Hit or Miss? Revisiting our Most Anticipated Board Games of 2023

[@bigkittytank]

I like the look back and how the games stacked up to your expectations. great content :)

[@yellowmeeplereads]

Love this introspective / long-term review type of video

[@dgunther3373]

Thank you for this. I really appreciate you going back to follow-up on your previous thoughts and feelings about these games. Doing so helps offset the cult of the new, moving forward all the time and not looking back. I'm curious, did you have any games that were the opposite - 2023 releases you didn't have strong anticipation for, but that you got to play and it was awesome?

[@MaySim]

Thanks for doing this video and please keep doing stuff like this. You're definitely not alone in getting excited about a new game, only to have it fall short of expectations. It's also very refreshing for reviewers to reflect on things you've said before, and then reconsider if some of those impressions were accurate or not, and why. For those of us who are your fans and rely on your reviews, it also helps us understand what works and doesn't work beyond the first impression. Thanks again!

[@ourfamilytogether]

This is a great idea and I wish more channels would do this! Two watches, Maggie? I had to go back to past videos to see if I'd always missed that detail.

[@mammmaroach8971]

Hi Amy and Maggie, I enjoy your videos. I appreciate your different point of views. 😊 Do you know Holi? It's abstract but has a "Theme" as well... Maybe something for both of you? 😉 ... It's about The Indian Spring-Ceremony- You have to "throw" Colourtoken on your Opponent, for that you have cards... It has a special twist- you play on three big transparent floors which are stacked and the frame and token are very multicoloured. I really like the game! ...and the Cover is awesome! 🤩 Amy, do you know the rest of the abstract Gigamic Wood-Games? Like for example Eclipse, Sahara, Inside and Skybridge? Would like to know what you think of them. Have a good Time and stay as good vibed as you are 😉👍

[@dnijulie]

I love this retrospective style! Thank you both for taking the time to make it. You're quickly becoming one of my favorite tabletop review channels. Cheers!

[@dnijulie]

Also, my handle on Twitter for the last decade has been (no joke) ThemeThinker. 😂

[@bettermoodboardgames]

Hickory Dickory is my lesson learned game. I bought it solely based on one person saying they loved it and how cute it was! So I bought it without even watching a how to play video. I played it and didn't love it. Which was so sad for me. I couldn't tell why if it was the mechanism of "pick up and deliver" or what but it just didn't hit the way I hoped! Love these types of videos by the way!

[@stuartshannon8561]

What is your top engine building comb-tasktic player interaction games?

[@bookaddict777]

I am with you Maggie on my enjoyment of Mythwind and very much looking forward to the new content that is being added to the game. Thanks for the retrospective, ladies. This was a terrific video!

[@nfirehazzard1]

I found that Pioneer Rails gave me what I wanted from Fliptown. The games feel similar mechanically, but Pioneer Rails adds a tightness where Fliptown flops. I'd highly recommend it!

[@JJ_TheGreat]

36:08 Do you think the expansion will help with the interaction?

[@susanoerter1419]

I just got Fliptown and love it. I am a big solo player. A nice surprise was my hubby liked it and he is picky in the types of boardgames he will play. Its a win for us.

[@smchalk3535]

this was fun. I went all in on Floe too. You both seemed to enjoy it.

[@Dash-si3en]

Thanks so much for doing this Amy and Maggie! I’ve often wondered about what happened to the “most anticipated” games after the fact. This was a good retrospective! I was gifted Qawale last year. I also love Quarto and was intrigued. Sadly, my (adult-aged) daughter beats me almost every time. Still like playing it. Just have to be prepared to lose. 😂

[@rahdo]

my island was one of our biggest letdowns of the year... just the drudgery of setting up the game wore us down, and when i peeked ahead to see what the post campaign game was like, we just lost all enthusiasm! only need to play 4 more times, so might finish it someday, but i just don't know... update: fun video, thanks! this is an exercise i do as an exclusive for the backers of my show every year, but since i'm in the mood, let's take a look at my top10 list of embarrassing anticipation from last year: 10. marvel damage control - deckbuilding is great and thematic, and could have been a contender but broke my heart with needless take-that peppered throughout 9. point city - one of the best games of the year! 8. divinus - delayed to 2024 7. earth - 2nd best game of the year, and FYI amy the expansion adds SOOO MUCH player interaction (all of it positive) 6. bot factory - nice, but too lightweight 5. bazaars of ubar - nice, but again too lightweight 4. my island - as mentioned earlier in the running for one of the year's biggest disappointments (but nothing was worse than ticket to ride legends) 3. daybreak - the best game of the year, hands down! 2. mythwind - have yet to play it, just need to get some time with jen (thanks maggie for covering it on the channel already you did fantastic!) 1. oranienburger kanal - would have been a top10 candidate for the year, maybe uwe rosenberg's greatest design ever, but ruined for jen by obtuse iconography. a word is worth a thousand icons!

[@RockySunico]

Great video idea! And the challenge of really big box game living on the floor is super relatable haha

[@daniellebackus819]

Oh wow, I’ve never heard anyone have to clarify that something is coming out in “US fall, Australia spring” before. Of course I knew the seasons were reversed, but I never thought about the fact that you have to clarify since I feel like the northern hemisphere is the “dominant” one in terms of announcements for video games or board games. But now it makes total sense why businesses use the term “quarter” instead of the season. It’s cool how things like that hit you sometimes… you know factually about something, but when you see the practicalities play out, it can hit differently. Love these longer meandering videos. They are why I like your channel so much. Great to just relax and listen to you chat. The visuals are also fantastic as well, but I often listen to your videos while doing something else, so your conversations are the best part to me!

[@jokerES2]

The Northern Hemisphere is also the vast majority of people, since China and India are in the Northern Hemisphere as well. That's one thing thay I didn't realize - just how far down you have to go on the continents to hit the equator, and where Asia sits with respect to the equator.

[@JJ_TheGreat]

Also, a lot of the Southern Hemisphere is water - not as many continents.

[@johns6177]

yes liked this video. looking forward to 2025's edition. ;-)

[@supermegavega]

I'm glad I'm not the one who couldn't finish My City and My Island. We had the same problem.

[@tmcd5049]

I DID enjoy this video, thank you, gals.

[@NikParsons-bc1fu]

As a fellow Aussie board gaming gal I just love your videos, congrats on 23k subscribers ❤🥳

[@stevekingswell9143]

Great cast ladies, really enjoyed it. In the mould of Earthbourne Rangers is SpiritFire, from Orange Nebula which ships in December, would be great to see what you think of that.

[@natson6138]

I thought Earth was okay, but sold it mainly for the reasons stated. I would play it if someone brought it to the table, but didn't feel a need to own it. And while the components were a nice touch, I felt the quality was a little lacking (warped player boards, uneven wood pieces).

[@jonathanpickles2946]

That was really interesting and enjoyable thanks!

[@Pezski]

I remember playing Darwin's journey with you at a game day, Amy, and being reminded along with the other players not to forget the books... repeatedly. Which we all did 🤣🤣. It was fun and I enjoyed playing it with you, but it's not one I'd rush out to get myself, which fits the assessment you made here. And so, so, SO anticipated, lol, I already went all in on Floe! So if you happen to be going to the next BGBBQ game day (and are still happy to teach it, of course!!) I'm ditching everyone to play it with you, hahaha

[@DaFees]

Wonderful video. It is always interesting to see how anticipated games ended up landing for folks. For me, Darwin's Journey was actually my most anticipated game of last year and it actually lived up to the hype for me. I understand your criticism of the setup time but I would argue the more you and your group become familiar with the game the more you can tag team the setup and minimize the time it takes. I am curious though, in regards to the gameplay itself, if you tried the Firelands expansion yet? If you haven't, I highly recommend you do. I think you'd end up moving the game more than you already did. I personally already found the base game to be fantastic and would happily play just the base game but the expansion did take it to another level. In fact, the first time I played the expansion I enjoyed it so much I had to go home and record a video about the experience. I honestly can't wait for the next expansion (Oceania) which has already been named but very little else has been revealed. That's all just me though and I understand not every game is for every person.

[@february7438]

So this is a strange question, but how do you guys manage to play all of your games? I have a group for boardgames and we play once a week but it is often months between two rounds of the same game, so some of the games that we have that I am excited about have only been played a handful of times over the last year or so. So I was just wondering how do you do that? Do you play games many days every week, or would you suggest sticking to one game for multiple weeks? Or maybe have sessions on the weekend to play games for multiple ours?

[@topofthemuffintoyou5610]

As always, your videos always go down beautifully with a nice cup of Twinings Australian Afternoon tea and a bickie ❤️

[@DonGilstrap]

Loved this video. Great lookback. Do you think this will impact what your most anticipated choices will be going forward?

[@sonjaperson8962]

I really enjoy watching your videos! Thank you! As a backer of the 2nd ed of Earthborne Rangers, Maggie's making me slightly nervous that I will not enjoy the punishing nature of the game. 😮

[@kennyorkenneth]

Earthborne Rangers is one of my favorite games of all time. Maybe you'll connect with it too.

[@ETrantina]

Love the retrospective and update on your current stance on highly anticipated / “new hotness” games. We often get excited for new and trending games, especially since influencer reviews drive a lot of new purchases. However, with a bit more plays and reflection, the games may end up falling flat. This is why I always wait for the time and tested reviews. But I’m sad about Darwin’s Journey! It’s a recent purchase but I haven’t gotten to playing it yet. I wish I saw this review earlier haha. It’s my first Simone Luciani game.

[@StephenGrubb]

Thanks so much for this video! Just a clarification, Motor City's other game is French Quarter (not Fourth Quarter) and it depicts the New Orleans theme well. Hopefully you will be able to give it a try.

[@aos-archive]

Introspection is a fantastic way to learn about people and yourselves. By all means, if you enjoyed sharing your thoughts, we'll be here to enjoy hearing it.

[@messymari]

Maggie, have you had a chance to play Arborea solo?

[@BeforeYouPlay]

Excited to listen!

[@ImaginEric]

Great video. These types of videos are so helpful after you have had time to truly digest what a game is and make a more fully formed opinion. It is so difficult to judge a game on only a 1-3 plays. This is very helpful to those of us who might be looking at a potential purchase of these games now. Thank you!

[@julienakadai9382]

I just played hours of motor city this weekend 😊

[@Olvenskol]

Curious if you tried the Fire Island mode of Darwin's Journey. Definitely not for a first (or second!) play, but I do find I much prefer it. You are definitely correct that the game has high overhead though!

[@Dash-si3en]

BTW, have you thought about doing a top 10 interactive board game list?

[@mygirlfriendismean]

Slay the Spire is really fun. The game seems to get harder as it scales, but our little crew may be unlucky. 😊 We’re probably going to give it another go next week with 3. With 1 I’ve heard first hand it’s fantastic.

[@nathanlige2961]

Pleased that Mythwind spawned a new series and gave you lots to think about. Thanks for the thoughtful commentary. 😊

[@CarlosRodriguez-ez3ls]

Great vid guys! So the lesson learned is keep one's expectations low and always be pleasantly surprised. Thx!

[@luiz_aso]

Love this type of videos looking back on games!!

[@alisonwentland3765]

Loved this video. I’m fairly new to board gaming and have definitely purchased some “lemons” for my tastes. I’m hoping to give Earth another try. My friend who plays and enjoys Wingspan got the hang of Earth more quickly than I did plus I just wasn’t getting the right kind of cards. Maybe not shuffled thoroughly? Your video makes me feel better about the game falling flat for me. I backed Floe on kickstarter. I hope it lives up to the hype! Thanks for revisiting your most anticipated games. Love hearing your different preferences.

[@alansingh8890]

I went through exactly the same arc with My City - blazing through the first half and then bogged down. Got through to game 23 of 24 and I i decided to call the campaign there. That first half is great fun though

[@jojog3681]

Just started binging your channel, really appreciate your videos and the insights you both bring to the hobby. Keep up the great work!

[@jakecrowe3797]

Great video I’m recently a stay at home dad, so I’m always looking for new games to try when I’m at home. I’m definitely more of a Maggie, but it’s nice to see how you two can give different insights on the same game. Thanks a lot, and keep it up!

[@jeffbrantz6620]

So. I late pledged Earthborn Rangers because of a ton of other reviews. I am worried I will have the same experience as you. Do you think the expansion/other classes will solve your issue?.... Have you played?

[@rolling.reggie]

This is such a fun video to watch and love the blast from the past clips from the original video! Also, 100% I am like Maggie in that I tend to be an "organic" gamer LOL sometimes I plan but it's specific games only. As always, sending love from Oregon!

[@StillAlicia]

I really enjoyed this video style, please keep making them!

[@susanoerter1419]

I like Earth, but I agree it has to many goals to keep track of.

[@stevepettenon1]

Can't wait for Floe! And I love when you mention good ol' Melbourne. It's so cool to know we are from the same city. 😊

[@purplishcat]

Moral of the story: On average games don't live up to expectations.

[@Olvenskol]

My wife and I found My City to be a bit too long too. But we liked My City the Dice Game quite a bit, especially for cocktail hour!

[@martonferenci]

my main challenge with Floe was the same with Unconscious Mind, echoing your thoughts Amy - at the the time of the campaign the game was pretty much still very fluid so I'd rather wait for retail.

[@SethAGonzalez]

Floe should be a real treat to table next year! I can’t wait to see what the final production looks like when it starts shipping 🤩

[@craiggruesome6400]

I loved this video as well! It's always interesting to see if the anticipation matches the results. And while it's probably more slight disappointments, every once in a while, there is a gem that paid off.

[@Cissewis]

Thanks for another great video! :)

[@vincentgaliano]

I found your opinion and experience on Earthborne Rangers interesting. I don’t enjoy it neither, but for different reasons (I like Arkham Horror). I don’t find ER punishing at all, I wish it were, but you can easily avoid everything. And that’s the issue for me : there’s no reason to do anything. You can go from one place to another in one or two rounds. I never took any damage. Most cards are useless. I’m just going from one place to another, sometimes I meet someone to help but it’s too late and I have to end the day. I don’t find it exciting, there’s no real story, no reason to do anything. I would like it if it were an actual experimental game, but I think it’s just an average attempt to have an open world in a card game.

[@calebjohnson4128]

You still have time to order Slay the Spire until April 30th!

[@bdelzerful]

Darwin's Journey was such a big miss for me. Such promise, some great hooks, but just lead to this strange feeling of lots of crunch without payoff. Upgrading workers is such a fun idea, but does it really matter? Also the games player count scaling feels way off, punishing at 2 and wide open at 4.

[@Theplaysthet]

I think My City outstayed its welcome, so im not surprised My Island fells the same. I did finish my city, but i felt it was just cause it had to be COMPLETED!!! Hehehe

[@annec8127]

Interesting that there is too much content on My Island. There must be a sweet spot where something is worth the $$ but doesn't outstay its welcome.

[@armstronghawkins9183]

I guess they should have titled "My Island" as "My Plateau" ! HA! Get it? "Plateau"? 9:19

[@robertjackson8246]

"The changeable heads in Arydia need to be bobble heads." - Official quote from Amy and Maggie.

[@tmcd5049]

What would be the thematic reason for interchangeable heads? 😂

[@robertjackson8246]

We need a re-enactment of Maggie listening to Amy playing Distant Skies from the next room.

[@Willhelm201477]

It’s a good day when an hour-long ThinkerThemer video drops.

[@13ane]

Really surprised you didn't like Earthborn Rangers as much, I guess I really love Arkham Horror of which it is pretty much a spiritual successor. The depth of the deck construction and the way the board and ecosystem come to life with flora, predators and prey and NPC's all interacting and offering you opportunities (and the thematic/mechanical resonation of some of the actions and cards). I think Amy would really like it for those reasons and might be worth giving it a go despite not connecting with co-ops as much. It does feel like you have a bit more interaction with each other in Arkham Horror which surprised me about it but I guess the 'skill cards' are 'personality cards' and so are inherently self-focused. It has a lot of the same challenges as Arkham LCG in that a lot of the rules interactions and subtleties of the design aren't obvious at first, with several cards referring to each other across the table. Even people who have played hundreds of hours can miss an interaction (I just watched a vid of the designers of Arkham playing Feast of Hemlock Vale and they screwed up a fair amount of triggers/rules lol). But the game still ticks along perfectly. Also, really like this video format. I kind of slipped out of the BG scene, I guess just getting a bit overwhelmed with the cavalcade of newness hitting the shelves. As much fun as it is to see what's coming up I think looking back and seeing what actually resonated is equally important.

[@darlene7165]

I loved this video! (as usual :) ) I have to say I went all in with Earth and I have the same opinion as yours Amy. It was just way to fiddly and too much going on for the pay off. I did enjoy the art work on the cards, that rest just fell flat for me. Also agree with Motor City...It is in my cull pile with Earth. My favorite of the three is still Fleet the Dice Game! I think I am also past the roll and write phase and seriously considering narrowing down my collection to my favorite 10. But who am I kidding...I just have cull piles, nothing ever really leaves! I really enjoy these videos and your reflection. Loved the play back of the other videos! Most importantly, Congratulations on 23,000 subscribers!! That is so awesome and so deserving!!

[@Webchain]

Earth was WAY overhyped and did not live up to it for me. Sold after 2 plays.

[@boardgameotaku]

Seeing Maggie dedicating herself to teach Floe during DTW solidified my All-In backing!! 😅

[@kitcarpo4745]

Twice in one day I hear about Motor City! Wow, I was considering trying it as I hsve the other two. Mabye so, maybe so...

[@ElephantTrap]

A game overhyped by content creators? Who would have ever thought that would be possible?😅😅

[@BoardGameHype]

This was a very helpful comment. Not

[@ElephantTrap]

@BoardGameHype Sorry, not sorry. Alot of boardgame content creators do "sponsored" videos and overhype games to the moon. Plenty of examples. It's getting annoying. I'm not talking about the 2 women in this video btw. I'm talking about in general.

[@liftedwing]

Was there a specific game(s) from the list that you thought was overhyped?

[@ElephantTrap]

​@liftedwing Motor city, earth and it feels like Floe is overhyped as hell as well😅 I know not all youtubers do that, but some just overreact. To them every single game is the best game ever made.

[@MrGainify]

Earthborne rangers falls in that list too