SO yeah, that's the list. What other games do you reckon I should check out? (TLDR list below) Charterstone Agricola A Game of Thrones Terra Mystica Dicey Dungeons Scythe Wingspan Aeon's End Card Hunter Roll for the Galaxy XCOM: Chimera Squad Pavlovs house The Captain is Dead Darkest Dungeon Spirit Island
I think Root's digital adaptation has been done pretty well so far. Clockwork was added in (so you can have AI opponents or bots that follow Clockwork for scoring), and the rules fudges done for asynchronous play are reasonable. Also, RaceftG has a reasonable app.
I know they’re a bit further than some of the adaptations or board game like games you’re referencing, but with the 4x style games like eclipse, twilight imperium, and clash of cultures maybe you could dive into some 4x games like civ or stellaris. I think they might be a bit further from what you’re going for though.
You definitely should check out "Unity of Command" (the first version). Although this is not a board game, it uses many aspects of it and its relatively easy to learn. It is a turn based game, whereby you try to break through the enemies lines, disrupt enemy supply lines while defending and expanding yours, encircle enemy divisions, and try to achieve your objectives within a set number of turns. The AI is good, the gameplay has a lot of depth, the levels and objectives are diverse and you do learn a lot of history during WW2 from both sides and the tactics which they deploy. Personally it feels like commanding a army with all its little quirks while simple enough to get a good feeling of what is going on.
A little late, but I would extremely recommend giving “Into the Breach” a try. It’s a turn based game about a squad of special mechs fighting off bugs to save the earth. Your team of mechs can all have a special theme and each have their own special abilities, and every game is about trying to create the best combos/chain of attacks to take down the enemies and protect the remainder of humanity. I played the hell out of it before I really got into board gaming, and now that I look back on it, I can definitely see where board gamers would love the game.
Thanks for the love - so happy to hear you are enjoying the digital edition of The Captain is Dead! The whole crew are definitely on the way... the Teleporter Chief and Tactical Officer will be ready for action before the month is out! 🖖🥰
Great video! Here's three more for you - Eight-Minute Empire is a fast feels-like-a-boardgame game. Ticket to Ride is a nice laid back game that has a functional online multiplayer. For the King is a turn based dungeon crawl with a sandbox world. It doesn't look like a board game but it hits a lot of the same notes. Now I have to go spend more money on Steam!
So far I've clocked around 200 hours in the Spirit Island app alone. It helped me really learn the game and pushed me to try at harder difficulties, which I would have never bothered with if I were just playing the physical game. I was able to beat difficulty 17 the day they introduced achievements. I would have never done that if this version wasn't so accessible.
Spirit Island's app implementation is phenomenal, especially given the complexity of the game and its interactions. What a treat. I'm not much of an app gamer myself, but I appreciate also the Oceans app and Yellow and Yangtze (which is great)
Armello is a really awesome game, I don't understand why it's having tough times. Last time I saw an update of the game on Steam one of the lead designers was leaving the company,and that's the kind of stuff that happens when the game is near death. The game has a great concept, amazing design, great characters and is on all platforms. Sure, they only focus on PC for now but that's because the game only has roughly enough players in PC and little to none on other platforms. I encourage everyone that likes boardgames to try it on phone (there's still people playing, like me, so you will find a game) because it's free and if you like it buy the PC version. Also sorry for the spam, I do not work for the company and neither they have payed me 😂😂😂 It just makes me really sad see great games fall apart
Came here to recommend this. Its a great game and plays very well. The community is still pretty active from what I can tell, and the AI is competitive imo.
Really enjoying Monster Train, seems to me like the next evolution of Slay the Spire, but with some added depth to the game state and deck building possibilities.
Root is a good adaptation. Didn't see it on your list of games you've tried, Would be curious to know if the Blood Rage digital game is good or not. Oh and Carcassone is a great digital edition asa well
It is, i really like it, i even shot footage of a game of me playing the vagabond. And for some reason it slipped my mind when i assembled the video. The capture footage must have saved in a weird place.
I reckon the blood rage digital game is good. I haven't had a chance to try physical version, but am now keeping my eyes peeled for a copy (or an eventual sequel?). The AI is difficult to beat and tutorial was pretty good to learn from
Blood Rage is alright. The game itself is well executed and satisfying but there is much room for presentation improvements. You should give it a look!
@@3MBG Wow! Impressive, great job as always, I hope Leder Games and Direwolf Digital take note! its a fantastic digital adaptation of a fantastic board game!
@@3MBG App assisted could be an option. They will have to simplify some of the mechanics and put caps to them. For example cap on how many orbs you can hold.
Great list. As a vid idea - it would be quite cool if you did a digital playthrough of Pavlov's house. I know you say it's not that complex but it looks INCREDIBLY complicated!
Cheers and I hope this reaches you and your family well. Great video as always. Looking forward to seeing Root in the next iteration lol Really on the fence about the Capt is Dead. You may have pushed me off towards it with your quick review, though. So glad to see Spirit Island on your list, it's so thinky and awesome and EFF colonists! Ever consider doing a short list 5-15ish games that should be on Steam?
A non-boardgame for those that like chimera squad but want something a bit tougher and darker would be Othercide. Very very good tactical roguelite, but quite difficult although very fair as there is almost no RNG (enemy AI follows rules, damage is not random, etc) and hence it's more like a puzzle than a crapshoot
I am so disappointed with the lack of a true multiplayer mode in The Captain is Dead and Spirit Island. They are excellent cooperative games but I want to play with friends on line.
Spirit Island is one of those games that you can actually play through another computer (shared screen) but I get your point. It's 2021, it should have been MANDATORY to have multiplayer, especially in digital board games!
We tried both shared screen and it was a complete disaster. For the Captain is dead, I even reached out o the publisher about the shared screen supported statement, they said it was steams issue. In their defense, they did respond and said they were working with Steam...
@@dragonlair9469 Steam have not been much help, I'm afraid. We're still investigating what we can do (if anything) to make Connect Play Together a flawless multiplayer experience!
@@thunderboxentertainment5277 you folks are engaged and responsive. You have my respect and appreciation. I hope at some point, if steam doesn't come through, you are able to pivot and drive to a true multiplayer. It would give the game so much more reach.
Great video! I've been expanding my digital board game collection for a while. I checked the end of the video list and wanted to add a couple suggestions: 1 - Root 2 - Blood Rage 3 - Armello 4 - Acsension 5 - Gremlins 6 - Pathfinder Adventures 7 - Evolution Board Game 8 - Talisman 9 - Hand of Fate 2 Root is a personal favorite, it's a great digital adaptation of a great game and I advise fellow gamers to give it a look!
Great list. I've tried 5 and didn't dig it much, and 8 as well. I shot footage for Root but it clearly didnt save, so when i grabbed all the video files it wasnt there. It should have been on this list.
@@CathyLarkinWebSavvyPR Absolutelly! It offers detailed chapter-like tutorials for each of the 4 factions! It is a game of many rules (one of the most assymetric games ever) but everything is covered!
I recently got Cartographers on the iPad. My first board game app. It’s pretty short and sweet. Will def be checking out Spirit Island as I’ve been seriously contemplating getting it (that’s another one I put down to you after having gotten me hooked on Obsession and Brass!) and Pavlov’s House.
Into The Breach and Monster Train are my favorite board game inspired video games. Griftlands is also pretty cool. As far as adaptations, I still get a lot of play from Carcassonne and Isle of Skye. Root and Istanbul are also really good
@@3MBG I played the developer's previous game FTL a lot, but into the breach scratches the same puzzle itch I get from Gloomhaven and Slay the Spire. Knowing what the enemy will do and working out the perfect play is so satisfying.
Thank you! As a die hard grognard I appreciated you including a wargame. And actually it is one i have the hard copy, but never got a chance to play. So, thanks!
My background is in wargaming, hence the use of Clausewitz as the channel logo. So, if i can shoehorn a wargame in, i will. Pavlovs house was also my "solo game of the year" in 2019. Its neat, and hard
Fantastic list. I will definitely try the Spirit Island adaptation, I love the board game. My recommendation for a Steam game I think you may like is: Battle Brothers, a turn based rogue like combat/ management sim where you control a mercenary company, it is brutal (like Darkest Dungeon) and has a similar feel of attachment to your soldiers as XCOM, definitely give it a try if you see it in a Steam sale!
I've been enjoying Imperial Assault with the IACP, not in TTS but in Vassal. Also would recommend everyone play AWBW (Advance Wars By Web). AWBW is multiplayer only but it's incredible asynchronous turn based strategy! Edit: Also, the IACP has a beginner league, so it's very easy to start!
I think I mentioned some others on the last video but I'll add Guild of Dungeoneering. It's a quirky reverse roguelike dungeon crawl where you make the dungeon for an adventurer to fight through leading up to a final boss
On Terra Mystica, and I think lots of digital board games suffer from this, the pieces aren’t easy to distinguish from the board. Take a look at those yellow pieces on those yellow hexes. I find this to be the case on Tabletopia as well. A good design practice for digital games would be to slightly offset the brightness or saturation of the board relative to the pieces.
Nice list. Love checking out digital versions of board games. I highly recommend GREMLINS INC. There is no physical version so I feel like it gets missed a lot in the board game community, but this is a pure board game in digital form. REALLY well made with responsive developers who update the game frequently.
@@3MBG I didn't get it at first, but it has grown on me. Granted, I love the aesthetic and music and that does a lot to keep me there. It's a very luck driven game but the more I play the more I realize it is a strategy of managing your luck, and when I think of it that way it becomes a sort of challenge for me to see how well I can do with what I have. I'm not very good though lol
Darkest Dungeon is an absolute blinder, well worth picking up. Havea physical copy of spirit island have been toying with the idea of picking up the game on steam, think you just convinced me. 👍🏻
Teamfight Tactics is a free "auto chess" game based on League of Legends. You can find an 8-player game in about a minute which is more than i can say for any online board game. I poured about 1000 hours into it before i hit master league in the last set
Lots of great ones in here and a few new recommendations I need to check out. Thank you and great as always! Haven't fired it up for awhile, but I seem to recall that Heroes of Normandie was a nice looking and easy to play version of that game. Agree with you that Scythe is better played physically even though it's a great app. For me, some of that comes down to the difficulty of easily surveying the entire map and other players' situations at a glance the way you can in real life. Feels harder to do that in the app.
Turns out that version of Agricola isnt available anymore. Its been taken off steam for new buyers, so i suspect the rights owners were not happy with it and pulled it.
Thank you! I somehow missed that Spirit Island is available in digital. One of my favorite board games and so excited you brought it to my attention for digital. I've also greatly enjoyed Root and I'm finally going to take the plunge for Xcom per your recommendation. Thanks again!!! Any Discord groups you'd recommend for Digital board gamers???
Not a board game, but a puzzle game I think a lot of board gamers would enjoy: The Witness. It starts off simple and gets incredibly difficult. It’s all “draw a line” puzzles, which you think would get old quickly but there’s so much creativity and variety it’s astounding. My favourite video game of the last decade.
I know they're old, but one of my favourite PC games that's pretty much a computer version of a board game is the Heroes and Might and Magic games. Specifically 2, 3 and 5.
@@3MBG I don't know if you've seen but there's a custom mod called "Horn Of The Abyss" that is so high quality it's practically another (unofficial) expansion. Brings needed balance changes, a new town, artifacts, dwellings etc.
What turd is giving a thumbs down? Come-on people...just...watch something else...geez. Thanks for this, I struggle with which Steam games to consider. Honestly I don't like playing them on a computer very often and I think what Scythe is missing is PEOPLE. Wingspan and Roll for the Galaxy look pretty intriguing. Spirit Island I'd consider to play more without having to set the game up physically for solo. I wish Gloomhaven had the solo scenarios on Steam for the same reason.
i really like card hunter too but i feel it has some problems, first of all when you are starting the game, out in the campaign, there are monsters that only take one type of damage, like crushing but not slashing or stabing, or monsters that only take stabing damage. this is really a pain, because when you start out, you only have a few weapons card per characters, so many times, you cant kill the monster, cuz he is immune to your damage. after some time i stoped trying to beat that dungeon, it was such a pain. also you have to grind to get items, because items are a random drop, so many times you will get the same useless item, many times. it would be helpful if you could trade items with other ppl but you cant. it s pretty good tho, you dont have to pay anything, you can play the whole game for free and there are many ways to have different moves or cards for each character, tho it will take you some time to get better items.
Aeon's End is easily my favorite 2-player "Let's Play Together' game on Steam. I agree with you - I wouldn't recommend it 3 or 4 player at the table or online.
I'm surprised Armello isn't on your lists.... or possible didn't make the top 20 (or 15 from last year). It's a great game that also isn't an adaptation of a physical game, def recommended!
Trials of Fire on steam is a great tactical deckbuilder. Currently in Early Access, but releasing 1.0 very soon. (Disclaimer: I made it so am extremely biased!)
Hello from Denmark :) I love your content and this list is a fun one. I have a way to long list of games on my phone, but when we're only on steam the list shortens a bit. You might wanna check out these :) Talisman Castles of Burgundy Patchwork Mystic Vale This war of mine (!) Surviving Mars Tokaido Smash Up Splendor Pandemic Ticket to Ride Monopoly :D Arkham Horror Ascension the list goes on :)
Always recommend Heroes of Might & Magic 3 to board game enthusiasts. Waaaaay before I met my girlfriend who got me started on the hobby, this was about as board game-y as I had, and it holds up great! Not sure if on Steam, but I got it on GOG again for a song.
Maybe i misunderstood what the video was but came to the video expecting to get some good recommendations for video games to play... first seven minutes in, great board game, adaptation isn't great, game is clunky, AI is bad, just not for me, etc etc. Would love a list of games you actually like and would actually recommend that we purchase on steam.
It's more of a review of games specifically with board gaming in mind, hence why some of my all time fav sort of games aren't on there like Fallout New Vegas or System Shock 2
Thanks for the video! You should definitely check out Offworld Trading Company. It's a real-time economic/ trading game in space with area control and interaction. It's a video game, but to me it feels a lot like a board game. It's also beautiful (graphically and musically). Great game, really.
Yeah, the digital version of Spirit Island makes it way easier than the boardgame to just try something out and see how it goes. Will take a look at Pavlov's House. The boardgame always sounded interesting, but couldn't get myself to buy a solo boardgame. Did you take a look at "Labyrinth: War on Terror"? The boardgame is a Volko Ruhnke design. Darkest Dungeons is a game I really wanted to like. I didn't even mind the brutal RNG, a lot of good boardgames have risk mitigation as a central element. But I couldn't stand playing the true player character: the town. A heartless coorporation, throwing workers into projects. Grinding to pulp, spitting them out to create more profit. Once I realized that, I couldn't continue playing the true villain of that story.
Yeah, you are not a nice person in DD, your whole family (as the narrator is the ancestor) seems awful. Labyrinth is still in early access, and im waiting for it to release first. Its been in EA for over a year now
@@3MBG On another note: I really enjoy the many times frustrating Darkest Dungeon, but I decided not to back the KS boardgame version. This is a case where I would miss the narrative flow, music, and overall immersive experience the video game offers...furthermore, DD the boardgame has a rather large footprint, and looks incredibly fiddly as it tries to incorporate the various game mechanics. I'll save my money on this one.
I liked this video simply for Darkest Dungeon, but I am def gonna check out some of these. I would highly suggest checking out Armello and Battle Brothers. Oh, and Star Realms is my favorite mobile I have 10-15 min to kill sitting and waiting in a que games.
Thanks J! I've been trying to get into spirit island but have been bouncing off the rule book. Would you consider the app a good place to learn since it has the training wheels on or should I learn the game traditionally first?
Decided to just go for it with the physical copy and played a solo game as River. Thought I was going to lose but a fear card unexpectedly destroyed the last city right as terror level 3 came out! Game is such a brain burner!
I am surprised root didn't make it to your list. It seems throughout the years you've had a penchant for war games. Also I liked the adaptation of evolution. The take that components didn't work out with playing the game with my wife but the AI opponents in the app version we're fun
It was supposed to go in. I played all the games, recording the screencaps and then put them in a folder. Root failed to record, but i didn't notice. It's a great adaption.
Like what you did with the numbering. Only realised at ono what you were up to 🤦♂️ Several favourites of mine on your lists (and a few pleasant new - to me - surprises too, Spirit Island / Pavlovs's House / The Captain is Dead).
Card Hunter at least used to be playable on a web page (game.cardhunterDOTcom) as a Flash game. There is also a free version of Race for the Galaxy with the very best AI. You can find it with google searching "Keldon's Race for the Galaxy". I have to give a try for that Spirit Island. :)
Game of thrones is great multi-player aside from one huge thing, it is riddled with so many game breaking bugs which lead to the game crashing and not being able to rejoin even if you reload the save. Imagine playing for 3 hours, getting to the exciting end game and standing a chance to win for the first time ever and then suddenly... Crash gameover!
@@3MBG Yeah there is an autosave, but when you try to click the button to rejoin, it just makes a clicking sound but nothing happens. Our gaming group is addicted to the game so we couldn't resist trying it several times and reporting any bugs we found, but so far we are still waiting to see if it gets patched.
Greetings from Brazil - and, no, not all of us Brazilians despise democracy, the environment and the science behind the fight against Covid-19 as our government. But I apologize for my country's uncivilized and immoral president anyway. On topic: have you played "Into the Breach"?
Here’s some games that you might like that you didn’t cover; Blood Rage Gloomhaven Sentinels of the Multiverse Terraforming Mars Lords of Waterdeep Pathfinder Twilight Struggle Small World Blood Bowl Elder Signs Heroes of Normandie Fury of Dracula Tokaido Star Realms Pandemic Raiders of the North Sea Root Potion Explosion Memoir 44 Carcassonne Splendor Labyrinth: War on Terror Istanbul Sagrada Yellow & Yangtze Mystic Vale Xenoshyft Galaxy Trucker Evolution Dragon Castle Shards of Infinity One Deck Dungeon Talisman Harald Boss Monster And two awesome digital board games that aren’t physical games; Armello Goblins Inc
My list with no claim to be complete or exhaustive, but seem to be missing in the video. Board game Adaptions: Monopoly, Carcassonne, Talisman, all chess games, go games, etc., ... Board game likes: Civilization Series, Endless Legend, Endless Space 2, Into the Breach, Battle for Wesnoth, The Witcher Adventure Game, Armello, X-Com Series, ... Card game adaptions: All kinds of Poker games, Solitaire, Uno, ... Card game likes: Hand of Fate (1+2), Magic: Arena, Hearthstone, Gwent, Etherlords, (1 + 2), ...
@@3MBG I see. Yes, most of those titles I mentioned are older than a year. I still like to play some of them today. I believe Barotrauma also has some card game aspect and a Darkest Dungeon vibe. But I haven't played that one yet.
I feel a game like Civilisation V would be good for this list. Basically a board game, but with lots more complexity. Just sucks the hours up. Weirdly can be played like a Eurogame, or Wargame, but mainly a mix of both. Although I would recommend Civ V rather than the Civ boardgame.
@@3MBG love it! Just want to say, love how active you are in your comments, makes my contribution to your fantastic content feel validated. Keep up the great work.
Yeah Barry. I like a fair bit of it, the district system in particular is cool, but i think CIV V just clicked for me better overall. Civ 5 is one of my 3 most played games on steam.
Cheers Thomas. I always find it weird when smaller to mid tier creators don't get involved in their comments. One big reason i make content is to chat with people. I get when its a huge channel.
