One game that was a huge surprise in 2015 when I played it was Steampunk Rally. I jumped into a play of this game very reluctantly . I don't usually like racing games, and I thought it was going going to be a lightweight luckfest that would hold no interest for me. I was surprised by the interesting drafting and tactical decisions you got to make in both how to put together and how to activate your racing contraption. Even the luck of some of the cardplay didn't bother me, as it fit the theme very well. Tons of variable player powers, great theme, multiple paths to victory - a really excellent overall package.
Really cool idea for a list - it's way more interesting to hear about these more obscure titles. Especially since us Dice Tower addicts can probably predict half of the main top ten of the year list.
I agree. I don't watch as many of their top ten lists as I used to because I can predict almost all of the games that will appear on them. I just skip through them to see if there was actually anything new in them. I prefer to hear about games that not everybody are playing.
Orleans was a big surprise for me. I backed it almost entirely on Tom's raving, and figuring I could resell it when I didnt like it. Tom was right, it was great, surprised how much I love it.
Actually, this list was a very positive surprise for me. It turned out to be informative, funny and allows you to hghlight games that miss top ten of the year to some degree. Great idea, I hope you repeat that next year.
T.I.M.E Stories - I went in ready to hate the game because of the limited replayability and came out thinking, I'd buy that game even though I already played it just so I can show it to my other friends and watch their reactions.
Raiders of the North Sea - I backed it on KS based on a friend recommending it, and the lovely artwork... but the game itself is pretty damn good too! It has a (I think) unique worker placement mechanic where you only have one worker, you place it, take the action, then pick up a different worker and take a second action. Quite strategic, great theme (Vikings!) and requires a fair bit of strategy to outscore your opponents.
Good to know about Shakespeare. I've been following that one pretty closely since it was featured on BGG. Picked it up Tuesday and will hopefully get to play it on Sunday.
Tom, I'd love to see a quick video recap of all the games that made it into your collection this year. I always like to see at the end of a review if it goes into the collection, but it would be cool to have them all in one place.
I helped fund the Birds of a Feather Kickstarter, thinking I was going to get a game my wife would love. And I ended up really enjoying too! Definitely a pleasant surprise.
That " Watson and Holmes" game is like a new edition of the "221B Baker Street: The Master Detective Game" from the 70's. I'm curious how none of the reviewers I see talk about this. They are always talking about "consulting detective", but really, it is just like "221B Baker Street: The Master Detective Game". They just changed a few bits to be more accepted in today's modern gaming audience.
Sherlock Holmes - consulting detective is still one of the best games ever made. Still remember trying to solve the "Thames murders". Probably the most interesting case in the basic game.
I really want to check out unusual suspects haha looks great!! My biggest suprise was probably broom service, I don't usually like games like that but I really enjoyed the "brave" mechanic
Awesome! I probably wrote down 6 games to check out further...On a side note, I am a little sad there there wasnt more descriptive information under the game title...such as, player count, time it takes to play and company who made it. I know its silly, but i like to know those things before I dive deeper into it.
I loved Asking for Trobils and Supermotherload was really good. I need to try it again (we had a rule wrong). Automania is in the mail. One night revolution was a disappointment. It's too dependent on the group knowing how to manipulate the roles. but I feel the same way about ONUW as well. I did like it more than the other one night games. Same thing with New york 1901. Good game but it was just too simple. My big surprises this year. Royals - I had no real interest. But after playing it at Dice tower con I'm getting this one. such a fun streamlined game. Everything that New York 1901 should have been. Bottle cap vikings - Free game that came with Orleans. I really enjoy this little game. Gives a similar feel and size to Harbour but not as brain burning so it goes faster and works with more groups. Steampunk rally - It took two plays for me to like this one. Very much of a Galaxy Trucker with drafting game. Once I was ready for my vehicle to be destroyed I liked it. Lanters: The harvest festival - I had no expectations for this but it's a nice ticket to ride meets carcassonne in a filler.
I was surprised by just how strong the 2 player variant of Between Two Cities is, but aside that most of the stuff I've picked up has been about on par with what I expected.
Wonderfully funny episode guys. You were rolling high with the jokes in this one. Zee kinda came across like the prankster sitting in the back of the class room that keeps cutting up when the teacher isn't looking.
I was definitely surprised by Codenames. Way different for the designer to design that kind of game, and totally a genre I don't typically care for, but I really enjoy it.
Celestia... After looking at it and hearing the rules explanation, I thought: "This is gonna be meh at best". I really like that games. Super fun and so far on my top 10 of the year
I'm with Zee on this, Grizzled was a bit of a gamble for me since I just don't normally play that kind of game but I really liked the art and the theme so took the jump and it's a really great game.
Tom, ZhanGuo does something slightly similar to Asking for Trobils in which you can choose to play cards as "workers" of sorts or choose instead to tuck them for bonus actions that activate when your workers take various actions. :)
Dragonwood - my wife and I really enjoy thus straightforward dice and card game. Pandemic Legacy - I wasn't sure about the legacy part of the game, but this game is my no. 1 for the year for sure. Mottainai - I really like it.
In case no one else has brought it up, another video/board game crossover is Eric Zimmerman who designed Quantum, my favorite game when I get a 4X itch, but don't have 8+ hours to scratch it.
I really like New York 1901. Munchkin Smashup was fun, and an interesting stand-alone "expansion" for Smashup. As for a Kickstarter game I liked, The Captain is Dead was a lot of fun.
I had played the star realms app a little bit but decided to try cthulhu realms. (gotta love the green god) first was not expecting such funny artwork and the quality of the cards. But then the game play was tons of fun. Just setting up massive combos while the other people do the same. Yet you can easily regain a lot of life and defend yourself so to take people out you really have to go after them
That's a bummer. It would be awesome if a game that you didn't expect at all got into your top ten for the year! But either way, great list guys and I'm looking forward to the rest of the top 10's this month!
Magic The Gathering: Arena of the Planeswalkers. I really didn't expect to like it as much as I do, but it's straightforward and has potential to be a really great hobby game. And the price point is ridiculously low.
Talking about Video game/board game designers who cross-over, Eric Lang is co-designing a video game called Duelyst. Not sure how good it is because i haven't played it yet but...
HI, from France, I am a fan of DICE TOWER, Looking you, guys is a pleasure for me, with Zee and its jokes with SAM, very hilarious. THE GRIZZLED: it is not a Cool mini or not GAMES, it is a franchise and it was first released in France by SWEET GAMES . After Cool by the licence to devery it in USA. I love DICE TOWER and JASON so .. christophe champalaune
+Christophe Champalaune I think most of the time people consider as publisher the company that publishes it in their country. For Thunderstone I think of Edge as the publisher. Because it's the publisher here, in France.
my biggest surprise of the year is the EPIC card game. I was expecting a clone of Magic. the only reason why I played it is because someone had a kickstarter edition that looked cool.
I agree with Zee about Fury of Dracula. The 3rd edition is better, really improved ! :) And it was a surprise ! :) Really thought one of you would put TIME Stories or Pandemic Legacy. :)
Super Motherload was a video game. Looks like it was adapted to this board game? Probably named because when you find a lot of something of value, you call it the "motherload," and it was a side-scroller like Super Mario Brothers. Sounds like a good name to me. The rest of them though....
unusual suspects is a great game, alway's brings laughter to the table hehe :D Glad i picked it up at Essen Spiel this year. We played the grizzeld yesterday and we won it :D after 4 try's with 3ppl
I think this would have been a much more useful list if it had been top 10 Surprising Games period; Not just from 2015. I get that it's better to keep these up to date, but this is a list people have been clamoring for for awhile.
I really wish there would be more "classical euro" style games instead of point salad games with unnecessarily complex rules. I don't mind complex games for two players though.
+Eyal Itsik And as I recall from the Ludology interview, the lead developer of Hearthstone used to do tabletop CCGs for someone or other. I think a reprint of a preexisting game on Kickstarter had someone who makes roguelikes on the development team, also...
My two surprises were Thunderbirds! and the German import The Game. spiel so lange du kannst! Had no expectation for either, but Thunderbirds is pretty darn true to the series and The Game sees a lot of play, especially with new gamers.
Hengist really surprised me. Well-known designer working with his usual publisher, and the result was so disappointing. I went blindly in to the deal, I was surprised at how bad it was.
+Kacie Glass Catan, Carcassonne and Ticket to Ride are all light examples. Agricola, Le Havre and Castles of Burgandy would be heavier examples. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurogame
+Buster Hills-Hughes they used to refer to that as an irregular conjugation in Yes Minister/Prime Minister. As in my expansion "expands the experience", your expansion "adds more of the same", and his expansion "is a cash grab".
It's also called emotive conjugation From Yes minister "I have an independent mind, You are eccentric, He is round the twist." or "I give confidential press briefings; you leak; he's being charged under section 2A of the Official Secrets Act."
I'm a newcomer to The Dice Tower vids and so this comment is obviously very late, however as an avid birdwatcher in Oz it's disappointing to hear you guys 'take the piss' as we say down here out of the hobby. Surely you guys understand the stigma that is out there from non-believers, when all they would have to do is experience it to understand how much fun it can be? Sound familiar? I'm going to buy 'Birds of a feather' just for the theme btw!!
Gi--raff-o-meter Gi - like in Geek not like Gino, the Italian Guy raff - like rough with the vowel more like in father o - o! meter = well, whatever ... PRACTISE! (-:
Gotta stop watching your videos...saw Risk: Star Wars...the black box in my local shop and bought it...it isn't RIsk...it is good though...lucky there aren't expansions like Tannhauser that you made me buy all of the expansions...apart from the equipment cards that are like rocking horse dung. Keep up the good work...I suppose...sorry bank balance.
That's exactly what we need guys! An app for Tales of the Arabian Nights game that has Jason reading all the story sequences! Genius!
I like Zee's term "Self Nuking" for games with limited replayability. Definitely going to have to use that one.
One game that was a huge surprise in 2015 when I played it was Steampunk Rally.
I jumped into a play of this game very reluctantly . I don't usually like racing games, and I thought it was going going to be a lightweight luckfest that would hold no interest for me. I was surprised by the interesting drafting and tactical decisions you got to make in both how to put together and how to activate your racing contraption. Even the luck of some of the cardplay didn't bother me, as it fit the theme very well. Tons of variable player powers, great theme, multiple paths to victory - a really excellent overall package.
Really cool idea for a list - it's way more interesting to hear about these more obscure titles. Especially since us Dice Tower addicts can probably predict half of the main top ten of the year list.
I agree. I don't watch as many of their top ten lists as I used to because I can predict almost all of the games that will appear on them. I just skip through them to see if there was actually anything new in them. I prefer to hear about games that not everybody are playing.
Orleans was a big surprise for me. I backed it almost entirely on Tom's raving, and figuring I could resell it when I didnt like it. Tom was right, it was great, surprised how much I love it.
Actually, this list was a very positive surprise for me. It turned out to be informative, funny and allows you to hghlight games that miss top ten of the year to some degree. Great idea, I hope you repeat that next year.
T.I.M.E Stories - I went in ready to hate the game because of the limited replayability and came out thinking, I'd buy that game even though I already played it just so I can show it to my other friends and watch their reactions.
Raiders of the North Sea - I backed it on KS based on a friend recommending it, and the lovely artwork... but the game itself is pretty damn good too! It has a (I think) unique worker placement mechanic where you only have one worker, you place it, take the action, then pick up a different worker and take a second action. Quite strategic, great theme (Vikings!) and requires a fair bit of strategy to outscore your opponents.
Yes! I can't wait to receive my copy.
This is one of my favorite lists you guys have done. Cool stuff!
"If the War Band Cover was like Skyrim, then the gameplay itself is the pause screen" - Zee Garcia
I'm dying laughing over here xD
Great video as usual guys. loved the humour too. Good choice of topic. Looking forward to the top 10 of the year list!
Xenoshyft, The king is dead, Viceroy, Deadmen tell no tales and one night revolution. Did expect to like and enjoy them so much.
Good to know about Shakespeare. I've been following that one pretty closely since it was featured on BGG. Picked it up Tuesday and will hopefully get to play it on Sunday.
Tom, I'd love to see a quick video recap of all the games that made it into your collection this year. I always like to see at the end of a review if it goes into the collection, but it would be cool to have them all in one place.
I helped fund the Birds of a Feather Kickstarter, thinking I was going to get a game my wife would love. And I ended up really enjoying too! Definitely a pleasant surprise.
That " Watson and Holmes" game is like a new edition of the "221B Baker Street: The Master Detective Game" from the 70's. I'm curious how none of the reviewers I see talk about this. They are always talking about "consulting detective", but really, it is just like "221B Baker Street: The Master Detective Game". They just changed a few bits to be more accepted in today's modern gaming audience.
Sherlock Holmes - consulting detective is still one of the best games ever made. Still remember trying to solve the "Thames murders". Probably the most interesting case in the basic game.
+Jobbig skit Looks like it's in print too. I might have to pick this one up now that it's affordable.
Thanks, guys. Great lists.
I really want to check out unusual suspects haha looks great!! My biggest suprise was probably broom service, I don't usually like games like that but I really enjoyed the "brave" mechanic
Awesome! I probably wrote down 6 games to check out further...On a side note, I am a little sad there there wasnt more descriptive information under the game title...such as, player count, time it takes to play and company who made it. I know its silly, but i like to know those things before I dive deeper into it.
I loved Asking for Trobils and
Supermotherload was really good. I need to try it again (we had a rule wrong).
Automania is in the mail.
One night revolution was a disappointment. It's too dependent on the group knowing how to manipulate the roles. but I feel the same way about ONUW as well. I did like it more than the other one night games. Same thing with New york 1901. Good game but it was just too simple.
My big surprises this year.
Royals - I had no real interest. But after playing it at Dice tower con I'm getting this one. such a fun streamlined game. Everything that New York 1901 should have been.
Bottle cap vikings - Free game that came with Orleans. I really enjoy this little game. Gives a similar feel and size to Harbour but not as brain burning so it goes faster and works with more groups.
Steampunk rally - It took two plays for me to like this one. Very much of a Galaxy Trucker with drafting game. Once I was ready for my vehicle to be destroyed I liked it.
Lanters: The harvest festival - I had no expectations for this but it's a nice ticket to ride meets carcassonne in a filler.
I was surprised by just how strong the 2 player variant of Between Two Cities is, but aside that most of the stuff I've picked up has been about on par with what I expected.
Wonderfully funny episode guys. You were rolling high with the jokes in this one. Zee kinda came across like the prankster sitting in the back of the class room that keeps cutting up when the teacher isn't looking.
I liked the description of Gold West as 'Rules light, strategy heavy'. I'd like to see a Top 10 of that. Or maybe just a Rules Light Top 10 .
I was definitely surprised by Codenames. Way different for the designer to design that kind of game, and totally a genre I don't typically care for, but I really enjoy it.
"the pause screen" :D
+wr00t
best line of the day.... deserved a mic drop after that. :)
27:25 "Jirafometer" lmao
Celestia... After looking at it and hearing the rules explanation, I thought: "This is gonna be meh at best". I really like that games. Super fun and so far on my top 10 of the year
I'm with Zee on this, Grizzled was a bit of a gamble for me since I just don't normally play that kind of game but I really liked the art and the theme so took the jump and it's a really great game.
Codenames was HUGE hit with every group i have played so far
Tom, ZhanGuo does something slightly similar to Asking for Trobils in which you can choose to play cards as "workers" of sorts or choose instead to tuck them for bonus actions that activate when your workers take various actions. :)
Dragonwood - my wife and I really enjoy thus straightforward dice and card game. Pandemic Legacy - I wasn't sure about the legacy part of the game, but this game is my no. 1 for the year for sure. Mottainai - I really like it.
Great top ten
In case no one else has brought it up, another video/board game crossover is Eric Zimmerman who designed Quantum, my favorite game when I get a 4X itch, but don't have 8+ hours to scratch it.
I really like New York 1901. Munchkin Smashup was fun, and an interesting stand-alone "expansion" for Smashup. As for a Kickstarter game I liked, The Captain is Dead was a lot of fun.
I had played the star realms app a little bit but decided to try cthulhu realms. (gotta love the green god) first was not expecting such funny artwork and the quality of the cards. But then the game play was tons of fun. Just setting up massive combos while the other people do the same. Yet you can easily regain a lot of life and defend yourself so to take people out you really have to go after them
That's a bummer. It would be awesome if a game that you didn't expect at all got into your top ten for the year! But either way, great list guys and I'm looking forward to the rest of the top 10's this month!
+Board Games & Bow Ties Yeah man, I was kinda thinking that too. I would rather they have left that ambiguous.
GemBlo Q - I was surprised the half block made as much of a difference as it did.
Magic The Gathering: Arena of the Planeswalkers. I really didn't expect to like it as much as I do, but it's straightforward and has potential to be a really great hobby game. And the price point is ridiculously low.
Talking about Video game/board game designers who cross-over, Eric Lang is co-designing a video game called Duelyst. Not sure how good it is because i haven't played it yet but...
HI, from France, I am a fan of DICE TOWER,
Looking you, guys is a pleasure for me, with Zee and its jokes with SAM, very hilarious.
THE GRIZZLED: it is not a Cool mini or not GAMES,
it is a franchise and it was first released in France by SWEET GAMES . After Cool by the licence to devery it in USA.
I love DICE TOWER and JASON so ..
christophe champalaune
+Christophe Champalaune
I think most of the time people consider as publisher the company that publishes it in their country.
For Thunderstone I think of Edge as the publisher. Because it's the publisher here, in France.
The Grizzled is a truly amazing game. Great pick it would be in my top #10
I think that they should have call this list : Top 11-20 games of 2015.
I'm not Star Wars fan, but my son has Star Wars Risk, so I played it and liked it. It IS a good game.
i think you should totaly do a top 10 "worst game names" list...
+merav L That would be so fun ! :D
Camelcup/camelup
+shawn black would that be considered a bad name or bad logo, though?
#1 - Star Wars Risk
By the way Tom...Motherlode is a mining minigame...it is an actual IP and is pretty old.
my biggest surprise of the year is the EPIC card game. I was expecting a clone of Magic. the only reason why I played it is because someone had a kickstarter edition that looked cool.
I agree with Zee about Fury of Dracula. The 3rd edition is better, really improved ! :) And it was a surprise ! :)
Really thought one of you would put TIME Stories or Pandemic Legacy. :)
+Olivier Prevot Those games will definitely show up on the Top 10 of the Year lists (and therefore were excluded from this one)
+Olivier Prevot I agree with Jonathan, I'm sure Pandemic Legacy wasn't on this list because nobody was surprised they'd love it :D
Super Motherload was a video game. Looks like it was adapted to this board game? Probably named because when you find a lot of something of value, you call it the "motherload," and it was a side-scroller like Super Mario Brothers. Sounds like a good name to me. The rest of them though....
What! they made a board game version of super motherload? that's amazing!
unusual suspects is a great game, alway's brings laughter to the table hehe :D Glad i picked it up at Essen Spiel this year.
We played the grizzeld yesterday and we won it :D after 4 try's with 3ppl
My surprise of this year: Floating Market! Weepers hopeful but the game exceeded everything in quality, artwork, dice, and great gameplay!'
stock ticker is literally buy low sell high, but im not sure if they sell that game anymore
ahahhaah zee epic comment at 25:00
U leprechaun! Thanks 4 the show love it watch it all the time
I think this would have been a much more useful list if it had been top 10 Surprising Games period; Not just from 2015. I get that it's better to keep these up to date, but this is a list people have been clamoring for for awhile.
Great Job, How about a top ten list of great games with terrible names. :) Thanks again
What is Sam brushing across the table all the time? Does he just like touching the felt?
+Jeff p
When the table is "brushed out" it seems to be of a different colour. I think he can't stand it.
+Jeff p little ocd, that's all
Pharaoh's Gulo Gulo
i play it a lot with my daughter she is 4.
It suprised me that it is even very fun for adults. and for both even difficult
you guys should make a top 10 games with bad naming, lol I gotta admit I didn't even watch your review to risk star wars. but I will now.
Since I have Queens Gambit I don't know if this game is worth it. Any comments?
I really wish there would be more "classical euro" style games instead of point salad games with unnecessarily complex rules.
I don't mind complex games for two players though.
Tom, the guy who created TIME Stories is a game developer that works in Ubisoft
+Eyal Itsik And as I recall from the Ludology interview, the lead developer of Hearthstone used to do tabletop CCGs for someone or other. I think a reprint of a preexisting game on Kickstarter had someone who makes roguelikes on the development team, also...
If Sam liked Automania, he might like Factory Fun. Right, Zee? Hehehe...
The designer from T.I.M.E Stories is from Ubisoft so there's a crossover for you.
Giraffes reach high and low, guys. Silly name for a game, yes, but it is very clear why it is named as such.
Where is the top 10 for 2015?
My two surprises were Thunderbirds! and the German import The Game. spiel so lange du kannst! Had no expectation for either, but Thunderbirds is pretty darn true to the series and The Game sees a lot of play, especially with new gamers.
Hengist really surprised me. Well-known designer working with his usual publisher, and the result was so disappointing. I went blindly in to the deal, I was surprised at how bad it was.
At 25:00, Zee lost 50 geek points...
What do they mean by euro games
+Kacie Glass Catan, Carcassonne and Ticket to Ride are all light examples. Agricola, Le Havre and Castles of Burgandy would be heavier examples. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurogame
Above and Below and Steampunk Rally.
MORE ORANGE!
It's the beginning of the end ... run for your life!
Deception: Murder in Hong Kong. Stockpile. Kulami (think that was a reprint though).
Karuba or Cacao?
T.I.M.E. Stories and Pandemic Legacy.
I wonder what makes one game a "money grab" and another game an engaging experience
+Buster Hills-Hughes Maybe on time the word used it's a joke. ;)
+Buster Hills-Hughes they used to refer to that as an irregular conjugation in Yes Minister/Prime Minister. As in my expansion "expands the experience", your expansion "adds more of the same", and his expansion "is a cash grab".
It's also called emotive conjugation
From Yes minister "I have an independent mind, You are eccentric, He is round the twist." or "I give confidential press briefings; you leak; he's being charged under section 2A of the Official Secrets Act."
+Drake Depew somehow you've managed to "expand the expansions of experiences" with those comments.
What?!
Did you feel Star Wars Risk was clearly unbalanced in favor of the good ones?
It's a pity because I like the game a lot!
It's surprising because I don't really like Gold West... I think I enjoy heavier games and so the gameplay was a surprising letdown for me.
So.... Starcassonne...
It's definitely not Carcazone, Sam. It's pronounced like carca-son (as in father and son).
Loopin' Chewy
I'm a newcomer to The Dice Tower vids and so this comment is obviously very late, however as an avid birdwatcher in Oz it's disappointing to hear you guys 'take the piss' as we say down here out of the hobby. Surely you guys understand the stigma that is out there from non-believers, when all they would have to do is experience it to understand how much fun it can be? Sound familiar? I'm going to buy 'Birds of a feather' just for the theme btw!!
Wow, tom looks kinda amish with that beard and hat.
I wanna watch but so unfocused
+Mark Solomon then focus, Mark!
Gi--raff-o-meter
Gi - like in Geek not like Gino, the Italian Guy
raff - like rough with the vowel more like in father
o - o!
meter = well, whatever ...
PRACTISE! (-:
Why all the preamble before saying the name of the game?
Gotta stop watching your videos...saw Risk: Star Wars...the black box in my local shop and bought it...it isn't RIsk...it is good though...lucky there aren't expansions like Tannhauser that you made me buy all of the expansions...apart from the equipment cards that are like rocking horse dung.
Keep up the good work...I suppose...sorry bank balance.