Top 10 Games that Replaced Other Games

[@eeboy3]

I've been a fan of your channel for 10 years, I always come back here and most times I end up ordering 3 new games. This video was so great, because it was full of comparisons, which in itself reveals so much about a game (two games)! This might be the first time I'm leaving a comment, but this is so important to me that I had to! Thank you for your channel!

[@docholliday7777]

About 10 years ago I ran across Dice Tower by accident never cared about board games. Now I have like 300 games. I do miss Sam though

[@daleprather3026]

​@@docholliday7777I was a big fan of Sam too. What happened to him?

[@Crazimir]

@@daleprather3026 as I recall he got a job at a game developer - moved bc of his significant other living in a different state

[@ThePurifico]

I can't believe what a great addition to the team Mike was. I thought no one would replace Sam (and no one will), but Mike is great. the three of them have great chemistry

[@luiscarlosqg]

Yeah, I completely agree. Mickey is so much better that Sam. Good improvement for the team.

[@PaulSzkibik]

@@luiscarlosqg Sam was always a bit ... tense and had this choleric energy about him. I must admit that I also never cared for his taste in games and, being a filthy atheist, I didn't care for the comments about demonic elements in games always being a dealbreaker for him. Mike is just so mellow and quick-witted and a great counter to Zee and Tom and they're genuinely funny together.

[@Paufranne]

Mike is the only reason I watch their videos.

[@luiscarlosqg]

​@@PaulSzkibikI agree with all you said.

[@terry3733H]

Witty and nice, Mike adds hidden gems from small publishers and advice on solo and light games, very welcoming to newbies, and speaks clearly in his play through.

[@patcon314]

"If you like that, you'll like this" would be a great list.

[@uplift-yourdailypickup6424]

What I got of this video is that Heat and Earth replace all games

[@Manigo1743]

That surely makes things a lot easier.

[@Gokkus87]

Very interesting watch as always! To add to the Ark Nova vs. Earth discussion though, we consistently play Ark Nova in under 2 hours (2 player game). It has never felt too long for me. So I strongly disagree with the game being too long as I strongly disagree with Ares replacing TM. To me they are not the same game experience at all. Anyway that's just me and I guess player count has a big impact on the (experience of) the game length.

[@draheim90]

For me, On Mars replaced Bingo.

[@RajamQED]

Gloomhaven replaced Ludo for me

[@oslohund]

Have you ever done a "Top 10 Games only I seem to like" list? If not, you should, that would be very interesting.

[@Konquerror]

They have but many years ago, due for episode 2! think it was called " ...games only we seem to like"

[@grimbane6092]

I always feel like I'm a hybrid of Mike and Zee's gameplay styles and this just confirms it lol.

[@danschwarz]

58:44 best line from the whole video. "Heat replaces is all. You like The Crew? Get rid of it. Get Heat."

[@pbenavides09]

The amount of effort yall put into every video is amazing. Supporting the channel has been so easy. Keep it up!

[@chuck00x]

I think if you've only played Ark Nova once, Earth may be a replacement... but I enjoy Ark Nova too much and find Earth to be fun, but not as enjoyable. This may be a little off but I see it like this. Earth is to Wingspan as Ark Nova is to Terraforming Mars.

[@bengman16]

Nice to see Beyond Baker Street getting some acknowledgement. A really good deduction game.

[@DrMcFly28]

7th Continent is one of my favourite games, but I completely understand people who bounce off it heavily. To be able to enjoy T7C you absolutely need intricate knowledge about the underlying action economy system, and the only way to do it is to play slowly and deliberately and focus on your every move... which people initially don't tend to do since there's apparently an entire exploration and puzzle game in there too! It's a weird dichotomy, one that is very rewarding in the long term if you allow it to "click", but also one that is extremely hostile to beginners and more casual players.

[@sethgivens]

I have this on my shelf and I can’t wait to try it!

[@heathkehm5020]

I guessed/agreed with Mike on Trekking Through History replacing Timeline. I have to disagree with Zee and Mike on Earth replacing Ark Nova. I see the similarities but I like other mechanics in Ark Nova that Earth doesn’t have.

[@LeviCByers]

100% agree on the Timeline vs. Trekking Through History comparison, at least thematically. We got these in our house around the same time, and I always think about the overlap.

[@boardgameplays]

I agree with you, Mike. Except I actually never loved Timeline. But when I played Trekking through History one of my first thoughts was, "oh, this reminds me of that put-cards-in-order game, but with more of a game around it." Good pick.

[@pdnewman6945]

Family loves Compatibility. Zee was first one to bring it to my attention. I have 2 different 6-player decks from 2 versions. Also made my own decks from Apples to Apples: Big Picture thrifted games. All stuffed into one box.

[@olivetree82]

Haven't seen this game in years. My husband and I played it with another newlywed couple years ago, we laughed so hard at how much they fought because they did NOT think alike. I want to play it again 20 years later.

[@MartyKane217]

This was an awesome top ten. These three guys are super entertaining and this was a cool concept for the list. It was nice to hear about some different games too!

[@ziomalZparafii]

27:15 Coup is much better with the expansion where you have two factions and you can't harm anyone from your faction if there is at least one player from the opposite one. A neat trick is that you can change faction for yourself but also for someone else so you could force player next to you to kill somebody by changing his faction. Nice filler in a bigger group.

[@likeapro2051]

I really enjoy the new chemistry between you three. I’m not sure why, but older videos used to have a weird undercurrent of tension that’s gone now.

[@billable1861]

How much older? I think it took time for The group to really get to know Mike but he’s easily one of my personal favorite to hear opinion wise and humor too.

[@harryofgo]

I credit Earth. And also Heat. The great unifiers

[@KingOfShadeEmpire]

The Old Trio was loud and criticizing towards each other but when Mike joined he seemed to get straight up malevolently bullied in the videos. He even said in an early top 10 something along the lines of how he should be respected more and not just shot down in every turn. Nowadays the New Trio has settled in more and the tension has somewhat alleviated but I still find Mike's demeanor a bit timid compared to the other two. Might be it's his personality but I'm afraid it's because of the early reception and harsh treatment that made him wary of his tongue. And what makes me say that is how he talks to the live audience in convention top 10s. He seems more relaxed, open and sarcastic in those.

[@likeapro2051]

@@billable1861 Back when it used to be Tom, Zee and Sam. Those videos are so tense & awkward as to be almost unwatchable.

[@SpaceExplorer]

thank you, game experts! we value your expertise!

[@petergross7235]

Sad watching some of my favorite games getting replaced. But that's how it goes as games keep getting better and better. Even so the oldies are still goodies to me.

[@kylemartin7871]

When Zee was describing his #4 I was thinking of Lost Ruins of Arnak. Granted I haven't played L&C but his "you place workers or play cards" made me think of it, although you also have a few other actions in Arnak.

[@grog3514]

L&C is vastly superior to arnak. The card play in LC is incredible. The worker placement is really tight. The tableau building is thematic and fun. The only issue is that it takes 3 hours to play and arnak has nicer components.

[@dancondonjones]

So was I. I still have Arnak, whereas L&C was gone after a couple of plays, so it wouldn’t be a bad choice.

[@TheSludgeMan]

My Farm Shop is a nice alternative to Space Base as well. It's overlooked because it seems like a kids game but it's an interesting little random production puzzle.

[@GourmetBurrito]

A list of games that still haven't been replaced would be cool to see too, whatever you take that to mean

[@rickthompson3843]

Wow, Zee's number 1 is so interesting to me! Flashpoint is one of my two favorite games (but only with the Tragic Events expansion) and while I LOOOVE Dead Men Tell No Tales, I decided it wouldn't replace Flashpoint because its just a notch more convoluted. So cool to me that it was his top pick. :D

[@Oaklestat]

Zee pulled a Sam on number 8. Wasn't sure we were going to get a title at all 😊

[@annstracuzzi309]

I have played earth but the rest of my game group hasn’t. I said it might be a wingspan killer and my group was a little upset because they don’t want to not play the bird game

[@Duxa_]

Strange, to me the long length of Ark Nova at TM is part of the appeal of those games. There are so many short games. I want long ones sometimes.

[@Katasunder]

The entire Oltréé discussion had me in stiches, love the banter as always :D

[@benculver6133]

Haven't been gaming long enough to have had games replace other games, but I did think of one: Star Realms replaced Shards of Infinity. Both sci-fi themed deck-builders, that have factions and direct attacking. Star Realms plays lightning fast and is in a tiny box. It was an instant obvious replacement.

[@BambooRaccoon-mv8ic]

Interesting. I haven't played Shards, but I've been eyeing it for a while now. It came out years after Star Realms too. Actually, I never thought I'd play a physical version of Star Realms after playing the app version, but I've recently introduced my son to it and we've been having a blast playing it.

[@Ferg0013]

Tom, I have to disagree with you about Dice Masters. I think it is way better than Dice Throne. Though, I do understand the team creation part. Have you ever done a Winston draft with any particular set? It makes it a fun 2 player draft that you can create a team with and it makes it part of the game so you don't have to take all the time to read a bunch of cards outside of the draft. Saves so much time and is a fun decision space for this game. Then you can draw random basic action cards and face your opponent who you drafted against. Super fun!!!

[@Indubitably14]

Great topic. I'm going to give mine before I watch it: -Deception: Murder in Hong Kong > The Resistance (Werewolf still has its place for large groups). -Horrified > All Pandemics (lighter, sillier and all around, more fun!) -Junk Art > Jenga (for games that work with any group, this is #1) -Wits & Wagers > ALL trivia games -Cockroach Poker > Skull/Spicy (it's sillier and has wider appeal. For more strategic bluffing, I go with Liar's Dice) -Res Arcana > Race for the Galaxy (easier to get to the table) -Point Salad > Sushi Go (either way, light-drafting isn't my thing but Point Salad is a much better game). *Watched the video--On Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective. Initially, I felt Chronicles replaced it as it's faster/more convenient with an app, but it lost the charm/soul of the experience. I tried Chronicles 1400 and felt the same. You end up scanning the most logical choices until the solution is obvious. It feels more like a chore than Consulting Detective did. I don't think I want a "fast" murder mystery experience. When I'm in that mood, I'm going to sit down and pore over every detail like reading an interactive novel. The only exception would be the game Deadline which does a nice job of being 50% mystery and 50% puzzle and it has a nice tempo.

[@jacobleonhardt4421]

That intro is GOLD

[@grantfraser5430]

I value Zee's opinion immensely, really nails what makes a game work. Great resource for finding underrated games. I have never disagreed with Zee. Until now. The card art in Earth and Ark Nova is their only comparable quality. Ark Nova may yet rise to #1 all time and well worth it. Earth is almost a failure for me. I expected more of an engine builder from Earth but the race is over too quickly. The short game play of Earth is actually a negative in my opinion. Ark Nova is definitely longer but there is so much more to keep me interested. Earth has a lot of interconnected parts to factor into decision making but it can be a bit of information overload that is frustrating at times. It's not a bad game but I'm okay playing it maybe once every 2 or 3 months but Ark Nova I could probably still play 2 or 3 times a week. PS - I would probably play another game over Ark Nova any day but Heat is too different to be a replacement.

[@daniellynch2300]

We played Bad Company at DTW, and unanimously thought it was so bad! The look of the game and its components were unpolished and there were some mechanical fiddles that were widely disliked. Several of us promptly left that game and went to find Space Base. I could not disagree more with this replacement and am solidly in Camp Tom. I have replaced standard Clank! with Clank! Catacombs, and I am considering replaced Carcassonne AND Queen Domino with Cascadia.

[@codainlaw]

Zee is so freaking awesome bringing up all these obscure picks. 👌🏽

[@GrimDarkDude]

this was an awesome top 10, i got so much information about so many games and so much great banter to go along with it, great stuff thank you

[@nobbynobbs8182]

The first example I could think of is how Orleans didn't only replace Hyperborea, it killed an burried it

[@TorIverWilhelmsen]

I have both _Ark Nova_ and _Earth_ and find them different enough to keep both for different situations (e.g. Earth is more about grid relations and Ark Nova is more about action economy); if "shorter playtime" is the core reason, then I guess _Quests of Valeria_ replaces _Lords of Waterdeep._ :) Edit: Seeing Rahdo's description of _Dice Manor_ I am surprised that was not the replacement for _Las Vegas_ instead of that game no one can get - it is even a Dice Tower Essential - maybe that is why? :)

[@dennys121]

Just came across this. Completely bewildered at the suggestion that dice masters is like dice throne. They’re nothing alike. One is a bag builder that lets you prepare 8 characters as you whittle down your opponent’s health. The other is Yahtzee with one character where the characters are fighting directly (rather than player health). It’s like saying Imperial Assault and Legion are the same just because they have miniatures in a Star Wars setting. Otherwise, great video!

[@ClubRemy]

My go to non-party team game is Ticket to Ride: Legendary Asia Map. One side of the map has rules for 2-player teams and supports 6 total players. It is great for groups.

[@TylerAndToast]

I like how they talked about the game mechanisms more in this list

[@Gorfinger]

For me, personally, Pandemic was replaced by Pandemic the Cure. Much smaller footprint, dice chucking, and a bit more abstract to let the mind tell the game story. I know that a lot of people wont agree but The Cure is just satisfying for me and booted the original game right out of the collection.

[@Konquerror]

I agree, dice throws makes thematic sense to trying to cure diseases, and outbreaks are really well done

[@Moldrath]

I love you guys, but I will always play Agricola over Caverna.

[@speedandstyletony]

"Why are there muppets attacking a mammoth?" There is a sentence I never thought I would hear.

[@taylorhall2028]

The only racing game that Heat has replaced for me is Flamme Rouge. It took a few plays, but yeah, it feels better.

[@martingardnerii]

for us, Run, Fight or Die Reloaded replaced Zombicide. The things we like about Zombicide, are just quicker and snappier in Run, Fight, or Die.

[@tabithaflatt5169]

I guessed Zee’s #10 was Museum Suspects too. Sounds like a similar design.

[@middleclassboardgamer]

I need to play Earth on a table. Tried a couple of times on BGA and I'm just not getting the hype. I told my friend that if I had both it and Ares Expedition on the shelf, based off my plays on BGA, I'd reach for Ares Expedition.

[@BobbyJuno]

Ares Expedition and Ark Nova are on my shelf of shame while I'm waiting for my Earth pre-order 😬

[@shawnhuber4509]

😂 love it

[@danacoleman4007]

Lol

[@ziomalZparafii]

8:26 ha! My 8yo daughter loves it and we play quite frequent although it's hard to win but I agree, it's like Dixit for 2 players, it's fast and with no downtime for both sides.

[@shastamarckerman]

I know everybody says Heat is better, but I kinda want to buy Downforce because it's 20 dollars at Target, can Heat beat that ?

[@allwelikeworms]

Ghost Stories is the Mega Man of Board Games: Here kids, let's see how it was in the old days: Nasty, Brutish and Short.

[@evanstrong4064]

I'm GONNA MISS MIKE IN THESE VIDEOS!!

[@danacoleman4007]

Huh?

[@GrandMasterYoW]

Space Base replaced Machi Koro, hands down.

[@ThaGamingMisfit]

Zee replacing Las Vegas is a serious shocker to me. Las Vegas is timeless to me and will never leave my collection because you can teach is to everyone. And I actually replaced Bad Company with Space Base... Bad Company is way too short to feel the building of your engine which is the core of games like these. Bad Company was my biggest miss buy of the past years, and yes I blame Zee ! It's so funny that Zee is usually the one I agree most with, but in this list I couldn't disagree more.

[@sobreeltablero]

Letters from Whitechapel is still a heavier logical puzzle game than Mind MGMT. But, Mind MGMT is close, also it offers a very interesting logical puzzle in less time. I love both. I don't think Letters from Whitechapel got replaced, I just think hidden movemnet fans are finally getting more options. Seems like Tom does not like to think too much in games. Snipper Elite is a much more casual game, very light in the deduction aspect. It will never replace Letters from Whitechapel.

[@minhtuannguyen6181]

great video guys ! slightly cringy when you realise that the big red dice behind you is not well balanced, having 3/4 next to each other and not opposite

[@thedicetower]

I guess I'll burn it.

[@FreakinFred08]

Ive been joking with my friends that Earth is an amalgamation of TM and Wingspan so them mentioning both of those games alongside Earth makes me feel validated, because my friends were giving me a bit of pushback.

[@lexmartel]

Really loved the video and the format! Bring some mooore!!! Also, On mars for sure should be next :p

[@BoardGameHype]

Hey!!! You guys should really do a Top 10 Mega Games! Im súper curious.

[@benjaminspears8488]

I like Exit games better as they seem a little more immersive in the theme. Agree with Zee about Bad Company. I could see a fan of the space theme liking Space Base more, but Bad Company is quicker, every turn has you totally engaged and invested, the theme is great, and the art is better looking in my opinion.

[@mihaidiaconescu7060]

Earth just replaced Wingspan for me.

[@rexology_bg]

Coup was replaced for me by...anything that is not Coup...including standing in front of a dartboard. One of the few hobby games I actively avoid.

[@devilasks]

Check the alternative rules by the community. Apparently Coup becomes almost like a real game then.

[@jennprescott2757]

Agreed! Coup is the worst. Got it as a gift. Played it Once. I should sell it, come to think of it.

[@aorakis5795]

Here are few of mine : Cascadia over Kingdomino Alice's Garden over Isle of cats Super fantasy brawl over Aristeia Jekyll VS Hyde over fox in the forest Sentinels of the multiverse D.E over marvel champions lcg Set a watch over OneDeckDungeon And as upgrades / better version of a same game / license : Mysterium park over mysterium Astro knights over Aeon's end Abyss conspiracy over abyss Sentinels otm D.E over past versions

[@gaebril131]

Super Fantasy Brawl is underrated (Tom didn't like it because it was card driven, which seems like a design choice and not a flaw, for a minis game)

[@aorakis5795]

@@gaebril131 same for aristeia that deserve a lot more views, love and lights IMHO. Those are 2 great miniatures 1vs1 games. I actually find aristeia better than super fantasy brawl. But, SFB plays much faster !!! That and the lighter rules are the reasons why it replace Aristeia for me at home. I also personnaly prefer the card draw luck in sfb better (less painful) than the dice luck in aristeia. Also agreed on the card system that I found quite good in sfb, the 3 colors ressources management and the basic action helping you doing something even if you don't have that color into your hand are great. The only con for me would the balancing of some heroes. Especially those that are behind in terms of power and needs a boost. A d the big white box. I person Aly sell mine for the retail box, removing all the trays and putting my 12 heroes (enough for me) in it. At least that retail box is way easier to store and take out. The "miniatures" (which are quite big" are also really great quality in sfb. They looks gorgeous on the table

[@montyfarris]

Love both Flash Point & Dead Men Tell No Tales, but i have to give the edge to Flash Point.

[@OldJJJ]

Thank you Tom - Coup is terrible - it’s just Win, Lose, Banana with extra steps 28:27

[@dblevins343]

As a huge Imperial Assault fan (I much prefer it over Descent simply because everything is more shooting focused), how would Massive Darkness 2 compare to that?

[@jasonjordan2308]

Great video! I would add to the lists: Century Spice Road replaces Splendor

[@bigaleka92]

It’s funny I hear all the comparisons between Earth and other games, having played it quite a few times now the game it feels MOST like is definitely Wingspan in my opinion. I’m not saying it kills it because I really like Wingspan and there are differences. But in terms of “shared DNA” Earth and Wingspan end of argument. 😅

[@tbahr123]

Completely agree. It is way more similar to wingspan than any of the other comparisons being made

[@DEFUHR62]

I second this opinion. I've played earth a couple times and feel like it's wingspan with the only big difference being simultaneous actions. But I still like wingspan more for theme

[@griffglowen5555]

Having finally played Trekking through History I totally agree it has timeline vibes. Whilst playing it I was like Mike thinking ‘this is like Timeline’. It’s not similar in mechanisms it’s just because it scratches the same history itch!

[@dago6410]

17;29 - as someone whose two of probably top 10 games are chess and mtg, found that statement hilarious (especially as they are so fundamentally different with one being non-random and (chess players, I know, do not eat me) "symetrical" and the other not being either of these things

[@entubatumahumasu4132]

dice throne: best as a 2 player game king of toyko: best as a 4-5 player game mike: I would always choose dice throne over king of tokyo

[@amdudley83]

My biggest problem with big heavy roll and writes is unless everyone completely understands all the rules it is very easy for one person to make a mistake and ruin the game. You really can’t audit other players because you’re doing your own thing. I like the games, but if someone makes a mistake you will never know.

[@SamClemensRIGL]

I'm surprised Zee's #10 wasn't Dinosaur Tea Party (which is undoubtedly the superior Guess Who)!

[@JBearwa]

I’m gonna look for beyond Baker Street! Never considered it. I love Hanabi so that should be fun.

[@Fissi0nChips]

Now hang on, Tom. You said all along that Ark Nova replaces Terraforming Mars therefore Earth replaces Ark Nova.

[@highbrowloubrew]

And theme of Terraforming Mars is leaving the planet Earth. We've come full circle!

[@EfrainRiveraJunior]

King of Tokyo is Party Game. It doesn't work well with only two players.

[@Three_333]

Ive been looking for a shadows over camelot like game. I havent found one and im not sure i ever will

[@cryptocorner2253]

Things I mishear. Roland Wright and work replacement games.

[@DNA-DNB]

The 2022 version of ave caesar has betting and money in it as well as some other elements :)

[@anatolyshklyarov757]

What do you think about the Scout? Is this one better than Cat in the box?

[@namelessfire]

Earth is a far better game than Ark Nova. But Terraforming Mars and Race for the Galaxy still haven’t been topped in my book.

[@EfrainRiveraJunior]

Fleet is still on my Shelf of Shame. And I've never played Hadrian's Wall, either.

[@sherlockhomeless7138]

Lol. Tom's face when Mike and Zee were talking about Ark Nova :v

[@stevenomelan7564]

Any idea what replaced Unicorn Fever for Tom?

[@kylemartin7871]

Ready Set Bet - he said it in the 4 Square they did for it.

[@jazzeejax5816]

This was a great video thanks

[@nshaw1299]

One Key IS Similo. Same basic game but Similo has more variety. And I high five myself for knowing Beyond Baker Street will be said once Hanabi was mentioned. And one last thing - Had you said Earth is replaced by Heat it would be Sad and True.

[@SeanPS]

Xmen dice throne is coming, cant wait.

[@msanasiri7873]

I have dice age the hunt and I love it, also I can’t wait to get a copy of Heat but I can’t find one anywhere

[@rafad3475]

Great video. Can't remember when I laughed so much watching DT :)

[@ajtame]

Unfathomable replaced the impossible to get hold of Battlestar galactica.

[@kylebraby2357]

How the heck do you avoid audio getting heard by the other lapel mics as people talk?

[@thedicetower]

Happily, we've fixed this in modern videos!

[@kylebraby2357]

@@thedicetower I was saying it already sounds good. I was wondering how you accomplished this task?

[@dailyminutesofpeace]

@@kylebraby2357 Oh, sorry! It's a real pain, but modern microphones are getting better and better. They do the majority of the work.

[@keish0174]

Gloomhaven being math is funny to me cause most attaks at most get to 4 until you hit level 9 where you doing 20s XD

[@boardgamemusic]

Good points made there. Very interesting! Btw. that Intro was amazing :D

[@pilotvc]

So basically Earth and Heat are the new flashes in the pan that replace EVERYTHING lol

[@Manigo1743]

Yes. Now you only need two games. Can it get much better?

[@anothername2730]

Thanks!

[@rickhollenstein5541]

Wonderful list ❤

[@jh8287]

Earth is not even similar to Ark Nova, I do not understand why these two get compared. Rather than better Ark Nova, Earth is a worse Wingspan. Select one of 4 actions, pay resources to play cards, card synergy, stacking resources on the cards, variable end game goals that are about something on the cards. It's obviously way more similar to Wingspan and it's not better in my opinion. I played it once and to sum it up, I said "Someone designed a fairly tight game with pretty good mechanics and scoring, but forgot to make it fun". I was already bored halfway through and the game end was very anti-climactic. I am actually baffled by how popular it is.