I have played 1000s of games of Dominion and in my experience, "just buying the money cards" as a strategy works so rarely. Even in games where you're playing mostly Money strategy, you still are almost always going to want several of the kingdom cards. It's just a matter of not overloading your deck with stop cards. I promise you, I will beat anyone playing a *purely* money strategy at least 90% of the time. Granted, I am an experienced player, but if you play smart, you can usually beat the money player if there are non-terminal actions and/or villages on the board.
Please understand that I'm saying that I'm super good at the game. Rather, I am illustrating that a *purely* money strategy (i.e., silvers, golds, and nothing else at all) is simply not a winning strategy on more than 90% of boards that show up. If you lose to this strategy continually, then you are just buying way too many terminal action cards.
+Erik Braun Its such an easy fix to change the game where just buying money isn't a win. Even with just the core game we fixed it when it became apparent 'big money' was a winning strategy.
Great top ten. What I like about you guys is that you are not all the same and have different tastes and opinions. And can everyone please lay off Sam. He's a real person, who (I can tell from having watched the top ten gaming experiences) loves his job and even comes into the comments to interact with you guys. Most of his picks he did show enthusiasm over and I would rather Sam (and Zee and Tom) be honest about his opinions on games, even if that is perceived as negative, than pretend to like something for the sake of the cameras. tl:dr interesting top ten, even if the genre wasn't everyone's cup of tea. Sam stay just as you are!
Thank you guys for all your help! Just in the last two days you have helped me understand two different games! Rules were either hard to understand, or needed to be expanded out a bit. Great job!
Puzzle Strike has: - The most exciting matches - The most diverse play, due to choosing a character - Coolest combos - The most interaction with your player - Quickest shuffling - Gambling pandas How can this not be number one? Actually, I'm begging for an explanation because I really would like to enjoy another deck builder as much.
Puzzle Strike needs to see more love. It is competitive(not just multi-player solitaire), interesting combos, characters bring different strategies, and so much more. I love deck builders, and Puzzle Strike is easily my favourite(although I will admit, it is best with 2 players, which isn't optimal for lots of groups).
I need to thank you for this comment! I had never heard of Puzzle Strike, so I searched for some videos on it. As a fan of Tetris, Street Fighter, and Puzzle Fighter, this felt PERFECT for my game nights! I will definitely be searching for this game (or an updated version).
props to Zee for including Friday. I love that game. It's awesome. To clarify a point he didn't really get to. You play the native person Friday guiding the idiot Robinson trying to train him by giving him challenges he can beat that hopefully make him better. The other thing he didn't mention was that if you use his skills too much Robinson ages faster which is a pretty cool mechanic.
MIX THE SETS! You absolutely must play this mixed DC/LoTR/SF/NHL game live, Tom. This idea is too genius to pass up. Watching you guys trying to reason out what was happening would be hilarious!
I've never heard of Commissioned before this. It is 100% on my "to-buy" list. Sounds like the perfect way to get my church friends through the next step of game weight.
Ascension was my introduction to the genre so I have a big soft spot for it but I really enjoyed the rough looking art style of the early sets. It had a very unique feel to it when most card games I've seen all have a sort of samey polished feel to the art.
Hey Sam. 12:42 For the folks across the pond that war is known as the Seven Years' War. They may not have heard of the French and Indian war. This is the war just before the American Revolutionary war, Right? Anyhow, this war was fought in Europe, North America, Central America, West Africa, India and the Philippines. Basically, there were two factions, one led by Great Britain and the other by France. Got all that from Wikipedia.
I imagine it's because the theme is fairly off-putting, but I"m kind of surprised Tanto Cuore and Barbarossa weren't even mentioned. Sure, it's got a very heavy anime fanservice theme (and Barbarossa goes into very ecchi territory), but they're both fairly solid deckbuilding games. Tanto is very much like Dominion, but tweaks a few things and often has a way to victory that's not just "get the most expensive point card". Barbarossa copies a few mechanics from Dominion, but the gameplay is pretty significantly different, feeling much more like a war game (and I'm looking forward to seeing how El Alamein mixes things up when the english version comes out next year).
+Sethala If you're surprised that Tanto Cuore didn't make a top 10, then you probably haven't been following the Dice Tower for a long time... I don't even think Tom thinks it's a bad game, and it's not about political correctness, it's about family friendliness. You can go over to Board Game Brawl, I think Nick really likes this game.
+Sean Thompson I guess the games are not on this list because they haven't played them, so it wouldn't really make sense to include them in a Top 10, would it? And the fact that they haven't played them might have something to do with theme, but that's a personal decision that has nothing to do with political correctness. Ironically, by arguing they should play a game whose theme clearly doesn't appeal to them you are doing exactly what PC advocates are mostly accused of - telling other people what to do (or not), that is, interfering in other peoples lives.
+Sean Thompson Fair enough. For me Tanto Cuore sounds like an interesting game, but it would just feel odd to play these cards..plus my girlfriend would give me a real hard time, I'm afraid..
+Sean Thompson I'd concur if Tom was someone's employee, but as it is, this is his gig and quite frankly he can do whatever he likes (and you are free not to support them financially in return). While you are right that the Dice Tower has far surpassed being a bunch of guys doing this for fun, I don't think they have reached the level of professional and accountable "professional critics". That's not to say they shouldn't try to act professionally. But actually, not talking about a game you haven't played is exacly what I would call professional. Maybe they should use Tom's Top 10 of the year caveat ("I haven't played all games..") for every Top 10 video.
Really loved to hear a solitaire game made this top 10. Friday is a phenomenal game which plays quickly and actually has some thought provoking choices to make and different strategies which can be used. While it is repetitive it at least gives the feel of a different experience each playthrough.
I got it this Christmas and I agree it's a great game! Though I wish it was maybe a little more expensive and had a different deck for each color to keep it from feeling stale.
I love your lists. You three are so funny. I am with Zee and Sam, deck builders are not my go to genre of game so great job on being able to complete a top ten. Thanks for all you do and have a safe and happy new year!
I'm always surprised that the troika (well, Tom and Sam at least) don't like Puzzle Strike more. Seems like it would be up their alley. Variable player powers, quick gameplay, lots of boom-boom-boom combos, easy to play but good strategic depth.
No love for Eminent Domain? it has cool spaceships, cards are dual purpose (play and follow option) making rounds more interactive, has different ways of exploration and getting points (incl. resource management stuff if you are into that) AND has cool techs you might or might not want to research. I think it is a deck-builder all 3 of you would enjoy as it has many aspects without being complex.
DC Deck Building game is by far the best deck builder. The theme is super strong. Come at me Tom! :) Just kidding, the theme is non existent but the game is very good
I love it. Plays fast, easy to play, easy to teach, small box. The theme is light, but there is enough there with the hero card abilities to keep it from feeling too mechanical. Quality game, heavily underrated.
Great pick on Friday Zee! It's one of the most addictive games I've ever played. Just the other day I picked it up again after a break and instantly "had" to play 7 games in a row, since you just can't stop playing it :)
I am kinda confused by Sam. I've been watching Dice Tower videos for years now and the whole reason I own a lot of Sam's top picks (Legendary, Dice Masters, Thunderstone) is because they were recommendations in previous top 10 lists like "most thematic games", or "best fantasy games", etc (from both Sam and Tom, who were really enthusiastic about them), but now to hear that deckbuilding isn't Sam's thing has made me pause. Regardless though, I'm happy for the recommendations because I enjoy these games and their theme. I think these choices are super solid choices that can stand head to head with traditional boardgames based around other central mechanisms. PS, Happy New Year everyone!
Deck-building is one of my absolute favorite genres, and I was actually quite pleased to hear the NHL Power Play deck-builder referenced. This game flew waaaaay under the radar, with the style of play and cards coming together to compliment the theme infinitely better than the DC or LOTR versions. Yes I'm biased as a huge hockey fan, but I was able to get several people who only knew the terms "Slap Shot" and "Face-off" into it enough to purchase it for themselves. As always keep up the good work, and great list! P.S I'm always available for counseling Sam... remember, fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, and hate leads to making super negative top 10s.
Just played Star Realms and Legendary: Marvel recently and liked it ALOT! Now I'm re-watching this again as I feel like I'm developing an affinity to deck-building games...
Star Realms is very close to the mechanic in Ascension. The biggest difference is that, instead of attacking the other player, you're attacking monsters and trying to build up more honor than your opponent as you defend the realm. I really like Ascension because each box set of the game has a slightly different mechanic (sorta like how each version of Munchkin is a little different but has the same core mechanic). I love Star Realms, but it doesn't ever change (yeah, the card types in Colony Wars were a little different, but it's the same game mechanicr). You get different and interesting mechanics with each version of Ascension. Their newest version, Ascension X has temporarily taken my top spot from Star Realms as my favorite deck builder.
1. Thunderstone Advance Numenera 2. Rune Age 3. Trains Haven't really played much else for time/money reasons (and due to most with interesting themes seemingly being of the Ascension subtype, which irks me), but I do love all three.
Great list. Deck building is my favourite genre/mechanic. Marvel Legendary is probably my favourite and Star Realms has since been eclipsed by Cthulu Realms for me. Better art, better way to keep score and it can play more than 2 😊
Expected Tom to have Baseball Highlights on his list. I noticed the game on the shelf behind him about 1/3 of the way through and kept expecting him to mention it.
DECK building games (no dice) 1. Arctic Scavengers + HQ + Recon (one Box) 2. Starcraft The Board Game 3. Dominion 4. Thunderstone Advance 5. Mage Knight The Board Game 6. Concordia 7. A few Acres of Snow 8. Blood Bowl Team Manager 9. Star Realms 10. Ascension 11. Core Worlds
+ionas82 I don't know about Starcraft and Mage Knight. They *have* deck building, but I don't think they *are* deck building games. Otherwise, good list.
The first time I play a deck builder game was a resident evil theme game. Loved it. Since then I try to play a few others if I can find the people to play with.
I would like to see this updated as Clank, Vikings Gone Wild, Hero Realms, and Shards of Infinity are a few new games that seem to be enjoyed by one or more of the three.
The Dice Masters cards are REALLY easy to straighten out thankfully. Many methods to use, but I just stack them up under something heavy, then take them to the bathroom while I take a hot shower. Let them sit there for a few minutes after I'm done and the room clears out the steam, and good to go.
Oh man, the Pandemic comparison with Commissioned had me in stitches. Sorry Sam, I know you can't see it because you're too close to the subject matter, but you couldn't have nailed that analogy more accurately. #virusofthemind
+Joseph Pinkley That's an interesting, albeit quite unfair, twist on what I said. But for the sake of clarity, I was referring to the mechanisms involved only.
+Sam Healey I get what you were saying, as that is how I described it myself. Tough co-op game with no hidden role or traitor mechanic. I would have to guess it would be Judas every time.
I was surprised Trains didn't make the list, it seems like it's an improved version of Dominion. Maybe because it doesn't have as many expansions? For my part I like Trains better than Dominion anyway. My top deckbuilder is probably Legendary Marvel, other than being a little fiddly to set up I just love how much variety it has with all the characters and plots and schemes and expansions. Good stuff! :) (Still haven't played with the Ambition deck yet though, I need to give that a whirl.) And on a tangent, the dinosaur Captain America is pals with in Secret Wars is Devil Dinosaur who even had his own Marvel comic back in the 70's. :)
Hi Tom, a late comer to this video i thought i would like to mention the dinosaur fighting along side captain america in legendary secret wars is probably devil dinosaur which is also a marvel character.. love all the videos you, sam and zee create for us. never a dull moment
my top 10 deckbuilding games : 10 : Aeon's End 09 : Aeon's End 08 : Aeon's End 07 : Aeon's End 06 : Aeon's End 05 : Aeon's End 04 : Aeon's End 03 : Aeon's End 02 : Aeon's End 01 : Aeon's End And also maybe... Aeon's End ! And by Aeon's end i mean... Any of those Aeon's End out there ! But hey ok... Big and Huge +++ for Spirit Island (wich is kind of a deckbuilding game aswell ! and wich Is damned cool and awesome too !)
Instant like, learned about Star Realms here, instantly fell in love with the online app and even more so with the physical edition which I bought the base with frontier update. I played like 10 solo games today when it arrived versus the boss cards, very fun, cant wait to play with relatives tomorrow or next weekend.
Money strategy can easily be beat in Dominion. You just have to think about the cards in the supply pool and how you want to use them to get the upper hand and have a more efficient deck. Also to try to hinder your opponent(s) if you can to get their big treasures to come into their hand less often. I can still lose though if my strategy takes too long for it to kick in. With each of game should come at the beginning a plan for how you want to win. There's a ton of variety especially with expansions. Great game. As far as the theme goes it should get a break because it's a euro. Also expansions give it a stronger theme and the cards you decide to have out can give each game a different one.
StarCraft: The Board Game came before Dominion, and while it certainly has more to it, deck building is its central mechanic. It and Mage Knight are my favorite deck builders.
Would you consider Lewis & Clark in your definition? It's one of my wife's and my favorites as it combines elements of deck building, worker placement, and has no typical boring score-track around the board.
I'm truly surprised Puzzle Strike didn't get so much as an honorable mention here. It's definitely not as well-known, but you guys are usually so on top of this stuff. Puzzle Strike is basically a representation of Super Puzzle Fighter 2 Turbo. I definitely can't think of many other games that represent a vs. gem puzzle video game.
It's a deck/bag building list! :D I really thought AEG's Trains would be on there... I adore that game! And I really thought it had surpassed Dominion for Tom. But yes; lots more expansion for Dominion.
The serviceable (if a bitmslapdash) artwork from initial sets of Ascension is most likely due to one person, Eric Sabee. To be fair as well as clear, he personally produced the entirety of card illustrations therein. I wager he was either saving Stoneblade on overhead, a friend of the developers, or perhaps both. While mostly passable to pretty good, following releases expanded their pool of artistic talent beyond just one person, much to the gratitude of the players.
Wow, I'm really surprised to not see Arctic Scavengers in either of your lists! Arctic Scavengers has a very, very thematic feel and provides many different ways to use each card. Unlike most deck building games where some cards exist just to buy things and other cards exist just to fight, in Arctic Scavengers, you can send some of your cards to go dig for items, some to go hunt and use the food to recruit new people, keep some aside to fight for rare resources, etc. It would definitely be in my top 3 at the very least (with the modular expansions of course). Just out of curiosity, now that there's a complete box with both expansions, do you just think it would be on any of your top 10s? If not, I'd be curious to hear why!
Very surprised that Trains didn't make Zee's list. It's a very solid deckbuilder in which the building of the deck is only a part of a game - not the entire game itself. It also has a pretty strong theme and good (though not great) art.
It can be fun when they disagree, but total lack of interest in a genre does not qualify you well to review that genre. Why are Zee and Sam in this video? They've done solo top tens before.
I know nothing about deck building games. I'm a hardcore wargamer. But another Hilarious show by Tom's Team! I've only played Star Realms of the above picks. However, my 13 year old daughter really likes it. Just like Sam's kids. So, it's a winner in my house. But from the description of what a deck builder is. I really like, Mombasa, Concordia, and Suburbia (tile builder?). Sent all my neices and nephews Star Realms as a stocking stuffer for Christmas this year. I'll stick with Mombasa.
Wow, really surprised Arctic Scavengers doesn't show up anywhere, especially since Sam seemed reluctant to even add Dominion. It's possible some of the guys haven't played it. Easily my favorite deckbuilder.
It doesn't bother me that there are differing levels of enthusiasm for this genre among 3 different people (I mean - it's not like it's their job to make videos and discuss games or anything...) Actually, it can be interesting to have to think about a topic you may not necessarily gravitate towards, and try to come up some new angles you may not have thought about before! So keep up the good works Tom, Sam, and Zee - and three cheers for Super Motherload!!
So what is the category title for games like magic, yugioh, and Mage wars? Honestly, I think deck modifying or deck augmenting is the better name for these games. And deck building for mtg, yugioh, etc.
I wasn't really exposed to deckbuilding games, but I played Dominion within the past year and loved it. So I watched this list looking for more games that I might like. I think I was most interested in Dice Masters, Nightfall, Legendary, and Paperback. Are there any other great deckbuilders that weren't mentioned?
Yay, Thunderstone! Also really would like to try Shadowrun one too (mainly because of theme). Predicted Nightfall on Zee's list :) And now i want to know the rest 4 books on Zee's list :D
I am curious as to how Zee and Sam (espcially Sam) view a deck builder like Pathfinder Adventure Card Game. Or won't you call that a deck builder for some reason?
It is dreadful. Dominion is already a snooze fest, making it fantasy/adventure doesn't improve anything. Ascension is leaps and bounds better in its gameplay.
We still really enjoy Dominion - easy to explain, lots of variety, easy for newbies (as long as you don't play too many of the newer expansions). Star Realms - good 2p game, quick, easy, has a good computer implementation Paperback - want to get this going, but my family has an aversion to word games. Still need to try Friday and Super Motherload. I'd love to do more w/ the Dice Masters line, but lack of online sales really will be a hindrance there. I actually like the DC line better so am interested in the Green Lantern and Batman lines, though agree the overall War of Light line is pretty limited to that particular set.
Great list. Don't play too many deck builders nowadays but Legendary Marvel/Aliens and Shadowrun Crossfire would be my favorites. Need to try out Super Motherload and Paperback.
Haven't you guys played Arctic Scavengers? I think it would made all three of your lists. Same with City of Iron. Also, no Trains? I thought you'd agree it's better than Dominion.
No Arctic Scavengers? I've heard good things about it and the gameplay seemed interesting, especially with the expansions. Couldn't really find other deck-builders for more than two people with interaction between players. At least not any I would like. I know Tom didn't like it that much according to his review but still... Thank for the list though. Will look up all the picks.
10) Arctic Scavengers 9) Concordia 8) Field Of Glory: The Card Game 7) Trains 6) Dominion 5) Friday 4) Mythotopia 3) Orleans 2) A Few Acres Of Snow 1) A Study In Emerald
Although I won't argue over the claim that Dominion was the first "deckbuilding game", the mechanism was already present in Starcraft. Was there games using the mechanism even before that ?
This needs an update! How about the newer deck builders?
Have you played Lockwood's Asylum? It's now one of my favorites.
Dominion has gotten a lot better again
hero realms, epic, ...
dale of merchants is awesome. vikings gone wild is fun.
Dávid Sólyom yeeeees
Zee Garcia is hilarious. He is the most entertaining aspect of these videos.
I have played 1000s of games of Dominion and in my experience, "just buying the money cards" as a strategy works so rarely. Even in games where you're playing mostly Money strategy, you still are almost always going to want several of the kingdom cards. It's just a matter of not overloading your deck with stop cards. I promise you, I will beat anyone playing a *purely* money strategy at least 90% of the time. Granted, I am an experienced player, but if you play smart, you can usually beat the money player if there are non-terminal actions and/or villages on the board.
Please understand that I'm saying that I'm super good at the game. Rather, I am illustrating that a *purely* money strategy (i.e., silvers, golds, and nothing else at all) is simply not a winning strategy on more than 90% of boards that show up. If you lose to this strategy continually, then you are just buying way too many terminal action cards.
+Erik Braun Its such an easy fix to change the game where just buying money isn't a win. Even with just the core game we fixed it when it became apparent 'big money' was a winning strategy.
Terminal Draw Big Money is better than plain Big Money. Building an engine better than Terminal Draw Big Money is where you start needing skill.
I disagree. I hardly ever see someone go with the money strategy and lose. Just my experience.
@@lukemayhew6758 have you played dominion
Great top ten. What I like about you guys is that you are not all the same and have different tastes and opinions. And can everyone please lay off Sam. He's a real person, who (I can tell from having watched the top ten gaming experiences) loves his job and even comes into the comments to interact with you guys. Most of his picks he did show enthusiasm over and I would rather Sam (and Zee and Tom) be honest about his opinions on games, even if that is perceived as negative, than pretend to like something for the sake of the cameras.
tl:dr interesting top ten, even if the genre wasn't everyone's cup of tea. Sam stay just as you are!
Thank you guys for all your help! Just in the last two days you have helped me understand two different games! Rules were either hard to understand, or needed to be expanded out a bit. Great job!
No. 1 Deckbuilder for me is still Puzzle Strike/PS Shadows. Favorite game all-time, in fact. It's just something about those chips.
If your interested, there's going to be a Kickstarter for Puzzle Strike 2 next month! :D
@@DiscoCokkroach HYPED. Definitely interested in that :)
I expected Trains to be on Tom's list. Dominion stays my number one and I'm quite sure that will never change.
Puzzle Strike has:
- The most exciting matches
- The most diverse play, due to choosing a character
- Coolest combos
- The most interaction with your player
- Quickest shuffling
- Gambling pandas
How can this not be number one? Actually, I'm begging for an explanation because I really would like to enjoy another deck builder as much.
i can't wait to see an updated version of this list. pool building is such a fun mechanic
Puzzle Strike needs to see more love. It is competitive(not just multi-player solitaire), interesting combos, characters bring different strategies, and so much more. I love deck builders, and Puzzle Strike is easily my favourite(although I will admit, it is best with 2 players, which isn't optimal for lots of groups).
I need to thank you for this comment! I had never heard of Puzzle Strike, so I searched for some videos on it. As a fan of Tetris, Street Fighter, and Puzzle Fighter, this felt PERFECT for my game nights! I will definitely be searching for this game (or an updated version).
props to Zee for including Friday. I love that game. It's awesome. To clarify a point he didn't really get to. You play the native person Friday guiding the idiot Robinson trying to train him by giving him challenges he can beat that hopefully make him better. The other thing he didn't mention was that if you use his skills too much Robinson ages faster which is a pretty cool mechanic.
Sam's #10 was hilarious, I want more top 10s that you guys struggle to fill!
+Anthony Hughes Top 10 games i'm forced to talk about :D
I second this.
+Anthony Hughes Top 10 Best Moments with Jason
It would mostly consist of "that one time Jason supposed to be at my house to play a game, but had to stay at work" or "I won agains Jason" entries
MIX THE SETS! You absolutely must play this mixed DC/LoTR/SF/NHL game live, Tom. This idea is too genius to pass up. Watching you guys trying to reason out what was happening would be hilarious!
I've never heard of Commissioned before this. It is 100% on my "to-buy" list. Sounds like the perfect way to get my church friends through the next step of game weight.
Ascension was my introduction to the genre so I have a big soft spot for it but I really enjoyed the rough looking art style of the early sets. It had a very unique feel to it when most card games I've seen all have a sort of samey polished feel to the art.
Hey Sam. 12:42 For the folks across the pond that war is known as the Seven Years' War. They may not have heard of the French and Indian war. This is the war just before the American Revolutionary war, Right? Anyhow, this war was fought in Europe, North America, Central America, West Africa, India and the Philippines. Basically, there were two factions, one led by Great Britain and the other by France. Got all that from Wikipedia.
+David Curtis Watts Oh that's what he was talking about? Thanks.
Thanks I had no idea what he was talking about :)
Not Sam's fault that you don't know the French and Indian war is also the Seven Years war.
I imagine it's because the theme is fairly off-putting, but I"m kind of surprised Tanto Cuore and Barbarossa weren't even mentioned. Sure, it's got a very heavy anime fanservice theme (and Barbarossa goes into very ecchi territory), but they're both fairly solid deckbuilding games. Tanto is very much like Dominion, but tweaks a few things and often has a way to victory that's not just "get the most expensive point card". Barbarossa copies a few mechanics from Dominion, but the gameplay is pretty significantly different, feeling much more like a war game (and I'm looking forward to seeing how El Alamein mixes things up when the english version comes out next year).
+Sethala If you're surprised that Tanto Cuore didn't make a top 10, then you probably haven't been following the Dice Tower for a long time... I don't even think Tom thinks it's a bad game, and it's not about political correctness, it's about family friendliness. You can go over to Board Game Brawl, I think Nick really likes this game.
+Sean Thompson I agree. But in America, boobs are more threatening than a board made from human skin... ;-)
+Sean Thompson
I guess the games are not on this list because they haven't played them, so it wouldn't really make sense to include them in a Top 10, would it?
And the fact that they haven't played them might have something to do with theme, but that's a personal decision that has nothing to do with political correctness.
Ironically, by arguing they should play a game whose theme clearly doesn't appeal to them you are doing exactly what PC advocates are mostly accused of - telling other people what to do (or not), that is, interfering in other peoples lives.
+Sean Thompson
Fair enough. For me Tanto Cuore sounds like an interesting game, but it would just feel odd to play these cards..plus my girlfriend would give me a real hard time, I'm afraid..
+Sean Thompson
I'd concur if Tom was someone's employee, but as it is, this is his gig and quite frankly he can do whatever he likes (and you are free not to support them financially in return).
While you are right that the Dice Tower has far surpassed being a bunch of guys doing this for fun, I don't think they have reached the level of professional and accountable "professional critics". That's not to say they shouldn't try to act professionally.
But actually, not talking about a game you haven't played is exacly what I would call professional. Maybe they should use Tom's Top 10 of the year caveat ("I haven't played all games..") for every Top 10 video.
this list has been long overdue. thanks!!!
Really loved to hear a solitaire game made this top 10. Friday is a phenomenal game which plays quickly and actually has some thought provoking choices to make and different strategies which can be used. While it is repetitive it at least gives the feel of a different experience each playthrough.
I got it this Christmas and I agree it's a great game! Though I wish it was maybe a little more expensive and had a different deck for each color to keep it from feeling stale.
Just got back into board games thanks to you guys! Thanks and keep it up!!!
I love your lists. You three are so funny. I am with Zee and Sam, deck builders are not my go to genre of game so great job on being able to complete a top ten. Thanks for all you do and have a safe and happy new year!
I'm always surprised that the troika (well, Tom and Sam at least) don't like Puzzle Strike more. Seems like it would be up their alley. Variable player powers, quick gameplay, lots of boom-boom-boom combos, easy to play but good strategic depth.
No love for Eminent Domain? it has cool spaceships, cards are dual purpose (play and follow option) making rounds more interactive, has different ways of exploration and getting points (incl. resource management stuff if you are into that) AND has cool techs you might or might not want to research. I think it is a deck-builder all 3 of you would enjoy as it has many aspects without being complex.
Cthulhu Realms for me. Love how it expanded on Star Realms and added a cool theme.
DC Deck Building game is by far the best deck builder. The theme is super strong. Come at me Tom! :)
Just kidding, the theme is non existent but the game is very good
I love it. Plays fast, easy to play, easy to teach, small box. The theme is light, but there is enough there with the hero card abilities to keep it from feeling too mechanical. Quality game, heavily underrated.
You guys are hilarious. Thanks for the Top Ten :) I love your enthusiasm Sam :)
Great pick on Friday Zee! It's one of the most addictive games I've ever played. Just the other day I picked it up again after a break and instantly "had" to play 7 games in a row, since you just can't stop playing it :)
Zee love your Lil Sebastian Shirt. Literally awesome. Mouserats song about him is my candle in the wind.
And no-one who has watched The Dice Tower for more than 5 minutes is surprised at all by Tom's number 1
I am kinda confused by Sam. I've been watching Dice Tower videos for years now and the whole reason I own a lot of Sam's top picks (Legendary, Dice Masters, Thunderstone) is because they were recommendations in previous top 10 lists like "most thematic games", or "best fantasy games", etc (from both Sam and Tom, who were really enthusiastic about them), but now to hear that deckbuilding isn't Sam's thing has made me pause. Regardless though, I'm happy for the recommendations because I enjoy these games and their theme. I think these choices are super solid choices that can stand head to head with traditional boardgames based around other central mechanisms. PS, Happy New Year everyone!
+gurtana
I think meant that he doesn't like too many games in the genre, but that there are still some that he REALLY likes.
I love that you had a deck in the intro!
If you make a bigger list, for instance Tom's Top 25, it will be nice to read the other 15 that where not shown here.
35:21 "Oh, look. Gandalf scored a goal on Bane!"
Wow. Deja vu
Deck-building is one of my absolute favorite genres, and I was actually quite pleased to hear the NHL Power Play deck-builder referenced. This game flew waaaaay under the radar, with the style of play and cards coming together to compliment the theme infinitely better than the DC or LOTR versions. Yes I'm biased as a huge hockey fan, but I was able to get several people who only knew the terms "Slap Shot" and "Face-off" into it enough to purchase it for themselves.
As always keep up the good work, and great list!
P.S
I'm always available for counseling Sam... remember, fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, and hate leads to making super negative top 10s.
Just played Star Realms and Legendary: Marvel recently and liked it ALOT! Now I'm re-watching this again as I feel like I'm developing an affinity to deck-building games...
Star Realms is very close to the mechanic in Ascension. The biggest difference is that, instead of attacking the other player, you're attacking monsters and trying to build up more honor than your opponent as you defend the realm. I really like Ascension because each box set of the game has a slightly different mechanic (sorta like how each version of Munchkin is a little different but has the same core mechanic). I love Star Realms, but it doesn't ever change (yeah, the card types in Colony Wars were a little different, but it's the same game mechanicr). You get different and interesting mechanics with each version of Ascension. Their newest version, Ascension X has temporarily taken my top spot from Star Realms as my favorite deck builder.
1. Thunderstone Advance Numenera
2. Rune Age
3. Trains
Haven't really played much else for time/money reasons (and due to most with interesting themes seemingly being of the Ascension subtype, which irks me), but I do love all three.
Great list. Deck building is my favourite genre/mechanic. Marvel Legendary is probably my favourite and Star Realms has since been eclipsed by Cthulu Realms for me. Better art, better way to keep score and it can play more than 2 😊
Expected Tom to have Baseball Highlights on his list. I noticed the game on the shelf behind him about 1/3 of the way through and kept expecting him to mention it.
Thanks, Tom! I love this genre and I'm eager to find more games in it
I'm glad that Friday's finally getting some love from the Dice Tower!! Good choice, Zee! :)
Streetfighter the deck building game. GREAT fun - DC deckbuilding mechanics but with great PVP element into it :)
DECK building games (no dice)
1. Arctic Scavengers + HQ + Recon (one Box)
2. Starcraft The Board Game
3. Dominion
4. Thunderstone Advance
5. Mage Knight The Board Game
6. Concordia
7. A few Acres of Snow
8. Blood Bowl Team Manager
9. Star Realms
10. Ascension
11. Core Worlds
+ionas82 I don't know about Starcraft and Mage Knight. They *have* deck building, but I don't think they *are* deck building games. Otherwise, good list.
+Marco Schaub well, to be fair, if we're following the rules of this review, then even if its just a component, then it counts.
+Marco Schaub In mage knight everything you do relies on the deckbuilding aspect, so I would say it fits perfectly. It's core mechanic.
The best videos of Dice Tower are the top 10's. I hope there will be much more of these on 2016!
I love DC comics, big book of madness and legendary marvel. Just amazing the deck building genre
The first time I play a deck builder game was a resident evil theme game. Loved it. Since then I try to play a few others if I can find the people to play with.
Hmm. I was actually expecting Puzzle Strike to hit someone's list
I would like to see this updated as Clank, Vikings Gone Wild, Hero Realms, and Shards of Infinity are a few new games that seem to be enjoyed by one or more of the three.
The Dice Masters cards are REALLY easy to straighten out thankfully. Many methods to use, but I just stack them up under something heavy, then take them to the bathroom while I take a hot shower. Let them sit there for a few minutes after I'm done and the room clears out the steam, and good to go.
Kind of sad Rune Age didn't make any of these lists. Especially with Tom's love for Descent!
I know it bugs me that no one mentioned it.
Oh man, the Pandemic comparison with Commissioned had me in stitches. Sorry Sam, I know you can't see it because you're too close to the subject matter, but you couldn't have nailed that analogy more accurately. #virusofthemind
+Joseph Pinkley That's an interesting, albeit quite unfair, twist on what I said. But for the sake of clarity, I was referring to the mechanisms involved only.
+Sam Healey I get what you were saying, as that is how I described it myself. Tough co-op game with no hidden role or traitor mechanic. I would have to guess it would be Judas every time.
I was surprised Trains didn't make the list, it seems like it's an improved version of Dominion. Maybe because it doesn't have as many expansions? For my part I like Trains better than Dominion anyway. My top deckbuilder is probably Legendary Marvel, other than being a little fiddly to set up I just love how much variety it has with all the characters and plots and schemes and expansions. Good stuff! :) (Still haven't played with the Ambition deck yet though, I need to give that a whirl.)
And on a tangent, the dinosaur Captain America is pals with in Secret Wars is Devil Dinosaur who even had his own Marvel comic back in the 70's. :)
Hi Tom, a late comer to this video i thought i would like to mention the dinosaur fighting along side captain america in legendary secret wars is probably devil dinosaur which is also a marvel character.. love all the videos you, sam and zee create for us. never a dull moment
i love the deck building genre, great video
Thanks for the list boys, one of the best ones yet! Happy New Year!
Friday is so good.
It could be tweaked into a co-op or competitive training montage game.
my top 10 deckbuilding games :
10 : Aeon's End
09 : Aeon's End
08 : Aeon's End
07 : Aeon's End
06 : Aeon's End
05 : Aeon's End
04 : Aeon's End
03 : Aeon's End
02 : Aeon's End
01 : Aeon's End
And also maybe... Aeon's End !
And by Aeon's end i mean... Any of those Aeon's End out there !
But hey ok...
Big and Huge +++ for Spirit Island (wich is kind of a deckbuilding game aswell ! and wich Is damned cool and awesome too !)
Instant like, learned about Star Realms here, instantly fell in love with the online app and even more so with the physical edition which I bought the base with frontier update. I played like 10 solo games today when it arrived versus the boss cards, very fun, cant wait to play with relatives tomorrow or next weekend.
Once again, an episode opens with good music - none of that awful pop/rock genre. My compliments to whoever made that choice. :-)
Money strategy can easily be beat in Dominion. You just have to think about the cards in the supply pool and how you want to use them to get the upper hand and have a more efficient deck. Also to try to hinder your opponent(s) if you can to get their big treasures to come into their hand less often. I can still lose though if my strategy takes too long for it to kick in. With each of game should come at the beginning a plan for how you want to win. There's a ton of variety especially with expansions. Great game.
As far as the theme goes it should get a break because it's a euro. Also expansions give it a stronger theme and the cards you decide to have out can give each game a different one.
StarCraft: The Board Game came before Dominion, and while it certainly has more to it, deck building is its central mechanic. It and Mage Knight are my favorite deck builders.
Wow! So many games you rarely hear mentioned nowadays.
Would you consider Lewis & Clark in your definition? It's one of my wife's and my favorites as it combines elements of deck building, worker placement, and has no typical boring score-track around the board.
I'm truly surprised Puzzle Strike didn't get so much as an honorable mention here. It's definitely not as well-known, but you guys are usually so on top of this stuff. Puzzle Strike is basically a representation of Super Puzzle Fighter 2 Turbo. I definitely can't think of many other games that represent a vs. gem puzzle video game.
It's a deck/bag building list! :D I really thought AEG's Trains would be on there... I adore that game! And I really thought it had surpassed Dominion for Tom. But yes; lots more expansion for Dominion.
The serviceable (if a bitmslapdash) artwork from initial sets of Ascension is most likely due to one person, Eric Sabee. To be fair as well as clear, he personally produced the entirety of card illustrations therein. I wager he was either saving Stoneblade on overhead, a friend of the developers, or perhaps both. While mostly passable to pretty good, following releases expanded their pool of artistic talent beyond just one person, much to the gratitude of the players.
I LOVE Deck Building games!
Really surprised that Eminent Domain wasnt on any of you guys' list.. Anyway entertaning episode :)
Wow, I'm really surprised to not see Arctic Scavengers in either of your lists! Arctic Scavengers has a very, very thematic feel and provides many different ways to use each card. Unlike most deck building games where some cards exist just to buy things and other cards exist just to fight, in Arctic Scavengers, you can send some of your cards to go dig for items, some to go hunt and use the food to recruit new people, keep some aside to fight for rare resources, etc. It would definitely be in my top 3 at the very least (with the modular expansions of course).
Just out of curiosity, now that there's a complete box with both expansions, do you just think it would be on any of your top 10s? If not, I'd be curious to hear why!
Do you have any recommendations for Best Deckbuilder/Board Game Hybrid Games like Clank!??
What dice storage are you using for Dice masters, Tom? Pics?
Very surprised that Trains didn't make Zee's list. It's a very solid deckbuilder in which the building of the deck is only a part of a game - not the entire game itself. It also has a pretty strong theme and good (though not great) art.
It can be fun when they disagree, but total lack of interest in a genre does not qualify you well to review that genre. Why are Zee and Sam in this video? They've done solo top tens before.
Make a new list guys!!! So much more great deck builders now
I know nothing about deck building games. I'm a hardcore wargamer. But another Hilarious show by Tom's Team! I've only played Star Realms of the above picks. However, my 13 year old daughter really likes it. Just like Sam's kids. So, it's a winner in my house.
But from the description of what a deck builder is. I really like, Mombasa, Concordia, and Suburbia (tile builder?). Sent all my neices and nephews Star Realms as a stocking stuffer for Christmas this year. I'll stick with Mombasa.
OK, So Tom already pronounced Mambasa and Concordia: hand builders. So, I guess the obvious follow up becomes: Top ten hand builders.
Wow, really surprised Arctic Scavengers doesn't show up anywhere, especially since Sam seemed reluctant to even add Dominion. It's possible some of the guys haven't played it. Easily my favorite deckbuilder.
It doesn't bother me that there are differing levels of enthusiasm for this genre among 3 different people (I mean - it's not like it's their job to make videos and discuss games or anything...) Actually, it can be interesting to have to think about a topic you may not necessarily gravitate towards, and try to come up some new angles you may not have thought about before! So keep up the good works Tom, Sam, and Zee - and three cheers for Super Motherload!!
So what is the category title for games like magic, yugioh, and Mage wars? Honestly, I think deck modifying or deck augmenting is the better name for these games. And deck building for mtg, yugioh, etc.
Hey I see Defenders of the Realm on your shelves. I love that game so much .
Could Mage knight be considered a deck-builder? It is the main part of the game.
Man, Baseball HIghlights 2045 didn't make anyone's list?
For shame, easily the most fun I've had with a deck builder since Dominion.
I wasn't really exposed to deckbuilding games, but I played Dominion within the past year and loved it. So I watched this list looking for more games that I might like. I think I was most interested in Dice Masters, Nightfall, Legendary, and Paperback. Are there any other great deckbuilders that weren't mentioned?
Great video! I really enjoyed it! I just wonder Dominion made all three lists and no one mentioned Trains, basically same game with a better theme.
Yay, Thunderstone! Also really would like to try Shadowrun one too (mainly because of theme). Predicted Nightfall on Zee's list :)
And now i want to know the rest 4 books on Zee's list :D
how is the replay value on these smaller games? what I like about dominion is it has a lot of replay
I am curious as to how Zee and Sam (espcially Sam) view a deck builder like Pathfinder Adventure Card Game. Or won't you call that a deck builder for some reason?
Is thunderstone advance worth all that praise?
It's out of print for a while and I have the chance to accquire numenera only.....
It is dreadful. Dominion is already a snooze fest, making it fantasy/adventure doesn't improve anything. Ascension is leaps and bounds better in its gameplay.
I'm honestly surprised by the general level of hostility towards Dominion.
I agree, Dominion is very borring, but is a classic!
My favourite ever is Ascention! With all of their expansions.
My favorite is Ascension as well.
We still really enjoy Dominion - easy to explain, lots of variety, easy for newbies (as long as you don't play too many of the newer expansions).
Star Realms - good 2p game, quick, easy, has a good computer implementation
Paperback - want to get this going, but my family has an aversion to word games.
Still need to try Friday and Super Motherload. I'd love to do more w/ the Dice Masters line, but lack of online sales really will be a hindrance there. I actually like the DC line better so am interested in the Green Lantern and Batman lines, though agree the overall War of Light line is pretty limited to that particular set.
Can you make a video of top 10 games children enjoy ?
Great list. Don't play too many deck builders nowadays but Legendary Marvel/Aliens and Shadowrun Crossfire would be my favorites. Need to try out Super Motherload and Paperback.
Haven't you guys played Arctic Scavengers? I think it would made all three of your lists. Same with City of Iron. Also, no Trains? I thought you'd agree it's better than Dominion.
Update on this one guys? Would love to see some more pool/bag building choices too.
No Arctic Scavengers? I've heard good things about it and the gameplay seemed interesting, especially with the expansions. Couldn't really find other deck-builders for more than two people with interaction between players. At least not any I would like.
I know Tom didn't like it that much according to his review but still...
Thank for the list though. Will look up all the picks.
I also came to the comment section to mention Arctic Scavengers.
10) Arctic Scavengers
9) Concordia
8) Field Of Glory: The Card Game
7) Trains
6) Dominion
5) Friday
4) Mythotopia
3) Orleans
2) A Few Acres Of Snow
1) A Study In Emerald
You guys should do a top 10 in customizatible card games
Is there a list of the games? I've watched the video but I dont want to have to rewatch to see it
I guess everyone already forgot about eminent domain.........
I found the game i used to play accidentally right here
About mage knight : not good enough, or not considered a deck building game?
Although I won't argue over the claim that Dominion was the first "deckbuilding game", the mechanism was already present in Starcraft. Was there games using the mechanism even before that ?