The Best and Worst Board Games of July 2023 - What I Played

[@ThomasHelms]

Same on Project L. I love polyomino games, but there has to be "something" there. Barenpark is nice because when you're done you can sit there and laugh at how ridiculous walk through your park would be. Isle of Cats, which didn't land for me, was at least challenging and nice to look at. Project L boiled down to "What's the biggest piece I can get in order to complete the bigger/higher scoring puzzles."

[@dukster362]

Turing machine is my go to game with a coffee in the morning before work. Gotta turn up those difficulties though! The daily puzzle almost always uses the same few verifiers. It’s still fun to run through but goes way too quickly.

[@nirszi]

I am not a big fan of Martin Wallace but I love Anno 1800. It's a fantastic experience. It does have a solo mode but not in the box, it's online and can be found on the BGG page. It's also getting a long awaited expansion at some point.

[@garyspartan67]

I played Anno1800 once at Origins 2022 and all 4 of us were new. It took a bit longer to grasp the card shedding mechanic implementation and eventually get to the end game (3 hours+), but I definitely liked it and ended up buying it. Glad you liked it as well.

[@idjester]

sorry it took so long to post but I am still getting up off the floor... A Martin Wallace game that you enjoy.... just saying it made me almost pass out again...

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

😜 Recovered?

[@Original_Maverick]

Damn.. Anno 1800 mivht be a must try in my near future 😅 Have a wonderful break with your family, Luke!

[@Tabletop_AshleyRose]

This was a great combo. Thanks for the quick reviews! I'm looking forward to trying Bamboo. Also, based on your feedback, I definitely want to try Lost Code. I trust your judgement on deduction games, you led me to Cryptid which is always a hit. Thanks, Luke!

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Cheers as always Rose 🥰

[@Poiuytrew.Q]

I was going to say, I came back from a family reunion that was a fun reset too, except the last few days was something - we just escaped the wrath of Maui. Our next vacation might be a staycation.

[@Poiuytrew.Q]

I’m the same for Trails and Project L. I liked Trails less because it’s a shadow of Parks - but it is shorter. My friends who never played Parks liked it. Trails was stressful for me because it seemed no matter what I did I always got the short-end of the stick because of chance or others inadvertently screwing me over. Project L is enjoyable solely because of the plastic pieces - I think it is a little more complex than I would have liked and so it’s harder to play with family.

[@shariesmanader6434]

Thanks for the review on Trials, We own Parks and found it ti be meh. Played Trails at a board game cafe and we wondered if we gave it a fair shake. Glad to find out that we did.

[@Ipazc]

Anno 1800 is one of my resent favorites. With a couple of fix that came from BGG (start with one engineers and be able to chose between two tiles when you get a old/new world one) makes the game fast, more open and more fun.

[@eugenb.8448]

I’m a huge Wallace fan and Anno 1800 is a fine game. I do love how one player building a technology doesn’t bone everyone else. The ability to trade means you can pursue a strategy without worrying whether you have to collect all the goodies along the way. And after playing Beyond The Sun I find Anno 1800 vastly more satisfying as a tech tree builder. I’m looking forward to the forthcoming Anno expansion. And great review summary as always. Enjoy the family reunion!

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Yes, beyond the sun is so fiddly.

[@thetasigma1905]

My wife had one look at Anno 1800 and stated “ Not for me”. I finally convinced her to play it and she loved it as well. I still think you should give Auztralia a go as well. This was also a game my wife avoided for a while, but once played, is also one of her favourites.

[@lonniestewart8428]

I think Project L is an excellent beginner engine building game. I ignore hype and simply decide whether a game is fun or not. For me, it’s a very fun experience. My six year old daughter enjoys it and likes the puzzle, along with the rest of my family who are not as into board games as I am. Are there better or deeper engine building or polyomino games? Definitely. Does my family really enjoy Project L? Most definitely.

[@elzheiz]

Turing Machine is awesome, you should definitely try the harder conditions and levels, it does get trickier! There's even a hard and nightmare level of difficult that makes it 200% crazier if you ever get bored, but it's a brain melter to figure out the numbers quickly!

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Yeah I'd like to try it with more of a challenge.

[@jdober77]

There's some interesting games here. Most of them are not jumping on my radar. Comment first on Project L, I have no desire to play this, but as you mentioned, I would like to try Alice's Garden than this one. But I wasn't sure about Anno 1800 until this quick review. I know you are a hard nut to crack when it comes to a M Wallace game, but if you found enjoyment in this game, I'm in! Do more of these kinds of videos. They're good.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Will do 🙂

[@uplift-yourdailypickup6424]

Yes Anno 1800 was a surprise for me. I felt like the reviews out there were sort of middling but glad I tried it, it’s very good.

[@mikaeki5245]

Our thoughts align like 90% of the time. Anno 1800 is also my Wallace exception, gave it an 8. I had to check if I'd played PARKS, gave it a 5 (which means it's so meh it doesn't leave any marks in your brain). Trails was slightly better. I arts & crafted my own Search for Planet X, where my daughters Peppa Pig figures circle the sky. I really like that 'theme', but I'll probably invest in Species to get a "real" Search for game.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Ha ha the Pig theme will certainly suit Species more! 😅

[@dominikgarbauer6883]

Totally agree on Project L. Bought it and was also slightly disappointed. Another hype train game.

[@elainetyger]

Of the games you mentioned, I have played Project L, which I liked the best, Splendor, which I play a lot of because some local friends are crazy for it, not because I am, but it's OK for that many plays, and Parks, which I liked the least.

[@jamescartwright1150]

My family and I like Bamboo, I see there's a fan made solo variant that the designer has given credit too so I'm tempted to try that. I was interested in Search for Lost Species but along with quite a few others didn't back it because the shipping was so expensive and as there were not exclusives I decided to wait for retail.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Yeah not worth the KS. I have been meaning to check that solo mode out.

[@grantfraser5430]

Funny, what I like about Project L is that there isn't much to it. It's a super simple game, my 4 year old grandson easily understands the rules. I happily bring it out whenever he requests to play. But I love a competitive game with adults because it's such a challenge of efficiency to make the most of the master action without getting stuck running out of pieces, i don't expect to change anybody's opinion but it's a great filler game with a dash of thinky puzzling thrown in.

[@Narim1981]

I love Anno 1800. It' my favourite Wallace design. Have you played Wildlands from M.Wallace? Have a nice break and enjoy with your family. Big hi from Subotica(Serbia).

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

No I haven't, but from what I've read/seen, it doesn't appeal to me.

[@steveg9939]

When I bought Project L, I had the same reaction as you. Is that it??Then my wife and her friend saw it on the table. We played and they really LOVED it. Ask to play a second game right away which rarely happens! Was it the tactile components? The simplicity? Black and White background? It is a game I can pull out with my parents and that my non-gamer wife will actually play!

[@timknauer8906]

Lost Code sounds fantastic!

[@thehandoflenin]

Anno 1880 is a great game, i need to get it to the table more often. I hear there is an expansion that has been in development for a long time which at some point may get released that changes the end trigger. Project L basic is OK but to be honest you need to get the expansions as it improves the game a lot.

[@JosephFlemming]

I was excited for Anno 1800, then people on BGG started saying it has problems, especially end game issues, and then the designer said an expansion will "fix" it, and it's been a few years now... I guess I should break it out instead of letting the nitpickers spoil my excitement!

[@grantfraser5430]

Yeah, I was really looking forward to the expansion but I've given up hope. At this point I'm not sure we'll ever see it.

[@CE3_1905]

I like Anno 1800 😊 It‘s obviously not perfect but very good fun. I also like the solo mode because it is very easy to play and a good challenge but only a „beat your own score in the end“. The solo campaign is okay but not great

[@mkietzmann]

Anno 1800 is the only one I'm slightly interested in from this bunch, even though I share your reservations when it comes to Martin Wallace. Also, the theme simply doesn't do it for me. New games we played in July: Cryo, The Artemis Project & 51st State Ultimate Edition. 8, 8 and 9 in that order. 51st State will probably get a 9.5 once we throw in some expansions. Enjoy your trip!

[@redmageviewer]

I've only played Trails out of these games here. And I like it. I take it with me when I'm out in the wild as a somewhat themed game. I do prefer it to Parks because it's shorter.

[@paulhamrick3943]

I bought Anno 1800 for solo play (they published official solo rules online) and I will say that the game didn’t work for me as a solo game. And I remember there being some stack of quest/achievement cards that simply function this way: if it have a purple worker and a blue worker and a green worker left over at the end of a turn you can place them on that goal card in order to score the points…. totally boring cube pushing.

[@tuntemon]

For the entire video I thought you were gonna reach on your left for Sentinels of the Multiverse. Since the base/expansion came out this year and you're talking about the best and worst games. ;)

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Base set was last year I believe.

[@tuntemon]

@@TheBrokenMeeple I was refering to Rook City, since the side of the box can be seen. I got my copy in feb/march. But becasue you talked abour best/worst of July it was safe. ;)

[@CB-yh3db]

Is it safe to say that “SPIDERMAN” is not Luke’s favorite superhero? I mean, his origin story would scare away Luke alone. A radioactive spider? “With great power, comes great…….GET THAT DAMN SPIDER AWAY FROM ME!!”

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Ha ha ironic that actually he's one of my favourites.

[@christopherleary7934]

Project L is good but I never seek it out because I hate the setup of mixing the tiles. For me this is more of a race than a true polyomino or engine builder.

[@grantfraser5430]

You're right, it is definitely a race. I like how it goes from early engine build to efficiency need in the race to finish with minimal penalties. The game ends just as you're getting into the swing of it all but it's meant to be quick. If was any longer I think it would overstay it's welcome.

[@alarrad]

First it was a Feld game, next Matin Wallace, are we starting to see a trend?😂

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

To be honest kokopelli won't last I bet and every bad designer can put out something I like.

[@ezeekiel101]

I think Anno is getting an expansion.

[@SenseiJae]

Have you tried runebound? It was the first wallace I enjoyed.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Yeah was OK but long and fiddly.

[@looktothefuture84]

The clip at 33:59 - does anyone know the name of the original video?

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Trying to remember - Rap Battle Parody I think

[@YoSo14]

Turing machine first few scenarios are waaaaaay too easy. Try medium/hard and they are really really challenging.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

More than likely - I wanted to do harder, but my teacher was keeping it simple probably more for his sake! :P

[@LarrySchneider]

At 1:57, you say, "it's essentially sort of a **** deduction game." What did you say there? I'm not big on deduction games so this must be some term I'm not immediately familiar with.

[@CaptainAnimal1982]

He said "mathy", i.e. it's a maths puzzle.

[@LarrySchneider]

@@CaptainAnimal1982 Thx!

[@RoboStuk]

He is pulling your leg. In fact he was swearing.

[@nreekm]

We're so opposite, I love Wallace's games but I loathe anno 1800 😅

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

But it's the nicest game he's made, no evil dickery here!

[@jesuscoutofandino6280]

Well... Pax Porfiriana may give you a start on learning about the years before the Mexican Revolution, but better if you then go for actual books... as usual, Ecklund, lets say, "libertarian" tendencies make it a bit bonkers from the point of view of history, even if it surrounds itself with the actual history. "As a rich businessman (Hacendado) in the turbulent pre-revolutionary borderlands of the U.S. and Mexico, players compete to build business empires of ranches, mines, rails, troops, and banks while subverting opponents with bandidos, Indians, and lawsuits. Each turn goes as follows" Or basically, the Porfiriato years - the rule of Porfirio Diaz, he presented himself as the modernizer of the country and surrounded himself with "científicos", basically technocrats, to do so, in a period of stability and "growth" for the country. Problem is, if you read that quote from the description of the game, that stability and growth was very much one sided; if you were a rich businessman it was great, if you were, say, a bunch of native farmers that found out all the land now belonged to that kind of guy, not so much. And of course, for Ecklund, the real heroes are the first ones. Sorry for the history lesson , I know you dont care :P But it may be a good idea for somebody that said ok ,yes, I want to learn about it - play the game if you want, just... try to read about it too.

[@nirszi]

Did you play and like Decrypto?

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

I like it OK but doesn't blow my mind