I'm happy to hear they're in your top 10! I love the games we make at Stonemaier Games, but to avoid favoritism, I don't make them eligible for these top 10 lists. :)
I admire that you go out of your way not to mention your own games on this list. It reemphasizes for me how welcoming this community is. One of my favorite games that I don't get to play enough is Taj Mahal. The unique bidding system is wonderful, along with the beautiful palaces that players place on the board. Lots of different ways to get points with great player interaction! Unfortunately, only good at 3+ players, so it's harder to get to the table.
I passed on Lords of Waterdeep so many times because the community kind of crapped on it and said there were better worker-placement games but when I finally played it, I fell in love. Its my #2 game of all time :)
Great list! And nice variety! Here are my current favs: Wingspan, Daybreak, Dune Imperium - Uprising, Castles of Mad King Ludwig, Cascadia, Warsaw City of Ruins, So Clover, Air, Land and Sea. Just got Wilmot’s Warehouse. Played it a few times and it’s so much fun!
Great list! There is a lot of overlap with some of my favorites, as well. I recently got Apiary and love that one. Indian Summer is one of my favorite beautiful nature-themed polyomino games. I'll definitely check out Forest Shuffle! Thanks!
Star Wars the Deckbuilding Game is a ton of fun. And there’s a new version out now: the Clone Wars Edition. Same game play, just Separatists vs Republic rather than Rebels vs Empire. You need to see the Jar Jar card-it’s hilarious. He’s free to acquire and has no usefulness whatsoever, except for an ability that allows you to pay to send him over to clog up your opponents deck.
It's so much fun to see your evolving top tens, and please don't ever stop sharing your passions & delights! Quacks is now one of my top favorite games, and I only tried it after hearing you speak about it with such unbridled joy in the past! After today's video, Blob Party is now on my wishlist - hope I get a chance to try that too.
Nice list Jamey, several I would love to try. Love Forest Shuffle. Top games for me right now: The Castles of Burgundy, Viticulture, Everdell, Scythe, Expeditions, Tapestry, La Granja, Clans of Caledonia, Paladins of the West Kingdom, Bunny Kingdom
Fantastic list of games! I love almost all of these games! I played Viticulture again recently and really enjoyed it again too…the variety of paths to victory is very satisfying! Thanks for all you do for the hobby!
Jamey it’s always great to see these lists. I have been giving a lot of thought to “desert island” games lately and these are my ten I think: 10. Wingspan: I go back and forth between this and Earth just because the similturn is great in Earth but Wingspan is a much prettier game 9. Mantis: If I need a party game for Uno level players, this one is the easiest teach and also produces a lot of drama which is key for a party 8. Fafnir: one of my old favorite games of all time was Modern Art, and this game does a lot of what that game does way more elegantly 7. Expeditions: there may be some recency bias here but man this game is a hoot to play, and is probably the best LOOKING game I own 6. Innovation: this is my favorite game that I rarely play. There’s soooo many games 5. Seaside: I hesitated because so many reviewers gave this game a bit of a pass, because it is dead simple and most games follow a similar arc. It just, to me, feels so much like a classic game, it’s so lovely to look at and touch, it teaches in two minutes, and it’s the easiest game to get to the table in history. Also it’s cheap 4. Point City: I pick this over Splendor, which is also very fun (especially the Duel version) but this is way cuter and I like the way scoring becomes a bit of a puzzle 3. Near and Far: Ryan Laukat is my favorite game artist and this used to be my favorite game and obviously holds a dear place in my heart. When I played it I’d never seen anything like it and I have a blast with it every time 2. Apiary: I surprised myself choosing this over Ark Nova, but in little ways they share a lot of DNA, but instead of managing the power of actions with cards, you use workers which is just the coolest. I also like the large amount of player interaction, and as pretty as Ark Nova can be, this game is so so gorgeous thanks to the art of my second favorite game artist, Kwanchai Moriya. Thank you for this one 1. Quacks: for all the reasons you said. I love that besides the meta, there’s really only one choice to make-draw or not? It delights me to see my friends grit their teeth, draw a chip with eyes shut tight, then explode in rage when it’s the one chip that would cause them to bust. It fills me with GLEE Sorry to be a bit long winded. Thanks to everyone who hung in there to the end
Your long-windedness is welcome here! I like hearing why people like games, and I also like the use of the word "glee"--I need to use that instead of just "joy" from time to time. I'm curious to try Seaside.
Always enjoy checking this list out! I love Quacks, and I think the other 2 games that have a similar feel (Wonderlands War and Invincible) are both just as fun. I think all 3 of them are top 25 games for me. I’ve gotten to play Invincible a few times and it’s so good! Have you gotten to try the full version of the game yet (ie scenario 2 or later)? Playing with the Ultimate Powers + Signature Powers created some incredible moments for us 😁
You know you're a board game designer when: you make detailed rules for yourself to follow when making top 10 lists. Good rules, too! I love you Jamey!!!! My top 10 boardgames of all time has 3 Stonemeier entries.
In my experience most games don't need "expanded rules" expansions and Quacks is definitely one of them. I do like the extra track long the bottom as an option, and the Witch coins can sometimes be fun, but Quacks in its purest form is still the best experience imo.
It does indeed! Though I try to balance that by only making games eligible if they've been near the top of at least a few lists in the past. That way I'm not just choosing a game that released a few weeks ago and I'm currently excited to play it.
My top 10 right now are Root, Spirit Island, Lost Ruins of Arnak, A Feast for Odin, Brass Birmingham, The Crew: Mission Deep Sea, Dune Imperium, Viticulture Essential Edition w/ Tuscany, Scout, and Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle Earth
Nice to see Cat in the Box in there, just bought that recently and love the idea. Only briefly tested it so far, looking forward to giving it some more table time. Great Western Trail 2nd Edition is number 1 for me.
I've only played Forest Shuffle online, but I absolutely love it. I think, since I saw SU&SD's review, I've played 50+ games. The expansion was wonderful and fixed what I felt was semi-narrow paths to victory. My co-designer pointed out Forest Shuffle might actually function better online versus on the table.
Thanks for sharing your top 10! Always such great insights on your channel. If you’d be interested, I’d love a video on how you go about balancing the value of action spaces in your worker placement games :) Dune Imperium, Tzolkin, and Terra Mystica are my top 3 at the moment. Wingspan is in my top 5. There’s two crowdfunding games I’m also eager to get as I think they’ll be high on my list too: Ada’s Dream and Tameri. Looking forward to hearing your favorite mechanisms from them.
Hey Jamie nice list, love all your choices. My top 3 in no particular order; Arkham Horror LCG (campaign), Codenames (party), Wingspan (engine building)
Currently enjoying Dune Imperium, Dwellings of Eldervale, Wonderland Wars, Star Wars Unlimited, Magic the Gathering, 7 Wonders, Just One, Skull King, Mage Knight, Castles of Burgundy
@@ericmats4662 I'm so glad you enjoyed your first play! Here's a $10 discount if you decide to get it from the Stonemaier Games webstore anytime this September: ERICTAPESTRY10
What an original list 😎👍 I really need to play Ark Nova. Probably will try it on BGA to get a feel of the game. Lord of Waterdeep is so high💪 I wonder is it with expasions or the base game? I would love for it to get a spanish edition at somepoint (highly unlikely 🥺)
Thanks! BGA is a good place to start with Ark Nova. As for Lords of Waterdeep, I'm happy playing just the standard version, but I enjoy it with expansions too.
Of your top 10, I have played the Star Wars Deckbuilding Game, Forest Shuffle,, Dune Imperium, Lords of Waterdeep, Planet Unknown, and The Quacks of Quedlinburg. I have all but Forest Shuffle, which I played for the first time last night, and Lords of Waterdeep, though I do have the app. Three of those made my top 25 when I ranked games at the beginning of the year: Dune Imperium (#22), Planet Unknown (#8), and Quacks (#6). Others in my top 10 - Cascade, Azul - Master Chocolatier, The Castles of Burgundy, Cribbage, Quadropolis, 7 Wonders Duel, Stockpile, and Hadara. Ranking is always so difficult, because it is often so hard to choose one game over another, especially since some are better in different situations. I tend to like tile laying, city/tableau building, drafting, and point salad scoring at the end.
Thanks! I'm glad this is helpful for you. I don't review games, but I like talking about my favoite elements of games from the perspective of a game designer. :)
Thank you so much for the interesting list! :D Really love your games as well! Current favorites in my group are Slay the Spire and Forest Shuffle :D Btw: easiest way to calculate points for Forest Shuffle is: have everybody do their own on a piece of scrap paper. Use tokens like copper coins to mark cards that were already counted. Takes less than 5 mins and you quickly get another game in :D Lords of Waterdeep has a really good app. So easy to squeeze in a quick game against 1-2 AI. The AI is quite well executed and feels almost like a real opponent. Quacks is a fun push your luck and we mostly play with Alchemists. We had to replace the cardboard tokens for acrylics though because they started to feel really sticky :P Have yet to get Planet Unknown to the table, Distilled and your Wyrmspan are also still in the waiting pile ^^
I think for me the thing that really makes a game a favorite is if it has an engaging action selection mechanism. Ark Nova is a good example. Every turn has a fun decision, a low-stakes puzzle, of how to initiate your action. It's a reason Scythe has always been a favorite: I've got 3 slots on my player board I can use this turn, which is the most efficient top row/bottom row combo? Concordia is another - which card do I play now, and what is the overall sequence of cards I'm likely to play out? Paladins of the West Kingdom: I have a few colors of workers available, and I have a Paladin power this round - how do I get the most out of this turn? Trajan: how can I work this mancala to not only get a good turn, but set up a future good turn? Marco Polo: I have rolled 5 dice, and so has everyone else, which dice do I commit this turn and what's going to be available my next turn? I could go on, but I guess my point is what really captures my enthusiasm in a mid or mid/heavy weight Euro is that start of the turn mechanism that initiates the turn. I'm always intrigued by new wrinkles on action selection.
I like that you honed in on clever action-selection systems, and I agree--because they make every turn fun, they consistently make me excited to take another turn.
Lords of Waterdeep was a nice surprise so high. I agree with you - such a masterpiece. I've always wondered why I haven't seen those designers celebrated more and seen them do something else exciting (Peter Lee and Rodney Thompson - not exactly household names even among hobbiests). They also created Tyrants of the Underdark, which I've never played but know there is a fanbase for that one, but otherwise nothing quite as innovative and influential as Waterdeep.
If you get the chance, Feudum is a lovely game that uses a similar action mechanism to the games you mentioned, as well as Race for the Galaxy. Definitely recommend taking a look if you enjoy that action selection and seeing how it plays out with multiple systems to interact with!
The designer Mark Swanson is releasing a septennial edition with some UX improvements on the board which I think will alleviate some of the weight issues people have with the game (less things to keep track of equals more time to think on strategy!).
"Chakra" ❤ is my most played game this year. Solo puzzle board with shared resource pool. Technically abstract strategy but the theme integration is fantastic, it's a meditation simulator with great table presence I always enjoy. "Planet Unknown" I discovered yesterday with this video and I love it, thanks so much! Played twice on BGA already 😊 9/10 like Chakra and Wingspan ❤
@@jameystegmaier Realized there are three games of that name. I mean Chakra (2019) by first time croatian designer Luka Krleža (with input from Ayurvedic medicine practitioner Maryline in France and Vd. Chopade in India). I play it a lot on BoardGameArena with my australian friend. ☺
Awesome list! Thanks for sharing, and I'm honored to see a few of our games on it. :) I think this is the first time I've heard anyone mention Tiny Epic Dinosaurs (which I haven't played)--what do you love about it?
Some great choices. My top 5 is 1. Everdell. 2. Dominion. 3 Paladins of the West Kingdom. 4. Space Base. 5 Wingspan because it's my most played solo game - I love the automa and it's always a tough battle!
Jamey, would love a couple of you thoughts as a designer on forest shuffle. I’ve been playing it a lot too 1. Would you agree that deer/wolf is by far the most powerful cards, to the point where you’d rarely discard them 2. Would you agree there’s some strategies/cards that are nearly unplayable eg bats 3. Big question - is that a design flaw or is it actually a strength My thought is it’s not fundamentally a problem to have stronger cards. It creates some rails on what otherwise could just be a “do whatever you want” game. It can be restating if one player draws every wolf, but statistically that’s very rare. The weak cards though are more bothersome. Granted, there’s some probably some rare situation where bats can make sense (eg good draw with gnats). But what do you think? Can choosing what are clearly over and under powered cards still be part of a strong design (I think so)
1. Would you agree that deer/wolf is by far the most powerful cards, to the point where you’d rarely discard them --I haven't felt that way when playing Forest Shuffle. 2. Would you agree there’s some strategies/cards that are nearly unplayable eg bats --I haven't felt that way. I like to explore different strategies every time I play. 3. Big question - is that a design flaw or is it actually a strength. --I think it's a strength. If all cards feel the same, it detracts from the uniqueness of different cards and strategies.
Viticulture and Wingspan are two of my favorite games. I have played both of these games so many times because they are just that good. I also love Distilled that games now has over 20 plays and still want to play it all the time. Wonderland Wars is still getting a lot of play time and I am still loving that game but a bit lower on the list. So many awesome games it's so hard to choose favorites. :0)
Favorite right now is Arcs. The actions feel very limited at first but then i started to get the hang of using the resources. For a lighter game, my favorite has been Scape Goats. It is social deduction but you can base your deduction on actions others are playing.
Ark Nova and Lords of Waterdeep are soooo good! I wanted to love Quacks, but our first few plays went really poorly. I think it would be more fun with more people, but with only two players, one person busting every turn right away while the other zips around their cauldron doesn’t feel fun.
I totally hear that. The rat tails are supposed to help an unlucky player catch up, but it is possible for a big disparity of luck in Quacks to lead to a tough--but memorable--game. :)
I absolutely love Ark Nova. It's my favorite game. But it is complex and lengthy and most people in my group prefer something lighter. Also love Quacks. I don't own it cause someone else in my group does. But if they didn't it would definitely occupy the top shelf in my collection. Sharing the space would be Spirit Island, Arkham Horror 3rd edition, Azul, Gloomhaven JOTL, Just One, Horrified, The Castles of Burgundy and A Feast for Odin
Those are some great games. My all-time top 10 as of today would be (without a specific order) Brass Birmingham Gaia Project Blood Rage Lost ruins of Arnak Dune Imperium Root A feast for Odin John Company (2nd edition) Vinhos Deluxe Pax Renaissance (2nd edition)
Thanks for sharing! I need to revisit Marvel Legendary--I've had fun when playing it, but I've always needed someone who knows it well to set it up. :)
I like Quacks as well! A few things that keep me (and most people I’ve shown it to) from loving it: The lack of player interaction, the wonky catch up mechanism, and the buying chips system. I’ve actually put together a similar design that has addressed these issues and it’s been testing very well!
I'm curious what type of player interaction you with Quacks had. For games like that, I just want to build my own thing as well as possible, not impede other players.
@@jameystegmaier I agree that sometimes that is fun, (I love euro games like that) but this style of game should lend itself to more group “big moments.” I guess to explain it succinctly all the meaningful choices were immediate to you and your board when it felt another layer or two would really make this game shine! I don’t’ think impeding or take that is the solution here, just some interesting interactions along the way. I wish we had more bag building & push your luck style games. 👍
I’ve found that my top five are very true to my favorite games, even though they rarely get to the table. There is something about each one that keeps me thinking about them despite rarely playing them. However, my next five are definitely influenced by games other people around me like, and have been played over and over. They didn’t all necessarily start out as favorites, but are now all up there because of how long they’ve stuck around and how many good memories with friends and family are associated with them. My list is: 10. Dice throne 9. Dutch blitz 8. Ticket to ride 7. Cascadia 6. Wingspan 5. Wayfarers of the South Tigris 4. Ark nova 3. Castles of burgundy 2. Ezra and Nehemiah 1. Root Edit: I just played Forest Shuffle with the Alpine expansion for the first time last night. It was a blast!
I was surprised to see that Terra Mystica ain't anymore in your top 10. Maybe it falls prey to the same thing that lowered Ark Nova where your heavier games group doesn't select to play it as much. As for my top 10: 10. Heat: Pedal to the Metal 9.Super Fantasy Brawl 8. Marvel United 7. Human Punishment Social deduction 6. Oath: Chronicles of an Empire 5. Moonrakers 4. Ark Nova 3. Spirit Island 2. Imperium Classics/Legends/Horizons 1. Vindication
1 Clank: Catacombs 2 Star Wars: Imperial Assault 3 Great Western Trail (Second Edition) 4 Orleans 5 Champions of Midgard 6 Apiary 7 Dune: Imperium 8 Rajas of the Ganges 9 Star Wars: Outer Rim 10 Heat: Pedal to the Metal 11 Pandemic 12 Viticulture
@@ichirofakename Here's a fairly recent video we made about abstract games that might help you find a few good ones: ruclips.net/video/x63WRWED_zA/видео.htmlsi=YKP7VQToJu7hU-q9
@@jameystegmaierTook me a while to learn that’s what I really like in a game. I recently learned the term “Take and Make Games.” I love that extra satisfaction of having something at the end of the game I can look at and admire.
I don't get how can Lords of waterdeep be higher than dune imperium, to me dune imperium does what lords of waterdeep do but much better and add much more
We're talking about highly subjective personal preferences (games I prefer very slightly more than others) among 10 games I truly love out of the 1000+ games I've played. What's not to get that one person's preferences are different than anothers?
You should play Viticulture and Wingspan! They are in my top 10 and they are awesome! ☺😂
I'm happy to hear they're in your top 10! I love the games we make at Stonemaier Games, but to avoid favoritism, I don't make them eligible for these top 10 lists. :)
I admire that you go out of your way not to mention your own games on this list. It reemphasizes for me how welcoming this community is.
One of my favorite games that I don't get to play enough is Taj Mahal. The unique bidding system is wonderful, along with the beautiful palaces that players place on the board. Lots of different ways to get points with great player interaction! Unfortunately, only good at 3+ players, so it's harder to get to the table.
Thank you! I need to check out Taj Mahal--I'm pretty sure I haven't played that one.
I passed on Lords of Waterdeep so many times because the community kind of crapped on it and said there were better worker-placement games but when I finally played it, I fell in love. Its my #2 game of all time :)
I’m glad you gave it a chance!
That's my photo of Star Wars Deckbuilding!😍 So happy that it appeared in one of your videos! I do also adore this game!!
Thanks so much for contributing your excellent photos to BGG!
Great list! And nice variety!
Here are my current favs: Wingspan, Daybreak, Dune Imperium - Uprising, Castles of Mad King Ludwig, Cascadia, Warsaw City of Ruins, So Clover, Air, Land and Sea.
Just got Wilmot’s Warehouse. Played it a few times and it’s so much fun!
Thanks for the Wilmot's Warehouse recommendation!
Castles of Mad King Ludwig is a great one. Warsaw City of Ruin is on my "shelf of shame." I need to get that one to the table!
Great list! There is a lot of overlap with some of my favorites, as well. I recently got Apiary and love that one. Indian Summer is one of my favorite beautiful nature-themed polyomino games. I'll definitely check out Forest Shuffle! Thanks!
Star Wars the Deckbuilding Game is a ton of fun. And there’s a new version out now: the Clone Wars Edition. Same game play, just Separatists vs Republic rather than Rebels vs Empire. You need to see the Jar Jar card-it’s hilarious. He’s free to acquire and has no usefulness whatsoever, except for an ability that allows you to pay to send him over to clog up your opponents deck.
I just got my Clone Wars copy a few days ago--I'm excited to play it (including Jar Jar). :)
It's so much fun to see your evolving top tens, and please don't ever stop sharing your passions & delights! Quacks is now one of my top favorite games, and I only tried it after hearing you speak about it with such unbridled joy in the past! After today's video, Blob Party is now on my wishlist - hope I get a chance to try that too.
Thank you so much! I'm so glad to hear that about Quacks, and I hope you enjoy Blob Party too. :)
Nice list Jamey, several I would love to try. Love Forest Shuffle.
Top games for me right now: The Castles of Burgundy, Viticulture, Everdell, Scythe, Expeditions, Tapestry, La Granja, Clans of Caledonia, Paladins of the West Kingdom, Bunny Kingdom
Thanks! I appreciate you sharing your current favorites.
Fantastic list of games! I love almost all of these games!
I played Viticulture again recently and really enjoyed it again too…the variety of paths to victory is very satisfying! Thanks for all you do for the hobby!
Thank you! I'm glad you had fun with Viticulture. :)
Jamey it’s always great to see these lists. I have been giving a lot of thought to “desert island” games lately and these are my ten I think:
10. Wingspan: I go back and forth between this and Earth just because the similturn is great in Earth but Wingspan is a much prettier game
9. Mantis: If I need a party game for Uno level players, this one is the easiest teach and also produces a lot of drama which is key for a party
8. Fafnir: one of my old favorite games of all time was Modern Art, and this game does a lot of what that game does way more elegantly
7. Expeditions: there may be some recency bias here but man this game is a hoot to play, and is probably the best LOOKING game I own
6. Innovation: this is my favorite game that I rarely play. There’s soooo many games
5. Seaside: I hesitated because so many reviewers gave this game a bit of a pass, because it is dead simple and most games follow a similar arc. It just, to me, feels so much like a classic game, it’s so lovely to look at and touch, it teaches in two minutes, and it’s the easiest game to get to the table in history. Also it’s cheap
4. Point City: I pick this over Splendor, which is also very fun (especially the Duel version) but this is way cuter and I like the way scoring becomes a bit of a puzzle
3. Near and Far: Ryan Laukat is my favorite game artist and this used to be my favorite game and obviously holds a dear place in my heart. When I played it I’d never seen anything like it and I have a blast with it every time
2. Apiary: I surprised myself choosing this over Ark Nova, but in little ways they share a lot of DNA, but instead of managing the power of actions with cards, you use workers which is just the coolest. I also like the large amount of player interaction, and as pretty as Ark Nova can be, this game is so so gorgeous thanks to the art of my second favorite game artist, Kwanchai Moriya. Thank you for this one
1. Quacks: for all the reasons you said. I love that besides the meta, there’s really only one choice to make-draw or not? It delights me to see my friends grit their teeth, draw a chip with eyes shut tight, then explode in rage when it’s the one chip that would cause them to bust. It fills me with GLEE
Sorry to be a bit long winded. Thanks to everyone who hung in there to the end
Your long-windedness is welcome here! I like hearing why people like games, and I also like the use of the word "glee"--I need to use that instead of just "joy" from time to time. I'm curious to try Seaside.
Star Wars the Deck-building Game & Arc Nova are absolutely amazing games! Also been enjoying Dune Uprising and Clank Catacombs lately
Nice picks! Those are all games I'm happy to have on my table at any time.
Always enjoy checking this list out! I love Quacks, and I think the other 2 games that have a similar feel (Wonderlands War and Invincible) are both just as fun. I think all 3 of them are top 25 games for me.
I’ve gotten to play Invincible a few times and it’s so good! Have you gotten to try the full version of the game yet (ie scenario 2 or later)? Playing with the Ultimate Powers + Signature Powers created some incredible moments for us 😁
Thanks Jesse! I've still only played Invincible the one time, but I'm looking to play the full version soon.
You know you're a board game designer when: you make detailed rules for yourself to follow when making top 10 lists.
Good rules, too!
I love you Jamey!!!! My top 10 boardgames of all time has 3 Stonemeier entries.
It's true! :) (and thank you!)
Great list! I gotta try blob party, that looks like a fun one! A few of my favorites right now are Honey Buzz, Cartographers, and Federation!
Lately my favorites have been Ra, Bruges, and playing Trio with my family 😊
In my experience most games don't need "expanded rules" expansions and Quacks is definitely one of them. I do like the extra track long the bottom as an option, and the Witch coins can sometimes be fun, but Quacks in its purest form is still the best experience imo.
I like that your list really reflects your current obsessions.
It does indeed! Though I try to balance that by only making games eligible if they've been near the top of at least a few lists in the past. That way I'm not just choosing a game that released a few weeks ago and I'm currently excited to play it.
Yes! Skull king is Great! Play it at lunch with 7 good players. Everyone should try!
My top 10 right now are Root, Spirit Island, Lost Ruins of Arnak, A Feast for Odin, Brass Birmingham, The Crew: Mission Deep Sea, Dune Imperium, Viticulture Essential Edition w/ Tuscany, Scout, and Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle Earth
Thanks for shaing your current favorites! Nice variety on your list.
Nice to see Cat in the Box in there, just bought that recently and love the idea. Only briefly tested it so far, looking forward to giving it some more table time. Great Western Trail 2nd Edition is number 1 for me.
I've only played Forest Shuffle online, but I absolutely love it. I think, since I saw SU&SD's review, I've played 50+ games. The expansion was wonderful and fixed what I felt was semi-narrow paths to victory. My co-designer pointed out Forest Shuffle might actually function better online versus on the table.
Its kinda great that you arent biased on only stonemeire games so that makes the list eligible
Thanks for sharing your top 10! Always such great insights on your channel. If you’d be interested, I’d love a video on how you go about balancing the value of action spaces in your worker placement games :)
Dune Imperium, Tzolkin, and Terra Mystica are my top 3 at the moment. Wingspan is in my top 5.
There’s two crowdfunding games I’m also eager to get as I think they’ll be high on my list too: Ada’s Dream and Tameri. Looking forward to hearing your favorite mechanisms from them.
Thanks for sharing and for the video request!
Hey Jamie nice list, love all your choices. My top 3 in no particular order; Arkham Horror LCG (campaign), Codenames (party), Wingspan (engine building)
Thanks for sharing your favorites!
Currently enjoying Dune Imperium, Dwellings of Eldervale, Wonderland Wars, Star Wars Unlimited, Magic the Gathering, 7 Wonders, Just One, Skull King, Mage Knight, Castles of Burgundy
Thanks for sharing your list! A great range of games here.
Dune uprising, Lost ruins of Arnak, Viticulture, Terraforming Mars are probably my favorite games right now.
Some excellent games there!
Just came back from a game night and got to try tapestry. That was a wonderful game. Might have to pick up a copy myself
@@ericmats4662 I'm so glad you enjoyed your first play! Here's a $10 discount if you decide to get it from the Stonemaier Games webstore anytime this September: ERICTAPESTRY10
What an original list 😎👍
I really need to play Ark Nova. Probably will try it on BGA to get a feel of the game.
Lord of Waterdeep is so high💪 I wonder is it with expasions or the base game? I would love for it to get a spanish edition at somepoint (highly unlikely 🥺)
Thanks! BGA is a good place to start with Ark Nova. As for Lords of Waterdeep, I'm happy playing just the standard version, but I enjoy it with expansions too.
Great list! Still haven't gotten around to playing skull King, really need to get on that.
dont the skull king's scoring is terrible,,its actually longer than the game,, pls dont
Of your top 10, I have played the Star Wars Deckbuilding Game, Forest Shuffle,, Dune Imperium, Lords of Waterdeep, Planet Unknown, and The Quacks of Quedlinburg. I have all but Forest Shuffle, which I played for the first time last night, and Lords of Waterdeep, though I do have the app. Three of those made my top 25 when I ranked games at the beginning of the year: Dune Imperium (#22), Planet Unknown (#8), and Quacks (#6). Others in my top 10 - Cascade, Azul - Master Chocolatier, The Castles of Burgundy, Cribbage, Quadropolis, 7 Wonders Duel, Stockpile, and Hadara. Ranking is always so difficult, because it is often so hard to choose one game over another, especially since some are better in different situations. I tend to like tile laying, city/tableau building, drafting, and point salad scoring at the end.
Thanks for sharing, and I completely agree that ranking is difficult, given the circumstantial nature of games. :)
Thanks Jamey, nice reviews. My wife however does not thank you as you have pointed out quite a few games that are now on my radar
Thanks! I'm glad this is helpful for you. I don't review games, but I like talking about my favoite elements of games from the perspective of a game designer. :)
My friends and I started the campaign game ISS Vanguard by Awaken Realms. The game mechanics are quite simple but the story is really cool!
Thank you so much for the interesting list! :D Really love your games as well!
Current favorites in my group are Slay the Spire and Forest Shuffle :D Btw: easiest way to calculate points for Forest Shuffle is: have everybody do their own on a piece of scrap paper. Use tokens like copper coins to mark cards that were already counted. Takes less than 5 mins and you quickly get another game in :D
Lords of Waterdeep has a really good app. So easy to squeeze in a quick game against 1-2 AI. The AI is quite well executed and feels almost like a real opponent.
Quacks is a fun push your luck and we mostly play with Alchemists. We had to replace the cardboard tokens for acrylics though because they started to feel really sticky :P
Have yet to get Planet Unknown to the table, Distilled and your Wyrmspan are also still in the waiting pile ^^
I really like the Lords of Waterdeep app. Thanks for sharing some of your current favorites!
Lately I am feeling Five Tribes climbing on my list toward the top 10. Top3 perhaps being Brass Birmingham, Teotihuacan and Obsession.
Game I play the most is Splendor and the game I’m most passionate about is Clash of Cultures.
Have stonemaier games ever though if making a good bag builder game? I’m a huge fan of that type of board game
I've tried! Multiple times. :) It hasn't worked out yet, but I'll keep trying.
I think for me the thing that really makes a game a favorite is if it has an engaging action selection mechanism. Ark Nova is a good example. Every turn has a fun decision, a low-stakes puzzle, of how to initiate your action. It's a reason Scythe has always been a favorite: I've got 3 slots on my player board I can use this turn, which is the most efficient top row/bottom row combo? Concordia is another - which card do I play now, and what is the overall sequence of cards I'm likely to play out? Paladins of the West Kingdom: I have a few colors of workers available, and I have a Paladin power this round - how do I get the most out of this turn? Trajan: how can I work this mancala to not only get a good turn, but set up a future good turn? Marco Polo: I have rolled 5 dice, and so has everyone else, which dice do I commit this turn and what's going to be available my next turn? I could go on, but I guess my point is what really captures my enthusiasm in a mid or mid/heavy weight Euro is that start of the turn mechanism that initiates the turn. I'm always intrigued by new wrinkles on action selection.
I like that you honed in on clever action-selection systems, and I agree--because they make every turn fun, they consistently make me excited to take another turn.
Lords of Waterdeep was a nice surprise so high. I agree with you - such a masterpiece. I've always wondered why I haven't seen those designers celebrated more and seen them do something else exciting (Peter Lee and Rodney Thompson - not exactly household names even among hobbiests). They also created Tyrants of the Underdark, which I've never played but know there is a fanbase for that one, but otherwise nothing quite as innovative and influential as Waterdeep.
If you get the chance, Feudum is a lovely game that uses a similar action mechanism to the games you mentioned, as well as Race for the Galaxy. Definitely recommend taking a look if you enjoy that action selection and seeing how it plays out with multiple systems to interact with!
@@aaronbonner5294 Thanks for the reminder! I've played Feudum, but it's been a long time--it's a very heavy game for me! :)
The designer Mark Swanson is releasing a septennial edition with some UX improvements on the board which I think will alleviate some of the weight issues people have with the game (less things to keep track of equals more time to think on strategy!).
"Chakra" ❤ is my most played game this year. Solo puzzle board with shared resource pool. Technically abstract strategy but the theme integration is fantastic, it's a meditation simulator with great table presence I always enjoy.
"Planet Unknown" I discovered yesterday with this video and I love it, thanks so much! Played twice on BGA already 😊 9/10 like Chakra and Wingspan ❤
Thanks for sharing Chakra! I'll check that out. I'm glad you enjoyed your first plays of Planet Unknown. :)
@@jameystegmaier Realized there are three games of that name. I mean Chakra (2019) by first time croatian designer Luka Krleža (with input from Ayurvedic medicine practitioner Maryline in France and Vd. Chopade in India).
I play it a lot on BoardGameArena with my australian friend. ☺
1. Castles of Burgundy
2. Scythe
3. 7 Wonders
4. Everdell
5. Isle of Cats
6. Tapestry
7. Obsession
8. Tiny Epic Dinosaurs
9. Dune: Imperium
10. Wingspan
Currently for me.😊
Awesome list! Thanks for sharing, and I'm honored to see a few of our games on it. :) I think this is the first time I've heard anyone mention Tiny Epic Dinosaurs (which I haven't played)--what do you love about it?
Some great choices. My top 5 is 1. Everdell. 2. Dominion. 3 Paladins of the West Kingdom. 4. Space Base. 5 Wingspan because it's my most played solo game - I love the automa and it's always a tough battle!
Thanks for sharing your top picks (and I'm honored Wingspan is among them!)
Slay the spire, rock hard 1977 and kutna hora are my favorite in this moment.
I started playing Lorcana to, what a mistake 🤦🏻
Jamey, would love a couple of you thoughts as a designer on forest shuffle. I’ve been playing it a lot too
1. Would you agree that deer/wolf is by far the most powerful cards, to the point where you’d rarely discard them
2. Would you agree there’s some strategies/cards that are nearly unplayable eg bats
3. Big question - is that a design flaw or is it actually a strength
My thought is it’s not fundamentally a problem to have stronger cards. It creates some rails on what otherwise could just be a “do whatever you want” game. It can be restating if one player draws every wolf, but statistically that’s very rare.
The weak cards though are more bothersome. Granted, there’s some probably some rare situation where bats can make sense (eg good draw with gnats).
But what do you think? Can choosing what are clearly over and under powered cards still be part of a strong design (I think so)
1. Would you agree that deer/wolf is by far the most powerful cards, to the point where you’d rarely discard them
--I haven't felt that way when playing Forest Shuffle.
2. Would you agree there’s some strategies/cards that are nearly unplayable eg bats
--I haven't felt that way. I like to explore different strategies every time I play.
3. Big question - is that a design flaw or is it actually a strength.
--I think it's a strength. If all cards feel the same, it detracts from the uniqueness of different cards and strategies.
Sad to see Terra Mystica no longer on your top 10! There’s so many good games, it’s always hard to pick 10!
I'm sure it'll be back after I play it again. :)
Viticulture and Wingspan are two of my favorite games. I have played both of these games so many times because they are just that good. I also love Distilled that games now has over 20 plays and still want to play it all the time. Wonderland Wars is still getting a lot of play time and I am still loving that game but a bit lower on the list. So many awesome games it's so hard to choose favorites. :0)
Thank you for sharing a few of your favorites, and I'm honored that Viticulture and Wingspan are among them. :)
Where would you put Stonemaier games on this list and what game would be removed (be honest, they can all be on the top if you really feel like it)?
Here is a video on that topic: ruclips.net/video/3ETXuzHSurg/видео.htmlsi=E2pAEYuBv_6hNMFI
Favorite right now is Arcs. The actions feel very limited at first but then i started to get the hang of using the resources. For a lighter game, my favorite has been Scape Goats. It is social deduction but you can base your deduction on actions others are playing.
Ark Nova and Lords of Waterdeep are soooo good! I wanted to love Quacks, but our first few plays went really poorly. I think it would be more fun with more people, but with only two players, one person busting every turn right away while the other zips around their cauldron doesn’t feel fun.
I totally hear that. The rat tails are supposed to help an unlucky player catch up, but it is possible for a big disparity of luck in Quacks to lead to a tough--but memorable--game. :)
I absolutely love Ark Nova. It's my favorite game. But it is complex and lengthy and most people in my group prefer something lighter. Also love Quacks. I don't own it cause someone else in my group does. But if they didn't it would definitely occupy the top shelf in my collection. Sharing the space would be Spirit Island, Arkham Horror 3rd edition, Azul, Gloomhaven JOTL, Just One, Horrified, The Castles of Burgundy and A Feast for Odin
Thanks for sharing those favorites! I'm a big fan of both of those games. :)
Those are some great games. My all-time top 10 as of today would be (without a specific order)
Brass Birmingham
Gaia Project
Blood Rage
Lost ruins of Arnak
Dune Imperium
Root
A feast for Odin
John Company (2nd edition)
Vinhos Deluxe
Pax Renaissance (2nd edition)
Thanks for sharing your list! Lots of meaty games here. :)
Favorite from your list- Planet Unknown, Favorite Stonemaier- Apiary (can’t wait for the 4th!), Favorite overall- Marvel Legendary
Thanks for sharing! I need to revisit Marvel Legendary--I've had fun when playing it, but I've always needed someone who knows it well to set it up. :)
@@jameystegmaier I would be happy to!
I like Quacks as well! A few things that keep me (and most people I’ve shown it to) from loving it: The lack of player interaction, the wonky catch up mechanism, and the buying chips system. I’ve actually put together a similar design that has addressed these issues and it’s been testing very well!
I'm curious what type of player interaction you with Quacks had. For games like that, I just want to build my own thing as well as possible, not impede other players.
@@jameystegmaier I agree that sometimes that is fun, (I love euro games like that) but this style of game should lend itself to more group “big moments.” I guess to explain it succinctly all the meaningful choices were immediate to you and your board when it felt another layer or two would really make this game shine! I don’t’ think impeding or take that is the solution here, just some interesting interactions along the way. I wish we had more bag building & push your luck style games. 👍
1. broom service
2. mandala
3. little town
4. my lil everdell
5. kingdomino
6. diamonds
7. lost cities
8. king of tokyo
9. blue lagoon
10. Carcassonne
Thanks for sharing your list! I need to revisit Broom Service.
I’ve found that my top five are very true to my favorite games, even though they rarely get to the table. There is something about each one that keeps me thinking about them despite rarely playing them. However, my next five are definitely influenced by games other people around me like, and have been played over and over. They didn’t all necessarily start out as favorites, but are now all up there because of how long they’ve stuck around and how many good memories with friends and family are associated with them. My list is:
10. Dice throne
9. Dutch blitz
8. Ticket to ride
7. Cascadia
6. Wingspan
5. Wayfarers of the South Tigris
4. Ark nova
3. Castles of burgundy
2. Ezra and Nehemiah
1. Root
Edit: I just played Forest Shuffle with the Alpine expansion for the first time last night. It was a blast!
I like that your list has a mix of games you love (but don't play often) and games you love (and do play often).
I was surprised to see that Terra Mystica ain't anymore in your top 10. Maybe it falls prey to the same thing that lowered Ark Nova where your heavier games group doesn't select to play it as much.
As for my top 10:
10. Heat: Pedal to the Metal
9.Super Fantasy Brawl
8. Marvel United
7. Human Punishment Social deduction
6. Oath: Chronicles of an Empire
5. Moonrakers
4. Ark Nova
3. Spirit Island
2. Imperium Classics/Legends/Horizons
1. Vindication
I think so. I do still love it and will always play it. :) Thanks for sharing your list!
Through the ages, revive, gaia project, clans of caledonia current favorite
Nice! A heavy gamer here. :)
@@jameystegmaier i know stonemeier games dont count. But i have tapestry with all expansion and its amazing i love it. I also love scythe as my top
@@patrickvalo8822 Thank you so much! :) I'm glad you enjoy Tapestry and Scythe.
1 Clank: Catacombs
2 Star Wars: Imperial Assault
3 Great Western Trail (Second Edition)
4 Orleans
5 Champions of Midgard
6 Apiary
7 Dune: Imperium
8 Rajas of the Ganges
9 Star Wars: Outer Rim
10 Heat: Pedal to the Metal
11 Pandemic
12 Viticulture
Awesome list! Orleans comes and goes from my list--I really enjoy it but just don't play it all that often anymore.
Do you play Skull King with the pirate abilities? That is the only advanced rule we haven't tried yet.
We don't play with the pirate abilities--I think there's already enough to keep track of in the game. :)
Ark Nova. There's just no game that is quite as satisfying.
I love Ark Nova too. What makes it particularly satisfying for you?
Current top 5 games
1. Ark Nova ( at almost 100 plays)
2. Cthullu Death May Die
3. Raising Robots
4. The Castles of Burgundy
5. Sea Salt and Paper
Thanks for sharing your list!
The only games I play are Hive and sometimes Mondrian.
Are you looking to play other games too, or are you sticking with those two? :)
@@jameystegmaier I'm always on the lookout for abstract strategy games, though I don't actually play that often.
@@ichirofakename Here's a fairly recent video we made about abstract games that might help you find a few good ones: ruclips.net/video/x63WRWED_zA/видео.htmlsi=YKP7VQToJu7hU-q9
@@jameystegmaier Thanks, you are a prince.
Fine I didn't want you to mention Expeditions anyway...
Expeditions!
In no particular order:
Carcassonne
Azul
Crokinole
Scythe
Cartographers
Kingdom Death Monster
Distilled
Downforce
Karuba
Apiary
I haven't played Karuba in way too long--it's a lot of fun.
@@jameystegmaier Also seems pretty unique - or at least I haven't found a game like it.
1 Cascadia
2 Azul
3 Wingspan
4 Patchwork
5 Canvas
6 The Quacks of Quedlinburg
7 7 Wonders Duel
8 Pandemic
9 Baseball Highlights 2045
10. Reforest: Plants of the Pacific Northwest
Thanks for sharing your list! Lots of great cozy games here.
@@jameystegmaierTook me a while to learn that’s what I really like in a game. I recently learned the term “Take and Make Games.” I love that extra satisfaction of having something at the end of the game I can look at and admire.
I don't get how can Lords of waterdeep be higher than dune imperium, to me dune imperium does what lords of waterdeep do but much better and add much more
We're talking about highly subjective personal preferences (games I prefer very slightly more than others) among 10 games I truly love out of the 1000+ games I've played. What's not to get that one person's preferences are different than anothers?