We absolutely need him to keep making videos. He has the best taste of all the board game channels in my opinion. Actualol just knows which games are fun.
Heck yeah!!! I own half of these and have access to 2 others. There was only 3 on this list that are new and I will be trying to play this weekend at the board game convention I’m going to!!
Omg not a Single Game, i would like to Play. I startet in Januar with the Hobby and i dont understand why people play shit, becouse the Games out there was outstanding today… and then This is what he Shows…
Timecodes below! 0:29 Heat: pedal to the metal 3:23 The Resistance: Avalon 5:46 Sponsorship bit 7:36 Pandemic: Iberia 10:17 Just One 13:10 Parks 15:22 Cascadia 17:27 L.L.A.M.A. 19:21 Libertalia: Winds of Galecrest 22:04 Carcassonne 24:31 Sushi Go Party
When I first found your channel monopoly and uno were the only games I had. Now you’ve given me a new hobby and I’ve started my own small collection with games like air land and sea that I can play for hours. Thank you
Same experience! It was a blast losing to my mom and younger brother (who doesn't like boardgames) when I play so much on BGA and actually have a decent ranking 😂😅
I LOVE YOUR VIDEOS SO MUCH! Just a perfect balanced blend of charm, humour and information. Providing the audience with enough info to open the box and give it a go while being concise and humourous. Thank you for honing your talent and designing your delivery so well. 🎉
Heat sounds an awful lot like "Speed Circuit" that I bought in the late 1960's. It had 3 formula 1 racing courses included. Great game for 6 players and several passes of the course. It had similar rules for speed and cornering and slip streaming. We often played it with 6 players and had "design your own car" rules.
Agreed, such a classic, I think it's the one game that's never leaving my collection. It's also so easy to teach, and to help new players with while still having fun yourself. I also own the first two expansions and they're good but the og game in itself is already great
Yay!!! We are so very glad that you are back. My entire collection is thanks to you. You are so talented. I don't just watch for games recommendations, I watch for pure laughs and entertainment. You have conflicting priorities with a young family now...but please keep doing this - so very talented. Sponsorship is a given now days, you even make that funny. Your channel alone got my family onboard too...they will stop and watch you and this helps me get the games out more often. Just so happy for you and your audience right now:)
Love @actualol! So nice to have a BG content creator that speaks clearly, at a reasonable meter, has great production values…( has CASCADIA in pride of place 😉) and isn’t always chasing the latest “hotness”.
Board games are meant to be fun and your channel brings out the fun just talking about them. Love the ads, i lol'd at the non-lol joke! Could you do a video about how you'd bring out the fun with teaching kids (to help them to deal with losses and enjoy the experience)? I know that experience is incoming for you :)
I have been in the hobby for 3 years. I do heavy research to make sure when I bring a game into my collection it is likely to stay. I own 36 games currently. That, to me, is a tight collection. 5 of my games are on this list. Two of the games are on my radar to buy soon. That being said- these are creme of the crop games.
@@superspecky4eyesI find the game to be one of the most dragged out boring game ever. No interesting player decisions. Just draw cards and sometimes play trains for 1h. The small box TTR like London have some redemption because of their shorter play time and I like to play them with kids as a first strategy game. I think it doesn't help that set collection is the main mechanism and is usually pretty boring. Same thing with Jaipur. Tile placement like Carcassonne is just so much more interesting and plays faster too. Cascadia has been a garanteed hit with everyone I showed it to. I've never met in person anyone who likes TTR so its popularity just baffles me.
@@olivierjodoin2283 Ah, I find the opposite. I mostly play with children and non-gamers and it always goes down well. Granted, most only have the likes of Monopoly and Cluedo as reference so thats a pretty low bar. I just find the tension of will you/won't you finish your routes and end up losing points very motivating. Plus the decision on whether to claim shorter routes early to secure a path or hold out for longer routes that are more direct and point efficient satisfying. Plus trying to complete all your tickets in one continuios loop is like your own personal puzzle. I do agree, it's not the deepest game by any stretch but its not meant to be.
@@olivierjodoin2283and you're the opposite of me. I give TTR a 9/10 and Cascadia 6/10. Cascadia is not bad, it just feels like so many other games I've played, but the playtime is far too long because the decision space is too large. In the public gaming group I attend, noone cares for it. I could be lazy and just say Cascadia is just drawing and playing tiles for 1.5 hours, but I won't.
Always excited to see Parks get recognition - it's a beautiful game, albeit on the lower end of complexity. But that's a plus for me, it's easy to quickly play out a game on a weekday.
Just one is such a fun game. My fondest memory playing it is getting a word right with having only one clue left. The reactions of the others were priceless.
Heat, Cascadia, Carcassonne and Just One are pretty much my favorite gateway-ish games. Frequent reminder that I really need to try Libertalia, jusy haven't had the occasion yet. Fantastic list as usual.
Yey, another Actualol video. Enjoyed this one... I owned (and love) Heat, Avalon, Cascadia, Libertalia, Carcassonne and played Just Once and Pandemic. 😊 I always watch Actualol contents with anticipation and excitement.
I actually love that his studio is not cluttered. Many channels that talk about board games have a wall of games behind them, which is distracting for someone who loves board games 😅 I pay attention a lot better to these videos.
Well put! Giant wall of games as backdrop: you can trust me, I have more games than you! Aren’t you impressed?!? Simple, tasteful background: you can trust me because I actually give real reasons why game X is/is not truly worth your time and $ A+
So often people don't mention carcasonne anymore and I love that it appeared in your list. It is such a fun game that ibe played in so many different groups.
Why doesn’t this guy have more followers? This guy got me into board games and now my family can listen to me explaining rules over the lunch table. I’m sure they’re having a great time, right :) ? Thanks for the content actualol
my favorite 1-6 player game is after us, it's a deck building game, where you have a band of monkeys in a post-human world, and you need to assemble them to get the most points and you need ressources to both get new monkeys and get points or different resources. there's also some item cards that you can use and you can chose or randomize which ones are available, which change which strategies you want to go for, because different monkey types have different resources they give, gorillas allow you to remove your weak monkeys, orangutan give you energy to use items, chimps allow you to re trigger other effects, and the last one (forgot the name) gives you more victory points. different resources allow you to get different monkeys, so you will want to set your team in the way that gives you the resource you want. also since everybody plays at the same time, it takes about the same time from 2-6, and there's a solo mode against the monkey king which works pretty differently, as you steal resources from him.
Totally agree with most of this list, and buying the rest 😉. Thanks for being the best board game channel on youtube! We really appreciate your effort for making the best videos just for us 🤩🙏🏻
You should do a list of games to play with people that can’t read english. I’m from Mexico, and my family only plays games that are in spanish or that don’t have reading at all ,since not everyone knows the english lenguage. Ticket to ride, seven wonders and carcassone are some of our favorites.
I think some of the trick takers would suit as well. So pack of cards and a game like oh hell. It's all numbers so easy for everyone. Just print the rules you want to use out in the different languages.
Cuts right through the fluff. 10 no-nonsense recommendations that are an excellent starting point for any collection. Might be cool to see a video showing recommendations on where to go next based off these 10 games.
That seems like a great list, even tho I'm not starting a collection, I'm not a "veteran" with 100+ boardgames. From that list, I've never played Heat, Libertalia and Llama, and they seem really fun, specially Llama and Heat. I would add as a great game that 99% of ppl have a blast and you should own: "That's not a hat". Super easy to learn and teach, it's one of those games that doesn't sound that fun but when you start playing... it's hilarious. It's guaranteed fun at parties, pub, family gathering, etc., with gamers and non-gamers; and it's just a simple deck of cards, you can carry at all times, just leave in the car or the bag, like that "Llama". A great worker placement game for anyone starting a collection is "Everdell" (great @ solo, duo or up to 4). It holds a special place because it was what really got my wife into boardgames, it never leaves our collection and we still play it very frequently, 100% our favorite couple's game.
We play Iberia, our favourite Pandemic variant. We play downforce, do want to try Pedal to the Metal. Parks is a keeper, low playing it solo, casually with family or when needed cutthroat with Alpha gamers. Our alternative to LLAMA would be Scout.
1. I prefer Flamme Rouge to Heat. Cars interest me even less than the Tour de France, and that takes effort! 2. I'm not a fan of hidden traitor games. Like deck builders, I prefer it to be an element of a more complex game rather than the game itself. I'd rather play A study in Emerald (which, ironically, is also a dec builder.) 3. My favourite co-op is Tiny Epic Zombies. It is such a tight and fun co-operative experience. 4. I hate party games. Refuse to have them in the collection. If you arent down to play something at least a little more complex, then we should do something else. 5. That's what I have Tokaido for. Mind you, I'd like to play Parks. 6. I went with Life of the Amazonia. That bit more thinky. 7. I'm a real thematic player, so I don't see the point of games that are just mechanics. I need a story to sell me on the mechanics. 8. I played Libertalia way back and I didn't really enjoy it. 9. Carcassonne is played out for me it takes a little too long for what it is. For that sort of game I prefer Foundations of Rome (or Metropolis if you want the retail version) which I find is a more rewarding decision space and it looks beautiful. 10. I agree. I have the basic Sushi Go, and I'd me more than happy to upgrade to Party.
We better get this video to 10 million views or he’s going to have to get a part time job 😱 a fate worse than dead for such a complex and thought driven video
I think when beginning a board game collection you should focus on the genre you like most. Your recommendations are all great games dont get me wrong. But the chances not liking a party game or social seduction game when something like Splendor or El Dorado were your first purchase is bigger than starting with games that gain your interest in the beginning. Once you want more variety then yorlur list us a great pick.
You should make a tier video where you rank board game inserts. Some boxes are designed so well like parks. And some board games evertime I open it is a nightmare like sushi go party. I don’t know why but every time I open that tin box the cards are everywhere and it’s a disaster. I must just use that game wrong.
While I don't own many of these, or even heard of some, this is certainly a fantastic way to jumpstart a collection. If anyone genuinely has almost zero board games, but wants to start board gaming as a hobby, getting all 10 of these off the bat will almost certainly be a worthwhile investment. For me own pick, my first board game was Betrayal at House on the Hill, and it locked me into the hobby instantly. I would highly recommend looking into it. It's variable, unique, thematic, and just a very cool experience if you have a general ability to understand middle-ground complexity.
A very useful video, except for the likes of me with way more games than I could play in a year. I can vouch for every recommendation in this list, except for Cascadia. To me it's just another draft and play a tile game in a saturated space that has the largest decision space with the longest playtime of them all. I'd recommend Azul, one of the Ticket to Ride games or even Catan over it. Everyone I've introduced those games to has really enjoyed them.
I was pleased to see several of the games I have in my collection make this list. 😊 Sushi Go Party, by the way, is way better than regular Sushi Go, in my opinion.
John, your videos are super entertaining! Your writing and humor are unique in this hobby. I really appreciatie your taste in games and have added more then just one (pun inteded) to my collection because of it. I actualy own most of the games you talk about, so I'm not even watching to learn anything new. Just for confirmation and the jokes. In your case a sponsored video only makes it more fun to watch! Keep going.
You’ve probably heard this already a trillion times in the comments section, but…your content,edition and channel style are AMAZING. Congratulations!!!
Great List! The 10 I would keep is much different than the 10 I’d recommend. I feel you did a great job for the public as in if someone new to board games saw this, i’d be happy they did. I’m not sure if these are better than what you’ve recommended but forsure worth looking into when starting a collection. Zoo Vadis Quest for El Dorado Ra/High Society/For Sale Codenames If I could only keep 10 games though(you should do that video if you havent, or maybe 20) Spirit Island Dune: Imperium Cthulhu: Death May Die Ra Zoo Vadis Sea Salt and Paper Heat Dominion 7 Wonders Just One
Quest for El Dorado over Heat for me, no question. They are fairly similar games in that they are racing games with movement determined by a deck of cards and using your hand, but Quest for El Dorado has far more to it while still being easy to learn - most notably it has variable maps, more choice in how to actually race (path choice instead of just linear speed choice), and deck-building instead of a fixed deck which makes the card-driven movement way more interesting.
@@trevorvanderwoerd8915 In defense of Heat, it plays to 6 out of the box and eventually up to 8, while also being good solo, which is pretty extraordinary
Great video, but in the future can you put dividers on the timeline? Once I've heard enough about a game I don't want to buy, I'd like to be able to skip to the start of the next game's description.
I'm going to list my recommends and see how I do: -Dexterity: Crokinol (could be too spendy) -Solo: Sprawlopolis -2 Player Light: Air Land Sea (1.71) & Onitama -2 Player Heavy: Rebellion, Star Wars -CO-OP: Pandemic -Multi Light: King of Tokyo & Ticket to Ride & Sheriff of Nottingham -Multi Heavy: Through the Ages OR Twilight Imperium.
In my first year of college I joined a board game club and the first game we played was Avalon. Within 10 minutes me, an introvert, was yelling at compleat strangers. What a good game
Love your videos! Been looking for a video recommending card/board games that don't require a table. Need something we could play on the beach for example sitting on chairs, or on the bus or in a car.
Great content as always. Funny, entertaining and informative. I specifically like that the games more at the lighter sie and not have to be the newest thing. My personal list had some matches: Hive Pocket Carcassonne Ticket to ride Azul Pandemic Scout Camel Up Just One Hitster Deception Murder in Hong Kong
My first 10 games of my collection, I tried to keep them varied as I'm figuring out what my tastes are and they are in no particular order: Terraforming Mars Turing Machine Tapestry One Deck Galaxy The Castles of Burgundy For Northwood! Welcome To The Moon The Search for Planet X Race for the Galaxy /w first 3 add-ons Final Girl: Starter Set (Core + Camp Happy Trails)
Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code ACTUALOL and get 60% off an annual plan: incogni.com/actualol
We absolutely need him to keep making videos. He has the best taste of all the board game channels in my opinion. Actualol just knows which games are fun.
Agreed! I've taken several of his suggestions and haven't been disappointed yet!
Heck yeah!!! I own half of these and have access to 2 others. There was only 3 on this list that are new and I will be trying to play this weekend at the board game convention I’m going to!!
I'm so glad Actualol is still posting! Gotta love this channel.
👍
Omg not a Single Game, i would like to Play. I startet in Januar with the Hobby and i dont understand why people play shit, becouse the Games out there was outstanding today… and then This is what he Shows…
Timecodes below!
0:29 Heat: pedal to the metal
3:23 The Resistance: Avalon
5:46 Sponsorship bit
7:36 Pandemic: Iberia
10:17 Just One
13:10 Parks
15:22 Cascadia
17:27 L.L.A.M.A.
19:21 Libertalia: Winds of Galecrest
22:04 Carcassonne
24:31 Sushi Go Party
Thanks
Thank you!
Thank you
When I first found your channel monopoly and uno were the only games I had. Now you’ve given me a new hobby and I’ve started my own small collection with games like air land and sea that I can play for hours. Thank you
You're welcome! Glad I could help 😃
Recently bought Heat:pedal to the metal, and the game has an incredible depth, great for both gamers and not gamers
Same experience! It was a blast losing to my mom and younger brother (who doesn't like boardgames) when I play so much on BGA and actually have a decent ranking 😂😅
My first fresh actualol video since becoming a viewer and patron woo!
nice
And you caught this one in the first few minutes!
Looks like you are picking up more sponsorhips. I am elated to see it. The "This Isn't working" video was scary.
Actualy making boring sponsorship spiel funny. I hope your sponsors recognised the talent involved. Great video.
The humor while talking about boardgames, is so nice to listen to.
Apart from the comment of ''When men were mens.'' i agree.
Parks & Cascadia look great! I’ve been really enjoying your videos - always bringing the top-level recommendations🙌
Thank you! 🙏
No way this guy has only 126k subs. He carries himself like a true professional, is funny and very helpful. Awesome content dude.
I am such a huge fan of Cascadia, I'm glad it got off the display and made the list!
I LOVE YOUR VIDEOS SO MUCH! Just a perfect balanced blend of charm, humour and information. Providing the audience with enough info to open the box and give it a go while being concise and humourous. Thank you for honing your talent and designing your delivery so well. 🎉
Thank you for such a nice comment 😊
@@actualol thank you for such nice content :)
I love the skit for the ad, you can tell you're a writer because I actually want to watch the ads!
5:55 flawless transition❤
Heat sounds an awful lot like "Speed Circuit" that I bought in the late 1960's. It had 3 formula 1 racing courses included. Great game for 6 players and several passes of the course. It had similar rules for speed and cornering and slip streaming. We often played it with 6 players and had "design your own car" rules.
Carcassonne is the first "adult" board game I bought, and I think it's still my favourite. It just doesn't get boring.
Agreed, such a classic, I think it's the one game that's never leaving my collection. It's also so easy to teach, and to help new players with while still having fun yourself. I also own the first two expansions and they're good but the og game in itself is already great
0:42 "And platitudes used to mean something" haha love your jokes
Thanks, I secretly love that one too.
This guy is absolutely the king of analogies “like an Inuit writing a poem about snow” amazing.
And don’t think we didn’t notice the saber of Damocles comment. Genius.
Yay!!! We are so very glad that you are back. My entire collection is thanks to you. You are so talented. I don't just watch for games recommendations, I watch for pure laughs and entertainment. You have conflicting priorities with a young family now...but please keep doing this - so very talented. Sponsorship is a given now days, you even make that funny. Your channel alone got my family onboard too...they will stop and watch you and this helps me get the games out more often. Just so happy for you and your audience right now:)
Thank you ☺
This is one of the first "games to start your collection" videos that had 100% bangers that I 27:27 now need to add to my collection.
Love @actualol! So nice to have a BG content creator that speaks clearly, at a reasonable meter, has great production values…( has CASCADIA in pride of place 😉) and isn’t always chasing the latest “hotness”.
His costumes make me laugh every time. Such a gem of a man.
1 second in. Can't wait to see monopoly on the list :)
Blasphemy
Monopoly is in 10 Board Games You Need To Start A Fire
😂
@@actualol Good thinking, they do hand you a lot of burnable paper
Monopoly Deal rules
The more I play Sushi Go, the more I (/we) really love it. You never want to stop! Great list.
"Like a goth realizing they can switch to being a mime by just buying a stripey t-shirt." GENIOUS!!!!!
Your video about “fun per inch” helped me find a LOT of fun games.
Fundensity!
@@2bearnest YES FUNDENSITY THANK YOU
That's exactly how I landed my wife.
I gave her "fun by the inch" until she was absolutely addicted.
...to boardgames. (dont make it weird)
Great video mate. You give an excellent overview of the games, and still manage to be funny without crossing into that thin cringe line.
Keep it up!
Thanks!
Thank you! 🙏
Board games are meant to be fun and your channel brings out the fun just talking about them. Love the ads, i lol'd at the non-lol joke! Could you do a video about how you'd bring out the fun with teaching kids (to help them to deal with losses and enjoy the experience)? I know that experience is incoming for you :)
Favorite game channel in existence. Bought more games (& enjoyed them) off actualol than anywhere else.
Keep going! I love your videos. I've purchased several board games you have recommended/reviewed.
Dude i hope you can keep making videos you've introduced me to so many great games and i'd hate to see you quit
Thanks the future is looking a lot brighter now, thanks to the new patrons.
I have been in the hobby for 3 years. I do heavy research to make sure when I bring a game into my collection it is likely to stay. I own 36 games currently. That, to me, is a tight collection. 5 of my games are on this list. Two of the games are on my radar to buy soon. That being said- these are creme of the crop games.
Cascadia is a brilliant game, everyone who I have introduced it to has loved it. It's up there with Ticket to Ride for me.
They are quite opposite for me 😅
Cascadia is pure 10/10. Ticket to Ride is at best 4/10 for me.
@@olivierjodoin2283 Really? What makes you rate Ticket to Ride a 4/10?
@@superspecky4eyesI find the game to be one of the most dragged out boring game ever. No interesting player decisions. Just draw cards and sometimes play trains for 1h. The small box TTR like London have some redemption because of their shorter play time and I like to play them with kids as a first strategy game. I think it doesn't help that set collection is the main mechanism and is usually pretty boring. Same thing with Jaipur. Tile placement like Carcassonne is just so much more interesting and plays faster too.
Cascadia has been a garanteed hit with everyone I showed it to. I've never met in person anyone who likes TTR so its popularity just baffles me.
@@olivierjodoin2283 Ah, I find the opposite. I mostly play with children and non-gamers and it always goes down well. Granted, most only have the likes of Monopoly and Cluedo as reference so thats a pretty low bar.
I just find the tension of will you/won't you finish your routes and end up losing points very motivating. Plus the decision on whether to claim shorter routes early to secure a path or hold out for longer routes that are more direct and point efficient satisfying. Plus trying to complete all your tickets in one continuios loop is like your own personal puzzle.
I do agree, it's not the deepest game by any stretch but its not meant to be.
@@olivierjodoin2283and you're the opposite of me. I give TTR a 9/10 and Cascadia 6/10. Cascadia is not bad, it just feels like so many other games I've played, but the playtime is far too long because the decision space is too large. In the public gaming group I attend, noone cares for it.
I could be lazy and just say Cascadia is just drawing and playing tiles for 1.5 hours, but I won't.
I just laughed out loud, acrually, due to that ad bit. 👏 Well done.
Always excited to see Parks get recognition - it's a beautiful game, albeit on the lower end of complexity. But that's a plus for me, it's easy to quickly play out a game on a weekday.
Just one is such a fun game.
My fondest memory playing it is getting a word right with having only one clue left. The reactions of the others were priceless.
Heat, Cascadia, Carcassonne and Just One are pretty much my favorite gateway-ish games.
Frequent reminder that I really need to try Libertalia, jusy haven't had the occasion yet.
Fantastic list as usual.
Yey, another Actualol video. Enjoyed this one...
I owned (and love) Heat, Avalon, Cascadia, Libertalia, Carcassonne and played Just Once and Pandemic. 😊
I always watch Actualol contents with anticipation and excitement.
Even the ad break is entertaining
I actually love that his studio is not cluttered. Many channels that talk about board games have a wall of games behind them, which is distracting for someone who loves board games 😅 I pay attention a lot better to these videos.
Haha!
Well put!
Giant wall of games as backdrop: you can trust me, I have more games than you! Aren’t you impressed?!?
Simple, tasteful background: you can trust me because I actually give real reasons why game X is/is not truly worth your time and $
A+
you're my new favorite channel!!!!
Love that you did not reused and reused and reused old videos for this one! great work 👍
Please keep making more videos 😢
Thanks to the influx of patrons/members - I'm not going anywhere. Many more videos planned.
So often people don't mention carcasonne anymore and I love that it appeared in your list. It is such a fun game that ibe played in so many different groups.
Why doesn’t this guy have more followers? This guy got me into board games and now my family can listen to me explaining rules over the lunch table. I’m sure they’re having a great time, right :) ? Thanks for the content actualol
Solid list. A few already in my collection, a few on my wish list or need to look into more, and a couple I hadn't considered but may have to now.
Finally a video :DDDD
They are so great.
my favorite 1-6 player game is after us, it's a deck building game, where you have a band of monkeys in a post-human world, and you need to assemble them to get the most points and you need ressources to both get new monkeys and get points or different resources. there's also some item cards that you can use and you can chose or randomize which ones are available, which change which strategies you want to go for, because different monkey types have different resources they give, gorillas allow you to remove your weak monkeys, orangutan give you energy to use items, chimps allow you to re trigger other effects, and the last one (forgot the name) gives you more victory points.
different resources allow you to get different monkeys, so you will want to set your team in the way that gives you the resource you want.
also since everybody plays at the same time, it takes about the same time from 2-6, and there's a solo mode against the monkey king which works pretty differently, as you steal resources from him.
As always, it's a joy to watch your videos! Keep them coming!
Thanks, will do!
I have been playing Moon a lot and I love it because there are a lot of different strategies to win. ❤😊
Your reccs and taste are just amazing. Happy I found Spanish editions for most of them :D
Totally agree with most of this list, and buying the rest 😉. Thanks for being the best board game channel on youtube! We really appreciate your effort for making the best videos just for us 🤩🙏🏻
You should do a list of games to play with people that can’t read english. I’m from Mexico, and my family only plays games that are in spanish or that don’t have reading at all ,since not everyone knows the english lenguage. Ticket to ride, seven wonders and carcassone are some of our favorites.
First games that come to my mind there are Splendor and Loot.
I think some of the trick takers would suit as well. So pack of cards and a game like oh hell. It's all numbers so easy for everyone. Just print the rules you want to use out in the different languages.
Splendor is great. Also try For Sale. They make a travel version that cuts down on unnecessary packaging
The only blogger whose opinion I trust
I love actualol. The game reviews and humor always slap.
Actualol loves you
your dry sense of humor gets me subscribing. Thank you good sir.
Cuts right through the fluff. 10 no-nonsense recommendations that are an excellent starting point for any collection.
Might be cool to see a video showing recommendations on where to go next based off these 10 games.
That seems like a great list, even tho I'm not starting a collection, I'm not a "veteran" with 100+ boardgames. From that list, I've never played Heat, Libertalia and Llama, and they seem really fun, specially Llama and Heat.
I would add as a great game that 99% of ppl have a blast and you should own: "That's not a hat". Super easy to learn and teach, it's one of those games that doesn't sound that fun but when you start playing... it's hilarious. It's guaranteed fun at parties, pub, family gathering, etc., with gamers and non-gamers; and it's just a simple deck of cards, you can carry at all times, just leave in the car or the bag, like that "Llama".
A great worker placement game for anyone starting a collection is "Everdell" (great @ solo, duo or up to 4). It holds a special place because it was what really got my wife into boardgames, it never leaves our collection and we still play it very frequently, 100% our favorite couple's game.
We play Iberia, our favourite Pandemic variant. We play downforce, do want to try Pedal to the Metal. Parks is a keeper, low playing it solo, casually with family or when needed cutthroat with Alpha gamers.
Our alternative to LLAMA would be Scout.
Great to see you’re still going!
I've got to champion The Wandering Tower here. It manages the impossible and works from 2 to 7 players, from 1st time gamers to seasoned LoBsters.
1. I prefer Flamme Rouge to Heat. Cars interest me even less than the Tour de France, and that takes effort!
2. I'm not a fan of hidden traitor games. Like deck builders, I prefer it to be an element of a more complex game rather than the game itself. I'd rather play A study in Emerald (which, ironically, is also a dec builder.)
3. My favourite co-op is Tiny Epic Zombies. It is such a tight and fun co-operative experience.
4. I hate party games. Refuse to have them in the collection. If you arent down to play something at least a little more complex, then we should do something else.
5. That's what I have Tokaido for. Mind you, I'd like to play Parks.
6. I went with Life of the Amazonia. That bit more thinky.
7. I'm a real thematic player, so I don't see the point of games that are just mechanics. I need a story to sell me on the mechanics.
8. I played Libertalia way back and I didn't really enjoy it.
9. Carcassonne is played out for me it takes a little too long for what it is. For that sort of game I prefer Foundations of Rome (or Metropolis if you want the retail version) which I find is a more rewarding decision space and it looks beautiful.
10. I agree. I have the basic Sushi Go, and I'd me more than happy to upgrade to Party.
We better get this video to 10 million views or he’s going to have to get a part time job 😱 a fate worse than dead for such a complex and thought driven video
I so love his videos! Even his paid promo was fun to watch. So good! Not only favorite board game UA-camr but in my top five of all genres.🎉
"MOM! The new Actualol video just dropped!"
I think when beginning a board game collection you should focus on the genre you like most. Your recommendations are all great games dont get me wrong. But the chances not liking a party game or social seduction game when something like Splendor or El Dorado were your first purchase is bigger than starting with games that gain your interest in the beginning. Once you want more variety then yorlur list us a great pick.
I think this is also a good list to try and play to see if you like those style of games too.
I finally picked up Parks on sale this weekend. It looks like a beautiful game. Can't wait to play it.
Nice list. Keep up the good work.
You should make a tier video where you rank board game inserts. Some boxes are designed so well like parks. And some board games evertime I open it is a nightmare like sushi go party. I don’t know why but every time I open that tin box the cards are everywhere and it’s a disaster. I must just use that game wrong.
Underdog Games has one of the best inserts in my collection (e.g. Trekking thru History, Trekking the World).
YESSSS! I agree about underdog, and also that new game Gnome Hollow has a great insert for all the different cardboard pieces.
While I don't own many of these, or even heard of some, this is certainly a fantastic way to jumpstart a collection. If anyone genuinely has almost zero board games, but wants to start board gaming as a hobby, getting all 10 of these off the bat will almost certainly be a worthwhile investment.
For me own pick, my first board game was Betrayal at House on the Hill, and it locked me into the hobby instantly. I would highly recommend looking into it.
It's variable, unique, thematic, and just a very cool experience if you have a general ability to understand middle-ground complexity.
The smartest most entertaining board game reviewer there is. Another brilliant video!
Thank you! 🙏
A very useful video, except for the likes of me with way more games than I could play in a year. I can vouch for every recommendation in this list, except for Cascadia. To me it's just another draft and play a tile game in a saturated space that has the largest decision space with the longest playtime of them all. I'd recommend Azul, one of the Ticket to Ride games or even Catan over it. Everyone I've introduced those games to has really enjoyed them.
I was pleased to see several of the games I have in my collection make this list. 😊 Sushi Go Party, by the way, is way better than regular Sushi Go, in my opinion.
Yeah a new video!!! 🎉 just joined your patrons ❤You are too funny! I have just purchased Burgle Bros because of your recs! 🤗 having a blast with it!!
Thanks for becoming a patron! Glad you're loving Burgle Bros :)
You cant go wrong with any of these. Rock solid list.
Happy to see you’re back !
John, your videos are super entertaining! Your writing and humor are unique in this hobby. I really appreciatie your taste in games and have added more then just one (pun inteded) to my collection because of it. I actualy own most of the games you talk about, so I'm not even watching to learn anything new. Just for confirmation and the jokes. In your case a sponsored video only makes it more fun to watch! Keep going.
Thank you for such a kind comment, it makes the effort worth it 🙏
You’ve probably heard this already a trillion times in the comments section, but…your content,edition and channel style are AMAZING. Congratulations!!!
Thank you! I'm glad you think so :)
Great video! Avalon looks like a great time! Also Libertalia look very fun, I'll have to try that out for sure! Thank you!
Great List! The 10 I would keep is much different than the 10 I’d recommend. I feel you did a great job for the public as in if someone new to board games saw this, i’d be happy they did. I’m not sure if these are better than what you’ve recommended but forsure worth looking into when starting a collection.
Zoo Vadis
Quest for El Dorado
Ra/High Society/For Sale
Codenames
If I could only keep 10 games though(you should do that video if you havent, or maybe 20)
Spirit Island
Dune: Imperium
Cthulhu: Death May Die
Ra
Zoo Vadis
Sea Salt and Paper
Heat
Dominion
7 Wonders
Just One
I almost picked Zoo Vadis and Ra - definitely some great recommendations in here.
Quest for El Dorado over Heat for me, no question. They are fairly similar games in that they are racing games with movement determined by a deck of cards and using your hand, but Quest for El Dorado has far more to it while still being easy to learn - most notably it has variable maps, more choice in how to actually race (path choice instead of just linear speed choice), and deck-building instead of a fixed deck which makes the card-driven movement way more interesting.
@@trevorvanderwoerd8915 In defense of Heat, it plays to 6 out of the box and eventually up to 8, while also being good solo, which is pretty extraordinary
Great video, but in the future can you put dividers on the timeline? Once I've heard enough about a game I don't want to buy, I'd like to be able to skip to the start of the next game's description.
I'm going to list my recommends and see how I do:
-Dexterity: Crokinol (could be too spendy)
-Solo: Sprawlopolis
-2 Player Light: Air Land Sea (1.71) &
Onitama
-2 Player Heavy: Rebellion, Star Wars
-CO-OP: Pandemic
-Multi Light: King of Tokyo &
Ticket to Ride &
Sheriff of Nottingham
-Multi Heavy: Through the Ages OR Twilight Imperium.
Lol, no cross overs! Kind of a cross over with Pandemic: Iberia.
Fantastic list Jon!
Wow so helpful! Next step is to find friends!!!
please make a tutorial on that...
Just one is a great game indeed! Even my mom likes playing it despite being allergic to most table top games
In my first year of college I joined a board game club and the first game we played was Avalon. Within 10 minutes me, an introvert, was yelling at compleat strangers. What a good game
An Excellent list including many games I started my collection with (Carcassone and Sushi Go), and games I have been waiting to get (Heat)
Great video, list and content always. Keep up the amazing work.
Fantastic recommendations. Get them! Can't go wrong!
Love your videos! Been looking for a video recommending card/board games that don't require a table. Need something we could play on the beach for example sitting on chairs, or on the bus or in a car.
I love all four of the Sushi Go games!
Not going to lie, this video helped add a few to my collection. Thanks for the great video and in-depth look at each of them!
Great content as always. Funny, entertaining and informative. I specifically like that the games more at the lighter sie and not have to be the newest thing. My personal list had some matches:
Hive Pocket
Carcassonne
Ticket to ride
Azul
Pandemic
Scout
Camel Up
Just One
Hitster
Deception Murder in Hong Kong
Great picks, many brilliant games on the list.
Really good Video… 💪nice to See Whats on the tables in other Countries! Greetings from Germany.. 🙋♂️
Great video mate!! Fun and informative as always. I have been playing Just One on BGA for the last few months. It would be great in person.
sometimes i feel like i enjoy watching your videos more than playing the game it self. xD
Absolutely fantastic picks
My first 10 games of my collection, I tried to keep them varied as I'm figuring out what my tastes are and they are in no particular order:
Terraforming Mars
Turing Machine
Tapestry
One Deck Galaxy
The Castles of Burgundy
For Northwood!
Welcome To The Moon
The Search for Planet X
Race for the Galaxy /w first 3 add-ons
Final Girl: Starter Set (Core + Camp Happy Trails)