Top 10 Board Games 2024 - David and Jeremy's Picks!

[@TheMacius99]

It's so funny every year: David gravitates towards games I do not and vice versa, yet almost every time when I respect a design of a euro game - he has it on his list, and when I have a dungeon crawler or strategy game on my list - he respects its design. Works like a charm every year ;-)

[@meeple]

I'm happy he is even attempting coop games. I think he can't deny them anymore.

[@NathanBeitler]

David and I have very different tastes in games. I doubt I'd really enjoy many of the games on his list, but I appreciate the exposure to a wide range of games.

[@florjangjolaj4436]

Lovely chat, I love how Jacob sneaks in about 18 other games in his top 10 games list. Those are the best lists bahaha. People always talk about the "reveal" of the aliens as being the main part of the game but I think that's only true for the first few games. The way I see it is that the aliens are a component of random setup, like randomizing a board or starting resources. I don't expect to have 20 aliens in the box to be "wowed" each time, I expect to have the aliens to change the focus, specialization and competition for alien spaces. As for longevity, I would compare this game to Ark Nova or Terraforming Mars (yes expansions in the future will change the replayability) but there are different pathways to focus on. Scanning, landing, moving often, focusing on missions, diversifying, focusing on one alien, focusing on both. It's also just NICE to play a satisfying system! It's like how older people would just smash 20 games of bridge, spades or dominos in a row. That familiarity feels GOOD. I don't always need the "next big thing".

[@chetil]

Great lists! And thanks for the honorable mention to Sparks 🤖⚡️

[@stacie_everdell]

“Is the juice worth the squeeze?” I LOVE that. It’s a perfect analogy. Thank you, David!

[@mkitten13]

Made myself a shortlist of 20 games and did pubmeeple with those, resulting in the following top 10: 1) SETI: Search for Extraterrestial Intelligence 2) Civolution 3) Unconscious Mind 4) Wyrmspan 5) Windmill Valley 6) Castle Combo 7) Saltfjord 8) Let's Go! To Japan 9) Beyond the Horizon 10) Sparks Honourable mentions: Shackleton Base, Minos & Blueprints of Mad King Ludwig

[@btbrewer25]

Great show. Castle Combo and River of Gold were missing for me. Definitely need to give SETI a try. Happy New Year!

[@NathanBays]

Fantastic video! I share a lot of tastes with both of you, especially Jeremy, so really appreciate the video. I actually have Tidal Blades on order and am really looking forward to playing with my 11 year old son, so David’s comment definitely resonated. Thanks for all you do!

[@meeple]

Get ready for my solo list next month.

[@NathanBays]

@ hyped for it already!

[@maxtardif4959]

Thanks for the top 10 guys and happy new year to you!

[@meeple]

Thanks! Happy New Year to you too.

[@jacewilliams7135]

Phoenix New Horizon kind of reminds me of Newton where you go up branching paths to get benefits and ultimately get end game scoring at the end of the path.

[@markbeaulieu411]

Great list. I’ll have to try SETI. Looks good. I think there definitely are games I’d view as perfect for me. Those 4 are Gloomhaven, Ark Nova, Wayfarers of the South Tigris, and Viscounts of the West Kingdom (once you know it, it’s so smooth and has a great solo mode). I need to play White Castle again but that might get a 10 too. Loved my play of it.

[@Socksrule3032]

So glad Jeremy put Draft and Write Records on his list. Such a good game!

[@jamesmorgan1967]

Draft & Write Records is addicting! Seaside is a fun distraction. And, you should play The Magnificient, David! (Definitely want to check out Galileo Galilei, SETI, and Saltfjord.) Good lists!

[@patrickleder8415]

Well Jeremy's sweater game is on point. David I like your sweater too.

[@meeple]

Thanks, but it doesn't hold a candle (or radioactive wax stick) to Jeremy's. 😄

[@HardlyDOTA]

I haven’t played SETI so I can’t comment (I have it on order). But I know what you are saying. Nucleum is a perfect game.

[@maximilienmaximilien9871]

Bomb busters is great with 2. It feels like a 3 player game, but with 2 captains. Each mission has specific 2 player setup , which generally makes it harder to compensate for the two stands each player has.

[@boardgamersteph]

Love me some Fateforge!! So happy to see Bomb Busters on the list. Great list, guys! Some I still need to check out!

[@meeple]

It deserves a place amongst the best this year.

[@boardgamersteph]

@@meeple absolutely

[@jmlitwiller]

This was the most enjoyable top 10 list I think I've ever watched. You guys are hilarious

[@meeple]

Thank you. I think i throw David off his game every time we make content together.

[@barrywelling3868]

I LOVE Agemonia. It's been a solid game, and I look forward to the new content.

[@oslohund]

Life of the Amazonia is fantastic. Must play.

[@tonybowers9490]

Thanks for sharing. SETI and A/E in a lot of top lists.

[@slysof6436]

Great video! Thanks. This year, I find a lot of games in David and Emily’s list that I’m excited for or already own (and enjoy). Will Primal the awakening be available in retail?

[@jhowd78]

Straight from their store only

[@Kojimalosophy]

I played Galileo Galilei at the Dallas winter BGG con, masterpiece 👌, a very good medium weight game, yet a good introductory game as well, hate to have to wait till june 2025 to get here in the US 😮‍💨

[@meeple]

I agree, it's a great one!

[@Walt80]

REVIVE is a beast of a game. Highly underrated and IMHO better then the DUNES thought they get all the attention 😢

[@ChrisCypher]

Interesting you compare the two. Do you feel they're similar at all mechanically?

[@realdealastrology9]

LOTR Duel has a brilliant fan-made solo variant. It will even be incorporated into a future expansion.

[@TheGunslinger019]

The complaint I hear about SETI lately is how much game there is in it before it feels samey. Maybe all the alien combinations are not enough to have a staying power.

[@jamielehn6926]

I loved Endeavor age of Sail - and deep sea is different enough to keep and love them both. I think AOS is still a little bit higher for me (I prefer seeing everything from the get go) but DS is high for my top 24 games too 😊

[@meeple]

fair

[@bart402]

Life of the Amazonia is an amazing game!

[@meeple]

David may have, but for me this one seems more attractive.

[@Kojimalosophy]

a perfect game? ... obsession WITH downstairs & upstairs, and Wessex expansions) ... Dune Uprising with rise of IX added in, Heat Pedal to the Metal, Patchwork, 7 wonders Duel WITH Pantheon and Agora expansions added in.

[@justanerd1138]

Whole video was worth it just for the bad joke and zoom in. Made me laugh.

[@armstronghawkins9183]

It's not the game I want to play the most, but Gai Project feels perfect

[@deemich1815]

How’s the solo mode of Saltfjord?

[@MrTravolta7]

Have you played Shackleton Base?

[@Kojimalosophy]

ufff...I played Shackleton base at Dallas BGG con, hated it! it was very on the "I'd rather play something else" category

[@meeple]

Read the rules and immediately sold it..Jeremy

[@tbrick4756]

Just curious, how many games did you guys play in 2024? Just curious how many you had to whittle down to the top 10.

[@jhowd78]

Without having exact numbers I would say just under 200. I play a couple games a week plus campaign games. I start with about 40 games and I consider two lists. One for top 10 one for top 10 solo coop. It's probably a bigger list than that to start out with but I spent a couple hours of thinking it through. Recording is the fun part..

[@tbrick4756]

@@jhowd78wow that is impressive. Hat off to you then!

[@jhowd78]

@tbrick4756 I was thinking about on the drive to pick my son up. I play too many new games

[@Sreehammer]

How would you compare agemonia and tidal blades 2?

[@meeple]

I wouldn't compare them at all. One is a bit more heavy upkeep and teardown. The other is a blend of card play and a little lighter on the reading aspect. I could honestly go on and on about both.

[@Sreehammer]

@@meeple Which one is heavier on upkeep/teardown?

[@Mussar523]

Thank you for the interesting content! I would have though one of you would have picked Slay The Spire?

[@jhowd78]

It was an almost. Sooo0oo close

[@Mussar523]

@@jhowd78 Thank you!

[@patrickwindisch5460]

For getting near perfection SETI needs asymmetric leaders (e.g. 3 data, tech, 7 fame,...at beginning), more alien species and more cards. Perfect games are TfM with Prelude 1/2 and Brass Birmingham for me. Still enjoy SETI a lot, favourite game of the year.

[@meeple]

basically, to me, you said I want more Seti. That's where we're at, I WANT MORE NOW. I felt this way about Arnak and I feel this even more for this title at this time.

[@patrickwindisch5460]

@meeple You are right about that - got the feeling I have seen everything. There are no new species, cards, techs that I haven't already seen - so it is all about combining things in different ways but the discovery aspect is gone. I am pretty sure new stuff will come but I am afraid of how long this new stuff will satisfy my needs. Nevertheless a highlight.

[@emileenh]

What number would creature caravan be?

[@barrywelling3868]

Perfect for me is Trickerion

[@Ian-R-Wilz]

I will play Draft & Write record with you on BGA. I constantly have games going with other content creators (I run a small channel).

[@lasocietedesjeux]

Wow, seaside… thanks ;)

[@meeple]

I keep hearing about this game too...surprised me with that one David

[@starshadow8857]

What is the criteria? Is it only games that came out in 2024?

[@meeple]

Basically 2024 games....go. I try not to share games that aren't readily available, but I can't help that. I have the advantage of attending Essen and all the cons. It's always a tough call.

[@Frankzoar]

Primal is SICK!

[@Abe_1861]

LOL. Juice worth the squeeze! I had never heard of this before. Thank you Jeremy for calling out David on his age. PERFECTION.

[@barrywelling3868]

I use that phrase all the time, but then, I am also David's age

[@meeple]

I make fun of him almost every time he says that.

[@Abe_1861]

@ Good man 👍

[@barrywelling3868]

I bid thee youth, tarry not upon mine garden!

[@HarryBuddhaPalm]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/bHrLfWR4ea1or7s

[@jcw59able]

Stunned Primal is not on Jeremy’s list given his initial hype. Those other games must be really good and I know a few of them are

[@boxfarts3847]

I was a little shocked as well. I expected to see it in his top 3.

[@jhowd78]

Stay tuned...I saved it for something separate

[@koalabrownie]

What a sweater!

[@ginovilleneuve6557]

Thanks for the great list and great presentation. I'll sure get BombBuster!

[@meeple]

Thanks for watching.

[@jacobjslee]

I feel that reviewers who make a top 10 list should state up front which new releases they actually played this year. Did Jeremy get to play Saltfjord? Did you only play 15 new games total? Questions come up that and then we realize different lists are not comparable. I only played ten new games this year and Invincible was one of them so, of course, I'd have to put Invincible on my top 10 list. That doesn't necessarily mean it's a good game, though (I do like it), but if I didn't like it and I didn't tell you how many new games I played this year, I would be misleading you by putting it on my list: "The 7th best 2024 game I played this year was Invincible!! And I only disliked four 2024 releases!"

[@meeple]

I don't keep BGG stats but I play between 100 to 200 games a year and a campaign game about every other month on the solo front. I also played Saltfjord but it wasn't on my top 10, David liked it that much. If you played 10 new games you can still make content. You would have to get creative with the title like 2024 game recommendations versus making up a top 10 just to do it. I make content I want to make and I don't force anything, especially my opinion. I make a list of about 20 to 30 games during the year and widdle it down. This is content creator life in a nutshell. It takes time...and playing.

[@jacobjslee]

@@meeple I watch your channel, so I have no doubt you play a significant number of games. But I would bet most content creators do not play as many as you or even half as many as you, but you can do a quick search and see that nobody will mention how many they play so they're counting on people to assume they play a lot. One reviewer who I've watched said they played 83 new titles. That's fair. I have no judgement on how many people play just how they promote themselves. A different reviewer dodged my question, so I suspect they didn't play many, but they didn't say their video was a "recommendations" video - it was a "top 10 games of 2024" video. It's a little misleading. Now I have zero desire to make my own videos. I'm happy to watch others.

[@andymcguire237]

No one ever acknowledges that some of these "2024 games" are only 2024 games overseas and not in the USA (which is relevant to an American game channel.) Galileo and Saltfjord won't be available until next year.

[@meeple]

As someone who travels during the year it would be weird to also not acknowledge games I have played. In sharing my opinion on games and not trying to make you buy stuff. I always consider if the games are able to be purchased and rarely do they dominate my list. I think it helps people recognize titles that are upcoming too. Thanks for watching..Jeremy

[@Kojimalosophy]

you guys haven't playe Life of the Amazonia!? 😮 ... it's a gamers version of cascadia, don't get me wrong, I love cascadia, but now that has become more of an introductory game for non-gamers, where as Life of the Amazonia really gets your gears turning 👌

[@PastorDanplaysboardgames]

Sorry civolution do you have to use AI or app to play the game?

[@djoj20]

I think the AI is only for the solo mode

[@PastorDanplaysboardgames]

@ ok awesome I get scared away by app or ai. The game looks good.

[@meeple]

no app. Just a damn good time with a little initial clunky rules.

[@PastorDanplaysboardgames]

@@meeple thanks for getting back to me.

[@matissmatiss3126]

How about seti for 2p ? There was review from no pun included, where 1/5 aliens breaks 2p game score

[@nededdardroble533]

🎄🎁💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚🎁🎄

[@PastorDanplaysboardgames]

Do you have to use AI or app to play this game?

[@bhelmore1]

Surprised Endeavor: Deep Sea was so high on Jeremy's list. It fell completely flat with me. I played solo a handful of times and it felt so "meh" that I gave it away. I just didn't care about my choices and never felt invested/engaged.

[@jamielehn6926]

It’s a different game with higher player count. A lot more comes out. Solo is a tight efficiency puzzle and can be really hard to meet the objectives.

[@heathwashburn194]

Better multiplayer and competitive imo. I think it's great.

[@jhowd78]

This wasn't about solo mode exclusively.

[@bhelmore1]

I wondered if I was missing out because I hadn't played multiplayer...

[@meeple]

solo list coming next month!

[@PastorDanplaysboardgames]

Do you have to use AI or app to play this game?

[@lystic9392]

To play Fateforge? I think so. It's very well done, though.

[@PastorDanplaysboardgames]

@ no sorry I forgot to add the game name civolution