TDG: Cody's Top Ten IP Science Fiction Games (October 2024)

[@gregorys9629]

Legendary Alien is great, and the difficulty level is just right. Actually I think it was your review which inspired me to hunt down a copy myself! Nice list.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Happy to help. Great game.

[@rockhopper01]

My top 2 is EXACTLY the same! BSG is one of my few 10’s on BGG. It’s the only boardgame that we had games like 10 years ago that we still talk about. I still reminisce about the time I was the Cylon and I managed to become both President AND Admiral, convinced my pals to execute two of their own, then drove the Galactica into a star to end the game. I’ll NEVER forget their faces.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Such a great game! Thanks!

[@tomharding4095]

thanks for sharing your top 10. You really show your passion and experiences for these games. Much appreciated.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

@@tomharding4095 Thank you. I appreciate the comment.

[@normstewart546]

Great list, all games mentioned are really good.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

@@normstewart546 Thanks! I liked them.

[@Blunderbu55]

Great list! Just getting into Armada, and it’s shot to my near top. Perhaps above X-Wing. Capital ships with squadrons reminds me of WWII in the Pacific. Thinking if a Star Wars, Star Trek (or even WH40k), skin could somehow be placed onto Twilight Imperium, that would be something special.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Indeed. Thanks.

[@maxducoudray]

Forbidden Stars is a funny honorable mention, because Warhammer is natively a tabletop IP so it doesn’t really seem licensed. Is Talisman licensed when Pegasus publishes it but not when GW does? Technically that may be true, but you can see how it’s weird.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Warhammer started out as a tabletop game, but it has become a larger IP with books, movies, and other media that transcend the original game. I started reading Warhammer 40k books before I ever played one of the games.

[@jankogo]

Nice list Cody! I am just starting to get into the OG Dune game and it is great.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

@@jankogo It’s a fun one, for sure.

[@TheFatalT]

Always love to see Fleet Captains getting well-deserved praise. Have you ever played Armada with the Super Star Destroyer? That’s an experience 😂

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

I have not. Sounds like fun.

[@KabukiKid]

Great list! :-D I'd have Star Wars: Rebellion at #1, though... but I can't disagree all that much with your picks. I'd also have Outer Rim above Firefly.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

@@KabukiKid Thanks!

[@wmarclocher]

Have you ever played Star Fleet Battles (Task Force Games 1979) loosely based on Star Trek TOS? It was a tactical star ship combat simulator that could be played with miniature, but just as well on a hex board. You could also combine it with a galaxy wide strategic game called Federation Space (later Federation & Empire) Think Axis & Allied but when you had a battle you would drill down on that spot (hex) and have ship to ship battles. Since my return to war games I have not found anything that went that deep into both the strategic and tactical side.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

I have not played, but I've heard a lot of people talk about it over the years. Sounds like a lot of fun. Thanks.

[@klausfritsch4350]

I often mispronounce the Cardassians and call them the Kardashians.....

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

@@klausfritsch4350 Ha!

[@carlossteffens7659]

LMAO!!

[@robertthurman9866]

Another very goof video. I don't have all those games but I agree with your ranking.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Pretty goofy. I agree.

[@HistoryTeacherSteve]

gosh, this was a great list! really gotta play that Star Trek Ascendency someday

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Its a great game. Thanks a ton!

[@CBs_Bill_from_Montana]

I can’t believe I laugh so hard at your jokes that I can see coming. However, I do laugh at them louder than I do at any professional comedian! You’re awesome.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

@@CBs_Bill_from_Montana Thanks! Glad you like the jokes!

[@CBs_Bill_from_Montana]

I’m going to a BSG convention in Chicago in 2 weeks. Every star is going to be there. I’ll tell them you say hello!

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

@@CBs_Bill_from_Montana Please do!

[@Izzboticus]

I agree with most of the list, other than I consistently put Dune (the classic) as my top game of all time.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Great game.

[@thunderccr5056]

Hey Cody, great list! I have just found and bought BSG!!! New and for an ok price. The expansions are too pricey. Love Star Wars Rebellion. My Rebel Scum of a son always wins and I find I can’t move the Death Star many places! lol Thanks again for making these videos! Regards.😉👍

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Thank you!

[@edwardlasso3092]

"The Expanse board game" feels very similar to 2 4-player version of Twilight Struggle, but it needs 4 players to really shine.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

@@edwardlasso3092 I liked it, but didn’t fall in love with it.

[@eatingweevils]

It be too hard for me to make list. Both Star Wars Outer Rim and Firefly would be duking it out who got higher position. Both are my favourites immersive sandbox sf games. It all depends on whims which one i prefer at the time

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Both great games, for sure.

[@eatingweevils]

I went off Star Wars Xwing when the 2nd edition made my old miniatures obsolete . I do love Star Wars Armada for those epic battles between iconic capital ships but like you don't play it that often due to table size Heck tables space the bane of gamers!

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

I’m referring to 1sr edition here. Still a great game.

[@theblaznee]

And there's Forbidden Stars right there behind you, and not a mention.. I'm a little suprised with that :)

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Um, it got an honorable mention. Did you watch the video?

[@bluedevil3d104]

Although I appreciate that you may stray from IP type games to avoid fan bias, to be fair, I think all the games that you've listed are in the top 1000 on BGG. BGG ratings are going to lean towards gamers rather than just fans (Not trying to bash it, but Star Wars Monopoly isn't high on the ratings being driven by a fan base). It is possible to have great games that are based around an IP.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

@@bluedevil3d104 I think you are correct. I am not suggesting that IP games are lesser games (although, years ago, they used to just be cash grab tie-ins). These are some of my favorite games period.

[@jdub-replicant]

for some reason i was sure you were gonna say twilight imperium x edition was gonna be your number 1 but most definitely BSG is amazing. played it once and it was something else. hidden traitor games can be absolutely amazing if the group you play with is fun.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

I don't consider TI4 an IP game. BSG is amazing! Thanks.

[@bergstro]

Man, Dune and Forbidden Stars need to be higher on this list.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

To each their own.

[@ScipioAfricanusI]

That was a fun video. Thakn you. Why not any of the Modiphius titles? Doyou not like the D 20 system? What about FASA's Star Trek?

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

@@ScipioAfricanusI Haven’t played either.

[@ajlynch123]

My top 10 would be: 1) Star Wars Legion 2) Star Trek Ascendancy 3) Star Wars Armada 4) Battlestar Galactica 5) Star Wars Rebellion 6) Star Wars X-Wing 7) Star Wars The Deck Building Game 8) Star Wars Outer Rim 9) Star Trek Attack Wing 10) Star Trek: Galactic Enterprises Firefly would come in at #11 on my list

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Looks like a great list.

[@toddslanga]

Question about the outro music, I cannot seem to find “Sin” by Rev Mayhem on iTunes. Any idea where I buy this sweet, sweet song?

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

@@toddslanga Not sure. It looks like Shawn doesn’t have Sin up there currently. I’d urge you to get the Rev Mayhem album that’s up there, though - fantastic!

[@RolandoRatas]

Doctor Who got his enemies, the Daleks, to set a timer for his boiled eggs... ... ... .... .... when they were ready the Daleks said: 'Eggs terminate'.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Ha!

[@w.osterberg9385]

Nice list 👌

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Thanks!

[@CountDewkeww]

Curious as to why you like Firefly over Outer rim. I’ve only heard that Outer Rim is a better version. I just recently found a complete version of Firefly at goodwill for $4 but I haven’t gotten it to the table yet.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

@@CountDewkeww I like Outer Rim a lot - it’s shorter and less complicated than Firefly. But Firefly is far more immersive in my opinion.

[@anaximander66]

Storm trooper VS Red Shirt: incompetent force VS irrelevant object

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Ha!

[@peterixon8708]

Cody, Twilight Imperium? I rate it up with Dune: War for Arrakis as well as Star Wars Rebellion, both of which I own multiple copies of, with all the upgrades.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

It's not an IP game. it's not based on a movie or book. It's my second favorite game of all time.

[@peterixon8708]

Apologies Cody; I didn't understand what IP meant. So obvious, now you've explained it; Doh!

[@traestorm]

You are correcct, Cody. Avalon Hill did the original Dune game back in 1979.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Thanks!

[@Hudsonbba]

Did Forbidden Stars just not make the list? :(

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

It would appear so.

[@tomharding4095]

forgot. Amen that number 1 still remains BSG.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

@@tomharding4095 Great Game! Thanks!

[@grog3514]

So say we all!

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

@@grog3514 So say we all.

[@douglaspearson4853]

I almost was going to ask what happened to BSG. I didn't think I was going just because how old it was. I do like your list. Some of the games I have not played as they are either non solotaire playable or to big. Firefly I got the original and a few expainsion the they come out with the big box and i already had spent to much.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Thanks.

[@iggyflop3777]

IP ?

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Intellectual Property. Books, movies, TV, etc…

[@ManosKant]

I often see BSG being among people's favorite games but never Unfathomable. You were one of the very few that even mentioned the new expansion. For some reason it doesn't seem to resonate with people.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

@@ManosKant The thing about BSG is that is just so brilliantly captured the theme of the TV show. I just don’t think there’s the passion for a generic Cthulhu theme, however superior many of the game aspects may be. I love them both.

[@syramento]

What does "IP" stand for?

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

@@syramento Intellectual Property.

[@syramento]

Okay, thanks.

[@davidbarr9343]

I hate deck building games. Play a game of Rummy.😂Hidden traitor games?😞😞😞

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

@@davidbarr9343 Too bad for you. Deck-Building Games and Hidden Traitor games are awesome!