IMO there are quite a few people creating content around board games. One area that i personally never get tired of watching is when a group plays a game and records the experience. It is especially nice when they explain the game as they play. I would much rather learn from watching a gameplay than from reading the instructions (when possible). thank you
For someone who doesn’t do board game videos this is a comprehensive list of games that any gamer should own. I own all these and much more but most of the time it’s all about what will fit on one shelf.
Easily my favourite game as well. My group even splurged for the Terraforming Mars Big Box! with all its fantastic 3D printed tiles... unfortunately because of the Pandemic we have not had a chance to actually play it yet.
Awesome video! Also we share our top game of all time! Root is majestic, bold, and has an amazing team behind it. Keep doing boardgame stuff! but continue the books too. Your passion for both shows.
Just stumbled across this, noticed you included games I also enjoy playing (Dominion, King of Tokyo, Deception, Small World) A few that I recommend (if you don't already own them) are Azul, 7 Wonders, Champions of Midgard, Codenames, Captain Sonar, Cthulhu Wars and my all time-favorite... Cosmic Encounter.
Please post more boardgame content! This is a great list featuring all too many that I have not tried myself. Perfect for first-time gamers who might want to start building a collection. Now I need to see about all this book-binging...
Thank you for the great suggestions! I will probably pick up Root. I recommend Here To Slay. It is a monster slaying RPG via dice rolling and card buffing, with an alternative win condition if you can collection one hero of each class. You also play as cute animals!
Thank you for the recommendation for Deception! It sounds like a lot of fun and a game that I can play with all my cousins during our big family gatherings 😂
I noticed that you're a big deck building fan. I do recommend a couple for you. First, play Fort. It's a deck-builder with the same artwork as Root, also from the same company. And Super Motherload, my favorite deck-builder. You and the other opponents are mining Mars.
I can't not watch a top 10 board games! Your list is interesting and I like it. Clank and Root are two of my favorite. I was a little interested to see that you don't have any worker placement games - you would probably like those! (Viticulture, Champions of Midgard, Dune: Imperium, etc)
I am always happy to find a booktuber that is into board games. We have completely different taste in board games XD My favorites include: Call to Adventure, Yedo, Museum, Meadow and Castles of Burgundy! Have fun reading and gaming!
Mega empires/Civilization share #1 for me. Great list! I played Smallworld and Dominion in the past and had a blast. Definitely will look into the other ones 🙂
Solid top 10 list. Well done. Clank in Space, Root, King of Tokyo have all been favorites at some point for us. Sherrif of Nottingham seems like it would have fit your list as well. Been meaning to pick up Robinson Crusoe and Deception at some point. Currently been playing a bunch of Lockup as a light worker placement. Cheers!
Great video and great list. Have a sub. :) I don't think i could put my games into a "top 10". We have dozens and love playing. but here's the list of games we play more regularly than others. I'll exclude games that are on your top 10 list like King of Tokyo. - Elder Sign - actually this may be our most played. Great co-op game, with a mix of dice rolling, risk-pushing, and resource management. - Alhambra - A lovely and challenging tile purchase/placement game - Takenoko - A tileplacement/scoring game with a roving gardener trying to develop land and grow bamboo and a marauding panda intent on eating that bamboo! - Dead of Winter - super tough zombie apocalypse themed co-op game. We rarely win but its great fun losing! - Tiny Epic Galaxies - A fun little game in galatic empire building in a tony box - Quirkle - a simple tile placement game, perfect for a large family game - Camel Up - a fun camel racing game with risk taking guessing/estimation vital for the scoring - Champions of Midguard - a great worker placement game with a Viking theme. - Istanbul - a worker placement game that requires a few plays to get the hang of but is wonderful once you get into it - Lords of Waterdeep - a simple and cutthroat worker placement game set in the Dungeons & Dragons city of Waterdeep. Its a game of gathering resources to complete scoring quests. - Pandemic - really challenging co-op game of trying to save the world from a series of global pandemics.
the top 2 is fine i think, the rest is not top 10 material. i played photosynthesis, and once you cracked the formula, every game is quite similar. Dominion didnt age well in my opinion. Curse cards from certain cards can fuck over players and keep them out of the run, only frustratingly shuffle the deck when there is no thrash card to buy. E.G. quags of quedlinburg would easily make #3 in this list. Quest for el dorado is a muuuch better dominion like deckbuilding game with a race aspect. Mystic vale is muuuch better as dominion in my opinion. dominion is like, ok, scan the 10 caards to buy, take a ling time to think about your strategy, then just auto run your algorithm.
What I love about Small World is that, unlike Risk, there's (mostly) no dice rolling. It's about strategy, not random luck. That being said, the Tales and Legends cards expansion allows you to mix things up in a really fun way. It's well worth trying out.
My personnal favorites board games: 1/ Abyss 2/ Clank! 3/ Diceforge 4/ Dominion 5/ Unstable Unicorn But thanks to you i really want to try King of Tokyo and Root ! Nice video ;)
This was the first video i’ve seen from you Ali and I was just thinking ”Thats a shame that you don’t do more boardgame content” (cause I’m not that in to books😅). Then I read your update coment and subscribed immedietly! Keep up the good work🙌🏼
In the same category as Deception, but not a party game is my favorite: Betrayal at House on the Hill. Like Scooby Doo for grownups. But my kids love it too. Co-OP in the beginning until a Haunt is triggered. Then everyone tried to defeat the "traitor". Check it out. 50 different haunts in the box! Lots of variations
This was awesome. Robinson Crusoe we have an play. We just call it Death on an Island. But super fun to play. Many of the games I have heard of but have not played so excited to get some and play them.
fun list! I just ordered root, looking forward to playing it. Seems like the whimsical art belies what looks like a pretty in depth strategy game. If you like outdoors and hiking, check out the parks game...beautiful artwork, easy to teach, well designed. Maybe save it for rainy days when you can't get outside and hike.
Yeah I love board games. I don't have enough content for a board game channel (nor would I have the energy) but I can see myself making an occasional video. It is a nice diversion.
Great video! I love Dominion, it's been ages since I played it because I don't own it myself, but after your video I want to play it NOW 😃 I just bought Root but I still need to play it! My hopes are high
Please post a short video or speedrun of photosynthesis, and root! They seem interesting and I would love to explore a little bit more before buying them!
As an avid boardgamer: GREAT list...I saw King of Tokyo and thought "Oh she must have just gotten into it...that's great!" and then saw Root: "Nope...she's one of us!" LOL! I have regular Mage Wars and the series doesn't get enough love. I still have all my stuff and never get to play it! Have you ever looked into a Dice Throne? It replaced King of Tokyo for me and because I know you like the 1v1 battles: I think you'll really like it. Each $20 set has two fighters in it and you can mix and match. I'm glad this video came up because I'd like to get more into books and definitely need some help/suggestions and guidance as I wade into it!
@@AliRisdal Would love to see you try Dice Throne on your channel. It's easily my favourite game! I must have played it 1000 times in the last few years. For me there's just something so perfect about the balance of cards and dice, the different possibilities on your player board, and the layers of decisions you get to make about when to play it safe and when to push your luck, which cards to sell and when... when to push for your ultimate! And each hero plays totally uniquely.
Some really classic and varied picks in there Ali! It's pretty rare to see something like Mage Wars in anyone's top 10s. It was one of the first games that really got me into board gaming.
Interesting video, you've succeeded in putting your refined palate for well-designed board games on full display, but alas I have one question... WHERE IS Ｍｏｕｓｅ Ｔｒａｐ✨
I need to add to my board game collection and this was helpful! I just have Catan, Stratego, Risk, Monotony, Labyrinth, and Scrabble. For card games just Magic and Lunch Money/Beer Money
Here's a few you might like based on your taste: If you enjoy planning a strategy in a fantasy world, "Kemet" is a classic. For a deep war board game that makes Risk look like checkers, "Scythe" is an immersive must-own. Since you like the nature theme of Photosynthesis, "Wingspan" is a relaxed strategy game with excellent replay value. Another may-the-best-monster-win game that is fairly short and simple, "Boss Monster" packs a lot into a cards-only game. Highly recommend these, especially Wingspan and Kemet! Thanks for sharing your faves!
Fantastic video. Lots of great games in that list and we have many cross over. Some games you should try: Everdell, Castles of Burgendy, Quacks of Quedlingburg, Love Letter, Parks, Isle of Skye, Canvas, Azul, Calico. My favorites: Blood Rage, Terraforming Mars, Smallworld, 7 wonders duel, Tekhenu
I don’t usually get recommendations for random channels. And I’m not particularly a board game player. But…this was a really good video! You have a knack for CZcams and I liked the content. I may check out some book reviews as well. Keep it up!
Robinson Crusoe!!! I wish it was more accessible to people but I think at this point, removing the difficulty will take away from the design to try to make it easier.
Root, yes, I play it a lot I even 3d printed and painted some figures to replace the tokans and meeples ... lot os fun. Thanks for reminding me of photosynthesis I need to get a copy I liked it.
Good video and nice choices of games. I'd suggest trying Wingspan, Pandemic, or Splendor. All these are must-haves in any collection, but while there are other games in this category, the listed ones I believe will fit your preferences the best :)
@@Digger-Nick Haha, it's hard to take this seriously with a name like Hugh Jass! I giggle and assume everything you say is trolling. If that's not true, I apologize!
@@afriendofafriend5766 Wingspan is a fantastic game, what are you, some kind of person that doesn't know how to have fun? Glad you aren't coming around to my game nights.
This is how you do a top 10 Boardgame Review. Well done! I like that you have many different types of games in your top 10. Very similar to my collection -- a collage of fun times. If you haven't tried Stone Age, you might give it a go. Been in my top 3 for many years now.
Nice list, we have most of those in our collection also. I've been waffling on Root for so long, maybe when we can have game groups again, I'll take the plunge.
I love Dixit. You secretly play a card trying to give clues so people guess your card but your clue can’t be to good because if all players vote for you you score zero points. Other players are playing cards to get votes for their secretly played card based on your clue. When you’re the clue giver your clue has to be just right to get max points. I believe no table talk is how it is played. I have played it both ways and it is a different experience but great. No table talk has a different tension. Table talk has every little thing people say giving clues even when not directly intended. So fun both ways.
I really love Concordia, easy to play but hard to master with its deep strategy. You're basically a trader in the ancient mediterania, and has to score points by playing your cards carefully. El Grande is really fun, a board control game with some interesting mechanics, rounds of secret placements where you have to figure your oppenents moves, hidden units that will be revealed. Azul and Splendor are two easy lightweight games, with enough strategy to keep them interesting.
Yeah, my number 1, Robinson Crusoe for sure. Have all the expansions for it. Also, if you like it enough, the collectors edition on Gamefound is ridiculously bonkers.
I don't see Photosynthesis getting enough love. It's a game I would own if I didn't play so many solo games. Nobody ever brings it to game night anymore.
Best deck building: Aeon's End. Best tower defence: Castle Panic. Best logic puzzle: Okey Dokey. Best kid game: Monsters in the Elevator. Best treasure hunting: Ghost Fightin' Treasure Hunters. Best thematic game for these last few years: Pandemic. Best dice game: Roll for Adventure.
Great list! Dominion was my gateway game too! I still love it, 12 years after I first played it. 💜 If you like Photosynthesis, I might suggest Parks. The applications of the theme don’t make much sense, but it is full of beautiful natural art and has a serene feeling despite being a bit thinky. Deception is great! I have some people who are so reluctant to play a game that they won’t even play a card game … for those people I bring out Just One. It’s not my favourite game ever but it’s delightful to help people try games for the first time! Haven’t played Robinson Crusoe! Looks good! I’ll have to give it a go! I played Root once as the Aeries. I may have to try it again because I absolutely dominated, which might have meant that I got the rules wrong. My frustration with the game is that you have to essentially know every role in order to fully grasp the game, and the asymmetry is amazing but makes the game complex to pick up the first few times.
Nice list of games! Small World is one of my favorites, too. I also enjoy King of Tokyo and Dominion. Some of my family's favs are: 7 Wonders, Splendor, Sushi Go, Machi Koro, Takenoko, Dragonwood, Lanterns, Dark Seas, Loot, Citadels, Carcassonne, Quartz, and Zombie Dice. We just checked out Photosynthesis from our library and can't wait to play it! Thanks for sharing!
YES!! I LOVE finding BookTubers who are also board gamers! (My own CZcams channel is largely split between those 2 interests.) Instantly subscribed. My top 3 board games are: 3) Mr. Jack in New York 2) War of the Ring 1) Gloomhaven And my recommendation for you, if you have 2 or 3 other people who will play through a campaign with you, is "Clank! Legacy: Acquisitions Incorporated".
If you haven't played it yet, you should try out Dune Imperium. Worker placement + Deck building. It's based off the movie more-so than the books I think, but it makes me want to see the upcoming movie all the more. Also I was randomly suggested this video and loved your top 10! You have great taste.
A few I’ve been enjoying lately are: Quacks of Quedlinberg- a push your luck, bag building game that has tonnes of replayability and works with a variety of ages. It’s so much fun, I’d heard it was good but once I played it I realised the hype was real 😂 Wingspan- its just beautiful. It made me take more notice of the birds in my garden, and I bought a lot of feeders and stuff for them. I may be projecting my need to care for a small animal onto birds after my little lady doggo died, but the calm of Wingspan really made me sit back and take notice of nature in a way I haven’t for years. Awesome. Meadow- after feeling a flush of love for nature after playing Wingspan, I decided to give Meadow a try. It’s a lovely gentle game about exploring nature as you walk through trails, noting animals and plants and other sights as you go. The artwork is beautiful, watercolour style and it is an incredibly calming game. The solo mode on it is also very good! Brass:Birmingham- more on the heavier side than the others in my list, but a champion non the less. Industrial Age tycoons seek to build canal and rail networks linking industries spread across the English Midlands, resources flow between players and an economic market, points being scored by canal or rail links, and ‘flipped’ industries (meaning they have been activated when their criteria is met). Setting up a turn where loads of industries flip in one sitting is so satisfying! The rules flow very nicely after a turn or two, it looks like there are lots but it is a deceptively simple game. Brilliant design, and the artwork in the Roxley Games reprint is beautiful. A classic, and a must-have for any Euro fan.
Quacks is a great game! We added some house rules to make the rat tails more powerful where in addition to starting ahead that turn, you also gain that many victory points. It really helps with the runaway leader that most people who play it acknowledge.
Found your channel from your Wingspan video and had to check out your top 10 to see what other games you like! Great list, just played Friday for the first time last night. Root and Small World are also in my top 10!!
The moment when you underestimate the weight of the Root gemebox... By now mine is a solid brick of cardboard and I always forget about that fact. XD You might want to look into Bloodrage for area controll if you can live with the viking theme.
If you think Root is cute, you should check out Everdell, if able. I'm not a huge fan of Root, but I definitely see the appeal for those who do. Everdell is one of my favorite games of all time, it has a beautiful table presence (a la Photosynthesis) and the artwork and theme are super cute!
Original Mage Wars is my favorite 2 player game. 😎 You have a pretty fun top 10. Another 2 player game you might like is Stronghold 2nd edition. It's set in a fantasy world where one player takes on the invading horde races (goblins, orcs and trolls) and the other plays the humans holding off the invaders from breaking into the Castle. It's like the Battle of Helms Deep in Lord of the Rings. There is also Stronghold: Undead, which replaces the first games enemy horde with various undead invaders.
LOVE Mage Wars. What's weird is that, even though I own it (and expansions), I don't think I've played Academy yet. The original has that spatial element that I love, and to me is pretty much the perfect "feel like you're actually a magic user battling another magic user" feel.
One of my favorite board games is tapestry. It's easy to teach but gives enough depth to keep heavy gamers engaged. It's only downfall is the tech tree: discovering nuclear weapons before inventing cars is easy to do.
Love a good board game 😀 if you don't already watch The dice tower I strongly recommend that you do. Great reviews, playthroughs and more. Some good games I really enjoy Dead men tell no tales (co-op) The bloody inn Sub Terra(co-op) Kill doctor lucky Flamme roughe Survive escape from Atlantis Dungeon fighter (co-op) Kemet (area control) Thank you for a great video 😊
Update: I've decided to do more board game videos in the future. I still have a lot to try and discover. What videos would you like to see?
Quacks of Quedlinburg! Super fun push your luck game that is always a hit whenever I introduce it to people.
Games with minis!
Games you thought we’re not your cup of tea and than you played and really liked them.
Perhaps a game with an immersive storytelling element.
Yes games that are more narrative in nature like Forgotten Waters and Legacy of Dragonholt.
IMO there are quite a few people creating content around board games. One area that i personally never get tired of watching is when a group plays a game and records the experience. It is especially nice when they explain the game as they play. I would much rather learn from watching a gameplay than from reading the instructions (when possible). thank you
For someone who doesn’t do board game videos this is a comprehensive list of games that any gamer should own. I own all these and much more but most of the time it’s all about what will fit on one shelf.
Root Is a Fantastic #1! Great game to play again each other and a lot of different play styles and strategies. Love the artwork too. Great List!
Terraforming Mars hits our table more than any other amongst my friends. Its a bit rule heavy , but just an amazing game. Do it.
Easily my favourite game as well. My group even splurged for the Terraforming Mars Big Box! with all its fantastic 3D printed tiles... unfortunately because of the Pandemic we have not had a chance to actually play it yet.
Loveeee the Smallworld and Root choices. Been needing to get to Deception and I think this is the push I needed! Keep up the great work and lists!!
This is gold! Came for the board games, stayed for the books. Nice channel. :)
Awesome video! Also we share our top game of all time! Root is majestic, bold, and has an amazing team behind it. Keep doing boardgame stuff! but continue the books too. Your passion for both shows.
Thank you! 😊
Just stumbled across this, noticed you included games I also enjoy playing (Dominion, King of Tokyo, Deception, Small World) A few that I recommend (if you don't already own them) are Azul, 7 Wonders, Champions of Midgard, Codenames, Captain Sonar, Cthulhu Wars and my all time-favorite... Cosmic Encounter.
Please post more boardgame content! This is a great list featuring all too many that I have not tried myself. Perfect for first-time gamers who might want to start building a collection. Now I need to see about all this book-binging...
Great video. Friday is a brilliant game. Star Relms is my favourite deck builder.
Thank you for the great suggestions! I will probably pick up Root.
I recommend Here To Slay. It is a monster slaying RPG via dice rolling and card buffing, with an alternative win condition if you can collection one hero of each class. You also play as cute animals!
I love this idea! Please make another game video in the future.
Mage Wars Academy!! So glad someone has this excellent game on their top 10!
Thank you for the recommendation for Deception! It sounds like a lot of fun and a game that I can play with all my cousins during our big family gatherings 😂
I noticed that you're a big deck building fan. I do recommend a couple for you. First, play Fort. It's a deck-builder with the same artwork as Root, also from the same company. And Super Motherload, my favorite deck-builder. You and the other opponents are mining Mars.
I can't not watch a top 10 board games! Your list is interesting and I like it. Clank and Root are two of my favorite. I was a little interested to see that you don't have any worker placement games - you would probably like those! (Viticulture, Champions of Midgard, Dune: Imperium, etc)
I am always happy to find a booktuber that is into board games. We have completely different taste in board games XD My favorites include: Call to Adventure, Yedo, Museum, Meadow and Castles of Burgundy! Have fun reading and gaming!
I consider myself a game person and I don’t have any of these!!! How is that possible?! 🤦♀️ Fun video!
Root has quickly become my favorite too, I played it 5 times in a row with my friends a couple nights ago hahaha
omg! I love that otter moonlight shirt lmao love it
First time I hear about Root. I'm gonna check it out sounds cool and looks pretty.
Mega empires/Civilization share #1 for me. Great list! I played Smallworld and Dominion in the past and had a blast. Definitely will look into the other ones 🙂
great list - I already really enjoy Photosynthesis, Clank, and King of Tokyo a lot so maybe I know which ones to try next!
Solid top 10 list. Well done. Clank in Space, Root, King of Tokyo have all been favorites at some point for us. Sherrif of Nottingham seems like it would have fit your list as well. Been meaning to pick up Robinson Crusoe and Deception at some point. Currently been playing a bunch of Lockup as a light worker placement. Cheers!
I really like Sheriff of Nottingham 😊 I'll look into lockup
Very good and informative video, Ali 😀!
My favourite games are Pandemic, CATAN, Ticket to Ride, and Carcassonne
Great video and great list. Have a sub. :)
I don't think i could put my games into a "top 10". We have dozens and love playing. but here's the list of games we play more regularly than others. I'll exclude games that are on your top 10 list like King of Tokyo.
- Elder Sign - actually this may be our most played. Great co-op game, with a mix of dice rolling, risk-pushing, and resource management.
- Alhambra - A lovely and challenging tile purchase/placement game
- Takenoko - A tileplacement/scoring game with a roving gardener trying to develop land and grow bamboo and a marauding panda intent on eating that bamboo!
- Dead of Winter - super tough zombie apocalypse themed co-op game. We rarely win but its great fun losing!
- Tiny Epic Galaxies - A fun little game in galatic empire building in a tony box
- Quirkle - a simple tile placement game, perfect for a large family game
- Camel Up - a fun camel racing game with risk taking guessing/estimation vital for the scoring
- Champions of Midguard - a great worker placement game with a Viking theme.
- Istanbul - a worker placement game that requires a few plays to get the hang of but is wonderful once you get into it
- Lords of Waterdeep - a simple and cutthroat worker placement game set in the Dungeons & Dragons city of Waterdeep. Its a game of gathering resources to complete scoring quests.
- Pandemic - really challenging co-op game of trying to save the world from a series of global pandemics.
Your top 2 games are both SO GOOD!!! My favorite of all time is Spirit Island 😍 Looking forward to more board game content from you! -Evan
the top 2 is fine i think, the rest is not top 10 material. i played photosynthesis, and once you cracked the formula, every game is quite similar. Dominion didnt age well in my opinion. Curse cards from certain cards can fuck over players and keep them out of the run, only frustratingly shuffle the deck when there is no thrash card to buy. E.G. quags of quedlinburg would easily make #3 in this list. Quest for el dorado is a muuuch better dominion like deckbuilding game with a race aspect. Mystic vale is muuuch better as dominion in my opinion. dominion is like, ok, scan the 10 caards to buy, take a ling time to think about your strategy, then just auto run your algorithm.
I love Spirit Island!
What I love about Small World is that, unlike Risk, there's (mostly) no dice rolling. It's about strategy, not random luck. That being said, the Tales and Legends cards expansion allows you to mix things up in a really fun way. It's well worth trying out.
My personnal favorites board games:
1/ Abyss
2/ Clank!
3/ Diceforge
4/ Dominion
5/ Unstable Unicorn
But thanks to you i really want to try King of Tokyo and Root !
Nice video ;)
Great games, great video. I love books and boardgames so your channel is hidden gem for me :)
A well rounded list. My favorite is Empire Builder the train game, and its series of different maps.
This was the first video i’ve seen from you Ali and I was just thinking ”Thats a shame that you don’t do more boardgame content” (cause I’m not that in to books😅). Then I read your update coment and subscribed immedietly! Keep up the good work🙌🏼
Last night on earth is a good zombie board game worth checking out. And I do love warhammer underworlds too, like a fantasy/war board game
In the same category as Deception, but not a party game is my favorite: Betrayal at House on the Hill. Like Scooby Doo for grownups. But my kids love it too. Co-OP in the beginning until a Haunt is triggered. Then everyone tried to defeat the "traitor". Check it out. 50 different haunts in the box! Lots of variations
Dead of Winter is similar but even better imo
Nice explanation, concise but conveying for each title the reasons why you find it fun or entertaining. You also appear genuine and natural. Cool
This was awesome. Robinson Crusoe we have an play. We just call it Death on an Island. But super fun to play. Many of the games I have heard of but have not played so excited to get some and play them.
fun list! I just ordered root, looking forward to playing it. Seems like the whimsical art belies what looks like a pretty in depth strategy game. If you like outdoors and hiking, check out the parks game...beautiful artwork, easy to teach, well designed. Maybe save it for rainy days when you can't get outside and hike.
How do you like Root
Thanks for the video, never heard of Root before, but seems really great!
Great video Ali! This was a nice unique diversion from books yeah? You gave me some ideas for games to look into. Root especially sounds pretty fun.
Yeah I love board games. I don't have enough content for a board game channel (nor would I have the energy) but I can see myself making an occasional video. It is a nice diversion.
Great explanation of great games!
two Robinson Crusoe themed board games, Nice!
Such fun boardgames. Would love to play Photosynthesis.
Great video! I love Dominion, it's been ages since I played it because I don't own it myself, but after your video I want to play it NOW 😃
I just bought Root but I still need to play it! My hopes are high
It takes awhile to read through and learn it if you haven't played it yet, but it is definitely worth it.
Please post a short video or speedrun of photosynthesis, and root! They seem interesting and I would love to explore a little bit more before buying them!
As an avid boardgamer: GREAT list...I saw King of Tokyo and thought "Oh she must have just gotten into it...that's great!" and then saw Root: "Nope...she's one of us!" LOL! I have regular Mage Wars and the series doesn't get enough love. I still have all my stuff and never get to play it! Have you ever looked into a Dice Throne? It replaced King of Tokyo for me and because I know you like the 1v1 battles: I think you'll really like it. Each $20 set has two fighters in it and you can mix and match. I'm glad this video came up because I'd like to get more into books and definitely need some help/suggestions and guidance as I wade into it!
I'm going to look Dice Throne up right now 😊
@@AliRisdal Would love to see you try Dice Throne on your channel. It's easily my favourite game! I must have played it 1000 times in the last few years. For me there's just something so perfect about the balance of cards and dice, the different possibilities on your player board, and the layers of decisions you get to make about when to play it safe and when to push your luck, which cards to sell and when... when to push for your ultimate! And each hero plays totally uniquely.
Good selection of light-medium-heavy games
Some really classic and varied picks in there Ali! It's pretty rare to see something like Mage Wars in anyone's top 10s. It was one of the first games that really got me into board gaming.
Root! One of my Top 10 as well.
Surprisingly good list. Root is my favourite game as well. Great video!
You should look into Everdell if you like woodland creatures
Interesting video, you've succeeded in putting your refined palate for well-designed board games on full display, but alas
I have one question...
WHERE
IS
Ｍｏｕｓｅ Ｔｒａｐ✨
Good to see that there is someone who likes small world, and photosynthesis. Our group has tried a few times in an attempt to like them.
You hit on a bunch of my favorites. Some others I really enjoy:
* Camel Up
* Lords of Waterdeep
* Terraforming Mars
* Machi Koro
* Scythe
I need to add to my board game collection and this was helpful! I just have Catan, Stratego, Risk, Monotony, Labyrinth, and Scrabble. For card games just Magic and Lunch Money/Beer Money
Very nicely done video. It was enjoyable. I also like Root. My current favorite board game is Terraforming Mars.
Splendor and Dice Forge are two of our family favorites
Here's a few you might like based on your taste:
If you enjoy planning a strategy in a fantasy world, "Kemet" is a classic.
For a deep war board game that makes Risk look like checkers, "Scythe" is an immersive must-own.
Since you like the nature theme of Photosynthesis, "Wingspan" is a relaxed strategy game with excellent replay value.
Another may-the-best-monster-win game that is fairly short and simple, "Boss Monster" packs a lot into a cards-only game.
Highly recommend these, especially Wingspan and Kemet! Thanks for sharing your faves!
Root is my favorite board game as well! My goal is to (eventually) play as every single faction.
That is a sweeeeet otter shirt!
Fantastic video. Lots of great games in that list and we have many cross over.
Some games you should try: Everdell, Castles of Burgendy, Quacks of Quedlingburg, Love Letter, Parks, Isle of Skye, Canvas, Azul, Calico.
My favorites: Blood Rage, Terraforming Mars, Smallworld, 7 wonders duel, Tekhenu
I don’t usually get recommendations for random channels. And I’m not particularly a board game player. But…this was a really good video! You have a knack for CZcams and I liked the content. I may check out some book reviews as well. Keep it up!
Robinson Crusoe!!! I wish it was more accessible to people but I think at this point, removing the difficulty will take away from the design to try to make it easier.
Great games. Amazing job 👏
Good list, a few that I have not played that I need to try :D
Root, yes, I play it a lot I even 3d printed and painted some figures to replace the tokans and meeples ... lot os fun.
Thanks for reminding me of photosynthesis I need to get a copy I liked it.
That sounds amazing! I would love to see that
Good video and nice choices of games. I'd suggest trying Wingspan, Pandemic, or Splendor. All these are must-haves in any collection, but while there are other games in this category, the listed ones I believe will fit your preferences the best :)
Pandemic is trash
@@Digger-Nick Haha, it's hard to take this seriously with a name like Hugh Jass! I giggle and assume everything you say is trolling. If that's not true, I apologize!
@@Digger-Nick *All 3* of them are
@@afriendofafriend5766 Wingspan is a fantastic game, what are you, some kind of person that doesn't know how to have fun? Glad you aren't coming around to my game nights.
This is how you do a top 10 Boardgame Review. Well done!
I like that you have many different types of games in your top 10. Very similar to my collection -- a collage of fun times. If you haven't tried Stone Age, you might give it a go. Been in my top 3 for many years now.
Nice list, we have most of those in our collection also. I've been waffling on Root for so long, maybe when we can have game groups again, I'll take the plunge.
I'm glad I happened to find your channel. You've got a great way of explaining games succinctly. Please do more of these!
I love Dixit. You secretly play a card trying to give clues so people guess your card but your clue can’t be to good because if all players vote for you you score zero points. Other players are playing cards to get votes for their secretly played card based on your clue. When you’re the clue giver your clue has to be just right to get max points. I believe no table talk is how it is played. I have played it both ways and it is a different experience but great. No table talk has a different tension. Table talk has every little thing people say giving clues even when not directly intended. So fun both ways.
I really love Concordia, easy to play but hard to master with its deep strategy. You're basically a trader in the ancient mediterania, and has to score points by playing your cards carefully.
El Grande is really fun, a board control game with some interesting mechanics, rounds of secret placements where you have to figure your oppenents moves, hidden units that will be revealed.
Azul and Splendor are two easy lightweight games, with enough strategy to keep them interesting.
Yeah, my number 1, Robinson Crusoe for sure. Have all the expansions for it. Also, if you like it enough, the collectors edition on Gamefound is ridiculously bonkers.
I don't see Photosynthesis getting enough love. It's a game I would own if I didn't play so many solo games. Nobody ever brings it to game night anymore.
Two games to try and add to your collection: Wingspan and Parks. Both fun!
Some solid choices there. Root is awesome! My copy is upgraded like crazy.
Best deck building: Aeon's End.
Best tower defence: Castle Panic.
Best logic puzzle: Okey Dokey.
Best kid game: Monsters in the Elevator.
Best treasure hunting: Ghost Fightin' Treasure Hunters.
Best thematic game for these last few years: Pandemic.
Best dice game: Roll for Adventure.
Great list! Dominion was my gateway game too! I still love it, 12 years after I first played it. 💜
If you like Photosynthesis, I might suggest Parks. The applications of the theme don’t make much sense, but it is full of beautiful natural art and has a serene feeling despite being a bit thinky.
Deception is great! I have some people who are so reluctant to play a game that they won’t even play a card game … for those people I bring out Just One. It’s not my favourite game ever but it’s delightful to help people try games for the first time!
Haven’t played Robinson Crusoe! Looks good! I’ll have to give it a go!
I played Root once as the Aeries. I may have to try it again because I absolutely dominated, which might have meant that I got the rules wrong. My frustration with the game is that you have to essentially know every role in order to fully grasp the game, and the asymmetry is amazing but makes the game complex to pick up the first few times.
We love Terraforming Mars. It is part cooperative, part competitive. When the kids are home, we play it at least once a week.
Great work, keep it up. So many good games, but this reminds me I need to get Root as my next game.
Nice list of games! Small World is one of my favorites, too. I also enjoy King of Tokyo and Dominion. Some of my family's favs are: 7 Wonders, Splendor, Sushi Go, Machi Koro, Takenoko, Dragonwood, Lanterns, Dark Seas, Loot, Citadels, Carcassonne, Quartz, and Zombie Dice. We just checked out Photosynthesis from our library and can't wait to play it! Thanks for sharing!
I own every game you listed... was hoping for some new ideas but the good ones are the good ones for a reason
Nice list! Added Root to my wishlist
hmmmm These look like fun. I'll get some. Dominion looks interesting! Small world also seems interesting!
These are some great recommendations! Robinson Crusoe sounds like a blast. Hope to see another one of these board game rec videos!
YES!! I LOVE finding BookTubers who are also board gamers! (My own CZcams channel is largely split between those 2 interests.) Instantly subscribed. My top 3 board games are:
3) Mr. Jack in New York
2) War of the Ring
1) Gloomhaven
And my recommendation for you, if you have 2 or 3 other people who will play through a campaign with you, is "Clank! Legacy: Acquisitions Incorporated".
If you haven't played it yet, you should try out Dune Imperium. Worker placement + Deck building. It's based off the movie more-so than the books I think, but it makes me want to see the upcoming movie all the more. Also I was randomly suggested this video and loved your top 10! You have great taste.
Acckk! Get some fitting sleeves for Deception: Murder in HK - I can't look at those cards peeking out :)
A few I’ve been enjoying lately are:
Quacks of Quedlinberg- a push your luck, bag building game that has tonnes of replayability and works with a variety of ages. It’s so much fun, I’d heard it was good but once I played it I realised the hype was real 😂
Wingspan- its just beautiful. It made me take more notice of the birds in my garden, and I bought a lot of feeders and stuff for them. I may be projecting my need to care for a small animal onto birds after my little lady doggo died, but the calm of Wingspan really made me sit back and take notice of nature in a way I haven’t for years. Awesome.
Meadow- after feeling a flush of love for nature after playing Wingspan, I decided to give Meadow a try. It’s a lovely gentle game about exploring nature as you walk through trails, noting animals and plants and other sights as you go. The artwork is beautiful, watercolour style and it is an incredibly calming game. The solo mode on it is also very good!
Brass:Birmingham- more on the heavier side than the others in my list, but a champion non the less. Industrial Age tycoons seek to build canal and rail networks linking industries spread across the English Midlands, resources flow between players and an economic market, points being scored by canal or rail links, and ‘flipped’ industries (meaning they have been activated when their criteria is met). Setting up a turn where loads of industries flip in one sitting is so satisfying! The rules flow very nicely after a turn or two, it looks like there are lots but it is a deceptively simple game. Brilliant design, and the artwork in the Roxley Games reprint is beautiful. A classic, and a must-have for any Euro fan.
Quacks is a great game! We added some house rules to make the rat tails more powerful where in addition to starting ahead that turn, you also gain that many victory points. It really helps with the runaway leader that most people who play it acknowledge.
Found your channel from your Wingspan video and had to check out your top 10 to see what other games you like! Great list, just played Friday for the first time last night. Root and Small World are also in my top 10!!
Everdell, Space Base, Ecos: First Continent, and ALL the Tiny Epic's
The moment when you underestimate the weight of the Root gemebox...
By now mine is a solid brick of cardboard and I always forget about that fact. XD
You might want to look into Bloodrage for area controll if you can live with the viking theme.
I love Deception! Grey Fox Games are based a mile or two from where I work.
If you think Root is cute, you should check out Everdell, if able. I'm not a huge fan of Root, but I definitely see the appeal for those who do. Everdell is one of my favorite games of all time, it has a beautiful table presence (a la Photosynthesis) and the artwork and theme are super cute!
Glad I looked this up. My favorite board game is EVO.
Original Mage Wars is my favorite 2 player game. 😎
You have a pretty fun top 10.
Another 2 player game you might like is Stronghold 2nd edition. It's set in a fantasy world where one player takes on the invading horde races (goblins, orcs and trolls) and the other plays the humans holding off the invaders from breaking into the Castle. It's like the Battle of Helms Deep in Lord of the Rings.
There is also Stronghold: Undead, which replaces the first games enemy horde with various undead invaders.
LOVE Mage Wars. What's weird is that, even though I own it (and expansions), I don't think I've played Academy yet. The original has that spatial element that I love, and to me is pretty much the perfect "feel like you're actually a magic user battling another magic user" feel.
One of my favorite board games is tapestry. It's easy to teach but gives enough depth to keep heavy gamers engaged. It's only downfall is the tech tree: discovering nuclear weapons before inventing cars is easy to do.
Love a good board game 😀 if you don't already watch The dice tower I strongly recommend that you do. Great reviews, playthroughs and more.
Some good games I really enjoy
Dead men tell no tales (co-op)
The bloody inn
Sub Terra(co-op)
Kill doctor lucky
Flamme roughe
Survive escape from Atlantis
Dungeon fighter (co-op)
Kemet (area control)
Thank you for a great video 😊
Great Pics!
I like the video. Good games definitely, i have most and the rest looks interesting also. Great choices, but where are the videos about the books?