More Board Game Terms: Explained

[@StefanLopuszanski]

A clarification -- metagaming means any type of outside factor influencing a game. It could be basing your decisions on how a player normally plays games or even what you've heard about how a game plays and playing towards that.

[@fad23]

I'd never used the meta-meta level as described in this video. I'm more in line with the meta as described in this comment.

[@WCSFosterCare]

Along with AP for Analysis Paralysis, we use the acronym TOLT in our group, standing for "taker of long turns"...try it sometime - it's surprisingly fun! ("You tolt!")

[@Radien]

This is very nice recent though I already know most of the terms. One that I wish you'd gone into more detail over is “engine building.” It's kind of a nebulous concept. Might also help to quickly name-drop several game examples for each term, rather than showing just the one. Often that's all it takes to get someone to say “oh!! I've played those before; now I understand what they have in common!”

[@johnbyrne8128]

This was great. Loved the little skits for explaining things!

[@grahamhaslett6943]

I'm really enjoying the dynamic between Tom and Zee more, especially love Toms dry humour, sheeples, the madness must stop.

[@vivaanboden2490]

InstaBlaster

[@EricLucero]

I enjoyed this video series, and i think it will be very useful to new gamers. Two points: 1. Definition of meta-gaming is not really correct. Meta gaming is when players use external knowledge to transcend the given ruleset and formulate their play. For example, in Magic the Gathering, a certain deck design may become very dominant within the local scene. Players in that scene will often then design their own decks to counter that design knowing that it is very likely to face another player using it. Magic players call this playing the meta. Another example is in The Resistance. In our group, it has become pretty much a given that if a spy fails a mission, the spy team will then try to arrange it so that another of their teams runs with that same spy with the understanding that original spy is always the one of the two that throws the fail (to avoid double failing). The spy team will throw that original spy under the bus as the traitor with the other spy now well hidden for the third and final fail. All the regular players know this and so they meta game around it trying to figure out who the original spy wanted to run with to help determine his cohorts. Meta gaming forms with enclosed play groups where strategies and decisions can become more predictable over time. What you guys gave an example of was simply holding a grudge. Under a loose technical definition that may be considered meta gaming in a fashion, but it is not what most people are referring to when they use the term. 1. It's Ameritrash, not Amerithrash. You guys are trying to change the word and not only is that a bit vein, but it's pointless and unnecessary. There is already so much unneeded political correctness in our society. It especially unneeded in board game terminology. You may personally not like the term, but that is the term so you explanation should be about the official term, not pushing your own.

[@clearush]

AmeriTrash/AmeriThrash is more of a choice not a replacement, enough people are using it that its valid. And since they are explaining definitions on the Dicetower and they use that term it is pretty valid, and its not that hard to correlate between the two. (its also vain not vein) But as for Metagaming, they completely got that one wrong, your right with it being an over all concept of game mechanics interaction in CCG or customizable games.

[@EricLucero]

Chance Rushing Thanks for the spell check. :P RE: Ameritrash/Amerithrash. It may not be hard to correlate the two, but they are very much trying to replace the term. The only reason others use it is because they push it.

[@clearush]

Well its not even a year old yet, and of the many podcast I listen to there seems to be a wide acceptance of liking the term better. Plenty people don't like it and don't use it, all personal preference use it or don't doesn't matter either way western society won't collapse over it ;)

[@lastburning]

It's hard for me to hear any difference between the words "trash" and "thrash". Then again English is not my first language and there is no th sound in my native language.

[@Templarkun]

I try to use Amerithrash term. Hope it catch on.

[@stevepruneau6561]

Awesome as usual, I'm a newcomer mostly and I knew some of these terms from watching TableTop and DiceTower videos, but I really appreciate learning more about board games. I'm slowly amassing a good collection. Hopefully I'll be able to find some players soon.

[@wroot_lt]

First video was ok, but wow, second is just classy. And i'm not judging by that Zee is on this episode (which IS a plus). Great work. It's a pity that you will run out of terms too quickly. But then you can switch to tomisms :D

[@Gothbrooks420]

The quality of your product keeps increasing guys! This was very entertaining to watch, and it's interesting to see how the same words mean slightly different things to different people. I LOVE the term amerithrash and use it myself! However, being a metal head, in the past I used the term Amerithrash to describe a very specific sound of thrash metal most notably originating in the Bay Area and Spreading outward in the late 80s. Very different than euro and English bands in the same genre.... Regardless I use it for gaming all the time. Love the recent videos folks.

[@domthompson7992]

LOVE the little role play bits, hope they do more of these style vids, there are certainly enough terms out there

[@MichaelGreene007]

I'm an AP-prone Alpha Gamer, so I'll tell you what you're gonna do on your turn when I'm darn good & ready.

[@psykaholik]

actually the "victory point track" is called "Kramer track", named after Wolfgang Kramer who did it first with his game Top Secret Spies in 1984.

[@jackhartz6630]

It's a Raid! from 1979 had a point track and there probaly earlier games.

[@jankogo]

Great episode! Exactly the follow up I wanted! :) Looking forward to number 3...

[@jokkemartens8065]

These videos are great. Short and to the point.

[@dramajoe]

One small note: you use a very fuzzy, casual definition of metagaming, however the term is most commonly used in competitive gaming to describe a tangible phenomenon which comes into existence when a game allows for asymmetrical strategies which have specific strengths or weaknesses to other strategies -- literally, a game within a game. For example, since I know that control decks are popular in my local MTG metagame, I might decide to play a more aggressive deck as a foil to that strategy, UNLESS I think everyone else will come to that conclusion leading to a metagame shift toward aggro, in which case I might play combo, which is weak to the control decks on the format but smashes the aggro metagame I think might arise, etc.

[@johannesblank1552]

Great video...surprisingly, the reenactment made it more fun to watch

[@justinprice8385]

Great work guys. This video with its examples is a great tool for new gamers!

[@Ulaan-ti9nm]

Oh dear, I am an alpha player... I need to work on that.

[@Ulaan-ti9nm]

And I have A.P...

[@steelchampion]

Ulaan1789 I'm both....

[@theindyjt]

steelchampion "What you should do is...um...hmmm...no, don't go, let me think about this for a minute...."

[@martinkoch8331]

Nice! Sorry, i have to point out the incorrect presentation of deus in the engine building explanation: 1. VP on the barbarians villages must be face up! (the foremost village must have at least 2 tokens on it for there are no tokens with the appropriate denomination!) 2. The presented example is wrong; first you could sell wood for 4 money (bottom card first!) than you could buy 3 resources for 1 money each!

[@jukka-pekkatuominen4540]

Thanks for the video. Now I have a much better understanding on what a Euro Game is. About metagaming I must add that I have always though it's completely different thing. I've though that metagaming a gaming mechanic where you can exploit the game by knowing the mechanics. Perhaps knowing that in every game the first resource is always not needed so you can use that information in your advantage. Also knowing the rule mechanic might make you play the game in certain order just so you won't trigger certain elements until later in the game. This is often used in many computer games. Especially as during the introduction phase the computer's decisions might be less random and easily learned when repeated. And I guess it could be both that metagaming means.

[@jameskyle7943]

In role playing games, metagaming means using player knowledge of the details of the game mechanics to inform the actions of their characters , instead of doing what their character would do. Such as rushing in to attack a goblin , because you know from reading the Monster Manual that it only has an armor class of 13.

[@jeovanyarvelo9127]

Man 6 years later and this is still good content haha

[@modboy84]

Great advice guys! There are some people in my group that are "alpha gamers". Now every time I start a coop game or team game I make sure to clarify that everyone must think for themselves but can openly take advice. That's a tricky hurdle to overcome.

[@DinklySmooth]

Deus cards trigger bottom to top, so you would first buy for 1 and sell for 4, you placed the cards in reverse. Great video! My gaming group has an alpha gamer and an ap player. Lolol

[@JJ_TheGreat]

Money is not necessarily straight out victory points. For example, in 7 Wonders, each 3 coins remaining for a player at the end of a game = 1 victory point.

[@CriticalEatsJapan]

Tom's shirt ---hypnotic

[@Stephen-Fox]

I... Don't think you've defined chit yet in either of these videos, so you might want to do that in your next one considering you used it in this one.

[@Demovamon]

This video was very helpful!! Im glad I watched it! So informative! :)

[@Indubitably14]

I know 99% of terms but after all these years, I know just learned what 4x means. I assumed "4X" was a publisher of heavy strategy games and the name "4X" just happened to stick.

[@MadLadDesigns]

"JUST MAKE A MOOOVEE!... oh, you won..." Had me laughing out loud!:D

[@kellystoller7225]

I really enjoy your videos! Keep up the great work!

[@Haze21449]

This is worth a hundred likes from me... Like that you play out the problems...

[@plouf1969]

You guys are funny. I love the punchline on the part about A.P. :)

[@davekoehnlein4575]

I really enjoyed this! Great job guys :)

[@KAM1138a]

I love the Vignettes.

[@baseboned]

Great video, really enjoyed the example "skits."

[@gastchannel]

Was playing Pandemic with my brothers, we were on the same level of alpha-ness. No one took a turn without the others pitching in, we had a single outbreak on the hardest difficulty before we won. I had a lot of fun! While on the subject, does On The Brink make the game tougher without making it more random?

[@marlenat6089]

Thanks for the video. Last night I was playing games with my sister-in-law and I used the term "meeple," turned out she had never heard the word before. Cracked me up because by the end of the night she started saying "my meeps." (Maybe a had-to-be-there moment)

[@Zaloomination]

I definitely suffer from A.P. when playing my 8 yr old BattleLore 2E. I'm often overwhelmed with the choices by playing different cards and my lore possibilities, and he insists we play with a little timer.

[@BillyColvin]

The Dice Tower Tom, your top board game shelves are a little offset from your bottom ones, about 3/4" or so :)

[@zachjones6258]

He does it in purpose for structural support.

[@AndyVandercoy]

I have a good friend who is fairly new like me into the hobby who metagames all the time and it gets irritating, and I do my share of turtling or if there is a name for it a LEROY Jenkins in order not to AP which I used to do a lot and in coops where I get that look, you know that look!

[@JJ_TheGreat]

Wait... I thought “metagaming” meant a game within a game. For example, in Blue Moon Legends, there is a deckbuilding “game” which can be “played” because you can only build a deck with up to so many moons. Therefore, this deckbuilding is a metagame - a game within a game.

[@jp2jorge]

good acting guys! please make more and invite veryone to participate in the acting.

[@AgentKuo]

Still didn't cover "Rondel" :(

[@Templarkun]

yeap, that the only thing I'm not sure what it is.

[@jokkemartens8065]

Carl Frodge They said they're going to make more. So fingers crossed.

[@AgentKuo]

Jokke Martens maybe it'll become a running gag that they don't do it.

[@justinsmith5582]

Carl Frodge Ya, but no one wants to play rondel games anyways. (I guess Glass Road was alright...)

[@jokkemartens8065]

This is plucked from wiki, which found it somewhere on BGG: "A rondel game is one where a player's choice of actions is limited by their ability to move around the rondel and so are restricted from taking the same action repeatedly. A player is usually able to move farther around the rondel by paying a cost."

[@outlawlaw]

Great video. I liked the skits :D.

[@brianluckus8480]

Examples are fun!

[@FunatticChannel]

Saying that Euro style is fading to Ameri is saying that Ameri style is fading in the opposite direction?

[@dannys_78]

I suspect it's more that there's fewer new games that could be considered "pure" Euro or "pure" Amerit(h)rash - many modern games have elements of both.

[@camipco]

Exactly. The theme vs mechanics trade-off that created the ameri v euro divide is largely a mark of a poorly designed modern game.

[@kustomkure]

Oh, you won

[@TheGrooves]

I wouldn't call Ticket to Ride euro, but other than that, I like it.

[@dregen77]

So the Meeple fever must stop but Amerithrash doesn't? Call Ameritrash Ameritrash please, it's a badge of honor!

[@Wobhead]

What’s the Game at 8:36 used as the programming example?

[@MsGinahidesout]

Thanks! Very helpful

[@thesladeification]

I think of meta gaming more as cheating by using information you shouldn't have from outside of the game to do better at the game. This usually happens in social deduction type games where eg you use rustling you heard at night in werewolf to know that someone is a werewolf. I also use the term in hanabi interchangeably with table talk to mean information that you got from talking about strategy that you wouldn't have had based on solely the game mechanics.

[@shady610]

Id like to see what a broken game means

[@ReitsuMeme]

Rondel!?!?

[@superchee2e]

i like the blue felt

[@josetaylor7354]

Can someone please tell me what the dungeon crawler example was cuz it looks awesome

[@williambrock5975]

Descent: Journeys in the Dark 2nd Edition. It is awesome.

[@jonathandodd7682]

What game is pictured during the "Engine Building" explanation?

[@poncem4]

Looks like Deus.

[@shauku77]

what is munchkining?

[@tenacioustadpole]

this is awesome thanks

[@bencheshire]

9:24 Fortress America?

[@augustinhamza303]

This is so good. :))))))))))

[@MadLadDesigns]

There's no list in the description.

[@thedicetower]

Sorry about that, there is now!

[@JJ_TheGreat]

3:54 Wait a second... what’s an RPG? You didn’t define that before using it... (I even looked further down on the list and you didn’t define it there, either.)

[@denvergoudeau]

you never made more videos like these in the future

[@thegamechangerchannelclass9711]

It is possible to attack Z in Monopoly? WOW! :-)

[@C4Explosion00]

I can attack ANYONE in Monopoly?!?!

[@StefanLopuszanski]

lol. You keep trying to push "Amerithrash" over "Ameritrash" -- Don't think it is going to work though. You probably should have just gone with "Ameritrash" in the title. Also, you might want to explain a brief history behind the words. Like how Ameritrash was a joke term someone used to bash on thematic games, but then was adopted to be a good name for them.

[@davidcurtiswatts2378]

I think that they did in a previous top ten list.

[@dboussios8694]

I don't know what you're talking about. My entire game group (about 20 people) have been using the term consistently. We certainly prefer it to Ameritrash!

[@watcherfox9698]

Part of the reason for these term explanations is so that people will now what they mean when they you them, and since they generally use "amerithrash" it makes sense to include that so long as they also note that "ameritrash" is also used for that. Which they did.

[@RuiMPConde]

What's the term for a player that asks for kingmaking??? Someone that behaves like alpha player but in a competitive game.

[@Pandapeep]

I think the thing that really needs explaining is why you two even still have a copy of monopoly to use as an example.

[@CameraMan9258]

I think it's Monopoly Tropical Tycoon, which Tom actually has favorable opinions of.

[@JJ_TheGreat]

“German style games”

[@FunatticChannel]

Meeple is a fusion of "My" and ".People", not of "Mini" and "People".

[@nandezification]

WHAT THE HELL DOES LEGACY MEAN?! Why everything now has Legacy on it? Seems like a cash grab. Some of the original games are fine without the Leeeeegaceeeeeee!

[@terrysalt]

A legacy game is one where you permanently alter the game in the process of playing it. That might mean putting stickers on things or cutting up cards or writing on things. The idea is that the permanency adds weight to your decisions though obviously it also greatly limits (or eliminates) the replayability of the game.

[@slickis21]

Social deduction games?? Sounds so horrible. You are out, the rest of us are gonna play the game for about an hour. So you can GO HOME, you are deducted from this "game night". BTW i have never played this kind of games but when i hear the name"social deduction games" this is what i think of =)

[@dannys_78]

I think you're confusing deduction and reduction...

[@nerds4knowledge]

***** Actually, slickis21 is mixing up the words deducting and deducing

[@nathanaelrobinson4831]

This video needed Barbara Billingsley to translate the jive talking.