, it's still one we haven't had a chance to play. We didn't enjoy regular Gloomhaven but have heard great things bout JOTL for people like us!

[@joannawareluk3939]

Grand Austria Hotel new expansion that was on Kickstarter last year introduces bidding for player order mechanic which gets rid of the snake mechanic. That should fix the problem for 3 or 4 players games.

[@Tr1n1tyNZ]

Have you played Red Rising and if so, do you prefer that or Fantasy Realms better?

[@alicia1465]

Have you tried Ascension, especially the later sets? It is the same base as Star Realms, but a little more interesting. It is fun to play on the app

[@dman13141314]

I'm trying to wrap my head around how Naveen: 1) loves the driest Euros ever designed; and 2) also craves excitement in his games. Now THAT makes for a weird Venn diagram... ;) Thanks as always for another fantastic video!

[@nailee7428]

I am with you Monique on Mansions of Madness. We played it with my boyfriend at a convetion and we both loved it. It is on our "to buy" list - first we need to buy the last three expansions to Eldritch Horror, witch is from the same universe :-)

[@danieltownley7436]

"Alright so this is our last one, our number one. This is one that I think we both agree on IS the number one game that we disagree on." "Yeah.... maybe" Hahaha

[@richk6181]

Agree on Monique's take on Codenames. I also hate the absolute silence at the beginning of the game as the codemasters need to figure out how to navigate the board and compartmentalize their assigned words and the words to avoid. We play Codenames Duet instead as it solves the "people being left out" problem and involves both players guessing and figuring out what clues to give.

[@paulsalomon27]

Star Realms is my #1 favorite game of all time. 11,000+ games on the app. I also love Hero Realms. So so awesome. You should try the coop stuff in Star Realms Frontiers or Hero Realms Ruin of Thandar Campaign.

[@mananshah267]

So many games on the list that I love. Star realms Grand austria hotel Bora bora Santorini Nippon. Naveen really needs to try Star realms, playing with your partner won't be pleasant but it's great game.

[@terryskinner5436]

I'm with Naveen on Star Realms. It's a fun little filler but it feels like it's always my wife's turn when the Brain Base comes out. I'd like a Brain Base sometimes.

[@BeforeYouPlay]

Hahahaha!!!

[@FostertheMeeple]

Love this! ha Code Names also doesn't spark joy for Jeff but I think that's only because he is terrible at giving clues! haha Also with Mansions of Madness, it can be a big struggle with only two players (we've learned this the hard way) but gets much better if each player uses 2 characters! Maybe when you try it out again test that out to see if that helps! :) Great video as always!

[@musicforall1859]

Monique, you should try Golem, if you don't like Grand Austria Hotel. I've heard it's kinda similar, but Golem is a bit heavier (but not in rules sets, rather the complexity comes the decision in gameplay). I haven't played GAH, because i do not like rolling dice in euro games at all. Golem is sooo good!

[@uplift-yourdailypickup6424]

Awww I really like Grand Austria Hotel. It's a bit sparse on player interaction but I think the puzzle is really fun. Do you enjoy other games from these designers, like Lorenzo Il Magnifico?

[@chayashida]

As soon as you mentioned card game, I guessed it was that one! Definitely two schools of thought on that one...

[@BillyIndiana]

Great idea for the video! I too really like Fantasy Realms, Hive, Santorini & Codenames but my wife isn't that crazy about them. She really loves Horrified & Terraforming Mars, but they are just ok for me.

[@DimitriosAlexis]

Bora Bora is A-MAZ-ING!

[@BeforeYouPlay]

Haha, I (Naveen) like it but Monique got a bad taste after our first time and it doesn't look like she will recover lol.

[@DimitriosAlexis]

@@BeforeYouPlay I had the same feeling. My mind, and taste, has completely changed. It's a brilliant game. Monique should try it again, and watch the magic wash over.

[@SignatureStampsFan]

*Hears GAH* ugh lol. This is a top ten game for me. I love this game so much.

[@ceciliakaplan6488]

100% agree Grand Austria Hotel is can be a painful experience at 4 players. It was the longest 3.5hrs of my life.

[@katerietmann5731]

I really enjoy Mansions of Madness, too. The exploring part was so so fun for me. Also, I got both my kids to play with me and my daughter was Agatha and she got really into her character and had a funny sub storyline. So, it may have been the crazy fun experience I had with them? I played the super long scenario (6 hours) solo, though, and still had a blast!

[@BeforeYouPlay]

That’s really great to hear, love that you play with your nuclear family!! Naveen really wants to try the game out 1 more time before he sets his opinion in stone.

[@retroarcadefan]

@@BeforeYouPlay Naveen, Monique is right about Mansions. It is a fantastic game! :)

[@damaddestgamer]

Haha Mansions of Madness is the perfect game to bust out once a year on a dark rainy night

[@tamaravanheel3758]

I’ve got Avalon and was looking forward to play it. In my gamegroup it totally fell flat. My friends didn’t see the fun of accusing each other. With the same group I played Time’s up and it was hilarious, so it was not the reason everybody is taking gaming too serious.

[@lisamarin8836]

I actually started watching this video when it was first posted but somehow didn't finish it until now, and the final five or six items made me laugh. Codenames: I loved it when it first came out, but I don't like it in a party situation because as the clue-giver I really need quiet time to think, and meanwhile everyone else gets bored and starts talking, which just makes it even more difficult. For this reason, I much prefer So Clover! or Just One because there is much less downtime and everyone can stay involved. Hive and Santorini: both very cute abstract strategy chess-like games without the direct attacking and removal of the other player's pieces. Right in my wheelhouse, but if you don't like abstract strategy games or would prefer direct conflict, they won't be in yours. Mansions of Madness: we were really excited to buy and try this one, and we're still struggling with the question of whether to hold on to it. I love narrative-based games and am happy to read aloud for Consulting Detective, Tainted Grail, etc, so that's not the issue. I just found our first scenario to be very punishing and more combat than mystery solving, and as mentioned the dice often just don't go your way and there's nothing you can do to succeed. I also suspect that you need to play with more than two characters to have a real chance. The Resistance: Avalon is probably my most played game of all time. I love the fact that it's pure social deduction and that *you* decide whether to succeed or fail your mission - no drawing of random tiles or cards that you then are forced to play. But my partner finds it really confusing and stressful because of all of the characters with inside knowledge and metagaming, even though he likes a lot of other social deduction games.

[@darlene7165]

I think I tend to side with Naveen on most of these. I am not a big fan of Santorini, MoM 2nd edition, The Resistance, Fantasy Realms and Hive. Fantasy Realms frustrates me. I like tension in a game, but this goes beyond that for me. Seems as soon as I get good cards, there is one that takes points away with it. And the scoring is a pain! Though I hear there is an app now that works great for scoring. And I do really like GAH! But it can get a little samey and am lookng forward to the new content that. This was a great top 10! Thanks! Love watching you guys!

[@eihsa]

Roads & Boats and Troyes for me. If they left our collection, I'd never miss them. My partner has a past bad experience from too much time in the brig in Battlestar Galactica, so even though I'd be happy to have it, we don't!

[@mbergeron1487]

Codenames - Say two words and everyone else stares at the table for five minutes (I like the game anyways) Santorini- Enjoy the game but seem to be the only one in out group that does :( Hive (pocket) - The perfect pub/restaurant/travel game.

[@yogibbear]

Yes GAH has 4 starting basic hands ABCD, or you can draft for them.

[@BeforeYouPlay]

Awesome, thanks for clarifying that. Couldn’t remember

[@JonathonV]

Great idea for a video and it was fun to watch! Some thoughts on your picks: 10. I’m obsessed with Dominion but I don’t love Star Realms because of all the “take that” … Dominion has attacks sometimes, admittedly, but chiefly the goal is to get points, whereas you can’t play Star Realms without attacking your opponent(s). 4. I’ll play Codenames. I’ll agree that it isn’t super thrilling. As far as similar games go, I prefer First Contact, Just One, and Letter Jam, and I’ve heard good things about Decrypto (which, like me, is Canadian). 3. I dislike The Resistance as well. It’s better than Werewolf or other similar games like Town of Salem where people get eliminated (and have to wait for hours twiddling their thumbs), but I’d prefer Secret Hitler-even though the theme is really poor taste-because the bluffing mechanics are much more interesting. I haven’t played any of the others. 😄 Most of my gaming happens either with my family or my main gaming buddy. Family: • I love Dominion; they dislike it because you spend time between turns strategising so you can’t follow along with what other players do. • They were repulsed by the theme of Dice Hospital because they thought it was a bit gauche to play it during a pandemic. I love Dice Hospital, though! Gaming Buddy: • He loves games based on franchises, such as movie-themed games. Because I’ve never watched most of the movies or read most of the books, they’re unappealing to me. I also am disinclined to play fantasy and zombie themes, whereas he’s attracted to them. • He doesn’t like Wingspan because he doesn’t feel the fun of the game surpasses the planning you have to do for a good engine. As for me, it’s one of my favourite games. Thanks for the video!

[@bridgetgilmore1230]

+++++1 about Hive! I too have tried to get rid of hive - my partner plays sooooo slowly and it drives me nuts lol

[@jakesanders9834]

I can almost understand Hive. I love it but think the expansions are a must. When I first started playing I loved the depth to complexity. Then I started playing on Board Game Arena and thought it was just white attacks and black defends. I started to think, oh... is that it?.. hmm. I questioned it myself. Then I played someone who was ranked an expert and had 5,000+ games logged. The patterns they used showed me I clearly overlooked certain aspects of the game and it was more than just attacking and defending. It's about positioning, timing, and where and when to place pieces. Santorini is a perfect game for me. Never leaving my collection. I've found it's the spacial puzzle that I enjoy so much. Never cull these games! Never give up, Never surrender! I'm interested in the new Fantasy Realms over Red Rising. I still need to play my Mansions of Madness. I say keep resistance/avalon, though I did back the new Quest+Avalon.

[@raymyers700]

1:12 is when I knew were were in for some good times!

[@BeforeYouPlay]

Thanks for checking out the video!

[@zivpesso6293]

Im new to board gaming and Castles of Burgundy is easily my favorite game. I love the use of the dice and the different ways to win. I would love to try other games like it. So far ive seen Troyes, Rayas of The Ganges, Marco Polo and Grand Austria Hotel in Reddit as answers. I know based on your videos Troyes is too mean at 4 and GAH has too long of a downtime/ turn order advantage. Which of these games you prefer? Any other suggestions? (Also space base was fun, but need to try it again at some point)

[@Farbulous007]

Grand Austria Hotel is also divisive in my gaming group. I first experienced it at 2p, which is probably the best player count, although I think 3p is fine as well. 4p makes the game longer than it should be and tighter as well. I absolutely love this game, but it has to be at the right player count, and to be fair there are much better Simone Luciani games out there.

[@Fissi0nChips]

I had the kickstarter version of Santorini and while I kinda sorta liked it, I found that I was getting very frustrated with it so I sold it. Got like $80 for it too!

[@christianbank393]

I got rid of GAH a long time ago, but recently played it on Yucata and really enjoyed it for some reason! Now i'm second guessing myself.

[@BeforeYouPlay]

Maybe grab the newer version!

[@J-Wheeler-G]

I don't find a problem with the turn order with GAH but pretty sure the new expansion changes one.

[@Pookiebear]

Recently discovered you guys as I am a fellow board gamer :] Edit: I can share the same sentiment as Naveen, suffering from analysis paralysis with games

[@amytoren3357]

I just bought Grand Austria Hotel! Now I’m a little nervous to try it out 😂

[@BeforeYouPlay]

Don't be nervous!! Please go into it with an open mind, we NEVER want to sway people away from enjoying their games. You deserve to give the game a chance! =)

[@kirstenlunde]

@@BeforeYouPlay This is the most lovely response and one of the many reasons I love your channel.

[@woolvey]

I've found codenames to be quite polarizing. Personally, I don't like it as a party game, because the dominant personalities can take over, as we sometimes see in co-op games. Also, the spy master has the most important and stressful role and it is made harder if they have to provide clues for a larger group than if they provide clues for just one or two people. I prefer the game at exactly 4 players, or 6 at most. Bora Bora is great! You can be blocked from placing your dice on an action if someone else places a '1', but you can use a blue god card to ignore that rule or a god tile (which everyone starts with) to do the same. You can also make sure you are higher in the turn order for the next round. Given that low dice do not provide as powerful an action as higher-valued dice, the ability for them to limit opponent choices is a nice trade-off, in my opinion. I'd definitely recommend trying this one again.

[@MarkWardReacts]

This was one of your most entertaining videos because of the natural conflict. :D The ones I feel strongly on... Man I HATE Hive. What a boring game and I forget what the pieces do every time. I don't think I've ever won it - one of my best friends loves it so I've been forced to play it a few times... Codenames - I get it, it's easy for non-gamers to understand, but I have so many issues with it, because it's almost impossible not to cheat in some way. Even when you try not to, the clue giver can't help but pull the odd face or do some kind of tell that gives away when their team are about to do the wrong thing. I find it so annoying. I played it online a couple of times and that worked a lot better oddly. Finally, I love The Resistance - a bit old school now, but so much fun! :) Great video as always!

[@damaddestgamer]

Grand Austria Hotel is a 15 minute game when playing online with 2 players 😀

[@ravioleaf]

I feel like I need to get Fantasy Realms, because based off this list, I tend to like all the games Monique enjoys that Naveen doesn't! LOL Star Realms, Hive, Santorini, & Resistance are all great! (I've only played Mansions of Madness once, so I can't comment on it too much)

[@Reverie42]

It may be worth giving Hero Realms a try. It's similar to Star Realms, but the pace is a little slower. I like it for the campaign mode, which over time removes a lot of the chaff from the starting decks. But it's also a little more flavor over function as the classes are not super well balanced. I've really been enjoying your videos. Clear explanations, and I also really appreciate videos like this that really embrace the subjective nature of reviewing.

[@mellowmuffin6645]

I have a love hate with GAH too though my partner flat out hates it. The difference in every game sometimes is so ridiculous and it all depends on the cards that come out and the dice that are rolled. Love the theme but when you're having a bad game it can be hard to want to get it out again soon. The worst thing is the out of number order index for the staff cards in the rules book!! Whose idea was that!? The best game we had was when we accidently played it incorrectly first time.

[@scottie771]

On point with Grand Austria Hotel and the Grizzled, I also find all abstract games boring and avoid them at all costs :P