Top 10 Games We've Cooled on

[@benpuckett3806]

I’m with your top three. This was validating for me actually. At this point in the hobby, I’m understanding the process of cooling and time management. It’s an odd feeling to be so high on a game and then all of a sudden feel meh. I wonder if that happens partly because of how many games I have and add to my collection. Also, great call about tension in Earth. Good tension with good strategy and mechanics keeps me interested in a game.

[@TheDavidPhillips]

You know what I haven't cooled on? Those baller in-video subscribe pitches. Great fresh take with that Murph flair - frickin hilarious.

[@Kravian729]

I think with Glen More II it fills a niche of "big looking game I can show to people who are past welcoming games". It's simpler than it seems and the iteration of similar tiles but more powerful as it escalates makes the teach easy and the progression not confusing. Not one I grab with my dedicated gamer friends but the game I'll bring to an open game night to tempt people looking beyond party games and cascadia.

[@BoardAllTheTime]

Glen More II being on this list makes me deeply saddened, but honestly with how many games you guys play it makes sense that it would happen. For me Glen More II might well be the one game I would keep if I could only keep one from my collection.

[@caitlinz6630]

For anyone who feels similar about Isle of Cats, the family variant is spectacular! It's literally you start with 2 (chosen from 3) end game objectives and each turn just draft cats to slot on your ship. That's the whole game! My husband and I have never actually gotten to play the full game because we are just so satisfied by the family game because we just want to fill our boats with cats!

[@TheBrothersMurph]

We actually completely agree about the Family Variant, that is the way to play

Was going to suggest the same thing. Only playing the family variant and haven’t looked back.

[@dansioui9819]

We did the same in our house. However, we sold it after 69 plays because we got Planet Unknown.

[@Illmaticzx]

Yep, family variant, we all have fun even my 7 yr old can grasp it

[@bogdansavin6456]

This being said, would you recommend Planet Unknown over Isle of Cats?

[@ButOneThingIsNeedful]

Hi, Brothers. I've been away for a long time, I know. Three comments: - Really liked the video's topic. Interesting and helpful. - How about a video that tackles the opposite: Games we've heated up on over time. - Couldn't Cascadia "use a little tension" too?

[@cthulwho8197]

The “good” thing about a very limited game budget is that I get to ride out the hype of new games. There have been many times when the public opinion has seriously cooled on a game by the time I am ready to buy it a few months on. Games that were on every social media at the time of their release become invisible and unheard of.

[@alicia1465]

I don’t think that the buzz on social media is always a fair way to assess a game’s quality, but I do think it is good to decide whether or not to get a game when the hype has cooled down, so people know they aren’t buying games just because of the hype and the whole fear of missing out thing. For a while, I was only buying games if they lasted on my wishlist for months, and I still felt I really wanted it all that time later. Those games ended up being hits for us. It is hard to avoid the whirlwind of initial hype, though! BGA has been a great way for me to try out games before buying, and I often find I don’t really need the game. I had that with Earth. Everyone was absolutely in love with it that I was about to buy it, but then I saw it on BGA. I played it a few times and thought it was just okay. I really wasn’t all that impressed with the game play itself, though the theme is really appealing to me. I think Brothers Murph are the first ones I have heard that are less enamored with Earth over time.

[@darbyl3872]

I prefer the look of Tiletum to that of Barcelona, especially when the colorful pieces are out. It's like confetti that keeps falling. The board is bigger than the desirable size, though.

[@TheBrothersMurph]

Right on right on

[@AahzmandusPervect]

I think Tiletum looks great, and I love pretty games.

[@MikeAlger1964]

I actually appreciate the appearance of the map in Tiletum. It is thematically and historically accurate in its coloration. Documents from that time period were, literally, very beige.

[@beckystratton8248]

I've purchased games knowing that I would play them a few times and be done with them. Lorenzo Il Magnifico is a prime example. Great game but 3 plays and I'm done. When we first got our complete Everdell I played it 10 times in a week and then it sat on the shelf for a while. I still love it but now if I really like a game I play it no more than 2 times a month. If I cool on a game now I make house rules or make my own expansion. That keeps me from buying a hundred new games a year while still being excited about the ones I have. Even so, the time comes when a game has run its course. When that happens I appreciate the fond memories it gave me and send it on to a new home.

[@brianlong9100]

Bounced off Earth after my first play. Didn't even really finish the game. Started making random moves (BGA) ands still came in second place. There's no tension in the game whatsoever.

[@LuisMontes]

the lack of tension was the allure. Some friends chillin with beers and talking a bit while playing. Have plenty of other games if we want some competition and tension

[@SigynsHope]

Earth is mentally exhausting. It's always my turn, even when it's not my turn. I have to focus constantly for two hours, there's no down time. So for me it's stressful. Too many decisions to make, all the time.

[@mkitten13]

I've cooled on Scythe personally, it was at one point one of my favourite games (never number one, but high on the top 10). But eventually I found I was doing a lot of the same things every time, so the plays felt less and less special. And I now have certain caveats to how I'm willing to play it. So it's gotten to a point where it's actually leaving the collection. If you asked me a couple of years ago I would have never thought that would happen. As for the games you brought up: I cooled on Glen More 2 as well, it was a definite improvement on the original and I liked that the modules are there to give it variety, but I did feel like I was playing the same over and over again (which I had felt with the original as well, so maybe that should have been a sign), and with the box being as big as it is (like 4 times the size of the original), it ended up counting against the game. So it left my collection and while I'd be happy to play it if someone else insisted, I will not seek to do so. I don't care that Tiletum looks bland (of course if someone made a pretty version of it, I would be interested, but I'm fine playing a bland looking game as long as the mechanics are solid), the gameplay of it is very satisfying to me. Isle of Cats is still going strong for me and that is despite also having the Explore and Draw version, which I do really enjoy as well. They just feel different enough to fill different needs for me. I really love the drafting in it, personally. I love that you can aim for different things and be competitive. Too early for me personally to say for sure about Earth, though. Only 2 plays in, I do think it's likely to stay fairly high, especially due to everyone participating on every turn, but at the same time I don't think it will ever top its category for me. It will have a place in my collection due to the shorter gameplay and simultaneous nature, though. I quickly cooled on Quacks. The push your luck genre isn't really something I'm big on, so that didn't help, but then my friends loved it so much more than me and kept pushing the game and I guess it turned me against the game, like I resented it or something. Everdell is still in my top 10 overall, love it to bits. Not gonna change. I will say that Pearlbrook probably is the least popular expension for the game (I don't hate it, but it's not one I will actively choose over the others). Personally I love Bellfaire and Newleaf the most.

[@martinpersson1412]

I don't understand the hate for the art for Tiletum? I think it fits the style of the game very well. Definitely prefer it over Nucleum.

[@shinjial]

I have to agree. I don't think either are a looker, but I was disappointed with Nucleum. For a 2023 game, when so many euros are lavish and beautiful it's no excuse that the look is second to functionality.

[@TheBrothersMurph]

That's what's great about people! We hate the look of it, you like it! I actually love the look of Nucleum, a lot of people hate it! Different strokes, different folks

[@niclliot2523]

Yeah I love the look of Tiletum. It starts out fair plain looking, but the colors of the player pieces really pop on the board and add a level of verticality. So good.

[@PaulaDeming]

I loved listening to y'all talk about these games and your thoughtful analysis of why you'd cooled on each. And multiple games made me go "really? that one??" Great video

[@TheBrothersMurph]

Oooo which ones?

[@lucduchien]

I'm with you on every one of these except Glen More II. I was a big fan of the original. To be honest, I haven't even explored the boxes that much. A lot of these on your list were games that I didn't like the first time I played and everyone around me thought I was just being contrarian for not liking them.

[@RuelGaviola]

Baseball Highlights is an outstanding solo game! I'm waiting for a new batch of cards featuring "Mookie Ohtani" or "Clayton Freeman." :) And, hey, I love the idea of a Top 10 Once-A=Year Games!

[@dayman6375]

I've been so curious about this game, and its sequels. And I second a list of "Once-A-Year Games" !

[@joeskis]

How's it a solo game?

[@daveflynn3397]

We're still big fans of Isle of Cats. The balance between taking lesson cards versus taking cats to complete the lessons makes it puzzly fun.

[@TheGilzam]

The hype of Earth was going to disappoint people, inevitably. I definitely dont go into it expecting tension. But its so pleasant. I really like the intersection of tableau building with tile laying where you can have objectives and terrain that score for specific adjacencies or orientations. It's a comboing, puzzley tile laying game with beautiful photography. I love Earth

[@kestrel5]

Definitely had some of these on my cooling pile and it's so nice to see that other people think this way because some of these are such beloved games. I'm definitely still playing Quacks though, I've rarely played with the non-first play books let alone the expansions!

[@amchasteenable]

Two things with quacks: Had you tried the alchemist expansion with the patients? Also I house rule when using your potion that you draw a token before putting the token back, instead of drawing after. Both of these things really freshen the game for me.

[@BenGreen1980]

This is an important genre of board game review that there aren't enough of. Reviewers should more often return to games they covered in the past. Though I do feel there's a big and important difference between games you played so much you're just done with them, and games you cooled on because repeated plays revealed flaws and the hype wore off. I personally am way more interested in the latter category because to me, "I've cooled on the game because I played it so much" is really high praise! But there is also an important note when it's like "we played this 10 times and it played out" vs "we played this 100 times and it played out".

[@TheBrothersMurph]

fantastic points and we are glad you found the video useful!

[@fingolfinfinwe]

Agree with most! Maybe not Glen More, but otherwise... yeah. Everdell I think suffers for me on expansion bloat. I liked it with base best.

[@morgianlefaye]

One of things I learned in my house is no one will ever want to play games with me as much as I want to play games, so any new games that come into our house have to have a decent solo mode. I think we have many games that have stayed a lot longer than they normally would simply because I enjoy playing them solo.

[@TheBrothersMurph]

I love that so many games now take that into consideration and make solo modes. One of the best things to happen in the hobby

[@williamburrows6215]

Super fun to hear you guys talk about the games in this way! Very enlightening to my own game tastes!

[@jacobmccue365]

Great list! This year I'm trying to play my games that haven't been played in a few years and I got out Quacks last week. Totally agree with what you said. It's a really good game, but at this point I'll save it for newer/younger gamers only.

[@condar15]

Really interesting video, love the little subscribe skit, and appreciate the effort from Mike when his voice is suffering.

[@laurencesingh3948]

Great content as usual! This is a really great list idea. I agree with some and heartily disagree with others. Everdell is my most played competitive game ever and currently my #3 game of all time (it will drop very slightly when I rerank after all the new games I've played this past year). I have the Complete Collection and I started collecting when it was just base Everdell that was out. Some expansions are better than others (Spirecrest is AMAZING) but overall I love every game of this that I play. 50+ plays in and I still haven't cooled. And I've only played with Newleaf once and haven't even gotten to Mistwood yet. I do agree with Chai, though. I LOVE tea and wish there were more heavier tea themed games. Chai was fun for a few plays but it's just too light to have significant staying power for me. I thought that Chai: Tea for 2 would be that medium weight tea themed game that I would love but it seems like that will never deliver. Other games I cooled significantly on are: Terraforming Mars (gave it away), Mechs vs Minions (sold it), Dixit (still have in case right group comes along), and Sentinels of the Multiverse (still love but pretty much replaced by Marvel Champions for me).

[@bobxx21]

I have 90+ games of everdell in every combination with expansions (even those not recommended by the rulebook) and also some plays of my lil Everdell and Farshore. And can confidently say it´s still my top #1 favorite game

[@tycham85]

We’ve played Quacks a lot, but I think it’s a quintessential starter game that we intro to ppl interested in games beyond what they grew up with. It’s got just enough complexity to chew on, but the luck means those of us who play more games don’t have an inherent leg up. I don’t care whether I win or lose, I like when the crazy pulls happen.

[@TheBrothersMurph]

Completely agree. We definitely will hang onto that game forever, and it probably will be used mostly to introduce to those newer to the hobby gamers. It really is so much fun, just the highs and lows of the luck of the pull

[@tycham85]

@@TheBrothersMurph that said, I think I cooled on it a bit like you guys did, but not as much. In 2023 it went from my #6 to #9.

[@djk5v]

We just got Flamecraft at our local game shop as beginners off an employee recommendation, and we love it! The artwork is cool, the dragons have cute punny names, and there is still enough strategy.

[@Redbeard013]

Our tastes line up so well with them there's no way any favorites of ours would show up...."Glennmore 2 is done!" 😮 Oh that hurt...why Murphs!? At least that'll be the only one...."Lanterns, Tiletum, Chai, Earth, and Everdell hahaha your favs are trash hahaha". Why you guys gotta be so cold?! You ripped out my heart and put it by that glass of water in the fridge.

[@JayFitzsimmons1]

I was simply putting horseradish on my bum in your fridge, don't call me a freak. 1:34

[@TheBrothersMurph]

You right. My bad

[@MattyJude]

You are no longer invited to TGiB recordings. Please send your Golden geeks in the post to me.... OK editing this, I've watched more now. You can stay.

[@bWOOOPdeWooop]

I thought this was cause Mike stole your hat

[@nuuqbgg]

Glen More II?! I was 'unsubscriiiiiibe'!!! But the other 9 are ok 😀

[@timmybegs1]

It’s scary how many of these games I fully agree with you on.

[@dannyanderson4723]

I just got into Baseball Highlights 2045... Love it.

[@TheBrothersMurph]

It's an outstanding game! We've just played it for years

[@jeremymullen7097]

Saw three games on my shelf on this list. I agree on Earth, as I have cooled on it. To paraphrase Syndrome from The Incredibles, when everything is worth points, nothing is. I think turning those Event cards into something that could destroy your opponents tableau would be an interesting mechanic, but would prolong the game. Still enjoying Everdell and Isle of Cats, even sans expansions. My wife likes them because she enjoys the artwork (cute cats, cute critters). Then again, if I never taught her the rules to the NFL, she'd likely root for the team with the prettier colors and logo.

[@Poiuytrew.Q]

I like Seattle Seahawks’s uniforms and logo :) but I don’t like them personally. Go niners!!!

[@terry3733H]

dilemma: light replayable games hard to find. big games last longer but requires time & $

[@shinjial]

About Earth I feel very much like that. Everyone hyped up this game, so me and my brother got it. Our first play of it went down on "that's it?". It was described as a tableau building where everything is great, whatever action the active players pick is great for you, you're always doing something. I felt that it made it so nothing really mattered. Sure, I'll play this card, because I can and you chose that action. Ok, now I need currency, I'll produce and you will too. It felt like pressing random buttons from start to finish and I didn't put any thought whatsoever in the cards I played down and what they did. It boiled down to: always play a card, always put cubes, always put mushroom thingys. And I was never restricted anytime. No tension to be seen or felt.

[@mikaeki5245]

Playing Earth is like listening to that Lego Movie song "Everything is Awesome" on an endless loop. The 4p game I played of it was smooth and went really snappy, which I really appreciate, but I had nothing to say about it at the end. I won with something like a total of 300 points, which meant nothing for me. I had no clue nor did I care what others did for the whole game, or what I did better/worse than others.

[@BTWalrus]

Everdell is among my favorites if only because when I get the judge I get to do a nice southern judge drawl for the remainder of the game while paying for things wrong.

[@Phaeton667]

"And that's ok!" Lol 😂 Great video

[@billyfriedrich9165]

I appreciate this list, mainly because I see very FEW people talking about the games that they've cooled on or don't think are worth time. As you mention a couple of times, time is a very important commodity and one you can't make more of. So thanks, guys!

[@TheBrothersMurph]

Cheers thanks for hangin and watching the vid! To be clear, we aren't saying these games aren't worth ANYONE'S time. We just have spent enough time with them

[@billyfriedrich9165]

@@TheBrothersMurph Yes, I realize that you're saying you've dedicated enough time with them. Which is always a fair thing.

[@Dyskresiac]

As soon as I saw the title I said 'Earth." You guys were so hot on it. And I'm so glad I played it on TTS before I bought it because that cooling process happened within a week for me. Going off your point, because everything was so Oprah "You get a point and you get a point!" It was impossible to know if what you were doing was correct. I also like to plan my turns or at least a few options but in Earth between one of your turns and another.. SO MUCH has changed it's nearly impossible to calculate plays or strategy without drastically slowing down the game, ironically. I think a lot of people are gonna cool on it because the more you play it... The more you realize it does that 'First Play" better than almost any game ever, but that's the peak. It just gets less fun with every play IMO.

[@sarumon17]

After my first play of earth I had the same feeling. . . Everything you do is worth a point so it felt like my choices weren’t meaningful. I love many of these cooled games to SHOW people. I probably wouldn’t want to play quacks unless I’m playing with others who haven’t tried it. I like everdell, but felt like it needed expansions to fill it out and they’re too expensive for me. In the end I would play the game more if my wife enjoyed it.

[@JonoNZBoardGamer]

Your videos have a fantastic range from stupid and silly (your challenge videos come to mind) to absolute nuggets of wisdom like this one. Cooling on games is totally fine and just because you like a game and have cooled on it, you don't need to try and reinvigorate your love for it by getting an expansion. From personal experience there have been many times where I bought an expansion that I thought would improve on a game I had cooled a little on, that ultimately didn't change my opinion enough to warrant keeping it.

[@jeffreymilton4113]

Great video! My heart sank a little bit when I seen Quacks on your list but it makes sense when you explain it the way you did. 😊 I plan on getting the upgraded bits to bring some much needed love to my worn out copy of Quacks. Great video as always guys!

[@stephenball2108]

Earth fell off an absolute cliff for me. I got it and played it and loved it, it was immediately launched up my favorite games list. Then I played it some more and at this point I can’t even say I like it. I agree with your take that if everything is good then nothing is good but I think it goes further than that for me. The big selling point is that you are engaged every turn and are always doing something. The problem that arose from that for me is that there’s only 4 actions, so you’re constantly doing the same things over and over and over and over, and they don’t feel dynamic. It’s like, “well now I have an extra card, it’s going to change everything, now I get an extra sprout every time I trigger that color”. It just got so repetitive, at a certain point I was begging for downtime so I could stop drawing 4 cards and discarding 1. Also it sells itself as being snappy and quick, but there’s a lot that can bog it down. “Don’t forget the 15 scoring cards in the middle of the table, and make sure to maintain your grid properly”. I think I’m at the point where I just don’t want to play it at all anymore.

[@mikaeki5245]

Playing Earth is like listening to that Lego Movie song "Everything is Awesome" on an endless loop. After a while you start to question, is it?

[@damaddestgamer]

Games I've cooled on - Stone Age, Glen More 1, Libertalia, Carcassonne, Ticket to Ride, all social deduction games, Dungeon Petz, Terraforming Mars, Power Grid, casual fillers.

[@ashrael37]

The regular Isle of Cats game isn't fun to me, but I really like the family rules for a fun, simple polyomino game. Have you tried it?

[@TheBrothersMurph]

No but others have mentioned it here and it sounds like exactly the thing we are looking for

[@alexanderpopov3587]

Earth falling off a cliff so quickly, it seems to have been overhyped in the first place.

[@riogakun]

I love Everdell, but I haven't played anywhere near to 20 times. I hope I still love it by then since I bought the complete collection 😅

[@TheAmazingYeti]

In an odd way I'd be honored to have a game on this list. In order for something to cool, it had to be hot at one point. Lots of great games on here for others to enjoy that may not have yet. Great list.

[@RickKoeppen]

The graphic design of Tiletum reminds me of Ethnos, bland map with super bright colored pieces. That said...I do like the look of both but know that I am in the minority on that one. Games I've cooled on include Clans of Caledonia, Ark Nova, Great Western Trail, Spirit Island, and honestly cooperative games in general if that is allowed. 😂 I'm suffering from not getting fulfillment from playing against the game, I want to crush my human opponents or even get crushed by them as long as SOMEONE at the table is being affected by someone else. lol

[@dawsondemars1092]

I found Dungeon Petz at a local used game store and because of you two, I bought it. It’s so freaking good haha. And I’ve only played it a few times now but the bidding worker placement is one of my favorite parts of the game. And maybe it’s because I haven’t played enough games, but I’m bummed I haven’t really seen it in other games because it’s to cool

[@djmurp2]

I absolutely agree, it’s the most interesting thing in the game. If that’s gone, it’s blah.

[@shawnhilliard]

The bidding for turn order and that directly impacting how many actions you take is very clever.

[@Romey301]

Agreed . I can’t get enough of this game but don’t see it mentioned much anymore. It will forever hold a special place , it’s one of my first games that got me into deep gaming 😅. Never leaving my collection .

[@shawnhilliard]

@@Romey301 That's the problem with this hobby. Designers spend years refining a game for it to get a few months of attention before becoming clutter on shelves behind games with more recent release dates. I gotta play my copy again lol.

[@BoardGameCasualChannel]

Uh-oh, I'm late to the "Earth" party. On one hand, I LOVE games that give you stuff/let you do stuff on other people's turns, but my one fear has been that it might feel like, "no matter what you do, you get points, so who cares"...

[@MattWey123]

Perfect example of this for me was Castles of Burgundy. Played it few times, got hooked. Bought it. Played 5 more times and realised this game is all about learning best combos and tactics on getting highest scoring tiles. You going to be doing the same things each game, with slight variations because of what tiles going to show up and boards. Also absolutely zero theme, even with euro game standards. It also plays so much better online than in person.

[@jimokelley3792]

Baseball Highlights is a fantastic solo game.

[@YolaKusnadi]

I love Everdell. It has been my favourite game ever. But I am quite done playing the base game alone. But still love playing it with Newleaf expansion which gives you more cards to the game.

[@topher2u2]

We haven't cooled on Earth. The game is still a lot of fun for us, but I do understand your points of concern for the game. On occasion, I like to play a game where everything produces results :)

[@joeskis]

I wish I could find people to play Baseball Highlights with. I love it and haven't played it enough.

[@natrc4593]

I felt the exact same way about Earth. I really wanted to like it but found that the decisions were not very interesting as every option gives you a lot of points. Glad I'm not the only one who feels that way!

[@gadgetgeekgirl]

I agree. It almost plays itself at times. Doesn't ever really feel it matters what I compost or play instead.

[@susanoerter1419]

I'm seasonal with some games: monsters in the fall, nature in the spring, campaigns in the winter, short and sweet in the summer.

[@play-it-or-not]

Earth and Chai are 2 games I got rid of. I loved Earth when I played it for the first time and then I realized it was too fiddly, to much error prone with everyone running their engine in a solitary mode. For Chai I agree with you, beautiful production and then confusing rules, too light for regular gamers, too heavy for the newbies. I keep my Isle of Cats and need to play it more solo. I still love Quacks and Everdell!

[@jbrantz9554]

I would really like to know what games that you have played recently that have reignited you love for the game. Games you are “warmer” on?

[@TheBrothersMurph]

good call we will have to give this some consideration!

[@JJ_TheGreat]

I have played My 'Lil Everdell, which I got as a gift for my niece! I have played that one - and felt it was a pretty good game.

[@yodaforclass]

Your Top 3 is AMAZING! Earth is too random with too-few meaningful decisions. Quacks is SO random and meh. Everdell was NEVER a good game, and I've been waiting since release for people to realize it. Your point about "Over-focus-grouping" something was brilliant...and actually applied to all of the Top 3 games. Well done!

[@steveskew1097]

Still absolutely love Earth, Quacks and Everdell, but to each their own. That's the great thing, everyone has the right to like what they like.

[@TheBrothersMurph]

that's what we love about this hobby

[@paulmccaffrey2985]

This is a fascinating list! It is interesting to see the evolution of games you like, games you love, and games you've cooled on. I noticed that with the folks from the Dice Tower, but you've articulated it well. I think that's why games you all like now, say in your Top 100, might not show up on a people's list until later. You've may have gone through a complete evolution of a game whereas someone like myself has only played it once or twice (that's the nature of your job). Dungeon Petz is a perfect example. I watched your review and your play through of it and decided to get it (it's a great game). I was surprised to see it on your list, but it's understandable--you've played it a bunch whereas I've played it twice. It's still on the upswing for me and will be until I play it more, but that may be two years from now. Anyways, thanks for the reviews and play throughs you do. They are informative and enjoyable!

[@musicmann692000]

Suggestion. Would you introduce a short series. Fan submitted photo of their board game selection (one photo only, can’t fit it , oh well) and you two decide what game you both would play first and why. Just quick 1 min review of a collection and why you’d pick that game. Could be fun, entertaining and interesting on your reasoning. Maybe the placement of the game in the shelf or your favorite game. Seems like a video thag no one else is doing and you receive fan feedback and submissions at the same time. Just a thought. #beenwathingfor2years! Love it!

[@monksean]

Hard agree on Everdell, Quacks, and Isle of Cats. Earth is certainly true as well for me. I feel bad because my wife got the geek up bits for quacks for me for Christmas a few years back but by that point we'd so overplayed it.

[@iinventedadrian]

Oh boy, that Isle of Cats discussion...*deep breaths*

[@TheBrothersMurph]

keep breathing it's gonna be alright

[@rulebookrundown]

I’ve mostly played the family version of the game and have had a lot more fun that way with the simplified rules and focus on tile laying

[@draheim90]

Agreed on Quacks, really liked it initially but then it seemed like my personal rating dropped half a point every time I played it.

[@hondito]

Oddly, Isle of Cats is the opposite for me. Same as Wingspan, I thought it was ok and pleasant enough the first time I played. But I enjoy both of them more each time I play.

[@TheBrothersMurph]

That's awesome!

[@butlersox]

I subbed solely for the refrigerator bit. Have always loved the content, shame on me for not being on board sooner.

[@bonniewhite3699]

Everdell is great, def my no. 1, but its a beast.. especially with the expansions. Spirecrest is a great expansion, but there are more games I want to try. Meadow is a quicker game and just as cute/pretty.

[@ralfn9629]

Very nice list. Love your take on Earth. I was always wondering if I really like the playstyle here. Quacks was always a No for me theme-wise - I really mislike potions! Isle of Cats and Everdell I own all and love these. Btw. with one little house-rule Pearlbrook is brilliant (just use the Ambassador in ADDITION to all base game rule meeples and don't take one away!).

[@TheDarktater]

Tiletum isn’t a looker but every time I play it I like it a little bit more. Earth and Everdell sit somewhere in my 40-70 range. There are just so many good Euros out there I would pick first.

[@roseability86]

Seriously considering selling my complete collection of Everdell. I find it so intimidating, I haven't even checked all the components are there. I think I'll just keep my base game. I like it but I don't play it enough to need all the expansions. I'll always love Dungeon Petz though ❤ it's just such a quirky theme.

[@Puzzu]

Wow lots of popular games on this list. I’ve yet to get Tiletum played but i don’t think the game looks that bad and I’m more interested in the mechanics. I’ve only played Glen More II a couple times so still interested in exploring that one. I don’t have that much gaming time these days so games get played once and then shelved for awhile before playing again so I guess that is how they remain fresh for me! And very informative about Earth, guess I’ll skip that one then.

[@JosephFlemming]

Wow your description of earth sounds so good, like a better mechanics of Puerto Rico. I have earth but haven’t played it yet now I’m pumped bc of your “cooled” video lol.

[@TheBrothersMurph]

It’s definitely a good one and agree it’s a twist on that leader/follow mechanism which is always great. Hope you enjoy it!

[@KMReviews]

Wonderlands War killed quacks for me. So much of the same mechanics but with so much more as well.

[@TheBrothersMurph]

I think we feel the same way there. If I want that kind of random push your luck game I'd go for wonderlands war

[@maxkosek]

Very cool video I enjoyed it very much and hearing about factors what makes the game for you going up and down made me think about what im looking for in games and so on. Cheers

[@joshjenson8111]

I'm so happy Earth is on this list, i never liked that game at all

[@JosephFlemming]

Everdell Farshore easily makes the original obsolete. It’s SOOO good.

[@Jawby]

I feel like Apiary will be on some people's list soon too. I really wanted to like that game but I saw how it played and it left me underwhelmed. Maybe I missed something because my word everyone seemed to be wicked excited about it.

[@rdavies953]

I agree with the comments regarding Earth but it has its place. For me that’s a game where me and my wife only have so much time and headspace after a day of work and kids but want to play a game

[@borreholic]

Spot on with Glen More II. 8 modules sounds like a lot, but then you find out some parts are only for higher player counts, some parts are only used together with other parts etc. I found it to be great for a short while until I realized plays felt suprisingly samey despite all the modules. Plus sorting out tiles when swapping modules was kinda tedious (some module tiles are simply added, and some replace other ones). For me the game is maybe the perfect example of "more variability on paper than in practice".

[@BobbyReichle]

I cooled on Scythe real hard. I've played through everything and I had the big box and I traded it away. Still liked the game, but I would basically only ever play it again under circumstances that were never going to happen. But I would love to play it again.

[@deemich1815]

Your points on Everdell make me wonder: is there a difference between cooling on a game and playing a game to death? It seems like if you play any game over and over and over, cooling is quite likely to happen, no?

[@GodPakun]

Yeah, I felt the same way when they said "We played this game a LOT" for me that is the reason, Everdell is one of my favorites ones and If I can play it 20 times then It was definitely worth it.

[@Ellebeeby]

To answer this question: yes, absolutely there’s a difference. Playing something out is normal, though after some time away you can enjoy it again. Cooling on a game often means realising the flaws after being blinded by the shine and hype. “I’ve had enough of this for now” vs. “Oh, this actually isn’t as good as I initially thought.”

[@nicholasvanaria8043]

Not sure if you guys have heard of Lords of Baseball or not, but that looks AWWWEEESSSOOOMMMEEEEE!!!! It's actually an economic game where you are running a team in the 1910's. It's a heavier game, but can't wait for that one to come out. Would LOOOVE to see you guys play that one.

[@TheBrothersMurph]

We haven't! But that seems awesome!

[@landlboardgames]

I completely agree with Everdell. Also haven't played with any expansions but I feel like I've gotten everything out of the main game. Just nothing different happening with each play. Still fun to introduce to people but thats about the only time I'll want to play it

[@shawnhilliard]

I think that's the true benefit of expansions. I got into a bad habit of buying every expansion for every game I enjoyed and never gave the base games enough love to get to the point that I NEEDED more content.

[@sadekhanna]

That's why the expansions were made...

[@supermegavega]

The only game on your list I regret selling was Baseball Highlights 2045. I really like that game but my gamer friends just didn't dig the theme.

[@jthornburg12]

Great video! It’s interesting to me the earth bashing in the comments. Different strokes for different folks of course; that’s part of the fun. Maybe it’s that the games that I’ve played have all been close, which is also why it hasn’t fallen for me. Losing or winning by 5 points when everyone scores about 140 is a lot tighter than losing by 5 in a game where 20 wins. When people are taking very different ways to get a similar number of points, it’s a lot of fun. I’ve personally cooled on viticulture. I think it’s because the last couple of games I’ve played I’ve had horrible cards at the beginning and kept drawing bad green cards. It just sucks being stuck in a 2 hour game with no chance to win. I still like, I’ll still recommend it, I’ll still play it again, but I’m keenly aware of its shortcomings right now. I’ve massively cooled on Atlantis Rising. There’s a way you should play that game and certain roles should always do certain things, so it basically comes down to dice rolls once you’ve groc’ed that. It’s a fun game with gorgeous production, but I don’t think i need to play it much anymore. Keep up the great content!

[@TheBrothersMurph]

Yeah it seems our opinion on Earth is actually more common than we thought. We still like the game though. But as you said, different strokes, different folks

[@damaddestgamer]

I cooled on Earth after one play lol. There was just no challenge there. Too much luck as well in terms of card draw and objectives.

[@morrigambist]

The scoring of Isle of Cats is a chore.

[@Endeva09]

We bought Quacks of Quedlinburg, played it probably 30 times and then never wanted to play it again, ending up selling it. We are not even exactly sure why, but we did buy Cubitos and find it far superior so that may be to do with it.

[@Firebeees]

Azul is definitely one for me. Played it so much a couple of years ago and while I still really enjoy it and think it's a great game, at this stage I want to play other things.

[@TheBrothersMurph]

We definitely played this one out when we first got it

[@DTeazee]

also cooling on Earth. It's ironic that despite infinite variability due to cards, its become very same same every play, and also the grow action is just too much better than all the other ones, you feel like if you don't grow on your own turn, you are not going to win. while it is simultaneous, it still has this janky stop-start tempo since people take varying amount of time to play their turn, and its very solitaire. everything you do seems to get you the same amount of points and by the end all you are doing is moving one token from here to place a different 1 point token somewhere else

[@Luclidity]

That's crazy! Everdell and Quacks are my favorite games of all time! Hopefully not playing them for a while will breath new life into it!

[@paulsalomon27]

Danggggggg. I love Chronicles, but yeah, I’m having a hard time getting it to the table.

[@JonathonV]

Some of these games I haven’t gotten tired of yet (Quacks, Earth, Glen More II), and some I haven’t played at all (Isle of Cats, Tiletum, Chai, Dungeon Petz). But others I never liked. Everdell was a fine experience on my first play, but on my second, I and my friend Jenny played with two experts. We finished our game, left for 20 minutes to get burgers, and came back, and the other two people were still playing. 😄 That ruined it for me. I also thought the luck of the card draw was pretty extreme, but maybe I just think it was because I was so frustrated at how badly the game went. I completely agree about Lanterns, though. I played it a few times and thought it was great … then played it several years later and wasn’t nearly as enamoured. Here are my games: 🔟 GIZMOS. This game was an absolute revelation for me. I had no idea action combos could be so addictive! 😀 It ended up fading simply because I played it a LOT and started going for the same cards every game and it lost its replayability for me. Still a great game I’d happily play with a new gamer, but one I don’t play much anymore with friends. 9️⃣ L.L.A.M.A.: I used to pick this one up to fill 15 minutes here or there, so it was my most played game two years in a row. These days, I’ll just pack up early 😂 so its niche is no longer present. 8️⃣ THE CAPTAIN IS DEAD: On my first play, we lost almost immediately, which is something irresistible to me because then it’s a challenge! Played a bunch during the pandemic and started winning regularly, but when we played with larger player counts the difficulty skyrocketed and I saw why we lost the first game. The lack of balance left a sour taste. 7️⃣ ASKING FOR TROBILS. I still think this game has a neat worker placement mechanic of kicking people off to give them their worker back so they don’t have to waste a turn collecting their workers. But the theme is too zany for heavy worker placement players, and the gameplay is too long for newer gamers, so it doesn’t get to the table. 6️⃣ TAKENOKO. Loved the comic, loved the theme. But I realised that some of the ways to get points are so much harder than others that they’re almost never worth it. 5️⃣ WASABI!: Played this early in my gaming life and loved the component quality and fun gameplay. But as I played more games I realised how easy it can be for one player to dominate, plus I began to enjoy “take that” a lot less in my games. 4️⃣ CATAN. Many great family memories with this game! But if you get a lousy setup or get good or bad luck on card draw or dice rolls, it loses a lot of its fun. 3️⃣ CHOCOBO’S CRYSTAL HUNT: I played this when it first came out and thought it was fantastic! Played it a few more times, and then forgot about it. Played it years later and realised it’s basically Old Maid with a few tweaks. Lost interest. 2️⃣ (SOCIAL DEDUCTION GAMES): You could put any of them here; they’re just not interesting to me anymore. Loved them when they got really popular around 2016 but lost interest after a while, especially games like Werewolf or Town of Salem where players get eliminated and have to wait for an hour for you to finish. 1️⃣ SMASH UP. Played it back when it launched. Had a wonderful time! I was still new to deckbuilding then and thought the islands mechanic was really cool! Then I ignored it for several years and came back to it, and I realised how repetitive and boring the gameplay is. My friend and I actually stopped playing halfway through, which we’d never done in 500+ plays together.

[@JosephFlemming]

I’m still not won over to the Chronicles board addition in Glen More 2… the game is great though

[@annecooswiersema3511]

I love your channel and all you do but I’ll admit I couldn’t finish because watching this made me sad. Like having someone tell you your friend’s flaws. Now you can’t not see them. But you still love them and want to hang out with them.

[@TheBrothersMurph]

aww we definitely don't mean to bring anyone else's enjoyment of the games down. Many of these games have been long loved by us and we'd still happily play them. I love that we may not be into a game but for others, it still goes strong as their most favorite. Makes us happy.