Jamie's Top 50 Tabletop Games: 10-1

[@moniquehansford9040]

I've discovered many new games from these videos which I haven't heard about before so thank you, really enjoyed them! :)

[@charlottemalone7375]

I very much enjoyed this. The length of each video was perfect. 50 is a much more meaningful number than 100, and your list had games that don’t appear on these lists very often. I also love that you specified “favorite” doesn’t always mean “best”. Well done. (Also, please ask Steve not to tell jokes in his. :) )

[@Thesecretcabal]

Nice! So happy you liked the list Charlotte! Yeah I was careful not to claim that I was judging these games on how well they’re designed, it’s just what I like and why. Me to that’s a more meaningful list. Who am I to judge the merit of game designs. I just like what I like :) Oh and I can’t promise Steve won’t go wild. He’s uncontrollable.

[@Pryde551]

Great list and love your enthusiasm! +1 for Outlive. It was a game I tried at Gen Con 2018 and had minimal expectations. I immediately bought it after the demo. I really need to try Concordia.

[@lokihve6591]

Interesting that as someone who likes D&D so much Gloomhaven is not top 30. Loved the list, thank you for providing it Jamie. Was great deal of fun!

[@frankleviseur9241]

Great video series! I just backed Nemo's War and all the expansions on Kickstarter based on your recommendation and how often it is talked about on the show. Thanks for all you and the Founders do!

[@armandolizarraga8981]

Great top 50! Thanks for these Jamie.

[@seanmcdonald737]

On leaving earth lead times. Mine took 4 months, but they were in the process of filling a large order for essen at the time. I think they are currently at 3 month lead times. If you go to the BGG forums the designer is very responsive about the lead times and will even help with info on individual orders.

[@KabukiKid]

Nothing deserves the #1 spot more. Huge agreement on everything you said about it. The most important game of all time.

[@hanseathl]

Great list Jamie! A lot of games that also found their way into my collection. Leaving Earth is another one I bought based on your recommendation and because my older son is such a fan of everything related to space exploration. I am intending to bring it to the table real soon. I absolutely share your love for Concordia, Outlive (unfortunately often underrated). I just gave my copy of Nemo's War to a friend an hour ago so that he can test it. Glory to Rome is one of my favorite games of all time as well. I was able to hunt down a German copy and its expansion a couple of years ago and I agree - it is a blast!

[@Thesecretcabal]

Nice! Seems like we really share a similar taste in games! Hope you and your son enjoy Leaving Earth!

[@robbyers9190]

If you liked that one, check out GMT's new one, SpaceCorp. It is great!

[@TapCat]

Nicely done video and definitely an interesting list. I remember you talking about a game on the podcast that you had ordered and then waited months and months to get but didn't realize that it had risen so high among your favorites. One of the prime reasons I watch lists like this is to learn about new games that I might also enjoy and there's a few on this list alone that I'm looking forward to checking out.

[@Thesecretcabal]

Awesome! I hope you enjoy the ones you decide to check out!

[@andrewlupp8596]

Hey Jaime - Great list! Thanks for the recommendation on Leaving Earth. Love games that are a bit out of the mainstream. sounds amazing!

[@nickhayes1626]

Loved the video Jamie! Great list! I even saw some games in there that I'm not familiar with! Here's my Top 10. I'm very much Cult of the Old, as you can see, but I love my games! 10. Catan 9. Libertalia 8. Stone Age 7. King of Tokyo 6. Firefly 5. Lord of the Rings 4. Pandemic 3. Abyss 2. Lords of Waterdeep 1. Talisman

[@JoeyjojoShabadoo7]

Nick Hayes - Talisman is my all time favorite too!!! Brings me right back to my 80’s childhood 👍

[@mauriciogerhardt3209]

10: railways of the world 9: concordia 8: outlive 7: a feast for Odin 6: leaving Earth 5: Nemo's war 4: Mansions of madness 2nd ed 3: forbidden stars 2: glory to Rome 1: dungeons and dragons

[@npckse8508]

I liked the list. I clearly need to try Concordia. My first game with that card system is Assault of the Giants which uses the system pretty well.

[@a_walk_down_memory_lane]

No real surprises (as a frequent podcast listener) but a great, diverse top 10 list. And it has reminded me that I’m still waiting for my copy of Leaving Earth since last October.

[@edmundengland]

I really like your mention you and your dads shared hobby concerning model trains. That is was one few shared interests i shared with my dad.

[@madifinley7018]

I've always loved the Warhammer IP, fantasy and 40k. I can't get anyone to play Forbidden Stars. It was a real shame when GW and FF broke up before the expansion was released. I would love to have more races. The three times I have played it I loved it.

[@Thesecretcabal]

Yeah. There’s still hope though! A lot of other GW board games from FFG are coming back elsewhere. Crossing my fingers!

[@scyldscefing3913]

I have so enjoyed this journey through your top 50. Thanks.

[@JedisTrek]

I found D&D back in 1982, so I feel the same. I still play regularly as well. No game shaped my perceptions of games in general like D&D has. We said, sir.

[@larrye]

Great list. I love GtR and feel the same way about how it's not more readily available. I love Innovation too but because of linked availability, GtR gets more attention.

[@nguinguingui]

Board Game Bliss in Ontario, Canada has copies of LEAVING EARTH base and expansion in their inventory.

[@eldritchBolt]

This is a great video. I’ve been out of the gaming loop recently due to some real life crap, and I was worried I’d lost my enthusiasm for the hobby. Wow, this game has got me so hyped again, your enthusiasm is palpable! Couple of games I’ve not tried in the list too, excited to try them! (Well, the board game ones)

[@kenwatson76]

Jamie, when describing Concordia, you mentioned that you had never seen before the mechanism that has action cards that allow you to take them back into your hand in response to playing a different action card. I highly recommend you check out Mission: Red Planet (2nd Edition released in 2015 by Bruno Faidutti and Bruno Cathala). It's a very fun, fairly light game that implements that mechanic.

[@kirkbeiser]

I was going mention Mission Red Planet when he was talking about the action selection cards. They both have action selection and both are really good but they are very different games.

[@omnitheus5442]

So glad Pandemic Legacy didn't make your list! You get a thumb! It is a solid list so thank you!

[@cfosburg]

Jamie, I love your energy and enthusiasm. I feel like you could make any game seem fantastic. Great list, I would love to experience any of these games with you. Thanks for the list. Definitely some surprises along the way! Chris

[@Thesecretcabal]

Yeah, these are my favorites of all time so it’s easy to be enthusiastic about them. I just really really enjoy playing games of any kind and am thankful that I can be so involved in the gaming community. Every day is a gift in gaming!

[@kosterix123]

Well I certainly can appreciate your enthusiasm for your darlings! Good that you've kept playing dnd. I quit a few decades ago, life is less without it, just so you know.

[@alicia1465]

I got Glory to Rome (cartoony Edition) at a very reasonable price a couple years ago...and sold it. I tried to play a mock play-through, and I just couldn’t get into it. I love Race for the Galaxy, so maybe I was drawing unfair comparisons. I also didn’t think it would appeal to my husband, whom I play games with. Whenever I hear intense love for Glory to Rome, I wonder if I should have given it another chance. :( Great video!

[@Thesecretcabal]

Thanks Alicia! Happy you enjoyed the list! Yeah, GtR isn’t for everyone I’d imagine. I think it gets better and better with each play, the more you learn the cards. I hope you do give it another go and enjoy it if you can get your hands on it anymore :(

[@kosterix123]

There are lots of combo oriented games.

[@nihlify]

A feast for odin is one my favorites. And I hate that people are scared off by it looking "heavy." If you go by the weight scale on BGG is much easier to learn that most other at the same range. The only thing that makes it heavy is "getting good" might take some time, but actually learning and playing the game is quite easy imo, it's mostly about learning the iconography and the appendix is perfect for all the occupation cards. Still waiting for the expansion to come back in stock where I live... :/

[@AndICanTalk2]

Loved it! Your top 10 and mine has several crossovers. Thanks for the great videos, and podcasts!

[@francescospuntarelli7369]

Drastic influnce from D&D I had too.... not bad idea.... it's like watching Gigax throwing his dices in the futurama episode to see his reaction.... may be pathfinder has a lot of arrows to his quiver but I learnt the English word quiver at an old Dragonlance videogame.

[@charlotteforest6351]

I bougth Leaving Earth after hearing about in in your podcast and it's soooo good!! Thank you, without you I would never have discovered this amazing game :)

[@maischjohannes]

Wow you really caught me with your enthusiasm. I watched the others,but this was the best. Keep on doing the good work! Greetings

[@Thesecretcabal]

Aw thanks so much Johannes! So happy you dug my lists!

[@Mokkel73]

I´ve really been enjoying this series!

[@robbyers9190]

Surprised to see Outlive up there. It seems to really suffer from lack of replay-ability for me. Played it four times and think that there is nothing else there to see. But I will say that Railways is the best train game ever. I love it. Such a great simple system.

[@jordandekleer9847]

I’ve never seen a secret cabal video and man does he not look like I thought he would from how he sounds haha

[@robertaustin6302]

Great list Jamie! Really enjoyed the series. Love ya brother!

[@Thesecretcabal]

Thanks Robert! So happy you enjoyed the list!

[@solodragun]

Discovered your videos from the podcast, and man I have to say that I have never been able to really dig Euro games. But you Jamie have single handedly convinced me to give a couple of them a chance. Mostly I think because I usually agree with you 98% of the time, in contrast to the rest of the gang, when it comes to Ameritrash or more mainstream games. Outlive, for example, has to be one of the coolest themes with the best presentation of any of the Euro games that I frequently see. I am a very visual and theme oriented gamer. If the mechanics of a game suck, I probably won't play it again, but if it isn't visually appealing, I generally won't play it to begin with lol.

[@Thesecretcabal]

Thats awesome! It's totally cool to lean to one side or another but there are so many games out there that bridge the gap between euro and ameritrash games. Fun is fun! Whatever gives you the fun you're looking for is the right game. I'm happy that I helped you discover some!

[@brianlelas172]

Hah, nice #2 :) That knowing look hahaha. Great video series, Jamie!!! Loved it!

[@monomundo]

Thank you Jamie, very interesting list coming right from your heart - I am also of a fan of Leaving Earth and Nemo's War and happy to see them so high on your list.

[@jamiekuryla3940]

Nice Glad everyone is doing one

[@Diabolik771]

Concordia- The Rondel is in the cards! ;)

[@Thesecretcabal]

Interesting! I never thought of that. Wow. Cool observation!

[@dustinfreund5196]

Well done Jamie. Looks like I have to make some more room in my collection. Did you see the new LOTR game just announced by FFG? Looks like it shares some Mansions of Madness elements. Very intrigued.

[@frok42]

Which of the mini expansions for Railways of the World do you recommend? I've recently had the itch to pick those up.

[@stephanerobert3946]

Can’t wait for Chris top 1000 favorite game Live from the vortex.

[@Thesecretcabal]

Stephane Robert HAHAHAHA! Top 1000... now that made me lol.

[@HaviccB]

Railways of the World is my top game still after all these years

[@johnbryce8267]

good call #1. it is the most genius and influential game of all time.

[@jankogo]

Not too shabby, Jamie! Those were some excellent choices. Concordia is a bit similar to Railways if you think about it with all the different maps, tweaked rules and expansions. Love the Salsa expansion and Venus introduces som kind of team game. Concordia is in my top ten euros for sure. Glory to Rome is fantastic. I actually prefer the artwork of the german version Ruhm Fur Rom which is a nicer presentation of the oldest artwork. I really hope the game gets a new version some day.

[@VicInCommentSection]

In regards to Forbidden Stars, what do you mean by "4 DK?" Is that a game type?

[@Thesecretcabal]

I was saying “40k” which is in reference to “Warhammer 40,000”. That’s the intellectual property that Forbidden Stars is set in.

[@VicInCommentSection]

@@Thesecretcabal Oh! Haha, sorry, thanks for the clarification. I've heard of Warhammer at some point, but know next to nothing about it. (I actually thought it was a decades-old computer game.) I'll go look it up on Wikipedia to educate myself. Thanks!

[@Thesecretcabal]

Thats cool, It's a great science fiction setting! It is one of Games Workshops major settings for their sci-fi miniatures games. Fantasy Flight Games had a licensing agreement to make board games with that intellectual property for years. Forbidden Stars was one of the last ones they made before the agreement went away. It has such a rich history with tons of games, books, video games, etc. If you get into it, it's a bottomless pit of lore.

[@danpalmer7676]

Just finished watching your top 50 games and couldn't believe how many i agreed with you about until this last one surprisingly. I then realised i just can't get the same buzz about a game if it doesn't have a board as a base to bring everything together. In particular Leaving Earth.Now i admit i had never heard of it but i just know i would really enjoy it if it incorporated a board somehow. But hey its the designers game and this is your top 50 so who am i to disagree about anything. Going to check out more of your content cos' i like what you have done here.

[@dwarftoken]

Vital Lacerda Just released a Railroads of Portugal scenario

[@imanujakku]

Very diverse top 50 with some hidden gems! It’s a shame forbidden stars will never get more factions like it deserves. I also like mansions 2nd but ffg is pushing it with those msrps and I’ve backed off insta buying every expansion. Outlive is quite fun and actually I was recently I was trying to figure out why the rondel in teotihuacan seemed familiar and I think it shares some dna with outlives rondel. Looking forward to Chris list of 3 mindclash games, rococo and 46 other games :)

[@Thesecretcabal]

Haha, you think Chris can stop at 50 favorites?!

[@imanujakku]

i think so. He seems to (from listening to the podcast)repeat plays of his favorites a lot. Besides I’m guessing you do the editing so you can just cut out the extras :)

[@destrio]

Yay Forbidden Stars! I also love this game

[@outlawlaw]

Great list jamie

[@stowcreek1999]

Have you played Fields of Arle? ... I see FfO is your 07... don’t know how similar they are....

[@SecretCabalJamie]

I actually haven't. The fact that it's only 1-2 players made it one that I passed over in favor of other stuff. I saw that the expansion increases that to 3 which got me interested but I have gotten a chance to try it yet.

[@Traumtheater0]

Great list, Jsmie! Especially liked you have some non mainstream games on there like Nemo and Leaving Earth. And Glory to Rome is ungettable, thx for rubbing it in ;-)

[@chadrobert116]

5e is meh, great list though. Samuel Bailey is working on a new version of Forbidden Star, I can't wait!

[@Skobbolop]

Man Jamie. I really think you should try Innovation again :)

[@spiralsofdanu]

No love for Settlers of Catan?

[@Colderslave]

R.I.P. Forbidden Stars expansion :'(

[@Thesecretcabal]

Tell me about it. Bums me out every time i think about it

[@_The_Rake]

Stronghold not in your top 50?

[@nightmaregiraffe2671]

Jamie really loooovvvveesss games! He makes every game sound like the best game ever made. He can't possibly be getting a kickback from all of them. Can he?

[@Thesecretcabal]

Aw dude, I would never ever take any kinda kickback from a publisher. I think forbidden stars is even the only game on this list that I received as a review copy (and they certainly arent benefiting from this now). But you’re right, I love games. But also, these are my top 10 of all time so I better LOVE them.

[@nightmaregiraffe2671]

@@Thesecretcabal That was sarcasm dude. I know that. I love your passion. I don't have a big enough wallet to handle your recommendations nor do I have the gaming group to take advantage, so I'm a little jealous.

[@Thesecretcabal]

nightmare giraffe Oh that cool man, I figured it was but there is a notion that floats out there that media creators do get kickbacks so when it comes up I take the opportunity to say we don’t :)

[@nightmaregiraffe2671]

@@Thesecretcabal Oh Sweet!!! I just unlocked the insure Jamie replies to all my posts power!

[@kosterix123]

I find it important to know upfront if I'm going to watch a paid advertising or some attempt at unbiased review. I subscribed because of that

[@kosterix123]

All these games take forever. I'm way past that. Even if I could see myself playing these mammoth games, the hassle of getting friends to have that much time, at the same time, is just not worth it. You are privileged, and you don't even realize it.. Will have to satisfy myself with watching your videos. Yes dnd was and is epic.

[@kosterix123]

I could never bring myself to make a top 10. Love 50 of my 100 games. 20 I haven't even played, so number might go up.

[@TylerDeLisle]

Wow, Outlive surprised me, didn't even realize that it wasn't earlier in the list. Knew that you loved it, but had no idea it had broken into your top 10. I need to get it played again real soon. I also ditched those room tiles you mentioned, especially in 2 player, they just suck the fun out of events.

[@Thesecretcabal]

Yeah, Outlive is just gives me a good feeling every time I play it and always want to come back for more. Couldn’t help but put it up there on the list.

[@quetzalcoatl2775]

100 noice...

[@boardgametrucker9376]

Jamie you keep mispronouncing Ian O'Toole... Its pronounced eye-anne oh-tool-lee

[@Thesecretcabal]

Yeh well, without Steve or Tony around to correct me, my pronunciations run amuck.

[@SauerGustavo]

dungeons and dragons is not a game...

[@Flyinghotpocket]

Yeah i hated the 2nd edition mansions. loved the first edition. when the 2nd edition removed the overlord and put in a fucking app. thats when i said nope. I play games to get away from electronics. Not to mention the app was not at all optimized for blackberry 10 os. so total fail on their part.