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Late on the QOTW but been really busy last few weeks and away (including a weekend just now of board gaming with a mate - dozen games played, mostly mid to heavy, so the brain has started to leak I think) but still been watching each episode, this one a little later than normal. I have reconsidered the hobby lots of times, mostly because I have lots of games, spent lots of money and not in a populated area to play with others, having to rely on my partner or the odd person who might chip in for a game. It can be a lonely hobby at times and feel quite depressing seeing the games around the room, not just realising the $$ spent but the fact you may never get to play them all or you just can't enjoy them. There's lots of factors, I keep coming back simply because the experience when playing with others is always fun, laughs with friends, it releases those feel good stuff in your brain, the puzzly buzz you can get from the said feel good stuff released from the brain and the escapism. I love the escapism and the memories it always brings. A simple game of scattegories with my mum, dad and my young son some 15-20 years ago when we had to name something from the Bible that begins with G, and three of us could not think of anything until Dad matter of factly just said 'god', the aching belly laughs that come after that, yea that is what keeps you coming back....

I got into board gaming after moving to a new area and I joined a meetup group about board games, this is how I met friends, and even my wife! I stay in the board game hobby for a couple reasons. Community - I have almost completely fallen out of playing video games, because there's no match to sitting at the same table as some people and playing a game, whether they're already your friends, or new people you get to meet, it's always a good time. Brain Plasticity - I fully believe playing games consistently keeps my brain in check for learning new things in life, it keeps the brain pathways open and creating new ones, all while gaining victory points!

I love the process of learning new games. The moment when I "get" a game, especially a heavy one, is a dopamine rush.

Hello Jeff and Tabletop Toolbox Community I hope all is well. I would like to say thanks for taking the time to answer to my comment and for encouraging me to keep on trying. I appreciate it. Will do. About the question of the week I would say that what makes me come back to games is being able to share new themes and things on different board games and how they adapt to a game. I play as many different games as I can different genres, and i love the fact that there’s just so much to learn and share with others. I love strong themes on board games. It helps me immerse myself more into the game. The only reason that it has made me reconsider gaming has been what I touched upon on my previous post, the fact that people are not as open to other members of our community to try to be more welcoming. That’s all, but I’m still here. I will just continue to try. Take Care guys Jon

I’m incredibly lucky that my spouse shares the same love of gaming that I have- we come to the table because we can share so much more over a game table (conversation, experience, etc) rather than just by watching a tv show or movie together. And just like others have said, sitting at a table with good people playing a good game is an experience that simply brings me joy! I know, it’s cheesy haha. By the way, we really enjoyed gaming with you on Sunday- looking forward to playing again soon! Ben promises to not smack us down quite so badly next time 😂

QotW: I struggle to make friends, and im even worse at keeping them. So, board games have always been a medium for me to "socialize" a bit more as games have the power to break the ice and remove some of the anxiety and tension that comes with meeting new people. Have always loved sitting at a table with phones away and just being present and enjoying the game and the company. The tactile aspect of board game components is something that video games (which i grew up playing A LOT) lack, and i completely enjoy it. And of course, the mental puzzle that games provide is just satisfying to me, keeps me coming back, and buying more 😅

QotW: There are so many reasons! I love discovering new mechanisms, and exploring different themes. I love unboxing all the components and organizing everything. But most of all, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, and engaging our minds… 😊

Forgot to add in my earlier post…I played Harmonies also last week. Azul, Cascadia and Reef had a baby. Loved it. And I picked up a copy of Star Trek Panic, Jeff!

I wanted to give a smart complicated answer, but... I love sitting on a table with good people and playing games.

Hi Jeff. Great video! Thank you. QotW: My two top things that keep me coming back are the memories I’m making with my son (who will be off on his own soon) and the brain Challenge (figuring out rules, solving the puzzle of the game etc.) The only time I (briefly) considered not coming back was when I made a benign comment on BGG about not liking a certain, popular game and got skewered with replies that implied I wasn’t intelligent enough to know whether or not I liked it. I just don’t comment anymore, except on your channel and occasionally The Dice Tower. I don’t have time for that kind of nonsense. Problem solved. New-to-me games played last week: Codenames Duet with my husband. Great fun. He loved this one. And Parks with my son. We both really enjoyed Parks, and the production is beautiful. On the docket for this week: Forest Shuffle and Meadow!

I've been frustrated with finding players and have at times considered either dropping out of the hobby or resigning myself to playing only light to midweight games that play well at two players. But then I'll have a game night or experience just when I'm ready to be done that brings me back. Sometimes it's a game night where everything finally lined up, a holiday or birthday where we get in a game or two, or a great experience where the game was in question all the way to the end (Heat, Life of the Amazonia). Can't beat the experience of people across the table from each other, off their phones, interacting with each other in an experience that's never the same twice.

I keep coming back because the different games bring different options, experiences and discoveries. I can choose space as my playground, sometimes discovering or conquering new worlds. I can farm, time travel, survive on a deserted island and so much more! I can just play word games or other minimally-themed strategy game to stretch my brain. I play with friends, my wife or just solo. Gaming just affords a wealth of choices to open up my imagination and my decision-making skills to have a wonderful time.

QotW - I play games to have fun, every once in a great while to kill time. There are some games that I don't come back to that I like but didn't have fun playing. There are some games (ex: Spades, Chess) that people play with intent to win and their winning desire overcomes the fun aspect. One of the reasons i like Ticket to Ride so much is that I can be playing with my own winning conditions in mind and have fun in meeting those conditions while still participating in a group competition.

What keeps me coming back is the sense of discovery. It starts with discovering new games through social media and content creators. Then, when I buy a game, it's the unboxing and discovering the components and rules. For the actual gameplay, I lean towards games where the sense of discovery continues. Sometimes it's new characters/roles, maybe new scenarios (or beyond that entire campaigns), and often new mechanics... regardless, I really like games that always leave something new to discover with each play. The hobby for me is one big adventure full of mystery and exploration. And because I participate in the discovery, it's become far more interesting and engaging for me than movies, books, or other forms of entertainment.

Hello there, I wish I could go back a few years and actually play more of the games I was acquiring instead of just keep buying more and more as the years went by. Sadly, there's still a bunch of games in my collection I haven't touched.(Haven't played 40 of about a 100) 😅 Kids came into the picture, and available time was cut off significantly. Lately, if I buy a game, I make sure it has a solo mode that will make it more likely to get to the table. Cheers

Hi Jeff! We have had some definite game plays of Firefly like yours. Very frustrating. One scenario variant we always play with now is one where you roll your die whenever you perform a Full Burn. This is the number of spaces you can move before you start drawing Sector cards (instead of drawing a card with each and every move). This can help tremendously in helping everyone accomplish what they want to do and speed up the game slightly. There will still be the bad cards you will draw, but you might be in a better position to deal w/ them if they don't come up sooner than later. Just a suggestion. Cheers!

My main challenge for board gaming is scheduling, especially for heavier games. Finding the time when people are available is quite a conundrum as everyone has their own priorities and responsibilities. In my area, there are a few board game groups and even finding the time to attend their scheduled meet-ups can be difficult. So what I would change is to have more dedicated time for gaming with my friend group. Luckily, I have a board gamer at home who shares similar tastes, so we frequently have the opportunity to play shorter/less complex games in the evenings and, when we can, some longer games over the weekends.

Solarion caught my eye too. Big fan of 4X and deckbuilders. Eager to hear how well it works.

RE Scout: You have to take from either end so that the thing in the middle remains a valid play. Only matters for runs, but it is easier (and more balanced) to just have a blanket rule than to make exceptions just for runs.

I want to appreciate gameplay over production more. I'm getting better at not craving super-deluxified games. Now I only back those if there is a TTS mod that I can try first.

I played a lot of Catan with my wife when we first got into the hobbie together, but she kept winning. I got a little miffed that I couldn't win. I became a bad loser... and I believe that's when she stopped playing games if it was just the two of us. I would really like to go back and change that.

Change one thing…Make it easier to find people in my community to play games with, especially people at my stage of life (Mid 50’s, kids grown). We have two game cafes in Albuquerque, NM but have not had much success nor on Meet up app.

Great review. It deserves more views! In my first play turn order meant quite a bit: i think we played the beginner setup that rewarded "A" transformer rewards at the first scoring. The first 3 players snatched up these rewards and did so in a way that made taking two impossible for the 4th player. So it can have an effect, but I agree with you that 99% of the time it did not. Its not like new cards were revealed at the end of a round or anything like that. Ultimately a beautifully (over)produced game with some cool ideas that feel underbaked and inadequately tested.

hope you like handful of stars. I love deck builders and scifi. hope it is one you end up enjoying, do you have a full list of your top 100 somewhere? just curious if you have that all in 1 list somewhere so that I don't need to scan through all the videos which I've watched already

If I could change something it would be the amount of time I have for gaming. I wish I could game more.

Hello Jeff and The Tabletop Toolbox Community It looks like I’m late to the party, because I forgot to comment about my fav and my least favorite game. My Fav I will say is an underrated gem for me is Trolls and Princesses - the publisher is going out of business so they won’t make an expansion they had planned, but I love that game is fun and have the right amount of depth even if the theme is kinda there, but because it make so much sense is one of my favorite. (You should try it Jeff 😂) let me know what you think. My least favorite is Cards Against Humanity. I hate this game so much. It doesn’t matter if people think it could be fun with the right group, for me That was the biggest waste of time of my life. I played with some family and friends for 3 hours non stop and I thought I was going to die. Never again. I just don’t get how people like this trash. I rather play Monopoly than this crap. - This week question of the week, if I could change something I believe that It would be how welcoming and inclusive we are in our hubby, like I have been trying to create a new gaming group for over a year so I could play heavier games not too crazy heavy but you know Lacerda Type games because most of my family doesn’t want to do anything pass Wingspan. Like I enjoy it, but playing Wingspan and Cascadia every week gets tougher and tougher. Anyways To break down what I’m trading to say is that I would go and say hi and make a connection with people that I have been talking to for months now at board game Cafes, or board game stores and exchange info and they all say yes. We can play a couple games and see what’s up, and then I contact them multiple times and they are always busy every week they are busy, so it’s kinda heartbreaking in a way. I’m open to break the ice and start a conversation just so I could make some friends with similar taste, but after all that trouble nothing happens. I rather people be honest and not give me their contact info if I will just be ignore. I just want to play more games with people and share this wonderful hubby with others, but it’s sad that us in our community don’t welcome others as easily it makes you feel lonely in a way, just like Jeff said in a previous video. We have to be more open and give others a chance, I know not everyone is going to like me, but I’m not the worse guy out there. I’m probably too friendly that’s what some of my other friends say. Anyways sorry this is long, but this is what I would change about our hubby or community if I could. More people to play a lot of game and many different type of games would be amazing. If you have the time that is. Take Care Guys Jon

Hi Jeff. Great video as always. My son and I played 4 (new to us) games last week. Drop It - very light, fun; Century: Golem edition- enjoyed this one but need more plays; Planted: A Game of Nature & Nurture - A gorgeous game, beautiful components and my favorite of the four; lastly was 7 Wonders Duel…Nope Neither of us enjoyed it. QotW: If I had to change one thing it would be discovering the board game hobby when I was younger. Thanks, Jeff!

I would love to play more games at higher player counts- we usually only play at 2, which is great for many games but a lot of the euros we enjoy tend to play better at 3 or 4. We have some gaming friends but most of us have little kids, so it’s tough to get together often!

Hi Jeff…. really enjoying your channel! 😊 I’ve been in the hobby for about 2 1/2 years, and I haven’t had the chance to attend any conventions yet… I think I would love to meet fellow gamers who are as passionate about the hobby as I am….

The game I listed as I didn't like at all that Jeff did was Photosynthesis. And I wasn't alone! for this week's QotW - i would change the short period of time that I let boardgame snobs get to me and make me feel foolish for liking market popular games (Monopoly being prime example) and being a jerk for not liking/having-fun with some of the boardgame communities super popular games.

If I could change one thing, I would like to be more involved in the online boardgame community, either through playing games online or being more active in BGG discussions

I could not believe how fast the DTE seemed to fly by. The library was a great chance to try a variety of games that I was curious about and add to that the opportunity to meet/play games with new people, the convention was a recipe for a great time. Taking advantage of some of the pre-organized games (including Feed the Kraken, Wonderland's War and Last Light) and attending talks by Julie and Eric, Top 10/Top 5, etc., really fills up a schedule. Of course, trying new games resulted in a few purchases and adding a few more to my wish list. Definitely will try to attend next year and will hold a seat at the game table for Jeff.

Repping the channel! Love the shirt

Wyrmspan sounds interesting. Plus….Dragons. My son and I have Radlands, and we’re planning on playing it for the first time tonight. Sounds like all-in-all you had a good time, Thanks so much for talking about your experience, Jeff. I enjoyed this video.

had a great time playing Amalfi with you..!

Great video! The Dice Tower East library is quite impressive. I tried Blood on the Clocktower for the first time. Normally social deduction isn't my thing, but the powers create some deduction elements that are interesting.

Nice overview Jeff, when it comes to some games you have mentioned (Leaf and Skyrise for example) they target different segment of the hobby, they are geared towards someone who is happy to try next step after playing Monopoly and Jenga ;) and also where accessibility and presentation is the key. On the other hand your approach is as a gamer. I will happily buy those two games so I have something lighter to introduce others into board gaming. Great video.

Every week is Jeff Week on the Tabletop Toolbox channel! 🎉 They should make clear acrilic tiles for Caldera Park, that could look awesome.

Finally caught up on this series! Just in time to get the comment count up haha. My current top couple games are probably Lisboa and Arkham Horror LCG (though I’ve got several games that flow in and out of the top spots). Never really thought about my least favorite… maybe Monopoly? I certainly hated it as a kid!

Favorite: Fields of Arle. So good solo, at 2, or at 3, with tea! Worst: Christmas Lights. It's Hanabi, but competitive. Who thought this would spread Christmas cheer?

You definitely met some cool people at DTE! Current favorite games Wyrmspan & Apiary (you know Stonemaier games) I am really enjoying Harmonies as well. I just hope it was talk to me properly. 😂

My daughter and I agree that playing games with you was one of the highlights of DTE. It made the convention so much more welcoming. Gaming for me is always about the experience, so I would say that my favorite is Zombicide: Black Plague (but there are so many close contenders, including Unmatched, Flamecraft, and the list goes on)... the most dreaded/least favorite is definitely Kittens in a Blender.

We mostly play cooperative games. Favorite right now is Lord of the Rings Card Game - such an awesome experience at 2 players! Least favorite is probably Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective. Just too loose/open of a system that always makes you feel bad for not making the herculean inferences that the game designers think Sherlock would have.

Favorite is Flash Point Fire Rescue, specifically with Tragic Events. Least is Munchkin. I know some love it but I couldn't even finish one. Thanks for the top 100!

Commenting to help Jeff hit a new record! Was great to say hi to you Jeff at DTE, be great to get a game in at DTR if it isn't too busy. Favorite game is easy for me, Cthulhu: Death May Die. I have a blast playing it every time, it does a great job from the beginning of the game feeling impossible but by the end you're rolling handfuls of dice and you have a chance to win, and sometimes you do win! I will throw out Betrayal at House on the Hill as a least favorite game, and I imagine I don't even have to explain why.

have you played Apex theropod deck building game?

The rulebook on Kickstarter states the draw phase is 3 cards. You drew 4. Did you have an older or more recent version during your playthrough?

For right now, I;m gonna call Beyond the Sun my favorite game, but I'm every so fluid about my top games so grain of salt.. My least favorite might be Tidal Blades: Banner Festival. I just didn't feel any real agency in the game and thus felt it a bit of a slog (even though it wasn't THAT long)

I am going to say Kingdomino is my current favorite. I don't hate Risk, but when a game drags on for more than one day (where you stop and come back to the same game) I am not a fan of that... plus I am not a big strategist with long term planning. I am more of a on the fly thinking kind of guy.

i liked my play of brew'n USA when I played it.