Stop Buying New Games. Really.

[@chuckallen7384]

While I do enjoy your coverage and reviews of new games, I appreciate these “real talk” videos much more. These videos are realistic with practical advice. I don’t like all of the games you personally love, but I find myself always respecting your opinion about them and the hobby as a whole. Thank you.

[@FemmeSensei]

On one hand, it's really counter-productive for Alex, on the other hand I respect the living heck out of his willingness to have the integrity to put out videos like this!

[@chuckallen7384]

@@FemmeSensei I agree wholeheartedly with you. It’s because of this type of content I easily suggest to others BoardGameCo as a go-to source of board game news, reviews, and introspection.

[@zoopzoooom]

It’s actually this type of “tough love” that drew me into his channel, then i stayed for the his reviews. It wasn’t until much later that i figured out BoardGameCo was the same name of the store, duh! So i totally agree with everyone here.

[@danielscheri6589]

Alex, this is a perfectly timed video. Thank you! Recently, I discovered (or became self aware) that I don’t have a ton of time to board game, yet I have maybe 10-15 incoming KS arriving over the next 6-18 months. And I keep pledging. And I have PLENTY of games I either haven’t played yet or want to play more of. About a week ago, I stopped. I cancelled my Tamashii pledge. I cancelled my Jurassic Park Legacy pledge. Thanks for trying to help those of us who have a problem with FOMO or just wanting to collect them all.

[@BoardGameCo]

Happy to help Daniel :)

[@VincentBalmont]

i got tamashii but i cancelled darkest doom, though i like the look of it i cant see my self playing it over other games

[@dave0754]

"Let games settle first" is probably the best purchasing advice I have ever heard and I really need to follow it. Also, I need to stop with kickstarters. All the ones I have backed have ended up being ok at best and their resale value is very low outside from the blockbusters.

[@Tackleberry666]

Own about 49 boardgames. About 10 of them haven't even touched. 10 only played solo. When hosting a bg evening my friends tend to lean the ones to know and not willing to learn new rules etc. Understandable

[@williamblack6912]

Since I reached a good base collection the urge to get the new stuff has certainly died down. It usually gets to theme and mechanics, do I have something similar. But sometimes I still loose control and back something like darkest dungeon or harakiri. The only point I don't agree is that good games get reprints, some great games didn't get a reprint in ages like shadows over camelot.

[@lyth7745]

Your “cult of the now” segments really do help give perspective to the myriad of great games available available right now rather that having to wait a year and pay a premium for unproven kickstarter games. And sometimes it’s best for us to take a step back and appreciate all that we have already. Thank you as always for the great content and hope you have a wonderful day

[@BoardGameCo]

Appreciate it, you as well.

[@jedisparky]

This is by far the best subject you have broached on your channel. Thanks. Ive bought 10 games already this year, and 5 more Kickstarters yet to come this year and Ive decided I'm done for a LONG time. Ive got enough games recently that I can enjoy for YEARS!! So I will. And that's plenty for now. Again, great topic and well explained.

[@sethwinslow]

I’d love to see a “top 3 from 3 years ago video that we still play/talk about” type video series.

[@BoardGameCo]

I do these from time to time but I'm down for another.

[@sethwinslow]

@@BoardGameCo I know this is contrary to the theme of this video, but what are your thoughts on Golem? I’m interested in it for obvious reasons. I remember you did a short thing on it a year ago, but nothing since.

[@coreymayo8321]

Quoting someone I heard on a podcast years ago: "By definition, half of the games on Kickstarter are below average."

[@BoardGameCo]

Lol 100% that

[@aaronleon8098]

I admit to having the issues you discuss about new games. I get excited by hearing others discuss how amazing it is (including you). Something that has helped temper my addiction is watching the "How to play" videos. If they seem too complicated, I am out. It has helped with several games I was on the fence about.

[@330nate]

I feel like there’s a deeper psychology here that stretches way beyond board games. But it’s spot on

[@BoardGameCo]

💯

[@adrianhill3797]

There's definitely a board game buying addiction within our hobby. Some Facebook pages i'm in have people who post new arrivals on a weekly basis and I always think 'how could they possibly have time to learn and play AND enjoy all of these games'. I pretty much only buy 2 games a year and play them over and over. I also sell games that I haven't played for years (unless they are my favourites).

[@JohnBrown-wk4io]

WOW that is one thing that is always amazing about your vids. You will make recommendations that could negatively impact your viewership, your vid on slowing down unnecessary buying that included cutting out watching game review vids, & now this one that recommends the value of waiting to buy a game. Rare to find that sort of honesty. Love it.

[@FemmeSensei]

Considering your avocation pursuit relies on folks following new games and cult-of-the-new chasing, or crowdfunding research, your willingness and integrity to put a video like this out there, is simply incredible. Hats off to you friend, you're next level.

[@cfosburg]

This is what I tell my dad. If you only look at the ‘games of the year’ (dice Tower awards, golden geek, etc…)from the previous year, you will be left with nothing but amazing choices.

[@BoardGameCo]

Yes!

[@kimberlycarter369]

Disagree. I have some amazing games that I backed that where a fraction of the price of those “amazing choices” and, they only saw a small print run of 100 or 200 copies. These games not only gave me a similar experience but, did it better.

[@cfosburg]

@@kimberlycarter369 good for you! ☺️

[@billable1861]

@@kimberlycarter369 can you give me some examples id like to look into the ones you have a high opinion of

[@morpheus587]

@@kimberlycarter369 what games?

[@jamierufe]

My key principle for exploring new games and enjoying favorites in my collection is keeping my collection size to 40 max (and I’m even thinking of lowering to 30). With such a tight constraint, it takes a LOT for a game to pass muster, in other words, it has to be special and great. At the same time, it gives me the freedom to explore and take a risk on a newer unproven game. If it’s just okay or nor what I was expecting, I can always sell it. On the other hand, If I discover a new favorite, then another tough cull will need to be made.

[@larrye]

I was about to say something similar to this, but my number is 100. I've gotten to the point where I'm actually getting rid of really good games to keep the number under 100.

[@grog3514]

What are the top 10 games you own?

[@jamierufe]

Spirit Island, Codex, Radlands, Argent: The Consortium, Puzzle Strike, Tak, Zendo, On Mars, Mottainai The Great Zimbabwe

[@brookxiaofengxiong8473]

40? I keep my game collection numbers under 10

[@JustACuteFox]

The "stop buying games" message is one I have been sending to my peers for some time now. It is good that there are people willing to stand up to the notion of "stop telling people how to enjoy things", because some people truly need that. There's actually many reasons for this beyond the economic one: 1. Unhealthy pattern of behavior. Stop "collecting" things. Stop associating pleasure with the purchase of games, or anything for that matter. Everything has a purpose, and that purpose is not "to be purchased". The purpose of games is to be played. If your unplayed games shelf is 10s or more deep, you have messed up. Accept that, start selling games, and adjust the pattern of behavior. Play your games. Play them more than once. More than twice. Play them 50 times. A 100 times. If the game doesn't hold up to that, sell it! There are plenty that do. 2. "Cult of the new" exhaustion. The worst part about people that uncontrollably purchase games is that it is not only *their* problem. It is a problem that they inflict upon all of their fellow gamers. This can't be overstated. Even having one person in a group with an unending supply of unplayed games is awful. Every time that person shows up, they are pushing a new game so that they can get the 'played once' checkbox before moving to the next one. When people are first getting into the hobby, this can feel really fun. Ooo and awe at all the new-to-you mechanisms and designs. But eventually, inevitably, you hit a mental wall. Learning new game after new game after new game is truly exhausting. The games start to lose their meaning. They begin to feel like more of a chore than a joy. Anxiety over engaging with games at all starts to develop. And it starts to feel bad when the rare chance comes up that you want to play a new game, yourself, because you don't want to add to the problem. Now imagine when "that person" is 80+% of all gamers in a group. It's dizzying. Experience the magic and joy of bringing out a game that the entire group knows, can set up together, and immediately just begin playing. Be the person that brings the same exact small stack of games to every. single. gaming. meet. There are no perfect games. Stop looking. Find the one(s) that you truly love, and embrace them wholeheartedly.

[@thomgizziz]

Bad hot take. If people want to collect games that is their prerogative and not your place to tell them not to. Can you not tell others no? You are over opinionated here and in real life you must be a pushover. You aren't talking about general problems you are talking about your own problems. Your first issue with people collecting seems to be jealousy and the second is that you seem to be spineless. Take some responsibility and control in your own life and you won't have to come to the internet to complain about non-issues.

[@JustACuteFox]

@@thomgizziz I'll stick to encouraging people to be better, thanks. Nothing else you stated here makes any sense in the context of my post and just comes off as a defensive, petty personal attack.

[@robertbouley7697]

I agree with a lot of #2. It’s a principle/poison that is running wild in many areas of society #1 overextends. Each person is responsible for assessing their enjoyment. I will never understand collecting sports memorabilia, but I wouldn’t presume to tell someone how many minutes a week they should look at someone’s jersey before adding to their collection. However, I do appreciate your sentiment to help others examine their habits.

[@JustACuteFox]

@@robertbouley7697 Guilt is a good thing, in proper doses! People have become so averse to it that they will perform all manner of mental gymnastics to not experience it. I maintain that accountability is something that we should have more of -- not less. Outside of the extremely rare event that someone was performing the duties of an archivist whose goal was to maintain a living record of important/rare/all board games, I would recommend anyone else to not hoard them. Board games are for playing. Their enjoyment is not attached to their purchase or ownership. If you attach enjoyment to their purchase or ownership, you are doing it wrong and should stop. I will happily be the person to tell people that. If it helps even a single person to cease contributing to the problems that I originally cited, I will consider my efforts a success.

[@robertbouley7697]

@@JustACuteFox So now you’re beginning to stray. Where is guilt stemming from, and why would you think I’m adverse to it? “If you attach enjoyment to their purchase or ownership, you are doing it wrong and should stop.” Absolutely not. You’re recommendation is only helpful if they’re NOT enjoying their games with this method. Your presumption here only allows for games to be experienced your way. If everyone lived in the same subjective world that would work, but we don’t. I sleeve my cards, but I’m not daft enough to say that everyone else has to. You can offer this thought as a lens for self-exploration, but not much else. I would also advise you not to paint the message with this (thin) coat of self-righteousness that you present. You will reach more people who could benefit from the idea.

[@stuck804]

Great video! This is the number one advice I tell friends. Not too mention, my collection is always open to friends and family.

[@BoardGameCo]

Thanks Scott.

[@bobcattom5997]

I think these are the types of videos that make your channel unique from all the rest. It's refreshing to have someone who has been in the hobby for some time give advice (based on experience over years of collecting and playing games) on how to manage a collection. Discovering your channel almost 2 years ago has helped me employ strategies to cull a sizeable portion of my collection and think more critically about what I add to it. All that to say, great video! I always enjoy these ones.

[@DaleNolanJr]

For those who want to try everything, I suggest finding a place that will allow you to rent most games, or use games in the store.

[@thenerdgirl1]

I notice that I've really slowed down on acquisitions this year. I think, do I want to play this new game more than something I already own and love and don't get to play enough of? And then I don't buy it. I have so many I love I don't get to play because I have newer stuff I haven't played yet that I feel obligated to play instead. A smaller collection gets to be more loved and it's really inspiring me to strip my collection in half.

[@BoardGameCo]

Nice, happy for you

[@thegreenyamo1995]

I stopped backing games after CMON's MOTU KS. I have so many big campaign games that are coming still from the COVID delays. I just have too much and simply don't need anymore. I may only back future KS stuff if they are expansions or add-ons to something I already have. I simply lack the time to even play what I have.

[@GingerNinjaNicko]

Just want to express my gratitude for this video. I'm struggling with spending to deal with hard times and hopefully this advice will stay in my mind to help me regain control. Thank you.

[@smoothrivera1928]

A video like this is one of the reasons that this channel has quickly become one of the most trusted places for board game news, reviews, and advice. Alex, you continue to prove that you’re not here just for the views, but you actually care for the community you’ve established. The pull toward the “new” is real and can cause discontent with games we already have that are great, not to mention the financial burden Kickstarter can cause! Thank you for speaking out about this. Self control is a lost discipline but is so key to foster contentment and ultimately deeper enjoyment with what a person already has.

[@petergross7235]

I love it when you do these videos Alex. Thanks for the good suggestions. The filter is a really nice tool on BGG.

[@BoardGameCo]

Thanks Peter :)

[@alholm6470]

The problem is when I finally watch a older review and find a game I want, it's used and costs $300

[@BoardGameCo]

ya....that can happen. I still find it's far more the exception.

[@irish1108inf]

great recommendations... i fell into the trap of "having" to buy.. afraid of missing out of an opportunity.. yet... have dozens of games that i've never played

[@BoardGameCo]

Yep, happens every time

[@christianbank393]

Another reason to wait out the hype of a game is that you can usually get a newer edition without any errata. I was waiting to get GWT and then they announced the second edition. I'm glad I waited for that one.

[@BoooVHW]

Nice video. I like to pledge on KS but sometimes its better to follow those project until near the end and pledge for $1 to get into pledge manager and have some more time to think before choose to full pledge it base with or without add-on. It’s still better to lose those $1 rather than regret for pledging too much games with full payments. It also help to maintain your budget for a few month to choose which KS that really you want to get. Secondly if you have play group of friends that also buying board games, sometimes it better not to buy the same games as they have. Except if you love it and willingly to play with other group or you want to solo those games, you might consider to buy it.

[@tmorganriley]

I do this, and consider it like buying an option (as used in the business sense) on the game. I've found that the $1 is worth it to salve my FOMO on those I really want, and in about 3/4 of the time, when the pledge manager arrives I choose to pass. And actually feel better from the choice to pass than to have lost $1.

[@ChromaTick360]

It's been interesting to me to see how boardgaming has changed through the decades. Back before the internet things like this were almost never an issue. You would only buy games that you heard about by word of mouth or that the FLGS would recommend to you. You might occasionally buy something at the store on a whim, but there was none of the FOMO of Kickstarter/Gamefound, BGG, content creators, etc. pushing all the newest games 24/7. I may not always agree with your taste in games (although it's pretty close to mine), but I always appreciate these practical approaches to boardgame purchasing that you bring to the channel. I think videos like this are especially valuable to newer boardgamers getting into the hobby.

[@TheLivingTed42]

Just stumbled on to this video, and I just wanted to say thanks. I had an idea that was sending me down a huge dark hole and would have required me to buy TONs of board games. This has help me reset, redirect, and figure out a better way. So I just wanted to say Thanks.

[@subalru]

"Good game will come back !" That's the best thing to remember as a buyer. Thanks to make this statement as a youtuber👏🏼 I was watching you're channel for a long time... you'dd make me subscribe for this video and point of view. 🗣

[@Michael.Virtus]

Great video as usual. I have a very strict filters for my board games. Based on theme, art, engine, type, etc. And that definitely helps me keep it reasonable. Actually that makes me not even being a proper board gamer. Because my collection is pretty small compared to many others. And the games are very specific, so I am not going for a wide spectrum of games. The urge for new stuff is still there tho. But I am fighting myself.

[@BoardGameCo]

Thanks, and good luck!

[@man2plus]

Buying games or anything is just a path of self-learning. Eventually a person will stop chasing new things, just sooner or later.

[@svachalek]

I think any kind of artistic experience, like music or books or movies, depends at least somewhat on what you put into it as the listener or reader or viewer. Some more than others, for example books require more from us than movies. Board games are already on the highest end and demand a lot from us as consumers but then they also usually need us to add more people to it too! So, it’s hard to put a number on it but let’s say bringing yourself and your friends and your board game to the table, you’re only able to change 1/3 of the experience by bringing in a new game. That said it’s definitely fun and worthwhile to change up the game. But I think a lot of “us” (ok me) focus too much on trying to find that perfect game when really there may be more gains in learning more about the games we have or simply finding more time to play.

[@dannygosselin2875]

Wow what a good video! Thank you so much. I've been really into gaming this past year and I realize that it can be really addictive. At the beginning of the year, I told a friend that I had bought enough games for the year and that I would try to wait another year before buying more. Then, I just kickstarted my first two games 🤦‍♂️.

[@BoardGameCo]

That sounds like a normal week :)

[@joeferreti9442]

With the overflow of new game releases I think we all have to become more critical about the games in order to keep the number of games we purchase in a reasonable range. 100 ratings is not enough. 100 people might just be the circle around the designers and the publishing company. A few years ago somebody told me 800-1000 ratings is minimum for a reliable rating. Nowadays I think we should use 1000 as minimum if not more.

[@BoardGameCo]

I'm fine with less than that, but I also support setting whatever filters you want to limit the options.

[@gabrielm.k.8094]

A very complicated discussion to have, but a necessary one. Great content!

[@BoardGameCo]

Thanks Gabriel.

[@successfulgeek]

Love this video! I've slowed way down on buying and it is very freeing and more fun. But sometimes getting new shiny is still fun too.

[@Cemaran01]

The only thing I would add is to even wait on Kickstarters. I very rarely back a kickstarter for a first time game (a whopping 1 so far - maybe soon 2 if you'll count Sleeping Gods: Distant Skies). My kickstarter rule is: If the game is THAT GOOD, it will: 1. Be kickstarted again (potentially with an expansion or two), 2. Be available in retail or 3. You will find a copy on the secondary market. Yes, you might have to spend more money on that specific game but you will save so much more by not kickstarting tons of games.

[@jamesalexander8908]

Great video! And I’ve been very pulled in by your videos about “The Cult of the New.” I would love to see videos about games you have seen that had a lot of hype but significantly seemed to lose value after they “settled” for a year or two.

[@sherlockhomeless7138]

This is so true. I was very excited about Great western trail and I bought it three years ago. But I still haven't played it. And it's not the only game... I do think I'm going to play it at some point. But like you said.. if you play it a few times.. then each play costs you around 20 dollars. That's not what you want when you spend money on your hobby. I did actually pick up a big box of Istanbul not too long ago for a great deal. The base game and two expansions. So yeah, waiting and then buying a big box is a good strategy as well.

[@BoardGameCo]

Istanbul is great!

[@kylemoore7746]

True, I'm taking a little break from crowdfunding. I'm going to focus on the ripe, long standing game known as Bardsung since I have it now. Did you get yours yet??

[@petergallai469]

Thank you for constantly raising awareness regarding this problem in the board gaming space :)

[@BoardGameCo]

Absolutely :)

[@beornthebear9023]

Last year I started setting some filters and it has resulted in buying much fewer average games. I back 5 Kickstarters a year. And then I have a month budget of about 50. And then I participate in math trades, local trades etc. ends up being around 30-40 new to me games a year and that has been a more manageable number than in the past.

[@kumanight]

Lately I've made an effort to buy games at retail more. To help, I've changed my backing habits to only pledge $1. My hope was that this would help me fight fomo/hype and its been working but not as well as I'd like. Fighting the Kickstarter addiction is hard.

[@briwindau4861]

I feel like this video needs a companion video with tips and general advice about when to support a Kickstarter board game. Things like supporting developers you respect, supporting projects that are less likely to get to retail, etc.

[@BoardGameCo]

Noted ;)

[@joetrotta9211]

I don't usually comment on videos, but I have to say this really stuck a chord with me. Kudos to you sir, great video, great advice. I watch a lot of KZbin videos on board games and for me it is important that I trust the reviewer (even though I can often disagree with that reviewer) and that the reviews are carried out and presented in good faith.On that note, I don't always agree with your reviews, but I trust them, and that's important. I haven't read though the comments, but worth mentioning on this topic is that, depending on where you live, you can sometimes test a game before you buy it - there are a lot of gaming groups out there and your flgs will usually have a game night and there may be a game there that you can borrow for the evening, or someone else attending may have a game you are curious about (maybe not an option with KS and GF stuff, but still). Thanks again and keep up the good work!

[@anthonystahl4877]

Videos like this is what drew me in to watching BoardGameCo. I really dig the perspective and advice on taking a systematic approach to acquiring new games. I've started using the filter system after watching some of your earlier video series on keeping a lean collection. Now, I look forward to simply upgrading my games with deluxe components versus buying the latest greatest. Only one game on my list this year: the reprint of Obsession!

[@bryanwinston8820]

I really love yoru channel, but this is by far my favorite video of yours I've seen. Actually my favorite non how to play or play through video of all time. I've been a 1 in 1 out guy for a while and it means I walk away from stuff that wouldn't have been a good fit for me, Thanks man.

[@nightwolf55555]

One of my big reasons to say yes or no to a game is how many people they play for. That lowers my pool quite a bit. Do you play games with a solo mode? Do you need up to 6 players because you have a large group of friends? Do you only by 2 player games because it's just you and your bestie?

[@Copterman]

I’ve been working to bling out / finish the 10-15 games I enjoy playing before getting something new.

[@roofrecordz]

My taboo is im not buying the games where is dice rolling or any dice activity, also my group doesn't play cooperatives, that allows me to pass 65% of most expensive KS campaigns. Then i apply all other filters like art, price point and is there anything new in this game, but still end up with 2-3 backed campaigns per month.

[@PurifyWithLight]

I back one game a year. Thats my filter. Last year was Hero Quest. This year is He-Man. Passing on Marvel Zombies was really hard.

[@BoardGameCo]

Nice, excellent self control

[@JoshOBryan]

My problem is that alot of the games that are hits sometimes don't get reprinted for a while so then I'm sitting for a couple of years listening about them.

[@kimberlycarter369]

Agree to a point. Some smaller print run games will most likely never see a reprint. These games will rarely show up on places like eBay and, when they do you will pay a premium. Other more popular games you will pick up at cost or cheaper. And overly produced games, well you can usually get the game itself along with expansions in bundles for half the price. Predicting these things is the gamble, sure sometimes it obvious, but... well you get it.

[@blacktablegaming5481]

Alex I needed this video. Thank you for this. Your one of my favourite reviewers likely the top. I did this with Nightmare Cathedral I watched your video on it and backed it right away. Immediately thanks to a good friend re-evaluated and cancelled it. I have so many games and have so many backed games coming soon. “Let it settle” great advice. Appreciate you. -Mike

[@Boardgamegyrl]

I’ve learned that I don’t like worker placement games in general so now I’ve got about 40 games to sell. This is helping me focus my purchases on games that I will actually play. I still struggle on letting go of a few games worth a lot of money, even though I never play them like Big Boss by Wolfgang Kramer. Why? I still haven’t figured it out. I need to let go….

[@ambierona]

With pretty much everything I get, I usually put it on my wishlist first and then wait a while to see if I still want/need it. My mom taught us when we were little by telling us we had to wait a week to see if we still wanted whatever toy we saw a commercial for at that moment. And usually we would forget about it. With board games, nowadays a lot of times I try to play a game first before getting it to see if I actually like it. So instead of buying a new game, I just add it to "want to play" on BGG. With video games, I put them on my wishlist and wait for a good sale, because I don't have enough time to play all the games I already have so I don't need to buy new ones. I guess that's true for board games too, but we also cycle our board game collection a lot.

[@BoardGameCo]

Yes! Excellent concept in general. Works amazingly with my kids...."if you ask for it again in a week, that's when we'll have the conversation"

[@Chenzana]

Boy, I needed this video so much. Thank you for words of wisdom

[@dkartzinel]

Great video! I just saw a designer recently really leaning into the FOMO side of things - one of his answers to why you should back was basically "Look at my other game, you can't get it now, so you should get this one so you don't end up in that situation." Really didn't appreciate that - probably going to cancel my pledge. I know one of the filters I have tried to apply is "does this do something different or better than another game in my collection" - even though campaign dungeon crawlers are kind of my favorite lol.

[@dominicthompson5443]

What designer?

[@TheMartinChronicles]

I'm slowing down lately. When I started I wanted a game for every situation, you know something for beginners, something epic, two player four five.. Then it was 'Oh, I don't have a game with a programming mechanic or a rondel...' I think most everyone, when they first catch the board game bug, will go a bit crazy and make some purchases that they regret. Its like anything really, just takes time and experience to reel yourself in. Also budget.

[@BoardGameCo]

Lol, yes indeed to "also Budget"

[@Jogamos]

I've come back to board games about 2 years ago and honestly I was surprised at the rate games were coming out. I think with so many people buying games it's healthier to just go to a friend and play that new board game they have instead of going for the newest shiny thing. And then they can do the same. I feel board games are about the people, and if I focus on that then the search for the "grail game" fades. Another thing I don't particularly like nowadays is games coming with with half a dozen expansions, I like to play a game think about it, repeat play and then if I keep playing it *then* I want to expand on it. There's certainly a healthier way of being in this hobby than what we do sometimes. Remember to have fun with your friends you wonderful people!

[@kefyras347]

I usually just skip the first edition, because if it's good, usually it gets a reprint/2nd edition. Which will have fixed errata, usually a better rulebook. Sometimes even balance/gameplay changes based on feedback. And it frequently contains all the stretch goals from previous edition. It might be a bit more expensive, but i find it's well worth the risk. Sometimes i do buy the first edition, but only after if i'm certain i'll like it (after watching reviews and reading the rules).

[@Justin-MeepleMountain]

Great stuff man!

[@BoardGameCo]

Thanks Justin :)

[@tmorganriley]

I long did this with video games. I always had plenty to play at the moment, and I just got on a cycle where if I waited a few years, one could get the game for $10; I picked up several of my all-time favorites that way. And since it was largely a solo activity, it didn't matter that I was on a several-year delay (and meant my machine could usually handle anything I threw at it). And aside from having a bit less to chat about with friends, I never felt I missed out. And with board games, the whole point of me buying them and building a collection in the first place is that I don't have a game group that is super-into the boardgaming hobby culture, so no one I play with wants or needs the new hotness. (If they did, I would just let them buy it instead). I can instead craft my collection for the long term (and it is nearly at its stable sustainable size, so I am ready to throttle down)

[@JosephLeeSoonsin]

I find myself buying retail games a lot less than I used to because of crowdfunding. FOMO is a major factor of crowdfunding and I hate that. I hate that if I wait to get this crowdfunded game I will be missing out on the exclusive "something". The other problem of crowdfunding is the escalation of components. Bigger, chunkier, shiny, metal, acrylic, minis, etc. makes it less likely these will see retail and be a game one can buy down the road at a store, online, etc. without another crowdfunding campaign for a reprint. This for me is a love/hate relationship with crowdfunding.

[@Wealtharch]

Excellent video Alex. Thanks

[@BoardGameCo]

Thanks Earl :)

[@lauraweiss7875]

With certain publishers (eg, Splotter), if you snooze, you lose. Even Ark Nova (which I pre-ordered based on a YT review), is parked on a ship in Long Beach, and that shipment is now sold out. I do try to wait, but you guys make these games look SO good!

[@Karadum]

I fully agree and face quite a lot of backlash when I say the same.

[@BoardGameCo]

Makes sense

[@Karadum]

I also start to loath all sorts of boardgame collection photos - like really that is the thing we want to boast with? Having a full wall of unplayed games and the more the better?

[@lemilfy]

I find that price is my main thing when picking up a game. You can typically get a used game for 20-30% off the price tag of a new game, and you can easily sell it for the same price you bought it for if you end up not liking the game.

[@andressaldeno6568]

Great to talk about past great games.

[@BoardGameCo]

Yep

[@steveowen7508]

Great advice. I've backed so many games, that I'm trying to be more selective about what I back going forward. Emphasis on *trying*. :-)

[@pzubets]

I just clicked because of the title. That's what I needed to hear. Thank you, really.

[@lucky6666]

My goal is to have a bunch of awesome choices on my shelves with cool art! Miniatures with epic stories, dungeon crawlers, and Euros with cool themes. These games tend to be expensive. The FOMO is high and they highly likely won't make retail cause the retail business model doesn't work for them! The rest of the games I get are the ones you propose getting. Consistently and universally played for years.

[@qvogames]

A lot of well needed advice. I believe one of the biggest gate keepers to the board gaming hobby was price of the games, and that is even after finding all these retailers who sold games a bit below MSRP. Therefore, being a bit more cautious of purchasing games can really help ease the spending and not cause a "board game burnout" or sorts. Good video Alex, I am sure this will be helpful to a lot of people

[@giulianogaldi139]

Oh man, this video makes all the sense! Great content, Alex!

[@Moonlighter_TV]

But but but what if I can't find all 5 expansions, the stretch goals box and all the Kickstarter exclusive promos that add little to the game except for some poorly play tested bonus rules all on the secondary market?

[@DennisCeteris]

There were 9600 video games released in Steam in 2020. There were 4800 board games released in 2020. To me, the number of board games released that year is absurd, given that our community isn't as big as the video game community, couple that with the fact that distribution of board games is extremely difficult compared to an online platform.

[@BenjaminH_48]

My new main reason to not back as many games as before is that I own many games I know would shine more with "repeated plays" (Oath, Uprising Curse of the last Emperor, Kings dilemma that is still wrapped) and buying new games is actually "hurting" the gaming experience of the games I already own. That being said, Encyclopedia looks so much fun!

[@pincao]

Great thoughts. Thanks

[@BoardGameCo]

Thanks :)

[@ob1quixote]

I know for myself what I often wind up buying is the my own imagined idea of how or with whom I might play a certain game. This can be dangerous, especially with crowdfunded games, because you never know what the future will bring. That's how one winds up with a deluxe version of a puzzle solving game that arrived last week that they backed when they though they would get to play with certain people who they now are estranged from and so it sits in its shipping box entirely unexamined, a forlorn reminder of a world that no longer exists. Or so I've heard.

[@BoardGameCo]

Ouch....that hurts to read

[@ob1quixote]

@@BoardGameCo In light of today's video I wanted to come back and say that the puzzle/game I'm talking about, _The Emerald Flame_, was from my wild Kickstarter days when I would still look at the come-on e-mails KS would send. I'm pretty sure it was before I started watching your channel. Your program as done more for my "shelf control" than any other board gaming television I watch. (And I watch _a lot_ of board gaming programs.) Sure, I've late-pledged a thing or two I only found out about from you, but more often than not you have given me the patience to wait and see rather than rush out and back due to FOMO. Furthermore, your quest to play more games this year has inspired me to try and play more of the games I have and make sure my hobby is _playing_ board games rather than _buying_ them. My sincere thanks.

[@DumahAtreides]

Great video! I'm hitting this stage where I've backed so much and realized how much will be coming in versus what I already have from retail ready to play. I'm learning more when a campaign may look good, but offers little incentive to back now versus waiting for retail. When a campaign offers a lot of promise, but no guarantees of the game's quality when complete. I'm still backing games, but trying to find the stride that works. Even as someone who can play more than some content creators at 60 games per month with gaming partners who also enjoy learning new stuff, there are hard limits to the amount of new I can take on while still enjoying any portion of the existing games. Also, absolutely ignore everything said because Mind MGMT is still great! Haha.

[@NovaGirl8]

my collection is good enough for now. I only backed one big game recently and it is going to be fulfilled in 3-4 months. I should be fine for a while.

[@BoardGameCo]

Nice, enjoy it :)

[@isiadhitumup]

Thanks for the advice, will definitely take it. 👍

[@princetonnguyen9984]

One of my filters is if one of my board game friends own a game, I try to avoid buying it unless I personally rate it 10/10. I can just play their copy on game night.

[@RaymondMillbrae]

Solid advice. Your brain works very similar to mine. Appreciate your thoughts, as I can relate.

[@BoardGameCo]

Thanks Raymond

[@d3wey81]

Great video. Great advice. Now you need to do one about people trying to get full msrp from a 4 year old game because they only played it once lol.

[@BoardGameCo]

Lol, I actually did one a very long time ago but I should probably update it

[@johnathanrhoades7751]

I have slowed down a lot on board game acquisition. I have a good sized collection at this point, and I'm only pulled in to the stuff that really piques my interest. Maybe 5 games a year or something like that number. I think part of it is I have a bunch of unplayed games that I'm still super excited to get played. I'll still pick up Lacerda and Splotter

[@darinherrick9224]

I also do feel that waiting to see what other people think is very misleading. I often like games that AREN'T still popular years later. And often the games I most enjoy or want AREN'T available let alone affordable by the time I've establishd that I really want them.

[@LINDENERGENIE]

I think highlighting older games in videos from time to time would create interest in these games. Just make sure they are still in production.

[@BoardGameCo]

That's part of the tricky part

[@theinternetshavecome1640]

This isn't just a good video, this is an important video.

[@jimalexander687]

I've only purchased three of my (currently) 70 games when they debuted. Pandemic Legacy. Star Wars Rebellion. Star Wars Outer Rim. In each case, it was a game about which I'd seen enough to convince me that my acquisition was warranted. To date, I don't regret purchasing any of them. Nearly all of the other 67 games I own (which is not counting multiple versions and/or expansions) I'd either played myself, or watched others playing before purchasing. As such, I have very few purchasing regrets.

[@WalexG]

Wonderful advice and commentary

[@BoardGameCo]

Thanks Alex

[@miketaylor110]

I think the starting premise is a bit of a strawman - nobody's setting out trying to play everything and of course its untenable. The thing I expect most people struggle with (of those that struggle) is trying to keep up with the hotness, which might be "only" 10-20 games a year, but still a struggle for most people to give reasonable time and attention to. I also think applying filter after filter to whittle down the selection, while good to get your options down to a much shorter list, also gets you to a very homogeneous short list. Ie. my acquisitions in a year are more likely to be a minis game, a couple of euros, a smattering of party games, etc, so it's impossible to apply a filter method.

[@henryjoconnell]

I watched this video a few weeks ago and found it brilliant. I vowed to myself not to buy another game this year and save money as well as really appreciate the games I already have (many of which are unplayed). Thank you so much for putting this sort of content out there. Anyway, since then I watched several more of your videos and now own City of Spies, Paris: La Cité de la Lumiére, Watergate, Hadrian's Wall and Encyclopedia all based on your reviews 😂

[@jawsvvvvv]

I have so many kickstarters and gamefound projects out right now. Grey fox has game delays and now I have realized that they are now shipping so that will mean I will get those projects at the same time. I have stopped backing projects for a while.

[@Archon-Luke]

I had this realization about a year and a half ago. Then about two months ago I forgot and started pledging again. Lol.

[@intrepidfool]

Love this topic. We struggled with the transition from building our collection to maintaining / pruning / evolving our collection. Particularly as we became active KS backers starting around 2019. It took some conversations around KS and games. We have filters that we use for existing games (just as you recommended but more restrictive). With KS, we eliminate anything that isn’t well received by reviewers we have some affinity with (such as you). From those games, we then evaluate where it fits in our collection and what it might replace. Lastly, if there are many interesting releases in a month, we play our own version of “play this, not that” called “back this, not that”. FOMO is a hard drug to kick but I only have one game that I regret not backing in the past three years and only one KS game (that has arrived and been played) that was a miss for us. We also have purchased only one retail game that is a miss with our current filters. (Should have let it settle. LOL)

[@SenseiJae]

My bigger frustration is that it seems like the only way to truly play the newest games is to be a content reviewer. I have several games I’ve preordered or kickstarted that I’m seeing gameplay video of, but I’m being told my delivery is months or years away.

[@BoardGameCo]

As someone who plays the newer games, if not for the fact that it benefits my channel, I would much rather play the older games.