Top 10 Exploration Games - with Tom, Zee & Scott Alden

[@0riananne0]

What a great guest. He added a lot to this list

[@EfrainRiveraJunior]

I had to watch weeks of videos, reading faqs, searching on BGG forums, etc., before I could play Robinson Crusoe. I'm still learning, but it was totally worth it.

[@nuuqbgg]

This war of mine is based on the Siege of Sarajevo during Bosnian war that happened 1992-1995. And it wasn't a civil war but two countries invaded Bosnia. Amazing list.

[@ishoottheyscore8970]

It was a civil war wasn't it? Crotia, Bosnia and Serbia were all parts of Yugoslavia, and part of what triggered the war were countries pushing for independence from each other. Just curious why you wouldn't call it a civil war (beyond it being incredibly vicious) does it only count if the countries stay united afterwards? It's complex because Yugoslavia was a country formed by the communists somewhat against the will of the people, but even so it was a country for a while

[@nuuqbgg]

@@ishoottheyscore8970 that's all true, but Croatia went out from Yugoslavia 1991. Bosnia on March 1st 1992. The war officially began on April 6th 1992. So at that point 3 separate countries. It doesn't even matter, or it wouldn't, if C and S weren't still, to this day, making it seem as if they weren't part of the war. And they have been. That's all. It doesn't sound like much, but that phasing 'civil war' is much heavier here than it is supposed to be. It's all super weird and stupid, but that's Balkans. So, very long story short: no, Serbia, Croatia and Bosnia were independent countries when the war started, so it wasn't a civil war.

[@ishoottheyscore8970]

@@nuuqbgg Thank you

[@nuuqbgg]

@@ishoottheyscore8970 you're welcome. It's all politics, and dirty one... But there are great people here who are trying to live a normal life and are trying to leave it all behind. People-good, politicians-terrible.

[@Farstr1d3r]

WHO CARES ABOUT THE TOP 10!!! I would sit and listen to an hour of these three reminiscing about games and how things have changed over the years since they first got involved in the community.

[@AndICanTalk2]

Every one of these lists are so wonderful, and the people you have on are just amazing. I cannot tell you how happy I am with the support I have provided going to such an entertaining group of people. Aldie was amazing, and I will definitely try and tune in to see him stream.

[@aaronsacks9262]

So cool seeing Aldie

[@lynnbowers4722]

Really happy to see Hexplore-It on the list. Nice to have guests with new picks, not just the same games that are on every list.

[@toxiccandy7888]

Deadman tell no tales, is Zees Bang the dice game.

[@mpaice]

So interesting to meet Aldie. Good guest. Nice chap.

[@notacontentprovider]

Great video guys. By the way, Near and Far has an excellent fan made automata system for solo play on BGG.

[@twagoner21]

Fantastic seeing Scott as your guest!

[@mcstabba]

I had no idea who was behind Board Game Geek, cool seeing him and get a feel for him, might head over to Twitch and watch him there. I got a few things from all three of your lists to check up and consider (besides the one I already own).

[@BlueGiantMedia]

Tainted Grail is so good. The writing is spectacular, and the app does have voice narration of the entire story book and book of secrets. I love the combat. One of the best parts of the game. Love the puzzle.

[@PickleTheHutt]

The Cave Paintings in Paleo do not represent actual paintings found in caves. Each is simply a representation of progress towards the scenario goal. The game could have said "5 progress points to win" but went with the 5 pieces of a cave painting to track progress. There are many different ways to get a "cave painting" (i.e. progress point) depending on scenario. It could be hunting big mammoths, or fighting off predators, or interacting with another tribe, or really anything else.

[@nunoapct]

What a great video... I'm laughing all the time with all of yours top 10's. Please do one on Dungeon crawlers :)

[@ogreman2229]

Fun list. A large number of my favorite games have exploration elements. Mage knight, Xia, dungeonquest, Robinson Crusoe, 7th Continent.

[@jasonact]

I have really fallen in love with exploration games over the past couple of years. I would put my ranking as: 1. Sleeping Gods (AMAZING) 2. 7th Continent 3. Chronicles of Crime 4. Nemo's War, 5. Robinson Crusoe. I'm frankly shocked that Chronicles of Crime wasn't on Tom's list. I know how much he loves that game. Did he not think it fit the category?

[@Ram271989]

Great video, would love to see more videos with Aldie.

[@jonkirk2118]

Very interesting and entertaining! I always enjoyed Dungeonquest for its exploration theme. You never know what that next tile is going to bring!

[@conanross]

More videos with Aldie! He’s awesome!

[@bp9762]

Bring in his lapdog Octavian too!

[@thebasicCreator]

I have gem rush, just did the kickstarter for second addition couple of years ago and the game is one of our fav's too

[@benjaminspears8488]

Every time I see Scott in a video it’s like he’s in a dark room. A little bit of lighting will really enhance his video stuff a ton! This is a great list. I love the concept of exploration, but I also tend to like shorter/lighter games. I like the Unlocks, but I actually like the Exit games the most because they’re a little more tactile and not app dependant.

[@_Sebastiaan]

i love the exploration in the D&D Boardgames, i always wonder why they never make the lists of the Dice Tower.

[@dougcerulli8826]

Star Trek Ascendancy really shines at space exploration. Helenica: Story of Greece has an exploration mode that is really fun.

[@JoachimErdtman]

This War of Mine is based on the siege of Sarajevo.

[@matejzganec6183]

I've got a question on this Valley of the Dead King game. It seems inifinitely repayable from what i've gathered, in that its not scenario driven or a legacy game. Eevery time i want to play it again i make a different character and the game events that happen are different? Am I getting this right?

[@aarondovauo7598]

Great discussion, and I wholeheartedly agree on the craving interaction...bring on the game nights!

[@RaphaelCarmo]

Nice vídeo. I wish you make videos with game designers in the future. I'm very curious about their favorite games.

[@RadishTheFool]

Ooh, that could be amazing!

[@DarthEd77]

I love board games that give you a sense of exploration! I will say that the exploration in Mansions of Madness 2nd Edition is tempered by the fact that the map is the same every time you play a specific scenario. And I at least end up replaying scenarios in that game a few times because it’s almost impossible to win a scenario without some foreknowledge. That’s one thing that Betrayal at House on the Hill has over MoM2E: the map will be different every time you play. I’m shocked Sub Terra wasn’t even higher on Zee’s list. I had a feeling Lost Valley would make Tom’s, but I was surprised it was on Aldie’s. All great lists.

[@wdvorak]

Scott going olde skool ... me too ... got and still love MoV and TotAN (both ed.)

[@lyonheart321]

No Gloom of Kilforth? Exploring lands, facing enemies and dealing with quests. Also, how about Maximum Apocalypse? Flipping tiles and dealing with multiple Apocalypse scenarios.

[@flol.1741]

The way Zee described near and Far is not at all how my group experienced the game. For us going to town was the chore, that we all hoped to keep to an absolute minimum before we could leave town to play the "real game"

[@notacontentprovider]

You and your friends have proberbly played it more times than Zee. The problem reviewer have is they spend most of their time reviewing new games. Whilst us mortals have less games and play them more oftern and overtike find flaws.

[@Eeeville]

It's criminal that Pandemic Legacy Season 2 has not made anyone's list.

[@jorisdelmarcel1480]

Zee, you need to check Waste Knights: Second Edition, post apocalyptic exploration, great story, dice chucking combat and much. You will love it! We are completely hooked to it.

[@ishoottheyscore8970]

Any thoughts on adding the people's choice top 10 as a slide for when the video is uploaded after the live show?

[@danddjacko]

What annoyed me about The 7th Continent, I didn't get the Kickstarter so I have the Classic version, Which does not have all the card that the Kickstarter had. so there are areas that allude to you being able to do something or explore somewhere but you will never be able to. I just wish that they had erased the information that alludes to the cards that were removed. To me it now feels like an incomplete game, like the cards have been lost, and that realy annoys me to the point I havent played it since.

[@dylannorthrup5439]

If you know anyone who got the Kickstarter Edition, we all got the entire set of cards reprinted due to some inconsistencies… It’s possible you could convince them to give you their “defective” set of cards… assuming you don’t mind colour issues and typos, you would have a full complete set for the entire 7th Continent.

[@boardgameknight2791]

Aldie has his own Flat Eric doll?!

[@johnr8095]

Subterra sounds an awful lot like the horror movie The Descent. I was thinking that that would make a great game. There are a lot of these cave exploring games but not that many have monsters in them. I'll have to check taht one one.

[@andrewmaak2752]

Well worth it. Great wee game

[@VaultBoy13]

It is pretty much a game version of that horror movie.

[@69robtaylor]

The Hexplore it series is fantastic. Forest of Adrimon is my favourite.

[@wtrollkin]

It’s good to see Aldie ranking games. Back to basics.

[@aaronsacks9262]

Mechanicism! Love it

[@Vampa219]

100% agree with Zee on Sub Terra, figured it would be his #1

[@CommanderPrestige]

Very nice team up for this list a perfect fit. Thanks. About Claustrophobia, it is far too expensive here in europe for what it offers.

[@SnowDragonka]

I miss the dice picture for Claustrophobia... sigh... it was such a nice and informative picture... :D

[@jonathanfryer1319]

Great list - but I just can't get hold of many of the games! A UK thing? So frustrating! Perhaps I should stick to seeing what is available and THEN look for a review.

[@_Sebastiaan]

i feel you, i live in the Netherlands and only 2 games of the lists can i buy here

[@lastburning]

A tile laying game called Unknown is interesting but very unknown. Heh. Explore an underground bunker style place, be vary of monsters and supply your base with food.

[@Syncopator]

Tobago is a great choice. Someone called it, "reverse deduction." Nothing like it, surprising someone else didn't steal the deduction mechanism... SIGN ME UP FOR THE EXPANSION-- this is the first I've heard of it...

[@Blackwolf9]

How is Mage Knight not an exploration game but HEXplore It: The Valley of the Dead King is o.O?

[@lauradyson9994]

Also Lost Ruins of Arnak? The exploration in that game isn't even mandatory. You can get better rewards from just the cards. Feel like people are just going for the shiny and new.

[@winklestiltskin]

Super wish I could pay Rodney to teach me every game I buy. Also, I've never been more satisfied to lose when playing Forgotten Waters.

[@franciscorojas8088]

Surprised to see that Zee didn't include forbidden desert. That's a cool exploration game

[@mvenini]

Regarding the comment made in the video about Robinson Crusoe's choices..I know a lot of people dislike Fallout the Board Game, but it does something similar like Robinson Crusoe where your choices you make come back later in the game. I feel like they do it well.

[@jimtompkins9946]

Great list . Thanks i would also recommend Aftermath; which I think is the best of Jerry Hawthorne's adventure games (Mice and Mystics, Stuffed fables)

[@ronthal]

Nice top 10 theme and nice picks overall ! I'm surprised no one dug out of the grave something like Runebound, where you'd explore a map and experience random encounters etc in order to get prepared to face the main quest ... Not the best game ever but still was decent for the time (mine is 2nd edition, 2005).

[@Andural69]

No pandemic season 2? Good list overall. Really want to play 7th, sleeping and forgotten

[@gregparker4472]

Way to go Aldie, Jenseits von Theiben is one of my favorite games. I have one of the original 200 copies. Although no where near as pretty as Queen's game version, the original imho is a far superior game. This is due to the tension of getting your artifacts to the exhibitions in time to show them. This tension was eliminated in the newer version. Thanks to D. Garrett for bringing this back from Essen for me.

[@christopherlwilli]

Journeys in Middle Earth is a great exploration game, also adventure.

[@theterror987]

Has Aldie been in a time capsule for the last 15 years???

[@gerrade71278]

TIL exploration games are my favorite genre. And ... I don't even own one title, yet.

[@donnieinman8049]

Excited to play Sleeping Gods, but we're working through Jaws of the Lion right now. Also need to try out 7th continent at some point. That also sounds really fun.

[@jasonact]

I really enjoyed 7th Continent, but it could really frustrate me at times when I had not clue where to go next. I didn't have that moment in Sleeping Gods. If I'm not sure what to do, going to a random location and getting a new quest what always an option. For that reason, I definitely like it better than 7th Continent.

[@tashacraven]

Great list, I have a lot of these games so thinking I need the rest lol

[@laurenwoode1046]

Please do this again with Aldie! Great conversation with the Top 10 as the catalyst.

[@DrMcFly28]

7th Continent is probably my favorite game of all time... even though I readily accept how flawed it is and can completely agree with most of the criticism it gets. It's still an f-ing awesome game. :P

[@baxter7537]

Too many newer games on this list (with the exception of Merchant of Venus..good choice!). I would suggest a couple of older ones: Source of the Nile and Catan:Explorers and Pirates.

[@kristianrother]

Pretty surprised that Mage Knight is on neither list. Exploration is a very important part of the game and the game is sublime.

[@rickadam6051]

Zee's number one was a 10+ hour game? He's ready for TI4

[@DeGarmo2]

I skimmed through a lot of the video and I’m curious if Tom mentioned why Near and Far didn’t make his list. I know how much he raves about that game and was for sure it’d be on his list.

[@RPG_Bliss]

He didn’t say specifically, but he often will choose one in a line of games. So since he picked sleeping Gods he won’t put any of the others on the list. Another example is Azul he will put 1 of the 3 on a list.

[@duncanbarker6051]

Great list great guest cheers

[@ralelunar]

I'm very anti-Cult of New, so to see Sleeping Gods on this list makes me weary. Can't wait to eventually play it, though, lots of hard work went into it.

[@DarthEd77]

I agree in principle that any game that won’t hit retail for a couple months yet probably should not be on a Dice Tower top ten list (unless it’s “Most Anticipated”), but I just think an exception for Sleeping Gods is warranted. It really does seem to be Ryan Laukat’s magnum opus and the pinnacle of this style of choose-your-own-adventure, storybook-driven game.

[@jasonact]

I definitely understand the resistance to Cult of New. But Sleeping Gods is an exception. It's truly a masterpiece, one of those games that somehow surpasses the hype. If you like exploration games and don't mind a looooong campaign that likely takes 12+ hours to complete, I can't imagine you not liking Sleeping Gods.

[@oleksiyblinov4265]

Just thought that Saboteur technically IS an exploration game

[@chameleonkingdom6517]

Does anyone know of any other game that explores through an app like mansions of madness 2nd edition or LOTR journeys in middle earth?

[@69robtaylor]

I love Forgotten waters. Unfortunately my family don’t.

[@joeleal9123]

Great list!

[@bryanscollick8305]

Tom, would you like to revise your list to pick Sleeping Gods #1?

[@williambarbarow3207]

FYI - on the bookmarks thingy on the time bar - it says "Aldi" not "Aldie"

[@billable1861]

That’s a great grocery store lol

[@Chris_IsBoard]

I'd be curious to know Roy's list and how many space games would be on it.

[@EpicGamingNight]

Sevral as long as they allow you to minimax the exploration mechanics! 🙄 lol

[@mgk2020]

10

[@RadishTheFool]

@@EpicGamingNight Maybe you and Mike can do a competing exploration top ten? Including some banter on how your lists are much better? I think that would be a lot of fun.

[@NovaGirl8]

Hexplore It has been in my list for a while. Kinda hard to find a local copy :/

[@MadSlantedPowers]

I guess this must not be my category. I do not have, nor have I played any of the games on all three lists. I did play one on the people’s list years ago - Betrayal At House On The Hill.

[@SeerMagicX]

This isn't cult of the new at all. Can't believe Runebound wasn't mentioned at all.

[@EfrainRiveraJunior]

Is Fire Island considered an Exploration Game?

[@CharlieWellsPlus]

Epic List!

[@DeusEx0101]

Gem rush is available digital.

[@mgk2020]

While both are good, I agree with Mike; Olive Garden breadsticks are better.

[@hanseathl]

I am German and the dog is currently my companion

[@violentfrog_]

I really liked lost valley but the little niggly rules of what each action costs were a little too much to explain easily and clearly

[@eck3483]

What are your thoughts on The island of El Dorado?

[@jaspervanimpe5010]

Zee, Tom, food for thoughts. Maybe worthwhile doing a ‘What’s Appening review/play’ of Gem Rush 2nd ed., since it is on IOS ipad&iphone

[@Outrun37]

They've done that

[@jaspervanimpe5010]

Found it Zee’s review: 8,5/10.

[@casperhoyng8194]

I did expect games like Gloomhaven, Imperial Assault , Arkham Horror LCG, Eclipse, Twilight Imperium

[@philheaton1619]

you guys keep talking about the King Arthur legends, implying that nobody has made a good exploration version. Have you played Albion's Legacy?

[@Indiana_Knows]

Where’s Cora Quest?

[@enosfruit]

omg, such a spoiler about Forgotten Waters, that there is no Sasquatch. Never playing that game now.

[@Setonrebel]

No shadows of brimstone....

[@nickhilbert750]

BGG is here to cancel everyones opinons

[@Davord]

Ban users, and monopolize the conversation.

[@bp9762]

Yeah, BGG forums are a cesspool of Identity politics and blatant censorship. Kind of hypocritical too, looking at older BGG staff photos. They only just recently hired some token non-white people.

[@eddieb8054]

I feel like time stories is a heavy exploration game the first run through. I wish it could keep that up though. By the fourth pass I’m hating it.

[@Tymbaroth]

Have you tried the new "blue cycle" ? They got rid of the notion of "runs" (I have yet to play the second one in that line)

[@eddieb8054]

@@Tymbaroth I haven’t tried it. Planning to, but Covid has killed a big part of my gaming this year. So I’m majorly behind. I’ve improved at the games with good steam and web implementations . Cant wait to be in person.

[@EfrainRiveraJunior]

I am a huge biscuit hater, and even I have to admit the Red Lobster's biscuits are better than Olive Garden's breadsticks.

[@Kindlesmith70]

"Top" 10 games, some that have little to do with the subject mentioned. Common theme in these videos. Still mentioning some nice games.

[@vanyaserra1]

Well thanks Tom now you ruined Forgotten Waters for me....no sasquatch.......here I was thinking a pirate and a sasquatch have to meet up.....:)

[@Andural69]

Karma is uses that Robinson Crusoe mechanic, or it's very similar

[@Andural69]

Karmaka

[@pizdamatii5001]

what about "Afrikan tähti" ("Star of Africa")? that's the ultimate exploration and adventure game! just don't get stuck on st. helena island without any money :(

[@dragonlance6027]

Near and Far was not that great for me.

[@internet2055]

overreacting 100%