Top 10 "Better" Board Games

Do you like Monopoly, Scrabble, Clue, Risk, Chess, Trivial Pursuit, Poker, Cranium, Uno!, and Sorry!? We have some suggestions for better games.
00:00 - Introduction
03:46 - Sam’s #10
04:51 - Tom’s #10
05:54 - Zee’s #10
07:49 - Tom’s #9
08:56 - Zee’s #9
10:14 - Sam’s #9
12:19 - Zee’s #8
13:24 - Sam’s #8
14:20 - Tom’s #8
16:20 - Zee’s #7
17:59 - Tom’s #7
19:52 - Sam’s #7
22:40 - Tom’s #6
23:29 - Sam’s #6
24:23 - Zee’s #6
26:21 - Sam’s #5
27:49 - Zee’s #5
28:14 - Tom’s #5
28:59 - Sam’s #4
30:41 - Tom’s #4
31:28 - Zee’s #4
33:55 - Tom’s #3
34:23 - Zee’s #3
35:54 - Sam’s #3
37:10 - Zee’s #2
38:44 - Sam’s #2
40:16 - Tom’s #2
42:34 - Tom’s #1
43:52 - Zee’s #1
47:05 - Sam’s #1
Buy great games at www.gamenerdz.com/
Find more reviews and videos at www.dicetower.com

[@NerdIncorrect]

I like when you guys "cheat" and mention other games you considered. I watch the Top Tens to find new games. The more games you mention, the better the video.

[@Brandon75689]

10). Sorry- Tokaido (stealing spaces and stopping people) 9). Uno!-Category 5 8). Cranium - Concept (It will make people think outside the box but its hardly the same) 7) Scrabble - Codenames (more about knowing words and combining rather than scoring points with 2 letters) 6). No clue 5).Trivial Pursuit - Wits & WAgers (Trivia, with a guessing and betting aspect so people who are knowledge buffs can't get ahead) 4).Cluedo- Mysterium (Figuring out a murder but using abstract art to figure it out). 3).Chess - Twilight Struggle or Android Netrunner 2). Risk- Game of Thrones 2nd Edition 1). Monopoly- Power Grid

[@adriandevries8716]

Hey great choices... Tokaido is one of my favorites. TS is a great two player duel game. And Game of Thrones is THE choice for map conquest types.

[@Brandon75689]

Adrian De Vries Yea, cause Tokaido is kind of like getting ahead and blocking players from continuing. I'm going to try it out for my friday night game night and see how it works.

[@republikadugave420]

Monopoly = Chinatown

[@rokorora8552]

Thanks for the breakdown :)

[@ThomasAlanCarpenter]

After watching a few videos over the past few weeks after discovering you guys, I've noticed: 1. Sam likes the idea punching people 2. Tom LOVES theme and Agricola 3. Zee often has the most off the wall picks (games nobody plays or has heard of) In all seriousness, I'm a new board gamer and until recently Monopoly was mainly the only game I played. I'm enjoying this channel. Keep up the good work!

[@Straddllw]

1. Sam loves Twilight Imperium 3 2. Tom loves Cosmic Encounter 3. Zee loves Pandemic 4. Sam hates Cosmic Encounter and is angry most of the time. 5. Sam's facial hair + Tom's facial hair = Zee's facial hair. FIFY^^^

[@rockxhero]

Tom Carpenter Except Tom doesn't love Agricola, but I think you may've been kidding. He'd prefer to play Caverna, or Le Havre'.

[@mathswithgarry7104]

Ever tried Settlers of Catan? I think you'd like it. More strategy than Monopoly, and more interesting theme. IMO.

[@dontnormally]

The list: 10. Sorry Around the World in 80 Days King of Tokyo Magical Athlete 09. Uno Coloretto or Zooloretto Smiley Face Category 5 08. Cranium Concept Telestrations Dixit 07. Scrabble Typo Word on the Street Wasabi 06. Standard Deck of Cards Dwarf King Dice Town Parade 05. Trivial Pursuit Wits and Wagers 04. Clue Fury of Dracula Mystery of the Abbey Timbuktu 03. Chess The Duke Hive 02. Risk Shogun Twilight Imperium III Kemet 01. Monopoly Airlines Europe Alhambra Coloseum

[@salmonblox]

Also, since I feel it's appropriate to the theme of this video, Scott Nicholson has a great video called "Breaking Up the Monopoly", where he goes through the major elements of the game and for each mechanism, suggests another game that tackles that mechanism in a more interesting way. Check it out, if you're interested!

[@salmonblox]

It's especially good, since, as Tom mentioned, Monopoly is really an amalgam of many game mechanisms, and it's difficult to find a single game that really encorporates all the same elements.

[@revimfadli4666]

That's neat, though I find For Sale to be underrated as a replacement for the "property dealer" theme while also being quicker & simpler

[@markiv2942]

Absolutely love these "top ten" videos of The Dice Tower. I'm from Finland and haven't even played any board games almost for like ten years (I'm over thirty something) but have started to gather my interest back since finding your videos last year. (Actually have started to bit plan to create my own game, since I have had an idea for 15 odd years!) You have great chemistry there between you three and It's pleasant to watch people talk with enthusiasm and with desire of something they love to do. You all seem to be genuinely nice guys and your personalities match each other so well that these videos are enjoyable even if you aren 't a board game fanatic (example I'm not). Especially your humour and your back-and-forth wordplay is very catchy. I bet you inspire people not only to play these games but also be social and accept others peoples' views since more often than not, they do differ from your own. Keep them coming!

[@KevinLKitchens]

Scrabble should always be played like Golf... Try to beat your own personal scores, not worry so much about the player vs. player comparison. We also like to track the PPT (Points Per Tile) scored on each turn and the game. Nice stat.

[@VorpalGreatSword]

10 Tsuro over Sorry, 9 Fluxx over Uno, 8 Telestrations over Cranium, 7 Paperback or Qwirkle over Scrabble, 6 Zombie Dice or Love Letter over a deck of playing cards, 5 Wits and Wagers over Trivial Pursuit, 4 One Night Ultimate Werewolf over Clue, 3 Hive over Chess, 2 Small World or King of Tokyo or Terra Mystica over Risk, 1 Settlers of Catan or 7 Wonders or Suburbia over Monopoly.

[@DarthEd77]

Good list! I particularly like your choice of Tsuro as a replacement for Sorry!

[@VorpalGreatSword]

I was trying to think of games that I own or have played (other than Paperback which I'm very keen on getting a copy of) and Tsuro seemed a good fit there. It's sort of a reverse race, but you can do some 'take that' if you place your tile so that someone else is run off of the board. Plus, Tsuro is much easier to learn, allows more people to play, and is generally over before it outstays its welcome.

[@sarahlanger2605]

Interesting list, my only problem: Fluxx over Uno. I don't like Uno very much (well not any more) and I'm always interested in suggestions to replace that well-known crowd-pleaser, but in my opinion it should be replaced by a better, a little more strategic or at least more interesting game. Fluxx is even more random than Uno and has even less strategy (I never thought that was possible). I am looking at this list like: I have friends who only know these games, and I want to offer them something they would enjoy, that I would like to play too. Fluxx is one of my least-favorite games and in my opinion doesn't speak to tabletopgamers at all...

[@davidharshman7645]

For me, Settlers of Catan has completely been replaced by Ad Astra, since it plays very much like Catan without dice and with a well-built theme. So, I'd definitely recommend that option.

[@MindinViolet]

People say, "If you don't like Monopoly, you're playing it wrong," implying that you must be playing with house rules. House rules do generally make Monopoly worse. Thing is, when played correctly according to the official rules, it is still a terrible game.

[@peterjamesfoote3964]

MindinViolet The thing you have to remember about Monopoly is that it is a great game for familiarizing kids with cash handling and budgeting in the sense that it teaches kids about adding and subtracting and counting currency while spending but not too much. It also gives kids the opportunity to fantasize about being a grown up and being able to become rich by buying and trading. For these purposes Monopoly is a great game and it's why kids love it.

[@MindinViolet]

PeterJames Foote There are other games to teach kids math. Do you want your kids to fantasize about being a bully who screws other people out of their money?

[@gaarcemail]

I believe the reason people like Monopoly is because, who wouldn't want to role play a business tycoon, own a ton of property, and of the likes of Park ave, build hotels etc... What I believe people don't like about it, is that it depends on a lot of luck, not much strategy involved, so if you play this game for fun, it can be great, but if you like to win, and like depending on skill, rather than luck, then you won't like it.

[@GamersGrind]

On "Deck of Cards" I would have went with Loony Pyramids. Just because there are thousands of games you can play with a deck of cards and its tough to just go with one single game to replace a deck of cards. Loony Pyramids you can play tons of different games with them as opposed to just one.

[@Taragas]

I agree. The deck of cards is more of a system than a game, and a near perfect one at that. You can buy one for less than $5, it fits in your pocket, and there's an near-infinite number of different games you can play with it. The Icehouse system (which I think is the official name for the Looney Pyramids) is more expensive but nearly as versatile. Another suggestion is the Piecepack system. It uses tiles instead of tokens.

[@AdrianAlvarezNovelist]

I actually know every single baseball stat from 200 years ago.

[@dapamico1]

This was a great idea for a top 10; good job guys! Do "Top 10 games that need to be brought back into print"

[@NicholasLA1]

Oneupmanship obviously replaced Monopoly.

[@faenwulf9159]

I feel liek this list needs a 2019 version ASAP. Only because I've got another birthday with simplistic card games and typical boardgames coming up and I'm starting to dread it.

[@jamma246]

Oh, and one _really_ can't replace chess with any game which has an element of luck. My suggestion would be for something like Yinsh. Go is also an amazing strategy game, but then again so is chess. The point of these games is that they are highly honed games of mental ability, so it's pretty hard to replace them with anything 'lighter' which isn't completely at odds with the fundamental appeal of these games.

[@dearmrdw]

+jamma246 chess were originally designed with dice on the side, if I remember the right historical research. frankly I personally find chess boring - while still enjoying Go decades after I discovered it for myself. I would suggest casual chess players (if there are any left) try out some modern tabletop games - and hardcore ppl definitely should look no further than Go - it's way, way deeper in my opinion. PS. sorry for the 10-months-later comment, but I can see people still writing here :)

[@jamma246]

I think chess is an amazing game; the more you learn and understand about it, the deeper it gets. But the same probably goes for any sufficiently deep strategy game. I'm sure I'd think the same if I watched more Go, or Shogi, for example. Apparently Go is way harder to code for computers. The best computer will essentially always beat the best human from now on, but not so for Go. Saying that, this could perhaps be more down to the large number of unrestricted moves per turn that one has in Go compared to chess, which will be hard to automatically filter.

[@dearmrdw]

+jamma246 yeah, chess is a great game in lots of ways, but when we talk about average player with 2-5 hours of time - there is just so much modern gaming could give you without the need to go deep for strategy of chess, focusing instead on theme, fun and just different kinds of strategies. As for Go - it's actually not the much harder to code - it's just that calculation of a board 19x19 takes way, way longer. And what nails it is the fact that you have complete freedom of choice - way higher than you could achieve in chess (I'm talking here about variation of combinations of state on the board). The other amazing thing about Go - you could tailor to different levels of players - making it possible for young kids to play without losing the interest for both. I would really advice to read up on it - the game is available on any device and online + you could find Go community anywhere (telling that from own experience - and I have been traveling a lot).

[@jamma246]

"_yeah, chess is a great game in lots of ways, but when we talk about average player_" But the original point was about chess not being to comparable to the games being mentioned. Another one I would suggest is Agricola, all creatures big and small. It is a zero luck perfect information game, so is a far better replacement for chess if something a bit more accessible is what you're after. Also, the points you raise about the average player don't apply at all to Go, which is still a purely abstract game of deep strategy. "_As for Go - it's actually not the much harder to code_" Obviously I was implying that Go is harder to code so that it is competitive vs. a human player. I mean, one could just code the game so that the computer makes a random legal move - it is obvious that I wasn't talking about just coding an arbitrary Go computer. In fact, I even said that the reason for this was the large number of unrestricted moves, which you then repeated; not sure why you didn't read that part of my post. "_The other amazing thing about Go - you could tailor to different levels of players - making it possible for young kids to play without losing the interest for both. I would really advice to read up on it_" I totally agree, Go has an excellent handicap system. You can do similar things for chess, but it's not as satisfying since it makes the games feel different to a "normal chess game" in a way that the handicaps in Go do not. I also wish that more people played Go, it is a fantastic game.

[@StopFear]

Many of us know how to play chess and play it. But you're really narrowing your experience if you think games with chance/luck involved (full information games) are not worth your time. Games like chess and go may be fun but they represent real world much less than games with dice or shuffled cards. Also maybe you don't understand how statistics work. I don't know. But when there is luck involved it doesn't mean there is no strategy or skill needed for them.

[@Straddllw]

Rewatching this in start of 2016: Here's what I would replace each by: Camel Up > Sorry, Sushi Go > Uno, Concept > Cranium, Paperback > Scrabble, Love Letter > Poker Cards, Wits & Wagers > Trivial Pursuit, Mysterium > Clue, Tigris & Euphrates > Chess, Game of Thrones > Risk, Ticket to Ride > Monopoly. Also, as a bonus, Pursuit of Happiness > Game of Life.

[@DavidSupina]

Good choices for the most part, though I am not certain that Exploding Kittens is much of an improvement on Uno. However, in what way is Love Letter even remotely a replacement to Poker? There is bluffing in both, but that element is VERY light.

[@Straddllw]

David Supina It's not a replacement for poker, it's a replacement for a deck of cards. As for Exploding Kittens, I've since replaced it with Sushi Go.

[@TheBrothergreen]

+Straddllw for the record, if you replace your super-duper replacement for a classic 50 yr old game every 3 months, I don't think you have succeeded in your task in finding a "better" boardgame. up words (or my choice paperback) will always, always, always, be a better game than scrabble. paperback happens to be a good game in its own right. flash in the pan, party games like exploding kittens are not superior, they are just newer and more novel.

[@Indubitably14]

I think most people play these mass market games sporadically, and very few of them care about game mechanics: Sorry-Jamaica Uno-Coloretto/Dominion Base Set Cranium-Telestrations/Time's Up! Scrabble-If they love Scrabble, they should stick with it. Deck of Cards-For Sale (Hearts) Battle Line (Poker) Trivial Pursuit-Wits & Wagers Clue-Betrayal at House on the Hill (theme), Resistance (deduction) Chess-Just play Chess, but give Hive a try. RISK-Heroscape Monopoly-Ticket To Ride

[@sarahlanger2605]

I like the idea of Jamaica replacing Sorry! and Time's Up! replacing Cranium, these are great fits!

[@c00lhand208]

These are my thoughts; some are quite similar to yours. I've never played Jamaica, but I'm definitely interested in getting it because it looks like a terrific game; however, as far as it replacing Sorry I'm not sold as of yet. I have to say I really like the game of Sorry and don't quite get the dislike others (some within the dice tower included) have against it. IMO, as long as the people who are playing it are about trying to win the game (or try finishing before who ever else is left) more so than seeing simple vendettas carried through at the risk of losing the game then Sorry proves to be quite an enjoyable and competitive game. Uno is another fine game by itself that doesn't necessarily need any type of specific one-for-one replacement; although, if I were to recommend a replacement for it I'd probably say that a simple deck of cards would suffice because of the versatility to play numerous different types of card games, including similar ones, with it is reason enough not to need or get Uno. I consider Cranium kind of a replacement for Trivial Pursuit, but I would replace both of these party-ish knowledge based games with a few other types of party-ish games; the first one would be Say Anything because it's a game that's based on what you know about the people you're playing with verses requiring a heavy amount of general knowledge (I actually like it a bit better than Wits & Wagers which kind of blends more of the general knowledge requirement with a need to understand the people you're playing with). The second game would be Dixit because it uses awesome gorgeous pictures or abstract art that's already provided verses requiring the people you're playing with to have some artistic capability, plus like Say Anything and even Wits & Wagers knowing or understanding those who you're playing is going to be arguably more important than requiring any vast amount of general knowledge and this allows you to play more enjoyable games with a wider audience type. Lastly, I'd like to say that the new game called Concept does look pretty intriguing and might very well be worth adding to this list too, but I won't know that till I play it. To me Scrabble is entirely replaceable by the game Qwarkle because IMO it evens the playing field dramatically. Admittedly with Qwarkle you've gotten away from the word/vocabulary aspect and replaced it with color and pattern matching, but in doing so you've moved away from a more confining theme to one where a pretty wide variety of individuals can provide good competition. A deck of cards should never be replaced; it easily replaces other things! Clue is completely replaceable by either The Resistance or The Resistance: Avalon; both of which I prefer over Ultimate Werewolf unless we're talking a group of people over 10 then obviously Ultimate Werewolf is ideal. Chess replaces checkers and nothing really replaces Chess, but I suppose Hive, Duke, and Stratego are pretty solid alternatives if either you don't have Chess or just don't feel like playing Chess. Plain old Risk is definitely replaceable by Risk: Legacy if you have a dedicated play group that plays often enough; otherwise, Shogun, Smallworld, and/or Kemet are great replacements for occasional plays. IMO Monopoly is way overrated and entirely replaceable. I think people should instead replace it with two or three different games; one for the theme and wealth building strategic element, another focused solely on the so-called overall family/group enjoyment aspect which I don't understand how people can relate Monopoly to being a good and enjoyable group game but they do, and a possible third for the trading aspect. In regards to what I find wrong with Monopoly I have to say it's two things in particular; first and most importantly is the luck aspect and how much it factors throughout the entire game, and the second is a more detailed aspect of that luck trait which deals with the trading aspect and how it's basically the crux of the game (IMO, it makes it and breaks it). To me, if you simply focus on the most enjoyable aspect of the game - the acquisition of Hotels, the involvement of building wealth through buying and selling, as well as seeing the size of the Hotel grow for expense/profit purposes - I'd take thematic Hotel and wealth building game Acquire over Monopoly any day because it's a much more balanced and competitive game by a far margin in my opinion with a lot less luck involved. The second game I'd replace Monopoly with despite it's little relation to it in terms of mechanics or theme is Ticket to Ride because of the much better overall family/group enjoyment factor; it's just a high quality game that provides a good time for all who play. The last game I'd consider getting to replace Monopoly with is Settlers of Catan for the trading aspect, but I'm not much for this mechanic being in games so I personally wouldn't include it in my collection -- I gave my Settlers of Catan away to a family member.

[@Indubitably14]

c00lhand208 Wow, that was incredibly in-depth and an enjoyable read! I agree that a Deck of Cards can't be replaced, but if someone likes Poker, for example, they'd like Battleline. I actually like the game Sorry is based off of, Parcheesi, despite the fact that it is one of the oldest board games of all time, but Jamaica is just way more fun! Regardless, Sorry/Parcheesi are great introductory games for kids (as is Uno...which is essentially Crazy Eights).

[@MP111100]

Even though Risk is suffering from luck playing a role too heavy, I think dice rolling is an important part of the "Risk experience" so you shouldn't ignore it. In this sense Shogun is a shot in the wrong direction (I like it though), combat is chaotic at best, and not a dominant part of the game. I was thinking more down the line of Axis and Allies.

[@coypu2005]

You three are simply fantastic. I've bought all of your top ten 'games for two ppl' and value all of your opinions so much. Ive always loved board games but never knew anything existed except Monopoly, Sorry, Life etc etc until I began watching your reviews and such. I don't watch any other Dice Tower vids except yours! Yay! 👍

[@wetwillyccma]

Great job guys, always love to watch you three have fun.

[@twitchster77]

You guys plan on ever updating this list?

[@derrickmarais]

Not funny Zee! Dice Tower Top 10 withdrawal is a very real condition!

[@sweatt4237]

I can attest to this.

[@salmonblox]

I can, as well. Perhaps a support group?

[@bradymccann]

true

[@derrickmarais]

Last week it got so bad I even tried to watch HAMTAG.

[@bradymccann]

hahahahahahahahah so true^^

[@LOLC2k]

Oneupmanship replaces all

[@Jeff321]

I'm an under 30 male who enjoys bridge! There's so much strategy in it, much more than most people realize. Easily my favorite standard deck of cards game.

[@skyblazeeterno]

bumping this because NO one has really taken Tom to task about his Bridge player comment

[@bradymccann]

I love these so much... you need to come out with more asap! haha

[@took2long]

Bonus: Yahtzee- King of Tokyo Sorry- Jamaica Uno- Love Letter Cranium- Times up: title recall Card Deck Games- Gang of Four Scrabble- Bananagrams Trivial pursuit- Wits and Wagers Chess- Khet 2.0 Clue- Mystery of the Abbey Risk- Small World Monopoly- Bohnanza

[@mithroch]

I really appreciate Sam giving multiple options (sometimes for different aspects) of each game. Lots of great suggestions for my non-gamer friends (from all you guys).

[@EurojuegosBsAs]

Nice show guys, thank you :) My picks (BGG is down, so names from memory) Sorry/Parchisi/Backgammon - Jamaica Uno - 6Nimmt Cranium - Say Anything Poker/Bridge - Haggis any Trivia - Wits & Wagers Chess - Hive Risk - Small World Clue - Mystery of the Abbey Scrabble - Qwirkle Monopoly - Settlers + Pictionary - Dixit Yahtzee - Roll through the Ages Domino - Carcassonne Checkers - GIPF Subbuteo - Pitch car (or that disk flicking dungeon crawler, what's the name?) Rummy - Ticket to Ride Werewolf - The Resistance Blokus - River Dragons

[@Marccp]

I've already been discovering games that are a better version of old favorites (which I typically find deplorable now), but this video is great. I rather like Imperial 2030 as a better Risk + Monopoly. Everyone who saw us playing it for the first time commented that it's like Monopoly and Risk, except it's much better than either of them. Agree with both Twilight Imperium and Kemet for Risk (depending on time, players, complexity you want).

[@EricLucero]

I don't think Deck of Cards can truly be replaced since it is just a component on it's own that can be used to play thousands of different games. I also couldn't help but notice that the choice for replacing Chess was based on a dislike for the game rather than trying to appeal to those who truly do like the game. I think for those that love Chess it is the perfect game. Finally, no Yahtzee? My picks. Read: If you like this ==> Then you really need to try this. 11. Yahtzee ==> King of Tokyo 10. Sorry ==> Tokaido 9. Uno ==> Ghooost 8. Cranium ==> Concept 7. Scrabble ==> Qwirkle 6. Deck of Cards ==> (can't be replaced, by try Chronicle) 5. Trivial Pursuit ==> Wits and Wagers 4. Clue ==> Inkognito 3. Chess ==> Chess (replacements are only for those who dislike) 2. Risk ==> Kemet 1. Monopoly ==> Settlers of Catan

[@salmonblox]

The aversion to chess isn't so much that they hate it, but rather that chess isn't the most accessible game for everybody. It's been around for so long and has been studied and practiced and turned into a very rigid discipline, so it's tough to find a nice middle ground, where you're being challenged and surprised, but not completely stomped by a grandmaster. Personally, I happen to like chess a lot, but it's not something you can break out with just anybody. I think they were pretty fair to it.

[@SamHealey6]

"I think for those that love Chess it is the perfect game." You could honestly say this about nearly any game. I, for one, do not hate or even dislike Chess. I think it's one of the most purely strategic and tactical games in existence. And I am amazed at how far in advance good chess players are able to think...I'm just not able to do that. So, when I play Chess with someone who can; first of all, it's very obvious that they can and that they're going to win, and second of all, my enjoyment of the game is lessened (not eliminated) because I know I don't have a chance at winning (barring my opponent taking it easy on me, which also isn't fun). Again, I think that a lot of people are misinterpreting the reasoning behind this entire list. This wasn't part 2 of the Top Ten Games that Murdered Other Games. It was a list of modern suggestions for people who have friends that enjoy these mass-market games (or that enjoy the mass-markets themselves) to take and try out because we feel that they are similar for the reasons stated. While it's true that we don't necessarily enjoy some of these games, that wasn't the fuel behind the choices. The fuel behind the choices, at least for me, was, "Oh, you like that...then you'll probably like this, too." Just seems like people recently are so ready to assume the worst of intentions on our parts...and that's totally not us, at all.

[@NicholasLA1]

Sam Healey Well said, Sam. I also think that once you've started to play some more modern games you start to realize that these mass-market ones lack a lot of things. I remember playing Risk when I was in high school and thinking it was the greatest game ever made. Now I'd only play risk if I was teaching it to kids or if it had the word "Legacy" directly after it. Truth is, though, a lot of people have only played games on this list so to get the immersed into different games that are 'better' it's good to have a list of similar ones. I really liked this list, especially since I recently started hosting a weekly game session and every time at least one new person comes in, squinting at our library, asking "Where's Monopoly?" I'd love to see ya'll do a straight-up "Top 10 Gateway Games" list.

[@EricLucero]

Sam Healey I don't think I was misinterpreting the reason behind this list. I think for the most part you guys gave good "replacement" games. But when you got to chess, the selecting felt very much like "Chess is meh, here is a better game." My point was only that Chess has stood the test of time, and while I can certainly understand it's lack of appeal (of which you described and I agree whole heartedly), it's not really a game that has been improved upon the way the other games in this list have. Some may disagree but I would argue it's because they don't really love chess. On the other hand, millions of people love games like Monopoly and Risk, but typically those players will appreciate certain hobby/designer games even more once exposed to them. This is because these games aren't the perfect game, even for their fans. I'm not at all trying to assume your guys' worst intentions. I watch all of your vids because I enjoy them. I often disagree with opinions expressed on the show, but that's natural. You guys disagree with each other. Part of fun is exploring these disagreements and expressing your own. I hope you understand.

[@SamHealey6]

Absolutely understand...just seems that some (not necessarily you...it's a generalization) think because we say we don't like a game, we then think it's inferior. That's just not the case.

[@RealEnglishNow]

I really like your guys' channel and your insight into boardgames - I go to you and boardgamegeek to make educated decisions about what games to get based on what piques my interest. Please keep up the excellent work, fellas!

[@AlexSingh]

*Chinatown* is an excellent replacement for *Monopoly*. There's building businesses, tons of trading, making money, and the random draw is a good replacement for dice rolling. Unfortunately it is difficult to find, but hopefully it will be reprinted.

[@Haladras]

Yes. At the same time, I highly, highly recommend you pick whom you play with carefully. Chinatown reminds me of Diplomacy in a lot of ways both good and bad. I once played against someone who refused to end his turn until I traded with him and another player who called me names after I decided I wanted to wait a turn before trading anything. A good game, mayhap, but one that needs to be played with good sports. Otherwise it unfairly favors whoever's least disposed toward compromise. Again, a great game. Yet you should choose your opponents . . . wisely.

[@AlexSingh]

Sean Weeks I've never had that problem. I guess the people I play with are fairly level headed.

[@Haladras]

It's a stumbling block in any sort of bartering game. I envy your group, though. I want to play that game when everyone doesn't have a stick up their rumpus.

[@WanderingLunatic]

Chinatown has been replaces by Lords of Vegas for me. You still have the random draw bringing elements into the game, trading, making money of Chinatown but there are a few extra layers and it flows a bit better. That's also then my replacement for Monopoly. Lords of Vegas.

[@Haladras]

I prefer Lords of Vegas to Chinatown too, actually. Chinatown's still a good replacement. But may that paper money flutter its way down to the deepest depths of Hell!

[@DanLimbach]

Very nice introduction to some games that classic board gamers should consider. Nice episode.

[@platinump90]

Great idea for a list! Helpful. Thanks!

[@casepac7]

My choices: 1. Monopoly - Lords of Waterdeep I went with the property ownership and how you can use other's property and they get a small bonus and there is a money management component and a card component 2. Risk - Memoir 44 The cards are an important part of deciding the winner in Risk, and in Memoir 44 having the right cards at the right time is crucial. You are moving more complex and cooler looking miniatures. I think this is a good step up as opposed to the 15 steps certain other space games would make. 3. Chess - Heroclix or X-Wing Miniatures I'm going off the reservation on this one a lot. Chess is big on planning ahead and strategy. I'm horrible at making split second chess choices, so my planning ahead goes with the team building that happens before a game even starts. I went with a game that uses figures on a square map where each piece does its' own special thing for heroclix and then expanded it to X-Wing also. There is a lot of strategy involved and you're adding a cool nerd theme. 4. Clue - Betrayal At House on the Hill You're moving through rooms and secret passages, which is a fun part of Clue I wanted to keep. It's easy to pick up. As the game progresses you get a new ending scenario. It would be like finding out it was Mr. Green in the kitchen with the wrench, then you get to see what happens after that reveal...and probably die. 5. Trivial Pursuit - Bezzerwizzer This was literally the game with which we replaced Trivial Pursuit in our household. You get to answer the categories you are best at for the most points. 6. CardGames - Love Letter I went with the portability that a normal deck of cards offers and picked a game along that vein. Something you could carry in your pocket and whip it out quickly. hehehe 7. Scrabble -Qwirkle I went with having a hand of tiles and setting them in a pattern to win. Not really original as even the amazon.com page even compares this game to Scrabble, but so it goes 8. Cranium - Seasons, then Mage Knight The aspect of Cranium I went with was the multiple games/ideas rolled into one game that was easy to learn. That's why I picked Seasons, which has a lot of different game ideas and it mashes them together into a beautiful game. I personally play more Mage Knight than seasons, so I added it as well :) 9. Uno - Smash Up In Uno the game can play itself and the cards run the game. As long as you get the concept for 1 action and 1 minion a turn then you let the cards take control. You get the added bonus of picking your two decks to use together so each game can be different combinations. 10. Sorry - Tsuro The best part of Sorry is landing on that line and hitting another piece. That's all Tsuro does is follow those lines. You take out the boring part of Sorry. The best part of this list is I did it all with Boardgamegeek not working :)

[@peterjamesfoote3964]

Nice job guys. This was a great show to do while people are trying to think of gift ideas. I just discovered you and really like your channel based on this one episodes. Here are a few other games I'd like you to do the same process with: Life Masterpiece Mousetrap Diplomacy Rummycube

[@CreativeCitiesProd]

Lords of Vegas for Monopoly. Trading, economics, "making your opponent go broke" and area control.

[@kau6912]

Agreed

[@schmojo33]

I could very well be completely off here but I'm thinking the game I would pitch over Monopoly would be Lords of Vegas.

[@AmbersKnight]

Interesting video, certainly given me much to consider. As for other possibilities I would mention these games: Risk - Game of Thrones the Board Game. Scrabble - Unspeakable Words (yes its a card game but it does work well). Uno! - Whot! Chess - Stratego. Those would be my thoughts anyway :)

[@benwpersonal]

I never expected the scrabble photo to have the word "labia" on it - well not on the Dice Tower anyway 😋

[@Razorwindsg]

A good Scrabble replacement is also Paperback. Any good replacements for Monopoly Deal?

[@Trae_Lenox]

Survive Escape from Atlantis should replace Sorry! Race to get your ppl to the "home" (island) and are constantly knocking out other player pieces!

[@TheSpruta]

I was going to say the same thing. They really missed the boat on that one.

[@dabearz27]

I'm surprised you guys didn't mention Lords of Vegas as a replacement for Monopoly. It's basically the same game without the role-and-move. You get properties randomly, you use money to improve those properties, there's lots of player interaction, and there's paper money...lol.

[@kau6912]

I agree with you : Zee's pick of Alhambra was particularly odd...

[@josephleone5619]

Our gaming group calls Lords of Vegas, "Monopoly done right". With 5 or 6 players and the UP expansion the area control and set collection fits well. Additionally my students have replaced Uno with Love Letter, Yahtzee with Bang the dice game.

[@GioiaFede]

really enjoyed this better replacement theme. please bring more.

[@enomiellanidrac9137]

As a replacement for chess you can also check his Japanese cousin "Shogi", like the Duke each pieces as two set of move and can be promoted to the second set (much like the pawn promotion in chess) and on top of that you get to used captured pieces by using your turn to "drop" them on the board instead of moving one of your piece, which adds a whole level of headache trying to figures out strategies.

[@BenThorp]

FWIW in the UK it's pronounced "Clue-doh". Oh, and you managed to stick the end piece from the CMONcon video on the end :o Still - another enjoyable Top 10. As others have noted, the interaction between you 3 makes for excellent viewing.

[@TonganJedi]

I can always count on Zee to being up games I've never heard of. Thanks, brother.

[@jamma246]

How about Qwirkle instead of Scrabble? Okay, it's not a word game, but at least one of the mechanics (lining up tiles) is similar (the creator said that Scrabble inspired the idea). It's a scrabble for people who don't like word games - so I can see why you wouldn't include it in the list (that is, since you are aiming these games at people who want a _replacement of the main word creation mechanic_) .

[@Duskraven377]

I'd agree here. We have Qwirkle, and we don't bother playing Scrabble anymore.

[@MaybeCornbread]

jamma246 That was exactly my thought as well. For a more family friendly and inclusive version of Scrabble, go with Qwirkle. Is it better than Scrabble? Probably not for a Scrabble nut. It's way more fun for a 13 year old though that just doesn't care to learn a dictionary to be competitive.

[@elrodrigo6188]

+jamma246 I agree. The mechanics are the same, and do not skew towards the brainiacs.

[@ericlink2828]

Qwirkle has the mechanics but the killer word game with great variants is paperback.

[@DarinMcGrew]

If you're trying to replace the tile-placement aspect of Scrabble, then I'd go with Qwirkle too. But if you're trying to replace the word-game aspect of Scrabble, then I'd go with Quiddler.

[@skyblazeeterno]

A suggestion for a video - top 10 tips for HOSTING a games night

[@Veretax]

As a replacement for Monopoly, might I suggest Acquire. Its a tile game with stock trading but you can be strategic about which hotel chains you build up to merge yours into for more money etc.

[@Ziraffo]

last summer, we played super Uno, which i think was an homemade set of rule or version of crazy 8 played with 2 deck of cards. you play just like uno but when a card shows up and you have the exact copy of it (from the second deck) in your hand, you can play it and everybody that you cut playing are skipped and play continues apart from you. Each time you win a game, you introduce a new rule that can really be anything from making sounds, to new card powers or changing people names, and then those rules accumulate throughout the night. It sounds silly and it is but I brought a couple of party games to this place and we ended playing this game as soon as we got a chance. sometimes, homemade games are way better than commercialized ones.

[@AgentKuo]

For me, Quiddler replaces Scrabble. It's got the same word creation, bu it's much faster and easier to play. And no one's sitting around with no idea what to put down.

[@DarthEd77]

Yes, I agree. I was surprised none of the guys picked Quiddler, as that seemed like an obvious choice to me. Paperback also seems like an excellent choice.

[@skyblazeeterno]

Scrabble can be prone to the analysis paralysis types - but EVERY game seems to have those sort of players

[@DarinMcGrew]

If you're trying to replace the word-game aspect of Scrabble, then I'd go with Quiddler too. But if you're trying to replace the tile-placement aspect of Scrabble, then I'd go with Qwirkle.

[@MatthewMSanchez]

Suggestion for a top 10. What about top 10 spiel des jahres losers. I'm sure there are some great games that don't get the recognition because lost to another game.

[@platinump90]

nice one.. Although probably ALOT of overlap.

[@MatthewMSanchez]

platinump90 Well I don't think they will be able to choose TI III, Pandemic or Cosmic Encounter. I got the idea because on the podcast Tom and Eric did a Top 10 winners.

[@platinump90]

Matthew Sanchez Missed that podcast. Going to look it up. Maybe if they include SDJ recommendations? That way you get alot bigger pool.

[@CasualJohnable]

For the category of Chess, I would add Summoner Wars as you still have a limited space in which units can only move in specified ways. For me, both Chess and Summoner Wars really required you to think about the space your units are in, the space you opponents units are in, your potential moves, and the ramifications.

[@MrRubicon14]

Would love to see a top ten travel games video. Games like Love Letter that are small and easy to carry around with you and don't require much table space

[@WylliamJudd]

Sorry => Camel Up Uno => Saboteur Cranium => Pictomania Scrabble => Letter Tycoon Clue => Sleuth Trivial Pursuit => Fauna Hearts => Sushi Go Chess => Stronghold Risk => Kemet Monopoly => Chinatown Camel Up seems like a no brainer. I think undermining your opponents and trying to be sneaky is what people like about Uno, so Saboteur. Pictomania has that same guessing what someone's trying to do, but with really interesting scoring. Letter Tycoon is my favorite word game. Sleuth gives you that same deduction as Clue without roll-to-move. I like Fauna better than Wits & Wagers. Sushi Go is a card game you can play while talking, plays quickly, and plays more than two players. Stronghold has the same no-dice, no-cards battle-scenario as Chess. Kemet was my favorite battle game at the time of this video (otherwise Blood Rage or Cry Havoc), though if you wanted to play a War Game there's also Combat Commander, Memoir '44, or Paths of Glory. For Monopoly, if you want trading, there's Catan, if you want money there's Acquire, and if you want both, there's Chinatown.

[@snogurt]

I like how the words labia and poutines appear on the freeze frame of the scrabble board!

[@kevinsullivan3448]

I carried a deck of cards all the time when I was in the Army. You can play a lot of different games and it was easy to get a game going anywhere you have 10 minutes of 'hurry-up-and-wait' time. I carried a deck of cards in my 'bag of nifty stuff' for 3 decades after I was out for the same reason.

[@EdGrune]

props on a great topic...dont have time to watch the whole thing now...but i flagged it to check out on my commute tommorrow

[@Canuto88]

Hey Tom, I see your Costa Rica notepad! Were you visiting us recently? Great show, greetings from CR!

[@feekygucker2678]

Bridge is a fabulous game! I played it a lot in my 20s. Trick taking is one of the mechanics, but the meat of the game lays in i) the coded communication side of the game (I'd say something like hanabi meets liar's dice) - I like the 2 clubs convention and ii) the asymmetric logic problem of the trick taking portion of play.

[@AHeadC]

I've always heard Cluedo as 'Clue-Doe' (like a deer).

[@platinump90]

10 Sorry - Jamaica: Light, racing, take that with the attacks. 9 Uno - Frank's Zoo: hand management, first to go out, light 8 Cranium - Time's up 7 Scrabble - Don't know 6 Traditional card games : Wizard 5 Trivial pursuit - I'll agree with Wits and Wagers, maybe time's up again? 4 Clue - a stretch: The Resistance. Deduction and social. I don't like mystery of the abby. I was thinking Mr. Jack, but it's only 2 players and only one person doing the deduction. 3 Chess - definitely Hive! Tom is so wrong with this game. It's awesome. 2 Risk - Agreeing with Kemet 1 Monopoly - Settlers. Because of the trading or Bohnanza maybe. Set collection trading and take that.

[@anotherdpfan]

You guys are great..and funny! Love it.

[@brandonkempf298]

For Scrabble we can just go with Paperback now, at least we will. For Risk it's Smallworld. Chess would definitely be replaced by The Duke. Clue would be tougher but I think we'd go with Mr. Jack. Deck of Cards would be three, Tichu/Clubs/Haggis. Trivial Pursuit is replace by Wits and Wagers. Cranium is tough it's such a mish mash of things, but maybe just go with Telestrations instead. Sorry is replaced by RoboRally(just because).

[@Numskul1907]

I think Bezzerwizzer is a great alternative to Trivial Pursuit! it's still a solid trivia game but you get to order the categories based on how confident you are that you can answer. also you can swap tiles with other teams and you can gamble on questions you feel you know better than the team whose turn it is! it's a great game!

[@jcb3393]

Here are my picks for "better" games (and one game at the bottom that was not mentioned in the video) Sorry! - theme/category/mechanic: move, overtake, and knock-out - better game: "Backgammon" or "Formula D" - mentioned in video, but I have not played: "Around the World in 80 Days" Uno - theme/category/mechanic: party card game - better game: "Category 5"/"Slide 5"/"6 Nimmt!" - mentioned in video, but I have not played: "Coloretto" or "Zooloretto" Cranium - theme/category/mechanic: general party game - better game: "Wits & Wagers" or "Say Anything!" - mentioned in video, but I have not played: "Concept" or "Telestrations" Scrabble - theme/category/mechanic: word game or tile-draw strategy - better game: "Bananagrams" or "Ingenious" - mentioned in video, but I have not played: "Word on the Street" or "Wasabi" Deck of cards (poker, hearts, etc) - theme/category/mechanic: trick taking, set/pattern building - better game: "Sticheln" or "Dominion" or "No Thanks!" - mentioned in video, but I have not played: "Parade" Trivial Pursuit - theme/category/mechanic: trivia - better game: "Wits & Wagers" Clue - theme/category/mechanic: deduction - better game: "Super Cluedo Challenge" or "Nuns on the Run" - mentioned in video, but I have not played: "Fury of Dracula" or "Letters from Whitechapel" or "Mystery of the Abbey" Chess - theme/category/mechanic: abstract strategy game - better game: "Ingenious" or "Blokus" - mentioned in video, but I have not played: "The Duke" or "Hive" Risk - theme/category/mechanic: conquest/war game - better game: "Small World" or "Twilight Struggle" - mentioned in video, but I have not played: "Shogun"/"Wallenstein" or "Twilight Imperium 3" Monopoly - theme/category/mechanic: economic, round-and-around - better game: "Dominion" or "Acquire" - mentioned in video, but I have not played: "Alhambra" and, my own that they did not cover... Yahtzee - theme/category/mechanic: dice game - better game: "Can't Stop", "HeckMeck", or "Pass the Pigs"

[@rickdff62]

Excellent subject. One of my favorites yet. Thank you.

[@MisterChris1978]

I have to disagree with the Cranium suggestions. Cranium is sooo multifaceted, you can't compare it to any one game. It a conglomeration of several classics.

[@snowren24]

Jamaica was the first game that came to my mind as a replacement for sorry. It has hand management, take that, and racing.

[@osu45d]

The obvious alternative for Sorry is the Swiss game Brandi Dog(or Stramash) , it is similar to sorry but played in teams, still pretty casual but also fairly tactical. Plus they are on really nice wooden boards with marbles.

[@rik0071]

What would you recommend to replace Trouble/Frustration?

[@MichaelGreene007]

I love these Top 10 videos, and this was a great one! It will surely cost me some $$. What's Tom got against Hive?? (The Duke is fun too, but nothing replaces chess.) ;) And I still like Clue! Somehow, I think the part of me that loves Clue is also the part of me that enjoys Love Letter so much.

[@skyblazeeterno]

Hive is cerebral, Tom likes THEME over content - I think Zee is the only one into cerebral abstract type games

[@bianchenglong]

Machi Koro is an obvious replacement to Monopoly in my humble opinion. It hits every button (especially after the expansions are thrown in) that makes a person want to play Monopoly. It's also shorter and attempts to prevent the runaway leader effect. In addition, one can take out cards that one doesn't like to customize the game to taste. I have converted hardcore Monopoly lovers to mostly play this instead.

[@theJMBgamer]

I haven't even played the game Lords of Vegas, but just the description of it makes it sound like a good replacement for Monopoly.

[@iceangelx]

I didn't realize it until now, but Royal Game of Ur is Sorry!. Ur proceeded Sorry! and Parcheesi by about 5000 years. It is literally a racing game where if you run into the opponent on the main track they get sent back to the beginning. It uses d4 with marked and unmarked points that determine movement. First player to get all their pieces to the end, wins!

[@searose6192]

The way We play uno is full of strategy, helping your neighbor, finding the right moment to attack etc.

[@elrodrigo6188]

Here are my replacements, and they are what was mostly said: Sorry: King of Tokyo (Constant take thats against opponents, especially if you take away Tokyo from one of them) UNO: Red 7 (Another Colours and Numbers game, but requires actual strategy each turn) Cranium: Concept (No brainer, really) Scrabble: Typo (basically Scrabble with cards, but doesn't take a million years) But, since it's unavailable, Word on the Street Deck of Cards: No Thanks (Deck of cards where you use actual chips and hope you don't cross a high number) Trivial Pursuit: Wits and Wagers (Again, no brainer) Clue: Mysterium Risk: Twilight Imperium 3, but, if you don't want to wait a million years, Axis and Allies Monopoly: Ticket to Ride (purchasing routes without the runaway leader problem.) Chess: Shadows Over Camelot (A medieval game that has characters with certain abilities and careful thought required for each turn, plus it has a white vs black dynamic.)

[@alecdegraaf442]

If you don't want to wait a million years, axis and allies. Axis and allies takes upwards of 9 hours and if you play global with both pacific and Europe combined it takes up to 12 hours. Twilight imperium takes around 6 hours.

[@elrodrigo6188]

Not the version I played, mate.

[@paullewis7466]

Zee knows what he is talking about.

[@christines2787]

I have a special place in my heart for Candy Land. It's painfully boring. However, when my daughter was small, it stimulated her imagination and she would get so excited about the various candies. It was hilarious and really made the game fun. It also had a very low stress level unlike a simplified game of Agricola when the poor kid had massive anxiety over not being able to feed her "family".

[@CandyShinezz]

For Clue I would also say Love Letter as in 'if you like clue you will also like.. because it has the same deduction element where you know what you have in your hand and by asking questions (through playing a card) you can guess what the other player has. The goal of the game is off course very different, but for me it has the same feel.

[@Haladras]

It does have a sort of character-by-character feel to it, doesn't it? I'll second that choice. Takes a fraction of the time, too. Betrayal at House on the Hill is a runner-up on my list that another commenter suggested.

[@RundliiGaming]

1. Monopoly - Aquire is a good alternative though nearly the same age :P 2. Risk - Twilight Struggle without the runaway win but sadly only 2 players 3. Chess - Hive I feel is the best replacement as there is a bit of strategy and holds to the 2 player game. 4. Clue - Sleuth is very similar to clue but no board. 5. Trivial pursuit - Usually my alternative to this is Wits and Wagers as its more player friendly for those that aren't huge into trivia. 6. Deck of cards (hearts/spades/poker were examples in video) - Its a difficult one as there are lots of cards games out there. I would just replace it with another card game like Coup or Love Letter. 7. Scrabble - Honestly don't have many word games as most of my gaming group has little desire to play this genre... 8. Cranium - This is roughly in the same category of games as Trivial Pursuit so I would replace it with Wits and Wagers also. 9. Uno - Not a genre I play much of but a bit of a stretch is maybe Apples to Apples and/or Cards Against Humanity as its a fairly casual game and simplistic. 10. Sorry - out of my collection probably King of Tokyo here.

[@luisd.sanchezmartinez4632]

I consider that the replacement of Risk is Axis and allies. It has the idea of Risk but it takes it to the next level. There's an economic part, as well as many kind of troops which is cool. It also requires more strategie and takes the simplicity out of risk which nobody really like. Another one to replace risk is diplomacy, this is not about dice but you have the part of conquering territories and making alliances, this games also has way more strategy than risk. This is my opinion of the replacement of risk, thanks for reading it if you did.

[@briannewhard4311]

Lords of Vegas is a great replacement for Monopoly. Involves buying and upgrading properties, random and regular money distribution, and the ability to make trades with other players. Can't believe you missed this one!

[@abernumsceb8445]

A game I played recently that I would consider a good replacement to Monopoly would be Vikings on the Volga. It's more of a pickup and deliver game, but there's trading involved, you can essentially buy properties, and gaining money for yourself and making other people lose money are both viable options.

[@douglasdea637]

If you like Monopoly but want a similar game with much more depth play Rail Baron/Boxcars. The board is a map of America with rail lines and cities laid out on it. You move from city to city making deliveries while buying the rail lines as properties. If you run on an opponent's rails you have to pay them for it, meanwhile riding your own is free. Whoever can get $250 in cash then runs to their "home" city wins. It's that simple. There are lots more choices to make (you can buy any property you can afford no matter where on the board you are, exactly how you go to a city is your decision, sometimes you can choose which region of the country to go to, you can even choose to upgrade your train to move faster.) There's even a computer app which simplifies the charts.

[@bexarath]

I love deduction games. For me the best Clue replacement is Mystery Express. It was Mystery of the Abbey, but some aspects of that game are a little chaotic and sometimes broken. Mystery Express nails the Clue theme with modern gameplay elements.

[@Gauti70]

Another Great top 10 list. Can't really post my own replacement suggestions since I am fairly new to the hobby and haven't played that many modern games as of yet. I just wanted to express my appreciation for your videos as a new gamer. They are the main reason for bringing me into the hobby and all talk of you coming of as "unwelcoming" or "elitist" in your videos is a gross misinterpretation of the quibbling taking place. Very much looking forward to videos aimed at us new gamers (if the wispers are true). Keep up the great work!

[@skyblazeeterno]

come on Toms comment about 70 year old women playing Bridge is just as snide as people saying board games are just for geeks and people who havent grown up

[@navajasrs2402]

By the way, the answer you were looking for with Monopoly is Basari by Reinhard Staupe. Roll and move around a square board: Check. Reward for passing Go: Check. Set collection: Check. Trading: Check. Lots of money wins: Check. Way better: Check.

[@minhtuannguyen6181]

@Tom Vasel, would you go back to playing Agricola then?

[@nathannemeth4094]

You should do an updated version of this list (not necessarily with the same games)

[@BozarthPrime]

I like Bohnanza as a replacement for Monopoly. What I have found is that most people liked monopoly for the trading, set collecting, and negotiating aspects and Bohnanza has all of that plus fun.

[@McBehrer]

Here's my 10, not that anyone cares: 10. Formula D, for the racing aspect, or Tsuro for the screw-your-friends aspect. 9. We Didn't Playtest This is a hilarious, 15-second-long game that you can just play over and over and over for infinite amusement. And it's only $15, and there are 4 versions of it, for lots of variety. I'm partial to the "Legacies" variation, myself. 8. Password. You have to get the other person to guess your word, but you can only give one hint word at a time. Each time you give another word, you get less points for a successful guess. 7. I would go with Word on the Street. 6. Diamonds, Dead Man's Draw, or Pairs are good, but there's nothing wrong with just busting out a game of ERS or Mau every now and then. 5. Get it Wrong to Win is awesome. It's a speed-quiz game, but you have to answer the question with an answer that is in the correct category, but incorrect to score points. You have 30 seconds to answer 5 questions. It's harder than you think. For instance, your questions might be: What is 2+2? (7!) Spell dog! (d-o-h!) how many days in a week? (18!) what do you use to make an omelette? (eggs! DAMMIT) and then you stop getting points. It's a lot of fun. 4. I'll be honest, I love Clue. I could do without the rolling and moving, but the deduction is great. Spyfall is a pretty good substitute for this. Also Werewolf (any variation) and Shadow Hunters. 3. Summoner Wars has some similarities to chess. So there. Deal with it. 2. Smallworld (underground, specifically). Nexus Ops is pretty great too. 1. Fuck Monopoly. That is all. If you HAVE to go with that, maybe consider Power Grid or Acquire.

[@dearmrdw]

+McBehrer 3. MtG. I like Summoner Wars - but it's just too lightweight to be compared to chess, imo. SW is like checkers, while MtG with its higher complexity is variety is closer to chess in those regards.

[@McBehrer]

+Denis Wolf no, see, the tactics are like magic; the movement and importance of placement are what makes it similar to chess for me. And, it is not super light like checkers. if you think it is, you haven't played anyone good. sure, the deckbuilding is more limited than in magic, but limitations only make you have to think harder. Ask Hemingway.

[@sweatt4237]

Acquire replaces Monopoly all day.

[@jonthebaker123]

Good list, although for Sorry I'd say Jamaica (and honestly surprised it wasn't on the video), for Clue I'd say Inkognito and for Risk I'd go with Game of Thrones: The Board Game.

[@JoshLamoreaux1]

A perfect replacement for Uno is Yardmaster and Yardmaster Express from Crash Games. Yardmaster was just Kickstarted and Yardmaster Express will be kickstarted end of June, so these guys probably haven't played them yet. Highly recommend!!

[@Dogmantra]

cluey-dough got my accent down perfectly, Tom ;)

[@dragon0fly749]

Question: So which Risk alternative is THE best: Shogun, Kemet, twilight Imperium or other.. Named...?

[@delusionnnnn]

A good chess alternative is 3M/Avalon Hill's classic boardgame, Feudal. You either have slightly less pieces (13) than in chess, or much more (37) depending on how many armies each player plays with, and you have a much larger board (24 x 24), with different terrain. While not as abstract as chess, it's still strongly abstract. Setup is blind after the turn order is determined, and there is a divider between the sides of the board during setup. Turns can get a bit long, as you can move at least one up to every piece you still have per turn. However, one of chess's biggest drawbacks is that there's a culture of chess which allows and even encourages agonizing over every move, and unless some sort of speed chess rule is in play, this can be a turnoff. While Feudal turns can get long, stuff is actually happening. It's out of print, but you can get it for about $20-40 on ebay.

[@scottaikens3773]

Love Feudal. We used to create super-battles combining two sets of the game. We would usually set the boards up more free-form and modular, rarely ever a perfect 4x4 square.

[@metal134]

For Monopoly, I would have went Power Grid.

[@gaarcemail]

HAHA!, for the general public? lol no way, people take one look at the amount of calculation in power Grid and run for the hills, lol. That is like comparing checkers to chest. They are sort of in the same likeness but are nothing like each other as far as brain use is concerned.