My (Highly Emotional) Top Ten Board Games: Video Five
Gnarly Carley Gaming
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Like: 1008
This is the continuation of my series of my (highly emotional) top ten board game series, where I talk about the games that have touched me the most in my world. This is video five, the video all about the game that is the game I can play when depression shakes my world, Taverns of Tiefenthal by North Star Games.
12.02.2023
Go girl! I hear you. I occasionally suffer from over-active mind-induced anxiety and games are great therapy. Gaming in general is a way to enjoy time with friends and help avoid our minds over-thinking the trials & tribulations of life. I only wish I was freer to do it more. Respect for being open.
I dig the concept. Super original and appreciated
I literally just found your channel two nights ago and I’ve been catching up on your videos. Thank you for posting this one and talking about depression (even if it’s in a “small” sense) and sharing your story in an effort to make it more normal to talk about. That’s a cause near and dear to me (along with gaming).
Looking forward to see your new videos as they come along!
Thanks for this video!
You are worth it. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
You're a treasure to this community. Vulnerability and authenticity are the foundation to connection, and board games should be about connection, right? I've struggled with depression since 4th grade… feeling seen and understood are the best tonic. 🤗💜
Thank you for this video.
Good honest video. Your microphone is a bit poor, though – hope you get a new one that will make your voice seem less like a you are sitting inside a big metal can.
You’re not a burden.
Very excellent stuff. Great Depression description. Thank you. Enjoyed it very much
Thank you for sharing this, Carly. This is the first video I've seen in this series, and I am looking forward to watching the rest. I've struggled with depression throughout my life, and I know the value of finding something, whether it's a game, or music, or anything really, that can hold you up and get you through the hardest times. The emotion in your voice when you talk about what Taverns of Tiefenthal is something I can really relate to. I appreciate you sharing this.
One of the biggest misconceptions about depression is that you magically are over it when you make a break thru. Sadly, depression is a lifetime battle and sometimes the slightest or seemingly most meaningless thing can occur and it all comes back to you like a giant uncontrolable wave in the ocean and the battle begins again.
I wish I could play more boardgames haha ! I do have a group that meets up sometimes, but it definitely beats the whittling feeling of having slept the entire weekend :/
One of my favorite ever games is burgle bros!
Great Game. But once you realize that tables are the most powerful buy and only buy tables it gets pretty boring.
Your passion for boardgames is clear for me, and I saw and felt it already (since the first days I saw your videos). Your expressions speak for yourself. Don’t let any toxic thinking or feeling in you.
Oh, Carley – what a beautiful, bold, brave video! I too have dealt with depression my whole life. Your description of it – the emptiness – is spot on. And gaming is both a blessing and a curse. At my worst I would go to game nights, take a huge breath to get in the door, present a mask of normalcy, and then collapse in tears in the car after. And the battle never ends – medications can help but often over time they lose effectiveness. It's just such a dreadful, joy-killing disease. And I've lost a friend to it in the past. Thank you so much for posting this.
I came for the thumbnail, but stayed for the emotive and evocative expression of your emotional experiences and how games make you feel.. I am thoroughly impressed with your humanity and ability to articulate your feelings on how games move you! Time to go back and review your back catalog of videos…👍👍
I don't think I've ever identified more with a video.
The raw, open emotion in your video has gained my love and respect for your channel. Thank you for sharing your experience. It's very informational for people that don't experience the same emotions in the same way, and very relatable to those who may feel alone in similar emotional spaces. That's important. You're important. You matter. Thank you for the content!
I often stare at my game collection and cannot work up the energy to pull one down and set it up to play. And if I do I am often too tired to play it once it is set up. Depression, anxiety, and fatigue can be a huge obstacle for me. Having said that, once I found small solo games like Onirim and Maquis that were much easier to get to the table and play without the assistance of others has helped, though I would not say they are a cure all. It's a constant battle but when I am feeling good and I do accomplish finishing a big game it actually does feel like a big accomplishment. I am indeed working on it and things are improving. In the long run, gaming is good for training my brain and I am grateful for the experience.
Hugs and high fives to all those out there struggling with the same issues. We are all community. Keep in touch. You are NOT alone!
Hope you are OK Carley. *non contact hugs
Wow…. Didn't expect this in my feed. 😭
I deal with depression also, so I appreciate this video and all your content. Love when you’re on NRB the last one when you had a break down on the art game was amazingly cute. You’re definitely one of the prettiest women I’ve ever seen
I don't know if you maybe understand some German or already know this, but "Tiefenthal" is put together from the words "Tief" (deep) and "Tal" (valley). So it is called the "Tavern in the deep valley" , which to me is kind of poetic in the context of why you love this game so much. 🙂
yep, i used to have tons of hobbies: gaming, beekeeping, artistic endeavors, creative things. about 5 years i just became a husk of skin and bone, a useless breather, going through the motions. things are a little better but i still wonder how that even happened.
I go through some of the same type of depression. My psychiatrist suggested I try board games a few years ago and it has been immensely helpful. Love the video, keep it up.
Thanks for sharing this. ❤❤❤❤❤
Just wanted to say thanks for making this video.
For want of a better word its funny how a boardgame you play with others would help you when your mindset is in that mode. Also I do play social boardgames at times I tend to mostly play solo ones but would find it hard to even set up a solo boardgame when in that mode let alone play it with others so very lucky to have an outlet like that.
Easier to turn on a console at that point until mood lifts for more boardgaming.
I'm a first time viewer of your channel. Thanks for this lovely video. It connected with me at just a perfect time.
There are 2 reasons why I decided to subscribe….
Thank you for sharing this with us 💚
Imagine being the designer of this game and hearing something like this. That your game is something that can spark purpose into someone in such a personal and deep way. What a lovely sentiment
As someone who constantly struggles with depression, I felt so connected with all these experiences. I am absolutely going to look more into this game too. Really, thank you for sharing this with us all. Lovely, through and through
you are so beautiful
It’s truly sad and heartbreaking to hear Carley gets depressed. But I love the fact she doesn’t hide this fact and explains how she copes with that. The real personality is what we love to see and be a part of.
I hope you've never have depression time while you're with family, friends and of course your fantastic games
That old black dog is something everyone who knows it will live with all their lives. I was lucky to find Robert E. Howard as a teenager, & this passage from one of the Conan stories really resonated with me:
"He paused a moment, idly listening to his friend’s retreating footsteps, which fell hollowly on the tiles. And as if the empty sound struck a kindred chord in his soul, a rush of revulsion swept over him. His mirth fell away from him like a mask, and his face was suddenly old, his eyes worn. The unreasoning melancholy of the Cimmerian fell like a shroud about his soul, paralyzing him with a crushing sense of the futility of human endeavor and the meaninglessness of life. His kingship, his pleasures, his fears, his ambitions, and all earthly things were revealed to him suddenly as dust and broken toys. The borders of life shrivelled and the lines of existence closed in about him, numbing him. Dropping his lion head in his mighty hands, he groaned aloud.
Then lifting his head, as a man looks for escape, his eyes fell on a crystal jar of yellow wine. Quickly he rose and pouring a goblet full, quaffed it at a gulp. Again he filled and emptied the goblet, and again.
When he set it down, a fine warmth stole through his veins. Things and happenings assumed new values. The dark Cimmerian hills faded far behind him. Life was good and real and vibrant after all – not the dream of an idiot god."
Obviously a depressant like alcohol isn't necessarily the ideal antidote for counteracting the void, but I did find something to make life "good and real and vibrant after all" in friends, family, & colleagues.
I'm very lucky to have found a group of people with whom I can play games & talk books & debate ideas, & it can be a bit overwhelming & emotional for me too.
What a great video! Thank you for sharing this, and love the game too!
Thank you for sharing your experiences with depression as a gamer, but most importantly as a human being. As someone who suffers with depression as well, trying to find anything that makes you feel better can be a challenge, so having that go-to thing that helps you feel even a little more complete can be lifesaving. Thank you again!
Just keep being yourself and you will succeed!
Fantastic video. I already have the game and its expansion but i was curious to see your list. I am also living though times and can relate to pretty much all that you say. Thank you for sharing this very special moment.
It's awesome to see someone talking openly about depression. Those of us that suffer from it rarely feel that it's just ok to talk about. Way to go and thank you Carley!
What's the game next to Old London Bridge on the shelf?
Within my own life, I try to consciously make myself buck the social weirdness and refer to depression like any other normal part of life, in circumstances where it's relevant. I think (hope) it's a helpful thing to do. So I just want to say, "Here, have a fist bump": 👊
Thank you for sharing your feelings. I feel with you. You are a gift to the board game community and I am happy your channel got recommended to me today.
Wow, this really resonates with me. Thank you for this video. I also feel so overwhelmed by this hobby in depressive phases. I don't normally watch your channel but I think the idea of having a specific go-to game as a coping mechanism is something I should try. Thank you.
Curious if you like Quacks of Quedlinburg as well, or the Clever series, or if they’re in they’re in some place in between that doesn’t work for you. I would think that, at least, Quacks would be in your wheelhouse.
EDIT: I see it on your shelf now, lol. Noticed it on another video. Not sure why I missed it here, as I am usually a sucker for a shelf of games, lol 🙃
I connect to this so much and even got teary when you were explaining your depression💜. This is exactly why I love tabletop gaming. It keeps me social and in some way, I'm feeling like I'm still doing something. Even if losing which is most of the time LOL. I always feel grounded again and connected afterwards. Much better than being left isolated in one's depressive thoughts.
I’ve also struggled with depression since middle school, due to PMDD. I started board gaming in Dec. 2021, right after finishing college. I used to play classic board games as a kid with my dad and was excited to play some new games with him once I got my first full time job and could buy some games. Unfortunately, before we could even play a game together, he got sick and eventually passed away. That put me in the most depressed state I ever felt. My other main hobby is reading and I could not pick up a book for months after his death. Any time I’d start a book and see the word “dad” or “death”, I instantly had to put the book down and sobbed. Instead, I picked up games to fill my time and bring me some joy in my darkest times. As it’s been a year now, I’ve went through other stretches of depression since then (and I’m still not fully recovered from that event), and in those stretches, I haven’t yet found a specific game that will motivate me to get out of bed and play, but this video gives me hope that I will.
if u r depressed u can play with me! I make u happy soon…