I think the original dynamic between Sam/Tom/Zee was my favorite - it really did just feel like three friends talking about games they liked. Over time, that dynamic shifted, Sam moved on to new opportunities/locales, life goes on However, I think Mike is probably the funniest host they've ever had and has natural charisma in front of the camera. Having him carry Sam's torch as the second capstone of the "Big 3" works great.
10 years ago, I sold my entire Magic collection. Was done with TCGs/CCGs. Then the owner of my FLGS convinced me to play in the SWU Spark of Rebellion Prerelease and now I'm hooked. Such a great game. I agree with Zee, it's fresh. The back and forth of the action system is great. Never a dull moment. I also love the multiplayer format Twin Suns! Get together with some friends and play the whole night. My most played game of 2024! And my favorite.
Maybe it's just a slow year in board gaming. but I hadn't found much of anything new coming out this year that has really caught my attention. I had only even heard of 6 of these. I think these videos added more to my buy list than everything else combined in 2024.
Endeavor Deep Sea is one of the best games to come out in 2024, surprised not to see it at all here, have you tried it guys? Definitely deserves recognition :)
I feel like the general impression of this year from what i've seen is that its been "alright" but it has been absolutely KILLER for me, just an insane number of games that are hitting my top 50 of all time and at least one cracking the top 10. Quick note if Dilisio sees this: Civolution is terrific solo, beats out AFfO as my favorite solo heavy euro. There is a fan made app on BGG that replaces the deck of cards and makes it run even smoother.
wow. I can't believe my n.1 is the same as Mike's. I never have crossovers with Mike. Zee is my man, or at least he used to be. His top10 this year is waaay off to what we were used to
I really need to get Atlas Lost and Nova Roma played. They both came in when I was extremely burnt out on learning new games, and got pushed to the back burner.
I just commented on some slightly older studio videos stating the sound quality is poor. Some are truly dreadful like nova roma. This setup is miles ahead on clarity. Might be uglier setup, but vast improvement. Please do this for all videos 👍 If people complain you can always ceiling mount if suitable...
I was planning to buy 7 wonders dual this year, but then saw LOTR dual came out with very similar mechancis with a great theme. It was perfect timing for me
I never noticed before now how much Mike can sound like Wallace Michael Shawn (Toy Sory's Rex). It must be the good mics they're using now, or maybe it's just me!
In my opinion Ezra & Nehemiah is smooth and clean, Inventors of the South Tigris is WAY heavier. Love them both but Ezra & Nehemiah isn't nearly as overwhelming as I feel Mike may have implied.
Out of curiosity, where did Slay the Spire rank on your lists? Close to top 10? Well off? Love the game and debating getting the boardgame to play with my partner who's also a fan of it
Great stuff as usual! Thanks! Only one comment…since when lords of the rings duel is asymmetric game?! Is it because the bad guys when starting have one coin less 😂?! The rest is completely symmetrical. From the ring track to the military map…😜 such a cool game…
@@thedicetower It's good enough to be on both! But seriously, I'll go watch that list too. I'm already bought in to Heroscape heavily, but enjoy the videos.
My picks for 2024: 1. Lord of the Rings Duel 2. Burning Banners 3. Arcs 4. Civolution 5. Dune Imperium Uprising* 6. Castle Combo 7. Gloomhaven Button and Bugs *I realize DI: Uprising was a “2023” release, but don’t mistake me for a reviewer, my access to it was in 2024. Games I would like to try: Voidfall Ezra and Nehemiah Minos Game I plan on passing on: SW Unlimited. I have every SW: LCG pack and I feel like I’m set for FF Star Wars card games for a long, long while.
My experience of LoTR Duel has been different than Zee's; the Area Control and Race win conditions are both significant but the Ring track seems like a clear third and neither me nor my housemate who I play with have been able to win with it yet.
their top 5 dont cross with any if thier own top 5 is probably rare. I figured all 3 would have arcs and or andromdea edge as on of thier top 5 games. Seeing zee was the only person to pick the raven game was pretty crazy to me.
I played 13 games published in 2024. Here are my top 10. (There may be some games, marked with a “*”, that were technically published last year but I didn’t get a chance to play them until this year.) 10. BLACK FOREST. This game has such interesting resource conversions, and good action selection. I did play one game that ended unexpectedly, so I have to remember that it can go quickly! 9. FORGES OF RAVENSHIRE. I was really impressed by this. I hadn’t seen the “place a worker, take a worker” mechanic since Raiders of the North Sea, but this one is with dice whose values affect the power of the action, and the dice you pull back give you neat effects based on tiles you’ve collected. I agree with the criticism that burning all the wood for coal is probably not viable, but I was charmed by this game and really enjoyed it. 8. UNCONSCIOUS MIND. Agree with everything that was said in this video. Remarkably smooth with a beautiful theme and interesting gameplay. I didn’t quite grasp the district scoring, but I’m sure I would with more plays, which I hope to have. 7. EZRA AND NEHEMIAH. This one was enjoyable and, like Mike said, did feel like a “greatest hits” from Phillips and MacDonald. The walls are tricky to master, but certainly help you when you do! 6. PAMPERO. This one is a beautiful game, and I was surprised by how well it flowed. The decisions were so punishing, but I loved it! The only minor criticisms I’d have would be with the turn order, or with the weakness of some of the cards. However, I kept wanting to bring it back to the table. I love how you have to choose to sacrifice money to take actions, knowing that money = points. 5. EVACUATION.* Now we’re getting into some of my favourite games of all time. Suchý absolutely delivers on this mind-crunching space game, and I am all here for it. The turn phases are so unique, and I love the action point system and the ramifications of how many points you use. You often can’t do everything you want to do, so you have to make great choices! I also love how you can play with certain modes or modules to make it exactly the game you want. 4. INVENTORS OF THE SOUTH TIGRIS. Considering the authors, I was surprised at how much of a point salad this game is, but I love how you can play it many times, trying different strategies each time, and you never know who will come out on top. I have the feeling this will only improve with time. 3. VOIDFALL.* I was sure I was going to hate this game. It looked like a giant 4X game with tons of combat, excessive miniatures, and an absurdly long setup time. And you know what? It kinda is all those things. But I think the reason I don’t hate it is its Euro nature, with all the resource management and track advancement that you do. The combat is fully deterministic so you can plan out the full thing without having to worry about things like dice luck, and most of it is not even with other players, but with the Voidborn aliens. Absolutely worth the time investment. Great game. 2. INVENTIONS: EVOLUTION OF IDEAS. I’d played several Lacerdas before, but this one absolutely grabbed me from the first play. It’s incredibly complex, and yet it’s not very difficult to teach because the mechanics make sense and the iconography and player aids are excellent. The wealth tiles are admittedly the main source of points, but they are expensive to play, and you have to invest in other actions to get them. Pretty much everyone I’ve taught this to loves the game. 1. SCHOLARS OF THE SOUTH TIGRIS.* This game is about translating (I’m a French teacher) and involves colour theory (I dabble in design), plus it involves dice placement (a favourite mechanic of mine), so this game is just perfect for me. I love it so much. Not much more to say, other than that I love it! Inventions: Evolution of Ideas Inventors of the South Tigris Scholars of the South Tigris* Voidfall*
I can’t tell you how much it pleases me to see Scholars your #1. It currently is my favorite game. So much thinking and strategizing and different strategies for victory
Ezra and Nehemiah is significantly lighter than their newest release, no idea where Mike is coming from. In fact it might be lighter than the entire South Tigris series.
Hmm Atlas is ranked at like a 7.1 not a terrible rating but when there are so many 9s and 10s that's kind of the kiss of death. That said, I'll still try it out.
Is there a review for Civolution on the Dice Tower? I've been waiting for a review for this as I'm not sure if I want this and I've yet to see it. Are there plans to review this?
I think my biggest surprise overall is their love of Unconscious Mind. My feelings for this game pretty much echo Mike when he says that "it doesn't feel like a bloated mess", just without the word "doesnt"....
Why? Take your time. The best games from 2024 will become clearer over time. You'll get a chance to work out the game that REALLY hits your sweet spot.
@@amunt3r I don't think I fully understand your point? I agree that it is better to give new games some time and see what sticks rather than immediately buying everything due to hype, but what does that have to do with me being surprised with all the love that Unconscious Mind is getting since I think it is a fairly bad game?
@amunt3r you have answered the wrong message dude or you need to trap down on the hard liquor.I edited my original comment right after posting it because spelling Unconscious Mind is hard....
Saint Petersburg used to be a favorite but I've decided it breaks down at low players 2/3 so it's 4P or bust for me and also I find that I dislike the market phase more and more... Game feels like a tighter expression with more player expression without it (first round 4VP building player vs guy taking money making nobles or guy really saving up for workers at end of round
Happy to see that Arcs was not on more lists. It is an incredibly over hyped experience that's only elevated by its campaign mode, since the base game is mid at best.
I've only played Arcs once and was a huge fan before it released but man is it a very lucky strategy game. You can be the ultimate planner but the hand you get dealt in the end game can really cripple your efforts. The dice combat I don't mind because you get to choose the mitigation. However I played 3 player and if 2 players share a similar goal and you're odd man out without the right suit you are done before you start the last round. It was so close to a perfect game for me that it sank to only above average. I love the powers and the combat and the components but everything hinges on very lucky mechanisms like cards dealt and dice rolls.
River of Gold is an L5R game? Where's the game where you hit Oni and zombies with tetsubo? How about a Last Bastion-style game with players defending a Crab stronghold from encroaching Shadowlands hordes?
Roy left the Dice Tower a while back and now owns and runs an Anime and Board Games shop called Otaku. He is living his best life and seems super happy
I think it is unfortunate that the lists are split into "Top 10 Surprises" and "Top 10 Games", since some games are actually both, and it would be interesting to see that reflected in the lists. If you were not expecting a game to be as great as is it, it should be both in the Surprises and the main list.
Priority goes to the Top 10 of the year, even if it was a big surprise. That way, the surprises list still gets to feature 10 games outside of the 10 best of the year.
There are actually not that many things to do in "SETI", you essentially either fly, scan or upgrade. And it plays heavier than it is, because you have to consider so many details for each action. The theme is cool, but the game has problems.
Civolution is awesome favorite game this year, more theme then they said I think I wish it was one more round in length. And I usually don't like his designs and the components are awesome, I love the player boards. So much to do, so many paths feels like a civ game where can't do it all. Biggest disappointment is Unconscious Mind I give it like a 6. The town board disconnect and the way the end game is triggered it was so un-fun when we where likely parts of the game a lot. The art was amazing, the components great, the table/action selection and the player treating people all good brought down by the other things to the point of dislike. Other then that I have not played most of these (or heard of them) which is something to how many games came out because I played many. Also Primal and Creature Caravan are good. Don't like Star Wars much so no Unlimited.
Is Ito that much different than Top Ten/That Escalated Quickly? I downloaded the rules for Ito and played with the Mind cards and our group prefers the quicker, less convoluted alternatives
I love the tension from having a wider possibility of cards. We had an 8-player game where the highest card dealt was a 46. That can't happen if the cards are only numbered 1-10. -Chris
@thedicetower fair. OTOH, if you get a spread of numbers but a few really close to each other like 1, 10, 30, 51, 52, 54, 75, 98, laying down the 50's seem like a crapshoot.
Mike: "Unconscious mind could have been a bloated mess" ... I get that I'm in the minority in disliking Unconscious Mind but dang... it's not streamlined. And that's been echoed many times. Don't know what game Mike has been playing
Well, 7th Citadel made my top 20, it was very close to top 10. Dune I just never got to the table. I played over 300 new games this year. That still left hundreds unplayed! You just can't get to them all.
Tom, there is no way you are trading a hyperfoil Boba Fett unit from set 1, for a regular normal version of Boba Fett, no way. You’re smart, and know the price difference isn’t worth your lack of interest in the foiled version just to trade it away without acknowledging what you are doing in the trade. At the very least sell the shiny cards to your flgs for store credit and then buy more packs! Also, if you are trading away nice cards, I’ll do the selling for more packs thing, sending email soon containing the cards I need. Thank you kind sir!
I know the value! What I mean is that to me they don't mean anything, and I'll gladly trade the hyperfoil Boba Fett for a pile of rare cards (of equivalent value), because having cards in foil isn't a big deal to me. I don't mean I'll give them up for nothing!
@@thedicetowerI figured haha. I am actually doing the same thing, only keeping hyper space cards and selling foil and hyper space foil cards. What the hyper space effect does, extending the image and adding those streaks is really clean and very effective on some cards.
![BLACK BAG - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters March 14](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Du0Xp8WX_7I/mqdefault.jpg)
Everyone at the dice tower is great but these 3 are just my favorite combo.
Top 10 list of hosting trios?
Entertainment wise I probably agree. If I'm looking for which games I might like, I prefer Chris, Wendy, and Jason.
The Big Three, for sure
I think the original dynamic between Sam/Tom/Zee was my favorite - it really did just feel like three friends talking about games they liked.
Over time, that dynamic shifted, Sam moved on to new opportunities/locales, life goes on
However, I think Mike is probably the funniest host they've ever had and has natural charisma in front of the camera. Having him carry Sam's torch as the second capstone of the "Big 3" works great.
Always great to see Mike! I love the banter between the 3 of you.
Thank you guys! A great top 10 list of the year!
This is the peak of board gaming content annually. Happy holidays everyone!
I love the panel discussion. It shows me so much about the industry, the new games, and the love of the hobby that they share.
I like the use of microphones on this list. Upgrading the listening experience 😊
I LOVE castle combo. I stand with Zee.
Just have to say this is a great rundown and condensed review of interesting games of this year. Good selection and well presented!
21:59 "I see the guy, Mike" needs to be in the funniest clips of the year video.
10 years ago, I sold my entire Magic collection. Was done with TCGs/CCGs. Then the owner of my FLGS convinced me to play in the SWU Spark of Rebellion Prerelease and now I'm hooked. Such a great game. I agree with Zee, it's fresh. The back and forth of the action system is great. Never a dull moment.
I also love the multiplayer format Twin Suns! Get together with some friends and play the whole night. My most played game of 2024! And my favorite.
Happy to see Atlas Lost on the list! I was lucky enough to help out with the English translations on this one. Very underrated game!
Maybe it's just a slow year in board gaming. but I hadn't found much of anything new coming out this year that has really caught my attention. I had only even heard of 6 of these. I think these videos added more to my buy list than everything else combined in 2024.
Great video you guys! Had me cracking up
My no1 is, by far, Flip 7. Played it almost every day in last couple of months. Stupid, simple and brilliant.
With Mike on this one. If Arcs had been about Mongolian marauders or some historical setting, I would have loved it more. But as it is... excellent!
Endeavor Deep Sea is one of the best games to come out in 2024, surprised not to see it at all here, have you tried it guys? Definitely deserves recognition :)
Go go SW:U great choice Tom! Lmk if you wanna jam Webcam games
I feel like the general impression of this year from what i've seen is that its been "alright" but it has been absolutely KILLER for me, just an insane number of games that are hitting my top 50 of all time and at least one cracking the top 10.
Quick note if Dilisio sees this: Civolution is terrific solo, beats out AFfO as my favorite solo heavy euro. There is a fan made app on BGG that replaces the deck of cards and makes it run even smoother.
Will Tom do an
in-depth review of Civolution?
🤞
Great lists so far ... also, it would be really funny if after every break there was just a new bottle in front of Zee :)
Star Wars: Unlimited is incredible. Great choice.
Maybe Atlas Lost could be a Dice Tower essential to bring it to the US!
43:36 "Feldian soullessness" is my quote of the video :D
wow. I can't believe my n.1 is the same as Mike's. I never have crossovers with Mike. Zee is my man, or at least he used to be. His top10 this year is waaay off to what we were used to
I really need to get Atlas Lost and Nova Roma played. They both came in when I was extremely burnt out on learning new games, and got pushed to the back burner.
A Message From The Stars is not a numbers game. If you know the alphabet and can count to 6, you can play this game. (And you should, it's great!)
I’ve ignored this title because the title sounds like astrology and tarot card reading or some teen romance movie. But the alien theme makes sense. 😂
Super!
Ezra & Nehemiah would be my top pick of the year. I don't find this to be their heaviest game, but definitely not an easy play
I just commented on some slightly older studio videos stating the sound quality is poor. Some are truly dreadful like nova roma.
This setup is miles ahead on clarity. Might be uglier setup, but vast improvement. Please do this for all videos 👍
If people complain you can always ceiling mount if suitable...
Fun fact- you actually SKIPPED covering Atlas Lost on Crowdsurfing.
I was planning to buy 7 wonders dual this year, but then saw LOTR dual came out with very similar mechancis with a great theme. It was perfect timing for me
I never noticed before now how much Mike can sound like Wallace Michael Shawn (Toy Sory's Rex). It must be the good mics they're using now, or maybe it's just me!
Wow. Castle Combo #2 for Zee
Wow, hearing that SETI is similar to Lost Ruins of Arnak means I’ve gotta check this one out!
My #1 for this year is Fromage. Sad to see it didn’t make any of the lists here. I do like Castle Panic, too, and glad to see Zee rate it so highly.
There are just to many games to even keep up with now. This is a good list to go back to in like 3 years, to play these games lol.
Im stil discovering '23 games, it is a crazy tempo!
Freedom Five is giving me a City of Heroes/City of Villains (Video Game) vibe.
Really hope Star Wars gets traction. Great Mechanics!
Star Wars Unlimited is so good. The first set especially was imo the best 1st set of a game.
Manifest Destiny is such a cool comic! I'll have to look into that game.
Is "Freedom Five" better than Setinels Of The Multiverse: Definitive Edition?
Ito is a variation of wavelength
In my opinion Ezra & Nehemiah is smooth and clean, Inventors of the South Tigris is WAY heavier. Love them both but Ezra & Nehemiah isn't nearly as overwhelming as I feel Mike may have implied.
Are we getting a Top 10 of box art then ❤ i can hear the banter already 😂
I wish I would have backed Freedom Five, now Im not sure if the retail edition is going to be affordable and/or worth not getting all the characters
Out of curiosity, where did Slay the Spire rank on your lists?
Close to top 10? Well off?
Love the game and debating getting the boardgame to play with my partner who's also a fan of it
I was pretty surprised when Tom said he's not a fan of Stefan Feld until I realized that the only game I really enjoy by him is Castles of Burgundy...
My top 5:
Primal, Slay the Spire (sad this is absent here!), Unconscious Mind, Civolution, and Mistborn DB (probably too new)
Great stuff as usual! Thanks!
Only one comment…since when lords of the rings duel is asymmetric game?! Is it because the bad guys when starting have one coin less 😂?! The rest is completely symmetrical. From the ring track to the military map…😜 such a cool game…
You guys live in Florida and have never had coconut water?
Tom didn't go with Heroscape for #1 2024!?!?!?!?!? I think it came out this year. It's solid. It's getting expensive fast. Great game.
It's a reprint of the game that came out in 2004. I have it on my best reprints list. :)
@@thedicetower It's good enough to be on both!
But seriously, I'll go watch that list too. I'm already bought in to Heroscape heavily, but enjoy the videos.
Nice selection 👌
Arcs is my number 0ne game. Love Arcs!!
I love tidal blades 2
Almost every reason you listed as positives for Andromeda’s Edge, our group finds as negatives.
Castle Combos is very much like Village Green 🤔
My picks for 2024:
1. Lord of the Rings Duel
2. Burning Banners
3. Arcs
4. Civolution
5. Dune Imperium Uprising*
6. Castle Combo
7. Gloomhaven Button and Bugs
*I realize DI: Uprising was a “2023” release, but don’t mistake me for a reviewer, my access to it was in 2024.
Games I would like to try:
Voidfall
Ezra and Nehemiah
Minos
Game I plan on passing on: SW Unlimited. I have every SW: LCG pack and I feel like I’m set for FF Star Wars card games for a long, long while.
Tom! I’ve been able to ignore Star Wars Unlimited up to this point. But, now I am seriously thinking about picking up some cards.
Give it a try. It’s a very smooth design
SWU is a great game. Pick up a 2-Player Starter and give it a try.
don't give money to Disney
My experience of LoTR Duel has been different than Zee's; the Area Control and Race win conditions are both significant but the Ring track seems like a clear third and neither me nor my housemate who I play with have been able to win with it yet.
I think it happened once in my games. But definitely feels like the weakest win con in my experience.
Beware of small group think. Asmodee has stats that state that while less common, you can win that way.
@@mrp4242 So the stats confirm what I was saying, thanks.
I don't think I've ever seen a win with Science in 7W Duel, but I've used it to pressure opponents into bad choices.
Fantasy Realms blows Castle Combo out of the water
Three number 1s that don't crossover at all? That must be rare.
Actually, it's the norm, really
their top 5 dont cross with any if thier own top 5 is probably rare. I figured all 3 would have arcs and or andromdea edge as on of thier top 5 games.
Seeing zee was the only person to pick the raven game was pretty crazy to me.
I played 13 games published in 2024. Here are my top 10. (There may be some games, marked with a “*”, that were technically published last year but I didn’t get a chance to play them until this year.)
10. BLACK FOREST. This game has such interesting resource conversions, and good action selection. I did play one game that ended unexpectedly, so I have to remember that it can go quickly!
9. FORGES OF RAVENSHIRE. I was really impressed by this. I hadn’t seen the “place a worker, take a worker” mechanic since Raiders of the North Sea, but this one is with dice whose values affect the power of the action, and the dice you pull back give you neat effects based on tiles you’ve collected. I agree with the criticism that burning all the wood for coal is probably not viable, but I was charmed by this game and really enjoyed it.
8. UNCONSCIOUS MIND. Agree with everything that was said in this video. Remarkably smooth with a beautiful theme and interesting gameplay. I didn’t quite grasp the district scoring, but I’m sure I would with more plays, which I hope to have.
7. EZRA AND NEHEMIAH. This one was enjoyable and, like Mike said, did feel like a “greatest hits” from Phillips and MacDonald. The walls are tricky to master, but certainly help you when you do!
6. PAMPERO. This one is a beautiful game, and I was surprised by how well it flowed. The decisions were so punishing, but I loved it! The only minor criticisms I’d have would be with the turn order, or with the weakness of some of the cards. However, I kept wanting to bring it back to the table. I love how you have to choose to sacrifice money to take actions, knowing that money = points.
5. EVACUATION.* Now we’re getting into some of my favourite games of all time. Suchý absolutely delivers on this mind-crunching space game, and I am all here for it. The turn phases are so unique, and I love the action point system and the ramifications of how many points you use. You often can’t do everything you want to do, so you have to make great choices! I also love how you can play with certain modes or modules to make it exactly the game you want.
4. INVENTORS OF THE SOUTH TIGRIS. Considering the authors, I was surprised at how much of a point salad this game is, but I love how you can play it many times, trying different strategies each time, and you never know who will come out on top. I have the feeling this will only improve with time.
3. VOIDFALL.* I was sure I was going to hate this game. It looked like a giant 4X game with tons of combat, excessive miniatures, and an absurdly long setup time. And you know what? It kinda is all those things. But I think the reason I don’t hate it is its Euro nature, with all the resource management and track advancement that you do. The combat is fully deterministic so you can plan out the full thing without having to worry about things like dice luck, and most of it is not even with other players, but with the Voidborn aliens. Absolutely worth the time investment. Great game.
2. INVENTIONS: EVOLUTION OF IDEAS. I’d played several Lacerdas before, but this one absolutely grabbed me from the first play. It’s incredibly complex, and yet it’s not very difficult to teach because the mechanics make sense and the iconography and player aids are excellent. The wealth tiles are admittedly the main source of points, but they are expensive to play, and you have to invest in other actions to get them. Pretty much everyone I’ve taught this to loves the game.
1. SCHOLARS OF THE SOUTH TIGRIS.* This game is about translating (I’m a French teacher) and involves colour theory (I dabble in design), plus it involves dice placement (a favourite mechanic of mine), so this game is just perfect for me. I love it so much. Not much more to say, other than that I love it!
Inventions: Evolution of Ideas
Inventors of the South Tigris
Scholars of the South Tigris*
Voidfall*
I can’t tell you how much it pleases me to see Scholars your #1. It currently is my favorite game. So much thinking and strategizing and different strategies for victory
In the last few videos, they have mentioned other videos they recently posted. Like Tom's top deduction games. Where are those lists?
That was during a live stream a couple days ago (Neon Reign was played)
2:02:00 is the time stamp
@Schlagathor78 thank you
And also, if you miss them, all these other top tens will be posted separately over the next few weeks.
58:57 LOTR duel has no asymmetry. But good pick.
Agreed. The starting spots on the area control map is basically the only thing that's asymmetrical, but the map is still pretty much balanced.
Love watching a Dice Tower best of the year and seeing a bunch of games I can’t get yet 🥲
Ezra and Nehemiah is significantly lighter than their newest release, no idea where Mike is coming from.
In fact it might be lighter than the entire South Tigris series.
Has Mike ever done a top 10 Knitzia games?
Hmm Atlas is ranked at like a 7.1 not a terrible rating but when there are so many 9s and 10s that's kind of the kiss of death. That said, I'll still try it out.
Is there a review for Civolution on the Dice Tower? I've been waiting for a review for this as I'm not sure if I want this and I've yet to see it. Are there plans to review this?
Yes, but it's a couple of weeks out yet. Sorry!
@@thedicetower Don't need to apologize to me, was just wondering was all. Thanks for replying to me!
So there are people that think non-IP Space is a better theme than fantasy?
Weird
Yep.
I think my biggest surprise overall is their love of Unconscious Mind. My feelings for this game pretty much echo Mike when he says that "it doesn't feel like a bloated mess", just without the word "doesnt"....
Why? Take your time. The best games from 2024 will become clearer over time. You'll get a chance to work out the game that REALLY hits your sweet spot.
@@amunt3r I don't think I fully understand your point? I agree that it is better to give new games some time and see what sticks rather than immediately buying everything due to hype, but what does that have to do with me being surprised with all the love that Unconscious Mind is getting since I think it is a fairly bad game?
@@martinpersson1412 you've edited your original comment, that's why it no longer makes sense...
@amunt3r you have answered the wrong message dude or you need to trap down on the hard liquor.I edited my original comment right after posting it because spelling Unconscious Mind is hard....
@@martinpersson1412 I don't post random replies, but hey. Whatever.
Saint Petersburg used to be a favorite but I've decided it breaks down at low players 2/3 so it's 4P or bust for me and also I find that I dislike the market phase more and more... Game feels like a tighter expression with more player expression without it (first round 4VP building player vs guy taking money making nobles or guy really saving up for workers at end of round
Mike back?
He's probably just visiting for the winter spectacular.
Happy to see that Arcs was not on more lists. It is an incredibly over hyped experience that's only elevated by its campaign mode, since the base game is mid at best.
Joey: Agent of chaos.
AI 100% Ugly seems like a game I would love, but there is no way I'm ever touching those cards!
No Marvel United Multiverse or Wyrmspan is shocking. I thought I'd hear at least one of these on someone's list.
Wyrmspan just missed my list, and I didn't include Marvel United Multiverse because it's an expansion, really.
I've only played Arcs once and was a huge fan before it released but man is it a very lucky strategy game. You can be the ultimate planner but the hand you get dealt in the end game can really cripple your efforts. The dice combat I don't mind because you get to choose the mitigation. However I played 3 player and if 2 players share a similar goal and you're odd man out without the right suit you are done before you start the last round. It was so close to a perfect game for me that it sank to only above average. I love the powers and the combat and the components but everything hinges on very lucky mechanisms like cards dealt and dice rolls.
River of Gold is an L5R game? Where's the game where you hit Oni and zombies with tetsubo? How about a Last Bastion-style game with players defending a Crab stronghold from encroaching Shadowlands hordes?
So happy Arcs made an appearance. The Blighted Reach is a Masterpiece.
the tital blades cover sucks regarding the text positioning. having the title so low and the designers on top looks sooo weird.
What happened to Roy?
Roy left the Dice Tower a while back and now owns and runs an Anime and Board Games shop called Otaku. He is living his best life and seems super happy
@@npckse8508interesting! Didn't know. I just figured I hadn't watched enough videos and was skipping his
if only atlas lost was readily available
I think it is unfortunate that the lists are split into "Top 10 Surprises" and "Top 10 Games", since some games are actually both, and it would be interesting to see that reflected in the lists. If you were not expecting a game to be as great as is it, it should be both in the Surprises and the main list.
Priority goes to the Top 10 of the year, even if it was a big surprise. That way, the surprises list still gets to feature 10 games outside of the 10 best of the year.
There are actually not that many things to do in "SETI", you essentially either fly, scan or upgrade. And it plays heavier than it is, because you have to consider so many details for each action.
The theme is cool, but the game has problems.
It doesn't appeal to me. Theme is great, but it seems like a grind from where I'm looking.
Technical problems with transitions ? Feels there were cut at the end
I felt like this was the Top 10 of Q4 2024 with three short-term memory guys. Recency bias much? 😁
"Shut up! Space is amazing ¬¬U" x'D
Why the extended intro?
Civolution is awesome favorite game this year, more theme then they said I think I wish it was one more round in length. And I usually don't like his designs and the components are awesome, I love the player boards. So much to do, so many paths feels like a civ game where can't do it all. Biggest disappointment is Unconscious Mind I give it like a 6. The town board disconnect and the way the end game is triggered it was so un-fun when we where likely parts of the game a lot. The art was amazing, the components great, the table/action selection and the player treating people all good brought down by the other things to the point of dislike. Other then that I have not played most of these (or heard of them) which is something to how many games came out because I played many. Also Primal and Creature Caravan are good. Don't like Star Wars much so no Unlimited.
Is Ito that much different than Top Ten/That Escalated Quickly? I downloaded the rules for Ito and played with the Mind cards and our group prefers the quicker, less convoluted alternatives
I love the tension from having a wider possibility of cards. We had an 8-player game where the highest card dealt was a 46. That can't happen if the cards are only numbered 1-10. -Chris
@thedicetower fair. OTOH, if you get a spread of numbers but a few really close to each other like 1, 10, 30, 51, 52, 54, 75, 98, laying down the 50's seem like a crapshoot.
I've had a few really close wins with numbers like that, and find it fun still. But I can see why it feels like a crapshoot!
Mike: "Unconscious mind could have been a bloated mess" ... I get that I'm in the minority in disliking Unconscious Mind but dang... it's not streamlined. And that's been echoed many times. Don't know what game Mike has been playing
I think this is the first year i haven't played a game from this year. I need to play more new games.
Was waiting for Zee to discover a Cleveland in his pocket
To me Andromedas Edge is Dwellings.... just not nearly as good... lol
Zee has the best #1 by far!! But omg what came next 😢
Lauketism needs a trademark asap
So, did you really get John Williams to do an intro-music for the Dice Tower?
No Dune: War of Arrakis? No 7th Citadel? What’s going on? :)
Well, 7th Citadel made my top 20, it was very close to top 10. Dune I just never got to the table. I played over 300 new games this year. That still left hundreds unplayed! You just can't get to them all.
@@thedicetower Fair enough, 300 new games is wild.
Wow. no Slay the Spire
Check toms list from the top 10 surprises of the year.
Tom, there is no way you are trading a hyperfoil Boba Fett unit from set 1, for a regular normal version of Boba Fett, no way. You’re smart, and know the price difference isn’t worth your lack of interest in the foiled version just to trade it away without acknowledging what you are doing in the trade. At the very least sell the shiny cards to your flgs for store credit and then buy more packs!
Also, if you are trading away nice cards, I’ll do the selling for more packs thing, sending email soon containing the cards I need. Thank you kind sir!
I know the value! What I mean is that to me they don't mean anything, and I'll gladly trade the hyperfoil Boba Fett for a pile of rare cards (of equivalent value), because having cards in foil isn't a big deal to me. I don't mean I'll give them up for nothing!
@@thedicetowerI figured haha. I am actually doing the same thing, only keeping hyper space cards and selling foil and hyper space foil cards. What the hyper space effect does, extending the image and adding those streaks is really clean and very effective on some cards.