Top 50 Board Games of All Time (2025) - #10-1

0:04 Hey, I'm Ryan. This is my brother Daniel. And this is Rolls in the Family. And we are very excited to be here today with the highly anticipated final installment in our countdown of our top 50 games of all time. And not just that, a

0:22 if that wasn't enough, we are also declaring the selecting randomly the three winners of our game giveaway who will get to choose a game from our top 50s to be their own. It could be you.

0:36 Man, if you're not just feeling a nervous excitement to watch this video, I don't know what we have to do. Honestly, this is pulling out all the stops. We are going to include links in the description below to all the games we talked about today. The ones that we think are the best of the best, the cream of the crop. You know, maybe if you win, you maybe pick one of these and if you don't win, you can buy buy it for yourself.

1:00 We are going to sell some good games today, Ryan.

1:02 Yes, we are going to convince you that your life just will be incomplete without

1:07 complete

1:08 without some of these games in it. Yes. Uh, we do want to hear from you in the comments what your favorite chord game of all time is.

1:17 This is the video where where that is the

1:19 question another one of our videos. We'll delete it.

1:22 Let us know what is your alltime favorite. Is it a new all-time favorite? Has it stuck around for a long time. It's interesting things to see. Another thing we want to call out, there may be people that uh haven't watched the channel a lot in the past. We want to call out that we do have a monthly newsletter that we send out. We'll have a link to that in the description if you want a monthly email from us that includes, you know, links to videos in the past month, updates to our website recommendation guide, so new games that have have made the cut to be officially recommended um by us, as well as a bunch of uh photos with uh thoughts of games, if I may say so myself.

1:59 Cinematic photos, at least in the one that uh I think maybe went out before this video is going to go out. Uh you can browse actually old newsletters through the uh like website. Yeah, it's it's interesting.

2:13 There you go. You can go do it after we finish filming.

2:16 Sweet.

2:16 Uh so just so you know how this video is going to go down, we are counting down our top 10.

2:21 And scattered through there, we are going to be announcing selecting with the giant giveaway wheel the winners of the giveaway. So if that's all you're here for, it's a little sad. You know, you could throw us a bone. That's actually messed up.

2:33 Watch a little bit of the content, but

2:35 good thing you can't skip ahead on YouTube.

2:37 Yeah, we disabled the feature to be able to skip ahead. Do not try. Don't click it. It won't work.

2:41 Don't do I see you.

2:43 It will not work.

2:44 We will be doing that after each three every three entries or every three ranks of two entries each.

2:52 I got you. I got you.

2:52 Which will, you know, the third one will be right before we announce announce the number one.

2:56 Yeah.

2:56 So, SCA scattered amidst here. Uh, and Daniel, I I do think we have to come clean here a little bit.

3:02 Oh boy.

3:02 Um,

3:03 we are so excited to record this, aren't we?

3:04 I think we have to come clean that uh this is not our first time recording this video. In fact, um, this does not happen often, but uh, we recorded a nice doozy of a top 10 video with all the

3:19 winners and all everything only to find that we had none of Daniel's audio,

3:25 which may have been a better video. Who knows?

3:27 True. He should have really just tried it.

3:30 Just posted it and seen

3:31 and just seen or just given AI its best shot at lip reading the transcript transcribing the captions.

3:39 You know, in hindsight, maybe that would have been the way to go.

3:42 Oh gosh.

3:42 Um, but yeah, a real tragedy over here in Rolls in the Family.

3:47 We have never been so devastated.

3:49 Yeah, that that that's a gut punch when you find out you you lost something like that. So, if you ever wondered if we if we love you, if we care about you, the viewer,

3:59 let the fact that you're watching this video right now, hopefully on schedule,

4:05 it's evidence of it. You know, we're we're grinding out here for you.

4:08 Well, and most of you were not winners in the previous recording. That's what I was going to say. And so, you have a chance.

4:14 What about the people that were chosen in the giveaway? That is now forbidden knowledge to be burned. It never happens. Never happened. We will not. No one will ever know.

4:26 Think of it this way.

4:27 You didn't win the giveaway,

4:30 but now you have another chance.

4:32 Exactly. This is This video could have been twice as exciting. Oh my gosh.

4:36 Uh so second chances here.

4:38 It's uh Dango and I we uh if we come across as surprised in this video, it's either that we forgot what we uh what happened.

4:47 Yes. Uh

4:48 yeah.

4:49 But here we are. We're doing it. We're here for you folks. We're here for you.

4:53 Okay.

4:53 Oh, dang it. Let's get this Let's get this rolling here.

4:56 Let's get this cooking. Ryan, my number 10. Oh, man. You know, it's beautiful, Ryan, in board gaming when you see uh a board game that you enjoy continue to improve in iteration upon iteration. You don't see it a lot in games where like, you know, a board game releases like a a full I mean, in this case, a full-on new board separate board game, but it's taking the existing thing and improving it. And this, I guess, third iteration, I believe, is the definitive experience of this. This goes to Age of Innovation. Uh, at my number 10. I've only played this game once, Ryan, and yet I've played it many times. uh in in the sense of we got Terrammystica originally and we really liked Terrammystica uh when we got I can't remember how long ago that was when we when we got that game but

5:52 it was a ways back it was probably not that long after

5:54 but a ways back really really liked that one um but then we got Gaia Project and I think what we really liked about Gaia Project was added just some variability maybe to the to the game and whatnot. Although I will say I did in Gaia Project miss kind of the standard map a little bit of Terisca. Like there were things I liked about Gaia Project but maybe also some changes that I I you know wasn't sure about and whatnot. Age of Innovation feels like it just delivers the pinnacle experience of that kind of whole system. Uh for me, you know, you have the uh tried andrue formula of your, you know, building buildings and terraforming, you know, the different land and upgrading and kind of, you know, it's got the cool power system and all that. So, you kind of want to be next to people, which is one of the things I also like in the game. It's very, it encourages kind of interaction and you kind of all benefit off of being by each other. Um, which is kind of cool. But so so like a tried and true thing if you love you know Terrammya and Gaia project like you're going to love what Age of Innovation is doing but it just injects so much um variability in terms of the start of the game. You know you get this random combination between well you draft it's you know it's not just randomly given you draft a combination between is it a faction and a

7:14 it's like a the board that has some like terraforming stuff. Yeah. But that combination is so interesting. And so even just at the very I remember the first time you pulled this out, Ryan, and you put it out on the board and I'm realizing we get to draft these like unique combinations and they're really cool abilities and stuff.

7:32 They're really sweet. And so that it just it like took everything that I loved. It brought it back to kind of the more standard Terrammystica map, which I liked. It just feels a little more uh a little more constrained, a little easier to even just kind of I don't know see the board state of like and and it felt like it kept people kind of closer together um and whatnot. A little more interaction, whatnot. But um man, Ryan, I love this system and just how that continual just upgrading buildings, upgrading, getting power, using it. I mean, just things are constantly kind of it's this cycle that is just really, really satisfying. on top of um I think this might be one of the most uh beautiful Euro games that I own. I mean truly Ryan, like it's not something you say a lot about, you know, kind of Euro games. It's usually not what they're known for, but I mean you can see in the pictures like the colors are just vibrant. I love the artwork.

8:31 Um and so I just feel like this game

8:34 took a system that we is tried and true. Lots of people love it. And for us, uh, I think Age of Innovation is kind of the the pinnacle of that. So, despite one play, I feel pretty pretty solid about.

8:45 Yeah. Dang, only needs one play. The hot takes.

8:50 If there's one thing I'm known for, Ryan, it is one play hot takes.

8:54 Yeah, that might be a new series we start here on the channel.

8:56 That's right.

8:58 It's good to have like it's like the contrast between the two hosts, you know?

9:02 We are.

9:03 I'll be the voice of experience and you can just, you know, go. I just send off hot takes left.

9:08 Nice.

9:09 My number 10 is just an old classic staple of our collection. One of it might be the game on my top 50 that I've had the longest or it's in like a group of like maybe three that were really really early on. Um, not one that gets played a lot these days. unfortunately did not get played in the last year because my primary person I play this with is you and you don't live

9:37 you don't live near enough for this.

9:38 You make me cry, right? I know it's it's getting me a little choked up, but

9:42 I can tell

9:43 Twilight Struggle is just an absolutely fantastic twoplayer

9:49 epic war card driven war game where you're playing out the Cold War and just just really a masterpiece of design with how everything comes together here and presents this constant tension as you're trying to fight over the map of like influence in different regions. so that you can set up that when these scoring cards come out, you're set up to score for them. And it starts out with just Europe, Middle East, and Asia. And that the game is very interesting with just those in play cuz it's all driven by these cards where you're you're using them for either events or operation points that let you do different just actions on the board. But if it is your opponent's event, when you use the operation points, it triggers their event. And so so much of the game is deciding when you want these bad events for you to trigger. Um, and you know, you don't love that you have it, but you also are like, I'm glad I get to pick when it goes instead of them picking when it goes.

10:46 True.

10:47 Um,

10:48 and so it's always every hand is just such an interesting how am I going to play this out? Not to mention the scoring cards cuz when you get a scoring card now there's this whole bluffing piece of I don't really want you to know I have this scoring card. Like everybody knows which ones could come up and play. But I do have to play it by the end of the round. And do I

11:05 try to improve my situation in that region before I play it? Or is that just going to tip my hand and, you know, potentially make things even worse if you're in a stronger position to to double down on it? Um, but then you hit the point in this game where you hit the midame and you shuffle in the midame deck into it and suddenly the there's no other game that I can think of that has this feeling of the game just suddenly opening up. You've been playing this interesting game and suddenly it's like you zoomed out

11:34 and now you are globally trying to manage what already was a very tense uh difficult game and there's all now there's a lot of scoring cards that could be in play

11:46 that you know when your opponent does something in a region you're kind of like

11:50 was that just cuz he you know had the opportunity to do something like that so many I do so many mind games with you Ryan where I'm just like oh yeah I guess I'll just put one over there. You know, act like I'm

12:01 Yeah. I'm so sneaky. You never know what's coming.

12:04 Yes. Um but yeah, you know, we're not what I would call war gamers. Um really the only reason this game ended up in our collection is cuz it was number one on Board Game Geek back in the day. And that was enough to be like, we got we got to try it. I'm so so glad we did. We've had so many great games of it. And we have to get this played in the next year. We've talked about like there's ways we could do it digitally. Um, and it really is just long long overdue to get a play of this one. It's too good of a game. Um, it's an oldie. Um, you know, maybe you're new to the hobby and don't know a lot about it. But I think this is even if you're not into the more war game style of games, I think this is a very accessible one with the card driven nature that a lot of people would really like. Um, if you're looking for a bigger two-player tense struggle, that is Twilight Struggle.

12:58 That was nice.

13:00 Uh, nice, Ryan. My number nine. You know, few games do I get as much joy out of setting up the game.

13:08 Oh, I was going to say there's at least eight more on this list,

13:12 right? Few games, namely eight. Um, do I get as much joy as setting up the game as I do actually playing the game? Because man, this just this strikes the child inside each one of us, right?

13:25 This must be Jenga, right?

13:26 This must be Jenga. It's close. It's Heroescape. Um, you know, Ryan, Heroescape making a resurgence in the board game world. You know, they've kind of, it really does warm my heart to see them, you know, breathing life into this game again.

13:41 Yeah, Renegade Games really brought it back to life. It looked it didn't look good for Heroes skate for a while there cuz Hasbro tried to run like a campaign to reboot it and it didn't work out and so it was just going to go by the wayside.

13:54 But I've got the classic Heroescape stuff. I've got a whole bin and Ryan, you know, we got it originally. I mean, I remember that Christmas you gave it to me and I've never cried. So for tears of joy over a Christmas present.

14:08 I don't know. I've seen you cry quite a few times.

14:10 Yes. But tears of joy, right?

14:11 Oh, tears of joy. That's right.

14:12 Tears of joy. Um, but man, so we played a lot of Heroescape together. Um, but then it was really those high school years for me where my buddy also got a bunch of Heroescape stuff and we would get together for these nights, combine our sets. I mean, we would spend like an one to two hours sometimes just setting up, you know, setting up this huge map and that is so fun. I mean, I think about our just our joy of like building Legos. It's like you get to do that and then you get to play this epic fighting game on the map that you built. I mean, there's just so many things that that is just such a fun experience. Um, and the game system is is really really fun, you know. Um, obviously just the 3D element of the map makes the game play really interesting. You know, I think about uh mechanics like line of sight where you literally like look from the head of the character you have and see if you can see any of the, you know, red part of the opposing character. a very like realistic mechanic that centers around the 3D spatial element of the game. Um, I think about the use of glyphs in this game and how you can uh in the map get glyphs how you place them can so control where the battles are cuz they're valuable. Like you want to try to control glyphs because they give you a lot of really strong powers and stuff like that. Um, so fun every game to just draft an army and sometimes that might be big characters, sometimes that might be these large squads, you know, it's

15:42 all based upon the points that you have. Um, and just go out and have this awesome epic fight. Uh, I have not played this game in a while, but I will say, Ryan, I am starting to starting to noodle around with my gaming group again.

15:55 Watch out when Daniel starts noodling. Oh my gosh, that is If there's one thing our viewers know, it's that. Um,

16:03 so it's back into the top 10 after a one year where it dipped out and I don't know why it rose. You know, sometimes Ryan, you just miss a game.

16:10 Miss a game long enough and it'll it'll surge back up. So

16:13 number nine, I'm very happy to see you have it, Ryan. Now that's

16:16 I do. I don't really have the full experience now. I have like the little battle set. Been playing with my son a little bit. way.

16:24 Yes, we're we're planning on getting more of it, but like what we have right now doesn't really have the dynamic of the glyphs yet, like and we always basically have the same characters cuz like there we don't have that many characters.

16:34 Um, but we've had good good fun with it. You know, I think like you were saying with the the line of sight and kind of the map element, I think it's a lot of these things that draw people to miniatures games. Like there's a lot of people that get into like full-blown miniatures games. Um, but it just eliminates some of the things that would turn us off, I think, from getting into miniatures game with like just the amount of setup and upkeep. Like the Heroscape terrain system makes it very easy to quickly build cool things with just the and then you don't have any like movement templates or anything. It's it's spaces on the board. You just move around on spaces. Um, so it is very cool kind of just like

17:12 Right.

17:12 Yeah. how you you can get a lot of those benefits maybe in a little more accessible way.

17:16 Totally.

17:18 All right, my number nine dropped four spots. I don't think there's any reason for that other than things are shuffling around a little bit. Um, this is one I really enjoy that combines, I'd say, two of the biggest heavy hitters of modern board game mechanisms that are just some of the most beloved mechanisms. Um, which is worker placement and deck building. Um, just two really good ones. And the way that Dune Imperium brings them together and does it in a very thematic interactive experience is just it works really really well. The the core piece here of I'm doing worker placement but I have to play a card with it and the card determines which spaces or areas of the board I can go to is very interesting because I'm looking at my hand and trying to think which you know cards do I want to play to go to different areas. but that's also going to trigger the ability of the card. So, you're kind of like um adding to the actual action on the board you're doing whatever your card can do.

18:20 But then there's an additional piece of whatever you leave in your hand and don't use for actions is going to be used in the reveal phase for your reveal, like the reveal portion of the card, which is often getting influenced to buy new cards to get, you know, upgrade your deck, but it could be other benefits. And so the puzzle that makes when you draw your five cards for the round is just so good. It's so interesting of how am I going to approach the work like it's all the things that are interesting about worker placement by itself

18:49 but then with this added piece of how it works with your hand

18:52 and then you're not just um you know worker placements are games are inherently interactive right cuz you're blocking spaces or whatever

19:00 but um with this Dune theme it's even more interactive how each round centers around this battle where everybody knows the rewards of like first and second place in this battle and you have to decide as you're taking these actions, do I want to be in the battle this round? Is that something I want to go after? Do I think there's going to be a lot of competition for it? Cuz if you want to go for it, you have to go to specific spaces to be able to get into the battle. Um, but you don't want to be in every battle. Like, it's going to be hard to fight, be strong, you know, and you you would rather probably sit out a round and then go really strong in a different one.

19:34 Um, and so that piece is interesting how it fits into everything. And then you got the player powers. And you know, I'm not like a Dune enthusiast, but I have I'm probably more than most people in that I've read the book and I've seen the movies. I'm like,

19:48 that's like familiar.

19:50 You're like in the top 1 percentile of the population.

19:52 Well, yes. For including everybody that doesn't even play games.

19:56 Come on, Ryan. That's enthusiast.

19:58 Uh, but it is fun like uh you know, having seen cuz I've seen the movies since I played this game and all the art actually is like based off the new movies. It's like a handdrawn, but you can tell that it's like the actors and actresses.

20:12 Um, my favorite way to play this is with the Rise of X expansion, and um, I also really like the immortality expansion. Um, I know a lot of people are talking there's a lot of buzz around Dune Uprising. I have not

20:24 played it. I also don't feel like super

20:28 compelled to go out of my way to play it. Like, I'm not going to buy it cuz I'm so happy with what I have. Given the opportunity, giving the opportunity, I jump on it. And I know I'm probably going to have people in the comments that are like, "You got to try it cuz it's the way to do it." Um, but I am so happy with how the base game is with the two expansions that are out for it that uh,

20:47 you know,

20:47 you know, if you're happy, Ryan, don't listen to the haters.

20:50 You know, you only have so much time. It's like, do I I spend time on a new game to get a game that's 90% the same as this game. I guess the same guns, Ryan.

20:59 The same argument could have been applied when I got Age of Innovation and replaced Guyia Project, but, you know, we we'll see. can do whatever we want.

21:06 Yeah, we'll do whatever

21:08 and it's always the right move.

21:10 Very nice, Brian. My number eight.

21:13 Uh this is uh a game that we both love uh dearly and it's probably honestly the when I think of, you know, sometimes I think about what are kind of just the gateway games to different complexity levels. This is kind of my gateway game to kind of the top or towards the top tier of complexity levels of when I'm like wanting to introduce someone to maybe just some of the heavier Euro board games that there are. Um because I think this one just does a fantastic job. This goes to Terraforming Mars. Um you know, Terraforming Mars one, I just I really enjoy the theme. I think it it's a it's a fun theme and that it's kind of unique in the sense of we're technically all working together on this like terraforming Mars, right?

22:08 Like you're all

22:09 at least on those three metrics

22:11 on those like three metrics, but but it's not a cooperative game obviously. We're all we're all kind of uh competing. But the game strikes this really interesting balance between one, it is a a you know getting cards engine building game. you are building up this engine of resource production and converting things and gosh I love just when there's pieces and I'm just you know convert like I'm going to spend this and turn this into this you know uh I I love that and this game leans really hard into just getting lots of cards and finding combos and engine and like building up this engine in front of you. So, it's got that, but where I find it maybe differentiates itself from other games is it's not just this I'm just by by myself doing my own solitary experience.

22:57 You've got this incredibly interactive shared board. Uh, and I've got Naomi.

23:02 Do you have a visitor?

23:04 Uh, Naomi,

23:05 you want to say hi?

23:06 You want to say hi on the channel? Do you want to say hi? Okay, whatever. You want to come say hi to the hi to the people?

23:17 Didn't know there was going to be a special guest today.

23:20 I didn't know there was going to be a special guest either. I'll I'll finish talking about uh finish talking about terraforming Mars.

23:25 I mean, you've played terrifying Mars with Naomi, right?

23:27 Yeah, that's true. It was perfect timing. Yeah. Um, and uh, but I was thinking about how just Ryan it just got it has that shared element of uh, of the like awards and milestones and um, things that draw you to you got I got to care about what you're doing in this game. Uh, and and like the placement of the board. If I see you've got some greeneries out like I got to opportunistically play a city, you know, capitalize on that.

23:54 Um, so this game uh, strikes that balance really well. Um, and honestly a game that I don't think I would ever turn down playing game of terroring Mars. You know, it really

24:04 also the la last two times I've play or a few times I've played it, I get done with it and I'm like I kind of want to play it again soon. Like it it really just is an addictive experience.

24:14 Totally is. Naomi, do you want to say do you want to say bye to the fans? Want to say bye

24:19 bye.

24:20 Okay, Ryan, you want to introduce us into the into the next one here and we'll

24:24 Sure.

24:25 Yeah. Let's see. Okay, we're going to my number eight. Um, my number eight is a game that when I played it for the first time, I remember one of my first thoughts was, "Wow, this is like fresh when it comes to heavier um, strategy games. You know, there's a lot that come out that are rehashes of a lot of existing things. Like I've seen a lot of these things in games and this one just felt like it was doing something new to me in in the in the feel of it. Um it's a game that actually you had first and introduced to me. Uh this although I think I told you about it for you to get it.

25:05 Okay.

25:05 You know it's this is a a common cycle.

25:08 You convinced me to buy it and then you said I can try it without buying it.

25:13 I see through your trail.

25:14 It doesn't work as well now that you live so far away. I know.

25:17 Uh this is Great Western Trail

25:19 and uh we we I feel like every time we talk about this game, we talk about how more than any other game in this kind of like strategy game category, it has this element of pacing that's just so different

25:33 because you're trying to get to Kansas City and whenever you get to Kansas City, you're going to start at the beginning of the trail again. And it's when you get to Kansas City that you get to sell your cattle um to a certain city, but it's going to be based on the value of your hand at that point. And so the whole time you're going along the path, you're trying to get your hand to be better, which basically means different types of cows in your hand by the time you get there. But then those cards are also how you do different actions on the board. You might have to discard a white two to get something. And so there's a little bit of like push your luck of as I'm getting closer and closer, how much do I mess with my hand and blindly draw knowing that I might kind of mess it up right at the end.

26:12 Um,

26:13 but it it's got this beautiful tension where you want to go fast. You know, you have to like the more times you can deliver to Kansas City while still getting good enough that you're able to deliver to new cities, the better, especially if other players are pushing the pace. But you also want to be getting the most out of the actions along the way. And so, you know, I would say this game is a little sprawling when you zoom out and all the different systems and everything that's going on. But when you zoom into your individual turn, you at the beginning of the game have three movement. There's usually three spots you could go. And so, it's like, okay, it's not like workplace where you could go anywhere. It's like, no, you're going to one of the next three spots. The one right in front of you kind of has the inherent downside that you're choosing to go slower. Mhm.

26:58 The third one has the upside of you're choosing to go faster generally and then you have to weigh that with the actual value of the actions and everything. And I just think it works so so well. Um I love the light deck building and the way the hand building happens as you're going through here. I love that that path is evolving. People are putting new buildings down. you can put some nice new actions out for yourself and and kind of play into your strategy by giving yourself certain opportunities at certain points on the trail. You know, at the beginning of the game, we always randomize the common buildings which gives a different feel like whether the when the cattle purchasing is the first thing

27:39 that has a very different feel cuz you've just gotten paid a ton from delivering, but it's like do I want to use all my money right away and be poor for the rest? Which speaking of which, there's the whole taxing thing that players can put up buildings that force you to tax, but if you don't have any money, you don't have to pay cuz you can't. And so there's often this trying to spend all your money before you go.

28:02 I will make a bunch of poor decisions and spending money just so I don't have to pay the tax.

28:07 There's a lot of times I wonder about my is this really makes sense to do to avoid paying one or two coins to this other player.

28:13 Yeah. Um, but yeah, this one we we actually really enjoy the Rails to the North expansion. It really opens up the

28:21 uh delivery phase to be more interesting with kind of where you choose to go. Um, we have the original edition of the game, so we haven't played the second edition, nor have we played any of the best.

28:32 Yeah, Daniel still prefers the first edition artwork.

28:36 I think I think you're in the minority, but

28:38 Oh, no, no, no. Everyone on the first edition, I don't really have any complaints with it. Um, and I would definitely enjoy the opport if I had the opportunity to try like Argentina or New Zealand or some of these new additions that are out.

28:50 It's hard for me to justify getting another standalone. It's one of these weird things where it's like if it had been an expansion,

28:57 you would you would consider it.

28:59 I feel like I would have like gotten it.

29:01 Yeah. If it was just a map expansion.

29:03 The fact that it's a base game like puts it into like a different category.

29:08 Yeah. You're saying like I would rather get a game with a different experience than this one.

29:13 So maybe that's a weird way to think. I mean maybe I should just get it and think of it as an expansion and we either play one or the

29:18 True.

29:18 But um I already, you know, it's not like I play it that often. And I already enjoy the the base uh Great Western Trail Experience so much um that it comes in at my number eight, which brings us to our first giveaway selection. I never know what to call this segment. We should have come up with a nice catchy name, but let's jump over to the wheel of names.

29:44 All right, here we have it. The mega wheel.

29:48 Look at that wheel entrance. Pushing the limits

29:52 of this website. We'll see if uh this keeps working for us crash.

29:57 Um but we are going to give this a spin to pick our first winner who will get to select a game for themselves. There it goes. any game off the top 50.

30:09 We're actually trying to hypnotize our whole audience with this. Here we go.

30:13 Here it is. And it is

30:15 Jenna N.

30:17 Jenna.

30:17 We did anonymize the names, but I did it in a way that that should be unique. You should know it's you if it's you. So, congratulations, Jenna. We will be in touch with an email in the coming days uh to figure out what game you want to get. Well, Ryan, we are back and we are ready to sell Jenna on some more board games.

30:38 This next one is what you're thinking or

30:41 I don't know. I will say

30:42 is it out of budget? Is it out of budget?

30:44 Uh, I don't know what restrictions apply. But, uh, I will say, Ryan, this next one is the only new game on my top 10.

30:58 I'll try to really look extra surprised. Yeah, Ryan, you have no What if it was a What if I said a different game? Can you I just pull a fast over.

31:04 That would have been a good twist in this is shake up the list.

31:07 I should have uh my number seven goes to a game that I played uh only one time and already I think I can definitively say objectively that it is the best deck building game I have ever played.

31:22 That's a pretty big claim actually.

31:25 That is. I know. I'm not messing around here. Um, I tried, like I said, hot take Daniel back at it again.

31:30 Uh, this goes to Slay the Spire, the board game. Oh my goodness, Ryan. You know, I actually going into it like we love, we both enjoy Slay the Spire, the video game. You played a lot more than I did, but always saw the board game mechanics in it. You know, it's

31:48 it's clearly inspired tabletop deck building.

31:51 Totally. And so honestly, when the board game first came out, it was kind of like, well, why would you do this? You already have the video game, you know, like what what's what's the point of this? And yet I think uh I have just been blown away by their implementation of Slay the Spire. One from how they took an excellent video game and brought the spirit of it into a board game and made it just work so well. I mean, there's so many places in this game where you can just tell design-wise, it's like they had to change something, otherwise it would be like the most tedious thing ever to actually do in a board game, but it keeps the heart of of the thing. And so,

32:34 one, they got over the hurdle of just all the various like barriers of moving from a video game to a physical board game that that you're doing. But what this game adds which namely I'll start cooperative play that is

32:49 that's a big one

32:50 that is just un I mean especially for me like I am not a solo board gamer I even like video games not really a so I don't play by myself that much

33:00 being able to take this amazing experience of slay the spire and we get to do it together we get to each have our own unique character we get to work together going through the dungeon and have synergy off of each other. That is just such an unbelievable ad for me, which is why like for like it just takes that experience and elevates it to a whole another level. Um, reason I say this game is one of the best deck builders is I just haven't played a deck builder that one has such unique deck building for each character. I mean, we talk about how each character has its own unique card pool of upgrades. Like I'm not sure I've seen that in another game where uh you have that drastic of of a difference between characters.

33:48 Card pool like a card pool that in another game might be the whole card pool of the game. Yeah,

33:54 totally. And you're getting these upgrades like I mean it's just that loop of getting upgrades is happening all loop in this game.

34:03 It's just happening so much. You add on top of that. I mean, you I love what they did with like relics and whatnot and the the whole system where you roll a dieice at the beginning of like kind of the round and that controls a bunch of different things like you'll have a lot of relics that'll say uh you know on this die roll they trigger on this die roll or something like that which is again different from the video game

34:27 but an interesting way to kind of you know how you're kind of building yourself up or with these relics and whatnot and and when they when they trigger. The die roll controls how enemies respond, which again is different from the video game because you can see the things the options of what the enemy uh

34:48 beyond just their current

34:49 beyond just their current one. Like in the video game, all you see is their intention for the next one. You get to see all the options which I think actually makes the board game more accessible than the video game in the sense of uh I'm for a beginner it's just easier to understand. You don't have to memorize strategize

35:08 from the first time of you playing around what their behavior. You don't have to remember how a certain enemy behaves.

35:14 Totally. So, this is just an unbelievable deck building experience and and I really do believe the definitive one that I've I've played.

35:24 Definitive.

35:25 I at least the best.

35:26 I'm using the strongest words I can use. I went on Chad GBD before and said, "Give me 20 synonyms for

35:34 uh best." And I've been slipping them in everywhere. Right.

35:37 Yeah,

35:38 we actually did a Slay the Spire specific video comparing differences between

35:44 the board game and the video game. If you are interested that we could link that above that would be a,

35:50 you know, our extended thoughts on this topic. But yeah, it's a good one.

35:54 Yep.

35:55 My number seven has been mentioned already on this list.

35:59 I have completely forgot what your list was.

36:01 I know it's good. Um, and this is one that uh kind of has a long history despite only playing this version three times. Have a lot of plays on the previous games in this game system. This is Age of Innovation. And now I was very happy with Gaia Project. And in previous years, going back two, three years, Gaia Project was here in my top 10 games. Um, and when I saw that this version was coming out, my first reaction was, what is it with the Terrammystica design team that like they just like keep

36:36 feeling like they need to revisit the system in a new way and make like a full new

36:40 uh standalone game? And so I wasn't really, you know, interested in it. Um, but you know, you start to see some things about it and I started seeing some of the changes and I was like, "Oh man, this is actually like taking it feels like on paper it's taking the best parts of Terrammystica and the best parts of Gaia Project and kind of combining them into this

37:01 in between almost." Um, and I got to the point where I was like, you know what, I think this might it it just sounded like they were speaking to my taste. like it's like everything I would have wanted them to do uh with a new edition of the game. Um and ended up getting it and I am just so happy with it. I feel like I just have finally found now are they going to make another game?

37:24 How many times am I going to have to replace this game? Um but man, it's so so good. it, you know, like you said, it brings back the more terroristic of feeling map, which just feels more homey, feels more like you're interacting directly with people, and it's very clear kind of how you're getting cut off or like it feels a little more interactive. Um,

37:46 the factions and the way they do the variability in this game of kind of the setup variability of what you get and what's in the game, it leans a little bit more into kind of Gaia Project's variability, which I really, really love. But then the new system here, which is kind of the dangerous part. It's like, man, you're adding like a new system into the game. Is it going to be justified to have this? Cuz it's such a triedand-true system, like the core of the Terrammystica. Um, you know, and it's such a game that's been played at the competitive level and they have so much data and everything to make it really balanced. Um, but they add this new thing with this book resource and you get these books and I wasn't so sure about it, but having played it, man, it's great. like you get these book resources and you kind of have different things you can do with them. One of which is to take the book actions that are kind of like the power actions on the board, but those are randomized. So every game it's different what the book actions are going to be. So I absolutely love that. It kind of changes up what the books are going to be good for.

38:45 But then you also can use them to get the innovations that are kind of the focus of the title of the game. And those are going to be these super powerful things. often times they're the types of things that you can pull off this big combo to get an innovation that's just going to score you a big pile of points and really like turn the tide of the game and so and those are all randomized and there's tons of them and so that's really cool. They also um decoupled the like it's not a stronghold is it? Come on.

39:16 It is. What is it called?

39:18 Come on Ryan. So help me if they make a fourth version of this game cuz I already have three versions of every component named in my brain.

39:26 Uh yeah, I don't remember what it's called in this game. Um but the big building uh they it no it used to be that the ability of your stronghold like structure was paired with your faction or your board whereas now it's like

39:42 I I think in in the normal mode that we play there's like you know five of them that are out and whoever builds their stronghold first actually gets to draft what their stronghold's going to do. And there's tons of those that are in the game. And so you every time you play the same faction, you might get a completely different one of those to pair with and and go with a different innovation. All of the um

40:03 not tech tiles, but whatever those bonus tiles are, something education related. Um

40:11 those are all randomized as well, which like uh tracks they're associated with and everything. And so all that variability just it just sings. And this game, I mean, it

40:22 feels like a game that has been tuned over a decade because that's what it is. Like, it is literally been played and tuned and like it just really is um an excellent excellent heavier, thinkier, low luck uh strategy game.

40:41 Uh really looking forward to playing this one

40:44 many many times. Hopefully to the point that I remember what all the pieces are called.

40:48 That's how you know you've played it enough. Y

40:50 that's when they can release a new version once we've learned the pieces.

40:52 Yeah, once I really have it solidified.

40:54 Very nice, Ryan. Moving to my number six. This game moved up five spots. So, back into the top 10.

41:01 Back.

41:02 And man, Ryan, rightfully so. Uh you already mentioned this one, but I'm going to go a step further because I don't think I use strong enough language when I describe board games. Uh but I'm going to call this one a borderline masterpiece. And I'm when I say that

41:16 borderline

41:17 a borderline masterpiece for what I'll give you your hot take.

41:21 It is a masterpiece for what it's trying to do. This goes to Twilight Struggle. Um and I really believe that Ryan, I mean this game, it truly feels like the mechanics with the theme just comes together perfectly. Um, I look at this game and I can't there's there's no part of it that I'm like, "Oh, that part's a little, you know, messy or they they could have cleaned it." Just across the board, it's like this feels kind of like a perfect board game. Not meaning perfect like you're everyone's going to like it, but just for what they were trying to do, it is executed perfectly. the um you mentioned it earlier like the the uh arc of the game is so exciting uh cuz it's just you feel the tens it's like you start I mean you have tension right at the start of the game around you know just those three Asia Middle East and Europe

42:18 and then it's just stretching that tension larger and larger and now you're now you have tension everywhere and the card play is so great I love the how it's not a game where it's like oh you just got a bad hand of cards like sorry every hand you know is bad and good if that makes sense you know because uh you're even if you get a bunch of cards that are really like great cards for your opponent well guess what they don't have those cards and and they probably you know it's probably flipped the other way around as well for them um just the back and forth of that card play when to play events what to use them for am I going to do a when am I going to do a coup like a a a welltimed coup can be critical. Um while you're also trying to navigate the defcon status and like if it goes up, you know, it sits at two, it ends up getting to two for a lot of the game, but if it goes up,

43:14 I mean, a lot of the game is like, let me get my coup in a battleground to put it to two so that you can't

43:21 totally totally. So it uh I mean there's just an immense amount of tension and for when you've got two players who just are, you know, pretty evenly matched, which was not always the case in this game. We got there. We finally got there. We got there. Oh, we finally got to the mid war, Ryan. I was very glad.

43:38 Look at all these cool cards we all thought the game was just the early war. It's a quick game. Um but this game is just an absolute blast and one that Ray Ryan, he got to get this to the table again. Yeah, I think if if we're here next year doing this videoame and we're both saying that I think we'll have a we'll do a live stream and just ask everybody to come and just Yes, please do.

44:02 Yeah, we need some accountability.

44:03 That's right.

44:05 Nice. Nice. Uh my number six is a game that we've had for a long time. When originally got it, it didn't rank as highly on my list, though I liked it. But there was a pivotal moment where we said, "What if we try the cooperative mode of this game?" Because the default mode is competitive, but we tried the co-op mode and suddenly it was like, "Oh my gosh, this is incredible. I'm never playing the competitive version ever again." And this is Mage Knight,

44:34 the board game. We have the ultimate edition uh that has all the

44:39 expansion content. And yeah, I know this one is very popular in the solo gaming community, which is similar to playing cooperatively,

44:47 but this game particularly as like a twoplayer cooperative game. I've played it with three and that's very fun, but you are adding on like two hours per player.

44:58 So, you got to really want it. But um

45:01 yeah, this

45:03 at its core, deck building again, which is such a good uh mechanism for progression, right? and that feeling of every game having a different progression. But this game is the closest board game that I've played to that feeling of a video game like an RPG where you're leveling up over time and there's like distinct moments where you level up and you get and that happens in this game. You get experience and when you level up, you're going to get a new card to your deck. You're going to get a new character specific, you know, ability thing that you get to use. and the way that those stack over the course of the game. By the end of this game, you've come so far in how powerful you are, but the game scales the difficulty.

45:48 Like, it's not like you get so powerful when you steamroll. No, it's like you better get so powerful because you're going to have this clash at the end. I so many times finish this game and go, how after the four hours of everything we did in this game did it come out to be so close in that last battle? You would think it would more often like you'd get crushed or you know, but it just really seems like we often it comes down to we just have enough, you know, to pull it off or we don't and yeah, it's just it's such an epic climax to everything you've done. um up to this point. Now, this is not an easy game to learn. You don't like the rule book, right? Um this is if you sit down and just try to learn this from the rule book, it's a big challenge. It's a tough I definitely would recommend going finding some online tutorials. Um and but man, it really

46:44 I've got more.

46:46 You got two this time.

46:47 I got two kits this time,

46:48 man. Maybe I I'll finish up my thoughts on Mage 9, then maybe we'll cut for a second. But uh yeah, it just the the epic experience of it. It just really is outstanding. Um and one that has held here in my top I mean I have it at it was at three and then five and then eight and then six. So a mainstay

47:11 of my top 10.

47:12 Did your Did your children get snagged? Oh no. I see one.

47:17 They just got really quiet. They're just they're just chilling there. We got a live audience, right? Well, we we we'll make a quick cut, sort it out, and we'll be back instantly, you know, after edits.

47:28 That's right.

47:30 Okay, Ryan, we're back.

47:33 The kids are headed to bed,

47:35 but we are not cuz we're here to talk about

47:37 I kind of wish I was.

47:38 I wish I was, too. I was jealous. Uh, but we're here to talk about my number five run, which oh, we would be remiss if we didn't talk about a game like this that delivers what I would argue one of the best thematic experiences in a board game. I love, you know, when a game can bring a group into uh feeling something more than even just, you know, playing something. And I remember the first time playing this game

48:06 and that sense of dread that came over me. Um, it's it's something that I think this game delivers uh in a game in a way that I have not experienced in any other game. Uh, this goes to Nemesis. Now, kind of a funny uh selection in the sense of I sold Nemesis.

48:25 Could have been that good.

48:26 It wasn't my number one, so I sold it. Um, no, I sold it because I have now acquired Nemesis Retaliation. And we'll have, you know, I'm sure in future videos some thoughts on uh why went that route. But for this video, we will still uh Nemesis will still be the title that we use cuz honestly, it's a very similar systems. Um but this again, this game, you know, you you are dropped into you are in this ship and just the way aliens, you know, could come out around any corner, the noise that you're spreading in the in the ship. And it's a game that you can truly die kind of at any time, you know, which is part of the fun of it is the fear of

49:12 trying to survive. You know, you add on top of that it is a semi-ooperative game. And I would say it's well, I wouldn't say my list says it is my favorite semi-ooperative game. Um, which we've played a few in the past. We, you know, we started with Battlestar Galactica, had some fun with that one. Um, played some Dead of Winter. I like this one I think the most one because I I like that it's not just like oh you're either completely good or you're a total trader and and that's cuz and that's a different experience but I I like that I always felt like that made it hard to kind of balance the game for everyone else. Like if you have a trader it's really hard to win. If you don't then it's maybe easier. Whereas this one the objectives are just kind of mixed. It's like you always know that everybody else has some other motivation that you're not sure

50:01 exactly and those other motivations can lead to just interesting moments and things happening like someone going to the you know whatever room that controls the doors in the uh in the ship and maybe closing doors at an inopportune time or something like that. You know, there's I think what this game does is it tells a story. Like at the end of the game, you feel like you have just lived this really fun cinematic story and often times it ends with you dying. Uh but if it doesn't, the excitement of that you survived, you know. Um so this one I think just it it gives me that experience in a way no other game game has. And it's just super sweet to drop in on a ship and have all these like terrifying aliens. Be a sweet game to paint. If I uh if I tell you if I get into painting miniatures, I think Nemesis might be one of the first ones I

50:57 I start with cuz there's some cool minis.

51:01 Look nice. I So I did not include Nemesis in contention for my list. I have played the original one time, but I have Nemesis Retaliation now and have not played it.

51:14 You need to.

51:14 So, tune in next year to find out.

51:17 Yeah, I will be. I'll I'm actually going to be very interested to see where that lands for you

51:20 cuz I definitely enjoyed Nemesis. I mean, enough that I was I was tell Yeah, that was even with playing probably the majority of the roles wrong.

51:29 It was pretty bad.

51:30 Yes. Um, nice. Yeah, there's there's games like that where there there's a cost to the anything could happen. You could it could swing really poorly,

51:42 but it also opens up the possibility of experiences that you wouldn't be able to have otherwise. And so with the right group, it's worth the risk.

51:50 So true.

51:51 My number five is nothing like that, though. Uh, my number five is a very, very popular game that when I first saw this come out on paper, I was like, "This could have the chance of like competing with some of my top games of all time." Cuz there's a lot of times I have games on my wish list that I'm like, "Oh, this would be a fun game to get and I'm, you know, excited to try it." But do I go this game that's the type of game that could compete with my top and not just be a top game or something Ark Nova

52:27 and it's got some pieces similar to some games we really enjoy. I would say the the deck of unique cards is a little bit has a feel of something like Terraforming Mars.

52:38 Um and kind of just like how am I going to work with what I get? but then you're building on your own board instead of a shared board. And so that almost is more like some of these games that we really like that you're building your kind of your own thing. And the combination of the spatial puzzle in this with the tableau building is just really really nice. Like I love the

53:00 okay I need to build a size four enclosure because that's a prerequisite for me to play this animal cuz I'm going to need to put it. But then now I am thinking well in the spatial puzzle where does it make sense for me to put a size four enclosure and like do I want to go this way to hit these bonuses or what is this going to close me off from? But then once I have it that's what enables me to now play that card into my tableau and flip it. And so there's this interplay between this the spatial puzzle in your cards that you're playing. Um that just really works really well. Um and you add in a lot of just other solid systems around it. You know, you got the interesting conservation track and appeal track and you're trying to get them to cross. And I've had games where I really am strong in one or other games where I'm really strong in the other and that's feasible to do those types of strategies because, you know, you ultimately just need to get them to cross each other. Um, but really I think the standout mechanism in this game as far as the feel of playing it is that card system for driving your actions and the fact that you know you have five different actions you can take in every any given turn, but the one that's furthest to the right, which equates to the one that's been the longest since you've done that

54:12 is going to be the strongest version of that action. And so you're trying to sequence things to do strong actions as much as possible, but you also have to be balancing that with what do I really need to do now? There are times where doing the weak action if it's the right action is the right strategic decision. Um, so that it is really interesting. I love how it gets you to think one or two turns in a row of like, oh, I'm going to do this so that this will slide so that I'll be able to do it at the right level. Um, so I would say that this for for us, I think both has delivered on what we wanted it to be. I mean, five is pretty high on my list.

54:49 Only complaint of it, Ryan, my only complaint is the uh final scores that it puts out

54:54 where it's like the actual numbers.

54:56 The actual numbers where it's like, oh, winner,

54:58 I got seven.

55:01 Yeah. I'm like, they should have just I don't know, shifted it so that you

55:05 It does feel like you actually It does feel bad as a new player when you play a heavy board game for three hours and your score is negative five.

55:12 Yeah, I know, right? And you may have not done that.

55:15 I made negative progress,

55:16 right? I know. Yeah, it is kind of weird. Um, yeah, this is one I'm really excited. I've played it eight times. I really like the Marine Worlds expansion has really added some nice spice into my recent games of it. Um, who knows, maybe this is one that goes up for me. Um, but it's definitely up in the mix here with some of my favorite games of all time.

55:37 You know what time it is, Daniel?

55:40 7:23.

55:41 Oh, look at that. PM.

55:44 Yeah, we got to go pick another winner today. Let's jump over there.

55:47 It's time.

55:48 All right, everybody. I am giving the wheel a spin. Now's the time to cross your fingers. You know, maybe maybe this is the one. It is for Nathan F.

56:03 Let's go, Nathan.

56:04 Nathan, congratulations. I hope I hope this made your day.

56:09 I hope Nathan just jumped on the table and is just right now.

56:14 Uh yeah, start thinking start thinking which game you want.

56:17 Mhm. And we are to my number four, which Ryan is one of the most stable games in terms of where it has sat in the uh rankings over time. I've got a 4344 here. So, this is one's just been holding steady um and one that uh you have mentioned as being one of the best cooperative experiences despite maybe not being designed originally as a cooperative experience. This goes to Mage Knight Ultimate Edition. Uh I've played this 15 times, Ryan, and maybe one of those was competitive. Like I I think

56:57 we played a few I think.

56:59 Okay, we played a few of um it is pretty crazy. I can't think of another game that we've had where changing I mean that that is a like fundamental change to the game, you know, going from

57:11 I mean so much of the game feels similar. It's just now when somebody's snowballing

57:17 their engine, you actually are like happy for them instead of like, "Oh, well, I've lost the game. I guess I'll play."

57:21 You care about you care about other people's turns now in terms of like it's exciting to see what they're what they're doing.

57:27 Um, you know, you you were just mentioning kind of the arc the arc of the game. I I always

57:32 we love a good arc.

57:34 Oh, I love I love a good arc, Ryan. And I love in this game how it starts where you come up in that little, you know, shared space and then it's like, okay, we're playing two-player. Okay, where are we going to go? Like, this game has such a great start of game exploration feel because you don't really want to go to the same place because you're going to, you know, um, you know, take from each other. So, it it's best to kind of split off and go in two different directions. And so, you feel like you're heading out on your own adventure and you're encountering these different things. And through it all, you're trying to, you know, upgrade after upgrade. And you were mentioning how the upgrade, you know, it's not just like not necessarily just you're getting things all the time, but you really do feel that like getting experience and then you boom, you hit another, you know, upgrade level like in a video game and and you get these these really impactful things. I mean, the game is just building you up into this absolute beast. I mean, the cards that you get the between like spells and stuff like when you have uh is it mana? Is that what the the stuff is called?

58:39 Is on your turn and then you can crystal. Oh, crystallize it. There you go. So, when like if you have those and you've got some spells that you can, you know, you like you can pull off some crazy things. And guess what? You're going to need it because when we get back to that final boss, when we, you know, come together at the end, it is lay before lay on the table the fruit of your labor because this is not an easy fight. I still am amazed how whenever I get to that final battle, Ryan, and you tell me how many of these like white dragons we have to pull out and distribute, I'm like, what? How are we going to pull this off? And the worst is when, you know, one of us, namely me, is uh less powerful than than you. And so it's like,

59:25 well, sometimes what happens is like to get to that final fight, somebody had to like get rid of a dragon or something. And so sometimes somebody has already kind of unloaded.

59:35 Yeah.

59:36 And then they're like, "Okay, I just like cannot do as much in this final battle."

59:40 Yeah. But it like it just delivers such an epic arc, such an epic upgrade, and and that final battle like you said that is so often so close and so tense. It is so fun. I mean, it just it g it is an experience that is is long. It's the rules are not easy, but man, it uh if you can learn this one and find someone who enjoys this, I mean, this is uh just gives that kind of epic just you experience power in this game.

1:00:17 And you get to do it in one game. You don't have to get together for a campaign. You get to get the full experience.

1:00:22 Totally. It like takes it takes being picture. It takes what a lot of people love about campaigns of like

1:00:28 and it smashes it to all together into one one go.

1:00:32 A long go but still one go you get that arc all at one time which is uh I just think so so incredible. So that is my number four.

1:00:44 So it's funny we describe this final battle as so epic. It's it's important to understand it's very puzzly. When we say epic, it's everybody silently for 10 minutes trying to figure out.

1:00:54 But at least you can help each other since it's cooperative. Like at least you can like you can like talk a little bit. But

1:01:00 yeah.

1:01:01 Yep. No, but it is one satisfying puzzle.

1:01:04 It is.

1:01:06 My number four has also been pretty stable. It debuted at number nine a few years back, but then jumped to three and then was three last year. Now at four. This is not a game that when I first saw it, I ever thought would be up here in the top tiers of my list. Um, but it's just really, really good. And I think a lot of people have overlooked this one.

1:01:30 Oh, wow.

1:01:31 I think a lot of people overlooked.

1:01:32 Tune in. Listen up.

1:01:34 Uh, and that is Lorenzo Il Magnico. And as the beautiful cover appears on your screen now, you you may have seen it before and maybe like, "Oh, yeah. I never check really checked that game out cuz maybe you just maybe you judged a book by its cover cuz I'll admit it does not look super exciting. Um but I would go as far as to say this is one of the best engine building games

1:02:01 I've played.

1:02:03 Um and the feeling of of you know because there's there's different kind of kinds of engine building of like building up your character, building up a tableau. This one is interesting because you're kind of literally building two different engines. You know, you're you've got kind of this worker placement in the game that you're collecting cards and two of the colors of cards you collect, the green ones are going to go into this row that's like your production engine and the yellow cards are going to go into this row that's kind of like your conversion engine. And so then when you go do the action to run your green cards, you get to produce a bunch of resources based on what what cards you've gotten. What makes it interesting though is each card has a die value on it and it's only going to produce if the the worker that you went there was a high enough value to trigger it. And so you might get a green card that is an amazing production. Maybe it gives you a faith point, which is in this game hard to come by. Faith points are big. If you don't want to get excommunicated from the church in this game, you need those faith points. Well, that's amazing to produce that, but it might be a six. So that means unless you're going with a a value six worker, you're not actually going to get it. Um, and so that's just a really interesting piece of the engine and you can kind of like intentionally run it at a lower level and be like, I know I'm not going to get these top things, but it's still worth it to me.

1:03:22 And then the the yellow one, you're able to do a lot of conversions to convert resources into other resources or into points or different things. Um, and so that's very fun within this game that has a lot of engine building to literally have two rows that are kind of their own engines. The worker placement, I mentioned the values of the workers. It's cool because you roll three dice at the beginning of the round and those three die results are the values of everybody's workers. So if the orange die is a four, everybody's orange worker is a four. And so this doesn't mean it's always fair,

1:03:57 right? Like nobody collective groan at the table when you can brutal moments in this game cuz it's tight. this is a tight game and so when you get constrained on the numbers it's really hard but it's you know how's everybody work

1:04:11 and you know if you leaned more into the servants that's what gives you some flexibility to adjust those

1:04:17 um and yeah we we tend to like tight strategy games where like you feel like you're having to really work for what you're getting and you feel clever when you figure out ways to do things and this sure is tight. You're always short on something whether it's money or servants or And you know, once one person goes into a tower to take a card, now you have to pay three coins if you want to go into the same tower. And so it it is a really, you know, it's not easy what you do here. But all of that is great, I would say. But you add on top of that some of the modules that they have of the leaders that you get in your hand that are these abilities that once you meet the prerequisites, you can get out and have those for the rest of the game. And then with the Houses of Renaissance, the actual house faction abilities that are some of the most drastic player powers I've seen in any game ever. Like one of them is like you get a another three worker the whole game. Like you just have another worker that nobody else has.

1:05:18 Um or I mean there's just really wild things where everybody's like, "Wow, your guy yours does what?"

1:05:22 Yeah, they're unbelievable. And so you just have they just took the system this core system and where a lot of designers would have stopped they were like what if we just level up with more kind of abilities. It does mean this is a game because the engine building is so

1:05:39 kind of massive. There are often massive score discrepancies in this game. I have to warn people like oftent times the person that wins wins by 50 points.

1:05:49 Is that usually you Ryan?

1:05:50 It is not. Let me tell you, I've learned that apparently I'm not good at this game or at least recently. I feel like I just get crushed, but it says a lot. I have a great time every time I

1:06:00 has a great time losing at this game.

1:06:02 Great time losing. Um, but yeah, it's it's fantastic. And so, I mean, I'd say anybody that likes their kind of tight worker placement strategy style games. Like if if the types of mechanisms I'm describing are like games that you enjoy, do not overlook Lorenzo Magnificico because it's fantastic.

1:06:21 I would have overlooked it if it wasn't for

1:06:23 you would. I had I had to work to get D.

1:06:26 I know. I was not excited, but it it impressed me.

1:06:29 My number three, Ryan, has gone 355 back to three. And man, probably the uh most praised board game by our gaming group people that we uh like this is the game that honestly of all games probably gets demand I dare I say Ryan demanded.

1:06:53 It is demanded

1:06:54 the most. This goes to Eldrich Horror. Um, Ryan, this is probably a game that has given some of the greatest board game memories that we have like in terms of just uh game that has given uh some of the high some of these just incredible highs and and I this think the game is is really crafted to do that one. It's just an incredible sandbox. I mean, we've um you know, we got the we came from Arkham Horror. I actually played a ton of Arkham a lot of Arkham. Um, and then moved to Elder Horror. And what Elder Horror did was it kept what we liked about Arkham Horror, I think, in terms of the just not knowing what event, you know, drawing an event card. And I mean, gosh, you get start to get more and more expansions and the the variability is just off the charts. The characters, the ancient ones, the events, all of it. But the systems really streamlined from Arkham Horror to Eldrich horror. Like, it felt like they just cleaned it up.

1:07:55 the actions are just simple. No more gate burst. Praise the Lord. You know, get rid of that mechanic. But, uh, but it just felt like a much more refined experience to where now you can just you're not getting bogged down in all these like things, these other things, but it's just leaning into the variability of the game and it delivering a completely unique experience every time you play. And that's what this game does. When you go into a game of Elder Chore, it is going to lead you down a path that you have no idea, right? Yeah. And and that's the fun of it is finding this just unique puzzle that you're in and figuring out how are we going to pull this off? And the game is not easy. I mean, we, you know, lose uh lose a decent amount.

1:08:44 But what I love about this game is because of all that the variables and all of that is there are moments Ryan where we are sitting there as a group and we are like

1:08:53 it appears as if there is no chance. All hope is lost. But then someone at the table, usually Ryan, says, "But wait, what? What if what if you go there and you trade this item to this person and we go here and we roll and we have to roll but we get one die and we need a six and like just the craziest hailmary and we pull it off and that is Elder just is able to deliver moments like that um maybe more than I've or just in in a more exciting way than I have seen in in other games. And so, uh, you add all of that and it's just a fresh take every single game. Um, but the highs of Elder Horror are so high that they even let me put up with some of the lows and the lows. You can get whooped in this game and that is sad. Um, but the highs of Elder Horror just are

1:09:51 the top board gaming experiences I've had. And that's what is keeping it here at my number three. and one that uh you know rightfully you know Ryan right as much as you try to fight against your gaming group always demanding this one I think it has a rightful spot here at the top there's a reason it is so beloved yeah I mean it's been one of my most consistently played big games over the past decade really

1:10:15 um and it's one that you you have to be okay with a lot of what you're doing in the game is having an encounter where you're going to be rolling with skill checks to do you know whatever it is and some people that's going to kind of turn them off from the experience. I think we find it a lot of fun to sit around with friends and be we reading other people's cards and what's happening and rolling the dice, you know, so that rhythm of that throughout the game, but it is really a, you know, we talk a lot about the strategy in the game and how it's about managing probabilities and where do you take shots on things.

1:10:47 So, I mean, I think some people might see this on our list this high. You know, mine mine just was outside of my top 10. um and might be surprised alongside a lot of these other games that maybe don't seem quite uh maybe as random I guess as Eldrich. Um we did do a full review of it though. Um we can we can link that if you're interested in understanding us better of what what is it about Eldrich that clicks for us.

1:11:11 Uh a comprehensive look is available in that that video. Yes, it's pretty our our reviews are, you know, we try to be somewhat comprehensive of how we

1:11:20 three star. My number three.

1:11:25 Good segue.

1:11:25 This is brand new to the list. It is the only new game in my top 10. And three is really high.

1:11:35 This is shocking me just as much the second time around as the first one.

1:11:38 Just the second time. Uh, I mean, I think even the first time you knew this one,

1:11:43 actually, I really didn't surprise

1:11:44 was gonna be high.

1:11:45 This is really high.

1:11:47 And yeah, I've played it seven times, which is saying something cuz this is not a short game. This is Slay the Spire, the board game,

1:11:57 and I know I enjoy these types of kind of big epic cooperative experiences, whether it's Mage Knight, Too Many Bones was lower on my list. Mhm.

1:12:07 Um, you know, and particularly with one other person where you get that co-op experience, but maybe the length isn't getting so out of control. Um, and just the way that this game delivers that board game experience in a way that captures so much of what I love about the video game

1:12:26 is really just a testament to the design team behind Slay the SP. I should have had more confidence in them. like they obviously are such a good design team in just evidenced by Slay the Spider the video game. I we were definitely skeptical when we heard this was coming to a board game. It just seemed like kind of why. Um but they really they really nailed it. And

1:12:48 um there are a lot of things about it that feel different, but the ability to be able to share that experience

1:12:54 with another person at the table is huge

1:12:58 and it changes the feel of how you're going about it because you are deck building with someone else. You know, you you do know your partners if you're playing two-player, their strengths and maybe what you're leaning more into. almost like this deck building together, you know, to synergize and that

1:13:16 that is just very very fun, but then also getting to just share the satisfaction of the tight slay the spire loop. This game just gives you so many frequent upgrades and like getting something and getting something and oh, we go into the next room and the next room just gives everybody a relic and everybody gets a relic and that like gives you some new powerful thing that

1:13:34 um they really dialed that in with the video game and were able to bring that experience here to the board game as well.

1:13:42 I mean, this feels my brain says surely this is going to have to settle a little bit on my list. Like it's it's new, it's exciting, it's debuting high. I don't know.

1:13:53 But then my heart is going, what about it is going to drop? Like what about playing it more? Cuz it's the type of game that every game is so unique with the way that your build is and and how the run goes

1:14:08 that it just

1:14:09 it doesn't really have a a diminishing, you know, as you as you do more plays, which that is something that's true of a lot of our favorite games. We do like to play our favorite games many many times. And this is a game I can see myself playing many many

1:14:26 video game.

1:14:27 Um I don't know. I mean it takes a lot longer to do a run of the board game than it does to take do a run of the video game. Um and I've played this, like I said, two-player is probably my favorite. I have played it with three, which is a lot of fun, though. You start getting

1:14:40 a little long, a little harder to like know what your partners are doing cuz you got two to keep track of and the battles are a little bit a lot more going on. Yeah. Solo. That's something every game. It is this different experience and sometimes it's kind of what I'm looking for a little more.

1:15:04 Um but man, big debut here.

1:15:08 The they've announced Slay the Spire to the video game. M

1:15:12 I've got my fingers crossed that the board game has done well enough that maybe some of that translates into like expansion content for the board games. That would be very very cool. That said, even if I never get a drip of new content for this game, there is tons and tons in this box. Uh and I'm having a blast with it so far. Uh, speaking of a game that has tons of things in the box, my number two sits steady from number two of last year and is the longest board game that I own and is able to within those eight hours just give me a board game experience, Ryan, that uh is unlike any obviously unlike any experience just in the length, but honestly unlike any experience just in general of a eight hours of just in bonding with with friends and this incredible shared experience. Uh this goes to Twilight Imperium fourth edition. Uh we originally had the third edition of this game

1:16:18 very briefly. It was me finally pulling the trigger on the third edition that got them to announce the fourth edition.

1:16:23 I know. And we played it maybe a couple times. Uh but then you got the fourth edition. I got it a little bit later

1:16:30 and it one makes a ton of improvements from the third edition. Really refineses a lot of things. Uh which is good in a game that long. Um oh my gosh, they fixed the whole tech tree. I remember bringing out the diagram in the third edition trying to figure out how to how to upgrade tech. Uh much so a lot of great improvements. Um, but this game um on the surface might look like, oh, that's just like a space combat war game.

1:16:57 Yeah, it's all about fighting.

1:16:58 It's all about fighting. No, that is not the case. Unless you want to be really bad at the game. Um, this game is primarily kind of a uh one diplomacy. I mean, there is a ton of above the table uh interaction between players. is um I think about uh how much this comes into play, especially uh you know, so everyone kind of at the start of the game, you know, is going out and exploring and getting all of these planets. Now, planets are really cool because every planet card has two values. is it has a resource value which is good for uh building more ships and stuff like that. But it's got an influence value as well which influence is going to be key because once someone gets to Mechl Rex the huge planet in the center that starts the agenda phase where uh there are going to be every I think it's like every round two cards from the agenda deck that are going to be flipped over and voted upon and your votes are your influence. And let me tell you folks these are some crazy cards. Like there are like a law that if passed permanently is going to change something for the rest of the game in a drastic way

1:18:04 fundamental rule like a fundamental thing or get attached to a player

1:18:09 and like give change something about that player. I mean these are crazy crazy things and so there's so much like uh interactions and you know should we pass this should we not uh you know one I think one of the key things in this game is not uh appearing as if you are in first place. Um you know there's a lot of arguing kind of or you know trying to you know not make yourself appear like you're you're the winner. Uh, so I have just I can think about just all the above the table interactions that are incredibly fun. Um, and then what's funny about the or interesting about the agenda phase is it's they flip one card, you vote on it, but you're always going to flip a second one and your votes don't reset. So you don't know brilliant design.

1:18:54 Should I go in on this now

1:18:57 and risk not having votes for this second one or should I hold and and be able to be able to vote for that second one? So, um, that part of the game is is super cool. And then you just add in that all. So, there obviously there's going to be combat. There's there's all that, but it is all around getting 10 victory points. That is how you win the game. And it's from these objective cards. And so, you are trying to complete objectives. It's not necessarily who's the strongest, it's who can complete those objectives. And so the game just it gives such a epic big I mean this is one of those games where like you at the end of the day are just you are recapping the what happened and the crazy move. I mean this game just has so many crazy moments that happened and the interactions that happened between players. you spend a whole day on it. And I believe giving a game, one board game, like that's a hard get like you talk about when we play on a game day, you could play like four, five, six board games

1:20:00 during what would take one game of Twilight Imperium. I mean, I believe what it gives you in that full day uh lives up to uh lives up to the experience. So, sticking at my number two. And gosh, I will get another play of it once my kids get old enough.

1:20:18 I'll be whipping out TI4 every night.

1:20:20 How many kids you got over there, Daniel?

1:20:22 I know. We're working. Speaking of staying steady at number two. Uh, Maya has been at number two for four years in a row, holding on. Um, and this is a game that has already been mentioned by Danny. Oh,

1:20:41 apparently I like it a little bit more.

1:20:42 I seriously don't remember.

1:20:44 Um, this is Terraforming Mars.

1:20:48 And again, it hits on a, you know, I feel like there's some common themes the more we talk about some of the games here in like my top 10 of like

1:20:55 especially when we do it twice.

1:20:56 Yeah. Yeah. It's really feeling familiar. It's weird. Um, but the cards in this game and the steady flow of getting new cards and especially my favorite way to play this game is with the drafting of the research phase where you're not just getting four cards and buying. You're actually drafting those and then picking which adds this really nice interaction of not just what do I want, but what do I not want to be passing to my opponents? Um, but just that steady flow of new opportunities into your hand and what's worth going after, what's worth paying to get into your hand because you have to make that decision of like to keep it as an option even if you don't know for sure. You have to pay that three credits up front to grab it and that's often a tough

1:21:42 um decision. Um, but talk about satisfying. This is another one that's just like a poster child for satisfying engine building. Almost everything you're doing with the tableau and the cards is building up your engine in some way. Whether that's directly more credit production or steel or titanium or you're leaning into some of these different system with the plants that let you get greeneries or the heat.

1:22:02 Um, and such a unique element of how the game progresses, right? Like that thing with the three vital metrics of whether we've terraformed Mars enough of the water and the oxygen and the temperature

1:22:17 like is so interesting and it makes each game feel very different cuz I've had games where like

1:22:23 we all hammered up the temperature for whatever reason. Like the game played out in a way that the temperature went way up

1:22:30 and was like almost full before the oxygen, you know, and oceans really got going. And that really changes how the game feels because suddenly a heat strategy where you're producing a lot of heat is well not as powerful down the stretch cuz once you're not able to spend it to actually increase it, it's not really good for anything.

1:22:47 You you also might be able to play cards.

1:22:49 Well, I was going to say certain cards that have a high threshold. You can get them out early.

1:22:53 Yeah. Yeah. There's something that usually would be a late game card, but because that one happened to go out more quickly, you get it earlier and you're able to build an engine around it. And so it really is a fun and and you know it's deeply tied into the thematic fits

1:23:07 pieces of the game. It's just a really nice um design decision there. Um but I think this game strikes just a great balance for my taste of the working on building up my own thing while also interacting with other players. There's a little bit of negative interaction that goes like past what I would probably want it to be. you don't like sending asteroids at people.

1:23:29 Anytime, you know, somebody has to send the asteroid and destroy like eight plants from another player, it's it's usually sent with an apology of like, I'm sorry.

1:23:36 I'm so sorry I paid 28 credits to destroy.

1:23:39 Usually those cards, like the player is doing it mainly for the other benefits. There are some times where you're like, oo, this is perfect to hurt this player that's ahead.

1:23:47 But a lot of times it's just collateral and you're like, sorry, I have to destroy somebody's plants.

1:23:51 Um, so it's not my favorite moment in the game, but it's it's not it's not too bad. And um but there's so many other interaction points of as tiles are coming out on the map and like you can you know mooch off of other people's stuff whether it's just oceans that you get credits being next to but also greeneries that like I could slide in here with a city um and get some points but then the initial push for milestones right at the beginning of the game like you know especially if you're in a game with more than three players it's like well three milestones can be claimed and you know everybody's thinking and you're kind of keeping an eye on who's going for what because it's huge to not get shut out of milestones. And then you've got the awards that like if I can fund one of those early then I get it cheaper, but now everybody knows that thing is scoring for everybody at the end of the game. And so you've given people more time to potentially beat you in the thing that you funded.

1:24:44 Um and so I find that every time I play this, all that just comes together so nicely. um the rhythm of it with every round and building up and getting more cards and that that initial moment, right? We put the Prelude expansion getting your initial 10 cards, your four Prelude cards, two corporations and being like,

1:25:04 where am I going to be gaming? I love

1:25:07 and that Prelude the Prelude expansion is so good. You just feel like you launch into the game with some really strong initial things. Um so yeah, we also really like the colonies expansion. like if I'm playing with an experienced group, I do like the colonies. We recently got Prelude 2. Um, which, you know, we'll take more Prewood stuff. We would love it. Um, but I the last time I played also got to play with the new mini expansion module where you can actually randomize the milestones and the awards on any map.

1:25:36 Which is awesome cuz it used to be that like whatever map you pick, it's always, you know, the hell map is always these milestones, always these awards. Well, now you can mix that up on any map, which is just,

1:25:48 you know, that's the type of thing that that's the type of thing that gets us to get our wallets out without any self-control. So, uh, Terrifor Mars, it is showed real staying power. I'm up to what, 33 total plays. Still loving it. Still loving it. And that brings us We only got one game left, which means we need to go and pick our final winner. All right, this is it. The final spin of the wheel. I do want to take this opportunity to just say thanks for watching. Whether you're someone who's watched the channel for a while or this is your first time spending some time with us, we really do appreciate it. There's a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes to put videos together, but it certainly makes it more worth it when it seems like people are enjoying them. So, thanks thanks for taking some time out of your day to to spend with us and just, you know, talk about board games.

1:26:42 But let's kick it off here. Let's spin this wheel and find out who our final winner is. Noel. Woohoo! Noel. and no last name, but apparently it was the only Noel, so that was enough to determine the winner. Congratul Congratulations, Noel. To talk, man, for for an hour and a half on end.

1:27:10 Uh we are glad that you're going to get to enjoy one of these games. We'll be in touch. Congratulations.

1:27:17 All right, Daniel. Here it is. Our time of the year where we get to just spend some quality time talking about our favorite

1:27:25 board game. Games. Games. Board games. Could be plural of all time. Could be plural.

1:27:29 It could be plural. Have

1:27:30 to find out.

1:27:31 We'll find out. Could be a shakeup. Ryan.

1:27:33 Yeah. Um, Ryan, you know, it's been amazing thinking about our journey through board gaming and how many,

1:27:40 you know, started with Killer Bunnies and from that point on, we have accumulated a lot of board games and played a lot of games and gotten to try a lot of games and yet uh this one game specifically for you uh but I think clearly now also for me has risen to the top of them all. And despite being an older game that is getting some resurgence uh in the board gaming world today,

1:28:08 uh I think we still believe is the uh just pillar of excellence when it comes to board gaming. This is a Gricola. You know, Ryan, it does warm my heart to see the whole, you know, we didn't we didn't back the whole uh you know, kind of crowdfunding for the newest Agricola. uh uh partially just cuz we love our current a lot. It's kind of like well why do we need why do we need anything different? Um but I will say it does warm my heart to see so many people who are now getting into this game cuz the reality is this game came out in 2007.

1:28:43 I know it's I forget how old it is and we got into it I think in 2011. So, it's a it's a old game at this point and a game that I think so many people just would have, you know, missed along the way and now are getting a chance to discover how incredible this game is. And this is a game that hits on so many things that I think we love. Um, you know, Ryan was mentioning earlier that we love games that are tight. This game is very tight. like you

1:29:18 you feel like every action I can't think of a game honestly where your worker placement the worker the value of what that worker needs to give you

1:29:27 I need to find the best thing to do with this

1:29:30 not be wasting wasting time with that so it is just such a crunchy worker placement but you add with that the fact that it is accumulating resources so resources can build up if they don't get taken which just is amazing Amazing. Because what it does is already your decisions were critically important, but now you're looking, you're like, "Oh my gosh, well, I was going to do this, but look over there. There's five read. There's five read." It makes the It makes the window placement so much more dynamic that like it shocks me that more games don't use this where it's kind of this fluctuating value

1:30:08 of spaces and like even a decision like

1:30:12 do I take this now or do I get starter so that I can get it right after it accumulates next turn. It's it's good stuff. So the worker placement is just incredibly interesting, dynamic, exciting, but then you add the cards and a Gula cards when you get that full hand of 14 cards, seven occupations, seven minor improvements, and you know, we all sit there for, you know, five minutes at the start of the game just reading our cards because you are just, you know, you're pouring through and the cards are so impactful and interesting And there's so much opportunity. I mean, you're looking, you're trying to find like, okay, you know, it's interesting in a Gala, like every agrical game, you're kind of trying to do the same thing in terms of the outcome at the end is fairly similar. Get a lot of people, try to get to like stone houses, you know, get you want to be well-rounded, right?

1:31:05 Some people complain about that like that agricula, but I we like that. I think it forces this this you really want to try to be well-rounded in your because you get penalized if you don't have something. So, the outcome is similar, but how you get there and because the game is so hard, the way you're going to get there is just different every single game. And those cards and how you use them and how you use them to get to that place, I think is just incredibly satisfying. I mean, this game is so difficult and it's one that like you need to play this game to to really get the most out of it. I mean, and I think my rankings are a testament to that. This wasn't always my favorite game. I mean, uh, when we go back to the days when Ryan is whooping me left and right in a gricola, like this was this was low. Um, but I but you know what changed, Ryan, is I started to really grasp the the me, you know,

1:32:00 the strategy in it and how to play well. And when it clicks and now suddenly you understand the systems and then you then suddenly you're you're thinking less about how to, you know, just do the base things cuz you kind of know how to how you're going to get there and suddenly you can just focus on the cards and these just crazy different ways you can make that thing that thing happen. So uh gosh, you know, I've I love a girlet at two player. I've played it with my my wife, but when you can get more players and you can

1:32:32 throw it at two, man. Oh,

1:32:33 with only one wood spot.

1:32:35 Oh, it is. It is cutthroat. Yeah. But I So I do like when you can add more players and it opens up a lot more of the cards as well, you know, that are available. Ryan's played it with six players. I haven't done that.

1:32:47 We have and it was fantastic.

1:32:49 Yeah.

1:32:50 Absolutely fantastic.

1:32:51 Um I you know, one of the things we've said this before, Ryan, but it's such an incredible experience and it always delivers. It always delivers an incredible experience like there honestly in our top 10 it is probably the most consistent game.

1:33:10 Yeah. And I think it's once you kind of achieve that base mastery of the core systems that that becomes true

1:33:18 where it's like okay you've kind of got it down but once you've got that down and now you're just coming to a fresh

1:33:24 you know hand of cards every time. It's so true. Like I cannot remember the last time I had a quote unquote bad game of brick. I've had games where I did worse than normal or didn't, you know, win,

1:33:36 but the game experience is like just always so good,

1:33:40 right? So kind of shocking a little bit for me because like I am a I'm a thematic guy. I'm a like cooperative. I'm epic. And yet look at this.

1:33:51 I love seeing a Grile and Twilight Imperium side by side right at the top. be more different and yet they sit side by side in my heart. So that is my number one. But I'm very curious, Ryan.

1:34:03 Very curious

1:34:04 about what other game might be at the top.

1:34:06 You see, I was I was thinking about Killer Bunnies and thought it reflect on

1:34:12 Yeah. It's it's once again a Gricola. And

1:34:16 how many years in a row, Ryan

1:34:18 on Daniel's list? It's like, you know, a little bit of a surprise that that a grias with me. It has not it's been kind of as long as I can remember.

1:34:25 If it ever gets dethroned, that will be the shock of the world.

1:34:30 The day.

1:34:31 Yeah. And I mean, I'm to the point where it's like hard to picture what a game would have to be to do it. Cuz here's the thing with the Greeka is I love it more now at 94 plays than I did at 50 plays. You know, Ryan, I hope your love of your wife grows like your love of

1:34:52 I hope so, too. Yes. Like a fine wine. Like

1:34:55 fine wine.

1:34:55 But it's but so like a new game coming to compete for this. It's not just competing with like a Gria. It's competing with a Gria that has had 90 plays to just grow into such the type of game that would compete with it is probably a game that would take that long, you know, cuz that's the style of game that would. And so it's it's a really tall task, right, for it to to compete with it. Um, yeah, it just every time I play it, it's like returning to a good old friend. That core system that you're so familiar with that like you don't have to think so hard about those parts of the games and lets you really focus on the interesting variations that each game brings. And you know, I was thinking about how like that beginning of the game, you're you're strategizing what you think you're going to play, which occupations and everything,

1:35:49 but it almost never, in fact,

1:35:52 I think it never goes the way I think I am going it's going to. It always changes. I always am like, "Oh, I'm I'm not going to be able to play this. I'm going to need to do this. Oh, this card I wasn't going to play at all."

1:36:02 Stay on your toes.

1:36:03 I could do it. And I honestly think that is part of what I love about it so much is that you do build this initial plan. you know what's available to you upfront, but then you're constantly adapting as the game goes by. And like, you know, there's so many rounds leading up to a harvest where

1:36:22 you end up going into the harvest having done a very different thing than you like had planned. You went into the round being like, I need to get this done before the harvest. And by the time you get there, you're like, well, I didn't do that, but I did do this other thing that was like actually a pretty good contingency plan. And it feels good to have pulled that off. Um, and just that rhythm. I mean, it really is a rhythm in this game of the in between the harvest, right? Of, you know, because each harvest is when you're going to have to have your people fed, but it's often, you know, when you're going to want to have gotten other important things done, whether that's growing your family or taking a big step with your food engine moving forward. And those harvests get shorter. You know, the time between them is shorter and shorter as the game

1:37:05 goes on, but you're hopefully getting more and more powerful. Um, I really hope with all the new people that are likely to be trying this game in the next, you know, a couple years with the new addition and everything, I hope that people give it enough plays cuz like that's the thing is the experience that we're

1:37:23 selling as our number the best game we've ever played. It's only that with a lot of plays. It really is like it was good initially,

1:37:32 but it only ascended to this like

1:37:35 it just

1:37:36 the stratosphere, the upper echelon of I mean for me there's a big gap honestly at this point between my one and my two like it's not like terraforming Mars is like I mean it really is just like nothing's even close to touching it and that wasn't always true. Gria has was winning the race and has extended its lead here 15 We're coming up on 15 years later after originally getting this game.

1:38:03 Holy cow.

1:38:04 Um,

1:38:04 can't wait till you're like 85 and still just agricula number one.

1:38:09 I mean, we'll see, man. We'll see. We'll be here. Old men on the channel. Will we still be talking about 16th century farming? I don't know. But, um, you know, we talk about a lot of newer games and some of those games even made our list. But uh this really nothing can speak higher um to this that we're here uh year after year now saying that Agricola is still the best board game that both of us I guess have ever played. Hey, thanks for sticking around to just celebrate these great games with us. Whether you're uh a frequent on the channel or new to the channel, uh we have lots of other videos uh that you could check out. There's a few of them suggested here. Hopefully, you'll stick around and spend more time talking about board games with us in the future.