Top 10 Things that Excite Us About New Games
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 ส.ค. 2024
- NOTE NEW TIME AND DATE
Tom, Zee, and Sam share their list of things that are exciting about new games!!
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Hi Dice Tower, could I have a request for a top 10? I have a lot of friends from different countries and languages also my family does not speak foreign languages. I would like to see a top 10 of language neutral games. Games where the graphics are self explanatory or there is no text or if it is enough if 1 person understands what is there etc. Much appreciated.
That's a great idea!
Yep! Awesome idea!
I would also like a top 10 like that :-)
That would be awesome! They could use the bgg Language Dependance stat.
Peter Dancsok Nice! I teach in China and will probably move in the next few years. I’d love to see this list!
I really appreciate how we are getting more videos with the trio. Videos with all three jokers are my favorite. Several times during this video I laughed out loud.
I appreciate how Tom's outfits have improved from a cowboy hat and an T to a fedora and a color-matching vest and tie.
"you just sit there in your shame then" Wow, amazing, Zee always brings the comedy, but that line was so great
I agree!
I'm attracted to asymmetric powers because when they are done well, they vastly increase the replayability of the game (The Voyages of Marco Polo, for instance).
"Reading scares me a lot!" - Tom Vasel 2019
I like big box and I cannot lie...
Board game got back!
10. Designer/artist's name on box
9. Eye-catching cover art
8. Back of box having an image of the game set up for play
7. Unique but functional inserts
6. Concise rulebook
5. Immersive lore
4. Component art (includes card descriptions that add to the lore)
3. Gameplay perfectly matches theming
2. The "let's play again right now!" feeling
1. Thinking about the game in my sleep or the next day (the Tetris Effect)
Excellent discussion. Very cogent and concise commentary. Really solid fellas!
Idea for a future list: Top Ten Things That are Better About Gaming Today (e.g. there are more conventions, more places to buy games).
The hobby has come a long way, and you guys have seen a lot of the recent changes. Seems like it might be fun to celebrate progress!
I am half way in and I am waiting for one of the top features that make me excited: choices that trigger my decisions in the game! If I get an understanding of interesting choices in a game I am immediately hooked! A good rule book and aesthetic components might help as well😉
Interesting list anyhow! - and I trust Efka as well...
my #1 is seeing new or iterative mechanisms and systems i've never seen before
my #2 is when a new game goes over well with a group - especially when i've bought and learned a game specifically to bring and teach that to that group
I wasn’t expecting nr.10 of Zee, Racing games!! But is nice to know.
Yeah it must have been Jason in a Zee mask trying to trick us. Say whaaaaaa?
Sam and Tom are like those children who want the rainbow ice cream - it may not taste as good as half the other flavours, but hey it's so colourful! Like starburst! Hahaha
My Top 5:
5: Decent components, and I'm including a useful insert here.
4: A well written rulebook with a quickstart variant.
3: Narrative woven into the main gameplay loops (as opposed to story snippets between missions/quests)
2: Coop that's not an afterthought
1: Melding all of these cohesively.
This list gave me an idea for another top 10: Top 10 popular games you'd like to see remade with a twist. e.g: A coop Smallworld. A kind of coop area control game where bad guys spawn and you (using the mechanics of Smallworld to build and then decline races with variable powers) defend the land and drive the invaders away.
Expansions are cool, but some games are developed and released with an expansion. If it is good and there is more ground to cover or a fun thing to add, you can do that. Expansion feel like missing content from the base game in some cases.
"Artwork... of vikings." -Zee Garcia, nailing it.
24:20 Gotta agree with Sam on this one. It's just so interesting, whether as an extra gameplay element or simply guaranteed replayability.
Great video!
I like the request top 10 language neutral games, especially since my wife is new to the hobby and native speaking Chinese, I've become aware that so little actually reaches China's demographic which loves games (take Mahjong for older people, or computer games for younger). Sure, they're renowned for duplicating for cheap and compromising, but I think on an international level we support authenticity and the community itself, and if we can improve that appeal, there'll be a huge market of influence and new ideas in time.
My top 10 request is actually very different. Having been victim of some kickstarters, I know the feeling full well of having the ENTIRE collection of a game. So what are your Top 10 Games to Fully Deck Out / Collect? It could be owning all the expansions (Arkham Horror & Memoir 44 are mine) Or even the upgraded components of Scythe. Top 10 Games to Fully Upgrage?
Totally agree Tom, a designer is obviously important but I'm finding recently that there are a few publishers that always get an automatic look for me. That might actually be my #1 in this category, a publisher I know and trust.
Have to agree about Game trays really helps,
"You just sit there in your shame then" HA HA HA HA!!!!! 😁
i wish i had colleagues like these guys.
Laughter :) If people are laughing and smiling during a game I'm stoked to play it. (party mood)
Stark and Clear. If the game's art depicts clearly the complexity of the strategy, I'm ready to try to learn, not only the game, but how to be good at the game itself. (thinking mood)
Those are my interests, but I liked how Tom, Zee and Sam really described Excitement in New Games, (The ones that people aren't so familiar with) not just what excites them about games in general. It's great advice to new designers!
Fun list!!!
variable use of cards is in my top 10 and innovative gameplay. And any game of Feld.
"My road to second place" :D
Top 10 themes we need to see more of.
Top 10 prettiest games (artwork/components)
Top 10 board game boxes/box art.
Top 10 worker placement (so many newer ones since you did the list before).
Top 10 games that should be remade with this theme (you name the game and theme).
Top 10 games with multi use cards.
Top 10 games to play with kids.
Top 10 story lines from games.
Top 10 dice chuckers.
Photosynthesis has SO MUCH STARKNESS
Re: Tom's statement about a "lineage" involving the same publisher. I look at Teotihuacan as a follow-up Tzolk'in, and has obvious mechanical similarities, but different publisher. I wonder if that's the most closely related game by different publishers.
10. A lot of positive reviews
9. Box art
8. Large range of player counts
7. Potential replayability/variability
6. Drafting
5. Lots of exciting components
4. Drawing
3. Unusual theme
2. Looks good
1. Hidden role element
App integration in U-Boot is awesome!
@nelliebly thank you for your response.
I would say talking my about the cost us too divisive an issue. Should we participate in a hobby where price is an eliminating factor? If you want it, it's worth it.
I don't imagine posting the current MSRP has any bearing on the review of a games functionality as an entertainment tool. For example, movie ticket prices are never talked about in any capacity of a review. In my opinion it is only distracting, and could possibly insinuate an inability to spend a certain level of money (barrier of entry) that has more harm to the inclusion of new members.
Thanks again.
30:48 When mom calls you for dinner...
Have they done the top 10 best new publishers from the past 5 years? Top ten publishers you’d like to see try a game they wouldn’t normally make and how people would think they’d fair?... perhaps top 5 or 10 mechanic(s)/genre that evolved the best/most since its debut?
We need a 30 ft tracking shot to show off Tom's Herocscape storage bins ;)
Desingers i like will get my excitement going. Not sure if anything els really gets my exciting.
Guessing Zee will be wanting to review Rallyman GT then
This should have been called top 10 things that make a games great.
Designers are easily the top choice for me. If a find out a game is made by Stefan Feld, Vital Lacerda, Jeroen Doumen, Joris Wiersinga to name a few, you instantly have my attention. It could also be a group of designers that are getting back together. I am interested in Black Angel because Dujardin, Georges, Orbain are the same design team that made Troyes. In spite of the fact that I have not really enjoyed their individual designs.
When the Splotter Otter is on the box
What game did Zee have in the picture for his number 6 at 28:38? (The tableau one)
TheSpizer imperial settlers
I’m still really early in this list, but I want to comment now. Because as soon as I started this episode I thought “drafting“ since it is my favorite game mechanic. Then I thought “that is probably a pretty pedestrian answer.” I just got excited that Zee put that as number nine. Good list so far, i’ll come back later to complain. Jk
I hate horror movies too but I enjoy reading and playing horror games xD
Yea, same for me. :D
Sam, the diorama of miniatures is actually of a street in Hong Kong, not Tokyo.
Sam here...sorry.
Got to watch it man. A diorama here, a miniature there and boom Dice Tower is fake news.
I agree with Zee! I also love horror games but I'm not intrested in horror movies. :)
When Sam is talking about miniatures what game is the thumbnail on the screen from?
It wasn't a game, it was just some picture of a miniaturized street in Tokyo.
Its actually of a street in Hong Kong, not Tokyo.
I like a mass of icons.
Lets me know the game will likely be crunchy.
W40K - Wooden Edition (way easier to burn down your collection in rage), W40K - Concrete Edition (impossible to steal) :D
The ultimate racing game : backgammon
Like Sam's t-shirt. Great points by all, lineage for sure as well as trusted review are top for us.
I disagree. I don't like it when you use hobbies (board games) as a way of displaying or endorsing your religious or political beliefs. It has nothing to do with board games and should be reserved for a likeminded audience.
Top Ten Racing Games - there's a ton of them out there.
I had to pause this at number 8 just to agree one hundred freaking percent w/ zee. I love horror themes and despise/hate horror movies.
Zee needs to play Sonic Crash Course.
I laughed out loud to so much
Storylines in board games? I like cutscenes in board games.
I'm with Zee 100% on Horror games and books! I hate horror movies and I love horror-themed games and horror novels.
So, it was a 3 way crossover. Kind of.. :P
Regarding Sam's number one, completelly agree. Galaxy Defenders and Robinson Crusoe would have been greater with good art.
That Efka face x3
My rough top ten
10 Space theme
9 Auction
8 Vladimír Chvátil
7 Graphic design
6 Variabile setup
5 Worker placement
4 4X
3 Technologies/power ups
2 Asymmetric powers
1 Engine building
I have a racing game for you Zee!!
I miss the rotating start for each round of the top ten.
I miss a die roll at the end to decide who goes first :)
As a follow-up to Zee's #5 (stark/beautiful art): in his reviews, he often lauds a game for having "congruent" art (like he says here, looks like it's all done by the same artist and all chosen intentionally to serve a single purpose). Every time he says that I'm curious as to what an example of a game that *doesn't* do this is? I can't think of any game I have or have looked at where I look at it and think 'This looks like art from multiple different artists who didn't communicate'
Terraforming Mars!
Top 10 Designers!
Most of these could apply to Red Raven Games
So... Sam just said "thematically rich games like Time Stories" something something something about rich storylines make him excited to play a game. A few weeks later Time Stories is his least thematic game ever. Signed, Forever confused by you.
I really wanna see Zee playing TI4 though
One thing that gets me excited about a game is 'public opinion' or the 'hype' level. Now, I know YOU ALL are above such base instincts like hype or peer pressure. But if there's a growing public murmur that a new, exciting game is on the horizon, I too get excited.
At least, until the bad reviews start rolling in.
Grids? GO
For me it's got to be
Variable Player powers
Drafting
Varied game setups from the get-go
Expansions that add more, or change slight things to enhance the game, not REQUIRED to enjoy the base game
NON-KS games, or games that don't have 10023873923 EXCLUSIVE KS garbage that if I didn't pledge, I completely miss out on
Tableau/Engine builders
It's curious no one said price. I believe the price of the game is the deciding factor of how important all of those categories are.
I think they simply are less concerned about price compared to an average consumer because they get most of their games free as review copies, so it is off their radar more than most.
@@bricelory9534 That's my point actually. I think any honest review of anything board games included should mention the price. They only talk about the price when the game sucks.
I would think that price is more likely to discourage than to excite.
@@koalabrownie Of course. All these board game review shows are lacking in disclosure. If they aren't going to tell you the price which is very easy to do.
If they refuse to give you the price, they should at least give you their opinion of the game. AS WELL AS, have a person, (an average board game buyer) give their opinion of the value of that game. You know someone who has to pay for it in order to play it. It's much easier just to disclose the price of the game though. It's then and only then that any product review show has any sort of credibility.
I Know that any person or group of people that have a hobby or favorite past time, can have a tendency to live in a bubble. And that's fine.
However if you are going to address yourself to the general public, especially with your own show, it's not OK to present yourself as someone who lives in that bubble.
Because it presents the people that engage in that past time as some sort of millionaire board game hoarders. Very organized, neat, and clean hoarders, mind you. But nevertheless, hoarders that can't get enough boxes containing dice and beautiful pieces of cardboard. And I know that's not the case. It makes people that religiously play board games seem like they are in a cult. Especially with the language they use. The board game language. That the more I hear it, the more it seems to say to me get lost.
I loved watching the Wil Wheaton shows because neither he, nor anyone he played with speaks in that keep away language.
And I like to watch Boardgamegeek GameNight. To be honest they do speak in that special board game language at times. But they know how to temper that with sweet genuine charm.
I love to cook. I love kitchen tools and gadgets. If I'm interested in something for the kitchen, I go to reviews that the first thing out of their mouth is the price. That's the way it is with most things in the real world.
In conclusion I check in on these guys to find out about new board games, but I must look elsewhere as well for a disinterested third party opinion before I spend the money.
nelliebly Whilst I agree that price is important to a lot of people, I’m going to play Devil’s Advocate and take some guesses at why DT don’t mention price in their reviews/output:
What currency/currencies should they mention? US$? GBP? Euro? AZ$? What if the game isn’t available in one or more of those territories? What if I live in Egypt? What if the game is $45, but shipping to my country is another $45? And is that before or after import tax?
Should the price quoted be from their FLGS and/or Amazon/Cool Stuff Inc/random online game store? Including/excluding shipping again?
A 2 year old review of a game with a price of “50” and now the game retails for “25” or “100”: what does that convey?
In summary: Too many variables to please everyone, information soon becomes out of date. If a game is good, or great, it’s good or great. Only the individual consumer can decide whether they want to spend their money for the price its available to them. It’s much easier for us as individuals to do that small amount of research that’s applicable to us than for DT to give accurate price info.
I don't get the the back of the box thing. You can look at the entire game on bgg with far more pictures than you could ever see on the back of any box. That is not a good metric to judge a game by.
Miniatures is in my top ten list of Things That Make Me Stop Looking At a Game. Passed by Blood Rage at first due to this, until I came back and realized it's a card-drafting Euro disguised as a miniatures game.
Seems like a silly and arbitrary reason to pass on a game.
Seems needlessly neurotic.
EclecticCamel Thanks for the supportive responses! 😮 Miniatures are associated with all kinds of things that don’t interest me in games. Seems pretty easy to grasp that concept, I think.
@@chuckm1961 I grasp that it's silly. I like and dislike all sorts of games of various types, not one do I hate for something as arbitrary as component type. Mechanisms, sure, it's even okay to dislike genres of games. The gameplay is actually relevant to the experience. A component type is not. Now, if you said you don't like miniature games, that's fine. But just miniatures? Nah bruh.
EclecticCamel i’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt, and assume you are not trolling. I don’t have any idea what you are talking about. When I said I don’t pay much attention to games with miniatures, I was describing “miniatures games.“ You are apparently drawing some distinction that I was not, and I have no idea what your point is.
Try this. I don’t like miniatures games. When I notice a game that is a miniatures game, in other words a game that is centered on the miniatures, it is one of the top 10 reasons I don’t pay attention to a game.
Do you now deem my opinion worthy of respect? Gee, I hope so.
My Top Ten
10. Has Meeples
9. Has wooden pieces
8. Has auction/bidding
7. Has worker placement
6. Has player interaction
5. Is competitive (versus cooperative)
4. Has variable play (tiles, boards, win conditions, player goals, etc.)
3. The Publisher
2. The Game Designer
1. Has No Dice!
Do not like: Dice, Tableau Building, Dice, Card text, Dice, Take That, Dice, Randomness, Dice. Direct Confrontation, Dice, Engine Building, Dice, Card Drafting, Dice.
Doesn’t matter: Theme, look, art, miniatures.
Milk is super expensive? What is cheaper.. Soda and Water?
Efka!
I dont get the dice People (card person here) xdd like really, dice? Unless its combat with a LOOOT of dice, that is fine i guess.
What was toms top game?
Fireball Island
I agree with Sam and Tom on the number 1. Aesthetics are the first hook for me. If the game doesn’t look good, I’m not interested.
you forgot how somebody look at they present there game,I prefer the designer and or artist but even personel(on conventions etc...) for example at essen somebody who dressed up as a egyptian and was demoing a game I liked but didn't ven wanted to pla because box did not explaned the game well enough(was not must info about the gam out there or even pictures) , had only one colour almost was the box, yellow in these case.
I describe the game as a mix between pictionary and dixit.(by the way this game was overproduced, stunning details and pieces, laminated oh yes)just not the box that the game came in.
so designer demoed the game and asked if I would join in a did and bought the game immidiately, after.
boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/258309/first-contact
Yep, box covers. Ticket to Ride...bleh. I could have been playing a great game for YEARS, instead of discovering that it's a good game just in 2017.
tab·leauDictionary result for tableau
/ˌtaˈblō/Submit
noun
a group of models or motionless figures representing a scene from a story or from history; a tableau vivant.
1. Variable player powers
2. Quick start guide
3. Under 2 hours
4. 4X
5. Quick setup
6. Game trays/organizer
To me board game expansions have suffered the same fate as music gig encores. They stop being marks of success and become just another calculated and expected part of the experience. I support neither nowadays.
I actually do try to get an actual encore after the band has played their most known songs in the 1st, 2nd (or sickening 3rd) planned encore. Until then I'm not gonna sheepishly enthuse over are they coming back. If the band wants to leave me cold, I'm willing to vote with my wallet in the future.
I also try board game expansions or watch reviews for them before buying. "10 expansions included" Kickstarters are an instant pass for me.
My two pennies.
Can we just get Zee to play Twilight Imperium already?
Toms #5 the review of a trusted friend is really interesting as I trusted his reviews until he gave the stamp of approval to one of the worst games possibly ever... Coaster Park. Since then I’ve found it hard to trust Tom’s reviews.
Ugh! App integration. I like internet connectivity in video games, not in board games.
I like it when it’s a bonus like an easy way to keep score or adds additional scenarios but the thing I love about board games the most is that you can play them no matter what (as long as you have the players). Power outage? No problem, no cell coverage? All good, no internet? Who cares.
I find myself coming back to these videos more often. The new gang is just not for me. For the first time in a long while, i didn't back the kickstarter and i rarely watch the new stuff. This is really not a critic of the new. I know the Dice Tower has to evolve and look ahead. I'm just stuck in the past.
I love games that have an expansion or two, but ones that enhance the experience, not add in what was taken out to make me pay more(looking at you FFG). Bhonestly KS has ruined the hobby greatly for me. Don't back a game, and miss out on the plethora of KS only exclusive content/expansions, unless you pay quintuple the base game price for a 10 card/1 miniature extra. Then when it hits retail the game feels stripped(Zombicide Black Plague). Or back a game, and find out it's complete utter trash, and try to recoup your losses selling second hand.
Alternate molds/sculpts for minis, better inserts, signed or limited art, that should be the exclusives, not content that potentially makes that game complete/better.
Personally, I really prefer Christians like Tom more than Sam who feels the need to advertise it
Sam here...sorry for offending you by the shirt I chose to wear that morning...completely unintentional. Nothing against Tom, because he and I understand each other...but you don't really know us, and so a little explanation seems to be in order. I don't "feel the need to advertise" anything, I just don't shy away from it. If I see a Christian-themed t-shirt that looks cool in my opinion, I'll wear it...that's it.
First thing i noticed. I've never even played COD and am a confirmed atheist but love a clever pop culture mash-up t-shirt. Very cool shirt.
I seem to be in the minority, but I just don't care for Eric Lang's game designs. There isn't a single one I have nor want. Don't hate them or anything, they just hold no game-play appeal for me .
app integration? yuck :( I've become the app curmudgeon, get em out of my analog games.
Mister Rob Sounds like a neurosis.
Cooperative games do the complete opposite to me. I can't stand them. To me the whole point if boardgames is compete against other people, not win together.
Okay.