100 Games Left My Collection. Here's Why.

[@actualol]

It must be Twilight, cos I be Edward Cullen...

[@michaelbowling2348]

I can't believe you've done this.

[@actualol]

I had to.

[@Grymn]

Okay, that was good. lol

[@Nozdormu1982]

Dodos Riding Dinos for dexterity games?

[@DrHopeSickNotes]

How the hell can I watch a video about culling games, yet come away with a list of recommendations I want to buy?! THANKS FOR NOTHING ACTUALOL

[@tonu5393]

I've spent the past 18 months "out of the hobby", actively playing board games but not consuming any media content. This has made my enjoyment of the hobby skyrocket as I have simultaneously reduced my collection from 200 games to 50 games, including selling many games I love but only keeping games that I was realistically playing often. I realized board game collecting isn't for me, instead I wanted to "curate" a collection as you mention and it's overall drastically improved my love for the hobby! Keep these type of videos up because it can help when most other BG content is about buying the new hotness

[@caritofanatica]

So true! It’s very easy to fall into the money pit. I recently also decided not to buy games for a while and enjoying my own collection. It’s a good feeling:)

[@FuncleChuck]

Wow, selling 150 games sounds exhausting.

[@dominicparker6124]

playing games IS the hobby. or it should be the hobby. buying games is a seperate hobby. watching youtube and using reddit isn't a hobby.

[@zacdredge3859]

That's what collection should be about anyway. I think choosing how much storage and money you're willing to invest in the hobby and keeping to that is a good idea for anyone.

[@jacktorrance3522]

I've stopped watching a lot of board game content actually as I felt the FOMO effect hard and realized that I had bought games based on a glowing review that completely sold me on a game only to realize that actually it maybe wasn't for me after all.

[@VictoryDanDukor]

i love how the video provided alternatives.

[@pedrofanti]

My collection is also ever changing, always around 150 titles (though 35 of them are Oink Games). Broom Service is the only game I ever regretted selling, so when it showed up second hand I messaged the guy to buy it. Turns out it was the guy who bought it from me, so instead he gifted it to me and I gave him a game as a gift as well.

[@pedrofanti]

I suggest you to try Hoity Toity, if you haven't.

[@actualol]

Haha, that's brilliant! I'm glad you were reunited with it. And I've never tried Hoity Toity but it is on my list of games to look out for.

[@samuelwhitehouse2114]

One note on Codenames pictures. When playing with an international group, with different mother tongues, the pictures work much better and make the game more accessible.

[@ClippyTactical]

These are the videos we need - too often every game is good, but I enjoy hearing about why you dislike designs too - and promoting the fact that you don't need to own them all!

[@NerfThisBoardGames]

Dice towers new series is promising as well, pick six, related to some anchor game (first was wingspan

[@belojah2]

I've been watching more videos of people culling their games rather than new ones. It's helping me cull my own.

[@lyubkoo]

Agree. If I want to watch and see game is awesome and perfect then it’s definitely Rahdo😂😂

[@Thungon]

This makes me want to see a video on games you've considered and/or games that are popular, but decided against ever adding it to your collection in the first place.

[@samraijck9281]

Wow your editing was brilliant! The pop in of the games you are keeping in your collection, like when Mysterium just dissapeared from the back to the front while you were talking! great job!

[@londonrhodes2429]

I've seen a couple of your videos but this is the one that made me subscribe. I didn't agree with some of your points but I love the boldness and honesty.

[@Emanon...]

This is a mammoth of a video. Appreciate the effort and thought put behind it.

[@michaelgarbett4088]

I’ve used the strategy of “don’t own games that your friends own” to the next level. Some of my favorite games I still don’t feel like owning!

[@MassDefibrillator]

I was intriguied by the game "capital" at 9:50, and found that it's been completely rebranded to " Warsaw: City of Ruins", for anyone else trying to find it.

[@A6by]

I thought I was going crazy - I recognized the box but I'd only ever known it as Warsaw. It's pretty fun, though it's also somewhat bland. The only truly fascinating mechanic is that you build over ruins as time progresses, which matches this title a lot better than just "Capital".

[@Martin-lp4eu]

This feels like an hour of getting rid of cooperative and dexterity games. No judgement here :)

[@xcpenguin9954]

Mathing here. If you culled 100 games and your collection is 100 games smaller that means you didn't buy any games for a whole year? Congrats!

[@griffglowen5555]

Argh so many games from my collection roasted … and the trouble is I secretly agree!!!

[@optimustibbs]

my wife and I enjoy Cartographers but didn't like the monsters rule, so we simply draw the monster in on our own maps. Still a challenge to get the shape surrounded, but we're in control!

[@thecommuterzombie]

A really well put together video, doesn't drag even though it's an hour long. Hearing your reasoning for culling the games was useful and there are a few of your recommendations that I might pick up for me or for the kids.

[@phizi7844]

60 Minutes pure Boardgame escapism ❤

[@brandons424]

“Don’t own a game if you can play someone else’s copy.” After finding out our local library has about 50 different board games to rent, I’ve slowed way down on buying games myself.

[@HeadCannonPrime]

Our gaming group contains 2 librarians. I stopped buying games almost entirely.

[@Arcturus5404]

Great video! I also culled many many boardgames in my collection, from 400 to 200 for many of the same reasons. Glad to see I was not the only one. Time is the currency of the modern boardgamer and it should always be spend wisely!

[@actualol]

Congrats on the epic cull! But don't come into someone else's comments and brag about doubling their cull total 😉

[@Arcturus5404]

​Didn't mean it as a brag, culling is also admitting defeat and letting go. I'm not married to Marie Kondo ;)

[@Leron...]

This was fascinating, Jon! I love all your well thought-out categories and perfectly sensible reasoning... but the real question isn't WHY you got rid of the games... it's HOW: What was your process? did you donate to a library or a thrift shop? Did you sell them on BGG? Did you do an auction, or offer one giant lot of games for a steal?

[@bupobm]

Yes!

[@pedroartur2230]

I was thinking the same thing. I've donated some games before online and sold it in auctions. But one thing I usually do is to acummulate the games I want to get rid of and then proceed to the riddance

[@actualol]

I used a number of different approaches - I took some to convention bring and buys, sold some on Facebook groups, donated to charity shops. I didn't get rid of them all at once, probably in a few batches over a year. I've donated games in the past to a hospital and board game cafes but most games aren't suitable for them, and I don't have a library which rents out games.

[@Lime_Green_Games]

God, your opinions make me so mad, but you make so many great points. Well done.

[@catscan98]

Baby can't sleep in a kallax = you're not trying hard enough - it is THE BEST "Baby's first dexterity game" ;)

[@gordymch3592]

I have increased the size of my collection by 27 games as a result of this culling video

[@ericcorson1436]

So true. This need to have more games has to have a clinical diagnosis. I could cull my collection but then stock back up, plus a few more, after watching these. New gaming term…Reculling?

[@RafaFerox]

Play "Codenames: Pictures" with Dixit, Misterium, or Muse cards.

[@thesladeification]

I designed Poetry for Neanderthals and it was so cool to see it show up on this list! I'm so glad you're enjoying it.

[@actualol]

No way! That's so cool. Congrats on making such a fun game :)

[@chrisstandifer5492]

Man, I feel like I used to have a lot in common with Jon's tastes, but now I am definitely drifting further away. On some of these the games he is culling and then recommending in its place are like the exact opposite for me and I would keep the other for different reasons. That said, great video and it's always a good day when we get a new Actualol video. Edit: Andy Grammer

[@actualol]

95% of these games I still like, but I found reasons to not have them in my collection anymore - there are too many good games and I can't own them all. If you like games that I got rid of, then our tastes are much closer aligned than most board gamers would be. The video is negative in its nature, but in reality I like these games far more than the hundred or so I test every year, I just don't like them as much as my core collection.

[@chrisstandifer5492]

@@actualol Absolutely understood. Meant it more as an observation than a complaint. still love the video and perspective. I didn't even think the video was that negative and I think it does a good service to let people know that culling is probably a good practice unless you are really just trying to collect. I get a rush removing games from my collection these days even more than adding the new hotness.

[@KrisDiehl]

Amazing video, John. I've always agreed with so much of what you said, but this one just nailed so much of what I think of about board games. I took tons of notes and moved quite a few games around my lists as a result. I daresay you've surpassed Quinns as the voice of what truly makes a game FUN.

[@actualol]

Brilliant! I'm glad it resonated with you so much, thank you :)

[@gregorys9629]

Love the categories in this video, and enjoyed hearing your justification for culling each game. The only games you culled which I still have are Hanabi and Ticket to Ride. Also Hendricks is my favourite gin!

[@actualol]

You have great taste :)

[@justbank5007]

Did not intend on watching such a long video, but stayed - and thoroughly enjoyed. I've never seen any of your videos, and this was a treat. You gave me lots to think about. I've culled about 80 games in the past several months and I have much more to go. Your reasons (especially "rare doesn't mean good" and "hypothetical future") really hit home for me, and when I get done with work today, I'll be taking another look at my collection, but through a different lens. Thank you.

[@actualol]

Glad you enjoyed it! Enjoy the cull 🙂

[@sciencereviewwithmr.blades2567]

That is a hell of a whisky pour you got there bud.

[@ezra1791]

I started the board game hunt a few years ago and recently got more serious. Budget and space makes it really hard to choose one or two games. It is fun to hear about the games you used to like and now you moved on.

[@DarinMcGrew]

In the "flicking game" category, my brother used to play PitchCar with his kids when they were younger. It's a lot of work to set up the track though. They tended to set up the track on a spare table and leave it up for a couple weeks before putting it away again. That way they got lots of plays in each time they set it up.

[@aaronnatera3685]

Nice reasoning on why you made the decisions you did. Culling can be hard. I have kept a very mediocre game called 'Zeppelin Attack' for years because it has a 'Monkey Samurai Catapult' card. Yes, that one card keeps the game forever in my collection.

[@actualol]

Hahaha, it sounds like you're not cut out for the hard life of culling that I have chosen. I'm sure you have other good qualities.

[@iman0b0dy]

i didn't know you hit 100k!!!! omg im so happy for you CONGRATULATIONS YOU DESERVE ITTT

[@Jorge_Pronto]

I love that you not only show the bad side of fan favorites but also point out good alternatives!

[@ollieb2520]

Clever video, I really enjoyed it so far, and have more to go. With Cartographers and the monsters, when we play it we always draw weird and silly ghosts - aliens, pac-man ghosts, spiders, googley-eyed amoeba like blobs, etc, and laugh and laugh. The ridiculous drawings and adding to the challenge of your friends is something we enjoy.

[@dragonlance6027]

I have to disagree about Cartographers, the monsters aren't about getting interaction between the players, it's about making it more of a puzzle sooner or later in the game. It's not for you and that's OK.

[@KNic0lson]

Thank you for this video, I have added 3 games to my wish list based on your recommended alternatives; and I have a lot of your videos to rewatch or watch to see if your others are my flavour.

[@FernTekip]

To add to your "Too hard" category. With the (recent) rise of "video games need a boardgame", we get a lot of boardgames that try to be what the video game is, making them sometimes way too complicated. There are a lot of very cool game concepts that don't really work in boardgame form. Complicated and very faff or admin games are fun a few times at most, but after that they will become shelf sitters.

[@monomundo]

Thank you John - I am also in the process of culling my games. You put all the important things to consider while parting ways with your once loved games.

[@daniellebackus819]

Fantastic video. The only game you culled that I absolutely will not cull is Kingdomino. It’s just so nice and simple, and you can play the big version of it at 2 players.. I love it, even though I’m technically capable of playing something much harder

[@artstsym]

It's a real testament to Fake Artist that I don't ever want to play Spyfall again. I loved Spyfall, but FA might just be one of the best games ever made.

[@donathos]

Azul lacks player interaction? Really? Not at my table, lol.

[@helxis]

Lovely video as always! Always appreciate encouraging people to consider what they are keeping and why.

[@actualol]

Thank you! :)

[@katerinafeiglova7886]

Wow, I agree with 90% of what you said and I would get rid of all the games you have listed (in fact, I also sold around 100 games, a lot of those you listed). There are two exceptions. I love Hanabi, because it is just simple and not overly complicated. Yes, it takes some practice to master and it hurts to be playing with "stupid" people, but when played with the right people it's nice. The second point is Spyfall, same with Hanabi, I love the simplicity. I also love that there is no need to have someone really managing the game (unline many other role playing games where you need a guide). There is a list of questions you can download which you can use during the game which then involves players that are not good at "role-playing".

[@jacktorrance3522]

I always found the artwork on Hanabi really underwhelming for a game about fireworks displays and the scoring is really "meh". You had to put your own expectations on what really constituted a "win" in my opinion. Cool idea though!

[@Shafteroni]

that is a MASSIVE glass of whiskey

[@daleprather3026]

You make too much sense! This is great. I've definitely entered the culling part of my board gaming hobby journey. I get anxious when I own too many things and then I become subjected to the Paradox of Choice.

[@kellyl13]

One low-maintenance real-time game I'd recommend is We're Doomed! It's the apocalypse, and each person is a type of government working together (somewhat) building a rocket in the 15 min it takes to play the game. There inevitably ends with not enough room for everyone on the rocket, so only the people with the most influence points are saved. The game only has the hourglass timing the game, the resource tiles (for building), influence tokens, placards that show the type of government you are on the front and the 4 actions you can take on the back, and a deck of cards that throw twists into the game.

[@actualol]

I'd love to try that one day - I love the theme.

[@mikebollen9238]

I love this format, I'm already looking forward to next year's edition. It's the perfect antidote to the endless top 50s and 100s that other channels do at the start of every year.

[@pregenitor]

Codename pictures is a better game when you play with a group where not everyone is a native english speaker.

[@arielzao150]

Can we have a list of what stayed in your collection?

[@actualol]

Check out my BGG account - jonpurkis

[@MisterFredrick]

287 as of 2/25/24. Really inspiring, makes me think a lot about my increasing shelf and how much I actually play

[@arielzao150]

@@actualolawesome, thanks!

[@actualol]

287 includes expansions which I don't recognise as separate entries in my head, so it's actually 219 😁

[@cindyla]

Thank you for making this video! I like the categories to help me cull my own collection. There's only so much space in the house ^^;;

[@GeorgMierau]

Railroad Ink is great! Especially the newer "Challenge" version, especially as an app for playing while traveling by train. Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective is a punishing but also fun experience of its own kind. My wife and I play Carcasonne and Ticket to Ride a lot on BGG, but we discovered the "Europe" version only recently. And nope, I'll never get rid of my copy of Black Plague even if we play it once a year or so: I enjoy the artwork way too much. Poetry for Neanderthals is fun to play with my students :)

[@glenjust630]

John, always enjoy your videos. Thank you for all your hard work. I’m ready to dive into my collection and made some tough choices.

[@actualol]

Thank you! Good luck with the cull!

[@ArekuMizuhara]

I was actually shocked at First Contact getting the axe as our group loves to play it and it is always fun when the first lost in translation effects come in and how you as the Egyptian god tries to think that the other side understands you. It's a staple with us.

[@drew8235]

I need to cull my collection soon as well. Oftentimes, the games I get to my table the most are Inis and Startups.

[@Coco-Don]

Just started my collection.. Oregon Trail, Sagrada, and Dominion… gosh I love Dominion.

[@vajnasan4538]

"Too fragile games" is a perfect description of my time with Munchkins, the first time we played it we had sooo much fun, no one took it too seriously and that aligned perfectly with the spirit of the game. Not once since have I had a game that matched that experience...

[@jaspermooren5883]

It definitely requires a certain mindset that not every group has. My experience is that get's better the more beer you drink (to an obvious limit), but I get that's not everyones jam.

[@HazardGoat]

I also culled Battlestar Galactica several years ago, and wonder if I made a mistake. Then I remember spending at least half of every game with my nose buried in the rulebook and the reason I got rid of it comes back to me.

[@actualol]

I'm sure you made the right choice!

[@db8094]

This video is refreshing. Actual discussion and conversation, not just one sided hype or biased opinion. 🎉🎉

[@FrancoisLandryCorbin]

Great video. I'm also ruthless for keeping my collection lean, at around 100 games. I have mostly all the same criteria as yours, as I want a well-rounded collection of games that are being played.

[@michaelbowling2348]

My game group has been debating culling some of our collection, mostly because we're running out of room, but also because we have several games that we haven't touched in months, if not longer. Hopefully this will help inspire us to get started!

[@JonGardner]

Guaranteed Jon hasn’t tried Crokinole.

[@SenseiJae]

Or pitchcar

[@actualol]

What do you take me for! Of course I've tried Crokinole. For me, it's too much of a skill game, like pool - it's something you practice, and that isn't appealing to me. I also prefer a more multiplayer dexterity game. And it's way too big to justify having in my collection. I can see why people love it, it's a lifestyle game.

[@actualol]

I've reviewed Pitchcar! Spoiler: It wasn't favourable.

[@JonGardner]

@@actualol That’s a fair assessment. While I do think there is a beautiful balance of strategy and skill, that strategy is nothing if you can’t follow through with the skill to pull off the shot. And you’re 100% right, I would never feel comfortable taking my $200+ board out in public to play around food/drinks with friends. Still, I can’t get enough of Crokinole. It’s quickly become my favorite game of all time. It just doesn’t get old for me.

[@NerfThisBoardGames]

You used pool as to why you got rid of a flicking game... Ya earned that

[@devonfarrington7431]

Now we need an updated shelf tour. Love the video though.

[@seanmcgowan4842]

This video is an act of great community service. Many of us need reminders to be realistic about what we like, what our friends and family like, and what’s actually going to hit the table vs what sounds like it could be fun maybe perhaps “one day”. I particularly like your “redundant” section. I’m trying to think in this manner lately…if I’ll never play Game B instead of Game A, why not offload Game B and its corresponding mental baggage? Great stuff, thank you! 🎉

[@kirkbeiser]

Magic Maze fell into the Steep Learning Curve category. I would play it for 15-20+ minutes with a couple of students at the end of a class. 2-3 weeks later I would get a chance to play it again and it felt like we were restarting again from the early scenarios. I could never get to the advanced scenarios. But I love the concept of it. Great video

[@thinkEdem]

About BSG... 1. in the first half you are supposed to play not-so-well even as a human, cause you might find yourself as a cylon in the second half... 2. when one traitor has both cards, they should reveal themselves, cause then they can pass the card over to someone else, turning them into a cylon too (it's also a good strategy if you only have one, cause you pass the card face down and can make others suspect a human player to be a cylon instead.

[@beetlebat.]

Codenames pictures IS the better game!! I'M ONE OF THOSE WEIRDOS!!

[@alphabet2238]

5:36 My version: "Don't buy a game and introduce it to certain other people. If they like it, they'll buy their own copy and you won't play yours again."

[@gergobakai5466]

Amazing video. Most reviewers would stretch it out to 10 separates. Kudos for abstain yourself from it! I am fascinated to get insight of how taste/preference change with time and new game releases.

[@Shen986]

I'm like four minutes in, and you've done four of my games in a row. Your truth hurts this time! XD

[@thebluemeeple]

Nice video! I'm surprised that out of all the games you have played Codenames is your favorite of all time? That is high praise. I never played it but perhaps I should.

[@actualol]

It's not for everyone but it is for me!

[@joshl4751]

Love it. I've had a category recently which is, "I'd Rather Play this on BGA" games that are just too much hassle to do in person. Ark Nova comes to mind.

[@actualol]

Yeah that's a great category - I feel bad for those games - they're great designs, but they just work better digitally.

[@earthling-ad]

Biggest surprise on this list for me is Robinson Crusoe. I absolutely love this game but totally get what you are saying about having to relearn it everytime. The board is pretty intuitive though and puts everything in order of when it's supposed to happen so it's not that difficult in the end.

[@briar4945]

Nice to have video like this, it's easy to talk about how much you've enjoyed a game, but not a lot of people go back and say "after x amount of plays, i've now cooled on the game". I've set myself a challenge that I can only have as many games as will fit on my shelf - there's still space to spare at the moment but I have quite a few crowdfunded games coming in this year so I've stuck a post-it on all boxes and challenged myself to play all games solo and multi-player this year to double-check that I still really like the game. It'll be hard to make culls but i'd rather have games on my shelf that I want to play than games taking up space that don't get played.

[@flyboymilligan2999]

You are hardcore…”this game is like hanging out with Luke Wilson when in reality I would rather hangout with Owen Wilson” 😂😂

[@NickManCan]

My kids and I have been playing through our games recently. There’s one game we’ve never gotten around to playing, but I’ve always wanted to, because it looked like so much fun when I got it. This morning I decided to go through its rule book once again to see if I could get everyone to play it sometime soon. While going through the rule book I’m eating breakfast and watching KZbin. Your video popped up and I started watching. Lo and behold… the game I’m talking about is on your list. Perhaps Spyfall will be culled from my collection before I ever get a chance to actually play it. I guess I’ll give it til the end of summer and if we don’t play it by then….

[@jacktorrance3522]

Great video Jon! You always do a great job of making the more negative videos still feel positive and I loved the suggested titles to replace what is being culled. My collection isn't as large as yours but it's still around 150 games which is insane given that I just don't have enough time to play them all. There are games in my collection that I bought based on the hype or them feeling like "Grail Games" to me (and you've mentioned some of them before and also in this video) and I too want to keep some of them because I feel like I just need to try again to get that perfect game. Then of course there are those that I bought and just because life got in the way I never played and now I'm not sure I even want to. But I think I just need to accept that the games I love the most now are simpler to teach, quicker to play, and don't make my brain feel like it's melting out of my ears. I also have 2 young boys (almost 5 and 3) and so my gaming choices are starting to pivot towards things I think they could soon grasp and enjoy. Those well loved copies of "Ticket to Ride: Europe", "Forbidden Island" and "Jamaica" that a couple of years ago I might have traded away are starting to recoup their value in my eyes again for playing games with my sons in the near future. I saw some games that we have the same that I can't get rid of as I know they'll be popular with the kids in the future (Memoir 44) and I always worry about games going out of print so prefer to hold onto them as long as possible. My potential cull list, as of now, is: Bananagrams (It's fine but I don't really care for word games. Bought it more as an alternative to Scrabble to play with my parents when they came to visit.) Burning Suns (never played - Kickstarter was delayed again and again and by the time it arrived the enthusiasm was gone and my free time wasn't as much as before for a big 4X game.) Clash of Cultures (2017 edition - it's really good but it's long and takes a while to setup. I want to give this one another try or two before making a decision.) Combat Commander (probably the third or fourth board game I ever bought based on a really positive review. I'm sure it's good but I found it hard to absorb the rules.) Dead Last (same feelings as you really.) Dixit (I own Mysterium and slightly prefer it, though the set up time for Mysterium is definitely a knock against it.) Dominant Species (I like this one more than my friends as I think the theme is cool but it just takes a bit too long.) Escape from the Aliens in Outer Space (needs a larger group and there's just always another game I'd sooner reach for in that instance.) Fury of Dracula 3rd Ed. (exactly the same feelings as you!) Ghost Stories (tempted to replace it with Last Bastion actually as I like a tough co-op and slightly prefer the theme, even if for many it's now generic.) Hanabi (cool idea but gameplay is a bit meh.) Labyrinth: The War on Terror (never played - bought as part of a 3 for 2 offer from GMT Games one time.) Martians: A Story of Civilization (never played! Another Kickstarter game with a poor initial rulebook that just kind of killed my enthusiasm to learn it.) Merchants and Marauders + expansions (though I love this one, that Port action is just...yeah) Narcos: The Board Game (never played - bought it based on your review actually! Do you still have it by any chance? I suspect not as I feel like "Sniper Elite" has replaced it as your go-to hidden movement game.) On Mars (never played. Bought because I wanted a really rich Mars themed game but I've realized I don't have the time or energy to take on Lacerda games which sometimes feel more complicated just for the sake of it.) Quartermaster General: 1914 (never played and as it needs 5 I usually prefer 6 for the WW2 version anyway.) The Resistance + expansions (I have loved this one but find that it just devolves into a shouting match, albeit a friendly one, every game.) Rex: Final Days of an Empire (Bought as an alternative to Dune. I like that it's quicker and I like the theming of it actually but it's long and a few friends have had not fun plays of it so it's unlikely to hit the table again.) Spyfall (never played but bought on the power of the SU&SD review. Realized it was probably quite hard for the Spy to blend in without obviously looking at the tableau of location cards in a subtle way and didn't want to print off summary sheets for all players). Sunrise City (I like the game and the unique "land on the star for double points" scoring mechanic but that just led to AP as people took forever just to try and make optimal moves. Would be interested to try it again without that scoring option and see how it plays). Tales of the Arabian Nights (our experience is almost identical - I bought this game based on the SU&SD review and while it's fine, it's not really a game and it's too easy to get imprisoned for the bulk of the game.) The "Front" series (Eastfront 2, Westfront 2 and Eurofront - all bought before I had kids, had lots of time and a gaming buddy who was a grognard WW2 buff that moved away. If these ever get played I'll be amazed.) Cheers!

[@Asaloy]

Unusual suspects is heavily based on clichés. Play it with younger children and they won't understand it because our adult brain is full of clichés...

[@Blown.Over.BoardGames]

Great approach to the topic!

[@astrothelad]

Absolutely brutal. I own game after game on this list and I couldn't help but agree at almost every point (except Dead of Winter over Robinson Crusoe!) lol

[@DJ-jq3pm]

My favorite flicking game is a Tumblin’ dice. It’s a great party game with adults, and can be used with kids to help with math multiplication.

[@johnnyfoxy]

Hive Pocket is such a great little game, very easy to teach and very portable. Had you not considered purchasing the 'Pillbug' expansion for the game instead of culling or are you 'anti-expansion'. I have to say I don't really go for expansions anyway but I did purchase the Hive Pillbug Expansion. Hive proved popular with my non-gamer friends so it made sense to get the expansion.

[@FakeDadRealFriend]

It was at your entire "thorny" segment that I realized what hit me different on the ear about some of the traits of these games that I take as positive to your negatives - I try to play repeatedly with the same couple of groups on games that get better and better once the complexity is worked out, or the price of failure to learn is paid. The very IDEA of ALWAYS having a new player at any table douses me with gallons of cold water - couldn't consider that way of life for a moment. Still, that meant that I took away plenty from the video with many new ideas for games, so thank you for making it!

[@VeeeeryyyFaaaastSlooooth]

I love videos like this. When people explain exactly why a game is good or bad for them you learn so much and can decide easier if the game is for you or not.

[@MassDefibrillator]

So, I hadn't even heard of the vast majority of games you got rid of, I knew I lot more of the "what you'd play instead" games.

[@ConstantChaosGames]

This was a great video. It isn't often that I see a culling video - I appreciate the comparisons and the reasoning and always the humor :)

[@RebeccaAlis]

I loved this, I was engaged the whole time, great video!!!

[@actualol]

Thank you!

[@edwardrhoads7283]

I agree with the need to cull the collection to keep the best of the best. In 2023 as an excuse to play the games that we had bought and never played my kid and I ran a March Madness style bracket contest with the loser in the first round then had the chance to be culled. Worked out so well we repeated it this year. When we rate all our games and rank them we really get to see what we like a lot and what is just okay. FYI for stock market games I really like the old 3M game Stocks and Bonds.

[@AmerMahmud]

You should try mixing Codenames with Codenames Pictures. A 5x5 grid alternating word and picture. It increases the difficultly in a stuble way as most people's brains focus on words or pictures.

[@actualol]

Too late! But I'd like to try it.

[@DrMcFly28]

Totally agree with Junk Art - I like stacking games, I love the theme, the shapes are wonderfully unique, but the different rulesets for different cities absolutely killed it for me.

[@bury342]

I love this idea - I’ve gotta curtail my growing collection & these are some great reasons to take a second look at some of my games! Thx!

[@Squatch_needs_no_heroes]

Mentioning having BSG and all the expansions is like going to Harvard, it always comes up as a flex.😂

[@markbianchi7812]

My group played perspectives and fell in love. We played it all in one night and now we are sad we have to wait and hope for a second edition

[@tennisvids]

Based on the older trivial pursuit looking box in my friends basement, I was surprised how fun Balderdash was when i first played it. I'll be checking out the two usurpers

[@lkjkhfggd]

This guy got rid of l like a dozen of my favorite games. The horror!

[@daleprather3026]

I loved this video! And how you offered better alternatives. Would have been a nice video to break up into 5 or 10 shorter ones.

[@earthling-ad]

I've recently had a cull and found that most of the games i got rid of were trivia games. They just don't have the same replayability as other games as once you've played it, you know the answers and then it becomes less of a game and more of a memory exercise. I also got rid of my cricket dexterity game after one use as having to iron the pitch before you play was such a ballache and the batting mechanism was shoddily designed. I could have culled a few more on the basis of never getting them to the table because they are either too complex/finicky (e.g. root/diplomacy) or need too high a player count (werewolf legacy) but i still live in hope of getting these out at some point. My collection is not as big as yours though, so maybe i don't need to be as ruthless just yet. The other game I've been considering ditching is everdell. I was sold on the theme (having been reared on brambley hedge books and later redwall) but ultimately found the gameplay quite mundane and never really created much in the way of competition/player interactions (particularly at 2-players).