My Top 10 Favorite Cooperative Games with a Struggle Against the AI

[@tonybowers9490]

Thanks for sharing. Great list. We like Marvel Champions:LCG. We like the villain and hero varieties.

[@ryanmorris323]

Thanks so much for these videos. Really helpful for not only discovering new games, but for grasping what they're all about as well. Also, as I try to refine my own game design, very informative as far mechanics of games go. Thanks, Jamey!

[@dougrawald6000]

I heartily recommend you try Horrified. The variability in the puzzle presented by the monsters you face makes each game different. The theme comes through strongly and the differing hero characters provides for another twist to increase replayability. One of our favorite cooperative games in my house! Legends of Andor is worth playing, but can be a lengthy time investment in set-up and gameplay. There is also a strong luck factor as you explore the fog covered tiles, which can be frustrating as you are up against the clock from the game’s progress tracker. Our top five coops where we struggles against an AI: 5. Forbidden Desert 4. Roll for Adventure 3. Horrified 2. Marvel United 1. Marvel Champions LCG

[@jameystegmaier]

Thanks Doug! I'm definitely curious about Horrified.

[@orbesteanu4tsa]

Great remarks and design discussion at the end about Cooperative Games. I love the way you dig into a game's mechanism when you are researching a lot the topic and think about it for a long period of time.

[@PatrickJohner2013]

Oh what a great game Shadows Over Camelot was! A reprint would be fabulous. So unique!

[@THEMarkWelty]

Nemesis! I think it fits pretty well in this category, at least. So much fun! So brutal and so cinematic.

[@TheAlexShowroom]

Great video as always Jamey! One game that wasn't mentioned anywhere and I think you would really like is Black Orchestra - it has an event deck but it can have positive AND negative consequences, plus it is all historically accurate going through the Second World War. It has some fantastic moments due to how the events work, plus other elements such as interrogation cards in prison, and the plot cards which are how you win the game

[@jameystegmaier]

Oh yes! I'll add it to the description, as I have played it a few times and really enjoyed it.

[@BillyIndiana]

There are so many games in this category! Right now my wife & I are playing Sleeping Gods & we are also going through Pandemic Season Zero with our son - really loving both! I love Legends of Andor & my wife loves Horrified (very simple one we've taught to family members who aren't that into games). We also really enjoy Forgotten Waters. We recently picked up Shards (I've only played solo so far), Time Stories & Legacy of Dragonholt, but still need to get them to the table. Great video with great lists!

[@jameystegmaier]

I'm glad you're enjoying those two excellent games! I still need to try Legends of Andor and Horrified.

[@JayBee10]

“[Summit] has a couple of things that elevate it for me.” I see what you did there...

[@Oaklestat]

Good list. I think Aeons End should be in top 10 and Spirit Island is number 1

[@jameystegmaier]

Those games should be in my top 10? Or they're in your top 10?

[@Oaklestat]

@@jameystegmaier if your list was my list, those 2 would be there

[@arturthekingg]

Between this video and the one from last week, excellent lists, thanks for sharing Jamey! One of the things I like the most about your content is that there are plenty of diverse games! It feels really refreshing to be able to quickly learn about lots of games that are not necessarily among the "top ones on BGG". Also on that note, if I may ask: How do you typically play these games? Do you tend to buy them, play a little bit and cycle them with friends/family, or is the other way around, different people that invite you over with different catalogs and so you get to explore many games? Thank you and have a good week Jamey!

[@jameystegmaier]

Thanks Artur! It's typically some combination between me and friends--we do a pretty good job at not overlapping purchases with each other. It also helps that there are so many games available online now.

[@igelkott255]

my favorite coop game is flashpoint fire rescue. The double tension from the spreading fire and the collapsing building is great. There's a huge variety of structures. And I love the pick up and delivery aspect. It's a great game to introduce to non-gamers.

[@twothirdsanexplosive]

It was the second co-op game I bought before I really became a board game hobbyist and coming back to it after all this time is still a ton of fun.

[@jameystegmaier]

That's a fun one! I like playing it with my nieces and nephews--they really enjoy it.

[@benjaminspears8488]

I love this one but I find that over time, with the setup and having to relearn the rules, I’m gravitating to quicker coop games.

[@thomashaire8863]

Viscounts Co-op could be considered for this topic. The overlord moves around the board after each player takes a turn, trying to send out all 20 of his workers. Sometimes he just places a worker, sometimes he uses a card you want, and sometimes he boots your workers out of the castle. You have to prevent the 20 workers from coming out and score 60 points per player to win.

[@twothirdsanexplosive]

For me, non-abstract themes and the conversations about strategy and plan are two of the big reasons I enjoy co-op games. So I prefer these types of games rather than the hidden information kind. Thankfully in my friend group I don't have alpha players nor would I continue to play games with someone like that so not an issue I have to consider.

[@jeffcarrier9808]

Considering how strongly I or community feel about several games fairly "low" on your list, I really need to check out your top 5!

[@benjaminspears8488]

Of course, we have a few other Marvel games that fit in this category like Thanos Rising and the new Marvel United. As a family, we enjoy both of those.

[@JonnyLuscious]

I passed on marvel united cause I dislike the chibi art style, but then after watching some reviews I picked up the core from Walmart and have been loving it (I then went on to throw waaaay too much money at the current kickstarter, because gotta catch 'em all... Or something like that)

[@benjaminspears8488]

@@JonnyLuscious I like it a lot too, but those all-in pledges are a little pricey for me. I like how the different villains change the game up.

[@JonnyLuscious]

@@benjaminspears8488 agreed. I hate the 'sell via kickstarter with exclusives' method of forcing FOMO and I haven't done any previous cmon purchases because of it, but in this case I think i would probably try to get them all individually anyway... And for once I can afford it, so cmon wins this time.

[@bushibayushi]

For the it has always been The Lord of the Rings: LCG and Space Hulk: Death Angel ;)

[@indigosunszenith7485]

I only own a few of these games and several are on my shelf of shame, though I have played Forbidding Desert and it's pretty great. I thought Spirit Island would be a bit higher because from your designs you seem to like asymmetric player powers. It does suffer from sometimes being demoralizing though! I've played quite a few solo games where I've spent an hour or two only to lose terribly (at higher difficulties). I think its game arc is really great though. I'd compare it to rolling a rock up a hill, Sisyphus-style. In the beginning of the game it's very tempting to just do triage but a good player will learn that letting the island get a bit damaged so they can gain power and presence is important. It feels like a truly uphill battle. But if the players have become strong enough, you get the rock to the top of the hill and roll it to the other side, and you start really fighting back. It feels great when you get to that point and notice it! I love the simultaneous power selection, I I think it promotes interesting, strategic table talk. I can see why some people aren't as into it, but it's certainly one of my favorites.

[@axj763]

Troyes actually has a bit of this mechanic when you have to fight the black dice at the start of each round. Love it as well since you can be tactical leaving specific dice behind for your opponents to fight. Obviously not a co-op in any sense but it is an AI of sorts doing bad things to you!

[@shawns3911]

Time stories, big book of madness, set a watch off the top of me head

[@PriusGuy2004]

Great video, Jamey! Have you played Forbidden Island? Would you put it at #5 alongside Forbidden Desert?

[@jameystegmaier]

I have! I think it's a solid game, but I much prefer Forbidden Island and would not put them close on my list.

[@kalega311]

Apologies Jamie, as I haven't watched the full video yet, just your Ambassador Picks and Honorable Mentions, but am eager to ask before I forget - are the non-Honorable Mention games that you have played TOO punishing or TOO ____ (whatever mechanic or reason this genre in general is not your preference) to the point you don't enjoy them, regardless of how good the mechanisms are in your mind? Is it case by case? I'm always interested in player mentality, since me and some of my own co-op buddies weigh difficulty/fairness and design/mechanics (and theme) all differently from each other and we're trying to find that one game that jives perfectly w/ all of us.

[@jameystegmaier]

Good question! The non-honorable mention games are those that fit this category but just aren't games I personally enjoy (even while admiring aspects of their design).

[@kalega311]

@@jameystegmaier I see, thanks for the reply!

[@DaltonKevinM]

Give a choice between the 2, I prefer "co-op" vs. "1 vs all" (e.g. most hidden traitor games), but I've also picked up on an a general disdain for "semi co-op" that almost parallels the disdain most modern tabletop gamers have regarding "roll and move," obviously not for the same reasons. I personally think games that end with "yes, WE beat the game, but I have the most points so I really won," especially with certain themes such as superheroes just don't make sense. But are there any games out there that let players CHOOSE to be a hidden traitor during gameplay?

[@jameystegmaier]

I think Nemesis comes pretty close to that.

[@Muhd_Akmal]

Shards of Infinity is so good

[@DaltonKevinM]

I wish you had included a link to the previous video you mentioned. I'd like to watch it but I can't find it. Edit: Found it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aJSlh2lurrennqM

[@parnovin5800]

What would the list look like in a 2 player perspective?

[@jameystegmaier]

Exactly like this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pqPVh5Jjec2gp5I

[@JasonSmithPsychedelicTherapist]

How can you be as big a game designer as you are and NOT have played Zombicide? Just curious. Is it something that just slipped through the cracks, or is it intentional? (You seem like a very intentional person).

[@jameystegmaier]

I wouldn't call myself a big game designer, but I appreciate that. There are a lot of games to play! :) I play around 100 new games each year, and while I try to play a variety, there are many games that I simply research instead of play. Zombicide is one of them.

[@kevinpjohnston]

Kingdom Death: Monster

[@sethpeterson8261]

So your #1 game of "struggle against the Ai" is a game that doesn't have Ai? At least that's what I got from what you said about it. I haven't played a single game on this list, so now I'm wondering what you mean by Ai as you didn't define it in the beginning of the vid. Seems like you mean it as a more general players-co-op-against-a-game and not actually as the game having some specific mechanism by which it makes decisions like it's an artificial player?

[@Buffalodude1]

Marvel Champions and Gloomhaven not even being honorable mentions!?!?! **TRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGERRRREEEEEDDDD** My two favorite games, but just kidding on the triggered. (Hopefully obviously!) I enjoy these videos, and the discussions!

[@RyuBateson218]

Oh no. This list is not my jam. Shadows is one of most awful game experiences I ever had. The grail track is the most dull design ever. Shards and HP are a lot less interesting then Aeon's End. Pandemic and Forbidden Island kind of play themself once you know the basics and Time Stories is the worst value ever in boardgaming. I'd put LotR LCG, Aeon's End and Spirit Island in my top 3.

[@iNathanLite]

Horrified killed Pandemic for me.