Top 10 Deck Building Board Games
Totally Tabled
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These are my favorite board games that use deck building as their central mechanism. If you would like to support the channel, you can give me a nice tip here:
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00:00 Intro (12. Revive)
00:20 Defenders of the Wild
01:00 10. Paperback
02:13 9. The Quest for El Dorado
03:20 8. Friday
04:13 7. Mage Knight
05:10 6. Great Western Trail
06:23 5. Clank!: Catacombs
07:44 4. Lost Ruins of Arnak
08:45 3. Dune: Imperium
09:45 2. The LOOP
10:58 1. Dominion
12:33 Outro (11. Summer Camp)
#totallytabled #boardgames #tabletop #deckbuilding #top10
10.10.2023
Do you include Glow as deck building game?
If no. I wd agréé but it's one if m'y fav'!.
I m feeling there is so much to play and so much more deck building games about to come in 2024
Why are cards from Ark Nova on the title screen? AN is never mentioned, nor is it in any sense a deck building game.
A solid list overall, including some of my favorites (Friday, Dune: Imperium)
For solo play, I love Imperium Classics/Legends. I saw in another post that you haven’t tried it, but it is well worth learning. I also enjoy Astro Knights – rethemed and streamlined Aeon’s End (which I was too dark and complicated for me with all the expansions)
amazing video
I love deck builders! Thanks for the list. I would love to see the other 20 in your top 30!
To me, Dominion is like The Beatles. Yeah, it has had a lot of influence on the hobby. But MAN has it aged. And there are so many modern alternatives that do so many things better.
Thanks for you list! But why the cards of Ark Nova in the thumbnail of this video?
Absolutley agree on Dominion.
Its so easy to teach and play but so complex. I got a lot of people into Deckbuilding by showing them Dominion
One of my Favourites is Aeons End.
Its basicly Co-Op Dominion Versus the game where you need to defend a city from Monsters and fight off a hughe Boss.
Tons of Unique Characters, Cards and every Boss has its own unique gameplay twist.
Hi shaggy! Interesting that you put The Loop so high up. I'm still interested in the game but also not really because of the core actions which look kind of dull and repetitive: 1.remove a cube 2.remove a disc 3.move. Any thoughts on that? (Also missing Spirit Island on your list)
Nice video. The slow moving of pieces and cards is torture to watch though.
Perfect time for more Mage Knight playthroughs!
Thank you for putting Dominion at #1. I got into the hobby about 4 years ago and for the first two years I was disgusted by Dominion because of the box art and the card art. I finally tried it during the pandemic because I discovered it was one of the best games to play online, and I could play it over a Zoom/Facetime meeting with family members. I quickly discovered how amazing it is.
I see sooooo many board game YouTubers dismissing it because "it's only deckbuilding". I think way too many people are addicted to the "toy" factor of so many games, and the "more is better" bias. The fact that Dominion is a pure (and the first) deck builder is a good thing!
To anyone reading this, if you buy the base Dominion game, then the Intrigue, Seaside, and Prosperity expansions, you'll have a game you can play hundreds of times. And it plays well at the full range of 2 to 4 players (some people complain about game length/downtime at 4 player but I disagree).
It's insane how Dominion is still trending for so many years. One of the first board games I have ever played and the only one I still enjoy after all these years. My only complaint is the price tag for the expansions. 40 euros is a lot for 250 – 300 cards.
Thanks a lot for this video. I own and love every single game from 1 through 7 on your list, with the exception of Loop. My absolute favorite board game of all time is Dominion, and I think Mage Knight is no. 2. Your taste seems to match mine pretty good, so I think I have to play Loop, now. 😀 Thank you!
Most games on yours list are also my favorites.
I would also add DC Deckbuilding, Marvel Legendary, Star Wars Deckbuilding, Ascension, Hero/star realms, and Aeons End.
I’m probably one of the few people that’s does NOT like Dominion. The art is not appealing to me and I can’t stand having one action per turn till I get more cards to have more actions. I’d like to play ALL my cards and trigger lots of combos! 😁
Weird that you choose Ark Nova as the thumbnail. Ark Nova is not a deck builder, but a tableau builder in my opinion. I know that picking Dominion is not going to be as sexy but at least that is a deck building game, or Imperium Legends.
+1 for saying Dominion. Its such a classic
Deck building game video and no word of Century Spice Road, Splendor, Gizmos or The Builders?
I LOVE deck building games and have quite a few overlaps with you. Some that I really love that were missing from your list are:
Aeon’s End
Hero Realms
Baseball highlights 2045
Undaunted
I’m super excited to try paperback adventures when I can get my hands on it and also heard a lot of good buzz around the new Star Wars deck building game.
Dominion never gets old. I still love it too. 💯
Amazing list!
the loop is a perfect game IMO, and very, very, very underrated – just wished the board was a bit smaller, because adding cards around the eras takes a lot of space
I really need to try Dominion (and every game on the list tbh). What do you think about Star Realms?
OK>…. totally tables I was going to have to yell and scream at you if you didn't do what you should — make Dominion your #1 game… and you did… so no yelling this time… so I guess all of my comments and post finally wore you down until you realized I was right… Dominion is the #1 game of all time… as you said, there isn't many games out there that are still getting new expansions 15 years later and you are not talking about small box add 3-5 cards expansions we are talking about major expansions with as much content that came in the base game… You have restored my faith in you… my son — you did well this time.. don't make me have to scold you again….
Eminent Domain will always be on my top5 deck builders.
Clearly, I need to try The Loop. Didn't give it much thought when it came out.
Amazing list! I agreed to almost everything lol except for dominion. Idk why i tried it and I don't understand the hype, maybe its because the game is the "dad" of deckbuilding so it's pretty old. I'd change dominion with star realms. One more thing, you use a deck of ark nova cards on your thumbnail on a video about deckbuilding, yes i know this is basically nothing but it somehow annoys me so much HAHAHAHA but still, amazing list 🫶🏽
Great list! Dominion is still a classic, and while it doesn’t have the satisfying thinkiness of Dune or Arnak, the elegant simplicity and accessibility keep it in my top 10. I’d say Spirit Island is deck building adjacent and it would be my number 1.
Have you ever beat Friday? Is it possible to? I love the game, but I've never gotten close to winning 😅
The Ark Nova thumbnail really got me 😂
Dominion is great, but Draconis has replaced it in my heart. I love harry potter battle for Hogwarts deck builder. I could never win Friday and eventually passed it on. Couldn't agree more with Clank catacombs (the solo campaign with the app is fantastic) along with dune and arnak. The newest Arnak expansion adds the campaign and makes it cooperative for two player and makes a game that was an 8/9 to 10 for me!
Love the list. I would add Imperium Classics/Legends, especially for a solo deck builder
My top two deckbuilding games are Imperium: Legends and Fort!
Thanks for sharing. Lost Ruins of Arnak and Dune: Imperium are in my Top Ten of board games and both are in my top five of deck builders so I'm right there with you. It's close, but I may enjoy Arnak a little more than Dune due to the theme. I've heard a lot about The Loop and have it on order. Based on what I've heard it may be near my top too.
Have you played Aeons End? That is my favorite deck builder by far!
Nice list. I have played 7 out of 10 and probably I would add them in my own list. I love also the tyrant's of the underdark.
Friday, After the Virus, Goblivion, Hero Realms
No love for Aeon’s End. Arguably the best deck builder made!
Wow, no Apex Theropod, G.I. Joe Deckbuilding Game, Thunderstone Quest, or Dark Gothic? Just my opinion, but this is probably the worst list I've seen by you.
The Leaders expansion for Arnak is a must. Never play the base game.
Star Realms never gets old, even after (approx.) 200+ playthroughs. Best £11 I've ever spent 🙂
For my money, Hardback is a better game than Paperback. It's almost the same game, but the ability to draw extra cards at will (without specifically lucking out on getting the right card) as well as the push your luck element it adds is very satisfying. I also like how the different card genres allow you to essentially make a specialised build.
I like them both a lot but out of the two, Hardback is the game-ier game, and better for it.
Great list though. I'm yet to play GWT but I do already own the New Zealand edition. Just need to get it learnt!
Tyrants of the Underdark is a really good deck building game and area control game. It should be on this list. You should try it if you never play it.
Dominion! Not just my favorite deckbuilder, but my #1 of all time.
A little shout out to Apex Theropod Deck building game which is good solo and the art is great. Also Star Realms, and Hero Realms – which has a coop/solo campaign expansion. 😊
There can be a huge difference of naming your top10 Deckbuilding games or naming your top10 games with Deckbuilding.
Both Mage Knight and GWT are in my Top20 of all time BUT they arent there because of the Deckbuilding aspect.
Both are only "soft" deckbuilders and I would argue that the hand management aspect is prior to the actual deckbuilding.
the loop looks interesting! i wonder if it has solo play?? ill look into it! friday i still dont have it! waiting for it to come back to one of the stores otherwise ill order it online!
I've played the Loop recently and if it is underated indeed I'm shocked… This is such an interesting co-op. I also love Ruins of Arnak, especially with the expansion ( can't wait for the latest)
Why is the thumbnail ark nova?
A turtle and a hare would have been a very different race.
One of my favorites is Terrors of London.