A channel dedicated to the lesser-known board games of the world. Each year, thousands of new games hit the market, but only a handful become popular. The rest remain undiscovered. I sift through endless piles of board games from the past 30+ years and share my favorite discoveries with you! Subscribe and join me on this journey to discover the "undiscovered games."
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It took us a week but we finally got through this whole episode, and it was AWESOME! My hubby and I sat on the couch and watched a little bit each night just like a tv show. And now there are so many games we want to try!!!!! We love Kingdom Builder so we were so happy you had that in your top 20! We are also big fans of Keltis and Firenze which we discovered from your channel! Keep up the great work! We always look forward to your next episode 🤩
Thanks for sharing, another great video by you with a lot of interesting games. Although I see you really like "take that" games which are my least favorite mechanic🙈 I still found some gems here.
Thanks for watching and commenting!! You bring up an interesting point, and it caused me to really analyze something about what I enjoy in games. I've never considered myself someone who really likes "take that" games, but I do love "cutthroat player interaction" (which obviously involves some "take that" moments). But I view those 2 terms slightly differently. Allow me to organize my thoughts here; forgive me if I ramble a bit haha. I like "cutthroat" more than "take that." When I think of "take that," I think of something like a card game where I play a card and you have to discard half your cards, or I have a special ability that lets me wipe you off the board for no reason (other than to hurt you). Sometimes I enjoy that (like giving players a bad quest card in Lords of Waterdeep). But what I _really_ like is cutthroat player interaction where you are forced to compete over a shared space or limited resources, games where I can block people and strategically cut them out of doing actions for my benefit, instead of simply to hurt them. I love games where you're in each others' way the entire time and everything you do affects everyone at the table. I love auction games where you have to make other players pay more for what they want, or area control games where the balance of power is always shifting. By their very nature, those games certainly have some "take that" moments. But I think "cutthroat interaction" would more accurately describe what I enjoy in a game. Anyway, thanks for the great comment!! You forced me to think deeper about what I really like in a game, and that's awesome!!
EPIC collection of games! It took me 3 days to watch this video! Congrats on 50 episodes, looking forward to the next 50! And thanks for the shout out, I'm happy we could introduce you to a great game!
Another fantastic video and a few more added to my wishlist. I'd love to send you a copy of one of my games as humble thanks for your work. I think you might dig it - area majority, dice drafting & placement, historical theme.
This is an amazing video. Finally a top 50 list that resonates with mine! It’s the first one I’ve seen from you and I instantly subbed. Though, there are many still on my “want to play” list. They’re hard to come by 😢 I’m curious if you’ve played and ranked the below games. They’re on my top 50 and I’d love your take on them. Lowlands Franchise Skyrise/Metropolys Babylonia Keyflower
Thank you for the comment and welcome to the channel!! I appreciate the kind words, and I hope you enjoy the rest of my content! More episodes are on the way. Regarding your list, here is my take on them: - Lowlands - I have not played, I don't own it, but it's on my wish list!! - Franchise - I have the original edition called Medieval Merchant, and I plan to make an episode on that one! I have only played twice, however, so I didn't consider it for my Top 50. I need to log another play or two. But yes, it's an awesome game! Sorta like the predecessor to Power Grid. - Metropolys - I own it, and it was a contender for my Top 50. But honestly I have sort of a hit and miss relationship with that one. The game is definitely interesting, but what bothers me personally is the randomness of where the chain of buildings ends up. I find it incredibly difficult to entice my opponents to move the bidding chain a certain direction. In my experience, it's more of a guessing game that I would like. I also cannot stand the ugly board in Metropolys, haha. It hurts my eyes and my head to look at LOL. I heard that Skyrise changed some key rules, and I have not even considered that version. So while it's certainly a unique bidding game, and one I do play from time to time, I would personally choose other bidding games over that one (it reminds me most of Ra because of the fixed bidding numbers). Also, I've been really hyped on Big Shot lately (I covered that on Episode 45). It's more of a filler game, but if you like Metropolys, take a look at Episode 45. It's a really fun auction game with area control. - Keyflower - That was one I bought very early on in the hobby. We played it a few times, and for some reason I moved it out of my collection. But that was before I had the knowledge and perspective I have now. So I have been wanting to revisit Keyflower now that I have a much deeper appreciation for certain game designs. So I guess I will have to withhold my judgement and look at it with fresh eyes. I certainly didn't hate the game!
@@undiscovered_games Thank you for the response! I’ll keep an eye out for your Medeival Merchants video and check out your Big Shot on episode 45. Definitely give Lowlands a try! There’s an official variant on BGG from Lowlands designer Ralf Partenheimer that I recommend implementing. Hope to see a video about you revisiting Keyflower as well. Cheers!
This is one of the first top 50 i actually watched the entire thing and didnt feel the need to skip through to find games i would be intrigued about. But most of the games described i wanna get, I also like that the games are not the popular games.
That's awesome!!! Thanks for the kind words! I am so happy my list resonated with you and that's great to hear you didn't want to skip through the video. My entire channel is focused on lesser-known games, so I hope you can find some amazing games in my past and future episodes! I rarely focus on popular games because there are sooooo many amazing games that never get any hype. Cheers! And thanks for watching!
:D :D :D You noticed Cheops on the shelf I see!!! That is a cool game for sure, but I've only played once so far, so I need to get it tabled again before I feel confident enough to make a video for it. Maybe I'll bump that up on my priority list!!! Thanks for the kind words, my friend!!
Wow, this video is awesome. Such great information about each game with fantastic video editing, this video really moves along. This must have taken a ton of time and the result is well worth it. Outstanding job and thanks for creating this. Watching it really gets me excited to play games!
Thank you so much for the kind words! I really appreciate your comment, especially because this video did take a _ton of time_ for me to put together. I didn't think it would be that hard to set up and tear down 50 games, but wow! That took WAY longer than I expected haha!!! Not to mention recording and editing... so again, thank you for recognizing that. I'm so happy you enjoyed the video, and welcome to the channel! I hope you find some awesome games here! My entire focus is on lesser-known, older, and forgotten games. So check out some of my other videos, and I have more episodes on the way! Cheers!
Thank you for the kind words, and I am so happy you're enjoying the channel. It's awesome to have you as a regular viewer. More episodes are on the way (once I catch up on lost sleep from making this one haha)!! Cheers!
I'm not much for euro games (especially the mid-to-heavy weight variety) but there's always something about a good Knizia that can overcome even my biases. Cheers!
Knizia is the greatest! He never fails to impress me. I've played somewhere between 50-60 of his games, which means I'm not even 1/10th of the way through his library. That blows my mind! Thanks for the comment!
Definitely going to gift Monza to my brother! We're Italian so it's also cool for the Italian racetrack theme. I've read comments about not wanting to play UNO, have you played Knizia's LLAMA? That game has a lot of hidden depth for gamers! I've been binging your videos, love your taste in games and your teaching/delivery/camerawork are top notch!!
Thanks so much for the kind words, and I'm glad you're enjoying the channel so much! That's awesome! Monza makes such a great gift. Believe it or not, I'm a huge Knizia fan and I've never played LLAMA!!! I'm familiar with it but never actually played. I'll have to look more closely at it per your recommendation. Thanks again for checking out my content! Comments like yours motivate me to continue!
Thank you so much, and I really appreciate you taking time to mention how long it took. It really did take an unreal amount of time to record and edit this.... so thank you for noticing that. It's always nice to meet fellow gamers who appreciate the "games of yesteryear!" Very rarely does a new release captivate me the same way as these oldies do. Thanks again for the kind words!
Of the 50 games, I counted at least 28 games with a victory track. I think all euro games with victory tracks are the same. It's a bunch of accounting, with a random theme slapped on top.
So all games that track points are the same game? Aren't all games accounting? That seems like an extreme generalization, but I am willing to listen if you elaborate. Can you find, play, and rank 50 games that don't track points? I am genuinely intrigued by this comment and the fact you took the time to count how many games have victory tracks haha. I mean... 28 games is about half of the list. You could easily extrapolate that out to my entire collection. I'd say about half of the games in my collection track points with a victory track. The other half count points at the end. I'm just not seeing your point. ???
@@undiscovered_games you know you're in for a good time when a RU-vidr replies with a wall of angry text. Anyway, games without victory tracks: Ark Nova, Spirit Island, castles of burgundy, great western trail, practically every Reiner Knizer game, chess, every campaign game, e.g. gloomhaven, arkham horror, sleeping gods Look at now many of your favorite games have a bunch of boxes of sequential numbers that go around the border of your board games. That is a victory track, a literal track of numbers to show victory points. If more than half of your favorite games share the same very conspicuous feature, then you have to admit that you like a very specific kind of game. That's fine, just own it. The only difference between them is the theme. The theme helps disguise the fact that all games with victory tracks are just resource optimization. AKA accounting.
How was my reply a "wall of angry text?" I am not looking for an argument whatsoever. I merely wanted you to clarify your point. I understand you’re saying I like games that track points. Yes, I own that. I think I already owned that by making this video. I just genuinely don't see your point. Tons of games track victory points; that's how you determine a winner, and I don’t judge a game by _how_ you keep score, but rather the gameplay. So why is a VP track bad in your opinion? And just because a game has a VP track, how does that make every game the same? It’s just a way to keep score; it has nothing to do with the gameplay. Looking at the games you listed: That's like me saying "all the games you listed have a game board and components. Clearly, you like a specific kind of game.” No anger here, just confusion as to why you're so adamant about games not having a victory track. Are all worker placement games the same in your view? Are all games with dice drafting or auctions the same? Again, I am genuinely trying to understand your point. My argument is that a VP track is just a way to determine a winner, but it doesn’t have anything to do with how the game is being played. Please don’t take this as anger toward you.
Wow dude. Your editing is always improving. These vids look amazing. Been playing Dragon Parade is in constant roation now due to your recommendation. Merlin is also in my top ten but I love to play with Arthur expansion and the Environs mini expansion.
Thanks so much as always! Dragon Parade is succcch a fun game. You're making me want to play it right now, actually haha. I really appreciate your support over the past year and a half since I started this channel. You are one of the OG subscribers, and I am happy to have you here! The environs mini-expansion is always in our Merlin games!!!!! We do a house rule where we mix in all the environs tiles and build it out the same way, except some of the tiles will be empty and some will have bonuses. The official rules for the mini-expansion say to use all those tiles and none of the original blank tiles. We like a mix of blank tiles and bonus tiles. Hope you get to try those expansions soon!!! Cheers, my friend!
It’s definitely in my Top 100 and was in the running for my Top 50! Ultimately we don’t play a lot of bartering games, so I only put 2 games with negotiation in this list, but Oltre Mare is such a gem. It’s more like a “casual” bartering game, while Chinatown and Intrige are a bit more tense. But looking at my notes, it would probably be somewhere in the 60s!! Thanks for the comment!!
So happy to see Web of Power on that list. This is my favourite game: the perfect balance of elegant constrained optimisation, with a hint of plausible theme. The simple ruleset and smart board design lends itself to interesting states of play, e.g., how to control the advisor limit to help safeguard your network, deciding when to avoid investing in countries where a 2-2 cloister split can turn sour, or trying to develop a country to best invites alliances (which is ultimately better than back-stabbing if possible). The way the game can offer a story arc with beautiful yet subtle power parries is astounding in my view. Also, the way the advisers network, gives the board the quality of folding in different directions depending on the game. Just superb! (Also, it was reprinted a few years ago as Iwari, but I agree that the Web of Power printing is the most attractive for me).
Thanks for the awesome comment!! You summed up so many great reasons I love that game!! I feel like it gets so overlooked in the modern hobby. This game defines elegance: Brilliantly simple with deep and player-driven gameplay. I agree, the aesthetics of this old version are so beautiful. But every version has some cool features. I haven’t played Iwari!! Thanks so much for watching!
@@undiscovered_games Thanks for the reply! Also, thanks for the awesome content - I'm loving your channel. I recommend that you try Meuterer - this is a small elegant card game that packs a bigger punch than its size would suggest. From your tastes, I think you'd like it 🙂
@@danielminutillo9998 thanks for the kind words! And thanks for the recommendation! That sounds like an undiscovered game worth looking into!! I’ll definitely research it, and who knows? Maybe it’ll become an episode one day!!!
Haha thanks!!! I would love to do a Top 100 for Ep 100, but wow, that would be sooooo much work 😩 Maybe I’ll just do a quick 100 list or something like that, instead of doing a mini-review of every game. 😅😅 We will see what happens! Thanks for watching!!!!
Great Video man. Lots of good stuff in there. If I had to recommend a game to you based on the games you chose, I'd say Amun-Re. Great auctions, hand management, little bit of economy, ways to leave less than desirable lands behind for others. You gotta scratch out every point just to pull ahead. I see a few people recommending Vikings. It really is a great game. You've gotta give Concordia a shot. The card play and trying to maximize your actions is pretty cool.
Amun Re is a classic! I really like it at 5p the best. I considered it for my Top 50, but I just couldn’t squeeze everything in here. I need to prioritize Vikings and Concordia. 😅 Thanks so much for all your awesome comments and for being a viewer for so long. You’re one of the original subscribers!!! 😎
This is by far my favourite top board game list for the board game hobby of all time! As always keep up the excellent work! You have something going here! Your passion, and explanations of the games are infectious. The board game hobby needs more content in this realm of games gone by. Obviously the hobby is an industry and hype drives the revenue to some degree, but people need to pay attention to this channel for the sake of the gameplay. Cheers and keep on keeping on!
I really appreciate your genuine and heartfelt comment!! Seriously, it means a lot. I put a lot of work into this channel and it’s purely out of my passion for the hobby and for older game designs. So the fact that it’s resonating with you and so many others is SO COOL! Thanks again my friend!!
That’s so awesome to hear! I really appreciate the kind words and I’m so happy to have you as a viewer! It is awesome to meet so many gamers with similar tastes. You rock! 😎
And it's so fun to see someone that adores many of the same games as I do ;). These are the ones I rated as 9 and 10 in my personal rankings: San Juan, Lancaster, Goa, Bruges, Samurai, Shogun, Bora Bora, In the Year of the Dragon, Lords of Waterdeep, Kingdom Builder, Age of Steam, El Grande, Dominion, Brass, Caylus, Ra, Trajan, Hansa Teutonica, Tigris & Euphrates. Man, it's kind of crazy ;). Have you ever tried MarraCash from Stefan Dorra? It's absolutely awesome! Also, if you can, try Martin Wallace's Automobile (but with 5 players, 4 at minimum). It's a such good design. Same as Age of Industry, if you like old Brass, give it a shot ;).
That’s an AMAZING list right there!! Thanks so much for the kind words! I have played Automobile but only once, and I have played MarraCash but only twice! Both of those could easily make my Top 50 one day!!!! I have not played Age of Industry but it’s on my want list for sure!!! Thanks again for the awesome comment! ✌️ 😎
Awesome!! I obviously love Kreta, but Big Shot was such a pleasant surprise. I can't believe I totally missed it until recently. I hear Playte has a long list of games they're going to be releasing, and I am really excited to see if any other out-of-print classics are coming soon. I'm hopeful!!
Yesss!!! That game does not get enough love in my opinion! It’s a sneaky good game design. Lots of clever plays you can pull off. Thanks for watching & commenting!
I’m amazed that you like so many of the same game I do. So many people like games that came out recently and then stop playing the great games that have came out over the last 40 years. I love Condottieri, it had to have inspired Gwent from the Witcher III video game. Tigris and Euphrates is great, I got hooked on it immediately and have played it at least 50 times. I’ll have to watch this video again and write your favorites down and see what I’d like to buy and try out. Thank you so much for this video, really appreciate it 👍 👍.
That is awesome to hear! I have experienced the same thing in this hobby 😢 It’s honestly why I rarely go to game conventions or seek out game groups anymore. I’ve created multiple game groups from my friends, colleagues, and family, and we all love these types of games now. It’s refreshing to hear from so many other gamers who share these tastes in games! Thanks so much for watching!!
Will you do a Top 50 Filler list? I love discovering new small box games that still pack a bunch, and you seem the man to point people in the right direction
Thanks for the comment!! I definitely want to do a filler games episode!! I don’t know if I’ve played enough to do a Top 50, as most of the games I play are similar to those featured here. But I think I could probably assemble a top 25. From this list, the closest games to fillers are Mogul, Web of Power, Samurai, and Condottiere. Without thinking about it too deeply, a couple great fillers that come to mind are For Sale, High Society, Love Letter. Also, I covered Dragon Parade and Tutankhamen on my channel which are pretty much like filler games, small boxes and quick playtime. Also, check out my episode on Tonga Bonga. That one is borderline filler, but that would definitely make my list of favorite filler games. I’ll start assembling my list. I would love to make that episode!!
Oh yes, I hear ya... my wallet has been punching me in the face ever since I discovered this hobby 😂😂😂 That being said, I genuinely try to focus on games that are worthy of attention, instead of just jumping on the newest flashy productions. I genuinely love this hobby, and I don't want to waste time reviewing games that aren't worth your time. 😎 Hope you enjoy my recommendations! Come back and let me know which ones you liked best!!
I didn't know the map of Hanse Teutonica is showing cities very close to where I live in Germany (between Hannover, Münster and Dortmund). Very nice list btw, honouring the OG boardgames.
That is awesome! I love seeing towns I recognize. Here in the USA, we don't have that many games with USA cities, except for Ticket to Ride, and 3 Ring Circus which was on my list. But most of the games we play are all set in Europe, which is awesome. A dream of mine is to someday travel to all the European cities I've seen in my board games!! Thanks for the kind words! The OG games are the best games!!
So many good games on this list with several I must check out. Really interested in Mogul, Kardinal & Konig and Medina. I have been one of those that let Blue Lagoon pass by because of the look, but will have to give it a try now. I'm a bit of a Ystari fan boy, so glad to see Shakespeare and Caylus make your list. I would definitely recommend Myrmes, Assyria, Ys and Mykerinos from them. Looking forward to seeing which games get featured next!
Kardinal & Konig is such a silky smooth area control game. It's the definition of elegance. Any version of that game is solid, whether it's Web of Power or China, or one of the other titles I mentioned. That one is pretty easy to find still (at least in my experience). The other 2 Mogul and Medina are a bit more difficult to find. I really hope Mogul gets reprinted soon. That would be such an easy game for a publisher like Playte to reprint. Anyway, thanks for the comment as always!! I am happy to have you as a regular commenter on the channel!! I always enjoy your recommendations. I actually have all those Ystari games you mentioned!! I have not yet gotten around to Myrmes or Ys. I played Assyria once and Mykerinos once, both of which I would love to play a couple more times and make episodes for!! I definitely recommend Blue Lagoon at 4p if you get around to it. It's so cutthroat!! Cheers, my friend!
Isn't Istanbul boring after players discover the best/most optimal routes? I've seen many comments about this, and it's probably the only reason I still don't own it (I played one game and it was great).
Great question!! We have not encountered that because we randomize the setup each game. That could be the case if you always use the same grid setup. But the different grid each game combined with the hidden card abilities allows just enough variation to prevent that (at least in our experience). Plus, money is a big factor, and you have to pay opponents when you go on the same spaces as their merchants. One thing I forgot to mention in the video is our house rule, which I think really improves the game. We play where if you land on a space with an opponent's merchant, you pay them $2, and if you land on an opponent's _assistant_ you pay them $1. This makes the game much more challenging, and I would recommend playing that way! Thanks for the great comment and thanks for watching! I appreciate it!!
It’s a combination of Carcassonne, Tsuro, Karuba and Ticket to Ride. Looks a good game. I just hope if someone pick up this game and come with a new print with good production quality and i will make sure that i have it in my collection.
Good call on the Tsuro and Karuba connection! I had not thought of those, but you are exactly correct! Since making this video, I picked up a Japanese printing of this game called Linie 1, which supposedly has better quality tiles. I have not opened the box yet, but I plan to do an updated video comparing this edition to the Japanese printing!! There was also a Gold Sieber Spiele edition called Linie 1, but it appears to have the same paper-thin tiles. Thanks for the comment!!
@@undiscovered_games - Have been watching your videos - post that have purchased- Pinata, Robin of Locksley, Shanghanien, Condottiere (zman version). Checking out Life of Chameleon, Asara, Firenze. Would request if u can also check out Vikings by Kramer and Keisley. In my view that game is also an underrated gem.
@@kishorepurohit8010 That’s an awesome list of games right there! I’m so happy you have found some games from my channel. I really try to recommend good ones 😁. Also, you’re the 3rd person to recommend Vikings just in the past day!! 🤯 I need to prioritize that one for sure!!! Thanks for the tip!
Excellent list! I also enjoy a lot of the games you have listed and have learnt of some new ones to check out. Here are some more obscure/older games you might like: Amyitis - an area control rondel game that’s super tight, especially at 3 Dokmus - route building with a literal twist Gunkimono - a cut throat area enclosure game The palaces of Carrara (1st edition) - take and make racing game that’s very interactive Spyrium - attia’s better worker placement game with engine building Tower of Babel - a very unique knizia area control game Vikings - an interactive take and make with a very interesting economy Ys - a semi blind bidding area control and commodity speculation game
Excellent recommendations right there!!! Amyitis and Tower of Babel were frontrunners for for my Top 50. Both of those are in my Top 100 for sure. Amyitis is such a solid game! I love the mechanism for choosing actions and how they get progressively more expensive. I also have Gunkimono but only played once. That was a mean game if I remember correctly! I really liked it and plan to make an episode for it once I get some more plays logged. Someone else recommended Vikings so I really need to take a closer look at that one. I have not played it. I have Ys on my shelf of shame, definitely on my list of episodes to make. I never played Spyrium because I _love_ Caylus so much that I never thought it could be topped. But your comment definitely has me intrigued!!!! I will definitely look into that one for sure. I played the second edition of Palaces of Carrara and it was enjoyable but it didn't overly wow me. Now I am wondering if the 1st edition is better? Did they change a lot in the 2nd edition? Thanks for the awesome comment!
@@undiscovered_games I wouldn't say Spyrium is better than Caylus but it is an excellent game in its own right. Spyrium reminds me of Tourney, both great games that play similarly and both overshadowed by more popular games from their respective designer.
Awesome list & video UDG! You should definitely give Concordia and Princes of Machu Picchu a try too! Haha number 40 should have a warning label 🤣🤣🤣 I know which Feld Games are coming up! 😻 Glad you included so many of these! A lot of my favorites are here too, would love to try out the few ones that I haven't tried. Haha I'm surprised to see the number 2 drop from first place but I knew which game would be in 1 😹 Amazing amazing video UDG! I already knew atleast 30 games you were going to feature for sure 😹
Yes!!! Princes of Machu Picchu is on my want list ever since you posted about it. That looks like a future UG episode for sure!! Concordia is going to get played very soon because Rio Grande sent me a copy to review on Instagram, so that one will definitely get tabled!! I'm excited! Also, I reallllly need to get Revolution played. I have not forgotten about that one. You have amazing taste in games, and I always trust your recommendations!!! Thanks as always for your continued support! I really appreciate it. Yeah, HT had a good run haha! I think it was my #1 for 3-4 years. Honestly, it just hasn't been played as much over the past 1.5 years, while T&E has been getting a ton of love!! Thanks again, B7!! You're the best!!
Hope you get to try it out, it's such a great game! Oh sweet!! You would love Concordia for sure, it's such a fantastic game! Haha Revolution is another excellent one, can't wait to see what you think of it when you get to it 😹 I told you before we have similar taste in games, so it's easy to recommend games to you 👏😺 Yes I'm surprised to see it drop to 2 all of a sudden but I totally understand. That number 1 spot is always a special game, and definitely deserves lots of plays 👏😺 You don't have to thank me, I'm happy support you my friend! Channels like yours are really hard to come by, keep it up! Totally forgot to mention this but the transitions from game to game with the victory points was genius!
I'd say about 20 crossovers with my personal top 50. We also share the same #1! Have you played Fresh Fish? I am guessing you haven't because that game fits right in with many of your top games. How do you like Caylus 1303? I like them both but probably prefer 1303 because of how streamlined it is.
20 is pretty awesome!! And #1 never disappoints. I am just stoked my current game group finally enjoys it because it's seeing a lot more table time these days. I have not played Fresh Fish!!!!! I soooo want to play that one. I can't remember if it was you who suggested it to me before, but I have had at least 3 people suggest that one to me. It definitely looks like it fits my style. It's on my wish list for sure. Thanks for watching and for your continued support! Always happy to read your comments!!
Insane list. Sooooo good. I share some games with you and I totally agree with number 1, in my case, it is currently fighting the 1st spot with Five Tribes. I love them both, El Grande comes on 3rd place for me.
Thank you for the comment!! That's an awesome Top 3 right there!! It's refreshing to read so many comments agreeing with #1. That game is still one-of-a-kind and should never be forgotten in the modern hobby! I have never played another game like it!
@@undiscovered_games I mean, you can start a war and not be part of it... the level of depth you get in incredilbe. I champion it as much as I can because I honestly think it should always be in the TOP 100 (TOP 10 even)🤣
Exactly why I love that game too!!! I LOVE making my opponents fight each other 🤣🤣 It's soooo good! So many memorable games of T&E, so many twists and turns!! Every game is fresh and exciting. It always starts out so open and free, and pretty quickly it turns into an all-out brawl 🤣 I totally agree about the Top 100. I still remember the day it got knocked out. T&E should have a permanent spot in the Top 50 at least.
Thanks for watching! Those 2 are great picks if you like auction games... sort of opposite ends of the complexity spectrum, too, which is kinda cool. Hope you get to try them soon!
Yes!!! I got a meeple hug!!! :D I really appreciate that. I entered the hobby in 2012, so you have about 14 years on me. Your comment means a lot coming from someone who has been in the hobby that long!! I soooo wish I would've discovered this hobby back in 1998. I feel like I've been playing catch-up ever since I discovered this rabbit hole of old games. Cheers!!
Thanks for your list. It's a really nice top 50 and there is now too many boardgames I want to try specially Bruges, HAnsa Teutonica, Goa, Trajan, Bora Bora and many more . Sad you didn't play Concordia yet because it's a amazing game, one of my absolute favorites of all time. It is the most elegant game I've played regarding mechanisms. Just asking, where are Simone Luciani's games ? 😱 Uwe Rosenberg Games ? 😱 I would never recommend Lorenzo Il Magnifico and Feast for Odin enough. If you like San Juan you should probably love Race for The Galaxy. I don't like space theme but this one is so good and is really more interesting than his brother San Juan (the core game is the same). Have fun !
Thanks for the comment! I was waiting for, "Where's Uwe?" 😂 First, let me address the lack of Simone Luciani. My most played games of his are Council of 4 and Voyages of Marco Polo. I kind of got tired of Marco Polo, and I don't particularly like the asymmetrical player powers. Council of 4 is pretty solid, but it's not a top 50. He has a great hidden gem called Urbania which I really enjoy and plan to feature on my channel one day. But I have not played some of his big hitters like Tzolkin, Lorenzo, Tiletum, or Grand Austria Hotel, but all are on my want-to-play list. Lorenzo is on my shelf of shame, so I will have to prioritize that one per your comment! Now, onto Uwe. Here's the thing about Uwe. He is no doubt a fantastic game designer. It's more of a "me" thing. His big games exhaust me. I dread setting them up. I dread teaching them. My biggest gripe is his games are typically sooo full of text, and since I am always the game explainer and referee, I get soooo tired of re-reading and explaining all the card abilities and functions over and over again to other players. His games seem to always take us 3-5 hours. A few years ago I culled Agricola from my collection after 6 plays because I always felt like I was at work when playing it. If you notice in my Top 50, I use the word elegant a lot. Uwe's big games are not elegant, in my opinion. That being said, I do enjoy a lot of Uwe's smaller games. I thought Reykholt was pretty cool but I only played once. I also enjoyed At The Gates of Loyang which I have in my collection. I love his card games Bohnanza and Bargain Hunter. And he has a great 2p game called Babel, which I covered early on my channel. And I can't forget Robin of Locksley which is one of my all time favs. So that's my reasoning behind the lack of Uwe in my Top 50 🤷♂️ I know I'm in the minority of gamers with that take haha. Anyway, at this stage in my life, most of my games need to take less than 2 hours. A few longer games made it into my Top 50, but I tend to prefer shorter game lengths and less in-game text. P.S. Race for the Galaxy is a classic, but ultimately I prefer San Juan and Fleet because of the themes and artwork. Check out Fleet if you like RftG and SJ!! Thanks again for the informed comment! I always enjoy chatting about board games!!
I’m an Uwe fan, and Glass Road is among my favorites of his smaller/quicker games. The resource wheels and tile placement is great, but the real gem mechanic of this game is in the card play that yields some great player interaction.
Thank you for the tip on Glass Road. I have not played that one, so I will have to take a closer look!!! A lot of his lighter designs have appealed to me so far. Regarding his heavy games, I'm still searching for the perfect fit for me. What's your opinion on Le Havre? I've played Agricola, Caverna, Odin, Ora et Labora. Odin was easily my favorite of those. But Le Havre looks & sounds like one that could appeal to me more.
@@undiscovered_games Many players are intimidated by A Feast for Odin because of the amount of components and the numerous actions. Paradoxically, it's one of the rare games where I don’t need to open the rulebook for even a second, even after several months without playing. There’s no text in it. There’s a tile that summarizes the entire game sequence. OMG thanks it exists! Haha. It quickly becomes a very smooth game, even if it’s not free from analysis paralysis due to the vast amount of possibilities in this sandbox game. I agree that it can become overwhelming and exhausting. If you didn’t like The Voyages of Marco Polo by Luciani, I have doubts about Lorenzo because it also involves quite powerful asymmetric abilities with Houses of the Renaissance expansion, which I consider essential since it adds so much depth, replayability, and fun to the game. That said, it’s possible to play without the asymmetric powers. It works well in all configurations and remains very tight. You own the game. ;) I only knew the dice version of Fleet. I’ll take a closer look. Constantinopolis has caught my eye a bit. It looks austere but very appealing, which I love. I need to try it since auctions aren't my favorite mechanic. Lately, I’ve been obsessed with a fairly unknown game. I haven’t played it yet because I just ordered it online. The game is Archipelago. It’s a eurogame with exploration, resource production, fluctuating markets, worker placement, hidden scoring, territory control, negotiation, and semi-coop. The designer has created a “living” new world game. Based on reading the rules and reviews online, it doesn’t seem like an elegant game but rather a unique experience. I wanted to share my latest find with you. Have you heard of it?
Odin was my favorite of his heavy games I played... probably due to the lack of text haha! Like you said, though, it is just a beast to setup and I just haven't invested enough time into exploring the game. A family member of mine has that game (along with Agricola), so I still have access to some Uwe games in my life! I have not yet tried Le Havre, and I feel like that one might appeal to me. Any thoughts on Le Havre? Regarding Constantinopolis, the auctions are not a huge part of the game. It's just a turn order bid, which also comes with a special ability. But most of the game is building up your own engine more efficiently than your opponents. It has just enough player interaction with the auctions & the limited tiles getting taken from the board. But overall it's a very satisfying type of game, not overly "in your face." Check out my episode on that, as the rulebook is insanely long, but the game is fairly simple. Archipelago looks fantastic! I have not played that one!! I will add it to my list for sure!! Thanks for the tip and all the information!!
Yeah, I mean it's kind of caught in the middle. I always jokingly say it's a gamer's game disguised as a family game. I think Knizia and Blue Orange certainly intended it to be a family game. But most kids I've played with get bored after the first half. Gamers, however, get super into it. And like I said in the video, I prefer the scoring objectives here vs. Babylonia and Through the Desert. Regardless, all 3 are awesome. I really want to try Cascadero but I haven't had the chance yet. That one looks very similar with a little more complexity. Thanks for the comment!
@@undiscovered_games I wouldn't play it with kids - I play it with adult friends who aren't gamers (moms and dads) - blue lagoon is awesome! great pick!
Ah, yes, of course! Yeah, it's a perfect complexity for non-gamers or newer gamers... sort of a "gateway game" into area majority and route building. I might need to test out Blue Lagoon on my non-gamer family members!! Thanks for the tip!!
Some recommendations you may or may not have tried: -Lords of Vegas (completes the Fab Four along with Hansa Teutonica, Lancaster, and Chinatown) -Shipyard (my favorite Suchy. Like Galaxy Trucker, you first build then put your creation to the test) -Vikings (Underrated Kiesling! Vikings > Sansoucci > Azul, all featuring the grid spatial element) -Castell (3 Ring Circus reminded me of this one thematically. A unique euro and a true brain burner) -Seeland (A pleasant, relaxing game with a few modes of play. I’ve only tried it at two players) Also, two recent heavier euros with plenty of interaction: Federation and Carnegie. Federation is in my top 5. It has worker placement, voting, area majority, and competition on multiple tracks. Carnegie does the Puerto Rico thing where you have to pay attention to your opponents because of the shared action selection.
Wow! Some awesome game recommendations on there!! I used to have Lords of Vegas but I sold it a few years ago when it was wildly out of print... couldn't resist haha. I have been wanting to get it back in my collection since I only played it twice and really enjoyed it. Rio Grande just sent me Shipyard to review on my Instagram, so I'll be getting to try that one soon!! Castell _and_ Vikings have both been on my want list for awhile but I have not played either! Finally, at a quick glance, Seeland looks _exactly_ like the type of game I like, and it's by 2 excellent designers!! Thanks for putting that one on my radar. I feel like I've heard it mentioned before but I've never played!! I will also check out Federation and Carnegie. I've been hearing lots of good stuff about Carnegie specifically. Thanks for the awesome comment! Much appreciated, my friend!!
Haha thanks for noticing!! I really appreciate your comment because this took _forever_ to put together. I doubt I'll do a Top 50 ever again... at least in this format haha!! Cheers!!
As usual, a most unique list, away from the hotness - but that’s the UG MO 😂 So much time invested with the set up for so many games just for this video. Well done, mate. I’ve seen Imperial floating around recently and now added it to my Want to Play! Stellar job
Man, I severely underestimated how long it would take me to set up and tear down 50 games 😂😂 So I really appreciate your comment. That means a lot!! Imperial is pretty sweet. I could see it climbing my list with more plays. The first play was a bit rough. The second play was _much_ better. And the third was amazing. So if you get it, stick with it! Thank you as always for your continued support! I am happy to have you here at the channel as a UG regular!!
Great list! It'll take a bit to unpack all that there is to discover here but in the end I'm sure a few of these will end up on my watchlist. It's cool to see a number of our own personal favorites on the list :)
Thank you for checking out the video!!Yeah, 50 games is a lot to take in. I really wanted to challenge myself with this episode, and it was quite a challenge. I doubt I'll ever do another Top 50 video. It was way too much work. But hopefully this video will remain in the watchlists of gamers for years to come as a reference for some classic games!! Thanks again for your continued viewership. I'm happy to have you here as a regular on the channel!!
Great list! A few I don't personally like, but that's inevitable with 50 games being listed. So many older-school gems and great designs though. Keep up the great work!
Thanks for watching! Yeah, 50 out of 50 would be pretty hard to achieve haha. Just for fun, name 1 you don't personally like. I won't be offended I promise!! :)
@@undiscovered_games I'm a big Colovini fan, but Carolus Magnus is dry as a bone for me. Hit or miss with the Felds as well, but I do enjoy some of his. However, both of those are significantly outnumbered by games I either already know I want to try, or should possibly look into. Good stuff!
@@markwilson455 I can definitely see Carolus not being for everyone. I specifically like the team play in that game because it’s kinda unique. But it’s definitely a dry game haha! Which Colovini is your favorite? I love Clans, which almost made my Top 50, and I covered a couple of his lesser known games on my channel awhile back!
@@markwilson455 yes, hard to beat Bridges! I also have Magna Grecia but have not played yet. That one is on my short list of games I need to play!! I really like Submarine as a chill game. I covered it a long time ago on my channel. I just find it challenging & interesting without being too much of a brain burn.
ok my mind is blown 🤯🤯🤯 this is lowkey one of the most amazing top 50 lists I've ever seen 🔥🔥🔥 a few from your list that stood out to me which i really want to try now: blue lagoon, imperial, medina, goa, rajas of the ganges. keep up the amazing work man. your channel is 🔥🔥🔥
I really appreciate that. Thanks for all the continued support!! You've been here from the start and that's amazing!! 😌 You picked some good ones out of my list. Of those, blue lagoon, imperial, and ganges are the easiest to find nowadays. The others are a bit harder to find.
So many great looking games i cant wait to try someday. Recently played Trajan for the first time and Carpe Diem and so now ive got 4 Feld games checked off with the other two being CoB and La isla. CoB(special edition) is my current fav, but Trajan might overtake that with more plays. Carpe Diem is my current fav, of all time, to play with my little one(7years old.) Gotta love Feld. I want all his games but maybe next will be to get Merlin big box and The Year of the Dragon.
Carpe Diem is a great game but I've only played once!! Now that you mention it, that would be a great game for my little one, who is also 7!! Thanks for the tip! I had not considered it! It's hard not to like a Feld game haha. Regarding Merlin, we rarely use the expansions, so I almost feel like the base game would be enough, especially considering the cost difference. And even though Merlin is a step up in complexity from Carpe Diem, I definitely think a child could play it. I'm going to try Merlin with my daughter when she turns 8. Thanks for watching as always!! Happy to have you here!! P.S. I predict Trajan will overtake Burgundy for you one day ;) CoB is a classic though. It's my wife's favorite game, and it's just outside of my top 50.
