For me february is the perfect time of the year for this list. In December there is still the post-essen-buzz, all the christmas and end-of-year lists on all the channels - now seems to be the perfect time to calmly look back at 2018 and take stock. Thank you very much!
Great top 10! I like your idea to wait a full year before making these lists. My top 5 is Underwater Cities, Crown of Emara, Newton, Renegade and Roll for Adventure!!! Pretty amazing how similar our top 2018 games are! Keep doing what you do and making me buy even more games!
I think you are more of an omni-gamer than I am... but those are all great titles. We agree on Cerebria, Coimbra and Teo... and as usual, I love your videos!
I doubt there were 10 games I liked from 2018, let alone 10 I could put into any “top" list. Teotihuacan fell very flat for my group, and Newton lasted only 3 games and now sits on my trade pile. Underwater Cities, however, was the one 2018 game that left a lasting impression on me. I love it, and the expansion is great as well.
Thank you Paul! Congratulations, all that year and half you invested to learn to pronounce Teotihuacan properly has been well invested and the second time you say it you sound like a natural! Now you have mastered all the 5 voyels with this one word, just use the skill for any Spanish/latin word you want to say. Biblos, Trimegistus, Maracaibo, .. I really like this late 2018 best games, because all the hype and high prices have all settle down. I prefer to buy games that are a safe bet by waiting at least a couple of years after released.
I like that you do these lists after you've had enough time to really experience and evaluate the games and I don't think I know ahyone who understands the heartbeat of board games quite the way you do.
A lot aligns with my collection, so was a great watch. You should go back and cover earlier years as older games are still as good as new releases. If you haven't, then you should definitely give Everdell a shot, that along with Underwater Cities and Brass: Birmingham were the 2018 highlights for me. Great video 👍
Looking over the list of 2018 games, it was really a great year. For me it goes: 1. Brass: Birmingham 2. Teotihuacan 3. Underwater Cities (and I really waffle on this at #2 over Teo) 4. Root - this could easily vault to #2, with more plays, as I just played it for the first time three weeks ago. So good, maybe even #1... but I freaking love B:B 5. New Frontiers 6. Endeavor Age of Sail 7. Architects of the West Kingdom 8. Vindication 9. Everdell 10. Heroes of Land Air and Sea There's also some great, great reprints - The Estates, Container. And many that are so close to making my list - Lowlands, Crown of Emara, Castell (this would have been there if not for Root), Quacks... Cerebria, Newton, Obsession, Lords of Hellas, Blackout, CO2 Second Chance, Fleet the Dice Game all could possibly make my 2018 list when I finally get around to playing them. I haven't even been able to play the ones on my list as much as I want to though! What a wonderful year.
There are quite a few games you mentioned that I haven't played (really want to try Cerebria for example), but here's my top 10 of 2018: 1. Rising Sun 2. New Frontiers 3. Underwater Cities 4. Teotihuacan 5. The Mind 6. Brass: Birmingham 7. Empires of the Void II 8-10. Imhotep: The Duel, Scorpius Freighter, Coimbra Still want to play: Nemesis, Everdell, Architects of the West Kingdom, Endeavor: Age of Sail, Vindication, Newton, Heroes of Land, Air & Sea, Cerebria, Crown of Emara, etc. Probably going to take me 10 years to get to play most of these. :D
For me Teotihuacan just edges out Underwater Cities. I have the expansion modules for Teo and really like the variable powers. Just got the Underwater Cities expansion and hope to get in a play this weekend. With the games that make your cut and others that people have been mentioning here, I guess you have to say 2018 was a pretty good year.
Great list! Crown of Emara deserves any and all praise it receives. I also really love Cerebria, which is just such a cool and unique game, just a bear to teach it. Fortunately there may be a video one could look at for a rule's explanation!
I applaud the seriousness in which you assume the qualification of games. After a while and without ranking. Bravo. Aplaudo la seriedad en que asumes la calificación de juegos. Pasado un tiempo y sin ranking. Bravo
haha, now I get the top 10 of 2018, thanks! :D I absolutely agree with underwater cities being the game of the year 2018, I also love the game. and I also agree 100% with you on its similarities to terraforming mars (I heard those rumors as well.. ^^). I am so looking forward to getting my hands on its expansion (as with the latest terraforming mars expansion turmoil, improved player boards, yay!!)!
Good choices! Teotihuacan and Crown of Emara are also in my favorite list. I would like to play Underwater Cities, because I heard a lot of good things about it.
We’re going to definitely have to get a game in of Newton at some point! The books are so strong if the Board is set up for theme to be good. But the tree track can be just as strong. It’s all about seeing the lay-out, and what works with the Masters you have.
Forum Trajanum and Newton are far and away from favourites from 2018. I don’t think the books are too strong in Newton at all, it all depends on the starting layout of cities. I’ve played over 30 games and about five of those I’ve won without placing a single book. Getting a lot of points from books requires you to get exactly the right cards so you can put them all out by the end of the fourth round, so it’s also easily disrupted (by denying a card).
Nice list, a few there i love, and a few id be keen to try. Underwater cities is sitting on a shelf after i just got it recently and I am super keen to give it a go.
Yeah, Cerebria! I just recently got this game and I also think it’s a brilliant game. One of your best instructional video by the way. I think it’s on par with some Lacerda games speaking of complexity, but when you get to know the cards and understand how things work overall, it definitively feels less heavy Also Root seems to get no love from you 😁 I forgot it came out in 2018 because I only got it last year. I think it’s a pretty tense and fun game, high variability, nice and varied interactions. You should probably check it out if you have skipped it. The second expansion is being delivered to backers these months. I also liked CO2 second chance quite a bit. Really neat idea and having a coop version for this game is a plus for me.
I'll do the same, it's a good idea to look back a bit later. Underwater Cities was my number 1 a year ago when I made the list, spoiler in case someone reads this and will listen in future.. it'll still be, definitely, especially after the expansion - love it.
9:52 - SpaceCorp "It is a bit long and there are some random elements to it" 13:04 - Cerebria "The other down side of the game is it can be very long - but I've played a game of this in about 2 hours..." I know it wasn't just being long, but half the argument that pushed SpaceCorp out of the top 10 was it was too long. However, with a few plays of the same group will have SpaceCorp fly by just as quick - and you can "campaign mode" it and play each era on a different game night as part of a campaign, making it quite a short series of games (a la Descent 2E or The 7th Continent or legacy games). That said, this is your preference and I do get it - there is something about Cerebria that interested you enough to push through it and tolerate the longer game length. What should you look at? Well, BGG listings are flawed. Brass: Lancashire (2018) is not Bras (2007) - yes, it includes Brass, but it has enough changes that it should have its own listing. If you haven't checked it out, then do so. I know everyone clamors over Brass: Birmingham (2018) instead, but for me that is really just revised Brass with elements from Age of Industry (2010) mixed in. Also, while Brass: Lancashire scales well for 2-4, Brass: Birmingham really doesn't work all that great with 2. Other than that, based on your list I doubt our tastes cross. Maybe you'd enjoy Pax Emancipation, but I think you'd hate the rules or the teaching of the game. For me a lot gets knocked out of the running. First are the reprints or revisions. Greenlands 3E, Brass Lancashire and Brass Birmingham, Endeavor: Age of Sail, The Fantasy Trip: Melee & Wizard, Agricola: All Creatures Big and Small - The Big Box, etc are either like the originals or way too close to really be considered different games (they're more like stand alone expansions in a way). Several games have gone unplayed or underplayed. Decrypto, Deep Madness, Talon 1000, Space Empires: Replicators, Captains of the Gulf, Cataclysm: A Second World War, Root and its expansion, and so on. There were tons of disappointments in 201. Arkham Horror 3E, Century: Eastern Wonders, Rise of Tribes, Founders of Gloomhaven, Choose Your Own Adventure: House of Danger, and so on made 2018 one of the worst gaming years in a while. One I don't consider a game is Stuffed Fables. It isn't like most board games with a definitive win/loss - it is instead a loose conversation at the end. It is more a family roleplaying game in a box with a little bit too scary of a theme for the target audience. When the dust settles, what is left? I'd probably have to group Pax Emancipation and SpaceCorp as the top, with Pandemic: Fall of Rome on its heels. Then a few steps down is Big Trouble in Little China: The Game (which is only a personal like, it isn't one I'd recommend for most unless they want a dice chucking adventure or are into the film). The last slots go to the expansions. Ariovistus for Falling Sky is a blast to play, Terraforming Mars: Prelude is essential for me to play the game anymore, and Xia: Missions and Powers adds just that extra oompf to the game makes it more engaging. Oh, and of course Brass Lancashire if you want to count it and Brass Birmingham (but Brass Birmingham doesn't make my list).
Thanks for the comments. I take your point about play length. I've yet to play Space Corp in under 3.5 hours, except my solo game was 3 hours :) And yeah, anything with Phil Eklund in, I normally stay clear of - I don't want the pain of the rulebook :) I do know Brass: Lancashire - I did the official how-to-play video for the game :)
Great list and video, Paul. Great to see Newton getting the attention it deserves. Love the new multi-action cards in the expansion. Picking a top game of 2018 is like choosing your favorite child, an impossible task. If pressed between Newton, Teotihuacan and Underwater Cities, I have to go with Underwater Cities. What a fantastic game. While it really is not like Terraforming Mars (card draft, shared board vs worker placement), I do find it scratches that same itch - meaning long playing yet satisfying tableau engine builder where in the end it really feels like you have built something grand.
I really appreciate he waited a year and didn't just give us what was hot in the last 12 months. This shows the games were great even a year later and after several plays. I wish more TH-camrs would do this.
I agree with most of these, but I thought Coimbra was kind of boring. It has this really interesting drafting round just to push discs up a track. The front end just seemed so much more interesting than the outcome. Great aesthetic tho.
I've not played Marco Polo 2 yet. I played the original once - was taught by the designer and then beat him, not played since :) They both sound like my kind of game, just not enough time to try them all.
@@GamingRulesVideos Thank you for the reply Paul! I hope when you find some spare time to give them a try, make one of your superb videos and compare them! Thanks again!
@@GamingRulesVideos Fair enough. I'm on the fence. Haven't tried it yet. I'm not sure I'm interested enough to pay that price. Hence why I was wondering if you didn't like all that much or just hadn't played.
Not sure why so many mature adult game reviewers insist on having children’s cuddly toys in their video reviews ...very bazaar behaviour - ah well guess it takes all types to make the world go round ...but I am not sure what my adult children would say to me if I decided to use their old cuddly toys on the table during my gaming session - well actually I do but I doubt I could type their response here lol...
For me february is the perfect time of the year for this list. In December there is still the post-essen-buzz, all the christmas and end-of-year lists on all the channels - now seems to be the perfect time to calmly look back at 2018 and take stock. Thank you very much!
Great top 10! I like your idea to wait a full year before making these lists. My top 5 is Underwater Cities, Crown of Emara, Newton, Renegade and Roll for Adventure!!! Pretty amazing how similar our top 2018 games are! Keep doing what you do and making me buy even more games!
I think you are more of an omni-gamer than I am... but those are all great titles. We agree on Cerebria, Coimbra and Teo... and as usual, I love your videos!
You've got a new subscriber. Your tastes are aligned with my own. Now to figure out this Patreon thing...
Thanks for the support. Hope you manage to work it out :)
Underwater Cities is fantastic! The length does not bother us one bit. Love it. Thanks for the video.
I doubt there were 10 games I liked from 2018, let alone 10 I could put into any “top" list. Teotihuacan fell very flat for my group, and Newton lasted only 3 games and now sits on my trade pile. Underwater Cities, however, was the one 2018 game that left a lasting impression on me. I love it, and the expansion is great as well.
Thank you Paul!
Congratulations, all that year and half you invested to learn to pronounce Teotihuacan properly has been well invested and the second time you say it you sound like a natural! Now you have mastered all the 5 voyels with this one word, just use the skill for any Spanish/latin word you want to say. Biblos, Trimegistus, Maracaibo, ..
I really like this late 2018 best games, because all the hype and high prices have all settle down. I prefer to buy games that are a safe bet by waiting at least a couple of years after released.
I like that you do these lists after you've had enough time to really experience and evaluate the games and I don't think I know ahyone who understands the heartbeat of board games quite the way you do.
A lot aligns with my collection, so was a great watch. You should go back and cover earlier years as older games are still as good as new releases.
If you haven't, then you should definitely give Everdell a shot, that along with Underwater Cities and Brass: Birmingham were the 2018 highlights for me.
Great video 👍
Looking over the list of 2018 games, it was really a great year. For me it goes:
1. Brass: Birmingham
2. Teotihuacan
3. Underwater Cities (and I really waffle on this at #2 over Teo)
4. Root - this could easily vault to #2, with more plays, as I just played it for the first time three weeks ago. So good, maybe even #1... but I freaking love B:B
5. New Frontiers
6. Endeavor Age of Sail
7. Architects of the West Kingdom
8. Vindication
9. Everdell
10. Heroes of Land Air and Sea
There's also some great, great reprints - The Estates, Container. And many that are so close to making my list - Lowlands, Crown of Emara, Castell (this would have been there if not for Root), Quacks...
Cerebria, Newton, Obsession, Lords of Hellas, Blackout, CO2 Second Chance, Fleet the Dice Game all could possibly make my 2018 list when I finally get around to playing them. I haven't even been able to play the ones on my list as much as I want to though! What a wonderful year.
Woo Hoo! My fave game of 2018 is on the list, and... You pronounced it perfectly.
Just One?
@@GamingRulesVideos Yeah, that's it :D
Yes, Underwater Cities number 1. Spot on!
There are quite a few games you mentioned that I haven't played (really want to try Cerebria for example), but here's my top 10 of 2018:
1. Rising Sun
2. New Frontiers
3. Underwater Cities
4. Teotihuacan
5. The Mind
6. Brass: Birmingham
7. Empires of the Void II
8-10. Imhotep: The Duel, Scorpius Freighter, Coimbra
Still want to play: Nemesis, Everdell, Architects of the West Kingdom, Endeavor: Age of Sail, Vindication, Newton, Heroes of Land, Air & Sea, Cerebria, Crown of Emara, etc. Probably going to take me 10 years to get to play most of these. :D
Recently played Everdell. Excellent!
Nemesis and Everdell
For me Teotihuacan just edges out Underwater Cities. I have the expansion modules for Teo and really like the variable powers. Just got the Underwater Cities expansion and hope to get in a play this weekend. With the games that make your cut and others that people have been mentioning here, I guess you have to say 2018 was a pretty good year.
Cerebria is such an awesome game, and it is GORGEOUS. I've only ever played 2 player. Underwater cities is also very high on my list.
Great list! Crown of Emara deserves any and all praise it receives. I also really love Cerebria, which is just such a cool and unique game, just a bear to teach it. Fortunately there may be a video one could look at for a rule's explanation!
I applaud the seriousness in which you assume the qualification of games. After a while and without ranking. Bravo.
Aplaudo la seriedad en que asumes la calificación de juegos. Pasado un tiempo y sin ranking. Bravo
Thanks.
haha, now I get the top 10 of 2018, thanks! :D I absolutely agree with underwater cities being the game of the year 2018, I also love the game. and I also agree 100% with you on its similarities to terraforming mars (I heard those rumors as well.. ^^). I am so looking forward to getting my hands on its expansion (as with the latest terraforming mars expansion turmoil, improved player boards, yay!!)!
Good choices! Teotihuacan and Crown of Emara are also in my favorite list. I would like to play Underwater Cities, because I heard a lot of good things about it.
You should :)
My favourite Games from 2018 is Forum Trajanum and Brass: Birmingham, closely follwed by Underwater Cities.
We’re going to definitely have to get a game in of Newton at some point! The books are so strong if the Board is set up for theme to be good. But the tree track can be just as strong. It’s all about seeing the lay-out, and what works with the Masters you have.
My favorite is Teotihuacan, I love everything about that game.
I agree 100% on Underwater cities. I will soon get the expansion and some beautiful custom resources/tunnels
Forum Trajanum and Newton are far and away from favourites from 2018. I don’t think the books are too strong in Newton at all, it all depends on the starting layout of cities. I’ve played over 30 games and about five of those I’ve won without placing a single book. Getting a lot of points from books requires you to get exactly the right cards so you can put them all out by the end of the fourth round, so it’s also easily disrupted (by denying a card).
Nice list, a few there i love, and a few id be keen to try. Underwater cities is sitting on a shelf after i just got it recently and I am super keen to give it a go.
Yeah, Cerebria! I just recently got this game and I also think it’s a brilliant game. One of your best instructional video by the way. I think it’s on par with some Lacerda games speaking of complexity, but when you get to know the cards and understand how things work overall, it definitively feels less heavy
Also Root seems to get no love from you 😁 I forgot it came out in 2018 because I only got it last year. I think it’s a pretty tense and fun game, high variability, nice and varied interactions.
You should probably check it out if you have skipped it. The second expansion is being delivered to backers these months.
I also liked CO2 second chance quite a bit. Really neat idea and having a coop version for this game is a plus for me.
Who doesn't like teoticuahan? It's in 60's on BGG 😳😳😳
With Emara my fav of 2018 also.
Good job mate
I'll do the same, it's a good idea to look back a bit later. Underwater Cities was my number 1 a year ago when I made the list, spoiler in case someone reads this and will listen in future.. it'll still be, definitely, especially after the expansion - love it.
New Intro. Nicely done. Great Video, Paul, as always.
Great video Paul, fully agree with your top game and basically all of the choices!
9:52 - SpaceCorp "It is a bit long and there are some random elements to it"
13:04 - Cerebria "The other down side of the game is it can be very long - but I've played a game of this in about 2 hours..."
I know it wasn't just being long, but half the argument that pushed SpaceCorp out of the top 10 was it was too long. However, with a few plays of the same group will have SpaceCorp fly by just as quick - and you can "campaign mode" it and play each era on a different game night as part of a campaign, making it quite a short series of games (a la Descent 2E or The 7th Continent or legacy games).
That said, this is your preference and I do get it - there is something about Cerebria that interested you enough to push through it and tolerate the longer game length.
What should you look at? Well, BGG listings are flawed. Brass: Lancashire (2018) is not Bras (2007) - yes, it includes Brass, but it has enough changes that it should have its own listing. If you haven't checked it out, then do so. I know everyone clamors over Brass: Birmingham (2018) instead, but for me that is really just revised Brass with elements from Age of Industry (2010) mixed in. Also, while Brass: Lancashire scales well for 2-4, Brass: Birmingham really doesn't work all that great with 2. Other than that, based on your list I doubt our tastes cross. Maybe you'd enjoy Pax Emancipation, but I think you'd hate the rules or the teaching of the game.
For me a lot gets knocked out of the running.
First are the reprints or revisions. Greenlands 3E, Brass Lancashire and Brass Birmingham, Endeavor: Age of Sail, The Fantasy Trip: Melee & Wizard, Agricola: All Creatures Big and Small - The Big Box, etc are either like the originals or way too close to really be considered different games (they're more like stand alone expansions in a way).
Several games have gone unplayed or underplayed. Decrypto, Deep Madness, Talon 1000, Space Empires: Replicators, Captains of the Gulf, Cataclysm: A Second World War, Root and its expansion, and so on.
There were tons of disappointments in 201. Arkham Horror 3E, Century: Eastern Wonders, Rise of Tribes, Founders of Gloomhaven, Choose Your Own Adventure: House of Danger, and so on made 2018 one of the worst gaming years in a while.
One I don't consider a game is Stuffed Fables. It isn't like most board games with a definitive win/loss - it is instead a loose conversation at the end. It is more a family roleplaying game in a box with a little bit too scary of a theme for the target audience.
When the dust settles, what is left? I'd probably have to group Pax Emancipation and SpaceCorp as the top, with Pandemic: Fall of Rome on its heels. Then a few steps down is Big Trouble in Little China: The Game (which is only a personal like, it isn't one I'd recommend for most unless they want a dice chucking adventure or are into the film). The last slots go to the expansions. Ariovistus for Falling Sky is a blast to play, Terraforming Mars: Prelude is essential for me to play the game anymore, and Xia: Missions and Powers adds just that extra oompf to the game makes it more engaging. Oh, and of course Brass Lancashire if you want to count it and Brass Birmingham (but Brass Birmingham doesn't make my list).
Thanks for the comments. I take your point about play length. I've yet to play Space Corp in under 3.5 hours, except my solo game was 3 hours :)
And yeah, anything with Phil Eklund in, I normally stay clear of - I don't want the pain of the rulebook :)
I do know Brass: Lancashire - I did the official how-to-play video for the game :)
@dillenbeck53531 Brass 2018 and original are pretty much identical... Birmingham is much different with a new map and Ale added in...
Great list and video, Paul. Great to see Newton getting the attention it deserves. Love the new multi-action cards in the expansion.
Picking a top game of 2018 is like choosing your favorite child, an impossible task. If pressed between Newton, Teotihuacan and Underwater Cities, I have to go with Underwater Cities. What a fantastic game. While it really is not like Terraforming Mars (card draft, shared board vs worker placement), I do find it scratches that same itch - meaning long playing yet satisfying tableau engine builder where in the end it really feels like you have built something grand.
probably my top 3 too if I'm honest.
Way of the Fighter is easily my favorite from 2018. I also enjoy Exceed: Seventh Cross, KeyForge, The Mind, and Vengeance.
It's a good idea to wait this long to do a top 10 compilation of games that were released two years prior.
Great list, Cerebria is sitting on my shelf of shame 😢. I need to take the time to get it learned.
"Pile of Opportunity" :)
@@GamingRulesVideos My goal is to learn it before I receive Anachrony from Kickstarter. Let's see if I can get the time to do it 😁
Teotihuacan and Underwater Cities were one of the better games of 2018 for sure. However, to me, Brass: Birmingham was the clear GOTY 2018 though.
Love the new intro!
Feels awkward uploading so late, but your reasons seems right on point. Great list and channel overall.
thanks
I really appreciate he waited a year and didn't just give us what was hot in the last 12 months. This shows the games were great even a year later and after several plays. I wish more TH-camrs would do this.
I agree with most of these, but I thought Coimbra was kind of boring. It has this really interesting drafting round just to push discs up a track. The front end just seemed so much more interesting than the outcome. Great aesthetic tho.
Hey Paul! Thanks for the great video! Is there any chance of doing a review for Marco Polo 2 and a comparison to Marco Polo 1? Thank you!
I've not played Marco Polo 2 yet. I played the original once - was taught by the designer and then beat him, not played since :)
They both sound like my kind of game, just not enough time to try them all.
@@GamingRulesVideos Thank you for the reply Paul! I hope when you find some spare time to give them a try, make one of your superb videos and compare them! Thanks again!
Brass Birmingham was my #1 with Underwater Cities being #2.
GMT are renown for swingy die rolls. See Twilight Struggle for instance...
Indeed. And I have opinions about that game that are unpopular.
The only one I am surprised not to see on your list, and which I think is right up your alley, is Brass: Birmingham.
Not played it :(
Cerebria is great, love the theme
Great list!
What happened to Brass Birmingham, Paul? My favourite game of 2018 and it's not there!
It would likely be there had I played it.
@@GamingRulesVideos what! Amazing explains its absence....
I dont think Crown of Eimara is notably lighter than Coimbra and Forum Trajanum. I reckon it is solidly midweight.
Given the types of games he seems to like in this video, I'm SHOCKED Brass Birmingham isn't on that list......
I hadn’t (and still haven’t played it)
Great! But no Brass Birmingham???
Not played it.
Gaming Rules! Oh wow, you've gotta try it, it's a perfect game for you!
Nice video, but I think the video’s title is missing a “d”.
fixed :)
Have you played Nemesis?
Nope. I know a lot of people like it, but it doesn't sound like the kind of game for me.
@@GamingRulesVideos Fair enough. I'm on the fence. Haven't tried it yet. I'm not sure I'm interested enough to pay that price. Hence why I was wondering if you didn't like all that much or just hadn't played.
Really didn't like Forum Trajanum. The flipping of the tiles really ruined the game for me. Much prefer Trajan
It can be a bit random, but if they were face up, the AP would be horrendous.
Not sure why so many mature adult game reviewers insist on having children’s cuddly toys in their video reviews ...very bazaar behaviour - ah well guess it takes all types to make the world go round ...but I am not sure what my adult children would say to me if I decided to use their old cuddly toys on the table during my gaming session - well actually I do but I doubt I could type their response here lol...
Well, for a start, these are not children's cuddly toys. I don't have kids. These are mine, and i like them :)
Just One is excellent and I don't like that genre particularly.
Absolutely NONE of the games in your top ten interest me at all, they look boring.