Shadows of Brimstone is an amazing game, glad to see it here! The assembling models thing comes from the Hills love of wargaming, no snobbery whatsoever.
Maybe a little snobbery on my part, but I would also argue that unassembled minis still hold more detail than the typical PVC fare we see in pre-assembled minis. The detail gap is closing but I think there's still a difference: Awaken Realms minis look nice, especially the sundrop ones, but they still don't quite measure up to the plastic models from Games Workshop or Kingdom Death imo. Then again, the original Brimstone models weren't detailed enough that they couldn't have been done in PVC.
Shadows of Brimstone at it's core is a fairly basic dice chuckin' dungeon crawl kind of game. So I was trying to think why I love it so much, and I think what elevates it for me is the crazy events and special abilities from equipment and things like that. I think they do a great job of giving you the highs and lows that keep things exciting.
I think in one of their kickstarter videos they said that many of the players (not me:-) ) like it to put the minis together, individualice the poses, etc. But overall a great game and on way too few best-of lists.
_Level_ _7_ _[Omega_ _Protocol]_ is a *great* one-against-many dungeon crawler. _Blackstone_ _Fortress_ is really fun too, though the difficulty curve is such that the game gets too easy later in the campaign. Expansions help rectify that though. 😈
Blackstone Fortress gives that old school dungeon crawler feel with modern gameplay. It's fantastic. But, yeah, the difficulty curve for the core box causes it to get too easy.
@@gaebril131Both are great, and have enough differences to own or play both. The amount interchangeable content (when figuring in the expansions) gives Descent more replay value, so I get why it's higher on Tom's list.
I loved Gloomhaven and still appreciate it as a great game, but the scenarios are so repetitive and the story is so forgettable I stopped after 30 plays. Gameplay wise I found it too much of a puzzle. Guess I like a little more freedom to explore in a dungeon crawler.
I only played 5 or 6 scenarios in Gloomhaven but I think what bothered me most was having to manually pick up loot while also managing my hand. Running around manually picking up loot in video games is boring and tedious, and it fares even worse in the transition to tabletop, especially when there's an implicit turn limit with your constantly dwindling deck of cards.
I wondered if anybody would mention this. It is definitely my favorite one shot dungeon crawl. Also, agree that the campaign wasn't as good as the regular game, but it kind of wasn't meant to be. It's really too bad that blacklist games fell apart.
Im a huge dungeon crawl fan, and no offense but I thought Altar Quest was total garbage tier :D It had some nice ideas but in practice I did not enjoy playing it at all.
Don't forget that in Lobotomy II: Manhunt, the characters are all IP - the idea is that the "patients" truly believe they are these IP characters. Examples: Captain Jack Sparrow, Ash (Evil Dead) and Morpheus (Matrix.) They get away with it because technically these are NOT real IP, only BASED on IP. (They're IP haha)
WHQ from 90s is the best Miss some of the things that they removed when making Shadows of Brimstone Middara is the other that are in my best dungeon crawler
I was looking for this on the list. I have the KS version on my shelf of shame as i struggle to get anyone interested in playing it with me over C:DMD and Lobotomy 2. Tempted to sell it as I’m not going to solo it
Still easily the most underrated DC ever with the best enemy activation, quest design and combat dynamics. Ancient Chronicles is such an improvement over the initial base game. But it is so sad to see that Simone Romano and Nunzio Surace do not receive enough credit for their design.
@@VaultBoy13 Not really. The information is necessary. Hiding it in an app would definitely change the game. But we will see with what the Teburu version will offer. ;)
I don't think the spatial positioning aspect of it is strong enough. A big part of the genre is also getting to do what you want on your turn, which the LCG format precludes.
@@NoobwaterI've played probably 20 scenarios of it across 3 campaigns, and while there are locations I don't really feel the game has much of a spatial spect. DMD has a similar number of location spaces, but positioning is more of a factor. For me though, the argument is mainly the action selection, which makes it a Card game emulating a dungeon crawler.
Top 16 Dungeon Crawls I would like to play 1. Frost Haven 2. Etherfields 3. Tainted Grail 4. Okko Chronicles 5. Conan by Monolith 6. Chronicles of Drunagor 7. Dice Thrones Adventures 8. Fireteam Zero 9. Stormsunder (not out yet) 10. Soul Raiders (not out yet) 11. Werewolf the Apocalypse (not out yet) 12. Elder Scrolls by Chip Theory games. 13. Shadows of Brimstone 14. Agemonia 15. Fateforge Chronicles of Kaan 16. Batman: Animated Adventures
Mansions of Madness is an Adventure game Also things that should have been on the list Hellboy Alone Dungeon Run Machina Arcana Mutant Chronicles Citadel
Yeah the OG shadows of brimstone minis were ATROCIOUS to put together. When they redid them in the 2.0 version it was far less so, but uuuugh! I suspect a lot of people that say they dislike the putting together the mini aspect of SoB tried to do so in the first edition and as an avid wargamer, some of those minis were even a pain for me!
They were one point price champions for sure, I got castle ravenloft for 45 euros, but I think the newer ones are more then double that price with the same content. Also they come with deluxe versions with colored miniatures I think.
Oh I backed this and got rid of it quickly. It has one of the biggest sins in a game for me. A timer. And when you effectively rest then the timer goes double fast. For no good reason.
@@nielsjensen6897 That's unfortunate but most games have some kind of timed element so the game does not effectively last forever. Rounds, a deck of cards, etc.
So Tom didn't like Middara not because its a bad game, not because the mechanics are bad, but the fact that its a JRPG table top game and he thinks the art work is sexist (the artwork is on par with style of the game), how very strange, so basically he reviews games for himself? I don't like Descent Journeys in the dark,because of the artwork, because its tries so hard to be progressive its actually cringe, but I like the game because its actually very good and just because I don't like the above it would appeal to some people.
Someday I will go through the whole Descent: Jorney in the dark, I've already got all the stuff - so I need just enough time to do that. I suppose - that it is one of the most intresting versions of Dungeon Crawlers. Probably the next one is Midarra! And of course I have many-many other Dungeon Crawler games - I have a lot of them, but I have a little time - you know...
No Journeys in Middle-Earth is a crime, I play with my wife so campaign is not a problem for me. Also I really enjoy Bloodborne the Boardgame but I'm biased, it's my favorite video game of all time
I disagree with Tom: Mansions First Edition is far better than Second. Yes you have to be careful with setup, but a skilled Keeper player can control the story far better than the app can. A lot of the stories in second feel like they are either too short or too random. Plus a keeper can prod the players onto the right path if they are too far away. I could, most of the time, get it down to the last turn of the game with both sides on the last step of victory without either side feeling like they are holding back.
I was thinking that was a weird choice for a dungeon crawler honorable mention too (great game though). Same with Cutthroat Caverns, which imo is a better version of Munchkin but even less of a dungeon crawler.
I don't know if I consider it a DC, but I love Escape the Dark Castle. The art is great, the theme is great, it reminds me so much of the old Eye of the Beholder or the newish Legend of Grimrock. It's easy to play and easy to get people invested. I'm also with Joey and Camilla for my number one: Death May Die is just too good. I agree that not every scenario is a slam dunk, but the ones that are (my all-time favourite is the 3rd from the first box, The Ball), are some of the finest game design I've ever seen.
I consider it a DC just because one opens a door (turns card over) and deals with what is there. Maybe fight a baddie, deal with a trap, find a rotten apple, then move on. And I love the art and feel as well, especially with the soundtrack.
I played a couple scenarios in Death May Die and thought it was solid but it didn't grab me the way it seems to for a lot of people. You've made me curious about trying The Ball, though, if I ever get the chance to play it again.
I don't know... I think Divinity Original Sin is an Open World Adventure game. Almost the opposite of a tight (some might say claustrophobic) dungeon crawl. Interesting lists though.
Sorry but I gave TED a 4.5 out of 10. It's a sloggy, fiddly and somewhat generic game with a terrible rulebook. I'm a bit bitter and maybe overreacting a bit as I had high hopes when I took it on vacation last year.
@@freeheeler00 I agree the rulebook is pretty frustrating. I understand they have to use a lot of symbology to save card space and (allegedly) fit everything in the small box, but the rulebook does a poor job teaching how to interpret those symbols. I like the idea of the game and thought it was decent for what it is, but the one time I played my group had to cut it short halfway through because we spent too long looking up rules and it got too late. At least from what I played I think I'd put it higher than a 4.5 once I fully grasp the rules, but I'd have to play a full game to say for sure.
Warhammer Quest is my #1 with League of Dungeoneers and/or Dungeon Universalis! The ones I agreed with are Shadows of Brimstone(the best of those mentioned), the D&D adventure series and Gloomhaven. Chronicles of Drunagor and Arkeis are probably good but i haven't played them. There are so many awesome games missed tho. Heroquest got mentioned and dismissed but what about Advanced HeroQuest or Warhammer Quest old or new. Blackstone Fortress is awesome. How about Dungeon Crusade, Altar Quest, Dungeon Degenerates, Machina Arcana, Quest for the lost Pixel, Iron Helm/Tin Helm, Cult of Barnacle Bay, Folklore, Myth, Away Missions, Assault on Doomrock, Space Hulk(If Claustrophobia counts). There is just so many. Still an enjoyable episode, Thanks.
Blackstone Fortress is the biggest miss. However, I think most of the Games Workshop stuff is going to be blind spot for The Dice Tower. Tom (and most of the others) aren't interested in assembling minis. If Joey is balking at the price of Massive Darkness 2, then he's not going to buy a GW dungeon crawler. So, I think that means about the only way one of these games would end up getting played is if Dice Tower gets a free copy and Joey or Roy assemble it. (And, GW seems much more likely to give free copies of their content to painters which are more likely to hit their target audience.) And, Altar Quest is shit. I'm sorry, but it just is. Even the best MDS game is simply good, and Altar Quest is the worst of them. It's even worse than the buddy-cop game that was little more than hijacking cars back and forth across the city to stop criminals.
the more hobbyist games get, the less likely reviewers tried them. with how much time it takes to do what they do, a long game (2h+) can be already annoying, as you could do reviews of multiple mass market games in that time. DUN and LoD are heavy expansive lifestyle games. it is fair enough for them to stay bellow the treshold how much commitment they can spare. like you would NEVER see a war game top 10, since 99 % of them take too much dedication to get started. in 2014 they tried to make a war game top 10, and Zee had Small World in top 3...
With regards to the models in shadows of brimstone, this game is catering to a different type of gamer. This is really catering to the hobbyist gamer. People who liked Warhammer 95. I think the reason why Flying Frogs mostly focuses on shadows of brimstone is because the company is incredibly small. It's literally a small family company. Almost everybody that works in the company is a relative. So I don't think they have the big production capabilities like CMON.
Tbf though, that is true for a great many board game companies, but your production capabilities are set by the factory, and they certainly could make one piece models even as a small company if they wanted to.
SoB is pretty much hobby tier at this point, alongside 40K, with the amount of expansions and minis available. It's great, but I can understand some people not wanting to build minis.
Hey guys! Would you consider reviewing Bag of Dungeon 2, there's almost no reviews for it and it's an outstanding game and devs put a lot of care into it. They even revised the first game multiple time with new graphic and updated meeple and rules. It sets up and literally 30 seconds and it packs a punch. I have no connection with devs I'm just baffled i could find basically no coverage for it which almost made me give it a pass
My predictions: for the Adventure games list no one will have the best Adventure game (and one of the best solo games as voted by the solo BGG community)
I saw Gloomhaven at Walmart sitting in an unrelated section, picked it up and couldn't believe what I was seeing. I looked up the price on my phone, and it was on sale online at Walmart's site for 29.99. They wouldn't give me the online price at the front, so I went to the parking lot, bought it, walked right back in. I was completely in love with almost every aspect of it. That freaking book is a game changing cream dream. The hidden stuff you unlock, tucked away in a box... Say whaaaat?! I was working out of town, staying in hotels through the week, hating life, so this was the perfect thing. I was stoked to crawl my way through this campaign, savoring every bit. It all fell apart, however, once I realized it was a puzzle game. Turn over every stone? Nope! Time's up! Pick up that treasure? Nope! Economy of motion is the name of the day! Not criticizing it for what it is. This is one of the most skillfully produced games I've ever seen. I love the unique features it brings. That book is revolutionary, and does away with the tedium of generic tile sets. The fact that all I had to do was not flip through the map book, and the world ahead would be a complete mystery, as opposed to another recombination of the same tiles, was such an allure.
Tom's list has the most games (5) I would agree are top 10 dungeon crawlers, Joey has the most games (3) that are top 10ers for me, but I don't own (yet), and I gotta give Milla credit for the biggest expanse of theme - from stuffed fables to The Others and Lobotomy 2.
I don't get it. Ravings for Dungeon Crusade; Dungeon Universalis; and League of Dungeoneers, Top ratings for all 3 of those on BGG, and not ONE peep about any of them from this group. 😮💨
I used to be a huge Mansions of Madness fan, own most of the expansions. But it's fallen off because I just don't really enjoy the randomness. It just seems randomly hard most of the time in ways you can't really do much about. Both in terms of the events that happen but more than that, the dice rolling to me in this is not fun. It's just too easy to roll a bunch of blanks and fail horribly out of nowhere no matter how well you are doing.
@@thedicetower in all honesty there's some games on your list I wouldn't really call dungeon crawlers, the problem with the genre is that it means different things to different people. Dungeon crawl for me is more about a fantasy dungeon exploration, I have been playing TTRPGs and RPGS for 40 years and whenever anyone mentioned playing a Dungeon crawl it would mean a fantasy dungeon exploration game of some kind.
@@thedicetower I know this channel dislikes that game (with the exception of Mike), but Nemesis absolutely *is* a dungeon crawl! You wake up in a dark (space) dungeon; go exploring room to room; there is unpredictability in what enemies appears and when/where; you collect weapons, ammo and special items to help you survive as you try to meet your objectives; and you have special objectives to complete, collectively and individually. Only thing missing is a campaign mode, but you kind of have one as an add-on with Untold Stories. It is as much as dungeon crawl to me as something like Cthulhu DMD, Zombicide, or any "one-off" dungeon crawlers on your lists. And at the end of the video Tom even mentions how he wishes there were more "one-off" dungeon crawlers. Well Nemesis is one!
I would add Level 7: Omega Protocol and Conan (Monolith) but I really liked here that Camilla included Lobotomy II: Manhunt which is also fantastic. I'm also happy you thought to include Catacombs which is such a cool game.
Isnt conan a skirmish game? Its another related minis on a map or tile genre but I guess since you play team vs team its diffent. Or is this a different conan game?
@@Infyra Conan is a one vs all game. It does not have a campaign, but instead several one-off battles. You discover treasures and hidden monsters/objectives on a map once you enter the hidden area.
I really liked the list of Camilla, and good to see shadows of Brimstone on a list here. Games like Cthulhu Death May Die and Shadows of Brimstone are very high on my list. Other games, that could be interesting and fit on a skirmish/dungeon crawler venn diagram would be sci-fi themed Core Space:First Born and the upcoming fantasy Maladum:Dungeons of Enveron - if you are prepared to build the 3d cardboard terrain map.
Mansions of Madness is a great game love playing i worry about down the road when the app doesnt work anymore you cant play the game. It will be a sad day, but I think that will be a thing for most board games that rely on the app. Hope we have more years before that happens but the board games move quick.
I'm not sure why they even bothered making scenarios tbh. I think of it more like Diablo: explore a randomly generated dungeon, fight monsters, kill the boss, get loot, upgrade your characters, repeat. It would have been cool to see a slightly more structured campaign option though, even if it was just a loosely defined way to unlock new worlds and tougher enemies.
@@cowgba it's just laziness, swamps = reskin, forbidden fortress = reskin, feudal village = reskin, expansions = more reskins aliens, vikings, japs, more alien; mission packs = you guessed it, more reskins. sick of vikings? try our conquistadors in a cool "new" reskinned core box
While the 'extras' in Valley of the Serpent Kings are re-skins- the core 8 part campaign is different to what you find in the base - so I dont get this comment.
I did like how the new scenarios in the adventures core boxes introduce the elements. I have only played the valhalla one, but it starts out as a pure nordic vikings vs trolls and gremlins/goblins fantasy fair. Later it introduces the robot invaders from another dimension and you slowly add more stuff from the box to the scenarios. Only from the 4th on or such the gates actually go to the library and you finally see the 2nd half of the content in the box. The bigger bosses are also reserved for the 2nd half of the 8 scenario campaign with frost giants and the librarian prime bosses being introduced. We plan to continue this tred by introducing either the spanish fort or the swamp after we do all 8 scenarios and slowly expand our world to include all the content from SoB from the wild west to the forbidden fortress and all the other world.
Nice to see Omega Protocol is still at #13. (Apparently at least, considering it's mentioned right after Middara at #12 in the end ;) ) I was wondering how that one held up for Tom. :)
I'm surprised Bloodborne Board Game, Resident Evil, and Aliens: Another Glorious Day In The Corps didn't make anyone's top 10!! Bloodborne is brilliant!
I half agree with Tom's view of Mansions of Madness 1st edition. I own the 1st edition and every single expansion that was made for it, all in almost new condition and sleeved. Yes, it's worth a lot of money. Now, playing both games rules as written, straight out of the box, I think the 2nd edition is probably better. But, for someone like me who enjoys being the Keeper and spends a good deal of time writing up room descriptions, selecting background music from the internet, finding period appropriate stuff off the internet for handouts, etc, I much prefer 1st edition. I've even expanded the combat tables to 30 unique outcomes for each class of Monster (Humanoid, Beast, Eldritch) with four different attack types per monster category (No Weapon, Sharp Melee, Blunt Melee, and Ranged), which means there are a total of 120 different possible combat resolutions for each monster category. I can create a MUCH better "vibe" and atmosphere than the app can for my players. Finally, I play with the "unofficial" fan-made rules that fixed the problems of the original 1st edition rules, balancing things so that it really is a One vs. Many experience where the Keeper can actually try to win as opposed to striving to create an interesting game like a neutral game master. But Tom isn't into semi co-op, so he still wouldn't care for it.
I think they also released all the first edition tiles and monsters as a addon for the 2nd edition, so why is the first edition worth so much? I think I have it laying around somewhere as well. I know why chaos in the old world is an expensive game now, but I dont understand the same for Mom 1st edition :D
there were for sure more than 2 or 3: Dungeon! . The Sorcerer's Cave, Death Maze, Hero, The Mystic Wood, Citadel of Blood, Mertwigs Maze, The Castle, Valkenburg Castle, Warlock Firetop Mountain, Dragon Quest Dungeon, Dark World, Knightmare, Dragon Strike, Cave Troll, Wiz War, Drakon, Mage Knight Dungeons, Dungeon Quest.
I suppose he meant 20 years ago as in 2004 ish, which had descent and he also mentioned AEG's tomb. I think that was actually a bit later then 2004. Sure the 80s and even 90s had a lot of games like this with hero quest, dark world etc, but those were all mostly aimed at children. I think seeing Descent first edition (which was a remake of ffgs doom board game) made me think of a modern version of the games I used to play as a kid in the 80s (such as heroquest). Its funny that pretty much all of the modern dungeon crawl board games can trace their ancestry somewhat to that doom board game from FFG.
I wasn't surprised it wasn't included in any top 10 but I wish it had been. The campaign mechanics/story eventually drove me away, but the combat (especially enemy AI) remains at the top for me compared to any others I've played.
Agreed. This is my #1 dungeon crawl. The mechanics really work for me. Love the flexibility of the character build. The Anime style is true to the genre. Love or hate it. I frankly find it delightfully fun. Sorry.
@@robinmckercher65yeah me too. It’s most surprising to me how a lot of these people “offended” by the art are from my same generation. Like…if you watched anime growing up, this art is not extreme at all. It’s not over the top sexualized or gross. I think it’s cute and like you said “fun” is a great description of the style. It’s goofy, silly, etc. personally the art is one of the things that attracted me the most to this game because most board games stay away from it. Definitely a niche group I guess but then the gameplay OMG. Sooooooo fun. Can’t believe an art preference would ruin a game for some. There’s some games I think the art is horrendous but a good game is a good game…talking to you Root…
Still wondering who told the dice tower team that “mechanism” is the right word when “mechanic” is the proper term. Internationally, all languages use the translated “mechanic” to describe the way a game works, “mechanism” is absolutely wrong
There's always complaints when we do anything one way or the other. We just have to live with it. You know what we mean, so does everyone else listening.
Sword & Sorcery. Are you kidding me? No one???? Thunderstone Quest and Clank? Would you call Men at Work a worker placement, since it is literally what you are doing? This list is a stinker for me.. 😅
Gloomhaven -- I don't think I can go back to tabletop either. The video game just takes care of everything.
Shadows of Brimstone is an amazing game, glad to see it here! The assembling models thing comes from the Hills love of wargaming, no snobbery whatsoever.
Maybe a little snobbery on my part, but I would also argue that unassembled minis still hold more detail than the typical PVC fare we see in pre-assembled minis. The detail gap is closing but I think there's still a difference: Awaken Realms minis look nice, especially the sundrop ones, but they still don't quite measure up to the plastic models from Games Workshop or Kingdom Death imo. Then again, the original Brimstone models weren't detailed enough that they couldn't have been done in PVC.
Shadows of Brimstone at it's core is a fairly basic dice chuckin' dungeon crawl kind of game. So I was trying to think why I love it so much, and I think what elevates it for me is the crazy events and special abilities from equipment and things like that. I think they do a great job of giving you the highs and lows that keep things exciting.
@@cowgba n😊
I think in one of their kickstarter videos they said that many of the players (not me:-) ) like it to put the minis together, individualice the poses, etc. But overall a great game and on way too few best-of lists.
One of my favourite that wasn't mentioned is Alien Another glories day in the corp
Cool, I'm looking forward the the Adventure game list.
Love dungeon crawls. Some of my favorites are:
Descent 2nd ed
Mansions of madness
Heroquest
Descent legends
_Level_ _7_ _[Omega_ _Protocol]_ is a *great* one-against-many dungeon crawler. _Blackstone_ _Fortress_ is really fun too, though the difficulty curve is such that the game gets too easy later in the campaign. Expansions help rectify that though. 😈
Blackstone Fortress gives that old school dungeon crawler feel with modern gameplay. It's fantastic. But, yeah, the difficulty curve for the core box causes it to get too easy.
Level 7: Omega Protocol!
Imperial assault
You can say that IA is a reskin/sequel to Descent JitD, which is on Tom's list
Yes on this one!
@@gaebril131Both are great, and have enough differences to own or play both. The amount interchangeable content (when figuring in the expansions) gives Descent more replay value, so I get why it's higher on Tom's list.
It’s shocking to me that Tom didn’t bring that up.
Number 13 in Tom’s list, He mentioned it in the end of he video
Descent 2nd edition is great!!
It's still my favorite game of all time.
I loved Gloomhaven and still appreciate it as a great game, but the scenarios are so repetitive and the story is so forgettable I stopped after 30 plays. Gameplay wise I found it too much of a puzzle. Guess I like a little more freedom to explore in a dungeon crawler.
I only played 5 or 6 scenarios in Gloomhaven but I think what bothered me most was having to manually pick up loot while also managing my hand. Running around manually picking up loot in video games is boring and tedious, and it fares even worse in the transition to tabletop, especially when there's an implicit turn limit with your constantly dwindling deck of cards.
Altar Quest is my favorite dungeon crawl ever
Altar Quest is my Favorite one-shot dungeon crawl. I love it. Not my favorite campaign dungeon crawl though, that's Imperial Assault.
I wondered if anybody would mention this. It is definitely my favorite one shot dungeon crawl. Also, agree that the campaign wasn't as good as the regular game, but it kind of wasn't meant to be. It's really too bad that blacklist games fell apart.
@@Vidager does IA has solo mode? Or I s there any chance to be able to play it solo and live it at its full potential ?
Im a huge dungeon crawl fan, and no offense but I thought Altar Quest was total garbage tier :D It had some nice ideas but in practice I did not enjoy playing it at all.
Don't forget that in Lobotomy II: Manhunt, the characters are all IP - the idea is that the "patients" truly believe they are these IP characters. Examples: Captain Jack Sparrow, Ash (Evil Dead) and Morpheus (Matrix.) They get away with it because technically these are NOT real IP, only BASED on IP. (They're IP haha)
Warhammer Quest (95) is my favorite. It's basically what Shadows of Brimstone cribbed from (and I love Shadows of Brimstone)
WHQ from 90s is the best
Miss some of the things that they removed when making Shadows of Brimstone
Middara is the other that are in my best dungeon crawler
#1 Dungeon Game of all-time!
HellBoy-
Manic games !
FINALLY! I had to scroll too far to see this. My favorite dungeon crawler.
I was looking for this on the list. I have the KS version on my shelf of shame as i struggle to get anyone interested in playing it with me over C:DMD and Lobotomy 2. Tempted to sell it as I’m not going to solo it
No Sword and Sorcery? Shame.
My thought exactly
A bit surprised that Sword & Sorcery wasn't mentioned at all. Great game!
Thanks for the spoiler! lol
39:24 👈 Camilla mentioned it in a way
Still easily the most underrated DC ever with the best enemy activation, quest design and combat dynamics. Ancient Chronicles is such an improvement over the initial base game. But it is so sad to see that Simone Romano and Nunzio Surace do not receive enough credit for their design.
It's so incredibly fiddly. It'd be better with an app.
@@VaultBoy13 Not really. The information is necessary. Hiding it in an app would definitely change the game. But we will see with what the Teburu version will offer. ;)
Based on your explanation, wouldnt Arkham Horror LCG be considered a Dungeon crawl?
I don't think the spatial positioning aspect of it is strong enough. A big part of the genre is also getting to do what you want on your turn, which the LCG format precludes.
@@KissellMissile AHLCG Has as much Spatial positioning as Death May Die. The tiles are just cards.
the answer is yes
@@NoobwaterI've played probably 20 scenarios of it across 3 campaigns, and while there are locations I don't really feel the game has much of a spatial spect. DMD has a similar number of location spaces, but positioning is more of a factor. For me though, the argument is mainly the action selection, which makes it a Card game emulating a dungeon crawler.
I would definitely consider it a dungeon crawl and it would be the very best one if not for the havens
Top 16 Dungeon Crawls I would like to play
1. Frost Haven
2. Etherfields
3. Tainted Grail
4. Okko Chronicles
5. Conan by Monolith
6. Chronicles of Drunagor
7. Dice Thrones Adventures
8. Fireteam Zero
9. Stormsunder (not out yet)
10. Soul Raiders (not out yet)
11. Werewolf the Apocalypse (not out yet)
12. Elder Scrolls by Chip Theory games.
13. Shadows of Brimstone
14. Agemonia
15. Fateforge Chronicles of Kaan
16. Batman: Animated Adventures
Mansions of Madness is an Adventure game
Also things that should have been on the list
Hellboy
Alone
Dungeon Run
Machina Arcana
Mutant Chronicles Citadel
The qualifications for dungeon crawl here are so absurd and inconsistent. Entertaining video though 🤙
Regarding Shadows of Brimstone. The building of minis is minimal. They are generally just 3 parts each.
I thought it was fun putting them together. I'd never done that before.
The new versions yes, if you have one of the Mine Cart original boxes, some come in like 15 parts for no reason.
@@alcovitch Obviously there are going to be boxes with more parts. I didn't say "ALL" of them, I said "generally".
Yeah the OG shadows of brimstone minis were ATROCIOUS to put together. When they redid them in the 2.0 version it was far less so, but uuuugh! I suspect a lot of people that say they dislike the putting together the mini aspect of SoB tried to do so in the first edition and as an avid wargamer, some of those minis were even a pain for me!
Love that you're still repping the D&D Adventure System games. They are great games and the price is really nice for what you get.
They were one point price champions for sure, I got castle ravenloft for 45 euros, but I think the newer ones are more then double that price with the same content. Also they come with deluxe versions with colored miniatures I think.
Bloodborne: The Board Game is my favorite and one I think Camilla would enjoy considering her taste.
Oh I backed this and got rid of it quickly. It has one of the biggest sins in a game for me. A timer. And when you effectively rest then the timer goes double fast. For no good reason.
And much better than lame Cthulhu DMD.. ;)
This is my favorite, especially solo. Such an awesome game
@@nielsjensen6897 That's unfortunate but most games have some kind of timed element so the game does not effectively last forever. Rounds, a deck of cards, etc.
Loved this game so much but that timer I couldn't stand. Clearing the monsters just to have them respawn.
Camilas build ups were hilarious. Especially the second one 😂
Seriously. No.6 had me cracking 😂😂😂 girl, what?? 😂😂
Love Middara, but the art is very sexiest and dumb at times
Story also has sexiest message sadly
The game is fabulous
So Tom didn't like Middara not because its a bad game, not because the mechanics are bad, but the fact that its a JRPG table top game and he thinks the art work is sexist (the artwork is on par with style of the game), how very strange, so basically he reviews games for himself?
I don't like Descent Journeys in the dark,because of the artwork, because its tries so hard to be progressive its actually cringe, but I like the game because its actually very good and just because I don't like the above it would appeal to some people.
Someday I will go through the whole Descent: Jorney in the dark, I've already got all the stuff - so I need just enough time to do that. I suppose - that it is one of the most intresting versions of Dungeon Crawlers. Probably the next one is Midarra! And of course I have many-many other Dungeon Crawler games - I have a lot of them, but I have a little time - you know...
No Journeys in Middle-Earth is a crime, I play with my wife so campaign is not a problem for me. Also I really enjoy Bloodborne the Boardgame but I'm biased, it's my favorite video game of all time
Journeys in Middle Earth isn't a dungeon crawler, just an adventure game
I disagree with Tom: Mansions First Edition is far better than Second. Yes you have to be careful with setup, but a skilled Keeper player can control the story far better than the app can. A lot of the stories in second feel like they are either too short or too random. Plus a keeper can prod the players onto the right path if they are too far away. I could, most of the time, get it down to the last turn of the game with both sides on the last step of victory without either side feeling like they are holding back.
Isn’t VagrantSong a boss battle?
I was thinking that was a weird choice for a dungeon crawler honorable mention too (great game though). Same with Cutthroat Caverns, which imo is a better version of Munchkin but even less of a dungeon crawler.
Yes for sure :D
Yeah not a dungeon crawler at all
I don't know if I consider it a DC, but I love Escape the Dark Castle. The art is great, the theme is great, it reminds me so much of the old Eye of the Beholder or the newish Legend of Grimrock. It's easy to play and easy to get people invested.
I'm also with Joey and Camilla for my number one: Death May Die is just too good. I agree that not every scenario is a slam dunk, but the ones that are (my all-time favourite is the 3rd from the first box, The Ball), are some of the finest game design I've ever seen.
I consider it a DC just because one opens a door (turns card over) and deals with what is there. Maybe fight a baddie, deal with a trap, find a rotten apple, then move on. And I love the art and feel as well, especially with the soundtrack.
I played a couple scenarios in Death May Die and thought it was solid but it didn't grab me the way it seems to for a lot of people. You've made me curious about trying The Ball, though, if I ever get the chance to play it again.
I don't understand the hate for Escape the Dark Castle- it's not too expensive, easy set up, and thematic 🤷🏻♂️
Think Tom said it was too simplistic. He likes Dark Sector better with the addition of range combat
Thank you for your kind response 😊
Deep Madness
I can't wait to play that!
And Ancient Blood vampire hunters lol
I don't know... I think Divinity Original Sin is an Open World Adventure game. Almost the opposite of a tight (some might say claustrophobic) dungeon crawl. Interesting lists though.
Joey has a terrible poker face lol. The look on his face when Tom said Catacombs isn't a dungeon crawl haha
Surprised Resident Evil didn't evem get a mention. The latest release (1) is great. Campaign but you can also play every mission standalone.
Excited that you guys are doing a top ten adventure games! Feel free to make it a Top 25!
If you ignore the awful company and awful campaign and awful blackmailing from the makers, Darkest Dungeon is amazing...
Don't understand the love for Gloomhaven. Just sold my copy. Did not enjoy it at all.
Tiny Epic Dungeons should have got a mention in there somewhere.
I'm curious if they've tested this one
@@quavuva It was previewed on the Dice Tower but I don't know if it was ever reviewed.
Best dungeon crawl
Sorry but I gave TED a 4.5 out of 10. It's a sloggy, fiddly and somewhat generic game with a terrible rulebook. I'm a bit bitter and maybe overreacting a bit as I had high hopes when I took it on vacation last year.
@@freeheeler00 I agree the rulebook is pretty frustrating. I understand they have to use a lot of symbology to save card space and (allegedly) fit everything in the small box, but the rulebook does a poor job teaching how to interpret those symbols.
I like the idea of the game and thought it was decent for what it is, but the one time I played my group had to cut it short halfway through because we spent too long looking up rules and it got too late. At least from what I played I think I'd put it higher than a 4.5 once I fully grasp the rules, but I'd have to play a full game to say for sure.
Escape the dark castle!
Joey you had a chance to represent on the list ! Don't let Tom down talk this great game
I never played Escape the Dark Castle, but I have played Escape the Dark Sector, and that was a lot more fun than I expected going into it.
Massive Darkness 2 is my top choice
I also love Zombicide Invader Most👍👍👍
On my Bucket List. Play boardgames with 'Milla. Her energy is off the chart. "It's Sooooooo gooood". =)
'Dungeon Fighter' - the most fun I had in any dungeon.
Warhammer Quest is my #1 with League of Dungeoneers and/or Dungeon Universalis! The ones I agreed with are Shadows of Brimstone(the best of those mentioned), the D&D adventure series and Gloomhaven. Chronicles of Drunagor and Arkeis are probably good but i haven't played them. There are so many awesome games missed tho. Heroquest got mentioned and dismissed but what about Advanced HeroQuest or Warhammer Quest old or new. Blackstone Fortress is awesome. How about Dungeon Crusade, Altar Quest, Dungeon Degenerates, Machina Arcana, Quest for the lost Pixel, Iron Helm/Tin Helm, Cult of Barnacle Bay, Folklore, Myth, Away Missions, Assault on Doomrock, Space Hulk(If Claustrophobia counts). There is just so many. Still an enjoyable episode, Thanks.
Blackstone Fortress is the biggest miss. However, I think most of the Games Workshop stuff is going to be blind spot for The Dice Tower. Tom (and most of the others) aren't interested in assembling minis. If Joey is balking at the price of Massive Darkness 2, then he's not going to buy a GW dungeon crawler. So, I think that means about the only way one of these games would end up getting played is if Dice Tower gets a free copy and Joey or Roy assemble it. (And, GW seems much more likely to give free copies of their content to painters which are more likely to hit their target audience.)
And, Altar Quest is shit. I'm sorry, but it just is. Even the best MDS game is simply good, and Altar Quest is the worst of them. It's even worse than the buddy-cop game that was little more than hijacking cars back and forth across the city to stop criminals.
Dungeon Degenerates despite the name is a pure adventure game.
the more hobbyist games get, the less likely reviewers tried them. with how much time it takes to do what they do, a long game (2h+) can be already annoying, as you could do reviews of multiple mass market games in that time. DUN and LoD are heavy expansive lifestyle games. it is fair enough for them to stay bellow the treshold how much commitment they can spare. like you would NEVER see a war game top 10, since 99 % of them take too much dedication to get started. in 2014 they tried to make a war game top 10, and Zee had Small World in top 3...
With regards to the models in shadows of brimstone, this game is catering to a different type of gamer. This is really catering to the hobbyist gamer. People who liked Warhammer 95.
I think the reason why Flying Frogs mostly focuses on shadows of brimstone is because the company is incredibly small. It's literally a small family company. Almost everybody that works in the company is a relative. So I don't think they have the big production capabilities like CMON.
Tbf though, that is true for a great many board game companies, but your production capabilities are set by the factory, and they certainly could make one piece models even as a small company if they wanted to.
I agree with Tales from the Red Dragon Inn. Very fun and underrated!
SoB is pretty much hobby tier at this point, alongside 40K, with the amount of expansions and minis available. It's great, but I can understand some people not wanting to build minis.
Hey guys! Would you consider reviewing Bag of Dungeon 2, there's almost no reviews for it and it's an outstanding game and devs put a lot of care into it. They even revised the first game multiple time with new graphic and updated meeple and rules. It sets up and literally 30 seconds and it packs a punch. I have no connection with devs I'm just baffled i could find basically no coverage for it which almost made me give it a pass
Terminator genisys
Excellent picks! Especially Camilla, but they were all good
My predictions: for the Adventure games list no one will have the best Adventure game (and one of the best solo games as voted by the solo BGG community)
I saw Gloomhaven at Walmart sitting in an unrelated section, picked it up and couldn't believe what I was seeing. I looked up the price on my phone, and it was on sale online at Walmart's site for 29.99. They wouldn't give me the online price at the front, so I went to the parking lot, bought it, walked right back in.
I was completely in love with almost every aspect of it. That freaking book is a game changing cream dream. The hidden stuff you unlock, tucked away in a box... Say whaaaat?!
I was working out of town, staying in hotels through the week, hating life, so this was the perfect thing. I was stoked to crawl my way through this campaign, savoring every bit. It all fell apart, however, once I realized it was a puzzle game. Turn over every stone? Nope! Time's up! Pick up that treasure? Nope! Economy of motion is the name of the day!
Not criticizing it for what it is. This is one of the most skillfully produced games I've ever seen. I love the unique features it brings. That book is revolutionary, and does away with the tedium of generic tile sets. The fact that all I had to do was not flip through the map book, and the world ahead would be a complete mystery, as opposed to another recombination of the same tiles, was such an allure.
Tom's list has the most games (5) I would agree are top 10 dungeon crawlers, Joey has the most games (3) that are top 10ers for me, but I don't own (yet), and I gotta give Milla credit for the biggest expanse of theme - from stuffed fables to The Others and Lobotomy 2.
I don't get it. Ravings for Dungeon Crusade; Dungeon Universalis; and League of Dungeoneers, Top ratings for all 3 of those on BGG, and not ONE peep about any of them from this group. 😮💨
The best dungeon crawl is Middara
But Tom - no Adventure Tactics?
Not a dungeon crawl.
I used to be a huge Mansions of Madness fan, own most of the expansions. But it's fallen off because I just don't really enjoy the randomness. It just seems randomly hard most of the time in ways you can't really do much about. Both in terms of the events that happen but more than that, the dice rolling to me in this is not fun. It's just too easy to roll a bunch of blanks and fail horribly out of nowhere no matter how well you are doing.
Me and my wife like playing Heroquest a lot.
I'm surprised no one mentioned Nemesis.
I don't think anyone at the Dice Tower is a fan of Nemesis.
Nemesis isn't a dungeon crawl.
@@thedicetower in all honesty there's some games on your list I wouldn't really call dungeon crawlers, the problem with the genre is that it means different things to different people. Dungeon crawl for me is more about a fantasy dungeon exploration, I have been playing TTRPGs and RPGS for 40 years and whenever anyone mentioned playing a Dungeon crawl it would mean a fantasy dungeon exploration game of some kind.
@@thedicetower I know this channel dislikes that game (with the exception of Mike), but Nemesis absolutely *is* a dungeon crawl! You wake up in a dark (space) dungeon; go exploring room to room; there is unpredictability in what enemies appears and when/where; you collect weapons, ammo and special items to help you survive as you try to meet your objectives; and you have special objectives to complete, collectively and individually. Only thing missing is a campaign mode, but you kind of have one as an add-on with Untold Stories. It is as much as dungeon crawl to me as something like Cthulhu DMD, Zombicide, or any "one-off" dungeon crawlers on your lists. And at the end of the video Tom even mentions how he wishes there were more "one-off" dungeon crawlers. Well Nemesis is one!
Nemesis is a 100% a dungeon crawler. Just not a fantasy one.
Massive darkness = diablo in a box for tabletop gaming.
I'm looking forward to playing this one
I would love one that was What dungeon crawls would you play in order as your kid gets older. Karak --> Chronicles Avel --> Cora, etc...
I would add Level 7: Omega Protocol and Conan (Monolith) but I really liked here that Camilla included Lobotomy II: Manhunt which is also fantastic. I'm also happy you thought to include Catacombs which is such a cool game.
Isnt conan a skirmish game? Its another related minis on a map or tile genre but I guess since you play team vs team its diffent. Or is this a different conan game?
@@Infyra Conan is a one vs all game. It does not have a campaign, but instead several one-off battles. You discover treasures and hidden monsters/objectives on a map once you enter the hidden area.
I really liked the list of Camilla, and good to see shadows of Brimstone on a list here. Games like Cthulhu Death May Die and Shadows of Brimstone are very high on my list. Other games, that could be interesting and fit on a skirmish/dungeon crawler venn diagram would be sci-fi themed Core Space:First Born and the upcoming fantasy Maladum:Dungeons of Enveron - if you are prepared to build the 3d cardboard terrain map.
Mansions of Madness is a great game love playing i worry about down the road when the app doesnt work anymore you cant play the game. It will be a sad day, but I think that will be a thing for most board games that rely on the app. Hope we have more years before that happens but the board games move quick.
Shadows of brimstone was nice. But they are simply lazy. Every adventure in the expansion or “new” core set is just a reskin.
I'm not sure why they even bothered making scenarios tbh. I think of it more like Diablo: explore a randomly generated dungeon, fight monsters, kill the boss, get loot, upgrade your characters, repeat. It would have been cool to see a slightly more structured campaign option though, even if it was just a loosely defined way to unlock new worlds and tougher enemies.
@@cowgba it's just laziness, swamps = reskin, forbidden fortress = reskin, feudal village = reskin, expansions = more reskins aliens, vikings, japs, more alien; mission packs = you guessed it, more reskins. sick of vikings? try our conquistadors in a cool "new" reskinned core box
While the 'extras' in Valley of the Serpent Kings are re-skins- the core 8 part campaign is different to what you find in the base - so I dont get this comment.
I did like how the new scenarios in the adventures core boxes introduce the elements. I have only played the valhalla one, but it starts out as a pure nordic vikings vs trolls and gremlins/goblins fantasy fair. Later it introduces the robot invaders from another dimension and you slowly add more stuff from the box to the scenarios. Only from the 4th on or such the gates actually go to the library and you finally see the 2nd half of the content in the box. The bigger bosses are also reserved for the 2nd half of the 8 scenario campaign with frost giants and the librarian prime bosses being introduced. We plan to continue this tred by introducing either the spanish fort or the swamp after we do all 8 scenarios and slowly expand our world to include all the content from SoB from the wild west to the forbidden fortress and all the other world.
Nice to see Omega Protocol is still at #13. (Apparently at least, considering it's mentioned right after Middara at #12 in the end ;) ) I was wondering how that one held up for Tom. :)
I'm surprised Bloodborne Board Game, Resident Evil, and Aliens: Another Glorious Day In The Corps didn't make anyone's top 10!! Bloodborne is brilliant!
I half agree with Tom's view of Mansions of Madness 1st edition. I own the 1st edition and every single expansion that was made for it, all in almost new condition and sleeved. Yes, it's worth a lot of money. Now, playing both games rules as written, straight out of the box, I think the 2nd edition is probably better. But, for someone like me who enjoys being the Keeper and spends a good deal of time writing up room descriptions, selecting background music from the internet, finding period appropriate stuff off the internet for handouts, etc, I much prefer 1st edition. I've even expanded the combat tables to 30 unique outcomes for each class of Monster (Humanoid, Beast, Eldritch) with four different attack types per monster category (No Weapon, Sharp Melee, Blunt Melee, and Ranged), which means there are a total of 120 different possible combat resolutions for each monster category. I can create a MUCH better "vibe" and atmosphere than the app can for my players. Finally, I play with the "unofficial" fan-made rules that fixed the problems of the original 1st edition rules, balancing things so that it really is a One vs. Many experience where the Keeper can actually try to win as opposed to striving to create an interesting game like a neutral game master. But Tom isn't into semi co-op, so he still wouldn't care for it.
I think they also released all the first edition tiles and monsters as a addon for the 2nd edition, so why is the first edition worth so much? I think I have it laying around somewhere as well. I know why chaos in the old world is an expensive game now, but I dont understand the same for Mom 1st edition :D
I wouldn't say zombicide invader is easy. You can lose super fast with spoiler abominations on the field.
Clank Catacombs is one of the greatest dungeon crawl board games ever made! End of story! :)
Gloomhaven has to much euro style gameplay in it, and because of that it's boring.
MD2 best dungeon crawl.....
Fireteam zero is basically an improved version of the gears of war board game if you remember that one.
Is it? Gears of War is great. I'll have to track down a copy of Fireteam Zero.
Swords and Sorcery
One Deck Dungeon - why this is not sweet, nice puzzle, dungeon crawler?
Tom said there were only 2 or maybe 3 boardgame Dungeon Crawlers 20 years ago? From the top of my head I do remember Heroquest and Space Crusade
there were for sure more than 2 or 3: Dungeon! . The Sorcerer's Cave, Death Maze, Hero, The Mystic Wood, Citadel of Blood, Mertwigs Maze, The Castle, Valkenburg Castle, Warlock Firetop Mountain, Dragon Quest Dungeon, Dark World, Knightmare, Dragon Strike, Cave Troll, Wiz War, Drakon, Mage Knight Dungeons, Dungeon Quest.
I suppose he meant 20 years ago as in 2004 ish, which had descent and he also mentioned AEG's tomb. I think that was actually a bit later then 2004. Sure the 80s and even 90s had a lot of games like this with hero quest, dark world etc, but those were all mostly aimed at children. I think seeing Descent first edition (which was a remake of ffgs doom board game) made me think of a modern version of the games I used to play as a kid in the 80s (such as heroquest). Its funny that pretty much all of the modern dungeon crawl board games can trace their ancestry somewhat to that doom board game from FFG.
Tom was munchkin number 47?
Space Hulk!
I was shocked this was never mentioned but then realized they didn’t mention any Games Workshop games.
Middara's art is not sexist. Both male and female are hyper-sexualised.
I know it is a newer game but I like Deliverance.
So...why exactly do we do the beginning count down??
Lobotomy 2 is the most underrated on this list, the game is great
2:32 Um, Actually a dungeon a prison cell. There wouldn't be a treasure chest.
Gloomhaven is not DC, its boring euro game.
Cthulhu DMD is just a zombicide more
But so is Massive Darkness 2.
Yeah Camila for mentioning Lobotomy II
Tom REALLY loves to complaint huh?
Middara 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼 crazy how an art style can turn you off to such a good game so much.
I wasn't surprised it wasn't included in any top 10 but I wish it had been. The campaign mechanics/story eventually drove me away, but the combat (especially enemy AI) remains at the top for me compared to any others I've played.
What didn’t you like about the story/mechanics? And how long did you play to feel that way? I still love it. Agreed the enemy battling is incredible
Agreed. This is my #1 dungeon crawl. The mechanics really work for me. Love the flexibility of the character build. The Anime style is true to the genre. Love or hate it. I frankly find it delightfully fun. Sorry.
@@robinmckercher65yeah me too. It’s most surprising to me how a lot of these people “offended” by the art are from my same generation. Like…if you watched anime growing up, this art is not extreme at all. It’s not over the top sexualized or gross. I think it’s cute and like you said “fun” is a great description of the style. It’s goofy, silly, etc. personally the art is one of the things that attracted me the most to this game because most board games stay away from it. Definitely a niche group I guess but then the gameplay OMG. Sooooooo fun. Can’t believe an art preference would ruin a game for some. There’s some games I think the art is horrendous but a good game is a good game…talking to you Root…
@@toddcontino7271You think the art in Root is “horrendous”? May be the first time I’ve ever heard that
Would Arkham Horror (the board game) be a dungeon crawler?
It'd fall under adventure game.
Yeah, that makes sense.
It doesn't get a lot of Love, but i like Masmorra.
Agreed. Tom is way off for his hate on it.
I only play it co op and i like it so much
Its okay for what it is, its more of a munchkin style beer and pretzels game then a serious dungeon crawl experience.
I liked MD2 but sold it because of how easy it is
Still wondering who told the dice tower team that “mechanism” is the right word when “mechanic” is the proper term. Internationally, all languages use the translated “mechanic” to describe the way a game works, “mechanism” is absolutely wrong
There's always complaints when we do anything one way or the other. We just have to live with it. You know what we mean, so does everyone else listening.
Shadows of Brimstone Gates of Valhalla
Never mind, lol. Thank you.
Munchkin Quest!
haha 😆
No really!
who's got the list or timestamps?
Tom: “I’m the Vassel, and I speak for the Zees”
Sword & Sorcery. Are you kidding me? No one???? Thunderstone Quest and Clank? Would you call Men at Work a worker placement, since it is literally what you are doing? This list is a stinker for me.. 😅
None of them have played Sword & Sorcery.
Oh we love Camilla 😂😂😂
This was my personal Xmas and Superbowl combined, ty for doing this! 🤩