My name is Alli and I’m a wife and mother of two amazing little girls. One of my favorite activities is tabletop gaming! If you’re a lover of tabletop games too, then you’re in the right place. My daughters and I have a wonderful time getting a break from the screen and sitting down to a game whenever possible.
Our channel will feature unboxing videos, top lists, collection overviews and updates, as well as reviews.
Oh wow! That is some board! I thought it was a mini board, but it's pretty large. Very nice! I love the colors and cozy / warm feeling of this game. Thanks.
Oh yeah. The downstream board is basically another full board for the game. When playing with the expansion you need a good amount of table space to fit it all. Totally worth it though. Beautiful game and I love what the expansion adds.
I have only played the base game so far. And I've only played it solo. I picked up the first expansion because I've heard it's a "must have," but I haven't tried it out yet. The second expansion looks good also, but the base game is fun enough that I don't think you would need to get the expansions right away. There's plenty to explore in the base game to start.
I am happy when I see your short unboxing videos in the search results. I usually pick yours first! Thanks for the video. I now understand why this game is priced about $35 instead of maybe $25. I thought it was mostly cards in the box, but there are some nice tokens included as well! I suggest viewers who like this theme also consider Planted: A Game of Nature and Nurture (by Phil Walker-Harding). It should play differently, though.
Thanks for watching! I'm glad you enjoy my videos. Verdant is a truly lovely production and worth the cost. Planted is also a fabulous production and similar complexity but different gameplay.
I have played it solo twice so far and very much enjoyed it. You play against an AI who scores points throughout the game. It's one of the games on my current 10x5 solo challenge so I'll be playing it more over the next few months.
Yeah I've heard it can be challenging to find. I hope you can get a copy somehow. It's one of the games that I don't plan on ever getting rid of. Mostly because I love playing it, but also because it would be hard to replace if I wanted it back.
Thanks for checking it out. I would love to get content out more regularly but I tend to have too many irons in the fire as they say. Maybe one day I'll have more time to dedicate to RU-vid. But I appreciate you watching some of the content I have been able to create.
Hi! I know I'm late to see your list, but enjoyed it! Just curious, though... back in 2021, your # 9 was Takenoko, and your #2 was Viticulture. Did those fall off your current top 100, or did I just miss them? Thanks!
Hi! Thanks for checking out the list. Any time is a good time for a top 100 binge in my opinion. Viticulture came in at 101 on my list this year. It's actually continuing to fall for me and is currently on my to sell/trade list. My number one issue with Viticulture is the luck/randomness of the card draws. I have had so many plays where I felt deflated by drawing all red wine order cards and all white grapes (or vice versa). While I will still play it if someone wants to, I find myself frustrated too often. Takenoko was another that fell off the list at 119, mainly because I have played so many new games between my original list and this year's list. Takenoko can also suffer a bit from the same card draw issue as Viticulture. But because it's so much shorter I don't mind it as much in Takenoko. Thanks so much for checking out my list. I'm glad you enjoyed.
Here is the rest of the rankings for ones that I included but fell out of the top 100: 101 Viticulture Essential Edition 102 Super Mega Lucky Box 103 Blue Lagoon 104 Pandemic: Iberia 105 Flourish 106 Fossilis: Kickstarter Edition 107 Unlock! Kids: Detective Stories 108 Similo: Animals 109 Just One 110 Mystic Market 111 Mr. Jack 112 Tiny Epic Pirates 113 Grandpa Beck's Skull King 114 The Grimm Masquerade 115 Haunt the House 116 Boomerang: USA 117 In the Hall of the Mountain King 118 Codenames: Duet 119 Takenoko 120 Herbaceous Sprouts 121 Planet 122 SOS Titanic 123 Enchanted Plumes 124 Rolling Realms 125 Honga 126 The Key: Sabotage at Lucky Llama Land 127 Dragon Land 128 Alhambra: Big Box 129 5-Minute Mystery 130 Orchard: A 9 card solitaire game 131 Kids Chronicles: Quest for the Moon Stones 132 7 Wonders: Architects 133 My Happy Farm 134 Go Nuts for Donuts 135 Harry Potter Labyrinth 136 Stone Age 137 Tally Ho! 138 Catan: Junior 139 Onitama 140 Big Dig 141 Dinosaur Tea Party 142 Patchwork Doodle 143 Codenames 144 Ticket to Ride 145 Mysterium Park 146 Pandemic 147 Splendor 148 My Lil' Everdell 149 ICECOOL 150 Ghost Fightin' Treasure Hunters 151 7 Wonders 152 Dragonwood 153 Railroad Ink: Deep Blue Edition 154 The Legend of the Wendigo 155 Color Brain: Disney Edition
Thanks! Just FYI, I've been tracking content creators' top board game lists for about two years now, so this is really helpful. I keep promising myself and others to publish my aggregate findings eventually (it's a LOT of games (almost 3000) and reviewers (about 160 or so)). I've got a ton of ideas about how to present it, but I just haven't had time to go through with it. I'm going to try again in early 2024 - I'll be in touch if I do. :) Thanks again for responding!
I agree about Search for Planet X I kept on playing over and over again. I found it hard to win but I kept on getting closer and closer! The fact it was fast and easy to set up really helped. Black Sonata really clicked in my brain for some reason lol. Wish I picked up Woodcraft when it was on sale a month ago since I really like the roll and write version. Have you played Maracaibo? Is so how does it compare to Boonlake?
It's a lot of fun for sure and it looks fantastic on the table. I am hoping to maybe teach this tomorrow to some friends and see how it plays multiplayer. I am also taking it along to All Aboard Gamer Retreat next week and will be sharing it with some other gamers there. Thanks for checking out our video.
can you send me a photo of complete mastermind edition bonus components 8 Suspect Cards 4 Clue Tiles 8 Culprit Tiles 8 Scene Cards 8 Case Files 2 Reference Cards back and front each cards of course i already have the standard edition box
I believe you requested these cards through our Facebook page and I was able to provide them there. If this was not you. Please reach out on Facebook or Discord and I'll be glad to get you photos of these. Links to Discord and Facebook are available below: Discord: discord.gg/ndGMkjA9 Facebook - The Family Meeple
Your unboxing videos are perfect. Short length, you show both sides of the punch boards, and you give a sample of the cards. A quick flip through the manual is nice, too. Thanks!
I received The Gallerist for Mother’s Day but haven’t had a chance to get it to the table yet (although I’ve read the rulebook). Can’t wait! I’ve never heard of GlenMore II Chronicles! I’ll have to look into that.
The Gallerist is so fun. I love the simplicity of there only being four action locations and eight actions with the complexity of carefully planning out when you take each action. Glen More II is simply outstanding. It's so much fun and the modules add endless replayability to the game. Thanks for checking out the video.
@family_meeple Cascadia, Sprawlopolis, Floriferous. I also made my own solo variants for Carpe Diem, Atheneum Mystic Library, and Planted Nature vs Nurture. I am currently working on a solo variant for Emma Larkins new game Starry Night Sky
Just found your channel. This is really engaging content. You are well-spoken and knowledgeable. Your video and sound qualities are great. There is no reason you shouldn't be getting 10 of thousands of views. I'm looking forward to going back through your past videos!
Thanks for checking it out! I'm just getting started and don't post as regularly as others. But I appreciate everyone that comes and watches the content. I hope you enjoy my other videos as well.
Thanks for checking out the video. I’m not the best about filming and posting as regularly as many channels. But hopefully people enjoy my content when I’m able to make it.
Thanks for checking out the list. I really want to play Coimbra with more players and see how it plays. Hopefully I'll get a chance soon. I was surprised (although I'm not sure why) at how much I enjoy Rococo. An excellent game for sure.
Thanks for coming over and checking it out. As soon as my parents vacate my game room in a week or so I'll be filming my solo challenge video from Jan-Apr of this year. A couple crossovers with Gizmo on the list.
Nice list. I also backed Transmissions, but only played it 2-player. I love everything about this game but have to try it solo. I sits already too long unplayed on my shelf. I also need to try my Verdant copy.
Transmissions is a fun one. I've really enjoyed it and I expect it will work really well multiplayer as a casual intro game. My oldest likes playing it. Verdant is great both solo and multiplayer. I hope you get to try it soon.
Love Creature Comforts. My Solo-title result was: "Frostily Prepared Protector of Comfort"! Soo cute! I am such a Sci-Fi-fan, but Dune doesn't do it for me. It has been compared a lot with Arnak - which I really love. Explore and Draw: I should try my copy with my Grandchildren oversees via Zoom. Otherwise, I rather play my Big Box.
I do love that they do those fun little titles for the solo play which is more or less just a beat-your-own-score mode. I record my titles on my BG Stats app in the notes for fun. My first solo game I was a Deliciously Pampered Denizen of Comfort. Hahaha. I actually just culled Dune from my collection. I traded it for Wayfarers of the South Tigris, so we'll see how I like that one. I do still enjoy the gameplay of Dune though and I would play it multiplayer if it was brought out at a game night or convention. I haven't tried Arnak yet but I am interested in checking it out some day. I love Explore and Draw so much. I definitely play it more than the original big box version, but I need to play the original multiplayer and see how I like it. I've only played it solo and using the family mode so far.
Rococo surprised me. Definitely in a good way. The Magnificent is one that I absolutely adore. I love the simplicity of the actions combined with the challenge of maximizing each and every turn. Such a tight solo game but aoich fun. And I love the aesthetic which not everyone does.
After watching your top 100 I finally got the time to dive into your Solo-series. So far, I played only Underwater Cities base game. Still have to explore the expansion. Small Islands I only purchased recently. But to play this solo will be the way to learn this game to then play it also multiplayer (mainly with my wife). And I still need to get my "Genotype-equivalents" played: Cytosis and Cellulose. Interesting video.
I haven't tried the Underwater Cities expansion as I don't have that one yet. It's on my wishlist, but not urgent for me. Small Islands was a big hit with my mom as well for multiplayer mode. It's nicer than Carcassonne which is nice for newer players but it still has the fun tile placement. I haven't tried Cytosis, but Cellulose was in my second solo challenge last year. Genotype is definitely my favorite from Genius Games.
@@family_meeple Genotype: I need to get this one as big Science fan. Cellulose: this is another additional reason I will check your 2nd Solo-challenge video out next. Funny you mentioned Carcassonne in connection with Small Island. I just finally got Mist over Carcassonne yesterday. I love tile laying games; therefore Carc - (with the myriad expansions) is one of my favorite.
Interesting to hear about The Magnificent as we have Revive waiting to be played asap. Have you played Trickerion? We would be interested to hear about any similarities that and The Magnificent might have
I have Revive ordered and waiting to be shipped to me. I can't wait to try it. I have not played Trickerion. From what I know, it's significantly heavier weight than The Magnificent. I'd be willing to try it some day, but I'm not sure it would be a good fit for my collection.
we started with homemade Agricola,,but the game who pulled me into the hobby was Through The Ages and Bloodrage. i was choosing between Coimbra and Lorenzo ended up picking up lorenzo,, but coimbra is much more colorful and beautiful on the table, gonna check Glen More II
@@family_meeple Long story,,im not from US meaning the hobby is not that popular here and living in province/country side doesnt help at all XD, one day my brother found this site or stumbled upon it,,and it shows this game called agricola and we got amaze like "theres a board game like this?" about farming! with wooden animals? we didnt know its called meeples that time XD but we dont know where to buy games we thought the game is only available in other countries and they only sell monopoly scrabble chess here,, so we copy cards and we draw some of the cards also the map, cardboards as resources and thats its! :) we're missing some of the cards tho, the cards are printed on a paper and we sticked it on playing cards, as years went by we found people in our country thats also on the hobby discovered stores here,,found BGG site,,started buying trading and thats it :)
Interesting list again. Wow - this time not a single game I have played or have in my collection. But first - your SM game I did not see coming. In fact, I didn't know this one. Theme-wise it is intriguing but from what you mentioned I would not like to lose the most intelligent workers to rebuild a new society. Quite the opposite - that made me think. Your nos. 10 + 9 are not for me. No 8 I still try to get. I have only Cytosis and Cellulose, I love Science-games! Your no. 4: it is such a beautiful city. I need to check this game out! No. 3, like Obsession, is theme-wise not for me - but these games are gorgeous. Your no.1 always intrigued me, but I haven't seen it in our stores here yet. I need to check out your solo-videos, as I also play most of my heavy games solo. Thanks for your content, they are a lot of fun.
Thanks for giving it a watch and commenting! Euphoria is an interesting game to be sure. The premise is that you are already living in the dystopian future and you want to keep it that way basically. So, if your workers get too smart they'll discover that they're living in a dystopia and not a utopia and revolt. It's basically a little bit of push-your-luck in the game. I had horrible high rolls all during my last game and lost I think 2 workers throughout the game. It definitely makes it harder to win that way. Rococo is one to try, even if you don't care for the theme, it's a super elegant design and such a fun one. I hope that you get a chance to try Glen More II at some point. It's just the best.
Euphoria is a great game. I don't think it gets as much love as Viticulture tends to over shadow it from Jamey's designs. But I love the dice worker placement and race aspect of Euphoria a lot more than Viticulture.
Thanks for checking the video out. I never played the first edition but I hear they're very close to the same game. I went with the second edition because of the included solo mode.
I’ve never been a big Villainous fan, but I appreciate how many people it’s brought to the hobby! Sounds like your 10x5 solo challenge really helped shape and refine your gaming preferences - maybe I’ll do one of those 😊 Really enjoyed following along your top 50. Gonna go back to 60-100 now!
Enjoyed your final ten. Some bullet responses: - I too love a Western aesthetic, but how much of it comes through for you in GWT (#9)? - As one who has taught science, the theme of Genotype (#8) looks pretty nifty. - I'd love to have you teach me The Gallerist (#7). - Like how a number of your games, which you don't see on many top tens, show a willingness to be individual in your selections. - Also appreciate how you regularly address the option of playing these games solo. (This is often not done.) - Yeah, quite attracted to both your #1 & #2. - Thank you again for the time & effort you spent in assembling and presenting your top 100 list.
Thanks so much for following along. I'm not a huge theme person with my games. I like the theme but I'm okay if it's "pasted on." I guess GWT is somewhat thematic but not overly so. Genotype is so good I hope you get a chance to play it soon. My top ten definitely doesn't match many other people's. And I'm okay with that.
Congratulations on your top 100 list and presented in such an enjoyable manner! I’m guessing you can teach how to play these games very well. I agree that your #1 is outstanding and fun. It is new to my collection, so I have only tried the “ base game”, so far. Off the top of my head, I could see it make my top 10. Happy Easter season to you, your family and friends! ( By the way, I did place an order for the little bird house upgrade action markers. Thanks for the tip!). I look forward to learning more from your game channel and its content, both new and older videos. Thanks again.
@@family_meeple It is! And the component quality is an added bonus. ( I forgot to ask if you had heard that a fan based solo version for GWT was so good that it is the one added to the second edition? That ‘s what I heard along the way. That is impressive.)
