Hi Adam, as a longtime viewer of your channel, I was honored to have Savernake Forest featured among your best of 2023! For me, you make the best video content on game design by a mile, and it was also thanks to your channel that I first heard of Brain Games, which is publishing my next game, Quiz Wiz. Hope you'll like it just as much!
Thanks - yes, I think it’s a shame that most RUclipsrs (not all) seem to occupy the same mid-weight territory. Not many channels value light games as much as I do.
Btw, Rodrigo Rego from Savernake Forest is a friend of mine and I'm very happy to see his game being mentioned across the ocean. I'm sure he feel tha same way 🙏🏼
My kids love Savernake Forest and I had a great time making a solo mode for it! It really did fly under the radar but what a nice looking and simple game.
It has been a few years since I played the original so I’m not sure - maybe a question for the BGG forums? If you’re happy with the original, and it gets played, it is arguably BETTER than the remake because it has more variety. My issue with the original was that it didn’t get played because of the complexity of the various modes etc, so the new version was very welcome. I’ve kept both versions. But I expect that only the new edition will get played.
I'm certainly not going to argue with your list, since it's your opinions, but I do want to disagree with your description of Lorcana. I don't really think it's a game about attacking your opponent. Yes, you DO attack your opponent, but in my plays, I've always treated it as a race game. It's a race to 20, and if you can gain more lore each turn than your opponent, there is no need to ever attack. It's only the person losing the lore race that has to resort to attacking, so I consider a backup strategy, not the main one.
I’ve only ever played with one opponent - so I’m sure there are many strategies we’ve missed. We’re not competitive players. I haven’t played a single game of Lorcana which didn’t feature many attacks. It would be a very solitary (and quick) game without them. I agree it’s only the loser who has to resort to attacks - but in a 2 player game, there is always one player losing at any given time, so the attacks are frequent. My point in highlighting the attacks is that you wouldn’t want to play this game with a player who doesn’t enjoy direct confrontation. I do think that’s true - regardless of your own preferred strategies, your opponent is very likely to attack you - and for a lot of players, that’s not going to be fun.
Villainous is awful. Everyone plays their own mini game that are really unbalanced then compare scores at the end as though it means anything. If it wasn't for the theme, i don't think it would've sold many copies.
Ok, this is some "Anxiety central, East Safe Space station" selection of games that has as much tension in them as peeling a carrot. Nothing wrong with the fact you like them (although this looks more like a Greenpeace propaganda video), but describing the video as "HIS FAVORITE" while naming the video BEST board games of the year - is a bit intellectually dishonest.
Not sure of your definition of board game. If you’re using the definition “must contain a board” - well that eliminates Gigamon, Silver and Gold, Welcome to, Pitch Out, and Cartographers from this list - as well as my game Zing-a-Zam (in fact, all 8 of the games I’ve designed) - I consider all of these board games. And Disney Lorcana does have a board… all sets apart from the blind boosters have a board to track your score and hold your deck and discard pile. If you’re using the definition of “a board game must come in a boxed package with all components needed to play” then Lorcana does offer this. Each starter pack is a decent standalone experience. Lorcana was by far the most prominent game at the world’s biggest board game convention Essen Spiel in October. There’s no useful definition of “board game” that I’ve ever come across. So we can all use the term as we wish. The most useful way to think about it is “how would you describe this game to a non-gamer so that they’d understand” - I guess I’d probably say “card game” for Lorcana. But for me, that’s a subset of “board game”. To be honest, any tabletop game is eligible for my Top 10s, including CCGs, TCGs, LCGs, RPGs, miniature games, party games etc. I would probably draw the line at digital games (otherwise Mario Wonder would probably top the list) but even that’s not set in stone. If it felt like a board game I’d probably include it. Same principle as the release dates. Some of the games in this video were not first released in 2023. Two were released in 2014. I’m happy to be very loose with definitions if it achieves my goal of creating a nice list of 10 games which were really fun and fresh in 2023.
Pitch Out reminds me of L99's Disc Duelers, which was also a disc flicking game, where each piece had its own unique powers. It came with around 50 unique pieces/powers and a separate deck of cards with special powers and several gameplay modes/rulesets. Also didn't do too well. At one point, they started handing out copies for free just to get rid of them.
Hi Adam, as a longtime viewer of your channel, I was honored to have Savernake Forest featured among your best of 2023!
For me, you make the best video content on game design by a mile, and it was also thanks to your channel that I first heard of Brain Games, which is publishing my next game, Quiz Wiz. Hope you'll like it just as much!
Congratulations on both games Rodrigo. I look forward to trying Quiz Wiz :)
I love your choices cause they are solid and absolutely different from all other channels 🙏🏼
Thanks - yes, I think it’s a shame that most RUclipsrs (not all) seem to occupy the same mid-weight territory. Not many channels value light games as much as I do.
Btw, Rodrigo Rego from Savernake Forest is a friend of mine and I'm very happy to see his game being mentioned across the ocean. I'm sure he feel tha same way 🙏🏼
@@herbertph8879 I picked it up in Spain actually :) and brought it back to Wales!
My kids love Savernake Forest and I had a great time making a solo mode for it! It really did fly under the radar but what a nice looking and simple game.
Excellent video and content! Great work.
I love the top10 of the last 5 years!
I own the first edition of medieval Academy. Is it worth keeping? Or can you play the new rules that are cleaner with the old edition?
It has been a few years since I played the original so I’m not sure - maybe a question for the BGG forums?
If you’re happy with the original, and it gets played, it is arguably BETTER than the remake because it has more variety. My issue with the original was that it didn’t get played because of the complexity of the various modes etc, so the new version was very welcome.
I’ve kept both versions. But I expect that only the new edition will get played.
Great list Adam. Thanks.
Thank for these reviews 😄 Happy holidays!
Seeing the animals in Savernake Forest certainly made me chuckle when I first saw info about it. 😁
What a shame I missed Pitched Out at Essen for that bargain price. ;-(
I was tempted to buy a pile of copies myself!!! But I wasn’t sure what I’d do with them 😂
I'm certainly not going to argue with your list, since it's your opinions, but I do want to disagree with your description of Lorcana. I don't really think it's a game about attacking your opponent. Yes, you DO attack your opponent, but in my plays, I've always treated it as a race game. It's a race to 20, and if you can gain more lore each turn than your opponent, there is no need to ever attack. It's only the person losing the lore race that has to resort to attacking, so I consider a backup strategy, not the main one.
I’ve only ever played with one opponent - so I’m sure there are many strategies we’ve missed. We’re not competitive players.
I haven’t played a single game of Lorcana which didn’t feature many attacks. It would be a very solitary (and quick) game without them. I agree it’s only the loser who has to resort to attacks - but in a 2 player game, there is always one player losing at any given time, so the attacks are frequent.
My point in highlighting the attacks is that you wouldn’t want to play this game with a player who doesn’t enjoy direct confrontation. I do think that’s true - regardless of your own preferred strategies, your opponent is very likely to attack you - and for a lot of players, that’s not going to be fun.
@@AdaminWales I agree with that!
Have a great Christmas Adam!
Thanks :) Much appreciated. Same to you.
Villainous is awful. Everyone plays their own mini game that are really unbalanced then compare scores at the end as though it means anything. If it wasn't for the theme, i don't think it would've sold many copies.
It’s been a few years since I’ve played it - but I remember enjoying it. I will give it another go and see if you’re right!
Agreed. I wanted to like it for the theme and production quality, but the gameplay feels like solitaire, at least with the base set.
Completely agree, its amazing good looking really bad game.
Ok, this is some "Anxiety central, East Safe Space station" selection of games that has as much tension in them as peeling a carrot.
Nothing wrong with the fact you like them (although this looks more like a Greenpeace propaganda video), but describing the video as "HIS FAVORITE" while naming the video BEST board games of the year - is a bit intellectually dishonest.
Lorcana isn't a board game.
Not sure of your definition of board game.
If you’re using the definition “must contain a board” - well that eliminates Gigamon, Silver and Gold, Welcome to, Pitch Out, and Cartographers from this list - as well as my game Zing-a-Zam (in fact, all 8 of the games I’ve designed) - I consider all of these board games. And Disney Lorcana does have a board… all sets apart from the blind boosters have a board to track your score and hold your deck and discard pile.
If you’re using the definition of “a board game must come in a boxed package with all components needed to play” then Lorcana does offer this. Each starter pack is a decent standalone experience.
Lorcana was by far the most prominent game at the world’s biggest board game convention Essen Spiel in October.
There’s no useful definition of “board game” that I’ve ever come across. So we can all use the term as we wish. The most useful way to think about it is “how would you describe this game to a non-gamer so that they’d understand” - I guess I’d probably say “card game” for Lorcana. But for me, that’s a subset of “board game”.
To be honest, any tabletop game is eligible for my Top 10s, including CCGs, TCGs, LCGs, RPGs, miniature games, party games etc. I would probably draw the line at digital games (otherwise Mario Wonder would probably top the list) but even that’s not set in stone. If it felt like a board game I’d probably include it.
Same principle as the release dates. Some of the games in this video were not first released in 2023. Two were released in 2014. I’m happy to be very loose with definitions if it achieves my goal of creating a nice list of 10 games which were really fun and fresh in 2023.
Pitch Out reminds me of L99's Disc Duelers, which was also a disc flicking game, where each piece had its own unique powers. It came with around 50 unique pieces/powers and a separate deck of cards with special powers and several gameplay modes/rulesets. Also didn't do too well. At one point, they started handing out copies for free just to get rid of them.
Ah, that sounds great. I’d never heard of it.