Toughest Games to Table | Top 10 Board Games That are Hard to Table
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Jump:
00:00 – Intro
01:06 – Game 1
03:46 – Game 2
05:13 – Game 3
07:01 – Game 4
09:19 – Game 5
10:43 – Game 6
12:12 – Game 7
13:23 – Game 8
14:46 – Game 9
16:15 – Game 10
17:56 – Game 11
19:15 – Wrap Up
20:00 – A Little Bit Extra
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#boardgames #tabletopgames #toughgames #fosterthemeeple
Have you tried dinosaur island: rawr n write for a shorter set-up? It's on my wishlist because of the time/table factor.
Rebellion I never tabled but sold it still want to play it badly. Others in my collection be it no one to play with, rules overhead, setup/tear down; Yedo Deluxe, Overbattle, Lacerda games, and just campaign games in general. Currently working through 2 campaign games at the moment. I know you’re happy now Jeff!
Brass is amazing at 2. Doesn’t really feel that different to me at 2 vs 3.
Wife and daughter decided to start a 1,000 piece puzzle so everything is hard to table recently.
Just wanted to say I really enjoy your videos, keep up the great work!
Toughest to table: I pick Gloomhaven and Spirit Island. Also Caverna. Btw, we played Gloomhaven at 2, and it works fine
10:35 What the dog doin (sorry couldn't resist the meme)
Hardest games to table for me: Anachrony, Brass Birmingham, Gloomhaven, War of the Ring, Twilight Imperium, Anything my wife doesn't want to play… and most campaign games.
I've previously owned Sleeping God's and Mage Knight. I disliked Sleeping Gods less than Mage Knight.
Great Western Trails is excellent!
I started Sleeping Gods last night solo. You are definitely correct in it being a table hog. But after playing through the tutorial area, I already love it. Also a bit surprised at Great Western Trail being mentioned as too nuanced when I believe one of you said you like to play Gaia Project. I may have misheard that though lol. Anyways, great video as usual and I hope you two are doing well!
I game that I love and cannot table is Argent: The Consortium. MAJOR table space and a long game as well but I love the fun it creates.
Oof I am in strong agreement with you guys on so many of these.. particularly Dino island (I don’t have world), GOT the board game, and Brass Birmingham.. I’d add Terraforming Mars for me because it just takes us sooo long.. we just got prelude so hopefully that’ll make it less intimidating.
I love your videos, you all are the best!! Curious what are your conference table dimensions?
I have the same issue with sleeping gods. Took me and my co worker 4 weekends to do our campaign. And I have animals and small children and no gaming table so we had to pack it up and keep each characters cards and damage tokens and stuff in the bags. And took pictures after each play so we knew how to setup again the next weekend.
You can definitely play Brass Birmingham with 2 and it's even great with 2!
Captain sonar is the definition of hard to table
My hard to table game is Batman Gotham City Chronicles but I am hoping season 3 will fix that with the rpg and cooperative modes. It is 2 giant boxes just for the core game.
RTFM has great how to play videos for Star Wars Rebellion. His videos are wonderful for complex games (Spirit Island, Twilight Imperium 3 and 4, Nemesis).
Fantasy Flight Games has a tutorial video for Game of Thrones.
Jeff, I’m sure you will hear it over and over, but go watch the playthroughs from Ricky Royal’s Box of Delights channel for Mage Knight. It makes the game feel much less intimidating, and he’s very good at explaining his decisions and the rules along the way.
I would love rebellion, but I know it wouldn’t be worth it for us being that it would be so bad to table for us. Let’s talk brass. First I think the game is soooo gorgeous, I just love the board and cards. I do admit it took like three games to really catch on to a strategy and I know that can be frustrating to most that are used to the instant love(and I have only played it at two for this same reason) but it is one of our favs, I don’t find set up for two to be bad at all and once we are playing, both era’s we are done in less then a hour. Plus playing with the poker chips really does add a lot to it. Im a nerd, but give it a go for a few tries at least. It does seem like all these sort of heavy games are hard to remember the rule book when you don’t play them often, but this one isn’t as bad as most heavy’s
Love their gameplay but setup/teardown are intense:
Gloomhaven
Eldritch Horror
Mansions of Madness 2nd Ed
Praga Caput Regni
Robinson Crusoe
Honorary mention to Marvel Villainous simply because the gameplay is less enjoyable compared to Disney Villainous so I'd rather just play DV instead.
War of the Ring is the toughest. It's by #2 favorite game, yet I haven't played it in over a year.
It's such a real thing, I almost feel that I'm lucky if I can get some of my favorite games played more than once. It's those brown euros! Most play better at 4 or 5, and I typically only get to that player count with my extended family. They truly prefer a light breezy game. Every time bring up something like Caylus….oh, the horror in their eyes.😅
I have traded or given away most games that were too hard to table.
Great video! So many barriers to get through to play board games. I played Sleeping gods for three hours the day I got it, and never opened it again. So much work.
Game of thrones is rough…I feel for you on that one. It's awesome when you can just show up and play it. I heard it also has a PC version that might make it easier to play with friends?
Vast is one of my favorite games, and it never gets played because I can't get my friends to do their homework, and learn their factions.
Anything with a huge or bad or bad and huge rule book is hard to table. I skip the lacerda stuff mostly because I don't want to read those rule books and try and teach it.
I was sad you said Dino World because I haven't admitted the same to myself. My other game would probably be Beyond the Sun…table hog and setting up those dice that don't ever roll! Argh!
We like Brass at 2 but haven’t played at a higher count
Honestly, rebellion is brilliant. And once you learn it you'll see that it's actually quite basic. Well I think so anyway. And it creates such great moments. Never had a game that didn't at least have one of them. Death star about to blow up the rebel base and our last x wing blows it up etc.
A lot of those I agree with. It’s so sad when you like a game so much but you can’t play it because either set up or take down/ all of it. Ha.
I love Brass and never have a problem getting that to the table at all player counts. Of the other games you mentioned that I have played, I do agree. Another game I would add is Food Chain Magnate, a game I really enjoy but it is hard to get the right group to play.
Sadly all of my games – as my wife isn't a gamer – so I play solo if I can.
Oh Brass, I will play you someday
I love this video and relate to it so much! Game of Thrones is one I’ve been dying to play at least once, but finding a group who can commit to the amount of time it takes is rough 🙁
i see Rococo Kanbanev behind you have you tried them yet
Two games that come to mind for me are Arkham Horror the Card Game and Pax Pamir. I've read the rules, watched tutorials, etc., but just feel that I need to sit down with someone who knows more than I do about these games and play them. Unfortunately, I don't have a regular gaming partner and the people I do play with are interested in lighter games, so not sure when AH and PP will get to the table. Hope springs eternal though!
Mage Knight is like sex — extremely complicated, messy, takes forever to prepare for, and someone always ends up crying, but once you're finished you remember how amazing it is so you make plans to do it again in 2-3 years.
Great video! It’s sad because some of the games we can’t table are such good games! I’m excited to see your table though! Have a great week guys!
I definitely agree with Sleeping Gods. I want to continue the game so bad but I can't just leave it on the dining room table. Escape Plan and Kanban EV are two more of my favorite games that are hard to table.
True story, since I won Dino World from Tim…I STILL haven't been able to play it due to the size, how many components there are and all that I would need to grasp/learn and teach. I REALLY want to play it! I hope to get this to the table over the summer.
GWT, Brass, and Rebellion are great and should be played
Yeah asymmetrical games can be tough. I thrifted Root last year and haven’t gotten it to the table yet.
I want to play Game of Thrones, at one point I had 3 copies of it. I just can’t get people who want to play. Hopefully the new series will reinvigorate interest.
Dinosaur world looks like a game that I would truly enjoy! Unfortunately, after looking at the components it seems like it is too much to get it tabled frequently. Wish it wasn’t such a painful setup.
As the saying goes, “sometimes less is more”.
I've got a video of how to play Brass for you Jeff – don't be a boob (to quote Jamie), watch it and you do the teach. Let's go!
You guys should do a Vlog building your new board game table.
Great list. Root is hard for us to get to the table. We need to play it with someone who knows it better, because trying to learn an asymmetrical game together is rough. We also do not play many combat or war games, so not our comfort zone. We want to love it though. We love Brass Birmingham at 2. GWT also, but I agree on the nuances of the game and having to relearn it. And lastly, I am right with you Jeff on soloing board games. I want to. I have bought games just for that purpose. But I can’t get myself to play one. I’ll play an app or video game.
The first time I played Mage knight it was alot… But its one of those where it clicks in to place, and all the things are logical in relation to each other. Or thats how I feel anyway. It takes time, but its wonderful. It feels a tad reminiscant of gloomhaven for me with the deckbuilding and the fantasy and the great thematic flavour.
Games I find hard to table is "Great western trail" that I got before the pandemic hit. "King of Tokyo" because none of my friends seem to like it and it does require at least three people who are in to it. Also "Dominant species". I dont think I have any game that requires you to think in more steps. First time we played it was waaay to late and it took all night… But if we make a day of it, I think it would be great. But would it be great enough?.. Got it and played it once a bunch of years ago.
Really love your guys video quality as in camera, and color grading.
I game with my wife primarily and every weekend I look at the shelf and see Merchants Cove and want to play. Then I also think about putting it away. So I play something else instead lol I get it you guys