My Top 10 Favorite Games as of September 2023
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- Опубликовано: 25 июл 2024
- In today’s video I discuss my top 10 favorite games of all time as of September 2023! The games eligible for these rankings are those that have ranked 1 or 2 at least a few times in any previous top 10 (for any topic/mechanism), and Stonemaier Games aren’t eligible (except for ambassador picks).
Ambassador picks for Stonemaier Games (top 5):
1. Scythe (40)
2. Wingspan (29)
3. Tapestry (20)
4. Viticulture (18)
5. Expeditions (7)
Ambassador picks (non-Stonemaier): 7 Wonders, A Feast for Odin, Aeon’s End, Agricola, Ark Nova, Arkham Horror LCG, Battlestar Galactica, Brass, Castles of Burgundy, Clank, Dune Imperium, Frosthaven, John Company 2nd, Lost Ruins of Arnak, Pandemic Legacy Season 1, Quacks of Quedlinburg, Root, Sleeping Gods, Space Base, Spirit Island, Terra Mystica, Terraforming Mars, Twilight Imperium 4th
My top campaign games: My City, Near and Far, Rise of Queensdale, Roll Player Adventures, Sleeping Gods, The King’s Dilemma, TIME Stories, Clank Legacy
My honorable mentions: Marvel Dice Throne, No Thanks, On Tour, Ora et Labora, Parks, Patchwork, poker, QE, Railways of the World, Rajas of the Ganges, Scotland Yard, Shards of Infinity, Summit, Sushi Roll, Telestrations, The Crew, The Mind, 7 Wonders, A Feast for Odin, Azul Summer Pavilion, Cartographers, Castles of Mad King Ludwig, Clans of Caledonia, Concordia, Ethnos, Glen More II, Hanamikoji, Libertalia
My top honorable mentions: 7 Wonders Duel, Mysterium Park, Orleans, Planet Unknown, Roll Player, Rumble Nation, Russian Railroads, Space Base, The Guild of Merchant Explorers, Clank, Dice Forge, Downforce, Fantasy Realms, The Isle of Cats, Just One, Lords of Waterdeep
My Top 10:
10. Magic the Gathering
9. Ra
8. Star Wars: The Deckbuilding Game
7. Tzolk’in
6. Terra Mystica
5. The Quacks of Quedlinburg
4. Skull King
3. Dune Imperium
2. Ark Nova
1. Earth
00:00 - Introduction
00:56 - Stonemaier and Ambassador Picks
02:41 - Campaign and Honorable Mentions
05:27 - Top 4-10
17:11 - Top 3
Become a champion of this channel: stonemaier-games.myshopify.co...
podcast link: stonemaiergames.com/about/pod...
Intro animation by Jeff Payne vimeo.com/jaaronpayne and video proofing by Cody Simonsen 
Игры
I'm really happy that you like Earth that much being at the #1 spot is an honor! Thanks for talking about it and ranking it this high, I'm feeling really greatful :)
It's a really special game! I appreciate all the work that you and Conor put into it!
Yes we did worked a lot on it indeed! I wanted to say grateful ;)
Well-deserved. My appreciation of this game grows more each time I play it, similar to my experience with Tapestry.
Earth is probably my favorite of this year to .
With his success i imagine an expansion is probably on the way 😅
I bought earth simply because I love Ark Nova and it had a similar theme (one my wife loves). So glad I did. Such a clever game, quick and fun. It’s the best game of the year and I cannot see it being bettered
Loving Ark Nova as well! Can’t wait for the expansion. Really enjoy Star Wars deck builder as well!
Love the Thinker Themer shirt!!! So happy to see you repping great creators :)
Great list as always. I enjoy many of the games you mentioned. (Earth, Dune Imperium, and Quacks. I just got Skull King as well). Revive might be one I’d suggest.
Thanks! I've only played Revive once, but I had a great time with it.
I loved seeing Marvel Dice Throne on your honorable mentions... that's definitely the top of my fav's list... though I'd prefer to just say "Dice Throne" in general, including Adventures. To me there is no better system for a fun, push-your-luck tactical dice chucker. The combo of dice, cards, and status tokens feels perfectly done. I have yet to find another game that scratches my gaming itch so perfectly. It's very light, but with enough depth to have near infinite replayability, in my opinion.. especially when you factor in the hundreds of different possible hero-vs-hero match-ups if you have all the heroes.
Great list! My top 3 published games would probably be #1 On Mars, #2 Too Many Bones, #3 Ark Nova.
Star Wars A Deckbuilding Game is a natural progression from Star Realms and then Shards of Infinity. Adds attacking the market, a tug of war aspect with the force tracker, and multiple bases. Quacks is also a favorite of mine, and I have only played one game with anything other than the starting ingredients.
Ra is an All-Time Great for me. One of my favourite reviews of Ra came from Grant Lyon, when it recently made his Top 5 New-to-Him Games of the Month: "I wish I'd been playing it for the last twenty years."
Just played Ra yesterday and I really love this game!
From your list, my favorites are Ark Nova and Dune Imperium. Magic varies for me from set to set, but I'm really enjoying the LOTR set and I have high hopes for the Doctor Who set coming next month. I need to spend some more time with the Star Wars Deckbuilding Game. At this exact moment, my all-time top 3 are Star Wars Outer Rim, Oltréé, and Unmatched.
Phantom Ink, Scout, Ra. Didn't give this a ton of thought, but those stand out as three I love right now.
Great list!
I always look forward to these semi-annual lists.
As a medium to light gamer, my top 10 picks are:
1) Ra
2) Web of Power / China /Iwari
3) Pizarro & Co (old by Leymann)
4) Ethnos
5) Patrician (old by Schacht)
6) Serengeti / Templari
7) Members Only / Classic Art
8) Concordia
9) Five Tribes
10) Medici
Played Ra for the first time two days ago. We just played it 2-player, which is not the ideal count for an auction game, but we enjoyed it so much we played it a second time immediately after. The new edition is spectacular, and I really loved the art and components. The limited, asymmetrical auction tiles really added something fresh to the typical auction "vibe" as well. So interesting that even the auction tile itself becomes part of the next auction, so sometimes you'll bid higher knowing that you're getting a high bidding tile for a future round.
I'm glad it works well at 2 players too!
Hilariously, I absolutely LOVE Stonemaier Games!..... annnnnnnnnnnnnd there's exactly one of these games I'm even willing to try playing due to my utter lack of enthusiasm when seeing them. =D
Probably a good sign that Jamey is amazing at what he does
The only games on the list I've played are MTG, Quacks, Ark Nova and Earth...all amazing games. I'll take note of the others and see if I can give them a playthrough. Thanks for the recommendations!!!
Tzolk’in is phenomenal. I like some of the expansions content too.
My all-time top games are Dune Imperium, Scythe, and Root.
I played DI with the Tleilax (Immortality) expansion and I love the additional deck building elements it adds and the research track. I can see why they chose to do an expandalone with a different board, the game feels pretty complete and I think swapping modules rather than continuing to add more stuff is the way to go. As I’ve mentioned in my comment on one of your other videos I want to savor the original board with both expansions for a while before I start considering the new one. Though I must admit, I am excited about the way sand worms work in Uprising.
Honorable mentions for Fall of the Mountain King, which is fiddly so comes out less often but is still one of my favorites…. And Roll Player which is a longtime favorite but which I really want to try with both expansions.
Favorite new games that could start rising up my list are Sail, Illiterati, and Expeditions.
Thanks for sharing your favorites! I'm curious about the sand worms too, and I enjoyed my first play of Sail.
Also I finally played T’Zolkin last week since it’s on BGA. Absolutely fantastic game that I’m still trying to figure out a good strategy for. On my 3rd game
1. Dune Imperium
2. Ark Nova
3. Wingspan
Very similar games at the top of our lists! I’ve tried Earth a few times and neither my wife or I could really get into it (and she has won every game). I think my biggest issue is I didn’t find the individual card powers all that interesting or fun. Even with all the cards in the game, the abilities just seem like variations of the same thing. If I want to play a quick game with lots of unique card powers, I’d much rather play….Wingspan😊
1. Scythe; 2. Ark Nova; 3. Clank (In Space and Catacombs). Greetings from 🇧🇷! Now, just waiting for Expeditions
Great List - My Top 3 at the moment: 03.) Trickerion by Mindclash Games 02.) Wingspan by Stonemaier and 01.) Grand Austria Hotel by Lookout Games
Interesting list as always! Some great games on there. I have to say, though, I've decided I really dislike games with simultaneous play - it feels like a bunch of people sitting at a restaurant together, all looking at their own cell phones. That's the analogy for me. I miss everything everyone else is doing. I admit I like Roll For the Galaxy, which is maybe the main exception, and I don't know why except the dice are so cool. :) Also Earth in particular leaves me cold, and a reason ironically is how un-Ark Nove like it is. You mentioned that a great thing about Ark Nova is when you play a card it's so satisfying because you really feel you earned it - you worked for it, playing other cards, building enclosures, meeting requirements. When I played Earth I felt like I was awash in resources and cards not because of my actions but because, coincidentally, other players called certain phases that just dumped stuff in my direction.
Anyway, love Ark Nova, Terra Mystica, and Tzolkin especially from your list!
I have pretty much the same feeling with simultaneous play games. I would much rather play a longer game where I needed to pay attention to others, than a shorter one that would feel multi-player solitaire.
From ambassador and your list, ark nova, expeditions, and viticulture, although I haven’t played Tzolkin yet.
Top 3 all time have to be
1) Francis Drake
2) Trickerion
3) Cloudage
There are 3 I call them heart warming games for me: Castles of Burgundy (still waiting for the new deluxified version), Viticulture (+ Tuscany) and Stroganov, so you are in very good company with Stefan Feld and Andreas Steding😂
Proudly from Quebec, where maxime tardif comes from, creator of earth :) such a good game
Ark Nova (my #1) and Tzolkin are among my favorites. While Quacks, Skull King and Earth are among my biggest letdowns because I was expecting to love them. Ended up sad that Skull King had a run away leader in all my 4 plays. Quacks was ok, but I like a bit of interaction in my light games, then, I found Cubitos, and was very happy. I found Earth to be too similar to Wingspan to own both, and my wife and me greatly prefer Wingspan over it. Interesting to see all of these on a single top 10.😅
Great list Jamie! I definitely have to play your top two, at the very least. Here are my current top 3:
1. Parks
2. Raiders of the North Sea
3. Viticulture
P.S. Really loving Expeditions. You never stop surprising with your board game designs.
Thanks Steve! I like your top 3!
Thanks for the list Jamey, it's great seeing what others enjoy. I have a lot of games waiting to be played that may make my list (including Earth and Roll Player Adventures) but my current top 10 is:
1) Mosaic
2) Brass: Birmingham
3) Beyond the Sun
4) War of the Ring
5) Concordia
6) Ark Nova
7) Great Western Trail
8) Smartphone Inc.
9) Shogun/Samurai Swords
10) Food Chain Magnate
I've played War of the Ring: The Card Game once and really enjoyed it too, not enough plays yet to include it but I could imagine it making the list.
Thanks for sharing your list! I need to play Beyond the Sun again.
Wonderful choices, especially the number 2 and 1 😃 I love Ark Nova, but didn't have a change to play Earth yet, because its currently (if available) very much overpriced, but I am looking forward to it when it gets cheaper.
Earth is available directly from the publisher for $50 USD, which I think is underpriced, not overpriced: insideupgames.com/product/earth-board-game/
New RA is masterclass of visual design and accessibility. I like Ra. I was bringing the 2nd most recent version to every boardgaming gathering and party. It was rarely played even once and after playing, people were like meh.. and moved on. Didnt stop me backing the new version with wooden tiles. I brought it to one 6 day long gathering with ~50 people. We played the game once (taught it only once) and it was instant hit. Next few days, it was the most played game. It got played 10-20x. I kept hearing RA RA RA chants from other table randomly :) People were stopping me and thanking me for bringing such nice game, telling me how much fun they had playing it. If i could guess, it all comes down to the per player player boards. They explain what is scored when, what goes away on one side and what doesnt on the other side. You can also easily see what do other people collect (so its more fun for competetive people around the table). It was much smoother teach and much much smoother experience playing. I really love when good idea (reprint) meets with (almost) flawless visual/functional presentation and it gives the game new life.
I agree 100%. The new player boards are brilliant--they make teaching, learning, and retaining the game so much easier.
I really need to check out Tzolk'in, seems right in my wheelhouse and very unique.
My Top 3:
1. Clans of Caledonia
2. Great Western Trail
3. Earth
Tzolkin is a very special game. Takes a couple plays to really see it sing but boy it's Whitney Houston once you're into it.
I love it but between live plays, boiteajeux and Boardgamearena I'm a bit burned out on it.
I would love to see a deluxe edition of T'Zolkin come out, like they did with Teotihuacan.
My current top 3 from your lists are The Quacks of Quedlinburg w/The Herb Witches expansion, Space Base, and Cartographers/Heroes. My current top 3 not on your lists are Heat: Pedal to the Medal, Wingspan, and The Castles of Burgundy.
I recently bought the Star Wars Deckbuilding game, and am really enjoying playing it with my 9 year old daughter. I'm also a 40 something year old, but when I was a kid I played the Decipher Star Wars ccg (and the Wheel of Time CCG, Overpower, etc) instead of Magic. Just yesterday I ordered the Lord of the Rings Magic starter, going to give it a try finally. (Also recently got some Lorcana starters for my daughter, but I haven't tried it out because she won't get those until Christmas.) I've been playing some Eldritch Horror recently, it's one of my favorites. And, since I don't work for Stonemaier, I can say that Wingspan is also one of my favorites, just played it a couple days ago with all the expansion bird cards to make a ludicrously big bird deck, and it's great.
Thanks for sharing your favorites, and it's neat to hear that Star Wars deckbuilding and Wingspan are among them. :)
We definitely have similar tastes, Jamey. My top 3 are Gloomhaven, Ark Nova, and Dune Imperium.
If we include SM games, then it'd be Tapestry, Ark Nova, and Dune Imperium
I'm glad you enjoy Tapestry so much! Me too! :)
We seem to have similar tastes, so I'm interested to try out the games on your list that I have played: Earth, Dune Imperium, and the Star Wars deckbuilder.
My favorite game is Go, but Terra Mystica and Ark Nova are high on my list.
Thanks! Let me know what you think if you play those games.
Sweet thinker themer list
Lot of games I also enjoy on your list! Really beed to Tzolk’in soon. Hard for me to choose my favorite games after #2 but I’d have to go with:
1) Agricola
2) Spirit Island
3) Hansa Teutonica
4) Nusfjord
5) Dune Imperium
Honorable mentions to Ark Nova, Fields of Arle, Caverna, A Feast for Odin, Gloomhaven, and Viticulture Tuscany.
Do you play Caverna base game with no variants? I find that it dropped in interest after a few plays due to the lack of variability. I've yet to try the expansions though, or variants that don't include all buildings from the start.
@@RaduStanculescu I like base game with 4+ players since there is more competition for the buildings which makes it more interesting despite the lack of variability. But the first expansion is also very good and probably my preferred way to play, especially with only 3 players and maybe also with 4.
Base Caverna is one of the rare Euros that is actually better at 5-6, even 7 players...provided you are playing with people who know the game and don't have AP, which can be a challenge.
We love Quacks! Such a fun game!!
10. Pax Pamir
9. 51. Stan
8. Brzdęk! Nie drażnij smoka 8*. Brzdęk! Katakumby 8*. Brzdęk! Raban w próżni
7. Diuna: Imperium
6. Wiedźmin: Stary Świat Wiedźmina
5. Mage Knight
4. Anachrony
3. Etherfields
2. Scythe
1. Bonfire
Very nice list. I liked Earth but not a top 10 for me. I’d play it any time someone wants to though. It’s good and it’s quick.
My top 3
3) Wayfarers of the South Tigris
2) Ark Nova
1) Gloomhaven (the most fun I’ve had gaming)
3. Great Western Trail
2. Champions of Midgard
1. Clank: Catacombs
I love the deckbuilding and push your luck of Clank but the tile exploration that was added in Catacombs pushes it to the top.
I understand the link between "suspend" in MtG and Tzolk'in, it makes sense that you like one if you like the other😂
That's a great connection!
Ora Et Labora is one of my favorite games of all time
Hey Jamey .. have you had a chance to play either Endless Winter or Revive? .. two of my favorites along with GWT: New Zealand to come out in the last year.
All three have shot up my present top 10. Endless Winter being my number 1.
I love the current generation of new euros that are balancing the combination of deck/building/ area control/ worker placement/ tech tracks/ set collection all in one package
Also recently fell in love with a classic Rosenberg game, Ora Et Labora
I have indeed! Here are my videos about them:
Endless Winter: ruclips.net/video/13fXgcu-6L4/видео.htmlsi=3OdotIO8Te_9iGRd
Revive: ruclips.net/video/g4sYrOe9MmY/видео.htmlsi=259BxmyT92oZgPR9
My last round of ranking my games was March (I keep old lists around for comparissons as it's fun to see how my opinion shifts) and I decided to do another pubmeeple round to see if my top 10 still held up, and out of my last top 10, 7 of the games were in the exact same spot as before, one game dropped 17 spaces down and two moved up 1-2 spaces. So pretty much holds up still (the game entering the top 10 moved up 26 spaces - I ranked a little over a 100 games for this)
1) Terra Mystica
2) Marco Polo 2
3) Voyages of Marco Polo
4) Underwater Cities
5) Everdell
6) Woodcraft
7) Tiletum
8) Newton
9) Boonlake
10) Concordia
Thanks for updating your list! I still need to play Woodcraft and Tiletum.
Top 3... Dune Imperium, My Father's Work, Clank! (Any version)
I love euro games, 2 player games, and storytelling games. My 3 favorite games right now are:
1. Anachrony
2. Summoner Wars
3. Forgotten Waters
Love Live Euphoria! That's the one that sucked me in. Arc Nova and Earth both look very similar to Terraforming Mars to me - I wonder if I need them too...
With all due respect to Terrarforming Mars, I absolutely love Ark Nova and Earth--I recommend both if you enjoy tableau building games.
I just received Age of Innovation this week and am stoked to play it. Terra Mystica has been in my top 3 for a long time, I am excited to see if Age of Innovation will be superior to it. From what I can tell, it does everything Terra Mystica does, but with a few more bells and whistles. I especially like the idea of the variable setups with the factions. Have you had a chance to play Age of Innovation? I'd be curious to know your thoughts on it compared to the original.
I have! Here's my video about it: ruclips.net/video/AHXuFaBfKz8/видео.htmlsi=Chs78uQHiT6ylJJN
Excellent lists here. I have yet to play Star Wars deck building game. I have loved Star Realms for many years. Star Wars: The Card Game remains one of my all time favorites, even though it’s now ‘dead’ (as a ‘living’ card game). Ark Nova, Rebellion and Concordia are knocking at the door of my top-10. So is Gloomhaven. We’ve had it for 4 years, but have only broke it out occasionally--however, it’s starting to creep up, now that we are getting a bit better at it. Not quite in my top-10, still tho.
My current top-10:
1. Memoir ‘44
2. Clash of Cultures (either classic or Monumental)
3. Twilight Imperium IV
4. Nations
5. Terraforming Mars
6. War of the Ring, 2nd ed
7. A Feast for Odin
8. Root
9. Power Grid
10. Star Wars: The Card Game
Cheers
Thanks for sharing your list!
I played 4 out of your top ten games and three of them (Dune, Ark Nova and Ra) are in my top 20. Earth was nice but got samey after 2-3 play, I lost interest and sold it. Ark Nova is my number 1 game and I can play it endlessly.
After Ark Nova I have Lisboa, Obsession, Tapestry, Dune Imperium, Hadrian's Wall, Troyes, Orleans.
I look forward to these videos every six months. It’s interesting to see how things shift over time.
Spoilers:
My top 3 right now also include Earth and Ark Nova! Spirit Island is probably first, followed by those two
Thanks for sharing! I've enjoyed Spirit Island too. :)
You pointed out opening packs and drafting as your mode of play for MTG, have you read about or seen videos of Mind Bug and what are some of your initial thoughts to it having no packs, no drafting, and each player only using ten cards, among some other aspects? I’ve never played MTG or other CCG etc games, but I like deck building a lot so Mind Bug is in an odd middle ground for me. Guess I’ll know when the game comes in.
I'm very curious to try it to see how it feels, but I haven't played it yet.
Have you played TIME Stories: Cavendish? Are you considering the Blue Series a campaign game? I got into TIME Stories a couple years back because of your videos and it's definitely one of my favorite games so all time! I finished the White Series and I'm looking forward to the rest of the Blue Series.
I didn't know Cavendish existed--thanks for the heads up! I haven't played the blue series as a campaign, just one-off scenarios.
@@jameystegmaier Nice! Yeah, it just came out this year. Covid messed up their release schedule, but I'm really excited for what's to come. I have the Experience box which adds an over-arching narrative, like the White Series. I was just curious because you listed Time Stories as a campaign game that didn't make the list and I thought you might've been talking about the Blue Series.
Hi Jamey, wondering if you have played/like dune imperium at 2 players? I own it but mainly play games with my wife and the thought of playing with a bot has put me off.
I haven't--I've only played it at 3 and 4.
Re: Magic's Suspend Mechanic. One of the upcoming Doctor Who themed commander decks will have a Suspend theme so I imagine they ill make some new cards with thee mechanic for that one.
That sounds amazing! I need to try that deck.
1. Cthulhu Death May Die
2. Innovation
3. Vindication
I’m loving Earth and Dune Imperium.
Ones you didn’t mention that I’m enjoying: Barenpark, Red Cathedral and Wonderland War
Of your games, I really like Scythe and Euphoria.
Evergreens: Acquire, Ra, Crude, Coloretto
The only thng i dont like abiut tbe new edition of Ra is how hard it is to xlose the box
My top new to me games I've played in 2023 are:
1. Wayfarers of the South Tigris
2. The Castles of Burgundy
3. Trailblazer: The John Muir Trail
I've been struggling to get my head around Earth while playing it on BGA. For some reason it isn't clicking.
Thanks for sharing! I'll do my 2023 list in early January, but there's a good chance Trailblazer will be on it.
Lucky for you wrt MtG, the new Dr. Who set for MtG feature a heck of a lot of suspend and "timey-wimey" ways to modify suspend.
I'll have to check that out! I don't know anything about Doctor Who, though.
@@jameystegmaier From what I've seen, it's like the Warhammer 40k set, where understanding the "lore" is a bonus rather than a necessity. They're fun magic cards first, and thematic second.
My top 3 are
Terraforming Mars
Ark nova
Great western trail
Highly recommend Earth if you like those. Some similar strategy elements to TM and Ark Nova, but plays a lot quicker with everyone getting actions during all players turns.
My top ten right now, not in particular order, are:
1. The Colonists
2. Fantastic Factories
3. Viticulture
4. Le Havre
5. Agricola
6. Clans of Caledonia
7. Spirit Island
8. 51st State
9. Sentinels of the Multiverse
10. Terraforming Mars
Haven't try Earth yet.
1- Terraforming Mars
2- Carcassonne
3- A Feast for Odin
Terra Mystica is my #1 game.
Earth being #1 is super interesting. So new. I have thought a few times while playing that it feels like a game Stonemaier wished they made. Love your list. I think Ark Nova is a little overrated and just takes too long. But that's just my opinion. Look forward to seeing if the new ones good their place next year
Thanks! By "overrated," do you mean that other people like Ark Nova more than you? Because purely based on ratings, I think Ark Nova's rating--just like any other game--is exactly as people have rated it (there is no over or under; it's just data).
@@jameystegmaier I think by over rated I mean over hyped/over exposed. While I think it's a good game, I just am not sure why it got so much hotness hype, when it's a hard teach, a hard learn and like I mentioned, imo over stays it's welcome by about 30 mins every time. Just my opinion of course, I don't think other people are wrong, just always interested in zeitgeist moments that I'm not a part of.
@@mdhindleyPersonally, I'm always happy for people to be excited about any game, even if it isn't a game I'm excited about at the moment. :)
@@jameystegmaier absolutely. Anything that brings humans to the table. It's the same with the Lorcana hype that's happening now. It'll be great for retailers and bringing people into tabletop. But it confuses the heck outta me that it's hitting so hard.
Skull King is such a great choice!!! I’m guessing you like it better than Wizard as well.
I used to like Wizard more, but I really like how the nil bid works in Skull King, so I'm more inclined to playing it now.
Had the same question. My family plays Wizard and my son and I recently introduced them to Skull King especially because of the zero bid bonus you mentionned.
I’ve played most of these games, and I own a couple of them, like the 1 and 2.
But the favorite game right now is Barcelona. You need to check that one out.
But games on this list that I like are Earth, Ark Nova, Terra Mystica, Dune, Tzolkien. You only had 2 games here that I haven’t played.
I'm curious about Barcelona!
@@jameystegmaier you need to try it out, I love games like Ark Nova, Earth and others on this list. But Barcelona definitely would make it too.
Interesting list. Man it’s so hard to make a top 10. But here is mine:
1- Terraforming Mars
2- Expeditions (this one took me by surprise. Love at first play)
3- Scythe
4- Obsession
5- Beyond the Sun
6- Underwater cities
7- Wingspan
8- Skymines
9- Dune Imperium
10- Arnak
Honorable Mentions:
- Lisboa
- The Gallerist
- Rococo Deluxe
- Lords of Waterdeep
- Tyrants of the Underdark
- Great Western Trail
- Dixit/Stella
- Quacks of Quedlinburg
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1. Wingspan
2. Everdell
3. Oh, boy…here’s where there is probably a 10-way tie!
I keep eyeing Ark Nova but am wondering about adding another 2hr+ game to the collection. It seems like even at two players, it’s that length. But it looks so good! Also, one question about Earth-do you think a colorblind person would have difficulty with the cards? I’m seeing a lot of green/brown/tan but don’t know how critical card colors are to gameplay. We like a lot of nature-themed games, so both of these fit the bill. Thanks!
A 10-way tie? :) That's a lot of games! For Earth, I do think that there are some colorblind issues. There's a subtle difference in the background texture, but it's very subtle.
Have you played Nokosu Dice? A fantastic trick taking game that replaced Skull King as my number 1 game of the genre.
I have! Here's my video on it: ruclips.net/video/l4EybnOfsA0/видео.htmlsi=Ea5yU_TJl7p4TIRR
@@jameystegmaierI didn't think about doing a search for a video. Got too excited about sharing how good Nokosu Dice is 😁
My actual Top5 picks without any order are:
-Dune Imperium
-Tyrants of the Underdark
-Res Arcana
-Arkham horror Lcg
-Claustrophobia 1643
Where did you get the Thinker Themer shirt!?!?
From ThinkerThemer! :) I bought it from them a while ago.
I've yet to update my top this year, but last year's included:
1. Terra Mystica (might lump Age of Innovation with it when I play it; not sure about GP, I keep that one as a separate entry for now)
2. Great Western Trail (includes GWT Argentina)
3. Agricola
4. TMars (will likely drop, due to 2p and 3p favoring card draw & discounts over everything else)
5. Boonlake
6. Barrage
7. Grand Austria Hotel
8. Fields of Arle
9. Pulsar 2849
10. Gaia Project
Brass Birmingham and Cooper Island might challenge for a spot in the top 10, especially if I decide that TMars drops heavily (still love that one at 4p).
Ark Nova I liked well enough at first, then my opinion of it dropped a bit, and now after playing it more on BGA it's up again. I'm starting to appreciate the nuances more, especially at 2p where the interaction is more cutthroat (since denying is about as good as doing something for yourself). It loses a bit with 3p+ since everyone focuses more on their own stuff, which I tend not to like as much.
We have 3 in common. Can I suggest u 2 games?
@@joaoantunes6858 sure, please do!
@@RaduStanculescu Kanban EV and Nucleum
@@joaoantunes6858 yeah, Kanban is in my top 100 as well, and I pre-ordered Nucleum already. It looks like a very interesting combination of mechanisms. I quite like the twist on Concordia where you take bake tiles but spend some of the map so they won't come back.
I got to play Earth earlier this year and absolutely loved it, and bought a copy. The simultaneous play is something that I hadn't experienced in a game before and I absolutely loved it. A very good game. Another good one that I learned this year is Evergreen.
I'm glad you're enjoying Earth too!
So many great games I love I cant keep to only 3?!
Without expanions:
1. Castles of Burgundy
2. Earth
3. Ra
4. Meadow
5. Forest Shuffle
Otherwise:
1. Wingspan Duet + Oceania
2. Castles of Burgundy
3. Everdell with Newleaf
4. Spirit Island with Branch&Claw
5. Earth
6. Ra
7. Parks with Wildlife
8. Meadow
9. Forest Shuffle
10. Cartographers with Map Packs
I just recently discovered Forest Shuffle and loved it...I look forward to more plays of it!
@@jameystegmaier it's really fun but can be a bit unbalanced at times. If you happen to get 3/3 ferns or get 6 or 8 deer and 3/4 wolves. Might frustrate some! But it's a short enough game for that to be fine for us :)
My issue with both Earth and Ark Nova is that with competitive play, they turn out to only pretend to be engine building games and are more of a racing game.
In both games, the game end is triggered based on player actions. And someone racing to trigger game end quickly will usually win over someone trying to build a nice engine. They are still good games, but I enjoy building and running an awesome engine and that doesn't happen when playing optimally in either of them.
As to the final 2023 additions; remember Dune Imperium Uprising will be coming out in late 2023 as well :)
We'll see if I get to play it this year. :)
I haven’t played Ra, but it seems like Nidavellir but not as fun. Thoughts anyone who has played both?
I've played both. Both are set collection games with an auction element, but the push-your-luck element has kept me coming back to Ra.
I’ll have to try it! I just love getting the hero’s and the hidden bidding in nidavellir. :)
Was Terraforming Mars ever in your top 10? I'm curious if Ark Nova replaced Terraforming Mars.
It's been in the honorable mentions, but I don't think it's ever cracked my top 10.
@@jameystegmaier Interesting! Given that they are quite similar, what is it about Ark Nova that you find better than Terraforming Mars?
@@paulhamrick3943 I guess I just don't see them as all that similar. :) Here's my deep dive video into Ark Nova that describes why I love it so much: ruclips.net/video/Mkpe8wkexeY/видео.htmlsi=VU6ow2QgMDrFo0pG
@@jameystegmaier that is interesting! I had this notion that they are both that gigantic-deck-of-unique-card-tableau-and-engine-building-with-tile-placement genre, although in the case of Ark Nova the tile placement is on your own player board rather than on a shared/common board. I'll check out your vid, thanks.
My Top 3 on Your list/Honorable Mentions:
1. Tzolk’in
2. Dune Imperium
3. Near & Far
My Top 5 not on your list:
1. Above & Below
2. Yedo (deluxe)
3. Dominant Species
4. Everdell
5. Star Wars: Outer Rim
All the mechanisms in magic are basicly kicker :p
I haven't played most of those because my time and $ budget only allows for so much gaming. I used to be an avid MTG player, but I fell out of playing bc the continual production of new cards and effects for the game requires that you keep current on recently published editions. You can't play an older deck against a newer one.
I will say that I far more enjoy the fan-based "Star Wars: the Gathering" which is a complete game in and of itself.
Have you tried any other ways of playing Magic? There are other formats and styles of play that completely ignore the collectible aspect (like draft, sealed, Commander, etc).
@@jameystegmaier I have tried commander, but I don't have the cards to make a good commander deck. (I got beat by someone in like 3-4 turns.) I tried getting friends into a draft before but no one was interested. I also put my gaming budget towards board games most of the time.
Earth is well deserved
Have you tried Flesh and Blood Jamie? A lot of Magic people are moving to this new more Indie TCG. I'm 50 and I never really got into Magic but Flesh and Blood is more of a hero v hero battler.
I still like Red Rising because of the IP (looking forward to expansions!) and I play digital Scythe on my iPad pretty regularly.
I have! Here's my video on it: ruclips.net/video/v1jWfqbXFP8/видео.htmlsi=JiObLgTAIMDu5R3a
😂 You said your age and now I am genuinely questioning whether I’m 41/42 also. So weird. Lol I guess once I turned 40, it started becoming forgettable.
Ha ha...I ran the numbers, and I am indeed 42. :)
@@jameystegmaier I was going to ask my wife but your idea is better. I turned 41 in April. Lol
Sad to see Bullet
It was in my top 10 of 2022, though! :)
Would love if you made some Shorts. I don’t mind the raw, talking type videos, but my TikTok brain would love some faster, to the point videos.
Thanks for your request. The topic of this video is our favorite games; if you're looking for a place to provide unsolicited feedback, here is the video for that: ruclips.net/video/3NKwizJ6s9A/видео.htmlsi=ybp7dOnfCUhY6l0D
Skull King sounds just like Wizard!
They're very similar, with a few subtle differences. I really like how the nil bid escalates in value in Skull King.
@@jameystegmaier Right, so that makes it a viable high risk/high reward strategy in late game. I’ll look for this!
Ok. I have to buy Earth now...
Mage Knight first 😊
The list at the very end of the video seems to be in reverse order....
You're right!
My loving wife told me I could get any 4 board games as a my birthday present (turning 40 this year) After much consideration I went with:
- Earth
- Dune Imperium
- Scythe + Rise of Fenris
- Project Elite
Only one of those games is NOT relevant to this video haha!
That's a great birthday present! :)
Great choices! Project Elite might not be relevant to this video, but it's a top 10 contender for me along with the other 3.