10 more games to start a collection with - Comments edition

[@timothyzens5918]

I like the idea of calling these "prime games" because they typically represent one core mechanic or concept and cannot be futher reduced. Maybe I am just a big fan of math.

[@blueseqperl]

I like when people refer to games in food terms based on its complexity: snack, meal, and 7-course dinner. Sometimes you want a snack and play a couple quick games. Other times you want a meal and play a 1-2 hour game. Finally, you can prepare yourself for a 7-course dinner and play a long, complex game

[@3MBG]

So true. Twilight Imperium is like a 12 course degustation.

[@iammikeDOTorg]

To answer your question, we call them “light” games. Everyone now and then my “serious” group chooses to play only these for an entire night. It’s refreshing, reminds of of the rules for when we intro new players, and we have a blast getting a half dozen titles in the time it usually takes us for one. “Light” games.

[@3MBG]

That's a nice term. Light doesn't mean simple. I like it

[@sebastienvivas9319]

Just getting into board gaming for the first time. Your videos have been a great companion aid. Thank you!

[@LeeroyPorkins]

Drakon is a great game to add to your collection. It's essentially a Dungeon Crawl Take That! Tile Placement Party game.

[@thorny1]

Might want to check out a few of these Sushi go (hand management/ set collection) Smash up (deck builder/area control) Epic spell wars of the battle wizards (free for all) One night werewolf (social deduction/party) and/or deception:murder in hong kong Betrayal at house on the hill (traitor/co op strategy/ role playing) Elder sign (co op/dice rolling) Red dragon inn (variable player powers/ free for all)-enjoy king of Tokyo as well but prefer this because it's less luck based and more character variety Small world (area control/variable player powers) Most can be intro games or transitional games that are light on strategy and rules and easy to teach, but can develop into complex games with heavier strategy. They all have a huge amount of replayability for lower to mid range costs for the hobby and wont break the bank if you're just starting out. If you don't like the game, you can give to someone else or sell pretty easily. If you do enjoy one though most are "evergreen" games that have one or more expansions that can add to the complexity and enjoyment.

[@sebastienvivas9319]

@@thorny1 Wow, thanks for taking the time to write all of that up. I"ll definitively check those out!

[@3MBG]

Thanks to everyone who contributed to the last video and made all these comments. This was a pretty fun video to pull together, and the rant at the end just kinda happened. links to reviews and how to plays for each game are in the description of the video. And if you have an answer to my rant, let me know.

[@tychay]

My answer is to create a separate video called "Top 10 Gateway Games." Sounds the same as this one you say? Nay! Not today, Satan! In this video you invite two other people to share their own top 10 list and then all three of you argue over eachother's lists at about 9 minutes a piece. Wait need 3 more minutes of content to make the coveted 30 minute video that the algorithm™ loves? Spend that 3 minutes arguing with each other if "gateway games" is different than "games to start a collection with." Or just pad it out with video of you dumping all 30 games to the floor.

[@thorny1]

Thoughts on doing a top ... On uncommon/ unusual/ relatively unknown favorites of yours? (Such as get bit, we didn't playtest this at all, grimslingers, and goblins inc.) Really just some of your favorites that you feel could use a little spotlight or have been overlooked.

[@jamesmeyer9912]

Agreed with the "rant". What to call "gateway" games? Perhaps approachable or accessible. Games that have solid play value, but are easy to pick up and share with players off all levels. When I was 6 or 7 years old, my father taught me a matching card game called Casino. (kzbin.info/www/bejne/jaPHhIl-gr6imcU). I taught the game to my children, to my Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts. I taught the game to adults that play Euchre, Five Hundred (like Euchre with 10 cards) and Bridge. It is easy to pick up, has an easy scoring system and a measurable level of strategy. You can play to any number points, it is up to you. This game helped to lay foundation for other card games in my life . But every now and then, it's fun to just break at deck and play Casino.

[@3MBG]

@@thorny1 Nice idea Paul. There's a few odd ball games in my collection i love. A couple that would make that list are leaving earth, Bloc by Bloc and Pay dirt.

[@seansteel328]

Party games? Family games? I think just "good" or "not so good" is enough for any game. This snobbishness exists in anything perceived as complex or intellectual. Simple music that is expertly written and instantly recognisable with but a few notes is a more impressive skill than playing hundreds of notes a minute but all your songs sound the same. You can walk around an art gallery and be brought to tears by the most simple painting and bored to tears by some bloated portrait of some old aristocrat that was probably a t@@t when they were alive. Some people are attracted only to the smug feeling of superiority that comes with having enjoyed a thing without ever truly understanding the subject, and such people are easy to spot as they are the ones with disdain for what they seem simple and accessible (they usually don't want more people enjoying it because they feel less special), whereas anyone truly passionate about the medium will appreciate the excellent use of classic or unique techniques and what usually amounts to a highly skilled editor that is able to remove more and more baggage. A bit like if it was a car race, the lighter the car the faster it will drive and so the person able to remove the most without stopping it from functioning as a car is the most ingenious mechanic. (I'm not a car expert, it's only a metaphor☺) Yeah that's my rant over😅 Another list I'd like to see is dexterity games. The only ones I ever see just mention flicking. That's fine...but that's only really one thing and should be a top 10 so there should be ten very different games, not ten games that aren't as good as Flick an up,a couple stacking games that are totally not Buckeroo/Jenga, and some dice games (what board games don't involve dice). So if you know any really cool ones I'd be happy to know as I struggle to find a good game group and need things that are instantly engaging whilst easy to reach (another reason these games shouldn't be sneered at, it's hard to convince your housemate to give up 5hrs to a complex space strategy game (yeah I'm looking at you Twilight Empirium)

[@lauranicholls4859]

Collection starters is a great term for these kinds of games. I would suggest 'casual' as well but I think that has a bit of a negative connotation.

[@martinpersson1412]

I still feel like Dixit could have been a good game to mention ;)

[@James-sx9rg]

My top 10 light games are... 1. Carcassonne - I don't like it but I have to acknowledge the simplistic beauty of the game. 2. Catan - It's stayed relevant this long for a reason. 3. Century - You could put any of the Century games here but I would probably pick Spice Road. 4. Dice Forge - Customizable Dice. Done. 5. Flash Point - I prefer this as a co-op game rather than Pandemic. 6. Mysterium - Great party/activity/filler/family game. This turns Dixit into a game. 7. Sagrada - Simple color/number alignment rules make a simple pretty game. 8. Sheriff of Nottingham - The best social deduction/bluffing game that exists. 9. Sushi Go/7 Wonders - A simple drafting game. These are swappable depending on the person. 10. Ticket to Ride - Choose your favorite map and play a simple set collection game.

[@CocoDrawsGames]

A huge AMEN to your gateway game rant. I love a good heavy game but bigger is not always better. A great gateway game will get to the table a lot more often for me than the heavy euros or co-op games.

[@rtmca1]

I concur and would add that to refer to these games as “fillers” diminishes their value unfairly as well. Arrogance and snobbery are often unconscious, and I believe the bias against simpler but great games is snobbery.

[@tourguidechuck]

The simplest game that got my newbie friends enthused about games that weren't Monopoly was Tsuro. You can teach and play it in seconds!

[@boardgamefangirl]

Thanks for your comments at the end. I agree with you. I think Viticulture is more complicated to be a "gateway" game. I do like engine builders that could be in a starting collection like Gizmos or Century Golum Edition. I also like Everdell. Also one of the polyomino/Tetris games--I like Barenpark.

[@CarlosRodriguez-ez3ls]

Great list Jarrod! My first loves were Power Grid and 7 Wonders. Thx!

[@corytoews5222]

"In some ways, it's easier to design a complicated Euro with a heck of a lot of moving parts." TOTALLY agree with this.

[@benlauson555]

Top ten to start a collection would be : 1st - Ticket to Ride 2nd - Takenoko 3rd - The Resistance 4th - Pandemic 5th - Five Tribes 6th - Yokohama 7th - Voyages of Marco Polo 8th - Troyes 9th - Great Western Trail 10th - Terraforming Mars This list is to start a collection... Not top ten simple game list. Thus I have some fun super simple games mixed with ones that I enjoy that add a bit more complexity. A good collection of ten games should have something that you can work up to. They are mostly euro style because, unfortunately, that is the supreme game type. :(

[@3MBG]

My original idea for the list looked a lot like that, starting off small and ramping up to terraforming mars.

[@markusschmidt9260]

The games, I started my collection with were: 1) Catan 2) Carcassonne 3) Robinson Crusoe 4) Brass (before the Roxley edition) True, I played a few other games like Power Grid at other peoples houses before buying RC, but what I mean is, you don't need to rely for "your first ten games" solely on light games. I think, this might cool of some people from the hobby again after initial excitement. It would sure have done so with me, and I still love my plays of Carcassonne today. I also still think, you should have included a dexterity game as well. Like KLASK, which I mentioned below your last video, but maybe Icecool, to go for a cheaper pick.

[@wizardman8482]

I would say "low complexity" or "E" for everyone... But that makes them sound like kid games... How about "fun for all"... Just because a game is easy to understand doesn't mean that it isn't a super fun and intriguing game...

[@fredmyers8366]

Great video loved that you went back and addressed some of the comments! Heck I think mine was even placed on the screen! yay :) Still interested in the game you mentioned in your other comment section that is like mission red planet!

[@3MBG]

Galilean moons. I hope Lukus gets that on KS soon.

[@mr.ekshun2053]

My top 10 intro to board games in no order Carcassonne Stone age King of Tokyo Splendor Azul 7 wonders Jaipur Takenoko Ticket to Ride Europe Gloomhaven....just kidding Forbidden desert

[@jakobstahl5298]

Seven Wonders I would say is not a light game in any way. Too much symbols.

[@LedBallons86]

I think the industry would benefit from publishers taking their very best game(s) (insert debate over 'best') and republishing them similar to how video games have historically been re-released in a form of 'platinum' range or as the Dice Tower have done with their 'Essentials Range'.

[@Santanilla]

The “ complex “ games are nothing more than a cocktail of “simple” games put on a blender.

[@3MBG]

Agreed. Someone else suggested foundation games, because they are building blocks for more complex games. And I like that

[@littleguy434]

Both sets of these videos were great! One game I think you missed on both, though, is Guillotine. It was the second game my gf and I bought (the first was Batman Love Letter) and has easily been the best $15 we've ever spent. We've introduced a wide range of people to gaming with this one and they've all liked it and we don't really tire of it because, even though there is some luck involved, it does change with each group and their individual strategies. It's always a good time with lots of laughs and not too many upset losers. LOL

[@chucktelschow]

2 great starter games that are amazing and missing from your list, cockroach poker and Skull.

[@minimini684]

I am really into board gaming but I'm a bit of a cassual so far. I don't play games like Sorry, Monopoly, or Scrabble but I also only really play 'gateway' games. I appreciate your support for people who still like to play such games after becoming more exsperienced or people like me. Thank you for all the suggestions in this video as well as the last one. Keep up the great work, I'm loving watching your videos as a new subscriber.

[@3MBG]

Cheers Mini Mini

[@thorny1]

Intro games is a good term but i see what you mean. Maybe "reliable favorites". Refers to games that are consistently good for all player types regardless of how new they are to the hobby.

[@franklinbolton8730]

I call them games that actually get play time haha

[@brucebush5744]

Wise words at the end! I’m all for a less is more, minimalist approach to game rules. A simple thing done well is a thing of beauty. Fair play to those people who enjoy crunching through a heavy rule book and intricate game setup. I prefer chess or Go if I’m after some intense gaming - but am more often happy with lighter games.

[@ketocouchpotato]

"Casual" seems to be the best fit. I dont know a whole lot of people who are willing to delve into a several hour commitment where the first half hour is dedicated to learning the rules and setting up miniatures, but I know plenty of people who are down to play something that's easy to pick up, play, and tear down.

[@christofferthormannjensen3371]

Some suggestions: Lords of Waterseep Citadels Werewords Codenames Exploding Kittens

[@ZoidbergForPresident]

It's actually "Lords of Waterdeep", slight typo. :)

[@melissacolette3103]

I honestly started with all the classics and old games passed down through the generations in my family, so I have Risk, Hotels, Save the Whales (which is such an old game that we had to cover the box in tape because it was so damaged) and some of the more modern games like Clue, Monopoly, and Sorry. One Night Ultate Werewolf is really great too, and with that I also have Daybreak, Vampire, and Alien.

[@sophside9931]

I am obsessed with this couple. I too am getting into board games, and have found this channel super fun and interesting. I love Stephanie, she supper funny and cute, and I love a woman’s perspective into gaming, as I am a woman ! Lol

[@andrebrynkus2055]

Nothing wrong with simpler games. I'd rather play something short so that I can play more games in a session. I used to go to one game Meetup and try to play with close to 20 different friends in a night. That usually meant one 90 minute game in the night - which is fine because there aren't many longer than that which I enjoy.

[@tychay]

I liked that you called the list "games to start a collection with" instead of "gateway games." The latter implies you outgrow them, but I still see people playing Settlers of Catan, Lords of Waterdeep, etc., and I'd gladly play a quick game of Star Realms, Love Letter or Sushi Go! as a wind down after Castles of Burgundy or whatever crazy euro I got roped into because I showed up late to game night. Speaking of Star Realms, Love Letter, Sushi Go! (and The Resistance), another crazy-elegantly designed card game is Coloretto. Zooloretto, a SdJ winner, is the same game with a better theme, but not as portable. I didn't mention it because the set collecting is already covered by Sushi Go! (which also introduces the draft mechanic that made 7 Wonders beloved) and I feel the latter is easier to get people to play because the "FU" part that so fun - and somewhat missing in Sushi Go - is now better implemented in Azul. Along the lines of social deduction card games along the lines of The Resistance (your list) and Love Letter (commenter list) is One Night Ultimate Werewolf (already mentioned in the comments last video) and Coup. I thought I'd mention Coup because sometimes you don't have enough players to play The Resistance or One Night…, but you can still do Coup. IIRC it can be played with as few as two. There is an iPhone app for it too which may or may not be free (forgot). As for racing games, you can't talk about that category without at least a genuflection to the granddaddy: Hare and Tortoise. The very first Spiel des Jahres winner ever, and the game that put Essen on the map. I don't think it's a "starter collection" game even though it is easy to play. Its draw is a sort of nostalgia for those of us old foggies who think Settlers of Catan is new. :D (1995? I had already graduated college and by then started avoiding game stores because of the cancer that had metastasized throughout them: Magic: The Gathering.) But its mechanic, separated from all the other dice chucking ones I played when I was younger.

[@3MBG]

Yeah, that was deliberate. I have a bit of a rant about "gateway" at the end. Games like Sushi Go are just fun, clever designs.

[@Vadimaster]

Yeah, Star Realms was my first deck builder and one of my first ten games I bought. Played over 100 matches in real life and over 3500 in the app. It belongs on this list.

[@3MBG]

3500 app plays... hot damn :)

[@bradhardee]

Yet another great list. Really enjoy the idea of implementing the comments to further community discussion and video ideas. Great job.

[@3MBG]

Well, I kinda through out the idea for people to post their own list in the last vid without thinking about it too much. And, well, based on the number of comments. I felt I really had to do this to pay back everyone who contributed. In a way, its a thank you from me to everyone.

[@michaelmelen9062]

Good list! One addition: if space games leave you cold, the Medieval combat equivalent of Star Realms is Hero Realms. It has a solo version and a campaign version, and I highly recommend it! I'd pair it in your presentation with Star Realms. A suggestion for 'gateway games' would be 'universal games'. These are games which can thrive in any board game collection, and would appeal to most gamers and non-gamers.

[@3MBG]

Universal games. I like that, that's nice

[@imreadydoctor]

Perhaps we could call them something like "quick to play games" or something like that. By the way, ever play Deep Sea Adventure? It's a great little game, that's easy to learn, fun to play, and very compact. One of my favorites to bring people over into the hobby.

[@3MBG]

I have not played Deep Sea adventure. *brings out his 100 page list* I'll put it on there :)

[@adamphelps9612]

Deep Sea Adventure is great!

[@MicBain]

Ten I'd recommend to start with are: -Flamme Rouge -Black Fleet -Barenpark -Lords of Waterdeep -Dice Forge -Lords of Vegas -Gods Gambit -Pandemic: Reign of Cthulhu -Sons of Anarchy -Kingsburg I'll never understand why people **ahem** love Love Letter so much. I found zero enjoyment in that game! It's also ridiculously overpriced, considering it's just 16 cards too. Each to their own though.

[@thorny1]

No specific order but started my collection with: Sushi go! Smash up Epic spell wars of the battle wizards One night werewolf Betrayal at house on the hill Elder sign Red dragon inn (enjoy king of Tokyo as well but prefer this because it's less luck based and more character variety) Small world Carcassonne Big thing for me is they all have a huge amount of replayability for lower to mid range costs for the hobby along with light rules and strategy, at first, with room to grow and become more complex. If you don't like the game, you didnt end up sinking a ton of funds into it and can give to someone else or sell pretty easily. If you do enjoy one though most are "evergreen" games that have one or more expansions that can add to the complexity and enjoyment.

[@PaulTheEldritchCat]

That's a lot of ideas to improve my collection! I agree with those I already tried (Splendor, Smallworld, 7 Wonders, Kingdomino...), I would add Concept as a any-age any-experience guessing game. I get it out of the cupboard more often than the others and it's always a good laugh.

[@amieridley1150]

Nice rant at the end 😉 This is something we've battled with a bit as a lot of when and where we play games means that we are using "gateway" or "family weight" games a LOT! But they are attractive, quick to get into, and not too long for younger or new players. And especially when you have small people around its hard to sit down to a big brain burner 😂 Maybe FUNdamental Games (Yeah, really struggling with the new name thing... 😉)

[@unlimitedjoystudios3429]

A lot of fun games to add to the collection.🙂

[@StyxTBuferd]

Hey look my overlong comment made it at 6:07! I'm actually surprised at how many people suggested Kingdomino/Queendomino, I didn't think it would get that much love because it is so simple and so light, so that was a nice surprise. As for what to call them, I'm not quite sure. They're usually played at the beginning of a session and they're usually light, so I almost feel like Appetizer Games is a good name, but maybe I'm just hungry?

[@3MBG]

Appetizer still suggest they are before "the main" so not sure. Your overlong comment should be somewhere in King of tokyo as well unless i missed it by error

[@StyxTBuferd]

@@3MBG Hey, I will gorge on appetizers all day long so it's in no way an indication of lesser quality in my eyes. Yeah I saw it on King of Tokyo as well. People put out some pretty great suggestions.

[@3MBG]

Ha, me too if i'm honest :)

[@TheRASDEL83]

"Modern Classics" cause a good Classic never goes out of style.

[@allenofmn]

Love Letter is heading to a new printing which is currently in pre-order. The new art is pretty awesome.

[@WeAreSoPredictable]

I don't think we overcome stigma by re-branding or finding new names. By bending to stigma, we validate it. I say we overcome any stigma of gateway games by actions and honesty. We _play_ those gateway games, we use, _"Gateway game"_ to describe them, but not, _"Just a gateway game,"_ and we move on with our lives. There will always be snobbery. There will always be somebody with a $2,000+ Warhammer 40k army who scoffs at the little skirmish gamers. There will always be a historical wargamer who scoffs at the 40K player. There will always be _somebody_ to scoff at _something_ out there, so rather than bending to *their* values, we should just get on with life and ignore them, and that takes away their power.

[@3MBG]

Yep, i can feel that. I guess they can scoff at someone else's table though :)

[@Lliam82]

The Duke makes a great intro game for the kind of person who might have only played checkers and chess. From the simple rules to the wooden pieces, it has a great ability to appeal to the uninitiated, IMO. Onitama is another that is very simple to explain and is very easy to play even for folks who've never played a board game before and a younger audience

[@ripwolfe]

I think that Sushi Go is a prime example of a "gateway" game that even as an experienced player, I still really appreciate playing. Very simple card drafting mechanic but the set collection is just interesting enough that it can be a little brain burning. "I want to keep _this_ card, but if I pass this other card onto the next player, they're going to score huge!" Decisions, decisions.

[@3MBG]

Yep. And something my partner just mentioned is sometimes, you don't have the time to setup and play a big game. Got 20 mins though, crack out the sushi go

[@ripwolfe]

@@3MBG Definitely give the Party version a go. It has a lot more variety too it! (just not a portable version)

[@StratfordWingRider]

I'd add that Catacombs Conquest was a great game to try for those who want an intro into interesting dexterity games. The price point is a real boon too. King of Tokyo is such a solid game, we play with the Power Up expansion and it's a blast. It probably kicked off my son's love of board games alone. It's great to knock out at an office lunch room too.

[@tychay]

Hopefully these are good fodder for future "3 minute" reviews. (And if not, then a 30 minute review would suffice. 10x the fun!)

[@CrimsonFox36]

Scythe is deceptively simple, and fraught with flavor

[@travis_approved]

I also love Tsuro as a easy going game it’s so much fun the more people you have playing it

[@franklinbolton8730]

**Top 10 Below in Read more** Love letter and Machi Korro are barely games imo. I would trade Love Letter for Avalon or Coup, and Machi Korro for the aforementioned Dice Forge (though dice forge may be a little chunky for the list) or the 2nd place game King of Tokyo. Sushi Go is a great choice I wish I had bought that over 7 wonders when starting out. Ticket to ride is just very solid and seems to click with people, also you can see it on shelves everywhere so a lot of new people have even heard of it. Also agree with comment on last video about Betrayal being difficult for a person alone in room, also just not the best modern game experience. Here are my top 10 if you currently own nothing, in no particular order, with alternate picks. All of these games get tons of play! *1A. Deck Battling -- Star Realms* (Two player only , deck building to improve power and synergy, combative) 1B. --> Smash Up (More players, combos, fun theme, also good for those who have played trading cards like Yu-Gi-Oh or Magic) *2A. Cooperative -- Forbidden Desert* (More challenging than Island, better gameplay and less flaws, cool pieces and abilities) 2B. --> Pandemic (Very solid similar gameplay, good theme, even less flaws) *3A. Dice/Victory Points -- King of Tokyo* (Direct confrontation, Yahtzee dice rolls, powers and abilities, fun theme) 3B. --> Castles of Burgundy (Worker Placement, Euro, Thinky game that is a little dry on theme but fun once you play) *4A. Set Collection -- Sushi Go/Sushi Go Party* (Nice light drafting game with cutesy art) 4B. --> Ticket to Ride (Simple rules, elegant classic board game look, some decent depth in strategy) *5A. Social Deduction -- Avalon* (Nice roles and theme and slight twists to genre) 5B. --> Werewolf (Supports many more people +works better with older people in my experience) *6A. Word Game -- Wordsy* (Great game with those who like scrabble, reading, etc., one of the few games grandma plays haha) 6B. --> Just One (Everyone gives 1 word clues for a player to guess 1 secret word, co-op) *7A. Party Game -- Code Names* (Team vs team, where you give your team a hint that matches certain words in a grid, guess all words and win) 7B.--> Wits and Wagers (Trivia game that fixes problems with trivia games, no shouting, everyone has chance to win) *8A. Picture Games -- Dixit* (Cards with weird art put down. You give a clue, clue too easy? No points! too hard? No Points! Just right? Points!) 8B. --> Pictionary (Fun activity. draw, pass, guess, pass, draw, laugh. Telephone game where you draw instead of whisper) *9A. Real Time CoOp -- Magic Maze* (Many levels of challenge, no talking but work together to move everyone in maze like mall and escape) 9B --> Escape: Curse of the Temple (Soundtrack, roll dice as a team to get gems, open rooms, and escape collapsing temple in 10 min.) *10A. Crime -- Cash n' Guns* (Use Styrofoam guns to "shoot" friends and family to earn loot and live to see another day) 10B.--> Deception Murder in Hong Kong (Interpret/discuss clues given by investigator, accuse a murderer in the group and solve the crime) *Honorable Mentions:* Concept (Get everyone to guess a secret word by placing pawns on clue symbols like colors, shapes, concepts, etc.) Star Wars X-Wing Base Set (Many rules for first player to learn but easy to teach basics, looks super cool, good for fans, hard not to buy more) Coup (More basic social deduction and traitor style game, somewhat luck based at times) Mr.Jack Pocket (Two player logic spatial deduction game) Hanabi (Memory and logic game about putting on a firework show, you can only see other peoples cards not your own) Friday (1 player Solo deckbuilding game where you survive and escape an island) Takenono (Everyone loves the panda, bright game that draws people in, board changes each game with new tiles) Smallworld (Decent for people that like territorial games like Risk and okay with fantasy, has some nice army varieties and tactics) Spyfall (Very stressful in a fun way. One player must blend in with no info, everyone else must prove loyalty without giving up info)

[@3MBG]

This list is the comments one, made from others suggestions :) But damn, that is an extensive list and well thought out. A few on their i'm not fond of, like spyfall and cash and guns. But a lot of excellent choices.

[@snuffeldjuret]

I like games that play well the first time you play :). And where the rules take not too long to explain :).

[@amieridley1150]

And yay for Sushi Go being the #1! It is the game we have used most to introduce new people to games as its just such a fun theme. Sushi Go Party is a great addition if you can get your hands on it (a bit tricksy supplier wise in NZ as we have found out) as you can change up the "take that" and strategy a little bit for more experienced players.

[@3MBG]

That might be why i've never seen it in stores here.

[@tjwright]

We are pretty new to the hobby. We have 13 modern games, all "gateway" games... the must-haves that are mentioned over and over again. We love them, and frankly I don't know if we'll ever move on from "light" games. We are always playing games as a family with our pre-teen kids or entertaining guests who aren't hardcore gamers. I don't see a need to "move on" from them, and frankly I like a shorter game that isn't too intense. I have an original copy of Axis & Allies from the 80s that I only played a few times (back in the 80s). I remember it being so long and complicated I'm not really even interested in opening it back up today.

[@3MBG]

Honestly, anyone who tells you that you have to move on is an ahole. Play what you want to play and what you enjoy. Never feel compelled to play something harder or longer than you want because its expected of you

[@gerrade71278]

Great vid. We have many of these games. Fun games for young people to start out with would be interesting. Sushi Go and King Dominoes were okay (but really fun for mum and dad). But something more simple like Sleeping Queens had way more replayabilty for my kids. I guess due to the fact that counting is simplified. Either pick up an agreed number of cards to win or accumlate points to reach a winning number. However, for large groups i.e. 6~10 cousins, Uno surprisingly still has staying power.

[@3MBG]

Uno is just a classic game. So simple, yet so many plays. When i was at school many years ago, we played it all lunch time for ages

[@Zilong09]

A simple game with impressive depth that I wouldn't call a Gateway game but definitely a game that wears the properties of your 'rant' came out fairly recently: Regicide. When I look at Regicide all I can think of are all these other games that have been fine tuned but remain relatively simple. Not all nights demand the complexity of 18xx, 4x, or a campaign game. Sometimes I just wanna take out a deck of cards and start a revolution.

[@3MBG]

Totally agree. Gave that my gold medal award when i reviewed it recently. Also, like me, its from Aotearoa/New Zealand. The designers are from the small town i grew up in.

[@johnsullivan1476]

Great to see a compilation of everyone else's comments for starting a collection. Thanks for this.

[@dwnvwdjvn]

My top 10 gateway games (so far)... Ticket to ride Catan Code Names Sheriff of Nottingham Machi Koro Potion Explosion Concept Mysterium Resistance Werewolf But my mind changes as frequently as my socks...

[@3MBG]

Mine too, at least monthly ;) Also, good list

[@Krozan]

Another great video. Thanks so much!

[@MechaJoezilla]

I think that Lost Cities is a better 2 player game. Jaiper takes a lot of time to set up, for each and every 3 rounds.

[@adamholt5395]

Machi Koro is okay, but can be very frustrating, because there can be dead turns where you do nothing. I would suggest Valeria Card Kingdoms or Space Base for rolling dice and getting stuff.

[@weeschwee]

I think there are some games that are ok to be considered gateway games. For instance, we bought and played forbidden island, but after playing and then buying pandemic we don't have the urge to really go back to forbidden island. Pandemic isn't much longer or complex and I feel like it offers more for that type of game. We might still play forbidden island eventually just for variety and the theme is nice. That said, I don't think these "light" games are necessarily something to graduate from. They are really good if you aren't in the mood or company for a heavier game.

[@midget249]

We call these "Accessible Games" because everyone (including the kids) can play!

[@3MBG]

Nice. We went with foundation games in the end. As they are solid games that contain the building blocks to understand more complex games.

[@RobertKonigsbergAtGoogle]

Hey, what is that super peculiar artwork for Sushi Go? Is that the German edition?

[@3MBG]

Yep. As I try to use either only my images, the publishers, or those tagged as "commercial use allowed" on BGG in order to stop litigious people filing takedown notices, I sometimes have a limited pool to draw on.

[@diceman199]

I've done all 3 of those race games. One thing i like about Flamme Rouge is you can play it as a series of races with things like starting order and exhaustion cards affecting the next game. It's also slightly less luck reliant in terms of dice rolls

[@chucktheduck7354]

The most flattering word for simple I can think of is concise

[@3MBG]

Nice one chuck. Yeah, I use concise when talking about my own 3 minute reviews as well. Good suggestion.

[@vj7248]

For a new name of gateway/simple games... How about 'brevity' games. "Brevity is the soul of wit"

[@zyrons5683]

Found your channel when looking for a zombicide review and found the whole 3 minute take refreshing. Love that you're also in Aotearoa. Kia kaha and keep going strong! Looking forward to new content as my friends and I are really getting back into this hobby

[@3MBG]

Kia Ora Zyron S. I really appreciate that.

[@Rufiy0]

Woah didn't realize you are a Kiwi, Kiora Bro!

[@3MBG]

Tautoko Rufiyo

[@Novasky2007]

Intuitive games, gamer freindly, streamlined.

[@cmelo4757]

Thank you. Low entry games, LEGs. Easily grokked games, EGGs. Eggs are easy to make, hard to master. Kinda plays on that whole thing. Legs support you and get you where you're going. Although "this game has legs" already existing could make for confusion. I also like "gateway games". Finding a welcoming person in the gateway sounds about right. I don't pay much mind the negative connotations that arise from the word gateway.

[@micahgmiranda]

I think it's pretty arrogant of you to call me arrogant just because I'm a snob. XD j/k

[@yeatus0121]

I started with talisman an amazing game

[@LeeroyPorkins]

Did I recommend Bang: Dice in the last video? Also I found Queendomino removed the simple fun of Kingdomino and made it convoluted and boring for being a domino game.

[@3MBG]

You may have. About 150 different games were recommended. I could only pick the ones that got multiple votes in order to keep this to a good length.

[@LeeroyPorkins]

@@3MBG Yea there were a lot lol I was trying to remember if I mentioned that one. You could call them affordable great games to start with.

[@afriendofafriend5766]

I would add Carcassonne. I think Twilight Imperium is good for beginners too, considering it's so short.

[@LukeVenables]

I specifically purchased Hive to play when I only had time/energy for something light. I still prefer Spirit Island or Teotihuacan but little games definitely have their place.

[@emmaplaysgreen2849]

Hive may be small and abstract but it's not necessarily light. I find it pretty brain burny even though I have no problem with heavy euros.

[@mella4376]

I absolutely agree that the snobbery/gatekeeping towards lower complexity "gateways" is silly and harmful, but I do think many of those games *are* stepping stones for people who end up delving deeper into this world because of relatively shallow systems (not always mind you, but often) that trade long term depth for accessibility. Nothing wrong with that, but a lot of the games mentioned in these two videos I feel kind of done with (though I will break them out if the situation calls for them) given that after a certain amount of plays the patterns tend to repeat consistently and things get a bit boring. I think that such a thing is inevitable with most fixed systems to an extent, but it is compounded here by the fact that short games can get played more often, so you can burn out on them quicker, whereas a longer game might hide similar levels of long term repetitiveness behind more opaque systems and the fact that it gets played less frequently, on top of its systems being potentially genuinely richer.

[@3MBG]

I think the nail you've hit here are short games get played more. You can burn out real quick on a 20 minute game if its on repeat a lot. But its harder when its a 3+ hour you get to play now and then. And my thing about the snobbery is those who look down on people who still enjoy those games. Which, based on sales and feedback from gamestore folk, is actually the vast majority of people playing games. I mean, i'd rather play Paths of Glory than Sushi Go, but if i have 15 mins spare? There is only one choice.

[@mattmoses354]

Thank you so much for all your research on this topic! I am just starting up in the hobby. This is my list right now, thanks for helping me put this together. Ten Intro Games to start a collection Bag Building - The Quacks of Quedlinburg Modern Classic - Ticket to Ride Europe Cooperative - Forbidden desert Engine Building - Splendor - Gizmos Deck Builder - Clank in Space Drafting - Sushi Go - 7 Wonders Worker Placement - Raiders of the North Sea - Lords of Waterdeep Party Game - Just One - The Resistance Tile Laying - Azul Dice - King of Tokyo - Dice Forge Honorable Mention Auction Game - For Sale - Modern Art

[@3MBG]

Nice list, played quacks for the first time this weekend.

[@renatechandler9375]

Your rant makes me smile. I used to have the same arguments about children's books. I love them and now with Harry Potter being everybody's darling it's easier. But still people give me funny looks when I say that I read a lot of books for younger people. But my argument is: They are not simpler or more boring or more stupid than books for adults. Quite the opposite , they have to be even better than those ones. They have to get children interested, they should entertain and educate. And I think the same goes for these games. I only recently became really interested in playing board games and play mainly solo . And one day I want to manage spirit island and some of the heavier games but I think I will always enjoy these " simpler" games that I play now. Thank you for your videos.

[@3MBG]

This is so true. Also, a book doesn't need to be about middle age crisis's, people dying of depression and other super adult themes to be good either.

[@scyldscefing3913]

I might replace Machi Koro with Space Base.

[@boardgamefangirl]

I'm not a heavy gamer but Space Base is way better than Machi Koro which I never want to play again.

[@RobertKonigsbergAtGoogle]

Man, I really tried not to say anything about Jaipur, but I just don't see why it's fun. After ten or so plays its flaws seem really obvious. Gah!

[@3MBG]

Fair, its not one i've played enough to say that about.

[@RobertKonigsbergAtGoogle]

@@3MBG play it ten times lol :D (Yes, fair.)

[@senditkitecoaching]

As someone who is travelling a lot with my partner we take jaipur with us and love it for the small size and quick play time, so the issues are minor compared to the benefit for us. Also hive pocket is fantastic for airplane tray table gaming 👌🏼

[@Lugo428]

Hey 3 Minute Board Games, how about top 10 small box games? As far as what you would call games like Sushi Go... that's difficult. Can't think of anything.

[@3MBG]

Small box games is definitely an idea I want to look at at some point. Not sure when though. I don't want to become a "lists" channel :) So will be spacing them out a bit

[@NomadHokie]

I agree. I travel quite a bit, so small box games are great for those trips. The small box games I have and like: Jaipur, Tides of Madness, For Sale (Travel edition), Love Letter, Hanabi, The Game, and Guillotine. I bring any group of those on every vacation. For Sale has gotten extensive play and is tiny, but the only downside is that you need more than 2 to play it. I think there's a small box version of 7 Wonders I'm sure I'll eventually buy as well. Another (old) game I've been told I'd like is Dutch Blitz.

[@teawacrossmannixon1760]

did you just say kia ora ?! your not only my favorite board game reviewer, but your also (i suspect) from New Zealand / Aoteroa. i have mad respect for you and your videos, please keep the videos coming. I would also like to know your favorite board games ever , thanq

[@3MBG]

Yes Teawa. Aotearoa represent. I decided to change the intro to Kia Ora recently, just to show where I am from and to honour that. Thank you for the comment. Fav board games are in my top 100 video.

[@adriansandoval1366]

They can be called BMGs "Basic Mechanics Games" because they are mostly characterized by having one or two mechanics. And the heavy games usually have many mechanics working all together. Love your reviews as usual. Saludos from Mexico.

[@3MBG]

Kia Ora from Aotearoa Adrián

[@williamgarcia-medina9989]

Great review!

[@alltaken21]

I disagree whole heartedly with the last part. They really are gateway. However a lot of gate way games are nice filler activity games, you drink and chat while playing a simple game, or game in between waiting a member or if you still got some time, but not enough for a bigger game. Possibly a starting game of the night

[@3MBG]

I guess from my perspective, I don't get it. I've been board gaming for over 30 years. Most gateway games came out well after i passed said gate. I don't feel the need to run them down at all, and what fascinates me is this attitude is a really new thing in board gaming. It's only popped up in the last decade or so. Go back 20+ years and no one would blink if someone was playing trolls in the pantry at the same event as Blood Bowl and ASL. All i can say is, that some people who look down on those who enjoy lighter games do it for reasonable ignoble reasons. Not saying that's you, but there is a lot of elitism in the idea that short games are for noobs.

[@musiclistsareus1029]

do you have a rule against word games? or trivia games? Our family likes many of those type of games.

[@3MBG]

No rule as such. I don't mind word games at all (love scrabble for example), trivia games i'm less keen about though. I kinda get my fill of quiz games doing the newspaper quizes with my team at work each day.

[@bosola7168]

Camel Cup for a racing game, surely? :D

[@brianmanieri50]

Foundational games

[@3MBG]

Yep, this was the term i settled on as being the best after the intial wave of comments

[@onsecalmeesti]

What do you think about the game Arena ? I think its really good at any numbers of players

[@3MBG]

Not played it sorry

[@republikadugave420]

Best racing game IMHO is Um reifenbreite... And to think that this game is from 1979 is just wow... Ok its roll and move but its so fun and wacky...

[@3MBG]

Never heard of that one :)

[@republikadugave420]

@@3MBG boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/442/um-reifenbreite

[@anannon8384]

*Sushi Go!*

[@TheEmmaHouli]

Eh, I'm too old to care about gatekeepers anymore. I am a filthy FILTHY casual. So maybe we call them casual games? My collection began with Carcassonne, Quirkle Love letter Forbidden Island Munchkin Resistance (although my gaming group didn't really like it and we have only played it twice) Flux Small world (underground) Dixit (another game my group didn't like as much as I thought they would) And Betrayal, Bassicly if it was on season 1 of tabletop we bought it Then we all discovered magic the gather and never had any money again.

[@3MBG]

I kinda love that you own the term filthy casual. ;)

[@TheEmmaHouli]

@@3MBG haha thanks! Living in so-called nerd culture I feel like we should own it a little more, we can't hardcore love EVERYTHING. I do however hardcore love having friends around on a Friday with alcohol in hand to play games and have a laugh. And I love only having to explain rules of a game to my father only once. All these games do that job SOLIDLY. There are some on your list I will have to check out

[@3MBG]

After all the comments about Sushi Go, i picked it up. Even though i am the opposite of a casual board gamer, i love the heck out of it, so solid endorsement from me for that one.

[@yourdogsnews]

Its hard to decide on 10 games I would choose to start with. Lets see INPO: Carcassonne Blokus Roborally Nuclear War The Duke Love Letter Small World Zulus On the Ramparts (because everyone needs a good solo game) Awful Green Things From Outer Space Roll For the Galaxy There is nothing wrong with simple quick games. That said, anybody up,for a game of Thunder In the East?

[@3MBG]

Respectable list, although I'd definitely swap Zulus for Dawn of the Zeds as i prefer the look and feel of Zeds a lot more. Looking forward to my copy arriving of the new edition soon.

[@yourdogsnews]

3 Minute Board Games You can pretty much swap out Zulus for any of the states of siege games. They have a few different themes to choose from. The hardest thing about making a list like this is only choosing game that are in print (what the point of making a list no one can get).

[@3MBG]

Yeah, good point. Turns out Modern art is between prints, so some people on the last list wanted to get it but couldn't.

[@jeffbourland2705]

Since these games provide pure essence mechanics that more complex games tend to expand or combine upon. Or they are usually the foundation of any collection, causal or serious. Foundation games are the ambassadors of the board game hobby. These games sit among other mediums staples, D&D, MTG, Star Wars/Star Trek, Halo, LOTR, Exorsist, and all the other hobbies/media entries that are considered essential/defining. Essence games/ Foundation games.

[@williamburrows6215]

Foundational Games maybe? You never want to loose your foundation

[@JonoNZBoardGamer]

I always love your content! Keep it up :)

[@michaelhill6453]

Great selection, thanks.

[@markhorsburgh76]

I like to use Imhotep to start people off. I think Deus is a good one too.

[@3MBG]

Imhotep is a great choice. played it for the first time this year, very solid

[@ObsessiveGamer]

We've given Jaipur as a gift so many times to our non-gaming friends.

[@3MBG]

See, that's lovely. I'm wondering what we would gift? Probably hoard and flaming pyramids, because those are games that could have made my lists, and they are made locally by local designers/publishers and are therefore really affordable gifts.