Sam: 10: Summoner wars 9: BattleLore 2nd ed. 8: Small World 7: Hero Realms 6: Kingsburg 2nd Ed. 5: Rum & Bones Second Tide 4: Shadows Over Camelot 3: Sword & Sorcery 2: Zombicide: Black Plague 1: Warhammer Underworld Shadespire Tom: 10: Thunderstone Quest 9: Battleground Fantasy Warfare 8: Summoner Wars 7: Battle of the Five Armies 6: Heroes of Land, Air & Sea 5: Defenders of the Realm 4: Descent: Journeys in the Dark 2nd. Ed. 3: Dungeons and Dragons: Castle Ravenloft (ect) 2: Near and Far 1: Gloomhaven Zee 10: Paper Tales 9: Blue Moon Legends 8: Arcane Academy 7: Big Book of Madness 6: Magic the Gathering 5: Roll Player 4: Near and Far 3: Abyss 2: Legends of Andor 1: Summoner Wars
- Gloomhaven - wizard's academy - aventuria card game - D&D boardgames - lord of the rings lcg - castle panic - 12 realms - smallworld - Masmorra - Mice & Mystics - aeon's end (+argonauts if we add mythology + reflets d'acide as a french game + spirit island, mechs vs minions for strange games )
1. Gloomhaven 2. Mage Knight board game 3. The City of Kings 4. Near and Far 5. Descent the Road to Legend 6. Sword & Sorcery 7. World of Warcraft the boardgame 8. Kingdom Death Monster 9. Shadows of Brimstone 10. Return of the Heroes
Great to get more Top10s I always love this. I also really appreciate that some components get shown while speaking about the games. It gives a better idea about the game other than the cover. Always great to have you three talking bout games. Cheers
mgk2020 isn’t that just gaming though? Mechanisms are what makes a game. It might be argued that in tabletop ALL themes are pasted on, it’s just an issue of degrees and which game more smoothly incorporates its superimposed theme. Some do it so fluidly that the theme seems inexorably linked to the mechanisms even if technically it’s not, and some are Dominion. I think your criticisms, while valid, are not specific to any reviewers or game genres, but just a description of the hobby itself.
Sam gets some guff for taking his time to say the game name, but I really like that long description style. Something for everyone. Please don't change.
He just needed a power nap. In all seriousness it seemed like he was gassy or had an upset stomach or something. Probably just taking a moment to gather himself. Now that I've expunged my opinion on this pressing matter, I will say I really enjoyed this video and how the guys always seem to make each other crack up even if the list is not their favorite subject matter to talk about.
I'm afraid it had much more to do with the all the "excitement" caused by the game that Zee was describing than with his stomach... that is, unless just hearing the words "Bluemoon Legends" upset his stomach in the first place, which may very well be ;)
This video is a remake of a very important video. the original Top 10 Fantasy games video most likely was the 1st Dice Tower Video I watched. In 2013, I bought Tomb: Cryptmaster. I have to credit this game for sparking my interest in becoming a board game hobbyist. I had dipped my toes in the hobby for years, but this game changed everything. I now knew there had to be other awesome board games out there and had to find them. I Googled for top 10 fantasy board games and found the Dice Tower and I bought a handful of games at the time. Some weren't favorites others were great. And the rest is history. A couple of games that were not successful for me was Smallworld, which I prefer the digital version, and Defenders of the Realm, of which HEXplore It now beats. But the Cutthroat Caverns review by Tom, I discovered later was a hit for me. And while I still love fantasy games, my favorite 2 games are not fantasy games.
Joe Langdale I guess that depends on how you define the theme. Additionally, placing on the list is a combination of theme and gameplay. It's a good enough game, with enough theme, to make the list. It probably wouldn't be number one.
Sam, that movie was called The Sword and the Sorcerer. It was from the early 80s and I hadn't thought of it in decades until the game box for Sword & Sorcery popped up. Then you brought it up! I can't imagine it holding up, since I don't remember seeing it playing on any of the movie channels or in the video stores when they were a thing. That's not uncommon for 80s genre movies. Many had horrendous scores, special effects, acting, etc. I may have to look that one up to watch MST3K style.
Mythology is fantasy. Most modern fantasy is based on mixing up Norse myth (dwarves, elves, etc.) with Judaic myth (angels and demons), Celtic/Gaelic myth (faeries and wraiths), Greek myth (hydras, phoenixes) and many more (magics, gods, dragons, etc). Just because there's a religious component doesn't make it any less fantastical.
Ethnos is one of my favorite kinda generic fantasy games, such a great game. Would absolutely love an updated Top 10 3 Player games, been a few years, and I need some new 3 player best games to purchase.
I haven't played any of these I started following the channel to get away from video games and more into board games! :-) thabk you guys for the great games!
To clarify, Thunderstone Quest is NOT out. Only the people who kickstarted it have it. The retail version is still unannounced. Please Tom, don't tease us like that!! :p
Good point, I love the game. Um, I just forgot it maybe? I'm not sure. I thought I had a good reason, but I don't. It should have been on the list, sorry!
Haha. I went to comment the same thing and saw Tom did forget about it. I was also surprised battlelore didn't make it but I guess descent was that themes representative. I wonder if Arcadia quest would replace an entry or just bump off thunderstone....
Thunderstone Quest is definitely on my list, too. I've played 9 of the 11 mission, and I've had 2 other plays of the game. And now...I think I'm gonna play again!
I believe that's why they left off the last "s" in Sword (and Sorcery). There was, indeed, a knock-off of DnD called Swords and Sorcery. Chivalry was another one. Harn, Empire of the Petal Throne...there were a bunch of them back in the day.
1. Tomb & Tomb: Cryptmaster: I credit this dungeon crawl as my entrance into the hobby. The rule books are horrid but the game is a blast. This is D&D in a box, more so than any D&D game. Go in room, fight monsters for xp, find treasure for xp, defeat traps for xp, whoever has the most xp in the end wins. Cryptmaster is a stand alone expansion. I mix them together. My 3rd favorite game of all time. 2. Cutthroat Caverns: The one time adventures, of which there are only 4 I believe, are amazing, the game itself is also very good. I just love this game. I own most expansions, but not all. My 4th favorite game. 3. Talisman (Revised 4th Edition): I been playing Talisman since 1986, and still is in my top 10. Its long and I don't play it often, maybe 3 times a year. I love it. It is the best fantasy adventure game. My 10th favorite game. 4. Three Dragon Ante: a weak choice in theme, but I love this card game. My 16th favorite game. 5. Roll Player: I am with Zee on this one, a fairly fun game, with some unique strategy. My 21st favorite game. 6. Above and Below: I disagree with the naysayers on this one, I quite enjoy it. My 23rd favorite game. 7. Belfort: This is a mid weight Euro but with fantasy creatures. The theme is thin, and is also more comic in nature, with a serious Euro game play. My 28th favorite game. 8. Wiz-War: I enjoy this classic in its more modern version. My 53rd favorite game. 9. Mechs vs. Minions: needs more plays but was fun. My 54th favorite game. 10: Drakon: an extremely light but competitive dungeon crawl. My 64th favorite game. 11. Dungeons and Dragons Adventure System Board Games (Wrath of Ashardalon Board Game): I am with Tom on this one, I own the 1st 3, none of the new ones. My 68th favorite game. 12. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey: replaces the classic LoR co-op. My 77th favorite game. 13. Taverna: an interesting fantasy tavern game. My 78th favorite game. 14. HEXplore It: a mixture of Runebound and Defenders of the Realm, but better than both. My 80th favorite game. 15. Prophecy: potential to bypass Talisman, but due to lack of content doesn't have as much replayability. My 81st favorite game. 16. Runebound 2nd Edition: an enjoyable adventure but won't play with more than 3 players. My 82nd favorite game.
I am happy to see that Zee, though fantasy is not his favorite theme, had a much more "on target" list this time (compared to the your last top 10 fantasy). And am vary glad to see Legends of Andor on this list! I was surprised that "100 Swords" or "Claim" didn't make Zee's List. I am also supersized Catacombs didn't make Tom's list.
It's interesting that Legends of Andor is so often criticized for this "don't kill everything"-aspect. That was in fact the part which sold me on it, that it's 99% puzzle and only marginally a fantasy RPG. :D
1. Seasons 2. Argent: The Consortium 3. Tyrants of the Underdark 4. Gloomhaven 5. Clank!: A Deck-Building Adventure 6. A Game of Thrones: The Card Game (Second Edition) 7. Aeon's End 8. The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game 9. Mystic Vale 10. War of the Ring (Second Edition)
ZEE magic the gathering is making a euro game, enjoy... Yes Sam, warhammer!! And I gotta give props to zee for magic the gathering and appreciating 1980s fantasy artwork :)
Whether on here as a top 10 or on the podcast, you need to do a top 10 solo games. I know Tom is not a big solo player, but has played some. The discussion could also be about the types of game. Beat your score, with or without a score chart vs clear Win objectives eg terraforming mars/Sylvion. Dummy players like feast for Odin or full automa in scythe.
I'm shocked noone did put Mage Knight on the list. I love Sam's choices and I love the fact that he did put Hero Realms on the list - it was my "wanna-buy", but now it moved to "must-buy" ;) Greetings from Poland, I'm waiting for more tops!
It is a great game for sure.... but a bit too clunky. In many ways Gloomhaven kinda killed it. Course I cannot say TOO much, as i am not much into fantasy games and one of them is the pathfinder adventure card game.... so what do I know
Sam, totally agree on Shadespire! It’s excellent even without all the expansions. Zee, love the shoutout for Abyss! Great card game in a captivating setting.
I completely agree that Magic: The Gathering did a great take on fantasy. I like it when stories combine fantasy and sci-fiction, like the golems and phyrexians. Many of the Magic sets also did fantasy with unusual settings, for example the north African feel to the Mirage block. As testament: I stopped playing Magic years ago because I think its a completely broken game, but I still like to check in on it to follow the story because I like the characters and meta-plot that much.
I haven't played much that counts as fantasy. The only game I can think to suggest is "Iron Dragon", the fantasy version of Empire Builder, and the only version of EB I will still play.
Small World and Terra Mystica are both really great fantasy games. Descent 2ed is massive amounts of fun, especially Road to Legend, but it takes a long time to play so not for everyone I guess.
My top 10 fantasy games: 1. Roll Player 2. Lords of Waterdeep 3. Hero Realms 4. MTG 5. RDI: Battle for Greyport 6. Aeon's End 7. Dark Souls 8. Gloomhaven 9. The Big Book of Madness 10. Welcome to the Dungeon
Question for each of you guys. Tom: Are you excited for the new Dungeons and Dragons Adventure Board Game? Sam: Are you excited for the new Green Horde expansions as well as the Massive Darkness crossover kit & the new Sword & Sorcery expansions? Zee: While not Fantasy lol. Are you excited for Cthulhu: Death May Die? I know I am excited.
Hard choice between that and Krull for worst movie I've ever seen in a theater (even considering my fantasy-soaked teenage mind was so willing to give them the benefit of the doubt!).
1. Warhammer Quest 2. Kingdom Death Monster 3. DungeonQuest 4. Folklore 5. Talisman Are mine. Probably. At least Warhammer Quest is number one. Still the best dungeon dive.
It amazes how many Tolkien fans don't understand or seem to have misunderstood the books. Peter Jackson apparently had experts help to write the story and yet he couldn't get basic storyline/timelines right, from Frodo leaving for Rivendell 9 months after Gandalf (not together), to the party having zero reasons to trust or spend the night after their encounter with Aragorn (as its portrayed in the movie ), to even the simple turning of Frodo choosing to take the ring as something solemn and sad which Gandalf and Elrond argued about because essentially your sending your friends to almost certain death, into basically a comical scene, where all the hobbits and everyone else are laughing that they are all going to Mordor to die, or Gimli thinking his relatives are all fine in Moria, even though Gandalf and Aragorn are filled with dread at the idea and they sneak in from the back entrance. I could go on about so many issues with the movies, but ill address the question asked. Firstly the Eagles are not humans and have different motivations (although yes they hate Wargs and orcs), but that is very different than committing almost certain suicide by flying to Mt. Doom. But lets say I give the people who make this argument, and lets say both the Eagles agreed and also somehow miraculously (which I would argue is almost impossible, they could flew into Morodor without notice, rather than being been killed the second reports of their passage was noticed by the dark lords minions, which would be the likely outcome). People forget even if they succeeded against all odds with such a stupid plan to fly there, at the point Frodo would go to cast the ring into Mt Doom, he would fail, instead he would likely put it on and then most likely be caught, unless of course one of his friends was strong enough to kill him and throw him in. We didn't see one hero, not even Isildur, strong enough in the story to resist the power of the ring, and in such close proximity to it's creator, the likelihood is that all that would have occurred is failure. It was by sheer luck, or possibly destiny, that Gollum was there to take the ring and then accidently fall in as a result
+zorba geek *We didn't see one hero, not even Isildur, strong enough in the story to resist the power of the ring...* This is not true. Faramir rejected the One Ring quite easily, as illustrated in the Two Towers: _"I would not take this thing, if it lay by the highway. Not were Minas Tirith falling in ruin and I alone could save her, so, using the weapon of the Dark Lord for her good and my glory. No, I do not wish for such triumphs, Frodo son of Drogo."_ As for accusing Peter Jackson of not getting timelines or story details correctly in LotR, that was not a matter of ignorance but a conscious decision on his part to condense and/or expedite matters for the sake of the viewer. A film is a wholly different animal from a novel; if you don't judiciously excise expendable material from the book and keep things tight, you'll never get the movie out within the specified running time. For this reason, adaptations are necessarily their own thing and should really be judged solely by how well they convey the spirit of the original. Jackson hit it out of the park in that regard.
Others like Faramir resisted the influence of the ring, but they never touched or carried it for any period of time(e.g. both Gandalf and Galadriel). Sam did willingly give it up and even he struggled, and only carried it for a short period of time. But I am specifically speaking about destroying the ring. That is a very different to simply resisting it's lure. Outside of TomBombadil, I don't think any hero or characters in the story would likely have had the strength to make that decision. So far the ones who did try including Frodo, failed. The likely outcome if you inserted Faramir, Sam etc. would have been the same as Frodo.The ring would have been put on, Souron would have been alerted to its presence and his forces, power and will brought to recover it
Mythology, Fantasy and Horror are are the same things just from different angles. Dwarves and Elves are found in Norse mythology for example. Zombies are horror when they are treated as a threat that is oppressive and inescapable but in fantasy they are fodder for destruction.
Others that may also be concidered: Bargain Quest, Dice Forge, Lords of Hellas... the last 2 may not meet fantasy genre exactly but I'm not sure where you would put them... also, where does blood rage and rising sun fit in? Where does Celestia and Grimm Forest fit?
My brother was making a 1v1 fantasy skirmish game and I was like "well we have to try Shadespire cause that's the cream of the crop." I've never seen a game get thrown away so fast. Just from pure luck of dice rolls/card drawing I beat my brother without taking 1 wound on any character I had. I think there's some cool stuff in Shadespire but I don't like the random/secret objectives for sure.
I love the Fantasy Theme, but for Religious reasons, I don't like using Magic in games... Any good Game Suggestions for Fantasy that doesn't use Magic?
sagrada? did they just draw a comparison between roll player and sagrada (approx 34:55)? i have never played either, but isn't sagrada the stained glass window game? how is that similar to roll player? is there a different sagrada?
I think they said they were too much in the 'mythic' category (hence no Kemet or Cyclades either). Myth IS fantasy though, so I think they got that wrong...
Sam:
10: Summoner wars
9: BattleLore 2nd ed.
8: Small World
7: Hero Realms
6: Kingsburg 2nd Ed.
5: Rum & Bones Second Tide
4: Shadows Over Camelot
3: Sword & Sorcery
2: Zombicide: Black Plague
1: Warhammer Underworld Shadespire
Tom:
10: Thunderstone Quest
9: Battleground Fantasy Warfare
8: Summoner Wars
7: Battle of the Five Armies
6: Heroes of Land, Air & Sea
5: Defenders of the Realm
4: Descent: Journeys in the Dark 2nd. Ed.
3: Dungeons and Dragons: Castle Ravenloft (ect)
2: Near and Far
1: Gloomhaven
Zee
10: Paper Tales
9: Blue Moon Legends
8: Arcane Academy
7: Big Book of Madness
6: Magic the Gathering
5: Roll Player
4: Near and Far
3: Abyss
2: Legends of Andor
1: Summoner Wars
Miss Lucky Ducky thank you!
The real mvp
Surprised Zee mentioned Big Book of Madness, I love that game, I feel it's pretty underrated.
THANK YOU!
Lol, "You've been Gloomhavened!" It's always fun watching you guys interact. Great video
- Gloomhaven - wizard's academy - aventuria card game - D&D boardgames - lord of the rings lcg - castle panic
- 12 realms - smallworld - Masmorra - Mice & Mystics - aeon's end (+argonauts if we add mythology + reflets d'acide as a french game
+ spirit island, mechs vs minions for strange games )
1. Gloomhaven
2. Mage Knight board game
3. The City of Kings
4. Near and Far
5. Descent the Road to Legend
6. Sword & Sorcery
7. World of Warcraft the boardgame
8. Kingdom Death Monster
9. Shadows of Brimstone
10. Return of the Heroes
Wow the boardgame with all expansions owns them all
Great to get more Top10s I always love this. I also really appreciate that some components get shown while speaking about the games. It gives a better idea about the game other than the cover. Always great to have you three talking bout games. Cheers
I learn a lot from your videos while I was learning english. Primarily the words created by Tom.
You've been Gloomhavered!!
Ice Guardian
A lot of pasted on themes for a Best of list, but an enjoyable video to watch for the banter.
mgk2020 isn’t that just gaming though? Mechanisms are what makes a game. It might be argued that in tabletop ALL themes are pasted on, it’s just an issue of degrees and which game more smoothly incorporates its superimposed theme. Some do it so fluidly that the theme seems inexorably linked to the mechanisms even if technically it’s not, and some are Dominion. I think your criticisms, while valid, are not specific to any reviewers or game genres, but just a description of the hobby itself.
Trevin Taylor We don't agree.
mgk2020 empirical descriptions of reality aren't really something to agree or disagree on. I wasn't offering a subjective opinion.
I am from Poland and I am using this review as my practice of english.
Naramsin do you play neuroshima hex?
Yeah, Lithuanian here, learning English from this channel for 10 years now :D
This is where you learn English? You poor fools.
I don't understand what you say. Please speak English :D
Ha! 😂
I love the top ten lists, it's always entertaining to watch you guys rip on each other!
Sam gets some guff for taking his time to say the game name, but I really like that long description style. Something for everyone. Please don't change.
Did Sam fall asleep there at 10:15-ish? lol
He just needed a power nap. In all seriousness it seemed like he was gassy or had an upset stomach or something. Probably just taking a moment to gather himself. Now that I've expunged my opinion on this pressing matter, I will say I really enjoyed this video and how the guys always seem to make each other crack up even if the list is not their favorite subject matter to talk about.
Is a recently discovered condition: Knizia-induced Narcolepsy.
LOL! I think he did.
I'm afraid it had much more to do with the all the "excitement" caused by the game that Zee was describing than with his stomach... that is, unless just hearing the words "Bluemoon Legends" upset his stomach in the first place, which may very well be ;)
I'm seriously curious and maybe a little worried about Sam
This video is a remake of a very important video. the original Top 10 Fantasy games video most likely was the 1st Dice Tower Video I watched.
In 2013, I bought Tomb: Cryptmaster. I have to credit this game for sparking my interest in becoming a board game hobbyist. I had dipped my toes in the hobby for years, but this game changed everything. I now knew there had to be other awesome board games out there and had to find them.
I Googled for top 10 fantasy board games and found the Dice Tower and I bought a handful of games at the time. Some weren't favorites others were great. And the rest is history. A couple of games that were not successful for me was Smallworld, which I prefer the digital version, and Defenders of the Realm, of which HEXplore It now beats. But the Cutthroat Caverns review by Tom, I discovered later was a hit for me.
And while I still love fantasy games, my favorite 2 games are not fantasy games.
Roll Player is a fantastic game. I'm very excited for the expansion.
Agreed! I think if the expansion was out already, Roll Player might have been higher on Zee's list.
I am waiting for Roll Player Monster.
mgk2020 not very thematic though
Joe Langdale I guess that depends on how you define the theme. Additionally, placing on the list is a combination of theme and gameplay. It's a good enough game, with enough theme, to make the list. It probably wouldn't be number one.
Sam, that movie was called The Sword and the Sorcerer. It was from the early 80s and I hadn't thought of it in decades until the game box for Sword & Sorcery popped up. Then you brought it up! I can't imagine it holding up, since I don't remember seeing it playing on any of the movie channels or in the video stores when they were a thing. That's not uncommon for 80s genre movies. Many had horrendous scores, special effects, acting, etc. I may have to look that one up to watch MST3K style.
As soon as he started talking I was like, "HEY! There's a Rifftrax for that!" www.rifftrax.com/the-sword-and-the-sorcerer
Awesome. I forgot all about Rifftrax.
Punk0 it doesn’t, it’s terrible -Dragon Slayer does though 😏
I like to make my own list before I watch these top 10s, and most of my games were reflected here, but shout out for Aeon's End and Catacombs!
Mythology is fantasy. Most modern fantasy is based on mixing up Norse myth (dwarves, elves, etc.) with Judaic myth (angels and demons), Celtic/Gaelic myth (faeries and wraiths), Greek myth (hydras, phoenixes) and many more (magics, gods, dragons, etc).
Just because there's a religious component doesn't make it any less fantastical.
"Isn't Kemet based on the Harry Potter Universe" hahahahahahah
SuperWolfkin Zee’s jokes are soooo good! I’m envious of anybody that has him on his table he can make even the most boring game entertaining.
the way Zee built up the trap for Tom was freakin awsome :D "you've been gloomhavened" :)) these guys are just epic
That dragon in the thumbnail looks AWESOME. What game is he from?
Ethnos is one of my favorite kinda generic fantasy games, such a great game.
Would absolutely love an updated Top 10 3 Player games, been a few years, and I need some new 3 player best games to purchase.
I like it too.
I haven't played any of these I started following the channel to get away from video games and more into board games! :-) thabk you guys for the great games!
To clarify, Thunderstone Quest is NOT out. Only the people who kickstarted it have it. The retail version is still unannounced. Please Tom, don't tease us like that!! :p
This video still relevant today. Love it. Keep an eye open for Cycle of Prophecy. Will be in your new top ten fantasy next year. Much love.
My top 3 right now would be Gloomhaven, Aventuria Adventure Card Game, and Aeon's End War Eternal.
Dean Muramoto I love Aventuria!
Alex Bok it's such a fun cooperative game. I have 3 expansions.
Dean Muramoto I have 2 because one was out of stock when I was ordering. I think they have a total of 4 expansions now?
Battleground is on sale at Board Game Bliss here in Canada
No Arcadia Quest on Toms list? How can that be, the game is like in top 10 of all time for him.
Good point, I love the game. Um, I just forgot it maybe? I'm not sure. I thought I had a good reason, but I don't. It should have been on the list, sorry!
Haha. I went to comment the same thing and saw Tom did forget about it. I was also surprised battlelore didn't make it but I guess descent was that themes representative. I wonder if Arcadia quest would replace an entry or just bump off thunderstone....
For me, Arcadia Quest is my no.1 :)
Haha, I was sure it will be your top 2 :). Would probably make my top 1. Love the game.
Omg, the whole Gloomhavered interaction was pure gold!!!!!
Thunderstone Quest is definitely on my list, too. I've played 9 of the 11 mission, and I've had 2 other plays of the game. And now...I think I'm gonna play again!
I believe that's why they left off the last "s" in Sword (and Sorcery). There was, indeed, a knock-off of DnD called Swords and Sorcery. Chivalry was another one. Harn, Empire of the Petal Throne...there were a bunch of them back in the day.
1. Tomb & Tomb: Cryptmaster: I credit this dungeon crawl as my entrance into the hobby. The rule books are horrid but the game is a blast. This is D&D in a box, more so than any D&D game. Go in room, fight monsters for xp, find treasure for xp, defeat traps for xp, whoever has the most xp in the end wins. Cryptmaster is a stand alone expansion. I mix them together. My 3rd favorite game of all time.
2. Cutthroat Caverns: The one time adventures, of which there are only 4 I believe, are amazing, the game itself is also very good. I just love this game. I own most expansions, but not all. My 4th favorite game.
3. Talisman (Revised 4th Edition): I been playing Talisman since 1986, and still is in my top 10. Its long and I don't play it often, maybe 3 times a year. I love it. It is the best fantasy adventure game. My 10th favorite game.
4. Three Dragon Ante: a weak choice in theme, but I love this card game. My 16th favorite game.
5. Roll Player: I am with Zee on this one, a fairly fun game, with some unique strategy. My 21st favorite game.
6. Above and Below: I disagree with the naysayers on this one, I quite enjoy it. My 23rd favorite game.
7. Belfort: This is a mid weight Euro but with fantasy creatures. The theme is thin, and is also more comic in nature, with a serious Euro game play. My 28th favorite game.
8. Wiz-War: I enjoy this classic in its more modern version. My 53rd favorite game.
9. Mechs vs. Minions: needs more plays but was fun. My 54th favorite game.
10: Drakon: an extremely light but competitive dungeon crawl. My 64th favorite game.
11. Dungeons and Dragons Adventure System Board Games (Wrath of Ashardalon Board Game): I am with Tom on this one, I own the 1st 3, none of the new ones. My 68th favorite game.
12. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey: replaces the classic LoR co-op. My 77th favorite game.
13. Taverna: an interesting fantasy tavern game. My 78th favorite game.
14. HEXplore It: a mixture of Runebound and Defenders of the Realm, but better than both. My 80th favorite game.
15. Prophecy: potential to bypass Talisman, but due to lack of content doesn't have as much replayability. My 81st favorite game.
16. Runebound 2nd Edition: an enjoyable adventure but won't play with more than 3 players. My 82nd favorite game.
I am happy to see that Zee, though fantasy is not his favorite theme, had a much more "on target" list this time (compared to the your last top 10 fantasy). And am vary glad to see Legends of Andor on this list! I was surprised that "100 Swords" or "Claim" didn't make Zee's List. I am also supersized Catacombs didn't make Tom's list.
It's interesting that Legends of Andor is so often criticized for this "don't kill everything"-aspect. That was in fact the part which sold me on it, that it's 99% puzzle and only marginally a fantasy RPG. :D
Zee’s Face when they are explaining the Different Dwarves!!!🤣🤣🤣
Surprised Arcadia Quest and Conan didn't make it to the list!
Tom said he doesn't know why he didn't put AQ on, and it should have been there.
World of Warcraft Board Game. I don't play the video game, but I love the board game with a passion.
"You've been gloomhavened" That was worth the hour to watch.
1. Seasons
2. Argent: The Consortium
3. Tyrants of the Underdark
4. Gloomhaven
5. Clank!: A Deck-Building Adventure
6. A Game of Thrones: The Card Game (Second Edition)
7. Aeon's End
8. The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game
9. Mystic Vale
10. War of the Ring (Second Edition)
Incredible cut at 2:22. I love you guys...
The beginning of the video looked like a giant about to stomp on a troll. Very thematic guys.
ZEE magic the gathering is making a euro game, enjoy... Yes Sam, warhammer!! And I gotta give props to zee for magic the gathering and appreciating 1980s fantasy artwork :)
Whether on here as a top 10 or on the podcast, you need to do a top 10 solo games.
I know Tom is not a big solo player, but has played some.
The discussion could also be about the types of game. Beat your score, with or without a score chart vs clear Win objectives eg terraforming mars/Sylvion. Dummy players like feast for Odin or full automa in scythe.
I'm shocked noone did put Mage Knight on the list.
I love Sam's choices and I love the fact that he did put Hero Realms on the list - it was my "wanna-buy", but now it moved to "must-buy" ;) Greetings from Poland, I'm waiting for more tops!
It is a great game for sure.... but a bit too clunky. In many ways Gloomhaven kinda killed it.
Course I cannot say TOO much, as i am not much into fantasy games and one of them is the pathfinder adventure card game.... so what do I know
No Ethnos? I know the theme is weak but it is better than at least half the games you mentioned. It is so scalable and has great replayability.
Zee at 1:06:42 LOL. RE: Clicking the CZcams Bell notifications for The Dice Tower.
The movie is called The Sword and The Sorcerer. Fantastic lesser known fantasy movie from the 80's/early 90's.
Julian Jimenez 1982
How many times have you played Thunderstone Quest since then, Tom?
Sam, totally agree on Shadespire! It’s excellent even without all the expansions.
Zee, love the shoutout for Abyss! Great card game in a captivating setting.
I completely agree that Magic: The Gathering did a great take on fantasy. I like it when stories combine fantasy and sci-fiction, like the golems and phyrexians. Many of the Magic sets also did fantasy with unusual settings, for example the north African feel to the Mirage block. As testament: I stopped playing Magic years ago because I think its a completely broken game, but I still like to check in on it to follow the story because I like the characters and meta-plot that much.
33:55 Defenders of the Realm isn't just a fantasy version of Pandemic, it's the best version of Pandemic.
I think by this point, we are past using Descent as the bar for comparison in dungeon crawlers. It is still a major influence, but no longer the bar.
Too Many Bones!? Great beautiful game with an original self made fantasy setting.
I haven't played much that counts as fantasy. The only game I can think to suggest is "Iron Dragon", the fantasy version of Empire Builder, and the only version of EB I will still play.
First thumbs up nice :) Nice list guys, how recent have you played some of the games you listed in your top tens? Many good choices list by all.
Small World and Terra Mystica are both really great fantasy games. Descent 2ed is massive amounts of fun, especially Road to Legend, but it takes a long time to play so not for everyone I guess.
18:56 It's fantasy horror, jeez XD Genres CAN combine, you know. And totally valid for this list :)
My top 10 fantasy games:
1. Roll Player
2. Lords of Waterdeep
3. Hero Realms
4. MTG
5. RDI: Battle for Greyport
6. Aeon's End
7. Dark Souls
8. Gloomhaven
9. The Big Book of Madness
10. Welcome to the Dungeon
Question for each of you guys.
Tom: Are you excited for the new Dungeons and Dragons Adventure Board Game?
Sam: Are you excited for the new Green Horde expansions as well as the Massive Darkness crossover kit & the new Sword & Sorcery expansions?
Zee: While not Fantasy lol. Are you excited for Cthulhu: Death May Die? I know I am excited.
Please play gloomhaven live with Sam and Zee
I hope they re-do the sci-fi list too. much more interested in that one (but i still love me some top 10)
Sam: The Sword and the Sorcerer (1982)
Oh man... Tom and Zee... Do NOT waste your time watching it. Dreadful movie! heh
KabukiKid I completely agree.
Showing my age, I remember this movie.
Hard choice between that and Krull for worst movie I've ever seen in a theater (even considering my fantasy-soaked teenage mind was so willing to give them the benefit of the doubt!).
M M had Mazes and Monsters been released in theaters it would probably top the list.
1. Warhammer Quest
2. Kingdom Death Monster
3. DungeonQuest
4. Folklore
5. Talisman
Are mine. Probably. At least Warhammer Quest is number one. Still the best dungeon dive.
Actually updating my number 5 to Dungeon Degenerates.
The name of the film Sam was trying to remember is "The Sword and the Sorcerer
".
The Dungeons and Dragons series rated higher than Descent????
.......I have no words.
Sam, there is no towing the line. Rum & Bones is most definitely fantasy. That game is awesome and it deserves a place on the list.
It amazes how many Tolkien fans don't understand or seem to have misunderstood the books. Peter Jackson apparently had experts help to write the story and yet he couldn't get basic storyline/timelines right, from Frodo leaving for Rivendell 9 months after Gandalf (not together), to the party having zero reasons to trust or spend the night after their encounter with Aragorn (as its portrayed in the movie ), to even the simple turning of Frodo choosing to take the ring as something solemn and sad which Gandalf and Elrond argued about because essentially your sending your friends to almost certain death, into basically a comical scene, where all the hobbits and everyone else are laughing that they are all going to Mordor to die, or Gimli thinking his relatives are all fine in Moria, even though Gandalf and Aragorn are filled with dread at the idea and they sneak in from the back entrance.
I could go on about so many issues with the movies, but ill address the question asked. Firstly the Eagles are not humans and have different motivations (although yes they hate Wargs and orcs), but that is very different than committing almost certain suicide by flying to Mt. Doom. But lets say I give the people who make this argument, and lets say both the Eagles agreed and also somehow miraculously (which I would argue is almost impossible, they could flew into Morodor without notice, rather than being been killed the second reports of their passage was noticed by the dark lords minions, which would be the likely outcome). People forget even if they succeeded against all odds with such a stupid plan to fly there, at the point Frodo would go to cast the ring into Mt Doom, he would fail, instead he would likely put it on and then most likely be caught, unless of course one of his friends was strong enough to kill him and throw him in. We didn't see one hero, not even Isildur, strong enough in the story to resist the power of the ring, and in such close proximity to it's creator, the likelihood is that all that would have occurred is failure. It was by sheer luck, or possibly destiny, that Gollum was there to take the ring and then accidently fall in as a result
Also, middle earth was imagined as a British/European mythology.
+zorba geek
*We didn't see one hero, not even Isildur, strong enough in the story to resist the power of the ring...*
This is not true. Faramir rejected the One Ring quite easily, as illustrated in the Two Towers:
_"I would not take this thing, if it lay by the highway. Not were Minas Tirith falling in ruin and I alone could save her, so, using the weapon of the Dark Lord for her good and my glory. No, I do not wish for such triumphs, Frodo son of Drogo."_
As for accusing Peter Jackson of not getting timelines or story details correctly in LotR, that was not a matter of ignorance but a conscious decision on his part to condense and/or expedite matters for the sake of the viewer. A film is a wholly different animal from a novel; if you don't judiciously excise expendable material from the book and keep things tight, you'll never get the movie out within the specified running time. For this reason, adaptations are necessarily their own thing and should really be judged solely by how well they convey the spirit of the original. Jackson hit it out of the park in that regard.
Also although Sam carried the ring he was also the only one to freely give it up, don't tell me Samwise wasn't a hero!
Others like Faramir resisted the influence of the ring, but they never touched or carried it for any period of time(e.g. both Gandalf and Galadriel). Sam did willingly give it up and even he struggled, and only carried it for a short period of time. But I am specifically speaking about destroying the ring. That is a very different to simply resisting it's lure.
Outside of TomBombadil, I don't think any hero or characters in the story would likely have had the strength to make that decision. So far the ones who did try including Frodo, failed. The likely outcome if you inserted Faramir, Sam etc. would have been the same as Frodo.The ring would have been put on, Souron would have been alerted to its presence and his forces, power and will brought to recover it
zorba geek the books are boring. Couldn’t finish the second one.
Honestly, I correctly guessed about half of each of these lists. Except Zee. Zee always throws me a curve ball.
Same in the Sword % Sorcery movie his sword was called the "Sly Sword".
Too Many Bones? Excellent game and a mostly original fantasy theme.
Mythology, Fantasy and Horror are are the same things just from different angles. Dwarves and Elves are found in Norse mythology for example. Zombies are horror when they are treated as a threat that is oppressive and inescapable but in fantasy they are fodder for destruction.
The difference between fantasy and horror is not the setting, but the feel of the game.
Bam son ! You’ve been Gloomhavered ! Get em’ Zee !
Others that may also be concidered: Bargain Quest, Dice Forge, Lords of Hellas... the last 2 may not meet fantasy genre exactly but I'm not sure where you would put them... also, where does blood rage and rising sun fit in? Where does Celestia and Grimm Forest fit?
Love to see the gang play a Dungeon Crawl Classics funnel adventure, especially Zee :)
The directors cut of Battle of 5 Armies has like 20 more minutes of final Battle.
Can we get an update of the top 10 fantasy list?
The sword and the sorcerer! Epic 80's movie
I was not expecting it, but still sad that Spirit Island is not on this list :(
What's the thumbnail artwork from? Was kind of hoping it was from one of these games cuz it's quite nice
2:14 I don't think you do, Zee XD Also, yeah, go get him, Tom!
YES!!!!
A NEW TOP 10 FANTASY GAMES!!!!
My brother was making a 1v1 fantasy skirmish game and I was like "well we have to try Shadespire cause that's the cream of the crop." I've never seen a game get thrown away so fast. Just from pure luck of dice rolls/card drawing I beat my brother without taking 1 wound on any character I had. I think there's some cool stuff in Shadespire but I don't like the random/secret objectives for sure.
Why isn't Cosmic Encounters on Tom's list? Isn't that Fantasy & Sci-Fi?
Chris Theisen It's Sci-fi, so it wouldn't fit on this list.
I'm on your side, Sam... Shadespire is excellent.
KabukiKid ,hey kabukikid :) agreed
How do you guys feel about The Red Dragon Inn or Battle for Greyport?
I want to see a kickstarter for a fantasy game called "Zee's Love for Elves". Everyone playing must wear elf ears.
A barbarian without a name might be the saddest thing I've ever heard. Also sounds like a good book title.
"... You're right though... I've been gloomhavened" - Haha
I love the Fantasy Theme, but for Religious reasons, I don't like using Magic in games... Any good Game Suggestions for Fantasy that doesn't use Magic?
Hard to believe Arcadia Quest didn't make it on a list!
Top 10 Cyberpunk games...now that is something I'd really like to see...is that even possible with Cyberpunk being so horrifically under-represented?
sagrada? did they just draw a comparison between roll player and sagrada (approx 34:55)? i have never played either, but isn't sagrada the stained glass window game? how is that similar to roll player? is there a different sagrada?
Surely games like Blood Rage and Rising Sun count as Fantasy? Surprised not to see at least one of these there.
I think they said they were too much in the 'mythic' category (hence no Kemet or Cyclades either). Myth IS fantasy though, so I think they got that wrong...
The movie is The Sword and the Sorcerer.
Mage Knight
And it's not even mentioned on the video!
A mediocre single player game that gets overhyped because of its high production quality.
That's funny, because I'd say it's a really good 1-3 player game with mediocre production quality (thanks Wizkids!)
It's the 15 minutes between turns that kills that game for me, It's a really well designed game that's just not fun
Revtroz Straight Cray-cray English.
The side disagreements are a great aspect of these videos.
You can't get more fantasy than Conan. And Tom, no Arcadia Quest?
An online store in my country has a -40% sale on Summoner Wars, is this a sign ?
Interessantes Video :) Ich möchte die anderen Regale auch sehen... Auf welche Flohmärkte geht ihr denn?? Ich finde solche Spiele nie...
Summoner Wars on everyone's list. Still going strong after so many years! :)