What’s Your Top 10 Games of the BGG Top 100? – Board Gaming Q&A!
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00:00 – Intro
00:17 – How do you deal with cheaters?
02:46 – I’m new to the hobby – should I buy the top 100 BGG games?
06:43 – What are YOUR top 10 from the BGG top 100?
#watchitplayed #boardgames #FavoriteBoardGames
21.12.2022
For the person asking about buying the top 100. I'd also say, probably don't need that many. And maybe that's a bit hypocritical given my collection/library size. But take your time with your games, figure out what you like/dislike, if your collection/library starts to grow I'd recommend asking yourself what you want your collection/library to be. I've only really come up with an answer to that recently and that's helped me figure out which games to out on the outshelf.There are a lot of good games out there, you don't need them all. And hopefully you'll have access to playing the lot of them without having to buy them every time.If I had to give advice to the me starting out, I'd say respect the "weight" a little less than I initially did. I stayed at the 2-2.5 for too long. It was a good starting out point for me, but there are fantastic games that are lighter and heavier that I initially dismissed because of that. Also, don't take the rating super seriously–or at least the colour behind the number super seriously. There are a lot of exceptionally good games in the 6.5-6.9 rangeWhat I think I did alright was I checked in with my game group. My main gaming partner the most because obviously. Of course I bought some games that were really mostly for me, but if there was a particularly long or heavy game, I'd ask them and maybe give the hook for it. But I've checked in on other aspects like theme or production as well because those things do impact the enjoyment of the game (I will say, I'm a lot more tolerant of brown/sepia games). But just gauging interest beforehand helped me decide what to get and got me more motivated to read through the rules once the game came.
I recently caught my 9 year old niece (who had never lost a game of quacks of quidlingberg in 20+ games) performing what can only be described as a magician’s slight of hand manoeuvre when drawing her chips to ensure she never pulled a bad one. I was genuinely impressed with the level of skill and that she had been doing this for years and we could never figure it out even though we all knew she was cheating 😂
Everdell, TI4, Dice Throne, Star Wars Villainous, just to name a few.
Happy Holidays Matthew!🎄
👆 – FREE VIRT GIRLS CHAT IN YOU CITY 👩💗y💑
Great game video.
Your coffee has to have been cold by the end of this video! Drink your coffee, it's important lol
Great video!!!
Great picks!
Stellar analogy for the BGG weight! And Deep Sea gang rise up 😎
ROOT!
Brilliant analogy for the BGG top 100! I'm going to have to use that to explain it to people. Great video Matthew!
Similar 10, except Wingspan, Quacks, and Cascadia for Keyflower, Five Tribes, and The Crew. But I just haven't played those three, so maybe I'd change my mind.
Back in the early 90s, I played a game of Monopoly with a cousin; admittedly, I didn't like him. He took the job of banker (which was my favorite responsibility). Throughout the game, he trash-talked myself and the other players. I caught him stealing money from the bank and called him out on it. He denied it and baited me with insults. I proceeded to take the game board and beat him over the head.
I'm not proud of that moment but it did teach me a lesson. Don't play games with people who you don't like. Games are about community and enjoying each other's personalities. If you don't like the person to begin with, I don't believe playing a game with them will remedy anything.
Ugh. Alan. Always cheating, that Alan. Cheating in board games. Cheating on his taxes. Cheating on his wife. You're the worst, Alan.
A lot of the TOP 100 games I don't care personally at all. But I do enjoy seeing what's popular.
02:46 I love your hiking analogy so much, because as a Magic the Gathering Player, I find MtG players are some of the WORST at gauging levels of games for folks who are new to/ casual boardgamers. Especially with the fact that just because a person plays magic doesn't mean they'll necessarily be able to follow along instantly with complex games.
After a weeklt MtG event we almost played Root with a guy who just bought the game and was setting it up. i think it was 5-6 players with the expansion, and no one else knew how to play but the owner. Luckily my friend (and my ride) saw the set and was like, "ya this looks too complicated right now" haha.
Also fyi, this isn't immune to magic players – I also find this with really entrenched boardgamers as well who have, for lack of better phrasing, skewed their difficultly senses to the more complicated end just from playing so many games.
This was a while ago so I guess maybe the culture of boardgaming was different, but let's just say that today, if I saw someone's first day at a board game group, I wouldn't have them be part of a 6 player game of Caverna if they didn't know how to play 🙃. Suffice it to say I still don't.
This top 10 (from the BGG 100) lines up very closely with mine. I would definitely include Pandemic Legacy Season 1 on my list..all the games I've played of it were collectively one of my best experiences in board gaming. I would also include Quacks.
I only own 6 out of the top 100.
Dominion intrigue
Gloomhaven JotL
Mansions of Madness: 2nd edition
The crew quest for planet nine
Azul
Five Tribes
My favorites from that are azul and five tribes. Dominion is good but I like Star Realms better. Mansions of madness is pretty decent. I haven't had a chance to play the crew yet but hoping to in the next month or so with my gaming group. Gloomhaven JotL I just recently got and I am playing with my adult daughter when she comes to visit.
I know Watch It Played really isn't in the business of reviewing or recommending games as much as just making folks aware of them… but have ya'll perhaps considered some kind of badge to bestow upon games that the team thinks are good stepping stones into the hobby? (I'm hesitant to say "gateway" since that term can have a drug-related stigma in some circles which might not be the message we're trying to send) Because it would be so cool for someone who isn't into games has a friend who is and who that friend has sent them a couple W.I.P. videos in the past to prepare for game night and now they see the W.I.P. badge on a game they know it won't be too complex for them?
When I started playing I found out that the Top 100 Family games and Top 100 Abstract games lists on BGG were a lot better ones than the general top 100 🙂
I love the mountaineering analogy. Or anyone deep in any hobby for that matter.
I suppose a follow up for the BGG listing is “how would you fix the BGG rankings? Are they and can they be still relevant several years after release?” The yo-yoing of Tigris and Euphrates seems a good example of BGG not doing its job…
Also Dominion is great! Expansions for days!
You made a list from a list? Let me take it one step further. My Top 1 from Matthew's Top 10 from BGG's Top 100: The Crew: Mission Deep Sea.
Only once did I play a game where someone was intentionally cheating and it was pre-hobby. They didn’t care about the dice roll in a game of clue. I haven’t played Clue since. As for being accused of cheating when making an absentminded mistake that was something that was a running joke in one group and since I make mistakes often with my social anxiety it actually made me self conscious.
I agree with Matthew, do not start with the BGG 100 or even pay attention to them if you are new. You want to be more focused on the joy of discovery and experimenting with different games than getting drawn into debates about ranking games. BGG left a sour taste in my mouth when I was new to the hobby. If a couple of games or friends got you into the hobby, then use that as a basis for your next step!
I thought top 10 out of 100 would be hard but my play count made it easy. Out of the 19 played these are in order of plays not personal rank (though there is some correlation):
Wingspan 87p
Scythe 82p
Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle-Earth 65p
Root 49p
Viticulture 35p
Dune Imperium 25p
Azul 25p
Orleans 2p
Great Western Trail 2p
Tzolk’in 2p
I call out my friends all of the time, it’s usually quick and to the point and I usually make a joke of it. As light as I make it, I will not tolerate a cheat, unless it is all of us cheating against the computer, just like everyone likes to work against the computer in Mario Party.
Top 10 of top 100 in alphabetical order – 7 Wonders: Duel, Brass: Lancashire, Castles of Burgundy, Concordia, The Crew: Mission Deep Sea (only listing one, they would both make it), Dominant Species, Dune:Imperium, Power Grid, Race for the Galaxy, Tigris & Euphrates
I think the lighter games are generally ranked lower because everybody plays them. So many people with very different tastes rank those games.
On contrary, the more heavier gamer have a better ranking average because people who play them tend to like already those kind of games and they normally know where they are getting into.
Speaking of not so heavy games. My daugthers actual Top10 is this: Wizard, The Quest for El Dorado, Splendor, Quacks of Quidlingberg, Ticket to Ride, Carcassonne, Mamma Mia!, Patchwork, The Downfall of Pompeii, 7 Wonders. Any recomendations to sprinkle some fresh games into this mix?
Crockinole!!!!!!!!
Couldn't agree more with your reasoning behind Castles of Burgundy and Five Tribes. I like Dominion but my wife hates it so I only play it at a friends game night. I have to add Ticket to ride and Lords of Waterdeep and 7 Wonders to fill my top 5.
Why crokinole is ranked on BGG?
Why Ping Pong or bowling are not considered a board game but crokinole is?
Are board game geekers so geek that popular games don’t fit in the hobby just because they are popular?
5:00 I think movies have the exact same problem. Movies that win at the Oscars are often not accessible or fun. They're heavy, involved, and "good" movies, but they're not the most entertaining.
My Top 10 from the Top 100, in order cuz I ain’t scared, goes as follows:
11. Star Wars Rebellion & Agricola because I haven’t played them yet and I know they will more than likely go in.
10. Wingspan, like playing it.
9. Dune Imperium, disliked my first play; saw the movie (just couldn’t do the book); got the theme and now I dig it.
8. Castles of Burgundy, played it once and oh boy it was neat; might have to get the new deluxe edition haha; could rise with more plays.
7. Robinson Crusoe, oh the theme and mechanisms and how tough it is just sings to me; doesn’t table often so it can slip but it’s great.
6. Dominant Species, another one that doesn’t table often; I also don’t care for area control battle games but the theme I can get into it and the raw nature of it all is neat; the insane chaos in the game usually would turn me off but fits with the theme and just works, what a beast.
5. Five Tribes, yeah ditto to what you said, it rocks; and the expansions are good too; ap prone but it’s great.
4. Architects of the West Kingdom, just a neat and breezy design, not super easy and provides just enough crunch; haven’t played with the expansions but I’m sure they will be neat.
3. Everdell, two plays, backed the all in big box and boy I can’t wait to play in the woods this game is beautiful! Can’t beat gaining actions each round and the engine building that happens by the end is so satisfying.
2. Terraforming Mars, gosh NASA needs to send me up there because I’ve got all the Inert Gases, Ants, and Search for life knowledge under my belt; what a good game, again the engine building, couple different ways to score points, timing; I’ve upgraded my tiles, idc about the art it isn’t bad imo, it’s good.
1. Tzolk’in If you haven’t played this game, find someone to tech you, and then play it four times in a row because you need that to wrap your mind around these gears and thinking three turns ahead and chaining moves together into big turns, and some of the expansions are great and CORN 🌽!
Shout out to Dominion, great mems playing with a buddy who has all the sets. Kanban EV, want to play. Power Grid is a fun time, especially when the map has a good hook.
If I had to guess SW Rebellion would jump to 4 after a play because all I hear is the theme is incredible and I like Outer Rim with the theme it has but Rebellion gives you the ability to play out the movie or create your own movie and come on that is cool.
Agricola could be a 4/5 slot holder. From what I’ve seen the mass amount of cards which keep the game fresh and many ways to figure out the puzzle and win sing to me. Enough tension feeding the fam and limited turns can just make it a good weighty puzzle kind of like Tzolk’in in a way but we shall see.
👋
i have to agree on Burgundy. I never played it before (somehow) and played a few times on BGA during the lockdowns and have grown to absolutely love it. So much so that I backed that crazy neat version that is getting ready to be released and I can't wait to get it!
Regarding cheating: I also suppose it is a mistake. But in my house, we always pick up and drop resources in a way all can see what we do and we, and we explain what we are doing.
I mean you likely would have had to have robbed a bank to afford all 100 games on the top 100 list, but sure. And if you're a very thinky gamer like me, that probably wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. Mage Knight was the 2nd ever board game I bought (played various board games for several years) for crying out loud, but I'm in that minority Matthew mentioned. And I love Gloomhaven, the digital version, but I can't think of a worse way to get into the hobby than to play that first mission. I'm convinced you can lose it just based on what cards the archers draw. Well, you could jump into an 8-hour Twilight Imperium game where you're the only noob. That would be close to violating the Geneva Convention.
Usually my cheating is because I missed a rule. So I'm happy when I'm called out. 😅
I gotta agree that it feels like good shorter or simpler games get snubbed some with BGG ratings. As if it has to be big and epic or full of plastic to warrant an 8 or above rating. I always rate mine based on enjoyment factor regardless of "weight" or complexity. It's not like I can easily crank out a few sessions of Gloomhaven every weeknight after work.
I also made the mistake of when my gf and I REALLY got into the hobby of looking at the BGG top 100 or 200 for the games I obviously had to buy if I was serious about this hobby and wanted to be accepted. I mean how dare I think of going to a dice tower convention having never played Scythe, Twilight Struggle, Feast for Odin, or a Lacerda game. What kind of bastard am I?! Thankfully I got over that quickly and picked up a copy of Sushi Go Party. Though I do now own Scythe so I guess I came full circle.
The closest I get to seeing cheating at a game is people looking up words during Scrabble. I just pretend I’m with a better player.
Top 10 in the top 100: Dominion, 7 Wonders, Lords of Waterdeep, Azul, Quacks of Quedlinburg, Power Grid, Wingspan, Scythe, Terra Mystica, Terraforming Mars
Fun list! It made me take another look back at the top 100:
Noting that by my count, there are 20-24 repeat titles (ex. Agricola v. Agricola revised).
Keeping only 1, it’s really only a top 92-88.
Anywho, I’m a medium gamer, and out of the top 100, I just counted 39 that I’ve never touched, 16 that I’ve owned never finished a game of, 26 that I’ve played fully and rated 2-7, and 19 that I’ve played fully and rated over a 7
Great video! Great answers as usual!
When I started out I also bought Scythe as my first game because of the top 100 and it seemed fun. I loved it and bought gloomhaven soon after but also believe I am the exception. I also agree that people rate lighter games lower because "it was not hard" instead of the fun factor. One thing id like to see is on the front page or when you go to top 100 is a link/button for more popular categories like "family" games. Though that wont change the fact they are never rated fairly. I don't know how much work is needed but if they can do a 1-10 rating with a sub-category to attach it to. For example I would rate "So Clover!" a 10 under the "party" category.
I miss Alan!
My top 10 from the top 100 in order
1. Viticulture
2. Spirit Island
3. Castles of Burgundy
4.Wingspan
5. Ark Nova
6. Dune Imperium
7. Architects of the West Kingdom
8. Everdell
9. Azul
10. Cascadia
Honorary mention to Tzolk'in