Help, I'm Drowning in Games! - with Tom Vasel

Tom Vasel discusses the over saturation of board game releases, and how gamers can navigate potentially being overwhelmed.
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[@monozeroth7907]

Deckbuilders taught us that diluting your deck with "good" cards is a losing strategy, but we haven't applied that lesson to our collections.

[@edwardrhoads7283]

Our solution is a bracket tournament. Once we have scores to each game it is a bit easier to separate the good from ok to not good enough.

[@amsfountain8792]

That is a nice analogy.

[@SvanMagic]

After 20 years, I'm not buying a new game unless it replaces another game or it's completely unique.

[@5ammy13]

Haha nicely put.

[@Zunidrap]

@@SvanMagic I'm applying this strategy from the start. 👍

[@jimalexander687]

While I still buy new games (but at a much slower rate than I bought games published in previous years), I am actually content in just playing what I already own -- which is already more than I will actually ever get to play. My problem isn't having a shortage of games to play, it's a problem of finding persons with whom to play those games. Even pre-pandemic, when I was involved in consistent gaming with dozens of different gamers, I got to play something I actually *wanted* to play maybe once out of every twenty plays. (And while I realize that playing online would solve that problem, I do not like playing online.)

[@Brad4083]

Totally agree. The biggest frustration is trying to find someone who wants to play a game that I want to play. I can spend hours learning the rules to my new game, but when I bring it to my game group, it rarely, if ever, gets to the table.

[@jimalexander687]

@@Brad4083 Exactly. As someone who's played in bands for decades, I know you have to do what the others in the group want to do, even if you would rather do something else. That being said, there's a reasonable expectation that in a group of four, one out of four songs would be one of those you suggested. The same with board gaming. Not that I didn't like the games I didn't suggest. Some I did, some I didn't. But the games I most wanted to play, rarely (if ever) got played.

[@Brad4083]

@@jimalexander687 Yes, everyone should have an equal opportunity to bring games to the table. Unfortunately, the groups I attend have no structure like that. Sometimes, I don't mind that much. I want to gain favor with people I meet by playing the games they brought. However, I have run into people who snub their nose at my game. I need to develop a strategy for increasing my personal satisfaction on game nights. I wish you were in my gaming group.🙂

[@petergross7235]

Agree to all of it. Even in a game group your game rarely gets picked. Heck, even my family doesn't want to play half the games I do! Which is why solo mode is a must for any game I pick up now. I like the idea of buying a lot slower. Maybe try to stay a year behind the hobby and see what is good with a reduced price.

[@gryMoniki]

Couldn't agree more!!!

[@normstewart546]

I wish I could have more confidence in reviewers objectivity, now that real money is on the line. Maybe demonstrating that needs to be a higher priority for reviewers. I gotta say, if you love everything, I have to wonder that your criteria are.

[@Bonzoso21]

Unfortunately for The Dice Tower and other media, one of the ways I shifted my focus away from acquiring new games in favor of enjoying my existing collection was watching about 1000% less game-related content. There are a lot of good people making fun content in this hobby, but it can be tough to resist the impulse to buy a bunch of new stuff when you inundate yourself with coverage of it.

[@larryhuffman2673]

Interesting video. I do not agree. Too many games is just silly, unless you see games as something you must own all of, which is a collecting hobby and not a playing hobby. But the same could be said about music, movies, books…all things that tend to be better when there is more choice, and no one feels compelled to own them all. The more games that are made, the more likely I am going to find themes and mechanics that suit me. Comparing how many games were made when we were kids actually supports having a lot of games. Our choices were crappy back then. And this doesn’t even address telling a growing industry that they need to stop growing. Economically speaking, this is how it works. And the Dice Tower has played a direct part in this growth. We are here largely because of the exposure board games get on KZbin and other platforms. And this is good. As a game player who only wants to own games I like and will play, I say bring on lots of choices. The more choices I have, the more likely I can get good games that suit me.

[@edwardrhoads7283]

At some point you have so many games that any game you get will either be better than another game and knock that game out of your collection or will be worse than another game and not be needed in the collection. Not sure where that number is probably at about 200-300. Mine is only 100 and I am not quite there yet.

[@samirjafri191]

Mainly...GREAT TIE, Tom Also, I applaud your set. I recently saw a discussion about how so many reviewers have walls of games around them. The overwhelming opinion from the comments was that those sets just feed the consumerism and FOMO of the hobby. So, 👏 to the Dice Tower for continuing to be leaders in the industry.

[@larryhuffman2673]

@@edwardrhoads7283 I have about 190 games. I don’t feel like they have to be played any more than what we want. I don’t feel bad for old games that I no longer play. If I prefer new I get new. Those old games either served their purpose or they have staying power, either way it doesn’t change that I may want something different. Doesn’t mean they weren’t worth every penny of what I paid. But this isn’t about how many we own, it is about how many are made. We do not have to buy every game. Companies making a lot of games are not forcing us to buy every game. If the number of games that YOU do NOT own bothers you and makes you think that companies need to make fewer because of that, the problem is with you and not the game companies. (And I do not mean you you, I meant the more general you. Didn’t want it to sound like an attack on you)

[@edwardrhoads7283]

@@larryhuffman2673 I think you missed the point I was trying to make. My point is that at some point a collection gets so big that it saturates so there fore there is sort of an upper limit to the number of games you would want to own and once you reach that any new game would either not make its place or would knock out another game. I was using my collection size as an estimate where saturation would occur that my collection has not hit that point yet. I was not trying to imply my collection was too small. I think it is decent sized. I am also not saying people need to reach saturation just that as more and more games are made it will be easier to do so at some point.

[@erichammett2893]

I think this is just a sign of a maturing entertainment industry. Movies, books, TV shows and music have created more content than can be consumed individually for many years.

[@JonnyTenebrous]

I've spent the last few years trying to re-adjust my attitude to my games inventory (and most everything else I own) from "collection" to "curation". After a decade of allowing my video games collection to grow like wildfire, I can see that it was largely a waste when compared against what I actually play. I'm determined not to go the same way with my board games. I've kept it to around 40 games, and ~10 are small box / card games. I would happily play every one of them at any time, yet I could still sell off probably 25% and not lose too much sleep. Learning to be more brutal with acquisitions, and willing to let go of things more readily.

[@keithedwards649]

Best advice I got told was to decide a realistic amount of space you can spare and then make sure your collection always fits in there. Want a new game? Get rid of a game in your collection! Also helped me stop buying big kickstarter games as they can easily take up the space of several "regular" games.

[@PietroLamberti]

This is exactly what I decided with my wife. When we moved to our current house, we got a cupboard made just for the games, and decided that if it doesn't fit, something needs to go. I've managed to stick to the rule for 3 years now, and it has definitely helped refine my taste, but it also has decreased the stress of choosing which game to play. I don't feel bad if I haven't played something in a while, cause I know its a game I really want and will get to it eventually

[@cailin5301]

That's what I do. I have about 70 games and still plenty of space. I'm certain I can fit at least 200 in my storage, and it also seems a reasonable amount to be able to play. I have to acquire slowly due to budget constraints, so we'll see if I'm right once I get close to that number.

[@jfbaraky]

FOMO is one of the biggest problems with the hobby, but it’s how some publishers are trying to sell their games

[@ronaldbell7429]

FOMO is a problem on the receiving end, not an evil practiced by publishers.

[@darinherrick9224]

That and high price/unavailable FOMO games. By the time a Kickstart delivers all the hype is gone, reviewers say the new hotness is old trash, and stores sell the game for cheaper than you paid.

[@SvanMagic]

FOMO is a issue for many people. Once you learn you don't need something, it makes your life so much better.

[@warpaint9385]

Cmon are the kings of Fomo. So many people over there on the campaigns are just so addicted to plastic minis it’s ridiculous.

[@ronaldbell7429]

@@warpaint9385 I still don't think that's CMON's doing though. The FOMO is in the hearts of the buyer, and CMON is just responding to that need. Now Kickstarter definitely does seem to feed on and nurture FOMO. Even there, though, that's just the human thing where, once you open your wallet, it's so easy to just take that one extra step. Luckily, I live near an excellent game store. I learned that it'll come to the store eventually, and unless I absolutely know I'm going to play it, I can wait. Usually. But here I am with that ginormous Frosthaven box, and my group got tired of Gloomhaven (due to the setup) long before Frosthaven actually shipped. Whenever I want to get on the Kickstarter bandwagon now, I look at Frosthaven sitting there. It's a great therapy for FOMO. Still though, the FOMO was my fault, not somebody else pushing it on me. FOMO is someone saying "one time offer! act now!" And that brings us back to Kickstarter with their exclusives. Cheers.

[@TheRadianc3]

As board games become more popular, I hope "board game libraries" will start popping up, just as they have at the Dice Tower. Would save us the shelf space!

[@rthomas1031]

We have something like that where I live, a game store that rents boardgames

[@pbabuik]

There's alot of boardgames cafes in my area (gta) you just pay to rent a table and you can buy a game or play what they have on hand or you can bring from home

[@thegamesninja3119]

Hope libraries do the libraries.

[@tabletalkreviews]

My local libraries have a great collection of games, including some long, heavy games I was surprised they had. They even get new releases. Not all libraries do, but it is being more popular and I hope more libraries start offering them. Especially since many board games have semi-educational value, if not outright educational value.

[@healthytouch101]

@@thegamesninja3119 Check your local library, mine carries them and even takes suggestions for future purchases.

[@jasonc2784]

Exactly! Play the games you already own that your group enjoys!

[@larrytedmcbride]

I would add, until your group is ready to move on. We've played a few games "into the ground" or at least until we've used all the score sheets. At that point I'd say its time to look for something fresh.

[@BobbyJuno]

I'm out of space. Its gotten so bad that I cant expand any of my other hobbies. I'm trying to cull down to the classics. It's expensive trying to discover hidden gems. Kickstarter previews/reviews tricked me one too many times. Moving forward, I'm not interested in purchasing another game unless people are still talking about it 3+ years after its release.

[@azintern2]

That’s smart. A few years into the hobby, I recently committed to never buying a board game whose publication date is less than 2 yrs old. That gives enough time for some criticisms to surface. There’s too much hype with new games.

[@sarumon17]

Same

[@heatherdash5815]

I'm doing that now too

[@simplyviewerforfun]

Same here. Basically it goes like this : I like a game a lot, it goes into my wishlist on bgg, then I forget about it. A few months later, if it is still here, it might start being interesting and I watch a few review, but mainly middle rating comments on bgg (it has both good/bad commentaries). If the game is less than 2 years old, it stays in the wishlist until that mark. I only buy second hand so it would have to be sold first anyway. If it is on BGA I will try it there a couple of times. After all this, if I still like the game, I buy it. It is really liberating : buying and selling takes some time. Organising the shelf somehow too. Learning rules takes mental space.

[@uplift-yourdailypickup6424]

I heard a guy on a podcast say that he doesn’t read any books that have come out in the past year. He waits to see which ones people are still talking about / stood the test of time and reads those. This rule should apply to board games!!!

[@Cheddarific]

In summary: it’s now how about how big your collection is, it’s about how you use it.

[@kirkwagner461]

Tom Vasel: "Remember the golden days when all we had was Monopoly and we LIKED it!" :D Thanks to Tom and the DT for trying to keep us informed about the industry.

[@BetterWebDesigner]

Nobody in the book industry complains "oh, too many books come on the market each year". Dude, just don't play/buy them all?

[@jpotter2086]

I Have sold off 450 games in the past 20months. Will keep on selling. I buried myself, it's killed my interest in physical gaming, and I have to shovel my way out. Getting out has become the entirety of my involvement in the hobby.

[@edwardrhoads7283]

In my house we created a board game bracket tourney. The ones that get knocked out in the first round we vote if we keep it. Great way to cull the boring games.

[@questionmanga3963]

I am feeling the same way. Just too many games flooding the market.

[@branboom3342]

Yikes man. I think anything over 100 games in untenable. I have 65 games in my collection, 18 unplayed, and 30 more i haven't played in a year or have only played once. Starting to think that a solid 20 games is all I need

[@edwardrhoads7283]

@@branboom3342 Sounds like a 64 game bracket tournament would be perfect for you

[@grog3514]

I have over 700. Each one is a potential great time with my family. I like looking at each one and remembering the unique puzzle it presents.

[@theDriveGuy84]

Dice Tower’s version of the Sermon on the Mount. 😉 Very wise wise words. I’m newer to the hobby and I only have 12 games, not including the ones I play with my kids. And I get nearly all of them on the table monthly. That’s do to being able to enjoy the games I own and love to play. Great to encourage us to playing our games.

[@teekaytwo]

I thought it was just me. I am feeling overwhelmed, this is just the video i needed to hear from one of the most I respect. Thank you. ❤ I am too busy collecting, then regretting, instead of playing.

[@freeheeler00]

In regards to buying games, I went on a shopping spree the first couple years I got back into the hobby. I did end up buying a lot of games I didn't like or really need, but I have really figured out more about what I want and need out of a game to make it a worthwhile purchase. So now I've become more picky about the type of games I buy and play. I just don't have the time to waste on playing everything.

[@gmoney9992]

We are definitely living in the Golden Age of Board Games. Great points.

[@darinherrick9224]

We are living in the age right before the great crash.

[@CoenCoenNL]

@@darinherrick9224 Indeed. There will be no market for this frivolous industry very shortly, as the discretionary income of the masses dries up. Enjoy the Golden Age while it lasts.

[@Stomski]

Golden age of board games, dark age of consumerism.

[@fafum1272]

I wonder if one unintentional contributing factor for some people might be seeing the walls of games behind people in videos? Like, it sets a strange false goal or standard that people think they "need" or want to reach. Usually when people enter a hobby there's a huge surge of passion that comes with it and seeing those large collections they think "Yes! I want a collection like that too!"

[@tammyschilling5362]

Another thing is to just sell off games that you didn't love or don't love enough to play. Once you get your collection down to something reasonable, it's a lot easier to pick something to play.

[@deedd4401]

we're absolutely hurling from golden era to the point of where the video game market got - oversaturated to a point - where super great stuff is being overlooked constantly

[@sarumon17]

Love a lot of the warnings and advice in this video. I love the secondary market and my love for board game media is trying to find out what 6 games a year I want to buy (old and new).

[@WendyGa]

Love the sentiments in this video, Tom. Play your games. You don't need to own everything. Be content and have fun! I feel much happier since my collection has been reduced in size. I play my games more often and only occasionally buy something that looks special. I fell in love with my boardgames again.

[@Alrek1979]

About a year ago, I became interested in owning board games. Not knowing where to start, I searched KZbin for the biggest channels and found Dice tower. The vast amount of reviews and top lists made me realize how many games are released each year and so I made lists of games that looked interesting to me and checked out multiple reviews and let's plays of them. With my recent stress-related issues, I concluded that light to medium weight games is where I should start. I also had a criteria that the theme and/or aesthetics of the game should be pleasing to me. I also value interactivity and banter during a session so that check box has to be ticked. The game also has to hit the table regularly, so I started asking friends if they were interested in creating a gaming group and what their preferences were - asking them about games I was checking out to see if it would be a potential hit. Not having too many games with the same gameplay or mechanics will relieve redundancy, so some games on my list had a death match-up. Lastly, I limited myself to the shelf space I have available, so my collection will never get more important than maybe 20 games. If ever there people want to know what I have, I can make a list. I hope my thoughts around the hobby brings inspiration to someone. I would like to thank the Dice Tower for sharing their vast knowledge with us. Keep it up!

[@edwardrhoads7283]

5000 games in one year? Yikes. Guess in about 3-4 years once those all become "old" games and people start to dump them I will be able to cherry pick the best of the bunch for next to nothing (although I did just pick up Earth off of ebay for a good price).

[@darinherrick9224]

That’s what I do. Kickstarter Editions for $8-$15 a few years after release. Used.

[@eduardom8672]

You can't imagine how many good games I have picked up from thrift stores in the last couple of years. Probably more than a hundred. Many versions/expansions of Villainous, Dominion, Sushi Go Party, many Munchkin versions, Patchwork, The Goonies, 7 Wonders, Machi Koro, Dice Throne battle chest, D&D Legends of Drizzt, Ghostbusters the Board Game, Sheriff of Nottingham, Istanbul, Quacks of Quedlingburg, Roll for the Galaxy, Lost Cities and many many others for $3 - $7. That's one of the perks of the industry saturation.

[@davegildersleeve4316]

It's an important message Tom. Even if I wanted to , and I don't, I couldn't afford to buy every new game that is touted as being great. It's definitely exciting to buy and play a new game, but I only purchased what appeals to me. There are many, many games I will never play, and that's ok. I'm thrilled with the games I already have! Happy gaming and thanks.

[@IndianaGeologist]

Tom you continue to be the best voice this hobby has. Thank you.

[@mikintosh6111]

Problem i see is that every game needs to stand out in a saturated market so we keep getting bigger more deluxified games that are marketed to do all things for all people. Game designed for 3-5, but also stretch goal for mediocre solo mode, also stretch goal for 6 and 7 player expansion, also stretch goal for plastic everything. Era of 40 dollar games is basically gone.

[@NinjarioPicmin]

and then there are times like the kitchen rush revised edition expansion which seems super unknown in the english speaking space while probably being a huge hit, or other titles that take years to come to germany 😥

[@johchadow]

It's not just board games, there's over-production of everything, there's way too much to consume. Tom, you've been saying for years that publishers need to stop printing mediocre (or bad) games, and that's even more true today than it was 5 or 6 years ago, there's just so much mediocrity out there.

[@cursivecurses]

I'm sorry, but the glasses make Tom look like Blippi. I might also suggest, instead of constantly trawling BGG daily for new stuff to "keep up," find some awards that are almost alwaysh its for you and just play what you have until those come around. For me, I align pretty often with the SdJ and the KdJ, so I do more "investigating" when those are announced.

[@warpo007]

if ever i want to be put off a game, i just have to watch no pun intended.

[@AdamEschborn]

Tom, thanks for posting this. I needed to hear it!

[@metalprognosis]

These style of conversational videos are amazing.

[@shelbyfleshood5172]

In the spirit of this, I would love to see a dice tower top 10 on the Top 10 years in Board gaming!

[@thedicetower]

Boom! Done around 3 years ago. How's that for speedy service? kzbin.infogKbsfxqvGc8?si=VPI15sexOn0Vp9Wi

[@morgaknightgames]

I'm seeing a lot of parallels to the book community and what happened when self-publishing and vanity publishing took off. I ran a book review for a number of years and we went from 100 books a month being submitted to 300 to 500 books. It was absolutely impossible for us to keep up. Personally, I completely burned myself out and have only read 4 books since 2018 because of that. I'm trying to be smarter with gaming, and really dive into reviews and tabletop simulator demos where possible so that I only buy games that I know I'm going to love. So far I've only had one miss. But the compulsion to want everything is absolutely there.

[@joeferreti9442]

We should also come to terms that under these circumstances publishers going out of business is a healthy and normal thing in market economy.

[@TiagoRamosVideos]

Very important video, Tom 🙏 the consumerism in our society is a huge problem 😞

[@arekkrolak6320]

what is too many games? however many is realeased I can always get the best game that was published each year :)

[@tetsucat13]

Oh, Tom. You just don't understand the buzz of collecting, searching, eBay and being a completist. It's all your fault , remember. 😆 😉

[@bradymccann]

I’ve actually chilled on buying games. Maybe I’ll buy a super hot game I know I’ll like but my group has cycled through my top games for a year now and it’s so fun! (Spirit Island, Orleans, Lost Ruins of Arnak, Dune Imperium, Marvel Champions, Ark Nova, Dominion, 7 Wonders, Earth, Gloomhaven, Viticulture, Scythe and some others sprinkled in)

[@PwndNewbie]

I only buy 9s and 10s now.

[@IslanKleinknecht]

The whole reason I got into board games back in 2015 was because it was a hobby that was talking about games there were several years old, and I wanted to escape the constant concern of the new and upcoming in video games. I thought this was a hobby where we could slow down and enjoy ourselves. That doesn't seem to be the case anymore.

[@allennewhausen2541]

The funny thing about that is that I'm pretty sure there were people complaining that there are too many board games back in 2015 compared to the "good old days" of 2008 or 2010. Clearly the problem of too many games wasn't a fatal one, or it would have already crashed the industry by now.

[@JJ_TMWP]

You should see how many new books are published each year

[@KrisGironella]

Still waiting for Comic Hunter US/International release. It must be a DT Essentials and bring it to NA. That would be awesome!!!🤘🏻

[@ramonosuke]

I’ve culled a ton of my collection over the years and now being mostly a solo gamer, I have far less. I rarely buy games on release really at all anymore, and since almost everything is KS release only with exclusives and yakkity yakk, I purchase second hand years later when the hype has gone down. Saves me a pretty penny, and tones my buying habits down to about at most 3 games a year. Not to mention, actual solid or better games are drowned out by the ones with lavish KS campaigns or hype and they never even have a chance to shine. I really wish the hobby stayed less mainstream and KS/crowd funding never saw the light of day in the hobby. I understand some great game can from it, but now it feels like everything in the space is this way

[@loborocket]

I have been a game player for 40+ years. This is for sure the best time it has ever been. I am all about the secondary market. Buy games used all the time. I don’t feel the pressure of “cult of the new”, and still have plenty of great games to play.

[@lkjkhfggd]

Yeh I've mostly tuned out of new board games for a while now. Not only do I already own more than enough games, there's just too many new games coming out to bother with. I simply don't have enough time, even if I could retire and only play board games all day, every day.

[@warpaint9385]

Most games I can just pass on easily. Occasionally get sold on fomo but not very often. Sometimes I wait for the hype to wear off and see how I feel after that. Lot of the time I just move on and never look back. Far too many games and it never ends. Every month there’s more and more. How much more can you have? How much room have you left in your house? How many games are collecting dust? Have to draw the line somewhere.

[@speedandstyletony]

On top of too many games is way too many expansions.

[@ShuffleUpandDeal32]

You also seem to have too many pairs of glasses and hats, so I guess it makes sense you have too many games, lol

[@prufrock1977]

Cultivating a small shelf of 6-12 games is more than what anyone should need. Currently, my family plays the same 2-3 once or twice a week.

[@joeferreti9442]

From the title of the video I expected that the Dice Tower was in trouble and needed to change their handling of the masses of new games. But no, just general opinions in the video.

[@Zym1l]

I almost become a board game collector instead of a board game player. Thankfully My wife warned me about it. I use an app to log my plays. Anything that is not played within a year will be reviewed and culled. It keeps my collection small. I notice I can never have more than 40 games this way. Yes I buy and sell a couple every year. Tried to get it from second hand market if possible. I rarely spend more than $100 every year and are still able to keep up with the current releases. (with the exception of my acquisition of Imperial Assault Complete Collection). My collection is as follows Games that we love to play (ones that gets played most often) Party Games (to play with non gamers) Games to introduce to new gamers. Campaign Games (Will be sold once completed) Filler games 1or2 Solo Games Every year, there will be 4-5 new games to challenge my collection. Sometimes, gaming group changes, our work changes, our preference to play changes. I try not to have that nostalgic feeling thinking this game that was played 2 years ago was so good. As I'm typing this, with a heavy heart I'm culling my beloved Dune +all expansions + deluxe upgrade. Why? My dune group has kids now. I don't see how it will get played anymore. And there is also the app in case I missed it. And also more room to try new games. Unless you are a board game reviewer or a massive board game player, owning 100 games is a little too much. Even if you play twice a week, you only get to play each games once or twice.

[@Haldered]

It depends on the kinds of games, I own a lot of small games, and only a few big box games. And even those big boxes usually go unplayed.

[@BrandonGraham]

Great thoughts. There should be a title for this series. Hmm... Maybe it should be called "Tom Thinks"

[@warmachineuk]

Indeed. I go to conventions to try games before I consider buying them. I have only four games I haven't played. Further, the great thing about this hobby is if your budget is poor, you can just join a board game club and play other people's games.

[@scottw1828]

Its hilarious that a game like Talisman is on its 5th edition, when most latest and greatest 'hotness' games will be long forgotten. I play Marvel Legendary the most, and with all the expansions its a space hog in itself.

[@sobreeltablero]

I decided to keep my collection small, just my favorite games, those forever games that I can play hundreds of times, which are very rare, only one or two of those come out every year at most. The thing is that I don't want to consume games just to experience the next gimmicky mechanic once or twice anymore, I don't care.

[@dwarrenmsp]

This is one of the best videos about board games I've ever watched. Thank you Tom for all that you do!

[@muttshouse]

Is there some kind of "Which DT reviewer are you like?" so I can get a better idea of games that I would like based on the reviewer? I still have no idea if I'm like any of the DT team. So the recommendations aren't as helpful to me.

[@AcevedoDMA]

I went through a period where I purchased a ton of games to figure out what I liked. Then I had to figure out what my family and friends would actually like. Then I abruptly stopped buying games all together. I have already smashed a collection of 75ish games. I sometimes purchased a two player game because my wife says she will play with me but never does. So I just stopped buying games. I have an amazing collection that I am confident will last me a decade or more.

[@fizzy965]

I often get enough enjoyment out of watching other people's playthrough videos on KZbin, especially games that play better with a higher player count. So I don't feel the need to play most games myself. I'm more selective on what I buy now too because my partner isn't as into the hobby as I am and if there is a game I do want to pick up, I wait until it is on sale or pick it up second hand. I usually choose games with great replayabilty too so they won't just be a 1 time play through and then sit on the shelf gathering dust.

[@Cheddarific]

I really like the idea of comparing your game collection to a restaurant. Let’s make it your own restaurant. You are making a menu of what people can enjoy at your restaurant. It would make sense to make your collection diverse and include your favorite games from your favorite genres. But you don’t need 10 deckbuilders if you rarely play a deckbuilder. I’ve been refining my collection; just got rid of 30+ games so far this year and it feels good. Still wish more people visited my restaurant though, since I always get to eat with them.

[@TiagoRamosVideos]

Great video Tom 🙏

[@mattlewis5095]

Having enjoyed and (to some degree) studied the Dice Tower and various other 'top lists' for many years, it still amazes me exactly how many older games still remain in (or some cases still keep returning to) even the current top lists (ie with so many lauded new games around now). It seems that this is 'combatted' by employing more reviewers, and ('or' for smaller channels) creating more and more lists! Regarding people over-buying, it's good advice to think twice of course. I certainly over-bought when I started, especially in searching for things second-hand, where games can often seem like a 'one off' buy. But frankly, if you can actually afford 'everything' you are surely going to be so wealthy in both money and space that advice of this kind will likely mean little to you! Either that or a genuine library builder.. And maybe pretensions of 'library owning' need to be curtailed too, as people so-often really do just want to play the games they want to play. It's good to offer a great choice, but how much needs a lot of advanced thought I think. I tried to buy by genre and type, and saw some of my games get 'outmoded' before I got anywhere near to playing them to be honest. You know.... they are still a decent enough game, but their saleable value (even 2nd hand) has dropped considerably and you really would rather own that newer game instead..... On the other hand, some decent Out Of Print games can go up in value too - Vasel's Law does have exceptions, such as good games based around IPs (eg Battlestar Galactica), or potentially the odd game from older game companies that giants like Asmodee seem to have just 'absorbed' (such as Ystari's Shakespeare). The expansions for such games can end up going for more than the base games themselves (as with the above two game examples.) And as for possibly designing your own game (perhaps the main reason I personally got hold of so many so quickly) - what really are the chances of you making any kind of money at all for a number of games these days? I could see the whole games market explode in quantity and quality - in a constantly growing way (great), but also in such a 'saturated' way that I ended up putting my whole game creation idea on hold.

[@mariocrest]

Agree to everything. I'm trying to keep under 50 games, excluding Partygames. Try not to repeat mechanics, if I repeat is because there is a lighter version. And if I don't really enjoy the game, sell or trade. Also, campaing games once are completed, move to the next one. It's worked for the last two years, I hope I can keep it this way. 😂

[@marks6928]

We’re on the downward curve now. The era of huge hits like Wingspan and Terraforming Mars is over. Board gaming cafes are closing. FLGS’s are closing. Quinns has left SU&SD to do his own channel about RPGs. The market is flooded. Kickstarters full of stretch goals that people won’t play enticing people with FOMO. The golden age is over.

[@redknight808]

Regarding Game Collection as a Hobby: "Just get a picture of games" Does the same apply to a coin collection? Stamps? Or even low value things like spoons or dolls? No. Your premise is ridiculous. Collecting means having the things on the premises. If such a thing brings the collector joy, who are you to say it's invalid? By all means, have an opinion, Tom, but this one is objectively wrong. And, man, this needs to be said. You don't get to talk about your small, very reasonable game collection at home when you are renting a huge space to store a second game collection that's kinda-sorta-not yours. If you put that second collection to the torch tomorrow, no one would sue you. It's yours. Seriously. Other than that, it was a great discussion. Love your work and the channel. Keep it up! :)

[@88slow]

After years in the hobby learnt 2 things: 1. Don't buy new releases. Wait 1-2 years to see if ranked well with proper bgg comments and reviews. Any game that doesn't make it will hopefully be reduced price especially in second hand market. Plenty of great older games to try with good data points. 2. Don't buy a game with a first kickstarter campaign especially from new publishers. I agree to support them but if the game does well/rated well and received well after it's delivered then it is very likely they will do a 2nd campaign with same kickstarter exclusives with a new expansion (woth exclusives) and even fix some 1st edition errors. Eg. Recently Earth, wonderlands war, fractured sky, canvas, etc. It's like Tom Vasel's law but for kickstarter. However I make an exception for CMON and awaken realms if it interests me cause usually it's a once off with alot of exclusives (holds value depending)

[@clanechelon]

I've joined the hobby just before the pandemic and I am mostly the one owning games in our group. I've always tried to keep my collection in check and stay away from kickstarter (unless its something truly unique). I try to have variety both in mechanics, complexity and playtime. But before something joins the collection, i always compare it to what I already own. Is it too similar, is it going to fight over another game to get to the table, etc. Sometime it's just too intriguing that I jump in anyway, but then it means it might cull out another game in my collection. It's challenging because I need to assess my group enjoyment before buying and culling a game, but If I don't I know I would be drowning in games. I think part of the issue for newcomers is that when you realize how good board gaming has become compared to the old kids game you remember, you feel like you've missed so much. You want to catch up and experience it all, but that is definitely a trap.

[@joeferreti9442]

With all those many games coming out, we all should become a lot more critical about the games to divide the cream from the crop. Many of the games that come out nowadays are pretty bad. I often wonder what underdeveloped and silly cash-grab games make it to print nowadays. Luckily many can be easily skipped. Don't willy-nilly-ly buy new games for full price!

[@carrickrichards2457]

Game design has advanced leagues. Crowdfunding has provided marketing and cashflow benefits. A very first world problem that 'serious' reviewers help address. I enjoy many games without ever playing them thanks to BGG videos! I expect crowdfunding will evolve slowly.

[@Tulipau]

There's also the ecological impact of games. Sure it's not like flying a private jet. But 100.000s if not millions of games are produced that are sold off for not even the production cost in max. 24 months. I work in a boardgame store, and I can see prices plummeting from Asmodee, Pegasus, and other big publishers. And even then they won't sell.

[@Monkeyb00y]

Shelf of opportunity. It's certainly a shelf a shame. I should know because my collection is way too big. The shame is 95% unplayed out of like 500. Stop obtaining, play the games you have. Cull the ones you don't like. That's the fastest way to balance. Be content with what you have. Cheers!

[@LeeKenshin7]

The irony as I'm watching this is that the less board game media I consume, the less I purchase. Although I have 150+ games, I have no shelf of shame, a one game in/one game out policy, and finish a campaign before I start another one. Just gotta ignore the FOMO and be content with what you have. The market will adjust itself and if it doesn't, play the games you have/already made.

[@alexstrang9823]

one thing that people can do at every level (from reviewers to consumers to retailers, etc) when creative content is exploding (a good thing, IMO) is to begin to specialise more. Maybe a review channel focuses on samurai and ninja games, maybe a cafe specialises in fast card games, may a consumer decides to focus on games from the 80s......etc....it's like with other media (movies and TV) where people eventually focus.

[@tymon234]

My main issue about the hobby is how its become so heavily dependent on crowd funding. Im disappointed that you didnt mention this though I agree with every point you made. I am sorry but I like my consumer rights & crowd funding strips you of those rights completely. Pre orders in general are anti consumer(Pay us now and you get your stuff whenever we feel like it) but also having no legal protection(campaigns arent legally obligated to deliver on anything they promise) AND do a lot of dark patterns(KS exclusives, and now we're even getting day 1 exclusives) Yes yes you dont *need* these things but these companies are obviously using psychological manipulation to sell, and that is *NOT* ok. Yes you can still buy retail, but maybe the usa has a huge board game retail market, in the rest of the world a *lot* of games dont make it to retail locally. I think the issue isnt just too many games coming out, but planned obsolence has sneaked itself into board gaming. "You can play old games!" - Sure, sort of, but not really? You can play old games so long as *other* people want to play old games, but in my experience a good majority of people just want to play whatever the new release is. Im blessed that I have a gaming group that shares my views and loves digging deep into a game and push to 100-200 plays before we're done with it, but im absolutely done playing with strangers(something I used to enjoy a lot) and im sticking only to friends and family. (Also hot take but learning & teaching a new game is NOT fun, its work, and having all my meet ups be learning sessions because its a new game every damn week got old quickly) It feels like most of the time people are playing because they have to and not because they want to. Ive seen people get visiblly angry at me because I criticised a game they bought. Yes there is the hardcore competitive scene for a lot of games, but that isnt something I feel comfortable being in(im just not a competitive person) I dont think im alone in this, I believe a lot of people who used to be heavy players(not collectors) have stepped out from the public scene and are playing privately or not at all. Yes in a way its the golden age of board games, but I made so many new and great friends through this hobby that it pains me to say that im not interested in that aspect anymore.

[@lit_wick]

I was BIG into games like two years ago. I'd back two kickstarter a month, browse my lgs for games all the time, etc. I've stopped buying games like that ever since I got into more traditional trading Card games. I'm probably spending less, but its certainly less space in my crowded home. It's nice to be able to play board games on tabletop simulator. If any game catches my eye, I learn it there. We often buy a game, play it once, and ever play it again. I've found learning games on tts scratches the itch and then I don't buy the game. That's helpful.

[@SomeVato84]

It's like being frustrated you can't read every book or watch every movie that comes out each year. You shouldn't - in fact the whole purpose of having "genres" is, that people eventually find their favorites. Why would you sit through every single horror-film that comes out, if you hate getting scared? Why read every crime-novel if you don't like violence in books? It feels like self torture to try to do anything similar within games.

[@gigasnooze]

This is quite bewildering to me. Why would anyone want to or have to play all the games that come out? No one is complaining that they can't consume all the movies, books, music albums, or video games that come out, and I don't quite see how board games would be different. I do think there is a very good point to be made about how many crowdfunding projects leverage FOMO, and the tendency to include absurd amounts of stuff in such games, but that is a bit of a different point, no? Related to that, I also agree there seem to be a lot of people in the hobby who have a strong drive to collect just for the sake of collecting. But again, I'm not sure this is because too many games come out. Other people collect books and never read them - I don't think the solution would be for the world to release fewer books? Finally, board games are an art form, and that's great! It's cool to see this art form grow and produce more obscure and interesting things, alongside the big standard projects.

[@boardgametotears]

Amen Tom. Our game group shares the load. When one person buys a game I own because they love it, great! Now I can sell my copy.

[@MrDLYouTube]

I've managed to stop buying games thanks to Facebook. Why FB? Because it has this "memory" thing that pops up and shows you things you did for like 1 year ago, and that started showing more and more games we've played (I always take picture every session), but then I started noticing that these "1 year ago", was actually the last time we played that said game. And this kept on happening more and more. That's when it hit me I need to stop.

[@manuelkooijman5757]

There are parts where I agree and parts I disagree. I agree with the shelf of shame. It needs to be named by its proper name. It is not a shelf of opportunity, it is shelf of shame. I pride myself that if I buy a game I play it within a week (maybe two when coming back from Essen Spiel). As for publishers struggling to have their game noticed in a store, maybe they should talk more to the stores. I live in the Netherlands and many stores have a great deal of old games still in stock and they are certainly not flooded with new games. I still have not seen many games on the shelves which I have seen at last year’s Essen. You want a copy of Everdell, Sagrada, West Kingdom series, Teothihuacan, etc., you can easily get it. So I do not see a war for shelf space in a FLGS.

[@digitaloracle3079]

Games are really my only hobby, anymore and largely have been since college. Unfortunately, I've fell into the common trope of becoming an adult and having a disposable income sounds great...till you then realize earning said income often eats up a large amount of time. Add kids and other demands into the mix and remaining time if fleeting. With that said, I invest a decent bit of time, investigating games before purchase, but it's always in vain because at least 2/3 of my library of tabletop (and video) games still sit unplayed, often many years later, still.

[@stevemyers8588]

Great comments, Tom. I appreciate the stats you provided and then analyzed the negatives and positives, what to do, etc. I liked your point about starting to gravitate to reviewers that have similar tastes. That’s usually the starting point for me. Then I will research and listen to other reviewers if a game or two catch my interest. Fully agree - try to limit the collection and enjoy the games you have! Which means I must discipline myself to only, maybe, purchase a few games per year (maybe give it as a gift if you are really on the fence about it and then play with that person - ha!). Thanks, Tom, for the video. Nice work.

[@Fidtz]

One thing that would help is everyone (including Tom) should stop giving games a pass for a game being "ok" or "decent" or "good". Just reclassify that stuff as "pointless". There is no reason now for accepting anything except the very best.

[@zoltankaldy]

Great video - thank you! I know guys, who think you are no-one, unless you you have the latest games, with all the expansions. If you do not have expansion they look at you like you are a bug. Terrible. I just like play board games, even old ones, and if I played the base 5000 times, I might think of an expansion that adds something to the base.

[@cubist12]

I'm at about 550 games and could probably cull half without breaking a sweat. Too many unplayed games and too many games wirh the same gameplay. How many games these days are either an improvement on a previous game or something that hasn't been done? Very, very, few.

[@eduardom8672]

Thanks Tom. Excellent video. I feel I am ready to get rid of many games I think may be fun and keep the ones I actually play! I'm already doing pretty good not backing any more stuff (only 1 KS in the year so far - expansions for a game me and my family actually plays - and don't expect to back anything else for the rest of the year).

[@craigmcgregor5528]

There will be a correction in the market at some point soon. I have basically stopped buying new games, save for 4 or 5 a year, and have been enjoying buying and playing older games, those that have stood the test of time and that are widely considered to be classics. This means I'm playing games with lower production values broadly speaking and I'm fine with this.

[@SteveLynham]

'You don't need everything, just get the game and play the game'. Did my girlfriend commission this video!? xD 100% agree, though.

[@Quirken]

There are plenty of great games that haven't been reprinted, and not due to things like IP. Two off the top of my head: Hegemonic (the 4X, not the social class game) & Dogs of War

[@wrany72]

Exactly my thoughts... thanks for the video and the perspective. It's taken me years to figure out what I really like which is often dependent on my game groups. Now I have slowed my approach to buying and am looking to get rid of games I will never play again.

[@theincantrix1144]

That same consumerism, however, supports the game industry, all the companies, all the employees, the factory workers that produce the games, the stores that sell the games, their employees, and this channel & it's employees. Little like trying to cut your own throat in telling people to stop buying so many games. Might want to look up how many books are printed yearly, or how many automobiles are manufactured. There was no innovation in board gaming for centuries, because there was no market for it. People spend a vast amount of time indoors now, which lent to computer gaming, console gaming, and now board gaming.

[@MrScrawnjuan]

One thing i don't like about the influx of crowdfunding, is that videos are made for them during the campaign, and then usually never again. It's often quite difficult to find a gameplay video after the crowdfunding campaign. And they're often quite different by the time they do arrive

[@erichammett2893]

Slightly pedantic, but your first graphic says “ranking” when it obviously means rating. Lots of board game media uses these terms interchangeably and they have significantly different definitions.

[@rzhang86]

Are board games really that profitable to justify such a competitive industry? If most games are not in huge demand, what is incentivizing businesses to create all this supply?