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@actualol you said the fun density measures at "446", but you didn't give it a unit. Since you invented the term, surely you're the namesake. So, is fun-density measured in "purkis", or perhaps in "actualols"?
@@KelniusTV 'Since you invented the term, surely you're the namesake. So, is fun-density measured in "purkis", or perhaps in "actualols"?' Wouldn't it be purkises? 🤔
I wish more game publishers would appreciate gamers' storage space as an asset. I use a similar, very fuzzy ratio of number of times it gets played compared to size on the shelf, and usually end up selling games that have a poor ratio. Great video, as always, Actualol! Lotta laughs and good gift ideas!
The measuring the volume of hive by the amount of water it displaces is pure gold! Also, I own a great many of these already, but the few I don't will certainly be looked into now.
Ok I know this is kind of not the point when talking about board games - but you gotta include a deck of cards. It breaks the fun density scale as it contains infinite games within its volume.
Only a few are good. Solitaire? Amazing. Speed? Eh. War? Too luck based, but fine. Spoil Five? 🤮 it’s like every other trick taking games except the ranking is bullshi-
@@alixx_legenddark_xx2819I mean, ERS, go fish, Texas holdem’, the 80 kinds of poker, it’s nearly limitless (even if I can’t think of many) and you can probably make up some if you’re feeling creative and bored. A deck of cards probably has the greatest fun density rating.
@@alixx_legenddark_xx2819 A few? With a couple decks of cards, a few dice, and a notepad you can recreate play a near infinite amount of different games and even recreate some on this very list.
At 29:49, the host said the shoebox is a terrarium, a self contained environment. So I guess a deck of playing cards is excluded because the rules for those infinite games aren't included.
Man, this video is a really creative twist on the "my favorite small games" type of videos! These types of videos are what keeps me comming back to this channel. One of the most creative creators in the board gaming youtube space.
I generally click on videos like this, watch them for a minute or two and then just exit out. This one actually kept my attention. I even watched the ad 😄
I wonder if it makes sense to have the BGG score use a logistic growth model. The difference between a 5 and a 6 is probably bigger than that between a 1 and a 2 or a 9 and a 10.
I went and did it because I fount it to be an interesting ideia (base 10): high society: 2.65 ticket to ride: 1.52 gloomhaven: 1.04 tinderblox: 2.98 tempel des schreckens: 2.85 star realms: 2.77 death valley: 3.54 cockroach poker: 2.73 codex naturalis: 2.51 burgle brothers: 2.15 knarr: 2.36 bohnanza: 2.76 push:2.63 fugitive: 2.76 unsurmountable: 3.54 hive pocket: 3.16 AFAGTNY: 2.90 qwinto: 2.94 love letter: 3.02 coloretto: 2.94 voyages: 4.23 Order Overload Cafe: 2.89
I have literally never laughed out loud more than this at a TH-cam video. Your jokes are as fun as your content. Thank you so much for your gold level quality.
@@actualol Your channel - no, let’s call it what it is: Your amazing personality, talents and humor- are one of the bright spots in my life right now. I can share my love of board games safely with my kids, who think you’re one of the most hilarious and talented people on TH-cam. Thank you for all the hard work and consistency you’ve poured into this.
Print and play games can also be put into plastic sleeves with whiteboard markers: this way the paper doesn't get worn and markings can be easily erased.
I'm coming back to this video for maybe the third time. The concept of fun-density is brilliant, and I think I’ll start my own shoebox collection someday too. Thank you for being such a great guide in this big world of board games! 😁😌
I recently bought Harvest based on your collection video and recommendation and has been a MASSIVE hit with my gaming group and non gaming friends alike. It has a very high fundensity
I think this is also especially good for those of us with limited funds who want to build a robust collection of board games! I’ll absolutely be coming back to see which one I should buy next 👀
I'm going on a long journey soon, and I can fit Love Letter, Mission Deep Sea and High Society all within the one Mission Deep Sea box! An instant 3-in-1.
Informative and hilarious writing and delivery as always. Small, deep, fun is where my collection has been heading for a few years now. You have the gift of creating analogies!
Thanks, and No Thanks. No Thanks is a great small game. Qwixx, Bananagrams, Bandido, Railroad Ink. Red7, Bohnanza, Dutch Blitz, Falling (so bad it’s good), Mille Bornes, Sushi Go, Zombie Dice. So many great, small games! Fun Density!
This isn't just a problem for newer games. Most of the worst offenders on my shelf are older games. I think the difference is that these days publishers know that board game enthusiasts value fun density. Also, the environmental impact of wasted resources is well-understood.
For push your luck I highly recommend Port Royal. I would even just remove the packaging and just carry the cards in a ziploc. Highly replayable and terrific fun.
Mind blown!!! Please please make a video on boardgames that you can play with kids. May be ones that have a quick play! Your recommendations are bomb! Your videos are creative and funny
Love this idea for a video, the brothers murph did a similar concept where they tried to get as good a collection as possible into a ticket to ride size box although in that they ditched the boxes and just put components in allowing the air filled boxes. I like this idea of actual small box games.
Recently, I watched a video of a guy building a secret movie theater, he asked two of his “friends” to film a movie to show in the theater, and it took me a solid 15 seconds to realize it was the Shopify ad sponsoring the video. I wasn’t even mad about it. I gladly watched that till the end.
I’ve been doing something very similar to this recently and have subconsciously selected games with high ‘fun density’ without realising it. There are some great recommendations in here and I’m definitely going to have a look at some. You can get a broader range of games if you’re willing to forgo the boxes in some instances as some will fit into regular deck boxes (hive pocket). My ‘shoebox’ of choice is a Gamegenic lair 600 because the box lid turns into a dice tray / game mat. Games I’ve managed to cram into this box: - Skull - (Deduction/party, 3-6P) - The Mind - (Cards, 2-4P) - Vaalbara - (Hand management, 2-5P) - Microbrew x2 - (Micro-Viticulture, 2-4p) - Tinderblox - (Dexterity, 2-6P) - Rafter Five - (Dexterity, 2-5P) - Odin - (Trick taking, 2-6P) - Trio - (Trick Taking, 3-6P) - Insider - (Deduction party, 4-9P) - Qwinto - (Push your luck, 4P) - Ganz Schon Clever! - (Dice drafting, 4P) - Next Station London - (Drawing, 4P) - Sumo - (Trick Taking, 2P) - Peruke One - (Chess-like, 1P) - Splendor Duel - (Set collection, 2P) - UNO Mini - (Trick Taking, 2-4P) - Kiri-ai - (Battle, 2P) - Hobbit Love Letter - (Hand management, 4P) - Playing Cards - Tiny tin of teeny dice We also have a Dragonshield Magic carpet for much the same reason but smaller.
Personally, I would switch Order Overload with Nana for the memory one. The box is smaller and it has cute animals. That Is Not A Hat would also be a good one that sits between Cockroach Poker and Order Overload, while keeping a small(ish) box
Palm Island would also be a great addition here… and you can easily fit in the shoe box without compromise - The Fun density should be off the charts :D Great video as always!
Dale of Merchants is another deck builder in a small box that supports up to 4 players. It's also got an element of tableau building and it's a race, where you build a deck to then use up its cards to first get 8 points.
So happy to see the love for Time Bomb/Don’t Mess With Cthulhu/Tempel des Schrekens! A truly underrated and underappreciated game, that feels like an exact 50/50 split between bluffing and deduction. It’s not just good, it’s *great* and I can’t recommend it enough. And for the purposes of this video (awesome idea by the way!), the Japanese edition is also in a tiny box, though I don’t have a copy of Tempel to directly compare, haha.
This is an awesome video! When I travel I want to bring games with me to friends and family but usually can only bring a few because of all those components. This list is perfect for the next time I go on a cruise with my family!
Innovation is definitely my recommendation for an amazing 2 player small box card game. Highly recommend to anyone who enjoys interesting tableau builders.
This is THE video to watch for a new board game collector. I wish I'd based my early purchases on what would neatly fit in a shoebox, instead I have a collection that barely fits in an entire apartment. Fun density is such a crucial metric for a collector.
Amazing picks and video! I have recently started to appreciate more what smaller (air free) boxes do and a lot of the games here entered my collection :)
My shoebox would probably be: Bohnanza, Village Rails, Tiny Epic Vikings, The Crew, Saboteur, Tinderblox, 6 nimmt, No Thanks, Jaipur, Wooly Wars, and Citadels. Not sure if thats every type, but that's a collection I would be happy with if I ever move to a tiny house.
@@actualolThat statement is either one with such deep psychological inroads as to constitute an exam of existential gaming, or is an absolute load of sauerkraut.
The Shoebox Idea is neat because it offers space for a few larger options as opposed to the Photo organizer case variant (games that fit in a 4x6x1 plastic box, 16 of which in turn fit in a larger case. Ps I LOVE your humor.
Just worth mentioning the Tiny Tins collection published by 999 in the Netherlands, packing entire games (among which Love Letter - currently unavailable - and Pickomino) in a mints tin.
Just found your channel, and I've got to say this is some of the best board game content out there. I live in a tiny flat, so it's important to know the size of a game before I buy it! There's a few here I've never heard of that I'll be giving a whirl. Thank you!
Great video! I love small form factor games. I’d love to see another video in this format but an overall top 10 or 20 regardless of genre. Thanks for putting this together!
Can I suggest "Best Print & Play Accessible Games" as a video idea? I'm new to the hobby, quickly realized how ridiculously pricy it can get and just now learned that some people/publishers share printable kits to DIY their Games for Playtest. It's perfect for learning to stop yourself before an impulse buy or to have some options if your low on money :) For example "Hive" was a really easy one to print and test out that way. PS: Thanks for the many videos that helped me get an amazing overview over the market/genres!
My suggestions for small board games: 1. Scout - It's a pretty simple card game from Oink Games. The better version you'd have to buy from Japan, but a card only version is sold at Target now. It's a hit almost every time at the table. 2. Innovation - It's a tableau builder in a tiny box. It actually has a ton of replayability 3. Bandido - It's a co-op tiling game where your goal is to "close off" the maze. Very light and replayable fun. 4. Sea Salt And Paper - A set collection game that a lot of people say is very good in terms of "fun-density" 5. Just One - A coop word guessing game in a relatively small box that is a lighter hit at parties. There is a bit of air in the box though, even though it is small! 6. Hardback - A word/spelling deckbuilder, which is quite unique. It's a bit bigger than the other ones in the list, but there is no space for air in the box at all.
This video was so for me. I've used a Gamegenic Cards Lair 600+ to store what I've called my "Big Box of Little Games." To free up shelf space and store so many of my little games that either were in a box thats unnecessarily big or otherwise just a terrible box. I do have High Society and Bohnanza in there (the versions of both that I own came in boxes too large)
In the Netherlands we have a thing called "tiny tins" it is a full game that fits inside the palm of your hand. We have several of them and they are even comfortable to put in your pocket. It is so much fun to make a game appear in a full moment.
I am shocked to know this video is not doing well with the platform. It's such a wonderful, informational video. I just want to let you know I'm enjoying every minute of it and will definitely support the channel in ways I'm able to! Keep up with the great work!
It's been a while since I watched anything boardgame related, just thought I'd drop by. Actualol continues to provide some of the most well produced, quality and humorous content on youtube. I'd have to weigh John to get a clear calibration but the fundensity is certainly high with this product.
Maybe I was unknowingly obsessed by fun density, and that's why I collect mint tin games. Of this list I already have Tinderbox, Hive, Love Letter and Star Realms. I'm surprised to not see Air, Land and Sea, or Sprawlopolis in the list.
A nice game you might like is Fika. On my channel I compared it to "air land and sea" which is more or less the same.. but the war zone is a street with two cafés. look it up and I'd bet it might be in one of your future videos!
What a great video and content. When travelling light is a necessity this comes into play. My picks for an other shoe box would be: Innovation (Civilisation game wasn't picked yet right?) Spicy (higher fun density than cockroach poker) Illusion (Party game from the beloved Wolfgang Warsch)
So I got bored one done day and did this exact scoring method (fci - fun per cubic inch) but I’m confused on your formula. What are you doing after you divide the 27 by 7.2 to get a score of 446?
A lot of (great) games come in boxes that are larger than they need to be. This is especially true for games that are card/tile based. Plastic dividers/organizers might also take up a lot of space. You should do a video on board games that you can downsize to smaller boxes--e.g. Magic Maze.
I got Knarr after seeing it in this video and I love it. I think I've played it 9 times over a few weeks with varying people, player count, and strategies and it's been fun each time. Thank you!
Here you go! 0:24 Definition of fun density 1:05 Auction 2:11 Dexterity 3:41 Hidden traitor 6:58 Deckbuilding 9:05 Tableau builder 11:01 Bluffing 12:20 Tile-laying 13:22 Co-operative 14:50 Engine builder 16:30 Negotiation 17:48 Push your luck 19:18 Hidden movement 20:28 Solo 21:40 Abstract 23:15 Party 24:30 Roll and write 26:04 Deduction 27:26 Set collection 29:08 Pick up and deliver 31:15 Memory
Well now I have lots more games to buy! I love the sound of these? Also I’m starting to think a collab between @actualol and @emmacruises would be such a good idea. Board games on a cruise… yes please!! Take me to the observation deck!
Great idea for a video. I've been planning something in a plastic 'really useful box' for camping trips/ holidays. Need to rebox games like Lost Cities to go inside too.
Love some of these and a few more we need to try now! Have been gravitating towards small box games a lot recently while we're short on time and space!
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As a German speaker it was a great joy to listen to you talking German 😊
Get yourself a Japanese copy of High Society --it's even smaller. And the money is measured in billions, which is objectively, hilarious.
But then you don't get the beautiful art from Medusa Dollmaker :D
@@Noobwateryeah but the fun density is much higher
Ooh, that is tempting. Any way to downsize my collection gets me hot under the collar.
@actualol you said the fun density measures at "446", but you didn't give it a unit.
Since you invented the term, surely you're the namesake. So, is fun-density measured in "purkis", or perhaps in "actualols"?
@@KelniusTV 'Since you invented the term, surely you're the namesake. So, is fun-density measured in "purkis", or perhaps in "actualols"?'
Wouldn't it be purkises? 🤔
Okay, so what this needs to be is a Box you ship for ~$400 or so and you get a FULL portable collection. So good.
Actually doable except that one expensive game ruined it (Burgle Bros)
I dunno, there are a bunch of these games that are $13 or $10 and might balance it out.
I wish more game publishers would appreciate gamers' storage space as an asset. I use a similar, very fuzzy ratio of number of times it gets played compared to size on the shelf, and usually end up selling games that have a poor ratio.
Great video, as always, Actualol! Lotta laughs and good gift ideas!
The measuring the volume of hive by the amount of water it displaces is pure gold!
Also, I own a great many of these already, but the few I don't will certainly be looked into now.
Eureka!
@@LarryJohnVA”That’s Ephebian- it means ‘Give me a towel.’” -Sir Terry Pratchett
Ok I know this is kind of not the point when talking about board games - but you gotta include a deck of cards. It breaks the fun density scale as it contains infinite games within its volume.
Only a few are good. Solitaire? Amazing. Speed? Eh. War? Too luck based, but fine. Spoil Five? 🤮 it’s like every other trick taking games except the ranking is bullshi-
@@alixx_legenddark_xx2819I mean, ERS, go fish, Texas holdem’, the 80 kinds of poker, it’s nearly limitless (even if I can’t think of many) and you can probably make up some if you’re feeling creative and bored. A deck of cards probably has the greatest fun density rating.
@@alixx_legenddark_xx2819 A few? With a couple decks of cards, a few dice, and a notepad you can recreate play a near infinite amount of different games and even recreate some on this very list.
@@ToxNano yeah ik, but I’m not creative at all
At 29:49, the host said the shoebox is a terrarium, a self contained environment. So I guess a deck of playing cards is excluded because the rules for those infinite games aren't included.
Man, this video is a really creative twist on the "my favorite small games" type of videos!
These types of videos are what keeps me comming back to this channel. One of the most creative creators in the board gaming youtube space.
I generally click on videos like this, watch them for a minute or two and then just exit out. This one actually kept my attention. I even watched the ad 😄
Same for me but i didn't watch the ad
I think fun density should probably be on a logarithmic scale
Don't try to improve on greatness
I wonder if it makes sense to have the BGG score use a logistic growth model. The difference between a 5 and a 6 is probably bigger than that between a 1 and a 2 or a 9 and a 10.
@@actualolWhy do hard math when there’s Fun Density math available courtesy of @actualol?
@@stella.excitethat would be a bell curve function
I went and did it because I fount it to be an interesting ideia (base 10):
high society: 2.65
ticket to ride: 1.52
gloomhaven: 1.04
tinderblox: 2.98
tempel des schreckens: 2.85
star realms: 2.77
death valley: 3.54
cockroach poker: 2.73
codex naturalis: 2.51
burgle brothers: 2.15
knarr: 2.36
bohnanza: 2.76
push:2.63
fugitive: 2.76
unsurmountable: 3.54
hive pocket: 3.16
AFAGTNY: 2.90
qwinto: 2.94
love letter: 3.02
coloretto: 2.94
voyages: 4.23
Order Overload Cafe: 2.89
I have literally never laughed out loud more than this at a TH-cam video. Your jokes are as fun as your content. Thank you so much for your gold level quality.
Thank you, what a kind comment! There's plenty more funny videos where that came from :)
@@actualol Your channel - no, let’s call it what it is: Your amazing personality, talents and humor- are one of the bright spots in my life right now. I can share my love of board games safely with my kids, who think you’re one of the most hilarious and talented people on TH-cam. Thank you for all the hard work and consistency you’ve poured into this.
@@joshsmith2680 haha maybe I need funnier friends
"Everyone will be trying to saddle you with a hate rainbow" is maybe my favourite description of a game mechanic that I have heard. 😂
Is that one colored entirely in Eeyore shades?
A Shoebox Collection! What a great idea!
"Cockroach Poker is like your friendship group.There are no winners, just one loser: you".
Pure gold.
Print and play games can also be put into plastic sleeves with whiteboard markers: this way the paper doesn't get worn and markings can be easily erased.
Actualol videos have real high fun density
"If I move my grasshopper here, my opponent will cry"
That one got me!
I'm coming back to this video for maybe the third time. The concept of fun-density is brilliant, and I think I’ll start my own shoebox collection someday too. Thank you for being such a great guide in this big world of board games! 😁😌
Thank you so much!
My absolute favorite thing is when you speak about Qwinto! Top ten game for me and my favorite roll and write!
I'm glad we agree!
Love me some small games, and all in a shoe box no less. Great concept, great games, great goodness
Please make this an annual series, I’d love to see how your collection changes over time!
I recently bought Harvest based on your collection video and recommendation and has been a MASSIVE hit with my gaming group and non gaming friends alike. It has a very high fundensity
I think this is also especially good for those of us with limited funds who want to build a robust collection of board games! I’ll absolutely be coming back to see which one I should buy next 👀
I'm going on a long journey soon, and I can fit Love Letter, Mission Deep Sea and High Society all within the one Mission Deep Sea box! An instant 3-in-1.
Informative and hilarious writing and delivery as always. Small, deep, fun is where my collection has been heading for a few years now. You have the gift of creating analogies!
5:22 What a brutal way to tell Wolfgang you don’t want to be friends with him anymore
“You bent my cards” is killing lingo in Magic or Pokemon. I’d say Wolfgang got off easy.😂
Densest big game: The white castle.. it's almost a game itself to get all the stuff back in :D
Another one like that is Tokyo Metro, box size like a filler game.
Also makes terrible American burgers.
Thanks, and No Thanks. No Thanks is a great small game. Qwixx, Bananagrams, Bandido, Railroad Ink. Red7, Bohnanza, Dutch Blitz, Falling (so bad it’s good), Mille Bornes, Sushi Go, Zombie Dice. So many great, small games! Fun Density!
Don't forget 6 nimmt aka Take 5!
Wow, very interesting idea and great picks. I too am offended by the size of game boxes these days. Love me some small box games
This isn't just a problem for newer games. Most of the worst offenders on my shelf are older games. I think the difference is that these days publishers know that board game enthusiasts value fun density. Also, the environmental impact of wasted resources is well-understood.
For push your luck I highly recommend Port Royal. I would even just remove the packaging and just carry the cards in a ziploc. Highly replayable and terrific fun.
Mind blown!!! Please please make a video on boardgames that you can play with kids. May be ones that have a quick play! Your recommendations are bomb! Your videos are creative and funny
Saboteur (1&2) & Qwirkle pocket/travel are two great small games.
Love this idea for a video, the brothers murph did a similar concept where they tried to get as good a collection as possible into a ticket to ride size box although in that they ditched the boxes and just put components in allowing the air filled boxes. I like this idea of actual small box games.
For the first time in any YT video ever, I actually watched the commercial bit.
I am a lifelong subscriber of Babbel and still watched the commercial. 😂
@@arnold2011 That should send a message to sponsors. Jon is worth sponsoring!
Yeah same 😂
Recently, I watched a video of a guy building a secret movie theater, he asked two of his “friends” to film a movie to show in the theater, and it took me a solid 15 seconds to realize it was the Shopify ad sponsoring the video. I wasn’t even mad about it. I gladly watched that till the end.
I’ve been doing something very similar to this recently and have subconsciously selected games with high ‘fun density’ without realising it.
There are some great recommendations in here and I’m definitely going to have a look at some.
You can get a broader range of games if you’re willing to forgo the boxes in some instances as some will fit into regular deck boxes (hive pocket).
My ‘shoebox’ of choice is a Gamegenic lair 600 because the box lid turns into a dice tray / game mat. Games I’ve managed to cram into this box:
- Skull - (Deduction/party, 3-6P)
- The Mind - (Cards, 2-4P)
- Vaalbara - (Hand management, 2-5P)
- Microbrew x2 - (Micro-Viticulture, 2-4p)
- Tinderblox - (Dexterity, 2-6P)
- Rafter Five - (Dexterity, 2-5P)
- Odin - (Trick taking, 2-6P)
- Trio - (Trick Taking, 3-6P)
- Insider - (Deduction party, 4-9P)
- Qwinto - (Push your luck, 4P)
- Ganz Schon Clever! - (Dice drafting, 4P)
- Next Station London - (Drawing, 4P)
- Sumo - (Trick Taking, 2P)
- Peruke One - (Chess-like, 1P)
- Splendor Duel - (Set collection, 2P)
- UNO Mini - (Trick Taking, 2-4P)
- Kiri-ai - (Battle, 2P)
- Hobbit Love Letter - (Hand management, 4P)
- Playing Cards
- Tiny tin of teeny dice
We also have a Dragonshield Magic carpet for much the same reason but smaller.
What a great hook, the shoe box concept is genius. Props!
0:15 "But it's not just the size that's important, it's about how much fun we can cram into this box" 😮
Wow it's so funny
Phrasing!
These videos are so well written. Funny, informative, to the point, witty. Really well done.
One of the best videos I’ve watched on board gaming. Love the fun density scale. Genius! Well done, sir!
Thank you so much! Glad you liked it 🙂
FunDensity = GENIUS
Yay! New Actualol vid is a good day 🎉
My family loved this. We have started our own travel gaming kit based on the majority of these games.
I’ve never heard of any of these games 😮 they all look so fun!! And having a shoe box of games is a perfect idea for family vacations! Thank you!!!
Personally, I would switch Order Overload with Nana for the memory one. The box is smaller and it has cute animals. That Is Not A Hat would also be a good one that sits between Cockroach Poker and Order Overload, while keeping a small(ish) box
If only Nana was easily available! I have Trio which is much bigger.
@@actualol True. I did go out of my way to get Nana and I'm very happy I did. Much prettier and smaller than Trio
He finally got a sponsor!!!🎉🎉
I actually ordered used copies of two of these games before the video was even over, excellent video!
Palm Island would also be a great addition here… and you can easily fit in the shoe box without compromise - The Fun density should be off the charts :D
Great video as always!
Dale of Merchants is another deck builder in a small box that supports up to 4 players. It's also got an element of tableau building and it's a race, where you build a deck to then use up its cards to first get 8 points.
Great video!
Some of my favorite small-ish games (not sure the FD scores):
- Fungi
- The Mind
- Coup
- Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza
So happy to see the love for Time Bomb/Don’t Mess With Cthulhu/Tempel des Schrekens! A truly underrated and underappreciated game, that feels like an exact 50/50 split between bluffing and deduction. It’s not just good, it’s *great* and I can’t recommend it enough. And for the purposes of this video (awesome idea by the way!), the Japanese edition is also in a tiny box, though I don’t have a copy of Tempel to directly compare, haha.
This is an awesome video! When I travel I want to bring games with me to friends and family but usually can only bring a few because of all those components. This list is perfect for the next time I go on a cruise with my family!
Innovation is definitely my recommendation for an amazing 2 player small box card game. Highly recommend to anyone who enjoys interesting tableau builders.
This is THE video to watch for a new board game collector. I wish I'd based my early purchases on what would neatly fit in a shoebox, instead I have a collection that barely fits in an entire apartment. Fun density is such a crucial metric for a collector.
Amazing picks and video! I have recently started to appreciate more what smaller (air free) boxes do and a lot of the games here entered my collection :)
My shoebox would probably be: Bohnanza, Village Rails, Tiny Epic Vikings, The Crew, Saboteur, Tinderblox, 6 nimmt, No Thanks, Jaipur, Wooly Wars, and Citadels. Not sure if thats every type, but that's a collection I would be happy with if I ever move to a tiny house.
'Love Village Rails, The Crew, and Jaipur. Will check out those others on your list. Thanks.
A truly exceptional video! Also, we need more John Vs Wolfgang moments! It's a disgruntled/unrequited friendship I never knew I needed!
I can barely stand to be in the room with him again
@@actualolThat statement is either one with such deep psychological inroads as to constitute an exam of existential gaming, or is an absolute load of sauerkraut.
Brilliant, thanks!
Thanks for your donation!
The writing and production value is magnificent!!!!
The Shoebox Idea is neat because it offers space for a few larger options as opposed to the Photo organizer case variant (games that fit in a 4x6x1 plastic box, 16 of which in turn fit in a larger case. Ps I LOVE your humor.
Unique and fun video! Your short descriptions of every game makes me want to get them all!
Just worth mentioning the Tiny Tins collection published by 999 in the Netherlands, packing entire games (among which Love Letter - currently unavailable - and Pickomino) in a mints tin.
Just found your channel, and I've got to say this is some of the best board game content out there. I live in a tiny flat, so it's important to know the size of a game before I buy it! There's a few here I've never heard of that I'll be giving a whirl. Thank you!
Great video! I love small form factor games. I’d love to see another video in this format but an overall top 10 or 20 regardless of genre. Thanks for putting this together!
Can I suggest "Best Print & Play Accessible Games" as a video idea?
I'm new to the hobby, quickly realized how ridiculously pricy it can get and just now learned that some people/publishers share printable kits to DIY their Games for Playtest. It's perfect for learning to stop yourself before an impulse buy or to have some options if your low on money :)
For example "Hive" was a really easy one to print and test out that way.
PS: Thanks for the many videos that helped me get an amazing overview over the market/genres!
"Scout" is a must wherever i go. It is so easy yet fun to play in my opinion.
I personally own Bohnanza and High Society. Great games!
My suggestions for small board games:
1. Scout - It's a pretty simple card game from Oink Games. The better version you'd have to buy from Japan, but a card only version is sold at Target now. It's a hit almost every time at the table.
2. Innovation - It's a tableau builder in a tiny box. It actually has a ton of replayability
3. Bandido - It's a co-op tiling game where your goal is to "close off" the maze. Very light and replayable fun.
4. Sea Salt And Paper - A set collection game that a lot of people say is very good in terms of "fun-density"
5. Just One - A coop word guessing game in a relatively small box that is a lighter hit at parties. There is a bit of air in the box though, even though it is small!
6. Hardback - A word/spelling deckbuilder, which is quite unique. It's a bit bigger than the other ones in the list, but there is no space for air in the box at all.
For Tile Laying game I would recommend Trailblazers. It had the small pocket travel case that holds a game for 4 easily so highly recommend it.
This is awesome inspiration! My husband and I are now making our own shoebox collection. Fun density is such a useful metric 😊
This video was so for me.
I've used a Gamegenic Cards Lair 600+ to store what I've called my "Big Box of Little Games." To free up shelf space and store so many of my little games that either were in a box thats unnecessarily big or otherwise just a terrible box. I do have High Society and Bohnanza in there (the versions of both that I own came in boxes too large)
Just in time for the summer holidays! I'm inspired to only take games that will fit in a small box.
Genius!!! I enjoy love letter and coloretto. Please do a video on games that kids and adults can enjoy together
This is Fantastic! Seriously thinking to add all these to a collection of games I may never play. 😆
Quality ad read! The boardgame content was cool too.
In the Netherlands we have a thing called "tiny tins" it is a full game that fits inside the palm of your hand. We have several of them and they are even comfortable to put in your pocket. It is so much fun to make a game appear in a full moment.
I've seen those, they're tiny! What's your favourite game in a tiny tin?
@@actualolDer Snuffbox!
Thanks!
Thank you!
shoutout tiny epic galaxy. One of my favorite games that happens to be in a very small box. That game packs an absolute punch. Crazy value!
Then Ultra Tiny Epic Galaxy is even smaller! Same game but made tinier. It fits in a card box.
@@naughtscrossstitchesYes but if you sneeze it’s called Ultra All Over The Carpet!
I know there was a reason I liked you Jon. Left handers are just better people
I am shocked to know this video is not doing well with the platform. It's such a wonderful, informational video. I just want to let you know I'm enjoying every minute of it and will definitely support the channel in ways I'm able to! Keep up with the great work!
That segue into the ad was impressive stuff.
I like this! i have a drawer that's about 1.5x a shoebox, and this looks reasonable
It's been a while since I watched anything boardgame related, just thought I'd drop by. Actualol continues to provide some of the most well produced, quality and humorous content on youtube. I'd have to weigh John to get a clear calibration but the fundensity is certainly high with this product.
Such a fun idea! A box full of joy. Some of the games I am really curious about, the print & play for example looks interesting.
I would probably choose For Northwood! for my solo pick. Such a good game! And THIS was such a good video! Genious!
Thanks
Maybe I was unknowingly obsessed by fun density, and that's why I collect mint tin games.
Of this list I already have Tinderbox, Hive, Love Letter and Star Realms. I'm surprised to not see Air, Land and Sea, or Sprawlopolis in the list.
I love small games that pack a punch. I call them "Tardis Games".
Examples include Belratti, Red7, Werewords or Kodachi.
Nice nickname
I feel like Red7 should be in everyone's collection like Uno is.
Again the perfect proof you are the best, funniest and best reflected boardgame youtuber! And now your german is SUPER GUT! ;)
A nice game you might like is Fika. On my channel I compared it to "air land and sea" which is more or less the same.. but the war zone is a street with two cafés. look it up and I'd bet it might be in one of your future videos!
What a great video and content. When travelling light is a necessity this comes into play.
My picks for an other shoe box would be:
Innovation (Civilisation game wasn't picked yet right?)
Spicy (higher fun density than cockroach poker)
Illusion (Party game from the beloved Wolfgang Warsch)
So I got bored one done day and did this exact scoring method (fci - fun per cubic inch) but I’m confused on your formula. What are you doing after you divide the 27 by 7.2 to get a score of 446?
Yes, I did the same thing, how did he arrive at that number. Somebody explain this please!
The formula is wrong in the video, I used cubic feet.
A lot of (great) games come in boxes that are larger than they need to be. This is especially true for games that are card/tile based. Plastic dividers/organizers might also take up a lot of space. You should do a video on board games that you can downsize to smaller boxes--e.g. Magic Maze.
Great video. So many games i want to try. Was wondering roughly how big the shoebox is?
I got Knarr after seeing it in this video and I love it. I think I've played it 9 times over a few weeks with varying people, player count, and strategies and it's been fun each time. Thank you!
I absolutely love smaller games so this was a fun video!
Timestamps, boy... timestamps.
Here you go!
0:24 Definition of fun density
1:05 Auction
2:11 Dexterity
3:41 Hidden traitor
6:58 Deckbuilding
9:05 Tableau builder
11:01 Bluffing
12:20 Tile-laying
13:22 Co-operative
14:50 Engine builder
16:30 Negotiation
17:48 Push your luck
19:18 Hidden movement
20:28 Solo
21:40 Abstract
23:15 Party
24:30 Roll and write
26:04 Deduction
27:26 Set collection
29:08 Pick up and deliver
31:15 Memory
Thank you!
Your channel is so Goated. So many game recommendations-although negotiation games don’t really mesh with my play group. My wishlist keeps growing
Well now I have lots more games to buy! I love the sound of these? Also I’m starting to think a collab between @actualol and @emmacruises would be such a good idea. Board games on a cruise… yes please!! Take me to the observation deck!
So long as @emmacruises picks up Jon’s cheque…or rather, his bill.
Great idea for a video. I've been planning something in a plastic 'really useful box' for camping trips/ holidays. Need to rebox games like Lost Cities to go inside too.
Love some of these and a few more we need to try now! Have been gravitating towards small box games a lot recently while we're short on time and space!
This is brilliant. Love it. Such original videos!
Glad you enjoyed it!