Wow!!! This is the best surprise in years. Thanks Sam Healy for having our game on your list. This makes our day :) Looking forward to Essen ( the most fun 4 days of the year ). Hope to meet you all there. We'll be happy to explain the game. There area lot of cool games on the lists. Soooo happy to be in great company. 12 days to go !
haha.. when Zee started crying I had to stop the video. I was watching on one screen while working and my workmates probably don't appreciate me snickering under my breath and then that turning to eye watering laughter. It hurt to hold it in. You can't do that to me Zee!!
@The Dice Tower, you guys should put together a video of all the funny things Zee says into one compilation video! That would be a great early Christmas video to enjoy watching.
So Dinosaur Island is coming to a house near you.....if I live near you lol. So excited to get this next month. Gonna play the Jurassic Park theme music! And dadgummit, Ian Malcolm needs to come as a playable character! I want some chaos theory in my set!
I`m from northern Norway, not far from Nusfjord. Even though it does not matter, as every Norwegian would pronounce it the same (dialectical differences taken to concideration). But it`s not a big deal :D
Since a jillion euros come out at Essen, and they aren't necessariliy Dice Tower favorites (though Nusfjord, Gaia Project, and Pulsar 2849 did get mentioned here), here are some other ones I'm looking forward to: Clans of Caledonia, Heaven & Ale, Noria, Rajas of the Ganges, Agra.
Otys! Yes... so glad to see this on someone's list. I really think this is going to be a sleeper hit. I'm not sure how it's flying under the radar. The cover art is fantastic and seems like it would have been enough to draw people in to check it out. The mechanics sound like it will make this game fun and stand out from other games.
Love where Alien Artifacts is on everyone's list. I got a chance to play this at DiceTowerCon in July and bought it not long ago. I think it's on its way from Poland as I was sent a tracking number.
French canadian here. I concur. The café is so good that it's worth dying for. "Fatal" can be used for that meaning, deriving from the expression "Femme fatale" (fatal woman) which mean a seductress that men can't resist, even if the consequences are dire. The expression has been used in many meanings and now is widely used to indicate an irresistible woman. In this sense, the expression "fatal" applied to coffee would mean an irresistible coffee.
BTW, "fatal" is pronounced like the word "fat" and the name "Al". The way Sam pronounces it (fate-"Al") is the pronounciation of the word "foetal" in french (relative to the foetus).
Okay. Justice League: Dawn of Heroes reminds me of an idea that’s been percolating in my brain. Imagine a Gloomhaven-esk game with a Marvel Heroes theme, doesn’t that sound amazing?!
Isn't Quick Simple Fun, the maker of Muse, owned by your sponsor Coolstuff? I agree that Muse is awesome, I got to play it with one of the guys from QSF. But this seems like something that you guys should disclose especially if you are trying to be neutral as reviewers.
Some great games listed here which I will definitely keep an eye out for. And i agree with Tom, Portal's rule books are always terrible, to the point I wait for "revised/2nd printings" for their games. I hear some great things about Orleans and even some about Altiplano, but I just can't get past the artwork. Listen I know I'm in the minority and The artist is greatly talented and I could never come close to being that skillful, but it draws me away from games with similar art styles.
The rulebook for Alien Artifacts is actually pretty clear imo. It's an engine building card game, and the 4X is there, but that's more of a theme than a mechanic really. It's good though. Once you know your options, the game will speed up nicely. Check my how to play video & review ;)
Brian Lelas Yes. They all played it already secretly and are not allowed to talk about it or review it yet. But they played it so it's not anticipated.
I got to demo Coaster Park at Gencon and was super disappointed, the physics to just to finicky with and most of the time your coasters just don't work
But Tom, if you are reviewing the game... you already Played it right ? So those were already excluded from your list in my head after your statement That you didn't put any games on the list you Played already.
Transatlantic should be on someone list. This game was delayed 2 years because the designer want to deliver a great game. It is not some kind of hot IP game fast designed. I know Mac Gerdt are more popular among player communauty than dice tower staff and its ok, you have the right to have your personnal opinion. But with your growth, I hope you find a way to reflect to the people this game is some primary expectation for a large number of gamers. I don't want to defend the game; i just say this game hotness and great expectation should be reflect somewhere in dice tower production; this is something greatly positive to share and Dice Tower have all to win to join and communicate this. Maybe a top 10 community hotness (outside your personnal choice) or have a regular content producer enjoying more mid to long Euro is something to consider. But I am confident you'll find an original solution; I congratulate your effort to communicate both your personnal preference without shame and ways other could enjoy a game outside your personnal preference when a game have some visible quality.
Yeah, when I saw this cover, I really felt as if somebody dumbed a bucket of dirt on me. They really ran with those old racist stereotypes here. "The art pulled me in" certainly wasn't the reason I expected for this being on the list :/
You are joking? The cover is nearly identical to the advertisements you will find on the road side, on tv and on billboards here in China. It's not particularly good artwork, but there is no need to feel dirty.
Obviously current political leaders in China praise Mao and Cultural Revolution but I don't live in China and don't really want to see that in my games unless they are based on history.
DC has better characters and comic books than Marvel... But they can't make a good movie. Marvel has mediocre characters and comics... And yet makes movies out of them that are amazing almost every time. But if you take movies out of the equation DC blows Marvel away.
Sam... please please please stop with the long intros before mentioning the name. Often you start going into details, mechanics, etc. but viewers brains are in a certain mode waiting to hear the name, so they can then associate those things with. It does not work as well in the reverse order, as it's harder for the brain to retain random info without the name to stick it to.
Thanks for including pictures in this Top 10!! A huge plus, and we appreciate it. ;)
Wow!! We still can't believe we got not 1 but 2 mentions in this list! We can't thank you enough for thinking of us.
Wow!!! This is the best surprise in years. Thanks Sam Healy for having our game on your list. This makes our day :) Looking forward to Essen ( the most fun 4 days of the year ).
Hope to meet you all there. We'll be happy to explain the game.
There area lot of cool games on the lists. Soooo happy to be in great company. 12 days to go !
Love the chemistry between you all. It really works.Congratulations.
I hope you guys do a top 10 reviewing the same games in the same order and whether they were flops or fantastic.
great Idea or the top 10 after Essen compare to this one
I Thought the same thing but I'm sure they won't, we'll just have to watch each review and see where they stand.
Every time they do a list of games they are looking forward to at a con, multiple people ask for a follow up video. And they don't every time. :(
Gamera 23 Maybe they find too many games they want to talk about they had not on screen before ;)
That is a cool idea!
Very glad to see pictures of the box art and sometimes even the game!
Nice background guys!!! Very serene with the birds chirping in the background!!
Love seeing images of the game boards during the top 10. Would love to see that more in regular top 10s!
"Justice League, here I go again.." HAHAHAHA! Fantastic Zee :D
Actually, can you explain that one to me?
Hieronymus Pseudonymous It's a song from the famous band ABBA, called Mama Mia.
Ah, a pun on Abba Games.
"Bad production, maybe?" - Zee speculating about the holes in the Indian Summer tiles. Cracking me up :-D
I really enjoyed watching this. Just fun. sams quiet "caurel lrown" what a blast...i like your humor that much. you 3 so funny ;)
cafe fatal is french- meaning 'inevitable'
49:17 "I hate Justice League" - Tom Vasel. Would be great to see some of these games; keep up the great content
For your convenience:
03:38 #10
07:17 #9
11:50 #8
16:18 #7
21:05 #6
26:28 #5
30:47 #4
34:45 #3
39:12 #2
43:09 #1
51:05 Overview
Fertilizer - Made my day! Thanks Tom
A lot of these games sound really fun!
haha.. when Zee started crying I had to stop the video. I was watching on one screen while working and my workmates probably don't appreciate me snickering under my breath and then that turning to eye watering laughter. It hurt to hold it in. You can't do that to me Zee!!
@The Dice Tower, you guys should put together a video of all the funny things Zee says into one compilation video! That would be a great early Christmas video to enjoy watching.
So Dinosaur Island is coming to a house near you.....if I live near you lol. So excited to get this next month. Gonna play the Jurassic Park theme music! And dadgummit, Ian Malcolm needs to come as a playable character! I want some chaos theory in my set!
When you guys come back from Essen, will there be a list of top 10 ESSENtials?
VaultBoy OMG best pun ever! You should trademark it.
Please see yourself out.
Pa dum tisk
Just pre-ordered Otys. Looks like a phenomenal medium Euro. I have yet to play a bad game from Pearl btw.
Noria?
Really pumped for the Justice League game!
Alien artifacts does look interesting. Seems to have the imperial/51st state vibe too.
Hey Tom, Zee and Sam!! Birds dont clash against your glass? put a sticker,
in case there is a collision. Im a big fan!!! See you in Essen.
My Nordic language consultant told me it was pronounced: "Newsfjawrd" - and yes, I do officially have a Nordic language consultant :)
phoneticizing it kind of breaks down if you leave in a "fj"
Think "your" with an F in front and a D at the end.
Your consultant is wrong, I´m afraid. That´s the foreign/english pronunciation ;)
Well, he is from Sweden - so I dont know now :)
I`m from northern Norway, not far from Nusfjord. Even though it does not matter, as every Norwegian would pronounce it the same (dialectical differences taken to concideration). But it`s not a big deal :D
Alien Artifacts & Otys are two games i'm super hyped to see more off!
“Wu Long” translates as “Five Dragons”, because the aim is to roll Five Dragons on the Dice.
My pick for two players Zooloretto is the dice version 😉
Since a jillion euros come out at Essen, and they aren't necessariliy Dice Tower favorites (though Nusfjord, Gaia Project, and Pulsar 2849 did get mentioned here), here are some other ones I'm looking forward to: Clans of Caledonia, Heaven & Ale, Noria, Rajas of the Ganges, Agra.
Some reviewers have called Clans of Caledonia a "Terra Mystica killer" so maybe they will like that better - even than Gaia Project?
Otys! Yes... so glad to see this on someone's list. I really think this is going to be a sleeper hit. I'm not sure how it's flying under the radar. The cover art is fantastic and seems like it would have been enough to draw people in to check it out. The mechanics sound like it will make this game fun and stand out from other games.
If Sam would just say the name of the game to begin with, these videos would be halved in length 😁
I just noticed Sam has a full beard now, suits him way more.
The neckline is way too high :x
Nah, it gives a rawer look, more manly...
zee's evil twin brother..:D
Pioneer Days sounds fantastic.
Which days are you going? My and my fiancée will be there the Friday. I really hope to meet you guys for a selfy or something
Zee, no Column of Fire? Ken Follett!
Played Alien Artifacts last night and it was really good.
I'm at weast lilling too!
Hey Sam! Was "animistic" the word you were looking for? Great job as always, guys.
I thought "symbiotic" but "animistic" is a good shout.
Maybe Druidic or Shamanistic?
Commensalism, Mutualism, Amensalism. All part of my guess: “Symbiosis” 😀👍
no Hunt for the Ring from Ares Games? or is that not a new thing?
What about Agra?
Hey Sam, “Symbiosis”?
I'm surprised no one said mythic battles: pantheon
jwsjourney I’m soo excited for this game!!!
Potentially could become my number 1 game, currently Blood Rage.
It's on Sam's other list.
I expected to see Pandemic Legacy Season 2 on this list :P
David Phillips yea, that's what I'm thinking
Love where Alien Artifacts is on everyone's list. I got a chance to play this at DiceTowerCon in July and bought it not long ago. I think it's on its way from Poland as I was sent a tracking number.
I think Cafe Fatal is translated to 'a cafe to die for'... I'm totally guessing here :)
French canadian here. I concur. The café is so good that it's worth dying for. "Fatal" can be used for that meaning, deriving from the expression "Femme fatale" (fatal woman) which mean a seductress that men can't resist, even if the consequences are dire. The expression has been used in many meanings and now is widely used to indicate an irresistible woman. In this sense, the expression "fatal" applied to coffee would mean an irresistible coffee.
BTW, "fatal" is pronounced like the word "fat" and the name "Al". The way Sam pronounces it (fate-"Al") is the pronounciation of the word "foetal" in french (relative to the foetus).
Sounds good to me!
Okay. Justice League: Dawn of Heroes reminds me of an idea that’s been percolating in my brain. Imagine a Gloomhaven-esk game with a Marvel Heroes theme, doesn’t that sound amazing?!
Altiplano, Nuisfjord and Indian Summer on my wish list
has Sam played Joa at gencon
Wait 'til Sam finds out that Vincent Dutrait did the cover, and only the cover, for Alexandria.
Isn't Quick Simple Fun, the maker of Muse, owned by your sponsor Coolstuff?
I agree that Muse is awesome, I got to play it with one of the guys from QSF. But this seems like something that you guys should disclose especially if you are trying to be neutral as reviewers.
the one time "esoteric" would have been contextually accurate, Zee didn't use it. mystery of the temples.
Sam's BEARD!!!!!!!!!
Of the 30 games, just Wulong for me! It´s from the same artist of Friese´s games!
I think Dinosaur Park is 90s themed, not 80s! :)
Glad to get some new ideas here, an initial look for Essen was showing a really mediocre year for games.
Some great games listed here which I will definitely keep an eye out for. And i agree with Tom, Portal's rule books are always terrible, to the point I wait for "revised/2nd printings" for their games.
I hear some great things about Orleans and even some about Altiplano, but I just can't get past the artwork. Listen I know I'm in the minority and The artist is greatly talented and I could never come close to being that skillful, but it draws me away from games with similar art styles.
"Between Two Beards"
The rulebook for Alien Artifacts is actually pretty clear imo. It's an engine building card game, and the 4X is there, but that's more of a theme than a mechanic really. It's good though. Once you know your options, the game will speed up nicely. Check my how to play video & review ;)
I can't tell which one is the real Sam.
Astoningly: out from 30 picks of anticipated games, only 2 are American style games.
I have a crossover with Tom (Gaia Project) and a double crossover with Sam and Zee (Pioneer Days).
Man that Sam can pontificate.......
Can someone tell me/us a bit more about Alien Artifacts? It seems like a tableau building game where we can actually attack each other?
@ Eyal Itsik From what I've read of rules, its better to attack aliens, Imperial settlers has better combat system for attacking other players.
Pandemic Legacy: Season 2 is missing for some reason?
Brian Lelas Yes. They all played it already secretly and are not allowed to talk about it or review it yet. But they played it so it's not anticipated.
No Hunt for the Ring? Do this over.
I haven't seen it on a single Essen list.
It showed up on Tom's other Essen list.
I'm most looking forward to Justice League also!
Clans of Caledonia #1
Hate deck builders... Love bag builders! Altiplano number #1!
The reviews for alien artifacts are pretty average right now
I got to demo Coaster Park at Gencon and was super disappointed, the physics to just to finicky with and most of the time your coasters just don't work
Doug Schumann I'm disappointed by the laws of physics as well
In Tom's defense, "Zeus" is pronounced zooss.
But Tom, if you are reviewing the game... you already Played it right ? So those were already excluded from your list in my head after your statement That you didn't put any games on the list you Played already.
funny list I expected so many other games
Karuba...
More coffee!
Transatlantic should be on someone list. This game was delayed 2 years because the designer want to deliver a great game. It is not some kind of hot IP game fast designed. I know Mac Gerdt are more popular among player communauty than dice tower staff and its ok, you have the right to have your personnal opinion. But with your growth, I hope you find a way to reflect to the people this game is some primary expectation for a large number of gamers. I don't want to defend the game; i just say this game hotness and great expectation should be reflect somewhere in dice tower production; this is something greatly positive to share and Dice Tower have all to win to join and communicate this. Maybe a top 10 community hotness (outside your personnal choice) or have a regular content producer enjoying more mid to long Euro is something to consider. But I am confident you'll find an original solution; I congratulate your effort to communicate both your personnal preference without shame and ways other could enjoy a game outside your personnal preference when a game have some visible quality.
you forgot the cacao expansion.. jk haven't even watched the vid yet
come on.. dude named zee garcia can't pronounce santa maria in latino style..?:)
My top 10 Essen list:
10) Merlin
9) Merlin
8) Merlin
7) Merlin
6) Merlin
5) Merlin
4) Merlin
3) Merlin
2) Merlin
1) Merlin
The Wulong cover is ridiculous and in a bad taste, cool that authors decided to go with totalitarian system analogies.
Yeah, when I saw this cover, I really felt as if somebody dumbed a bucket of dirt on me.
They really ran with those old racist stereotypes here. "The art pulled me in" certainly wasn't the reason I expected for this being on the list :/
You are joking? The cover is nearly identical to the advertisements you will find on the road side, on tv and on billboards here in China. It's not particularly good artwork, but there is no need to feel dirty.
Obviously current political leaders in China praise Mao and Cultural Revolution but I don't live in China and don't really want to see that in my games unless they are based on history.
DC has better characters and comic books than Marvel... But they can't make a good movie.
Marvel has mediocre characters and comics... And yet makes movies out of them that are amazing almost every time.
But if you take movies out of the equation DC blows Marvel away.
Sam... please please please stop with the long intros before mentioning the name. Often you start going into details, mechanics, etc. but viewers brains are in a certain mode waiting to hear the name, so they can then associate those things with. It does not work as well in the reverse order, as it's harder for the brain to retain random info without the name to stick it to.
I agree, it's the wrong time to play the "let's make you all super annoyed with anticipation game".
No, his are the most fun intros, as a quiz to see if you know what it is before he names it.
This ^. Keep up the good work Sam!
40 seconds before one of them. :)
Second
First
Come on, no love for Reworld?