Tom-Sam-Zee 1. Caverna --- Level 7: Omega Protocol --- Relic Runners 2. Level 7: Omega Protocol --- Carneval Zombie --- Forbidden Desert 3. Duel of Ages II --- Kemet --- Dread Curse 4. Devestation of Indines --- Francis Drake --- Bruges 5. Kemet --- Carverna --- Phantom of the Opera 6. Space Cadets: Dice Duel --- 7 Days of Westerplatte --- Asante 7. Francis Drake --- Forbidden Desert --- Spyrium 8. Police Precinct --- Firefly: the Game --- Steam Park 9. Carneval Zombie --- Bang: the Dice Game --- Trieste 10. City of Iron --- Carcassonne: South Seas --- SOS Titanic
I don't understand why anyone would hinge their enjoyment of a game based on a reviewers like or dislike of a game. Sam is fine and he makes me laugh with his curmudgeonness. Don't place the responsibility on a reviewer to validate your choices in games. Over time I have understood what a lot of them prefer and I take their opinions in with that knowledge. Tom is a gamer's gamer, where he would play any game if its well designed and interesting. From Caverna to Descent and everything in between. (he has recommended many eurogames too like Castles of BUrgundy and even a Feld game once in awhile) Zee likes strategy and tactics but in shorter games. Pandemic and Hive get a lot of love. (I bought Neuroshima Hex trusting his taste in such games and have not been dissappointed) Sam likes simpler games all the way to huge big games. He likes rolling dice obviously and represents the Theme loving group heavily. I've yet to pick up his fave game TI3 due to its monstrous size though.Also tends to go into Hilarious Hyperbole. He is like Tom but with a simpler taste in games. He provides a lot of my laughter though. (as mentioned above) The rest of em also have their own personalities. I watch Rahdo if I want to know if a euro is good for me and my SO for example.
I totally agree with you. Like the guys said in their Tips for Game Designers: "Always remember that for every person who loves a game there are people who hate it. And people will sometimes rate a game a 1 just because someone else rated it a 10. If you put something out that represent a part ouf your creativity and taste there are always people who say that you don't have any!" And I think the same can be said for reviewers. They make lists based on their taste and opinion and so there will always be people who contradict them for trashing their favorite and beloved game. If you base your game-purchase of some review from the internet you need to invest some time to find a reviewer who matches your taste. Thats what drew me to these lists, because here you already get three sometimes very different opinions in a single video. Also remember that these videos are not only simple lists of games, they also need to be entertaining. So I think a good portion of "harsh disagreement" is more for entertainment puroses.
Mosh Yong Yeah! You describe the group perfectly. You need to take their likes and dislikes into account. I personally think they complement each other very well. A little minus for the lack of euros, but otherwise a great channel. Dice Tower + Rahdo = awesome!
Always enjoy these triple lists. I notice I have a lot of the same tastes as Zee, but some games that sam and tom come up with surprise me a lil so it's great to have such varying differences in tastes.
Hi guys ;) Merry Christmas! A great video as always! :) I just wanted to say that Westerplatte is not a city, it's actually a peninsula in a city, called Gdansk ;). Keep up the good work, I'm a great fan of yours :).
Fun video, guys! Great back and forth discussion. Zee - I just played Trieste for the first time today, awesome game! Glad to see it cracked your top 10!
haha loved the "rest of Tom's list" thanks & Merry Christmas to the Dice Tower & their families! This video didn't need a "shut the door" @ the end, b/c there was a real-time one near the middle to end of it.
I know you guys say that Settlers of Catan can be replaced by games that do everything that it does; but better. What games are you talking about? I love SoC and am interested in the alternatives that you say are better?
Out of curiosity, have you guys ever thought about doing top tens based on gameplay type? (i.e. deck building, war sim, race, boss vs. team, etc.) I really like watching your lists as I get a lot of insight into good purchases, but I want the most bang for my buck when I purchase a game, and it'd be great to get some perspective from you guys as to which games offer the best experience in certain categories. Just an idea. Thanks for the videos.
I don't know if anyone else mentioned this, but if Sam is upset with Zee putting Asante on his list then he better take Carcassonne: South Seas off his list. He's like the Christmas Grinch ... all year 'round
Nobody beats the Three Musketeers of gaming! Sam at #4 was a riot and handled the technical glitch like a pro. Paging the Energizer Bunny to the Dice Tower, Stat!
need to check out level 7 omega protocol now. Played the first one and was surprised that we had more fun reading the story and "roleplaying" our characters with the skills then actually playing the game. Dread curse is awesome glad that was on someones list. Kemet sounds pretty cool when you guys talk about it. Steered away when i heard it was similar to cyclades (however you spell it) had bad experiences with that game.
I want to play "Defense at Waco: The Board Game". Defend the compound from the evil ATF, but watch out for fire! It'd be like a heavier version of Flash Point: Fire Rescue xD
Nice to see you mention Firefly, Sam. I agree it plays long but there is nothing stopping you rewriting story cards and yes there is some randomness BUT its theme accurate. I find you feel like you are a struggling firefly captain and time flies if you get flowing. Looking forward to expansion Pirates and Bounty Hunters..
Two Fry is quite a handy addition and having played it through there was in my opinion a notable shift to which supply areas were favoured. Felt it bought some balance. I certainly never worry about length of game when I play this but I am aware it takes longer than said. Not always a problem if the games enjoyed.
I would expect Tom to like boardgames from 2013, his game Nothing Personal was released! They were probably tired of playing it, but I'm a bit surprised none of them mentioned Nothing Personal, even if it was because they were in the game, or helped playtest & create it.
Firefly is a nice game. I have little trouble with the length of the game or the randomness of the game; but what I don't enjoy about it is that it literally asks for a lot more gamers' interaction, which simply does not take place. The game feels good, but not finished - yet. And guess what: the game-devs already announced that the plan is to release up to eight (!!!) expansions for the game. I wouldn't be too surprised to see a lot more rules about gamers' interaction as well.
hmmm....level 7, sounds like what I was wanting out of mansion of madness in an alien setting. Thanks guys! was a good watch, I'm thinking of Francis Drake and Level 7 now.
I find that I agree most with Sam, followed by Tom, then Zee. I'm not against anyone's game picks, but I find that the games that Sam enjoys most often agree with my tastes. There is less congruency between Tom's picks and mine, while it is obvious that Zee and I have very different tastes in games. That doesn't mean that I don't listen to Tom or Zee, they sometimes turn me on to really good games. You still haven't revisited this list. Also: 13 out of 100 is... 13%.
While I typically enjoy Sam's critiques and opinions, I find his slam on Settlers a bit dis-heartening. I agree with Tom that if someone new to Euro-gaming or one that doesn't dabble in gaming much heard a veteran gamer call Soc "obsolete" that might turn them off to gaming entirely. The only reason I find myself looking for more games is all due to Settlers. Its older yes, but not obsolete in the slightest. I find myself dusting it off from time to time and playing with family. Don't be condescending to gamers that like Soc, simply state that its mechanics are older and there are newer games that try to adjust the flaws found in the game. I think that shot to SoC was poor taste.
Now I think your putting words in Sam's mouth. He never said anything about the people who play Settlers, he just stated his opinion of the game, which is the whole point of all of this lists. He thinks that nowadays even a new gamer can skip Settlers and play a newer, in his opinion better gateway-game. Although he will not turn away a person who wants to play settlers, as he stated on a more recent list, where he tells us that he pointed a new gamer towards a table starting a game of Settlers. BUT: If you can't take people trashing a game you like (though I wouldn't say Sam trashed Settlers in this list), than don't watch this videos. They always hate on Kingdom Builder, and even though I really like that game, I have no problem with that, there not hating in me or my tastes, and I will trash games they enjoy. These guys are in the business of expressing opinions. Take it or leave it.
I tend to agree with your assessment. While Sam did not come out an exactly say that like Sarah said, he definitely insinuated it. There are TONS of people that still play Settlers, Original or otherwise. Many have modded rules to accommodate the somewhat haphazard play environment that can happen on some boards. In one of the podcasts or videos he compared it to sorry or some other antique game when in reality, its nothing close to that. Settlers is a gateway game and probably the best one yet. Its great for introducing those who don't play Euro-style boardgames to the world. Are there better games? Probably. would they have seen as much draw if not for settlers? Probably not. Like you said, I too was drawn into gaming because of settlers. Do i still play it. Not often, but obsolete? Hardly.
kreamowheat Granted, I have never met Sam, but I don't know him to ever insinuate things. If he thinks something, he says it outright. If he thinks you are stupid for playing a game, he tells you so - but again, I don't think he really means me personally anyway. Things aren't eaten as hot as the are cooked with Sam, I don't know if you can translate this saying word per word in english, but I'm sure you understand what I'm saying. And you ignored my arguement that Sam later on confirms that Settlers still is a great gateway game and he does have two versions of Settlers on his Top 100 List.
I agree completely. I found this channel as I was wanting to shy away from console gaming as I am in my 30's and am disgusted at the amount of time it takes up and even though you play online with other people the lack of social interaction you get as opposed to playing split screen with one or three people. I loved the classic board games you play as a kid (i.e. chess, monopoly, clue, risk....) so I figured I would look into more board games and found their top 10 essential games list pretty informative and have recently (in the past two weeks) purchased 3, Settlers, Smallworld and King of Tokyo. I found Settlers to be a great game and a great way to really catch the interest in table top gaming. So to you Sam, as I dont know you but that comment pissed me off and I think you're ignorant and almost snobbish (Im also sure you got slapped around as a kid for being a douche.), go eat a dick. Be informative and not an uppity asshole!
Great list guys, I am in agreement about 2013. If you love light/middleweight games it was a superb year for gaming, but the heavier game players may be feeling a bit left out. Nations has to be my number one of the year, only one I think that could even give it a run is Russian Railroads, but I'm still awaiting my pre-order. See ya in 2014!
Tom! Did you get a Sprite endorsement this year? :) It would be great if you could review ideal gaming tables. I'm in the market to buy but am not familiar with the pro's and cons of the available features/materials/depths/storage.
Great job guys, been looking forward to this one for a while. I'll second the gory game deal, they ain't crying over it but who wants to look at ugly all game long. It's subjective though, a lot of people like that, I just prefer creepy over gory - it's less obvious and provides a more immersive mood. Gory is a cheap pop; it's an easy way to get a reaction but lacks nuance. The best thing about gaming (and everything else, I suppose) is that as we move forward into the new year and beyond we can always look forward confidently to progress, refinement and fresh perspectives. Games just keep getting better and better as designers and gamers learn and evolve.
The lack of Eldritch horror in Tom's top 10 really shocked me. I am very curious to see your review now. I am guessing you are a bit down on the replayability in the box though. Personally I thought the game was great, and completely surpassed AH. I''ve only played it a few times so far though.
This time around the boundaries of legitimate games' inclusion in a list were warped by a huge margin. I am glad Tom gave away all 40 of his games, so I can create a valid list after all;) exclusion of games rated and/or done before (though named differently) makes it much more interesting.
What other possible themes could Dead of Winter benefit from? I believe they are currently working in a outer space version of the game right now. But am I the only one that will love to see a Jurassic Park version of the game?
***** Indeed. But yet, I believe they will have to find a similar "conflict" or treat to the colony. What I'm trying to say is that the game will benefit greatly from buying franchise rights. Are we going outer space? Lets buy rights for the Aliens movies. Do people like Dinosaurs? Lets get those Jurassic Park goods. How about robots? Lets use the Terminator futuristic characters and Lore. Lets reprint Dead of Winter with The Walking Dead brand on it... I know this will expose the game maybe a little too much to the general "not gamer" public, but the crossroads system is perfect for the people that still believe board games are anti-climatic and can't be taken seriously.
Like he said, he's totally entitled to his opinion. But how he gets so down on games make it seem like you should feel bad for liking something he doesn't. Not cool.
Scott Dexter What's not cool is the kind of power you give him over you such that his critically distinguished opinion comes to manifest in you as a negative affect. Be confident in the games you like because YOU like them. Use what you perceive as the difference between your favorite games and Sam's humorous responses to reflect on what you indeed enjoy about a given title (and perhaps why Sam seems to disagree so flamboyantly). Cultivate ways to enjoy your differences no matter how expressive others seem to show themselves to you. Sam seems a fun guy and his presence compliments the other boys of Miami Dice. It's all in good fun. Relax, godspeed, and play more games! ;)
my top10 2013 from france : 1. koryo 2. glastonbury 3. love letter 4. spyrium 5. compact curling 6. yokai no mori 7. minivilles 8. kobakawaya 9. concept 10. longhorn
I'm curious if City of Remnants was on Tom's top 40 list. Bought the game based on Tom's review and I think it's one of the year's strongest games, certainly my favorite.
hey can you please put a list in the description (of each top 10) where each numbers games are listed i.e. after every one has said their pick there is the list at the end.
Oh no, I feel guilty now because I feel I've been picking on Zee, and I love Zee (also his tastes in games are a lot like mine). Oh well, since I have to apologise, let me be a little bit nasty again and say that you should pronounce the last 'e' in 'Trieste'; it should be the same sound as the first 'e', but pronouncing it like if it was written 'Triestay' (as native English speakers often do) would work as well; though you can pronounce that Famiglia too if you want ;) I now thoroughly and humbly apologise and wish you a happy new year :)
Don't mind the people below Sam. There's nothing wrong with having an opinion and questioning the opinion of others, as everyone does and has done before. Games are meant to have fun with, not pick and choose according to the opinion of others. If a person doesn't like it one bit, then it's simple as that. Some people seem to have wrong ideas about the meaning of playing games. Quite disheartening seeing such response in gaming community. smh
44:38 "This is the best Zombie game in existence". I think you should test Off the dead (and its expansion as well) as soon as the game comes out translated to English. I have played the French version and it was really close to the zombie-invasion-kinda-fear you described. Think the Walking Dead TV-series. Plus the art is really funny as well.
Predictions for next year: Argent: The Consortium (Zee, Sam, based off of that pirate game, Tom, because World of Indines) Myth (Tom, Sam, based off of Level 7)
Did Sam and Zee not pick Nothing Personal because it would have embarrassed you, because you told them not to, or because they don't rate it into their top ten?
Great lists guys. Hasn't Nations made it over the ocean or you guys just didn't like it? I imagine at least Zee would really like that one and Tom probably also.
It isn't *that* long of a game. It's 40 minutes/player and with some experience it can go faster. Just play it with 3 players and you're looking at a 2 hour game. Now, I don't wanna argue whether a person who I 've never actually met will like a game or not, but I still feel pretty certain he'd like it :) (although indeed maybe not top 10 of the year due to length and weight)
Too long for Zee still I think, although it is an easy game to get up and running, fantastic rulebook/components/gameplay.,Nations is my #1 of the year, just a fantastic Civ game.
sams top 5, great games. SOS Titanic and Phantom of the opera great to which i thought they would not be. Tom had at least 4 great games on his list. According to me that is.
Caverna is such an example on everything that was wrong with Agricola. In Caverna you're allowed to play the game, Agricola you don't really have much freedom. Taxing is a perfect verb to describe Agricola.
I really like Level 7 [Escape]. There are games I like better, but I think it was enjoyable. Best game of 2013 for me? Eldritch Horror probably. Bruges is up there for sure though.
My friends love playing firefly. But of the 5 or so times we have played it we haven't even come close to finishing. We will be over 2 hours in and we're what seems to be only 20% complete. It's fun for like a half hour, then I'm just bored to death.
Was surprised that pathfinder wasn't on anyone's list but then if you haven't played it or just don't like card games then its too be expected I suppose
Caverna: I can't agree more with you sam, I don't like it when you have to make a choice in a board game. That's that only thing I didn't like about twilight imperium 3, was that you had to pick #1, then #8.
Sam and Zee liking Caverna? This is a Christmas miracle!!!
"I like the idea of people coming in and you shooting them" - Tom Vasel
Touché!
Tom-Sam-Zee
1. Caverna --- Level 7: Omega Protocol --- Relic Runners
2. Level 7: Omega Protocol --- Carneval Zombie --- Forbidden Desert
3. Duel of Ages II --- Kemet --- Dread Curse
4. Devestation of Indines --- Francis Drake --- Bruges
5. Kemet --- Carverna --- Phantom of the Opera
6. Space Cadets: Dice Duel --- 7 Days of Westerplatte --- Asante
7. Francis Drake --- Forbidden Desert --- Spyrium
8. Police Precinct --- Firefly: the Game --- Steam Park
9. Carneval Zombie --- Bang: the Dice Game --- Trieste
10. City of Iron --- Carcassonne: South Seas --- SOS Titanic
Toy ToniaI got
1. Level 7: Omega Protocol
2. Forbidden Desert
3. Kemet
4. Asante
5. Bang: the Dice Game
7. Carcassonne: South Seas
I don't understand why anyone would hinge their enjoyment of a game based on a reviewers like or dislike of a game.
Sam is fine and he makes me laugh with his curmudgeonness.
Don't place the responsibility on a reviewer to validate your choices in games.
Over time I have understood what a lot of them prefer and I take their opinions in with that knowledge.
Tom is a gamer's gamer, where he would play any game if its well designed and interesting.
From Caverna to Descent and everything in between. (he has recommended many eurogames too like Castles of BUrgundy and even a Feld game once in awhile)
Zee likes strategy and tactics but in shorter games.
Pandemic and Hive get a lot of love. (I bought Neuroshima Hex trusting his taste in such games and have not been dissappointed)
Sam likes simpler games all the way to huge big games.
He likes rolling dice obviously and represents the Theme loving group heavily. I've yet to pick up his fave game TI3 due to its monstrous size though.Also tends to go into Hilarious Hyperbole.
He is like Tom but with a simpler taste in games. He provides a lot of my laughter though. (as mentioned above)
The rest of em also have their own personalities. I watch Rahdo if I want to know if a euro is good for me and my SO for example.
I totally agree with you.
Like the guys said in their Tips for Game Designers: "Always remember that for every person who loves a game there are people who hate it. And people will sometimes rate a game a 1 just because someone else rated it a 10. If you put something out that represent a part ouf your creativity and taste there are always people who say that you don't have any!"
And I think the same can be said for reviewers. They make lists based on their taste and opinion and so there will always be people who contradict them for trashing their favorite and beloved game.
If you base your game-purchase of some review from the internet you need to invest some time to find a reviewer who matches your taste. Thats what drew me to these lists, because here you already get three sometimes very different opinions in a single video.
Also remember that these videos are not only simple lists of games, they also need to be entertaining. So I think a good portion of "harsh disagreement" is more for entertainment puroses.
Mosh Yong Yeah! You describe the group perfectly. You need to take their likes and dislikes into account. I personally think they complement each other very well. A little minus for the lack of euros, but otherwise a great channel. Dice Tower + Rahdo = awesome!
I actually prefer Sam's taste in games over that of Zee and Tom. Says what he thinks, and I tend to agree with him most of the time.
Thanks for mentioning 7 days of Westerplatte.
Again - Westerplatte is not a city, its a peninsula :)
Best Top Ten yet! Thank you guys! Have a great holiday.
Zed is SO funny. What plays has he done? He must do some comedy. Such a cool guy. Must be a great teacher.
Good to see Eldritch Horror getting some praise. Another great show!
Always enjoy these triple lists. I notice I have a lot of the same tastes as Zee, but some games that sam and tom come up with surprise me a lil so it's great to have such varying differences in tastes.
Your channel has been great this year, first year of the dice tower and board gaming for me and it has been great.
I thought this was about videogames,yet I stayed and enjoyed the show, thanks.
Hi guys ;) Merry Christmas! A great video as always! :) I just wanted to say that Westerplatte is not a city, it's actually a peninsula in a city, called Gdansk ;). Keep up the good work, I'm a great fan of yours :).
What a great Christmas gift - a new top ten! Thanks Dice Tower :D
Merry Christmas to all of you at the Dice Tower and your families. Thank you for all that you contribute to the boardgaming community.
Fun video, guys! Great back and forth discussion. Zee - I just played Trieste for the first time today, awesome game! Glad to see it cracked your top 10!
haha loved the "rest of Tom's list" thanks & Merry Christmas to the Dice Tower & their families!
This video didn't need a "shut the door" @ the end, b/c there was a real-time one near the middle to end of it.
Haha, Sam cracks me up. "I think its amazing hat it has its very own box". Didn't miss a beat.
awesome wrap up guys!!!! Thanks for it
Lost it on Zee's Famiglia callback. As always, thanks! :)
i bet Jason feels really honored right now... you know.. the one whos phone call was so immensely important to you ... love it^^
I know you guys say that Settlers of Catan can be replaced by games that do everything that it does; but better. What games are you talking about? I love SoC and am interested in the alternatives that you say are better?
I like how Tom snuck in his top 40 at the end :)
Out of curiosity, have you guys ever thought about doing top tens based on gameplay type? (i.e. deck building, war sim, race, boss vs. team, etc.) I really like watching your lists as I get a lot of insight into good purchases, but I want the most bang for my buck when I purchase a game, and it'd be great to get some perspective from you guys as to which games offer the best experience in certain categories.
Just an idea. Thanks for the videos.
Enjoyable show. I like how there was genuine surprise at some of the games mentioned and a lot of funny moments.
I must say I really enjoyed the conversation at the end, after the list, where you discuss some games that could of made the lists but didn't.
nice episode :) i really enjoyed it. Keep up the good work guys :)
Great work folks.
Any chance that you could provide links to the game reviews that you've rated in the description?
For some reason I enjoy watching these top 10 picks. Really Interesting
Only one of you included Spyrium and no where on the Top 40? Nooooo way, I love that game! Good going Zee!
Rethinking my position on Omega Level 7 Protocol now. Also piqued my interest into Caverna and Carnival Zombie so thanks for the list.
I don't know if anyone else mentioned this, but if Sam is upset with Zee putting Asante on his list then he better take Carcassonne: South Seas off his list.
He's like the Christmas Grinch ... all year 'round
A donkey in your house?... ha ha ha, you kill me guys!!, brilliant work
Glass Road? Nations? Lewis & Clark? Bora Bora? Concordia? Quite sad that none of these made the cut. Anyhow, great video as usual.
new to board games. love these videos
For a moment I thought it was only Toms list
Nobody beats the Three Musketeers of gaming! Sam at #4 was a riot and handled the technical glitch like a pro. Paging the Energizer Bunny to the Dice Tower, Stat!
Devastation DESERVES at least a #4 spot. It's my #1 of all time.
Guys, I am telling you, pay attention to all Zee's picks and about 50% of Tom's. Sam has about 10%-20% of interesting games.
Any chance of a list of games for the upcoming marathon game play?
I would like just one video where Sam doesn't (a) pretend to throw up, (b) pretend to hit Tom, or (c) pretend to fall asleep.
need to check out level 7 omega protocol now. Played the first one and was surprised that we had more fun reading the story and "roleplaying" our characters with the skills then actually playing the game. Dread curse is awesome glad that was on someones list. Kemet sounds pretty cool when you guys talk about it. Steered away when i heard it was similar to cyclades (however you spell it) had bad experiences with that game.
There's something beautiful about Tom's shirt.
I want to play "Defense at Waco: The Board Game". Defend the compound from the evil ATF, but watch out for fire! It'd be like a heavier version of Flash Point: Fire Rescue xD
Nice to see you mention Firefly, Sam. I agree it plays long but there is nothing stopping you rewriting story cards and yes there is some randomness BUT its theme accurate. I find you feel like you are a struggling firefly captain and time flies if you get flowing. Looking forward to expansion Pirates and Bounty Hunters..
Kinda behind...but just bought the "Breakin' Atmo" expansion, and I'm looking forward to giving it another spin through the 'verse!
Two Fry is quite a handy addition and having played it through there was in my opinion a notable shift to which supply areas were favoured. Felt it bought some balance. I certainly never worry about length of game when I play this but I am aware it takes longer than said. Not always a problem if the games enjoyed.
lol am I the only one that noticed the hilarious cameo typo in the Title, nice one Tom
I would expect Tom to like boardgames from 2013, his game Nothing Personal was released!
They were probably tired of playing it, but I'm a bit surprised none of them mentioned Nothing Personal, even if it was because they were in the game, or helped playtest & create it.
WOW Tom, no Attack Wing on your Top 10. Your talked about this game sooo much I was expecting it to be on your list.
Firefly is a nice game. I have little trouble with the length of the game or the randomness of the game; but what I don't enjoy about it is that it literally asks for a lot more gamers' interaction, which simply does not take place. The game feels good, but not finished - yet. And guess what: the game-devs already announced that the plan is to release up to eight (!!!) expansions for the game. I wouldn't be too surprised to see a lot more rules about gamers' interaction as well.
Can i see this top 10 list written down somewhere? I can't find it on the website :-(
I think it was transcribed to The Dice Tower forums at boardgamegeek.
hmmm....level 7, sounds like what I was wanting out of mansion of madness in an alien setting. Thanks guys! was a good watch, I'm thinking of Francis Drake and Level 7 now.
I find that I agree most with Sam, followed by Tom, then Zee. I'm not against anyone's game picks, but I find that the games that Sam enjoys most often agree with my tastes. There is less congruency between Tom's picks and mine, while it is obvious that Zee and I have very different tastes in games. That doesn't mean that I don't listen to Tom or Zee, they sometimes turn me on to really good games.
You still haven't revisited this list.
Also: 13 out of 100 is... 13%.
While I typically enjoy Sam's critiques and opinions, I find his slam on Settlers a bit dis-heartening. I agree with Tom that if someone new to Euro-gaming or one that doesn't dabble in gaming much heard a veteran gamer call Soc "obsolete" that might turn them off to gaming entirely. The only reason I find myself looking for more games is all due to Settlers. Its older yes, but not obsolete in the slightest. I find myself dusting it off from time to time and playing with family. Don't be condescending to gamers that like Soc, simply state that its mechanics are older and there are newer games that try to adjust the flaws found in the game. I think that shot to SoC was poor taste.
Now I think your putting words in Sam's mouth. He never said anything about the people who play Settlers, he just stated his opinion of the game, which is the whole point of all of this lists. He thinks that nowadays even a new gamer can skip Settlers and play a newer, in his opinion better gateway-game. Although he will not turn away a person who wants to play settlers, as he stated on a more recent list, where he tells us that he pointed a new gamer towards a table starting a game of Settlers. BUT: If you can't take people trashing a game you like (though I wouldn't say Sam trashed Settlers in this list), than don't watch this videos. They always hate on Kingdom Builder, and even though I really like that game, I have no problem with that, there not hating in me or my tastes, and I will trash games they enjoy. These guys are in the business of expressing opinions. Take it or leave it.
I tend to agree with your assessment. While Sam did not come out an exactly say that like Sarah said, he definitely insinuated it. There are TONS of people that still play Settlers, Original or otherwise. Many have modded rules to accommodate the somewhat haphazard play environment that can happen on some boards. In one of the podcasts or videos he compared it to sorry or some other antique game when in reality, its nothing close to that. Settlers is a gateway game and probably the best one yet. Its great for introducing those who don't play Euro-style boardgames to the world. Are there better games? Probably. would they have seen as much draw if not for settlers? Probably not. Like you said, I too was drawn into gaming because of settlers. Do i still play it. Not often, but obsolete? Hardly.
kreamowheat
Granted, I have never met Sam, but I don't know him to ever insinuate things. If he thinks something, he says it outright. If he thinks you are stupid for playing a game, he tells you so - but again, I don't think he really means me personally anyway. Things aren't eaten as hot as the are cooked with Sam, I don't know if you can translate this saying word per word in english, but I'm sure you understand what I'm saying. And you ignored my arguement that Sam later on confirms that Settlers still is a great gateway game and he does have two versions of Settlers on his Top 100 List.
I agree completely. I found this channel as I was wanting to shy away from console gaming as I am in my 30's and am disgusted at the amount of time it takes up and even though you play online with other people the lack of social interaction you get as opposed to playing split screen with one or three people. I loved the classic board games you play as a kid (i.e. chess, monopoly, clue, risk....) so I figured I would look into more board games and found their top 10 essential games list pretty informative and have recently (in the past two weeks) purchased 3, Settlers, Smallworld and King of Tokyo. I found Settlers to be a great game and a great way to really catch the interest in table top gaming. So to you Sam, as I dont know you but that comment pissed me off and I think you're ignorant and almost snobbish (Im also sure you got slapped around as a kid for being a douche.), go eat a dick. Be informative and not an uppity asshole!
Great list guys, I am in agreement about 2013. If you love light/middleweight games it was a superb year for gaming, but the heavier game players may be feeling a bit left out. Nations has to be my number one of the year, only one I think that could even give it a run is Russian Railroads, but I'm still awaiting my pre-order. See ya in 2014!
I have to start listening to Zee! My taste is so similar.. In all these top10's.
Tom! Did you get a Sprite endorsement this year? :) It would be great if you could review ideal gaming tables. I'm in the market to buy but am not familiar with the pro's and cons of the available features/materials/depths/storage.
Great job guys, been looking forward to this one for a while. I'll second the gory game deal, they ain't crying over it but who wants to look at ugly all game long. It's subjective though, a lot of people like that, I just prefer creepy over gory - it's less obvious and provides a more immersive mood. Gory is a cheap pop; it's an easy way to get a reaction but lacks nuance. The best thing about gaming (and everything else, I suppose) is that as we move forward into the new year and beyond we can always look forward confidently to progress, refinement and fresh perspectives. Games just keep getting better and better as designers and gamers learn and evolve.
The lack of Eldritch horror in Tom's top 10 really shocked me. I am very curious to see your review now. I am guessing you are a bit down on the replayability in the box though.
Personally I thought the game was great, and completely surpassed AH. I''ve only played it a few times so far though.
This time around the boundaries of legitimate games' inclusion in a list were warped by a huge margin. I am glad Tom gave away all 40 of his games, so I can create a valid list after all;) exclusion of games rated and/or done before (though named differently) makes it much more interesting.
"This is the best Zombie game in existence." -The Tom that hadn't played Dead of Winter.
This video was made before Dead of Winter came out.
What other possible themes could Dead of Winter benefit from? I believe they are currently working in a outer space version of the game right now. But am I the only one that will love to see a Jurassic Park version of the game?
Geographus666 I understand, hence me quoting the 'Tom that hadn't played Dead of Winter.'
***** Indeed. But yet, I believe they will have to find a similar "conflict" or treat to the colony.
What I'm trying to say is that the game will benefit greatly from buying franchise rights. Are we going outer space? Lets buy rights for the Aliens movies. Do people like Dinosaurs? Lets get those Jurassic Park goods. How about robots? Lets use the Terminator futuristic characters and Lore. Lets reprint Dead of Winter with The Walking Dead brand on it... I know this will expose the game maybe a little too much to the general "not gamer" public, but the crossroads system is perfect for the people that still believe board games are anti-climatic and can't be taken seriously.
weirdcreature83 spoiler. Its still good
This is the Dice Tower at its best!
I have no problem with Sam having his own opinions. But after a while he becomes a real downer.
Boo. Com'on he's a Bears fan. Whadda you expect? #Teamhealey
How dare you!!!
Sam is such a game snobster sometimes
Like he said, he's totally entitled to his opinion. But how he gets so down on games make it seem like you should feel bad for liking something he doesn't. Not cool.
Scott Dexter What's not cool is the kind of power you give him over you such that his critically distinguished opinion comes to manifest in you as a negative affect. Be confident in the games you like because YOU like them. Use what you perceive as the difference between your favorite games and Sam's humorous responses to reflect on what you indeed enjoy about a given title (and perhaps why Sam seems to disagree so flamboyantly). Cultivate ways to enjoy your differences no matter how expressive others seem to show themselves to you. Sam seems a fun guy and his presence compliments the other boys of Miami Dice. It's all in good fun. Relax, godspeed, and play more games! ;)
my top10 2013 from france :
1. koryo
2. glastonbury
3. love letter
4. spyrium
5. compact curling
6. yokai no mori
7. minivilles
8. kobakawaya
9. concept
10. longhorn
"Sometimes you just want to put a donkey in your house" ... im with ya
I'm curious if City of Remnants was on Tom's top 40 list.
Bought the game based on Tom's review and I think it's one of the year's strongest games, certainly my favorite.
hey can you please put a list in the description (of each top 10) where each numbers games are listed i.e. after every one has said their pick there is the list at the end.
Is level 7 omega protocol similar to the doom board game?
How many of these are actually available?
Oh no, I feel guilty now because I feel I've been picking on Zee, and I love Zee (also his tastes in games are a lot like mine). Oh well, since I have to apologise, let me be a little bit nasty again and say that you should pronounce the last 'e' in 'Trieste'; it should be the same sound as the first 'e', but pronouncing it like if it was written 'Triestay' (as native English speakers often do) would work as well; though you can pronounce that Famiglia too if you want ;)
I now thoroughly and humbly apologise and wish you a happy new year :)
Don't mind the people below Sam. There's nothing wrong with having an opinion and questioning the opinion of others, as everyone does and has done before. Games are meant to have fun with, not pick and choose according to the opinion of others. If a person doesn't like it one bit, then it's simple as that. Some people seem to have wrong ideas about the meaning of playing games. Quite disheartening seeing such response in gaming community. smh
44:38 "This is the best Zombie game in existence". I think you should test Off the dead (and its expansion as well) as soon as the game comes out translated to English. I have played the French version and it was really close to the zombie-invasion-kinda-fear you described. Think the Walking Dead TV-series. Plus the art is really funny as well.
Predictions for next year:
Argent: The Consortium (Zee, Sam, based off of that pirate game, Tom, because World of Indines)
Myth (Tom, Sam, based off of Level 7)
Did Sam and Zee not pick Nothing Personal because it would have embarrassed you, because you told them not to, or because they don't rate it into their top ten?
Great lists guys. Hasn't Nations made it over the ocean or you guys just didn't like it? I imagine at least Zee would really like that one and Tom probably also.
It isn't *that* long of a game. It's 40 minutes/player and with some experience it can go faster. Just play it with 3 players and you're looking at a 2 hour game. Now, I don't wanna argue whether a person who I 've never actually met will like a game or not, but I still feel pretty certain he'd like it :) (although indeed maybe not top 10 of the year due to length and weight)
Too long for Zee still I think, although it is an easy game to get up and running, fantastic rulebook/components/gameplay.,Nations is my #1 of the year, just a fantastic Civ game.
Watching Sam laugh and giggle is disconcerting - I'm much more used to him being a font of poorly-concealed rage
typo on Sam's top ten list at the end. It was typed as "Franics Drake"
By the way. Great the 24 hour gaming session finally is coming. Maybe we will know in advance what games that will be brought to the table?
It's a surprise that Nations is not at the top ten list. If they played Nations,i would bet that they would include the game on the list.
sams top 5, great games. SOS Titanic and Phantom of the opera great to which i thought they would not be. Tom had at least 4 great games on his list. According to me that is.
Should come out with a list where you just guess the other people's games.
Bruges is a top game! One of my favorites!
After listening to the review given for Battlecon: Devastation of Indines, i thought for sure it would have been in the top 10. hmmmmmm
Merry Christmas from Portugal
Caverna is such an example on everything that was wrong with Agricola. In Caverna you're allowed to play the game, Agricola you don't really have much freedom. Taxing is a perfect verb to describe Agricola.
So, Caverna is an Agricola dungeon crawl? Nice!
According to BGG, Kemet is a 2012 game.
I would have liked to see Nothing Personal on at least one of the lists. We've really been enjoying the game!
Where is Pathfinder Adventure Game on your list?
I really like Level 7 [Escape]. There are games I like better, but I think it was enjoyable. Best game of 2013 for me? Eldritch Horror probably. Bruges is up there for sure though.
I would love to see Sam making reviews
My friends love playing firefly. But of the 5 or so times we have played it we haven't even come close to finishing. We will be over 2 hours in and we're what seems to be only 20% complete. It's fun for like a half hour, then I'm just bored to death.
Ah ah...Famighlia! Keep working on it, I know you can do it! :-)
He mocked me for correcting him about this last time :P
Was surprised that pathfinder wasn't on anyone's list but then if you haven't played it or just don't like card games then its too be expected I suppose
Caverna: I can't agree more with you sam, I don't like it when you have to make a choice in a board game. That's that only thing I didn't like about twilight imperium 3, was that you had to pick #1, then #8.
Merry Christmas! :D
Didnt keyflower come out in 2013?
tom looks like a skinny long haired rock star next to these two lol
I like how Sam speaks his mind, I feel that more people should do this instead of hiding out #teamSammySlammy
"Devestation"???
forbidden desert and forbidden island are great games, get both! and tins are way way cool!!!