Top 50 Board Games of All Time - 10-1

[@Bleuchz]

Really enjoyed this final top 10 so I'll reciprocate with my own top ten. Top Ten Things in Actualol's Top 50 set: 10. The viney thing on the bookcase. Is it real? Is it plant? It is viney thing. 9. Jon Purkis: Narrowly beating out viney thing. Is he real? Is he plant? He is Actualol. 8. Pondering Person leaning on Railroad Ink. Appropriately not thinking man. Just vibing. 7. Paris, Railroad Ink and Parks on the top shelf. Because Jon only owns 2 games beginning with P and hoped we wouldn't notice Railroad Ink. 6. Small potted plant. Showing restraint. 5. Large potted plant. JK there's no restraint. 4. Sand Timer: little known fact: Jon brings this to every game night and times everyone's turns. They beg him to stop but Jon is a slave to the sands. 3. Hendriks Gin: Actually my favorite gin. Nicely done. No notes. 2: The desk: without which there would be no #4, 5, 6 or 1 1: That lil blue square person with the glasses and purple shoes. I mean we all knew it'd be #1, not even close.

[@actualol]

Haha, I love this so much. #1 has a name, and that name is Filbert.

[@Jenergyyy]

😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅

[@kyuzo26]

@@actualol i need you to SEEEERIOUSLY start using timestamps...

[@MarekEffendowicz]

Thanks for your wonderfully clear explanations which really tell me which games I will like and which I won't (even if you love them) BW Marek

[@KevinHernandez03]

Timestamps ⌛ Intro: 0:00 10. The Resistance: 1:22 9. A Game of Thrones: The Board Game (Second Edition): 4:37 8. Watergate: 9:32 7. Lost Cities: 12:26 6. Western Legends: 15:27 5. Spartacus: A Game of Blood and Treachery: 19:18 4. Lords of Vegas: 22:39 3. Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective: 26:12 2. Pandemic: 29:03 (2a. Pandemic Iberia and 2b. Pandemic: Fall of Rome: (32:19)) 1. Codenames: 32:44 Outro: 37:18

[@BrokenSIMGlasses]

thank you so much pls get pinned

[@ThisNameWasTooLon]

I really do enjoy the authenticity of your gaming likes, rather than blindly promoting the latest craze. Sometimes the latest stuff is great. Sometimes it is not. You walk that line well.

[@TeamCGS2005]

Yeah I agree. I don't always enjoy the type of games Actualol likes to play but my respect for this views is such that I appreciate that alternate perspective rather more than one whose channel is solely based on the type of game I tend to find myself playing. Actualol actively encourages me to move out of my comfort zone, and that is arguably more important to me when it comes to the appreciation of board games as a hobby than anything else.

[@TsuDymphna]

Same, the reason I was drawn to this channel is it didn’t seem like a front for pushing the latest kickstarter, and just the games Jon actually enjoys. Nothing wrong with people who do the KS stuff necessarily, but it’s not what I am looking for.

[@merlin5837]

4 real

[@myoman1977]

Eric Summerall from the Dice Tower; his top 100 was like watching a video from 2011 lol

[@jeffjacobson59]

I’m from Ancient Rome and Nine Men’s Morris is the only game a good soldier of the Empire needs!

[@taxag1134]

I never expected to see the Game of Thrones board game in your top 10 here! Glad to see someone else who understands how many great things there are about this game and how they all work together!

[@lenaforsgren]

Yeah, one of my favorite game, except I haven’t played it for years, sadly

[@iwantcheesypuffs]

Code Names is fantastic! I like the picture version even better as it breaks past age and language barriers as well. Well done! Thanks for sharing.

[@boardgameaddiction7081]

Before I finish watching, I just wanted to stop and say, "Thanks for this video Dad. I always knew you loved us!" It's a shame more people don't take the time to express how much their family means to them.

[@actualol]

Thanks...(forgets name)...child.

[@TheVekranith]

​@@actualolunderrated response 😂

[@TheDarktater]

We have zero overlap in our top 50 which is pretty crazy. I don't care for Knizia, Social Deduction, Tile Laying (for the most part), or party games. Cascadia at 95 and Merchants and Marauders at 99 are the closest we come. That said I still find your channel entertaining and the world would be a boring place if we all liked the same games. :)

[@shadebug]

"If I've inspired you to ruin your bank account buying board games, why not give me some of the money you no longer have?"

[@Jeff-ChitsandCardboard]

I wish I could give him $2 per month, don't need the extra stuff even but $7 is a little steep. If everyone gave him $0.50 a month who is subscribed that would be tons of money per month

[@videk_online]

You're a real one for going for Codenames at #1. The reason for it falling off as my #1 pick recently is the amount of downtime the game has while the agents are pondering their clues. A classic nonetheless!

[@ishotmyboss]

Great move putting a spoiler to the list front and center.

[@AndiVx]

I prefer the duet version mainly because of that, as I don't think it's a great *party* game. But as a 2 player cooperative game is perfect. If the other player is still thinking about their clue, you can keep thinking on yours.

[@grog3514]

You can significantly reduce downtime by having the clue givers working out their next clues while the detectives are figuring out their current clue.

[@myles6557]

@@AndiVxtotally agree. And we often play duet even with 3-6 people as well as just 2 larger cooperative teams.

[@louism2970]

Decrypto and So Clover are both better games

[@MasterHigure]

One gripe I have with Pandemic is that it is very easy for people to let themselves be directed and not take active part in the game. Especially if some players are much more familiar with the game. Worst case, it devolves into basically solitaire. As the game host, you have to watch out for that, and make sure everyone actually gets to say and maybe even act out their own opinion (and no, "Yeah, I guess that sounds good" doesn't count). If you don't want that, then you're going to have to have more secret information. Hidden traitor is one popular way of doing it, making it so no one can trust a dictator. Or you could go the route of The Crew or Magic Maze, and just make it against the rules to say anything at all.

[@ObsidianKnight90]

Quarterbacking can indeed be a problem in every co-operative game with open communication.

[@sandal_thong]

I found that it's sometimes the case with co-op games that someone gets bullied, or doesn't really participate, so you may as well have played solo. We need secret objectives for each player. I may give it another try to see if we can win at the next hardest level. I did like Lord of the Rings and Forbidden Desert/Forbidden Island for awhile.

[@hugocruz2439]

If I'm playing a co-op with open information and someone starts quarterbacking i stop them right there and ask them politely to let everyone play the game. It is intended to be fun for everyone, we are players not puppets.

[@MasterHigure]

@@hugocruz2439 The danger is the people who find it unfun to play suboptimally. Who look at what other players choose to do, and the way those players ruin their "perfect plan" grinds their gears. Of course, the answer is that a coop game with open communication and full trust is not for them. But that doesn't help when you're already 15 minutes into a game.

[@camillegee9430]

My husband and I adopted a "do whatever you want" attitude to co-op games like Pandemic and Deep Rock Galactic. New players will often ask "what should I do next?" and we refuse to answer and tell them it's their call and theres no wrong way to play. They will often ask for advice and we'll present options, but we never question any decisions or tell them what to do

[@michaelbrown4428]

I got Western Legends at a used board game sales event, and my eyes almost popped out of my skull when I saw it... thought i'd be looking for it for years. Very dope top 50, thanks man!

[@nema903]

Now I wish I hadn’t given Codenames away. I bought it to play with the extended family a couple Christmases ago and I got so bored with everyone just giving one word clues it felt almost like a children’s game. I think you need a group of people who are interested in a challenge rather than trying to get the game over with so they can finally watch The Great Escape

[@actualol]

Yeah, it can be really boring with the wrong group. I've been there many times!

[@kentosterdahl258]

Pandemic tip: Put the third cube on top of the other two, thus building a small pyramid. This way it’s easy to see where outbreaks can originate.

[@actualol]

Ooh, clever! 👌

[@lars_rosenberg]

Also, wear a mask

[@nikolamanojlovicci]

What a fantastic series this has been father.

[@actualol]

You're welcome my child.

[@CharcoalVictor]

Your list and other videos are great and I have and will be trying many of these games. I personally love codenames pictures just because I played it so much with my friends during school. I introduced my friends to lots of games like Coup, Secret Hitler, Spicy, There’s Been a Murder, Finger Guns at High Noon, and Tidal Blades Banner Festival. We have played games at lunch and during study hour almost every day for the last 2 years. We’re sophomores this year and our game of the year so far is Spicy, although we haven’t had a long school year so far. Last year we played Coup for half the year and created a game of Coup using 2-decks, 3 card hands, and 3-of-the-same-card abilities. Have a nice paternity leave!

[@actualol]

Glad to hear that Spicy has been your latest hit! Sounds like a fun group :)

[@grog3514]

This is such a great top 10. Most of these aren't on my own, but they are way up there. Love Spartacus and codenames and i never see people talk about them anymore. Great to see some of these awesome games where they belong.

[@ChrisM-xx6cf]

I think the problem is games go out of print, and when that happens, they often drop off the radar, such as Spartacus. Many game reviewers tend to just talk about games people can still purchase, and may occasionally reminisce about some past gem that really deserves a reprint. And with IP licensed games, such as Spartacus, it's likely even harder to get the rights to them these days, or the IP is considered dead, so the best you can hope for is seeing the mechanics reimplemented in a new game.

[@grog3514]

@@ChrisM-xx6cf Spartacus got an updated reprint last year.

[@JonnyTenebrous]

A mate of mine semi-recently snagged a great condition copy of Spartacus in a charity shop for £5. We've had x3 4-player games in as many months, and it's genuinely exciting with all the wheeling and dealing, betting on fights, and other questionable activities. Supports up to 7 players apparently, and would probably be even better at that count. Great game.

[@grog3514]

@@JonnyTenebrous get the two expansions if you can. They add lots of cool stuff. I don't know if the reprint has expansions or not.

[@brucebush5744]

I’ve never “won” Consulting Detective - but it’s glorious game to get lost in.

[@rolling.reggie]

I genuinely feel like Lords of Vegas does not get enough love in the board game space. It is an excellent game and always a blast the centerpiece of my semi annual game weekends. Awesome to see it on Actualol’s top ten.

[@robertaustin6302]

My biggest problem with GoT is the fact that you can essentially be eliminated without any chance of winning or coming back and still have another 2 hours left to play. Definitely is thematic though.

[@galaga00]

@@robertaustin6302 yeah, I’ve seen that same problem though there are the rare chances for you to win big and come back but it’s super unlikely. Another issue I found was that the game becomes a big of a slog near the mid to end game. The accounting of handing out money per turn is something I always wish a computer would handle. That said, it’s a great game.

[@AARon11414]

GoT sounds exactly like Diplomacy, but with a few added pieces. Diplomacy is one of my most favorite games.

[@lkjkhfggd]

A very surprising top ten list to me. I'll definitely give Western Legends and Spartacus a look. They seem wildly chaotic, which i am in the mood for once in a while, though i don't have many games like that.

[@actualol]

Yes, I'd say that's right!

[@ellrock41]

Western legends is a blast! I've got a few friends who wont play long or complex games but love this game. I think the theme draws it out of them

[@TableTopic]

Lost Cities was a joy to see, and you can never blame someone who picks Codenames for #1- it’s hard to beat!

[@williamkremer7382]

Lost cities is in my view a perfect game

[@m.m.2341]

So Clover has it beat.

[@jamessherman7797]

Excellent list and loads of details. Great that you included some two player games too.

[@trickynumber7]

Resistance was my number 1 game for a long time, we played it constantly, and probably is what truly sucked me into the hobby. Sad I haven't played it in a while, but being a childless 20 something only happens once.

[@Dudetainment]

I enjoy Avalon more

[@scolack123]

Only played resistance once Played it with normal playing cards And my friends and I had a great time. Played 3 rounds that evening Never played again Will always be thankful for that time though

[@theAstarrr]

Also for the Resistance, if you want to have more fun there's the Hidden Agenda add-on that adds more roles. And it's still pretty simple (besides the defectors but those aren't hard when you get used to them) but so much more fun

[@hugocruz2439]

Avalon is basically the resistance + expansions (if i'm not mistaken). I have Avalon, but i think i prefer the art of the original resistance. Medieval roles are a hard sell for casual players

[@theAstarrr]

@@hugocruz2439 I much prefer the futuristic spy theme, so The Resistance it is. Especially since that's one of 3 add-ons. Avalon doesn't have the other roles from add-on #2 and add-on #3 adds special events. The current original game + Hidden Agenda is already the complete Avalon game.

[@hugocruz2439]

@@theAstarrr sounds great! i'd get that if i didnt have avalon.

[@mikekots]

Thank you for your top 50 videos!! To be honest I enjoyed the 50-20 choices more than the top10. There were games in top50 that I didn't know existed and I would like to add in my collection

[@williamkremer7382]

Same. I think 40-30 had some games that really intrigued me.

[@kentslocum]

I struggle with the definition of "best game", because the games I really enjoy tend to be ones that no one else wants to play, and vice versa. The worst game in my collection, in my opinion, is the one that just sits on my shelf and never gets played. But it would be the best game in my collection if it got played. 😢 My favorite board game of all time is, of course, "Extra! Extra!". An unconventional (and relatively unknown) choice, to be sure, but the theme, the gameplay and the art all work together so well. A close second is Unfair. When it comes to cooperative games, I find that Forbidden Island and Forbidden Desert are much easier to play with younger audiences.

[@nimrodag]

I love that your reviews are pretty objective. Thank you very much for your research nad analisis.

[@FernandoAPrado]

Great selection! The only game in the list I can't manage to like is Pandemic (for me it should be a solo game).

[@GerjanDeEerste]

+1 for Watergate, what a great game! Western Legends was on my wishlist, but just went up with my birthday coming up soon...

[@Greenetea_and_Books]

The Resistance and Game of Thrones were two of my very first Hobby games and my GOT box is very worn from all the great memories

[@AhJong0]

Cannot think of a more appropriate top game for the ‘feel’ of ActualLol. Great series.

[@HahahaSoFunny]

Fantastic list. Not my top ten, but it is a top ten. Good job Mr. P.

[@joelface]

Really enjoyed the full 50 game countdown over the last few weeks. You do such a good job describing how the game works and what you love about it. I definitely recognized a lot of them from your videos over the last few years (Watergate comes to mind for me, a game that's theme keeps getting in the way of me buying it despite you selling me on it so well). I enjoy codenames, but sometimes get the "I feel stupid" moment when I can't come up with a good clue fast enough and get outplayed. The game is too simple to blame it for not having any mechanisms to counteract that, but I do think that's why I don't pull it out more often. My #1 is Dice Throne, a dice-and-card yahtzee-style battler with a perfect balance of push-your-luck and strategy - light enough to play with new gamers and deep enough to sustain competitive play. Never heard you weigh in on it before, so I'm curious if you've ever given it a try.

[@actualol]

I haven't tried Dice Throne - I don't typically enjoy duelling two player games, which is what steered me away. But it's clearly very popular so I will give it a chance some time.

[@joelface]

@@actualol Strangely, I'm not usually one for a dueling game either. I don't like Magic the Gathering, or Keyforge, etc. But having a turn in Dice Throne is very fun, I think -- plus it does a great job of still feeling good to play at different skill levels. There are a few take-that moments, but for the most part there are good-vibes and that push-your-luck excitement. Plays great at 3 players as well with a King-of-the-Hill style targeting mechanism.

[@chancemcclendon3906]

I love that watching reviewers that have such different preferences in boardgames.

[@gregorys9629]

Great to see a list with some "lighter" game towards the top - I feel BGG and other content creators are weighted towards heavier games, which certainly aren't for everyone (or at least not for every occasion).

[@schlista]

Wow. I found this top 10 so not me. But your top 20-50 were very good.

[@williamkremer7382]

Such a great top 100 list. I love the fact that it has games from the 80s and 90s on it and just your boundless enthusiasm for the hobby. More importantly the total absence of game snobbery. Games I have picked up second-hand since 100-90 came out: Tobago, Carcassonne Hunters and Gatherers and K2. What have other people been inspired to get or plan to get from this list?

[@ashwinhendrix]

im gonna get tobago !

[@ShoeTrees223]

Love to see Pandemic on here, but I honestly prefer the Pandemic Legacy chapters more as far as co-op goes. It’s a series of “regular” Pandemic games with a progressive Hollywood-style storyline, where each single game you play makes permanent modifications to the overall storyline and gameplay. You expand the map, introduce new functionalities (both helpful and hurtful), and have a ton of other game-changing items that makes each play-through totally unique. Truly a one-of-a-kind experience, I cannot recommend it enough!

[@qmac6494]

Yeah, blows my mind how many people play Pandemic but don’t know the legacy versions. The storylines are encapsulating

[@ellpoyohlokoh]

My favorite board game is spirit island. It was introduced to me through a person that is atrocious at teaching board games. Our first game was a nightmare, he let me pick Vengeance As a Burning Plague, (very high risk, gets strong when you're close to losing) when I didn't even know how to win/lose the game yet. Every person playing was unable to grasp the flow of the game, and he picked the most complicated spirit in the game because he likes to show off how smart he is. We took 2 hours to play the first three turns and everyone was completely ruined against the game, but I'm really glad I was able to see the beauty of the game's structure and concepts enough to go buy it for myself and learn it, then re-teach our group. Most of them really enjoy it, unless the original guy is there, then it's banned from game night.

[@ShelfClutter]

Such a great list. I like how your content always introduces new underdog games to me. That spartacus game looks great Codenames & Lords of Vegas would likely make my top as well 😁 Great taste there 😎

[@modlitwaSERCA]

10. Pax Pamir - gra trafiła na radar dzięki materiałowi Gambita i jest GENIALNA 9. 51. Stan - świetny klimat, świetne mechaniki i świetne znaczniki zasobów 8. Brzdęk! Nie drażnij smoka - pokochałem tą grę od samego początku 8*. Brzdęk! Katakumby 8*. Brzdęk! Raban w próżni - jeszcze bardziej dopracowana wersja Brzdęka 7. Diuna: Imperium - ta gra świetnie odzwierciedla klimat Arrakis i całej DIUNY 6. Wiedźmin: Stary Świat - o jak mi ta gra się spodobała i pozytywnie mnie zaskoczyła, naprawdę czuć w niej KLIMAT Wiedźmina 5. Mage Knight - świetny klimat, świetny świat, po prostu Mage Knight !! 4. Anachrony - bardzo fajnie pomyślany świat i klimatyczna gra 3. Etherfields - klimat tej gry, mechanika i piękne grafiki urzekły mnie... 2. Scythe - klimat tej gry jest genialny... Świetnie odzwierciedla klimat konfliktu... 1. Bonfire - jak wzajemnie zazębiają się mechaniki w tej grze, to jest po prostu niesamowite !! 😉

[@bushibayushi]

A fatastic, diverse list! ;) Game of Thrones and Codenames have always been a 10/10 for me

[@tomfogle8173]

I've been waiting eagerly for this!

[@wanplaypause]

I have all of your top 4 in my collection already. Guess I have to get the other 6 😅

[@easyaspi6418]

Have you tried spirit island? Or was it on the list and did I miss it? Or do you not like it? We are addicted and play it every weekend 😅.

[@scottmackintosh5934]

I love your videos. They are so entertaining. Your silly jokes and references are funny as well. This is a great list. I don’t have a huge amount of games so I’ve not played a lot of these but I still enjoy hearing about these games that one day I could play. I know I’d enjoy most of these games. However I do have consulting detective and I just can’t get into it. It’s the only board game that I have and no one wants to play lol. I think it’s just laziness with the reading for me lol

[@margaretbaldwin4416]

i’ve been waiting weeks for this one!! so exciting!! (also congratulations on the new baby!!😊)

[@actualol]

Thank you!

[@itizuLez]

I'm glad you have different types of games in your top 10. If you had showed that your preference was for long heavy games (like some reviewers) you would them become ActuaLongandHeavy. FYI, I have 4 of your top 10. Excellent!

[@davidblechynden5322]

I kind of love the fact that your top 10 and mine have no overlap.

[@uplift-yourdailypickup6424]

Lords of Vegas is absolutely top 10 for me as well! So good. Really excited about the new edition and expansions coming out soon

[@Trueflights]

I love your videos, but I find it interesting how opposite our tastes in games are. I don't enjoy a single one of your top 10 myself, in fact a couple of them I actively dislike. Definitely interesting to hear your explanations of why you like them and just agree that we have different tastes in a lot of areas. You still make some excellent videos though and I always enjoy watching them (even if I am a month behind on catching up on them, lol).

[@jsa66]

I find it interesting the things you identified about Watergate that you enjoyed, but have mentioned in another video not caring for Twilight Struggle. Just an observation. Thanks for the videos!

[@stickyman7585]

So many happy memories of playing codenames; with so many different people. I don't think I have ever seen a clue of more than 6, though.

[@ryantomczak2248]

Just finished watching your top 50 board games series. Very interesting list. Truly enjoyed the information about each game. I thought I would share my top ten, in no particular order, with you. Wondering how many you have heard of. 10 - Galloping Pigs My all time favorite racing game. I love it for its simplicity and speed of game play. It also helps that it is a small box and can be easily taken on the road. It is great for kids through adults. As you move pigs around a track you collect food by moving a pig to the front of the track. It does not matter which pig moves to the front as players aren’t in control of any one pig. You have a hand of cards with corresponding colors of the different pigs. When you play a card of that color you move the pig forward one space. If that space is occupied by a different pig it moves past to the first vacant space. Kind of like leap frog. At the end of the round the player with the most food wins. 9 - Clue The Great Museum Caper My favorite hidden movement game. Another game that is great for children through adults. One player acts as an art thief trying to steal valuable paintings. The thief has a map of the museum on paper which his movements are recorded on. The game has some neat aspects, for example the other players (not the thief) set up the paintings and the security cameras throughout the museum. They also randomly place locks at all the doors and windows. When the thief is trying to escape with the stole paintings you flip over the lock and if it is open you escape, if it is locked you have to find another way out. It is a lot of fun. 8 - Stop Thief This game recently got a reprint by Restoration Games. I have the reprint, but I have also played the original. The reprint uses an app on a smart phone instead of a handheld device. With the app they were able to accomplish more variance and also do different modes of play. With the app you can do a CoOp game where everyone is playing together to catch a band of thieves. You can also play competitive where you are all detectives trying to catch the thieves, but instead of working together you are all working independently. The detective that collected the most reward wins. Lastly, they added a third mode of play called One vs Many, where one person controls the movements of the band of thieves. This game is challenging to play as it gives you sound clues to the location of the thieves. Footsteps if they are walking within a building. Train noise if the are on the subway. Door creaking and glass shattering for doors and windows. Sounds of a busy neighborhood if they are walking outside. Lastly, the alarm sound if they make a robbery. It is from these sounds that you track the thieves. This is a great game for groups of three or four people. One of the best CoOp games I have ever played. 7 - Go For Broke A board game where everyone starts as a millionaire and throughout the game try’s to spend all of their money. The game will of course give you money when you don’t want it. It is a blast to play. They have a casino that you will visit, a race track where you can bet on a horse, even houses to buy. It would seem easy to lose money, but the game is designed to earn you money. It is a lot of fun. A really great game. Unfortunately long out of print. 6 - Blue Chip Hands down my favorite stock market game. The game plays quickly and is very easy to learn. There are twelves stocks divided into three categories. To start each player chooses two of the three categories and receives one share in each of the four stocks in those categories. On each player’s turn they may only do a single transaction, either buying or selling stock. After which they draw an event. The event can be dividends, fines, 2 for 2 splits, weekly stock reports which raise or lower the value depending on a die roll, or even bankruptcy. The game ends when the event deck is empty. By the end of the game four or five stocks will be bankrupt. Buying stock raises the price per share and selling stock lowers the price per share. How much is determined by how many shares per transaction. It is in this that you can control the market. The game is a lot of fun to play, easy to learn, and actually goes quicker with more people as you will go through the event deck faster. Unfortunately it was printed in 1958 and is difficult to come by. Many years ago (probably 15 now) my uncle told me that if I could find a copy of the game online that he would like to get it. Took me about two years, but I found a copy on Ebay and gave it to him as a Christmas gift. Every year we get together and play it. Work and family life gets in the way of playing more unfortunately. I have played several stock market games over the years, but this one is by far my favorite. I like it for its simplicity in design and rules, yet it is a complex game to master. There is some amount of luck built into the game with the event deck and the dice rolls too. 5 - El Grande My favorite area control game. Another game I do not own, but my good friend does. This is a game that the expansions are unnecessary and actually make it worse, in my opinion. The base game is great though. The game is played over nine rounds with a scoring round after every third round. There are 5 stacks of cards and each round, in turn order, on your turn you choose an action card from the top of one of the stacks. Once a card is chosen that round it cannot be chosen again, and nothing from that stack can be chosen this round. Turn order chances every round as well, so there is some strategy in determining how you play your turn order cards. The game goes quick and is easy for new players to learn, but it has just enough complexity for veteran players to keep interested. A great game to try if you haven’t already. 4 - Samurai Swords (AKA Shogun) A Risk style game in a feudal Japan setting. I grew up playing Risk and have always had a fondness of those style of games. Samurai Swords adds some nice elements that I enjoy. You have different types of units to purchase. Spearmen, Archers, Swordsmen, Gunners, and Ronin. Ronin are men for hire and only last that round. A great way to boost your strength for a big attack, but overall not a great use of resources. The other aspect of the game I like is that you have three main armies commanded by your generals, the samurai. These armies are designated by a flag bearer on the board. As you win battles your samurai levels up. This gives the army more movement and more actions during your turn. Be careful though, your opponents could attempt to assassinate your samurai by hiring the ninja. Only one player may hire the ninja each round, and only the highest bidder gets the ninja. This adds a nice dynamic to the game as you improve your samurai you have to be fearful of the ninja. Unfortunately it is another game that is out of print. 3 - Nightmare The game is a race against time to collect your keys and get to the center. The board is paired with a video cassette that guides you through the game. I have owned this game since I was a teenager and every Halloween I play it with my daughter who is now 16. It may be the nostalgia for the game as to why I really like it, but it is a perfect halloween game for the family. There is a lot of fun interaction between the players and the Gatekeeper (from the video cassette), as well as interaction between the players themselves. It is meant as a horror game which is why it is perfect for halloween, but it is not too scary for even younger children. I have played it with my nephew who is 8 years old. 2 - Wizards A bookcase game by Avalon Hill, Wizards is a unique board game that feels cooperative at times while also being competitive. Set in a fantasy world each player takes on the tole of a wizard, sorcerer, or druid. You complete quests to gain experience to level up your character to gain greater powers. While you are doing this evil is attacking. Every fortnight demons will appear and if left unchecked will take over the world plunging it into darkness. It is a great game with a fantastic story arc. It is cooperative in that you must work together to stop the demons, but it is competitive in that each player is trying to be the first to collect the sacred gems to rid the land of evil forever. This is a heavy game with a complex rules system, but it offers a lot of exciting choices to make throughout the game. The world is fun and exciting to explore and the quests offer unique challenges. 1 - Blue Max World War I Aerial Combat This is a reworking of the original Blue Max game from the 1980s. It is not just a reprint, but a slight redesign. I have played the original, but I do not own it. I did pick this up when I saw it. It has fewer plane choices than the original, but still a lot of fun to play. It is a tactical game un which you are trying to shoot down your opponents. It is easy enough to learn, but very complex with all of the different maneuvers each plane can make. You also have to track your fuel usage and ammo during the game. The game is quick to play through and easily scales from two to six players. Odd number’s of players don’t work well though as you have to play in teams. So 2, 4, or 6 players is ideal. In the game everything happens at once, it is not a turn based game. At the beginning of a round each player selects a maneuver for their plane. Then each maneuver is revealed at once. This could cause a plane to plane collision. The game does a great job of depicting a real World War I dog fight. This is one of my all time favorite games and if I could find a good copy of the original I would get it as I would like more choices of planes.

[@AleksandarDaGr8]

Amazing list, so many I never hear others talk about. Really like how almost all of your games are very much about the interaction between players. The more I understand your taste, the more I think you need to get your hands on Zoo Vadis. Knizia x Negotiation game, right up your alley

[@actualol]

Zoo Vadis is winging its way to me as we speak and I'm very excited to try it! But yes, I hope the good Doctor treats me well!

[@ChrisM-xx6cf]

I recently bought this and am excited to get this to the table!

[@thelibrarianofalexandria6200]

I tried Phantom ink and Just one earlier this week. They are just as good as you said. Thsnks for the recomandation. Love your channel. Only known about it for a few months, but you explain easily and have a varier taste. When there is so many games out there it is great to have someone recomending the best ones.

[@MoniYakova]

Codenames is also my favorite game. I remember playing it for the first time 6-7 years ago and completely falling in love with it. I didn't think it would turn out to be this big. ❤️ I also love Pandemic but my current gaming friends don't 🥺

[@kentslocum]

My parents don't like playing board games, but they love Codenames. The problem is, I don't love Codenames. 😂

[@MoniYakova]

@@kentslocum you can ask your parents to adopt me. I will play Codenames with them every day of the week and twice on Sunday

[@kentslocum]

@@MoniYakova You have a deal! Now I just need some other parents to adopt me...

[@MoniYakova]

@@kentslocum why can't we be siblings? I'll play other games with you I promise 😇

[@kentslocum]

@@MoniYakova That's what my parents always tell me 😂 -- right before we play another game of Codenames! 😭

[@daforkgaming3320]

The idea of western legends allowing you to do a mix of everything seems interesting. Most games that 'offer' such variety in decision making are often designed so that the optimal strategy is to just pick one or two paths and build in to them hard, while those who try to do a little bit of everything get overpowered

[@hayretylmz]

I really like this game. I also play risk and I also really like leaving to another room to discuss tactics and separating land.

[@ClaudeAndTaylor]

Absolutely sensational work, Jon!

[@actualol]

Thank you 🙏😊

[@MobiusGame]

I am so happy to see Lords of Vegas on that list! And in such a place! I adore this game ^^

[@CinthiaVega-h5h]

wow Western Legends looks amazing

[@Whatkanyedo]

Are the little mini figures for pandemic apart of the set or something he made?

[@MonkeyBanjo7]

I might have to watch this whole series (as I got this recomonded first but "The Resistence" seems like a perfect game for my Club at school!

[@-LiQuidGaS-]

@Actuallol: if you love pandemic, then you ABSOLUTELY have to try pandemic legacy season 1! Talk about giving a theme to an already-thematic game - the progression, characters, the twist and turn, and to have an actual impact in the world with dire consequences as you progress through it... All I can say is, you and your wife will absolutely LOVE IT! ❤

[@qmac6494]

Yeah, season 1 gets intense. And season 2 is unique in its own right but just as much fun

[@jimphilidor9031]

I haven't played most of these games but I love Pandemic. The Legacy version is a cool experience but doesn't replace the original.

[@logicalparadox2897]

You know what I’d love to see… a test of longevity of vermouth. Stored on the shelf, stored in the fridge, and then stored both ways but with a vacuum stopper and air removed. Maybe at 2 months, 4 months, and 6 months. Then blind taste them. That’s 12 different samples, so not crazy, but would be very informative as to just HOW MUCH this matters.

[@VR-sd1hf]

Wow, I'm happy to see Spartacus on a list like this

[@hanseathl]

Nice lineup. Eventually I am more of Eurogamer. I like most of the games but the puzzle of a juicy Euro will get me even more excited.

[@isaacfranks2272]

My only quarrel with Pandemic is that it’s vulnerable to quarterbacking unless all players are of a similar skill or experience level. Spirit Island is a co-op game which is (in my experience) completely immune to quarterbacking since each player has such an immense wealth of options specific to them.

[@nikosmessis]

Finally a top 50 of favorite games not top 50 of popular games! Thank you for the video! My list would be very different. At the moment I prefer the complex engine buildings more than the mid light weight games. Why is that? I study as an electrical and computer engineer so trying to solve a problem with limited resources is something I have to do every day. With board games I can do the same thing without the stress pressure! However, that's the point! Different people like different games from different genres and it's so refreshing when someone is real about the games he likes.

[@bruchino]

Interesting list! In our group Decrypto blew out of the water Codenames. (In Codenames there was too much downtime, in Decrypto both teams are involved in the guessing phase.)

[@alicia1465]

I would love to try the Game of Thrones game one day. We owned it, but could never find a third player. I really need a great two-player Game of Thrones game…I think PAX Renaissance re-themed with GoT would be amazing_

[@Rafaelinux]

Codenames, the game with the longest downtime ever, where everyone but 1 person is getting bored, and then only half the people is waiting for the guessing for 5 minutes.

[@tylervideos8081]

Haha totally agree

[@RichHeimlich]

Where did you get your Pandemic Meeples? @actualol

[@actualol]

From a person called Hobold's Grotte

[@iman0b0dy]

wow youreso close to 100k!! im so psyched

[@actualol]

Thank you, me too 😁

[@masu33]

Nice video as always, complex thoughts on games in a friendly fashion, now I want to try those 2 I haven't yet. Two games from your list were removed from my collection because I found a better fit for my taste/groups. Resistance is great with the expansions but we ended up never playing it with expansions... then Nosferatu (a French game as far as I know) made it redundant by it being easier to teach (your role can be known to everyone). Can have a bit more real information as well. Matter of preference, I guess but GoT was pushed out by Blood Rage (you most likely know it) as it is a very similar feeling for me, but condensed into less time while providing ways to truly interact with everyone and not mainly the people sitting next to you (different player count though).

[@RMSUkraine]

Great content.love it!! Thanks

[@Paufranne]

Though our tastes differ (Cascadia is the only game I consider purchasing, and I sold Pandemic as fast as possible), I always watch your videos for the humour you bring. Congrats on becoming a dad. It's a life-changing event. In your case, it will probably 'help' you: - become more organised - reevaluate which games should stay and which should go as the baby will explore each game within her reach :)

[@FuncleChuck]

I’m a little surprised none of these are from the future but I’m actually not too surprised. The best is all behind us!

[@pablo518]

Great video again, great games too

[@afriendofafriend5766]

This is a wild top 10 list.

[@frankharris9744]

i love code names it used to be my favorite game of all time, until 'secret identity' came along i remember one time my wife and i were behind and i said "Muffet" 4 and she got 3 out of 4 guesses correct :)

[@TabletopTastings]

Great series!

[@eduardoyamaha7279]

I'm a high school teacher and last year I had a class subject with my students about board games, where I introduced a lot of board games to them. Codenames was (and still is) their top favourite, it's not even close. The cards are so worn out, I didn't imagine it would be such a hit.

[@actualol]

The kids are all right! ❤️

[@edforthought]

6 player 6 hour game, has to be twilight imperium for me. This is a cool list as I haven't played most of these, but I would not put code names or pandemic in my top 10. I'm definitely going to check out the resistance again as I really enjoy information assymetry games.

[@codingwithculp]

I know I am eight months late on this comment and it probably won't get read, but after having watched your channel off and on for a bit I always thought "yeah him and I have completely different gaming tastes." Your top 10 proves me wrong though! Some great games in there! Western Legends is one of my favorite games, although I appear to be the only one in my gaming group that really likes it, which means it does not get played that often.

[@carols-corner]

Jon: “It’s me.” Swifties: 🎤🎵“Hi! I’m the problem, it’s me!”

[@actualol]

I'm a proud Swiftie too ❤️

[@tcp1623]

Happy to see Spartacus get some love :)

[@flowjan2335]

😂 I played codenames duet like 60 times or more and just find the original second hand great timing

[@dustbustus27]

I adore the well reasoned praise for AGoT. I could tell you you had 10 on the mind. 7 Castles takes home the win 😉. I think my favorite and honest alliance to offer is a pact to six Castles. It shines with robust Alliance team play. I like how it forces you to plan around potential event card draws. I love the bidding and raiding power game. Have you ever played a PBEM game?

[@heathercarter9741]

Congratulations on your sweet new little squish.

[@wasterick]

Incredibly surprised by GoT! It's a cool niche game that I didn't expect to see in *your* top 10

[@musicalmadness816]

Really enjoyed taking a look at this list. Where did you get hold of those incredible additions to the Pandemic game? Enjoy the paternity leave!

[@actualol]

See my 11 Gifts for Gamers video for info on those miniatures. The other bits came from official expansions.

[@musicalmadness816]

@@actualol Thanks

[@itskmillz]

So happy to see Codenames at #1 that game is AMAZING

[@sarahwatts7152]

I'll have to check out Pandemic Iberia, I loved the original

[@lukesoddlife]

Have you played The ART Project? It’s not a pandemic beater but it’s really fun! The theme, the coop and the decisions you have to make, plus the quality of the game too. It’s a nice fresh look at a coop game if you’re tired of pandemic

[@xcpenguin9954]

John: I don't have time or energy for that. Also John: I'm about to go on paternity leave. Me: 😅 Congrats on the bambino! I look forward to your top ten Haba and Peaceable Kingdom lists.

[@MarekEffendowicz]

Dear John I really like your videos and want to support you but prefer sending you the odd fiver or so rather than donating a fixed sum monthly. All the best and congrats on becoming a father. Marek

[@actualol]

Thanks Marek, that's really kind!