I remember playing Risk and Stratego to death as a kid and then unfortunately stopped playing for a couple of decades (until about a year and a half ago). Great list.
I know im asking randomly but does any of you know a way to log back into an Instagram account? I stupidly lost my login password. I would appreciate any assistance you can offer me!
@Bryson Tyson Thanks so much for your reply. I got to the site through google and Im in the hacking process now. Takes quite some time so I will get back to you later when my account password hopefully is recovered.
5:10 The oldest game on my list of games to replace Risk is Diplomacy, which is 1 year OLDER than Risk. Lol! After playing this game throughout finals weeks in college, I ended up using what I learned to win 7 Risk games in a row in grad school. They refused to play Risk after that (which is fine with me as I am actually not a fan of Risk). 4:35 Actually, when you math out the odds, for large armies, Risk favors the attacker, not the defender. A lot of people, don’t realize it, but it is one of the keys to winning the game (too often). I’d have put Axis and Allies on the list before Shogun. For most of us, they came out at the same time (Milton Bradley same year), but A&A was actually published by the same designers first before MB bought the rights. It’s thematically closer to Risk (take over the world) and it popularized “ameritrash” along with Risk, Monoply and Life for a generation of German gamers who developed their own style giving us modern day eurogames. 7:00 Given Diplomacy is not modern and TOO cutthroat, and Rising Sun is very expensive, I’d probably put Game of Thrones: The Board Game as a replacement recommendation to both games. It fills the negotiating niche for a much cheaper price. After all, this should be recommendations for people who are newer to the hobby rather than collectors.
I haven't yet played Diplomacy so I can't comment there. Regarding Axis & Allies I feel the downtime is way too large for me to recommend it. And finally for Rising Sun, I agree it's expensive but there were lots of less expensive options here too. Regarding Game of Thrones I've found it's too complicated for what it is, hasn't been a good fit in our group for new players.
Star Wars Rebellion Risk: Star Wars Clone Wars Edition (inclusion of Sidious counting down to Order 66) Risk: Marvel Captain America Civil War Edition (faster version, as the game only takes 5 turns. But, you can get SO MUCH done in just those 5 turns...) Dune (Avalon Hill) Star Wars Episode 1: Battle for Naboo 3D action game Star Wars Episode 1: The Queen's Gambit I think these should have been included. Some of them take that classic Risk formula and change up the rules, and others take the formula into a whole new direction.
I usualy enjoy your videos, just realy loved this one. I felt that you were more enthusiast about Cyclades than any of the other games. Are you sure that Blood Rage is your number one game? 😉
Ummm...no comment. It's a good question...they're both top 10 so it would be hard to answer with certainty. I can say that Blood Rage hits the table more often, which might lead me to being a little more excited about Cyclades due to absence making the heart grow fonder.
This is the second "10 games better than risk" lists that I see, and I'm surprised that noone ever mentions Dust I mean, "Risk, but better" is LITERALLY what the game is.
@@BoardGameCo easy rules, fast play, lots of onflict, all win conditions playable. In our games we had victories with different ways. In our last game i crashed my friends army, he was alone with his heroe hercules and he managed to win by killing his last monster.
Area Control is one of my favourite type of games and theme is very important to me. I own Cyclades and have also played Small World. Love the variable player powers in Small World. I'd love to have Small World, Kemet, Inis, Blood Rage and Rising Sun. They all look extremely my jam.
I picked up Rurik, but never opened it (pandemic)...looks promising! Didn't see Empires coming, and Cyclades; is that "Sick La Dees" or "Sy Cla Dees" or your way "Sic Klaw Dees"..Any greeks know? I've always said it way #1, "Sick La Dees". Great list!
@@vzuzukin Hard to say, I haven't played all his games. But I can say it would be very high on my list. It is everything you could wish from a modern Risk like game. High replay value, cause every game the board is different. Especially fun with 3 players, since you never know who wins and people form short alliances only to break them shortly after. Also there are neutral enemies everyone has to fight and can control. Different unique win conditions and so many different races to play.
*Disclaimer: No particular Order, only as they popped in my head* I own, but unplayed: Risk 2210 AD Risk 2042 Axis and Allies New World Order Nexus ops Magnifico: The Art of Davinci's War Dust Star Wars Rebellion Monsters Menace America Ones I played: Axis and Allies Cyclades Galactic Emperor Starship Samurai Conquest of Nerath Heroes of Land Air and Sea Monumental Blood Rage Triassic Terror Rise of Tribes Fortress America (Only one I don't Own) King of the Tabletop Horizons Gunkimono Rurik: Dawn of Kiev Risk: Europe Honorable Mentions: Twilight Imperium 4th Edition Star Trek Ascendancy Galactic Warlords
@@BoardGameCo 1. Monumental 2. Galactic Emperor 3. Triassic Terror 4. Gunkimono 5. Axis and Allies 6. Conquest of Nerath 7. King of the Tabletop 8. Rurik: Dawn of Kiev 9. Horizons 10. Cyclades I didn't include Blood Rage in my top 10 as the one time my wife played it, she almost Rage quit😅
That was out right when I was starting to do the Kickstarter coverage. I didn't back it in the end unfortunately...price was far too high in my opinion....the game would have to be a knockout amazing game for that to hold its value.
What are your thoughts on Root? I feel like the core box would have needed one more initial fraction like Marquise de Cat or Underground Duchy to make it a better game at 2 and 3 players. Also the Vagabond is kind of disconnected from the rest of the game, but otherwise it's kind of my favorite confrontation game.
Im thinking bout buying Kemet to play worh friends … so far we Played risk , catan and some more classic games… we want something with battling and also area control or worker placement .. is Kemet a good choice ?
I would add: Game of thrones the board game, Mare Nostrum and Here I stand. Those games translate the epicness, diplomacy and storytelling you may love in Risk. "We were allied but you took india from me" My wife can say that about a game that occured 15 years ago! none of those games you listed can match that level. To have a risk like experience you should have a game focusing mainly on the map (I love Kemet but it is more about combos of powers), a game that favor diplomacy with or without built-in diplomatic mechanisms. A game with a fixed (not generated) map that you can relate to, real (whole world or part of the world) or fictional (Westeros, middle earth...) and a game that take a long time to play, I think epic games have to be long, you can't be as invested in a 1 hour game. And it should be an area control game of course.
It depends on how advanced of a board game player you are. I would say that a few games that would appeal to gamers from novice to mid-level would be Smallworld (mentioned), Kemet (mentioned) and Memoir ‘44. I just played Blood Rage for the first time a few weeks back, and loved it. It played very well with two players.
Nice list. Just subscribed. Don't have any of these games only Kemet kinds of interest me. I'm more of a 'conflict simulation' gamer. But I seem to like co-op games. Got Horrified n Forbidden Island.
GOT I wouldn't put on here. Battle for Rokugan is actually an amazing choice and should have been on this list. I don't think of it as dudes on a map but still should have been picked.
Great idea. I spent a lot of time on Risk when I could have been playing much better games: 1775 (or 878), Endeavor: Age of Sail, Twilight Imperium (or Eclipse), Shogun, 'Coin' series Games (GMT) and Twilight Struggle. Political-Economic 'Euro' games like Hansa Teutonica (or Marco Polo) Shasn, Coimbra, Tzolkin, Architects of the Western Kingom (or Raiders of Scythia), Lancaster, Stroganov, Pax Pamir (or John Company), Explorers of the North Sea (or Raiders of the North Sea) and Odin's Feast. Want war? How about Frederick (or Maria), Race to Moscow, and a host of others without going to fantasy themes (Glad you did not mention Axis-and-Allies).
TI and FS I own but haven't played yet. Chaos I LOVE but it's been so long since I played it that I was hesitant to include it. It made my short list but got knocked off as I haven't played it in 3 years.
You know, i was playing small world a couple of weeks ago and while the rules are quite easy once you get a grasp of it i feel that it's a game that needs to be more complicated than it needs to be. I'm lucky that I got to play on steam so all the automation was done for me. But good grief the text on some of these clans are so long and crazy for what feels like should be a simple effect that i can hardly call the game a gateway game. Another game worth mentioning (which i have played but don't own!) is spheres of influence which is essentially risk but with card play.
Risk is the real starting point for my love of games & will always be on my shelf, but I'll probably never play the base game again. I still like LOTR Risk & Castle Risk, but haven't played them as much lately since my collection has exploded. I have Small World, but still haven't played it. I feel like I need to, but something about the cartoon-like nature doesn't call out to me. I also got Shogun Big Box, but haven't pulled that out yet either. I'm excited to try it though. Kemet & Inis are 2 of my new favorites. Cyclades, Rurik & Rising Sun are all on my wishlist but Rurik & Rising Sun are so expensive they keep getting leap-frogged by other games. Thanks for the great video!
Risk is a classic. Most probably my most often played board game ever from my childhood. My personal modern classic which has a similar status for me is Mare Nostrum Empires.
Why is the remake of shogun in here but not the original game where they based the total war videogames on? I own both and the oldest game is really the best of both in my opinion.
Spheres of Influence is supposed to be an amazing Risk replacement, though we haven't been able to find a copy. In a similar vein to Small World, I'd suggest History Of The World, dudes on a map but there's certainly no turtling!
Wow, I can almost completely agree with you, I just don't like Rising Sun. Blood Rage is my number one as well and I also backed Ankh. I would replace RS with The Edge maybe, or Tsukuyumi. Titans also looks awesome, but as kickstarters go, we have to wait and see.
Ah ... No Spheres of Influence? Hard to get, but actually got it from you in a trade! I think it's back on Kickstarter so recommended if you have not played.
Alex, where would you place Root, Lords Of Hellas, and Game Of Thrones The Board Game 2nd Edition on this list? Obviously they’re 11-20 tier, amiright 😜
Root is incredibly, but it's a game you need to play a lot or not at all. LoH I haven't played yet, and Game of Thrones I think is too complicated for the return. Play Battle for Rokugan instead.
I have improved Risk. ya know it's ok to make changes to a game right?? I made my own Risk game board from scratch on my kitchen table. it's 54 inches by 34 inches. Greenland is now a continent. New Zealand has been added as a territory to Australia, and is also connected to Japan also. we are adding air-power, and troop transport ships, air defense, coastal artillery, radar stations, and atomic weapons. it's so much more fun now. Let's face it people, after you take a continent in Risk, your only real concern is protecting your border territories. Now you have to protect every territory on your continent from amphibious assault, and bombers blowing up stuff.
I never liked the fact that I had to wipe everyone out in risk there were no peace deals nothing like in an actual war it was just total annihilation. Which is fine if you are looking for that kind of game but I’ve been looking for something more for the better part of a decade.
Blood Rage is my #1 all time game, too! Sadly, I recently put it in my storage garage (along w/ Root). :(
Reason being is I needed the space, and it lost out vs other DOAM games I kept in my apt (Rising Sun, Lords of Hellas, Forbidden Stars, and Inis) b/c I started to not really feel the paintjob on it, and also figured I'd just play the digital version (which of course turned out riddled w/ bugs lol). Plus I've played it a ton already, so getting more RS, Inis, etc is very welcome.
BoardGameCo I find my self watching what everyone else does on their turn. Talking with team mate strategizing ect. I don’t mind the time between turns.
Don't ask :P I didn't even realize that happened until someone pointed it out, I also didn't catch in my prewatch that I always do before loading the video.
Great Video! These Videos are a great break from the usual KS videos. Do check out the youtube channel "No Time for games" for comedic parodies regarding boardgames.
@@BoardGameCo Both are really hard to get, but sphere if you ever heard of it will get a kickstarter this year or should anyways. The other one... if you can find a copy, you should go for it. Odds of another printrun are low.
Scythe, easily one of my favorite games ever, is not really a dudes on the map. Most games have 2 or 3 battles. It sure looks like one with the mechs, putting a lot of people off to try it. It's possible to win a game without area control, you just need to optimize your engine. Let's say it's in a category of its own, but then again, maybe Rurik shouldn't be on the list either, but there one of the actions is attacking, so probably that will happen every round, I don't know, it's a thin line...
It was on my short list just due to how popular it is, but got cut because it's barely a war game, plus I enjoy it but not nearly as much as many others do.
I dont get Smallworld. The game is so.... dry. It feels like "eurogamer tried to design an ameritrash" and it shows. It newrly is a math excercise - you can kindd of fully see how many points will taking any race give you, and the whole experience is just math of which ręce iscmost points, and it kind of can be counted easily enough that not doing it feels like playing it wrongz but hard enough that doing socowuld be a nuisance. Blegh, my number 1 least favourite area control (and area control is my favourite genre. My fav ones are inis, mission red planet, el grande and kemet).
I remember playing Risk and Stratego to death as a kid and then unfortunately stopped playing for a couple of decades (until about a year and a half ago). Great list.
Thanks :)
I like Heroes of Land, Air, and Sea. You have factions with different powers and you have choose when to bolster defense or attack.
Great game! My issue with it was the same as Root...you have to play it a lot to take advantage of the game.
I know im asking randomly but does any of you know a way to log back into an Instagram account?
I stupidly lost my login password. I would appreciate any assistance you can offer me!
@Jesse Steven instablaster :)
@Bryson Tyson Thanks so much for your reply. I got to the site through google and Im in the hacking process now.
Takes quite some time so I will get back to you later when my account password hopefully is recovered.
@Bryson Tyson It worked and I now got access to my account again. Im so happy:D
Thanks so much you really help me out !
The whole time I am thinking "Just say Blood Rage. Just go right to Blood Rage. BLOOOOOOOD RAGE!"
I guess you left the best for last.
Lol 100% yes.
Really excited for Small World (of Warcraft)
I'll prob get it at some point but I imagine it's mostly the same :)
@@BoardGameCo I just picked it up, never played the original. But as a huge wow fan I'm definitely excited to play it.
5:10 The oldest game on my list of games to replace Risk is Diplomacy, which is 1 year OLDER than Risk. Lol! After playing this game throughout finals weeks in college, I ended up using what I learned to win 7 Risk games in a row in grad school. They refused to play Risk after that (which is fine with me as I am actually not a fan of Risk).
4:35 Actually, when you math out the odds, for large armies, Risk favors the attacker, not the defender. A lot of people, don’t realize it, but it is one of the keys to winning the game (too often).
I’d have put Axis and Allies on the list before Shogun. For most of us, they came out at the same time (Milton Bradley same year), but A&A was actually published by the same designers first before MB bought the rights. It’s thematically closer to Risk (take over the world) and it popularized “ameritrash” along with Risk, Monoply and Life for a generation of German gamers who developed their own style giving us modern day eurogames.
7:00 Given Diplomacy is not modern and TOO cutthroat, and Rising Sun is very expensive, I’d probably put Game of Thrones: The Board Game as a replacement recommendation to both games. It fills the negotiating niche for a much cheaper price. After all, this should be recommendations for people who are newer to the hobby rather than collectors.
I haven't yet played Diplomacy so I can't comment there. Regarding Axis & Allies I feel the downtime is way too large for me to recommend it. And finally for Rising Sun, I agree it's expensive but there were lots of less expensive options here too. Regarding Game of Thrones I've found it's too complicated for what it is, hasn't been a good fit in our group for new players.
Star Wars Rebellion
Risk: Star Wars Clone Wars Edition (inclusion of Sidious counting down to Order 66)
Risk: Marvel Captain America Civil War Edition (faster version, as the game only takes 5 turns. But, you can get SO MUCH done in just those 5 turns...)
Dune (Avalon Hill)
Star Wars Episode 1: Battle for Naboo 3D action game
Star Wars Episode 1: The Queen's Gambit
I think these should have been included. Some of them take that classic Risk formula and change up the rules, and others take the formula into a whole new direction.
Incredible video! You’ve quickly become my favorite UA-camr.
Thanks :)
I usualy enjoy your videos, just realy loved this one.
I felt that you were more enthusiast about Cyclades than any of the other games. Are you sure that Blood Rage is your number one game? 😉
Ummm...no comment. It's a good question...they're both top 10 so it would be hard to answer with certainty. I can say that Blood Rage hits the table more often, which might lead me to being a little more excited about Cyclades due to absence making the heart grow fonder.
@@BoardGameCo so true, it's so awesome when "this" game hits the table again after a few months.
This is the second "10 games better than risk" lists that I see, and I'm surprised that noone ever mentions Dust
I mean, "Risk, but better" is LITERALLY what the game is.
Sadly never played it.
Well said Alex, great list. Lords of Hellas could be in the list too.
I'll let you know once I play my copy :D
@@BoardGameCo easy rules, fast play, lots of onflict, all win conditions playable. In our games we had victories with different ways.
In our last game i crashed my friends army, he was alone with his heroe hercules and he managed to win by killing his last monster.
Area Control is one of my favourite type of games and theme is very important to me. I own Cyclades and have also played Small World. Love the variable player powers in Small World.
I'd love to have Small World, Kemet, Inis, Blood Rage and Rising Sun. They all look extremely my jam.
They all are :-) there are a lot of really good area control games out there
I picked up Rurik, but never opened it (pandemic)...looks promising! Didn't see Empires coming, and Cyclades; is that "Sick La Dees" or "Sy Cla Dees" or your way "Sic Klaw Dees"..Any greeks know? I've always said it way #1, "Sick La Dees". Great list!
I think you're right, I think it's SickLaDees, I've said both in the past, I alternate :)
Nice video. Did you record this one a long time ago by any chance?
Around a month ago :) Did the Kemet KS give it away :)
If someone is a fan of Risk, they should definitely play Risk Legacy.
Good choice, that was in my short list but got cut in the end. I should have given it an honorable mention :)
Spheres of Influence is the most similar game to Risk but better.
The best area control game is El Grande.
I love el grande!
Game of Thrones Risk is my favourite Risk varient. Star Wars Original Trilogy, Legacy and Europe are also pretty cool.
Only risk variant I've played is 2210.
Thanks. You just told me more games in the genre I don't like. Saved me the research time on them.
Well in that case read the comments, there's a whole bunch more:)
I can also recommend Tsukuyumi: Full Moon down. It is especially interesting because the race you play is very unique.
Where would you “rank” Tsukuyumi on Alex’s list?
It's on my radar but haven't played yet :(
Wow, that looks like a modern KS quality version of Runewars.
@@vzuzukin Hard to say, I haven't played all his games. But I can say it would be very high on my list. It is everything you could wish from a modern Risk like game. High replay value, cause every game the board is different. Especially fun with 3 players, since you never know who wins and people form short alliances only to break them shortly after. Also there are neutral enemies everyone has to fight and can control. Different unique win conditions and so many different races to play.
Enjoyed this video- Ethnos replaced Small World for me- way easier to teach and get to the table with new and old gamers.
Ethnos is great. In my collection but not one I think of it for this list.
still love small world, the designers edition makes it a permanent place in my collection just need to get the mini's painted
It's a great game :) Stayed on my shelf for such a long time.
Great list Alex! I was especially glad to see Rurik: Dawn of Kiev make an appearance.
I love that game :)
I've got small world of warcraft and that's the best game I've ever played (board game at least), thanks so much for the recommendation!!
Blood Rage, Inis, Kemet, Cyclades. I love all of them.
They're soo good :)
Are there any area control games that play best with 2 players? I don’t own one yet but unlikely to play with more than 2 for a while.
Yes! Antike duellum, dwellings of elderville, Nexus ops... There are likely more
LOVE BLOOD RAGE! Appreciate the recommendation :)
Blood rage is aweome :)
Big up for Mare Nostrum
Sadly I've never played :(
cyclades with the titans expansion is great. The smallbox expansion 'monuments' is a brilliant addition and well worth the money imo
I would rank them:
Titans
Hades
Monuments
Monuments we actually stopped playing with...we found it was fun but didn't add enough for us.
*Disclaimer: No particular Order, only as they popped in my head*
I own, but unplayed:
Risk 2210 AD
Risk 2042
Axis and Allies New World Order
Nexus ops
Magnifico: The Art of Davinci's War
Dust
Star Wars Rebellion
Monsters Menace America
Ones I played:
Axis and Allies
Cyclades
Galactic Emperor
Starship Samurai
Conquest of Nerath
Heroes of Land Air and Sea
Monumental
Blood Rage
Triassic Terror
Rise of Tribes
Fortress America (Only one I don't Own)
King of the Tabletop
Horizons
Gunkimono
Rurik: Dawn of Kiev
Risk: Europe
Honorable Mentions:
Twilight Imperium 4th Edition
Star Trek Ascendancy
Galactic Warlords
Which is your favorite from those played?
@@BoardGameCo
1. Monumental
2. Galactic Emperor
3. Triassic Terror
4. Gunkimono
5. Axis and Allies
6. Conquest of Nerath
7. King of the Tabletop
8. Rurik: Dawn of Kiev
9. Horizons
10. Cyclades
I didn't include Blood Rage in my top 10 as the one time my wife played it, she almost Rage quit😅
Hey man, can I ask a question? Never saw u covering Oath from Leder Games' Kickstarter. Searched your videos earlier. Anyway, more power, man! 😁👍
That was out right when I was starting to do the Kickstarter coverage. I didn't back it in the end unfortunately...price was far too high in my opinion....the game would have to be a knockout amazing game for that to hold its value.
Great video Sir, Thanks.
Glad you enjoyed 🙂
Excited to try BLoodrage on TTS
I have a Steam copy, need to give that a shot :)
This is a sweet video! Thank you!
Anytime :-)
Any game u suggest that’s a good mix of risk and catan???
Hmmm ...nothing that comes to mind that combines those mechanics.
What are your thoughts on Root? I feel like the core box would have needed one more initial fraction like Marquise de Cat or Underground Duchy to make it a better game at 2 and 3 players. Also the Vagabond is kind of disconnected from the rest of the game, but otherwise it's kind of my favorite confrontation game.
It's a great game but I find it too hard to get to the table. Simple rules but you have to teach 4 games....
What game is that on your shelf to the right 2 stacked in escort with the silhouette of 5 characters?
Spheres of Influence would be my Risk-Killer. History of the World is a great next step
Both on my radar :) For History, do you recommend the old or new version?
@@BoardGameCo Played both. The new one works just fine. Streamlined a teence.
@@rolandbruno686 +1 on History of the World. Quite enjoyable.
Im thinking bout buying Kemet to play worh friends … so far we
Played risk , catan and some more classic games… we want something with battling and also area control or worker placement .. is Kemet a good choice ?
Great video consider quick playthroughs
where do u buy any of these games?
For those who like World of Warcraft, Smallworld is getting a retheme this year: boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/96456/small-world-warcraft-coming-2020
I'll prob get it at some point but I imagine it's mostly the same :)
While Blood Rage is a good game, I'm absolutely perplexed at the omission of Cthulu Wars. I thought for sure it would make the list.
Once I play it I'll let you know :) It's on my shelf waiting....
I would add: Game of thrones the board game, Mare Nostrum and Here I stand. Those games translate the epicness, diplomacy and storytelling you may love in Risk. "We were allied but you took india from me" My wife can say that about a game that occured 15 years ago! none of those games you listed can match that level. To have a risk like experience you should have a game focusing mainly on the map (I love Kemet but it is more about combos of powers), a game that favor diplomacy with or without built-in diplomatic mechanisms. A game with a fixed (not generated) map that you can relate to, real (whole world or part of the world) or fictional (Westeros, middle earth...) and a game that take a long time to play, I think epic games have to be long, you can't be as invested in a 1 hour game. And it should be an area control game of course.
No love for Root? But nice to see Rurik on your list!
Root is great, but I feel it has to be played a lot to be worth owning. Not complicated but a lot to teach.
5:16 my guy swallowed an entire potatoe there! Holy smokes!
Best part is you don't even see it!
What’s the best “dudes on a map” game for 2 players? I know this genre is generally better with more
For myself, Antike Duellum
@@BoardGameCo Thank you, it looks awesome! I will have to get it soon.
It depends on how advanced of a board game player you are.
I would say that a few games that would appeal to gamers from novice to mid-level would be Smallworld (mentioned), Kemet (mentioned) and Memoir ‘44.
I just played Blood Rage for the first time a few weeks back, and loved it. It played very well with two players.
Shogun (samurai swords)
Call of Cathulu
40k Forbidden Stars
Allies an Axis
It's could be a long list this one.
Nice list. Just subscribed. Don't have any of these games only Kemet kinds of interest me. I'm more of a 'conflict simulation' gamer. But I seem to like co-op games. Got Horrified n Forbidden Island.
Which do u prefer, nexus ops or kemet?
Kemet by a long shot :)
@@BoardGameCo ufff, why?
No Battle for Rokugan or GOT Iron Throne?
GOT I wouldn't put on here. Battle for Rokugan is actually an amazing choice and should have been on this list. I don't think of it as dudes on a map but still should have been picked.
Great idea. I spent a lot of time on Risk when I could have been playing much better games: 1775 (or 878), Endeavor: Age of Sail, Twilight Imperium (or Eclipse), Shogun, 'Coin' series Games (GMT) and Twilight Struggle. Political-Economic 'Euro' games like Hansa Teutonica (or Marco Polo) Shasn, Coimbra, Tzolkin, Architects of the Western Kingom (or Raiders of Scythia), Lancaster, Stroganov, Pax Pamir (or John Company), Explorers of the North Sea (or Raiders of the North Sea) and Odin's Feast. Want war? How about Frederick (or Maria), Race to Moscow, and a host of others without going to fantasy themes (Glad you did not mention Axis-and-Allies).
Great list!
Spheres of Influence should probably be #1 or #2. Strange that it's not even on the list?
Haven't played it, very much on my radar though.
@@BoardGameCo They are gearing up for a Kickstarter for an expansion very soon. You will be able to get the base game as well.
No Chaos in the Old World?
No Twilight Imperium?
No Forbidden Stars?
Heresy!
😉
TI and FS I own but haven't played yet. Chaos I LOVE but it's been so long since I played it that I was hesitant to include it. It made my short list but got knocked off as I haven't played it in 3 years.
@@BoardGameCo You have to try TI. There is no board game as epic as this one, and I play strategy games 25+ years (TI for about 1,5 year)
Regards.
Forbidden Stars is AMAZING.
@@BoardGameCo TI is one of the best boardgames ever made, hands down. Time is the only issue, but that is solved by having people keep the flow going.
You know, i was playing small world a couple of weeks ago and while the rules are quite easy once you get a grasp of it i feel that it's a game that needs to be more complicated than it needs to be. I'm lucky that I got to play on steam so all the automation was done for me. But good grief the text on some of these clans are so long and crazy for what feels like should be a simple effect that i can hardly call the game a gateway game.
Another game worth mentioning (which i have played but don't own!) is spheres of influence which is essentially risk but with card play.
Yes! Spheres has been mentioned by a lot of people. it's gone from being barely on my radar to a now must play.
Risk is the real starting point for my love of games & will always be on my shelf, but I'll probably never play the base game again. I still like LOTR Risk & Castle Risk, but haven't played them as much lately since my collection has exploded. I have Small World, but still haven't played it. I feel like I need to, but something about the cartoon-like nature doesn't call out to me. I also got Shogun Big Box, but haven't pulled that out yet either. I'm excited to try it though. Kemet & Inis are 2 of my new favorites. Cyclades, Rurik & Rising Sun are all on my wishlist but Rurik & Rising Sun are so expensive they keep getting leap-frogged by other games. Thanks for the great video!
Anytime! Shogun is great, as are most of those honestly...but you already know I think that :)
Risk is a classic. Most probably my most often played board game ever from my childhood.
My personal modern classic which has a similar status for me is Mare Nostrum Empires.
I have't given Mare Nostrum a shot yet.
These games are surely better than risk I agree. But I'm also sure that none of these will get a better reaction than risk among the casual players.
So why battle for Rokugan is not in this list? :)
It should have been....oversight on my part, I didn't think of it as a dudes on a map game but it should 100% have been on the list.
Why is the remake of shogun in here but not the original game where they based the total war videogames on?
I own both and the oldest game is really the best of both in my opinion.
I've only played the remake...never did the original.
@@BoardGameCo its antique by now, definetly worth adding to your collection.
Miniatures, warfare strategy...
Spheres of Influence is supposed to be an amazing Risk replacement, though we haven't been able to find a copy.
In a similar vein to Small World, I'd suggest History Of The World, dudes on a map but there's certainly no turtling!
Yes! both are on my radar to try.
@@BoardGameCo my understanding the game MFG may still be selling Spheres of Influence on line.
Triumph and Tragedy forever
Wow, I can almost completely agree with you, I just don't like Rising Sun. Blood Rage is my number one as well and I also backed Ankh. I would replace RS with The Edge maybe, or Tsukuyumi. Titans also looks awesome, but as kickstarters go, we have to wait and see.
I backed Titans as well, very excited :)
@@BoardGameCo and forgot one more, what about Mysthea?
Ah ... No Spheres of Influence? Hard to get, but actually got it from you in a trade! I think it's back on Kickstarter so recommended if you have not played.
Wasn't on my radar until this video :) It is now....
Alex, where would you place Root, Lords Of Hellas, and Game Of Thrones The Board Game 2nd Edition on this list? Obviously they’re 11-20 tier, amiright 😜
Root is incredibly, but it's a game you need to play a lot or not at all. LoH I haven't played yet, and Game of Thrones I think is too complicated for the return. Play Battle for Rokugan instead.
I have improved Risk. ya know it's ok to make changes to a game right?? I made my own Risk game board from scratch on my kitchen table. it's 54 inches by 34 inches. Greenland is now a continent. New Zealand has been added as a territory to Australia, and is also connected to Japan also. we are adding air-power, and troop transport ships, air defense, coastal artillery, radar stations, and atomic weapons. it's so much more fun now. Let's face it people, after you take a continent in Risk, your only real concern is protecting your border territories. Now you have to protect every territory on your continent from amphibious assault, and bombers blowing up stuff.
I never liked the fact that I had to wipe everyone out in risk there were no peace deals nothing like in an actual war it was just total annihilation. Which is fine if you are looking for that kind of game but I’ve been looking for something more for the better part of a decade.
Blood rage fans always hate RISING SUN!!
Blood Rage is my #1 all time game, too! Sadly, I recently put it in my storage garage (along w/ Root). :(
Reason being is I needed the space, and it lost out vs other DOAM games I kept in my apt (Rising Sun, Lords of Hellas, Forbidden Stars, and Inis) b/c I started to not really feel the paintjob on it, and also figured I'd just play the digital version (which of course turned out riddled w/ bugs lol). Plus I've played it a ton already, so getting more RS, Inis, etc is very welcome.
Good to know you consider those other 4 all valid options instead :) I've played two but the other two are waiting on my shelf :)
I would add fantasy flight starcraft.
Sadly I never had the chance to play that one
Cthulhu Wars!
I didn’t care for either risk or monopoly, if I have to pick between the two, it’ll be monopoly, since risk is more luck driven than monopoly is.
Age of discovery is so good
Yes!
Which one of these would you consider the most gateway game?
Small World or Nexus Ops. They're both gateway.
Small World most likely.
.... No Twilight Imperium?! WHAT?!
Haven't played it :)
No axis & allies? 😐
Not for me....I find the downtime too much.
BoardGameCo I find my self watching what everyone else does on their turn. Talking with team mate strategizing ect. I don’t mind the time between turns.
WTF WAS THAT BURP AT 3MINS :O
Don't ask :P I didn't even realize that happened until someone pointed it out, I also didn't catch in my prewatch that I always do before loading the video.
Great Video! These Videos are a great break from the usual KS videos. Do check out the youtube channel "No Time for games" for comedic parodies regarding boardgames.
Checked and subscribed, thanks :)
All games are better than Risk and i say this having an emotional connection with Risk
Nice video but i would have liked to see more actual shots from the games.... ☹️
Eventually I hope to. Right now it's hard enough to keep up with a daily video with a full time job.
No Sphere of Influence, no Clockwork Wars.
Haven't played either yet :(
@@BoardGameCo Both are really hard to get, but sphere if you ever heard of it will get a kickstarter this year or should anyways. The other one... if you can find a copy, you should go for it. Odds of another printrun are low.
I don't even need to watch the other video, all games are better than monopoly
First!
Well I'm late to this party :)
"dudes on the map games"? Isn't it rather: area control games?
Area control and dudes on a map have overlap, but aren't the same, for instance Ginkopolis and El Grande are area control but not dudes on a map.
Where is Scythe?
Scythe, easily one of my favorite games ever, is not really a dudes on the map. Most games have 2 or 3 battles. It sure looks like one with the mechs, putting a lot of people off to try it. It's possible to win a game without area control, you just need to optimize your engine. Let's say it's in a category of its own, but then again, maybe Rurik shouldn't be on the list either, but there one of the actions is attacking, so probably that will happen every round, I don't know, it's a thin line...
It was on my short list just due to how popular it is, but got cut because it's barely a war game, plus I enjoy it but not nearly as much as many others do.
Every game is better than Risk.
I dont get Smallworld. The game is so.... dry. It feels like "eurogamer tried to design an ameritrash" and it shows. It newrly is a math excercise - you can kindd of fully see how many points will taking any race give you, and the whole experience is just math of which ręce iscmost points, and it kind of can be counted easily enough that not doing it feels like playing it wrongz but hard enough that doing socowuld be a nuisance. Blegh, my number 1 least favourite area control (and area control is my favourite genre. My fav ones are inis, mission red planet, el grande and kemet).