I recently got Set A Watch, and love it. I'm new to boardgaming so this list came just in time since I'm loving this type of mechanism and want to find something new!
Thanks Tom, I enjoyed this video. The Dice Tower are just consistently knocking it out of the park with the videos being produced at the moment, thank you for all of your great work!
Oh my, since Roll Player isn't mentioned here, I'm wondering if Tom considers it a better fit in another genre? For me, Roll Player would definitely be in top 5. Glad to see Rajas of the Ganges and Lorenzo Il Magnifico mentioned!
My picks. 1. The Voyages of Marco Polo (2015) and Marco Polo II: In the Service of the Khan (2019); 2. Troyes (2010); 3. The Artemis Project (2019); 4. Rajas of the Ganges (2017); 5. Coimbra (2018); 6. Euphoria: Build a Better Dystopia (2013); 7. Panamax (2014); 8. Discoveries: The Journals of Lewis and Clark (2015); 9. The Castles of Burgundy (2011); 10. Signorie (2015).
@@sortehuseThe later is more streamlined and more forgiven for players. But I really like the characters of the first, those are the best, and I also like that travelling is really hard, it's more thematic, I guess. But either one is a great game. If you are a completenist get both, otherwise you will be good with one of those. I have the first and in our boardgame local club we have the second. Probably I'll go for the second first. I guess.
@@aritovi I own The Voyages of Marco Polo and like it a lot. I guess I'm good then. My local board games cafe has Marco Polo II. I think I will wait and try it when it reopens after the lockdown.
I really like Teotihuacan a lot, but I don't consider it as a dice placement game at all... It's a rondel game that gives a very different feeling than Alien Frontiers or Fantastic Fsctories... it is completely a different category.
I actually saw a good point somewhere else in the comments that suggests that this is not dice placement. The dice are never rolled so just represent power. This could be replaced by stacking tokens. This is obviously impractical so dice are used as they work better. I think the thing you described is the definition of a rondel rather than placement, you are moving rather than placing. Otherwise all rondel games should be rondel/action selection/worker placement.
Circadians First Light is suuuuch a good game. Sadly overlooked. Glad to see it on your list. Also glad to see there will be a follow up game in the same universe next year.
Yeah, I was ready to head to the comments section and cry foul about Circadians being left off:). Glad it wasn't necessary. I'm a huge fan of Garphill Games in general, but I think this one is my favorite.
@@sammacdonald337 I'm honored you took the time to respond to me! I can't count the amount of times I recommended it on different FB groups. I think it's that good. So far my favorite dice game. I really hope I was able to get you a sale or two ;).
Blueprints is a really fun game but it always seems to get overshadowed by Cubist in conversation. Having never played the latter I can't say which is 'better' but love Blueprints anyway. 😊
I really like Unearth, from the makers of Boss Monster. Super simple dice placement with some tableau building. Euphoria is a game that I've always wanted to play but the board is super busy and hard to look at
This is a category of games that I love! Very much agree with Rajas and Fantastic Factories being favorites. Also love Marco Polo 2. Some other favorites that have something to do with dice and action selection are: The Castles of Burgundy, Grand Austria Hotel, Teotihuacan and Dice Hospital.
Thanks for this! I love dice and would love if you guys would do a 4 way Top 10 Dice Games. The last one was several years ago when Sam was still at the DT so we're due!!! Top 10 Dice Drafting also wouldn't go amiss... 😉
Circadians: First light is my current favorite followed by Euphoria and then Alien Frontiers. I liked Marco Polo but I traded it away for shelf space. Once Perseverance: Castaway Chronicles comes out it will take the top spot for me.
Taverns of Tiefenthal is a pretty good dice placement game. Under Falling Skies as solo dice placement Endangered as cooperative dice placement Never played Roll Player but I thought it was also dice placement and one most people enjoy...
I love Fantastic Factories, still need to get Kingsburg to the table. Monster Lands looks neat, saw a friend playing it and the board definitely had me intrigued.
Artemis Project surprised me, it's been one of the games that just straight up appeals to me since I started getting deep into board games. Never actually picked it up though or really seen much buzz around it.
What about Coimbra? You have to draft the dice trying to make the best choice of a combination of color and number. There is a cool mechanic where higher dice have preference to buy cards first but you have to pay more, but small number are good to if you want the castle pieces.
Why are you including Rajas of the Ganges on this list? Sure, it has worker placement and dice but you don't place the dice. It's a worker placement game where dice are a currency. So many seem to get this confused, to the point where I've heard about people thinking they can do an action by simply placing dice. This might add to that confusion.
Troyes is one I love and would have included. I'm glad that Circadians and Artemis Project made the list. Love those games as well. Also, based on your recommendation, I bought Homebrewers recently. I haven't had a chance to play it yet, but that looks like a good one.
The only dice placement games i own are the One Deck Dungeon/Forest games, they are loads of fun and can be played solo but kinda old now.. i might have to check some of these out.
@@danielweil-brenner9261 that's true but thats not what dice placement means. He explained this. Dice placement is a worker placement where your workers are dice. Which doesn't fit roll player at all
We recently picked up Sagrada, and we are enjoying it. We don’t have the breadth of knowledge in the gaming hobby as many of the other posters, I’m sure.
Sagrada is a good game for sure, but it is not a worker placement game with dice substituted for workers. So it doesn't fit this category. Instead, Sagrada is a dice drafting game with pattern building. Plus, it's beautiful to look at.
Steampunk Rally is Fantastic Factories with a racing theme! Check it out! But my all-time favorite in this genre is actually Stefan Feld’s Arena: Roma II (also the original, Roma).
I really like this mechanic but I'm struggling to find one that works well with just 2 players. I found Kingsburg extremely underwhelming in this regard for example. Which of the others on the list would you recommend for 2 players, almost exclusively?
Elder Sign, Sagrada, Roll Player and Fuse. Pure dice placement games. All excluded. It's an outrage. An outrage I say. Irregardless of that, good list.
I think my #1 Dice Placement game would have to be Champions of Midgard. Great looking game with pretty strong theme (you really feel like your sending some warriors off to never return but in victory alone) and holds the worker placement mechanic reminiscent of Lords of Waterdeep (the godfather of worker placement games). That’s my vote! 🙋♂️
Thanks so much for mentioning Circadians, Tom. Pleased you enjoy it!
My copy arrives on Saturday! As an aside I literally ordered your buddy Shem's Bethel Woods a couple of hours ago from the Garphill site!
Sam you made an epic game bro. We play it heaps. It’s our favourite at the moment. . . But only because we don’t own Paladins!
I am so happy Circadians is in here, that game is just fantastic multiplayer and solo !!!
I recently got Set A Watch, and love it. I'm new to boardgaming so this list came just in time since I'm loving this type of mechanism and want to find something new!
Looking forward to top 10 dice drafting games list.
I like Roll player, even more with monsters and minions.
Love that you are showing the board while talk about the game. Make so much easy to understand
Thanks Tom, I enjoyed this video. The Dice Tower are just consistently knocking it out of the park with the videos being produced at the moment, thank you for all of your great work!
My favorite is Artifacts, Inc. It has a nice tempo and I don't feel constrained by the luck of the roll. Also one of my favorite themes, which helps.
Defintely an underrated game! So much to do in a little box! And the solo is pretty legit too!! Good call!
Oh my, since Roll Player isn't mentioned here, I'm wondering if Tom considers it a better fit in another genre? For me, Roll Player would definitely be in top 5. Glad to see Rajas of the Ganges and Lorenzo Il Magnifico mentioned!
Thank you for all these recommendations! I would love to try most of these.
My picks.
1. The Voyages of Marco Polo (2015) and Marco Polo II: In the Service of the Khan (2019);
2. Troyes (2010);
3. The Artemis Project (2019);
4. Rajas of the Ganges (2017);
5. Coimbra (2018);
6. Euphoria: Build a Better Dystopia (2013);
7. Panamax (2014);
8. Discoveries: The Journals of Lewis and Clark (2015);
9. The Castles of Burgundy (2011);
10. Signorie (2015).
Marco Polo or Marco Polo II - if you had to choose only one?
@@sortehuseThe later is more streamlined and more forgiven for players. But I really like the characters of the first, those are the best, and I also like that travelling is really hard, it's more thematic, I guess. But either one is a great game. If you are a completenist get both, otherwise you will be good with one of those.
I have the first and in our boardgame local club we have the second. Probably I'll go for the second first. I guess.
@@aritovi I own The Voyages of Marco Polo and like it a lot. I guess I'm good then. My local board games cafe has Marco Polo II. I think I will wait and try it when it reopens after the lockdown.
How about grand Austria hotel?
@@NATOnovaI It's good, but for me it is not really a Worker Placement with Dice Workers.
Teotihuacan: City of Gods may be my favorite in this category. The Artemis Project is close though.
Is Teotihuacan a dice placement game? It is more of a rondel game with dice? Just a thought. Really want to play it, have a copy but not played yet
Teo is my favorite
I really like Teotihuacan a lot, but I don't consider it as a dice placement game at all... It's a rondel game that gives a very different feeling than Alien Frontiers or Fantastic Fsctories... it is completely a different category.
I actually saw a good point somewhere else in the comments that suggests that this is not dice placement. The dice are never rolled so just represent power. This could be replaced by stacking tokens. This is obviously impractical so dice are used as they work better. I think the thing you described is the definition of a rondel rather than placement, you are moving rather than placing. Otherwise all rondel games should be rondel/action selection/worker placement.
Sad to see that Euphoria didn't make Tom's list. I guess that goes to show you how many games fit this genre.
Circadians First Light is suuuuch a good game. Sadly overlooked. Glad to see it on your list. Also glad to see there will be a follow up game in the same universe next year.
So glad you enjoy it. Thanks for the shout out :)
Yeah, I was ready to head to the comments section and cry foul about Circadians being left off:). Glad it wasn't necessary. I'm a huge fan of Garphill Games in general, but I think this one is my favorite.
@@sammacdonald337 I'm honored you took the time to respond to me!
I can't count the amount of times I recommended it on different FB groups. I think it's that good. So far my favorite dice game.
I really hope I was able to get you a sale or two ;).
Although I guess Tom's video will have a bigger impact on sales XD
Great game, I only didnt like the art.
Surprised Troyes wasn’t on this list. Great game. I love dice placement and had 7 of the 10 on the list.
I'm not sure you place dice in Troyes. You draft them and use them for their value, yes, but you don't place them afterwards per se.
I agree troyes is a great dice placement game
Huge fan of Blueprints for dice placement games. Raja is at the top of my Catchupalooza list.
Blueprints is a really fun game but it always seems to get overshadowed by Cubist in conversation. Having never played the latter I can't say which is 'better' but love Blueprints anyway. 😊
I really enjoy Fantastic Factories!
I was surprised that Dice City was not on the list. It's a great game that you have highly recommended in the past.
Coimbra is my personal favorite in this genre.
The wife and I very much love Dice Hospital. It just about (for me) fits into this but maybe not, which I understand as the dice are not workers.
Dice Hospital is so cool! And I dig the solo too!
Instant thumbs up. Thanks as always Tom & team. I think Alien Frontiers is still my favorite of these. Classic at this point.
Euphoria - great dice placement game with an interesting theme as well
I really like Unearth, from the makers of Boss Monster. Super simple dice placement with some tableau building.
Euphoria is a game that I've always wanted to play but the board is super busy and hard to look at
This is a category of games that I love! Very much agree with Rajas and Fantastic Factories being favorites. Also love Marco Polo 2. Some other favorites that have something to do with dice and action selection are: The Castles of Burgundy, Grand Austria Hotel, Teotihuacan and Dice Hospital.
The Castles of Burgundy and Grand Austria Hotel are two of my favourite dice drafting games for sure! Also...La Granja.
My favorite mechanic!! I think Circadians: First Light may be my number one though.
I own it and haven't played it yet. I need to
Surprised Coimbra did not make the cut.
Coimbra is more queue managing than dice placement
I'm surprised Roll Player didnt make the list. Is it not a dice placement game?
Rajas isn't dice placement. It's worker placement. The dice are a resource you spend. That's like calling Tzolk'in a corn placement game.
Tzolkin is definitely the best corn placement game I’ve ever played!
Thanks for this! I love dice and would love if you guys would do a 4 way Top 10 Dice Games. The last one was several years ago when Sam was still at the DT so we're due!!! Top 10 Dice Drafting also wouldn't go amiss... 😉
I want to try a few of these games he mentioned for sure....but no Roll Player? No Sagrada? Wow. Those would be top 3 for me.
So happy you put Marco Polo up in first. Marco Polo 2 is my number 1 game of all time and Marco Polo 1 is my number 17.
I still kind of expected Roll Player to be there.
Circadians: First light is my current favorite followed by Euphoria and then Alien Frontiers. I liked Marco Polo but I traded it away for shelf space. Once Perseverance: Castaway Chronicles comes out it will take the top spot for me.
I’m glad artemis project wasn’t left out!
I really need to try this. It's available online now, so I know I'll get to it at one point.
Let's talk about actual issue here.....where did you get that dice tower? It is fire!!!!!
Not only are Voyages of Marco Polo/Marco Polo 2 my favourite dice placement games, but also among my very favourite games overall
Taverns of Tiefenthal is a pretty good dice placement game.
Under Falling Skies as solo dice placement
Endangered as cooperative dice placement
Never played Roll Player but I thought it was also dice placement and one most people enjoy...
A dice placement game that me and my family really enjoy, but rarely gets mentioned is roll for adventure. Its also quite cheap to buy.
Great picks as usual. Very pleased to see Monsterlands.
I love Fantastic Factories, still need to get Kingsburg to the table. Monster Lands looks neat, saw a friend playing it and the board definitely had me intrigued.
Monster lands' artwork is amazing, but the game is sadly a bit too convoluted and tends to last a long time.
Artemis Project surprised me, it's been one of the games that just straight up appeals to me since I started getting deep into board games. Never actually picked it up though or really seen much buzz around it.
It's a great game; could be a little mean depending on your players, but some very interesting gameplay and great art!
@@danielwoltanski1413 Definitely on my list for the art alone, if I ever catch a decent price.
COIMBRA! My favorite of this genre.
What about Coimbra? You have to draft the dice trying to make the best choice of a combination of color and number. There is a cool mechanic where higher dice have preference to buy cards first but you have to pay more, but small number are good to if you want the castle pieces.
I love both The Artemis Project and Rise of Queensdale!
My favorite Dice Placement Game is Marco Polo. I haven't tried Marco Polo II.
2 words : try it.
Why are you including Rajas of the Ganges on this list? Sure, it has worker placement and dice but you don't place the dice. It's a worker placement game where dice are a currency. So many seem to get this confused, to the point where I've heard about people thinking they can do an action by simply placing dice. This might add to that confusion.
Troyes is one I love and would have included. I'm glad that Circadians and Artemis Project made the list. Love those games as well. Also, based on your recommendation, I bought Homebrewers recently. I haven't had a chance to play it yet, but that looks like a good one.
Sagrada and The Quacks of Quedlinburg are two of my favorite dice games.
Quacks don't have dice ^^
The only dice placement games i own are the One Deck Dungeon/Forest games, they are loads of fun and can be played solo but kinda old now.. i might have to check some of these out.
How does Roll Player not make this list?! 😭
Because it's not a dice placement game
@@cartergreen2309 What are you doing on your player board all game long? The possible answers are: a) place dice, b) place dice or c) place dice
I don't count it as part of this genre, sorry!
@@danielweil-brenner9261 that's true but thats not what dice placement means. He explained this. Dice placement is a worker placement where your workers are dice. Which doesn't fit roll player at all
Rajas isn't really dice placement either, the dice dictate where you can place your workers. Great game though.
We recently picked up Sagrada, and we are enjoying it. We don’t have the breadth of knowledge in the gaming hobby as many of the other posters, I’m sure.
Sagrada is a good game for sure, but it is not a worker placement game with dice substituted for workers. So it doesn't fit this category. Instead, Sagrada is a dice drafting game with pattern building. Plus, it's beautiful to look at.
I was expecting Castle of Burgundy on #1. Surprised it was not in this top. I assume it fell on that second set mentioned in the begining.
Rise to Nobility is one of my faves
Me too!!
Totally agree with your #1, except I prefer the original one ;)
What about Crystal Palace ?
Big fans of Circadians in my household! Great game
Steampunk Rally is Fantastic Factories with a racing theme! Check it out! But my all-time favorite in this genre is actually Stefan Feld’s Arena: Roma II (also the original, Roma).
I always forget Rise of Queensdale has that little plunger. There’s a very small plumbing business somewhere wondering where their supplies went.
Under Falling Skies is an excellent solo only game with dice placement
Roll player?? It was your enthusiasm in the review that sold me and now it’s our favorite game at home. Is it not considered dice placement?
No, it doesn't meet the criteria for this list. It is a great game, though!
Oooh! Cant wait to see that list. Dice drafting would it be?
It's dice placement, but not 'as a worker'. You don't 'get an action' from the placement.
I think Roll Player would also fall into this category. It's been on Tom's Top 100 for quite a while.
Coimbra or Teotihuacan are top 5 for me
what about "fuse"? would you call that a dice placing game? it's co-op, short (literally 10 minutes) and a lot of fun!
Great list and a thumbs up for Squirrel Girl!
I did expect your Top 2 going in and I agree. However, I like the flow of Rajas more than Marco Polo.
Do you not count grand Austria hotel? Because I'm surprised it's not on the list
But Tom, what about "Troyes"?! ...
Good video though, as usual!
Greetings from germany
Troyes is a Dice Drafting game
@@georgei8360 you are absolutely right.
@@georgei8360 at least you place workers or cubes, that are associated with dice :)
I just got Cupcake Empire. It’s super weird and a bit clunky, but I really enjoy the quick dice placement engine building aspect of it.
Anyone wonder if bag/pool building would be a robust enough mechanic to have a top 10 list?
It is
Great list - definitely need to play Fantastic Factories and Marco Polo.
But Tom, what about Troyes and Steampunk Rally?
Kind of wonder where dice hospital would be on this list. Great dice and worker game
Kingsburg is the original gangsta of dice placement games? I think that's a quote for the ages.
No Sagrada or Roll Player?
Not dice placement, dice drafting
I guess the canal in Panama is closed1 Panamax is one of my favorites.
Hmmm, would Teotihuacan not be dice placement? Pulsar 2849?
I happen to love Star Trek: Five-Year Mission which didn't make the list....but still a great list!
Would Too Many Bones not fall under this? Going to have to check out a few of these, they all sound interesting
I really like this mechanic but I'm struggling to find one that works well with just 2 players. I found Kingsburg extremely underwhelming in this regard for example. Which of the others on the list would you recommend for 2 players, almost exclusively?
did you find anything
Endangered ! Pretty good co-op at that
Space Base
Top 2 for me. Circadians First light and Rajas of the Ganges
Coimbra and Trois!
I'm a big fan of Steampunk Rally. It's so frantic and entertaining while being a bit of a brain burner at the same time.
Troyes is great as well, but I agree - Marco Polo (2) is my favourite game of such kind!
Second Tekhenu. Also Taverns of tiefenthal
Tekhenu is not a dice placement game. It's action drafting/selection with the power of the action based upon the value of the die.
Roll Player is pretty cool
Great review, Tom! I have yet to play a dice placement game, and this review makes me think I should look for one of these games to play.
100% agree with your #1!
Heh, I've been asking about whether this top 10 would ever happen. Finally an answer =P
The Thanos dice tower is the coolest Kickstarter reward they ever had.
I love the Raj of the Ganges
I think Troyes is amazing. It's now in my top 3 games.
Watched just to make sure rajas was here!
I am surprised that castles of burgundy doesn't feature here!
Perhaps because it's not a dice placement game?
@@henricdenzler8826 It’s in the top 50 on BGG and has dice based worker placement. I have CoB have not played any other on the list
@@shrekage Ok. Well, I would definitely not call it a dice or worker placement game. It's an action selection game with dice.
@@henricdenzler8826 thanks for clarifying that
Elder Sign, Sagrada, Roll Player and Fuse. Pure dice placement games. All excluded. It's an outrage. An outrage I say. Irregardless of that, good list.
Those aren't dice placement games, at least not the way Tom intended - more like dice drafting
Would like to make a little shout out to Under Falling Skies for all us solo gamers out there!
Dice Forge
I also like Black Angel and Santa Maria
Does "Too Many Bones" not fit into this category? I mean the game base set does come with 80 dice haha
I think my #1 Dice Placement game would have to be Champions of Midgard. Great looking game with pretty strong theme (you really feel like your sending some warriors off to never return but in victory alone) and holds the worker placement mechanic reminiscent of Lords of Waterdeep (the godfather of worker placement games). That’s my vote! 🙋♂️
It's not a dice placement game but it is a great game
coimbra should have been on the list