Top 10 Games of 2020!!

[@JayBee10]

That feel when you're watching a Brothers Murph top 10 without The Coldest Water. :(

[@scuba92186]

I know. They look so warm and dehydrated.

[@TheBrothersMurph]

We almost didn't make it through the video. We were so parched

[@g8kpr3000]

@@TheBrothersMurph I was watching some react videos recently on comedy specials. And one dude had the coldest water in his video and I just laughed at how serious he was with it.

[@larrytedmcbride]

Love me some Brothers Murph! Top ten list are pretty cool too. Now, where’s my popcorn, let’s get this show started🤠👍🏽

[@elizabethdoney6025]

Congrats on the engagement, Mike! 😁

[@gaillardlionel]

Glad to see baby Gloomy finally on a top 10!! It's not just a smaller version of its big brother, it's also an no-fuss package that's easy to setup, learn and play, with an innovative book system for maps which deserved recognition. I never bought into Gloomhaven due to the huge barrier to entry (box, setup, price), this was an eye opener!

[@burglekutt23]

I have bought very few games this year for obvious reasons but Sonora looks really neat, I will probably go ahead and pick it up in anticipation of being able to play at some point in 2021!

[@AhJong0]

Great stuff, had not heard of the F&F game what a super theme! Loved the photos also, thanks guys!

[@TheBrothersMurph]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@winklestiltskin]

Rajas is my favorite worker placement game! I've got The Dice Charmers on preorder & looking forward to it!

[@shanerion]

Make sure you pick up goodie box 1 and 2 if you don’t have it

[@bkwestman22]

Great list!! Several of those are under my tree! Just need to wait to get Arnak, hopefully next month!

[@rb4551]

the whole 5 round thing in Lost Ruins reminds me of Everdell. On first round you are like...wtf....Im never going to get anything done by game end.

[@RyanOSullivan]

Finally! One of these lists giving Arnak the love. The creatorsphere has been sleeping on it in end of year lists and it's a great game!

[@kaikyle2234]

I guess im asking randomly but does someone know of a trick to get back into an Instagram account? I stupidly lost my password. I appreciate any tricks you can give me

[@jesusluca6831]

@Kai Kyle instablaster :)

[@kaikyle2234]

@Jesus Luca Thanks for your reply. I found the site thru google and Im waiting for the hacking stuff atm. Looks like it's gonna take a while so I will get back to you later with my results.

[@kaikyle2234]

@Jesus Luca It worked and I finally got access to my account again. I am so happy! Thanks so much you really help me out !

[@jesusluca6831]

@Kai Kyle happy to help :)

[@shanerion]

The castle mechanism in Viscounts is great

[@TheBrothersMurph]

It gets real combotastic

[@scuba92186]

Sonora is a Crokinole 'n' Write! It was right there!

[@TheBrothersMurph]

Dang!

[@annecooswiersema3511]

Lost Ruins of Arnak is great! We’re loving it for all the reasons you talked about! Great video, as always.

[@ClockworkWyrm]

Haven't played it yet but I'm glad I was able to order a copy before this video dropped! It seems to be building quite the hype so I wouldn't be shocked if it ran out of print quickly. Really looking forward to playing it when it gets here next week.

[@simonb4689]

Dune imperium is number one for me

[@phunkysai]

Yeah Murphs you gotta try this one....

[@Cornchps827]

Thunderworks games, take what my city did and make an awesome cartographers legacy game ASAP

[@BoxOfFear]

My top games of 2020 are still TBD because I’m waiting to play a few that Santa is bringing. I approve of several games on your list, though. I need to find your video of Lost Ruins of Arnak, I’m curious about it now.

[@brentvolper2104]

Awesome! Great video! Lots of amazing games to look forward to.

[@txsportsfreak02]

"Don't judge a rule book by its cover" guys I think yall have a new t shirt design. Ill buy one!

[@joshestes6427]

So something I have noticed, you mentioned with this list that you both have had the moment when you were reading a rulebook and knew you would like it, but are there parts of rule books that immediately make you worried about the game? I guess this should be a top ten signs you won't like this game? Thanks Bros for another great video!

[@TheBrothersMurph]

I'm sure there are parts that make us go "uh oh" but I can't think of any examples off the top of my head.

[@joshestes6427]

@@TheBrothersMurph I have to say my Spidey sense goes off when a game says take this action to completely reset something.

[@TylerAndToast]

Good save with the "also got engaged" lol

[@g8kpr3000]

I really hope that you guys make a trip up to Canada at some point. Would love to play a game with you guys.

[@TylerAndToast]

Did you just give us high quality b-roll of your top 10!? It was noticed and appreciated! 🤩

[@TheBrothersMurph]

Well thank you so much!

[@blackboardgaming5348]

Lost Ruins of Arnak is definitely my #1.

[@Sebastian-rt9qf]

Lovely top 10... Merv is definitely in mine top 5 2020 games, together with My City, Pandemic Legacy Season 0, Root: the Riverfolk expansion and the Isle of Cats

[@ClockworkWyrm]

The Isle of Cats has an official release year of 2019. Though I totally agree it's one of my top 5 games.

[@Sebastian-rt9qf]

@@ClockworkWyrm I know... which was done by mistake (administrative)... by Frank West, I've understood... I count it as 2020 game (as the world was able to obtain it).

[@CandiceLikes]

I have to say...I haven’t been on the Calico hype train, but the way you guys describe it...I think I’ll check it out now. Thanks guys!

[@davidturczi5713]

Thanks for the mention of Tekhenu, I hope you'll like Tawantinsuyu too!!

[@shanerion]

Turczi sighting! The legend. The anachrony infinity box is going to ship soon! 🙌

[@joshestes6427]

I have been waiting for this!

[@alisonjohnson8623]

I love your top lists, you get us to spend a lot of $! We have 7 of the games in this video and can’t wait to check out the 3 we don’t have!

[@TheBrothersMurph]

Which 7 do you have!?

[@alisonjohnson8623]

Lost Ruins of Arnak, Viscounts of the West Kingdom, My City, Sonora, Jaws of the Lion, Calico and Tekhenu. We’ve only played JotL and Sonora, the rest are wrapped and under the Christmas tree.

[@intrusivemoose1013]

I had to immediately put RotG: The Dice Charmers in my cart. I am excited to play this game that snuck passed me completely this year!

[@TheBrothersMurph]

It was a really quick announcement release turnaround we nearly missed it ourselves!

[@GameWeekendChalbie]

I haven’t played Rajas of the Ganges. But I did order the Dice Charmers. Hopefully I’ll get it soon.

[@lenking8994]

I love TBM attitude, not taking games too seriously. But your "British" is more Australian than British. Kudos for giving it a go though. I got a few of these but thanks to Covid, they remain unplayed grrrrr. Cheers guys.

[@adilgeresu2296]

Merv and Praga were last minute entires but undoubtedly my number 1 and 2 of the year

[@TheBrothersMurph]

REALLY want to try Praga!

[@shanerion]

Haven’t played either yet but both look absolutely amazing

[@Naledgeizpwr]

Things could shuffle around as I get more plays, but I am very confident my top game will stay the same. 1. Babylonia - Great pacing, tons of depth, feels a bit like Samurai. Knizia showing he is still the best. 2. The Vote - Such a tight two player experience, gets you out of your comfort zone. Hollandspiele has been on a roll. 3. Cosmic Frog - Giant, immortal frogs, punching each other into the outer reaches of space... enough said. A weird and awesome design even for Jim Felli. 4. Dinosaur Table Battles - Two player drafting game, using the Table Battles system, but with Dinosaurs. Did I mention Hollandspiele has been on a roll? 5. My City - My favourite legacy game to date. Mark my words, that Reiner Knizia is going places. 6. Santa Monica - My surprise of the year. I normally do not like family games with little interaction, but this was a delightful little tableau builder. 7. Versailles 1919 - A very clean, and solid negotiation game about the treaty of Versailles, by Geoff Engelstein and Mark Herman. 8. Fort - A re-implementation of SPQF. Lots of tough decisions, but plays very smooth and fast. 9. Apocalypse Road - Same system as Thunder Alley, but now you have weapons. 10. Scape Goat - Jon Perry only designs good games, tough year for social deduction though.

[@superhans7624]

Thanks for the great work you guys are doing and feeding us all this superb content!! 🙏🏻 Have to check out Monumental 👍🏻

[@pimentoloaf1509]

Good luck! It cannot be purchased, much like the Brothers Murph cannot be killed.

[@superhans7624]

@@pimentoloaf1509 it goes away on eBay sometimes...here in Europe it was at 90€ last time I checked

[@DanRagatz]

If Gloomhaven didn't exist and this is the first experience you had with this system, would Jaws of the Lion have been higher for you guys?

[@TheBrothersMurph]

Most likely, we really like the game

[@joshuaschulz3897]

I want a t-shirt with Nick in a rob holding a D20 and a meeple. Above him it reads... "Thank you Gamer Jesus."

[@shanerion]

That intro song was a banger 😂

[@eVanDiesel]

I only played 7 new games that have 2020 release dates, and 2 of them i just played 4 days ago! I'm always behind!

[@eVanDiesel]

I really wanna play your #1!!

[@EzFlyers10]

My city is so unbelievably clever and good and fun. Played all 24 episodes with family. Can't recommend it enough.

[@DeoFavento]

That time stamping is god damn glorious. Coming from a 2 hour unstamped best of 2020 video to this is night and day

[@MistressMissy]

Only played a couple of this years new games but I might just play one on your list soon. Someone's getting one as a present. 😉

[@jacobjslee]

Have you guys tried out Dune: Imperium? Haven't played it multi-player yet, but I feel like it will be awesome. Calico might be the first game I've seen that I dismissed when it first came out, but did a clean sweep of every top ten list I've watched. Every reviewer made it a finalist. So I had to order it. I don't expect to be disappointed.

[@squared82]

Nice. I really want to play My City, Finishing Time, and Ruins of Arnak. Calico and Sonora were two of my favorites for the year. So many awesome games this year for sure.

[@SheezyBites]

I'm envious of people being able to play Calico. I'm ailuraphobic and I honestly tried to play it because the mechanics are right up my ally, but it's already a kinda stressful game with tile laying, the added stress put me over the edge. It seemed really fun, so to those of you who can, enjoy it!

[@TheBrothersMurph]

Good on ya for giving it a go but yeah that makes sense that the theme paired with tense gameplay might not be the best.

[@j.r.cilliangreen4083]

My crew has been loving Rajas on Yucata. Brutal Roll and Write!

[@TheBrothersMurph]

yasssss!

[@johnbrown6230]

Excellent top 10! Glad Jaws of the Lion is on your list.

[@definitelynotcarrie]

I have Jaws of the Lion and that tutorial video sounds great! I didn't see the link, I may have missed it as I haven't had all of my coffee yet. I'd love to see it because I want to get that one to the table soon. Loved Sonora, something different, very approachable. Really want to try Viscounts... really enjoyed Architects! Arnak sounds amazing too. Great video, as always!

[@JeffreyGFlegler]

The Murph's Law. Lay it down, brothers.

[@JayBee10]

My top 10 of 2020: 10. Super Fantasy Brawl 9. Fort 8. Mariposas 7. Tidal Blades: Heroes of the Reef 6. Honey Buzz 5. The Search for Planet X 4. Viscounts of the West Kingdom 3. The Isle of Cats 2. Forgotten Waters 1. Dwellings of Eldervale Lost Ruins of Arnak and Dune Imperium would probably make the list if I got to play them.

[@joygee9297]

I want to learn Calico next time I’m there.

[@joygee9297]

Can’t wait to play Calico!

[@preymantisss]

Love your list. Personally, Dune: Imperium is number one. Absolutely loved it! Have you had a chance to try it?

[@TheBrothersMurph]

Haven't had a chance to try it yet :(

[@coltonbeadz3002]

I have not played much 2020 games but my top ones are Dwellings of Eldervale and Sonora. Lost Ruins of Arnak is on my wishlist.

[@keithhammons2605]

Knizia designing 13 different games then combining to one legacy game killed me. 🤣

[@chrispollmann371]

Very interesting list - and pretty German :-) Good to see that Germany still has productive and innovative designers in this field where I see Eastern and Southern Europe becoming stronger and stronger...

[@gaillardlionel]

Finishing Time is also known as "Feierabend" (I was wondering what the heck was that game!). Have you tried his newer game Faiyum?

[@Ras137]

We were a little disappointed that Fox in the Forest Duet didn't make the list since it was in NIck's top 100 all time, a great game that unfortunately overshadowed by the monstrous shadow cast by the Crew. 1. Jaws of the LEONNE 2. The Crew 3. Forgotten Waters 4. Fox in the Forest Duet 5. Calico 6. Half Truth 7. Isle of Cats 8. Apollo 9. Adventure Games: Volcanic Island 10. Flyin' Goblin Top 10 games we haven't played but want to: 1. Pandemic Legacy Season 0 2. Dwellings of Eldervale 3. The Search for Planet X 4. Lost Ruins of Arnak 5. Etherfields 6. Viscounts of the West Kingdom 7. My City 8. Project L 9. New York Zoo 10. Mariposas

[@dwarrenmsp]

I'd really love to hear some comparisons of My City and Charterstone. I'm more of a worker placement fan, but I bet my kids would like the tile laying though the art is a bit of a snooze.

[@patriziopastore9895]

Nice guys surprising list but some game are really cool I will ✅ them

[@auston781]

Just idea but I would love a Murph vs Murph each brother picks (any number) there best games and see who wins

[@Joe_Don]

Happy late birthday@Mike!

[@evannadeau3938]

I got Lost Ruins of Arnak for xmas and wowwwwwwwwww its soooo good. It's solo is amazing as well. AND they're going to release a solo campaign. I listened to the Ruins of Arnak playlist on Spotify while I played (its basically music from all the Indiana Jones movies) and it was pumping me up haha I agree about the portrait board. Man I cant wait to play it again haah

[@TheBrothersMurph]

Jealous!!! we had a prototype for a bit and now we are waiting on the finished product and want to play it so baaayyyyyd. Really exciting news about the solo campaign!

[@evannadeau3938]

@@TheBrothersMurph can’t wait to see your videos on it or to watch you play on Twitch!

[@gaillardlionel]

Your top 2 games are exact cross-overs with Luke from the Broken Meeple!

[@TheBrothersMurph]

Oh hayyyy

[@jkledis]

I have never played any of the trilogy - which one would you suggest starting with? Vicounts?

[@CircuitHeli]

I suggest Architects since it is the lighter of the three and has more player interaction. If you like thinking more and being more strategic then Viscounts. Haven't played Paladins but it is said to be a little on the heavier side and has less player interaction than the other two.

[@EzFlyers10]

Guys, try dune imperium and praga caput regni. You're going to be floored. So. Good. But my city is my 2020 GOTY

[@Willow_Ufg]

I kind miss cold water... ;-P (@J.B. Lewis I wrote this comment and then saw yours :) )

[@christorresm]

Hi could you make a top 10 games you guys thought highly of at first but then decided it wasn't for you anymore.

[@PatrickMurphy-sg5fn]

Have you guys played Dune: Imperium? Any reason it didnt make the cut if so?

[@TheBrothersMurph]

Haven't tried it :/

[@jkledis]

Do you really agree on the order - or did you have to fight for a games position - in other words do you each have a different top 10 if you did them separately?

[@TheBrothersMurph]

We mostly agree, there's definitely some compromising of where stuff should end up/if it should be on the list. But we have very similar taste's so there's no "fighting". If there is a huge difference between our lists, we'll just have 2 separate lists.

[@bWOOOPdeWooop]

And please film all future videos in front of those billboards

[@Stevojay]

I know you gents are more dry euro fans, but I would love to see your top ten thematic games...

[@TheBrothersMurph]

we can definitely do something like this. I do wonder if the list would still disappoint some folks because what might be a "super thematic euro" for us may still be dry for others. But we'll give it a shot!

[@Stevojay]

@@TheBrothersMurph You can’t please everyone, so no worries. And awesome! Can’t wait to see it!

[@jeremyhoule9882]

Ahhhh shit. Here we go again 💸💸💸

[@happiness7474]

By the way, Your time stamp for number 3 is wrong, Fun video , thankyou :-)

[@Moodman002]

Hey, do you guys have a BGG account? I would like to check out your collection.

[@TheBrothersMurph]

We do it's TheBrothersMurph. Not sure how up to date our collection is. Though we think it's pretty good. We are bad at updating it though so be warned lol

[@Atlas-FM8]

#TheBrothersMerv

[@billable1861]

10. 7 Wonders Duel but in 3D 9. Azul and Patchwork combined 5. Real Life (hard pass)

[@TheDavidPhillips]

Y'all need to stop trying to save face with this honorable mention crap - its is a long-standing board game fact that there can be precisely 10 good games in any given year; anything not making the list is unequivocably and irrefutably hot garbage. It is your opinion, as set in stone, that anybody enjoying a game that did not make the list should be publicly shamed for their horrible taste and is no longer welcome in the hobby - The Consortium Of Overweight Bearded Middle-aged White Male Stereotypes demands nothing short of their ritual sacrifice!

[@karynnoel500]

I’m here for the bros and for @David Phillips’ hilarious comments.

[@TheDavidPhillips]

@@karynnoel500 I'm here for you, dawg.

[@Tokengesture]

No separate lists ? Too much crossover?

[@TheBrothersMurph]

Yeah just too much crossover, when that happens we just make a combined list

[@paulhamrick3943]

I’m 3 minutes into this. Are any of these games recommended solo? I’d like to find out before the video finishes.

[@spyrosvasilakis2784]

Gloomhaven jaws of the lion can be played solo, dont know about the rest

[@MidwestMeeple]

Calico you can play solo

[@piot]

I have played #1 solo, can recommend that one.

[@pimentoloaf1509]

Just as an aside; there is no gender wage gap. Not in any western democracy. What there is is a gender earnings gap, attributed to the freedom of choice afforded to citizens meaning that women (being different to men) CHOOSE different career paths, work less overtime on average, are more likely to work part time, etc. The seventy cents on the dollar myth comes from one study taking the overall earning of men and women and just subtracting. (The flaws in that method for trying to determine discrimination, which is ILLEGAL, are obvious) Men tend to work more dangerous (95 percent of workplace fatalities) and thus higher paying jobs, overtime, paid out for vacations instead of taking the paid time off, etc. There are many many studies showing that when a guy and a girl enter the workforce with the exact same credentials, women actually tend to start at HIGHER salaries for the same work. For proof of this in action, look at the most free societies in the world, where the differences in career preferences are the most pronounced. SHOULD a preschool teacher earn as much as a firefighter, or oil rig worker? That is a different conversation.

[@jasonscarrow5103]

Where is THE CREW!?!?

[@TheBrothersMurph]

It's listed as 2019 on BGG, it was a weird one because it was 2019 in Europe but 202o here, releases are odd like that. But suffice to say if we had it as a 2020 release it definitely would have made the list

[@shanerion]

The crew will get shafted because people didn’t include it in 2019 lists because people felt like it was a 2020 game, but this year has felt so long and it came out so early, that now everyone thinks of it as a 2019 game.

[@mcguffeyfamily9068]

Not sure my top ten are but I am making a game