Top 10 Board Games That Should Be In EVERY Home

[@htnog]

10 - Insider / Marvel United / 7 Wonders (Architects) 9- Dice Throne (S1 Rerolled) / Yinsh / Forbidden Island 8- Codenames / Ghost Fightin' Treasure Hunters / Planted 7- Marvel United / 7 Wonders (Architects) / Butterfly 6- Love Letter / Archaeology / Point Salad 5- Trekking Through History / Codenames (pictures) / Downforce 4- The Quest for El Dorado / Cascadia / Onitama 3- Dixit / Junkart / Codenames 2- For Sale / Trekking Through History / Ticket to Ride 1- Can't Stop / King of Tokyo / Just One Also, I would like to remember that Heat and Earth now exist, so this list has been outdated

[@greencodra]

Would love to see a top 10 list: Games that only i seem to like. It would show us some other games that dont get talked about as much.

[@petergross7235]

If you look in the archive they actually made that list I think. 😊

[@c.w.2000]

There is a "Top 10 games that only WE like", but it is from 7 years ago, unless I am missing a more recent one. Maybe time to revisit.

[@ninjabiscuit1095]

They've done one like that before several years ago, but an updated one would be interesting, considering how many games are released every year

[@gwaptiva]

Isn't that every list MIke produces, ever?

[@SoManyGames]

​@@gwaptivalol

[@szabikelemen3042]

For me (not in any particular order): - Carcassone - Catan - Ticket to Ride - Kingdomino - Just One - Dixit - Cascadia - 7 Wonders - Skull

[@thegatewaygamers]

Skull is fantastic! Definitely on a must have list

[@stormshadow2k]

Guys... Its been how many years. Who does your sound? For real? Talking should NOT peak your input meter. Not trying to be a smart alec, just a very frustrated sound engineer over here, lol.

[@roosterqmoney]

For real. It's been forever.

[@TpDgreat]

finally i found someone that mentioned this,,no.2 i find the old soundtracks too old now, they should try and experiment more :)

[@Sylvaantye]

The sound is horrible. I actually checked if it was an old video, as some are not that bad. Will not continue watching it, the sound is really frustrating, especially if they speak loudly.

[@chalkboy71]

Ppp​@@TpDgreat

[@farronf]

Guess I’m not a sound engineer, but it sounds totally fine to me 😕

[@KingMePlease3]

🤣🤣1:35-1:55 definitely has to go on best moments of the year video. Zee was hilarious. Every convention Tom is at someone needs to go up to him and ask for 10 games to put in their home with the weird eyed face 😜

[@Bluefishfly]

That was some Gold from Zee!

[@dorkydoodlesden]

We need to start a committee, a petition and a task force to make sure this happens. 😂

[@JonReid01]

LOL

[@RhinoViper]

I think it's fine having 1 or 2 games, out of the 10, be a little heavier weight than entry level. I mean if you are giving a family 10 games and they are all basic/easy...they'll just get bored of them quick. Having like 5 entry level, 3 slightly heavier, but not much, and a couple that aren't difficult, but brings a little punch is just fine. Most families will want to give weightier games a try...and I'm not talking super heavy, but 2.5ish/5 type weight.

[@gleasoneast]

That's what I liked about Mike's list! Good variety and not all super-basic.

[@keithparker1346]

That makes an assumption that people that light games/gateway games ONLY appeal is to be a stepping stone to the "real" games

[@RhinoViper]

@@keithparker1346 it’s also an assumption that people only want a list of 10 light games with no variety past that.

[@keithparker1346]

@@RhinoViper my point was missed - my point is that light games, casual games , gateway games are not considerred as REAL games to gamers. To non gamers they are simply games and the heavy convoluted monstrosities beloved of gamers are incomprehensible messes. The video is about EVERY home and as NON gamers far far outweigh gamers its should be almost entirely light games. I like Zee in this respect as he seems to understand where non gamers are coming from whenevere expereinced gamers refer to medium weight games as light

[@RhinoViper]

@@keithparker1346 I didn't suggest they recommend the heavy games....i pointed out specifically that i didn't suggest anything higher than a 2.5/5...using the BGG scale. That's a mid weight game, like Settlers is like a 2.3 I think....Lords of Waterdeep is like 2.45 or something...so not heavy games.

[@alexandrealbino6167]

My pick in no particular order: - dixit - sagrada - project l - ticket to ride - camel up (2nd edition) - king of tokyo - hive - coup - the resistance - jaipur

[@cbazler]

OMG Zee's "wild-eyed guy" has got to be one of the top 10 funniest things on the internet

[@DarthEd77]

I know Mike hasn't been gone for very long, but, man, it's good to have him back! This was lightning in a bottle. Everyone brought their "A" game here. I laughed out loud so many times. That said, I'm shocked - SHOCKED, I tell you! - that Tom and Zee didn't put Dixit on their lists.

[@shaunslays2151]

@34:40 maybe thats an old version of coup? But I picked it up recently and it definitely says what your card does on the actual card and you always have a reference card for bluffing purposes.

[@16Ezalb]

Mike got me thinking of a video idea at the beginning. Tom, Zee and Mike all find 10 random games by using the "random game" feature on BGG. They have to say something good about the games and give reasons why to play the games, even if they end up with games they dislike 🤣🤣

[@unitlonda4925]

That actually does sound like it could be really cool! Maybe they even discover a game they didn't know about before

[@WilliamStewart-h8p]

A few weeks ago I had a games night with my parents in law. We played Downforce, Trekking Through History, and Dixit. So good picks everyone!

[@earthling-ad]

I'd have to base my list on the games that my wife likes to play (as she is a non-gamer and finds learning new games hard): 1. Splendor - and she'll beat me at it too! 2. Patchwork 3. Sagrada 4. Lost Cities (the card game) 5. Quest for El Dorado 6. Cockroach Poker/Coup 7. Bananagrams/Scrabble 8. Quacks of Quedlinburg 9. Snake Oil/Balderdash 10. Codenames

[@earthling-ad]

Should also have included Mysterium somewhere in this

[@mglobemaster2904]

Used to love King of Tokyo, but hate the player elimination. Can't stand continuing to play the game while the first time player is standing by watching.

[@beckynoel840]

I would add Camel Up to the must have list. Easy to learn, fun for all ages and larger player count.

[@joelface]

totally agree! some of my favourite party game nights have been from hilarious Camel Up moments that had everyone yelling and laughing at the table.

[@jayy1231]

Tom: When you say grandpa knows who Iron Man is, do you mean you know who Iron Man is?

[@doyle9904]

1. Codenames 2. Ticket to Ride 3. For Sale 4. Las Vegas 5. Scout 6. Skull and Roses 7. Santorini 8. Fantasy Realms 9. 6 Nimmt 10. Akropolis 11. Broom Service/Dimension/Zendo

[@andrewgates2568]

We had Can't Stop in our home growing up but I never played it until i was in my late 20s and was getting into the world of board games. My wife and I had a blast! Now we love games with a push your luck element in the game. Made me wish I had played it as a kid. Great pick!

[@Draxooo]

I love like Zee can go from absolute chill to crazy in milliseconds 😅

[@Melanietucker]

This was really helpful as I shop for Christmas. Thank you!

[@DTChrisYi]

Thanks! Happy to hear. We also have our "12 Games of Christmas" video series coming up every day next week where we'll share 12 games recommendations in different categories.

[@jennprescott2757]

I love planted! You can’t buy it here in Canada and I’d never heard of it, but we just went to visit my brother in America and I bought it on a whim, loving the theme. It was great and I am so glad.

[@ThePhotonmom]

I am surprised that Canvas is not on this list. I have taught it to many people and they all loved it.

[@tiberiusarrrgh2911]

AGREED!!!!!!!

[@ColonelKurtz]

I think King of Tokyo is kind of geeky. The battling aspect and ticking down hit points and such might not really be for everyone.

[@middleclassboardgamer]

So...to make a humor to boxing comparison. Mike set me up with the "You don't remember the Scooby-Doo episode where he fought orcs." Then they all three followed up with the Jedediah, Jeremiah, Jebidiah combo and I was in tears. There are times when I don't even care what game they're talking about, it's just fantastic entertainment.

[@noizeemama3697]

I'm a grandma. Zee cracked me up with the re-explaining the rules. I do tend to ask questions over and over. lol For a while, my name was changed on Discord to Alzheimer's Accountant.

[@nzcamel3]

Can confirm that as a non-American, learning that Barnes & Noble is a bookstore was useful 😁 I mean I had already guessed it was not your FLGS, but now I'm like "it's Whitcouls!"

[@moocowp4970]

Haha yeah, I assumed it was a Target/Walmart equivalent haha

[@kirkwagner461]

I'd add one of those variety boxes that include boards and pieces for playing checkers and chess and usually at least one more like Chinese checkers or backgammon. They are cheap, and those games are generally known well enough that anyone in the house will find something in there to play.

[@tiberiusarrrgh2911]

Agreed

[@PzaPolarBear]

I tried teaching Dice Thrown to my kids they have played Machi Koro, Flamecraft, King of Tokyo, and Marvel Splendor. After about ten minutes of going over the instructions their eyes were glassed over and they pretty much said they were done. I really think this game's weight is underestimated due to its themes and colorful cartoon graphics.

[@joelface]

You can teach Dice Throne without even going over all of the rules beforehand. However, it IS important to play with the low complexity heroes, like Barbarian and Moon Elf. It's also worth playing with the cards FACE UP the first few times you play, so that you can explain how the cards work as the game goes along. I definitely agree with you that if you get into the minutia of the rules before you start playing, it's going to feel like a lot. I'd also suggest only playing in a 1v1, rather than playing a 3+ player game for someone's first time playing. I've absolutely taught Dice Throne to non-gamers this way, and had great results.

[@danacoleman4007]

Additionally, it's a garbage game, IMO

[@joelface]

@@danacoleman4007 Poor take.

[@danacoleman4007]

@@joelface not really. Just an opinion based on my experiences.

[@joelface]

@@danacoleman4007 It's possible to dislike a game and not think it's garbage. It's a very well-liked game with lots of well designed, tightly balanced characters, unique but accessible.. it's one thing to say it's not for you. But if your opinion is that the game is garbage, I'm sorry, but your opinion is a bad opinion. Bad opinions exist.

[@NetanelKleinman]

I'm surprised that my (admittedly small and new) collection lines up best with Mike owning 4 of them. Loving the content!

[@stephaniecousins3094]

I laughed out loud and learned a lot. Thanks guys!!!

[@LegoAssassin098]

Mike was ON FIRE this top 10! I love this!

[@nathannemeth4094]

Yes, if I ever get to play Pandemic Legacy, I'll be sure to name one of the viruses, "Monopoly."

[@kentonius2]

I don't think "being at Barnes and Noble" is the point Mike thinks it is because I've also seen the old Dune board game there. In the "family game night" section, no less.

[@icex4055]

“Even grandpa knows about Ironman.” I resemble that remark! This grandpa knows a lot about a lot. (Of course he’s forgotten a lot about a lot, too.)

[@theoldman2821]

I know nothing about Ironman.

[@icex4055]

The less you know . . .

[@theoldman2821]

​@@icex4055 ... with the world the way it is the better off I am.

[@danacoleman4007]

​@@theoldman2821wow, how old ARE you?

[@11167KevA]

I never get enough of Zee Garcia 😆

[@warholcow]

You all are so funny together. Great video!

[@RossEphgrave]

Ghost fighting treasure hunters is a blast! Great pick Zee. I would also include Forbidden Island, Azul, Carcassone, Stone Age, sushi Go Party, Wingspan, Catan, Ticket to Ride. Funny enough about 8 years ago my intro game was Bohnanza that led me to this hobby...and dont knock me for Wingspan its really easy to learn and very informative as well.

[@ScytheNoire]

Great lists all around. Mike probably had my favorite list though. But Tom had the most approachable list. I'm surprised Carcassonne didn't make the cut on any of the lists.

[@josiahleis6574]

I think Carcassonne has sort of been surpassed as a gateway game and is starting to show its age. I think it is too long for what it does and it feels like it frequently outstays its welcome. I also don't love teaching it to newer players, the Farmer scoring in particular is difficult for them to understand.

[@rbtorelli1994]

​@@josiahleis6574My girlfriend and I recently picked up carcassone as our first entry back into board games together, and we honestly can't put it down. Many of our family members very easily, but we found that sometimes it's easier just not to play with farmers or introduce them right away. I was also surprised ot didn't make the lists

[@josiahleis6574]

@rbtorelli1994 I am glad you guys enjoyed it! It is not for me, I don't find the game enjoyable and I think it is too complex for newer players for how simple the game is in the end. You should check out Kingdom Builder or Through the Desert (it is being reprinted this year) for games that I think are similar but I enjoy more.

[@RepeatRepeatPro]

A few weeks ago I had a games night with my parents in law. We played Downforce, Trekking Through History, and Dixit. So good picks everyone!

[@MKhoshahang]

Great lists all of them. To make the suggested collection ages better, I prefer these changes : 7 Wonders (any of them) -> Sushi Go Party , For sale -> Century (2+) or Jaipur (2) , Codenames -> Decrypto (Everybody has the chance to give hints and not limited to a single word or even words in general) , Junk art -> Tuki, Downforce -> Camel up or Bad Company. plus, four additions: + An easy sth and write game such as trails of Tucana or even maybe Capitan Sonar + Azul (OG) + A simpler non-consequential co-op game such as Hanabi (you don't want a group of non-gamers feel lost all together because of a game. You will dump such a game as soon as you can) + a good simple deduction game for the moments your guest feels pretty smart such as Deception of Cryptid

[@racheldav4643]

I am nearly there…9 games from the list in my home. Just need one more…probably Trekking through History will be the new addition.

[@sealtyk]

I like Tom's comparison of Monopoly and disease

[@GeassUser3]

i would argue for santorini as well. i usually teach the first game without the god powers. then on the second game i just break it out and go " if you liked that, NOW here's the cool part..."

[@SteLasVegas]

LOVE Mike List, agree with 80 % of it (I just didn't play the other 20%). Love the games on Tom and Zee list as well, I just haven't played many of those yet. GReat list, great job always a pleasure to watch. Thanks guys!

[@philhatfield2282]

I have 4 of the games Tom listed. Two that Mike listed. And two that Zee listed. I've played a number of others mentioned, but do not own them (though I probably should pick up For Sale). My #1 is an incredibly old game, but one that still gets played quite a lot in my area, and that is "Pit!" I will also mention, in case you guys didn't know, Codenames Disney has both the pictures and the words, so you can do either or both in the same game.

[@hairbrainedgames3127]

My problem with Zee's #9 pick is that if you give someone a Yinsch, they take a mile...

[@valreznic]

bahahahahah ZEE..... people will FOREVER BE ASKING YOU TO DO WILD EYED MAN! :D

[@cay6857]

This was great fun to watch. I’m sorry I missed it live. So nice seeing the three of you together.

[@DonPavchito]

El Dorado hands down! And if everybody has it you get to play with all of the terrain tiles combined!

[@Dalilflower]

I agree! I love this game!!!

[@aorakis5795]

my top 10 with no specific order : -Just One -Detective Club -Kites -Flipships (Or) Men at Work -Alice's Garden (or) Loco Momo (or) Cascadia -Mow -Mysterium Park -Codenames Duo (or Images) -Quest for El Dorado (or) DownForce using the familly rules variant) -Little Town (or) Parks

[@rudyjansen4242]

Looking back to this top 10, and I have to say, great list gentleman. In random order I would put in my top 10: 7 wonders archtects, Onitama, For Sale, point salad (eevee edition), Forbidden island, King of Tokyo and Marvel united with Carcassonne, Star realms and Splendor (united)

[@matthewnew13]

This is one of my favourite top 10 lists. Funny but very informative. Great stuff.

[@tiberiusarrrgh2911]

A fun, basic, and very very pretty thus draws new people to it... CANVAS !!!

[@petercsm5769]

Whoohoo Can't Stop! Also, the German version of Forbidden Island ("Die Verbotene Insell") is in a cardboard box and comes with little plastic figures instead of player pawns.

[@rumpleforeskin1275]

Agree with Zee for the #1 spot. Everyone loves that game

[@josevelajr]

Yeah, I feel like Dice Throne is a little heavier than Mike's giving it credit for. I would have put King of Tokyo in this slot.

[@martysmovies7892]

There's a very good reason the actions of the roles aren't on the cards in Coup like they are in love letter. People have to bluff they have cards they don't have so would still need to read the actions off the player aid.

[@marwamustafa3935]

Yes, here in Ireland Forbidden Island comes in a tin box!

[@ASTURmatr]

In Spain (Devir is the publisher) too.

[@CaptainGamer347]

Great Top-10 list! I agree with several of these picks as well: Ticket to Ride, Marvel United, Trekking Through History, For Sale, Archaeology: The New Expedition, King of Tokyo, and Point Salad.

[@johnblue2270]

My Top 10 for this in no order but numbered to keep up with. 1. King of Tokyo 2. Just One! 3. CodeNames (regular or pictures) 4. Love Letter 5. Marvel United (either base game) 6. Camel Up 7. Dixit (Mysterium would prolly work) 8. Onitami 9. Azul 10. Splendor I think out of the games I have those go over well with the most people.

[@jennprescott2757]

What about Hive? Decent list though!

[@Cptnjarvas]

Great lists, gents! King of Tokyo is my go-to game in the classroom and with new gamers, and almost every friend and family member I have introduced it to purchased it the night after we played it. Fabulous picks all around!

[@keithparker1346]

IMO you nee to House Rule KOT so that people dont just amass cubes - maybe a rule where you have to be in Tokyo - apart from that I think its a good game

[@TuurFrencken]

Blokus should have been on this list!

[@saph2603]

I think I'm gonna name my goblin Plushie from the DT Kickstarter Jedediah 😂

[@OTWarrior02]

The audio of this video is rather low quality and scratchy. Issue with the mics?

[@JonGardner]

I’m a little surprised no one said Catan. That’s one game I’ve never had to buy a copy of because everyone I’ve ever played games with has their own copy.

[@superspecky4eyes]

Catan is maybe a little more dry theme wise than something like Ticket to Ride. As great as it is it doesn't exactly scream "fun" at first glance. Even the people who hate Ticket to Ride love Ticket to Ride.

[@yes4me]

In that list, my fav bg are: Ticket to ride, can't stop and maybe "for sale". Quick, simple, and keep you interested even when it is not your turn.

[@JackieLatimer]

Love El Dorado, easy to teach, not stressful to play, and everyone I’ve played with so far, has really liked it as well!

[@noizeemama3697]

My grandson loved Dice Throne. I think it is easy enough for kids to learn. I see it as a gateway game. He never played anything like this, but he likes Yahtzee so he was excited to play it with me. Won me every damn time with Krampus. Krampus is way too powerful over Santa.

[@SonofSol1]

We got forbidden island when we started to play games and I very quickly grew out of it after like 3 plays, we still keep it because my kids like to play it

[@nickhershberger8411]

It is a good game to get excited about the hobby; however, I had a similar experience.

[@HarryBuddhaPalm]

Yeah, I'd rather play Pandemic but if I was going to play some games with some kids, I'd definitely break out "Forbidden Island".

[@john-qz3fu]

Yeah it’s a good kids game.

[@BoardGamesBricksHobbies]

I like Forbidden Desert best of the three games!

[@SonofSol1]

@@BoardGamesBricksHobbies I like Forbidden Sky best 💀 don't hate me, have you tried the different maps for forbidden island? Using the same tiles

[@tonimcmorris5603]

I was glad to see you included ticket to ride in the list (surprised no carcassone). But I’ve learnt so many new ones to try.

[@CharlesHepburn2]

Dice Throne is basically 2 players only. I played it last weekend with 4 (2v2), and there was A LOT of downtime. It lasted forever! I wouldn't say it should be on this list IMHO.

[@joelface]

I think it's great for the list (I think several two player games should be in every home). But I agree with you that DT is best at 2, and only better at high player counts once everyone is comfortable with the game. I will also say that I have a tendency towards analysis paralysis and it made me take really long turns when I first started playing DT. But, someone encouraged me to just play by the gut, and not worry so much about making the perfect move, and when I play that way I actually have even more fun and the games go so much faster.

[@hanseathl]

@Zee: so happy you mentioned Archeology. Such a great game that nobody in my circle seem to know or appreciate enough. Another pick that would have fitted you list is Latice. I distinctly remember your review of it after which I purchased it. Still a good breezy game for a Sunday afternoon.

[@branboom3342]

Thanks for the content! You guys always crack me up, really feels like I'm hanging out with buddies

[@bgoryan]

Just One was the first party game I bought and it’s super popular with my family. Most the the time we don’t even keep score. We just play until we get bored of it.

[@joelface]

My family loves it too!

[@MichaelLettner]

Agree with Quest for El Dorado for a week ago I taught my mom and aunt and they both loved it. Plus my mom won.

[@IAmGravityRabbit]

I've been binging the Top 10 lists again these past couple of weeks. Love them! ... Have y'all ever done a Top 10 Ameritrash (alternately Euro) list? ... Even if, I wanted to say I appreciate y'alls experience, knowledge, and diverse gaming tastes. Truly a hobby with something for EVERYONE.

[@klawless]

These guys don't seem to use those labels, almost at all, when describing games. I think they have decided they are not useful descriptions anymore because of the way a lot of games blend both sides. I seem to remember Scythe being used as an example. Is it an ameritrash game? Nope it's a Euro resource manager with some area control, according to some. Long story short - You might be best served by watching the Christmas top 10's. There was a thematic games list more likely to be ameritrash style, then the strategy/advanced strategy games are more likely to lean into Euro style

[@IAmGravityRabbit]

@klawless That's a fair point and good take, so makes sense. During my binge, I was watching older lists also. (To see what I could add to my collection. I'm trying to be pickier about what I add instead of just going on a buying spree.) The group has a good variety of tastes & preferences.

[@Pokinbrat]

1. Ticket To Ride 2. Carcassonne 3. Jamaica 4. Azul 5. Las Vegas 6. Megaland 7. Horrified 8. For Sale 9. Point Salad 10. Sushi Go

[@SvanMagic]

Marvel United gets a lot of love from the Dice Tower guys but it fell super flat with my friends who aren't big gamers. It just feels like Pandemic with a Marvel theme. And I'd argue it's more complicated than Pandemic. And For Sale is one of my biggest letdowns. Played it with different people and it fell flat with everyone.

[@internet2055]

did they forget? 1) Sunset over Water 2) BarenPark 3) Camel Up

[@psterud]

I'd add Azul.

[@MrFloyddownunder]

“10 GAMES THAT SHOULD BE IN EVERY AIR BNB.” Think about it, all types of people travel. They travel in different group sizes. They have different interests. You need something for everyone and anyone. Cheers!

[@mkitten13]

Jikes... I only own 2 of these (Ticket to Ride & Quest for El Dorado). I can bump it up to 3 since I only culled Codenames because my gaming club has it and that's the only place I get enough players together for it anyway...

[@daratattoo6970]

I recently realized that Dice Throne will seem simple to any person who has already played games: Mtg, any fighting (because of the duel part, and the asymmetric fighter thing) or rpg game (talking attacks and upgrades, status effect and others). Because to those people, the concepts that come from these games are simplified and mixed up in Dice Throne. To any other person who doesn’t play much these types of games, Dice Throne is full of alien concepts and can seem overwhelming, I managed to teach it to three persons, all reactions were different depending on how much of the core concepts could resonate with people’s gaming experience. But I could teach this game to a friend without having the game in front of us, because he has played a lot in his life. Simply put, Dice Throne looks like an easy game, but in geeks’ eyes only.

[@joelface]

I think there are a lot of tricks for teaching the game to new gamers. Sticking to the lowest complexity heroes, and playing with cards face-up is my number one suggestion (this lets you explain the cards they play, and the cards you are thinking about playing, as you play, rather than trying to explain them before the game has begun). Also *only* playing 1v1 matches so there are no targeting rules, and matches are faster. I also think it's important to get them rolling the dice and playing a turn AS you teach the game, rather than trying to explain it all first and have them remember it. Also, point at the reference card as they go through each phase, so they can follow along on their own on subsequent turns.

[@MrAxe802]

Just one is an amazinggame, we've played it for hours. But most of the time is SOOO SIMPLE to guess the word.

[@MKisFeelinSpicy]

Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Game of Thrones are hugely popular and mainstream. I don't understand why dragons and elves are automatically regarded as too geeky.

[@jarg1242]

I think Bang! could've been on this list. Played this plenty back in my uni days with non-gamer friends around some beers and western-style soundtracks, and they loved it. It was an enjoyable time-sink, and quite simple. Maybe not an amazing game, but it fits the bill for biggish groups, both for family and house guests, and is fun enough for gamers and non-gamers alike imo.

[@middleclassboardgamer]

If Sam was still around, I can guarantee that Bang! The Dice Game would be on the list.

[@KissellMissile]

I agree, except that it is really a huge hurdle to teach.

[@carmanragatz]

I used to love King of Tokyo but once I played Bang the Dice Game, that replaced King of Tokyo for me. I usually don’t like social deduction games, but I actually really love that one and prefer it over King of Tokyo with regards to the “Yahtzee” combat feel because of the added social deduction aspect.

[@gkwgeek4509]

Two seconds in and Zee is in rare form. Nice!

[@RealCoolGuy]

I've never played Forbidden Island, but Survive! is a super-big hit at all my game nights. And with family and other folks who don't game. Great game that's more visual and appeals to casual and hardcore alike. And much more visually appealing than what I'm seeing from Forbidden Island

[@chrislobb6440]

So barnes and noble is the US Waterstones of the UK then?

[@hairbrainedgames3127]

Trekking through History is great. I personally could replace that in a list like this with the Timeline series. I can teach it in two sentences, and it appeals at some level to almost every group I'm in (the more seasoned groups use it as a filler, the casual groups love it as a fun easy experience).

[@harryofgo]

Timeline makes you feel clever. I love Trekking through history, but I rarely remember a single card I pick outside the number and the rewards.

[@hairbrainedgames3127]

@@harryofgo That's a great point about feeling clever.

[@rekasil]

Tom, you said: "if you don't have any boardgames or many at all ... and you'd like to get into boardgames ...". Now my question: do you think that people having now boardgames are watching your videos? Maybe. In person I would prefer recommendation like... if you like this probably you'll like that. So, i.e. you like Stone Age or Lords of Water Deep as entry worker placement then what would be your recommendation for my next similar game. It is hard to find a good boardgame to add to my collection that feels similar but still different the ones on my shelf. On BGG you cannot filter for i.e. interaction level, or language dependency, or how competitive the game is. Let's say my favourite game is Cry Havoc. I like area control, head to head games, few randomness and in that game the combat resolution is much better then rolling dice IMO, and also playing time is not too long. Finding something similar but still different and available in the market is so challenging. So it would be nice if you start a "recommendation series" where you pick some games from the mainstream and come up with some from the niche market. What do you think?

[@KidJV]

12:16 if you like rolling dice either go long shot or las vegas royale or stone age.. agree dice throne is complex

[@davidsals8020]

I really enjoyed this top 10 list. This is the first time I’ve watched one all the way through. The pics were interesting, and your banter was really fun and engaging. Great job everyone.

[@TabletopHaven]

"Paddles don't paddle water! People paddle water!" 😂😂

[@DIGGERfromAR]

Castle Panic is an oft overlooked game. It's great for beginners and still a fun filler for the experienced.

[@RandomRob3000]

if you live out west, Jedediah Smith is a very famous early explorer - the first to get to California and return via an overland route. There's another early mountain man, Jeremiah Johnson, as well - a bit more famous since there's a Robert Redford portrayal of him in the title role. Don't know of any famous Jebadiahs though, but it's a fairly common 'biblical' name.

[@fubarbox]

Mike I am usually right with you, but I gotta say, I would have went with KOT over Dice Thrones. I love some heavier games like KDM, SW Rebellion, and TMB, but my wife and I had such a hard time understanding how to play this and make our characters work (had Marvel retail box), which shocked and frustrated us. I really wanted to like the game, but it was a pretty sour experience. For sure think Tokyo is the better pick for average people. I hope to one day be taught this again at a convention, because I really want to like it, but won't try it on my own because of the confusion in brought.

[@joelface]

KoT was my favourite game for a few years. Then I played Dice Throne. I have played KoT about twice since that time, because I like Dice Throne so much better. Now, I will say, I think KoT is better for a big group, as Dice Throne turns are a lot longer, especially for people learning the game. AND it's also true that there is a lot more going on in Dice Throne as well. BUT, a 1v1 game with the Barbarian and Moon Elf is actually VERY accessible, even to total non-gamers. But you should play with cards face-up the first few times so that everyone can talk about the decisions they're making, and make sure everyone gets how they work WHILE playing (explaining how cards work before someone has played the game will make non-gamers eyes glaze over for sure). This video still has the old graphics, which have since been updated, but I still think it's the absolute *best* how-to-play video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rp2YoIFvgsSNmMU

[@Dynorider2001]

Was surprised no one said crew, azul, or ice cool... keep up the Great vids!

[@matthewcrawford4216]

Yep. I have those. They are pulled out pretty often and well received.

[@philistineau]

Zee's impression. Oh my god. I laughed.

[@makerofjam]

Strong strong agree with El Dorado and Junk Art. El Dorado slightly more complex than a lot of others on the list. However, when I saw this "every home" title it made me think of that neglected cupboard where you might find games in an Air B&B, and what I would find in there, vs. what I wish was in there. For me, El Dorado (Deckbuilding notwithstanding) feels like a classic that's been around for decades. It feels like it SHOULD be in that cupboard. It just has that classic move-a-little-person-around-a-map feeling of so many older games, bit without their flaws. Plus you can always remove the caves module which always trips people up! Even though there are slightly more rules, its the FAMILIARITY of all the concepts that makes it easy to get people into. Playing cards? Yep, we've done that before. Moving a figure on a board - yes. Racing to the finish line - makes sense. It's when you have unfamiliar systems AND extra rules that people struggle - which is why I think you're dead right to exclude 7 Wonders from this list. Chopsticks in Sushi Go is too much for a lot of people, never mind done strange 3rd age purple card! Junk art is a great pick, and would also be a contender if I were to make a version of the "games that aren't in the BGG top 10 but should be" list you guys did a while back. It's not only a fantastic dexterity game, it's also pretty much perfect in terms of versatility. Like Zee says, there are so many ways to play in the box. You like trick taking? We've got that. You want a speed game? Let's use the Monaco card. You want co-op? Let's go to Pisa. Plus it plays well at 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 (like point salad!). You can also teach it in less than two minutes. If I was stuck in an air b&b in the middle of nowhere, and I open that dusy cupboard, Junk Art is what I want to be in there.