Just wanted to chime in and thank you for putting ashes on my radar. Your review (already a while ago) really sparked my interested and now I'm down the rabbit hole with all the expansions at home. It is really a fascinating game, I love it so much.
I like it how you actually show the game board and pieces and not just the box. Much appreciated. I would love to see the titles next to the timestamps tho :)))
I remember when I first started this hobby. I was looking into MoM and ran into this channel. Always fun and entertaining to watch (especially the video that spoofs what it’s like when you first get into board games)!
Fantastic list! TI4 is also at the top of my list: every game I've played is absolutely epic and I agree 100 percent with you re: the mix of efficient and political game play. I'm looking forward to playing the expansion someday. I'm a Chaos in the World fan as well, but you're right about Blood Rage being more streamlined and easier to get to the table. And nice to see The Godfather: Corleone's Empire get some love! Still one of my favorites.
I gotta say you have really good taste! What you mentioned is either what I also enjoyed or what I would buy. I also managed to get the two expansions of the Civilization after a long term search and I am also very excited because many people say they are more or less essential. I wonder what you would think about them!
Thank you! I do have both of the expansions, and Wisdom & Warfare is pretty much essential to clean up the combat. But while you're at it, its best to just buy both expansions to get all the factions! I am a little indifferent about investments, love the new wonders, love the x2 build, and kind of bleh on the caravan and fortification mechanics. Plus, the factions are definitely not created equal, e.g. zulu are are NOT good. Awesome game, enjoy! -Ashton
YES MENTAK!! They’re my favorite faction so far, definitely should try them with the POK expansion. It makes pillage more tradable and the hero can really come in clutch in the last round.
I know right!? Something about space pirates is just so fun. Now I'm 100% want to play mentak with PoK. Will have to update ya guys on how that goes -Ashton
Anytime someone plays the Humans in TI4 i feel like they make a very good target for galactic aggression and planetary bombing. We all know how devious the Humans can be.
I still love Chaos in the Old World. The theme is outstanding although a bit macabre. Warhammer fans are more likely to really really like it but even casual fans like myself like it also. Blood Rage is a more refined evolution of some of the ideas in CITOW which is not surprising since both are the brainchild of Eric Lang.
Chaos definitely still holds a very nice place in my heart. Our group wasn't big on WH by any means but all loved the theme (good ol' blood for the blood god). It was just really rough to get scheduled, and teach to our constantly shifting group. Maybe Ankh will keep that refinement going, still need to finish a game of that -Ashton
Same. I have 70 games and CitOW might be about my favorite. I think Gaia Project is the best serious game. I think Dominion is the "best" game overall. I like TI4 a lot but it's hard to get to the table.
@@ClarkPotter - I have played Twilight Imperium twice…….and we didn’t complete it one time. But I loved both times. When you tell someone, it’s going to to 6-8 hours……and you see their eyes glaze over, you know it’s going to be a rough game. I would have to do a rules teach. I couldn’t justify buying the new TI because I hadn’t played the last edition more than 2 times. I still want to get it to the table. I need to break out Cthulhu Wars, it definitely gives me the CiTOW vibes.
It seems very underrated, and likely because the unbalanced combat system in base game, mixed with the huge component overhead, left a sour taste in a lot of people's mouths -Ashton
Brass: Birmingham is one of those games that don't look very engaging at all. Economic tile-placing, coal, pottery.. like what? But once you play, you're instantly hooked. The game is just genious, it works like a well oiled machine. Rules are actually surprisingly simple, there's no text in components, not too many actions and it flows nicely, but it makes you THINK. It's not a "pick up and play" game by any means and needs the right mood to play. With the right group, a few good beers and a relaxed setting.. it's just bliss.
I know right!!?? The game is just brilliant, utterly fantastic. The overhead of doing anything has never been that bad because of the dual era system, but that system in of itself keeps the game feeling so fast! Just always wrapped up in how good that game feels -Ashton
I'd be interessted in your opinions on Dune Imperium. I got it based on the mechanics alone as I had no interaction with the IP before, and now I've started reading Dune. I'd also be interessted in how someone who loves dominion, but is not too keen on workerplacement would engage with this game.
Great list. Since this is a long game heavy list a top ten games under 2 hours or even a top ten under 1 hour could be an interesting counterbalance for folks who can’t commit to 6 hours of TI4.
I'm really astonished how people like Brass, it's just such a reduced and condensed game (what I personally hate!!) and I don't like it AT ALL!! The barrels you need to level up manufacturing, pottery etc just doesn't make it satisfying, because you can't really get anything done!! I like Concordia better, it's easier and less rules, but more elegant imo!! I'm so happy to hear about Civilisation being a great game, I was hoping so much for a great board game that simulates civilisation games well!! I will definitely buy it, because I'm a HUUUUUGE Civilisation game fan and upgrading and progressing technologies, cultures etc feels SOOOOO satisfying to me!! Thank You for Your Top 10, I Love Your Content!! I am really new to the Boardgame Community, so really looking forward to playing many more board games!! 😊💖💖💖💖 Also Ashes Reborn REALLY SOUNDS GREAT!!!!! The luck mitigation thing is such an important thing to me as well!! I want to feel like it is worth planning a strategy that pays off in the end, because I have prepared it dilligently, but still a bit of luck involved, so I have to constantly adapt my gameplay and strategy to the new situation!! I love games that master that dance between strategy and a little bit of luck to keep the gameplay spicy!!!
Yeah Brass feels decently restrictive to me and somewhat auto-piloty since there's only so many reasonable placements when you have a hand of 8 cards and obviously better buildings at any given time plus spamming roads for points. Appreciate the enthusiasm, games that are between strategy and luck by the perfect amount are awesome! And definitely try out the Civ board game! (though unfortunatly it's decently hard to find) -Daniel
The Godfather is so underrated. It's like a worker placement game and an area control game had a violent, corrupt baby. It's excellent. Good to have you on the Brass train, man. I thought Brass was going to be heavy, arduous, dry, and boring; I have never been happier to be wrong. The strategies, the interactions between players, the tight board state; Brass is a dream.
Brass is such a dream- especially as being a physical board game, it feels amazing to flip tiles, touch resources, and flip cards. It just does so many things right, the review coming out soon! Glad to hear there's fellow Godfather fans out there too -Ashton
I loved that catan bait 😂. My only two crossovers would probably be the two games I’ve played, brass and dominion. And I’d probably also have dominion lower down and brass in the top three. I would be interested in most of the games you listed tho so now imma have to research them. Specifically ashes and civ
great choices with dominion and Brass! It may be rough to find that version of Civ mentioned, since it is out of print, and the expansions are mandatory for a balanced combat system. There is a new Civ version I have heard great things about though! -Ashton
As you loved Bras, and interconectivity, I would say, that some of the Pfister games would be a treat for you. My prsonal favorite is Mombasa, but Great western Trail could be great as well.
Thank you for a very fun discussion of your top 10 board games. One comment: needs Space Hulk. ; ) Will Daniel also upload his top 10 list? By the way, thanks for your first live stream the other day--that was lots of fun interacting with you two!
yep! It's actually one of Daniel's favorite euros, he especially likes the theme. I think I played it a little too much in HS, and the expansion breathes so much life into it! Just a whole lot of other worker placements that are on my mind nowadays :) Do remember fond moments of getting the perfect plot quests early, or great quests nabbed from the taverns! Cheers! -Ashton
Thanks for this list! Never played a board game remotely the size of Twilight Imperium 🤯 It looks both daunting and fascinating. Definitely want to try it. We're big LOTR fans too, so I can also see that one in our future!
Glad you enjoyed it! TI4 is crazy, and hope you get to experience it one day! It's also easier to learn than it lets on (much easier than WOTR haha). Cheers! -Ashton
heyo! Yeah its been interesting seeing where I could place it on this list because of how mentally straining it is, but man does it do Middle Earth justice. -Ashton
You should try Cthulhu Wars or Cthulhu Wars Duel. It might scratch your Chaos in the Old World itch too. I think you'll like POK when you play it more.
I just love the idea of space pirates- plus their cruiser pre-fire is just the most exhilarating thing ever. Their whole idea feels pretty anti-dreadnaught, which just feels so sneaky and fun to plan around -Ashton
Lol, the Mahact are probably one if not the hardest faction to play well in the game. When I play with new players, I take them out of the draft or take them myself.
I was watching your unboxing of Vast:The Mysterious Manor...I was wondering what you thought of it. I assume that we won't get a official review since you might not own it anymore(it wasn't on your tier list)
yep, its a friend's copy. He played it once, and decided to get rid of it, since it doesn't fill any niche that he likes. If he wanted something with lots of asymmetry, he said he might as well play root. Daniel was geniunely interested in trying it again though -Ashton
Love the list! I also have loved Civ for years. Have you had a chance to try A New Dawn? I would love to hear your thoughts comparing the two different versions.
Hey man, nice list! The Catan fake was funny. I too love TI4 and about to play another game tomorrow. I bought War of the Ring but my friends and I have never won as the good guys, I was wondering if its just how we played it or not. Blood Rage looks good, I want to pick it up. Have you ever tried Eclipse 2nd edition? I've heard its comparable to TI4 but its not as long.
heyo! Catan is always fun to talk on. Can't wait to get some TI4 going over the holidays too! The good guys have a lower win rate here, but we haven't played that much of the good guys in general. I've found that spending a lot of dice actions to move the fellowship (and hide them whenever revealed) helped tremendously. For newcomers, I generally give them the shadow, since its harder to mess up, as the good guys, if you make some crucial mistakes, your game is really screwed (you set the tempo of the game typically). Blood Rage is good, I have some changed thoughts on it though (we have a full review!), but its not longer in my top 10, but I still like it. We have only tried eclipse 1st edition a long long time ago, we keep getting so many requests for 2nd ed! Maybe one day. Our TI4 replacement here is Civilization, love that game so much -Ashton
oh really!?? Oh man I didn't know that- my only experience with insanity has been from AH, EH, DMD, and of course MoM. Out of all of those, MoM is the only one that will straight change your win condition, which is very enjoyable for me -Ashton
@@Shelfside Was going to say, doesn't Death May Die do it too? I see what you mean now though. Pandemic Cthulu doesn't change win conditions, but Tower of Madness does though. You should check out Tower of Madness. It's essentially Lovecraftian Kerplunk.
@@Fatpie42 DMD just makes your character a lot stronger as you go more insane, but when you die from insanity, you're out of the game ahaha. Haven't played the other two, gotta try tower of madness sometime! -Ashton
we haven't! One of friends owns it with the playmat so we have yet to try it still. We still haven't even played PoK twice ahah, so hard to organize these giant space game plays! Not sure if it will replace TI4 for our politics loving groups, but the design seems good overall. I played the 1st version long time ago, and I thought it was pretty cool with the ship upgrades and all that -Ashton
Evolving TI3 to TI4: we made it shorter more streamlined and better to play ... Ok let's make and expansion that overcomplicates everything again. You are right.
The only thing i felt is annoying about ashes is that there isn’t much long term units build up. I felt like short term planning prevails in this one. I prefer Codex and mage academy to this one. What do u think?
That's true that there isn't much scaling with the units- but if you out-manage your mana vs your opponent, your advantage will just be a flood come mid game. It's true that anyone can spawn more units through the summoning cards, but spawning units without the cards/mana/other units to back them up is frequently just a waste. I'm constantly thinking about who is attacking first come the next round, what are my current paths to building board advantage based off of my opponent's deck, etc. Haven't tried Codex and mage academy yet though! -Ashton
Seems we have a similar taste in games. Mate has been trying to get me to play Brass but didn't think it was my cup of tea. Will give it a go now. Have you tried Eclipse 2nd Dawn of the Galaxy. Think you'll love that
Its definitely worth a try to see how your brain feels with all the interactivity. One our friends has Eclipse 2nd ed, and we're supposed to play one day! Not sure if it'll dethrone TI4 for me, but heard great things -Ashton
@@Shelfside It doesn't dethrone TI4 which I can't see ever moving from my number one spit but it is a great game. Often compared but totally different game. A bit quicker if you don't have a whole day to play TI4. Must say the only thing I disagreed with was your viewon Prohecy of Kings. Having played both base game and PoK expansion numerous times I can't see myself ever going back to base
@@stewbiedo Got it! I still haven't gotten a chance to play PoK again, we had a covid scare here so our next playthrough was delayed! Hopefully more thoughts on PoK by year end! -Ashton
I believe it just balances a lot of the cards, the phoenixborn are still same characters. There is an upgrade kit you can buy to convert your game, but that just replaces an insane amount of cards anyways. For ease of use, I would just recomend going to reborn if you're interested -Ashton
I really liked Ashes back in the day, the artwork, the setting, that you got a full playset of cards and really we're able to tinker with your deck, but the german distribution was awful and a lot of stuff wasn't released.
Aah man schucks. I've been really enjoying it for years, and hope to see it again on a top list of mine. Hopefully the newer version has better german distribution! -ashton
Personally, I think Twilight Empire IV is a fantastic game. Unfortunately, it hasn't been on the table for a while. I especially like shorter games like Mafia City, Neuroshima hex and Imperium: The Contention.
@@Shelfside Neuroshima is a good 2 player, looking forward to the beast expansion. Mafia City is great at 3, 4 or 5 players. Imperium: The Contention is great for 2, 3 or 4 players. Not tried with 5 or 6 (could be crouded).
I've only played the 5-6 player expansion... and thought it added a little too much downtime and made the game annoyingly long overall. Just haven't been too keen on trying catan expansions in general, but one day I'm hoping to tier list them. And yes they are hexes but doesn't even come close to Ti4 coolness for me :3 -Ashton
Well the 5 6 expansions are not good in my opinion but the other expansions add a lot more than just hexes I’m not suggesting you get all of them ( or any ) but comparing 5 6 expansions to the 4 main expansions equally is in my opinion kinda wrong - that guy who really likes catan for some reason
@@decboy3208 sure thing, I've heard so many great things about Cities and Knights especially! I just don't want to play the game with 6 ever again haha -Ashton
we haven't finished our TTS session, and have put it on hold until my friend's KS copy comes in. Then we plan to make a review :) Hurry up shipping! -Ashton
I feel ya, the game is pretty crazy to learn in general! Luckily Ares is coming out with a card game version in the future that will likely make it easier :3 -ashton
Pro-POK comment: I respect your decision but honestly think you must have just had a bad session. You are, in fact, the only person I've ever encountered that truly likes TI4 and doesn't love POK. It could just not be your cup of tea, but I highly recommend giving it another try.
Same oppinion from SUSD, the game was not about the amount of stuff in it and PoK does not expand the opportunity for politics, it just makes the game more about itself and less about the players
@@Poolrev1234 possibly though that hasn't been my experience. All of the new negotiation opportunities just magnifies the player interaction. They could have made the agents be a power that only buffs you, but instead you can use them on any player. So you can sell, trade, and extort with them. The whole game is like that. Really cool design philosophy. Also there is certainly more complexity but it is emergent complexity. At the start of the game the only thing more that base game you have is an agent and a mech. Then you take a planet and explore which is hyper simple. You unlock you commander and hero over time. You eventually get a relic or two. You might research some of the new tech. But it all happens willingly over time. Not all at once. Again. Really cool design philosophy. But that's just my take.
hey man! To be clear, TI4 with PoK still makes my Top 10. It could have been entirely reliant on me playing the gene-sorcerers as well. I remember there being a little too many things to keep track of, and just more downtime overall as you wait for other people to manage all their new stuff (albeit really really cool things). As covered in our PoK review, I think its a brilliant fantastic expansion! Fingers crossed for the next play! -Ashton
@@Shelfside I gotcha. I didn't come away thinking you hated it. I just think you must have had a poor first impression if you can ever go back. I know I can't. But there are other schools of thought too, so maybe there are more people than I realized that just don't prefer flavor at the cost of added complexity. TIPOK is my #1 game and war of the ring is my #2 so I can give up streamline for flavor more than a lot of people might be willing to. Love your content.
cheers for godfather and ashes especially! Can't wait to play those again. TI4 has gotten even bigger with POK for our group, we love our complexity and big games bahhaa -Ashton
I've played that game a bajillion times on BGA in recent years. Still really really like it, but not quite enough to make the Top 10! I would have to guess around 12-15 range -Ashton
twilight imperium brass birmingham mansion of madness 2nd ed civilization war of the ring dominion blood rage ashes reborn last word godfather corelone's empire
yep! Just never saw myself playing it again despite all of its awesome moments. Really had some time to reflect on 'what does it really mean to be on my favorite game list' throughout this journey. I made a vid on it if you're curious! -Ashton
I love that you showed the games right out of the box or being played not just BGG photos......awesome job. The explanations were awesome too!
I died when you pulled out catan XD
He got me with that too. :)
Enjoyed this format with the mini reviews of each entry. Thanks for sharing. War of the Ring would also be in my top 10.
Just wanted to chime in and thank you for putting ashes on my radar. Your review (already a while ago) really sparked my interested and now I'm down the rabbit hole with all the expansions at home. It is really a fascinating game, I love it so much.
that is amazing to hear. Such a fascinating game that has really surprised my classical TCG self! May you have many tense games -Ashton
Lovely surprise to see Ashes Reborn on the list! As one of the few competitive LCGs in the market, It really does stand out!
Should I sell my original ashes and get reborn or are they similar?
I like it how you actually show the game board and pieces and not just the box.
Much appreciated. I would love to see the titles next to the timestamps tho :)))
fantastic list and useful format giving a brief review and summary of each game!
Glad you liked it! Took a little longer to construct from last year's but I really enjoyed how it turned out too -Ashton
I love your videos. Best board game channel on yt
I remember when I first started this hobby. I was looking into MoM and ran into this channel. Always fun and entertaining to watch (especially the video that spoofs what it’s like when you first get into board games)!
yo awesome! That vid was really fun to make, glad to see ya around! MoM still holds up so hard :D -Ashton
Love this top ten review. Really enjoyed it. And have bought some already! Thanks pal
whoa awesome! I'm not planning on doing one for this year, since it didn't change too much. But next year excited to see what happens :D -Ashton
Fantastic list! TI4 is also at the top of my list: every game I've played is absolutely epic and I agree 100 percent with you re: the mix of efficient and political game play. I'm looking forward to playing the expansion someday. I'm a Chaos in the World fan as well, but you're right about Blood Rage being more streamlined and easier to get to the table. And nice to see The Godfather: Corleone's Empire get some love! Still one of my favorites.
where is spongebob monopoly
Teratoma asking the hard hitting questions
I gotta say you have really good taste! What you mentioned is either what I also enjoyed or what I would buy. I also managed to get the two expansions of the Civilization after a long term search and I am also very excited because many people say they are more or less essential. I wonder what you would think about them!
Thank you! I do have both of the expansions, and Wisdom & Warfare is pretty much essential to clean up the combat. But while you're at it, its best to just buy both expansions to get all the factions! I am a little indifferent about investments, love the new wonders, love the x2 build, and kind of bleh on the caravan and fortification mechanics. Plus, the factions are definitely not created equal, e.g. zulu are are NOT good. Awesome game, enjoy! -Ashton
@@Shelfside That sounds awesome... I definitely need to try everything. Thank you for your comment!
@@Jinsupanda best of luck! First games do take at least a couple of hours, so schedule some good amount of time :) -Ashton
YES MENTAK!! They’re my favorite faction so far, definitely should try them with the POK expansion. It makes pillage more tradable and the hero can really come in clutch in the last round.
I know right!? Something about space pirates is just so fun. Now I'm 100% want to play mentak with PoK. Will have to update ya guys on how that goes -Ashton
Anytime someone plays the Humans in TI4 i feel like they make a very good target for galactic aggression and planetary bombing. We all know how devious the Humans can be.
I still love Chaos in the Old World. The theme is outstanding although a bit macabre. Warhammer fans are more likely to really really like it but even casual fans like myself like it also. Blood Rage is a more refined evolution of some of the ideas in CITOW which is not surprising since both are the brainchild of Eric Lang.
Chaos definitely still holds a very nice place in my heart. Our group wasn't big on WH by any means but all loved the theme (good ol' blood for the blood god). It was just really rough to get scheduled, and teach to our constantly shifting group. Maybe Ankh will keep that refinement going, still need to finish a game of that -Ashton
Same. I have 70 games and CitOW might be about my favorite. I think Gaia Project is the best serious game. I think Dominion is the "best" game overall. I like TI4 a lot but it's hard to get to the table.
@@ClarkPotter - I have played Twilight Imperium twice…….and we didn’t complete it one time. But I loved both times. When you tell someone, it’s going to to 6-8 hours……and you see their eyes glaze over, you know it’s going to be a rough game. I would have to do a rules teach. I couldn’t justify buying the new TI because I hadn’t played the last edition more than 2 times. I still want to get it to the table. I need to break out Cthulhu Wars, it definitely gives me the CiTOW vibes.
"Why a Hotdog is a Sandwich" sounds like one of those videos that inexpiclably appears in our recommendations.
Always nice to see the civ board game get some attention.
It seems very underrated, and likely because the unbalanced combat system in base game, mixed with the huge component overhead, left a sour taste in a lot of people's mouths -Ashton
@@Shelfside yeah seems very likely.
Brass: Birmingham is one of those games that don't look very engaging at all. Economic tile-placing, coal, pottery.. like what? But once you play, you're instantly hooked. The game is just genious, it works like a well oiled machine. Rules are actually surprisingly simple, there's no text in components, not too many actions and it flows nicely, but it makes you THINK. It's not a "pick up and play" game by any means and needs the right mood to play. With the right group, a few good beers and a relaxed setting.. it's just bliss.
I know right!!?? The game is just brilliant, utterly fantastic. The overhead of doing anything has never been that bad because of the dual era system, but that system in of itself keeps the game feeling so fast! Just always wrapped up in how good that game feels -Ashton
I'd be interessted in your opinions on Dune Imperium. I got it based on the mechanics alone as I had no interaction with the IP before, and now I've started reading Dune. I'd also be interessted in how someone who loves dominion, but is not too keen on workerplacement would engage with this game.
that's been on my radar for sure, as well as the 4p version of Dune from Gf9! -Ashton
I know it's an older video, but stumbled across it, left it playing and enjoyed (even if I top ten is very different). Bravo!
cheers! Will be updating this later this year, glad ya got a kick out of it :) -Ashton
15:23 for some reason just tickled me funny to where I could not stop laughing
hahaha I loved making that -Ashton
Great list. Since this is a long game heavy list a top ten games under 2 hours or even a top ten under 1 hour could be an interesting counterbalance for folks who can’t commit to 6 hours of TI4.
great idea! Will keep it in mind -Ashton
Glad the godfather was on your list, cheers!
The Godfather would be in my roommates Top 10.
Loved the review style - detailed, yet succinct in explaining each game. Varied list too. +1 Subscriber.
I'm really astonished how people like Brass, it's just such a reduced and condensed game (what I personally hate!!) and I don't like it AT ALL!! The barrels you need to level up manufacturing, pottery etc just doesn't make it satisfying, because you can't really get anything done!! I like Concordia better, it's easier and less rules, but more elegant imo!! I'm so happy to hear about Civilisation being a great game, I was hoping so much for a great board game that simulates civilisation games well!! I will definitely buy it, because I'm a HUUUUUGE Civilisation game fan and upgrading and progressing technologies, cultures etc feels SOOOOO satisfying to me!! Thank You for Your Top 10, I Love Your Content!! I am really new to the Boardgame Community, so really looking forward to playing many more board games!! 😊💖💖💖💖 Also Ashes Reborn REALLY SOUNDS GREAT!!!!! The luck mitigation thing is such an important thing to me as well!! I want to feel like it is worth planning a strategy that pays off in the end, because I have prepared it dilligently, but still a bit of luck involved, so I have to constantly adapt my gameplay and strategy to the new situation!! I love games that master that dance between strategy and a little bit of luck to keep the gameplay spicy!!!
Yeah Brass feels decently restrictive to me and somewhat auto-piloty since there's only so many reasonable placements when you have a hand of 8 cards and obviously better buildings at any given time plus spamming roads for points. Appreciate the enthusiasm, games that are between strategy and luck by the perfect amount are awesome! And definitely try out the Civ board game! (though unfortunatly it's decently hard to find)
-Daniel
Dang you have so many ashes packs! Are you all caught up?
The ghandi cameo for civ was perfect
apparently I'm 2 packs away from getting everything!
And yeah ghandi with civ never ever ever gets old ahaha -Ashton
The Godfather is so underrated. It's like a worker placement game and an area control game had a violent, corrupt baby. It's excellent.
Good to have you on the Brass train, man. I thought Brass was going to be heavy, arduous, dry, and boring; I have never been happier to be wrong. The strategies, the interactions between players, the tight board state; Brass is a dream.
Brass is such a dream- especially as being a physical board game, it feels amazing to flip tiles, touch resources, and flip cards. It just does so many things right, the review coming out soon! Glad to hear there's fellow Godfather fans out there too -Ashton
Great quality. Just getting into board games. Really like Dark Souls card game which is like a card game board game
Awesome list! Love hearing about new games to add to my collection 👀
sweet! Hope this helped mate! -Ashton
I loved that catan bait 😂. My only two crossovers would probably be the two games I’ve played, brass and dominion. And I’d probably also have dominion lower down and brass in the top three. I would be interested in most of the games you listed tho so now imma have to research them. Specifically ashes and civ
great choices with dominion and Brass! It may be rough to find that version of Civ mentioned, since it is out of print, and the expansions are mandatory for a balanced combat system. There is a new Civ version I have heard great things about though! -Ashton
As you loved Bras, and interconectivity, I would say, that some of the Pfister games would be a treat for you.
My prsonal favorite is Mombasa, but Great western Trail could be great as well.
sweet! Will keep those in mind man, thanks -Ashton
I had mombasa but to be honest didn't get it too much on the table and sold it. I wonder is brass better?
Thank you for a very fun discussion of your top 10 board games. One comment: needs Space Hulk. ; ) Will Daniel also upload his top 10 list? By the way, thanks for your first live stream the other day--that was lots of fun interacting with you two!
Daniel should be getting his top 10 out before end of year! Glad to see ya from the live stream man! Bahaha space hulk... one day -Ashton
Have you ever played Lords of waterdeep? We run it now over many years and each time its great to dive into the great storys and dynamic gameplay
yep! It's actually one of Daniel's favorite euros, he especially likes the theme. I think I played it a little too much in HS, and the expansion breathes so much life into it! Just a whole lot of other worker placements that are on my mind nowadays :) Do remember fond moments of getting the perfect plot quests early, or great quests nabbed from the taverns! Cheers! -Ashton
Thanks for this list! Never played a board game remotely the size of Twilight Imperium 🤯 It looks both daunting and fascinating. Definitely want to try it. We're big LOTR fans too, so I can also see that one in our future!
Glad you enjoyed it! TI4 is crazy, and hope you get to experience it one day! It's also easier to learn than it lets on (much easier than WOTR haha). Cheers! -Ashton
A great list! Just makes me want to try Brass: Birmingham even more, and I had not heard of The Godfather, that sounds super fun!
BB is such an awesome play, hope you get to it soon :)
And The Godfather is sick! Glad people are finding out more about it now -Ashton
Cool another list vid! Really love the fact that war of the ring is high up:D
Seriously it’s the best
heyo! Yeah its been interesting seeing where I could place it on this list because of how mentally straining it is, but man does it do Middle Earth justice. -Ashton
@@Shelfside indeed it does :)
Godfather is so cut throat. The friends you play with might be your enemies afterwards. Lol.
it is extremely cutthroat, and it just totally feels right in that gangster universe. So many car bombs. Oh so many car bombs -Ashton
Great content guys!!
You should try Cthulhu Wars or Cthulhu Wars Duel. It might scratch your Chaos in the Old World itch too.
I think you'll like POK when you play it more.
Cthulhu wars is so fun
Great work 👍🏼 Top 3 board game channels!
When is the next top 10 list of this year coming out?
Mentak will always be my go to but everyone hates playing against them :P
I just love the idea of space pirates- plus their cruiser pre-fire is just the most exhilarating thing ever. Their whole idea feels pretty anti-dreadnaught, which just feels so sneaky and fun to plan around -Ashton
Added Corleones Empire to my wishlist after your praise :)
It's a great one! I can't wait to play it more this holiday season. Car bombs are truly insane ahah -Ashton
Fantastic list. TI4 would be in my Top 10 as well.
Chaos in the Old World was a game I was interested in but never bought it and now regret I didn't buy it when I could lol
Eclipse second dawn will def be in your top 10. Ti4 is my fave too…
still need to play the asymmetric factions! One day -Ashton
damn you didnt have to do catan dirty like that lmao
ahaha I plan to feature it again on the channel one day! -Ashton
What are the differences between the two Brass games? If you haven't already maybe you can do a video about it.
Ashes Reborn is actually fun with precons then you pick your own dice to play.
Wil try that out next play! -Ashton
Do I need reborn if I have the original already?
Which expansions do you think we should buy for dominion?
I've heard good things about Dark Ages! Can't go wrong with Alchemy and prosperity too, if starting out -Ashton
@@Shelfside Ok, thanks for the info.
Great list! Godfather is so good.
Lol, the Mahact are probably one if not the hardest faction to play well in the game. When I play with new players, I take them out of the draft or take them myself.
well, looks like I got unlucky :) Really do need to give PoK another shot! -Ashton
@@Shelfside Good luck!!!
I love your age of empires death sound effects
love that game so much -Ashton
I was watching your unboxing of Vast:The Mysterious Manor...I was wondering what you thought of it. I assume that we won't get a official review since you might not own it anymore(it wasn't on your tier list)
yep, its a friend's copy. He played it once, and decided to get rid of it, since it doesn't fill any niche that he likes. If he wanted something with lots of asymmetry, he said he might as well play root. Daniel was geniunely interested in trying it again though -Ashton
Dune Imperium is high on my list
Love the list! I also have loved Civ for years. Have you had a chance to try A New Dawn? I would love to hear your thoughts comparing the two different versions.
I haven't tried New Dawn, but the good news is that one of my close buddies owns the game + expansion! Will have to try one day soon -Ashton
Hey man, nice list! The Catan fake was funny. I too love TI4 and about to play another game tomorrow. I bought War of the Ring but my friends and I have never won as the good guys, I was wondering if its just how we played it or not. Blood Rage looks good, I want to pick it up. Have you ever tried Eclipse 2nd edition? I've heard its comparable to TI4 but its not as long.
heyo! Catan is always fun to talk on. Can't wait to get some TI4 going over the holidays too!
The good guys have a lower win rate here, but we haven't played that much of the good guys in general. I've found that spending a lot of dice actions to move the fellowship (and hide them whenever revealed) helped tremendously. For newcomers, I generally give them the shadow, since its harder to mess up, as the good guys, if you make some crucial mistakes, your game is really screwed (you set the tempo of the game typically).
Blood Rage is good, I have some changed thoughts on it though (we have a full review!), but its not longer in my top 10, but I still like it.
We have only tried eclipse 1st edition a long long time ago, we keep getting so many requests for 2nd ed! Maybe one day. Our TI4 replacement here is Civilization, love that game so much -Ashton
@@Shelfside Thanks for the reply and the info!
@@ross.metcalf no problem, best of luck saving (or destroying) middle earth! -Ashton
Have you played Civ a new dawn? How would you compare them?
Would love to hear your current top 10 🙏🏻
"What kind of co-op game has this insanity effect?" Pandemic: Reign of Cthulu? Tower of Madness? Pretty much any Co-Op Lovecraft game?
oh really!?? Oh man I didn't know that- my only experience with insanity has been from AH, EH, DMD, and of course MoM. Out of all of those, MoM is the only one that will straight change your win condition, which is very enjoyable for me -Ashton
@@Shelfside Was going to say, doesn't Death May Die do it too? I see what you mean now though. Pandemic Cthulu doesn't change win conditions, but Tower of Madness does though. You should check out Tower of Madness. It's essentially Lovecraftian Kerplunk.
@@Fatpie42 DMD just makes your character a lot stronger as you go more insane, but when you die from insanity, you're out of the game ahaha. Haven't played the other two, gotta try tower of madness sometime! -Ashton
Have you tried Eclipse Second Dawn yet? Many say it can replace TI4
we haven't! One of friends owns it with the playmat so we have yet to try it still. We still haven't even played PoK twice ahah, so hard to organize these giant space game plays! Not sure if it will replace TI4 for our politics loving groups, but the design seems good overall. I played the 1st version long time ago, and I thought it was pretty cool with the ship upgrades and all that -Ashton
Will you do a review of nemesis??
possibly one day! We don't own a copy but a friend in a far away town does. Excited to try! -Ashton
Evolving TI3 to TI4: we made it shorter more streamlined and better to play ...
Ok let's make and expansion that overcomplicates everything again. You are right.
bahaha this is pretty true to my thoughts. But the additional stuff is insane cool! Still need to try again :D -Ashton
great list
thanks! I have some slight updated thoughts on my end of year video with these top games! Cheers! -Ashton
Have you played Eclipse Second Dawn?
only played 1st edition! One day we'll get to 2nd... one day -Ashton
The only thing i felt is annoying about ashes is that there isn’t much long term units build up. I felt like short term planning prevails in this one. I prefer Codex and mage academy to this one. What do u think?
That's true that there isn't much scaling with the units- but if you out-manage your mana vs your opponent, your advantage will just be a flood come mid game. It's true that anyone can spawn more units through the summoning cards, but spawning units without the cards/mana/other units to back them up is frequently just a waste. I'm constantly thinking about who is attacking first come the next round, what are my current paths to building board advantage based off of my opponent's deck, etc. Haven't tried Codex and mage academy yet though! -Ashton
Seems we have a similar taste in games. Mate has been trying to get me to play Brass but didn't think it was my cup of tea. Will give it a go now.
Have you tried Eclipse 2nd Dawn of the Galaxy. Think you'll love that
Its definitely worth a try to see how your brain feels with all the interactivity. One our friends has Eclipse 2nd ed, and we're supposed to play one day! Not sure if it'll dethrone TI4 for me, but heard great things -Ashton
@@Shelfside It doesn't dethrone TI4 which I can't see ever moving from my number one spit but it is a great game. Often compared but totally different game. A bit quicker if you don't have a whole day to play TI4.
Must say the only thing I disagreed with was your viewon Prohecy of Kings. Having played both base game and PoK expansion numerous times I can't see myself ever going back to base
@@stewbiedo Got it! I still haven't gotten a chance to play PoK again, we had a covid scare here so our next playthrough was delayed! Hopefully more thoughts on PoK by year end! -Ashton
Ti4 gang 🤙🏼
Playing war of the ring against the witch from snow white. Very nice
you know.. never thought of it that way. But that game just oozes theme I couldn't help with the costume -Ashton
War of the Rings rulebook is written so confusingly, once you fully understand it, you could probably just understand and read any book lol.
sheeeesh, we had problems understanding those rules even multiple games in. But its worth! -Ashton
Have you played Oath? Or are you planning to?
yep! We've done a review on oath on our channel, I'm not a big enough fan of it to be in my top 10 though! -ashton
How does Ashes reborn compare to the original? I have the original, should I sell it and buy reborn?
I believe it just balances a lot of the cards, the phoenixborn are still same characters. There is an upgrade kit you can buy to convert your game, but that just replaces an insane amount of cards anyways. For ease of use, I would just recomend going to reborn if you're interested -Ashton
SPACE PLANTS BEST PLANTS
KEEP SPAWNING MORE DUDES!!!
I really liked Ashes back in the day, the artwork, the setting, that you got a full playset of cards and really we're able to tinker with your deck, but the german distribution was awful and a lot of stuff wasn't released.
Aah man schucks. I've been really enjoying it for years, and hope to see it again on a top list of mine. Hopefully the newer version has better german distribution! -ashton
Personally, I think Twilight Empire IV is a fantastic game. Unfortunately, it hasn't been on the table for a while. I especially like shorter games like Mafia City, Neuroshima hex and Imperium: The Contention.
awesome! Yeah TI4 is really relaly hard to start and finish for sure. Neuroshima hex is always such a great run -Ashton
@@Shelfside Neuroshima is a good 2 player, looking forward to the beast expansion.
Mafia City is great at 3, 4 or 5 players.
Imperium: The Contention is great for 2, 3 or 4 players. Not tried with 5 or 6 (could be crouded).
I'll try it with a group of WH40k regulars. They probably have the tolerance to play a game as long as TI
I think Tapestry is my current favorite. Have you tried it?
I haven't gotten to try it! Really curious, will have to give a go one day -Ashton
HEY, WHERE'S GLOOMHAVEN?
shhhh -Ashton
oh dominion has a theme? i didnt know, cuz its so paper thin
Have you ever played a catan expansion
And if you did what’s your opinion
And if you put all the expansions together you can get a ti4 sized game
I've only played the 5-6 player expansion... and thought it added a little too much downtime and made the game annoyingly long overall. Just haven't been too keen on trying catan expansions in general, but one day I'm hoping to tier list them. And yes they are hexes but doesn't even come close to Ti4 coolness for me :3 -Ashton
Well the 5 6 expansions are not good in my opinion but the other expansions add a lot more than just hexes
I’m not suggesting you get all of them ( or any ) but comparing 5 6 expansions to the 4 main expansions equally is in my opinion kinda wrong
- that guy who really likes catan for some reason
@@decboy3208 sure thing, I've heard so many great things about Cities and Knights especially! I just don't want to play the game with 6 ever again haha -Ashton
Do you play ashes on the online discord?
I mostly play in person, but heard great things about the discord! -Ashton
If you like The Godfather, check out La Cosa Nostra!
going on the list! -Ashton
24:26 dear god lol
Have you played Too Many Bones?
I haven't, my friend has it though, hopefully we get to play soon -Ashton
@@Shelfside I have a feeling it'll make your top ten.
Is it just me or is WOTR always out of stock. Been trying to get a copy for months now to no avail
Yep, went out of print around one and a half years ago
@@fabianschmitz6587 oh dang, anyone has any clue when they’ll come back?
What do you think of Scythe?
never played, but hoping to do a review sometime eventually! Daniel has a copy -Ashton
have you tried ankh?
we haven't finished our TTS session, and have put it on hold until my friend's KS copy comes in. Then we plan to make a review :) Hurry up shipping! -Ashton
Go Space Pirates!
Do you guys have a bbg account?
We have a BGG account under "Raynify" (has the Shelfside logo), but I don't update my collection there -Ashton
Nice video. Plz use timestamps.
thanks for the suggestion! Will get the timestamps out -Ashton
can you use nukes ? in cizilaion ?
yep, its a tier 4 technology! Gotta use uranium -Ashton
Needs time stamps folks
you pickes the 2 most hated factions, lol mental and areborec, lol
hahaha, yeah I've been trying to play less mentak laately -Ashton
I love War of the Ring, but no one wants to play with me... The friends I have that like fantasy don't like the complexity... :/
I feel ya, the game is pretty crazy to learn in general! Luckily Ares is coming out with a card game version in the future that will likely make it easier :3 -ashton
War of the Ring rulebook hard to read? For me, not really. Hard to retain? Heck, yeah.
I just wish I lived in your neighbourhood 555
Pro-POK comment: I respect your decision but honestly think you must have just had a bad session. You are, in fact, the only person I've ever encountered that truly likes TI4 and doesn't love POK. It could just not be your cup of tea, but I highly recommend giving it another try.
Same oppinion from SUSD, the game was not about the amount of stuff in it and PoK does not expand the opportunity for politics, it just makes the game more about itself and less about the players
@@Poolrev1234 possibly though that hasn't been my experience. All of the new negotiation opportunities just magnifies the player interaction. They could have made the agents be a power that only buffs you, but instead you can use them on any player. So you can sell, trade, and extort with them. The whole game is like that. Really cool design philosophy. Also there is certainly more complexity but it is emergent complexity. At the start of the game the only thing more that base game you have is an agent and a mech. Then you take a planet and explore which is hyper simple. You unlock you commander and hero over time. You eventually get a relic or two. You might research some of the new tech. But it all happens willingly over time. Not all at once. Again. Really cool design philosophy.
But that's just my take.
hey man! To be clear, TI4 with PoK still makes my Top 10. It could have been entirely reliant on me playing the gene-sorcerers as well. I remember there being a little too many things to keep track of, and just more downtime overall as you wait for other people to manage all their new stuff (albeit really really cool things). As covered in our PoK review, I think its a brilliant fantastic expansion! Fingers crossed for the next play! -Ashton
@@Shelfside I gotcha. I didn't come away thinking you hated it. I just think you must have had a poor first impression if you can ever go back. I know I can't. But there are other schools of thought too, so maybe there are more people than I realized that just don't prefer flavor at the cost of added complexity. TIPOK is my #1 game and war of the ring is my #2 so I can give up streamline for flavor more than a lot of people might be willing to.
Love your content.
Godfather, Ashes, Bloodrage are amazing games!
Ti4 is great but ... too many pieces and takes too much :(
cheers for godfather and ashes especially! Can't wait to play those again. TI4 has gotten even bigger with POK for our group, we love our complexity and big games bahhaa -Ashton
@@Shelfside I hope one day you and daniel test the Fractal BTV campaign. I would love to see a review :)
@@bernardorippe7024 noted, cheers :) -Ashton
wheres ur takenoko?
I've played that game a bajillion times on BGA in recent years. Still really really like it, but not quite enough to make the Top 10! I would have to guess around 12-15 range -Ashton
twilight imperium
brass birmingham
mansion of madness 2nd ed
civilization
war of the ring
dominion
blood rage
ashes reborn
last word
godfather corelone's empire
Battlestar Galactica went from No.1, to no place on Top 10 list...?
Wise decision😋
yep! Just never saw myself playing it again despite all of its awesome moments. Really had some time to reflect on 'what does it really mean to be on my favorite game list' throughout this journey. I made a vid on it if you're curious! -Ashton