TDG: Cody's Top Ten Cooperative Games (January 2023)

[@SkywalkerWroc]

1:35 10. Project Elite 2:36 9. Horrified American Monsters 3:45 8. The Grizzled (WW1-themed) 4:55 7. Star Wars: The Clone Wars 6:00 6. G.I. Joe: Mission Critical 7:35 5. Black Orchestra (WW2-themed) 9:24 4. G.I. Joe: Dech-building game 10:50 3. Legendary: Aliend Deck Building Game 12:26 2. Zombiecide 13:35 1. Mansions of Madness 0:50 Dark Ghotic, flying frog games - special mention

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Thanks

[@SkywalkerWroc]

@@TheDiscriminatingGamer No, thank You for a great list :)

[@hatchimmmmm]

I buy my games based in your top tens and reviews, and never fail

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Thank you, sir. Happy to help!

[@eriksjogren800]

Thanks

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

You're welcome!

[@QBG]

You simply must check out Spirit Island! In the space of one year, it's become my game night group's most-requested and most-played game by far, and we weren't really co-op fans before that. The theme (indigenous magic island spirits scare away European colonizers) is unique and perfectly incorporated into the art and gameplay. The mechanics are super-elegant and extremely deep, but the core systems lend a degree of predictability that you have to plan around to maximize the efficiency of your actions. It's the type of game that you can play forever and never tire of, because there's always a combination of spirits you haven't tried yet, and plenty of modular options to keep the game challenging as you improve. It's also a perfect solo game, and plays exactly the same as multiplayer co-op with almost no rules changes.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

I've heard great things about it. I'll have to check it out. Thanks.

[@juliansykes6668]

Pleased to see XCOM in the centre of the picture even if it did not make your top 10 coop games. :) I bought Black Orchestra following your recommendation. Thanks. :) Also pleased to see Grizzled get some more love.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

I really like XCOM, but didn't quite make it. Black Orchestra is fantastic, and I'm happy to have helped you. The Grizzled is, in my opinion, more than a great game, it's an important one.

[@MusashiOtsu]

I LOVE the G.I. Joe games. I have played the deck building game at least 10 times solo and have yet to win, but it is so fun I keep coming back for more. The mission Critical game I need to break out and play more often. Great list.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Thank you.

[@jonathangillies6531]

Great list! We share a few top 10s! I’ll have to check out some of the others!

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Thanks!

[@JayV110]

Solid list! Love Black Orchestra, and The Grizzled is amazing! How many times have you won? Me, out of maybe 20 plays or so, we’ve only won once. It’s brutal! You’re also slowly selling me on GI Joe! Growing up, one of my favorite shows but lost the love for it at some point!

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Lost The Grizzled far more than I’ve won. GI Joe is great. Hope you get a chance to play it soon.

[@roto6500]

My favorite cooperative games to play with the wife are Legends of Andor, castle panic and forbidden Island

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Castle Panic is great! Haven't played FI.

[@thewelcomemat7094]

Had no idea Bonhoeffer was in Black Orchestra…just reread his book Life Together with a book club, cool!

[@Gib01]

I like Star Trek Panic, win or lose, I had a good time playing. I haven't played Castle Panic but I heard good things about it.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Castle Panic is a lot of fun.

[@mikehuff2693]

Love zombie side and Mansions of madness. Unfortunately I sold my copy of MoM, they definitely need a 3rd edition with tighter missions and less playtime. My wife never wanted to play because most of the missions were 2-4 hrs. Also, they need to fix the monster bases!!

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

I agree with you on the monster bases. While some of the scenarios are definitely longer than they need to be, for the most part I really enjoy them.

[@douglaspearson4853]

Legendary Alien is the only one on your list I have played. I have an enjoy A touch of Evil liked the theme. I never played the card game. Others I like Mage Knight, Pathfinder the Card game, Elder Sign and Sentinels of the Multiverse.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Good list.

[@ericengstrom2138]

Have you tried MoM 1st ed? We love having that one person playing as the 'game' after a weird experience with the app version. The Keeper can also take a more 'GM' like role and make it harder or easier in order to improve the experience of the group. Ultimately, though, it's so pricey that when you have one edition, it's usually not worth getting the other edition. Thanks for the video.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Yes. I played and enjoyed the 1sr Ed. But it is so fiddly and if the Keeper screws up the setup, even slightly, the game is ruined. I mich prefer the streamlined 2nd editionz

[@mrmeow2297]

The Star Wars game looks great

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Indeed. Thanks.

[@Mattchew2232]

Have you tried Spirit Island? I think it's one of the best co-op games, in addition to some that you mentioned!

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

I haven't played that one yet. Heard good things.

[@Mattchew2232]

@Father Paolo, O.Pa. Cody can of course correct me, but it seems like he's less inclined to euro games, so wouldn't that be in Spirit Island's favour? Honestly, you should give it a another shot. It takes a bit (about two games for me) to get your head around the flow of the turn sequences, and then it was a joy to play. Though, maybe I had an advantage because I started with Horizons of Spirit Island, which is a slightly streamlined version.

[@korhankaya6637]

I've been playing a lot of Marvel Champions lately, it's a lot of fun. It can go up to 4 players but I find 3 at most is best because it gets too long. I'm also greatly looking forward to CMON's Masters of the Universe game coming out in the next few months hopefully. It has three game modes, a 1 vs many, a co-op mode, and a solo mode I believe. Hopefully all the game modes will be good.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Yeah. It will be interesting to see if He-Man is good. Thanks.

[@korhankaya6637]

@The Discriminating Gamer I hope they stay true to the original show, if they do I believe it will be good, and from what I can tell they are based on the artwork.

[@cobracommander4516]

Yay!

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Thanks for stopping by, Commander.

[@Ecto_Fox]

Does the 2nd edition of Black orchestra change the dice rolling mechanic at all? It was so luck based it ruined an otherwise amazing game

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

I'm not sure, as I don't remember the 1st edition rules (just played it once). There is a lot of luck in 2E, but as von Clausewitz tells us, war is the realm of chance.

[@mikejonesnoreally]

Great list Cody! (You'll be happy to know it just deleted a MUCH longer comment!) i got Mission Critical at your advisement and it's been great. i just ordered Heavy Firepower which feels like one of those "must have to have the game" expansions. i sure hope i can get the deck builder too, but i will try for sure with as good as G.I. JOE Mission Critical has worked out! i kinda' wish some of it's creator fans would have more videos about rules interpretations (there are some confusing bits in the rules about limits of energy, which are kinda' critical.) with all you've said about the rule book i'm sure i'll be hunting for even more videos once i get (if i can get) the G.I. JOE deck building game.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

The GI Joe Deck Building Game, with all it's rulebook problems, is still one my new favorites. An instant classic!

[@mikejonesnoreally]

@@TheDiscriminatingGamer i'm on it, i just had to get Mission Critical first because i like the minis and the boards, it just has that "i'm playing G.I. JOE again feel." all without ma' yelling at me about how we've talked about her finding Recondo in the fern before......o.o (it was rather suddenly and during a Union lunch she was hosting.)

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

@@mikejonesnoreally Ha!

[@mikejonesnoreally]

@@TheDiscriminatingGamer The RPG is *right out* though! i mean christ i'll just go work for NASA! xD

[@dragon0fly749]

Has anyone played betrayel at house on the hill or nemesis?? Opinions?

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Both great games, but not really co-op as you end up fighting each other (Nemesis does have a pure co-op mode, but it’s not as fun).

[@Ri96junk]

Does anyone have the name of a boardgame where the figures have flashlight and u put different color flashlight to search for ghost or monster's? I think the playmat looked like zombicied playmat

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Doesn't sound familiar. In Washington Z.C. expansion for Zombicide there are flashlights.

[@Ri96junk]

@@TheDiscriminatingGamer found it already it's called Avghost

[@pinkunicorns3185]

The fact that paleo is not on this list tells me that you haven't played it :D Everybody needs to know this genius game!

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

I have not played that one yet. :(

[@pinkunicorns3185]

@@TheDiscriminatingGamer yeah I think the English translation has not been out for long, but it is my favorite co-op game out there, definetely a recommendation👍

[@michelle-zp4ef]

Love paleo🤩

[@masacuna]

love Legendary Marvel!!!!!!

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Great game!

[@richardshagrin8565]

Churchill is by far the best cooperative and competitive game. the big 3 (Churchill, Stalin and FDR and eventually Truman) struggle for peace in the last half of the second world war.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Churchill is a great game, but it is not a cooperative game. The best you could say is that it is a coopetition game.

[@GB-333]

@@TheDiscriminatingGamer exactly

[@pietrorasputin52]

I'd have to disagree with you on the GI Joe deck building game. That game is so freakin random that it drives me to rage and extreme annoyance ever single time. I've played it a couple times and never again.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

There are dice, so there is a level of randomness. Still love the game - heavily thematic and there are ways to mitigate your luck. Absolutely love this one. But, to each their own. Thanks.

[@pietrorasputin52]

@@TheDiscriminatingGamer Yeah, there are a few ways to do that, but none of them are major or consistent in being able to feel like actually mitigating anything.

[@GB-333]

Your voice has change, no ?

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

I can change my voice at will. Just like my underwear.

[@GB-333]

@@TheDiscriminatingGamer 🤣🤣🤣. I buy Black Orchestra years ago because of you, so i thank you so much, it's my top 3 game of all time, so you can change whatever you want , even change sex, its ok .... but really you change your voice

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

@@GB-333 Fantastic! Happy to help!

[@theblaznee]

Attempted murder joke.....:D

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Glad you liked it.

[@thegamesninja3119]

Mom, Cody is being militarily dominant against other players in a cooperative game again. 🥷

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

A lotta truth in that statement.

[@thegamesninja3119]

@@TheDiscriminatingGamer I am sure there is a lot of calling out to mythical momma about your military bent playing any game. There was that time when playing Catan where you were arguing that the mountain spaces provided defensive bonuses 🥷 (I stole that line from a comic book that was an issue involving Catan).

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

@@thegamesninja3119 Ha!

[@thegamesninja3119]

@The Discriminating Gamer 🥷 it was one of your first thoughts when you were originally saw Catan. Ninja