Top 10 Board Games of 2024 - One Of The Worst?

[@Rabesandratana]

2024 was probably one of the best year in the industry of board games. This year was the first where I purchased more than 15 euro games from Essen and just one of them was mediocre. Most of them I played as a solo player.

[@nkorppi]

2024 was the best release year for me since 2011.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Wait you skipped 2012?!

[@TateRoberts_007]

This has been the best year in a while. Certainly better than 2023, which was already better than 2022. 2024 may not have landed for many, but who cares? It’s as subjective as game tastes. One person’s bad year is another’s amazing year. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@chosenoneunmatched4617]

Nah...couldn't disagree more. 2024, not much special has come out. Previous years had the likes of Hegemony, Lost Ruins and Dune, Frostpunk. These are titles that are so WOW, whether you love or hate, you gotta respect. I feel this year, very little if nothing, has come out, that has WOWED!! Maybe that means, 2025 is gonna be extra epic!

[@TateRoberts_007]

@ Lost Ruins - 2020; Dune - which one? Imperium was 2020. Hegemony - 2023, but I didn’t say every game was bad from 2023 or 2022. I just think there are far more bangers in 2024 that I’ve played, and I haven’t even played all the super popular ones yet like SETI, Shackleton, and many others. This year has been far better for me and my tastes. As I said, wildly subjective and ultimately it doesn’t matter what Luke, I, or anyone else says. LOL

[@RichardMajeno]

@@TateRoberts_007 I agree ay least for my personal tastes. I thought a lot of amazing games came out this year.

[@davidriemaker]

Mr Broken, I would like to take this opportunity to show my appreciation and thank you for the content provided in 2024. Especially the reviews! I think your review format, with the verdict & player scaling, is a solid best in business 10/10. 🎉

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

He he Luke is fine! But much appreciated thank you!

[@JacobRamirez-li9dt]

LOL Mr. Broken, I'm gonna use that LOL

[@pascalcharland1403]

You are the best out there! I love the way you think about games and how you give your honest opinion... not led by money (like many other channels from which I recently unsubscribed)! Long life and all the best!

[@jacobjslee]

One of the worst? Absolutely not. Always a matter of opinion, but I hated last year. Nothing worked for me. This year I've kept nine out of twelve purchases. That's a world of difference. I'm a happy gamer.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

12 out of thousands though, though I'm glad you got lucky ☺️

[@arrowarr9020]

can you tell me what are the games you ve got and liked in 2024?i have harmonies and i think it s great

[@jacobjslee]

@@arrowarr9020 Harmonies kicks Cascadia's butt, Wondrous Creatures, Let's Go! to Japan, Saltfjord, Castle Combo, Foundations of Metropolis, Tir na nog . . . these are the ones I remember at the moment. I would put Comic Hunters on there because it was new to me in 2024 and it was hard to track down - I really like that game. I haven't played Andromeda's Edge yet, but I sold Dwellings of Eldervale in anticipation of it so I know its pedigree and I wonder if it will top Saltfjord and Wondrous Creatures on my personal list. We'll see.

[@arrowarr9020]

@@jacobjslee thank you,

[@move3spaces246]

@@jacobjsleewandrous creatures was my fav this year! 10/10 and I dont even like competitive games more into coop

[@beautybyjessy9535]

Hi Luke it was fun to play Arborea with you today. Finally checking out your videos, they’re great! I hope your 2025 is all you wish for - JRH

[@RichardMajeno]

2024 was amazing for board games. Arguably one of the best of all time. Here is to 2025!!

[@bugscheese]

Quality rants Luke. Thanks for the vid. The 3 games that hit hardest in the feels for me were Civolution, Ezra & Nehemiah and Black Forest. Honourable mention to A Gest of Robin Hood. I've been playing Harmonies on BGA and am quite surprised by how much I really enjoy it. I'm officially onboard for the hype. Still awaiting my copy of Unconscious Mind which I'm certain will be something special. I agree Luke, dual art styles is very cool.

[@isolatedincorporated]

Good list and good video! I enjoy your rants haha

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Quality rants 😅

[@rolling.reggie]

Interesting to hear all the different opinions on 2024. BoardGameBarrage had a similar stance to you that it was an off year for them. Then, pretty much all of the other channels or podcasts I watched said it was a banner year for them. Seems there's no in-between! Thanks for sharing.

[@S.Kapriniotis]

Having a play group that can only play once every few weeks, with people that have a very heavy daily schedule and do not want to learn a new game very often, 2024 was fantastic, and yes I am serious. I bought no new games in 2023 and this year SETI was absolutely amazing! Next on my radar is Unconscious Mind, which I have seen numerous videos of and I can safely say I will also love it! So, that is 2 games in just 1 year! Anyway, those filler games you have ranked so high I will just have to find and test, thank you so much for your videos!

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Thank you! For a non regular group, unconscious Mind will be a bit of a rules refresher each time but if you can cope then great!

[@Ang3lD-w1w]

Well Luke (or Mr. Broken LOL), i dont usually write comments but i have to say, you have become one of my favorite reviewers, and i watched many for over 20 years now. Actually one of the first was Scott Nicholson (Board Games with Scott) and then followed by Tom Vasel. I like your review format, your, as it seems to me, honest opinion. I hope to see many more reviews from you! Keep it up and have a very happy new year!

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Thank you very very much!! ❤️ I'm glad you enjoy the videos and respect/enjoy my honest opinion, I fear it's not a common thing in the industry! HNY to you too!

[@7CJ77]

Great video, always appreciate your perspective and it's nice to hear about some games that other lists aren't talking about as much

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Always willing to say how it is!

[@mikaeki5245]

I have you, Luke, to thank for getting Black Forest. Glass Road is my #3 fav.game, and I was hesitent on BF. But your review - and the fact that I trust you - convinced me to get it, and BF is just perfection. Played it probably over a dozen times, and it's amazing how each game manages to be different. Works with all player counts, fun, quick, easy to teach. Now my #4. Have been trying to find a copy of Castle Combo for months...😢 My one 3p game of SETI was ruined by an absolute beast of an AP player, and he was the only one that had played the game - several times! Unc.Minds with 4 players was also just too long, eventhough there was not much AP. Keep up the good work and have a good year!

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Thanks for watching and yeah I can get Seti and UM would be problematic in that scenario.

[@danielpiccirillo6820]

I would be bored by 2024's selection if Andromeda's Edge and Joyride weren't in my personal Top 10 of the year. The only overlap we have is Duel for Middle Earth. As far as I can tell it is the most interactive game on your list. And that is due to the fact that it is a 2 player game. I think 2024 where many major releases for 3+ players weren't that interactive. Worker Placement continues to be one of the most used mechanics which many times results in low to mid range player interaction. Andromeda's Edge is a stellar exception to the rule. So I can imagine that, while 2024 wasn't a strong year to me, lots of folk that don't like their plans to be disturbed by other players probably had a great year.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

This year was dominated by dry solitaire euros.

[@Sych0symatic]

2024 was a pretty mediocre year, in my opinion. Most of the big name games just felt like more of the same that we’ve seen before. The big surprises were many of the small box games that were very surprising in how good they were. As a store owner, the only real standout titles were Harmonies and LOTR Duel if you wanted to look at sales (obviously this is anecdotal). It seemed like 2024 was a mixed bag based on people’s tastes. In America, a lot of good ones were releases that finally came out that were on 2023 lists and such. It will be interesting to see what 2025 has in store as I think we are going back to the times when the best titles really are just coming straight to retail now. Interesting list, Luke. We differ on many opinions normally, but I always enjoy your thoughts.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

I think honestly if you're into dry tedious Euros' then you're in luck because honestly the ones crying out fantastic year and all are the ones who love the driest of Euros that dominated this year.

[@Sych0symatic]

@@TheBrokenMeepleWhich is weird because I love me a good dry Euro. I just don’t like how modern ones cram so much into things anymore. For example, I thought Rebirth was great, even though it’s super simple. Love me a good Knizia. And I don’t necessarily mind themeless games (actually prefer them sometimes).

[@SandorClegane-n6i]

What small box games can you recommend?

[@Hubajube]

I find Inventors a bit heavier than Civolution. Inventors can also have dice that need mitigating, although it can be more painful in Civolution. I like them both about the same too.

[@levenzaha]

This has become one of my favorite channels. You’re direct without making it look like you’re trying too hard to be provocative. While there were some nuggets this year, I agree. I just wasn’t motivated to even try alot of new releases, in part because a lot of them are big expensive euros. My favorite games of the year A message from the stars Ito Wyrmspan (I know you didn’t like it… and while I think it’s good, I’m in the process of selling it after a dozen plays. It’s just too long) Res arcana duo (but that’s more personal. Res. Arcana is my top 10 and this allowed me to play with my 7 yo son)

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Thank you so much! Just try to keep it honest and real!

[@lilmuns1]

Great top 10. Really appreciate your honest comments on games whether I agree with them or not it’s good to hear what made games not click for them.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Honesty all the way, someone has to be!

[@liamobrien292]

Good list, I was really surprised that Windmill Valley wasn’t in there. Then when I saw the honourable mentions I was aww that makes sense. Good review of the year, I really want to get a copy of Black Forest and give it a whirl……..it’s not available yet in oz. Still looking for a top 10 four player games 😜 It seems that a lot of reviewers are sharing similar views where 3 players seems to be max they want.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Yeah that list idea is one I think I'll revisit.

[@JonoNZBoardGamer]

Hey Luke, your discussion about balance between setup and gameplay during Black Forest sounds like an interesting topic to dive into further maybe as a podcast topic? I can think of some examples where setup was made a little bit more fiddly to enhance the flow of the gameplay and IMO it was a good choice. Are there examples where for you complicating setup to enhance gameplay was worth it vs not worth the effort?

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

What examples do you have on that front?

[@JonoNZBoardGamer]

@TheBrokenMeeple I can't remember half of what came to mind when I wrote the comment... 2 examples come to mind now. 1. Akropolis where the rules tell you to separate the tiles into stacks of 4 so that each round you select a new stack of tiles to draft from. IMO it works just as well to have the tiles in a single draw pile and just draw 4, so why lengthen setup unnecessarily? 2. a good example of more complex setup is Atiwa being a slight pain to distribute all your player pieces on your board, but it speeds up gameplay because there is no calculation involved as what you see on your player board is what you get. I'm sure I had some examples of games where the deck setup is fiddly for no apparent reason like when mixing in a few cards from an expansion into a base game deck and taking out random base game cards so that the deck size stays the same.

[@jeffdeboer1175]

Nice video and enjoyed your show and game info

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Thanks for the visit!

[@manuelkooijman5757]

I actually feel the opposite. I struggled to make a top 10 last year but am spoiled for choice this year, and I don’t even play as many games as you do. My number 1, both solo and multiplayer, is Black Forest. It really is silky smooth (I rediscovered Uwe and even bought A Feast for Odin with a Xmas gift card from my work and love it). In second place I have Wondrous Creatures, and in third place (I know you don’t like it as much) Wyrmspan. Four for me is Harmonies and I can easily understand its rank on BGG. I also had some war games in my top 10, with the best one at five being Purple Haze. This is a rpg style, narrative campaign game set in Vietnam. But thanks for the list. I need to check out Peacemakers and Wild Garden as they sound like my wheelhouse.

[@JonathonV]

I knew we were on different pages as soon as you said 2024 was a bad year. 😄 But I also disagree with you about the South Tigris games. Don’t get me wrong; they’re amazing games! But my ordering of them is the exact opposite of yours. Wayfarers is quite good, but Scholars is easily the best game in the trilogy for me. In fact, in my recent Top 50 this summer, it was my number 1. The theme seems more prevalent of the three, with translation being such a unique choice. The dice augmentation mechanic is genius, and I love the colour theory! I thought I’d hate all the interaction but it works for this one because there are always other options that are still good. I do like Inventions a lot, and I think its point-salad mechanics are its strength in that I feel like I feel like I’ve only scratched the surface in several plays, but also its weakness in that it’s hard to know if going for a particular strategy that worked in one game will work at all in another. I thought Black Forest was fine. I was a bit surprised on my second play when someone rushed the game and won handily. It felt incomplete. I also think the “jobs” aren’t worth the effort because they take too long if other people rush the game (and cost too much movement) and their effects aren’t as strong as buildings. But not having played Glass Road, I thought the game was still novel and interesting. Anyway, I thought 2024 was great, though to be fair, we didn’t get some 2023 releases here until 2024, so I consider those 2024 games, despite what BGG says, so maybe that influences my rankings. But this summer when I ranked my Top 50, four of my top 10 were of this year (or 2023, like I said). So, I guess we disagree! Anyway, thought I’d take a moment to thank you for the video, and to tell you how wrong you are. Have a pleasant day!

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Ha ha, we both like all the Tigris games so who cares about the order? ☺️ Though hold up, theme? Scholars? Mixing colours? I love Scholars too I mean it's my third favourite but that's still 8/10, but at no point am I getting the theme out of it, or really any Garphill game....... Well maybe North Sea was ok on theme. And Architects wasn't too bad.

[@billeaton6495]

Feels like a pretty solid year to me and I've still got a lot of titles to try out. Instinctively I feel there might not be many 5+ play games out there, but plenty of 2-3 play games. The standouts for me are Arcs, its expansion and civolution. I see me getting 20+ plays out of each these for years to come.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Civolution needs more time to gel - but Arcs just didn't work out.

[@dancondonjones]

I agree with you on wanting Garphill to dial it back a notch. I found both Viscounts and Wayfarers way too fiddly, to the point where I didn’t even bother with the other two South Tigris games. I know you’re not such a fan of Paladins, but it managed to pull off being fairly heavy while still being silky smooth, which is something they seem to have forgotten how to do. They did manage to make Legacy of Yu smooth, and I enjoyed my play through of that campaign, but at the end of that one I felt I’d seen all the game had to offer and moved it on. At least it shows they can restraint themselves though.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Paladins was smooth ish yes, it just didn't give me interesting stuff to do.

[@nirszi]

I think this year was great for mid-small box games but as far as big box games, only Men Nefer and Shackelton stand out for me. Unless you consider Ezra big box. Inventors first play was not good but I need to play more with people. The fact that SETI with such glaring player scaling issues is your number two and a spiritual remake is your number one, tells the story of this year.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Ezra is hard to gauge 😅 Seti still works at 3-4 for me and I'm fine with it solo but yeah 2 isn't great but then I barely play 2 player games so the worst count isn't even affecting me personally.

[@NinjaGeekGames]

Great video Luke. Yes I love Andromedas Edge!! I'm not scared to say it 😂😂

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

He he 🤣

[@alexthorne6996]

Great video luke, i enjoyed playing river of gold with you at shake. Bought it soon after. Your making me want seti now 🤣 and also your praise of black forest means i should at least try it

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Ha ha all my games you should 😅

[@grog3514]

I agree with you. 2024 wasn't a good year for board games. Everything I played was just fine. I didn't end up keeping anything from this year except captain flip. I didn't hate them but I don't have any interest in playing any of them again. They aren't as good as so many of the older games.

[@arrowarr9020]

can you tell me your favorite ones ? released after 2017

[@budsticky]

You want to play a drinking game that’ll get you smashed real quick? Take a drink every time you hear a reviewer say some form of the following about a modern euro…”It’s a little too long. I would never play it at 4.”

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

4 is a dodgy number for euros a lot, so much so I'm thinking it might be make a good Top Ten list.

[@foyzo3673]

@@TheBrokenMeepleI’d certainly watch that video if you made it

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

@@foyzo3673 it's going to happen, enough people have been up for it. Hopefully later this month I can get to creating it.

[@bushibayushi]

Luke, many people complain about the 2-player mode in Black Forest - would you say that Glass Road works better specifically for 2?

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Glass Road I think is better with 2 then with 3-4.

[@Ian-R-Wilz]

Interesting take. I personally thought this was an amazing year for gaming. I think the consensus has been that this is one of the best years for gaming.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

I think because many of those claiming it is are very much into bone dry Euros with no interaction. This year was dominated by those kinds of games with generic titles where you can't tell them apart.

[@ben59320]

I don't often agree with your point of view on some games, but I think that's healthy to confront ideas and hear what the other side has to say. You make compelling points, interesting to see why you didn't like harmonies for instance :-) all the best for 2025 for you and your family

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

I do like Harmonies, just wasn't Top Ten material.

[@monoludico6166]

Arcs is a masterpiece of game design. I'd like to try Civolution and Unconscious Mind. Cthulhu Death May Die seasons 3 and 4 (specially 4)have the best episodes imo.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Really didn't gel with a lot of Arcs, it's a marmite game with its card system dictating what you get to do each round.

[@PaulMazzoni]

Right when you said it was a filler in your Top 10, I knew it was Castle Combo. GREAT game. And River of Gold is so smooth…agree. I think that is important as I think that is my issue with most heavy games (not that ROG is heavy) and why I don’t seem to find them “fun” anymore. Always open to hearing more about heavier games that just run super smooth. As for Uwe’s resource management games, I’m not a fan at all. I went running for the bathroom when I saw Black Forest at #1. 😂

[@quantumdjinn]

Very glad to see Black Forest at #1. Mt girlfriend got it for Christmas and a play is imminent. We both played glass road and liked it.

[@CarlosRodriguez-ez3ls]

I know you're not a fan of 2-player games but I hope you get a chance to review Kelp. Thx Luke!

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

If it gets offered on the table I'll try to put it as a priority.

[@alanhow2441]

Your mix of top 10 only has a few with mine, so that’s probably why you didn’t think 2024 was as good as mine (or maybe other channel creators). I thought this years was pretty good, with Civolution, Primal: the awakening and Android’s Edge at the top of the tree.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Isn't one of those or two big KS projects though that you can't get on retail?

[@alanhow2441]

Possibly. I suspect that they are close to retail but “belong” in 2024?

[@Static442]

​@@TheBrokenMeepleprimal can be bought directly from the publisher, has been available for a couple of months now, possibly longer

[@rioterism]

2024 was great for board gaming

[@phinori]

I think Civolution has one flaw and that is the first teach/learning the game. And the flaw is that it takes time, not that it has bad rulebook or that it's convoluted or overly complex. After the first learning game it became surprisingly easy to pick up again later because everything makes sense within the game and both the game design as well as graphic design are really good. For a game this weight it's almost a miracle how easy it is to play and how little you need to consult the rulebook. Playtime could be argued to be a negative as well but at lower player counts it doesn't feel like an issue. I've not played it with four and probably never will. My favourite game of a pretty strong year.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

It could maybe have a place as a solo only game. But multiplayer, no way. You say after the first learning game it's easier, but that implies you have the same group to play it all the time and regularly.

[@ViscountCharles]

2020 and 2021 weren't great years (Ark Nova made my 2022 list as I couldn't get hold of it in '21). But every year since has been great - with 2024 being one of the best IMO. Looks like I've been lucky, missing the "okay" games in favour of the good ones. Black Forest is high on my list too - but not on too many other peoples' lists for some reason.

[@ViscountCharles]

I need to play SETI again. After demoing it for three days in a row, I've only okayed it once since (and got *hammered*). Though Arnak is easily on my top ten of all time.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

If you like really dry Euros' then this year was flush with popular ones.

[@realdealastrology9]

Mediocre year for sure. Nothing new or mind-blowing really. A real downer that totally ruined board gaming in 2024 for me was the fact that CMON shipped the new Cthulhu Death May Die games to retailers months before the backers got theirs. This made me never back a CMON game ever again and to just wait for retail.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Oh I came to that conclusion years ago, CMON just don't make anything I want.

[@bryansanda3724]

I'd like to hear your thoughts on Men-Nefer, one of my new favorites. The rulebook, art, and components are amazing, gameplay is snappy but really thinky, solo mode is cheaty but elegant (and beatable). I don't know if this one is in your queue, but it definitely needs more attention!

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Barely even on my radar, the name does not sell it and it looks super bone dry.

[@CB-yh3db]

29:00, Luke said, “I should probably get royalties off this game because I sell so many copies after introducing them to it” The HANAMIKOJI SALESMAN STRIKES AGAIN!!!! I totally believe Luke, he is the reason I bought Hanamikoji. Lol.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Ha ha ha brilliant!

[@SkunnyWundy]

Gonna agree with you that, as far as groundbreaking heavier games go, there wasn't much to sink your teeth into this year. However, it was a great year for lighter games, which I pivot towards for most of my gaming groups. Flip 7 is a fantastic blackjack riff that is an almost instant teach. We got some great dice games with Daruma, Lure, and Panda Royale (so... many... dice!) hitting the table a lot. Fairy Ring introduced the idea of a mushroom-based monopoly board that you build together that's insanely interactive while not being outright mean in any way. MLEM had Knizia ironing out the kinks in one of my favorite group games, Celestia, and adding an adorable cats in space theme. Castle Combo is fantastic, of course, along with Harmonies for spacial puzzlers. We had some superior ladder climbing/trick-takers with Rebel Princess, Spring Cleaning, and Xylotar standing out while Rainbow became one of my most played games of the year. Captain Flip and Wilmots Warehouse added some great twists to tile-laying. I think Creature Caravan ended up being my favorite despite, and maybe because of its multiplayer solitaire issues; it combines several mechanisms that I adore with some quite beautiful art. Anyway, rant over. Loved your vids this past year. Cheers!

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Thank you very much for watching!

[@ScytheNoire]

2024 was a bad year for video games, not board games. In no particular order: Freedom Five, Andromeda's Edge, Unconscious Mind, Skyrise, Lord of the Rings Duel, SETI, Wyrmspan, Fromage, Inventors of the South Tigris, Civolution, Inventions, Ezra and Nehemiah. No more Top 100s, they are just ridiculous. I think Top 25 is a nice number. Any more just feels like desperation for content.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

I am thinking of capping it at 50 to be honest. Does seem unnecessary to do 100 now. Ezra was meh for me, Civolution well I gave a big speech on that one, I actually forgot about Wyrmspan it left so little impact as it felt like a lesser version of a much better game. Freedom Five I might like but its just Defenders of the Realm reskinned.

[@coltonbeatty6117]

What are you talking about? Inventions wasn't good

[@nkorppi]

@@coltonbeatty6117Inventions is for me the best board game of all time. It's an absolute masterpiece. I wrote a long review for BGG.

[@njshaw2]

River of Gold: It's basically a roll & move, just with the option of using your die for actions other than moving sometimes. ;) Is a decent game. Bit light and bit lacking on variability for me, but good.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Light and easy with a little mitigation.

[@douglasamell5777]

Never saw your thoughts on Sankoré: the Pride of mansa musa. Figured that to be a game you’d really like from earlier this year.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

I spoke it about on a podcast probably early 2024 as I tried it at a convention around then, sadly despite finding the predecessor OK, Sankore really didn't win me over. The book scoring practically destroys the game by itself.

[@cwb95k]

Peacemakers and Wild Garden I'd not heard of and sound quite interesting. River of Gold was one of my top choices as well. Castle Combo is pleasant, but not sure it makes my top games for '24...close though. Hoping to play SETI this weekend (assuming ice and snow allow for travel). Haven't played Black Forest yet. Great choices!

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Hope you enjoy Seti!

[@DumahAtreides]

My tops - Primal, Slay the Spire, Unconscious Mind, Civolution, and Andromeda's Edge which for me makes for a really solid year. Seti is on the top of my list to want to play. I'll need to add Black Forest to that too. On Civolution - I think with the right group it's one I want to play as much multiplayer as I do solo. Online post teach I got a 4 player game in with about 2.5 hours. Turns should be fast and that time in between turns is just enough to think through your options. Playing solo for me is not that much shorter due to that decision time. Teach is long - 45 minutes - but everything does make sense and people aren't asking much of how does X work again. This might become my favorite euro sandbox and I also love Fields of Arle. Solo - it's not hard to run but if you know the game already you can save time to learn those rules and run it by using a great web app. Great time there as well.

[@Buako111]

Finally back! Man, I really missed your content. In a desperation I started to browse kickstarter videos 😊

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Oh dear god no don't!! 😂

[@ABTOCMEPTb]

My copy of SETI is out for delivery today, very excited. UncMind was also very enjoyable at 2players. Can't wait to try it with 4 and expansion. Black Forest is on my mind to get asap. Rivers of Gold is on my shelf, other games got in front of it, but one day this year I will play it. Look great. I will get inventors sometime later on if its on sale. Just too many other things ahead of it. Great list as always..Thanks! PS. How about KraftWagen game?

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Kraftwagen is on my shame pile since Essen - just haven't had time to get it played. But at some point it's on my list.

[@jimz8852]

One surprise hit for me in 2024 was Stonespine Architects. I quite enjoy that game, and it's on BGA now too. Have you tried that one? Just curious.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Nope. Think I heard of it but it didn't grab me at the time.

[@Boardgametherapist]

My top 10 1) tidal blades 2 2) andromeda’s edge 3) unconscious mind 4) LotR Duel 5) Fromage 6) Horrors of War 7) GH Buttons and Bugs 8) Kinfire Delve 9) Dune Imp Uprising (I consider this one 2024 haha) 10) Lego Monkey Palace

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Lego Monkey Palace??

[@Boardgametherapist]

@ yes, it’s a decent game! My kids love it

[@hnorb3rt]

33:43 I disagree with this. What do you mean by Garphil not having the best track record for expansions? I thought you liked all expansions for Architects and Viscounts. I'm not sure if you ever played Paladins with City of Crowns, but that is also a great expansion.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

The second North Sea one is forgettable. The second Architects one is good for solo play but the rest of it is too much bloat and the buildings don't work well. Paladins I've not tried but then Paladins isn't that fun for me anyway. Viscounts are OK but they add a lot of bloat and lately we've been finding that we just prefer to play it base game only, less fath.

[@hnorb3rt]

@@TheBrokenMeeple Ah ok. Strange, I never heard that someone grew cold on the expansions. I love them all, and prefer to play with everything included, as they fit in the base games so nicely. I don't feel the "bloatiness" at all. Can't wait for the Tigris expansions. More toys in the sandbox are always welcome!

[@UserOffTheInternet]

I was searching for a video rambling about meeple being broken in brawl stars, and I found this masterpiece

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

I'm now very curious about what your primary search was 😅

[@njshaw2]

For BIG games: Yeah, not great. For small/card games: I mean, if you like trick-taking etc, it was a year of wonder!

[@SWholley]

I think 2024 had some really good games: Civolution was my no.1, Reef Project/Windmill Valley are solid mid weight games. I loved Inferno, Sankore, Ezra and Nehemiah, and Djinn. Really good games for game nights: Harmonies, Skyrise, MLEM, Fromage, Flip 7, Stonespine Architects. I've got Minos, Daitoshi, and Men Nefer to play this week, so I imagine those will be high on my list...and I'm looking to get Seti and Shackleton Base...

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

You definitely enjoy more of the dry Euros then me, Sankore did not work for me at all, ezra was only meh and I doubt I want to go near Daitoshi or Men Nefer.

[@SWholley]

@@TheBrokenMeeple Most definitely a fan of dry euros...but not too dry. I found On Mars to be just dreadfully boring and restrained. That's part of why I enjoy your channel though, I enjoy hearing a different perspective! If I can get through these unplayed games and get to SETI, I'll let you know if I think it's a 10/10 too!

[@Izzboticus]

I will also agree that Civolution was #1 in the year for me.

[@deemich1815]

Men-Nefer rips. Such a good solo mode too. Ezra and Nehemiah is amazing. I didn't like Sankore much as a solo game but think it would be GREAT multiplayer. Still need to crack into Windmill Valley and SETI. It was a great year for euros indeed.

[@vangelisevangelou]

Happy new year, Luke. I hope 2025 is better.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Happy new year!

[@gailwondowski3207]

How many games from 2024 are currently in your collection? I have 6 unplayed & 8 played. After about a year, I usually end up with only 5-8 from the previous year, which means that 2024 is shaping up to be an excellent year for me!

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Hmmm a good question, but I don't think it's many. Maybe 12-15 tops and some of those are mainly because I found space after a recent cull.

[@linusottosson5425]

Every CC I’ve seen so far seems to be in agreement, that 2024 was a great year for games. So then I was curious about what Broken Meeple was gonna say. I almost laughed when I saw the title of the video. Again a bad year?! 😆 To each their own! It’s really a subjective thing influenced by taste and preference of course. I guess it’s a good thing that not everyone thinks alike. 😉👍🏻

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

2023 wasn't too bad overall, but still there hasn't really been what i would call an amazing year since pre Covid

[@coltonbeatty6117]

The games publishing industry wants you to *think* 2024 was a great year for games, because they are programming you to buy.

[@robertaustin6302]

Man I’ve gotta say Castle Combo was a huge hit for me this year too. It’s been our go to weeknight banger for the past few months and I absolutely adore it. For what it aims to do I think it does it perfectly.

[@mkitten13]

Castle Combo wound up being a big surprise for me, too. I originally dismissed it when I was researching games for Essen, I didn't understand why people were so hyped about it. I am kinda biased against fillers in general, so that might be part of it. The cartoony art did not intrigue me one bit. It took me several list revisions before I finally added it, and it's been a major hit. Today was the 14th time it hit the table. People always have a good time with it. It's a "filler" that packs a punch. My top 3 are so close to each other, that any day they could swap around, but currently it goes: 1) SETI 2) Civolution 3) Unconscious Mind the next 3 are more firmly in their spot: 4) Wyrmspan 5) Windmill Valley 6) Castle Combo and the final 4 and honourable mention could be moving around depending on the day: 7) Saltfjord 8) Let's Go! To Japan 9) Beyond the Horizon 10) Sparks Honourable mentions: Shackleton Base, Minos, Blueprints of Mad King Ludwig It does seem like the year for sequels, lol. I only noticed it when I wrote down my list that between my top 10 and my honourables that I have 4 of them there. Oh well.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Certainly sequel year because most have lost their sense of innovation!

[@usmanfarooq6741]

Hi. Thanks for the top 10. I wanted to ask where you bought the gaming table from? Tx

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

It was a Geeknson table. Not a perfect design but it does the job!

[@shatnershairpiece]

Pretty bad year. I only bought deep sea endeavour, then ‘lord rings duel’, ‘arcs’ and ‘Civolution’ in Dec. only Civolution stands out as exceptional, even though it took 12 hours over 3 days for our first 2 player game. That is a record. SETI I preordered but won’t see until March because no one cares about Canada. Having 2nd thoughts about seti. Lots of negative reviews regarding two player, endless rules questions, aliens breaking the flow. I might sell it sealed. I see no point owning Black Forest when I have glass road. This was a record year for Games I considered, but then changed my mind due to bad reviews : unconscious mind, mennefer, Black Forest, andromeda’s edge, harmonies, 2 other SETI designer games, Wolfpack, inventors of south Tigris, peacemakers. So it was a great year for money saved!

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

This is why I don't get hyped over games - saves on all those disappointments!

[@remraf1984]

No love for Dani Garcia's releases? Got to play inventors with the designer and it was excellent, really like ezra and nememaih too. Shout out to harmonies for favourite light game this year. Waiting patiently for black forest to make its way to the southern hemisphere.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Nah Garcias games are usually too dry for me.

[@laurencesingh3948]

I completely agree that 2024 was a down year compared to 2023 and 2022. Not a terrible one but just not as many great or interesting games as previous years. My top 5 for this year would be: 5. Shipwrights of the North Sea Redux 4. Sankore: The Pride of Mansa Musa 3. Ezra and Nehemiah 2. Windmill Valley 1. Inventors of the South Tigris I was highly intrigued by SETI but just something about the solo gameplay didn't grab me. I think I may have gone for it if there were more alien species included. Maybe like 10-12 instead of just 5. And Black Forest has me interested but I don't really like BYOS solo modes. It's the main reason I have yet to play an Uwe Rosenberg game.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

That's fair enough on the solos. I can take 3 off your top five there.

[@tmcd5049]

Not sure if it came out this year, but Astro Knights:Eternity was my favourite game bought and played this year.

[@thwilee]

Soothe a baby and be able to focus enough to discuss the mechanisms of multiple board games…are you a superhero 😅

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Soothe a baby??!

[@thwilee]

@@TheBrokenMeeple🤣🤣 I suppose we have KZbin to thank for posting my comment on the next video I watched instead of the one I was commenting on. Please feel free to delete, disregard, and no need to mention this to anyone…ever 🤣.

[@egd277]

Seti blow my game group away. Instant top 10 for me. Looking forward to Black Forest. Tainted grail is amazing but once is enough. Endeavor Deep sea and Daitoshi, thoughts? I have them but need to play them.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Daitoshi isn't even on my radar, it looks super dry, super Standard Euro fare.

[@boazdror]

Elawa is a fantastic but widely unavailable card game (from Bombyx) up there with Castle Combo, I recommend it to anyone who likes crunchy fillers, would love to hear your thoughts on it!

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Never heard of that one but Bombyx seems to keep cards close.

[@boazdror]

@@TheBrokenMeeple It's on BGA, I bought two copies after playing it because of the way it does resource collection and tableau building. I might be crazy because no one else seems to have heard of it!

[@donnakeferlis1649]

I was eating anisette toast as you said you hate aniseed 😆 I almost spit out my tea 😅

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

I had to look up what that was, but yeah ugh I ain't touching it :P

[@JacobRamirez-li9dt]

I saw it, it was HILARIOUS!

[@kennychan6645]

When I heard you saying this is a sequel to an earlier game that I ended up culling…I thought you meant Black Forest… Oh boy you had it at no1 of the year. I have been hesitating on whether to get it. But looks like I should

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Such a good balance of thinking vs practicality.

[@dilatedbeholder3865]

It's interesting how many channels seem to focus exclusively on Euro games these days. S.T.A.L.K.E.R, Dawn of Madness, Tainted Grail, Purple Haze. 2024 was a great year for thematic games.

[@jonnymcjonface6068]

You're not a proper "boardgamer" if it isn't a heavy euro seemingly

[@dilatedbeholder3865]

It's just interesting really. As somebody who prefers thematic board games I personally thought 2024 was a fantastic year, but then seeing some channels who didn't seem to rate the year, it was hard not to notice the common Euro preference that they all have in common. Maybe there is significant Euro/Amerithrash divide in the hobby than people realise.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Problem is many of those thematic ones are kickstarters so not everyone has them to hand. I mean did Stalker even fulfil this year? And what's People Haze?

[@shortydancer]

Plenty of euros are thematic. Those are mini games

[@draheim90]

Love the Black Forest appreciation, was also my favorite game last year though admittedly didn’t play a ton. I also played Glass Road for the first time and bought it last year, agree Black Forest is better. But I have grown to like Glass Road a little more with each play, might be better for 2p than Black Forest and also better if you want a snappier game.

[@arm1e3000]

Would have liked to see where you would place Leviathan Wilds.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Hopefully I'll get to try it.

[@Duxa_]

When you got to #2 I thought.... welp thats it.... no Black Forest.... boy was I surprised for #1! Great to see it!

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

He he, it couldn't be any lower than 2.

[@philipthonemann2524]

Thanks for an interesting list!

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

My pleasure!

[@boardgamebodycount]

Love the list! Should never have sold tainted grail 😞

[@nickadams8460]

2024 was a poor year in my 40 year playing history (I am 49. I only bought 28 games (a 20 years low) and couldn’t find anything much that was particularly good. Mainly enjoyed my reconnection with Puerto Rico!!!

[@davidriemaker]

For solo players: one of the best years ever! With Shipwrights Redux, and, at the tail end of the year, the fantastic Saltfjord and the wonderful Creature Caravan.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Don't know on Caravan, Saltfjord was just remaking a game that was too dry to be memorable (plus I'm pretty sure the publisher has blacklisted me from any review copies given my "meh" verdicts in the past), Shipwrights was decent yes.

[@thehandoflenin]

Actually i did lie...have played Black Forest - it's good but there are older games i'd play over the Black Forest.

[@ocnah]

We really liked The Battle of Versailles which is also supposed to be from 2024

[@mkietzmann]

I haven't really played many 2024 games so far, but Men Nefer has been my favourite so far, with Inferno as an honorable mention. SETI isn't yet available in Mexico, but might be a contender from what I've heard.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

I honestly knew nothing of Men Nefer but I recently saw a picture of it in play, totally flown under my radar but it looks like another dry euro, nothing new.

[@dwmmd12]

I don't know if I've ever seen one of your year-end videos in which you did not say it was a disappointing year. That's an odd take to repeatedly present regarding a hobby you would otherwise seem to enjoy.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

I've been in it since 2011+ so it's had plenty of years 😁. Gaming peaked about 2012 and has had good years in late teens but post pandemic we are rehashing a lot, putting in less effort and lacking on innovation.

[@danieledwards1783]

I feel like your list disproves the bad year premise. To me at least bad year is when coming up with a decent 10 is a struggle. Feels at least on par with 2023. SETI is tremendous and yeah all I want is more aliens. It, Civolution and 7th Citadel were my top 3 even if I agree with you on Civolution's length, its a beast.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Well one of mine is a spiritual successor, another is a filler, one is a retheme that I wasn't sure qualified, another is a direct sequel. Doesn't bode well for the year in terms of original titles made.

[@TheTintinjb]

Loved tainted but three quarters in the game the gameplay let down the game and led to some disappointment

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Oh right - was that the first one or second one?

[@TheTintinjb]

@@TheBrokenMeeple Second one tainted grail. The cardplay and tracking became a bit tedious. I thought about just reading through the last two chapters, but then I would need to lay down the card, also. Now a days I prefer shorter multiple campaigns. I think that sleeping gods is a nice length. I have noticed that new games live Lands of Evershade are offering several but shorter campaigns, which might be more achievable.

[@KenDudd]

You think SETI would benefit from more cards and Aliens? The deck of cards is already huge. Getting bored of these games with too many random cards, but you do like Ark Nova, so not surprised. And the Aliens were the worst part of the game. A real let down. In Shackleton base the corporations do fundamentally change the game for you at least.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

What? Most of the corps are just "here's your victory point accumulator" I couldn't think of any that were memorable or that I cared one way or another if they were included - the aliens have the same slots for filling yes, but they do have some fairly dramatic changes by comparison.

[@jeffdeboer1175]

Every year is a great year for boardgames in my book!!!!

[@ThomasHelms]

Yeah, 2024 didn't thrill me. There are some games on my wishlist, like Saltfjord and Black Forest, but with the original inspirations in my collection (Santa Maria and Glass Road, respectively), I'm not quite convinced it worth the duplication or elimination. I've got more 2024 expansions/expan-alones wants than games... I am following Gest of Robin Hood, Agent Avenue, Castle Combo, Confusing Lands, and Mistborn, but they're teetering on the edge of my interest.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

My #1 being a spiritual reimplementation kind of says it all!

[@SenseiJae]

I am disappointed to not see cities or rock hard represented. Cities is my go to filler now. I also really liked Atlas lost Rise of the Sovereigns but it is niche as it is only available in Japan. SETI and Unconscious mind are definitely in my top ten though.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Not tried Rock Hard but Cities was kind of meh.

[@juandivas]

Hi Luke! Did you played Men Nefer?

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

No I had zero interest in that one, looked drier than the Gobi desert.

[@deemich1815]

@@TheBrokenMeeple It's not as dry as you think. It's really good.

[@johntchai79]

What did you think of Faraway? One of my faves from 2024.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Still haven't seen a copy of it 😔

[@johntchai79]

@@TheBrokenMeeple Look out for it, brilliant little game.

[@nigeltinning8713]

Enjoying this content

[@Biodelic]

Did I play some duds this year, yes, like every year. Not every games can stick the landing with every player. I am happy to say that most acquisitions turned out very enjoyable and the range of hard disappointments was rather limited. My top 10's for 2024 1) The Bad Karmas 2) Agemonia 3) Worldspanner Factions 4) Tainted Grail - Kings of Ruin 5) Andromeda's Edge 6) Fateforge - Chronicles of Kaan 7) Dawn of Madness 8) Heroes of the Shire 9) Unconscious Mind 10) Earth Under Siege Flashpoint Looking forward to 2025, the crowdfundings to be delivered alone will make it an epic year. Kingdom Forlorn, Elder Scrolls, Arydia, Galactic Cruise, just to name a few. Happy new year, solid health and strong endurance for many successful plays.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Some unique titles there, what on earth is Bad Karma's?

[@Biodelic]

@TheBrokenMeeple The best boss battler I have ever played. It's the first game for the Teburu digital game board system. Absolutely amazing game.

[@GuppyJ]

I thought 2024 was a solid year. Enjoyed many of the games on your list, but really enjoyed so many more like Ironwood, Men-Nefer, Pampero, Inventions-Evolution of Ideas,Sankore etc. I really agree with how good Inventors and Unconcious Mind are.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Really didn't gel with Inventions and Sankore.

[@TimYoung1984]

It would seem your pessimism has become a shtick at this point. Ito was released by Arcane Wonders, Creature Caravan is an excellent Laukat game, Arcs, Dune: War for Arrakis, Slay the Spire, Star Wars Unlimited, Wondrous Creatures, Kelp, Leviathan Wilds, Saltfjord, Nova Roma, and others were released in 2024. The year didn’t seem much different than any other year in terms of quality. There are games like Phoenix New Horizon that I look forward to when they get a wider release.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Ito is fine but nothing ground breaking, wondrous creatures I do want to try, salt, spire and Nova certainly didn't work for me at all.

[@chosenoneunmatched4617]

I agree Luke. Not a very WOW year. The titles have been samey and nothing special. Some great, some not. But nothing that was truly WOW. Looking forward to 2025...I think the WOWs are a-coming. 🤞

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

....... I hope they are coming

[@utahman06]

I’m glad to see Tainted Grail find some love on one of these lists finally. I loved it, thought for the most part they cleaned up a lot of what sucked about the original

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Yeah it's a definite improvement.