Top 10 Fantasy Games
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Definitively agree with you Camilla wrt Destinies. Such a great game!
What a weird take on Star Wars Tom. It is clearly fantasy in space. That isn’t being silly. They don’t explain or attempt to explain any of the tech and they use the force. You complain about generic fantasy and then refuse to accept alternative fantasy settings?
Thank you for having a female perspective in your top 10 list with Tom and Zee. Nothing against Mike Dilisio, however, when trying to get my wife interested in games, it helps to have a female point of view regarding top games to play.
Maybe it’s just me but my top fantasy games are Runebound, Hexplore IT , Oathsworn , Paupers Ladder and The Witcher Old world.
In Canada, we have the same problem with Bell and Rogers, they are both awful, evil companies that have a stranglehold on Canadian media, internet and cell phones. They are also in league with politicians (Toronto’s past mayor was on the board of rogers, clearly no conflict of interest there) and they are both in league with the CRTC (our FCC).
I'll stand on this pedestal…
Star Wars is NOT science fiction. Space ships, laser guns and aliens do not define the genre. The best definition for Sci-Fi is from Isaac Asimov, "Science fiction can be defined as that branch of literature which deals with the reaction of human beings to changes in science and technology."
Sci-Fi is a speculative form of fiction. It asks important philosophical questions about science and technologies. Stories that can be somewhat tangible. Nearly everything in Star Wars is allegorical or an homage to either other works or parts of history. It doesn't explore the concepts of how hyperspace would effect humanity or anything like that. Maybe it explores aspects of what it means to be human – most works of fiction does. Alternate History fiction is more adjacent to Sci-Fi than Star Wars, because Alternate History at least deals with the human reaction to changes of something – in this case it would be history.
If you want to say that popular culture has mistakenly conflated genres with settings, we can agree on that. But just because you have space ships and aliens does not mean you have a story that ultimately explores issues of human's reaction to things like ethically questionable medical advancements, the risks of automation, or extraplanetary colonization.
No mage wars ? I remember when Tom said it was his favorite game.
I think Tom is wrong, Star Trek Panic is actually pretty good, but a TNG expansion is a must, but they said due to rights issues, would never happen, sadly.
Lots of great games…and I agree with Zee on Res Arcana. Right now it is my most played game. If it isn’t my favorite, it is pretty close…especially with the last expansion.
LotR predates d&d by several decades, Tolkien's estate sued d&d and forced d&d to rename hobbits as halflings.
Zee throwing all the Small World races in a blender cracked me up. It's a new Special Power… I'll take the "blended elves" (but only if there's a couple of coins on them). 😛
Red guard || Voidwarden > Hatchett
I hate AT&T.
I start a new job the moment Gloomhaven comes out. (*Looks around and smiles.)
Why does the title say Milla and not Camilla?
More Milla! Such a great addition to the regular crew.
1. Magic: The Gathering
2. Lords Of Waterdeep
3. The Witcher: Old World
4. Vindication
5. Hero Realms
6. Mystic Vale
7. Res Arcana
8. Talisman: The Magical Quest Game 4th Edition
9. Clank!: A Deck-Building Adventure
10. Pathfinder Adventure Card Game (any version)
With Mike gone, I feel like this is the best three person group for top ten lists. I’m glad to see a list with these three featured. Camilla is very engaging and plays off Tom and Zee very well.
Generic fantasy (orcs, goblins etc) has got to be THE most tired and boring theme in board games. Great to see such variety on the lists.
Please do top10 dungeon crawlers next. Please please please
Oathsworn is absolutely my number 1 fantasy game and number 1 game of all time for all the reasons Camilla said.
Board games as pop culture taglines:
Last Bastion : When you're here, you're family.
Legends of Andor: Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!
Great discussion! I especially was interested to hear Zee's and Camilla's comments as they aren't dyed-in-the-wool fantasy fans. In defense of the puzzle aspect of Legends of Andor, anyone who has spent time playing D&D will know that often you do need to figure out a way to solve a problem beyond just bashing heads. I find that makes Andor more immersive. And in defense of including Everdell on this list, Redwall is considered fantasy.
Star Wars is sci-fi fantasy
Top 10 games worthy of a big box?
War of the Ring card game is genuinely awful. A long drawn out bore. The board game is fantastic.
Future Summoner Wars kickstarter with Zee quoted – "it's got the juice!"
A fantastic show, loved it! Next year’s crowdfunding for DT needs to include a Zee Garcia voiceover for a game or something. It’d be crazy fun with all that wit that y’all come up with. Also, the Staying Alive/I Will Survive sound-alike music mash playing as the credits roll makes it worth watching until they end. Good Golly, your productions have taken flight!
Maybe to illustrate the point why Star Wars is not science fiction: Star Wars is closer to The Lord of the Rings than it is to Star Trek. It's a space saga. But "space" does not automatically make it sci-fi. Yes, there are elements of sci-fi in Star Wars, but overall it is not sci-fi. Science is not a main topic, it probably is not even one of the side topics.
Spoiler alert on frosthaven
Great lists. Return to Dark Tower and Fall of Avalon would def be at the top of my list though
Anything that's free is garbage quality.
lol that oathsworn story has me interested now xs
All those trolls that call Star Wars NOT Science Fiction.
Watch the series Andor, there isnt even a single Jedi or Sith…so far.
There are factories where parts for the death star are produced by prisoners.
Of course, there is a huge difference of "the Martian" and "Star Wars Episode I to IX".
That doenst make Star Wars not at least 50% Science Fiction….the rest is the Force (=typical fantasy) and a world (incl. various alien species) that is mainly given instead of being explained.
Btw: space opera is no different genre BUT a sub-genre of science fiction.
About Science Fiction
"Borderline cases of fantasy are spoken of when the story takes place in a world so far away or in such a different world that what is “natural” there seems “supernatural” to us"
Looking at my rated games, I don't even know what qualifies as fantasy.
Here is my top 10:
1. Root
2. Spirit Island
3. Broom Service
4. Terra Mystica
5. AuZtralia
6. Warcraft (only with the expansion)
7. Battle Lore 2E
8. Catacombs 3E
9. Rising Sun
10. Feudum
But after everything after #5 is "only" rated a 7 for me. Does not seem like top 10 material, but I just haven't played that many fantasy games, I guess.
I'm not trying to be difficult or provocative, but Star Wars is space opera and fantasy, not science fiction.
I think much of what you are calling "generic fantasy" (dwarves, elves, bards, paladins, wizards, etc.) is more commonly referred to as "high fantasy."
I appreciate that there are no commercials in the middle of your videos.
My list of 10 great fantasy games, though it is hard to rank them in 10 exact placements:
Descent Journeys in the Dark First and Second Edition
Mage Knight
Battlelore Second Edition
Chaos in the Old World
Runewars (haven't played the miniatures rank-and-file miniatures game)
Claustrophobia
Warhammer Invasion LCG
Middle Earth Quest
World of Warcraft the board game
Sorry guys, but Disney films with anthropomorphic, Wind in the WIllows characters or zombies is not what is meant by 'Fantasy Games'. I remember the iffy DT Wargames video with Sam and Zee. By not following game themes I think Inspector Gadget and James Bond would classify as Sci-Fi…
You could have used the new Hawkshold cover for Battleground, Tom 😎
Star Wars is 100% fantasy. Knights, wizards, fantasy powers, made up creatures, etc.
No Mage Knight? That's certainly my number 1, far from the others! Thanks for the video!
Everdell is fantasy and I don’t think anyone would argue that… but it’s also nature themed. The two are not mutually exclusive
love the fantasy music at the end
I started playing Magic in the very early days of Revised, when it was still generic fantasy and I was young enough to want to immerse myself in the imagination of all the creatures and characters. As it has gotten more corporatized and standardized over the years I think the game has improved a lot but the themes and worlds have gotten more sterile and less approachable, the way Camilla was describing.
You just gave me a long list of games to check out. And possibly a buy-list too…
23:55 Its got the juice!
Science Fiction – in our universe
ie: Star Trek – no fantastical elements
Science Fantasy – not in our universe
ie: Star Wars – has fantastical elements
Sorry Tom, wrong on this one 🙂
u had a czech edition picture of everdell! 😀 Divukraj! nice!
Sleeping Gods ♥