This is by far the best top 10 video I have ever watched. Most reviewers do not even showcase the games they are talking about, so without prior context, it's impossible to watch. Thank you for taking the time to actually display and discuss your favourite games!
I'm not surprised people don't do it, setup is so much work! Not everyone has the privilege of time available so I wouldn't begrudge people cutting corners.
@@NoPunIncluded My comment wasn't intended to begrudge other reviewers, but merely highlight that for the uninitiated, they are usually undigestible. I can imagine how much time it takes, which is why I left a comment praising you for taking the time to do so. I apologise if my comment came across as moaning or negative towards other reviewers, I just wanted to thank you for taking the time to make your video useful for people who have never heard of the board games on your list.
I think, editing in a couple of pictures (cover art, wide shot of a full game in progress, possibly close-up shot of important/cool components) goes a long way. It's probaby good practice, as a youtuber, to always take a couple pictures of the game during game nights, so you don't have to "steal" pictures from the web or are limited to official product shots. Not sure, what the limitations are here. I wouldn't automatically assume that it's cool to just take pictures from board game geek. And I think it's super important to get SOME idea of the game. The point of watching these videos, for many, is to discover new games or reconsider a game they previously skipped for whatever reason. Sometimes, when youtubers rattle down lists and the best you get to see is the cover of the box, if even that, it feels a bit like name-dropping and nothing else. "Anachrony is a really crunchy worker placement game because you have all these different workers in engineers, scientists etc. and the environmental suits are so cool." -> * proceeds to not show anything of the game *. If you already know the game, you'll nod in agreement. If you don't already know the game... you're about as clueless as before, unless you pause the video everytime a new game gets mentioned and google it yourself. In the end, youtube is also a visual format. If you can't be bothered to edit in pictures of the thing you're talking about, you might as well have put your "podcast" on spotify.
I appreciate that clarification between #2 and #1. My #1 also isn't a game I would recommend for everyone but rather it embodies so much that I enjoy all in one game. It feels representive of me. 👍
I mean, i was watching the list with a 'ok, let's see what i can take from this', but.. number 1? Yeah, i agree with that.. The quality and niche of people you need to have for Sidereal Confluence to /work/ at a table is often hard to find, and the game is /so/ dense with its faction asymetry that it makes teaching new players very hard. But in the blue moon where the right people are at the table, when the game is kicking off and everyone is exploding onto the scene at the start of the trading phase... it's absolutely majestic. And then people get a chance to unwind and do their things and see their engines work with their hard traded goods, and points get banked, and engines get upgraded, and then.. we go around again on the trading merry go round. There's Chinatown and maybe Moonrakers, but Sidereal Confluence stands above them all when it comes to real time trading, and is matched only by giants of the like of BSG played in its hay-day in terms of human experiences at the table.
Looking forward to your thoughts on Earthborne Rangers. I loved the way you naturally discover the workings of the world through play, and how the cards interact with one another to create those workings. I was also a big fan of the lack of hand-holding around quests, so that they maintain a more naturalistic feel. It was a really refreshing game.
Hi, it's me, Sidereal Confluence is my favourite game and has been since it came out. Funnily enough we ran into each other at a convention and briefly spoke about it while playing High Society.
How quaint to assume that Efka does not own a time machine and hasn't played all the games ever but has chosen not to break the space-time continuum by not disclosing this knowledge to us in the present day. He's the hero we needed.
King's Dilemma was one of the best experiences for my group and the ending stuck with us and we all went to the pub after to discuss our excitement of it. Queen's Dilemma sadly is getting delayed until 2025 so now is your chance to give it a shot before the sequel arrives!
I bought Sidereal Confluence about a year ago but since it is 4 player minimum I don't have 4 to play it so it has sat unplayed on my shelf. This video gives me hope that if I can get 4 to play it then it will be fun. Hopefully I can have it in my play ins for my 2025 board game bracket contest...
"That's not a legal placement." I feel you. I can't help but vocalize my internal monologue even when presenting to teams at work. I think that makes us "fun"?
I always do this too when I'm explaining games. I'll move a piece or do an action to illustrate what I'm saying, look down, and go: "That's not legal, don't do that."
Here is a tale of SIDEREAL WOE; I purchased a copy of this game about 5 years ago, maybe more; I never got it to the table- other games were prioritised in our gaming group… So I sold it. But then there was the re print release and I thought…this is it- it’ll be so snazzy that we couldn’t resist it, and I do recall that back then you both had been sharing your passion for the game. But it too sat on the shelf for a few years…and due to the complexity of the rules, the necessity of a reasonably high player count and the charm of easier games to get chosen… I sold that copy as well. Maybe it will be number 1 or in my top 10 in the future when I finally confluence with it. However I do share your passion for many of the other games on your list; My CURRENT TOP 10: 1 DUNE IMPERIUM 2 A FEAST FOR ODIN 3 RA 4 NEMESIS 5 GREAT WESTERN TRAIL 6 CONCORDIA 7 EL GRANDE BY 8 CASTLES OF BURGUNDY 9 DWELLINGS OF ELVERDALE 10 TWILIGHT IMPERIUM IV
I do like the list format like this occasionally. It helps reset where your preferences are to help me put stock into your reviews. Our tastes in games may vary, but getting into your mind on what makes a game good helps me focus on why you may not like some games I may be interested in, and why you may not like games I may be interested in.
I like it when you talk about other board gamers that I follow. It just makes the community so much more comfortable. And have you played games like Barcelona or/and Tiletum? Those are two of my favorite games of late. And you could include Ark Nova and Anno 1800 on that list. Great to hear other peoples opinions and get tips on games that might not surfaced on my radar yet.
You have a way with words my friend. LOVE your reviews! I also love RA which is the only one out of all of these that I've played and is on my top 3 favorites of all time.
Loved the list. Long time fan of both your channel and Sidereal Confluence from the time you reviewed it and then I bought it, renewed it into the new art for compatibility with the expansion. Surprised to see no Cole Wehrle games on your list. Limiting to 10 and ranking these diverse experiences is hard though.
SidCon is an absolutely incredible game. It's my #5, behind (in order going down) Sentinels of the Multiverse, Spirit Island, Tanares Adventures, and Oathsworn.
I love how this list is fluid, you have a top 10 based on how you and what you feel like playing now, that could change and will change. “This is so high up my list, because it is my current campaign game” love it, not trying to make a top 10 timeless games of all time but YOUR list
Great list, we overlap about 50%. That’s amazing. I have Ankh in my top 10 as its area majority alongside Concordia style cards with more direct edge is absolutely delicious. I play Keyforge (my number 1), it’s the type of game that you can only afford one of them (time and cash) and you must play it a lot to appreciate the massive card pool. Tigris and Euphrates is in my top 10 too, such a clever game. Thanks for your insights, I’d love to play Sidereal Confluence but don’t have the game group to do so.
@@muCephei_yes, but you gotta still utilize how the dice is used. As a war game the dice for randomness in my eyes is excellent choice and with cards you may slightly add your way… Due to randomness of the die, I had to play game 2 hours longer, but that is the fun of it and tense way when just miss the shot and another player changes the strategy that to get there again it takes time.
@@muCephei_ That was my early experience, but not so 10 games in. Now, I win or lose based entirely on misplays that I can point at, regardless of the house I'm playing.
Fantastic video! I played Dune colon Imperium dash Uprising for the first time a few weeks ago and I agree with everything you have to say about it. It's such a great experience!
I have played more Sidereal Confluence, then any singular boardgame in my life (mostly though table top simulator). I loved it before it was released when I got to play an early copy of the game with Tau Ceti himself. I am in a Sidereal Confluence enthusiast discord. Playing it though table top simulator is what kept me sane though the pandemic. I love the expansion as well. It is my favorite game and I don't think anything else can or will ever surpass it. Thanks for sharing in my love of this game, and for all the wonderful videos you produce. And I'll trade you an upvote for a ship.
I agree that Sidereal Confluence is the greatest game ever made and dethroning it will be extremely tricky. Bifurcation makes the game even better once you have a group together that plays it consistently.
Finally a top ten I can relate to! Although I only played 6 of these ten, the other 4 are highly on my Wishlist, so now only more reasons to jump into those!
Sideral Confluence is just so good. I introduced it to my University group and we played nothing else every weekend for months. I wish I had the time and group to do even once a month these days.
Hi, thanks for one of the most intresting Top 10 lists to watch. The theme of a buffet or dinner connected everything in a neat way and you reviewed the games with the right depth. It was not just listing the games nor was it 10 full reviews in a row. The game selection was intresting as well. Concordia and Earthborne Rangers are look really exciting. I consider to buy Concordia well over a year. I own RA and I love it and I own Sideric Confluence and I love it as well. There is no game which offers a similar experiecne at least to my knowledge. It is such a weird experience and I appreciate that it is your first pick. For me it is out of competition because of it's charakter. The only thing I can't understand is the high regards for El Grande. I would replace it with Hansa Teutonica... and my list would have some ameritrash titles as well. Oathsworn is the best campaign ^^
My god this video was a delight. Possibly because I can agree with every of your choices, possibly because I love your style of videos. Have you played Sidereal Confluence with four players? Was is still worth it? Because that's usually my largest group at the moment.
I'm a big fan of Sidereal Confluence too, its such an epic experience every time I've played it. Negotiation plus engine building? Thats my jam. However like you with concordia I never win a negotiation game, or an auction game for that matter..... Great list, well explained and passionately argued.
Wow, extremely classy video and setting. I can totally relate having a favorite game that's probably not for a lot of people. Sidereal confluence sounds very interesting but getting the wife to play a space theme would already be an uphill battle. We're already a few missions in and looking forward to delving deeper into Earthborne Rangers! Wasn't sure what to expect from that when i backed it but gladly it turned out to be totally my thing. Thanks for this very interesting list Efka.
Phenomenal list, once again amazed by you putting in the words exactly what I feel the strongest aspects of a board game is, especially with that hidden cooperativeness in Sidereal. Also this is probably my breaking point and Im buying Earthborne Rangers now.
Sidereal is phenomenal. Been wanting to play it for ages and then managed two games in a fortnight with different groups. Surpassed expectations and thoroughly enjoyed by all at both tables.
I love how many games on this list are on my own.. Feast for Odin, Great Western Trail(s), Ra.. Excellent. Sad that Pax Pamir is no longer there! Still one of the most complicated puzzles I’ve tried to tackle.
I literally cheered when you placed Sidereal Confluence at #1. It’s such a beautiful game, and none of my friends get it, and I get that they don’t get it. But I love it.
Sidereal Confluence has slowly but surely made its way up my list. Each time I play it, it overtakes something, and whenever I don't play it I salivate over the next time I will. It recently became my number 1 game of all time and I don't think that's likely to change for a long, long while.
Great video! I'm so keen for Earthborne and Heat looks fun I'm scared of conflict and of feeling stupid, so probs not going to break out the cut-throat euros any time soon lol
I see I am not subscribed to your channel. Now I know why. You put Dune: Imperium Uprising as your 2nd-1st place in your top 10 and you didn't even mention the only Dune (2019) game that should ever be mentioning in any 'Top 10s'. The one that's a remake of the original 1979 board game. If you're at least somewhat interested in Dune universe, I don't think how can you not put it into your top 10 after playing it. Highly recommend (even if you're not interested in this universe tbh xD) ! :) Previously, I watched your Tainted Grail review which I mostly agreed with. I watched your Lords of Ragnarok with which I somewhat agreed. But now you've crossed the line mate. I subscribed.
“All time” lists are too much pressure for me to create, so whenever I do Top Game lists, I always rank them in order of “which game do I want to play most at the moment?” I haven’t played many of the games on your list but I like the ones I have played.
Sidereal Confluence is without a doubt my favorite board game. I dream of a revision/sequel that does away with victory points and give each player a binary win goal. I feel like I so greatly enjoy the collective process of playing and then the reduction to a point race is so less grand.
I think I'm decent at boardgames. I win a lot of games. And I ALSO suck at Concordia. I always want to adapt to the moment, chase opportunities that open up, pick up the actions with the best immediate payouts. And then I get crushed in final scoring because I didn't do enough of one thing to score. And because of that, Concordia FASCINATES me. I SHOULD be good at this euro game like I'm good at other euro games! Why is my brain just not DOING this???
As a long time board gamer, I really respect sidereal confluence. Its such a unique design and so clever. Despite this, the time limited hard negotiation experience is just so overwhelming. On top, some of the races feel so hard to manage in comparison to others and i dont care to spend the (stressful) time playing more to go deeper. Certainly would never be on my list, but can agree its a masterpiece for the right audience (obviously many in the comments here). Overall, i think the only game im really into on this list is feast for odin, especially with the Norwegian exp. These days i dont really have games i love so much. Ive found you always have the most fun when everyone at the table is deeply invested/ enjoying the experience. Therefore, the game itself is less important than the group that surrounds it. I keep games based a lot more on fun experiences now, a then a little on my impressions of the game itself.
Consistently Efka either has my exact same preferences in games, or the opposite. I like that about the channel actually. So I was surprised that Dune: Imperium and Sidereal Confluence were among his favorites. I think they are wonderful games and I had the pleasure of playing SC with eight players! Very pleasantly surprised by this list!
Sidereal Confluence is absolutely my favorite game of all time as well. Absolutely giddy to see it get the top spot here, and I 100% agree with your reasons why. For me it's the game that cuts to the heart of why you're actually at a table playing a game - to do a thing with other people. Even in games where you're actively attempting to murder your friends' pieces at the table I've never played anything where you more feel the presence of your fellow players as an irreplaceable part of the puzzle. Still have never played a game with the space mafia since everyone I know who's ever tried says it's a miserable time.
Don't do it, it's so well crafted as 'mafia' other people actually start having a bad time. And if you're like me you might not notice until its too late :/
Every time a board game reviewer I respect talks about how wonderful Heat is, I start to wonder if there's something wrong with me. I've played it three times now and each time had the same reaction. It's FINE. I usually don't get so exasperated about having a different opinion, but with this one it just genuinely frustrates me that I can't understand everyone else's enjoyment. I can usually at least understand WHY people love a game, even if I don't. Anyway, sorry to rant. I'm sick and introspecting too much today. It's a good list. Thanks Efka!
Have not yet been able to play Sidereal Confluence yet. It looks awesome though, I just don't know if I can find 5 others that want to negotiate and yell at each other for 3 hours.
My #1 still has to be Concordia for a couple of simple reasons. I will always want to play this game (as well), it plays well at any player count (given that you have the appropriate maps), easy to learn but hard to master and therefore it easily hits the table with a variety if people. If I could only have one board game it would be this un.
Right on! So much overlap with my top 10. I’d probably put Terraforming Mars in place of Age of Innovation. And I’ve still got to try dune imperium, sidereal confluence and earthbound rangers, but I’m even more excited after seeing them here.
Nice list! With so much overlap between us, I'll be seeking out a chance to play that Dune game. On the shorter/lighter side, can I recommend Scout? It's an excellent ladder/card game.
Great list for sure. Concordia (yes, also Venus and not for the team mode, but for the Magister cards 😀), GWT (I am actually inclined to,pick Argentina as my favourite) and also El Grande. Odin, Age of Innovation, Sidereal Confluence, and Dune are all games I enjoyed, but didn't convince me enough to add them to my collection or play more than two or three times. Heat and Ra are still to be explored.
Awesome video as always! I'd love for you to try Dungeon Degenerates someday, it does the living world thing that Earthborne Rangers does, but in a naughty fantasy setting with incredible/ghastly art
Due to a delay, human made captions in English will be available tomorrow, apologies to everyone inconvenienced by this.
The delay being silica gel poisoning I guess
Can I just say how much I appreciate human made captions vs being forced to use the auto generated ones.
Hi, I'm the author of the official Tabletop Simulator mod for Sidereal Confluence. My top board game of all time is also Sidereal Confluence
You surprise me.
Whoa, really?
Thank you for making SidCon more accessible for so many more players!
I loved the very artistic presentation of this. I really appreciate the effort that you did with it all.
This is by far the best top 10 video I have ever watched.
Most reviewers do not even showcase the games they are talking about, so without prior context, it's impossible to watch.
Thank you for taking the time to actually display and discuss your favourite games!
I'm not surprised people don't do it, setup is so much work! Not everyone has the privilege of time available so I wouldn't begrudge people cutting corners.
@@NoPunIncluded My comment wasn't intended to begrudge other reviewers, but merely highlight that for the uninitiated, they are usually undigestible.
I can imagine how much time it takes, which is why I left a comment praising you for taking the time to do so.
I apologise if my comment came across as moaning or negative towards other reviewers, I just wanted to thank you for taking the time to make your video useful for people who have never heard of the board games on your list.
Oh no no, no apology necessary at all!
I think, editing in a couple of pictures (cover art, wide shot of a full game in progress, possibly close-up shot of important/cool components) goes a long way. It's probaby good practice, as a youtuber, to always take a couple pictures of the game during game nights, so you don't have to "steal" pictures from the web or are limited to official product shots. Not sure, what the limitations are here. I wouldn't automatically assume that it's cool to just take pictures from board game geek.
And I think it's super important to get SOME idea of the game. The point of watching these videos, for many, is to discover new games or reconsider a game they previously skipped for whatever reason. Sometimes, when youtubers rattle down lists and the best you get to see is the cover of the box, if even that, it feels a bit like name-dropping and nothing else. "Anachrony is a really crunchy worker placement game because you have all these different workers in engineers, scientists etc. and the environmental suits are so cool." -> * proceeds to not show anything of the game *.
If you already know the game, you'll nod in agreement. If you don't already know the game... you're about as clueless as before, unless you pause the video everytime a new game gets mentioned and google it yourself. In the end, youtube is also a visual format. If you can't be bothered to edit in pictures of the thing you're talking about, you might as well have put your "podcast" on spotify.
I am amazed at how well you portray your point and how smoothly it's delivered while maintaining a comedic charm. Simply stunning work
I very much appreciate your list, both for the artistic style and crisp, comedic editing, and also that your curation is in line with my tastes.
You guys are legit my favorite channel. I know when I i watch you I'm getting a video with so much passion and care.
I appreciate that clarification between #2 and #1. My #1 also isn't a game I would recommend for everyone but rather it embodies so much that I enjoy all in one game. It feels representive of me. 👍
AYO Sidereal Confluence!?!? My man’s the GOAT
I mean, i was watching the list with a 'ok, let's see what i can take from this', but.. number 1? Yeah, i agree with that.. The quality and niche of people you need to have for Sidereal Confluence to /work/ at a table is often hard to find, and the game is /so/ dense with its faction asymetry that it makes teaching new players very hard. But in the blue moon where the right people are at the table, when the game is kicking off and everyone is exploding onto the scene at the start of the trading phase... it's absolutely majestic. And then people get a chance to unwind and do their things and see their engines work with their hard traded goods, and points get banked, and engines get upgraded, and then.. we go around again on the trading merry go round.
There's Chinatown and maybe Moonrakers, but Sidereal Confluence stands above them all when it comes to real time trading, and is matched only by giants of the like of BSG played in its hay-day in terms of human experiences at the table.
I LOVE every game on this list, and have never even heard of Sidereal Confluence. Gonna have to check it out, thanks!
Looking forward to your thoughts on Earthborne Rangers. I loved the way you naturally discover the workings of the world through play, and how the cards interact with one another to create those workings. I was also a big fan of the lack of hand-holding around quests, so that they maintain a more naturalistic feel. It was a really refreshing game.
Hi, it's me, Sidereal Confluence is my favourite game and has been since it came out. Funnily enough we ran into each other at a convention and briefly spoke about it while playing High Society.
How can you make an all time list if you have not played all games in the future. Lies I tell you.
Clickbait title.
(as a three-dimensional being)
should have titled it 'top 10 games from the last 50 years up to now.'
How quaint to assume that Efka does not own a time machine and hasn't played all the games ever but has chosen not to break the space-time continuum by not disclosing this knowledge to us in the present day.
He's the hero we needed.
Clearly future lists are obsolete
King's Dilemma was one of the best experiences for my group and the ending stuck with us and we all went to the pub after to discuss our excitement of it. Queen's Dilemma sadly is getting delayed until 2025 so now is your chance to give it a shot before the sequel arrives!
I picked up El Grande last month after watching your previous video on it and my group had an absolute blast, thanks for the recommendation!
I did too! Loved it and I appreciate that the rules aren't so tough to grasp
I had it on my short list but NPI put me over the top. We have played it every session since and I only lost once. Instant classic for us, thanks NPI!
i literally spat out the water i was drinking at 21:58 🤣🤣🤣 such a fun top ten list Efka, loved it as always!
Gosh this was such a banger of an episode! 👌🏼
This just popped into my feed. Amazing but simple camera action, compelling explanations and class music. Legend
I bought Sidereal Confluence about a year ago but since it is 4 player minimum I don't have 4 to play it so it has sat unplayed on my shelf. This video gives me hope that if I can get 4 to play it then it will be fun. Hopefully I can have it in my play ins for my 2025 board game bracket contest...
I see a lot of Dune War for Arrakis components out there. Excited for that video.
"That's not a legal placement." I feel you. I can't help but vocalize my internal monologue even when presenting to teams at work. I think that makes us "fun"?
I always do this too when I'm explaining games. I'll move a piece or do an action to illustrate what I'm saying, look down, and go: "That's not legal, don't do that."
What a joyful video! Thank you for sharing! Wanted to get my hands on dune uprising for a long time, I think it finally the time 😊
Thank you Efka for your list. I appreciate your time and thoughts. I had never heard of Sidereal Confluence, but I am certainly interested in it now.
Here is a tale of SIDEREAL WOE;
I purchased a copy of this game about 5 years ago, maybe more; I never got it to the table- other games were prioritised in our gaming group…
So I sold it.
But then there was the re print release and I thought…this is it- it’ll be so snazzy that we couldn’t resist it, and I do recall that back then you both had been sharing your passion for the game.
But it too sat on the shelf for a few years…and due to the complexity of the rules, the necessity of a reasonably high player count and the charm of easier games to get chosen… I sold that copy as well.
Maybe it will be number 1 or in my top 10 in the future when I finally confluence with it.
However
I do share your passion for many of the other games on your list;
My CURRENT TOP 10:
1 DUNE IMPERIUM
2 A FEAST FOR ODIN
3 RA
4 NEMESIS
5 GREAT WESTERN TRAIL
6 CONCORDIA
7 EL GRANDE BY
8 CASTLES OF BURGUNDY
9 DWELLINGS OF ELVERDALE
10 TWILIGHT IMPERIUM IV
I do like the list format like this occasionally. It helps reset where your preferences are to help me put stock into your reviews. Our tastes in games may vary, but getting into your mind on what makes a game good helps me focus on why you may not like some games I may be interested in, and why you may not like games I may be interested in.
I love your videos! Very professional and inspiring! subbed!
Oh man... I only played my copy of Sidereal Confluence once, and have been dreaming of the next time I can play it ever since
"accidentally" inviting 6+ people has worked great for me to get it to the table
I played Sidereal Confluence once, and then i bought it on my way home from that meet, and i still haven't played my copy, but i must and i will.
Thank you for your reviews!
I like it when you talk about other board gamers that I follow. It just makes the community so much more comfortable.
And have you played games like Barcelona or/and Tiletum?
Those are two of my favorite games of late. And you could include Ark Nova and Anno 1800 on that list.
Great to hear other peoples opinions and get tips on games that might not surfaced on my radar yet.
Ummm...Wow. AMAZING QUALITY and knowledge. You just earned a subscribe!!
You have a way with words my friend. LOVE your reviews!
I also love RA which is the only one out of all of these that I've played and is on my top 3 favorites of all time.
Thank you for this video - excellent reviews as always.
Loved the list. Long time fan of both your channel and Sidereal Confluence from the time you reviewed it and then I bought it, renewed it into the new art for compatibility with the expansion.
Surprised to see no Cole Wehrle games on your list. Limiting to 10 and ranking these diverse experiences is hard though.
SidCon is an absolutely incredible game. It's my #5, behind (in order going down) Sentinels of the Multiverse, Spirit Island, Tanares Adventures, and Oathsworn.
I love how this list is fluid, you have a top 10 based on how you and what you feel like playing now, that could change and will change.
“This is so high up my list, because it is my current campaign game” love it, not trying to make a top 10 timeless games of all time but YOUR list
the sting bit brought tears to my eyes.
That wasn't sting. That was Jean Luc Picard
No it was Sting.
@@NoPunIncluded which one is he?? The guy with the pug is Jean Luc for sure . . .
@@dirtybird99no. Sting.
@@NoPunIncluded with a cat, right??
Great list! I've played almost all of them, including Sidreal Confluence, but only own two: Great Western Trail and Concordia.
Great list, we overlap about 50%. That’s amazing. I have Ankh in my top 10 as its area majority alongside Concordia style cards with more direct edge is absolutely delicious. I play Keyforge (my number 1), it’s the type of game that you can only afford one of them (time and cash) and you must play it a lot to appreciate the massive card pool. Tigris and Euphrates is in my top 10 too, such a clever game. Thanks for your insights, I’d love to play Sidereal Confluence but don’t have the game group to do so.
I was expecting Dune: War for Arrakis to get a mention, given the paraphernalia scattered across your table. Love that game.
Top 10 of all time for that would be insane.
@@KristoVaher Entirely - it's brand new., but crazier things have happened.
I was reading review of a player that said the whole game was decided based on a dice roll making the last couple of hours of gaming seem useless.
@@muCephei_yes, but you gotta still utilize how the dice is used. As a war game the dice for randomness in my eyes is excellent choice and with cards you may slightly add your way… Due to randomness of the die, I had to play game 2 hours longer, but that is the fun of it and tense way when just miss the shot and another player changes the strategy that to get there again it takes time.
@@muCephei_ That was my early experience, but not so 10 games in. Now, I win or lose based entirely on misplays that I can point at, regardless of the house I'm playing.
Fantastic video!
I played Dune colon Imperium dash Uprising for the first time a few weeks ago and I agree with everything you have to say about it. It's such a great experience!
Great list, and I can see that we look for the same things in games.
I recommend you play Hansa Teutonica if you haven’t, I’m sure you’ll like it
6 months and still no Elaine top ten?
Crazy how many of these games popped up on the BBG hotness list after this video was released....
Sidereal Confluence is my favorite game of all time too!
would love video or podcast segment comparing terra mistica, gaia project and age of innovation side by side
Earthborne Rangers rules. Love seeing it on this list!
I have played more Sidereal Confluence, then any singular boardgame in my life (mostly though table top simulator). I loved it before it was released when I got to play an early copy of the game with Tau Ceti himself. I am in a Sidereal Confluence enthusiast discord. Playing it though table top simulator is what kept me sane though the pandemic. I love the expansion as well. It is my favorite game and I don't think anything else can or will ever surpass it.
Thanks for sharing in my love of this game, and for all the wonderful videos you produce. And I'll trade you an upvote for a ship.
I love Sidereal Confluence. I always want more of it!
This is some real top ten content from my number one creator!
Great list! Did I miss a pun where you showed Patrick Stewart (as Gurney) instead of Sting (as Feyd)?
Patrick Stewart? No, that was Sting.
I did a spit-take at that moment in the video. "Mood's a thing for cattle and love-play" I love Gurney.
I agree that Sidereal Confluence is the greatest game ever made and dethroning it will be extremely tricky. Bifurcation makes the game even better once you have a group together that plays it consistently.
Finally a top ten I can relate to! Although I only played 6 of these ten, the other 4 are highly on my Wishlist, so now only more reasons to jump into those!
Sideral Confluence is just so good. I introduced it to my University group and we played nothing else every weekend for months. I wish I had the time and group to do even once a month these days.
i enjoyed your list, but what I enjoyed more was the points you made about the games.
Thanks for the reviews!
Hi, thanks for one of the most intresting Top 10 lists to watch. The theme of a buffet or dinner connected everything in a neat way and you reviewed the games with the right depth. It was not just listing the games nor was it 10 full reviews in a row.
The game selection was intresting as well. Concordia and Earthborne Rangers are look really exciting. I consider to buy Concordia well over a year. I own RA and I love it and I own Sideric Confluence and I love it as well. There is no game which offers a similar experiecne at least to my knowledge. It is such a weird experience and I appreciate that it is your first pick. For me it is out of competition because of it's charakter.
The only thing I can't understand is the high regards for El Grande. I would replace it with Hansa Teutonica... and my list would have some ameritrash titles as well. Oathsworn is the best campaign ^^
My god this video was a delight. Possibly because I can agree with every of your choices, possibly because I love your style of videos. Have you played Sidereal Confluence with four players? Was is still worth it? Because that's usually my largest group at the moment.
I think four is good, but can sometimes be a little shy on the trading aspect. The game really shines at five.
@@NoPunIncluded I guess we can always grab someone off the streets then. Thanks for the advice!
Great list! Thanks.
Great list. Your #2 totally surprised me. I love it too.
That worm game has become a personal favorite for me and my friends. Glad to see it’s on yours too!
I had the best time watching this video ;) super funny and a great list!
Amazing! Glad you had a nice time.
I'm a big fan of Sidereal Confluence too, its such an epic experience every time I've played it. Negotiation plus engine building? Thats my jam. However like you with concordia I never win a negotiation game, or an auction game for that matter.....
Great list, well explained and passionately argued.
I had a good time watching this video and want some more of it so I pressed the subscribe button.
This Intro Setup is Genius!
Wow, extremely classy video and setting.
I can totally relate having a favorite game that's probably not for a lot of people. Sidereal confluence sounds very interesting but getting the wife to play a space theme would already be an uphill battle.
We're already a few missions in and looking forward to delving deeper into Earthborne Rangers! Wasn't sure what to expect from that when i backed it but gladly it turned out to be totally my thing.
Thanks for this very interesting list Efka.
If anyone is interested: my special game is Doomtown Reloaded. Fantastic theme and community, still getting expansions.
Phenomenal list, once again amazed by you putting in the words exactly what I feel the strongest aspects of a board game is, especially with that hidden cooperativeness in Sidereal.
Also this is probably my breaking point and Im buying Earthborne Rangers now.
Props to Efka for not actually eating any of the board games. That Jenga loaf would have gotten to me halfway through.
Sidereal is phenomenal. Been wanting to play it for ages and then managed two games in a fortnight with different groups. Surpassed expectations and thoroughly enjoyed by all at both tables.
I love how many games on this list are on my own.. Feast for Odin, Great Western Trail(s), Ra.. Excellent. Sad that Pax Pamir is no longer there! Still one of the most complicated puzzles I’ve tried to tackle.
I literally cheered when you placed Sidereal Confluence at #1.
It’s such a beautiful game, and none of my friends get it, and I get that they don’t get it.
But I love it.
Sidereal Confluence has slowly but surely made its way up my list. Each time I play it, it overtakes something, and whenever I don't play it I salivate over the next time I will. It recently became my number 1 game of all time and I don't think that's likely to change for a long, long while.
Sidereal Confluence is INCREDIBLE. Love the choice.
You accidentally marked RA as number 8, when it's actually number 7.
Love the video!
Was about to comment the exact same thing :)
But all in all, outstanding video! Kudos 🎉
Love it- you have two number 8s though?
Right, no, yeah, that was intentional obviously, totally normal thing to do. What? No, it's not just now that I noticed this.
@@NoPunIncluded doesn't affect the video. It's quality 👌
POV: Your blind date turns out to be REALLY into boardgames.
And it’s awesome! ❤
Sidereal is also my top game of all time. Efka totally summarized the joy and difficulties of tabling and playing this game
Great video! I'm so keen for Earthborne and Heat looks fun
I'm scared of conflict and of feeling stupid, so probs not going to break out the cut-throat euros any time soon lol
Love Dune as well. Big fan of Concordia and Feast for Odin. All are in my top 10. Still getting into Earthborne Rangers
amazing video, thx!
Totally in love with Dune Imperium (ix/immo and uprising)
El Grande started my boardgame journey its still as good as the first time.
I see I am not subscribed to your channel.
Now I know why.
You put Dune: Imperium Uprising as your 2nd-1st place in your top 10 and you didn't even mention the only Dune (2019) game that should ever be mentioning in any 'Top 10s'. The one that's a remake of the original 1979 board game. If you're at least somewhat interested in Dune universe, I don't think how can you not put it into your top 10 after playing it. Highly recommend (even if you're not interested in this universe tbh xD) ! :)
Previously, I watched your Tainted Grail review which I mostly agreed with. I watched your Lords of Ragnarok with which I somewhat agreed. But now you've crossed the line mate.
I subscribed.
“All time” lists are too much pressure for me to create, so whenever I do Top Game lists, I always rank them in order of “which game do I want to play most at the moment?”
I haven’t played many of the games on your list but I like the ones I have played.
A lot of surprises on this list. I haven't played a single one of these games, but the one I'm most hyped to is Dune, because I love the first one.
Sidereal Confluence is without a doubt my favorite board game. I dream of a revision/sequel that does away with victory points and give each player a binary win goal. I feel like I so greatly enjoy the collective process of playing and then the reduction to a point race is so less grand.
I think I'm decent at boardgames. I win a lot of games. And I ALSO suck at Concordia. I always want to adapt to the moment, chase opportunities that open up, pick up the actions with the best immediate payouts. And then I get crushed in final scoring because I didn't do enough of one thing to score.
And because of that, Concordia FASCINATES me. I SHOULD be good at this euro game like I'm good at other euro games! Why is my brain just not DOING this???
As a long time board gamer, I really respect sidereal confluence. Its such a unique design and so clever. Despite this, the time limited hard negotiation experience is just so overwhelming. On top, some of the races feel so hard to manage in comparison to others and i dont care to spend the (stressful) time playing more to go deeper. Certainly would never be on my list, but can agree its a masterpiece for the right audience (obviously many in the comments here).
Overall, i think the only game im really into on this list is feast for odin, especially with the Norwegian exp.
These days i dont really have games i love so much. Ive found you always have the most fun when everyone at the table is deeply invested/ enjoying the experience. Therefore, the game itself is less important than the group that surrounds it. I keep games based a lot more on fun experiences now, a then a little on my impressions of the game itself.
Consistently Efka either has my exact same preferences in games, or the opposite. I like that about the channel actually. So I was surprised that Dune: Imperium and Sidereal Confluence were among his favorites. I think they are wonderful games and I had the pleasure of playing SC with eight players! Very pleasantly surprised by this list!
Sidereal Confluence is absolutely my favorite game of all time as well. Absolutely giddy to see it get the top spot here, and I 100% agree with your reasons why. For me it's the game that cuts to the heart of why you're actually at a table playing a game - to do a thing with other people. Even in games where you're actively attempting to murder your friends' pieces at the table I've never played anything where you more feel the presence of your fellow players as an irreplaceable part of the puzzle. Still have never played a game with the space mafia since everyone I know who's ever tried says it's a miserable time.
Don't do it, it's so well crafted as 'mafia' other people actually start having a bad time. And if you're like me you might not notice until its too late :/
Me: 'There's no way we'll even share 1 choice'
Me - 30min & 6 shared games later: 'Oh snap! Efka has great taste!'
Every time a board game reviewer I respect talks about how wonderful Heat is, I start to wonder if there's something wrong with me. I've played it three times now and each time had the same reaction. It's FINE.
I usually don't get so exasperated about having a different opinion, but with this one it just genuinely frustrates me that I can't understand everyone else's enjoyment. I can usually at least understand WHY people love a game, even if I don't.
Anyway, sorry to rant. I'm sick and introspecting too much today. It's a good list. Thanks Efka!
Nah, it's alright. Ironically, I felt the same way about Flamme Rouge. Just... didn't get it.
It's definitely in my top three, I would say my number 1 is The Résistance. It's short, evocative, tense, and I can teach it to my grandma.
Have not yet been able to play Sidereal Confluence yet. It looks awesome though, I just don't know if I can find 5 others that want to negotiate and yell at each other for 3 hours.
My #1 still has to be Concordia for a couple of simple reasons. I will always want to play this game (as well), it plays well at any player count (given that you have the appropriate maps), easy to learn but hard to master and therefore it easily hits the table with a variety if people. If I could only have one board game it would be this un.
I absolutely love Sidereal Confluence. Definitely in my top 10, and probably my favourite game I don't own.
Right on! So much overlap with my top 10. I’d probably put Terraforming Mars in place of Age of Innovation. And I’ve still got to try dune imperium, sidereal confluence and earthbound rangers, but I’m even more excited after seeing them here.
Nice list! With so much overlap between us, I'll be seeking out a chance to play that Dune game. On the shorter/lighter side, can I recommend Scout? It's an excellent ladder/card game.
Great list for sure. Concordia (yes, also Venus and not for the team mode, but for the Magister cards 😀), GWT (I am actually inclined to,pick Argentina as my favourite) and also El Grande. Odin, Age of Innovation, Sidereal Confluence, and Dune are all games I enjoyed, but didn't convince me enough to add them to my collection or play more than two or three times. Heat and Ra are still to be explored.
Thanks for sharing!
Zoo Vadis sounds like Sidereal to me, is it comparable?
Awesome video as always! I'd love for you to try Dungeon Degenerates someday, it does the living world thing that Earthborne Rangers does, but in a naughty fantasy setting with incredible/ghastly art
Great video as always. I was surprised to see Concordia, but I'm not sure why, it's a fantastic game.